Your children are not limited by your failures—or by the family they were born into.

Can one faithful person change the direction of an entire family?

In today's episode of The Dwelling Place, we're reading 2 Kings 18, 2 Chronicles 29–31, and Psalm 48, where we meet one of Judah's greatest kings—Hezekiah. Despite growing up under one of the most wicked fathers in Israel's history, Hezekiah chose a completely different path. His life is a powerful reminder that God's grace is greater than generational sin, family dysfunction, and even the deepest spiritual brokenness.

As Christian moms, it's easy to carry the weight of believing everything depends on us. We worry about our parenting mistakes, our children's future, and the circumstances they experience growing up. But Hezekiah's story reminds us that God is sovereign over every generation. He alone has the power to redeem, restore, and revive hearts.

If you've ever wondered whether your family's story can be different, this episode offers hope rooted in the faithfulness of God.

In this episode you'll discover:

• Why Hezekiah became one of Judah's greatest kings despite his father's wickedness
• How spiritual revival began with one leader who loved God wholeheartedly
• What it means to remove modern-day idols from our own hearts
• Why genuine revival always leads to joyful worship
• How Hezekiah united God's people around the Passover
• The beautiful picture of God's grace shown to those who sincerely seek Him
• Why Christian moms can rest in God's sovereignty instead of parenting from fear
• Encouragement for breaking generational patterns through faith in Christ

One of the most freeing truths from today's reading is this: our children are ultimately God's children. While He calls us to faithfully disciple them, He is far more powerful than our failures, our family history, or our fears. The same God who preserved and transformed Hezekiah is still writing stories of redemption today.

Scripture in this episode:

• 2 Kings 18
• 2 Chronicles 29–31
• Psalm 48

Key Verse:

"We have thought on your steadfast love, O God..." — Psalm 48:9

If The Dwelling Place is encouraging your walk with Christ, would you leave a five-star rating and written review? Your review helps more moms discover biblical encouragement and join us as we read through the Bible together.

Entrusted Ministries exists to help moms know God's Word, trust God's character, and faithfully pass His truth to the next generation.

#ChristianParenting #BibleStudy #BibleReadingPlan #Hezekiah #ChristianMom #BiblicalMotherhood #FaithAndFamily #Psalm48 #EntrustedMinistries #TheDwellingPlace #GenerationalFaith #OldTestament #TrustGod #BibleForMoms #ChristianPodcast

Resources Mentioned:

• Entrusted With a Child's Heart
• The Again Podcast
• Full-Circle Discipline Resources

Commentaries Most Referenced: Moody Commentary, MacArthur Commentary

This is The Dwelling Place from Entrusted Ministries.

2

I'm Stephanie Hickox, and today I know

you are going to rejoice with me and

3

say, " Hallelujah, finally," as we look

at the beginning of the reign of the

4

Honorable King Hezekiah in 2 Kings 18, 2

Chronicles 29 through 31, and Psalm 48.

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Even though his father was

entirely wicked, the Lord used

6

Hezekiah to bring great revival

and reform in the nation of Judah.

7

We'll give Hezekiah all the credit

he's due, but before we can even talk

8

about him, I see the goodness of the

sovereignty of God in protecting his life.

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King Ahaz, his father, had

sacrificed some of his sons to

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Moloch, but God preserved Hezekiah.

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We don't know the birth order,

but here he is at 25, ready to

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come on the scene in righteousness

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He had plenty of time to observe the

wickedness of his dad, and he's old enough

14

to choose, Will I serve Yahweh or will

I continue in the path of my father?"

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To answer that, let's look to

2 Chronicles 29 he reigned

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twenty-nine years in Jerusalem.

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His mother's name was Abijah,

the daughter of Zechariah.

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And he did what was right in the

eyes of the Lord, according to

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all that David his father had done

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just two verses prior, we were told

Hezekiah, his son, reigned in his place.

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But here the chronicler makes sure we

understand that Hezekiah's spiritual

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heritage is so much more important

than his biological heritage.

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He walks in the ways of his father, David.

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And oh, for you and I, that is gonna

preach Already we can tell Hezekiah is

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going to honor the Lord with his reign.

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But how zealous is he, and how

soon does he begin these reforms?

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Verse three tells us immediately.

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In the first year of his reign, in the

first month, he opened the doors of the

29

house of the Lord and repaired them.

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His father had closed them up so no one

was allowed to make offerings to the Lord.

31

But Hezekiah brings in the priests

and the Levites and assembles them and

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says, Hear me, Levites, now consecrate

yourselves and consecrate the house of

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the Lord, the God of your fathers, and

carry out the filth from the holy place.

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For our fathers have been unfaithful

and have done what was evil in

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the sight of the Lord our God.

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They have forsaken him and have turned

away their faces from the habitation

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of the Lord and turned their backs.

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They also shut the doors of the vestibule

and put out the lamps and have not burned

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incense or offered burnt offerings in

the holy place to the God of Israel.

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Therefore, the wrath of the Lord came upon

Judah and Jerusalem, and he has made them

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an object of horror, of astonishment, and

of hissing, as you see with your own eyes.

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For behold, our fathers have fallen by

the sword, and our sons and our daughters

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and our wives are in captivity for this.

44

Now it is in my heart to make a

covenant with the Lord, the God of

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Israel, in order that his fierce

anger may turn away from us.

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My sons, do not now be negligent,

for the Lord has chosen you to stand

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in his presence, to minister to

him and to be his ministers, and to

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make offerings to him Hezekiah's

attempts at revival are effective.

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They follow and obey him.

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We've read about other kings that

honored God, but were unable to produce

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the same momentum in the nation.

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But Hezekiah's zeal for the Lord

is so contagious, and probably the

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Lord had allowed it to get so bad

with Ahaz that there was a righteous

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remnant ready to say, "Enough.

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Let's return to the Lord."

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It takes 16 days for all of

these priests and Levites to

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restore and cleanse the temple

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In verse 19, the Levites report

to Hezekiah, " All the utensils

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that King Ahaz discarded in his

reign when he was faithless, we

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have made ready and consecrated."

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They don't say, "Your father,"

because I think they can tell how

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distant King Ahaz is from Hezekiah.

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They offer sacrifice after

sacrifice to the Lord.

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And then following the example of

David, the whole assembly worships.

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They praise with their instruments and

with their voices, singing songs of

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gladness and bowing down, worshiping.

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Next, King Hezekiah asks the people to

bring offerings to the Lord, and all who

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were of a willing heart brought them.

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And I continue to delight in

what Hezekiah does in chapter 30.

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He sends to all Israel and Judah

and writes letters that they should

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all come to the house of the Lord

at Jerusalem to keep the Passover

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hezekiah's pure-hearted reform is to

unify all the tribes back to the Lord.

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Even though the northern kingdom has

been exiled, there is still a remnant He

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says, come, worship here at Jerusalem.

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6.

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O people of Israel, return to the

Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and

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Israel, that he may turn again to the

remnant of you who have escaped from

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the hand of the kings of Assyria.

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Do not be like your fathers and your

brothers, who were faithless to the

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Lord God of their fathers, so that he

made them a desolation, as you see.

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Do not now be stiff-necked, as your

fathers were, but yield yourselves to

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the Lord, and come to his sanctuary,

which he has consecrated forever,

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and serve the Lord your God, that his

fierce anger may turn away from you.

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For if you return to the Lord,

your brothers and your children

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will find compassion from their

captors and return to this land.

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For the Lord your God is gracious and

merciful, and will not turn away His

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face from you if you return to him."

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How does Hezekiah know and understand

the grace and mercy of the Lord

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so deeply when all he's seen is

wickedness and judgment in his days?

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The Lord has faithfully revealed

his character to Hezekiah.

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He's unwavering in his trust,

And you would think that upon

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hearing this moving speech, the

nation would run to repentance.

93

But most of Israel laughs

and mocks the messengers.

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Yet some of the men of the tribes of

Asher, of Manasseh, and of Zebulun

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humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem

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And to ensure that we understand

revival isn't just something we

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can produce ourselves, it's in

partnership with the work of the Lord.

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Verse 12 tells us, "The hand of God was

also on Judah to give them one heart

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to do what the king and the princes

commanded by the word of the Lord."

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They come together honoring the Feast

of Unleavened Bread, and they remove

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all the altars that are not to Yahweh.

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They celebrate the Passover,

but there are some that hadn't

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properly cleansed themselves yet.

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They're allowed to enter into the

Passover meal because Hezekiah understands

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that God cares most about the heart.

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He prays over these that haven't been

ritually cleansed, "May the good Lord

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pardon everyone who sets his heart to

seek God the Lord, the God of his fathers,

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They keep this feast seven

days with great gladness,

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And they sing with all

their might to the Lord.

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And Hezekiah spoke encouragingly

to all the Levites who showed good

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skill in the service of the Lord.

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Not only is he a dynamic

leader, he's also an encourager.

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He takes the time to notice

and to say well done.

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At the end of seven days of celebrating,

they decide, "Let's feast and

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worship for another seven days."

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See, this moment is 300

years after David's reign.

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This generation had never before

in their lifetime seen worship like

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this, and a week is just not enough

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The chapter ends with the most beautiful

alliteration then the priests and

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the Levites arose and blessed the

people, and their voice was heard,

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and their prayer came to his holy

habitation in heaven In chapter 31,

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the people continue to cleanse the land.

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They destroy all the high places in Judah,

but also throughout Ephraim and Manasseh.

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The people take part in the revival.

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It's not just Hezekiah doing all the work.

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As the offerings continue and the

needs of the temple remain, Hezekiah

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commands the people to give a portion

of what they have to the Lord.

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And they gave in abundance, so

much so that scripture tells us

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it began to pile up in heaps.

130

And they need to bring more

people in to take care of them.

131

Steph: They consecrate the

entire priestly line, males

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from three years old and upward.

133

This reminds me of Samuel, as these little

ones get to watch their fathers and take

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part in ministry even from a young age

135

31:18 tells us they were enrolled

with all their little children, their

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wives, their sons, and their daughters,

the whole assembly, for they were

137

faithful in keeping themselves holy.

138

This is a national and a family affair.

139

And Hezekiah did throughout all Judah,

and he did what was good and right

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and faithful before the Lord his God.

141

And every work that he undertook

in the service of the house of God,

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and in accordance with the law and

the commandment seeking his God, he

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did with all his heart and prospered

144

If we turn back to 2 Kings 18,

there's a really interesting detail

145

that the chronicler didn't include.

146

Hezekiah removed the high places,

but he also removed that bronze

147

serpent that Moses had held up to

bring healing in the wilderness.

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even God's wonderful instrument

of redemption and healing, the

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people had turned into an idol.

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They were making offerings to

it and calling it Nehushtan.

151

Hezekiah breaks it in pieces and destroys

it because he understands that we cannot

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make idols or images of the God of Heaven.

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And no image will contain His glory

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Chapter 18 tells us he trusted in

the Lord, the God of Israel, so that

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there was none like him among all

the kings of Judah after him, nor

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among those who were before him.

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For he held fast to the Lord.

158

He did not depart from following

him, but he kept the commandments

159

that the Lord commanded Moses,

160

and the Lord was with him.

161

Wherever he went out, he prospered

162

He rebelled against the king of

Assyria and would not serve him.

163

He saw the northern kingdom fall, but

he doesn't give in to the intimidation.

164

He trusts the Lord to protect them, and

his hope is that if the people walk in

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repentance, there may be an opportunity

to be spared finally we come to Psalm 48.

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This is written by the sons

of Korah as they're delighting

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to worship in the temple.

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I particularly love the last half.

169

" We have thought on your steadfast love,

O Lord, in the midst of your temple.

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As your name, O God, so your praise

reaches to the ends of the earth.

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Your right hand is filled

with righteousness.

172

Let Mount Zion be glad.

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Let the daughters of Judah

rejoice because of your judgments.

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Walk about Zion, go around her, number

her towers, Go through her citadels,

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that you may tell the next generation that

this is God, our God forever and ever.

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He will guide us forever."

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I love that phrase, "We have thought

on your steadfast love, oh God."

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When is the last time you just

slowed down and thought about

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the relentless love of the Lord?

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And then it says, "Let the daughters of

Judah rejoice because of your judgments.

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We can find joy in the fact

that God is just and righteous.

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Then we're to tell the next generation,

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We could be transformed by meditating

on a number of lines in these chapters

184

about Hezekiah and this psalm.

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But I think there's a very needed

underlying message that can fill

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you and I with freedom and peace.

187

It's possible that the buzzword

of the decade is trauma.

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It's hard to study modern parenting

for long without this concept coming up

189

Of course, godly parents are to be

loving and kind and restorative.

190

They're to bless their

kids instead of harm them.

191

All of that is true of

what God calls us to.

192

but I think the enemy is using this

cultural moment to incite fear into most

193

moms We're often afraid to set boundaries

and guidelines without fully understanding

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what the long-term consequences might be.

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We can become scared that if

our kids see us fight in our

196

marriages, what will it do to them?

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How about if they know that

the family's struggling

198

, fi-financially,

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Steph: We hear constant foreboding

statistics about kids leaving the church,

200

We might even be tempted to look at

our parents' shortcomings and think,

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"I would be in a better spot right now

if I had been given a better start we

202

might think our kids would be in a

better position if we were better mothers

203

or if our husbands were being better

fathers, if we didn't have to work, if

204

we had more money, if our kitchens were

whiter, if we had more Christian friends.

205

But if you and I understand how

absolutely wicked King Ahaz was, and

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then we study Hezekiah's pure-hearted

love and devotion for the Lord, it's

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difficult to read this account without

being freed and released in the

208

reality that there is hope in the Lord

209

In all of our desire to bless our kids

and be intentional, you and I must

210

be very careful to not displace the

sovereignty of God in our kids' lives.

211

He is more than able to draw

and to restore your kids

212

and my kids, and you and I.

213

So meditate on the

steadfast love of the Lord.

214

rejoice because of His judgments.

215

And tell the next generation,

"This is God forever and ever.

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He will guide us forever."

217

Heavenly Father, we come before

You rejoicing that You are

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sovereignly seated on the throne.

219

You reign and rule in

righteousness and in love.

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And Lord, when we're tempted to zoom

in too much to what's going on right

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before us, give us a greater perspective.

222

Open our eyes and fill us with the

peace of a deeply rooted understanding

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that while we are provided with an

opportunity to bless our children,

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let us not elevate our own impact.

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Instead, may we run to You, trusting

You to heal any broken places in our

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hearts, in our spouses, and in our kids.

227

May we have faith that you will

use difficult circumstances

228

for good in their lives.

229

And even when things happen that we

hoped would never be part of their

230

story, may we believe in your ability

to transform it all for your name.

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May this realization of your power,

your perfection, and your providence

232

lead us to lives of worship Jesus,

It's in your name we pray.

233

Amen