The Book Of Isaiah. Day 170, Hezekiah's Illness, Part Six

We are continuing to view the writing King Hezekiah composed after he was healed of his deadly illness.

He is thankful for the Lord's words to him and for the Lord's mercy toward him. "Lord, by such things people live; and my spirit finds life in them too. You restored me to health and let me live." (Isaiah 38:16) Everyone in Jerusalem and most of the people of Judah heard of Hezekiah's miraculous healing. This must have given them a great deal of encouragement: "by such things people live". Hezekiah is a living example of the Lord's power and goodness.

"Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In Your love You kept me from the pit of destruction; You have put all my sins behind Your back." (Isaiah 38:17) King David said something similar: "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey Your word." (Psalm 119:67) 

Sometimes troubles come as correction for wayward behavior. Sometimes troubles come, not because of any specific sin, but as training or as a method of strengthening our faith. We don't know whether Hezekiah was in the midst of any particular sin when he fell ill but we know that he wasn't sinless because no one is. Or it could be that the Lord allowed the illness as a method of strengthening the faith of the king and the entire nation. As such a major public figure, many people would have been aware of his deadly illness and many people would have been aware of his healing.

In Old Testament times there wasn't a clear understanding of the afterlife. Believers understood that there would be a bodily resurrection at the end of days but the time between death and resurrection was unclear to them. Would their souls have any awareness or would their souls exist in a state of "sleep"? Hezekiah perhaps wasn't certain of that and this is why he says what he says next.

"For the grave cannot praise You, death cannot sing Your praise; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness. The living, the living---they praise You, as I am doing today. Parents tell their children about Your faithfulness." (Isaiah 38:19) It may be that Hezekiah does believe the soul has awareness between death and resurrection but that he's speaking of the fact that if he is not alive on earth he cannot proclaim the goodness of the Lord on earth. But since he has been restored to health he is able to tell others what the Lord has done for him. 

This is something we should all be doing. We should tell others about the goodness of the Lord; this can help lead unbelievers to Him and it can help to strengthen the faith of those who already belong to Him.