Hezekiah now became deathly sick and Isaiah the prophet went to visit him. Set your affairs in order and prepare to die, Isaiah told him, for you will not recover. Hezekiah turned his face to the wall. O Lord, he pleaded, remember how I have always tried to obey you and to please you in everything I do: Then he broke down and cried, So before Isaiah had left the courtyard, the Lord spoke to him again, Go back to Hezekiah,, the leader of my people, and tell him that the Lord God of his ancestor David has heard his prayers and seen his tears, I will heal him and three days from now he will be out of bed and in the temple. I will add fifteen years to his life and save him and this city from the King of Assyria. And it will all be done for the honor of my own name and for the sake of my servant David, 2 Kings 20: 2-6 (TLB)
This is an extraordinary story. It shows that a sincere, heartfelt, prayer of a righteous, Godly man can change the mind of Almighty God. It is the only known example of this in the Bible. It rewards King Hezekiah for his faithfulness, reverence, and loyalty to God. Even King David, who God called "a man after my own heart", never changed the mind of Almighty God. King Hezekiah was always willing to lead the way to Our Lord, smashing idol after idol after idol... For as nothing angers the Father worse than an idol, nothing pleasing than a godly and fair ruler smashed even Moses famed Bronze when people began to offer worship to it. Because Hezekiah constantly sought the will of God before he did anything, Jehovah gave him the honor of extending his life by 15 years. The prayers of a Godly man are powerful.
Copyright 2007 Timothy E. Davis