How does Isaiah 28:11-12 connect to 1 Corinthians 14:21's message? The Original Scene in Isaiah 28:11-12 • Israel’s leaders were mocking Isaiah’s plain teaching (Isaiah 28:9-10). • God responds: – “Indeed, with stammering lips and foreign tongues He will speak to this people, to whom He has said, ‘This is the place of rest, let the weary rest; this is the place of repose,’ but they would not listen.” • Key ideas: – God had offered “rest” through His Word. – Israel’s refusal would bring a startling sign—speech they could not understand. – Historically this pointed to Assyrian invaders whose language sounded like “stammering” to Hebrew ears. Paul’s Citation in 1 Corinthians 14:21 • Paul writes: “In the Law it is written: ‘By strange tongues and foreign lips I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to Me,’ says the Lord.” • He lifts Isaiah’s warning into his discussion of spiritual gifts, especially tongues. How the Two Passages Interlock • Same divine pattern: clear revelation rejected ➜ God speaks through foreign speech as a sign. • In Isaiah the “foreign speech” came through enemy armies; in Corinth it comes through the Spirit-given gift of tongues. • Both events expose hardness of heart: – Ancient Israel shrugged off prophets. – Unbelievers in Corinth, particularly Jews present in the synagogue-rich city, might also shrug off the gospel even after hearing supernatural languages. Tongues as a Sign, Not a Showcase (1 Corinthians 14:22) • “Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers.” • When the church gushes in uninterpreted tongues, it reenacts Isaiah’s scene—God speaking but people left puzzled. • If the tongues are interpreted (14:5, 27-28), they cease being foreign; the message becomes clear rest in Christ. Judgment Mixed with Mercy • Foreign tongues in Isaiah warned of imminent judgment yet still offered “rest.” • At Pentecost (Acts 2:4-12) Jews from every nation heard the gospel in their own languages—a merciful invitation before Jerusalem’s destruction in AD 70. • Deuteronomy 28:49 and Deuteronomy 32:21 echo the same principle: God uses “a nation whose language you will not understand” to provoke and warn. Practical Takeaways • God’s Word is always understandable first; tongues appear only when people refuse or when He wants to arrest attention. • The church must prize intelligibility—prophecy or interpreted tongues—so hearers find the promised “rest” (Matthew 11:28-30). • Whenever God resorts to extraordinary signs, it is never entertainment; it is a last call to listen. Linked Scriptures for Further Reflection • Deuteronomy 28:49 – foreign-tongued nation as judgment • Acts 2:4-12 – tongues as sign to gathered Jews • Romans 10:19 – Israel provoked by a “foolish nation” • Hebrews 4:1-11 – entering God’s rest through faith |
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