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0:10 Good morning. Welcome to stand on the word. Today, Isaiah 17 and 18. Verse 7 of chapter 17, in a day, a man will look to his maker, and his eyes will have respect for theProphecy Against Damascus and Israel 0:21 holy 1 of Israel. Chapter 17 is the prophecy against Damascus in the northern kingdom of Israel. Now on the timeline of events, it should really kinda come after0:33 chapter 7 and before chapter 9 as this judgment upon Damascus, which is the capital of Syria, takes place during the reign of Ahaz. Now we looked at this incident0:45 recently in second Kings chapter 16 when Rezin, king of Syria, and Pekah, king of Israel, came against Jerusalem. And Ahaz, he paid tribute to the king of Assyria to come, Assyria,0:57 to come against Syria and Israel, which he did, and he carried away the people of Damascus in 7 32 BC. Now 10 years later, the northern kingdom Israel would1:09 meet the same fate, which is foretold in this prophecy here. Verse 1, chapter 17. The burden against Damascus. Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, and it will be a ruinous1:21 heap. Verse 3. The fortress also will cease from Ephraim. Now that, again, is the, the the name that was the northern kingdom was called by. The kingdom1:33 from Damascus and the remnant of Syria. They will be as the glory of the children of Israel, says the lord of hosts. Now Ephraim, as I as I said, refers to the the northern kingdom of1:45 Israel. Both Damascus and Israel would meet the same destructive fate. Verse 4, in that day, it shall come to pass that the glory of Jacob will wane and the fatness of his flesh grow1:57 lean. When Damascus fell to Assyria, Israel didn't fall immediately. They became a vassal state to Assyria. And when Hoshea attempted to2:09 align with Egypt against Assyria, then Assyria dropped the hammer in 7 22 BC and carried off, many of the inhabitants of the northern kingdom.2:21 Verse 5, it shall be as when the harvester gathers the grain and reaps the heads with his arms. It shall be as he who gathers heads of grains in the valley of Rephaim. Yet2:32 gleaning grapes will be left in it, like the shaking of an olive tree, 2 or 3 olives at the top of the othermost bough, 4 or 5 in its most fruitful branches, says the lord of hosts. Now this2:44 describes, you know, if you're if we've got blueberry bushes, and so we we pick blueberry bushes in the, in the spring, early summer. And sometimes there's some at the very top that you can't get to2:56 or you've got, you know, you just get some that are are, are missed. And this is the remnant that would be left in the northern kingdom. Verse 7. In that day, a man will look to3:08 his maker, and his eyes will have respect for the holy 1 of Israel. He will not look to the altars, the work of his hands. He will not respect what his fingers have made, nor the word wooden3:20 images, nor the incense altars. See, the destruction and the devastation that would come about as a result of Assyria coming in and carrying off most of the nation3:32 captive, it would get their attention. It would get the attention of those left behind, and they would turn from their idols, the idols of the Canaanites, and they would turn to the 1 true god. Now the prophecy hereConsequences of Forgetting God 3:43 returns to the cause of the judgment in verse 9. In that day, his strong cities will be as a forsaken vow and and uppermost branch, which they left3:55 because of the children of Israel, and there will be desolation, because you have forgotten the God of your salvation and have not been mindful of the rock of your stronghold. Therefore, you will4:07 plant pleasant plants and set out foreign seedlings. In the day, you will make your plant to grow, and in the morning, you will make your seed to flourish, but the harvest4:19 will be a heap of ruins in the day of grief and desperate sorrow. The reason all this was happening, they had forgotten their god, the rock, their rock, and4:31 their salvation. So how how how do you forget god? Well, he's not forgotten overnight. But as we lack the intentionality that God instructs us4:43 to have by teaching the next generation, both as parents and as a society as a whole, who God is, what he has done for us, and what he expects and requires of us,4:55 then he's crowded out by other activities. And even the prosperity that comes from the generations before us that followed God. There's a prosperity that comes. We become5:07 distracted by the prosperity unless we are intentional in teaching our children and teaching the broader culture. Notice here what took place, took the place of remembering5:19 God. Therefore, you will as I was saying, you will plant pleasant plants and send out foreign seedlings. In the day, you will make your plant grow, and in the morning, you will make your seed flourish, but the harvest5:30 will be a reap a heap of ruins in the day of grief and desperate sorrow. So the the this either is a reference to the idolatry in the gardens that surrounded the5:42 places of idolatry that were on the the hills, the high places, or it speaks to their focus on business, the economy. They would plant. They would tend. They would grow, but the harvest would not be5:54 blessed. It would, in fact, be cursed. Alright. In verses 12 through 18, they're believed to be a warning to Assyria. Now Assyria remember, Assyria was the 1 who came against them.Warning to Assyria and Ethiopia 6:06 This is a warning of what's coming to them. Yes. They were being used by an by an instrument of god for judgment, but those who come against the people of god will likewise face6:18 face the wrath of god, which is Syria did. Verse 12. Woe to the multitude of many peoples who make a noise like the roar of the seas and to the seas and to the rushing of nations that make a rushing like the rushing6:30 of mighty waters. The nations will rush like the rushing of many waters, but god will rebuke them, and they will flee far away and be chased like the chaff of the mountain before the wind, like a6:42 rolling thing before the whirlwind. Then behold at even even eventide trouble, and before the morning, he is no more. This is the portion of those who plunder us and the6:54 lot of those who rob us. That's what happened as a result of what they did to Israel. Even though, again, as I said, they were used by god, He was their instrument, but he7:05 brought judgment upon them as well. Chapter 18 is not speaking a word. We hear the word woe, but they're not it's not speaking a word against e Ethiopia.7:17 Rather, it's a word to them. Instead of woe, it should be ho or listen. Listen is is really what it's communicating. At the time, Ethiopia was a, a very7:29 powerful kingdom that overshadowed, the governance of Egypt and even had, at times, control over parts of Egypt. Ethiopia had an interest in Judah's7:41 well-being because Judah stood in the way of the Assyrians having a path into Egypt and on into Ethiopia. While it's difficult to define the borders of Ethiopia7:52 or, was also sometimes referred to as Kush as it, it it was a much larger and more powerful country in the Old Testament than what we have today of8:04 Ethiopia. Ethiopia probably spanned the entire African continent having access to the Atlantic Ocean, which is why they were recognized for their shipping and their commerce, not only8:16 on the rivers, but also on the ocean, which made them prosperous. Verse 1, chapter 18. Woe or ho to the land shadowed with buzzing wee wings, which is beyond the8:28 rivers of Ethiopia. Now differing differing interpretations of buzzing wings. Some say it's because the land was filled with insects. Others suggest this was the a8:40 reference to their shipping, the the sales that were buzzing, which sends ambassadors by sea even in vessels of reed on the waters saying go swift messengers to a8:51 nation tall and smooth of skin, to a people terrible from their beginning onward, a nation powerful and treading down whose land the rivers divide. Now as this is scholars9:03 interpret, this differently, but 1 interpretation of this passage we just read is that Ethiopia had sent ambassadors to Jerusalem during the Assyrian siege that took place during9:15 Hezekiah's reign as king, and they marveled at god's divine intervention on behalf of Judah. Verse 7. In that time, a present will be brought to the lord of9:27 hosts from a people tall and smooth of skin and from a people terrible from their beginning onward, a nation powerful and treading down whose land the river rivers divide to a9:39 place of the name of the Lord of hosts to Mount Zion. Now this final verse is very interesting. It's believed to be a description of what happened in that day, that they brought presence9:51 as a result of God's divine intervention. But it also is 1 of those prophetic words that has near term and and and further term10:09 Testament with Ethiopia. But then this is also a reference to the millennial kingdom as Ethiopia, continues to have a strong connection to Israel and to the10:21 church. And in fact, there is a theory. There is a and it's a theory. Alright? Just a theory, but it's worth sharing that the ark of the covenant is in Ethiopia in a church, and it's been there10:33 for 3000 years. It was taken during the tyrannical reign of messiah for of Manasseh, rather. Excuse me. The reign of Manasseh for protection because he was destroying everything.10:45 And during the millennial reign of Christ, the ark will be brought back as a present to the messiah in Jerusalem, I. E. The reference here in verse 7.10:57 In that time, a present will be brought to the lord of hosts. So, again, there is this is just 1 of a number of theories about the ark of covenant, but I did think it was an interesting 1, and11:09 Ethiopia has had a significant, Christian population, as well as Jewish population. Father, thank you for your word. And and, Lord, again, we justPrayer and Reflection 11:21 ask the Holy Spirit to continue to guide us on this journey that we, lord, might not just have a head knowledge, but but a a transformational knowledge of your word. Lord,11:33 we thank you for the prosperity and the blessings that we enjoy as we've even just recently celebrated Thanksgiving. And, Lord, we're thankful for the for the foundation of our nation. But, Lord, may we not lose11:44 that understanding. Even though it's been 400 years, may we not lose that understanding that we are a nation that has a has this moral foundation, biblical foundation. And as we depart from that,11:57 just as we saw with Israel, just as we saw with Judah, that, lord, even they forget god, they forget you, then your judgment comes. May we not forget you. But, lord, lord, may12:08 we be intentional in teaching the next generation about you, who you are, what you've done for us, and what you require of us. For we pray and we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. Thanks12:20 for joining me this morning. Until next time, keep standing on the word.12:26 Today's study comes from the stand on the word bible reading plan available for free at frc dot org slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a day, you12:38 can read through the entire Bible in just 2 years. Learn more and request the free reading guide at frc dot org slash bible.In this video 0:10 Prophecy Against Damascus and Israel3:42 Consequences of Forgetting God5:57 Warning to Assyria and Ethiopia11:17 Prayer and Reflection94K followers
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