Faith in the future is hard to come by when you watch a powerful, ruthless enemy marching toward your nation. Having seen the northern kingdom of Ephraim suffer at the hands of the Assyrians, the weaker and poorer Judah must have anxiously wondered what her fate would be.
They probably wobbled between unbelief and confidence to think that Isaiah’s prophecy of glory and strength could be theirs to experience.
On that day the Lord of hosts will be a garland of glory
and a diadem of beauty to the remnant of his people
and a spirit of justice to the one who sits in judgment
and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate. (Isaiah 28:5-6)
Hearing from God
Isaiah faced obstacles that prevented his message from being heard. Religious leaders were content to consume wine rather than God’s word.
These also reel with wine
and stagger with strong drink;
the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink;
they are confused with wine;
they stagger with strong drink;
they err in vision; they stumble in giving judgment. (Isaiah 28:7)
Leaders of a nation, especially religious leaders, should be able to discern God’s will. In this case, the leaders had to be taught like children. Some were like infants, needing milk, and others could only receive an elementary education from rote.
“Whom will he teach knowledge,
and to whom will he explain the message?
Those who are weaned from milk,
those taken from the breast?
For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept,
line upon line, line upon line,
here a little, there a little.” (Isaiah 28:9-10)
The people could not understand God’s message because they refused to listen. Instead, they chose what Isaiah called a “covenant with death”—a reference to their decision to form an alliance with Egypt rather than trust the Lord.
Pope Leo and How to Listen
In his 2026 Lenten message, Pope Leo provides insight on how to listen to the Lord. We live in an age that resembles that of Isaiah’s 700 BC and need the Pope’s guidance.
(1) The first thing Pope Leo asks of his hearers is to make room to hear God’s word by listening. This practice demonstrates our willingness to enter into a relationship with someone.
Isaiah’s religious leaders were more interested in pleasure seeking than in discovering God’s message for their lives. We do well to measure the amount of time we spend “doom scrolling” on our phones in comparison to reading God’s word.
(2) The Pope also encourages fasting. He says this about fasting: “Precisely because it involves the body, fasting makes it easier to recognize what we ‘hunger’ for and what we deem necessary for our sustenance.
“Moreover, it helps us to identify and order our ‘appetites,’ keeping our hunger and thirst for justice alive and freeing us from complacency. Thus, it teaches us to pray and act responsibly towards our neighbor.”
Trusting the Promise
People who make room for God with prayer, fasting, and obedience will rejoice in a prophecy that was realized in the life and ministry of Jesus.
Therefore thus says the Lord God,
“See, I am laying in Zion a foundation stone,
a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation:
‘One who trusts will not panic.’
And I will make justice the line
and righteousness the plummet;
hail will sweep away the refuge of lies,
and waters will overwhelm the shelter. (Isaiah 28:17-17)
In my study of Isaiah, I discovered that the stone can either be a foundation stone or a capstone.
The foundation stone is one upon which the entire building rests. We are well-served when Jesus is the foundation of our lives.
The capstone sits at the top of a structure and ties all the building together. Just as we need Jesus as the foundation of our lives, we also need Him to tie all the various issues of our lives together.
The Pope is right to call for listening and fasting. Another Catholic leader has identified fasting and prayer as the only weapons a Christian should wield.
When listening and prayer with fasting brings about obedience to God’s word, we can count on justice and righteousness to rule.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 