I am currently reading a book series by Lynn Austin, called Chronicles of the Kings. For me, reading is a fun way to relax. I love being transported to different locations and time periods. I enjoy learning and dreaming along with the characters.
In this series, the author takes the true Biblical account of King Hezekiah and adds fictional details to flesh out the story. The Bible doesn’t tell us each and every detail, so we are left to fill in the gaps. We have to be careful, yes, not to add too much or misinterpret the words… but I think this series was well written, overall.
Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, because I learn about history in an exciting way, as if I was there. I generally remember more of the details, facts, and life lessons. In terms of Biblical fiction, it helps to consider what happened beyond the text.
(The author uses other traditional Jewish resources to make some assumptions, but provides most relevant Scripture references, too.)
Right now, I am in the third book, The Strength of His Hand, and this is where King Hezekiah gets very sick. The Bible doesn’t explain what the sickness was, though other sources say it was related to a boil or inflammation of some sort.
The author writes her theory into the story, of course. I won’t ruin it for you, but I thought it was compelling.Either way, the King is close to death and indeed, Isaiah hears from Yahweh that he will die.
Isaiah goes to tell this to Hezekiah and then mournfully leaves (Isaiah 38). Then, Hezekiah prays to God and weeps. Soon, Isaiah returns with good news. Hezekiah will live.
Hezekiah asks for a sign, and per the Bible, the shadow moved back ten steps. He does recover within three days, just like Isaiah prophesied. He lives another fifteen years.
In the book, when King Hezekiah was sick, I was also thinking of what I already knew about the story. I had forgotten about Isaiah’s prophecy, but I did recall Hezekiah lived.
I didn’t know how the author was going to reconcile the Biblical account with her fictional narrative, but I knew it would all work out somehow. You see, I had the advantage of seeing King Hezekiah’s story through the lens of Scripture, after the fact.
God’s Word, the Bible, is living and active. Its power is unchanging and its lessons are just as applicable today as they were thousands of years ago.
At the same time, each of us can trust God with today’s challenges, because we know He came through for us yesterday, last week, and last year… There are benefits when we look back and see God’s faithfulness. His love never fails!
When we trust God to write our story, we most certainly will face many unknowns and fearful moments. This is a normal part of life on Earth, but thankfully, we see all throughout the Bible that God shines most when we seek Him in our difficult circumstances!
All our present trials might become more bearable if we could envision what our future self will think, or how others will one day praise God for how He came through for us. There is purpose in our pain, and God will use that for His glory and our good. Trust Him!
Remember He is with you and for you; the best is yet to come!
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God, thanks for letting us see You at work in Scripture. Help us have faith today. Help us trust that You will come through for us. You always do! Show us the benefits of looking back, but don’t let us get stuck in the past. You are are hope for today and tomorrow, too. Thank You! In Jesus’ Name, Amen
Questions: When you look back through Scripture, or even your own life, do you see how He came through for you in the past? What does that mean for you today?
Tasks: Make a list of all the ‘evidence’ of God’s faithfulness. List your most trying times and write down how God helped you through them. Then, fan the flames of faith and trust God today.
