October 28, 2005

"Leadership Lessons from King Hezekiah"

I like to read books on leadership, and I find helpful material in many business books and web sites. But I also like to learn from the stories of leaders in the Bible. So today I want to share with you some leadership lessons from King Hezekiah. The story of King Hezekiah is found in II Chronicles, chapters 30-31-32, and it reminds us how any leader can help the people of God to be faithful.

The background of the story of King Hezekiah is quite dismal. It has been years since the glory days of King David and King Solomon. The kingdom has been split. The people of God have fallen so far from being faithful that they have worshipped false idols and they have not even celebrated the Passover for many years. Into this dismal situation comes King Hezekiah who provides leadership from which we can all learn.

Hezekiah leads the people of God in the following ways:

• He leads the people to tear down the false idols they had been worshipping
• He leads them in celebrating the Passover to remember the heart of their faith
• He appoints the priests to serve the people in teams of leaders
• He apportions everyone to give their fair share
• He gives the first gifts himself

The results of his leadership are quite remarkable:

• Everyone follows his lead in giving
• The people give their first fruits, their tithes, and their offerings
• The total giving is so generous that their gifts are piled into heaps on the ground
• New storehouses are built and the walls of Jerusalem are rebuilt

When trouble comes in Chapter 32, the people of God are ready:

• The Assyrians come and lay siege to Jerusalem, taunting them, "Every city has prayed to its god to save them from us, what makes you think your god will save you?"
• The people of God are protected by their rebuilt walls and their rebuilt faith
• A plague hits the Assyrians, they withdraw and go home, and the King of Assyria is killed in a coup by his own sons

King Hezekiah was not perfect, and later chapters reveal that he became "proud" and God had to remind him of his humanity. But the final evaluation of Hezekiah is found in these words, "He was faithful with all his heart."

All of us today can learn a lot from King Hezekiah as we seek to serve the people of God. May it be said of us, "They were faithful with all their hearts."

from Bishop Michael J. Coyner

Indiana Area of the United Methodist Church
"Making a Difference ... in Indiana
and around the world"

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