Isaiah 28 and Warnings Of False Comfort

Alcohol can look like relief, but what if it’s quietly training your heart to run from God instead of toward Him? We hold that question up to the light of Scripture and let it search us, because real hope is not found in a bottle, a party, or a quick escape. We come back to Jesus Christ as the only steady place for faith, focus, forgiveness, cleansing, and the “new wine” of salvation.

Pastor Carl takes us verse by verse through Isaiah 28, where the “crown of pride” shines for a moment and then fades, and where drunkenness is exposed as more than a habit it’s a spiritual threat that distorts vision and destroys judgment. We talk about the remnant who trust the Lord, and why God Himself becomes their true crown of glory. Then we turn to Proverbs 23 for one of the Bible’s most honest descriptions of intoxication and addiction: the sparkle, the bite, the strange sights, the perverse words, the wounds without cause, and the craving that keeps asking for “another drink.”

From there, Luke 21 raises the stakes. Jesus warns that our hearts can be weighed down by carousing, drunkenness, and the cares of this life, leaving us unprepared for the Day of the Lord. The answer is watchfulness, prayer, and a real relationship with Christ, the One who gives true rest and refreshing “line upon line” through His Word.

If you’re wrestling with what you reach for when life hurts, listen, share this with a friend, and subscribe for more Bible teaching from Come On Up. After you listen, what’s one change you know you need to make?

Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:05

Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, and we shall walk in his paths.

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Welcome to Come On Up, the radio ministry of the Mountain Cross in Waynesville, North Carolina.

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Put your hope in Jesus Christ. Put your focus on Jesus Christ. He's given you the new wine. The wine of salvation. The wine of hope, of forgiveness, of cleansing. Pray that you might be counted worthy to escape those things that come to pass. How are we made worthy to escape the things that come to pass? Believe in Jesus. Trust in Jesus. Be changed by Jesus. Have a relationship with Jesus.

SPEAKER_01 0:49

Have you ever been hopeful of something? Maybe when you were younger you wanted to get that bike for Christmas, or maybe that new pair of shoes. What about today? Could it be a new job, a better place to live, or finally taking that vacation you want? You have hopes and dreams of what's to come, and that's a good thing. But it's important where you place that desire. In today's message, Pastor Carl directs where your faith and hope should be focused, and that it should be pointed to Jesus, who will never fail you. And now, here's Pastor Carl.

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Chapter 28. It starts out like this: Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which is at the head of the verdant valleys, to those who are overcome with wine. Now, sometimes uh it helps to look at another translation of the Bible. And let me read this first verse to you again out of the New Living Translation and see if it has a little more drama to it. What sorrow avails the proud city of Samaria, the glorious crown of the drunks of Israel? It sits at the head of a fertile valley, but its glorious beauty will fade like a flower. It is the pride of a people brought down by wine. The focus is wine on letting the alcohol overtake you and you become a drunkard. And that was a serious problem in Ephraim and in the South as well. And the Lord wanted to address it. They had beauty, they had pride, and they lifted their hearts up, and the wine brought them down. So they have this pride, they think that they've made it, they think they've arrived, but the love of wine is destroying them. And it also speaks to other sensual ideas in their lives, other pride. They've built up their kingdom and they think that they have it all together when it's really destroying them. In verse 2, the Lord starts saying, This is going to bring you down. Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one, a representative, an agent, like a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, like a flood of mighty waters overflowing, who will bring them down to the earth with his hand. The crown of pride, here he's repeating it again, the drunkards of Ephraim will be trampled underfoot, and the glorious beauty is a fading flower, which is at the head of the verdant valley. It's like the first fruit before summer, which an observer sees, he eats it up while it's still in his hand. Have you ever been to one of those you pick orchards, you know, when you pick cherries or you pick apples or something? And part of the fun is you get to eat it as you pick it. And that's the picture that he's talking about here. These summer fruits are ripe, and he's pulling them off the tree, and he's eating it right there and then. The judgment is going to come on them that swiftly as well, before they even know what the judgment is coming. And they get it's the Lord's grace and his mercy to warn and warn and warn. Judgment is coming. Be careful. Judgment is coming. Turn, repent. Judgment is on the way. I'm warning you. I have mercy on you, I have compassion on you, but it's coming. Will you hear me? Verse 5. In that day the Lord of hosts will be for a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty to the remnant of his people. The crown of Ephraim, their crown of glory, and their crown of pride is the drink, is the wine. But there is a remnant. There is a group that's actually trusting in the Lord. And that remnant will have the crown of glory, a diadem of beauty from the Lord. They will have a spirit of justice for him who sits in judgment and for strength of those who turn back the battle at the gate. Even though most of the nation is going adrift and falling into the ways of the world and partying and then, you know, fulfilling the desires of the flesh, there is a remnant of believers that trust in the Lord and are used by the Lord in strategic places. There are those that are sitting in judgment. We want those sitting in judgment to have a fear of the Lord, don't we? We want sound minds, we want truthful minds, we want honest minds to judge us, don't we? And for strength of those who turn back to battle at the gate. We want people who are protecting our cities to be strong and focused and knowing good from evil and being able to defend our city. And there are some, but it's not the whole group. In verse 7, they also have erred through wine and through intoxicating drink, they are out of the way. The priest and the prophet have erred through intoxicating drink. They are swallowed up by wine. They are out of the way through intoxicating drink. They err in vision, they stumble in judgment, for all tables are full of vomit and filth, and no place is clean. We need people who know the Lord and trust the Lord to be in these positions of authority, and yet there are many that have fallen into these positions of authority that have corrupted their hearts, have corrupted their minds because of heavy drink. And we're talking specifically about wine, and yes, it carries over into other attitudes and other sins in our lives, but wine has something that it does that just changes our perspective of everything. And the last line there brings some of that to light. For all the tables are full of vomit and filth, and no place is clean, and nobody seems to care. Oh, it's somebody else's job. Give me another drink. That's a problem, isn't it? Wine and heavy drink is a problem, and the word talks about it in many different places, but I want to look at just two sections of scripture about wine for you to ponder on. First, let's go to Proverbs chapter 23. Proverbs chapter 23, beginning at verse 29, it describes what happens to those who get drunk with wine. Who has woe? Woe is it's a danger. It's woe is a something's gonna happen to you. Warnings coming to the Lord. It said, woe at the beginning of our chapter. Whoa, these things are gonna happen to you. If people are always warning you, hey, you're drinking too much, maybe you're drinking too much. Who has sorrow? Wine, what does it do? It promises a good time, it promises joy, and what does it deliver? After a little joy, apparent joy, artificial joy, you crash and burn, don't you? And it's insidious. We're going for it to bring me some joy, but in essence, it deepens my depression, and I fall further down, but I want more of it to bring me back up again. Something that's not what God intended it to do. So who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Wine seems, and whenever, and strong, drink whatever. If you drink enough of it, your inhibitions go down. And what happens at bars usually? A bar scene brawl, right? You have fights at bars and you have people that are fighting each other that normally never fight. It's because it changes your mind, it changes your attitude, it changes your heart, and you're more apt to be contentious with one another. How about this? Who has complaints? There's a tendency, if you drink a lot and you're an alcoholic, you're going to complain about a lot of things. Why? Well, a lot of times it's because all these people are telling you the problems that you have and you're pouring out problems that they have and you're justifying yourself, and there's just this complaining attitude. What's the attitude that we should have before the Lord? An attitude of thanksgiving, attitude of gratitude. It's just a whole bunch of complaints come pouring out of our mouths. Who has wounds without cause? Physical wounds, mental wounds, spiritual wounds. You know, what happened? How'd you get that black eye? I don't know. You don't know how you did it? No, it just happened. You know, the wall came out and jumped at me or something, you know. Who has redness of eyes? And you're not seeing clearly, you're not thinking clearly. Those who linger long at the wine, those who go in search of mixed wine, these are the sorts of things that happen to the drunkard. Goes on to say, do not look on the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, and when it swirls around smoothly. The wine is it's inviting, isn't it? And let me take a step back. We're about to celebrate communion. Which, when when Jesus was celebrating it, it was wine that he was drinking. And I believe it's because these admonitions against drunkenness and alcoholism in the early days of America caused a lot of the Protestant church in America to go after grape juice instead of wine because we didn't want our brothers and sisters to stumble. But the wine, the fruit of the vine, has been given to mankind as a blessing from God. Yet the enemy wants to destroy that, and he has in many ways, and it's become a big problem throughout the millennia to keep our attention off of the Lord, the one that brings us the true vine, the true wine that brings salvation and cleansing and new life and hope, and gives us so much of this wine here that we become addicted to it. We serve it. It's not a blessing with God, it's a substitute for God, and a substitute that doesn't do very well for us. So the writer of the Proverbs is warning you know, yes, God has given us all things to enjoy, but we have a tendency to go a little too far. And if you've gone too far, don't let it get you again. It's sparkling, it's inviting you. Say no, push it away, because at the last it bites like a serpent and stings like a viper. The enemy wants to use it to destroy you. Be warned. Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart will utter perverse things. You'll call people in the middle of the night, and you'll say things, and and they'll they'll call you the next day, say, What in the world were you saying? You say, I did I say something? Did I call you? You won't even remember what you did or say, but it's perverse, it's it's crooked, it's not right. And did I not mention that the enemy uses this for evil against us? I believe it's very demonic. They're called spirits for a reason, and you will see strange things, demonic things. People who tend to drink a lot tend to see a lot of things other people don't see. And it's not natural, it's not good. And the writer of Proverbs is saying, Be careful. Yes, you will be like the one who lies down in the midst of the sea. Do you take your nap in the middle of the ocean and sink? You don't think straight, you don't do things that are right. It's not what God intended. Or you're like one who lies at the top of the mast saying, They've struck me, they've struck me, but I wasn't hurt, they've beaten me, but I didn't feel it. They're blaming everybody else, but then they have this pride, like it didn't hurt me, I'm alright. There's no logic to it. Are we getting an idea here that too much wine is not good? I hope you're getting that idea. And you may not think that the amount of drink that you drink is not too much, but can you give it up? Can you say no? If you can't, there's a chance that you're addicted to it. And you need to be freed from it because it is causing you to believe things that aren't true. One of those things being, I can drink it and still be fine. So they say these things and they live this way, and then the last line of this verse when shall I awake that I might seek another drink? Their whole life is about getting another drink. Their whole life is about excusing their actions, being the victim of everybody around, blaming, confused, beating up, being proudful, saying that didn't hurt. And they're just looking for another drink. The other passage I wanted to share with you comes from Luke chapter 21. Luke chapter 21, beginning at verse 34. This is our Lord Jesus speaking to his disciples about the end of the age. Take heed to yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and the cares of this life. How are you dealing with the things that come upon you today? Are you running after drink? Are you running after partying? Are you running after the Lord? If you're running after partying to try to bury your problems, to ignore them, or with the wine, you know, with alcohol, I want to get away from the cares of this life. If you're doing that, whoa, be careful. Here's a warning: take heed that that day, capital D, would come upon you unexpectedly. What day are we talking about? The day of the Lord, the day of God's judgment on an unbelieving world. The day of the Lord. Why would it come upon you unexpectedly? Because you're not looking for it. What are you looking for? You're looking for partying, you're looking for relief of your pain in ways that weren't designed to relieve you of your pain, but they'll just bring more pain. It'll come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Judgment is coming on an unbelieving world. And Jesus says, Watch therefore and pray. Watch and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass and stand before the Son of Man. Watch and pray. Don't fall into the ways of the world, but put your hope in Jesus Christ. Put your focus on Jesus Christ. He's given you the new wine, the wine of salvation, the wine of hope, of forgiveness, of cleansing. Pray that you might be counted worthy to escape those things that come to pass. How are we made worthy to escape the things that come to pass? Believe in Jesus. Trust in Jesus. Be changed by Jesus. Have a relationship with Jesus. Jesus is saying some of the things of this world, especially strong drink, can affect our relationship with Jesus. And that's a dangerous place to be. Let's get back to our study, Isaiah 28, back to verse 9. Now, this next little section is kind of a response of the drunkards of Ephraim talking back to Isaiah, kind of mocking him and asking, Who are you talking to us? We're great leaders. We have great knowledge. And you are coming to us with your simpleton ways? Listen to this. Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will he make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just drawn from the breasts? Isaiah talks so simply and so immaturely. All that he could teach is little young kids. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, there a little. They're mocking this idea that Isaiah comes over and over again with many different angles and many different attempts to reveal the sin of the nation. And they just mock it. You say the same thing over again. We know this. Why do you want to tell me again and again? Because you're not responding to it, you're not repenting, you're not changing, right? They have put their confidence in their drink, they have put their confidence in their kingdom, they have put their confidence in their carousing, they have not put their confidence in the word of God, they think they know the word of God. Some of the people he's talking to are priests who know the word, but they don't know the author of the word, they're not living it. And in verse 11, it says, So, for with stammering lips and another tongue, he will speak to this people, to whom he said, This is the rest which you may cause the weary to rest, and this is the refreshing, yet they would not hear. Because they wouldn't listen to people like Isaiah, who would go precept by precept, line upon line, going through the scriptures and declaring the truth of God's word simply and methodically, over and over again. Why do we hear things over and over again from the Lord and his word? Because we have hard heads, and it takes a while for us to learn things when we hear them over and over again. But even with that, they didn't listen. So, what happened? Well, Assyria came and they were used by God to judge the northern kingdom and some of the southern kingdom as well. Come to the gates of Jerusalem, in fact. These were people who, when you listen to them talk, and they sound like they're stammering in their speech, they're foreigners. But they wouldn't listen. And now they realize, oh, God was warning us, and God is bringing judgment against us. The message that Isaiah is bringing is the rest with which you may cause the weary to rest. Jesus said, Come to me, all who are weary, and I will give you rest. Right? He is the answer to our weariness. He is the refreshing. Do we need refreshment? We don't need it from the bottle. Refreshment comes from the Lord. Refreshment comes from digging into his word. Refreshment comes by fellowshipping with him and with his people. Amen. Verse 13. But the word of the Lord was to them, precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, there a little. It was given to them. They were taught, and this is a very good way to learn and grow in the ways of the Lord. I mean, that's why Calvary Chapel teaches the way we do. Verse by verse, chapter by chapter, precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, there a little. We don't give you a fire hydrant of theology so you can get it all in one sitting. I don't think God designed it that way. But we spend our whole lives learning and growing and going over it again and again. How many times can he go through the Gospel of John and be done with it? You're never done with it because there's always more. There's another layer to the onion that God wants to reveal to you about his nature, about who he is, and about his relationship with you and his purpose for your life. And he's saying this was presented to them. And the word of the Lord goes out to convict souls and to bring them into fellowship with the Lord, or to bring them into condemnation. And he said, For these whose hearts are so hard that have gone after strange drink that The teaching of God's word. The teaching that they were given was given to them that they might go and fall backward and be broken, snared, and caught. And again, the heart of the Lord is when you get broken, ensnared, and caught, repent. Break your heart before the Lord. Admit your sin. Ask for forgiveness and ask for help to be changed. Don't just go back to it again and again and again. Therefore, hear the word of the Lord, you scornful men who rule this place who are in Jerusalem. See, He's moved from the north and now He's directed it to the south, to Jerusalem specifically. Because you have said, We have made a covenant with death and with Sheol. We are in agreement. When the overflowing scourge passes through, it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood we have hidden ourselves. Now I would tend to think that they didn't purposely say these things, but their actions said this. How often in our lives do we go and we believe something that we've come up with in our own heads that's not from the Lord, and we believe that to be gospel truth and we walk in it. But it's a lie. It's a lie, it's not from the Lord. It's what we've made up, or it's something that the enemy through the world is implanted in our hearts and in our minds, because there's so many messages that the world is sending to us that are not in line with God's word, that we believe it and we put our confidence in that, and it's all a lie. And he says, You've made a covenant with death. But you're so prideful thinking, well, we've done this, we've built this. It's this Babylonian attitude again, where together we built this and we'll show God, we'll build our tower all the way to the heavens. And he won't judge us, and even if we do, we'll withstand it because we're strong.

SPEAKER_01 24:07

Thanks for joining us for Come On Up. We've been hearing from Pastor Carl, the pastor at the Mountain Cross in Waynesville, North Carolina, as he teaches us about the book of Isaiah. Toward the beginning of this book, the prophet Isaiah receives a vision of God's glory, and he is certain that he and the entire nation of Israel will be destroyed in the presence of a perfect creator. But God chose mercy on Isaiah and purifies him of his sin. This is an illustration of how God had mercy on us by sending his Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. We don't have to be afraid to enter into the Lord's presence because the blood of Jesus has already paid the debt of our sin. We are made righteous and holy because of his sacrifice, which was prophesied to us all the way back in the book of Genesis and reaffirmed in the book of Isaiah. We're called to spread this message of hope to all who will hear it. And that is why this program that you're listening to is on the air. If you'd like to hear more from Pastor Carl, you can do so by visiting us online at themountaincross.com. If you're local to Waynesville, we'd also love to invite you to join us in person at the Mountain Cross. We meet every Sunday at 10 a.m. at the Smoky Mountain Cinema. You'll find more information about our services and our monthly faith film nights on our website. Pastor Carl has plenty more to share from the book of Isaiah, so be sure to come on up to the mountain with us again next time as we seek to learn more from the Lord through his word. Come on Up is sponsored by the Mountain Cross, a Calvary Chapel fellowship.