Faith Is Living without Scheming (Isaiah 28–31)

Fear makes quick plans; faith makes quiet choices. We walk through Isaiah 28–31 as Judah eyes Assyria and sprints toward an alliance with Egypt, only to hear Isaiah’s piercing call to stop scheming and return to a sure foundation. The thread is bold and deeply practical: God lays a precious cornerstone in Zion, offers real rest to weary people, and protects like a hovering bird who sees everything below. We contrast the rush for chariots and horses with the slow power of trust, exploring how control habits form and how they’re unlearned.

We also unpack one of the more debated themes in church life: tongues as a sign. Drawing a line from Isaiah’s prophecy to Pentecost and Paul’s clarity in 1 Corinthians 14, we explain why foreign languages functioned as a temporary sign for unbelieving Israel rather than a spiritual badge. That insight reframes cravings for spectacle and recenters us on the gospel’s aim—clear truth, changed hearts, and rest in Christ.

History gives this message muscle. When Sennacherib’s army encircled Jerusalem, no treaty saved the city. One night, the angel of the Lord swept through the camp, and 185,000 soldiers did not wake up. The point isn’t that planning is bad; it’s that plans without God become panic with paperwork. Isaiah’s counsel lands with hopeful weight: in quietness and trust is your strength, and blessed are those who wait for him. If you’re tempted to lean on bank accounts, networks, or health reports, this conversation invites you to shift your weight back onto the cornerstone.

If this helped you trade hurry for hope, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs courage, and leave a review so others can find it. What scheme do you need to lay down today?

The Christian's Compass is a companion study guide that corresponds to each of these lessons along The Wisdom Journey. Download a copy for free, or cover the cost of printing and shipping and we'll mail you a booklet.

Learn More: https://www.wisdomonline.org/mp/the-christians-compass

Transcript

Faith Without Scheming

SPEAKER_00 1:16

In my study at home, I have a little commentary on the book of Isaiah written by Warren Wearsby, and he summarized these next few chapters that we're going to open today with this principle: faith is living without scheming. I agree. In fact, I would add that faith is waiting on God's plans to come true. Now, as Isaiah chapter 28 opens, the Assyrian army is threatening the people of God. But rather than repent of their rebellion and trust God, the southern nation of Judah, well, they they start scheming. They're looking to make an alliance with Egypt for their protection. I think Moses and Jacob and Joseph would be rolling over in their graves, so to speak, to know that Israel is going to rely on Egypt. Now, Isaiah provides for some of the background that leads to their sinful decisions, and he focuses on the northern kingdom of Israel, or as it's called here, Ephraim, here in verse 1. Ah, the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim, and the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich valley of those overcome with wine. Well, simply put, the northern kingdom was throwing away the blessings of God like a drunkard throws his money away for another drink. And Isaiah says the same thing here to the southern kingdom of Judah in verse 7. These also reel with wine and stagger with strong drink. The priest and the prophet reel with strong drink. They are swallowed by wine. In other words, the people of God have turned to Egypt for help while giving themselves over to alcohol to soothe their conscience and frankly silence their conviction. But it only gets worse. In fact, they start making fun of Isaiah's preaching here in verse nine as they say, To whom will Isaiah teach knowledge? And to whom will he explain the message? Those who are weaned from the breast? For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little. What they're doing is mocking Isaiah as if he's repeating over and over the same things, like somebody teaching a toddler. They're essentially saying his teaching isn't sophisticated enough. Isaiah just isn't up with the times. People are saying the same thing today, a beloved, about those who believe the truth of God's word. But in spite of their rebellion, now the Lord offers these people back here his rather amazing grace. Verse 16. Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone of a sure foundation. What Isaiah is doing is comparing the unstable alliance with Egypt to the rock solid foundation that God provides. Now the New Testament is going to identify this cornerstone as the Messiah, Jesus Christ, over in 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse 6. Now, the Lord knows the cornerstone, the Messiah, will be rejected. So here in verse 11, Isaiah gives this prophecy. With a foreign tongue the Lord will speak to this people, that is the nation of Israel, to whom he has said, This is rest. Give rest to the weary. Yet they would not hear. Well, what did Jesus promise? Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. What's he doing? He's quoting Isaiah's prophecy. But the nation of Israel refuses Jesus, and this brings us back to Isaiah's prophecy here in chapter 28, that God is going to give the nation then a sign that they have rejected the true Messiah. This sign happens to be tongues, foreign languages spoken by speakers who never learned the language. Now, this sign is going to be fulfilled 700 years later on the day of Pentecost. What happens then? Well, the Lord's disciples begin delivering the gospel supernaturally in other languages that they'd never learned. In fact, the Apostle Paul will clarify that this miracle is temporary. It's primarily for Israel. In fact, he writes over in 1 Corinthians chapter 14 and verse 22 tongues are a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers. You know there's a lot of confusion today, beloved, about speaking in tongues. People want to experience something unusual, but they overlook the fact that tongues were given as a temporary sign to the unbelieving nation of Israel. Well, now back here in Isaiah's prophecy in chapter 29, he speaks to the people's spiritual bankruptcy. He says here in verse 1, add year to year, let the feasts run their round. In other words, go ahead and perform all your religious ceremonies year after year, but they're flowing out of an empty heart. And to this day, beloved, the religious ceremonies of our world look look just like this. They're impressive, but they're empty. Well, Isaiah now promises a future deliverance for Israel. And he writes here in verse 5 The multitude of your foreign foes shall be like small dust, and in an instant, suddenly, you will be visited by the Lord. In the flame of a devouring fire, Israel's enemies are going to be destroyed, verse 6 says. This description fits the great battle of Armageddon when Jesus returns at the end of the tribulation to defeat the Antichrist. He's going to destroy all the enemy nations that have come against Israel before he establishes his millennial kingdom on earth. He's going to destroy them in a moment. Well, now with that, Isaiah chapter 30 opens, and the Lord is confronting their rebellious spirit. He says to them here in verse one, Ah, stubborn children who carry out a plan, but not mine, who make an alliance, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin. Then here in verse six, Isaiah describes a caravan of camels heading down to Egypt, loaded with money and treasures to pay the Egyptians to help them against the Assyrians. And the Lord warns them that they're throwing their money away. In fact, verse 9 calls Judah a rebellious people, children unwilling to hear the instruction of the Lord. Let me tell you, there's nothing more frustrating to parents than children who won't listen. I had a few of them myself. So much time, especially for mothers, poor mothers, is spent doing what? Repeating yourself to your children, training them over and over again, warning them. But as a faithful parent, you keep at it, don't you? Well, Isaiah describes the Lord's faithful commitment to doing the same with his children. He says here in verse twenty, and though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your teacher will not hide himself any more, but your eyes shall see your teacher. Well here's a wonderful reference to seeing one day in the future their Messiah returning to earth. Well, chapter thirty-one now serves as a summary of these previous chapters, beginning here at verse one. Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the holy one of Israel or consult the Lord. Isaiah is saying, Don't put your trust in the biggest weapons or the fastest horses. Don't scheme, don't manipulate your circumstances. Trust the Lord, that's the point. Then God gives this promise through Isaiah to the people here in verse four. The Lord of hosts will come down to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill like birds hovering. So the Lord of hosts will protect Jerusalem. So God is pictured as a hovering bird. He's flying high in the sky, he can see everything down below perfectly, he ain't gonna miss anything. He knows exactly what's happening. Well, back in 2 Kings 19, we're given the details of what happens here now in Isaiah's prophecy. Here's this mighty King Sennacherib, his great Assyrian army, they're encamped against little Jerusalem. There's no way the city's inhabitants are gonna get out of this alive, but then one night the angel of the Lord sweeps down over this army and literally takes the breath out of 185,000 soldiers. In the morning, these men just don't wake up. And that forces Sennacherib to have to retreat home in utter shame. He is soon assassinated by his own sons. See, God's people here are scheming to save their lives rather than trusting the amazing uh power and plan of God. So let's ask the question what about us today? Who are you trusting in? What are you placing your hope in? Your health report from the doctor, your your bank account, your retirement plan, your your family tree, maybe all your business contacts? Everything's under control, right? Well, probably not. Listen, let's learn from these mistakes here. Let's follow the wisdom of God through Isaiah, who writes in chapter 30 and verse 15, in quietness and in trust shall be your strength. Down here in verse 18, blessed are all those who wait for him. Stop scheming, start trusting. Well, until next time, beloved, may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.