Second Kings 18-21 tells the remarkable story of King Hezekiah. Without question, Hezekiah was one of the greatest kings of Israel and Judah. Scripture tells us why: “He trusted in the LORD the God of Israel; so that there was no one like him among all the kings of Judah after him, or among those who were before him” (2 Kings 18:5). Accordingly, Scripture tells us that “[t]he LORD was with [King Hezekiah]; wherever went, he prospered” (2 Kings 18:7).
This is not to say that Hezekiah’s life was easy. In 2 Kings 18:13–19:37, he faced constant pressure from the Assyrian Empire. His fear was palpable at one point—after Judah rebelled against paying tribute to the Assyrian king, who promptly invaded and conquered much of Judah. To buy him off, Hezekiah emptied the Temple and his palace of their treasure and sent it to his enemy, who nevertheless besieged Jerusalem, with the generals loudly threatening Hezekiah. With no place left to turn, he began to reach out to the Lord. First, he called on the prophet Isaiah, who assured Hezekiah that the Lord would protect his people. But then Sennacherib sent a letter of further threats, mocking Hezekiah’s dependence on the Lord.
The continuing threat caused Hezekiah to turn directly to the One he trusted. He took the letter to the Temple, spread it before the Lord, and prayed. What Hezekiah prayed is remarkable. He does not ask God to save Judah on Hezekiah’s account or even because of God’s promises to Israel. Instead, he asks God to defend himself “so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O LORD, are God alone” (2 Kings 19:19). Of course, we know how it ends: “That very night the angel of the LORD set out and struck down one hundred eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians; when morning dawned, they were all dead bodies” (2 Kings 19:35).
The point of the story is clear. When Hezekiah most needed a new direction, he sought, through prayer, the direct intervention of the Lord—not for Hezekiah’s sake nor the sake of God’s people. Hezekiah looked to God to glorify himself and God did so.