Man in his folly and God in his righteousness.
We have a graphic picture here of—
I. MAN IN HIS FOLLY. Under the dominion of the folly which is born of sin, man.
1. Indulges in designs which are beyond his strength. (Isaiah 10:7.) It is "in his heart" to do much greater things, often to work much greater wickedness, than he has power to execute. Under sin, men indulge in great-and even gross self-exaggeration; guilt is an infatuating thing.
2. Looks with dangerous complacency on his little triumphs. (Isaiah 10:8, Isaiah 10:9.) He has the "stout heart" and the "high looks" (Isaiah 10:12) which come from a consciousness of success, and which are the sure precursors of further folly. Few men can stand even the smaller triumphs, and still fewer the greater ones. When a man finds himself indulging the spirit of complacency he had better question himself severely, for he is walking on a "slippery place."
3. Attributes to himself what is his only in a very slight degree. (Isaiah 10:13; vide 1 Corinthians 4:7.) Man can only work with the materials which he has received from God, under the conditions which God determines, within the limits which God imposes. "All our springs are in him." The attitude of arrogant authorship is as preposterous as it is offensive.
4. Comes to hasty and ignorant conclusions. (Isaiah 10:10, Isaiah 10:11, Isaiah 10:14.) The blind Assyrian ignorantly associated the idols of other lands with "the idols of Jerusalem." He was either ignorant of Jehovah's Name, or he placed him on a level with other gods. He was going forth in a blind confidence that should be rudely shaken, that should be completely shattered. Man in his guilty folly assumes many things to be true which are absolutely false; he fails to make inquiry, and his ignorance utterly and fatally misleads him. And there is nothing in regard to which this is so true as the nature, the character, and the will of God.
5. Is blind to the end and issue of his doings. "He meaneth not so," etc. (Isaiah 10:7). Under the sway of sin man moves along a path which he thinks will lead to honor, enjoyment, success, triumph; but "the end of that way is death." Selfishness has its own purpose in view, and confidently reckons on achieving its end; but behind or above it is a Power which it is unable to resist, and which turns it to another anti very different end.
II. GOD IN HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. Everywhere present, sleeplessly watching, mightily interposing, is the righteous Ruler of all.
1. He punishes his own people when they go astray. "I will send him against a hypocritical nation," etc. (Isaiah 10:6); "When the Lord hath performed his whole work upon Mount Zion" (Isaiah 10:12). Judgment often "begins at the house of God," with the people of God. Whom the Lord loves he chastens. God has a gracious purpose in his visitations; he desires and designs repentance and restoration, but he does not spare. He speaks of his own people as "the people of his wrath" (Isaiah 10:6). Let no "Christian nation, "or" Christian Church," or Christian man wrap itself (himself) up in imaginary security. God may have a rod in his hand even for Judah as well as for Assyria.
2. He will overwhelm with humiliation those who impiously oppose themselves to his holy will. (Isaiah 10:15-19.)
3. He will use the ungodly as instruments in his hand of righteousness and power. (Isaiah 10:5-7.) Sennacherib should be the rod with which the hand of God would smite. God can make and will make the wrath and the ambition of men to serve the high purpose which he has in his mind. Thus he used Pharaoh, Cyrus, Pilate, and many others, who thought that their own aims were the ultimate issue that was being wrought out.