Isaiah
Prophecies related to the reign of Hezekiah
The book of Hezekiah (36-39)
Chapter 38
Illness and recovery of Hezekiah (38:1-22)
This chapter deals with extraordinary happened before the facts reported in chapter 37.
King Hezekiah caught a serious illness and was near death. The prophet Isaiah came to report to Hezekiah that Lord said that he must set his house in order because he would die.
Then Hezekiah prayed to the Lord directly, asking Him to take into account his obedience and correct behaviour before Him, and wept bitterly. The Lord commiserated with him, awarded him another 15 years, and promised him deliverance from the King of Assyria, as much to him as to the city (Jerusalem), and to defend the city.
As a sign, the Lord promised to do go back ten degrees the shadow on the Sundial of Ahaz, which had already declined. The Hebrew of verse 8 is difficult, but it seems likely that Ahaz had built an obelisk with steps to check the hours of the day, and that God miraculously caused the shadow to decline 10 degrees while Hezekiah was watching.
To celebrate his recovery, Hezekiah wrote a poem or Psalm. This is the only part of the historic section that has no parallel in 2 Kings. Started with the sadness that was when I knew I was going to die in the prime of his life. He would not see the Lord, not men, in the land of the living. He described their sense of desolation, his bitterness, his sincere supplication and his impotence under the stroke of God.
But a change came in verse 16. Hezekiah recognized that by these afflictions men pass by, and that they have a beneficial influence on your character. Now God freed him to die, an indication to the King that the Lord has forgiven your sins. The verse 18 reflects the fuzzy vision on the situation of the spirits of the dead in the old testament. Now, because I was still alive, he could render thanks unto the Lord, and to talk to their children about the faithfulness of God. Hezekiah decided to worship the Lord all the days of his life.
Verses 21 and 22 fit chronologically between the verses 6 and 7.
Chapter 39
Hezekiah receives the Babylonians and Isaiah prophesies the captivity (39)
Marduk-Baladã, son of Baladã, was the King of Babylon. According to historians he was the most dangerous and inveterate opponent of Sennacherib, King of Assyria, against whom he contested and won possession of Babylon immediately after the death of Salmanazar, father of Sennacherib in 721 BC.
Without doubt Marduk-Baladã had his sights on the treasures contained in Jerusalem, a large part still preserved since the time of Solomon. Come to their knowledge the sickness and convalescimento of Hezekiah, used the occasion to ostensibly congratulating and send you a gift through an Entourage. It was a good opportunity for rapprochement.
Hezekiah rejoiced a lot, opened doors and showed them everything you had in your domain. We understand that, because they have a common enemy in Assyria, he thought could now rely on friendship with the mighty King of the Chaldeans. This would be a good ally to help him against the threat of Babylon.
When Isaiah heard what had happened, the mouth of Hezekiah himself, he pronounced God's judgment:
Would come days when all there was in the Royal household of Hezekiah, including all their ancestors were enshrined, would be taken to Babylon-wouldn't be anything. Some of the descendants of Hezekiah would be taken captive, to be eunuchs in the Palace of the King of Babylon (meaning they would not have children).
Hezekiah acknowledged that the trial had come from God, accepted the submissive, and showed relief because understood that this would not happen yet and there would be peace and truth "in your days ... really the invasion of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, just happened about a century later.
R David Jones
1 In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, "Thus says the LORD: 'Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.' "
2 Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the LORD,
3 and said, "Remember now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what is good in Your sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
4 And the word of the LORD came to Isaiah, saying,
5 "Go and tell Hezekiah, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will add to your days fifteen years.
6 I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city." '
7 And this is the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing which He has spoken:
8 Behold, I will bring the shadow on the sundial, which has gone down with the sun on the sundial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward." So the sun returned ten degrees on the dial by which it had gone down.
9 This is the writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness:
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 years."
11 I said, "I shall not see YAH, The LORD in the land of the living; I shall observe man no more among the inhabitants of the world.
12 My life span is gone, Taken from me like a shepherd's tent; I have cut off my life like a weaver. He cuts me off from the loom; From day until night You make an end of me.
13 I have considered until morning— Like a lion, So He breaks all my bones; From day until night You make an end of me.
14 Like a crane or a swallow, so I chattered; I mourned like a dove; My eyes fail from looking upward. O LORD, I am oppressed; Undertake for me!
15 "What shall I say? He has both spoken to me, And He Himself has done it. I shall walk carefully all my years In the bitterness of my soul.
16 O Lord, by these things men live; And in all these things is the life of my spirit; So You will restore me and make me live.
17 Indeed it was for my own peace That I had great bitterness; But You have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption, For You have cast all my sins behind Your back.
18 For Sheol cannot thank You, Death cannot praise You; Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your truth.
19 The living, the living man, he shall praise You, As I do this day; The father shall make known Your truth to the children.
20 "The LORD was ready to save me; Therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments All the days of our life, in the house of the LORD."
21 Now Isaiah had said, "Let them take a lump of figs, and apply it as a poultice on the boil, and he shall recover."
22 And Hezekiah had said, "What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the LORD?"
Isaiah chapter 38
1 At that time Merodach-Baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that he had been sick and had recovered.
2 And Hezekiah was pleased with them, and showed them the house of his treasures—the silver and gold, the spices and precious ointment, and all his armory—all that was found among his treasures. There was nothing in his house or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them.
3 Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah, and said to him, "What did these men say, and from where did they come to you?" So Hezekiah said, "They came to me from a far country, from Babylon."
4 And he said, "What have they seen in your house?" So Hezekiah answered, "They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them."
5 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD of hosts:
6 'Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and what your fathers have accumulated until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left,' says the LORD.
7 'And they shall take away some of your sons who will descend from you, whom you will beget; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.' "
8 So Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "The word of the LORD which you have spoken is good!" For he said, "At least there will be peace and truth in my days."
Isaiah chapter 39