Consider these questions as you dwell in Isaiah 10:5-19:

1. In this passage, Assyria, a godless nation, is used as a tool of God's judgment against Israel and Judah. What does this reveal about God's sovereignty and His ability to use even those who do not acknowledge Him for His purposes?

2. The imagery of Assyria being compared to an ax or a saw in the hands of God highlights the idea that their power is derived from God Himself. How can this concept of God being the ultimate source of power and authority impact our understanding of human arrogance and the need for humility?

3. The poetic language in verses 17-19 vividly describes the judgment that will befall Assyria. How does this imagery emphasize the consequences of arrogance and disobedience, even for nations or individuals who may have been used by God for His purposes at one point?

Transcript:

Another very harsh passage here in Isaiah. More words judgment. This time it's not on the people of God. It's not on the people of Judah or Israel. This time, the statement from God is against Syria. Now God is using Assyria to judge His people, right? He is sending in this godless nation to bring judgment upon them, to overtake them. And it's rather interesting, even the statements here are talking about the idolatry of Samaria and of the people of Israel and the people of Judah. And their idolatry isn't even as bad as the people of Assyria, but yet it is extremely, for lack of a better way of putting it, godless people who God is using. This is how things work. When God comes in judgment on His people, He, essentially to use the language from Romans 1, he gives them over. He lets the godless people, the other nations come in and overtake them. He essentially removes his restraint, his hand of blessing upon them. But here we see that Assyria thinks they're pretty hot stuff because of this. And this makes sense. I mean, why would a godless nation, a godless group of idolaters understand that the Lord of heaven and earth, has used them in this judgment?

But we see that they become arrogant. And so, God acknowledges here in verse 5 that they were the rod of His anger. They're the staff that he used in fury. And He sent them against Israel and Judah, and they were the instrument of his wrath. They had all this stuff. But this king does not acknowledge that it's God, and that he continues in his idolatry. And so, we see in verse 15, the idea of what God is talking about. He's praising himself as being wonderful and having this power and being this great king. But there's some great poetic language here, and there's been so much of it so far, and Isaiah hasn't there? But we see this right here in verse 15, Shall the ax boast over him who hues with it, or the saw magnify itself against him, who wields it? As if a rod should wield him, who lifts it? Or as if a staff should lift him who is not wood. In other words, this king of Assyria would have no power without God. An ax, without someone who use it, who uses it, uses it. It just sits there. Don't you wish when you were younger and your parents asked you or your father asked you to chop wood, don't you wish the ax could have just done it by itself?

But no, you had to actually go and do it. Syria was just an instrument. They are still a godless people. Even though they were used by God, they have not come to repentance. They have not moved towards God. Instead, they've actually increased in their arrogance. And so God proclaims judgment against them. And we see this in verses 17-19. The light of Israel will become a fire and his holy one flame, and it will burn and devour his thorns and priors in one day the glory of his forest and of his fruitful land. The Lord will destroy both soul and body. It will be as when a sick man wastes away, the remnant of the trees of his forest will be so few that a child can write them down. There's some great poetic language there again, isn't there? We can imagine this, this nation being like a sick person who is dying and wasting away. And we can imagine so few trees that a child can write them down. What amazing language here. Overall, what's the message here? What can we glean from this? What's that God is the one that is in control? He does His goodwill.

Even when things don't seem as though they are good or they're going the right way, God is in control. He does His goodwill, and He is glorified. And so we can trust in that today. No matter what is happening in our lives, no matter what is going on, even though it's difficult, we can stop and we can trust that God is in control and that He does His good and perfect will.