13 July 2022

Ah, Assyria, the rod of my anger—
the club in their hands is my fury!
Against a godless nation I send him,
and against the people of my wrath I command him,
to take spoil and seize plunder,
and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
But this is not what he intends,
nor does he have this in mind;
but it is in his heart to destroy,
and to cut off nations not a few. 

From Isaiah 10:5-7,13-16, NRSV

In today’s reading we hear the prophet Isaiah expressing God’s anger against Assyria. The Assyrian empire had extended far and wide, including parts of Israel and Judah. God’s anger had two causes. It would seem that Assyria had overstepped its remit by conquering lands that they were not supposed to. It had been the intention that they would subdue idolatrous nations but the desire for domination had meant that they had extended their power further than this. In addition to this unjustified bid for dominance, Assyria had also taken credit for their victories and had not acknowledged God’s part in these. Although the dominant power of its time, Assyria eventually became overpowered by Babylon.

• • Why do you suppose Assyria overstepped their God-given task?
  • How can we know when we are fulfilling God’s will or our own? 

Pray for the people in countries who are under attack from or overtaken by the might of others.