Isaiah 28 (HCSB)
Woe to Samaria
1 Woe to the majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards, and to the fading flower of its beautiful splendor, which is on the summit above the rich valley. Woe to those overcome with wine.
2 Look, the Lord has a strong and mighty one—like a devastating hail storm, like a storm with strong flooding waters. He will bring it across the land with His hand.
3 The majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards will be trampled underfoot.
4 The fading flower of his beautiful splendor, which is on the summit above the rich valley, will be like a ripe fig before the summer harvest. Whoever sees it will swallow it while it is still in his hand.
5 On that day the Lord of Hosts will become a crown of beauty and a diadem of splendor to the remnant of His people,
6 a spirit of justice to the one who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
7 These also stagger because of wine and stumble under the influence of beer: priest and prophet stagger because of beer, they are confused by wine. They stumble because of beer, they are muddled in their visions, they stumble in their judgments.
8 Indeed, all their tables are covered with vomit; there is no place without a stench.
9 Who is he trying to teach? Who is he trying to instruct? Infants just weaned from milk? Babies removed from the breast?
10 For he says: “Law after law, law after law, line after line, line after line, a little here, a little there.”
11 So He will speak to this people with stammering speech and in a foreign language.
12 He had said to them: “This is the place of rest, let the weary rest; this is the place of repose.” But they would not listen.
13 Then the word of the Lord came to them: “Law after law, law after law, line after line, line after line, a little here, a little there,” so they go stumbling backward, to be broken, trapped, and captured.
A Deal with Death
14 Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you mockers who rule this people in Jerusalem.
15 For you said, “We have cut a deal with Death, and we have made an agreement with Sheol; when the overwhelming scourge passes through, it will not touch us, because we have made falsehood our refuge and have hidden behind treachery.”
16 Therefore the Lord God said: “Look, I have laid a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will be unshakable.
17 And I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the mason’s level.” Hail will sweep away the false refuge, and water will flood your hiding place.
18 Your deal with Death will be dissolved, and your agreement with Sheol will not last. When the overwhelming scourge passes through, you will be trampled.
19 Every time it passes through, it will carry you away; it will pass through every morning—every day and every night. Only terror will cause you to understand the message.
20 Indeed, the bed is too short to stretch out on, and its cover too small to wrap up in.
21 For the Lord will rise up as He did at Mount Perazim. He will rise in wrath, as at the Valley of Gibeon, to do His work, His strange work, and to perform His task, His disturbing task.
22 So now, do not mock, or your shackles will become stronger. Indeed, I have heard from the Lord God of Hosts a decree of destruction for the whole land.
God’s Wonderful Advice
23 Listen and hear my voice. Pay attention and hear what I say.
24 Does the plowman plow every day to plant seed? Does he continuously break up and cultivate the soil?
25 When he has leveled its surface, does he not then scatter black cumin and sow cumin? He plants wheat in rows and barley in plots, with spelt as their border.
26 His God teaches him order; He instructs him.
27 Certainly black cumin is not threshed with a threshing board, and a cart wheel is not rolled over the cumin. But black cumin is beaten out with a stick, and cumin with a rod.
28 Bread grain is crushed, but is not threshed endlessly. Though the wheel of the farmer’s cart rumbles, his horses do not crush it.
29 This also comes from the Lord of Hosts. He gives wonderful advice; He gives great wisdom.
PERSONAL JOURNAL:
SIN (verse 7): In the past I have often drank alcohol as a temporary way out from the stresses of life. I would often purposely drink to drunkenness to temporarily forget about and escape from my issues, my hurts, and my emotions. Please forgive me, Father, for my old habits of wanting to get drunk. Although I haven't lately in my time apart from my family right now, I fear I may fall back into old habits when this time apart ends. Help me to lean on You for strength to overcome this sin, Lord.
PROMISE (verses 16, 29): Father, You promise us that those who have You as their foundation and cornerstone will be unshakeable. You promise that Your advice is wonderful and Your wisdom great. Help me to remember to keep a close and tight grip on You so that I may lean on Your wisdom and advice always so that I remain unshakeable thanks to Your solid foundation.
ATTITUDE (verse 23): Please help me to change my selfish attitude of not wanting to pay attention to You and hear You always, Father. Help me to listen to You more so that I may be in Your will at all times.
COMMAND (verse 23): This verse is also a command. You command us to listen to You and hear You; to pay attention and hear what You have to say to us. Help me to embrace this command, Father, so that our conversations are filled with Your wisdom, Your counsel, and Your words.
EXAMPLE (verse 26): In this verse, You show us that You teach us good order through Your instructions. If we listen to and follow Your instructions, then Your order will bring great glory for us and Your kingdom. Thank You for this great instruction, Father. Help me to live in this example so that I always take away something new from Your words and Your instruction.
*DAILY NOTE: I have made so many mistakes in my past when it comes to my feelings. Far too often I have given into alcohol as my "go-to" for trying to overcome those past hurts. We all know that alcohol actually makes it worse instead of helping it, yet for some reason I still found myself deferring to that often. I am sorry for doing that, God. I am sorry for not leaning on You and using Your strength and counsel to get me through the things I'm dealing with in this life.
*GENERAL NOTE: I always "sandwich" my quiet time with God in prayer and do it in a location that I will not have any distractions so that I can be focused on my quiet time with God. Do not worry about how short or long your journal entries are for that day's quiet time. Just focus on the actual quiet time and relational conversation with God through the Holy Spirit and His Word. The journaling is an enhancement to your quiet time conversation with God, but also to allow you to reflect on things later as you can look back on your journal entries later when you do the chapters again in the future to see how you have grown. See the FAQ for more detail on how I do my quiet time.
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