Hezekiah’s Life is Lengthened Is. 38, 39 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

In Isaiah 38, Hezekiah’s life is lengthened and in Isaiah 39 Jerusalem’s captivity is foretold.  Because of the history and prophecy contained in these two chapters, we will just comment on the verses that lend themselves to the need for further explanation.

Is 38:3 – Hezekiah confessed that he had walked before the Lord in truth and with a perfect heart – true, see 2 Chr 29:2, 2 Chr 31:20-21 – he cleansed the house of the Lord [2 Chr 29:1-19], consecrated the priests and Levites [2 Chr 29:30-31], offered the sacrifices [2 Chr 29:32-36], kept the Passover [2 Chr 30], destroyed the images, groves and high places [2 Chr 31:1], reinstated the priests and Levites in their courses [2 Chr 31:2-4] and had the people bring their tithes and offerings [2 Chr 31:5-19].

Is 38:5 – Hezekiah’s life is lengthened by 15 years – see Is 38:1, 2 Chr 29:1, Is 36:1 – he was 39 years old at this time and lived to be 54 years old.

Is 38:7-8 – the sun went backward 10 degrees – see 2 Ki 20:8-11 – it appears that an element of the pride that eventually hurt Hezekiah is evidenced in Hezekiah’s request that the sun go “backward” 10 degrees.

Is 38:9-20 – the writing of Hezekiah:

• v.12 – swift death pictured by the moving of a shepherd’s tent, the cutting of a weaver, a weaver’s shuttle [Job 7:6], wind [Job 7:7], a passing cloud [Job 7:9], and vapour [Jas 4:4].
• v.12 – pining – painfully wasting
• v.16 – “these things” – what God said [Is 38:5] and what God did [healed him].
• v.17 – the removal of sin: cast all my sins behind thy back, in the depths of the sea [Mic 7:9], as far as the east is from the west [Ps 103:12], blotted out [Is 43:25], white as snow [Is 1:18].

v.19 – see Deut 4:9

v. 20 – “my songs” – could these be the 10 “Songs of Degrees” found in Ps 120-134 that are not ascribed to David and Solomon – a parallel to the sun moving backward 10 degrees?

Is 39:2-4 – notice the references to “his” and “mine” and “my” – the Lord provided him with those things.

Is 39:6 – the Babylonian captivity began 114 years later.

In the companion passage in 2 Chr 32:24-31 we learn this additional information: in v.25, Hezekiah rendered not the benefit done to him since God had given him his wealth, in v.25 – Hezekiah’s heart was lifted up [comp 2 Chr 26:16], Hezekiah humbled himself, and God had left him to try him to know all that was in his heart [similar to the temptation of Abraham concerning Isaac in Gen 22].