15 Years

The story of Hezekiah, I have often joked about, is my “back pocket sermon” in case of emergency. That is, should anyone approach me at the very last minute and ask me to give a devotional or a brief challenge, I reply with “I always have Hezekiah.” Though I have never really formally scripted this devotional, it is indeed a Bible account that comes to mind readily when I am scheduled to teach, though I have never used him specifically.

While continuing on in 2 Kings, Hezekiah is front and center in chapters 18 and 20, and is proceeded in death in chapter 21. Since the books of 1/2 Kings are more from Israel’s perspective, there are more details about him and his reign in the books of 1/2 Chronicles, more focused on Judah. But how would you and I answer this question. What would you do with a “free” 15 years of life?

Hezekiah sought to serve God as king in the right way. He got rid of high places of idol worship, which already elevated him to a stature above Israel’s (and some of Judah’s) kings. 2 Kings 18:6 says it best: “For he clung to the LORD; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the LORD had commanded Moses.”

He saw Samaria, Israel’s capital, get besieged and taken away by Assyria. When Assyria turned its sights on Jerusalem, Judah’s capital, Hezekiah, though the spiritual support of Isaiah prayed for God’s intervention and saw 185,000 Assyrian troops (all of them) destroyed overnight by God’s own hand. God was indeed with him. But some chinks in his armor started to show a bit prior to this. Before praying to God, he sought to buy off Assyria with gold and silver, and only later did he realize he’d been deceived. But he did turn to God for help, and was answered favorably.

Fast forward now to Hezekiah’s illness and looming death in chapter 20. Realizing he is out of options, he petitions God for his health. God shows him a miraculous sign as verification of his healing (the shadow moves backward 10 steps), and he is told through Isaiah that he will have 15 years added to his life. God gave His word, and could now see how this kind act would be received.

Hezekiah is relieved when his illness is gone. Around that same time, though, the king of Babylon heard Hezekiah was sick, and he sent a representative to Jerusalem with well-wishes. Hezekiah pridefully shows this representative all the storehouses filled with treasure. God delivers the message that eventually Babylon will carry all the treasure away, and Judah with it. What he says next to Isaiah and what he thinks to himself are not compatible, and the disconnect speaks volumes. He tells Isaiah that what God’s said through the prophet is good. And all the while, he is thinking of his hope that the rest of his own days will be peaceful. Once healed, he seems to forget what God had really done for him, and turned his concern toward his own well-being for the remainder of his newly-found 15 years. He is no longer as concerned with leading God’s people.

Three years into his new lease on life, Hezekiah fathers Manasseh, and when Manasseh is 12, Hezekiah dies. One would think that a 12-year-old following his father would walk likewise, but as we see often in the Old Testament, such is not always the case. We don’t have recorded conversations between this father and his son. We don’t know what they talked about, or how involved Hezekiah was in his son’s life. We do, however, see Manasseh become the worst, most godless king Judah had, as he sought to undo all his father had done in ridding the nation of idol worship. 55 years Manasseh ruled, and God could only get his attention by having the king of Babylon remove him as if he were cattle.

SO WHAT???

So, as I said, we are not privy to the 12 years spent between Hezekiah and Manasseh. We like to think we’d do much better if God gave us a specific timeline to live. Truth is, we may or may not have 15 more years ourselves. I like to think that my children pay attention to what I do, and how I show them my view of God.

Oh wait, I do. Each and every day, I show them how I feel about God. So what do they see? What have they learned by watching me? Sure, they need to make their own decisions, yet they learn each and every day different aspects to use in making those decisions.

15 years, how much would I do for God if I knew that’s what I had left? Would it change my life today?