In Sickness and in Wealth (Isaiah 38, 39)
The events of Isaiah 38 and 39 (2 Kings 20) took place very close to
the time God delivered Hezekiah from Sennacherib, even though the
deliverance, as depicted in Isaiah 37 (see also 2 Kings 19) had not yet
occurred. Indeed, Isaiah 38:5, 6 and 2 Kings 20:6 show that they still
faced the Assyrian threat.
“Satan was determined to bring about both the death of Hezekiah
and the fall of Jerusalem, reasoning no doubt that if Hezekiah were
out of the way, his efforts at reform would cease and the fall of
Jerusalem could be the more readily accomplished.”—The SDA Bible
Commentary, vol. 4, p. 240.
What does the above quote tell us about how important good leadership is for God’s people?
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What sign does the Lord give Hezekiah to confirm his faith? (2 Kings 20:8–10, Isa. 38:6–8.)
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By rejecting signs offered by God (Isaiah 7), Ahaz had started the
course of events that led to trouble with Assyria. But now Hezekiah had asked for a sign (2 Kings 20:8); so, God strengthened him to meet the crisis his father had brought upon Judah. Indeed, reversing the shadow on the sundial of Ahaz was possible only through a miracle.
The Babylonians studied movements of heavenly bodies and recorded
them accurately. Thus, they would have noticed the sun’s strange behavior and wondered what it meant. The fact that King Merodach-baladan sent envoys at this time is no accident. The Babylonians had learned of the connection between Hezekiah’s recovery and the miraculous sign.
Now we know why God chose this particular sign. Just as He later used the star of Bethlehem to bring wise men from the East, He used a solar shift to bring messengers from Babylon. This was a unique opportunity for them to learn about the true God. Merodach-baladan spent his entire career trying to win lasting independence from Assyria.
He needed powerful allies, which explains his motivation for contacting Hezekiah. If the sun itself moved at Hezekiah’s request, what could he do to Assyria? How did Hezekiah lose an incredible opportunity to glorify God and point the Babylonians to Him? What was the result? (Isaiah 39.) Hezekiah, who should have been witnessing to them about the
Lord, pointed, instead, to his own “glory.” What is the lesson for us?