“Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.”
My Notes
What Does Isaiah 56:12 Mean?
Isaiah quotes the complacent leaders of Israel: "Come ye, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant." This is the voice of people who believe the good times will last forever — more wine, more abundance, no consequences on the horizon.
The assumption that "to morrow shall be as this day" is the philosophy of permanent prosperity — the belief that the current abundance is the new normal and will only increase. There's no room for correction, for judgment, for the possibility that the party might end. The future is just more of the present, but better.
Isaiah places these words in the mouths of Israel's leaders — the watchmen who should be sounding alarms are instead pouring drinks. The shepherd who should be guarding the flock is hosting the after-party. The corruption of leadership isn't just moral failure; it's delusional optimism that anesthetizes everyone to approaching danger.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Where are you assuming 'tomorrow will be as today, and much more abundant' without preparing for change?
- 2.How does complacency differ from genuine trust in God's provision?
- 3.What 'wine' is numbing you to realities you should be facing?
- 4.How do you maintain vigilance during seasons of abundance without becoming anxious?
Devotional
"Tomorrow will be even better than today. More wine. More abundance. The party never ends." This is the voice of leadership that has mistaken prosperity for permanence.
Isaiah quotes these words to expose the delusion — the assumption that because things are good now, they'll always be good. Tomorrow will be like today, but more. The trajectory only goes up. The wine never runs out. The strong drink is bottomless.
This is the most dangerous form of leadership failure: not cruelty but complacency. Not active harm but anesthetized indifference. The leaders who should be watching for threats are getting drunk. The ones who should be preparing the nation for what's coming are toasting to their own success.
We encounter this philosophy everywhere. The economy is good, so it'll always be good. The relationship is stable, so it'll always be stable. Health is fine, so it'll always be fine. Tomorrow will be as today — and much more abundant. The assumption of permanence is the luxury of the comfortable.
Isaiah's verdict on this thinking is clear: it's the voice of the spiritually blind. The people who believe tomorrow will always be better are the ones least prepared for the day it isn't. The wine of complacency is the most dangerous drink in the prophets — it numbs you to the reality that every abundance has a source, and that source can be removed.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Come ye, say they,.... Either to their fellow bishops and priests, when got together, jovially carousing; or to the…
Come ye, say they - (compare the notes at Isa 22:13). That is, one says to another, ‘I will fetch wine;’ or as we would…
I will fetch wine "Let us provide wine" - For אקחה ekchah, first person singular, an ancient MS. has נקחה nikchah, first…
From words of comfort the prophet here, by a very sudden change of his style, passes to words of reproof and conviction,…
As an illustration of their highest idea of enjoyment, one of these watchmen is introduced inviting his fellows to a…
Cross References
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