The Sixteenth King.
You can read King Hezekiah’s story in 2 Kings 18-20 and 2 Chronicles 29-32.
When I, Hezekiah, son of Ahaz, became king, I brought about change in Judah. To start, I reopened the Temple and recommenced sacrificial offerings. I put the Levites to work and rededicated the Temple.
Then we celebrated Passover for the first time in nearly forever. I invited all the people to our celebration. After that, I worked hard to restore things to how they’d been in the days of Moses.
During my reign, the armies of Assyria conquered Israel and exiled their people. When they turned on Judah, I attempted to appease them by stripping the newly-furnished Temple of all its gold. The Assyrians still besieged Jerusalem. Things are looking grim. Should I surrender to Assyria, fight them, or ask for God’s help?
Hezekiah, son of Ahaz and Abijah, becomes king at age twenty-five. He seeks the LORD’s help and restores the Temple (again). While he stereotypically falls victim to pride, we see a new characteristic of God at work in his life. Even when we mess up, God offers a second chance.
Hezekiah: The Beginning.
“Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before or after his time.”
– 2 Kings 18:5
Kings and Chronicles offer very different spins on Hezekiah’s life. Kings focuses heavily on his actions, especially surrounding Assyria’s invasion. Chronicles zones in on his religious reforms.
Hezekiah does more for the Temple of God than anyone since Joash. He reopens the Temple, sets the Levites to work, and purifies the entire place. Hezekiah rededicates it, makes offerings a reality again, and brings back burnt sacrifices.
Then he sends word to all Israel and Judah, inviting them to celebrate Passover at the Temple. Hezekiah calls the people to turn from their wicked ways and remember what the LORD has done. Don’t forget what God has done. Because the people stopped reminding themselves of God’s love and power, they fell into idolatry. Hezekiah knew everyone needed to remember exactly how God had rescued them.
The LORD places His hand on the hearts of Judah’s citizens. Many come to the Passover celebration, are purified, and the Levites make sacrifices. It’s a once-in-a-kingdom moment.
Hezekiah: The Middle.
“At that time the king of Assyria exiled the Israelites to Assyria… King Sennacherib of Assyria came to attack the fortified towns of Judah and conquered them.”
– 2 Kings 18:11-13
Israel’s sin has finally run its course. Although Judah has seen its share of wicked kings, their evil hasn’t warranted destruction, yet. Meanwhile in Israel, every single king has been wicked. There’s a reason I chose not to make this a series on the kings of Israel. It would be depressing.
When Assyria turns on Judah, surely we expect Hezekiah to do the right thing. Unfortunately, even godly people make mistakes. (This doesn’t mean we should always discredit everything they stand for.) Hezekiah strips the newly-furnished Temple of all its gold. He bribes the Assyrians to leave. They take the gold but refuse.
The Assyrians besiege Jerusalem and challenge Hezekiah. They insult the LORD, reminding Judah that neither Israel nor any nation has stood up to them. Who do they think their God is, anyway? Assyria leaves the people with an ultimatum: strike a bargain, or die. You can read the full speech in 2 Kings 18.
In response, Hezekiah makes the right move. Hezekiah turns to God. He collapses before the LORD in the Temple, praying for salvation. The prophet Isaiah comes and foretells that God has heard Hezekiah’s prayer. That night, the angel of the LORD goes to the Assyrian camp and kills 185,000 soldiers. Wow.
Hezekiah: The End.
“I will add fifteen years to your life, and I will rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for My own honour and for the sake of My servant David.”
– 2 Kings 20:6
Shortly after this, Hezekiah grows deathly ill. Isaiah comes back. This time his message is grim: “Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die.” Hezekiah immediately prays to God, begging Him to extend his life. He asks God to remember his past obedience and faithfulness.
As Isaiah is leaving the courtyard, God speaks. For the sake of bringing honour to His name, God will extend Hezekiah’s life by fifteen years. I can only imagine how Hezekiah felt. It must have been like receiving a terminal diagnosis, only to realize that it was a false alarm. He got his life back.
God then sends a sign. The sundial of Ahaz moves backward ten steps. In a small way, God proves that He is sovereign over time. He can give time, and He can take it away. Our job is to use time wisely.
As Hezekiah’s reign draws to a close, perhaps God comes to regret His decision (even though He can’t make mistakes). When envoys from Babylon come, Hezekiah proudly shows them everything. All Judah’s treasures, the army, the gold, everything. Isaiah, in turn, delivers a fateful prophecy: “The time is coming when everything in your palace – all the treasures stored up by your ancestors until now – will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD.”
After twenty-nine years, Hezekiah dies and is buried. Interestingly, Kings spends the final paragraph of his life congratulating him on building a pool and digging a tunnel to bring water into the city. Is it possible that God refused to accept all Hezekiah had done for the Temple because of where his foolish choices led?
What Defined Hezekiah?
Hezekiah lived most of his life for God’s glory. Until Assyria’s invasion (aka until his faith was tested), Hezekiah served God. But when trials came, he compromised. First he allowed fear to get the better of him with the Assyrians, then he allowed pride to take over with Babylon.
Yet that isn’t my takeaway from his life. I saw that…
~ God Offers Second Chances ~
“Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you! Don’t let him fool you like this! I say it again – no god of any nation or kingdom has ever yet been able to rescue his people from me or my ancestors. How much less will your God rescue you from my power!”
– 2 Chronicles 32:15
King Sennacherib of Assyria picked the wrong God to fight. Hezekiah stripped the Temple bare in hopes of bribing Assyria. It didn’t work. God was teaching him a lesson: don’t trust in money, trust in Me. God’s actions show that only He can rescue His people.
Even though Hezekiah makes this mistake, God doesn’t disown him. God puts Hezekiah in a position where he can either mimic the previous kings and refuse to trust Him, or turn to Him in prayer. When Hezekiah prays, God sends the prophet Isaiah with a message of hope.
This isn’t the only instance of redemption. As Hezekiah lies on his deathbed, his life waning before him, God hears his prayer. God had no obligation to prolong Hezekiah’s life, but He chose to do it anyway. I love this story because it reminds me of what Christ did for us, hundreds of years after Hezekiah’s reign. Like the King, we were lying on our deathbed. We had no hope to live. Then Christ came and gave us a “bonus” life. Better yet, the extra life Christ offers lasts forever. His life is eternal.
When I look at time in this way, I realize that it doesn’t belong to me. Like Hezekiah’s bonus years, that time really belongs to God. Similarly, my time is God’s time. Because of what He’s done for me, I can live with Him forever. Why shouldn’t we use all our time for His glory? Our God is a redeemer. He offers everyone a second chance, no matter what we’ve done. Are you willing to ask Him for it?
Good/Bad.
I know that Hezekiah wasn’t perfect. Nobody is. But he isn’t the star of today’s story. In both cases (Assyria’s invasion and Hezekiah’s sickness), God is the hero. God offered a second chance to ask for help. Worldly riches and worldly doctors weren’t the solution this time.
Just as Hezekiah was given a choice to spurn God or seek strength from Him, so we have this choice. Our God doesn’t cast us off when we make a mistake. He gives us another chance, not so we can satisfy our human desires, but so we can use our time for His glory. And, more or less, Hezekiah did just that.
Which is why we need to put Hezekiah in his place on the Kings Chart…
Through the loving sacrifice of Jesus Christ (which we’ll read about in a few weeks), we have hope. Hezekiah received an incredible offer: fifteen years of added life. Through Jesus, we get an even better offer: eternal life with Him forever. Do you want that gift?
As 2 Kings 20:3 says…
“Remember, O LORD, how I have always been faithful to You and have served You single-mindedly, always doing what pleases You.”
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