Isaiah 10
Gospel According to Isaiah • Sermon • Submitted
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Social
Intro
Group Intro
- Goal
We are to eagerly hunger for spiritual nutrition in greater degrees
We are here to become spiritually mature
Regardless of your background or where you are in your relationship with Jesus, you are called to grow
- What we do
Scripture
Hear God speak, not self help or opinions
Scripture transforms us - it is the pierces us to the core
It is the foundation for the other two
Prayer
Us speaking back to God
Acknowledging the truth of scripture
Community
The context that scripture and prayer are effective
Not just socializing - ministering the gospel to each other
Lesson Intro
Read
Situation
Background
Part of the context of Isaiah ch 7-12
Judah had trusted Assyria instead of God in ch xx
That had been playing with fire and Assyria began to be threat to Israel and Judah
Current circumstances
Assyria is on the warpath
They have been progressively expanding their empire south v. 9
Either right before or right after this prophecy, they will conquer the northern kingdom
They would invade Judah and threaten Jerusalem in the near future
They were terrible invaders
Known to the ancient world as the cruelest harshest empire
Not just conquered, but totally destroyed nations
Lit. Loot the loot and plunder the plunder - v. 6
Exiled peoples as a way of subjugating them
Trail of tears was neglect and careless, but Assyrians was sadistic
Would put hooks in peoples noses and literally yank them along
Israel was being punished for her faithlessness to God
She had been warned for a long time
Prophets had been warning for a century (ex.)
All the way back to Moses 750 years ago (duet xxx)
It alludes to it here
Part of the broader prophecies of invasion and destruction by Isaiah
Godless nation / People of my wrath - v. 6
But this is taken as a given and the focus of the passage is elsewhere
God is using Assyria
Isaiah declares that Assyria is under God’s control
Tool metaphors
Rod of my anger - v. 5
Axe - v. 15
Commands
I send/I command - v. 6
Note the strong use of the word “I”
God is using them to punish Israel for her sin
Two views of reality
Assyria’s perspective
Assyria’s motives
Naked imperialism and self satisfaction
His heart is to destroy/cut off nations - v. 7
The seemingly inevitable extension of the empire southward - v. 9
Does not acknowledge God
Does not intend/think that they are doing God’s will - v. 7
Pride
My generals are kings - v. 8
My servants are better than your kings
Implies he is this super king of kings (almost godlike)
Lists accomplishments - v.9-11
Cities and kingdoms conquered
Deeper spiritual boast - not just their people, but I have defeated their gods
How he has accomplished this - v. 13
Strength of my hand
My wisdom/understanding
Incomparable (?) power
He can play god/redefine reality - v. 13
Rearranging nations
Taking their treasures
Removing their leaders
It is so easy - v. 14
It is like taking eggs from a chicken
My power is so obvious that no one even fights back - Moved wing/opened their mouth
Assumption - I am the ultimate authority. Whatever I do is right and there are no consequences
Assumes past success equals future success
God’s perspective
Assyria and her king are merely a tool
God will only use Assyria until He is done with His work on Jerusalem - v. 12
Astounding how
He will punish Assyria
This passage begins with Woe to Assyria - v. 5
A wasting sickness - v. 16
The remnant left will be so few that a child can count them
Why?
Her arrogance
Her sinful destruction
God’s will prevails - prophecy fulfilled
Isaiah 36-37
Astounding how
Then He will punish Assyria
A wasting sickness - v. 16
Prophecy fulfilled -
Truths
God is sovereign
God can use any and all means to accomplish His plan -
Even a cruel enemy nation, someone who denied him
Even a cruel enemy nation
God had built up and prepared Assyria, a whole nation and its leaders, for decades and centuries to accomplish his plan
Implications
Your outward circumstances is not all that there is
No situation or person is outside of His control
No need to fear the results of an election
Where should our trust be?
Man is responsible
Despite God’s control, Assyria freely and fully made their choices
Made it based on the evil desires of their heart - imperial pride
They were not robots or puppets
They were held responsible for their decisions - God will punish sin
So how is God still just in punishing what He willed?
Even though sovereign over choices and uses it to accomplish His purposes, Man is responsible
God may allow or use sin, but that does not excuse it
Because allowed it to happen and He used it for good, does not mean it is good
ex??
Our temptation is think things are ok if we get away with something
Another temptation is to say might makes right
Our circumstances are only part of reality
v. 24-25
It is easy to get swept up in current events
It should change the way we see history
Right side of history?
Beware of pride
Assyria seemed impressive, but they were actually pretty trivial.
Their 200 year empire only existed to accomplish one thing for God. And once he was done with them he disposed of them.
Like if America and everything we stood for and had accomplished was only meaningful for some small foreign policy result in a third world country.
Differing punishments
Outwardly Israel and Assyria face the same punishment
Both invaded, experienced destruction, and deported
Both destroyed so that only a remnant was left
Seemingly there was no difference
God was doing two different works
Assyria was destroyed to a remnant, and it was final
Israel was destroyed to a remnant, and it was part of God returning His people to Himself
Read v. 20-21
The exiles will return, but the return to the land is not in focus. They will return to the mighty God, the Holy One of Israel
Restorative judgment
God is using consequences of sin to bring Israel back to himself
Note - it is better to not sin in the first place and not have to go through these difficulties
But the key here is that God can use the same circumstances to either lead to their final judgment or to bring them to salvation
We must not look to the circumstances but to the promises of God for our hope