Today’s scripture: Isaiah 38: 1-21 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Ciemone Easter-Rose):
Death — the single greatest inevitability of all of life. Yet it’s often the most feared and mysterious for many. It is one of the only experiences that we are all guaranteed to have. In this way, it very much seems to be a natural part of life. However, the untimely deaths of others can be a stark reminder of how short or fleeting our time on this earth can be. Whether taken by illness, drug overdose, accidental injury, suicide, or some other tragedy, people die every day, regardless of how much time they have actually spent living. Death doesn’t discriminate — it spares no one. So, when you’re confronted by death, how do you think you will respond? This is a question that I have asked myself many times, particularly in the wake of recent tragedies. Often, we don’t really know when death is coming. The fact that at any moment of the day we could pass from our lives can certainly be chilling. How you feel toward death may depend on what you believe happens when you die. Christians believe in eternal life through Christ. But not everyone ascribes to this narrative. Many people believe that death is indeed an ending — or worse. Regardless of ideology, for those who have suffered in life, death can also be viewed as a well-received respite from pain, while still others find it a rather bitter pill to swallow. That seems to be where we find Hezekiah in today’s passage.
In Isaiah 38, we learn that Hezekiah has become deathly ill. He knows death is coming — as he is told so by the prophet Isaiah. He is afforded the luxury of foresight in this regard, and is advised to get his affairs in order in preparation for his death. Though it may have been his time, Hezekiah was not yet ready to die. Thus, he implored of God through prayer to let him live, weighing his request against a measure of the good that he had done in his life and his faithfulness toward the Lord. This brings to mind for me the work of Dr. Elizabeth Kübler Ross, a psychiatrist and author of the book On Death and Dying. She developed what has become a well-known theory of the stages of death and dying: (1) denial and isolation, (2) anger, (3) bargaining, (4) depression, and (5) acceptance. Here in Hezekiah’s plea (v. 3) we see a clear demonstration of bargaining. Following this appears anger and depression as he “wept bitterly.” Further glimpses of his response are seen in the reflection that he writes after his recovery from the illness he was stricken with.
While it may have seemed bold of Hezekiah to have wagered the good deeds of his life against God’s time clock for him, apparently God agreed, as he granted him another 15 years of life. But does this mean that we too should be storing up our own bargaining chips in order to prolong our lives long as possible? I don’t think so. While we should certainly live our lives faithfully to the best of our ability, adopting such a short-sighted view would contrast with how we understand salvation today. The important thing to remember here is that this is an Old Testament story. The new covenant, which offered salvation and eternal life through Christ, had not been established at that time. That might explain why he didn’t openly embrace the prospect of his imminent death. What we now know, from the New Testament and the story of Jesus Christ, is that our physical deaths are not our endings. How we choose to receive death when our time comes is entirely up to us, but any investment that we make in this life can only ever serve us temporarily.
Thought for the day: Jesus has already done the work for your eternal salvation. It’s not a bargaining chip; it’s a gift. You don’t have to work for it; you only need to accept it, as it has been freely given to you (Romans 3:22-26).
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.