Closer Day By Day

The main king we are reading about today is Hezekiah.  While we have read about him already in our readings of Isaiah and Kings, I feel that his life serves as a great example and warning in our life of faith.  What do I mean?

Let’s read first and find out together…

Bible Passage:  2 Chronicles 29-32

It was only this month that I discovered that in our church, we have so many October babies - from young children to our evergreen members! I thank God for the blessing that these members bring to the church and those around them.

Oh… by the way… if you are an October baby and I did not wish you… here’s wishing you a “Happy Blessed Birthday!”

But as I think of them on the last day of October, I also realised that what is important is not their ages, but whether they “Start Right! Stay Right! End Right!”

Starting Right

We often hear the saying “Like Father Like Son”.  And this seems to be very true for most of the kings that we have read so far.  However, in Hezekiah’s case, it was different.

Last week, we read that his father, Ahaz had shut down the Temple and even stooped to the idolatrous practice of burning his sons in pagan worship!  But when Hezekiah came to the throne, “he did what was right in the sight of the Lord…” (2 Chron 29:2).

Hezekiah started off right.  In the 1st year 1st month, he opened up the doors of the temple.  He gathered the Levites together to prepare them to serve in the temples once again.  Early in the morning, he gathered the city officials and went to the temple of the Lord.

He made a covenant with God.  They consecrated themselves and cleansed the temple.  And when all was done, Hezekiah led the people of Judah and invited the people of Israel to celebrate their renewal of true worship with the Lord God once again.

And the result of this was that the people went back and destroyed the idols in their lands (2 Chron 31:1) and restarted their offerings and contributions for the Levites and priests (2 Chron 31:4-5).

There is a wonderful passage that describes the reasons why this restoration in the faith of Judah took place…

Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and true before the LORD his God.  And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered.

2 Chron 31:20-21

Did you take note of the passage said?

“He did what was good and right and true before the Lord his God…”

Not only this… when Hezekiah began to serve God, he was determined to seek God with “all of his heart“.

It is a very good reminder for me today.

Hezekiah started right off right.  His heart was right.  His motive was right. His goal was right.

What about us?

Many a times we say we want to serve God.  We want to start right and do things for God. We have grand plans to do much.

But… somehow we never got started.  Or even if we started, we find that things do not work out the way we imagine.  Our service and results just does not seem right.

Let us use Hezekiah as a model to start off in our life of service the right way… and you can see the result of it all was that “he prospered”.

Staying Right

In wanting to serve God and staying true to Him, it is inevitable that our life will be challenged by trials and temptations.

Crunch time!  Exam time!

Whatever you call it… our faith will be challenged.  Even more so when we want to live a life of service and truth.

Hezekiah faced the threat of Sennacherib, king of Assyria who came an invaded Judah (2 Chron 32:1).

What Hezekiah did in the face of his enemy is instructive …

At the prospect of facing a huge and fearsome army, Hezekiah did not just tremble and wail and cry.

First, he prepared his city to face the enemy.  He got his people involved against the common threat and everyone knew what needed to be done (2 Chron 32:2-5).

Next, he encouraged them to be strong in the Lord.  And the people gained confidence from what he said (2 Chron 32:6-8).

Lastly, together with the other religious leaders, they cried out to the Lord in prayer and the Lord heard them and annihilated all the Assyrian army! (2 Chron 32:20-22).

To stay right in our life of faith, we need to work at it.

We need to prepare ourselves.  And we all know this already but it has to be said because we often neglect these things in our daily lives - prayer, bible reading and studying, spiritual nurture.

It is very easy for us to take the easy way out every day, citing our busyness and our tiredness to not spend time doing what we already know what we ought to do.

I admit I am a culprit.  :(  Something to work towards…

We need to encourage one another.  Our journey as a Christian is not meant to be traveled alone.  That is why we have a church with our fellow brethren around.

Some have lamented that when we church brethren gather together, we hardly talk about spiritual things or church matters.  Instead, we talk about everything except God’s things.

When I reflect upon myself, I realize that while this may not be 100% true, there are some elements of truth in it.

I must learn to use the Words of God to encourage more.  I must share the experiences and blessings and lessons I receive from God so that others can be encouraged by it.  And I hope you will also start doing the same… cause only in this way, can we help one another in our life of faith.

We need to pray more.  Sigh… another thing I know but I do not do enough.  Flesh is weak.  No time.  Excuses, excuses!  No more!

It is an endless battle to stay right.

If you also read the recordings of Hezekiah in Kings and Isaiah, you will find some key words in the life of Hezekiah.  He…

• trusted in the Lord
• held fast to the Lord
• did not cease to follow Him
• kept the commands of the Lord
• sought his God
• worked wholeheartedly

And in Isaiah 37:21, God said… “because you have prayed to me…. I Will…”

That’s what we also need to do to Stay Right!

Ending Right

You would have thought that with a great start and exhibitions of strong faith thereafter would lead us to a triumphant conclusion to the life of Hezekiah.

But this was not so.

2 Chronicles briefly describes his latter years and they are not flattering.

2 Chron 32:25 tells us that Hezekiah’s heart was proud and did not respond to the kindness that was shown on him.

In verse 31, God left him to test him to know everything that was in his heart… and he failed miserably.

This is a strong warning for me.

If I were Hezekiah, I would have never seen it coming.  How could I possibly be someone who did not end right?  After all, I did so many things for God and His people - I turned the nation back to worshipping God… I restored their faith… I got the people to tear down the idols… I prayed and God heard my prayers so that we are saved from the enemies… I… I… I…

Hmmm… that seems to be the problem isn’t it?

I.

I.

I.

Always “I”.

With much success comes pride.  With much prosperity comes arrogance.

What are you doing to make sure you end right?

More importantly, what am I doing to make sure I end right?

A Christian’s life is not a 100m sprint but a marathon.  We know that.  And we also know the words of Paul in 2 Tim 4:7 very well…

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Knowing and doing.

The choice is pretty much up to us isn’t it?

May the good Lord help us and have mercy on us so that we can start right, stay right and most importantly, end right.