King of Judah; reformer; faced Assyrian siege
c. 740–687 BC · Old Testament
The godly king of Judah who reformed worship, removed the high places, broke down the bronze serpent of Moses (which had become an idol), and saw God deliver Jerusalem from the Assyrian army in a miraculous overnight slaying of 185,000.
Hezekiah was the son of Ahaz, the wicked king of Judah, and reigned 29 years (c. 715-686 BC, with possible coregency starting earlier). Despite his father's idolatry, Hezekiah 'did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did' (2 Kings 18:3). 2 Kings 18:5 — '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.' Hezekiah's reforms were thorough. He removed the high places, broke the images, cut down the groves, and broke the bronze serpent of Moses ('Nehushtan'), which had become an object of worship (2 Kings 18:4). He restored the temple service, kept a great Passover (inviting even northern Israel), and reorganized the priesthood (2 Chronicles 29-31). In Hezekiah's 14th year, the Assyrian king Sennacherib invaded Judah and captured the fortified cities. He sent his commander to demand Jerusalem's surrender with mocking, blasphemous threats (2 Kings 18:17-37; Isaiah 36). Hezekiah went to the temple, spread Sennacherib's letter before the LORD, and prayed (2 Kings 19:14-19; Isaiah 37:14-20). The prophet Isaiah brought God's reply: Sennacherib would not enter Jerusalem. That night the angel of the LORD smote 185,000 Assyrians in their camp (2 Kings 19:35; Isaiah 37:36). Sennacherib withdrew and was later assassinated by his own sons. Around the same time, Hezekiah fell mortally ill. Isaiah told him to prepare for death. Hezekiah wept and prayed; God gave him 15 more years (2 Kings 20:1-11; Isaiah 38). The sun's shadow went backwards as a sign. During those 15 years, however, Hezekiah showed Babylonian envoys his treasures, prompting Isaiah's prophecy that Babylon would eventually carry away Judah's wealth and sons (2 Kings 20:12-19). Hezekiah's son Manasseh, born during these added years, became one of Judah's worst kings. Hezekiah is remembered as one of the great reformers — 'he trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him' (2 Kings 18:5). His reforms could not prevent the eventual exile, but his reign was a high point of Judah's covenant faithfulness.
Nehushtan destroyed
Great Passover invitation
Jerusalem besieged
Spreads letter before God
Miraculous deliverance
Sun's shadow goes back
Isaiah prophesies exile
Hezekiah's significance: (1) He was one of the great reformer kings — 'after him was none like him' (2 Kings 18:5). (2) His breaking of the bronze serpent shows that even God-given symbols can become idols. (3) The miraculous Assyrian deliverance is one of the OT's clearest demonstrations of God's sovereign protection of his covenant people. (4) His prayer with Sennacherib's letter is a model of bringing crises directly to God. (5) His 15 added years, while gracious, also produced Manasseh — a sobering reminder that even granted prayers have unforeseen consequences.
“Now, O LORD our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD God, even thou only.”— 2 Kings 19:19
Hezekiah was a king of Judah (reigning c. 715-686 BC) — son of wicked Ahaz, yet 'he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD' (2 Kings 18:3). He led major reforms, removed idolatry (including breaking the bronze serpent of Moses that had become idolatrous), restored temple worship, and trusted God when Assyria besieged Jerusalem. God delivered Jerusalem by slaying 185,000 Assyrians in one night (2 Kings 19:35). He is one of the great reformer kings.
2 Kings 18:4 — Hezekiah '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' ('mere brass'). Moses had made the bronze serpent at God's command for Israel's healing (Numbers 21:8-9), but later generations turned it into an idol. Hezekiah destroyed it. Even sacred objects can become idols when they replace God himself.
2 Kings 19:35 — '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.' One night. 185,000 Assyrians. The remaining Assyrians withdrew under Sennacherib, who was later assassinated. Independent extra-biblical Assyrian records confirm Sennacherib's withdrawal from Jerusalem (though attributing it to other causes).
When Isaiah told him to prepare for death, Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and wept, praying to God (2 Kings 20:2-3). God heard his prayer and gave him 15 more years, confirmed by the sign of the sun's shadow going backwards on the dial (2 Kings 20:8-11). However, during those years he showed Babylonian envoys his treasures (Isaiah 39), and his son Manasseh — born in the added years — became Judah's most wicked king. Granted prayers can have unforeseen consequences.