2 Kings 20:12-21
The Envoys from Babylon
Read the passage
12At that time Merodach-baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, for he had heard about Hezekiah’s illness.
13And Hezekiah received the envoys and showed them all that was in his treasure house—the silver, the gold, the spices, and the precious oil, as well as his armory—all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his palace or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them.
14Then the prophet Isaiah went to King Hezekiah and asked, “Where did those men come from, and what did they say to you?” “They came from a distant land,” Hezekiah replied, “from Babylon.”
15“What have they seen in your palace?” Isaiah asked. “They have seen everything in my palace,” answered Hezekiah. “There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them.”
16Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the LORD:
17The time will surely come when everything in your palace and all that your fathers have stored up until this day will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD.
18And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood, will be taken away to be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”
19But Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the LORD that you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “Will there not at least be peace and security in my lifetime?”
20As for the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, along with all his might and how he constructed the pool and the tunnel to bring water into the city, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?
21And Hezekiah rested with his fathers, and his son Manasseh reigned in his place.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
Merodach-baladan son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sends letters and a gift to Hezekiah after hearing that he has been sick. Hezekiah welcomes the envoys and shows them everything in his storehouses: silver, gold, spices, precious oil, armor, and all his treasures.
Hezekiah hides nothing from them. Isaiah then asks what the men said and where they came from. When Hezekiah answers that they came from a distant land, Isaiah asks what they saw in the palace. Hezekiah admits that they saw everything.
Isaiah announces that days are coming when everything in the palace and everything stored by Hezekiah's fathers will be carried to Babylon. Some of Hezekiah's own descendants will be taken to serve as eunuchs in Babylon's palace. The future loss will include both the treasures he has displayed and members of his family.
Hezekiah responds that the word of the LORD is good, because he thinks there will be peace and security during his own days. The response is honest but limited. His thought turns to peace in his own lifetime, even as Isaiah speaks of captivity for his descendants. The account ends by recalling his pool and tunnel that brought water into the city, then his death and Manasseh's succession.
Questions
1 Why do the Babylonian envoys come?
AnswerThey come with letters and a gift for Hezekiah after hearing that he had been sick.
2 What does Hezekiah show them?
AnswerHe shows them all the contents of his storehouses, including treasures, spices, armor, and precious oil.
3 What does Isaiah predict?
AnswerIsaiah predicts that the palace treasures and some of Hezekiah's descendants will be carried away to Babylon.
4 Why does Hezekiah call the word good?
AnswerHe calls it good because he thinks there will be peace and security during his own lifetime.
What This Means for Us
Hezekiah hears about coming exile and thinks of security in his own days. That response leaves a hard question for us: How much do we care about people who will live with trouble after we are gone?
Parents can consider more than what makes this week easy. What habits are we teaching? What unresolved wrong are we leaving someone else to face? We cannot control our children's future, but we can take their good seriously when making today's decisions.
Prayer
Lord, keep our concern from ending with our own comfort. Give us wisdom to care for those who come after us. Help us face hard warnings honestly and do the good within our reach today. Amen.