Our chapter today ends in an amazing way.
By comparing two men, each a leader of Judah in his day.
But there the similarity ends.
One (named Shebna) is selfish.
The other (named Eliakim) is phenomenally selfless!
Watch Shebna (under the guise of leading Judah) provide for himself. “Thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts (speaking to Isaiah here), Go, get thee unto this treasurer, even unto Shebna, which is over the house, and say, 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? Behold, the LORD will carry thee away with a mighty captivity, and will surely cover thee.” Isaiah 22:15-17
This Shebna is the “treasurer” (an important “Secretary” level post) of the Land … but is much more interested in providing his own grave site (burial plot) … an expensive one at that! Hewn from solid rick, costly indeed.
But God is aware of the man’s greediness. And (in keeping with this section of Isaiah … its emphasis on judgment) the Lord announces the man’s demise, downfall. “He (an attacking enemy, maybe Assyria) will surely violently turn and toss thee (Shebna) 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. And I will drive thee from thy station (position), and from thy state shall he pull thee down.” Isaiah 22:18-19
Wow!
The other man … Eliakim … is by comparison a paragon of virtue!
God here replaces the bad with the good.
“And it shall come to pass in that day, that I (the Lord Himself) will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah: 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.” Isaiah 22:20-21, a real “fatherly figure” to the people of Judah!
But then, for a few verses anyway … I think this description goes beyond a human being, looking all the way to the coming Messiah (Jesus)! See if you agree. “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. 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. 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.” Isaiah 22:22-24, this is our Lord, folks!
Jesus Himself quotes these words (applying them to HIS Ministry) in Revelation 3:7. “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth.”
Wow!
Jesus … as the future Treasurer/Leader/Father of Israel!
Then, inexplicably, Isaiah turns back to the human being who replaced Shebna … to the mere man Eliakim (and as good as he is … yet his humanity/depravity soon shows) … “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.” Isaiah 22:25, the chapter’s last verse. (Only our great God completely is infallible!)
UNLESS … this “removal” and “cutting down” and “falling” of Eliakim (even if faintly) represents the old rugged Cross, Jesus’ Death there for you and me!
And that “cutting down ” of Jesus leads to … READ IT … the removal of the BURDEN, the weight of sin!
Wow!
You decide.
I like Eliakim!
— Dr. Mike Bagwell
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