Hezekiah: Healed, but Boastful
Isaiah 38-39
Let’s turn to Isaiah 38. If you need a Bible, go ahead and raise your hand and we will bring one to you. Isaiah 38 is on page 598 in the Bibles we are passing out.
The Bible is like an anti-virus program. Has anyone ever been hit by a computer virus? Nasty. At one moment your computer is running just fine – but there’s a virus hiding in your system: and all of a sudden this virus starts deleting files and rewriting registers and overwriting hard drives.
Sin is like a computer virus. At one moment we can feel strong in faith – but there’s sin hiding in your heart: and all of a sudden this sin starts you feeling and doing and saying things you just can’t believe you are feeling and doing and saying.
But there’s good news. This Bible God has given us is like an anti-virus program – which you can use to scan your heart and discover sin. And just like an anti-virus program, not only will it discover the sin, but it shows us how to destroy the sin. That’s what I believe God wants to do in us through the next two chapters of Isaiah.
Isaiah was an Old Testament prophet, which meant that God had called and gifted him to speak and write God’s very words. And God raised him up to speak his words to the nation of Israel at around the year 720 BC. And here in chapters 38 and 39 Isaiah tells us about two events in the life of Hezekiah – and Isaiah includes each of them in his book to help us discover and destroy the virus of sin.
So let’s start with – what is the point of chapter 38? In v.1 we see that Hezekiah is sick and dying. Read v.1 –
In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, "Thus says the LORD: Set your house in order, for you shall die, you shall not recover."
Because of what we read in the next verses, we know that here God is not promising that Hezekiah will die. God is simply telling Hezekiah that this sickness is terminal; unless God miraculously intervenes, he will die.
So what does Hezekiah do? Look at vv.2-3 –
2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,
3 and said, "Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
Hezekiah does the right thing. When you are faced with impossible situations, you turn to the One for whom everything is possible. So Hezekiah asks God to heal him.
And God responds to Hezekiah’s prayer – as we see in vv.4-5 –
4 Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah:
5 “Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life.
So God says he will heal Hezekiah’s sickness, and give Hezekiah 15 more years of life.
And in the last verse of this chapter we read that Hezekiah then asked God to give him a sign that he would live and not die. And God gives him an astonishing sign – look at vv.7-8 --
7 "This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he has promised:
8 Behold, I will make the shadow cast by the declining sun on the dial of Ahaz turn back ten steps." So the sun turned back on the dial the ten steps by which it had declined.
Here’s what’s going on. The sun is going down. And the shadow on the sundial has moved ahead ten steps. So Isaiah says – here’s how you can know that God will heal you of your fatal sickness. God will move the sun back up so the shadow moves back those ten steps. And that’s exactly what God did. God moved the sun back up and the shadow moved back.
Now I would guess that some of you are not convinced this really happened. Maybe you are not yet a follower of Jesus and you are here to learn more. We are glad you are here. And maybe this story makes you struggle – because this would mean that God is going against the laws of science.
But remember that this book says that God created everything – including the laws of science. And the God who created the laws of science can suspend the laws of science; that’s what miracles are. So if there is a God who created everything – then God could have had the sunlight go back ten steps. That’s not a problem for God; he could have done it blindfolded.
So God gives Hezekiah a powerful sign to assure him that he would be healed. And Hezekiah responds by writing a poem in vv.10-20 describing how sick he was, how weak he was, how frail his life was – but how God healed him. Look at v.17 to get a feel for what he’s saying –
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.
So what’s the point of this chapter? I think Isaiah’s point is to have us feel what Hezekiah experienced of God.
First, Hezekiah saw that God cast all his sins behind his back. We just saw that in v.17, where Hezekiah says: “you have cast all my sins behind your back,” which means God forgave them. Hezekiah knew his sinfulness. He knew that he rightly faced God’s wrath forever. But God forgave all his sins. How? It’s because of what the Messiah would do 700 years in the future. Jesus took upon Himself all of Hezekiah’s sin – and was punished for all Hezekiah’s sin. So the moment Hezekiah trusted God’s mercy, all his sin was forgiven. And the moment you trust Jesus Christ – all your sin is forgiven.
Second, Hezekiah saw that God loves him. You can see that also in v.17. “In love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction.” Even though he had sinned against God, even though he deserved punishment from God, because of Jesus God loves him.
Third, Hezekiah saw that God hears his prayers. V.5. God says: “I have heard your prayer.” Think about it. The God who has always been, who created everything, who rules everything – when you come to Him in Jesus’ name, you don’t need to stand in line, you are not one of millions of voices, no. Because He is infinite God, when you pray he is giving you all his attention.
Fourth, Hezekiah understood that God saw his tears. V.5: God says; “I have seen your tears.” As Hezekiah was weeping before the Lord, God saw his tears. Some of you have wept all alone this past week. God saw your tears. He saw them, and He cares.
Fifth, Hezekiah saw that God has power to heal sickness. V.5: God says; “Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life.” In this case God chose to heal Hezekiah’s illness in this life. Sometimes he chooses to heal them in the life to come. But we know that because of Jesus Christ, every sickness will be healed – either in this life or in the life to come where we will live in the new heavens and new earth forever.
Sixth, Hezekiah saw that God helps him when he is weak in faith. In v.8 Hezekiah asked God for a sign to help him believe that he would be healed. And God gives Hezekiah a sign that is absolutely mind-blowing: he has the sun go back in the sky. So when you are weak in faith, and you ask Him for help, He will always help you.
Seventh, Hezekiah saw that God controls the solar system. Think of how big the solar system is – the sun and planets. And Hezekiah saw that God can make the solar system do whatever he wants it to do.
So in ch.38 Isaiah wants us to feel what Hezekiah experienced of God. So what’s the point of chapter 39? Start with v.1 --
At that time Merodach-baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent envoys with letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that he had been sick and had recovered.
Picture it. Babylon is a massive empire to the east. And the king of Babylon hears that Hezekiah had been sick and had recovered. So he sends his son and a party of diplomats to Hezekiah with some presents to celebrate his recovery.
Now put yourself in Hezekiah’s shoes. You have just been healed of a terminal illness. You are now alive. You had experienced that God
Casts all your sins behind His back.
Loves you.
Hears your prayer.
Sees your tears.
Has power to heal sickness.
Helped you when you were weak in faith.
Controls the solar system.
And now you are with officials from Babylon. And you are familiar with Psalm 96:3 –
Declare his glory among the nations,
His marvelous deeds among the peoples.
So what would you say? Wouldn’t you be longing to tell them about what God had done for you? But that’s not what Hezekiah did. Look at v.2 –
And Hezekiah welcomed them gladly. And he showed them his treasure house, the silver, the gold, the spices, the precious oil, his whole armory, all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his house or in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them.
What Hezekiah was longing to have them see was his treasure house, his silver, his gold. He was not longing to have them see God. In a very short period of time, Hezekiah had forgotten about God, and was intent on exalting himself.
And so God speaks a word of judgment to Hezekiah – as we read in vv.5-7 –
5 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD of hosts:
6 Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the LORD.
7 And some of your own sons, who will come from you, whom you will father, shall be taken away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon."
And we can see how far Hezekiah has moved from God by Hezekiah’s response in v.8 --
Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, "The word of the LORD that you have spoken is good." For he thought, "There will be peace and security in my days."
At this point Hezekiah is completely bound up in pride and self-exaltation. Even though Jerusalem will be destroyed, even though his sons will be taken captive to Babylon, the word is good, because he will not be destroyed or taken to Babylon.
This is astonishing. Just a few verses before, Hezekiah was praising God for His forgiveness, love, mercy, healing. But now he’s completely bound up in pride and self-exaltation. How is that possible? It’s because of his sin; the deceitfulness of sin.
Even though he had been born again by God’s saving power, he still had indwelling sin, just like we do. And sin is subtle, deceptive, insidious. Especially the sin of pride. No matter how strongly you are trusting Jesus today, you can slip into pride tomorrow.
And when we slip into pride, it’s hard for us to see it. It seems so right. It feels so justified. So here’s what Isaiah wants to teach us: just like Hezekiah, we all easily and quickly succumb to pride.
Last weekend I spoke at a men’s retreat for Grace Bible Church in Pleasant Hill. When I came home I told Jan about how God had worked, how I felt God’s strengthening and saw God giving me things to say that were helpful. But just a few minutes later I said something to Jan which right after I said it – I saw that it was full of pride and boastfulness. Within 20 seconds I had succumbed to pride.
I did. We all do. Here’s a quote from C. J. Mahaney about pride:
Jonathan Edwards called pride “the worst viper that is in the heart” and “the greatest disturber of the soul’s peace and sweet communion with Christ”; he ranked pride as the most difficult sin to root out, and “the most hidden, secret, and deceitful of all lusts.”
And the reason this is so serious is because, as C. J. Mahaney goes on to say:
The warnings from Scripture about pride could not be more serious and sobering.
So how can we tell if we are succumbing to pride? Here’s a few questions which I think are helpful. I won’t elaborate on these – but these would be good to talk about in your home group this week.
I am slipping into pride if:
I feel superior to others instead of feeling humbled before God.
I find pleasure in people noticing me instead of in people exalting Christ.
I am more aware of someone else’s sinfulness than my own.
I talk about what exalts me instead of talking about what helps others.
I am angry about my rights and what I think I deserve.
I hate sin because it makes me look bad, not because it dishonors Christ.
I feel bad when others are noticed more than me.
So what can we do? If pride is that insidious, that subtle, that easy to slip into – what can we do? The anti-virus program of God’s Word has shown us that we need to do a scan for pride. And the anti-virus program of God’s Word will also destroy that virus of pride.
Confess the sin of pride, trusting Christ to forgive and cleanse you. I John 1:9 says that if we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Pray for the power of the Spirit to conquer pride and strengthen humility. If you are trusting Jesus Christ then you have His all-powerful Spirit living inside of you. And Jesus’ all-powerful Spirit can deeply and radically change your heart from prideful to humble. So pray for the power of the Spirit to conquer your pride and strengthen humility.
Nurture awe at God’s glory, brokenness for sin, and love for the Cross – by meditating on God’s Word. When you see God’s glory, and your own sinfulness, and Jesus death for you on the Cross – pride will be destroyed. Just like the hymn-writer said:
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride.