{"id":1298,"date":"2025-04-06T21:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-06T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/goodchristadelphiantalks.com\/index.php\/podcast\/342-roger-lewis-the-writing-and-the-psalter\/"},"modified":"2026-07-28T09:59:26","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T09:59:26","slug":"342-roger-lewis-the-writing-and-the-psalter","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/goodchristadelphiantalks.com\/index.php\/podcast\/342-roger-lewis-the-writing-and-the-psalter\/","title":{"rendered":"342: Roger Lewis – The Writing and The Psalter"},"content":{"rendered":"

This week we have a special guest host, Bro. Mike Livermore. Together we are listening to the a class by Bro. Roger Lewis from his series on “The Crisis of Hezekiah” that he gave at Midwest Bible Schools in 2024 This is the 4 class from that series titled “The Writing and The Psalter” . <\/p>\n

Be sure to subscribe to the GCT Extended podcast<\/a> to hear the other 5 classes in this series!<\/p>\n

We hope this strengthens your Faith and brightens your day!<\/p>\n

Thank you for listening, God bless, and talk to you next week.<\/p>\n

Send talk suggestions or comments to:\u00a0\u2060\u2060\u2060GoodChristadelphianTalks@gmail.com\u2060\u2060\u2060<\/a><\/p>\n

For Show Notes, visit our website:\u00a0\u2060\u2060\u2060GoodChristadelphianTalks.com\u2060\u2060\u2060<\/a><\/p>\n

Social Media:\u00a0\u2060\u2060\u2060Facebook\u2060\u2060\u2060<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0\u2060\u2060\u2060Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n

1
\n00:00:13,290 –> 00:00:14,690
\nWelcome to good Chris Selfian
\ntalks. <\/p>\n

2
\n00:00:14,690 –> 00:00:16,010
\nI’m Levi.
\nI’m Chris. <\/p>\n

3
\n00:00:16,170 –> 00:00:18,370
\nI’m Jason.
\nAnd I’m Brian, thank you for <\/p>\n

4
\n00:00:18,370 –> 00:00:20,250
\njoining us this week on this
\npodcast. <\/p>\n

5
\n00:00:20,290 –> 00:00:23,530
\nWe select one talk a week to
\nhelp us get the Bible in our <\/p>\n

6
\n00:00:23,530 –> 00:00:26,730
\nDaily News feed.
\nEach week we post a talk that we<\/p>\n

7
\n00:00:26,730 –> 00:00:29,650
\npreviewed from suggestions sent
\nin by listeners from around the <\/p>\n

8
\n00:00:29,650 –> 00:00:32,009
\nworld.
\nThen we record a short intro <\/p>\n

9
\n00:00:32,009 –> 00:00:35,770
\nbeforehand as a personalized
\nrecommendation to you on why we <\/p>\n

10
\n00:00:35,770 –> 00:00:38,840
\nare sharing the talk.
\nAnd now let’s talk more about <\/p>\n

11
\n00:00:38,840 –> 00:00:52,230
\nthis week’s talk.
\nHello, my name is Mike <\/p>\n

12
\n00:00:52,230 –> 00:00:54,270
\nLivermore.
\nI’m a disciple of Christ from <\/p>\n

13
\n00:00:54,270 –> 00:00:57,070
\nthe state of Michigan.
\nHere to share with you a class <\/p>\n

14
\n00:00:57,070 –> 00:00:59,350
\nthat I loved, the hearing this
\npast summer. <\/p>\n

15
\n00:00:59,630 –> 00:01:03,630
\nThis class was given at the
\nMidwest Bible School AKA Trine <\/p>\n

16
\n00:01:04,269 –> 00:01:09,160
\nin summer of 2024.
\nThe teacher is Roger Lewis and <\/p>\n

17
\n00:01:09,160 –> 00:01:14,160
\nthis is class four in a series
\non the crisis of Hezekiah. <\/p>\n

18
\n00:01:14,720 –> 00:01:18,040
\nThis class title is The Writing
\nand the Psalter. <\/p>\n

19
\n00:01:18,760 –> 00:01:20,840
\nSo a few notes on this series in
\nclass. <\/p>\n

20
\n00:01:21,280 –> 00:01:24,560
\nI recommend so highly listening
\nto the entire series. <\/p>\n

21
\n00:01:24,920 –> 00:01:28,520
\nIt was phenomenal.
\nI thought this particular class <\/p>\n

22
\n00:01:28,520 –> 00:01:31,800
\nwas the most applicable, at
\nleast for me, and had the most <\/p>\n

23
\n00:01:31,800 –> 00:01:35,120
\ninteresting things in it, but
\nall of the classes and even the <\/p>\n

24
\n00:01:35,120 –> 00:01:39,320
\nexhortation to follow were just
\njust so, so worthwhile. <\/p>\n

25
\n00:01:39,800 –> 00:01:43,280
\nOne thing I would recommend is
\nbefore you listen to this class,<\/p>\n

26
\n00:01:43,280 –> 00:01:46,960
\nif you’re not going to listen to
\nthe whole series, I would <\/p>\n

27
\n00:01:46,960 –> 00:01:50,120
\nrecommend reading Isaiah 38,
\nchapter 38. <\/p>\n

28
\n00:01:50,560 –> 00:01:53,400
\nSo if you’re already in your car
\nand listening to this, you can’t<\/p>\n

29
\n00:01:53,400 –> 00:01:55,680
\npull over and read the Bible,
\nobviously. <\/p>\n

30
\n00:01:56,120 –> 00:01:58,520
\nBut I would definitely, if
\nyou’re at maybe at a desk, if <\/p>\n

31
\n00:01:58,520 –> 00:02:03,240
\nyou’re on a laptop, just pause
\nthe podcast right now, read <\/p>\n

32
\n00:02:03,240 –> 00:02:05,880
\nIsaiah 38 and then come back to
\nthe class. <\/p>\n

33
\n00:02:05,880 –> 00:02:08,520
\nOr if you have to finish the
\naudio first, you’re driving, <\/p>\n

34
\n00:02:09,080 –> 00:02:12,280
\nread Isaiah 38, the full chapter
\nafter you’re done listening. <\/p>\n

35
\n00:02:12,640 –> 00:02:15,720
\nI think the context of that
\nchapter is really helpful to <\/p>\n

36
\n00:02:15,760 –> 00:02:18,600
\nalready have in your mind.
\nA few notes. <\/p>\n

37
\n00:02:19,160 –> 00:02:23,160
\nAbout 40 minutes in, there was a
\ntechnical outage in the <\/p>\n

38
\n00:02:23,160 –> 00:02:25,280
\nauditorium.
\nSo if not sure what’s going on <\/p>\n

39
\n00:02:25,520 –> 00:02:28,800
\nthe the projector, the slides
\nfroze for about a minute, but <\/p>\n

40
\n00:02:28,800 –> 00:02:31,440
\nthey got it fixed.
\nSo just bear with that as you <\/p>\n

41
\n00:02:31,440 –> 00:02:34,920
\nlisten.
\nAnd around the 46 minute mark, a<\/p>\n

42
\n00:02:34,920 –> 00:02:39,320
\ntrain goes by the theater.
\nFor anyone who’s been to trying,<\/p>\n

43
\n00:02:39,320 –> 00:02:41,440
\nyou know that this happens from
\ntime to time. <\/p>\n

44
\n00:02:41,440 –> 00:02:44,040
\nThere are train tracks are right
\nnext to the theater where the <\/p>\n

45
\n00:02:44,040 –> 00:02:48,000
\nclasses are held.
\nSo a class or a train hits goes <\/p>\n

46
\n00:02:48,000 –> 00:02:51,680
\nright past the theater exactly
\nwhen Rodger was hitting the <\/p>\n

47
\n00:02:51,680 –> 00:02:53,760
\nclimax of the class.
\nIt’s kind of funny to let go <\/p>\n

48
\n00:02:53,760 –> 00:02:56,040
\nback and listen to it now, but
\nthat’s what’s going on. <\/p>\n

49
\n00:02:56,040 –> 00:02:58,240
\nYes, you are hearing a train
\nhorn in the background. <\/p>\n

50
\n00:02:58,720 –> 00:03:01,840
\nAlso, I should mention that it’s
\nvery helpful to reference <\/p>\n

51
\n00:03:01,840 –> 00:03:06,000
\nRodger’s slides, particularly
\nwhen he talks about the Songs of<\/p>\n

52
\n00:03:06,000 –> 00:03:09,720
\nDegrees later in the class.
\nThe visuals when you can see the<\/p>\n

53
\n00:03:09,720 –> 00:03:13,960
\nslides help you understand the
\nthe lessons that Rodger was <\/p>\n

54
\n00:03:13,960 –> 00:03:16,440
\nbringing out from the structure
\nof the Songs of Degrees in <\/p>\n

55
\n00:03:16,440 –> 00:03:20,280
\nparticular.
\nSo you can see the slides on our<\/p>\n

56
\n00:03:20,360 –> 00:03:23,200
\nwebsite,
\nthemidwestbibleschool.com. <\/p>\n

57
\n00:03:23,560 –> 00:03:26,440
\nIf you browse there, there’s a
\ntab for recordings and you can <\/p>\n

58
\n00:03:26,440 –> 00:03:30,800
\nlook up the classes for 2024.
\nWe have a PDF of the slides you <\/p>\n

59
\n00:03:30,800 –> 00:03:33,480
\ncan download.
\nSo I recommend highly that you <\/p>\n

60
\n00:03:33,480 –> 00:03:36,720
\nreference the slides as well
\nwhen you listen to the class or <\/p>\n

61
\n00:03:36,720 –> 00:03:39,600
\nafterwards.
\nAnd with this class, so <\/p>\n

62
\n00:03:39,600 –> 00:03:44,480
\ninspirational, it’s about how we
\nrespond when we are delivered <\/p>\n

63
\n00:03:44,480 –> 00:03:47,960
\nout of a trial like so
\napplicable that like that, that <\/p>\n

64
\n00:03:48,040 –> 00:03:52,240
\nmoment of that, that period of
\nrelief when the stress is behind<\/p>\n

65
\n00:03:52,240 –> 00:03:55,840
\nyou, when you can exhale.
\nWhat do we do after that? <\/p>\n

66
\n00:03:55,840 –> 00:03:59,120
\nHow do we live?
\nDo we just go back to our old <\/p>\n

67
\n00:03:59,120 –> 00:04:03,720
\nways or what is our response?
\nIt was a very, very interesting,<\/p>\n

68
\n00:04:03,720 –> 00:04:08,320
\npowerful, helpful class.
\nAnd one last note is that in the<\/p>\n

69
\n00:04:08,320 –> 00:04:12,720
\nvery final 2 minutes of this
\nclass, Rodger brings up <\/p>\n

70
\n00:04:12,720 –> 00:04:16,440
\nsomething which I had never
\nheard of before, which blew my <\/p>\n

71
\n00:04:16,440 –> 00:04:19,040
\nmind.
\nAnd I made me think, what what <\/p>\n

72
\n00:04:19,040 –> 00:04:22,200
\nis he talking about?
\nWhat what is this? <\/p>\n

73
\n00:04:22,840 –> 00:04:26,040
\nAnd when you hear it, you’ll
\nknow exactly what it is. <\/p>\n

74
\n00:04:26,400 –> 00:04:28,920
\nAnd I’ve actually saved a
\nreaction. <\/p>\n

75
\n00:04:28,920 –> 00:04:32,640
\nI’ve got a little thing I want
\nto say about what Rodger talks <\/p>\n

76
\n00:04:32,640 –> 00:04:34,680
\nabout at the very end of his
\nclass. <\/p>\n

77
\n00:04:34,960 –> 00:04:37,360
\nI want to address it and share
\nwhat I found about it. <\/p>\n

78
\n00:04:37,800 –> 00:04:39,840
\nOK, so that’s it.
\nHopefully you enjoy this class <\/p>\n

79
\n00:04:39,840 –> 00:04:43,000
\nfrom Roger Lewis called The
\nWriting and the Psalter. <\/p>\n

80
\n00:04:44,520 –> 00:04:48,160
\nSo in our last study, you’ll
\nremember that we found his a <\/p>\n

81
\n00:04:48,160 –> 00:04:53,840
\ncar.
\nWe found his a car in his royal <\/p>\n

82
\n00:04:54,000 –> 00:04:57,720
\nbedchamber.
\nHe was in despair with his face <\/p>\n

83
\n00:04:57,720 –> 00:05:00,960
\ntowards the wall.
\nHe was trying to accept the <\/p>\n

84
\n00:05:00,960 –> 00:05:04,720
\ndevastating message that had
\nbeen brought to him by Isaiah <\/p>\n

85
\n00:05:04,720 –> 00:05:07,840
\nThe prophet set thine house in
\norder for thou shalt not live. <\/p>\n

86
\n00:05:08,680 –> 00:05:13,880
\nAnd that prospect, you remember,
\nof premature death left him <\/p>\n

87
\n00:05:14,080 –> 00:05:17,000
\nregretting all the things that
\nhe’d wished he’d done and <\/p>\n

88
\n00:05:17,000 –> 00:05:20,320
\nlamenting the fact that he would
\nbe unable to complete them. <\/p>\n

89
\n00:05:21,400 –> 00:05:26,280
\nBut his prayer at that vital
\nmoment of destiny gave an <\/p>\n

90
\n00:05:26,280 –> 00:05:31,840
\namazing demonstration of his
\ntotal surrender to Yahweh in <\/p>\n

91
\n00:05:31,840 –> 00:05:36,000
\nthat spirit of resignation, in
\naccepting whatever the divine <\/p>\n

92
\n00:05:36,000 –> 00:05:38,320
\nwill might have had in store for
\nhim. <\/p>\n

93
\n00:05:38,480 –> 00:05:42,840
\nAnd that prayer which so pleased
\nhis God was answered in dramatic<\/p>\n

94
\n00:05:42,840 –> 00:05:45,880
\nfashion, as we saw as the
\nprophet running from the middle <\/p>\n

95
\n00:05:45,880 –> 00:05:48,720
\ncourt, burst into his chamber
\nagain to announce with <\/p>\n

96
\n00:05:48,720 –> 00:05:52,040
\nbreathless excitement that his
\nlife was to be spared. <\/p>\n

97
\n00:05:52,600 –> 00:05:55,000
\nAnd with the writing of the
\nshadow on the staircase, <\/p>\n

98
\n00:05:55,240 –> 00:05:58,520
\nHezekiah was given the ultimate
\nreassurance that he would indeed<\/p>\n

99
\n00:05:58,520 –> 00:06:02,520
\nrecover and go up yet again into
\nthe House of God. <\/p>\n

100
\n00:06:02,880 –> 00:06:05,200
\nWell, that brings us to our
\nstudy this morning then, as we <\/p>\n

101
\n00:06:05,200 –> 00:06:09,200
\ntake up the narrative of the
\nprophecy of Isaiah again, and <\/p>\n

102
\n00:06:09,200 –> 00:06:13,920
\nthis time to the theme of the
\nwriting and the Psalter. <\/p>\n

103
\n00:06:14,400 –> 00:06:19,120
\nBecause do you notice in Isaiah
\n38 and verse 9, as we concluded <\/p>\n

104
\n00:06:19,120 –> 00:06:25,120
\nour study yesterday in verse 8,
\nverse 9 will now say the writing<\/p>\n

105
\n00:06:25,120 –> 00:06:29,280
\nof Hezekiah, king of Judah when
\nhe had been sick and was <\/p>\n

106
\n00:06:29,280 –> 00:06:32,600
\nrecovered of his sickness.
\nNow, incidentally, in the <\/p>\n

107
\n00:06:32,600 –> 00:06:37,360
\nwriting that follows, it’s
\nwritten in lines of poetry. <\/p>\n

108
\n00:06:37,800 –> 00:06:40,520
\nAnd I think that what that tells
\nus is that what he wrote, what <\/p>\n

109
\n00:06:40,520 –> 00:06:44,400
\nhe did write in this next
\nsection of Isaiah 38, was in <\/p>\n

110
\n00:06:44,400 –> 00:06:47,680
\nfact the Psalm.
\nThis is Hezekiah’s Psalm to <\/p>\n

111
\n00:06:47,680 –> 00:06:50,360
\ncommemorate the stirring events
\nthat had brought him back from <\/p>\n

112
\n00:06:50,360 –> 00:06:54,280
\ncertain death to promised life.
\nAnd I think that that tells us <\/p>\n

113
\n00:06:54,280 –> 00:06:57,440
\nsomething else as well, is that
\nthis was not intended to be kept<\/p>\n

114
\n00:06:57,440 –> 00:06:59,880
\nas a private reflection of the
\nking. <\/p>\n

115
\n00:07:00,040 –> 00:07:02,400
\nNo, no, no.
\nHe wanted this to be a public <\/p>\n

116
\n00:07:02,400 –> 00:07:07,120
\nexpression not only of his
\nthings, but of what lessons <\/p>\n

117
\n00:07:07,120 –> 00:07:09,240
\nmight be learned from this
\nstory. <\/p>\n

118
\n00:07:09,800 –> 00:07:12,960
\nHe wanted the nation to
\nunderstand the hand of <\/p>\n

119
\n00:07:12,960 –> 00:07:15,880
\nProvidence in this matter, which
\nwas at work not just in the life<\/p>\n

120
\n00:07:15,880 –> 00:07:19,280
\nof the king, but in the life of
\nthe nation, as we shall see by <\/p>\n

121
\n00:07:19,280 –> 00:07:22,320
\nand by in our studies.
\nAnd what’s interesting, brothers<\/p>\n

122
\n00:07:22,320 –> 00:07:27,360
\nand sisters, is that this entire
\nsection from verse 9 to verse 20<\/p>\n

123
\n00:07:27,560 –> 00:07:31,240
\nin Isaiah chapter 38 is utterly
\nunique to Isaiah. <\/p>\n

124
\n00:07:32,000 –> 00:07:34,640
\nThis is not in the historical
\nrecords of Hezekiah. <\/p>\n

125
\n00:07:34,640 –> 00:07:37,800
\nNeither in the Kings nor
\nChronicles will we find this <\/p>\n

126
\n00:07:37,800 –> 00:07:40,440
\nPsalm only in the book of
\nIsaiah. <\/p>\n

127
\n00:07:40,600 –> 00:07:43,680
\nIt’s something to do with what
\nhe wrote about, and he was <\/p>\n

128
\n00:07:43,680 –> 00:07:47,040
\nobviously anxious to record.
\nAnd one thing I think we can be <\/p>\n

129
\n00:07:47,040 –> 00:07:51,120
\ncertain confident of that Isaiah
\nwas anxious that we know about <\/p>\n

130
\n00:07:51,120 –> 00:07:54,840
\nwas this.
\nYou see, if we were to say <\/p>\n

131
\n00:07:54,840 –> 00:07:59,240
\nwhat’s the theme of this
\nwriting, one of the key ideas is<\/p>\n

132
\n00:07:59,400 –> 00:08:04,000
\nthat it’s about the matter of
\nsickness and recovery. <\/p>\n

133
\n00:08:05,560 –> 00:08:09,000
\nIsaiah 38, verse 9 where we
\nstart, says the writing of <\/p>\n

134
\n00:08:09,000 –> 00:08:12,880
\nHezekiah, king of Judah, when
\nhe’d been sick and was recovered<\/p>\n

135
\n00:08:13,000 –> 00:08:14,560
\nof his sickness.
\nAnd that word recover. <\/p>\n

136
\n00:08:14,560 –> 00:08:17,520
\nHere is the Hebrew word higher
\nto live higher. <\/p>\n

137
\n00:08:17,520 –> 00:08:21,520
\nIt’s a basic word for life.
\nBut again in verse 16 of this <\/p>\n

138
\n00:08:21,520 –> 00:08:25,960
\nchapter it will say, O Yahweh,
\nby these things men live, so <\/p>\n

139
\n00:08:25,960 –> 00:08:31,440
\nwilt thou recover me, kholam, to
\nbind together again and make me <\/p>\n

140
\n00:08:31,440 –> 00:08:34,559
\nto live.
\nAnd again in chapter 38, verse <\/p>\n

141
\n00:08:34,559 –> 00:08:37,760
\n21, Isaiah said, let them take a
\nlump of figs, lay it for a <\/p>\n

142
\n00:08:37,760 –> 00:08:42,280
\nplaster on the boil, and he
\nshall recover to live. <\/p>\n

143
\n00:08:43,480 –> 00:08:47,040
\nAnd in Isaiah 39, verse one,
\nwhen this writing is finished, <\/p>\n

144
\n00:08:47,040 –> 00:08:50,440
\nit says Meridak Baladdin sent
\nletters and a present to <\/p>\n

145
\n00:08:50,440 –> 00:08:52,920
\nHezekiah, for he’d heard that
\nhe’d been sick and was <\/p>\n

146
\n00:08:53,480 –> 00:08:56,000
\nrecovered.
\nKhosak to be strong. <\/p>\n

147
\n00:08:56,400 –> 00:08:57,600
\nNow why?
\nThat’s interesting. <\/p>\n

148
\n00:08:57,600 –> 00:08:59,440
\nOr let me just show you some
\nother keywords here. <\/p>\n

149
\n00:08:59,600 –> 00:09:02,400
\nDo you notice this?
\nHe had been sick verse 9. <\/p>\n

150
\n00:09:02,480 –> 00:09:06,600
\nHe had been sick, chapter 39,
\nverse 1, and was recovered. <\/p>\n

151
\n00:09:07,800 –> 00:09:11,080
\nNow this is the corresponding
\npassage in Second Kings 20, <\/p>\n

152
\n00:09:11,080 –> 00:09:14,080
\nverse 12, corresponding to
\nchapter 39, verse one. <\/p>\n

153
\n00:09:14,240 –> 00:09:17,400
\nThe king of Babylon sent letters
\nin a present unto Hezekiah, for <\/p>\n

154
\n00:09:17,400 –> 00:09:26,280
\nhe had heard that Hezekiah had
\nbeen sick only Isaiah tells us, <\/p>\n

155
\n00:09:28,120 –> 00:09:31,920
\nbut he was recovered for some
\nreason. <\/p>\n

156
\n00:09:31,960 –> 00:09:35,320
\nIt was important that Isaiah
\nmake a careful note about the, <\/p>\n

157
\n00:09:35,600 –> 00:09:40,280
\nthe, the, the matter of recovery
\nof the king and that’s going to <\/p>\n

158
\n00:09:40,280 –> 00:09:44,600
\nbecome the framework on which
\nHezekiah is going to be basis <\/p>\n

159
\n00:09:44,600 –> 00:09:47,960
\nthe the writing of the Psalm on
\nthis occasion. <\/p>\n

160
\n00:09:49,440 –> 00:09:53,000
\nNow you might remember that when
\nwe looked at the speech of Reb <\/p>\n

161
\n00:09:53,000 –> 00:09:57,240
\nShaker in chapter 36 that it
\nbroke into, do you remember 2 <\/p>\n

162
\n00:09:57,240 –> 00:10:00,960
\nsections could 2 quite distinct
\nsections to the speech and that <\/p>\n

163
\n00:10:00,960 –> 00:10:03,160
\neach section had two distinct
\nparts. <\/p>\n

164
\n00:10:04,000 –> 00:10:06,920
\nAnd that when we came to the
\nanswer of God in Isaiah 37, that<\/p>\n

165
\n00:10:06,920 –> 00:10:09,960
\nthere were two sections to the
\nanswer and each section had two <\/p>\n

166
\n00:10:09,960 –> 00:10:12,000
\nparts.
\nWell, you’d never guess how the <\/p>\n

167
\n00:10:12,120 –> 00:10:13,880
\nwriting of Hezekiah breaks up,
\nwould you? <\/p>\n

168
\n00:10:13,880 –> 00:10:17,520
\nSurprise, surprise, but it’s
\ngoing to be the same. <\/p>\n

169
\n00:10:18,080 –> 00:10:21,160
\nAnd clearly this may be a mark
\nof, of perhaps the way that <\/p>\n

170
\n00:10:21,160 –> 00:10:23,680
\nHezekiah wrote his story.
\nSo I think what we’ve got here <\/p>\n

171
\n00:10:23,680 –> 00:10:28,280
\nin verses 10 to 14 is the first
\nsection of his writing, and it’s<\/p>\n

172
\n00:10:28,280 –> 00:10:31,680
\nhis despair at the prospect of
\ndeath. <\/p>\n

173
\n00:10:32,800 –> 00:10:36,960
\nAnd as always, there’s crucial
\nlittle words that become the <\/p>\n

174
\n00:10:36,960 –> 00:10:39,880
\nguide to our thinking.
\nNow here’s the start that tells <\/p>\n

175
\n00:10:39,880 –> 00:10:42,960
\nus the theme.
\nIt’s about his previous anguish.<\/p>\n

176
\n00:10:43,040 –> 00:10:47,880
\nI said I had said I had thought
\nI had spoken about these things <\/p>\n

177
\n00:10:47,880 –> 00:10:50,800
\nin the past.
\nThis first section is about his <\/p>\n

178
\n00:10:50,840 –> 00:10:55,080
\nprevious anguish and his despair
\nat the prospect of death. <\/p>\n

179
\n00:10:55,400 –> 00:10:57,840
\nAnd there are two sections, I
\nthink, to that writing. <\/p>\n

180
\n00:10:58,240 –> 00:11:04,600
\nVerses 11:50 is an elegy of
\ngrief for life cut short and the<\/p>\n

181
\n00:11:04,600 –> 00:11:07,040
\ndaunting prospect of premature
\ndeath. <\/p>\n

182
\n00:11:09,280 –> 00:11:13,040
\nThat’s what these first verses
\nabout opening verses are about. <\/p>\n

183
\n00:11:13,400 –> 00:11:17,800
\nAnd then the second part of this
\nfirst section is about a <\/p>\n

184
\n00:11:17,800 –> 00:11:23,920
\nlamentation, verses 13 and 14
\nfor an untimely end and a cry <\/p>\n

185
\n00:11:24,080 –> 00:11:28,400
\nfor help from oppression.
\nSo let’s start the writing, <\/p>\n

186
\n00:11:28,400 –> 00:11:30,040
\nshall we see, shall we, brothers
\nand sisters? <\/p>\n

187
\n00:11:30,040 –> 00:11:33,320
\nAnd, and see what it is that
\nHezekiah would bid us to know. <\/p>\n

188
\n00:11:33,640 –> 00:11:38,200
\nIsaiah 38, verse 10 says, I said
\nin the cutting off of my days, I<\/p>\n

189
\n00:11:38,200 –> 00:11:39,840
\nshall go to the gates of the
\ngrave. <\/p>\n

190
\n00:11:39,960 –> 00:11:42,400
\nI’m deprived of the residue of
\nmy years. <\/p>\n

191
\n00:11:42,640 –> 00:11:45,680
\nAnd his first thought was one of
\nsorrow, that he was to be cut <\/p>\n

192
\n00:11:45,680 –> 00:11:49,000
\noff in the midst of his days.
\nBut really by days what he <\/p>\n

193
\n00:11:49,000 –> 00:11:51,720
\nreally meant was labours.
\nHe’d be cut off in the midst of <\/p>\n

194
\n00:11:51,720 –> 00:11:55,520
\nhis work with the nation because
\nit was right now that the nation<\/p>\n

195
\n00:11:55,520 –> 00:11:58,720
\nneeded him to inspire them.
\nAnd I think that’s the thing <\/p>\n

196
\n00:11:58,720 –> 00:12:02,160
\nthat upset him the most.
\nHis people needed him and he was<\/p>\n

197
\n00:12:02,160 –> 00:12:04,520
\ngoing to be taken away.
\nHe wasn’t concerned about <\/p>\n

198
\n00:12:04,520 –> 00:12:06,800
\nprolonging life for the sake of
\nprolonging his life. <\/p>\n

199
\n00:12:06,800 –> 00:12:15,440
\nIt was for their sake as the
\nAssyrians cast its gloom upon <\/p>\n

200
\n00:12:15,440 –> 00:12:18,400
\nthe nation.
\nBut now this man who had so <\/p>\n

201
\n00:12:18,400 –> 00:12:21,480
\ndesperately wanted to help his
\nnation, well, his own confidence<\/p>\n

202
\n00:12:21,480 –> 00:12:24,320
\nwas shattered because his
\nsickness had left him so <\/p>\n

203
\n00:12:24,320 –> 00:12:28,200
\nbewildered and broken as he
\nstruggled to understand the will<\/p>\n

204
\n00:12:28,200 –> 00:12:31,520
\nof his God in the matter.
\nWe just know how confused <\/p>\n

205
\n00:12:31,520 –> 00:12:34,480
\nHezekiah must have been at this
\nterrible turn of events. <\/p>\n

206
\n00:12:34,560 –> 00:12:37,720
\nHe says I’ve been taken to the
\ngates of Sheol as a graphic <\/p>\n

207
\n00:12:37,720 –> 00:12:40,960
\ndescription of death, like a
\nprison house, and I think that <\/p>\n

208
\n00:12:40,960 –> 00:12:44,680
\nhe was terrified that he’d be
\npushed inside. <\/p>\n

209
\n00:12:44,680 –> 00:12:49,840
\nThe doors would be locked,
\nbolted, and he’d never come back<\/p>\n

210
\n00:12:49,840 –> 00:12:56,000
\nout.
\nOh yes, Hezekiah was distressed <\/p>\n

211
\n00:12:56,200 –> 00:13:00,520
\nat the thought of these things.
\nAnd so he goes on to say in <\/p>\n

212
\n00:13:00,520 –> 00:13:06,000
\nverse 11, I said, I shall not
\nsee Yahweh, even Yahweh in the <\/p>\n

213
\n00:13:06,000 –> 00:13:08,800
\nland of the living.
\nI shall behold man no more with <\/p>\n

214
\n00:13:08,800 –> 00:13:11,160
\nthe inhabitants of the world.
\nSo the first thing he thought <\/p>\n

215
\n00:13:11,160 –> 00:13:14,000
\nabout was I’m worried about the
\npeople, worried about the <\/p>\n

216
\n00:13:14,000 –> 00:13:15,480
\nnation.
\nAnd the second thing he thought <\/p>\n

217
\n00:13:15,480 –> 00:13:17,760
\nabout, wasn’t it remarkable?
\nVerse 11. <\/p>\n

218
\n00:13:17,880 –> 00:13:22,040
\nI shall not see Yahweh.
\nHis second thought was that <\/p>\n

219
\n00:13:22,040 –> 00:13:25,880
\ndeath would deprive him of his
\nrelationship with his God. <\/p>\n

220
\n00:13:28,800 –> 00:13:34,800
\nI won’t be able to come before
\nmy God anymore, unable to help <\/p>\n

221
\n00:13:34,800 –> 00:13:38,440
\nHis people.
\nVerse 10, unable to worship as <\/p>\n

222
\n00:13:38,440 –> 00:13:40,240
\nGod.
\nVerse 11, they were the two <\/p>\n

223
\n00:13:40,240 –> 00:13:42,800
\nthings that were the entire
\nfocus of Hezekiah’s life. <\/p>\n

224
\n00:13:45,080 –> 00:13:47,160
\nIt begs the question what we
\nmight focus on, doesn’t it, <\/p>\n

225
\n00:13:47,160 –> 00:13:49,800
\nbrothers and sisters?
\nBut Hezekiah’s concern above all<\/p>\n

226
\n00:13:49,800 –> 00:13:52,840
\nall else is that he would miss
\nhis God in the land of the <\/p>\n

227
\n00:13:52,840 –> 00:13:54,520
\nliving.
\nThat was an amazing spirit of <\/p>\n

228
\n00:13:54,520 –> 00:13:56,240
\nthe king.
\nHe certainly wasn’t focused <\/p>\n

229
\n00:13:56,440 –> 00:14:02,680
\nreally on himself, was he?
\nSo verse 12 says my age is <\/p>\n

230
\n00:14:02,680 –> 00:14:05,880
\ndeparted and removed from me as
\na shepherd’s tent. <\/p>\n

231
\n00:14:06,200 –> 00:14:09,800
\nNow in those days, incidentally,
\na shepherd’s tent was a very <\/p>\n

232
\n00:14:09,800 –> 00:14:13,520
\nsimple piece of fabric with a
\npole to sleep under in the open <\/p>\n

233
\n00:14:13,520 –> 00:14:16,880
\nfield because it got pretty cold
\nat night time out with the <\/p>\n

234
\n00:14:16,880 –> 00:14:19,160
\nflocks.
\nSo there was a piece of cloth <\/p>\n

235
\n00:14:19,160 –> 00:14:21,480
\nattached to a pole, and they
\nwould jam the pole into the <\/p>\n

236
\n00:14:21,480 –> 00:14:24,040
\nground and snuggle under the
\ncloth and pull it around them. <\/p>\n

237
\n00:14:24,400 –> 00:14:27,560
\nBut the point of the symbol here
\nwas that in the morning it would<\/p>\n

238
\n00:14:27,560 –> 00:14:30,160
\nbe rolled up and packed away as
\nthe flock moved to fresh <\/p>\n

239
\n00:14:30,160 –> 00:14:32,560
\npasture.
\nSo when he says my age is <\/p>\n

240
\n00:14:32,560 –> 00:14:35,000
\nremoved like a shepherd’s tent,
\nit was a symbol of just how <\/p>\n

241
\n00:14:35,000 –> 00:14:38,320
\ntemporary his life was.
\nUp for the night, down on the <\/p>\n

242
\n00:14:38,320 –> 00:14:42,880
\nday, that’s how long my life is,
\nsays Hezekiah. <\/p>\n

243
\n00:14:44,480 –> 00:14:47,680
\nLike a shepherd’s tent.
\nIn fact, he says I’ve cut off <\/p>\n

244
\n00:14:47,680 –> 00:14:50,360
\nlike a weave in my life.
\nAnd that word cut off actually <\/p>\n

245
\n00:14:50,360 –> 00:14:52,760
\nmeans together, together and to
\nroll up. <\/p>\n

246
\n00:14:52,760 –> 00:14:56,440
\nAnd so here’s a car.
\nI pictured himself sadly rolling<\/p>\n

247
\n00:14:56,440 –> 00:15:00,000
\nup the cloth of his life, even
\nthough it hadn’t been finished. <\/p>\n

248
\n00:15:02,000 –> 00:15:05,640
\nIn fact, it says at least in the
\nauthorized version here, he will<\/p>\n

249
\n00:15:05,640 –> 00:15:10,240
\ncut me off with pining sickness.
\nBut you might notice the margin.<\/p>\n

250
\n00:15:10,360 –> 00:15:14,040
\nThe margin says he will cut me
\noff at the thrum. <\/p>\n

251
\n00:15:16,000 –> 00:15:20,440
\nAnd that’s interesting because
\nthe thrum was the fringe of the <\/p>\n

252
\n00:15:20,440 –> 00:15:25,320
\nunwoven ends that were left on
\nthe loom when the completed <\/p>\n

253
\n00:15:25,440 –> 00:15:28,320
\ncloth was cut off by the
\nweaver’s shears. <\/p>\n

254
\n00:15:28,760 –> 00:15:32,360
\nSo at the end of the completion
\nof the weaving of a cloth, the <\/p>\n

255
\n00:15:32,360 –> 00:15:34,880
\nshears would cut off and just
\nleave the thrum, leave the <\/p>\n

256
\n00:15:35,080 –> 00:15:38,720
\ntangled threads at the end.
\nBut you see, for his a car, it <\/p>\n

257
\n00:15:38,720 –> 00:15:41,240
\nwas as if the tapestry of his
\nlife had been cut away before <\/p>\n

258
\n00:15:41,240 –> 00:15:44,240
\nthe cloth was finished, before
\nthe pattern was completed. <\/p>\n

259
\n00:15:44,600 –> 00:15:49,640
\nHis life was about to finish,
\nThe cloth was still not <\/p>\n

260
\n00:15:49,640 –> 00:15:53,640
\ncomplete, but the weaving was
\nover, and the seers had come. <\/p>\n

261
\n00:15:54,800 –> 00:15:57,640
\nIn fact, he says, from day even
\nto night, wilt thou make an end <\/p>\n

262
\n00:15:57,640 –> 00:16:00,160
\nof me?
\nSeen as if God had determined on<\/p>\n

263
\n00:16:00,160 –> 00:16:03,920
\nHis premature death and the end
\nwas so, so close now, so real <\/p>\n

264
\n00:16:03,920 –> 00:16:07,800
\nthat He quailed at the thought.
\nHe tried, of course he tried to <\/p>\n

265
\n00:16:07,800 –> 00:16:10,640
\ncompose himself.
\nHe says that verse 13, I, I <\/p>\n

266
\n00:16:10,640 –> 00:16:12,720
\nreckoned, he says until the
\nmorning. <\/p>\n

267
\n00:16:13,000 –> 00:16:15,240
\nThat word reckoned shava to
\nlevel. <\/p>\n

268
\n00:16:15,560 –> 00:16:19,400
\nWell, it’s been translated to
\ncompose, to adjust, to quiet. <\/p>\n

269
\n00:16:20,000 –> 00:16:24,960
\nIt’s the word found in Psalm
\n131, verse 2, which says I have <\/p>\n

270
\n00:16:24,960 –> 00:16:27,520
\nbehaved myself.
\nAnd I think what we’re being <\/p>\n

271
\n00:16:27,520 –> 00:16:32,600
\ntold is that in the night time,
\nhe tried to calm and soothe his <\/p>\n

272
\n00:16:32,600 –> 00:16:38,360
\nemotions, hoping for relief to
\ncome, but it was all to no avail<\/p>\n

273
\n00:16:39,960 –> 00:16:42,080
\nbecause the next morning brought
\nno improvement at all. <\/p>\n

274
\n00:16:42,080 –> 00:16:45,080
\nInstead, the agony of his
\nsuffering grew worse because in <\/p>\n

275
\n00:16:45,080 –> 00:16:47,640
\nthe morning, what he found was
\nthat as a lion, so will he break<\/p>\n

276
\n00:16:47,640 –> 00:16:50,240
\nall my bones.
\nAnd the Hebrew reads in the past<\/p>\n

277
\n00:16:50,240 –> 00:16:52,720
\ntensed, he did break all my
\nbones. <\/p>\n

278
\n00:16:52,960 –> 00:16:57,240
\nSo such was the physical and
\nmental anguish of his illness <\/p>\n

279
\n00:16:57,240 –> 00:17:00,600
\nthat he felt bruised and crushed
\nand shattered by it. <\/p>\n

280
\n00:17:02,400 –> 00:17:06,440
\nFrom day even to night will
\nthey’ll make an end of me. <\/p>\n

281
\n00:17:06,720 –> 00:17:08,160
\nIsn’t that interesting, that
\nphrase? <\/p>\n

282
\n00:17:08,160 –> 00:17:09,599
\nBecause isn’t that what he’s
\njust said? <\/p>\n

283
\n00:17:09,599 –> 00:17:12,640
\nAt the end of verse 12, from day
\neven to night, that won’t make <\/p>\n

284
\n00:17:12,640 –> 00:17:14,280
\nan end of me.
\nAnd now again, at the end of <\/p>\n

285
\n00:17:14,280 –> 00:17:17,280
\nverse 13, from day even to
\nnight, that won’t make an end of<\/p>\n

286
\n00:17:17,280 –> 00:17:19,119
\nme.
\nYou know, one of the things, one<\/p>\n

287
\n00:17:19,119 –> 00:17:24,880
\nof the marks of people under
\nsevere stress is that we repeat <\/p>\n

288
\n00:17:24,880 –> 00:17:28,000
\nphrases over and over.
\nOur brains are numbed by the <\/p>\n

289
\n00:17:28,000 –> 00:17:31,920
\ncrisis and we lock onto a word
\nor a phrase or an expression and<\/p>\n

290
\n00:17:31,920 –> 00:17:35,240
\nwe just, we, we, it comes back
\nand back and back into our mind <\/p>\n

291
\n00:17:35,240 –> 00:17:36,760
\nas if we can’t break free from
\nit. <\/p>\n

292
\n00:17:36,960 –> 00:17:40,800
\nSo he uses the same words.
\nHe felt his life was going to be<\/p>\n

293
\n00:17:40,800 –> 00:17:44,600
\nall over very soon.
\nActually, there’s a sort of <\/p>\n

294
\n00:17:44,600 –> 00:17:49,240
\nsimilar phrase in Job 4 verse 20
\nthat says they are destroyed <\/p>\n

295
\n00:17:49,240 –> 00:17:54,040
\nfrom morning to evening.
\nAnd I think that the import of <\/p>\n

296
\n00:17:54,040 –> 00:17:56,880
\nthat phrase in Job was that is
\nin the shortest space of <\/p>\n

297
\n00:17:56,880 –> 00:18:00,800
\npossible time, in the space or
\nspan of just a single day, from <\/p>\n

298
\n00:18:00,800 –> 00:18:02,760
\n1:00 morning to it’s evening,
\nit’s all over. <\/p>\n

299
\n00:18:03,760 –> 00:18:06,720
\nAnd that’s in his despair, how
\nHezekiah felt his whole whole <\/p>\n

300
\n00:18:06,720 –> 00:18:10,080
\nlife would soon be finished.
\nAnd all that was left was the <\/p>\n

301
\n00:18:10,080 –> 00:18:14,600
\nunbearable problem, the pain of
\nhis condition and the <\/p>\n

302
\n00:18:14,600 –> 00:18:16,400
\nunnouchable problem of its
\nmeaning. <\/p>\n

303
\n00:18:19,840 –> 00:18:21,960
\nMany of you will know about the
\nstages of grief. <\/p>\n

304
\n00:18:24,480 –> 00:18:29,640
\nIt moves from that moment of
\ndenial to the moment of <\/p>\n

305
\n00:18:30,200 –> 00:18:35,520
\nemotional angst that it has even
\noccurred, to the question of how<\/p>\n

306
\n00:18:35,520 –> 00:18:40,120
\nit might finally be accepted,
\nand then the question of how you<\/p>\n

307
\n00:18:40,120 –> 00:18:41,600
\nmight actually move on from
\nthat. <\/p>\n

308
\n00:18:41,840 –> 00:18:43,600
\nGriefs like a set of stages,
\nisn’t it? <\/p>\n

309
\n00:18:43,600 –> 00:18:46,560
\nThat passes through a stage.
\nAnd the early stages are where <\/p>\n

310
\n00:18:46,560 –> 00:18:49,440
\nwe struggle to accept even the
\nreality of the thing itself as <\/p>\n

311
\n00:18:49,440 –> 00:18:52,120
\nwhere his account was.
\nIt’s where we all are, brothers <\/p>\n

312
\n00:18:52,120 –> 00:18:54,440
\nand sisters.
\nIn such a journey, in such a <\/p>\n

313
\n00:18:54,440 –> 00:18:58,560
\ncrisis, it’s totally
\nunderstandable that we pass <\/p>\n

314
\n00:18:58,560 –> 00:19:01,720
\nthrough such stages.
\nIn fact, what he says, verse 14,<\/p>\n

315
\n00:19:01,840 –> 00:19:04,000
\nhe says like a crane or a
\nswallow. <\/p>\n

316
\n00:19:04,120 –> 00:19:06,520
\nSo did I chatter?
\nI did mourn as a dove. <\/p>\n

317
\n00:19:06,720 –> 00:19:09,320
\nNow, the interesting thing about
\nthe swallow and the crane is <\/p>\n

318
\n00:19:09,320 –> 00:19:12,560
\nthat they’re both noted for
\ntheir strident cry. <\/p>\n

319
\n00:19:13,720 –> 00:19:17,040
\nAnd the dove is known for her
\nplaintive sound. <\/p>\n

320
\n00:19:17,240 –> 00:19:20,640
\nSo you see these song, these
\nbirds didn’t make joyous songs. <\/p>\n

321
\n00:19:20,880 –> 00:19:25,480
\nThey all had the cry of anguish
\nand the call of morning. <\/p>\n

322
\n00:19:25,640 –> 00:19:28,000
\nAnd he said, that’s the birds
\nI’m thinking of at this time. <\/p>\n

323
\n00:19:28,000 –> 00:19:30,960
\nThat’s how I feel.
\nHe says the morning cry of these<\/p>\n

324
\n00:19:30,960 –> 00:19:34,400
\nbirds, they were the sounds that
\ncaptured the misery and the <\/p>\n

325
\n00:19:34,400 –> 00:19:39,280
\ntears which Hezekiah felt at
\nthis time that he says, verse 14<\/p>\n

326
\n00:19:39,560 –> 00:19:42,840
\nmine eyes fail with looking
\nupward. <\/p>\n

327
\n00:19:43,000 –> 00:19:47,000
\nHe besought God and prayed so
\nmuch in this trial that he was <\/p>\n

328
\n00:19:47,000 –> 00:19:52,360
\nexhausted from looking up into
\nheaven as he pleaded, but it <\/p>\n

329
\n00:19:52,360 –> 00:19:58,240
\nstill seemed that no answer came
\nand so he says, oh Yahweh, I am <\/p>\n

330
\n00:19:58,280 –> 00:20:00,800
\noppressed.
\nNow, even in the English we know<\/p>\n

331
\n00:20:00,800 –> 00:20:02,720
\nthat the word oppressed carries
\nthat idea of. <\/p>\n

332
\n00:20:03,160 –> 00:20:07,840
\nPressing down, forcing down,
\ncrushing weight, keeping someone<\/p>\n

333
\n00:20:07,840 –> 00:20:10,640
\nin subjection and hardship to
\npress against. <\/p>\n

334
\n00:20:10,800 –> 00:20:12,760
\nAnd that’s what the Hebrew word
\nmeans here. <\/p>\n

335
\n00:20:12,960 –> 00:20:15,840
\nHere’s a car felt as if he was
\nunder the pressure of a <\/p>\n

336
\n00:20:15,920 –> 00:20:20,480
\nmerciless creditor who was
\ndemanding the repayment of a <\/p>\n

337
\n00:20:20,480 –> 00:20:22,280
\ndebt who could not, He couldn’t
\npay. <\/p>\n

338
\n00:20:22,280 –> 00:20:25,520
\nAnd so he cries.
\nOh Yahweh, I am oppressed. <\/p>\n

339
\n00:20:25,560 –> 00:20:29,920
\nUndertake for me.
\nAnd that word undertake means to<\/p>\n

340
\n00:20:29,920 –> 00:20:34,040
\ngive pledge or to become a
\nguarantor, he says, I can’t pay <\/p>\n

341
\n00:20:34,040 –> 00:20:37,360
\nit.
\nOh, God, please become my <\/p>\n

342
\n00:20:37,360 –> 00:20:39,160
\nguarantor.
\nBecause the guarantor, of <\/p>\n

343
\n00:20:39,160 –> 00:20:42,920
\ncourse, was one who was prepared
\non behalf of someone else to pay<\/p>\n

344
\n00:20:42,920 –> 00:20:45,400
\nthe bond that would release the
\ndefendant. <\/p>\n

345
\n00:20:45,560 –> 00:20:47,920
\nOh, Yahweh, become my security,
\nhe says. <\/p>\n

346
\n00:20:48,080 –> 00:20:52,240
\nSo death was the creditor asking
\nfor immediate payment, and his <\/p>\n

347
\n00:20:52,240 –> 00:20:54,800
\nakaya was the debtor who could
\nnot pay. <\/p>\n

348
\n00:20:56,240 –> 00:21:00,280
\nOh, Yahweh, wilt thou act for me
\nand be my security? <\/p>\n

349
\n00:21:00,440 –> 00:21:04,400
\nHe’s at his lowest moment at
\nthis point in the writing of <\/p>\n

350
\n00:21:04,400 –> 00:21:08,200
\nHezekiah verse 14.
\nHe’s at the bottom. <\/p>\n

351
\n00:21:10,800 –> 00:21:15,560
\nBut when all seemed lost and
\nIsaiah had come and gone with <\/p>\n

352
\n00:21:15,560 –> 00:21:19,560
\nthe message that his illness
\nwould kill him, the amazing <\/p>\n

353
\n00:21:19,560 –> 00:21:21,920
\nreturn of the prophet and the
\nmiracle of his reprieve had <\/p>\n

354
\n00:21:21,920 –> 00:21:23,800
\ncome.
\nAnd so now we’ve got the second <\/p>\n

355
\n00:21:23,800 –> 00:21:26,800
\npart of the writing because,
\nwell, it follows hard on the <\/p>\n

356
\n00:21:26,800 –> 00:21:29,960
\nheels, you see.
\nSo if the first section of the <\/p>\n

357
\n00:21:29,960 –> 00:21:34,760
\nwriting was about his despair at
\nthe prospect of death, then the <\/p>\n

358
\n00:21:34,760 –> 00:21:39,440
\nsecond-half of the writing is
\nabout as delight at the promise <\/p>\n

359
\n00:21:39,440 –> 00:21:42,680
\nof life.
\nVerses 15 to 20. <\/p>\n

360
\n00:21:44,760 –> 00:21:47,200
\nAnd there’s another little
\nkeyword, you see, that marks out<\/p>\n

361
\n00:21:47,200 –> 00:21:50,560
\nthe beginning and the change.
\nWhat shall I say? <\/p>\n

362
\n00:21:52,800 –> 00:21:56,320
\nPreviously I had said it’s about
\nhis previous anguish. <\/p>\n

363
\n00:21:56,400 –> 00:22:01,240
\nNow what shall I say is about
\nhis future gladness? <\/p>\n

364
\n00:22:02,160 –> 00:22:04,600
\nThis is the moment when the
\nPsalm changes, where the writing<\/p>\n

365
\n00:22:04,600 –> 00:22:06,560
\nalters because the reprieve has
\ncome. <\/p>\n

366
\n00:22:09,360 –> 00:22:11,840
\nSo he says, verse 15, What shall
\nI say? <\/p>\n

367
\n00:22:13,080 –> 00:22:15,520
\nYou see, this is the confession
\nof a man who’d been brought low <\/p>\n

368
\n00:22:15,520 –> 00:22:19,360
\nand then rendered almost
\nspeechless by the surprise of <\/p>\n

369
\n00:22:19,360 –> 00:22:22,640
\nhis restoration.
\nIt was his unexpected <\/p>\n

370
\n00:22:22,640 –> 00:22:24,960
\ndeliverance which left him
\nstruggling to find words. <\/p>\n

371
\n00:22:25,040 –> 00:22:27,200
\nI don’t know what to say.
\nHe says, What shall I say? <\/p>\n

372
\n00:22:27,400 –> 00:22:31,560
\nWhat can I say to the answer
\nthat had come by the mouth of of<\/p>\n

373
\n00:22:31,560 –> 00:22:34,120
\nthe prophet Isaiah?
\nIn fact, he says at the end of <\/p>\n

374
\n00:22:34,120 –> 00:22:36,840
\nthat verse, he hath both.
\nThat’s God, of course. <\/p>\n

375
\n00:22:37,120 –> 00:22:42,680
\nHe hath both spoken unto me and
\nhimself hath done it. <\/p>\n

376
\n00:22:43,360 –> 00:22:46,800
\nSee, God had promised his
\ndeliverance, verse 5, but now he<\/p>\n

377
\n00:22:46,800 –> 00:22:50,560
\nbrought it to pass.
\nHe’d felt the healing. <\/p>\n

378
\n00:22:50,880 –> 00:22:53,680
\nAnd so from this point, the
\nwriting of Hezekiah would move <\/p>\n

379
\n00:22:53,880 –> 00:22:57,880
\nfrom the depression that gripped
\nhim to the gladness of <\/p>\n

380
\n00:22:57,880 –> 00:23:03,000
\ndeliverance.
\nAnd so he says in verse 15, What<\/p>\n

381
\n00:23:03,000 –> 00:23:05,560
\nshall I say?
\nHe hath both spoken unto me and <\/p>\n

382
\n00:23:05,560 –> 00:23:09,080
\nhimself have done it.
\nI shall go softly all my years <\/p>\n

383
\n00:23:09,320 –> 00:23:12,640
\nin the bitterness of my soul.
\nSee, this was a time for a new <\/p>\n

384
\n00:23:12,640 –> 00:23:14,760
\ncommitment before his God,
\nstarting right now. <\/p>\n

385
\n00:23:16,560 –> 00:23:19,720
\nSo here’s one of the lessons
\nthat comes out of the story, <\/p>\n

386
\n00:23:19,720 –> 00:23:30,560
\nbrothers and sisters.
\nWe can’t choose our trials, but <\/p>\n

387
\n00:23:30,560 –> 00:23:36,760
\nwe can choose whether we will
\nallow them to mark us for good <\/p>\n

388
\n00:23:36,760 –> 00:23:44,040
\nor for evil before our God.
\nYou see, with some, the effect <\/p>\n

389
\n00:23:44,040 –> 00:23:47,720
\nof trial is to move them further
\naway from God as they brood on <\/p>\n

390
\n00:23:47,720 –> 00:23:49,680
\nthe injustice of their own
\nposition. <\/p>\n

391
\n00:23:52,240 –> 00:23:55,600
\nAnd with others, the same trial
\ncan have the effect of drawing <\/p>\n

392
\n00:23:55,600 –> 00:24:00,080
\nthem closer to God as they
\nhumble themselves to learn and <\/p>\n

393
\n00:24:00,080 –> 00:24:01,920
\nto change.
\nAnd Hezekiah chose. <\/p>\n

394
\n00:24:02,040 –> 00:24:06,680
\nHe chose to have this experience
\nshape him for the better with <\/p>\n

395
\n00:24:06,680 –> 00:24:11,040
\nregard to his future service.
\nNow, incidentally, most <\/p>\n

396
\n00:24:11,040 –> 00:24:14,960
\ntranslations read that section
\nat the end of verse 15 as <\/p>\n

397
\n00:24:14,960 –> 00:24:18,640
\nfollows.
\nI shall go softly all my years <\/p>\n

398
\n00:24:19,280 –> 00:24:23,280
\nbecause of the bitterness of my
\nsoul. <\/p>\n

399
\n00:24:23,840 –> 00:24:26,280
\nHe wasn’t going to stay in his
\nbitterness. <\/p>\n

400
\n00:24:26,560 –> 00:24:31,160
\nHe was going to walk differently
\nbecause of his bitterness and <\/p>\n

401
\n00:24:31,160 –> 00:24:33,800
\nhow he would permit it to affect
\nhim. <\/p>\n

402
\n00:24:33,960 –> 00:24:35,880
\nIn fact, you see that word go
\nsoftly there. <\/p>\n

403
\n00:24:36,240 –> 00:24:39,560
\nThat word is only found in one
\nother place in Scripture. <\/p>\n

404
\n00:24:39,880 –> 00:24:44,880
\nIt’s the word used in Psalm 42,
\nverse 4 when it says this. <\/p>\n

405
\n00:24:46,400 –> 00:24:50,320
\nI had gone with the multitude I
\nwent with them to the House of <\/p>\n

406
\n00:24:50,320 –> 00:24:53,520
\nGod with the voice of joy and
\npraise with a multitude that <\/p>\n

407
\n00:24:53,520 –> 00:24:57,680
\nkept holy day and in that verse
\nin the Psalm, the words I went <\/p>\n

408
\n00:24:57,680 –> 00:25:00,520
\nwith them to the House of God.
\nI went with them. <\/p>\n

409
\n00:25:00,680 –> 00:25:04,040
\nIs that same word translated
\ngoes softly here. <\/p>\n

410
\n00:25:04,960 –> 00:25:10,400
\nSo the word refers to the sacred
\nMarch of those who walked in <\/p>\n

411
\n00:25:10,400 –> 00:25:14,560
\nprocession to the temple.
\nNow, Hezekiah focused all his <\/p>\n

412
\n00:25:14,560 –> 00:25:18,840
\nlife on the House of God and the
\nworship of Yahweh there, and so <\/p>\n

413
\n00:25:18,840 –> 00:25:24,080
\nhe vows to use the experience of
\nthis crisis to frame his <\/p>\n

414
\n00:25:24,080 –> 00:25:28,080
\nthinking so that he would always
\nbehave with the reverence and <\/p>\n

415
\n00:25:28,080 –> 00:25:31,240
\nthe humility of one who was
\nascending to the House of God. <\/p>\n

416
\n00:25:31,600 –> 00:25:33,520
\nHe’s making a commitment,
\nbrothers and sisters, that he <\/p>\n

417
\n00:25:33,520 –> 00:25:37,400
\nwould use the blessing of these
\nnext 15 years just as wisely as <\/p>\n

418
\n00:25:37,400 –> 00:25:40,880
\nhe could and always with the
\ntruth uppermost in his mind. <\/p>\n

419
\n00:25:41,080 –> 00:25:43,840
\nThat was the spirit that he had.
\nIt’s a wonderful spirit to have,<\/p>\n

420
\n00:25:44,600 –> 00:25:47,240
\nin other words, translated into
\nourselves. <\/p>\n

421
\n00:25:50,080 –> 00:25:52,960
\nIt’s like we’re going to walk as
\nif we were just coming into the <\/p>\n

422
\n00:25:53,520 –> 00:25:59,840
\nmeeting every hour of our lives.
\nWe’re just about to enter the <\/p>\n

423
\n00:25:59,840 –> 00:26:03,080
\nmeeting hall now.
\nWhat a good spirit that would be<\/p>\n

424
\n00:26:03,120 –> 00:26:06,000
\nto walk each day as if that’s
\nwhere we were going. <\/p>\n

425
\n00:26:06,400 –> 00:26:10,360
\nSo in the second section,
\nfirstly, then a pain of praise <\/p>\n

426
\n00:26:10,360 –> 00:26:15,320
\nin these verses for the thanks
\nthat he had for the extension of<\/p>\n

427
\n00:26:15,320 –> 00:26:19,840
\nhis life and a decision to walk
\nin reverence for restoration. <\/p>\n

428
\n00:26:21,000 –> 00:26:24,640
\nAnd then in verses 18 to 20,
\nhe’s going to have, he’s going <\/p>\n

429
\n00:26:24,640 –> 00:26:28,520
\nto make a vow of commitment to
\nteach the truth and give a <\/p>\n

430
\n00:26:28,520 –> 00:26:32,480
\npromise that he would renew his
\npraises of his God. <\/p>\n

431
\n00:26:33,280 –> 00:26:35,160
\nSo here’s the spirit then of the
\nking. <\/p>\n

432
\n00:26:35,880 –> 00:26:38,800
\nHe was going to use this
\nopportunity in just the very <\/p>\n

433
\n00:26:38,800 –> 00:26:42,960
\nbest way he could, this
\nextension of life that had been <\/p>\n

434
\n00:26:43,200 –> 00:26:46,320
\ngranted unto him.
\nSo you see what he says in verse<\/p>\n

435
\n00:26:46,320 –> 00:26:50,160
\n16.
\nHe says, O Yahweh, by these <\/p>\n

436
\n00:26:50,160 –> 00:26:53,480
\nthings men live.
\nNow what do you think that <\/p>\n

437
\n00:26:53,480 –> 00:26:55,960
\nmeans?
\nBy what things? <\/p>\n

438
\n00:26:57,560 –> 00:27:02,440
\nWell, I think the context links
\nto verse 15 and the words of <\/p>\n

439
\n00:27:02,440 –> 00:27:07,160
\npromised restoration that God
\nhad uttered by these things, the<\/p>\n

440
\n00:27:07,160 –> 00:27:10,400
\nword that God had spoken.
\nDo you remember Deuteronomy 8 <\/p>\n

441
\n00:27:10,400 –> 00:27:13,480
\nverse three?
\nMan doth not live by bread <\/p>\n

442
\n00:27:13,480 –> 00:27:19,520
\nalone, but by every word that
\nproceedeth out of the mouth of <\/p>\n

443
\n00:27:19,520 –> 00:27:25,360
\nYahweh doth man live.
\nWe live by the Word of God. <\/p>\n

444
\n00:27:26,240 –> 00:27:29,040
\nYou see, we all live by virtue
\nof the edicts of Yahweh that <\/p>\n

445
\n00:27:29,040 –> 00:27:32,200
\ndetermines the governance of the
\nworld and the declarations of <\/p>\n

446
\n00:27:32,200 –> 00:27:34,520
\nGod that outline the workings of
\nHis Providence. <\/p>\n

447
\n00:27:34,560 –> 00:27:37,280
\nIn these things all men live.
\nBut I think Hezekiah had <\/p>\n

448
\n00:27:37,280 –> 00:27:39,640
\nsomething more unique and
\npersonal in mind. <\/p>\n

449
\n00:27:39,840 –> 00:27:43,080
\nHe felt a connection with the
\nthought that we live under the <\/p>\n

450
\n00:27:43,080 –> 00:27:46,920
\nsovereign hand of He whose word
\nalone can destroy or create. <\/p>\n

451
\n00:27:47,160 –> 00:27:50,920
\nBut in his life it meant this.
\nAs he goes on to say in all <\/p>\n

452
\n00:27:50,920 –> 00:27:55,040
\nthese things he says is the life
\nof my spirit. <\/p>\n

453
\n00:27:55,640 –> 00:27:58,760
\nSo Rotherham says and all
\ntogether in them is the life of <\/p>\n

454
\n00:27:59,000 –> 00:28:02,720
\nmy spirit because you see he had
\nspecial reason to confess this <\/p>\n

455
\n00:28:02,720 –> 00:28:05,280
\ntruth.
\nGod had spoken a word to him, <\/p>\n

456
\n00:28:06,600 –> 00:28:12,160
\nverse 15, that promised his
\nrecovery from illness that had <\/p>\n

457
\n00:28:12,160 –> 00:28:14,840
\nthreatened him by the word of
\nGod, men live. <\/p>\n

458
\n00:28:14,840 –> 00:28:17,520
\nBut I especially so says
\nHezekiah. <\/p>\n

459
\n00:28:17,760 –> 00:28:20,840
\nAnd I wonder whether those 15
\nyears that were granted to the <\/p>\n

460
\n00:28:20,840 –> 00:28:27,720
\nking were counted by Hezekiah as
\nbeen especially and uniquely now<\/p>\n

461
\n00:28:28,240 –> 00:28:32,080
\nthe life of his spirit.
\nYou see, he hadn’t he hadn’t <\/p>\n

462
\n00:28:32,080 –> 00:28:36,520
\njust been restored to health.
\nHe’d been given a fresh start to<\/p>\n

463
\n00:28:36,520 –> 00:28:40,200
\nrepeat his reign.
\nHe wanted to use that winding <\/p>\n

464
\n00:28:40,200 –> 00:28:43,760
\nback of the clock of his life
\njust as spiritually as he <\/p>\n

465
\n00:28:43,760 –> 00:28:49,160
\npossibly could.
\nAnd so he says in verse 16, So <\/p>\n

466
\n00:28:49,160 –> 00:28:52,400
\nwilt thou recover me and make me
\nto live. <\/p>\n

467
\n00:28:52,640 –> 00:28:56,600
\nActually, most translations
\nrender the phrase in the past <\/p>\n

468
\n00:28:56,600 –> 00:29:00,440
\ntense.
\nFor thou hast recovered me and <\/p>\n

469
\n00:29:00,640 –> 00:29:04,040
\nmade me to live.
\nAnd I think that past tense as <\/p>\n

470
\n00:29:04,040 –> 00:29:06,480
\nof something already
\naccomplished is highly <\/p>\n

471
\n00:29:06,480 –> 00:29:08,760
\nappropriate here.
\nBecause remember what we’ve <\/p>\n

472
\n00:29:08,760 –> 00:29:12,000
\nalready been told in verse 9 at
\nthe start of this writing. <\/p>\n

473
\n00:29:12,120 –> 00:29:17,160
\nThis was the writing of Hezekiah
\nwhen he had been sick and was <\/p>\n

474
\n00:29:17,240 –> 00:29:20,680
\nrecovered of his sickness.
\nAnd so the past tense here, I <\/p>\n

475
\n00:29:20,680 –> 00:29:25,720
\nthink in verse 16, similarly is
\nappropriate to what Hezekiah has<\/p>\n

476
\n00:29:25,720 –> 00:29:30,840
\nin mind.
\nBehold, he says verse 17 for <\/p>\n

477
\n00:29:30,840 –> 00:29:33,600
\npeace.
\nI had great bitterness. <\/p>\n

478
\n00:29:35,280 –> 00:29:39,720
\nDo you know this is one of those
\noccasions where the Hebrew <\/p>\n

479
\n00:29:39,720 –> 00:29:43,800
\nactually conveys the very
\nopposite idea to the English? <\/p>\n

480
\n00:29:45,560 –> 00:29:51,360
\nBecause the sense of the Hebrew
\nis, behold, it was for my peace <\/p>\n

481
\n00:29:52,480 –> 00:29:55,560
\nthat I had such bitterness, such
\nbitterness. <\/p>\n

482
\n00:29:55,640 –> 00:29:57,880
\nBecause the word bitterness is
\nrepeated, it’s doubled in the <\/p>\n

483
\n00:29:57,880 –> 00:30:01,480
\nHebrew text.
\nIt was for my peace that I have <\/p>\n

484
\n00:30:01,480 –> 00:30:03,960
\nhad such bitterness, such
\nbitterness. <\/p>\n

485
\n00:30:04,200 –> 00:30:09,360
\nSo Hezekiah’s response after his
\nrecovery was to see the whole <\/p>\n

486
\n00:30:09,360 –> 00:30:13,680
\nepisode as a provision from
\nYahweh for his spiritual <\/p>\n

487
\n00:30:13,760 –> 00:30:17,040
\ndevelopment.
\nThis bitterness, he says, has <\/p>\n

488
\n00:30:17,040 –> 00:30:19,920
\nbeen ultimately for my good and
\nfor my peace and the word peace.<\/p>\n

489
\n00:30:19,920 –> 00:30:22,960
\nShalom, of course, means not
\njust peace, but also safety and <\/p>\n

490
\n00:30:22,960 –> 00:30:25,240
\nwelfare.
\nIt’s for my good that God’s done<\/p>\n

491
\n00:30:25,240 –> 00:30:27,320
\nthis in my life.
\nYou see, that’s the response of <\/p>\n

492
\n00:30:27,320 –> 00:30:30,480
\na godly mind.
\nIt’s the Spirit that produces <\/p>\n

493
\n00:30:30,480 –> 00:30:32,640
\ngrowth in our lives.
\nBut and sisters, when we <\/p>\n

494
\n00:30:32,640 –> 00:30:35,920
\nrecognize that that bitterness
\nthat has come upon us, Yahweh’s <\/p>\n

495
\n00:30:35,920 –> 00:30:39,600
\nused it for good in our lives to
\ndevelop our character before <\/p>\n

496
\n00:30:39,600 –> 00:30:43,920
\nhim, and Yahweh had intended the
\nwhole experience for his good <\/p>\n

497
\n00:30:44,040 –> 00:30:47,880
\nand for Hezekiah’s benefit.
\nBut it’s Hezekiah’s wonderful <\/p>\n

498
\n00:30:47,880 –> 00:30:52,240
\nattitude in accepting that
\nthought that’s so excitational <\/p>\n

499
\n00:30:52,240 –> 00:30:56,320
\nto us as we go through the
\ncrises of our own life that he <\/p>\n

500
\n00:30:56,320 –> 00:31:00,120
\nsays in the middle of verse 17,
\nThou hast in love to my soul, <\/p>\n

501
\n00:31:00,120 –> 00:31:01,920
\ndelivered it from the pit of
\ncorruption. <\/p>\n

502
\n00:31:02,200 –> 00:31:04,320
\nDo you notice the words
\ndelivered it and not in the <\/p>\n

503
\n00:31:04,320 –> 00:31:08,760
\nHebrew?
\nAnd the margin is better. <\/p>\n

504
\n00:31:09,560 –> 00:31:11,920
\nThe margin says, and I think
\nrightly so. <\/p>\n

505
\n00:31:12,320 –> 00:31:17,440
\nThou hast loved my soul from the
\npit. <\/p>\n

506
\n00:31:18,760 –> 00:31:21,000
\nSo this turns love into a verb,
\ndoesn’t it? <\/p>\n

507
\n00:31:21,000 –> 00:31:24,120
\nVery much.
\nIt’s a very tender expression <\/p>\n

508
\n00:31:24,120 –> 00:31:26,440
\nwhen you think about it.
\nIt’s as if God, having seen his <\/p>\n

509
\n00:31:26,440 –> 00:31:29,320
\nservant slipping into the pit of
\ndeath, had reached out to <\/p>\n

510
\n00:31:29,320 –> 00:31:33,240
\nembrace him, had bound his cords
\nof love around him, and hauled <\/p>\n

511
\n00:31:33,240 –> 00:31:35,120
\nhim back from the edge to
\nsafety. <\/p>\n

512
\n00:31:36,080 –> 00:31:37,880
\nHe’s loved me out of the pit, he
\nsays. <\/p>\n

513
\n00:31:38,600 –> 00:31:40,880
\nAnd you know, brothers and
\nsisters, before our Lord comes, <\/p>\n

514
\n00:31:40,880 –> 00:31:43,880
\nand if our Lord tarry, there
\nmight be many of us who finally <\/p>\n

515
\n00:31:43,880 –> 00:31:45,680
\nare in the pit before the Lord
\nhas come. <\/p>\n

516
\n00:31:45,840 –> 00:31:48,680
\nBut it is our hope and our
\nprayer that God will love us out<\/p>\n

517
\n00:31:48,680 –> 00:31:51,000
\nof the pit again at the coming
\nof our Lord. <\/p>\n

518
\n00:31:51,920 –> 00:31:54,800
\nAnd he did that for Hezekiah on
\nthis occasion as a dramatic <\/p>\n

519
\n00:31:54,800 –> 00:31:59,120
\nillustration of what we all hope
\nin terms of the reality of death<\/p>\n

520
\n00:31:59,320 –> 00:32:02,840
\nbeing removed by the blessing of
\neternal life in times to come. <\/p>\n

521
\n00:32:03,360 –> 00:32:06,400
\nAnd because God had hauled him
\nback to safety, back from the <\/p>\n

522
\n00:32:06,440 –> 00:32:11,080
\nedge, loved him out of the pit,
\nbecause God had done that, he <\/p>\n

523
\n00:32:11,080 –> 00:32:16,240
\nfelt his akaya felt at the end
\nof verse 17 that he had cast all<\/p>\n

524
\n00:32:16,240 –> 00:32:19,840
\nhis sins behind his back.
\nHe reasoned that his recovery <\/p>\n

525
\n00:32:19,840 –> 00:32:22,760
\nmust also signify his
\nforgiveness. <\/p>\n

526
\n00:32:24,200 –> 00:32:30,240
\nAnd for God to cast all his sins
\nbehind his back, meant to cast <\/p>\n

527
\n00:32:30,240 –> 00:32:37,600
\nthem to a place where they can
\nneither be seen or remembered. <\/p>\n

528
\n00:32:41,600 –> 00:32:43,760
\nGod can do what we can’t,
\nbrothers and sisters. <\/p>\n

529
\n00:32:47,040 –> 00:32:54,320
\nWe forgive and try to forgive.
\nWe find it very hard to forget. <\/p>\n

530
\n00:32:57,200 –> 00:33:00,400
\nGod can forgive so completely
\nthat it’s as if our sins have <\/p>\n

531
\n00:33:00,400 –> 00:33:04,120
\nbeen cast behind his back and he
\ntruly remembers them no more. <\/p>\n

532
\n00:33:07,080 –> 00:33:09,480
\nIt’s an astounding blessing, the
\nforgiveness of God. <\/p>\n

533
\n00:33:11,400 –> 00:33:12,920
\nAnd that’s how Hezekiah felt
\nright now. <\/p>\n

534
\n00:33:15,040 –> 00:33:18,600
\nSo he says verse 18 For the
\ngrave cannot praise thee, death <\/p>\n

535
\n00:33:18,600 –> 00:33:21,240
\ncannot celebrate thee.
\nThey that go down to the pit <\/p>\n

536
\n00:33:21,240 –> 00:33:23,840
\ncannot hope for thy truth.
\nYou know, it’s interesting. <\/p>\n

537
\n00:33:24,000 –> 00:33:26,520
\nWe shan’t turn them up because
\nwe haven’t got time. <\/p>\n

538
\n00:33:26,800 –> 00:33:34,040
\nBut if you make a note of Psalm
\n6 verse 5, Psalm 88 verses <\/p>\n

539
\n00:33:34,040 –> 00:33:44,600
\n11:50, Psalm 115 verses 17 and
\n18, Ecclesiastes 9 verses 5 and <\/p>\n

540
\n00:33:44,600 –> 00:33:49,440
\n10, the similarities between
\nthose expressions in those other<\/p>\n

541
\n00:33:49,440 –> 00:33:54,040
\nplaces in Hezekiah’s words are
\nso marked and so strong that I <\/p>\n

542
\n00:33:54,040 –> 00:33:57,160
\nwonder whether in fact, through
\nthe Spirit, he’s quoting from <\/p>\n

543
\n00:33:57,160 –> 00:34:00,640
\nthem in his writing.
\nIt’s a spirit inspired utterance<\/p>\n

544
\n00:34:00,640 –> 00:34:05,160
\nof Hezekiah drawing on other
\ntestimonies about mortality, the<\/p>\n

545
\n00:34:05,160 –> 00:34:09,679
\nfundamental doctrine of the
\ntruth that teaches that death is<\/p>\n

546
\n00:34:09,679 –> 00:34:12,320
\nthe cessation of existence.
\nBecause that’s what Hezekiah <\/p>\n

547
\n00:34:12,320 –> 00:34:15,239
\nbelieved, as he says in this
\nverse, that in the state of <\/p>\n

548
\n00:34:15,239 –> 00:34:19,199
\ndeath man cannot think, cannot
\npraise, cannot hope in God. <\/p>\n

549
\n00:34:19,400 –> 00:34:24,320
\nAnd yet again, verse 11, as
\nverse 11 had said, Hezekiah was <\/p>\n

550
\n00:34:24,320 –> 00:34:28,520
\nthe most distressed at the
\nthought that he would lose the <\/p>\n

551
\n00:34:28,520 –> 00:34:30,199
\nprivilege of communing with his
\nGod. <\/p>\n

552
\n00:34:30,639 –> 00:34:34,480
\nAnd that’s the thing he rejoices
\nat the most with the promise of <\/p>\n

553
\n00:34:34,480 –> 00:34:37,960
\nthis renewed life.
\nIt meant for him the chance to <\/p>\n

554
\n00:34:37,960 –> 00:34:44,159
\ncome again before his God in
\npraise, the blessing of <\/p>\n

555
\n00:34:44,159 –> 00:34:47,840
\nfellowship with God.
\nWell, that rank is one of the <\/p>\n

556
\n00:34:47,840 –> 00:34:50,280
\nthings we would fear losing.
\nIt was for Hezekiah. <\/p>\n

557
\n00:34:50,280 –> 00:34:54,000
\nYou see, this was the man whose
\nrelationship with his God was so<\/p>\n

558
\n00:34:54,199 –> 00:34:58,400
\nvery deep and very strong that
\nhe felt that most of all. <\/p>\n

559
\n00:34:58,400 –> 00:35:01,480
\nAnd so he says with tears of
\nthankfulness, verse 19, the <\/p>\n

560
\n00:35:01,480 –> 00:35:05,280
\nliving, the living, He shall
\npraise thee as I do this day. <\/p>\n

561
\n00:35:06,160 –> 00:35:10,360
\nThe father to the children shall
\nmake known thy truth. <\/p>\n

562
\n00:35:12,000 –> 00:35:15,840
\nNow it’s been observed, and
\nrightly so, that in these 15 <\/p>\n

563
\n00:35:15,840 –> 00:35:20,120
\nyears that were added to him,
\nHezekiah did marry and he did <\/p>\n

564
\n00:35:20,120 –> 00:35:23,720
\nhave a child through whom the
\nDavidic line might be continued.<\/p>\n

565
\n00:35:24,280 –> 00:35:28,160
\nBut you notice it’s not child
\nsingular here, the father to the<\/p>\n

566
\n00:35:28,160 –> 00:35:31,840
\nchild, it’s the father to the
\nchildren. <\/p>\n

567
\n00:35:33,600 –> 00:35:37,800
\nAnd Hezekiah had more children
\nplural than simply the son of <\/p>\n

568
\n00:35:37,800 –> 00:35:41,680
\nhis own bells.
\nHe was the spiritual father of <\/p>\n

569
\n00:35:41,680 –> 00:35:43,520
\nthe nation.
\nAnd I think that this was his <\/p>\n

570
\n00:35:43,520 –> 00:35:47,840
\nvow in this verse, verse 19.
\nThis was his vow to continue <\/p>\n

571
\n00:35:47,840 –> 00:35:50,720
\nworking with the nation.
\nIn fact, he’d already said these<\/p>\n

572
\n00:35:50,720 –> 00:35:54,680
\nwords in Isaiah 37, verse 3.
\nThe children are come to the <\/p>\n

573
\n00:35:54,680 –> 00:35:58,040
\nbirth, he says, and there’s not
\nstrength to bring them forth. <\/p>\n

574
\n00:35:58,200 –> 00:36:01,880
\nAnd now he says, the father to
\nthe children shall make know thy<\/p>\n

575
\n00:36:01,880 –> 00:36:04,920
\ntruth, because now that he had
\nhis strength back again, he had <\/p>\n

576
\n00:36:04,920 –> 00:36:08,960
\nwith it the determination to use
\nhis time in teaching the truth <\/p>\n

577
\n00:36:08,960 –> 00:36:12,440
\nto those children, the nation he
\nwas working with, to spiritually<\/p>\n

578
\n00:36:12,440 –> 00:36:14,720
\nreform them.
\nAnd that’s his pledge right now,<\/p>\n

579
\n00:36:14,880 –> 00:36:18,680
\nat this moment of recovery, the
\nfather to the children shall <\/p>\n

580
\n00:36:18,680 –> 00:36:21,360
\nmake know thy truth.
\nWe’re going to examine shortly, <\/p>\n

581
\n00:36:21,360 –> 00:36:25,040
\nbrothers and sisters, just how
\ncompletely Hezekiah fulfilled <\/p>\n

582
\n00:36:25,040 –> 00:36:32,400
\nthat commitment that he made.
\nSo he says verse 20, Yahweh was <\/p>\n

583
\n00:36:32,400 –> 00:36:36,640
\nready to save me, therefore we
\nwill sing my songs to the <\/p>\n

584
\n00:36:36,640 –> 00:36:39,840
\nstringed instruments all the
\ndays of our life in the House of<\/p>\n

585
\n00:36:39,840 –> 00:36:42,600
\nYahweh.
\nNow did you read that carefully?<\/p>\n

586
\n00:36:43,120 –> 00:36:51,160
\nYahweh was ready to save me,
\ntherefore we will sing my songs <\/p>\n

587
\n00:36:51,200 –> 00:36:55,400
\nall the days of our life.
\nNow who’s the we in the air? <\/p>\n

588
\n00:36:56,160 –> 00:36:58,840
\nWell, I think the answer is the
\nnation that he was teaching, not<\/p>\n

589
\n00:36:58,840 –> 00:37:00,960
\njust a child of his own.
\nHe wasn’t just going to sing his<\/p>\n

590
\n00:37:00,960 –> 00:37:03,280
\nsongs in the temple with his own
\nfamily. <\/p>\n

591
\n00:37:03,400 –> 00:37:06,720
\nHe wanted to guide the nation
\nand he wanted them to understand<\/p>\n

592
\n00:37:06,720 –> 00:37:09,160
\nthe meaning of this deliverance.
\nWe’re all in this together, he <\/p>\n

593
\n00:37:09,160 –> 00:37:11,120
\nsays.
\nIn fact, he wrote this Psalm so <\/p>\n

594
\n00:37:11,120 –> 00:37:13,640
\nthat the nation might learn.
\nAnd he wanted to bring the whole<\/p>\n

595
\n00:37:13,640 –> 00:37:17,160
\nnation on a journey of discovery
\nas to how God had providentially<\/p>\n

596
\n00:37:17,160 –> 00:37:21,920
\nworked in his life, but also in
\ntheirs at this moment and at <\/p>\n

597
\n00:37:21,920 –> 00:37:26,880
\nthis time of crisis.
\nAnd so now the writing is ended <\/p>\n

598
\n00:37:26,880 –> 00:37:31,760
\nand his Psalm was complete.
\nThere’s two other details about <\/p>\n

599
\n00:37:31,760 –> 00:37:35,040
\nthe lump of figs and the sign
\ngoing up to the house, verses 21<\/p>\n

600
\n00:37:35,040 –> 00:37:39,720
\nand 22, that actually in the in
\nthe King’s record are added much<\/p>\n

601
\n00:37:39,760 –> 00:37:42,840
\nearlier in the story.
\nAnd so they should come between <\/p>\n

602
\n00:37:42,840 –> 00:37:45,960
\nIsaiah 38 verse 6 and Isaiah 38
\nverse 7. <\/p>\n

603
\n00:37:46,360 –> 00:37:48,680
\nBut because it concerned the
\nmatter of recovery, I think <\/p>\n

604
\n00:37:48,680 –> 00:37:53,000
\nIsaiah, at least for one reason,
\nput it at the end of the Psalm, <\/p>\n

605
\n00:37:53,400 –> 00:37:56,000
\nbecause it was consistent with
\nhis theme of pointing out the <\/p>\n

606
\n00:37:56,000 –> 00:38:01,320
\nrecovery of the king.
\nSo now his Psalm has ended. <\/p>\n

607
\n00:38:03,160 –> 00:38:05,160
\nAnd that vow that he made.
\nVerse 20. <\/p>\n

608
\n00:38:05,160 –> 00:38:09,240
\nWe will sing my songs all the
\ndays of our life in the House of<\/p>\n

609
\n00:38:09,240 –> 00:38:10,800
\nYahweh.
\nThey were not empty words. <\/p>\n

610
\n00:38:10,840 –> 00:38:12,480
\nHe was going to make good on
\nthem. <\/p>\n

611
\n00:38:12,720 –> 00:38:16,200
\nIn fact, we have good reason to
\nbelieve that Hezekiah threw <\/p>\n

612
\n00:38:16,200 –> 00:38:20,360
\nhimself into the work of the
\ntruth with even more vigor than <\/p>\n

613
\n00:38:20,360 –> 00:38:24,160
\nhe’d shown before his illness.
\nHe redoubled his efforts, and <\/p>\n

614
\n00:38:24,160 –> 00:38:27,600
\nespecially in the work of
\npreserving the truth for the <\/p>\n

615
\n00:38:27,600 –> 00:38:32,920
\ngeneration that he was guiding.
\nAnd that there to sing those <\/p>\n

616
\n00:38:32,920 –> 00:38:37,520
\nsongs was significant because
\nHezekiah was going to edit and <\/p>\n

617
\n00:38:37,520 –> 00:38:41,280
\nproduce a whole section of the
\nBook of Psalms in commemoration <\/p>\n

618
\n00:38:41,280 –> 00:38:46,680
\nof this one episode in his life,
\nand to fulfil the vow of verse <\/p>\n

619
\n00:38:46,680 –> 00:38:50,920
\n20.
\nAnd that section of Psalms which<\/p>\n

620
\n00:38:50,920 –> 00:38:55,840
\nhe wrote in honour of that
\npledge is of course this section<\/p>\n

621
\n00:38:56,840 –> 00:39:01,760
\nknown as the Song of the
\nDegrees. <\/p>\n

622
\n00:39:05,040 –> 00:39:06,720
\nNow do you notice the definite
\narticle? <\/p>\n

623
\n00:39:08,800 –> 00:39:15,840
\nSo the Song of the Degrees is
\nPsalms 120 to 134, and every one<\/p>\n

624
\n00:39:15,840 –> 00:39:22,760
\nof those Psalms bears the same
\ntitle, a song of the degrees and<\/p>\n

625
\n00:39:22,760 –> 00:39:24,920
\nthat word degrees.
\nTherefore, and the use of the <\/p>\n

626
\n00:39:24,920 –> 00:39:28,600
\ndefinite article indicates that
\nthe word degrees had some <\/p>\n

627
\n00:39:28,600 –> 00:39:32,360
\nconcrete and specific meaning
\nthat was associated with this <\/p>\n

628
\n00:39:32,360 –> 00:39:37,840
\nparticular set of psalms.
\nNow the only incident in <\/p>\n

629
\n00:39:37,840 –> 00:39:43,200
\nScripture that bears any
\nrelation to that word is the <\/p>\n

630
\n00:39:43,200 –> 00:39:47,840
\ndegrees or the steps or the
\nstairs, which figured in the <\/p>\n

631
\n00:39:47,840 –> 00:39:50,520
\nmiraculous sign given to
\nHezekiah. <\/p>\n

632
\n00:39:52,840 –> 00:39:56,680
\nSo we’re not surprised to find
\nthat the word degrees in every <\/p>\n

633
\n00:39:56,680 –> 00:40:04,960
\none of those psalms is MA Allah,
\nthe same word translated degrees<\/p>\n

634
\n00:40:05,120 –> 00:40:11,520
\nin Isaiah 38 verse 8.
\nAnd what’s interesting about <\/p>\n

635
\n00:40:11,520 –> 00:40:21,840
\nthose psalms is there are.
\nWhy 15 of them 15 psalms, <\/p>\n

636
\n00:40:24,120 –> 00:40:29,080
\nanswering to 15 years of
\nadditional life that was granted<\/p>\n

637
\n00:40:29,080 –> 00:40:32,680
\nto the king.
\nSo when he put them together, he<\/p>\n

638
\n00:40:34,360 –> 00:40:39,680
\ncomposed 15, set, 15 psalms
\ntogether, not all his own, but <\/p>\n

639
\n00:40:39,680 –> 00:40:44,000
\nthe collection came to 15.
\nAnd there’s a symmetry to the <\/p>\n

640
\n00:40:44,000 –> 00:40:49,240
\ncollection because the very
\nmiddle Psalm out of those 15 was<\/p>\n

641
\n00:40:49,240 –> 00:40:52,640
\nactually written by Solomon,
\nPsalm 127. <\/p>\n

642
\n00:40:53,040 –> 00:40:57,680
\nBut on either side are two sets
\nof seven, and in each of those <\/p>\n

643
\n00:40:57,680 –> 00:41:04,120
\nsets of seven psalms, 120 to 126
\nand 128 to 134, each of those <\/p>\n

644
\n00:41:04,120 –> 00:41:07,000
\nhave got two psalms written by
\nDavid and the rest probably by <\/p>\n

645
\n00:41:07,200 –> 00:41:14,480
\nHezekiah.
\nAnd that 15 psalms are also <\/p>\n

646
\n00:41:14,480 –> 00:41:19,080
\ndivided or divisible into five
\nsets of three, which follows a <\/p>\n

647
\n00:41:19,080 –> 00:41:21,960
\ntheme of distress and trust and
\nblessing. <\/p>\n

648
\n00:41:22,160 –> 00:41:24,360
\nAnd we suggest that these are
\nthe songs referred to in <\/p>\n

649
\n00:41:24,360 –> 00:41:29,440
\nIsaiah’s, sorry, Hezekiah’s Vow
\nin Isaiah 38 and verse 20. <\/p>\n

650
\n00:41:29,520 –> 00:41:31,280
\nNow let me show you the
\nstructure of those psalms just <\/p>\n

651
\n00:41:31,280 –> 00:41:33,640
\nso you see what I mean,
\nparticularly in that last <\/p>\n

652
\n00:41:33,640 –> 00:41:36,800
\nsection so that it’s made plain.
\nSo five sets. <\/p>\n

653
\n00:41:36,920 –> 00:41:42,400
\nThe first set, the second set,
\nthe third set to get the idea, <\/p>\n

654
\n00:41:42,840 –> 00:41:48,400
\nthe 4th set, the 5th set, 15
\npsalms, 5 sets of three. <\/p>\n

655
\n00:41:50,040 –> 00:41:54,520
\nBut in each case, the first
\nPsalm in each set is on the <\/p>\n

656
\n00:41:54,520 –> 00:42:01,000
\ntheme of distress, and the
\nsecond Psalm in each set is on <\/p>\n

657
\n00:42:01,000 –> 00:42:06,840
\nthe theme of trust, and the
\nthird Psalm in each set is on <\/p>\n

658
\n00:42:06,840 –> 00:42:11,280
\nthe theme of blessing.
\nYou see, these psalms are the <\/p>\n

659
\n00:42:11,280 –> 00:42:15,120
\nstory of Hezekiah’s crisis, the
\nthreat of the Assyrian invasion,<\/p>\n

660
\n00:42:16,600 –> 00:42:18,800
\nand the prospect of personal
\ndeath. <\/p>\n

661
\n00:42:20,720 –> 00:42:26,360
\nThey’re about as distress, about
\nas trust in God, and about the <\/p>\n

662
\n00:42:26,360 –> 00:42:30,480
\nblessing of deliverance.
\nAnd Hezekiah said, we’re going <\/p>\n

663
\n00:42:30,480 –> 00:42:33,760
\nto sing these things so that the
\nnation never forgets what we’ve <\/p>\n

664
\n00:42:33,760 –> 00:42:37,760
\nbeen through together and that
\nwe can worship before our God <\/p>\n

665
\n00:42:37,760 –> 00:42:39,760
\nacceptably.
\nSo remember I said the middle <\/p>\n

666
\n00:42:39,760 –> 00:42:42,520
\nones written by Solomon?
\nSo there it is. <\/p>\n

667
\n00:42:43,360 –> 00:42:46,640
\nBut David wrote one in the first
\nset and one in the second set, <\/p>\n

668
\n00:42:46,640 –> 00:42:49,560
\nand one in the fourth set and
\none in the 5th set. <\/p>\n

669
\n00:42:53,120 –> 00:42:56,200
\nAnd we believe that the balance
\nof those psalms were written by <\/p>\n

670
\n00:42:57,160 –> 00:43:01,240
\nHezekiah.
\nSo Hezekiah began the series in <\/p>\n

671
\n00:43:01,240 –> 00:43:05,760
\nPsalm 120, and he’ll end the
\nseries in 134. <\/p>\n

672
\n00:43:05,960 –> 00:43:17,200
\nAnd if he wrote 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 +
\n2 sets in five, he wrote, why 10<\/p>\n

673
\n00:43:17,200 –> 00:43:25,440
\npsalms answering to the 10\u00b0 by
\nwhich the shadow ascended the <\/p>\n

674
\n00:43:25,440 –> 00:43:30,320
\nstairs.
\nHe made good on his pledge. <\/p>\n

675
\n00:43:30,320 –> 00:43:34,000
\nBrothers and sisters, he made
\ngood on his pledge. <\/p>\n

676
\n00:43:35,880 –> 00:43:38,040
\nAnd I think there’s a lesson.
\nYou see, In fact, this is the <\/p>\n

677
\n00:43:38,040 –> 00:43:53,430
\nlesson from our study today.
\nIt’s wanting to reconnect, which<\/p>\n

678
\n00:43:53,430 –> 00:43:57,670
\nis one of those deeply
\ntechnological moments which we <\/p>\n

679
\n00:43:57,670 –> 00:44:01,590
\nhave to submit to, because until
\nwe do, my screen’s frozen just <\/p>\n

680
\n00:44:01,590 –> 00:44:03,790
\nat the deliciously important
\nmoment. <\/p>\n

681
\n00:44:05,230 –> 00:44:07,910
\nIt adds to the tension.
\nIt builds interest. <\/p>\n

682
\n00:44:08,830 –> 00:44:10,590
\nWait, help is on the way.
\nWhat? <\/p>\n

683
\n00:44:11,270 –> 00:44:13,630
\nAre we reconnecting?
\nI don’t know. <\/p>\n

684
\n00:44:29,910 –> 00:44:30,870
\nAll right, should we give it a
\ngo? <\/p>\n

685
\n00:44:31,310 –> 00:44:32,590
\nLook at that.
\nJust like I bought 1. <\/p>\n

686
\n00:44:33,750 –> 00:44:39,070
\nThank you for your intervention.
\nSo our lesson for today. <\/p>\n

687
\n00:44:41,550 –> 00:44:45,870
\nYou know, brothers and sisters,
\nit’s very easy to be thankful <\/p>\n

688
\n00:44:45,870 –> 00:44:50,350
\nfor deliverance, but our
\nthankfulness may not last for <\/p>\n

689
\n00:44:50,350 –> 00:44:53,960
\nlong enough.
\nAnd I think that we need to show<\/p>\n

690
\n00:44:54,200 –> 00:44:58,040
\nour thankfulness by the faithful
\nservice that we offer to God as <\/p>\n

691
\n00:44:58,040 –> 00:45:00,920
\na result of our deliverance that
\nwe might remember what God has <\/p>\n

692
\n00:45:00,920 –> 00:45:03,240
\ndone for us.
\nNow just look at the consistent <\/p>\n

693
\n00:45:03,240 –> 00:45:06,000
\ntheme of these passages.
\nAnd there’s a little keyword <\/p>\n

694
\n00:45:06,000 –> 00:45:09,120
\nagain that binds them together.
\nThis was the prayer of Hannah at<\/p>\n

695
\n00:45:09,120 –> 00:45:10,600
\nthe time of the giving of her
\nson. <\/p>\n

696
\n00:45:11,280 –> 00:45:13,240
\nFor this child.
\nI prayed Yahweh’s given my <\/p>\n

697
\n00:45:13,240 –> 00:45:16,000
\npetition, therefore I’ve lent
\nhim. <\/p>\n

698
\n00:45:17,560 –> 00:45:20,440
\nThis is the words of David.
\nDavid said that thou has lifted <\/p>\n

699
\n00:45:20,440 –> 00:45:23,240
\nme up, therefore I will give
\nthanks. <\/p>\n

700
\n00:45:23,720 –> 00:45:25,760
\nThis is the words of Hezekiah
\nand the Psalm. <\/p>\n

701
\n00:45:25,760 –> 00:45:29,440
\nYahweh was ready to save me.
\nTherefore, and so the apostle <\/p>\n

702
\n00:45:29,440 –> 00:45:33,280
\nPaul in the 2nd Corinthians 12
\nverses 9 and 10, he said unto <\/p>\n

703
\n00:45:33,280 –> 00:45:34,920
\nme, My grace is sufficient for
\nthee. <\/p>\n

704
\n00:45:34,960 –> 00:45:38,200
\nTherefore now let me throw a
\nlittle more colour on the screen<\/p>\n

705
\n00:45:38,200 –> 00:45:41,000
\nand you’ll see the point.
\nYahweh has given my petition, <\/p>\n

706
\n00:45:41,000 –> 00:45:44,160
\nsays Hannah.
\nTherefore in response I’ve lent <\/p>\n

707
\n00:45:44,160 –> 00:45:46,080
\nhim.
\nShe gave an act of dedication in<\/p>\n

708
\n00:45:46,080 –> 00:45:48,200
\nreturn.
\nDavid had been lifted up and <\/p>\n

709
\n00:45:48,200 –> 00:45:51,600
\ntherefore he would give thanks.
\nYahweh was ready to save his a <\/p>\n

710
\n00:45:51,600 –> 00:45:54,600
\ncar and he pledged therefore
\nthat they would sing his songs. <\/p>\n

711
\n00:45:55,440 –> 00:45:58,160
\nPaul was given the promise of a
\ngrace sufficient for his needs, <\/p>\n

712
\n00:45:58,280 –> 00:46:00,960
\nand therefore he said, I will
\ntake pleasure in infirmities. <\/p>\n

713
\n00:46:01,160 –> 00:46:03,480
\nSo here’s the thing.
\nYou see, it’s so easy to be <\/p>\n

714
\n00:46:03,480 –> 00:46:07,240
\nthankful for the deliverance of
\nGod, but as time passes while we<\/p>\n

715
\n00:46:07,240 –> 00:46:10,160
\nforget about it, and yet the
\ncircumstances of our life and <\/p>\n

716
\n00:46:10,160 –> 00:46:14,080
\nthe experiences of our crisis
\nare not intended to leave us the<\/p>\n

717
\n00:46:14,080 –> 00:46:16,720
\nsame.
\nThey’re intended to change us. <\/p>\n

718
\n00:46:17,000 –> 00:46:21,240
\nAnd if our thankfulness is truly
\nin response to God’s good hand, <\/p>\n

719
\n00:46:21,480 –> 00:46:26,560
\nthen it needs to be seen in a
\nreciprocal pledge of future <\/p>\n

720
\n00:46:26,560 –> 00:46:29,120
\ndedication.
\nThat shouldn’t be transient. <\/p>\n

721
\n00:46:29,120 –> 00:46:31,760
\nIt shouldn’t be temporary.
\nIt should be a permanent <\/p>\n

722
\n00:46:31,760 –> 00:46:34,160
\ncommitment to our future life
\nbefore him. <\/p>\n

723
\n00:46:34,160 –> 00:46:37,160
\nAnd that’s what here’s Akai did.
\nSo he had a much stronger <\/p>\n

724
\n00:46:37,160 –> 00:46:39,920
\nresolve.
\nHe was so thankful for this <\/p>\n

725
\n00:46:39,920 –> 00:46:43,200
\nextension of his life that he
\npledged to use every bit of it <\/p>\n

726
\n00:46:43,240 –> 00:46:48,400
\nin the service of the truth.
\nNow just read again his words in<\/p>\n

727
\n00:46:48,400 –> 00:46:52,040
\nIsaiah 38 verses 19 and 20 while
\nwe’re here. <\/p>\n

728
\n00:46:52,520 –> 00:46:55,800
\nAnd then let me show you how
\nthat story concludes. <\/p>\n

729
\n00:46:57,400 –> 00:47:01,840
\nThe grave cannot celebrate thee.
\nDeath cannot. <\/p>\n

730
\n00:47:02,160 –> 00:47:04,240
\nSorry that the grave cannot
\npraise thee. <\/p>\n

731
\n00:47:04,240 –> 00:47:08,000
\nDeath cannot celebrate thee.
\nThey that go down into the pit <\/p>\n

732
\n00:47:08,000 –> 00:47:11,640
\ncannot hope for thy truth.
\nThe living the living. <\/p>\n

733
\n00:47:11,640 –> 00:47:13,520
\nHe shall praise thee as I do
\nthis day. <\/p>\n

734
\n00:47:13,520 –> 00:47:16,920
\nThe father to the children shall
\nmake known thy truth. <\/p>\n

735
\n00:47:17,720 –> 00:47:21,400
\nYahweh was ready to save me.
\nTherefore we will sing my songs <\/p>\n

736
\n00:47:21,400 –> 00:47:24,480
\nto the stringed instruments all
\nthe days of our life in the <\/p>\n

737
\n00:47:24,480 –> 00:47:28,880
\nHouse of Yahweh.
\nAnd Hezekiah’s pledge of <\/p>\n

738
\n00:47:29,040 –> 00:47:33,160
\nfaithful service in thankfulness
\nfor the hand of God upon him, I <\/p>\n

739
\n00:47:33,160 –> 00:47:37,160
\nthink, was fulfilled perhaps
\nmore wonderfully than we might <\/p>\n

740
\n00:47:37,160 –> 00:47:42,880
\nknow, because we’ve already seen
\nwhat he had to do with regard to<\/p>\n

741
\n00:47:42,880 –> 00:47:47,280
\nthe songs of degrees.
\nHe became involved in the <\/p>\n

742
\n00:47:47,280 –> 00:47:51,080
\ncreation of those songs, which
\nincidentally, becomes the basis <\/p>\n

743
\n00:47:51,080 –> 00:47:55,080
\nfor book five of the Psalms.
\nIn fact, I think Hezekiah’s hand<\/p>\n

744
\n00:47:55,080 –> 00:47:57,080
\nmay well have been in the
\nshaping of that entire <\/p>\n

745
\n00:47:57,240 –> 00:48:01,480
\ncollection of Psalms, the 5th
\nbook in the main. <\/p>\n

746
\n00:48:02,760 –> 00:48:05,120
\nBut there’s another part of the
\nPsalms that I think Hezekiah was<\/p>\n

747
\n00:48:05,120 –> 00:48:07,600
\ninvolved in, because we all know
\nabout the Psalms of David and <\/p>\n

748
\n00:48:07,600 –> 00:48:10,200
\nthe Psalms of the House of Asaph
\nand the Psalms of the sons of <\/p>\n

749
\n00:48:10,200 –> 00:48:12,680
\nKorra.
\nWe know about the main psalms. <\/p>\n

750
\n00:48:13,040 –> 00:48:17,120
\nBut did you realize that about
\n50 of the 150 Psalms we have <\/p>\n

751
\n00:48:17,120 –> 00:48:22,080
\nhave got no author?
\nThey’re described as orphan <\/p>\n

752
\n00:48:22,080 –> 00:48:25,400
\nPsalms.
\nSomeone who put the Book of <\/p>\n

753
\n00:48:25,400 –> 00:48:28,440
\nPsalms together was very anxious
\nthat David be given as Jew and <\/p>\n

754
\n00:48:28,440 –> 00:48:32,440
\nAsaph and others, but weren’t
\nworried about their name coming <\/p>\n

755
\n00:48:32,440 –> 00:48:35,080
\nforward and the 50 new ones that
\nwere added. <\/p>\n

756
\n00:48:35,240 –> 00:48:38,640
\nAnd I think that many of those
\nfifty were possibly written by <\/p>\n

757
\n00:48:38,640 –> 00:48:42,920
\nHezekiah, including Psalm 102,
\nwhich I think we can be pretty <\/p>\n

758
\n00:48:42,920 –> 00:48:46,320
\ncertain about.
\nI think his hand lies upon the <\/p>\n

759
\n00:48:46,320 –> 00:48:49,360
\nbook of Psalms in a much more
\nsignificant way than we might <\/p>\n

760
\n00:48:49,360 –> 00:48:52,600
\nhave imagined, because many of
\nthose Psalms are about the very <\/p>\n

761
\n00:48:52,600 –> 00:48:55,440
\nthreats, the very crisis that
\nHezekiah himself had <\/p>\n

762
\n00:48:55,440 –> 00:48:57,480
\nexperienced.
\nOh yes, he contributed to the <\/p>\n

763
\n00:48:57,480 –> 00:49:00,160
\nPsalms all right.
\nBut he did more than that <\/p>\n

764
\n00:49:00,320 –> 00:49:03,640
\nbecause you might remember these
\nwords in the book of Proverbs, <\/p>\n

765
\n00:49:03,640 –> 00:49:09,000
\nchapter 25, verse one, it says
\nthese are also Proverbs of <\/p>\n

766
\n00:49:09,000 –> 00:49:13,280
\nSolomon, which the men of
\nHezekiah, king of Judah copied <\/p>\n

767
\n00:49:13,280 –> 00:49:16,920
\nout.
\nSo what we’re told in the book <\/p>\n

768
\n00:49:16,920 –> 00:49:22,240
\nof Proverbs is there was a whole
\nadditional set of proverbs that <\/p>\n

769
\n00:49:22,240 –> 00:49:26,080
\nwere added to the Canon of
\nScripture under the express <\/p>\n

770
\n00:49:26,080 –> 00:49:32,840
\ninstruction deja vu and
\nauthority of the king. <\/p>\n

771
\n00:49:34,720 –> 00:49:36,960
\nAnd if if Hezekiah hadn’t done
\nthat, we wouldn’t have that <\/p>\n

772
\n00:49:36,960 –> 00:49:39,200
\nparticular collection of
\nSolomonic psalms at all. <\/p>\n

773
\n00:49:39,320 –> 00:49:40,920
\nBut he made sure that they were
\nput in. <\/p>\n

774
\n00:49:41,320 –> 00:49:43,000
\nHe had a hand in the book of
\nProverbs. <\/p>\n

775
\n00:49:43,880 –> 00:49:46,520
\nAnd there’s one more thing that
\ntells us just how passionate <\/p>\n

776
\n00:49:46,520 –> 00:49:48,400
\nHezekiah was in fulfilling his
\nvow. <\/p>\n

777
\n00:49:48,920 –> 00:49:51,400
\nThe father of the children shall
\nmake know thy truth. <\/p>\n

778
\n00:49:54,120 –> 00:49:55,520
\nThis is going to be interesting,
\nisn’t it? <\/p>\n

779
\n00:49:56,440 –> 00:49:59,080
\nSo like two things coming to a
\nclimax together. <\/p>\n

780
\n00:50:00,640 –> 00:50:03,160
\nWe hope the train tracks will
\nallow us to pass each other <\/p>\n

781
\n00:50:03,160 –> 00:50:05,920
\nsafely.
\nBut here’s the last thought in <\/p>\n

782
\n00:50:05,920 –> 00:50:08,360
\nthat brief moment of pleasurable
\nsilence. <\/p>\n

783
\n00:50:09,480 –> 00:50:13,080
\nYou know, in the Old Testament
\nCanon, at the end of the Hebrew <\/p>\n

784
\n00:50:13,080 –> 00:50:17,600
\nmanuscripts, every book until
\nHezekiah’s death ends with a <\/p>\n

785
\n00:50:17,600 –> 00:50:26,040
\nthree letter seal.
\nThe letters heth sign cough and <\/p>\n

786
\n00:50:26,040 –> 00:50:29,720
\nthe pointing of the letters
\nmeans this is bound. <\/p>\n

787
\n00:50:31,560 –> 00:50:35,360
\nAnd the meaning of that little
\nof that little cryptic sign is <\/p>\n

788
\n00:50:35,360 –> 00:50:38,960
\nthat this book is now
\nauthenticated as the genuine <\/p>\n

789
\n00:50:38,960 –> 00:50:44,800
\ncopy.
\nAnd what we’ve been told is that<\/p>\n

790
\n00:50:44,800 –> 00:50:48,680
\nthe king was involved with the
\neditorship and approval of every<\/p>\n

791
\n00:50:48,680 –> 00:50:53,720
\nbook of the Bible until the day
\nhe died, because Kath Zine cough<\/p>\n

792
\n00:50:53,760 –> 00:51:00,560
\nis HZK, and HZK from Kuzak is
\nthe short form for the name <\/p>\n

793
\n00:51:00,560 –> 00:51:04,760
\nHezekiah.
\nAnd every book of the Old <\/p>\n

794
\n00:51:04,760 –> 00:51:08,480
\nTestament until that man died
\nbears that seal at the bottom of<\/p>\n

795
\n00:51:08,480 –> 00:51:10,720
\nthe book to authenticate its
\nvalidity. <\/p>\n

796
\n00:51:10,800 –> 00:51:13,360
\nThe father to the children shall
\nmake known thy truth. <\/p>\n

797
\n00:51:13,560 –> 00:51:17,840
\nHe kept that there.
\nHe absolutely kept that there. <\/p>\n

798
\n00:51:18,360 –> 00:51:20,640
\nHe did more than we might
\nrealize, brothers and sisters, <\/p>\n

799
\n00:51:20,640 –> 00:51:23,200
\nin the guardianship of the truth
\nthat we might know. <\/p>\n

800
\n00:51:23,440 –> 00:51:27,960
\nThe Spirit of God and His mark
\nsits upon the Old Testament <\/p>\n

801
\n00:51:27,960 –> 00:51:32,160
\nrecord in that strange but
\ninteresting way. <\/p>\n

802
\n00:51:34,480 –> 00:51:37,880
\nLet’s show that same spirit of
\nthankfulness in our own lives, <\/p>\n

803
\n00:51:37,880 –> 00:51:42,840
\nbrothers and sisters, when we
\ntoo have experienced the hand of<\/p>\n

804
\n00:51:42,840 –> 00:51:47,400
\nour God upon us for good, as it
\nsays in one of our hymns. <\/p>\n

805
\n00:51:48,240 –> 00:51:54,040
\nOh, render thanks to God above
\nthe fountain of eternal love, <\/p>\n

806
\n00:51:54,120 –> 00:51:59,320
\nWhose mercy firm through ages
\npast has stood and shall forever<\/p>\n

807
\n00:51:59,320 –> 00:52:03,120
\nlast.
\nWho can as mighty deeds express <\/p>\n

808
\n00:52:03,640 –> 00:52:08,800
\nnot only vast, but numberless?
\nWhat mortal eloquence can raise <\/p>\n

809
\n00:52:08,800 –> 00:52:15,160
\na tribute equal to His praise?
\nHappier they, and only they, Who<\/p>\n

810
\n00:52:15,160 –> 00:52:22,320
\nfrom Thy precepts never stray,
\nWho know the right, nor only so,<\/p>\n

811
\n00:52:24,520 –> 00:52:28,560
\nbut seek to practice what they
\nknow. <\/p>\n

812
\n00:52:31,520 –> 00:52:36,240
\nOK, I know what you’re thinking.
\nGreat class, valuable lesson, <\/p>\n

813
\n00:52:36,520 –> 00:52:39,240
\nreal lesson, interesting
\ncontents. <\/p>\n

814
\n00:52:39,240 –> 00:52:41,600
\nThe analysis of the songs of the
\ndegrees. <\/p>\n

815
\n00:52:41,600 –> 00:52:46,080
\nI mean, phenomenal stuff, but
\nwhat was going on with that? <\/p>\n

816
\n00:52:46,080 –> 00:52:50,280
\nThe seal of Hezekiah with the
\nthree letter seal KET saying <\/p>\n

817
\n00:52:50,280 –> 00:52:52,480
\ncough at the end of Old
\nTestament books. <\/p>\n

818
\n00:52:52,960 –> 00:52:56,200
\nThat absolutely sparked my
\ncuriosity and I couldn’t think <\/p>\n

819
\n00:52:56,200 –> 00:52:58,760
\nabout anything else for a while
\nafter that. <\/p>\n

820
\n00:52:59,200 –> 00:53:02,840
\nSo what I found, I initially I
\njust sat in my chair for 10 <\/p>\n

821
\n00:53:02,840 –> 00:53:05,600
\nminutes there for this class,
\njust looking up Bible study <\/p>\n

822
\n00:53:05,600 –> 00:53:09,560
\ntools, looking through literal
\ntranslations and trying to find <\/p>\n

823
\n00:53:09,560 –> 00:53:12,480
\nthe original Hebrew and
\ndiscussion on the manuscripts. <\/p>\n

824
\n00:53:12,800 –> 00:53:14,440
\nAnd I found a couple things
\nsince. <\/p>\n

825
\n00:53:14,720 –> 00:53:19,160
\nAnd it seems that this three
\nletter seal, which is very real,<\/p>\n

826
\n00:53:19,520 –> 00:53:24,600
\nwas not meant to be an addition
\nto the text or that that the <\/p>\n

827
\n00:53:24,600 –> 00:53:28,280
\nthree letter seal would be
\ninside or a part of the divinely<\/p>\n

828
\n00:53:28,280 –> 00:53:31,920
\ninspired biblical record, as if
\nthis was actually going to also <\/p>\n

829
\n00:53:31,920 –> 00:53:35,840
\nbe a part of Scripture.
\nThese were seals sort of on top <\/p>\n

830
\n00:53:35,840 –> 00:53:39,880
\nof that, a seal of the
\nmanuscripts that contained the <\/p>\n

831
\n00:53:39,880 –> 00:53:43,040
\nbiblical narrative.
\nThere is some scholarship on <\/p>\n

832
\n00:53:43,040 –> 00:53:45,120
\nthis that I found.
\nThere were two helpful books. <\/p>\n

833
\n00:53:45,880 –> 00:53:51,680
\nOne is called The Bible
\nCompanion by EW Bollinger and <\/p>\n

834
\n00:53:51,680 –> 00:53:55,880
\nthe other was called Restoring
\nthe Original Bible by Ernest L <\/p>\n

835
\n00:53:55,880 –> 00:53:58,000
\nMartin.
\nThose were just helpful <\/p>\n

836
\n00:53:58,000 –> 00:54:00,880
\nresources to show that there has
\nbeen some research on this and <\/p>\n

837
\n00:54:00,880 –> 00:54:05,400
\nthey confirm this tradition that
\nHezekiah’s seal was just that, a<\/p>\n

838
\n00:54:05,400 –> 00:54:09,440
\nseal to preserve the Canon of
\nOld Testament books, not <\/p>\n

839
\n00:54:09,440 –> 00:54:13,760
\nactually an actual part of
\ninside the text of the books. <\/p>\n

840
\n00:54:14,160 –> 00:54:17,680
\nJust one brief quote from
\nMartin’s book. <\/p>\n

841
\n00:54:18,120 –> 00:54:23,120
\nIt says the seal HZK constituted
\nthe confirmation and binding of <\/p>\n

842
\n00:54:23,120 –> 00:54:26,920
\nthe canonical text under the
\nauthority of King Hezekiah. <\/p>\n

843
\n00:54:27,360 –> 00:54:31,080
\nThis action of itself
\ncontributed to the canonization <\/p>\n

844
\n00:54:31,080 –> 00:54:32,720
\nof the sacred Old Testament
\nScripture. <\/p>\n

845
\n00:54:32,720 –> 00:54:36,640
\nSo this was done for
\ncanonization, not an actual <\/p>\n

846
\n00:54:36,640 –> 00:54:39,200
\naddition to the text of the
\nBible. <\/p>\n

847
\n00:54:39,400 –> 00:54:42,200
\nSo that was very helpful, the
\nhelpful clarity for me. <\/p>\n

848
\n00:54:42,200 –> 00:54:45,120
\nHopefully it is for you.
\nWhat’s also interesting is that <\/p>\n

849
\n00:54:45,480 –> 00:54:49,680
\nthe author goes on to say that
\nfuture or later editors of the <\/p>\n

850
\n00:54:49,680 –> 00:54:54,280
\nOld Testament Canon also use
\nseals, and so it became this <\/p>\n

851
\n00:54:54,280 –> 00:54:57,720
\nterm called the seal of
\ncanonization, which began with <\/p>\n

852
\n00:54:57,720 –> 00:55:00,840
\nHezekiah and was continued on,
\nit’s believed, all the way <\/p>\n

853
\n00:55:00,840 –> 00:55:03,280
\nthrough Ezra.
\nSo interesting stuff, helpful <\/p>\n

854
\n00:55:03,280 –> 00:55:04,960
\nstuff.
\nHopefully you’ll have this <\/p>\n

855
\n00:55:04,960 –> 00:55:08,160
\nclass, and hopefully this little
\nclarification has put your mind <\/p>\n

856
\n00:55:08,160 –> 00:55:11,720
\nat ease or has maybe even
\ninspired more curiosity about <\/p>\n

857
\n00:55:11,720 –> 00:55:29,200
\nthis topic of Hezekiah’s seal.
\nThank you for listening to the <\/p>\n

858
\n00:55:29,200 –> 00:55:30,760
\nGood Christadelphian Talks
\npodcast. <\/p>\n

859
\n00:55:31,600 –> 00:55:34,040
\nWe hope this talk helped you in
\nyour walk and brightened your <\/p>\n

860
\n00:55:34,040 –> 00:55:36,400
\nday.
\nIf you would like to hear more, <\/p>\n

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\n00:55:36,400 –> 00:55:38,160
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\n00:55:42,920 –> 00:55:45,400
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\ntalk, please share it with <\/p>\n

864
\n00:55:45,400 –> 00:55:47,320
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\nenjoy it too. <\/p>\n

865
\n00:55:48,240 –> 00:55:50,920
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\njust listened to, visit <\/p>\n

866
\n00:55:50,920 –> 00:55:54,840
\nourwebsite@goodchristadelphiantalks.com
\nor check out the Show Notes <\/p>\n

867
\n00:55:54,840 –> 00:55:58,560
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868
\n00:55:58,560 –> 00:56:01,600
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869
\n00:56:01,600 –> 00:56:04,520
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871
\n00:56:07,280 –> 00:56:09,000
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\n00:56:09,000 –> 00:56:11,640
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875
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876
\n00:56:21,200 –> 00:56:23,160
\nGod bless and talk to you next
\nweek.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This week we have a special guest host, Bro. Mike Livermore. Together we are listening to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":413,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"episode_type":"","audio_file":"https:\/\/anchor.fm\/s\/6d15708\/podcast\/play\/100538422\/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2025-2-29%2F6be53efb-448b-bc62-845b-488b26f29d06.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:56:34","filesize":"38.85M","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"tags":[],"series":[25],"class_list":["post-1298","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","series-gct"],"aioseo_notices":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/goodchristadelphiantalks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/1043826-1538368279370-f9a01192c26a6-scaled.jpg","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goodchristadelphiantalks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/1043826-1538368277276-821bad30bed.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1","download_link":"https:\/\/goodchristadelphiantalks.com\/podcast-download\/1298\/342-roger-lewis-the-writing-and-the-psalter","player_link":"https:\/\/goodchristadelphiantalks.com\/podcast-player\/1298\/342-roger-lewis-the-writing-and-the-psalter","audio_player":"https:\/\/goodchristadelphiantalks.com\/podcast-player\/1298\/342-roger-lewis-the-writing-and-the-psalter<\/a>","episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":{"anchor":{"key":"anchor","url":"https:\/\/anchor.fm\/gct","label":"Anchor","class":"anchor","icon":"anchor.png"},"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/good-christadelphian-talks-podcast\/id1437292980?mt=2&uo=4","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"breaker":{"key":"breaker","url":"https:\/\/www.breaker.audio\/good-christadelphian-talks-podcast","label":"Breaker","class":"breaker","icon":"breaker.png"},"castbox":{"key":"castbox","url":"https:\/\/castbox.fm\/channel\/id1440738","label":"CastBox","class":"castbox","icon":"castbox.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/www.google.com\/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy82ZDE1NzA4L3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"overcast":{"key":"overcast","url":"https:\/\/overcast.fm\/itunes1437292980\/good-christadelphian-talks-podcast","label":"Overcast","class":"overcast","icon":"overcast.png"},"pocketcasts":{"key":"pocketcasts","url":"https:\/\/pca.st\/Z7Ad","label":"PocketCasts","class":"pocketcasts","icon":"pocketcasts.png"},"podbean":{"key":"podbean","url":"https:\/\/www.podbean.com\/podcast-detail\/xz83n-77022\/Good-Christadelphian-Talks-Podcast","label":"Podbean","class":"podbean","icon":"podbean.png"},"radio_public":{"key":"radio_public","url":"https:\/\/radiopublic.com\/good-christadelphian-talks-podcas-WoAbj4","label":"Radio Public","class":"radio_public","icon":"radio-public.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/5cQpWNoeONkDYEIhC12wp7","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"stitcher":{"key":"stitcher","url":"https:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/anchor-podcasts\/good-christadelphian-talks-podcast","label":"Stitcher","class":"stitcher","icon":"stitcher.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/GoodChristadelphianTalksPodcast","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/goodchristadelphiantalks.com\/feed\/podcast\/gct","embedCode":"

342: Roger Lewis – The Writing and The Psalter<\/a><\/blockquote>