I) Rebuke of the people’s spirit of frivolity (1-14)
Mount Zion is referred to as the "valley of vision", where many visions were given to the prophets there. Isaiah saw the people running to the rooftops, to hide and to pray to the heavens. There was chaos in the city and bodies were lying everywhere.
But the people did not die from courage battles but from famine and disease. This is probably due to the siege of Babylon described in Jeremiah, where the food had run out and even mothers ended up eating their babies. (v2)
The leaders have given up without resistance. Many of the captured were those trying to flee the city. (v3)
Isaiah was devastated with vision and wanted to be left alone to cry for the coming destruction. (v4)
The day of terror and defeat was permitted by God, where there will be
confusion, trampling and broken city walls. Elam and Kir were allied to Babylonians in the attack. God has taken
away the covering of Judah, so that they are prone to attack by foreign invaders. (v5-8)
Isaiah saw how the city tried to defend itself when a horde of chariots filled their valley and storm their gates. The people were not prepared and could not get to
the weapons at the armory at the House of the Forest. During the siege, the people diverted waters from the Gihon Spring outside the
city walls into the city. Houses were broken down to re-inforce the defensive
walls. (v7-11)
They did not seek the Lord for protection, nor did they repent of their sins which were warned by Isaiah and by Jeremiah. Instead, their attitude is to continue to "eat and drink" as if they only have one life to live. So God brought the destruction according to their wishes. (v12-14)
II) The failure of the stewards (15-25)
God told Isaiah to confront Shebna, who was a steward of the
palace of King Hezekiah. Shebna has much power and honor in the palace, and somehow must have done much harm by his advise to the godly King.
Shebna was self-serving and made for himself a lavish tomb outside of
Jerusalem, being confident he will die in Jerusalem. Isaiah cursed Shebna,
that he will lose his proudful position and be thrown to a foreign land to die as an exile, like most of the citizens of Jerusalem.
This would mean he will not be able to use the tomb he built.
Jesus gave a parable of the rich fool in Luke 12:16-21, where the man spent his life making money and building things for himself. But when God takes his life, he ends up with nothing, and end up without God. Shebna is like that kind of fool - instead of his tomb bringing him honor, it became a symbol of the foolishness of this man for many generations.
Sheba’s position will be given to Eliakim, son of Hilkiah. Though both of them were servants of Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:18), God calls Eliakim "My Servant", which is a title far honorable than what we can get on earth! God will give Eliakim the authority to "opens doors, no one will be able to close them; when he closes doors, no one will be able to open them." (v22).
This is like the description given to Christ - "These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens.” (Revelation 3:7) While Eliakim has the keys to the palace, Jesus has the keys to Hades and Death.
Shebna's apparent firm position will be removed as a “peg that was fastened in a secure place
will give way..”. Everything and anyone who are supported by Shebna will also fall. (v25) It is important we are tied to the peg that is set by God!
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