Isaiah 28:28
Grain for bread must be ground, but it is not endlessly threshed. Though the wheels of the cart roll over it, the horses do not crush it.
Grain for bread must be ground
This phrase emphasizes the necessity of preparation and transformation. The Hebrew word for "grain" is "דָּגָן" (dagan), which refers to the harvested produce that is essential for sustenance. In ancient Israel, grain was a staple food, symbolizing life and provision. The process of grinding grain into flour is a metaphor for the trials and tribulations that refine and prepare individuals for their purpose. Just as grain must be ground to become bread, believers must undergo spiritual refinement to fulfill God's will. This reflects the biblical principle that suffering and challenges can lead to growth and maturity, as seen in James 1:2-4.

so he does not go on threshing it forever
The act of threshing, or "דַּשׁ" (dash) in Hebrew, involves separating the grain from the chaff. This process is necessary but not endless. The phrase reassures that God's discipline and refinement have a purpose and a limit. It reflects God's mercy and understanding of human frailty. The imagery of threshing conveys the idea that while God allows challenges to purify and strengthen His people, He does not subject them to perpetual hardship. This aligns with 1 Corinthians 10:13, which promises that God will not allow believers to be tested beyond their ability to endure.

Though he drives the wheels of his threshing cart over it
The "wheels of his threshing cart" refer to the tools used in the threshing process. In ancient times, a threshing cart or sledge, known as "מוֹרַג" (morag), was equipped with sharp stones or metal to effectively separate grain from chaff. This imagery highlights the intensity and effectiveness of God's refining process. The driving of the wheels signifies the deliberate and purposeful nature of God's work in the lives of His people. It serves as a reminder that God's methods, though sometimes painful, are designed to achieve a specific outcome—our sanctification and readiness for His service.

his horses do not crush it
The mention of "horses" in this context, "סוּס" (sus) in Hebrew, symbolizes strength and power. However, the assurance that they "do not crush it" underscores God's restraint and care. While the threshing process is vigorous, it is not destructive. This reflects God's compassion and the balance between justice and mercy. The imagery reassures believers that while they may face trials, they will not be overwhelmed or destroyed by them. This echoes the promise found in Isaiah 43:2, where God assures His people that they will not be consumed by the waters or the fire.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Isaiah
The prophet who delivered God's messages to the people of Judah and Jerusalem. He is known for his prophecies concerning judgment and redemption.

2. Judah
The southern kingdom of Israel, often the focus of Isaiah's prophecies, including warnings and promises of restoration.

3. Threshing
An agricultural process used to separate grain from chaff, symbolizing God's method of refining and purifying His people.

4. Bread
A staple food representing sustenance and life, often used metaphorically in the Bible to signify spiritual nourishment.

5. Cart and Horses
Tools and animals used in the threshing process, symbolizing the means by which God disciplines and refines His people.
Teaching Points
God's Purpose in Discipline
God's discipline, like threshing, is purposeful and measured. He refines us to bring out the best, not to destroy us.

Endurance Through Trials
Just as grain is not endlessly threshed, our trials have a limit. God knows how much we can bear and uses trials to strengthen our faith.

Spiritual Nourishment
The process of making bread from grain symbolizes how God uses our experiences to nourish and grow us spiritually.

Trust in God's Sovereignty
Trust that God is in control of the refining process. He uses the right tools and methods to shape us according to His will.

Hope in Restoration
The imagery of bread reminds us of the ultimate restoration and fulfillment found in Christ, the Bread of Life.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the process of threshing relate to God's discipline in your life?

2. In what ways can you see God's measured approach in your personal trials?

3. How can understanding the purpose of spiritual refinement help you endure difficult times?

4. What are some practical ways to seek spiritual nourishment during seasons of trial?

5. How can you apply the concept of God's sovereignty in refining you to your daily walk with Christ?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Proverbs 20:26
This verse speaks about the wise king who winnows the wicked, similar to the process of threshing, indicating God's judgment and purification.

Hebrews 12:11
This passage discusses the discipline of the Lord, which, like threshing, is not pleasant at the time but yields a harvest of righteousness.

Matthew 3:12
John the Baptist speaks of Jesus' winnowing fork, separating the wheat from the chaff, symbolizing judgment and purification.
The Use of TribulationW.M. Statham Isaiah 28:28
AgricultureF. Standfast.Isaiah 28:23-29
Beneficent PloughingJ. Parker, D. D.Isaiah 28:23-29
Breaking ClodsD. Macaulay, M. A.Isaiah 28:23-29
Divine DiscriminationW. Clarkson Isaiah 28:23-29
God's Processes of Moral and Spiritual HusbandryE. Medley, B. A.Isaiah 28:23-29
Inspiration in Common LifeW. L. Watkinson.Isaiah 28:23-29
Interdependence of the Man of Leisure and the Son of ToilF. Standfast.Isaiah 28:23-29
Physical Husbandry the Effect and Emblem of Divine TeachingHomilistIsaiah 28:23-29
Proverbial LoreE. Johnson Isaiah 28:23-29
Spiritual HusbandryF. Standfast.Isaiah 28:23-29
The Discreet PloughmanIsaiah 28:23-29
The Parable of the Ploughman and the ThresherS. Cox, D. D.Isaiah 28:23-29
The PloughmanIsaiah 28:23-29
The Principal WheatIsaiah 28:23-29
The Spiritual PowerA. Gray, M. A.Isaiah 28:23-29
The Value of Agricultural LabourF. Standfast.Isaiah 28:23-29
The Voice of God in the Tillage of the FieldE. Medley, B. A.Isaiah 28:23-29
Chastisement not PleasantIsaiah 28:26-29
Chastising with JudgmentR. H. Roberts, B. A.Isaiah 28:26-29
How the Lord Threshes UsT. De Witt Talmage, D. D.Isaiah 28:26-29
Moral ThreshingT. De Witt Talmage, D. D.Isaiah 28:26-29
The Higher Nature Requires the More ForceF. Standfast.Isaiah 28:26-29
The Need and Measure of Afflictive DispensationsB. P. Buddicom, M. A.Isaiah 28:26-29
The Wisdom of God in DisciplineJ. Parker, D. D.Isaiah 28:26-29
The, Ploughman Taught of GodF. Standfast.Isaiah 28:26-29
ThreshingIsaiah 28:26-29
TribulationR. H. Robert, B. A.Isaiah 28:26-29
TribulationJ. Parker, D. D.Isaiah 28:26-29
People
Gibeon, Isaiah
Places
Assyria, Jerusalem, Mount Perazim, Valley of Gibeon, Zion
Topics
Although, Always, Beat, Beaten, Bread, Bread-corn, Bread-'corn, Break, Bruise, Bruised, Cart, Cart-wheels, Continue, Corn, Crush, Crushed, Crushing, Damage, Drives, Drove, Edges, Eventually, Flour, Forever, Grain, Grind, Ground, Hoofs, Horsemen, Horses, Indeed, Lets, Longer, Move, Nay, Noisily, Roller, Scatter, Sharp, Sorely, Though, Thresh, Threshing, Wagon, Wheel, Wheels
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Isaiah 28:28

     4462   grinding
     4506   seed
     4657   horse

Isaiah 28:23-29

     4510   sowing and reaping

Isaiah 28:24-29

     1180   God, wisdom of

Isaiah 28:27-28

     4522   threshing

Library
June 8. "Bread Corn is Bruised" (Isa. xxviii. 28).
"Bread corn is bruised" (Isa. xxviii. 28). The farmer does not gather timothy and blue grass, and break it with a heavy machine. But he takes great pains with the wheat. So God takes great pains with those who are to be of much use to Him. There is a nature in them that needs this discipline. Don't wonder if the bread corn is treated with the wise, discriminating care that will fit it for food. He knows the way He is taking, and there is infinite tenderness in the oversight He gives. He is watching
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

The Foundation of God
'Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.'--ISAIAH xxviii. 16. 'Therefore thus saith the Lord.' Then these great words are God's answer to something. And that something is the scornful defiance by the rulers of Israel of the prophet's threatenings. By their deeds, whether by their words or no, they said that they had made friends of their enemies, and that
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

God's Strange Work
'That He may do His work, His strange work; and bring to pass His act, His strange act.'--ISAIAH xxviii. 21. How the great events of one generation fall dead to another! There is something very pathetic in the oblivion that swallows up world- resounding deeds. Here the prophet selects two instances which to him are solemn and singular examples of divine judgment, and we have difficulty in finding out to what he refers. To him they seemed the most luminous illustrations he could find of the principle
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Man's Crown and God's
'In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty.'--ISAIAH xxviii. 5. 'Thou shall also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord.'--ISAIAH lxii 3. Connection of first prophecy--destruction of Samaria. Its situation, crowning the hill with its walls and towers, its fertile 'fat valley,' the flagrant immorality and drunkenness of its inhabitants, and its final ruin, are all presented in the highly imaginative picture of its fall as being like the trampling
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Judgment of Drunkards and Mockers
'Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine! 2. Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which, as a tempest of hail, and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand. 3. The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet: 4. And the glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Husbandman and his Operations
'Give ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech. 24. Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground! 25. When lie hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat and the appointed barley and the rie in their place? 26. For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him. 27. For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

A Crown Op Pride or a Crown of Glory
'The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet; 4. And the glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be a fading flower, and as the hasty fruit before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up. 5. In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people.'--ISAIAH xxviii. 3-5. The reference is probably to Samaria as a chief city of
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Bed and Its Covering
Now, I think it may be readily granted, that man's body is, after all, only a picture of his inner being: just what the body needs materially, that the soul needs spiritually. The soul, then, needs two things. It requires rest, which is pictured to us in sleep. The soul needs a bed upon which it may repose quietly and take its ease. And, again, the soul needs covering, for as a naked body would be both uncomfortable, unseemly, and dangerous; much more would the naked soul be unhappy, noxious to the
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 5: 1859

The Extent of Messiah's Spiritual Kingdom
The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ, and He shall reign for ever and ever! T he Kingdom of our Lord in the heart, and in the world, is frequently compared to a building or house, of which He Himself is both the Foundation and the Architect (Isaiah 28:16 and 54:11, 12) . A building advances by degrees (I Corinthians 3:9; Ephesians 2:20-22) , and while it is in an unfinished state, a stranger cannot, by viewing its present appearance, form an accurate judgment
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

Of Predestination
Eph. i. 11.--"In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will."--Rom. ix. 22, 23.--"What if God, willing to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction, and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory." In the creation of the world, it pleased the Lord,
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Samaria. Sychem.
"The country of Samaria lies in the middle, between Judea and Galilee. For it begins at a town called Ginea, lying in the Great plain, and ends at the Toparchy of the Acrabateni: the nature of it nothing differing from Judea," &c. [Acrabata was distant from Jerusalem, the space of a day's journey northwards.] Samaria, under the first Temple, was the name of a city,--under the second, of a country. Its metropolis at that time was Sychem; "A place destined to revenges": and which the Jews, as it seems,
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

Self-Righteousness Insufficient.
1 "Where are the mourners, [1] (saith the Lord) "That wait and tremble at my word, "That walk in darkness all the day? "Come, make my name your trust and stay. 2 ["No works nor duties of your own "Can for the smallest sin atone; "The robes [2] that nature may provide "Will not your least pollutions hide. 3 "The softest couch that nature knows "Can give the conscience no repose: "Look to my righteousness, and live; "Comfort and peace are mine to give.] 4 "Ye sons of pride that kindle coals "With your
Isaac Watts—Hymns and Spiritual Songs

Letter xxxvi (Circa A. D. 1131) to the Same Hildebert, who had not yet Acknowledged the Lord Innocent as Pope.
To the Same Hildebert, Who Had Not Yet Acknowledged the Lord Innocent as Pope. He exhorts him to recognise Innocent, now an exile in France, owing to the schism of Peter Leonis, as the rightful Pontiff. To the great prelate, most exalted in renown, Hildebert, by the grace of God Archbishop of Tours, Bernard, called Abbot of Clairvaux, sends greeting, and prays that he may walk in the Spirit, and spiritually discern all things. 1. To address you in the words of the prophet, Consolation is hid from
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

Of the Scriptures
Eph. ii. 20.--"And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone." Believers are "the temple of the living God," in which he dwells and walks, 2 Cor. vi. 16. Every one of them is a little sanctuary and temple to his Majesty, "sanctify the Lord of hosts in your hearts." Though he be "the high and lofty One that inhabits eternity," yet he is pleased to come down to this poor cottage of a creature's heart, and dwell in it. Is not this
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

He Does Battle for the Faith; He Restores Peace among those who were at Variance; He Takes in Hand to Build a Stone Church.
57. (32). There was a certain clerk in Lismore whose life, as it is said, was good, but his faith not so. He was a man of some knowledge in his own eyes, and dared to say that in the Eucharist there is only a sacrament and not the fact[718] of the sacrament, that is, mere sanctification and not the truth of the Body. On this subject he was often addressed by Malachy in secret, but in vain; and finally he was called before a public assembly, the laity however being excluded, in order that if it were
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh

How to Make Use of Christ for Steadfastness, in a Time when Truth is Oppressed and Borne Down.
When enemies are prevailing, and the way of truth is evil spoken of, many faint, and many turn aside, and do not plead for truth, nor stand up for the interest of Christ, in their hour and power of darkness: many are overcome with base fear, and either side with the workers of iniquity, or are not valiant for the truth, but being faint-hearted, turn back. Now the thoughts of this may put some who desire to stand fast, and to own him and his cause in a day of trial, to enquire how they shall make
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

Of Orders.
Of this sacrament the Church of Christ knows nothing; it was invented by the church of the Pope. It not only has no promise of grace, anywhere declared, but not a word is said about it in the whole of the New Testament. Now it is ridiculous to set up as a sacrament of God that which can nowhere be proved to have been instituted by God. Not that I consider that a rite practised for so many ages is to be condemned; but I would not have human inventions established in sacred things, nor should it be
Martin Luther—First Principles of the Reformation

The Knowledge that God Is, Combined with the Knowledge that He is to be Worshipped.
John iv. 24.--"God is a Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." There are two common notions engraven on the hearts of all men by nature,--that God is, and that he must be worshipped, and these two live and die together, they are clear, or blotted together. According as the apprehension of God is clear, and distinct, and more deeply engraven on the soul, so is this notion of man's duty of worshipping God clear and imprinted on the soul, and whenever the actions
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

"Come unto Me, all Ye that Labour, and are Wearied," &C.
Matth. xi. 28.--"Come unto me, all ye that labour, and are wearied," &c. It is the great misery of Christians in this life, that they have such poor, narrow, and limited spirits, that are not fit to receive the truth of the gospel in its full comprehension; from whence manifold misapprehensions in judgment, and stumbling in practice proceed. The beauty and life of things consist in their entire union with one another, and in the conjunction of all their parts. Therefore it would not be a fit way
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

An Address to the Regenerate, Founded on the Preceding Discourses.
James I. 18. James I. 18. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. I INTEND the words which I have now been reading, only as an introduction to that address to the sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty, with which I am now to conclude these lectures; and therefore shall not enter into any critical discussion, either of them, or of the context. I hope God has made the series of these discourses, in some measure, useful to those
Philip Doddridge—Practical Discourses on Regeneration

Of the Necessity of Divine Influences to Produce Regeneration in the Soul.
Titus iii. 5, 6. Titus iii. 5, 6. Not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour. IF my business were to explain and illustrate this scripture at large, it would yield an ample field for accurate criticism and useful discourse, and more especially would lead us into a variety of practical remarks, on which it would be pleasant
Philip Doddridge—Practical Discourses on Regeneration

The Justice of God
The next attribute is God's justice. All God's attributes are identical, and are the same with his essence. Though he has several attributes whereby he is made known to us, yet he has but one essence. A cedar tree may have several branches, yet it is but one cedar. So there are several attributes of God whereby we conceive of him, but only one entire essence. Well, then, concerning God's justice. Deut 32:4. Just and right is he.' Job 37:23. Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

The Mercy of God
The next attribute is God's goodness or mercy. Mercy is the result and effect of God's goodness. Psa 33:5. So then this is the next attribute, God's goodness or mercy. The most learned of the heathens thought they gave their god Jupiter two golden characters when they styled him good and great. Both these meet in God, goodness and greatness, majesty and mercy. God is essentially good in himself and relatively good to us. They are both put together in Psa 119:98. Thou art good, and doest good.' This
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

The Knowledge of God
'The Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.' I Sam 2:2. Glorious things are spoken of God; he transcends our thoughts, and the praises of angels. God's glory lies chiefly in his attributes, which are the several beams by which the divine nature shines forth. Among other of his orient excellencies, this is not the least, The Lord is a God of knowledge; or as the Hebrew word is, A God of knowledges.' Through the bright mirror of his own essence, he has a full idea and cognisance
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

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