What Made Hezekiah Great?

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What Made Hezekiah Great?

By: Jim Crews

 

Hezekiah was one of the last kings of Judah before they were conquered by the Babylonians. Let’s read a little bit about him before we begin today’s lesson. 

II Kings 18: 1 - 6

 

Our reading tells us that Hezekiah was a great king of Israel. According to the Scripture, there was no king like him before in Judah. The question for us today, though, is what made Hezekiah great?

It wasn’t his father, Ahaz. Ahaz was a wicked man.

II Kings 16:2-4

Later we read how he took money from the temple in order to make tribute payments to king of Assyria. While he was in Assyria paying the tribute,  he became enraptured with the design of an altar he saw in Damascus and he had one built when he returned and ordered the priests to use the new altar instead of the old one.

As money became short, he “borrowed” portions of the temple to make payments to Assyria. Despite having such a wicked father, Hezekiah was not like him.

The sins of the father are not passed on to the children.

Ezekiel 18:4, 14-17

It wasn’t his son, Manasseh who made Hezekiah great.
II Kings 21:1-9

 

Manasseh undid all the reforms of his father and encouraged Israel to more onto even greater sins. Hezekiah was a great man, but perhaps because Manasseh was so young when Hezekiah died, he did not learn to follow God.

Just as children are not responsible for their parents’ sins, parents are not responsible for their children’s sins.

Ezekiel 18:20

Parents are required to raise their children properly, but in the end, each individual bears the burden of their own choices. Ephesians 6:4

Galatians 6:4-5

It wasn’t his age that made Hezekiah great. He was 25 at the start of his reign and he reigned 29 years. In other words, he was only 54 when he died. When God first told him to get ready to die, he was only 39. Maybe now we can see why Hezekiah was upset when he was told this by God.

Many of us here would think that 54 was quite young, but think of all that he had accomplished in his short life. Most of his great deeds were done before his illness at 39.

Hezekiah was great because he did right in the sight of God. He tried his best to please God and not man. He was not one seeking to please men.

Galatians 1: 10

 

He knew we must obey God, not other men. 

Acts 5: 29

Hezekiah was great because he was a man of action. He actually did something. He got things accomplished in the very first month of his reign.

II Chronicles 29:3

Many people  say they know what they ought to do, but they never make any effort to get it accomplished. 

James 4:17

Hezekiah knew what needed to be done, and he did it. He was a doer of the word.

James 1:22-25

Hezekiah was great because he trusted God. We can clearly see the strength of his trust.

II Chronicles 32:7-8

This type of trust brought stability, not just to him, but also to his nation.

Jeremiah 17:7-8

Trust is just another word for faith. He believed God, like all of us should.

Hebrews 11:6

Without trust in God, a person rebels.

Hebrews 3:7-19

Hezekiah was great because he was loyal and uncompromising. His respect for God made him rely on God.

Deuteronomy 10: 20

 

This  is what all Christians are encouraged to do.

Acts 11:23

This doesn’t happen accidentally, there is a resolution in the heart. There is a purpose and goal to one’s life.

I Timothy 3:10-15

It is knowing where he wanted to go and why that gave Paul the drive to overcome hardships. You don’t coast into heaven anymore than a runner can meander to the finish line.

I Corinthians 9:24-27

There will probably be more Christians  who will miss their chance for heaven because it was not the purpose to their lives. Hebrews 6:11-12

Hezekiah was great because he kept God’s commandments. So many people today talk about loving Jesus, but they willingly disobey Him.

John 14:15

They think that God’s love will overcome their shortfalls, even the ones they purposely do.

John 15:10

The evidence of God’s love for us is the commandments he requires of us to keep.

I John 5:2-3

It is a dangerous lie that is taught that claims a child of God cannot lose their salvation.

I John 1:3-6

What made Hezekiah great is something that is within the reach of everyone here.  God doesn’t require you to climb Mt. Everest or swim the English Channel. He requires faith, he requires loyalty, he requires obedience.

Will you obey God today?