The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Isaiah 10:5-7,
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
"Woe to the Assyrian, the rod of my anger,
in whose hand is the club of my wrath!
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.
But this is not what he [the king of Assyria] intends,
this is not what he has in mind;
his purpose is to destroy,
to put an end to many nations."
Through Isaiah, the Lord declares he is going to punish the Assyrians after they have been used by him to bring his judgment against his people Israel.
Some may find it inscrutable that the Lord would punish the punishers he uses. Here the Lord points out that the Assyrians are those "in whose hand is the club of my wrath!" They will be sent against Israel, "a godless nation, I dispatch him [the king of Assyria] against a people [Israel] who anger me, to seize loot and snatch plunder, and to trample them down like mud in the streets."
However, the Lord declares, "Woe to the Assyrian". In verse 12 we read, "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.'"
As I say, some find it inscrutable the Lord would punish those who he has used to judge others. However, we find this consistent with how the Lord portrays himself in Scripture. "The Lord works out everything to its proper end— even the wicked for a day of disaster." Proverbs 16:4. On this verse in Proverbs, Trempter Longman III makes the observation in the Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Wisdom and Psalms, the Proverbs volume, "God is in control of the wicked acts of human beings and uses their evil for good."
Just consider God's use of the Jewish leaders, Judas Iscariot and Pontius Pilate to effect the greatest act in all of human history to bring about the redemption of mankind, the sacrifice of our Lord, Jesus Christ!.
Can you think of other examples of the Lord using wicked people for his purposes?
in whose hand is the club of my wrath!
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.
But this is not what he [the king of Assyria] intends,
this is not what he has in mind;
his purpose is to destroy,
to put an end to many nations."
Through Isaiah, the Lord declares he is going to punish the Assyrians after they have been used by him to bring his judgment against his people Israel.
Some may find it inscrutable that the Lord would punish the punishers he uses. Here the Lord points out that the Assyrians are those "in whose hand is the club of my wrath!" They will be sent against Israel, "a godless nation, I dispatch him [the king of Assyria] against a people [Israel] who anger me, to seize loot and snatch plunder, and to trample them down like mud in the streets."
However, the Lord declares, "Woe to the Assyrian". In verse 12 we read, "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.'"
As I say, some find it inscrutable the Lord would punish those who he has used to judge others. However, we find this consistent with how the Lord portrays himself in Scripture. "The Lord works out everything to its proper end— even the wicked for a day of disaster." Proverbs 16:4. On this verse in Proverbs, Trempter Longman III makes the observation in the Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Wisdom and Psalms, the Proverbs volume, "God is in control of the wicked acts of human beings and uses their evil for good."
Just consider God's use of the Jewish leaders, Judas Iscariot and Pontius Pilate to effect the greatest act in all of human history to bring about the redemption of mankind, the sacrifice of our Lord, Jesus Christ!.
Can you think of other examples of the Lord using wicked people for his purposes?
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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