ISAIAH 17 Oracle Against Damascus and Samaria

1. ISAIAH 17Oracle Against Damascus and Samaria

2. v1 1 מַשָּׂ֖א דַּמָּ֑שֶׂק הִנֵּ֤ה דַמֶּ֙שֶׂק֙ מוּסָ֣ר מֵעִ֔יר וְהָיְתָ֖ה מְעִ֥י מַפָּלָֽה׃ The Burden of Damascus: “Behold Damascus is being removed from being a city*(Dan 2:21) And she will be a fallen-down ruin.

3. v2 2 עֲזֻב֖וֹת עָרֵ֣י עֲרֹעֵ֑ר לַעֲדָרִ֣ים תִּֽהְיֶ֔ינָה וְרָבְצ֖וּ וְאֵ֥ין מַחֲרִֽיד׃ “Abandoned will be the cities of Aroer For flocks they will be And they will graze And there will be no one to cause them to fear

4. v3 3 וְנִשְׁבַּ֤ת מִבְצָר֙ מֵֽאֶפְרַ֔יִם וּמַמְלָכָ֥ה מִדַּמֶּ֖שֶׂק וּשְׁאָ֣ר אֲרָ֑ם כִּכְב֤וֹד בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ יִֽהְי֔וּ נְאֻ֖ם יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃ ס And it will disappear, the garrison/fortified city from Ephraim And the kingdom/rulership from Damascus And the remnant of Aram: Like the glory of the sons of Israel, they will be,” Declares YHHW of the Armies.

5. Condemnation and Comparison • vv1-3 is a quote by the LORD, where He promised the destruction of Damascus. • The hopes and future of Damascus are tied to the destiny of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. • Both would be destroyed by Assyria in Isaiah’s day. • Assyria was a wicked nation used by God to judge other wicked nations, including His “beloved possession,” Israel (both kingdoms).’ • The “glory” of Israel should have been God but was rather their own fleshly basis for boasting.

6. The Problem • So the problem is HUMANISM, which is one form of the satanic alternative to THEISM. • Principle in Context: If man does not submit to his Creator and give Him due awe, he will inevitably self-glorify. • This “idolatry-of-self” is the replacement of the Creator’s glory with man’s creation. • Within the reality that is construed by the Living God, this universal absurdity can only be explained in one way: By the impact of the fall on man’s faculties of perception and reason.

7. Is 17:1-3 The Burden of Damascus: “Behold Damascus is being removed from being a city And she will be a fallen-down ruin. Abandoned will be the cities of Aroer For flocks they will be And they will graze And there will be no one to cause them to fear And it will disappear, the fortified cityfrom Ephraim And _____________ the kingdom from Damascus And the remnant of Aram: Like the glory of the sons of Israel, they will be,” Declares YHHW of the Armies.

8. v4 4 וְהָיָה֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא יִדַּ֖ל כְּב֣וֹד יַעֲקֹ֑ב וּמִשְׁמַ֥ן בְּשָׂר֖וֹ יֵרָזֶֽה׃ “Now it will be in that day: It will be thin/poor, the glory of Jacob And the fatness of his flesh will dwindle

9. v5 5 וְהָיָ֗ה כֶּֽאֱסֹף֙ קָצִ֣יר קָמָ֔ה וּזְרֹע֖וֹ שִׁבֳּלִ֣ים יִקְצ֑וֹר וְהָיָ֛ה כִּמְלַקֵּ֥ט שִׁבֳּלִ֖ים בְּעֵ֥מֶק רְפָאִֽים׃ “And it will be like the gathering of the reaper of the grain on the stalk And his arm the grain ears it will harvest And it will be like one gleaning the grain ears in the land of Rephaim.

10. v6 6 וְנִשְׁאַר־בּ֤וֹ עֽוֹלֵלֹת֙ כְּנֹ֣קֶף זַ֔יִת שְׁנַ֧יִם שְׁלֹשָׁ֛ה גַּרְגְּרִ֖ים בְּרֹ֣אשׁ אָמִ֑יר אַרְבָּעָ֣ה חֲמִשָּׁ֗ה בִּסְעִפֶ֙יהָ֙ פֹּֽרִיָּ֔ה נְאֻם־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ ס But they will be left in it, the gleanings, like what has fallen from an olive tree, two, three ripe olives in the head (top part) of a bough; Four, five in the branches of a fruit tree,” Declares YHWH, God of Israel

11. Is 7:4-6 “Now it will be in that day: It will be thin, the glory of Jacob And the fatness of his flesh will dwindle “And it will be like the gathering of the reaper of the grain on the stalk And his arm the grain ears it will harvest And it will be likeone gleaning the grain ears in the land of Rephaim. But they will be left in it, the gleanings, Likewhat has fallen from an olive tree, two, three ripe olives in the head (top part) of a bough; Four, five in the branches of a fruit tree,” Declares YHWH, God of Israel

12. The Remnant • If you shake the tree during harvest, most of the ripe fruit falls out. • The “gleanings” are always the part that’s “less-than-easy” to harvest. • Thus a small minority is preserved despite utter destruction and ruin.