Smitten to Repentance

14 APRIL

And it came to pass, when King Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD. Isaiah 37:1

SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: 1 Chronicles 21:1-17

The modesty of holy King Hezekiah is wonderful. For after performing so many illustrious works and being adorned by the excellence of so many virtues, the king does not hesitate to prostrate himself before God. On the other hand, the courage and steadfastness of Hezekiah's faith is wonderful, for it shows the king is not hindered by the weight of the temptation of failing to freely seek God, by whom he is so severely smitten.

Scarcely one man in a hundred does not murmur if God treats him with any degree of severity or who does not bring forward his good deeds as a ground of complaint, reasoning that he has been unjustly rewarded. Other men, whose wishes are not answered by God, complain that their worship of God serves no good purpose. 

We perceive nothing of this kind in Hezekiah. Though he is conscious of possessing uncommon piety, he does not shrink from confessing his guilt. Likewise, if we desire to turn away God's anger and to experience his favor in adversity, we must repent and sincerely acknowledge our guilt, for adversity does not come to us by chance but is the method by which God rouses us to repentance.

Indeed, sackcloth and ashes will be of little avail if they are not preceded by the inward feelings of the heart, for we know that hypocrites are abundantly liberal in the use of ceremonies. Yet the Holy Spirit justly commends the exercises of repentance when they are directed to their proper object.

John Calvin

FOR MEDITATION: 

When we are afflicted with sickness or sorrow, do we murmur and complain, thinking God means to destroy us? Or do we come to Him in sorrow and repentance, asking for the grace to bear any affliction and for forgiveness for any sin? Let us, like Hezekiah, seek our heavenly Father in all our troubles, trusting that He will use them to make us more like our Savior, Jesus Christ, whose sufferings were for us and our salvation.

365 Days With Calvin 

Selected and Edited by Joel R. Beeke