HEZEKIAH AND SHORT-SIGHTEDNESS.
The people and kings of Judah had a rich past, filled with God’s action, guidance, and commands. But with each passing generation, they also had a growing list of tragedies that occurred when the people forgot that their God, who had cared for them in the past, also cared about the present and the future and demanded their continued obedience. Hezekiah was one of the few kings of Judah who was constantly aware of God’s acts in the past and His interest in the events of every day. The Bible describes him as a king who had a close relationship with God.
As a reformer, Hezekiah was most concerned with present obedience. Judah was filled with visual reminders of the people’s lack of trust in God, and Hezekiah boldly cleaned the house. Altars, idols, and pagan temples were destroyed. The temple in Jerusalem, whose doors had been nailed shut by Hezekiah’s own father, was cleaned out and reopened. The Passover was reinstituted as a national holiday, and there was revival in Judah.
Although he had a natural inclination to respond to present problems, Hezekiah’s life shows little evidence of concern about the future. His success efforts made him proud. His unwise display of wealth to Babylonians delegation got Judah included on Babylon’s ‘’Nations To Conquer’’ list. When Isaiah informed Hezekiah of the foolishness of his act, the king’s answer displayed his persistent lack of foresight he was thankful that any evil consequence would be displayed until after his dead. And the lives of three kings who followed him- Manasseh, Ammon, and Josiah were deeply affected by both Hezekiah’s accomplishment and his weaknesses.
The past affects your decisions and actions today, and those, in turn, affect the future. Remember that part of the success of your past will be measured by what you do with it now and how well you use it to prepare for the future.
Strengths and accomplishment:
- Was the king of Judah who instigated civil and religious reforms
- Had a personal, growing relationship with God
- Developed a powerful prayer life
- Noted as the patron of several chapters in the book of proverbs
Weaknesses and mistakes:
- Showed little interest or wisdom in planning for the future and protecting for others the spiritual heritage he enjoyed’
- Rashly showed all his wealth to messengers from Babylon
Lessons from his life:
- Sweeping reforms are short-lived when little action is taken to preserve them for the future
- Past obedience to god does not remove the possibility of present disobedience
- Complete dependence on god yields amazing results
Key verses: ‘’He trusted in the Lord God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. For he clave to the Lord, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the lord commanded Moses’’ (2kings 18:5,6)