Isaiah 22
COMMENTARY:
: 13 Ad behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink: for tomorrow we shall die. (8057 “gladness” [simchah] means mirth, joy, jubilation, pleasure, gaiety, or hold a feast.)
DEVOTION: We have all heard that one of the rulers of Rome fiddled while Rome burned. It seems that here we have the children of Israel having a party while the enemy was coming. They thought they were going to die. They were not counting on God or anyone else they were only thinking of having a good time until they were killed.
What was the alterative? They could have repented and prayed and the LORD would have delivered them. This didn’t happen. They were thinking only of themselves and not the God who had helped them in the past.
This is happening even today. We find that people who call themselves Christians are not concerned with obeying the LORD as HE reveals HIS will in the Bible but they are more concerned with being accepted by society. The Israelites were thinking the same thoughts.
We need to take a stand for the LORD. If we are living with a group of sinners who are thinking only of themselves even when they attend church or are religious we need to step out in faith like Isaiah and some other true believers.
Our attitude affects our faith. If we think there is no hope and we don’t believe in prayer then failure is sure. If we realize that God is still willing to forgive a repentant sinner and we repent and ask the LORD for deliverance not only an individual can be effected but a whole nation.
Where are we today? Do we need men and women to step out in faith and confess their sin and ask the LORD to deliver our nation? Can the LORD still give deliverance even today?
CHALLENGE: Faith is believing that God can still do the impossible. There is no impossible situation with God.
: 12-13 “And in that day the Lord GOD of hosts called for weeping and for mourning, For baldness and for girding with sackcloth. 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!” The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982)
DEVOTION: The Israelites were being besieged and the impending destruction was evident. Isaiah had been warning the people but they refused to listen and to repent. Instead of repenting in weeping and mourning, expressed by sackcloth and shaving of the head, the people were partying and preparing to die. They had completely turned away from God and Isaiah’s message.
When the impossible situation occurs in our lives we have choices we must make as well. Are we going to trust the Lord regardless of the circumstances or eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die?
Recently a family was given a choice like what Israel was facing. The father had been ill for a long period of time and not regaining his health. The team of doctors sat down with the family and gave them two options: take him home and begin long term care or face life threatening surgery to remove and repair damaged tissue. The doctors were not optimistic and the family wavered in their decision. Finally the father spoke and said he desired to see his children graduate so the surgery was scheduled.
Choices are not easy and decisions at times are life threatening but God will direct the paths as we trust Him. Isaiah was the spokesman for Israel and God places people in our lives to speak to us and assure us of His presence. Are you willing to listen to God’s spokesman even when it is not what you desire to hear?
CHALLENGE: When no choice looks appealing or beneficial trust the person of God that has consistently been faithful in telling you the whole counsel of God! Knowing when God is punishing and when He is moving to demonstrate His power and judgment upon people can be difficult initially to recognize. (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
: 22 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. (4668 “key” [maphteach] means a medal instrument to turn and so unlock a bolt or lock, an opener, or opening instrument.
DEVOTION: Repentance is a key word in the work of God in the lives of HIS people. Repentance is a turning from one direction to the opposite direction.
This chapter is communicating of a time when the LORD was calling for repentance because judgment was coming. The LORD wanted them to weep, mourn, pull out their hair and wear sackcloth. They did just the opposite.
They said to themselves that they needed to eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow they would die. They had no regard for the LORD. They wanted nothing to do with repentance. They didn’t want to change their ways, even with an enemy at the doorway.
The Assyrians were an enemy. The Babylonians were an enemy. They tried to trust in their own defenses against these enemies. They planned to get themselves ready for the attacks. They left God out of their plans.
This chapter gives us two types of leaders. Shebna was only thinking of himself and his future glory. He wanted to build himself a sepulcher that would honor him in his death. He thought a large sepulcher would make him famous for generations to come. However, Isaiah told him that he would die without glory in a foreign land.
The second leader was Eliakim. He was called a servant of God. He was given a key, which symbolized authority. It was basically something that was used to open doors or lock doors. He was going to open doors of peace for the people. He was going to have the authority of David behind him. He was going to honor the LORD. He was going to be a sure foundation for the people to look up too.
We know that the one who has the key of the house of David now is the LORD. HE is the one who opens and closes doors for us now. The book of Revelation, we have the key of David given to the church of Philadelphia. This is the missionary church.
This is a church that the LORD has no complaints against. Our churches today should be missionary churches. We need to realize that there are still open doors available to us for witness. There is only one way to heaven and that is through the LORD Jesus Christ.
Are we sharing our faith? Do we believe that there is only one way to heaven? Do all religions lead to the heaven of the Bible? The answer to the last question is NO! Only Biblical churches with the message of salvation have the way to heaven that is found in the Bible. We have to sensitive to HIS leading in our lives.
CHALLENGE: Be a missionary right where you are now. If you are faithful in your neighborhood the LORD might use you in HIS service in other places. There are open doors around you NOW!!! Start knocking!!!
: 25 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. (3489 “nail” [yathed] means peg, an image of a firm and stable abode, prince, security or support.)
DEVOTION: Leadership is important in any organization or nation. Leaders are necessary if there is going to be growth. A good leader will honor the LORD. The nation of Israel had many leaders who didn’t love the LORD.
Here we have an example of someone the LORD has picked for leadership but he was going to fail. The people need to follow their leader. If there are no followers than the person in front is not leading very well.
In verse 20 we find Isaiah relaying what the LORD had told him to say regarding a man named Eliakim. The LORD was going to strengthen him. The LORD was going to commit the government to him. The LORD was even going to give him the key to the house of David. He was going to be able to open door that no one could shut and close doors that no one could open.
Isaiah continues to relay what the LORD states by telling of HIS placing him as a peg in a sure place. He was going to be a leader with stability. He was going to reign on the throne of David. On him was all the glory of David’s house going to fall.
However, there was coming a day when he would be removed from office. All of the security of the nation was going to be gone. The LORD was going to cut him off. Why? It was because of their disobedience to the LORD. Jerusalem had turned into a party town. They were only interested in eating, drinking and living life to the fullest. There was no interest in serving the LORD.
We need leaders who will lead people in the path that the LORD wants them to follow. But we also need people to follow such leaders. If the people will not follow leaders who are true to the LORD then it will be a problem. What is the LORD going to do? HE is going to judge the people for not following a faithful leader.
CHALLENGE: If you are not a leader find one who is a Biblical leader and follow him. If you are a leader only lead the people following you to Biblical truth.
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