Who Are We Relying On?

Good morning. Today we are in Isaiah 10:16–34.

Yesterday we ended in 19, but as I was preparing for today, I noticed that a lot of commentaries say that this section of Scripture actually starts in 16.

And it sort of has an interesting rhythm. In 16, it starts talking about God's judgment of Assyria, and then in the middle, it comes and talks about the remnant of Jacob, and then it returns back to the destruction of Assyria.

And I wanted to include verses 16 through 19 with this again today just because I felt like the rest of it might be incomplete.

You know, the last several days we have spent a lot of time understanding King Ahaz and the choices he was making, wrestling through the fact that Isaiah had this whole section in which he was talking about a whole bunch of different time.

He was talking about what was happening at the time with Ahaz, and then he was looking forward to that time in the next king, and he just had all of these moving parts.

And then we've settled down, and now we're really dealing with that judgment and an attack coming from the very place that King Ahaz turned to and relied on for help.

And that lands on verse 20, which was really my verse for the day:

"Now on that day the remnant of Israel and those of the house of Jacob who have escaped will no longer rely on the one who struck them, but they will truly rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel."

Now, the verse that caught me up earlier was 9:13:

"Yet the people do not turn back to Him"—God—"who struck them, nor do they seek the Lord of armies."

But this, in chapter—in verse 20, is not talking about the same person.

This is talking about Assyria.

And I think the important word here is "rely on."

So Ahaz relied on Assyria to rescue him instead of on God, and now we have a remnant of people who will no longer rely on Assyria, but will instead truly rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.

And we talked a couple of days ago about why I struggled with 9:13 and the fact that I really had to dig in deep about who God was and why, when God chooses this action, He is righteous and just and holy and also still loving.

And yet, for those of us who've gone through really rough times—abuse—that can be really hard to work through and understand why the same words may have been used, but because of their source and the heart, it changes things.

So this moves us from relying on that person—from Assyria—onto our God.

And I don't know about you, but what I lived through is absolutely the biggest catalyst that forced me to rely fully on God.

I had nothing else I could rely on except for God.

And so I turned to Him.

And I just think that that's beautiful, and I love that.

And I love that God used really difficult circumstances in my life to bring me face-to-face with who He really is.

And I am forever thankful for that.

It doesn't mean I have to be thankful for what I went through, but I can be thankful for what God did through it.

And I am.

The end of 22 also stuck out at me:

"A destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness."

I don't know about you, but sometimes I struggle thinking that destruction can be overflowing with righteousness.

So I don't know.

I need to sit with that.

But going forward for me, it's something I have to guard against.

It is so easy in this day and world—day and time—to find something else to rely on other than God.

I struggle with the time I spend on my phone.

You could find yourself struggling with alcohol or drugs or pornography or anything else that really pulls you away from your God.

And if you are relying on any of those things to help you get through your day, to bring you comfort, to bring you peace, I hate to break it to you, but that's not real comfort, and it is not real peace.

Peace only comes from God.

The only place we get it from.

And even that peace is directly from Him.

It is His peace.

And I know I have said that many times, but scripturally, that's what He says.

He says, "Turn to Me and I will give you My peace. Rely on Me and I will give you My peace."

So I would wonder and think about that.

If something else in your life is giving you peace, is it really God's peace?

What are we really relying on?

Because, man, it is easy to rely on other things and not God.

So what stood out to you?

Did you catch the change in verse 20?

Is there something else that just really stuck out to you?

Yes, I would love to hear about it.

Oh, dear Heavenly Father, Lord, thank You for today.

Thank You that You promised to give us Your peace and that You are always with us.

Thank You for being the One we can truly rely on.

Thank You.

I thank You for this cooler weather.

Thank You for me to sit and study Your Word and not be in fear.

Thank You for all You have provided us, because I know that it all comes from You and You alone.

Oh Lord, I just ask that You'd be with us as we go out—as we go out and do the things You placed in front of us, as we love on the people near us, that we will learn to be present with them, that we will learn to make them a priority.

Oh Lord Jesus, I love You.

Thank You for all that You do.

It is in the precious name of Jesus I pray.

Thank you for joining me today as we wander through God's Word with wonder.