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Overview

King Hezekiah became deathly ill. The prophet Isaiah came to him, telling the king to get his house in order because he is going to die. Hezekiah wept before the Lord, begging to be healed. God granted his request, giving him fifteen more years to live. 

Isaiah 38:1-6

In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: Set your house in order, for you shall die, you shall not recover.” Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, and said, “Please, O Lord, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: “Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life. I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and will defend this city.

Verse 6 tips off the reader that something is awry. I mean—in the previous chapter God destroyed the whole army of Assyria and their king. This leads the reader to conclude that this event is likely before chapters 36-37. In other words, King Hezekiah recovered from this sickness before the invasion, anywhere from 712–703 B.C. 

Why fifteen years? And not five or twenty? Good question. I have no idea. The text does not give a reason. For me, this reminds me of two simple truths. Only God knows the number of our days and He hears our cries. That the God of the Universe would listen to a human and at least from our perspective change His mind—that is mind-blowing to me. 

Isaiah 38:7-8

“This shall be the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing that he has promised: Behold, I will make the shadow cast by the declining sun on the dial of Ahaz turn back ten steps.” So the sun turned back on the dial the ten steps by which it had declined.

God is a God of signs and wonders. For whatever reason God chose to give Hezekiah a sign, proving that He was going to do what He said. I find it interesting that God did this. God has no requirement to give us a sign. Instead we are supposed to believe Him. He is God. He answers to no one. But here is the crazy part: God does give us signs. He knows we struggle. He knows sin has made us question His goodness. And though God hates sin and hates how sin ruins the blessing He has for us. Yet in spite of all of that, God accommodates us. He knows we cry out, “Help my unbelief!” and He choose to help us. 

In verses 7-8, God promises to make the shadow on the sundial go back ten steps. In other words, God promises to give Hezekiah more time that day. It seems to me this is an appropriate sign to Hezekiah—since God is adding 15 more years to Hezekiah’s life. How did God do this? I have no idea. And quite frankly it doesn’t matter. God is omnipotent. He created time. He created the sun. If He wants to move the sun, He can. God is a miraculous God. 

Isaiah 38:17-20

Behold, it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness; but in love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back. For Sheol does not thank you; death does not praise you; those who go down to the pit do not hope for your faithfulness. The living, the living, he thanks you, as I do this day; the father makes known to the children your faithfulness. The Lord will save me, and we will play my music on stringed instruments all the days of our lives, at the house of the Lord.

This is the prayer of Hezekiah after the Lord delivered him from death. God, in His lovingkindness, extended Hezekiah’s life. It seems like Hezekiah really does not want to head to Sheol, the realm of the dead. Sheol is a curious, shadowy and gloomy place. But whatever Hezekiah thought of Sheol, he was not ready to go there. He wanted to live. 

God wants us to live also. He wants us to redeem every moment. He wants us to enjoy Him and enjoy His creation. Go live for God today! Run with joy and peace. God smiles when His children run and play. He created this world for us. But the degree of enjoyment we experience in this life directly correlates to our longing for God Himself. In other words, the more we enjoy God—the more we enjoy His blessings. Remember that today.