Isaiah, the great Jewish prophet, looked into the future and saw the Oslo "peace process." He describes it as a "covenant with death," addressing the political leaders of Israel who entered into it with a scathing rebuke from the Lord. Although one can understand the hope of the Jewish people for "refuge" in the face of decades of terrorist attacks, they trusted in a false hope, and did not put their trust in the Lord God, who cares for them.

You boast, "We have entered into a covenant with death, with the grave we have made an agreement. When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by, it cannot touch us, for we have made a lie our refuge and falsehood our hiding place." (Isaiah 28:15 NIV)

Though many in Israel had continued to hold out false and illogical hopes that the "land for peace" process would be successful, that it would truly lead to peace, it has now been revealed for the falsehood that it is. It is truly a "covenant with death," for the party with whom they made the covenant, Yassir Arafat, harbors only the death of Israel as his ultimate goal. His murderous intentions, though evident all along, have been "unmasked," so that even the imperceptive can see.

Isaiah notes with some irony the initial confident boasting of those who created the covenant, thinking that it would provide them peace and security. "We have built a strong refuge made of lies and deception" (v 15, NLT) is as succinct a post-Oslo assessment as any political analyst could make.

So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed. (Isaiah 28:16 NIV)

This interjection may seem out of place at first, but it is not. It is a contrast to the false foundation upon which the people had placed their trust. This "precious cornerstone for a sure foundation" is a Messianic reference. God is showing the Jewish people that their only true and sure source of hope and trust is their Messiah, the "stone in Zion." Those who trust in Him will never panic, be dismayed or disturbed, or run away in fear (various translations of that last phrase.)

I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line; hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie, and water will overflow your hiding place. Your covenant with death will be annulled; your agreement with the grave will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by, you will be beaten down by it. As often as it comes it will carry you away; morning after morning, by day and by night, it will sweep through. The understanding of this message will bring sheer terror. (Isaiah 28:17-19 NIV)

Here God gives his determination that the Oslo peace accords, the "covenant with death," will not stand. It will be swept away in a torrent of troubles. The daily, unremitting terror that has resulted from putting refuge in "the lie" is described as well. It is no accident that the word "terror" is used. Israel has truly been "beaten down" by the almost daily terror attacks. But the Lord does not place the blame solely on the perpetrators of those attacks, but also on Israel, because they refused to take refuge in His promises. As a result, the "agreement" which was based on false premises, does not stand, and Israel continues to be subjected to terror attacks.

The bed is too short to stretch out on, the blanket too narrow to wrap around you. (Isaiah 28:20 NIV)

This is a graphic portrayal of the shortcomings of the Oslo agreements. It is not sufficient to give any comfort or protection to Israel. But is all of this prophecy a message of criticism to Israel? No, indeed. Though Israel had put their refuge in the "covenant of death," the agreement based on falsehood, God would "annul" that agreement, as He said. We have seen this happen before our eyes as we have witnessed the death of the Oslo process. As a result, terror continues. But in the next verse, there is a dramatic change of events, a change that is entirely God's doing, a change that puts an end to the terror attacks.

The LORD will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim, he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon-- to do his work, his strange work, and perform his task, his alien task. (Isaiah 28:21 NIV)

Oh, praise God for His goodness and faithfulness to Israel! For this verse describes God's intervention to stop the terror attacks on Israel. The historical reference is to the days of King David, when he too was plagued with Philistines who engaged in terror attacks on Israel. The issues were much the same: the Philistines did not like that fact that Israel was consolidating its hold on the land.

When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went out to meet them. Now the Philistines had come and raided the Valley of Rephaim; so David inquired of God: "Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?" The LORD answered him, "Go, I will hand them over to you." So David and his men went up to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, "As waters break out, God has broken out against my enemies by my hand." So that place was called Baal Perazim. (1 Chronicles 14:8-11 NIV)

God "broke out" against the Philistines - this was the decisive campaign that broke their back in David's day. Though they existed for awhile after this, never again were they a formidable force that troubled Israel. Likewise, in Isaiah 28, the prophet foresees that God is going to "break out" against Israel's opponents once again, but this time it is against the perpetrators of the "covenant with death" - the Palestinians. The language used is very strong; He will "rouse Himself" He will be "stirred up" and "rage" against Israel's tormentors.

Why is this task, this work of the Lord, described as "strange, unusual, alien" in verse 21? My conjecture is this, and it may help some of the Christians for whom this concept is a theological bone in the throat: though this is the day of grace, the day of God's favor, when God patiently deals with sinners and does not vent His full judgment on them, in this case, His anger is so stirred up by the Palestinian terrorists that He once again takes uncharacteristically strong action, as in David's day.

The final verse, is, I believe, a final warning to Arafat and his legions:

Now stop your mocking, or your chains will become heavier; the Lord, the LORD Almighty, has told me of the destruction decreed against the whole land. (Isaiah 28:22 NIV)

The more Arafat and his minions mock, taunt, and terrorize Israel, the heavier will be the chains placed on them when the Lord finally acts. In the last sentence, Isaiah reaffirms that he has heard directly from the God of the armies of heaven about the degree of devastation that will be inflicted when God breaks out against the Philistines as He did in David's day.