God Raised Up The Godly Leader Eliakim

Introduction

Judgment is not a pleasant subject. No one enjoys thinking about being punished, especially being punished eternally by God in a place called hell. Many of us deny the coming judgment, the fact that God will ever punish people. Yet we must always remember: denying the truth never voids the truth. Truth cannot be invalidated, for a truth is fact. Therefore, because God cannot lie, His pronouncements of judgment, punishment and hell are indisputable truths. But because God loves us, He warns us of the dangerous pitfalls lying out in the future, pitfalls that we must avoid. If a person continues to walk in defiance of God, denying His very existence, that person is dooming himself. Some day God will judge the world, punish all who have denied and defied Him. Thus, all who rebel against God will be doomed to a special place He has prepared, the place called hell.

Yet even in the midst of pronouncing judgment, God pours out His grace upon us by making a way for us to escape it. The way is Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world. This is the practical message of the present passage in which Isaiah describes God’s coming judgment and the wonderful grace He extends to us. This is, God’s Judgment of Judah and Jerusalem: A Picture of God’s Coming Judgment and Grace, Isaiah 22:1-25.

I.   The judgment — an attack and siege by a cruel enemy: a picture of coming judgment (vv. 1-7).

II.   The reasons for the judgment (vv. 8-19).

III.   The grace of God in raising up the godly leader Eliakim: a type of Jesus Christ (vv. 20-25).

Isaiah 22: 20–25   The Grace of God in Raising Up the Godly Leader Eliakim: A Type of Jesus Christ

In His wonderful grace, the Lord chose a godly leader to replace Shebna. Hezekiah appointed Eliakim as the government administrator, and God clothed him with the authority that had once been Shebna’s. Unlike Shebna who had exploited the people, Eliakim would be like a father to the people of Judah and would serve them faithfully. Note the Lord’s wonderful promise: He would place on Eliakim’s shoulder a key to the house of David, the very power of the throne itself. Sometime later the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, would hold the keys to the house of David (Rev 3:7). This means that Eliakim was a picture or type of the coming Messiah.

The Lord also promised that as prime minister, Eliakim would be like a well-driven peg in the nation, which meant that he would be the key person holding the nation together (v. 23). And although he would bring honour to his family in that position, he would not be able to stop God’s judgment, the fall of Jerusalem (v. 25). For in that day, the day of God’s judgment, he would be only a peg, only a man who would himself be cut down (that is, die), and the burden he was holding up would fall. No matter how trustworthy Eliakim was, the Jews should not put their ultimate trust in him; for he was only a man, and he would die along with the other Jews.

Thought 1. The world desperately needs a Saviour, someone who can bring peace and economic security to the world. Consider the hostility, conflict, pain, suffering and all the other ills rampant in the world. Throughout history people have looked for a saviour among their leaders, but they have always been sadly disappointed. No human being can bring true peace and prosperity to the world, for we are all unable to see into the future or control it, no matter how hard we try. Moreover, we are mortal and have only a few short years on earth. A saviour who can bring lasting peace and economic security simply cannot be found among humankind. He must come from God.

This is the glorious gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. God has demonstrated His grace to the world by sending His Son to bring peace to earth. Because of Him, there can be peace among people, peace between...
•   husband and wife
•   neighbours
•   employers and employees
•   church members
•   races
•   social classes
•   nations and governments

Jesus Christ alone can bring peace and economic security to this world. He promises to richly bless all who trust in Him and to provide for all the necessities of life. In addition, He promises us full, purposeful and victorious lives. He alone is the promised Messiah, the Saviour of the world. Listen to what God’s Holy Word says:

Mat 6:33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Acts 10:36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.

Rom 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Rom 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Gal 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Eph 2:14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.

Phil 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Phil 4:19 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Col 1:20 And through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Col 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Psa 67:4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples with equity and guide the nations of the earth.

Psa 107:9 For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

Isa 2:4 He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, not will they train for war any more.

Isa 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isa 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

Amos 9:13 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when the reaper will be overtaken by the ploughman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills.” ♣

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