Okay, let's get into our study, Second Kings. Chapter 18 tonight, we're making our way through the Bible, the Old Testament.

We started in Genesis a number of years ago. We are going book by book, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, and we're making our way through Second Kings.

So tonight just one chapter, interesting chapter. I know I say that about all the chapters, but a very interesting study tonight.

Looking forward to what the Lord has for us.

So why don't we pray, we'll ask God's blessing on our time.

Lord, thank you so much for your word.

And Lord, thank you so much for this study that we have here on Thursday

nights. It just represents for us a getaway, a retreat of sorts where we can just put aside

all of the busyness of the week and the cares and the affairs of life and just focus our attention upon you and your

word and that which you have for us in your word. Lord, we're looking forward to what it

is that you would desire to minister to us tonight. So as you do, Lord, we want to give

you our undivided attention as you speak into our lives through

your word.

So Lord, thank you in advance for what you're going to do in our time together tonight.

In Jesus' name, amen.

All right, verse 1, let's jump in.

Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshia, the son of Ila, king of Israel, that Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz,

king of Judah, began to reign. He was 25 years old when he became king, and he reigned 29

years in Jerusalem, which is actually a pretty long time. And we're told his mother's name

was Abby, the daughter of, of all people, Zachariah. Wow. Rare that you have even the mention

of the name of the mother. Usually it's the father, and there's a reason for it. Actually,

this would have been a great text for a sermon on the importance of mothers, especially on the heels of having

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