Isaiah 22 Devotional
by Pastor Mark Hudson
The nations around Judah have been the target of God’s warnings of judgment. Now we come to the oracle concerning Jerusalem. In verses 1-14 The valley of vision can be divided up more into 1-4, 5-8a, 8b-11, 12-14. Then 15-25 Shebna the steward can be further divided into 15-19 the first paragraph, then notice the reoccurring phrase, “In that day” in v. 20 and v. 25. Where it turns slightly negative is either v. 25 or some even say v. 24.
In the first section, this chapter is called the valley of vision, the irony is that these people have an amazing lack of vision. They cannot see what is obvious and right in front of them. They are as blind as the Gentiles around them. Why do they refuse to trust in the God who made them?
In fact Jeremiah 3:6ff claims that Judah is actually worse than Israel for not learning from Israel’s apostasy. Jeremiah’s argument is that Israel played the whore and sinned greatly against God. But after all this Judah did not learn from Israel’s punishment. Judah did the same! So, God through Jeremiah concludes, “Faithless Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Israel” Jer. 3:11.
We do not know if vs. 1-4 refers to a past event or to prophecy. It is hard to know if Isaiah is speaking of the past or the future. But their reaction is incongruous with the reality.
While we don’t know if what is happening on the rooftops is idolatry, partying, looking for messengers, or even watching a retreating army, this is not a positive picture. But these are perilous times and God’s people seem to be oblivious to their danger. V. 2 says, “Your slain are not slain with the sword or dead in battle.” Verse 4 shows how distressing this is to Isaiah. While they cannot see their peril, Isaiah sees and weeps for “the destruction of the daughter of my people.”
In verses 5-8a, “the Lord God of hosts has a day of tumult and trampling and confusion . . . He has taken away the coverings of Judah.” In 8b-11, the last line is the point of Isaiah’s prophecy against Jerusalem, “But you did not look to him who did it or see him who planned it long ago.” Simple faith. Genuine trust. This is what God demands, expects, and offers to us. Yet, we resist to simply trust God.
In 12 -14, where God calls for repentance (v. 12 “weeping and mourning”), he finds joy and gladness and a party atmosphere, “let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die.” Paul cites this in I Cor 15:32 expressing a worldly worldview if Christ has not been raised from the dead. In this case, they should be mourning instead of merry-making.
In vs. 15ff we read of a king more interested in his legacy than justly governing the people entrusted to him. Shebna should not have been preoccupied with the hewing out of his elaborate tomb. He should have been busy showing concern for the poor, raising up a standard for justice, and urging the people to trust and obey God. So in vs. 17-18 God seems to say, “So you think you will be softly laid in your glorious tomb with pomp and ceremony? I am going to wad you up like an old rag and throw you to Assyria and you will die in ignominy and be forgotten.”
Then God will raise up Eliakim v. 20 and he will wear your royal garments and will be a good king. But no king can ever replace The King. In verse 25, even this king, and every king, will fail you.
If may seem out of place to see these words to Jerusalem so we ought to reflect on I Peter 4:17 which says, “For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God.” We should deplore the corruption in business, politics, and education all around us. We should be horrified and the sensuality of this world. The worldliness of people who live their entire lives neglecting the King of the universe. These things and much more about our nation should make us tremble. But, what of my inner life? My desires, my longings that no one else can see (or so I think) except God? He begins judging by starting with people who claim to know Him.
First, consider those who have been baptized and turn away from Christ. They are in such dire straits. Those who grew up in a Christian home and now live as enemies of God; will they escape? How terrible for them on the day of judgment. And what of those who profess but do not possess? And what will happen to those who use their faith to hurt others? There will be no escape. The fear of God is no idle word. He is a great King who must be respected, fear, loved, and obeyed.
Yet, all anyone has to do is repent or turn and confess what God already knows about us. It is an easy thing to admit we are wrong and God is right. Yet admitting our sin is difficult for sinners like us all the same. How freeing and liberating to admit the truth. When we are in sin, our view of God is horribly distorted. We think God is a kill joy who wants to rob us of pleasure. God is not a kill joy but a killer of anything that robs our joy. Sin always robs. Sin ruins, divides, spoils, and separates. So God the Father gives. He gives us Jesus Christ to bring life and takes away sin. Christ unites us to God the Father who was alienated from us and He unites us to others. God is a giver; Satan is a taker. Why are we looking with envy to worldlings?
Don’t look away from Christ. Rather look to Christ. He is an eternal fountain of joy offering unending joy, with sorrow in this life, to everyone who believes. Christ takes the punishment we deserve for our unjust behavior and gives us His righteousness. We are poor beggars who trades in our rags for the king’s riches and are adopted into His royal family. We will never ‘get over’ this but will grow in deeper adoration in the age to come.