Doing Things God's Way - Isaiah 28

©March 27th, 2022 by Rev. Rick Goettsche SERIES: Isaiah

One of the advantages of going to a small school is the opportunity to participate in lots of different activities. I played sports, even though I was never a great athlete. I also got to participate in scholastic bowl, which was kind of like a trivia competition.

Some of the questions we faced in scholastic bowl were math questions and the most difficult of these were calculus questions. We couldn’t take calculus until our senior year, so prior to that point, these problems were basically impossible to solve. So the coaches taught us shortcuts for how to do derivatives and integrals so we could answer these kinds of questions quickly in a scholastic bowl meet. I would explain to you what derivatives and integrals are…but I honestly don’t know, because when I actually took calculus and it came time for me to learn about them, I wasn’t interested, because I felt like I already knew enough. To this day, I can’t really tell you what calculus is used for, but I can still answer those trivia questions about it.

My reason for sharing this story is because sometimes I think this is the same way we approach the Christian life. We are more interested in our own agenda than we are in doing things the proper way. Sometimes we want to skip some lessons to get to the “fun part”. We believe we know what’s best for our lives and so we ignore what God has told us as outdated and unnecessary or too simplistic. But God has a reason for teaching us things the way He does. There are lessons we need to learn before we can move on. When we try to “skip ahead” we end up missing out.

In our passage this morning, we will see this attitude is not unique to us. It is the same attitude that existed among the people of Israel. We will see how God responded to this attitude in them. Hopefully we can learn from their mistakes.

Human Pride

Isaiah 28 begins with a condemnation of the people of the northern kingdom because of their self-assurance and pride.

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. 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. 3 The proud city of Samaria— the glorious crown of the drunks of Israel— will be trampled beneath its enemies’ feet. 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. 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. 6 He will give a longing for justice to their judges. He will give great courage to their warriors who stand at the gates. (Isaiah 28:1-6, NLT)

If you look in other translations you might be confused because the wording is very different. Other translations say that Isaiah condemned Ephraim, not Israel, and the other translations don’t mention the city of Samaria, but talk about a fading flower. The reason it’s different is that New Living Translation tries to simplify this for us. Ephraim was the most prominent tribe in the northern kingdom of Israel, so Isaiah was using it to symbolize the kingdom as a whole. Isaiah’s description of the “fading flower” makes it clear that he is referring to the city of Samaria, because Samaria was at the head of a valley was the capital city of Israel. So if you are reading from another translation, that is why you see a difference in the wording. The meaning is the same, but the New Living Translation is just trying to make it easier to understand.

Through Isaiah, God declares that Israel is about to fall, particularly the city of Samaria. He says He is going to send an army against the city which will smash it like a mighty hailstorm and drown it like a torrential rain. He uses multiple analogies to describe the utter destruction of the town, which was so revered by the people of Israel.

Why was God going to bring this disaster? He says it is because they are proud. They viewed themselves as indestructible. For example, originally, the king of Israel had his capital city centrally located, in a much more secure position. But now he had moved the capital to Samaria, which was not nearly as secure, though it was a beautiful place. The movement of the capital to Samaria was a sign of their overconfidence. They felt so secure that they didn’t need to worry about where their capital was located. Its nearness to economic resources was more important than being located in an area that would be difficult to attack. This is just one example of this attitude of pride. Israel’s trust lay in its own cleverness rather than in the Lord. The people of Israel had little need for God because they felt they were doing just fine on their own.

This attitude sounds like the way our society and our nation think today. Our society has no need for God because we are so enlightened that we no longer need Him to guide us or help us. If we’re honest, sometimes we even have a similar attitude. Isaiah warns Israel that they need to turn to the Lord, otherwise He will force them to recognize that the Lord alone is their security and confidence. The same warning applies to us as well.

Evidence of Arrogance

In the next section of our text, Isaiah speaks specifically of some of the issues that were indicative of the people’s attitudes toward God. First, he describes rampant drunkenness. The scene he describes sounds like a frat house after a wild party.

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. 8 Their tables are covered with vomit; filth is everywhere. (Isaiah 28:7-8, NLT)

Drunkenness is repeatedly condemned in the scriptures. People who are drunk make poor decisions and do not think about the things of God. In fact, one of the appeals of getting drunk seems to be the fact that you don’t worry about anything!

Isaiah says the people of Israel had become accepting of drunkenness. So much so that even the prophets and priests were getting drunk, and their decisions were influenced by alcohol. He said this attitude toward drunkenness demonstrated that they were not devoted to the Lord.

Our world today is equally accepting of drunkenness. We are told that consuming alcohol is a normal part of life and that you can’t really have fun unless alcohol is involved. Our world looks to alcohol as an escape—even though it doesn’t solve problems, it just masks them for a while. The world says using alcohol to get drunk (or buzzed, or whatever other terms we might use), is perfectly acceptable and often desirable. But God says differently. God tells us to be self-controlled and alert and He condemns drunkenness. Christians must live according to God’s standards and not the world’s. If we refuse, we are not much different than the people of Israel.

But Isaiah doesn’t only condemn the people’s attitude toward alcohol, he condemns their attitude toward the Lord’s teaching!

9 “Who does the Lord think we are?” they ask. “Why does he speak to us like this? Are we little children, just recently weaned? 10 He tells us everything over and over— one line at a time, one line at a time, a little here, and a little there!” 11 So now God will have to speak to his people through foreign oppressors who speak a strange language! 12 God has told his people, “Here is a place of rest; let the weary rest here. This is a place of quiet rest.” But they would not listen. 13 So the Lord will spell out his message for them again, one line at a time, one line at a time, a little here, and a little there, so that they will stumble and fall. They will be injured, trapped, and captured. (Isaiah 28:9-13, NLT)

Isaiah says the people were complaining that the messages from the Lord were too basic for them, that He was treating them like babies rather than grown ups. If you read different translations, you will find that the phrase “one line at a time, one line at a time” is rendered in different ways. The reason for this is that in the Hebrew language, the words being used are supposed to sound like baby talk. The people are mocking the things Isaiah is sharing with them on the Lord’s behalf (and by extension, they are mocking God himself).

There is a lot of repetition in what Isaiah says. But there is a reason for this. He was repeating himself because the people weren’t listening! The message God had for Israel was quite simple: “Trust me rather than your own judgment or the nations around you!” But the people were unwilling to listen, so Isaiah had to keep repeating the message. But they were ready for Isaiah to move on to something they found more interesting.

Can I suggest that if you feel stuck in your faith, like you’re not growing or like you’re not getting much out of your time with the Lord that it could be because you’ve chosen not to listen to Him? Is it possible that He has told you what you need to be doing, but you have ignored Him, hoping to move on to something you find more interesting? Let me caution you. You will not grow further until you learn the lesson He is teaching you. Maybe you keep hearing similar lessons in church or Bible study. Maybe every time you come before the Lord, you are acutely aware of something you should be dealing with in your life. These are signs God is speaking to you. If there is something you know the Lord has been telling you to do, but you have been ignoring Him, now is the time to change. It doesn’t matter if you think it’s too simplistic or if you don’t understand. Do what the Lord says, and He will help you grow.

Isaiah tells the people of Israel that if they are unwilling to learn God’s lessons from him, then God will teach them the same lessons through foreign oppressors. The message won’t change, but the tactics used to get it across will. Isaiah was pleading with the people to listen now, knowing if they didn’t, they would be forced to listen later.

Misplaced Confidence

Isaiah now shifts his focus from the people of Israel to the people of Judah (the southern kingdom, where Jerusalem was located). He condemns the leaders for relying on their own judgment and devices rather than listening to God.

14 Therefore, listen to this message from the Lord, you scoffing rulers in Jerusalem. 15 You boast, “We have struck a bargain to cheat death and have made a deal to dodge the grave. The coming destruction can never touch us, for we have built a strong refuge made of lies and deception.” 16 Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken. 17 I will test you with the measuring line of justice and the plumb line of righteousness. Since your refuge is made of lies, a hailstorm will knock it down. Since it is made of deception, a flood will sweep it away. 18 I will cancel the bargain you made to cheat death, and I will overturn your deal to dodge the grave. When the terrible enemy sweeps through, you will be trampled into the ground. 19 Again and again that flood will come, morning after morning, day and night, until you are carried away.” This message will bring terror to your people. 20 The bed you have made is too short to lie on. The blankets are too narrow to cover you. 21 The Lord will come as he did against the Philistines at Mount Perazim and against the Amorites at Gibeon. He will come to do a strange thing; he will come to do an unusual deed: 22 For the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, has plainly said that he is determined to crush the whole land. So scoff no more, or your punishment will be even greater. (Isaiah 28:14-22, NLT)

If you recall, the people of Israel had attempted to make an alliance with Assyria to protect them from their enemies. It didn’t go well. Assyria attacked them instead. The people of Judah decided to take a different tactic. But rather than turning to the Lord and obeying Him, they turned to Egypt, making an alliance with them and asking for their help to repel Assyria.

Through Isaiah, the Lord reminds them that this will not save them. Though the people may have had confidence in their cleverness, God says they had built their “strong refuge” on a foundation of lies and deception. Isaiah uses some colorful imagery to describe this: a bed that is too short and blankets that are too narrow to cover you. It’s a vivid picture of the people’s attempt to solve the problems apart from the Lord—all their attempts are woefully inadequate.

In contrast, God says that He is bringing forth a far better option. Verse 16 contains a prophecy that likely refers to the future messiah. He describes the messiah as a firm cornerstone on which a person can build, knowing that the house built upon this cornerstone will never be shaken. Of course, this is referring to God himself, and specifically to the work of Jesus Christ. This is a reminder to us that no matter what we face in life, if we have built our lives on Jesus, we will be secure.

By contrast, anything built on any other foundation will crumble and be destroyed. So we must choose wisely where we build our lives.

A Final Illustration

Isaiah uses a final illustration from farming. When we understand the image it should bring both comfort and terror at the same time.

23 Listen to me; listen, and pay close attention. 24 Does a farmer always plow and never sow? Is he forever cultivating the soil and never planting? 25 Does he not finally plant his seeds— black cumin, cumin, wheat, barley, and emmer wheat— each in its proper way, and each in its proper place? 26 The farmer knows just what to do, for God has given him understanding. 27 A heavy sledge is never used to thresh black cumin; rather, it is beaten with a light stick. A threshing wheel is never rolled on cumin; instead, it is beaten lightly with a flail. 28 Grain for bread is easily crushed, so he doesn’t keep on pounding it. He threshes it under the wheels of a cart, but he doesn’t pulverize it. 29 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is a wonderful teacher, and he gives the farmer great wisdom. (Isaiah 28:23-29, NLT)

The image Isaiah uses is of the wisdom of a farmer. He speaks of a farmer plowing the soil to prepare for planting. Tilling over the soil is a pretty violent process, but it is necessary for the farmer to break up the hard ground to give the seeds the best chance to grow. But a wise farmer knows that he doesn’t need to till the ground forever. He only does so until the ground is ready, and then he plants the seed.

Similarly, when the farmer brings in his crops, he knows the right way to handle them to bring out the good part and discard the bad. He knows the right tools to use, and he treats each crop accordingly. He doesn’t treat them all the same.

The analogy is that just as God has given the farmer the wisdom in how to treat his crops, so the Lord has wisdom in how to treat His people. He has to break up the hard ground of the people’s hearts in order for His seed to take root within them. But this time of breaking up will not go on any longer than necessary. Similarly, the Lord knows just what tools to use in our lives to help drive away the things that shouldn’t be there and leave instead only that which is good.

None of us like the idea of hard times. If it were up to us, we would never go through anything difficult. But God loves us too much to leave us the way we are. So sometimes he will bring pressure into our lives to bring us to where we need to be. That’s the bad news—there will be hard times in our lives. But the good news is this—the hard times have a purpose…and an end. God promises the hard times will not go on forever. They will only go on until our hearts are ready for the next step. So our approach when we face hard times should be to ask the Lord what lessons we should learn. We should run to Him, rather than running to other things.

Conclusion

A lot of what we read in this passage scares me. It scares me because I see a lot of these attitudes at work in the society around us. If I’m honest, I often see a lot of these same attitudes at work within myself. But the proper response to this passage is not for us to wring our hands and start plotting how we can fix our world. It is not for us to begin scheming how we can try to regain power so we can forcefully right the ship.

The proper response to this passage is much simpler, but also more difficult; it is to look to the Lord for guidance. The proper response is for us to seek the Lord and ask what lessons we should be learning right now. We should be asking God to show us the places where we are compromising in our lives and then working to change those things.

That’s not a very glamorous assignment. It’s far more glamorous to tell us that we need to fight and push and make noise and try to change everyone else. And there are times where that’s necessary. But often what is needed is for us to deal with the sin in our lives rather than focusing so much on the sin in the world around us. So often, I think we are more interested in copying the weapons and tactics of the world, and relying on our own judgment than we are on putting into practice the principles God has given us. That is the same thing the people of Israel did. They neglected God’s commands as too simplistic for such a sophisticated time. I’m sure they told Isaiah that things weren’t that simple, and so they needed different answers than God was giving them. We are not so different, it would seem.

This text calls us to run to God rather than away from Him. It reminds us that we should follow Him rather than trying to get Him to follow us. You might ask, “How do I know what God wants me to do?” I bet you already know. I suspect you know the areas where you are resisting Him, the areas where He wants you to change or take a step of faith. My challenge to you this week is to take that step of obedience. Do what the Lord is asking you to do, and see what happens. Build your life on the Lord rather than the things of this world and you will not be shaken, no matter what. Israel didn’t learn this lesson until it was too late. My prayer is that we will learn the lesson sooner rather than later.

©March 27th, 2022 by Rev. Rick Goettsche SERIES: Isaiah