Isaiah 22:1 “The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops?”
“The burden of the valley of vision” refers to a very low and dreadful time; much like, “the valley of the shadow of death” (Psalms 23:4). It is said to be “the valley of vision” because it would soon be seen or revealed what happens to the people when they turn away from the Lord and His Commandments. This city was full of people busy about their occupations and enjoying their abundant carnal things. But they were destroying themselves and their rulers were nowhere to be found, no help to them. People were dying, not because of their enemies, but because of their own ungodly behaviors. Their prosperity was failing them and there was much bitter weeping, and their carnal pleasures were fading away and failing them. (Isaiah 22:2-4). It was “a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity by the Lord GOD of hosts in the valley of vision, breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains” (Isaiah 22:5). And, because of their sin-weakened condition, their enemies were set to take advantage of them (Isaiah 22:6-7). So dreadful was their confused state, that they fled to their “housetops” where they sometimes worshiped and pleaded to idols; but, some prayed to God. To emphasize their hypocrisies, they are asked, “What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops?”! That is, what are you doing praying now, you lived as if you didn’t want or need God, why do you come to Him now. They had credited themselves and not God for their blessings and prosperity (Isaiah 22:8-11). So, finally they were going to learn that, no matter how prosperous and mighty they had become, they could not survive without God and the Lord would put down their wicked rulers and raise up a ruler of His Choice (Isaiah 22:12-25). This new ruler was a prophetic type of Jesus Christ Our King; for, the Lord declared, “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.” (Isaiah 22:21-23). And, today, Jesus Christ is our King, our Savior, and our Keeper and He has “set up” (Daniel 2:44), built (Matthew 16:18) His Glorious Church-Kingdom. Let’s not wait until everything collapses, let’s go now and worship and serve the Lord our God and faithfully pray to Him “that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).