Isaiah 10:5-11
God sovereignly uses even arrogant nations as instruments of discipline without endorsing their pride.
5 Alas Assyrian, the rod of my anger, the staff in whose hand is my indignation!
6 I will send him against a profane nation, and against the people who anger me I will give him a command to take the plunder and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
7 However he doesn’t mean so, neither does his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off not a few nations.
8 For he says, “Aren’t all of my princes kings?
9 Isn’t Calno like Carchemish? Isn’t Hamath like Arpad? Isn’t Samaria like Damascus?”
10 As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols, whose engraved images exceeded those of Jerusalem and of Samaria;
11 shall I not, as I have done to Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?
God sovereignly uses even arrogant nations as instruments of discipline without endorsing their pride.
To reveal that Assyria is the LORD’s instrument of judgment against a godless nation, even though Assyria itself acts with arrogant intent.
Assyria had become the dominant military power in the region and was expanding aggressively across the Near East during Isaiah's ministry.
Woe to Unjust Decrees, Assyria the Rod, and the Return of the Remnant
Isaiah 10 declares that the LORD judges unjust rulers, uses Assyria as the rod of his anger, punishes Assyria’s arrogance, preserves a remnant who return to him, and cuts down every proud power that exalts itself.