Pride · Arrogance – A Twofold Alienation
Hezekiah was an exceptionally remarkable king during the reign of the kings of Judah. The Bible says that Hezekiah did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his ancestor David had done, and that he trusted in God so completely that there was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him (2 Kings 18:3, 5). This reflection aims to provoke thought or learning in the reader — the successes and failures of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for twenty-nine years. Immediately upon taking the throne, he restored the nation’s worship of God, cleansed the temple, followed the statutes, removed the high places, and smashed the idols (2 Kings 18:1-2, 4).
In the sixth year of his reign, Hezekiah witnessed the northern kingdom of Israel being conquered by Assyria. Eight years later (that is, in the fourteenth year of Hezekiah’s reign), the king of Assyria came up against Judah, attacking and capturing all the fortified cities of Judah. At that moment, Hezekiah sought the Assyrian king’s forgiveness and paid him tribute (2 Kings 18:13-16). However, a single tribute did not satisfy the ambition of King Sennacherib of Assyria.
The Assyrian army continued its advance, reaching Jerusalem and standing by the aqueduct of the Upper Pool. There, in front of the people, they mocked God, saying He could not save them — this was tantamount to attacking the Holy One of Israel (2 Kings 19:22). When Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes, entered the house of the LORD, and sent word to the prophet Isaiah, crying out to God for help. Hezekiah’s plea was heard by God (2 Kings 19:1-2, 15, 20).
God intervened, but this time not merely by frightening the enemy army (2 Kings 6:24-25; 7:5-7) — He struck down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. King Sennacherib of Assyria withdrew in defeat and was later killed by his own sons upon returning to his land (2 Kings 19:35-37). In this battle, God unleashed His hand of judgement and destroyed the vast Assyrian army, and I believe this was the consequence of the Assyrian king blaspheming God in Jerusalem, before all the people of Judah.
After this dramatic event, many people came to Jerusalem, bringing offerings to God and presenting valuable gifts to Hezekiah. Hezekiah was thus honoured in the eyes of all the nations (2 Chronicles 32:23). Aside from these descriptions, neither 2 Kings nor 2 Chronicles records Hezekiah giving anything back to God in return for all the abundant grace he had received. Nor is there any other biblical record of Hezekiah, like his ancestor David, lifting the cup of salvation and calling on the name of the LORD. David often offered sacrifices and gave praise to God for His gracious acts (Psalm 116:12-14). For example, when the Ark of the Covenant was brought back to Jerusalem, David led the people in giving thanks and praising God (2 Samuel 6:12-19), which was pleasing to the LORD.
Around that time, Hezekiah became terminally ill (2 Kings 20:1). Some say that Hezekiah’s illness, like many people’s cancer today, was a coincidence unrelated to his actions or thoughts. However, 2 Chronicles 32:25-26 points out that because Hezekiah and the people of Judah were proud in heart, wrath was about to come upon them and Jerusalem. So what was the specific matter of God’s rebuke?
Personally, I believe that Hezekiah’s fatal illness was a form of divine discipline. This view stems from three things:
1. In the eight years after the northern kingdom of Israel being conquered by Assyria, and before the coming of the Assyrian army to Judah, did Hezekiah look to God for the defense of his land?
— Isaiah 22:1-13 records Isaiah’s rebuke of Judah, which included the self-reliant Hezekiah. Hezekiah fortified the walls, stored up water, and looked to the armoury, but did not look to God. When the Assyrian army approached, Hezekiah sought the Assyrian king’s forgiveness and offered him gold, silver, and treasures (2 Kings 18:14-16), but the Bible does not record that he sought God’s help. If he had, God — mindful of His covenant with David — would not have failed to save Judah (2 Kings 19:34).
2. After God intervened to save Judah from annihilation by Assyria, what did Hezekiah do to repay God for His grace towards him and the nation?
— God saved all of Judah by slaying 185,000 Assyrian soldiers — a great and miraculous sign — yet the Bible does not record that Hezekiah gave anything back to God.
3. God sent Isaiah to tell Hezekiah that his illness would lead to his death — this was God’s final opportunity for Hezekiah to repent. What did Hezekiah ask for?
— Hezekiah asked for longer life. He did not ask for Judah’s sake, but for his own glory. His heart was proud, and he did not give glory to God for the grace he had received. During the fifteen additional years God granted Hezekiah, his unrepentant pride led him to “invite the wolf into the house,” opening the door for Babylon to later swallow up Judah.
Some think that God blessed Hezekiah because of who he was or what he did. God said Hezekiah was proud in heart, but He did not specify exactly in what matter or at what time that pride arose. Readers may each consider this for themselves. My own considerations come solely from the biblical account of Hezekiah’s life.
Although Hezekiah’s early deeds are described as following everything his ancestor David had done, those deeds were external only, not internal. David revered and loved God; he was often humble before Him. As king, David never got ahead of God, and whenever he achieved victory, he gave glory to God. Hezekiah feared God, but he did not love God — or perhaps he loved himself far more than he loved God. He did what was right in God’s eyes because he was afraid of God, and therefore dared not neglect to carry out the Law (2 Chronicles 29:10). David, because he loved God, delighted to do God’s will, and God’s Law was always in his heart (Psalm 40:8).
There is no doubt that Hezekiah was wholehearted in attending to the things of God’s temple and diligent in keeping the Law and the commandments. He did even more than any previous king of Judah. Another passage of Scripture may offer readers additional food for thought: God said, “Neither before nor after Josiah (Hezekiah’s great-grandson) was there a king like him who turned to the LORD as he did — with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses” (2 Kings 23:25). That means that in God’s eyes, Hezekiah was a king of Judah who did not turn to the LORD with all his heart, soul, and strength the way his own great-grandson did.
When a king sees the splendid achievements of his own reign, it is easy to become proud and arrogant. Pride breeds conceit, and conceit causes one to run ahead of God, forgetting that unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labour in vain; unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain (Psalm 127:1). Several of Judah’s good kings rose and then fell; pride caused them to lose the upright, loyal, and humble heart and strength that King David had towards God. Worshiping God must be done in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). Sadly, the worship of several of Judah’s good kings was merely formal, not spiritual. As a result, they did not live out their full days on earth.
When the Lord Jesus Christ came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, ‘Here I am — it is written about me in the scroll — I have come to do your will, O God’” (Hebrews 10:5-7; Psalm 40:6-8). Jesus Christ, because He loved God and understood His heart, humbly obeyed and accomplished the atoning sacrifice.
Those who fear God must also love God. We do not keep His commandments merely because we “fear” Him, nor do we offer ourselves as sacrifices merely because we “fear” Him. Rather, because we “love” Him, we offer our bodies as living sacrifices, becoming people pleasing to God on earth (Romans 12:1).
All who are prudent act with knowledge, but fools display their folly (Proverbs 13:16). The snare of pride is the snare of death. Those who are proud yet not arrogant are heaven’s favoured children; those who are arrogant yet not haughty are children of wisdom. Those who regularly purify themselves, depart from what is dishonourable, emulate Christ, walk in humble obedience, and love God with undivided devotion — these are the proud children and wise ones of God, on the path to holiness.
There is a common saying: “Don’t mess up the ending.” It is not without reason. Indeed, since ancient times, many successful people have not succeeded to the end — because the one who is proud is destined to fail. King Hezekiah is one such example. These past cases serve as warnings for those who come after. Those who trust wholeheartedly in the LORD, lean not on their own understanding, and acknowledge Him in all their ways — He will make their paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Let us all remember this 👇
“In triumph, stay grounded” ~✨
A spark ignites a blaze —
Human error never far from the flame.
In life’s moments of triumph, wrong rarely outruns human diligence.
Good and bad — each sees his own.
Good is good; bad is bad.
May your good never come at the cost of another’s bad.
✨✨💖 ~
en yan hua fang 