What is the meaning of Isaiah 8:15? Many will stumble over these Isaiah has just identified the LORD Himself as “a sanctuary—but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense” (8:14). • “These” refers to the LORD in His holiness and the prophetic sign of Immanuel (7:14), now embodied in the rejected word of God. • Stumbling pictures spiritual missteps: people trip over the very truth meant to steady them. 1 Peter 2:7-8 echoes this, applying the verse directly to Christ Jesus: “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone…a stone of stumbling.” • Matthew 21:42-44 shows Jesus embracing this identity, warning that whoever falls on Him “will be broken to pieces.” Rejecting God’s revealed cornerstone leads to inevitable spiritual collision. They will fall and be broken Once the stumbling begins, a fall follows—literal ruin for Judah’s unbelieving majority in Isaiah’s day and eternal ruin for all who resist Christ. • Isaiah 28:13 repeats the theme: “They will go stumbling backward, be broken, and be ensnared.” • The Babylonian exile offers the near-term fulfillment; the devastation was real, historical, and precisely as foretold. • Luke 20:17-18 highlights the far-term fulfillment: “Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will crush him.” A literal fall now foreshadows final judgment. They will be ensnared • To be “ensnared” suggests a hidden trap suddenly closing in. Those who dismiss God’s word discover that unbelief itself becomes the snare (Romans 11:7-10). • The LORD’s warnings, commandments, and promises are designed to free; when rejected, they expose hearts and lock them in self-chosen bondage (John 3:19-20). • In Isaiah’s context, the political alliance with Assyria looked like safety but became the very trap that tightened around Judah (2 Kings 16:7-18). And captured • Capture is the final stage: the enemy takes full possession. Babylon literally carted off Jerusalem’s nobles, mirroring the spiritual captivity of souls who refuse the Savior (2 Timothy 2:25-26). • Proverbs 5:22 explains the principle: “The iniquities of a wicked man ensnare him; the cords of his sin hold him fast.” • Revelation 20:11-15 shows the ultimate captivity—eternal separation—for those who never turn to the cornerstone. Summary Isaiah 8:15 warns that rejecting the LORD—revealed ultimately in Christ—sets off a tragic chain: stumble, fall, break, snare, capture. The same stone that shelters all who trust Him will shatter those who refuse. Believe His word, embrace His cornerstone, and find sanctuary rather than ruin. |
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