Bird's-eye view
After the disastrous reign of his father Ahaz, a man who sought security in foreign alliances rather than in Yahweh, Hezekiah comes to the throne as a breath of fresh, bracing air. These two verses are a compact summary of his early success, and they provide the theological blueprint for that success. The logic is straightforward and potent: God's presence with the king results in tangible prosperity, and that prosperity empowers the king to throw off ungodly yokes and exercise righteous dominion. This is not a story about a man who succeeded and was therefore blessed by God; it is the story of a man who was blessed by God and therefore succeeded. The rebellion against Assyria and the victories over the Philistines are not the cause of God's favor, but rather the fruit of it. This passage is a miniature portrait of covenant faithfulness and its real world consequences.
Hezekiah's actions here are a direct reversal of his father's policies. Where Ahaz capitulated to Assyria, Hezekiah rebels. Where Ahaz neglected the covenant, Hezekiah prosecutes its claims against Israel's historic enemies. This is repentance on a national scale, a return to first principles. The lesson is plain: godly leadership begins with reliance upon God, which then manifests itself in courage, prosperity, and the bold advancement of God's kingdom against His enemies.
Outline
- 1. The Foundation of Success (v. 7a)
- a. The Divine Presence: "Yahweh was with him"
- 2. The Fruit of Success (v. 7b-8)
- a. Comprehensive Prosperity: "wherever he went he prospered"
- b. Righteous Rebellion: "he rebelled against the king of Assyria"
- c. Covenantal Conquest: "He struck the Philistines"
Context In 2 Kings
These verses serve as a summary statement of Hezekiah's reign, placed right after the description of his sweeping religious reforms (vv. 1-6). The Chronicler places these military successes after the account of the great Passover, tying them even more explicitly to Hezekiah's restoration of true worship. The historian of Kings wants us to see the direct causal link: because Hezekiah "held fast to Yahweh" (v. 6), Yahweh was with him, and his kingdom flourished. This stands in stark contrast to the fate of the Northern Kingdom, Israel, whose destruction at the hands of this very same Assyria is recounted in the subsequent verses (vv. 9-12). The juxtaposition is intentional and stark. Faithfulness to Yahweh leads to prosperity and deliverance; unfaithfulness leads to ruin and exile. Hezekiah is the foil to Hoshea, and Judah's temporary success is the foil to Israel's permanent demise.
Verse by Verse Commentary
7 And Yahweh was with him; wherever he went he prospered. And he rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him.
And Yahweh was with him. This is the central pillar upon which everything else in the text rests. This is not a sentimental statement, as though God were merely an encouraging bystander. This is the language of covenant presence and active divine favor. God was not with Hezekiah because Hezekiah was a nice fellow. God was with Hezekiah because Hezekiah had, in faith, returned to the terms of the covenant. He had torn down the high places and smashed the idols (v. 4). He trusted in the Lord (v. 5). In the new covenant, this promise is universalized for all believers: Christ has promised to be with us to the end of the age (Matt. 28:20). Any success we have, any prosperity, any victory over sin, flows directly from this reality. Without Him, we can do nothing. With Him, Hezekiah prospered.
wherever he went he prospered. The Hebrew word here means to succeed, to be effective. This is not the modern health and wealth gospel, which is a corrupt caricature of true covenant blessing. This is the principle that obedience to God has consequences in the real world, in space and time. When God is with a man, or a family, or a nation, their faithful endeavors are effective. Their crops grow, their businesses turn a profit, their armies win battles. This is the optimistic engine of a postmillennial worldview. We do not believe the church is destined for historical failure. We believe that as we are faithful, God grants tangible success. Hezekiah's prosperity was the visible manifestation of God's invisible presence.
And he rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. This is the first great outworking of his God-given prosperity. Courage is a fruit of faith. His father Ahaz had faithlessly sought an alliance with Assyria, making Judah a vassal state. Hezekiah's rebellion was therefore an act of national repentance. He refused to have Judah's king bend the knee to a pagan emperor. This was a declaration of spiritual, political, and military independence. It was a statement that Yahweh, and not Sennacherib, was the true king of Judah. This is what righteous rebellion looks like. When a lesser authority commands what God forbids, or when it usurps the authority that belongs to God alone, faithful men have a duty to resist. Hezekiah's refusal to serve Assyria was an act of ultimate service to God. He understood that you cannot serve two masters.
8 He struck the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city.
He struck the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory. Hezekiah's faith was not merely defensive, resisting Assyrian encroachment. It was also offensive, going on the attack to reclaim what God had promised His people. The Philistines were ancient enemies, squatting on land that was part of Judah's inheritance. A faithful king does not just maintain the status quo; he takes ground. He prosecutes the claims of his king. Hezekiah was not an imperialist aggressor; he was a covenant administrator, cleaning out the long-neglected corners of his inheritance. This is a picture of the Christian life. We are not simply to resist temptation; we are to advance against the kingdom of darkness, taking thoughts captive and tearing down strongholds.
from watchtower to fortified city. This is a Hebrew idiom, a figure of speech called a merism, that indicates totality. It means he conquered everything, from the smallest, most isolated military outpost (the watchtower) to the largest, most defended urban center (the fortified city). The victory was comprehensive. When God grants success, He is not stingy. Hezekiah's campaign was not a partial or limited success; it was a clean sweep. This points us to the final victory of Christ. His kingdom will not be a small affair, a little watchtower in a world of fortified pagan cities. His dominion will be total, from sea to sea, and He will put all His enemies under His feet.
Application
The pattern in this text is the pattern for all Christian living. First, we must ensure that the Lord is with us, which He is when we walk in faith and obedience to His covenant. We must cling to Christ as Hezekiah clung to Yahweh. All our strength, all our hope, is found in His presence.
Second, we should expect our faithfulness to bear fruit. We should expect to prosper in our callings. This doesn't mean a life free of trouble, but it does mean a life of effectiveness. We should labor in our homes, churches, and communities with a robust and optimistic faith, believing that God blesses the work of our hands for His glory.
Third, this God-given prosperity must embolden us. It should fuel a holy rebellion against the ungodly powers of our age that demand our allegiance. Like Hezekiah, we must refuse to serve the modern kings of Assyria, whether they be the secular state, cultural Marxism, or sexual anarchy. And fourth, our faith must be on the offense. We must be about the business of striking the Philistines, taking back cultural ground that has been ceded to the enemy. From the smallest watchtower of our personal habits to the fortified cities of public institutions, we must press the crown rights of King Jesus. Hezekiah's success was a foretaste of the victory that Christ has already won, and which we are called to implement in the world.