Isaiah came and told King Hezekiah: “Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live” (2 Kings 20:1). Overwhelmed at the call from God, King Hezekiah pleaded and God said: “And I will add fifteen years to your life, and I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake” (verse 6). Can God change His mind? He had planned to “change His mind” and Hezekiah had to face the consequences of it. We will face the consequences of the choices we make, be it good or bad. Hezekiah died after fifteen years but what happened during those fifteen years brought about chaos in the next generation.
2 Kings 21:1-2 reads: “Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother’s name was Hephzibah. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, following the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.” So, why did the 12-year old king Manasseh do evil in the sight of the Lord? Was it because he was too young to handle kingdom affairs? His grandfather Ahaz (Hezekiah’s father) also did evil. However, the cause was Hezekiah’s disobedience to God. 2 Kings 20: 2 says: “Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD.” Hezekiah turned his face away from God and tried to settle things by himself. In prayer, we do not turn away our faces from God. We stand face to face with Him. The same Hezekiah who had prayed before for the protection of Jerusalem city and God replied by sending an angel to kill 185,000 Assyrians (Isiaiah 37:36) had now changed his content of prayer – not Your will God, but my will be done. Hezekiah started going backwards since the day he turned his face away from God. Manasseh was born during those fifteen years of Hezekiah’s turning away from God. Only judgement awaits those who turn their faces away from God. Do you feel like Hezekiah? Well, God is watching. The road to Calvary was not easy for Jesus. The path we have taken up in Christ is not easy. We cannot afford to turn away like Hezekiah. Testing times are faithful times.
There has been much hype about the wedding of William and Kate. Their marriage had to be in all grandeur because they had to have a princely marriage. God is serious about our position in Christ. The price Christ paid for you and me is high. Jesus himself said in John 17:19:” And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.” Therefore, Christ himself had to undergo sanctification for our sake. He had to set himself apart. We have to set ourselves apart. Hezekiah failed to set himself apart when the inevitable came. Are you finding it hard to set yourself apart? Understand that God’s plan is to build you up. We can either allow or block Him to build us up. Consider the early church, which had no Bibles like we have today. They just had the Apostle’s creed. They had no songs to sing like we do today. Like Hezekiah you sometimes challenge God: “Remember, LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes” (2 Kings 20:3). Did Hezekiah have any problem? He started justifying himself by advertising his deeds to God. God is not interested in commercials and soap operas. Justification was already done on the Cross for us. So, we do not justify ourselves. We are required to subject our will to God’s will. The Holy Spirit helps us in this. Whatever your circumstances, ask the Holy Spirit: “Lead me into all truth and revelation on this matter.” Caleb was led by the Spirit and so, he was promised prosperity (Numbers 14:24). The ‘different spirit’, as the Bible says, that Caleb had is today the life of Christ in you. Ephesians 4:30 also emphasizes: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” So, how do you grieve the Holy Spirit? By rejecting Christ. Jesus further said that whoever blasphemes the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven (Mark 3:29). This also means that those who refuse the Gospel when we share it to them will face judgement. It also means that our calling is to share the Gospel in whatever ways God has endowed us with and the rest will be under God’s control.
The king of Babylon heard about Hezekiah’s miraculous healing and paid a visit. Hezekiah was very happy and so he showed everything in his house to the Babylonian king. In short, Hezekiah had opened the door to Satan. Babylon is always associated with evil and bondage. Satan cannot bring you down unless he knows you. Are allowing Satan to have a sneak peek at you as Hezekiah did for the king of Babylon? God warned Hezekiah: “And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon” (Isaiah 39:7). Hezekiah had gone too far and did not care at all. He replied: “...At least there will be peace and truth in my days” (Isaiah 39:8). Hezekiah said ‘in my days.’ He was saying: “As far as things are good in my days, I don’t care about my descendants at all. Let my descendants have their lot. Let them figure out on their own. I am not all interested in what is to come.” Sounds like our own attitude, doesn’t it? Hezekiah had an attitude problem. The glory of God is more important that your glory. Hezekiah did not get that point. Let us get that point.
Hezekiah’s life teaches us that having salvation is not enough. God has a still higher requirement. You and I cannot stay satisfied with salvation alone. The Bible calls us to become ‘overcomers.’ Joshua 14:12 says: “Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day...” Here Caleb asked for mountains. Following Christ is not asking for plains but mountains so that we can overcome them in Jesus’ name. What are you asking? Feeling too insignificant? Well, once you’re in Christ you have been called to roll over the mountains in your own life and in the lives of others and glorify the King of kings and the Lord of lords! Caleb knew it very well. A follower of Christ is someone who is content with the God-given position in the body of Christ. Hezekiah found it hard to accept God’s will – that his position as a king on earth was over. We never know what will happen next. That is why we as followers of Christ have a hope that it is not yet over when it seems it is all over.
David Wilkerson, author of The Cross and the Switchblade and the person who preached the Gospel to Nicky Cruz died on April 27, 2011 in a car accident on the spot. The last blog post he wrote was: “To those going through the valley and shadow of death, hear this word: Weeping will last through some dark, awful nights and in that darkness you will soon hear the Father whisper, `I am with you. I cannot tell you why right now, but one day it will all make sense. You will see it was all part of my plan. It was no accident.’” A similar, more direct message was given to Hezekiah through Isaiah saying: “Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live”(2 Kings 20:1). God still speaks today and He has not changed. Celebrated talk show host Larry King was asked, on his own show’s 25 anniversary, who would be the one person he would like to interview across history. He said he would like to interview Jesus Christ and ask: “Are You indeed virgin born? The answer to that question would explain history for me.” Is God speaking to you about something? Did Hezekiah care? Do you?
2 Kings 21:1-2 reads: “Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother’s name was Hephzibah. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, following the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.” So, why did the 12-year old king Manasseh do evil in the sight of the Lord? Was it because he was too young to handle kingdom affairs? His grandfather Ahaz (Hezekiah’s father) also did evil. However, the cause was Hezekiah’s disobedience to God. 2 Kings 20: 2 says: “Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD.” Hezekiah turned his face away from God and tried to settle things by himself. In prayer, we do not turn away our faces from God. We stand face to face with Him. The same Hezekiah who had prayed before for the protection of Jerusalem city and God replied by sending an angel to kill 185,000 Assyrians (Isiaiah 37:36) had now changed his content of prayer – not Your will God, but my will be done. Hezekiah started going backwards since the day he turned his face away from God. Manasseh was born during those fifteen years of Hezekiah’s turning away from God. Only judgement awaits those who turn their faces away from God. Do you feel like Hezekiah? Well, God is watching. The road to Calvary was not easy for Jesus. The path we have taken up in Christ is not easy. We cannot afford to turn away like Hezekiah. Testing times are faithful times.
There has been much hype about the wedding of William and Kate. Their marriage had to be in all grandeur because they had to have a princely marriage. God is serious about our position in Christ. The price Christ paid for you and me is high. Jesus himself said in John 17:19:” And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.” Therefore, Christ himself had to undergo sanctification for our sake. He had to set himself apart. We have to set ourselves apart. Hezekiah failed to set himself apart when the inevitable came. Are you finding it hard to set yourself apart? Understand that God’s plan is to build you up. We can either allow or block Him to build us up. Consider the early church, which had no Bibles like we have today. They just had the Apostle’s creed. They had no songs to sing like we do today. Like Hezekiah you sometimes challenge God: “Remember, LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes” (2 Kings 20:3). Did Hezekiah have any problem? He started justifying himself by advertising his deeds to God. God is not interested in commercials and soap operas. Justification was already done on the Cross for us. So, we do not justify ourselves. We are required to subject our will to God’s will. The Holy Spirit helps us in this. Whatever your circumstances, ask the Holy Spirit: “Lead me into all truth and revelation on this matter.” Caleb was led by the Spirit and so, he was promised prosperity (Numbers 14:24). The ‘different spirit’, as the Bible says, that Caleb had is today the life of Christ in you. Ephesians 4:30 also emphasizes: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” So, how do you grieve the Holy Spirit? By rejecting Christ. Jesus further said that whoever blasphemes the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven (Mark 3:29). This also means that those who refuse the Gospel when we share it to them will face judgement. It also means that our calling is to share the Gospel in whatever ways God has endowed us with and the rest will be under God’s control.
The king of Babylon heard about Hezekiah’s miraculous healing and paid a visit. Hezekiah was very happy and so he showed everything in his house to the Babylonian king. In short, Hezekiah had opened the door to Satan. Babylon is always associated with evil and bondage. Satan cannot bring you down unless he knows you. Are allowing Satan to have a sneak peek at you as Hezekiah did for the king of Babylon? God warned Hezekiah: “And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon” (Isaiah 39:7). Hezekiah had gone too far and did not care at all. He replied: “...At least there will be peace and truth in my days” (Isaiah 39:8). Hezekiah said ‘in my days.’ He was saying: “As far as things are good in my days, I don’t care about my descendants at all. Let my descendants have their lot. Let them figure out on their own. I am not all interested in what is to come.” Sounds like our own attitude, doesn’t it? Hezekiah had an attitude problem. The glory of God is more important that your glory. Hezekiah did not get that point. Let us get that point.
Hezekiah’s life teaches us that having salvation is not enough. God has a still higher requirement. You and I cannot stay satisfied with salvation alone. The Bible calls us to become ‘overcomers.’ Joshua 14:12 says: “Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day...” Here Caleb asked for mountains. Following Christ is not asking for plains but mountains so that we can overcome them in Jesus’ name. What are you asking? Feeling too insignificant? Well, once you’re in Christ you have been called to roll over the mountains in your own life and in the lives of others and glorify the King of kings and the Lord of lords! Caleb knew it very well. A follower of Christ is someone who is content with the God-given position in the body of Christ. Hezekiah found it hard to accept God’s will – that his position as a king on earth was over. We never know what will happen next. That is why we as followers of Christ have a hope that it is not yet over when it seems it is all over.
David Wilkerson, author of The Cross and the Switchblade and the person who preached the Gospel to Nicky Cruz died on April 27, 2011 in a car accident on the spot. The last blog post he wrote was: “To those going through the valley and shadow of death, hear this word: Weeping will last through some dark, awful nights and in that darkness you will soon hear the Father whisper, `I am with you. I cannot tell you why right now, but one day it will all make sense. You will see it was all part of my plan. It was no accident.’” A similar, more direct message was given to Hezekiah through Isaiah saying: “Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live”(2 Kings 20:1). God still speaks today and He has not changed. Celebrated talk show host Larry King was asked, on his own show’s 25 anniversary, who would be the one person he would like to interview across history. He said he would like to interview Jesus Christ and ask: “Are You indeed virgin born? The answer to that question would explain history for me.” Is God speaking to you about something? Did Hezekiah care? Do you?
