Isaiah 17

CHAPTERS 17 AND 18THEME: The burden of Damascus and Ephraim; the burden of the land beyond the rivers of Ethiopia

Isaiah 17:1

THE BURDEN OF DAMASCUS AND EPHRAIMDamascus was the leading city of Syria, and it still is that today. Many have called it the oldest city in the world. There are, of course, several places that make the same claim. In Greece, the city of Mycenae claims to be the oldest, but there is not much there today except a very good Greek restaurant! By the Jordan there is a sign giving the kilometers to “Jericho, The World’s Oldest City.” I guess about every country in the world claims to have the oldest city. I have been waiting for my native state of Texas to make the same claimI am sure they will dig it up some day.

However, Damascus does have a good claim to it. It was Vitringa who wrote, “Damascus has been destroyed oftener than any other town …it rises again from ashes.” But “Damascus” in this chapter refers to the entire nation of Syria. Ephraim is the name of a tribe of Israel, it is the name of a city, it is the name of a mountain, and it is the name of a man. Ephraim is often used in Scripture to refer to the ten northern tribes of Israel. The prophets used it in that way: “For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer…. Ephraim is joined to idols …” (Hos_4:16-17). Therefore, we have here in chapter 17 the burden of Damascus and Ephraim or, in other words, the burden of the nations of Syria and Israel. Because of the confederacy between Syria and Israel (often for the purpose of coming against Judah), Israel is linked with the judgments pronounced on Syria. Partners in crime means partners in judgment. “It shall be a ruinous heap"there will be those quick to point out that this has not been fulfilled, inasmuch as the present-day city of Damascus claims to be the same as the original city. As I have said before, there is a far-off fulfillment of all these prophecies and a local or contemporary fulfillment also. There are two possible explanations for the problem presented by this prophecy:

1. Historians are not always accurate in their identification of such things as the locations of ancient cities. One man wrote a profound history not long ago and then made the statement that the biggest liars in the world have been historians. In the area of present-day Damascus there happen to be many ruins of a city, and any one of these ruins could be the original Damascus. Damascus is like a great many of the ancient cities, in that when it was destroyed in one place, they did not always rebuild on the same site but shifted it somewhat to another location. (Other cities, such as the sacred city of Jerusalem, were rebuilt on exactly the same site because of the significance of the location to the people.) We will just leave this problem to the archaeologist who hasn’t come up with the answer yet as to which of the ruins is old Damascus.
2. Damascus has withstood the ravages of war throughout history and has never ceased being a city, although it has shifted locations. It probably is the oldest city in the world. It thus far has survived every catastrophe that has come upon the earth, particularly in a land that has seen army after army march through it. But it will not survive during the Great Tribulation period. It will be destroyed; and, as Isaiah says here, it will cease being a city. It will become a ruinous heap. Both of these explanations show the accuracy of the prophecy that Isaiah gives here.

Isaiah 17:2

“The cities of Aroer” is a surburban area near Damascus. This entire area would be destroyed. This probably has happened in the past, and it will happen again.

Isaiah 17:3

The northern kingdom of Israel must bear her share of the burden or judgment of Damascus because of the alliance they have. Both were besieged by Tiglath-pileser, as recorded in 2Ki_15:29, and were finally deported by the Assyrian, Shalmaneser, as recorded in 2Ki_17:6. This certainly was a partial fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy; and, as far as many are concerned, it is the total fulfillment. But I feel that all of this is looking even to a future day. Certainly this has been fulfilled partially at least, but oftentimes in the Word of God we find that God is letting us know, by giving an earlier partial fulfillment, that a prophecy will be completely fulfilled. In the remainder of this chapter we find that the judgment is going to be carried out. I will not go into much detail here.

Isaiah 17:10

Isaiah is talking to the northern kingdom of Israel, and what he says has been literally fulfilled. It has its spiritual application also, as all of this does. The land of Israel in our day has been planted with pleasant plants and slips. I had the privilege personally of setting out five trees in Israel. The forests of the cedars of Lebanon have almost been removed, but there are many trees in that land. The Mount of Olives was covered with trees, but while the Turks controlled Palestine, practically all the land was denuded of its greenery. After World War I England began a movement to plant trees in that land, and the present government of Israel has continued this policy, so that literally millions of trees have been set out.