“But when envoys were sent by the rulers of Babylon to ask him about the miraculous sign that had occurred in the land, God left him to test him and to know everything that was in his heart”(v31).
Hezekiah was one of the five good kings of the southern kingdom. He was probably the greatest among them because he did not only smash down idols (31:1), he also reestablished the temple worship (29:35), as well as the Passover for both Israel and Judah (30:1).
His was a prayer warrior (2 Kings 19:14-19). When he was sick, he prayed a prayer that changed the mind of God. God responded with a miraculous sign: the LORD made the shadow go back the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz (20:11).
Up to this point, his life as king for 14 years has been victorious in the eyes of God. Now God wanted to test him and to know everything that was in his heart (v31). When the babylon king sent messengers to Hezekiah to ask him about the miraculous sign that had occurred in the land, God left Hezekiah to test him.
Hezekiah failed the test. Instead of giving glory to God, he was proud and did not respond to the kindness shown him (v25). He choose to show his own glory by showing the Babylonian his treasures. “There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them” (2 Kings 20:15).
Most of the time, God is protecting us from temptations. But sometimes God chooses to test everything in our heart, by removing his protection from us. This is the time when our faith is truly tested. Do we have the heart to glorify God or to glorify ourselves? I have to admit, many times I sinnful nature desires to glorify myself, and as a result I robed the glory of God. Hezekiah finally repented of the pride of his heart and God forgave him (v26). We need to get down to our needs to repent and ask for God’s forgiveness when His words reveal the darkness of our hearts. God is faithful and He is just, He will surely forgave us and embrace us with His loving arms.