The Bible is filled with stories of faithful men and women who lived godly lives by faith in the LORD only to fade at the end of their life. As I walk with the LORD and live on Earth, I’m fully aware that I have more days behind me than in front of me. Will I finish well and continue to let the light of Christ shine through me? Or will I grow comfortable and prideful only to fade as I approach the finish line?
Hezekiah is one of those men who trusted the LORD throughout his life only to become prideful and selfish near the end.
In 2 Kings, after reading about king after king who “did evil in the LORD’S sight” or even if they, “did what was right in the LORD’S sight,” they tolerated idolatry among the people of God. FINALLY, in chapter 18, we see King Hezekiah who, “did what was right in the LORD’S sight just as his ancestor David had done. He removed the high places” and idols [vv. 1-8]. Hezekiah led the people into a brief period of restoration, back to true worship as he cleansed the temple & celebrated the Passover [2 Chronicles 30:1], and he demonstrated trust in God alone.
“Hezekiah relied on the LORD God of Israel; not one of the kings of Judah was like him, either before him or after him. He remained faithful to the LORD and did not turn from following Him.” [2 Kings 18:5–6].
Facing the overwhelming threat of Sennacherib, Hezekiah prayed by faith. Like a “second David,” Hezekiah faced his “Goliath” in Assyria’s king, Sennacherib, who like Goliath boasted in himself and taunted the LORD God. The LORD responded to Hezekiah’s prayer, reversed the desperate situation, and removed the military threat to Jerusalem [2 Kings 19:14-31].
Later, facing terminal illness, Hezekiah prayed by faith. He cried out, “Please, Lord, remember how I have walked before you faithfully and wholeheartedly and have done what pleases you.” The LORD responded to Hezekiah’s prayer, healed him, and extended his life by another 15 years [2 Kings 20:1-11]. The most significant thing about Hezekiah was that the LORD was “with him” and “wherever he went he prospered” [2 Kings 18 7].
Near the end of Hezekiah’s life, though, instead of finishing well by faith, he faded. Like his grandfather, Uzziah, “when he became strong, he grew arrogant” [2 Chronicles 26:16]. Hezekiah grew prideful. And comfortable. He took credit for all his “success” by showing off all he had and all he accomplished to representatives of Babylon [2 Kings 20:12-13].
Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the LORD: ‘Look, the days are coming when everything in your palace and all that your predecessors have stored up until today will be carried off to Babylon; nothing will be left,’ says the LORD. “‘Some of your descendants—who come from you, whom you father—will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’ ” [2 Kings 20:16-18]
How did Hezekiah respond to the coming disaster?
“The word of the LORD that you have spoken is good,” for he thought, “Why not, if there will be peace and security during my lifetime?” [2 Kings 20:19]
Hezekiah cared more about himself than future generations. “Oh, well. That’s too bad. So sad… but at least I’ll be ok.”
The disaster of Hezekiah’s pride and personal comfort proved to be devastating for future generations. His son, Manasseh, was the worst king of all the kings of Judah. During Manasseh’s 55-year reign, he caused God’s people “to stray so that they did worse evil than the nations the LORD had destroyed before the Israelites” [2 Kings 21:1-9]. Hezekiah’s grandson, Amon, “walked in all the ways his father [Manasseh] had walked; he served the idols his father had served” [2 Kings 21:19-22]. Yes, Josiah, his great-grandson was a great reformer, but by then too much damage had been done [2 Kings 22:20; 24:1-4].
Like Hezekiah, we can live a good life and walk faithfully with the LORD only to fade later in life. Like this good king, we can become far too comfortable in our past successes. We can become pridefully self-sufficient. We can become selfishly complacent. We can grow critical of younger generations rather than be selflessly concerned about them and show compassion to them. We can fade quickly from faithfulness to foolishness.
- If we are truly faithful to the LORD, we consistently pray for our children, grandchildren, and even those yet to be born so they will know Him [Psalm 145].
- If we are completely humble before the LORD, we intentionally teach (by our attitudes, words, and actions) future generations about His grace, mercy, and love so they will follow Him [Psalm 78:1-8].
- If we are fully grateful to the LORD, we willing to give up personal preferences for the sake of younger, future generations (think worship music, style, volume, etc) so they will learn to worship Him with their own songs [Psalm 33:1-3; 96:1-9; 149:1-5].
Will we finish well? Or fade toward the finish line? Will we become prideful of our experiences, preferences, and convictions by thinking only of ourselves.
How we finish our lives has a profound, lasting impact for the LORD and influence on future generations. Will we have a fantastic finish [2 Timothy 4:7–8; Hebrews 12:1-2]? Or simply fade away? Will those following behind us walk by faith in the LORD because of us – or despite us? Or, like Manasseh, walk away from the LORD completely?
Follow me…as I follow Jesus Christ.
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