Reading
- 2 Kings 18:13-16; 20:1-11
- Isa. 38:9-20
- 2 Chron. 32:25-30
- 2 Kings 20:12-19
- 2 Chron. 32:31, 1-8
- 2 Kings 18:17-25; 2 Chron. 32:9-15
- 2 Kings 18:26-35; 2 Chron. 32:16, 18-19
- 2 Kings 18:36-37; 19:1-36
- 2 Chron. 32:21a-b, 22-23
- 2 Kings 20:20-21a; 2 Chron. 32:32-33a
Devotional
In his latter years, Hezekiah had problems with Sennacherib, king of Assyria. Sennacherib captured all of Judah's cities at one point, so Hezekiah paid him tribute to leave, including taking gold and silver from the temple. In those days Hezekiah got sick and GOD sent Isaiah to tell him to put his house in order because he was going to die. Hezekiah prayed to GOD, pleading for Him to spare his life because he had served GOD faithfully. Before Isaiah left GOD told him to turn around, that He had heard Hezekiah's prayer and would give him 15 more years. As a sign of GOD's promise He caused the sundial to go backward 10 steps (indicating time went backward).
As a result of GOD's answering Hezekiah's prayer, Hezekiah penned the following praise:
10 I said, “In the prime of my life I shall go to the gates of Sheol; I am deprived of the remainder of my years.” 11 I said, “I shall not see YAH, The LORD in the land of the living; I shall observe man no more among the inhabitants of the world. 12 My life span is gone, Taken from me like a shepherd’s tent; I have cut off my life like a weaver. He cuts me off from the loom; From day until night You make an end of me...15 “What shall I say? He has both spoken to me, And He Himself has done it. I shall walk carefully all my years In the bitterness of my soul. 16 O Lord, by these things men live; And in all these things is the life of my spirit; So You will restore me and make me live. 17 Indeed it was for my own peace That I had great bitterness; But You have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption, For You have cast all my sins behind Your back...19 The living, the living man, he shall praise You, As I do this day; The father shall make known Your truth to the children. 20 “The LORD was ready to save me; Therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments All the days of our life, in the house of the LORD.”
(Isa. 38:10-20 NKJV)
GOD blessed Hezekiah in everything he did. He was very rich. At one point messengers of Babylon visited Hezekiah because they had heard he was ill. Hezekiah showed them everything in his kingdom, including all his treasure. GOD sent Isaiah to Hezekiah afterward with this message:
16 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the LORD: 17 ‘Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and what your fathers have accumulated until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left,’ says the LORD. 18 ‘And they shall take away some of your sons who will descend from you, whom you will beget; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’” 19 So Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the LORD which you have spoken is good!” For he said, “Will there not be peace and truth at least in my days?”
(2 Kings 20:16-19 NKJV)
Sennacherib, king of Assyria, invaded Judah again. He sent messengers to tell Hezekiah not to trust in GOD to deliver Jerusalem because none of the other gods of the nations he had defeated had delivered them. Sennacherib was extremely proud and said many blasphemous (evil) things against GOD. Hezekiah was afraid and went to GOD at the temple and sought His deliverance. GOD responded through Isaiah by way of a message which said:
32 “Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria: ‘He shall not come into this city, Nor shoot an arrow there, Nor come before it with shield, Nor build a siege mound against it. 33 By the way that he came, By the same shall he return; And he shall not come into this city,’ Says the LORD. 34 ‘For I will defend this city, to save it For My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.’”
(2 Kings 19:32-34 NKJV)
35 And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the LORD went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses—all dead. 36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at Nineveh.
(2 Kings 19:35-36 NKJV)
Afterward, many brought offerings to Jerusalem for the LORD and valuable gifts for Hezekiah. From that point on he was highly regarded by all the nations. Eventually, Hezekiah died and was buried on the hill where David's descendants are in Jerusalem. All Judah honored Hezekiah when he died. Hezekiah would be the last bright spot in a tumultuous history of Judah's kings.
