Read 2 Chronicles 32:24-33
It seems inevitable that decent, God-fearing kings will one day stumble. It’s good to see they’re human. After all the success and even beating a severe illness with God’s help, Hezekiah slipped. We read, “But Hezekiah did not respond appropriately to the kindness shown him, and he became proud. So the Lord’s anger came against him and against Judah and Jerusalem.”
God’s fury was unleashed against the people under Hezekiah’s rule, too. How long God’s fury lasted is unknown, but in the very next verse we hear that Hezekiah repented his pride and God removed his anger.
Did you wonder what the “miraculous sign” was that Hezekiah was given when God healed him? To find out more about this whole period of Hezekiah’s life, you can refer to 2 Kings 20:1-21 and Isaiah 38:1-39:8—read it here. That was some miracle!
Our reading in 2 Chronicles sums up the success Hezekiah enjoyed during his reign. God was allowing good things to flow toward Hezekiah. Until the visit from the Babylonians. There was an interesting comment, almost in passing, that God removed his presence from Hezekiah to see how he would respond.
What a scary time to be standing without God at his side! The enemy, Babylon, which would one day bring Jerusalem to it’s knees in defeat, was visiting. You can only imagine how Hezekiah would want to make a good impression and not say or do the wrong thing. If God wasn’t there, did Hezekiah’s confidence wane, too?
God saw it all—Hezekiah’s triumphs and his struggles with pride. How long does it take for us to start taking credit for the victories God inspires? Even King David struggled with pride, and he stands out as the king who set the bar of faithfulness so high in the first place.
That’s why it’s important for us to keep our focus on God. When we start to focus on our own motivations or accomplishments, that’s when that nasty old pride can swoop in and devour our reliance on God. Hezekiah’s weaknesses are all too familiar to us today.
Let’s pray. LORD, I need your help to stay focused on what’s important – you. Forgive me for when I mistakenly take credit for something you designed or orchestrated. Help me to fully rely on you and set aside my own agenda. I want more and more people to know the power of your saving grace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
