Editorial April 30, 1990 Issue

Possibilities and promise

Ann Kenrick

One of the things tourists can do when they visit Jerusalem is to walk through a tunnel that was built in the eighth century B.C.! This conduit is about a quarter of a mile long; it brought water from the spring Gihon outside the city walls to the pool of Siloam within the walls. It was built by Hezekiah, king of Judah, to ensure a supply of water for the city, should the Assyrians lay siege to Jerusalem.

Walking through Hezekiah's tunnel with a lighted taper, looking for the ax marks on the walls where the workmen had hewn out the rock centuries ago, brought history to life for me. I remembered that Hezekiah was a practical man, and when his kingdom was threatened he found his real strength in a deepening trust in God. The Bible records how the king prayed to the Almighty to protect the children of Israel from the assaults of their enemies, and his prayers were answered.

Hezekiah also asked God to heal him when he was "sick unto death."^{ See II Kings 20:1-6, 20.} He justified his appeal with almost childlike faith: "I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight." He received the assurance of God's healing presence with him, and he made a full recovery from his illness.