Pastor and 1st Lady Mims

Mims Chapel Church

Week 2, September 13, 2026

LESSON 2

Hezekiah's Prideful Error

Lesson Text:

2 Kings 20:12—19; 2 Chronicles 32:22—26;
Jeremiah 9:23,24

Memory Verse
"But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 32:25

Key Terms
Ambassador • An accredited diplomat sent by a country as its official representative to a foreign country.
Egotism • The tendency to consider yourself better and more important than - other people.
Internalize • To make (attitudes or behavior) part of one's nature either by Aearning or unconscious assimilation,

Suggested Emphasis

The prophet Jeremiah gave a clear warning about where human beings place their confidence. "This is what the LORD says: 'Don't let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast about this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the LORD who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. l, the LORD, have spoken!"' (Jer. 9:23-24, NLT). Glorifying things that are objectively temporary—like human intellect, material wealth, or political influence—is foolish. We should only trust in our relationship with the Lord, because that is how we have access to His eternal attributes of "lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness. " The pride that motivates boasting in oneself is a point of discussion as we consider another historical precursor to the Babylonian Exile.

Emphasis 1

Hezekiah's Deliverance From
Enemies and Deadly Illness

Hezekiah was a very successful ruler of Judah who had seen the increase of the nation's wealth and security under his reign. Some wealth was accumulated when the Judeans spoiled the Assyrians' siege camp outside of Jerusalem. The Angel of the Lord had fought the Assyrian army for them and slayed 185,000 in one night (2 Kings 19:35). King Sennacherib then withdrew the remnant of his forces back to Assyria. When the people shut up in Jerusalem ventured out, they found considerable treasure left behind by the enemy. Moreover, Israel's neighbors brought tribute to the King of Judah, in recognition of his victory over the region's biggest bully. "From then on King Hezekiah became highly respected among all the surrounding nations, and many gifts for the LORD arrived at Jerusalem, with valuable presents for King Hezekiah, too" (2 Chron. 3223, NLT).

However, it appears that Hezekiah suffered a serious setback very shortly after his military victory (2 Chron. 32:24). The king had another opportunity to move in faith and seek God's deliverance when he was diagnosed with a fatal disease. Hezekiah revealed his zeal for the Lord when "he turned his face to the wall," and made a desperate appeal for divine healing (2 Kings 20:2-3). God was moved by his faith, and He chose to extend Hezekiah's life by 15 years (2 Kings 20:5-6).

Emphasis 2

The Visit by a Babylonian
Ambassador

Unfortunately, though, after being delivered from the Assyrians and from serious illness, Hezekiah was awash with egotism and was therefore chastised by God for his sin (2 Chron. 32:25). The incident that represented God's wrath seemed rather mundane. Baladan, king of Babylon, sent an ambassador to Judah with tribute and letters of resolution for Hezekiah. Ostensibly, Baladan was celebrating the Judean king's recovery. Scholars also note that the Babylonians were at this time in conflict with the Assyrians, so this may have been an overture to make a league with Judah against their common foe. We see that the Judean king was seemingly flattered by the state visit from these dignitaries. "Hezekiah was delighted with the BabyIonian envoys and showed them everything in his treasure-houses—the silver, the gold, the spices, and the aromatic oils. He also took them to see his armory and showed them everything in his royal treasuries! There was nothing in his palace or kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them" (Is. 39:2, NLT).

This display of vanity probably gave the Babylonian ambassador information about Judah's resources and armaments. When Nebuchadnezzar came to power a century later, he would have inherited any official documentation of the Jewish people's wealth. We can easily imagine Nebuchadnezzar salivating over the prospective Judean plunder. This is the bite behind Isaiah's prophetic pronouncement: "Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, 'Listen to this message from the LORD: The time is coming when everything in your palace—all the treasures stored up by your ancestors until now—will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD. Some of your very own sons will be taken away into exile. They will become eunuchs who will serve in the palace of Babylon's king"' (2 Kings 20: 16— 18, NLT). It is implied that, when Hezekiah indulged the curiosity of the Baladan regime, he provided intel that would later be used by Nebuchadnezzar.

Emphasis 3

Hezekiah's Secret Sin of Pride Was Exposed

2nd Chronicles opens a window to the king's heart for us. The narrator says, "Hezekiah did not respond appropriately to the kindness shown him, and he became proud" (2 Chron. 32:25a, NLT), which is a reference to how he internalized his deliverance from his enemies and his deadly diagnosis. Hezekiah was not overcome with gratitude to God, but instead became egotistical, as if his own character or piety had earned his deliverance. The rest of the verse, "So the LORD's anger came against him and against Judah and Jerusalem" (2 Chron. 32:25b, NLT), is meant to characterize the visit from the Babylonian envoy. The snare into which Hezekiah gleefully fell was the "wrath of God," and the king came to realize that. He said to Isaiah, "Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken... Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days?" (2 Kings 20:19). This response sounds shallow and unserious, but the chronicler explains how he really felt: "Then Hezekiah humbled himself and repented of his pride, as did the people of Jerusalem. So, the LORD's anger did not fall on them during Hezekiah's lifetime" (2 Chron. 32:26, NLT). This indicates that the prophesied defeat and exile of

Hezekiah's progeny was forestalled because the king "humbled himself" in some fashion. Yet his righteous response to divine rebuke only delayed, and did not cancel, the impending exile. This illustrates how pride can set a snare that we may be unable to completely escape, and how important it is to remain humble and grateful to God for our blessings.

Missions Application Questions

What were the two major, back-to-back challenges in King Hezekiah's life?
How did overcoming his challenges set up Hezekiah for prideful error?
What does egotistical behavior indicate about our relationship with God?

World Missions Prayer Points

Let us pray that we remain humble and grateful for all God does in our lives.

Let us pray to be wise in what we say and do.

Let us pray that we are quick to repent when we are made aware of our sin.