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Isaiah 28 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
Samaria is given a strong warning by Isaiah to begin the chapter. The problem was self-indulgence and a lack of true wisdom. He then turns to Judah in verse 7 and gives warning that they are following the same path as Samaria.
A lot of the passages center around abusing alcohol. In that time, priests were not allowed to drink any alcoholic drink before service at the tabernacle. According to many scholars, the priests were showing up drunk to the solemn religious functions. Again, the warning was directed at their lack of wisdom and self-control. Practically-speaking, they could not serve their duty in a responsible manner while being intoxicated.
They also failed to recognize the true prophets of God. Most likely, they wanted to listen to what tickled the ear. This obviously still occurs today. There are many aspects of God’s Word that we don’t necessarily like, but it’s truth and needs to be spoken.
The big takeaway is that the people did not respect God’s instruction or authority. They refused to listen. Since they would not listen, they would be corrected with “stammering speech in a foreign language.” They would “stumble backward to be broken, trapped, and captured.” The Assyrians were coming.