What is the meaning of Isaiah 22:11? You built a reservoir between the walls • Jerusalem’s leaders invested in practical defenses, most likely the tunnel and pool system engineered by King Hezekiah before Sennacherib’s siege (2 Kings 20:20; 2 Chronicles 32:2-5). • Their construction was not sinful in itself; prudent planning is praised elsewhere (Proverbs 21:31). The issue is what followed. For the waters of the ancient pool • Water, essential for survival, symbolized security (Psalm 46:4). Securing “the ancient pool” meant ensuring life during attack, yet the city relied on an old resource rather than on the living God (Jeremiah 2:13). • Even time-honored traditions can become idols when they replace active trust in the Lord (Matthew 15:8-9). But you did not look to the One who made it • God designed both the city and its water sources (Psalm 24:1-2). To ignore Him while fortifying the gift is spiritual blindness (Deuteronomy 8:17-18). • Faithless self-reliance undercuts genuine security (Isaiah 31:1; Psalm 127:1). Or consider Him who planned it long ago • “Long ago” reminds us of God’s sovereign foresight (Isaiah 46:9-10). He authored Jerusalem’s history and its future salvation (Micah 4:1-2). • The people failed to remember His covenant purposes (Exodus 19:4-6) and missed the call to repentance and trust that could have averted judgment (Isaiah 30:15). • True wisdom asks, “What has the Lord planned?” rather than, “How can we fix this ourselves?” (James 4:13-15). Summary Jerusalem strengthened walls and waterworks, yet forgot the Architect of both. God’s criticism is not of preparation but of hearts that stopped short of humble dependence. Lasting security flows from remembering, seeking, and honoring the One who planned every safeguard long before we laid the first stone. |
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