Page 212 - GRACE

The Ultimate Expression of Grace

Hezekiah was a great reformer king in Judah. He showed a
great passion for the things of God. He gave priority to
seeking God and also to doing things God’s way. He
became king over Judah as a young man of about twenty-
five years. He immediately set about divine order in
cleansing the Temple and restoring true worship in the
Temple and established the observance of the Passover. He
restored giving as part of Temple worship and made sure
the priests’ welfare was no longer neglected.

In the course of time Hezekiah had a health challenge of
which the LORD revealed that he would die. He prayed to
God about his situation, reminding God of his good deeds.
God answered his prayers and added fifteen years to
Hezekiah’s life. The amazing thing, however, was that
there were no records of any further good deeds or
reformations from this great king.

Two notable things were recorded about
Hezekiah’s added lifespan; he exposed all his
armoury to some Babylonian envoys (2 Kings
20:12-19). This action was not pleasing to God,
who made it known to the king through the
prophet, Isaiah. Also, in this period, Hezekiah
gave birth to a son, Manasseh, who replaced his
father as king and became one of the most evil
kings

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