2 Kings 20:12-19 ESv
12 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. 13 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. 14 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.” 15 He 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.”

16 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the LORD: 17 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. 18 And some of your own sons, who will come from you, whom you will father, shall be taken away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.” 19 Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “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?”

SHOWING OFF

When the Babylonian emissary came to Judah, Hezekiah showed everything he has had. They had seen all that is inside his house; there was nothing in his storehouses that he did not show them

Did Hezekiah sin in this matter? Plainly, yes. God shouldn’t pronounce judgment on him in response if he had not displeased God. But what was his sin about? What should he had done instead? Surely, it wasn’t sin to receive the Babylonians. It was in his haughty manner in which he received them.

It seemed to us that “showing off” his goodies got Babylon so interested to get them later. He miscalculated by thinking and trusting about them as his friends, instead as opposed to him. That, he referred Babylon as a possible caretaker of Israel's things. We wonder whether it was a good military strategy. Would you show your enemies, or even distant friends, your fortifications. Or your desirables? God will judge him so that they will become captive to Babylon later. And, for him “The word of the LORD that Isaiah have spoken is good.” For he thought, “Why not, if there will be peace and security in my days?” (v.19) this shows his self-centeredness.

Did Hezekiah's lackadaisical attitude towards God was responsible for raising Manasseh to be so evil? “And the Lord said by his servants the prophets, “Because Manasseh king of Judah has committed these abominations and has done things more evil than all that the Amorites did, who were before him, and has made Judah also to sin with his idols, therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing upon Jerusalem and Judah such disaster that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle.”[2 Kings 21:10-12]

Past successes are not guarrantee for the future. It doen’t always follow that if we start well. Success may blind our eyes to make us conceited or proud.

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