Useful Bible Studies > 2 Kings Commentary > chapter 20
When Assyria’s army was still in control of most of Judah, Hezekiah, the king of Judah, became ill. (It is clear from the promise in 2 Kings 20:6 that Assyria’s army had not left Judah.) This was the 14th year of Hezekiah’s rule (18:13), when Hezekiah was about 40 years old.
Isaiah the prophet (holy man) received a message from God for Hezekiah. So, he went to see Hezekiah. That message was that Hezekiah should prepare for his death. In particular, Hezekiah should decide who would rule Judah after him. It seems that Hezekiah did not have a son yet (compare 2 Kings 20:6 with 21:1). Hezekiah’s father Ahaz had killed some or all of Hezekiah’s brothers (2 Chronicles 28:3). So, Hezekiah needed to choose a more distant relative to be king.
For an evil king, the news that he would die soon, would be terrible news. His reaction might be despair, or he might even become angry against God. However, Hezekiah was not an evil man. He was a good and sincere man, who loved and trusted God (18:3-6). So, his reaction was to turn to God in prayer. He turned away from his servants who were looking after him. Instead, he turned his face towards the wall so that he could give his complete attention to God.
In Psalm 91:16, one of God’s gifts to the person who loves him, is a long life. However, Hezekiah, who had served God so loyally, was only about 40 years old. He himself knew that God will always carry out his promises. However, he did not want Judah’s people to think that, in Hezekiah’s own life, God had failed to carry out his promise. Hezekiah was desperate for God’s holy name to receive the honour that he (God) alone deserves. So, Hezekiah appealed to God not to let him die at this time – and God heard his prayer.
Next part: God promises to cure Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:4-7)
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