This
Chapter
Pt.1:
Against Israel
v.1-4
God is going to bring Samaria down
v.5,6
A future hope – God in charge
v.7-10
The folly of the foolish who fail to learn
v.11-13
So God will speak through an invader and start from scratch
in Israel
Pt.2:
Against Judah
v.14,15
Jerusalem foolishly thinks she is secure
v.16,17
But God is going to start over afresh with them
v.18-20
Their security will be proved false
v.21-23
But yet the Lord will eventually rise up on behalf of His people
Pt.3:
A Teaching Appendix
v.24-29
Learn God's design from the farmer
[Introductory
Comment: In
this chapter the prophetic word returns to the present after having
peered into the distant future. The prophecy bring rebuke to the
north, Israel [v.1-13] AND to the south, Judah [v.14-23] with
what might be called a teaching appendix for both at the end of
the chapter [v.24-29]
Part
1: The Lord warns
that He is going to act against Samaria [v.1-4],
by the end of which He will reign over them in a new way [v.5,6].
At the moment though, their spiritual leaders are a mess [v.7,8]
acting like spoilt little children refusing to learn [v.9,10]
so if they won't listen to Him, He will bring an invader [Assyria]
who will teach them to start learning about who they are from
scratch [v.11-13].
Part
2: The focus turns
to Judah and Jerusalem, to rulers who are described
as boasting scoffers [v.14,15] who [implied] have put their trust
in idols who they think will protect them, but God is going to
make a fresh start with them, laying the first guide-stone for
a new foundation [v.16] that will bring a sense of security to
whoever trusts in it. Justice and righteousness will be the guiding
lines for the new building [v.17] and lies and secretiveness will
be swept away. Indeed their trust in their idols will also be
swept away [v.18] as an invading scourge will sweep clean [v.19]
and none will escape it [v.20]. But then quite amazingly, against
all the odds the Lord will rise up against the enemy [v.21]. The
passage finishes with a warning not to mock the prophet's word
[v.22] but to carefully listen and hold on to what he says [v.23].
Part
3: The final passage
is an exhortation to observe the wisdom of a farmer, who has learnt
his wisdom from observing God's design. The lessons are not applied
to their current situation so any thoughts must be speculative.
He starts with ploughing [v.24] – turning the nation over in preparation
for something new? The farmer doesn't keep on doing it, thus it
will not last forever this upheaval. When he sows seed, the farmer
uses a variety of seeds to achieve a broad harvest [v.25] as God
has taught him [v.26]. God's new creative work is extensive. To
release the seed from the harvested crops, requires a different
approach to each [v.27]. God knows exactly how to bring forth
the fruit of His endeavours. To prepare the grain further to make
bread, again requires different approaches for different seed
[v.28], again all according to God's design [v.29]. The overall
lesson? God has designed His world to work in specific ways and
to think you know better and live at odds with His design will
only bring heartache and failure.
A
content-rich chapter with many lessons to be observed.]
PART
ONE: v.1-13: Against Israel
v.1-4
God is going to bring Samaria down
v.1
(Graphic pictures of Samaria)
Woe
to that wreath, the pride of Ephraim's drunkards,
to the fading flower, his glorious beauty,
set on the head of a fertile valley –
to that city, the pride of those
laid low by wine!
v.2 (The
Lord has an invader [that history shows was Assyria] to throw
them down) See, the Lord has one
who is powerful and strong.
Like a hailstorm and a destructive wind,
like a driving rain and a flooding downpour,
he will throw it forcefully to the ground.
v.3 (The
crown that the drunkards of Israel imagine they wear will be trampled
by the invader) That wreath, the
pride of Ephraim's drunkards,
will be trampled underfoot.
v.4 (Samaria
will be taken by the invader) That
fading flower, his glorious beauty,
set on the head of a fertile valley,
will be like figs ripe before harvest –
as soon as people see them and take them
in hand,
they swallow them.
v.5,6
A future hope – God in charge
v.5
(When that happens, the remnant
will make God their ruler) In that
day the Lord Almighty
will be a glorious crown,
a beautiful wreath
for the remnant of his people.
v.6 (God
will enable the leader to bring justice to the people and ward
off their enemy…) He will be a spirit
of justice
to the one who sits in judgment,
a source of strength
to those who turn back the battle at the
gate.
v.7-10
The folly of the foolish who fail to learn
v.7
(…but the spiritual leadership
are drunk and useless) And these
also stagger from wine
and reel from beer:
priests and prophets stagger from beer
and are befuddled with wine;
they reel from beer,
they stagger when seeing visions,
they stumble when rendering decisions.
v.8 (their
lives are a mess) All the tables
are covered with vomit
and there is not a spot without filth.
v.9
(God's not trying to teach
little children but leaders) ‘Who
is it he is trying to teach?
To whom is he explaining his message?
To children weaned from their milk,
to those just taken from the breast?
v.10 (They
mock the Law) For it is:
do this, do that,
a rule for this, a rule for that;
a little here, a little there.'
v.11-13
So God will speak through an invader and start from scratch in
Israel
v.11
(So God will speak to them
through an invader…) Very well then,
with foreign lips and strange tongues
God will speak to this people,
v.12 (…
to a people who refused to let Him lead them into a place of rest
with Him) to whom he said,
‘This is the resting-place, let the weary
rest';
and, ‘This is the place of repose'–
but they would not listen.
v.13 (So
God will teach them the absolute basics) So
then, the word of the Lord to them will become:
do this, do that,
a rule for this, a rule for that;
a little here, a little there –
so that as they go they will fall backwards;
they will be injured and snared and captured.
PART
TWO: v.14-23: Against Judah, a fresh start
v.14,15
Jerusalem foolishly thinks she is secure
v.14
(So listen to this you rulers
….) Therefore
hear the word of the Lord,
you scoffers
who rule this people in Jerusalem.
v.15 (…
you who think nothing can touch you) You
boast, ‘We have entered into a covenant with death,
with the realm of the dead we have made
an agreement.
When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by,
it cannot touch us,
for we have made a lie our refuge
and falsehood our hiding-place.'
v.16,17
But God is going to start over afresh with them
v.16
(So God says He's starting
to lay a new foundation for this people and whoever trusts in
it will never fear) So this is what
the Sovereign Lord says:
‘See,
I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;
the one who relies on it
will never be stricken with panic.
v.17
(Justice & righteousness
will rule while lies will be swept away) I
will make justice the measuring line
and righteousness the plumb-line;
hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie,
and water will overflow your hiding-place.
v.18-20
Their security will be proved false
v.18
(Your sense of security will
go when the invader comes…) Your
covenant with death will be annulled;
your agreement with the realm of the dead
will not stand.
When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by,
you will be beaten down by it.
v.19 (…
and you will be carried away) As
often as it comes it will carry you away;
morning after morning, by day and by night,
it will sweep through.'
The
understanding of this message
will bring sheer terror.
v.20
(There will be no place that is secure)
The bed is too short to stretch out
on,
the blanket too narrow to wrap around
you.
v.21-23
But yet the Lord will eventually rise up on behalf of His people
v.21
(The Lord will step up to
conquer enemies as before) The Lord
will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim, [see 2 Sam
5:20]
he will rouse himself as in the Valley
of Gibeon – [see 2 Sam 5:22-25]]
to do his work, his strange work,
and perform his task, his alien task.
v.22 (Don't
mock, this IS going to happen) Now
stop your mocking,
or your chains will become heavier;
the Lord, the Lord Almighty, has told me
of the destruction decreed against the
whole land.
v.23
(Take note of what I'm saying)
Listen and hear my voice;
pay attention and hear what I say.
PART
THREE: v.24-29: A teaching appendix
v.24-29
Learn God's design from the farmer
v.24
(Think how a farmer works-
he doesn't keep on ploughing) When
a farmer ploughs for planting, does he plough continually?
Does he keep on breaking up and working
the soil?
v.25 (He's
wise about what he sows) When he
has levelled the surface,
does he not sow caraway and scatter cummin?
Does he not plant wheat in its place,
barley in its plot,
and spelt in its field?
v.26 (He
has let God teach him how to do it) His
God instructs him
and teaches him the right way.
v.27
(He knows how to treat different
crops when harvested) Caraway is
not threshed with a sledge,
nor is the cartwheel rolled over cummin;
caraway is beaten out with a rod,
and cummin with a stick.
v.28 (He
knows how to prepare flour) Grain
must be ground to make bread;
so one does not go on threshing it for
ever.
The wheels of a threshing-cart may be rolled over it,
but one does not use horses to grind grain.
v.29 (This
is all by God's design) All this
also comes from the Lord Almighty,
whose plan is wonderful,
whose wisdom is magnificent.
Continue
to Chapter 29