Reading for May 25th

Read Isaiah 28.14-22. In 28.14-22: God's strange work. This powerful prophhecy expresses the fundementals of Isaiah's conviction: God alon is the defense and protector of the people of Jerusalem. Instead of trusting God, however the leaders had chosen a covenant with death and an agreement with Sheol (v. 18). These titles may refer to a strange ritual with the god of death to make sure that no harm could come to them. Or more likely, they may be a sharplly ironic description of the treaty with Egypt that Judah hoped would protect it against any Assyrian reprisal for rebellion. Egypt is caricatured as the kingdom of death because of its obession with overcoming death (by constructing great pyramids and embalming national figures). In contrast, Isaiah insists that Judah's actions will simply hasten death's arrival. Comments or Questions..