How can we apply Isaiah 28:11 to our understanding of divine discipline today? Setting the Scene in Isaiah 28 • Judah’s leaders were drunk on both wine and self-confidence (Isaiah 28:7–8). • They mocked Isaiah’s simple, repetitive teaching, saying he talked to them as if they were toddlers (v. 10). • God responded by promising to speak to them “with stammering lips and foreign tongues” (v. 11)—a reference to invading Assyrians whose language they would not understand (cf. Deuteronomy 28:49). • The foreign speech would be a sign of judgment: God’s word rejected in Hebrew would return in a language they could not ignore. Key Verse “Indeed, with stammering lips and foreign tongues He will speak to this people.” (Isaiah 28:11) Divine Discipline Illustrated • God’s discipline is measured: He first sent prophets in their own language (Isaiah 28:9–10). • When soft warnings were despised, He intensified the correction by using an unexpected instrument—foreign conquerors. • The method fit the offense: they scoffed at simple words, so He answered with words they could not decipher. • Discipline, therefore, is not random punishment but purposeful training that matches the heart issue (Hebrews 12:5–11). Principles for Today • God still speaks plainly through Scripture; rejecting that voice invites harder lessons. • He reserves the right to use surprising channels—people outside our circle, uncomfortable circumstances, even secular authorities—to press His point. • What feels like chaos can actually be God’s orderly discipline, designed to restore rather than destroy (Psalm 119:67, 71). • The New Testament echoes this in 1 Corinthians 14:21, where Isaiah 28:11 is cited to show that uninterpreted tongues serve as a wake-up sign to the unbelieving—another form of divine attention-getter. Supporting Scriptures • Hebrews 12:6–7: “For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises every son He receives… God is treating you as sons.” • Revelation 3:19: “Those I love, I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent.” • Proverbs 3:11–12: “My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline… because the LORD disciplines those He loves.” Putting It Into Practice • Stay teachable: receive the straightforward voice of Scripture before stronger measures become necessary. • Examine disruptions: instead of irritation, ask whether an unexpected “foreign tongue” is God’s corrective word. • Repent quickly: Judah’s tragedy shows the cost of delayed obedience. Swift response shortens the discipline. • Encourage others: remind fellow believers that loving discipline is proof of sonship, not rejection. |
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