Today’s Reading: Isaiah 38-39, 2 Kings 20, 2 Chronicles 32:24-33
King Hezekiah became deathly ill. The prophet Isaiah gave Hezekiah a message from the Lord stating that he would not survive this illness. Hezekiah had served God and country well, but it was his time to die.
When Hezekiah heard this, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, “Remember, O Lord, how I have always been faithful to you and have served you single-mindedly, always doing what pleases you.” Then he broke down and wept bitterly.
Then this message came to Isaiah from the Lord: “Go back to Hezekiah and tell him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will add fifteen years to your life, and I will rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. Yes, I will defend this city.’” – Isaiah 38:2-6
God saw the heart of Hezekiah and responded by answering his prayers. Before Isaiah had even left the middle courtyard of the palace, the Lord was giving him a message of healing to give to Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:4). Not only did God respond to the king, he responded quickly. He sent instructions on what Hezekiah needed to do in order to recover.
I HAVE HEARD YOUR PRAYER AND SEEN YOUR TEARS.
If you are wondering today if God hears you, remember Hezekiah. If you are wondering this morning if the desires of your heart matter to God, consider what happened next.
Then Isaiah said, “Make an ointment from figs.” So Hezekiah’s servants spread the ointment over the boil, and Hezekiah recovered!
Meanwhile, Hezekiah had said to Isaiah, “What sign will the Lord give to prove that he will heal me and that I will go to the Temple of the Lord three days from now?”
Isaiah replied, “This is the sign from the Lord to prove that he will do as he promised. Would you like the shadow on the sundial to go forward ten steps or backward ten steps?”
“The shadow always moves forward,” Hezekiah replied, “so that would be easy. Make it go ten steps backward instead.” So Isaiah the prophet asked the Lord to do this, and he caused the shadow to move ten steps backward on the sundial of Ahaz! – 2 Kings 20:7-11
God’s word through the prophet Isaiah was not enough for Hezekiah. He needed a sign. Again, God showed grace towards Hezekiah and moved the shadow on the sundial ten steps backward to show He keeps His promises.
GOD CREATED TIME AND IS CAPABLE OF ALTERING IT. HE IS NOT BOUND BY IT OR OBLIGATED TO IT.
I am not convinced that Hezekiah deserved this amazing gift from God, but I am thankful that we have this story to read thousands of years later. I am grateful that we serve a God who hears, who responds, and who is able to do whatever He wants to do. He is not bound by time or space; He is not obligated, and yet he responds to us out of the generosity of His heart. Nothing is too difficult for our God.
Instead of humbly receiving this gift of life from the Lord, Hezekiah became prideful. When the king of Babylon heard that Hezekiah had been sick, he sent an envoy carrying a gift for Hezekiah. In pride, Hezekiah showed the Babylonians EVERYTHING in his storehouse, and then God showed Hezekiah that the Babylonians would soon come back to take it all. He even revealed that Hezekiah’s sons would be captured and made to be eunuchs in the palace of Babylon’s king. Hezekiah’s heart was revealed when he only showed relief that there would be peace for the rest of his own lifetime, instead of grieving what others would suffer because of his foolish pride.
In this story of King Hezekiah’s life, we see a leader who captured the heart of God and was given an extra fifteen years of life. This same leader lost sight of the God who had healed him and started finding his identity in all he had accomplished. God literally moved time back for Hezekiah, yet the king chose to brag about all the treasures he had accumulated instead of bragging on the greatness of his God. It was a foolish leadership move on his part to show the enemy his storehouse, but it was an even greater mistake for him to let pride get in the way of his submission to God.
Lord, we praise you for being the God who is capable of stopping time, slowing it down, or speeding it up. Nothing is impossible for you! But we also take time this morning to show our gratitude for being the God who responds to our cry for mercy. May we never lose sight of how amazing you are; may we never lose sight of how hopeless we are without you. Amen.