http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Kings%2020-21&version=ESV
In chapter 20 of 2 Kings we read of Hezekiah's illness, recovery, and then fall.
Isaiah had come to Hezekiah and told him to get his house in order because he was going to die. Hezekiah pleaded with the Lord, and the Lord granted him 15 more years of life. I am not doing the account justice. Please read chapter 20 to read how gracious God was with Hezekiah.
Almost immediately after this, Hezekiah became prideful. As the passage below can describe much better than I:
"At that time Merodach-baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent envoys with letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been sick. And Hezekiah welcomed them, and he showed them all his treasure house, the silver, the gold, the spices, the precious oil, his armory, all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his house or in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them. Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah, and said to him, "What did these men say? And from where did they come to you?" And Hezekiah said, "They have come from a far country, from Babylon." 15He said, "What have they seen in your house?" And Hezekiah answered, "They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing in my storehouses that I did not show them." Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD: Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the LORD. And some of your own sons, who shall be born to you, shall be taken away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon." (2 Kings 20:12-18)
Why did Hezekiah do this? I don't really know. We all would like to think that we would not do something like this. But reflect back on your life. Has there ever been a time where the Lord has delivered you from a problem and while you were thankful to the Lord, your devotion to the Lord and thankfulness to Him as the days and weeks past started to wane?
I think this happened with Hezekiah. He read his own press-clippings, to use a 21st century term. And the thing I find most shocking is Hezekiah's last statement:
"The word of the LORD that you have spoken is good." For he thought, "Why not, if there will be peace and security in my days?" (2 Kings 20:19)
That is such a brazen statement. Hezekiah just said, I don't care what the repercussions of my actions on later generations will be, because it won't happen on my watch. Whoa!!! Heaven help us that we don't repeat the same attitude of Hezekiah.
And then thing that is so shocking about this is that Hezekiah was one of the good kings. One of the very best in fact.
2 Kings 18:5 says, "Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him."
While he trusted in the Lord, once again, we have evidence of the fallen and sinful nature of man. Only Jesus Christ was perfect and sinless.
We all will sin in this life. But our lives should not be bent toward sin. Our hearts should be tender toward the leanings and guidance of the Holy Spirit. It becomes more and more tender as we read the Word and the Holy Spirit impresses those truths from Scripture on our hearts.
Dr. Young has said before he keeps short accounts with God. He strives to live a life of repentance, confession, and obedience each day. I have really strived to do this as well.
By doing this, we don't prevent ourselves from never sinning again. But when we do sin, we go to the Cross, have Jesus wash our sins and remove them with His blood, and restore our relationship with Him on a daily basis.
Hezekiah, was a great king. But like Solomon, he had a tragic ending. I know of one friend of mine, a very dear friend of mine whose goal in life is to finish well. To live a life that is pleasing to the Lord and finish well.
No matter what you have done in the past, it is never too late to turn or return to the Lord. Turn to Him today in repentance and faith. And if you are a believer, turn to Him and ask Him to give you the strength to obey Him, honor Him, and finish well!!!
Soli Deo Gloria.
Today's post was submitted by Russ Shellhamer.
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God really does hear our prayers and has the power to change what we are praying about. Even the rotation of the earth is at our Lord’s command and is reversed to show God can heal his servant Hezekiah with ease. And God can move heaven and earth to answer our prayers too! It really doesn’t matter what we face or how impossible it seems in the natural. Our God is able.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting tidbit here with the reversal of the rotation of the earth, this must have really messed up the Babylon people’s sun worship. They built elaborate systems of worship around the movement of the sun and to have it reversed by 10 degrees I’m sure sent chills down their spines. Yet instead of converting to the living and true God they planned evil upon God’s people. Just shows the heart of man to resist the grace of God.
2 Chr 32:31
However, regarding the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, whom they sent to him to inquire about the wonder that was done in the land, God withdrew from him, in order to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart.
Another note: Hezekiah didn’t have an heir to the throne when God told him he was going to die. The Messiah’s royal bloodline is coming through the kings of Judah. Would God’s plan to bring the Messiah into the world through the lineage of David be stopped by Hezekiah dying without a heir? Somehow, Hezekiah had to get a son before he died. Manasseh was born 3 years after his healing. Everything God does always perfectly fits together.