The sacred historian showed us how haughty Sennacherib was destroyed in the midst of the prospects of his life; but here, on the other hand, he shows us praying Hezekiah, who was delivered in the midst of the prospects of death. Hezekiah became sick “in those days” – that is, in the 14th year of his reign (713 BC), when the king of Assyria had been preparing to besiege Jerusalem; but Hezekiah had paid large sums of gold and silver to get him to go away (chapter 18:13-16). When Hezekiah became sick, God promised (verse 6), “I will defend this city”; and this promise was repeated and fulfilled four years later (709 BC), when Rabshakeh showed up and the danger became very imminent (chapter 19:34).

Isaiah the prophet brought the king a warning to prepare for death. Hereupon, Hezekiah prayed to the Lord. Even if the sentence of death was irreversible for him, yet prayer was one of the best preparations for death – because by it, we receive grace and strength from God to enable us to finish well. Hezekiah turned his face to the wall to pray as he lay in his sickbed – probably in the direction of the Temple, to show how willingly he would have gone there to pray if he had been able. Christ is our Temple; and it is to Him that we must look in all our prayers, for no one comes to the Father except through Him.

Hezekiah also wept bitterly. He had begun a good work of reformation, and he feared that it would fall to the ground if he was to die at this time. Furthermore, it does not appear that he had any son to sit upon his throne; for Manasseh, who succeeded him, was not born until three years later. And if Hezekiah was to die without an heir, both the peace of his kingdom and the promise made to David of the coming Messiah would be in danger!

God immediately gave an answer to Hezekiah’s prayer. The prophet Isaiah had not even had time to pass through to the middle court when he was sent back inside with another message to the king, telling him that he would recover! The Lord promised him that He would heal him from his illness, that He would restore him to such a degree of health that he would be able to go to the Temple three days later to return thanks, and that He would add fifteen years to his life. In order that Hezekiah might recover, Isaiah ordered a poultice to be made from a very common remedy – a lump of figs. But considering the extremity which the disease had already reached, and how suddenly it was healed, the cure was no less than miraculous!

A sign was also given to the king for the encouragement of his faith. He did not ask for it because he had any distrust of the power or promise of God; but because he looked upon the things promised to be very great things and worthy to be thus confirmed, and because it had been usual with God to thus glorify Himself and favor His people. It was put to Hezekiah’s choice whether the sun should go backward or forward 10 degrees on the sundial; for either one was equally easy to Omnipotence, and it would be more likely to confirm Hezekiah’s faith if he chose that which he thought to be the more difficult of the two. In accordance with Hezekiah’s wishes, God brought the sun backward 10 degrees on the sundial of Ahaz, which he could probably see through his chamber-window; and the same was observed upon all other sundials, even in Babylon (2 Chr. 32:31). Although we are not told exactly how this miracle transpired, or what effects it had upon the heavenly bodies; this work of wonder definitely showed the power of God in heaven as well as on earth, the great notice which He takes of prayer, and the great favor which He bears to His chosen.

An embassy was sent to Hezekiah by the king of Babylon to congratulate him upon his recovery. The Babylonians worshiped the sun, and – perceiving the great honor that their “sun-god” had done to Hezekiah in going back for his sake – they thought themselves obliged to do honor to him likewise. Hezekiah gave kind entertainment to these Babylonian ambassadors. It was his duty to receive them with the respect due to ambassadors; but he became close friends with them, even though they were idolaters. He was more open than he should have been; and he was too fond of showing them his palace and his treasures, so that they might report to their master what a great king Hezekiah was. Sadly, we do not read that he showed them the Temple, the Book of the Law, or the manner of his worship, so that he might proselyte them to the true religion.

Sentence was passed upon Hezekiah for his pride and vanity, by the prophet Isaiah. The sentence was that the treasures which he was so proud of would hereafter become a prey, and his family would be robbed of them all. And the king of Babylon, whose ambassadors he had become such close friends with, would be the enemy that would carry them away. Hezekiah humbly and patiently submitted to this sentence. When truly repentant persons are under Divine rebukes, they call them not only just, but also good; and herein, it seems that the king was indeed humbled for the pride of his heart. Hezekiah did take notice of the fact that he would not live to see this threatened evil. It is good indeed if peace and truth exist in our days – not that we should be unconcerned for our posterity, for it is a grief to foresee evils; but we cannot help acknowledging that the deferring of judgments is a great favor to all in general.

The final verses of this chapter give the conclusion of Hezekiah’s life history. In 2 Chronicles 29-32, much more is recorded of his work of reformation; but here the sacred historian leaves Hezekiah sleeping with his fathers, with – alas! – an ungodly son on his throne.

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