Isaiah 28:29 - Printer Friendly

ESV: This also comes from the Lord of hosts; he is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom.

NIV: All this also comes from the Lord Almighty, whose plan is wonderful, whose wisdom is magnificent.

NASB: This also comes from the Lord of armies, Who has made His counsel wonderful and His wisdom great.

CSB: This also comes from the Lord of Armies. He gives wondrous advice; he gives great wisdom.

NLT: The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is a wonderful teacher, and he gives the farmer great wisdom.

KJV: This also cometh forth from the Lord of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.

NKJV: This also comes from the Lord of hosts, Who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in guidance.

The farmer knows to follow the wisdom and plan of the Lord as it is revealed in nature. He seeks out which practices work best with the way God has designed the world. His goal is to get the best results from his farming. The wise farmer listens to and learns from the Lord, ultimately, in the very practical realm of agriculture (Isaiah 28:24–28).

Jerusalem's leaders need to understand that the Lord's instructions, through Isaiah, come from the Lord of hosts. God's revealed word is for their good. It is wonderful counsel and excellent wisdom. Following it will bring about the best results for them and for the nation. Instead, Judah's leaders must be warned not to sneer at prophecy. They will only be convinced when the hailstorm of the Assyrians rains down on the nation (Isaiah 28:17–19).

Isaiah 28:14–29 describes God's warning to the leaders of Jerusalem and Judah. They are trusting what Isaiah calls "a covenant of death." They are sheltering from the coming Assyrian invasion under a "refuge of lies." Because they have not trusted the foundation the Lord has laid, He will work against His own people. Using a parable, Isaiah tells Judah's leaders to notice how the farmer follows the Lord's instructions to get the best crop.

Samaria, the capital of Israel, also called Ephraim, is the beautiful crown on the head of the rich valley below. Her leaders are proud and drunk. The Lord will send the Assyrians to trample the crown and send the people into exile. Israel's religious leaders mock Isaiah, but they will hear the Lord's message from the Assyrians. Isaiah warns Jerusalem's leaders not to mock his warning to them from the Lord about the same fate. Their covenant with death will fail. The hailstorm of the Assyrians will beat them down. The Lord's counsel is wonderful.

Isaiah 28 begins a new section following the previous four chapters about Israel's glorious future with the Lord as her king. Now, though, the Lord is sending the Assyrians to judge His own people, first in Ephraim, which is Israel, and then in Judah. The beautiful capital city of Samaria will be trampled like a wilted wreath. Israel's religious leaders mock Isaiah but will hear the Lord's message from the Assyrians themselves. Isaiah warns Jerusalem's leaders not to scoff at his message. Despite Judah's agreements with other nations, the Lord will send the overwhelming scourge to wash away their refuge of lies. The next three chapters of Isaiah (29—31) predict siege and distress for Jerusalem but also promise that God will destroy Judah's enemies and bless them if they return to Him.

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).

Accessed 8/24/2025 2:11:20 PM