Isaiah 28:

Introduction

[READING]

Isaiah 28:14–29 NASB95

14 Therefore, hear the word of the Lord, O scoffers, Who rule this people who are in Jerusalem, 15 Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, And with Sheol we have made a pact. The overwhelming scourge will not reach us when it passes by, For we have made falsehood our refuge and we have concealed ourselves with deception.” 16 Therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed. 17 “I will make justice the measuring line And righteousness the level; Then hail will sweep away the refuge of lies And the waters will overflow the secret place. 18 “Your covenant with death will be canceled, And your pact with Sheol will not stand; When the overwhelming scourge passes through, Then you become its trampling place. 19 “As often as it passes through, it will seize you; For morning after morning it will pass through, anytime during the day or night, And it will be sheer terror to understand what it means.” 20 The bed is too short on which to stretch out, And the blanket is too small to wrap oneself in. 21 For the Lord will rise up as at Mount Perazim, He will be stirred up as in the valley of Gibeon, To do His task, His unusual task, And to work His work, His extraordinary work. 22 And now do not carry on as scoffers, Or your fetters will be made stronger; For I have heard from the Lord God of hosts Of decisive destruction on all the earth. 23 Give ear and hear my voice, Listen and hear my words. 24 Does the farmer plow continually to plant seed? Does he continually turn and harrow the ground? 25 Does he not level its surface And sow dill and scatter cummin And plant wheat in rows, Barley in its place and rye within its area? 26 For his God instructs and teaches him properly. 27 For dill is not threshed with a threshing sledge, Nor is the cartwheel driven over cummin; But dill is beaten out with a rod, and cummin with a club. 28 Grain for bread is crushed, Indeed, he does not continue to thresh it forever. Because the wheel of his cart and his horses eventually damage it, He does not thresh it longer. 29 This also comes from the Lord of hosts, Who has made His counsel wonderful and His wisdom great.

[PRAYER]

[CONTEXT]

[CIT]

[PROP]

[INTER]

[TS]

Major Ideas

#1: xyxyxyxy (vv. 14-22)

[EXP]

The scoffing rulers of Jerusalem who have made an agreement with death and the grave are called to hear the word of the Lord. (vv. 14-15)

God says that trust in him is the measure of justice and righteousness. Judah’s agreement with Egypt will not stand. Assyria will be a terror to Judah. (vv. 16-19)

Egypt cannot provide the security that Judah is looking for, but God can and will. The scoffing rulers of Jerusalem are called to repent. (vv. 20-22)

At Perazim (2 Sam. 5:20), God gave David a great victory over the Philistines.

David described the defeat God gave him as a breakthrough of waters or a bursting flood.

At the Valley of Gibeon (Jos. 10:11), God used hailstones to defeat the enemies of Joshua.

The Bible says there were more who died from the hailstones than from the swords of the Israelites.

If Judah’s rulers would trust him, God would save his people by unusual and extraordinary means once again.

But now Judah’s rulers must decide, if they carry on as scoffer’s their fetters (i.e., their chains) would be made stronger.

Of course, God’s desire is for them to no longer carry on as scoffers but to trust him alone for salvation.

[ILLUS] Jesus and the tower of Siloam

essentially Jesus was telling these people not to scoff or dismiss the tragedy that befell these others

He tells them to trust in God before tragedy befalls them.

[APP] We had better heed the words of Jesus. It’s appointed for man to die and then face the judgment.

Judah faced God’s judgment in the form of Assyria, but we’re all gonna face his judgment.

We’re all going to die and face his judgment!

Do we scoff at this?

When we watch the news and hear about someone dying after speeding down the interstate, do we scoff and say, “That idiot shouldn’t have been speeding”?

We shouldn’t drive recklessly, but driving safely will not save us from the judgment of God.

When we hear about someone shot and killed in a dangerous part of town, do we scoff and say, “Shouldn’t have been in that part of town.”

Bad company does ruin good morals, but staying in the safe parts of town will not save us from the judgment of God.

As God’s judgment in the form Assyrian conquest fell on Israel, Judah scoffed, “Those idiots should’ve made a better alliance,” but Judah would not be saved by it’s so-called better alliance.

The only thing that can save from the judgment of God is believing God.

We believe God when he said of Jesus, “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased.”

We believe God when he said through his angel, “You shall name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

We believe God when he says in his word that, just as Abraham believed and had it counted to him as righteous, the blessing of Abraham has come to us in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:6, 14).

Only believing God concerning his Son, Jesus, we will be saved from the judgment of God.

[TS]…

#2: xyxyxyxy (vv. 23-29)

[EXP]

The scoffing rulers of Jerusalem are called to hear Isaiah give an analogy of a wise farmer who follows God’s instruction. He doesn’t continually plow, turn, and harrow the ground, he also levels the ground and plants his crops in orderly rows. (vv. 23-26)

The meaning of the analogy is given although it is not explicit. God knows what his people need. Sometimes they need the rod and the club. Sometimes they need threshing, but this isn’t forever. God isn’t out to destroy his people but to discipline his people. Just as threshing and the end of threshing are necessary to make good bread, so discipline and the end of discipline are necessary to refine God’s people. Because his counsel is wonderful and his wisdom is great, God knows just what his people need so they turn back to him, so they trust in him alone. (vv. 27-29)

[ILLUS] The Lord Jesus refining Peter

sometimes delightful

leadership

inner circle

praise, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah, for this has not been revealed to you…”

sometimes painful

“O You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

“Get behind me, Satan.”

“Do you love me?”

Paul, “I opposed him to his face.”

Through the right means at the right time… through his wonderful counsel and great wisdom, Jesus refined Peter so he would learn not to trust in himself or anyone else, but to trust in Jesus alone.

[APP]

[TS]…

Conclusion

[PRAYER]