YIELDED AND WIELDED

Reference text: Isaiah 10:5-16

Our text today from the prophet Isaiah captures a rebuke of the kingdom of Assyria. Because of the expanse of their victories, they forgot they were being wielded in the hand of God and so boasted thus “We in our own power and wisdom have won these wars. We are great and wise. By our own strength we broke down the walls and destroyed the people and carried off their treasures” (Is 10:13)

Those words sound very similar to those of King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4:30 “Is this not Babylon the Great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?” We know what happened to Nebuchadnezzar where he lost his throne.

With Assyria, God responds with a number of questions before passing judgment:

Shall the ax boast greater power than the man who uses it? Is the saw greater than the man who saws? Can a rod strike unless a hand is moving it? Can a cane walk by itself?” (Isaiah 10:15)

The axe, saw, rod and cane are all nothing but tools which on their own accomplish nothing. They have to be wielded to accomplish any task. Jesus said it this way in John 15:5 “apart from me, you can do nothing”. Beloved, 

Man is a creation, hence men can accomplish much only when they are yielded to, and wielded by the creator.

In the absence of this, all boasting comes to nought.

#sly