Is.28 Summary

[Joyous Song]

Summary:

So this chapter begins with E’phraim exile (Is.28.1-4), Judah’s miracle at their gate (5-6), Hezekiah’s memory problems (7-8), and why Judah could teach the 700 E’phraimites that were not exiled but not their brothers (9-10).

Them it moves to the birth of the Church about 300 AD. It was by then that Judah within the Church was replaced by gentile teachers (11). These teachers emphasized Paul’s Gospel found in his letters (12) to establish a firm ground for Ephraim in faith, which leads to the Orthodox Jewish community’s search for their lost brothers.

The Orthodox Jewish community followed the path of the scriptures and the prophets to painstakingly rediscover the nations where the Lost Tribes fled. Yet, each nation was a Christian nation but they did not draw the logical interpretation that Moshiach Ben Yosef had already come and called to lead the formation of this righteous Christian community.

Judah knows the Christian Scriptures, they are taught it to respond to Christian attempts to covert them. So they should be able to see these things, make the same connections Ephraim did, only they didn’t. Still there are prophecies known to Judah that Ephraim will take up Hahalacha just before Moshiach Ben Dovid comes.

This is why E’phraim was called to take up Hahalacha, precept upon precept, measure upon measure, a little here and little there. By coming to life, taking up a clear and obvious Jewish identity, they would say to Judah, “LOOK!”

Sadly, things did not go as planned. When Ephraim went to Judah in the body (“they may go”), they fell on their backsides (same) and some came into the sights of a leader with demonic influence (“snared”) who imprisoned them (“taken”), 13, cf Rev.2.9-10.

 

[Joyous Song]

Now the second half of this chapter returns to Christ’s coming; however, it’s now from the prospective of Judah. Judah and the leaders of Jerusalem are scoffing at the early church (11-13). They misunderstood prophecy as Hezekiah did, assuming if Moshiach Ben Yosef came the tribes would return with Moshiach Ben Dovid.

Goyim (Gentiles) teaching Ephraim made no sense, and when Jews did see sense and joined this growing Church, they seemed to fall away from Hahalacha (their Jewish identity). So Judah condemned the Churches sacrifice and paid the price (14-15). All sacrifices, even the Blessed Eucharist, are made unholy by such actions!

Thus, we see again the foundation stone, the testing stone, Christ Jesus, to the growing Christian community, and Judah (and the early Church) were warned, “He who believes will not be in haste” (16).

This was because those first few centuries of Gentile like laws would in time grow closer and closer to Hahalacha (17). So, as we said at the onset, the facts alone should have had the Tribe of Jacob see Ephraim within the Church! They should at least stop judging Her, which many have (18).

Then the text switches focus in mid-condemnation (19), making us wonder if the text of judgment in verse 18 can be for us as well. We see the Messianic movement’s action that was influenced by the accuser, Satan, to go for genealogy because it’s an extremely weak foundation for identity (20)!

Then we are told to look back in time again to when King David, as a new king, faced an army he felt ill prepared to meet, but with HaShem’s blessing sent that army fleeing. Then we were told to remember the valley of Gibeon, where giant rocks and the Light of Zier Apin flowed down upon that virgin Gentile community, and the young leader Y’hoshua, Joshua. These boulders, or giant rocks, followed the enemy as they fled into that valley.

These acts seem strange, like the way He brought home Ephraim using Gentiles (and how Cyrus send Judah home). These acts were hard to believe, especially rocks picking and choosing where they fell and upon whom, while still missing the City of Gibeon, and one southern city of Ai’jalon (21). Then the leaders are told “do not scoff least your bonds be made strong” (22).

 

[Joyous Song]

This leads to a parable of farming - wheat is Christian traditions and teaching, and barley is Judah’s hahalcha and leadership. Both of these are to be placed in their proper place which Vatican II basically did! Then comes a mixed harvest to be placed in the hand of Ephraim’s hand (meaning of Yalad; v25 cf Ez.37.19), as well as the end times Church and brotherhood (Succos). All three of these placements were the will of HaShem, not human teaching (26).

Now we hear of two herbs, both a form of cumin: one black (pain and mourning) and one normal. The black is violently scattered, and we linked this to Ephraim’s exile at the hand of Assyria, Judah’s exile to Babylon, and later by Rome. The milder cumin gets the easy scattering, such as the Church spreading the Gospel.

This helped us define cumin and black cumin so when the Church’s lessons on harvesting these tribal herbs she learned the lessons of not beating violently those already in pain and mourning, like those in the Dark Night. Rather, they need discipline (the rod), not being pounded senselessly.

Likewise, do not roll over and over again over errors from those not trained in this discipline (that Dark Night of the Soul), for they need the shepherd’s staff of mercy (27). This teaching also comes from HaShem, so it’s best to listen to the Master’s teaching (28) (this is also the essence of Rev.2.1-6, Judgment should be Balanced between rod and staff).

And most important, HaShem, praise be He may scatter His children even whipping out their identity, yet He like a good father does not break his children up and whip out their identity forever. Neither should the body of Christ!

This was why this chapter in Isaiah was given and why we began with E’phraim’s scattering. breaking up... this parable tells us this should not be forever. It even warns Judah judged unwisely and lost their Temple; Now the shoes are on the other foot. Will Christianity judge wisely or unwisely?

Will they be able to see past their anti-Judaic lens, formed from the Partying of Ways Theology, to see the larger plan of HaShem’s great mercy? Or will they follow Judah of the 1st century and judge those seeking to keep Hahalacha fully (they need a rite that includes there own calendar) unwisely?

Will they see Israel is already beneath their canopy (indeed they cannot be Israel without Israel being within them) and clearly see the text says E’phraim is to come back to life beneath this same canopy? If they see this and act accordingly, then their Temple is secure; however, if they judge E’phraim’s sacrifice of praise in keeping hahalacha as Judah did the Eucharist, then, like Judah long ago, they too may face exile and a loss of their Temple (the Vatican).

“This comes from HaShem of hosts (Tzavaot); He is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in wisdom.” 29.