Isaiah 39:1-8

¹ At that time, Merodach-Baladan, son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, because he heard that he had been sick and recovered. ² And Hezekiah was thrilled with them and showed them his house with its aromatic gum, silver, gold, spices, good oil, all the armoury, and all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing that Hezekiah had not shown them in his house or in all his domain. ³ And Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and asked him, “What did these men say, and from where did they come to you?” And Hezekiah responded “They came to me from a distant country, from Babylon.” ⁴ But he asked, “What have they seen in your house?” And Hezekiah responded “They have seen everything in my house. There is nothing that I have not shown them in my storehouses.” ⁵ So Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear this word from Yahveh of armies: ⁶ ‘Watch! days are coming, when all that is in your house and that which your fathers have stored up to this day will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left,’ says Yahveh. ⁷‘And some of your sons who go out from you, whom you fathered, will be taken, and they will be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.'” ⁸ And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of Yahveh that you have spoken is good,” because he said “At least there will be peace and security in my days.”

remembering the future

Hezekiah had made a huge mistake, letting the Babylonian envoys see all the treasures of his house. The Babylonians would be back, and carry some of his own descendants into exile. Yet, the king consoled himself with the assurance that these consequences would come after his death. How selfish! We need to think about our children and their children. What kind of world will they face? We are deciding that by our actions, or the lack of them. We need to remember the future that awaits our world, because in many respects we are making that future.

LORD, we choose to obey, not for our sakes only, but for the future.