We have the advantage of seeing the sweep of biblical history in hindsight. Not only did Isaiah likely not have any idea when the Babylonian conquest would come, but he almost surely had no clues to the timing of Messiah. Yet, we must understand, he would hardly have cared to know such a thing. The only reason he makes much of the timing of Assyria's invasion and conquest of Damascus and Samaria was to show God knows these things, but no one else does. For the Hebrew mind of faith, it's enough to rest on God's knowing. Things not yet on the radar will come when the time is right, when God is ready.
God had chosen the region of Galilee to bear the brunt of Assyria's invasion. They were the first to embrace idolatry, particularly when half the Tribe of Dan settled there during the Period of Judges, setting up temples to pagan gods. This area was the first to see destruction and feel the wrath of God. By the same token, the redemption of the Lord will begin in the same place, for it is here the Messiah will do His first miracles. In ancient times, the captured war materiel of the enemy was burned as a victory thank offering to the gods. Recalling the glorious victory of Gideon and his 300 men over the entire army of Midian, the Messiah would conquer the hearts of men from all nations, attaching them to the final covenant of grace on the earth. What Israel had been called to do -- to be a light to all the world -- would be fulfilled in Christ.
Isaiah draws all the symbolic connections to the identity of the Messiah. He would be the Son of God, with unlimited authority in Heaven and earth. All the titles of royalty would be His, but in particular He would be born of the House of David. His reign would be characterized by the perfect justice and righteousness no earthly king could even hope to achieve. Once ascended to His throne, there would never be another king, never be a need for a successor. The drive behind it would be nothing related to human politics, but the desire of God Almighty Himself.
However, for a time, that destruction of Galilee must come first. After the first onslaught of Assyria in 732 BC, the surviving nobles of Ephraim and Manasseh did indeed fulfill this prophecy by declaring arrogantly they would rebuild. Where there had been mere dried mud bricks, they would rebuild with cut stones. Where there had been the spongy sycamore trees native to that region, they would frame the buildings with indestructible cedar. They rejected the prophecies of Isaiah and other prophets sent to them before this, and remained unrepentant after it. Thus, the hand of God's wrath was still active.
Because they rejected the call to repentance, and the one chance they had to remain a nation, they were destroyed. God would insure the arrogant nobles on one end, and the corrupted pagan priests and prophets on the other, would together be cut off. Those few how survived would become slaves. The final destruction of the leading households was assured, and there would be no mercy. With this, though, His hand was not yet finished.
Their incredible wickedness would consume them. Less than a decade after the initial Assyrian invasion, which had already destroyed Damascus, the Northern Kingdom was in revolt. Assyria came back, and laid siege to Samaria in particular, which had been allowed to stand. Before long, the people were starving, eating the most repugnant things trying to stay alive. Infighting was rampant between the tribal leaders, and it all contributed to their downfall.
Again, the dire refrain: God's wrath is not complete; His hand was still reaching out to destroy.
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By Ed Hurst
16 July 2008
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