Last week in Isaiah, we saw that God used the nation of Assyria like a parent uses a paddle to discipline His children. Today, we’re going to see the situation from Assyria’s point of view. It’ll remind us just how interesting and powerful our God is, and it’ll help us renew our allegiance to Christ.
God’s Will vs. the King’s Choice
God was in control of Assyria invading Israel and treading them down “like mire in the streets” (Isaiah 10:6). However, the king of Assyria had no desire to fulfill God’s will. He did not intend or think the same thing God was intending or thinking.
Here’s what it says in verse 7:
But he [the king of Assyria] does not so intend, and his heart does not so think; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off nations not a few …
God meant to purify His people. The Assyrian king meant to expand his empire. What’s interesting here is that God’s sovereignty didn’t override the king’s freedom of choice. God didn’t take over him like someone playing a video game takes over a video game character.
This idea of free will and predestination is mind-boggling. We have the freedom to make decisions even while God is making things go according to His will.
How Assyria’s King Viewed God
The king of Assyria had completely different plans from God. In verses 8-9, we get a look into his heart:
… for he says: “Are not my commanders all kings? Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus? …”
The Assyrian king was very successful in his campaigns, and he was arrogant. He considered himself a king of kings, and saw the capital of Israel (Samaria) no different from other cities he had conquered (Calno and Carchemish, for example). What’s more, he saw the God of Israel as just another city god like the ones he had previously conquered (vv. 10-11):
“… As my hand has reached to the kingdoms of the idols, whose carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria, shall I not do to Jerusalem and her idols as I have done to Samaria and her images?”
What It Means for Us
How does Isaiah 10:5-11 apply to us as modern-day Christians? There are three takeaways, and they’re pretty straightforward:
1. Remember how interesting God is
Remember how interesting our God is. We’ll never get to the end of learning about Him and all His manifold glories.
How can God be fully sovereign, and yet we’re really free? How is God one, and yet three? God is eternal – how can something never have a beginning or an end? Part of being a Christian means being in a relationship with this God and contemplating these things.
2. Remember that God is powerful
Proverbs 21:1 says, “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.” You think about your powerlessness when you watch the news, unable to do anything about the decisions of world leaders. But God wields their hearts like a child playing in water. He’s so powerful!
Not only is God powerful, but He’s also committed to our good. So you can watch the news and be at peace because God is in charge.
3. Renew your allegiance to Christ
Let’s let every disquieting news story or event in our life prompt us to renew our allegiance to Christ. He is the true King of kings. And all of human history is headed toward His triumphant return as described in Revelation 19:11-16:
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
