Isaiah 17:1-14

The prediction of the impending judgment of the nations surrounding Israel as well as Israel herself continues in this passage.  If there is one thing that is obvious from this portion of Scripture it is that God is sovereign over the nations of the world and He is in complete control of what goes on in all the world.  He sets up leaders and He takes them down.  He establishes a nation and makes it strong according to His will and then He brings that nation to its knees according to His sovereign desire and control.  In the midst of all of this He is at work to honor and glorify Himself and to see mankind turn to Him.

DESOLATION ENCOURAGES REPENTANCE: The desolation of both Syria and Israel are foretold in this passage.  These mighty nations who were the fear of all the other nations will be laid to waste and experience disaster.  Their cities will be destroyed.  Their people will be taken captive and those who survive will wander like nomads in the desert because of the devastation that the nations will face.  What may appear to be chaos from man’s perspective is just exactly what God has planned all along.  He is working in all of these circumstances to bring man to repentance.  Those who are left in misery will finally look to the Lord, remember their sin, repent from their sin and find forgiveness through the grace of God.  The only hope for all of mankind is to look to the Lord Jesus no matter what circumstance we might find ourselves in.  The path to God is a path of repentance and faith in the will of work of Jesus.


DESTRUCTION IS ENCOURAGED BY ARROGANCE: Those who live in easy and prosperity have a tendency to become arrogant and self-sufficient.  They prepare fields, plant crops and prepare for a harvest that will never come because of their arrogance.  Before they will have a chance to harvest, they will find their fields in destruction.  The Lord will not stand for arrogance in the nations of the world.  These nations that gain a certain measure of power and accumulate possessions must recognize God in all of this blessing or they will find themselves in poverty and captivity.  Men run after idols of their own making instead of glorifying God.  This may be tolerated for a short period of time, but God will bring the proud back down to humility in a swift and painful way.  It is far better for us to humble ourselves under the hand of God than to have He had tearing us off of our pedestals built by pride.

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