2 Kings 18-21
Best of Kings
and Worst of Kings

God's word revealed that He can be trusted, and David did so. As a result God helped Him. David had vowed to praise God if God delivered Him; since God did, he will offer praise and thank offering to Him. God didn't let him die, so now David can walk before God the rest of his days. Walking before God (in His presence, doing what is right in His sight) in the light of the living is in contrast to death which is frequently portrayed as the dark (Job 10:21-22; 30:33).

God knows what's going on in the grave under the earth, and the place of burning destruction (Abaddon), so don't you think He knows our hearts (motives and values)? Yes, better than we do.

The scoffer (someone headed to destruction) doesn't fear God but rather scorns Him and His way. They hate being corrected from sin, or having their sin brought to light, so they hide. They don't seek counsel from the wise, because Satan's snare of pride has them in bondage. They think no one knows, but a hiding sinner is easy to spot. Just look for the glow of the flames about to engulf them, which every wise person can see.

Hezekiah was born around the year Uzziah died. His mother was probably the daughter of godly priest Zechariah, who ministered in Uzziah's reign. That might explain how such a bad king as Ahaz could have such a godly son, Judah's best king. Prophets Isaiah, Micah, and Hosea also provided encouragement (although Ahaz didn't pay any attention to them 2Chronicles 17:6).

2Chronicles 29 reveals that Hezekiah also saw the relationship between Ahaz's actions and the consequences he reaped, which prompted his reforms. He renews the nation by getting the priests to go back to the basics of doing the job God gave them to do (a good lesson for modern times).

2Chronicles 29:3 “In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of Yahweh, and repaired them. 4 He brought in the priests and the Levites, 5 and said to them, "Listen to me, you Levites! Now sanctify yourselves, and sanctify the house of Yahweh, the God of your fathers, and carry out the filthiness out of the holy place. 6 For our fathers have trespassed, and done that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh our God, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of Yahweh, and turned their backs. 7 Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel. 8 Therefore the wrath of Yahweh was on Judah and Jerusalem, and he has delivered them to be tossed back and forth, to be an astonishment, and a hissing, as you see with your eyes. 9 For, behold, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this. 10 Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with Yahweh, the God of Israel, that his fierce anger may turn away from us. 11 My sons, don’t be negligent now; for Yahweh has chosen you to stand before him, to minister to him, and that you should be his ministers, and burn incense."

They respond and the nation revives.

Hezekiah was the only other king besides Jehoshaphat to remove the high places. He follows through on his trust in God and doing his job as king. As a result God prospered Him in all he did, and he served Yahweh rather than the king of Assyria.

Shalmaneser, son of Tiglath-Pileser, takes the Northern Kingdom of Israel captive to Assyria after a successful siege of Samaria, as described in the previous chapter. Their failure to obey and keep the covenant is again specified as the reason.

Next Assyrian king up, Sennacherib, lays a tribute upon Hezekiah who had sought an alliance with Egypt, although neither the authors of Kings nor Chronicles abrade him for this; but in Isaiah we read: “31:1 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, and rely on horses, and trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong, but they don’t look to the Holy one of Israel, and they don’t seek Yahweh!” Hezekiah pays the tribute, removing the gold and silver from the temple to do so. Sennacherib takes the money, and decides to attack Jerusalem anyway.

In what has to be the most masterfully deceptive speech in the Scriptures, written by Satan, Assyria's agents seek to persuade Jerusalem to surrender. See if you can spot the lies, distortions, and twisting of Scripture and reality in the passage. There are a number of stone carvings that have survived antiquity, depicting the Assyrians torturing their captives at Lachish, a far cry from the life of bread and vineyards promised (It's just like Satan to promise pleasure and deliver pain.).

Hezekiah's response to this terrible news is to pray and seek the godly perspective of Isaiah. His words are like David toward Goliath.

Isaiah tells Hezekiah that God will take care of it and have the king of Assyria return to his own land where he will be killed. Assyria's envoys renew the threats, this time promising pain rather than pleasure, with another masterful speech of preemption and deception.

No slouch in the speech department, Hezekiah responds to the new terror threat, with prayer that recognizes God is who He said He is (Heb 11:6), and gives the one and only Creator God a few reasons to answer.

Now that God has heard a couple of great speeches, He delivers His own, rebuking the pride of Assyria, and promising to defend and save His city. The sign God promises is reminiscent of the Sabbath year blessing, because Israel was not able to plant crops while under attack, God will increase crop yield to sustain them.

God makes good His promise, and sends an angel to smite 185,000 Assyrians; their king, Sennacherib is assassinated in the temple of his god, who was unable to protect him. Who's God now?

Hezekiah gets sick and is about to die. Isaiah comes and gives him a message which applies to all of us eventually. Hezekiah prays, and reminds God of how he has obeyed the truth, with a perfect heart. Through Moses, God had promised long life to the faithful. God agrees, and sends Isaiah back, promising healing and fifteen more years.

In contrast to his father Ahaz's refusal to ask for a sign when God prompted him to do so (Isa 7:14), Hezekiah seeks a sign like God offered in the previous chapter. God gives Him a choice, Hezekiah picks the more difficult, and God delivers.

Like Solomon, Hezekiah shows off his prosperity to envoys from Babylon. Isaiah doesn't rebuke him for it, but prophesies the Babylonian captivity of the Southern Kingdom (which they will earn through their own sin). Hezekiah's response is almost surprising, glad that it won't be in his days. 2Chronicles 32 gives a little more perspective on how Hezekiah's previously perfect heart was proud, and then he humbled himself so the consequences weren't in his days: “24 In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death, and he prayed to Yahweh; and He spoke to him and gave him a sign. 25 But Hezekiah did not repay/render according to the favor/benefit shown him, for his heart was lifted up; therefore wrath was looming over him and over Judah and Jerusalem. 26 Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah. 31 However, regarding the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, whom they sent to him to inquire about the wonder that was done in the land, God withdrew from him, in order to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart.”

In contrast to the opening description of Hezekiah's reign, son Manasseh, does the opposite, and then some. For someone to go so wrong, after having been exposed to so much good, there has to be some demonic deception and influence going on. The text describes him as “seducing” Judah, a favorite tactic of the devil. He actually spent about eleven years co-reigning with Hezekiah. It's amazing that God and the people let the worst Judean king reign 55 years, the longest of any king in either kingdom. See next note for why.

God responds to Manasseh's wickedness with prophetic announcement of the consequence of total devastation and destruction, for the Israelites had become more wicked in God's sight than the people they were raised up to judge. God also personally judged Manasseh, and when the pain got great enough, he repented. 2Chronicles 33 tells the story: 10 And Yahweh spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they would not listen.11 Therefore Yahweh brought upon them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze fetters, and carried him off to Babylon.12 Now when he was in affliction, he implored Yahweh his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers,13 and prayed to Him; and He received his entreaty, heard his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that Yahweh was God. 14 After this...15 He took away the foreign gods and the idol from the house of Yahweh, and all the altars that he had built...and he cast them out of the city.16 He also repaired the altar of Yahweh, sacrificed peace offerings and thank offerings on it, and commanded Judah to serve Yahweh, God of Israel.17 Nevertheless the people still sacrificed on the high places, but only to Yahweh their God.”

Manasseh's son Amon lasts two years following in his father's initial evil steps before his servants kill him. But the people, instead of rejoicing, put the conspirators to death.