Verses 1-14
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Now Isaiah prophesies that Jerusalem is to be judged.
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Verse 11. The inhabitants of Jerusalem tried to prepare themselves for the attack of Babylon by storing up water, but this was futile because they did not trust in God.
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Verses 12-14. In this time, when they should have cried out to God in repentance, they decided to rejoice in their futile efforts.
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As a result, they would not be forgiven by God. We cannot be forgiven if we do not repent from sin (Luke 13:3).
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Sin can be forgiven, but not if we refuse to turn away from sin. A person must choose to start doing what is right, along with belief in Jesus, if they will be forgiven (Ezekiel 18:21-22).
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Do not live to eat and drink and enjoy life because “life is short”. Instead, be sorrowful about sin, and change your ways. Choose obedience to God!
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Understand that sorrow, for a person in sin, is better than laughter (Ecclesiastes 7:3), since godly sorrow leads to repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10).
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Verses 15-25
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As Shebna was a steward, we also are stewards. And just as God stripped responsibility from Shebna and gave it to Eliakim, if we are unfaithful servants, what we have will be taken away and given to a faithful servant (Matthew 25:28).
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Be faithful with what you have. Be productive with your time, resources, skills, and abilities; and what you gain use to serve others (Luke 12:42-44).
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Eliakim is also symbolic of Jesus, as Jesus quotes Isaiah 22:22 to say the He is the one who possesses “the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens” (Revelation 3:7).
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Simply put, Christ has all authority, and He creates opportunities for us (Acts 14:27, Colossians 4:3). Take opportunities that you are given, and especially to share the Word of the kingdom with others.
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