Once More, From the Beginning by Wendy Bertsch

Isaiah was given the honour of conveying this decision reversal to the king.

(Things of this sort are rarely very exact)

In fact, Hezekiah sent up such a whimper over it that God finally decided heaven would be more comfortable without him for a while, and promised to extend his life by another fifteen years, give or take a few days. “What’s the point being a faithful and righteous servant of The Lord, if I’m only to have my life cut unseasonably short as if I’d been any common sinner?” “No fair!” Hezekiah wailed, directing his comments in the general direction of heaven. “Oh, yes! You’re definitely going to die…and soon.”Ī more worldly prophet would have realized that this was bound to be received as very bad news indeed. “I wanted to be the first to tell you,” he beamed, “You need to start thinking about gathering your family together and getting your affairs in order…any special funeral arrangements, that sort of thing.” This historically significant prophesy gained Isaiah a modest level of fame among the upper classes and, hoping to build on this, he came eagerly running some time later when King Hezekiah became seriously ill. I hear that all the prettiest of the royal princes will be neatly altered to serve the Assyrian monarchy as eunuchs!” just not right now.” He must have felt that the king was not sufficiently upset about this, because he added, “. “Don’t get too complacent, because God intends that the people of Judah be carried into captivity in Babylon like the Israelites were,” he announced, “. God sent the prophet Isaiah to King Hezekiah with a warning. This is one of the bits that didn’t make it into the book.) (an outtake from Once More, From the Beginning.

Once More, From the Beginning by Wendy Bertsch