Isaiah 22-24

Isaiah 22
1-14 Warning of Destruction of Jerusalem

• To the valley of vision. Since I'm weak on geography, Isaiah's terms for these cities and countries that are the subject of his warnings are intriguing to me: "wilderness of the sea" for Babylon, "desert plain" for Arabia in chapter 21. I would never have thought of Jerusalem as a valley because I understood people always went "up" to Jerusalem, but apparently it is surrounded by mountains higher than the mountains on which it stands. "The valley of vision" implies to me a city chosen by God to reveal himself but one that needed to temper its self-opinion. Yes, you're high, says God, but remember the mountains about you. You are not my "mountain of vision" but my "valley of vision."
  
• You have fled to your housetops; your rulers were captured without a fight. According to Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, this passage refers to the attack by Sennacherib in the 14th year of Hezekiah's reign (See 2 Chronicles 32:4-5, 30.)
• Turn away from me, and let me cry bitter tears, says the prophet.
  
• God is responsible for all this tumult. "He has taken away the covering of Judah."
• You cut off the water supply to the enemy for protection, but you had no regard for God, the one who gave you the means to defend yourselves.
• You were feasting when you should have been mourning.

15-25 Denunciation of Self-Seeking Officials

• Condemnation of Shebna, apparently the temple treasurer, who has supposed he will hold the office until his death, since he has built a tomb for himself there even though his relatives are not buried there.
  
• Graphic condemnation - God will roll him up like a ball and hurl him far away.
• Then God will replace him with Eliakim (Azariah) son of Hilkiah (see 1 Chronicles 6:13 and 2 Chronicles 31:13)

Isaiah 23
1-18 An Oracle concerning Tyre

• Wail (vv 1 and 6), be still (v. 2), be ashamed (v. 4). For the great merchant city will be no more.
• The Chaldeans have destined Tyre for wild animals. They will tear down her fortresses, and she will be forgotten for 70 years.
• At the end of 70 years she will prostitute herself with all the kingdoms on the face of the earth. (70 years probably refers to the period of time when Babylon was powerful, under the reigns of Nebuchadnezzar, Evil-merodach and Belshazzar, who was defeated by Cyrus the Mede, as recorded in Daniel.)
  

Isaiah 24
1-23 Impending Judgment on the Earth

• 1-3 God is about to make the earth desolate, affecting everyone, whether master or slave, buyer or seller, lender or borrower.
• 4-6 Why do the earth and heavens suffer? Because its inhabitants are disobedient.
• 7-11 The partying will cease. "All gladness of the earth is banished."
  
• 12-13 Cities will be left desolate - like bare olive trees.
• 14-16 (Now) they give glory to the LORD from west to east, but I say Woe is me! For the treacherous deal treacherously.
• 17-20 Inescapable terror is upon you, for the earth is utterly broken because of the weight of its transgression.
• 21-23 Hosts of heaven and kings on earth will be gathered, shut up in a prison and punished while the LORD of hosts reigns on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown have this to say about this section of Isaiah:
The four chapters (the twenty-fourth through the twenty-seventh) form one continuous poetical prophecy: descriptive of the dispersion and successive calamities of the Jews (Isaiah 24:1-12); the preaching of the Gospel by the first Hebrew converts throughout the world (Isaiah 24:13-16); the judgments on the adversaries of the Church and its final triumph (Isaiah 24:16-23); thanksgiving for the overthrow of the apostate faction (Isaiah 25:1-12), and establishment of the righteous in lasting peace (Isaiah 26:1-21); judgment on leviathan and entire purgation of the Church (Isaiah 27:1-13). Having treated of the several nations in particular--Babylon, Philistia, Moab, Syria, Israel, Egypt, Edom, and Tyre (the miniature representative of all, as all kingdoms flocked into it)--he passes to the last times of the world at large and of Judah the representative and future head of the churches.

If I read it right, Matthew Henry's commentary is similar in its approach, though if JF&B are talking about a physical kingdom on earth, they don't agree. Obviously, I need to study this more in depth -- as with all of Isaiah. I see this as preliminary and look forward to the day of understanding that I'm sure will build my faith and thrill my soul -- those "Aha!" moments.