2 Kings 18:1 – “In the third year of the reign of Hoshea son of Elah over Israel, Hezekiah son of Ahaz became king of Judah. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Abi, the daughter of Zechariah. And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He also demolished the bronze snake called Nehushtan (“bronze snake”) that Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had burned incense to it.
Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. No king of Judah was like him, either before him or after him. He remained faithful to the LORD and did not turn from following Him; he kept the commandments that the LORD had given Moses.
And the LORD was with Hezekiah, and he prospered wherever he went. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and refused to serve him. He defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and its borders, from watchtower to fortified city.
In the fourth year of Hezekiah’s reign, which was the seventh year of the reign of Hoshea son of Elah over Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria marched against Samaria and besieged it. And at the end of three years, the Assyrians captured it. So Samaria was captured in the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel. The king of Assyria exiled the Israelites to Assyria and settled them in Halah, in Gozan by the Habor River, and in the cities of the Medes. This happened because they did not listen to the voice of the LORD their God, but violated His covenant—all that Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded—and would neither listen nor obey.
In the fourteenth year of Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked and captured all the fortified cities of Judah. So Hezekiah king of Judah sent word to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong; withdraw from me, and I will pay whatever you demand from me.”
And the king of Assyria exacted from Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver (300 talents is approximately 11.3 tons or 10.3 metric tons of silver.) and thirty talents of gold. (30 talents is approximately 1.13 tons or 1.03 metric tons of gold.) Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the royal palace.
At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold with which he had plated the doors and doorposts of the temple of the LORD, and he gave it to the king of Assyria.”
The kingdom of Judah is hitting the skids morally and spiritually! Citizens of Judah have created shrines on the top of every hill and under every green tree. Some people are even still burning incense to Nehushtan, the bronze serpent that Moses created in the wilderness. Why was this bronze serpent created?
Numbers 21:4 – 9 tells us, “Then they set out from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, in order to bypass the land of Edom. But the people grew impatient on the journey and spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you led us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread or water, and we detest this wretched food!” So the LORD sent venomous snakes among the people, and many of the Israelites were bitten and died. Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you. Intercede with the LORD so He will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses interceded for the people. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and mounted it on a pole. If anyone who was bitten looked at the bronze snake, he would live.” This incident solved the problem of complainers in the Israelite camp for a little while, but left an object that could be worshiped in hopes of getting good fortune.
The same people who have steadfastly refused to study the Law of Moses and to keep it have managed to turn that bronze serpent into a fetish and burn incense to it! Nehushtan worship serves as a perfect example of people who have the form of worship but who totally neglect the substance. It’s quite likely that once the bronze serpent had served its useful purpose, Moses stuck it back in his tent and forgot about it. But unfortunately, someone who wanted to venerate Moses retrieved the serpent and began worshiping it. Little wonder then, that when Hezekiah ascends the throne and begins smashing pagan images, he destroys the Nehushtan serpent as well.
Hezekiah’s very nature is a miracle. Where has Hezekiah learned about the God of Israel? Somehow, Hezekiah has studied the Law of Moses for himself and keeps it. Amazing!
Why does Hezekiah rebel against Assyria and stop paying tribute? Perhaps this decision has been taken while the Assyrians were still in their own land, before they wiped out the kingdom of Israel and carried off its citizens. Certainly, Hezekiah must know how cruel the Assyrians are! At any rate, the kingdom of Judah pays heavily for that ill – considered decision – Hezekiah winds up stripping the temple and the royal palace of silver and gold. But the Assyrians don’t stay bought; instead, they collect Hezekiah’s tribute and then besiege Jerusalem anyway.
APPLICATION: Stephen R. Covey in his 1989 book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People makes the point that we can either choose to go for form or substance, but not for both. Ironically, this book was published at a time when people in America were lurching toward choosing leaders who appeared good, rather than those of upright moral and spiritual standing. The ensuing years have only brought an ever – increasing flood of wrong choices.
Object worship is very appealing; objects stay put and don’t confront you with your mistakes. Worshiping objects frees you to behave as you choose, creating your own rules. Self – worship is particularly appealing, because it is a closed loop; we make our own rules for admiring ourselves. The One True Living God, on the other hand, is always trying to bring people to a deeper knowledge of Himself. The more we know about God, the more we realize how far short we fall of His Righteousness, His Purity, and His Holiness. We fall on our faces in worship, not because we feel so good about ourselves and therefore good about God, but because we have realized that only God is worthy of our worship and praise. Ironically, as we worship God, God cleans us up and draws our attention away from ourselves and to Him as the ultimate Source of all goodness and light.
When the prophet Isaiah saw the Lord in the temple in Jerusalem, his first thought was, “Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.” (Isaiah 6:5) When one of the seraphim took a coal from the altar and touched Isaiah’s lips, he told Isaiah, “Now that this has touched your lips, your iniquity is removed and your sin is atoned for.” (Isaiah 6:7) It was after that when the Lord asked, “Whom shall I send, and who shall go for us?” and Isaiah responded, “Here am I. Send me.”
One of my favorite hymns is “I, the Lord of Sea and Sky.” I can never sing this hymn or even listen to it without being moved to tears. This is the prayer for today. Here are the words:
I, The Lord Of Sea And Sky,
I Have Heard My People Cry.
All Who Dwell In Dark And Sin,
My Hand Will Save.
I Who Made The Stars Of Night,
I Will Make Their Darkness Bright.
Who Will Bear My Light To Them?
Whom Shall I Send?
Here I Am Lord, Is It I, Lord?
I Have Heard You Calling In The Night.
I Will Go Lord, If You Lead Me.
I Will Hold Your People In My Heart.
I, The Lord Of Snow And Rain,
I Have Borne My People’s Pain.
I Have Wept For Love Of Them, They Turn Away.
I Will Break Their Hearts Of Stone,
Give Them Hearts For Love Alone.
I Will Speak My Word To Them
Whom Shall I Send?
Here I Am Lord, Is It I, Lord?
I Have Heard You Calling In The Night.
I Will Go Lord, If You Lead Me.
I Will Hold Your People In My Heart.
I, The Lord Of Wind And Flame
I Will Tend The Poor And Lame.
I Will Set A Feast For Them,
My Hand Will Save
Finest Bread I Will Provide,
Till Their Hearts Be Satisfied.
I Will Give My Life To Them,
Whom Shall I Send?
Here I Am Lord, Is It I, Lord?
I Have Heard You Calling In The Night.
I Will Go Lord, If You Lead Me.
I Will Hold Your People In My Heart.
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