2 Chronicles Chapter 10
Rehoboam reigned in his father's (King Solomon's) place. Now King Rehoboam looked for advice in a certain situation. He told the people to go away and come back in three days time. He then consulted with the elders who had stood before his father Solomon, in which he rejected their counsel. He then consulted the young men who had grown up with him, and took the advice given to him by them.
2 Chronicles Chapter 24
Joash was seven years old when he became king. He reigned for 40 years.
Now what's interesting, is verse 2. He did what was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest.
But if we now read from verse 17, we see that after Jehoiada's death, the leaders came and worshiped King Joash, and the king listened to them, and they turned and started worshiping and serving wooden images and idols.
God sent them prophets, to bring them back, but they would not listen to God's prophets.
2 Chronicles Chapter 26
Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king. He reigned 52 years.
Now what's interesting, is verse 5. He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the LORD, God was with him.
Often, though, when kings become strong (strong in wealth, strong in stature, strong in dominion, strong in following, strong in academia, strong in culture,...), their heart is lifted up, and pride sets in. There is temptation, to start believing that they (themselves) have been instrumental in becoming strong.
2 Chronicles Chapter 28
Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years.
Verse 23 tells us that he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him, saying, "Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me." But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel.
2 Chronicles Chapters 29-32
Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years. And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father David had done.
We can read all about his reign in 2 Chronicles Chapters 29-32.
Looking at 2 Kings Chapters 18 & 19 (& Isaiah Chapter 36), we see the following.
In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it, and took it at the end of three years. Then, in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. King Hezekiah then appears to plead with the king of Assyria and then offers to pay up anything that the king of Assyria imposes on them. Perhaps in a panicked desperate way. (2 Kings 18:14-16.)
(The children of Israel had no strength left to bring about victory. They were spent. They couldn't raise themselves to even think about this massive difficulty in front of them. (2 Kings 19:3.))
King Hezekiah comes to realise that he needs to focus less on what the kings of Assyria have done, and more on what the LORD will do. (That's why the king of Assyria sent his offices to keep declaring out loud in the hearing of all the people who assembled in that place about Assyria's conquests, confidence, and their great army; to make them focus of what they had done and what they were capable of.)
King Hezekiah sends his servants to Isaiah the prophet, to inquire of the LORD. We read of the word that was rec'd, in 2 Kings 19:5-7. It's important to read on to what happened next. King Hezekiah has just rec'd word, through the prophet Isaiah, that the king of Assyria will return to his own land and die. We then read in the very next verse that the king of Assyria sent messengers again to Hezekiah saying... (2 Kings 19:10-13). So what does Hezekiah do? It's interesting what he does do. He takes the letter into the house of the LORD, and spreads it out, and prays (2 Kings 19:14-19). We then read of the LORD's word to Hezekiah through God's prophet Isaiah (2 Kings 19:20-34). The death and defeat of Sennacherib the king of Assyria ends the chapter.
Psalm 33:10-12 NKJV
The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect.
The counsel of the LORD stands forever,
The plans of His heart to all generations.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.
Proverbs 19:20 & 21 NKJV
Listen to counsel and receive instruction,
That you may be wise in your latter days.
There are many plans in a man's heart,
Nevertheless the LORD's counsel - that will stand.
Isaiah 9:6 NKJV
For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
***
More on King Hezekiah
But then he humbled himself for the pride of his heart, so that the wrath of the LORD did not come upon them in his days. Verse 26.
We also read of an interesting account of what happened, in 2 Kings Chapter 20. There are some very interesting things in this chapter, but the one I want to focus on, is Hezekiah asking for the shadow on the sundial to go backward ten degrees. He says that it's an easy thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees (which is to speed up time). He continues: "no, but let the shadow go backward ten degrees." This was the sign that God would heal Hezekiah so that he could have 15 more years.
