Isaiah 28

Isaiah 28:1-29 (NLT) 1 What sorrow awaits the proud city of Samaria-- the glorious crown of the drunks of Israel. It sits at the head of a fertile valley, but its glorious beauty will fade like a flower. It is the pride of a people brought down by wine. 

The northern kingdom of Israel was a disobedient people.  God removed them into exile because of their religious practices.

2 For the Lord will send a mighty army against it. Like a mighty hailstorm and a torrential rain, they will burst upon it like a surging flood and smash it to the ground.

God will use nature to respond to His word to remove the ungodly people in the northern kingdom.  

 3 The proud city of Samaria-- the glorious crown of the drunks of Israel-- will be trampled beneath its enemies’ feet. 

When disobeying God, we will be removed.  God has no respect of people.

4 It sits at the head of a fertile valley, but its glorious beauty will fade like a flower. Whoever sees it will snatch it up, as an early fig is quickly picked and eaten. 

We may be known for our large churches and famous pastors who lead us; if we are not being taught the Word of God, no title or fame can and will keep us in business.

5 Then at last the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will himself be Israel’s glorious crown. He will be the pride and joy of the remnant of his people. 

When all the people who stood in God's stead to lead His people disobeyed, God himself will continue His dynasty through the few who will remain.

6 He will give a longing for justice to their judges. He will give great courage to their warriors who stand at the gates. 

 

God will appoint the right people in place to execute His Holiness.  Those He appoints will make sure God's orders are carried out and the true representation of God's Way will be made known.

7 Now, however, Israel is led by drunks who reel with wine and stagger with alcohol. The priests and prophets stagger with alcohol and lose themselves in wine. They reel when they see visions and stagger as they render decisions. 

The leaders who lead today's church seek the drunken things of life.  They use their positions to show that are blessed because of the tangible things that rob the people of God.

8 Their tables are covered with vomit; filth is everywhere.

What they serve God's people is what is from their own philosophies.  To compare the Word of God to leadership's teaching today is as vomit and filth all over the place in many churches.

Isaiah 28:9-29 (KJV) 

9 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. 

God will again use little children to carry His Word.  At a very young age, God is raising Moses' all over the land.

10 For precept [must be] upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, [and] there a little: 

He will teach them a little at a time.  These children born will know the Word of God correctly.  Get excited!  God has a plan!

11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. 

12 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. 

Verse 11 and 12 speak of the stubbornness of the people of God.  God will send people that will rule them harshly because they refuse to follow God's clear and plain speech.

13 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. 

God's Word will be heard.  They will hear it when they are trapped by those who will imprison them.  They will do what is right because their lives will be under the rule of the enemies.

14 Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which [is] in Jerusalem. 

The prophet told them to listen to God again and again.

15 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: 

We have outsmarted God's Word.  We will not die and we are not going to hell;  We tell lies for a living and we hide behind the bars of deceit.

16 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. 

God will give you a priceless gift who will be strong enough to hold His plan and there will not be a reason to fear of ever falling.

17 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. 

I will give you my Word.  It is prepared to do what I set it up to do.  Anything that is not connected to My Word will be flushed and destroyed.

18 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. 

The promise you made to escape death and hell will be destroyed.  The enemy I will send you will show you what I mean.

We must not teach people that we have eternal security.  Every day we must seek God for what we should carry out each day.  We do not have to be concerned about if God has removed us without notice; neither should we be concerned if God will not help us to get our assignment done; He promised to walk with us all the way through.

19 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. 

When it rains it will pour.  Your enemy will not allow you to rest.  You will remember Noah and the rain, you will wonder will it ever stop.

20 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]. 

It will not be a comfortable ride.

21 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. 

Because of your refusal to change, you will see the wrath of God.

22 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. 

Do not be hard-headed, I heard God say what I am telling you.  If you refuse to comply, you will cause only more hardship.

23 Give ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech. 

Isaiah is saying listen.

24 Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground? 

Do you think God is just talking and He will never do what He said?

25 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? 

When a farmer cultivates his land, he plants what he has planned to plant.  So is it with God, He speaks then he carries out what He has spoken.

26 For his God doth instruct him to discretion, [and] doth teach him.

Just as God gives the farmer the knowledge to do his job, so will God will do what He said also.

27 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. 

The farmer carefully removes what he has planted.  He does not abuse his crop.  So it is with God.

28 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.

The farmer knows how to handle his crop.  He does not destroy what he knows he wants to use.

 29 This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts, [which] is wonderful in counsel, [and] excellent in working.

The wisdom of the farmer comes from God.  God is wise in all he does, even to the punishment of His people.  God judges in stages and this is to allow us to think about our ultimate fate.