58. So Shall It Stand (1)

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Hymns: 80 The Day Thou Gavest, Lord 78 At Even, When  the Sun was Set 79 God Be With You

Isaiah 14:24-32

24 The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand: 25 That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders. 26 This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. 27 For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?

28 In the year that king Ahaz died was this burden. 29 Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent’s root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent. 30 And the firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety: and I will kill thy root with famine, and he shall slay thy remnant. 31 Howl, O gate; cry, O city; thou, whole Palestina, art dissolved: for there shall come from the north a smoke, and none shall be alone in his appointed times. 32 What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation? That the LORD hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it.

So Shall It Stand (1)

OUTLINE

  • God’s People Strengthened (v28-32)

INTRODUCTION

Who can resist the will of God? As He has purposed, so shall it stand.

Theologically speaking, these are called the decrees of God. In the Westminster Shorter Catechism, in question 7 is asked what are the decrees of God? The decrees of God are, His eternal purpose, according to the counsel of His will, whereby, for His own glory, he hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pass.

The proof text included Isaiah 14:24.

Psalm 33:11 (KJV) The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

Isaiah 14:24 (KJV) The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:

God’s purpose is a keyword in our text, to signify His decrees are immutable. When He says it, that is it! That was how the universe was created. How glorious and majestic are the words of God! It goes to be inferred that nothing happens without God purposing it! The word doesn’t run amok! Even Satan’s temptation of Job requires God’s permission. As He reveals to Job, He is the Great Mover of the cosmos! Even the animal world is under His strict purview.

No less the affairs of men, even the movement of nations is under God. He declares – 26 This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. 27 For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?

As we review the decrees of God, we find Him working out things for our sake, the people of God. In His redemption plan and in His eternal plan for our exaltation.

Acts 2:23 (KJV) Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

Ephesians 1:11-12 (KJV) In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

Our text began in chapter 14 with God’s judgment against the Babylonian system in Isaiah’s time and the Babylonian system in the Book of Revelation. He decrees their destruction. Likewise, He decrees judgment upon Assyria (v24-27) and upon Philistia (v28-32). These decrees have a direct impact upon His people Israel.

  • God’s Purpose Fulfilled (v24-27)

24 The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand: 25 That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders. 26 This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. 27 For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?

Assyria is God’s instrument for His purpose as an instrument of judgment against His people and the day will come when He shall judge Assyria also – Isaiah 10:5 (KJV) O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.

This judgment is accomplished in the land of Judah according to God’s decree.

Assyria would invade Judah during the reign of Hezekiah and threaten Jerusalem with an overthrow.

Isaiah 37:36 (KJV) Then the angel of the LORD went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.

From the destruction of Babylon, the Prophet suddenly reverts to that of the Assyrian host, either for the purpose of making one of these events accredit the prediction of the other, or for the purpose of assuring true believers that while God had decreed the deliverance of His people from remoter dangers, He would also protect them from those near at hand.

Hezekiah was a king who followed the LORD wholeheartedly.

2 Kings 18:1-9 (KJV) Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Abi, the daughter of Zachariah. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did. He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan. He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses. And the LORD was with him; and he prospered whithersoever he went forth: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not. He smote the Philistines, even unto Gaza, and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city. And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria, and besieged it.

However, he would face the threat of the Assyrians. Unlike Israel, Judah under Hezekiah will turn to the LORD. Israel was unrepentant and the Assyrians were God’s instrument of chastisement against them.

2 Kings 17:12-17 (KJV) For they served idols, whereof the LORD had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing. Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets. Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God. And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them. And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

2 Kings 17:18-24 (KJV) Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only. Also Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made. And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight. For he rent Israel from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king: and Jeroboam drave Israel from following the LORD, and made them sin a great sin. For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them; Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day. And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.

Sennacherib brought a very formidable army into the land of Judah, but there God broke it, broke all his regiments by the sword of a destroying angel.

Those who wrongfully invade God’s land shall find that it is at their peril: and those who with unhallowed feet trample upon His holy mountains shall themselves there be trodden under foot. God undertakes to do this Himself, His people having no might against the great company that came against them: “I will break the Assyrian; let me alone to do it who have angels, hosts of angels, at command.”

Now the breaking of the power of the Assyrian would be the breaking of the yoke from off the neck of God’s people: His burden shall depart from off their shoulders, the Assyrian must be broken, that Judah and Jerusalem may be eased.

Let those that make themselves a yoke and a burden to God’s people see what they are to expect. [Matthew Henry]

This prophecy is here ratified and confirmed by an oath (v24): The Lord of hosts hath sworn, that he might show the immutability of his counsel, and that his people may have strong consolation.

Hebrews 6:17-18 (KJV) Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

What is here said of this particular intention is true of all God’s purposes: As I have thought, so shall it come to pass; for he is in one mind, and who can turn him? Let those who are the called according to God’s purpose comfort themselves with this, that, as God has purposed, so shall it stand, and on that their stability depends.

The breaking of the Assyrian power is made a specimen of what God would do with all the powers of the nations that were engaged against Him and His church (v26).

This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth, all the inhabitants of the earth (so the Chaldee), not only upon the Assyrian empire (which was then reckoned to be in a manner all the world, as afterwards, the Roman empire was (Luke 2:1), and with it, many nations fell that had a dependence upon it, but upon all those states and potentates that should at any time attack his land, his mountains.

All the powers on earth are defied to change God’s counsel (v27): “The Lord of hosts has purposed to break the Assyrian’s yoke, and every rod of the wicked laid upon the lot of the righteous; and who shall disannul this purpose? Who can persuade Him to recall it, or find out a plea to evade it? His hand is stretched out to execute this purpose; and who has power enough to turn it back or to stay the course of his judgments?” [Matthew Henry]

2 Kings 18:10-17 (KJV) And at the end of three years they took it: even in the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken. And the king of Assyria did carry away Israel unto Assyria, and put them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes: Because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD their God, but transgressed his covenant, and all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded, and would not hear them, nor do them.

Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them. And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have offended; return from me: that which thou puttest on me will I bear. And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king’s house. At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria. And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rab-shakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller’s field.

2 Kings 19:18-20 (KJV) And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them. Now therefore, O LORD our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD God, even thou only. Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, That which thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard.

2 Kings 19:31-37 And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall yet again take root downward, and bear fruit upward. For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this. Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it. By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the LORD. For I will defend this city, to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake. And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh. And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword: and they escaped into the land of Armenia. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.

To be continued…