Hezekiah's Faith Is Further Strengthened

About the time that Sennacherib first comes up against Judah, Hezekiah falls gravely ill.  Isaiah tells him that he is going to die.  (Isaiah 38:1)  The 39-year-old king is devastated.  His concern is not only for his own well-being but also for the future of the people.  Jerusalem and Judah are in danger of being invaded by the Assyrians.  If Hezekiah dies, who will lead the fight?  At that time, Hezekiah has no son to assume the rulership.  In fervent prayer Hezekiah begs Jehovah to show him mercy. -Isaiah 38:2, 3.

Isaiah has not yet left the palace courtyards when Jehovah sends him back to the stricken king's bedside with another message:  "I have hear your prayer, I have seen your tears.  Here I am adding onto your days fifteen years; and out of the palm of the king of Assyria I shall deliver you and this city, and I will defend this city."  (Isaiah 38:3-6; 2 Kings 20:4, 5) Jehovah will confirm his promise with an unusual sign: "Here I am making the shadow of the steps that had gone down on the steps of the stairs of Ahaz by the sun retrace backward ten steps." -Isaiah 38:7, 8a.

According to the Jewish historian Josephus, there was a staircase inside the royal palace, probably with a column near it. When the sun's rays hit the column, they cast a shadow on the stairs.  One could measure the time of day by observing the progress of the shadow on the steps. Now Jehovah will perform a  miracle.  After the shadow drifts down the steps in the usual way, it will retrace its path backward ten steps. Who ever heard of such a thing?  the Bible states:  "And the sun gradually went back ten steps on the steps of the stairs that it had gone down."  (Isaiah 38:8b)  Shortly thereafter, Hezekiah recovers from his illness.  News of this spreads  as far as Babylon. When the king of Babylon hears it, he sends messengers to Jerusalem to obtain the facts.

About three years after Hezekiah's miraculous recovery, his first son, Manasseh, is born.  When Manasseh grows up, he does not show appreciation for God's compassion, without which he would not have been born!  Instead, during most of his lifetime, Manasseh does on a large scale what is bad in Jehovah's eyes. 2 Chronicles 32:24; 33:1-6.

Next time: A Lapse in Judgment

From the Book Isaiah's Prophecy Light for all Mankind, 2000