ISAIAH LESSON 32


     We will begin this lesson in Isaiah 28:14  "Wherefore hear the
word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which [is] in
Jerusalem."

     In the last lesson, we saw God angry with His people, because of
their drunkenness. Even the priests and prophets had been involved in
the sin. Now, we see, they have scorned the truth. Now, Isaiah is
reminding them to hear the Word of the LORD. This is a terrible
indictment on those who rule over Jerusalem. Their scorn is a
rejection of God and His Word.

     Isaiah 28:15 "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:"

     In this, we see people who believe they are safe from harm, and
are not. In the case of the physical house of Israel, this would be
people who thought themselves protected, because they were descendents
of Abraham. In the case of the spiritual house of Israel, this would
be those who have been baptized, but not saved. They would believe
they were safe, because of their baptism. Baptism does not save. Even
John the Baptist said, repent and be baptized. The change of heart is
what is really important. Romans chapter 10 verses 9 and 10 tell it so
well. They have believed a lie. A person is not saved because of whose
child, or grandchild, he is. He is not saved by the formality of
baptism either. The person who is saved has a converted heart and then
is baptized. He has become a new creature in Christ.

     Isaiah 28:16  "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."

     Zion symbolizes the church. The stone and the chief cornerstone
are Jesus. To base your salvation, or help, on any other is to fail.
There is no other way to heaven, but in the name of Jesus. "Jesus"
means Jehovah Saviour. This is Jehovah GOD. Jesus is the Cornerstone
that we build upon. We are the lively stones that are held together by
the Cornerstone.  The foundation of all salvation is in Jesus.  Notice
the word "believeth".

     Isaiah 28:17 "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."

     Judgement is just and balanced to all alike is the statement
about the line. Justice is exact when Jesus is the Judge. It is exact.
This is what the plumb does. We saw in a previous verse, that some
thought they were saved, when they were not. They thought their doubts
had been hidden. The hail is, probably, in the physical speaking of
the Assyrian invasion which comes like a storm. In the spiritual, it
could be similar to the parable of the ten virgins. The Lord came
before they were ready. There is no place to hide in the Assyrian
invasion.  There is even less place to hide from the Lord. He will
come like a thief in the night, when you least expect it, and He will
find you.

     Isaiah 28:18  "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."

     We find that all of their plans for safety are done away with.
They will not be saved, because they are Abraham's descendents. The
so-called Christians will not be saved, because they have carried out
a custom. The pretenders, then or now, will be destroyed.

     Isaiah 28:19 "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."

     The Assyrian army will come in waves, until the whole land is
defeated. The population will be greatly reduced by death. Many will
be carried away captive. Vexation, here, means fear, or agitation. It
seems there were several wars. The fear grew more and more with every
invasion.

     Isaiah 28:20 "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]."

     They had to sleep wherever they could with whatever beds and
covers were available. There was no comfort even in sleep.

     Isaiah 28:21 "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."

     This Perazim is remembering a battle where David defeated the
Philistines with divine intervention from God. These people belong to
God, as David did, but they have grieved God. The strange part here,
is the fact that God is helping the enemy of His people. This is
actually a judgement on God's people. God is just using ungodly people
to carry out His punishment for Him. God is in control of all, even
Satan.

     Isaiah 28:22 "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."

     Isaiah is telling them to be thankful their punishment is no
worse than it is. If they start bragging about the light affliction,
God will see that it is made more severe.

     Isaiah 28:23  "Give ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear
my speech."

     Isaiah is telling them not to turn a deaf ear to him, but listen.
We will see in the midst of this, comfort to those who will listen.

     Isaiah 28:24 "Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open
and break the clods of his ground?"

     To plant a crop, you must first plow the field. The field
{church} must be prepared to receive the seed {Word of God}. The
plowing and breaking the clods seems cruel, but you cannot have a good
harvest without first preparing the field.

     Isaiah 28:25 "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?"

     The word "appointed" lets us know that each thing was planted in
its proper place. After the field is ready, the seed is put in to grow
into wheat, and other things for making bread. Fitches means finnel-
flower. Cummin is a condiment. Wheat is not only food, but symbolizes
the believers in Christ, as well. Barley and rie are less expensive
grains than wheat.

     Isaiah 28:26 "For his God doth instruct him to discretion, [and]
doth teach him."

     The laws governing planting are found in the Leviticus study. One
that comes to mind quickly, is that you do not put different seed in
the same place. Another is, the land must rest the seventh year.

     Isaiah 28:27 "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."

     The fitches were too tender to be sent through the threshing
process. The grain was sometimes run over by a cartwheel to mash the
grain out, but the cummin could not be handled in this manner.

     Isaiah 28:28 "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."

     We see the reasoning, now, in the manner it is harvested. It
would bruise, if handled differently. The main thing we can learn from
this, is the fact that God does not deal with all of us alike, any
more than the grain is handled alike. Our needs are taken into
consideration, when God deals with us.

     Isaiah 28:29 "This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts,
[which] is wonderful in counsel, [and] excellent in working."

     God has a perfect plan. He makes no mistakes. The only correct
way to do anything is His way. He has taken everything into
consideration. We might overlook something. His wisdom is unsurpassed.
                          Isaiah 32 Questions


1.  What kind of men is verse 14 speaking to?
2.  What is Isaiah telling them to do?
3.  What is their scorn?
4.  What is meant by making a covenant with death?
5.  Why did the physical house of Israel think they were protected?
6.  What very similar mistake do Christians make?
7.  What do you become, when you are a Christian?
8.  Zion symbolizes the _________.
9.  The chief Cornerstone is _________.
10. "Jesus" means what?
11. What are the Christians, in relation to the Cornerstone?
12. Judgement is ______ and ________ in the statement about the line.
13. What does the plumb show us.
14. What is the hail, in verse 17, speaking of in the physical?
15. In the spiritual, what is it saying?
16. What will happen to them, when the overflowing scourge shall pass
    through?
17. What happens to the pretenders?
18. Who will come and destroy them?
19. The bed is shorter than a man can ________ _________ ______.
20. What is Perazim remembering?
21. What is this attack really?
22. If they start bragging about the light affliction, what will
    happen?
23. Quote Isaiah chapter 29 verse 23.
24. What does the field, in verse, 24 symbolize?
25. What does the seed symbolize?
26. What does the word "appointed", in verse 25, tell us?
27. What does the wheat symbolize?
28. Why can the fitches not be threshed?
29. What can we learn from the different manner of threshing?
30. The only correct way to do things, is ______ way.