Layers of Truth
Isaiah 10 is
another great chapter in the Bible to see the multiple layers of
interpretation. We can learn from the
historical context but then also take a step back and gaze at the big picture
as it pertains to humanity. We can learn
about the troubles of Israel historically and then learn how history tends to
repeat itself time and time again through human leadership.
Take a look
at the first four verses of this chapter.
We begin looking at human leadership.
What is the problem with the leadership of the Hebrew people –
specifically those of the northern kingdom?
There are six issues presented in this text: they make wicked decrees,
they write laws of oppression, they turn justice away from those who deserve
it, they take away the rights of the poor, they plunder the widows, and they
prey upon the fatherless. Let me update
that language and bring it into the modern century. They make laws that are unfair and promote
oppressing one another. The focus less
and less on ethics and character and what is “right.” They pick on those who are defenseless and
unable to resist them.
Sounds like
human leadership to me, doesn’t it? I’ve
heard a mocking “golden rule” several times as I’ve gone through this
life. It goes like this: he who has the
gold makes the rules. Or perhaps you
prefer the quote usually attributed to Lord Acton. I’ll give the full quote here. “Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always evil men.” You see, people who ascend to leadership
based on human principles, human methods, and human agendas always find
themselves spiraling into the self-monger.
At some
point, the human perspective always becomes about me. How can I provide for the rest of my life
with the minimal amount of work? How can
I make other people support me? How can
I find ways to take from other people – by guilt, force, or legal action – so
as to build up my name, my greatness, or my legacy. At some point, it becomes all about me.
As a
Lutheran, I’m reminded here about one of the catalysts for the Lutheran
reformation. That is: St. Peter’s Basilica
in Rome. The pope wanted to build a
monument. So, they devised a means of
selling indulgences to people as a fundraiser for the construction. They were selling “passes for forgiveness”
simply to raise the money to build this incredible structure. The truth is that it is really an incredible
structure. Johann Tetzel was sent to
Germany, where he met Martin Luther. The
straw that broke the camel’s back was discovered and Martin Luther couldn’t
take any more. But what really was the catalyst
for the Lutheran Reformation? Some pope
decided to build a monument and guilt people into spending money for something
that they could already get for free through Jesus Christ: absolute and
complete forgiveness of sin. Even
religious leaders are not immune to the influence of their humanity! Absolute power corrupts absolutely; great men
are almost always evil men.
So the
lesson to be learned, then, is that we must be wary of leadership. Yes, I understand that I myself am a leader
and therefore I am telling those under me to on some level be wary of me, too! So long as we understand that it is God and
His hand that is great, we can minimize the effect of power. But when we push God aside and focus on our
own greatness, everyone can be corrupted by power. The kings of ancient Israel are guilty of
it. The Jewish religious leaders of
Jesus’ day are guilty of it. The Pope
and the whole of the College of Cardinals fell victim to this in the days of
Martin Luther. Even modern Lutherans
have not learned from this and have fallen to thoughts of their own agenda
rather than continually relying upon God’s Word and the greatness of God. None of us are exempt from succumbing to the
effects of power when we shift our focus away from God and His agenda.
Destruction of the Assyrians
The next
section on the destruction of the Assyrians demonstrates exactly what I’ve
spent this whole post talking about.
Yes, God will lift up and use the Assyrians to bring judgment against
Israel as well as to shoot a warning shot across the bow of Judah. But look at the attitude of the
Assyrians. They will believe their
greatness is from their own hand. They
will not turn and acknowledge God’s influence.
They will get so puffed up on their own greatness that God will judge
them, too. Human beings are human
beings. Race, color, creed, nationality
… none of it matters. We all are prone
to getting wrapped up in our own greatness.
The Remnant
But a
remnant will exist. As with the last
chapter where we had seen judgment, we hear that faithfulness will endure. It may not be a large amount. It certainly will not be a people who are
completely free of sin. But it will be a
remnant that focuses on God and His ways.
This is a great thought upon which we can end the day. Regardless of where we are and what the world
is like around us, we can be faithful to God.
We can know that a remnant will exist.
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