當以色列國在何細亞手下日趨毀滅之際，猶大國卻在希西家王的主政下經歷了一場復興。希西家是自從大衛以來最敬虔的國王，他像大衛一樣，「行耶和華眼中看為正的事」。他做了什麼討上帝喜悅的事呢﹖他遵守上帝的誡命──這代表他一定查考過上帝的話。他比任何在他前後的王更信靠上帝，有關他面對亞述威脅的記載就是一例。

        希西家不只忠心的跟隨上帝，他「專靠耶和華」。他對上帝的愛使他在猶大行了許多復興，特別是導正了許多他父親亞哈斯在位時的惡習。希西家除去所有的邱壇，先前猶大有幾位好王，卻都未予處理。希西家一定熟讀了上帝的話語（申17：18~19，這是對國王的一項要求），因此他曉得獻給上帝的祭必須都帶到敬拜的中心（申12：5~11）。他也毀壞了所有的偶像，包括摩西製造的銅蛇──牠已經演變成百姓敬拜的對象了（18：4；民21：7~9）。

        希西家行上帝所喜悅的事有什麼結果呢﹖聖經告訴我們：「耶和華與他同在，他無論往何處去，盡都亨通。」（18：7）希西家的父親亞哈斯不信任上帝，反向亞述國稱臣，尋求亞述的保護來對抗亞蘭和以色列聯軍。希西家是猶大最好的王，他的父親亞哈斯卻是猶大最壞的王，這真是個有趣的現象。希西家的靈性大概是受了他母親和他外祖父，先知撒迦利雅的影響（代下26：15）。

        不過希西家在位期間也並非一帆風順。上帝可以用信徒生命中的困境來試驗我們，建立我們的信心。亞述入侵猶大，佔領了猶大的堅固城，就是對希西家的一場信心考驗。在亞述大軍到達耶路撒冷之前，希西家王先奉上罰金，想阻止西拿基立再往前逼進。但這一招只有短暫的時效。不久亞述又來攻打耶路撒冷。亞述軍長拉伯沙基對已方的軍力有十足的信心，他用猶大語大聲的恐嚇、打擊耶城內的居民，又侮辱希西家，褻瀆以色列的上帝，宣稱上帝不能拯救猶大人。他誇口說亞述擊敗了其他比以色列更強大的國家，那些國家的神都不能幫助他們的百姓，弱小的猶大又豈能妄想抵抗亞述的大軍呢﹖

        希西家拒絕屈服，於是亞述王西拿基立寫了一封語氣更為強烈的信褻瀆上帝。希西家將此信帶到上帝面前，懇切的祈禱。上帝也藉著先知以賽亞回答他：上帝會懲罰亞述人的褻瀆，他們將知道，只有一位又真又活的全能上帝，祂也必藉著滅命的天使來拯救耶路撒冷。

        亞述人誇口要將以色列人擄回為奴，但上帝施大能干預，使亞述剩餘的軍隊灰頭土臉的逃回本國去了。上帝絕不被嘲弄。祂會尊榮、保護祂信實的僕人，不讓他們受羞辱。祂真的是我們的盾牌和力量。

        主啊，幫助我們像希西家一樣有堅定的決心，用一切的力量來端正邪風惡俗。我們讚美您不讓我們受羞辱。求您在我們身上榮耀您自己。奉主耶穌聖名，阿們！

English

        While Israel was falling into destruction Hoshea, Judah was in a time of revival under Hezekiah, the godliest king since David, for like David, "he did what was right in the sight of the Lord" (18:3). What did he do that was right and pleasing to the Lord? He kept His commandments, which means he must have studied God's Word. He trusted God more than any other king before or after him, and the account of the Assyrian threat is an illustration of his trust in Him.

        Hezekiah not only consistently followed God, he "held fast to Him" (18:6). His love for God led to many reforms in Judah, especially since he had much cleaning up to do after his ungodly father Ahaz had been on the throne. Hezekiah removed all the high places of unauthorized worship which the other good kings had left intact. He must have had a thorough knowledge of the Word of God (a requirement of the king under theocracy, Deuteronomy 17:18-19) and was therefore aware of the requirements concerning sacrifice to God only at the central sanctuary (Deuteronomy 12:5-11). He also destroyed all objects of idolatrous worship, including the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for it had wrongly become an object of worship (18:4; Numbers 21:7-9).

        What was the result of Hezekiah's pleasing the Lord? We read, "The Lord was with him; he prospered wherever he went" (18:7). He therefore enjoyed the presence of God and God's power in his life. When he came to power on the throne of Judah, he was able to rebel against Assyria, no longer paying them tribute (18:7). His father, Ahaz, had not trusted God and had subjected his kingdom to Assyria in order to gain their protection against the attack of Syria (Aram) and Israel (16:5-9). It is interesting to note that Hezekiah, the most righteous king, was the son of one of the most wicked kings, Ahaz. This is probably because of the godly influence of his mother and his maternal grandfather Zechariah, who was a prophet of God (2 Chronicles 26:5).

        Hezekiah's godly reign, however, was not without difficulties. God can use adverse circumstances in the believer's life to test us and build our faith. Assyria proved to be a test to Hezekiah's faith when they invaded and took some of the fortified cities of Judah. Before they reached Jerusalem, however, Hezekiah prevented Sennacherib's advance by paying him off. This payment did not hold Assyria off for long, and soon they attempted to take Jerusalem. With confidence in their power, the Assyrian Rabshakeh, chief of the officers, spoke loudly in the vernacular to frighten and demoralize the people. He threw terrible insults at Hezekiah and blasphemed the God of Israel by declaring that He was not able to deliver them. He boasted that if Assyria could defeat every other country that was bigger and stronger than Judah, and the gods of these people had not helped them, how could little weak Judah ever hope to withstand the Assyrian power?

        At this point, we are introduced for the first time to the famous prophet Isaiah, whom the Lord used to encourage and strengthen Hezekiah in this time of crisis. After hearing the distressing words of Rabshakeh, Hezekiah's first action was to go directly to God in prayer. Then he asked for Isaiah's prayers as well, for the prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16). Isaiah prophesied that the Assyrians would return without taking Jerusalem, something which, on the natural level, appeared impossible. With Hezekiah's refusal to surrender, Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, sent a stronger message in a letter, again blaspheming God. Hezekiah laid the letter out before the Lord and, once again, earnestly prayed. The Lord's reply came through Isaiah: He would punish the blasphemy of the Assyrians; they were to know that there was only One true, living, and powerful God, and He Himself would save the city. This He accomplished through His death angel.

        The Assyrians had planned to proudly lead the people of Judah as captives back to Assyria, but God intervened in a mighty way, and it was He that led the remainder of the army back in shame to Assyria (19:28). God will not be mocked. He will honour and protect His faithful servants and not allow them to be put to shame. He truly is our defender and our strength.

        Lord help us, like Hezekiah, to be strong in our resolve to use every effort to put wrongs right. We praise You that You will not allow us to be put to shame. Glorify Yourself in us, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.