希西家罹患重病。當以賽亞來告訴他，他必因病而死，希西家遂變得極為懊喪。他不想死的原因可能是他還沒完成他所計畫的道德改革工作，他不想在以色列民還沒有向上帝委身之前就先行離去。另外的原因是，希西家還很年輕（大約是卅八歲），可能還沒有可以繼承他王位的兒子。後來繼位的瑪拿西（可能是希西家的長子）在希西家死時不過十二歲（21：1），但希西家從垂死邊緣被救活到他離世歸天卻有十五年的時間。此外，以賽亞書也告訴我們希西家想存活的另一個理由。在以賽亞書卅八章十八至十九節，希西家唱詩讚美上帝醫治他，使他能繼續尋求上帝的真理，並活著稱頌祂。

        總而言之，希西家迫切的求上帝使他存活。上帝聽了他在絕望中的禱告，也因他所流的眼淚而憐憫他。上帝很快的派以賽亞回去向希西家報好消息：上帝願意仁慈的再賜給希西家十五年的壽命！任何的壽數都是在上帝手裡（伯14：15；又如亞哈之死，王上22：31~37）。

        然後以賽亞就用當時通行的藥物──壓乾的無花果餅──貼在希西家的傷口上。因著希西家的禱告，上帝奇蹟式的用人的藥物加速了痊癒的過程，結合了上帝和人的因素。上帝賜人智慧聰明來製造和使用藥物以醫治身體的疾病，祂的旨意也常是要透過這些方式來醫治人。

        不過，希西家完全得醫治似乎是在他求上帝給他記號之後。希西家知道，在上帝沒有一件事是不可能的，他就求一個看來極不可能的記號，仁慈的上帝也答應了他的要求。上帝干預自然律，使日晷上的日影向後退了十度。

        希西家病得醫治的例子說明了禱告的大能，因為禱告真的可以震動全世界。出於信心的禱告真的沒有難成的事。在新約約翰福音十一章，耶穌說拉撒路的病不致於死，乃是為了使上帝得榮耀。當上帝行神蹟醫治人，祂期望得著應有的榮耀。但希西家似乎沒有將所有的榮耀歸給上帝，所以他面臨了上帝的審判。

        上帝藉巴比倫的來使試驗希西家的心（參代下32：31）。希西家驕傲且不小心的向巴比倫使者炫耀他所有的財富。以賽亞預言，所有希西家曝光過的財富有一天都被擄去，他的兒子也將在巴比倫作僕人。表面上看來，希西家的反應似乎很自私，但我們從歷代志下得知，希西家在上帝面前自卑，上帝的審判便不在他活著的日子臨到（代下32：26）。希西家說：「耶和華的話甚好」（20：19）並不表示他不關心後代子孫的福祉。他乃是承認上帝的定旨都是好的，祂的判斷也都是公正的。不過，希西家也曉得上帝有憐憫之心，他可能是慶幸自己還有延長的壽命，希望藉此使孩子效忠上帝，或者能避免上帝的刑罰。

        主啊，幫助我們記得我們的救主耶穌基督如何擔當我們的軟弱和疾病。求您醫治我們、保守我們的健康，使我們能盡全力來愛您。謝謝您醫治的能力，也謝謝您賜給醫療工作者的恩賜，求您祝福他們。奉主耶穌聖名，阿們！

English

        When Hezekiah became sick and heard from Isaiah that the sickness would lead to death, his reaction was one of terrible remorse. Possibly he did not want to die and leave his people Israel without first being certain of their commitment to God, or without completing the moral reforms he had planned. Also, he would have been quite young to die (probably only about thirty-eight) and may not have yet had a son to succeed him. Manasseh, his successor, and probably his eldest son, was only twelve when Hezekiah died (21:1), but it had been fifteen years before that God had healed him from near death. Another reason Hezekiah gave for wanting to live is found in the book of Isaiah. Here we read his song of praise to the Lord for healing him that he might seek God's truth and live to praise Him (Isaiah 38:18-19).

        Whatever the reason, Hezekiah fervently prayed to live. God heard his desperate prayer and was compassionate when He saw his tears. God promptly replied by sending Isaiah back to Hezekiah with much better news than his first message. God had graciously consented to give him fifteen more years! The life span of any person is in the hands of God (Job 14:5; e.g. the death of Ahab, 1 Kings 22:31-27).

        Isaiah then gave instructions to use the medicine of that day, the compress of figs, to put upon his boils. It appears that because of Hezekiah's prayer, God miraculously accelerated the healing process using the remedies of man, thus combining the divine and the human elements. God has given mankind the wisdom and intelligence to make and use medicine for the healing of the body, and it is often His will to heal through these means.

        The complete healing of Hezekiah, however, likely occurred after the sign that Hezekiah requested to verify Isaiah's words that God would indeed heal him. Knowing that nothing was impossible with God, Hezekiah asked for the impossible, and God graciously honoured his request. By divine intervention in the natural course of nature, God caused the shadow to go back ten degrees on the sun dial (20:10-11).

        Hezekiah's healing is an illustration of the tremendous power of prayer, for prayer can truly shake the whole world. With the prayer of faith, truly nothing is impossible. Jesus said, concerning Lazarus whom he raised from the dead, that his sickness was not unto death, but for the glory of God (John 11:4). When the Lord divinely heals, He expects to be glorified. It appears that Hezekiah did not give God all the glory as he should have, therefore he faced His judgment. (2 Chronicles 32:24-26).

        God tested Hezekiah's heart by the visit of the officials from Babylon (cf. 2 Chronicles 32:31). Hezekiah proudly and carelessly showed them all his treasures that Isaiah foretold they would one day carry away, along with some of his sons who would become their servants (20:17). On the surface, Hezekiah's reaction seems selfish, but we know from the book of Chronicles that he humbled himself before the Lord, and God said the judgment would not come in his days (2 Chronicles 32:26). Hezekiah's reply that the Lord's words were good (20:19) does not mean he was unconcerned for the welfare of his descendants. Rather, he recognized that whatever God willed was good, and He was just. Yet, knowing that God was also merciful, he was probably glad for the extra time, hoping that his descendants would prove loyal to God and thus avert this punishment.

        Remember, O Lord, We pray, how our Saviour Jesus Christ, "Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses." Heal us and keep us healthy, that we may love You with all our strength. Thank You for Your healing power. Thank You also for the gifts You've given to health workers. Bless them, We pray.