Lesson 1: Lord, I Need You!

“Trusting God during a Crisis”

Aim:

1. The student will know that Hezekiah called on the Lord and trusted Him when he was deathly
sick.
2. He will realize that he can trust the Lord during times of personal crisis.
3. He will turn to God for His mercy when he faces tines of crisis.

Introduction

Suppose you got sick. Then you overheard the doctor telling your parents that you were seriously
ill. You had only 3 months to live. How would you feel? What would you do?

In our lesson today, King Hezekiah faced a personal crisis similar to that. How did he face this
crisis? We will find the answer in our Bibles.

Bible Exploration

2 Kings 20:1 – 11

20 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah
son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order,
because you are going to die; you will not recover.”

Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, 3 “Remember, LORD, how I
2 

have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is
good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
4 
Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him: 5 “Go back
and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of your father
David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third
day from now you will go up to the temple of the LORD. 6 I will add fifteen years to your
life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will
defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.’”

Then Isaiah said, “Prepare a poultice of figs.” They did so and applied it to the boil, and
7 

he recovered.

Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, “What will be the sign that the LORD will heal me and that I
8 

will go up to the temple of the LORD on the third day from now?”

 Isaiah answered, “This is the LORD’s sign to you that the LORD will do what he has
9 

promised: Shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or shall it go back ten steps?”

“It is a simple matter for the shadow to go forward ten steps,” said Hezekiah. “Rather,
10 

have it go back ten steps.”

Then the prophet Isaiah called on the LORD, and the LORD made the shadow go
11 

back the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.

1. The Crisis

What serious crisis came into Hezekiah’s life? King Hezekiah got sick. He almost died.

What was the Lord’s message to him through the Prophet Isaiah?

King Hezekiah would not recover from his sickness. He was going to die. He was commanded to
put all things in his kingdom in order. He should plan how his affairs would be managed. Like any dying
man, he has to make a will. He must choose his successor to the throne since he did not have a child to
inherit the throne.

2. The Reaction

How did Hezekiah react to Isaiah’s message?

Hezekiah turned his face to the wall. He wanted to be alone with God. He prayed. He asked the
Lord to remember his loyalty and faithfulness to Him. He had lived a righteous life according to God’s
Word. Without the Lord’s help he would not have been able to do it. Then he cried bitterly. Like most of
us, he did not like to face the thought of death. He was naturally afraid. He did not know much about life
after death because God had not yet revealed through Jesus about the heaven He has prepared for those
who love Him.

Hezekiah can be commended for doing the right thing. Instead of cursing God for shortening his
life at a time he was badly needed by h is people, he prayed to Him. He turned to God in his trouble.

3. God’s Response
What was God’s answer to Hezekiah’s prayer?

Through the prophet Isaiah, God confirmed to Hezekiah that He heard the king’s prayer. God had
decided to heal Hezekiah. After three days he would go to the Temple to offer his thanks to God. His life
would be extended fifteen more years. As for Jerusalem, God would save the city from the emperor of
Assyria. God truly hears the prayer of a righteous man.

What sign was given to Hezekiah to show that the Lord would fulfill His word?
 The shadow on the stairway would go backward ten steps. This was more difficult than having
the shadow moved forward which was its natural course. God did this humanly impossible thing as
Hezekiah requested. God has complete control over nature.