Isaiah 22:1

THE BURDEN OF JERUSALEM (Isaiah 22:1-14)

This chapter falls into two divisions, the burden of Jerusalem (Isaiah 22:1-14), and the replacement of Shebna by Eliakim (Isaiah 22:15-25).

It is significant that in this division where, for the principal part, foreign nations which were enemies of God's people are repeatedly denounced, there should suddenly appear this stern, almost hopeless denunciation of Jerusalem itself, at this point, alas, actually accounted as an enemy of truth and righteousness. This oracle appearing here against Jerusalem says that, "If God's people are going to behave like the heathen nations, they must suffer the same consequences for their behavior. This becomes clear as we study the prophecy."[1]

Isaiah prophesies in this passage the ultimate destruction of Jerusalem, but the situation which led to this prophecy is not certainly known. It would appear that following the miraculous lifting of the siege by Sennacherib because of the death of his army in a single night, instead of responding with an outpouring of thanksgiving to God and a renewal of faith and devotion, Judah wholeheartedly engaged in a boisterous, sensuous outpouring of merriment and celebration, marked by scandalous and irresponsible behavior. Against such a background of carnality, Isaiah announced God's prophecy of the "death" of the city. Thus there are two sieges of Jerusalem which appear in the passage (1) that of Sennacherib in 701 B.C., and (2) that of Nebuchadnezzar which led to the captivity of Judah. This is the reason why some scholars see one of those occasions In the prophecy, and others see the other. For example, Archer saw a picture of the Babylonian destruction, thus:

"The people from their rooftops would behold the approach of the Babylonian troops ... Their king Zedekiah would try to flee from the city. Lamentable destruction would be meted out to both the city and the people."[2]

On the other hand, "It is generally supposed to belong to the invasion of Sennacherib." Of course, it is difficult to imagine such a sorrowful and pessimistic reaction on the part of Isaiah to the great victory for Judah that occurred in the destruction of Sennacherib's army; but this difficulty disappears when it is understood that it was not the victory over Sennacherib that led to this sorrowful denunciation of Jerusalem, and to her being sentenced to death, actually. Ah no, this prophecy was given upon the occasion of Judah's carnal and licentious response to that victory. It was then destined that Jerusalem would be destroyed and the people removed to a foreign land in captivity because, as Isaiah stated it, "Surely this iniquity shall not be forgiven you till ye die, saith the Lord of hosts" (Isaiah 22:14).

Here also is the explanation of why Jerusalem is called the "valley of vision" in Isaiah 22:1. Jerusalem was not, in the physical sense "a valley." Peake flatly stated that, "Jerusalem is no valley,"[3] but he supposed that the prophet might have been speaking of a valley near Jerusalem. We do not accept that explanation. We believe the "valley" is a valley of shame and immorality into which the chosen people had fallen. The vaunted Mount Zion was nothing high at all in the scenes revealed here, but a wretched valley symbolically representing Judah at the very moment when God's merciful grace was no longer able to contain and overlook their wretched sins.

Such considerations as these lead us to accept the conclusion of an older writer, Vitringa, as quoted by Lowth, that, "This prophecy has both of these invasions in view."[4]

Isaiah 22:1-4

"The burden of the valley of vision, What aileth thee now that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops? O thou that art full of shoutings, a tumultuous city, a joyous town; thy slain are not slain with the sword, neither are they dead in battle. All thy rulers fled away together, they were bound by the archers; all that were found of thee were bound together; they fled afar off. Therefore said I, Look away from me, I will weep bitterly; labor not to comfort me for the destruction of the daughter of my people."

The double nature of this prophecy appears in the very first paragraph. The first two verses here depict the inhabitants of Jerusalem, "In a state of boisterous merriment."[5] Of course, some scholars ascribe this boisterous condition to indifference on the part of Jerusalem, as the soldiers of Babylon begin the siege, due to an Epicurean philosophy of "Eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!" It seems to this writer, however, that the occasion of the lifting of Sennacherib's siege would have been a much more likely occasion for such merriment. The Babylonian siege is certainly suggested by the flight of the leaders in Isaiah 22:3. Archer wrote that this is a reference to the fact that "Their king Zedekiah would vainly attempt flight from the city."[6] The behavior of the people was what caused Isaiah's bitter weeping, because he realized that the inappropriate response of the people would displease the Lord and that the sure punishment and destruction of the city would follow, as indicated in Isaiah 22:4. In spite of all the terrible hardship and disasters that had come upon the Jews, "They were still insensitive to the true demands of God. In the midst of their light-hearted festivities, therefore, he asked to be left alone that he might weep bitter tears over their destruction."[7]