Hezekiah became King of Judah in a particularly tumultuous crazy upside-down world. His father, King Ahaz, replaced true worship of God with idolatrous worship of many forms. He made treaties with Assyria to pay monthly tributes for the protection of Judah, although so had the northern kingdoms of Israel in vain. Meanwhile, Assyria rose up as the major power of the day with Babylon somewhat smoldering, desirous to flex its muscles in its desire to rise in power. Assyria wanted to overtake Egypt, while Israel and Judah were directly in that pathway. Meanwhile, even Israel rose up to battle against Judah. So, we might ask, “how was it that King Hezekiah determined to follow God with all his heart?” But he did, and this is a piece of his story. King Hezekiah determined to joyfully trust God in a crazy upside-down world.
It all began by making a covenant commitment to God within the first year of his reign as King in 715 BC. For the first time in decades the Passover was restored and King Hezekiah invited all from every area to come to the Passover.
2 Chronicles 29 (NASB
3 In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them. 4 He brought in the priests and the Levites and gathered them into the public square on the east. 5 Then he said to them, “Listen to me, you Levites. Consecrate yourselves now, and consecrate the house of the Lord, the God of your fathers, and carry the uncleanness out of the holy place.
6 For our fathers have been unfaithful and have done evil in the sight of the Lord our God, and they have abandoned Him and turned their faces away from the dwelling place of the Lord, and have turned their backs. 7 They have also shut the doors of the porch and extinguished the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel.
8 Therefore the wrath of the Lord was against Judah and Jerusalem, and He has made them an object of terror, of horror, and of hissing, as you see with your own eyes. 9 For behold, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons, our daughters, and our wives are in captivity because of this. 10 Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, so that His burning anger may turn away from us. 11 My sons, do not be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, and to be His ministers and burn incense.”
Joyfully Trust God and Keep His Commandments
King Hezekiah loved God, revered God and obeyed God. God’s word tells us regarding King Hezekiah.
He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel; and after him there was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among those who came before him. 6 For he clung to the Lord; he did not desist from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses. 7 And the Lord was with him; wherever he went he was successful. And he revolted against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. 8 He defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city. 2Kings 18 (NASB)
Despite all that, not everything was smooth. Indeed, King Hezekiah faced fear, illness, and temptation as any other man. As we look at those, let us learn from this King how we should respond as well.
How to Joyfully Trust God when Fear Grips You
In all King Hezekiah did during his early reign, he demonstrated how to joyfully trust God. He built an aqueduct through stone to provide water to Jerusalem even if surrounded by enemies. This was quite a feat. Additionally, he fortified the city walls and stored provisions. With all of this, he also stopped paying tribute to Assyria.
Samaria the capital of the Northern tribes of Israel fell to Assyria. As was customary, the Assyrians scattered the people throughout. This is a means of trying to destroy any sense of nationalism. (Similar to today when the elites want to destroy any sense of national pride. This is a tactic to gain emotional power over the people. Divide the people so that no one remembers who they are.) Then Assyria began to take Judean cities as well. Their plan was to overtake Jerusalem. The initial response by King Hezekiah was one of fear. Therein, King Hezekiah, made an error in judgment as he tried to fix the problem himself.
We Cannot Fix the Problem Alone
13 Now in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria marched against all the fortified cities of Judah and seized them. 14 Then Hezekiah king of Judah sent messengers to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong. Withdraw from me; whatever you impose on me I will endure.” So the king of Assyria imposed on Hezekiah king of Judah the payment of three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. 15 Hezekiah then gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasuries of the king’s house. 16 At that time Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the Lord, and from the doorposts, which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and he gave it to the king of Assyria. 2 Kings 18: (NASB)
But of course, evil has no end to its appetite and will continue to devour more with each inch given it will try to take a mile more.
Lesson in fear and how to joyfully trust God.
So, King Sennacherab of Assyria sent his men to surround Jerusalem to taunt King Hezekiah and all the people.
‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria says: “What is this confidence that you 2have? 20 You say—but they are only empty words—‘I have a plan and strength for the war.’ Now on whom have you relied, that you have revolted against me? 21 Now behold, you have relied on the support of this broken reed, on Egypt; on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. That is how Pharaoh king of Egypt is to all who rely on him.
22 However, if you say to me, ‘We have trusted in the Lord our God,’ is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has removed, and has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem’? 23 Now then, come make a wager with my master the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to put riders on them! 24 How then can you drive back even one official of the least of my master’s servants, and rely on Egypt for chariots and horsemen? 25 Have I now come up without the Lord’s approval against this place to destroy it? The Lord said to me, ‘Go up against this land and destroy it.” (2 Kings 18)
Note: How do evils words taunt? You are weak. You are foolish. God is on my side. God will not listen or hear your voice
So, King Hezekiah quickly saw his error and humbly bowed before God.
2 Kings 19:
Now when King Hezekiah heard the report, he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and entered the house of the Lord. 2 Then he sent Eliakim, who was in charge of the household, with Shebna the scribe and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz.
He prayed and he sought a prayer partner in Isaiah.
3 And they said to him, “This is what Hezekiah says: ‘This day is a day of distress, rebuke, and humiliation; for children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to deliver them. 4 Perhaps the Lord your God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to taunt the living God, and will avenge the words which the Lord your God has heard. Therefore, offer a prayer for the remnant that left.’”
God answers:
5 So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. 6 And Isaiah said to them, “This is what you shall say to your master: ‘The Lord says this: “Do not be fearful because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. 7 Behold, I am going to put a spirit in him so that he will hear news and return to his own land. And I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.”’”
The Enemy Pushes Even Harder
So the King of Assyria sends a note to King Hezekiah, mocking God and saying no one can save you. Hezekiah then took the note. Went into the house of God and laid the note before the Lord. He took his case directly to God.
“Lord, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 16 Incline Your ear, Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, Lord, and see; and listen to the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to taunt the living God. 17 It is true, Lord; the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands, 18 and have hurled their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but only the work of human hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them. 19 But now, Lord our God, please, save us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, Lord, are God.” 2 Kings 19 (NASB)
Notice King Hezekiah did not pray for his own glory. Instead, he prayed that God’s glory might be displayed among all the nations. Why? So they might all know God Alone is Lord God Almighty who rules over all of heaven and earth.
And when he prayed this prayer,
it happened that night that the angel of the Lord went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when the rest got up early in the morning, behold, all of the 185,000 were dead. 36 So Sennacherib the king of Assyria departed and returned home, and lived at Nineveh. 37 Then it came about, as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with the sword; and they escaped to the land of Ararat. And his son Esarhaddon became king in his place. 2 Kings 19
One angel, 185,000 skilled soldiers, one night. Think of what God’s host of angels can do.
Joyfully Trust God in a Crazy Upside-Down World
While all that was going on, somewhere in the middle of the chaos. King Hezekiah fell ill. In fact, so ill that Isaiah came with a word from the Lord.
“This is what the Lord says: ‘Set your house in order, for you are going to die and not live.’” 2 Kings 20:1 NASB
Imagine this. This is not the Doctor telling him he is going to die. This is God. And this is despite all he has done to restore the kingdom to God. But, we are told in 2 Chronicles that God did this to test him.
God left him alone only to test him, so that He might know everything that was in his heart. 2 Chronicles 32: 31 (NASB).
Why would God allow trials in our life?
God is more concerned with transforming our heart than he is with everything always looking good on the outside. So, the illness was a test. But after King Hezekiah prayed, not only did God grant him 15 more years. He also presented a sign in which the shadow of the sun went back 10 steps. Well, the Babylonians noted this and came to check out this King of Judah. After all they worshiped the god of the sun and wanted to see how this miracle happened. But this miracle left King Hezekiah a little puffed up. After all God did all this for him. He must be special in the eyes of God. He took his eyes off God and placed them on himself as well as the gift he was given by God. Again a mistake.
For that reason, he proudly boasted and showed the entourage from Babylon everything that he owned including the gold in the temple. What he failed to do was introduce the Babylonian entourage to Yahweh or to ask Isaiah to join them. How do I know it was an act of pride? The Bible says so.
Be Quick to Repent
24 In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill; and he prayed to the Lord, and the Lord spoke to him and gave him a sign. 25 But Hezekiah did nothing in return for the benefit he received, because his heart was proud; therefore, wrath came upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem. 26 However, Hezekiah humbled the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord did not come on them in the days of Hezekiah. 2 Chronicles 32 (NASB)
Yet, in all of this God remained faithful and true. Also, King Hezekiah sought after God. Is that not hope filled for you and for me? Though we may fail God at times, His arms are open wide when we humbly turn our eyes to Jesus and repent, truly repent.
And so it was, King Hezekiah is known for his ability to joyously trust God in the middle of a crazy upside-down world because he knew the secret of an intimate relationship with God through prayer, humility, and repentance. Later the Babylonians would conquer Assyria and then Judah, but that would wait for many years and did not happen during King Hezekiah’s life. So, let us learn to seek God with all our hearts, to trust Him, and to humbly bow before Him in prayer.
DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.
Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.
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DISCLOSURES
©Effie Darlene Barba, 2023Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
Credits
New King James Version (NKJV)Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New Living Translation (NLT)Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
English Standard Version (ESV)The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New American Standard Bible (NASB)New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
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