Jerusalem's False Celebration
Study note
After prophesying against foreign nations, Isaiah turns his attention to Jerusalem, which he calls the 'Valley of Vision' because this is where God's prophets received their revelations. The people have gone up to the rooftops in celebration, but Isaiah asks why. Their leaders have fled without fighting. Their dead were not killed in honorable battle but died from famine and disease. An enemy army has filled the valleys with chariots and stationed horsemen at the gates. The celebration is completely inappropriate given the danger they face.
1 This is a message about the Valley of Vision. What is going on here? Why has every last person gone up to the rooftops? The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops?
2 You are a noisy city, a place bursting with excitement and partying. But the people who died were not killed in battle and did not fall fighting with swords. Thou that art full of stirs, a tumultuous city, a joyous city: thy slain men are not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle.
3 All your leaders ran away together. They were caught without putting up a fight. Everyone who tried to escape was rounded up, even those who had run far away. All thy rulers are fled together, they are bound by the archers: all that are found in thee are bound together, which have fled from far.
4 Therefore I said, "Leave me alone! Let me cry my heart out. Do not try to make me feel better about the destruction of my people." Therefore said I, Look away from me; I will weep bitterly, labour not to comfort me, because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people.
5 The Lord of heaven's armies brought a day of panic and chaos. It struck the Valley of Vision. Walls came crashing down. Cries echoed off the hills. For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity by the Lord GOD of hosts in the valley of vision, breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains.
6 Soldiers from Elam carried their quivers full of arrows, along with chariots and horsemen. Soldiers from Kir pulled the covers off their shields. And Elam bare the quiver with chariots of men and horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield.
7 Your most beautiful valleys were packed with chariots. Soldiers on horses took their places at the city gates. And it shall come to pass, that thy choicest valleys shall be full of chariots, and the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate.
Trusting in Walls Instead of God
Study note
When the threat became clear, Jerusalem's leaders scrambled to prepare. They checked the weapons in the armory, repaired the city walls, counted the houses and tore some down for building materials, and built a reservoir between the two walls to store water. They did everything a city under siege should do, except the one thing that mattered most: they did not look to God, who had planned all of this long ago. Instead of repenting when God called them to weep and mourn, they threw a party, saying 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.' God says this sin will not be forgiven.
8 Judah's defenses were stripped bare. When that happened, you rushed to grab weapons from the armory in the Palace of the Forest. And he discovered the covering of Judah, and thou didst look in that day to the armour of the house of the forest.
9 You noticed all the cracks in the walls of David's city that needed fixing. You stockpiled water in the lower pool. Ye have seen also the breaches of the city of David, that they are many: and ye gathered together the waters of the lower pool.
10 You counted the houses in Jerusalem and tore some of them down to reinforce the wall. And ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses have ye broken down to fortify the wall.
11 You built a reservoir between the double walls to store water from the old pool. But through it all, you never looked to the God who made all of this possible. You never considered the one who planned it ages ago. Ye made also a ditch between the two walls for the water of the old pool: but ye have not looked unto the maker thereof, neither had respect unto him that fashioned it long ago.
12 On that day, the Lord who commands heaven's armies called you to weep and mourn, to shave your heads and dress in rough sackcloth. And in that day did the Lord GOD of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:
13 But instead, look at you — throwing a party! Killing cattle and slaughtering sheep, eating meat and drinking wine, saying, "Let us eat and drink today, because tomorrow we die!" And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die.
14 The Lord of heaven's armies said this right in my ear. "This sin will not be wiped clean until the day you die." And it was revealed in mine ears by the LORD of hosts, Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.
Shebna Replaced by Eliakim
Study note
God sends Isaiah to confront Shebna, a high-ranking official who is 'over the house,' meaning he ran the palace administration. Shebna was building himself an elaborate tomb carved into rock, showing his selfish pride. God declares that Shebna will be removed from office and thrown into exile. In his place, God will put Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who will be like a father to the people of Jerusalem. God will give Eliakim the 'key of David,' authority to open and shut that no one can reverse. This image of the key of David is later used in the Book of Revelation to describe Jesus Christ. However, even Eliakim's authority will eventually fail, showing that ultimate hope rests in God alone.
15 The Lord who commands heaven's armies says, "Go to this official, Shebna, who runs the palace, and tell him," 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 business do you have being here? Who said you could carve out a tomb for yourself up in this high rock, chiseling a burial spot for yourself in the cliff?" 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 "Watch out! The Lord is about to grab you and hurl you away, big man!" Behold, the LORD will carry thee away with a mighty captivity, and will surely cover thee.
18 He will wind you up tight like a ball and fling you into a wide-open field. That is where you will die, and that is where your fancy chariots will end up — a total embarrassment to your master's house. 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 "I will yank you out of your position. I will rip you from your office." And I will drive thee from thy station, and from thy state shall he pull thee down.
20 "When that day comes, I will call my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah." And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah:
21 "I will dress him in your robe and tie your sash around him. I will transfer all your authority to him. He will be like a father to the people of Jerusalem and to the entire family of Judah." 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 "I will place the key of David's household on his shoulder. When he opens a door, nobody will be able to close it. When he closes a door, nobody will be able to open it." 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 "I will drive him in like a nail pounded into a solid wall. He will bring honor to his father's family." 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 His whole family's good name will hang on him. All the children and grandchildren will depend on him, like small cups and jars hanging on a peg. 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 "But when that day comes," says the Lord who commands heaven's armies, "the nail hammered into the solid wall will give way. It will break loose and fall, and everything hanging on it will crash down." The Lord has spoken. 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.