A Complete Destruction is Decreed

Isaiah continued his prophecy against Assyria, Israel, and Judah with these words: ‘Now in That Day the remnant of Israel, and those of the house of Jacob who have escaped, will never again rely on the one who struck them, but will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel.’ One of the biggest problems that both Israel and Judah were running into at the very end of their kingdoms was their lack of trust in God, so much that they were actually paying foreign kings for protection, only to find those kings taking advantage of them. And Israel was about to find out just how foolish that was, as Damascus was about to fall to Assyria. This was a warning for King Ahaz of Judah, who history tells us went and paid the king of Assyria for protection from Damascus, thus ignoring the Word of the LORD through Isaiah.

The Day would come when the remnant of Israel would rely on God alone. That day has yet to come. With this promise of destruction was a promise of a remnant living through it. A remnant would return (Shear Jashub was the oldest son of Isaiah, and this is what his name meant), and they would turn to the Mighty God. Though they were as numerous as the sands of the sea, a promise to Abraham, only a small number would be spared, for God had decreed a destruction overflowing with righteousness. A complete and total destruction was decreed for the land of Israel.

This destruction was not just for Israel, for God then stated, ‘For in a very little while My indignation against you will be spent and My anger will be directed to their destruction!’ So once God was done pouring out the promised calamity on Israel for their sin and disobedience, He would turn against the tool He used to afflict them (Assyria), and they would be subject to the same destructive power and wrath. Their destruction would be complete. God would remove the yoke of Assyria and arise against them like He did against Midian at the rock of Oren and against Egypt at the Red Sea. They would come up against Jerusalem, attempt to overthrow it, and this would be their downfall. The LORD would cut them down like a tree and Lebanon would fall.

This prophecy was for the immediate future, but it also concerned a further distant future, one where Assyria and also Lebanon would fall. The Day of the LORD is at hand, where Israel once again is trusting in other nations instead of God, so God will come against the nations Israel trusts in and decimate them. Their strength will be removed, so that there will be no earthly help for Israel. Israel will be forced to turn to the LORD alone for help and deliverance, but they will only do that when all of their own strength is also gone. A complete destruction is once again decreed for the Land of Israel. Their enemies will surround them and only a small remnant will remain, preserved by the miraculous power of their God. This is the topic of the next portion of this message of God through Isaiah.