2nd Kings 20:12 "The son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah: for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick. 13 And Hezekiah hearkened unto them, and shewed them all the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not. 16 And Isaiah said unto Hezekiah, Hear the word of the Lord. 17 Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the Lord.
This passage of scripture is brimfull with valuable instructions that are applicable to our daily interactions with those who may not have the fear of The Lord before their faces. In the case study given in the above verses, Hezekiah had just recently experienced a stunning victory over death, in which the tender mercies of God was engaged in his behalf, and as a result, he was miraculously healed by the power of God. But on the heels of great victories, the Christian is often met with grievous temptations, because victory on the mountain top is often followed by defeat in the valley, and therefore we must needs be extra careful, and extremely vigilant, whenever God has done us a great favor, or whenever He has signally routed our enemies.
When the ambassadors from the kingdom of Babylon came with their gifts, Hezekiah made the serious mistake of taking the glory to himself, instead of using the occasion as a witnessing opportunity, to show the miraculous healing that was granted him by God. This would have made a very deep impression on the visitors, and would undoubtedly have turned many hearts to serve the true and Living God, because the miracle of turning the shadow of the sun back ten degrees, had certainly caught the attention of the astronomers and philosophers alike, and they came seeking answers as to who had such power to interfere with the sun, or the rotation of the earth.
If a great and exceedingly rare miracle such as this were to be performed by God in our day, it would produce tremendous consequences in both the natural world, and in all other aspects of our lives, ranging from our educational system, which erroneously teaches evolution instead of creation, to our financial systems that are dependent on time. It would also permanently alter our finite knowledge of science as we know it, for then the unseen agency of an Omnipotent God would intrude itself into our experience, and thus force acknowledgment from unwilling, scientific lips. Thus it was a golden opportunity that was passed by, to show forth the praises of The Living God, while in its stead, Hezekiah chose to expose his wealth to the unconverted, and covetous eyes of the heathen. Let's read:
2nd Kings 20:9 And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the Lord, that the Lord will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees? 10 And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees. 11 And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the Lord: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz.
As Christians living in an evil world that is materialistic in nature, and where the almighty dollar reigns as king in the lives of most people, it is highly unadvisable for us to go about bragging about the material blessings God has bestowed upon us, except it be with the sole purpose of magnifying God, and the promises He has made to the obedient. When financial and temporal blessings are dwelt upon in our conversations with those who are not converted, then there is a tendency for them to accept Christ because of the loaves and the fishes, and if these benefits are not immediately realized, many often sink down into despair, and thus bitter recriminations and murmurings are often the result.
Let us therefore learn the important lessons from the error of Hezekiah, and let the wisdom that is born from above, dwell in our hearts by faith, so that we may be able to give to every man that asketh us, a reason for the hope that is within us, "with meekness and fear", literally. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which warns us against the human tendency to boast and exalt ourselves, for God is the one who is to be praised for every blessing and every deliverance that comes our way. Let's read:
Proverbs 27:1 Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. 2 Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!