Misplaced Trust and a Covenant with Death
Text: Isaiah 28:14-22
“for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter” —Isaiah 28:15
Have you ever had a misplaced trust in someone or something? We have probably all been burned a few times from this. What about taking refuge in a lie, or looking for comfort in a false hope?
In his sermon Refuges of Lies and What Will Become of Them, Charles Spurgeon expounds on the lies that people attempt to make their refuge. Among them are: the lie that we are good enough or can be good enough to save ourselves, the lie that one can have a saved soul and an unchanged life, and the lie that trusts an old religious experience instead of an ongoing relationship with God.
In Isaiah 28, God rebuked the scoffing foolishness of Judah’s leaders for having a misplaced trust. These rulers had a false hope in their alliance with Egypt for protection against Assyria, and were deceived into believing their “covenant with death” and Sheol (the grave) made them safe. They arrogantly believed the scourge of God’s judgment would not touch them. Yet, Isaiah gave a more fitting narrative in revealing the truth of their condition. They had made “lies” their “refuge,” and in “falsehood” they had taken “shelter.” The prophet urged them to forsake their deception and to turn back to the living God for real hope:
“Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’” (Isaiah 28:16)
God’s sure foundation, embodied in Jesus Christ, is the good news that God saves as no one else can. The New Testament apostles, Peter and Paul, both pointed Isaiah’s prophecy to Jesus as being that “sure foundation” and “cornerstone” of truth, declaring “the one who believes in him will never be put to shame” (1 Peter 2:4-8, Romans 9:33). Unlike the nervous diplomats of Jerusalem, scurrying about to secure Egypt’s brittle promise of security, believers in Christ have a rock-solid guarantee of salvation that can never be shaken.
The bed of misplaced trust offers no rest, and the blanket of false hope is of no comfort. Isaiah preached that their rejection of God gave them no peace, no rest, and no warmth. Have you ever slept in a bed that was too short, or tried to keep warm with a garment that couldn’t cover you? That’s a picture of the world, working and striving feverishly to gain their bed, only to find out after they lay in it that it is too short and cannot sufficiently warm (Isaiah 28:20). In contrast, the child of God is afforded rest, peace, comfort, and covering by Jesus Christ.
Isaiah gave a final appeal to his people to repent of their scoffing, and to hear and respond to the word of the Lord. God has given us His Word for correction, and His abiding presence of the Holy Spirit to convict our hearts when we have given ourselves to misplaced trust in relationships, formed alliances with fleshly desires over spiritual truth, conformed to the pattern of this world by taking refuge in its lies, and fallen prey to the deception of those false hopes that tell us we can be the author of our own dreams rather than letting God “father” His dreams in our hearts.
God has His ways of rebuking our waywardness and turning our hearts back to the truth. He alone is our security for these unstable times—not political powers, not economic strength, not self-sufficiency or self-promotion, and surely not the reliability of man. Only God merits our trust. He alone is worthy of our dependence. Jesus is the sure foundation which can never be shaken. Think about that as you seek to confront your own refuges of lies and to abide in Him this week.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, thank you for being the only sure foundation in our lives. Holy Spirit, convict us of where we have given ourselves to falsehood, lies, or misplaced reliance. Bring our hearts back to that place of utter surrender and trust in you alone for stability in unstable times. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion:
- Have you ever slept in a bed that was too small? What was that like?
- Why did the rulers of Jerusalem think they had exempted themselves from the coming destruction? (Isaiah 28:14-15) What did God reveal as the true source of security for His people? (v. 16) What would the people of Israel discover about their supposed refuge? (vv. 17-20)
- Why do people often feel there is security to be gained outside of God?
- Where do you tend to take refuge in lies or have a misplaced trust? To what kind of falsehoods or deceptions have you given yourself lately?
- What is one practical way you could place your sense of security in God?