father < son: Ahaz & Hezekiah

Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of YHWH. He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and also made cast idols for worshiping the Baals. He burned sacrifices in the Valley of Ben Hinnom and sacrificed his sons in the fire, following the detestable ways of the nations YHWH had driven out before the Israelites. He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree.

YHWH had humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had promoted wickedness in Judah and had been most unfaithful to YHWH.

In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to YHWH. He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him; for he thought, "Since the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me." But they were his downfall and the downfall of all Israel.

Ahaz gathered together the furnishings from the temple of God and took them away. He shut the doors of YHWH's temple and set up altars at every street corner in Jerusalem. In every town in Judah he built high places to burn sacrifices to other gods and provoked YHWH, the God of his fathers, to anger.

In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother's name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. He did what was right in the eyes of YHWH, just as his father David had done. He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.)

Hezekiah trusted in YHWH, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to YHWH and did not cease to follow him; he kept the commands YHWH had given Moses. And YHWH was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook.

2 Chronicles 28:1-4,19, 22-25; 2 Kings 18:1-7a NIV

[Yahweh, give me and my children and my descendants hearts like Hezekiah's: fully trusting You and helping to build Your body the church and help others.]