2 Kings 20:12-13 (ESV Strong's)
12 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 Hezekiah had been sick. 13 And Hezekiah welcomed them, and he showed them all his treasure house, the silver, the gold, the spices, the precious oil, his 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.
Pride Comes Before a Fall!!
In the above passage we see that one of Judah’s good kings, Hezekiah, is over taken by his pride. The odd part about this story is where it comes in the sequence of events in his life and that of the people of Israel. In the previous chapters we are told about the king of Assyria, Sennacherib. Sennacherib was used by God in a mighty way to conquer Israel (the northern ten tribes) and take them into captivity for their worship of idols. He then came up against Judah (the remaining two tribes in the south) to do the same thing. But, when he did, he boasted of how great he was. He first admits that the “Lord” told him and used him to conquer all these lands and then he stated that the “Lord” could NOT deliver Judah from HIS powerful hand. Note:
2 Kings 18:25 (ESV Strong's)
25 Moreover, is it without the LORD that I have come up against this place to destroy it? The LORD said to me, “Go up against this land and destroy it.”’”
2 Kings 18:35 (ESV Strong's)
35 Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?’”
Sennacherib’s pride cost him his life, eventually. As a result of his pride God destroyed 185,000 of his troops and allowed his sons to rebel against him and kill him. Pride destroys all leaders. Hezekiah, although a strong believer in God and who feared God, is no exception. In his later life, he allowed his pride to conquer him. His legacy became more important than his humility. When legacy trumps humility disaster soon follows. Leaders, to the end, need to allow God to be glorified. We ought not to steal away the glory due God.
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