Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Isaiah
Book: Isaiah
Chapter: 38
Overview:
Hezekiah's sickness and recovery.
(1-8) His thanksgiving.
(9-22)
1-8 When we pray in our sickness, though
God send not to us
such an answer as he here sent to
Hezekiah, yet, if
By his
Spirit he bids us be of good cheer, assures us that our sins are
forgiven, and that, whether we live or die, we shall be his, we
do not pray in vain. See 2Ki 20:1-11.
9-22 We have here
Hezekiah's thanksgiving. It is
Well for us to
remember the mercies we receive in sickness.
Hezekiah records
the condition he was in. He dwells upon this; I shall
No more
see the
Lord. A good
Man wishes not to live for any other
End
than that he may serve
God, and have
Communion with him. Our
present residence is like that of a
Shepherd in his hut, a
Poor,
mean, and cold lodging, and with a trust committed to our
charge, as the
Shepherd has. Our days are compared to the
weaver's shuttle,
Job 7:6, passing and repassing very swiftly,
every throw leaving a thread behind it; and when finished, the
piece is cut off, taken out of the loom, and showed to our
Master to be judged of. A good
Man, when his
Life is cut off,
his cares and fatigues are cut off with it, and he rests from
his labours. But our times are in
God's
Hand; he has appointed
what shall be the length of the piece. When sick, we are very
apt to calculate our time, but are still at uncertainty. It
should be more our care how we shall get safe to another world.
And the more we taste of the loving-kindness of
God, the more
will our hearts
Love him, and live to him. It was in
Love to our
Poor perishing souls that
Christ delivered them. The
Pardon does
not make the
Sin not to have been
Sin, but not to be punished as
it deserves. It is pleasant to think of our recoveries from
sickness, when we see them flowing from the
Pardon of
Sin.
Hezekiah's opportunity to
Glorify God in this world, he made the
business, and pleasure, and
End of
Life. Being recovered, he
resolves to abound in praising and serving
God.
God's promises
are not to do away, but to quicken and encourage the use of
means.
Life and health are given that we may
Glorify God and do
good.