2 Kings 20

Hezekiah was healed and showed the national treasures to the Babylonian visitors
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Text
Explanation
The story is also found in is38f and at 2ch3233ff.
.1 ¶ In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live. 
 2 Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying,
 3 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.
   3 - Seeing Hezekiah's errors helps us understand our own. (1) The Lord had sent His prophet to announce the king's death. It's not necessarily wrong to ask God for an alternative but when He has spoken we need to pray with emphasis on following the Lord's will. Of course this is true any time we make healing requests especially when our life service has been adequate. (2) God uses the principles of health He has made available to give us long lives and He does reward those who are faithful ex2324f but they die, too. Also see on ja0514f.
  4 And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying,
 5 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 unto the house of the LORD.
 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.
.7 And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.

  5 - I will heal thee God sometimes gives us what we request when contentment with His original plan would have been better. We see in the rest of the chapter, the terrible mistake Hezekiah made.
  7 - Take a lump of figs God may heal instantly but usually He provides ways we may have a part in the process. Compare jn0906.
 8 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?
.9 And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees?
 10 And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees.
 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.
  8 - What shall be the sign? Although people in other nations were able to see the power of the God of Israel, we must wonder about asking for a sign. Again, when God has spoken either directly as in this story or through the Scriptures, we show lack of faith to not believe.
 12 ¶ At that time Berodachbaladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah: for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick. 
.13 And Hezekiah hearkened unto them, and shewed them all the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not. 
  12 - Berodah-baladan Should be "Merodach-baldan" as it is appears in is3901. According to the canon (list) of Ptolemy, this would have been Marduk-apal-iddina, king of Babylon from BC 721 to 709 and 703. He opposed the Assyrians. When Senacherib was taking cities and Hezekiah was in his 14th year as king of Judah, Marduk-apal-iddina was in exile hoping to rally assistance in attacking Assyria.
  12 - Sent letters The astronomers in Babylon noticed the backward movement of the shadow. We may assume that the story of Hezekiah's request traveled far and wide. When Merodach-baldan heard the about the miracle, he sent en envoy to Jerusalem providing an opportunity for Hezekiah to share truth about his wonderful God.
  13 - Shewed them all A terrible mistake. God could not bless that display of wealth which brought glory to Hezekiah.
 14 Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country, even from Babylon.
 15 And he said, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All the things that are in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed them.
  14 - From a far country ... Babylon This reminds us of another mistake where God was not consulted. The Gibeonites received a promise from Joshua jos0909. God's people are to put their trust in Him is0809, is3001, is3101.
  14 - Babylon That is, Babylonia. See SW part of the Assyrian map. Merodach-baladan was not then in control of the city itself.
.16 And Isaiah said unto Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD.
 17 Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD.
 18 And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.
 19 Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken. And he said, Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days? 
  17 - Carried into Babylon About a hundred years later, this happened 2ki24,25.
  19 - Truth Should be "stability." Hebrew 'aman, from which we get the English word, "amen."

Pool of Hezekiah (see below)
.20 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?
 21 And Hezekiah slept with his fathers: and Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.
    20 - Pool Probably the inner pool of Siloam southwest of the ancient City of David. Water was taken from the Kidron Valley through the "Siloam Tunnel." The picture above may not be accurate because the information about the tunnel was not known before 1898 when it was published.
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