Isa 28.1-29 tells us that Ephraim (ten northern tribes) and Judah are being threatened with judgment because they have turned their backs on Yehovah and the Torah. Those promises will continue through Isa 33. The Assyrians will be a rod of chastisement to all Israel. Eschatologically, this will be the case during the first three years of the birth-pains when Gog and Magog/Russia will be used by Yehovah to turn Israel back to him and accept Yeshua as Messiah. Israel will turn to Europe (Egypt) and the False Messiah to help against Gog and Magog/Russia, but will be of no help. God will destroy Gog and Magog/Russia himself so that Israel knows it was Yehovah only who saved them.
v 1…Woe to the proud (Prov 6.17) crown (Samaria) of the drunkards of Ephraim (either literal-Hos 7.5; Amos 6.6, or spiritually as in Rev 17.2), and the fading flower of its glorious beauty (their people, riches, fruits, like garlands worn on the heads of revelers)., which is at the head of the fertile valley (these Israelites in Samaria are surrounded by a fat and rich valley) of those who are overcome by wine (this picture is meant to be a warning to Judah).
v 2…Behold, Yehovah has a strong and mighty agent (a “shaliach” named King Shalmanesar); as a storm of hail, tempest of destruction, like a storm of mighty overflowing waters (an army-Isa 8.6-8; Rev 12.15-17), he has cast it down to earth with his hand (the overthrow of Israel).
v 3…The proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim is trodden under foot (the crown is not just taken off, but is trampled showing utter ruin).
v 4…And the fading flower of its glorious beauty (of the land and tribes), which is at the head of the valley, will be like the first-ripe fig prior to summer (a desirable prey); which one sees, and as soon as it is in his hand, he swallows it (quickly gone because it is so desirable-that is Ephraim to Assyria).
v 5…In that day (the day of the Lord when Messiah comes, so remember, this alludes to a double-reference prophecy when used) the Lord of hosts (Yehovah Tzavaot or armies) will become a beautiful crown (the opposite of the fading crown of Ephraim) and a glorious diadem to the remnant of his people (when Messiah comes, but also to those left behind in the land when others went into exile).
v 6…A spirit of justice for him who sits in judgment, a strength to those who repel the onslaught at the gate (Yehovah will give believers prevailing justice and can wage warfare).
v 7…And these also reel from wine and stagger from strong drink: the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink (unfit for duty-Lev 10.9; Prov 31.4), they are confused by wine, they stagger from strong drink (spiritually they lose their ability to reason because they are drunk with false teaching); they reel while having visions, they totter when rendering judgments (lost their ability to reason through false teaching).
v 8…For all the tables (where people are fed) are full of filthy vomit (false doctrines coming out of their mouth) without a single clean place (without God and true doctrine-“makom” is “place” and a name for God).
v 9…To whom would he teach knowledge (their minds are too impaired to learn-Jer 6.16)? And to whom would he interpret the message (or report-Isa 53.1)? Those just weaned from milk? Those just taken from the breast (you’d have about the same success teaching children as you would the people; you need proper receptacles-Mark 2.22; Matt 9.1-7; Heb 5.11-14).
v 10…For he says, “Order on order (rule on rule), order on order, line upon line, line upon line, a little here, a little there” (In Hebrew this verse reads, “Tzav l’tzav, tzav l’tzav, kav lakov, kav lakov, tze’er sham, tze’er sham.” The Jewish people must be dealt with like children who are beginning to be taught a new language. It would sound like senseless gibberish and babbling, a syllable here, a syllable there as if in a foreign language. This is a chiding phrase in Hebrew, not God’s wisdom).
v 11…Indeed, he will speak to the people through stammering lips and a foreign tongue (if they don’t learn through simple plain words, then God is going to bring a more severe and rougher means, or through a people with a strange language they don’t understand like the Assyrians, and later Babylon and Rome. Because they rejected the plain language of the prophets, they will learn that God was serious when a people with a foreign language is in their streets carrying out what God had warned about-Isa 33.18-19).
v 12…He who said to them, “Here is rest, give rest to the weary (by teaching the plain word of God, the Torah),” and here is repose (true rest), but they would not listen (they had no regard for it-Jer 6.16).
v 13…So the word of the Lord to them will be, “Order on order, order on order, line upon line, line upon line, a little here, a little there” (a repetition of what was going to come upon them as judgment-foreign invaders speaking in foreign tongues), that they may go and stumble backward, be broken, snared and taken (by the enemy into exile as a consequence of their Torah-less-ness).
v 14…Therefore, hear the word of Yehovah, you scoffers (who despised Isaiah’s prophecies), who rule this peole who are in Jerusalem (the entire southern kingdom),
v 15…Because you have said, “We have made a covenant of death, and with Sheol we have made a pact (that they were safe from both of them as if they had a covenant). The overwhelming scourge (God’s judgment using the Assyrians) will not reach us when it passes by, for we have made falsehood our refuge and we have concealed ourselves with deception (they believed the false prophets who said they were safe from destruction).
v 16…Therefore, thus says the Lord (Adonai) God (Yehovah), behold (take note) I am laying in Zion a stone (Gen 49.24 and alluding to the Messiah), a tested stone, a costly cornerstone for the foundation firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed (God was not going to cut off the nation because the Messiah is coming and he will be the cornerstone of a new foundation).
v 17…And I will make justice the measuring line (horizontal, between man and man), and righteousness the level (a parallelism in Hebrew thought, meaning the Torah is the rule), then hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies (the false prophets they trusted in), and the waters shall overflow the hiding place (the Assyrian army was going to rush in like a flood-Isa 8.7-8).
v 18…And your covenant with death shall be cancelled (not binding) and your pact with Sheol shall not stand (see v 15); when the overwhelming scourge passes through (God’s judgment using the Assyrians), then you become its trampling place (though they thought they would not be harmed because of what the false prophets said, the opposite was true-Luke 21.24; Zech 14.1-2).
v 19…As often as it passes through, it will seize you. For morning after morning it will pass through, anytime during the day or night (constantly until the work is done, utter destruction). And it will be sheer terror to understand what it means (the report of the enemy coming will cause terror because it was not what they thought was going to happen).
v 20…The bed is too short on which to stretch out (no rest), and the blanket is too small to wrap oneself in (not comfortable, no covering).
v 21…For Yehovah will rise up up as at Mount Perizim (when he broke out against David’s enemies-2 Sam 5.20-21), he will be stirred up as in the valley of Gibeon (Joshua’s enemies were defeated there-Josh 10.1-10); to do his task, his unusual task (but this time he will fight against his own people), and to work his work, his extraordinary work.
v 22…And now do not carry on as scoffers (at the words of the prophets), lest your fetters (of Assyrian bondage) be made stronger (heavier punishment), for I have heard from the Lord God of hosts (when this term is used Yehovah is coming from a military position of power; he is the commander of all armies everywhere in the universe), of decisive destruction on all the earth (the land of Judah).
v 23…Give ear and hear my voice, listen and hear my words (of Isaiah).
v 24…Does the farmer plow continually to plant seeds? Does he continually turn and harrow the ground (this is hypothetical, the answer is “No.” He plows with a purpose and he breaks ground so he can plant seed which will bring fruit)?
v 25…Does he not level its surface, and sow dill and scatter cumin, and plant wheat in rows, barley in its place and rye within its area?
v 26…For his God instructs and teaches him properly (to work with understanding).
v 27…For dill is not threshed with a threshing sledge, nor is the cartwheel driven over cummin; but dill is beaten out with a rod, and cummin with a club (God brings chastisement and correction that fits the situation, according to what we can bear).
v 28…Grain for bread is crushed, indeed, he does not continue to thresh it forever, because the wheel of his cart and his horses eventually damage it, he does not thresh it longer (God’s chastisement does not last forever, and it is in order to bless, not destroy).
v 29…This also comes from the Lord of hosts (Yehovah Tzavaot or Lord of the armies), who has made his counsel wonderful and his wisdom great (all this knowledge on how to do things comes from God and he gives us wisdom. In like manner, we need discernment in understanding how God treats his harvest on earth. He punishes and he threshes in order to bless, not destroy).
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