Three Facts about God's Purpose

In Isaiah 13 and 14 the Lord God Almighty promised his people, Israel, that he would both deliver them from their Babylonian captivity and thoroughly destroy their enemies who would hold them captive for so long. But the promise would not be accomplished for 200 years. In that length of time his people, being as us nothing but sinful flesh, would begin to question the Lord's faithfulness, his power and his Word. So, in order to strengthen their faith in him and keep his elect remnant looking to him with hope, God promised his people a somewhat lesser and more immediate deliverance. He promised them that he would destroy the Assyrian army, cause his people to tread them under foot, and break the yoke of their oppression. And the prophet of God gave his people absolute assurance that God would do what he promised. The basis of that assurance was the sure, eternal purpose of God.