In "Those" Days

When we look back over our twenty-two years of marriage, R. and I will often remark that some of those times seem like another life and we seemed like different people.
In fact the tens years of marriage B.C. (Before Children) just hangs in our history like a distant haze.

Much of that period, I would not want to relive.  Struggles in our relationship seemed to come to a head in the mid-90's and - while it led to something of a resurrection for us - it was not a happy time.  In fact, things were downright gloomy in those days.

In revisiting those days while preparing for this post, I realized that my life and our marriage were being affected by a multitude of diverse stimuli; many I viewed as negative turned out to influence me in a positive way.

2 Kings 20 begins with the phrase, "In those days...."
I'm still hanging out with King Hezekiah in the Old Testament book of 2 Kings, as I continue my slow walk through the Bible.  After the events I discussed in two earlier posts (here and here), I arrived at chapter 20 which details the episode for which Hezekiah is most remembered: 

Hezekiah was sick and the prophet Isaiah came to see him.  Now prophets and "men of God" were not always welcomed visitors in those days... in fact, I think they were met with the same apprehension one would have had when a famous gunfighter rode into town in the old West.  Things happened when they came around.  Everything surrounding them was deliberate and definite.  This is clearly illustrated in the occasion of Isaiah's visit to the ailing King . . . Isaiah's words were not comforting; on the contrary, they were riveting!  He simply told Hezekiah to put things in order, he would die from his present sickness. . . he then turned and walked away.

Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and wept as he cried out to God for mercy.  He pointed out that he had been an advocate for righteousness and justice, and how his walk had reflected godliness.

God heard and answered.  In fact, God caught up with Isaiah before he ever left the grounds - sent him back in to pronounce that, in answer to the King's prayer, He would not only heal him; He would add 15 years to his life and deliver him from the evil Assyrians.

The sign that God granted to Hezekiah was that the shadow on the sundial actually went backward 10 degrees.  God turned back the clock.

Finis J. Dake's Commentary helped me to realize something very significant about the timing of these events and promises.  Just because this chapter follows the previous two, it doesn't mean that the events took place in that order.  In fact, if you do the math, this near-death experience and subsequent answer to prayer, took place about the same time as the escalation of the threat from the King of Assyria sited in my earlier posts.  Hezekiah reigned a total of 29 years; God added 15 years to his life following this sickness; so this had to take place around the 14th year of his administration [29 - 15 = 14] according to 2 Kings 18:13. 

To Hezekiah, the mention of those days probably brought to mind a lot of painful memories . . . after a rewarding career - he suddenly faced devastating military defeats . . .  he was humiliated now by a people he once scoffed at  . . . his nation - and his own household faced severe economic conditions . . .  and he was sick - he was dying!
Almost lost in the mix was God's promise - early on- of deliverance from the Assyrians.

In thinking about our "those days" I remembered so many influences that were coming to bear on our marriage.  I was very active in the Promisekeepers movement; R. and I went through a vibrant small group study on marriage; people would come up to R. or me - out of the blue - and say they were praying for us.

Though things seemed to be rapidly falling apart, sovereign God was working throughout the situation.  Even in the negative circumstances, He was shaping and re-shaping our thinking - changing us.

Hezekiah's story reminds us that our those days can be very oppressive and confusing, they can leave us disheartened and without hope; but God has a plan and often uses all of those factors to bring about the new day He has waiting for us..