Isaiah 22:14-25
The story begins with Shebna, the chief steward of the palace in Jerusalem. At the time, Jerusalem was a city unravelling despite its tremendous wealth.
Their land is full of silver and gold; there is no end to their treasures.
Their land is full of horses; there is no end to their chariots (weaponry). (Isaiah 2:7)
On its own perhaps we might see this as the blessing of God. But the next sentence says,
they bow down to the work of their hands,
to what their fingers have made. (2:8)
And in both of these aspects of city life was their demise. Their confidence had shifted from Yahweh to their own wealth and military power which they tended to think would give them a seat at the top table in international negotiations and alliances. In chapter 22, aware of impending battle, they have been assessing their weapons, strengthening the wall of the city and securing their water supplies.
They also take up a mocking stance in relation to the prophecies. As if Yahweh was not a credible player in their local and international standing. Where they should have been lamenting and grieving over what they had become, they were holding banquets. ‘Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die.’
The Lord, the Lord Almighty, called you on that day
to weep and to wail, to tear out your hair and put on sackcloth.
Their self-confidence raised in mockery of Yahweh’s words would be thrown back against them.
It was in this period that Shebna was the chief steward of the palace. So secure was he in dismissing the prophecies of being swept into captivity foreign invaders that he was carving out for himself a magnificent tomb in Jerusalem. Presumably his thinking was that he would live to a ripe old age, would die in his beloved city and be buried in magnificence. A tomb befitting the ruler of the palace.
Yahweh had other plans
Yahweh had other plans. In a powerful metaphor, Yahweh said he would “roll you up tightly like a ball and throw you into a large country. There you will die…” His tenure would not only come to an end, but he would be cast into Babylon. The disgrace that he was to his master’s house would become evident to all.
God then says he will appoint Eliakim in Shebna’s place. Eliakim will be given all the accoutrements of office — the robes and sashes of a ruler. He will be given the keys to the house of David. That is, he will be given control over the palace and the affairs of David. He will be the one who can ‘open and shut’ and no one can undo what he does. God offers Eliakim security. ‘I will drive him like a peg into a firm place…’
The passage then goes on to show how all of the family and those who hang onto Eliakim will transfer their own glory to him. They will glory and the fact that they are the family of Eliakim. That they serve Eliakim. That they have his favour.
The Elaikim Syndrome
This is what I have called the Eliakim syndrome. Instead of glorying in the facts of what Yahweh has done in bringing Eliakim to his firm position as rule of the palace, they transfer their love and allegiance and find derivative glory in the man.
And so this prophecy of chapter 22 ends in tragedy. When this shift has taken place, glorying in the man rather than the God behind the man, God will act swiftly and decisively to remove Eliakim. ‘In that day, the peg driven into the firm place will give way it will be sheared off and wilful, and the load hanging on will be cut down.’ (verse 25)
Not only will Eliakim fall but all those who were hanging onto him, who took their glory, strength and security vicariously from him, will fall well. The passage ends with the simple and yet profound statement, ‘The Lord (Yahweh) has spoken.’
Political and geopolitical events, the rise and fall of leaders, securities and insecurities, at the hand of Yahweh. When he speaks it is done.
What those surrounding Eliakim were doing is common to humanity. Sadly, it is not uncommon in the Christian community. God does raise up leaders of great energy and spiritual capacity who come to great prominence. In this situation, the Eliakim syndrome would be the transferring of our sense of security and power and achievement — our derivative glory — to that human leader. It would be to bask in the glory of what that leader does rather than in the God who was working through, and we also must say, despite that leader. I say despite, because any human leader has feet of clay. Strong in one area weak in another. And beset by exactly the same human tendencies as everyone else.
Time and time again, as leaders have been elevated, we have seen them crumble either through sexual misdemeanours, financial impropriety or the adrenalin of power. Sometimes all three. And when this happens, all those who are “hanging on” that peg (to use Isaiah’s word) risk falling as well. The community of Christ is brought into serious disrepute by all of the sexual scandals and financial improprieties of those who seem willing to accept the adulation of the crowds and to believe their own publicity.
Over recent years and decades we have seen many leaders of super churches fall as surely as did David as he gazed from his roof through the window of Bathsheba. It is not necessary to list here some of those who have fallen. We could each do that. The point is not those who have fallen, the point is for us who may have basked in the glory as if theirs was human achievement rather than the achievement of Yahweh. Hero worship is not a Christian virtue. As Paul demeaned himself to the Corinthians who had this cultural tendency, ‘What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants…’ (! Corinthians 3:5ff)
One lesson of this portion of Isaiah 22 seems to be that when God raises of a leader in a difficult situation and that leader is able by God’s grace to touch crowds, and to build seemingly large and secure projects, our allegiance must only ever be towards Yahweh and not towards the human leader. Yahweh will not share his glory with another. And if we begin to bask in the glory of that leader we may well find, as with Eliakim, that he or she can be brought low. And at that time the name of Christ can fall into serious disrepute. “To him be the glory for ever, Amen!” (Romans 11:36)
