Isaiah 38:1-8

Passage:
Isaiah 38:1-8
Hezekiah’s Sickness and Recovery.
1 In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, "Thus says the LORD: Set your house in order, for you shall die, you shall not recover."
2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,
3 and said, "Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
4 Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah:
5 "Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life.
6 I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and will defend this city.
7 "This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he has promised:
8 Behold, I will make the shadow cast by the declining sun on the dial of Ahaz turn back ten steps." So the sun turned back on the dial the ten steps by which it had declined.

Journal: King Hezekiah was a young man, probably in his mid 30's. I think we all dread the terminal diagnosis from a learned physician. This was worse - it was a terminal diagnosis from a learned prophet of God. King Hezekiah's humble and contrite reaction, as well as the faithfulness with which he served as king, seemed to touch the heart of God. ["Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, and said, "Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly."] This, to me, is one of the great mysteries. I rest secure in the sovereignty of God and yet, as I pause here, it appears that God both intended to allow King Hezekiah to die and intended to grant him an additional 15 years based on his humble plea. God's plan was each and both. While confounding, I find comfort in this. This is why there is not an inevitable intersection between God's sovereignty and some resulting fatalism. God is in complete control and has our days numbered and yet, as is shown here, prayer matters and is powerful. God both fully intended to allow King Hezekiah to die and fully intended to grant him an additional 15 years. It is quite similar to God's election to salvation of His children and His completely holding His creation accountable for its choice in accepting or rejecting His offer of salvation. It is both.

Hezekiah's prayer was answered. His life would be extended for 15 years. The king of Assyria would not take "this city" [Jerusalem]. God is in control of time [I suppose it was His first creation, since He otherwise exists in timeless eternity], and altered the normal course of time as a sign of His promise to King Hezekiah. This is certainly evidence that His faithfulness and sovereignty are indeed timeless.