The Unsettled Question

 •  6 min. read  •  grade level: 5
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You may have thus been privileged. The doors opened. The Holy Spirit known and owned in the assembly. The immutable value of the precious blood known. Joy, and bowing, and worship in public. Gathered to take the Lord’s supper as it is written. Testimony in the world. Abundance of fruits. You may know the privileges and responsibilities of the porter — the parcel-carrier for Christ. You may have been preserved through long years of the siege of the city, within the exclusive walls. Great victories of faith and prayer. And yet there may be the unsettled question of Isaiah 38. “In those days [days of such victories] was Hezekiah sick unto death” (Isa. 38:11In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live. (Isaiah 38:1)). We now come to the inner experiences of the soul — a soul that has not yet learned the death of the flesh. What a sentence on the old man — “Thou shalt die, and not live” (Isa. 38:11In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live. (Isaiah 38:1)). Ah, now he says, “I beseech Thee, O Lord, remember how I have walked before Thee in truth” (Isa. 38:33And said, Remember now, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. (Isaiah 38:3)). Very sorely did Job try this, but it would not do. Neither would it do for Hezekiah; no; there he lay, with his face to the wall; and he wept sore. The Lord is very pitiful; He heard those prayers, He saw those tears, and He granted a new term of life. He also assured him of full deliverance of the city, and He gave him a remarkable sign, that the Lord will do this thing which He hath spoken. “Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun-dial of Aha, ten degrees backward” (Isa. 38:88Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down. (Isaiah 38:8)). “He restoreth my soul” (Psa. 23:33He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. (Psalm 23:3)). “If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with Me” (John 13:88Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. (John 13:8)). We speak of the sun rising, or going down; as to fact, it is the earth that has turned from the sun. So with our souls. Our constant tendency to depart from the Lord is like the diurnal motion of the earth. The Lord is ever the same, as we always find, when He restoreth our souls.
Will you read Hezekiah’s own account of his experience in learning this unsettled question? (Isa. 38:9-209The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness: 10I said in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave: I am deprived of the residue of my years. 11I said, I shall not see the Lord, even the Lord, in the land of the living: I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world. 12Mine age is departed, and is removed from me as a shepherd's tent: I have cut off like a weaver my life: he will cut me off with pining sickness: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me. 13I reckoned till morning, that, as a lion, so will he break all my bones: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me. 14Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward: O Lord, I am oppressed; undertake for me. 15What shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it: I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul. 16O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit: so wilt thou recover me, and make me to live. 17Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back. 18For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth. 19The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth. 20The Lord was ready to save me: therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the Lord. (Isaiah 38:9‑20)). His heart almost sank in despair. Is it not very striking, after such public testimony for the Lord? He says, “I shall not see the Lord, even the Lord in the land of the living” (Isa. 38:1111I said, I shall not see the Lord, even the Lord, in the land of the living: I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world. (Isaiah 38:11)). Yes, at such a time, such is the sense of the vileness of the flesh. And Satan now suggests the terrible thought, that afflictions prove that God is against us. He says, “He will cut me off with pining sickness; from day to night wilt Thou make an end of me” (Isa. 38:1212Mine age is departed, and is removed from me as a shepherd's tent: I have cut off like a weaver my life: he will cut me off with pining sickness: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me. (Isaiah 38:12)). The dreadful working of unbelief. “I reckoned till morning, that as a lion, so will He break all my bones” (Isa. 38:1313I reckoned till morning, that, as a lion, so will he break all my bones: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me. (Isaiah 38:13)). Oh, what chattering, and what mourning! “Mine eyes fail with looking upward: O Lord, I AM OPPRESSED, UNDERTAKE FOR ME” (Isa. 38:1414Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward: O Lord, I am oppressed; undertake for me. (Isaiah 38:14)). Was it not just so with Job? “I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:66Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. (Job 42:6)). Is not this the very condition of a quickened soul under law? “For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin” (Rom. 7:1414For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. (Romans 7:14)). However earnest the desire of such a soul to keep the righteous requirements of the law, yet no power. “For I know that in me (that is in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not” (Rom. 7:1818For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. (Romans 7:18)). Hezekiah says, “Behold, for peace, I had great bitterness” (Isa. 38:1717Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back. (Isaiah 38:17)). Behold, reader; until the question of the old man is settled, for peace what bitterness of soul you have had. Yes, bitter herbs indeed. You love the Lord — you long for holiness; but, oh, the bitterness, the loathsome flesh. Did I not hear you saying, Surely I must be a hypocrite. What did that deep groan say: Oh, shall I ever see the Lord? Are not all these afflictions a proof that He is against me? Oh, how I loathe, abhor myself! I am oppressed — undertake for me! Oh, wretched man that I am — no better, no better — who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
This lesson must be learned: and what is the answer? With Hezekiah it is, “What shall I say? He hath both spoken unto me, and Himself hath done it” (Isa. 38:1515What shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it: I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul. (Isaiah 38:15)). With Paul it is the eye turned from wretched self, the old man, to Christ, and then the joyful exclamation, “I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 7:2525I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. (Romans 7:25)). What a deliverance, when we learn the answer to the unsettled question, as to the old man! He hath both spoken Himself, and He hath done it. He has been fully judged for us, made sin for us. In the likeness of sinful flesh, and by a sacrifice for sin, condemned sin in the flesh. Thus we accept the death of the old man, crucified with Christ — buried with Him in death. Judicially there is the end of I. No longer I, but Christ. I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. He hath spoken it — He hath done it. There is generally a little more sobbing at the funeral of the old I. “I shall go softly all my years, in the bitterness of my soul” (Isa. 38:1515What shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it: I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul. (Isaiah 38:15)), says Hezekiah. No, not so, Hezekiah! Not so, deeply exercised soul! No, you will have higher thoughts. Sweetly now the Spirit whispers in the heart, “But Thou hast, in love to my soul, delivered it from the pit of corruption; for Thou hast cast all my sins behind Thy back” (Isa. 38:1717Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back. (Isaiah 38:17)). Yes, dear soul, it is true, quite true — rest in it. Oh, think of the love of God in delivering you from the pit of corruption. Had He left you to your wretched self — oh, the pit, the pit. Thanks be to God. Now a little further discovery for you. It is blessed to be brought to the foot of the cross — yes, to the very grave of Christ — dead and buried with Him. This is the answer in part, full answer, to the old man; death, and the grave of Christ. But do not be too sure that that is all — that you are to remain there. No; “For the grave cannot praise Thee; death cannot celebrate Thee; they that go down into the pit cannot hope for Thy truth” (Isa. 38:1818For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth. (Isaiah 38:18)). Is not this also most true? Yes, if Christ be only dead for us; and if we are only dead, and even buried with Him; all is in vain. “If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins” (1 Cor. 15:1717And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. (1 Corinthians 15:17)). “The living, the living,” exclaims Hezekiah, “he shall praise Thee, as I do this day” (Isa. 38:1919The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth. (Isaiah 38:19)). Yes, we are not only dead with Thee, Lord Jesus, but risen in Thee. “The living, the living, shall praise Thee, as I do this day.” Thus, through the death of Christ, we have passed through death into life. Old things are passed away, all things new, and all of God. What a new creation!
It is not now bitterness of soul, and doubts, and misery. Oh, no, says Hezekiah, “The Lord was ready to save me; therefore we will sing my songs all the days of our life in the house of the Lord” (Isa. 38:2020The Lord was ready to save me: therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the Lord. (Isaiah 38:20)). Oh, that is far better; yes, let us sing His praise with adoring hearts.