Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely
Isaiah 10:15ues
15 Shall the axe [garzen] boast [pa'ar] itself
against him that heweth [chatsab] therewith? or
shall the saw [massowr] magnify [gadal] itself against him that shaketh [nuwph] it? as if the rod [shebet]
should shake [nuwph] itself against them that lift
it up, [ruwm] or as if the staff [matteh] should lift up [ruwm]
itself, as if it were no wood. [`ets] KJV-Interlinear
15 Is the axe
to boast itself over the one who chops with it? Is the saw to exalt itself over
the one who wields it? That would be like a club wielding those who lift it, Or
like a rod lifting him who is not wood. NASB
The axe, the saw, the
rod, the staff are all tools used by a person who uses these tools for his
purpose.
The axe is wielded by the
axe-man, not the other way around.
The saw is moved back and
forth by the saw-man not the other way around.
The rod is lifted by the
person holding it, the rod does not lift the person up and move the person.
The staff is handled by
the person who is not wood, and not the other way around. The staff does not handle the person.
To presume these things
in reverse, would make all things natural, un-natural. It would make things that are inanimate as thinking
creatures that handle the person rather than tools for a persons use.
And so Assyria in its
arrogance, and anyone for that matter, who makes God out to be the object of their
use, or themselves the instrument of their own bidding, is reversing the
natural order or things and of life.
God is the author and
finisher of life. God defined and
designed the divine plan that we call the divine decrees, and in those decrees
He creates and takes life in accordance with His will. He made provision for history and individuals
in accordance with His will. God, namely
Jesus Christ, controls history, not man.
Man may have his own
designs on life and history, but God has seen it all, and has made provisions
such that evil will not reign over the world.
God placed people into
history, who would see things, discover things, invent things, innovate things,
and so forth.
God brought together
people and circumstances that would preserve and perpetuate history.
God designed history to
serve truth, with a destiny of freedom and liberty and eternal life and more.
Man views history from an
evil perspective, from the short term satisfaction of personal or lustful pleasures
and physical wants and needs.
Assyria did not see their
role in history as a tool of God to correct the spiritual back sliding of
Israel, but as an agenda of their own design for wealth and power and lusts of
every sort.
That is how most folks
view their life. Everyone wants more,
now, and they plan their life from weekend to weekend, from job to job, from
working years to retirement years, with every thought looking at their life in
this world only. Sometimes there is an afterthought
of heaven and such, but mostly people think little of heaven or God except for
their own personal view of themselves and how their righteousness and sincerity
are sufficient.
Or as with the Assyrians,
people think only of their gains, or revenge, or hate, or getting ahead at the
expense of others, or they are consumed with their self-image, self-pity, self-denial,
and so forth. That leaves us with the full
range of human attitude and philosophy or beliefs that mostly have nothing to
do with God or reality.
God is the craftsman, we
are the tools.
The craftsman uses you in
accordance with His choosing and liking.
You as a tool do not use Him or choose your own use.
God created history in
order to allow people from all successive generations, to learn of Christ, to
learn of doctrine, to advance in their spiritual life, such that they will have
a wonderful life forever with Him.
Satan has tried to upset
this plan by destroying everything. Most
people do the same with their indifference or hate or complaining or lusts,
etc.
You can look in the mirror
and ask yourself, ‘What have I done, what am I doing, to promote Gods plan for
myself and/or for others?’ Or, ‘Am I
just too full of myself and thinking only of myself?’ ‘I am a tool, therefore what is my use?’
And the answers are as
many as there are people.
Some innovate things that
help others. Some pay money that helps
others. Some create business or jobs.
Some create entertainment. Some
change diapers and training. Some
build. Some do other things. Most do a number of things that are a part of
their life.
But all must and should
study Gods word, Bible doctrine, in order to receive their own training and
understanding and comprehension of what exactly their life is meant to be.
For without the
foundation of doctrine in the soul, which comes only from a consistent daily
study, then there is nothing with which to understand or orient to life.
Without trials and errors
in life, there is no understanding of the pitfalls of life, no empathy, no humility.
Without the application of
truth to ones daily life, there is no production, no use, no value in ones own essence.
You are an incomplete
person until you learn doctrine, until you use doctrine, until you grow up in your
spiritual life. And that includes learning
and knowing your place in life as God has designed for you, not as you have
designed for yourself.
