21 God Judges Assyria

This text starts with the word Ho. In Hebrew this word is pronounced the same as the ASV English translation and it is expressing dissatisfaction and pain. The destruction of the Northern kingdom of Israel by Shalmaneser king of Assyria was foretold in the immediate previous section of Scripture (Isaiah 9:8–10:4), and it was accomplished in the sixth year of the rule of King Hezekiah who reigned in the Southern Kingdom of Judah (709 B.C.). Assyria and its then ruler Shalmaneser V were puffed up with pride. They thought that they were conducting this siege in accordance with their own plans. Instead of recognizing the sovereignty of God, they believed themselves to be sovereign. It is rather difficult to identify a judgment by God in history because he frequently uses humans as well as weather (e.g. earthquakes, storms etc.) to accomplish his will. It is also difficult for the humans chosen by God to distinguish between their own desires and God's will. Consequently, it is easy to either deny God's involvement or falsely attribute some event to Him. The prophet of God has a divine perspective which enables him to identify God's role as in this case wherein He used the Assyrians to carry out divine judgment against the Northern Kingdom of Israel. It was total and final; head and tail were all cut off. These events were entirely in the hand of God, and subject to his direction; giving evidence that He has control over kings and conquerors.