The Valley of Vision
“This is the burden against the Valley of Vision: What ails you now, that you have all gone up to the rooftops, O city of commotion, O town of revelry? Your slain did not die by the sword, nor were they killed in battle. All your rulers have fled together, captured without a bow. All your fugitives were captured together, having fled to a distant place.
Therefore I said, “Turn away from me, let me weep bitterly! Do not try to console me over the destruction of the daughter of my people.” For the Lord GOD of Hosts has set a day of tumult and trampling and confusion in the Valley of Vision—of breaking down the walls and crying to the mountains.
Elam takes up a quiver, with chariots and horsemen, and Kir uncovers the shield. Your choicest valleys are full of chariots, and horsemen are posted at the gates. He has uncovered the defenses of Judah. On that day you looked to the weapons in the House of the Forest. You saw that there were many breaches in the walls of the City of David. You collected water from the lower pool. You counted the houses of Jerusalem and tore them down to strengthen the wall. You built a reservoir between the walls for the waters of the ancient pool, but you did not look to the One who made it, or consider Him who planned it long ago.
On that day the Lord GOD of Hosts called for weeping and wailing, for shaven heads and the wearing of sackcloth. But look, there is joy and gladness, butchering of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” The LORD of Hosts has revealed in my hearing: “Until your dying day, this sin of yours will never be atoned for,” says the Lord GOD of Hosts.
A Message for Shebna
This is what the Lord GOD of Hosts says: “Go, say to Shebna, the steward in charge of the palace: What are you doing here, and who authorized you to carve out a tomb for yourself here—to chisel your tomb in the height and cut your resting place in the rock?
Look, O mighty man! The LORD is about to shake you violently. He will take hold of you, roll you into a ball, and sling you into a wide land. There you will die, and there your glorious chariots will remain—a disgrace to the house of your master. I will depose you from office, and you will be ousted from your position.
On that day I will summon My servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah. I will clothe him with your robe and tie your sash around him. I will put your authority in his hand, and he will be a father to the dwellers of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. What he opens, no one can shut; what he shuts, no one can open. I will drive him like a peg into a firm place, and he will be a throne of glory for the house of his father. So they will hang on him the whole burden of his father’s house: the descendants and the offshoots—all the lesser vessels, from bowls to every kind of jar.
In that day, declares the LORD of Hosts, the peg driven into a firm place will give way; it will be sheared off and fall, and the load upon it will be cut down.” Indeed, the LORD has spoken.”
Destruction is coming to Jerusalem! Ferocious invading armies are gradually moving westward, destroying everything in their paths. The citizens of Jerusalem should be weeping and repenting, begging God for deliverance, but instead, they are dividing their time between building up their defenses, storing water and protecting the water supply, and then throwing fatalistic parties. “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!“ In the midst of all this turmoil, Isaiah continues to warn the citizens of Jerusalem that all of these frantic preparations will be useless if they refuse to turn back to God. You can almost see Isaiah standing in the main street of Jerusalem and proclaiming these words while rich people rush by him on the way to the next party, nearly trampling him in the process.
The last part of this prophecy singles out two men: Shebna and Eliakim, son of Hilkiah. As the steward in charge of the palace, Shebna occupies a position of prominence. Now Shebna wants to demonstrate to everyone just how important he is by carving out a fancy tomb in a high location so everyone will see it. Not only is Shebna creating a magnificent tomb for himself, but he evidently has several luxury chariots, the ancient equivalent of Mercedes Benzes. God is warning Shebna that unless Shebna repents, he will never occupy that tomb and he and his chariots will all wind up in a land of exile. “Look, O mighty man! The LORD is about to shake you violently. He will take hold of you, roll you into a ball, and sling you into a wide land. There you will die, and there your glorious chariots will remain—a disgrace to the house of your master. I will depose you from office, and you will be ousted from your position.” There is no record that Shebna ever repented; we must assume that he suffered the fate described here by Isaiah. “In that day, declares the LORD of Hosts, the peg driven into a firm place will give way; it will be sheared off and fall, and the load upon it will be cut down.” Indeed, the LORD has spoken.” God is warning Shebna that he will be completely cut off along with everyone who is relying on him.
The second steward is Eliakim, son of Hilkiah. Both Shebna and Eliakim are assistants to King Hezekiah. Now God is promising that once Shebna is removed, He will elevate Eliakim to prominence. “On that day I will summon My servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah. I will clothe him with your robe and tie your sash around him. I will put your authority in his hand, and he will be a father to the dwellers of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. What he opens, no one can shut; what he shuts, no one can open. I will drive him like a peg into a firm place, and he will be a throne of glory for the house of his father.”
Here Isaiah is describing not only Eliakim, son of Hilkiah, but also the coming Messiah. Just as Eliakim will assume authority and will be a father to those in Jerusalem and Judah, so the Messiah will also be a father. Just as Eliakim will assume responsibility for the house of David to preserve it, so the Messiah will take all that authority on himself. Both Eliakim and the Messiah will be pegs in firm places that can bear any load placed on them.
APPLICATION: Two stewards and two responses! Shebna is giving a horrible example of conspicuous consumption – fancy chariots and a big elaborate tomb. It’s likely that Shebna is one of the people throwing parties as he hopes that his tomb will be completed soon enough. Shebna doesn’t seem to realize that only God determines where he dies and when. God is so disgusted with Shebna that He promises to wad Shebna up into a ball and throw him into a wide country where Shebna will die.
Despite all the chaos, Eliakim has remained faithful to God. It is quite possible that Eliakim is one of righteous King Hezekiah’s confidants, and that he has been inspired by Hezekiah’s example. At any rate, God knows Eliakim’s heart and knows that Eliakim can wield authority without becoming proud and overbearing.
At the same time God is describing Eliakim, He is also giving us information about the Messiah. Earlier, Isaiah has prophesied that the government will be on his (Messiah’s) shoulders, indicating that the Messiah will rule and reign and will be utterly reliable.
Today, times and seasons may have changed, but world events continue to be chaotic. The poor Ukrainians are facing a brutal winter as Russia persists in its attacks. Israel continues to be bombarded with hundreds of missiles on a daily basis. Nations throughout the world are facing problems. In the midst of this turmoil, what and whom can we trust to save us? Only the One True Living God and His Son Jesus Christ are trustworthy. Proverbs 21:31 says, “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord.” Let us copy Eliakim, son of Hilkiah! Let us put our trust in the only One who can save us!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, You are our only hope and our only true Source of salvation. Help all who read these words to put their trust in You. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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