Hezekiah, the 13^th king of Judah, was a godly king.  He was able to rise above the bad example of his ungodly father, Ahaz, who had turned Judah to idolatry.  Hezekiah began to reign when he was twenty-five years old, and he immediately began to reform Judah, turning the kingdom back to God.  During that process, Hezekiah gives us a good example of what is involved in a godly life.  This week I want to consider the different characteristics of godliness as demonstrated by this faithful king.  As we contemplate these things, let us do our best to develop, or maintain, these characteristics in our own lives.  A good summary of Hezekiah’s life was that he simply did what was right.

2 Kings 18:2-3 (ESV)
² He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. ³ And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done.

Godliness begins with having a right attitude towards God.

Vine’s Expository Dictionary                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          “Denotes that piety which, characterized by a Godward attitude, does that which is well-pleasing to Him.”

Notice, however, that while godliness begins with a Godward attitude, in the end it always does what is well-pleasing to God.  Is this not what Hezekiah did?  He was not interested in doing what would have pleased his father.  He was not worried about appeasing those who faithfully followed Ahaz.  His only concern was pleasing God, and that resulted in him doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord.

If we are to live godly lives, our first priority must be to please God.  That should come before worrying about pleasing anyone else.  We cannot follow the ways of the world and be godly.  This is why we are admonished in the word of God not to get too close to the world.

1 John 2:15 (ESV)
¹⁵  Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

This reminds me of what Jesus said about serving two masters.  If we try to do that, we will end up being devoted to one and despising the other (Matthew 6:24).  Such is the case with God and the world.  If you fall in love with the world, you will end up despising the commandments of God and conforming to the world, something Paul warned us not to do (Romans 12:2).  What we do along these lines will ultimately be determined by who we want to please.  If we really want to please God, we will not care what the world thinks, says, or even does to us.  If pleasing God is our aim in life, the result will be doing what is right in His eyes consistently, and that is godliness.

Hezekiah was a godly man, which was demonstrated by his doing what was right, not in the eyes of man, but in the eyes of the Lord.  Let us follow his example and do what is right in the eyes of God.  Will that make us the most popular people in the world?  Not usually, but it will make us godly, and godliness holds promise for our present life and also for the life to come (1 Timothy 48).

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.