What lessons can we learn from Isaiah 10:9 about God's sovereignty? Setting the Scene Isaiah 10 records Assyria’s boastful march through a string of cities. Verse 9 captures the empire’s swagger: “Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus?” Assyria stacks up its victories as though no city—nor its god—can resist. Yet the surrounding passage (vv. 5-19) shows that every conquest occurs only because the LORD permits it. The very breath Assyria uses to brag is on loan from the sovereign God. Tracing the Hand of God through the Conquests • Calno, Carchemish, Hamath, Arpad, Samaria, Damascus—each fell in sequence, but not by chance. • 2 Kings 18-19 tells how Assyria later surrounds Jerusalem, but God halts the advance in a single night (Isaiah 37:36). • The pattern: God raises nations, sets limits, and brings them down again (Daniel 2:21). Lessons on God’s Sovereignty • God rules over rulers – “The king’s heart is a waterway in the hand of the LORD; He directs it wherever He pleases.” (Proverbs 21:1) – Assyria’s generals thought they were unstoppable; in truth they were instruments in God’s larger plan (Isaiah 10:5-7). • God uses even pagan power for His purposes – As with Pharaoh (Romans 9:17), God can display His glory through an arrogant empire before judging it. – The fall of Samaria (Northern Israel) fulfills earlier warnings (Deuteronomy 28:49-52). • God sets boundaries that no nation can cross without His say-so – “He determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands.” (Acts 17:26) – Assyria’s string of victories paused exactly where God decreed—at the gates of Jerusalem. • God’s word proves literally reliable – Isaiah foretold both Assyria’s triumphs (Isaiah 8:4) and its downfall (Isaiah 10:12). History unfolded exactly as spoken. – The precision of these prophecies assures believers that every promise of God stands firm (Isaiah 14:24). Walking It Out Today • Trust: World events may look random, but the same sovereign Lord orders them all. • Humility: Successes—personal or national—are gifts, never grounds for boasting. • Confidence: Because God’s sovereignty is total, His promises to protect and provide cannot fail (Psalm 46:10). |
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