By Eugene Garner

ISAIAH - CHAPTER 28

PROPHETIC WARNINGS AGAINST MISPLACED
TRUST
(ISA. 28:1-33:24)

THE WOE OF EPHRAIM - A WARNING TO JUDAH

   Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine! Behold, the LORD hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand. The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet: And the glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be a fading flower, and as the hasty fruit before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.

    1. Samaria, built by Omry as the capitol of the northern kingdom (I Kings 16:24), was Ephraim's "crown of pride" - standing as a flower at the head of several fertile valleys, (vs. 1).
    2. The men of Ephraim were literally drunkards in addition to being spiritually intoxicated by the strong wine of idolatrous pride, (Amos 6:1-14; Hos. 4:1-19; Mic. 1:5-7).
      a. The scriptures frequently condemn strong drink and drunkenness, (Prov. 20:1; 23:29-35; Isa. 5:11; Hab. 2:15; Lk. 21:34; Rom. 13:13; I Cor. 6:10; Eph. 5:18).
      b. Never is it regarded as a "weakness" to be pitied, or a "disease" to be treated; it is a SIN - to be condemned, repudiated and abandoned!
    3. Very descriptive terms are used to describe the "strong one" whom the Lord is about to send against the drunkards of Ephraim, (vs. 2). Sennacherib (the near agent) is likened unto:
      a. A tempest of hail and a destroying storm.
      b. A powerful flood whose waters will overwhelm them.
    4. Both Samaria and the drunken leaders of Ephraim will be trampled under the feet of the Assyrian army, (vs. 3, 18).
    5. The beauty of their "crown of pride" will quickly fade, and, like early figs that are delightful, but few, it will soon be plucked and consumed by the invading army, (vs. 4; Hos. 9:10-11; Mic. 7:1; comp. Nahum 3:12).

   In that day shall the LORD of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people, And for a spirit of Judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate.

    1. There is coming a day wherein Messiah, "the Lord of hosts" Himself, will be both "a crown of glory" (4:2; 41:16; 45:25; 60:1, 19) and "diadem of beauty" to the remnant of His people, and they will be a crown of glory unto Him, (vs. 5; 62:3).
    2. To such as loyally yield themselves to Christ, the messiah, He will grant both wisdom and strength sufficient for every trying hour, (vs. 6; 11:2; 25:4; 2 Chron. 32:6-8).

   But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment. For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean. Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

    1. Here Isaiah pictures the filth and tragedy of drunkenness on the part of the leaders in Jerusalem (vs. 7-8; 22:12-13; Jer. 48:26) - drunken priests perverting judgment (24:2, 5; Hab. 2:15-16; Isa. 59:11-14), and drunken prophets perverting the word they were responsible to proclaim in purity, (9:15; 30:9-10; 59:3-4; Jer. 23:14).
    2. Rebuffed by Isaiah's admonition, the people of Jerusalem resent and mock his method saying that he is treating them like babes just weaned from their mother's breasts, (vs. 9-10; Heb. 5:12-13; I Pet. 2:2; Psa. 131:1-3).
    3. But, the prophet assures them that, if they will not be admonished in plain, simple and understandable language, then God will instruct them in the language of the Chaldeans which they do not understand! (vs. 11; comp. I Cor. 14:21).
    4. The Lord offered them true rest and refreshment through trust in His Word; but they refused to hear; thus, they would stumble and fall backward - to be broken, snared and taken captive, (vs. 12-13; 30:15; Jer. 6:16; Matt. 11:28-29; Isa. 8:13-15; Matt. 21:43-44).

   Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem. Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report. For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it. For the LORD shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act. Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong; for I have heard from the Lord God of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth.

    1. The rulers of Judah scoff at the prophet's warning, boasting that they have fashioned fraudulent, protective treaties with both Egypt and Assyria; thus, making falsehood their trust, (vs. 14-15; 44:20; Ezek. 13:22; Isa. 29:15).
    2. But God, through the prophet, declares that the only sure, safe and trustworthy foundation for their trust is in the Stone that He lays in Zion - tried (by sin, Satan, men and God), precious and sure, (vs. 16a; 8:14-15; Matt. 21:42; Eph. 2:20).
      a. This is clearly a Messianic prophecy whether Isaiah recognized it or not; it offers Christ as man's only hope, (Acts 4:11-12).
      b. It would be most profitable to study all the biblical references to Christ as a rock or stone, (Psa. 118:22; comp. 1 Pet. 2:6; Eph. 2:20-22; also note Isa. 26:4; 32:2; Dan. 2:32, 35, 45; Matt. 16:18; I Cor. 3:9-11; 10:4).
    3. The person who really trusts in Him will not be hurried - either to hide from trouble, or to form alliances of protection contrary to His will.
    4. The only thing that will spare them from the purposed judgment is righteousness and justice, (vs. 17; 5:16; 30:18; 61:8; Amos 7:7-9).
    5. Once the instrument of God's wrath is turned loose upon them it will: sweep away their refuge of lies, flood their hiding-place, cancel and annul the treaties in which they are trusting, (vs. 18: 7:7; 8:10).
    6. When the Assyrian army passes through, like a scourge, they will be trampled by it; they will live in constant terror as they learn the lesson the prophet has tried to teach them in simple terms, (vs. 19; Job 6:4; 24:17; Psa. 88:14-17; Jer. 15:8).
    7. Like a bed that is too short, and cover that is too narrow, there will be no real comfort in their scheming devices, (vs. 20; 59:6; 57:12).
    8. The Lord will move against Judah as He has previously done against their enemies at Perazim and Gibeon (Josh. 10:10; II Sam. 5:20); but, to move against His own people is a strange and unwonted task, (vs. 21; Lam. 2:15; 3:33; Lk. 19:41-44).
    9. Unless they cease their scorning and mockery their bondage will become more intense (vs. 22a); the Lord has decreed destruction upon the whole land, (vs. 22b; 10:22-23).

   Give ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech. Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground? When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat and the appointed barley and the rie in their place? For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him. For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod. Bread corn is bruised; because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it with his horsemen. This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working.

    1. Isaiah calls for the attention of those who are suffering because of their loyalty to the Lord, Who surely has not forgotten His covenant or promise, (vs. 23; Psa. 49:1-2; II Kings 13:23; Psa. 89:34).
    2. He illustrates the wisdom of God's action by likening the covenant people to farm land, and a threshing-floor, (vs. 24-29).
      a. Harrow and plowshare stand for God's judgments upon His people.
      b. Just as the farmer does not go on plowing and harrowing after the soil is smooth, neither does the Lord indefinitely stretch out His hand against them.
      c. There is a holy purpose in every act of divine discipline.
      d. As the farmer plants various seed in prepared soil - the methods of each differing in both planting and harvesting - so, the Lord deals with his people as is necessary to gain the highest yield from their lives, (vs. 24.28, Heb. 12:5-12).
    3. All may safely entrust the direction of their lives unto Him who is "wonderful in counsel" and "excellent" in the wisdom of His effectual working, (vs. 29b; 9:6; 31:2; Rom. 11:33).