ISAIAH

Isaiah 10:5-19

quote:

"Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hands is My indignation, 6 I send it against a godless nation And commission it against the people of My fury To capture booty and to seize plunder, And to trample them down like mud in the streets. 7 Yet it does not so intend, Nor does it plan so in its heart, But rather it is its purpose to destroy And to cut off many nations. 8 For it says, "Are not my princes all kings? 9 "Is not Calno like Carchemish, Or Hamath like Arpad, Or Samaria like Damascus? 10 "As my hand has reached to the kingdoms of the idols, Whose graven images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria, 11 Shall I not do to Jerusalem and her images Just as I have done to Samaria and her idols?" 12 So it will be that when the Lord has completed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, He will say, "I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the pomp of his haughtiness." 13 For he has said, "By the power of my hand and by my wisdom I did this, For I have understanding; And I removed the boundaries of the peoples And plundered their treasures, And like a mighty man I brought down their inhabitants, 14 And my hand reached to the riches of the peoples like a nest, And as one gathers abandoned eggs, I gathered all the earth; And there was not one that flapped its wing or opened its beak or chirped." 15 Is the axe to boast itself over the one who chops with it? Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it? That would be like a club wielding those who lift it, Or like a rod lifting him who is not wood. 16 Therefore the Lord, the GOD of hosts, will send a wasting disease among his stout warriors; And under his glory a fire will be kindled like a burning flame. 17 And the light of Israel will become a fire and his Holy One a flame, And it will burn and devour his thorns and his briars in a single day. 18 And He will destroy the glory of his forest and of his fruitful garden, both soul and body, And it will be as when a sick man wastes away. 19 And the rest of the trees of his forest will be so small in number That a child could write them down."

The instrument that God raised up to punish Judah was the nations of Mesopotamia, Assyria and Babylon. In their pride and arrogance they mistakenly thought they were acting in their own strength. Judgment would come to Judah, but because of Assyria's arrogant attitude, God would also judge Assyria. God's purpose was to discipline Judah, but Assyria purposed to conquer and destroy, not just Israel, but many nations. They treated the Israelites like mud in the streets and plundered the land like a farmer gathering eggs. They boasted of their princes and their conquests without giving the glory to God.

The kingdoms taken by Assyria stretched from north to south, coming closer and closer to Jerusalem. Calno, was taken in 738 BC, Carchemish on the Euphrates River in 717 BC, Hamath in 720 BC (all located in northern Syria), Arpad in 740 and 720 BC, Samaria in 722 BC and Damascus in 732 BC. Actually Samaria had not fallen at this time, but Isaiah allowed the Assyrians to boast that the fall had already taken place.

Assyria was only an instrument in the hand of God, who now exalted herself above God. To Israel God is a light that shines in the darkness of their hearts to bring truth and salvation; to Assyria He would become a fire that devours and consumes all that Assyria had boasted in.

As always, world powers and dictators are raised up by God for His purposes. They are not to boast that their lofty position has come about through their own strength and wisdom. As this present age draws to a close, we can be very sure that God is working among the nations for His purposes and that it is He Who is in control.

Likewise, in our own individual lives let us be careful to not be boastful of our achievements, but give God the glory, which belongs to Him and not ourselves.

Romans 11:33-36

"Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34 For 'who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor?' 35 Or 'who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again?' 36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen."