A Godly King
Great and godly King Hezekiah of Judah sought to honor the Lord, and he wanted his subjects to do the same. He naturally included the Judahites in his plans, but he wanted all of Israel to honor the Lord, as well.
Though the Northern Kingdom of Israel had been taken into captivity by Assyria, there was still a remnant of Hebrews in the land. Though not many, Hezekiah reached out to them. We read:
“Now Hezekiah sent word to all Israel and Judah and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover to the Lord God of Israel. For the king and his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem had decided to celebrate the Passover …” (2 Chronicles 30:1).
Though David is considered Israel’s greatest monarch, Kings Hezekiah and Josiah are a close second and third (hard to say who ranks above the other). Both men revered God despite the fact their fathers (and Josiah’s grandfather) were horrible human beings.
In Hezekiah’s case, his desire to fulfill the Mosaic Law and exalt God by nationally celebrating the Passover powerfully testifies to his character and godliness.
How it Went
After winning the support of his “cabinet” and the people of Judah (vv. 2-3), the king and his people …
“… established a decree to circulate a proclamation throughout Israel from Beersheba to Dan, that they are to come to celebrate the Passover to the Lord God of Israel in Jerusalem. For they had not celebrated it in great numbers as was written” (v. 5).
The invitation received a mixed reaction:
“So the couriers passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but they laughed at them with scorn and mocked them. Nevertheless, some men of Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem” (vv. 10-11).
As the invitation reached northern Israel, we see that the majority of the invitees laughed at and mocked the messengers. These Israelites had been ensconced in pagan society and ritual, and had lost all connection with God.
But then comes the word “some.” Though these “some” were also living among pagans, their hearts had not iced over; they still had a pulse when it came to God. They graciously accepted the king’s offer. And it wasn’t as if they said, “Hey, what else are we doing? Let’s head down to Jerusalem for this gigantic shindig and gorge ourselves on food and drink.”
Rather, the passage clearly tells us that these men and women of Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun “humbled themselves.” They were willing to buck the godless tide of the society in which they lived, sought after God, and made a spiritual about-face.
Their humility was sincere.
The Gospel Analogy
This episode provides the perfect analogy for sharing the Gospel. For believers, it serves both as a reality gut-check, and a confidence-builder.
Hezekiah sent messengers throughout the land – both nearby and far off – to invite the people to join forces with God. Likewise, believers are to share the Gospel throughout the world – both nearby and far off. And though we do so out of love and concern for lost souls, we should expect to be laughed at, mocked, and scorned just as Hezekiah’s messengers were.
But at the same time, in God’s sovereignty, there will be those humble few who will bow the knee and accept God’s invitation to have their sins cleansed by the shed blood of Christ.
Such was the case before Christ; such is the case following His death on the cross. Hezekiah extended kindness, mercy, and fellowship to those near and far, and the majority rejected it with disdain. Today we tell the unsaved world of salvation through Christ, and they do the same.
But Hezekiah’s offer was also accepted. The humble few were out there, and Hezekiah’s invitation found them. Today, those who will say yes to Jesus are out there, and God will lead His messengers to them.
Hezekiah sought to honor God and invited an entire nation to join him in worshiping Him. He received mixed results, but those who humbly accepted made all the rejection worth it for the great monarch.
May we take heart from this centuries-old account knowing that though our Gospel-sharing efforts may be dismissed – and insultingly so at times – there are those who will accept, just as those humble Israelites did so long ago!
David Ettinger was born and raised in a Jewish family in New York. After moving to New Mexico as an adult, he suffered through many trials. The nudge of the Holy Spirit caused him to examine his heart and in 1986 he surrendered his life to Jesus and has walked with Him ever since. David holds a BA, and MA, in English from New Mexico State University. He began his journalism career writing for The Roundup, the university paper. After graduation he became the sportswriter for the El Paso Times. He has held many other positions as both writer and editor with major publications. David is active in providing his skills with Zion’s Hope, Inc., in Winter Garden, Florida. His publications include Lifeway publications, Single Parent magazine (Focus on the Family), Zion’s Fire magazine, and Real Life magazine. In addition, he served as managing editor for Zion’s Fire and Real Life. David’s book, Overcomers: 30 Stories of Triumph from the Bible, is available online. David is proud of his son and grandson. Please read his testimony here, on his website.
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