There Was No One Like Hezekiah Series

“THERE WAS NO ONE LIKE HEZEKIAH”

2 Kings 18:1-8

FBCF – 4/7/24

Jon Daniels

INTRO – White board – What are some words you’d like for the preacher to say about you at your funeral? Adjectives to describe you?

FAITHFUL should be a word that is said of every Christ-follower.

New sermon series – “A Faithful Life – King Hezekiah”

EXPLANATION – 2 Kings 18:1-8

He had a ROUGH BEGINNING – v. 1 – “…Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, king of Judah…” – There were 13 wicked kings in Judah – 7 good kings. His father, Ahaz, was one of the wicked ones. 2 Kings 16 & 2 Chronicles 28 record his destructive practices – idol worship (God HATES that!), profane activities in the temple, stealing silver & gold from the house of God, even sacrificing his own son as a pagan offering.

- 2 Kings 16:1-3 – “In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham, king of Judah, began to reign. Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God, as his father David had done, but he walked in the way of the kings of Israel. He even burned his son as an offering, according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel.”

Many people let their difficult family b’ground keep them from serving the Lord. And if anybody could have used that excuse, it was Hezekiah. But let’s keep going.

He made RADICAL REFORMS – Hezekiah reigned for 29 years, righted many of the wrongs that his father had done, & instituted some radical reforms in obedience to God’s leadership.

- 2 Chronicles 29:3 – “In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them.” – RIGHT OFF THE BAT! NOT WASTING TIME!

- 2 Chronicles 29:5-11

That’s why God puts faithful people in influential places of leadership. They may not be the most charismatic or the most connected w/ big-league friendships. In fact, they don’t have to be the most charismatic or connected. But what was that word we used at the beginning of the sermon? FAITHFUL! THOSE are the people who God uses to bring about needed changes & renewal among His people in the Church, in communities, & in nations. Faithful people who love God, trust Him, obey Him, & step out in faith, sometimes against overwhelming odds.

He was REWARDED GREATLY – 2 Kings 17:7a – “And the Lord was w/ him; wherever he went out, he prospered.” Hezekiah experienced God’s hand of blessing in his life over & over again. And the greatest blessing he experienced was the presence of God.

Jesus promised us that same blessing & reward when we follow Him in obedience – Great Commission

APPLICATION – Our lives should be characterized by faithfulness to the Lord.

3 ways we can be faithful to the Lord:

DEVOTE YOURSELF TO THE LORD – v. 3, 5-6

Let’s start w/ this simple question: Have you fully devoted your life to the Lord? Have you received Jesus as your Savior & Lord? If not, let’s stop & know that you need to, let’s stop right now & do that.

If you have devoted yourself to the Lord – or if you did that just now – it will show in the ways that it showed in Hezekiah’s life. It will show in:

Your actions – v. 3 – “He DID what was right in the eyes of the Lord…” – He DID it! He didn’t just talk about it. He didn’t just listen to the preacher preach about it. He didn’t sit back & watch other people do it. He DID what was right in the eyes of the Lord!

And the LORD’S EYES are the most important eyes of all!

- 2 Chronicles 16:9 – “For the eyes of the Lord move to & fro throughout the earth, that He might strongly support those whose hearts are completely His.”

- 1 Peter 3:12 – “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, & His ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Your faith – v. 5 – Wouldn’t you love for your life & your faith to be described like that? There’s no reason that it can’t other than our own lack of belief & lack of desire.

Your perseverance – v. 6a – What’s the mental picture you get when you read the words “held fast”?

- Someone clinging to a life preserver to keep from drowning.