Hezekiah
13th King of Judah
715–686 BC
Father
Ahaz
Children
Manasseh
Biography
Hezekiah became king at twenty-five and immediately threw open the Temple doors his father had shut, purified the Temple, reinstated the Levitical priests, and hosted a nationwide Passover celebration that drew even people from the northern kingdom. He removed high places, smashed sacred pillars, cut down the Asherah pole, and destroyed the bronze serpent of Moses (Nehushtan) which people had been burning incense to. When Sennacherib of Assyria invaded Judah and his field commander Rabshakeh blasphemed God, Hezekiah spread the letter before the LORD in the Temple and prayed. That night the angel of the LORD struck 185,000 Assyrian soldiers dead. When illness brought him near death, he prayed and wept, and God gave him 15 more years — and as a sign, the shadow on Ahaz's sundial went back ten steps. He also made a fatal diplomatic mistake showing Babylonian envoys all his treasury, prompting Isaiah to prophesy the Babylonian exile.
Key Events
In his first year, first month, opened the Temple doors and commissioned the Levites to purify it
Sent invitations throughout Israel and Judah; the resulting Passover celebration was the greatest since Solomon's time
Removed high places, smashed sacred pillars, cut Asherah poles, and broke Nehushtan the bronze serpent
185,000 Assyrian soldiers struck dead by the angel of the LORD after Hezekiah spread Sennacherib's letter before God in the Temple
When told he would die, Hezekiah prayed and wept; God gave him 15 more years; sundial shadow went back 10 steps
Showed Babylonian envoys all his treasuries; Isaiah prophesied this would lead to the Babylonian captivity
Spiritual Significance
Hezekiah is the supreme example in Judah of what happens when a king thoroughly trusts God: reformation, revival, miraculous military deliverance, and personal healing. His life is also a sobering reminder that even the best can make foolish decisions born of pride.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
Wholehearted trust in God, bold prayer, sweeping religious reform, courageous faith against impossible odds, engineering projects
Weaknesses
Pride in showing his wealth to Babylon; the 15-year extension that produced Manasseh
Lessons
Prayer is more powerful than armies. Hezekiah's greatest victories came on his knees — before God in the Temple for his nation and before God in his bedroom for his life. The God who answers prayer is the same God who defeats empires. Even the best kings can make spiritually costly decisions when pride replaces prayer.
Related Characters
Ahaz
Father
Manasseh
Son and successor
Isaiah
Prophet and counselor
Sennacherib
Assyrian king whose army was destroyed
Merodach-baladan
Babylonian king who sent envoys