Page 48 - Isaiah Student Worktext

4-5 Once again, Isaiah’s emotions are on display as he will weep bitterly because of the prophesied
plundering of his people. But he acknowledges that there is a day coming when walls will be broken
down in ‘the Valley of Vision’.

V. 6-8 God reveals through Isaiah the one who will carry out the destruction, Elam and Kir, from the
kingdom of Persia. They were mentioned in Chapter 21 as those who would also destroy Babylon.
There is evidence that the events of Chapter 22 actually preceded those in Chapter 21.

V. 9-11 This is a condemnation of Jerusalem for relying more on their defenses, their military might,
than on God. They numbered the houses, or available soldiers, they fortified the wall, they made a
‘reservoir’ between the two walls…but they did not look to their Maker.

We are often guilty of this as well…we make our plans, and then we ask the Lord to bless them. A city or
nation can make all the preparations in the world, but if God is against our plans, it won’t make any
difference.

V. 12-13 God asks us to get on our knees, fall on our faces, in weeping and mourning, in sackcloth and to
shave our heads in mourning. Instead, they partied. ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!’

V. 14 This is a troubling verse. For THIS iniquity, there will be no atonement, even to your death. Does
that mean that rejoicing instead of mourning as they were instructed is unforgivable? We are told in
scripture Luke 12: 10 that the unforgivable sin is blaspheming the Holy Spirit…rejecting God’s offered
salvation.

In many ways, this is essentially the same thing. God instructed His people to mourn and repent.
Instead, they partied. They rejected God’s offered salvation.

V. 15-19 The warning to the nation now shifts to a warning to a particular person. ‘Steward over the
house’ could be the treasurer or the governor—it was a man with authority. Apparently, this man had
abused his position to achieve personal gain.

God’s warning to this man was that He, God would overthrow him violently. He will ‘toss’ him like a ball
into a foreign land, where he will die.

So many scriptures tell us that God can turn the heart of a king Proverbs 21: 1 or that God has appointed
the rulers Romans 13: 1-2.

Just as God can appoint the rulers and turn their hearts, He can also drive them out of their office.

V. 20-23 God will replace this corrupt ruler with one who is His servant. He will lavish this man, Eliakim,
with gifts and riches. He will open and no one will shut and shut and no one will open. Revelation 3: 7

God’s anointed have often let power go to their heads and they ended up being evil. Saul did, Solomon
did. It’s not clear to us why God allows some who are evil to rule and why He doesn’t toss them like a
ball into a foreign land, but we need to trust that God knows what He is doing.

V. 24-25 This stands as a warning for Eliakim…don’t take the glory of God for yourself. The peg that was
put in place can just as easily be removed and replaced.

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