What other biblical instances show God using foreign nations as instruments of judgment? Deuteronomy 28:49—A Pattern Introduced “The LORD will bring a nation against you from far away, from the ends of the earth, like an eagle swooping down—a nation whose language you will not understand.” From Moses’ warning forward, Scripture repeatedly records the LORD using outside powers as His disciplinary “rod.” The same pattern unfolds in many eras and locations. Assyria against the Northern Kingdom • 2 Kings 17:6 – “In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria…” • Isaiah 10:5-6 – “Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger; the staff in their hand is My wrath. I will send him against a godless nation…” Assyria sweeps in “like an eagle,” exactly echoing Deuteronomy 28:49, emptying the land and scattering Israel. Babylon against Judah • Jeremiah 25:8-9 – “Because you have not obeyed My words… I will summon…My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon…to destroy this land and…make it an everlasting desolation.” • Habakkuk 1:6 – “For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that ruthless and impetuous nation…” Babylon becomes God’s chosen instrument when Judah repeats Israel’s sins. The seventy-year exile fulfills the covenant curses laid out in Deuteronomy 28. Persia against Babylon • Isaiah 45:1 – “Thus says the LORD to Cyrus His anointed…to subdue nations before him…” • Jeremiah 51:11 – “The LORD has stirred up the spirit of the kings of the Medes, because His purpose is to destroy Babylon.” Once Babylon has served its purpose, the Medo-Persian Empire rises to judge Babylon itself, showing that no nation is exempt from the same divine standard. Nations Raised up during the Judges Repeatedly, Israel’s disobedience invites foreign oppression; when the people repent, the LORD raises a deliverer. Examples include: • Mesopotamia under Cushan-Rishathaim (Judges 3:7-11) • Moab under Eglon (Judges 3:12-30) • Midian (Judges 6–8) Each oppressor is described as being “given” power by the LORD until Israel cries out. Rome and the Fall of Jerusalem • Luke 19:43-44 – “For the days will come upon you when your enemies will barricade you…they will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.” • Luke 21:20-22 – “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies…these are the days of vengeance to fulfill all that is written.” Rome’s siege in A.D. 70 mirrors Deuteronomy 28’s language of siege, famine, and scattering, underscoring that the covenant consequences still stand. Key Takeaways • The LORD remains sovereign over all nations; He can raise or remove empires to accomplish His purposes (Daniel 2:21). • Judgment is never random—each foreign power is called “My servant,” “rod,” or “anointed,” highlighting divine intent. • The pattern is restorative; wherever judgment falls, God also extends a path back through repentance and promise (2 Chronicles 7:14; Jeremiah 29:11-14). God’s faithfulness to His word in Deuteronomy 28 guarantees both correction and, for the repentant, ultimate restoration. |
    |