Introduction: This story is fascinating but leaves a modern enquirer with several challenging questions, to which you may or may not find a scientific/historical pseudo or real answer! While I wrestle with these ‘facts’, if I don’t find a satisfying modern scientific answer, I end up saying ‘the Bible says it therefore I believe it!’ Three questions which this passage raises for me are 1. When exactly did this occur in relationship to the previous chapter? When did the miraculous victory over the Assyrian army by God’s angel fit in with Hezekiah’s illness? 2. Does God change His mind? Is this question a problem because we can only talk about God in anthropomorphic terms? 3. How did God make the shadows marking time on the sundial go backwards?
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.” Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, 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. – This is a heartfelt cry in desperation to what was told to him as an absolute fact!
Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: “Go and say to Hezekiah, 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. – Does God answer prayer? Yes, as on this occasion, sometimes immediately! But was it that God changed His mind or did He cause Hezekiah to be honest with himself before God? I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and will defend this city. – Does this answer my first question in my Introduction?
“This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he has promised: 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.
Comment: 2 Kings 20: 9-11 gives additional information on this point –And Isaiah said, “This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he has promised: shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or go back ten steps?” And Hezekiah answered, “It is an easy thing for the shadow to lengthen ten steps. Rather let the shadow go back ten steps.” And Isaiah the prophet called to the LORD, and he brought the shadow back ten steps, by which it had gone down on the steps of Ahaz. Do you doubt that people went to check on what had happened? This convinces me that a miracle occurred on this occasion!
Proverbs 3: 19-20 – The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens; by his knowledge the deeps broke open, and the clouds drop down the dew.
Prayer: Help me to understand how Great that You are, please, my God