That wreath, the pride of Ephraim's drunkards, will be trampled underfoot. – Isaiah 28:3

Today's Scripture Reading (April 6, 2023): Isaiah 28

Growing up in a city with a tall tower at the center of its downtown, one of the tasks when returning home from a trip was a contest between the kids, and sometimes our parents, to see who could see the tower first. We would watch over the rolling hills trying to see the top of the tower and the realization that we were nearing the end of our travel. Today, the task of trying to see the tower is almost impossible. The Calgary Tower, or the Husky Tower back when we were trying to see it, is still an imposing structure standing 190.8 meters (626 feet) above the ground. But where once the Calgary Tower stood alone as the tallest building on the city's skyline, today, several higher office complexes surround the tower, making the tower look smaller and just a little harder to see as you approach the city.

Isaiah begins this section by discussing Ephraim, another name for the northern Kingdom of Israel. Isaiah will focus on Judah, but he starts by talking about Judah's northern neighbors. And in the north, the capital city of Ephraim was Samaria. Samaria sat on a hill, an important defensive feature of many cities. But, as well as being built on a hill, Samaria featured a city wall, another standard part of many cities. However, the visual effect of looking at Samaria as you approached the city from a distance was like the hill on which Samaria was built was wearing a winner's wreath or a crown. It was a feature of Samaria of which the residents were proud, considering their city as a member of the royalty in the world.

But Isaiah reminds the city's residents that the walls are only as strong as the men who guard them. Isaiah calls these men drunkards. And just as the drunks of Israel have a problem trying to stand straight, so would the walls of which the drunks are proud; the walls of Samaria were destined to come tumbling down. And as the city's walls fell, so will the nation. And Judah will have a front-row seat to see the destruction of their northern neighbors.

However, Isaiah doesn't want Judah just to watch the demise of Israel. He wants them to understand that what happens to Ephraim could very well happen to the descendants of David if they don't change their ways. If they are going to follow the behavior of Ephraim, then they shouldn't expect that their destiny would be anything different.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 29