Hezekiah(ezekias)
“Jehovah has strengthened”
Summary
Hezekiah was the thirteenth king of Judah, renowned as one of the most godly monarchs who purged the nation of idolatry, restored true worship, and experienced miraculous deliverance from Assyria.
☩Reign and Religious Reform
Hezekiah was the son of the apostate Ahaz and Abi (or Abijah), ascending to the throne at age twenty-five and reigning for twenty-nine years (c. 726-697 B.C.). Of his faithfulness it is written that 'he trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah.' In his very first year, he opened and repaired the temple doors which had been shut up, charged the Levites to sanctify the house, and restored proper worship. He broke in pieces the brazen serpent Moses had made, which had become an object of worship, contemptuously calling it 'Nehushtan' (a piece of brass).
☩The Great Passover
Hezekiah celebrated a great Passover in the second month, because neither priests nor people were ready in the regular season. He invited not only Judah but also Ephraim and Manasseh to participate, though most laughed his messengers to scorn. Nevertheless, many humbled themselves and came, and great joy filled Jerusalem for fourteen days—such as had not been seen since Solomon's time. Those who participated went out afterward to destroy idolatrous images, groves, high places, and altars throughout Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh.
☩The Assyrian Crisis
When Sennacherib king of Assyria invaded, Hezekiah initially paid tribute, but when the Assyrians demanded Jerusalem's surrender with blasphemous taunts, he spread the letter before the Lord in prayer. Isaiah prophesied deliverance, and that night the angel of the Lord struck down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. Sennacherib returned to Nineveh where he was later murdered by his own sons.
☩Illness and Recovery
During a serious illness, Isaiah told Hezekiah to set his house in order because he would die. Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed, weeping bitterly. Before Isaiah had left the middle court, God sent him back with the promise of fifteen more years of life. As a sign, the shadow on the sundial went back ten degrees. Hezekiah composed a psalm of thanksgiving preserved in Isaiah 38:9-22.
☩The Babylonian Embassy
When ambassadors from Babylon came ostensibly to congratulate Hezekiah on his recovery, he foolishly showed them all his treasures. Isaiah prophesied that everything Hezekiah had shown them would one day be carried to Babylon, along with his descendants. This lack of wisdom in displaying his wealth foreshadowed the Babylonian captivity to come.
☩Legacy and Achievements
Hezekiah conducted the waters of Gihon into the city of Jerusalem through an underground tunnel, an engineering feat whose inscription was discovered in 1880. His scribes copied proverbs of Solomon, preserving Scripture. He cultivated agriculture, amassed great treasures, and was prospered by God in everything he undertook. He died at age fifty-six and was buried with honor in the tombs of the sons of David.
Related Verses133 mentions
See Also
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Hezekiah," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IV (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Hezekiah," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).
- 3.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Hezekiah," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).