2 Kings 19-20 “Ending the Race Well”

READ: 2 Kings 19-20

Verses chosen for meditation: 2 Kings 20:16-18

¹⁶ Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord: ¹⁷ 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. ¹⁸ 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.”

REFLECT

Hezekiah, a good king known for his trust in God, was in his last days due to sickness. He refused to accept his fate of death, so he prayed to God, citing his own faithfulness and obedience as reasons for healing. God answered his prayer, healed him, and extended his life another 15 years.

Using Hezekiah’s sickness as an excuse, the king of Babylon sent envoys to visit, also to form an alliance with Judah to fight against mighty Assyria. In receiving his guests, Hezekiah (already recovered by then) proudly showed off his “successes”: treasures, armoury, etc.

Isaiah then called Hezekiah out for his foolish pride. Hezekiah might well have handed valuable intel to a potential enemy on a plate, revealing where all the country’s treasures were, what their military might consisted of, and inviting them to plunder it in future. Isaiah prophesied that all that was shown to the envoys will be taken away, filling the storehouses in Babylon. Not only that, even his sons will end up as eunuchs, serving the Babylonian king.

RELATE

Hezekiah’s account started with affirmation of his unparalleled trust in God but ended with his turning to alliance with Babylon. We have also seen other good kings follow the same pattern: King Solomon’s unparalleled wisdom followed by his downfall due to foolishness (the irony) and King David with his census in later years of his life.

These kings, even in their righteousness, can’t seem to escape from this human condition of pride and confidence in their successes. Does this mean that it is better if we are not successful? Does it mean that the only way to be reliant on God is to be at a low point ourselves with nothing else to depend on? Not necessary. But it is good to be aware that it is that much harder to have reliance on God, with the distractions and false securities our successes bring us.

We sometimes hear stories of people at the brink of death, only to be delivered by God and given another chance at life. These people viewed this chance as “bonus time”. Many of them devoted the remaining part of their lives to God, since it doesn’t belong to them, but a grace given by God. God gave 15 years of “bonus time” to Hezekiah, but it was up to him whether to live those years honouring God or in foolishness.

If Hezekiah were to live those 15 years in wisdom, he would try to please God by showing his guests the temple and evidence of God’s power and holiness, rather than impress the envoys by showing off his treasures. “Bonus time” or not, our lives belong to God, as are our possessions. The urgency needed to advance God’s kingdom purposes may not allow us to rest on our laurels at any point of our lives, if we are to be good stewards of these possessions. This does not mean we don’t rest, but even in seasons when we slow down, how do we still glorify God?

As we grow older, we accumulate experiences, which should give us more wisdom, not unhealthy confidence. We can savour these experiences and blessings, but with eyes of gratitude to God and looking to honour Him with those things, not with prideful eyes delighting in what “I” have achieved. The wisdom gained should be shared in ways to help others see the glory of God, not in boasting.

This does not apply only to people at the tail end of their lives, but anyone who may place their trust in their life experiences and accomplishments (like the kings). I was recently asked to identify something that most easily distracts me from relying on God, hence robbing Him of glory. That may well be my confidence in my own skillsets and past accomplishments. Those are God’s wonderful gifts to me to enable effective ministry, but they are also the exact things that can turn me away from trusting in God if I’m not grounded in humility. If confidence in my foresight is an obstacle to faith in God, God might as well take that gift away and keep me blind.  

Can we enjoy God’s blessings and live in prosperity, yet still maintain our eyes on Jesus? Can we learn from the failings of the kings, rather than experience the fall ourselves to learn? Can we end the race well by continually glorifying Him, instead of being complacent, thinking we have already done so much?

REST

Dear God. Thank you for enriching our lives with wonderful gifts, experiences, and accomplishments. Help us not to idolise them and place our confidence in those things, but to use them to glorify you. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Chris Chong