Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and true before the Lord his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered.

—2 Chronicles 31:20–21

Have you ever seen or heard a leader who was truly inspiring? Someone who made you think things like I’d follow that person anywhere, or That’s the kind of leader I want to be?

In ancient Israel, King Hezekiah of Judah was that kind of leader.

So, what can we learn from him about the kind of leaders we should be, as well as the kind of leaders we want for our country?

A Nation in Moral Decline

When Hezekiah first ascended the throne, Judah was in a deep state of apostasy that had taken root under the previous king, Ahaz: “For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had encouraged moral decline in Judah and had been continually unfaithful to the Lord” (2 Chronicles 28:19). It was bad enough that Ahaz was idolatrous, but he sinned all the more in leading many astray.

The people’s transgressions were so extreme that God brought judgment upon Ahaz: “Therefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria. They defeated him, and carried away a great multitude of them as captives, and brought them to Damascus. Then he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who defeated him with a great slaughter” (2 Chronicles 28:5).

Instead of this judgment bringing about repentance, it seemed that the king dug in his heels: “Now in the time of his distress King Ahaz became increasingly unfaithful to the Lord. This is that King Ahaz. For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him, saying, ‘Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.’ But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel” (2 Chronicles 28:22–23).

When he was afraid and unsure of what to do, Ahaz squandered an opportunity to throw himself on the Lord’s mercy, to seek forgiveness and ask for wisdom and protection for both himself and his subjects. But he doubled down on his idolatry, and the nation suffered.

A Leader Seeks the Lord

Throughout the books detailing the respective rulers of Judah and Israel, the good kings are often described as Hezekiah was: “He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done” (2 Chronicles 29:2). In the Bible, David is the gold standard of kings, described as “a man after [God’s] own heart” because of his zeal for, trust in, and obedience to the Lord (1 Samuel 13:14; see also Acts 13:22).

Hezekiah was only twenty-five years old when he became king, and from a worldly perspective, his accomplishments were all the more astounding in view of his youth. But the key to his success was his dedication not only to being a wise and just ruler but also to living a life aligned with God’s will, doing “what was good and right and true before the Lord his God” (2 Chronicles 31:20).

Within the first month of his reign, Hezekiah didn’t waste any time in establishing his top priority as king, and “he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them. Then he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them in the East Square” (2 Chronicles 29:3–4). He reopened the temple and rallied the preachers and teachers of the Law, recommissioning them and ordering them to sanctify the temple, the worship articles, and themselves, so that worship of the Lord could be restored, and His holy wrath might subside.

After the temple was set back in order, “King Hezekiah rose early, gathered the rulers of the city, and went up to the house of the Lord” (2 Chronicles 29:20). The king understood that to ensure the people returned to God, the leaders needed to have a united front. They needed to set an example for the people by bringing their sin offerings to the temple and properly worshipping the Lord. The king then invited the people to bring their sacrifices.

A Spiritual Revival

Hezekiah recognized that their most important priority as a nation was to worship God in purity and truth. In addition to reinstituting temple worship, he kept the Passover for the first time in many years. But this wasn’t limited to Judah; he also invited the northern tribes to celebrate the feast. Extending this olive branch to their estranged brethren—giving them an opportunity to fellowship with the Lord and recall all the wonders He’d done for their forefathers—was a gracious act. When the invitations went out, “the hand of God was on Judah to give them singleness of heart to obey the command of the king and the leaders, at the word of the Lord” (2 Chronicles 30:12).

The people answered Hezekiah’s summons in droves, and the description of their celebration is a beautiful picture of what it looks like to be in fellowship with the Lord and other believers: “So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. Then the priests, the Levites, arose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard; and their prayer came up to His holy dwelling place, to heaven” (2 Chronicles 30:26–27). In the years since Solomon ruled, the people had fallen in and out of faithfulness to God. But in this extraordinary moment, their praise and prayers ascended to the very throne of the Most High.

A Leader Intercedes

When Sennacherib, king of Assyria, sought to overthrow Judah, Hezekiah encouraged his military leaders and told them that they needn’t fear because “with him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles” (2 Chronicles 32:8). The king trusted that as long as the Lord was on their side, the prophet Isaiah’s words would hold true: “No weapon formed against you shall prosper” (Isaiah 54:17).

In another profound scene, when Sennacherib and his servants sought to overthrow Judah, they blasphemed against the Lord: “King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, prayed and cried out to heaven. Then the Lord sent an angel who cut down every mighty man of valor, leader, and captain in the camp of the king of Assyria” (2 Chronicles 32:20–21). We find even more information about this event in 2 Kings 19, which tells us that anytime these enemies challenged Hezekiah, he “went up to the house of the Lord” (2 Kings 19:14). He stood before the Lord and prayed powerful intercessory prayers on behalf of his nation. And the Lord honored these prayers, telling the king through Isaiah, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Because you have prayed to Me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, I have heard’” (2 Kings 19:20).

The True Source of Greatness

When we reflect on Hezekiah’s reign, we can see that his success stemmed not from might and riches but from adopting a posture of humility and complete dependence on God. America needs leaders who embody this same spirit—who actively seek wisdom and guidance from the Lord and pray not for their personal ambitions and aspirations but for the welfare of the entire nation. We can pray for God to raise up leaders like Hezekiah, who understand that true greatness doesn’t come from power and wealth but from a heart that’s aligned with God’s will in Christ Jesus.

Prayer

Dear Lord, Your servant Hezekiah led a great revival in the nation of Judah, shepherding his subjects back to true worship of You. May You bless our nation with leaders who seek You first in all circumstances and in every decision, having true hearts of public servants who put others’ needs before their own. May this be done according to Your holy and perfect will. Amen.

For Further Reflection

• How do you think our local, state, and federal governments would function if worshipping the Lord was the priority, and our leaders sought His guidance and prayed for His intercession?
• The next time you receive or read distressing news, how could you take that concern before the Lord, praying an intercessory prayer on behalf of those affected?

Excerpt taken from One Nation Under God: 40 Devotions for Patriotic Women by Amanda C. Bauch (forthcoming November 11, 2025, from Post Hill Press)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version^®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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