Once the date of Hezekiah’s accession to power is established, we move directly to describing his character. Any descendant of David would envy the praise given to this king, son of Ahaz. Hezekiah not only did what was pleasing to the Lord but also behaved like David in every way; even in his victory over the Philistines, he mirrors his ancestor (8). Hezekiah is also credited with suppressing local cults that his predecessors failed to eliminate. He even destroyed the bronze serpent that Moses had made in the desert, which people continued to worship by burning incense (4). The overall positive view of Hezekiah’s reign relates to doing what the Lord approves of. 2. Eliminating cults in high places or local cults. 3. “He put his trust in the Lord, the God of Israel” (5f). This highlights the success of all his efforts. It is a concrete expression of what the Deuteronomistic tradition has already identified as the key to the success and prosperity of every Israelite (cf. Dt 4:40; 5:29, 33; 6:3, 18; 12:28; etc.).