Footnotes:

1. 2 Kings 20:6 Good King Hezekiah’s prayer life holds a mighty challenge and a clear and terrible warning for every believer. In his nation’s darkest hour (18:13-17), he prayed (19:15), and God performed a miracle, one He had foretold (19:20, 32-37). It is a wonderful thing to have such power as that with God! But in this chapter (20) and the next, that power has become a terrible thing; for Hezekiah had put himself on God’s “ways and means committee,” as chairman in fact. God virtually said, “Your time has come to die” (20:1). But Hezekiah’s words and tears implied, “No! I want to live and have sons who will do mighty things, and I myself have my best years ahead of me!” Read this chapter and the next, and note at least ten terrible things (see also footnote on II Kings 20:17) that resulted which only God could foresee and that only Hezekiah’s death executed at the time God intended it would have prevented. But Hezekiah interfered. The only safe prayer policy is “God’s will; nothing more; nothing less; nothing else; at any cost” (see Luke 22:42, Acts 21:14). It pays triumphantly! Martin Luther is quoted as saying, “Blessed is he who submits to the will of God; he can never be unhappy. Men may deal with him as they will...; he is without care; he knows that ‘all things work together for good’ for him” (Rom. 8:28) (Martin Luther, cited by J.P. Lange, A Commentary ).
2. 2 Kings 20:17 This is the first of ten tragic results of Hezekiah’s self-willed prayer, which God’s plan for Hezekiah’s death would have prevented (see the footnote on 20:6). For a listing of these results see II Kings 20:18; 21:1, 3, 4, 6, 9, 14, 16, 20.