Good and Bad Leaders

There were oracles to 9 nations .. a heavy or burdensome message. Those messages were preached mostly for the benefit of Judah, and either it’s evil King Ahaz or a warning for its good king Hezekiah. This goes on for 11 chapters.

Then Isaiah gives us a glimpe into the Tribulation when the whole earth comes under God’s judgment in chapter 24.

After that is the beauty of when God restores Israel and they become a blessing to all Nations of the World going into eternity. This is chapter 25-27.

Now he returns to the heavy burdensome type sermons. In chapters 28-33, there are several “woes” pronounced. This is a funeral dirge kind of word.

But instead of focusing on the nations around Judah like the oracles did, focus in these chapters is directed to God’s people.

Chapters 28-29 the focus is on Israel and Judah’s bad leaders.

Chapter 30-31 the focus is on the bad ideas that were being put out by the bad leaders.

Chapters 32-33 focuses in on God’s answers.

God Will Deal With Bad Leaders

Isaiah 28:1 HCSB

1 Woe to the majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards, and to the fading flower of its beautiful splendor, which is on the summit above the rich valley. Woe to those overcome with wine.

Drunken leaders

Crowns or wreath

Wealth and success squandered like a drunk.

There drunk leaders were pictured as ripe for judgment. Sitting in their own vomit at a banquet table.

Isaiah 28:8 HCSB

8 Indeed, all their tables are covered with vomit; there is no place without a stench.

Good Leaders Challenged By Bad Leaders

Isaiah 28:9–11 HCSB

9 Who is he trying to teach? Who is he trying to instruct? Infants just weaned from milk? Babies removed from the breast? 10 For he says: “Law after law, law after law, line after line, line after line, a little here, a little there.” 11 So He will speak to this people with stammering speech and in a foreign language.

These folks were actually poking fun at God’s man.

Let me just say, leadership is hard.

Sometimes it seems like it would be easier to not rock the boat, not speak truth, not have a vision.

But a God called leader will stand and share what He believes God has given him.

To be sure, there were bad leaders in Judah’s day.. bad spiritual leaders.

But Isaiah stood in contrast and should have been followed, not challenged, mocked, and ridiculed.

Pastor Johnny shared that he had just lead his church in a “Beyond 2020 challenge” and shared his vision for the future.

He then share that one family that had been with him for many years left. Didn’t explain anything, just left.

He wrote them a letter and said. “I heard that you have joined ___ church. I am sad that you are gone, but if you are half the blessing to that church and pastor that you have been to me through the years, they will be glad to get you…” What he heard back.... nothing.

I am not sure how some members get cross with their leaders, and look for ways not to follow. Let me just say, if you consider your pastor the good leader God has sent to your church to love the sheep, and to reach the loss, to preach the word, and to LEAD.... then try to follow!

If nothing else think>.... so far we haven’t found him leading people astray, drunk in his own vomit at the party table!

That was all to the Northern Kingdom that went off into captivity in Assyria.

Bad Leaders Miss Blind Spots

Now Isaiah’s attention is turned to the bad leaders of the Southern Kingdom.

In their idolatry, the southern Kingdom believed they had cut a deal with death

Isaiah 28:14–15 HCSB

14 Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you mockers who rule this people in Jerusalem. 15 For you said, “We have cut a deal with Death, and we have made an agreement with Sheol; when the overwhelming scourge passes through, it will not touch us, because we have made falsehood our refuge and have hidden behind treachery.”

There is a danger in “syncretism” or the mixing of several religions to cover your bases.

For instance, I cringe anytime I see a Christian talking about “karma”. That is a teaching of a false religion.

Isaiah says that this kind of thinking is misplaced.

God is our foundation.

Isaiah 28:16 HCSB

16 Therefore the Lord God said: “Look, I have laid a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will be unshakable.

1 Peter 2:6 HCSB

6 For it is contained in Scripture: Look! I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and honored cornerstone, and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame!

Makes it clear that Isaiah was talking ultimately about Jesus, and building your life on Him.

Anything else will be undercut

Isaiah 28:17–21 HCSB

17 And I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the mason’s level.” Hail will sweep away the false refuge, and water will flood your hiding place. 18 Your deal with Death will be dissolved, and your agreement with Sheol will not last. When the overwhelming scourge passes through, you will be trampled. 19 Every time it passes through, it will carry you away; it will pass through every morning— every day and every night. Only terror will cause you to understand the message. 20 Indeed, the bed is too short to stretch out on, and its cover too small to wrap up in. 21 For the Lord will rise up as He did at Mount Perazim. He will rise in wrath, as at the Valley of Gibeon, to do His work, His strange work, and to perform His task, His disturbing task.

The Call to Stop Resisting

Isaiah 28:22 HCSB

22 So now, do not mock, or your shackles will become stronger. Indeed, I have heard from the Lord God of Hosts a decree of destruction for the whole land.

In every situation where I have ever served there have been people that just seemed to be against it.

It was almost like they thought their role in the church was to be against something.

For sure, if the leadership is bad, stand against it!!! But these were bad leaders standing against Isaiah, and Isaiah was bold enough to say if you keep opposing what I am telling you, it will just make things worse for you.

He ends this chapter with a word of encouragment

The Level of the Lord’s Judgment is Based in part on our Response

Isaiah 28:23–29 HCSB

23 Listen and hear my voice. Pay attention and hear what I say. 24 Does the plowman plow every day to plant seed? Does he continuously break up and cultivate the soil? 25 When he has leveled its surface, does he not then scatter black cumin and sow cumin? He plants wheat in rows and barley in plots, with spelt as their border. 26 His God teaches him order; He instructs him. 27 Certainly black cumin is not threshed with a threshing board, and a cart wheel is not rolled over the cumin. But black cumin is beaten out with a stick, and cumin with a rod. 28 Bread grain is crushed, but is not threshed endlessly. Though the wheel of the farmer’s cart rumbles, his horses do not crush it. 29 This also comes from the Lord of Hosts. He gives wonderful advice; He gives great wisdom.

We need to be reminded that the Lord’s precepts and principles are not for our harm but for our good.

There are days that he plows.. days that he plants.. days that there is threshing… but the threshing is based on the grain.

God deals with us, based on how hard we are...

VERSE 29. Gods advise and wisdom is wonderful and great.