1. Hezekiah becomes very sick (vs. 1)

Hezekiah is not well and gets a visit from Isaiah who doesn’t bring a get well card! He tells him that he is going to die! God was remarkably kind to Hezekiah, telling him that his death was near. Not all people are given the time to set your house in order. We know from comparing 2 Kings 18:2 with 2 Kings 20:6, that Hezekiah was 39 years old when he learned he would soon die.

2. Hezekiah’s prayer (vs. 2-3)

Hezekiah was earnest in his prayer. He directed his prayer in privacy to God, and not to any man. He prays that God might extend his life.

3. Isaiah brings God’s answer to Hezekiah’s prayer (vs. 4-5)

God granted Hezekiah fifteen years more. If Hezekiah had not made his passionate prayer, then his life would not have been extended. Prayer matters! In fact, God gave two gifts to Hezekiah. First, He gave the gift of an extended life. Second, He gave the gift of knowing he only had fifteen years left. If he were wise, this would still give King Hezekiah the motivation to walk right with God and to set his house in order.

4. The promise of deliverance from Assyria (vs. 6)

The connection of the two promises indicates that one would confirm the other. When Hezekiah recovered his health, he could know that God would also deliver him from the Assyrians.

5. A sign to confirm the promises (vs. 7-8)

In a sign of real love, God gave Hezekiah more than he needed or deserved. This was a wonderfully appropriate sign for Hezekiah. By bringing the shadow of the sundial move backward, it gave more time in a day – just as God gave Hezekiah more time. How was this miracle accomplished? We simply don’t know. God could have simply “moved the sun back.” Or, He may have simply provided the miraculous appearance of it on the sundial of Ahaz. It does not really matter how God did it; He has miraculous resources and ways we know nothing about.

6. Hezekiah praises the Lord for His mercy (vs. 9-20)

When God answered his prayer, all Hezekiah could do was praise God. He knew that it was all the Lord’s work, both in word (spoken to me) and deed (done it). So, Hezekiah was speechless (What shall I say?).

What did Hezekiah do with these added 15 years? One thing he did was father a son who would succeed him on the throne of Judah. Of the next king of Judah, Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, it is written that he was 12 years old when he became king (2 Kings 21:1). This means he must have been born in the last 15 years of Hezekiah’s life.

God specifically targeted Judah for judgment because of the terrible sins of Manasseh (2 Kings 21:10-15). Although Manasseh did repent the damage was already done to the nation. In this, we may see that the Lord had a better plan than Hezekiah did in calling him home at the earlier time. God knew that if Hezekiah lived, he would give birth to this wicked successor. Sometimes it is best to simply leave our lot with the Lord, and leave what even seems to be clearly good up to His wisdom.

7. How the Lord healed Hezekiah. (vs. 21-22)

God used this medical treatment – at the very least, He used it as a sign – to bring Hezekiah’s healing. God can, and often does, bring healing through medical treatments, and apart from an unusual direction from God, medical treatment should never be rejected in the name of “faith.”

Categories: Isaiah