CHAPTER 28
And we’re back to more specific prophecies. This one is about Samaria, and – you’ll
never believe this – it’s a prophecy of doom for them. There will be hail. And there will be a flood. And all that.
Also, Isaiah seems to have a problem with drunks. There isn’t much against booze in the Bible
so far. Oh, you shouldn’t have too
much, but that is about it.
Technically, that’s the case for Isaiah as well. He never denounces all
alcohol, but he does keep going back to drunkards. He denounces the “drunkards of Ephraim” twice early on here. Later, he also paints a picture of “priest
and prophet stagger from strong drink, overpowered by wine; they are confused
by strong drink. They stagger in their
visions. They totter when giving
judgment. Yes, all the tables are
covered with vomit.”
For Isaiah, the downside of drinking booze is dwelt
upon. He never says, “Ban the bottle!”
but he clearly has a negative view of it.
CHAPTER 29
This one is about Jerusalem, but it’s the same basic themes
as before. You can a continual back and
forth between the dark and sunny sides of Isaiah’s vision for the future. Blindness and perversity will reign, but
then it will be redeemed, and it’ll all come back to the Lord.
Being drunk makes another appearance, sort of. Isaiah says,
“Stupefy yourselves and stay stupid!
Blind yourselves and stay blind!
You who are drunk but not from wine, who stagger, but not from strong
drink. For the Lord has poured out to
you a spirit of deep sleep.”
So they aren’t actually drunk. But the curse God places upon them will make them act like they
are drunk. Even without booze present, Isaiah’s anti-booze attitude comes
through.
CHAPTER 30
Isaiah has another target for his anger. Apparently, Israel has an alliance with
Egypt in an attempt to prevent Assyria from taking them over. Isaiah is against it. It sounds like God doesn’t do power
politics.
I gotta side against Isaiah here. So it doesn’t fit your theology?
Well, Judah is a small fish in a big ocean with a couple predatory
sharks floating around. Maybe allying
with Egypt isn’t a good move, but you aren’t strong enough to do much else and
you have got to play the hand your dealt.
I know how it ends up – Babylonian Captivity – but that wasn’t due to
being unfaithful with the Lord. That
was just Israel not being a strong enough power.
CHAPTER 31
A short – nine verse –chapter just continues to denounce an
alliance with Egypt. Isaiah notes, “The
Egyptians are human beings, not God; their horses flesh, not spirit. When the Lord stretches forth his hand, he
helper shall stumbled the one helped shall fall, and both of them shall perish
together.”
The helper is Egypt and the helped is Judah. That sounds nice, Judah, but God no longer
stretches his hand. He doesn’t get
involved in battles anymore. The days
of Joshua are over. Even Isaiah can
only say that the Assyrians are God’s instruments – because God doesn’t do it
personally with his hand.
So if God doesn’t fight in battles anymore or stall the sun
in the sky, then the Hebrew need to rely on humans. Like the Egyptians.
CHAPTER 32
Isaiah calls for justice.
There is no great ringing declarations of it, though. The best he gets is: “The hasty of heart
shall take thought to know, and tongues of stutterers shall speak readily and
clearly.” I like that. When things go right, even those who stutter
will talk properly.
But then Isaiah veers into another theme –
woman-bashing. He doesn’t think much of
how the women of Jerusalem are so complacent and confident in the lives they
lead. Well, you shouldn’t be. God will have his revenge on the Hebrew for
their pride.
CHAPTER 33
Isaiah prophesies the overthrow of Assyria. Boy, he sure likes to denounce the people
and the lands around him, doesn’t he?
I like this part: “Whoever walks righteously and speaks
honestly, who spurns what is gained by oppression, who waves off contact with a
bribe, who stops his ears so as not to hear of bloodshed, who closes his eyes
so as not to look on evil – that one shall dwell on the heights, with fortresses
of rock for stronghold, food and drink in steady supply.” It’s just really well phrased. And as always, these rolling introductions,
that largely say the same thing but not exactly the same thing – you can hear
echoes of this in the speeches of King and many, many other high quality
preachers. It’s just a nice technique
to be able to master.
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