ISAIAH 21-22: “The Burden Of Babylon, Edom, and Arabia, and The Valley Of Vision”

Jim Bomkamp

1. INTRO

1.1. In our last study we looked at the ‘burden’ of Egypt that Isaiah prophesied against that nation, however we also saw that the Lord is going to one day restore to Himself the nation of Egypt to serve Him, along with Assyria and Israel

1.1.1. The Lord’s plans during Christ’s Millennial Reign is to restore a faithful remnant of His people not only in Israel, but also in Egypt, Assyria, and among all of the nations on the earth

1.1.2. In our study we looked at the folly of trusting in that which God has judged and will overthrow instead of in the sufficiency of Christ

1.2. In our study today we are going to look at the burden of Babylon, Edom, and Arabia, and the prophesy of the Valley of Vision

1.2.1. We have seen that beginning in chapter 13 that Isaiah began writing prophesies against all of the nations around at that time, and he has told us that God is planning to judge all nations because all of the nations have turned and rebelled against Him while He is in the midst of orchestrating the establishment of His kingdom over the earth

1.2.2. We will see that these two chapters deal with:

1.2.2.1.Babylon had been prophesied against in chapter 13, however now we see a further prophesy pronounced against that nation

1.2.2.2.Edom and Arabia will be judged by the Lord

1.2.2.3.Jerusalem is considered to be the Valley of Vision, as Isaiah prophesies against her because she is so blind and undiscerning concerning the judgments to come upon her that she is reveling heavy in the party spirit instead of mourning

1.2.3. Isaiah was most concerned that Judea not trust in Babylon as her strength and hope for he that to do so would bring judgment and total destruction to her from the Lord

1.2.4. We will look at the attitudes that we Christians ought to have in light of the fact that this world that we are living in today is headed towards judgment in a very short amount of time

1.2.4.1.How should we then live knowing these things?

2. VS 21:1-5 - “1 The oracle concerning the wilderness of the sea. As windstorms in the Negev sweep on, It comes from the wilderness, from a terrifying land. 2 A harsh vision has been shown to me; The treacherous one still deals treacherously, and the destroyer still destroys. Go up, Elam, lay siege, Media; I have made an end of all the groaning she has caused. 3 For this reason my loins are full of anguish; Pains have seized me like the pains of a woman in labor. I am so bewildered I cannot hear, so terrified I cannot see. 4 My mind reels, horror overwhelms me; The twilight I longed for has been turned for me into trembling. 5 They set the table, they spread out the cloth, they eat, they drink; “Rise up, captains, oil the shields,”” - Isaiah tells of the burden concerning the wilderness of the sea, which in verse 9 we find out refers to Babylon

2.1. The city of Babylon is described as ‘the wilderness of the sea’, and it could be called this because in Isaiah’s day it was surrounded by a great morass in which the Tigris and Euphrates rivers often overflowed. Canals funneled the water out of the morasses to the surrounding land for irrigation. This allowed the city to be inhabitable.

2.2. Today, the city of Babylon lies in ruins within the country of Iraq.

2.3. When Isaiah began in chapter 13 writing his judgments, or “burdens”, which were going to come against the nations, he began with the nation of Babylon. Here he again writes a burden concerning the nation of Babylon. There are different opinions as to why Babylon is again addressed by a woe:

2.3.1. Some have suggested that the previous writing was concerning Babylon as the symbol of the nations that rebel against God, much the way Revelation chapter 18 and 19 tell over the overthrow of commercial and religious Babylon, which symbolize the commerce of this world that is in rebellion against God and all of the aberrant religions which exit on the earth. They then have suggested that this chapter begins to tell us more specifically about the actual overthrow of the nation of Babylon itself which will come about.

2.3.2. Why would Isaiah write another ‘burden’ against Babylon? Because Judea had begun to look at Babylon as possibly being the ally that they would need for protection and security on the earth. Barry G. Webb writes that, “as the eighth century drew to a close, Judah’s attention began to swing away from Egypt and towards Babylon as a prospective ally against Assyria (witness the warm reception given to the ambassadors by Hezekiah in 39:1-4). But Isaiah sees in this vision that Babylon, like Egypt is doomed, and so, by implication are those who align themselves with her.”

2.3.2.1.We see that in the next chapter a description of Judea’s judgment follows that of Babylon, Edom, and Arabia, and perhaps this is further proof of Isaiah’s motive in writing this prophesy against Babylon, whom Israel was not attempting to hold onto for strength and protection.

2.3.2.2.In Isaiah chapter 39, we read about the events leading up to the overthrow of Jerusalem and Judea by Babylon and about how that Hezekiah was at that time very interested in courting the king of Babylon since now he thought that an alliance with Babylon, not Egypt would most suite his nations needs for protection, “1 At that time Merodach-baladan son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that he had been sick and had recovered.2 And Hezekiah was pleased, and showed them all his treasure house, the silver and the gold and the spices and the precious oil and his whole armory and all that was found in his treasuries. There was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah did not show them.3 Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and said to him, “What did these men say, and from where have they come to you?” And Hezekiah said, “They have come to me from a far country, from Babylon.”4 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 treasuries that I have not shown them.”5 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord of hosts,6 ‘Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and all that your fathers have laid up in store to this day shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left,’ says the Lord.7 ‘And some of your sons who shall issue from you, whom you shall beget, shall be taken away; and they shall become officials in the palace of the king of Babylon.’”8 Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the Lord which you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “For there will be peace and truth in my days.””

2.4. The nation that is going to overthrow Babylon is of course Assyria, as we saw before. Assyria is depicted here as being the nation which ‘comes from the wilderness, from a terrifying land’.

2.5. The New Bible Dictionary has the following entry for ‘Elam’, whose warriors are going to come up with Assyria against Babylon, “The ancient name for the plain of Khuzistan, watered by the Kerkh river, which joins the Tigris just N of the Persian Gulf. Civilization in this area is as old as, and closely connected with, the cultures of lower Mesopotamia. A local pictographic script appeared very soon after the invention of *writing in Babylonia. The Elamites cannot be certainly linked with any other known race, although their language may be related to the Dravidian family. The reference to Elam as a son of Shem (Gn. 10:22) may well reflect the presence of early Semites in this area, and there is archaeological evidence in the time of Sargon I (c. 2350 bc) and his successors of their influence on the local culture. Rock sculptures depict typical Akkadian figures and bear Akkadian inscriptions, although carved for Elamite rulers. The mountainous region to the N and E was known as Anshan and, from an early period, formed a part of Elam. Sumerian and Semitic plainsmen looked upon these ranges as the abode of evil spirits, and early epics describe the terrors they held for those who crossed them in search of the mineral wealth of states beyond (see S. N. Kramer, History Begins at Sumer, 1958, pp. 57ff., 230ff.) Its control of the trade routes to the Iranian plateau, and to the SE, made Elam the object of constant attacks from the plains of Mesopotamia. These in turn offered great wealth to any conqueror. A strong Elamite dynasty, a king being succeeded by his brother, then his son, arose about 2000 bc and gained control of several cities in Babylonia, destroying the power of the Sumerian rulers of Ur and sacking it (see ANET, pp. 455ff., 480f.). To this period of Elamite supremacy should *Chedorlaomer probably be assigned (Gn. 14:1). Hammurapi of Babylon drove the Elamites out c. 1760 bc, but the ‘Amorite’ dynasty, to which he belonged, fell before Hittite and Elamite attacks c. 1595 bc. Invasions of Kassites coming from the central Zagros mountains (*Babylonia) drove the Elamites back to Susa, until a resurgence of power enabled them to conquer and rule Babylon for several centuries (c. 1300-1120 bc). Among trophies taken to Susa at this time was the famous Law stele of Hammurapi. Elamite history is obscure from c. 1000 bc until the campaigns of Sargon of Assyria (c. 721-705 bc). Sennacherib and Ashurbanipal subjected the Elamites and deported some of them to Samaria, taking Israelites to Elam (Ezr. 4:9; Is. 11:11)…Elam is called upon by Isaiah to crush Babylon (Is. 21:2) and this was carried out (cf. Dn. 8:2). Yet Elam will be crushed in turn, even the famous archers defeated (Je. 25:25; 49:34-39; cf. Is. 22:6; Ezk. 32:24).”

2.6. Warriors from ‘Media’ were also going with the Assyrians to attack Babylon in Isaiah’s vision. The New Bible Dictionary has the following entry for Media, “Media was the name for NW Iran, SW of the Caspian Sea and N of the Zagros Mountains, covering the modern province of Azerbaijan and part of Persian Kurdistan. The inhabitants were called Medes or Medians and were Japhethites (Gn. 10:2), whose Aryan lineage is confirmed by Herodotus (7. 62), Strabo (15. 2. 8) and by the surviving traces of their language. The Medes were steppe-dwellers whose name is first mentioned by Shalmaneser III who raided their plains in 836 bc to obtain their famous, finely bred horses. Later Assyr. kings followed him and sought to keep the E passes open to the traders. Adad-nirari III (810-781 bc) claims to have conquered ‘the land of the Medes and Parsua (Persia)‘, as did Tiglath-pileser III (743 bc) and Sargon II (716 bc). The latter transported Israelites to Media (2 Ki. 17:6; 18:11) after he had overrun the part of the land ruled by Dayaukku (Deioces), whom he exiled for a time to Hamath.”

2.7. What fall of Babylon was Isaiah describing in this vision?

2.7.1. We know that Babylon was in fact destroyed by Assyria. The following quote from our study in chapter 13 describes how Assyria destroyed Babylon, “Warren Wiersbe writes the following about the destruction and decline of Babylon which occurred in history past, “The city of Babylon was completely destroyed in 689 B.C. by Sennacherib and the Assyrian army, but it was rebuilt by Sennacherib’s son. In 539 B.C., Darius the Mede captured the city (Dan. 5:31), but he did not destroy it. In the centuries that followed, Babylon had its “shining moments”, but after the death of its last great conqueror, Alexander the Great, the city declined and soon was no more. Isaiah’s prophesy was fulfilled, for the city was not rebuilt.””

2.7.2. J. Alec Motyer also writes about the falls and overthrows of Babylon which have occurred throughout history, “The fall of Babylon in 539 was only one of many endured by the city and has no prescriptive right to be the one referred to here. It fell to Sargon II in 710, to Sennacherib in 702 and 689, and to Asshurbanipal in 648. Throughout this period Elam and Media were involved, but on Babylon’s side.”

2.7.3. It would appear to me that the destruction of Babylon which occurred in 689B.C would be more likely the destruction that Isaiah was seeing at this time, since that under Darius the Mede in 539 was bloodless and not at all what Isaiah seems to be describing in these verses, and the destruction of 689 B.C. was horrific. However, others believe that the 539 overthrow of the city is being prophesied in this chapter. The overthrow of the city by Darius the Mede in 539B.C. is described in detail in Daniel chapter 5.

2.7.4. Erlandsson writes about how that Sennacherib recorded his victory over the city of Babylon in 689B.C. and how that he filled the city with corpses and that all of the gods of the Babylonians were smashed and the buildings and walls were razed only to have huge amounts of water poured out over their ruins.

2.8. This vision that Isaiah sees concerning the overthrow of Babylon at the hands of Assyria reveals so much treachery and violence that Isaiah is devastated to the point of being incapacitated. He describes his feelings and sensations at this vision in the most exaggerated way, saying he is:

2.8.1. Full of anguish.

2.8.2. Feels pains like that of a woman in labor.

2.8.3. So bewildered he can’t even see or hear.

2.8.4. His mind reels and he is filled with horror.

2.9. Isaiah sees the Assyrian warriors as setting a table to eat a feast and then oiling their shields for battle before they attack the Babylonians.

2.9.1. The oiling of shields was felt in that day to cause swords and spears to bounce off of the shields.

3. VS 21:6-9 - “6 For thus the Lord says to me, “Go, station the lookout, let him report what he sees. 7 “When he sees riders, horsemen in pairs, A train of donkeys, a train of camels, Let him pay close attention, very close attention.” 8 Then the lookout called, “O Lord, I stand continually by day on the watchtower, And I am stationed every night at my guard post. 9 “Now behold, here comes a troop of riders, horsemen in pairs.” And one answered and said, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon; And all the images of her gods are shattered on the ground.” - Isaiah tells us that as the Lord is giving him this vision of the destruction of Babylon that He is telling Isaiah to go and ask the lookout over the city of Babylon what he sees when the Assyrian army begins to march into Babylon

3.1. The lookout sees the army first appear as riders, then horsemen in pairs, then some donkeys, some cattle, and all these come to tell of the smashing victory of Assyria over Babylon.

3.2. The lookout yells to Isaiah that a troop of riders, horsemen in pairs, assaults the city and Babylon is fallen.

3.3. The destruction of Babylon includes even the shattering of her gods on the floor as the Assyrians pull down all of her pride and strongholds. This follows Sennacherib’s description of his 689B.C. overthrow of Babylon when he wrote that he smashed all of her idols.

4. VS 21:10 - “10 O my threshed people, and my afflicted of the threshing floor! What I have heard from the Lord of hosts, The God of Israel, I make known to you.” - Isaiah pleads with his people the Jews to heed his warnings saying that what he has heard he is making known to them

4.1. Isaiah saw his people in Jerusalem and Judea (the northern kingdom was long gone) as have gone through a people mill and as having been ground up and trampled upon, and now laying on the threshing floor of this world. Because of their hardening of their hearts against the Lord they had gone through hard times and they were like the dregs of the wheat which is swept off the threshing floor and discarded with the chaff.

4.1.1. It is sad to see people sometimes hit rock bottom and yet even after such a fall still bounce back up and not learn anything from their experience for they continue to harden their heart against the Lord and refuse to listen to Him.

5. VS 21:11-12 - “11 The oracle concerning Edom. One keeps calling to me from Seir, “Watchman, how far gone is the night? Watchman, how far gone is the night?” 12 The watchman says, “Morning comes but also night. If you would inquire, inquire; Come back again.”” - Isaiah tells us of the burden of Edom

5.1. The Edomites were the descendants of Esau, the brother of Jacob. The country was located southeast of Jerusalem on the east side of the Dead Sea.

5.2. Warren Weirsbe writes about what happened to the nation of Edom in fulfilling this prophesy of its overthrow, “The nation was taken by Babylon, then by the Persians (who changed the name to “Idumea”), then finally by the Romnans. The battle between Esau and Jacob was carried on by the Herods, who were Idumeans. After the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, Edom vanished from the scene.”

5.3. Dumar and Seir are names for Edom.

5.4. When we read Psalm 137:7 we realize how the Edomites were bitterly hostile to the Jews, “7 Remember, O Lord, against the sons of Edom The day of Jerusalem, Who said, “Raze it, raze it, To its very foundation.””

6. VS 21:13-17 - “13 The oracle about Arabia. In the thickets of Arabia you must spend the night, O caravans of Dedanites. 14 Bring water for the thirsty, O inhabitants of the land of Tema, Meet the fugitive with bread. 15 For they have fled from the swords, From the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, And from the press of battle. 16 For thus the Lord said to me, “In a year, as a hired man would count it, all the splendor of Kedar will terminate; 17 and the remainder of the number of bowmen, the mighty men of the sons of Kedar, will be few; for the Lord God of Israel has spoken.”” - Isaiah tells us of the burden of Arabia

6.1. The deserts of Arabia are located south between Egypt and Israel, and it was in this land that Israel wandered for the forty years after coming out of the land of slavery in the land of Egypt.

6.2. Isaiah foresaw caravans of refuges fleeing from Arabia after the attack by Assyria which would overthrow the nation began. The refuges are seen as fleeing from the ‘drawn sword’ and from the ‘bent bow’ of the Assyrian army.

6.3. Both Edom and Moab were located in this area of the deserts of Arabia.

6.4. It is not really clear how that the Lord caused the overthrow of Arabia, but we know that the scripture had to be fulfilled.

7. VS 22:1-5 - “1 The oracle concerning the valley of vision. What is the matter with you now, that you have all gone up to the housetops? 2 You who were full of noise, You boisterous town, you exultant city; Your slain were not slain with the sword, Nor did they die in battle. 3 All your rulers have fled together, And have been captured without the bow; All of you who were found were taken captive together, Though they had fled far away. 4 Therefore I say, “Turn your eyes away from me, Let me weep bitterly, Do not try to comfort me concerning the destruction of the daughter of my people.” 5 For the Lord God of hosts has a day of panic, subjugation, and confusion In the valley of vision, A breaking down of walls And a crying to the mountain.” - Isaiah has a vision of the ‘Valley of Vision’

7.1. Here at the beginning of chapter 22 it is curious that Isaiah has a burden for ‘the valley of vision’, and yet he doesn’t tell us who that refers to. It is evident however as you study through this first section of chapter 22 that Jerusalem, and Judea, are in view. Verse 4 tells us that the destruction relates to God’s people, therefore Jerusalem is ‘the valley of vision’ of which Isaiah is speaking about.

7.1.1. With Jerusalem being surrounded by hills, it could be thought of as being a valley.

7.1.2. Isaiah seems to indicate through the vision that it was a valley because it was a very dark prophetic word which he received.

7.2. The people of Jerusalem and Judea are living in a delusion for they do not see the Lord’s hand coming in judgment upon the peoples. They are so far into apostasy that instead of realizing that their own doom is imminent, they are instead filled with a partying spirit, for Isaiah describes them as being ‘full of noise’, a ‘boisterous town’, and an ‘exultant city’.

7.3. The complacency of the city of Jerusalem is very reminiscent of the complacency of the church in the world today.

7.3.1. We see that the for the people in Jerusalem that it was not a fierce battle which overthrows them for the people are not even looking out for battle or that an attack would be waged against them.

7.3.2. The people are slain but not even with a sword or in battle, they have just fled. Their leaders have even left the city.

7.3.3. I see a correlation between what is going on in the mainstream church today and these verses concerning Jerusalem and Judea. The mainstream church today is being corrupted from within and without, not fulfilling its mission, and very complacent and there is no discernment in her, and yet the churches think that everything is going really well. This is paralleled by the fact that in Jerusalem Isaiah warned the people of a coming day of the ‘breaking down of walls and a crying to the mountain’, yet the people spiritually blind and didn’t comprehend this, and instead they were in a big partying frenzy.

7.4. The prophet Amos was in Amos 3:7 writing of the judgment of nations that was about to occur and he writes that God doesn’t do anything without revealing first His plans to those who are truly His people, “7 Surely the Lord God does nothing Unless He reveals His secret counsel To His servants the prophets.”

7.4.1. As we see here with Jerusalem and Judea is so sad and tragic when those who were God’s people are so out of touch with Him that they have no discernment as to the signs of the times and what God’s plans for the future entail.

7.4.2. In our day, we see that the Lord’s imminent return has been revealed to those who truly are God’s people in too many ways to count. We see prophesy daily being fulfilled as we watch and read the news. Christ is set to return for His church at any moment, and we as God’s people need to be prepared in heart and mind for His return. We need to also be trying to rescue as many souls from the jaws of the Devil as we possibly can.

7.4.3. One of the questions we as Christ’s church need to ask the Lord and ask ourselves is, “How should we be living our lives in view of the imminent return of Christ for the church which could literally occur at any moment?” What should our priorities be know that soon this world is going to burn?

7.4.3.1.Well, whatever you may come up with, I don’t think that we should be too concerned about the matters of this life and finding security in the here and now. Rather than doing this, we should be sure to put Jesus first in our life and serve Him wholeheartedly.

7.5. We see here that Isaiah was weeping bitterly because of the coming destruction of the people of Jerusalem and Judea.

8. VS 22:6-11 - “6 And Elam took up the quiver With the chariots, infantry, and horsemen; And Kir uncovered the shield. 7 Then your choicest valleys were full of chariots, And the horsemen took up fixed positions at the gate. 8 And He removed the defense of Judah. In that day you depended on the weapons of the house of the forest, 9 And you saw that the breaches In the wall of the city of David were many; And you collected the waters of the lower pool. 10 Then you counted the houses of Jerusalem, And you tore down houses to fortify the wall. 11 And you made a reservoir between the two walls For the waters of the old pool. But you did not depend on Him who made it, Nor did you take into consideration Him who planned it long ago.” - Isaiah describes the overthrow of Jerusalem that happened at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar

8.1. The army of Nebuchadnezzar came to Jerusalem with chariots, infantry, and horsemen, and lots of chariots. The land was overrun by the army of Babylon when Jerusalem fell.

8.2. J. Alec Motyer writes that Elam was throughout Isaiah’s day an independent power which lay east of Babylon, but which was always allied to Babylon

8.3. Jerusalem had always had two main weaknesses, her wall and her water supply which came in a conduit to the city. An enemy could pull down her walls or cut off her water supply and the city would eventually fall and be conquered. However, Hezekiah had strengthened the wall and built a tunnel for the water supply into the city. However, Isaiah tells us that this brought about the downfall of Jerusalem. She had fortified her wall and built a tunnel for the water source into the city, but she had depended for her protection upon those things instead of on the Lord who made it, and they “did not take into consideration Him who planned it long ago”.

8.3.1. Isaiah saw that when Jerusalem and Judea decided to depend upon her own strength and craftiness instead of the Lord, that she had committed the unpardonable sin for which she could not be forgiven. Only judgment lay in her future as a result.

8.3.2. It has been said that today most Christians, though they may trust in Christ for their eternal life, they live as if they were practical atheists. They don’t trust in the promises of God, they don’t pray for their needs, they don’t pray about the decisions they make, and they don’t honor and serve God as His word proscribes that they should.

8.3.3. Trusting in our own strength instead of God’s makes for a Christian life which is lived in the power and by the desires of the flesh, and a life is just filled with discord and strife. This is the opposite of what the “Spirit-filled” life is like, which is a life filled with the fruits of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and self-control” (see Gal. 5:22-23).

9. VS 22:12-14 - “12 Therefore in that day the Lord God of hosts, called you to weeping, to wailing, To shaving the head, and to wearing sackcloth. 13 Instead, there is gaiety and gladness, Killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, Eating of meat and drinking of wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die.” 14 But the Lord of hosts revealed Himself to me, “Surely this iniquity shall not be forgiven you Until you die,” says the Lord God of hosts.” - Isaiah tells us that when the people of Jerusalem and Judea should have been mourning because of their impending judgment and destruction, they were instead partying

9.1. This is just more of what we saw in the previous verses, the people had been told by Isaiah of God’s impending judgment, and instead of mourning weeping, wailing, shaving their heads, and wearing sackcloth, they were instead full of ‘gaiety and gladness’, feasting upon slaughtered cattle and sheep, drinking wine, etc.

9.2. They probably didn’t say, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die”, however they surely had the attitude of living for today, come what may tomorrow or any other day, and though they had been told of their impending judgment they probably thought that if it did come it was far away and they didn’t need to worry about anything now.

9.2.1. These words remind me of what Jesus said in Luke 17:26-30 about what would be occurring just before Jesus’ Second Coming occurs and all of the nations are judged, “26 “And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it shall be also in the days of the Son of Man:27 they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.28 “It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building;29 but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.30 “It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.”

9.2.2. In our world today, we see that God has shown us over and over that the signs of His Second Coming are everywhere, and Christ could come at any time to rapture His church out of this world before the 7 year Tribulation of the book of Revelation. Yet, the people in the world around us as well as the church don’t seem to be readying their hearts for His return, and they certainly are not doing their best to warn others about God’s impending judgment.

9.3. God says that because the people are not paying attention to Him and because they are relying upon their own strength and ingenuity, He is not going to forgive their sins for doing this, and they are now going to have to die.

10. VS 22:15-19 - “15 Thus says the Lord God of hosts, “Come, go to this steward, To Shebna, who is in charge of the royal household, 16 ‘What right do you have here, And whom do you have here, That you have hewn a tomb for yourself here, You who hew a tomb on the height, You who carve a resting place for yourself in the rock? 17 ‘Behold, the Lord is about to hurl you headlong, O man. And He is about to grasp you firmly, 18 And roll you tightly like a ball, To be cast into a vast country; There you will die, And there your splendid chariots will be, You shame of your master’s house.’ 19 “And I will depose you from your office, And I will pull you down from your station.” - Isaiah tells us of the judgment that is coming upon a steward of the king’s household in Jerusalem named Shebna

10.1. Shebna and Eliakim are the only individuals who are mentioned by Isaiah along with the judgments that are coming for the nations, however it appears that Isaiah may have been trying to stress by doing this that each person has individual responsibility to look to the Lord for all of his help and strength, and to fail to do this individually placed a person in the path of God’s judgment.

10.2. Shebna lived for worldly attainments and thus he wanted to build a tomb for himself, probably one right alongside of the kings of Judea. However, because he placed his faith and hope in this world, then just like the nations of the world, he too would be judged and overthrown as the Lord says that He is about to hurl Shebna headlong, grasp him firmly, roll him in a tight ball, and cast him into a vast country, and probably also a drop kick.

10.3. Because Shebna lived by his own works and attainments, Isaiah calls him a shame to his master’s house, and that the Lord says that He will depose him from his office and pull him down from his station.

10.4. Erlandsson believed that Shebna promoted insurrection against Assyria, and this was his actual sin, however that the Lord revealed through Isaiah what was the root of his sin.

10.5. We Christians must realize that if we don’t trust wholeheartedly in the Lord and seek to please and serve Him only that God will likewise judge us and tells us that we have no part in Him.

11. VS 22:20-25 - “20 “Then it will come about in that day, That I will summon My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah 21 And I will clothe him with your tunic, And tie your sash securely about him, I will entrust him with your authority, And he will become a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. 22 “Then I will set the key of the house of David on his shoulder, When he opens no one will shut, When he shuts no one will open. 23 “And I will drive him like a peg in a firm place, And he will become a throne of glory to his father’s house. 24 “So they will hang on him all the glory of his father’s house, offspring and issue, all the least of vessels, from bowls to all the jars. 25 “In that day,” declares the Lord of hosts, “the peg driven in a firm place will give way; it will even break off and fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut off, for the Lord has spoken.”” - Isaiah tells us that the Lord will place Eliakim in Shebna’s place as a royal servant in the kings household

11.1. We really don’t know much about Eliakim and why the Lord chose him over other men, however the Lord gives him great authority and privilege in the kingdom of Judea, however we read that instead of handling all of the responsibility, power, and privilege as he should handle it, he instead gets puffed up with pride, and loses it all.

11.2. The responsibility of Eliakim is seen in that he will be given:

11.2.1.To become a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah

11.2.2.He will have the ‘key of the house of David’ placed on his shoulder which will give him great power for if he shuts no one will open, and if he opens no one will shut.

11.2.3.He will be securely fashioned into power just in the same way a tent peg is pounded into the ground, but he will also be in a place of power in that he will hold the tent of God’s nation up as its tent peg.

11.2.4.He will become ‘a throne of glory to his father’s house’.

11.2.5.They will, like a kitchen pots and pan rack, hang on him all of his father’s house, his offspring and issue, all of the least vessels, and both bowls and jars.

11.3. The saying that “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely” has a lot of truth to it in this world, and it is a very wrong thing for a young man, an untested man, or an unfaithful man to be given a lot of power, for it will corrupt him.

11.3.1.In Luke 16:10-12, Jesus taught His disciples that they must learn to be faithful in the little things before the Lord is going to allow them to have responsibility over bigger things, “10 “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.11 “If therefore you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous mammon, who will entrust the true riches to you?12 “And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?”

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