Isaiah
28:7
7 But they ['el-leh] also have erred [shagah] through wine [yayin], and
through strong drink [shekar] are out of the
way [ta`ah]; the priest [kohen] and the prophet [nabiy']
have erred [shagah] through strong drink [shekar], they are swallowed up [bala`] of [min] wine [yayin], they are out of the way [ta`ah] through strong drink [shekar]; they err [shagah] in vision [ro'eh], they stumble [puwq] in
judgment [p@liyliyah]. KJV-Interlinear
7 These also reel with wine and
stagger with strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they
are swallowed by wine, they stagger with strong drink, they reel in vision, they
stumble in giving judgment. ESV
Even though God promises a remnant will survive,
Isaiah here, makes it clear that the ones who survive are not perfect
people. They fail just like everyone
else.
But as for the ones who profess belonging to God, they
demonstrate their ingratitude and obstinence which is described using the
behavior and character of a drunk.
To err, refers to the staggering and imbalance of one
who is intoxicated. This condition also
applies to the vision and judgment of people who lack truth and therefore lack discernment.
Everyone is subject to failure in life. We all have our flaws. But there is only one way to overcome those
flaws, and that is to learn Bible doctrine and live within the spiritual realm,
which we call fellowship.
Without truth in our soul then we have only the fog of
life which distorts reality, making everything we see, subject to our
intentions, desires, imagination, and personal views. All of which are distorted.
Because, when truth is absent, then lies are all that
we have to guide us. And that results in
a distorted life.
Which simply means that we live off balance, or
intoxicated, as it were.
Swallowing the wine means our intent is to avoid truth
and pursue the bad views of life.
We see the wine, we want the wine, we pursue and drink
the wine. The same principle applies to untruth. We see it, we want it, we pursue it.
To swagger, reel, and stumble, are the results of a
life without doctrine.
Now this has nothing to do with drinking, but when you
do not pursue the learning of Bible doctrine, then your demeanor is no better than that of a drunk.
And one more principle is being taught here.
When the end of days for a person, or nation, or history,
or whatever, comes at any point in history, then the teaching and understanding
of Bible doctrine takes a turn for the worst.
It becomes distorted and tainted by the failure of the ones who are
supposed to be teaching truth, but of course, are not.
This means that there will be many views, many
religions, many philosophies, many opinions, and to those who do not really pursue
learning, and take a more passive approach or indifferent approach, or an
approach that is far less than genuine, then the teaching even legitimate
teaching, will be lost in the fog of the noise of all other views.
The person who is not really interested, who is simply
passing through, and does not want to dig out the truth, then these verses will
apply.
But for those who dedicate themselves to listening, to
the objectivity of learning and testing and discerning, then the truth will eventually
become clear to them, and their life will be far better.
