In December 2015, a group of archeologists led by Dr. Eliat Mazar announced that they had found a bulla in an excavation site near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The bulla, a clay seal stamped with Hebrew characters, had belonged to King Hezekiah, a good king of Judah who reigned in the 7th and 8th centuries BC. I know very, very little about biblical archeology, but when I found dozens of old news articles about this little 1/2” clay circle, I thought it was pretty cool.
Hezekiah was a real person. He lived in a real palace, was served by the real prophet Isaiah, and he prayed real prayers to our real God. And almost three thousand years later, utilizing a method called “wet sifting” (an archeological process using mesh trays flooded with water), someone discovered an impression in clay made by King Hezekiah’s royal seal.
The two prayers from today’s reading in 2 Kings and Isaiah reveal much about Hezekiah’s character, and his real, flesh-and-bone existence. But they also reveal his utter dependence upon a very real God. In his first prayer, Hezekiah cried out before the Lord when he heard that King Sennacherib of Assyria had mocked God and threatened the kingdom of Judah (2 Kings 19:14–19; Isaiah 37:14–20). Hezekiah’s second prayer came after he’d become very sick and was told he would die. He wept and prayed, asking the Lord to deliver him from his illness (Isaiah 38).
Twice, Hezekiah prayed for God’s deliverance, and twice God delivered him; Sennacherib was defeated, and Hezekiah was healed. His third prayer is a poem of reflection about his experience of being so near imminent death, about feeling the brittleness of his bones and the fragility of his flesh:
“I waited patiently till dawn,
but like a lion he broke all my bones;
day and night you made an end of me.
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 38:13–14 (NIV)
In reflecting upon his own emotional state while facing death, Hezekiah conceded, “Indeed it was for my own well-being that I had such intense bitterness” (v.17). In the face of death and destruction, both external (at the hands of Sennacherib) and internal (because of his own illness), Hezekiah trusted in, relied upon, and sought the favor of the immortal, all-powerful, very real God.
So often, I try to find my security and safety in the physical, but Hezekiah’s story—his real, lived, embodied, true story—reminds me that whatever I face in life or death, I can rely on the same immortal, all-powerful God. This is a God for whom evidence cannot be sifted out of trays doused in water, but a God who has proven Himself to be real, time and time again through His Word, His faithfulness, His miraculous work, and by His Son. A God who so loved us that He came to earth, flesh and blood, incarnate and holy, real, to prove that love.
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34 thoughts on "Hezekiah"
I do this out sometimes in my car, enough that when I don’t start to pray when the siren goes by, my kids get on to me
Such empowering insights this morning, sisters! Thank you for sharing!
I was struck by the verse
I have always loved this story in scripture and the commentary was just another “star” for this great story. I marked Hezikiahs prayer in my bible a long time ago for my mom. She passed away over 10 years ago but that prayer was marked probably 10-15 years before that. There were just so many difficult things she was facing and I loved how Heziakiah turned his head to the wall and prayed that special prayer. The. Another time years ago I listened to a speaker teach on this scripture and she too had been through a difficult time and she told of how one miraculous night the moon backed up so to speak. I can’t remember the circumstances of what exactly happened but she spoke of a difficult time when she cried out to God and when she looked up the moon was in this incredible glorious position and she knew that God had spoken to her through that. We may not see extra 15 years of healing or unexplainable events in the skies but if we open our eyes, seek God and trust we will see all the little things that work together. On a recent trip to Chicago we were walking in a section close to Lake Michigan that was a park like setting filled with trees and the lightening bugs were everywhere, flitting around and lighting up it was beautiful. I’d never seen that many at one time before and especially in the middle of a huge city. I immediately praise God for this beautiful gift and thought how he can use the tiniest of creatures to reflect his glory and the. I looked at the city all lit up and thought about the man made lights and then the stars beginning to pop out. It was all just a reminder of the light of Jesus and how when we live our life with Jesus shining through we can show His light to others
What am I “spreading out before the Lord” today? My prayer list is long. I see heavy burdens and lighter concerns. Praise God! He cares about them all because He cares for me. I don’t have to sort them by urgency. He knows my anxious thoughts. May I pray like Hezekiah – with praise that my God alone is faithful to answer and mighty in His power. And I also pray that His answers to my requests will lead others to come “to know that You, Lord, are God – You alone.”
Amen! May we all pray with the faith that God listens and is able to answer us.
God has been showing me through different sermons and texts the power of prayer over the last few weeks. I often forget its true power and, in an effort to trust God’s judgment and avoid disappointment, even my most adamant prayers have a “if it’s Your will” clause. I desperately need to recognize and believe in the True, Life-changing power of prayer!
Thank you for this reminder!
“Hezekiah took the letter from the messengers’ hands, read it, then went up to the Lord’s temple, and spread it out before the Lord. Then Hezekiah prayed before the Lord…” Hezekiah’s response to this devastating letter was immediate, apparently calm, and faith-filled. He spread it before the Lord and he prayed. This was so convicting to me. Is my first reaction to a crisis (of any magnitude) to go to the Lord first? Or do I call my bestie or my mom first? Or post something on social media? I want to be one who goes to the Lord and spreads the matter before Him, first, trusting that He is more than able to conquer whatever it is I bring to Him.
Very cool Kirsten. We should always turn to God first. He may say a lot of things regarding situations and you will know what He wants you to do.
2 Kings 19 is so great! I remember learning about this passage in a previous teaching.!God’s power can save, not fake gods. It’s worth reading these scriptures again and again to see His Power and Greatness. God is all powerful, and these scriptures show some of His Power. Nothings too hard for Him.
On a side note, I heard a first responder on a radio talkshow. He reminded people to pray any time they hear a siren, because they don’t know what they will face. I agree. Also, when I just see one without the siren on, I usually pray for God to go with, before, and after them, and pray that none should perish without coming to repentance. ( Since, that’s God’s will.) I also say to let tales of His Intervention, healing, and miracles have a ripple effect and touch hard hearts for Jesus. I just wanted to mention this, so maybe we could try remember to say a prayer for any involved.
My pastor talked about prayer triggers yesterday, routine things or places we go that we can use as reminders to pray. Hearing a siren sounds like a great prayer trigger!
Great idea!
That’s so interesting. Ever since my kids were little they were taught to pray every time they heard the siren.