King Hezekiah—To Die and Not Live?

It is with a purpose that the above title ends with a question mark. For the message which King Hezekiah received from the mouth of the prophet Isaiah is recorded twice in the Bible, first in 2 Kings 20:1 and again in Isaiah 38:1. The double recording of it reveals to us the importance of it, also to every one of us to whom the Lord has entrusted His written Word.

The message brought by Isaiah is not to be considered as his own word, but it is God’s Word, as we can read plainly in both of the above texts: “Thus saith the Lord.” Then follows the message of the Lord to this God-fearing King Hezekiah. In 2 Kings 18:3 we read of him, “And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father did.” Further on we read, “He trusted in the Lord God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of judah, nor any that were before him. For he clave to the Lord, and departed not from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the Lord commanded Moses.” What a precious testimony God gives in His Word of this man! Is it not true that it is difficult to find a second such testimony in the Bible about any descendent of Adam?

To him, who was not yet forty years old, it was said, “Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.” This history of Hezekiah is questioned by some in our days. Why should that be? Is it because he was yet so reasonably young in years? This cannot be the reason, for we all know that many are called away by death (even some of God’s people) much younger than this. Is it because of the precious testimony given of him, so that he could yet be so useful for his country and the church? Living under the truth of Cod’s word, we all should know that no one has any right in God’s holy sight to a multiplying of years. The most righteous among men are but sinners living by grace only.

We do read that he was seriously ill — “sick unto death.” Perhaps the main reason some question this divinely-given word brought to Hezekiah is that he recovered completely from his sickness and his life was extended for fifteen more years. In this healing of King Hezekiah, who had received word that he should die and not live, we receive instruction about the difference between the will of God’s decree and the will of God’s command. This is likewise to be seen with Abraham who was once commanded to offer his son Isaac. God commands that all men be converted and come to the faith in Christ Jesus, but the will of Cod’s decree is different He Himself has said, “Many are called, but few are chosen.”

There is still more instruction to be gained from this sickness and recovery. In Isaiah 38 we read how this king prayed to the Lord. What did he pray? His prayer commenced, “Remember now, O Lord, I beseech Thee, how I have walked before Thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in Thy sight.” Here Hezekiah is recounting and laying before the Lord his righteousnesses and good deeds in order to have his life extended. How wrong this was! And about this the Lord says, “Thou shalt die and not live.” To such self-righteousness we all have to die, because only the righteousness of Jesus Christ has value and is able to give and extend life.

To this self-righteousness Hezekiah died. Isaiah records for us Hezekiah’s experience during his sickness, which became such a blessed sickbed. In the fourteenth verse of that chapter we are told that he cried out, “Oh Lord, I am oppressed; undertake for me.” (In the Dutch it reads, “Wees Gij mijn borg,” which means, “Be Thou my Surety.”) This is just what he needed, and also what we need. Here this humble king actually died to his own righteousness. You can see, dear reader, that God was not changing anything of that which He had said or threatened. That never can happen, for He is God and not man.

Hezekiah not only died to self, but he received the liberty of the children of God, even though it went through a deep way, as it oftentimes does with all God’s people. First we have to lose all that is from self in order to receive Christ as our Surety. Hezekiah experienced this, as we can read in verses 16 and 17. There he thanked God in his prayer, and said, “O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit:...for Thou hast cast all my sins behind Thy back.”

Oh, dear friends, what a blessed experience! If we may have some knowledge about this, then the words “for thou shalt die and not live” do not sound harsh, but gracious and sweet to our soul. The heart’s desire of such is to join in with this delivered king in saying, “Therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the Lord.”

But if we have no knowledge about such exercises, there is then the danger that we say that there is no food for the soul in such dying and the preaching about it Such persons would rather hear only about life and the love of Jesus. Let us beware! There is no life given to the dead and there is no salvation for such lost ones. Those who were lost, as this saved sinner Hezekiah, have learned to chatter as a crane and swallow, and to mourn as a dove.

Is the battle now finished for those for whom Christ the Surety has undertaken? No, here also we must say, “Beware!” In the following chapter we read of Merodach-baladan, who sent out his men with a present to Hezekiah. King Hezekiah showed them all that he had, for he said, “There is nothing among my treasures that I have not showed them.” What a serious warning for all Cod’s people! The men of this Merodach-baladan are still alive. Woe unto us if we are boasting with God’s treasures of grace! Could this be one of the reasons that many of these God-given treasures appear to be lacking among many of Cod’s people and in the church?

George Feyter serves as elder of the Netherlands Reformed Congregation of Fort Macleod, Alberta.

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Printen