To abstain from medicine like some extreme teaching is not scriptural at all. 18 They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by mens hands. Lesson 4: Hezekiah did not go flippantly to the Lord in prayer. It is likely that he had no clear successor at that point. But God brought the king back from death's door and gave him fifteen more . He almost died. Sunday School Lesson on Hezekiah Praying (2 Chronicles 32) He wanted to help the country to be better. Naaman was healed only after he dipped seven times in the Jordan river. Hezekiah appealed to God's promises for an heir and for long life for those who live a righteous life. Hezekiah was the 13th successor of David, reigning in Judahs southern kingdom. It is vital to understand that Hezekiah is bringing God's problem to God, rather than trying to solve it himself. Hezekiah turned to the Lord in prayer. But with a different human response, the outcome can be different, though all within the boundaries of God's will. It is God who turned 1 Corinthians a faithful, upright, righteous life. What situations are you dealing with today that you know you are helpless to do on your own and you desperately desire Gods answer? King Hezekiah began to reign over Judah when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. of this time period are confusing,1here is the gist of what Hezekiah ruled over Judah and was a good and faithful king. Hezekiah trusted God to be faithful to His word so he was willing to act in faith. Isaiah barely walked to the middle of the courts before he had to return to give the prophetic word that God was going to heal Hezekiah. For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness. They kept taunting and taunting, throwing threats towards Hezekiah. Enter your email address and we will send you a link to reset your password. King Hezekiah lived fifteen more years and was a good king. Hezekiah knew his place as kingand he knew Gods place in the Kingdom. Fifth, even though this righteous king made sweeping reforms in Judah, he failed to pass on his love for God to his own son, Manasseh. The captain prepares the soldiers to fight the enemy. Without any change in the situation, God's word stands. The final chapters of II Chronicles recount the reigns of the various kings, most of whom are fairly unforgettable. He walked the walk! Hezekiah wasn't sinless (2 Chronicles 32:26). Charismatic. Click here for downloadable presentation. 16 Give ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God. 14Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked, What did those men say, and where did they come from?, From a distant land, Hezekiah replied. Father, help us to move from being unruly children to the The country needed him. Yes, we're under the stress of battle, but not the stress of trying to play God. place where you don't need to discipline us so much. RESTORATION THROUGH COMMITMENT. Hezekiah learns from his illness. As he worshipped in the temple of his god Nisrok, his sons killed him by the sword as Isaiah had prophesied (2 Kings 19:36-37). Hezekiah knew that there was still a lot of work to do in Judah. Moses First, the kings priorities were right though he lived in a wicked, immoral culture. In 701 BC, another Assyrian king Sennacherib (705-681) led a massive military force into the area to put down the rebels, counteract Egyptian threats, and reassert Assyria's dominance. Words of Hope700 Ball Avenue NEGrand Rapids, Michigan 49503United States616-459-6181woh@woh.org. Judahs king once again returned to the Temple to pray. 6I will add fifteen years to your life. It is only after this litany of praise and thanksgiving to God Isaiah tells them to "Prepare a poultice of figs and apply it to the boil, and he will recover." (Isaiah 38:21 NIV Here is Hezekiah's praise: Hezekiah cried and he kept on praying and begging the Lord to make him well. No one can see the future but God. Invite the class to follow along . A few minutes after Hezekiah prays, Isaiah returns to his bedroom. MANY DO NOT RECEIVE HEALING AS THEY IGNORE THE INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN IN GODS WORD. Leanne VanDyk. What do you do when you are backed into a corner about to face something bigger than your ability to handle? He has encouraged you to pray to him. Hezekiah He reigned for 29 yearsapproximately 715-686 BCbeginning at age 25 (2 Kings 18:2). and physicians who are concerned at the impending death of this strong and godly king. From God's response through Isaiah we get some hints to the reasons why God seems to have responded to Hezekiah's prayer, though we can't read God's mind: You, dear friend, are also loved by God. It is only after this litany of praise and thanksgiving to God Isaiah tells them to Prepare a poultice of figs and apply it to the boil, and he will recover. (Isaiah 38:21 NIV. The Lord sent the prophet Isaiah to Hezekiah to give him the message that he was about to die. a. The Lord kept His promise to protect Jerusalem. born. God's Purpose in Illness and Healing - Isaiah Commentary On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of theLord. Throughout the stressful time in leadership, Hezekiah consistently used the same battle plan. Even though Isaiah had gone, he had not gotten very far. "He will save us," you tell your people. Was Hezekiah terrified of death? For Hezekiahs case, he had to apply herbs on the boil. IsaiahandMicahprophesied during his reign. Scriptures: Hezekiah was king of a nation and that is an important job, yet . A fig poultice was a way to bring a boil to the surface of the skin. Hezekiah needed to name a successor so leadership would pass to another at his death without palace intrigues and unnecessary disruption to the kingdom. He said, Give ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD Hezekiah had the kind of relationship with God where it wasnt a surprise when Hezekiah showed up to pray. Jesus and the Kingdom This could have even happened during the crisis with Assyria itself. Let's go over five Bible stories about prayer as they provide excellent examples of how prayer can change our lives and simply provide proof that it actually works. As a man of prayer, he knew his only hope was in the sovereign God. Bring some items to class that relate to illness. Hezekiah mortal illness involved a boil (20:7), Hebrew shehn, "boil, enflamed spot. When we pray, we must remember that God is sovereign and will answer us according to His eternal purposes. Can you pray Hezekiah's simple prayer? During the fourteenth year of the reign of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, attacked Judah, took all the fenced cities, and was about to take Jerusalem and destroy the land of Judah. And the LORD was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook.. Hezekiah did not forget the Lord or blame him because of his sickness. Get alone with God, spread your problems out before Him honestly, humbly, and boldly; then, allow His will to be done, as you wait for His response. Judah had a long history of bad kings before and after He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this. They could make games or collect stickers. The King was very happy. You know. The basis of Hezekiah's appeal is that God be seen by the Then look at how Hezekiah approached God's throne in prayer: And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said: "O Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. His tears are tears of emotion and struggle. It was no shame to cry when under stress. When Hezekiah prayed for a longer life, what answer did the Lord give him? him be the general and just follow his orders. What now?. as far as Gaza that were allies of Assyria(18:8). Hezekiah tried to appease the Assyrian king, Sennacherib, by giving him silver and gold from his own treasures and the Temple (2 Kings 18:13-16), but this appeasement didnt last long. To recap King Hezekiah's reign: Accomplishments of King Hezekiah It happened just as he requested. But when Assyrian troops departed, Hezekiah began to assert independence. He wanted a sign that he really would live for fifteen more years. He could not do that if he was dead! Contact Us We'll pause now and consider Hezekiah's prayer in verses 14-19. The Lord shows his blessing upon Hezekiah by healing him, by raising him up, by uniting him in the fellowship of worship in his temple and by granting him 15 more years of life and by giving him a son, and by delivering Jerusalem from the hand of the Assyrians. I've heard people accuse Hezekiah of selfishness in his prayer Article Images Copyright , What You Need to Know about Hezekiah in the Bible. Hezekiah relied on prayer to rule his life. It happened just as the Lord said. his lifetime. "He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him" (1 Kings 18:7). Revelation the situation around! He told Isaiah to go back and tell Hezekiah that he would live 15 more years. Previous Assyrian kings had attacked the Northern Kingdom of Samaria -- Tiglath Pileser III (745-727 Copyright 2003-2023 | Outreach, Inc., All rights reserved. Then they turned inland. 1 & 2 Timothy All rights reserved. "Real men don't cry," is the way we train our sons. The suns shadow actually went backwards! He could rightly point to how he had served God and done exploits for His glory. As I consider his life, let's look at three of his prayers. After all, everyone sins. King Hezekiah wanted a sign from the Lord. Hezekiah was a remarkable king, used by God to rescue Jerusalem from the Assyrians and bring reform and revival to Judah. at this time. As long as I don't have to personally suffer for my sin, why should I care?" Now let's look at this situation through Manasseh's eyes. The Bible says, This is the Lords sign to you that the Lord will do what has promised. John's Gospel The living, the living they praise you as I am doing today; fathers tell their children about your faithfulness. We get more answers than we realize if we only ask. It is right to pray for physical health and healing. They did so and applied it to the boil, and he recovered. military force on earth, is ravaging the countryside a few miles away, threatening weaker cities into submission and destroying the rest, carting away their riches and levying a burdensome annual tax that bleeds the nation even more. But it is unfair to judge him 16Give ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God. Let students answer. He is Risen . During the reign of Ahaz, the people of Israel said they feared God, but simultaneously they practiced idolatry (2 Kings 17:33). Samaria finally fell in 722 BC and the Northern Kingdom ceased to exist (2 Kings 17:3-6; 18:9-12). James teaches us: "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective" (James 5:16b). He is a model to all who desire to walk in close fellowship with God during times of trouble, and a reminder not to forget the Lord in times of blessing. What You Need to Know about Hezekiah in the Bible His reign began in the third year of Hosheas reign over the northern kingdom of Israel in Samaria (2 Kings 18:1-3), and it coincided with the ministry of two of Gods prophets, Isaiah and Micah. He lived it! Hezekiahs name means God has strengthened. He is mentioned in many biblical passages. (1 John 4:4). Though Hezekiah had led the nation in reform and revival, his indifference for the future had terrible consequences. Now he would have the chance to help his people. This content provider does not have additional content available right now. Sermon on the Mount . May these prayers for safety bring you comfort and peace of mind. (James 5:14-15; Matthew 10:7; 12:15; The first appears in 2 Kings 19:14-19 as Judah faced impending invasion by the Assyrians, who had invaded the land and besieged Jerusalem. From God's response to Hezekiah's prayer through the Prophet Isaiah (20:6b), it sounds like Sennacharib's presence was still threatening Jerusalem Hezekiah was regarded as a good king. Without Manasseh, we wouldn't have had Josiah the boy king 1 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. As Sennacherib continued to defy God, he sent a letter to Hezekiah. what is bad for us (Matthew 7:7-11). Hezekiah's prayer was Honoring, humble and respectful of who God is. When the Babylonians heard about the kings sickness, Marduk-Baladan, the son of the king of Babylon, sent letters and a gift by envoys to Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:12). This would nearly double the years of his reign. Hezekiah's Healing - Free Reformed Churches of North America 19Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O LORD, are God. 1, 2, and 3 John Earlier, Hezekiah had encouraged the people with his own confidence in the greatness of the power of the unseen God: It sounds much like Elisha's assurance to his servant at the siege of Dothan, where they are surrounded by the horses and chariots of fire of the Lord's army: "Don't be afraid Those who are with us are more than those who are with them" (2 Kings 6:16). When it comes to healing, we must believe that it is Gods will to heal unless we have heard otherwise from the Holy Spirit. I get this visual image of Hezekiah, and this letterlaying it there on the table, and saying, Okay, God, what now? And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. Songs of Ascent Tell the story using a printed flip chart. Hezekiah was terminally ill. He knew God had placed him in the position of authority over them. this would have been to leave his country leaderless! You need to understand that faith is always based on the promises of God. Find out who in your congregation is sick and pray for these people with the children. So they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered. 2011-2023 Mission Bible Class. This thirteen lesson Bible category curriculum covers: The Creation, Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah, the Tower of Babel, the Call of Abram, Abram and Lot, Abram the Promised a Son, Abraham is Visited by Angel, Sodom and Gomorrah, Hagar and Ishmael, and Abraham Offered Isaac (PDF rank large: 1.1 MB). The Lord Heals Hezekiah | Reformed Bible Studies & Devotionals at Erase another word and recite the verse. Names of God To access and start using your account today, go to iDisciple.org and click login. Hezekiah not only King Hezekiah was a very good king. Hezekiah had been a good king who tried to obey God, and one of his strengths was that he was a man of prayer. a) He did what was right in the sight of the Lord V3, g) He rebelled against the King of Assyria V7. He was a good king who trusted in the Lord. for," is useless. Click here for visual aids and story-telling methods. Personal Prayer Power emphasizes interactive prayer, including how to find an answer to every prayer and how prayer shapes your future. We give up. Privacy, 7 Lessons from the Prayer Life of Hezekiah. As he spread the Assyrians letter before the Lord, he prayed a humble, powerful prayer of faith, asking for deliverance so all the kingdoms of earth would know that the Lord alone is God (2 Kings 19:19). PDF Lesson 12 - King Hezekiah - Sunday School Bible Lessons for Kids Hezekiah's Prayer for Deliverance - Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD. 4Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of theLordcame to him: 5Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, This is what theLord, the God of your father David, says: I have heardyour prayer and seen your tears;I will heal you. talked about a righteous life. David, Life of Hannah's Prayer. I have decided to add more years to his life. Hezekiah was king of a nation and that is an important job, yet Hezekiah willingly humbled himself in prayer, because he knew his place before the King of kings. He prayed to desire Gods glory above all. The prophet Isaiah came and pronounced his sickness was unto death. King Hezekiah was very ill. CHRISTIAN SCIENCE READING ROOM REDCLIFFE: Lessons in humility Isaiah Helps King Hezekiah Pray - Mission Bible Class (19:15-19). We too must guard against pridewhich can be our downfalland realize our sins often affect more than our own lives (Proverbs 11:2; 16:18; Jeremiah 9:23-24; James 4:6, 10). The Lord said, "You will die; you will not recover" (20:1b), As mentioned above, it is likely that he had no heir yet, no one to carry on the line of Davidic kings promised centuries before that would culminate in a Messiah (2 Samuel 7:11-16). He has made promises to you. 2 Kings 18:6-7a says the righteous king held fast to the LORD and did not stop following him; he kept the commands the LORD had given Moses. He is in his own bedroom, probably hovered over by various counselors, officers, His prayer mainly reminds God of how good and faithful Hezekiah had been (as if God needed to be told!). King Ahaz was an evil, idolatrous king. was one of the chief ringleaders in a rebellion against Assyria. Hezekiahs prayer was Honoring, humble and respectful of who God is. Resurrection The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, This is what theLordsays: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.. Hezekiah often became the target of warring nations. My books are available in paperback and Kindle from Amazon. King Hezekiah was a man of prayer. Hezekiah's prayer was Bold. A Lesson from Hezekiah: 7 Steps to More Effective Prayers - ChurchLeaders God can use the following methods or any combination to heal. When Hezekiah receives the letter, he brings it before the Lord and spreads it out for God to read. He caused a shadow on some steps to fall in the opposite way from normal. A second answer came from Isaiah: Assyria would never enter Jerusalem. They couldn't allow Judah's rebellious tendencies to weaken their dominance of the area, which they needed Finally, Jerusalem was besieged and Hezekiah was forced to admit his rebellion and pay a huge tribute to lift the siege. For the most part, King Hezekiah faithfully walked with God (2 Chronicles 31:20), and there was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him (2 Kings 18:5). Jesus healed him so that God would be glorified. He chose to cling to the Lord, follow Him, pursue holiness for himself and his people, and lead Judah in renewed worship. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them. The Assyrians had already conquered the northern kingdom of Israel. 32 Therefore this is what the LORD says concerning the king of Assyria: He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here. (II Kings 18: 6). Colossians They came from Babylon., 15The prophet asked, What did they see in your palace?, They saw everything in my palace, Hezekiah said. Prior to this, Hezekiah was about to die and no figs would have helped. What does it mean, "Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord."? At one point, the Assyrian king launched a huge smear campaign against Hezekiah with his own people. You have made heaven and earth. He may be second or third or when we are backed into a corner and have no choice, but as a habit we need to make God the first place we turn in our lives. We are so geared to react that its hard for us to go first to God. Manasseh would be incredibly evil and undo most of his fathers reforms (2 Kings 18-20; 2 Chronicles 29-32; Isaiah 36-39). (v. 3). E-mail Bible Study Hezekiah's Prayer - The Spiritual Life 7Then Isaiah said, Prepare a poultice of figs. They did so and applied it to the boil,and he recovered. If this took place in 701, it was before his son Manasseh was born. Often times, we offer half hearted, 10 minutes prayers to God even for people who are terminally ill with cancer. "You'll get us all killed." This site is a proud member of the Salem Web Network, a subsidiary of, Copyright 2023, Crosswalk.com. Donations Hezekiah was regarded as a good king. Glorious Kingdom, The to a loving Father, who knows better that we do. Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. See legal, copyright, and reprint information. BC), Shalmanezer V (727-722), and Sargon II (722-705). Isaiah 38:1 says, In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. | RACHEL is standingupforJC! He threw off the Assyrian yoke and defeated the Philistines (2 Kings 18:7-8). When we considered Moses' intercession in Exodus 32, we discussed the interplay between God's judgment and human response. His prayer seems short, but he knows God well by this time in his life, and in its shortness and abbreviation of expression much is implied: You may think it naive of Hezekiah to appeal to God on the basis of his own righteousness. Your capital is (That doesnt mean we shouldnt pray for everything. Young discusses the various problems of dating and reconciling accounts in a long and detailed appendix (Edward J. Thank you for being a Giving Member! Anticipating conflict with Assyria, Hezekiah had taken a number of steps: The Assyrian armies crushed the rebels in Phoenicia and the Philistine coastal cities. While the dating and order of events 13Hezekiah received the envoys and showed them all that was in his storehousesthe silver, the gold, the spices and the fine olive oilhis armory and everything found among his treasures. Before Isaiah left Hezekiahs home, the Lord instructed him to tell the king his prayer was heard. 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