If Life Can Start All Over Again

2 Kings 20:1-18

Hezekiah’s Request for the Shadow to Go Back Ten Steps

After King Solomon’s rule, the Israelites were divided into Northern Kingdom and Southern Kingdom. Northern Kingdom was defeated by Assyria and her people were brought into exile in 722BC. Around 701BC, the Assyrian army besieged Jerusalem of the Southern Kingdom--Judah.

Judah faced an enemy who was too strong for them to resist. But the Prophet Isaiah prophesied to the king of Judah—Hezekiah, that God would help Judah go against her enemy (2 Kings 19:5-36).

Hezekiah was a good king, a few among the kings of southern kingdom who revered God. Indeed, it came to past that 185,000 Assyrian soldiers were destroyed by God outside the city of Jerusalem in one morning. 

It was about the time when Judah was invaded by the Assyrian army that King Hezekiah was lying on his sickbed and he was, indeed, seriously ill and dying. Isaiah entered the palace and prophesized to the king, “Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.”

How did Hezekiah respond upon hearing such a horrible news?

Calling Out to God Amid Crises

Jerusalem was attacked by the enemy, and the king was sick and almost at his point of death. Hezekiah’s country and his own personal life came to a dead end. Hezekiah was a man of fervent prayer. Immediately he turned his face to the wall and prayed to God, “Remember, O LORD, I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes!” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

God was moved by the earnest prayer and the shed tears of the king.

The word of the LORD came to Isaiah again, “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now, you will go up to the temple of the LORD. I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.’”

Then Isaiah said, “Prepare a poultice of figs.” They did so and applied it to the boil, and he recovered.

God turned around the crisis, and delivered Hezekiah out of his desperation and even provided for him to meet his other needs. God is compassionate, and he listens to the cries of His people. God is moved by the petition of His people who is faithful to Him.

If we ever encounter crisis in life, and think of giving up; or if we ever lose something precious which is irreplaceable; or if we ever feel so sorrowful, lonely and meaningless in life, we must turn our face to the wall and pray to God, just like what Hezekiah did.

God will intervene into our lives. He will answer our prayer. God’s provision for us is far beyond what we could imagine and ask. Our God is not purely conceptual, cold and heart-harden. He is a God with acts of salvation.

Let’s draw near to Him and cry out to Him in all life circumstances. We shall see our situations changed tremendously.

Life Can Start All Over Again

Hezekiah wanted to have assurance of God’s promises, so he asked the prophet for a sign. That was not something audacious because in a few occasions, there were signs given after Isaiah had given his prophecies. The sign Hezekiah asked for was for the shadow to go backward ten steps instead of going forward ten steps.

Going forward ten steps signifies that time really flies and that lives are wasted unconsciously. Hezekiah chose to have the shadow going back ten steps and it signified that the clock was rewound, and he could start his life all over again!

God granted the request of the king, and He caused the shadow that moved forward to go backward ten steps miraculously. God added Hezekiah 15 years to his life. The 15 years was like the shadow that went backward, signifying that Hezekiah had a chance to start his life all over again.

I think all of us would be so excited if we can turn back time, and start all over again! What would you like to do if life can start all over again?

We all would agree that life is fragile and vulnerable. We can die instantly because of sicknesses or accidents. Nevertheless, we have survived many risks with God’s protection but we just don’t realize it. In this line of reasoning, we, like Hezekiah, have experienced our life span lengthened by God. Anyway, many of us have more than 15 years to re-live our lives all over again.

So, like Hezekiah, we also have the privilege to start our lives all over again!

Times gone by will never return to us but Hezekiah experienced a reversal of time. It is akin to God reviving the dead and creating new lives. We have hope in Christ, that our lives be transformed, and we become a new creation with a different lifestyle.

To start our lives all over again, we ought to do the acts of letting go and receiving again, at different junctures of live. Today, what are the areas that you ought to let go, and receive again? May God speak to your heart.

For examples:

Put down the many wrongs that we had done, things that displeased God, sloppy or perfunctory attitude in work and in ministries, hostile attitude towards others, etc., and we ought to make them right before God.

We ought to get hold of today and not allow it to slip away; seize the opportunity and catch hold of the things that were once lost; accomplish the responsibilities given to us, and the unfulfilled desires and passions in us.

In doing all the above-mentioned, we will be able to experience a new life all over again!

Above all else, we ought to be grateful to God as we live on daily because life itself is a gift from God. We are to rejoice each day for having the breath of life which is a miracle from God. If we realize this truth, we will be able to love people, forgive others and be gracious them.

Since we appreciate life very much, and make good use of our times, it will be insignificant to talk about how long our life can last.  Some people lived a long life, but they made many mistakes in their old age and thus, left behind a bad name. It would be better if they die at the peak of their lives. As such, the length of our lives is not the key issue.

Today, to start a fruitful and fulfilling life again, let us live everyday honoring God and fulfilling the mission and plan of God for us; let us maintain a pro-active and responsible attitude in life; let us get hold of the opportunity given to us and do our best; let us take heart to appreciate people around us and be gracious to them.

In this way, we shall have no regret when our lives come to an end, no matter short or long!

Trust in God but Not Leaning on Your Own Understanding and Might

The messengers of Babylon appeared immediately after Jerusalem and King Hezekiah were both delivered from the King of Assyria. At that time, Babylon was still a very small nation, her messengers came to visit Hezekiah with the intention of allying with Judah in order to resist the Assyrian invasion.

King Hezekiah started to act recklessly after the crisis. He felt that everything went smoothly, and all things were under his control. He displayed all the treasures and weaponries in his national treasury to boast about his wealth and power when the Babylonian envoys came to visit him.

Isaiah entered the palace and rebuked the King for what he had done. He prophesied that all the treasures owned by Hezekiah and the entire royalties would be brought into captivity to Babylon. In an ironic manner, the act of showing off done by Hezekiah turned out to be his disgrace.

The weakness of Hezekiah was a common weakness of men. Most of us are willing to humble ourselves and seek God when we are in a humble state. But once we are promoted, or when things start running smoothly, we forget about God and claim the credits and glory to ourselves!

When men are under good situations, they feel that they can settle things well without God. They abuse the grace of God and it will surely cause them defeat!

The king of Babylon had made great effort to strengthen his military might as a super power which displaced Assyria. God had granted Hezekiah 15 years to live all over again, but he was wasting his life away.  He should have grasped this opportunity to testify to those visiting envoys about the grace of God, and the power of God so that the Babylonians would fear God and succumb under His majesty.

We are a community that has received mercy and salvation from God. All that we have achieved today come by nothing, but the grace of God. Let us reflect:

Are you becoming arrogant towards God and men because of what you have achieved now? Are you testifying about your own ability, strength, and wealth, or are you testifying about the honor and power of God so that others can come to know Him? Are you using all gifts that you have received from God as means to worship and serve Him and to lend your support to those brothers and sisters who are in need?