II Kings 19:37b-20:11 II Chronicles 32:24-25
“…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.” (II Kings 19:37b)
About the time Sennacherib was threatening Judah, Hezekiah became sick of some type of an infection resembling a boil and was almost to die. Isaiah the prophet sent him a message that he needed to designate the next king and take care of unfinished business because he was going to die at only thirty nine or forty years of age.
“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)
Upset at the thought of dying so young after trying to serve God, Hezekiah prayed, asking god to remember how completely he’d served him and how he had gotten Judah to turn back to him.
“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 the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, 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; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.” (II Kings 20:4-6)
Isaiah had not even made it to the front gate before God responded to Hezekiah’s prayer. Because of his prayer, he would take a dramatic turn for the better, and three days later would be recovered to such degree that he would be able to attend services at the temple. He was also promised an additional fifteen years of life, and in addition, the promise that God would prevent the Assyrians from conquering the city.
“And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.” (II Kings 20:7)
God had instructed Isaiah to place a lump of figs on the infection site, and he had the servants do so, The infection began to shrink almost immediately. While we know that natural sugars such as those found in dried figs are frequently powerful antibacterial agents, and the dried figs would tend to absorb the pus from the wounds, the healing was far more rapid than such factors would normally produce.
“And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the LORD the third day?” (II Kings 20:8)
God had specified that if prophet was truly from God, he was to give a short term prophecy of some minor future event. If that event did not occur, then clearly the prophet was not from God and they were to ignore the main prophecy. Wanting to be sure the promise of fifteen more years was really from God, and could be depended on, Hezekiah asked what sign Isaiah had for him.
“And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees?
And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees.” (II Kings 20:9-10)
Isaiah said that God had given Hezekiah a choice, whether the shadow on the sundial would suddenly advance about forty minutes, or would jump backward by about forty minutes. Since the sun always moves in the same direction. Hezekiah thought it would be more noticeable if it went the opposite diection.
“And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz.” (II Kings 20:11)
When Isaiah prayed, God caused the shadow on the sundial Hezekiah’s father had constructed to go backward forty minutes, a significant chande which cannot be explained by natural causes. Some historians have claimed that the event is also recorded in Egyptian records, but I have not verified their claim.
“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 32:25)
Like many other people have done, after seeing the Assyrian army withdrawn and being healed of potentially fatal disease, Hezekiah became proud and forgot to give God the praise and glory he deserved, bringing himself and the nation into judgment by God. Basically he treated what had happened as something God owed him because of his pride. II Corinthians 10:17 commands, “But he that glorieth, let him glory in 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.” (II Kings 19:37b)
About the time Sennacherib was threatening Judah, Hezekiah became sick of some type of an infection resembling a boil and was almost to die. Isaiah the prophet sent him a message that he needed to designate the next king and take care of unfinished business because he was going to die at only thirty nine or forty years of age.
“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)
Upset at the thought of dying so young after trying to serve God, Hezekiah prayed, asking god to remember how completely he’d served him and how he had gotten Judah to turn back to him.
“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 the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, 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; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.” (II Kings 20:4-6)
Isaiah had not even made it to the front gate before God responded to Hezekiah’s prayer. Because of his prayer, he would take a dramatic turn for the better, and three days later would be recovered to such degree that he would be able to attend services at the temple. He was also promised an additional fifteen years of life, and in addition, the promise that God would prevent the Assyrians from conquering the city.
“And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.” (II Kings 20:7)
God had instructed Isaiah to place a lump of figs on the infection site, and he had the servants do so, The infection began to shrink almost immediately. While we know that natural sugars such as those found in dried figs are frequently powerful antibacterial agents, and the dried figs would tend to absorb the pus from the wounds, the healing was far more rapid than such factors would normally produce.
“And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the LORD the third day?” (II Kings 20:8)
God had specified that if prophet was truly from God, he was to give a short term prophecy of some minor future event. If that event did not occur, then clearly the prophet was not from God and they were to ignore the main prophecy. Wanting to be sure the promise of fifteen more years was really from God, and could be depended on, Hezekiah asked what sign Isaiah had for him.
“And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees?
And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees.” (II Kings 20:9-10)
Isaiah said that God had given Hezekiah a choice, whether the shadow on the sundial would suddenly advance about forty minutes, or would jump backward by about forty minutes. Since the sun always moves in the same direction. Hezekiah thought it would be more noticeable if it went the opposite diection.
“And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz.” (II Kings 20:11)
When Isaiah prayed, God caused the shadow on the sundial Hezekiah’s father had constructed to go backward forty minutes, a significant chande which cannot be explained by natural causes. Some historians have claimed that the event is also recorded in Egyptian records, but I have not verified their claim.
“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 32:25)
Like many other people have done, after seeing the Assyrian army withdrawn and being healed of potentially fatal disease, Hezekiah became proud and forgot to give God the praise and glory he deserved, bringing himself and the nation into judgment by God. Basically he treated what had happened as something God owed him because of his pride. II Corinthians 10:17 commands, “But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”
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