13/08/17 Isaiah 10:24-34 “The
enemy can never overrule God’s limits”
Isaiah 10:24 – Therefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt.
Therefore (as a consequence of the previous verses) thus says (commands; intends) the Lord Sabaoth, “Oh My people (am = nation suggesting God’s people, not goy which would suggest not God’s people) who dwell in (inhabit) Zion (or Jerusalem), do not be afraid (or do not stand in awe of) the Assyrian: he will smite (strike; kill; attack and destroy; conquer; chastise; send judgment upon) you with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against you in the same manner (way) that Egypt does (or has in the past).” (See Vs 26)
Do not be afraid of the Assyrian even though he will strike hard so hard that you will be conquered (with many killed); even though he will beat you with a staff like Egypt has done in the past. The Assyrian has much power and authority at the moment, but do not fear him nor his people, for once God’s anger (for His people) has ceased (run its course), His anger will instead be focussed upon the arrogant boastful Assyrian who considers it his strength and might that has won the victory over God’s people.
Isaiah 10:25 – For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction.
In a very little (a trifle) while (little; shortly) the indignation (anger) (at My people – see Vs 24) will cease (be completed; be accomplished; be fulfilled; be at an end; run its course).
And then My anger (nostril; face) will lead to their (Assyria’s) destruction (annihilation).
When that anger is soon fulfilled (run its course) upon God’s people, He will then turn His face (or anger) toward the destruction or annihilation of Assyria. It will be their turn now!
Isaiah 10:5 – O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.
Isaiah 10:26 – And the Lord of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and [as] his rod [was] upon the sea, so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt.
And the Lord of hosts (the absolute ruler; the totally sovereign One) will stir up (rouse; incite; brandish) a scourge (whip) for the Assyrians.
It will be like the slaughter of the Midianites, in particular the two princes of the Midianites at the rock of Oreb.
Judges 7:24-25 – 24 And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Beth–barah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Beth–barah and Jordan. 25 And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan.
Isaiah 9:4 – For thou (God) hast broken the yoke of his (God’s people) burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.
(Our English word “scourge” comes from an old French word meaning to afflict or torment.)
It will also be like the judgment of God that was inflicted upon the Egyptians in the crossing of the Red Sea. As His rod (the staff of Moses) was stretched out over the sea to drown all the Egyptian army, so shall the judgment of God be upon the Assyrians. Note that the rod of God’s judgment is in the hand of the Assyrian enemy in Vs 24, but now it is being used against the Assyrians.
Exodus 14:15-18; 26-28 – 15 And the
Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest
thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: 16
But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea,
and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry [ground] through
the midst of the sea. 17 And I, behold, I will harden the
hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon
Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. 18
And the Egyptians shall know that I [am] the Lord, when I have
gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
26 And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch
out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians,
upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. 27 And Moses
stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength
when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the Lord
overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28 And the
waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, [and] all
the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so
much as one of them.
Isaiah 10:27 – And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.
And it shall surely come to pass (a statement of fact that hasn’t happened yet) that the burden (load) of the Assyrians will be taken away (removed from; come to an end) from off your shoulder (back), and the Assyrians’ yoke from off your neck (back of neck); the yoke shall be destroyed (ruined; broken) because of the anointing.
because of the anointing – (literally “from the face or presence of the oil or fat”).
It could mean:
(a) because of the anointing of God’s anointed one – the context says the Messiah – note Immanuel or “For unto us a child is born….”.
In the short term, though, Hezekiah is probably implied as the anointed one; however, the complete fulfillment can only be through the Messiah – see Isaiah 11:1 next week.
or (b) the bullock grows so fat that the yoke literally breaks off (thus signifying the fatness of the people after the Assyrians have been removed). Thus, Cambridge says “and the yoke shall be destroyed by reason of fatness.”
It is probable that Hezekiah is primarily indicated by this, considering the destruction of Sennacherib’s army while laying siege to Jerusalem (in Hezekiah’s time). However, the context of Isaiah Ch.11 (next week) would ultimately suggest the anointing of the Messiah (Immanuel). Thus this is a prophecy with two levels, a more immediate partial fulfillment, and a longer term complete fulfillment.
Isaiah 11:1 – And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
Isaiah 10:28 – He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up his carriages:
Vs 28-32 deal with the advance of the Assyrian army toward Jerusalem, the ultimate goal for Sennacherib. He gets to shake his fist at Jerusalem in Vs 34 (a picture of the siege that caused great hardship for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
The Assyrian is come to Aiath. This appears to be the feminine form of Ai – about 5km south of Bethel. Bethel (“house of God”) is on the border between Benjamin (of Judah) and Ephraim (of Israel). It is about 20km north of Jerusalem, making Ai (Aiath) about 17km north of Jerusalem. (Distances may be vague or approximate.)
Migron – near Michmash..
Michmash – south-east of Bethel; about 11 or 12km north-east of Jerusalem.
At Michmash the Assyrian army lays up its carriages – that is, they leave behind (deposit) their heavier equipment possibly in order to travel more quickly in the hilly country, or to make a quick dash toward Jerusalem in a surprise attack. It is possible that they leave these behind at Michmash on their way to Migron?
Isaiah 10:29 – They are
gone over the passage: they have taken up their lodging at Geba;
Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled.
They are gone over the passage – probably a valley or pass that connected two areas. It could be the passage that Jonathan used to go to the Philistines.
1 Samuel 14:4-5 – 4 And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines’ garrison, [there was] a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side: and the name of the one [was] Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. 5 The forefront of the one [was] situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah.
Also note 1 Samuel 13:23 – And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.
Cambridge says – The "passage
of Michmash" (1
Samuel 13:23) - the deeply sunken valley, called now the Wady Sutveinit, between Michmash
(Mukkmas) and Geba (Jeba).
Geba – where they apparently stay overnight before a dash to Jerusalem the next day.
Ramah – Samuel’s town, which is nearby, is afraid (trembling like an earthquake).
Gibeah – About 5km north of Jerusalem. The inhabitants of Gibeah, where Saul lived, have fled (run for their lives; taken flight).
All these towns and cities, including Jerusalem, are in Benjamin territory. The route marks the advance of the Assyrian army, not necessarily in a straight line.
Note that Ramah doesn’t appear to be in the direct way of that advancing army, nor does Gibeah.
Isaiah 10:30 – Lift up
thy voice, O daughter of Gallim: cause it to be heard
unto Laish, O poor Anathoth.
Gallim – While the location of Gallim is unclear, it probably lies somewhere around Geba, Laish or Anathoth.
Laish – Just north of Nob which is their final destination in this passage.
Anathoth – The birthplace of Jeremiah. Just north of Laish. If the Assyrian army took the direct route from Geba along the road to Jerusalem, it might pass through both Laish and Anathoth.
poor (Anathoth) – poor; afflicted; wretched; weak; humble; lowly.
Isaiah 10:31 – Madmenah is
removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves
to flee.
Madmenah would have to be somewhere in that area. They have retreated, or fled the town.
Gebim is unidentified but probably also in that general area. They are recorded here as making preparations to flee (literally “to take refuge” somewhere).
Isaiah 10:32 – As yet
shall he remain at Nob that day: he shall shake his hand [against] the
mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.
Nob – a priestly town near Jerusalem, possibly near the Mt of
Olives, or Mt Scopus.
2 Samuel 22:18-19 – 18 And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and
slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod. 19
And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the
sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and
sheep, with the edge of the sword.
remain – tarry; delay; cease; stand still; make a stand; hold one’s ground.
Apparently the Assyrian army will call it a day when they reach Nob. It is possible that this could be the position from where they will commence their attack upon Jerusalem. It could also simply mean that they make a halt for the night in order to commence attack procedures the next day.
shake – wave; brandish as in threat.
daughter – the “qere” (the Old Testament scribes’ preferred word as opposed to the term actually written in the Hebrew text – the kethiv, which in this case was “house”)
So the phrase could read “the daughter of Zion” or “the house of Zion”. “daughter of Zion” is possibly the preferred term among commentaries.
Zion – Zion; parched place; alternative word for Jerusalem.
The Assyrian army will either halt for the day or perhaps “dig in” at Nob; they will shake (brandish) their fists against the mountain (or hill) of the inhabitants of Zion, which is the hill of Jerusalem.
The Assyrian army (or Sennacherib as representing Assyria) has reached its destination: it is now so close to Jerusalem that the people on the walls can probably see the Assyrians shaking their fists at the city.
Here the record of the advance of the Assyrian army finishes. The Assyrian is permitted to reach Jerusalem, permitted to lay siege to Jerusalem, but will not be permitted to enter nor to take victory over Jerusalem. God is sovereign!
Isaiah 10:33 – Behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror: and the high ones of stature [shall be] hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled.
Behold the Lord (adon), the Lord (Yᵉhovah) of hosts (tsaba’) – we have returned to the standard form of this title, after having a slightly different one in Isaiah 10:16 last week. The Lord Sabaoth will lop (cut off) the bough (branch; shoot) with terror (with an awful shock), and the high ones (exalted ones) of stature (height but probably meaning authority) shall be hewn down (chopped in two), and the haughty (proud; haughty) shall be humbled (made or brought low; abased).
The Assyrians have been permitted to go just so far, but no further. They have reached the point where they cannot progress any further. God has stepped in and halted their progress. He has cut off their advance as an axeman cuts off a bough. The Assyrian army is pictured here as the tall timbers, the cedars, of Lebanon (the high ones of stature) which will now be hewn down (cut down to size) producing shock and terror; the haughty (arrogant; boastful) Assyrians will be brought down low (abased).
Isaiah 10:34 – And he
shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by
a mighty one.
cut down – strike off skin; to bring down; to eat down.
iron – iron; tool of iron; harshness; strength; oppression.
Lebanon – “whiteness”; a wooded mountain range on the northern border of Israel. Here it represents the Assyrian (probably Sennacherib) and his army (the forest of tall trees).
Isaiah 10:18 – And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his
fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standardbearer fainteth.
Ezekiel 31:3 – Behold, the Assyrian [was] a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of an high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs.
And the thickets of the forest (a picture of the Assyrian army – see Isaiah 10:18-19) will be cut down roughly, harshly, with superior strength (that is, with iron), an attack which they cannot withstand nor fight against, and Lebanon (representing the Assyrian army) shall fall (probably of violent death) by a mighty one (great one; majestic one; probably representing one who is superior in power and authority).
2 Kings 19:35-36 – 35 And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they [were] all dead corpses. 36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.
This passage today leads into Isaiah 11:1 – And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
Therefore, today’s passage has to be seen in the light of the ultimate deliverance of God’s people by their Messiah, Immanuel, at His second coming. The scourging of the Assyrian may be seen as a type of the tribulation, a time of severe spiritual cleansing, before their Messiah returns to set up His millennial kingdom. It is only when the massive army of Armageddon declares war upon Jerusalem that Jesus the Messiah returns to save His people and then set up His kingdom on earth.
This passage can be seen as a statement by God that His enemies are to be allowed just so much freedom to go just so far, but no more! When God sets boundaries, or limits, those limits will be adhered to; they cannot ever be overruled. No matter how much people try to stretch the truth to fit their beliefs, the truth will always find their heresies out. God has set His limits and called this His truth. All other limits are heresy.
With man, the saying may well be true: give an inch and they’ll take a mile. However, if God gives an inch, no-one will ever stretch His limits! Truth is non-negotiable; this is what the Assyrian discovered when he tried to push God’s limits beyond that allowable by God’s will. When God states anything, it is truth! The Assyrian tried pushing that limit beyond God’s statement of fact (that is, God’s truth) and he paid the price, along with his army and ultimately his people, his nation. You can never play around with God’s truth.
Churches today are playing around with God’s truth as if it’s a game. Like satan who stretched God’s truth when tempting Eve (Genesis 3), churches today are saying “Hath God said…?” They question the truth as if perhaps it can be turned into “Hath God really said that?!” Does God really desire people to go to hell just because they have disobeyed some rules? Do those rules really matter to God, anyway? Is not God a God of love and mercy who will forgive His creation? Has the Bible really said that some things are an abomination to God? Haven’t we grown up since then? Hasn’t our culture changed now such that we may now re-interpret the Bible to fit in with modern society? And so on, and so forth!!
God’s truth has never changed, and never will! God is the same for all time; He never changes. For I [am] the Lord, I change not (Malachi 3:6) If something were the truth back in Moses’ day, then it is still the truth now. Time changes many things; such things are temporal. But the truth is eternal; it never changes. New doctrines arise again and again. Even the “Bible” changes according to what man wants the truth to be – so many versions based upon corrupt manuscripts that have watered down the truth, changed the truth for a lie, or removed the truth altogether.
There are so many belief systems that rely upon the writings of man’s “wisdom” in order to “know” their brand of the “truth”: the Watchtower Society; the writings of Ellen White; the book of Mormon; Calvin’s Institutes; the Catholic catechism; the Westminster Confession; the London Baptist Confession 1689; Mary Baker Eddy, and so on. Each of these “wisdom” references is used to define the truth from a particular point of view. Each group represents claims to have ownership of the truth of God, yet not one is in agreement with another. How many varieties of truth are there out there? Like the alleged 57 varieties of Heinz we have a plethora of opinions out there on the truth of God. (Why 57 is not clear but Heinz appears to have settled on the number 57 because 5 was his lucky number and 7 was his wife’s lucky number!) However, there is only one truth, God’s Word, as recorded in the Bible. All other truth variants are heresy!
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