Peace In My Days

One of the great sins in scripture that does not get a lot of press is the sin of caring only about your time and generation. The movement of Jesus is meant to pass on from one generation to another. Jesus only ministered for 3 years and left the movement in the hands of His disciples. We get only 6 chapters in before we see people other than the disciples ministering powerfully in Jesus' Name (See Stephen and Philip). We see Paul take the main stage in Acts 13 and we read the rest of the New Testament remembering how important those who came after him were important to him and the movement of Jesus.

So when we read about what happens in Isaiah 39 when Babylon emissaries come to see Hezekiah, the event is particularly jawing in light of the rest of Scripture's record. This prayer-warrior king who was duly saved both professionally and personally through prayer seemed not to care when a Word from God revealed the dark future of those who would follow him. 

Isaiah 39:1 (ESV) 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 he had been sick and had recovered.

Perhaps Hezekiah was flattered by this visit. A foreign dignitary checking in on him after hearing of his recovery is certainly ego-boosting. Babylon is not Assyria but it is the rising star in ancient empires. And a visit from a great empire deserves special attention. So Hezekiah gives them the grand tour. 

Isaiah 39:2 (ESV) And Hezekiah welcomed them gladly. And he showed them his treasure house, the silver, the gold, the spices, the precious oil, his whole 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.

There's a phrase we need to point out there. "there was nothing in HIS house or... all HIS realm". 

Did Hezekiah forget who he was? He wasn't the owner, he was the king, the servant of God for the people. Remember his prayer from two chapters earlier?

Isaiah 37:20 (ESV) So now, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the LORD.”

Hezekiah formerly prayed that God would save the Kingdom that the other kingdoms might know the Lord. Now in Isaiah 39, Hezekiah is showing off "his" kingdom to those very nations he previously prayed would know the Lord. Hezekiah has grown prideful in a short time. It's always that way with pride. It comes in quick and makes us forget why we are here and who we belong to. 

We can do the same thing with the good things God does for us. We can turn healing into either a testimony of God's power or a story about us. We can turn blessings into an opportunity to bless others or spend on ourselves. We can turn deliverance into a message for the world about our God or a best-selling book about us. The point is, Hezekiah quickly forgot who he was serving and saw God as a servant to himself. When that happens, we quickly grow inwardly focused and forget to pass on God's testimony in us so that others beyond us can trust the God who saved us. 

When Isaiah finds out what Hezekiah does, there is a quick response detailing what will happen in the future. 

Isaiah 39:5–7 (ESV) Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the LORD of hosts: 6 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. 7 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.”

Did Hezekiah's self-centered celebration of his kingdom cause the eventual downfall of Israel? It contributed for sure. For when we forget the most important thing to pass on to our spiritual and physical children, we teach them to place their hopes in the wrong things - like wealth, fame and fortune instead of the God who gives those things to some for a purpose to bless others. 

Sadly, Hezekiah is immune to this reality and considers peace in his time the most important priority. 

Isaiah 39:8 (ESV) Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the LORD that you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “There will be peace and security in my days.”

The question Isaiah demands we ask of ourselves in this text is simple: Who is being blessed with the blessing God has given us? If the answer is no one, something must change.