39:1. “At that
time Merodach-baladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and
a present to Hezekiah: for he had heard that he had been sick, and was
recovered.”
Merodach means thy
rebellion; and Merodach-baladan means Merodach is not a lord: thy
rebellion, Baal is lord, all these meanings having an evil connotation,
and indicating that Baladan, king of Babylon, is a type of Satan; and that
Merodach-baladan typifies all those who do the bidding of that wicked
spirit.
As the sequel reveals,
these seemingly friendly overtures were insincere. The friendship was
feigned; and so is it always with the malignant spirit whom he represents,
Satan, who is never more dangerous than when disguised as an angel of light,
as we are warned in 2 Corinthians 11:14-15, “... for Satan himself is
transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his
ministers (servants) also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness
....”
39:2. “And
Hezekiah was glad of them, and shewed them the house of his precious things,
the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment
(perfume, fragrant oil), and all the house of his armor, and all that was
found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his
dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not.”
Silver is the Biblical
emblem of redemption; gold, of glory; spices, of worship; and precious
ointment, of prayer, all of these being the priceless possessions and
privileges of the believer; but Hezekiah’s friendship with these Babylonians
represents the folly of the believer who thinks that he can have fellowship
with God and also with the world. He can’t, for they are as disparate as
day and night. God is light, and the world is darkness, hence His warning
to believers, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what
fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath
light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what
part hath he that believeth with an infidel (unbeliever)? And what
agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the
living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I
will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from
among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord ....” 2 Corinthians 6:14-17.
Babylon means confusion
by mixing, and that is exactly what spiritual Babylon (Roman
Catholicism) does: she mixes a deadly spiritual elixir of truth mingled with
lies, which induces spiritual torpor, so that her duped votaries pass
peacefully along the road to hell, unaware of the awful awakening that
awaits them when their journey ends, not in heaven, but in hell and the
dreadful lake of fire.
39:3. “Then
came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said
these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are
come from a far country unto me, even from Babylon.”
The question as to what
the visitors had said to Hezekiah wasn’t answered, nor was any answer
necessary: God’s servant, it seems, by the revelation of God was fully aware
of the ultimate evil that would result from their visit. Is it possible
that by this time Hezekiah himself was beginning to have a premonition of
evil that would result from the visit of the Babylonians? Was a gnawing
fear beginning to haunt him, and was he trying to allay it by asserting that
the distance between him and them precluded the possibility of their
return? If so, he was deluding himself, as are all who ignore the power of
Papal Rome, which Babylon represents.
39:4. “Then
said he, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All
that is in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures
that I have not shewed them.”
It seems that his answer
was impelled, not by honesty, but by the knowledge that nothing could be
hidden from the prophet whose mind was enlightened by God Himself; and one
lesson at least to be learned from this is that we too should beware of ever
attempting to plead extenuating circumstances when confessing our sins to
God, for only full and forthright admission will secure forgiveness, as it
is written, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our
sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” 1 John 1:9.
Alternatively, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and
his word is not in us,” 1 John 1:10.
Hezekiah had treated the
Babylonians like friends, and the dire results ought to warn us against
seeking to establish any friendship with Papal Rome. It is the enemy of God
and of those who are His, as is amply attested by history.
39:5. “Then
said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the Lord of hosts:”
There is dramatic
significance in Isaiah’s describing God as “the Lord of hosts (armies)."
Hezekiah was overawed by the power of Babylon because he apparently forgot
that Jehovah is omnipotent, a fact we should ever remember, for it will
steel our hearts to courage no matter what the seeming might of the foe.
When our courage falters we should remember that simply by the breath of His
mouth our God slew 185,000 Assyrians in one night, 2 Kings 19:35; Isaiah
37:36.
39:6. “Behold,
the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers
have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing
shall be left, saith the Lord.”
History records the
fulfillment of this prediction, but like much OT prophecy, it foreshadows
what is still future, but imminent. Following the rapture of the true
Church, which is unquestionably near, the great Babylonian system (Papal
Rome) will reign supreme over all that presently pertains to apostate
Christendom.
39:7. “And thy
sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take
away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”
The sons, which Hezekiah
was yet to beget, and who would be carried to Babylon, and there become
eunuchs, represent those unconverted professors who will be left on earth
following the rapture of all true believers. They will be employed in the
service of spiritual Babylon (Papal Rome), but will be incapable of
begetting spiritual children because of their own lack of spiritual life.
39:8. “Then
said Hezekiah, Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken. He said
moreover, For there shall be peace and truth in my days.”
In spite of failure,
Hezekiah was a true believer who bowed submissively to God’s will, as should
all who profess faith in Christ.
The final sentence
however, does not record his assertion that there would be peace and truth
during his life, but rather his desire for that special blessing.
