“The Drunkards of Ephraim”

3. What startling denunciation did Isaiah utter?

³ In verse 1 of chapter 28 Isa 28:1, we are jolted by a startling statement: “Woe to the eminent crown of the drunkards of Ephraim, and the fading blossom of its decoration of beauty that is upon the head of the fertile valley of those overpowered by wine!” How the Israelites must have been shocked to hear that scathing denunciation! Who were these “drunkards of Ephraim”? What was their “eminent crown”? And what is “the head of the fertile valley”? More important, what do these words imply for us today?

4. (a) What were Ephraim and the head of the fertile valley? (b) Why did Israel feel secure?

⁴ Since Ephraim was the largest of the ten tribes of Israel, the term “Ephraim” sometimes referred to the whole northern kingdom. So “the drunkards of Ephraim” were really the drunkards of Israel. The capital city of Israel was Samaria, which was situated on a commanding height at the head of a fertile valley. So the expression “the head of the fertile valley” refers to Samaria. When these words were written, the kingdom of Israel was very corrupt religiously speaking. Moreover, she had entered a political alliance with Syria against Judah and now felt secure. (Isaiah 7:1-9) That was about to change. A crisis was approaching, which was why Jehovah pronounced “woe to the eminent crown of the drunkards of Ephraim.”

5. (a) What was Israel’s eminent crown? (b) Who were the drunkards of Ephraim?

⁵ What was “the eminent crown”? A crown is a symbol of royal authority. Evidently, “the eminent crown” was Israel’s position as a separate kingdom, independent of Judah. Something was going to happen to destroy Israel’s royal independence. Who, then, were “the drunkards of Ephraim”? Doubtless, there were literal drunkards in Israel, since Samaria was the scene of licentious pagan worship. Yet, the Bible speaks of a worse kind of drunkenness. At Isaiah 29:9, we read: “They have become intoxicated, but not with wine; they have moved unsteadily, but not because of intoxicating liquor.” This was a spiritual drunkenness, an unclean, death-dealing intoxication. Israel’s leaders​—particularly her religious leaders—​clearly suffered from just such a spiritual intoxication.

6. What made ancient Israel drunk?

⁶ What was the cause of ancient Israel’s spiritual drunkenness? Basically, it was her alliance with Syria against Judah, which gave the nation’s leaders a good feeling of security. This spiritual drunkenness put Israel out of touch with reality. Like a literal drunkard, she was optimistic although there was no reason to be. Moreover, Israel wore her intoxicating alliance with Syria proudly, like a garland of beauty. But, as Isaiah says, it was a fading garland that would not last much longer.

7, 8. Despite her good feelings, what was ancient Israel due to experience?

⁷ Isaiah stresses this in Isa chapter 28, verse 2: “Look! Jehovah has someone strong and vigorous. Like a thunderous storm of hail, a destructive storm, like a thunderous storm of powerful, flooding waters, he will certainly do a casting down to the earth with force.” Who was this “someone strong and vigorous”? In ancient Israel’s time, it was the powerful Assyrian Empire. This cruel, ruthless world power would come upon Israel like a thunderous storm of powerful, flooding waters. With what result?

⁸ Isaiah goes on to say: “With the feet the eminent crowns of the drunkards of Ephraim will be trampled down. And the fading flower of its decoration of beauty that is upon the head of the fertile valley must become like the early fig before summer, that, when the seer sees it, while it is yet in his palm, he swallows it down.” (Isaiah 28:3, 4) Israel’s capital city, Samaria, was like a ripe fig to Assyria, ready to be plucked and swallowed. Israel’s garlandlike alliance with Syria was going to be trampled. It would have no value when the day of reckoning came. Even worse, her crownlike glory of independence would be crushed under the feet of the Assyrian enemy. What a catastrophe!

13. What parallel to the situation in Israel and Judah existed in the first century C.E., and what parallel exists today?

¹³ Were Isaiah’s prophecies fulfilled only on ancient Israel and Judah? By no means. Both Jesus and the apostle Paul quoted his words about spiritual drunkenness and applied them to the religious leaders of their time. (Isaiah 29:10, 13; Matthew 15:8, 9; Romans 11:8) Today, too, a situation like that in Isaiah’s time has arisen​—this time in Christendom, a worldwide religious organization that claims to represent God. Rather than taking a firm stand for truth and relying on Jehovah, Christendom, Catholic and Protestant, puts her faith in the world. She thus staggers about unsteadily, like the drunkards of Israel and Judah. The spiritual drunkards of those ancient nations well foreshadow the spiritual leaders of Christendom today. Let us see exactly how.

14. How are the religious leaders of Christendom as drunk as were the leaders of ancient Samaria and Jerusalem?

¹⁴ Like Samaria and Jerusalem, Christendom has drunk deep of the wine of political alliances. In 1919 she was among the foremost promoters of the League of Nations. While Jesus said that Christians would be no part of the world, Christendom’s leaders cultivate relationships with political leaders. (John 17:14-16) The symbolic wine of such activity is stimulating to the clergy. (Compare Revelation 17:4.) They enjoy being consulted by politicians and associating with the great ones of this world. As a result, they have no true spiritual guidance to give. They vomit out uncleanness rather than speaking the pure message of truth. (Zephaniah 3:9) With their vision blurred and confused, they are no safe guides for mankind.​—Matthew 15:14.