Hezekiah was a king of Judah and was the son of King Ahaz, a wicked king.  Under Ahaz’s rule, the people fell into idolatry.  We read in 2 Kings 17:34-35, “Unto this day they do after the former manners: they fear not the LORD, neither do they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law and commandment which the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel; With whom the LORD had made a covenant, and charged them, saying, Ye shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them.”  When Ahaz died, he was buried in Jerusalem, but was denied a place in the tombs of the kings.  2 Chronicles 28:27 says, “And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem: but they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.”

Hezekiah was altogether different than his father.  We read in 2 Chronicles 29:1-2, “Hezekiah began to reign when he was five and twenty years old, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. And HE DID THAT WHICH WAS RIGHT IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD, according to all that David his father had done.”  We also read in 2 Chronicles 31:20-21, “And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the LORD his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.” 

Because of Hezekiah’s faithfulness to the Lord, he was granted great success during his reign as we read in 2 Kings 18:6-7, “For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses. And the LORD was with him; and he prospered whithersoever he went forth: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not.” 

It came to pass that Hezekiah became gravely ill.  2 Kings 20:1 says, “In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.”  This word from the Lord through Isaiah greatly upset Hezekiah.  He prayed in verse 2, “I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.”  I encourage you to read 2 Kings 20-21 to get an understanding of what happened next.  The Lord granted Hezekiah’s prayer.  He healed him and granted him 15 more years of life.  The king asked the Lord for a sign to verify His promise.  We read in verses 9-10, “And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees? And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees.”

When the fifteen years were up, Hezekiah died.  We then read in 2 Kings 21:1, “Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hephzi-bah.”  Because Manasseh was 12 years old when Hezekiah died, we realize that he was born during the 15-year extension of Hezekiah’s life.  Manasseh was a terrible king.  We are told in 2 Kings 21:16, “Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; beside his sin wherewith he made Judah to sin, in doing that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.”  All this happened because King Hezekiah did not bow to the Lord’s word concerning the end of his life.  If he had accepted what he was told and “set his house in order,” Manasseh would never have been born and corrupted the nation of Judah as he did. Although Manasseh repented of his sin, he was unable to undo the damage he had done to the nation or to his own son who followed him. Manasseh shows that, while any sin may be forgiven when we repent, forgiveness does not necessarily remove the natural consequences that flow from disobedience.  (CC)  (591.6)