Introducing Babylon (2 Kings 20)
“Introducing Babylon”
2 Kings 20:1-21
We just finished our study of one of
The greatest deliverances recorded in all of Scripture.
The Assyrian power had been making its way through the entire region, Conquering, Pillaging and Exporting people into a foreign land.
This conquest had even claimed the northern kingdom of Israel.
Such domination had even prompted the leaders of Assyria to say:
2 Kings 18:33-34 “Has any one of the gods of the nations delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? ‘Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria from my hand?”
The king of Assyria was conquering
And thus far no one had been able to stop him.
So it was only a matter of time until this army set its sights
On Judah and Jerusalem.
Sennacherib swept into Judah, destroying their walled cities
And pillaging all the villages until he finally reached to “the neck”.
Sennacherib was ready to destroy Jerusalem
And lead her away into captivity as well.
But this set the stage for a great deliverance.
Hezekiah determined to trust God, and God did not fail him.
2 Kings 19:32-37 “Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, “He will not come to this city or shoot an arrow there; and he will not come before it with a shield or throw up a siege ramp against it. “By the way that he came, by the same he will return, and he shall not come to this city,”‘ declares the LORD. ‘For I will defend this city to save it for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.'” Then it happened that night that the angel of the LORD went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men rose early in the morning, behold, all of them were dead. So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned home, and lived at Nineveh. It came about as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son became king in his place.”
It was truly one of the most unlikely and spectacular
Moments of deliverance that we see in all the Bible.
“If God be for us, who can be against us?”
But this week we move on to a new story.
And it is one that can certainly cause a person
To scratch their head and wonder what the point is.
For when you read this text, you quickly realize that
The writer is backing up in time to pull this story from the past.
(Vs. 6) “I will add fifteen years to your life, and I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.”
So obviously this story occurred before the retreat and ruin of Assyria.
(Vs. 13) “Hezekiah listened to them, and showed them all his treasure house, the silver and the gold and the spices and the precious oil and the house of his armor and all that was found in his treasuries. There was nothing in his house nor in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them.”
Also occurred before Hezekiah sent all the gold to Sennacherib.
And so we quickly realize that this is not a story
That follows the chronological order of things.
Rather this is an account that the writer previously skipped over.
But now one that he determines to go back and revisit for us.
That means that while this story
Had no bearing on the point of the writer to trust God,
It is a story that was too significant for us to completely overlook.
And what we have here is one main point,
And the events that lead up to it.
Lets first look at our text, and then we will discover the point.
#1 IT STARTED WITH A SICKNESS
2 Kings 20:1-7
First of all we learn that Hezekiah had developed a serious sickness,
And it was one that was about to take his life.
Isaiah comes not to deliver a prophecy, but a warning
That since he is about to die, he needs to get his house in order.
Hezekiah responded in expected fashion.
(Vs. 2-3) “Then he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, saying, “Remember now, O LORD, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart and have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.”
There is no need to see his prayer as Phariseeistic or self-righteous.
Hezekiah was simply relating to God
That he had lived his life as a devoted servant.
(That is certainly true if this is before even his bad decision to send wealth to Assyria).
He realizes that he is about to face death and judgment
And so at this point it is important to him to bring to light
That he has been devoted to God.
When any man sets his mind to prepare himself for death,
He would do well to examine if his walk has been
One of truth, commitment, and obedience.
You also should not let it bother you that Hezekiah wept bitterly.
The concept of the afterlife
Was much more foreign to the saints of old than it is to you and me.
Many saw Sheol as a less than pleasant place to be.
Isaiah reveals Hezekiah’s theology on the subject.
Isaiah 38:9-20 “A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery: I said, “In the middle of my life I am to enter the gates of Sheol; I am to be deprived of the rest of my years.” I said, “I will not see the LORD, The LORD in the land of the living; I will look on man no more among the inhabitants of the world. “Like a shepherd’s tent my dwelling is pulled up and removed from me; As a weaver I rolled up my life. He cuts me off from the loom; From day until night You make an end of me. “I composed my soul until morning. Like a lion — so He breaks all my bones, From day until night You make an end of me. “Like a swallow, like a crane, so I twitter; I moan like a dove; My eyes look wistfully to the heights; O Lord, I am oppressed, be my security. “What shall I say? For He has spoken to me, and He Himself has done it; I will wander about all my years because of the bitterness of my soul. “O Lord, by these things men live, And in all these is the life of my spirit; O restore me to health and let me live! “Lo, for my own welfare I had great bitterness; It is You who has kept my soul from the pit of nothingness, For You have cast all my sins behind Your back. “For Sheol cannot thank You, Death cannot praise You; Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness. “It is the living who give thanks to You, as I do today; A father tells his sons about Your faithfulness. “The LORD will surely save me; So we will play my songs on stringed instruments All the days of our life at the house of the LORD.”
It appeared to him that death was the end,
And that once it occurred then the opportunity to serve and praise God
Was over.
Hezekiah wanted to live, and he took this burden to God.
We then see that God immediately answered him.
(VERSES 4-7)
And the response gives and great indication
Of the compassionate heart of God.
“I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will heal you.”
He then lets Hezekiah know that in three days
He will be well enough to return to the temple to worship,
And God also throws in another interesting tid-bit.
“I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria;”
And so it certainly proved to be a compassionate
And gracious response from God on Judah’s behalf.
Hezekiah would be healed and Assyria would be defeated.
And then Isaiah gave the prescription.
(7) “Take a cake of figs.” And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.”
Many commentators have pointed out that God healed Hezekiah,
And that he used medicine to do it.
And there are certainly many interesting things
That could be said about that wonderful miracle,
But the writer only uses it, because it was that incident
That set this very important chain of events in motion.
It all Started with a Sickness
#2 THE SICKNESS RESULTED IN A SIGN
2 Kings 20:8-11
And of course there in verse 8 we see the link.
God had promised to heal Hezekiah, which He eventually did,
But apparently before that healing had actually occurred,
Hezekiah asked for a sign.
Think whatever you will about Hezekiah for doing this,
The writer doesn’t indicate whether it was a good or bad decision.
Certainly Jesus condemned those in the New Testament for doing so:
“A wicked and evil generation seeks after a sign”
But many in the Old Testament did seek them without reproach.
In fact Hezekiah’s father (Ahaz) was rebuked for not seeking one.
So it doesn’t appear that Hezekiah is necessarily in the wrong.
Furthermore we see that God didn’t seem to mind.
(VERSES 9-11)
Some have supposed that God actually temporarily reversed the rotation of the earth. Some have supposed that God just altered the reflection of the sun.
This is a certified miracle.
(It altered the course of nature)
And so you see the progression of the story.
It Started with a Sickness
The Sickness resulted in a Sign
#3 THE SIGN LED TO A SIN
2 Kings 20:12-13
You will notice that the occurrence of this sign
Was news that spread far and wide.
(12) “At that time Berodach-baladan a son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been sick.”
And that is true, but it is only part of the reason.
2 Chronicles 32:31 “Even in the matter of the envoys of the rulers of Babylon, who sent to him to inquire of the wonder that had happened in the land, God left him alone only to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart.”
The Chronicler revealed the true motive of the king of Babylon.
He had heard that Hezekiah had been sick.
He also heard that he was miraculously healed.
And no doubt he heard about the sign that accompanied his healing.
Sent messengers to “inquire of the wonder that had happened in the land,”
This sign was a big deal, it actually made Hezekiah world famous.
And that is the start of the problem.
Many good men have been corrupted with just a little fame.
You may remember that even Solomon had a difficult time handling it.
But none the less, Hezekiah is now famous
And the king of Babylon has sent an envoy to check it out.
(13) “Hezekiah listened to them, and showed them all his treasure house…”
Isaiah says:
Isaiah 39:2a “Hezekiah was pleased, and showed them all his treasure house…”
That indicates to us that when the envoys came
They had exercised a certain amount of flattery on Hezekiah.
And the problem was that all of their flattery went to Hezekiah’s head.
And that gave him an opportunity to show off a little bit.
(VS 13) “Hezekiah listened to them, and showed them all his treasure house, the silver and the gold and the spices and the precious oil and the house of his armor and all that was found in his treasuries. There was nothing in his house nor in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them.”
And so Hezekiah soaked up the flattery
And decided to bask in his own glow for a little while.
SO WHAT WAS THE SIN?
Well certainly you see the pride, but in case it is unclear,
Listen to what the Chronicler had to say.
2 Chronicles 32:24-25 “In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill; and he prayed to the LORD, and the LORD spoke to him and gave him a sign. But Hezekiah gave no return for the benefit he received, because his heart was proud; therefore wrath came on him and on Judah and Jerusalem.”
We learn now that God did not have a problem with an envoy
Nor did God have a problem with Hezekiah showing them the treasure.
But it is apparent that instead of giving all the credit to God
Hezekiah accepted all the praise and glory for himself.
He walked in pride.
He walked in arrogance.
They told him he was great, and he believed them,
And forgot to mention that it was God who made him great.
“therefore wrath came on him and on Judah and Jerusalem.”
And that is not inconsistent with God.
When Nebuchadnezzar exalted himself:
Daniel 4:30-33 “The king reflected and said, ‘Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?’ “While the word was in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: sovereignty has been removed from you, and you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the beasts of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.’ “Immediately the word concerning Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled; and he was driven away from mankind and began eating grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.”
When Herod exalted himself:
Acts 12:21-23 “On an appointed day Herod, having put on his royal apparel, took his seat on the rostrum and began delivering an address to them. The people kept crying out, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.”
When Pharaoh exalted himself:
Ezekiel 29:8-9 “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I will bring upon you a sword and I will cut off from you man and beast. “The land of Egypt will become a desolation and waste. Then they will know that I am the LORD. Because you said, ‘The Nile is mine, and I have made it,’”
When Sennacherib exalted himself:
Isaiah 10:15-19 “Is the axe to boast itself over the one who chops with it? Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it? That would be like a club wielding those who lift it, Or like a rod lifting him who is not wood. Therefore the Lord, the GOD of hosts, will send a wasting disease among his stout warriors; And under his glory a fire will be kindled like a burning flame. And the light of Israel will become a fire and his Holy One a flame, And it will burn and devour his thorns and his briars in a single day. And He will destroy the glory of his forest and of his fruitful garden, both soul and body, And it will be as when a sick man wastes away. And the rest of the trees of his forest will be so small in number That a child could write them down.”
Time and time again we are reminded
That God shares His glory with no one.
And so it is no surprise to us that when Hezekiah exalted himself
That he was promised the same fate.
Jerusalem and Judah would be destroyed.
The Chronicler did go on however to mention:
2 Chronicles 32:26 “However, Hezekiah humbled the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD did not come on them in the days of Hezekiah.”
So at least Hezekiah did humble himself,
But the damage had already been done.
It Started with a Sickness
The Sickness Resulted in a Sign
The Sign led to a Sin
#4 THE SIN RESULTED IN A SENTENCE
2 King 20:14-21
We already read the account of the Chronicler,
But here is the account of the writer of Kings.
Isaiah came and questioned Hezekiah as to what the messengers wanted,
And Hezekiah told Isaiah everything.
This brought about God’s announcement of judgment.
(VERSES 17-18)
God promised to give all this great wealth into the hands of Babylon.
And of course we just learned that the only reason it happened later
And not immediately is because Hezekiah humbled himself.
That humility can still be seen in response to this judgment.
(19) “Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the LORD which you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “Is it not so, if there will be peace and truth in my days?”
Some see this as an arrogant statement from a complacent man.
I think that is misreading this.
This is indicated by four little words.
Hezekiah first says that it is good.
Then he says, “Is it not so..?”
When he responded that the news was good I imagine every court official
Looked at him like he had lost his mind.
So he responds, “Is it not so..?”
• For that at least meant that Assyria would not conquer them.
• That at least meant that they had a few more years in the land.
• That at least meant that they could enjoy a little more peace.
It was indeed bad news, but Hezekiah found the silver lining.
He was taking his thoughts captive.
He was finding reason to rejoice.
He was submitting under the hand of God.
And then the text concludes with some of the other noteworthy events of Hezekiah’s reign.
But what we have here is the writer revealing to us
What events led up to the coming judgment through Babylon.
That is why I called this sermon “Introducing Babylon”
The reason the writer went back and mentioned this incident
Is because it explains to us how and why Babylon came into the picture.
AND SO WHAT IS THE POINT?
We must remember that the book of Kings
Was written sometime during the last half of the Babylonian exile.
The last event recorded in the book of Kings occurs during the 37th year of the exile (which lasted 70 years) but does not include the return to Jerusalem.
This indicates the date of the book
To be sometime during the last half of the exile.
It further indicates to us that the writer most likely was among the exiles since he is certainly aware of events that occurred while in Babylon.
That alone helps us to understand the writer’s passion.
Here is a man who is living in exile in Babylon.
• He was either ripped out of Jerusalem and dragged to exile.
• Or he was born in Babylon, having never seen the promised land.
And now he writes this historical account
To reveal how such a horrific thing can occur.
Furthermore he writes to future generations
To warn them not to make the same mistakes of their forefathers.
Now you know why the writer puts such an emphasis on
“The Importance of Seeking and Trusting God”.
It was Israel’s failure to do these things
That landed him and his brothers in Babylon.
And in order to continue his point, after we see Assyria destroyed,
The writer immediately introduces the real foe of Judah; Babylon.
AND HE PURPOSELY INTRODUCES BABYLON AT A TIME WHEN THE READERS ARE FEELING GOOD ABOUT THEIR SECURITY.
He wants his readers to know that it was not enough
That Judah cried out to God during moments of peril,
But that one of her main problems was
A failure to remain devoted to God when things were going well.
This was clearly seen in our text this morning.
Here we have Hezekiah, who is without a doubt on top of the world.
He has been miraculously healed from a disease which took his life.
He has been financially blessed by God beyond measure.
But it was during this “easy” time that he lost focus and thought himself to be too secure.
When the Babylonians came he strutted his wealth and power.
And because of this pride and arrogance, God announced judgment.
Despite having been delivered from Assyria,
Judah still hadn’t learned her lesson.
She needed God, all the time, and in every way.
She must seek Him at all times and trust Him in all things.
Hezekiah needed to seek and trust God all the time,
Not just when his life was in peril.
It serves as a great warning and reminder to us
That seeking and trusting God
Is not a reaction only to be used in times of necessity.
Our entire lives are meant to be lived in total dependence upon Him.
John 15:4-5 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”
We have talked quite a bit about trusting God over these past few weeks.
And the temptation when we hear sermons like this
Is to get a copy and to give it to people who are in the midst of trials.
But this text is meant to be a reminder
To all those who are not presently in the midst of a trial.
And that reminder is this.
Sometimes Satan dresses up like Babylon
And he sends his spies to scout out your land.
If you aren’t seeking God when he comes,
You are likely to fail to recognize him,
And before you know it he could cause great peril to your life.
1 Peter 5:8 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
The call to seek and trust God is not just for those in times of trial.
It is also for those who feel like they have a good grip on life.
This morning I want you to evaluate your life
And ask yourself how dependant you are on God right now.
If things are going so good that you’ve taken the reigns for a little while,
Let me encourage you this morning to give them back to God.
Seek His face and trust Him with everything you’ve got.
For you need Him, even when you don’t realize it.
1 Corinthians 10:12-13 “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”
