We are continuing our journey into the life of Hezekiah in II Kings chapters 18-20.
The first verse is packed with names, and I thought that we could take a quick look at their meanings if that’s ok?
II Kings 18:1 “ In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah began to reign”.
Hoshea – deliverer
Elah – oak tree
Israel – he will rule as God
Hezekiah – Yahweh is my strength
Ahaz – possessor, grasper
Judah – praise
So we could read “ in the third year of the deliverer, son of oak (the tree) the king who rules for God, then Yahweh is my strength, the son of a grasper, but the king of praise, began to reign”. Remember this is the AUV – Allan’s Unauthorised Version……
To be honest, Hezekiah did not have the best role models around him. To the north his neighbouring King was a disaster, his dad Ahaz became king at 20yrs old, and II Kings 16:2-3 tells us “…And he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God…………. He even burned his son as an offering……..”
Hezekiah’s dad Ahaz established worship to idols in every possible location around Judah. He burned Hezekiah’s brother as a baby. He sacrificed to idols continually. He positioned his nation to be under siege by the world powers around him. He made pacts and deals to try and maneuver his way out of trouble. He took all the treasures from the temple and gave it to the King of Assyria to try and buy favour. He built a pagan altar right in the heart of the temple in Jerusalem. He removed the altar that was to God. He led Israel into a dark place, away from God, his reign only lasted 16 years – he died at the age of 36.
To the north of Judah is Israel – the king of Judah’s name Hoshea means ” a deliverer who will rule like God”. Well, I guess he acted like he was God and he delivered his nation into captivity.
We are about to see that Hezekiah (God is my strength) would not be defined by the culture of the day, his powerful neighbours, the habits of his father, or the influences of the world powers. He was King of what may have been the smallest country in the world right then, surrounded on all sides by world powers that wanted to take from him all he had, including his dignity and his life.
It’s not what you are called that charts your path, but what your character is that sets your position.
Next week we will take a look at the next verse as we consider Abi, Hezekiah’s mum!
Blessings
Allan
Principle 2 – it’s not what people call you that counts, but your character.
Strength – Responsibility: People exceptionally talented in the Responsibility theme take psychological ownership of what they say they will do. They are committed to stable values, such as honesty and loyalty.