Isaiah 28:12 - Printer Friendly

ESV: to whom he has said, "This is rest; give rest to the weary; and this is repose"; yet they would not hear.

NIV: to whom he said, "This is the resting place, let the weary rest"; and, "This is the place of repose"— but they would not listen.

NASB: He who said to them, 'This is the place of quiet, give rest to the weary,' And, 'This is the resting place,' but they would not listen.

CSB: He had said to them: "This is the place of rest; let the weary rest; this is the place of repose." But they would not listen.

NLT: God has told his people, 'Here is a place of rest; let the weary rest here. This is a place of quiet rest.' But they would not listen.

KJV: To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

NKJV: To whom He said, “This is the rest with which You may cause the weary to rest,” And, “This is the refreshing”; Yet they would not hear.

God's intended message for Israel would have been different than the one they will receive from Assyrian invaders (Isaiah 28:3–4, 11). These enemies will soon conquer and exile them. Receiving the Lord's message would have given relief from their hardships. God wanted His people to trust Him, to rest in Him. This meant not trying to solve fears about security by making alliances with other nations. It certainly did not mean worshipping false gods or escaping into drunkenness. If they would trust and obey Him, He would make good on all He had promised before they entered the land (Deuteronomy 28:1–14)

Jesus said something similar to those exhausted by the oppressions of Romans and Pharisees: "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28–30). It's when we pull away from the Lord that life ultimately becomes burdensome.

In Isaiah's time, Israel would not accept this message of trust and peace from the Lord. They would not hear. In fact, they mocked Isaiah for trying to teach it to them (Isaiah 28:10). As a result, they would "hear" the Lord's anger in the brutal defeat and exile of the Assyrians.

Isaiah 28:1–13 poetically describes Israel's capital Samaria as a crown or wreath on the head of a beautiful valley. Its leaders, though, are drunkards, and the wilted wreath will be trampled by the hailstorm of the Lord's judgment. This comes in the form of Assyrian invaders. Then God will be the glorious crown of Israel once more. Israel's prophets and priests live in a drunken stupor, staggering, vomiting, and mocking Isaiah's warning message from the Lord. Isaiah assures them they will hear the message firsthand from foreign lips when the Lord's judgment falls on them.

Samaria, the capital of Israel, also called Ephraim, is the beautiful crown on the head of the rich valley below. Her leaders are proud and drunk. The Lord will send the Assyrians to trample the crown and send the people into exile. Israel's religious leaders mock Isaiah, but they will hear the Lord's message from the Assyrians. Isaiah warns Jerusalem's leaders not to mock his warning to them from the Lord about the same fate. Their covenant with death will fail. The hailstorm of the Assyrians will beat them down. The Lord's counsel is wonderful.

Isaiah 28 begins a new section following the previous four chapters about Israel's glorious future with the Lord as her king. Now, though, the Lord is sending the Assyrians to judge His own people, first in Ephraim, which is Israel, and then in Judah. The beautiful capital city of Samaria will be trampled like a wilted wreath. Israel's religious leaders mock Isaiah but will hear the Lord's message from the Assyrians themselves. Isaiah warns Jerusalem's leaders not to scoff at his message. Despite Judah's agreements with other nations, the Lord will send the overwhelming scourge to wash away their refuge of lies. The next three chapters of Isaiah (29—31) predict siege and distress for Jerusalem but also promise that God will destroy Judah's enemies and bless them if they return to Him.

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).