2 Kings 20:11 Then the prophet Isaiah called on the Lord, and the Lord made the shadow go back the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.
King Hezekiah, as a sign of his healing, wanted the shadow of the sundial to go back ten steps on the stairway. The steps counted the hour of the day. Shadows are longest in the early morning and late afternoon when the sun appears low in the sky. Long before pendulum clocks, smart watches and digital timers were invented, people relied on the passage of the sun through the sky to tell time. With technological advancement, we seldom look at the shadow to count the hour of the day; however, shadows are still a paradigm to remind us that our days in this world are only like a passing shadow. Psalm 144:4 Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.
Hezekiah was given an option to see the shadow in the sundial to go forwards or backwards ten steps. King Hezekiah chose the shadow to go backwards simply to reiterate that his life has been restored, health reinstated and years returned. The only possibility for this miracle to happen is by rewinding the spinning earth by a few hours. Instead of spinning from east to west, it went west to east to move the shadows ten steps behind.
Shadows are a rude reminder that our life is only like a passing shadow:
1. Sundial: A sundial doesn’t work when the sun is hidden. When we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, the sun of hope is hidden from our lives. Yet, that doesn’t mean that the sun has vanished from the cosmos. It is only hidden! When shadowed by death, we must remain under the shadow of the Almighty. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me (Psalms 23:4). The shadow of the Almighty God will swallow the shadow of death and bring the sun of hope, health and happiness back into our lives. We are shadowed by what overshadows us even in the valley of the shadow of death.
2. Sandglass: Is also known as the hourglass. It can only be used to measure short durations of less than one hour. The sand glass is a reminder of our short sightedness about eternity and the brevity of life. Job 14:2 Like a flower he comes forth and withers. He also flees like a shadow and does not remain. Even King Hezekiah whose life was extended by 15 years had to die. Sandglass reminds us that our vision must be celestial and not terrestrial.
3. Shadow: The longest shadows in the morning are reminiscent of our unfinished, undone and incomplete mission. The afternoon sun over our heads that swallows the shadow is the sign of busyness that swallows the values of life and makes us blind/insensitive to eternity. The evening shadow is a solemn reminder that we are only like a fading flower on earth and that we are on our way to our permanent eternal home. Unless we are overshadowed by the Almighty, the shadows of life will distract, devour and derail us from our eternal vision
We are shadowed by what overshadows us.
Psalm 17:8 Keep me as the apple of the eye; Hide me in the shadow of Your wings.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, even if the sun of hope is hiding behind the storm clouds, I surrender to remain under the strong shelter and the shadow of Your Mighty wings. Amen
Sundial of Hezekiah
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