By Pastor Shana Wise
2 Chronicles 32:20-23 (NIV) King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer to heaven about this. 21 And the Lord sent an angel, who annihilated all the fighting men and the commanders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king. So he withdrew to his land in disgrace. And when he went into the temple of his god, some of his sons, his flesh and blood, cut him down with the sword. 22 So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and the hand of all others. He took care of them on every side. 23 Many brought offerings to Jerusalem for the Lord and valuable gifts for Hezekiah king of Judah. From then on, he was highly regarded by all the nations (2 Kings 18-20 gives more details about this event).
In 2 Chronicles 32:9-19, King Sennacherib of Assyria threatened to conquer Jerusalem during King Hezekiah’s reign. He and his officials were mocking the God of Israel to discourage the children of God. King Hezekiah stood firm against King Sennacherib’s threats through his faith in the God of Israel. Before this incident, King Hezekiah made tremendous religious reforms in Jerusalem; he was the only king within 100 years to stop idol worship and return the people to worshipping God.
King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah prayed to God about the King of Assyria and God supernaturally answered them through an angel to destroy the king and his army.
2 Kings 20:1-11(NIV) In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.” 2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the Lord, 3 “Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
4 Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him: 5 “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord. 6 I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and the sake of my servant David.’” 7 Then Isaiah said, “Prepare a poultice of figs.” They did so and applied it to the boil, and he recovered. 8 Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, “What will be the sign that the Lord will heal me and that I will go up to the temple of the Lord on the third day from now?” 9 Isaiah answered, “This is the Lord’s sign to you that the Lord will do what he has promised: Shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or shall it go back ten steps?” 10 “It is a simple matter for the shadow to go forward ten steps,” said Hezekiah. “Rather, have it go back ten steps.” 11 Then the prophet Isaiah called on the Lord, and the Lord made the shadow go back the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.
Right after the Lord answered King Hezekiah’s prayer by delivering the children of Israel from the king of Assyria, he became deathly ill through a boil on his body.
King Hezekiah did the only thing he knew to do in this situation, he prayed.
One would ask why God told the prophet Isaiah to tell Hezekiah he was going to die, and then, after the king prayed, He told him he was going to live. It was because God was testing the king. Also, prayer works!
God will use “the valley of the shadow of death” to test our faith.
King Hezekiah asked for a sign that he would live fifteen more years, and God gave him one. Have you ever asked God for a sign?
God healed King Hezekiah for His name sake-not for Hezekiah’s sake.
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About the Author
Dr. Shana Wise is an ordained Pastor who founded and oversees Wise Choice Ministries with her husband Pastor Ron Wise. She is also the CEO and founder of The Well Christian Women’s Network. Dr. Wise is the author of Women’s Devotionals Acts of Intercession and Chief Women Arise, The Impact of Your Election, and the Basic Ministry Training Manual (all available on Amazon). She received a Doctor of Divinity degree in 2019 from St. Thomas Christian University. Her passion is to teach and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, equip others to apply the Word to their lives and demonstrate it through the power of the Holy Spirit. She is a televangelist who appears on social media outlets. Shana is married and has four children.
For speaking engagements email: wisechoiceministries512@gmail.com.
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Basic Ministry Training Manual
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