2 Kings 20 (Part 2) Bible Study (Hezekiah and the Babylonian Envoys) | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

I know, we just prayed. Can we pray again? Can we just ask the Lord to help us now as we open the scriptures? Father, we do thank you that you've allowed us to be here tonight. We never take it for granted that we can freely explore and examine and enjoy the Bible as a church.

This is a gift from you, and we give you thanks for it. And Lord, now as we come with our with our eyes, yes, more importantly the eyes of our hearts, we pray that you would open us up to the truths found in this chapter and that it would move us to the core of our being and that Christ would become more attractive to us. Holiness would be pursued with greater zeal and dedication, and that we would repel all sin and all rebellion in our hearts. We want to be consumed with the truths that we know in this book and that we will learn in this book. We ask these things in the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen and amen. Meet me in second Kings chapter 20 as we complete this chapter tonight by the grace of God. And as you're turning there, I wanna let you know that Hezekiah's greatest failure did not occur when he was surrounded by the Assyrians, nor did it take place when his body was ravaged by a terminal disease. It would come after overcoming all of that. In other words, neither siege nor sickness would pose the greatest temptation for Hezekiah to forsake the Lord.

It would be when he experienced and enjoyed success. That is a sobering lesson that is presented to us in this section of scripture. And what's amazing is, these verses will provide a profound and accurate assessment of one of the many tendencies of the children of God. Because you see, we are more likely to stay near the Lord when persecution arises and when our bodies betray us. But we are often less inclined to cling to the master when our enemies are silent, when our health is cooperating, and when prosperity is increasing.

And in case you haven't been with us for the past few weeks, I wanna let you know why you should be attentive from the beginning of this study. The disappointing attitude that you and I are about to examine will be coming from a man who ranks among the very few that imitated the devotion of King David. A very rare spiritual specimen. King Hezekiah is crowned with the recognition of bringing unique spiritual reform to the kingdom of Judah. And he is one of the very few leaders in our study of first and second kings who demonstrates the rewards of a pious and prayerful life.

So I wanna let you know from the beginning why this should captivate us. Because if this happened, what we're about to see, if this lapse of faith, if this adoption of a mindset that is detrimental to one's testimony and experience of God can happen to a man like Hezekiah, then surely it can happen to you and me. And that is not meant for us to live in anxiety, because the Lord in his great mercy has supplied us this very story, which is brought up in two other places in the Bible, may I add, in order to protect us from falling to the very same pitfall that Hezekiah fell. And so I think the best way to to approach the last verses of second Kings 20 is to read to read it in its entirety, to get a whole picture of it before we dissect it verse by verse. So I hope you're with me here.

In second Kings 20, beginning in verse 12, give yourself over with great attention to the reading of the word. Don't allow yourself to get distracted and we're gonna trust that even in the reading of these passages, we will be blessed. 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 is 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. 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. 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. Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, the word of the Lord that you've spoken is good.

For he thought, why not if there will be peace and security in my days? The rest of the deeds of Hezekiah and all his might, and how he made the pool and the conduit and brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and Manasseh, his son, reigned in his place. I want you to be prepared because we're gonna flip to a parallel passage in order to make the most sense of what we just read. And right from the beginning, I wanna let you know that in Isaiah 39 verse one, you don't have to turn there, We're given more explanation why the Babylonians visited king Hezekiah.

We're told that they not only came because they heard that he was sick, but that they heard that he also recovered. So the Babylonians arriving on the scene is not because they were checking up on King Hezekiah, it's because they wanted to congratulate him. That seems like a kind gesture. That seems like a noble cause. But if you feel a little suspicious about their true motives, you have the right to be.

What are the Babylonians doing here? This gentile nation reaching out in this way. And the only concrete evidence that the scriptures give us is in second Chronicles 32. And again, you don't have to turn there. I know we're gonna turn to different passages in a moment here.

In that chapter, we read the verse last week. The Babylonians were curious in coming to Jerusalem because they heard of what? The sign that was performed in relation to Hezekiah's miraculous healing. So the news of how God autograph that healing miracle reached all the way to Babylon. And they wanted to inquire of it, and so they sent dignitaries and representatives to investigate.

That's all we can say with absolute confidence. But is there any other potential clue that might indicate why this is happening? And I think there is. I think there is some political motivation here. And the best way to understand is to look at the wider context.

You see, Babylon was not the superpower nation it will one day be. That title still belongs to who? The Assyrians. The Assyrians. And what you discover, and I'll ask you to turn here now, is in second Kings 17, we've covered this.

In second Kings seventeen twenty four, confirming that Babylon was inferior to the Assyrians, Giving us some kind of insight, at least a potential reason why they approached the kingdom of Judah. Look at second Kings 17 verse 24. And the king of Assyria brought people from where? Babylon. Good.

Cutha, Abba, Hamath and Sephar Vaim and play and placed them in the cities of Samaria. Instead of the people of Israel, they took possession of Samaria and lived in its city. So Babylon was one of the neighboring nations that were dominated by the Assyrians. And that was still the case as we come now to chapter 20, which may inform us that Babylon made such efforts to potentially make an alliance with the kingdom of Judah. Which makes sense, doesn't it?

I mean, you just heard the news that this very small kingdom in comparison to the empire of Assyria, in one evening destroyed a 185,000 of their soldiers. And close to that event, its king was divinely touched by God and recovered. That is a very promising ally. And so it could be that Babylon is drawn to Israel for for their own purposes, for for their own advantage in the long run and that's quite possible. That there's a prospective partnership that is about to take place.

That that's speculation. Right? Because we don't wanna make too much of silence in scripture. But let me add this. We do have a explanation for the spiritual dimension of what's happening in verse 12 of our study.

And the answer is in the parallel passage. So now I'll ask you to go to second Chronicles 32. And I want you to see how the chronicler by the Spirit gives us the divine perspective of what's happening here. Second Chronicles 32 and verse 31. And so in the matter of the envoys of the princes of Babylon who had been sent to him to inquire about the sign that had been done in the land, God left him to himself in order to test him and to know all that was in his heart.

What a profound verse. The key to understanding this passage is by answering the single question, What does it mean that God left Hezekiah to himself? I'll be honest. I was wrestling with this verse for quite some time yesterday, back and forth in my thinking and even in my praying. What does it mean, Lord, that you left Hezekiah to himself?

And I believe the last sentence of verse 30 of second Chronicles 32 gives us some kind of a clue. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works. So think about it this way. As the king reached the peak of his achievements, as he accumulated impressive amounts of wealth and advancements in the infrastructure and the economy of the kingdom of Judah, God intentionally became quiet. Especially when the exciting news arrived that the Babylonians came to honor king Hezekiah.

And I believe this manifested in one way of a sense of God's presence being withdrawn from Hezekiah. And with that, the accompaniment of the silence of any prophetic interjection or instruction for the matter at hand. God became quiet, stepped back, and before we can even ask why the Lord would do this, we're told in the very same verse that it was to see how Hezekiah would relate to the Lord at the height of his success and at this pivotal moment that is set before him. How will you relate to me now, Hezekiah? You cried out to me when you were afraid.

You sought me when you were sick. Now what will you do as you are soaring with success and doors are opening before you, and your name is becoming more known? Will you remain rooted in me? Will you still abide in my word? Will you still seek me for wisdom in your wins just as much as in your losses?

Will you protect your identity and satisfaction in me? God left Hezekiah to himself to see what he would do at the peak of his performance. And I believe a verse like this is more relevant to us than we might imagine. Because you see, though it has an immediate application, there is a broader principle for the children of God. If you get this, it will prepare you for those stretches of time when God seems to become more quiet.

When his guidance is not so obvious, when his presence is not always felt. What will you do when God leaves you to yourself? Will you still cling to him? Will you still commune with him? Even though you're in the dark, even though the the the light is not provided for the path ahead, even though sensations are not necessarily there, what will you do?

Will you stay close or will you be content to live disconnected from him? This verse, just to testify, came to me during the first year of my walk with the Lord and I praise God that it did. Because it was a constant reminder to me that when God seems silent, it could be a test. Where are you gonna go? I can't tell you the amount of believers who in their frustration, perhaps because of a lack of an answer, delayed intervention, maybe frustration with their feelings, easily drop out of the scene altogether.

Drift into this sin. Walk away from their commitment to serving the Lord. I want you to never forget this. When those moments arise, when Monday morning comes and it seems like the heavens above you are like brass, what will you do? This conviction sit in the driver's seat of your devotion?

Or does experience? Are you in this as long as God gives you what you want, when you want it, how you want it? Or are you willing to serve him no matter what? We're all familiar with the golden calf story. I'm not sure how many of us are familiar from the human standpoint where it all began.

Let me say it this way. Lack of immediate intervention delayed divine interjection, answers are God's tools to expose what's really in our hearts. Turn to Exodus 32 with me. And look at verse one. This is the chapter that describes the heinous crime of the golden calf being created.

But remember the context. What sprung these people to make such a evil and despicable thing? Exodus 32 verse one. When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gather themselves together to Aaron and said to them, up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.

Remember that Moses was God's mouthpiece. He was set apart by God to be the compass for the nation. And for this designated period of time, he was on the mountaintop receiving fresh instruction for the next steps for the nation of Israel, but it took too long apparently. Things got quiet. And so when they realized that there was a delay, you know what happened?

Something emerged in their hearts that was there all along. So when Israel felt stuck, when Israel felt like they were in the dark, when they were removed from an obvious and experiential sense of God's presence and power and provision, things begin to stir up from within. And so as much as they left Egypt, Egypt was still in Israel. Understood? When God leaves us to ourselves for a time, that's strategic.

That's not accidental. Yes. Sometimes because of unrepentant sin, we forfeit some of the blessings of God. I'm talking about when you are walking with the Lord and he turns off the lights. Hezekiah up to this point was faithful.

He was prayerful. He was obedient. But things began to escalate very quickly in terms of his ambitions and his desires and his accomplishments. And the Lord stepped back to see, okay, what are you gonna do now? Did you notice in our reading of our study, there is no mention of prayer?

How many times have we seen Hezekiah praying? It almost became redundant to us because it was something that he held onto so strongly, but as he began to prosper, as he began to grow, as he became more renowned, things begin to slip away. The Lord could have stepped in and whispered in Hezekiah's ear, hey be careful these Babylonians, don't be tempted to make an alliance. Hey be careful, they might be coming here to spy on your resources. He doesn't.

He steps back to see, are you gonna come to me? What are you gonna do now? And this is something for you and I to consider in those moments, where we may not be able to sense God the way we once enjoyed, in a way that was once familiar to us. Never forget this verse. Could it be that the Lord is testing you?

Where are you gonna go? What are you gonna do? Well, let's see what happens back in our main text in second Kings 20 verse 13. When the Babylonians arrived, Hezekiah let's read it again. Welcome them and he showed them all his treasure house, the silver, the gold, the spices, the precious oil, his army, all that was found in his storehouses.

There was nothing in his house or in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them. Now, you would think that this is just Hezekiah being a courteous host. This is him just giving the Babylonians a, you know, a tour of the kingdom. Did you notice how many times the word his appears in verse 13 alone? His his his his.

In second Chronicles confirms the true reason behind his actions here. Second Chronicles 32. Listen to verse twenty four and twenty five. In those days, Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death and he prayed to the Lord and he answered them and he gave him a sign. But Hezekiah did not make return according to the benefit done to him for his heart was proud.

Therefore, wrath came upon him in Judah and Jerusalem. So the motive for this comprehensive tour, this parading around his palace and all his possessions was because Hezekiah wanted to show off. He was proud. He was proud of his achievements. And this is really the tragedy of his pride.

Because he took for himself the glory that belonged to the Lord alone. And because of his arrogance, he squandered a wonderful opportunity to do what? To testify of the true and living God before these Babylonians. There's no pointing to the glory of God. That's not indicated here.

Hezekiah saw this as a way of growing in his fame, growing in his leadership acknowledgement. He just he's just taking advantage of this for his own glory. And instead of boldly testifying to these pagan guests about the power and mercy of the true and living God, instead of reminding him that the Lord was a source of every blessing that he and his kingdom enjoyed, He made it about himself. His, his, his, his. Pride is robbery.

And in the same verse, we learn how even the godliest of men and women can be puffed up. You're there in second Chronicles. Right? 32? Look at verse 25 again.

But Hezekiah did not make return according to the benefit done to him. What benefit? God rescued him from the Assyrians and God healed him of his sickness. So how do we summarize the breeding ground for pride in Hezekiah's heart? He became forgetful and unthankful.

That's what happened. He become forgetful and he became ungrateful according to the benefit done to him. And here's what you have to understand, and I'm here to understand it with you, that a failure to consistently acknowledge God as the source of every blessing, every ability, everything that you own will encourage the cultivation of entitlement and a belief of one's own greatness. Heartfelt gratitude weakens self exaltation. And if you and I allow our Thanksgiving to simply be dependent upon spontaneity, and a combustion of emotion because of something that you experienced in a moment, you will not know the full benefit of being thankful.

It's commanded. It's everywhere. I think of that cluster of verses in first Thessalonians chapter five beginning at verse 16. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in what? Some circumstances, all circumstances.

For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Give thanks in all I mean, you gotta put it into drive. Thanksgiving isn't gonna drive on its own. You have to put the key in the ignition, turn it on and put the pedal to the metal. And and watch how things begin to fall off.

And watch how your heart is softened and remains softened. And how joy bubbles up. And how God is kept in his rightful place and you are kept in your rightful place as a recipient of every single joy and goodness that he bestows upon you. Hezekiah lost touch with his past, lost touch with the testimonies of God's intervention in his life. And it began to excite in him this self importance and the crediting of the things that he saw and witnessed and developed to his own strength and his own mind.

And any doubt about his self centeredness are clarified as we come back to our main text and look at the remaining verses of our study. Then Isaiah the prophet in verse 14 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. 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. Isaiah the prophet, who is by Hezekiah's side in the good and the bad, approaches him now. He shows up on the scene and he asks three questions. The first one is pretty clear, is it not?

He says here, what do these men say? The second one is, where did they come from? And lastly, what did you show them? Here's what interested me. Out of the three, Hezekiah answers the last two.

He doesn't acknowledge the first one. Did you see that in his answer? Look again at verse 14. What did these men say and from where they come to you? And Hezekiah said they have come from a far country from Babylon.

Okay. We can't be dogmatic about this, but let me give you my explanation. I think Hezekiah, as he entertained these Babylonian guests, eventually got into a conversation about a potential alliance. And when Isaiah came to confront him about these visitors, he knew that he would not like knowing about a potential partnership with these pagans. And so he leaves it out of his answer.

But he is eager to answer the last two. It makes you wonder if it's because he was energized by the accolades and the recognition and it just fed his pride. So what does he say? Well, where did these men come from? Well, they came from a far country from Babylon.

They they weren't just like next door neighbors. They came from Babylon, Isaiah. They came all the way from there to pay homage to us, to me. And what we learned from this is that pride grows when recognition is poorly managed. You may not be able to help how men praise you, but it is your responsibility what you do with that praise.

And make it a habit, no matter what anybody says to you, if it's a parent, a pastor, a friend, somebody you're witnessing to, to lay every crown that you receive as quickly as possible at the feet of Jesus Christ. Pride grows when recognition, validation is poorly managed. Additionally, pride can be inflated by one's possessions. Notice the answer to the third question. They have seen all that is in my house.

There is nothing in my storehouses that I did not show them. And unbeknownst to Hezekiah, he's about to learn the foolishness of his actions and just how much the Lord despises a haughty spirit. You gotta think about it. From a military standpoint, from a political standpoint, there are so many examples in the scriptures that when a foreign nation with its representatives show up to your front door, you have every right to be suspicious. There there are so many examples that we can point to.

And so for Hezekiah to just swing open the door and allow these people to come in and see everything, was pretty foolish. And here's one reason why. You don't have to turn there, but in Obadiah verse three, we learn there that he tells his readers, the pride of your heart has deceived you. You know, sometimes you look at people and you see the decisions that they make, especially leaders. And you wonder, did you not think about the potential consequences of that action or that decision or that sin?

Not taking into account that perhaps there was a sin harbored before that sin that manifested publicly. Pride. It blinds you and me. It doesn't let you see the full picture. It doesn't let you come to an answer with the equation of your choices.

Scripture says that there is wisdom with who? The humble. And so you see here that this man is just as a king, as a ruler, what are you thinking? Just revealing every ounce of your inventory to this nation where you don't know why they're really there. You don't they don't serve the living God.

You don't know what they're planning. Pride blinds you. It confuses you And when it's not repented of quickly, it leads to one's own destruction. And Isaiah the prophet is here to tell Hezekiah just that. Let's come back to our main text.

Look at verse 16 with me. 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 is in 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 become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.

Now, before we look into this prophecy, can we just admire how remarkable this prediction is? Again, be reminded that at this time, Babylon was just one of the several small kingdoms surrounding the empire of Assyria, all under its control and domination. And yet you have this man making this kind of a prediction. Like from a human perspective, no one could have foreseen such a dramatic shift in geopolitical power. You tell me Babylon, we read it back in second king 17, Babylon that was violated and invaded.

Babylon is gonna have the upper hand and begin to take over nations including Judah. All to say that what you and I have before us even in this text is a wonderful testament to divine authorship of the Bible. And I wanna encourage you. I really mean this when I say this. Be familiar with the prophecies of the Bible.

Be familiar with them. And not just the ones about the Messiah as paramount as those are. Be familiar with the historical ones. The ones that happened in the Old Testament. Do you know why?

Because if anybody asks you why you believe that this is, this book is God's word instead of any other religious text, one of your go to answers should be the fulfilled prophecies of this book. In fact, the Lord himself highlights that power of his, that omniscience of his as one of the determining factors that he is the one true God. And that he is set apart from all other so called deities. So I really admonish you. I encourage you.

Be familiar with the predictions of this book and the fulfillments of it. Okay. Maybe you're not convinced. So in Isaiah forty six nine and ten, this is something that I myself have been memorizing lately. Remember the former things of old, for I am God and there is no other.

I am God and there is none like me declaring the end from the beginning, from ancient times things not yet done, saying my counsel shall stand and I will accomplish all my purpose. What is God saying there? Let me prove to you that there is no one like me. I declare the end from the beginning. I declare from ancient times things not yet done.

Do you know those things? We should. Here's one of them, that a hundred years before Babylon took over the known world, Isaiah said it would happen. And that's what I've been answering with people lately. Why do you believe the Bible is God's word?

Because God in this word predicts the future and he's never failed once. How do you explain that? This is the only history book that predicts the future. Does your book do that? Well, no.

Has no. Has good lessons in there and maybe stretch some kind of prediction that anybody can fulfill. Not this God. He talks about nations. He talks about names of rulers of those nations.

He talks about so many things. And that should at least peak your curiosity to read the Bible. Forgive me, I got carried away. Let's look at the content of this prophecy. Everything that you show to these Babylonians, that will be confiscated by the Babylonians.

And moreover, your own sons who shall be born to you shall be taken away and they shall become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. Question. I'm actually asking you if you know the answer. Where in the Bible do we have the clearest answer of this prophecy being fulfilled? Very good.

That didn't take very long, did it? Daniel one one to three. Why don't we just turn to it to look at it? We're in no rush. Right?

Some of you drove quite a bit to get here, so somebody from Seattle is here. So why are we gonna rush? Right? Let's look at Daniel one one to three, just to see it, just to see with our own eyes. So right after the book of Ezekiel, here it is, in the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.

There it is. Just over a hundred years after Isaiah said to Hezekiah that it would happen. Put that as a reference if you write in your Bible. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand with some of the vessels of the house of God. There it is.

You have a descendant of Hezekiah and you have the possessions of the kingdom. What? What's happening? And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his God and placed the vessels in the treasury of his God. Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and the nobility.

And who was among those of the royal family nobility? Daniel. Here's what blessed me. As much as this was a prediction of judgment, God had a redemptive threat in it. He took what most believed to be a fifteen year old with his friends and allowed them to be brought into a foreign land.

And it was through Daniel's ministry that we have one of the clearest apocalyptic prophecies about the end times, among many other things that he accomplished. Let's come back to our main text, shall we? If you if you're not shocked by Hezekiah's attitude yet, I think verse 19 will do it. Look at his response to this pronouncement of judgment. 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? Now this has disturbed students of the Bible. I'm trying to make sense of this. This seems so out of character for this great man of God. And there's gonna be another cross reference here that may make this even more challenging, but let's just take it at face value.

What do you get from this? That there was this sigh of relief that though judgment was declared, it would not happen in Hezekiah's lifetime. This doesn't happen to me and my family, at least my immediate family. Yeah, the word of the Lord is good. And debate all you want, but it becomes very difficult to justify this response, especially when you compare it to another king who received his own pronouncement of judgment because of his own pride as a king.

Do you know who I'm speaking about? David. Yes. The answers are coming quick tonight. Remember what David did at the end of his reign, at least near the end of his reign?

He created what? A census. And the crime was not just a census. It's the motive of that census and what the people did with that census. We study this at great length when we look through second Samuel.

But let's refresh our memories and recall the words of King David when he was told that judgment would come upon Jerusalem. In second Samuel twenty four seventeen, you can turn there if you like, but I'm gonna read it and I want you to compare it just by hearing it with what we read with Hezekiah. Listen to what David does. In second Samuel 24 verse 17, then David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel who was striking the people and said, behold, I have sinned and I have done wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done?

Please let your hand be against me and against my father's house. Take this now and place it beside what we read in second Kings 20. The word of the Lord is good. Why not? There'll be peace and security in my days.

David was a true shepherd. He really loved his people. Not that Hezekiah didn't. But this is where he falls short as he seeks to emulate King David. A true leader cares about those that he's leading.

And if it means that they suffer so they don't, he will suffer. If it means that they will prosper and grow at the expense of whatever they have to give up, they will do that. That's a Holy Spirit thing. And David is a wonderful model of that. Because we see, yes, in Hezekiah and in David a comparison, but we're also reminded in this overall that leaders especially and I'm not just talking about leaders in ministry.

Some of you here are fathers. Some of you here are aspiring fathers and mothers. Your leadership with those that God has given to you matters. Your attitude matters. In fact, we didn't touch on something.

I'm not sure if you noticed it. But again, there's no rush. Right? When Hezekiah was indicted for his pride, did you notice that he was not the only one that became proud? Okay.

I know we're gonna flip back and forth here, but go back to second Chronicles. We looked at this verse earlier, but look at it again. In second Chronicles 32 verse 25. But Hezekiah did not make return according to the benefit done to him for his heart was proud. Therefore, wrath came upon him, and who else?

And Judah and Jerusalem. Why? Here's the best explanation. Hezekiah's pride was contagious. His attitude rubbed off on those that were under his leadership.

And so this is for all of us. Anybody that looks up to you, anybody that's under your care, how you lead is important. And your investment is not always direct, it's indirect. How you and I talk, how you and I carry ourselves, how you and I view the ministry, how you and I cherish the word, all these things have impact beyond our own lives. So Hezekiah's pride became the people's pride.

When he was self absorbed and he was receiving this praise, the people began to lose their focus on who God was and what he's done and now they're placing it on themselves including Hezekiah. So parents, let me give you an example. The way you approach the local church, how you speak about the church, how you express your sentiments about the church, your your attitude towards the church, that's not just gonna stay with you. It will in some way affect your children. If you moan and groan when it comes to Sunday service because you have to go, guess who's gonna moan and groan eventually.

But if you're excited and you're passionate and you express what a privilege it is to serve God in any capacity, you're gonna give your children a better chance to imitate that. So Hezekiah becomes proud and the people become proud. I know that's not always the case, but it is a it is a rule. It's a general observation. So he says here back at our main text, why not if there will be peace and security in my days?

Self centeredness and pride go hand in hand. Self preservation. This man, for this moment, did not care what would happen beyond his life. Here's where it gets really interesting. Go to second Chronicles 32 again and look at one verse with me in verse 26.

But Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah. So this has led some to believe that what you read back in second Kings 20 verse 19 wasn't Hezekiah being selfish, it was him just expressing his gratitude that judgment was an immediate. I'm not persuaded. Nor Nor do I think that this is contradictory. Instead, this is simply an accurate description of the complexity of the human heart.

Here's how to make sense of this. That his initial reaction is what you read in second Kings 20 verse 19. And shortly after that, he truly humbles himself. I'm so glad that this verse is included in our Bibles. Because if you were left with just second Kings 20, you would have to conclude that Hezekiah ended bad.

But because of this little phrase, this little statement, we know that he was able and he eventually humbled himself. As powerful as pride can be, as hopeless as proud people can seem. Have you ever met somebody who was proud and arrogant? Look at them you think, you're you're like, you're sealed. There's an I can't imagine you any other way.

I've only known you wearing that perfume of pride and it stinks. But what does Hezekiah show us? That it's possible for the proud in heart to be humble. God can uproot that. So here's here's the encouraging note in this Bible study.

If you know yourself, if this bible study has done some kind of work in you to help you recognize that you crave the validation of man, that you do take pride in your achievements and your possessions even, Or that maybe you're you're just self centered. The world revolves around me. And if I get to escape, even though others around me, even though I care about them are are gonna so be it as long as I'm good. If it's gonna cost them, it doesn't cost me. That's fine.

As long as there's peace and security in my life. If you're self set do you see it? God can change your heart. He can change my heart. He can do a miracle in your bosom.

He can radically shift your outlook, your in look. He can do it. He did it in Hezekiah. And here's what's so important to consider. Look back at the last two verses of second Kings 20.

The rest of the deeds of Hezekiah and all his might and how he made it the pool and the conduit and brought water into the city. Are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? I mean, Hezekiah's work in Jerusalem, the things that he did for the city can still be seen today. You can look this up if you haven't seen it for yourself in person in Israel. Hezekiah's tunnel, incredible, by the grace of God had the opportunity to actually walk through Hezekiah's tunnel before COVID happened.

It was just fascinating to walk through this and and think to myself, Hezekiah's men made this tunnel possible in order to bring water into the city when they were under siege. This is fascinating. That's wonderful. But you know what the scripture says? In Proverbs 16 verse 32, whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

What's more impressive than Hezekiah doing all these things and arriving in all these feats and revolutionizing how Jerusalem would thrive and survive economically, and a national security is a fact that he was able to overcome pride. And that's what the Bible prizes more than anything else. Not what we do in the world, not what we do at the workplace, not what we do with our bank account, what you do with your character. What you're able to achieve in the inner man by the power of the Holy Spirit and the truth of God's word. And that's something for you and I to consider as we close Hezekiah's story.

Is there anything in our own hearts that we know needs to change? Can I tell you how it's gonna happen? We have the ingredients here with Hezekiah. Two things. At least two things.

One, hear the word of the Lord. That's where it all started for Hezekiah. Right? And two, somebody who loved him enough to speak the word of the Lord to him. If there's gonna be any victory in our hearts, it's for us to stand in the presence of God's word and sometimes be willing to be the recipient of the rebuke of a God fearing man or woman.

God's voice and community will help us stay humble. That's why it's so important that you go to a Bible teaching church. Has the Lord's word touched your heart today? I hope it did. Can I tell you how it touched mine when I studied it this week?

Hezekiah was so close to finishing badly. And it didn't come when he was youthful and when he started out as a king at the age of 25. It came when the Lord added fifteen years to his life. And he knew that his days were numbered. Imagine that.

He knew that his days were numbered. He knew the exact year he was gonna die, and he still became proud. I knew when I was gonna die. I mean, every day is gonna count. I'm gonna make sure that I'm as close to Christ as possible every day.

And even with that kind of insight, he let his heart become proud. And I found myself praying. Lord, if there's an overarching lesson in the study of kings, yes, number one, there's no king like Jesus. But number two, I wanna finish well. Help me.

Help me finish well. There there are all these vices and temptations waiting to destroy my testimony. David had Bathsheba. David had the census. Hezekiah, in this moment, proud of his achievements.

Uzziah, wanting to be a priest, not satisfied and content with his own calling. All these different things that we've been studying, I hope and I pray that you're taking it to heart. These have been given to us for our instruction and our example that we may not desire evil as they did, Paul tells us in first Corinthians 10. I think that's enough for Bible study tonight. Let's bow our hearts before the King of Kings and ask Him.

Lord, even if you choose to leave us to ourselves, help us stay close to you. Help us trust you. Help us seek you. Help us remain in your presence even when all is well. That is our heart cry tonight, Lord.

We we see what we are capable of and in a holy way, it inspires a godly fear. And it drives us to your feet and we ask that you would remove anything that is beginning in our hearts, even if it's beginning, if it's at that larva state, we pray that you would deal with it in your great power and might. With all that was said, we pray that you would help us recall these things. We need you, Lord. We can't do this without you.

Help us now even as we open our hearts to you in your presence this evening in Jesus' name. Amen. The praise team will come, but listen, don't rush. Don't rush. When God speaks to us, it is appropriate to speak back to him.

And so I wanna encourage you, just commune with the Lord before we sing any note, any lyric. Ask the Lord to guard your heart, to keep your heart. He will do it. He's faithful.