In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, "This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover." – Isaiah 38:1

Today's Scripture Reading (April 16, 2023): Isaiah 38 & 39

Some people seem to be made for a particular moment in history. Winston Churchill was one such person. We still remember Churchill's words given on June 4, 1940, as Britain struggled with the potential loss of France to Germany, an event that would take place a mere three weeks later. But the reality, as Churchill gave his famous "We Shall Fight" speech, is that the British army had been chased from the European continent, and Germany's domination in Eastern France continued. The Battle of Dunkirk, which allowed soldiers to evacuate from France to Britain, had just drawn to a close. The casualties were enormous, and the mood in Britain was not very optimistic. And at that moment, Churchill gave a speech before the House of Commons. He admits the enemy's strength had overwhelmed what Britain could muster against them. He tells the nation's leaders of the German Airforce's strength and the English defenses' weakness. And yet, Churchill spoke these words in what became a defining moment for Britain in the war.

We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if … this Island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God's good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old (Winston Churchill).

Winston Churchill became a man of the moment, and if we are honest, he struggled to find his footing in times of peace. But we are thankful for his leadership during World War II. And we shudder to think what might have happened if Churchill had died in some accident in the years just before the war.

For both good and bad, Hezekiah was also a man of the moment. And Isaiah seems to pause from his prophecy here to remember back. Many experts accept a date of 703 B.C.E., just before the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem, for this prophecy. But the evidence strongly suggests that Hezekiah's sickness occurred a decade before the siege in 712 B.C.E. Isaiah's point is that Hezekiah almost didn't get to this point. He might be the man of the moment, but his death was scheduled many years before the Assyrian invasion. And this moment could have been left to Hezekiah's son Manasseh, the king who would eventually execute Isaiah. Isaiah likely believed that the reason God had agreed to extend Hezekiah's life was for this specific moment in the history of the nation so that it would be Hezekiah at the helm of the country and not his son.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Kings 17