There is an overflowing scourge coming up on the earth [Is 28:15, 18].  A scourge is a whip or other flogging instrument; any means of inflicting severe punishment, suffering or vengeance.  This scourge is called a consumption and it is determined upon the whole earth [Is 28:22].

Both the devil and the Lord are involved in this consumption.  The devil comes with death and hell [Is 28:15].  The devil has the power of death [Heb 2:14] as in the death of the firstborn in Egypt.  Notice these two killers show up in Rev 6:8.  One fourth of the earth is destroyed by these.

The Lord comes with “hail” [Is 28:18] and “waters” [Is 28:17] as in the battle in the valley of Gibeon [Is 28:21, which was won by hailstones, Jos 10:10-12] and in mount Perazim [Is 28:21, which was won by waters, 2 Sam 5:20].  The waters here picture the overflowing of an enemy [Is 8:7].  Notice that they are “trodden down” by the scourge [Is 28:18].

To prepare for the scourge, men choose two means of protection.

The first group chooses to protect themselves with “lies” and “falsehood” [Is 28:15]. These are the “scornful men” [Is 28:14] (men with indignant contempt for the Lord and the truth).  These are the “mockers” [Is 28:22] (those expressing scorn, ridicule and contempt like the Pharisees did to Jesus).  They make a covenant with death and an agreement with hell [Is 28:15], pretending that the scourge won’t come to them.  They are like the modern-day Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses who deny the literal hell of the Bible.

Their covenant and agreement won’t stand [Is 28:18].  These are in adequate to protect them [Is 28:20].  See Rev 6:14-17; 9:6; 14:9-11.  Instead, they are ensnared by their lies and held captive for the scourge [Is 28:22].  They are held by “bands” that “take you” [Is 28:19].  Compare 2 Tim 2:25-26.

The consumption will be so bad that just the report will be a vexation [Is 28:18], scaring them and troubling them day by day until they are consumed.

The second group chooses to be protected by the Lord by believing him and his “truth” (by contrast).  Look at Ps 18:1-17 and notice the references to rock, death, hell, hailstones, waters, and the enemy which are all covered in our text.  The Lord has already beat death and hell [Rev 1:18] and will destroy them in time to come [Rev 20:14].

This group is the remnant [Is 10:20-23] who survives the consumption by depending upon the Lord.

This consumption is called “his strange work” in Is 28:21, however, it is understood by a simple illustration in Is 28:23-29. Farmers beat fitches and cumin and they bruise corn by which they separate the chaff from the seed.  In the process of beating and bruising, the harvest is not destroyed.  Likewise, those who trust in lies and falsehood are beat away and the remnant survives.  It is for this reason that the Lord is called “wonderful” and “excellent” in Is 28:29.