Hezekiah's Pride

Hezekiah wrote a beautiful song of praise after his recovery, thanking God for His great mercy. All the people of Judah rejoiced when they saw their king restored to them again; it was a time of great joy in Jerusalem.

Other people were glad, too, with his recovery. The king of Babylon wrote letters to Hezekiah and sent him a present. Hezekiah was pleased to see the messengers of the king of Babylon. He was very kind to them and gave them all they wished. He showed them his possessions: his gold, silver, armor, houses, and everything he had.

Was this right? It was right to be kind and hospitable, for the Bible tells us that we are to do so. But Hezekiah felt very proud when he showed his riches to the messengers of the king of Babylon, and that was wrong. He wanted the messengers to praise him, to go home and tell their master what a great king Hezekiah was. That was pride; it was love of the world, of worldly things, and of worldly praise. We are commanded not to seek the praise of men, but the praise of God; we are not to seek to please men, but to please God. What Hezekiah did here was not pleasing to God.

The messengers went away, and perhaps Hezekiah soon forgot this sin which he had done. But God had not forgotten it. He had seen all. He had looked into the heart of Hezekiah when he was showing his riches to the messengers, and He had seen there all Hezekiah's pride and foolish vanity. The Lord does not overlook sin, and He would punish his sinful servant.

Soon Isaiah came to see Hezekiah and asked, “Who were those men who came to Jerusalem? Where did they come from?”

Hezekiah answered, “They came from a very distant country, from Babylon.”

Isaiah asked again, “What have they seen in your house?”

Perhaps Hezekiah began to feel his sin and to be ashamed of it, but he did not try to deny or excuse it. He confessed directly, “I have shown them everything in my house.”

Then Isaiah said, “Hear the words of the Lord: Very soon all the riches which you have laid up shall be taken away to Babylon. Your sons shall be carried away captive, and they shall be servants to the king of Babylon.”

This was Hezekiah's punishment. He had loved his riches too much; God would soon take them all away. He had proudly shown his possessions to the messengers of the king of Babylon. Now Hezekiah was told that the king of Babylon would one day come, carry those riches to his own country, and take Hezekiah's children as helpless prisoners. How foolish it is to trust in earthly things and to love them so much! Earthly treasures will not remain with us forever, and perhaps we may lose them very soon. It is best and wisest to have our riches and possessions in heaven. We can never lose our heavenly treasures; they will last forever. Pray for a new heart, the best of heavenly treasures.

Hezekiah felt his sin, and he submitted humbly to the punishment. He asked for pardon and for grace to help him to be humble, to love the world less and God more. And God in mercy heard his prayer and told him that this evil would not immediately come upon the land of Judah. This comforted Hezekiah, and he thanked God and said, “There shall be peace and truth in my days.”

This story teaches us how weak and sinful we all are. Hezekiah was a good man; but when he was left to himself, when he trusted to his own strength and goodness, he forgot to ask for God's grace, and he immediately began to sin. Our hearts are full of pride and of every other sin, which God alone can help us to subdue. Jesus Christ says, “Without Me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).

The fifteen years promised to Hezekiah passed away. They were happy and prosperous years, but they soon ended, and then the time came when Hezekiah must die. He was willing to die; he did not wish to have more years added to his life. He had had enough of the world, and he was glad to leave its sins, follies, and vanities, and to go to be with the Lord.

We do not know when we shall die. God has not told us, as He told Hezekiah, how many more years we shall live. Perhaps we may live fifteen years or more; perhaps we may die this year. We cannot tell. But are we ready to die? Have our hearts been made new by God's Holy Spirit? Have we repented of our sins, and have they been forgiven? Do we love God better than all the things of this world, and are we trying to serve Him in all we do? If not, we cannot be ready to die, and this is a very awful thought. Death may come in a moment; and where will the soul go then if it is not prepared for heaven? Seek, like Hezekiah, to be ready for death. Seek now, not next year, not next month, but now, because death may come very, very soon, and then it will be too late to pray and repent. The Bible says, “Now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Printen