Ep 818 – Isaiah 39:1-8

Hezekiah has been healed by God. His physical infirmity was gone and he had a guarantee from God of another decade and a half of life. But the king had another problem. Pride. Which manifested itself in an inordinate love affair with power, possessions, and prestige. In Isaiah 39:1-8, Hezekiah’s pride problem gets put on full display for all to see. And it’s not a pretty picture. Here was a man who had been given a second chance by God, but rather than living in humble gratitude and singing praises to God in the temple like he promised to do, he sang his own praises and flaunted his own glory. Never a good move for any God-appointed leader. And it shouldn’t be overlooked that in chapter 38, Hezekiah had been just days from death and faced with the possibility of losing everything he held near and dear. But now that he had received a reprieve from God and an additional 15 years to enjoy life, he reveals what he loved the most: Power, possession, and prestige.