Hezekiah and Josiah: The Importance of Depending on God
Hezekiah and his great-grandson, Josiah, were godly kings of Judah, remarkable for their zeal for God, a rare trait in the men who ruled the northern and southern Israelite kingdoms. Hezekiah and Josiah stood as righteous figures and good leaders in their time. Unfortunately, they shifted their dependence from God to themselves at the end of their lives, with tragic consequences.
Hezekiah
Known for his earnest prayers (2 Ki. 19:15–19; 20:2–3), Hezekiah was a beneficiary of God’s miraculous deliverance when he saw the Assyrian army threatening Jerusalem powerfully defeated by the angel of the Lord (19:35–37). He also was blessed with much property (2 Chr. 32:27–29), and he showed great innovation and skill by redirecting the water from the Upper Gihon into the City of David (v. 30) via a tunnel you can still walk through today. Nevertheless, he was not immune from taking his eyes off the Lord in his final years, a decision that gravely affected future generations.
When Hezekiah fell sick and was near death, he experienced supernatural healing that extended his life by 15 years (2 Ki. 20:1–11). After hearing of the king’s sickness and probably of his miraculous recovery, Berodach-Baladan, king of Babylon, sent a present to Hezekiah (v. 12). Babylon had good reason to pursue diplomacy with Judah because both nations faced a common enemy with Assyria. Hezekiah was all too willing to show the Babylonians his “house of treasures” (v. 13). Perhaps he reasoned it would prove Judah a worthy ally. However, God told him through the prophet Isaiah that now his descendants and all his wealth would be taken to Babylon (vv. 16–18).
Hezekiah had shifted his confidence from God to himself. God already had demonstrated He could protect Judah from the Assyrians. Hezekiah didn’t need Babylon’s help. Showing the Babylonians all he had was a foolish act of misplaced trust and self-preservation. Sadly, he was relieved that he would enjoy peace in his final days, even though his descendants would suffer the consequences of his sin (v. 19).
Josiah
In a spiritually dark time in Judah, young King Josiah’s leadership was a bright flame that brought national revival. He was committed to repairing the Temple (2 Chr. 34:8). During construction, Hilkiah, the high priest, found the book of the Law; and Shaphan the scribe read it to King Josiah (2 Ki. 22:3–10). Astonishingly, the book’s whereabouts had been unknown to the high priest, which gives us a glimpse into the depth of the nation’s spiritual slumber. Beautifully, we see the power of God’s Word to move the human heart (v. 11) because, once Josiah understood the Lord’s wrath was burning against the Israelites due to their disobedience, he set out to restore proper worship of the one true God (23:1–25).
Josiah ended Judah’s abominable worship practices, including idol worship and the use of mediums, spiritists, and shrines. He reinstituted Passover with such enthusiasm that the Bible tells us, “Such a Passover surely had never been held since the days of the judges” (v. 22). The Ark of the Covenant was returned to the Temple (2 Chr. 35:3), and the king’s humble and sincere prayers were heard by God (34:27–28). Yet, despite these sweeping reforms and Josiah’s powerful example of godly leadership, his life ended quickly when he disobeyed God in an act of self-dependence.
Scripture doesn’t reveal exactly what was in Josiah’s heart but tells us Josiah was determined to go to battle with Necho, king of Egypt. Necho, who wanted to join a now weak Assyria against a formidable Babylon, appealed to Josiah to stay out of the fight (35:21). Perhaps Josiah believed Egypt’s war in the north threatened his kingdom. Perhaps he felt his chances were better if aligned with the Babylonian forces.
Whatever the case, Josiah did not heed Necho’s words “from the mouth of God” (v. 22). Determined to fight Necho instead of trusting God, he disguised himself, went into battle, and was killed by one of Necho’s archers (v. 23).
A Life of Dependence
God used both Hezekiah and Josiah in His plan to preserve His Chosen People and the line through which Jesus the Messiah would come (Isa. 7:14; Jn. 1:41). These good but flawed men remind us to humble ourselves continually before God and not to become so comfortable in our walks with Him that we forget to depend on Him alone for our strength. We must guard against acting in our own power or for selfish reasons.
The longer we walk by faith, the more aware we should become of our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). Increased obedience, not complacency, should be our response to our wonderful, holy, and loving God as we learn to “serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling” (Ps. 2:11).
