“Thus says the LORD: ‘set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live’” (2 Kings 20:1; Isaiah 38:1).

Hezekiah was about 39 years old (2 Kings 20:6 cf. 2 Kings 18:1-2).  He had accomplished many good things in his 14 years as King of Judah.  He had cleansed the temple, restored worship, and removed idols and idolatrous worship sites from the land (2 Kings 18; 2 Chronicles 29-31).  He trusted in the LORD when threatened by Assyria (2 Kings 18-19; 2 Chronicles 32). 

Hezekiah was sick and near death.  Isaiah, the prophet delivered the news from the LORD.  “Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live.”

“Then he turned his face toward the wall and prayed to the LORD, saying, ‘Remember now, O LORD I prayer, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what was good in Your sight.’  And Hezekiah wept bitterly” (2 Kings 20:2; Isaiah 38:2).

Hezekiah prayed.  This is not Hezekiah’s only recorded prayer.  There are three [(1) 2 Kings 19:14-19; 2 Chronicles 32:20; Isaiah 37:14-20; (2) 2 Kings 20:1-2; 2 Chronicles 32:24; Isaiah 38:1-2; (3) Isaiah 38:9-20].  

“Thus says the LORD, the God of David your Father: ‘I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you… And I will add to your days fifteen years” (2 Kings 20:4-6; Isaiah 38:4-8).

Hezekiah’s prayer resulted in 15 years being added to his life.  Isaiah delivered the news.  Here is something that will puzzle the mind.  Manasseh had not yet been born (2 Kings 18:1-2 cf. 20:6 cf. 20:21-21:1).  The seed-line had to continue (2 Samuel 7:12-16; 1 Chronicles 17:11-14).  Jesus’ genealogy includes Hezekiah and Manasseh (Matthew 1:10).

Consider these questions: (1) Did God lie when he said that Hezekiah would die?  Certainly not (Numbers 23:19; 1 Samuel 15:29; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18).  (2) Did Hezekiah’s prayer make a difference?  The record indicates that it did (2 Kings 20:4-6; Isaiah 38:4-5).  (3) How can this be when Manasseh had not yet been born?  It must be that God already knew that Hezekiah would pray (cf. Isaiah 46:10). 

The fact that God knows what we will do does not mean that we do not need to do it.  Just because God knew that Hezekiah would pray does not mean that Hezekiah did not need to pray.  Martin Luther made this remark, “And here you must repel such thoughts as: What does my prayer matter?  This is just the same as if a son were to say to his father: What does it matter whether I am obedient or not?” (Martin Luther, On Prayer, Sermons on the Catechism, 1528). Consider this: Does obedience matter to God? If He knows whether I will obey, does this mean that I need not obey? It does not.