Mortal Talk is Cheap; Isaiah 38-39

May the mumbling commence!

Since days immemorial, humanity has had a way of making talk cheap – a mere lip service.  Look closely at the case study of King Hezekiah as recorded in Isaiah.  A deadly sickness had fallen upon him, so he prayed for healing.  God answered because Hezekiah had a good track record of following the Lord.  (This story is also good warning not to rest on your laurels or listen too closely to flattery and compliments.)  When Hezekiah knew he was healed, we celebrated by creating a psalm.  Read a portion of it below:

                        He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this.

            I will walk humbly all my years

                        because of this anguish of my soul. 

            Lord, by such things men live;

                        and my spirit finds life in them too.

            You restored me to health and let me live. 

            Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish.

            In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction;

            you have put all my sins behind your back. 

            For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise;

            those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness. 

            The living, the living – they praise you, as I am doing today;

            fathers tell their children about your faithfulness. 

            The Lord will save me, and we will sing with stringed instruments

            all the days of our lives in the temple of the Lord. (Isaiah 38:15-20)

Hezekiah speaks about walking humbly.  Hezekiah talks about suffering for his own benefit.  Hezekiah claims to care about the next generation.  Wonderful things to think and say in a time of healing!  But, as with anything else, it is the follow through that matters the most.  Otherwise, mortal talk is cheap.  (I say mortal talk because the speech of the Divine One has power and worth beyond my reckoning.)  Let’s look into the next chapter of Isaiah:

            At that time Merodach-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of his illness and recovery.  Hezekiah received the envoys gladly and showed them what was in his storehouses – the silver, the gold, the spices, the fine oil, his entire armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them. 

            Then 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 to me from Babylon." 

            The 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." 

            Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the Lord Almighty:  The 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 Lord.  And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon." 

            "The word of the Lord you have spoken is good," Hezekiah replied. For he thought, "There will be peace and security in my lifetime." (Isaiah 39)

So much for a humble walk!  Hezekiah thought he would show his greatness to the visitors from Babylon.  Perhaps it was because of Hezekiah’s greatness that God healed him!  Maybe that is what Hezekiah wanted them to think. 

And, when Isaiah spoke doom to him, Hezekiah only rejoiced that he would not suffer – only his descendants.  So much for caring about the next generation!  May we both talk the talk and walk the walk.

Enough mumbling for today… 

Peace Out