Isaiah 17
1A prophecy against Damascus:“See, Damascus will no longer be a citybut will become a heap of ruins. 2The cities of Aroer will be desertedand left to flocks, which will lie down,with no one to make them afraid. 3The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim,and royal power from Damascus;the remnant of Aram will belike the glory of the Israelites,”declares the Lord Almighty. 4“In that day the glory of Jacob will fade;the fat of his body will waste away. 5It will be as when reapers harvest the standing grain,gathering the grain in their arms—as when someone gleans heads of grainin the Valley of Rephaim. 6Yet some gleanings will remain,as when an olive tree is beaten,leaving two or three olives on the topmost branches,four or five on the fruitful boughs,”declares the Lord, the God of Israel. 7In that day people will look to their Makerand turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel. 8They will not look to the altars,the work of their hands,and they will have no regard for the Asherah polesand the incense altars their fingers have made. 9In that day their strong cities, which they left because of the Israelites, will be like places abandoned to thickets and undergrowth. And all will be desolation. 10You have forgotten God your Savior;you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress.Therefore, though you set out the finest plantsand plant imported vines, 11though on the day you set them out, you make them grow,and on the morning when you plant them, you bring them to bud,yet the harvest will be as nothingin the day of disease and incurable pain. 12Woe to the many nations that rage—they rage like the raging sea!Woe to the peoples who roar—they roar like the roaring of great waters! 13Although the peoples roar like the roar of surging waters,when he rebukes them they flee far away,driven before the wind like chaff on the hills,like tumbleweed before a gale. 14In the evening, sudden terror!Before the morning, they are gone!This is the portion of those who loot us,the lot of those who plunder us.
Study Context for Isaiah 17
As you study Isaiah 17, keep in mind the overarching themes of this old testament book: Judgment, Comfort, Messiah. Observe how the specific events or teachings in this chapter contribute to the book's broader message.
JudgmentComfortMessiah
Observation: What does Isaiah 17 reveal about the character and nature of God? What does it reveal about humanity?
Application: How does the truth presented in this chapter change how you should live, think, or pray today?
Study introductions and prompts are supplementary aids, not Scripture. They do not replace prayerful reading, the authority of Scripture, a faithful local church, or pastoral care.
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