What does Isaiah 22:8 mean?

This begins with the final thought of the previous verse (Isaiah 22:7). Isaiah is either recalling recent history or a prophecy of Judah's future. Both involve an invading army that came to destroy Jerusalem. The prophet has described the chaos and confusion of that incident. The valleys around Jerusalem were full of chariots. The enemy horsemen were right outside the city gates. All Jerusalem's protections had fallen away, including all the towns and cities in the nation outside of her walls.

Now he adds that this was not a result of poor planning or even an enemy overwhelming force. Those may have been factors, but the real cause was God's judgment. It was the Lord who had orchestrated all of it. Because of Judah's stubborn refusal to rely on Him alone, he had removed her protection entirely. Now the people would either depend on Him, or they would continue in their hard-headed disobedience.

The actions they took in the immediate moments of crisis were very practical. The first was to check on the weapons stored in a place called the "House of the Forest." This was part of the temple complex. This was a structure built by Solomon where all the weapons and other precious items were kept. The building's columns and woodwork gave it the feel of natural woods.