19 The living, the living, he thanks you,
as I do this day;
the father makes known to the children
your faithfulness. – Isaiah 38:19
The Living
Isaiah Chapter 38 records the fascinating account of King Hezekiah’s sickness and recovery. Try to put yourself in King Hezekiah’s position if you can. Lying sick, and at the point of death, the imposing figure of the Prophet Isaiah comes to pay you a visit. Always sober and dressed in his humble sackcloth, the mighty prophet gives you these “encouraging” words:
“Thus says the Lord: Set your house in order, for you shall die, you shall not recover.”
How would you respond to such a statement? Especially coming from a source like Isaiah. A prophet who received visions from God during the reign of four kings of Judah. During his forty years of ministry Isaiah prophesied on the coming Messiah, warnings and assurances for Israel and Judah, the coming Day of the Lord, and the Kingdom of God. In time, each of his prophecies would be fulfilled, thus proving their Divine source. When Isaiah spoke, the wise took his words to heart.
Hezekiah was familiar with Isaiah. Thus, the gravity of his words were unbearable. At thirty-nine years of age and childless, Hezekiah’s days among the living were numbered.
Death Sentence
As I read through the Bible, this account reminds me of my chiropractor and good friend Dr. Russell Willemin. Like Hezekiah, he was given a hopeless diagnosis that might better have been called a death sentence. Specifically, in early February of 2014, he was diagnosed with uroepithelial carcinoma in his right kidney. Although surgery was performed to remove his right kidney, ureter, and bladder cuff, the cancer had progressed to stage IV and was in the lymphatics around his aorta and was inoperable.
While he did not receive any somber words from the Prophet Isaiah, Dr. Russ did receive sobering counsel from his medical team. Certainly, the odds were not in his favor. If ever there was a time to set his house in order, it was now.
At fifty-eight years of age, with of bride of thirty-six years, three children and four grandchildren, it appeared that Dr. Russ’s days among the living were numbered.
Weeping King
Where do you turn when you are given news like King Hezekiah? For Hezekiah, his first thought in the “trial” was prayer. Isaiah records that King Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord. As he wept bitterly, Hezekiah reminded the Lord of his faithful service and his whole hearted devotion in doing good in the sight of God. And unlike the wall he was facing, God responded to Hezekiah’s prayer.
Immediately, God spoke to the Prophet Isaiah, and told him to go back to the King with the comforting words that his prayer had been heard and his tears had been seen. Because of his contrition, God promised Hezekiah an additional fifteen years of life. In addition, God promised his protection to Hezekiah and Jerusalem during that time. A promise He confirmed with a miraculous sign. The shadow would turn back on the dial, but God would not turn back on His word. While I don’t believe God changes His mind, I do think this teaches us that “there is room in God’s plans for the prayers of man” (H.C. Leupold).
With his remaining life, Hezekiah pledged to praise God. Specifically, he would thank Him for His grace and make his offspring (of which he currently had none) know of His faithfulness.
Heart Covenant
Like King Hezekiah, Dr. Russ also turned to God in prayer during his time of desperation. Instead of reminding God of his faithfulness as the King did, however, he confessed his spiritual apathy. In his own words, he wasn’t practicing his faith or praying regularly. Basically, his life was lacking spiritual conviction. But in his current condition, he decided to make a covenant “of the heart” with God. Not unlike the vow that Jacob made with God in Genesis chapter twenty eight. If God would show him mercy and allow him to recover, he in turn would do whatever God “asked” of him. Like King Hezekiah experienced so many years before, God heard his prayer, and saw his tears.
The day before he was scheduled to begin his very aggressive chemo regimen, Dr. Russ attended a healing service at the recommendation of one of his employees. Little could he know how this service would change his life. And by extension, countless others.
At the service, the audience was challenged to forgive anyone that they were harboring ill will towards. As Dr. Russ did so, the Spirit began to work on him. As the chains associated with unforgiveness began to weaken, Dr. Russ began to perspire profusely, as if the cancer were leaving his body through his pores. Once he reached the alter and was prayed over, he lost all control of his body as the Holy Spirit began to operate on the inoperable. Like a patient under anesthesia, he could not move or even open his eyes.
The Prophet Isaiah was not on the scene, so God sent the Holy Spirit to inform Dr. Russ that he was going to be healed and he would survive. But it wouldn’t be easy. Before the healing, he would have to endure some suffering (how often the same knife that heals us must first hurt us). But with newfound trust in the Great Physician, his tears of sorrow were quickly turned into tears of joy.
Death’s Threshold
Have you ever stood at the threshold of death like these two men? When death comes, even a mighty king is helpless before it’s onslaught. For King Hezekiah, it came calling at the “prime of his life” and would forever leave an indelible mark.
In the words of John Oswalt: “At the time when he least expects it, Hezekiah is confronted by the gaping maw of death. Suddenly all the years upon which he had counted for more achievements and for the enjoyment of those achievements vanish away like a vapor. How easily we human beings consider the years of our lives an inviolate possession. But that is not true. We have only today and perhaps not all of it. We are distinctly dependent creatures, and if such experiences as Hezekiah’s help us to face what that fact means for present living and eternal destiny, then they are very salutary experiences indeed.”
Hence Hezekiah would write:
15 What shall I say? For he has spoken to me,
and he himself has done it.
I walk slowly all my years
because of the bitterness of my soul.
16 O Lord, by these things men live,
and in all these is the life of my spirit.
Oh restore me to health and make me live!
17 Behold, it was for my welfare
that I had great bitterness;
but in love you have delivered my life
from the pit of destruction,
for you have cast all my sins
behind your back. – Isaiah 38:15-17
Life Lessons
How can you be delivered from the threshold of death without being forever changed? I am sure Dr. Russ would agree with Hezekiah’s statement that “in all of these is the life of my spirit”. As H.C. Leupold says of such experiences, “They are the wellspring of all existence. All this is said in an effort to indicate how deep these things go and how long they last”.
Death has the ability to remove so quickly what we treat as so permanent. As we see from Hezekiah’s words, one never completely gets over the shock of being confronted with it so suddenly and intimately. We see that his praise is not only tempered by his “bitterness” but is actually enhanced by it (v. 17). There is a depth to his thanksgiving and praise that man can not manufacture without such an experience. It is a blessed thing to be reminded of our dependency on God, and perhaps nothing does it so quickly and thoroughly as a death sentence.
It is good to remember that God holds the keys to life and death. Also, it is good to be reminded that he hears the prayers of those that cry out to him. It is wise for the living to trust Him with, and thank Him for, their lives every day.
Thanksgiving
As we approach the Thanksgiving Holiday, may you ponder these words from Dr. Russ.
“I strive now to stay in His presence all day every day. I speak out His name for support all day just to bring my awareness back to Him. For that, He offers us love, support and forgiveness beyond our comprehension. He gives us the gift of another day on Earth with our loved ones. How are you going to use that gift today? How are you going to prepare to use that gift tomorrow? Don’t waste those gifts, these days. Praise Him and thank Him every day.”
When you take time to thank God today, don’t forget to thank him for Hezekiah’s son Manasseh who was born during the fifteen years that God added to Hezekiah’s life. Although Manasseh was a wicked King, he was part of the lineage of Christ (Matthew 1:10). And it is only because of Christ that the redeemed can echo the words of Hezekiah’s thanksgiving.
“but in love you have delivered my life
from the pit of destruction,
for you have cast all my sins
behind your back”
Happy thanksgiving, and welcome back from the dead.
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— Ephesians 2:4-5