Sun.’s Devo - The Valley of Vision

Read: Isaiah 22:1-24:23; Galatians 2:17-3:9; Psalm 60:1-12; Proverbs 23:15-16
Israel was at a time of making a decision who they would trust in. Would it be the Lord who made heaven and earth and held their future in his hand, or would it be in their own resources and their own ideas. Shebna was King Hezekiah’s governor over the treasuries in his palace. It was his opinion that Israel make an alliance with Egypt against Assyria. He lost his office because of pride and Eliakim was promoted to take his place. They were both pictures of the end times. Shebna was a picture of Satan in all his pride and Eliakim was a picture of Jesus who would come in and usurped his power to call the people back to the Lord and back to a future where they would prosper and win. Isaiah said that Eliakim would be clothed with a robe and strengthened with a girdle. He was speaking of the robe of righteousness and the girdle of truth that Jesus would wear. God’s government would be in his hand and he would be a father to the people of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. He would give Jesus the key of the house of David upon his shoulder and he would be able to open the door to heaven to whoever he wanted and shut it to whoever he wanted. He opened the ears of those who were humble and hungry, but he shut the understanding of those who were proud and filled. He was the nail fastened to a sure place and that place was Calvary.
Isaiah told the people of the earth to look at Tyre and learn the lesson. Tyre had been the port for all imports and exports and was a wealthy city with every new product or thought that came to the earth. It was now lying in ruins. It would be a sign of God’s judgment for seventy years but then it will once again be a city of commerce even though it will not repent even then.
Chapter 24 describes the years of God’s judgments on the earth. It will be like it had been turned upside down and the people landed wherever they fell. No person was exempt from this shaking God was doing on the earth. It was all because they transgressed God’s laws and became a curse to the land. Not only the inhabitants of the earth will be judged and punished but also the host of heaven that were leaders in leading the people of the earth into idolatry and sin.
Paul makes it very clear that our righteousness gets us nothing, but our faith in the Righteous One allows the spirit of Jesus to live through us and do great and mighty things.
Lord, we trust in You to do great and mighty things through your Church.