Matthew Henry Commentary Isaiah 10:20-34

"And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and they that are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again lean upon him that smote them, but shall lean upon Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. A remnant shall return, [even] the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God. For though thy people, Israel, be as the sand of the sea, [only] a remnant of them shall return: a destruction [is] determined, overflowing with righteousness. For a full end, and that determined, will the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, make in the midst of all the earth. Therefore thus saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian, though he smite thee with the rod, and lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt. For yet a very little while, and the indignation [against thee] shall be accomplished, and mine anger [shall be directed] to his destruction. And Jehovah of hosts will stir up against him a scourge, as in the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and his rod will be over the sea, and he will lift it up after the manner of Egypt. And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall depart from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed by reason of fatness. He is come to Aiath, he is passed through Migron; at Michmash he layeth up his baggage; they are gone over the pass; they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah trembleth; Gibeah of Saul is fled. Cry aloud with thy voice, O daughter of Gallim! hearken, O Laishah! O thou poor Anathoth! Madmenah is a fugitive; the inhabitants of Gebim flee for safety. This very day shall he halt at Nob: he shaketh his hand at the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem. Behold, the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, will lop the boughs with terror: and the high of stature shall be hewn down, and the lofty shall be brought low. And he will cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one." — Isaiah 10:20-34 (ASV)

Through our afflictions, we may learn not to place our confidence in created things. Only those who return to him in truth, not in pretense and outward profession alone, can comfortably rely on God. God will justly bring this wasting away upon a people who provoke him, but will graciously set limits to it. It is against the mind and will of God, that his people, whatever happens, should give in to fear.

God's anger against his people lasts only for a moment; and when it is turned away from us, we do not need to fear the fury of man. The rod with which he corrected his people will not only be laid aside but thrown into the fire. To encourage God's people, the prophet reminds them of what God had previously done against the enemies of his church. God's people will be delivered from the Assyrians.

Some think it points to the deliverance of the Jews from their captivity, and even further, to the redemption of believers from the tyranny of sin and Satan. And this, because of the anointing; for his people Israel's sake, the believers among them who had received the anointing of Divine grace, and for the sake of the Messiah, the Anointed of God. Here is, Isaiah 10:28–34, a prophetic description of Sennacherib's march towards Jerusalem when he threatened to destroy that city.

Then the Lord, in whom Hezekiah trusted, cut down his army like the felling of a forest. Let us apply what is written here to similar matters in other ages of the church of Christ. Because of the anointing of our great Redeemer, the yoke of every antichrist must be broken from his church: and if our souls partake of the anointing of the Holy Spirit, complete and eternal deliverances will be secured for us.