Isaiah 28:14-23 - Listen!

A translation and sermon for Christ the Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS by Nate Wilson

 

 

14 Therefore, listen to the word of Jehovah,

men of scoffing,

rulers of this people which is in Jerusalem,

15 for y’all said,

“We have cut a covenant with death

and with Sheol we have made an agreement,

so that the overwhelming scourge will pass over;

it will not get to us.

For we have placed a lie for our refuge,

and we are covered through deception.”

16 Therefore, the Lord Jehovah has spoken thus,

“Look, I am the one who laid a stone in Zion,

a tested stone,

a precious cornerstone,

a foundation of foundations.

The believer will not hurry.

17And I will institute justice for a measuring-line

and righteousness for a plumb-line,

and hail will sweep away the refuge of a lie

and water will overwhelm the cover-up,

18 thus your covenant with death will be buried

and your agreement with Sheol will not stand up.

For the overwhelming scourge will pass over

and y’all will become a trampling-place for it.

19 From the abundance of its passings, it will take you,

for it will pass over morning by morning, by day and by night,

and it will be sheer terror to understand what is heard.

20 For the bed is too short to stretch yourself out,

and the blanket is too narrow to wrap yourself in.

21 For as it was at Mount Perazim, Jehovah will stand up,

as it was at Gibeon Valley, He will get angry enough to do His work - His strange work

and to perform His service – His unfamiliar service.

22 And now, don’t you scoff!

Otherwise your bonds will become strong.

For I have heard from my Lord, Jehovah of Hosts,

it is complete and decided over all the land.

23 Give ear and listen to my voice;

pay attention and listen to my speech:

 

 

 

OPENING ILLUSTRATION: from C.S. Lewis’ book The Horse And His Boy p.232-235 – the scoffing of Rabadash, not listening to the words of King Lune or the call to repentance from Aslan, and the resulting punishment of being turned into a donkey.

 

 

A)  THE SETTING: scoffers

1.      v.9 “He will teach knowledge to whom? And WHO will he cause to understand what is heard?”

                                                 a.      apologize for wrong translation – D.O. indicator means “who” is not the subject as I stated last week, but rather the object. I had said that it meant there were no competent teachers, but the correct translation is that there are no listeners.

2.      v.10 mocking – “line to line, here a little, there a little”

3.      v.12 He said to them, “Rest! This is the rest for the weary one, and this is the repose.” Yet they did not consent to listen.

4.      The leaders in Jerusalem in Isaiah’s day are called “scoffers” in v. 14 – the one thing they are told to do is “listen” – the opposite of what scoffers do

5.      In this passage God gives 4 reasons why the people should listen to Him:

B)   Listen because God extends grace v.14:

1.      After the Jew’s refusal to heed God’s earlier messages, it is grace that presents another opportunity to listen (even though the message will come through contemptuous foreigners).

2.      Hebrews 1:1-2 “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,  (2)  in these last days has spoken to us in His Son...”

3.      “Therefore” since God is still speaking, we’d better listen! Through believing in Jesus we find grace from God, forgiveness, blessing.

C)  Listen because our hearts tend to go to the wrong place v.15

1.      v.15 “we have made a covenant with death” – looking in the wrong place for help

2.      and with Sheol we have made an agreement” (the word for “agreement” has to do with “seeing,” so perhaps a medium has consulted with the dead and assured the Jews that they would be safe from the threat of Assyria –called a scourge in Isa 10:26 and here in v.15) – looking in the wrong place for information!

3.      we have placed” – looking in the wrong place - to their own actions - to save them

4.      a lie for our refuge and are covered through deception” – Judah was seeking through political intrigue with Egypt to protect itself from the raids of the Assyrians - the wrong way to be saved!

5.      Prov. 19:27  “Cease to hear instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.” It’s just the way our hearts are, they start going to the wrong place when we are not feeding ourselves with God’s instructions.

6.      When we listen to or read the word of God, it straightens our thinking out and helps us to see the right path. Psalm 18:30  “The word of the LORD is tried; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.We need to listen to God so that our heart doesn’t go astray!

D)    Listen because God is building something wonderful, laying a stone (v.16)
(1st reason: God extends grace by speaking to us, 2nd reason: Our hearts go astray when we stop listening, 3rd reason:)

1.      v.16 Therefore, the Lord Jeho­vah has spoken thus, “Look, I am the one who laid a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious corner­stone, a foundation of foundations. The believer will not hurry.

2.      God takes the initiative to save, laying the first stone that all the rest of His household will be built upon.

3.      “I…laid” = Perfect tense – God’s decree of salvation through Jesus was made before creation: Eph. 1:4  “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.”

4.      a stone

                                                 a.      God is the rock:  Isa 8:13-14  “But the LORD of hosts, him you shall regard as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.  (14)  And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.”

                                                b.      Matt. 16:18b “upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” The confession of faith in Jesus is called the “rock” that the church will be built upon.

                                                 c.      This rock is solid; it is not like their flimsy refuge of lies!

5.      a tested stone

                                                 a.      Not a beta version with bugs still in it!
Matt 4:1 “tested of the devil” Heb.4:15 “tested at all points like us yet w/o sin”

                                                b.      There is no question of whether Jesus is a solid foundation anymore, because He was raised from the dead. Act 17:31 “He has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead."

                                                 c.      Not only is this Rock “tested” but He tests others like a touchstone

i.        v.17 “justice for a measuring-line and righteousness for a plumb-line” these tools are for testing the rest of the building

ii.      Rom 9:30-33 Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained… a righteousness that is by faith; but Israel… stumbled over the stumbling stone, as it is written, ‘Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.’” As a touchstone, Jesus is the dividing point between who stands and who falls in God’s kingdom - the stone which is tested and which tests as well.

6.      precious

                                                 a.      Jesus is precious to His father because Jesus is His ONLY son. Just after Jesus was tempted in the desert by Satan, His Father called Him,My beloved son in whom I am well-pleased” (Matt. 3:17)

                                                b.      Jesus is also precious to those who believe in Him, because He is our ONLY way of salvation: 1 Peter 2:6-8 “‘Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.’ To you who believe this stone is precious, but for those who do not believe, ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,’ and ‘A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.’”

                                                 c.      Scarcity makes things more valuable. Since Jesus is God’s ONLY son and our ONLY salvation, that makes Him “precious.”

7.      cornerstone

                                                 a.      This is first mentioned in Psalm 118:22 “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone.” Isaiah repeats it here, and then 4 different N.T. authors also pick up on it, saying that the “cornerstone” is Jesus. (Mt.21:42 Mk.12:10; Lk.20:17 Acts.4:11; Eph.2:20)

8.      a foundation of foundations” (literal) / sure foundation” = KJV, ESV, NIV / “foundation firmly-placed” = NAS / “fixed foundation” – E.J. Young

                                                 a.      The concept of a “cornerstone” and a “foundation” indicate that God is beginning to build a structure and will be constructing the pieces to come on top of this first cornerstone or foundation.

i.        Peter teaches that this building is the church: 1 Pet. 2:4-5  As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious,  (5)  you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

                                                b.      If we listen, we will discover that God is building something new and wonderful. As the author of Hebrews puts it, “a city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” (Heb. 11:10b)

9.      he who believes will not hurry” (literal, so followed by KJV & ESV “be in haste”)

                                                 a.      Septuagint translates with a different word “be ashamed,” and this is what Peter and Paul use when they quote this passage in 1Pet.2:6 & Rom.10:11. Since the NT is scripture, we must accept this meaning, even though it is different from what we believe Isaiah originally wrote.

                                                b.      The two meanings of “hurry” and “be ashamed” really can be combined in the sense of realizing with shame that their rebellion has led to disaster and then continuing in that rebellion against God by hurrying to save themselves with some new scheme rather than looking to God to save them from their mess.

                                                 c.      ILLUSTRATION: Kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar feels a rush of embarrassment and suddenly starts explaining, “I was just checking to see if we have enough for dinner.” Yeah right.

                                                d.      “Hurrying” is the antithesis of “rest” in v.12 & “waiting”: 25:9 “We waited for Him and He saved us!” / 30:18 “Jehovah is a God of judgment; blessed are all who wait for Him” / 40:31 “they that wait upon Jehovah will renew their strength” / 49:23 “they shall not be ashamed that wait”

                                                 e.      A life without feelings of shame and without the rush of trying to cover up your sin is possible if you surrender your life to God and trust Him to meet your needs as you listen to His word and follow Him.

10.  This wonderful new building is where the good life is, with justice and righteousness (v.17)

                                                 a.      And I will institute justice for a measuring-line and righteousness for a plumb-line

                                                b.      ILLUSTRATION: uses for a measuring tape and plumb line

                                                 c.      The measuring line mocked in v.10 is revealed as “justice”

                                                d.      As we’ve already seen in 9:7 “justice” & “righteousness” will characterize Messiah’s reign. “Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.”

                                                 e.      “I will place justice” in v.17 contrasts with v.15 “We have placed a lie.” This good life of justice and righteousness is God’s alternative to living in the refuge of lies.

E)   (1st reason: God extends grace by speaking to us, 2nd reason: Our hearts go astray when we stop listening, 3rd reason:God is building something wonderful, 4th reason to listen:)
Listen b/c God will punish sin (v.17b-21)

1.      v.17b “hail will sweep away the refuge of a lie and water will overwhelm the cover-up” The prophecy of v.2 will fall upon them no matter what insurance the people think they have worked out. God will punish their sin by sweeping away their refuge of lies.

2.      “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Num. 32:23b)

                                                             a.      “I’ll just delete my internet history and no one will ever know what I’ve been looking at.” – God will sweep away your refuge of lies

                                                            b.      “I said something mean to her, but if it’s brought up again, I’ll just say I didn’t mean it.” – God will sweep away your refuge of lies.

                                                             c.      “I did something my parents told me not to do, but my parents weren’t there to see, and my buddies will never tell.” – God will sweep away your refuge of lies!

3.      v.18 “thus your covenant with death will be buried and your agreement with Sheol will not stand up.”  God will not allow this sin to continue, He will annul it and get rid of it.

4.      v.18b “For the overwhelming scourge will pass over, and y’all will become a trampling-place for it.” Now God mocks the mockers by using their own words from v.15 against them! He promises that the whip which thought they had avoided would indeed pass through and rake across (“trample”) their backs - and that not just once but many times. God will punish them for their sin.

5.      v.19 “understanding will be sheer terror” - develops v.9 – “Who will understand the message?” Answer in v.19 “You will! And you’ll be terrified!”
The picture is of wave after wave of lashes from the whip, which is just what happened over the next hundred years or so to Judah with wave after wave of invasions from foreign armies. As they understand, that their “cover is too narrow” and as the chastise­ment falls, they will be able only to quake in terror. God will judge them for their sin.

6.      v.20 It is just for God to judge their sin b/c their sin makes them fall short of the glory of God:

                                           a.            One way that Sin can be defined is “falling short” of salvation. The wording in v.20 “your bed is too short” reminds us of Rom. 3:23 “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Because all of us have sinned, all of us deserve to be punished.

                                          b.            The “bed” may describe a place to lie down with someone and thus designate the “covenant” with death and treaties with Egypt, where two parties, in a sense, lie down together.

                                           c.            The “blanket/cover” which is too narrow, refers to the “covering of deception” from v. 15 & 17. Their sin deserves punishment.

                                          d.            ILLUSTRATION: Have you ever had to fight for covers when sharing a bed? Covering up rebellion against God will never cover us completely, there will always be an arm or a leg sticking out! But if we listen to God’s word, we find that the shed blood of Jesus can cover sin fully.

7.      v.21a God has punished sin in the past, so He can be expected to do so again

                                           a.            Mt. Perazim = hills b/w Jerusa­lem & Bethlehem Where David slew Philistines:
1Ch 14:8-17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David… And David inquired of God, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?" And the LORD said to him, "Go up, and I will give them into your hand." And he went up to Baal-perazim, and David struck them down there. And David said, "God has broken through my enemies by my hand, like a bursting flood." ...And the Philistines yet again made a raid in the valley. And when David again inquired of God, God said to him, "You shall not go up after them; go around and come against them opposite the balsam trees. And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then go out to battle, for God has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines." And David did as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army from Gibeon to Gezer. And the fame of David went out into all lands, and the LORD brought the fear of him upon all nations.

                                          b.            notice that David didn’t hurry to save himself, he inquired of God before doing anything and waited on God’s instruction. Then when he was victorious, he gave the credit for salvation to God! “God has broken through my enemies…”

                                           c.            Valley of Gibeon = "El-Jib" 7mi. N of Jerusalem -Where sun stood still and hail routed 5 kings fighting against Joshua (Josh. 10:8-14).

                                          d.            If we don’t listen the history of God’s word of how He punishes sin, we are bound to repeat that history and be punished for sin ourselves.

8.      v.21b God’s punishment of His own people is called “unusual”  / unfamiliar=BDB / strange=KJV, LXX / extraordinary=NAS / alien=ESV, NIV

                                           a.            By nature God is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness” (Ex. 34:6; Ps.103:8, Jonah 4:2.)

                                          b.            but if we listen to all His counsels we find that He also punishes sin in catastrophic ways; like the flood of Noah, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the Babylonian exile of the Jews - these are His unusual, extraordinary deeds.

9.      v.22 “don’t scoff lest your bonds be made stronger” more sin brings more judgment

                                           a.            Calvin: “as the fox which has fallen into a snare, fastens the knot more firmly by his attempts to extricate himself and escape, so wicked men by their disobedience entangle and fasten themselves more and more.

                                          b.            If, however we will listen to God’s warning that he punishes sin and stop our scoffing, it works the other way, and God will graciously hold back punishment.

F)     So, HOW do we listen?
This passage tells us what NOT to do and what TO do:

1.      “Do NOT scoff” says v.22. The Proverbs tell us what a scoffer does and therefore what we should not do:

                                           a.            A scoffer will not listen to his parents or his friends when they warn him that he is doing wrong. (Prov. 13:1 “A wise son accepts his father's discipline, But a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.”) God speaks to us through our friends and our authorities to instruct us in what we should and should not do. Listen to these people that God has placed in your life and don’t get mad at them when they criticize you. If you don’t listen to them God will make your bonds stronger.

                                          b.            Proverbs 21:24 says that the scoffer is characterized by pride: "Proud," "Haughty," "Scoffer," are his names, Who acts with insolent pride. Stop thinking that you know better than everybody else. Humbly listen.

                                           c.            Scoffers also will not listen to God’s word. 2 Peter 3:3-4 says, “Know this first of all, that in the last days scoffers will come with their scoffing, following after their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming?’” Scoffers will deny that the Bible is true and will mock the passages that teach us that God punishes sin.

                                          d.            Furthermore, the Bible instructs us not to even associate with scoffers. Psalm 1 “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of scoffers! But His delight is in the law of the LORD and on His law he meditates day and night…” Don’t hang out with scoffers; instead:

2.      “Listen to the word of the Lord” (v.14) this is the positive command.

                                           a.            Psalm 1 says that the blessed person is the one who delights in the Bible and thinks about it all the time. That is the best way we can be people who listen to God: Read the Bible and consider what it says!

                                          b.            We need to be in a listening posture, eager to hear more from God:

i.        v.23 “Give ear and listen to my voice; pay attention and listen to my speech”

ii.      Prov. 2:1-9 “My son, if you will receive my words and treasure my commandments within you, make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding… cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding. If you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures, then you will discern the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice, and He preserves the way of His godly ones. Then you will discern righteousness and justice and equity and every good course.”

3.      Don’t be like “Rabadash the ridiculous” who was a scoffer. “Take heed, Your doom is very near, but you may still avoid it. Forget your pride (what have you to be proud of?) and your anger (who has done you wrong?) and accept the mercy of” our good king Jesus who extends grace by speaking to us through His word, who can keep our hearts from going astray by His truth, who is the foundation stone for the church God is building, who punishes sin, but who has a wise and wonderful plan for our lives!