saying, "Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and with wholehearted devotion; I have done what was good in Your sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly. and saidThis phrase introduces the prayer of King Hezekiah, a significant moment of personal supplication. The Hebrew word for "said" is "אָמַר" (amar), which is often used to denote not just speaking, but a heartfelt expression. In this context, it underscores the sincerity and urgency of Hezekiah's plea to God, setting the tone for a deeply personal and earnest prayer. Please, O LORD
The use of "Please" (Hebrew: "אָנָּא", 'anna') indicates a humble request, a plea for divine attention and intervention. "O LORD" refers to "Yahweh," the covenant name of God, emphasizing a personal relationship. Hezekiah's invocation of God's name reflects his reliance on the covenant promises and his understanding of God's sovereignty and mercy. remember
The Hebrew word "זָכַר" (zakar) means to recall or bring to mind. Hezekiah is not suggesting that God forgets, but rather he is appealing to God's covenant faithfulness. This request for remembrance is a call for God to act in accordance with His promises and past mercies, a common theme in Hebrew prayers. how I have walked before You
"Walked" (Hebrew: "הָלַךְ", halak) is a metaphor for living one's life. To "walk before" God implies living in His presence, with an awareness of His constant oversight. This phrase suggests a life lived in conscious obedience and accountability to God, reflecting a deep commitment to His ways. faithfully
The Hebrew word "אֱמֶת" (emeth) is often translated as "truth" or "faithfulness." It conveys a sense of reliability and steadfastness. Hezekiah is asserting that his life has been characterized by a consistent and unwavering commitment to God's truth, a claim that underscores his integrity and devotion. and with wholehearted devotion
"Wholehearted devotion" (Hebrew: "בְּלֵבָב שָׁלֵם", belevav shalem) literally means "with a whole heart." This phrase emphasizes sincerity and completeness in one's dedication to God. It suggests that Hezekiah's service to God was not half-hearted or divided, but fully committed and sincere. I have done what is good in Your sight
This statement reflects Hezekiah's confidence in his righteous actions. "Good" (Hebrew: "טוֹב", tov) refers to actions that are morally right and pleasing to God. "In Your sight" indicates an awareness that God is the ultimate judge of human actions. Hezekiah's claim is not of self-righteousness but an appeal to God's recognition of his efforts to live according to divine standards. And Hezekiah wept bitterly
The phrase "wept bitterly" (Hebrew: "בְּכִי גָדוֹל", bechi gadol) conveys intense emotion and distress. This reaction reveals the depth of Hezekiah's anguish and desperation. His tears are a physical manifestation of his heartfelt plea, reflecting both his human vulnerability and his trust in God's compassion and power to save. Persons / Places / Events 1. HezekiahThe king of Judah who is known for his faithfulness to God and his efforts to restore proper worship in the temple. He is the central figure in this passage, pleading with God for his life. 2. The LORD (Yahweh)The covenant God of Israel, to whom Hezekiah directs his prayer. He is the one who holds the power over life and death. 3. Isaiah the ProphetAlthough not directly mentioned in this verse, Isaiah plays a crucial role in the surrounding account as the prophet who delivers God's messages to Hezekiah. 4. JerusalemThe capital city of Judah, where Hezekiah reigned and where this event takes place. 5. The Event of Hezekiah's IllnessThis passage occurs during a critical moment when Hezekiah is gravely ill and has been told by Isaiah that he will not recover. Teaching Points Faithfulness in Relationship with GodHezekiah's prayer highlights the importance of living a life of faithfulness and devotion to God. Reflect on your own walk with God and consider areas where you can deepen your commitment. The Power of Earnest PrayerHezekiah's heartfelt prayer demonstrates the power of sincere and earnest communication with God. In times of distress, turn to God with honesty and vulnerability. God's Sovereignty and CompassionThis passage reminds us of God's sovereignty over life and death, as well as His compassion in responding to the prayers of His people. Trust in God's perfect will and timing in your life. The Role of Remembrance in PrayerHezekiah asks God to remember his faithfulness. Consider how recalling God's past faithfulness and your own walk with Him can strengthen your prayers. The Importance of HumilityHezekiah's weeping shows his humility before God. Approach God with a humble heart, acknowledging your dependence on Him. Bible Study Questions 1. How does Hezekiah's prayer in Isaiah 38:3 reflect his relationship with God, and what can we learn from it about our own prayer life? 2. In what ways does Hezekiah's plea for God to "remember" relate to other biblical instances where individuals remind God of His promises or their faithfulness? 3. How does the account of Hezekiah's illness and recovery in 2 Kings 20:1-11 enhance our understanding of Isaiah 38:3? 4. What role does humility play in Hezekiah's prayer, and how can we cultivate a similar attitude in our own spiritual lives? 5. How can the themes of faithfulness and devotion in Isaiah 38:3 be applied to modern-day challenges and decisions we face as Christians? Connections to Other Scriptures 2 Kings 20:1-11This passage provides a parallel account of Hezekiah's illness and prayer, offering additional details about the events and God's response. 2 Chronicles 32:24-26This scripture highlights Hezekiah's pride and subsequent humility, providing context for his plea to God. Psalm 26:3This verse echoes the theme of walking faithfully before God, similar to Hezekiah's claim in his prayer. James 5:16This New Testament verse emphasizes the power of a righteous person's prayer, which is exemplified by Hezekiah's earnest plea. People Ahaz, Amoz, David, Hezekiah, IsaiahPlaces AssyriaTopics TRUE, Beg, Beseech, Bitter, Bitterly, Devotion, Faithfully, Faithfulness, Habitually, Heart, Hezekiah, Hezeki'ah, Mind, O, Perfect, Remember, Sight, Sore, Truth, Walked, Weepeth, Weeping, Wept, WholeheartedDictionary of Bible Themes Isaiah 38:3 8253 faithfulness, examples
8304 loyalty Isaiah 38:1-5 1120 God, repentance of
5298 doctors Isaiah 38:1-6 8614 prayer, answers Isaiah 38:1-8 5333 healing Isaiah 38:1-10 8610 prayer, asking God Isaiah 38:2-3 5945 self-pity Library The Life of the Spirit
(First Sunday after Christmas.) Isaiah xxxviii. 16. O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit. These words are the words of Hezekiah, king of Judah; and they are true words, words from God. But, if they are true words, they are true words for every one--for you and me, for every one here in this church this day: for they do not say, By these things certain men live, one man here and another man there; but all men. Whosoever is really alive, that is, has …
Charles Kingsley—Town and Country SermonsNo Man Cometh to the Father but by Me.
This being added for further confirmation of what was formerly said, will point out unto us several necessary truths, as, I. That it is most necessary to be sound and clear in this fundamental point of coming to God only in and through Christ. For, 1. It is the whole marrow of the gospel. 2. It is the hinge of our salvation, Christ is "the chief corner stone," Isa. xxxviii. 16. 1 Pet. i. 5, 6; and, 3. The only ground of all our solid and true peace and comfort. 4 An error or a mistake here, is most …
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life Epistle ii. To Anastasius, Bishop of Antioch.
To Anastasius, Bishop of Antioch. Gregory to Anastasius, Patriarch of Antioch. I have received the letters of your most sweet Blessedness, which flowed with tears for words. For I saw in them a cloud flying aloft as clouds do; but, though it carried with it a darkness of sorrow, I could not easily discover at its commencement whence it came or whither it was going, since by reason of the darkness I speak of I did not fully understand its origin. Yet it becomes you, most holy ones, ever to recall …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great Sign Seekers, and the Enthusiast Reproved.
(Galilee on the Same Day as the Last Section.) ^A Matt. XII. 38-45; ^C Luke XI. 24-36. ^c 29 And when the multitudes were gathering together unto him, ^a 38 Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, Teacher, we would see a sign from thee. [Having been severely rebuked by Jesus, it is likely that the scribes and Pharisees asked for a sign that they might appear to the multitude more fair-minded and open to conviction than Jesus had represented them to be. Jesus had just wrought …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Letter Xliv Concerning the Maccabees but to whom Written is Unknown.
Concerning the Maccabees But to Whom Written is Unknown. [69] He relies to the question why the Church has decreed a festival to the Maccabees alone of all the righteous under the ancient law. 1. Fulk, Abbot of Epernay, had already written to ask me the same question as your charity has addressed to your humble servant by Brother Hescelin. I have put off replying to him, being desirous to find, if possible, some statement in the Fathers about this which was asked, which I might send to him, rather …
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners:
A BRIEF AND FAITHFUL RELATION OF THE EXCEEDING MERCY OF GOD IN CHRIST TO HIS POOR SERVANT, JOHN BUNYAN; WHEREIN IS PARTICULARLY SHOWED THE MANNER OF HIS CONVERSION, HIS SIGHT AND TROUBLE FOR SIN, HIS DREADFUL TEMPTATIONS, ALSO HOW HE DESPAIRED OF GOD'S MERCY, AND HOW THE LORD AT LENGTH THROUGH CHRIST DID DELIVER HIM FROM ALL THE GUILT AND TERROR THAT LAY UPON HIM. Whereunto is added a brief relation of his call to the work of the ministry, of his temptations therein, as also what he hath met with …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 Meditations for the Sick.
Whilst thy sickness remains, use often, for thy comfort, these few meditations, taken from the ends wherefore God sendeth afflictions to his children. Those are ten. 1. That by afflictions God may not only correct our sins past, but also work in us a deeper loathing of our natural corruptions, and so prevent us from falling into many other sins, which otherwise we would commit; like a good father, who suffers his tender babe to scorch his finger in a candle, that he may the rather learn to beware …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety Assurance
Q-xxxvi: WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS WHICH FLOW FROM SANCTIFICATION? A: Assurance of God's love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end. The first benefit flowing from sanctification is assurance of God's love. 'Give diligence to make your calling and election sure.' 2 Pet 1:10. Sanctification is the seed, assurance is the flower which grows out of it: assurance is a consequent of sanctification. The saints of old had it. We know that we know …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity The Power of God
The next attribute is God's power. Job 9:19. If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong.' In this chapter is a magnificent description of God's power. Lo, he is strong.' The Hebrew word for strong signifies a conquering, prevailing strength. He is strong.' The superlative degree is intended here; viz., He is most strong. He is called El-shaddai, God almighty. Gen 17:7. His almightiness lies in this, that he can do whatever is feasible. Divines distinguish between authority and power. God has both. …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity I Will Pray with the Spirit and with the Understanding Also-
OR, A DISCOURSE TOUCHING PRAYER; WHEREIN IS BRIEFLY DISCOVERED, 1. WHAT PRAYER IS. 2. WHAT IT IS TO PRAY WITH THE SPIRIT. 3. WHAT IT IS TO PRAY WITH THE SPIRIT AND WITH THE UNDERSTANDING ALSO. WRITTEN IN PRISON, 1662. PUBLISHED, 1663. "For we know not what we should pray for as we ought:--the Spirit--helpeth our infirmities" (Rom 8:26). ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. There is no subject of more solemn importance to human happiness than prayer. It is the only medium of intercourse with heaven. "It is …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 Isaiah
CHAPTERS I-XXXIX Isaiah is the most regal of the prophets. His words and thoughts are those of a man whose eyes had seen the King, vi. 5. The times in which he lived were big with political problems, which he met as a statesman who saw the large meaning of events, and as a prophet who read a divine purpose in history. Unlike his younger contemporary Micah, he was, in all probability, an aristocrat; and during his long ministry (740-701 B.C., possibly, but not probably later) he bore testimony, as …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Isaiah 38:3 NIVIsaiah 38:3 NLTIsaiah 38:3 ESVIsaiah 38:3 NASBIsaiah 38:3 KJV
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