Read Isaiah 38:1-39:8.

Introduction⤒🔗

A sociologist at the University of Chicago, Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, has done extensive research on the subject of death and dying. In her research, Dr. Kubler-Ross discovered that there are four stages through which many dying patients and their loved ones pass.

There is first denial: the person is convinced that the doctor’s diagnosis cannot possibly be correct. The next stage is anger: the person asks, “Why me, O God?” and he may express resentment towards God. The third stage is bargaining: the terminally ill patient may seek to make a deal with God: “If You will heal me, I will do whatever You ask.” The final stage is acceptance: the person comes to terms with his mortality and accepts the fact that he is going to die.¹

In the passage of Scripture presently before us we meet a man who could not and would not accept the fact of his impending death. When Isaiah brought the message from God to Hezekiah that his illness was terminal, Hezekiah pleaded with God for a reprieve, for an extension of his life.

Like Hezekiah, there are times when we seek to overrule God’s will in favor of our own will. But, as we shall see, it is wiser to imitate our Lord Jesus Christ, rather than imitate Hezekiah. When our Lord faced the death of the cross, His prayer was, “Father, not my will, but your will be done” (Matt. 26:39). May we learn to pray for and accept God’s will, rather than insisting on our own will.

As You Pray, Will You Accept God’s Will, or Plead for an Exemption?←⤒🔗

When King Hezekiah becomes gravely ill, the LORD sends Isaiah to bring him the message, “Put your affairs in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.” The LORD informs Hezekiah that his illness is terminal; it is God’s will that Hezekiah’s earthly life be terminated at this time. But Hezekiah refuses to accept the fate God has clearly revealed to him. Rather than resign himself to the will of God, Hezekiah pleads that God’s will be “overruled” and that his own will be done instead:

Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, ³saying, O LORD, I beg you, remember how I have sincerely walked before you and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your sight. And Hezekiah wept bitterly.vs. 2-3

Hezekiah offered up his prayer with bitter tears (vs. 3b); like a little child begging his father to allow him to have his own way. First, compare Hezekiah’s prayer with the Lord Jesus and His prayer life as described in Hebrews 5:7, “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard [or, he gained a hearing] because of his reverent submission.” In His true humanity, the Lord Jesus drew back from the awful fate of the cross; and as the beloved and righteous Son of God, He gained a hearing with His Father.

Now contrast Hezekiah’s prayer with that of our Lord Jesus Christ as recorded in Matthew 26:39, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” The Lord Jesus surrendered Himself to His Father’s will, accepting His Father’s will and relinquishing His own will in favor of the Father’s will.

In his psalm, written at the time of his recovery, Hezekiah reveals the thoughts of his heart. He first bemoans the fact that he is "too young to die" (vs. 10): “I said, In the prime of my life I shall go to the gates of Sheol; I am deprived of the remainder of my days.” He sees himself as being at the zenith of his life and he feels that he is being deprived of the remainder of his years; note that he speaks about “my days.” Contrast this with the Psalmist’s testimony, “But I trusted in you, O LORD. I said, You are my God. ¹⁵My times are in your hand” (Psl. 31:14-15a). The Psalmist acknowledges that his life is at God’s disposal and his life span has been designated by God. Note, too, James 4:13-15,

Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' ¹⁴Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. ¹⁵Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.'

Hezekiah bewails the fact that the LORD has cut off his life. He describes his life as a shepherd’s tent that is taken down and carried away (vs. 12a) As a weaver rolls up his cloth on a roll, preparing it to be cut off from the loom, so has Hezekiah’s life been “wrapped up” as the LORD prepares to cut it off (vs. 12b). Just as the LORD swiftly and surely brings a day to a close, so has He brought Hezekiah’s life to an end (vs. 12c). Do we ever argue that God’s will is unfair? Do we ever feel that by accepting God’s will we are being unjustly deprived of our due?

Hezekiah’s hopes for recovery were dashed by the message from the LORD that his illness was terminal: “I waited patiently until dawn; [but] like a lion, he breaks all my bones. From day until night you are intent on bringing my life to an end” (vs. 13). He describes himself as patiently waiting for the dawn, (i.e. the hope of recovery), but like a lion, the LORD has broken all his bones. That is to say, the LORD’s message delivered by the prophet Isaiah has shattered all Hezekiah’s hopes for recovery. When we discover that God’s will for our life involves hardship and is contrary to what we would envision, do we feel that we have been crushed unto despair like Hezekiah?

Next we find Hezekiah protesting that he cannot handle God’s will for his life, so he pleads for an extension of his earthly life: “I cried like a swallow or a crane; I moaned like a mourning dove. My eyes looked wistfully to the heights. O Lord, I am oppressed, be my surety” (vs. 14). With the realization of his approaching death, Hezekiah is completely weighed down with a sense of his frailty and helplessness: his wailings resemble those of the swallow or the mourning dove. In his extremity, he cries out to the LORD, reporting his condition, (“O Lord, I am oppressed,” i.e. I cannot bear Your will), and praying that the LORD would be his surety; i.e. that the LORD would stand in his place and spare him from this ordeal. Instead of praying, “Heavenly Father, give me the grace to accept Your will, carry me through this trial;” Hezekiah is praying, “Father, I can’t handle this ordeal, don’t make me go through it, take my place and spare me from it.” (The latter prayer is certainly appropriate for the sinner who is aware of God’s impending judgment and pleads for the Lord Jesus Christ to be his Savior. The former prayer is the appropriate response of a Christian to the will of God as it is revealed for his life as a redeemed child of God in Christ Jesus.)

Hezekiah testifies that this close encounter with death has had a profound impact upon his life, he will never be the same (vs. 16). He testifies, “By means of such experiences men learn how to live;” i.e. a close encounter with death has a profound and lasting impact upon a man’s life, it is something he lives with, it is not something he easily forgets, Such an encounter with death is something that teaches him about the meaning of life and the way life is meant to be lived. Hezekiah goes on to assert, “my spirit, also, has surely learned the way of life by this.” Hezekiah is testifying that this experience has had a tremendous impact upon him, he profoundly benefited from it. He assures the LORD that he has certainly learned from this close encounter with death; and now, having given the LORD this assurance, Hezekiah hopes that he will be delivered from this ordeal. But contrary to Hezekiah’s testimony, he has learned nothing from this ordeal: he has not learned to accept the LORD’s will and entrust himself, body and soul, to his faithful Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Proceeding with his self-deluded testimony, Hezekiah now testifies that he recognizes the spiritual benefit derived from this horrible experience: “Surely, it was for my benefit that I have suffered such anguish” (vs. 17). Hezekiah acknowledges that this ordeal was intended for his benefit; that is to say, for his spiritual welfare. His testimony is similar to that of the Psalmist: “Before I was afflicted I went astray; but now I observe your word” (Psl. 119:67). But, whereas Hezekiah’s testimony is self-deluded, that of the Psalmist is genuine.

Hezekiah goes on to declare, “But in love for my soul you have delivered me from the pit of corruption.” Hezekiah declares that it was the LORD’s love for him that has caused the LORD to spare his life. In this connection he proclaims, “you have cast all my sins behind your back.” He makes a connection between his sins and the fate with which he was confronted. Either he is convinced that the “premature” death ordained for him was the consequence of some personal sin, or he is simply affirming that as a sinful man by birth, “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23a).

Because the LORD has answered his prayer, Hezekiah promises to always sing God’s praises:

Sheol cannot praise you; death cannot sing your praise. Those who go down into the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness. ¹⁹The man who is alive—the man who is living—he [is the one who] will praise you, as I do this day. The father shall make your faithfulness known to his children. ²⁰The LORD is willing to save me; therefore, we will sing my songs accompanied with stringed instruments in the temple of the LORD all the days of our lives. vs. 18-20

He rightly recognizes that for the Old Testament believer, physical death would consign him to a prolonged period of unconscious existence in Sheol, awaiting the accomplishment of redemption with the resurrection of Christ: “Sheol cannot praise you; death cannot sing your praise... ¹⁹The man who is alive...he is the one who will praise you, as I do this day.” Recognizing that the LORD has given him a reprieve from a “premature” departure into Sheol, Hezekiah promises to praise God for all the remainder of his life: “therefore, we will sing my songs accompanied with stringed instruments in the temple of the LORD all the days of our lives” (vs. 20). Do we, like Hezekiah, ever tell God that if He will allow us to have our way we will always be grateful to Him? Do we promise to repay God with lifelong gratitude and service if He will grant that our will be done instead of His will?

As you pray, will you accept God’s will, or, like Hezekiah, will you plead for an exemption? When God’s will for your life involves hardship, trial or disappointment, will you pray like Hezekiah, “Father, I can’t handle this, don’t make me go through it, spare me from it”? Or will you pray like our Lord Jesus Christ, “Father, your will be done” Will you pray, "Father, please give me the grace to accept your will, please uphold me and bring me through the trial you have set before me"?

As You Pray, Will You Risk the Consequences of Having Your Own Way?←⤒🔗

The LORD permitted Himself to be moved by the pleading and child-like begging of Hezekiah, and promises to give him fifteen more years of life (vs. 4-5). In gratitude for answered prayer, Hezekiah promises to make known God’s truth to his children and to ever sing praises to the LORD in His temple (vs. 19-20).

The LORD granted Hezekiah his request. The LORD allowed His own divine will to be “overruled” in favor of Hezekiah’s will. But what were the consequences?

Hezekiah was granted a fifteen-year extension to his life. But could he truly enjoy that period of time, knowing the precise date it would be terminated? By way of example: If you wake up fifteen minutes before the alarm clock is set to ring in the morning, are you able to enjoy those fifteen minutes in relaxed sleep, or is there the constant anticipation that the alarm is about to ring? God’s way, however hard, is far more satisfying than our own way, however appealing it at first might appear.

Hezekiah may have made known God’s truth to the son born to him during this fifteen-year extension, but that son did not follow God’s truth until he had first brought untold ruin and misery to himself and to the nation. 2 Chronicles 33:1 indicates that Manasseh was born in the third year of Hezekiah’s fifteen-year extension: “Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years.” 2 Chronicles 33:2 goes on to say of Manasseh, “He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, following the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.” The passage goes on to relate how Manasseh undid all the godly things his father had done. It was only after he was taken captive by the Assyrians that he came to repentance:

The LORD brought against them the army commanders of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh prisoner, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon. ¹²In his distress he sought the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. ¹³And when he prayed to him, the LORD was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea, so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD is God. 2 Chron. 33:11-13

Isaiah 39 goes on to record the visit of the Babylonian ambassadors to the royal court of Judah. They came to pay their respects, because they heard of Hezekiah’s illness and recovery (vs. 1). Also, they came because they were aware of the miraculous sign granted by God, note 2 Chronicles 32:31, “envoys were sent by the rulers of Babylon to ask him about the miraculous sign that had occurred in the land.” (Concerning this phenomenal sign, see the accompanying Appendix.)

Hezekiah may have promised to live in grateful devotion to the LORD, but the visit by the Babylonian ambassadors demonstrated his well-intentioned promise to be unreliable: “Hezekiah received the envoys gladly and showed them the storehouse that contained his treasures—the silver, the gold, the spices, the fine oil, his entire armory and all that was found in his treasuries. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them” (Isa. 39:2).

“Hezekiah received the envoys gladly;” (literally, “he was glad because of them”). In other words, it made Hezekiah feel good and important to entertain these foreign dignitaries. In his pride, Hezekiah showed them all that he had, all the treasures and wealth of the nation of Judah. As a consequence of that pride, the LORD declared that He would cause the Babylonians to take away all that they had been shown of the wealth of Judah:

Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD of hosts. ⁶Listen. The day is coming when everything that is in your palace, and all that your forefathers have stored up until this day, will be carried away to Babylon. Nothing will be left, declares the LORD. ⁷And some of your sons, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away—they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.vs. 5-7

Notice that the LORD is speaking about sons who would be born to Hezekiah during the fifteen-year extension of his life.

As you pray, will you accept God’s will, or will you risk the consequences of demanding your own way? The famous British preacher, Charles Spurgeon, relates the account of a woman who refused to accept the LORD’s will for her son. The boy lay gravely ill. She solicited Spurgeon’s prayers. Spurgeon suggested that they surrender the boy into the hands of the LORD and ask that His will be done. The woman refused, insisting that the preacher pray for the child’s recovery. The boy did recover—only to grow up to become a notorious criminal.

Conclusion←⤒🔗

Like Hezekiah, there are times when we seek to overrule God’s will in favor of our own will. But as we have come to see, it is wiser to imitate our Lord Jesus Christ in prayer (“Father, not as I will, but your will be done”), than to imitate Hezekiah.

This is the lesson to be learned: It is far better to surrender ourselves to God’s clearly revealed will and rely upon His sustaining grace, than to pray for a departure from that divine will with much pleading and many tears.

May the words of the hymn writer, Anna L. Waring, be our prayer,

Father, I know that all my life is portioned out for me;
The changes that are sure to come, I do not fear to see:
I ask Thee for a present mind, intent on pleasing Thee.

Discussion Questions←⤒🔗

1. What message from the LORD does Isaiah bring to Hezekiah during this time when he is gravely ill? See Isa. 38:1. If, in the providence of God, you received the diagnosis that your condition was terminal, would you be ready to stand before God? Note Jn. 3:16; 1 Jn. 5:11-12. As a Christian, would you respond to such a diagnosis with the same testimony as the Apostle Paul? Note 2 Cor. 5:8,

In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him and said, This is what the LORD says, Put your affairs in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover. Isa. 38:1

...for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, so that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. Jn. 3:16

And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. ¹²He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son does not have life. 1 Jn. 5:11-12

We are confident, yes, well pleased rather, to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. 2 Cor. 5:8

2. How does Hezekiah respond to the news brought to him by the prophet Isaiah? See Isa. 38:2-3. Compare and contrast Hezekiah’s response with that of the Lord Jesus, see Hebrews 5:7 and Matthew 26:39. When the LORD reveals His will for your life, (either from Scripture or by means of providential circumstances), like Hezekiah, will you beg to have the divine will “overruled,” or like Christ our Savior, will you submit to the heavenly Father’s will?

Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, ³saying, O LORD, I beg you, remember how I have sincerely walked before you and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your sight. And Hezekiah wept bitterly. Isa. 38:2-3

During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard [or, he gained a hearing] because of his reverent submission. Heb. 5:7

He...fell on his face, and prayed, 'My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.' Matt. 26:39

3. How does the LORD respond to Hezekiah’s tear-filled plea for recovery? See Isa. 38:4-5. If you knew the date of your death, which for Hezekiah would now be exactly fifteen years after his recovery, could you enjoy the remainder of years the LORD afforded you? What happened during the 15-year extension to Hezekiah’s life? According to the date given when Manasseh began his reign, when was he born? See 2 Chron. 33:1. What does 2 Chronicles 33:2 tell us about Manasseh? Note, also, Isa. 39:7 and Jer. 15:4. Is it wise to “overrule” the LORD’s divine will in favor of our own will?

Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah, saying, ⁵Go back and tell Hezekiah, This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says, I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Listen; I will add fifteen years to your life. Isa. 38:4-5

Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. 2 Chron. 33:1

He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, following the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. 2 Chron. 33:2

Isaiah brings to Hezekiah this message from the LORD: And some of your sons, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away—they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. Isa. 39:7

I will cause [Judah] to be tossed to and fro among all the kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem. Jer. 15:4

4. In his song, how does Hezekiah describe his life? Note Isa. 38:10, 12a. Even as a Christian, do you entertain the same delusion as Hezekiah, that your life belongs to you and you have a “right” to it? Note Psl. 31:14-15; Job 12:10; Jas. 4:13-15,

¹⁰I said, In the prime of my life I shall go to the gates of Sheol; I am deprived of the remainder of my days...¹²Like a shepherd’s tent, my [earthly] dwelling has been pulled down and taken away from me. Like a weaver, I have rolled up my life, and he has cut me off from the loom. Isa. 38:10, 12

Note Hezekiah’s emphasis on his being deprived of the remainder of “my life.”

But as for me, I trust in you, O LORD; I say, 'You are my God. ¹⁵My times are in your hand...' Psl. 31:14-15

Referring to the LORD, Job declares,

In whose hand is the life of every living thing; and the breath of all mankind. Job 12:10

Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' ¹⁴Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. ¹⁵Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.' Jas. 4:13-15

5. Upon hearing of Hezekiah’s recovery, (as well as the miraculous sign mentioned in Isa. 38:7-8), the king of Babylon sends envoys to Hezekiah; what does Hezekiah do upon receiving them? Note Isa. 39:2. What does Hezekiah’s reply to Isaiah tell you about Hezekiah’s attitude? See Isa. 39:3. Compare Hezekiah’s pride, (as evidenced on this occasion), with the pride previously exhibited by the Assyrian king. See Isa. 10:13 and 36:20. Whereas the Assyrian exhibited a self-exalting, God-defying pride, Hezekiah exhibits a God-exploiting pride. As a Christian, have you ever testified, “Look what God has done for me!” with the emphasis on ME? Note Psl. 115:1,

Hezekiah received the envoys gladly and showed them the storehouse that contained his treasures—the silver, the gold, the spices, the fine oil, his entire armory and all that was found in his treasuries. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them. Isa. 39:2

Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and asked him, What did those men say [to you], and from where did they come? Hezekiah replied, They came to me from a distant country—[all the way] from Babylon! Isa. 39:3

...he has said, ‘By the strength of my hand I have done this, and by my wisdom, because I have understanding. I have removed the boundaries of the nations and have plundered their treasures. With the strength of a bull I have brought down those who sit on thrones. Isa. 10:13

Who among all the gods of these lands have delivered their countries from my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem from my hand?Isa. 36:20

Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto your name give glory, for the sake of your mercy and truth. Psl. 115:1

Appendix: The Miraculous Sign Granted to Hezekiah←⤒🔗

In Isaiah 38:7-8 there is recorded the miraculous sign given by the LORD as the assurance that He has granted Hezekiah’s prayer and will allow him an extension of earthly life:

This will be the sign for you from the LORD, [confirming] that the LORD will do what he has said. ⁸Look! I will cause the shadow cast by the sun to go back the ten steps it has gone down on the stairway of Ahaz. So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had gone down.

The parallel passage of 2 Kings 20:11 reads as follows:

So, Isaiah the prophet cried out to the LORD, and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down on the sundial of Ahaz.

Did the LORD cause the earth to revolve upon its axis in the reverse direction? Or did He accomplish this miraculous sign by some other means?

Note that the text does not say that the sun went backwards in the sky; which, in scientific terms would mean the earth was caused to rotate in the reverse direction from its normal rotation. On the contrary, the text of Isaiah 38:8 states that the LORD would cause “the shadow cast by the sun to go back the ten steps.” Stated another way, “the sunlight went back the ten steps it had gone down.” (Note: The Hebrew text literally says, “the sun went back the ten steps,” but what is clearly intended is a reference to the sunlight as it shone upon the dial.)

What, other than a reversal of the rotation of the earth, could cause this alteration? What could cause the rays of sunlight to produce a shadow on the sundial indicating a repetition of the “ten degrees” (i.e. three hours, assuming that each degree represented half an hour) that had previously elapsed?

The answer is the atmospheric phenomenon known as “refraction.” As the Old Testament commentator C.F. Keil expresses it in his discussion of the parallel passage found in 2 Kings 20:8-11, “the words of the text do not require that we should assume that the sun receded, or the rotation of the earth was reversed, [rather, the words of the text] simply affirm that there was a miraculous movement backward of the shadow upon the dial, which might be accounted for by a miraculous refraction of the rays of the sun.”² Consequently, the miraculous sign was produced when God providentially caused a refraction of the sunlight in answer to Isaiah’s prayer.

What exactly is the atmospheric phenomenon known as “refraction?” Refraction refers to “the change in the apparent position of a celestial body, [or the shadow cast by that body], due to the bending of the light rays emanating from it as they pass through the atmosphere.”³ In other words, when some abnormal condition in the atmosphere causes the rays of the sun to be altered from their normal trajectory, the resulting unexpected alteration in the shadow they cast is known as “refraction.”