Death always passes by us silently, but we often live carelessly as if it would not happen to me. In today's text, Hezekiah was also forced to wail with a scream of "Why me?" in front of the sudden death sentence while living a miserable life.
But God did not turn away from his tears. Today, whatever the reason for our tears, God is looking at the tears of all saints. Then why does God see our tears? We will meditate together through today's words.
First, even if I do my best, I wail in front of death.
The king of Judah, Hezekiah, was a holy army that relied only on God, destroying brass snakes that no one had ever touched, removing mountain temples. But when he accomplished his faith reform and reached the peak of his life, God issued a blistering death sentence through Prophet Isaiah, saying, "I will not be able to live and die. This news, which came at the most laudable moment, was an incomprehensible despair. As such, death and hardship always come without notice, and no matter how much the resume of our lives we have built up, we cannot use any power in front of death.
Hezekiah went to God in a situation where no one could help, but he was forced to wail deeply when he realized that even his truth and whole heart could not prevent death. There should have been fear of death and concern for the country, but there must have been a deep sense of injustice, "Why is this coming when you are committed to your best?"
The same goes for us. When the effort and dedication that we believe to be right are not acknowledged, we are overwhelmed by injustice, and our heart blocks the path to repentance. We are bound to wail before God because no sincerity or good deeds can lead to salvation.
Second, you respond to wailing prayers with words.
Let Hezekiah wail and pray, and the word of God comes before Isaiah is still out of the palace. God is already preparing for a response even if we start praying. The important thing is that the response is not a change in the environment or immediate healing, but a "word" first. God is the one who gives words before solutions and heals people before heals their diseases.
God saw Hezekiah as not just an individual, but as a ruler of David's covenant, and he heard and saw all his prayers and tears. God does not turn away not only the logical prayers we give, but also the tears we shed when we are out of words. If you just cry because you can't pray well, God sees and listens to all those prayers.
The ultimate purpose of God's healing of Hezekiah is not just an extension of life. It is to restore worship by allowing him to ascend to the temple of the Lord in three days. After all, the response of prayer is not to solve the problem in front of you, but to restore your relationship with God through hardship. Therefore, rather than waiting for the environment to change, we must open the cutie book while waiting for the word to come and listen to the word of God. There is an interpretation of my case and a response from God.
Third, Jesus will save you because of the covenant.
God's response extends beyond healing Hezekiah's illness to a promise to extend his life by 15 years, and furthermore to protect Jerusalem in the invasion of Asur. This shows that a person's recovery does not remain as an individual, but extends to his home, community, and the kingdom of God. God saves the community through our lives and uses one person as a channel of salvation to save the entire family and church.
So why did God save Hezekiah? Not just because of his earnest prayer, but because of the covenant he made with God himself and David. God listens to our tears and prayers, but the basis for salvation lies not in our sincerity or deeds, but in God's faithful covenant. Therefore, God never abandons the ruler, and sometimes leads him to salvation, holding him to the end through hardships.
After all, salvation is not our service or qualification, but the grace that God makes on his name and his covenant. Just as Hezekiah lived because of David, we live thanks to Jesus Christ, who completed the covenant on the cross. Although we are shaken and vulnerable at every moment, God, who always achieves our promises, will finally lead us to full salvation.
One confessed to the terrible crime he committed in the process of abortion of a fetus in anticipation of a severe deformity while working as a neonatal unit doctor. And he deeply repented, considering Parkinson's disease, which he is suffering from now, as a result of his sin.
I also look back on the fact that I struggled to save my husband, who was an obstetrician, but I couldn't really pray for him to prevent an abortion. The fact that my husband went to heaven repenting for his abortion at the last minute left me with an indescribable weight of repentance. As a couple, I realize that my responsibility for being with them at the scene of the sin is also not light. I now carry out my mission as if it were my last every day to save my soul, but this is by no means to show it off. No matter how much tears I repent, there is no way I can repay this sin on my own. Nevertheless, there is only one reason I dare to fulfill this mission: the covenant God has established for his name. I have no credit for wailing at all, and I am just a monster among sinners who must repent by the day they go to heaven. I have nothing to offer on my resume, so I ask you not to forgive me, but I only end up relying on your grace to forgive me. I pray that my repentance will be a channel to save you.
We are vulnerable beings who try to live to the best of our lives but end up wailing in the face of death and limitations.
