ISAIAH 17Oracle Against Damascus and

Samaria

v1

ש�� 1 ה ד� ש��ק ה� � א ד ק�מ� � מ� � נ� � מ רש �מו ה ס � �ה�י יר ו מ� ת � ע��ל��ה׃ פ י מ� �מ� ע�

The Burden of Damascus:

“Behold Damascus is being removed from being a city*(Dan 2:21)

And she will be a fallen-down ruin.

v2

ין 2 � ו ו �ר�ב� �ה ו ינ ��ה� ים ת ר ל�ע�ד� �י ע�ר ו�ת ע� � �ע�ז א� צ � י� � ר� � ע� � ר� ב מ�ח�ר��יד׃

“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

v3

ר 3 ש"� ש��ק ו � ד ה מ� מ�מ�ל� ים ו ת מ�ב�צ� מ��א�פ� �ש"� �נ �ו א מ� � כ � ר� ר� � ב�ם ��א �ר ה צ�ב�א�ו�ת׃ סכ �ה ם י � נ ו ��י־יש��ר�א� י�ה� �נ ו�ד ב �כ� ו �א י� ל� ב�

And it will disappear, the garrison/fortified city from Ephraim

And the kingdom/rulership from DamascusAnd the remnant of Aram:Like the glory of the sons of Israel, they will be,”

Declares YHHW of the Armies.

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.

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.

Is 17:1-3

The Burden of Damascus:

“Behold Damascus is being removed from being a cityAnd 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 fearAnd it will disappear, the fortified city from EphraimAnd _____________ the kingdom from DamascusAnd the remnant of Aram:Like the glory of the sons of Israel, they will be,”

Declares YHHW of the Armies.

v4

4 �ו ן ב�ש�� מ�ש"� ב ו ��ע ו�ד י � ל כ א י ו ו�ם ה� �� ב �ה�י רו � מ� ק � ב� ד� ה� י� ה���ה׃ �ר�ז י

“Now it will be in that day:

It will be thin/poor, the glory of Jacob

And the fatness of his flesh will dwindle

v5

ו�ר 5 ים יק� (ו� ש"�ב ��ר ז ה ו יר ק� ��א(ס� ק� ה כ �ה� צ�ו � ל� ע � מ � צ� ף� י%מ�ק ר�פ�א��ים׃ �ים ב (ט ש"�ב �מ�ל� ה כ �ה� �ו ע� ל� � ק� ' י

“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.

v6

ה 6 �ים ש"�ל ית ש"� ק�ף � ו� ע�ו�ל�ל� כ �ש"�א�ר־ �נ 'ו ש ) נ� � ז� נ � ת� ב�י ע� ה ב�ס� ה ח�מ� �יר א�ר�ב אש" א� �ים ב � �ר�ג �ג ה � פ� ש% � ע � מ� ר � ר�

י יש��ר�א��ל׃ ס �ה א(ל �ה �א�ם־י ה נ ��ר� �פ ה� ו � י

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

Is 7:4-6

“Now it will be in that day: It will be thin, the glory of JacobAnd the fatness of his flesh will dwindle

“And it will be like the gathering of the reaper of the grain on the stalkAnd his arm the grain ears it will harvest

And it will be like one gleaning the grain ears in the land of Rephaim.

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

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.