09.29.2014 Old Testament: Isa 17.1–3
To read the Bible in a year, read Isaiah 16–18 on September 29, In the year of our Lord 2014
By Don Ruhl
Syria had long been an enemy of God’s people, and for that they would pay dearly, even as Israel paid dearly for abandoning Him,
The burden against Damascus.
“Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city,
And it will be a ruinous heap.
The cities of Aroer are forsaken;
They will be for flocks
Which lie down, and no one will make them afraid.
The fortress also will cease from Ephraim,
The kingdom from Damascus,
And the remnant of Syria;
They will be as the glory of the children of Israel,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
(Isaiah 17.1–3)
Even as Israel no longer has the glory that it once had, so Damascus would never have the glory that it once had. That is what happens when people trust in their wickedness.
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OK. But what do we do about things going on there now?
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Haydendlinder, can you be more specific with your question? We should still care very much about what happens there.
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OK. It’s just that the post reads like, “they had it commin.” Which I doubt was your intent. Do you mean to use this as a cautionary tale for the rest of the world? Or Christianity?
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The Bible teaches that we reap what we sow. Therefore, if we sow violence, we reap violence. If we sow to the flesh, we reap the flesh, which only leads to corruption. And so on. Obadiah 15 says,
“For the day of the LORD upon all the nations is near;
As you have done, it shall be done to you;
Your reprisal shall return upon your own head.”
Judges 1.7 records the words of a Caananite king, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off used to gather scraps under my table; as I have done, so God has repaid me.”
My point was that, yes, we need to learn from the examples of history, both the history that we read in the Bible and the history recorded elsewhere, for as the American/Spanish philosopher George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” with which I am sure you agree.
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I agree completely. I Just wanted some clarification as there are a lot of negative interpretations of the scripture on wordpress and I wanted to see where you fell. Thank you for the explanation. I did enjoy this post.
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