THROUGH THE BIBLE IN THREE YEARS
This program of daily devotions is designed to take you through the Bible in three years. It is our desire to help you gain a better general understanding of God's Word.
Please understand that in a study this brief, we will be concerned with only the major emphases and context of the Scriptures.
Each day a devotion for one or two chapters is posted, beginning with chapter one of Genesis and going through chapter twenty-two of Revelation. You are free to print each page as it appears. If you miss a day, you may contact us and request that devotion. Please send your request, along with $.50 (p&handling) for each page to:
Bruce McGee,Pastor
205 Adams
Columbia, LA 71418
We have a great friend in Gary Godard. He has set up an archive page. To view ALL the prior devotions by Scripture, just clik
Bro. Bruce's commentaries for
the books of Genesis through 2Kings are
now available in hard copy for $7.50. Just mail your request for
COMMENTARY ON (BOOK NAME) to the address above.
Isaiah
CHAPTER 38
1 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live. 2 Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, 3 And said, Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.
Hezekiah was a godly man. He loved the Lord, and tried to lead his people to love the Lord.
God was kind to let him know that death was soon so that he could "set his house in order." He could institute procedures to care for his family.
Notice that when he received the news of imminent death, he immediately began to pray. Hezekiah was a man of prayer. This prayer was that God would "remember" how he had tried to live for God. He knew that "..it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). His prayer also was evidence that there were yet things he wanted to accomplish for the glory of God in his life.
Death comes to all men. We should live our lives in such a manner that we can look back and ask God to "remember" in judgment that we TRIED to live according to His will. This is a worthy goal for daily life.
4 Then came the word of the LORD to Isaiah, saying, 5 Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years. 6 And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city.
After Hezekiah's prayer, God gave FURTHER grace! He sent Isaiah back to tell him that he would live another fifteen years! He would have time to do MORE for the Lord.
Further, God would save Judah from Assyria's onslaught by His own power. This was indeed good news to Hezekiah. He loved the people and wanted to encourage them in loving God all his life.
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.
Hezekiah had learned to rely upon God's WORD. He did not doubt God's Word when he heard that he would die. Neither did he doubt God's Word that told him he would have another fifteen years. But he did ask for a "sign" to show that he could begin to make plans for things he might do for God (see verse 22).
God wanted Hezekiah to have the extra grace of KNOWING without any possibility of doubt. Friends, God wants us to KNOW our salvation without any possibility of doubt!
"But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." (John 20:31)
Is there any DOUBT that He can save us from the armies of the earth? Is there any DOUBT that He can save us from the multitude of our sins? NO! NO!!
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. 13 I reckoned till morning, that, as a lion, so will he break all my bones: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me. 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. 18 For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth. 19 The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth. 20 The LORD was ready to save me: therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the LORD.
Hezekiah was very thankful for what God had done in his life, and he wrote it all down for others to see. He was a faithful witness.
In verses 9-11, he tells us that when he first heard that he would die, his greatest disappointment was that he would not "see the LORD... in the land of the living." This tells us that Hezekiah was LOOKING FOR MESSIAH! He was living his life anticipating the coming of Messiah!
What a great inspiration to us! We should live EACH DAY of our lives anticipating the return of Jesus Christ, our Lord!
In verses 12-16, Hezekiah mourned his death, but his mourning was for not having more time to work for the Lord and be beneficial to the people. He was "oppressed" (verse 14) by the news that he would die. And his prayer was that God would 'undertake' for him. His desire was that God would see to it that the people were cared for.
Then he heard the news that he had fifteen more years (verse 15). God answered his prayer by giving him more time to care for the people.
But greater than this, God taught him a valuable lesson. Hezekiah said he would "go softly..in bitterness of...soul" (verse 15) all the rest of his life. He had learned from this God had FORGIVEN his sins (verse 17), and that the total duty of his life was to please God (verse 18).
When we die, we can no longer be an earthly witness to God (verse 18). It is the duty of we who are living on this earth to praise God (verse 19).
Hezekiah wrote songs for people to sing and give praise to God (verse 20).
21 For Isaiah had said, Let them take a lump of figs, and lay it for a plaister upon the boil, and he shall recover. 22 Hezekiah also had said, What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the LORD?
Now here's a little fact that makes people THINK! Healing for God is SIMPLE!
Evidently Hezekiah's sickness "unto death" was because of a large boil. The boil probably was causing a tremendous infection in his body. When he prayed, God told Isaiah to lay a "lump of figs" on the boil.
Now I'm not sure what chemical reaction could come from the acid in figs to remove the infection of a boil. But I AM SURE of one thing: God can heal through prayer even without the help of doctors and medicine!
Once my wife and I drove up to the church on Sunday morning. It was a small church, and we always got there early to open the doors and turn on the heat or the air conditioning.
There was a lady and her daughter sitting on the front steps when we drove up. She told us that her daughter had been diagnosed with cancer and the doctor had given them NO HOPE for healing. But the doctor had told them to travel to Houston. The mother had all the medical records from the doctor showing that the cancer was all over the little girl's body. However, there was hope that perhaps the cancer clinic in Houston could apply a new thing called "chemotherapy," and the little girl might be saved.
The mother wanted us to pray for her daughter. That morning, during the worship hour, I introduced this little girl to our congregation of about 24 people. We prayed for her.
The mother and daughter went on their way. The next week, they were back, sitting on the steps of the church on Sunday morning again. It was an AMAZING STORY! When they got to Houston, the doctors had looked at all the medical records. Then they did some tests of their own. They found something that made them "act funny" the mother said. Then, all of a sudden, they wanted to take more x-rays, and another CT Scan.
When they finished, they came to the mother and said, "These records from your doctor show that your daughter had cancer all over her body. But the x-rays and CT Scan we took show NO SIGN of cancer anywhere!"
There is NO DOUBT that God can heal even the most dread diseases without medical help!
But LISTEN now. God allowed Hezekiah to be "sick unto death." Hezekiah was a man who loved the Lord and was TRYING to live according to God's will. But he became ILL! So let's not make the mistake of saying that God doesn't want people to become ill. Because God USED the sickness and healing of Hezekiah to show him the valuable truth that Solomon said was the "conclusion of the WHOLE matter" of life!
"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)
CHAPTER 39
1 At that time Merodach-baladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah: for he had heard that he had been sick, and was recovered. 2 And Hezekiah was glad of them, and shewed them the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not.
Hezekiah was made whole and just wanted to praise God. He was a good witness to ALL people. He didn't hold anything back from these visitors. He was GLAD to show how God had blessed him!
Hezekiah was so interested in being a good witness that he never considered that these people would be jealous and want to come and steal all that he and the people of Judah had.
3 Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country unto me, even from Babylon. 4 Then said he, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All that is in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed them. 5 Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD of hosts: 6 Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD. 7 And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.
Again, Isaiah was sent to Hezekiah. This time he came with a word of PROPHECY.
Now, I've heard that this was a word of REPROOF. But if one looks at the life of Hezekiah, we must see that this is a special word from God in GRACE to Hezekiah. God is telling him that the Babylonians will indeed take over Judah. But God is also telling him that it will not happen until he is dead and gone!
Hezekiah has done his job! He has been a GOOD WITNESS. Judah will NOT SUFFER for his mistakes. But they WILL SUFFER. They will suffer because when Hezekiah dies, they will wander off into idolatry again, and God will allow the Babylonians to come and makes slaves of them for 70 years.
But note how Hezekiah receives this news.
8 Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken. He said moreover, For there shall be peace and truth in my days.
Even though the "word" from God is of loss, suffering and slavery, Hezekiah says, "GOOD is the Word of the LORD." God's Word is good because it is JUST and RIGHT.
Friends, one day, there will be a tribulation. The Bible prophecies of it happening. One day the earth will suffer greatly for the sins of man. In those seven years of tribulation, men will suffer TERRIBLE things. But the "word" from God is still GOOD! It is GOOD because it is RIGHT and JUST!
The "word" from God is good also, because it teaches us that in THIS DAY we have the opportunity to WARN people of the coming trouble! If we didn't KNOW the "word" from God, we wouldn't be able to WARN people.
ALL of God's Word is GOOD! It is good from beginning to end. It is good in the history, the law, the poetry, the chronicles, the gospels, and the educational epistles. It is also good in the Revelation, because the "Word of God" WARNS us of sin and the consequences of sin. The Word of God tells us of the Saviour and God's plan to take us out of the clutches of sin and into the joys of heaven.
Is there "peace and truth" in your days? Well, TELL SOMEBODY about the Word of God which points to JESUS!
PLEASE CONTINUE IN BIBLE STUDY WITH US TOMORROW.