The Life and Times of Good King Hezekiah, Part 2 - Isaiah 39

From the things I’ve heard and read recently, I’ve come to the conclusion that second only to God Himself, George Bush is the most culpable being in the universe.  Some of the things he is supposedly directly or indirectly responsible for are:

• The BP oil spill

• The destruction of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina

• Black Plague of 1346

• The Holocaust

• Segregation

• Capri Pants

• The 9/11 attacks

• Gas Prices

• The Fall of the Roman Empire

• The Cancellation of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

• Athlete's Foot

• Our ruined economy

• Brokeback Mountain

• Al and Tipper Gore’s separation

• The bankruptcy of the Texas Rangers baseball team 

• Jimmy Hoffa’s disappearance

• and feline shedding. 1

Finally, someone wrote an article entitled, “George Bush Now Officially Responsible for All Problems Everywhere.”  So now we’ve finally found the answer to the question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”  Answer: George Bush.  That presumably leaves our current administration responsible for everything else, which should cause all of us to sleep a little easier tonight.

I want to show you a truly irresponsible world leader which we read about in Isaiah chapter 39.  Irresponsible leadership obviously has the potential to cause great harm for those being led, whether we’re talking about a family, a church, a Fortune 500 company, or an entire country.  Irresponsible behavior on the part of husbands and fathers can wreak financial, emotional, and spiritual havoc on their wives and families.  Irresponsible pastors can cause spiritual damage for generations for those who believe the things they teach that are not biblical.  Irresponsible big businessmen can lead to the destruction of jobs and the loss of entire fortunes.  And irresponsible governmental leaders such as presidents and kings can bring the judgment of God to bear upon an entire nation

While Hezekiah was a good king who did not bring about God’s judgment upon Judah, he still had his moments of irresponsible thinking.  Turn to Isaiah 39.

1 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. 2 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. 

3 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?” Hezekiah said, “They have come to me from a far country, from Babylon.” 4 He said, “What have they seen in your house?” Hezekiah answered, “They have seen all that is in my house. There is nothing in my storehouses that I did not show them.”

5 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.” 

8 Then said Hezekiah 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.”

This was not a good word from the Lord.  It was a very, very bad word.  What comes to mind in describing this account concerning Hezekiah, in addition to the word “irresponsible”, are words like self-centered, naïve, proud, unconcerned, uncaring, deceived, and disqualified.  In 2 Kings 20, the nearly identical account of this same event given there has a brief additional phrase.  The parallel passage there to verse 8 here in Isaiah says, 

19 Then said Hezekiah 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?”

“Why not!“  Good King Hezekiah isn’t all that good after all.  He is thinking, “Who cares what happens later, as long as I’m going to be alright.  What is that to me?”  

The king has forgotten who he is.  First, he is in the lineage of David.  His lineage will eventually bring the Messiah to Israel.  It hard to imagine how that could happen if his own children can’t have children because they will be eunuchs in Babylon, which is exactly what Isaiah told him would happen.

Secondly, he has forgotten his responsibilities as God’s anointed ruler in Judah.  His actions toward the Babylonian envoys are totally irresponsible.  He has given a potential enemy a personal tour of the entire military capability of his kingdom.  So now Babylon knows exactly what is necessary to defeat the people of Judah in battle.  They have toured the arsenal.  They’ve also toured the national treasury, filled with silver and gold.  That might also be a motive to attack Judah.

These envoys come to Hezekiah shortly after he has recuperated from a disease that brought him to death’s door, in order to congratulate him.  God spared his life, promised him 15 more years, miraculously gave him a few extra hours on the spot, and told Hezekiah He would defend Jerusalem from the Assyrians.  

But He didn’t say anything about the Babylonians.  So these men bring him some royal “Get Well” cards and a gift which was no doubt fit for a king.  And Hezekiah escorts them on a tour through the the whole kingdom.  He tells Isaiah, “They have seen all that is in my house. There is nothing in my storehouses that I did not show them.”  This seems to be simply a statement of fact, not an admission of guilt.  So who needs spies if you can just pay the king a visit and he’ll reveal all?

Apparently it never entered Hezekiah’s mind that Babylon would ever be a threat.  And they wouldn’t be within his life time.  So his response to this extremely bad news is, “The word of the Lord that you have spoken [Isaiah] is good.  Why not, if there will be peace and security in my days.”  Such a self-centered, self-absorbed man isn’t qualified to lead a nation.  

But do you remember what we read last week concerning Hezekiah.  The Bible speaks very, very well of him:  

5 He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him. 6 For he held fast to the Lord. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses. 7 And the Lord was with him; wherever he went out, he prospered. (2 Kings 18:5-7a ESV)

It sounds like we’re talking about two different people.  This is the man every Christian father wants his daughter to marry!  How is it that the Scriptures say in one place that Hezekiah was faithful in following the Lord and held fast to Him, and in another he is presented as someone who is inexplicably foolish and self-centered and oblivious to his responsibilities as the leader of God’s people?  Faithful and foolish.  So what is the point here?  What should we learn from these conflicting reports?

While there are certainly other things that could be gleaned from these texts, here’s what I see: One careless, offhanded remark by Hezekiah ruined what would otherwise have been a stellar reputation.  In fact, it wasn’t even as much as an offhanded remark.  In response to Isaiah’s words concerning the bleak future of Judah and of his own offspring, the text says, 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?”

He said what he did to Isaiah because of what he thought!  His words might have been interpreted to be a response of faith in God from a godly king.  But his thoughts were written into the pages of scripture in order that we might learn from his bad example.  Outwardly, Hezekiah lived a godly life.  But at least on this occasion, the thoughts of his heart betrayed him and caused him to say something that we understand clearly to be a “look out for number one” mindset.  And that stained his otherwise good reputation.  His thoughts were recorded for us so we would know clearly what this man was really made of.

This corroborates what we read elsewhere in the Bible about God’s ability to know our hearts: 

Genesis 6:5 - Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  

Obviously, this text is talking about ungodly people and the fact that God knows the hearts and minds of all people everywhere, not just the kings of Judah, or the 12 disciples, or believers.  Our hearts and minds are an open book before an omniscient God.

1 Chron 28:9 - These are the words of David to Solomon who was about to become king over all Israel:  

"As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts.

Psalm 139 - David prayed for himself with these words: 

1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me! 

2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. 

3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. 

4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. 

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 

24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

The words of Jesus in Matthew 15:

18  But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. 19 "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. 20 These are the things which defile the man;

On this one occasion Hezekiah said something that might have been interpreted to sound like the words of a man who trusted wholly in God in spite of the bad news, had his thoughts not been revealed to us.  But the revelation of his thoughts causes us to think less of him than we would otherwise.  It would have been better for Hezekiah and his reputation if these few verses had not made it into the Bible.  But they have served for centuries as a reminder to us of how our thoughts and our words sometimes reveal more about us than we’d prefer people, or God, knew.  Hezekiah was primarily concerned with Number 1, not with his people.

What we think matters greatly.  What we think is determined by what we believe to be true.  What we believe to be true determines what and how we think about the world, about God, about others, and about ourselves.  Then our thinking, whether it is true or false thinking, is crucial because it determines whether our actions will be right or wrong, good or evil.  

For the person who is unregenerate, all of his thought processes are tainted and influenced and governed by a fallen heart.  Out of the heart of the natural man come evil thoughts which lead to such sins as murder, adultery, fornication, thievery,lying and slander.  That is the short list.  What Jesus was saying is that ALL sin comes from an evil heart.  When we read what Hezekiah was thinking, we then understand what he really meant.  Listen to it again from 2Kings 20:

19 Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, “The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good.” 

That is all he said out loud.  Since Hezekiah is a good man, you might actually expect him to say that God’s word which had come to him through the prophet was good.  What other assessment could you give?  God’s word, even when it is unpleasant, is still good because it is from God.  But that is not what Hezekiah meant.  He had an entirely different meaning in his own mind:

For he thought, “Why not, if there will be peace and security in my days?”

“Sure, it is a good word from God considering I’m going to be OK!  Who cares what will happen after I’m gone?”  The hearts of men, even good men, are indeed deceitful.  Hezekiah WAS a good and righteous man.  But clearly God knew what he was thinking, even if no one else did.  He knows the motives and the intentions that lie behind everything everyone does.  God knows absolutely everything.

Turn with me to Matthew 7 for a moment.  I want to show you an example of this kind of deception which goes on in the hearts of men.

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 

Jesus is warning against religious deceivers, and there are many, many of them.  Outwardly, they look harmless.  Sheep don’t scare people.  They are not intimidating.  That’s why false prophets want to appear as just another one of the sheep.  During dinner, ask Jim about a guy named Todd Bentley.  Definitely a wolf seeking to prey upon God’s people by masquerading as a great prophet of God.  But there is a way to see through their disguises.  (Actually, Todd Bentley’s disguise is so bad, it’s not hard at all to recognize him for the wolf he is.)  Jesus continues:

16 You will recognize them [these disguised wolves] by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

As if that were not bad enough, there will even be those on the day of judgment who will try to deceive the Lord Jesus! 

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

The thoughts and intents of the heart can be seen by means of one’s actions, by how a person lives.  Sometimes it is not obvious to us, but nothing escapes the notice of God.  The Lord Jesus knows those who are His.  He knows wolves when He sees them.  He cannot, and will not be deceived.  It is hard to imagine that there will be people on that last day who will try to convince Jesus by means of deception that they belong to Him.  Can you imagine being caught in a lie standing before the Lord Jesus ON JUDGMENT DAY?

The disclosure of Hezekiah’s thoughts by God serves as a warning to any who believe they can fake out God.  Paul gives this stern warning to the Galatian churches: 

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for a whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.  (Gal 6:7-8, ESV). 

In other words, no one should think he can indulge the flesh, live like the world, and then expect to inherit Heaven.  To think in those terms and to live in that fashion is to be self-deceived on the one hand, and to openly mock a holy and just God on the other.  It is exactly what the people in Isaiah’s day were guilty of: Living as though God did not see their deeds or know their thoughts so as to recognize the wickedness they entertained behind a façade of empty religious activity.  

13 And the Lord said: "Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men, 14 therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden." 15 Ah, you who hide deep from the Lord your counsel, whose deeds are in the dark, and who say, "Who sees us? Who knows us?" 16 You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay, that the thing made should say of its maker, "He did not make me"; or the thing formed say of him who formed it, "He has no understanding"? (Isaiah 29:13-16 ESV)

It is the height of self-deception to believe we can deceive God and keep secrets from the one who formed us. Hezekiah’s thoughts were not hidden from God, nor are ours, nor are anyone else’s.  In Genesis 18, three men come to Abraham, one of whom is the Lord Himself.

9 They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.” 10 The Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” 13 The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” 15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.” (Genesis 18:9-15 ESV)

We need to ask ourselves this question regularly: Am I being honest with God?  Or am I so deceived as to think I can hide something from Him?  “When we’re honest with God, it’s a sign that we trust Him.  . . . A sign that we have begun to grasp His nearness and His love.” 2  It is the realization that He knows me better than I know myself, and He loves me anyway.

May the Lord grant us the integrity to mean what we say, to be responsible in our speech, to be honest with those around us, and with God who knows our thoughts and sees our hearts.  

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1. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2200944212 ; http://jeffords.blogspot.com/2010/06/top-ten-things-george-w-bush-is.html

2. Revive; Summer 2010, Vol. 41, Issue 2, p5.