Question 1

Who was King Hezekiah, and what made his reign stand out?

Accepted Answer

Hezekiah became king of Judah at twenty-five and ruled for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. Unlike his father Ahaz, he is described as doing what was right in the Lord’s sight, following the pattern of David. He removed high places, smashed idols, cut down pagan groves, and even broke the bronze serpent from Moses’ time because people were burning incense to it. He trusted the Lord, clung to Him, and kept His commands. Because of this, the Lord was with him, and there was no king of Judah like him before or after in that same steady trust.

Question 2

Why did Hezekiah destroy the bronze serpent and call it Nehushtan?

Accepted Answer

The bronze serpent had first been made by Moses as a means for Israel to look in faith to God for healing. Over time, people began to burn incense to it, turning it into an object of worship instead of a reminder to trust God. Hezekiah broke it into pieces and called it “Nehushtan,” meaning just a piece of brass, to show that even something with a good history must not replace God in people’s hearts. This act shows his zeal to clear away every form of idolatry and keep worship focused on the Lord alone.

Question 3

What does this passage show about trusting God versus trusting Egypt or money?

Accepted Answer

In this chapter, Judah stands between dangerous choices. Hezekiah is praised for trusting the Lord instead of idols, and he even throws off Assyrian control. But when Sennacherib attacks, Hezekiah tries to buy peace by sending silver and gold, even stripping the temple. The Assyrian spokesman then mocks any trust in Egypt as leaning on a broken reed that pierces the hand. He also mocks trust in the Lord. The story shows how human deals, foreign help, and money all fall short, while the real issue is whether God Himself will protect those who cling to Him.

Question 4

Why did God allow Israel to be taken into exile by Assyria?

Accepted Answer

The text clearly says Israel was carried away to Assyria “because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD their God.” They broke His covenant, ignored what He commanded through Moses, and refused to hear or do His words. So Shalmaneser besieged Samaria, and after three years the city fell. The people were relocated to places like Halah, Habor, and the cities of the Medes. This exile stands as a warning beside Hezekiah’s faithfulness, showing that long-term disobedience leads to judgment, even while God still works with those who turn back to Him.

Question 5

What is the significance of Rabshakeh’s speech to the people of Jerusalem?

Accepted Answer

Rabshakeh’s speech is meant to scare and break the faith of Jerusalem. He questions what they are trusting in and calls their words empty. He mocks Egypt as a weak helper, twists Hezekiah’s removal of high places as if it offended God, and even claims the Lord sent Assyria to destroy the land. Speaking loudly in the people’s own language, he urges them not to listen to Hezekiah or trust the Lord, but to surrender in hope of comfort in another land. His words picture how unbelief talks: it belittles trust in God and makes present strength and comfort seem more real than God’s promises.

Question 6

Why did Hezekiah pay tribute and strip gold from the temple if he trusted God?

Accepted Answer

This passage shows that even a faithful leader can struggle under pressure. When Sennacherib takes the fortified cities of Judah, Hezekiah sends a message saying, “I have offended,” and offers to bear whatever tribute is demanded. He then gives all the silver from the Lord’s house and the king’s treasures and even cuts off the gold he himself had put on the temple doors. This looks like a fearful, desperate move. It shows the tension a believer can feel between trusting God and grabbing at human ways to survive, and it sets the stage for later prayer and deeper reliance on the Lord.

Question 7

What does this chapter teach about idolatry and true worship?

Accepted Answer

The chapter shows idolatry in several forms. In Israel, disobedience to God’s covenant leads to exile. In Judah, even a good object like the bronze serpent has become an idol, so it must be destroyed. The Assyrians trust in their own power and many conquered gods, and they speak as if the Lord is just one more local god who will fall. In contrast, Hezekiah removes high places and images and insists on worship in Jerusalem as God commanded. True worship means obeying God’s word, clearing out anything that competes with Him, and trusting Him alone instead of human strength or religious objects.

Question 8

How can Hezekiah’s example help believers facing fear and pressure today?

Accepted Answer

Hezekiah’s life in this chapter is not neat or easy. He trusts God, cleans up worship, and sees God’s help in battle, yet he also faces a strong empire, sees nearby Israel fall, and feels fear strong enough that he sends huge tribute. He shows that faith is not the absence of pressure but clinging to God in the middle of it. For believers today, his example invites honest dependence on God, courage to remove modern “idols” that pull the heart away, and a reminder that loud voices of doubt and threat do not define reality. God’s faithfulness matters more than human odds.

2 Kings 18:1

Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.

Hezekiah Destroys Idolatry in Judah

Hezekiah Reigns over Judah

Hezekiah Victorious

Sennacherib Invades Judah

Invasion of Judah

Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem

Hezekiah Destroys Idolatry in Judah

Hezekiah Reigns over Judah

Cross References

2 Kings 18:1

Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.

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Hezekiah Destroys Idolatry in Judah

Hezekiah Reigns over Judah

Hezekiah Victorious

Sennacherib Invades Judah

Invasion of Judah

Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem

Hezekiah Destroys Idolatry in Judah

Hezekiah Reigns over Judah

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