Hello my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends,
A second chance at life is a remarkable gift from God, would you agree? Maybe you’ve had a close call with death, as I have, and you are very grateful to God as you live additional time you came close to losing! Over the past few days we’ve been walking the journey with King Hezekiah who received not one but two ‘second chances’ at life!
The first was when God Himself intervened and sent an angel to annihilate 185,000 soldiers of the Assyrian army which was advancing against Jerusalem to destroy it and either take king Hezekiah captive or kill him. (Is.37:36,37) Then shortly thereafter, God spared king Hezekiah from a terminal illness! God raised Hezekiah up from his death bed and gave him 15 more years of life! (Is. 38:4,5)
Sadly, we don’t have very much in the Biblical record which enlightens us about those 15 years and how Hezekiah lived his second and third chance at life. Both Isaiah and the writer of 2 Kings 20 give us the details of only one event during those extra years of life with which God blessed king Hezekiah.
The two records are nearly word for word identical so let’s continue following Isaiah’s account since he was God’s prophet and so directly involved in these events of king Hezekiah’s life. 2 Chronicles 32:22,23 tells us king Hezekiah became quite famous during these added years and Jerusalem was visited by many leaders of nations who came to honor him. The record says: “From then on king Hezekiah was highly regarded by all the nations.”
I don’t know exactly in what year he came, but Isaiah tells us “Marduk Baladan, son of Baladan king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift because he had heard of Hezekiah’s illness and recovery.” (Is. 39:1) Down through history the nation of Israel has been globally famous because of the stories regarding God’s great deliverances or protection or blessings of His people, Israel.
It happened, of course, in the days of Moses when God delivered the Israelite slaves from Egypt. (Ex. 14) It happened a generation later when God led nearly 2 million Israelites across the dry Jordan river bed into the land of God’s promise with Joshua as their leader. (Joshua 4) It happened again as God several times defended Israel from aggressors like in the days of Gideon (Judges 6) or Samuel (1 Samuel 6:10-12) or king Asa (2 Chronicles 15:17-19) or king Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20:22-26) or king Uzziah (2 Chronicles 26:3-5) and of course in the days of king Hezekiah. (2 Chronicles 31:20,21; 32:20,21)
Many people believe God did it again in 1948 when Israel became a modern nation again and within days was attacked by neighboring Arab nations. And some believe it happened again in both the 1967 and 1973 wars of aggression as Israel was attacked by surrounding nations.
In king Hezekiah’s years of second and third chance at life, this visit by the delegation from Babylon was very significant. Isaiah records it this way: “King Hezekiah received the envoy’s gladly and showed them what was in his storehouses – the silver, the gold, the spices, the fine olive oil – his entire armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace that king Hezekiah did not show them.” (Is. 39:2)
Now I wonder what that sounds like to you my friends? Is that naivete or stupidity or is it pride? Is it a picture of you and me? Do we sometimes lift our heads high with some degree of pride when we consider our comfortable life as compared to very poor people living in destitute situations or people living in countries where governments are ruthless and corrupt or people living in the deep bondage of addictions? I don’t really know what Hezekiah was thinking as he paraded his visitors around Jerusalem showing them God’s blessings, but I know it was a very dangerous and short sighted thing to do!
It appears Isaiah the prophet was moved by God to pay Hezekiah a visit and ask about the visitors. Hezekiah’s response is very significant: “They came from a distant land, from Babylon.” (Is. 39:3) In those days Assyria was the predominant world power with its capital city Nineveh which was more than 500 miles as the crow flies, north east from Jerusalem. The city of Babylon was a great city rising in significance in the world and was about 500 miles straight east from Jerusalem. Yes, 500 miles was a great distance in those days requiring weeks of travel, but of course Hezekiah had no idea what the future would hold and how significant Babylon would become.
Hezekiah should have learned from the Assyrian army conquest of the northern kingdom Israel and then their assault on Jerusalem, that for a great army with intentions of conquering the world, vast distance means nothing. So the prophet Isaiah asked what Hezekiah had shown the delegation from Babylon.
“They saw everything in my palace , there is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them.” (Is. 39:4) I imagine Hezekiah said those words with some degree of pride and self confidence. I wonder how the look on Isaiah’s face made Hezekiah feel as the prophet Isaiah probably shook his head in disappointment.
Then Hezekiah heard these heartbreaking words from God’s prophet: “Hear the word of the LORD God Almighty: The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your predecessors have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, declares the LORD.” (Is. 39:5,6) I wonder if Isaiah paused right there to let this shocking news soak into Hezekiah’s mind and heart?
Hezekiah knew well what had happened to Samaria and the northern kingdom of Israel ravaged by Assyria more than 20 years before. Perhaps Hezekiah walked over to a window in his palace, maybe even out onto a balcony to look out over the wonderful city of Jerusalem, and especially the glorious Temple of God rising high above the city.
Hezekiah had no way of imagining the devastation which history tells us occured just 100 years later, for Jerusalem was invaded not once, not twice, but FOUR times! In 609bc it was the Egyptian army. 4 years later it was King Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians in 605bc. 8 years later the Babylonians returned for a second invasion in 597bc. And finally 11 years later in 586bc King Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylonian army totally decimated Jerusalem, burning the great Temple of God to the ground, and taking everything of value from this city! (2 Chronicles 36)
But Isaiah wasn’t finished giving Hezekiah a clear picture of the terrifying future: “And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.” (Is. 39:7) At this news I wonder if Hezekiah’s knees began to tremble and his heart race, at the thought of such massive devastation of his beloved city Jerusalem and his descendants, the royal family of David?
It was true, as we will see over the next few days. About 100 years after king Hezekiah died, during each of those 4 invasions of Jerusalem, members of the royal family were taken captive as prisoners of war, among them Daniel, while others were enslaved or brutally killed.
I imagine Hezekiah and Isaiah strolled on the rooftop of the palace together looking out over Jerusalem and contemplating the horrificness of this prophecy Isaiah had just given king Hezekiah. Neither of them would be alive when these terrible things would wreak havoc with Jerusalem, but on that day, oh how much they had to be thankful to God for.
Sadly, Hezekiah would be followed by a son who rejected all the good Hezekiah had done, and he would follow in the evil heritage of his grandfather Ahaz. (2 Chronicles 28:24,25) We’ll look at that tomorrow, but for today let’s ponder what you think the future might hold for your city, your country as you consider the trends of recent years? And let’s worship together, thanking God for the remarkable times of king Hezekiah who led God’s people at a critical time in the history of Israel, and experienced such remarkable protection and blessing from God.
Here’s a worship song that might be similar to the songs of praise they sang in those days of Hezekiah the king who sought to honor God with his life and his leadership…
Today’s Scripture: Isa. 39.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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