II Chronicles 29:1-2- Hezekiah began to reign when he was five and twenty years old, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done.
Hezekiah was a good king!
II Kings 18:3-6- And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did. He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan. 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. For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses.
Hezekiah got rid of all the places where Israel was worshiping false idols. He also got rid of the brass serpent that Moses had made way back when the children of Israel were in the wilderness. Do you remember that?
Well, the Israelites were worshiping it like it was a god. But, Hezekiah told them it was just a piece of brass, and he smashed it into little pieces so that the Israelites wouldn't sin with it anymore.
II Chronicles 29:3-5- He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the LORD, and repaired them. And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east street, And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place.
Hezekiah was a very good king! In his first month as king, he opened the temple of the Lord, repaired the building, and then gathered the priests so they could clean up the mess that wicked King Ahaz left behind!
II Chronicles 29:17, 20, 27-29- Now they began on the first day of the first month to sanctify, and on the eighth day of the month came they to the porch of the LORD: so they sanctified the house of the LORD in eight days; and in the sixteenth day of the first month they made an end. Then Hezekiah the king rose early, and gathered the rulers of the city, and went up to the house of the LORD. And Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt offering upon the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD began also with the trumpets, and with the instruments ordained by David king of Israel. And all the congregation worshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded: and all this continued until the burnt offering was finished. And when they had made an end of offering, the king and all that were present with him bowed themselves, and worshipped.
Once the priests finished cleaning the temple. The king gathered all the leaders of the city and they went into the house of the Lord and sacrificed, sang, and worshiped the Lord God Almighty.
Next, the king got together with his leaders and they planned for the entire kingdom to keep the Passover.
When the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, the last miracle that Moses told the Jews was coming would require them to offer a sacrifice of a lamb. If they didn't, they would also be visited by the death angel. When they had left Egypt, Moses told them that they were to have a Passover feast every year to remember the Lord's mercy on His people.
II Chronicles 30:1, 5- And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel. So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel at Jerusalem: for they had not done it of a long time in such sort as it was written.
Hezekiah wrote letters and sent them throughout all the land of Israel and Judah. He invited every Jewish person to take part in the Passover feast.
II Chronicles 30:10-13- So the posts passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh even unto Zebulun: but they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them. Nevertheless divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem. Also in Judah the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes, by the word of the LORD. And there assembled at Jerusalem much people to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great congregation.
When the letters arrived at the different villages, there was a bunch of people making fun of the messengers and their message. But, that didn't stop King Hezekiah. He knew what God wanted him to do, and he wasn't concerned with what people were saying.
When the time came for the Passover, there were many people there who had turned to worship the Lord their God.
II Chronicles 30:15-16, 18b-20- Then they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the second month: and the priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought in the burnt offerings into the house of the LORD. And they stood in their place after their manner, according to the law of Moses the man of God: the priests sprinkled the blood, which they received of the hand of the Levites. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pardon every one That prepareth his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary. And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.
There were many people who showed up for the Passover that hadn't sanctified themselves. Maybe they didn't know how to sanctify themselves. Or, perhaps they decided at the last minute to attend the Passover. However it happened, Hezekiah interceded for them in prayer, and the Lord answered him.
II Chronicles 30:25-27- And all the congregation of Judah, with the priests and the Levites, and all the congregation that came out of Israel, and the strangers that came out of the land of Israel, and that dwelt in Judah, rejoiced. So there was great joy in Jerusalem: for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was not the like in Jerusalem. Then the priests the Levites arose and blessed the people: and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy dwelling place, even unto heaven.
It had been hundreds of years since the Jews had kept the Passover the way Moses said it was to be kept. And, God let them know that He heard their prayers and their songs all the way up on His throne in heaven!
This was just the beginning of Hezekiah's reign. Throughout his rule, Hezekiah searched the law of Moses and put into practice what was written there. He made sure the priests were serving in the temple according to the Scriptures. He had the people of the land take care of the priests according to the Scriptures.
II Chronicles 30:20-21- And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the LORD his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.
God was with Hezekiah every step of the way because the king wanted to please God.
Did this mean that Hezekiah never had any troubles? No.
II Kings 18:13-16- Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them. And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have offended; return from me: that which thou puttest on me will I bear. And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house. At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.
Hezekiah thought that if he gave a nice enough present to the king of Assyria that he would go away and leave his kingdom alone. But, he was wrong. The king of Assyria didn't want presents- he wanted war!
II Chronicles 32:1-3, 6-8- After these things, and the establishment thereof, Sennacherib king of Assyria came, and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fenced cities, and thought to win them for himself. And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem, He took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains which were without the city: and they did help him. And he set captains of war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the street of the gate of the city, and spake comfortably to them, saying, Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him: With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
The king of Assyria had taken the nation of Israel captive. He was now coming after the nation of Judah.
Hezekiah wanted to make it as difficult as possible for the Assyrian army. He got rid of the water so they wouldn't have something to drink, and then he prepared an army.
But, Hezekiah knew that the only way for his people to win would be if they put their trust in the Lord! He told his people to depend on the Lord. And the Lord was going to help him!
II Kings 18:17a, 19-20, 25- And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And Rabshakeh said unto them, Speak ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest? Thou sayest, (but they are but vain words,) I have counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me? Am I now come up without the LORD against this place to destroy it? The LORD said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.
First, the king of Assyria sent leaders and an army to Jerusalem. He yelled to the city that God had sent him to destroy Judah. But, he was lying. He was hoping that the people of the city would fear and that would allow them an advantage in the war. He wanted the people to doubt their king and their God.
II Kings 19:1-2- And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD. And he sent Eliakim, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.
Hezekiah heard the speech, and he went into the temple in repentance clothing to beg for the Lord to show mercy to him and his people. He sent for the prophet, Isaiah, to see if the Lord had a message for him.
II Kings 19:6-7- And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say to your master, Thus saith the LORD, Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and shall return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.
Isaiah told the messengers that God heard his prayers, and God heard what the men of the KIng of Assyria had said.
II Kings 19:8-11- So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah: for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish. And when he heard say of Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, Behold, he is come out to fight against thee: he sent messengers again unto Hezekiah, saying, Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly: and shalt thou be delivered?
I Chronicles 32:10-11, 14, 18- Thus saith Sennacherib king of Assyria, Whereon do ye trust, that ye abide in the siege in Jerusalem? Doth not Hezekiah persuade you to give over yourselves to die by famine and by thirst, saying, The LORD our God shall deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria? Who was there among all the gods of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed, that could deliver his people out of mine hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of mine hand? Then they cried with a loud voice in the Jews' speech unto the people of Jerusalem that were on the wall, to affright them, and to trouble them; that they might take the city.
The leaders had to leave because their city was under attack. But, while the Assyrian army was gone, the king of Assyria sent messages to Israel telling them that he was coming back.
He told the Israelites that his nation had conquered many other nations. He said that his false god was greater than all the other images of the other nations that he had conquered. And, he told the Jewish people that his false god was greater than the Lord God Almighty.
II Kings 19:14-15a- And Hezekiah received the letter of the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up into the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD. And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD
Hezekiah, again, brought this before the Lord. He was scared for his people. And, he just wanted God's assurance that He was still going to take care of them!
II Kings 19:20, 32-34- Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, That which thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard. Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it. By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the LORD. For I will defend this city, to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.
God was not at all impressed by the speech of the King of Assyria. He was going to show the Assyrians that He was the Lord God Almighty.
II Kings 19:35-37- And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh. And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword: and they escaped into the land of Armenia. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.
God sent a destroying angel out which killed all the leaders of the Assyrian army and all thier most valiant warriors. The destroying angel killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers!
The king of Assyria fled back to his country in shame. When he got back home, his own children murdered him.
God was going to take care of His people. His people were trying very hard to live according to His laws. And, this makes God happy! When we put God first and trust Him, even when things seem impossible- God does the most amazing things!
II Chronicles 32:23- And many brought gifts unto the LORD to Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah: so that he was magnified in the sight of all nations from thenceforth.
God's display of His power caused many to turn from their false idols and worship the Lord God Almighty.
Wow! All this because Hezekiah put his trust in His God instead of looking at his circumstances.
