Every human servant of God, even the best, has mistakes on their record. This chapter shows Hezekiah's big blunder. The king of Babylon sent envoys to Hezekiah after his recovery with gifts and a letter. Hezekiah welcomed the envoys and treated them as honored guests. This is not wrong. But because of his pride, he showed them all the treasures in his storehouses. Almost no one can resist showing off when a good opportunity comes to do so.

At that time, Babylon did not seem like a serious threat compared to the Assyrian Empire. But Isaiah told the king that the Babylonians who had seen his treasures would one day come and carry off all of them. It doesn't mean that the Babylonian exile was caused only by Hezekiah. But Hezekiah's sin was one link in the chain that led to God's judgment on Judah. Only Jesus can break the chain-links of sin and judgment in our lives.


Application: Father, forgive me for the times I have taken pride in the blessings you gave me. Free me from the need to show off. Help my life be a good influence in spite of my sins.
One Word: Don't show off.