2 Kings 20:12-21: a reflection

12At that time Berodach Baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick. 13Hezekiah listened to them, and showed them all the storehouse of his precious things—the silver, the gold, the spices, and the precious oil, and the house of his armor, and all that was found in his treasures. There was nothing in his house, or in all his dominion, that Hezekiah didn’t show them. 14Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah, and said to him, “What did these men say? From where did they come to you?” Hezekiah said, “They have come from a far country, even from Babylon.” 15He said, “What have they seen in your house?” Hezekiah answered, “They have seen all that is in my house. There is nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them.” 16Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the LORD’s word. 17‘Behold, the days come that all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have laid up in store to this day, will be carried to Babylon. Nothing will be left,’ says the LORD. 18‘They will take away some of your sons who will issue from you, whom you will father; and they will be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’” 19Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The LORD’s word which you have spoken is good.” He said moreover, “Isn’t it so, if peace and truth will be in my days?” 20Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made the pool, and the conduit, and brought water into the city, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 21Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and Manasseh his son reigned in his place.

When envoys come from Babylon, Hezekiah proudly shows them all his treasures; and when Isaiah tells him that one day all of it, and even his descendants, will be carried off to Babylon, Hezekiah's response reveals a troubling contentment with his own comfort. The word of the LORD which you have spoken is good, he says; and then, tellingly, he thinks, at least there will be peace and truth in my days. Hearing that trouble would come upon those who came after him, Hezekiah is chiefly relieved that it would not come in his own lifetime. His concern reached only as far as his own days; he was content so long as his own time was peaceful, careless of what would befall the generations after. This is a sobering shortsightedness: caring only for our own comfort in our own time, careless of those who come after. Caring only for peace in our own days is shortsighted. Hezekiah was content so long as his own time was safe. Concern that reaches only to our own comfort is too small. Care for those who come after, not only for our own days.

Notice the smallness of Hezekiah's concern. Told that judgment would fall on his descendants and his kingdom, he was chiefly relieved that it would not fall in his own lifetime, content that there would be peace in his own days. His concern reached only as far as his own comfort, his own time; what would befall those who came after seemed not to trouble him much, so long as he himself was at peace. This is a shortsightedness we should beware of in ourselves. We can care only about our own comfort in our own time, content so long as things go well for us now, careless of the consequences our choices leave for those who come after, for our children and the generations to follow. But a concern that reaches only to our own days is too small. We are called to care beyond our own comfort and our own time, to consider those who will come after us, to leave them not trouble but blessing where we can. To care only for peace in our own days, careless of those after, is too small a concern. Look beyond your own comfort to those who come after. A concern bounded by our own lifetime is shortsighted. Care for the generations after, not only for your own days.

That is worth taking to heart, for caring only about our own comfort in our own time, careless of those who come after, is a shortsightedness we should beware. We can be content so long as things go well for us now, relieved that trouble will not fall in our own days, careless of what our choices leave for those who follow; but Hezekiah, told that judgment would fall on his descendants, was chiefly relieved it would not come in his lifetime, and this concern reaching only to his own days was too small. Look beyond your own comfort and your own time. Do not care only for peace in your own days; consider those who will come after you, and leave them blessing where you can. Care beyond your own comfort and your own time for those who will come after you, not content merely that trouble will not fall in your own days, as Hezekiah, told that all his treasures and even his descendants would one day be carried off to Babylon, was chiefly relieved that there would be peace in his own lifetime, his concern reaching only as far as his own comfort; for we can care only about our own comfort in our own time, content so long as things go well for us now and careless of the consequences our choices leave for the generations who follow, but such a concern bounded by our own lifetime is too small and shortsighted, and we are called to look beyond our own days to those who come after us, considering them and leaving them blessing rather than trouble where we can, so that our concern reaches further than our own comfort and our own time.

Lord, when envoys come from Babylon, Hezekiah proudly shows them all his treasures; and when Isaiah tells him that one day all of it, and even his descendants, will be carried off to Babylon, Hezekiah's response reveals a troubling contentment with his own comfort. The word of the LORD which you have spoken is good, he says; and then, tellingly, he thinks, at least there will be peace and truth in my days. Hearing that trouble would come upon those who came after him, Hezekiah is chiefly relieved that it would not come in his own lifetime. His concern reached only as far as his own days; he was content so long as his own time was peaceful, careless of what would befall the generations after. This is a sobering shortsightedness: caring only for our own comfort in our own time, careless of those who come after. Show me the smallness of Hezekiah's concern. Told that judgment would fall on his descendants, he was chiefly relieved that it would not fall in his own lifetime. His concern reached only as far as his own comfort; what would befall those who came after seemed not to trouble him much, so long as he himself was at peace. This is a shortsightedness I should beware of in myself. I can care only about my own comfort in my own time, content so long as things go well for me now, careless of the consequences my choices leave for those who come after. But a concern that reaches only to my own days is too small. I am called to care beyond my own comfort and my own time, to consider those who will come after me. Take that to my heart, for caring only about my own comfort, careless of those who come after, is a shortsightedness I should beware. Keep me from caring only for peace in my own days; help me look beyond my own comfort and my own time, Lord, to consider those who will come after me, and to leave them blessing where I can rather than being content merely that trouble will not fall in my own lifetime.