Chapter Summary
Core Passages from Isaiah 38
Isaiah 38:5"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."
This is the turning point of the chapter, where God directly responds to Hezekiah's plea, showing His personal, compassionate attention to human suffering.Isaiah 38:17Behold, it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness; but in love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back.
Hezekiah reflects on his ordeal and realizes that his bitter suffering was ultimately for his own good, as it led him to experience God's loving deliverance and forgiveness.Isaiah 38:19The living, the living, he thanks you, as I do this day; the father makes known to the children your faithfulness.
In his song of praise, Hezekiah declares that only the living can thank God, emphasizing the gift of life and the importance of passing down the story of God's faithfulness to the next generation.
Historical & Cultural Context
A Royal Death Sentence
The chapter opens in a moment of intense personal crisis for King Hezekiah of Judah. Despite his faithfulness to God, he is struck with a terminal illness. The prophet Isaiah arrives not with a message of hope, but with a direct and final word from the Lord: 'Set your house in order, for you shall die.' This divine decree establishes the gravity of the situation, making Hezekiah's subsequent healing all the more miraculous.
A King's Desperate Prayer
Instead of accepting his fate, Hezekiah's immediate response is to turn his face to the wall and pour out his heart to God. He doesn't use fancy language but makes a raw, emotional appeal, reminding God of his faithful life. This act of desperate prayer becomes the pivot on which the entire story turns, transforming a message of death into a promise of extended life and divine protection.
Hezekiah's Prayer and God's Promise
The story unfolds in the royal courts of Jerusalem, but quickly moves to the most private of settings: a king's sickbed. In Isaiah 38, we witness a dramatic sequence of events, beginning with a grim prophecy, followed by a heartfelt prayer, a miraculous answer, and a song of deep thanksgiving. The narrative shows God's willingness to listen and respond, even when a situation seems hopeless.
The Verdict and the Plea (Isaiah 38:1-3)
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.
Commentary:
Given a death sentence by God, King Hezekiah turns to the wall and prays a desperate, tearful prayer.
The Promise and the Sign (Isaiah 38:4-8)
4 Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah:
5 "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 is 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.
Commentary:
God hears Hezekiah's prayer, grants him fifteen more years of life, and provides a miraculous sign to confirm His promise.
A Poem of Anguish (Isaiah 38:9-14)
9 A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, after he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness:
10 I said, In the middle of my days I must depart; I am consigned to the gates of Sheol for the rest of my years.
11 I said, I shall not see the Lord, the Lord in the land of the living; I shall look on man no more among the inhabitants of the world.
12 My dwelling is plucked up and removed from me like a shepherd's tent; like a weaver I have rolled up my life; he cuts me off from the loom; from day to night you bring me to an end;
13 I calmed myself until morning; like a lion he breaks all my bones; from day to night you bring me to an end.
14 Like a swallow or a crane I chirp; I moan like a dove. My eyes are weary with looking upward. O Lord, I am oppressed; be my pledge of safety.
Commentary:
In a poem, Hezekiah recounts the deep despair and sorrow he felt when he was on the brink of death.
A Song of Thanksgiving (Isaiah 38:15-22)
15 What shall I say? For he has spoken to me, and he himself has done it. I walk slowly all my years because of the bitterness of my soul.
16 O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these is the life of my spirit. Oh restore me to health and make me live!
17 Behold, it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness; but in love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back.
18 For Sheol does not thank you; death does not praise you; those who go down to the pit do not hope for your faithfulness.
19 The living, the living, he thanks you, as I do this day; the father makes known to the children your faithfulness.
20 The Lord will save me, and we will play my music on stringed instruments all the days of our lives, at the house of the Lord.
21 Now Isaiah had said, "Let them take a cake of figs and apply it to the boil, that he may recover."
22 Hezekiah also had said, “What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord?”
Commentary:
Hezekiah's poem turns to praise as he thanks God for healing, forgiveness, and the gift of life, vowing to worship Him forever.
The Power of Prayer and the Promise of Life
The Efficacy of Sincere Prayer
This chapter powerfully demonstrates that God hears and responds to the heartfelt cries of His people. Hezekiah's prayer was not eloquent, but it was honest and emotional, and God was moved by it to change a declared outcome. It shows that prayer is a real conversation with a God who listens and cares deeply.
God's Sovereignty Over Life and Death
The story affirms that God holds the ultimate authority over human life. He can declare an end, as He did through Isaiah, but He can also miraculously extend it. The sign of the sun moving backward reinforces this theme, showing that the God who commands life also commands the cosmos.
Thanksgiving as a Response to Grace
Hezekiah's experience did not end with his healing. It culminated in praise. His song teaches that the proper response to God's deliverance is relief and a life of active thanksgiving and testimony. He understood that the extra years he was given were a gift to be used for worship and for telling others of God's faithfulness.
Lessons from Hezekiah's Sickbed
Hezekiah's first instinct was to turn his face to the wall and pray (Isaiah 38:2). This reminds you that your first response in a crisis shouldn't be panic or despair, but turning directly to God with honesty and emotion. He shows that it's okay to bring your deepest fears and even your track record before God, trusting that He listens.
God's reply, 'I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears' (Isaiah 38:5), reveals His compassionate nature. It teaches you that God is not indifferent to your pain. He sees your struggles and hears your cries, and His response is rooted in personal care and love.
After his recovery, Hezekiah didn't move on immediately. He paused to reflect and give thanks (Isaiah 38:19). His song shows the importance of recognizing God's hand in your deliverance. It encourages you to turn your testimony into praise, sharing God's faithfulness with others so they too can know His goodness.
God Hears, Heals, and Restores
Isaiah 38 reveals a God who is intimately involved in the personal crises of His people. He is not a distant force but a compassionate Father who hears desperate prayers and sees bitter tears. The message is that no situation is beyond God's power to change, and our deepest moments of suffering can become the very ground for our deepest experiences of His love and faithfulness.
What This Means for Us Today
Hezekiah's story is a powerful invitation to bring our full, unfiltered selves to God in prayer. It shows that in our moments of greatest weakness and fear, God meets us with compassion and power. We are invited not to despair, but to turn our faces toward Him and trust in His ability to hear and to save.
- What 'death sentence' - a difficult diagnosis, a broken relationship, a hopeless situation - are you facing that you need to bring to God in honest prayer?
- How can you cultivate a heart of thanksgiving like Hezekiah's, even before you see the final outcome?
- Who in your life needs to hear about the faithfulness of God that you have experienced?
Further Reading
Immediate Context
This chapter details God's miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem from the Assyrian army, setting the stage of God's power for Hezekiah's personal crisis.
Following his recovery, Hezekiah foolishly displays his wealth to Babylonian envoys, leading Isaiah to prophesy Judah's future exile.
Connections Across Scripture
This is a parallel historical account of Hezekiah's illness and recovery, offering slightly different details and context.
A psalm of David that echoes Hezekiah's song, expressing profound thanks for being lifted from the brink of death.
This New Testament passage affirms the principle seen in Hezekiah's story: that the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power.
Theological Themes
This psalm mirrors Hezekiah's experience of being delivered from death and resolving to live a life of praise and service to the Lord.
Discussion Questions
- Hezekiah pleads his case before God based on his faithfulness (Isaiah 38:3). When is it appropriate to remind God of our obedience, and how does this differ from trying to 'earn' His favor?
- God changed His declared plan in response to Hezekiah's prayer. What does this story teach us about the relationship between God's sovereignty and the power of human prayer?
- Hezekiah says, 'it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness' (Isaiah 38:17). How can difficult or painful experiences ultimately work for our good and deepen our relationship with God?