October | 2013 | Paul the Poke

Archive for October, 2013

Isaiah 10:16 Burn, Burn, Burn!

Posted in Isaiah with tags adonai, Assyria, burn, Exodus 3, fire, Isaiah 10, judgment, Lord of Hosts, Yahweh, YHWH on October 27, 2013 by paulthepoke

Isaiah 10:16 Therefore the Lord, the GOD of hosts, will send a wasting disease among his stout warriors; and under his glory a fire will be kindled like a burning flame.

There are three names or concepts of God mentioned in the initial part of this verse.

Adonai is the Hebrew term that is translated “Lord”. It can mean ruler, master, owner, or sovereign. The word is plural. When Adonai is the term for God, it indicates His absolute sovereignty and greatness (The Doctrine of God, Chester McCalley).

Yahweh YHWH (scholars refer to this as the Tetragrammaton, Greek for four letters) is the proper name of the Hebrew God of the Bible. The correct spelling is YHWH. Note there are no vowels in this term. Vowels from the name Adonai were substituted and the term Yahweh emerged. Jehovah is a word that has been translated to English from the Hebrew, Yahweh. The name for LORD is Jehovah. It means the existing one. This name is so sacred, Jews refuse to pronounce it. The name is first introduced in Exodus 3:14 when Moses and God are having a discussion. His name is a statement of existence. Exodus 3:14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

Lord of Hosts is a military term. He commands the armies or angels.

The king of Assyria has been informed who is in control and in charge of the situation. God is intentionally sending a nasty disease to the Assyrian army. This disease will affect the strongest and most vigorous of the troops, the fat ones.

… and under his glory a fire will be kindled like a burning flame. The Hebrew language is repetitive with this portion of the verse. Another loose translation could read …burn, burn, burn, burn! The last reference in the verse for flame is the Hebrew word ‘esh. One of the definitions for this word according to Strong’s is a supernatural fire with accompanying theophany. To the king of Assyria, fire is coming. Is this a hint of what is to come?

Isaiah 10:15 Assyrian Arrogance, Part 3 The Tool

Posted in Isaiah with tags arrogance, Assyria, clay, Creator, God, Isaiah 10, Potter, Romans 9, tool on October 20, 2013 by paulthepoke

Isaiah 10:15 Is the axe to boast itself over the one who chops with it? Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it? That would be like a club wielding those who lift it, or like a rod lifting him who is not wood.

How effective can a tool be if it is not directed by somebody? What good is a tool if it is laying on the ground or hanging on a nail in shop? A tool is made of separate pieces or crafted into use by a creator. A tool is forged into existence. This tool, the king of Assyria, thinks he is greater than the Creator. He thinks he is smarter than the One who made him. The king thinks he is stronger than the hand that is holding him and using him. To the king of Assyria, you are a tool.

Romans 9:20-21 On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?

In this example, God is the potter. We the people, are molded objects made by God. What right does humanity (the pot) have to question God’s intent when it comes to our lot in life? Like it really matters what we think. A modern day translation would be, “Don’t talk back to God.”

Does humanity think they know what is best? That is what is happening in effect when we question God? We are questioning God’s intention, plan, and purpose for us.

We all have strengths and weaknesses. Yes, we have the capacity to improve and get better. But ultimately, our abilities whatever they may be are limited.

God made some of us to be honorable. The Greek work for honorable is time (tee-may). It means special, reverence, deference, expensive in cost, precious. Some people were made to be fine, ornate vases for display. They are put on a pedestal.

God made some of us for common use. The Greek word for common is atimia. Translators were being kind when they used the word “common”. Atimia means dishonor, ignominy, or disgrace. Some people were made to be toilet bowls and defecation comes their way.

Whether we are an implemented tool or a molded pot, we are not responsible for our existence. We did not create ourselves. We are all made for God’s purpose.

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Isaiah 10:12-14 Assyrian Arrogance, Part 2

Posted in Isaiah with tags adonai, arrogance, Assyria, God, jerusalem, Lord, Mount Zion, Pride on October 13, 2013 by paulthepoke

Isaiah 10:12 So it will be that when the Lord has completed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, He will say, “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the pomp of his haughtiness.”

This verse brings to a close the judgment on Israel. The series of four judgments began in Isaiah 9:12. God is proclaiming that His current job in Jerusalem is finished. The phrase, In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away and His hand is still stretched out…, has been completed four times and has come to a close.

Adonai is the Hebrew term that is translated “Lord”. It can mean ruler, master, owner, or sovereign. The word is plural. When Adonai is the term for God, it indicates His absolute sovereignty and greatness (The Doctrine of God, Chester McCalley). God is in charge and not the king of Assyria.

God’s punishment will be directed towards the “fruit” or children of the king.

Look at the adjectives and other translations and how they describe the king of Assyria.

The king’s heart is described as prideful and insolent. The pride is great in magnificence and magnitude. His haughtiness and arrogance are described as glorious and splendorous.

Isaiah 10:13-14 For he has said, “By the power of my hand and by my wisdom I did this, For I have understanding; and I removed the boundaries of the peoples and plundered their treasures, and like a mighty man I brought down their inhabitants, and my hand reached to the riches of the peoples like a nest, and as one gathers abandoned eggs, I gathered all the earth; and there was not one that flapped its wing or opened its beak or chirped.”

Here is a direct quote from the king of Assyria. God is directly quoting the king. Look at the number of times “my” and “I” are used. “My” is noted three times. “I” is noted five times. This guy is a real team player. He did it all by himself.

The king sees himself as a strong and brilliant leader. There are no boundaries for this guy. He goes where he wants. He admits he steals from others from all of the earth. He brags about conquering and looting. He takes whatever he pleases. No one can contest him as he sees it. This guy is a real leader recognizing the efforts of those around him and supporting him, not!

Isaiah 10:5-11 Assyrian Arrogance, Part 1

Posted in Isaiah with tags Arpad, arrogance, Assyrian Empire, Calno, Carchemish, Damascus, Hamath, Israel, jerusalem, Pride, Samaria on October 6, 2013 by paulthepoke

Isaiah 10:5-7 Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger and the staff in whose hands is My indignation I send it against a godless nation and commission it against the people of My fury to capture booty and to seize plunder, and to trample them down like mud in the streets. Yet it does not so intend, nor does it plan so in its heart, but rather it is its purpose to destroy and to cut off many nations.

Assyria is described as a “shebet”. That is the Hebrew word for rod, staff, branch, shaft (of spear, dart), club (of shepherd’s implement), or a scepter (mark of authority) per Strong’s Concordance. In today’s vernacular, a whoopin’ stick!

Assyria is the beating stick in God’s hand. He is in control of Assyria. God is going to use Assyria as a stick to punish His godless people. Their job is to pack them down like mud in the street.

Notice, it is the mental attitude that leads to its conquest for power and expansion. See the words “intend”, “plan…in its heart”, and “purpose”. These are mental words of thought. Assyria is calculating and devising from the inner part of their soul, mind, and conscience according to the language and Hebrew vocabulary.

The “stick” has other ideas. Israel is not enough. The “rod” wants more and history shows us how Assyria expanded. The Assyrians built an empire that stretched from Egypt on the southwest to Persia (modern day Iran) on the east and from the Persian Gulf on the southeast to Anatolia (modern day Turkey) on the north.

Isaiah 10:8-11 For it says, “Are not my princes all kings? Is not Calno like Carchemish, or Hamath like Arpad, or Samaria like Damascus? As my hand has reached to the kingdoms of the idols, whose graven images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria, shall I not do to Jerusalem and her images just as I have done to Samaria and her idols?”

At this point, God reminds Assyrian leadership of his boastful and arrogant attitude. Calno, Carchemish, Hamath, Arpad, Samaria, and Damascus are city states that were conquered by the Assyrian Empire (NET Bible). Assyrian leadership is reminding God of their resume. They have handled these places in the past and they can handle Jerusalem.

“We have conquered powers greater than Israel and little Jerusalem,” Assyria. They are effectively telling God that He cannot stop Assyria. This is a shot at God’s sovereignty and power. Assyria has handled other countries and their “gods”. We can handle Jerusalem and their “god”. We, Assyria are in control. This is the mindset.

This also speaks to how Assyria saw Israel. They saw Israel as a nation who worshipped idols. They did not see Israel as a country who was worshipping God of the Bible.

Assyria did not ultimately realize they were going up against the Creator. God is in charge and Assyria is in the palm of God’s hand.