Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked him, “What did those men want? Where were they from?” Hezekiah replied, “They came from the distant land of Babylon.” “What did they see in your palace?” Isaiah asked. “They saw everything,” Hezekiah replied. “I showed them everything I own—all my royal treasuries.” Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Listen to this message from the Lord: The time is coming when everything in your palace—all the treasures stored up by your ancestors until now—will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the Lord. —2 Kings 20:14-17
Lately, I’ve been seeing a quote floating around the internet that says “Your follower is not always your fan” and how many can attest to the knowledge that this saying can be very true. While there are many wonderful and good-hearted people who I’m sure keep up with you solely out of kindness and generosity, there are others who may not be far away from determining the best strategies needed to overthrow what God is doing in your life. This was definitely the case of what happened to King Hezekiah in the reference verses displayed above. These verses are taken from an interesting story that is basically the precursor to the tribe of Judah’s exile in Babylon. Observing this story can uncover a lesson for us about how to avoid this trap that Hezekiah unknowingly led Judah into about two to three thousand years ago. (You know they say there is nothing new under the sun, so let’s dig in.)
In past blogs, we recently visited the subject of how the people of Judah were captured by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and taken from their land. Could it be that, in our reference verses today, King Hezekiah aided in triggering Judah’s capture by sparking the desires of these Babylonians during this time? In the verses preceding our reference scriptures, 2 Kings:12-13 says, “Soon after this, Merodach-baladan son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent Hezekiah his best wishes and a gift, for he had heard that Hezekiah had been very sick. Hezekiah received the Babylonian envoys and showed them everything in his treasure-houses—the silver, the gold, the spices, and the aromatic oils. He also took them to see his armory and showed them everything in his royal treasuries! There was nothing in his palace or kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.” These verses show us a potentially big mistake Hezekiah probably made. Of course it is good to show hospitality and love when hosting guests; especially those bearing good tidings. However, there is a fine line between showing others hospitality and downright showing off; triggering the curiosity and ultimately the envy that makes others covet the things one possesses.
Envy in others is generally a negative trait. Nevertheless, self-control is still required in order for us to refrain from triggering that trait in others in the first place. For example, as excited as you may be about your accomplishments, everyone does not need to know everything you’ve done for your kids, invested in yourself or your family, or stored up for your own comforts and well-being. The Bible says King Hezekiah showed these Babylonians everything he had, to the point that the Prophet Isaiah came to him and said, “The time is coming when everything in your palace—all the treasures stored up by your ancestors until now—will be carried off to Babylon.” In other words, the nation of Judah was about to lose everything to the hands of the people who King Hezekiah (knowingly or unknowingly) bragged to.
It cannot be stressed enough how much the character trait of humility is essential for us to embrace in life. For example, there is another quote that has been floating around the internet that says, “Let them be wrong about you. There is nothing to prove.” How true is this statement? Never assume that your wellbeing will be less well if you do not talk about how well you are. Proverbs 11:11 says, “Upright citizens are good for a city and make it prosper, but the talk of the wicked tears it apart.” Let your conduct bring good tidings to yourself, your household, and your environment by choosing “godliness with contentment” over the desire to always overtly display who you are so you can be adorned with approval from others. Being good is better than only looking good and, sometimes, maintaining a long-term status of goodness requires a degree of modesty on our part.
Lots of Love, XO
