Add Fifteen Years to Your Life

Delivered by: Rev. T.J. Campo

Scripture text: Isaiah 38:1-8, 39:1-9

1In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, "Thus says the LORD, 'Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.'"  2Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,  3and said, "Remember now, O LORD, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in Your sight " And Hezekiah wept bitterly.  4Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah, saying,  5"Go and say to Hezekiah, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of your father David, "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will add fifteen years to your life.  6"I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city."' 7"This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that He has spoken: 8"Behold, I will cause the shadow on the stairway, which has gone down with the sun on the stairway of Ahaz, to go back ten steps " So the sun's shadow went back ten steps on the stairway on which it had gone down.   39:1At that time Merodach-baladan son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that he had been sick and had recovered.  2Hezekiah was pleased, and showed them all his treasure house, the silver and the gold and the spices and the precious oil and his whole armory and all that was found in his treasuries. There was nothing in his house nor in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them.  3Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and said to him, "What did these men say, and from where have they come to you?" And Hezekiah said, "They have come to me from a far country, from Babylon." 4He said, "What have they seen in your house?" So Hezekiah answered, "They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing among my treasuries that I have not shown them."  5Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD of hosts,  6'Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house and all that your fathers have laid up in store to this day will be carried to Babylon; nothing will be left,' says the LORD.  7'And some of your sons who will issue from you, whom you will beget, will be taken away, and they will become officials in the palace of the king of Babylon.'"  8Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "The word of the LORD which you have spoken is good " For he thought, "For there will be peace and truth in my days."