ISAIAH

Isaiah 22:1-14

quote:

"The oracle concerning the valley of vision. What is the matter with you now, that you have all gone up to the housetops? 2 You who were full of noise, You boisterous town, you exultant city; Your slain were not slain with the sword, Nor did they die in battle. 3 All your rulers have fled together, And have been captured without the bow; All of you who were found were taken captive together, Though they had fled far away. 4 Therefore I say, "Turn your eyes away from me, Let me weep bitterly, Do not try to comfort me concerning the destruction of the daughter of my people." 5 For the Lord GOD of hosts has a day of panic, subjugation and confusion In the valley of vision, A breaking down of walls And a crying to the mountain. 6 Elam took up the quiver With the chariots, infantry and horsemen; And Kir uncovered the shield. 7 Then your choicest valleys were full of chariots, And the horsemen took up fixed positions at the gate. 8 ¶ And He removed the defense of Judah. In that day you depended on the weapons of the house of the forest, 9 And you saw that the breaches In the wall of the city of David were many; And you collected the waters of the lower pool. 10 Then you counted the houses of Jerusalem And tore down houses to fortify the wall. 11 And you made a reservoir between the two walls For the waters of the old pool. But you did not depend on Him who made it, Nor did you take into consideration Him who planned it long ago. 12 Therefore in that day the Lord GOD of hosts called you to weeping, to wailing, To shaving the head and to wearing sackcloth. 13 Instead, there is gaiety and gladness, Killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, Eating of meat and drinking of wine: "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die." 14 But the LORD of hosts revealed Himself to me, "Surely this iniquity shall not be forgiven you until you die," says the Lord GOD of hosts."

In Chapter 21 Isaiah gave three oracles dealing with Babylon, Edom and Arabia. To these he adds Jerusalem. It seems strange to find a judgment against Jerusalem and Judah in this section when it is her neighboring pagan nations that are being judged. But since Judah had behaved like them, she, too, deserved to be judged. The "Valley of Vision" represents the special relationship between the God of Heaven and the descendants of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. Jerusalem is the "Valley of Vision", for it is there the Temple was located and where the prophets lived and gave God's revelation.

Because of the difficulties of the text, some scholars choose not to identify a specific fall of Jerusalem, but refer to these verses in a generic prophecy which concerns the terrible worldliness and paganism found there. Jerusalem's residents were recklessly indifferent and full of joy because they thought the danger has passed. Men died, not from battle, but from starvation and the ones who fled in retreat were captured.

As Jerusalem is destroyed Isaiah cannot control his grief. He could not be consoled because the residents of Jerusalem, who should have acted as a holy priesthood, had by their sin and reckless attitude caused it's downfall.

Judah's eyes were blinded and God removed His protection. Far from seeing her true condition, Judah, even in disgrace, looked to material weapons for deliverance, rather than to God. There was no repentance and turning to the One that could save them. Even the walls of the City had been neglected and were in disrepair. At this point, it became necessary to destroy their own homes to have the necessary materials to repair them.

God is the Sovereign One, the One who has the power to do whatever is necessary to control even the enemy nations. His call to Judah to repentance and obedience fell upon deaf ears. Had there been true repentance, there would have been signs of humiliation and repentance with weeping and mourning accompanied with the wearing of sackcloth and shaving of the head. However, mere signs were not what God looked for, but a rending of their hearts, which did not occur.

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Joel 2:12-13
"Yet even now," declares the LORD, "Return to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, weeping, and mourning; 13 And rend your heart and not your garments." Now return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness, and relenting of evil."

With the word "Behold" Isaiah describes just the opposite of what God had called for – a careless rejoicing and a belief they were destined to fate indicated by the phrase "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die". A word then comes from the Lord – that because they refused to humble themselves and repent and because they ignored the Lord, there would be no pardon for their sins. Tragically, Jerusalem had turned her back on her Maker. The Lord's patience had been exhausted and His word was final for a sinning, unconcerned, reckless people.

In the opening verse, there is a message for all who would claim the Name of the Lord --

"What troubles you now?" is a profound question that we all wrestle with. Whenever concerns in our lives begin to arise, they may indicate there is some change to be made in us and our relationship with God. It may be a challenge put specifically in our lives to test what we will do and to build our character and faith. How will we handle life's troubles? Will we try to find answers within ourselves or will we depend and look to the One who is our help in times of trouble? Let us always turn to God, our Maker, when we are disconcerted with life's challenges, for it is the Lord who is our strength in time of trouble (Psalm 37:39).