Isaiah 28:15Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Likewise, as I say to the children, you also will be spread. Do not be comfortably bound to another yoke, as unbelievers." Those still under the Mosaic law, seemingly weighed down by its unbearable demands, may be viewed as embittered. Through these remarks, God spoke to the leaders and the populace. In the midst of this, He references statements made by the Jews, which arose out of their folly and despair. It is important to clarify these statements: The God of all compassion, being patient and merciful, does not swiftly exact punishment on those who stray. Instead, He holds back His wrath, warns of impending judgment, and sometimes brings about repentance through the forewarning of future tribulations. Hence, we observe Him repeatedly proclaiming through the holy prophets, "This is coming, and yet a little while, yet a little while, and soon." However, the arrogant and prideful mocked the Lord's mercy, even when future generations might have corrected their transgressions. For when they heard the prophets declare, "It is yet a little while, it is yet a little while, it is soon, it is soon," they exchanged thoughts, dismissing the predictions of the prophets with the belief that a long time would pass before those prophecies were fulfilled. They said among themselves, "We shall perish, and the divine wrath will strike those who come after us." Thus, the Lord spoke to Ezekiel the prophet, saying, "Son of man, the sons of thy people say, 'The vision which this man sees is for many days, and he prophesies of times far off.'" Accordingly, He instructed Ezekiel to tell them, "Thus says the Lord God, All my words shall not be prolonged any longer; I will speak, and I will perform it, says the Lord Adonai." Therefore, He rebuked the Israelites for their disregard of the prophets' messages, essentially implying, "Let us form an agreement with the grave and a pact with death. What is this? The storm of weariness shall surely pass, and it will not assail us." They hardly expressed this verbally, yet their actions declared their trust in their self-made covenant with the grave, thinking it would save them. Even if a storm were to come or a dire threat loomed, they believed it would not reach them, for they would uphold their false hopes and conceal themselves with deceit. Did they not place their faith in a mere illusion? For they had no means of averting or escaping the inevitable fate that awaited them; it was solely within the purview of divine power and might.

These individuals are the scribes and Pharisees, authorities over God’s people in Jerusalem, referred to in the Septuagint as "men of constraint and princes of the people." Their actions speak volumes; they assert that like the nations around them, they have formed an alliance with hell and death, resigning themselves to despair regarding salvation. They believe that a long period will pass before the captivity arrives, repeating, "wait a little longer." Thus, they think that upon death, they will escape the consequences of their captivity, having fully embraced a deceit—the notion that their useless hope is in God and His law. They have shrouded themselves in falsehood, believing that through death they evade their impending captivity. The Hebrew term sot, translated as scourge by Aquila and Simmachus and as storm by the LXX, along with chasab, rendered as lie, illustrates the false hopes of the Jews, whose ultimate father, according to the Gospel of John, is the devil.

Their trust, however, was based on illusions; they clung to unreliable assurances. The prophet voices their misguided confidence, knowing full well that their reliance on these seemingly solid defenses would ultimately prove fruitless when Sennacherib's forces appeared. The devastation of their land was inevitable, irrespective of their sturdy walls and military might.

Nonetheless, Jerusalem would remain unscathed according to the Lord's promise through the prophet: "Behold, I lay a stone for the foundation of Zion... And he that believeth in him shall not be ashamed." Here, Zion or Jerusalem symbolizes a sturdy bastion, established on a significant and reliable cornerstone, chosen for its unmatched strength. Anyone who believes in the permanence of this stone and trusts in the security it provides will not face disappointment. What is this remarkable stone of reliability? It is none other than the omnipotent power of the Lord Himself, residing in Jerusalem—an unyielding Protector for those who trust in Him during challenging times. The Lord revealed His power when Hezekiah sought divine assistance during Sennacherib’s siege: Jerusalem was delivered, while the Assyrian army met its demise at its gates.

The historical Jerusalem serves as an image of the New Testament Church, the body of Christ. In relation to this spiritual assembly, Christ embodies the same salvation that the Lord was to the earthly Jerusalem—delivering hope for all who trust in Him. Just as Christ applies the prophecy about the cornerstone of salvation to Himself (Matt. 21:42), lamenting its disregard by the faithless Jews, so the Apostles interpret this scripture as referring to Christ (Acts 4:11; 1 Pet. 2:6; Rom. 9:33). In this context, Christ is depicted as the rock—the cornerstone upon which the Church is established (Eph. 2:20)—sustained by His power throughout the ages, impervious to the gates of hell (Matt. 16:18). He has always been the cornerstone of the Old Testament Church, whose members were saved through their faith in Him.