HEZEKIAH, Sylvester Hassell Hezekiah, the son of wicked Ahaz, in the royal household, was fully alive to the wickedness of his father’s course, and mourned in secret with other devout souls over the desolations of Zion. Expecting to occupy the throne at his father’s death, he had already made up his mind to abolish these terrible abuses. Accordingly, in the first month of the first year of his reign, and on the first day of the month, he re-opened and cleansed the house of the Lord. And he revived the celebration of the feast of Passover, sending messengers all through the land of Israel as well as of Judah to invite the faithful to the sacred and solemn festival, which was kept with greater joy than any since the days of Solomon.
Indeed, the whole course of the priests and the observance of the law appear in every particular to have been reconstructed and established by Hezekiah, and the reformation extended throughout Judah and Benjamin, and in Ephraim and Manasseh also. The groves were cut down, the high places thrown down, and the images broken in pieces…… Hezekiah was honest and sincere in what he did; his heart entered into the work; and the worship of the true God was beautiful to behold in all quarters of his kingdom.
Not so exactly with all the people; for, in respect to many of them, Isaiah said, wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me,; but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men; therefore will I proceed to do marvelous work among the people, etc…” Isa. 29:1-14, etc.)
Hezekiah engaged in successful wars with both the Assyrians and Philistines 2 Kings 18:1-16; but Sennacherib invaded his country in the fourteenth year of his reign, and forced him to tribute. Before the arrival of the Assyrian king, Hezekiah was miraculously healed of his sickness by the prophet Isaiah, and assured of the lengthening of his life fifteen years by the going back ten degrees of the shadow on his dial. And he was delivered out of the hand of Sennacherib, the Lord miraculously destroying his army.
These favorable circumstances exalted Hezekiah, and he became vain; they were a snare unto him. He was thought highly of and honored by the nations around him. The king of Babylon, Berodach-baladan, among others, had to send him ambassadors to congratulate him on the recovery from his sickness, and Hezekiah, in a fit of vanity and pride, showed them all his wealth and magnificence.
The prophet Isaiah reproved him for this, and pronounced the judgment of the captivity against him, his family, and his kingdom. Upon this, “Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; so that the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah” 2 Kings 20. So much for this worthy, patriotic, conscientious and devout king, Hezekiah. His son was a perfect contrast to him, and excelled in wickedness all who had preceded him. (Hassell’s History ppg 129, 130)