Bible Story: 2 Kings 18:1-20:21, 2 Chronicles 28:27-32:33
What was happening?
At this time in history, the nation of Israel was divided into a northern and southern kingdom.
Northern kingdom was Israel
Southern kingdom was Judah
Hezekiah took over as king after his father Ahaz died.
King Ahaz was an evil king that led Judah into sin and immorality.
King Hezekiah:
Hezekiah was the exact opposite of his father, Ahaz. The Bible describes Hezekiah as a faithful follower of God and God blessed him greatly because of it. Hezekiah undid a lot of things Ahaz did that led to sin in Judah. He reopened the doors of the temple, reestablished worship, and reinstituted the religious holidays like the Passover festival.
Hezekiah was faced with great opposition from surrounding enemies during much of his reign but he handled it with great wisdom. When faced with outside threats, Hezekiah prayed humble and powerful prayers putting his trust in Him. He also turned to the prophet Isaiah for help. They sought the Lord and depended on God for deliverance in these tough times. God rewarded Hezekiah and the nation with continuous protection.
Later in Hezekiah’s life, he was faced with a severe illness, and his death seemed imminent. Hezekiah once again prayed to God and reminded him of all the good he had done during his reign. God spoke to Isaiah and told him to inform Hezekiah that his prayer had been answered and God gave Hezekiah another 15 years to live. God blessed Hezekiah with an extended life and many riches because of his great faithfulness, but it wasn’t long before Hezekiah slipped up.
The Babylonians heard of Hezekiah’s sickness and the King of Babylon sent his son with gifts to Judah. Once he arrived Hezekiah showed him all the riches in the land of Judah. The Bible goes as far as to say that there was nothing that Hezekiah didn’t show him. Hezekiah was filled with pride and wanted to boast about all the riches he had obtained through the years. Isaiah pointed out his foolishness and told him that everything he had shown the Babylonians would eventually be taken away.
Hezekiah’s pride caused great trouble and pain for Judah, but he is still remembered as one of the greatest kings in Judah’s history. During his obedient years, God blessed him greatly, but he still fell short. We are reminded that even the best, most godly people will still fall short of the mark. But we are also reminded of a king that sits on the throne who is perfect.
Jesus is our king now and his reign is nothing but perfect obedience to God. We are encouraged to imitate our lives after him and pursue him in relationship. Hezekiah was temporarily given more life, but Jesus gives anyone who believes in him eternal life.
J. D. Greear wrote, “Hezekiah had passed the test of adversity… but he failed the test of prosperity.”
Key Takeaways:
Prayer works
Faithful obedience leads to blessing
Pride leads to a fall
Parents, 3treesKIDS will also be learning about the life of Hezekiah this Sunday, both in-person and online.
Be sure to check out their lesson at www.3trees.com/kids.
To find service times and locations, visit https://www.3trees.com/planyourvisit.