Overview
This teaching examines God’s mercies to King Hezekiah during the Assyrian siege. While Hezekiah was sick unto death, he prayed and God healed him, added fifteen years to his life, promised Jerusalem’s deliverance, and gave the sign of the shadow moving backward. The teaching then connects these events with Manasseh’s birth and the fifteen Songs of the Degrees, organized around need, trust, and God’s answer of deliverance, blessing, and peace.
Transcript
Hezekiah Under Siege and Sick Unto Death
Last month in our fellowship, we looked at Psalm 46, which was written by King Hezekiah of Judah. He wrote this psalm, along with Psalms 47 and 48, in praise to God for delivering Jerusalem from the siege of Sennacherib, king of Assyria, who thought he should conquer and control the world. Seems like throughout history there’s always been at least one of these dudes around, right? Well, it didn’t work.
He did not succeed, but that was only part of the story of God’s blessings upon Hezekiah. Today, we’ll take a look at the rest of the story. Let’s turn to Isaiah 38.
You see, Hezekiah is responsible for not only the three psalms, 46, 47, and 48, he is also connected to 15 more psalms called the Songs of the Degrees. The books of Isaiah and 2 Kings provide insight and understanding into these 15 psalms. Let’s start in Isaiah 38, verse 1. In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death.
In those days, in what days? Well, the context tells us the days of the siege. While Sennacherib had Jerusalem under siege, trying to conquer it, Hezekiah fell sick, and not just a little sickness, but unto death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amos, came to him and said unto him, Set thine house in order, for thou shalt die and not live.
It was a very dire situation. Hezekiah was not only surrounded by 185,000 enemy troops, but he’s also in bed dying. So how does he respond to this news, this bad news, this dire situation? Hezekiah, verse 2, turned his face toward the wall and prayed unto the Lord and said, Remember now, O Lord, I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight.
And Hezekiah wept sore. Then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah, saying, Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears. Behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years, and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city.
And this shall be a sign unto thee from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing that he hath spoken. Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sundial of Ahaz. Ahaz was Hezekiah’s evil king father who did not please God, did not do the will of God.
God Heals Hezekiah and Gives a Sign
Ten degrees backwards, I will bring the sundial ten degrees backward. So the sun returned by ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down. Let’s look at the record in 2 Kings for a little bit more information into this ten degrees of the sun and Hezekiah’s illness.
2 Kings chapter 20, verse 1, 2 Kings 21, In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amos, came to him and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order, for thou shalt die and not live. Then he, Hezekiah, turned his face to the wall and prayed unto the Lord, saying, I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight.
And Hezekiah wept sore. And it came to pass, for Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him saying, Turn again and tell Hezekiah, the captain of my people. Thus saith the Lord, the God of David, thy father.
I have heard thy prayer. I have seen thy tears. Behold, I will heal thee.
On the third day thou shalt go up into the house of the Lord. Isaiah wasn’t even out of the palace when God changed the revelation. That is how quickly Hezekiah’s heart spoke to God’s heart and God reached out and met his need.
That’s how fast. I love it in verse 5 when he says, Tell Hezekiah, the captain of my people. That captain there is leader, the one who goes before.
Hezekiah was a great leader of God’s people and God loved him and took care of him. And he shall go up to the house of the Lord. He hadn’t been able to go because he’s sick.
He was dying. Verse 6, And I will add unto thy days fifteen years and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria. And I will defend this city for mine own sake and for my servant David’s sake.
And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil and he recovered. And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me and that I shall go up into the house of the Lord the third day? I love this.
In the book of Isaiah, it just says God gave him a sign. It didn’t say why God gave him a sign. And here we find out God gave Hezekiah a sign because Hezekiah asked for a sign.
He wanted a sign. So Hezekiah in verse 8, What’s the sign going to be, Isaiah? In verse 9, Isaiah said, Well, why do you need a sign? Can’t you just take my word for it? Can’t you just take God’s word for it? No, that’s not what he said. He said, This sign shalt thou have of the Lord, that the Lord will do the thing that he has spoken.
Shall the shadow go forward ten degrees or go back ten degrees? And Hezekiah answered, Hmm, it is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees. Nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees. This is amazing.
Isaiah’s trying to pick the hardest thing for God to do, I guess, or Hezekiah, excuse me, trying to pick the hardest thing for God to do. Is it harder for God to stop the sun to move it backward or forward? Doesn’t really matter. And here’s the great thing.
I’m not the searcher of all hearts. God is. God knows Hezekiah’s heart.
He knew Hezekiah needed this. And so he gave it to him. Hezekiah asked.
That’s why he got a sign. He asked. God knew his heart.
God answered it and gave it to him. And in verse 11, And Isaiah, the prophet, cried unto the Lord, and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz. The sun miraculously moved backward for Hezekiah.
What love God has for his people. God healed Hezekiah on his deathbed in the midst of an attempted invasion. But you know, that’s not all God did.
Fifteen Added Years and an Heir
Here’s still in 2 Kings 20. Let’s jump down to verse 19. Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good is the word of the Lord which thou has spoken.
And he said, Is it not good if peace and truth be in my days? And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and all his might and how he made a pool and a conduit and brought water into the city. Are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And Hezekiah slept with his fathers and Manasseh, his son, reigned in his stead. Chapter 21 verse 1. Manasseh was 12 years old when he began to reign.
Manasseh was 12 years old. God gave Hezekiah 15 more years, so Manasseh had not been born when Hezekiah was on his deathbed. Hezekiah had no offspring, had no prodigy.
He did not have an heir to the throne to continue King David’s lineage in the Christ line. This indeed weighed heavily on Hezekiah’s heart. He knew God’s promise to David regarding this, regarding the throne and the line to the promised seed.
But God had it covered. Manasseh was born in year 3 of the 15. And if you check Matthew chapter 1 in the royal lineage of the Christ line, verses 9 and 10 cover Hezekiah and Manasseh in that royal lineage.
Hezekiah’s Songs of the Degrees
So how do the 15 songs of the degrees fit into all this? Let’s go back to Isaiah 38. And we had left off in verse 8 with God promising the sign, giving the sign to Hezekiah. So in verse 9 of Isaiah 38, it reads, The writing of Hezekiah, king of Judah, when he had been sick and was recovered of his sickness.
So the rest of this chapter is Hezekiah’s response of thankfulness and praise to God. Let’s jump down to verse 16. Oh Lord, by these men, by these things men live.
Oh Lord, by these things men live. And in all these things is the life of my spirit. So wilt thou recover me and make me to live.
Behold, for peace I had great bitterness, but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption. For thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back. For the grave cannot praise thee.
Death cannot celebrate thee. They that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth. The living, the living, he shall praise thee as I do this day.
The father to the children shall make known thy truth. See Hezekiah knew he was going to live to have a son, so he would have a child. Verse 20.
The Lord was ready or gracious, more accurately, the Lord was gracious to save me. Therefore, we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the Lord. These songs that are Hezekiah songs, he says, my songs are the 15 songs of the degrees.
And they are recorded from Psalms 120 through Psalms 134. So let’s turn over there right now. Turn over to Psalm 120.
And they begin right after Psalm 119 and begin with Psalm 120. 15 total through Psalm 134. And if you look in your Bible, the superscript says, a song of degrees.
And literally there’s a definite article in there, a song of the degrees, which really pinpointed to the degrees that the sundial was moved. And the sun was stopped, moved backwards by God for Hezekiah in his day and time. It’s the only thing in the Old Testament that it could be.
So there’s 15 total. And they call these psalms correspond to 15 events to be celebrated in the life of Hezekiah. 10 of these, these psalms were written by Hezekiah himself.
Four were written by David and one was written by Solomon. Those five were written more than 300 years before the time of Hezekiah. And those five psalms already in existence perfectly expressed what Hezekiah experienced and wanted to praise God for that experience.
So there was no need for Hezekiah to write a new song for those particular five situations or events. He incorporated them into the songs of the degrees. So 15 psalms, which correspond with the number of years added to Hezekiah’s life by the Lord after he healed him.
There’s 15 psalms, one for each year. The psalms written by Hezekiah were 10 in number. What do you think that’s for? Right.
The number of degrees the sun traveled backward as a sign to Hezekiah that he would live. And one more thing about these 15 psalms is the structure. This is very helpful.
Five Groups of Need, Trust, and Answer
These psalms may be read in this manner. They can be broken into five groups of three psalms each, starting with 120, 121, 122. That’s one group.
Then 123, 124, 125, another group. And in each group of five, the first psalm expresses the writer’s need to Jehovah. The writer expresses his need to Jehovah.
The second psalm in each group of three is the writer expressing his trust in Jehovah to meet that need. That’s the second psalm in each group. The third psalm in each group is Jehovah’s answer to his servant of deliverance, blessing, and peace.
So just to see this real simply, we’re going to look at two sets of three. And these psalms are very short. They only take up about three pages in my Bible.
Psalms 123–125: Mercy, Trust, and Peace
But let’s look at Psalm 123 and 124 and 125 to see this pattern. Psalm 123, unto thee lift up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress. So our eyes wait upon the Lord, our God, until that he have mercy upon us.
Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us, for we are exceedingly filled with contempt. See that expressing the need there. This one is a song of degrees.
This one’s written by Hezekiah. Verse four, our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud. That’s the scorning of Hezekiah and his minions speaking for him.
So there’s the psalm of degrees written by Hezekiah expressing his need. Now Psalm 124 is a song of the degrees of David. This is a psalm that David had already written.
If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now may Israel say, if it had not been the Lord who was on our side when men rose up against us, when they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us, then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul, then the proud waters had gone over our soul. Blessed be the Lord who had not given us as prey to their teeth. Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers.
The snare is broken and we are escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth. David is expressing his trust in the Lord to deliver him.
This was when he was hiding out from Saul. He wrote this psalm. He was in the hold with his mighty men and they had to run and hide to protect themselves because Saul was trying to kill David.
This is very much like King Hezekiah on his deathbed under siege by the enemy. He was trapped like a bird in a cage and see in verse 7, our soul is escaped out of the snare of the fowlers. See how Hezekiah would have chosen this psalm to fit perfectly.
And then the third psalm, Song of Degrees, Psalm 125, this one also written by Hezekiah. They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abideth forever. This is Jehovah’s answer of deliverance, blessing, and peace.
As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even forever. For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous, lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity. Do good, O Lord, unto them that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts.
As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity, but peace shall be upon Israel. How beautiful. And then let’s look at the next three also, Psalms 126, 127, and 128, and see this same pattern of need expressed, trust in Jehovah, and Jehovah’s answer.
Psalms 126–128: Captivity, Rest, and Family
Psalm 126, a Song of Degrees written by Hezekiah. When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing.
Then said they among the heathen, the Lord hath done great things for them. The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad. Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the south.
So like you turned our captivity in verse one, we’re captive again, Lord. Turn again our captivity, expressing the need. Verse five, they that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. We know you’re going to answer us, God, but here’s our need. Psalm 127, here’s a Song of the Degrees written by Solomon, the one that Solomon wrote.
Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows.
And I’m going to read the rest of this as it’s supposed to read. For thus he giveth to his beloved while they sleep. This fits Hezekiah’s situation so perfectly.
The 185,000 troops that were surrounding Jerusalem, the deliverance came while everyone was sleeping, while everyone in Jerusalem was sleeping. They were in bed for the night, and when they woke up the next morning, the troops, the 185,000 were dead. They didn’t lift a hand, they didn’t do a thing.
That’s how God gives to his beloved, while we sleep. This reminds me of Psalm 46, verse 10, be still and know that I am God. Be still means relax, desist, cease your own efforts, and let God do it.
When are we more relaxed? When are we more not doing our own works? When we’re asleep. This is great. This is so, so beautiful.
Look at verse three, Psalm 127, three. Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, so are the children of the youth.
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them. They shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. This was, this was perfect for Hezekiah.
Solomon wrote it, but it was perfect for Hezekiah because he knows he’s going to have a son. He knows he’s going to have seed to carry on the lineage. And finally, Psalm 128, a song of degrees written by Hezekiah.
This will express Jehovah’s answer, deliverance, blessing, and peace. Blessed is everyone that feareth the Lord, that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labor of thine hands.
Happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house. Thy children like olive plants round about thy table.
Interesting little fact, Hezekiah was married to Isaiah’s daughter. So there was a real connection and tightness of heart there between Isaiah and Hezekiah. I thought about it, Hezekiah’s father was very evil and he reigned for a long time.
I don’t think there was much fatherly interaction with that relationship because Hezekiah had to undo everything his father had done, the evil that his father had done. Maybe Isaiah was a father figure also to Hezekiah. So thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine, and thy children like plants around thy table.
Behold that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord. The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion, and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children and peace upon Israel.
Six Mercies God Gave Hezekiah
For Hezekiah, Jehovah’s servant, not his son, Hezekiah was Jehovah’s servant, but God did the following, and I came up with six items that I put together. There may be more, but number one, he halted and thwarted the siege of Jerusalem. Number two, he healed Hezekiah on his deathbed.
Number three, God added 15 years to Hezekiah’s life. Number four, God turned back the sun 10 degrees as a personal sign between the two of them, between Jehovah and his servant Hezekiah, the captain of his people. Number five, God gave Hezekiah an heir to complete the Christ line.
And finally, number six, God blessed Hezekiah with peace and truth all his days. And in Romans, you don’t need to turn there, Romans 15, 4, it’s very familiar. It says, for whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
The scriptures concerning Hezekiah that God recorded for us today certainly provide patience, comfort, and hope. We are not servants of Jehovah as Hezekiah was. We are God’s children, heirs with our big brother, Jesus Christ.
We are seated with Jesus Christ at God’s right hand where we rest and relax, assured of Jehovah’s deliverance, blessing, and peace. God bless you.
Key Takeaways
- Hezekiah faced two simultaneous crises: Jerusalem was surrounded by the Assyrian army and he was sick unto death.
- God heard Hezekiah’s prayer and saw his tears before Isaiah had even left the palace court.
- God healed Hezekiah, added fifteen years to his life, promised to defend Jerusalem, and moved the shadow backward as a personal sign.
- Manasseh was born during the added years, preserving the royal lineage through which the Christ line continued.
- The fifteen Songs of the Degrees are connected in the teaching with the fifteen added years, while the ten written by Hezekiah correspond with the ten degrees of the sign.
- The psalms are presented in groups of three: the servant expresses a need, expresses trust in Jehovah, and receives an answer of deliverance, blessing, and peace.
Frequently Asked Questions
What mercies did God show Hezekiah?
God stopped the siege of Jerusalem, healed Hezekiah on his deathbed, added fifteen years to his life, moved the shadow backward ten degrees as a sign, gave him an heir in the Christ line, and blessed him with peace and truth during his days.
Why was the birth of Manasseh important?
Manasseh was twelve when he began to reign, which means he had not yet been born when Hezekiah received the additional fifteen years. His birth provided Hezekiah an heir and continued the royal lineage recorded in Matthew 1.
How are the Songs of the Degrees organized in this teaching?
The fifteen psalms are arranged in five groups of three. In each group, the first psalm expresses the writer’s need, the second expresses trust in Jehovah, and the third presents Jehovah’s answer of deliverance, blessing, and peace.
Scripture References
Psalm 46–48; Isaiah 38; 2 Kings 20:1–21; 2 Kings 21:1; Matthew 1:9–10; Psalm 120–134; Psalm 123–128; Romans 15:4; Ephesians 2:4–6
Verification Note
This WordPress pack was prepared from the complete source transcript. Topical headings were added for navigation, while the transcript paragraphs were retained in their original order. Scripture references, names, and transcription wording should be checked against the original audio or video before final publication.
