Hezekiah’s testimony of healing.

Isaiah 38:9-22

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click for a description of the image of the beast.

• Introduction.
• Hezekiah mourned losing the prime of his life to a terminal illness.
• Hezekiah realized the power that God had over him and prayed for His intercession.
• Hezekiah said that great bitterness led to his own peace.
• Hezekiah said that those headed to Hell cannot hope for the Truth.
• Hezekiah asked for a sign that he would recover and be able to enter into the house of the Lord.

Introduction.

“This is the writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness:” Isaiah 38:9

As followers of Jesus Christ, we have a born-again testimony of how we were living in the sickness of sin and on the way to eternal death in Hell. Then, we realized that living in the dark to hide our sin from coming to light was a destructive path. We began to live our life in a way that that exposure to the light did not shame nor control us, and we were able to walk in the freedom of the Spirit by the light of Jesus Christ. The forgiveness of what we did in the dark comes by faith in the grace and mercy of Christ Jesus who also gives eternal life, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2

Hezekiah mourned losing the prime of his life to a terminal illness.

“I said, “In the prime of my life I will go to the gates of Sheol; I am deprived of the remainder of my years. I said, “I will not see Yah, the Lord in the land of the living; I will observe man no more among the inhabitants of the world. My life span is gone, taken from me like a shepherd’s tent; I have cut off my life like a weaver. He cuts me off from the loom; From day until night You make an end of me.” Isaiah 38:10-12

Hezekiah considered himself to be in the prime of his life when he received the news that his sickness was terminal leading to his death. To be in the prime of life could be a combination of being at the age where the physical body is at its strongest, there is financial stability, and mental and emotional wisdom. While those things happen at different stages in life, Hezekiah saw his life as being in the best place ever when he received the news of his impending death. People may feel like they are in their prime by the standards of this world, having physical health, worldly financial stability, and earthly wisdom. However, they have inherited sin within their human nature causing terminal spiritual sickness leading to death. In their prime, they boast of their worldly well-being, but they are dead to God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

Hezekiah mourned that he was at the gates of Sheol…Sheol meaning the grave in those days but today we know it as eternal Hell. People living in their sin are at the gates of Hell. Hezekiah mourned that he would be cut off from his life when he had so much more to look forward to. While the culture of today feel comfortable in the life they are living in this world, their life in the eternity of the New Jerusalem will be cut off. They live for the power of darkness through the beast that gives them what to say, do, think, and feel, while opposing belief in God the Creator, Christ Jesus, and they do not want the Holy Spirit to be part of who they are. “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” 2 Corinthians 4:3-4

“Yah” is a short poetic form of “Yahweh”, which was a sacred name of God. Today, we know the name of God to be Jesus, who is the Christ. Hezekiah realized that he would never again see the Lord within the land of the living. Hezekiah was devoted to the Lord and felt he had so much more to offer to Him in this life. As followers of Jesus Christ, we value whatever time we have left on this earth to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to others, but at the same time, we keep our mind focused on our eternal reward in Heaven. Paul felt that same way, “But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.” Philippians 1:22-23

We live in a culture today whose mind is focused only on the achievements in this world. Their focus is to bring an earthly Garden of Eden and when they face the gates of death, their mind is only focused on leaving this world behind, no thought at all for the eternal Garden of Eden. As children walking in the Light of Jesus Christ, “…we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18

We realize that we are flesh that is like grass that withers away, like Hezekiah who said, “My life span is gone, taken from me like a shepherd’s tent; I have cut off my life like a weaver. He cuts me off from the loom;” “All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, But the word of the Lord endures forever.” 1 Peter 1:1:24-25 The Lord cuts off our life from day until night, which is the continual process of aging and death, which is a consequence of inherited sin. God created Adam and Eve to live eternally, but when they disobeyed His word, that brought physical sin and death into the world. Now we know that the rejection of the Gospel of Jesus Christ brings sin and death and the forgiveness of the sin of disobedience to His word restores eternal life to us.

Hezekiah realized the power that God had over him and prayed for His intercession.

“I have considered until morning—Like a lion, so He breaks all my bones; From day until night You make an end of me. Like a crane or a swallow, so I chattered; I mourned like a dove; My eyes fail from looking upward. O Lord, I am oppressed; Undertake for me!” Isaiah 38:13-14

Hezekiah, a king of the kingdom of Judah, realized how powerless he was in the hand of God. Our Lord is like a powerful lion who has the ability to crush our bones and to make an end of us from day until night. That is obvious as inherited sin brings every single person to the gate of physical death. That is also seen in how inherited sin is turning this world into a very uninhabited place filled with turmoil, chaos, conflict, violence and death. “Whatever the Lord pleases He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deep places.” Psalms 135:6 

Being a king of a nation, Hezekiah was somewhat of a lion with a roar, but in the hand of God he sounded more like a crane, swallow, or a mourning dove than a lion. In his sickness and being on the verge of death, Hezekiah found himself in a feeling of humility that he had never felt before. He wasn’t even able to look towards God. In his helplessness he felt oppressed by the terminal illness and asked for the Lord to help him. That humility means everything to God and is what brings us to Jesus Christ to ask for Him to undertake for us by being our Lord. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—These, O God, You will not despise.” Psalms 51:17 “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6

Our Lord Jesus spoke a parable of two men who offered their prayer to God. The one was filled with pride and said to the Lord that he was glad that He did not make him like other people. One felt better than everyone else, as if he did not inherit the sin that everyone else did. The other one who prayed felt his sin, was humiliated by those sins, and wasn’t even able to lift his eyes towards heaven. That one prayed, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” Jesus said, “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 18:14 Click for that parable from Luke 18:9-14.

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.
Yea, when this flesh and heart will fail,
And mortal life will cease,
I will possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
[Amazing Grace]

Hezekiah said that great bitterness led to his own peace.

“What will I say? He has both spoken to me, and He Himself has done it. I will walk carefully all my years in the bitterness of my soul. O Lord, by these things men live; And in all these things is the life of my spirit; So You will restore me and make me live. Indeed it was for my own peace that I had great bitterness; But You have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back.” Isaiah 38:15-17

Hezekiah heard the words spoken to him by the Lord; He understood about the ever-present bitterness of this world and the deliverance brought through the Lord. That is the word of the Lord spoken to us through the Holy Bible. There is hardly a passage in the Bible that doesn’t speak of the hardships, affliction, and tribulation in this world, alongside the relief and deliverance brought through faith in Christ Jesus. The shortest verse in the Bible is two words, “Jesus wept.” John 11:35 Jesus understands our suffering, and like Him, we must carry our cross.

In this world there will always be tribulation, as Jesus says, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 It is OK to cry, to feel hurt, pain, emotional turmoil, abused, afflicted, and persecuted…that happens as we live for our Lord Jesus…be at peace that Jesus understands and doesn’t expect otherwise. By those things people live. Jesus says, “If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.” John 15:20

Within physical sickness, death, and terminal illness, there is also the sickness of inherited sin that leads to spiritual death and eternal Hell. Even within the bitterness that this world brings, there is life in the spirit, the part of us that gives hope, perseverance, optimism, and determination to survive. Within the sickness of inherited sin, there is the hope of life in the spirit, that life comes when the Spirit of God fellowships with our spirit. That fellowship in the Spirit comes by our faith in Jesus Christ who gives eternal life by being born-again in the Spirit, “Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God…unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” John 3:3, 5-6

Like Hezekiah who said, “You will restore me and make me live,” that is our born-again testimony, which is the Gospel of Jesus Christ written on our heart, “He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” Psalms 23:3-4 “…if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17  “And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” So I answered, “O Lord God, You know.” Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you will live.” Ezekiel 37:3-5

Through the bitterness and tribulation of this world, peace comes by the process of sanctification, which Hezekiah foreshadows by the Spirit when he said, “it was for my own peace that I had great bitterness;” “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy...and not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” 1 Peter 4:12-13, Romans 5:3-5

“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” 1 Peter 4:12-13, Romans 5:3-5

With Hezekiah, we say to our Lord, “You have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back.”

Hezekiah said that those headed to Hell cannot hope for the Truth.

“For Sheol cannot thank You, death cannot praise You; Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your truth. The living, the
living man, he will praise You, as I do this day; The father will make known Your truth to the children. The Lord was ready to save me; Therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments all the days of our life, in the house of the Lord.” Isaiah 38:18-20

Sheol is the grave, which we know as eternal Hell. Hezekiah said that Hell cannot thank and praise the Lord for healing from terminal sickness. There are and will be many people in Hell who has been healed from sicknesses and terminal illnesses, they received physical healings. The healing that they did not receive is from the sickness of inherited sin that is terminal and leads to eternal death in Hell. They are not able to thank and praise God for the healing that comes through Christ Jesus by the forgiveness of sin which results in eternal life.

Those in Hell and those who are headed to Hell cannot hope for the Truth that is in our Lord Jesus. That hope is of eternal life and the forgiveness of sin, “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we will be, but we know that when He is revealed, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” 1 John 3:2-3 Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, “Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6

Those among the living are we who have the life of Christ in us by the remission of sin, “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.” 1 John 5:12-13 We are the living people who are able to praise God for His Salvation, “Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!” Revelations 5:13

The Father has made His truth known to all His children through Jesus Christ, “For God so loved the world that He sent His only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 Also, the Gospel of Christ has reached all seven continents of the world because one generation passed it down to the next. The “father” made the truth of God known to the “children”.

The Lord is ready to save us as He stands at the door of our heart and knocks, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” Revelations 3:20  “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:8-10

“Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! While I live I will praise the Lord; I will sing praises to my God all the days of my life.” Psalms 146:1-2

Hezekiah asked for a sign that he would recover and be able to enter into the house of the Lord.

“Now Isaiah had said, “Let them take a lump of figs, and apply it as a poultice on the boil, and he will recover.” And Hezekiah had said, “What is the sign that I will go up to the house of the Lord?” Isaiah 38:21-22

The healing and extension of Hezekiah’s life is recorded in 2 Kings 20:1-11. When Isaiah said, “Let them take a lump of figs, and apply it as a poultice on the boil, and he will recover.” that was when Hezekiah first fell sick and knew it would lead to his death. That poultice was a like a creamy ointment made from a lump of figs. When that poultice was applied, Hezekiah recovered and the Lord extended his life for 15 years. As followers of Jesus Christ, the poultice from a lump of figs symbolizes the ointment of the Holy Spirit being applied to the sin sickness of our human nature. By that anointing, our sin is forgiven and we are granted eternal life.

We are given the Holy Spirit by our faith in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our eternal inheritance in the New Jerusalem, “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14 We are the purchased possession, purchased by the blood Christ shed on the Cross so that our sin could be forgiven. Our redemption comes when we are resurrected from the grave in our redeemed eternal bodies.

How can we know that we have the Holy Spirit? If you do not speak against Christ Jesus and say that He is Lord, you have the Holy Spirit, “Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 12:3

We enter into the house of the Lord by the presence of the Holy Spirit in our life. By the remission of sin, we are the house of the Lord, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” 1 Corinthians 3:16 “Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38

Hezekiah was promised by the Lord, through Isaiah, that he would recover from his terminal sickness and would be delivered from the hand of Sennacherib, the king of Assyria. Hezekiah wanted a sign that he would indeed recover, be delivered from the Assyrians, and be able to go the house of the Lord. That sign was the turning back of the sun on the sundial by ten degrees, as described in the post on Isaiah 38:1-8. “And this is the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing which He has spoken: Behold, I will bring the shadow on the sundial, which has gone down with the sun on the sundial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward.” So the sun returned ten degrees on the dial by which it had gone down.” Isaiah 38:7-8

Today, the turning back of the sun on the sundial by ten degrees is symbolic of turning back the clock on the darkness sin and death through our born-again experience. The Lord has given us a spiritual Daylight Savings Time to extend our life in His Light as we walk in the Light as He is in the Light. That is described in the post on Isaiah 38:1-8.

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:11