This mini-blog examines a possibility of a prophetic purpose to hardship and suffering. Join the discussion with a reply.
"And Hezekiah was attentive to them, and showed them all the house of his treasures—the silver and gold, the spices and precious ointment, and all his armory—all that was found among his treasures. There was nothing in his house or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them. Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah, and said to him, “What did these men say, and from where did they come to you?”So Hezekiah said, “They came from a far country, from Babylon.” And he said, “What have they seen in your house?”So Hezekiah answered, “They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them.” Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord: ‘Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and what your fathers have accumulated until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left,’ says the Lord. ‘And they shall take away some of your sons who will descend from you, whom you will beget; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’ ”
Before you reply to this... think about these things. If it weren't for this King's opulence and arrogance about it... would Daniel have been the man of wealth and influence he became? Would the "Maggi" have had the wealth to give to Messiah's family in time to flee to Egypt and raise Him there? Would Herod have found Him as an infant/toddler?
I could keep going, but I think you get the idea.
Many preach and teach using Hezekiah as a model for how pride comes before a fall, but sometimes a fall is what's needed for a bigger purpose to be revealed. Hezekiah want in sin, he just shared how blessed he and his predecessors had been. If he hadn't, who knows how much things may have been different for our own salvation stories.
Selah...
You have some excellent points and I think it shows Yah’s provision in that He uses these seemingly terrible circumstances to bring about His will in ways we never would have imagined. That said one cannot blame Hezekiah for Babylonian captivity when the blessings and curses were laid out in Duet 28 and Judah also disobeyed. National curse for national disobedience not for the actions of one man even if he is king. I do think this can be a lesson on not divulging too much information to others until you know if they have the same ‘operating system’ as you i.e. are believers also. At least not if you are called to be a protector of other…