Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD of hosts:
The call to hear the word of the Lord of hosts came through Isaiah to Hezekiah after Hezekiah had shown the Babylonian envoys all the treasures and riches of his house, kingdom, and storehouses. It was the introduction to the Lord's judgment upon him for displaying his wealth instead of honoring God. The episode is presented as a test in which God left Hezekiah to reveal what was in his heart.
What followed was the announcement that all the stored wealth of Jerusalem would be carried away to Babylon. Some of Hezekiah's own descendants would also be taken away to serve in the palace of the king of Babylon. For Judah this was a heavy judgment.
The exposure revealed pride and self-exaltation, the exalting of human achievements in which God was left out. Rather than giving God the honor, Hezekiah lifted up himself and what he possessed. To show the sacred treasures of the temple and of God's house to enemy envoys was a heinous sin and an unwise decision.
His display was intended to win influence, but it secured none. Instead it gave the Babylonians knowledge of what could later be taken and how to plan the seizure of those advantages. That indiscretion became a cause of national disaster and of future seizure.
The account stands as a warning that God's people sin when they trust in unbelievers and form alliances with them instead of relying fully on God. They sin likewise when they disclose their prosperity or their troubles to the enemy and turn from God to seek counsel at false sources. Such a course betrays sacred responsibilities, brings loss of God's favor, and weakens their example to others.
For institutions and leaders the same warning applies to exposing resources, prosperity, weakness, and private affairs to outsiders for inspection or for money. It is a serious mistake born of misplaced confidence in the favor of outsiders. It exposes God's people and their resources to danger and can cause harm far greater than any money gained from such inspection. Leaders who disregard God's warnings in this way and expose those in their care to danger are held accountable for the harm that follows to those entrusted to them.
The same test was applied to Dr. Kellogg after he showed strangers the riches of the Sanitarium. He was weighed and found wanting. His pride, self-will, and display revealed what was in his heart and led to misguided actions.
The call to hear the word of the Lord of hosts came through Isaiah to Hezekiah after Hezekiah had shown the Babylonian envoys all the treasures and riches of his house, kingdom, and storehouses. It was the introduction to the Lord's judgment upon him for displaying his wealth instead of honoring God. The episode is presented as a test in which God left Hezekiah to reveal what was in his heart.
What followed was the announcement that all the stored wealth of Jerusalem would be carried away to Babylon. Some of Hezekiah's own descendants would also be taken away to serve in the palace of the king of Babylon. For Judah this was a heavy judgment.
The exposure revealed pride and self-exaltation, the exalting of human achievements in which God was left out. Rather than giving God the honor, Hezekiah lifted up himself and what he possessed. To show the sacred treasures of the temple and of God's house to enemy envoys was a heinous sin and an unwise decision.
His display was intended to win influence, but it secured none. Instead it gave the Babylonians knowledge of what could later be taken and how to plan the seizure of those advantages. That indiscretion became a cause of national disaster and of future seizure.
The account stands as a warning that God's people sin when they trust in unbelievers and form alliances with them instead of relying fully on God. They sin likewise when they disclose their prosperity or their troubles to the enemy and turn from God to seek counsel at false sources. Such a course betrays sacred responsibilities, brings loss of God's favor, and weakens their example to others.
For institutions and leaders the same warning applies to exposing resources, prosperity, weakness, and private affairs to outsiders for inspection or for money. It is a serious mistake born of misplaced confidence in the favor of outsiders. It exposes God's people and their resources to danger and can cause harm far greater than any money gained from such inspection. Leaders who disregard God's warnings in this way and expose those in their care to danger are held accountable for the harm that follows to those entrusted to them.
The same test was applied to Dr. Kellogg after he showed strangers the riches of the Sanitarium. He was weighed and found wanting. His pride, self-will, and display revealed what was in his heart and led to misguided actions.