1 00:00:02,730 --> 00:00:06,730 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,790 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at BibleStudyHeadquarters.com. You're listening 3 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:17,540 Speaker 1: to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible. I'm John Stonge 4 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:22,680 Speaker 1: and today we're in Isaiah chapter 38 and we'll be 5 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:29,140 Speaker 1: reading from the English Standard Version. In those days Hezekiah 6 00:00:29,180 --> 00:00:32,589 Speaker 1: became sick and was at the point of death. And 7 00:00:32,659 --> 00:00:35,490 Speaker 1: Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, came to him 8 00:00:35,690 --> 00:00:39,470 Speaker 1: and said to him, Thus says the Lord, Set your 9 00:00:39,510 --> 00:00:43,430 Speaker 1: house in order, for you shall die. You shall not recover. 10 00:00:44,370 --> 00:00:47,410 Speaker 1: Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed 11 00:00:47,450 --> 00:00:51,540 Speaker 1: to the Lord, and said, Please, O Lord, remember how 12 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 1: I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a 13 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:58,279 Speaker 1: whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight. 14 00:00:58,940 --> 00:01:02,730 Speaker 1: And Hezekiah wept bitterly. Then the word of the Lord 15 00:01:02,790 --> 00:01:07,050 Speaker 1: came to Isaiah, Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says 16 00:01:07,150 --> 00:01:10,750 Speaker 1: the Lord, the God of David, your father, I have 17 00:01:10,810 --> 00:01:15,230 Speaker 1: heard your prayer, I have seen your tears. Behold, I 18 00:01:15,270 --> 00:01:18,930 Speaker 1: will add fifteen years to your life. I will deliver 19 00:01:18,990 --> 00:01:21,250 Speaker 1: you and this city out of the hand of the 20 00:01:21,300 --> 00:01:25,520 Speaker 1: king of Assyria, and will defend this city. This shall 21 00:01:25,580 --> 00:01:27,740 Speaker 1: be the sign to you from the Lord that the 22 00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:31,400 Speaker 1: Lord will do this thing that he has promised. Behold, 23 00:01:32,050 --> 00:01:35,369 Speaker 1: I will make the shadow cast by the declining sun 24 00:01:35,530 --> 00:01:40,910 Speaker 1: on the dial of Ahaz turn back ten steps. So 25 00:01:40,950 --> 00:01:43,890 Speaker 1: the sun turned back on the dial the ten steps 26 00:01:43,990 --> 00:01:48,420 Speaker 1: by which it had declined. A writing of Hezekiah king 27 00:01:48,460 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 1: of Judah after he had been sick and had recovered 28 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:55,280 Speaker 1: from his sickness. I said, In the middle of my 29 00:01:55,360 --> 00:01:59,280 Speaker 1: days I must depart. I am consigned to the gates 30 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:02,830 Speaker 1: of Sheol for the rest of my years. I said, 31 00:02:03,210 --> 00:02:05,850 Speaker 1: I shall not see the Lord, the Lord in the 32 00:02:05,890 --> 00:02:09,240 Speaker 1: land of the living. I shall look on man no 33 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:13,260 Speaker 1: more among the inhabitants of the world. My dwelling is 34 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 1: plucked up and removed from me like a shepherd's tent, 35 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:20,700 Speaker 1: like a weaver I have rolled up my life. He 36 00:02:20,780 --> 00:02:24,290 Speaker 1: cuts me off from the loom. From day to night 37 00:02:24,410 --> 00:02:28,669 Speaker 1: you bring me to an end. I calmed myself until morning, 38 00:02:29,169 --> 00:02:33,000 Speaker 1: like a lion he breaks all my bones. From day 39 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:36,440 Speaker 1: to night you bring me to an end. Like a 40 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:41,270 Speaker 1: swallow or a crane I chirp. I moan like a dove. 41 00:02:41,970 --> 00:02:46,010 Speaker 1: My eyes are weary with looking upward. O LORD, I 42 00:02:46,150 --> 00:02:51,130 Speaker 1: am oppressed. Be my pledge of safety. What shall I say? 43 00:02:51,610 --> 00:02:54,290 Speaker 1: For he has spoken to me, and he himself has 44 00:02:54,350 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 1: done it. I walk slowly all my years because of 45 00:02:58,220 --> 00:03:02,750 Speaker 1: the bitterness of my soul. O LORD, By these things 46 00:03:02,850 --> 00:03:05,930 Speaker 1: men live, and in all these is the life of 47 00:03:06,010 --> 00:03:12,850 Speaker 1: my spirit. O restore me to health and make me live. Behold, 48 00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:15,960 Speaker 1: it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness, 49 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:19,140 Speaker 1: but in love you have delivered my life from the 50 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:23,000 Speaker 1: pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins 51 00:03:23,100 --> 00:03:27,110 Speaker 1: behind your back. For Sheol does not thank you, death 52 00:03:27,190 --> 00:03:29,930 Speaker 1: does not praise you, Those who go down to the 53 00:03:29,990 --> 00:03:34,010 Speaker 1: pit do not hope for your faithfulness. The living, the living, 54 00:03:34,110 --> 00:03:38,270 Speaker 1: he thanks you, as I do this day. The Father 55 00:03:38,330 --> 00:03:43,040 Speaker 1: makes known to the children your faithfulness. The Lord will 56 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:46,240 Speaker 1: save me, and we will play my music on stringed 57 00:03:46,300 --> 00:03:49,560 Speaker 1: instruments all the days of our lives at the house 58 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:54,500 Speaker 1: of the Lord. Now Isaiah had said, Let them take 59 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:57,150 Speaker 1: a cake of figs and apply it to the boil 60 00:03:57,190 --> 00:04:01,400 Speaker 1: that he may recover. Hezekiah also had said, what is 61 00:04:01,460 --> 00:04:04,280 Speaker 1: the sign that I shall go up to the house 62 00:04:04,630 --> 00:04:10,630 Speaker 1: of the Lord? Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for 63 00:04:10,650 --> 00:04:12,930 Speaker 1: your word and we thank you for the privilege of 64 00:04:12,970 --> 00:04:15,910 Speaker 1: being able to read this portion of scripture today and 65 00:04:15,970 --> 00:04:19,180 Speaker 1: to meditate on its content. And Lord, there's a variety 66 00:04:19,220 --> 00:04:21,580 Speaker 1: of things that we see here. We see you choosing 67 00:04:21,620 --> 00:04:26,229 Speaker 1: to answer prayer, We also see, as Hezekiah proclaims, that 68 00:04:26,260 --> 00:04:29,869 Speaker 1: you take our sins and you cast them behind your back. 69 00:04:30,670 --> 00:04:33,230 Speaker 1: And this descriptor that he was using of what you 70 00:04:33,270 --> 00:04:36,950 Speaker 1: do with our sin, we find fulfilled in your son, 71 00:04:37,070 --> 00:04:40,410 Speaker 1: Jesus Christ, who took our sin upon himself so that 72 00:04:40,450 --> 00:04:44,150 Speaker 1: we could be declared righteous through faith in him. So 73 00:04:44,190 --> 00:04:46,640 Speaker 1: we're grateful, Lord, for this reality. Thank you for what 74 00:04:46,660 --> 00:04:49,880 Speaker 1: you've accomplished in our lives through your son, And we 75 00:04:49,940 --> 00:04:51,820 Speaker 1: pray that by your grace that you'd help us to 76 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:55,930 Speaker 1: walk with you faithfully today and every day. We love you, Lord, 77 00:04:55,950 --> 00:04:58,070 Speaker 1: and we commit this day to your care. And we 78 00:04:58,130 --> 00:05:01,380 Speaker 1: pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.