RELY ON THE LORD’S CORNERSTONE

Isaiah 28:1-29 / Keywords 28:16

So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed.

 

28:1 Woe to that wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s drunkards,

    to the fading flower, his glorious beauty,

set on the head of a fertile valley—

    to that city, the pride of those laid low by wine!

2 See, the Lord has one who is powerful and strong.

    Like a hailstorm and a destructive wind,

like a driving rain and a flooding downpour,

    he will throw it forcefully to the ground.

3 That wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s drunkards,

    will be trampled underfoot.

4 That fading flower, his glorious beauty,

    set on the head of a fertile valley,

will be like figs ripe before harvest—

    as soon as people see them and take them in hand,

    they swallow them.

5 In that day the Lord Almighty

    will be a glorious crown,

a beautiful wreath

    for the remnant of his people.

6 He will be a spirit of justice

    to the one who sits in judgment,

a source of strength

    to those who turn back the battle at the gate.

7 And these also stagger from wine

    and reel from beer:

Priests and prophets stagger from beer

    and are befuddled with wine;

they reel from beer,

    they stagger when seeing visions,

    they stumble when rendering decisions.

8 All the tables are covered with vomit

    and there is not a spot without filth.

9 “Who is it he is trying to teach?

    To whom is he explaining his message?

To children weaned from their milk,

    to those just taken from the breast?

10 For it is:

    Do this, do that,

    a rule for this, a rule for that[a];

    a little here, a little there.”

11 Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues

    God will speak to this people,

12 to whom he said,

    “This is the resting place, let the weary rest”;

and, “This is the place of repose”—

    but they would not listen.

13 So then, the word of the Lord to them will become:

    Do this, do that,

    a rule for this, a rule for that;

    a little here, a little there—

so that as they go they will fall backward;

    they will be injured and snared and captured.

14 Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scoffers

    who rule this people in Jerusalem.

15 You boast, “We have entered into a covenant with death,

    with the realm of the dead we have made an agreement.

When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by,

    it cannot touch us,

for we have made a lie our refuge

    and falsehood[b] our hiding place.”

16 So this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone,

    a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;

the one who relies on it

    will never be stricken with panic.

17 I will make justice the measuring line

    and righteousness the plumb line;

hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie,

    and water will overflow your hiding place.

18 Your covenant with death will be annulled;

    your agreement with the realm of the dead will not stand.

When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by,

    you will be beaten down by it.

19 As often as it comes it will carry you away;

    morning after morning, by day and by night,

    it will sweep through.”

The understanding of this message

    will bring sheer terror.

20 The bed is too short to stretch out on,

    the blanket too narrow to wrap around you.

21 The Lord will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim,

    he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon—

to do his work, his strange work,

    and perform his task, his alien task.

22 Now stop your mocking,

    or your chains will become heavier;

the Lord, the Lord Almighty, has told me

    of the destruction decreed against the whole land.

23 Listen and hear my voice;

    pay attention and hear what I say.

24 When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually?

    Does he keep on breaking up and working the soil?

25 When he has leveled the surface,

    does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin?

Does he not plant wheat in its place,[c]

    barley in its plot,[d]

    and spelt in its field?

26 His God instructs him

    and teaches him the right way.

27 Caraway is not threshed with a sledge,

    nor is the wheel of a cart rolled over cumin;

caraway is beaten out with a rod,

    and cumin with a stick.

28 Grain must be ground to make bread;

    so one does not go on threshing it forever.

The wheels of a threshing cart may be rolled over it,

    but one does not use horses to grind grain.

29 All this also comes from the Lord Almighty,

    whose plan is wonderful,

    whose wisdom is magnificent.

Footnotes

a. Isaiah 28:10 Hebrew / sav lasav sav lasav / kav lakav kav lakav (probably meaningless sounds mimicking the prophet’s words); also in verse 13

b. Isaiah 28:15 Or false gods

c. Isaiah 28:25 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.

d. Isaiah 28:25 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.

1. Northern Israel (Ephraim) was wealthy because of her fertile valleys. She had become very proud, self-absorbed, and complacent. But Isaiah saw that the northern kingdom was like a fading flower. The LORD would soon send Assyria against her like a powerful and destructive hailstorm. Her fruits would be enjoyed by foreigners.

2. Judah was no better than Northern Israel. Her priests and prophets were drunkards (7). They mocked Isaiah’s prophesies and warnings (9-10). Because the people of Judah rejected God’s word, God would speak judgment to them through foreign captors (11-13). Judah’s proud leaders scoffed at Isaiah and rather trusted their alliance with Egypt but Isaiah called it a covenant with death (15).

3. We are tempted to rely on wealth, other people, and ourselves. Depending on anything besides God will lead to fear (19). Nothing in this world can provide security (20). We must rely on the LORD’s precious cornerstone, Jesus Christ (16; 1 Pe 2:4-6). In the same way that God instructs a farmer on how to plow his fields, sow his seed, and how to thresh different plants, so he provides his magnificent wisdom when we humbly depend on him. Who is the sure foundation of your life? On whom do you depend in both good and bad times?

Prayer Lord Jesus, thank you for being our cornerstone and sure foundation of life!

One Word Jesus, our sure foundation