Hezekiah began to reign when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abijah the daughter of Zechariah. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done. 3 In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them.
2 Chronicles 29:1-3
I am crazy about the Old Testament right now. Each time I read through the Bible I am surprised which part stands out to me and brings the most life and revelation. Sometimes its the prophets, The Gospels, or the letters to Christians and churches in the past but this time it’s the Historical books.
From the first time Israel led by Joshua set foot onto Promised Land soil till they returned from exile, I have been on the edge of my seat. God is bringing His people and the places of the Old Testament to life for me. He shows how He deals with individuals, whether kings, priests, prophets, military leaders, servants, farmers, soldiers, men, or women. He also highlights how He deals with nations and how very in control He is of the rise and fall of each.
I stumbled across a forgotten story in 2 Chronicles a couple of days ago. I have read through the Bible before so I it isn’t new, but it sure feels new! I had even just read about the same king in 2 Kings, but here in Chronicles the is more to the story and it is a special story to be sure. A special king. His name was Hezekiah, and he was crowned king of Judah at the age of 25, and the first thing he did as king was open the doors of the temple and repair them.
Why were they closed? Jump back to 2 Chronicles 28 and you will see that his father, King Ahaz, had closed the temple so that no one could worship God there and set up altars to other gods all over Judah. He had led Judah away from God and into even more idolatry than they were already involved in. He treated the sacred as unholy and bowed down to wood, silver, and gold as if they were divine.
I can just see young prince Hezekiah watching his father point the nation away from Yahweh and biding his time until he can undo this horrific mistake. He probably longed to worship the Lord in His temple and thought about the things that his father had done to mar and abuse the house of the Lord. Do you know what he most certainly thought about? How Ahaz had murdered and sacrificed his son (Hezekiah’s brother) as a burnt offering to a made-up god (2 Kings 16:3).
So young Hezekiah was chomping at the bit. The very month he was crowned king of Judah he set his sights on the Temple of the Most High God and got to work. This man of God went step by step to open and restore the temple and called the priests back into action. He turned on the speakers and worked the kinks out of the microphone wires. Yes, I know there were no electronics then, but you get the idea. Worship and sacrifices resumed and person by person people began observing the religious holidays that God had set for His people.
The people themselves then went throughout Judah and destroyed the altars and shrines to false gods. The Bible doesn’t mention any order given to them; this was just a natural outpouring of being in the presence of God. They were also so obedient to bringing in the tithes and offerings that the priests had to build new storerooms to house the giant piles of leftovers once they had eaten their fill.
The king also contributed, and God began to receive what He had asked for. He was worshipped and obeyed. He heard their prayers, accepted their sacrifices, and was again pleased with the king and the people. King Hezekiah used his power, influence, and resources for the glory of God and to bring the people back into obedience.
My question to myself and you is what do we do with power? What do we do with our influence? What do we do with our resources? Do we use them for the glory of God and to lead those in our church, workplaces, families, and friend groups into worship, praise, and a better understanding of who our amazing God is? Do we put up with unholy behavior?
We all have places of leadership. We are parents, managers, small group leaders, teachers, and nurses. We have influence with our friends, coworkers, and employees, and have opportunities to speak our minds in front of people or post on social media. We hold resources that can be used wisely to bless God and His creation or spent solely on our pleasures. Our homes, time, cash, and cars are all tools for His kingdom or someone else’s.
What will do with the power God has graciously given to us? Will we be like King Ahaz, who used every ounce of his influence to harm humans, dishonor God, and keep the people from His presence, or will we be like King Hezekiah who knelt at the starting gate with every cell in his body ready to restore and honor the relationship between God and His creation?
There’s much more to the story of King Hezekiah. Sickness, conversations with Isaiah and God, attacking armies, and a lifetime of choices both good and bad, but the Bible says, “He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.” (2 Chron 29:2) That’s what I hope to do, and I will need God’s help to do it.
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