“ISAIAH – KNEW THE FUTURE”
Season: Prophets
Episode 4: “Isaiah – Knew the Future”
Today’s Bible Bite: Isaiah 38-39; 2 Kings 20
Video Story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0A6Uchb1F8 (Bible Project – Isaiah 1-39 – for parents and older children)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TzdEPuqgQg (Bible Project – Isaiah 40-66 – for parents and older children)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wRLMXfyajU (Two Fish Talks)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJZ3q76hkig (Sharefaith Kids)
“Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, ‘Listen to this message from the LORD of Heaven’s Armies: “The time is coming when everything in your palace—all the treasures stored up by your ancestors until now—will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left,” says the LORD.’” (Isaiah 39:5-6)
King Hezekiah was very sick and God told the prophet, Isaiah, to tell King Hezekiah that he would soon die and should get everything in order. But Hezekiah didn’t want to die—he was only 39 years old. He prayed and cried out to God. So, God gave Isaiah a new message, to tell King Hezekiah that he would allow him to live for 15 more years. King Hezekiah did get better and lived another 15 years…just like Isaiah had said, because as God’s prophet, Isaiah only told people what God told him to say. They could trust him.
After King Hezekiah got better, an envoy of Babylonians came to wish him well. The king wanted to impress his company, so he showed him all the treasures of Judah. But this didn’t please God; Hezekiah should have been more concerned with trusting God, not trying to make friends with the Babylonians. God then sent Isaiah to the king with a new message. The Babylonians would one day come and take everything that Hezekiah had shown to them, but it would happen after Hezekiah was gone. Isaiah’s words didn’t come true right away, but about one hundred years later, the Babylonians came and did exactly what Isaiah had warned about—they conquered Judah, took away all the treasures and even took away captives to serve the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar.
Think about it...
• King Hezekiah was very sick and Isaiah told him he was going to die. How would you respond if someone came to you with that news?
• God agreed to give the king fifteen more years to live and even gave him a sign. What sign did God give Hezekiah that Isaiah was telling him the truth?
• Isaiah always told others what God told him to. Do you think Isaiah had an easy or hard job?
• Sometimes Isaiah’s job was no fun because people didn’t like his messages, but Isaiah knew it was more important to tell the truth than to just tell people what they wanted to hear. When do you find it hard to tell other people the truth?
Prayer: Thank you, God, for listening to Hezekiah. His story reminds us that you listen to us when we pray. Thank you that Isaiah was willing to tell people the words you gave him. He lived in a time when lots of people didn’t want to hear about you, just like we do today. Help us to always be willing to tell others about you, just like Isaiah did.