Title Text
The Axe or the Lumberjack?
Isaiah 10:5-15
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Isaiah 10:5 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.
5 “Woe to the Assyrian, the rod of my anger, in whose hand is the club of my wrath! 6 I send him against a godless nation, I dispatch him against a people who anger me, to seize loot and snatch plunder, and to trample them down like mud in the streets.
The Rod that Strikes Israel (vv. 5-6)
7 But this is not what he intends, this is not what he has in mind; his purpose is to destroy, to put an end to many nations.
The Rod Will Be Punished (vv. 7-11)
8 ‘Are not my commanders all kings?’ he says. 9 ‘Has not Kalno fared like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad, and Samaria like Damascus? 10 As my hand seized the kingdoms of the idols, kingdoms whose images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria—11 shall I not deal with Jerusalem and her images as I dealt with Samaria and her idols?’ ”
The Rod Will Be Punished (vv. 7-11)
12 When the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he will say, “I will punish the king of Assyria for the willful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes.
Summary Prediction (v. 12)
13 For he says: “ ‘By the strength of my hand I have done this, and by my wisdom, because I have understanding. I removed the boundaries of nations, I plundered their treasures; like a mighty one I subdued their kings. 14 As one reaches into a nest, so my hand reached for the wealth of the nations; as people gather abandoned eggs, so I gathered all the countries; not one flapped a wing, or opened its mouth to chirp.’ ”
King of Assyria's View of Events (vv. 13-14)
15 Does the ax raise itself above the person who swings it, or the saw boast against the one who uses it? As if a rod were to wield the person who lifts it up, or a club brandish the one who is not wood!
God's View of the King of Assyria's View (v. 15)
John 19:10 “You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?” 11Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above.”
Is it moral for God to use evil people for His purposes?
Proverbs 16:4 – “The Lord works everything for its own ends—even the wicked for the day of disaster.”
Is it moral for God to use evil people for His purposes?
Hab 1:13 - “You are too just to tolerate evil; you are unable to condone wrongdoing. So why do you put up with such treacherous people? Why do you say nothing when the wicked devour those more righteous than they are?”
Is it moral for God to use evil people for His purposes?
Romans 8:28 - "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."
Is it moral for God to use evil people for His purposes?
Is it moral for God to use evil people, and then punish them for being evil?
Title Text
We are all being used by God.
The only question is, how?
Isa 10:5-15
By Matt Maxwell
