Hezekiah – Part I
But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. (Galatians 4:29)
The Old Testament is full of real-life allegories that transcends time. Even though these are only shadows of the time now present, they are for our learning. The life of Hezekiah is one of many windows with such a view of the past that we should carry its spiritual truth to the present. There are 3 parts of Hezekiah’s life: work, rest, and war. Before we begin with the work of Hezekiah, let us look at the condition of the kingdom after the evil reign of Hezekiah’s father.
The kingdom of Judah was in ruin. Hezekiah’s father, Ahaz, had taken Judah down into the darkness of the occult by worshipping the gods of Damascus, and the gods of other nations. Every town in Judah had a grove dedicated to these demonic gods. These groves were standing evergreen trees with carved images among them. On every hill and precipice there were images of these heathen gods hewn out of stone. Even in the very courtyard of the temple in Jerusalem there was a replica of the altar of Damascus, Syria. Ahaz had seen the altar when visiting Tilgathpilneser in Damascus and was so impressed that he had a copy made of this heathen altar and placed in the courtyard of the Temple. Not only did he place this altar in the courtyard but moved God’s brazen altar out of sight. All this faced a godly king named Hezekiah. He was only 25 years old when he began to reign.
Hezekiah began to reign when he was five and twenty years old, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah.
And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done.
He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the LORD, and repaired them.
And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east street,
And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place.
For our fathers have trespassed, and done that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD our God, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the LORD, and turned their backs.
Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place unto the God of Israel.
Wherefore the wrath of the LORD was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing, as ye see with your eyes.
For, lo, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this.
Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the LORD God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us.
My sons, be not now negligent: for the LORD hath chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that ye should minister unto him, and burn incense. (2 Chronicles 29:1-11)
A son is a product of his father and/or mother. Ahaz, Hezekiah’s father, was an evil and idolatrous man who had no regard for the things of Jehovah. His name Ahaz means ‘Possessor;’ yet, he was possessed by the very evil that he perpetrated. His name of Possessor showed his character as a man born after the flesh, and not after the spirit. His kingdom, if I may use a trite phrase in a natural sense, was full of doom and gloom. He had gone deep down into the ways of the occult, and had taken the Levites, and the people of Judah with him. All of the holy things of Jehovah were despised and cast off; the lights in the sanctuary had been put out, the table of shewbread, which represented the twelve tribes of Israel before Jehovah, had been removed. There was no mention of the Holy Place, or the Ark of the Covenant, or the Mercy-Seat. The house of the Lord was shut up to the people of Judah; meaning, that now there was no sin-offering for the nation. All their sins were open to Jehovah’s wrath, there was no blood between them and Jehovah, what a state to be in. Yet even today entire nations face the same judgment, as did Israel, in their denial of God’s Son who was the ultimate sacrifice for sin. It is recorded that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. So, as with Israel in type, we now face at our present time the same reality that Israel faced of national and universal depravity. For God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself; yet, this world has refused Christ, and shut up the heavenly holy place, and done despite to the true Ark of God, Jesus Christ. As was in the days of Ahaz and his evil, so it is now. The evil work of Ahaz is recorded for our learning, that evil abounds when ungodly leaders are on the throne. It is recorded of him in 2 Chronicles 28:19-25.
For the LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the LORD.
And Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not.
For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the LORD, and out of the house of the king, and of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria: but he helped him not.
in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the LORD: this is that king Ahaz.
For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.
And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the LORD, and he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem.
And in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the LORD God of his fathers. (2 Chronicles 28:19-25)
Yes, this was that king Ahaz, the ‘possessor’ of evil, but whenever evil abounds there is always God’s light. It might only be a flicker of light as in the days of Samuel, when the light of the tabernacle was about to go out, which was a reflection of the spiritual condition of Israel; God raised up Samuel that He might have a light in His presence, or as in the days of Malachi when all was in ruin, yet Jehovah recorded the ones who worshiped Him, and thought on His name. Then we have in our subject, in the days of Ahaz, that God must have and will have a light bearer, and this light bearer was of the seed of David, and Hezekiah was his name. There’s a lot of good spiritual food in the names in scripture and their meanings; for instance, Hezekiah’s mother’s name was Abijah, normally given to a man; but she bore this name for its meaning, ‘my father is Jehovah.’ She kept Jehovah before her eyes and her heart and knew that as Moses was given as a proper child, so too her son, Hezekiah, was a proper child in her care. Proverbs 29:17 says Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul. Abijah was a true mother in Israel. She was God’s servant in the shadows of darkness and kept this child dear to her heart. Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6) She would advise and correct this proper child, teach him wisdom from the Word of God. I am sure that the Psalms of David were read and sung in the ears of Hezekiah. Once again Proverbs gives us instruction.
Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge. (Proverbs 22:17)
For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips. (Proverbs 22:18)
That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee. (Proverbs 22:19)
Was not her godliness led by the Spirit of God to bring this proper child to the throne of Judah? Think of the nights that her heart ached for her people who had cast off Jehovah. Now she was preparing her son to sit upon that throne that had displayed so much evil. She carried him in her prayers, and in her bosom; he was her seed, and he would be the hope of Israel. All was in ruin, Judah had become a servant of Assyria, their whole economy was in ruin. Ahaz had pilfered the Temple to bribe Tilgathpilneser, king of Assyria, to protect Israel, because Ahaz’s own military was in shambles, and his throne was covered with God’s judgment.
Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. (Psalm 2:10)
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. (Psalm 2:11)
Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. (Psalm 2:12)
Should not all kings and rulers of this earth take heed to this divine warning. For our day is no different, and the nations and their leadership continually bring forth evil out of their evil and corrupt hearts. All that is upon the world today relates to the rejection of Jesus Christ, and the amount of sin that these nations gladly uphold and celebrate. As Ahaz was an evil king who destroyed his own kingdom, so the leaders of this world are destroying their own people through their perverse powers and evil ways. Looking back to the days of Hezekiah, one could say, ‘as it was in the days of Noah, so it was in the days of Hezekiah.’
Now, Abijah, prepared her son for the throne; 25 years old was he when he became the king of Judah. He sat upon the throne of David as a true son of David. I find it amazing how the Holy Spirit presents Hezekiah covered by the protective shroud of David being his father. God knows what we need at times like these. Hezekiah wasted no time, on the very first day of his reign he began his work. Now they began on the first day of the first month to sanctify, and on the eighth day of the month came they to the porch of the LORD: so they sanctified the house of the LORD in eight days; and in the sixteenth day of the first month they made an end. (2 Chronicles 29:17)
It is recorded that not only the very first day, but the very first month, and the very first year of Hezekiah’s reign he showed his fortitude and consistency in the things of Jehovah. From the first day he began to display not only his rule, but the rule of Jehovah, His God. This rule was in his heart, and he was to share it with the people of Judah. Hezekiah’s name means ‘Strength of Jehovah,’ or ‘Jehovah is my Strength.’ I believe that a godly mother Abijah gave her son a name that represented her desire, and her love for Jehovah. From “Jehovah is my Father,’ in Abijah, to now “Jehovah is my strength,’ in Hezekiah. These were the beginning of the days of Hezekiah. He opened the house of the Lord, for Ahaz had shut it up. He repaired the doors of the house of the Lord, his attitude like the psalmist; For a day in thy courts [is] better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. (Psalm 84:10) This showed that Hezekiah had the mind of Jehovah. He rested in his God in the matters of the kingdom. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. (Psalm 91:1) He is on the throne; yet His throne does not have the pre-eminence. Hezekiah’s heart is for Jehovah, and the things of Jehovah’s throne must have the pre-eminence. Hezekiah had the attitude of a tribute king for the real King who was Jehovah. So, today in the Church, men of evil hearts have shut the door to the truth, and deny the Savior King, Jesus Christ, His proper throne. The attitude of the Church is, besides us there is no other; it is an unrighteous attitude of heart, for Christ should have the pre-eminence in everything that we do; but His Sovereignty, and His pre-eminence has been removed from the Word of God, and from the understanding of those who profess to be Christians.
Hezekiah faced the same ungodliness, but through his mother’s care and his own determined heart for Jehovah, he would lead the people of God back to a state of blessing under the shadow of the Almighty. He most likely remembered that his grandfather’s name on his mother side was Zechariah, which means ‘Remembered of Jehovah,’ or ‘Jehovah Remembers.’ When we cast ourselves into the sea of this world and stand for righteousness, we must remember that our God remembers our labor of love.
There were many Zechariahs recorded in Scripture, I would like to mention two. One was the son of Jehoiada, the godly priest, who stood up against Athaliah the daughter of Jezebel when she usurped the kingdom of Judah and ruled as queen for seven years in Jerusalem. Jehoiada is the only priest that it is recorded that he was buried with the kings of Judah; he was loved by the people and remembered for his godly works in preserving the kingdom of Judah, and by keeping Joash alive and in his care as a son, till Joash was placed on the throne. Jehoiada’s son, Zechariah was a true descendant of his godly father. When Joash and his young associate princes turned against Jehovah and remembered not the kindness of the protection of Jehoiada as a loving father, Zechariah called them out, and condemned them for their evil actions. Joash then gave the order to stone Zechariah between the Temple and the Altar. Zechariah declared before his death, ‘the Lord look on it, and require it.’ The other mentioned Zechariah was a prophet of God who counseled King Uzziah. Truly, Jehovah looks upon and remembers. So, in this name, Zechariah, we have another representative of God’s work in the hearts of men. A genealogy all the way back to Hezekiah’s grandfather, ‘Jehovah will remember.’ In Matthew 23:35 the Lord Jesus remembered, and makes reference to Jehoiada’s son, Zechariah. That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. (Matthew 23:35)
What a reference to the evil heart of Jerusalem’s leaders in the day of Christ. They had by this time tried several times to stone the Lord; yet He continually passed through their midst. Their hearts were evil, and now exposed by the Son of God; as Zechariah exposed the evil king and princes in his day, so the Lord exposed the Pharisees and Sadducees of His day; and Paul the Apostle in his day, exposed the Galatians, O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, (Galatians 3:1) or as John at Patmos exposed the first of the seven churches that they had left, lost, and denied their first love, which was Jesus Christ. As Eve listened to the Serpent, so the Church has listened to the Devil’s ministers throughout Church history. As we saw in the days of Hezekiah when the days grow dark and dim with evil, God raises up a light of truth. Evil always tries to overthrow the truth and attempts to close the doors of truth; yet God in His Sovereignty and through His Divine Spirit maintains and preserves the truth in those who love Him. ‘Jehovah is my strength’ should be the battle cry of all those who love the Lord Jesus. From all the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, man has not changed; for they crucified the Son of God. Man bears no greater condemnation than this act. Man is without excuse and is subject to his own guilt. It is man’s sin that separates him from God, and there is only one sacrifice for that sin, and that is the Son of God, Jesus Christ. From the Son of God, we go to His faithful martyr, Stephen; from Stephen we go to Antipas in the Book of the Revelation, and we also remember all those in Hebrews 11, and to our present day of those who stand for the righteousness and the truth of God. The winds of evil are mustering; should we enter into a time of harsh persecution, let us find our strength in Jehovah. We are a people born of God, born of the Spirit of God, and not the will of the flesh. Hezekiah opened the house of Jehovah, and he had no fear of man.
And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs. (Ecclesiastes 12:9)
The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth. (Ecclesiastes 12:10)
The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd. (Ecclesiastes 12:11)
Hezekiah had no fear of man in his heart.
These are also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out.
It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.
The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings is unsearchable.
Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer.
Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness. (Proverbs 25:1-5)
Hezekiah had established his throne in righteousness on the very first day. It is recorded of him that he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord. According to all that his father, David, had done. God gave him the sure mercies of David.
For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life.
But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my God.
My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.
Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies’ sake.
Let me not be ashamed, O LORD; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave. (Psalm 31:13-17)
As David walked with God, so his descendant, a young man on the throne will take courage from the psalms of David; to strengthen his own heart against an evil day. We miss so much today by not taking heed of the Word of God. Paul, in his day, received these words from the Spirit of God directed to the Ephesians that evil days would be ahead for all the children of God. So, listen to the words and hide them in your heart and let them be the fruit of your lips.
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. (Ephesians 6:10)
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (Ephesians 6:11)
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12)
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (Ephesians 6:13)
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; (Ephesians 6:14)
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; (Ephesians 6:15)
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. (Ephesians 6:16)
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: (Ephesians 6:17)
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; (Ephesians 6:18)
And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, (Ephesians 6:19)
For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. (Ephesians 6:10-20)
As Hezekiah walked in the ways of David under the eyes of Jehovah, so we should walk in the ways of Christ, the Son of God. It will be this walk and work which will determine that name in that stone. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. (Revelation 2:17)
A name that no man knows, and intimate name, between you and the Lord Jesus. What will that name be? Will it show the affection that Mary showed unto the Lord when she anointed Him, or the name she cried out, Rabboni, Master? Or will that name reflect a heart’s desire to worship Him as the boisterous waves and the winds beat upon that small vessel when He calmed the seas. Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God. (Matthew 14:33) Or could you be like a Nathaniel and declare to the world that, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. (John 1:49) What will your name be? Hezekiah’s earthly name meant ‘Strength of Jehovah.’ I wonder what name the Lord gave him in glory? Something to muse upon for all of us who love the Lord.
We continue with Hezekiah’s life and what the Lord had to say about his walk.
He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. (2 Kings 18:5)
For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses. (2 Kings 18:6)
What words of tribute, and just think that he began in the days of ruin. Not only was his father responsible for the ruin of Judah, but also under leadership of Jeroboam (the son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon), who caused the 10 tribes of Israel to separate themselves from the 2 tribes of Judah and Benjamin; thus, a united nation became a fractured remnant. This was a testimony of Jeroboam’s idolatry and is recorded several times in the Book of Kings. Although, there were many kings after Jeroboam among the ten tribes, there never was one good king. All were idolaters and given over to the worship of heathen gods. This brought on the sacrifice of their own children to the fire-god Molech, and open sodomy among the nation. And for these hideous sins, God dissolved the kingdom of Israel. (Jeremiah 23:10,11, 14; Jeremiah 21:14; 19:4, 5; Jeremiah 30: 14,15, 11) The stink was so great before Jehovah that He destroyed them and cast the remnant into the nations of the world as vagabonds, and we have this witness to this very day. God took their kingdom out of the earth and cast them into the winds of destruction, so that they became known as the 10 lost tribes of Israel. For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished. (Jeremiah 30:11) And for those of that day the torment of the fires of hell have tormented their evil kings to our present time and will throughout all eternity.
Have we not arrived at this same evil in our present age? Is not the sacrifice of children being aborted, or should I say killed and murdered by an ungodly world? Can the righteous afford to bridle their voices — knowing the wrath of God that it is about to be released against this world for these sins. Is not the stink of Sodom and Gomorrah upon every city of this world? These sins are not hidden from God, and at the great white throne judgment they will be read out against these wicked, evil, and rebellious people. Romans, chapter 1 leaves nothing to the imagination of human flesh creating and enacting these vile actions. God simply says that because of these particular sins — He has given them up. There is no hope for these who go down this path of abortion and sodomy.
Hezekiah faced the same situation in his age, but on his throne, he had no respecter of persons, and at this time he had no fear of man. He started the first day, the first month, and the first year of his reign against evil, and how should we stand in an evil day — by taking heed to the Word of God. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12)
This is the end of the first message of Hezekiah, more to follow.
© Copyright 2015, Michael Haigh
Article may be used, but not for gain. “Freely ye have received, freely give.”
All Scripture references are from the King James Bible. (KJB)