Isaiah 10:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Those chosen for such tasks often develop a sense of superiority over those receiving punishment, forgetting that their authority is granted by God, who has allowed such adversity; they mistakenly believe they have outdone Him, the One who seeks to save. Consequently, God directs His displeasure towards them justifiably. As scripture teaches, He opposes the proud, humbling their arrogance and using appropriate suffering to convey the truth that the downfall of the punished results not from their might but from His decree. This was distinctly evident in the case of the Assyrian king. After conquering Judea and ravaging its cities, he held himself in high regard, falsely believing he had usurped the holy land against God’s sovereignty, who governs and promises redemption. For this reason, he states that the divine wrath has not yet subsided and will ultimately bring calamity upon the Assyrians. He reflects, "The rod of my fury is given into their hands, signified by me, that they may strike those who are ungodly against me; for I have commanded my own people to be made plunder and captives, and to trample down the cities, and to lay me in the dust." Had I not withdrawn my saving hand from them, depriving them of my continuous aid, they would have never been captives but would have consistently triumphed over their foes with my help. However, the Assyrian failed to comprehend this truth; rather, he believed he could annihilate numerous nations. He was convinced that no one could withstand his might, that he would easily conquer all, and reign over every nation without opposition. If someone confronted him with the notion that he could not singularly dominate the universe and would strive to seize all kingdoms, he might proclaim, "From the very edges of the eastern land, I have established the boundaries of my realm, having captured Damascus and Samaria, with their gods offering no aid; thus, I will conquer lands beyond." It is noteworthy that Rabsak, in relaying the king of Assyria's words to those on the wall, warned them not to let Hezekiah mislead them with empty promises of deliverance: "How shall the Gentile gods deliver every man from the hand of the king of Assyria? Where is the god of Emath and Arphath? And where is the god of the city of Seppharim? Is it possible to save Samaria from my grasp? Which of the gods of all these nations will rescue his land from my control, as the god of Jerusalem will save Jerusalem from my hands?" (Isaiah 36:14, 18-20). Therefore, God affirms that He will punish the arrogant Assyrian who dared to mock His divine wrath. Likewise, we must likewise shun the sin of pride; if it rises defiantly against divine glory, then surely woe will come to those who would dare to do so.

For instance, through the prophet Isaiah, God warns the depraved nation of Israel of impending ruin and the devastation of the land by the Assyrians, declaring, ‘O Assur, the rod of my wrath, and the scourge in his hand is my indignation. I will send him against the people of the wicked and against the people of My wrath; I will give him a command to plunder with plunder and booty and trample on him like dirt in the streets. But he shall not so think, nor shall his heart so think; he shall have it in his heart to ravage and destroy many nations’ (Isaiah 10:5-7). Here, God makes it evident that it is not the desire of the Assyrian king that prevails, but rather His divine purpose being fulfilled through the Assyrians. He identifies them as the instruments of His wrath and the means of His rage against the transgressions of Israel, thereby attributing their ensuing punishment directly to Himself: ‘I sent them,’ He affirms, ‘to take their spoil, and to subdue them that disobey Me, and are greatly mocked in their minds: for they have rejected faith in the one God, and honoured the idols of the heathen with foolish and cruel rites and sacrifices. However, the Assyrian king, while executing God's command, will misconstrue his actions as originating from his own volition, remaining unrepentant, and intent on slaughtering and annihilating nations, yet he will ultimately fulfill My purposes. When I, through the Assyrian conflict, administer discipline to My people and lead them toward reform—oh! Then woe to that rod, woe to the Assyrians, for I will cast them aside as unneeded instruments into the fire to be consumed.

In a similar fashion, we can understand the other just retributions that God imposes upon us for our wrongdoings. The Roman Emperor Titus, during the siege of Jerusalem, personally surveying the city's walls and witnessing the trenches filled with the dead and the blood of the wounded, lamented deeply, raising his eyes and hands to heaven, exclaiming: ‘Good God! This is not my business!’