“The Word is Rest”
[Isaiah 28:1-13]
May 12, 2019, Second Reformed Church
In chapter twenty-eight, we return to the time of Isaiah – shortly before 722 B.C. We will remember that the Assyrians betrayed Israel and Judah and began to conquer them after they had agreed to an alliance. Also, we will remember that God told the kings of Israel and Judah – we spent awhile looking at evil King Ahaz of Judah and his disobedience – God told them to do nothing – to trust God – and definitely, they were not to make an alliance with Egypt – which they did.
Hoshea is king of Israel at this time, Ahaz of Judah is dead, and King Hezekiah – a reasonably good king – is now king of Judah. The attacks of the Assyrians continue – Israel has been defeated and taken into captivity with the exception of the lower area of Samaria – where the Samaritans lived – the half-breeds of Israel. Today’s reading is about Samaria and what happens in 722 B.C.
What’s your favorite drink? It doesn’t have to be an alcoholic drink.
I love Coke – and I can drink Coke all day long. I know that is not a healthy thing, and in recent years I have cut back dramatically on my soda drinking.
What do you love to drink? Some sort of alcohol? Water? Milk? Coffee? Tea? Melted iced-cream?
The historical records outside of the Bible show that the people of Samaria – of which Ephraim was the capital and sat on a hill – were known for being drunks. The reputation of Samaria at this time was that they were a people who would not control their alcohol abuse.
We see in our text, first, “bodily indulgence saps spiritual perception” (Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah, 231).
This text is occurring during Isaiah’s life. He knows the Samaritans, and he is disgusted by what he sees. They are part of the people of God, even as half-breeds, and he cries out about their excess.
“Ah, the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim, and the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich valley of those overcome with wine!”
Now, let’s not be confused – when God created humans, He gave them all the plants of the earth to eat – excepting the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper that includes the use of wine.
Paul told Timothy, “(No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments)” (I Timothy 5:23, ESV).
Drinking wine is not the issue. You may drink alcohol or choose not to. You may drink for enjoyment, relaxation, health, and worship. What we may not do is abuse alcohol. In fact, we are not to abuse any good thing that God has given us.
We can abuse food. We can abuse sex. We can abuse drugs. We can abuse the enjoyment of things. And so forth. God has given us all the good gifts of the entire Creation that we may enjoy them and give God thanks – that we would glorify Him.
Ephraim was on top of a mountain that was rich farming land. God gave it to them to plant and grow, to feed all of their people, and the stranger in town, but they chose to obsess about their alcohol and stay drunk. So the land didn’t get farmed, the flowers faded and died, and the people grew hungry, so they drank to forget their problems. They drank and felt good, and then they did not feel well, and then they passed out.
“Behold, the Lord has one who is mighty and strong; like a storm of hail, a destroying tempest, like a storm of mighty, overflowing waters, he casts down to the earth with his hand. The proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim will be trodden underfoot; and the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich valley, will be like a first-ripe fig before the summer: when someone sees it, he swallows it as soon as it is in his hand.”
God had spared Samaria being conquered and taken into captivity, but they did not learn from God’s blessing – they remained drunk and did not see the spiritual work God was calling them to that would keep them in the land.
It’s a matter of where our treasure is, as Jesus says. What is most important to you? One more piece of cake? One more bottle of alcohol? One more day at the gym? One more Pokémon? One more sexual partner? One more paycheck?
Jesus says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33, ESV).
Paul writes, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:1-4, ESV).
What keeps you from reading God’s Word and knowing Him? What keeps you from worshipping with God’s people? Whatever is causing you to push God down your list is weakening you spiritually.
And so, Isaiah tells the Samaritans that God has one who is strong and mighty, who will come upon them suddenly like a hailstorm and pound them to the ground. Their drunken pride will be destroyed in a moment – like the flower opening on a plant or the eating of the first fig of the season – which happens in a moment. “It will happen so quickly and be so severe, you won’t realize what has just happened.”
And the Assyrians descended on Samaria and killed them and took them into captivity leaving only a small remnant behind in 722 B. C.
Paul explains in I Corinthians 9 that, as a Christian, he is free to do and enjoy everything except sin. He can drink alcohol, he can eat pork, he can marry a Gentile convert, he can have a Netflix account, and have a pet pony. However, for the sake of the Gospel – for the sake of others knowing and believing in Jesus and what He did – by our word and witness – there are times we will choose not to do some things that are not sin so we do not offend others – so our spiritual health and growth are not diminished.
Paul writes, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified” (I Corinthians 9:24-27, ESV).
The remnant of the Samaritans repented in response to the devastation by the Assyrians, and the Lord became the center and joy of the remnant of Samaria. He became to them justice and strength, and they were able to use alcohol rightly – to enjoy it and strengthen their spiritual perception.
“In that day the LORD of hosts will be a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty, to the remnant of his people, and a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.”
Second, the Word is rest.
Sadly, the remnant of the Samaritans quickly turn back to their drunken ways, ignoring God and His way for them.
“These also reel with wine and stagger with strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they are swallowed by wine, they stagger with strong drink, they reel in vision, they stumble in giving judgment. For all tables are full of filthy vomit, with no space left.”
It’s not a pretty picture, is it?
They repented in fear of what they saw happen to most of the nation, but their fear of God and love of His Word was not enough for them. They turned to abusing alcohol again – to being drunkards – from every class – even the religious leaders who should have known better above all. And this wasn’t a one-time sin – or an occasional sin – this was returning whole-hog to being drunk all the time, so they reel – rather than walk.
The wine is swallowing them up, rather than the other way around. They are staggering, their preaching and prophesying makes no sense – they are preaching out of the bottle and not out of the Word. They took the good gift from God and went back to using it to destroy themselves and their spiritual perception. They couldn’t walk, they couldn’t speak coherently, and they all collapsed on tables covered with their vomit.
And remember: alcohol is good; drunkenness is a sin.
And remember: you can ruin your spiritual perception over seven-course meals, or pills, or working out at the gym, or by accumulating stuff.
So, Isaiah comes to the remnant of the Samaritans in Samaria to preach to them, and they mock him.
“To whom will he teach knowledge, and to whom will he explain the message? Those who are weaned from the milk, those taken from the breast? For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.”
“We hear your babbling, Isaiah. Who do you think you’re talking to? We have been weaned – we don’t suckle at the breast. We are adults. We know what is. And you come blah, blah, blah, God’s Law, blah, blah, mature, blah, blah, repent – you’re like a dripping faucet -- same thing again and again. We don’t need to hear it from you, Isaiah. We don’t hear it – la, la, la.”
Do you know people like that? People who don’t want to hear the Gospel one more time from your lips. People who don’t want to know what God has said – one more time.
Have you ever said that you don’t need to hear it again?
I used to be friends with a women who attended a church I was part of, and the time came when she stopped attending. I asked her if she need a lift, and she told me, “I’ve gotten to the age where I don’t need to hear it again.” Foolish.
If we perfectly heard and perfectly lived in response to the Gospel – no, even then – especially then, we would want to hear it again and again. Such a glorious Word!
And they criticize Isaiah some more:
“For by people of strange lips and with a foreign tongue the LORD will speak to this people, to whom he has said, ‘This is rest; give rest to the weary; and this is repose’; yet they would not hear.”
God tells His people that the Word is rest – it is in the Word of God – what He says and promises and brings to pass – that rest is found – comfort – assurance. Samaritan alcohol, food, drugs, money – none of these things piled up upon themselves will bring peace and rest – only God in His Word. But the remnant in the land do not listen – they reject what Isaiah is preaching.
So God says that the Word will become to them like babble. Isaiah will speak and they won’t understand it – it will be like someone speaking to them in another language. So they will keep on in their sin and not turn away from it. They will not be able to hear or understand what God says.
“And the word of the LORD will be to them precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little, that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.”
So, the Word of God will not be a rest to them. God’s Word will be unbelievable to them. It will be babble and nonsense and a repetitious annoyance that buzzes in their ears until their excess causes them to fall backward, and God will break them and snare them and take them into captivity with the others.
They are like the people in our churches who say they are Christians. They are willing to contribute and help the poor. They just can’t stand Bible study. The sermon is just nonsense to them and they don’t care to hear from the Word of God – unless it’s those few passages they agree with.
Are you a true believer? Is the Word of God rest to you?
Jesus says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30, ESV).
Does that mean we will never have struggles or be upset? Of course not.
What it means is that if we believe in Jesus – Who He is and what He has done – and we believe that the whole Word of God is truly God’s Word, we will find rest – we will be at peace as we labor for the Lord, because we are no longer scrambling to earn points. We are no longer trying to be good enough. The labor we have been given to do in Christ we can do by the power of God the Holy Spirit.
We no longer find the need to “keep up with the Jones’,” and we don’t find the need to use God’s gifts to us in an abusive way to try to find rest. We have rest – in the Word – in Jesus – in His salvation.
You don’t need to be exhausted any more.
Let us pray:
Almighty God, we ask that the Holy Spirit would break our sinful habits by which we abuse the good things You have given us. Help us to use all Creation well and to Your Glory that we would have true joy. Let us value that God has spoken to us, and let us find rest in Your Word. It is the only true and lasting peace. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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