Aram and Israel
Notes
Transcript
Intro:
Intro:
AG:
TS: In ch 17, Isaiah declares the oracle concerning Damascus.
This city served as the capital of Aram, or Syria. It is NE of Mt. Hermon on the main land route between Mesopotamia and Egypt made it very influential. Its destruction by the Assyrians in 732 BC is the subject of this chapter.
Assyria conquered both Aram and Israel and made them provinces of their Empire.
The Severity
The Severity
Both nations are to be judged due to their idolatry.
Is 17:1-6, 9-11
An oracle concerning Damascus. Behold, Damascus will cease to be a city and will become a heap of ruins.
The cities of Aroer are deserted; they will be for flocks, which will lie down, and none will make them afraid.
The fortress will disappear from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus; and the remnant of Syria will be like the glory of the children of Israel, declares the Lord of hosts.
And in that day the glory of Jacob will be brought low, and the fat of his flesh will grow lean.
And it shall be as when the reaper gathers standing grain and his arm harvests the ears, and as when one gleans the ears of grain in the Valley of Rephaim.
Gleanings will be left in it, as when an olive tree is beaten— two or three berries in the top of the highest bough, four or five on the branches of a fruit tree, declares the Lord God of Israel.
In that day their strong cities will be like the deserted places of the wooded heights and the hilltops, which they deserted because of the children of Israel, and there will be desolation.
For you have forgotten the God of your salvation and have not remembered the Rock of your refuge; therefore, though you plant pleasant plants and sow the vine-branch of a stranger,
though you make them grow on the day that you plant them, and make them blossom in the morning that you sow, yet the harvest will flee away in a day of grief and incurable pain.
Syria’s domain extended as far s as Aroer E of the Dead Sea, on the Arnon River.
Ephraim is mentioned because the northern 10 tribes, called Israel during divided kingdom, had joined Syria as allies against the Assyrians.
In spite of this alliance, many of Israel’s cities fell as Syria fell.
The Oracle declares that Syria was to have a remnant, but not a kingdom.
The Valley of Rephaim w of Jerusalem is stripped bare so God’s judgment would leave nothing fruitful in Israel.
This calamity was befalling them because they had forgotten God.
For you have forgotten the God of your salvation and have not remembered the Rock of your refuge; therefore, though you plant pleasant plants and sow the vine-branch of a stranger,
God had called a man and grew a family which grew to be a nation enslaved in Egypt. He had delivered them and brought them to promised land.
They had failed to remember and honor God for this.
They instead had turned to idols and trusted alliances (such as this one with Syria).
Their planting and planning was futile since they were under God’s judgment.
Israel would be forced to realize the futility of serving idols.
AP: We must see the futility of hope in any but God.
The world offers many things which proposes to be a substitute for God.
No, we don’t see many idols of stone and metal to demand our worship.
BUT, we do see which would take our affections and trust off GOD
Material Things-
we trust what we have and what we make instead of God
some see their wealth as there safety.
They think nothing can touch them as long as they wealth is intact.
Thus they fight hard and long to keep it.
Relationships
They place their relationships above all else
They put their hope in some human.
husband, wife, friend, politician.
Some go so far as to act as if they worship some politicians.
There is no TRUE substitute for God
He alone is GOD and all substitutes will fail us
Judgment can open our eyes and hearts to the truth.
The Salvation
The Salvation
One nation will turn to God and be delivered.
Remember, the book of Isaiah is written to Judah, the southern Kingdom
Judah would see the judgment of their brothers and repent
Is 17:7-8, 12-14
In that day man will look to his Maker, and his eyes will look on the Holy One of Israel.
He will not look to the altars, the work of his hands, and he will not look on what his own fingers have made, either the Asherim or the altars of incense.
As judgment fell, some would be awakened and repent
They will once again look to the Holy One of Israel
Their attention would once again be on God
Judgment can and has been used by God to get the attention of His people.
Ah, the thunder of many peoples; they thunder like the thundering of the sea! Ah, the roar of nations; they roar like the roaring of mighty waters!
The nations roar like the roaring of many waters, but he will rebuke them, and they will flee far away, chased like chaff on the mountains before the wind and whirling dust before the storm.
At evening time, behold, terror! Before morning, they are no more! This is the portion of those who loot us, and the lot of those who plunder us.
The day would come when God would rebuke the oppressors of and they would flee.
Yes, they would threaten even the walls of Jerusalem, yet God wouldn’t let Judah fall at this time.
IN one night, God would remove the oppressors.
Judgment would last until God declared an end, then it would end!
Isaiah remind them they could trust in the mercy of God
AP: God never forsake us
Yes, God sends judgment
even this is an act of mercy
He gets our attention
He keeps us from falling away by lovingly drawing us back
Even as judgment may be falling all around us, God is in control!
WE can continue to look to Him and trust Him
When we stumble, repent!
Many judgment passages include this same theme.
Repent
Turn back to Him
Confess our sin
We should exalt only in the glory and majesty of Almighty GOD and stop regarding man-made objects, cities, armies, or special people as something glorious
The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.
For the Lord of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up—and it shall be brought low;
Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?
Just as in Deuteronomy, blessings and curses are before us.
failure and hopelessness awaits those who forget God.
We must reject that forgetfulness and remember God!
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
Have faith in God and God alone.