Church of God Knowledge Encyclopedia

Hezekiah

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Hezekiah (Hebrew: חִזְקִיָּה[1]) was the 13th king of Judah. He ascended the throne at the age of 25 and ruled for 29 years. His name means “The LORD is strong.” Hezekiah reopened the temple doors, which his father King Ahaz had closed and defiled, and reinstituted the observance of the Passover, a decree of God. For these acts, he was commended as one who did what was right in the eyes of God.[2] Throughout his reign, Hezekiah exemplified faithful devotion to God. In times of crisis, he turned to the LORD in prayer and overcame adversity by relying on divine guidance.

Hezekiah
Depiction of King Hezekiah by an anonymous Swedish artist
PeriodDivided Kingdom period
(8th century BCE)
FamilyFather: Ahaz; Mother: Abijah
Son: Manasseh
Occupation(Features)13th king of the Southern Kingdom of Judah
Activity areaJerusalem
Reign29 years
Major achievementsRestored the Passover, and destroyed the bronze snake and other idols

Historical Background

King Ahaz, Hezekiah’s father, was notorious for his apostasy and idol worship, following the example of other kings who had turned away from God. He embraced the abominable practices of surrounding nations, even sacrificing his own son by fire to pagan gods.[3][4] He desecrated the temple by destroying its sacred articles, shut its doors, and erected high places throughout Judah for the worship of foreign gods.[5] Consequently, during Ahaz’s reign, Judah suffered invasion from Northern Kingdom of Israel, Aram, Edom, and Philistia.[6][7] Yet rather than seeking God’s help, Ahaz turned to foreign powers for assistance—actions that only deepened Judah’s misfortunes.

Life of Hezekiah

Temple Reformation

Hezekiah became king at the age of 25, succeeding his father Ahaz. In the first month of his reign, he reopened the temple doors that Ahaz had sealed.[2] He gathered the priests and the Levites, reminding them that Judah’s hardships stemmed from abandoning the sanctuary and neglecting burnt offerings to God. He urged them to restore their service to God.[8] The Levites and priests responded by cleansing the temple and its sacred utensils.[9] Once the temple was purified, Hezekiah offered sacrifices to God: seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats as sin offerings.[10]

Observance of the Passover

Hezekiah resolved to restore the observance of the Passover, which had been neglected for a long time. Since there were too few consecrated priests and the people could not gather in Jerusalem in time for the Passover of the first month, Hezekiah led the nation in keeping the Passover of the second month.[11] Ahead of the feast, Hezekiah sent couriers throughout the Northern Kingdom of Israel, calling the people to come to Jerusalem to observe the Passover. Many in the north, having lost understanding of its significance, mocked and ridiculed the messengers.[12] Yet some humble-hearted individuals responded and made the journey to Jerusalem.[13] On the 14th day of the second month, Hezekiah and the assembled people celebrated the Passover,[14] slaughtering the lambs and observing the feast with great joy. The Levites and the priests praised God daily.[15] After the Passover, Hezekiah gathered tithes from the people to ensure that the priests and the Levites were fully provided for, allowing them to dedicate themselves wholly to the service of God’s law.[16]

Destruction of Idols

 
King Hezekiah Destroys the Idols, Matthäus Merian, 1625–1630

After celebrating the Passover, Hezekiah and the people set about purging the land of idolatry. They tore down the high places, smashed the sacred stones, and cut down the Asherah poles.[17][18] Hezekiah also destroyed the bronze snake that had been preserved since the time of Moses—some 800 years earlier—because the people had begun to worship it. Declaring it nothing more than a piece of bronze, he named it Nehushtan (נְחֻשְׁתָּן).[19]

The Assyrian Invasion

 
“King Hezekiah, Clothed in Sackcloth, Spreads Open the Letter Before the LORD,” Illustration from The Story of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, 1873

Three years after Hezekiah observed the Passover in Jerusalem, Shalmaneser V, king of Assyria, besieged Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. After a three-year siege, Samaria fell, and the Northern Kingdom was destroyed[20]—an event the Bible attributes to Israel’s betrayal of God’s covenant.[21]

In the 14th year of Hezekiah’s reign, King Sennacherib of Assyria invaded Judah, capturing fortified cities and advancing toward Jerusalem. In preparation, Hezekiah fortified the city’s defenses, including the construction of Hezekiah’s Tunnel to secure the water supply from the Gihon Spring.[22][23] Sennacherib sent his commander, the Rabshakeh, who spoke in Hebrew to intimidate the people of Jerusalem and undermine their faith. He also sent a letter mocking the LORD.[24] Upon receiving it, Hezekiah went to the temple, spread the letter before God, and prayed earnestly:


Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God. . . . Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O LORD, are God.”

2 Kings 19:14–19


God heard Hezekiah’s prayer and promised deliverance.[25] That very night, the angel of the LORD struck down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers, delivering Judah from destruction.[26]

Illness and Recovery

 
Shadow on the Sundial Moved Back for Hezekiah, Jan Luyken, 1708

One day, Hezekiah became gravely ill. The prophet Isaiah visited him with a dire message from God: “You are going to die; you will not recover.”[27] In deep distress, Hezekiah wept and prayed earnestly to God.[28] Moved by his prayer, God not only healed Hezekiah but also granted him an additional fifteen years of life.[29] As a sign of this promise, God made the shadow on the sundial move backward ten steps.[30]

Misstep and Death

News of Hezekiah’s recovery reached the king of Babylon, who sent envoys with letters and gifts. Pleased by their visit, Hezekiah proudly showed them his entire treasury—his gold, silver, spices, precious oils, armory, and all his wealth.[31] Isaiah rebuked Hezekiah for his pride, prophesying that a day would come when all these treasures would be carried off to Babylon, and some of his descendants would become eunuchs in the Babylonian palace.[32] Hezekiah repented of his pride and humbly accepted God’s word. Because of this, God withheld His judgment during Hezekiah’s lifetime.[33]
After reigning for 29 years, Hezekiah died. The people mourned his passing and buried him with honor among the tombs of David’s descendants. His son Manasseh succeeded him as king.[34]

Lessons

Faithfully Observing the Passover

Despite his youth, Hezekiah ruled with wisdom and placed his trust in God. In a land steeped in idolatry, he restored the temple, heeded Isaiah’s counsel, and reinstated the observance of the Passover. He zealously removed the idols detestable to God and led the people back to true worship. Through these actions, Hezekiah sought God’s blessing for the nation’s stability and protection from future calamity. As a result of his faith and obedience, Judah was delivered from the Assyrian invasion—unlike northern Israel, which had neglected the Passover and was ultimately destroyed by Assyria.[35]


For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us.

Romans 15:4


Hezekiah’s life teaches believers today that those who trust in God and faithfully keep His commandments, including the Passover, will receive His protection.[36]

The Power of Prayer

Whenever Hezekiah faced adversity—whether the Assyrian invasion or a terminal illness—his first response was to seek God in prayer. God was pleased with his earnest prayers and responded swiftly.

Prayer holds immeasurable power. It is the means by which the impossible becomes possible. Like Hezekiah, when we seek God with all our hearts, He will surely answer and help us.[37]


“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Matthew 7:7–8


See also

Related videos

  • Sermon: Those Who Treasure God’s Commandments

References

  1. ↑ Strong's Hebrew: 2396. חִזְקִיָּה, Bible Hub
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "2 Chronicles 29:2–3".
  3. ↑ "2 Kings 16:3".
  4. ↑ "2 Chronicles 28:3".
  5. ↑ "2 Chronicles 28:24–25".
  6. ↑ "2 Kings 16:5".
  7. ↑ "2 Chronicles 28:17–19".
  8. ↑ "2 Chronicles 29:6".
  9. ↑ "2 Chronicles 29:4–16".
  10. ↑ "2 Chronicles 29:20–21".
  11. ↑ "2 Chronicles 30:2–3".
  12. ↑ "2 Chronicles 30:10".
  13. ↑ "2 Chronicles 30:11".
  14. ↑ "Numbers 9:10–12".
  15. ↑ "2 Chronicles 30:21".
  16. ↑ "2 Chronicles 31:4–7".
  17. ↑ "2 Chronicles 31:1".
  18. ↑ "2 Kings 18:3–4".
  19. ↑ Strong's Hebrew: 5180. נְחֻשְׁתָּן, Bible Hub
  20. ↑ "2 Kings 18:9–10".
  21. ↑ "2 Kings 18:12".
  22. ↑ "2 Chronicles 32:1–4".
  23. ↑ "2 Chronicles 32:30".
  24. ↑ "2 Kings 19:10-13".
  25. ↑ "2 Kings 19:30–33".
  26. ↑ "2 Kings 19:35".
  27. ↑ "2 Kings 20:1".
  28. ↑ "2 Kings 20:2–3".
  29. ↑ "2 Kings 20:5–6".
  30. ↑ "2 Kings 20:8–11".
  31. ↑ "2 Kings 20:13".
  32. ↑ "2 Kings 20:16–18".
  33. ↑ "2 Chronicles 32:25–26".
  34. ↑ "2 Chronicles 32:33".
  35. ↑ Israel, Britannica
  36. ↑ "Ecclesiastes 3:15".
  37. ↑ "Isaiah 41:10".
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