July 1st The Missing Piece about Hezekiah

I wrote a blog entry on Hezekiah in March 26 (Reflections on Hezekiah). The Lord has an amazing reminder for me today. In the previous entry, I had only focused on the “bad” – the one thing that Hezekiah failed in his last days. This indeed is my tendency, to focus only on the errors and mistakes and overlook the good. I missed an importance piece – his writing after his recovery. The writing speaks for my soul. May the Lord bless you through these words as well.

Isa 38:9-14
9 A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery:
10 I said, "In the prime of my life must I go through the gates of death and be robbed of the rest of my years?"
11 I said, "I will not again see the Lord, the Lord, in the land of the living; no longer will I look on mankind, or be with those who now dwell in this world.
12 Like a shepherd's tent my house has been pulled down and taken from me.
Like a weaver I have rolled up my life, and he has cut me off from the loom;
day and night you made an end of me.
13 I waited patiently till dawn, but like a lion he broke all my bones; day and night you made an end of me.
14 I cried like a swift or thrush, I moaned like a mourning dove. My eyes grew weak as I looked to the heavens. I am troubled; O Lord, come to my aid!"
15 But what can I say? 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.
16 Lord, by such things men live; and my spirit finds life in them too. You restored me to health and let me live.
17 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.
18 For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness.
19 The living, the living — they praise you, as I am doing today; fathers tell their children about your faithfulness.
20 The Lord will save me, and we will sing with stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the temple of the Lord.

Additional Reflections:
I note that verse 15 the “anguish” of my soul, the word is bitter [OT:4751 mar (mar); or (feminine) marah (maw-raw'); from OT:4843; bitter (literally or figuratively); also (as noun) bitterness, or (adverbially) bitterly:]. This “bitterness of the soul” also occurred 4 times in Job and 1 time with Hannah. Hannah, Job and Hezekiah have all tasted bitterness of the soul in their disease and suffering. The Lord allowed them to experience this bitterness of the soul and He then turned it into praise and thanksgiving.

This bitterness (marah) was the same word used in Exodus 15:23 as well. When I first began my chemotherapy, I had a blog entry (May 5th First Day of Chemotherapy) about this same word “marah” in the dessert (Exodus 15: 23). I had asked the Lord to provide the piece of wood from the tree that will make the water (chemo drug) sweet for my body to take in. I pray once again for this piece of wood from His cross that can turn everything bitterness into sweetness.

In verse 17, “suffered such anguish” is actually “marah marah” (also translated as "great bitterness.”

Dear friends, I cannot make it without your praying with me in this journey.

Surely it was for my benefit (shalom) that I “marah marah.”
Lord, I will walk humbly all my years because of this “marah” of my soul.