Read Isaiah
10-12 & Galatians
5
To discover:
As you read consider how we
are to be encouraged by the idea of judgement.
To ponder:
Isaiah continues denouncing those in the northern kingdom who
act unjustly and oppress the needy, affirming they will have no-one to run to
for help and no-where to leave their riches for safekeeping on the “day of
reckoning.” All will be lost. And for the fourth time, we read with this God’s
anger will still not be turned away from this section of his people (10v1-4).
The “woes”
of judgement now, however, turn to be against the Assyrian king (see 10v12),
who God will use as his agent of anger and wrath, when he sends him to plunder
and trample Israel
(10v5-6). The reason the Assyrian will nevertheless be punished, is that, although
inadvertently serving God, his intent is to destroy nations, proudly boasting
that his commanders are kings and of how he has conquered cities, seizing
kingdoms from their idols. In boasting of how he would deal with Jerusalem
and her images too, their idolatry, which warrants God bringing the Assyrian
against them also, is stressed (10v5-11). Here, then, we see the compatibility
between God’s sovereignty and human responsibility. He directs even evil acts,
but in a way that doesn’t absolve those who do them, because whereas God’s
intent is good (here, his justice), the intent of the human being he uses is
evil.
So Isaiah
declares that when God has finished with Mount Zion and Jerusalem (in
judgement), he will punish the Assyrian king for his pride in saying that he
has achieved his world dominance in subduing and plundering nations by his own
hand and wisdom (10v12-14). Such arrogance is described in terms such as the
axe raising itself above the one swinging it. In other words, the king as God’s
axe against Israel
is considering himself above God who is wielding him (10v15). The point is that
it is God who is the true king over all the earth. And so Isaiah promises that
God, as the “Holy One,” will destroy almost all the might and land
of Assyria Israel
will then no longer rely on the king of Assyria , who
struck them down, for protection, but on the LORD. Picking up the name of
Isaiah’s first son, God therefore promises only a “remnant” from the vast
nation of Israel
“will return” to him in faithfulness. Here “Mighty God” is one of the titles
given to the promised child (10v21, see 9v6), implying the people will return
to God enfleshed as a man!
In the light of all this, the
LORD encourages his people in Jerusalem
not to fear the Assyrians, as his anger against them will soon end and be
redirected to Assyria , lifting their burden from Judah ’s
shoulders (10v24-27). He then predicts how his people will flee the Assyrians
only to find their advance halted at Nob, from where they will overlook and
shake their fist at Jerusalem ,
before God fells their tall trees – referring to their great cities and
probably leaders (10v28-34). Most probably this refers to the events of 2 Kings
18-19. And it reminds us that whatever evil may be done to the church, whether
in judgement for its compromise or not, those doing it will be brought to
account and the faithful will be kept from falling in any ultimate sense.
With the
trees (leaders) of Assyria fallen, Isaiah moves to a
branch springing up in Israel
from the line of Jesse (David’s father). This king will have God’s Spirit rest
on him, granting wisdom, power, and fear of God so that he reigns with justice,
righteousness and faithfulness, caring for the needy. Yet his reign will be
universal, bringing justice against the wicked and decisions for the good of
the poor throughout the earth. Moreover, under this rule, Eden-like order will
be brought to the world as animals live in harmony with one-another and with human
beings, Mount Zion is freed from destruction, and the earth filled with the
knowledge of God (11v1-9). We saw such a description previously (9v1-7). This
is the promised Christ to whom the remnant from Israel
will turn (10v21) some time after their oppression by Assyria .
Previously “that day” referred to
the day of God’s judgement, but here it refers to his day of salvation through
his Christ. This descendent of Jesse will be like a banner to which the nations
rally, just as has been the case after Jesus was lifted up on the cross (11v10,
John 12v20-23). With this in mind, the “glorious place of rest” may actually be
the cross, or Jesus’ reign from heaven. Yet now the remnant is a wider group,
comprising exiled Israelites from all over the known world, as at Pentecost. So
the Christ will bring peace between those from the northern and southern
kingdoms (11v10-13). But the language of war is used too: The united people are
said to then plunder Israel ’s
ancient enemies, and with echoes of the Exodus, we are told God will dry up the
Egyptian sea and Euphrates river so the remnant can
travel to the land from Assyria just as they once had
from Egypt . In
the figurative language of poetry we are being told that God will work a new
Exodus-like deliverance for his people, ensuring they are able to come to his
promised king. And they will inherit the earth and so the land of their ancient
enemies, who will themselves be destroyed – hinting perhaps to how God’s people
will share in the judgement of the nations (Rev 2v26-27). On “that day” they
will praise God for turning his anger away, affirming and trusting him with joy
as their salvation, and no longer fearing their enemies. In psalm-style they
will call people to thank him, call on him, make know how he has saved them,
and sing for joy at his greatness (12v1-6).
This all seems quite a jump from
700BC, but we must remember that the prophets often saw the future compacted,
without an awareness of the time span between the different events they
predicted. So in what Isaiah says, the final state of new creation is mentioned
as if occurring at the same time as the church age in which the nations come to
Christ. In short, “that day” spans the period of Christ’ two comings. It should
encourage us as we are oppressed by spiritual enemies, just as it would have Judah
when faced with their physical enemy.
Praying it home:
Praise God for the
peace that will be enjoyed in the new creation. Pray that you would able to
wait for this patiently.
Thinking
further:
None
today.
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