God’s people were depending on Assyria for their protection instead of God. So God turned Israel over to the one they were trusting in.
“Therefore the Lord, the Lord of hosts, Will send leanness among his fat ones; And under his glory He will kindle a burning like the burning of a fire. So the Light of Israel will be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame; It will burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day. And it will consume the glory of his forest and of his fruitful field, both soul and body; And they will be as when a sick man wastes away. Then the rest of the trees of his forest will be so few in number that a child may write them. And it shall come to pass in that day That the remnant of Israel, and such as have escaped of the house of Jacob, Will never again depend on him who defeated them, but will depend on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth” (Isaiah 10:16-20).
Notice what is burned up in God’s judgment of Israel’s sins. The thorns and the briers were consumed. Some of the good trees were also consumed, but not completely. Whatever we trust in, we will be turned over to by a loving and chastening Father. He will allow us to see our foolishness while also cleansing the chaff away from us. He might take some of the good stuff; we will become very uncomfortable, but when we are restored only the good will remain. Whereas, the briers and thorns will have been completely consumed by His holy fire.
Isaiah says, “[then they] will depend on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth” (Isaiah 10:20). They will depend on Him with faithfulness and reliability. They will follow Him with ethical knowledge and true doctrine. When the Lord judges, He purges the false doctrines from our socially muddled doctrine and brings us back to a true faith walk with Him.
If the Holy Spirit is speaking to you about an area in your life as you read this, submit it to the Lord. Confess and repent if it is needed and commit your ways to Him. For only He can save. If you are thinking of a loved one who has been drawn away by drugs or is just not walking with God – doing their own thing – take this encouragement from verse twenty-three, “For the Lord God of hosts will make a determined end in the midst of all the land.” Also, “Yet God does not take away a life; but He devises means so that His banished ones are not expelled from Him.” (2 Samuel 14:14b). A promise the Lord gave me for my own loved one. He may judge, but He always makes a way for their return.
God may judge us here on the earth, but it is always for our good and not for our destruction. He knows the end of it and the timing, as well. We must fall on the Lord or we will be crushed by Him at the final judgment. Accept the chastening of the Lord in this life with joy knowing He counts you as His own. (Heb 12:7-8) Then also trust Him with those who are struggling and are astray. Pray for them, love them, but trust Him! They and we may lose a little of the good, but we will regain it without all the chaff and that is really good news.