The Chronicler briefly mentions one of the most remarkable events in Hezekiah’s storied life.
At this point, the king was in his early 40s. “In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death, and he prayed to the Lord; and He spoke to him and gave him a sign” (2 Chron 32:24). The sentence leaves us with many questions. What was his prayer request? What was the Lord’s response? And what was this sign about? The Chronicler is silent on these matters. The answers, and many more details, are covered in 2 Kings 20:1-11 and Isaiah 38:1-22. Here was his prayer: “Remember now, O Lord, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what is good in Your sight” (Isa 38:3). He didn’t specifically ask for longevity, but the Lord knows what we’re thinking. He responded through Isaiah, “Thus says the Lord,…‘I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will add to your days fifteen years’” (v 5). And the sign? “I will bring the shadow on the sundial, which has gone down with the sun on the sundial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward” (v 8). It’s telling that the sign was a shadow, for shadows would soon be cast across the king’s remaining years—a wicked son, a selfish decision, and Show & Tell with the Babylonians. But none of these facts are included in this abbreviated account. A different point is being driven home. The king’s response to the Lord’s gracious intervention was not good. “Hezekiah did not repay according to the favor shown him, for his heart was lifted up; therefore wrath was looming over him and over Judah and Jerusalem” (2 Chron 32:25). Thankfully, he “humbled himself for the pride of his heart” (v 26), and God’s wrath was averted. It wouldn’t be the last time a physical ailment revealed a soul sickness, and a healthy dose of humility is always good for what ails you.