Second Kings 20:19

The Bible says in Second Kings 20:19-21, “Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken. And he said, Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days?[20] And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made a pool, and a conduit, and brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?[21] And Hezekiah slept with his fathers: and Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.” There are two things said about Hezekiah here that really stand out, and they are more important than the things he built like the pool and the conduit. Hezekiah said, “Good is the word of the LORD.” Anyone who believes and accepts the fact that the Word of God is good is a wise person. If you know that the Word of God is good, then you are going to read the Word of God and listen to it. If you know that the Word of God is good, then you are going to make a place in your life for it, and you will reap the many benefits. Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word of God.” All of Psalm 119 is dedicated to the value of the Word of God. It says in Psalm 119:11, “Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” Psalm 1 speaks of a true believer who separates from evil people to serve the Lord, and it says in verses two and three, “But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

Hezekiah was given bad news by the prophet by the fact that the next generations after Hezekiah would not prosper as he had. But Hezekiah interpreted that bad news from God in a positive way. Hezekiah said, “Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days?” In other words, Hezekiah said, “It may be bad later, but it is good now.” Hezekiah was a positive thinker. Anyone who learns the truths of the Word of God will be a positive thinker. Faith is always positive. It says in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

The Bible says in Second Kings 21:1-6, “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.[2] And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.[3] For he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made a grove, as did Ahab king of Israel; and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.[4] And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD said, In Jerusalem will I put my name.[5] And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.[6] And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.” In this world of sin and failure, it does not take long for wickedness to get the upper hand. Hezekiah was one of the best of all the kings. But as soon as Hezekiah is gone, a wicked king takes over, his own son. And everything changes right away. Leadership makes a difference. The wrong leader led by the wrong spirit can easily ruin everything that went before. Look at the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. Wonderful documents for a country. And yet they are being shredded and denied, and it has been going on for a long time.

The Bible says in Second Kings 21:7-9, “And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house, of which the LORD said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever:[8] Neither will I make the feet of Israel move any more out of the land which I gave their fathers; only if they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that my servant Moses commanded them.[9] But they hearkened not: and Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel.” Manasseh put an idol in the temple. And then it tells us in verse nine the effect that he had on the people of his country: “Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel.” God destroyed the other nations who did less evil than the children of Israel. Does that give a clue of what is now going to happen to the children of Israel? O yes, and now we know why the Babylonians came and conquered them.

The Bible says in Second Kings 21:10-15, “And the LORD spake by his servants the prophets, saying,[11] Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols:[12] Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle.[13] And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab: and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it, and turning it upside down.[14] And I will forsake the remnant of mine inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies;[15] Because they have done that which was evil in my sight, and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers came forth out of Egypt, even unto this day.” Thank God that He is merciful. If you have a chance to turn from your sins and find God’s mercy through faith in Christ, then you must take it. God is also Judge, and if you do not turn from your sins and ask for forgiveness, that means that you are wicked. The Judge is coming.

The Bible says in Second Kings 21:16-18, “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.[17] Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and all that he did, and his sin that he sinned, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?[18] And Manasseh slept with his fathers, and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza: and Amon his son reigned in his stead.” The prophets spoke of God’s anger and God’s judgement, and what did Manasseh do? He sinned even more. He filled Jerusalem with innocent blood. Manasseh was king. He could do what he wanted. There was one thing that he could not do: he could not keep living. He died just like everyone else. What eternal fate did he have when he stood before God? Sadly, there seems to be little doubt that it was not heaven.

The Bible says in Second Kings 21:19-26, “Amon was twenty and two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah.[20] And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his father Manasseh did.[21] And he walked in all the way that his father walked in, and served the idols that his father served, and worshipped them:[22] And he forsook the LORD God of his fathers, and walked not in the way of the LORD.[23] And the servants of Amon conspired against him, and slew the king in his own house.[24] And the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against king Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead.[25] Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?[26] And he was buried in his sepulchre in the garden of Uzza: and Josiah his son reigned in his stead.” The next king after Manasseh was named Amon, and he was assassinated. And therefore, his son took over in his place: Josiah. God can change the leadership of a country if He wants to. He does it all the time. All the leaders of all the countries are temporary. God can change the leaders, God will change the leaders, and God can also change the entire form of government if He wants to. That is how the United States of America was founded.

The Bible says in Second Kings 22:1-8, “Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath.[2] And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.[3] And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of the LORD, saying,[4] Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may sum the silver which is brought into the house of the LORD, which the keepers of the door have gathered of the people:[5] And let them deliver it into the hand of the doers of the work, that have the oversight of the house of the LORD: and let them give it to the doers of the work which is in the house of the LORD, to repair the breaches of the house,[6] Unto carpenters, and builders, and masons, and to buy timber and hewn stone to repair the house.[7] Howbeit there was no reckoning made with them of the money that was delivered into their hand, because they dealt faithfully.[8] And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.” This is a great passage of scripture because it gives exactly what needs to be done when a nation goes the wrong way spiritually: away from God. How can it be fixed? Pick up the Bible and start reading it. It is that simple. The priests were told to find all the silver in the temple, and while they are looking around in the temple, they find something else much more valuable than silver: the Word of God. And then Hilkiah the high priest tells Shaphan what to do with the Word of God: read it.

The Bible says in Second Kings 22:9-13, “And Shaphan the scribe came to the king, and brought the king word again, and said, Thy servants have gathered the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of them that do the work, that have the oversight of the house of the LORD.[10] And Shaphan the scribe shewed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.[11] And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.[12] And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah a servant of the king's, saying,[13] Go ye, inquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us.” We see why Josiah was a great king and a great leader of a country. He read the Word of God. And he was touched and convicted by the Word of God. Josiah wanted to make changes in the country so that they would all start following the Lord and obeying the Lord. We had some leaders like that at the founding of America. We need more. We need some more people like that in our families and in our communities. God have mercy on us if we do not get them.

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