S) "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."
Isaiah 22:16-17a (NASB)
O) This is a big, scary charge, levied against Shebna. It's a specific prophecy, against a specific person, and it doesn't end here. This continues on down through v.23, foretelling his successor. So, while the details of this charge are not applicable to us, the warning against pride is very useful. Shebna had become a shame of his master's house, and would die in another country for it (see v.18).
A) Sometimes we like to pretend that culture today is so advanced and different than ancient cultures. While there are many, many advantages to our current times, people still struggle with the same basic questions. What happens to us when we die is a fundamental issue that we cannot truly solve ourselves. This verse reminded me of buying life insurance. Even that term just seems like a misnomer. When we die, man cannot assure us of anything, and we cannot ensure anything, but we can insure our life? I'm not saying that having life insurance is a bad thing, but it cannot be our hope. We cannot depend on it. We cannot put too much weight (and very little can tip those scales) on what happens on earth, when we depart it. I need to remember that my resting place on earth is of no consequence. I need to trust that the LORD will continue to provide for my family when I am gone. I need to focus on where I'll be going when I leave this world, which has nothing to do with a grave stone.
P) Father, thank You for giving me a more eternal perspective about my life. Help me to see the more important elements of daily life, as well as the direction of my life as a whole. Free me from concern about the things I cannot change. I trust You wholly with my loved ones when I am gone, because I commit to trusting You with them while I am here. Help me be faithful and obedient, as You direct me, according to Your will, and not my own. Give me the courage to break from society's expectations, and conform instead to Your will alone. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
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