Who Was Hezekiah in the Bible — In Biblical Context

The Biblical Context

Hezekiah was one of Judah's greatest kings, described with the rare commendation that 'he trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him.' He was the son of the wicked Ahaz and ascended the throne at age twenty-five. His first act was dramatic: in the first month of his reign, he opened the doors of the temple, which his father had closed, and commanded the priests to cleanse and sanctify it. The temple had been desecrated with altars to foreign gods, and the priests worked sixteen days to purify it. Hezekiah then restored the temple worship, reinstituted the daily sacrifices, and called the Levites to praise God with psalms and instruments. His most significant reform was the celebration of Passover. He sent invitations throughout all Israel and Judah, even to the northern kingdom, urging the people to return to the Lord. Many in the northern tribes scorned the invitation, but some humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. The Passover was celebrated with such joy 'that there was no Passover like to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet.' The most dramatic event of Hezekiah's reign was Sennacherib's invasion. The Assyrian king had already conquered the northern kingdom and now besieged Jerusalem, taunting the people with blasphemous arrogance: 'Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?' Hezekiah took the letter to the temple, spread it before the Lord, and prayed: 'O LORD God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth... save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD God, even thou only.' That night, the angel of the LORD went through the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 soldiers. Sennacherib returned to Nineveh in disgrace and was later assassinated by his own sons. Hezekiah also experienced a personal miracle. When he was sick unto death, he prayed, and God added fifteen years to his life, with the sun moving backward as a sign. But his later years revealed a flaw. When Babylonian envoys visited, Hezekiah showed them all his treasures, and Isaiah prophesied that everything would eventually be carried to Babylon. Hezekiah's response was disturbingly self-centered: 'Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken. He said moreover, Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days?' Hezekiah's story demonstrates the power of prayer, the importance of reform, and the danger of spiritual pride. Even the best kings have weaknesses, and even great faith does not guarantee perfection.

Where It Sits in Scripture

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