Passage: Isaiah 39:1-8
Envoys from Babylon.
Envoys from Babylon.
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."
Journal: The King of Babylon [the rising power] needed "spoils" to fund his fight with the King of Assyria [the entrenched power, that had conquered Israel about this time]. The King of Judah [King Hezekiah] was foolish and not nearly guarded enough in his dealings with Babylon. He was flattered by the attention and the congratulatory well wishes directed from Babylon. He could have used the occasion as an opportunity to praise God for his miraculous recovery. Instead, he was "full of himself" and used the opportunity to show off his importance and riches. [v. 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."] This was a scene of stupidity acted out on the stage of pride. The Book of 2 Chronicles gives a critical review of King Hezekiah's performance. [2 Chron. 32:25 -- "But Hezekiah did not make return according to the benefit done to him, for his heart was proud. Therefore wrath came upon him and Judah and Jerusalem."]
Isaiah foretells a dim future for King Hezekiah's throne. [vs. 6-7 -- "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. 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."] Perhaps the saddest part of this tragedy is the reaction by King Hezekiah to the stern rebuke of Isaiah. There is no better prologue to pride, for it always points to self advancement. King Hezekiah appears to throw his descendants under the proverbial bus, sacrificing them on the altar of pride, self advancement, and personal security. [v.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.'"]
Heard 'Round the House: Jill was giving Ella [age 3, down syndrome] a bath on Saturday night and couldn't figure out what the little pellets were all through her hair. I knew the answer. I had the same pellets. So did Vera [age 9, down syndrome]. It was not incoming fire from disgruntled neighbors. Rather, two little rug rats had decided to help me fertilize. This is a process where I pour a bag of fertilizer [organic of course] into the wheel barrow and walk around grabbing two hands full at a time and throwing said handfuls into the garden and around the trees. Four additional hands [two small and chubby; and two small and dainty] were helping Daddy. Vera was pretty good about throwing hers in the general direction of the garden, though she tended to fertilize the same spot until I moved her onward. Ella, on the other hand, liked to throw her treasure up in the air. Did I mention it was a bit windy? Oh well, if a bird drops a seed in our hair, we may win the prize for the largest watermelon in the county grown in mobile soil . . .
