Valley

Isaiah 22:5 "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."

During the time Hezekiah, a great army came up against Jerusalem to take it. Hezekiah had shown the great treasure they held, to them already. Shebna was the treasurer and secretary to Hezekiah. In part, this chapter is about Shebna loosing his post.

v8 "And he discovered the covering of Judah, and thou didst look in that day to the armor of the house of the forest." See I Kings 7:2

There is a lot of emotion in this chapter. It seems the prophet is broken hearted by the message he must deliver.

v13 "And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine; let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we shall die."

This was apparently the attitude of the people for it was called iniquity in verse 14: "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."

Also Ezek 24:13 I Samuel 3:14

In Isaiah, the scripture often tells of the things that are to happen in the near future, i.e. the captivity, but also refers to distant events (for those of that day) i.e. the coming of Christ and the redemption of Israel.

v17 "Behold the LORD will carry thee away with a mighty captivity, and will surely cover thee." Referring to Shebna.

Shebna was replaced by the Lord with Eliakim, telling Shebna that the place he had established for himself would be taken away and that he would not even get to use the grave he had dug for himself.

v16 "What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulcher here, as he that heweth him out a sepulcher on high, and that graveth an habitation for himself in a rock?"

You could say that Shebna was a bureaucrat who like so many in our day are in government. Elected officials may come and go but they are there and are part of the establishment. In Shebna's case he had built himself a little kingdom of his own in the big kingdom of Judah.

Eliakim replaced Shebna and his projected attitude toward his job is revealed in this verse. Also there are hints of the mystery of Christ in the balance of the chapter. We can see those hints now but they were a great mystery when Isaiah was written.

v21 "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 hosue of Judah."

Those who held office were not placed there to profit themselves but were suppose to be servants for the people.