Along The Way: King Hezekiah - A Different Path
(Written by
Kevin A. Hall 07.04.17)
To be or not to be like my father – That is the question
Hezekiah must have asked himself many times. His father was King Ahaz, one of
the most evil kings of Judah. Hezekiah must have been aware that his father
sacrificed his brother to a heathen god. His father made sacrifices and burnt
offering in high places “on the hills and under every green tree” (2 Kings
16:4). His father introduced pagan customs and made major changes to the house
of God for his personal benefit.
Under his father, “Judah’s religious system
became shambles” (Nasb). His father was also weak; so was the high priest
(Urijah) during his reign (2 Kings 16:16). The nation followed his father’s
lead.
At some point, Hezekiah chose not to follow his earthy
father’s example, but to embrace his heavenly father as his model for living.
We too, can choose our own path. Hezekiah did not have the privilege of the
indwelling Spirit, but he chose to follow God. We have God’s Spirit as guide if
we submit.
We do not have to be the
product of our environment. So different was Hezekiah from his father that “he
followed God more closely and sincerely than any other king of Judah or Israel”
(Nasb). His faith in God was such that “the Lord was with him wherever he went,
and he prospered” (2 Kings 18:7). Unlike his father, he rejected being a vassal
of the Assyrians, reopened the temple and restored the Levitical system. We can
choose righteous living, regardless of the hand we are dealt. Because of his
faith, the enemies of God were defeated and the nation prospered. We are
guaranteed blessings when we pursue Christ :
But seek first the
kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto
you (Matthew 6:33).
References:
The Life Application Study Bible (NASB). The United States of
America: Zondervan (2000)
Smith, J. The History of Israel. Joplin, MO: College Press
(1995)
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