Isaiah 38 - Printer Friendly

What does Isaiah 38 mean?

Chapter Commentary:

The events of Isaiah 38 and 39 seem to occur before the defeat of the Assyrian army described in the previous chapters. Most scholars place Hezekiah's illness roughly ten years before Sennacherib attacked Jerusalem. If so, Hezekiah was about thirty-nine years old, seriously ill, and still without an heir. Isaiah places these events out of strict chronological order to maintain a smoother transition to later references to the Messiah.

King Hezekiah is sick. Scripture doesn't say exactly what the condition is other than comparing it to a boil (Isaiah 38:21). This might have been a tumor of some kind. Either way, the Lord sends Isaiah with a message. It's bad news: the disease is currently fatal. Hezekiah should not expect to recover. Instead, He should set his affairs in order by arranging for inheritances, naming a successor, and so forth. Overwhelmed, the king turns away from the prophet to mourn and pray. He asks the Lord to remember that he has lived in faith and done what is right (2 Kings 18:5–6). This is an indirect plea for more time (Isaiah 38:1–3).

As Isaiah walks away from the king, the Lord sends him back. Isaiah turns before reaching the outer court and brings Hezekiah another message: God has heard Hezekiah's prayer and seen his tears. The Lord will add fifteen years to his life and will also deliver Jerusalem from the king of Assyria when that threat comes (Isaiah 37:36–38). God knew Hezekiah would pray as he did, but the earlier message about dying was still true. The Lord had previously promised that David's lineage would always rule Israel (2 Samuel 7:16). But had Hezekiah not prayed, the sickness would have taken his life (Isaiah 38:4–6).

God offers Hezekiah a miraculous sign to confirm this promise (2 Kings 20:8–9). The sign ironically references Hezekiah's father, who refused to consider a sign from God (Isaiah 7:10–12). The "Stairway of Ahaz" seems to be a type of sundial. Presumably, a shadow was cast on a series of steps representing hours of the day. In the book of 2 Kings, Hezekiah chooses to see the shadow move backwards, as this would be even more miraculous (2 Kings 20:10–11). God will make the shadow move backwards, as if time were reversing. Scripture does not explain how God does this, only that He does. The sign confirms the message, and Hezekiah recovers (Isaiah 38:7–8).

In response, Hezekiah writes a psalm describing his thoughts when he expected to die. He felt he was being taken in the prime of life. He dreads the idea of passing into the land of the dead, referred to as "Sheol." Before Christ's resurrection, God's people understood sheol as a dim place where the dead waited without clarity about their future. The king regrets that he will no longer be able to worship the Lord or enjoy time with other people. Like a collapsed tent, or a severed weaving, his life will suddenly vanish. He compares this to being mauled by a predator. Hezekiah looks to God with pleading eyes, like a helpless and frightened bird (Isaiah 38:9–14).

The psalm continues with a shift in tone (Psalm 103:2–5) after the Lord restores King Hezekiah's health. He sees that his suffering ultimately brought him good. God saved him from destruction and provided forgiveness. Severe illness was the mechanism which God used to bring Hezekiah to Him in total dependence. What seemed bad at first was just what Hezekiah needed to get his mind right. The healed king rejoices that sheol cannot praise God, but the living can. Those who remain alive may give thanks, trust God's faithfulness, and teach the next generation (Deuteronomy 6:6–7) about His character (Isaiah 38:15–20).

Hezekiah ends his celebration with renewed devotion. Since the Lord has saved him, he plans to spend his remaining years worshiping in the temple and joining in praise. Isaiah instructs the king's attendants on how to treat the condition. The end of this chapter records Hezekiah's faithful question about the Lord's sign. The parallel account (2 Kings 20:1–11) places these statements nearer to the beginning of the story (Isaiah 38:21–22).

Isaiah 38:1–3 explains that King Hezekiah is seriously ill. Later verses mention the presence of a "boil" (Isaiah 38:21), which may mean a large tumor. The prophet visits the king with a message: Hezekiah should expect to die. He responds with mourning, turning away from Isaiah to weep. Hezekiah prays in desperation, noting his faithfulness to the Lord. God will reward that humility with fifteen more years of life (Isaiah 38:4–6).

Isaiah 38:4–8 records the Lord's reaction to Hezekiah's faithful humility. The prophet Isaiah passed along Gods message that King Hezekiah should expect to die from his severe illness. When the king appeals to the Lord, God promises to give him another fifteen years to live. God also vows to preserve Israel from invading Assyrians. To prove that this will happen, God offers a miraculous sign: moving the shadow of a sundial so that the sun appears to be moving backwards.

Isaiah 38:9–20 is King Hezekiah's triumphant praise for God. The first half depicts Hezekiah's despair at facing a fatal disease. The second half is his joy at learning that his life would be spared. Though Isaiah arranges his book by theme, this healing and psalm appear to come before the Assyrian threat to Jerusalem recorded in the prior chapters.

Isaiah 38:21–22 looks back at an early interaction between Isaiah and Hezekiah. Isaiah delivered an updated diagnosis about the king's fatal disease (Isaiah 38:1–7). This came with the promise of a confirming sign. The king seems to have asked what this sign was, and Isaiah explains a sun dial shadow moving backwards (Isaiah 38:7–8). The parallel account (2 Kings 20:1–11) places this exchange earlier in the story.

Chapter Summary:

Hezekiah becomes gravely ill. The only description given mentions a sort of "boil," so this may have been an aggressive tumor. Isaiah tells Hezekiah he will die, so the king prays and weeps. The Lord rewards Hezekiah's faithful dependence with a promise to add fifteen years to his life. God gives a miraculous sign by making the shadow on a staircase-like sundial move backward. After his recovery, Hezekiah writes a psalm describing his grief when he expected death and his joy after the Lord saved him. He commits to worshiping God in the temple for the rest of his life.

Chapter Context:

The events recorded here most likely happen before the Assyrian invasion described in the previous chapter. Isaiah is arranging his records to smoothly transition into later discussion of the Messiah. The Lord tells King Hezekiah to expect to die from an illness. When the king prays in grief, the Lord grants him fifteen more years and a miraculous sign. Hezekiah responds with a psalm describing both his despair and his renewed praise for the God who saves. Next, Isaiah records a visit from Babylonian messengers and God's prediction that peace will last until after Hezekiah has died.

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).

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