This series introduces us to an Old Testament character by the name of Hezekiah. He is one of the “giants” of the Old Testament, but he is not as well know as some of the other Old testament patriarchs, kings and prophets.
There are three extended passages dealing with the life and work of King Hezekiah (2 Kings 18-20; 2 Chronicles 29-32; Isaiah 36-39).
He is described as being the BEST King since the time of David and Solomon and was the twelfth King over the southern kingdom of Judah.
The central story of his life is one of survival! There are at least four separate events that Hezekiah survived during his period as Ruler of Judah.
Only two other kings were given the kind of accolades Hezekiah enjoyed: Asa (1 Kings 15:11) and Josiah (2 Kings 22:2).
Hezekiah is one of only nine kings that is said to have done what is, “right in the sight of the Lord.”
The statement that the Lord was with Hezekiah is only made about one other king: David ( 2 Samuel 5:10)
Hezekiah continued the legacy of his ancestor, David by doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord. It was David who was described as a man after God’s own heart. ( 1 Samuel 13:14)
His father Ahaz was corrupt during his reign:
- He was an idolater and promoted idolatry in the nation (16:4).
- He made an agreement with the Assyrian king (16:7).
- He raided the Temple (16:8).
- He had a special pagan altar built (16:10).
- He closed down the Temple (2 Chronicles 28:24).
- He offered some of his children as sacrifices (16:3; 2 Chronicles 28:3).
- He wasn’t allowed to be buried in a royal burial place because of his wickedness (2 Chronicles 28:27).
Hezekiah broke free from his family history and did not follow in his father’s footsteps. He knew that just because his father had made foolish choices didn’t mean he had to make them too.
Lessons to be learned from Hezekiah’s survival of his dysfunctional family:
1. A dysfunctional family life doesn’t have to result in a dysfunctional personal life.
Hezekiah grew up in the palace of Ahaz his father. Ahaz was one of the most wicked of the kings to rule and introduced the southern kingdom of Judah to pagan idolatry and much evil...even offering some of his children as sacrifices to pagan gods (2 Kings 16:3; 2 Chronicles 28:3).
Never-the-less, Hezekiah survived his father’s spiritual apostasy and despicable conduct. Here is a case when, “like father, like son” didn’t materialize, as it so often does.
In this story we have a good son (Hezekiah) that comes from a bad father (Ahaz) and a bad son (Manasseh) that comes from a good father (Hezekiah)! It’s about choices, not just environments!
2. Evil around you doesn’t have to become evil within you.
Public sentiment was clearly on the side of Ahaz, idolatry and vice. Evil was popular in his day! Peer pressure was against following the true God.
There were plenty of opportunities for Hezekiah to adopt the practices of his father’s idolatry and paganism. He probably walked through the streets of Jerusalem smelling the incense burning to the pagan gods, as well as seeing other unspeakable acts. But, he didn’t succumb to these ways or choose them for himself.
3. The choices others make don’t have to become the choices you make.
Not everyone was embroiled in the paganism that Ahaz promoted, but probably most were participants in some fashion. Even though many around Hezekiah chose to follow the evil of their king, Hezekiah made right choices rather than easy choices.
cf. Proverbs 1:10-19
4. A few good influences can overcome a society full of bad influences.
There were at least three good influences around Hezekiah that had an impact on his being a survivor of his father’s apostasy.
Who influenced Hezekiah:
A. His mother: her full name was Abijah
Hezekiah’s name means: “Strength of Jehovah.” His mother’s name (“Abijah” - 2 Chronicles 29:1) means “my Father is Jehovah.”
“The cause of God has always owed much to mothers.” --James Smith
(cf. 2 Timothy 1:3-5; 1 Corinthians 7:14)
B. His distant cousin: Isaiah.
Isaiah was his spiritual mentor/advisor (2 Kings 19:2, 5-6) and the one he called on in difficult times for guidance from God.
Many scholars believe that Isaiah was a well-educated relative of King Uzziah (Hezekiah’s Great-Grandfather). Jewish tradition says that Isaiah’s father was King Uzziah’s brother. That would mean that Isaiah would have been a distant cousin to King Hezekiah.
C. His access to the scripture.
With his father as King in Jerusalem, Hezekiah lived in the palace that Solomon built. That meant he had access to the Psalms of David and the Proverbs of Solomon when he was growing up (Proverbs 25-30).
Also, if his mother’s father was a priest, as some believe, he may have had access to more than just the Psalms and Proverbs, but also to other portions of the Law of Moses. He certainly knew what God expected in his sweeping renewal of religious life that took place during his rule.
The impact of the scripture on our lives is inestimable. (cf. 2 Timothy 3:14-17)
Central thought: Your past doesn't have to determine your present or your future.
- You can chose to follow God instead of following the crowd.
- You can let the scripture guide you instead of the current trends/culture.
- You can follow your Heavenly Father and not follow your hellish, earthly family.
Hezekiah’s life boldly challenges the notion that your circumstances are the supreme determining factor in your life and shows that a person can rise above those circumstances.
Your dysfunctional family doesn’t have to become your dysfunctional future.
God is in the business of altering people’s temporal and eternal destinies. (cf. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11)
