Here we have a double picture. We see pictured as nation who has been overcome with pride and drunkenness. They were once beautiful but had become as a fading flower. This can happen in reality. Alcoholism can turn a once beautiful and prosperous person into a mess and bring them to despair. This is what sin does to a nation. Without God, folks our nation will crumble also. What once was a nation of strength and beauty will become a fading flower. Sin will ruin anything.

This prophecy was literally fulfilled when Assyria took over of Ephraim.

(Isa 28:2 KJV) Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand.

Judgment comes to people that do not repent eventually. God gives space for repentance and change. He sends His preachers, prophets and teachers. He sent Noah, He sent Moses, He sent Jonah, He sent Isaiah, He sent Jeremiah, He sent Daniel, He sent Ezekiel and He sent Jesus. He didn't stop there. He sent Peter, Paul, John, Stephen, Maritn Luther, John Knox, John Wesley, Jonathan Edwards, Dwight Moody, Billie Sundae, Billy Graham, Robert Webb, David Wilkerson, and countless others warning us to repent and turn back to God. We have no excuse for ignorance. We have had the bible, preachers, the gospel, the Holy Spirit, prosperity, education. We have no excuse for the state our nation is in.

As the glorious beauty of Ephraim was destroyed by judgment, any nation, which sins continually and ignores the call of God toward repentance will also fade as flowers do at the end of the summer.

This is a hope to those who do not go the way of the crowd. God remembers the ones who cling to the Him when it is not popular to do so and the ones who stay faithful when others depart.

Unfortunately here is a picture of even greater despair. The priests and prophets that should have remained righteous have allowed themselves to err and become drunken. Instead of lights and representatives of God's word they have fallen away from the truth and given into temptations.

This also has happened in these latter days. Some do not preach against sin and judgment the way they used to. Some have preferred to please men. They say words that people want to hear. People do not want to hear judgment and repentance messages. They prefer the "feel good" self-esteem messages that tickle the ears. They want a god that allows them to do as they please and still be welcomed into the kingdom of God.

Here is a picture of a backslidden nation. This is how Israel had once become. Does this not sound like our own United States?

10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little :

This is what they needed and what we need to start teaching children the word of God just as soon as they are able to learn.

The Communists knew how to build a strong country. They took children very early and began to teach them their doctrine. They even had sense enough to know that strong families would build a strong nation and that sin would bring it down. This was a nation that did not believe in God and yet they knew what was the strength of a nation. It didn't work because nothing works without God but they had some wisdom in the fact that children should be taught early. They should not however be taken from their homes and taught in the public school because in the public school they are not allowed to be teach about God. They need the first few years at home and be taught about the Lord first and then add the other education later. Instead we are learning everything else and if God is taught at all is on the back burner or maybe one-hour on Sunday morning. This should not be. He should be first. He should be the first we hear in the morning and the last we hear before we retire at night.

In verse 11 we have a prophetic word to what was to come: A refreshing. This sounds like the gospel that is to be preached to the Gentiles which brings rest to the soul. The refreshing spoken of here probably refers to the baptism in the Holy Spirit. The Stammering lips and another tongue could also refer to "speaking in tongues" which accompanies the baptism with the Holy Spirit. That is a refreshing comforting experience.

They would not hear though as we see later in the writings of the gospels. At the time of Christ and his disciples the gospel was rejected and still is rejected by the nation of Israel as a whole. When this changes it will bring about a blessing to the whole world.

14 Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem .

The Lord pleaded with them then and still does now to hear His word.

To refuse the gospel is to make a covenant with hell. The gospel is the way out of hell. It is the way of eternal life.

Hear is a clear prophecy of the coming of Christ. He is that chief cornerstone. He is the stone which the builders rejected but has become the sure foundation and the only way of salvation.

They will eventually hear the gospel after judgment and cleansing.

(Isa 28:19 KJV) From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report.

They mocked and did not hear the word, causing judgment to come time and again. Judgment came by Assyria, Babylon, Romans, and will also come in the future. Yet it didn't have to be.

All they had to do to be restored and escape judgment was to give ear to the voice of the Lord. That is still true today. All we have to do is to listen, to obey, to receive and we will avoid judgment and receive eternal life.

Isaiah 29