• Download a powerpoint resource for this lesson here.
Isaiah 10:5-11:16 addresses the coming Assyrian onslaught. God will use Assyrian encroachment to answer Judah’s wickedness and neglect of her covenant.
The content of this section has two parts. Chapter 10 addresses Assyria, which uses its role in God’s plan to chastise Judah into a moment of opportunism. God knows Assyria will take advantage of their powerful position and has a dreadful word for them: God also will answer Assyria’s evil (10:12).
Chapter 11 provides a word to Judah. Assyria will have done its best to destroy Judah, but God will restore Judah and its royal line of rulers. God is not finished with Judah. Thus God will guide history in such a way that his objectives are fulfilled and justice is served in Assyria and Judah.
History is a required subject in every school. Even the simplest rendering of history acknowledges that kingdoms, empires and nations run their course and expire, never to rise again. God’s hand in the demise of dominating nations is not always seen, but this section of Isaiah shows God actively judges those who perpetrate injustice and oppression.
How does God answer the injustice perpetrated by his covenant people? Do they get a “pass”? Not according to Isaiah.
God will use secular powers as rods of punishment for his erring people, but woe to the nation he uses (10:5). The word “woe” means “trouble” and refers to the prophet’s pronouncement of God’s sending of devastating trouble. God will send Assyria to pillage his people Judah, but Assyria will take advantage of the opportunity and try to destroy Judah.
This attitude is reminiscent of Jesus’ statement in John 10:10: “The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy … .” The order of the words in Jesus’ description is insightful: stealing does not satisfy, so the thief escalates to killing; killing does not satisfy, so the thief, now murderer, escalates to destroying what remains.
Such was the character of Assyria who took such glee in destroying full nations, after presumably stealing and killing. This injustice will be answered after God has used Assyria to chastise his people.
Sign up for our weekly edition and get all our headlines in your inbox on Thursdays
Six of Assyria’s conquests are listed in verse 9. The list of destroyed regional capital cities “marches” toward Judah from far to near. Both God and Assyria warn Judah a destructive danger approaches.
One city, Carchemish, will have a special place in Assyria’s final demise. A great battle, involving the Middle East’s super powers would be fought at Carchemish some 125 years to Isaiah’s future. That battle will be the greatest ever fought to that point in history and will have the same era-shifting consequences as Yorktown, Gettysburg and Midway. Thus, Assyria boasts in destroying Carchemish, but the day will come when Assyria will be destroyed there, fulfilling God’s woe in verse 5.
For the present, however, God will use Assyria to address Judah’s veneration of the idols. The idols mentioned in verses 10-11 represent Judah’s turning from the Lord. Their idol worship opened their lives to the practice of injustice and godlessness.
Verses 13-14 state the claim of Assyria’s king that his glorious dismantling of nations was done in his own strength. God answers this boast in verses 15-19: No axe is greater than the one who yields it.
The remainder of chapter 10 speaks to Israel, promising a survivor of God’s wrath (vv. 20-21) which will return to the Lord, witness the lifting of Assyria’s burden (v. 27) and see her destruction (vv. 33-34). God will accomplish this after he has dealt decisively with Assyria.
A remnant of Israel will survive because of the Lord’s graciousness to his covenant people. Though they deserve judgment, God will cultivate a faithful people from among those he allows to survive the judgment.
Chapter 11 opens with a further promise underscoring the Lord’s restoration of a portion of Israel. The royal line of David will be preserved and extended as a part of the promised remnant. The promise is that Israel’s true purpose will be preserved through the judgment.
The reference to Jesse in verse 1 emphasizes David’s humble beginnings to characterize the humble re-establishment of Israel. The nation’s rebirth will be like David’s obscure beginnings in Judah. Out from obscurity will come a Davidic branch that will bear substantial fruit. This branch will be so impressive to God that his Spirit will reside with him in power.
Verse 2 lists seven things the Spirit will convey to the one extending David’s line. He will use these divine qualities to judge with justice, righteousness and faithfulness (vv. 4-5). The character of this branch’s rule will be the lack of violence and destruction as seen in seven unlikely peaceful pairs in verses 6-8. The peace describes the grand power of the Branch of Jesse to rule in perfect peace. His rule will be so powerful that harm and destruction yield to the knowledge of the Lord (v. 9).
Verse 10 describes Jesse’s root as a banner. This refers to the ancient military banners carried into battle and used to rally troops. In this case, the banner becomes the rallying place for God’s people to gather from all nations and find their rest in him.
This is God’s vision of history. He will guide history to address wickedness and injustice and, at the same time, maintain a righteous relationship his people.
We seek to connect God’s story and God’s people around the world. To learn more about God’s story, click here.
Send comments and feedback to Eric Black, our editor. For comments to be published, please specify “letter to the editor.” Maximum length for publication is 300 words.