Isaiah 17 - Prophecy about Damascus

“Behold, Damascus is about to be removed from being a city and will become a fallen ruin”.

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Then…there’s Damascus. Damascus was part of the Egyptian Kingdom, from 1720 to 1570 BC.

Damascus is not documented as an important city until the arrival of the Aramaeans, Semitic people from Mesopotamia, in the 11th century BC. The city would gain preeminence in southern Syria by 965BC. As this new state expanded south, it prevented the Kingdom of Israel from spreading north and the two kingdoms soon clashed as they both sought to dominate trading hegemony in the east. This conflict continued until the early 8th century BC when the king of Syria was captured by Israel after he unsuccessfully besieged Samaria (the capital of Israel).

By the 8th century BC, Damascus was practically engulfed by the Assyrians and entered a dark age. 900 years old. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damascus#Early_settlement

We should see a pattern emerging…nobody dominates God's people except God.

Here is the message the Lord gave Isaiah about Damascus.

“Damascus will not be a city anymore. Instead, all of its buildings would be knocked down. Royal power would disappear from Damascus. Those who were left alive would be like the glory of the people of Israel,” Men would turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel.

At that time Israel had forgotten God, so her cities would become deserted, taken over by bushes and weeds. The whole land would become dry and empty. There would be sickness and pain that would’t go away. Many nations would march against her but when the Lord speaks out against them, they would run. The armies that caused terror in the evening would be gone by morning.

That’s what happens to those who steal our goods. That’s what happens to those who take what belongs to us. This is an interesting phrase. God pronounces judgment upon Damascus but…when Israel is guilty of the same sins…God will not let anybody wreak the same havoc on His stuff.
And, Israel belongs to God.

God’s house, God’s rules...

Only God will judge His people…He won’t contract this out.

Of course, the time did come when Israel fell. The time will come, as well, when our country falls…if we don’t repent. The only question remaining is this: Will we fall by God’s hand or by another? The answer depends upon who we believe owns us.

We may think the results look the same but they aren't. What God destroys He can rebuild. What man destroys generally stays broken.

Live boldly out there today…