What is the meaning of 2 Kings 18:6? He remained faithful to the LORD – The “he” is King Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:1–5). Faithfulness here speaks of single-hearted loyalty. – His trust was not in alliances, wealth, or self, but “in the LORD, the God of Israel” (v.5; cf. Psalm 118:8–9). – Like Joshua urging Israel to “hold fast to the LORD your God” (Joshua 23:8), Hezekiah clung to God when Assyria threatened. – 2 Chron 31:20-21 expands: “He did what was good, upright, and true before the LORD… he sought his God wholeheartedly, and so he prospered.” and did not turn from following Him – Persistence matters; it is possible to begin well and drift (1 Kings 11:4; Galatians 5:7). – Deuteronomy 5:32 commands, “Do not turn aside to the right or to the left.” Hezekiah lived that out. – Even after the northern kingdom fell (2 Kings 17), he refused the idolatry that ensnared others (v.4). – This steadfast course mirrors David, who “did not turn aside from anything” the LORD commanded (1 Kings 15:5). he kept the commandments – Obedience proved the reality of his faith (Deuteronomy 30:16; James 2:17). – He removed high places, smashed sacred pillars, and broke the bronze serpent when it became an idol (2 Kings 18:4). – By restoring temple worship (2 Chron 29–31) and reinstituting Passover (2 Chron 30), he aligned national life with God’s Word. – Jesus later affirmed, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15), showing the timeless link between love and obedience. that the LORD had given Moses – The standard was not shifting opinion but God’s revealed law (Exodus 20:1; Deuteronomy 4:1-2). – Hezekiah treated the Mosaic covenant as authoritative centuries after Sinai, demonstrating its continuing relevance (Malachi 4:4). – His reforms remind believers today that Scripture, not culture, defines righteousness (Matthew 5:17-18). summary 2 Kings 18:6 portrays a king whose unwavering trust expressed itself in lifelong obedience to God’s revealed Word. Hezekiah clung to the LORD, refused every detour, diligently carried out God’s commands, and measured everything by the law given through Moses. His example calls every generation to the same wholehearted, Scripture-anchored devotion. |