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Commentary on Isaiah 28 verses 14–22
The prophet, having reproved those that made a jest of the word of God, here goes on to reprove those that made a jest of the judgments of God, and set them at defiance; for he is a jealous God, and will not suffer either his ordinances or his providences to be brought into contempt. He addressed himself to the scornful men who ruled in Jerusalem, who were the magistrates of the city, Isa 28:14. It is bad with a people when their thrones of judgment become the seats of the scornful, when rulers are scorners; but that the rulers of Jerusalem should be men of such a character, that they should make light of God's judgments and scorn to take notice of the tokens of his displeasure, is very sad. Who will be mourners in Zion if they are scorners? Observe,
I. How these scornful men lulled themselves asleep in carnal security, and even challenged God Almighty to do his worst (Isa 28:15) You have said, We have made a covenant with death and the grave. They thought themselves as sure of their lives, even when the most destroying judgments were abroad, as if they had made a bargain with death, upon a valuable consideration, not to come till they sent for him or not to take them away by any violence, but by old age. If we be at peace with God, and have made a covenant with him, we have in effect made a covenant with death that it shall come in the fittest time, that whenever it comes, it shall be no terror to us, nor do us any real damage; death is ours if we be Christ's (Co1 3:22, Co1 3:23): but to think of making death our friend, or being in league with it, while by sin we are making God our enemy and are at war with him, is the greatest absurdity that can be. It was fond conceit which these scorners had, "When the overflowing scourge shall pass through our country, and others shall fall under it, yet it shall not come to us, not reach us, though it extend far, not bear us down, though it is an overflowing scourge." It is the greatest folly imaginable for impenitent sinners to think that either in this world or the other they shall fare better than their neighbours. But what is the ground of their confidence? Why, truly, We have made lies our refuge. Either, 1. Those things which the prophets told them would be lies and falsehood to them and would deceive, but which they themselves looked upon as substantial fences. The protection of their idols, the promises with which their false prophets soothed them, their policy, their wealth, their interest in the people; these they confided in, and not in God; nay, these they confided in against God. Or, 2. Those things which should be lies and falsehood to the enemy, who was flagellum Dei - the scourge of God, the overflowing scourge; they would secure themselves by imposing upon the enemy with their stratagems of war, or their feigned submissions in treaties of peace. The rest of the cities of Judah were taken because they made an obstinate defence; but the rulers of Jerusalem hope to succeed better. They think themselves greater politicians than those of the country towns; they will compliment the king of Assyria with a promise to surrender their city, or to become tributaries to him, with a purpose at the same time to shake off his yoke as soon as the danger is over, not caring though they be found liars to him, as the expression is, Deu 33:29. Note, Those put a cheat upon themselves that think to gain their point by putting cheats upon those they deal with. Those that pursue their designs by trick and fraud, by mean and paltry shifts, may perhaps compasss them, but cannot expect comfort in them. Honesty is the best policy. But such refuges as these are those driven to that depart from God, and throw themselves out of his protection.
II. How God, by the prophet, awakens them out of this sleep, and shows them the folly of their security.
1.He tells them upon what grounds they might be secure. He does not disturb their false confidences, till he has first shown them a firm bottom on which they may repose themselves (Isa 28:16): Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone. This foundation is, (1.) The promises of God in general - his word, upon which he has caused his people to hope - his covenant with Abraham, that he would be a God to him and his; this is a foundation, a foundation of stone, firm and lasting, for faith to build upon; it is a tried stone, for all the saints have stayed themselves upon it and it never failed them. (2.) The promise of Christ in particular; for to him this is expressly applied in the New Testament, Pe1 2:6-8. He is that stone which has become the head of the corner. The great promise of the Messiah and his kingdom, which was to begin at Jerusalem, was sufficient to make God's people easy in the worst of times; for they knew well that till he came the sceptre should not depart from Judah. Zion shall continue while this foundation is yet to be laid there. "Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, for the comfort of those that dare not make lies their refuge, Behold, and look upon me as one that has undertaken to lay in Zion a Stone," Jesus Christ is a foundation of God's laying. This is the Lord's doing. He is laid in Zion, in the church, in the holy hill. He is a tried stone, a trying stone (so some), a touch-stone, that shall distinguish between true and counterfeit. He is a precious stone, for such are the foundations of the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:19), a corner-stone, in whom the sides of the building are united, the head-stone of the corner. And he that believes these promises, and rests upon them, shall not make haste, shall not run to and fro in a hurry, as men at their wits' end, shall not be shifting hither and thither for his own safety, nor be driven to his feet by any terrors, as the wicked man is said to be (Job 18:11), but with a fixed heart shall quietly wait the event, saying, Welcome the will of God. He shall not make haste in his expectations, so as to anticipate the time set in the divine counsels, but, though it tarry, will wait the appointed hour, knowing that he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. He that believes will not make more haste than good speed, but be satisfied that God's time is the best time, and wait with patience for it. The apostle from the Septuagint explains this, Pe1 2:6. He that believes on him shall not be confounded; his expectations shall not be frustrated, but far out-done.
2.He tells them that upon the grounds which they now built on they could not be safe, but their confidences would certainly fail them (Isa 28:17): Judgment will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet. This denotes,
(1.)The building up of his church; having laid the foundation (Isa 28:16), he will raise the structure, as builders do, by line and plummet, Zac 4:10. Righteousness shall be the line and judgment the plummet. The church, being grounded on Christ, shall be formed and reformed by the scripture, the standing rule of judgment and righteousness. Judgment shall return unto righteousness, Psa 94:15. Or,
(2.)The punishing of the church's enemies, against whom he will proceed in strict justice, according to the threatenings of the law. He will give them their deserts, and bring upon them the judgments they have challenged, but in wisdom too, and by an exact rule, that the tares may not be plucked up with the wheat. And when God comes thus to execute judgment,
[1.]These scornful men will be made ashamed of the vain hopes with which they had deluded themselves. First, They designed to make lies their refuge; but it will indeed prove a refuge of lies, which the hail shall sweep away, that tempest of hail spoken of Isa 28:2. Those that make lies their refuge build upon the sand, and the building will fall when the storm comes, and bury the builder in the ruins of it. Those that make any thing their hiding place but Christ shall find that the waters will overflow it, as every shelter but the ark was over-topped and overthrown by the waters of the deluge. Such is the hope of the hypocrite; this will come of all his confidences. Secondly, They boasted of a covenant with death, and an agreement with the grave; but it shall be disannulled, as made without his consent who has the keys and sovereign command of hell and death. Those do but delude themselves that think by any wiles to evade the judgments of God. Thirdly, They fancied that when the overflowing scourge should pass through the land it should not come near them; but the prophet tells them that then, when others were falling by the common calamity, they should not only share in it, but should be trodden down by it: "You shall be to it for a treading down; it shall triumph over you as much as over any other, and you shall become its easy prey." They are further told (Isa 28:19), 1. That it shall begin with them; they shall be so far from escaping it that they shall be the first that shall fall by it: "From the time it goes forth it shall take you, as if it came on purpose to seize you." 2. That it shall pursue them closely: "Morning by morning shall it pass over; as duly as the day returns you shall hear of some desolation or other made by it; for divine justice will follow its blow; you shall never be safe nor easy by day nor by night; there shall be a pestilence walking in darkness and a destruction wasting at noonday." 3. That there shall be no avoiding it: "The understanding of the report of its approach shall not give you any opportunity to make your escape, for there shall be no way of escape open; but it shall be only a vexation, you shall see it coming, and not see how to help yourselves." Or, "The very report of it at a distance will be a terror to you; what then will the thing itself be?" Evil tidings are a terror and vexation to scorners, but he whose heart is fixed, trusting in God, is not afraid of them; whereas, when the overflowing scourge comes, then all the comforts and confidences of scorners fail them, Isa 28:20. (1.) That in which they thought to repose themselves reaches not to the length of their expectations: The bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself upon it, so that he is forced to cramp and contract himself. (2.) That in which they thought to shelter themselves proves insufficient to answer the intention: The covering is narrower than that a man can wrap himself in it. Those that do not build upon Christ as their foundation, but rest in a righteousness of their own, will prove in the end thus to have deceived themselves; they can never be easy, safe, nor warm; the bed is too short, the covering is too narrow; like our first parents' fig-leaves, the shame of their nakedness will still appear.
[2.]God will be glorified in the accomplishment of his counsels, Isa 28:21. When God comes to contend with these scorners, First, He will do his work, and bring to pass his act, he will work for his own honour and glory, according to his own purpose; the work shall appear to all that see it to be the work of God as the righteous Judge of the earth. Secondly, He will do it now against his people, as formerly he did it against their enemies, by which his justice will appear to be impartial; he will now rise up against Jerusalem as, in David's time, against the Philistines in Mount Perazim (Sa2 5:20), and as, in Joshua's time, against the Canaanites in the valley of Gibeon. If those that profess themselves members of God's church by their pride and scornfulness make themselves like Philistines and Canaanites, they must expect to be dealt with as such. Thirdly, This will be his strange work, his strange act, his foreign deed. It is work that he is backward to: he rather delights in showing mercy, and does not afflict willingly. It is work that he is not used to as to his own people; he protects and favours them. It is a strange work indeed if he turn to be their enemy and fight against them, ch. 63:10. It is a work that all the neighbours will stand amazed at (Deu 29:24), and therefore the ruins of Jerusalem are said to be an astonishment, Jer 25:18.
Lastly, We have the use and application of all this (Isa 28:22): "Therefore be you not mockers; dare not to ridicule either the reproofs of God's word or the approaches of his judgments." Mocking the messengers of the Lord was Jerusalem's measure-filling sin. The consideration of the judgments of God that are coming upon hypocritical professors should effectually silence mockers, and make them serious: "Be you not mockers, lest your bands be made strong, both the bands by which you are bound under the dominion of sin" (for there is little hope of the conversion of mockers) "and the bands by which you are bound over to the judgments of God." God has bands of justice strong enough to hold those that break all the bonds of his law asunder and cast away all his cord from them. Let not these mockers make light of divine threatenings, for the prophet (who is one of those with whom the secret of the Lord is) assures them that the Lord God of hosts has, in his hearing, determined a consumption upon the whole earth; and can they think to escape? or shall their unbelief invalidate the threatening?
(Verse 16 and following). Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will send in the foundations of Zion a tested, corner, precious stone, founded on a foundation: he who believes shall not hurry. And I will put judgment in the balance, and justice in the measure: and hail will overthrow the hope of lies, and the covering waters will flood. And your covenant with death shall be abolished, and your pact with Hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge passes through, you shall be trampled. When it passes by, it will seize you; for it will pass through in the morning, in the day and at night, and its vexation will only give understanding to the ear: For the bed is too narrow for one to stretch out on, and the covering is too small to wrap oneself in. Therefore, thus says the Lord: Behold, I will lay in Zion a precious stone, a chosen, cornerstone, and whoever believes in it will not be put to shame. And I will set judgment as hope; but my mercy as a burden, and those who believe in vain falsehood, for the storm will not pass through us, and it will not take away from us the testament of death, and your hope will not remain in hell. If the coming storm passes, you will be trampled by it; when it passes, it will lift you up in the morning, it will pass in the morning; day and night there will be the worst of hope. Learn to listen, you who are in tribulation: we cannot fight, for we ourselves are weak to be gathered. I had said, he says, to you: Listen to the word of the Lord, men who mock, or troubled rulers of my people, and do not have a covenant with death, nor an agreement with the underworld, who, despising my commandments, have put your hope in lies, and boasting, or rather despairing, say: with lies we will be protected. Therefore, the merciful and compassionate Lord, patient and greatly merciful (Ps. 145), says that he will send an elected, tested, precious, and corner stone into the foundations of Zion for those who do not want it. About which the Apostle also speaks: Like a wise architect, I have laid the foundation (I Cor. III, 10); and again: For no one can lay any other foundation than the one that's been laid, which is Christ Jesus (Ibid., 11). This stone is truly and again called a stone, just as in Leviticus, a man is called man twice and a corner stone, because it has united the people of the Circumcision and the Gentiles, about which it is also said in the psalm: The stone which the builders rejected, has become the head of the corner (Ps. CXVII, 22). But these are the builders and masons, who are now called deceivers and leaders of the people who are in Jerusalem. Concerning this stone, we read in Daniel that it was cut from a mountain without hands, and it filled the whole earth (Dan. II): because the divine dispensation of the divine seed assumed a human body, and the fullness of Divinity dwelt in it bodily. Upon this stone, which is also called rock, Christ built the Church, and according to the Hebrew, he established the foundation on a firm rock, on which anyone who believes will not be put to shame, or, according to the Hebrew, will not hasten, lest the coming of Christ appear slow to him. For if it delays according to Habakkuk, let no one despair: for it will surely come, and it will fulfill its promises (Hab. II). And God also promises to put judgment in Him: For the Father does not judge anyone, but he has given all judgment to the Son (John V, 22). And justice or mercy in measure, in order to render to each according to his works, and to temper justice and mercy with each other, according to what we also read in the Psalms: Mercy and truth have met each other: justice and peace have kissed (Ps. LXXXIV, 11). He also says that your hope and falsehood, that is, the devil, the father of all falsehood, will overthrow the hailstorm of my punishments. And the protection, under which you thought you would be safe, a powerful storm and a multitude of waters will destroy, so that the friendship and treaty that you had with death and with Hell, that is, with the devil, may perish eternally. And the whip or storm, of which you said: 'When the overwhelming whip passes, it will not come upon us' - it will come, and you will be trodden down by it, that is, you will suffer all the torments that you believed you would never endure in despair. For always the wrath of the Lord will fall upon you, and you will feel it both in times of prosperity and adversity, and cruel death will ravage you. What shall I say about punishments? Fear of punishments alone and the dread of torments will correct you for salvation, and will make you understand your evils. And when you have been tormented, then you will know that my Prophets have spoken the truth. And what follows: For the bed is made narrow, so that one falls out, and the short cloak cannot cover both, it has the sense which we read in the Apostle: You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons (2 Corinthians 10:20, 21); and elsewhere: What fellowship does righteousness have with iniquity? What communion does light have with darkness? What agreement does Christ have with Belial? What part does a believer have with an unbeliever? What agreement does the temple of God have with idols (2 Corinthians 6:14, 15)? However, he speaks under the metaphor of a most chaste husband, who says to his adulterous wife: One bed cannot contain both me and an adulterer, and a short cloak cannot cover both a husband and an adulterer. Therefore, Jerusalem, to whom in Ezekiel under the guise of a wife speaking, her adulteries are spoken of (Ezek. XVI, 21), and whom in Hosea at the beginning is called a harlot and an adulteress (Hos. III), if you wish to be united with my embraces, cast away idols: if you serve idols, you cannot have me. According to the Hebrew. Furthermore, as for what is read in the LXX: Learn to hear, you who are troubled: we cannot fight, but we ourselves are weak so that we may gather together. I completely do not know the meaning of this, and how it is connected to the previous context. Unless perhaps the divine speech speaks to the leaders of the people and encourages them to have hope in God, and not in death and hell, and teaches them to listen to the prophecies of the prophets, and they respond that they cannot fight against opposing powers due to the weakness of their strength, nor gather among the people of God.
“The glory of the God of Israel was there” not to delight the neighborhood but to annihilate the “idol of jealousy” and the temple by his very presence. Hence the destruction of the city and the temple followed shortly thereafter. It is also written in Isaiah that “a narrow bed cannot hold two persons, nor can a short blanket cover both,” prefiguring that saying of the apostle: “What does Christ have in common with Belial, or the temple of God with an idol?”
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SUMMARY
Isaiah 28:20 functions as a profound and arresting metaphor, vividly illustrating the utter inadequacy and ultimate futility of human-devised strategies and false securities when pursued in defiance of God. Directed primarily at the arrogant and rebellious leaders of Ephraim (the Northern Kingdom of Israel), who foolishly sought refuge in political alliances rather than divine trust, the verse paints a striking picture of profound discomfort and exposure. Their self-conceived "bed" of security and "covering" of protection are depicted as woefully insufficient, leaving them perpetually restless, vulnerable, and utterly incapable of finding genuine peace or escaping the impending divine judgment. It powerfully underscores the timeless truth that any foundation not divinely established is inherently flawed and destined to fail, offering no true comfort or lasting refuge.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Isaiah 28:20 is exceptionally rich in Metaphor and Imagery. The entire verse functions as an extended metaphor, employing common domestic items—a bed and a covering—to represent profound abstract spiritual and political realities. The "bed" symbolizes the foundation of security and rest that the unfaithful leaders have chosen for themselves, while the "covering" represents the protection or refuge they mistakenly believe their human alliances and self-devised schemes provide. The vivid Imagery of a restless sleeper, unable to find comfort because his bed is too short and his blanket too narrow, is universally relatable and powerfully conveys the futility, discomfort, and ultimate exposure of their situation. Furthermore, there is a strong element of Irony present, as what was intended to provide comfort and security ultimately delivers profound discomfort and stark exposure, highlighting the tragic and inevitable outcome of their misplaced trust.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Isaiah 28:20 profoundly speaks to the timeless theological truth that true security, genuine rest, and ultimate provision are found exclusively in God, never in human ingenuity, self-reliance, or worldly alliances. It starkly underscores humanity's inherent inability to provide for its deepest needs apart from divine provision, revealing the utter futility of self-reliance and the deceptive nature of false comforts. This verse serves as a powerful divine indictment against spiritual arrogance and misplaced trust, demonstrating with striking clarity that God's righteous judgment, when it comes, will inevitably expose the hollowness and inadequacy of any foundation not built upon Him. It highlights the stark and irreconcilable contrast between God's perfect, all-sufficient, and unfailing provision (as seen in the "sure foundation" of Isaiah 28:16) and the woefully insufficient, temporary, and ultimately painful nature of anything else.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The vivid and universally relatable imagery of Isaiah 28:20 resonates deeply with the human experience, offering a timeless and urgent warning for all generations. In our contemporary world, the "short bed" and "narrow covering" can manifest in myriad forms: the relentless and often exhausting pursuit of wealth, status, or power, under the mistaken belief that these will provide ultimate security and satisfaction; the over-reliance on human wisdom, technological advancement, or political ideologies as the sole solutions to life's complex and often overwhelming problems; or the turning to temporary pleasures, addictive behaviors, or superficial relationships in a futile attempt to quell inner restlessness and existential anxieties. This verse issues a profound call for us to critically examine where we truly seek our rest, comfort, and protection. Are we, perhaps unknowingly, striving to stretch ourselves on a bed that is inherently too short, or desperately trying to wrap ourselves in a covering that is too narrow, leaving us perpetually exposed, uncomfortable, and unfulfilled? True rest, genuine security, and lasting peace are not found in what we can accumulate, achieve, or contrive, but rather in humbly surrendering to God's perfect provision and wholeheartedly trusting in His sovereign and benevolent plan. The application is a profound call to humility, sincere repentance, and a fundamental reorientation of our trust from self and the fleeting world to the unfailing, ever-sufficient God.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does the "bed" and "covering" symbolize in Isaiah 28:20?
Answer: In Isaiah 28:20, the "bed" and "covering" serve as powerful symbols for the false securities, human alliances, and self-devised schemes that the rebellious leaders of Ephraim (and, by extension, all who reject God's ways) mistakenly rely upon for comfort and protection. They represent the woefully inadequate and ultimately futile provisions made entirely apart from God's divine will. The imagery vividly conveys that these human efforts, no matter how well-intended, strategically planned, or seemingly robust, will prove utterly insufficient to provide true rest, lasting peace, or genuine refuge from divine judgment, inevitably leaving those who trust in them exposed, vulnerable, and perpetually uncomfortable. This stands in stark and profound contrast to the true and lasting security found exclusively in God, as beautifully described in Isaiah 28:16.
How does Isaiah 28:20 relate to the broader message of Isaiah 28?
Answer: Isaiah 28:20 is a pivotal and climactic verse within the broader prophetic discourse of Isaiah 28, serving as a powerful metaphorical summary of the dire consequences awaiting the Northern Kingdom's (Ephraim's) spiritual rebellion and profound misplaced trust. The chapter commences by condemning their "spiritual drunkenness" and arrogant pride (Isaiah 28:1-8), then highlights their scornful rejection of God's simple, clear, and foundational instruction (Isaiah 28:9-13). Their boast of having forged a "covenant with death" (Isaiah 28:15) reveals their reliance on human treaties (likely with Egypt) rather than on the Lord. Verse 20 directly and powerfully illustrates the inherent futility of this "covenant," demonstrating that their supposed refuge will offer no true comfort or security. Crucially, it stands in stark opposition to the "sure foundation" God promises to lay in Zion (Isaiah 28:16), emphasizing that only God's provision is truly sufficient, while all human alternatives are ultimately inadequate and lead inevitably to distress and exposure.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Isaiah 28:20, with its poignant and unsettling imagery of inadequate rest and an insufficient covering, finds its ultimate and glorious Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The "bed" that is perpetually too short and the "covering" that is frustratingly too narrow perfectly prefigure humanity's desperate and universal need for a perfect, eternal rest and an all-sufficient, comprehensive covering that only God Himself can provide. While the leaders of ancient Israel sought fleeting security in transient human alliances and self-devised schemes, ultimately leaving them exposed to divine judgment, Jesus Christ offers the complete, eternal, and soul-satisfying rest that the human heart profoundly longs for. He is the very "tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation" (Isaiah 28:16) upon whom all true security, peace, and hope are immutably built. In Him alone, we discover the perfect "bed" of spiritual peace and the ample, all-encompassing "covering" of His imputed righteousness. Jesus' tender and profound invitation, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28), stands in glorious and liberating contrast to the restless discomfort and exposed vulnerability described in Isaiah 28:20. Through His perfect life, atoning sacrifice on the cross, and victorious resurrection, He provides the ultimate and flawless "covering" for our sins, a divine righteousness that is never too narrow but fully envelops us, making us acceptable before God (Romans 3:22). He is our eternal Sabbath rest (Hebrews 4:9-10), our perfect refuge, and the only unshakeable foundation upon which we can truly stretch out, find profound and eternal comfort, and experience complete security, never again to be left exposed or wanting.