Sermon Tone Analysis

So tonight we pick up in Isaiah chapter 10.

Now remember we found that 10:1-4 were connected to the prophesy of the “open hand” in chapter where there were 4 section all ending with His “hand is stretched out still”.

Now in 10:5 and following we will see God prophesying against Assyria.

Before we read though we must consider some truths about God.

God is on the throne.

God is in control.

God does whatever please Him.

God is perfect in righteousness and wisdom.

That being understood, God uses whomever he chooses.

In the case of our passage today He has been using Assyria to exact judgement on various nations.

So lets begin at verse 10:5:

​​“Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger

​​And the staff in whose hand is My indignation.

6 ​​I will send him against an ungodly nation,

​​And against the people of My wrath

​​I will give him charge,

​​To seize the spoil, to take the prey,

​​And to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

7 ​​Yet he does not mean so,

​​Nor does his heart think so;

​​But it is in his heart to destroy,

​​And cut off not a few nations.

8 ​​For he says,

​‘​Are not my princes altogether kings?

9 ​​Is not Calno like Carchemish?

​​Is not Hamath like Arpad?

​​Is not Samaria like Damascus?

10 ​​As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols,

​​Whose carved images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria,

11 ​​As I have done to Samaria and her idols,

​​Shall I not do also to Jerusalem and her idols?’

”

In regard to 5 - 7 notice how Assyria is referred to, the rod of My anger and the staff in whose hand is My indignation.

Assyria was Gods tool although they thought they were doing whatever they wanted and had no regard for Yahweh.

God has job for them, ​I will give him charge, which is ​To seize the spoil, to take the prey, ​​And to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

​​And the staff in whose hand is My indignation.

Against, an ungodly nation, And against the people of My wrath

​​And to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

​​And against the people of My wrath

Who or what nations are God speaking about?

Syria, Israel, and Judah.

In verse 7 - we get what Assyria is thinking in their heart.

They think they are “badest on the block” , ​But it is in his heart to destroy, ​​And cut off not a few nations.

He, Assyria believes he will be the king of the World.

When He say in Verse 8 ​For he says,

​​And cut off not a few nations.

​‘​Are not my princes altogether kings?

9 ​​Is not Calno like Carchemish?

​​Is not Hamath like Arpad?

​​Is not Samaria like Damascus?

Assyria had such an inflated view of themselves that they regarded their princes to be on the level of the kings of other nations.

He is comparing great victories of their history to what they will do to these cities of their time.

In verse 10 & 11 he continues to exalt himself saying in effect the idols of Samaria and Jerusalem cannot stand against him.

They Assyrians considered Yahweh to be just another idol when in fact they were working out His will.

Isaiah continues:

12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Lord has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks.”

13 For he says:

​

​​“By the strength of my hand I have done it,

​​And by my wisdom, for I am prudent;

​​Also I have removed the boundaries of the people,

​​And have robbed their treasuries;

​​So I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man.

14 ​​My hand has found like a nest the riches of the people,

​​And as one gathers eggs that are left,

​​I have gathered all the earth;

​​And there was no one who moved his wing,

​​Nor opened his mouth with even a peep.”

So notice that God says, when I am done using this tool, Assyria, saying, when the Lord has performed all His work , “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks.”

God has a lot to say about arrogance and haughty looks and none of it is good!

What is arrogance?

The definition of arrogance is when a person believes he or she is better than others and knows more than everyone else, or when a person believes he is capable of something he really isn't.

The Bible describes God's opinion of haughty looks: A haughty look, a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked are sin.

() The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, him I will not endure.

() For You will save the humble people, but will bring down haughty looks.

()

Verse 13 is the definition in action.

For he says:

​By the strength of my hand I have done it,

​​“By the strength of my hand I have done it,

​​And by my wisdom, for I am prudent;

Be careful to not pat yourself on the back, Paul said it like this:

For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

Verse 14 is the imagery of a predator taking eggs from a nest, he says I take whatever I want and “ ​And there was no one who moved his wing, Nor opened his mouth with even a peep.”

​​Nor opened his mouth with even a peep.”

Isaiah continues with God’s indictment of His tool, Assyia:

​​Shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it?

​​Or shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it?

​​As if a rod could wield itself against those who lift it up,

​​Or as if a staff could lift up, as if it were not wood!

In golf we say its not arrow, but the Indian.

Like that song the touch of the masters hand.

But our secular world sees Gods creation, the oceans, the mountains, and the heavens and concludes it must have made itself.

He continues:

​​Therefore the Lord, the Lord of hosts,

​​Will send leanness among his fat ones;

​​And under his glory

​​He will kindle a burning

​​Like the burning of a fire.

17 ​​So the Light of Israel will be for a fire,

​​And his Holy One for a flame;

​​It will burn and devour

​​His thorns and his briers in one day.