Hezekiah was one of the good‘ens. There were not a lot. Look at how the Holy Spirit describes him in 2 Kings 18:1 – 6. I was especially impressed with verse 6, “…he clung to the Lord…” that is high praise. But…
I am not impressed with how he ended. For two reasons.
First, look at Isaiah 39:5 – 8. Hezekiah’s response is on the order of, “that is just dandy.” What? The nation is going to be defeated, overrun, and carried away into exile – that is a good word? What was he thinking?
The Spirit tells us. He was pumped that it was not going to happen on his watch. Unbelievable.
Second, his son. Manasseh was one of the worst kings of Judah. Look at how he is described in 2 Chronicles 33:1 – 9. Verse 9 got my attention, “…Thus Manasseh misled Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the sons of Israel.”
The contrast is stark, cling to the Lord versus lead the nation into more evil than those Israel drove out of the land.
Hezekiah was focused on himself, he was short sighted, he did not invest, pass on his faith to his son. So even though he is considered one of the good kings of Judah, from my perspective he was an abject failure. His legacy was evil and the destruction of the nation.
As fathers and leaders we have to do more than just obey. We have to do what the Great Commission demands. We have to look past our time and pass on the truth of the gospel and the heart to cling to, abide in the Lord.
If we do not, we may be good in our life time, but our legacy will be like Hezekiah's, disaster.
First, look at Isaiah 39:5 – 8. Hezekiah’s response is on the order of, “that is just dandy.” What? The nation is going to be defeated, overrun, and carried away into exile – that is a good word? What was he thinking?
The Spirit tells us. He was pumped that it was not going to happen on his watch. Unbelievable.
Second, his son. Manasseh was one of the worst kings of Judah. Look at how he is described in 2 Chronicles 33:1 – 9. Verse 9 got my attention, “…Thus Manasseh misled Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the sons of Israel.”
The contrast is stark, cling to the Lord versus lead the nation into more evil than those Israel drove out of the land.
Hezekiah was focused on himself, he was short sighted, he did not invest, pass on his faith to his son. So even though he is considered one of the good kings of Judah, from my perspective he was an abject failure. His legacy was evil and the destruction of the nation.
As fathers and leaders we have to do more than just obey. We have to do what the Great Commission demands. We have to look past our time and pass on the truth of the gospel and the heart to cling to, abide in the Lord.
If we do not, we may be good in our life time, but our legacy will be like Hezekiah's, disaster.
Mike I have one thought here. I have seen good and Godly men pour there lives into there family. Show them the love of God and how to follow the Lord. I have even seen there children follow the Lord with all there heart until they become a certain age. Then out of no where they turn away from the Lord. But the parent's stay faithful to the Lord and call and tell there children to come back to the Lord. But they don't. So I can understand Hezekiah's response in Isaiah. I have been there and still am there with my kids. We speak truth into there lives every day. And some days they listen. Other days they just say I know. And still they walk away. But until the end I will lift them up to the Lord and hope they will hear the Lord and not reject him and turn back to him. David
ReplyDeleteYou absolutely make a great point. It is the case that regardless of how well we model and pour into the lives of our children their walk with Christ is a matter between He and them.
DeleteIn Hezekiah's case I was reacting to the connection between his response in Isaiah 33:6 in combination with the life of his son. His reaction that it was good that the nation would be overrun but "not on his watch" struck me as one who did not take his responsibilities as a leader as seriously as he might. I would hope that faced with that message I would do what I could to alter the outcome.
Much like your last sentence. "But until the end I will lift them up to the Lord and hope they will hear the Lord and not reject him and turn back to him." I did not detect that heart in Hezekiah's response to Isaiah's message.
This is an emphasis I need drilled into my life. My children now have children. They face challenges that I never would have dreamed as a young person growing up (I'm SO thankful for loving, responsible parents and grandparents during that time)that are so far more critical than we even faced helping, praying, guiding, loving our children through during their years in our home.
ReplyDeleteI'm limited in how I can now influence directly my grandchildren, and grieve my wife's death as much for the loss of her powerful, godly influence in their lives as in my own.
I don't believe God ever gives up on us, and I can reflect that through biblical praying until my own last breath. I believe we have everlasting, powerful promises to pray, made by our infinite, powerful, gracious and loving God - who cares for my family far more than I and my wife ever could.
I also have puzzled and mourned over Hezekiah's attitude and what appears to be the result in Manasseh's life and the destiny of his entire people. May God deliver all of us fathers and grandfathers and hear our feeble pleas for His protection for our families and their hearts to passionately hunger for Him.