King Marduk ap-la-iddin (Merodach Son of Baladan)’s woes were piling up by the day. The northern tribes of the Babylonian kingdom had earlier supported his arch-rivals the Assyrians who had deposed him from the great Babylonian throne. He had since recaptured it but wasn’t sitting comfortably on it knowing that the northern tribes weren’t ready to “accept and move on” acknowledging him as King and King Sargon II the Assyrian fancied having his head on a platter instead of in a golden crown.
It was therefore great news when he heard of King Hezekiah’s defeat of the Assyrians. He was told that apart from the Assyrian slaughter, the Jewish God also caused the shadow to go back 10 steps on the King’s staircase. The enemy of his enemy was his friend. The Son of Baladan was drowning and he found the perfect straw to clutch. He therefore piled gifts on his horses and sent noblemen westwards to meet this King and his God.
King Hezekiah warmly welcomed the Babylonian envoys and showed them all his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or his kingdom that he did not show them. The envoys went back to their king, having learnt that Jerusalem was a far more powerful and wealthy city than they had previously thought. A later confrontation with the prophet Isaiah revealed the state of Hezekiah’s heart when he welcomed the envoys.
Hezekiah felt great pride in knowing that kings from distant lands heard of his great success. He was quick to show the king’s representatives how much he owned and controlled. When Isaiah later prophesied that the Babylonians will raid Israel’s treasures, he selfishly said that it was all good because that wouldn’t happen during his reign. It didn’t matter to him that he had given a fast rising kingdom a reason to attack Jerusalem later.
Is it then a wonder that Hezekiah’s son who was born in the years God had added him rebelled against the God of his father? Could the reason that Manasseh his son was so wicked because he saw his father paying lip service to God but revering his own success and wealth? Hezekiah had started well and God was always by his side but in the height of his power, he allowed his own success to replace the primary position that God held in his heart. Hezekiah started well, but his ending was so bad it led to the reign of one of Judah’s most wicked kings and set the stage for a raid from the Babylonian kingdom.
Start strong, but by all means finish strong!
Adapted from 2nd Kings 19,20 and Isaiah 38
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