Isaiah 38
McGeeCHAPTER 38THEME: Prayer of Hezekiah when told he is to die; promise of healingmiracle of the sundial; Hezekiah’s poem of praiseThis chapter deals with King Hezekiah’s illness, prayer, and healing. It is well to keep in mind that while Hezekiah was beset by the danger of the Assyrian host, he was plagued by a “boil.” His deliverance from death must have been prior to the destruction of the Assyrian host. It was while the siege was going on, and the answer to prayer must have encouraged his heart relative to Isaiah’s prediction of the coming deliverance of Jerusalem. Hezekiah reigned twenty-nine years. He reigned fifteen years after this event, so his sickness was in the fourteenth year of his reign, and we are told that Sennacherib came up against Jerusalem in the fourteenth year of Hezekiah’s reign (see Isa_36:1). All of this happened in the same yearthe sickness of Hezekiah and the siege of Jerusalem by the Assyrians.
Isaiah 38:1
PRAYER OF HEZEKIAH WHEN TOLD HE IS TO DIEIt is interesting the way this chapter opens. We have seen that “in that day” is a technical expression that speaks of the Tribulation and millennial days. This verse does not open by saying, “In that day,” but by saying, “In those days.” What “days” is Isaiah talking about? He is talking about those days in which he and Hezekiah lived. Hezekiah was sick unto death. He was having trouble with a “boil” that was just about to kill him. On top of that he was having trouble with the Assyrians. There are those who believe that Hezekiah’s “boil” was either cancer or leprosy, or something similar. Whatever it was, it was a terminal disease, and his time to die had come. The sentence of death was delivered to Hezekiah by Isaiah. It is true that this sentence of death rests upon each one of us, although we do not know the day nor the hour. But we do know this: “… it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Heb_9:27). This is a divine date. If each one of us knew the exact time, our life-style would change. Some years ago I received a letter from a fine young minister who had been told by his doctor that he had cancer and that his days were limited. He sent out a letter to some of his friends, and I was privileged to be included in that list. Here is a brief quotation from his letter so that you might know the thinking of a man under the shadow of death: “One thing I have discovered in the last few days. When a Christian is suddenly confronted with a sentence of death, he surely begins to give a proper evaluation of material things. My fishing gear and books and orchard are not nearly so valuable as they were a week ago.” I conducted this young preacher’s funeral. And many years later I had the experience of having cancer myself.
My doctor told me he thought I had only about three months to live. I can bear witness to the accuracy of the young preacher’s statement. It was amazing how certain things suddenly became very unimportant. One of those things was my home. I thought I would not be living in it but a few more weeks, and it certainly became unimportant to me; but where I was going became very important. Well, God had other plans for me, for which I am indeed grateful.
I thank and praise Him for each new day He gives to me. When Hezekiah was confronted with death, what did he do?
Isaiah 38:2
We have seen Hezekiah in prayer before when he spread Sennacherib’s letter before the Lord.
Isaiah 38:3
This is a time when a man can weep. I wept when I was told I was going to die. I am sure the young preacher wept when he heard the news from his doctor. You are bound to weep at a time like that. But Hezekiah also prayed on the basis of his life. This man had a good reputation before God, and under the Mosaic Law this was the accurate thing to do. 2Ki_18:5 says concerning Hezekiah: “He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him.” Hezekiah was an outstanding man. He was not boasting when he made that claim.
Isaiah 38:4
PROMISE OF HEALINGMIRACLE OF THE SUNDIALGod did hear and answer his prayer and extended his life by fifteen years. He did it, not for Hezekiah’s sake, but for David’s sake. That is not the basis upon which our prayers are heard today. Our prayers are heard for the sake of David’s greater Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. In Joh_16:23-24 the Lord says, “And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full” (italics mine). You and I can go to our Heavenly Father with our requests in the name of Christ. To pray in the name of Christ means that you are in Christ, and you are praying for His will to be done. It means that it is to please Him. Sometimes He will heal and sometimes He won’t. He is the One to decide.
Isaiah 38:6
God ties in His deliverance of Jerusalem from the Assyrian with the deliverance of Hezekiah from death. God’s answer to one request will encourage the believer’s heart that He will answer the other requests. To be honest with you, I have been greatly strengthened in my own faith since God heard and answered the prayers of a host of radio listeners concerning my health.
Isaiah 38:7
God gave him a sign, which was an assurance that He would answer his prayer. F. C. Jennings (Studies in Isaiah, p. 438) translates the verse like this: “Behold, I will cause the shadow of the steps to return, which is gone down on the steps of Ahaz with the sun, backward ten steps. And the sun returned ten steps by the steps which it had gone down.” You see, the translation of “degrees” can also be “steps.” Dr. Jennings comments: “We can now transport ourselves in spirit to Hezekiah’s palace, and into his chamber. There lies the king, still prone on his couch, but with his face no longer turned to the wall, but joy and hope brightening his eye as he looks out of the window to the gardens, in the midst of which, and in full view, stands an obelisk, or column, with a series of steps leading up to it, and at least ten of these are lying in the column’s shadow; for the sun has gone so far down as to throw the shadow over that number of steps. But look again, the once darkened steps are now in clearest sunlight’tis the sign for which the king had asked!”
Isaiah 38:9
HEZEKIAH’S POEM OF PRAISEThe verses following are a fine thesis on death by one who was very near to it. Many believe that Hezekiah composed Psalms 116 at this time. Now the question arises: Was Hezekiah right in asking God to extend his life?
Isaiah 38:20
At this time there was a great welling up of praise in the heart of Hezekiah. His song of praise to God was evidently set to music and sung. However, after this experience Hezekiah became rather proud and arrogant. In the Book of Chronicles, which is God’s viewpoint of history, we are told: “But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem” (2Ch_32:25). Here is evidence to the fact that maybe he should not have asked for an extension of life because it led to pride in his lifehe was raised up! When I became ill, I remembered the story of Hezekiah. I went to the Lord and said, “If you will let me live, I will promise to do your will, and I will continue to get out your Word.” That is the reason I have overextended myself in conferences and meetings. I didn’t want to let the Lord down. But He has made it pretty clear to me that I should not kill myself by overdoing, since He has extended my life. Now I am trying to be reasonable in what I do. After experiencing a miracle like Hezekiah did, there is a danger of withdrawing from the Lord. You would think that it would draw one closer to Him, but instead there is a grave danger of getting away from Him. Was he right in asking God to extend his life? Should he not have died when the time came? There is another consideration which leads me to believe that he should have died when he was so ill. Manasseh, his son, was twelve years old when he began to reign, which means that he was born after Hezekiah’s sickness. Manasseh was the worst king who reigned in either kingdom. I consider Manasseh worse than Ahab and Jezebel put together. I think that it was during his reign that the Shekinah glory departed. If it didn’t depart during his reign, I can’t think of any reason it would depart afterward. Manasseh was very much like Antichrist, the Man of Sin who is yet to come. In the next chapter we will see that Hezekiah played the fool after his experience in healing. Now how did God perform the healing of Hezekiah? Did he have Isaiah pray over him? Or did Isaiah lay his hand on him so hard that he fell backward? No. Notice what Isaiah did
Isaiah 38:21
In other words, he did the two things that James recommends: “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord” (Jas_5:14). This anointing is not religious nor ceremonial. The oil is for healing; it is medicinal. And the elders are to pray for the one who is sick. What God said through Isaiah and through James is the same. When you get sick, pray and call for the doctor. God expects us to be sensible.