12 So it will be that when the Lord has completed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, He will say, “I will [m]punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the pomp of [n]his haughtiness.” 13 For he has said,
“By the power of my hand and by my wisdom I did this,
For I have understanding;
And I removed the boundaries of the peoples
And plundered their treasures,
And like a mighty man I brought down [o]their inhabitants,
14 And my hand reached to the riches of the peoples like a nest,
And as one gathers abandoned eggs, I gathered all the earth;
And there was not one that flapped its wing or opened its beak or chirped.”15 Is the axe to boast itself over the one who chops with it?
Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it?
That would be like a [p]club wielding those who lift it,
Or like a rod lifting him who is not wood.
16 Therefore the Lord, the [q]God of hosts, will send a wasting disease among his stout warriors;
And under his glory a fire will be kindled like a burning flame.
17 And the light of Israel will become a fire and his Holy One a flame,
And it will burn and devour his thorns and his briars in a single day.
18 And He will destroy the glory of his forest and of his fruitful garden, both soul and body,
And it will be as when a sick man wastes away.
19 And the rest of the trees of his forest will be so small in number
That a child could write them down.
Isaiah moves on from the judgment against Israel/Judah to the very nation God is using to pour out his judgment, Assyria. We first see the pride of Assyria (13-14). They conquered quite a large empire, extending from modern-day Iraq clear into northern Egypt. Next we have God’s rebuke of Assyria, followed by an account of God’s judgment on Assyria.
The rebuke stands out as it seems so obvious. Should an axe or a saw exalt itself over the lumberjack? Should a club or rod boast that it is greater than the warrior who wields it? Of course not, but here they were, thinking they had conquered all this land, and subjected all these nations, all of their own accord.
Here’s where it hits home though. I’m an axe, and you’re an axe–or a rod, or a loom, or a pot. The point is, we are all tools or utensils in the hand of a mighty God. Unlike those tools, we do have free will, to do what God has called, or to go our own way. Yet when we succeed, when things are going well, where do we put the credit?
Do we remember that it is God who gave us the very abilities that enable us to be useful, to serve, and to be successful in our endeavors? Do we give Him the glory, or get puffed up with that most dreadful of vices, pride? We think so much (or little) of more horrible sins like adultery or murder, and yet pride is at the root of all, and it can creep into our lives in this subtle way.
Thank God today for all the gifts and talents He has given you. Thank Him for the very breath you breathe, and the food you eat, the bed you sleep on, the roof over your head. Take nothing for granted, God’s gifts are all around us, big and small. To God alone belongs all the glory and honor, leave it all for Him, and hoard none to yourself.
Don’t be a boasting stick, but be grateful for the role God has placed you in (even if it seems a temporary one and/or something that isn’t very awesome). Our God is big, and mighty, and He is doing something in your life, whether you see it or not–so look for His hand to guide you every day.