A Passion to Protect (2 Kings 20:16-19)

Bible Passage on Succession: Post 6 of 9

2 Kings 20:16-19

Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord: Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the Lord. And some of your own sons, who will come from you, whom you will father, shall be taken away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.” 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 in my days?” (emphasis added)

Summary: To truly appreciate this specific passage, you must read the complete account in 2 Kings 18 – 21:9. Hezekiah's story is an example of zeal and passion diminishing over time. At age 25, he dared to destroy the Bronze Serpent that Moses built some 700+ years prior (2 Kings 18:4) because it had become an idol. He begged God to protect the people from a foreign invader (2 Kings 19:8-37). When confronted with his mortality, Hezekiah again turned to God and asked for healing (2 Kings 20:1-11). His faith was so strong the Bible says, "He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him." (2 Kings 18:5) By the end of his career, however, the struggles of leadership had taken their toll. He was willing to trade Israel's future for 13 years of personal comfort. His zeal was gone.

His son, Manasseh, became King at 12 (2 Kings 21:1), meaning he was born during the time of peace Hezekiah longed for. Manasseh never saw his father in a position of dependence on God. The Bible says that Manasseh leads Israel back into the practices of idolatry (2 Kings 21:4-6). The first thing Hezekiah did as a 25-year-old king was reversed entirely by his 12-year-old son.

Key Insight: Ministry is hard. As you approach the end of your vocational ministry career, resist the temptation to trade long-term impact for short-term comfort.

Questions for Personal Reflection:

• Am I prioritizing my personal goals over addressing crucial issues that could affect the ministry's future?
• How do I ensure my genuine passion for the Lord doesn't diminish as I near the end of my leadership journey?

Questions for Boards/Ministry Teams to Discuss:

• What steps can we take to help leaders continue addressing complex issues instead of prioritizing personal comfort as they near the end of their leadership journey?
• How can we maintain a healthy zeal for the ministry's mission, even as leadership transitions occur?