King Hezekiah ...

I have been reading about King Hezekiah in II Kings, II Chron, and Isaiah. I must admit that this is the first time I have heard of this king! As I take in his story, I wonder at the relationship between God and King Hezekiah.

Here Hezekiah has been made king and he goes about tearing down not just the idol worship in the towns and country but he goes after the high places where past kings had allowed it. He made sure the Levites who had more zeal than the priests cleansed themselves and temple and then to all the people. King Hezekiah really cleaned house! I was really excited about that because there is always blessing in obedience...

Hezekiah gets sick and asks for 15 more years of life and God grants it. Isaiah writes King Hezekiah's thanksgiving in his book. Then something interesting is mentioned in II Chron. King Hezekiah has a prideful heart! I am scratching my head wondering where this is coming from! I will have to do more research. The king does repent.

Then King Hezekiah did a really questionable thing in my mind and I am still puzzling over it. After he cleaned house and even made improvements on the water ways, he began to show the 'enemy' his kingdom. I am thinking 'stop! don't do that! You don't show all your secrets to the enemy!' Well, the enemy does decide to attack! The taunt the kingdom but the people did not listen as King Hezekiah told them. Hezekiah consults Isaiah and prays. God does provide protection and the enemy retreats.

I cannot pinpoint why I am puzzling over this king. It has something to do with how much God hates idol worship. Here King Hezekiah got rid of allllll idol worship and there was still issues with Hezekiah's life. Maybe is lies in the pride he had. Isn't pride a form of keeping an idol? Maybe I need to turn this inward - it is not about what I can get away with but how purely I can live my life but to do this with humility.