King Hezekiah of Judah is a much more complex character than I ever realized! (Maybe that’s partly because there is so much Material about him in Scripture! Quite a biography! I mean in the Book of Second Kings and both Volumes of the Chronicles, as well as Isaiah and Jeremiah, Hosea, Micah too!)

In Isaiah 38 the King got some bad news, from the Lord at that! (“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.” Isaiah 38:1, sounding pretty ominous!)

But Hezekiah prayed! Oh, did he! Maybe I should say he prayed and prayed and prayed! (“Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and PRAYED unto the LORD.” Isaiah 38:2) And cried! (“And Hezekiah WEPT sore.”)

Then, true to His Word (“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” Jeremiah 33:3) … God answered that prayer! (From the Lord, through Isaiah the Prophet, to Hezekiah the King: “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.” Isaiah 38:5)

Fifteen more years!

A new “lease on life,” so to speak.

But then (now Psalm 106:15 is coming to mind … “And He, the Lord, gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.”) … comes Isaiah chapter 39. (You can review it in more detail by studying yesterday’s Lesson.)

King Hezekiah foolishly received a delegation from the (wicked) King of Babylon and showed them everything he owned! Even down to his silver and gold reserves! (Like wagging a bug juicy carrot in front of a wild rabbit! Or fresh, red meat in front of a wolf!)

For this indiscretion God rebuked Hezekiah. More than that, God punished him. And his whole nation, Judah! (God wants us loving and worshipping and impressing HIM and HIM alone!) As is recorded In Isaiah 39:5-7 … “Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD of hosts: behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD. And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”

Wow! (It’s that “wages of sin” thing again! That “Be sure your sin will find you out” Syndrome, Law of Almighty God!)

Families dead, thousands of them!

Judah’s (God’s people) honor tarnished!

Her identity nearly erased!

National calamity!

And here is how Isaiah received that “bad” news! (Information every bit as disturbing as the King’s “bad news” last chapter! About setting one’s house I order! About preparing to die! But it’s his Nation this time, not him personally.)

At first Hezekiah’s words sound pretty mature! A good attitude! “Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, GOOD IS THE WORD OF THE LORD which thou hast spoken.” Isaiah 39:8a

Almost on as high a plane as Job’s “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.” But in Hezekiah’s parlance: “Though God slay my Nation, my progeny, I WILL TRUST IN HIM?” (Note the ?, not a ! here.)

Then the King added these last, selfish words! “He (the Lord) said moreover, For there shall be peace and truth in my days.”

Wow!

“Yes, my grandsons will die in an enemy attack! But at lease my remaining years will be good!”

The nation’s economy “under my watch” will continue to prosper!

Yes … “There shall be peace and truth in my days.”

Suddenly, what at first appeared to be a good attitude proved sour!

Selfish!

Immature!

Wow!

Fifteen more years … an answer to prayer! But years in which Hezekiah perhaps made the biggest (and most costly) mistake of his life, career, administration!

Yes … God granted his request (to live longer) but perhaps send “leanness” to his soul (and his Nation’s) because of Hezekiah’s not submissively yielding to God’s perfect Plan for his life.

Not everyone will agree with my assessment of Hezekiah’s blunder, his big mistake. I just think sometimes we can “push” it too far concerning prayer … when God has made His Will plain in the first place.

Think about it.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Oh, by the way, wicked (future) King Manasseh was born to Hezekiah curing this added fifteen year span too! (Fifty-five years of degradation for Judah!)

A very dangerous fifteen-year addition!

Wow!

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