Isaiah 28 Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine!
2 Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand.
3 The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet:
4 And the glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be a fading flower, and as the hasty fruit before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.
5 In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people,
6 And for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate….
12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
13 But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.14 Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem 15 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:
16 Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.
17 Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.
18 And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.
The priests had become drunkards, being filled with wine rather than the truth of God’s words. They were teaching the people with a form of legalism; yes, the law was important and a guide to man’s behavior. Still, even in the old testament faith was the key to salvation. As from Abraham for whom faith was counted for righteousness, so has it been throughout. God knew that man could not keep the commandments and they were proof of man’s need for a Savior. The sacrificial system in the old testament was a picture of Christ who was the chief and precious corner stone. God in perfect Righteousness and to remain a perfectly Just Judge of all the world could not overlook sin; because sin was that which separated man from his true purpose of a relationship with his Creator–God. Sin lurked deep within covetous, pride filled hearts who were so darkened they could not see the light of God’s Glory. Sin seeks and follows after counterfeit joys to fill the void that only God can fill. There is a great warning here to all those who teach anything but faith in Christ Alone as the only means of Salvation. Christ took upon Himself the full wrath that was demanded to pay the penalty for man’s sin. If we ignore the depth of wrath that God has against sin, then we look lightly upon the price that was paid at the cross and we look lightly upon the sins within our own life. Yes, the only hope I have is Jesus who has paid my sins upon the Cross. True, through Jesus, my sins are paid–past, present, and future by faith in Him; yet, that truth when understood transforms my life. No longer can I be content with the sins in my life that cause Him such sorrow; because, He realizes that all the darkness in my heart will still cause me not to see the light of His Glory nor feel the depth of His Joy penetrating deeply into my life. Because of the depth of love and gratitude I have for the magnitude of Grace He has shown me; I must battle against sin in my own heart and battle to hold tight to the Joy I have in Him. As Jonathan Edwards said "“God’s purpose for my life was that I have a passion for God’s glory and that I have a passion for my joy in that glory, and that these two are one passion.”
The Mystery of the Cross I cannot Comprehend
The Agonies of Calvary
You the perfect Holy One, Crushed Your Son
Who drank the Bitter Cup Reserved for Me