There's one thing we often don't realise about power: it not only gives us the ability to act, but also slowly shapes the way a person sees themselves. The more power one has, the easier it is to believe that one's successes are the result of one's own efforts. Without realising it, one comes to believe that he is the centre of everything: he controls, determines, and even deserves what he achieves. At that point, power begins to turn into an illusion.
Isaiah 10:5-19 demonstrates this dynamic through the story of Assyria. Historically, Assyria was a great power in its day, an empire that extended from the Euphrates river to the Mediterranean Sea. In this text, God himself declares that Assyria is the "whip of my wrath," the instrument used to punish nations, including Judah, that have gone astray. But Assyria never saw itself as a tool. It saw itself as the centre. Victory after victory made him believe that he was superior because of his own strength and wisdom. The king of Assyria proudly mentioned the cities he had conquered, as if they were proof of his greatness. He even equated the God of Israel with the gods of other nations, thinking that God was just one of many forces that could be conquered.
The king of Assyria thought himself absolutely autonomous, when in fact his very existence depended on something greater than himself. Isaiah describes this absurdity with a very sharp metaphor: an axe that exalts itself against the one who swings it. The tool that is supposed to be useful actually considers itself superior to the wielder. Therefore, God himself will humble Assyria. What seemed strong and unshakable will be consumed like a burning forest. From the small to the great, from the weak to the noble, everything will be destroyed. This picture is not just a punishment, but a revelation of the true reality: that all splendour built on pride is actually very fragile.
Friends of the Bible, what happened in Isaiah's time is very close to our situation today. Power is not always political or military; it can come in the form of influence, position, knowledge, even control over the lives of others. And that's where this illusion can grow: when we start to believe that everything we have is the result of our own efforts, we slowly forget that there is a sustaining Hand of God, even in things we don't realise and don't fully control. Therefore, we need to remember that power is not something that we fully own. It is something that is entrusted. And as something entrusted, it must be accounted for.
