Welcome and thank you for taking a bible break to test your knowledge of God's word.
This week's question:

When Ahaz became king of Judah, he did not rule as his father, Jotham (2 Kings 15:34) who did right in the sight of the Lord, "Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord his God, as his father David had done. But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and even made his sons pass through fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had driven out from before the sons of Israel. And he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree." (2 Kings 16:2-4). King Rezin and the king of Israel waged war with the king Ahaz and many of the tribe of Judah were taken into captivity to Damascus and while 200,000 were taken by Israel, but Obed, a prophet of the Lord, asked them to return them to their homeland because the Lord's anger would now be against them if they did not, so they listened to Obed and even fed, watered and clothed them (2 Chronicles 28:5-15).

Ahaz sent messengers to the king of Assyria, Tiglath-pileser, to ask for help and he did by attacking Damascus and he took many people in exile from there and even put king Rezin to death (2 Kings 16:7-9). When king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet the king of Assyria, he saw the altar there and had a pattern sent to Urijah the priest and he had one built in Jerusalem, "Now in the time of his distress this same king Ahaz became yet more unfaithful to the Lord. For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him, and said, 'Because the gods of the king of Aram helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.' But they became the downfall of him and all Israel." (2 Chronicles 28:22-23). He did not realize that God was provoked by his unfaithfulness and allowed the king of Aram to overpower him, instead of turning to the Lord in repentance which only provoked the Lord all the more and then he died and his son reigned in his place (2 Chronicles 28:24-27).

That brings us to our question, "Who is to set his house in order before his death?". Now Ahaz's son is twenty-five when he becomes king and in his first year he tells the Levites, "Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, that His burning anger may turn away from us. My sons, do not be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to stand before Him, to minister to Him, and to be his ministers and burn incense." (2 Chronicles 29:10-11). The Levites listened to their king and cleansed and replaced the utensils which king Ahaz had removed before the altar of the Lord and sang praises and worshipped Him (2 Chronicles 12-29). They then celebrated the Passover and destroyed the idols that king Ahaz had established throughout Judah and Benjamin (2 Chronicles 30:all & 31:1-2). When the king of Assyria besieged Lachish against the king of Judah, the king along with Isaiah the prophet, prayed and an angel of the Lord came and destroyed every mighty warrior, commander, and officer in the camp of the Assyrians, saving the tribe of Judah (2 Chronicles 32:9-22).

So then, for the answer to our question we turn and read, "In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, 'Thus says the Lord, 'Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.'' Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the Lord, saying, 'Remember now, O Lord, I beseech Thee, how I have walked before Thee in truth and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in Thy sight.' And Hezekiah wept bitterly. And it came about before Isaiah had gone out of the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 'Return and say to Hezekiah the leader of My people, 'Thus says the Lord, the God of your father David, 'I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord. And I will add fifteen years to your life, and I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake and for My servant David's sake.'' (2 Kings 20:1-6). So there we have the answer to our question, as the one who was to set his house in order was none other than one of the great king's of Judah, king Hezekiah!

But the story does not end there on this happy note, as men come to visit from Babylon and king Hezekiah shows them all the wealth of his kingdom and they go back and report to their king. Isaiah tells king Hezekiah that Babylon would come and take spoils from his house along with some of his sons which he would yet foster and carry them away also, and he told Isaiah, "'The word of the Lord which you have spoken is good.' For he thought, 'Is it now so, if there shall be peace and truth in my days?'" (2 Kings 20:17-19). He also fostered a son, Manasseh, who became king at twelve years old and Manasseh rebuilt the high places, the idols, even placing one in the house of the Lord, practiced witchcraft, divination and made his sons pass through fire, provoking the Lord to anger (2 Kings 21:1-7)

May we be careful to not allow a proud heart to overcome us as king Hezekiah did for a while in his life "But Hezekiah gave no return for the benefit he received, because his heart was proud; therefore wrath came upon him and on Judah and Jerusalem. However, Hezekiah humbled the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that wrath of the Lord did not come on them in the days of Hezekiah." (2 Chronicles 32:25-26) Let us be humble for life!