Isaiah 22:1-25.  Another day another burden (or message) but this one is different in two ways.  First unlike the previous messages this one is about Judah and the capital Jerusalem.  Second this one also contains a personal story of one of Hezekiah’s officials (well actually two, but one it the focus of the judgment).  Based on the people involved and what they were doing, this message focuses on events during the reign of Hezekiah.  Specifically it involves preparation for a coming Assyrian invasion (any surprise there?).  In 705 BC Sargon, king of Asssyria died, he was succeeded by his son Sennacherib.  For about four years Sennacherib worked on securing his rule at home.  During this time Hezekiah joined an alliance of kings in the area including the cities of Byblos, Tyre, Arvad and the regions of Moab, Ammon, and Edom.  Also Egypt, with it’s new Ethopian king Shabaka, was a part of this alliance.  In anticipation of the invasion Hezekiah fortified Jerusalem.  He built a second wall around parts of the city, repaired the original wall, and dug a tunnel over 1700 feet long through solid rock to bring water into the city from a spring outside the city.   Sennacherib entered the region from the north along the Mediterranean coast.  Tyre was a leading city in the region and when the city of Tyre fell many of the other cities in the alliance gave up.  Sennacherib then turned in land toward Jerusalem.  Along the way he besieged the town of Lachish.  While at Lachish Sennacherib received a tribute or payment of honor from Hezekiah who admitted he should not have rebelled against the Assyrian king.  Sennacherib took the tribute and sent his army to Jerusalem any way.  The fortifications of Jerusalem did not allow them to take the city immediately but along the way they had catured over fourty fortified cities, many villages, and over 200,000 captives.  Also many had died, in Lachish archaeologists found a mass grave from the invasion where over 1500 bodies had been dumped.  At Jerusalem the generals sat outside the walls and taunted the people inside challenging their trust in God.  In response to the taunt Hezekiah prayed to Yahweh for help which he gave.  As the generals were communicating with their king, who was besieging another city, they heard a rumor that Egypt was coming to the rescue.  At the same time God caused 185,000 of Sennacherib troups to mysteriously die in one night.  As a result Sennacherib retreated home where he was murdered by his own family (2 Kings 18-19.  Note that the king of Cush (Ethopia who also ruled Egypt at this time) listed in 2 Kings 19 is Tirhakah.  Tirhakah was the nephew of Shabaka and probably a general in 701 BC.  Tirhakah eventually became king of Cush (and Egypt) in 691 BC.  2 Kings was written after this time and the author probably used his ultimate title rather that the one he would have had at the time of the invasion).

This message is about a valley that Isaiah had a vision about.  From the content of the vision we know it is about Jerusalem which has three valley running down from it.  The vision happened shortly before at least some of the events in it.  In the message we see the people were celebrating.  We also see that there had been some death and political upheaval around them (vv. 2-3), so their celebration seems out of place.  We see in verses 5-7 that the surrounding territory has been taken over by the invading army that included not only the Assyrians but also men from Kir and Elam.  Elam had previously been an ally of Babylon but Babylon had fallen and evidently the Elamiites had changed sides.  In verse 8 when it talks about the defenses of Judah it is probably talking about the fortified cities that had already fallen (with respect to the timing within the vision).  In verse 4 we see that Isaiah is very upset by their attitude.  Verses 8-11 tells us what is partly behind the attitude of celebration, they have made their city secure against invasion.  Verse 11 tells us why this was a problem, in all of their actions they had not looked to God.  According to verse 12 God had already told them that they should have been sad and prayerful , but instead they were having a party.  Verse 13 tells us how mixed up their were because while they were celebrating how safe their city was they also were thinking that they better party hard because they might die the next day.  Verse 14 gives kind of an odd P.S. to the first part of the vision, “By the way you won’t be forgiven for this one.”

The second part of the message is strange because it deals with an individual person, Shebna, rather that with a whole group of peope like all of the other messages.  Shebna was in charge of the house, probably meaning that he was second in charge in the kingdom (maybe like Tirhakah above).  Instead of being a good leader and tending to the spiritual and physical needs of the people he was busy building a tomb for himself in some place of honor.  It appears form this part of the message that fortifying the city was not as much a problem as the attitude behind it all.  People were relying on their own power and looking for their own glory.  Even Shebna was trying to make sure he was honored if he died in the invasion.  Instead of honor though God shamed him by replacing him with a guy named Eliakim (See the reversd roles in 2 Kings 19:2).  Eliaikim is called god’s servant and notice that the language is definitely future.  Elaikim will care for the people of Jerusalem and Judah like a father and he would be honored and given authority.  God would make him a secure and safe leader for the people (The peg is probably talking about a piece of wood driven into a crack in the wall where pots and other items would be hung.  His actions would bring true honor to his family.  This part of the vision also has an interesting P.S.  Even though Elaikim would be a safe place for the people of Israel, the people would eventually fall and be hurt.

There are a few lessons for me in this one.  First of all no matter who we are if we do not rely on God we are in trouble.  Also sometimes we do things that seem normal and right but if we are dong them without putting our ultimate faith in God we are in danger of punishment or worse from God.  Fortifying the city was a n ok thing to do and it seems like Shebna was criticized for not working harder on that, but the whole town was guilty of putting their faith in the walls rather than in God.  Interestingly there never was a battle there in Jerusalem.  God caused a rumor and a mysterious death that saved Judah.  It seems like the people tore down their houses (v. 10) for nothing.  We need to talk to God when we make plans, even the normal everyday ones.  Finally it looks to me like there is some sort of cooperation between us and God as history plays out.  Eliakim was a servant of God and God put him in a position of power to protect the people.  It even says he was securely installed, like a picture hook that is nailed into a solid piece of wood.  But he failed and whatever was relying on him fell too.  Ecclesiastes 12:11 says that wise word help people go the right way and masters of this wisdom are like well driven nails.  Both the wisdom and the masters come from God.  But notice that the men are masters of the wisdom not parrots of it.  Masters is a word that means to take control of something, be it’s boss.  We need to use the wisdom and position God has given us and honor him with them.  Otherwise there might be a disastrous crash.  One last thing in Revelation 3:7-13 we see Jesus described in a very similar way as Eliakim was described in this message.  In the verses in Revelation Jesus is encouraging the church in Philadelphia (in Asia Minor not Pennsylvania) for their faithfulness in the face of persecution.  They had used what little power they had to obey God and as a result he had secured the door to Heaven in an open position for them.  They would actually have a secure place in the New Jerusalem (See Revelation 21-22) and would be rescued from trouble coming in their time. Eliaikim’s name means “God raises up” or “Gop sets up” (See “What’s in a Name”).  God certainly set Eliaikim in a place of power but it also seems like Elliakim encourage the people to see that it is God who sets them up and mkes them secure.   Yahweh is the answer, Jesus is the answer.  Sure we have to live responsibly but we always need to realize that the ultimate security is in God not us.  Lord help me look to you as I make plans.  Help me remember that there is a day coming in which a loaf of bread will cost a whole bag of gold.  I don’t have a bag of gold so I need you to supply the bread.  Even now I need to remember that what I have is from you.  Help me trust and help me give you the credit.  And help me be faithful.  Let me be a master of your wisdom.  Make me a master of your wisdom.