And so in the matter of the envoys of the princes of Babylon, who had been sent to him to inquire about the sign that had been done in the land, God left him to himself, in order to test him and to know all that was in his heart.

 Isaiah 36-39

And so in the matter of the envoys of the princes of Babylon, who had been sent to him to inquire about the sign that had been done in the land, God left him to himself, in order to test him and to know all that was in his heart. 2 Chronicles 32:31

I continue my deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series. Today, I complete  Lesson 14, looking at Day 5, which looks specifically at Isaiah 39 as this chapter also marks a transition to Isaiah chapters 40-66 which are more forward looking vs judgement of Israel's sin. In Isaiah 39, we see a picture of Hezekiah's pride in showing all of the treasures of his storehouses to a visiting envoy from Babylon.  We are encouraged to review 2 Chronicles 32:27-31 where God uses the visit from Babylon to search his heart.  Isaiah questions Hezekiah's motivation and then delivers a stern message to Hezekiah about coming punishment to Judah and Hezekiah shrugs it off as the punishment will not directly impact him but his descendants - a staggering response of selfishness.  My commentary points to several applications:

1.  Focus on the only true hero of the Bible - Jesus Christ
2.  See how God uses circumstances to search the hidden motives of the heart.
3.  Notice how susceptible the human heart is to pride.
4. We should be warned (and avoid) about Hezekiah’s lack of a multi-generational vision, not caring about what would happen to his great-great-great grandchildren.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus - thank You for giving me faith and for my salvation!  I am not deserving!  I know there is more I can do to pass on my faith to my sons and I am often prideful!  Please forgive me and help me turn from and overcome my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.