Set Your House In Order

By Mark Hamby

October 20, 2005 Dear Mr. Hamby, I am 12 years old and I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I wanted to write and express my feelings towards the books, The Hidden Hand, Ishmael and Self-Raised. I believe that The Hidden Hand is the best book I have ever read. All the suspense, humor, action and godliness in this book makes it #1 on my list. I read it in about 2 weeks! I was absolutely inspired by this book. I also was captivated by the purity, humbleness and servant-heart of Ishmael Worth in Ishmael. I read this book in less than a week! I could not put it down. I would rate it and Self-Raised as #2 on my reading list! These three books have influenced me and my parents so greatly in our lives. I am sure they will be in the library in heaven! One of your many fans, Michelle P.S. I lent The Hidden Hand to my grandfather who is recovering from heart surgery. Reading the book led to a spiritual renewal in his life. He has since bought 2 copies for his brother and sister to read also!

Dear Mark, I had hoped to see you again before I was transferred to the State Prison where I am now.

I am the guy who played the guitar in the prison chapel after you shared what I conceived as a very powerful message. In fact, I was and have been very much moved and inspired by your particular presentations. On two occasions you didn’t even have a black board to illustrate your teachings, yet I can visualize so vividly what you clearly showed me on the invisible, make believe black board. You also gave me a book, The Hedge of Thorns, which was also inspiring to me. I also believe now that God, in His amazing wisdom has taken me out of the world that I was suffering in with temptation, sins and desires. These prison walls do not imprison me, the steel bars and razor wire are actually God’s hedge of protection so that I might grow, strengthen, and learn in the ways of his word before I face the challenges of the world again. And so I believe you are right. What a terrible prank God has pulled on me, to get me to see, listen, and learn, yet his methods are ingenious. He probably did the only thing He could in his effort to protect me and save me!

I was looking very much forward to seeing you again. I had written a song to play and sing. Please do not stop in your efforts to bring the word to prisoners. I’m a hard case Mark, I spent 23 years of my life in prison. If I heard you and your message touched and moved me. Believe when I tell you, a mountain was moved into the sea! The rest should be easy pickins for you. Thank You Mark!

Sincerely, John S. – Prisoner of the Lord

In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.

(see II Chronicles 36: 23)

II Kings 20:1

Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying, I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.

II Kings 20:2, 3

And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying, Turn again, and tell Hezekiah…, Thus saith the LORD…I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD. And I will add unto thy days fifteen years;

II Kings 20:4,5,6

And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the Lord on the third day?...8

And Isaiah called to the Lord and he brought back the shadow ten steps.11

At that time…king of Babylon, sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah: for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick.

II Kings 20:8-12

And Hezekiah hearkened unto them, and shewed them all the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not.

II Kings 20:12, 13

Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country, even from Babylon. And he said, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All the things that are in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed them. And Isaiah said unto Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD. Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD. And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.

II Kings 20:14-18

Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken. And he said, Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days?

II Kings 20:19

But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.

II Chronicles 32:24, 25

Howbeit in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to test him, that he might know all that was in his heart.

II Chronicles 32:31

Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.

II Chronicles 32:26

The rest of the deeds of Hezekiah and all his might and how me made a pool and the conduit and brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

II Kings 20:20

Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hephzibah.

II Kings 21:1

And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel. For he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made a grove, as did Ahab king of Israel; and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them. And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD said, In Jerusalem will I put my name. And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house, of which the LORD said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever:

II Kings 21:2-7

Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; beside his sin wherewith he made Judah to sin, in doing that which was evil in the sight of the LORD. Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and all that he did, and his sin that he sinned, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

II Kings 21:16-17

So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen, whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel. 9 And the LORD spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken. 10 Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon. 11 And when he was in affliction, he besought

the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly

before the God of his fathers, 12 And prayed unto him: and he was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew

that the LORD he was God.

13

2 nd Chronicles 33:9-13

And he took away the strange gods, and the idol out of the house of the LORD, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the LORD, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city. And he repaired the altar of the LORD, and sacrificed thereon peace offerings and thank offerings, and commanded Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel… Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer unto his God, and the words of the seers that spake to him in the name of the LORD God of Israel, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel. His prayer also, and how God was intreated of him, and all his sins, and his trespass, and the places wherein he built high places, and set up groves and graven images, before he was humbled: behold, they are written among the sayings of the seers.

II Chronicles 33:9-19

So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house: and Amon his son reigned in his stead.

II Chronicles 33:20

Amon was two and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned two years in Jerusalem. But he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as did Manasseh his father: for Amon sacrificed unto all the carved images which Manasseh his father had made, and served them;

And humbled not himself before the LORD, as Manasseh his father

had humbled himself; but Amon trespassed more and more.

II Chronicles 33:21-23

Jehoiachin was 18 years old when he began to reign…and he did that which is evil in the sight of the Lord. The King of Babylon (Nebuchadnezzar) took him (Jehoiachin) prisoner… and carried off all of the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the kings house…, and burned the house of the Lord and the kings house and all the houses in Jerusalem.

II Kings 24:8, 11-17; 25:9-10

And in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah… the king of Babylon… graciously freed Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. And he spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon. table, So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments. And every day of his life he dined regularly at the king's and for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, according to his daily needs, as long as he lived.

II Kings 25:27-30

And in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, the king of Babylon… lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah and brought him out of prison. And he spoke kindly to him, and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon.

lived.

So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments. And every day of his life he dined regularly at the king's table, and for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king according to his daily need, until the day of his death as long as he

Jeremiah 52:31-34 (ESV)

So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king's table. Day by day the king of Babylon gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance as long as he lived, till the day of his death.

Jeremiah 52:33-34 (NIV)

So Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes, and had his meals in the king's presence regularly all the days of his life.

For his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king of Babylon, a daily portion all the days of his life until the day of his death.

Jeremiah 52:33-34 (NASB)

Every day of his life Until the day of his death As long as he lived.

Jeremiah 52:33-34

Why does Jeremiah end with this reference to King Jehoiachin AND WHY DOES THE TEXT END IN LIFE OR DEATH?

"As I live, declares the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet ring on my right hand, yet I would tear you off and give you into the hand of those who seek your life, into the hand of those of whom you are afraid, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of the Chaldeans. I will hurl you and the mother who bore you into another country, where you were not born, and there you shall die. But to the land to which they will long to return, there they shall not return."

Is this man Coniah a despised, broken pot, a vessel no one cares for?

Why are he and his children hurled and cast into a land that they do not know? O land, land, land, hear the word of the LORD!

Thus says the LORD: "Write this man down as childless, a man who shall not succeed in his days, for none of his offspring shall succeed in sitting on the throne of David and ruling again in Judah."

Jeremiah 22:24-30

and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

Matthew 1:10-12; 16

So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.

Matthew 1:17

Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king.

Matthew 1:2-6

and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

Matthew 1:7-11

And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

Matthew 1:12-16

Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel.

Matthew 1:12

Shealtiel

I Asked God.

Blessed are… Poor in Spirit, theirs is the Kingdom Blessed are those who Mourn Blessed are the Meek Blessed are--Hunger & Thirst, Righteousness Blessed are the Mercy-Full Blessed are the Pure in Heart Blessed are the Peacemakers Blessed are the Persecuted for Righteousness theirs is the Kingdom

Blessed are…Poor in Spirit,

theirs is the Kingdom

Blessed are the Persecuted for Righteousness

theirs is the Kingdom

Blessed are…Poor in Spirit,

theirs is the Kingdom

Blessed are those who Mourn Blessed are the Meek Blessed are--Hunger & Thirst, Righteousness Blessed are the Mercy-Full Blessed are the Pure in Heart Blessed are the Peacemakers Blessed are the Persecuted for Righteousness

theirs is the Kingdom