Isaiah 22:14-25
Isa 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.
Then the LORD spoke to Isaiah and told him straight out
that the iniquity of Judah shall not be purged from them till they die.
In other words, they had become so wicked that the only cure for their
sin will be death since they refuse to come to repentance and return to the
LORD. Isaiah did not invent what
the LORD told him but he heard it directly from the LORD.
If they die in their sins, there is no chance to be redeemed and their
judgment will come and they shall be assigned to hell forever.
Isa 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,
This is the only time in the book of Isaiah where he
gives a prophecy against a specific man.
The name Shebna is an Aramaic name and not Hebrew so he may have been a
foreigner who climbed the ladder of success by pleasing the King.
So Isaiah is told by the LORD to go to Shebna.
Isa 22:16
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?
Shebna who was probably not a Hebrew had hewn for himself
a sepulchre. It was no doubt high
up in a rock face giving himself a place of honor.
Many times sepulchres in the Middle East were hewn out of rock and
sometimes below ground and sometimes above ground.
Some of them contained cells where the body would be placed lengthwise
especially in family tombs. Many of
these ancient sepulchres are still seen today especially in Petra.
The rocks south of the Valley of Hinnom have many tombs.
Probably the most famous are the “Tombs of the Judges” which contains
sixty niches for bodies. These are
located at the head of the “Valley of Jehoshaphat.”
Then there are the “Tombs of the Kings” which was located north of the
Damascus Gate.
Isa 22:17
Behold, the LORD will carry thee away with a mighty
captivity, and will surely cover thee.
Shebna will not be able to use his sepulchre for his
notoriety in death because he will be taken to Assyria.
Hezekiah may have found out about his disloyalty and banished him from
Jerusalem making him prey to the advancing Assyrian army.
He was taken captive by them but no one knows where he was taken in
Assyria. There are no records but
we do know that he died there because he was told that the LORD would cover him
which means bury him. First he
would be in a state of humility and then his death would come.
Isa 22:18
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.
Shebna would die outside the city, possibly in exile.
He would be buried without any honors as he desired when he had his tomb
hewed out of rick in a very conspicuous place and height.
He became a disgrace to the palace of Hezekiah.
Shebna being the steward of the house of Hezekiah would be tossed like a
ball which was thrown by a strong person.
He shall receive no more glory because of his position.
He will end up like Haman in the book of Esther.
Isa 22:19
And I will drive thee from thy station, and from thy
state shall he pull thee down.
Shebna would be removed from his present position as
Treasurer and steward of the house of Hezekiah.
He shall be removed from his office by either the Lord or King Hezekiah.
Then came forth unto him Eliakim,
Hilkiah's son, which was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah,
Asaph's son, the recorder. (Isaiah 36:3)
Isa 22:20
And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call
my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah:
Eliakim was a true servant of the Lord.
He was to be placed in the position that Shebna once held.
He would be the treasurer and chief steward of the house of Hezekiah.
And when they had called to the
king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which
was over the household, and
Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder. (2 Kings 18:18)
Isa 22:21
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.
Now Isaiah must convey to Shebna the information that he
is going to be deposed from his office.
Eliakim will be given the robes of his new position as a sign of his
office. The girdle was a symbol of
strength and authority because both priests and princes wore them.
He will then assume the position of the government of the house of
Hezekiah just as Joseph did in Potiphar’s house.
Just as Christ will be a father to the redeemed, Eliakim will be a
counselor and a father figure to the people of Jerusalem.
Isa 22:22
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.
Now we enter a portion of Scripture which has a double
teaching. Eliakim which means “the
resurrection of God or God the avenger.”
Eliakim, having the authority of being over the King’s house would have a
key of David as it was called and it would normally hang about his neck which
was either the key of the temple or the King’s house.
The key would also be carried over the shoulder which was a sign of
authority. No one would be able to
enter into the King’s house or the Temple without Eliakim.
The second teaching in this verse concerns the authority
of the Lord Jesus Christ. 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; (Revelation 3:7)
As you are aware
this portion of Scripture is speaking of a person called Eliakim. The name
“Eliakim” means “Resurrection of God.” Already here in Isaiah God was already
speaking of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice that Eliakim will
be given the Key of David. David was king over Israel for forty years so the
metaphor here is teaching us that Christ has complete authority over the royal
household. As Eliakim had total control over the affairs of physical Judah,
Christ has total control over the spiritual house of Judah which is really the
body of believers.
Then we are told that with the key that when He shuts, no one can open, and when
He opens, no one can shut. This is a reference to salvation. That when the Lord
Jesus Christ will save someone, the gates of Hell cannot prevail against any of
God’s Elect becoming saved. For
there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs
and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very
elect. (Matthew 24:24) The Elect of
God may be deceived before salvation but never to the point that it would be
impossible to save them. Then those who are not written in the Lamb’s book of
life can never become saved. They are shut and no one can open. This means that
Christ is going to be saving His Elect and nothing can hinder that salvation
plus it means they can never lose their salvation for what Christ opens no one
can shut, not even the person who had become saved. Many teach that a true born
again believer can lose their salvation but this verse proves that anyone who
has become truly saved can never lose their salvation
Isa 22:23
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.
Notice in the Isaiah passage it speaks of Eliakim being nailed in a sure place.
Eliakim’s position was as solid as if he
already had it. He would be
fastened as a nail in a sure place which was speaking about pins or pegs in a
household which held both clothes on a wall or utensils.
Eliakim was such a faithful servant that he would receive glory because
of his servanthood and those who are related to him would share in his great
reputation as being a man of God.
The second teaching in this passage is that the Lord Jesus Christ was nailed in
a sure place on Calvary and then was resurrected on the third day which resulted
in the building of the body of believers throughout the entire age of man on
Earth including both Old Testament and New Testament believers. Verse 23 states
that Eliakim shall have a glorious throne in his father’s house. We can see by
the Lord Jesus going to Calvary, He also has a glorious throne in His Father’s
House. And I beheld, and, lo, in
the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders,
stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are
the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. (Revelation 5:6)
Here John sees the Lord Jesus Christ in the throne room of God and among
the four living creatures. He is portrayed as a lamb which was slain. Even
though the Lord Jesus Christ is called the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, it was as
the Lamb of God that Christ had prevailed. He did not prevail by bringing the
strength of heaven down to fight for Him or to bring legions of angels to free
Him from the cross. It was submission to God’s plan that brought about Him being
a conqueror.
Isa 22:24
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.
This is why Eliakim will be like a nail in a sure place
because his wisdom will be sought by all in his father’s house.
Then all those in his family line will also be given positions of
leadership, some of smaller capacity, but nevertheless they will have access to
Eliakim and his wisdom. These are
represented by the vessels and cups which are small things in a cabinet yet are
very useful items used every day.
Then the second teaching in this verse is teaching about
the faithfulness of the Lord Jesus Christ when it comes to the church of God.
5 And Moses verily
was faithful in all his house,
as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;
6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we
hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
(Hebrews 3:5-6) Christ was
faithful in dying for the Elect on Calvary which makes up the true house of God
on earth. Christ is also the High
Priest over the house of God.
And
having an high priest over the
house of God; Hebrews 10:21)
When the Father gives the last one of the Elect he named before the foundation
of the world to the Lord Jesus Christ, then the house of God will be completed
and then comes the end.
Then
cometh the end, when he shall
have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put
down all rule and all authority and power. (1 Corinthians 15:24)
Isa 22:25
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.