Lesson Fifteen
HEZEKIAH, THE PRAYING KING
To receive this weekly devotional and other content for your spiritual renewal, subscribe to our new Renew Newsletter.
Memory Verse: Proverbs 29:25
Further Study: 2 Chronicles 29-32; 2 Kings 18-20; Prophets and Kings, 331-366; The Bible Story, vol. 5, pp. 127-146; 154-166
The Society of the Cincinnati is a hereditary society formed in 1783 immediately after the American Revolution. Its members included the decommissioned Revolutionary officers of the 13 states that comprised the United States as well as France. George Washington was installed as the first president general and was presented the Diamond Eagle, a pendant crafted in France made of diamonds, emeralds, and rubies suspended from a blue and white ribbon. That same pendant has been worn by every society president general to this day.
That same pendant has been worn by every society president general to this day.
The Ellen G. White Estate has within its vault the 18-pound Harmon family Bible that Ellen White held open on an extended arm for about 30 minutes. My husband, a curator of the vault contents, occasionally had to transport this Bible to an event. It was a privilege and a responsibility to handle this Bible that was part of such a heaven-ordained experience.
I love history and the idea of someone wearing a pendant that was worn by George Washington is amazing. To hold the family Bible, one that Mrs. White touched and maybe was supported by an angel, is incredible. So, when I read 2 Kings 18:4, I inwardly wince. Here we are told what Hezekiah did to the serpent on a pole made and held by Moses. He destroyed it! Couldn’t he have found a suitable vault or museum to keep it safe?
No, and here’s why. While historic relics are important, they are not to be worshiped. The people of Judah had taken the serpent on a pole, given it a name, and burned incense to it. They had appropriated to it what belonged to God alone.
One of Hezekiah’s first acts as king was eliminating idolatry from the land.
One of Hezekiah’s first acts as king was eliminating idolatry from the land. He wasn’t the first king to do so, but he was the first to go into the high places and tear those down. The additional breaking of the serpent relic demonstrated the thoroughness of the cleansing. We may also need to do some cleansing of our own. We might be surprised to find that our culture also has idols found in homes or churches. They may not take the form of snakes or carved objects, but they take time and focus from what belongs to God.
Think of the mindless games we play on our phones. What of the endless scrolling of social media? Maybe it’s the occasional Netflix series we watch. Or what of church traditions, committees, or projects that might divide and distract rather than unite?
The point is that God wants our attention. He wants our worship, our time, and our focus on Him.
The point is that God wants our attention. He wants our worship, our time, and our focus on Him. There is nothing inherently wrong with phones, books, television, traditions, or committees just as there is nothing wrong with the Diamond Eagle or the Harmon family Bible. It’s when we place these in “high places” that we find ourselves in trouble.
Is there something we’ve placed higher than God? Perhaps we need to do a cleansing. When we do, like Judah, we will be renewed.
Digging Deeper
Sennacharib, the Assyrian king, sent emissaries as well as a large army to threaten Jerusalem. The cupbearer to Sennacharib delivered a strong message to Hezekiah’s representatives (2 Kings 18:17-35). In it he speaks of trust, referencing that Hezekiah is placing his trust in the wrong places. He then tells Hezekiah that even God isn’t pleased with him because the high places were destroyed, and that Hezekiah told the people to worship only at one altar in Jerusalem. He ends by using God’s own language—Sennacharib will lead them to a land of milk and honey, if only they would surrender to him.
We must be careful as we listen to the language of Sennacharib echoing in our culture today. We are told repeatedly that biblical principles aren’t good for society. We hear that God expects more of Christians—be more loving, more accepting, more tolerant. Accept the world’s terms because that is what God would want us to do.
In addition, they add, like Sennacharib’s cupbearer, that we should be more open to pathways to God. Jesus isn’t the only way, they say. For Christians to say that Jesus is the only way to eternal life is tantamount to Hezekiah saying one must only bow the knee at the altar in Jerusalem. How dangerous these messages are to Christians! Satan uses any avenue he can to reach us, to cause doubt, or to lose our firm trust and reliance on God and His promises.
What should we do? Our response needs to be the same as Hezekiah. In 2 Kings 19:2-4, we discover a rare occasion in the Bible where prophet, priest, and king were all on the same page. Interestingly, their focus was not on the defense of the city, although a siege appeared imminent. Their focus was on defending God. Hezekiah went directly to the temple to pray, while the priests went to consult the prophet, Isaiah. Together they prayed for God to be vindicated.
We should not stay silent when God is attacked. How we respond will depend on the situation, but prayer is always the first step. Let God guide us when our faith and beliefs are attacked. Remember from an earlier lesson: God is always majority (Read the bonus devotion in 2022, Week 53).
Making it Real
This week concentrates on how we pray. Hezekiah’s short prayer (2 Kings 19:14-19) is a wonderful example. He begins with adoration; then explanation; followed by supplication.
What is on your heart today? First, tell God how amazing He is. Then explain your situation. Last, ask for His intervention. The prayer doesn’t need to be long, just heartfelt. God listens and understands.
Ponder this quote from Ole Hallesby, a Norwegian Lutheran theologian: “Helplessness becomes prayer the moment that you go to Jesus and speak candidly and confidently with him about your needs.”
_________
Merle Poirier writes from Silver Spring, Maryland, where she works as the operation manager for Adventist Review and Adventist World magazines as well as the designer for KidsView, a magazine for 8-12-year-olds. She enjoys spending time with her family including being the grandmother of two active little boys, who greatly enjoy Starting With Jesus.
