Hezekiah becomes king, reforms religious practices, and turns the nation back to God: 2 Kings 18:1−4; 2 Chronicles 29−31

Hezekiah’s reforms went beyond restoring the Temple and getting the priests in order.

He was a strong enough leader to inspire the people to remove the idols from their own cities:

^{2 Chronicles 31:1} When the festival ended, the Israelites who attended went to all the towns of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh, and they smashed all the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherah poles, and removed the pagan shrines and altars. After this, the Israelites returned to their own towns and homes.

The king also instructed the people to start obeying the Law, including in their tithes and offerings. Although they probably weren’t perfect, they were generous:

^{2 Chronicles 31:5} When the people of Israel heard these requirements, they responded generously by bringing the first share of their grain, new wine, olive oil, honey, and all the produce of their fields. They brought a large quantity—a tithe of all they produced.