Hezekiah's Illness and Recovery

King Hezekiah became very sick and was close to death. Isaiah the prophet, son of Amoz, came to him with a hard message from the Lord: he was to put his affairs in order, because he was going to die.

Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord. He asked God to remember how he had walked faithfully and done what was good in God's sight. As he prayed, Hezekiah wept deeply.

Before Isaiah had gone far, the word of the Lord came to him again. He was told to return to Hezekiah and say that God had heard his prayer and seen his tears. The Lord would heal him, and on the third day Hezekiah would go up to the Lord's house.

God also promised to add fifteen years to Hezekiah's life. He said he would deliver Hezekiah and this city from the king of Assyria and defend the city for his own sake and for David's sake. Isaiah told them to place a cake of figs on Hezekiah's boil, and he recovered.

Hezekiah asked what sign would show that the Lord would heal him and that he would go up to the Lord's house on the third day. Isaiah said the sign would be with the shadow on the sundial of Ahaz. Hezekiah said it would be easy for the shadow to go forward, so he asked for it to go backward ten steps.

Isaiah cried out to the Lord, and the shadow moved back ten steps on the sundial of Ahaz. In this way, the Lord gave Hezekiah a sign that he would do what he had promised. What do you notice about Hezekiah's prayer and God's answer in this story?