A Life Worth Living
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Text: II Kings 20:1-7
2 Kings 20:1–7 (CSB)
In those days Hezekiah became terminally ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Set your house in order, for you are about to die; you will not recover.’ ”
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, “Please, Lord, remember how I have walked before you faithfully and wholeheartedly and have done what pleases you.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
Isaiah had not yet gone out of the inner courtyard when the word of the Lord came to him: “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, ‘This is what the Lord God of your ancestor David says: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the Lord’s temple. I will add fifteen years to your life. I will rescue you and this city from the grasp of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.’ ”
Then Isaiah said, “Bring a lump of pressed figs.” So they brought it and applied it to his infected skin, and he recovered.
Cross Reference: Isaiah 38:
Introduction:
Hezekiah began to reign when he was 25 years old (II Kings 18:1-2). He was probably around 38-40 years of age. He reigned 29 years. He was the 12th King of Judah since Athaliah was a queen. In those days refers to days of the invasion of Jerusalem by Sennacherib, recorded in 18:13–19:36.
Isaiah prophesied during the time of the divided kingdom under the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. (Isaiah 1:1)
Let’s put our lenses in the life of King Hezekiah and learn from it.
v.1
Hezekiah is terminally ill - Terminally ill is a medical term that refers to a person who has a disease that cannot be cured and that will eventually lead to their death.
When Isaiah informs Hezekiah of his impending death (Isa 38:1), he counsels him to “set your house in order.”
The term “house” might have included a man’s household—all of a family’s possessions, including slaves
The word “house” also can refer to larger kinship groups, such as the clan, tribe, or nation
v. 2
Hezekiah was very ill and probably could not get up to go to another room to pray.
Barnes notes “Hezekiah probably turned his face to the wall in order that his emotion and his tears might not be seen by the bystanders, or in order that he might compose himself the better for devotion. “
Cambridge commentary “an instinctive expression of the feeling that he was alone with God in this bitter moment.”
v.3
The Bible Knowledge Commentary (20:2–3)
Hezekiah responded to this bad news by praying earnestly to the LORD. The king reminded God of his faithfulness to Him, his wholehearted devotion, and his good behavior as God’s vice-regent or ruler.
Hezekiah has been accused of praying in a self-interested and even self-righteous fashion, but this kind of prayer is common in the Psalms. He calls on Yahweh to remember his faithfulness and to deal kindly with him. Yahweh promises to guard, protect, and heal those who cling to him in hope and faith. Hezekiah does just that and trusts Yahweh to keep his covenant.
He did what was right in the Lord’s sight just as his ancestor David had done. He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake that Moses made, for until then the Israelites were burning incense to it. It was called Nehushtan.
Hezekiah relied on the Lord God of Israel; not one of the kings of Judah was like him, either before him or after him. He remained faithful to the Lord and did not turn from following him but kept the commands the Lord had commanded Moses.
v.4-6
The king’s appeal in prayer was effective with God. Before Isaiah had left the palace on his way home the LORD gave him a second message: to return to the king with word announcing a postponement of his death. Hezekiah had behaved like a true son of David in the way he reacted to God’s first message. Hezekiah’s prayer (what he said) and his tears (how he felt about what he said) moved God to heal him. Isaiah announced that in three days the king would be well enough to worship God in the temple. God promised to add 15 years to Hezekiah’s life (from 701 to 686). The Lord also promised to deliver Hezekiah and Jerusalem from Sennacherib’s siege and to defend Jerusalem for His own sake and for David’s sake (cf. 19:34).
v.7
20:7. Isaiah then gave Hezekiah a treatment for his illness. The poultice of figs was well known in the ancient world as a means of helping to heal boils and ulcers, but Hezekiah’s physicians had not prescribed it. Some think the remedy was designed to demonstrate God’s supernatural power at work in granting the king’s recovery.
Sick kings in 1–2 Kings normally die (1 Kgs. 14; 2 Kgs. 1), and their dynasties shortly follow them into the grave. Consultation with a prophet is often part of scenes of the sick king (1 Kgs. 14; 2 Kgs. 8:7–15), but the prophet normally brings bad news. The story of Hezekiah’s sickness is similar, but ultimately breaks the rhythm.
Given that Hezekiah faces death, it is surprising to learn that he is suffering from a boil (20:7). Boils are among the plagues of Egypt (Exod. 9:8–12) and among the curses of Deut. 28:27. Hezekiah’s boil is a sign that Judah is threatened as Egypt was and that its king is threatened with disfiguring skin disease. He is healed, and Israel is delivered once again from “Egyptian” diseases.
The restoration of the city and the raising of the king above all demonstrate the incomparable power of Yahweh. He is not one among many gods, but the living God
Questions to ask for yourself
If today will be your last day, can you look back and say like Hezekiah “I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight.”?
If today will be your last day, would you ask God to extend your life?
If God will give you 15 more years, what are you going to do with it?
Lessons from the life of King Hezekiah to live a life worth living
Remember that life your is short - 20:1
You don’t know what will be tomorrow
2. Remember to pray in all circumstances - 20:2-3
Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, saying, I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.
how many times in a day do you pray?
do you pray when you are grateful? in pain? in trouble? or whatever circumstance it may be, do you pray?
3. Remember to give thanks and praise to God - 20:7
And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.
Did Hezekiah gave thanks to God after he recovered? YES!
He does give thanks (v.19), but first, the king reflects on the horror and oppression he felt when facing death (vv.10–14), as well as God’s power to forgive sins and restore life (vv.17–18). The experience sobered him, and it encouraged him to both “walk along slowly” (v.15) and to recount God’s salvation to the next generation (v.19).
For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee:
They that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.
The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day:
The father to the children shall make known thy truth.
The Lord was ready to save me:
Therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments
All the days of our life in the house of the Lord.
יָדָה (yādâ). vb. to give thanks, praise. Describes the act of giving thanks and praise to God.
This verb primarily refers to giving thanks; the majority instances of yādâ in the OT are in Psalms. Like other terms with similar meanings, yādâ is often accompanied by an explanation of the reason for the thanks or praise.
Illustration:
A man stole the wallet of the Bible commentator Matthew Henry. As he reflected on the incident, Henry said, “Let me be thankful, first, because he never robbed me before; second, because although he took my purse, he did not take my life; third, because although he took all I possessed, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.”
Conclusion:
So, What are you thankful for this year? I am reminded with an old song that says “ only one life so soon it will pass, only what’s done for Christ will last”. Have you live a live worth living? Remember that life is short. Pray to God and Surrender your life to Him today with praise and thanksgiving.
