Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Isaiah 22:25

Copyright Ó 2014 J. Neely
Isaiah 22:25ues

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.