Section 1

Hezekiah ascended to the throne of Judah around 715 BC, inheriting a kingdom in a precarious state. His father, King Ahaz, had led Judah into a period of spiritual decay and political subjugation. Ahaz had forsaken the covenant with God, introducing pagan idols and even closing the doors of the great Temple in Jerusalem. He had rejected the counsel of the prophet Isaiah and, instead of trusting in the Lord for protection, had made Judah a vassal state to the powerful Assyrian Empire, paying a heavy tribute to its king, Tiglath-Pileser III.

This political alliance offered temporary security but came at a steep spiritual cost. The kingdom was morally adrift, and its national identity, rooted in its unique relationship with God, was severely compromised. It was into this challenging environment that Hezekiah, at the age of 25, stepped forward to rule. Unlike his father, Hezekiah was a man of profound faith and conviction. The biblical accounts in 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, and Isaiah describe him as one of Judah’s most righteous kings, stating, "He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done" (2 Kings 18:3). From the very beginning of his reign, his primary objective was clear: to reverse the damage done by his father and restore Judah to its former spiritual glory and political independence.