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The Preacher’s Pen

A Tool in the Master’s Hand

Isaiah 10:5–15

As we look into this unique passage from Isaiah, we see God using even wicked nations as instruments to accomplish His purposes. God was angry with Israel for their sin, so He allowed the Assyrians to rise up against His people and defeat them around 720 B.C. But when Assyria was lifted up with pride, they failed to realize they were nothing more than a tool in God’s hand.

In verse 13, the Assyrian king boasted of his own strength. Yet in verse 15, God responded, reminding him that the tool is nothing without the Toolmaker. The saw cannot cut without the woodsman. The axe cannot swing without the one who wields it.

This Labor Day weekend, let’s remember: we are all just tools in the hand of God. He is the One who forms us, uses us, and directs our steps.

1. The Formation of the Tool

Every tool has a maker. It does not exist by accident. Genesis 1:27 reminds us that God created us in His image. He saw a need and formed you to fill it. He saw a work and made you the tool for it. You were not created by chance — you were designed by the Master.

2. The Function of the Tool

Assyria thought their victory was by their own power, but Isaiah 10:15 reminds us that the axe cannot boast against the one who swings it. We cannot live as though we are independent of God.

  • “For in him we live, and move, and have our being.” (Acts 17:28)

  • “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.” (Psalm 37:23)

  • “It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.” (Jeremiah 10:23)

Our function is simple: to glorify God by being used for His purpose.

3. The Fall of the Tool

Pride was Assyria’s downfall. “By the strength of my hand I have done it,” they said (Isaiah 10:13). But pride always brings destruction (Proverbs 16:18; James 4:6).

We can either:

  1. Live in pride, claiming our successes as our own, or

  2. Submit to the Master, letting Him use us for His work.

This is the lesson of the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. The Master gave resources to His servants, expecting a return. The tool cannot say, “By my own strength I have done it.” The Master gave it all and will require an account.

4. The Final Job of the Tool

There will come a time when our last work is done. How much better to be “retired” from service while still in God’s hand than to be set aside on the shelf because of unfaithfulness!

As Max Lucado wrote in On the Anvil:

  • Some tools are in the Master’s chest — sharpened and ready.

  • Some are on the anvil — being shaped, hammered, and sharpened.

  • Some are in the scrap pile — never discovering their purpose.

Where are you today?

An earthly tool eventually wears out. But for the child of God, when the work is complete, we will stand before our Master, giving an account for our labor — and then finally see the full plan He accomplished through us.

Illustration – The Touch of the Master’s Hand

A battered old violin once went to auction, considered nearly worthless. But when a master musician picked it up and played, the value instantly soared.

So it is with our lives. In the Master’s hand, even what seems broken, worn, or useless can become invaluable.

Final Thought

God is at work. He forms, directs, and uses His tools to accomplish His plan in nations and in individuals. Our calling is to stay in His hand — useful, sharpened, and surrendered.