7 And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered. 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. (2 Kings 20:7-11 KJV)
A sign to encourage Hezekiah’s faith
Following God’s postponement of Hezekiah’s death by fifteen years, Isaiah ordered a poultice of figs applied to the boil (2 Kings 20:7). This simple remedy helped, but the recovery was still miraculous. We must use proper means in sickness, trust God through them (Proverbs 17:22), and not despise simple treatments. God blesses what He appoints.
Hezekiah asked for a sign (2 Kings 20:8). Not out of doubt, but because of the greatness of the promise, and God often confirmed such words (Isaiah 7:11). He didn’t ask for a return to royal duties, but to worship in God’s house. He lived for God’s glory (Psalm 118:17).
God gave him the choice: the sun could go forward or backward ten steps on the dial. Hezekiah chose for it to go backward, as more miraculous and symbolic of his life being extended (2 Kings 20:10). Isaiah prayed, and God made the sun’s shadow move backward ten steps on Ahaz’s sundial (2 Kings 20:11). This was visible to Hezekiah and observed in Babylon too (2 Chronicles 32:31). Whether gradual or sudden, this miracle showed God’s power over nature and His attention to prayer. The sun, worshipped by many pagans, was shown to be under God’s control.
Some scholars suggest the fifteen Songs of Ascents (Psalms 120–134) may have been selected by Hezekiah to commemorate the fifteen years added to his life and the fifteen steps on the sundial. Many of these psalms reflect themes of Jerusalem’s deliverance and personal restoration.