Of all the kings of the southern kingdom, Judah, Hezekiah was the best: “He trusted in the Lord the God of Israel; so that there was no one like him among all the kings of Judah after him, or among those who were before him. For he held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following him but kept the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses” (II Kings 18:5-6).

In his efforts to bring the people of Judah back to faithful loyalty to the Lord, he destroyed all the hilltop shrines that had been used in Baal worship. He also destroyed the bronze serpent that Moses had made six centuries earlier during the Exodus, which had become an object of worship to which people offered sacrifices (II Kings 18:4).

Two of Hezekiah’s prayers are recorded for us. The first is his prayer about Sennacherib’s taunting letter: “O Lord our God, save us, I pray you, from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O Lord, are God alone” (19:15-19). The second is his prayer when he had learned he would die from his illness (20:2-3). God answered both of these prayers, first with actual words delivered via the prophet Isaiah, and then with deeds: Sennacherib was defeated (19:32-35) and Hezekiah’s life was extended (20:4-7).

We should note two aspects to Hezekiah’s piety: they give us an example well worth emulating. Hezekiah destroyed the idols and practices that turned people away from the Lord, and he actively drew near to God to offer his heartfelt prayers. For us to follow that example, we would need to rid ourselves of those things that pull our hearts away from our God, and we would need to be faithful and disciplined in coming to God in prayer for healing and deliverance. How will we do that?

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Teach us to hold fast to you, O Lord, in faithfulness: turning away from the things that would take us away from you, and drawing near in renewed devotion. Save us, we pray, from the hand of our enemies; and grant us healing in our distress, for both body and soul: for ourselves, for those we love, and for our troubled communities.