Hezekiah was a breath of fresh air among the kings of Judah during the divided kingdom of Israel. He “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.” He tore down idols in the land and reinstated the worship practices that God had instituted. He “trusted in God so that there was none like him among the kings of Judah after him nor before him. (2 Kings 18:3-5)
He didn’t get his goodness from his dad. Hezekiah, a son of the wicked King Ahaz who pretty much ruled in the opposite manner. His story reminds me that you are your father’s son, but you don’t have to BE your father. Because Hezekiah put God first in everything he did, God prospered him and granted him success in his endeavors. (2 Kings 18:6–7). A defining moment for him was when he was faced with a great Assyrian threat and he immediately sought God’s word on the situation. Then, he took all the info he had and took it to God in prayer: “Now, Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, Lord, are God” (2 Kings 19:14-19). God reassured him that the Assyrian king would never enter Jerusalem. God is always faithful. In this case, He sent an angel and killed 185,000 Assyrians…and sent the rest of the army packing in a panic.
Later, Hezekiah became very sick. Isaiah told him to set things in order and prepare to die (2 Kings 20:1). But Hezekiah prayed, beseeching God to be merciful and to remember all the good he had done. He wasn’t ready to die. Perhaps he saw how much more there was to do in Judah to restore reverence and respect for God within the people. Listen to God’s heartfelt response to Hezekiah’s plea: “I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you. (2 Kings 20:5). So, Before Isaiah had even left the king’s house, God told Isaiah to tell Hezekiah that his prayer had been heard and that his life would be extended another fifteen years.
Remember today that God is loving, merciful, and so powerful. We can’t even add an hour to our lives…but God can and did for Hezekiah (Matt 6:27). Trust in Him. Lean on Him. He is the same God yesterday, today, and forever.-Darrell
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