Title: Jewish Unbelief / Isaiah 22:8-11
“And on that day he took off the covering of Judah, and you looked at the weapons in the shed, and you saw the many ruins of the City of David. and fortified it, and ye made a reservoir between the two walls for the waters of the old pool; but ye did not look for the one who did it, nor did you honor the one who planned it from ancient times” (Isaiah 22:8). 11)
“And he removed the covering that had been covered by Judah” (v. 8). Many scholars have different interpretations of this statement. One of them is the interpretation that God caused the impregnable Jerusalem, which became the fortress of Judah, to be taken by Assyria. The fortress is read in Hebrew as masak, which means covered. The second interpretation is that God allowed the Jews to expose their weaknesses and the third interpretation that the Assyrians left the Jewish virgins to be raped.
However, these various commentaries have in common that an incident that the people of Judah could not endure has occurred. The text tells us that what was covered, all the shame, all the dangers, and the injustice, has now reached its worst state.
1. Jerusalem Without Relying on God
The reason Judah reached this point was because the people of Judah had to trust and depend only on God, but they depended only on humans.
The people of Judah had heard through the prophet Isaiah that the Assyrian army was coming. When the people of Judah heard this news, they first looked at the weapons in the shed. The people of Judah had to ask God first before doing this.
Even when Judas reached the dead end of which he could not turn back, he looked only at the warehouse of weapons (verse 8). It's a human dependence. Like a hut in a vineyard, Jerusalem was completely besieged by Assyria. Perhaps it was only natural that they looked at the weapons warehouse. But the Prophet says it is not.
After looking at the armory storehouse, the people of Judah looked at the place where the wall had fallen (verse 9). And by supplementing the loopholes and weaknesses of the castle, it re-strengthened again. The people of Judah knew that they were defending their country and prepared thoroughly.
The lower pond is a reservoir of water (verse 9). In the desert, where water is precious, the Jews even prepared water in case war broke out. At this point, we can say that we have prepared perfectly for war as a human being (verse 10).
The people of Judah built strong defenses even by tearing down individual houses. To obtain building materials, they tore down their houses, built a defensive wall, and made every effort to defend themselves.
They also rebuilt the wall inside the city to store water in the old pond, that is, the lower lake, and they made a reservoir between the inner and outer walls (verse 11). This was so that there would be no water for the Assyrians when they invaded.
2. There was divine intervention
The people of Judah were perfectly prepared for war by mobilizing human methods (v. 11). However, they did not look to the God who made the weapons and put them in warehouses, and made them shrink the city and build the reservoirs.
The phrase “the one who did this” refers to the God who brought tribulation to the people of Israel. God, who gives good things, sometimes also gives tribulation. However, the people of Israel did not look to the God who gave them tribulation.
Once upon a time has a temporal meaning as well as a spatial meaning, so it refers to a distant thing. Even though God is with me now, the people of Israel did not worship Him, knowing that He was far away.
3. In times of tribulation
When human beings encounter tribulation, they must look to God first rather than human means.
God gives good things and also gives troubles. The cause of everything comes from God. Therefore, waiting on God is the most important thing. We must not carelessly listen to the word of God, which is the word of life.
“But you did not look for the one who did it, nor did you honor the one who planned it from ancient times.” This is the voice of God's terrible rebuke. God saves us, has the sovereignty of history, and is the Lord of all things, but if we have stayed away from asking God, we must confess this sin.
The people of Judah, who should be greatly thankful to God, lost their gratitude, and as their gratitude to God was cut off, all they did was complaining and grumbling.
“Call on me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver you, and you will glorify me” (Psalm 50:15). Even the day of trouble is a day that God gives. The day of trouble is an opportunity to pray.
In addition, the day of tribulation is an opportunity to experience salvation. When you are not in tribulation, you know that God's salvation comes naturally. However, when severe tribulation comes and we cry out to God for prayer, we will surely taste the joy of salvation through the love of God who rescues us from suffering.
If God gave us salvation in the day of trouble, we should glorify God. Otherwise, if we forget the salvation of God, it is like seven devils entering our heart. Therefore, those who have been saved by God must come out of their mouths with praise, do good works, and serve the Lord with all their heart and soul.
In the name of the Lord, I earnestly wish in the name of the Lord that you will become saints who give thanks to God who has given you everything in any circumstances, glorify Him and please Him.