Daily Devotions
Isaiah
"He shall recover"
Text: Isaiah 38:21
ASKING FOR A SIGN FROM THE LORD
Hezekiah was informed by Isaiah that the LORD had heard his prayer. He was given assurance that he would not die soon. He would be given 15 more years. This was a wonderful piece of news indeed!
“Now Isaiah had said, ‘Let them take a lump of figs,
and apply it as a poultice on the boil, and he shall recover.’
And Hezekiah had said,
‘What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the LORD?'”
Isaiah 38:21-22
1. A reference to the problem Hezekiah faced.
a) It was a physical health problem.
i) We are not told what the problem was.
ii) Boils are generally not deadly.
iii) This word was used to indicate a potentially life-threatening illness.
b) The use of a poultice.
i) Isaiah was not a medical doctor.
ii) He was a prophet of the LORD.
iii) The poultice was a symbolic representation of how God would heal Hezekiah.
c) “He shall recover”
i) These were not the words of a doctor.
ii) These were the words of assurance to Hezekiah that
he would fully recover from this illness that had threatened his life.
2. Hezekiah had asked for a sign.
a) This was allowable in the days of the Old Testament.
b) Hezekiah’s faith was shaken when he knew that he could die from his illness.
c) He had turned to the LORD in frantic prayer.
d) God had heard and he was given the promise of 15 years of life.
e) This was such a huge promise that he asked for a sign from the LORD.
f) God graciously acceded to this request.
i) The sun dial would go backwards by 10 degrees.
ii) This would require Divine power to accomplish this.