Woe to the Drunkards of Ephraim
Study note
Ephraim was the leading tribe of the northern kingdom of Israel, with its capital at Samaria. The city sat on a hill surrounded by a fertile valley. Isaiah compares Samaria's beauty to a fading flower crown worn by drunkards. God is about to send a powerful force (Assyria) to sweep them away like a hailstorm. But for the faithful few who remain, the Lord himself will be their beautiful crown.
1 How awful it will be for the proud crown of Ephraim's drunkards! Their gorgeous city sits at the top of a rich valley, but it is like a wilting flower worn by people who have had too much wine. 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 Watch out! The Lord has someone powerful and unstoppable. Like a hailstorm, like a wall of water that smashes everything flat, he will slam them to the ground with overwhelming force. 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 proud crown of Ephraim's drunkards will be stomped into the ground. The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet:
4 The fading flower sitting so beautifully at the top of the rich valley will be like a fig that ripens early. The moment someone spots it, they snatch it and swallow it down. 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 When that day comes, the Lord who rules over all will be like a beautiful crown. He will be like a wonderful wreath for the faithful few of his people who are left. 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 He will give fair judgment to whoever sits as a judge and fighting strength to those who push the enemy back at the gates. And for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate.
Drunken Leaders Mock God's Message
Study note
Even the priests and prophets in Judah stagger from too much wine. Their tables are covered with vomit. When Isaiah tries to teach them, they mock him, saying his message sounds like baby talk, repeating simple rules over and over. Isaiah warns that since they rejected God's simple message, God will speak to them through a foreign language, that is, through foreign invaders.
7 But even these leaders stumble from too much wine and stagger from strong drink. The priests and prophets wobble from alcohol. Wine confuses them, and strong drink leads them off track. They make mistakes when they see visions and mess up when they make rulings. But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.
8 Every table is covered with vomit and filth. There is not a single clean spot anywhere. For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.
9 The leaders mock Isaiah: 'Who does this guy think he is lecturing? Who is he explaining his message to? Babies who stopped nursing?' Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
10 They joke, 'It's rule after rule, rule after rule, line after line, line after line, a little here, a little there.' For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
11 All then! Since they will not listen, God will speak to these people through the strange lips and foreign language of invaders. For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
12 God had already told them, 'This is the place where you can find rest. Let the exhausted people rest here. This is the place of comfort.' But they would not pay attention. 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 So the Lord's message to them will be rule on top of rule, line on top of line, a little here, a little there. This will go on until they trip backward, get broken, trapped, and captured. 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.
The Precious Cornerstone
Study note
The rulers of Jerusalem boasted that they had made a deal to protect themselves from disaster. Isaiah calls their deal a 'covenant with death' based on lies. In contrast, God promises to lay in Zion a tested, precious cornerstone as a sure foundation. Those who trust in it will never panic. This cornerstone is understood by many as pointing to the Messiah. God's justice will sweep away all the false refuges people have built.
14 So listen to what the Lord has to say, you mockers who boss around this people in Jerusalem. Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.
15 You brag, 'We have cut a deal with death. We have a contract with the grave. When disaster sweeps past, it will not touch us. We have built our hiding place on lies, and falsehood is our shield.' 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 So here is what the Lord God says: 'Look! I am placing a stone in Zion — a stone that has been tested and proven. It is a valuable cornerstone that makes a sure foundation. Whoever trusts in it will never be shaken.' 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 'I will use justice as my measuring line and righteousness as my level. Hail will demolish your shelter of lies, and water will flood your hiding place.' 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 Your deal with death will be torn up, and your contract with the grave will fall apart. When the unstoppable disaster comes rolling through, it will flatten you. 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.
19 Every time it sweeps past, it will drag you along with it. Morning after morning, day and night, it will keep coming. Hearing this message will fill you with dread. From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report.
20 It is like a bed that is too short to stretch out on and a blanket too small to wrap around yourself. For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it.
21 The Lord will rise up the way he did at Mount Perazim. He will act with fury the way he did in the Valley of Gibeon — to carry out his work, his unusual work, to perform his task, his unexpected task. For the LORD shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act.
22 So quit your mocking, or your chains will get even tighter. The Lord who rules over all has told me about the total destruction he has already planned for the entire land. Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong: for I have heard from the Lord GOD of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth.
The Parable of the Wise Farmer
Study note
Isaiah uses a farming illustration to show that God acts with wisdom and purpose. A farmer does not plow forever. He knows when to plant different seeds and how to harvest each crop differently. Delicate herbs are beaten gently with a stick, while harder grain is threshed with heavier tools. In the same way, God uses different methods to discipline and teach his people. This wisdom comes from the Lord himself.
23 Open your ears and listen closely to what I am about to say. Pay careful attention to my words. Give ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech.
24 Does a farmer plow the soil all day long when he wants to plant? Does he keep breaking up dirt forever? Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground?
25 No! Once the ground is level, does he not scatter dill seeds and plant cumin? Does he not put wheat in neat rows, barley where it belongs, and other grain around the edges? When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat and the appointed barley and the rie in their place?
26 His God is the one who taught him how to do it right. For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him.
27 You do not crush dill with a heavy tool, and you do not roll a cart wheel over cumin. Instead, you tap out dill with a light stick and cumin with a rod. For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod.
28 Grain for making bread has to be ground up, but the farmer does not keep pounding it forever. He rolls the cart wheel over it, but he does not grind it to powder. Bread corn is bruised; because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it with his horsemen.
29 All this wisdom comes from the Lord who rules over all. His plans are amazing, and his wisdom is beyond measure. This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.