The chapter opens with the news that Hezekiah was sick and near to death. We are not told any details, but that Isaiah came to him with a message from the LORD (v1). This event is also recorded in Isaiah 38. The message from Isaiah was, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live.’”
The LORD was very gracious in informing Hezekiah that he would die and that he should set his house in order. We do not usually get notice and a set time to do this. The question must be relevant – how would you put your house in order if you knew you were about to die? The most important answer is to prepare ourselves. Are we ready to meet the Lord? I used to sing, “If you want to be up there (heaven) then down here you must prepare, and your name must be in the book of life.” Jesus said that we must be born again, or we cannot see the Kingdom of Heaven (see John 3:3).
Hezekiah prayed to God with his face to the wall (v2,3). I’m not sure of the significance of that except he was speaking to God and no one else. He was fully focussed. I presume that Isaiah was still present, but Hezekiah’s prayer was solely to God.
His prayer was, “Remember now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what was good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
It is said that his prayer was not a template for us today. We do not come to God on the basis of the righteous and good things we have done, but we come in the name and righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ. Whilst his form of prayer was not for us, his actions may well be. To focus on God alone, and to weep bitterly. We are not under the old covenant, but the new covenant which we have through our Lord Jesus Christ and what He has done. His righteousness becomes our righteousness. We do not come on the basis of how good we have been, which seems to be saying that God owes us something for our apparently good behaviour. We deserve nothing but the wrath of God, but we receive His righteousness.
We see a commendable attitude in the centurion in Matthew 8 who asked Jesus to heal his servant. He said that he was not worthy for the Lord Jesus to come under his roof, but to just speak the word and he would be healed.
Apparently, Isaiah was leaving the palace, when God spoke to him again and he returned with the word of the LORD (v4-7). “Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD. And I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake, and for the sake of My servant David.””
God was granting him fifteen years more. He would know exactly how much longer he had to live. If we knew that, how would we spend our time? What a challenge it would be to us all? If Hezekiah was wise, he would continue to walk close to God in thankfulness for his healing and the notice of how long he had left in his life. Would we do the same, or would we decide to live as we liked for some of the time and then give God what was left.
God heard his prayer but notice that God was going to defend the city, not because of Hezekiah’s goodness, but for His own sake, and for the sake of David.
Isaiah instructed them to take a lump of figs, lay it on the infected area and Hezekiah recovered (v7). Some believe that all healings are a miracle, and love to take the credit for it. Some call themselves ‘healers, faith healers,’ but this passage shows that 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. It is a fact, however, that God can still heal miraculously.
Hezekiah asked Isaiah for God to give him a sign so that he could go up to the house of the LORD. Clearly, he could not go during his illness. One might have thought that God would not be pleased that hezekiah was doubting, but in His mercy, He did give him a sign, an amazing sign (v8-11). In fact, Isaiah gave him a choice of signs. The shadow of the sun going forward ten degrees or back ten degrees. Hezekiah said that it was easy for the sun to go forward, but not so easy to go backward. I don’t know about you, but both of them sound quite astonishing to me. Both were an amazing miracle well within the capability of a Creator God. Isaiah gave him the choice, but Isaiah couldn’t do that, and he rightly, brought the request to the LORD. The LORD brought the sun backward ten degrees on the sundial.
This was God’s mercy indeed and Hezekiah was given more time in the day as well as more years in his life.
2 Chronicles 32:24-26 tells us that Hezekiah did not respond rightly to this gift of healing: Hezekiah did not repay according to the favor shown him, for his heart was lifted up; therefore, wrath was looming over him and over Judah and Jerusalem. Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, he, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah received another letter, this time from Barodach-Baladan the son of Baladan king of Babylon, in fact it was more than one letter and a present. This was because he heard that Hezekiah had been sick and recovered. Maybe the news had spread, and he had miraculously recovered, and maybe it was a gesture of kindness, or it was normal diplomacy. Jewish historian says that this was more than a courtesy call, it was an attempt to secure Hezekiah’s support to fight the Assyrians.
Hezekiah was flattered by the attention, and his pride led him down the wrong path. Babylon was a superpower and to be asked for his help made Hezekiah feel very important.
Hezekiah, in his pride, attended to the visitors and showed them all the treasures of his house – silver, gold, spices, precious ointment, and all his armoury. He showed them everything he had (v12,13). He was trying to impress them.
This was temptation of the highest level. God had prospered Hezekiah, but even though he had been given fifteen more years, he failed to acknowledge God and his actions showed what was precious to him.
We are all tempted, 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us, but we read that God is faithful and will always make a way of escape so that we will be able to bear it. Sadly, Hezekiah didn’t take the way of escape and instead fell for the pride in his heart. He had everything going for him. What a privileged man he was, promised success by God as well as healing and an extended life. He was granted a miracle and had access to a great man of God in Isaiah.
He took honour to himself which belonged to God. He could have testified to the men of Babylon that he had been blessed by God, but he didn’t.
Isaiah went to the king and said, ‘Who were the men and what did they say.’ I’m quite sure that Isaiah knew the answers, God certainly did (v14-18).
Interestingly, Hezekiah answered truthfully, but it was more out of pride than honesty. He proudly told Isaiah who the men were and that he had showed them everything. He had been trying to impress them, but that was his downfall, he had been stupid. Isaiah told him that all that was in his house would be carried away to Babylon. It merely showed Babylon that he was worth attacking. This prophecy was fulfilled in 2 Kings 24 and 25, even though it was more than one hundred years later under Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. The prophecy was so exact that skeptics think that Isaiah wrote it later. They would take not only his goods but some of his sons to serve the king of Babylon. Some of these were Daniel and his friends (see Daniel 1:1-4).
Hezekiah’s reaction showed that he was only concerned about himself. He said that the Word of the LORD was good, which was very big of him, but he wanted peace and so long as it didn’t happen in his lifetime (v19). We are now shown the rest of his acts, and one in particular was making a pool and a tunnel to bring water into the city (v20). An aqueduct to bring fresh water into the city, especially if they were under siege. It was 650yards long through solid rock. They began at each end and met in the middle, and it emptied into the Pool of Siloam (mentioned in the New Testament). It was discovered by archaeologists in 1880. It was more remarkable because they didn’t have the equipment and tools which we have today, no tunnel boring machine etc. it was done merely by hand and tools like axes etc. it was truly an amazing feat of engineering, for its day.
Hezekiah was generally a good king, but his beginning was better than his end. He didn’t finish well, despite the blessings and privileges given by God, and his extra fifteen years. Sadly, it hadn’t made him more godly.
How important it is that we finish well. Some do despite poor beginnings. We often say that time is a healer, time will tell, or, in time it will turn out well, but it is not always so. We might start well, but do we finish well, and make good use of the time, whatever time God gives to us.
Hezekiah died (v21) and was buried with his fathers, and Manasseh, his son reigned in his place.
