Yahweh, Our Great Ally — Isaiah 28

After looking deep into the future in the Little Apocalypse of chapters 24–27, Isaiah focuses on the present day in chapters 28–35, with the Day of the Lord in the background. What was the main concern of Israel and Judah at this time? Back in chapters 7–8, we saw that the main world power in Isaiah’s day was Assyria. Assyria conquered most of the Levant region during the life of Isaiah, leaving Israel and Judah in constant fear of its approach.

As a child in the ’80s and early ’90s, I remember looking at classroom maps and seeing a massive red area east of Europe called the USSR. For decades, America used several military, diplomatic, and economic tools to stop the growth of the Soviet Union. One of those tools was the formation of alliances throughout the world: one with Canada and Europe called NATO, one in Southeast Asia called SEATO, and one in the Middle East initially called the Baghdad Pact, but renamed CENTO. Each of these international agreements was made to stop communist expansion in the world.

It was no different in the ancient world. As Tiglath-pileser III expanded Assyria’s empire, Israel and Aram made an alliance, as recorded in Isaiah 7. Later, King Hoshea of Israel turned to King So of Egypt for help against the Assyrian King Shalmaneser V (2 Kings 17:3–6). When Sargon II led Assyria against Ashdod in 711 BC, he wrote that Moab, Philistia, Judah, and Edom sought Egypt’s support against Assyria (Sargon II, Prism A, from Ninevah).

Despite this natural reaction to an invader, Yahweh, the God of Israel, does not tolerate His people fortifying themselves through international alliances. Thus, chapters 28–35 show the danger of trusting in any nation to save them, especially Egypt. God wants His people to turn to Him for deliverance when Assyria attacks them.

Sadly, chapter 28 begins by showing the northern kingdom’s looming destruction. Israel, signified by the name “Ephraim”, has a culture of perpetual drunkenness (28:1, 3, 7–8, 13). Its capital, Samaria, the “fading flower of its glorious beauty”, will be defenseless against Assyria’s overwhelming attack (2–4). Prophets and priests are likewise drunk; Israel even mocks Isaiah’s prophecy, rendering it incapable of grasping God’s word or applying His law correctly. Because of this, Israel will soon be taken captive by Assyria (7–13).

There is only one hope: “In that day Yahweh of hosts will become a beautiful crown and a glorious diadem to the remnant of His people; a spirit of just judgment for him who sits in judgment, a might to those who turn back the onslaught at the gate” (28:5–6). After the destruction of the northern kingdom, Yahweh will become the pride of the remnant of faithful Israelites.

The second half of the chapter reminds the southern kingdom of Judah to learn from Israel’s error. In two places, God rebukes Jerusalem’s rulers as scoffers, those who boastfully ignore God’s warnings (14, 22). They think they’re protected from Assyria’s attack. But in 28:14–15, Yahweh rebukes them for cutting “a covenant with death”, i.e., for trusting another nation to save them, likely Egypt.

God lays out His plan to judge the Judeans in verses 16–22: He has put a cornerstone in Zion, firmly placed, which the people must trust so they won’t be swept away by the same torrent that washed the northern kingdom out of their land. 1 Peter 2:6 identifies this cornerstone as the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom faithful Jews and Gentiles cling in times of tribulation. For those who don’t, God promises to fight against them the same way He fought through David against the Philistines in the past (1 Chronicles 14:11–16).

There’s a lesson to be learned from this chapter. The closing section of chapter 28, verses 23–29, teaches that, like a good farmer who carefully plows, sows, and threshes different crops according to their varied needs (24–28), God uses affliction to purify His people. He does so purposefully, with wonderful counsel and great wisdom (29). He even uses the bloodthirsty Assyrian Empire! Assyria isn’t the ultimate danger to Israel; it’s just the tool God uses.

The ultimate danger is trusting anyone other than Yahweh for help. We, like Israel, must put our trust in Yahweh as our beautiful crown. We must cling to the cornerstone in Zion, the Lord Jesus Christ, who preserves us through the coming tribulations.

Pastor David