Jump Start # 2395

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.”

There are many fascinating lessons that come from our verse today. One is so obvious, but it is often overlooked. Hezekiah was sick. He was very sick. He was mortally ill, which means he was going to die. When one is that ill, they are most likely in bed and too weak to do anything. I expect he had family or servants giving him sips of water and wiping his forehead. The prophet comes. The prophet has a message from God. We see that. Great lesson. What we sometimes overlook is that God, through inspiration of the Holy Spirit has allowed you and I to be in that bedroom and to hear what was said. Through inspiration we are allowed to eavesdrop. This happens over and over and over in the Bible. Private conversations are revealed, recorded and we are allowed to lean into those conversations and learn so much. Jesus’ temptation by Satan, was a private matter. But we learn what was said. The serpent talking to Eve was a private matter, but we are allowed to be there through inspiration. Philip talking to the Ethiopian, yet another example.

Other than the Lord, most of those people had no idea what they said would be written down, studied, quoted, preached and read hundreds and even thousands of years later. Here is what got me thinking about this. I received a hand written letter the other day. It was not written to me, but to someone in Oregon. It was written by a famous Indiana preacher in 1861. The letter not only tells of the hype surrounding the start of the Civil War, but it mentions the town that I now preach in. This letter has been saved for more than 150 years. And, the man who wrote this letter probably had no idea that someone else, that being me, would frame it and put it on his office wall. He probably thought the letter would be read and tossed away.

We don’t write many letters any more. Texts aren’t saved and most emails are read then deleted. But all of this got me to thinking, what if the Holy Spirit took some of our conversations and left them for others to know, read and use long after we are gone. I wonder how we’d feel about that. Now, that won’t happen, but it sure makes a person think.

There are two great lessons that come out of our verse today.

First, sick Hezekiah was told to get his house in order. God said he was going to die. When God says that, there is no one higher that you can appeal to. No one is above God. If a doctor said we were going to die, we could still pray. God is greater than doctors. But when God says you are going to die, that’s it.

Getting your house in order—what a great expression. I don’t think the Lord meant, clean house, put away stuff, pick your clothes up off the floor, put away the dishes and toss some of that junk. Those things make a house look neat and tidy, but the house God had in mind was Hezekiah’s heart. No one could do that except Hezekiah. Each of us can only get our own house or hearts in order. What God is saying, is that you are about to die, are you ready? Are you ready to meet Me?

You and I don’t have prophets telling us that we are soon to die. Each day could be our last day. So, we need to live with clean hearts and houses that are in order. Have we been putting off forgiving someone? Why? Get your house in order. Is there someone that you intend to talk to about Jesus? What haven’t you? Get your house in order. Have you been hiding in sin and you know there are things that are not right spiritually in you? What are you waiting for? Get your house in order.

If you do this, first, you won’t worry about death. Bring it on, because your love and God’s grace will carry you through. Second, you’ll be living the best that you can. Don’t spend another night with pigs like the prodigal did or in the belly of a fish, like Jonah did. Your best is when you are walking with the Lord.

Second, as soon as Isaiah left, Hezekiah turned to the wall and prayed. I expect he prayed like he never has before. He didn’t get angry. He didn’t grab the booze. He didn’t point fingers at God. He didn’t run to his family. He turned to the wall and prayed. I expect you and I would be a lot better off if we looked at the wall more in prayer and less at TV or our cell phones.

He prayed and God heard him. Before Isaiah left the palace, God told him to turn around and go back and see the king. It is amazing how fast all of that took place. Words up to Heaven and a message back to the prophet. God can move fast. Prayers can be answered in an instant. God not only heard the prayers, but the text tells us that he saw the tears of Hezekiah. God knows. God sees. There are tears on our pillows at night. We try to keep them from being seen, but God sees them. There are people who have hurt us. God knows. There are broken hearts because of grief and sorrow. God knows. There are times we are scared. God knows. He sees. He sees the tears and He hears the prayers. Even in the darkest moments, of one who is facing the doorway of death, God is there.

Hezekiah was granted more years to live. Some of his choices after this weren’t the best. It seems his house got out of order and he forgot the great God who answered his prayers. We too can be like that. In a crisis, around the hospital bed, in the funeral home, we can pray great prayers. God hears. But after the crisis passes, and we return to life, we can put God on the back burner. What a shame that is.

As I was looking at that 150 year old letter today, I wondered if someone would read one of these Jump Starts 150 years later?

Roger

Jump Start # 1717

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.’’”

We continue with our series, “Whispers of Eternity.” Throughout the Scriptures we find a continual reference to the fact that our bodies are mortal and will die but our souls live on. Death is not the end to us. There is no “The End,” to our story.

The world looks differently at the subject of death than God does. Those who don’t walk with God fear death. They don’t want to talk about it. Death is cool on the movie screen. Video games have us blasting bad guys without any thought. Crime shows begin with someone being killed. Death can seem glamorous and even fascinating as Hollywood presents it. But when death comes to our home, to someone that we know and love, all the coolness suddenly disappears. The world will use words to describe death such as tragic, gone, lost, over, even expressions such as buying the farm or kicking the bucket. For the righteous, the Bible uses words such as gain, blessing, precious—to describe the death of God’s people. Different outlook. Different attitude. All of this based upon whether someone believes that this is it or if we live on after death.

Our verse today shows the reaction that a king had when he was told that he was going to die. The king is Hezekiah. He was very ill. God sent Isaiah to confirm what the king may have thought, he was going to die. God told him to “Set your house in order.” What follows tells us much about the character of Hezekiah. That statement from God could well be sent to us. We need to set our house in order because we are going to die. For Hezekiah, it’s was very soon. For us, it may be years or even decades out, but it will still happen. Given the news that Hezekiah received, I wonder what our reaction, my reaction, would be. Would I be angry with God? Would I feel cheated? Would I try to squeeze in all the last minute fun that I could? Would I turn my back on God and go out in sin? Would I gather my family together? Set your house in order.

That’s a great statement. That line makes a great sermon. There are several applications that could be made.

• There are some congregations that need to set things in order. They are simply out of order
• There is a physical side to setting your house in order—the finances, the important papers, telling others how things operate at work or even at home
• There is the emotional side to setting your house in order—there are things that you needed to say to others but you never have. Maybe you have been too proud to apologize. Set your house in order. Maybe you have had a hard time saying, “I love you,” to those dear to your heart. Set your house in order. Maybe you have never thanked those who made a difference in your life and gave you a chance when you were young and starting out. Set your house in order.
• There is the spiritual side to this. Set your house in order spiritually. First, begin with yourself. Are you obedient to Christ? Are you serious about your faith in the Lord? What about others in your family? Have you talked with them about their souls? Have you sat down and opened up the Bible and had a one-on-one discussion with them about what God says? Are you ready to meet God?

Hezekiah turned to the wall and prayed. He didn’t ask God to forgive him. He didn’t ask God to live longer. He didn’t ask God to give him a second chance. His prayer said, “Remember now, O Lord, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart and have done what is good in Your sight.” That’s it. Simply Remember. Remember what I have done. Hezekiah didn’t “find” God in his last few days. He had been with God all along. He had walked with God. He had been close to God. Then Hezekiah cried. He wept greatly.

Before Isaiah left the palace compound, God summoned him back to Hezekiah. The prayer was heard. God said, “I have seen your tears.” God granted Hezekiah an additional 15 years. He didn’t use those additional years wisely. From our side of things, it seems that he should have just died.

There is a setting things in order that needs to be the center of our lives. We have a tendency to get our “order” out of order. Priorities get mixed up. We forget what the big picture is. We worry about things that do not matter. We get overwhelmed with minor details of nothingness that we live out of order.

What does out of order look like?

It looks like the person who ignores the subject of death and believes if he never thinks about it, it won’t happen. It will.

It looks like the person who lives only to himself. He doesn’t think of others, their feelings or the consequences of what he is doing. His order is out of order.

It looks like the person who lives as if this is it. He never thinks spiritual. He never prays. He never talks spiritual. He never considers the spiritual. It’s all now. It’s all here. It’s all material. This thinking has made him selfish, materialistic, proud, and closed minded. He avoids all things religious and spiritual. Once in a while, you will see such a person at a funeral. My, oh, my, they are uncomfortable. They don’t want to think about death and there it is. Here comes the preacher with a Bible, a lesson and prayers. They can’t wait to get out of that place and push those thoughts out of their mind. They ignore Solomon’s wisdom about it being good to go to the house of mourning. They do not take it to heart.

It looks like a person who is terrified of dying. They will do everything possible to keep going. They will push for surgeries and treatments in advanced ages in life because “this is it.” This is all that they have. They fear death.

It looks like a person who thinks he has all the answers but he really doesn’t. He is so out of order that he doesn’t even realize it.

Out of order. When an elevator is out of order, you have to take the stairs. When our lives are out of order, it would do well to climb the steps toward Heaven. For the righteous, who is living a life that is in order, it looks just the opposite of all those points above. He is humble and trusting God. He doesn’t fear death. He knows what will happen and why. He is spiritual. He is sharing. He believes in the Lord.

Set your house in order. One of my children just moved. His new house is out of order with boxes and unpacking. We get that. How about the person who lives spiritually out of order? He doesn’t unpack the baggage that is weighing him down. He doesn’t set things in order. He simply goes through another day. Someday, he will run out of days and then he will find out that he missed the most important things in life.

Set your house in order. Are you worshipping God often? Are you worshipping God the way He wants to be worshipped? Do you think about the eternal? Is God’s word a part of your daily schedule? Is there anything for God to remember in your life? Have you given Him anything worthwhile to remember?

Get your order in order…

Roger

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