Isaiah 10

“By my own powerful arm I have done this.
With my own shrewd wisdom I planned it.
I have broken down the defenses of nations
and carried off their treasures.
I have knocked down their kings like a bull.
14 I have robbed their nests of riches
and gathered up kingdoms as a farmer gathers eggs.
No one can even flap a wing against me
or utter a peep of protest.”
15 But can the ax boast greater power than the person who uses it?
Is the saw greater than the person who saws?
Can a rod strike unless a hand moves it?
Can a wooden cane walk by itself?

The arrogance of the King of Assyria is about to get him into trouble. Little does He understand that The Sovereign Lord has used him for His purposes to get the attention of Israel. But this King thinks he’s the one in control, that his armies have done this because of his might, his wisdom.

How many times are we just like him? He shouts out numerous “I” statements with a trumped up haughtiness: “I have done this” “I have broken down the defenses” “I have robbed their nests”. And ends with a “No one can touch me”. Not once does he acknowledge the God who used him as a tool for His purpose. All too often we act like this King. We take credit for how wonderful our lives are, or for the talent we may have or for how well our children have turned out. Or for how successful our ministries are, or how big our congregation is. Lest we forget we are merely a tool in the Masters hand.

How foolish it would be for the ax to take credit for the hard work and sweat of the lumberjack. For the ax can only cut down the tree while held firmly and swung in the mighty grasp of the lumberjack.

And can a saw take credit for the beautiful cabinet built by the carpenter? Can it plan out the cuts? Can it follow the line, matter of fact can it draw the line? Can the hammer place the nails in the cabinet to put it together? Or even choose where the nails will go?

All of this sounds pretty silly, we KNOW that an AX cannot cut down a tree without someone holding on to it and doing the swinging, and the same for the SAW and the HAMMER. The question is do we understand that we are like the AX, the SAW and the HAMMER. That we are a tool in the Masters hand to be used for His purposes, and we should never take credit for the beautiful work He longs to accomplish through us. Lest He puts us down and picks up another to finish the task. Remember to give Him the glory and the praise!