In chapters four, six, seven, eight, and nine of Isaiah, eighteen items of Christ are revealed. In chapter four Christ is the Shoot of Jehovah, the Fruit of the earth (v. 2), the canopy (v. 5), and the tabernacle (v. 6) to be the shade, refuge, and cover to God's chosen people. In chapter six Christ is the One sitting on the throne in glory (v. 1). In chapter seven Christ is the child who is called Immanuel (v. 14), and in chapter eight Christ is the sanctuary to His people but a striking stone, a rock of stumbling, and a trap, and a snare to His opposers (v. 14). In chapter nine Christ is the great light (v. 2), a child born, a son given, the Mighty God, the Wonderful Counselor, the Eternal Father, and the Prince of Peace (v. 6).
Chapters nine and eleven of Isaiah reveal Christ in a wonderful way, but chapter ten deals with Jehovah's judgment (not merely His chastisement) on the kingdom of Israel and His judgment on Assyria. Chapter ten is inserted between these two chapters for the purpose of showing us how to possess and enjoy the good things of Christ presented in the earlier chapters of Isaiah.
If we would know how to enjoy Christ, we must first know our real situation. Our real situation is not good, because we are under the judgment of God. If we would enjoy Christ as our salvation, we must realize that we are under God's judgment.
The principle is the same in preaching the gospel. In preaching the gospel, it is best not to present the good things first but the bad things. If you present only the good things, you may not touch a person's conscience. The best way to touch a person's conscience is to say something about his actual situation in a nice way.
Isaiah 10 shows that both the oppressed, the kingdom of Israel, and the oppressor, the kingdom of Assyria, were under the judgment of God. Israel was once a single nation, but after the time of Solomon, the nation was divided into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. Because the kingdom of Israel had fallen to the extent that it was on the level of the Gentile nations, even becoming an ally to the king of Aram, Israel was not only under God's chastisement but also under His judgment. God's chastisement on Israel became His judgment on Israel. For this reason, it is correct now to speak not only of God's chastisement on Israel but also of His judgment on Israel. Furthermore, the two judgments in this chapter—the judgment on Israel and the judgment on Assyria—are actually one (vv. 22-23). Israel had become one with the Gentiles; therefore, these two judgments became one in nature.