Hezekiah II Kings 18

II Kings 18:2-3 Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Abi, the daughter of Zachariah And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did."

Finally, we have a revival in Jerusalem that spreads to all Canaan. Hezekiah gave his best effort to do that which was right. He carried out military campaigns that were victorious. He got rid of the places of worship of strange gods and worked to reunite Judah and Israel in worship at Jerusalem.

v7 "And the LORD was with him and he prospered whithersoever he went forth, and he rebelled against the king of Assyria and served him not."

Because Israel (10 tribes) failed to obey the LORD, they were carried away by Assyria. v12

Then came Sennacherib to invade Judah and the army stood at Jerusalem making their claims that they were mightier than Hezekiah. The Azzyrians spoke of the high places Hezekiah had torn down indicating that those places were where the God of Israel was located and therefore Judah had no recourse but to surrender.

v29 "Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand:"

v21 "Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed..." talking about Egypt.

Then the speaker attacks the creditability of the LORD God.

v22 "But if ye say unto me, We trust in the LORD our God: is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?"

Then the speech reaches the height of audacity when the Assyrian used this verse to say he was sent by the LORD God.

v25 "Am I now come up without the LORD against this place to destroy it? The LORD said to me Go up against this land, and destroy it."

Well, it looks like we are in for a showdown. Hezekiah has been true to the LORD but is in a bad way. Samaria has already fallen as well as Judah and only Jerusalem is left but under siege. Assyria has stood at the wall and belittled them and their king.

It seems Assyria cannot be defeated. In the next chapter, we will see what a small number who honors God can do against impossible odds. As Elijah told his servant, there are more with us than with them.

Psalm 71:7 "I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge."

Keywords: Hezekiah honors the LORD God and brings revival to Jerusalem. Bible Study, Israel, Kings, Hezekiah, Assyria.