"Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign… And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done… He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him. For he held fast to the Lord…" - 2 Kings 18:1-6
As things continued to deteriorate, God gave the nation one last chance: a godly king, Hezekiah.
Hezekiah’s father, Ahaz, was the worst king Judah had seen. He was very religious but he hated God. His plan was to modernize Judah, to make it more like Assyria and the other “progressive” nations. He did everything exactly the opposite of what God commanded, even offering one his own sons in sacrifice to the idols he worshipped.
When Hezekiah became king he sought with all his heart to turn the nation around, to bring the people back to faith in God, leading by His own example as well as by the executive orders and the laws that he put into place. He brought the country through very difficult times, leading them wisely and well through war and financial hardship, seeking in every way to turn their hearts back to God. But there were many among the people who blamed Hezekiah and his religion for everything that went wrong. Their hearts yearned for the days of his father, Ahaz, which they considered real progress - defined as moving away from the old-fashioned, fusty godliness that Hezekiah represented. They waited, biding their time, for a chance to break free from the limitations of God’s Word and appoint a king more to their liking. There are always those who sincerely believe that God’s ways are wrong, who resent being limited by the Word of God and His standards of right and wrong. They don’t realize that what they consider progress is nothing but the rebellion of their own hearts against God. And so the pattern repeats itself. The anti-God rebels wait for the chance to put in a government that will do their bidding, and the downward spiral continues. But God is the Lord of History. Nothing will come that He has not foreseen, and He hasn’t lost control. Those who trust in Him will come safely through whatever comes. Lord, Your Word says, “the just shall live by faith.” Keep me faithful, whatever happens in my lifetime. Have mercy on our children and keep them close, too. Help us instill Your Word in their hearts. Guide us through the coming years as we wait for your return, Lord Jesus. Amen. Pastor Dan Giles