Thursday 31 July 2014

2 Kings 20 Hezekiah's illness

2 Kings 20 

King Hezekiah became ill terminally and was at death's door when God told him, through Isaiah he was going to die and put his affairs in order.

Hezekiah is somewhat less than impressed with this diagnosis - after all he had followed God whole heartedly and he faces an early grave.

Isaiah is just going out of the palace when God gives a second opinion, in three days he would recover and live for an additional 15 years.

God gave a sign that this would happen - the shadow of the sun retreated by 10 steps.

Hearing that Hezekiah had recovered the king of Babylon sent a gift and some envoys.
Hezekiah was in a hospitable mood and showed the envoys all his palace and treasuries.
Isaiah asked who they were and what the envoys had seen and then told Hezekiah that eventually Babylon would be taken by the Babylonians and the children of the great and the good of Judah will be taken to serve as eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.

After 15 years, Hezekiah died and his son Manesseh became the next king.

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