Hezekiah’s Life Extended

Topic: Tears
Passage: 2 Kings 20:1–11

March 13, 2021

Commentary

It is probable that the events of this chapter occurred right before or during the invasion of Jerusalem by Sennacherib. God sent Isaiah to announce to Hezekiah that he was gong to die and should arrange for the handling of his personal affairs (v. l). Hezekiah did not want to die before completing his moral reform and so he responded to this bad news by praying earnestly to the Lord. It says that Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord (v. 2). He asked Him to remember how he had walked faithfully with whole hearted devotion as His servant (v. 3) Then Hezekiah wept bitterly. The Lord not only heard his prayers but he saw his tears (v. 5). The king’s prayer brought a quick response and before Isaiah left the palace the Lord gave him a message for Hezekiah that he would be given 15 additional years to live (vv. 5-6). And Isaiah said, “Bring a cake of figs. And let them take and lay it on the boil, that he may recover” (v. 7).

Hezekiah requested a sign to confirm the spoken promise that he would be healed (v. 8). God gave him a choice of whether the shadow would go forward as it normally would, or backward (v. 9). He chose what he thought to be the most difficult and that was for the sun’s shadow to be moved backward 10 degrees (v. 10). At this point God did the seemingly impossible by making the shadow go backward (v. 11). This implies that the rotation of the earth was reversed at this point but God could have simply bent the shadow. Regardless of how He did it, this was a miracle.

Application

God responded to the tears of Hezekiah and I believe he will do the same for us today if they are for the right reason. Lord, give me a broken heart for the souls of men!

 

2 Kings 20:1– 11 (NET)

1 In those days Hezekiah was stricken with a terminal illness. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz visited him and told him, “This is what the Lord has said, ‘Give your household instructions, for you are about to die; you will not get well.’” 2 He turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3 “Please, Lord. Remember how I have served you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion, and how I have carried out your will.” Then Hezekiah wept bitterly.

4 Isaiah had not yet left the middle courtyard when the Lord’s message came to him, 5 “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people: ‘This is what the Lord God of your ancestor David has said: “I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I will heal you. The day after tomorrow you will go up to the Lord’s temple. 6 I will add fifteen years to your life and rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will shield this city for the sake of my reputation and because of my promise to David my servant.”’” 7 Isaiah ordered, “Get a fig cake.” So they did as he ordered and placed it on the ulcerated sore, and he recovered.

8 Hezekiah had said to Isaiah, “What is the confirming sign that the Lord will heal me and that I will go up to the Lord’s temple the day after tomorrow?” 9 Isaiah replied, “This is your sign from the Lord confirming that the Lord will do what he has said. Do you want the shadow to move ahead ten steps or to go back ten steps?” 10 Hezekiah answered, “It is easy for the shadow to lengthen ten steps, but not for it to go back ten steps.” 11 Isaiah the prophet called out to the Lord, and the Lord made the shadow go back ten steps on the stairs of Ahaz.

Hezekiah’s Life Extended

Topic: Tears
Passage: 2 Kings 20:1–11

January 30, 2020

Commentary

It is probable that the events of this chapter occurred right before or during the invasion of Jerusalem by Sennacherib. God sent Isaiah to announce to Hezekiah that he was gong to die and should arrange for the handling of his personal affairs (v. l). Hezekiah did not want to die before completing his moral reform and so he responded to this bad news by praying earnestly to the Lord. It says that Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord (v. 2). He asked Him to remember how he had walked faithfully with whole hearted devotion as His servant (v. 3) Then Hezekiah wept bitterly. The Lord not only heard his prayers but he saw his tears (v. 5). The king’s prayer brought a quick response and before Isaiah left the palace the Lord gave him a message for Hezekiah that he would be given 15 additional years to live (vv. 5-6). And Isaiah said, “Bring a cake of figs. And let them take and lay it on the boil, that he may recover” (v. 7).

Hezekiah requested a sign to confirm the spoken promise that he would be healed (v. 8). God gave him a choice of whether the shadow would go forward as it normally would, or backward (v. 9). He chose what he thought to be the most difficult and that was for the sun’s shadow to be moved backward 10 degrees (v. 10). At this point God did the seemingly impossible by making the shadow go backward (v. 11). This implies that the rotation of the earth was reversed at this point but God could have simply bent the shadow. Regardless of how He did it, this was a miracle.

Application

God responded to the tears of Hezekiah and I believe he will do the same for us today if they are for the right reason. Lord, give me a broken heart for the souls of men!

 

2 Kings 20:1– 11 (NET)

1 In those days Hezekiah was stricken with a terminal illness. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz visited him and told him, “This is what the Lord has said, ‘Give your household instructions, for you are about to die; you will not get well.’” 2 He turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3 “Please, Lord. Remember how I have served you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion, and how I have carried out your will.” Then Hezekiah wept bitterly.

4 Isaiah had not yet left the middle courtyard when the Lord’s message came to him, 5 “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people: ‘This is what the Lord God of your ancestor David has said: “I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I will heal you. The day after tomorrow you will go up to the Lord’s temple. 6 I will add fifteen years to your life and rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will shield this city for the sake of my reputation and because of my promise to David my servant.”’” 7 Isaiah ordered, “Get a fig cake.” So they did as he ordered and placed it on the ulcerated sore, and he recovered.

8 Hezekiah had said to Isaiah, “What is the confirming sign that the Lord will heal me and that I will go up to the Lord’s temple the day after tomorrow?” 9 Isaiah replied, “This is your sign from the Lord confirming that the Lord will do what he has said. Do you want the shadow to move ahead ten steps or to go back ten steps?” 10 Hezekiah answered, “It is easy for the shadow to lengthen ten steps, but not for it to go back ten steps.” 11 Isaiah the prophet called out to the Lord, and the Lord made the shadow go back ten steps on the stairs of Ahaz.