“Therefore hear the word of the Lord,you scoffers, who rule this people in Jerusalem!”
“Now therefore do not scoff, lest your bonds be made strong;for I have heard a decree of destruction from the Lord God of hosts against the whole land.” ~ Isaiah 28:14, 22
J. Alec Motyer
comments on this passage of Isaiah stating,
“The heart of the initial ‘woe’ is their refusal of the word of the Lord,the‘message’ which Isaiah brought. Their attitude is described as scoffing and mocking. Mocking (√lis) is the same word as in verse 14, but here it means ‘showing yourselves to be scorners’; the sense of going beyond the outward act to the character of the person. Deliberate action fixes character and the point comes where there is no return, the point of bondage. The word expresses an advanced stage of practical atheism. To this Isaiah replies (9-13) that experience will prove the scorned word to be inescapable and that to turn from the way of faith is to embrace death (14-19)."
In commenting on this text, J Alec Motyer makes a
very powerful observation, one that in light of our current pride, evidenced by
the general scorn and mocking of the Word of the Lord in our culture, should
give us great pause, he states:
“The coming destruction is ‘something definite and decisive I have heard from the Sovereign, the LORD Almighty over all the earth.’ Isaiah’s call to reform is based on what he knows is coming (he has heard it from the Lord); he advocates repentance not because repentance will prevent it (it is definite) but because there is no other way to prepare.”
Throughout history there have been times when the
“decree of destruction” went forth, and even now is ravaging many nations and
peoples. Often God would warn His people and use that warning to bring about
repentance and with it a reprieve on the coming judgment. In this case, the
warning would go unheeded by the majority, destruction was certain. Even so,
God is still urging them to repent, though they have been unfaithful, God is
faithful. If any (though few in number) would repent He would walk with them through the certain
destruction. He would prove strong on their behalf, if only they would return
to Him. We only have to look at Daniel,
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to see just how faithful God was to be with His
people during the “decree of destruction.”
God granted the nations in Isaiah’s time many
years, patiently waiting, calling them to repentance and providentially caring
for them. Then one day, the decree was called to action. We are as guilty
before a Holy God as they, equally deserving of the same destruction, nay, even
more so because we have been granted greater knowledge and grace. One day, be
it near or far, America too will be held accountable for our pride and
rebellion. We desperately need to
repent, God will not be mocked.
Motyer concludes with this final thought:
“The only way to flee from God is to flee to Him.”
Motyer, J. A. (1993). D. The Lord of History. The prophecy of Isaiah: an introduction & commentary (230-235). Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press.
