The fear of death is not in us if we perceive the life and the resurrection in Him.
In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, came to him and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Set your house in order, for you are going to die and not live.’” 2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3 and said, “Please, Lord, just remember how I have walked before You wholeheartedly and in truth, and have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept profusely. 4 Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, saying, 5 “Go and say to Hezekiah, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David says: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will add fifteen years to your life. 6 And I will save you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will protect this city.”’ Isaiah 38: 1-6 [NASB].
News reached Hezekiah that he was dying. God announced the news of death through his prophet Isaiah. When he heard the news that he was going to die, he burst into tears. What men fear most is death.There are no strangers to this. Fear of death is plaguing people. Look at what Hezekiah did when the fear of death approached. He is facing a very difficult, emotional situation in life. He is coming to God and praying. We can see that death is really coming into people’s lives and more and more they are trying to be closer to God. In fact until then we spend so much time that we don’t even have time to be close to God. But we need God at all times. God is not the only God for our emergencies. He is the one we need all the time. We need His presence from birth to death. It is not to turn to God in times of trouble, or in times of emergency. We must keep Him as our God in all circumstances.
We do not see Hezekiah weeping, even though he is very sick. But when he hears the news that he is going to die, the fear of death is evident in him. Wouldn’t we react even worse in that situation? How can this fear of death go away from us? God came in the flesh for us. He did not want his children to be in fear of death for the rest of their lives. It is a slavery all their lives. Christ conquered mortal power through His death. Read this passage in this context: 14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, so that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. Hebrews 2: 14-15 [NASB]. Jesus alone is capable of freeing mankind from the fear of death. Because He is the only one who has conquered death. He hopes to spread His resurrection power to all. Everyone deserves it. But does this benefit only those who put their trust in Him? Can we get anything if we go to those who can give? This great fortune will be given to them freely through faith in Him. It gives them great confidence to who trust in Him. They will not be discouraged even if they have to leave this world. There will be no worries about this first death in their life. God bless them with eternal life and rest. They are confident and determined that they will avoid a second death.
God saw Hezekiah in tears. Increased his lifespan by another fifteen years. This is what the Lord, the God of your father David says: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will add fifteen years to your life. Who has the power to increase life expectancy? Who has authority over human life and death? Who is in charge of living and dying? What does the Word of God say in this regard? God is to us a God of salvation; And to God the Lord belong ways of escape from death. Psalm 68:20 [NASB]. Jesus has the power to save death. Jesus has the power to prolong life. Jesus has the power to give everlasting life after death. The Word of God confirms this. That is why it would be a wise decision for human beings to hand over their lives to Him.
We can see two types of people who have faith in Him. Here Hezekiah wished he could have continued his life on earth. That is why he prayed to God. He received fifteen years of life from God. Life on earth is not eternal. But God extended their life to the desire of some. Even when some died, God gave them back to life and gave them back to their loved ones. Others want to leave this world, hoping for a resurrection. Let’s see what God’s Word tells in this context: Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection;Hebrews 11:35 [NASB]. God has promised to give us resurrection. That is why God set Jesus before us as an example. That is why many believers in this world did not seek redemption when they were persecuted for Christ. Although they had the opportunity to be released, they wanted to be resurrected in Christ. The fear of death is not in us if we perceive the life and the resurrection in Him. Moreover, we hope for the glorious resurrection He will give us.