These are the original teaching notes from this passage.
- Burden of Babylon…
- The SIXTH burden was against Babylon [wilderness of the sea] – Isaiah 13:1
- The ONLY nation that is mentioned TWICE in the BURDENS [Babylon falls twice]
- Isaiah saw a WHIRLWIND [dust storm] coming from the south [Medo-Persian empire]
- Like the pains of a woman in LABOR – what was coming was INEVITABLE…
- Yet the people of Babylon were carelessly having a FEAST – Daniel 5:1
- Isaiah commanded them to set a WATCHMAN – looking for CHARIOTS [horses – donkeys – camels]
- And when he saw the CHARIOT he cried out – Babylon is FALLEN [2x] – Revelation 14:8
- This is what Isaiah heard from the LORD – and what he declared to the children of Judah!
- Burden of Edom…
- The SEVENTH burden was against the people of DUMAH [silent]
- Because EDOM [Seir] only called out to the WATCHMAN [Isaiah] when there was TROUBLE…
- But Isaiah told them they needed to INQUIRE [ask] – and REPENT [come back] to the Lord!
- Burden of Arabia…
- The EIGHTH burden was against the people of ARABIA…
- BEDOUINS who rode in their caravans from the region of DEDAN [Saudi Arabia]
- Even they [in the wilderness] would NOT escape the judgement of God…
- The glory of KEDAR [Arab tribes] would FAIL – because the Lord had SPOKEN!
- 1st – Burden of Jerusalem… vs. 1-7
- 1st – Valley of Vision… vs. 1
- The burden against the Valley of Vision!
- Isaiah continued his BURDENS against the Nations…
- A section of the book that gives TEN burdens from the Lord – Isaiah 13-23
- BURDEN [מַשָּׂא] – a heavy weight or load – a warning to the nations…
- The NINETH of these burdens was against the people of Jerusalem [Judah]
- Their name is NOT mentioned till the END of the BURDEN – Isaiah 22:10
- Rather they are introduced as the Valley of VISION [חִזָּיוֹן]
- Jerusalem is the city where God put His TEMPLE – His FOOTSTOOL…
- The city of the PROPHETS – whom God spoke to in VISIONS [חָזוֹן] – Isaiah 1:1
- If ANY nation should have been able to SEE what God wanted – it was Judah…
- Jerusalem is the built on the high point of Mount Ophel – Moriah [760 meters]
- That is why people always go UP to Jerusalem – Isaiah 2:3
- But instead they were in a spiritual VALLEY [גַּיְא] – and could NOT see God!
- We are the people of God – we are His Temple – I Corinthians 6:19
- And the LORD is continually speaking to us – desiring for us to SEE His plan for our lives…
- The problem is that we wander into SIN – fall down into the VALLEY!
- Psalm 66:18 – “If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me.”
- 2nd – The Fall… vs. 2-3
- Housetops… vs. 2
- What ails you now that you have all gone up to the housetops.
- You who are full of noise – a tumultuous city – a joyous city?
- Isaiah had a question to those who were in the VALLEY [sin]
- What NOW – who made them ALL [כֹּל] go UP to the tops of their houses…
- What was causing all the NOISE within their city – shouts of JOY – or of TERROR!
- Sadly – people do NOT rush out to hear the WORD of the Lord [no Sunday traffic]
- There are only TWO things that get ALL the people to come…
- Either they rush out for VICTORY – where people SHOUT for JOY…
- Or they run away from TRAGEDIES – where people SCREAM in fear for their lives!
- Captivity… vs. 2-3
- Your slain men are not slain with the sword – nor dead in battle.
- All your rulers have fled together – they are captured by the archers.
- All who are found in you are bound together. They have fled from afar!
- Isaiah answered his own question – the shouts were in TERROR…
- As the MEN of Jerusalem were NOT killed by the SWORD [did not die in battle]
- ALL [כֹּל] of the leaders of Jerusalem had been captured without of fight [by archers]
- EVERYONE who was found [niphal] in the city was CAPTURED [pual]
- Even those who tried to FLEE to faraway places – did NOT escape!
- This warning seems to have a DUAL fulfillment…
- Because the events that follow align best with SIEGE of Assyria – Isaiah 36:2
- Yet the capture of leaders – and EVERYONE in the city…
- Seem to point towards the RUIN of Jerusalem by Babylon – II Kings 25:1-7
- When we get so caught up in this life – we end up in a VALLEY…
- And when we do NOT have VISION – when we can NO longer see the Lord…
- We are going to end up SUROUNDED [siege] by problems [enemies]
- If we still refuse to REPENT – stop and SEE what God is trying to show us…
- Then we are going to be CONQUERED – our lives will be RUINED!
- Proverbs 29:18 – “Where there is no vision the people perish.” [KJV]
- 3rd – Day of Trouble… vs. 4-7
- Look away… vs. 4
- Therefore I said: Look away from me. I will weep bitterly.
- Do not labor to comfort me because of the plundering of the daughter of my people!
- YES [כֵּן] – when Isaiah saw the FATE of his people…
- He commanded [imperative] people to LOOK away from him as he WEPT [piel]
- He did NOT even want [jussive] anyone to try and COMFORT him…
- Because he foresaw the DESCRUCTION [שֹׁד] of Jerusalem [daughter of my people]!
- From the Lord… vs. 5
- For it is a day of trouble and treading down and perplexity by the Lord GOD of hosts.
- In the Valley of Vision – breaking down the walls – and of crying to the mountain!
- Because it would be a day defined by THREE nouns:
- A day of TROUBLE – from the verb to be noisy [הוּם]
- A day of being TRAMPLED down [בּוּס] – a day of CONFUSION [בּוּךְ]
- A day that would come from the MASTER [אֲדֹנָי] – the LORD of HOSTS [צְבָאוֹת]
- In the VALLEY of Vison – the walls of the city would be TORN down [piel]
- Only then would the people CRY out to the MOUNTAIN [Temple]!
- No way out… vs. 6-7
- Elam bore the quiver with chariots of men and horsemen – and Kir uncovered the shield.
- It shall come to pass that your choicest valleys shall be full of chariots.
- And the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate!
- They people cried out – because there was an ARMY outside their walls…
- ELAM would bring their ARCHERS – KIR their foot soldiers [shield]
- Both were ALLIES of Assyria – as their army filled the VALLEY with chariots…
- As their HOREMEN [cavalry] stood at the GATES of Jerusalem!
- The Lord allowed Assyria to come right to the NECK of Judah – Isaiah 8:8
- Like a NOOSE set around a criminal condemned to death…
- It seemed like there was NO hope – NO way out…
- The question became – what would Israel do in their DAY of trouble!
- God is very good at putting us in situations where we have NO way out…
- It might be FINANCIAL trouble – where we cannot see where the MONEY will come from…
- Or a SICKNESS – and the doctors NO longer have any answers…
- Or a broken RELATIONSIP – where there seems there is NO hope of restoration…
- And we are left with the same question – what do we do in the DAY of trouble!
- 1st – Valley of Vision… vs. 1
- 2nd – Wrong answer… vs. 8-14
- 1st – No Protection… vs. 8
- [God] removed the protection of Judah!
- God had REMOVED [piel] His COVERING from Judah…
- They were NOT surrounded by their ENEMY because Assyria was more powerful…
- God could give them VICTORY at any moment He wanted…
- The reason why they were in TROUBLE – it because God removed his PROTECTION!
- When God told satan there was NO one like His servant Job…
- The enemy was quick to point out God had put a WALL around him – Job 1:10
- And only after God gave His PERMISSION – could satan touch him…
- Meaning NOTHING could happen to Job – ACCEPT what God allowed!
- There are NO accidents – nothing happens by chance – God is SOVEREIGN over all…
- We might want to BLAME satan – get upset with people around us…
- But the truth is the only way anything gets to us – is by PERMISSION from the Lord!
- 2nd – Wrong help… vs. 8-11
- Weapons… vs. 8
- You looked in that day to the armor of the House of the Forest!
- Rather than look to the LORD – Israel looked to WEAPONS…
- In that DAY [siege of Assyria] – they ran to the HOUSE of the Forest…
- It was where Solomon had places THREE hundred shields – I Kings 10:17
- Walls… vs. 9-10
- You also saw the damage to the city of David that it was great.
- You numbered the houses of Jerusalem and the houses you broke down to fortify the wall!
- They also saw there were a LOT [רָבָה] of GAPS in the walls of the CITY of Jerusalem…
- Therefore the TORE down some of the houses [numbered] of the city…
- So they could use the STONES to REPAIR the gaps in the wall!
- Water… vs. 9,11
- You gathered together the waters of the lower pool.
- You also made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool!
- They gathered WATER in the lower pool – to prepare for the SIEGE of the city…
- They made a RESEVOIR within the WALLS of the city…
- Because you can survive for WEEKS without food – but only DAYS without water…
- So having a good source of WATER within the city was ESSNENTIAL for survival…
- Hezekiah dug a tunnel [533 meters] through solid limestone rock…
- It connected the Gihon spring to the pool of Siloam [lower pool]
- A tunnel that you can still walk through to this very day!
- II Chronicles 32:20 – “Hezekiah also stopped the water outlet of Upper Gihon and brought the water by tunnel to the west side of the City of David.”
- Not the Lord… vs. 11
- But you did not look to its Maker nor did you have respect for Him who fashioned it long ago!
- So people of the Valley of VISION – looked to: Weapons – Walls – and Water…
- BUT [וְ] – they did NOT [לֹא] stop to CONSIDER [נָבַט] their CREATOR [עָשָׂה]
- They did NOT look [רָאָה] to the God who made them!
- It is easy to be hard on Israel – as if we were NOT the same…
- But when the Day of Trouble comes – we tend to LOOK everywhere but the Lord…
- We attempt to find the MONEY – take the MEDICINE…
- And only when EVERYTHING else fails – do we finally make the time to PRAY!
- 3rd – No atonement… vs. 12-14
- Repent… vs. 12
- And in that day the Lord GOD of hosts called for weeping and for mourning.
- For baldness and for girding with sackcloth!
- What their MASTER [אֲדֹנָי] – the LORD of HOSTS [צְבָאוֹת] called for [sequential]
- Was for them to WEEP – MOURN – shave their HEADS – and put on SACKCLOTH…
- He wanted Judah to SEE their SIN – and REPENT!
- God is NOT mean – He does NOT bring tragedy into our lives for NO reason…
- But He allows it to try and get our ATTENTION – help us SEE…
- He wants us to HUMBLE ourselves [weep – mourn – sackcloth]
- So that He can the pour out His GRACE on us – I Peter 5:5
- Eat and drink… vs. 13
- But instead – joy and gladness – slaying oxen and killing sheep.
- Eating meat and drinking wine: Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die!
- BUT [וְ] behold – instead of WEEPING and MOURNING – they people were filled with JOY…
- They were killing their OX and SHEEP for a FEAST…
- They were eating and drinking [wine] – because tomorrow they would DIE!
- Paul quotes this verse in the New Testament – I Corinthians 15:32
- Because the WISDOM of this world is that we ONLY have this life…
- Therefore we mind as well ENJOY the moment – knowing death is coming!
- If there is NO life after death – if there is NO heaven and NO hell…
- If there is NO God – and NO judgement – NO accountability…
- Then the BEST we can do is ENJOY every moment while we can…
- But if that is NOT true [and it is not] – then living for the moment is FOOLISH…
- The VERY next statement Paul gave was a WARNING!
- I Corinthians 15:33 – “Do not be deceived: Bad company ruins good morals.” [ESV]
- No forgiveness… vs. 14
- Then it was revealed in my hearing by the LORD of hosts.
- Surely for this iniquity there will be no atonement for you.
- Even to your death: says the Lord GOD of hosts!
- Then the LORD of Hosts spoke [niphal] to Isaiah [in his ear]
- He [אִם] would NOT – [pual] cover [כָּפַר] the SINS of Judah – to the day they DIED…
- This was the PROMISE of their MASTER [אֲדֹנָי] – the LORD of Hosts [צְבָאוֹת]
- The FOURTH and SIX times God uses His title [צְבָאוֹת] in this BURDEN!
- The problem with LIVING for this life – is that it is NOT the end…
- Those who FOOLISHLY chose to IGNORE the Lord – will still have to ANSWER to Him…
- And what they will find – is that just as they REFUSED to listen to His warning in LIFE…
- He will REFUSE to forgive their sins once this life is OVER!
- 1st – No Protection… vs. 8
- 3rd – New leadership… vs. 15-25
- 1st – Shebna… vs. 15-19
- Steward… vs. 15
- Thus says the Lord GOD of hosts: Go proceed to this steward.
- To Shebna – who is over the house – and say!
- God turns His attention to the LEADERSHIP of Judah…
- He commands Isaiah to WALK [imperative] and GO [imperative]
- To find the STEWARD over the HOUSE of Judah – Shebna [strength]!
- Shebna [9x in OT] – is one of the officials in the administration of Hezekiah…
- SIX times he is referred to as a SCRIBE [סָפַר] – one who keeps records [financial?]
- But here he holds a HIGHER rank [steward] – he is OVER the house of Judah [authority]!
- Tomb… vs. 16
- What have you here – and whom have you here – that you have hewn a sepulcher here.
- As he who hews himself a sepulcher on high. Who carves a tomb for himself in a rock?
- God had a question for Shebna – WHAT do you have here?
- He had carved a FANCY [high] tomb into the ROCKS of Jerusalem…
- A place where he intended to be buried when he died…
- This could have been an attempt to REJECT the words of Isaiah…
- Rather than listening to WARNING to repent – the possibility of CAPTIVITY…
- He built his TOMB as a way of saying – there was NO way Jerusalem could fall!
- To this day there are ORNATE tombs in the KIDRON valley [east of Jerusalem]
- They date back to the period of Isaiah [7th century B.C.]
- Thrown away… vs. 17-18
- Indeed the LORD will throw you away violently O mighty man – and will surely seize you.
- He will surely turn violently and toss you like a ball into a large country.
- There you shall die. There your glorious chariots shall be the shame of your master’s house!
- BEHOLD – to the man who wanted to be BURRIED in Jerusalem…
- The LORD would VIOLENTLY [2x for emphasis] cast him out [piel]
- He would be crumbled up like a BALL – and tossed away [captive]
- He would NOT die in Jerusalem – because he brought shame to his Lord [אֲדֹנֶי]
- Shebna was there at the SEIGE of Jerusalem by Assyria [701 B.C.]
- But that ended with Jerusalem being spared [Angel of the Lord] – Isaiah 37:36
- And he would NOT have been alive when Babylon conquered the city [586 B.C.]
- We do NOT have a record of his capture – or where he was taken!
- Pulled down… vs. 19
- So I will drive you out of your office – and from your position [I] will pull you down!
- The Lord would THROW him out of his OFFICE [over the house]
- The Lord [Targum] – would remove him from his POSITION…
- Because Judah did NOT need a man who would PROMOTE himself…
- They needed someone who would POINT people to God!
- People are like SHEEP – we are easily led the wrong way…
- Because it is easier to FOLLOW a man who we can see – than to WALK by faith…
- Sadly there are many LEADERS who take advantage of this…
- They PROMOTE themselves – rather than pointing people to Jesus…
- But God will NOT let them stand for long – He will CAST them out…
- Because God is looking for SHEPHERDS who share His heart!
- John 10:11 – “The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”
- 2nd – Hilkiah… vs. 20-22
- Servant… vs. 20
- Then it shall be in that day that I will call My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah!
- In that DAY – when Shebna is removed from his OFFICE…
- The LORD will call His SERVANT – Eliakim [God raises up]
- Who is the son of Hilkiah [God is my portion]
- Note the CONTRAST – rather than a man who PROMOTES himself…
- God raised up a man who understood that God is all we NEED [portion]!
- Father… vs. 21
- I will clothe him with your robe and strengthen him with your belt.
- I will commit your responsibility into his hand.
- He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah!
- God would put on Eliakim the ROBE of Shebna [possession]
- And put on him the BELT Shebna – and give him [piel] STRENGTH [ability]
- The LORD would give the ATHORITY of Shebna to him [responsibility]
- Because Eliakim would be like a FATHER to Jerusalem and the house of Judah!
- Key of David… vs. 22
- The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder.
- So he shall open and no one shall shut – and he shall shut and no one shall open!
- God would put the KEY of the house of David on his back…
- KEY [3x in OT] – the noun form of the verb – to open [פָּתַח]
- Because he would be able to OPEN doors – and no one could SHUT them…
- And SHUT doors [lock] – and no one could OPEN them!
- Revelation 3:7 – “He who has the key of David. He who opens and no one shuts – and shuts and no one opens!”
- Philippi was a SMALL church – that assumed they were NOT that significant…
- Yet one of the GREATEST promises is given to them – they had the KEY of David…
- Because God uses men whom He raises up – who know POWER comes from Him…
- To these men God will give the KEY – so they can OPEN and CLOSE the DOOR!
- Matthew 16:19 – “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.”
- God does NOT use the MIGHTY – churches who PROMOTE themselves…
- Or the pastors who are out to build their Kingdom [monuments] – MEGA ministries…
- God uses the who DEPEND on HIM – they are the ones given the KEY…
- The GOSPEL message – the ONLY way to open the DOOR to heaven – if we give it to others…
- Or CLOSES the DOOR to heaven – if we do not!
- 3rd – Contrast… vs. 23-25
- Reliable… vs. 23-24
- I will fasten him as a peg in a secure place.
- And he will become a glorious throne to his fathers house.
- They will hang on him all the glory of his fathers house – the offspring and the posterity.
- All vessels of small quantity from the cups to all the pitchers!
- God would drive Eliakim into the WALL – as a FAITHFUL nail…
- A place where all of the GLORY of his father could be HUNG…
- And he would bring HONOR to the least of the members of his family [from cups to pitchers]
- Removed… vs. 25
- In that day says the LORD of hosts:
- The peg that is fastened in the secure place will be removed and be cut down and fall.
- And the burden that was on it will be cut off – for the LORD has spoken!
- In that DAY – says the LORD of Hosts [sixth and final use]
- The OLD nail [Shebna] will be removed and cut off – so that he falls down…
- And the BURDEN [מַשָּׂא] against the Valley of Vision would fall with him…
- Because the LORD had spoken – and a faithful man was LISTENING [Hilkiah]!
- When the Assyrian army besieged the city of Jerusalem…
- Although Shebna was there – he was NO longer the leader…
- Hilkiah is listed as being over the House of Judah – II Kings 18:18
- And he covered himself in sackcloth [humility] – and went before the Lord…
- Therefore the Lord fought for Jerusalem – and the people were saved!
- 1st – Shebna… vs. 15-19