Season 6, Podcast 59, Isaiah 10:18-34, “The House of Pride.”

Season 6, Podcast 59, Isaiah 10:18-34, “The House of Pride.”

Sennacherib, king of Assyria, upon his attack of Jerusalem had every reason to believe that he would receive no significant opposition. His army had about 200,000 men. At the time of his attack against Jerusalem, Judah’s army was only probably 15,000 or less. Sennacherib declared victory even before he attacked. Why shouldn’t he be proud? He had already conquered Ephraim who symbolizes Israel or the Northern Kingdom and Syria. Both biblical and other historical records show that 46 fortified cities of Judah had fallen under the power of the Assyrians. He was merely tidying up, assuming total conquest of Ephraim and Judah.

But Sennacherib did not know the Lord. He thought everything he did was through his own power. The Lord allowed the Assyrian army to destroy Ephraim and vex Judah because Israel would not repent and call upon the Lord. 

It was arrogance and pride that destroyed the Assyrian army. Isaiah recounts the events describing the fall of the pride of Assyria.

Isaiah 10:17-19

17 And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day;

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.

19 And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them.

That was not what Sennacherib expected. With the backdrop of the Assyrian army attacking Jerusalem, causing tremendous devastation, Isaiah prophesies that at a future date that Judah will be delivered, and the House of Israel shall be gathered. They shall turn back to God.

Isaiah 10:20-23

20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

21 The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.

22 For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.

23 For the Lord God of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land.

Isaiah warned King Ahaz earlier to not make an alliance with Assyria against Ephraim and Syria. He urged them to put their trust in God and not in man, that the threats of Ephraim and Syria would come to nothing. He ignored Isaiah and agreed to pay tribute to Sennacherib, the nonpayment of which eventually leads the Assyrians to attack Jerusalem. Now we have Isaiah warning Judah not to fear the Assyrians. That, of course, would require an enormous amount of faith considering the disparity in their armies. 

Isaiah 10:24-25

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.

25 For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction.

Isaiah makes an astonishing promise. There was a legendary battle fought between the House of Israel and the Midianites. It is described in detail in Judges 6-8. The battle led by Gideon occurred in the 12th century BC, before the kings and during the period of the judges. The Midianites, Amalekites, and others referred to as ‘children of the east’ raiding Israel, destroying crops, stealing livestock, and devasting the land. Their numbers were compared to ‘grasshoppers for multitude’ and their primary goal was to destroy the land.