Paul the Poke

Isaiah 10:33-34 Behold, the Lord, the GOD of hosts, will lop off the boughs with a terrible crash; those also who are tall in stature will be cut down and those who are lofty will be abased. He will cut down the thickets of the forest with an iron axe, and Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One.

Who is coming? The meaning of God’s names in this context are: Adonai (The Master), Yahweh (the Existing One). The grammar in the Hebrew indicates God is the cause. He is doing this repeatedly and intensively. The actions are extended and intentional. Descriptively, the actions are shocking and terrifying. This is a shock and awe campaign.

This is the same Lebanon that borders present day Israel to the north. Lebanon was known for their forests. It was a significant source of income. The trees are a sign of economic prosperity. Today on Lebanon’s flag is the very Cedar of Lebanon. These trees grow primarily in the mountains of the Mediterranean region. They grow up to 130 feet tall with a trunk of up to 8 feet in diameter. The wood of the cedar is disease resistant and slow to decay. Timber came from here to build the temple under Solomon. Cedar is the chosen wood of God’s temple. The temple built by Solomon was primarily made of cedar. 1 Kings 6 gives significant detail regarding the temple. Lebanon’s physical resource of lumber will be destroyed.

The verses are a reminder to the Assyrian. He is a tool of iron, an axe. The Assyrian is under the direction of God. 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. To the Assyrian, “This is how you wield an axe!”

A pattern of Scripture is noted in this verse along with other places in the Bible: trees, like proud men, are coming down. Psalm 29:5 confirms this fact. The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; Yes, the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.

Isaiah 2:13 And it will be against all the cedars of Lebanon that are lofty and lifted up,

Pride will be humbled. God will take care of that.

This entry was posted on December 22, 2013 at 11:39 AM and is filed under Isaiah, Prophecy with tags 1 kings 6, adonai, Cedars of Lebanon, Isaiah 10, Lebanon, Psalm 29, solomon's temple, The Assyrian, Yahweh. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.