Bible Studies for Life: November 30

From Problems to Praise • Isaiah 38:9-20

By Melody Mercer

We are ending a season of thankfulness with this last week of November. Being thankful is not always an easy emotion to express. Thanksgiving and Christmas are often hard for people because of loss or bad memories. A devastating situation and being thankful normally do not go together. However, as believers, we must remember that God is sovereign and still on His throne. We praise God for His love and faithfulness no matter the outcome. 

“And I’ll praise You in this storm, and I will lift my hands,

For You are who You are, no matter where I am,

And every tear I’ve cried, You hold in Your hand,

You never left my side, and though my heart is torn,

I will praise You in the storm.”          

— “Praise You In This Storm,” Casting Crowns 2005 

Praising God when it is the hardest is easier said than done.  Sometimes we find ourselves with nothing but God. Everything we have known has been stripped away, and we pray for guidance from the Lord for each next step.  

King Hezekiah receives a message from God that has no other resolution, but to pray for God’s mercy.  In the first verse of Isaiah 38, the prophet brings a message to Hezekiah.

“This is what the LORD says: ‘Set your house in order, for you are about to die; you will never recover’” (v. 1b CSB).

Talk about not beating around the bush, yeesh. Scripture says that immediately Hezekiah started praying to the LORD, pleading with Him and weeping bitterly. Isaiah returns with another message and assurance from God that He heard Hezekiah’s prayer and would add 15 years to his life.   

Our lesson for this week picks up at verse 9.

“A poem by King Hezekiah of Judah after he had been sick and had recovered from his illness” (CSB).

Because his poem was written after he had been sick and had recovered, it is like a thanksgiving song in Psalms. In the first part of the poem, Hezekiah spoke as if he were going to die, but from the second half of the poem it is clear that it was written after he was healed (CSB Study Bible).

Hezekiah’s lamenting spans from verses 10-14. He basically makes three points. First, he feels that his life is ending much too soon and uses several metaphors as description. His life will be plucked up and removed like a shepherd’s tent or rolled up and cut off the loom like a weaver. Second, he cries out to God, expressing his distress and fear of death.  

“I thought until the morning: He will break all my bones like a lion. By nightfall, you make an end of me” (v. 13 CSB).

Third, he expresses his hope that he will be restored and be able to live a life of praise to God. Verse 15 is the turning point where Hezekiah acknowledges that God holds the keys to both life and death. He knows that God has dramatically altered his life by healing him, and that action was because of Hezekiah’s prayer. The remainder of our scripture is Hezekiah’s song of praise to God for his healing, and his promise to live the rest of his days with gratitude, walking humbly with the LORD.  

As I say over and over, it is much easier to read an account from the Bible than to experience it for ourselves. There are several takeaways from our lesson. This life is a precious gift from Almighty God. Secondly, our suffering can lead to a deeper understanding of God and a desire to live a life of greater purpose and humility. Lastly, prayer is a powerful weapon. For Hezekiah, it was literally a miraculous extension of his life. We serve the same God with that same power. Let’s never forget that. It is up to us to ask. God always chooses to heal, but sometimes it is on this side of Heaven and for others it is Heaven itself.  

Hezekiah finishes his poem by vowing to praise God in the temple for the rest of his life. Public praise, unashamed, for what God had done for him. Let us not forget to thank God and give Him the praise that He so richly deserves.  

Mercer is a member of First Church, Jackson.