A Nail Fastened In A Sure Place

Isaiah 22:15-25 (KJV)

Thus saith the Lord God of hosts, Go, get thee unto this treasurer, even unto Shebna, which is over the house, and say, 16What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre here, as he that heweth him out a sepulchre on high, and that graveth an habitation for himself in a rock? 17Behold, the Lord will carry thee away with a mighty captivity, and will surely cover thee. 18He will surely violently turn and toss thee like a ball into a large country: there shalt thou die, and there the chariots of thy glory shall be the shame of thy lord’s house. 19And I will drive thee from thy station, and from thy state shall he pull thee down.

20And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah: 21And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. 22And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. 23And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father’s house. 24And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons. 25In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for the Lord hath spoken it.

The nail fastened in a sure place

It is evident that in this text that something more than just the removal of a man from the treasurer position and the appointment of a replacement. It is clear to see that there is an eternal picture being painted in this portion of scripture. There is something that God is trying to show us that is deeper than the first read of the text.

I. I want you to take note of the seriousness with which God deals with the man Shebna. Look at the wording... 17Behold, the Lord will carry thee away with a mighty captivity, and will surely cover thee. 18He will surely violently turn and toss thee like a ball into a large country: there shalt thou die, and there the chariots of thy glory shall be the shame of thy lord’s house. 19And I will drive thee from thy station, and from thy state shall he pull thee down.

Shebna the minister of the house is a perfect type of the old testament priesthood. The removal of Shebna the old testament priesthood.

A. v.16 God says to Shebna the minister of the house, Why do you try to make your ministry eternal.Isaiah 22:16 (KJV)

What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre here, as he that heweth him out a sepulchre on high, and that graveth an habitation for himself in a rock?

B. Your priesthood is not eternal.

• Problem with the old sacrifice.

• Could not cleanse the conscience. § Hebrews 9:9

• Could not perfect conscience. § Hebrews 9:9-10

• Could not perfect man. § Hebrews 9:9

• Could not remove sin or perfect man. § Hebrews 7:25-28; § Hebrews 9:1-10; § Hebrews 9:11-14; § Hebrews 10:1-18

• Gave no pleasure to God. § Hebrews 10:5-10

• Left a consciousness of sin. § Hebrews 10:3, cp. § Hebrews 10:1-4

• Purified only the flesh. § Hebrews 9:11-14

• Required a better sacrifice than the sacrifice made by man. § Hebrews 9:23-28

• Were only a shadow of things to come, not the image. § Hebrews 10:1-18, cp. § Hebrews 8:3-5

• Were only a type of Christ. § Hebrews 9:8-10, cp. § Hebrews 9:11-14; § Hebrews 9:23-28

• Were only made with hands-only figures of the true. § Hebrews 9:23-24

• Were only material sacrifices and ordinances. § Hebrews 9:10, cp. § Hebrews 9:1-10

• Were only patterns of heavenly things. § Hebrews 9:10, cp. § Hebrews 9:1-10; § Hebrews 9:23-28

• Were powerless. § Hebrews 9:25-26; § Hebrews 10:1-4

II. God says in your place I will establish an unchangeable priesthood. v.20-24;

And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah: [21] And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. [22] And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. [23] And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father’s house. [24] And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons.