Isa 38.1-22 tells us about the illness of Hezekiah and how he recovered. This illness took place during the Assyrian invasion of Judah.
v 1…In those days (of the Assyrian invasion) Hezekiah became mortally ill. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, “Thus says Yehovah, ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.'”
v 2…Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall (probably towards the Temple) and prayed to Yehovah,
v 3…and said, “Remember how I have walked before you in truth and with a whole heart, and I have done what is good in thy sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly (not for himself but for the nation).
v 4…Then the word of Yehovah came to Isaiah, saying,
v 5…”Go and say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says Yehovah, the God of your father David, “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears, behold, I will add fifteen years to your life (an eschatological reason for this).
v 6…And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city.”‘
v 7…And this shall be the sign to you from Yehovah, that Yehovah will do this thing that he has spoken:
v 8…Behold, I will cause the shadow on the stairway, which has gone down with the sun on the stairway of Ahaz, to go back ten steps.” So the sun’s shadow went back ten steps, the stairway on which it had gone down (Hezekiah was given a choice. Should the shadow of the sun go forward or back- 2 Kings 20.8-11. Hezekiah chose for it to go back ten steps. This a six degree change in the axis of the earth. Even the envoys from Babylon knew something had happened in 2 Chr 32.31).
v 9…A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, after his illness and recovery (which was like a confession of his own murmurings and complaints during his sickness. He praises God for his healing):
v 10…I said, “In the middle of my cutting off (when he was told he was going to die) I am to enter the gates of Sheol (abode of the dead); I am to be deprived of the rest of my years (of his life naturally speaking; you were seen as “cut off” if you were less than 50 when you died).”
v 11…I said, “I shall not see the Lord (Yah), the Lord (Yah) in the land of the living (on earth or another name for Israel-Psa 27.13, 116.9); I shall look on man no more among the inhabitants of the world (no longer enjoy the company of man).
v 12…Like a shepherd’s tent my dwelling (body) is pulled up and removed from me; as a weaver (when he is finished) I rolled up my life. He cuts me off from my loom; from day until night thou dost make an end of me (he did expect to die).
v 13…I composed (reckoned) until morning. Like a lion-so he breaks all my bones (in pain and distress), from day until night thou dost make an end of me (didn’t expect to make it till evening).
v 14…Like a swallow (low groans), like a crane (loud groans), so I chatter; I moan like a dove (in silence, within himself); my eyes look wistfully to the heights (to heaven); O Yehovah, I am oppressed, be my security (surety).
v 15…What shall I say (to express his gratitude)? For he has spoken to me (through Isaiah) and he himself has done it (kept his promise); I shall wander (meditate) about all my years because of the bitterness of my soul (he will recall his affliction and what the Lord did).
v 16…O Lord (Adonai), by these things (the word of God) men live and in all these is the life of my spirit; O restore me (or you have restored me) to health, and let me live (or has caused me to live-38.5).
v 17…Lo, for welfare I had great bitterness (or he now has welfare because he had been in bitterness), it is thou who hast kept my soul from the pit of nothingness (corruption, the grave), for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back (out of his sight-Psa 85.2).
v 18…For Sheol cannot thank thee, death cannot praise thee (in bodily form); those who go down to the pit cannot hope for thy faithfulness (their life is over and sealed).
v 19…It is the living (in bodily form) who give thanks to thee, as I do today; a father tells his sons about thy faithfulness (Hebrew “emet” or truth).
v 20…Yehovah will surely save me, so we will play my songs on stringed instruments all the days of our life at the house of Yehovah (Temple).”
v 21…Now Isaiah had said, “Let them take a cake (lump) of figs; and apply it to the boil, that he may recover (it was not from any natural remedy or force from the figs that caused his healing, it was in the obedience to God’s command. This is a type of the healing of the nations through the leaves in Rev 22.1-2).”
v 22…Then Hezekiah had said, “What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of Yehovah (it will be the sign of “the third day”-2 Kings 20.5. This is prophetic of Yeshua in John 2.19; Hos 6.1-3. Israel is seen as a fig tree-Joel 2.21-25; Luke 13.6-9; Hos 9.10; Mark 11.12-21; Matt 24.32. The nations will be healed because of the fig tree Israel, through whom came the Messiah and the Torah).”
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