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It will be well to notice, at the beginning of this study, its chronological and lesson
connections. At the death of Jehoiada in about 850 B.C., Joash came under the influence of
some idolatrous princes of Judah, who led him off into their own sins. He did not have the
courage and strength of manhood to resist the temptations surrounding him.
One never knows his own weakness or strength until the temptation is ended. The strength of a chain is found in its weakest link. So with man. His strength in overcoming evil is found not in his strongest attainment, but in his weakest. God's hand was laid upon Jehoiada in the spoiling of his kingdom by the Syrians, in severe disease, and finally in his death. Amaziah, his son, succeeded him, first serving God and being greatly blessed, then falling into idolatry, challenging Israel to combat, being defeated, and finally being slain by conspiracy after a reign of 29 years. His son, Uzziah, succeeded him at 16 years of age. He restored and maintained the worship of God and reigned 25 years. But in the latter part of his reign, in a fit of insensate pride, undertook to burn incense in the temple and was smitten with leprosy, from which he never recovered (2 Chron. 26:3-21). Uzziah's son, Jotham, came to the throne in 758 B.C. True to Jehovah, his reign was very prosperous, lasting 16 years. Ahaz, his son, succeeded him and reigned 16 years. But Ahaz exhausted the catalogue of sins. So wicked was he that they did not bury him in the sepulchres of the kings (2 Chron. 28:22-27). He introduced idolatry all over the kingdom. But his son, Hezekiah, who succeeded him, was one of the best of Judah's kings. Hezekiah was the good son of a bad father. This demonstrates that a boy need not be bad because he had the example of a corrupt father before him. A young man may become good, even though his father be the worst of men. Grace and righteousness can, and will, overcome all the disadvantages and difficulties of such parentage. It might not be amiss to attribute much of his strength and goodness to the influence of a pious mother. It may be that his mother's name and lineage, Queen Abijah, or Ahi, as in Kings, the daughter of Zechariah, is mentioned in explanation of his character so contrasted with that of his father. It is uncertain from which of the 28 Zechariahs mentioned in the Bible Hezekiah's mother descended. But it has, with great probability, been conjectured that the Zechariah mentioned in Isaiah 8:2 as Isaiah's faithful witness, "who seems to have been a man in high civil office in the reign of Ahaz," and the Zechariah who was the influential counselor of Uzziah and a prophet (2 Chron 26:5), were the same person, and that he was the father or grandfather of Hezekiah's mother. A godly mother or grandmother may wield a good influence over a son. Paul traces Timothy's "unfeigned faith" through his mother and grandmother (2 Tim. 1:5). There is no influence, either for good or bad, like that of a mother. One has wisely said, "The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world." This is true. Mothers can make the world what they want it to be, but they can never make it what it ought to be through the political ballot box, club parties, or the business world. It must be done through Christian influences at home. A boy is well blessed when he has a godly mother to lead him. It is always safe to do right, whether our fathers have done so or not, but a good example is always helpful. A lesson setting forth the goodness of Hezekiah would hardly be complete without some mention of Isaiah. Thirty years before Hezekiah ascended the throne, Isaiah began his prophecies at the close of the reign of Uzziah. All through the infamous reign of Ahaz, he uttered his protests against apostasy from God and the gross immoralities existing among rulers and people alike. If you ask how it came to pass that the wicked Ahaz could have such an upright son as Hezekiah, we ought not to overlook the possibility, at least, that much in Hezekiah's character was owing to the influence of Isaiah as well as to that of his mother. It is true that as wicked a man as Ahaz would hardly have called Isaiah to the tutelage of his son, but Hezekiah was 25 years old when he ascended the throne. He could easily have been brought into relations with Isaiah that would have had great formative influence. His mother may have been the intermediary by whom this was brought about. Be that as it may, it is certain that after he ascended the throne he was on the most intimate terms with Isaiah, and that there was between them warm friendship and mutual esteem. While the fact is not definitely stated, we may be sure that Isaiah was back of him in the crusade against idolatry, which was such a glorious feature of his reign. And when the crisis came in the invasion of Sennacherib, and all men's hearts, including the king's, were failing them for fear, Isaiah stood like a mountain of faith and all found shelter in him. All that Jehoiada was to Joash after he took the reins of power, Isaiah doubtless was to Hezekiah. Ahaz, the father of Hezekiah, has the reputation of being the most corrupted of all the princes of the house of David, and he left the kingdom both morally and politically in the most debased and humiliating position. Through his influence, true religion was almost wholly extinguished. Hezekiah's first work was that of cleansing the sanctuary and reestablishing true worship. He showed great promptness in bringing to an end the disgraceful state of affairs which had existed under his father's corrupt reign.
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