NOTES for Isa 10:5-7

But where is the famous freedom? Here is, God says that Assyrian – is nothingelse than God's instrument, and it is in itself nothing. If man (or a group ofmen, people, the State) can be axe or saw in the hands of God, without evenknowing that himself, - then where is the freedom? Probably, we can resolvethis problem like this. Strength and reason are in nature are good. And anygood can be only from God. All that is good in Assyrian, all that gives it thepossibility of conquering the other nations, is given by God. And that is whyGod can allow to use His gifts - or to take them back, if the one, to whom they[gifts] were giving, take the credit for everything and acts against His will.

The prophecy about Assyria reveals the meaning of historical upheavals that occurred not only in ancient times. It helps us see the deep essence of many events in later centuries.

The great empire, devouring its neighbors and in Isaiah's days looming over Judah, had grown used to relying on its power. It considered its military successes, and not only its military successes, to be exclusively its own achievement. Its kings and commanders, in principle, could acknowledge their successes as a gift from above, but what did not fit into their consciousness was that their victories and greatness were not at all a sign of God's favor.

But the Bible gives us the right to conclude that the Lord, seeing that people desire what cannot benefit them, nevertheless allows things to happen according to their desires. To those who do not understand what is better for them, yet claim such understanding, He lets them see and experience what will happen if what they so passionately wanted comes about.

At the same time, He Himself does not allow the final destruction of erring humanity and can turn even the most monstrous situation toward good. But those who wanted evil will still have to answer for their deeds.

The main theme of Isaiah's preaching offered to us by today's reading is the theme of the remnant (vv. 20-23). This concept later became key for the entire Old Testament messianic tradition. In fact, Isaiah already understood perfectly well that those who had preserved faithfulness to God, the Covenant, and the Torah were a minority in Israel. And all the disasters that befell the country and the people, including the Assyrian invasion about which the prophet warns his compatriots (vv. 5-6), were conditioned precisely by this.

The issue is not even whether the inhabitants of Jerusalem and Judah accept Isaiah's own words or not. After all, in essence the prophet demands nothing special of them. He only reminds them of the need to observe the Torah, including when public and political life are involved (vv. 1-4). But, as history shows, this is exactly what turns out to be practically impossible both in Isaiah's time and today. It is not that living in accordance with the law given by God is impossible in principle: God would hardly have demanded the impossible from His people through the mouth of His prophet. But in that case one would have to live in a completely different way, so different that a person accustomed to the present order of things is afraid even to think about such a life. So afraid that even the disasters and catastrophes that overtake him seem less frightening than this possible other life, and a person is ready to do anything at all just to avoid turning to God, to the only One who could help (Isa. 9:13).

This stubbornness is not accidental, because when one turns to God, one must be ready to answer His call and follow His law; otherwise all religiosity remains mere appearance. In peaceful and calm times it is still possible to remain in illusions, to speak about one's own religiosity without seriously thinking about following the Torah. But in times of disaster and catastrophe these illusions quickly dissipate, and outward religiosity disappears like smoke. Only those remain faithful who were faithful to God even in peaceful times, keeping the commandments He gave and following His law. The Assyrian invasion, like any other national catastrophe, does not essentially change anything in the spiritual state of the people. And certainly no military defeat or other social cataclysm can be the cause of a spiritual crisis; it can only be its consequence.

Isaiah, of course, understands perfectly well that the people of God are destroyed not by the Assyrians, but by apostasy, forgetfulness of God, and violation of the Torah. But the faithful who were among the people before the Assyrian invasion and defeat do not disappear anywhere; on the contrary, their faithfulness becomes still more visible against the background of general apostasy. It is no accident that Isaiah perceives the day of disaster as the "day of visitation," that is, as the day of God's judgment (v. 3), because precisely on the day of Judgment everything falls into place, all masks drop, and what is hidden becomes manifest. And without such judgment, the coming of the messianic Kingdom is impossible. That is the Kingdom whose coming completes earthly history.

Assyria, which crushed the Northern Kingdom of Israel, also threatens the Southern Kingdom. But for the prophet it is clear: although Asshur has become the instrument of God's wrath against Israel, his days are numbered. Nevertheless Judah too is threatened with collapse, for failure to fulfill God's will, expressed in the Law, takes the people out of relationship with God. Trust in God becomes the criterion by which the Remnant will be chosen: the small part of the people that has preserved faith.

Trust will show itself with special force in the hour of trial, during the Assyrian military raids and the unrest in the kingdom. But those who believe in the Creator of heaven and earth know that He will not abandon His people. How terrible that the remnant will be so small! Yet in the end everything depends on each individual heart.