Assyria was the rod of God’s anger, and their staff He used to execute His indignation. However, the king of Assyria was very proud, and God would judge him for that pride. God sent Assyria to execute vengeance, but when they did, the king boasted that his own hand had done it. Therefore, God pronounced judgment and also promised to punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria and the glory of his high looks.
God made this proclamation of judgment by the hand of the king of Assyria, “5) O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. 6) I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.” (Isaiah 9:5,6) God’s plan was that the king of Assyria would be used as His hand to judge nations upon which He would execute His wrath. But the king of Assyria, Sennacherib, became lifted up with pride.
Here are some of the boastful claims that the king of Assyria made, “7) Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few. 8) For he saith, Are not my princes altogether kings? 9) Is not Calno as Carchemish? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus? 10) As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria; 11) Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?” (Isaiah 10:7-11)
In II Kings 18:33-35, we read again the boastful words of Sennacherib as he sought to frighten the people of Jerusalem. Hezekiah, son of Ahaz, was king in Jerusalem at that time, and Sennacherib was trying to convince the people not to trust the words of Hezekiah but to surrender to him instead. He said, “33) Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? 34) Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand? 35) Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand?”
God pronounced judgment on Sennacherib for his pride and high looks. “Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks.” (Isaiah 10:12) We see the fulfillment of this in II Kings 19:36,37. Sennacherib was killed by his own sons. “36) So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh. 37) And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword: and they escaped into the land of Armenia. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.”
This is an important lesson for us. No matter what God allows us to do or accomplish in life, we should never get lifted up or think too highly of ourselves. If we do, we will surely fall. “Every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” (Luke 18:14b)