Ki 20:1 In those days Hezekiah was sick to death, and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, came to him and said to him, So says Jehovah, Order your house, for you are dying, and shall not live.
2Ki 20:2 And he turned his face to the wall, and prayed to Jehovah, saying,
2Ki 20:3 I pray to You, O Jehovah, please remember how I have walked always before your face in truth, and with a perfect heart, and I have done the good in Your eyes. And Hezekiah wept with a great weeping.
2Ki 20:4 And it happened when Isaiah had not gone out to the middle court, the Word of Jehovah came to him, saying,
2Ki 20:5 Turn back, and you shall say to Hezekiah the leader of My people, So says Jehovah, the God of your father David, I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears; behold, I will heal you; you shall go up to the house of Jehovah the third day.
2Ki 20:6 And I have added fifteen years to your days; and I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and shall defend this city for My own sake, and for My servant David's sake.
2Ki 20:7 And Isaiah said, Take a cake of figs; and they took and laid it on the boil; and he recovered.
2Ki 20:8 And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, What will be the sign that Jehovah will heal me, that I will go up on the third day to the house of Jehovah?
2Ki 20:9 And Isaiah said, This will be the sign to you from Jehovah, that Jehovah will do the thing that He has spoken: Shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or shall it turn back ten steps?
2Ki 20:10 And Hezekiah said, It would be a light thing for the shadow to go down ten steps; no, but let the shadow go back ten steps.
2Ki 20:11 And Isaiah the prophet cried to Jehovah; and He brought back the shadow by the steps the shadow had gone down on the sundial of Ahaz, ten steps backward.
2Ki 20:12 At that time Berodach-baladan, the son of Baladan the king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been ill.
2Ki 20:13 And Hezekiah listened to them, and showed them all the house of his treasury, the silver and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his weapons, and all found in his treasure house; there was not a thing that Hezekiah did not show them in his house and in all his dominion.
2Ki 20:14 And Isaiah the prophet came in to King Hezekiah and said to him, What did these men say? And where did they come from to you? And Hezekiah said, They have come from a land afar off, from Babylon.
2Ki 20:15 And he said, What did they see in your house? And Hezekiah said, They saw all that is in my house; there was not a thing that I did not show them among my treasures.
2Ki 20:16 And Isaiah said to Hezekiah, Hear the Word of Jehovah:
2Ki 20:17 Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and all that your fathers have treasured up until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; there shall not be a thing left, says Jehovah.
2Ki 20:18 And of your sons that shall issue from you, whom you shall father, they shall take away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.
2Ki 20:19 And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, The Word of Jehovah that you have spoken is good. And he said, Is it not good if peace and truth are in my days?
2Ki 20:20 And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made the pool, and the conduit, and brought in the waters to the city, are they not written in the Book of the Matters of the Days of the Kings of Judah?
2Ki 20:21 And Hezekiah lay with his fathers. And his son Manasseh reigned in his place.
Verses 1-11 Summary: Hezekiah is ill to the point of death, Isaiah tells the king to get his house in order, he is going to die. Hezekiah turns toward the wall and prays to God and weeps. Before Isaiah leaves, God turns him back to tell Hezekiah that he will live another fifteen years. Hezekiah asks what the sign will be that it will happen. Isaiah posits that God will manipulate a shadow for him either moving it forward or backwards. Hezekiah suggests that it move backward and it does move backwards.
2nd Chronicles 32:24-36: Key- 2Ch 32:25 And Hezekiah did not return according to the benefit done to him, for his heart had been lifted up, and there was wrath on him and on Judah and Jerusalem. 2Ch 32:26 And Hezekiah was humbled for the pride of his heart...
We see here that Hezekiah has incurred judgment.
4. Did God answer Hezekiah's prayer by changing His mind about his death or was it God's plan in the beginning to allow Hezekiah to live? Unknown ultimately. The text reads like God repented of His plan to allow Hezekiah's death. He was told he was going to die. God does not lie. it is dis appointing to see in Chronicles that Hezekiah becomes prideful after the incident.
Ultimately, the goodness afforded to him by God became a test and a snare to him. This could happen to anyone who is not careful. We need to be ready to keep ourselves in check in all matters.
NOTE: There is much written as to where the shadow was. Many believe it was a sun dial, others believe it was stairs. Either way, how and where God performed the miracle should take a back seat to the fact that it was performed. It is a revelation of power and authority.
Verses 12-21 Summary: The king of Babylon sends letters and gifts to Hezekiah when he hears of Hezekiah's illness. Hezekiah responds by showing them all of hi riches. Isaiah tells Hezekiah that Judah will fall to Babylon and his sons will be taken and serve the king of Babylon. Hezekiah seems to be ok with it: 'The Word of Jehovah that you have spoken is good. And he said, Is it not good if peace and truth are in my days? "
2nd Chronicles 32:27-31: Hezekiah has amassed great wealth and property (cites). When the Babylonians come to inquire of his riches, God "leaves" Hezekiah to test his heart.
5. What do you think of Hezekiah's attitude toward the Lord's promise that his descendants would be taken away to Babylon? There appears to be a resolution of knowing that Judah would one day fall. He seems to be content with the fact that his reign will be peaceful. "Is it not good if peace and truth are in my days?"
We cannot read his mind. He may be thinking that Judah's fall is not of his doing/fault. He has no control over what happens in the future. He may even be happy that his sons will at least live and serve another king in lieu of genocide. Although, if made eunuchs, they cannot procreate.
6. What is your summary evaluation of the reign of Hezekiah? In the writer's own words: 2Ki 18:5 He trusted in Jehovah the God of Israel, and after him there was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him; 2Ki 18:6 and he clung to Jehovah; he did not turn aside from following Him, and kept His commands that Jehovah commanded Moses.
Those are God's words. That is what counts. The list he is compared to includes David, Solomon and Jehoshaphat.
I have to wonder if we would tend to read into his decision of showing his wealth:
1) It does reveal pride as is indicated in 2nd Chronicles: 2Ch 32:25 And Hezekiah did not return according to the benefit done to him, for his heart had been lifted up, and there was wrath on him and on Judah and Jerusalem
2) The question is did Hezekiah CAUSE the downfall of Judah? In my estimation, no. Babylon was coming as a world power and conquering Judah would have been in the mix whether or not Hezekiah has a lapse of judgement. Future chapters will reveal their issues and subsequent fall.
What lessons can we learn from Hezekiah's life and reign? Hezekiah cleaned up Judah's idolatry like none other and he wholly relied on God. His pride reveals what the message of the entire whole Old Testament. As good as we can be, we always end of having one flaw or another that needs a remedy by the hand of God. (Jesus)
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