God Blesses Humbled Hearts

These chapters include the accounts of two significant events in the life and reign of Hezekiah giving him opportunity to demonstrate his faith and trust in the Lord. One when he was gravely ill and he asked the Lord to extend his life, which the Lord did by fifteen years. Sadly the second account records a test sent by God which he failed. By a demonstration of his pride exalting himself, he shows off the treasure storehouses to the king of Babylon. Isaiah carries the rebuke from the Lord foretelling the captivity by Babylon to come in the days of his sons.

Hezekiah's son, Manasseh will be as godless as his father was godly. He will be a big cause necessitating the judgment of the captivity that comes upon the nation (Jeremiah 15:4.) While reigning the longest of all Israel's kings he reinstated the false worship sites, promoted, and practiced pagan worship.

Amazingly, Manasseh gets converted after being carried off to Babylon. He humbles himself before the Lord and the grace of God restored him back to his place and position in Israel. Unfortunately the nation followed his degradation, but not his reforms. His son would follow in his evil ways.

However his grandson, Josiah, resumed efforts to bring spiritual revival to the southern kingdom, thereby 'delaying' the coming judgment of God.

Some points of application from this study include:

1. Godly parents may have ungodly children, as well as ungodly parents may have godly children.
2. The most ungodly of men may be saved.
3. We should never lose hope for the salvation of our children.
4. Salvation does not undo the damage of a wicked life.