Topical Bible: Pardon: Hezekiah

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Topical Encyclopedia

Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, was the 13th king of Judah, reigning in the late 8th and early 7th centuries BC. His reign is noted for significant religious reforms and a return to the worship of Yahweh, as well as for his interactions with the prophet Isaiah. Hezekiah's life and reign are documented in several books of the Bible, including 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, and Isaiah.

Hezekiah's Illness and Pardon

One of the most notable instances of divine pardon in Hezekiah's life is found in the account of his illness. In 2 Kings 20:1-6 and Isaiah 38:1-5, Hezekiah becomes mortally ill, and the prophet Isaiah delivers a message from the LORD, instructing him to set his house in order because he will not recover. In response, Hezekiah turns his face to the wall and prays earnestly to the LORD, reminding God of his faithfulness and wholehearted devotion. The Berean Standard Bible records his prayer in 2 Kings 20:3: "Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and with wholehearted devotion; I have done what is good in Your sight." Hezekiah weeps bitterly, demonstrating his sincere repentance and reliance on God.

God hears Hezekiah's prayer and sees his tears, and He sends Isaiah back to deliver a message of pardon and healing. The LORD promises to add fifteen years to Hezekiah's life and to deliver Jerusalem from the Assyrian threat. This divine pardon is a testament to God's mercy and willingness to respond to genuine repentance and prayer.

Hezekiah's Pride and Subsequent Pardon

Another significant event in Hezekiah's life involves his pride after recovering from his illness. In 2 Chronicles 32:24-26, Hezekiah's heart becomes proud, and he fails to give thanks to the LORD for the miraculous healing and deliverance he received. This pride incurs God's wrath, but Hezekiah humbles himself and repents. The BSB states in 2 Chronicles 32:26: "Then Hezekiah repented of the pride of his heart, as did the people of Jerusalem; so the wrath of the LORD did not come upon them during the days of Hezekiah."

This episode highlights the importance of humility and gratitude in the life of a believer. Hezekiah's repentance leads to God's pardon, sparing him and his people from immediate judgment. It serves as a reminder of the biblical principle that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).

Hezekiah's Legacy

Hezekiah's reign is marked by his efforts to restore proper worship in Judah, including the removal of high places, the destruction of idols, and the reinstitution of the Passover (2 Chronicles 29-31). His commitment to God and the subsequent divine pardons he received underscore the biblical theme of God's readiness to forgive those who earnestly seek Him and turn from their sins.

Hezekiah's life and the pardons he received illustrate the transformative power of repentance and prayer. His account encourages believers to maintain a humble and contrite heart before God, trusting in His mercy and grace.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 38:17
Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but you have in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for you have cast all my sins behind your back.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Hezekiah, the Praying King
... yet did they eat the passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah
prayed for them saying, The Good Lord pardon every one. ...
/.../bounds/prayer and praying men/vi hezekiah the praying king.htm

Hezekiah
... to make the temple services a real blessing to the people, Hezekiah determined to ...
the Lord;" and those who had prepared their hearts to seek God, found pardon. ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 28 hezekiah.htm

The History Books
... King Hezekiah understood and trembled; he prayed earnestly that God would pardon
the nation's sin, and when the Book of the Law was lying forgotten in the ...
/.../duff/the bible in its making/chapter iv the history books.htm

The Evidence of Scripture on Changes of Determination.
... mind) ought to be copied by us, so we do think that the pardon and revision ... And to
rise to still higher instances, when king Hezekiah was lying on his bed and ...
/.../cassian/the conferences of john cassian/chapter xxv the evidence of.htm

Book 9 Footnotes
... when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmort, the Lord pardon thy servant in ... [2]
What Josephus says here, how Isaiah the prophet assured Hezekiah that "at ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/book 9 footnotes.htm

Kings
... With the exception of Hezekiah, all the kings before Josiah are implicitly condemned ...
was, however, a later redaction some years after the pardon of Jehoiachin ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/kings.htm

Meditations against Despair, or Doubting of God's Mercy.
... is greater; and that every penitent and believing sinner hath the pardon of all
his ... of faithless despair, how happy were it to see many like thee and Hezekiah! ...
/.../bayly/the practice of piety/meditations against despair or doubting.htm

A Prayer when one Begins to be Sick.
... them all; neither can I commit so many as thy grace can remit and pardon. ... next care
be to set thy house in order, as Isaiah advised King Hezekiah, making thy ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/bayly/the practice of piety/a prayer when one begins.htm

On Repentance and Remission of Sins, and Concerning the Adversary.
... Will He grant pardon? Hear ... is? Hezekiah by means of confession routed a
hundred and fourscore and five thousand of his enemies. ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/lecture ii on repentance and.htm

A Miracle of Grace
... you to seek pardon. Deep was the crime, and daring was the impiety of Manasseh,
in size that he undid all the good work of his pious father. What Hezekiah had ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 62 1916/a miracle of grace.htm