sermons by IVOR POWELL

ISAIAH'S PROMISE THAT POSTPONED A FUNERAL!

"Then came the word of the LORD to Isaiah, saying, 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" (Isa. 38:4-5).

The palace in Jerusalem was hushed; the musical instruments were

silent Hezekiah, the king, was gravely ill. Describing the scene Josephus

wrote, "The physicians despaired of him, and expected no good

issue of his sickness, as neither did his friends. And beside the distemper

itself, there was a very melancholy circumstance that disordered

the king, which was the consideration that he was childless, and was

going to die, and leave his house and government without a successor

of his own body" (Antiquities of the Jews, Book 10, chap. 2). Everyone

believed Isaiah had made matters worse when he said to the king,

"Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live" (Isa. 38:1).

Afterward, the prophet returned to make the greatest promise Hezekiah

ever heard He claimed God had instructed him to say, "I have

heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy

days fifteen years."

A Dangerous Malady... "Sick unto Death"

Hezekiah was one of the best of Israel's kings, and although

occasionally unwise, he endeavored to please God. The sickness

which threatened his life was evidently some kind of boil or carbuncle.

It is interesting to note that Isaiah advised that a poultice of figs

be applied to the inflamed area That ancient remedy is still widely

used to make boils come to a head. "Recently, archeologists dug up

a Babylonian tablet which stated that if a physician cut into a boil,

and the patient died, the physician had both his hands cut off. If the

patient happened to be a slave, the physician's hands were spared,

but he had to buy another slave for the owner of the patient. So the

doctor had to be extremely careful when he lanced an abscess or a

boil" (Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, vol. 2, page

134). Isaiah was not a doctor, but he was an intimate friend of "the

Great Physician" from whom he received instructions.

A Disturbing Message... "Thou Shalt Surely Die"

The promise of an extended life was unconditional. However, it

was not given until Hezekiah wept bitter tears and uttered his prayer

before the throne of God. When people are complacent and indifferent,

it becomes necessary for the Lord to bring them to their senses.

God's ability is limitless, but sometimes, to get the best from His

children, He works "in a mysterious way His wonders to perform."

It seemed strange that Hezekiah should give to the Babylonians an

escorted tour through the temple (see Isa. 39:1-2). His indiscretion

led to the fall of his kingdom and the subjugation of his people. He

was wiser on what might have been his deathbed than when he

welcomed pagan emissaries.

A Distraught Monarch... "And Hezekiah Wept Sore"

At this time Hezekiah had no children, and it appeared he was

more concerned with fathering a successor than regaining his health.

To understand this, it is necessary to remember that among eastern

potentates, to die without producing an heir to the throne was considered

a disgrace. Barren women were thought to be cursed by the

Lord. Kings who did not produce a son were also believed to be

rejected by God. Even today, eastern kings never hesitate to divorce

wives who fail to produce a male child. To Hezekiah the threat of

death was terrible, but the thought of dying childless was worse. He

forgot that the kingdom of Israel was far more important to God

than to any other person.

A Definite ....... "I Will Add to Thy Days Fifteen Years"

The story of how God spoke to the prophet makes exciting reading.

It is not difficult to visualize Isaiah's return to the distracted

king. The calm dignity of God's servant contrasted with the pathetic

appearance of the man who believed he was about to die. The

physical recovery of Hezekiah was not a miracle; it was the result of

the application of a poultice of figs which broke the abscess or boil.

The extension of Hezekiah's life was a reminder that all life was

controlled by the Almighty. When Daniel was threatened in Babylon,

he solemnly said to king Belshazzar, "the God in whose hand

thy breath is... hast thou not glorified" (Dan. 5:23).

The recovery of Hezekiah provided a glorious example of a truth

enunciated by David. "For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the

Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold

from them that walk uprightly" (Ps. 84:11).