Isaiah 38-39                                                                   8 August 2000

WHEN SEVERE ILLNESS STRIKES

1.  Word of advice from the Lord, “Set your house in order, for you shall die...” Isa 38:1

2.  Response from Hezekiah - DESPERATE PRAYER   Isa 38:2-20

3.  Response from the Lord - Death deferred; A new lease of life  

     Isa 38:21-22; 2 Kings 20:1-11

AN ANALYSIS OF HEZEKIAH’S PRAYER

1.  Spirit of Prayer

a)  Humility expressed in tears   Isa 38:3

b)  Faith in God

2.  Important pleas in Hezekiah’s Prayer

a)  Plea to God to “Remember...” his good deeds   Isa 38:3

b)  Plea: “Undertake for me”   Isa 38:14

3.  Structure of Hezekiah’s Prayer

a)  The note of lament in Hezekiah’s prayer   Isa 38:10-14

     i)     “I said... I am deprived of the rest of my life...”   Isa 38:10

     ii)     “I said... My life span is gone...”   Isa 38:12

b)  The Change in his prayer after God gave him a good answer  

     Isa 38:15-20

     i)     There is deep appreciation that God heard his prayer   Isa 38:15

     ii)     There is confidence that God will indeed answer   Isa 38:16

     iii)    There is a deeper insight of why God allowed him to go through this experience - “It was for my peace that I had great bitterness...”   Isa 38:17

     iv)    There is praise and thanksgiving for deliverance   Isa 38:17-20

     v)    There is a promise to bear witness of the Lord’s goodness  

            Isa 38:19-20

THE NEW LEASE OF LIFE TAKEN FOR GRANTED

1.  The envoys from Babylon who came to see Hezekiah  (Isa 39:1-2)

2.  Hezekiah foolishly shows them his treasures  (Isa 39:2)

3.  He had forgotten the prophecies of Isaiah concerning the threat that Babylon would one day pose to Judah  (Isa 14, 21)

4.  There was no consultation with Isaiah (But see how he asked Hezekiah to pray when the Assyrians sought to attack Judah - Isa 36-37)

5.  Hezekiah’s response to Isaiah’s solemn warning leaves much to be desired.  He does not show much care about his posterity.  He seems to care only about himself (Isa 39:8)