- About 3-4 weeks ago I sat down to read my bible and just heard the word "Hezekiah" in my heart. I immediately thought that it must be one of those really small, prophetic books in the OT that had slipped my mind. So I just looked in my Table of Contents, but turns out it's not a book of the Bible. So I didn't find it that day and I let it go.
- About 2 weeks ago I was given some books by my friend, Mary, just to read for pleasure. The one I chose "randomly" happened to be a historical fiction retelling of the reign of King Ahaz...and Hezekiah was his son (and next in line for the throne of Judah). Wow! I finished this book and thought I really need to get the next book in this series: I can't wait to see what happens during Hezekiah's reign.
- About 3 days ago I sat down to read my bible and was flipping through the book of Isaiah and "stumbled on" a section in Ch 38 entitled 'The events of the reign of King Hezekiah!' I read it voraciously and felt like I got the sequel to my book! Sweet.
So I've been kind of amazed by him. I just keep thinking about this guy... why God loved him and what his life and reign was like...here's a few highlights I'm pondering:
2 Kings 18:5-7 "Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. 6 He held fast to the LORD and did not cease to follow him; he kept the commands the LORD had given Moses. 7 And the LORD was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him."
- He had Courage with a capital C. He took over Judah in ruins, idolatry and desperation with no army whatsoever. And he stood up against a crazy, bloodthirsty king of Assyria. Even the King of Assyria was incredulous at his Courage. He said to Hezekiah "On what are you basing this confidence of yours?...On whom are you depending that you rebel against ME?"
- He was a picture of walking by FAITH. He had nothing to work with except for God. But he held fast to God's sworn promises to Him and to Judah. And He BELIEVED them. He acted against ALL circumstances to say to God "I know you're a God of your Word. I believe you."
- God listened to this guy's prayers and actually changed his mind because of them. In Isaiah 37 God says to Hezekiah "BECAUSE YOU HAVE PRAYED TO ME concerning..." and proceeds to promise him that his enemies will never conquer Jerusalem. Also - he was later on his death bed and he wept to God about it and God said "I have heard your prayer and seen your tears: I will add fifteen years to your life..." Sometimes I am so tempted to not go to God in prayer because I think it's not important enough or it's already been decided upon. I am so encouraged by this guy's prayers and God's response to him.
What else do you see or hear in this?
1 comment:
Hey kate told me you posted this. Hezekiah for me is about cleansing the temple and setting the house of God straight. Also he rerouted the Gihon spring through a tunnel in a time of war. Check this out:
http://www.bibleplaces.com/heztunnel.htm
The gihon spring then fed the pool of Silom where jesus healed the blind man from birth. wikipedia all those places and I think you will find a bunch of stuff. one of the rabbit trails is that it may suggest the actual spot of the temple is not the dome of the rock.
Ben
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