A Faithful Remnant Remains - Part 1

12 After the Lord has used the king of Assyria to accomplish his purposes on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, he will turn against the king of Assyria and punish him—for he is proud and arrogant. 13 He boasts,

“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?
16 Therefore, the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
will send a plague among Assyria’s proud troops,
and a flaming fire will consume its glory.
17 The Lord, the Light of Israel, will be a fire;
the Holy One will be a flame.
He will devour the thorns and briers with fire,
burning up the enemy in a single night.
18 The Lord will consume Assyria’s glory
like a fire consumes a forest in a fruitful land;
it will waste away like sick people in a plague.
19 Of all that glorious forest, only a few trees will survive—
so few that a child could count them!

20 In that day the remnant left in Israel,
the survivors in the house of Jacob,
will no longer depend on allies
who seek to destroy them.
But they will faithfully trust the Lord,
the Holy One of Israel.
21 A remnant will return;
yes, the remnant of Jacob will return to the Mighty God.

Have you ever been in the difficult place of standing alone for what you believed was right? Standing alone against the crowd can be pretty lonely. A “remnant identity” is always tough.

Isaiah tells us that in Israel, God’s true followers were becoming an increasingly small minority. Most but not all in Israel and Judah were found unfaithful. A repentant and believing remnant was preserved. “In that day the remnant of Israel, the survivors of the house of Jacob … will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel.”

As part of the remnant of God’s people, we have hope. The majority, who trust human powers for their security, find themselves betrayed. Isaiah 10 tells us that making a treaty with Assyria was a fool’s game. The great Assyrian beast would turn and devour those who trusted in its might. God alone is the only one on whom we can lean and not be disappointed.

Down through history, the remnant would survive as people recognized and rejoiced in God’s plan for the coming of Immanuel. The remnant would survive in captivity. The remnant would also return from captivity to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple in preparation for the coming of Immanuel.

How about you? Do you find yourself in the minority? When God is on your side, you cannot fail.

Lord, thank you for faithful servants like Isaiah, who carried the message in those dark days and faithfully labored to preserve the word of salvation. In Jesus, Amen.