Isaiah

Isaiah Chapter 22

• Isaiah 22:1 The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops?
• 2. Thou that art full of stirs, a tumultuous city, a joyous city: thy slain men are not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle.
• 3 All thy rulers are fled together, they are bound by the archers: all that are found in thee are bound together, which have fled from far.

This indicates that the houses had flat roofs. This was the place that people gathered to socialize or to view the city. They could see when the enemy came. Apparently they went up to the housetops to watch the coming invasion. The question is "What ails you that you have gone up to the housetops?" This seems to indicate fear of the coming invasion and the fled to the roof for safety.

• Isaiah 22:4 Therefore said I, Look away from me: I will weep bitterly, labour not to comfort me, because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people.

Isaiah seems more distressed than the inhabitants of the city. Maybe they did not realize the trouble that was coming or else they did realize it but failed to connect it to the judgment of God. Instead of repenting and crying out to God, they gathered to watch. Yet even if they feared the invasion it didn't lead them to repentance.

• Isaiah 22:5 For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity by the Lord GOD of hosts in the valley of vision, breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains.
• 6 And Elam bare the quiver with chariots of men and horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield.
• 7 And it shall come to pass, that thy choicest valleys shall be full of chariots, and the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate.

This clearly states that God allowed this invasion for the purpose of bringing judgment upon Jerusalem. Even though tragedy was ready to strike, they did not heed nor recognize their need for repentance and God. They were blind to their own spiritual condition. We need to always pray that we will hear the voice of the Holy Spirit and be able to hear His prodding and prompting. We need to pray continually that our conscience never becomes seared and that our ears do not become dull of hearing. The best time to receive the fullness of God into our lives is today. Tomorrow or later is never a good word when it comes to seeking the Lord.

• Isaiah 22:8 And he discovered the covering of Judah, and thou didst look in that day to the armour of the house of the forest.
• 9 Ye have seen also the breaches of the city of David, that they are many: and ye gathered together the waters of the lower pool.
• 10 And ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses have ye broken down to fortify the wall.
• 11 Ye made also a ditch between the two walls for the water of the old pool: but ye have not looked unto the maker thereof, neither had respect unto him that fashioned it long ago.

It is so sad. They made preparation for defense and did all the right things to defend the city yet did not do the thing that would save them. They neglected to repent and seek the Lord. He and He alone could save them. Hezekiah only turned to the Lord as a last resort. He should be our first resort. We should not wait until we try everything else first.

When I read these passages I see the traits of these people similar to us today. We do the same things and so many run to and fro and never bother to seek God until all else fails. We need to recognize our dependency and need for our Lord. We build great armies, we appoint security for our homeland, we have many things in place for defense but we ignore and deny God's word and God's existence.

• Isaiah 22:12 And in that day did the Lord GOD of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:
• 13 And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die.

Instead of repenting and seeking God they celebrated. Instead of seeking cleansing, mercy and restoration they did not recognize the seriousness of the situation.

Many today do not recognize their spiritual need. They ignore the prodding of the Holy Spirit. They let the hope of eternal life pass by them and think only of this life and how much fun and entertainment they can have. Many do not see what sin actually does to us. It kills and destroys both the soul and body. We can be free from all that junk and have love, joy and peace by the Holy Spirit.

1. Are we bound by prejudice? Jesus Christ makes us free.

2. Are we bound by hate? Jesus Christ makes us free.

3. Are we bound with lust and adultery? Jesus Christ can make us free.

4. Are we bound with greed and selfishness? Jesus Christ can make us free.

5. Are we surrounded with impossible situations and trouble? Jesus Christ is the way out.

6. Are we surrounded by fear, Jesus brings peace, joy, love and faith to overcome all things.

Jesus came that we may have life and have it more abundantly. We don't have to live in sin.

Some think Jesus only came to forgive sins. Hey, He came to deliver from sins to wash them away to make all things new. We do not have to put up with that junk in our lives. We can be free. The bible says, "If we ask anything in His name believing, we shall receive."

• Isaiah 22:14 And it was revealed in mine ears by the LORD of hosts, Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.

We cannot get by with sin that is never repented of and spiritual neglect. If we don't receive God and the provision He made to free us from sin, we will die in our sins and face eternal judgment. Many of us preach the love of God and how He forgives and we should. He does love and wants to forgive. The thing is that we have to ask. We have to desire Him in our lives. We have to seek Him. He will not force salvation on any of us. If we continually turn away from Him and go our own ways, we will be lost forever.

• Isaiah 22:15 Thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, Go, get thee unto this treasurer, even unto Shebna, which is over the house, and say,
• 16 What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre here, as he that heweth him out a sepulchre on high, and that graveth an habitation for himself in a rock?
• 17 Behold, the LORD will carry thee away with a mighty captivity, and will surely cover thee.
• 18 He will surely violently turn and toss thee like a ball into a large country: there shalt thou die, and there the chariots of thy glory shall be the shame of thy lord's house.
• 19 And I will drive thee from thy station, and from thy state shall he pull thee down.
• 20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah:
• 21 And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.
• 22 And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.
• 23 And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father's house.
• 24 And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons.
• 25 In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for the LORD hath spoken it.

Shebna was brought down because of his pride. He exalted himself and sought to build an elaborate tomb for himself. Instead he was brought into captivity and judgment. Eliakim son of Hilkiah who happened to be in the lineage of David from which came later, Jesus Christ, took his place. The key of the house of David was upon his shoulders. This seems to be a hint of Messianic prophecy also. Eliakim is a priest which exists after the captivity of Judah ends. This part of the prophecy has been literally fulfilled. Verse 25 is explained as Shebna's removal from office in which Eliakim is appointed in his place.  The reason it also could refer to Jesus was because Jesus was crucified and was removed temporarily but unlike Shebna, He was resurrected and will return as the eternal king.

We see by these studies that pride and exaltation of oneself is to be avoided at all costs. One that exalts himself is eventually brought down and debased. God resists the proud but gives His grace to the humble. We could do well to take heed to the warnings of the Old Testament scripture. Our confidence and trust should always be in the Lord and not in man or self. We fail miserably but God never does. Trusting in Him is the only solution to any problem. The moment we think we can in make it on our own, we will discover that we can't without God. Mankind has tried in vain to rule without God for centuries. We are still faced with the same problems that we have always faced. Sure technology and the standard of living has increased but violence still prevails, abortion, hate, prejudice, and poverty still exists in greater numbers than before in history. We have not solved the world's problems and will not without the reign and everlasting rule of Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 23

Isaiah Index