Failed Heroes: Hezekiah and Josiah

Why does it matter that these heroes failed? See introduction to series.

Hezekiah

How was Hezekiah a hero? Hezekiah "did right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father David had done. He removed the high places and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel burned incense to it; and it was called Nehushtan" (II Kings 18:3-4). Instead of surrendering to Assyria, "he rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him" (II K. 18:7).There is the wonderful story of his seeking God during the Assyrian attack; he took the threatening letter to God, and God gave an incredible deliverance. Hezekiah also had great military success against the Philistines, prospered in general under the blessing of God, and was instrumental in great revival in the land.

How did Hezekiah fail? After fourteen years of blessing and victory as king, Hezekiah showed some wavering when he agreed to pay tribute in response to the Assyrian siege (II K. 8:13-14). Shortly after this incident, Hezekiah became very ill. God sent Isaiah to inform Hezekiah that he was going to die. Hezekiah responded with bitter crying, implying that he didn't deserve to die, because he had lived for God. God chose to heal Hezekiah and give him fifteen more years of life, "but Hezekiah gave no return for the benefit he received, because his heart was proud" (II Chronicles 32:25). In these added years, Hezekiah made the mistake of showing the riches of the kingdom to the Babylonians who would later conquer and seize them all (II K. 20).

What was Hezekiah's heart response? Hezekiah "trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel; so that after him there was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among those who were before him. For he clung to the LORD; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments" (II K. 18:5-6). He initiated a great spiritual revival in Judah; immediately upon becoming king, he repaired and re-opened the temple, consecrated the priests, reinstituted the offerings, and invited the people to cleanse themselves and come in worship (II C. 29-30). "Every work which he began in the service of the house of God in law and in commandment, seeking his God, he did with all his heart and prospered" (II C. 31:21). He sought God sincerely, and even in his times of weakness and failure, he remembered to turn to God. It was after surrendering tribute money to the Assyrians that he humbly and earnestly sought God, who Himself defeated and scattered the Assyrian army. After his later failure of his foolish pride which caused him to show off all the kingdom's wealth to Babylon, "Hezekiah humbled the pride of his heart, . . . so that the wrath of the LORD did not come on them in the days of Hezekiah" (II C. 32:26).

How did Hezekiah's story end? Hezekiah is a king who is remembered as probably the best king other than David. God prospered him greatly, and his humility in times of trouble and even following times of failure caused God to hold back His wrath and judgment during Hezekiah's lifetime.

Application: Hezekiah ended up doing the right thing, but his moments of wavering, when he thought too much about himself and not enough about God, unfortunately led to decline for his kingdom. As the result of these two incidents, some wealth went to Assyria, and the rest ultimately went to Babylon. Hezekiah made the mistake of assuming God's blessing was deserved based on his own heart and actions. He did serve God faithfully for many years, but he later displayed damaging pride over the blessings he received and the answers to prayer he enjoyed.

Josiah

How was Josiah a hero? Josiah was the great-grandson of Hezekiah. Between them was a long reign by Manasseh, who was evil but turned to God in his later years, and then a brief reign by the wicked Amon. In the intervening years between Hezekiah and Josiah, much spiritual damage was done in Judah. Josiah, as an eight-year old boy king, worked to again bring revival in the kingdom. He personally sought God, he removed the idols from the land, and he repaired the house of God (II C. 34). In the process of the repairs, the book of the law was found, which led to greater steps of revival.

How did Josiah fail? Josiah's failure may seem minor, perhaps even born out of good motives. When the king of Egypt was waging war nearby, Josiah went out to engage him in battle. King Neco had no quarrel with Josiah and urged him not to delay Neco in the battle to which God had sent him. In spite of the fact that Neco's words were "from the mouth of God," and he warned that Josiah was "interfering with God" by inhibiting Neco's progress, Josiah disguised himself and still pursued the battle (II C. 35:21-22).

What was Josiah's heart response? Josiah started out right. From a young age, "he did right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of his father David and did not turn aside to the right or to the left" (II C. 34:2). When the book of the law was found and read, Josiah's response caused God to say, "Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and because you humbled yourself before Me, tore your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you" (II C. 34:27). Josiah covenanted to obey God, and he held a Passover celebration that had not been rivaled since the days of Samuel (II C. 34:31; 35:18).

How did Josiah's story end? Sadly, this young king who loved God never had the opportunity to repent after his failure. He was killed in the battle in which he never should have been involved. The years of his influence were cut short, and the last godly king of Judah passed off the scene. The nation of Judah was not far behind in facing its demise.

Application: Both Hezekiah and Josiah were men with great hearts for God. They strongly desired to serve Him, and both men had tremendous impact on those around them. They were both influential in removing false worship and in leading revivals in their kingdom. The danger for both men seems to be that after a time, they stopped (at least in certain instances) seeking God's guidance. With their years of godliness, success, and prosperity, they felt comfortable in their ability to know the right thing to do, and they acted apart from God's direction. It is easy to see how someone who so sincerely strives to serve God and who has depended on Him for many years would have the tendency to rely on the godly wisdom he has learned. Having walked faithfully with God, a believer could assume that he has so effectively learned to do so that he no longer needs to seek God in every situation. In the lives of these two great kings, the failure to seek and obey God resulted in decline and even death. There is no believer so mature, so spiritual, so dedicated, or so wise that he no longer needs to seek God. Past success was dependent not on one's own wisdom, but on obedience to God, and that is the only way to have continued success in the future.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6 (NASB)