2 Kings 20:8-11 ESV
8 And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What shall be the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the LORD on the third day?” 9 And Isaiah said, “This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he has promised: shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or go back ten steps?” 10 And Hezekiah answered, “It is an easy thing for the shadow to lengthen ten steps. Rather let the shadow go back ten steps.” 11 And Isaiah the prophet called to the LORD, and he brought the shadow back ten steps, by which it had gone down on the steps of Ahaz.

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8 Sinabi ni Hezekias kay Isaias, “Ano ang magiging tanda na ako'y pagagalingin ng PANGINOON, at ako'y aakyat sa bahay ng PANGINOON sa ikatlong araw?” 9 At sinabi ni Isaias, “Ito ang tanda sa iyo mula sa PANGINOON, na gagawin ng PANGINOON ang bagay na kanyang ipinangako: susulong ba ang anino ng sampung hakbang, o babalik ng sampung hakbang?” 10 Sumagot si Hezekias, “Isang madaling bagay sa anino na pasulungin ng sampung hakbang; sa halip, pabalikin ang anino ng sampung hakbang.” 11 Si Isaias na propeta ay nanalangin sa PANGINOON; at kanyang pinabalik ang anino ng sampung hakbang, na nakababa na sa orasang-araw ni Ahaz.

THE SIGN

As soon as Hezekiah heard Isaiah’s words, he asked him what would be the sign that God would fulfill His words. “That the shadow of the sun dial will either turn either ten degrees forward or backward”, Isaiah replied. Hezekiah thought the shadow going backward was much harder than going forward. Thus, he asked God to do it. How many times we are like Hezekiah when God’s promise is too hard to believe? Is it wrong or not, to ask for a sign from God? The answer is yes and no.

It’s a 'no' when we are like the ‘Jews who sought for a sign’, when the truth was very apparent to them. Jesus did most of his miracles at Galillee towns area, yet they refused to believe Him. Thus Jesus said, “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”[Matt 11:21-24] In short, their problem was not that thay could not believe but that they would not believe amidst clear evidences. That is why Paul said about his fundamental problem of the Jews, that is, they sought for a sign. Definitely, its hard to accept God’s will when you have already decided what you want Him to say.”

However, it's a 'yes', when in his sincerity, one would clear his doubts, like Hezekiah and Gideon. Apparently, God saw their hearts’ truthfulness so that He granted their requests. Only God could see our motives. The fact that God had affirmatively answered their asking for a sign should settle our suspicions or doubts whether their motives were right or not. Thus, we shouldn’t question their trust to God’s character and trustworthiness.

When the bible is clear about a subject, we should not seek for a sign. However, when our degree of certainty is not so clear, we may seek God to confirm it through our circumstances. But, we should be earnest to obey whenever we ask an impossible thing from God, should we not? Our example is Hannah. When she was barren, she asked specifically for a son in order to be offered to God. God granted her request. And , she did it accordingly without delay.

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