Healing

by Bryan Craig

Day 3: Healing Has Purpose

In 2 Kings 20, we find an insightful account of healing.  King Hezekiah fell ill and was at the point of death.  The prophet Isaiah told him to get his house in order, for he would not recover and was going to die:

“Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, ‘Remember, O Lord, how I have walked before You faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in Your eyes.’  And Hezekiah wept bitterly.  Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him: ‘Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of My people, ‘This is what the Lord, 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 to the temple of the Lord.  I will add fifteen years to your life.'” 2 Kings 20:2-6

This is such an interesting story.  It shows us that God has compassion on us, and He sees our tears.  It also says that He can heal us if He chooses to do so.  It also says that physical healing is temporary.  If you have been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, you would probably take 15 years guaranteed by God.  But think about it…all the people Jesus healed…Lazarus…the bleeding woman…the Leper…the Centurion’s servant…they all eventually died.  Healing is just an extension to life.

But why?  Why does God answer our prayers and heal sometimes and other times, He seemingly does not?  Well, I’m not God, and I don’t want to make the mistake Job did of questioning the Creator of the Universe.  However, there is a little more to be learned from Hezekiah’s sickness and healing.  I was reading the beginning of Matthew, where it lists the ever-important genealogy of Jesus, and something jumped out at me.

“Hezekiah, the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah…” Matthew 1:10

Wait a minute!  Hezekiah was in the family tree that lead to Jesus.  So I quickly went back to 2 Kings 20 to see when his son, Manasseh, was born.  It says Hezekiah died when Manasseh was 12, so my suspicions were correct!  Yes, Manasseh was conceived and born during Hezekiah’s 15-year extension!  God had a major purpose left for Hezekiah’s life.  This had to be part of the reason he was allowed to live a little longer.

If God has purposes in your life yet to fulfill, He will heal you.