More Days

In those days Hezekiah became terminally ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amos came and said to him, " Put your affairs in order, for you are about to die; you will not recover."

Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord. He said, "Please remember how I have walked before You faithfully and wholeheartedly, and have done what pleases You. And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: "Go and tell Hezekiah that this is what the Lord God of your ancestor David says: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look I am going to add 15 years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the power of the King of Assyria; I will defend the city. This is a sign to you from the Lord that He will do what He has promised. I am going to make the sun's shadow that goes down on Ahaz's stairway go back by 10 steps."

So the sun's shadow went back by the 10 steps it had descended. Isaiah 38:1-8

It appears, at this time, Hezekiah did not have a son to carry on the Davidic line. When he does die in 15 years time, his son, Manessah is only 12. Dying without an heir would have been devastating for Hezekiah.

God gives Hezekiah a wondrous sign, the sun going back 10 paces. Imagine how amazed Hezekiah would have been.

Hezekiah writes a poem after he had recovered. The prospect of dying was not embraced. The concept of going to Sheol, the place of the dead, was not looked forward to. Whereas as a Christian I long for eternity. I know that I will be with the Lord, for all eternity, for ever and ever.

How grateful I am that the rules have changed, with Christ paying the price, I am free to embrace eternity with open arms.

He is our peace! Amen!