What role does listening play in responding to God's warnings in Isaiah 28:11? Setting the scene • Isaiah 28 confronts Judah’s leaders, who drown out God’s voice with wine and self–confidence (vv. 1–10). • Because they refuse simple, clear instruction, the Lord announces a startling step: The verse “Indeed, with mocking lips and foreign tongues He will speak to this people.” (Isaiah 28:11) Why God speaks through foreign tongues • Sign of judgment: hearing an enemy’s language means conquest is at the door (cf. Deuteronomy 28:49; Jeremiah 5:15). • Act of mercy: even when His own words are ignored, God still seeks to break through hardened hearts. • Wake-up call: strange speech jolts the complacent, confronting them with the cost of dull ears. Listening: the key response • Recognize God’s voice, however it comes. His warnings carry the same authority whether spoken plainly or through unexpected means. • Receive the message humbly. Listening is more than hearing; it is yielding (James 1:21–22). • Respond promptly. The longer Judah delayed, the harsher the language became. Early listening spares later pain. Consequences of closed ears • Loss of rest: “This is the resting place… but they would not listen” (v. 12). • Confusion and captivity: foreign tongues on the streets of Jerusalem would soon be Assyrian and Babylonian soldiers. • Hardening of heart: repeated refusal makes repentance increasingly difficult (Hebrews 3:7–8). New Testament echo Paul cites Isaiah 28:11 in 1 Corinthians 14:21, showing that uninterpreted tongues are a sign “for unbelievers.” When people reject clear revelation, God still speaks—yet the benefit is missed unless they choose to listen. Takeaways for today • God’s Word is accurate, literal, and sufficient; ignoring it invites discipline. • He may use unexpected channels—circumstances, people outside our circle, even difficulties—to repeat what Scripture already says. • A listening heart is marked by: – attentiveness to Scripture (Hebrews 2:1) – humility that trembles at His Word (Isaiah 66:2) – swift obedience that proves faith is alive (John 14:23) • The safest response to any divine warning is immediate, trusting submission, before the “foreign tongue” becomes our only teacher. |
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