 On our recent trip to Israel my son Graham, daughter Emma and I closely studied King Hezekiah, who became king of the Southern kingdom of Judah at age 25 (715 BC). Four years later the northern kingdom of Israel was overrun by the Assyrians.
Scripture tells us that Hezekiah was full of zeal for obeying God. Not only did he destroy the pagan gods erected by his father, he also broke into piece the bronze snake that Moses made because in their perversity the Judeans had turned it into an object of worship.
Refugees streaming in from the north and the impending Assyrian attack put young Hezekiah's leadership skills to the test. He prepared by reinforcing the walls of Jerusalem, building a wall to protect the "suburbs" of refugees, and carving out of solid rock what is still considered an engineering marvel: a 1,750 foot long tunnel to channel water from the Gihon Spring to the Pool of Siloam (here's a picture of your editor in the tunnel).
God Rescues Jerusalem from Destruction
Ten years after the demise of Israel, the Assyrian king Sennacherib made his move against Judah. The Assyrian field commander called out to the people of Jerusalem in Hebrew, blaspheming God and attempting to incite them to revolt against Hezekiah and surrender the city.
Isaiah, who had prophesied about the Assyrian invasion, responded forcefully, giving God's words to the Assyrians:
"But I know your sitting down, your going out and your coming in, and your raging against Me. Because your raging against Me and your arrogance have reached My ears, I will put My hook in your note and My bit in your mouth: I will make you go back the way you came."
That night, according to the biblical account, the angel of the Lord struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. The Assyrian army returned to Ninevah and Sennacherib was assassinated by two of his sons.
Hezekiah's Folly: "Peace and Security During My Lifetime"
A short time later, Hezekiah became sick unto death. When confronted with his own demise, Hezekiah wept bitterly and pleaded with God: "Please, Lord, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and wholeheartedly and have done what is good in Your sight." (II Kings 20:3).
God heard Hezekiah's cries and spared his life. Unfortunately, Hezekiah's second chance unraveled when he arrogantly displayed all of the treasures of his house to the son of the Babylonian king.
Isaiah discovered what had been done and told Hezekiah, "'The time will certainly come when everything in your palace and all that your fathers have stored up until this day will be carried off to Babylon; nothing will be left,' says the Lord. 'Some of your descendants who come from you will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.'"
Hezekiah's response revealed an enormous character flaw. Here's the Scriptural report from II Kings 20:19: "Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, 'The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good,' for he thought: Why not, if there will be peace and security during my lifetime?"
The consequences of this selfishness proved devastating. Upon Hezekiah's death his son Manasseh became the most evil king in Judah's history. He led so wickedly that his people 'did greater evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites" (II Kings 21:9).
From the Best King to the Worst King...in One Generation
Hezekiah wept bitterly when warned by Isaiah that his own life was coming to an end, but placidly accepted Isaiah's warning about how his foolishness would result in judgment on the next generation. Apparently Hezekiah cared less about his future legacy than he did about peace in his own lifetime.
The Days of Hezekiah were days of peace, but through neglect they brought on the unspeakable evil of the Days of Manasseh. Could there be a more apt analogy for our present time?
- In America the federal government and many state and local governments have been spending like drunken sailors for the last 40 years. They KNOW that this spending is likely to bankrupt future generations, and yet they can't seem to stop themselves. They're living in the Days of Hezekiah.
- Somewhere between 40 and 72% of businesses have no leadership succession plan. As I talk with people in these companies, the attitude of many is, "I'll be out of here in two years, so it's not my problem. I've got mine." They're living in the Days of Hezekiah.
- Churches are failing to reach the next generation. According to an interview in WorldNetDaily, Frank Page--the outgoing president of the Southern Baptist Convention (the largest protestant denomination in the U.S.)--estimates that only half of Southern Baptist Churches will still exist two decades from now. Has anyone noticed that the kids who grew up there aren't coming back? Is the church so content with peace and security now that it is willing to ignore the coming crisis?
Faced with these trends, one would think the church would be crying out in repentance, holding vigils, calling for emergency intervention, and investing all necessary effort and treasure to grapple with this looming crisis.
But that's not happening.
Has the church concluded, as did Hezekiah, that the destruction of future generations is inevitable? That the children will be turned into eunuchs and nothing can be done? Every day the older generation fails to properly disciple the next generation brings us one day closer to the days of Manasseh--to unspeakable evil and bloodshed.
What Must be Done?
This isn't the place for clever slogans and helpful tips. God has provided a simple three-step remedy for an attitude of carelessness toward future generations:
- Promote collective repentance for disobeying God's plan for the generations. Jeremiah 36:3--"Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about every disaster I plan to inflict on them, each of them will turn from his wicked way; then I will forgive their wickedness and their sin."
- Declare the truth to the next generation. Psalm 78:4--"We will not hide [God's truths] from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done."
- Prepare the way of the Lord. Isaiah 40:3-5--"A voice of one calling: 'In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God...And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it."
What Will Future Generations Say?
Future generations will look back on our own age as a turning point in history, a time where we faced an immense danger and yet an unprecedented opportunity--to prepare godly leaders for every area of society. What will these future generations say? We write the script everyday of our lives.
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