Bible Figure
Hezekiah
King of Judah
A reforming king of Judah who trusted the Lord during the Assyrian crisis, cleansed the Temple, and experienced dramatic deliverance of Jerusalem.
Biography
Hezekiah reversed his father Ahaz's religious policies, reopened and cleansed the Temple, removed high places and idols, and destroyed the bronze serpent when it became an object of worship. He invited Israel and Judah to celebrate Passover. When Sennacherib's Assyrian army threatened Jerusalem, Hezekiah sought the Lord and consulted Isaiah. The Assyrian spokesman mocked Judah's trust, but Hezekiah spread Sennacherib's letter before God and prayed. Jerusalem was miraculously delivered. Hezekiah later became gravely ill; after prayer God extended his life fifteen years. When Babylonian envoys visited, he proudly displayed his treasures, and Isaiah foretold a future Babylonian exile.
Biblical Significance
Hezekiah is one of Judah's outstanding reforming kings and a major biblical example of trusting God under overwhelming threat. His later pride also reminds readers that even faithful leaders remained fallible.