God miraculously demonstrates His supremacy over creation and affirms His promise to heal King Hezekiah by causing the shadow on the stairway of Ahaz to move backward.
“Isaiah the prophet cried to the LORD, and He brought the shadow on the stairway back ten steps by which it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.” (v.11)
In this passage, King Hezekiah of Judah (who reigned from 715 to 686 BC) faced a grave illness and pleaded with the LORD for healing. Through His prophet Isaiah, God graciously promised to add fifteen more years to Hezekiah’s life (2 Kings 20:6) and offered a miraculous sign to confirm it. When Isaiah the prophet cried to the LORD, God caused the shadow on the stairway of Ahaz to move backward ten steps, reversing nature itself for the sake of demonstrating His power and mercy. The stairway of Ahaz likely served as a rudimentary sundial, so reversing its shadow was a vivid display that the God of Israel controlled even the movements of the sun and the fundamental laws of creation.
This stunning sign underscored the LORD’s authority, assuring Hezekiah that God would keep His promise to heal him. It also revealed God’s willingness to respond to the sincere prayers of His people when they place their trust in Him. Through this miracle, God tested Hezekiah’s faithfulness—ultimately reminding the king and all who witnessed it that nothing is impossible for the LORD. Later in 2 Kings 20, however, Hezekiah would let pride creep into his heart when the Babylonian envoys arrived. This event served as a warning that receiving a divine blessing requires maintaining humility and reliance on the One who gives it.
Set to dark mode
2 Kings 20:11 meaning
“Isaiah the prophet cried to the LORD, and He brought the shadow on the stairway back ten steps by which it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.” (v.11)
In this passage, King Hezekiah of Judah (who reigned from 715 to 686 BC) faced a grave illness and pleaded with the LORD for healing. Through His prophet Isaiah, God graciously promised to add fifteen more years to Hezekiah’s life (2 Kings 20:6) and offered a miraculous sign to confirm it. When Isaiah the prophet cried to the LORD, God caused the shadow on the stairway of Ahaz to move backward ten steps, reversing nature itself for the sake of demonstrating His power and mercy. The stairway of Ahaz likely served as a rudimentary sundial, so reversing its shadow was a vivid display that the God of Israel controlled even the movements of the sun and the fundamental laws of creation.
This stunning sign underscored the LORD’s authority, assuring Hezekiah that God would keep His promise to heal him. It also revealed God’s willingness to respond to the sincere prayers of His people when they place their trust in Him. Through this miracle, God tested Hezekiah’s faithfulness—ultimately reminding the king and all who witnessed it that nothing is impossible for the LORD. Later in 2 Kings 20, however, Hezekiah would let pride creep into his heart when the Babylonian envoys arrived. This event served as a warning that receiving a divine blessing requires maintaining humility and reliance on the One who gives it.