Isaiah 10

Alas Assyrian, the rod of my anger, the staff in whose hand is my fury. Wesley: God’s invitation to take the charge; the instrument wherewith I shall chastise my people; mine anger puts the weapons into their hand.

Assyria is the rod in God’s hand. He is still a rod, not the hand. The fury is the Lord’s.

Calvin: God calls the Assyrian as a judge calls an officer. The staff they carry is His anger: everything in their hand is wrath. All their strength proceeds from His wrath. Blind attacks of enemies are regulated by a heavenly providence. Do not suppose anything happens by chance.

Their swords are His anger. Assyria, rod of my anger, staff, fury.

I will send him against a profane nation, and against the people who anger me I will give him a command to take the plunder and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. Wesley: send him—by my providence, giving him both occasion and inclination to this expedition.

“Send”—a sending against hypocritical Israel (9:17). Occasion and inclination are still given; the treading is still theirs to do. He sends.

Calvin: the rod is not uncertain; appointed for the unthankful. Hypocritical nation: no uprightness. People of His indignation: nothing in them but grounds of anger. I will command him: two ways of commanding—secret decree, and the law that demands voluntary obedience. Fanatics who excuse their wickedness by the decree are guilty of falsehood. The Assyrian has the law; he serves his own lusts. Accidental, as to men, that God acts by the reprobate.

God gives the charge, and Assyria takes the plunder. On this both agree: godless nation, people of my wrath, spoil, mire of the streets.

However, he doesn’t mean so, neither does his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off not a few nations. Wesley: he doth not design the execution of my will, but only to enlarge his own empire. Seasonably added, to justify God in the judgments threatened to the Assyrian. To cut off—to sacrifice multitudes to his own ambition and covetousness.

Assyria has its own purpose: conquest. God uses the empire as his rod, yet the two wills are not the same act, and Assyria is judged for what it meant (v. 12). Arminians find here a clear case of God governing through agents who remain accountable.

Calvin: he will not think so. Wicked men vomit rage as if God could not restrain them. Step forth: they are justly chastised by a secret judgment. Nothing farther from the Assyrian than to serve God; yet God works with amazing skill, bringing men to yield obedience without their knowledge or will. Their attempts are totally different; this will not prevent God from executing what He has decreed. The Assyrians will have their turn. God restrains their presumption from carrying into effect whatever they think fit. Lift your eyes to God, whose decree is far beyond that blind fury.

He still does His work by a heart that never meant it. Does not so intend, heart does not so think, destroy, cut off nations.

Are not my commanders all kings? Wesley: equal for power, wealth, and glory to the kings of other nations.

The word “says” introduces Assyria’s boast. The rod talks like a throne.

Calvin: the reason he will not think he is the rod: blinded by pride, he acknowledges no authority superior to his own. Whoever imagines he can do anything, however small, assumes the power of God. Princes so intoxicated they scarcely remember they are men.

The boast is why he cannot see the hand.

Is not Calno like Carchemish? Wesley: have I not conquered one as another, stronger as weaker? Shall not Samaria be as Damascus?

A list of cities. Samaria already in his mouth as done.

Calvin: shall it not happen to the unconquered as to the subdued? Wicked men talk of former actions as if they will break through every obstruction without the will of God. He who exalted us will be able to cast us down.

The list is his proof; it is not.

As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols, whose engraved images exceeded those of Jerusalem and of Samaria. Wesley: kingdoms that worshipped their own idols and thought they could protect them. He calls even Jerusalem’s gods idols by contempt, because none delivered their people, and he judged them inferior to the sun, the Assyrian god.

The mention of idols is part of Assyria’s taunt. He ranks Zion with the rest. That ranking is the blasphemy of v. 12.

Calvin: he breaks into more outrageous language: not only men but God and the gods he worshipped. First he exalts himself above God; second he makes no distinction between God and false gods. If he despised Apollo, he despised him as having something divine. He placed the living God on a level with heathen gods.

The living God is not in that list.

Shall I not, as I have done to Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols? The next city on the list is Zion.

The words “Shall I” threaten Jerusalem itself. Samaria’s fall does not prove Zion’s God is an idol. The child of 9:6 still sits.

Calvin: he ridicules Israel’s confidence as if no greater power belonged to God than to idols. The second blasphemy: the living God leveled with the false.

He will try; v. 12 answers. Jerusalem, her idols, Samaria, her images.

When the Lord has performed his whole work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the willful proud heart of the king of Assyria, and the insolence of his eyes. Wesley: because of this impudent blasphemy. His work—chastising his people so long as he sees fit. Looks—insolent words and carriage.

“When”—Zion first, then the rod. The work on Zion is still His, and the punishment of the boast is still His.

Calvin: two clauses—God will punish the king; the time is not yet, that believers may wait. When He shall have chastised the sins of His Church, as a master settling his family, then the rod. Do not despond when the tyrant is exalted. Fruit of the stout heart: pride’s seat. God cannot endure the arrogance of proud men. Whole work: our haste would drag Him off a work only begun. Judgment begins at the house of God, then extends to those without.

“When”—Church first, then the tool. Held in common: finished his work, Zion, Jerusalem, arrogant heart, boastful look.

By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I have understanding. I have removed the boundaries of the peoples, and have robbed their treasures. Like a valiant man I have brought down those who sit on thrones. Wesley: invaded their lands and added them; put down—deprived of former glory.

The axe claiming the hewer’s work.

Calvin: he ascribes all victories to his power and wisdom. Strength of hand: vast armies. Wisdom: tricks and dishonest cunning by which he gained on his neighbors. Removed boundaries: extended dominion. He claims what belongs to God.

The speech v. 12 will punish. Shared: strength of my hand, wisdom, boundaries, treasures, thrones.

My hand has found the riches of the peoples like a nest; as one gathers eggs that are abandoned, I have gathered all the earth. There was no one who moved their wing, or that opened their mouth, or chirped. Wesley: eggs the dam left; all the riches of the earth—an hyperbole usual in such mouths; peeped—as birds when the nest is robbed.

Assyria speaks of plunder as gathering eggs from a nest. No chirp is his lie; Zion will chirp by the Holy One (v. 17).

Calvin: it cost him no trouble. A deserted nest, eggs taken without the parent birds. No one ventured to open the mouth. He attributes this to his wisdom and makes no acknowledgment of providence. These boasts are bellows to kindle judgment.

The earth was not ownerless. Nest, eggs, all the earth, none moved a wing, chirped.

Should an ax brag against him who chops with it, or a saw exalt itself above him who wields it? Should a saw exalt itself above him who saws with it? As if a rod should lift those who lift it up, or as if a staff should lift up someone who is not wood. Wesley: how absurd for thee, an instrument, to blaspheme thy Lord, who has as great power over thee as a man over the ax wherewith he heweth.

The rod of v. 5, named. He is still wood. The boast is still sin. Not a fake warning: this question has an answer in v. 16.

Calvin: as if an axe despised the hand that moves it. Men rise against God whenever they ascribe to themselves more than is proper. God presides over individual acts, moving men like rods—not a mere general upholding of nature. The question of free-will is unseasonably introduced: if God turns their thoughts, they do not therefore cease to plan. Not violent compulsion; in a wonderful manner He regulates all movements, so they still have the exercise of their will. All efforts are fruitless if God do not grant success.

Particular providence, not a dead staff that still chooses.

Therefore the Lord, GOD of Armies, will send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory a burning will be kindled like the burning of fire. Wesley: the sovereign Lord of thine and all armies shall strip him and his princes of wealth, might, glory, and destroy his numerous army as fire does combustibles.

Judgment comes because of the boast. The Lord of hosts outranks this host.

Calvin: therefore—because he trusted in wealth and forces. Fatness made lean. Under his glory a burning: the greater the splendor, the more fuel. Nothing left, as a tree cut from the root.

The hewer kindles the axe. Lord God of hosts, wasting, stout warriors, glory, burning, fire.

The light of Israel will be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame; and it will burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day. Wesley: that God who is a comfortable light to his people; a fire to the Assyrians; thorns—his vast army, no more able to resist than dry thorns to fire.

Shared—the Holy One of 6:3 is this flame.

Calvin: in fire, light and heat. He consumes enemies by heat and enlightens the godly by light. God is a devouring fire and, in another view, light: contrary effects on godly and ungodly. Holy One: He protects the people He has chosen. In one day: sudden, when they think danger far off. Defenses like tow.

The same Holy One, two effects. Light of Israel, fire, Holy One, flame, thorns, briers, one day.

He will consume the glory of his forest and of his fruitful field, both soul and body. It will be as when a standard bearer faints. Wesley: his great army like a forest for numbers; soldiers thick as ears of corn; soul and body—totally, inwardly and outwardly; like an army when the standard-bearer is slain, panic in the whole.

“Forest”—host thinned. Soul and body: the man and the ranks. Not a chart.

Calvin: highest and lowest consumed. From the soul even to the flesh: both unhealthy, most dangerous. Vengeance falls on them also. The flame only scorches the godly; it consumes the ungodly, in whom it finds only fuel. Fainting of a standard-bearer: ensigns taken, great slaughter.

The image of the forest shows that nothing sound will be left. Common ground: glory, forest, fruitful land, soul and body, wastes away.

The remnant of the trees of his forest shall be few, so that a child could write their number. Wesley: the remainder of that mighty host.

Assyria’s leftover, not Israel’s (that is 10:20). A child can number what was a forest. Few, after the flame of v. 17.

Calvin: a Hebrew idiom for few. Once a vast forest; after the trees are hewn, those left are scattered, countable by a child who struggles past three or four.

The rod, numbered. Both traditions agree: remnant, trees of his forest, child could write their number.