Isaiah 17:1-3

"An oracle concerning Damascus. See, Damascus will cease to be a city, and will become a heap of ruins. Her towns will be deserted forever; they will be places for flocks, which will lie down, and no one will make them afraid. The fortress will disappear from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus; and the remnant of Aram will be like the glory of the children of Israel, says the Lord of hosts" (Isaiah 17:1-3).

 

Question:

The oracle says that the city will cease to be, and will be deserted forever. What is the meaning, since Damascus is today a thriving city?

Comment:

You asked about all of Isaiah 17, which is too long to copy out here. I think the first three verses cover your question.

The prophets of the Hebrew Bible cannot be fully understood apart from the time in which they wrote. They were focused on the events of the day—especially here, when the nation of Israel is on the verge of being conquered by the forces of Syria and is seeking an alliance with Assyria to keep them safe. The prophet is writing here in opposition to that alliance. His message is what every prophet's message is: Trust in the Lord! He is writing a passionate political message for the rulers of the time. Like political writing in our time, it is given to hyperbole. He is not offering a literal history of the next 2,000 years of Damascan history. So why is it in the Bible? Not as prediction, but as metaphysical Truth. It is as true for us today as it was then that our power is in our Oneness with the Lord, not in tangible physical safeguards. As long as we keep our focus on Spirit, all will be well. If we allow fear to guide us to other choices, we will create new expressions of that fear.

Blessings!

Rev. Ed