Isaiah 28:11- 19a

We saw yesterday how the people of Israel would not listen to Isaiah. They accused him of babbling at them as if they were children (9, 10). God says, ‘Okay, I will send you some real ‘babblers’; people of a foreign tongue (the Assyrians that is.) You will listen to them (11-13). Sadly, it would be through pain that they would hear God’s message (13b); through injury and captivity. Then this message – the one they rejected from Isaiah’s mouth – would get through to them (13a; see 10). We so often insist on having our learning the hard way. But it didn’t have to be like this for them (12), and it doesn’t for us, if only we will listen to God and respond to Him today. What is God saying to you now? Why would you resist Him and push His Word away? If you do, you are walking in the direction of unnecessary trouble and heartache.

”But that’s exactly how you will be addressed. God will speak to this people In baby talk, one syllable at a time – and he’ll do it through foreign oppressors. 

These are powerfully pertinent words to today’s world (14, 15) where people still readily take refuge in lies and falsehoods. Even Christians can bury their heads in the sand and refuse to face unpleasant facts! It was like the leaders of Jerusalem had made a bargain with death whereby death had agreed not to touch them. They were self-deluded, living in a fool’s paradise. While they had their heads in the sand, the wild animal was heading towards them with teeth bared. ”Now listen to GOD’s Message, you scoffers, you who rule this people in Jerusalem. You say, ”We’ve taken out good life insurance. We’ve hedged all our bets, covered all our bases. No disaster can touch us. We’ve thought of everything. We’re advised by the experts. We’re set.” ” The Message. 

As God was going to apply the standards of ”justice” and ”righteousness” (17), anything that did not match up to those standards was going to be swept away. That included the false ‘foundation’ laid by the leaders of Jerusalem. They had put their confidence in themselves and their political alliances, and so they were on an exceedingly ‘sticky wicket’. Throughout, God had been calling through Isaiah, to the people, to place their confidence in Him. ”And this is the meaning of the stone: A TRUSTING LIFE WON’T TOPPLE.” The Message. With faith in God they would be safe. But without that trust they were headed for disaster . ”A hailstorm will knock down the shantytown of lies, and a flash flood will wash out the rubble. Then you’ll see that your precious life insurance policy wasn’t worth the paper it was written on. Your careful precautions against death were a pack of illusions and lies.” The Message. 

The only sure foundation that can withstand the surging torrents of judgment is the one laid by God. According to the apostles Paul and Peter, that ‘foundation’; that ‘stone’ God established is none other than Jesus Christ (1 Cor.3:11; 1 Peter 2:4-8). Ensure that He is your refuge, and that you are not relying on an extremely palatable lie. The devil has a plateful of falsehoods to set before you, if you will only care to sample them. Don’t! They will destroy you. 

Prayer: Lord God, I choose to hide in you. You are my only secure Refuge from the storm.