Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 11; Psalm 95 & 96; Isaiah 39; Revelation 9
Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken. He said moreover, For there shall be peace and truth in my days. (Isaiah 39:8)
God had done a miraculous thing in causing the sundial to move backward to show Hezekiah a sign that he would be healed. Then God told Isaiah what poultice to make to heal Hezekiah's illness. God gave Hezekiah another fifteen years of life because he prayed and asked God for mercy. It was not long after this that Hezekiah allowed the court of Babylon to see all the treasures of the Temple and of his royal residence. Why did he do that? Was he bragging at the wealth of Judah? Was he trying to impress these men?
Whatever his reasons, God told him that they would have all that they saw. Here is a prophetic declaration from God of the Babylonian captivity. Not only that, but God said the Babylonians would take Hezekiah's sons and they would become eunuchs in the courts of Babylon. Hezekiah was a man living on borrowed time and he takes his sentence with a submissive heart. "Good is the word of the LORD," he says.
It is interesting to contrast this submissive attitude toward God's word with the reaction to Isaiah's announcement made earlier.
In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live. Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, And said, Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, 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. (Isaiah 38:1-3)
When Hezekiah learned he was to die soon, he did not take God's word as final, but prayed and begged God to change his decree. Later when he learned that he would have peace and truth but the judgment would come later he said that was good. It seems to me that Hezekiah should have been concerned about what would happen in his sons' days. Is it a good attitude to be content with peace in my day knowing calamity will come to my children? Shall I spend now until there is laid up debt for my children to try and repay?
Why did Hezekiah not beseech God as fervently with this word as he did with the earlier word from God? We can only speculate. We should not only be praying about the condition of the land in our days, but for those of our children. The Bible says:
A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just. (Proverbs 13:22)
Are we praying for the days of our children and grandchildren?
In Christ,
Rody
