Chapter 29—Visitors From Babylon See the Wrong Things
In the midst of his prosperous reign King Hezekiah was suddenly stricken with a malady beyond the power of man to help. His last hope seemed removed when Isaiah appeared with the message, “Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live.” Isaiah 38:1.
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The outlook seemed dark, yet the king could still pray. So Hezekiah “turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, saying, I beseech Thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before Thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in Thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.” 2 Kings 20:2, 3.
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The dying ruler had served God faithfully and strengthened the confidence of the people in their Supreme Ruler. Like David, he could now plead:
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Let my prayer come before Thee: Incline Thine ear unto my cry; For my soul is full of troubles. Psalm 88:2, 3
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Forsake me not when my strength faileth.
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O God, forsake me not; Until I have showed Thy strength unto this generation, And Thy power to everyone that is to come. Psalm 71:9, 18
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“Afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, ... the word of the Lord came to him, saying, Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of My people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord. And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for Mine own sake, and for My servant David’s sake.” 2 Kings 20:4-6. Directing that a lump of figs be laid on the diseased part, Isaiah delivered the message of mercy.
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Hezekiah pleaded for some sign that the message was from heaven. “What shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the Lord the third day?”“This sign shalt thou have from the Lord,” the prophet answered, “that the Lord will do the thing that He hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees?”“It is a light thing,” Hezekiah replied, “for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees.”
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Only by the interposition of God could the shadow on the sundial be made to turn back ten degrees. Accordingly, “the prophet cried unto the Lord: and He brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz.” Verses 8-11.
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Restored to strength, Hezekiah vowed to spend his remaining days in willing service to the King of kings:
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I said, in the noontide of my days I must depart.
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But Thou hast held back my life from the pit of destruction, For Thou hast cast all my sins behind Thy back.
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We will sing to stringed instruments All the days of our life, at the house of the Lord. Isaiah 38:10, 17, 20, RSV
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In the fertile valleys of the Tigris and the Euphrates dwelt an ancient race which was destined to rule the world. Among its people were wise men who gave attention to astronomy. They noticed the shadow on the sundial turn back ten degrees. When King Merodachbaladan learned that this miracle was a sign to the king of Judah that the God of heaven had granted him a new lease of life, he sent ambassadors to Hezekiah to congratulate him and to learn, if possible, more of the God who was able to perform so great a wonder.
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The visit of these messengers gave Hezekiah an opportunity to extol the living God, the upholder of all created things, through whose favor his own life had been spared when all other hope had fled. What momentous transformations might have taken place had these seekers after truth been led to the living God!
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But pride and vanity took possession of Hezekiah’s heart. In self-exaltation the king “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.” Isaiah 39:2, RSV. He did not stop to consider that these men of a powerful nation had not the love of God in their hearts and that it was imprudent to show them the temporal riches of the nation.
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The visit of the ambassadors was a test of Hezekiah’s gratitude and devotion. “And so in the matter of the envoys of the princes of Babylon, who had been sent to him to inquire about the sign that had been done in the land, God left him to himself, in order to try him and to know all that was in his heart.” 2 Chronicles 32:31, RSV. Had Hezekiah borne witness to the goodness, the compassion of God, the report of the ambassadors would have been as light piercing darkness. But he magnified himself above the Lord of hosts, “for his heart was lifted up.” Verse 25.
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How disastrous the results! To Isaiah it was revealed that the king of Babylon and his counselors would plan to enrich their own country with the treasures of Jerusalem. Hezekiah had grievously sinned. “Therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.” Verse 25.
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“Then came Isaiah the prophet unto King Hezekiah, and said unto him, ... . What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All that is in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not showed them.” Then Isaiah said, “Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the Lord. And of thy sons ... shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.” Isaiah 39:3-7.
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Filled with remorse, “Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.” 2 Chronicles 32:26. But the evil seed sown was to yield a harvest of woe. His faith was to be severely tried, and he was to learn that only by putting his trust fully in Jehovah could he triumph over the powers plotting his ruin and the destruction of his people.
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Far more than we do, we need to speak of the mercy and loving-kindness of God, of the matchless depths of the Saviour’s love. When mind and heart are filled with the love of God, it will not be difficult. Noble aspirations, clear perceptions of truth, yearnings for holiness, will find expression in words that reveal the character of the heart treasure.
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Those with whom we associate day by day need our help, our guidance. Tomorrow some may be where we can never reach them again. Every day our words and acts are making impressions on those with whom we associate. One reckless movement, one imprudent step, and the surging waves of strong temptation may sweep a soul into the downward path. If the thoughts we have planted in human minds have been evil, we may have set in motion a tide of evil we are powerless to stay.
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On the other hand, if by our example we aid others in the development of good principles, we give them power to do good. In their turn they exert the same beneficial influence over others. Thus hundreds and thousands are helped by our unconscious influence. Before an unbelieving, sin-loving world, true followers of Christ reveal the power of God’s grace and the perfection of His character.
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