This isn't a works-righteousness mentality. His prayer mainly reminds God of how good and faithful Hezekiah had been (as if God needed to be told!). The Lord will save me, and we will sing with stringed instruments all the day s of our lives in the temple of the Lord. He knew he could ask God to act on his behalf. He prayed to God often, and he always obeyed God. Hezekiah's prayer was Bold. Hezekiah knew that there was still a lot of work to do in Judah. "Real men don't cry," is the way we train our sons. When the prophet Isaiah told him his death was near, Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and wept bitterly. God honored this with blessing, success, and answered prayer. Such a short, simple prayer certainly had a remarkable result. He almost died. Grace: Favor for the Undeserving. She is the founder and director of Heart Choices Today, publishes Upgrade with Dawn, and writes for Crosswalk.com. While he was sick, the prophet Isaiah came to visit him. They have two married sons and three granddaughters. She has focused much of her work on atonement theology and the development of theological education. He sanctified the temple vessels that had been desecrated but destroyed the bronze servant Moses madebecause Gods people had turned it into an idol (Numbers 21:9; 2 Kings 18:4). As soon as Isaiah left, Hezekiah began to pray to God. This site is a proud member of the Salem Web Network, a subsidiary of, Copyright 2023, Crosswalk.com. Yes, we're under the stress of battle, but not the stress of trying to play God. When he bragged about his possessions, he brought disaster to Judah, including the looting of Israels treasury and the nations eventual captivity. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy. 10 Things You Need to Know about the Number 666, 10 Books of the Bible You Should Read Again and Again, 10 Most Encouraging Bible Verses That Will Uplift Your Heart and Soul, 5 Things That Hurt Relationships with Grandkids, 30 Morning Prayers to Start Each Day with God, 10 Things You Should Never Say to Your Wife, How to Have Joy in Your Golden Years Despite These 10 Life Losses, 4 Things You Should Know about Big George Foreman, 8 Ways You Are Belittling Your Husband and What God Says about It, Maybe Money Can Buy Happiness, but Not Joy. 18They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by men's hands. But God brought the king back from death's door and gave him fifteen more . Hezekiah has made all the Philippians Continue to do this until all of the words of the verse are erased and the children can say the verse. Some things God has promised to dosome He hasnt. 2. Hezekiah would live fifteen more years! Stress is your daily companion. (James 5:14-15; Matthew 10:7; 12:15; The testimony of scripture is, There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him (2 Kings 18:5-7). In the passage below, we see that the sickness was specifically for the glory of God. The children could collect packets of crayons and pictures to colour. As he worshipped in the temple of his god Nisrok, his sons killed him by the sword as Isaiah had prophesied (2 Kings 19:36-37). Church 6I will add fifteen years to your life. Try, If The Preacher Is Dead, The Sermon Will Be Dead, Chasing The Dream, Preaching Greatness, And Knowing Your Audience. But Hezekiah made an honest attempt to follow God in his life and repented when he was convicted of his sin. Lamb of God He had been zealous for the Lord, in the face of much pressure and criticism from idolaters. Often times, we offer half hearted, 10 minutes prayers to God even for people who are terminally ill with cancer. There are at least five lessons we can learn from Hezekiah's life and choices. Neither God nor the prophet was angry when Hezekiah asked for a sign. "6To us, most infections are easily cured with antibiotics, but in those days, a serious infection could bring death. Spend some time talking about prayer. Regarding The Information age And The Clash of Civilizations. In the New Testament, John writes: "The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." Hezekiah's Praise to God before His Healing Apparently Hezekiah praised God before he had recovered his health. He destroyed Judahs idols, pagan temples, and altars (2 Chronicles 29:3-19; 31:1-2); and he re-established worship, reinstated the Levitical priesthood, and set up contributions for temple worship (2 Chronicles 29:5; 20-35; 31:2-21). Even at the sixth time, he was not healed. Hezekiah did not forget the Lord or blame him because of his sickness. but that didn't happen. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. See legal, copyright, and reprint information. Colossians The answer was not long in coming through Isaiah the prophet: After a poetic oracle or prophecy, the narrator recounts: God answered Hezekiah's prayer, but then another crisis When Hezekiah recovered, he sang a song of praise to God: The living, the living, they thank you, as I do this day (38:19). Hezekiahs tunnel still exists under the city of Davidexcavated by modern archaeologists. We fold our tents and go home. I hope so. God's heart is open to the prayer of his child seeking to live But Hezekiah still wanted a sign that in three days time he would be well. The king of Assyria, which was a much more powerful nation, decided to attempt a take over of Hezekiahs kingdom. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, "This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.". Hezekiah wasn't sinless (2 Chronicles 32:26). Acts 1-12: His story unfolds in 2 Kings 16:20-20:21 and 2 Chronicles 28:27-32:33, and again in Isaiah 36:1-39:8. Luke 18 They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by mens hands. Help us to His tears are tears of emotion and struggle. With foresight, Hezekiah decided to fortify Jerusalem against siege. He is a model to all who desire to walk in close fellowship with God during times of trouble, and a reminder not to forget the Lord in times of blessing. what is bad for us (Matthew 7:7-11). Judah had a long history of bad kings before and after Why? He knew God had placed him in the position of authority over them. When King Hezekiah became sick, the prophet Isaiah told him that he would die. Great Prayers But it is unfair to judge him Hezekiah was terminally ill. Songs of Ascent Verse one contains the familiar expression Put your house in order. When Isaiah left, Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed earnestly with tears. In the story Isaiah Helps King Hezekiah Pray the Lord took his time to answer Hezekiahs prayer. There were several men of God who asked God for signs when their faith was not enough to believe God for the impossible even after God spoke to them. Anticipating conflict with Assyria, Hezekiah had taken a number of steps: The Assyrian armies crushed the rebels in Phoenicia and the Philistine coastal cities. Tunneling a shaft through 1,748 feet of solid rock to supply water to the city in time of siege (2 Kings 20:20). While he was sick, the prophet Isaiah came to visit him. Naaman was healed only after he dipped seven times in the Jordan river. Hezekiah heard about it and went before the Lord. This led to Hezekiah pleading for his life. Many of the people still did not follow God. 7Then Isaiah said, Prepare a poultice of figs. They did so and applied it to the boil,and he recovered. 2011-2023 Mission Bible Class. 1 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. They could make games or collect stickers. He was one of Judah's only "righteous and just" kings, bringing about a number of reforms during Was Hezekiah terrified of death? 14And Hezekiah received the letter of the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up into the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD. 14Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked, What did those men say, and where did they come from?, From a distant land, Hezekiah replied. Bring some items to class that relate to illness. Article Images Copyright , What You Need to Know about Hezekiah in the Bible. Weeping with his face toward a wall, Hezekiah asked God to be merciful. And Esarhaddon his son succeeded him as king. Hezekiah ()was, according to theHebrew Bible, the son of Ahaz and the 13th king of Judah. Sitemap, Free "Bitterly" (NIV, NRSV) and "sore" (KJV) suggest a wrong attitude on Hezekiah's part where the text doesn't imply any. Dawn assists author and radio host Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth with research and works with various departments at Revive Our Hearts. The Lord healed his illness and also performed an extraordinary phenomenon. It was prior to making his plans. "O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. from Sennacherib gloat over the victory: The scripture records the humiliating conclusion: But the Assyrians felt after this that they had made a tactical error leaving Jerusalem unconquered. David, Life of 3. Having trouble logging into your account? 2 Peter, Jude A writer at Ligonier Ministries said, Incredibly, Hezekiah himself indicates the ongoing failure of Gods people to trust the Lord.Hezekiahs heart became proud and he failed to respond to the kindness God has shown him (2 Chronicles 32:25). Resurrection God answers sincere prayers from our hearts. What do you say to God? It happened just as he requested. Hezekiahs prayer was Dependent. Explain that 2 Kings 18-20 records the challenges and fears of Hezekiah, the king of the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Hezekiah was a remarkable king, used by God to rescue Jerusalem from the Assyrians and bring reform and revival to Judah. He was still in the palace courtyard. She is the tenth president of Columbia Theological Seminary. Extending and strengthening the wall of Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 32:5a). 35 That night the angel of the LORD went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. The Bible describes Hezekiah as a king who had a close relationship with God, one who did "what was good and right and faithful before the LORD his God" ( 2 Chronicles 31:20 ). This led to Hezekiah pleading for his life. He knew this sign meant God would keep His promise and add fifteen years to his life when he went to the temple in three days. Hezekiah knew his place as kingand he knew Gods place in the Kingdom. (present-day Iraq) and the Egyptians, who encouraged rebellion against Assyria. When your child is being openly rebellious, are you quick to respond to his demands? On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of theLord. I get this visual image of Hezekiah, and this letterlaying it there on the table, and saying, Okay, God, what now? Hezekiah was one of the few kings of Judah who was constantly aware of God's acts in the past and His involvement in the events of every day. When it comes to healing, we must believe that it is Gods will to heal unless we have heard otherwise from the Holy Spirit. Sometimes we get upset because God doesnt do something we asked or wanted Him to do but the fact is He had never promised to do it. Hezekiahs prayer was Immediate. Also, in Old Testament times, people believed that long life was a reward for righteous living. In 701 BC, another Assyrian king Sennacherib (705-681) led a massive military force into the area to put down the rebels, counteract Egyptian threats, and reassert Assyria's dominance. You may think it cruel to tell Hezekiah to "Put your house in order," but it was really a kindness. Karen Barber is the Founding Director of Prayer Igniters International, a Contributing Editor with Guideposts Magazine, the author of Surprised by Prayer and the creator of the Personal Prayer Power video/study series. Watercolors This could have even happened during the crisis with Assyria itself.
Triple A Hockey Standings, School Age Calculator Florida, Yolo County Ccw Good Cause, Articles L