Isaiah 22:25
25 In that day [yowm], saith [na'um] the LORD [Yahovah] of hosts
[tsaba'], shall the nail [yathed] that is fastened [taqa`] in
the sure ['aman] place [maqowm] be removed [muwsh], and be
cut down [gada`], and fall [naphal]; and the burden [massa'] that
was upon it shall be cut off [karath]: for the
LORD [Yahovah] hath spoken [dabar] it. KJV-Interlinear
25 In that day, declares the LORD of
hosts, the peg that was fastened in a secure place will give way, and it will
be cut down and fall, and the load that was on it will be cut off, for the LORD
has spoken.” ESV
Two verses ago
we studied the nail or the spike in the wall, that holds up and fastens
together, and acts as the foundation of the house. Several verses prior to that, we studied
Shebna, who was the traitor, the foreigner who adopted Jerusalem as his home
but sold it out for his own personal gain.
And then Eliakim
who by faith took office to hold fast the reigns of power and authority for the
good and benefit of all.
And yet now, in
our final verse of this chapter, we see that even the nail or spike of faith
that supports the whole house of God here on earth, is going to be pulled, allowing
the whole house to collapse.
So what does it
mean?
The verse begins
with the phrase, ‘in that day.’ For the
last ten chapters we have been studying the greatest prophecies of all times. If you have been studying along then you have
learned many eye opening details that will occur in the final days of history.
This is not
about Shebna, nor Eliakim, but about their failure from two different
perspectives.
Shebna was evil
and therefore his failure was certain and expected. He was aware of doctrine, even of the Lord
and of the history and heritage of the Israelites and of Judah. But he was negative and refused to believe all
the many truths about God and destinies.
He looked only to the glories of the world, its things, its power, its
pleasures, and worst of all, he believed in his pretended spirituality and bargained
with evil. He failed and his kind will
always fail.
Then there is
Eliakim. A good man with good intentions
and strong faith. He looked to the Lord
and pursued his life by means of spiritual principles, but he failed, good will
fail, but why?
Because, there is
only one strong enough to bring it all together, to defeat evil, to bring back
the perfections of the perfect world and environment and life, and that person
is Jesus Christ.
The nail falling
out of the wall, means that the burden or weight of life is too great for even the
greatest of spiritual believers.
Throughout history,
empire after empire, nation after nation, group after group, person after
person have had good intentions, but sooner or later they are swayed under the
great weight of life. Their knees buckle
and they fall.
Man is simply
too weak to carry the burdens of this world.
Whether crime or
atrocities or slavery or self-righteousness or the many and varied enticements
of this world, one cannot hold up under the pressures and burdens that are
placed on the most sincere and ethical of people. Not that everyone cracks
under the pressure, but the world stands against all that is God and all that is
of God.
Making a living,
doing the right things, are always under attack, so as to portray even the best
of Christians as false in the eyes of the world. And a world that believes that, falls short
of seeing the truth, and chases off after evil, with enthusiasm.
In those final
days, the entire world will break down and all evil will be let loose pushing
the world to the very brink of extinction.
And even at the very edge, people will still refuse to see their own
predicament.
We are not there
now, so you have every opportunity to get your act together, but as these words
state clearly, ‘for the Lord has spoken,’ so then history will unfold just as
predicted, because most will refuse to change.
The question for
each individual is, ‘Will you be a part of this unraveling of humanity or one
of the very few exceptions? Will you
talk about it or do something about it?’
Namely get started and stick with your daily study and spiritual growth,
in order to complete yourself as God intends for you to be completed.
You are not
going to change the world, but you can change yourself.
