{"id":35846,"date":"2025-05-12T22:00:07","date_gmt":"2025-05-13T05:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/?p=35846"},"modified":"2025-05-07T20:09:28","modified_gmt":"2025-05-08T03:09:28","slug":"2-kings-20_1-21","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/2-kings-20_1-21\/","title":{"rendered":"When You\u2019re Facing A Wall, Look Up To God"},"content":{"rendered":"

2 Kings\u00a0 20:1-21 \u00a0(CLICK HERE FOR\u00a0BIBLE VERSES)<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is 2 Kings 20:1-21.\u00a0 As usual,\u00a0I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.\u00a0 See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit\u2019s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.\u00a0 Let’s go!<\/p>\n

2<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0Kings<\/em><\/strong>\u00a020<\/em><\/strong>:<\/em><\/strong>1<\/em><\/strong>-3 (NIV)\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>
\n1<\/sup>\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the\u00a0LORD\u00a0says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.”\u00a0<\/em>
\n2<\/sup>\u00a0\u00a0Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the\u00a0LORD,\u00a0<\/em>
\n3\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0“Remember, O\u00a0LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses\u00a01-3:\u00a0 Hezekiah is suffering from a life-threatening illness.\u00a0 Initially Isaiah brings a message to Hezekiah from the Lord saying that he must get ready to die.\u00a0 Turning his face to the wall, Hezekiah prays, weeps, and pleads with God for mercy.<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?\u00a0 Just as Hezekiah turned and faced a wall and then prayed, when you’re facing a wall — no matter how insurmountable it may seem — let your first instinct be to go to God in prayer.\u00a0 Pour out your heart to God.<\/p>\n

2<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0Kings<\/em><\/strong>\u00a020<\/em><\/strong>:4-7 (NIV)\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>
\n4\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the\u00a0LORD\u00a0came to him:\u00a0<\/em>
\n5\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0“Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, ‘This is what the\u00a0LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the\u00a0LORD.\u00a0<\/em>
\n6\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.'”\u00a0<\/em>
\n7\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0Then Isaiah said, “Prepare a poultice of figs.” They did so and applied it to the boil, and he recovered.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 4-7:\u00a0 The Lord hears Hezekiah’s prayer for mercy and simultaneously moves Isaiah as he is leaving the palace.\u00a0 Isaiah goes back to Hezekiah and tells him that the Lord has heard his prayer, seen his tears and will heal Hezekiah, promising to add 15 years to his life and to deliver him and Jerusalem from the Assyrians.\u00a0 Isaiah then instructs that a glob of figs be placed on Hezekiah’s body, which apparently was a common form of medical care in Hezekiah’s time.<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?\u00a0 Did Hezekiah’s prayer cause the Lord to change His mind?\u00a0 If so, then how do we reconcile this with verses like\u00a01\u00a0Samuel\u00a015:29\u00a0which says that God “does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind”?\u00a0 I believe what’s happening here is that God was possibly testing Hezekiah’s spiritual strength, even while Hezekiah was physically on his death bed.\u00a0 God’s will was always to heal Hezekiah, but He was waiting for Hezekiah to fight for that healing.\u00a0 As a result, his faith would be strengthened, the faith of the people he led would be strengthened, and God would have a stronger king and nation as a result.\u00a0\u00a0Like Hezekiah,\u00a0<\/strong>when you receive bad news, don’t be afraid to pour your heart out to God and be honest with Him about how you feel.\u00a0 It could be that God is simply using that situation to test your faith so that in the end you and those whom you influence can ultimately be strengthened and encouraged in their faith.<\/strong><\/p>\n

2<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0Kings<\/em><\/strong>\u00a020<\/em><\/strong>:8-11 (NIV)\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>
\n8\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, “What will be the sign that the\u00a0LORD\u00a0will heal me and that I will go up to the temple of the\u00a0LORD\u00a0on the third day from now?”<\/em>
\n9\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0Isaiah answered, “This is the\u00a0LORD’s sign to you that the\u00a0LORD\u00a0will do what he has promised: Shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or shall it go back ten steps?”<\/em>
\n10\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0“It is a simple matter for the shadow to go forward ten steps,” said Hezekiah. “Rather, have it go back ten steps.”\u00a0<\/em>
\n11\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0Then the prophet Isaiah called upon the\u00a0LORD, and the\u00a0LORD\u00a0made the shadow go back the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 8-11:\u00a0 Is it wrong to ask God for a sign?\u00a0 If so, then why would God honour Hezekiah’s request for a further sign from God that Hezekiah would be healed?\u00a0 Hezekiah was not the only one in the Old Testament to ask for a sign.\u00a0 Gideon did so in Judges\u00a06:17.\u00a0 Meanwhile, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and teachers of the law when they requested that Jesus perform a miraculous sign (Matthew 12:38-42).\u00a0 So what can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0God cares about\u00a0<\/strong>why\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>you ask for a sign.<\/strong>\u00a0 If your request for a sign comes from a place of cold-heartedness and unbelief, then don’t be surprised if Jesus refuses to honour your request for a sign.\u00a0 \u00a0But if your request comes from a place of faith and wanting extra assurance, then it seems that this can be a God-honouring request.\u00a0\u00a0It’s not asking for a sign that is right or wrong, but why you ask that matters.<\/strong><\/p>\n

2 Kings 20:12-18 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n12\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0At that time Merodach-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of Hezekiah’s illness.
\n13\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Hezekiah received the messengers and showed them all that was in his storehouses–the silver, the gold, the spices and the fine oil–his armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.
\n14\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked, “What did those men say, and where did they come from?” “From a distant land,” Hezekiah replied. “They came from Babylon.”
\n15\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0The prophet asked, “What did they see in your palace?” “They saw everything in my palace,” Hezekiah said. “There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them.”
\n16\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the\u00a0LORD:
\n17\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your fathers have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the\u00a0LORD.
\n18\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood, that will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”
\nOn verses 12-18:\u00a0 Hezekiah is hosting some royal messengers from Babylon and without any hesitation shows them all the treasures in his storehouse. Isaiah then tells Hezekiah that the day will come when Babylon will attack Jerusalem and carry away all those treasures, including some of his descendants.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0While it is good to be open and transparent with others, you need to exercise discretion and self-control when doing so.<\/strong>\u00a0 Before you share something that is very precious to you, consider whom you are sharing it with and how much you should be sharing.\u00a0 Is this person someone you can trust, or is this someone who will end up using what you share against you?\u00a0 Are you putting anyone at risk by sharing what you share?\u00a0 As Jesus says,\u00a0“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.” (Matthew 7:6)\u00a0 So exercise discretion, wisdom and self-control when you share about your life with others.<\/p>\n

2<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0Kings<\/em><\/strong>\u00a020<\/em><\/strong>:19-21 (NIV)\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>
\n19\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0“The word of the\u00a0LORD\u00a0you have spoken is good,” Hezekiah replied. For he thought, “Will there not be peace and security in my lifetime?”\u00a0<\/em>
\n20<\/sup>\u00a0\u00a0As for the other events of Hezekiah’s reign, all his achievements and how he made the pool and the tunnel by which he brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the annals of the\u00a0<\/em>kings\u00a0of Judah?\u00a0<\/em>
\n21\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0Hezekiah rested with his fathers. And Manasseh his son succeeded him as king.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 19-21:\u00a0 When Hezekiah receives the news from Isaiah that Babylon will eventually attack and carry his people away after Hezekiah is gone, Hezekiah responds by saying, “The word of the Lord you have spoken is good” (v19).\u00a0 What are we to make of Hezekiah’s response?\u00a0 Some scholars think Hezekiah was being self-centered and short-sighted, focusing only on his own comfort and happiness and not thinking about future generations.\u00a0 Other scholars see Hezekiah’s response as humble acceptance of God’s will as well as gratitude that God would allow there to be peace during his lifetime.<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?\u00a0 We might see the end of our lives as the end of our story, but God doesn\u2019t.\u00a0\u00a0The story that God is writing with your life extends beyond your own lifetime and encompasses all the generations that came before and will come after you<\/strong>.\u00a0 While we can\u2019t control what happens before or after our time on earth, may we live each day knowing that how we live matters and counts in God\u2019s bigger story.<\/p>\n

Father, whenever I receive bad news, may my first instinct always be to go to You and to give You my heart.\u00a0 Whenever I ask for a sign, may it always be from a place of faith and not unbelief.\u00a0 Whenever I’m inclined to share with others from my life, may I always do so with discretion, wisdom and self-control.\u00a0 And whenever I misstep, like Hezekiah may I be humble enough to repent quickly and turn back to You.\u00a0 Thank You.\u00a0 In Jesus’ name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n

copyright \u00a9 2022 Justin Lim. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is 2 Kings 20:1-21.\u00a0 As usual,\u00a0I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.\u00a0 See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit\u2019s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.\u00a0 Let’s go!\u00a0<\/p>\n

2\u00a0Kings\u00a020:1-3 (NIV)\u00a0
\n1\u00a0\u00a0In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the\u00a0LORD\u00a0says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.”\u00a0
\n2\u00a0\u00a0Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the\u00a0LORD,\u00a0
\n3\u00a0\u00a0“Remember, O\u00a0LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.<\/p>\n

On verses\u00a01-3:\u00a0 Hezekiah is suffering from a life-threatening illness.\u00a0 Initially Isaiah brings a message to Hezekiah from the Lord saying that he must get ready to die.\u00a0 Turning his face to the wall, Hezekiah prays, weeps, and pleads with God for mercy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":35848,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35846","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35846","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35846"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35846\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35849,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35846\/revisions\/35849"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35848"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35846"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35846"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35846"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}