Topical Bible: Pride: Hezekiah, in Displaying his Resources

◄ Pride: Hezekiah, in Displaying his Resources ►

Jump to: Nave's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

Biblical Context:
Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, was the king of Judah who reigned in Jerusalem during the late 8th and early 7th centuries BC. He is often remembered for his religious reforms and his efforts to restore the worship of Yahweh. However, Hezekiah's reign also includes a significant episode of pride, particularly in his interactions with envoys from Babylon.

Scriptural Account:
The account of Hezekiah's pride is primarily found in 2 Kings 20:12-19 and Isaiah 39:1-8. After recovering from a life-threatening illness, Hezekiah received envoys from Babylon, sent by Merodach-baladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon. The purpose of their visit was ostensibly to inquire about the miraculous sign that had occurred in the land (2 Kings 20:12).

In a display of pride and perhaps a desire to impress, Hezekiah showed the Babylonian envoys all the treasures of his kingdom. The Bible records, "Hezekiah welcomed the envoys and showed them all that was in his treasure house—the silver, the gold, the spices, and the precious oil, as well as his entire armory—all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his palace or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them" (2 Kings 20:13).

Prophetic Rebuke:
The prophet Isaiah confronted Hezekiah after this display. Isaiah asked what the men had seen in his palace, to which Hezekiah replied that he had shown them everything. Isaiah then delivered a sobering prophecy: "Hear the word of the LORD: 'The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your fathers have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left,' says the LORD" (2 Kings 20:16-17).

Isaiah further prophesied that some of Hezekiah's own descendants would be taken away and become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon (2 Kings 20:18). This prophecy foreshadowed the Babylonian exile, which would occur over a century later.

Theological Implications:
Hezekiah's actions serve as a cautionary tale about the dangers of pride and the temptation to rely on human strength and wealth rather than on God. Despite his previous faithfulness and reliance on the Lord during the Assyrian threat, Hezekiah's pride led him to boast about his resources, inadvertently exposing his kingdom to future danger.

The episode underscores the biblical principle that pride precedes downfall, as articulated in Proverbs 16:18: "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall" . Hezekiah's failure to acknowledge God's sovereignty and his decision to showcase his wealth to foreign powers ultimately contributed to the vulnerability of his kingdom.

Historical and Cultural Context:
In the ancient Near East, the display of wealth and military resources was often a means of establishing political alliances and demonstrating power. Hezekiah's actions can be seen within this cultural framework, yet they reveal a lapse in spiritual discernment. By seeking to impress the Babylonians, Hezekiah inadvertently compromised the security of Judah.

Moral and Spiritual Lessons:
Hezekiah's account serves as a reminder of the importance of humility and the need to attribute all blessings and successes to God. It highlights the potential consequences of pride and the importance of seeking God's guidance in all matters. The narrative encourages believers to remain vigilant against the subtle temptations of pride and to maintain a posture of humility before the Lord.

Nave's Topical Index

2 Kings 20:13
And Hezekiah listened to them, and showed 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 armor, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah showed them not.
Nave's Topical Index

2 Chronicles 32:31
However, in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent to him to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart.
Nave's Topical Index

Isaiah 39:2
And Hezekiah was glad of them, and showed them the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armor, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah showed them not.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Temporal Advantages.
... Take, for instance, Hezekiah, one of the best of the ... thought would have beaten down
all pride and self ... we find this holy man ostentatiously displaying to them ...
/.../newman/parochial and plain sermons vol vii/sermon v temporal advantages.htm

Sennacherib (705-681 BC )
... Hezekiah, King of Judah, had emptied his treasury to ... the decoration of his father's
palace there: his pride as a ... of the royal mausolea and "displaying to the ...
/.../chapter isennacherib 705-681 b c.htm

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
... youth." True Bedawins as they were, the chiefs' pride revolted at ... regarded also as
the natural issue of his peculiar position: the resources upon which ...
/.../chapter iiithe hebrews and the.htm

The Medes and the Second Chaldaean Empire
... the haughtiest monarchs refer with pride to victories ... Judah" after the name of his
ancestor Hezekiah. ... for independence, were incapable of displaying any energy ...
/.../chapter iiithe medes and the.htm

Syria at the Beginning of the Egyptian Conquest
... the statues, so flattering to the national pride and piety ... the attendants assigned
to the conduct of his worship ... which goes back perhaps to the time of Hezekiah. ...
/.../chapter iisyria at the beginning.htm