Isaiah 10:16-19 – Pride or humility - the choice is clear!

Earlier in Isaiah 10, God said He would use Assyria to chasten Israel, His people. The problem with the Assyrians was that they thought too highly of themselves. They were oblivious that they were merely pawns in God’s hand. While God referred to Israel as godless, that did not mean that Assyria was not. It just meant that God could not tolerate sin. Be it Assyria or Israel, sin would be a matter that would always be dealt with by God. Isaiah 10:16-19 show how God dealt with haughty Assyria.

Two ways in which God would deal with Assyria were indicated in verse 16. Firstly, God would allow a wasting disease to affect Assyria’s stout warriors. There will be a gradual weakening of the spirit of the fighting men that their strength would rot. Secondly, God would send a fire. What was this fire? It was the external force that God would use to wilt Assyria and bring her to her knees. History said that in later years, Assyria became a weakened force internally because of effeminacy and externally they withered and collapsed under the invasion of the combined forces of the Median and Babylonian.     

 

In verse 17, using two titles, Isaiah referred to God as the Light of Israel and the Holy One. It was God who would deal with Assyria. As Light and Fire, God would destroy Assyria and bring about its utter devastation. His dealing with that haughty nation would be thorough and complete, and it was within a short span of time. Verse 18 tells us that not only would the glory of Assyria as a nation be destroyed, but her people described as “the soul and body” would be weakened and faint. Verse 19 indicates that those who survive God’s dealing would be so few that even children would be able to number them and write them down. As surely as God had guaranteed in Isaiah 10:12, saying “So it will be that when the Lord has completed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, He will say, “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the pomp of his haughtiness.” And God did deal with Assyria, both her king and subjects.

 

God abhors pride and arrogance. Proverbs 16:18 tells us that “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before stumbling.” Instead of pride, we should live humbly. Pride is a sure ingredient for trouble. Do not court trouble by being haughty. Instead, be humble and develop an attitude of gratitude that will enable us to live gratefully for all the goodness and blessings of God.