Wednesday, March 10, 2004
Lenten Fast
Anastasia, Patrician of Alexandria
6th Hour: Isaiah 10:12-20 1st Vespers: Genesis 7:6-9 2nd Vespers: Proverbs 9:12-18
Isaiah 10:12-20 RSV, especially vs. 12: "When the Lord has finished all His work on Mount
Zion and on Jerusalem, He will punish the arrogant boasting of the king of Assyria and his haughty pride." The Old
Testament Prophets, guided by the Holy Spirit, described vividly and accurately the immediate social and political world
around them. By the same Spirit, they received knowledge of the future, of events beyond their time. Of course, these
visions were colored by the Prophets' own cultural and historical experiences.
For the next three days, we will meditate on three different aspects of prophecy as written by Isaiah, the master-craftsman
of prophetic writing: 1) "forth-telling," speaking the word of God concerning current events; 2) "foretelling," predicting the
inevitable consequences resulting from current circumstances and actions; and 3) "foreseeing," looking far forward in time
to describe how God's hand will shape the great sweep of all human history.
Today's reading is an example of Isaiah's capacity to "forth-tell," to speak of God's judgment concerning current events.
The contemporary politics which Isaiah addressed were dominated by the expansionist empire of Assyria (in the area now
called Iraq). In 732 BC, in a series of swift military campaigns, Assyria captured Damascus in Syria and forced Israel, the
northern kingdom of God's People, into vassalage. How did God view these menacing events?
Isaiah declared: God "will punish the arrogant boasting of the king of Assyria and his haughty pride," but not until the Lord
had "finished all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem" (vs.12). That "work" was to carry out God's proclamation of
"woe" against His People for their pride and their arrogance, a pronouncement we read yesterday (Is. 9:9-10:4). That long
passage is very direct in "forth-telling" why God's "anger is not turned away and His hand is stretched out still" (Is.10:4).
Recall the condemnation of godlessness and evil doing (Is. 9:17) and of the People's insistence to "keep writing
oppression" (Is.10:1).
Lest the People should imagine that the invasions by Assyria and their ruthless subjugation of the neighboring kingdom of
Israel were accidental and that God would save them, the Lord declared through Isaiah that Assyria is "the rod of My anger,
the staff of My fury against a godless nation" (Is.10:5,6). Invincible Assyria was merely a tool in God's hands: "I send him,
and against the people of My wrath I command him" (Is.10:6). However, God also found serious wickedness in Assyria's
king. The greedy Assyrian monarch was not satisfied merely to carry out God's limited objectives; he believed he should
have more. Hence, in today's reading, the Lord declares, I "will punish the arrogant boasting of the king of Assyria"
(Is.10:12).
Observe Isaiah's "forth-telling." He makes a penetrating analysis of the psyche of the conquering Assyrian monarch
(vss.13,14). The king had unquestioning confidence in his human power: "I have done it" (vs.13), and in his personal
wisdom: "I have understanding" (vs.13). He saw no reason to restrain his greed and his theft of the products and wealth of
others (vss.13,14). God's view was quite opposite. He saw this monarch as a puny mortal, subject to Divine will. Tools,
such as axes, saws, rods, and staffs, do the bidding of the Master Who wields them. Therefore this king would soon
discover his vulnerability. Plague crippled his army when a wasting disease took the lives of 180,000 of his soldiers during
a siege of Jerusalem (2 K.18,19). Shortly thereafter, the Assyrian king was assassinated by his own sons (2 K. 19:37).
Then God, "the light of Israel [became] a fire," and He burned the kingdom of Assyria (Is. 10:17,18).
O Christ, our King and our God, guide the nations of the world into Thy justice and truth, and establish among them that
peace which cometh from Thee and is the fruit of righteousness.
