Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) nest by Bob-Nan

My hand has found like a nest the wealth of the peoples; and as one gathers eggs that have been forsaken, so I have gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved a wing or opened the mouth or chirped.” (Isaiah 10:14 ESV)

Now here is an interesting passage in Scripture. Came across it the other day in my reading. Hadn’t found it in my Bible searches with my e-Sword because no actual bird is mentioned.

Chapter 10 of Isaiah tells, by way of prophesy, how God was punishing Israel for their sins by using Assyria’s wrath as a tool.

Ah, Assyria, the rod of my anger; the staff in their hands is my fury! Against a godless nation I send him, and against the people of my wrath I command him, to take spoil and seize plunder, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. (Isaiah 10:5-6 ESV)

Also stated “Are not my commanders all kings?” in verse 8 and “As my hand has reached to the kingdoms of the idols, whose carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria, shall I not do to Jerusalem and her idols as I have done to Samaria and her images?” in 10 and 11.

Hummingbird nest by Bob-Nan

So the Lord uses Assyria to punish Jerusalem, but the King becomes boastful and full of pride. He, the king of Assyria, states that he has done it, by his strength, and his wisdom, and plunders their treasures. (Isaiah 10-12-13)

Then the king makes the remark about robbing the nest of it’s eggs (the wealth and riches of the captured people) as easy as from a nest where the bird is not there to protect it.

“and there was none that moved a wing” is referring to how normally a bird would defend its nest and be flying about attacking the egg thief.

“opened the mouth or chirped.” Under normal conditions, the birds would be quite vocal if their nest was being robbed.

And I have put my hands on the wealth of the peoples, as on the place where a bird has put her eggs; and as a man may take the eggs from which a bird has gone, so I have taken all the earth for myself: and not a wing was moved, and not a mouth gave out a sound. (Isaiah 10:14 BBE)

Those two phrases would be like today if a country was attacked and no army came out to defend or the news media and governmental officials were not there making a vocal condemnation or complaints.

But the chapter goes on to state that the king, country, servant, or whomever, should not think they are the one doing the work, but realize they are being used by some power greater than their self.

Will the axe say high-sounding words against him who is using it, or the blade be full of pride against him who is cutting with it? As if a rod had the power of shaking him who is using it, or as if a stick might take up him who is not wood. (Isaiah 10:15 BBE)

The LORD had to punish the people of Jerusalem because if He didn’t get rid of the sin and idolatry, then the whole nation would have to be destroyed. Thankfully, there was a remnant that was to be saved. That remnant would eventually bring forth the Lord Jesus Christ, through the Davidic line when He came in bodily form.

Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris) nest w eggs by Nikhil Devasar

What’s to be learned? Birds shouldn’t desert their nest? I think it goes deeper than that.

We should be careful of pride, arrogance, thinking more highly of our self than we should, etc. What we have and are comes from God. When things in our current history are not going the way we think it should, we have to realize that God is in control. Sometimes He uses bad things and people to accomplish His Will.

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