Jump Start # 649

2 Kings 20:1 “In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.’”

Our passage today comes from the section of Biblical history where we read about the various kings of Israel and Judah. A few were righteous, most were not. Hezekiah was one of the few good kings. His father was a disaster. Hezekiah removed many of the things that his father had established, especially the worship of idols. There are several lessons from our verses of Scripture today.

First, good people become very ill and die. You’d think that God would want to  protect Hezekiah and not allow him to become deathly ill. But they do get sick and they do die. This happens to preachers, elders and a host of God’s faithful today.

Second, Hezekiah’s response shows his character. The following verse tells us that Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed. He didn’t have a meltdown. He didn’t first go and tell his family. He didn’t get angry with God. He didn’t throw the towel in on his faith. He turned to the wall and prayed to God. I expect we’d be much better off if more of us looked at our wall instead of our TVs or computer screens.

Third, his prayer didn’t beg for his life, nor try to make a deal with God. He asked God to remember how he had walked with Him. Remember. Not forgive. Not forget. Remember. Here is a faithful man facing the end of his journey and he asks God to remember.

Hezekiah wept after this. Before Isaiah left the palace God had him turn around and go back to the king. God had heard the prayer. Prayer to God  reaches God faster than any internet or cell phone ever can. God doesn’t need so many “bars” of service in order to be reached. Isaiah told the king that his prayer was heard. Hezekiah was given more years.

The one expression that truly stands out is, “set your house in order for you shall die.” Sobering words. Scary words. Words that ought to rattle a person to their core. A friend can say that, but what does he know. The doctor can even say this, but we can pray to God and God can do things that the doctor can’t. But when God says you are going to die, there is no one else above Him to appeal to. We know those words are true today. Unless the Lord returns, each of us will face what Hezekiah went through. We face death. Most of us won’t know when it will be. There will be no prophet warning us nor giving us time to get things ready. It will just happen. As the expression from a child’s game, “ready or not, here I come.” So it is with death.

What’s involved with setting your house in order? Have you thought about what you’d have to do to set your house in order? There may be a physical aspect to this. Getting rid of stuff, having insurance and a will would be part of it. For Hezekiah, it may be getting his son ready to take over the nation as the next king.

Mostly, this expression takes us to the spiritual level. Getting our house in order spiritually. Asking for forgiveness of those we have injured in life. Apologizing and mending fences that we have torn down in our life. Mostly, it brings us to God. Getting ready to meet God. For the disciple of Jesus, this is an exciting time. They have thought about this already. Back in the days when they had health and things were going well, the faithful gives thought to meeting God. Those thoughts help set the course for his day and his life. He has talked to God through out his life and now he is ready to see God. He has studied God’s word, lived by that word and walked that way. He is ready. He is eager. He knows God is good and His promises are faithful and true. He knows that he will be better off. What a great time this is for the faithful of God. Getting the house in order may include preparing those around you to continue in the same walk. Helping to fill the shoes that will be empty when you are gone.

For the man who has not given God much thought, he is now struck with sheer terror. The doctor tells him that the cancer has grown and there is little more that can be done. He knows  he will not make it. He has lived a life of work, pleasure and now. He hasn’t followed God much. The Bible has been mostly ignored throughout his life. Decisions were based upon money, self or family, never God. He has done what he felt was right. He tried to be decent, good and helpful, but he hasn’t been spiritual. Now his journey is nearly over. Now he has questions. Is there really a Heaven? What will happen when I die? What does it take to make it to Heaven? Many ideas, many theories, many wishes, but little to hold on to. Not being a man of God he doesn’t know where to turn. His friends are like him and they are little help at this time. He hasn’t connected with a church in a long time and he doesn’t know which one or what to do or say. Facing death for a man of the world is terrifying panic. How sad. It doesn’t have to be that way. He had opportunities. He has a Bible. He just never gave those things much thought.

Set your house in order—sobering thoughts, yet good thoughts because they can lead a person to the positive changes that he needs to be right with the Lord.

Every day we make a choice to invite, include and have God in our day or we can shut Him out. Imagine inviting God to the dinner table. Not to eat, but to join the conversations. Imagine having God sitting with you on the couch watching TV. Would have change what you watched. Imagine God walking into the meeting with you. Would that affect how your attitude would be and set the tone for how you conducted yourself. Inviting God into your day, that’s a powerful way to live. It brings the life and awareness to your spiritual side. It takes you to the Bible and drops you to your knees in prayer. You are spiritual. Don’t ignore it nor fight it.

Set your house in order…words to live by. Words to die by. Words that make a difference. We are one day closer to Heaven.

Roger