XVII: 1- XVII: 7 Oracle about Damascus.
During Ahaz's reign, Aram allied with the northern country Israel and attacked the southern country Judah. Isaiah had predicted their failure (7-8), and now he predicted their final outcome.
Damascus (1) is the capital of Aram, which is located on the only way from Mesopotamia to Egypt. Since ancient times, it has been the only way for international trade, and it is also a battleground for great powers to compete for hegemony.
Arol (Section 2) is located in the east of Jordan (2 Kings 10: 33). "Sheep lie there and no one scares them" (v.2), describing it as desolate and uninhabited.
Ephraim (v. 3) refers to the country in northern Israel.
The rest of Syria will be like the glory of Israel (v. 3), satirizing the golden calf and power on which Syria and the North depend (v. 4; He JIU11; 15), which is not reliable at all. In 733-732 BC, King Tigra Pileser III of Assyria launched the second Western Expedition, besieged Damascus, "captured the city, killed Lejin, and carried the residents to Gil" (2 Kings 16: 9), and Aram perished.
On the surface, this message is "in Damascus" (1 section), but in fact it is addressed to the people of God. Faced with the threat of Assyria, the North responded by forming an alliance with its old enemy Aram and closely linking its destiny with its former strong enemy. If God's people forget to save their God (10) and unite with the world, the result will inevitably decline with the world.
God is a master in charge of world history (14: 1-2). He can discipline and save his own people, and he never breaks the promise of David's Covenant (14: 32).
If Moab wants to be saved, he must obey the authority of "David's tent" (16: 5), not to mention Israel, a country in the north. Today, many believers have forgotten the God who saved themselves. Instead of pointing out the way to salvation for the Gentiles, they want to seek protection and methods from the Gentiles, and the result will be "no more protection" (v. 3).