Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.
Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: (Isaiah 28:14-15)
My earliest understanding of this passage was to relate it to the teaching on the Pre-Trib Rapture. This was based on the phrase: when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us. The interpretation is that the overflowing scourge speaks of the tribulation judgments, and the speakers confidence that it shall not come unto us is based on the idea that we will be 'raptured' out, and thus escape these judgments. The people Jerusalem, speaks of the church, and the scornful men are the leadership. The four elements given as reasons are parallel expressions that speak of false teachings.
1. A covenant with death
2. An agreement with hell
3. A refuge of lies, and
4. A hiding place under falsehood.
Now no one actually says that they have made a covenant with death, etc., this is God's way of describing their teachings.
So it is because of the false teaching of the pre-trib rapture that the scornful men have confidence in escaping judgment. Even though Peter writes:
For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? (1 Peter 4:17)
Are we seeking to escape the judgments that must come on the house of God and also to escape the end time judgments that must come on the world?
My current understanding of this passage is that it has a much wider application. First it can apply just as well to those who do not teach the pre-trib rapture. Those who say in effect, that when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us because we are God's end time people and we will be protected through all this. This is also seeking to escape the judgments that must come on the house of God.
Second, this passage applies to the religious system in general. That is: the scornful men who rule by means of false teachings is a depiction of the religious system and a religious spirit in action.
And that the Religious system itself is a covenant with death.
Who are the scornful? Those who find fault with other ministries and denominations. That operate in a religious spirit thinking that they are right and that everyone else is wrong. Those who have no thought to maintain unity of the spirit, as Ephesians instructs us.
Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:3)
What about the scornful? In proverbs we read:
A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth. (Proverbs 14:6)
This tells me that the scornful attitude is most likely to produce false teaching, being unable to find wisdom. Psalms tells us:
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. Psalm 1:1
Sitting in the seat speaks of passing judgment on others. This is the scornful man, always critical of others. The verse here tells us that this man is going to miss a blessing. What blessing? The blessing is mentioned in Psalm 133
A Song of degrees of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;
As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore. (Psalms 133:1-3)
Now how can we characterize false teachings as a covenant with death?
If you claim to follow the guidance of the scriptures in all things, and your teaching 'lines up with the word', then you have made a covenant with death.
Does this sound pretty radical? Well the clue to this is right in the scriptures themselves. For the scriptures, that is, the law, is the instrument of death.
Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: (2 Corinthians 3:6-7)
The letter killeth. It is the ministration of death. Depending strictly on the letter of the law then becomes your covenant with death.
If you are under the law, you are in a covenant with death.
But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. (Galatians 5:18)
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. (John 16:13)
Without the spirit of truth to give you understanding of the word, then your own interpretations will be full of errors. The lies, errors and falsehoods are no less than doctrines of demons. That's why they are described as an agreement with hell.
Now do we find ourselves agreeing here, saying, that's right. That's what those religious types are like?
Or are we applying this to ourselves. Saying oh my, that's what we are like.
Romans warns us of this:
Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,
And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;
And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness,
An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.
Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? (Romans 2:17-21)
Are we the scornful ones, doing exactly what we accuse others of?
Luke warns us of this also:
Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye. (Luke 6:42)
It's the easiest thing of all for a Christian to see the speck in his brothers eye, but to pull it out is another matter.
Revelation warns us as well:
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked
I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. (Revelation 3:17-19)
How are we going to repent if we are unwilling to admit that we are the Laodiceans? Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Let's judge ourselves for all we like sheep have gone astray.