Life out of death: The God who is for us
2 Kings 20:1-11
All of us have regrets in life when what we had hoped for did not happen. Some grieve over not having found a life-partner, others struggle with childlessness or single parenting, yet others long for a career that circumstances make impossible to pursue. Some know chronic pain and long-term illness that are not alleviated, others suffer the early loss of loved ones that leave a gnawing emptiness behind. Much as we carry disappointments, it is important for us to remember those other times when God stepped into a seemingly impossible situation and turned it around for us. Those are occasions to encourage us that God knows and cares and is more than able to help, even if in His wisdom He chooses at times a different path for us.
God sees the king’s tears
The story of Hezekiah’s illness is a reminder that the Lord is not oblivious to our pain. The incident forms part of an appendix to Hezekiah’s life but it would have happened around the time of the Assyrian crisis (note the promise for Jerusalem’s deliverance in 2 Kings 20:6). Given the enemy threat, the king’s mortal illness (2 Kings 20:1) could not have come at a worst time. Taken by surprise and despairing, Hezekiah turns to the Lord, nonetheless, even as he weeps bitterly (2 Kings 20:3).[1] Movingly, Isaiah, who brought the bad news to the king, barely reaches the middle court of the palace when God sends him back with the promise of healing for the king and deliverance for the city (2 Kings 20:4-6).[2] But why did God change His mind? We are told that it was because He heard Hezekiah’s prayer and saw his tears (2 Kings 20:5). In other words, He responded to prayer and was moved by the king’s distress! At the same time, it is also clear that God acts freely and out of His own sense of commitment (‘for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake’, 2 Kings 20:6). Nobody can force His hand.
Healing and a sign
The events are seemingly concluded with a poultice of figs applied to the boil and the notice that Hezekiah recovered (2 Kings 20:7). According to modern medical opinion, sugar solutions can kill germs and help drain pus, which explains to us how the healing may have happened. However, the important point is that God brings about healing whether He does so with or without medicine. Somewhat confusingly, Hezekiah’s request for a sign is reported in a separate incident even though it would have happened before the king got well again (2 Kings 20:8). There is no indication of disapproval in the text, so we should accept the king’s request as a desire to strengthen his already existing trust in God.[3] The out of sequence reporting of the sign highlights its symbolic significance. While modern readers are often preoccupied with the mechanics of how the shadow could go back ten steps (a meteorite casting a backwards shadow?), the emphatic point the sign makes is that God has the power to turn back time.
Life out of death – the God who is for us
For the exiles living in despair that their expulsion from the land was permanent and their extinction ensured, Hezekiah’s story would have given enormous encouragement. The God who could reverse imminent death in Hezekiah’s life, can reverse the living death of exile, too! Ultimately, the Lord Jesus also reversed for us the death that comes with sin and gave us new life when we believed in Him. What amazing grace! It is also a heartening message for all of us in our various circumstances that our prayers can make a difference whether we are asking for ‘life’ (i.e. salvation) for friends and family or for help in our own situation. Our prayers do not stop at the ceiling but reach the Lord who hears our cries and feels compassion when we shed tears of distress. May we trust Him with the outcome and know that whatever His response to us, He is for us.
[1] For Protestant Christians, attuned to the issues of grace vs works, Hezekiah’s plea may sound self-righteous as he describes his own commitment to God (2 Kings 20:3). However, many of the psalms use similar language (e.g. Ps 17:1-5; 18:20-24; 26:1-11). They do not claim sinless perfection nor expect to earn God’s favour by good behaviour. Rather, they see the covenant God has made with Israel as a mutual commitment. Thus, as they boldly remind God that they seek to serve Him, they implicitly appeal for His help as their covenant partner.
[2] The recovery in three days (2 Kings 20:5) need not be literal. It is often used in biblical narrative to describe an indefinite short period of time. One commentator compares it to the way we use ‘six feet under’ to indicate that someone is good and buried, rather than as an exact measurement of how deep in the earth their coffin is.
[3] In a number of incidents, God graciously offers reassurance to His servants through a sign. Sometimes, He Himself initiates it (e.g. Isa 7:10-16), at other times, an individual asks for it (e.g. Gideon, Judg 6:36-40). Such requests are not seen negatively in the Bible when the attitude is one of faith, even if a struggling one (like the father’s, who says, ‘I do believe; help my unbelief’, Mk 9:24). What is condemned is the arrogance of the unbeliever, who has already seen God’s work but is not satisfied and demands that God prove Himself again, often described as ‘testing’ God (e.g. the wilderness generation, Ps 95:8-9).
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