# 10 2026 Dev. Isa.38:1. Does God Change His mind? Read all of chapter thirty-eight first. We invite you into God’s space, to read His Word, to think on and interact with. This is God’s Story. Do you believe that this may also be part of our story, in our time? All passages are taken from the NIV.
Isaiah 38:2-3 “Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, ‘Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.’ And Hezekiah wept bitterly.’”
Isaiah.38 Stands in juxtaposition to Ch.37; Jerusalem is saved but the King, in the strength of his life, is going to die. Hezekiah’s prayer changes God’s mind. If that wasn’t enough, God sends him an amazing sign. God moves the sun back, or the earth forward 10%, unbelievable! Hezekiah, asks for the sign, but the prophet asks God to do it. (2kings 20:10-11). This chapter continues with Hezekiah’s reaction to the miracle of healing. Note that God uses a natural means to heal Hezekiah.
Vs.1-6 “In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death.” God sends Isaiah to inform the king, “Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.” Hezekiah prayed: “Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes. ‘And Hezekiah wept bitterly.’” Are there many of us who could pray a prayer like that? God hears his prayer, Isaiah is sent back to Hezekiah to tell him he will live fifteen more years. But Hezekiah asks for a sign, not just any sign; “It is a simple matter for the shadow to go forward ten steps,” said Hezekiah. “Rather, have it go back, ten steps.”
Vs.7-8 “‘This is the Lord’s sign to you that the Lord will do what he has promised: I will make the shadow cast by the sun go back the ten steps it has gone down on the stairway of Ahaz. ‘So, the sunlight went back the ten steps it had gone down.’” There is no archaeological evidence that there was a sun dial or steps that could measure time, nor is there any astrological evidence but by faith we know that this happened.
Vs.9-22 “A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery:” Hezekiah, here uses one metaphor after another to describe what he has gone through; “The gates of death… I will not again see the Lord himself in the land of the living… like a shepherd’s tent my house had been pulled down… Like a weaver I have rolled up my life… like a lion he broke all my bones… I moaned like a morning dove…What can I say?… I will walk humbly all my years… Lord, by such things people live… You restored me to health and let me live…in your love you kept me…you have put all my sins behind my back… The living, the living they praise you, as I am doing today… The Lord will save me…” Isaiah tells them to “prepare a poultice of figs and apply it to the boil and he will recover.” This is an amazing event, God changing his plan for Hezekiah. How many times has God changed His mind for us, because of our prayers? I believe many times. Keep on praying!
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