Hezekiah

Hezekiah was king of the southern kingdom, Judah, at the time when the Assyrians defeated the northern kingdom of Israel. Hezekiah was a good king who followed God throughout his life. He began his reign by completely reforming Judean worship. He removed the high places and all the idols that previous kings had allowed. At one point Hezekiah became very sick and was at the point of death, so he prayed that the Lord would heal him. God honored his prayer, promising to give him another 15 years of life. He also delivered Hezekiah and Jerusalem from the Assyrians. Hezekiah resembled King David more closely than any other Davidic king thus far. He is listed in the genealogy of Jesus (Matt. 1:9–10). (2 Kings 18:3–8)