In Isaiah 28:1-4, the prophet foretold of the devastation of Samaria, referring to her as the proud crown of drunken Ephraim. But the real crown according to Isaiah 28:5-6 would be the LORD Himself. That would be what the remnant would recognize Him to be, the crown of glory and the diadem of beauty. In talking about “the remnant of His people,” Isaiah was probably referring to Judah. Here he saw God giving a spirit of justice to the king of Judah, who would sit in judgment. And to his fighting men, God granted strength to enable them to resist the advancing forces at the gate.
However, the sad reality was Judah did not learn from the failure of Samaria.
Like the intoxicated Ephraim, the priests
and prophets of Judah also indulged in the same drunken revelry. They would get
drunk with wine and ministered through their drunken delusion. So out of control were they that they would carouse
themselves and cover their dining table with their filthy vomits. Instead of
offering sound teaching, they were offering confused and muddled messages.
Verses 9-10 suggest that the opponents
of Isaiah ridiculing the prophet. For they felt slighted by Isaiah who appeared
to be treating them as immature children. Isaiah’s response to them was found
in verses 11-13. Since they would not accept God’s promise of rest, He would deal
with them through a foreign force and language. Isaiah warned them of the tough
dealing they would have to go through in captivity.
It will do us well to be receptive to God’s word and program for our lives. We must learn to be discerning. The experiences of others could be useful lessons from God to us. He could be using them to warn us against committing the same error. Being discerning helps us to understand what God is saying to us through different circumstances, as well as the ordinary moment of everyday living. Discernment helps us to make decisions that will draw us nearer to Him and not drive us further from Him. So develop a discerning spirit and be open to God!
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