2 Kings 20:1-11
Your Prayer Has Been Heard
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1In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Put your house in order, for you are about to die; you will not recover.’”
2Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, saying,
3“Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and with wholehearted devotion; I have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
4Before Isaiah had left the middle courtyard, the word of the LORD came to him, saying,
5“Go back and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people that this is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: ‘I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. I will surely heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the house of the LORD.
6I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for My sake and for the sake of My servant David.’”
7Then Isaiah said, “Prepare a poultice of figs.” So they brought it and applied it to the boil, and Hezekiah recovered.
8Now Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, “What will be the sign that the LORD will heal me and that I will go up to the house of the LORD on the third day?”
9And Isaiah had replied, “This will be a sign to you from the LORD that He will do what He has promised: Would you like the shadow to go forward ten steps, or back ten steps?”
10“It is easy for the shadow to lengthen ten steps,” answered Hezekiah, “but not for it to go back ten steps.”
11So Isaiah the prophet called out to the LORD, and He brought the shadow back the ten steps it had descended on the stairway of Ahaz.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
Hezekiah becomes mortally ill, and Isaiah tells him to put his house in order because he will die. Hezekiah turns his face to the wall and prays. He reminds the LORD that he has walked before him faithfully and wholeheartedly and has done what is good in his sight.
Hezekiah weeps bitterly. Before Isaiah has left the middle court, the word of the LORD comes to him again. He is told to return and say that the LORD, the God of David, has heard his prayer and seen his tears.
The LORD promises to add fifteen years to Hezekiah's life and deliver him and Jerusalem from Assyria. Isaiah orders a poultice of figs to be applied to the boil, and Hezekiah recovers. The account also tells how he asks for a sign that the LORD will heal him and that he will go up to the temple on the third day.
Isaiah offers a choice about whether the shadow should move forward or backward. Hezekiah asks for the shadow to go backward. Isaiah calls out to the LORD, and the LORD brings it back ten steps on the stairway of Ahaz. The sign confirms the promise, but it does not make Hezekiah's life endless or remove the need to order his house well.
Questions
1 What message does Isaiah bring Hezekiah?
AnswerIsaiah tells Hezekiah to put his house in order because he will die and not recover.
2 How does Hezekiah respond?
AnswerHe turns his face to the wall after hearing the death sentence, prays to the LORD, and weeps bitterly.
3 What does the LORD promise?
AnswerThe LORD promises to heal Hezekiah, add fifteen years to his life, and deliver Jerusalem from Assyria.
4 What sign does Hezekiah receive?
AnswerThe shadow moves backward ten steps on the stairway of Ahaz as confirmation of the LORD's promise.
What This Means for Us
Hezekiah's prayer is direct and tearful. God says he has heard the prayer and seen the tears. We can bring illness and grief to him without having to sound composed. The fifteen extra years are a particular promise to Hezekiah, not a guarantee that every faithful person who prays will recover.
Pray honestly when life changes suddenly, put important responsibilities in order, and receive extra time as a gift rather than a guarantee. Care for the people and work that depend on you today.
Prayer
Lord, meet people facing serious illness with compassion. Help us pray honestly, order our responsibilities wisely, and receive each day as a gift without pretending that time is ours to control. Amen.