Isaiah 39:3
Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country unto me, even from Babylon. Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country unto me, even from Babylon.
The prophet came to the king with two questions, what the men had said and from where they had come to him, and the king answered that they had come to him from a far country, even from Babylon. The men were Babylonian ambassadors and envoys from a distant country. They had come after hearing of his recovery to inquire concerning the wonder that God had done.
Their coming gave him an opportunity to tell them about God and to honor Him. The episode was a test that revealed what was in his heart. Instead of using it for God, led by pride he showed them his treasures and advantages. He showed them the riches of his kingdom and the treasures in God's house, exalting human achievements and leaving God out of view, hoping the display would gain him influence. Showing the visitors the Lord's riches is like displaying the riches of the Lord's Sanitarium.
The display began his downfall, for by revealing his possessions he exposed them to Babylon's future plunder and helped prepare the way for Babylon's later seizure of Jerusalem's wealth. The Babylonians left planning how to take those resources and advantages for themselves. To expose God's sacred treasures to enemies was a heinous sin that brought a heavy judgment. His disclosure is an example of God's people wrongly exposing their prosperity to an enemy.
The setting warns that trusting and forming alliances with unbelievers instead of relying on God can betray sacred trusts, weaken Christian example, and bring harm to others. The episode warns against exposing advantages to outsiders without discernment. His mistake in showing the treasures in God's house warns against exposing an institution's private affairs to outsiders. Exposing valuable institutional affairs to outsiders for a promised financial contribution risks harm far greater than the money gained. The lesson drawn is that God's people should not disclose the church's private troubles and weaknesses to the wicked.