December 11: ATTENTION BABYLONIANS! (part 2)

And Hezekiah was pleased with [the Babylonian delegation] and showed them the house of his treasures—the silver and gold, the spices and precious ointment, and all his armory—all that was found among his treasures. There was nothing in his house or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them. Isaiah 39:2

The miraculous sign of the shadow going back ten degrees on the sundial had surely gained the attention of these foreign visitors. In response to the cry of faithful King Hezekiah, God healed him of a terminal illness, provided the miraculous sign beforehand, and also miraculously saved His people from the Assyrians who had surrounded them with the intention to crush them. All of these things were to become the testimony of the remnant of Judah. It was only by the direct interposition of God Almighty that these amazing events occurred.

Hezekiah was warmly hospitable to the fine delegation of dignitaries from far-away Babylon. It was a golden opportunity, thoroughly prepared by God, for Hezekiah to be a joyful witness of the greatness of God’s grace and the majesty of His mercy. But incredibly, Hezekiah’s heart was suddenly seized by pride and vanity. “In self-exaltation, he laid open to covetous eyes the treasures with which God had enriched His people… Not to glorify God did he do this, but to exalt himself in the eyes of the foreign princes.” PROPHETS AND KINGS by Ellen G. White (pp.344-345)

Every one of us is blessed by the loving Creator in multiple ways. The account of Hezekiah’s folly after being granted an additional fifteen years to live (38:5) is a sober reminder that any of us, regardless of the confidence we may have in our own faith, are subject to losing our focus on God in certain situations (see Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:11). Jesus was not being arbitrary when He warned about idle words: “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgement” (Matthew 12:35-36).

Hezekiah’s heart was flattered by the attention of the Babylonian envoys as well as the message from their king. The grand “show-and-tell” that he presented to them was precipitated by a shift of focus from God to himself. It was boastful! Simultaneously, the focus of the visitors’ curiosity – about what sort of great God had healed him and defeated the Assyrians – was shifted to covetousness for the glittering treasures they had seen. Our enemy works to subtly manipulate the verbal exchanges between individuals. But, during the seconds of a deep breath and a prayer, the Holy Spirit stands ready to guide our conversation aright.

God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Galatians 6:14