Isaiah 28
Good evening church, I pray that this week to this point has been a blessing. I pray that you have been enriched by the presence of the Lord and that he is consistently being revealed to you. This week we will be moving onto the final minor section of the first major section of Isaiah. This final section will take us up to and finish with chapter 39, where Israel is taken captive and destroyed. Isaiah, along with Israel, are taken into exile. Chapter 28 starts a series of “Woe’s”, which are meant to spur the people toward repentance. In this chapter we will discuss the themes of salvation and refuge. Let us look to break down this passage:
Vv. 1-6 This can be seen as a warning to the Southern Kingdom through the use of an example. This drunken king is representative of the Northern Kingdom who will lose it’s glory because of it’s sinfulness. The crown is described as a flower. Think about the flower. God grants it beauty and glory. But he easily can take it away by hail or drought. He could direct someone to come along and trample or pluck it. It only gives beauty for a short season before it fades away. But the crown will be given to the remnant who are godly and the crown will give much glory.
Vv.7-13 Not only is the king be drunk and sinful but even the priests and prophets who are supposed to speak the Word of the Lord. You see these religious leaders mock the words of Isaiah. Since they will not listen to the words of their brother, they will hear through the judgement of foreign nations.
VV. 14-22 The political and religious rulers of Israel are not looking to the Lord for guidance or salvation. So they will turn to other gods and other nations for protection. This covenant with death is likely to be the covenant with Egypt. They have traded a perfect covenant with the Lord for an agreement with another fallen nation. They have rejected the cornerstone. This is mentioned in many place in Scripture, including in descriptions of Jesus (Ps. 118:22, Matt. 21:42, Acts 4:11, Rom. 9:33, 1 Pet. 2:6).
Vv. 23-29 There is a time for everything. Although it may make us uncomfortable, God must judge this wicked nation and will do so. But it will not go on forever. He will allow Israel to grow and be made into good tasting food.
Here are some key takeaways from this chapter:
Covenant of Death: Israel becomes desperate as the enemies begin to surround their kingdom. Destruction seems inevitable. So they reach out to their old nemesis, Egypt, and broker a deal. But at what cost? We have an opportunity through the work of Christ on the cross to align ourselves with life. We can have victory and salvation, hope for a beautiful and prosperous future. Do not become so desperate that you lose sight of the light of the world. No matter what surrounds you, do not lose sight of the Lord. Do not allow the ways of the world, described as drunkenness in the passage, blind you. Remain sober-minded that you can keep your eyes open and lifted.
The Precious Cornerstone:God has laid a firm foundation and a precious cornerstone for Israel to build a kingdom from. And yet, the people break their covenant with the Lord and trade it in for a lesser agreement for a house without a foundation. This is often described in the New Testament of how we ought to see Jesus. We each are building spiritual houses, whether we know it or not. But we each have a choice: build the house our own way or accept Jesus as a well-laid cornerstone. When the cornerstone is correct, the house is firm and will not fall. Without that stone in the right place, the whole house will crumble. For our lives to be lived well, we need Jesus as our cornerstone.
Time for Everything: In farming, there is a time for plowing, sowing, reaping, and production of food. Each is necessary to get the desired end result. Judgement, though uncomfortable, is very much a part of the process of life in this sinful world. But it is for the betterment of ourselves, that we may turn ourselves over to the Lord and by doing so produce good fruit.