05/20/18 Sermon – Pride is the Ultimate Enemy
“Pride is the Ultimate Enemy”
Isaiah 10:5-19
Last week we read the beginning of chapter 10, which began with the word “Woe,” as a funeral cry, dealing with social injustice. Today’s Scripture, starting with verse 5 of the same chapter, begins with the same word, “Woe,” but this time it is directed to toward the instrument God used to punish Israel’s and Judah’s sins, it is directed toward the Assyrians. This second “Woe” reveals two things about Assyria. First, God had a problem with Israel and Judah but they weren’t going to be wiped out by Assyria because God had an issue with Assyria too. Because, secondly, Assyria may have been a tool God was using to punish the Israelites, but the tool failed to recognize that God was in control, and as soon as God was finished using it, because of their pride they too would be judged, which brings us to the essence of today’s Scripture.
Assyria had become the rod of God’s anger, an instrument of judgement against Syria, Israel and Judah. This wasn’t the first time God used another country to punish Judah. Between 605 and 686 BC God raised up the Babylonian armies to punish Judah, in Habakkuk 1:6-11 only to in turn announce judgement on Babylon in chapter 2 of Habakkuk which we will read about it in chapter 14 of Isaiah. Isaiah stated that it was God who sent Assyria against the ungodly nation of Israel because they refused to recognize God’s presence in their lives. It was God who gave permission to the Assyrians to seize loot, snatch plunder and trample them down like mud in the streets. One would think, since God was the one using Assyria to do His will, then Assyria must be justified in doing so and not need to worry about God judging them. Or does it? Therein lies the problem. Pride, the mother of the vices. You see, Assyria didn’t care about God’s will or glory, at all. Assyria only cared about Assyria. They wanted only to destroy and cut off as many nations as possible. God judges the very wickedness that He used, why?
As we have seen repeatedly throughout Scripture, God used the actions for His good, but judges the heart of those who performed the actions. We have the example of Joseph’s brothers who sinned against Joseph but God used it for His purpose, and Joseph’s brothers were punished. Saul sinned against David, but God used it for His purpose and Saul was judged. These examples should bring answers to questions we may have when we feel evil things are being done to us. Can God bring any good through evil that comes our way? We may not know in advance “HOW” God will bring about good, but we can trust that if we are seeking Him and doing what we are supposed to be doing, that He will.
We may ask, “Does God care about what they did to me?” These examples reveal that indeed God does care, and will bring about His correction or judgement according to His perfect will and timing.
Verse 8 reveals the inflated view Assyria had of itself. They regarded their commanders to be on the level of kings of other nations. Assyria then goes on to compare the Lord God of Jerusalem on the same level as Samaria’s idols which they worshipped. Verses 9 & 10 list the names of cities that came under Assyrian control between 740 and 721 B.C. and as far as the king of Assyria was concerned, not one of the gods of these areas helped them out.
Verse 12 is the definitive reason for God wiping out Assyria. The king of Assyria had an willful pride of his heart and a haughty look in his eyes. Things haven’t changed much today. How many leaders of countries today when seen on television, have a haughty look in their eyes?
The Bible describes God’s opinion on haughty looks:
Proverbs 21:4
Haughty eyes and a proud heart—
the unplowed field of the wicked—produce sin.
Psalm 101:5
Whoever slanders their neighbor in secret,
I will put to silence;
whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart,
I will not tolerate.
Psalm 18:27
You save the humble
but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.
The final section of today’s Scripture has God assessing the arrogance of Assyria. God goes on to say that instruments such as an ax, a saw, a rod and a staff, should never take credit for what the person using the instrument does with it. The strength and skill are in the user, not in the instrument.
This seems to fit when we talk about inanimate objects, but when it comes to humans, one can understand how easy it is for someone who isn’t aware they are being used by God as an instrument, to become proud, because we have even seen willing instruments of God become proud. Jesus said to his disciples in Luke 17:10
“So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”
Being an instrument of God may be wonderful, but the instrument deserves no glory. Because of the haughtiness of Assyria, the Lord had some punishments to give to them. They would be given a wasting disease and be consumed by fire. The flame of God’s holiness, which was once used on Israel and Judah, would be turned to use upon anyone that refused to admit there was a Holy God, who was Superior. The saving behavior is that of recognizing who the true “Light” is.
Today’s Scripture gives us a true perspective on exactly where God fits in on who is in charge of history. The lordship of God over all that happens is paramount. No nation stands on its own. The big picture revealed in today’s scripture reminds us that every nation is subject to God and every nation is serving God’s ultimate purpose.
Today’s Scripture also reveals the reality of human pride. The Assyrian king made no claim to having any gods. He acted as though he was supreme, not only to any gods in his country, but to all of the gods in any nation. To him, any god was pagan, which in the end pagan religion existed to only serve human needs. While one may regard the pagan god with words, what was really happening was the human ego that created the god was supreme. If one type of god didn’t do what they thought it should, well, they would just create a different type of god that would.
How does God’s lordship over history and human pride reveal itself today?
As for God’s lordship over nations, we have an example, in our life time that parallels with what Isaiah was talking about here in what happened in WWI. Nazi Germany set itself up to destroy the people of God. Whether God used Germany as a tool in His hand, it, like Assyria did not see itself as such but instead saw itself as supreme, and thus, like Assyria was destroyed, and God’s Jewish people not only survived but prospered. The fact is, no nation can see itself as superior to God and survive.
Neither can an individual for that matter. Pride is the ultimate enemy. Which brings us to an important question, “Am I the center of my world, or is there some other center?” For Christians, our answer should be God is the center and Jesus is my example. Yet we all know that it is remarkably easy to take credit for God’s actions.
So the best way to avoid this slippery slope is to cultivate a thankful attitude. We need to remember that regardless of what we can or cannot accomplish, we are all of us, tools in the hand of God. Whether we see positive or negative results is not the important part. The important part is to remember, God takes the results and uses them for His glory. He then turns and judges the heart of those who He used. Did they serve with a thankful attitude or where they thinking only of themselves? Who was the center of their world?
Today’s Scripture reminds us that whether it is a nation or an individual, it is still a tool in the hand of God. And when the nation or the person has an attitude of gratitude towards God, they are blessed.
Let’s pray.
