“The living, the living—they praise you, as I am doing today; fathers tell their children about your faithfulness.”
~ Isaiah 38:19
Hi James and Ellen,
This is the very last day of 2001. What are you planning to do tonight to welcome in the first day of 2002? Are you planning to stay up until midnight? Are you hoping to able to shoot off fireworks? Guys, gals and kids who live where your grandmaa and grandpaa are living right now will shoot off a lot of fireworks. Because there will be so much fireworks being shot off at midnight by the guys, gals and kids who live here in Guatemala, your grandmaa and grandpaa will not be able to hear each other speaking. Guatemalan guys, gals and kids traditionally celebrate special occasions with shooting off a lot of fireworks. Right at midnight on Christmas Eve, the Guatemala City sky was filled with all kinds of beautiful aerial fireworks which guys, gals and kids living in Guatemala were shooting off from everywhere. Tonight is also another really noisy time. If your grandpaa wanted to buy some fireworks, your grandpaa could walk to the big stand of fireworks which is set up alongside the street just a block from where your grandpaa lives. If this was to be the very last day of your life, what would you do tonight to welcome in your first day in heaven? Your grandpaa knows that your dad and ma absolutely do not want this to be the last day of your life on planet Earth. Your grandmaa and grandpaa would be very sad if they could not see you again – even if they knew that you would be in heaven tomorrow. It is not normally a happy time when a guy, gal or kid dies – even if it is known that the guy, gal or kid who has died has gone from living life on planet Earth to praising God in heaven.
Hezekiah was a good king. While Hezekiah was Judah’s king, King Hezekiah possibly used the David model of how to be a king. Hezekiah was especially intrigued with the songs or psalms that David wrote. King Hezekiah wrote his own song which Isaiah recorded in his letter. King Hezekiah’ song is found in Isaiah 38. Hezekiah’s name means servant of God. King Hezekiah would be one of Judah’s kings for about thirty years. The prophet Isaiah lived when King Hezekiah lived. Isaiah was there for King Hezekiah as a spiritual mentor. Your grandpaa is sure that Isaiah was a big help to King Hezekiah. Your grandpaa thinks that Isaiah strongly encouraged King Hezekiah to get rid of the vile idols and the evil places which could be found in the land of Judah. After King Hezekiah had been a Judah king for about fifteen years, a boil appeared on King Hezekiah’s body. Your grandpaa is not sure why a guy would die from a boil but . . . King Hezekiah’s spiritual mentor – Isaiah, told King Hezekiah that he was going to die. Isaiah told King Hezekiah to get his house in order – which means that King Hezekiah needed to prepare his family for his eminent death. How do you think that King Hezekiah felt about dying? King Hezekiah did not want to die. King Hezekiah desperately wanted to live. King Hezekiah cried. King Hezekiah wanted to know from God why He would have him die – after he had been so faithful to do things which he knew should have pleased God. Do you think that God hears guys, gals and kids crying after they have been given unbearable news? When King Hezekiah cried, God heard King Hezekiah crying. God told Isaiah to tell King Hezekiah that He had heard him crying – that He would allow King Hezekiah live another fifteen years. God even promised to give King Hezekiah a special sign to demonstrate that He would let him live another fifteen years. God told King Hezekiah to watch the shadow on the stairway of Ahaz. God had the shadow change directions. The shadow on the stairway of Ahaz went back ten steps as if the sun was going back in the direction that it had come. God did have King Hezekiah become well again. King Hezekiah would write a song about his experience of almost dying – which is the song that Isaiah recorded.
King Hezekiah knew that God had rewarded him for being faithful to Him when he had the vile images and the evil sites removed from the Judah land area land where God was allowing His specially chosen guys, gals and kids to live. King Hezekiah wanted the song which he had written sung while accompanied with stringed instruments each day that he remained alive. King Hezekiah wanted God’s specially chosen guys, gal and kids who were living in Judah to hear how God had healed him. Verse 19 says “The living, the living—they praise you, as I am doing today; fathers tell their children about your faithfulness.” King Hezekiah wanted God’s specially chosen guys and gals who were living in Judah to daily praise God for having allowed him to live for another fifteen years. Why do you think that King Hezekiah so fearfully did not want to die when he had the boil? Your grandpaa does not know. Your grandpaa knows of a number of guys and gals – when they have gotten old, who have been ready to see their Heavenly Father face to face. These guys and gals really were very happy when they knew their final moment of life on planet Earth had arrived – when that moment was there when they would pass from earthly life to heavenly life. Your grandpaa’s dad has not been well for a number of years. Your grandpaa remembers your dad’s grandpa saying at an anniversary celebration that was for him and for your dad’s grandma how important it was for him to know God and how important it was for his kids and grandkids to know God, too. Your dad’s grandpa is not crying right now because he knows that his life is coming to an end here on planet Earth. Your dad’s grandpa is very happy that he will soon be seeing his Heavenly Father face to face. Dying will be scary for guys, gals and kids who God did not before He created planet Earth choose for His Son Jesus. Death is a sad time – as guys, gals and kids will be miss a guy or gal who had been there for them. Jesus defeated dying and death when His Father God had Him suffer and die on a cross as a sacrifice for sins. Guys, gals and kids who know Jesus personally are promised an eternal life.
Isaiah 38 (129)