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Isaiah, Chapter 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. |
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Who is Shebna?
He is mentioned as the treasurer (some refer to him as the steward) over the household of King Hezekiah in Jerusalem. Hezekiah was king from 716 BC through 687 BC, so this portion of the chapter is addressing the attack/siege by Assyria in 701 BC. What message does the Lord tell Isaiah to give Shebna?
Isaiah is told to call out Shebna for being focused on the wrong thing during the attack/siege. Instead of assisting in any way, and instead of joining King Hezekiah in prayer, Shebna has been preparing a fancy sepulchre to serve as his burial place which will be a monument or remembrance of him. What will happen to Shebna?
He will lose his job (verse 19) and will wind up dying in some other large country (verse 18), probably Assyria. He will never be buried in the fancy sepulchre that he has prepared for himself. Who replaces Shebna as the steward (or prime minister)?
A man named Eliakim, a servant of the Lord, was called to replace Shebna as steward (or prime minister) over the household of King Hezekiah. In 2 Kings 18, Eliakim is described as being over the household, while Shebna is now just listed as a scribe. “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) What will be the effect of Eliakim serving in this position?
It will be a good thing for Jerusalem as he will be like a father to the inhabitants of the city and will have authority to serve as a leader (given the key to the city). For the time of his service, he will be someone who can be depended on (as a nail in a sure place), and much responsibility will be laid upon him. Who else can the prophecy in verses 21-24 be describing?
Verses 21-22 can easily apply to Jesus (at His second coming). At that time, the government will be committed into His hand, He will be a father to the House of Israel, and He will be given the key of the House of David (as mentioned in Revelation 3:7). Verses 23-24 can also refer to Him (a sure thing, a glorious throne, all the glory of His Father’s house, etc.). “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) How does the story of Eliakim end?
Eventually (in verse 25), he will be removed from his position, and Jerusalem will return to their old ways, eventually being attacked and the people carried captive into Babylon. Obviously, verse 25 only applies to Eliakim, not to Jesus. Jesus will never fall or be removed once His kingdom commences. This series of articles on the Book of Isaiah is an outgrowth of a series of lessons presented at a branch level and is being offered as a study tool for all readers. The interpretations offered are not intended to represent an official position of The Church of Jesus Christ, however they have been reviewed by members of the ministry and can be considered a reliable supplement to any reader’s study of the Book of Isaiah.
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