February 12, 2022
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Isaiah? Here’s today’s reading:
Isaiah 17 (NIV)
A Prophecy Against Damascus
1 A prophecy against Damascus:
“See, Damascus will no longer be a city
but will become a heap of ruins.
2 The cities of Aroer will be deserted
and left to flocks, which will lie down,
with no one to make them afraid.
3 The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim,
and royal power from Damascus;
the remnant of Aram will be
like the glory of the Israelites,”
I like when Isaiah talks about the judgement and those who will look to their Maker, and his eyes will have respect. I imagine there were people in these places that will realize “Oh man what a mess we made” and look to God and remember the way it should have and could have been instead of the place where they ended up. I also imagine it will happen to many people here on earth in the final days as well!
Isaiah 17
Isaiah 18
In this chapter Isaiah prophecies the destruction of Damascus, the capital of Syria as well as the ancient nation of Aram. Once again the dependence that is directed toward wealth and power is shown to be wanting when God comes in and takes it all away. It is interesting how Isaiah mentions this turning people’s hearts to their makers, which is exactly why God brings hardship in the first place. It is easy for us to develop dependence on finite things..the only problem with that is that they are finite. Far better to rely on the One who is infinite and supreme and never lacks resources to help. We will either understand that by knowledge and faith or by experience, and experience can be a hard teacher and often God shows our wrong dependence on things by taking them away. Much like He is doing to Israel and the nations around them in these chapters.
“In that day a man will look to his Maker,
And his eyes will have respect for the Holy One of Israel.”