The Book of Isaiah, Part 11: Woes and Crises, Part A

Intro

Series - Book of Isaiah, Part 22

Sub-series - Woes and Crises

Background

Isaiah 28-39 - Woes and Crises

First Assyrian crises during the the days of king Ahaz (Isaiah 7)

Second Assyrian crises during king Hezekiah’s reign

Six Woes - Isaiah 28-33

Visions of wrath and rejoicing - Isaiah 34-35

King Hezekiah’s Crisis - Isaiah 36-39

The Second Assyrian Crisis

Part A - Isaiah 28

Part B - Isaiah 29

Part C - Isaiah 30

Part D - Isaiah 31-32

Part E - Isaiah 33-35

Part F - Isaiah 36-39

Contents of Isaiah 28

Verses 1-13 declares Ephraim’s impending destruction

Verses 14-29 is addressed to the rulers of Judah in Jerusalem

The proud crown of Ephraim

Isaiah 28:1–6 NASB 2020

1 Woe to the proud crown of the habitually drunk of Ephraim, And to the fading flower of its glorious beauty, Which is at the head of the fertile valley Of those who are overcome with wine! 2 Behold, the Lord has a strong and mighty agent; As a storm of hail, a tempest of destruction, Like a storm of mighty overflowing waters, He has thrown it down to the earth with His hand. 3 The splendid crown of the habitually drunk of Ephraim is trampled underfoot. 4 And the fading flower of its glorious beauty, Which is at the head of the fertile valley, Will be like the first-ripe fig prior to the summer, Which one sees, And as soon as it is in his hand, He swallows it. 5 On that day the Lord of armies will become a beautiful crown And a glorious wreath to the remnant of His people; 6 A spirit of justice for him who sits in judgment, A strength to those who repel the onslaught at the gate.

the message is addressed to Ephraim (Israel);

this message was probably given to Isaiah prior to the complete destruction of the northern kingdom in 722 b.c.

the proud crown of Ephraim is Samaria, its capital city

the “habitually drunk” of Ephraim are its people, possibly its leaders

Samaria will be destroyed by God’s agent (Tiglath-Pileser)

God will be exalted as the hope and joy of the believing remnants, instead of Samaria

The context

Israel was drunk in the successes and achivements of Samaria

financial and political successes

they were celebrating and flauting their “crown” (Samaria)

The judgment of Samaria is final.

there is no more explanation

God will be magnified in executing His judgment.

He will be a beautiful crown to the remnant

The message

Beware that your glorying and boasting do not lead you to sin and offending God!

Example - king Nebuchadnezzar boasting of his achievement - Daniel 4.28-32

Daniel 4:28–32 NASB 2020

28 “All of this happened to Nebuchadnezzar the king. 29 Twelve months later he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon. 30 The king began speaking and was saying, ‘Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty?’ 31 While the word was still in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: sovereignty has been removed from you, 32 and you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the animals of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.’

Beware when people praise you!

we cannot stop people from giving praises

but we can put the praises in the proper place - in God!

Jeremiah 9:23–24 NASB 2020

23 This is what the Lord says: “Let no wise man boast of his wisdom, nor let the mighty man boast of his might, nor a rich man boast of his riches; 24 but let the one who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises mercy, justice, and righteousness on the earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.

Earthly glory can be intoxicating!

Intoxicated - filled and affected by alcohol in such a way that physical and mental control is diminished

The drunk priests and prophets of Ephraim

Isaiah 28:7–13 NASB 2020

7 And these also reel with wine and stagger from intoxicating drink: The priest and the prophet reel with intoxicating drink, They are confused by wine, they stagger from intoxicating drink; They reel while having visions, They stagger when rendering a verdict. 8 For all the tables are full of filthy vomit, without a single clean place. 9 “To whom would He teach knowledge, And to whom would He interpret the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just taken from the breast? 10 “For He says, ‘Order on order, order on order, Line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there.’ ” 11 Indeed, He will speak to this people Through stammering lips and a foreign tongue, 12 He who said to them, “This is the place of quiet, give rest to the weary,” And, “This is the resting place,” but they would not listen. 13 So the word of the Lord to them will be, “Line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there,” That they may go and stumble backward, be broken, snared, and taken captive.

the priests and prophets are drunk from intoxicating drink

they cannot control their movement

their vision and judgment are affected

the tables are full of vomit

The context

Intoxication has affected even the priests and prophets of Israel

they failed to see things clearly

they failed to judge things righteously

they indulge and feast on filth/sinful activities

The drunk priests and prophets have rejected the words of the LORD

they judged them to be appropriate only to children

they compared God’s words to gibberish child talk

“tsav latsav, tsav latsav; qaw laqav, qaw laqav; zeer sham, zeer sham… ”

God returns their mocking by responding via a foreign language

so that they will not understand them

so that they will stumble, be broken, snared, and taken captive

The message

To reject God’s word is sin enough, to mock them is utter blasphemy!

Hebrews 10:28–29 NASB 2020

28 Anyone who has ignored the Law of Moses is put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severe punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?

Indulging in worldly things can numb your spiritual senses.

use the things of this world properly - 1 Cor 7.31

1 Corinthians 7:31 NASB 2020

31 and those who use the world, as though they did not make full use of it; for the present form of this world is passing away.

be filled with the Spirit - when you are filled with the Spirit, there is place for “wine” to fill your life and intoxicate you

NOTE: being filled in the Spirit is different from being drunk with wine

the Holy Spirit does not intoxicate

the Holy Spirit clears your mind and heart

Jerusalem’s covenant with death

God’s address to Ephraim was not intended to be delivered to them, but to Judah and Jerusalem.

God continues His message by addressing now Jerusalem.

Isaiah 28:14–21 NASB 2020

14 Therefore, hear the word of the Lord, you 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 gushing flood will not reach us when it passes by, Because we have made falsehood our refuge and we have concealed ourselves with deception.” 16 Therefore this is what the Lord God says: “Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion, a tested stone, A precious cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. The one 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 gushing flood passes through, Then you will become its trampling ground. 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.

scoffers in Jerusalem - probably their leaders

covenant with death - Jerusalem’s alliance with Egypt

meant to save them from Assyria

see also Isaiah 30

God’s description of the pact - Egypt is known for having a religion or cult of the dead, as indicated in their obsession with the afterlife

The context

Judah’s leaders mocked God by forging an alliance with Egypt

Egypt was their former taskmaster!

Egypt claims to be a powerful ally and savior!

God answers back by laying a stone in Zion - His own Word

it will be a sure word

those who believes in it will not be disturbed/ not panic

v.17 - God’s judgment will be exact - just and righteous

v.18-19 - their alliance with Egypt will not go into effect

Egypt will not be able to hold back Assyria

Egypt will not save them

Israel has only One Savior - the LORD

v.20 - they will see their big mistake in allying with Egypt

v.21 - God will fulfill His own work

The message

It is wrong to forge an alliance with your “former taskmaster” - the world!

When you get from the world what you should be getting from God -

your help

your deliverance

your comfort

your joy and happiness

your fulfillment

It is wrong to get from the flesh what you should be getting from the Spirit

wisdom

guidance

strength

Romans 8:5–11 NASB 2020

5 For those who are in accord with the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are in accord with the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. 10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

God has laid down the Stone on which we can entrust our whole life and our very existence - the Lord Jesus Christ!

1 Peter 2:6–7 NASB 2020

6 For this is contained in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a choice stone, a precious cornerstone, And the one who believes in Him will not be put to shame.” 7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for unbelievers, “A stone which the builders rejected, This became the Chief cornerstone,”

He is our Savior and Deliverer

He is our Comfort and joy in life

He is our Helper and Companion

He is the Source of true wisdom, and strength

Isaiah’s parable of the farmer

Isaiah 28:22–29 NASB 2020

22 And now do not carry on as scoffers, Or your shackles will be made stronger; For I have heard from the Lord God of armies Of decisive destruction on all the earth. 23 Listen and hear my voice, Pay attention and hear my words. 24 Does the farmer plow continually to plant seed? Does he continually turn and break up his ground? 25 Does he not level its surface And sow dill and scatter cumin 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 cumin; But dill is beaten out with a rod, and cumin 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 armies, Who has made His counsel wonderful and His wisdom great.

The Context

Isaiah warns the scoffers

stop or things will get worse for you

listen and hear

Learn from the farmer who receives instruction from God

he learned when to move from one activity to another - vv. 24-25

he learned what to do with a particular type of seed - vv. 27-28

The message

Be attentive to the voice of God!

Ecclesiastes 5:1 NASB 2020

1 Guard your steps as you go to the house of God, and approach to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know that they are doing evil.

Listening should be our number one priority whenever we come before God.

Listening to His Word is more important to God than rendering your songs and offerings.

Be ready to respond to God when He calls!

Do not harden your heart

we ready to say, “here I am LORD.” or “Speak LORD, for Your servant is listening.”

Conclusion

The moral failure of its priests and prophets is one of the reasons for Israel’s spiritual bankruptcy.

Today we see how the moral failures of those who preach the Word of God become a big reproach to the Gospel of Christ.

How can God’s servants maintain a victorious life despite the many temptations around us?

acknowledge your weakness before God

confess your weakness (not sin) to a friend or to your wife

do not trust the flesh! always depend on Spirit of God for strength!

Keep your passion for God alive and burning. Be filled with the Spirit of God.

The primary cause of spiritual failure among many Christians is intoxication in earthly things.

God cannot use men and women who are intoxicated in earthly things and the flesh

Song - in Christ Alone