In my men's Bible study we are studying Isaiah. Assyria, the ruling power in Isaiah's day, has been conquering cities in the southern kingdom of Judah, and finally reach the city of Jerusalem. They taunt the city's people and their king Hezekiah.
"Do not let Hezekiah mislead you when he says, 'The LORD will deliver us.' Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?" (Isaiah 36:18)
Hezekiah responds correctly by going to God with the enemies threats.
Isaiah 37:
17 "Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and listen to all the words of Sennacherib, who sent them to reproach the living God.
18 "Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have devastated all the countries and their lands,
19 and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them.
20 "Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, LORD, are God."
Here's how God answered King Hezekiah's prayer:
36 Then the angel of the LORD went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men arose early in the morning, behold, all of these were dead.
37 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned home and lived at Nineveh.
The Assyrians were unaware their victories were all part of God’s greater plan.
God had decreed the collapse of nations and the turning of cities into ruinous heaps.
Isa 37:26
26 "Have you not heard? Long ago I did it, From ancient times I planned it.
Now I have brought it to pass,
That you (Assyria) should turn fortified cities into ruinous heaps.
And now God will crush the very nation He raised up.
Isaiah 14:24-27
The LORD Almighty has sworn,
"Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand. I will crush the Assyrian in my land; on my mountains I will trample him down. His yoke will be taken from my people, and his burden removed from their shoulders." This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the hand stretched out over all nations. For the LORD Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?
Isaiah 45:7
I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things.
Deuteronomy 32:39
There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand.
Is God still God?
Daniel 2:20-21
"Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever,
For wisdom and power belong to Him.
21 "It is He who changes the times and the epochs;
He removes kings and establishes kings;
He's still God, and we can still trust Him. He will accomplish His plan for the nation we live in.
9 years ago
2 comments:
Do you mean to say that God judged the very people whom He raised up to judge? He judges is own judgers? (sarcasm here)
How can God find fault in Assyria? Who can resist His will?
I guess Paul addressed the same thing to the Romans.
"Who are you, O man, who answers back to God?"
May the clay never question the purposes of the potter!
His way are certainly not our ways. But we can trust Him whatever His ways bring to our lives.
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