Assyria, The Rod of God's Anger

Introduction

We began a new cycle in ‘The Book of Immanuel’ last week

We’re again headed to hope but first we must hear the warnings of judgment

Isaiah 9:8-10:19 are 2 messages of warning

Firstly, judgment coming on Israel through Assyria (Isa. 9:8-10:)

Next, judgment coming to Assyria

Both Israel and Assyria are judged for the same fundamental problem - arrogance/pride

READ Isaiah 10:5-19

Immanuel = God with us

After reading Isaiah 9-10 you might ask why this section is called the ‘Book of Immanuel’

Isaiah 9 especially doesn’t look like God is with them, rather that He is against them

Perhaps life seems like that to you at times

Doesn’t seem like God is with us, doesn’t even seem like God is for us

Our passage today helps us understand this a bit more

Though it seems harsh & is hard, God is with His people even in judgment

Though it seems like evil triumphs, all evil will be punished

Let’s see how this judgment leads to good and reveals that God is with His people

God Corrects His People

Isaiah 10:5-11.

God’s Rod of Discipline

Isaiah 10:5-6

God disciplines

Begins clearly telling us that judgment is coming on Assyria

First, God clarifies what is happening in the bigger picture

God uses Assyria to judge Israel for their arrogance

Then God will judge Assyria for their arrogance

Interesting description of Assyria here - they are God’s rod & staff

When we here those 2 things perhaps we think of Psalm 23

Psalm 23:4 NKJV

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Perhaps at first thought they seem contradictory - Isaiah speaks of the rod of anger and David a rod that comforts

David’s illustration of the Shepherd helps us understand how God is shepherding here

The valley of the shadow of death is a place of deep darkness, it is a path of extreme danger

Surely, there are many ways in this world that we find ourselves in darkness and danger

1 of the ways we find ourselves in places like this is when we walk in the ways of the world rather than the path of righteousness

Like the lost sheep or the lost son in the parables of Jesus (Lk. 15)

The rod & staff bring us comfort when we recognise God uses them against those that would harm us

Its also true that they bring us comfort when God must use them on us

It won’t feel like comfort at the time

End result is comfort in that He has saved from greater pain & loss

Proverbs 13:24 “24 He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly.”

…for thy rod chasteneth me when I go astray, and Thy staff stayeth me when I should fall—two things most necessary for me, good Lord; the one to call me from my fault and error, and the other to keep me in they truth and verity. – John Hooper (cited in The Treasury of David Vol. 1 p.368)

God isn’t absent here or even against His people

Though Assyria afflicts He is with them, He is working for them

When we go astray

Isa. 10:6 though the word means ungodly, heathen, apostate, hypocrite captures the essence of the situation

God sends Assyria to judge Israel? Surely not

Assyria was godless, wicked, cruel people

Israel considered Assyria to desperately ungodly

That’s why Jonah didn’t want to go to Nineveh - they didn’t deserve God’s grace

God doesn’t judge by comparison

Israel doesn’t get a pass because they’re not as bad as Assyria

So, we don’t get a pass on our sin because we’re not as bad as someone else

Israel was being judged for their ungodliness

As we saw in the last sermon we are all personally responsible for our sin

We’ll see the same with Assyria

Though God will use them to judge Israel that doesn’t release them from the guilt of their own sin

So, God brings judgment on Israel because they have not obeyed God - they have lived in “pride and arrogance of heart” (Isa. 9:9)

Just because you don’t acknowledge God doesn’t mean you aren’t accountable to Him

Evil Appears More Powerful than God

Isaiah 10:7-11

God’s hand often goes unnoticed

Now we begin to see the other side of that judgment

God’s focus shifts from Israel to Assyria

Assyria doesn’t see things like God does

They aren’t being used as a tool they are the master, they are mighty

They aren’t working for righteousness but for destruction, conquer and power

This is often why we don’t recognise the rod of God as comforting

To us it appears to be the power of the wicked

From our perspective it seems as if wickedness triumphs

The wicked become bold & arrogant in their triumph not realising they aren’t in control

Arrogance assumes that God is weak

Here we see the heart of Assyria’s sin & reason for their judgment

Assyria has conquered all the nations around them

They are the mightiest kingdom & proud of it

They don’t just see their conquest as defeating kingdoms

They see their conquest as defeating gods

No god has been able to stand in their way & so they are mightier than all gods

They can come against Judah with arrogance because they already defeated Samaria (Israel)

Since they can defeat Israel’s God they will surely destroy Judah too

They assume their power & victory ais in themselves

Humanity is still living the same

We may not be conquering nations but we assume God is dead

I can live a prosperous life here in Perth without ever acknowledging God

In fact, I can deny God, mock Him while I enjoy my 2 story house with my Tesla in the driveway

While God’s people wonder if God is actually with them, the rest don’t care

God Protects His People

Isaiah 10:12-19.

Evil isn’t Supreme

Isaiah 10:12-14

God has a purpose

Isa. 10:12 is the central verse and key to the passage

It tells us why God is working the way that He is

He isn’t judging Israel in unrestrained anger - He’s been clear that His anger towards them is justified

Performed = completed

God is working to complete a purpose, accomplish a work in Israel

Everything that God does He does with purpose

In fact, all of time is planned out by God & this event is to bring us to God’s ultimate end

Why can’t God completely destroy Judah (particularly)? He’s made a promise to them

Promises built upon earlier promises

God’s purpose for all of history is redemptive

He is saving a people (from every nation) for Himself

From the Garden, through Noah, to Abraham, Moses and David God promised a Saviour from sin

A Saviour He woud use Israel to bring into the world, a King who would rule on David’s throne

With Assyria God is purifying His people so that promise can be kept

God is with His people

How do we know this is the purpose here? How do we know this is where the judgment is to lead them?

Isaiah 7:14 “14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”

Isaiah 8:10 “10 Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing; Speak the word, but it will not stand, For God is with us.””

No matter what the circumstances look like, God is with His people

The season you’re in may be harsh, maybe you’re in the valley of the shadow of death but fear no evil for God is with you

God’s care & presence in your life doesn’t mean ease and it doesn’t guarantee you won’t suffer loss

It guarantees that He will keep His promise and deliver you as He promised

God judges all ungodliness

Yes, Assyria is wicked but God’s use of them doesn’t mean He overlooks their wickedness

Assyria will be judged

God’s standard is the same for Israel & Assyria - arrogant hearts, pride, idolatry

By using Assyria the way He has and by judging them He isn’t being ungracious to Assyria

They too had been warned of the consequences of disobeying God

As seen in Jonah, they had even had true repentance among them

God’s judgment of Assyria is not unjust either

Their judgment is a reminder that the destroyer isn’t supreme

God is in Control

Isaiah 10:15-19

He works with skill

Cabinet door in creche needed repair

I’ve got a toolbox with the necessary tools in my cabinet here but the tools were too lazy to go fix it

That’s clearly a ridiculous statement

The power of a tool is in the skill of the one who knows how to use it

Assyria is the tool & God has the skill to expertly use them

Though Assyria doesn’trecognise it, God is in total control

Proverbs 21:1 “1 The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.”

Nothing has changed today - in fact, it looks pretty similar

Israel is in judgment, constantly under threat from surrounding nations

God hasn’t left His people

Every nation, every people group, everything is being worked by the skilled hand of God

Why? To accomplish His great purpose of redeeming His people

The arrogant will be devoured

Assyria would eventually fall to Babylon & as described here that fall would include disease, fire, destruction

As we see over and over, unrepentant arrogance has only one end - destruction

What they afflicted upon Israel will fall upon them

God is consistent in all things including His judgment

Our arrogance/pride/rebellion against God leads to the same judgment and inevitable destruction

John 3:19 “19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”

Our defeat isn’t God’s defeat

As all of this unfolds on Israel it appears they are defeated

In the eyes of Assyria (& the world) Israel’s God is defeated also

Our defeat isn’t defeat for God

God is masterfully moving everything to accomplish His purpose

Future, prophetic nature of these events in Israel will become clearer through Isaiah

We believe the Bible teaches this world will become increasingly influenced by evil

Many Christians believe this to be a pessimistic view and one that weakens God

I believe the opposite

Just because it looks like defeat here doesn’t mean God is defeated or weak

God is perfectly working His plan and He will be victorious

Conclusion

Immanuel is more than just a name Jesus is known by

Immanuel is a promise - God is with His people always

Sometimes His presence isn’t peaceful, sometimes if feels hard, harsh or even absent

Doesn’t mean He doesn’t care or that He is out to get you

It means the opposite - He’s doing what needs to be done to keep you from the danger you are headed toward

Just like Israel & Assyria the way to avoid the pain is repentance

That is true for everyone here this morning - believer or unbeliever

Believer, remember that in love God corrects His people and protects His people