AWAKE, ARISE, AND TRIUMPH
Thursday – February 2, 2023, Sh’vat 11, 5783
A SIGN UNTO THEE
Greeting precious saints of God and welcome back to our Bible Study of the wonderful Bible Book of Isaiah. Please take a moment to share this teaching by every means available to you. Thank you for sharing. The featured picture today is of Donna and me at the Black Bear here in San Antonio. I know it is the same picture I used last week but I like this picture and its my blog. Now, let’s turn our attention to our primary text in this wonderful Bible Book of Isaiah. Remember to read out loud.
Isaiah 38:6-12 (KJV)
6 And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city.
7 And this shall be a sign unto thee from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he hath spoken;
8 Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down.
9 The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness:
10 I said in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave: I am deprived of the residue of my years.
11 I said, I shall not see the LORD, even the LORD, in the land of the living: I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world.
12 Mine age is departed, and is removed from me as a shepherd’s tent: I have cut off like a weaver my life: he will cut me off with pining sickness: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.
Notice in verse seven that God tells Hezekiah He is giving him a sign that His promise of deliverance is coming to pass. King Hezekiah did not ask for a sign; the Lord volunteered a sign. The New Testament Church has been taught not to ask for a sign or look for a sign. I don’t have a full answer for us but it seems that part of the answer is if we are testing God or testing ourselves making sure we are hearing correctly from God. As our text continues, we will see that King Hezekiah goes on for quite some time about what was going on with him during this time. Let’s see what else King Hezekiah has to say.
Isaiah 38:14-17 (KJV)
14 Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward: O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me.
15 What shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it: I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul.
16 O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit: so wilt thou recover me, and make me to live.
17 Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.
He was having quite the pity party up to the point of repentance, then it all changes. Let’s focus in on verses 16 and 17 briefly.
Isaiah 38:16-17 (TLB)
16 O Lord, your discipline is good and leads to life and health. Oh, heal me and make me live!
17 “Yes, now I see it all—it was good for me to undergo this bitterness, for you have lovingly delivered me from death; you have forgiven all my sins.
This was not the discipline of God, the TLB is the only translation (paraphrase) that renders it this way, this was the results of King Hezekiah’s pride. We will see in the next chapter that he never really conquered pride. Pride is a horrible sin, the sin of Lucifer, and one of the sins in the fall of mankind. The antonym of pride is humility. Pride is like the devil and humility is like God. Please do not confuse confidence with pride, they are quite different. Pride is looking to self; confidence is looking to God. Examine verse seventeen again.
Isaiah 38:17 (KJV)
17 Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.
Hezekiah was focused on his problems and not his solution. He exchanged the promise of peace for bitterness, not a good deal.
Isaiah 26:3 (KJV)
3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
When he took responsibility for his sin and repented (God sees the heart) the Lord cast those sins behind His back and not only restored Hezekiah but Judah and Jerusalem. I will pick up right here next week and witness the healing of King Hezekiah. Our healing is not always a bolt of lightning from the sky.
By: Dr. David R. Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
2 Chronicles 20:20 b (KJV)
20 … Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
Receive the blessing in Jesus’ name!
Numbers 6:24-26 (MSG)
24 GOD bless you and keep you,
25 GOD smile on you and gift you,
26 GOD look you full in the face and make you prosper.
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