REMEMBERING DELIVERANCE PAST

Therefore this is what the Lord, the LORD Almighty, says: “. . . My people who live in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrians, who beat you with a rod and lift up a club against you, as Egypt did.” —Isaiah 10:24

Through Isaiah’s prophecies, God had foretold that the Assyrians, whom Ahaz had trusted to protect Israel, would, in turn, attack them and that God would use this foreign power to punish the nation and its leaders for their collective lack of faith.

Yet God assured Israel that He would have a remnant among the people (see Isaiah 10:20–22), and He still described them as “my people,” expressing tenderness and care. God’s judgment would be—and always is—tempered by mercy. Though the Assyrians would have their moment, they were still subject to God’s larger plans, so those who were truly His people need not be afraid of them. As evidence, God offered the story of His intervention in Israel’s history when He had seen their oppression in Egypt and brought them out of slavery. Although this had taken place centuries earlier, it was a touchstone of their identity as a people and as a faith. As Moses had instructed, this was a story that was to be retold repeatedly in the life of the people of Israel, but it seemed it was also to be relived at key points in their history.

At the time of the exodus, Egypt was the most powerful nation in the world. At the time of Gideon, the Midianites had overrun Israel (see Isaiah 10:26).

Now, the Assyrians seemed to hold sway. But God insisted that, with Him, the remnant had less reason to be afraid than these seemingly dominant powers who were against Him. “The lofty trees will be felled, the tall ones will be brought low” (Isaiah 10:33).

Although Israel was outnumbered, overpowered, and beaten down, God was with them still, so God said, “Do not be afraid,” even of those who were doing the oppressing.