“I cried like a swift or thrush, I moaned like a mourning dove. My eyes grew weak as I looked to the heavens. I am being threatened; Lord, come to my aid!” (Isaiah 38:14 NIV)
After the political tensions came a personal trial. King Hezekiah became critically ill. The prophet Isaiah came to tell him on God’s behalf: “Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.” (Isaiah 38:1 NIV)
That news came as a tremendous shock. For Hezekiah, this was just as devastating as the threatened destruction of his entire country.
This time, the king could not go to the temple—he was lying sick in bed. So he turned his face toward the wall to weep and pray. He cried and moaned like a wounded bird. He pleaded with God to let him live.
And… the Lord answered his prayer. Once again the prophet Isaiah came to visit him, this time with good news: “This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life.” (Isaiah 38:5 NIV)
In a beautiful song, King Hezekiah describes his deep sorrow, his desperate plea, and then his immense relief when God healed him. You can read this entire song in Isaiah 38:9–20.
Hezekiah had already experienced much as king of Israel, but now suffering suddenly came very close, and he himself proved to be deeply vulnerable. Have you ever experienced something like that? What did it do to you?