Surrender

September 21, 2017

Considered by most biblical historians to have been one of the “good” kings of Judah due to his refusal to worship the false gods of the surrounding nations, Hezekiah nonetheless is a pretty poor example of what it means to be good. It seems that he was inflicted by some sort of infection that broke out in a boil or access. Given the fact that his advisor the prophet Isaiah told him to get his affairs in order, it must have been pretty serious in that pre-antibiotic age. Hezekiah did what any godly, self-respecting king would do. He pouted. The story is found in Isaiah 38. 

Ignoring his immaturity, God heard and answered his prayer. Instead of dying, God gave Hezekiah 15 more years, which though a blessing to Hezekiah, was a disastrous tragedy for the nation. Twelve years into his reprieve, he became father of the one considered to be the most wicked of Israel’s kings—Manasseh. 

In his prayer of gratitude for the additional 15 years God promised him, Hezekiah said, “The living, the living man shall praise you as I do this day. The father shall make known your truth to the children; ” lofty words that apparently were not backed up by any parental backbone. He was an utter failure as a father, and consequently, a failure as a king.

Later when he had recovered, he invited emissaries of Merodach-Baladin, king of Babylon, to inspect his treasuries and armaments, for which he was chastised by Isaiah, who told him that all the wealth of which he was boasting would one day be carried away to the very nation he so rashly courted. But when told that it wouldn't happen during his lifetime, but it would be his sons who would bear the humiliation and torture of defeat and deportation, his response was, “The word of the LORD is good.” That may sound at first like pious submission to God, but his reasoning was utterly selfish: “At least there will b peace and truth in my days.”

As much as I detest Hezekiah’s arrogant and selfish attitude, I wonder how much like him I am. I revel in where God has placed me in life. There have been times when life was not as peaceful and bountiful as I know today. I wouldn't choose to go back there, but the words of St Theophan the Recluse haunt me: “Throw out of your head the idea that you can, through a comfortable life, become what you must be in Christ!” 

I must confess, the comfortable life is very appealing to me, and like Hezekiah, I am too willing to trade the will of God for personal well-being. Praying that I would be willing to yield to the sovereign and holy will of the Heavenly Father is not easy, but there is no other way to pick up the cross of Christ except by humble obedience.