Ziklag R - 9.6 -Childish

Lines, Precepts and Babes

SOS Discipline - Daily Proverb and Red Letter Reader

His woman’s tongue will make or break the man. cf. Pr. 12:4

All men are not created equal. Some are more. Some are less. cf. Mt. 11:9

Like a Child

Reception is Virtuous

In Isaiah 28:7-13, the prophet rebukes the leaders of Judah for their spiritual corruption and moral degradation. This passage, often overlooked in discussions about Isaiah's broader prophetic message, offers a striking portrayal of how God's chosen leaders, particularly priests and prophets, are blinded by their pride and drunkenness, unable to discern truth or offer justice. Yet, beneath the surface of Isaiah’s condemnation, there is an implicit, profound call to embrace **childlike humility** in receiving God’s instruction. The leaders’ mockery of Isaiah's message reveals a deep irony: what they reject as simplistic and beneath them is, in fact, the very path to wisdom.

Drunkenness

Isaiah 28:7 begins with a scathing critique: “They also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink" (Isa. 28:7, NKJV). Here, Isaiah points out that both priest and prophet, the spiritual leaders responsible for guiding the people, are spiritually intoxicated, both literally and metaphorically. They are “swallowed up by wine,” unable to lead or make sound judgments (v. 7). This imagery highlights the irony that those meant to guide others have themselves become lost, staggering through their responsibilities. The Hebrew verb שָׁגָה (shagah), meaning "to go astray" or "to stagger," appears multiple times, driving home the point of their spiritual disorientation.

Their state is further illustrated in v. 8, where Isaiah declares, "For all tables are full of vomit and filth; no place is clean." This vivid, grotesque image symbolizes the utter moral and spiritual corruption that has overtaken the nation’s leaders. Their drunkenness has defiled the very places of decision-making and spiritual leadership. In essence, the nation’s leaders are not just physically drunk but spiritually blinded, incapable of fulfilling their duties.

Mockery

Verses 9-10 transition from Isaiah's direct critique of the leaders to their **mocking response to his message. They sneer: “Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will he make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk?” (v. 9). In this rhetorical question, the leaders deride Isaiah's teachings as overly simplistic, as if they were lessons fit only for children recently weaned from their mothers. This sarcasm is critical. By suggesting that Isaiah’s message is only suitable for infants, the leaders reveal their arrogance—they believe themselves too wise for such basic instruction.

The phrase “precept upon precept, line upon line” (v. 10) is also part of their mockery. They mock the repetitive and seemingly simplistic nature of Isaiah's teaching. The Hebrew phrase צַו לָצָו קַו לָקָו (tsav latsav, qav laqav) can be translated as **“rule upon rule, line upon line.”They regard Isaiah’s instructions as irritatingly repetitive and simplistic, beneath their “sophisticated” understanding.

Here lies the profound irony: what the leaders mock is exactly what they need. Their sarcastic reference to children actually reflects a biblical principle woven throughout Scripture: humility and openness—childlike traits—are essential for receiving God’s wisdom. This truth is seen in passages like:

- Psalm 8:2: “Out of the mouths of babes and infants You have ordained strength.”

- Matthew 18:3: “Unless you become like little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”

In these passages, God reveals His wisdom and strength through the humble and the innocent, those who are open to instruction. Isaiah’s rebuke may be calling the leaders to recognize their need for childlike receptivity to God’s Word, even though they see themselves as beyond such instruction.

The Consequence

The leaders’ refusal to receive God’s instruction is not without consequence. In vv. 11-12, Isaiah warns that God will speak to them through foreigners with stammering lips: “For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people” (v. 11). This likely refers to the Assyrians, whose language would be unintelligible to the people of Judah. Isaiah’s point is that since they rejected God’s clear message delivered in their own language, they would be forced to learn the hard way through foreign domination and judgment.

Verse 13 makes it clear that because they mocked and rejected God's repetitive instructions, they would "fall backward, be broken, snared, and taken" (v. 13). Their pride—refusing to be taught and refusing to embrace simple, foundational truths—would lead to their downfall.

Intellectual Pride

The mocking rejection of Isaiah’s message reflects a timeless struggle: the temptation to dismiss what seems too simple or beneath one’s intellectual level. The leaders of Judah fell into this trap. They rejected the prophet’s message not because it was incomprehensible but because it was beneath their imagined sophistication. Yet, as Scripture repeatedly emphasizes, true wisdom is often found in the humble, the meek, and those who are willing to receive instruction, even in its simplest forms.

Jesus Himself echoes this sentiment in the Gospels when He tells His disciples that the kingdom of God belongs to the childlike (Matthew 18:3). The leaders of Judah had become **too proud** to receive the simple truths that lead to life. In contrast, those who approach God’s Word with childlike faith—open, humble, and receptive—are the ones who truly understand and enter into His wisdom.