Isaiah
17 reminds me of the old “spaghetti westerns”, where two groups
battle for dominance in a once booming town, until a gunslinger rides
in. With guns blazing and wisecracking wit, the gunman manufactures
the town’s destruction, leaving it in flames as he rides off into
the sunset. In today’s chapter, Isaiah provides “A
prophecy against Damascus“.
He begins, “Damascus will no
longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins“.
It seems it is High Noon in the capitol city of Syria. Isaiah
continues, “The cities…
will be
deserted and left to flocks…
The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim… declares the LORD
Almighty“. At the time,
Ephraim rode with the Damascus gang, and as a result God said, “In
that day; the glory of Jacob will fade“.
God does not need a posse to catch His fugitives, nor does He shoot
first and ask questions later. God is patient beyond our
comprehension. Every farmer knows you never eat your seed corn and
likewise, God always leaves a remnant to rebuild His kingdom. Isaiah
writes, “Yet some gleanings
will remain… leaving two or three olives on the topmost branches“.
These town folks won’t be brought before the magistrate, but
before the Judge of the universe, “In
that day people will look to their Maker and turn their eyes to the
Holy One of Israel“. Simply
put, those who oppose God and Israel are on the wrong side. Maybe
you think you will escape justice?
Now, you must ask yourself one
question: Do I feel lucky? Well do you, punk?
Isaiah
describes the recognition of the One True God in comparison to their
own pitiful effort in righteousness. “They
will not look to the altars, the work of their hands, and they will
have no regard for the…
altars their fingers have made“.
Far too many people have spent their lives working in pursuit of
Fool’s Gold. “In that day
their strong cities… will be
like places abandoned
to thickets and undergrowth. And all will be desolation“.
Like the saloonkeeper said, “When the gold run out, the thrivin’
run out with it”. Satan is dealing in this card game. He says, my
friend, you have two ways to leave this establishment; immediately or
dead”.
Isaiah
rebukes the city, and each of us that hold up a tin badge to prove
our importance. “You
have forgotten God your Savior“.
We behave like we can spot the good, the bad and the ugly, but we
are easily deceived. I
imagine Isaiah squinting from under the brim of his hat as he
mumbles, “Dying ain’t much of a livin’ boy”. Some try to
turn over a new leaf and live right, until testing reveals our true
cowardice. “Therefore,
though you set out the finest
plants…yet the harvest will be as nothing
in the day of disease and
incurable pain.” We all act
tough until the shooting starts. Isaiah, perhaps standing on the
courthouse steps, calls out to the passersby, “Woe
to the many nations that rage…
like the raging sea!
…when He rebukes them they flee
far away“. Friend, you better
get another line of work; this one sure don’t fit your pistol.
Isaiah closes with an inscription for the tombstone of the desperados
that would fight against Israel, “like
chaff…like
tumbleweed before a gale… Before the morning, they are gone!
…This is the portion of those
who loot us, the lot of those who plunder us“.
I have a word of caution for anyone that thinks they can settle the
score on their own, Whoa, take ‘er easy there, Pilgrim. There is one
Peacemaker in these parts, and His Wanted Poster reads: Dead THEN
Alive! How do I know? Simple, the hero always wears a white hat!
“The One who is victorious
will… be dressed in white”
(Revelation 3:5). He brings salvation and new life to all. This
stranger has a name and it is Jesus!