Berean Study Bible Hezekiah’s Illness and RecoveryHezekiah’s illness occurred during the years of Assyrian aggression against Judah, near the time when the LORD delivered Jerusalem from Sennacherib’s army. National danger and personal affliction together revealed Judah’s need for the God who rules over kings, armies, and human life. 2Ki 18:13 In the fourteenth year of Hezekiah’s reign… Hezekiah became mortally ill. The king’s condition brought him to the point of death, showing that even a faithful ruler was not beyond weakness and suffering. The crisis became the setting for God’s mercy, Hezekiah’s prayer, and the extension of his life by fifteen years. 2Ki 20:1 In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill.… The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came to him Isaiah served as the LORD’s authorized messenger to Judah’s king. His presence in Hezekiah’s court shows the proper place of God’s word in matters affecting both the king and the nation. 2Ki 20:4 Before Isaiah had left the middle courtyard,… and said, “This is what the LORD says: Isaiah delivered no private diagnosis or personal counsel. The warning came with the authority of the covenant God of Israel, whose word determines life, death, judgment, and mercy. 2Ki 20:5 Go back and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people… ‘Put your house in order, Hezekiah was commanded to prepare his household, kingdom, and personal affairs for death. A ruler’s responsibilities did not remove his obligation to live before God with readiness and faithfulness. 1Ki 2:1-2 As the time drew near for David to die, he charged his son… for you are about to die; Human life remains under the LORD’s sovereign hand. Hezekiah’s royal position, wealth, and recent deliverance from Assyria could not preserve him apart from God’s will. Gen 27:2 “Look,” said Isaac, “I am now old, and I do not know…… you will not recover.’” The announced outcome made clear that no human remedy could save the king. Hezekiah’s response in prayer would reveal that God hears His servants and may mercifully alter the course of impending judgment according to His purpose. Jer 30:12 For this is what the LORD says: “Your injury is incurable;… Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall Hezekiah withdrew from those around him to seek God personally after Isaiah told him to set his house in order because he would die. Facing the wall conveyed undivided attention and grief before the Lord rather than resignation to death. The king who had led Judah in reforms against idolatry now brought his helplessness directly to the God he had served. 2Ki 20:2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall… and prayed to the LORD, Hezekiah appealed to the covenant God who alone held authority over life, death, and the future of Judah. His prayer, recorded in the following verse, rested on his past faithfulness and wholehearted devotion rather than any human remedy. The Lord heard him, sent Isaiah back with an answer, added fifteen years to his life, and delivered Jerusalem from Assyria, demonstrating that God receives the earnest prayers of His people. 2Ki 20:3 “Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked…”… saying, “Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and with wholehearted devotion; I have done what is good in Your sight.” Hezekiah appealed to the Lord as the covenant God who knew the course of his life. Walking before God recalls Abraham’s call to live blamelessly before Him and the testimony of Enoch and Noah, whose lives were marked by fellowship with God. Hezekiah had led Judah away from idolatry, removed unlawful worship sites, trusted the Lord against Assyria, and sought to order the nation according to God’s law (2 Kings 18:3–6). His prayer was not a claim that God owed him life, but a plea resting on a sincere record of faith and obedience. The king who had called Judah back to wholehearted worship now placed himself wholly before the Lord. 2Ki 20:3 “Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked…”… And Hezekiah wept bitterly. The tears revealed the weight of death, the anguish of leaving his kingdom without an heir, and the earnestness of a man who knew that his life rested in God’s hands. Scripture does not conceal the grief of faithful people; David, Jeremiah, and even the Lord Jesus wept in seasons of sorrow. God heard Hezekiah’s cry, sent Isaiah back with a word of healing, and added fifteen years to his life. The Lord’s response showed that He is not distant from the distress of His servants but attends to those who call upon Him in faith. Mat 26:75 Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had spoken:… And the word of the LORD God answered Hezekiah’s prayer with a direct and authoritative message. The Lord was not distant from Judah’s king in his sickness but heard his cry and acted according to His covenant faithfulness. Jer 1:4 The word of the LORD came to me, saying: came to Isaiah, Isaiah again served as the Lord’s appointed messenger to Hezekiah. The prophet who had announced the certainty of death was also entrusted with the promise of healing, showing that God alone determines both judgment and mercy. 2Ki 20:4 Before Isaiah had left the middle courtyard,… saying, The words that follow reveal God’s personal knowledge of Hezekiah’s prayer and tears. The Lord’s response would bring immediate comfort to the king and confirm that the God of David still ruled over Judah, its enemies, and the limits of life itself. 2Sa 7:4 But that night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, saying, “Go and tell Hezekiah Isaiah was sent back to the king after Hezekiah turned to the Lord in earnest prayer during a mortal illness. God’s answer came through His prophet, showing that the Lord rules over sickness, kings, and the length of human life. 2Ki 20:4-5 Before Isaiah had left the middle courtyard,… that this is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: The Lord identified Himself with the covenant He made with David, Hezekiah’s royal ancestor. God’s faithfulness to David’s house remained secure even as Hezekiah faced death, and the preservation of the king served the larger purpose of God’s promise concerning Judah and the Davidic line. 2Sa 7:12-16 And when your days are fulfilled and you rest… ‘I have heard your prayer; Hezekiah had appealed to God on the basis of his wholehearted walk before Him. The Lord’s response reveals that prayer is not empty speech before a distant God; He hears the cries of those who seek Him in faith and dependence. Psa 66:19-20 But God has surely heard; He has attended… I have seen your tears. Hezekiah’s tears bore witness to the grief and urgency of his appeal. God knew the king’s inward sorrow and met him with compassion, demonstrating His care for His servants in their weakness. Psa 39:12 Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry for help;… Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life. God granted Hezekiah a definite extension of life, reversing the announced outcome of his illness. The healing displayed the Lord’s authority over death and His mercy toward His people, while pointing beyond temporal deliverance to the final victory over death accomplished through Jesus Christ. 2Ki 20:6 I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver… And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. God joined Hezekiah’s personal preservation to Jerusalem’s rescue during Sennacherib’s invasion of Judah. Assyria had already destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel and subdued much of Judah, making Jerusalem’s survival humanly improbable. Yet the Lord alone would break the power of the empire that exalted itself against Him. The deliverance fulfilled God’s covenant commitment to David’s house and preserved the city where His temple stood. In answer to Hezekiah’s prayer, the Lord later struck the Assyrian army and compelled Sennacherib to return home in defeat (Isaiah 37:36–37). Israel’s earlier rescue from Egypt stood behind this promise: the God who redeemed His people from Pharaoh remained able to save them from every proud ruler. God’s merciful intervention also points forward to the greater deliverance accomplished by Christ, who rescues His people from sin, death, and the dominion of darkness. 2Ki 20:6 I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver… I will defend this city. Jerusalem would stand because the Lord Himself was its defender, not because of Judah’s military strength or political alliances. The city bore special significance as David’s royal city and the place chosen for the temple, where God had caused His name to dwell. God’s defense upheld His promise that David’s line would not fail, a promise ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ, David’s greater Son and eternal King. Hezekiah could rest in the Lord’s protection amid a threat no earthly power could overcome. The Lord remains the refuge of His people, and the security of all who belong to Him rests finally in His sovereign faithfulness. 2Ki 19:34 I will defend this city and save it for My own sake… This will be a sign to you from the LORD God graciously gave Hezekiah visible confirmation that His word would stand. The sign would involve the shadow on the stairway of Ahaz moving backward, demonstrating the Creator’s authority over the ordered course of creation. Like the rainbow given after the flood, the sign assured God’s servant that divine mercy and covenant faithfulness were not empty promises. 2Ki 20:8-11 What will be the sign that the LORD will heal me… that He will do The LORD was not merely announcing Hezekiah’s recovery; He was personally acting to accomplish it. Hezekiah’s healing, the added fifteen years of life, and Jerusalem’s preservation from Assyria would reveal that Israel’s God rules over sickness, kings, armies, and time itself. Num 23:19 God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man,… what He has promised: God’s promise answered Hezekiah’s prayer and upheld His purpose for David’s royal line in Jerusalem. The miraculous sign established the certainty of God’s word, calling Hezekiah and Judah to trust the LORD rather than fear Assyria or rely on human strength. Jos 21:45 Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel… I will make the sun’s shadow that falls on the stairway of Ahaz go back ten steps.’” The stairway of Ahaz was likely a stepped structure used to observe the sun’s shadow and mark the passing of the day. Associated with Hezekiah’s father, it provided a public and unmistakable setting for the sign God promised through Isaiah. The shadow’s reversal was not an illusion or a private experience but a visible alteration of the normal course of nature, confirming that the Lord would heal Hezekiah and add fifteen years to his life (Isaiah 38:5–7). God did not reveal the physical means by which He accomplished the wonder; He revealed His sovereign power over the created order. As He had divided the sea for Israel and later caused the sun to stand still in Joshua’s day, the Lord demonstrated that all creation serves His purposes. 2Ki 20:8-11 What will be the sign that the LORD will heal me… So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had descended. The fulfilled sign sealed God’s promise and strengthened Hezekiah’s faith at a moment of physical weakness and national danger. The backward movement of the shadow portrayed restoration: the king had been near death, yet God turned back the course of his life and granted him renewed days. Hezekiah’s recovery was not merely an extension of earthly life but a testimony that death itself is subject to the Lord’s authority. The sign anticipates the greater hope fulfilled in Christ, the Light of the world, whose resurrection secures life beyond the grave for all who trust in Him. Hab 3:11 Sun and moon stood still in their places…
Hezekiah’s Song of ThanksgivingHezekiah records his own testimony of God’s mercy, preserving a personal account alongside the historical record in Kings and Chronicles. The king who had led Judah in removing idols and restoring temple worship also learned to seek God in personal weakness. His writing gives voice to the fear of death, the sorrow of separation from life, and the gratitude of one restored by the Lord. 2Ki 18:2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king… after his illness and recovery: Isaiah had told Hezekiah to set his house in order because he would die, yet Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed earnestly. God heard him, added fifteen years to his life, and confirmed His promise by moving the shadow backward. The recovery displayed God’s authority over sickness, time, and death. Hezekiah’s deliverance points beyond physical healing to the greater hope of resurrection and eternal life through the Lord. 2Ki 20:1-7 In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill.… I said, “In the prime of my life At about thirty-nine years of age, Hezekiah believed his days of strength, service, and rule were being cut short. The prospect of dying without completing the work God had entrusted to him weighed heavily on his heart. Psa 102:24 “O my God, do not take me in the midst of my days!”… I must go through the gates of Sheol Hezekiah viewed death as entering the realm of the dead, separated from the worship and service of God among the living. His lament reflects the limited Old Testament understanding of life beyond death while also revealing the sorrow of being removed from God’s purposes on earth. Job 38:17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you?… and be deprived of the remainder of my years.” Hezekiah grieved the loss of years he expected to live, yet his prayer would lead him to recognize that every day is held in God’s hand. The Lord’s later promise of fifteen additional years showed both His sovereignty over life and His mercy toward His servant. Psa 102:23 He has broken my strength on the way; He has cut short… I said, “I will never again see the LORD, even the LORD, in the land of the living; Facing the prospect of death, Hezekiah grieved the loss of earthly fellowship with the covenant God he had served as Judah’s king. The land of the living is the realm where God’s people worship, receive His blessings, and testify to His faithfulness. His words reflect the sorrow of approaching Sheol, where earthly service and public praise would cease. Psalm 27:13 voices a similar longing to behold the goodness of the LORD among the living. Hezekiah’s later recovery showed that the LORD still had work for him to do and turned his lament into thanksgiving. Psa 27:13 Still I am certain to see the goodness of the LORD… I will no longer look on mankind with those who dwell in this world. Death also appeared to Hezekiah (“the LORD strengthens”) as separation from his people, his kingdom, and the gathered worshiping community. Life in Israel (“God strives”) was not merely individual existence but shared covenant life before God. His grief reveals the goodness of human fellowship and the pain sin brought into the world through death. The LORD’s extension of Hezekiah’s life restored him to his people and gave him renewed opportunity to declare God’s faithfulness. Job 7:8 The eye that beholds me will no longer see me.… My dwelling has been picked up and removed from me like a shepherd’s tent. Hezekiah portrays his earthly life as a tent suddenly dismantled and carried away. Shepherds in the ancient Near East regularly moved their tents as they led their flocks to fresh pasture, making the tent a fitting picture of a life that is temporary and easily removed. Facing a deadly illness, Hezekiah recognized the frailty of human existence and the certainty that life does not rest in human control. Paul later used the image of an earthly tent to describe the mortal body, contrasting it with the eternal dwelling God provides for His people (2 Corinthians 5:1). Jer 4:20 Disaster after disaster is proclaimed… I have rolled up my life like a weaver; Hezekiah sees the course of his life as a woven fabric brought to its conclusion. Weaving required patient, ordered work, yet the finished cloth could be rolled up when the work was done. His years, responsibilities, and hopes appeared to be closing before he expected them to end. Job likewise compared the swift passing of life to a weaver’s shuttle (Job 7:6), acknowledging that human days move rapidly toward their appointed end. Job 7:6 My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle;… He cuts me off from the loom; God is understood to hold authority over the beginning and end of life. Hezekiah feared that his life would be severed abruptly, leaving the work of his earthly calling unfinished. His lament does not treat death as random; it brings his distress before the Lord whose hand governs his times (Psalm 31:15). God answered Hezekiah’s prayer and added fifteen years to his life, demonstrating both His sovereignty and His mercy (Isaiah 38:5). Psa 102:24 “O my God, do not take me in the midst of my days!”… from day until night You make an end of me. The movement from morning to evening captures how quickly death seemed to be approaching. Human strength can fade within a single day, like grass that springs up in the morning and withers by evening (Psalm 90:5–6). Hezekiah’s words press the reality of mortality before God, while his later thanksgiving testifies that the Lord preserves life for His own purposes and deserves praise from the living (Isaiah 38:18–20). Job 4:20 They are smashed to pieces from dawn to dusk;… I composed myself until the morning. Hezekiah lay through the night expecting death, seeking to steady his heart before the God who had pronounced judgment through Isaiah. Morning, often associated with renewed mercy and deliverance, did not immediately remove his anguish, yet he continued to wait before the Lord. His lament reveals faith that does not deny suffering but brings it honestly into God’s presence. Job 7:4 When I lie down I think: ‘When will I get up?’… Like a lion He breaks all my bones; The king describes his affliction as crushing and inescapable, like the attack of a lion upon its prey. He recognizes that his life is ultimately in God’s hands, even when divine discipline and suffering are difficult to understand. Job likewise spoke of God as a lion-like adversary in the depths of his affliction, yet neither man was abandoned by the Lord. Lam 3:4 He has worn away my flesh and skin; He has shattered… from day until night You make an end of me. Hezekiah felt that each hour carried him nearer to death, with no relief from the weakness of his illness. His direct address to God shows that despair had not severed his dependence upon God. The Lord who permitted the king’s suffering also heard his prayer, added fifteen years to his life, and turned his anguish into a testimony of mercy and restoration. Psa 73:14 For I am afflicted all day long and punished every morning. I chirp like a swallow or crane; Hezekiah’s broken, restless cries reflect the weakness brought by his deadly illness. The king who had led Judah through Assyria’s threat could not deliver himself from death and could only bring his anguish before the Lord. Jer 8:7 Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons.… I moan like a dove. His lament is not the complaint of unbelief but the grief of a man who knows his life and kingdom depend upon God’s mercy. Hezekiah’s vulnerability reminds every believer that earthly strength, position, and past faithfulness cannot preserve life apart from the Lord. Isa 59:11 We all growl like bears and moan like doves.… My eyes grow weak as I look upward. Exhausted by suffering, Hezekiah continues to direct his hope toward heaven. His failing eyes contrast with his enduring dependence upon the God who sees, hears, and sustains His servants. Psa 123:1-2 A song of ascents. I lift up my eyes to You… O Lord, I am oppressed; Death pressed heavily upon him, and the promised continuation of David’s line seemed endangered. Hezekiah openly acknowledges his inability to bear the burden alone. Psa 56:1 Be merciful to me, O God, for men are hounding me;… be my security.” He asks the Lord to stand as his guarantor and deliverer. God answered by adding fifteen years to Hezekiah’s life, preserving Judah and granting him a son, Manasseh, through whom the Davidic line continued toward the coming Messiah. Psa 119:122 Ensure Your servant’s well-being; do not let the arrogant… What can I say? Hezekiah stands humbled before the Lord’s mercy after facing death and receiving healing. God’s dealings have exceeded his ability to answer, leading him to reverent silence rather than self-exaltation. Job 40:4 Behold, I am insignificant. How can I reply to You?… He has spoken to me, The Lord had spoken through Isaiah, first announcing Hezekiah’s death and then granting him fifteen additional years of life. God’s word proved personal, certain, and authoritative. Jer 1:9 Then the LORD reached out His hand, touched my mouth…… and He Himself has done this. Hezekiah credits neither medicine, royal power, nor human effort for his recovery. The healing and the sign of the shadow’s retreat revealed that the God who rules creation had acted directly on his behalf. Deu 32:39 See now that I am He; there is no God besides Me… I will walk slowly all my years The king resolves to live humbly and thoughtfully in the years God has added to him. Life preserved by divine mercy calls for a changed walk before God. Mic 6:8 He has shown you, O man, what is good.… because of the anguish of my soul. The bitterness of approaching death remained a lasting reminder of human frailty and God’s compassion. Hezekiah’s suffering deepened his dependence on the Lord, who alone delivers His servants from the pit of destruction. Job 7:11 Therefore I will not restrain my mouth;… O Lord, by such things men live, Hezekiah acknowledges that human life depends on the Lord’s sovereign dealings, including His word, discipline, mercy, and appointed purposes. Bread sustains the body, but God’s command sustains life itself (Deuteronomy 8:3). Deu 8:3 He humbled you, and in your hunger He gave you manna… and in all of them my spirit finds life. The king’s recovery reaches beyond physical strength to the renewal of his inner life. God’s presence and promises give life to the spirit, anticipating Christ’s declaration that His words are Spirit and life (John 6:63). Jhn 6:63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing.… You have restored me to health Hezekiah credits the Lord alone for healing him after the illness that Isaiah had declared would end in death. God answered his prayer, added fifteen years to his life, and confirmed the promise through the sign of the returning shadow (2 Kings 20:1–11). Jer 30:17 But I will restore your health and heal your wounds,… and have let me live. Life was restored by divine mercy, not human power. Hezekiah’s preservation also served Judah, whose king remained on the throne during the continuing threat of Assyria. 2Ki 20:6 I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver… Surely for my own welfare I had such great anguish; Hezekiah’s near-fatal illness brought him face to face with his weakness and dependence upon God. The Lord used his distress to humble him, draw him into earnest prayer, and deepen his understanding of mercy. God’s discipline is not abandonment; it can preserve His people from spiritual ruin and produce steadfast faith. Psa 119:71 It was good for me to be afflicted, that I might learn… but Your love has delivered me from the pit of oblivion, The king recognized that his recovery was an act of God’s steadfast love. God heard Hezekiah’s prayer, saw his tears, and added fifteen years to his life (Isaiah 38:5). The pit portrays the grave and the loss of earthly life, from which no one can rescue himself. Hezekiah’s deliverance anticipates the greater victory over death secured through Christ’s resurrection. Psa 86:13 For great is Your loving devotion to me;… for You have cast all my sins behind Your back. Hezekiah understood that God’s mercy addressed more than his physical illness. The Lord had removed his sins from His sight, refusing to hold them against His repentant servant. Such forgiveness rests ultimately on God’s provision of atonement, fulfilled in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, through whom believers receive complete pardon and reconciliation with God. Jer 31:34 No longer will each man teach his neighbor or his brother… For Sheol cannot thank You; Sheol is the realm of the dead, where earthly service, testimony, and worship cease. Hezekiah speaks from the anguish of facing death and recognizes that God’s praise is to be declared among the living congregation. His recovery would preserve his opportunity to thank the Lord publicly for mercy and deliverance. Psa 6:5 For there is no mention of You in death; who can praise You… Death cannot praise You. Death ends a person’s participation in the worshiping community on earth. Psalm 6:5 and Psalm 115:17 likewise contrast the silence of death with the privilege of praising God in the land of the living. Hezekiah’s prayer reflects the urgency of honoring God while life and breath remain. Psa 88:10 Do You work wonders for the dead? Do departed spirits rise… Those who descend to the Pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness. The Pit describes the grave and the descent into death. Those who have died can no longer look for God’s earthly deliverance from illness, enemies, or danger. Hezekiah longed to remain alive to witness God’s covenant faithfulness and to teach future generations that the Lord keeps His promises. Psa 88:11-12 Can Your loving devotion be proclaimed in the grave,… The living, only the living, can thank You, Hezekiah celebrates God’s gift of restored life after the Lord added fifteen years to his days. His words describe the loss of public worship and testimony that death brought in the earthly sphere. Life is a stewardship from God, given for knowing Him, praising Him, and bearing witness to His works. Psa 115:17 It is not the dead who praise the LORD,… as I do today; Gratitude belongs to the present response of one who has received mercy. Hezekiah does not postpone praise; his healing becomes an immediate occasion to honor the Lord who heard his prayer and saw his tears. Psa 118:21 I will give You thanks, for You have answered me… fathers will tell their children about Your faithfulness. God’s deliverance was to be remembered within Israel’s households and taught to succeeding generations. Fathers bore a particular responsibility to recount the Lord’s covenant faithfulness, His judgments, and His mercies, so that their children would learn to fear Him and trust His word. Hezekiah’s recovery became part of that continuing testimony. Psa 89:1 A Maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite. I will sing of the LORD… The LORD will save me; Hezekiah closes his song with confidence that the God who heard his prayer and added fifteen years to his life would preserve him. His recovery displayed the LORD’s power over sickness, death, and the threats surrounding Judah. Deliverance belonged to the covenant God, not to human strength or royal resources. Isa 12:2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.… we will play songs on stringed instruments Hezekiah’s personal rescue would become public praise. Stringed instruments accompanied Israel’s worship in the temple, joining individual thanksgiving to the worship of the whole people. God’s saving work calls His people to remember His mercy and declare it before others. Psa 144:9 I will sing to You a new song, O God; on a harp… all the days of our lives The king’s restored life was to be devoted to the LORD rather than merely enjoyed as additional time. God’s mercy created an ongoing obligation of grateful worship, obedience, and testimony. Every day granted by God belongs to Him. Luk 1:74-75 deliverance from hostile hands, that we may serve Him… in the house of the LORD. The temple in Jerusalem was the appointed place where Israel gathered before the presence of the LORD with sacrifice, prayer, and praise. Hezekiah looked beyond his sickbed to renewed fellowship with God among His people. The temple pointed forward to Christ, through whom believers now draw near to God and become a spiritual house for His worship. Psa 122:1 I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go… Now Isaiah had said, Isaiah conveyed the Lord’s instruction to Hezekiah after God promised to add fifteen years to the king’s life. The prophet’s counsel joined divine assurance with a practical means of care. 2Ki 20:1 In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill.… “Prepare a lump of pressed figs A poultice made from pressed figs was a known remedy in the ancient world. God, who alone granted Hezekiah’s recovery, chose to employ an ordinary provision from His creation. 2Ki 20:7 Then Isaiah said, “Prepare a poultice of figs.”… and apply it to the boil, Hezekiah’s illness involved a severe and potentially fatal infection. The treatment did not replace prayer or diminish the miracle; it was the appointed means through which God brought healing. Job 2:7-8 So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD… and he will recover.” Hezekiah’s recovery confirmed the Lord’s word through Isaiah and displayed God’s mercy toward the humbled king. The healing also preserved David’s royal line, through which God would ultimately bring the promised Messiah. 2Ki 20:5-6 Go back and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people… And Hezekiah had asked, Hezekiah sought assurance after the LORD promised to heal him and add fifteen years to his life. His request came from a king who had turned to God in prayer during a mortal illness, not from unbelief or rebellion. God graciously answered with a sign involving the shadow on the steps of Ahaz, demonstrating His authority over creation and over the course of Hezekiah’s life. 2Ki 20:2-3 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall… “What will be the sign God had often provided visible confirmation of His promises, as He did for Moses, Gideon, and others called to trust Him in difficult circumstances. The sign would strengthen Hezekiah’s confidence that the announced healing would certainly occur. 2Ki 20:8-11 What will be the sign that the LORD will heal me… that I will go up Recovery would enable Hezekiah to leave his sickbed and resume both his royal responsibilities and his public worship. Going up also reflects Jerusalem’s elevation and the pilgrim movement toward the place where God had chosen to make His name dwell. 1Sa 1:7 And this went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up… to the house of the LORD?” The temple was the center of Israel’s covenant worship and the appointed place for sacrifice, prayer, and thanksgiving. Hezekiah’s foremost concern after receiving the promise of healing was to return to the LORD’s house, showing that restored strength was to be used for renewed worship. 1Ki 8:29-30 May Your eyes be open toward this temple night and day,… This is a draft of the Berean Study Bible. Please send all comments and recommendations to bereanstudybible@aol.com. 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