Former Disdain - Future Glory

Pastor Bill Farrow

Isaiah 28:5-6

⁵In that day the Lord of hosts will be For a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty To the remnant of His people,  ⁶For a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, And for strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.

He next turns to the kingdom of Judah, whom he calls the residue of his people (v. 5), for they were but two tribes to the other ten.  He promises them God’s favors, and that they shall be taken under his guidance and protection when the beauty of Ephraim shall be left exposed to be trodden down and eaten up, v. 5, 6.

Isaiah 28:5

In that day - This verse commences a new subject, and affirms that while the kingdom of Israel should be destroyed, the kingdom of Judah would be preserved, and restored (compare Isa. 7–9).  In that day, when the Assyrian army is laying Israel waste, and Judah might think that their neighbour’s house being on fire their own was in danger, in that day of treading down and perplexity, then God will be to the residue of his people all they need and can desire; not only to the kingdom of Judah, but to those of Israel who had kept their integrity, and, as was probably the case with some, betook themselves to the land of Judah, to be sheltered by good king Hezekiah. When the Assyrian, that mighty one, was in Israel as a tempest of hail, noisy and battering, as a destroying storm bearing down all before it, especially at sea, and as a flood of mighty waters overflowing the country (v. 2)

The Lord of Hosts will be for a crown of glory - He shall reign there as its king, and he shall guard and defend the remnant of his people there. This reign of God shall be to them better than palaces, towers, walls, and fruitful fields, and shall be a more glorious ornament than the proud city of Samaria was to the kingdom of Israel. In that day will the Lord of hosts, of all hosts, distinguish by peculiar favors his people who have distinguished themselves by a steady and singular adherence to him, and that which they most need he will himself be to them. This very much enhances the worth of the promises that God, covenanting to be to his people a God all-sufficient, undertakes to be himself all that to them which they can desire.

And a diadem of beauty - A beautiful garland. The phrase stands opposed to the wreath of flowers or the diadem which was represented Isa. 28:1, 3 as adorning the kingdom and capital of Israel. God and his government would be to them their chief glory and ornament.

He will put all the credit and honor upon them which are requisite, not only to rescue them from contempt, but to gain them esteem and reputation. He will be to them for a crown of glory and for a diadem of beauty. Those that wore the crown of pride looked upon God’s people with disdain, and trampled upon them, for they were the song of the drunkards of Ephraim; but God will so appear for them by his providence as to make it evident that they have his favor towards them, and that shall be to them a crown of glory; for what greater glory can any people have than for God to acknowledge them as his own? And he will so appear in them, by his grace, as to make it evident that they have his image renewed on them, and that shall be to them a diadem of beauty; for what greater beauty can any person have than the beauty of holiness? Note, Those that have God for their God have him for a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty; for they are made to him kings and priests.

To the remnant of his people - To the kingdom of Judah, comprising the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin. This doubtless would cast the mind back to the comparatively prosperous and happy times of the reign of Hezekiah. The KJV speaks of a “residue” and that term, in modern language ahs a negative connotation, like it has be spoiled or ravaged and the reference is to all that is left.  That is not necessarily the case here as God had, Himself, judged the northern tribes and would preserve the southern Kingdom.

Isaiah 28:6

For a spirit of justice - (compare the note at Isa. 1:26; 11:2). The sense of this passage is, that God would enlighten the judges of the land, so that they should understand what was right, and be disposed to do it.

To him who sits in judgment - This is to be understood collectively, and means those who sat upon the bench of justice; that is, the magistracy in general. He will give them all the wisdom and grace necessary to the due discharge of the duty of their place. He will himself be a spirit of judgment to those that sit in judgment; the privy counselors shall be guided by wisdom and discretion and the judges shall govern by justice and equity. It is a great mercy to any people when those that are called to places of power and public trust are qualified for their places, when those that sit in judgment have a spirit of judgment, a spirit of government.

And for strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate - That is, to the very gate of their enemies; who not only repel their foes from their own city, but who drive them even to the gates of their own cities, and besiege them there. Thus 2 Sam. 11:23: ‘And we were upon them even unto the entering of the gate;’ that is, we drove them back unto their own gates.

He will give them all the courage and boldness requisite to carry them resolutely through the difficulties and oppositions they are likely to meet with. He will be for strength to those that turn the battle to the gate, to the gates of the enemy whose cities they besiege, or to their own gates, when they sally out upon the enemies that besiege them. The strength of the soldiery depends as much upon God as the wisdom of the magistracy; and where God gives both these he is to that people a crown of glory. This may well be understood to refer to Christ, the coming Messiah, and so, in fact, do many ancient manuscripts.