Isaiah 28
28
1Tragedy is coming to the city of Samaria,#28:1. “The city of Samaria”: supplied for clarity. the crowning glory of Ephraim's drunks, to the fading flower of wonderful beauty, sitting above a fertile valley, and beloved by those hammered by wine. 2Watch out, for the Lord has someone who is strong and powerful! He is going to smash it to the ground like a hailstorm and a tornado, like a torrential rain and an overwhelming flood. 3That crowning glory of Ephraim's drunks will be trampled underfoot. 4That fading flower of wonderful beauty, sitting above a fertile valley, will be like figs ripe before the summer harvest—as soon as people discover them, they grab and eat them.
5At that time the Lord Almighty will be a beautiful, glorious crown that brings pride to those of his people who are left. 6He will be an inspiration to the judges to do what's right, and he will encourage those who fight off the attacks on the gate.
7But these people also drink so much wine and beer that they sway from side to side and stumble over. Even priests and prophets stagger along, their minds muddled by beer and wine. Because of the drink they are confused about visions and make mistakes when they give decisions. 8All their tables are full of vomit—filth is everywhere.
9“Just who is he trying to teach knowledge to?” they ask.#28:9. “They ask.” Supplied for clarity. “Who is he explaining his message to? To children just weaned from milk, to babies just removed from the breast? 10He tells us this blah and that blah, blah upon blah, and again blah and blah, and even more blah and blah!#28:10. There are indeed eight “blahs” in the Hebrew. The word was also used to describe idols, because they are also “blah”! It's a bit here and a bit there.” 11Fine—so now the Lord will talk to this people in foreign languages that sound strange to them!#28:11. Since the people had said that God was talking nonsense to them, he now will reveal his truth through other languages in order that he might communicate with them—even though these languages would sound like “blah” to them! Also verse 13. 12He had told them, “You can rest here. Let those who are tired rest. This is the place where you can safely relax.” But they refused to listen.
13Therefore the Lord's message to them will become, “This blah and that blah, blah upon blah, and again blah and blah, and even more blah and blah, a bit here and a bit there,” so that they'll fall over backwards, and they'll be wounded, trapped, and captured.#28:13. In other words, since they treat the Lord's message so contemptuously, they will reap the painful consequences of dismissing the Lord's advice.
14So pay attention to the Lord's message, you scornful rulers who lead these people in Jerusalem. 15You claim, “We've made an agreement with death; we've got a contract with the grave. When the terrible disaster rushes by, it won't affect us, because our lies protect us and we hide in our own deceptions.”
16Consequently, listen to what the Lord God says, Look! I'm laying a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a strong, well-tested stone. It's a valuable cornerstone that provides a firm foundation. Anyone who trusts in it won't be shaken loose.#28:16. “Shaken loose”: the word used normally means “hurry,” but can also have the meaning “disturbed.” 17I will make justice as straight as a measuring line, and doing what's right the standard rule. Hail will destroy the protection of your lies, and water will flood the place where you're hiding. 18Your agreement with death will be canceled; your contract with the grave will be revoked. When the terrible disaster rushes by, it will trample you underfoot. 19It will rush by time after time, dragging you away morning upon morning, day and night, rushing on and on. Once you understand this message you will be absolutely terrified.
20The bed is too short so you can't stretch out; the blanket is too narrow so you can't cover yourself. 21The Lord will come on the attack like he did to the Philistines at Mount Perazim, like he shook them in the Valley of Gibeon,#28:21. “Philistines”: supplied for clarity. See 1 Chronicles 14:8-16. coming to do what he has to do, his strange work; coming to act as he must, his unusual action. 22So don't mock, or your imprisonment will be even worse, for the Lord, the Lord Almighty, has explained to me his decision to destroy the whole country.
23Listen to what I'm saying! Listen and pay attention! Hear what I have to say! 24Does the farmer spend all his time plowing? Does he spend all his time preparing the soil? 25Once he has everything ready doesn't he sow seeds like dill and cumin, doesn't he plant wheat and barley in rows, with spelt grain as a border? 26His God gives him instructions and teaches him the right thing to do. 27You don't use a heavy tool to thresh dill! You don't use the wheel of a cart to thresh cumin! Instead you use a stick to beat out the dill, and a rod to beat out the cumin. 28Grain used for bread is easily damaged so you don't thresh it forever. When you drive your cart wheels over it with your horses, you don't crush it. 29This is also from the Lord Almighty who is very wise and gives great advice.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
Isaiah 28
28
Ephraim’s False Hope
1Woe to the pride of Israel’s # 28:1 Or “Ephraim,” a likely metonymy for the northern kingdom of Israel (Samaria). Read through this chapter to see the vivid contrast between the fading glory of mankind and the greater glory of God. drunkards,
worn like a garland on their heads!
Their glory is but wilted flowers,
worn like a crown on the heads of those
bloated with rich food and overcome by wine.
2Behold! The Lord has one who is strong and mighty,
and he will come like a hailstorm and like a destroying wind!
With a storm of massive, flooding waters,
his mighty power will knock it to the ground. # 28:2 There are three fulfillments to this prophecy: (1) The immediate fulfillment of this was the Assyrian army beginning to invade the northern kingdom of Israel in 740 BC (see 1 Chron. 5:26). The tribes located east of the Jordan River were the first ones conquered by Assyria. (2) The distant fulfillment was the advent of Jesus, the Mighty One, whom the Father sent with the sword of truth to demolish the lies and pride of man. (3) The future fulfillment will be the appearing of the overcomers (see Rev. 2–3) who follow the Lamb as dread champions and who overturn the tables of religion and the arrogance of man.
3That proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim
will be trampled underfoot,
4and the glory of these proud leaders will fade and disappear
like the first figs of the season, which are picked and eaten
as soon as they are ripe.
5In that day, Lord Yahweh, Commander of Angel Armies,
will be a crown of glory # 28:5 God himself is to be our “crown,” not human pride. See Heb. 2:9. and a diadem of beauty
for the remnant of his people.
6He will be a Spirit of justice
for judges to render right decisions.
And he will be strength and bravery
for those who turn back the battle at the gate.
Judah’s Drunken Prophets
7Moreover, the prophets and priests are drunk.
They stagger because of wine
and stumble around because of strong drink.
They are confused with wine, # 28:7 This is a play on words, for the word bala’ is a homophone for “confused” and “to swallow [wine].” It could be translated “The wine they swallow swallows them.”
stumbling because of strong drink.
They’re too drunk to understand their prophetic visions.
They’re too drunk to render right decisions in judgment.
8All of their banqueting tables are covered with filthy vomit;
vomit is everywhere!
9They say,
“Who does this prophet # 28:9 Or “he.” think he is to try to teach us?
Who really cares about his message?
It’s only good for babies just learning to talk. # 28:9 Or “babies just weaned.”
10Do, do this, and do, do that,
a rule about this and a rule about that,
here a little, there a little.” # 28:10 The meaning of the Hebrew text of this verse is uncertain. The Septuagint reads “You expect trouble upon trouble, hope upon hope; yet a little and yet a little.”
11Since they won’t listen to me,
God # 28:11 Or “he.” will use another mouthpiece to speak to them.
With stammering lips
and in a foreign language, # 28:11 That is, the foreign language of the Assyrians, which was Aramaic. See Deut. 28:49; 1 Cor. 14:21–22. he will speak to this people.
12For he has said to them,
“This is your rest, so let the weary rest; # 28:12 See Matt. 11:28–30; Heb. 4:9.
this is your comfort”—but they would not listen.
13Therefore, the word of Yahweh will be to them
“Do, do this, and do, do that,
a rule about this and a rule about that,
here a little, there a little,” # 28:13 The meaning of the Hebrew text of this verse is uncertain. The Septuagint reads “You expect trouble upon trouble, hope upon hope; yet a little and yet a little.”
in order that they will stumble backward
and be broken and captured.
A False Covenant with Death
14Therefore, listen to the word of Yahweh,
you scornful jesters—rulers of Jerusalem. # 28:14 Starting with this verse and going through Isa. 31:9, Isaiah spoke warnings to Judah and Jerusalem.
15For you have said,
“We have made a covenant with death
and a pact with the underworld, # 28:15 Or “Sheol.” Some scholars conclude that death and the underworld are metaphors for an alliance with Egypt and its false gods. However, it is more likely that they had made an actual pact with evil spirits, such as Death (Mot) and the Underworld (Resheph), to protect them from the plague. Christ has broken the covenant with death, for we are crucified with him (see Gal. 2:20). Now death “belongs” to the believer, for we have been given a life that triumphs over man’s covenant with death (see Rom. 8:38–39; 1 Cor. 3:21–22).
so when the overwhelming scourge sweeps over us,
it will not harm us.
For we have made lies our refuge # 28:15 Many today still hide behind lies, refusing to come to the truth in Christ.
and found our shelter in falsehood.” # 28:15 Or “false gods.”
Zion’s Foundation Stone
16Here’s what the Lord God says:
“Behold, I set in place in Zion a Foundation Stone, # 28:16 The “Foundation Stone” is Christ, set in place in the councils of eternity. The Hebrew word for “stone” is taken from the root word for “son” (ben). God’s Foundation Stone is his Son, Jesus Christ. See Rom. 9:33. Now the Son/Stone has become many (see 1 Peter 2:5–7). From these stones/sons, the Father is building us into his holy temple.
fully tested and proven to be faithful and secure. # 28:16 The promised one, Jesus Christ, is the chief cornerstone on which we rest our faith, because we are those who dwell in the Zion-realm (see Heb. 12:22). Believers throughout all time have proven that he is faithful. See Ps. 118:22; Acts 4:11; Eph. 2:20; Rev. 21:19–20.
And written upon this precious cornerstone is this:
‘Those who trust in him will not act in haste.’ # 28:16 Or “will never run away [in fear].” Faith, firmly set upon Christ, is patient and never rushes, for faith leaves the timing of all things in God’s hands. Peter quotes this verse, saying, “Whoever believes in him will certainly not be disappointed” (1 Peter 2:6).
17I will set justice as the true measurement
and integrity as its plumb line.
My hailstorm # 28:17 Hail is a biblical metaphor for divine judgment. See v. 2; Ex. 9:13–35; Josh. 10:11; Pss. 18:12–13; 148:8; Isa. 32:19; Rev. 8:7; 11:19; 16:21. will sweep away your refuge of lies,
and my floodwaters will overwhelm your hiding place.
18Then your covenant with death will be annulled
and your pact with the underworld will not stand.
And when the overwhelming scourge sweeps over you,
it will sweep you away! # 28:18 Or “it will trample you down.”
19As often as disaster passes by, it will carry you away;
morning by morning, day after day, it will sweep you away!”
When you fully understand this message,
it will bring nothing but terror to you!
20Your bed is too short to stretch yourself out on,
and your covering is too narrow to wrap yourself in. # 28:20 The bed is a metaphor for their confidence in lies—resting in illusions, not the truth. Those who trust in lies will not be comfortable. The covering being too narrow means their nakedness will still be exposed (like Adam’s and Eve’s hiding behind fig leaves). They will be too cramped and too cold. Every resting place and shelter will fail them.
21The Lord Yahweh will suddenly arise
as on Mount Perazim # 28:21 This mountain is also called Baal-Perazim (“lord of the breakthrough”), the place where the Lord broke through, enabling David to conquer the Philistines. See 2 Sam. 5:20. and in the valley of Gibeon. # 28:21 In this valley, Yahweh rained down hailstones on the Amorites. See Josh. 10:8–14.
He arises to accomplish his strange work—peculiar as it is—
his strange work of judgment. # 28:21 The prophet described God’s work of judgment as strange or foreign to what he delights in doing. God is love and longs to pour out his love upon his people, those he has chosen and established as his own. Yet God is holy, and although in mercy he may delay judgment, he will judge his people. To see God’s work of judgment as strange (alien) is to understand that heaven’s default is always mercy. See James 2:13.
22So do not mock, or your bonds will grow tighter.
For I have heard the decree from my Lord Yahweh,
Commander of Angel Armies.
He spoke a decree of destruction against the whole land.
The Wonderful Ways of God
23Hear my voice, listen to my words,
and pay close attention to my parable. # 28:23 Or “to my speech.” Isaiah used the parable of a farmer preparing his field to sow seed as a description of God’s ways within us. He begins by essentially saying, “If your ears are opened by my Spirit, then hear what I have to say.”
24Does a farmer plow continually at planting time
and never plant a crop? # 28:24 The sharp teeth and cutting edge of God’s Word as it plows through the soil of our hearts will result in his planting the life and glory of Jesus within us. God knows the purpose of his painful plowing in our hearts is to prepare them for the beautiful Jesus to come forth from within. The outward shell, the hardened clods of soil, must be broken open so that Christ may be our true life. See Hos. 10:12.
Does he continually break open the clods of the ground # 28:24 “The clods of the ground” are an apt metaphor for human nature, for we have been taken from the dust of the ground.
and never sow his seed?
25Once he has leveled its surface, does he not sow dill and cumin,
planting his wheat in rows, his barley in its proper place,
and his rye in a patch?
26Yes, his God has instructed him
and taught him the right way of farming the land.
27Dill, a small seed, is not threshed with a threshing sledge,
nor is a wagon wheel rolled over cumin. # 28:27 God knows how fragile we are as “seeds” of the kingdom. He will thresh us, but only according to what is needed to lay bare our hearts and cause the seed to grow. See 1 Cor. 10:13.
Dill is beaten with a rod and cumin with a stick.
28Grain is crushed # 28:28 God does not crush the grain but only frees it from the chaff. and milled for bread,
but it is not threshed endlessly.
One drives the wagon’s wheels over it,
but his horses’ hooves do not pulverize it.
29This counsel also comes from Lord Yahweh,
Commander of Angel Armies.
For his guidance is unfathomable,
and the heavenly wisdom he imparts is magnificent. # 28:29 Or “He makes counsel wonderful; he makes wisdom great.” See Rom. 11:33.
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