Preparing for battle, Judah made many carnal preparations. They provided water in the city. They repaired the walls. God had brought them to this hardship to lead them to regret and repentance. Instead, they celebrated and feasted, “because tomorrow we may die”. They made physical preparations. They did not turn to the LORD, repent, and ask Him to forgive and protect them.
When we face our battles, literal or otherwise, let’s do all these preparations, but first and foremost let us seek God and call upon Him for His protection. Unless the LORD is with us, we labor in vain.
The Valley of Vision
1The oracle concerning the valley of vision.
What is the matter with you now, that you have all gone up to the housetops?
2You who were full of noise,
You boisterous town, you exultant city;
Your slain were not slain with the sword,
Nor did they die in battle.
3All your rulers have fled together,
And have been captured without the bow;
All of you who were found were taken captive together,
Though they had fled far away.
4Therefore I say, “Turn your eyes away from me,
Let me weep bitterly,
Do not try to comfort me concerning the destruction of the daughter of my people.”
5For the Lord GOD of hosts has a day of panic, subjugation and confusion
In the valley of vision,
A breaking down of walls
And a crying to the mountain.
6Elam took up the quiver
With the chariots, infantry and horsemen;
And Kir uncovered the shield.
7Then your choicest valleys were full of chariots,
And the horsemen took up fixed positions at the gate.
8And He removed the defense of Judah.
In that day you depended on the weapons of the house of the forest,
9And you saw that the breaches
In the wall of the city of David were many;
And you collected the waters of the lower pool.
10Then you counted the houses of Jerusalem
And tore down houses to fortify the wall.
11And you made a reservoir between the two walls
For the waters of the old pool.
But you did not depend on Him who made it,
Nor did you take into consideration Him who planned it long ago.
12Therefore in that day the Lord GOD of hosts called you to weeping, to wailing,
To shaving the head and to wearing sackcloth.
13Instead, there is gaiety and gladness,
Killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep,
Eating of meat and drinking of wine:
“Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die.”
14But the LORD of hosts revealed Himself to me,
“Surely this iniquity shall not be forgiven you
Until you die,” says the Lord GOD of hosts.
15Thus says the Lord GOD of hosts,
“Come, go to this steward,
To Shebna, who is in charge of the royal household,
16‘What right do you have here,
And whom do you have here,
That you have hewn a tomb for yourself here,
You who hew a tomb on the height,
You who carve a resting place for yourself in the rock?
17‘Behold, the LORD is about to hurl you headlong, O man.
And He is about to grasp you firmly
18And roll you tightly like a ball,
To be cast into a vast country;
There you will die
And there your splendid chariots will be,
You shame of your master’s house.’
19“I will depose you from your office,
And I will pull you down from your station.
20“Then it will come about in that day,
That I will summon My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah,
21And I will clothe him with your tunic
And tie your sash securely about him.
I will entrust him with your authority,
And he will become a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.
22“Then I will set the key of the house of David on his shoulder,
When he opens no one will shut,
When he shuts no one will open.
23“I will drive him like a peg in a firm place,
And he will become a throne of glory to his father’s house.
24“So they will hang on him all the glory of his father’s house, offspring and issue, all the least of vessels, from bowls to all the jars. 25“In that day,” declares the LORD of hosts, “the peg driven in a firm place will give way; it will even break off and fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut off, for the LORD has spoken.”
It is encouraging to see that even as the LORD plans rebuke and punishment intended to draw the people back to Him, He is also planning who and how He will bring about restoration! What the LORD opens, no one will shut. What the LORD shuts, no one will open.
What hardships and challenges are you facing in your life? Are you turning to God wholeheartedly or are you trying to handle it all on your own?
I invite you to pray with me:
Father, thank You for disciplining us to bring us back to the right relationship with You. Thank You for preparing a way to restore us to You! Your plans are perfect. Your ways are right. We put our full trust in You, even during hardship. I pray this in the name of Yeshua, our savior. Amen.
Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ
Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.