King Hezekiah’s Life is Spared

Hezekiah was the King of Judah, from about 715 to 686 BC.

He was a righteous king. He removed the idols from the Jerusalem Temple. He also restored worship of the Lord.

Isaiah 38

[1] 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.
[2] Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the LORD,
[3] 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.
[4] Then came the word of the LORD to Isaiah, saying,
[5] Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.

The Lord even gave a sign to King Hezekiah by making the sun to go backward ten degrees.

King Hezekiah then gave a song or psalm of thanksgiving in verses 9 to 20. He praised the Lord as follows.

[17] Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.
[18] For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.
[19] The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth.
[20] 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.

See also: 2 Kings 20 & 2 Chronicles 32

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There are some important lessons from King Hezekiah’s life.

1. We must destroy the idols in our life. In ancient times, people worshiped idols crafted from wood, stone, brass or gold. Today, people worship the idols of money, fame, pride and worldly pleasures.

2. We must worship the Lord.

3. Some prophecies may depend on our faithfulness and righteousness. We must take responsibility for our words and actions. The Lord changed the prophecy of King Hezekiah’s death after the King wept and prayed to Him.

4. We can pray for healing blessings. We must prepare ourselves to accept the Lord’s will, whatever it must be.

5. We will eventually die even if the Lord extends our life. One of the main purposes of our mortal life is to prepare to meet God. We must thus set our houses in order.

6. Like King Hezekiah, we must praise the Lord for the blessings he gives us.

Our lives are gifts from God to be used for His purposes.

Let us follow the example of King Hezekiah by walking before the Lord in truth and with a perfect heart, doing good in His sight.

– Tom Irvine

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The Gift of Healing

The Apostle Paul taught:

1 Corinthians 12

[1] Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
[2] Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
[3] Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
[4] Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
[5] And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
[6] And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
[7] But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
[8] For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
[9] To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
[10] To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
[11] But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
[12] For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
[13] For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
[14] For the body is not one member, but many.

So verse 9 states that some have the gift of healing.

Who are these people who have the gift of healing? In many cases, doctors and nurses have this gift.

So we must visit the doctor when we are ill in order to benefit from the Lord’s gift of healing.

Prayer is also important. We should ask the Lord in prayer that he will guide the doctors and nurses who treat us.

* * *

Those of us who are not doctors or nurses can still provide healing to others.

Sometimes we can help people heal by just listening to them as they explain their problems.

The author Leo Buscaglia said:

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.

May the Lord bless you,
Tom Irvine

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