What is the significance of the "scoffers" mentioned in Isaiah 28:14? Text And Key Words “Therefore hear the word of the LORD, O scoffers, who rule this people in Jerusalem.” The Hebrew term is lêtsîm (לֵצִים), from lâts—“to mock, deride, scorn.” It denotes deliberate, verbal contempt for God-given truth, not mere ignorance. --- HISTORICAL BACKDROP: ASSYRIAN CRISIS (c. 725–701 BC) Isaiah preached while Tiglath-Pileser III, Shalmaneser V, Sargon II, and finally Sennacherib pressed westward. Judah’s court, fearing invasion, looked to Egypt for security (Isaiah 30:1–5; 31:1). Contemporary Assyrian artifacts—the Taylor Prism and the Lachish Reliefs (British Museum)—confirm the Assyrian threat exactly as Isaiah describes. Against this setting the scoffers propose a “covenant with death” (28:15)—a political treaty which Isaiah brands spiritual treason. --- IMMEDIATE LITERARY CONTEXT (Isa 28:1-29) 1. vv 1-13 – Drunken leaders in Samaria and then Jerusalem mock Isaiah’s message. 2. vv 14-22 – The LORD addresses the mockers directly, warns of an overwhelming “flood” (Assyria) and presents the promised cornerstone (Messiah) as the sole refuge. 3. vv 23-29 – Farming parables illustrate God’s measured but unstoppable judgment. The scoffers thus stand at the literary hinge between sin exposed and judgment pronounced. --- Identity Of The Scoffers They are “who rule this people” (28:14)—court officials, priests, prophets (28:7), policy-makers responsible for foreign alliances. Second Kings 18–19 places Shebna, Joah, and other functionaries in negotiations; Isaiah singles out such figures repeatedly (22:15–19; 30:1). --- Theological Weight Of Scoffing 1. Rejection of Revelation. Scoffing questions God’s veracity: “Who is the LORD that we should obey Him?” (cf. Exodus 5:2). 2. Usurpation of Rule. By mocking God’s word, leaders place their authority over His. 3. Covenant Duel. Their boast, “We have made a covenant with death” (28:15), is antithetical to God’s everlasting covenant of life (55:3). 4. Eschatological Contrast. Verse 16 introduces the “tested stone, a precious cornerstone,” fulfilled in Christ (Romans 9:33; 1 Peter 2:6–8). Scoffers reject the Stone and are “shattered.” --- Biblical Pattern Of Scoffers • Psalm 1:1 – “seat of scoffers” contrasts with delight in the Law. • Proverbs 21:24 – The scoffer is “arrogant and presumptuous.” • 2 Peter 3:3 – “Scoffers will come… following their own lusts,” denying the Second Coming as Isaiah’s scoffers denied impending judgment. • Luke 23:35-39 – Rulers and soldiers scoff at Jesus, duplicating Isaiah’s scenario. --- Archaeological Corroboration • Sennacherib’s Prism lists 46 walled Judean cities captured, matching Isaiah 36–37 yet notes Hezekiah remained in Jerusalem—exactly Isaiah’s prediction that the city, though threatened, would survive (37:35). • The Shebna inscription (Silwan tomb) accords with Isaiah’s rebuke of Shebna (22:16), locating a proud official contemporary with the scoffers. --- Practical Exhortations 1. Leadership Responsibility. Spiritual leaders must resist cynicism; scoffing erodes moral authority. 2. Intellectual Humility. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7); scoffing is its negation. 3. Refuge in the Cornerstone. Faith in Christ unites believers to the sure foundation, escaping the flood of judgment. --- Christological Fulfillment The Stone (Isaiah 28:16) is quoted in Romans 9:33 and 1 Peter 2:6. Scoffers stumble over Christ’s death and resurrection, yet the historical case—early creed in 1 Corinthians 15:3-7, empty tomb attested by hostile sources, transformed disciples—confirms Him as the living Cornerstone. --- Final Significance The scoffers in Isaiah 28:14 epitomize every generation that mocks divine revelation. Their fate—overrun by the very judgment they deny—underscores the peril of unbelief and the urgency of trusting the revealed Cornerstone. In Scripture, history, archaeology, and changed lives, God has met every objection. The only safe position is humble belief, for “whoever believes will not be in haste” (Isaiah 28:16). |
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