"After the Lord has used the king of Assyria to accomplish His purposes on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, HE WILL TURN AGAINST THE KING OF ASSYRIA AND PUNISH HIM—FOR HE IS PROUD AND ARROGANT."
Isaiah 10:12 (NLT)
• God may use someone who does not know Him to chastise His disobedient children.
- God did permit such a thing that His disobedient children might repent and turn back to Him for mercy.
- The person who stands as an enemy, who is being used as an instrument by God, may think they prevailed over the children of God because of their own strength.
- If you are under a siege of the enemy, you are being persecuted or mistreated by some people around you, who are being influenced by the devil; it could be a way of God calling your attention to what you have done wrong.
- When the Bible says God chastises those whom He loves (Hebrews 12:6), it does not mean He would come with physical cane to flog whoever disobeys Him, but it does mean the person may be denied certain benefits, Or lost certain privileges and honour, or face persecutions and challenges.
• In our text, Isaiah 10:12, God was using the King of Assyria to deal with the people of Isreal because of their sins, but He also did promise to repay the King of Assyria.
- Every sin committed by a believer must be remorsefully repented (1 John 1:9).
- If you are suffering because of your past sins, and you did confess, your situation might not instantly change, because God would want to watch you in the new decision you have made, to live right.
• The king of Assyria thought he was having the upper hand over other nations because of his military expertise, he never knew he was being used by God as an instrument to chastise other nations, including Israel—thus, he was proud and boastful of his victories and successes.
- He thought his god is higher or stronger than the gods of other nations: "13 He boasts, “By my own powerful arm I have done this. With my own shrewd wisdom I planned it. I have broken down the defenses of nations and carried off their treasures. I have knocked down their kings like a bull. 14 I have robbed their nests of riches and gathered up kingdoms as a farmer gathers eggs. No one can even flap a wing against me or utter a peep of protest” (Isaiah 10:13,14).
- The truth is, God can use anyone, a wicked person, to chastise whoever disobeyed Him.
GOD can use your unbelieving boss to chastise you!
NOTE: if you are under heavy persecutions as a believer, or you are experiencing disfavour in all you do, God might be calling your attention to something that He wanted you to correct in your Life. - Humble yourself to seek God's face: repent, amend your ways, and promise Him that you will not do again whatever you have done that brought the predicaments.
- Another important point is that whoever God has used as a cane to flog others would be discarded, thrown away, at the end of the day.
- Thus someone who is being used as a cane to flog others should not rejoice or be boastful about his or her accomplishments—but fear.
• God said He would deal with the boastful king of Assyria and his ARMIES because they did not acknowledge Him:
- BUT CAN THE AX BOAST GREATER POWER THAN THE PERSON WHO USES IT? Is the saw greater than the person who saws? Can a rod strike unless a hand moves it? Can a wooden cane walk by itself?
- THEREFORE, THE LORD, THE LORD OF HEAVEN'S ARMIES, WILL SEND A PLAGUE AMONG ASSYRIA'S PROUD TROOPS, AND A FLAMING FIRE WILL CONSUME ITS GLORY.
- The LORD, the Light of Israel, will be a fire; the Holy One will be a flame. He will devour the thorns and briers with fire, burning up the enemy in a single night.
- THE LORD WILL CONSUME ASSYRIA’S GLORY LIKE A FIRE CONSUMES A FOREST IN A FRUITFUL LAND; it will waste away like sick people in a plague."
Isaiah 10:15-18 (NLT)
- The king of Assyria did not acknowledge God as the source of his power and victories (1 Corinthians 1:29).
GOD wants acknowledgement and honour—give it to Him.
• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
Peace!