[8] Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever:

[9] That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord:

[10] Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:

[11] Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.

[12] Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon:

[13] Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant.

[14] And he shall break it as the breaking of the potters’ vessel that is broken in pieces; he shall not spare: so that there shall not be found in the bursting of it a sherd to take fire from the hearth, or to take water withal out of the pit.

[15] For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.

[16] But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift.

[17] One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on an hill.

God is instructing Isaiah to write in his book about the rebelliousness of the Israelites, such that it will be recorded for all time. It’s reminiscent of God instructing Nephi to keep a record of what happened to his people such that the record would be available for future generations.

“I have received a commandment of the Lord that I should make these plates, for the special purpose that there should be an account engraven of the ministry of my people.” (1 Nephi 9:3)

That they would not hear the law of the Lord. They wanted the seers to not see and the prophets to not prophesy God’s message, but rather just tell them what they wanted to hear. They were telling the prophets to get out of their way and to tell God to leave them alone.

As a result of their sin, their city would be at risk of falling at any time. In verse 13, it’s compared to a break in a high wall that could break through at an instant. It’s also compared (in verse 14) to a ceramic pot that would break such that none of the remaining pieces would even be capable of being used to take fire out of a hearth or water out of a pit.

God is saying that He offered them safety with Him, but they didn’t want it. They seemed to be content with relying on escaping on their horses, but they’re told here that the enemy will be faster and will catch them.

The design of the metaphors is to show that there should be few that should escape falling into the enemy’s hand, here and there one, that should be scattered about, and be very thin, as beacons and signs are, and should be warnings to others of pursuing the same foolish and sinful methods and practices.