God is a Healer

King Hezekiah led a national revival in Judah. 2 Chronicles 30 gives the account of the Passover being reinstated by King Hezekiah. Even people from Israel came to celebrate this feast, but some of them had not completed all the prescribed rules for purification. The word says in 2 Chronicles 30:18-20

For a multitude of the people, even many from Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not purified themselves, yet they ate of the Passover otherwise than prescribed. For Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, "May the good LORD pardon everyone who prepares his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though not according to the purification rules of the sanctuary." So the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people.  -2 Chronicles 30:18-20

God is a healer. The healing of the people at Passover happened at the very beginning of Hezekiah's reign. Later, Hezekiah prays for his own healing and God adds fifteen years to his life in answer to that prayer.

His son Manasseh who became the next king was not a godly king. Because Manasseh was only 12 when he took the throne we know he was born during the fifteen years that God added to Hezekiah's life. Some people use that to say, "See. God knew best. Hezekiah should have just let himself die." WHAT?! There are so many things wrong with that statement. It upsets me because it maligns the character of my Father. My Father is not a killer, He's a life bringer. (John 10:10)

I've heard others say, "Hezekiah was a good king but a bad father. Just look how his son turned out." How many parents have children that go completely wild despite their best efforts and genuine desire to raise them to love God? That's what I believe happened in this case, because Manasseh repents and serves the LORD at the end of his life. (Proverbs 22:6)

During the last fifteen years of Hezekiah's life he had at least two sons. His other son, Amariah, became the great-grandfather of the prophet Zephaniah. (Zephaniah 1:1) If Hezekiah had "just let God's will be done" and died young we would be missing an entire book of the Old Testament. God's will was not for Hezekiah to die. The word says God searches for an intercessor. He's looking for people to pray and give Him access to their situations.

Finally, Hezekiah's extended reign also extended the time that Judah was not taken captive. Instead of being conquered by the Assyrians, who practiced savage brutality on the people they conquered, Jersualem was taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian. We can read about how he treated captives in the book of Daniel.

Good things come from obedience. Healing, prophecy, deliverance from cruelty. Don't let religious thinking rob you of the good things God wants to do for you! He is good and He does good. ALWAYS.