The Life of King Hezekiah, Lesson 4

For the past month, we've explored the life of King Hezekiah as he called on God during an impending invasion of the Assyrian Empire. God defended his city, for the sake of his name, which was challenged by the Assyrian King Sennacherib. If you've been a part of the class or know the story, you'll remember how miraculously God saved Jerusalem.

In this last lesson, we study the last recorded events of Hezekiah's life. Sadly, his end isn't as wonderful as earlier stories of his life. Pride got a hold of Hezekiah, and his descendents paid for it. When envoys from Babylon came to see what God had done, Hezekiah showed off his own wealth instead. Isaiah prophesied that Babylon would take Jerusalem, generations after Hezekiah. The last words of this man recorded in the Bible give me chills, "The word of the Lord you have spoken is good. Will there not be peace and security in my lifetime?" (2 Kings 20:19, NIV)

This last lesson also BRIEFLY covers what occurs after Hezekiah's lifetime and how peace and security were not present for most of his descendents. But luckily for us, Jesus Christ redeems this story as a descendent of King Hezekiah. While Hezekiah's faithfulness in his life truly is a marvel of the Bible, his wavering moments might appear as a mirror for us in our lives. Let's look at Hezekiah's life for its awe-inspiring moments and its warnings. God blessed Hezekiah's life, but also gave him challenges. But just as God was with him, God is with us.


*Note: There are no maps or images for this lesson. The recap comes from the Lesson 3 Maps PowerPoint.

The Life of King Hezekiah, Lesson 3

For the past two weeks, we've looked at the life of King Hezekiah as he has called his nation back to God and was threatened by a strong enemy empire. This week, we explore what happened in the encounter between King Hezekiah and Sennacherib. The hand of God was undeniable in this event in history, as evidenced by the Bible and even records accounted by the Assyrians themselves. The Bible we believe in is real--its truth is all around us. Hezekiah prayed and God defended his city, for His own namesake. If you look at that map of the Assyrian empire in the PowerPoint slides, you'll know God was present in this fight.

Next week, this study on the life of King Hezekiah will conclude with a study of Hezekiah's illness close to his death and how God was with him through it all. Sennacherib is out of the picture here, so this class may have a different feel to it. If you have any questions or comments over this week's lesson or next week's to come, feel free to leave a comment.

The Life of King Hezekiah

This entry isn't necessarily a blog, but really just to give you a chance to listen to a bible study I'm conducting at Full Gospel Church in Livingston, NJ. It's on Wednesday Nights from 7:15-8:15pm, with my lesson being roughly a half hour. Since most of you who read this blog are not in the immediate area, I'd like to give you a chance to participate in this class if you're interested in hearing my teaching.

This class is on the Life of King Hezekiah. His life is accounted in 2 Chronicles 29-32, 2 Kings 18-20, and Isaiah 36-38. King Hezekiah doesn't traditionally get much attention in Christian circles because, well, he's not usually considered on of the heavy hitters like Paul, David, Joseph, Moses, Abraham, etc. But I will tell you this--this man made an impact on my life and I hope to share his life with you. He inherited a land that had fallen away from God while an enemy empire threatens his nation from the outside while he's trying to save it from the inside. This man is a man of prayer, wisdom, and military prowess. And he's a man I look up to. I hope after hearing the lessons you can see why.

If you're interested in following this series on "The Life of King Hezekiah", it will be updated weekly on the link at the end of this entry. Just click the folder and download the audio recording with supplemental PowerPoint slides and worksheets. If you have any questions while listening, feel free to write them as comments to this blog and I'll do my best to answer them in the next recording or I'll comment right on to the page.

Thanks, and I hope you enjoy "The Life of King Hezekiah".