As the end of his life was approaching, God had a message for King Hezekiah: “Set your house in order.” Fast forward a few thousand years, and the message is just as important for us because there is no aspect of our life that God isn’t concerned with.
In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live.’”
2 Kings 20:1
Brief Overview of Hezekiah
Hezekiah was one of the few kings of Judah who was constantly aware of God’s acts in the past and His involvement in the events of every day. The Bible describes Hezekiah as a king who had a close relationship with God, one who did “what was good and right and faithful before the LORD his God” (2 Chronicles 31:20). Hezekiah’s story is told in 2 Kings 16:20—20:21; 2 Chronicles 28:27—32:33; and Isaiah 36:1—39:8. He is also mentioned in Proverbs 25:1; Isaiah 1:1; Jeremiah 15:4; 26:18–19; Hosea 1:1; and Micah 1:1.
Because King Hezekiah put God first in everything he did, God prospered him. Hezekiah “held fast to the Lord and did not stop following him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses. And the Lord was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook” (2 Kings 18:6–7).
Hezekiah saw God’s faithfulness in facing the Assyrian army. God kept Jerusalem and His people safe, giving victory over the Assyrians. Later, Hezekiah became very sick. Isaiah told him to set things in order and prepare to die (2 Kings 20:1). But Hezekiah prayed, asking God to be merciful and to remember all the good he had done. Before Isaiah had even left the king’s house, God told Isaiah to tell Hezekiah that his prayer had been heard and that his life would be extended fifteen years.
Small Group Discussion
Feel free to add to the question below, skip those that don’t work for your group, or branch off with additional relevant questions as discussion unfolds. Conversation is key! This is a time to work through the application of Scripture and figure things out together.
Set Your House In Order. Read 2 Kings 20:1
- God extended Hezekiah’s life for 15 more years because He heard his prayer. If you knew that you had 15 more years to live, what changes would you make right now? What specifically would you focus on, and what would you hope to accomplish between now and then?
Marriage. Read Ephesians 5:22, 25.
- If married, in what ways does your marriage look different than when you were dating your spouse? What does it look like to practically live out Ephesians 5:22,25?
Children. Read Deuteronomy 6:5-7.
- If you have kids, according to these verses, who are the primary disciple makers in a child’s life? What does it look like to follow these directives daily, and how do you think your family would change if these verses were lived out?
Serving. Read 1 Peter 4:10, Romans 12:4–8, 1 Corinthians 12:11–27.
- Have you taken a spiritual gifts assessment? If so, in what ways has God gifted you?? If not, find a trusted free spiritual gifts assessment to learn more.
- How do you or how can you put your gifts into practice to further the gospel and serve the local church?
Job. Read Colossians 3:23.
- What’s your attitude like as you think about your place of work?
- What would it look like if you approached your vocation as your mission field?
Influence. Read Mark 8:36 and Matthew 9:36.
- What steps can we take to maximize our influence right where God has placed us, with those who don’t know Jesus?
Money. Read Proverbs 3:9 and Ecclesiastes 5:10.
- In the message, we discussed four types of people and how they view money. Which one of these best represents you?
- The self-absorbed owner (100% mine).
- The obligated owner (100% mine).
- The obedient owner (10% God, 90% mine).
- The love-inspired steward (100% God).
- Why do we often struggle to submit our finances to God?
- What does it look like to become a love-inspired steward?
Passion. Read Leviticus 6:13, Isaiah 29:13, and Deuteronomy 6:5.
- It’s been said that “The longest journey is the 18 inches from your head to your heart.” With these verses in mind, discuss the statement that was made in today’s message, “I’d rather love God than know everything.”