The Lord is declaring that He will break the Assyrians when they are in Israel. These words used by the Lord are interesting because He says that He will break Assyria when they are in Israel not outside the walls of Israel but inside the walls of Israel. How does this relate to us today? Good question let's find out! Just like Israel had an enemy with Assyria you have an enemy and that enemy may seem like he is winning and going to defeat you, but look at what the Lord says. In the previous verse, He declares that His plan will happen and what He has decided will come to pass. God’s plan for Israel was to defeat the enemy when they arrived in Israel not outside, but inside. The word Assyrians in Hebrew is defined as “step in” the enemy may have "step in" to your life, but God is going to break the enemy while the enemy is in your land. The Hebrew word for break is “Shabar” it is defined as “break, break in pieces (Qal) break, break in or down, rend violently, wreck, crush, quench to break, rupture (fig) (Niphal) to be broken, be maimed, be crippled, be wrecked to be broken, be crushed (fig) (Piel) to shatter, break (Hiphil) to cause to break out, bring to the birth (Hophal) to be broken, be shattered”(Bible Study Tools, 2014, p.1) The Lord is sharbaring the enemy in your life!
The Lord is going trample the enemy that is attacking you. Your enemy is a not other people your enemy is “evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). The enemy may be attacking you spiritually, emotionally, mentally, or physically. I want you to hold on to the truth of God’s Word that He will break and trample the enemy out of your life. The word for trampled used here is "Buwc" and it is defined as "to tread down, reject, trample down (Qal) to tread down, trample (of warriors) of rejection (fig.) (Polel) to tread down (in bad sense) to desecrate (Hithpolel) to tread to kick out 1c of infants' blind movements 1c of Jerusalem (fig.) (Hophal) to be trodden down" (Bible Study Tools, 2014, p.1). That is powerful! The Lord is going to remove the enemy on your behalf He is going to kick out the enemy just like He did when the Assyrians were in Israel! Verse 25 says “I will trample them on my mountains” God just wanted to beat the Assyrians on His home turf God wanted to have home field advantage and that is exactly what He had!
Will it be tough battle for you? Yes, because the enemy is on your land I would think that when Israel was fighting the Assyrians, it was a tough fight, but why did God want to destroy Assyria once they were in the land of Israel? I am not sure why, but I believe it could be for the Lord to display His full strength and power to Israel and Assyria. It makes a huge difference when your enemy is outside your territory instead of being inside your territory. When your adversary is outside your territory, you have the high ground, and it is easier for you to win because you have more strength and confidence that you can defeat them. But when the adversary is inside your home it’s a different story because you don’t have that high ground instead the enemy is closer to you which means you have limited ground now because the enemy is taking up more space. It’s like in American Football when your opponent is inside your territory 20 yards away from getting into your end zone it is harder to stop them from scoring. It is much easier to stop them when they are own their own 20-yard line because they have to go 80 yards instead of 20 yards to get a touchdown I hope you can see the analogy in what I am saying. I want you to get this I believe Israel was weak inside because they were at home they let their guard down when Assyria “stepped in” Assyria gained more spaced over Israel and exposed Israel’s weaknesses, but God intervenes and says as He did to Apostle Paul “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). I believe that one of the reasons why God allowed the Assyrians to be broken and trampled in Israel instead of outside the walls was so that God would get the glory saying because you were in a weak position I am made strong My Spirit did this act of defeating your enemy. Get this you can never overcome the works of your enemy only God can utterly defeat your enemy, and He did that here for Israel, and He did it for everyone through the Cross, and He did it so that Israel, Assyria, and you would know that there is a God in Israel!
I leave you with this have hope and faith today if the enemy has "stepped in" to your life don't focus on how the enemy got there instead focus on the promise of God. God has the home field advantage! Because the enemy has "stepped in" to your land, I believe and have faith God will do the same thing He did for Israel He will do for you, and that is to break and trample the enemy in your land! I believe that outcome will be as it is at the end of verse 25 “My people will no longer be their slaves nor bow down under their heavy loads.” God has done this your enemy is defeated and you are no longer their slave nor do you have to bow down to their heavy loads because Christ has broken and trampled the enemy at the Cross and now you have freedom spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically!
References
Bible Study Tools. (2014). Buwc - Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon - New American Standard. Retrieved from http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/hebrew/nas/buwc.html
