Welcome to the MHB Podcast. This is Michael Baun. And welcome to my ninety second episode. In this episode I want to resume our study of the book of Isaiah. We are in chapter 28. This chapter is a warning against drunkenness and tells of the judgment against the northern kingdom of Israel. Isaiah uses the condition of the northern kingdom as a warning to the southern kingdom of Judah. He’s telling them that their future will not be much better if they fail to remain under God. When I say this is a warning against drunkenness, it’s important to remember that this is not a warning against the consumption of alcohol. There’s nothing inherently sinful about drinking – but the abuse of alcohol is sinful. A good analogy is sex. Sex between a man and a woman in the context of marriage is not sinful. But if you abuse God’s design for sex then it becomes sinful.
The leaders of the northern kingdom had become alcoholics and allowed their addiction to destroy their society. This behavior would contribute to the northern kingdom being conquered by the Assyrians in 722 B.C. This chapter shows Isaiah pointing to this failure and warning Judah that they do not have to share the same fate as their northern counterparts. In the same way, you can look to those who have lost everything to addiction and misconduct and know that it is not too late for you to avoid that fate – even if you think it is. Let’s begin with verses 1-4:
Isa 28:1 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!
Isa 28:2 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.
Isa 28:3 The proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim will be trodden underfoot;
Isa 28:4 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.
Ephraim is another name for the northern kingdom of Israel. The northern kingdom was sometimes called Ephraim because the tribe of Ephraim was the most dominant in that nation. We can see that drunkenness had become such a severe scourge in that land that God directed Isaiah to address the people as the drunkards of Ephraim. There are several other passages in Scripture that speak to the problem of drunkenness. Ephesians chapter 5 warns us not to be drunk with wine but instead to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Listen to Proverbs 23:29-35:
Pro 23:29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?
Pro 23:30 Those who tarry long over wine; those who go to try mixed wine.
Pro 23:31 Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.
Pro 23:32 In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder.
Pro 23:33 Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things.
Pro 23:34 You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mast.
Pro 23:35 “They struck me,” you will say, “but I was not hurt; they beat me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake? I must have another drink.”
And Jesus Himself warned against the dangers of being drunk in the last days. Listen to Luke 21:34-36:
Luk 21:34 “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.
Luk 21:35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth.
Luk 21:36 But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
I want to make it clear to all of you that I understand how drunkenness is like a rite of passage for kids as they turn into adults. I, myself, indulged in this process more than many others did. The problem is that you cannot take it back if you make a mistake. There are no do-overs. Right now there are families who will never have what they could have had and who will never be the same because this rite of passage turned into a terrible mistake. Every year a fun night out turns into a drunk driving accident, a rape, or a murder. And you might be thinking these things won’t happen to you because you would never put yourself in such an unsafe position. You’re right. Sober-you would never put yourself in such an unsafe position. But things just change when alcohol gets into your system. The influence of alcohol is more powerful than you are. Don’t test it. Even Noah – who had the fortitude to be the last and only righteous person on the planet prior to the flood – fell into a sin because of alcohol.
Alcohol is the only drug we know of that makes people violent. 50% of all violent crime involves alcohol. More than half of men who commit sexual assault are drunk. More than half of women who are sexually assaulted are drunk. More than 25,000 fatal car accidents are caused each year by drunk drivers. Americans foot the bill for more than $100 billion in annual economic and productivity losses caused by drunkenness. The fact is that if you are incapable of having a responsible relationship with alcohol then you need to stay far, far away from it at all costs because it will destroy you. That’s what it did to the leadership in the northern kingdom of Israel.
Isaiah suggested that drunkenness had a direct connection to pride – so much so that the drunkards were said to be like a proud crown. Often, people who are consumed by alcohol feel a strong sense of self-hatred and self-despair. While this can certainly be a consequence of being trapped in the addiction, these emotions often precede the addiction and motivate the drinking. The essence of pride is too much focus on oneself and proud people are often in a lot of pain because their focus and energy is dominated by their self.
Isaiah described Israel’s glorious beauty as a fading flower. Drunkenness has this same effect on people. Not only is it toxic to your body, but it also works its way into your relationships and makes them less than what they could be. Many men and women have allowed drunkenness to strip away their potential and undermine the well being of their families. So if drunkenness is so dangerous then shouldn’t we treat alcohol like it’s dangerous? No, we should not. Not only does the Bible fail to describe alcohol as sinful – it actually endorses its use in moderation. Jesus Himself made wine and drank wine. Paul recommended that Timothy drink wine in moderation to help his stomach. Psalm 104:14-15 declares that moderate use of alcohol is a gift from God. Listen to this:
Psa 104:14 You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth
Psa 104:15 and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man’s heart.
So now we have two things to keep in consideration. First is that alcohol is not inherently bad and moderate usage is actually endorsed by Scripture. Second is that drunkenness is deadly and several passages in Scripture strictly condemn it. So when it comes to drinking alcohol everything is determined by how we define drunkenness. The Bible describes drunkenness as being overcome with wine. The Hebrew word for “overcome” is halam, which literally means to strike down and by implication means to hammer, to conquer, to beat down, to overcome, to hit with a hammer. So if you are being struck down by alcohol then you are in the sin of drunkenness. Being struck down by alcohol happens when it impairs our senses, our thinking, our judgment, or our reflexes. If you feel compelled to drink or have difficulty not drinking then it’s possible that you are in the sin of drunkenness. If you have to hide your drinking or if you are secretly ashamed of your drinking then it’s possible that you are in the sin of drunkenness.
I know that’s a difficult thing to hear for people who are given over to alcohol. It’s also difficult for people who love someone who is given over to alcohol. And I’m not stupid enough to tell you that you need to just quit. Some sins are harder to break than others. I struggle with sin and I’m a pastor. So if you are stuck, there are a few things you need to do. First you must understand the utmost importance of maintaining that sin is wrong. You will warp your conscience and pathologize the thing that guides you into well being the moment you claim that a sin is not a sin. With a damaged compass you won’t know which way is up and it will be very difficult for you to regain the proper path.
So if you maintain that sin is wrong, the next thing for you to do is repent of the sin. This means confessing before God that you have sinned and seeking His forgiveness. He will forgive you. Once you’ve sought forgiveness, you need to ask God to cleanse your life of the sin that you struggle with. And then you need to wait. I don’t care if you have to repeat this process everyday for years. Repent, forgive, ask. Repent, forgive, ask. I tell you to do this because Scripture describes sanctification – or being made holy – as God’s work in you and not your work in yourself. I think there is an eternity of difference between a person who hates their sin and petitions God to cleanse them of it over against a person who embraces and identifies with their sin. I said earlier that the influence of alcohol is stronger than you – and now I’m telling you that the influence of God is stronger than alcohol. You might be powerless to quit drinking on your own, but God will help you be done with it if you ask Him. Even if you must keep asking Him every day until you die. Stop making your relationship with God about just quitting your sin. Start making your relationship with God about seeking God, loving Him, and He will drive out your sin across time.
The other element of drunkenness Isaiah described in the northern kingdom was their inability to practice delayed gratification – or sacrifice. You can’t arrive at anything good and meaningful in your life unless you are willing to make sacrifices. The danger of alcohol is that it makes you feel amazing right away when you first start drinking it. You become awash with a sense of relief that nothing really matters and so you don’t have any true responsibility in this world. You don’t actually have to make sacrifices after all. That’s the glowing temptation of nihilism. That’s Satan asking you if God really said those things. That’s the power to be found in a meaningless life. But the price you pay for that power is emptiness. Nothing in the world matters including you. The alcohol makes you feel like a king while you’re drinking it but when it goes away it leaves you with nothing but your emptiness. As your meaningless worldview consumes you from the inside – you find yourself needing to to spend more and more time in the false refuge of intoxication. It’s not a good road to go down. But what happens if you’re already down that road? Is all lost? Definitely not. Listen to Isaiah verses 5 and 6:
Isa 28:5 In that day the LORD of hosts will be a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty, to the remnant of his people,
Isa 28:6 and a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
So maybe you’re at a point where all of your glory has faded because of drunkenness or some other sin. The good news for you is that your comeback and your eternity was never dependent on your own glory. It was and is dependent on God’s glory – and God still has all of His glory. Instead of focusing on how far you’ve fallen, look to the glory of God. He will resurrect you out of your situation to bring further glory to Himself.
You might say that your life is so destroyed that you have no idea where to begin putting it back together. Your judgment and your discernment have been warped by sin and it’s hard for you to know which way is correct. The good news for you is that knowing the way was never your responsibility to begin with. God has chosen the way and He has laid it out for us in His word. Go get a Bible, join a good group of fellow Christians, and figure it out together. He will be with you every step of the way and He will lead you back to Him.
Maybe drunkenness or some other sin has sapped your strength to the point where you don’t feel like you can fight anymore. The good news for you is that the ability to fight was never dependent on your own strength. The courage to battle for what is right is dependent on the strength that is given to you by God – and His strength never fails. So it’s never too late to give yourself over to God and allow Him to put you back in order. Let’s read verses 7-8:
Isa 28:7 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.
Isa 28:8 For all tables are full of filthy vomit, with no space left.
In these verses we see that drunkenness can make a mockery out of even the spiritual leaders. Israel’s priests and prophets were consumed with alcohol and they fell out of the way of God. Drunkenness always leads to error and takes us out of the way of wisdom and God’s will. The fact that even the well educated priests and prophets fell under the tyranny of alcohol should serve as a warning to us. If you’re fortunate enough to not be in a position where you are addicted to alcohol – don’t try your luck.
Isaiah says that drunkenness leads to degradation and disgrace. This is largely a consequence of the properties of the drug. Alcohol is a depressant; it loosens you up because it depresses your self-control, your wisdom, your balance, and your judgment. You may have heard people claim to be drunk in the Holy Spirit. This idea is strictly unbiblical because the Spirit’s effects on you are the opposite of alcohol’s effects. The Spirit of God moves every aspect of your being toward better and more perfect performance. God is a God of order, so people who run around acting crazy while claiming to be drunk in the Spirit are giving themselves over to the influence of something or someone that is not God. Let’s read verses 9-10:
Isa 28:9 “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?
Isa 28:10 For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.”
Remember how I said that pride and drunkenness often fall hand-in-hand? Here are the drunken priests mocking Isaiah by asking him to whom will he teach knowledge. In their own minds, Isaiah’s teachings are too child-like to apply to them. These priests believed themselves to be too profound for the simple words of Isaiah. Their arrogance led them to believe they shouldn’t be held to basic precepts because they were sophisticated enough to go on to deeper things.
At bottom these priests had rejected the value of the Word of God. We know this because we know that Scripture is actually meant to be taught precept upon precept, line by line. So Isaiah was doing it right and these men refused to hear it because they felt convicted by it. It’s true that there are deep and sophisticated ideas laid out in Scripture. But it’s also true that there are some very simple ones. That’s the beauty of God’s Word – there’s something in it for every one at every stage of development. If pastors and teachers are faithful to teach Scripture verse by verse then they can rest assured that it will be of great value to all who are listening. Let’s read verses 11-13:
Isa 28:11 For by people of strange lips and with a foreign tongue the LORD will speak to this people,
Isa 28:12 to whom he has said, “This is rest; give rest to the weary; and this is repose”; yet they would not hear.
Isa 28:13 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.
God is persistent in His work of trying to get you to open your eyes and see. If you’re like the priests in Israel who refuse the plain teaching of Isaiah – then God will look for another way to communicate to your hardened heart. This is what He did with the drunken priests but they still would not listen. This was bad news for them because Isaiah did a good job of warning them and so when they rejected Isaiah they also rejected the fullness of what God was trying to say to them.
This is how we should teach Scripture today. Line by line without skipping anything. We need to present the full counsel of God and we need to present it as simply as we can. This does not mean sacrificing depth for ease of understanding. We need to reach deep into the text but do it in a way that is motivated by teaching – not motivated by sounding profound. In these verses there’s also this idea that the wisdom of God is revealed to us slowly and little by little. Imagine being stuck in a pitch dark room for an extended period. You need to be slowly reintroduced to the light and not blasted all at once. God knows this about you, and so He reveals His wisdom to you in such a way that will not be more than you can handle. Let’s read verses 14-15:
Isa 28:14 Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scoffers, who rule this people in Jerusalem!
Isa 28:15 Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have an agreement, when the overwhelming whip passes through it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter”;
So now that Isaiah has described the sins of the northern kingdom, he’s turning his attention to the southern kingdom to show them that they are guilty of the same things. We can tell from these verses that Jerusalem had come under the leadership of ignorant and immature people. Their leaders needed to hear the word of God just as much as the drunken priests of the northern kingdom. The idea here is that no matter who you are, no matter how advanced you think you are, you still need to hear the counsel of God taught precept upon precept and line by line.
In Jerusalem, the rulers had so fully rejected God that they felt they had an agreement with death. They deceived themselves into thinking that God’s judgment was not meant for them. We see this a lot among people today. There’s this sense in the universality of the afterlife. Isaiah said the people of Jerusalem made an agreement with death. Our agreement with death is something like not fearing death because everyone dies and no one knows where we go when we die. This is one of the many lies that we take refuge in. This attitude has all but killed the sense of urgency in turning individuals away from evil and back toward God.
Who knows how much unnecessary misery has been unleashed on the world because of Christians who are complacent about going into the world to preserve what is good and give light to others. The time to correct your relationship with God is right now. The truth is that if you are given over to evil and to wickedness when you pass away then there’s a pretty good chance it’s going to be too late for you. I don’t know why that is, but I suspect it has something to do with you being warped so badly that you would rather be in hell than be with Jesus. C.S. Lewis said that the doors of hell are locked from the inside. Let’s read verses 16-19:
Isa 28:16 therefore thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’
Isa 28:17 And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plumb line; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the shelter.”
Isa 28:18 Then your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand; when the overwhelming scourge passes through, you will be beaten down by it.
Isa 28:19 As often as it passes through it will take you; for morning by morning it will pass through, by day and by night; and it will be sheer terror to understand the message.
So we talked about how many people take refuge in lies and how one of the most common deceptions is the universality of afterlife. These verses begin by telling us that God has given us a true refuge with a solid cornerstone for a foundation. This refuge is the Messiah, Jesus Christ. In the New Testament Peter goes on to say that Christ is the cornerstone and we should build all aspects of our lives on Him. In construction, the cornerstone determines the lines for the rest of the structure. Everything that you build lines up in reference to the cornerstone.
This is in principle why you cannot save yourself. The cornerstone of your life has to be perfect or else the flaws will accumulate across time causing the entire thing to end in wreckage. Only God is perfect and so God has given Himself as your cornerstone. But it gets even better than that. If you build your life on God, He will watch over you and correct you when you make mistakes – ensuring the integrity of what you build. I often tell people that if they want a prayer that will be answered, sit on the edge of your bed at night and ask God what it is that you are doing that’s making your situation worse than it needs to be. That’s a scary question to ask because you know you’ll get an answer.
The leaders in Jerusalem rejected God and built their own shelter. This was their refuge of lies. When the storms of life came, everything they built was swept away. They thought they could escape God’s judgment by making a deal with death – but God annulled their covenant and they faced the scourge of judgment. This really was the most loving thing God could do for them – He didn’t want them to walk blind and deceived into their own deaths and choose eternity separated from Him. Let’s read verses 20-22:
Isa 28:20 For the bed is too short to stretch oneself on, and the covering too narrow to wrap oneself in.
Isa 28:21 For the LORD will rise up as on Mount Perazim; as in the Valley of Gibeon he will be roused; to do his deed—strange is his deed! and to work his work—alien is his work!
Isa 28:22 Now therefore do not scoff, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have heard a decree of destruction from the Lord GOD of hosts against the whole land.
This is a fantastic description of what it feels like to search out meaning and purpose in your life without God. It’s like sleeping in a bed that is too short with a blanket that is too narrow to cover yourself in. You can choose to reject God, pursue your own designs, and you might build yourself something that feels good. But you won’t be able to escape the sense that something is missing. The sense that what you have is not enough and therefore you must pursue more. Trying to satisfy that sense is as frustrating as trying to sleep in a bed that’s too short with a blanket that won’t cover you. Choosing God allows you to have rest, peace, and covering by Jesus Christ. You might say you don’t believe in God but you certainly believe in rest, peace, and covering. You pursue these things as if they are the black hole at the center of your worldview. Instead of working, striving, and longing to no avail to build these things for yourself – choose God and accept them as a free gift in Jesus. Relax and enjoy life!
The rulers in Jerusalem denied this peace and chose enmity with God. They had to realize that war against God was a futile proposition. Isaiah gave them two historical examples of when God rose up to do His work in favor of Israel. At Gibeon God accomplished a great victory in the days of Joshua. At Perazim He did the same in the days of David. In both of those examples God was working in support of Israel. But the rulers Isaiah spoke to were failing to repent and so they would witness God rise up to do this same work only this time they themselves would be His target. Let’s read verses 23-29:
Isa 28:23 Give ear, and hear my voice; give attention, and hear my speech.
Isa 28:24 Does he who plows for sowing plow continually? Does he continually open and harrow his ground?
Isa 28:25 When he has leveled its surface, does he not scatter dill, sow cumin, and put in wheat in rows and barley in its proper place, and emmer as the border?
Isa 28:26 For he is rightly instructed; his God teaches him.
Isa 28:27 Dill is not threshed with a threshing sledge, nor is a cart wheel rolled over cumin, but dill is beaten out with a stick, and cumin with a rod.
Isa 28:28 Does one crush grain for bread? No, he does not thresh it forever; when he drives his cart wheel over it with his horses, he does not crush it.
Isa 28:29 This also comes from the LORD of hosts; he is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom.
This passage is a commentary on the precision of God’s work. He knows what you need specifically. His work in your life is designed for you personally. He knows what instruments to use in your life and what time to use them. One of the most frustrating things you can do is try to track God’s movement in your life and question Him about whether He’s doing things correctly. He keeps your best interest in His mind more consistently than you do. There are times when you fail to act in your own best interest either because you are ignorant or because you want to hurt yourself. God never acts in this way. His movements are flawless. He’s doing exactly what you need Him to do to put you into perfect position to choose life everlasting. For many people this means judgment and suffering until they break free of the human pride that enslaves them. God doesn’t take your suffering lightly but He knows that sometimes it is necessary. It’s kind of like when you punish your child. You never enjoy doing it – but you know that if you don’t you’re setting your child up for something far more painful in the future. He even makes these moves in the lives of people who deny His very existence. That’s how much He loves you.
This chapter closes with a description of God as being wonderful in counsel and excellent in guidance. The New Testament attributes these same characteristics to Jesus Christ. He is the Wonderful Counselor. You may not always understand and you may not know why things unfold the way that they do. But God always understands and God always knows. Like a master farmer, He’s taking each necessary step carefully and patiently in order to raise you up into the person He’s always planned for you to be.
If you find this content valuable, feel free to share it and to use it in your own studies. If you’d like to support this podcast, you can do so at www.patreon.com/michaelhbaun. There is a link in the description. Your generosity goes a long way to promoting the growth of this enterprise and the cause of free speech. Thank you all for joining me this evening, and I will see you in the next episode.
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