Isaiah 28 A Fail Proof Foundation Series

Isaiah 28

A Failproof Foundation

A Crown of Glory vs. 1-6

Precept Upon Precept vs. 7-13

An Immovable Foundation vs. 14-22

Wonderful Counsel vs. 23-29

Intro:

A young boy walked by a construction site

He observed several men who were building with bricks

He asked the first man what he was building

The man replied; “What does it look like I’m doing? I am laying brick.”

The boy walked up to the second man and asked the same question

The man replied; “I am building a wall that will support the roof of this building.”

Finally the boy went the third and and asked what he was building

The man replied; “I am building a great cathedral where people can come and worship Jesus!”

The boy walked away inspired

It's all a meter of perspective

While brick upon brick and erecting walls are important we can often lose sight of what God is doing

Call it the big picture if you want but we have to maintain an eternal perspective

If someone was to come and ask you what you were building in your life what would be your answer?

Would your answer be in frustration or would it be with the realization that you are part of something great that God is doing?

For us to answer that we have to look at the foundation we have laid

If it is with Christ as the Cornerstone then we innately have that sense that Christ is doing something

If our foundation is built on something else we probably live with a sense of frustration

Israel had all the materials to build a fail proof foundation but they chased after other things

Read Isaiah 28:1-6

Transition:

The name “Jerusalem” means “city of peace,” but throughout its history it has been associated more with conflict than with peace.

Even today, Jerusalem is a focal point for concern in the Middle East.

The psalmist admonishes us to “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem,” (Ps. 122:6).

Why pray for Jerusalem? Why not pray for London or Moscow or Rome?

Because when there is true peace in Jerusalem, there will be peace in the whole world (Isa. 52:7)

Today we see four warnings followed by salvation oracles

We see warnings about the dangers of drunkenness, trusting in other countries for security, and in our own wisdom

Those are all followed by four ways in which Jesus Christ saves us

We see His glory, He is a immovable foundation, and wise counselor

A Crown of Glory vs. 1-6

This first section starts with a woe to the northern kingdom of Israel

The people of Judah would welcome any word against this kingdom

It was later confirmed when Ephraim fell in 721 BC to Assyria

It would also set the stage for similar warning for Judah in vs. 7-22

Ephraim is know for its drunkenness

This is both literal and figurative

The country was overcome with wine

Drunk people are often those who boast about some past accomplishment

This is why Isaiah calls them a fading flower, once great but fading from that past glory

That crown that once invoked pride is no longer worthy because it is drunk

God has judgment coming against them like that of a hail storm and a mighty flood

Of course he is describing the Assyrians who will trample them under their feet

That once glorious beauty will be gone

Isn’t that true of what alcohol does to people?

It takes once powerful people and cause them to fade quickly

Call it riches to rags

Maybe you have known someone who lost a great life because of their drunkenness

The same can be said for any addiction that takes over someones life

But thankfully God doesn’t leave us there

He sends the Lord of Hosts to rescue us

Vs. 5 In that day the Lord of Hosts will be a crown of glory

Vs. 5-6 is what is known as a salvation oracle

This sudden and dramatic reversal reflects how quickly Jesus can rescue us

Like a searchlight in the midst of a fallen building so is the glory of Christ in the midst of our sin

He will be this for the remnant of his people

He is not the crown of the whole nation, but only the glorious crown of the remnant of people that honor him.

This happened after captivity

We see it in the books of Ezra & Nehemiah where only a small remnant returned

God was their glory while the rest of the Jews rejected God and stayed

This is a foreshadowing of what is going to happen when Christ returns for us

1 Peter 5:4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.

No matter how bleak it looks right now we must remember that