What does Isaiah 22:20 mean?

Through Isaiah, the Lord has soundly rejected a high-ranking official of King Hezekiah. Shebna, the king's steward, responded to the Assyrian siege of the city by simply accepting that he would die. Rather than repenting or praying to the Lord, Shebna is spending time preparing his elaborate tomb. Instead of serving his God or his king, Shebna works to preserve his lofty status beyond his death and into future generations (Isaiah 22:15–19).

The Lord God will dramatically remove Shebna from his prepared resting place in Jerusalem to die without dignity or legacy in a faraway land. Before that happens, the Lord will evict Shebna from his important position and replace him with another.

Now the prophet identifies who will be given Shebna's position of power and authority: Eliakim the son of Hilkiah. Second Kings 18:18 finds Eliakim holding the position of being "over the household" as negotiations are being held with the Assyrian king during the siege. Shebna is listed as "the secretary." This change in position may have been immediate.

The Lord refers to Eliakim as "my servant," indicating that he was a godly man, and more faithful to the Lord than Shebna.