Once again – these are class notes from which I teach – subject to some changes or mods before the class, vulnerable to typos.
Some of the highlighting or italicizing might get weird, as I often have personal commentary within a verse of scripture, so the comments may on occasion get ambushed by italics.
We left off last week w Isaiah confessing, and bemoaning, the fact that Israel had failed in its “pregnant calling” to bring salvation to earth – to model divine living under the canopy of God’s protection. He then made a giant (for the OT) proclamation about RESURRECTION LIFE – as a promise and also as an encouragement, since he was looking ahead to tough times – both during HIS LIFETIME, and yet also to tough times at the end of the age:
Isa 26:19-21
19 Your dead shall live; together with my dead body they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; for your dew is like the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.
20 Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation is past.
21 For behold, the LORD comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; the earth will also disclose her blood, and will no more cover her slain.
God has seen, and continues to see, all of the sin of mankind.
The crucifixion of our Lord, as we looked at in earlier weeks, was so that the condemnation that was ALREADY UPON THE EARTH FOR ITS WICKEDNESS, might be paid for.
Jesus made it clear that those who refused Him were condemned already. That remains in place. And we know by the word of God that most people, sadly, by their own choice, will not come to Christ.
John 3:16-19
16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
17 “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
BACK TO ISRAEL – God, and the prophet Isaiah, knew all too well of the sins of Israel – and those sins were going to be addressed by God.
Though I believe much has YET TO OCCUR, we can learn by looking back at the recorded history of the Jewish nation and reflect on countless times of trouble and judgment as God continues to deal strongly with His covenant people.
Here is a word to His covenant people – the ones He had paid for and redeemed, and therefore called HIS OWN:
Amos 3:1-3
1 Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying:
It is notable that the Lord points to the redemptive deliverance out of Egypt. That EXODUS was something God never wanted ANYONE to EVER FORGET – so He told us what we are to do to not forget, and also to pass it down to other generations so they would not forget:
Exod 12:12-14
12 ‘For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.
13 ‘Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
14 ‘So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance.
The past several years my family has kept the Passover observance, because verse 14 stating: “THROUGHOUT YOUR GENERATIONS” and “EVERLASTING ORDINANCE” appear to inarguably confirm the Passover observance was NEVER INTENDED to fade away in the light of the New Covenant season.
It is an enlightening study to go back into the OT and see that much is NOT in the NT (although it is in the OLD), and then to note the admonitions and commandments that ought to go forward into NT living, in that they appear to be marked by God w NO DATE OF EXPIRATION – by words like:
FOREVER
ALL GENERATIONS
FROM THIS TIME FORTH AND FOREVERMORE
We know Jesus was not a “quick-fix” emergency plan sent as a blow-out patch on a fallen world. We’re told the following (HERE’S 1 PETER 1 again):
1 Pet 1:17-21
17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear;
18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,
19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you
21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
So if God’s plan BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD included Jesus dying on a cross for mankind, God anointing prophets of old to say “FOREVER” or “ALL GENERATIONS” seems to imply those matters have a “FOREVER” and “FOR ALL GENERATIONS” pertinence.
The challenge for us as NT saints is to find our way, under the blood of Christ and in the freedom of the NT covenant, to not get wrapped around the axle of Judaic legalism. Many have done that. That is not the answer, and in fact Rabbi Paul spoke against that in Galatians and elsewhere.
So w the blood of THE LAMB OF GOD covering us, our family observes Passover – all the while appreciating the prophetic pointers to a striped and pierced Savior – as well as countless other prophetic markers within the Seder service. BTW – Passover is NEXT month – which points to a crucifixion and resurrection on PASSOVER, and not two days after Purim. But I won’t go there…
We love that we are not bound by the traditions that rabbis and talmudim have written in their zeal to add to the religious duties of observance.
ONE EXAMPLE OF OUR FREEDOM: We see in scripture that part of the sacred observance is abstinence from leavened bread – so we do that for that one week. Thank You Lord for tortillas as well as matzoh…..
AMOS 3 again:
Amos 3:1-3
(God declares His ownership of the people He purchased. HE doesn’t forget it, and doesn’t want US to ever forget it – hence the Passover remembrance is for all generations)
1 Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying:
The specialness of the covenant position of being a child of God:
2A. “You only have I known of all the families of the earth;
The accountability of that intimacy:
2B. …therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”
And a kind explanation of WHY He will judge His people proactively, even on earth – so that they and He might walk together in harmony and one accord:
3 Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?
SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US? – We would do well to understand that the NT saint has also come into covenant with God, and that covenant includes OUR accountability to Him and to His statutes.
PAUL, writing to a predominantly GENTILE church in Asia Minor, tells them this (this was NOT written in the book of Hebrews – which might have been taken as only a CONTINUED Warning to only JEWISH believers in Jesus).
1 Cor 10:1-15
1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers (W Paul telling the Gentile church that it was THEIR FATHERS in the OT, he is confirming his conviction and position re the Gentiles complete adoption into sonship!)
were under the cloud, all passed through the sea,
2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,
3 all ate the same spiritual food,
4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.
5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
SO FAR – the Corinthians (or any NT reader could consider verses 1-5 as simply as “admonition to remember what happened to those Jews” – until verse 6 shows up:
6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.
7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.”
8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell;
9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents;
10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.
11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come.
12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
VERY GOOD NEWS – but we would do well to remember where this is positioned in context of scripture:
13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
15 I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say.
These clear verses say what they say – in opposition to what man might want to teach as a “new grace” – under which the NT believer is no longer accountable for their sin, because of what was done on the cross. That same kind of “grace’ brought judgment on prophets, priests, and the people who bought into those falsehoods, in the OT.
Spending a little more time in the NT since what we are reading in Isaiah has application to our age, and we want to confirm the words of the apostles – that THEY believed the validity of the OT teachings for the NT church:
AFTER WRITING THAT THE OT had been written for the NT saint (1 Peter 1:10-12 – we read during week one) – PETER SAYS this ought to be our response:
1 Pet 1:13-25
13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance;
15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
UNQUESTIONABLY TO THE SAINTS:
17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear;
18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,
19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you
21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
WE HAVE MUCH TO SAY ABOUT THE OUTCOME OF OUR FAITH, BY ACTIVELY and CONTINUALLY CHOOSING OBEDIENCE:
22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,
23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,
24 because “All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away,
25 But the word of the Lord endures forever.” Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.
THIS “enduring forever” word of the Lord, written by Isaiah 700 years PRIOR to the appearance of Jesus during His first advent, still awaits fulfillment. And as we will see that the ONLY SAFE place during the upcoming Babylonian invasion was IN GOD, so I believe it will be at the end of the age, when many of the same nations (and more) are prophesied to be coming against Israel, and warring against all that is of God, which logic would have to include – the praying Church.
What we are currently seeing in other parts of the world, on at very least a weekly basis, points to increased warfare against all that is of God. Brussels. Paris. Pakistan. And even here in San Bernardino and New York City. What would make us think this will end by itself?
We see the moral fabric of our society eroding. We see man passing legislation in direct defiance to the laws of God, even though this covenant nation of ours came into solemn agreement w God that they would live according to His laws – and we were blessed by that – even in our imperfections. But we continue to decay. I believe 9/11 was a shot across the bow of our nation.
Happily and in faith I also believe that God will honor the prayers and petitions of His saints – which is why I pray for our nation often. Ps 125 – the scepter of wickedness not resting on the land allotted to the righteous. Remind God of that. He loves to get reminded of His promises. It means we know them, and we believe them.
Here’s words of Jesus – calling us to both
A. Hear and also to
B. Respond in obedience, for our own salvation to be successful and complete:
Matt 7:21-29
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22 “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:
25 “and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
26 “Now everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:
27 “and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching,
29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
ONCE MORE – because we want to pick up ISA 27 as a continuum of ISA 26:
Isa 26:20-21
20 Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation is past.
21 For behold, the LORD comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth (not simply Israel) for their iniquity; the earth will also disclose her blood, and will no more cover her slain.
Isa 27:1-13
1 In that day (YOM YAHWEH) the LORD with His severe sword, great and strong, will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan that twisted serpent; and He will slay the reptile that is in the sea.
(Leviathan representing strength, the monstrous self-will of man, and the spirit behind that self-will. That beast-spirit would consider itself unstoppable)
AND MEANWHILE THE UNDERSTANDING SAINTS ARE CALLED TO WORSHIP-WARFARE
2 In that day sing to her, “A vineyard of red wine!
(This is clearly pointing the God’s ORIGINAL GOOD PLANS for His people – and how well He had set this place up for us).
AS IF WE NEEDED MORE PROOF OF THE VINEYARD:
Isa 5:7
7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are His pleasant plant. He looked for justice, but behold, oppression; for righteousness, but behold, a cry for help.
DO WE SEE THAT VINEYARD-IMAGERY BROUGHT FORWARD FOR US INTO THE NT?
Matt 21:33-41
33 “Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.
34 “Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.
35 “And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.
36 “Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.
37 “Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
38 “But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’
39 “So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.
40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?”
41 They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.”
ISA 27 – God’s QANA (jealous zeal) over His verse 1 and 2 vineyard:
3 I, the LORD, keep it, I water it every moment; lest any hurt it, I keep it night and day.
GOD DECLARES HIS UNSTOPPABLE NATURE – although He is not a raging maniac:
4 Fury is not in Me. Who would set briers and thorns against Me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together.
…and Merciful God instead offers PEACE and RECONCILIATION to those who would come to Him:
5 Or let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with Me; and he shall make peace with Me.”
6 Those who come (FROM THROUGHOUT THE EARTH, as a result of their wise response to the shaking work) He shall cause to take root in Jacob; Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit.
Here we are told that God has been dealing heavily with His covenant people – and that He MERCIFULLY SCATTERED them instead of DESTROYING all of them
7 Has He struck Israel as He struck those who struck him? Or has He been slain according to the slaughter of those who were slain by Him?
ANSWER: NO. God has dealt strongly w Israel, but DIFFERENTLY. They are still in existence.
8 In measure, by sending it away, you contended with it. He removes it by His rough wind in the day of the east wind.
9 Therefore by this the iniquity of Jacob will be covered; and this is all the fruit of taking away his sin: when he makes all the stones of the altar like chalkstones that are beaten to dust, Wooden images and incense altars shall not stand.
10 Yet the fortified city (the city that strengthened itself against God) will be desolate, the habitation forsaken and left like a wilderness; there the calf will feed, and there it will lie down and consume its branches.
11 When its boughs are withered, they will be broken off; the women come and set them on fire. For it is a people of no understanding; therefore He who made them will not have mercy on them, and He who formed them will show them no favor.
12 And it shall come to pass in that day that the LORD will thresh (a thorough work of separation of that which is valuable from that which is worthless), from the channel of the River to the Brook of Egypt; and you will be gathered one by one, O you children of Israel.
13 So it shall be in that day: the great trumpet will be blown; they will come, who are about to perish in the land of Assyria, and they who are outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem. (the Isaiah 19 prophetic highway, once again. People from the warring enemy lands shall come to Messiah)
How clear…..
ISA 28 – a truly wonderful chapter of Scripture.
Let’s read it through with little or no comment and then go back to start getting into it. We may or may not finish this chapter this evening.
WHAT WE WILL BE SEEING ARE ETERNAL KINGDOM PRINCIPLES – applicable to ALL PEOPLE, and ALL THE TIME, regarding ORDER, REST, OBEDIENCE, LIFE and SUCCESS.
We will see that:
COMPLIANCE = SUCCESS AND LIFE, and
DEFIANCE = FAILURE AND JUDGMENT.
We’ll see
• Religious hypocrisy in much of the religious leadership – them wanting to deny the ways of God;
• The salvation of the remnant of obedient ones who walk in the ways of the Lord;
• The invitation to stand for righteousness
• The PROCEDURES of heaven that are in place, whether we choose to obey them or ignore them:
• The cost of ignoring the ways of God;
• Then at 24 we will see something very cool – the revelation of God wanting to purposely marry the SUPERNATURAL WITH THE NATURAL – so that both might function together in harmony – which looks almost heavenly – and we will see how God uses the natural to teach His ways.
We’ll go deeper into this chapter after we read it through once, in its totality.
Isa 28:1-29
1 Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower which is at the head of the verdant valleys, to those who are overcome with wine!
2 Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one, like a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, like a flood of mighty waters overflowing, who will bring them down to the earth with His hand.
3 The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, will be trampled underfoot;
4 And the glorious beauty is a fading flower which is at the head of the verdant valley, like the first fruit before the summer, which an observer sees; he eats it up while it is still in his hand.
5 In that day the LORD of hosts will be for a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty to the remnant of His people,
6 For a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and for strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
7 But they also have erred through wine, and through intoxicating drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through intoxicating drink, they are swallowed up by wine, they are out of the way through intoxicating drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.
8 For all tables are full of vomit and filth; no place is clean.
9 “Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will he make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just drawn from the breasts?
10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.”
11 For with stammering lips and another tongue he will speak to this people,
12 To whom He said, “This is the rest with which you may cause the weary to rest,” and, “This is the refreshing”; yet they would not hear.
13 But the word of the LORD was to them, “Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little,” that they might go and fall backward, and be broken and snared and caught.
14 Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scornful men, who rule this people who are in Jerusalem,
15 Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we are in agreement. When the overflowing scourge passes through, it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood we have hidden ourselves.”
16 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; whoever believes will not act hastily.
17 Also I will make justice the measuring line, and righteousness the plummet; the hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters will overflow the hiding place.
18 Your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand; when the overflowing scourge passes through, then you will be trampled down by it.
19 As often as it goes out it will take you; for morning by morning it will pass over, and by day and by night; it will be a terror just to understand the report.”
20 For the bed is too short to stretch out on, and the covering so narrow that one cannot wrap himself in it.
21 For the LORD will rise up as at Mount Perazim, he will be angry as in the Valley of Gibeon– that He may do His work, His awesome work, and bring to pass His act, His unusual act.
22 Now therefore, do not be mockers, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have heard from the Lord GOD of hosts, a destruction determined even upon the whole earth.
23 Give ear and hear my voice, listen and hear my speech.
24 Does the plowman keep plowing all day to sow? Does he keep turning his soil and breaking the clods?
25 When he has leveled its surface, does he not sow the black cummin and scatter the cummin, plant the wheat in rows, the barley in the appointed place, and the spelt in its place?
26 For He instructs him in right judgment, his God teaches him.
27 For the black cummin is not threshed with a threshing sledge, nor is a cartwheel rolled over the cummin; but the black cummin is beaten out with a stick, and the cummin with a rod.
28 Bread flour must be ground; therefore he does not thresh it forever, break it with his cartwheel, or crush it with his horsemen.
29 This also comes from the LORD of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in guidance.
BREAKING IT DOWN:
Isa 28:1-8 – we see things starting off w a severe warning – that He is sovereign and that He Himself will be sending in trouble to judge the sinful people.
1 Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower which is at the head of the verdant valleys, to those who are overcome with wine!
2 Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one ( A FOREIGN NATION that He has purposely ordained – we read about Cyrus before and also discussed Nebuchadnezzar who was before Cyrus – rulers of cruel empires who were being used by God), like a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, like a flood of mighty waters overflowing, who will bring them (the disobedient covenant people) down to the earth with His hand.
3 The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, will be trampled underfoot;
(That which was looking pretty OK at the time of the prophecy wasn’t going to be OK)
4 And the glorious beauty is a fading flower which is at the head of the verdant valley, like the first fruit before the summer, which an observer sees; he eats it up while it is still in his hand.
(Meanwhile in the midst of the judgment-trouble, God knows those who are His. The ones who would in faith stand for righteousness – and remember our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places – Eph 4:12).
5 In that day the LORD of hosts will be for a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty to the remnant of His people,
6 For a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and for strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
(Back to failed leadership – these graphic verses could easily be literal – because drunkenness is a sign of debauchery and even fatalism looking ahead to trouble – and at the same time these verse could also be prophetic imagery of a drunken religious attitude – drunk w pride and religiosity and excess)
7 But they also have erred through wine, and through intoxicating drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through intoxicating drink, they are swallowed up by wine, they are out of the way through intoxicating drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.
8 For all tables are full of vomit and filth; no place is clean.
NOW SOME SOLID REVELATION OF HOW THE KINGDOM OPERATES
(A question is presented, that God Himself will immediately answer):
9 “Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will he make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just drawn from the breasts? (ANS: Of course not. The infant, the naturally immature cannot receive the instruction that is intended for the older ones, the ones who would/should be more capable, and at the same time therefore become more accountable)
KINGDOM PRINCIPLES – in place either for our success or our failure – order, progression, structure of God’s purposes and plans:
10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.”
ISA 28: 11 is A WILD VERSE – pulled down by Paul to explain speaking in tongues)
1 Cor 14:20-22
20 Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature.
21 In the law it is written: “With men of other tongues and other lips I will speak to this people; and yet, for all that, they will not hear Me,” says the Lord.
22 Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe.
THIS VERSE in its original context here in Isa, is about ONE NATION ordained by God to be invading ANOTHER NATION. That is why Paul spoke of tongues as being a sign to unbelievers.
And Isaiah is speaking of the Babylonians being called into Jerusalem, by God, to judge a nation.
11 For with stammering lips and another tongue he will speak to this people,
Here’s why the people of God were being invaded by enemies: They had heard God’s word – His offering of REST (SHABBAT) in His COVENANT (taking Covenant – taking Oath or Making Vow – SHABA) of PEACE (SHALOM) and yet they had refused it, being more determined to do it THEIR way than HIS way.
12 To whom He said, “This is the rest with which you may cause the weary to rest,” and, “This is the refreshing”; yet they would not hear.
THE RESULT was the same Kingdom Principle of Line upon Line now becoming a methodical breakdown of their rebellious ways, to the point of death, destruction, and captivity.
The “METHOD OF GOD”, meant for their prosperity, was to be their method of judgment
13 But the word of the LORD was to them, “Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little,” that they might go and fall backward, and be broken and snared and caught.
SAD – that which was created to be their blessing was to be their unraveling.
JUDGMENT ON RULERS
14 Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scornful men, who rule this people who are in Jerusalem,
GOD HEARD THEIR SECRET WORDS, AND THEIR HEARTS
15A. Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we are in agreement.
THEY EVEN SAW THE TROUBLE COMING, BUT WERE SO DECEIVED BY THEIR SIN THEY WERE CONVINCED OF A FALSE AND WORTHLESS “SAFETY” – a little bit of a “peace peace when there is no peace”
15B. – When the overflowing scourge passes through, it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood we have hidden ourselves.”
GOD’S SET-UP FOR THEM TO TRIP, BUT ALSO FOR WHOSOEVER WILL, TO BE SAVED
16 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; whoever believes will not act hastily.
THE PROMISE OF PERFECTION AFTER CLEANSING JUDGMENT
17 Also I will make justice the measuring line, and righteousness the plummet; the hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters will overflow the hiding place.
18 Your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand; when the overflowing scourge passes through, then you will be trampled down by it.
GOD, IN STILL DEALING W HIS PEOPLE, WILL MAKE THEM UNCOMFORTABLE.
INSTEAD OF A COMFORTER, THEY’D BE EXPERIENCING A “DISCOMFORTER” – to try to get them to repentance.
19 As often as it goes out it will take you; for morning by morning it will pass over, and by day and by night; it will be a terror just to understand the report.”
20 For the bed is too short to stretch out on, and the covering so narrow that one cannot wrap himself in it.
21 For the LORD will rise up as at Mount Perazim, he will be angry as in the Valley of Gibeon– that He may do His work, His awesome work, and bring to pass His act, His unusual act.
THE WARNING TO ALL – don’t ever mock, or try to discount, dilute, or deny, the plans of God
22 Now therefore, do not be mockers, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have heard from the Lord GOD of hosts, a destruction determined even upon the whole earth.
NOW COMES A REVELATION ON NUMEROUS LEVELS – God speaking to an agrarian society, and speaking their natural language to reveal the supernatural aspects of this revelation.
First, we are shown God uses ALL THINGS to teach us ALL THINGS.
God marries the supernatural to the natural.
In some ways I think the supernatural Jerusalem eventually coming down to the natural Jerusalem will prove this out eternally.
I believe He’s also telling us that we are not to separate the natural world from the supernatural world. It is ALL HIS.
The earth is the Lord’s and all its fullness.
Remember Psalm 24:
Ps 24:1-10
1 The earth is the LORD’S, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein.
2 For He has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the waters.
3 Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face. Selah
7 Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in.
8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in.
10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah
SO GOD BEING GOD OVER CREATION AND ALL ITS COMPONENTS – I also believe this later section of Isa 28 is warning us to not fail in seeing how God works on earth for His supernatural purposes.
Lots of people act religious in a religious environment – a church service, a wedding, something like that. But then they live their lives worldly. That is a dismal failure.
The success of our own ECHAD (being one, whole, complete, holy) is our remaining in God at all times (all our heart, soul, mind and strength), and even not missing what He is doing in our fields, our gardens, w our cummin and vegetables. The work of our hands is His.
Our breath is His. And when we continue taking thoughts captive and doing all things to the glory of God, we begin to understand the depth and glory of Him saying “I will never leave you nor forsake you” – He wants to be OUR GOD ALL OF THE TIME.
And in that place will be our
Accountability
Protection
Anointing
Awareness of His presence and purposes
Our Spirit-leading (Romans 8, etc.)
BACK TO ISA 28
23 Give ear and hear my voice, listen and hear my speech.
24 Does the plowman keep plowing all day to sow? Does he keep turning his soil and breaking the clods?
25 When he has leveled its surface, does he not sow the black cummin and scatter the cummin, plant the wheat in rows, the barley in the appointed place, and the spelt in its place?
26 For He instructs him in right judgment, his God teaches him.
27 For the black cummin is not threshed with a threshing sledge, nor is a cartwheel rolled over the cummin; but the black cummin is beaten out with a stick, and the cummin with a rod.
28 Bread flour must be ground; therefore he does not thresh it forever, break it with his cartwheel, or crush it with his horsemen.
29 This also comes from the LORD of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in guidance.
all scripture NKJV
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