Isaiah 38:6-8 "And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city. (7) And this shall be a sign unto thee from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he hath spoken; (8) Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down."
A drastic turn took place in the life of King Hezekiah. Isaiah was sent
to him with instructions to "set his house in order." Hezekiah
then humbled himself, turned toward the wall, and began to pray. Isaiah was
sent back to the king to tell him the Lord had heard his prayer and was adding
15 years to his life. I will not delve into the debate as to whether or not the
years were actually added or if the Lord always intended for him to live the
additional years. But I will say this: prayer is always in order when we find
ourselves in a situation of need. I'm not sure that we can actually change the
mind of God, but I do know that prayer strengthens us and sets us in the
correct frame of mind and heart.
God then told Hezekiah that the city would be delivered from
the hand of the king of Assyria. "I will defend this city." Hezekiah
did not ask for a sign, but God gave one to him. "Behold, I will bring
again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz,
ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was
gone down." There was a time when the Lord caused the sun to stand
still while Joshua led the children of Israel into battle. There have been many
miracles performed by the Lord in the Old Testament. I imagine myself standing
beside the sun dial as the shadow stopped and then began to move backwards.
Never had such a thing been done. "This shall be a sign unto thee from the
LORD."
There was another miracle given by the Lord that is even
greater than the sun going backwards. "This shall be a sign unto you; Ye
shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." That
babe wrapped in swaddling clothes was the same One prophesied in Isaiah 7:14
and Isaiah 9:6. That babe lying in that manger was none other than "God
with us," the "Word made flesh." The miracle of redemption
accomplished by God in flesh! How wonderful is this marvelous love given to us
by our Heavenly Father.