A Good King
but not a perfect man
A Good King
Scripture Reading: 2 Kings 18; Acts 1; Psalm 145
A few days ago, I was talking to a coworker about some recent news involving a well-known Christian musician. It had just come out that this man—admired by so many—had been living a double life, hiding some pretty awful sin. My coworker talked about how disheartening and devastating it was. I agreed. It’s hard to reconcile the respect and admiration we feel for someone who has done good things with the disappointment we feel when they fall. It’s a tough balance: how do you appreciate someone’s influence without idolizing them?
Out of all the kings of Israel and Judah, Hezekiah is one of my favorites. If I were to rank them, my top four would probably be David, Solomon, Hezekiah, and Josiah.
Here’s how 2 Kings 18 introduces Hezekiah’s reign:
“He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him. For he held fast to the LORD. He did not depart from following him but kept the commandments that the LORD commanded Moses. And the LORD was with him; wherever he went out, he prospered…” (2 Kings 18:5–7)
That’s high praise. And it was well-earned. Hezekiah led reform, tore down idols, and trusted the Lord in some extremely difficult circumstances. But like David and Solomon, Hezekiah also had his failings. He proudly showed off the kingdom’s wealth to Babylonian envoys—something that would later backfire. Worse still, when Isaiah told him that judgment would come after his death, Hezekiah responded by essentially saying, “Well, at least it won’t happen in my lifetime.”
That second part—his indifference to the future—is what disappoints me the most. Hezekiah let me down.
But then again… so has everyone I’ve ever known, at some point. And I’ve let others down too.
The Bible tells the truth about humanity: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Being a believer doesn’t exempt you from failure. In fact, it might make you more aware of just how much you need grace every day.
So here’s the point: we must learn to appreciate and even admire good men and women without turning them into idols. We need to be able to celebrate faithfulness without expecting perfection. If our faith is tied too closely to a leader or public figure, their failure can shake more than just our trust—it can shake our faith.
Let’s keep our eyes on Christ. People will let us down. But He never will.
Maybe as you read this someone whose failures disappointed you or shook your faith came to mind. Bring that disappointment to the Lord. Let it remind you not of how bad people can be, but of how steady and faithful He is.
