The shifting of political power and the replacement of a corrupt leader with a worthy successor are events guided by direct divine oversight. The moment of transition arrives when the disgraced official, Shebna, is removed from his high office and driven into exile [רד״ק]. At this critical juncture, a new leader, Eliakim, is selected to take his place as a senior official.
God brings about this appointment not through a direct verbal command to Eliakim, but by placing the desire within King Hezekiah's heart to choose him for the role [מלבי״ם, רד״ק]. This divine selection can also be understood as an act of elevating Eliakim and raising his public standing [רד״ק]. Unlike his corrupt predecessor who actively chased after power, Eliakim does not seek out the position. Instead, God takes the initiative to grant him the role [אברבנאל]. On a deeper spiritual level, this summons is directed at Eliakim's soul in heaven. It serves to draw down holy blessings upon Him and transfers the spiritual merits that once belonged to Shebna before his fall into sin [חומת אנך]. Eliakim is specifically identified as a loyal servant of God, a title that highlights his faithful character in sharp contrast to Shebna [אבן עזרא].
The background to this dramatic change in leadership lies in Shebna's secret betrayal. He had conspired behind closed doors with the king of Assyria. Following this treason, the prophet instructed Hezekiah to strip Shebna of his power, demoting him to a simple scribe, and to elevate Eliakim to the position of minister in charge of the royal palace. Because of this swift reorganization, when the Assyrian king Sennacherib later threatened Jerusalem, Eliakim was already serving in the senior leadership role. Shebna, reduced to a scribe, hypocritically tore his clothes in a fake display of loyalty upon hearing the threats of the enemy commander Rabshakeh [רד״ק]. In the end, after Sennacherib departed, Shebna and his faction of traitors were swept away, dragged by the tails of horses to their punishment, leaving the faithful Eliakim to stand at the head of the nation's leadership [רש״י].