The Book Of Isaiah. Day 118, A Storm Is Coming

Chapter 28 in the NIV is titled "Woe To The Leaders Of Ephraim And Judah". The word "Ephraim" is being used here for "Israel". In Isaiah's day the kingdom was divided, with the northern kingdom retaining the name of "Israel" and the southern kingdom going by the name of "Judah".

The first segment regards the coming fall of Israel, whose leaders and whose citizens are living carnal lives of sin and idolatry. "Woe to that wreath, the pride of Ephraim's drunkards, set on the head of a fertile valley---to that city, the pride of those laid low by wine!" (Isaiah 28:1)

The city mentioned here is Israel's capital city of Samaria. On the pages of the Bible we often find the word "Samaria" used synonymously with "Israel" after the kingdom split and the capital of the northern kingdom was located at Samaria.

The citizens of the northern kingdom are looking at Samaria as a great city, as a beautiful city, as a prosperous city. They make toasts to it and sing songs about it during their drunken feasts. But the Lord is about to send a great enemy against it: the Assyrian Empire. As Isaiah continues predicting the fall of the northern kingdom, he compares the Assyrian army to destructive forces of nature. Just as human beings are unable to control the forces of nature, the northern kingdom will be unable to protect itself from the forces of this enemy empire.

"See, the Lord has one who is powerful and strong. Like a hailstorm and a destructive wind, like a driving rain and a flooding downpour, he will throw it forcefully to the ground. That wreath, the pride of Ephraim's drunkards, will be trampled underfoot. That fading flower, his glorious beauty, set on the head of a fertile valley, will be like figs ripe before harvest---as soon as the people see them and take them in hand, they swallow them." (Isaiah 28:2-4)

Assyria will covet Samaria. Assyria will invade and capture it. Assyria will take captive many of the citizens of the northern kingdom, deporting them to other lands and settling other conquered peoples in their place. Like one who grabs a ripe fig and eats it, the Assyrians will grab hold of the nation and "swallow it up": take it for themselves. 

Why is this going to happen? Because of idolatry. Because of living for decades in unrepentant sin, despite the numerous prophets the Lord has sent to them with words of warning. However, as we have previously studied, the Lord will not make an end of the people of Israel. He will disperse them to other lands but He will not make an end of any tribe of Israel or of Judah. The Assyrian Empire will be used to discipline the people for their sin and idolatry but the Assyrian Empire will not be allowed to thoroughly wipe out any tribe of Israel.