Isaiah 17 & 18
Syria, Israel, & Ethiopia’s Burden
Isaiah 17—The Burden against Syria and Israel
A. A prophecy of doom upon Syria and Israel [17:1–11]
1. The LORD speaks to Damascus and Ephraim (1–6)
a. Damascus is one of the great cities of the ancient world, and the capital of the ancient nation of Syria. Syria is positioned to the immediate north-east of Israel, and the northern tribes, around the Sea of Galilee, had constant contact and interaction with Syria.
b. Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, and it will be an ruinous heap: Damascus was one of the most beautiful cities of the ancient world, but the coming Assyrian judgment would reduce it to a heap of ruins.
c. The fortress will also cease from Ephraim: As is often the case, the northern kingdom of Israel is referred to by its dominate tribe, Ephraim. At this time, Israel and Syria were closely aligned against Judah. Since they are such close friends, God will announce His judgment against Ephraim, against Israel, at the same time He speaks to Syria! 2 Kings 15:29 and 16:9 describe the fulfillment of this prophecy.
i. Israel’s modern interaction with Syria is interesting, and a potential hot-spot for future conflict. When Syria occupied the Golan Heights, a strategically crucial high plateau above the whole region of Galilee, Israel was under constant threat of invasion and shelling from Syrian placements on the Golan. But when Syria eventually made a full on invasion of Israel from the Golan, Israel miraculously beat them back and captured the Golan Heights. Now, Syria insists that this strategically crucial region is theirs and must be given back. The Israelis are adamant that they will never give back land that belongs to them, and is necessary for their security. In the meantime, Syria fights Israel through terrorism and their support of militia groups in Lebanon. The dream of a “Greater Syria,” encompassing Syria, Lebanon, and parts of northern Israel is a powerful influence in the Syrian leadership.
2. The humble response to the judgment of the LORD (7–9)
a. In that day a man will look to his Maker, and his eyes will have respect for the Holy One of Israel: In the midst of such severe judgment, some will respond as they should, with humble respect for God.
b. He will not look to the altars, the work of his hands: One of God’s purposes in judgment is to turn our focus away from our idols and the things we have trusted in instead of Him. This speaks of this purpose being fulfilled.
c. His strong cities will be as a forsaken bough: In judgment, God would strip away from Israel every wrong thing they might have trusted in—pagan altars, wooden images, incense altars, and even their strong cities would give no protection. Their only hope was in the LORD.
i. “When the Israelites came into the land of Canaan many years before, the strong cities of the land were abandoned to them … However, the situation has changed, and the same cities will be abandoned by the Israelites themselves as they are under the judging hand of God.” (Grogan)
3. God’s judgment will bring man’s work to nothing (10–11)
a. You will plant pleasant plants … you will make your seed to flourish; but the harvest will be a heap of ruins. One aspect of the LORD’s judgment against Israel will be to bring their hard work to nothing. They will work hard to plant and grow crops (both literally and figuratively), but the harvest will be a heap of ruins.
i. This can be one of the most devastating aspects of the LORD’s judgment. Haggai 1:6 speaks of this work of the LORD: You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes. How much better it is to be listening to Jesus, and to have our service directed and blessed by Him (Luke 5:1–10).
b. Why did the LORD bring this judgment on Israel? Because you have forgotten the God of your salvation. In one way, this does not seem like a “great” sin. After all, why does God need us to remember Him? Why can’t we just leave Him alone, and He leave us alone? It is a sin to forget the God of your salvation because He created you, and because He is the God of your salvation. If you forget Him, you can forget about your salvation.
i. Satan does not need to make us bank robbers or murderers to destroy us. It is quite enough to simply make us forget. We can forget because of sleepiness, we can forget because of a lack of attention, we can forget because we are distracted. Satan doesn’t care much about how he does it, but he does want us to forget the God of our salvation.
ii. “We are thus reminded that we ought not to be so impatient in enduring chastisements, which cure us of the fearfully dangerous disease of apostasy.” (Calvin)
B. God will destroy the nation that brings the doom upon Syria and Israel [17:12–14]
1. The rush of the nations against Syria and Israel (12–13a)
a. The nations will rush like the rushing of many waters: God will use other nations to bring judgment against Syria and Israel. They will come against them like a flash flood that can’t be stopped.
2. God’s judgment against the nations that rush against Israel (13b–14)
a. When God brings the rush of nations against Israel, it doesn’t mean that the nations He uses to judge will be walking right with Him and exempt from judgment. Instead, God will rebuke them and they will flee far away. God can use one sinner to judge another, and then judge the sinner He just used!
b. This is a comforting principle: Even in the midst of judgment, God shows mercy. As bad as it was going to be for Israel, it could have been worse. Instead, God will allow it for a time, then He would rebuke those attacking Israel. Israel was not at the mercy of circumstances or their enemies; they were at the mercy of God.
Isaiah 18—Concerning Ethiopia
“To us, this brief chapter is the most difficult one of all the sixty-six chapters of Isaiah.” (Bultema) “Although the prophecy is a short one, it probably ranks as the most obscure chapter in this entire section.” (Wolf) “This is one of the most obscure prophecies in the whole Book of Isaiah.” (Clarke)
A. No need to make an alliance with Ethiopia [18:1–6]
1. A word directed to Ethiopia (1–2)
a. Which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia: In the days of Isaiah, Ethiopia was a major world power, ruling Egypt and a chief rival to Assyria. Since Judah was caught in the middle between this conflict, it might make sense for Judah to align herself with Ethiopia against Assyria.
i. “In 715 B.C. an Ethiopian named Shabako gained control of Egypt as founder of the twenty-fifth dynasty. Ethiopian domination continued until 633 B.C. when a native Egyptian regained the throne.” (Wolf)
ii. “The term designates a much larger area than present-day Eithiopia—an area including the Sudan and Somalia.” (Grogan)
b. Shadowed with buzzing wings: The Nile Valley is famous for its many whirring insects.
c. Which sends ambassadors by sea: The scene pictures Ethiopian ambassadors who come to make an alliance with Judah and the other nations of the region against Assyria.
d. Go, swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth of skin: As the Ethiopian ambassadors invite Judah to rebel against the Assyrians, they ask Judah to send swift messengers back to Ethiopia (to a nation tall and smooth of skin … a nation powerful), and the Ethiopians would hope to hear that Judah has rebelled against Assyria and aligned itself with Ethiopia and Egypt.
2. The LORD rejects the offer of help from the Ethiopians (3–6)
a. The LORD said to me, “I will take My rest”: The LORD God rejects the alliance with Ethiopia, because He is more than able to deal with the Assyrians Himself. He can take His rest without the help of the Ethiopians. If God wanted to muster an army against Assyria, He would have raised a banner or sounded a trumpet. He is fully able to do it, and would do it when the time is right.
i. Significantly, there is no rebuke or judgment against Ethiopia announced in this chapter. It wasn’t as if God was going to judge Ethiopia for their offer of an alliance. Perhaps the idea is that it is a well intentioned but unnecessary offer. Instead, Judah was to trust in the LORD!
b. He will both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks and take away and cut the branches: God can “prune” Assyria all by Himself. He will destroy the Assyrian army so completely that they will be left together for the mountain birds of prey.
B. Ethiopians come and worship God [18:7]
1. A present will be brought to the LORD of hosts: Isaiah announces a day when Ethiopians will come and worship the LORD, and bring gifts to Him to the place of the name of the LORD of hosts, to Mount Zion (7)
a. Instead of Israelite messengers bringing news to Ethiopia of an alliance against the Assyria, the day will come when Ethiopians will come and worship at Mount Zion.
2. This may have been fulfilled in some way close to Isaiah’s time. But we know it was fulfilled in Acts 8:26–40, when an Ethiopian came to worship the LORD at Jerusalem, and then trusted in Jesus at the preaching of Philip. It was also fulfilled in the strong Ethiopian church the first few centuries, and the enduring Ethiopian church today