II Kings 20:1-11; Isaiah 38; II Kings 20:12-19; Isaiah 39; Isaiah 36:1; II Kings 18:13-16
Would you know the power of repentance? Would you understand the strong weapon of salvation and the might of confession? By confession Hezekiah routed 185,000 of the enemy. That was important, but it was little compared with what shall be told. The same King’s repentance won the repeal of the sentence God had passed on him, “Give charge concerning your house for you shall die and not live.” What expectation was left? What hope for recovery was there, when the prophet said, “For you shall die?” But Hezekiah did not cease from penitence for he remembered what was written: “In the hour that you turn and lament, you shall be saved.” He turned his face to the wall, and from his bed of pain his mind soared up to heaven—for no wall is so thick as to stifle reverent prayer—“Lord,” he said, “remember me. You are not subject to circumstance, but are yourself the legislator of life. For not on birth and conjunction of stars, as some vainly say, does our life depend. No, you are the arbiter according to your will, of life and the duration of life.” He whom the prophet’s sentence had forbidden to hope was granted fifteen further years of life, the sun turning back its course in witness thereof. Now while the sun retraced its course for Hezekiah, for Christ it was eclipsed, the distinction marking the difference between the two. I mean Hezekiah and Jesus. Now if Hezekiah could revoke God’s decree, shall not Jesus grant the remission of sins? Turn and lament, shut your door, and beg for pardon, that God may remove [you] from scorching flames. For confession has the power to quench fire; it can tame even lions.
Cyril of Jerusalem on II Kings 20:1-11, from Catechetical Lectures, 2.15
One more thing…
Some of you may be wondering where I get these occasional quotes from the Church Fathers. I’d love to claim some tremendous breadth of knowledge and a keen insight as to the applicability of each saint’s writings to our particular Scriptures. But that thought is, frankly, laughable. In truth, I am indebted to my college roommate for finding these quotes, and his source, in turn, is the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture. All of that goes to say that none of us stands alone. We are all members of the Body of Christ, building one another up, right here, right now in RTB and in our respective congregations — and reaching back through history to those great saints who have gone before us and to whom we owe so much.
Interesting commentary, John.