2 Kings 20:1-11
Isaiah 38:1-8
2 Chronicles 32:24-41
Isaiah 38:9-22
2 Kings 20:12-19
Isaiah 39:1-8
We followed the life of King Hezekiah after the Lord’s incredible
defeat of the Assyrian army. It seems that the king became deathly ill from a terrible
boil and was given the bad news that it would end his life. After praying for
mercy, the Lord spared Hezekiah and granted him fifteen more years, perhaps to
give him an heir (Manasseh), for God had promised David that he would always
have a descendant on the throne.
However, today we got to see a little of the ugly side of Hezekiah. I
appreciate the fact that the Bible, though it expresses the good that men
achieved, it does not hide their shortcomings. As “righteous” as Hezekiah was
and as many positive things that he accomplished for the Lord, he was still a
man. He was imperfect. He made mistakes and battled with his own sins. It appears
that his primary struggle was with pride.
After the Lord cured him of his boil, “Hezekiah did not respond appropriately
to the kindness shown him and he became proud, so the Lord’s anger burned
against him and against Judah and Jerusalem. However, Hezekiah repented and the
people of Jerusalem humbled themselves” (2 Chronicles 32:25, 26).
Hezekiah’s pride might have hinged on the fact that “he was very wealthy
and held in high esteem” (v.27). God had blessed him in every way imaginable
and “he succeeded in everything that he did” (v.30). We are not told specifically what
Hezekiah did to express his arrogance, but we might assume that he was
boastful, pompous, or pretentious; or he was simply neglectful when it came to
thanking God for His blessings.
One incident that occurred, which gives us some insight, is that he
received envoys from Babylon. They were curious to know about Hezekiah’s
kingdom. Here “God withdrew from the king in order to test him and to see what was really in
his heart” (2 Chronicles 32:31). Rather than reflect glory to God for His favor, Hezekiah boasted of
all his treasures and successes. That which was “really in his heart”
was not humility or gratefulness to God but a hunger for the attention and
affirmation of others.
Daily Reflection
In this account, you will find three observations. First, God did not need to
know what was in Hezekiah’s heart; He already knew it. However, He
needed to reveal it to the king, which He did through Isaiah’s prophecy
concerning Judah’s fall to Babylon. Though it is hard for you to see or
hear, it is good for you to know and remember what is really in your heart.
Second, you should be grateful that God does not withdraw Himself from you today. His Spirit is
always with you. You struggle enough with your sinful flesh, even with His
help. Can you imagine where you would be without Him?
Finally, did you catch the king’s responses to poor health and great
wealth? In poor health, he sought the Lord with all his heart; but, in great
wealth, he abandoned the Lord and put confidence in his own abilities. As much
as you hate to hear it, adversity is better for you than prosperity.
Take a minute to reflect upon how you have responded to situations in
your life lately. Have you remembered the Lord or have you forgotten Him? What
has success done to your faith?
BiAY.org | Day 203 — 162 Days to Go
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