January 12, 2019: Day 42 – Isaiah 38

So, if you are ever feeling a bit sickly go ahead and take a lump of figs and apply them to a boil and voila`, you’ll feel much better, it might even take you away from the edge of the grave.  At least it worked for Hezekiah in this Scripture.  God told him that he was going to die, no other options.  But Hezekiah turned to the Lord and prayed to the Lord and asked for relief and he wept bitterly.  He pointed to his faithfulness in life and that should count for something.  We know better, but God does add exactly 15 years to his life because he had heard his prayers.

In fact, Isaiah will send him a sign that is not easily interpreted in the Scripture.  It seems to imply that Isaiah will turn back time ten steps, which is an unspecified period of time.  But it works and Hezekiah feels well enough afterward to write from vs.9 and following.  He is determined that this will not beat him and that one day soon he will be able to sing to stringed instruments.  His declaration in vs.20 is that: “The Lord will save me.”

That ought to be our declaration of confidence before the Lord as well.