Chapter 17 - Judgment against Damascus, Israel, and the World

Chapter 17 is a quick run-through of judgments pronounced on Damascus, Israel, and "the nations." Damascus was the capital of Syria, to the north. This series of judgments proceeds from a known enemy of Israel, to Israel, then to the world. While there are local (in terms of history of geography) aspects of these judgments, the over-arching focus is eschatological.

Isaiah 17:1 -3 (HCSB) "An oracle against Damascus: Look, Damascus is no longer a city. It has become a ruined heap." Her cities will be forsaken, Damascus will lie in ruins. ""The fortress disappears from Ephraim, and a kingdom from Damascus. The remnant of Aram will be like the splendor of the Israelites. ⌊This is⌋ the declaration of the LORD of Hosts."

Destruction and ruin - but the remnant of Aram (a southern city) will be like the SPLENDOR of the Israelites. Why does Aram get the exception, a blessing (it appears) in the midst of this devastation? The judgment against Israel puts it in perspective.

Isaiah 17:4 (HCSB) On that day the splendor of Jacob will fade, and his healthy body will become emaciated.

We've seen this phrase before, "on that day" - it tends to point towards the Day of the Lord, when He comes to judge the nations. It shows up 3 times in this chapter. On that day, Jacob's splendor will fade, he will be emaciated - stripped of all that the world envied.

Isaiah 17:5-6 (HCSB) It will be as if a reaper had gathered standing grain— his arm harvesting the heads of grain— and as if one had gleaned heads of grain in the Valley of Rephaim. Only gleanings will be left in Israel, as if an olive tree had been beaten— two or three berries at the very top of the tree, four or five on its fruitful branches. ⌊This is⌋ the declaration of the LORD, the God of Israel.

Jesus used the image of reaping to describe the end, as in the parable of the wheat and the weeds in Matthew 13. Beginning in verse 37 Jesus explained that the wheat was sown by the Son of Man and the weeds by Satan. The harvest is the end of the age and angels are the harvesters. As the weeds are gathered and burned up, so it will be at the end of the age, when Jesus sends His angels to gather the weeds (everything that causes sin and all who practice lawlessness); they will be thrown in the blazing furnace. If you have ears, listen to the Lord of the harvest!

Paul used the parable of the olive tree to those how most of national Israel would be broken off, as if the olive tree had been beaten. Very few olives left on the tree, onto which the Gentiles would be grafted. Of the few natural olives left on the tree, the apostle said "only a remnant (of ethnic Israel) will be saved.

This is the declaration of YHWH - the God of Israel; as she was in the mid-east and as she is becoming for eternity.

Isaiah 17:7-8 (HCSB) On that day people will look to their Maker and will turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel. They will not look to the altars they made with their hands or to the Asherahs and incense altars they made with their fingers.

ON that day, the remnant will repent and believe on God, turning their backs on the gods made with human hands.

Isaiah 17:9-10 (HCSB) On that day their strong cities will be like the abandoned woods and mountaintops that were abandoned because of the Israelites; there will be desolation. For you have forgotten the God of your salvation, and you have failed to remember the rock of your strength; therefore you will plant beautiful plants and set out cuttings from exotic vines.

ON that day, those branches that were broken off will find their "bigger barns" worthless; for they have forgotten Who was their strength, they have forsaken the God who saved them from Egypt.

Isaiah 17:11 (HCSB) On the day that you plant, you will help them to grow, and in the morning you will help your seed to sprout, ⌊but⌋ the harvest will vanish on the day of disease and incurable pain.

ON that day, the works of their hands will be empty, bringing only illness and incurable pain. There is no room for repentance on that day.

Now judgment on the world. Isaiah 17:12-14 (HCSB) Ah! The roar of many peoples— they roar like the roaring of the seas. The raging of the nations— they rage like the raging of mighty waters. The nations rage like the raging of many waters. He rebukes them, and they flee far away, driven before the wind like chaff on the hills and like tumbleweeds before a gale. In the evening—sudden terror! Before morning—it is gone! This is the fate of those who plunder us and the lot of those who ravage us.

The nations that know not God roar like raging seas and mighty waters, puffed up by their sense of power and authority. YHWH rebukes them and they flee like fleas driven by gale winds, like tumbleweeds across a clear plain. They will suffer great terror and then - everything they've prized will be gone, they will be naked before their Creator. THIS is the fate of those who plunder and ravage US - the body of Christ.

This ought to cause us to think of 1 Corinthians 3:16-17: Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.

God is jealous of His own, He will mete out wrath on those who persecute His body. ON that day, you will find yourself EITHER in Christ (SAFE from the wrath of God) or in Adam (appointed unto unending wrath). ON that day, it will be too late. IF you hear His voice, do not harden your heart - cry out for mercy while it is today.