THE LORD HEARS HEZEKIAH S PRAYER HEZEKIAH S SONG OF THANKS ISAIAH 38:1-22

Transcription

1 1 THE LORD HEARS HEZEKIAH S PRAYER HEZEKIAH S SONG OF THANKS ISAIAH 38:1-22

2 2 Text: THE LORD HEARS HEZEKIAH S PRAYER Isaiah 38:1-22, HEZEKIAH S SONG OF THANKS 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 says, Give instructions to your household, for you are about to die; you will not get well. 2. Hezekiah 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. The Lord told Isaiah, 5. Go and tell Hezekiah: This is what the Lord God of your ancestor David says: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I will add fifteen years to your life, 6. and rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will shield this city. 21. Isaiah ordered, Let them take a fig cake and apply it to the ulcerated sore and he will get well. 22. Hezekiah said, What is the confirming sign that I will go up to the Lord s temple? 7. Isaiah replied, This is your sign from the Lord confirming that the Lord will do what he has said:

3 Look, I will make the shadow go back ten steps on the stairs of Ahaz. And then the shadow went back ten steps. 9. This is the prayer of King Hezekiah of Judah when he was sick and then recovered from his illness: 10. I thought, In the middle of my life I must walk through the gates of Sheol, I am deprived of the rest of my years. 11. I thought, I will no longer see the Lord in the land of the living, I will no longer look on humankind with the inhabitants of the world. 12. My dwelling place is removed and taken away from me like a shepherd s tent. I rolled up my life like a weaver rolls cloth; from the loom he cuts me off. You turn day into night and end my life. 13. I cry out until morning; like a lion he shatters all my bones; you turn day into night and end my life. 14. Like a swallow or a thrush I chirp, I coo like a dove; my eyes grow tired from looking up to the sky. O sovereign master, I am oppressed; help me! 15. What can I say? He has decreed and acted. I will walk slowly all my years because I am overcome with grief. 16. O sovereign master, your decrees can give men life; may years of life be restored to me. Restore my health and preserve my life. 17. Look, the grief I experienced was for my benefit. You delivered me from the Pit of oblivion. For you removed all my sins from your sight. 18. Indeed Sheol does not give you thanks; death does not praise you. Those who descend into the Pit do not anticipate your faithfulness.

4 The living person, the living person, he gives you thanks, as I do today. A father tells his sons about your faithfulness. 20. The Lord is about to deliver me, and we will celebrate with music for the rest of our lives in the Lord s temple. (NET) Introduction: I. Hamilton wrote, This chapter reports Hezekiah s illness, Yahweh s cure, and Hezekiah s thanksgiving. These events occurred before Sennacherib s siege of Jerusalem in 701 B.C.E. A. Smith cites the treasures in Judah following Hezekiah s illness as evidence the events of Isaiah 38 pre-dated Hezekiah s payment of tribute to Sennacherib. 1. Isaiah 39:2, Hezekiah welcomed them and showed them his storehouse with its silver, gold, spices, and high-quality olive oil, as well as his whole armory and everything in his treasuries. Hezekiah showed them everything in his palace and in his whole kingdom. (NET) II. The events of Isaiah 38:1-8 are parallel to:... A. 2 Kings 20:1-11, 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 says, Give your household instructions, for you are about to die; you will not get well. He turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord,

5 5 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. Isaiah was still in the middle courtyard when the Lord told him, Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people: This is what the Lord God of your ancestor David says: 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. 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. Isaiah ordered, Get a fig cake. So they did as he ordered and placed it on the ulcerated sore, and he recovered. 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? 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? Hezekiah answered, It is easy for the shadow to lengthen ten steps, but not for it to go back ten steps. Isaiah the prophet called out to the Lord, and the Lord made the shadow go back ten steps on the stairs of Ahaz. (NET) III. Hailey wrote:... A. Hezekiah was twenty-five (25) years old when he began to reign.

6 6 B. Hezekiah reigned for twenty-nine years Kings 18:2, He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twentynine years in Jerusalem. His mother was Abi, the daughter of Zechariah. (NET) C. Hezekiah s illness, therefore, occurred in the fourteenth (14 th ) year of his reign. D. Hezekiah died in circa 686 B.C. which places his sickness in 701 B.C., the year Sennacherib attempted to conquer Judah and Jerusalem. E. Hezekiah s illness and the Assyrian invasion occurred in close proximity. 1. Isaiah 38:4-6, The Lord told Isaiah, Go and tell Hezekiah: This is what the Lord God of your ancestor David says: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I will add fifteen years to your life, and rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will shield this city. (NET) IV. Briley wrote, Hezekiah learned that he can trust in God and God alone. A. Briley further wrote,... in spite of his human weaknesses (regarding the Egyptians, Babylonians and Assyrians), Hezekiah still stands as an outstanding example of faith under extremely difficult circumstances.

7 7 Commentary: The Lord Hears Hezekiah s Prayer Isaiah 38:1, 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 says, Give instructions to your household, for you are about to die; you will not get well. (NET) I. In those days Hezekiah was stricken with a terminal illness. A. This illness was sent upon Hezekiah as punishment for his pride. (Hamilton) 1. 2 Chronicles 32:24-26, In those days Hezekiah was stricken with a terminal illness. He prayed to the Lord, who answered him and gave him a sign confirming that he would be healed. But Hezekiah was ungrateful; he had a proud attitude, provoking God to be angry at him, as well as Judah and Jerusalem. But then Hezekiah and the residents of Jerusalem humbled themselves and abandoned their pride, and the Lord was not angry with them for the rest of Hezekiah s reign. (NET) 2. 2 Kings 20:1-11, 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 says, Give your household instructions, for you are about to die; you will

8 8 not get well. He turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 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. Isaiah was still in the middle courtyard when the Lord told him, Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people: This is what the Lord God of your ancestor David says: 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. 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. Isaiah ordered, Get a fig cake. So they did as he ordered and placed it on the ulcerated sore, and he recovered. 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? 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? Hezekiah answered, It is easy for the shadow to lengthen ten steps, but not for it to go back ten steps. Isaiah the prophet called out to the Lord, and the Lord made the shadow go back ten steps on the stairs of Ahaz. (NET)

9 9 B. Hailey explained that In those days refers to the days of the Assyrian invasion. 1. At this time Hezekiah was thirty-nine (39) years of age. 2. If he had expired at this time, his days would not have been long in the Promised Land. 3. For Hezekiah this would have been a major tragedy. C. Commentators vary regarding the date these events took place. These dates vary from 701 B.C. to 714 B.C. (See Coffman.) 1. For commentators to have different opinions is not at all unusual. II. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz visited him and told him,... A. When sick and otherwise facing difficult times, we welcome God s concerned servants to our bedside. B. The word came to Hezekiah through Isaiah, God s faithful servant. 1. Hezekiah well knew Isaiah spoke the truth. 2. Isaiah is identified here both by office (prophet) and descent (son of Amoz). (See The Pulpit Commentary.)

10 10 III. This is what the Lord says, Give instructions to your household, for you are about to die; you will not get well. A. Hezekiah was told to get his house in order, for death was imminent. B. Briley speaks of this as an example of conditional prophecy. 1. We learn, Briley further noted, God has the power to overcome the threat of destruction for those who turn to him in trust. C. Hezekiah s life was extended by fifteen years, but then he expired. Jerusalem was spared destruction by the Assyrians, but later fell to the Babylonians. D. Billions of people live on earth. Everyday thousands hear these words from their health care providers, You have a terminal illness. You will not get well! You have months to live. 1. Eventually all of us will come to this point in life. 2. When you come to that point, how will you react to this news? E. Hezekiah s imminent death was averted as was Nineveh s destruction by penitent, remorseful prayer. (See The Pulpit Commentary.)

11 Jonah 3:4, 10, When Jonah began to enter the city one day s walk, he announced, At the end of forty days, Nineveh will be overthrown! When God saw their actions they turned from their evil way of living! God relented concerning the judgment he had threatened them with and he did not destroy them. (NET) Isaiah 38:2, Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, (NET) I. Hezekiah turned his faced to the wall and prayed to the Lord. A. Hezekiah prayed to God whom he had faithfully served and God heard his prayer. B. When facing death and you turn to God for solace, had you rather approach God as a saint or sinner? C. Prince or pauper, all stand helpless before Almighty God! D. The Pulpit Commentary states Ahab also turned his face to the wall, but with an altogether different attitude Kings 21:4, So Ahab went into his palace, bitter and angry that Naboth the Jezreelite had said, I will not sell to you my ancestral inheritance. He lay down on his bed, pouted, and would not eat. (NET)

12 12 E. Beds appear to have been placed in corners in those days, the head of the bed against one wall and the side of the bed against another. (See the Pulpit Commentary.) Isaiah 38:3, 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. (NET) I. Please Lord. Remember how I have served you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion, and how I have carried out your will. A. Hezekiah was concerned about the preservation of his life, but he was also concerned for the welfare of Judah and Jerusalem, Hailey stated. 1. Hezekiah made a mistake in seeking Egypt s help against the Assyrians, but this was not blatant rebellion against God of which his father Ahaz had been guilty. B. Hezekiah s prayer is a lament similar to many laments found in the book of Psalms. (See Briley.) C. We humans have a tendency to bargain with God saying, Please, God, do this for me because I have done thus and so for you. (See Briley.) 1. Luke 17:20, Now at one point the Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God was coming, so he answered, The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, (NET)

13 We cannot place God in our debt, obligated to us to do our bidding Kings 18:3-6, He did what the Lord approved, just as his ancestor David had done. He eliminated the high places, smashed the sacred pillars to bits, and cut down the Asherah pole. He also demolished the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been offering incense to it; it was called Nehushtan. He trusted in the Lord God of Israel; in this regard there was none like him among the kings of Judah either before or after. He was loyal to the Lord and did not abandon him. He obeyed the commandments which the Lord had given to Moses. (NET) 4. Job 31:4-40, Does he not see my ways and count all my steps? If I have walked in falsehood, and if my foot has hastened to deceit let him weigh me with honest scales; then God will discover my integrity. If my footsteps have strayed from the way, if my heart has gone after my eyes, or if anything has defiled my hands, then let me sow and let another eat, and let my crops be uprooted. If my heart has been enticed by a woman, and I have lain in wait at my neighbor s door, then let my wife turn the millstone for another man, and may other men have sexual relations with her. For I would have committed a shameful act, an

14 14 iniquity to be judged. For it is a fire that devours even to Destruction, and it would uproot all my harvest. If I have disregarded the right of my male servants or my female servants when they disputed with me, then what will I do when God confronts me in judgment; when he intervenes, how will I respond to him? Did not the one who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same one form us in the womb? If I have refused to give the poor what they desired, or caused the eyes of the widow to fail, If I ate my morsel of bread myself, and did not share any of it with orphans but from my youth I raised the orphan like a father, and from my mother s womb I guided the widow! If I have seen anyone about to perish for lack of clothing, or a poor man without a coat, whose heart did not bless me as he warmed himself with the fleece of my sheep, if I have raised my hand to vote against the orphan, when I saw my support in the court, then let my arm fall from the shoulder, let my arm be broken off at the socket. For the calamity from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his majesty I was powerless. If I have put my confidence in gold or said to pure gold, You are my security! if I have rejoiced because of the extent of my wealth, or because of the great wealth my hand had gained, if I looked at the sun when it was shining, and the moon advancing as a precious thing, so that my heart was secretly enticed, and my hand threw them a kiss from my mouth, then this also would be

15 15 iniquity to be judged, for I would have been false to God above. If I have rejoiced over the misfortune of my enemy or exulted because calamity found him I have not even permitted my mouth to sin by asking for his life through a curse if the members of my household have never said, If only there were someone who has not been satisfied from Job s meat! But no stranger had to spend the night outside, for I opened my doors to the traveler if I have covered my transgressions as men do, by hiding iniquity in my heart, because I was terrified of the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I remained silent and would not go outdoors If only I had someone to hear me! Here is my signature let the Almighty answer me! If only I had an indictment that my accuser had written. Surely I would wear it proudly on my shoulder, I would bind it on me like a crown; I would give him an accounting of my steps; like a prince I would approach him. If my land cried out against me and all its furrows wept together, if I have eaten its produce without paying, or caused the death of its owners, then let thorns sprout up in place of wheat, and in place of barley, weeds! (NET) 5. Psalm 7:3-8, O Lord my God, if I have done what they say, or am guilty of unjust actions, or have wronged my ally, or helped his lawless enemy, may an enemy relentlessly chase me and catch me; may he trample me to death and leave

16 16 me lying dishonored in the dust. (Selah) Stand up angrily, Lord! Rise up with raging fury against my enemies! Wake up for my sake and execute the judgment you have decreed for them! The countries are assembled all around you; take once more your rightful place over them! The Lord judges the nations. Vindicate me, Lord, because I am innocent, because I am blameless, O Exalted One! (NET) 6. Psalm 18:20-24, The Lord repaid me for my godly deeds; he rewarded my blameless behavior. For I have obeyed the Lord s commands; I have not rebelled against my God. For I am aware of all his regulations, and I do not reject his rules. I was innocent before him, and kept myself from sinning. The Lord rewarded me for my godly deeds; he took notice of my blameless behavior. (NET) II. Then Hezekiah wept bitterly. A. God was touched with the feeling of Hezekiah s infirmities and his tears of penitence. (See Briley.) B. Josephus via Coffman wrote that one reason Hezekiah wept so bitterly was that, at this time, he had no son and would have died without an heir to succeed him to carry on the Davidic line. 1. To Hezekiah, this possibility was absolutely, unspeakably horrible!

17 To die without an offspring was regarded as a sign of divine displeasure. a. Job 15:32, Before his time he will be paid in full, and his branches will not flourish. (NET) b. Job 22:15-16, Will you keep to the old path that evil men have walked men who were carried off before their time, when the flood was poured out on their foundations? (NET) c. Psalm 55:23, But you, O God, will bring them down to the deep Pit. Violent and deceitful people will not live even half a normal lifespan. But as for me, I trust in you. (NET) d. Proverbs 10:27, Fearing the Lord prolongs life, but the life span of the wicked will be shortened. (NET) e. Ecclesiastes 7:17, Do not be excessively wicked and do not be a fool; otherwise you might die before your time. (NET) 3. However, his son Manasseh was one of the most wicked kings ever to rule Judah.

18 18 a. 2 Kings 21:1, Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother was Hephzibah. (NET) b. When Hezekiah died, Manasseh was twelve (12) years of age. i. 2 Chronicles 33:1, Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem. (NET) c. Let us be careful what we ask for. C. Hezekiah wept and lamented grievously, Clarke wrote. D. God s righteous saints weep over the vicissitudes of life. (See the Pulpit commentary.) 1. 2 Samuel 1:12, They lamented and wept and fasted until evening because Saul, his son Jonathan, the Lord s people, and the house of Israel had fallen by the sword. (NET) 2. 2 Samuel 19:1, Joab was told, The king is weeping and mourning over Absalom. (NET) 3. 2 Kings 22:19, You displayed a sensitive spirit and humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard how I intended to make this place and its residents into an appalling example of an

19 19 accursed people. You tore your clothes and wept before me, and I have heard you, says the Lord. (NET) 4. Nehemiah 1:4, When I heard these things I sat down abruptly, crying and mourning for several days. I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. (NET) 5. Isaiah 33:7, Look, ambassadors cry out in the streets; messengers sent to make peace weep bitterly. (NET) Isaiah 38:4, The Lord told Isaiah, (NET) I. The Lord told Isaiah,... A. Before Isaiah had gone out into the middle part of the city, God answered Hezekiah s prayer. 1. Prayer traveled with lightning speed all the way to heaven and back before Isaiah could get out of the palace, much less out of town. a. Actually, Isaiah had not reached the middle court of the king s palace when God spoke to Isaiah about Hezekiah s recovery of health. b. 2 Kings 20:4, Isaiah was still in the middle courtyard when the Lord told him, (NET)

20 and his children don t need an appointment to talk to him. His line is never busy. His office is never closed. Isaiah 38:5, Go and tell Hezekiah: This is what the Lord God of your ancestor David says: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I will add fifteen years to your life, (NET) I. Go and tell Hezekiah: This is what the Lord God of your ancestor* David says:... A. *NET Footnote: Hebrew father. B. Manasseh, Hezekiah s son, heir and successor to the throne, had not, at this time, been born. (See Hailey.) 1. 2 Kings 21:1, Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned for fiftyfive years in Jerusalem. His mother was Hephzibah. (NET) 2. Isaiah 37:35, I will shield this city and rescue it for the sake of my reputation and because of my promise to David my servant. (NET) 3. God had promised that David s successors would reign in perpetuity in Jerusalem. (See Hailey.) 4. Manasseh was born three years after Hezekiah s illness enabling the Davidic dynasty to continue. (See Hailey.)

21 21 C. Three days following this announcement, Hezekiah would be able to go up again to the temple to worship Kings 20:5-6, Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people: This is what the Lord God of your ancestor David says: 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. 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. (NET) II. I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. A. The Lord is touched with the feelings of our infirmities. 1. He is aware of and empathetic with us in regard to all our distresses and crises. III. Look, I will add fifteen years to your life,... A. With God there are no terminal, incurable diseases! B. When the fifteen years had passed and Hezekiah again faced death, did he once more turn his face to the wall and weep bitterly? 1. How will you and I feel and act when we face death face to face?

22 22 C. Hezekiah faced a most serious illness and recovered. This experience emotionally must have helped Hezekiah withstand Sennacherib. (See Briley.) D. This fifteen (15) year extension of Hezekiah s reign a little more than doubled the time he served as king and extended his life beyond that of most kings of Judah who did not reach their fiftieth (50 th ) birthday. (See The Pulpit Commentary.) Isaiah 38:6, and rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will shield this city. (NET) I. and rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will shield this city. A. Hailey observed that this verse is evidence that Hezekiah s illness occurred during the period of Assyrian aggression. B. God provided recovery from illness for Hezekiah and for the city of Jerusalem from Sennacherib. 1. God cares for each of us individually and all of us as a group. 2. God loves his children one and all! NOTE: Isaiah 38 actually contains 22 verses. Verses 21 and 22 in such versions as the AKJV, NKJV, NIV, NASB, NRSV, et. al appear at the end of the chapter Verses 21 and 22 appear

23 23 between verses 6 and 7 in the NET. The NET Footnote explains, Verses 21, 22 have apparently been misplaced in the course of the text s transmission; they obviously belong between verses 6 and 7. Hamilton concurs. See 2 Kings 20:7-8, where the verses are located correctly in the narrative. 2 Kings 20:7-8, Isaiah ordered, Get a fig cake. So they did as he ordered and placed it on the ulcerated sore, and he recovered. 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? (NET) Isaiah 38:21, Isaiah ordered, Let them take a fig cake and apply it to the ulcerated sore and he will get well. (NET) I. Isaiah ordered, Let them take a fig cake and apply it to the ulcerated sore and he will get well. A. It was God who healed Hezekiah. It is God who heals everyone who recovers from any illness. God works through medicine also, in this case a fig cake. Jesus said those who are sick need a physician. The fig cake did not cure Hezekiah s terminal illness. God healed his servant! 1. Dried figs were used in the medical practice of the ancients, Coffman noted. 2. James 5:13-15, Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone in good spirits? He should sing praises. Is anyone among you ill? He should summon the elders of the church, and they should pray for him and anoint

24 24 him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick and the Lord will raise him up and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. (NET) B. We don t know how a dermatologist today would diagnose this ulcerated sore. Could the terminal illness have been melanoma, a deadly skin cancer? C. Smith wrote,... divine healing is not always instantaneous. 3. The Bible, both the Old and New Testaments, support the prudent use of medication while relying in faith on God from whom all blessings come Kings 20:7, Isaiah ordered, Get a fig cake. So they did as he ordered and placed it on the ulcerated sore, and he recovered. (NET) 5. 1 Kings 17:21, He stretched out over the boy three times and called out to the Lord, O Lord, my God, please let this boy s breath return to him. (NET) 6. 2 Kings 4:31, 41, Now Gehazi went on ahead of them. He placed the staff on the child s face, but there was no sound or response. When he came back to Elisha he told him, The child did not wake up. He said, Get some flour. Then he threw it into the pot and said, Now pour some

25 25 out for the men so they may eat. There was no longer anything harmful in the pot. (NET) 7. John 9:6, Having said this, he spat on the ground and made some mud with the saliva. He smeared the mud on the blind man s eyes (NET) 8. Mark 7:33, After Jesus took him aside privately, away from the crowd, he put his fingers in the man s ears, and after spitting, he touched his tongue. (NET) 9. Mark 8:23, He took the blind man by the hand and brought him outside of the village. Then he spit on his eyes, placed his hands on his eyes and asked, Do you see anything? (NET) Isaiah 38:22, Hezekiah said, What is the confirming sign that I will go up to the Lord s temple? (NET) I. Hezekiah said, What is the confirming sign that I will go up to the Lord s temple? A. Smith wrote, For scoffers to ask for signs is considered sinful in the Old Testament. When one, however, does believe, but needs support for his faith, God takes no offense at the request for a sign; however, God must not be tested or tried. 1. Deuteronomy 6:16, You must not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah. (NET)

26 Matthew 4:7, Jesus said to him, Once again it is written: You are not to put the Lord your God to the test. (NET) 3. Matthew 12:39, But he answered them, An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. (NET) 4. John 6:30, So they said to him, Then what miraculous sign will you perform, so that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? (NET) 5. Judges 6:36-40, Gideon said to God, If you really intend to use me to deliver Israel, as you promised, then give me a sign as proof. Look, I am putting a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece, and the ground around it is dry, then I will be sure that you will use me to deliver Israel, as you promised. The Lord did as he asked. When he got up the next morning, he squeezed the fleece, and enough dew dripped from it to fill a bowl. Gideon said to God, Please do not get angry at me, when I ask for just one more sign. Please allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make only the fleece dry, while the ground around it is covered with dew. That night God did as he asked. Only the fleece was dry and the ground around it was covered with dew. (NET)

27 Malachi 3:10, Bring the entire tithe into the storehouse so that there may be food in my temple. Test me in this matter, says the Lord who rules over all, to see if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until there is no room for it all. (NET) Isaiah 38:7, Isaiah replied, This is your sign from the Lord confirming that the Lord will do what he has said: (NET) I. Isaiah replied, This is your sign from the Lord confirming that the Lord will do what he has said:... A. 2 Kings 20:4-5, 8-11, Isaiah was still in the middle courtyard when the Lord told him, Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people: This is what the Lord God of your ancestor David says: 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. 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? 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? Hezekiah answered, It is easy for the shadow to lengthen ten steps, but not for it to go back ten steps. Isaiah the prophet called out to the Lord, and the Lord made the shadow go back ten steps on the stairs of Ahaz. (NET)

28 28 B. Hailey regards this as a miracle in no way able to be explained by human wisdom. C. Hezekiah s father Ahaz, because of a lack of faith, refused the offer of a sign from God. (See Briley.) 1. Isaiah 7:11-12, Ask for a confirming sign from the Lord your God. You can even ask for something miraculous. But Ahaz responded, I don t want to ask; I don t want to put the Lord to a test. (NET) 2. Hezekiah requested and welcomed God s sign. Isaiah 38:8, Look, I will make the shadow go back ten steps on the stairs of Ahaz. And then the shadow went back ten steps. (NET) I. Look, I will make the shadow go back ten steps on the stairs of Ahaz. A. Hamilton explained that the lengthening of the day symbolized the lengthening of Hezekiah s life. 1. Hezekiah s seeking a sign was in stark contrast with his father s (Ahaz s) stubborn refusal to do so, Hamilton wrote. a. Isaiah 7:10-17, The Lord again spoke to Ahaz: Ask for a confirming sign from the Lord your God. You can even ask for something miraculous. But Ahaz respond-

29 29 ed, I don t want to ask; I don t want to put the Lord to a test. So Isaiah replied, Pay attention, family of David. Do you consider it too insignificant to try the patience of men? Is that why you are also trying the patience of my God? For this reason the sovereign master himself will give you a confirming sign. Look, this young woman is about to conceive and will give birth to a son. You, young woman, will name him Immanuel. He will eat sour milk and honey, which will help him know how to reject evil and choose what is right. Here is why this will be so: Before the child knows how to reject evil and choose what is right, the land whose two kings you fear will be desolate. The Lord will bring on you, your people, and your father s family a time unlike any since Ephraim departed from Judah the king of Assyria! (NET) B. Smith wrote that the stairs of Ahaz were used as a sundial to measure time. 1. Hezekiah was given the choice of seeing the shadow go forward or backward on the steps. (Smith) 2. Hezekiah asked that the sun s shadow go backward on the stairway ten steps. (Smith) 3. How much time was represented by each step is not stated. (Smith)

30 30 C. Briley wrote, God has the power, whenever he chooses, to reverse the normal course of physical and human events Chronicles 32:31, So when the envoys arrived from the Babylonian officials to visit him and inquire about the sign that occurred in the land, God left him alone to test him, in order to know his true motives. (NET) D. Coffman wrote that this was an astounding miracle in every sense equal to that of Joshua 10:12-15, The day the Lord delivered the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua prayed to the Lord before Israel: O sun, stand still over Gibeon! O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon! The sun stood still and the moon stood motionless while the nation took vengeance on its enemies. The event is recorded in the Scroll of the Upright One. The sun stood motionless in the middle of the sky and did not set for about a full day. There has not been a day like it before or since. The Lord obeyed a man, for the Lord fought for Israel! Then Joshua and all Israel returned to the camp at Gilgal. (NET) 1. Nothing is too hard for God! (Coffman) E. The sun-dial was an invention of the Babylonians from whom it would easily reach the Assyrians. Ahaz visited Assyria and likely brought a model or plans back to Jerusalem. (See The Pulpit Commentary.)

31 The sun-dial of Ahaz seems to have consisted of a series of steps with a perpendicular gnomon or pole at the top, the shadow of which recedes up the steps as the sun rose in the heaves and descended down them as the sun declined, The Pulpit Commentary states. II. And then the shadow went back ten steps. A. What God promised took place... as always! 1. In this case the sign was provided instantaneously. NOTE: Verses 1-8 and verses were written as prose. The remainder of the chapter, verses 9-20, was written as poetry. Hezekiah s Song of Thanks. Isaiah 38:9, This is the prayer of King Hezekiah of Judah when he was sick and then recovered from his illness: (NET) I. This is the prayer of king Hezekiah of Judah when he was sick and then recovered from his illness:... A. Hamilton observed that Hezekiah s prayer (verses 10-20) falls into two (2) parts; viz., 1. First, Hezekiah described his despondent feelings when he was near death. (Verses 10-15). 2. Second, Hezekiah thanked Yahweh for answering his prayer. (Verses 16-20)

32 32 B. Hailey wrote, The poem falls into three divisions: (1) lamentation (verses 10-14), (2) the blessings of affliction (verses 15-18), and (3) rejoicing (verses 19-20). C. This lament closes with thanksgiving for God s extension of his life. 1. Psalm 30:1-12, I will praise you, O Lord, for you lifted me up, and did not allow my enemies to gloat over me. O Lord my God, I cried out to you and you healed me. O Lord, you pulled me up from Sheol; you rescued me from among those descending into the grave. Sing to the Lord, you faithful followers of his; give thanks to his holy name. For his anger lasts only a brief moment, and his good favor restores one s life. One may experience sorrow during the night, but joy arrives in the morning. In my selfconfidence I said, I will never be upended. O Lord, in your good favor you made me secure. Then you rejected me and I was terrified. To you, O Lord, I cried out; I begged the Lord for mercy: What profit is there in taking my life, in my descending into the Pit? Can the dust of the grave praise you? Can it declare your loyalty? Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on me! O Lord, deliver me! Then you turned my lament into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and covered me with joy. So now my heart will sing to you and not be silent; O Lord my God, I will always give thanks to you. (NET)

33 33 D. Hezekiah s prayer (verses 10-20) consists of four stanzas; viz., (1) verses 10-12, (2) verses 13-14, (3) 15-17, and (4) verses (See Coffman.) 1. In the first two stanzas Hezekiah is anticipating death, and the thought is mournful. (See Coffman) 2. In the last two stanzas Hezekiah, having received God s promise of recovery, expresses his gratitude and thanksgiving. (See Coffman.) E. Incidentally, Hezekiah s prayer is not included in the 2 Kings 20 account. 1. This is in some versions said to be a writing which may have been composed later in reflection of the mighty work of God when Hezekiah was sick. (See The Pulpit Commentary.) Isaiah 38:10, I thought, In the middle of my life I must walk through the gates of Sheol, I am deprived of the rest of my years. (NET) I. I thought,*... A. *NET Footnote: Or, I said (also in the next verse). B. God knows all the thoughts of our minds. For these we are responsible!

34 Genesis 6:5, But the Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind had become great on the earth. Every inclination of the thoughts of their minds was only evil all the time. (NET) 2. Job 21:27, Yes, I know what you are thinking, the schemes by which you would wrong me. (NET) 3. Psalm 94:11, The Lord knows that peoples thoughts are morally bankrupt. (NET) II. In the middle of my life I must walk through the gates of Sheol,* I was deprived** of the rest of my years. A. *NET Footnote: Sheol can refer to death, the grave, or the place of departed spirits, but when the righteous are in Sheol, it usually refers to death or the grave. 1. Isaiah 5:14, So Death will open up its throat, and open wide its mouth; Zion s dignitaries and masses will descend into it, including those who revel and celebrate within her. (NET) B. **Or, perhaps, I have been called away; the precise meaning of the verb is uncertain. C. At the time Hezekiah should have been at the peak of his accomplishments and success he was struck with a terminal illness. 1. Death from which no one returns was imminent.

35 How dreadfully disappointing this must have been! Isaiah 38:11, I thought, I will no longer see the Lord in the land of the living, I will no longer look on humankind with the inhabitants of the world. (NET) I. I thought,... A. The true nature of a person can be determined by his thoughts. 1. Proverbs 12:5, The plans of the righteous are just; the counsels of the wicked are deceitful. (NET) 2. Proverbs 15:26, The Lord abhors the plans of the wicked, but pleasant words are pure. (NET) 3. Matthew 15:19, For out of the heart come evil ideas, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. (NET) II. I will no longer see the Lord in the land of the living,... A. Everything with which and with whom Hezekiah had been associated in this life would no longer be his to enjoy. 1. Psalm 7:5, may an enemy relentlessly chase me and catch me; may he trample me to death and leave me lying dishonored in the dust. (Selah) (NET)

36 Psalm 30:9, What profit is there in taking my life, in my descending into the Pit? Can the dust of the grave praise you? Can it declare your loyalty? (NET) 3. Psalm 88:10-12, Do you accomplish amazing things for the dead? Do the departed spirits rise up and give you thanks? (Selah) Is your loyal love proclaimed in the grave, or your faithfulness in the place of the dead? Are your amazing deeds experienced in the dark region, or your deliverance in the land of oblivion? (NET) 4. Psalm 115:17, The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any of those who descend into the silence of death. (NET) B. The ancient Israelites had not at that time come to understand that Hades has two major divisions, one of peace and happiness for the righteous and one of misery for the wicked. (See The Pulpit Commentary.) III. I will no longer look on humankind with the inhabitants of the world. A. To die is to be disassociated from all our worldly relationships, things and affairs, all things on earth we hold dear.

37 37 B. This is an example of the use of repetition for the sake of emphasis, a literary technique found rather often in scripture. Isaiah 38:12, My dwelling place is removed and taken away from me like a shepherd s tent. I rolled up my life like a weaver rolls cloth; from the loom he cuts me off. You turn day into night and end my life. (NET) I. My dwelling place is removed and taken away from one like a shepherd s tent. A. Hezekiah s life and our lives are so tenuous, uncertain, fragile, like a vapor that appears for such a short time and is soon gone, a tent that is here today and gone elsewhere tomorrow, or like a weaver whose life as cloth is cut off from the loom, or a day that all too soon becomes night. B. Coffman well wrote that the metaphors used here, namely, that of the removal of a shepherd s tent and that of being cut out of the loom and folded up, both carry the thought that death is not the end of everything. The idea here is that his dwelling would be transferred from one place to another. He would continue to exist, but in another place, just as the shepherd would move his tent from one place to another Corinthians 5:1-4, For we know that if our earthly house, the tent we live in, is dismantled, we have a building from God, a house not built by human hands, that is eternal in the heavens. For in this earthly house we groan, because we

38 38 desire to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed, after we have put on our heavenly house, we will not be found naked. For we groan while we are in this tent, since we are weighed down, because we do not want to be unclothed, but clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. (NET) II. I rolled up my life like a weaver rolls cloth; from the loom he cuts me off. A. God, even when the full cloth has not been completed, stops the process (Hezekiah s life), and removes the cloth from the loom. 1. Hezekiah had tried to live his life well as a weaver tries to produce a quality product. 2. Suddenly, as when the weaver stops the loom and cuts off the material completed to that point, God is cutting off Hezekiah s life unexpectedly in mid-life. III. You turn day into night and end my life. A. Smith summarized Hezekiah s grief as centering on: the loss of life while in his prime, the deprivation of the privileges of divine worship, and the loss of fellowship with his friends.

39 39 B. Smith further wrote that Hezekiah compared the brevity of life to: a moveable Bedouin tent, here today, gone tomorrow, a piece of cloth cut from the loom, and the swift passing from day to night C. Life is pictured as day and death as night. Isaiah 38:13, I cry out until morning; like a lion he shatters all my bones; you turn day into night and end my life. (NET) I. I cry out until morning; like a lion he shatters all my bones; you turn day into night and end my life. A. Hezekiah at this point looked death in the face, all hope gone, crushed by the prospect of impending death, Hailey noted. B. Through this horrible night Hezekiah agonized over his expected imminent death as being torn apart by a lion. (See Smith.) 1. Psalm 22:1, My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? I groan in prayer, but help seems far away. (NET)

40 Psalm 22:16-21, Yes, wild dogs surround me a gang of evil men crowd around me; like a lion they pin my hands and feet. I can count all my bones; my enemies are gloating over me in triumph. They are dividing up my clothes among themselves; they are rolling dice for my garments. But you, O Lord, do not remain far away! You are my source of strength! Hurry and help me! Deliver me from the sword! Save my life from the claws of the wild dogs! Rescue me from the mouth of the lion, and from the horns of the wild oxen! You have answered me! (NET) 3. Psalm 32:3, When I refused to confess my sin, my whole body wasted away, while I groaned in pain all day long. (NET) 4. Psalm 38:9, O Lord, you understand my heart s desire; my groaning is not hidden from you. (NET) 5. Job 3:24, For my sighing comes in place of my food, and my groanings flow forth like water. (NET) C. Hezekiah had been assured he would recover from his illness, but he was still sick and would not be able to go to the temple to worship until the third day. D. Hezekiah compared God s taking his life to a lion that attacks a person and breaks all his bones.

41 41 Isaiah 38:14, Like a swallow or a thrush I chirp, I coo like a dove; my eyes grow tired from looking up to the sky. O sovereign master, I am oppressed; help me! (NET) I. Like a swallow (crane) or a thrush (swallow) I chirp, I coo* like a dove;... A. *NET Footnote: Or, moan. B. In view of his impending death, Hezekiah moans as certain birds produce mournful songs. (See Hailey.) 1. Jeremiah 8:7, Even the stork knows when it is time to move on. The turtledove, swallow, and crane recognize the normal times for their migration. But my people pay no attention to what I, the Lord, require of them. (NET) II. my eyes grow tired from looking up to the sky. O Sovereign master, I am oppressed*; help me! A. *NET Footnote: Hebrew, adonay (also in verse 16). B. Hezekiah was crushed, oppressed by his situation and looked to the sky, to heaven so much his eyes had become really tired, fatigued. He begged God to help him because there was no one else who could help him. C. Hezekiah retained a flicker of hope that God would help him, deliver him from death. (See Smith.)

42 42 D. In his darkest hour, Hezekiah continued in faith to see God as his only source of help, deliverance from death. 1. Job s wife advised her husband in his time of serious illness to curse God and die. 2. Hezekiah and Job knew better. 3. In your time of greatest affliction, what would you do? D. Related references: Psalm 69:4, Those who hate me without cause are more numerous than the hairs of my head. Those who want to destroy me, my enemies for no reason, outnumber me. They make me repay what I did not steal! (NET) 2. Psalm 119:82, 123, My eyes grow tired as I wait for your promise to be fulfilled. I say, When will you comfort me? My eyes grow tired as I wait for your deliverance, for your reliable promise to be fulfilled (NET) 3. Lamentations 2:11, My eyes are worn out from weeping; my stomach is in knots. My heart is poured out on the ground due to the destruction of my helpless people; children and infants faint in the town squares. (NET)

43 Lamentations 4:17, Our eyes continually failed us as we looked in vain for help. From our watchtowers we watched for a nation that could not rescue us. (NET) E. Hezekiah was asking God to help him, to be security for him. (See The Pulpit Commentary.) 1. Job 17:3, Make then my pledge with you. Who else will put up security for me? (NET) 2. Hezekiah s life was as a debt he could not pay. Hezekiah asked God to stand good for his debt. Isaiah 38:15, What can I say? He has decreed and acted. I will walk slowly all my years because I am overcome with grief. (NET) I. What can I say? He has decreed and acted. A. Hailey observed at this point in Hezekiah s prayer a change in tone. (See Hailey.) (Smith concurs.) 1. Hezekiah evidently had now received word through Isaiah that his life would be extended fifteen (15) years. B. What shall I say? may indicate Hezekiah was at a total loss of words now that God had promised he would recover from his illness. (See Hailey.)

44 Samuel 7:18-22, King David went in, sat before the Lord, and said, Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that you should have brought me to this point? And you didn t stop there, O Lord God! You have also spoken about the future of your servant s family. Is this your usual way of dealing with men, O Lord God? What more can David say to you? You have given your servant special recognition, O Lord God! For the sake of your promise and according to your purpose you have done this great thing in order to reveal it to your servant. Therefore you are great, O Lord God, for there is none like you! There is no God besides you! What we have heard is true! (NET) II. I will walk slowly (humbly) all my years because I am overcome with grief. A. Hailey explained, Hezekiah will walk humbly and solemnly before God all the days of his life because of the bitter memories of the sickness from which the Lord had delivered him. B. As we will see in chapter 39, Hezekiah was still subject to errors in judgment as was the case when the Babylonian ruler Merodach-baladan s embassy came to congratulate him on his recovery. (Hailey) C. Hezekiah had been humbled by his near death experience and vowed to walk humbly before God for the rest of his life. (See Smith.)