Isaiah 28

Isaiah 28 focuses on a message of judgment against Ephraim (northern Israel) and Jerusalem (Judah), highlighting their pride, drunkenness, and refusal to listen to God's teachings. The chapter warns of destruction but also holds out the promise of a cornerstone, a symbol of hope for those who trust in God.

Isaiah 28:1-4 (NKJV)
1 Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower which is at the head of the verdant valleys, to those who are overcome with wine!
2 Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one, like a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, like a flood of mighty waters overflowing, who will bring them down to the earth with His hand.
3 The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, will be trampled underfoot;
4 And the glorious beauty is a fading flower which is at the head of the verdant valley, like the first fruit before the summer, which an observer sees; he eats it up while it is still in his hand.

Isaiah begins by addressing the pride and indulgence of Ephraim (the northern kingdom of Israel), specifically targeting their leaders' drunkenness and self-satisfaction. Their beauty and success, symbolized by a "fading flower," are fleeting. God's judgment is compared to a storm that will sweep them away, destroying their pride. Their downfall is inevitable, and like a piece of fruit eagerly consumed, their destruction will be swift and final.

Isaiah 28:5-6 (NKJV)
5 In that day the Lord of hosts will be for a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty to the remnant of His people,
6 For a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and for strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.

Amid the judgment, there is a promise of restoration for the faithful remnant. God will become their true crown of glory, providing justice and strength. Those who remain faithful will be blessed with wisdom and the ability to defend against their enemies. This contrasts with the corrupt leaders whose pride has led to their downfall.

Isaiah 28:7-8 (NKJV)
7 But they also have erred through wine, and through intoxicating drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through intoxicating drink, they are swallowed up by wine, they are out of the way through intoxicating drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.
8 For all tables are full of vomit and filth; no place is clean.

The corruption extends even to the priests and prophets, who should be leading the people in righteousness. Their drunkenness has clouded their judgment, causing them to fail in their spiritual responsibilities. This graphic description of their tables filled with filth emphasizes the depth of their moral decay and spiritual failure.

Isaiah 28:9-10 (NKJV)
9 “Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will he make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just drawn from the breasts?
10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.”

The people mockingly ask who is fit to learn from God, implying that His teachings are too simplistic, like instructions for children. God's method of instruction, described as "precept upon precept" and "line upon line," reveals the patience and clarity with which He communicates. Yet the people see this as beneath them, failing to recognize the value of God's guidance.

Isaiah 28:11-13 (NKJV)
11 For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people,
12 To whom He said, “This is the rest with which you may cause the weary to rest,” and, “This is the refreshing”; yet they would not hear.
13 But the word of the Lord was to them, “Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little,” that they might go and fall backward, and be broken and snared and caught.

Because the people refuse to listen to God's simple, clear instruction, He will speak to them through foreign nations, represented by "stammering lips and another tongue." They rejected the rest and refreshing that God offered through His word, so now they will experience judgment. The repetition of “precept upon precept” highlights their stubborn refusal to learn, leading to their downfall.

Isaiah 28:14-15 (NKJV)
14 Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scornful men, who rule this people who are in Jerusalem,
15 Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we are in agreement. When the overflowing scourge passes through, it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood we have hidden ourselves.”

The leaders of Jerusalem are condemned for their arrogance. They believe they are invulnerable to God's judgment because they have made deceitful agreements to protect themselves. Their "covenant with death" and reliance on lies will not save them from the coming judgment. Their false sense of security will ultimately fail them.

Isaiah 28:16-17 (NKJV)
16 Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; whoever believes will not act hastily.
17 Also I will make justice the measuring line, and righteousness the plummet; the hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters will overflow the hiding place.”

In contrast to the leaders' false security, God offers a true foundation in Zion—a cornerstone, symbolic of Christ. Those who trust in this cornerstone will find stability and security. Justice and righteousness will be the standard by which all are measured, and God's judgment, like a storm, will sweep away their lies and deceptions.

Isaiah 28:18-19 (NKJV)
18 Your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand; when the overflowing scourge passes through, then you will be trampled down by it.
19 As often as it goes out it will take you; for morning by morning it will pass over, and by day and by night; it will be a terror just to understand the report.”

The leaders' covenant with death will be broken, and their plans will fail. When God’s judgment sweeps through, they will be overwhelmed by it repeatedly, day and night. The terror of the impending disaster will be so great that even hearing about it will cause fear. Their false confidence will leave them utterly exposed to the judgment they thought they could escape.

Isaiah 28:20-22 (NKJV)
20 For the bed is too short to stretch out on, and the covering so narrow that one cannot wrap himself in it.
21 For the Lord will rise up as at Mount Perazim, He will be angry as in the Valley of Gibeon—that He may do His work, His awesome work, and bring to pass His act, His unusual act.
22 Now therefore, do not be mockers, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have heard from the Lord God of hosts, a destruction determined even upon the whole earth.

Their attempts to find comfort and protection will be insufficient, like a bed too short or a blanket too small. God will rise in judgment as He did in the past, performing a strange and unusual work of destruction. The people are warned to stop mocking, or their punishment will be even greater. God has decreed destruction, and it will affect the whole land.

Isaiah 28:23-26 (NKJV)
23 Give ear and hear my voice, listen and hear my speech.
24 Does the plowman keep plowing all day to sow? Does he keep turning his soil and breaking the clods?
25 When he has leveled its surface, does he not sow the black cummin and scatter the cummin, plant the wheat in rows, the barley in the appointed place, and the spelt in its place?
26 For He instructs him in right judgment, his God teaches him.

Isaiah calls the people to listen to God's wisdom, using the analogy of a farmer. A farmer doesn’t keep plowing endlessly; at the right time, he sows his seeds in the proper places. Similarly, God’s actions are purposeful and measured. Just as the farmer follows wisdom in his work, so God acts with wisdom in His judgment and His plans for His people.

Isaiah 28:27-29 (NKJV)
27 For the black cummin is not threshed with a threshing sledge, nor is a cartwheel rolled over the cummin; but the black cummin is beaten out with a stick, and the cummin with a rod.
28 Bread flour must be ground; therefore he does not thresh it forever, break it with his cartwheel, or crush it with his horsemen.
29 This also comes from the Lord of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in guidance.

Just as a farmer uses different methods for different crops, God applies His judgment and discipline wisely. He does not destroy His people without purpose. Each method serves a function, whether discipline or blessing, and it is all guided by God’s wisdom. God’s counsel is perfect, and His guidance is always good, even in judgment.