Hezekiah was sick and near death. The prophet came and announced that he would die and not live, a double negative. It seemed that it was final. He had to set his earthly affairs in order. He was already physically and emotionally crushed from his illness. Did the message from Isaiah break him completely? Like, the straw that breaks the camel’s back? How do we respond to sudden fear?
Interestingly, he turned his face to the wall, perhaps a human reaction to the suddenness of the announcement. He wept bitterly. Maybe for work undone, family and nation left in a lurch in their times of greatest need. A whole gamut of emotions came upon him. Together with a cry of desperation, disappointment and fear, there was an acceptance of the will of God. It was akin to what was said by Paul, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Phil 1:21)
He did not ask God to lengthen his life. He prayed and reminded God of how he walked before Him in truth and with a loyal heart and have done what was right in His sight (v3). In short, he was faithful to Him. Reflecting again on the words of Paul in 2 Timothy, he succinctly said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Tim 4:7).
There are two crucial lessons for those who pray. We are at His majesty’s service till the end, even though our circumstance is dire. Hezekiah did not ask God to spare his life. It was a mark of a broken-vessel and could be of great use to God. Secondly, he asked God to remember his loyalty and integrity. His ministry sprang out from a love relationship and not just to fulfill a task.
What will we do in such a personal tragedy? How will we pray? Do we have the strength to pray similarly? Are broken before the Lord in obedience and submission? What will we ask God to remember?
And God’s reply was almost immediate. Even before Isaiah could leave the palace, the answer came. God gave him another 15 years. The response from God was evident and detail (v5,6):
- I have heard your prayer
- I have seen your tears
- I will heal you
- I will add to your days fifteen years
- I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria
- I will defend this city for My own sake
2 Kings 20:1-6
1 In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live.’ ”
2 Then he turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the Lord, saying,
3 “Remember now, O Lord, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what was good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
4 And it happened, before Isaiah had gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying,
5 “Return and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord.
6 And I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake, and for the sake of My servant David.” ’ ”
