Today or Tomorrow
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 39 and Psalm 102:18
Today I want to set two unrelated texts beside each other and contrast the spirit of certain men in each. Hezekiah was one of the better kings. He did a lot of good, but what is recorded in Isaiah 39 isn’t on his “highlight reel.” His pride gets in the way of discernment, and he lets his guard down. Isaiah, in response, prophesied of a future judgment in which all the treasures of the kingdom would be carried away to Babylon and Hezekiah’s sons would be turned into servants of a foreign power.
One might expect that Hezekiah would respond with repentance, sorrow, and a plea for mercy. Oddly enough, the reply Hezekiah gives to Isaiah is one of relief and apathy. He seems to be okay with it because it won’t happen during his lifetime. He says, “there will be peace and security in my days.” He doesn’t seem to be disturbed by the prospect of Judah’s destruction as long as it is held off until he is gone from the scene.
By way of contrast, the Psalmist declares, “Let this be recorded for a generation yet to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise the LORD.”
Hezekiah was only concerned with what happened during his days. He wasn’t upset by the prospect of the future suffering of his sons. As long as there was peace and security while he was king, it didn’t seem to matter if it was going to be chaos down the road. If he didn’t have to face it, it was fine by him.
In difficult days it might be a temptation to take Hezekiah’s attitude. As long as things are well with me, and if the number of good days equals the number of my days, then it’s all good. Maybe this happens in some people’s hearts because they feel like disaster is inevitable, so having it delayed until after their life is over is the best-case scenario for them. Maybe that was what Hezekiah was thinking.
It seems to me that a far superior attitude is that of the Psalmist who looked into the future and desired that a people yet to be born would one day worship Yahweh.
When an 80-year-old man plants a tree, he doesn’t plant it for himself. He knows he will never sit under its shade. He plants it for the benefit of the generations yet to come. The Psalmist wishes for his words to be recorded, not so they can be read back to himself, but so that his testimony of Yahweh will be preserved for the blessing of those not yet born.
Are we living for today, or for the sake of those who will be here tomorrow?
