Sermon Central
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Hezekiah Series
Contributed by Roshelle Brenneise on Mar 3, 2023 (message contributor)
Summary: Hezekiah was an interesting fellow. On one hand, he was faithful and he trusted God. On the other hand, when given the opportunity to bring glory to God, he chose, instead, to bring glory to himself, with tragic consequences.
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March 04, 2023
Like Israel, Judah had 20 rulers: 19 kings and 1 queen. 12 were unfaithful - 3 had mixed results – only 5 did right.
We begin today with the death of Ahaziah at the hand of Jehu. Upon his death, his mother, Athaliah, daughter of Ahab, declared herself queen of Judah then proceeded to kill all the royal family remaining in Judah – only one of Ahaziah’s sons, Joash, escaped.
Athaliah (q) – reigned 6 years (841-835) = EVIL
When Joash was 7 years old, he was declared king and Athaliah was put to death.
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Joash (Jehoash) – reigned 40 years (835-796) = RIGHT/EVIL
He did right in the eyes of the Lord as long as Jehoiada, the priest, was alive.
His servants conspired to kill him. His son, Amaziah became king.
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Amaziah – reigned 29 years (796-767) = RIGHT/EVIL
He did right in the eyes of the Lord, but not with his whole heart.
His was murdered at Lachish by his own men and the people made his son, Uzziah, king.
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Azariah (Uzziah) – reigned 52 years (792-740) = RIGHT/EVIL
He did right in the eyes of the Lord as long as Zechariah, the priest, was alive.
…. “when he became strong, his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to Yahweh his God, for he entered the temple of Yahweh to burn incense on the altar of incense” – 2 Chronicles 26:16.
He was struck with leprosy and quarantined for the rest of his life. His son, Jotham, became co-regent at that time.
It was during Uzziah’s reign that the prophet Isaiah began his ministry.
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Jotham – reigned 16 years (750-732) = RIGHT
He was successful and powerful BECAUSE he was faithful to God.
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Ahaz – reigned 16 years (735-716) = EVIL
• He made molten idols.
• He burned incense in the Valley of Hinnom, in the high places and under every tree.
• He sacrificed his own sons in the fire to Molech.
2 Chronicles 28:20-24 - Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came to him, but he gave him trouble instead of help. 21 Ahaz took some of the things from the temple of the LORD and from the royal palace and from the princes and presented them to the king of Assyria, but that did not help him. 22 In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the LORD. 23 He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him; for he thought, "Since the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me." But they were his downfall and the downfall of all Israel. 24 Ahaz gathered together the furnishings from the temple of God and took them away. He shut the doors of the LORD's temple and set up altars at every street corner in Jerusalem.
Which brings us to Hezekiah.
Hezekiah – Reigned 29 years (716-687 BC) = RIGHT
• 2 Kings 18:5-8 - Hezekiah trusted in Yahweh, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to Yahweh and did not cease to follow him; he kept the commands Yahweh had given Moses. And Yahweh was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. From watchtower to fortified city, he defeated the Philistines, as far as Gaza and its territory.
In the 1st year of his reign, Hezekiah reopened the Temple and invited the whole nation – including Israel – to come to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. Israel’s response was lukewarm at best, but the people of Judah responded positively.
• 2 Chronicles 30:26 - There was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel, there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem.
Religious zeal spread like wildfire. The high places, altars and pillars were destroyed – including the bronze serpent Moses had made. The Asherim in Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim and Manasseh were cut down.
• 2 Chronicles 31:20-21 - This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah, doing what was good and right and faithful before Yahweh his God. In everything that he undertook in the service of God's temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so, he prospered.
Sennacherib, king of Assyria, invaded Judah – also see Isaiah 36-37.
Hezekiah prepared for war and went before the people:
• 2 Chronicles 32:7-8 - Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only an arm of flesh, but with us is Yahweh our God to help us and to fight our battles. And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.
