Question 1

What is the “crown of pride” and the “fading flower” in this passage?

Accepted Answer

The “crown of pride” and the “fading flower” picture the northern kingdom, often called Ephraim, enjoying rich land and success but lifted up with pride. Their beautiful valleys were like a crown on their heads, yet God says that beauty is like a flower that quickly withers or like the first ripe fig that is eaten at once. In other words, their wealth and glory look impressive for a moment, but because they have turned from God in drunkenness and sin, it will soon be taken away and trampled underfoot.

Question 2

Who are the drunkards of Ephraim and why is their sin highlighted?

Accepted Answer

The drunkards of Ephraim are the people and leaders of the northern kingdom who were overcome by wine and strong drink. The passage shows that their drinking is not just a private habit but a sign of deeper spiritual trouble. Even priests and prophets are said to stumble in judgment and err in their visions. Their tables are described as filthy. This shows how sin can spread through a whole society, dulling minds, ruining judgment, and making people deaf to God’s warnings and to the true rest he offers.

Question 3

What does “precept upon precept, line upon line” mean here?

Accepted Answer

“Precept upon precept, line upon line; here a little, and there a little” shows how God patiently teaches his people in simple, repeated ways, like children learning their first lessons. But in this passage it also carries a sad note. The people mock this kind of basic teaching and refuse to listen, so the same words they despise end up being part of their downfall. Because they will not receive God’s plain instruction, his word becomes something they stumble over, leading them to fall, be broken, and caught in judgment.

Question 4

What does it mean that God will speak with “stammering lips and another tongue”?

Accepted Answer

The phrase “stammering lips and another tongue” points to God using a foreign language to deal with his people. Since they would not listen when he spoke clearly through his prophets, he will let foreign invaders, speaking a tongue they do not understand, be his voice of judgment. It is as if God says, “You would not hear me when I called you to rest and refreshing, so now you will hear the harsh language of conquest.” This underlines how serious it is to ignore God’s patient, gentle teaching.

Question 5

What is the “covenant with death” and the “refuge of lies”?

Accepted Answer

The rulers in Jerusalem boast that they have a “covenant with death” and an agreement with the grave, meaning they think they have made clever plans to avoid disaster. They believe that when the “overflowing scourge” of invasion comes, it will not touch them because they have hidden under lies and falsehood, such as idols, empty promises, or unsafe alliances. God answers that this false covenant will be cancelled, their hiding place swept away, and the very judgment they thought to avoid will trample them, morning by morning, until they truly hear his warning.

Question 6

Who is the “precious corner stone” laid in Zion, and why is it important?

Accepted Answer

The “tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation” laid in Zion is God’s answer to all false security. Instead of trusting in pride, idols, or schemes, God provides a solid foundation in his chosen stone. Whoever believes in this stone will not be hurried or forced to run around in panic, because they are resting on what God himself has set in place. This points to God’s saving work centered in Zion and is fulfilled in the person and work of Christ, who becomes the true foundation for his people.

Question 7

What does this passage teach about God’s judgment and mercy?

Accepted Answer

This passage holds both warning and comfort. God’s judgment is real: he sends a “mighty and strong one” to trample pride, sweeps away lies like hail, and makes clear that false refuges will not stand. At the same time, he preserves a “remnant” and promises to be their crown of glory and strength in battle. He lays a sure cornerstone in Zion and shows that his discipline is measured, like a wise farmer who plows, plants, and threshes each crop in the right way. His aim is not to crush his people but to correct them and bring them back.

Question 8

Why does God compare himself to a farmer with different tools and methods?

Accepted Answer

The picture of the plowman and the different seeds and threshing tools shows that God’s dealings are wise and varied. A farmer does not plow forever, nor treat every crop the same way. He knows when to stop breaking the soil, when to sow each kind of seed, and how hard to thresh it. In the same way, God knows exactly how to teach, correct, and discipline his people. He may use hard events, but he does not crush his own remnant. His counsel is wise, and his work is fitted to each purpose and person.

Question 9

How can this passage about pride, drunkenness, and lies apply today?

Accepted Answer

This passage warns against trusting in anything that dulls our minds or makes us careless toward God, whether that is literal drunkenness, pride in success, or false promises that seem to keep trouble away. It shows how leaders and people alike can become deaf to plain truth and take comfort in lies. At the same time, it invites us to rest on God’s cornerstone instead of our own plans. In daily life, this means seeking sober judgment, loving honest speech, and finding our security in God’s promise rather than in temporary comforts.

Isaiah 28:1

Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine!

The Captivity of Ephraim

A Cornerstone in Zion

Listen and Hear

The Captivity of Ephraim

metadata.crossReferences

Isaiah 28:1

Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine!

share.title

share.allVerses

share.verseWithContext

share.currentVerse

The Captivity of Ephraim

A Cornerstone in Zion

Listen and Hear

The Captivity of Ephraim

metadata.crossReferences