“Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. […] He held fast to the Lord and did not stop following him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses.” (2 Kings 18:5-6 NIV)
In the Old Testament, there are many stories about the people of Israel and their kings. These stories are not only interesting as historical accounts, but they also contain lessons for modern readers.
Today we read about Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz. He was descended from the legendary King David and inherited the throne when he was 25 years old. It soon became clear that the young successor to the throne did not want to follow the same path as his father Ahaz, who had turned his back on God. Instead, Hezekiah chose to place his trust in God. In doing so, he stood in a long tradition: “He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done.” (2 Kings 18:3 NIV)
Hezekiah’s decision to follow the Lord God was not only important for himself and his family, but for the entire nation. As we will see in the coming days, through his trust in God, Hezekiah was able to avert a great disaster and lead his people in the right direction—on the path of God’s commandments.
Hezekiah consciously chose to shape his life very differently from the way his father Ahaz had done. What role models have you had in your life, and why? Do you follow their example, or do you choose a different path instead?