For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Isaiah 38:1-8       

1 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, ‘This is what the Lord says: put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.’

2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3 ‘Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.’ And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

4 Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: 5 ‘Go and tell Hezekiah, “This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life. 6 And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city.

7 ‘“This is the Lord’s sign to you that the Lord will do what he has promised: 8 I will make the shadow cast by the sun 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.

A. Find Out

1. What provoked Isaiah to bring what message to Hezekiah? v.1
2. What did Hezekiah do in response? v.2,3
3. What did the Lord say in response? v.4,5
4. What further did He promise? v.6
5. What sign did He give to confirm this? v.7,8

B. Think:

1. Read 2 Kings 20:1-11
2. What additional information is given in that account?
3. Read Isa 38:21,22

C. Comment:

The basic account of just what happened is quite clear: Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death (v.1a). Isaiah goes to him with a word from the Lord that he will surely die (v.1b). In response, Hezekiah prays and basically pleads with the Lord on the basis of what he has done for relief (v.2,3). In response to this the Lord speaks to Isaiah (v.4) telling him to tell Hezekiah a) he will have a further fifteen years of life (v.5) and b) he will be defended by the Lord, from Assyria.

Hezekiah obviously asked for a sign as proof of this (v.22) and the Lord promised that the shadow of the sun would go back ten steps (v.7,8). 2 Kings 20 adds to this information that the illness involved a poisonous boil which Isaiah dealt with (2 Kings 20:7) and also that Hezekiah had asked for a sign (v.8). Now various questions arise.

First, what was this all about? Why did this illness occur? No specific answer is given in the text so we are left to speculate. Normally such illness is seen as the Lord’s discipline and we then ask, why? Although Hezekiah had been good at carrying out reforms (2 Kings 18) and had a great testimony, yet prior to Isa 36 Hezekiah had tried to buy off Sennacherib and after the illness he showed off his wealth (Isa 39). It appears clear, therefore, that there were yet aspects of Hezekiah that needed disciplining.

As for the moving of the shadow, it is clear the earth was not moved in relation to the sun so it was either a perfect miracle or somehow cloud created the effect – the Lord’s grace!

D. Application:

Don’t let your good deeds deceive you into ignoring un-Christ like elements of your personality. The Lord disciplines those He loves.

Passage: Isaiah 38:9-20

9 A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery:

10 I said, ‘In the prime of my life
    must I go through the gates of death
    and be robbed of the rest of my years?’
11 I said, ‘I will not again see the Lord himself
    in the land of the living;
no longer will I look on my fellow man,
    or be with those who now dwell in this world.
12 Like a shepherd’s tent my house
    has been pulled down and taken from me.
Like a weaver I have rolled up my life,
    and he has cut me off from the loom;
    day and night you made an end of me.
13 I waited patiently till dawn,
    but like a lion he broke all my bones;
    day and night you made an end of me.
14 I cried like a swift or thrush,
    I moaned like a mourning dove.
My eyes grew weak as I looked to the heavens.
    I am being threatened; Lord, come to my aid!’

15 But what can I say?
    He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this.
I will walk humbly all my years
    because of this anguish of my soul.
16 Lord, by such things people live;
    and my spirit finds life in them too.
You restored me to health
    and let me live.
17 Surely it was for my benefit
    that I suffered such anguish.
In your love you kept me
    from the pit of destruction;
you have put all my sins
    behind your back.
18 For the grave cannot praise you,
    death cannot sing your praise;
those who go down to the pit
    cannot hope for your faithfulness.
19 The living, the living – they praise you,
    as I am doing today;
parents tell their children
    about your faithfulness.

20 The Lord will save me,
    and we will sing with stringed instruments
all the days of our lives
    in the temple of the Lord.

A. Find Out

1. When did Hezekiah write this? v.9
2. What was he expecting to happen? v.10-12
3. To what was he reduced? v.13-14
4. Yet what was the outcome? v.15,16
5. How does he view it now? v.17-19
6. So what will he now do? v.20

B. Think:

1. What had he felt about his future?
2. Yet what had happened?
3. What was the outcome of that?

C. Comment:

We now find Hezekiah records this near-death experience (v.9). In his illness he came to a point where it seemed he was faced with death (v.10) where all of what he knew would be removed (v.11). He likened the removal of his life to that of a shepherd taking down his tent or a weaver rolling up his material having taken it off the loom (v.12). He waited expecting it to come to an end, but it didn’t; it just got worse (v.13). In his anguish he cried out and moaned but just got weaker and weaker, yet he cried to God and pleaded for help (v.14).

But then comes the turning point where presumably he has been healed (v.15) and the Lord has spoken and he has been humbled. He realises than men are restored through humility (v.16) and he recognizes that this has ultimately been for his benefit (v.17). The Lord in His love had kept him and if sins had been the cause of this, the Lord has put them behind Him.

As the Lord has saved him, he realises that the dead cannot praise God and there is no hope in death (v.18), but he is now counted among the living and it is the living who can praise the Lord (v.19) and this is what he will do. Now he has confidence and within this confidence he knows that the Lord will save him in the coming years and so he can be part of the praising company of God’s people who can enter the Temple and continue to praise the Lord. (v.20).

D. Application:

1. Facing death helps us realise the preciousness of life.
2. Coming through such an experience puts everything in focus.