Isaiah gives us a case study of two kinds of leaders along with a message we need to hear today.
The Self-Interested Leader
Some leaders abuse their power. Such seems to have been the case with Shebna, mentioned in Isaiah 22:15-19. He served as a royal steward. His position would have been something like the chief minister of state or chief of staff. It was an important position that carried a lot of power.
Sadly, Shebna misused his office and coveted a tomb worthy of a king. God, speaking through Isaiah, minced no words: “What are you doing here? Who authorized you to carve out a tomb for yourself here, carving your tomb on the height and cutting a resting place for yourself out of rock?” (Isaiah 22:16 CSB). Shebna would not be buried in that prestigious tomb, and instead would die in another land without the honour that he craved. Later in the book, Shebna appears to have been cut down to size, no longer serving as a royal steward but as a secretary (Isaiah 36:3).
Interestingly, archaeologists have discovered a royal steward’s tomb carved into the rocks of Jerusalem, which they believe might have been Shebna’s. You can view the lintel of the tomb at the British Museum. If this artifact is indeed from Shebna’s tomb, it serves as a lasting memorial to his misplaced vanity and pride.
One of the main perils of leadership is the temptation to use one’s position for personal gain, and to serve out of self-interest. It’s easy to see leadership as a way to make our own names great, and to enjoy the perks that come our way. Every leader will face this temptation, and many of us will fail.
God’s message through Isaiah is clear: those who exploit their leadership roles for personal advantage rather than serving others will face judgment from God.
The Faithful Leader
Isaiah also provides an example of another leader, Shebna’s replacement, Eliakim. Isaiah told Shebna that Eliakim would take his place because of Shebna’s self-interest as a leader.
Eliakim seems to have been a much better leader. God promises to clothe him with Shebna’s robe and sash, and to give him Shebna’s authority. God makes extravagant promises about Eliakim:
And I will clothe him with your robe, and will bind your sash on him, and will commit your authority to his hand. And he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. And I will fasten him like a peg in a secure place, and he will become a throne of honor to his father’s house. And they will hang on him the whole honor of his father’s house, the offspring and issue, every small vessel, from the cups to all the flagons. (Isaiah 22:21-24)
John uses some of the language of these verses to refer to Jesus in Revelation 3:7. Some scholars see Eliakim as foreshadowing Jesus’ ministry and authority. Eliakim appears to be a much better leader.
That’s why the end of the passage is shocking. After describing Eliakim as a peg in a secure place, God says, “In that day, declares the LORD of hosts, the peg that was fastened in a secure place will give way, and it will be cut down and fall, and the load that was on it will be cut off, for the LORD has spoken” (Isaiah 22:25).
Isaiah’s point is clear: even good leaders will disappoint. No human leader can bear the weight of our expectations. The peg will not hold. No human leader can bring salvation; every human leader will disappoint, even the good ones.
Even the best leader should be sobered by these verses. Even if God grants you a position of authority, and even if you’re faithful, you cannot bear the weight of leadership as well or as long as you think. “It ought to be inferred how foolishly men boast and rely on their greatness when they have been exalted to a high rank of honor,” says John Calvin, “for in a very short time they may be cast down and deprived of all honor.”
The Truth About Leaders
This passage in Isaiah is startling because it’s the only time Isaiah denounces individuals by name. His message is realistic about the leaders we follow: be cautious because some will misuse their authority for personal gain. But even the good ones can’t bear the weight of our expectations. They too will fail.
We need leaders, but we should be realistic about them. There is only one leader who doesn’t disappoint, and that is Christ. Every other leader will fail us eventually. We need leaders, but we must be realistic about them and never place our ultimate trust in them because only Christ can carry the full weight of his Father’s house.