During the times when the leaders of the nation of Israel were evil and undependable, God promises through prophet Isaiah, that God will raise a servant named Eliakim (Isaiah 22:20). In fact, the very name, Eliakim means “God will raise up”. And Eliakim was to be given the government and authority (key of the house of David) to rule. He will be dependable like a nail in a sure place, on which many burdens of the people could be hung.
What can we learn from Eliakim?
The servant that God raises up is one that is to rule wisely with the authority that God has instituted on him/her. The servant must be dependable and must be one that bears the burden of others. Eliakim is a picture of Jesus Christ, the greatest servant of all (Matthew 20:28) whom God raised up from the dead (Romans 8:11), in whose shoulders was the government placed (Isaiah 9:6-7), who holds the key of David (Revelation 3:7) and on whom you can cast all your burdens for he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). If we are to be servants of God, we must be like Eliakim, who was a picture of Jesus. We must be dependable, and we must want to serve and not want to be served.
Isaiah 22:20-25 (KJV)
20 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.
25 In 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.
