Today let’s look at Isaiah 17. Isaiah has until here talked about God’s judgment on the surrounding countries. First he talked about Babylon, then Assyria, then Persian and Moab. In today’s passage he is speaking about Damascus.

I. Do not be conformed to this world (vs. 1-3) First please look at verses 1to 3.
This is a prophecy against Damascus. Damascus was the capital of Syria.
Presently too Syria has been a constant topic of the news every day. Inthe Biblical age it was called Aram. Aram is today’s Syria. The capital of Syria is Damascus. It is a big
／ヘ town. Presently 21,900,000 people live there. Damascus is registered in UNESCO’s world legacy. The reason that it is recorded there is because the town where Damascus
is located is the oldest in the world. It is the world ’s oldest town.
Damascus has had connections with Israel. It is the town that Paul was going to to persecute the Christians. At that time he was so zealous about the Jewish faith that he persecuted the church. That was the town that he left for to arrest the Christians, bind them and put them in jail. In the end on the way to Damascus he met the risen Lord and was led to conversion. He had an eye opening experience. His name was changed 企om Saul to Paul. This is the same Damascus.
About Damascus Isaiah says，“See Damascus will no longer be a city but will
become a heap of ruins. The cities of Aroer will be deserted and left to flocks which will be like the gloη of the Israelites.” （ 1・3) As I said earlier Damascus is the world’s oldest town. Even though it was conquered by Assyria and had been under its control, in its
f\ history it has not even once been “become a heap of ruins” （ 1) or failed to be a city. From
way back when until now people have continued to live there. However, here it clearly says that it will “become a heap of ruins’. (1) This means that this prophecy is about
things that are going to occur after this. Therefore, this was not to occur in Isaiah’s age, but is a prophecy that will occur in the far future. Even so, Isaiah prophesized this in the year that King Ahaz died, in other words, in 715 B.C. Already 2700 years have passed . This will probably occur in the not so distant future. Everyday when we look at
the news Syria’s situation is very tense. In 2007 Syria held a nuclear bomb so Israel
made an air raid. By the minute we are progressing towards the fulfillment of these
Words. If you hear that Damascus was destroyed then consider it as meaning that these Words have been fulfilled. In Isaiah’s age this was in the far future, but for us living in this present age it is something that will occur in the near future. “Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins.” （ 1） 勺\roer” (2) is also a Syrian town. “Aroer will be deserted” (2) and flocks of animals will take over the land.

Please look at verse 3. Suddenly Ephraim appears here. Ephraim is Northern Israel. Even though Isaiah is talking about Syria, suddenly Ephraim appears. “The forti五ed city will disappear 仕om Ephraim and the royal power from Damascus; the remnant of Aram will be like the glory of the Israelites.” （ 3)
The reason that Ephraim, Northern Israel, is mentioned here is because at that time Ephraim and Aram had joined hands together. They had joined in alliance to deal with the attack of the neighboring country, Assyria. Of course, the Southern kingdom of Judah was also shaken up. However, in the midst of such a dangerous situation King
Hezekiah depended upon the Lord and prayed for the help of God so God miraculously help them. However, Ephraim was not like this. They didn’t depend upon God and joined hand with Aram. For that reason they will be destroyed with Aram. Damascus
／ヘ fell to Assyria in 732 B.C. and Ephraim in 722 B.C. Ephraim lost “the forti五ed city”. (3)
Damascus lost its “royal power”. (3)
This means that even 正 the Israelites are the people of God, if they join hands with the gentile nations, they will be destroyed. When you look at the history oflsrael
up until now, when the Lord sends evil, He always distinguished between Israel and other peoples. He doesn’t send the evil upon Israel. However here is different. Here they are judged with Damascus. If Christians who believe in God are conformed to this
world, or bury themselves in this world, they are inviting the same results as Ephraim.
Romans i2:1, 2
“Do not be conformed to this world” does not mean to be separated 企・om this world or to stay far away from the world. Jesus said, ”You are the salt of the world, the light of the world’＇. In this world we are to be like salt and to live as a light. That is because Christians have been saved out of this world and have been put in the kingdom
/’\ of God. If the country is di旺erent, the laws are different. Depending upon the world you
are living in, your lifestyle is different, the philosophy and principles are different. Christians belong to the kingdom of God so they live obeying the principles of God’s kingdom. They don’t follow the principles of this world. They must not separate
themselves from God and be conformed to the ideology and fashions of the world, but
know what the will of God is, and what is holy and acceptable to God. To do that what you must do is “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2) By God’s Holy Spirit your heart must be transformed. Daily we need to sacrifice ourselves to God. Present your bodies to God as a living Sacri五ce. That is spiritual worship. By this spiritual worship the Holy Spirit will live within you, and transform you into a new
person, and you will know the will of God.
Lot’s wife was conformed to this world so she became a pillar of salt. When the Lord because of Abraham was going to save Lot ad his family the angel said to run with all you life and not to look back, but she didn’t obey. She looked back. She had

attachment to this world. She favored the deeply sinful life of the people of Sodom and therefore, she couldn’t leave them behind. She ignored God’s warning so she became a pillar of salt.
Do you have any thoughts like Lot’s wife? Is this world is so fascinating so you
aren’t able to get out of it? Present yourself to God. Don’t be conformed to this world. Focus on God. Let’s walk in the will of God knowing what is holy and acceptable to God. If not, like Ephraim was destroyed with Damascus, we will be destroyed with the world.

IL The remnant of Aram (Vs. 3・6)
The second thing is in the midst of this God is leaving a remnant. Please look at verse 3. Here after Isaiah says, that royal power will disappear 企om Damascus, he says “the remnant of Aram will be like the glory of the Israelites.” （ 3)
Ephraim and A.ram did not depend upon God, but upon people so God judged them. However, even in the midst of the judgment, God left a small remnant. Please look at verses 4 to 6.
Here the words “In that day” (4) appea工 This is one of the key words in Isaiah.
As I have mentioned before this is in the age oflsaiah and at the same time a prophecy about the end of the world. “In that day the glory of Jacob will fade; the fat of his body will waste away. It will be as when reapers harvest the standing grain, gathering the grain in their arms-as when someone gleans heads of grain in the Valley of Rephaim. Yet some gleanings will remain.” (4・6) This means that there will be some grain left.
When Ruth picked up the grain that had fallen in Boaz’s 直eld, she was picking up such gleanings that remained there after the “reapers harvested the standing grain”. (5) Also it is like when olives are harvested. When olives are harvested not all the olives fall off
the tree. A few olives are left on the tree. In the same waぁ in Aram there will be a veη small remnant. God just because Aram was pagan He didn’t destroy them all. He left a remnant that believed in the God of Israel, obeyed God and worshipped God.
The famous Aramean general, Naaman, was so. He was struggling with a veη
bad skin disease, but he believed in the God of Israel and was saved. He believed the words of God’s prophet, Elisha, and dipped himself into the Jordan River seven times and he was healed.
We are discouraged when not many people come to church; when not many people come to the prayer meeting; when no one is saved, etc. However, we must not be discouraged. God even in this situation has kept a remnant.
During the age of Elijah Israel was in the worst and darkest age. Those people that obeyed God were heavily persecuted.
All of the country was separated 企om God and worshipped Baal and Asherah. Elijah who was exhausted from continuing to preach the Gospel lamented before God，“I have

been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I
am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” (I Kings 19:14) He is
lamenting，“I am the only one left.” （ I Kings 19:14) Then God says，“Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel-all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him.” (I Kings 19:1s) This means that God has not discarded the covenant he made with Israel. God has kept a remnant of people that have faith and pray.
This present age is the same. It looks like there is no one that believes, but God has kept a remnant and through these people the work of God is being performed.
This is God’s way.
Recently I read an article that an Alliance Baptist church, Mihama
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Grace Christian church in Wakayama prefecture had a dedication service for a new church building. That church was founded right after the war by an American missionary, Francis B. Sari and the old church building was built. However after the missionary returned to his home country for 20 years the church continued in the condition of not having a pastor. At one time it declined until there were only two people attending the Sunday worship. Also they had an ordeal because 企om a typhoon the old church building flooded with water coming in higher than the floor. They came face to face with the danger of disbandment or consolidation. However, the 2 people who were the remnant decided to take care of the church to the end. They continued to
pray and 3 years ago a neighboring Alliance Baptist church’s pastor began a dual
pastorship . In the course of time, people were baptized and others moved their membership so presently the number of church members has been restored to 8 people.
r’\ These 8 people and the nonmembers with the strength of their families were able to build a new church building. This church has had no connection with the philosophy of church formation or strategy. This was possible because of the unwavering faith in the power of God and the pure and upright faith of the believers. Also they never gave up praying. Also they had a pure devotion to God. The church is cared for, supported by and moves forward by this remnant.
There is for sure a remnant. Until the end of the world there will be a people that until the Lord returns strongly follow the faith and promise to obey God. No matter how big a persecution there is or how painful a situation, by the grace of God a remnant is preserved.
Damascus in Syria is now a metropolis with a population of 21,900,000 people. Almost all the people are Moslem, but among them are Christians. Christians are 10%. Therefore, of course Christmas is a public holiday. The fact that this country that does not have freedom of religion is 10% Christian shows how true this promise is. Even

though Japan has freedom of religion less than 1% is Christian. Protestants are less than .2%. However there are .2%. It is a small group , but God has kept this remnant.
Therefore, even if the church is small, even if few people come , we must not be discouraged. God keeps a remnant everywhere. We must believe that God is advancing forward in His work and obey the Word of God.

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III. Don’t forget the salvation of God (Vs. 7-11)
Lastly let’s look at who is the remnant. The remnant is those people who remember the grace of God’s salvation , and remain in it. Please look at verses 7 and 8. “In that day”（ 7) the people of Aram will throw away their idols and return to
Israel’s great Lord. Repentance will occur not only in Israel, but among the Arameans who were Gentiles . This is a message of hope that even among Gentiles a remnant will appear.

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The words in verse 9 are spoken to Israel about this. “In that day their strong
cities, which they left because of the Israelites, will be like places abandoned to thickets and undergrowth. And all will be desolation.” （ 9)
“Their strong cities” (9) are the towns of Canaan that Israel captured. Jericho
was a strong city with its gate closed firmly without even one person going in or out. However, no matter how strong a town it was because they worshipped idols, it was
destroyed by Israel. Then next the same thing happened to Israel. Israel was God’s
people, but they turned their backs on God and became separated 企om God so they will be deprived of their rights and the people of God “and all will be desolation.”
Verses 10 and 11 give the causes for the problem. “You have forgotten God your Savior; you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress. Therefore , though you set out the finest plants and plant imported vines, though on the day you set them out, you make them grow, and on the morning when you plant them , you bring them to bud , yet the harvest will be as nothing in the day of disease and incurable pain.” (10, 11)
They became this way because they “have forgotten God” （ 10) their Savior.
They “have not remembered the Rock.” （ 10) This is a very important warning . This is a wrong that we certainly must not commit. We must not forget our Lord’s salvation . The most dangerous thing that we can do is to forget God’s salvation. By this our
spiritual destiny is decided.
In the Gospel of Luke is the story of the 10 lepers who were healed . This
happened when Jesus went through a village on the border of Samaria and Galilee . 10 lepers raised their voices and called out，“Jesus, Master, have pity on us！” （ Luke 17:13) Jesus who heard them calling desperately had pity on them and said，“Go, show yourselves to the priests .” （ John 11:14) The lepers who heard these words on their way
to the priests were completely healed. However, of the 10 who were healed only one

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person returned to Jesus to praise God. Not only that, but the person who returned was a Samaritan.When Jesus saw this, he said，“Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner？” （ 17) Then Jesus said to the Samaritan，“Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” （ Luke 17:19) In the end this Samaritan not only was healed, but he was able to receive salvation.
Even if we receive a huge grace today, soon we forget very quickly. There are a lot of people like these 9 lepers. We must not forget the grace of God.
The Lord Jesus said， “Do this in remembrance of me .＇’ （ I Cor. 11:14)
Communion is to remember the grace of Jesus. We must always remember what God has done for us through Jesus Christ. We were rotten sinners like the lepers. Because of our sin we had to live a life in real vanity and tragedy. However, God sent Jesus Christ 加 this world and by putting him on the cross took on the punishment of our sins for us. By the sacrificial love and grace of our Lord Jesus we who were separated 企om God and heading towards death were saved 企om our sin and given entrance to heaven. By our sin and death we were hitting a completely hopeless wall, and we had to be smashed, but we received eternal life. God through Jesus Christ brought real joy to our soul. We must not forget the salvation of God. We must always remember the God of salvation and be thankful.
There was a poor mother and child living in the state of Virginia in America.
The father, a pastor, died when the child was still an infant. The mother by herself did other people ’s laundry and house cleaning and 企om the family 直nances paid out
money for schooling. The child, her son, was always thankful to the mother for her hardships and earnestly studied. He endeavored and graduated from Princeton University. At the graduation he received an honor 企om the University ’s president. He
was a valedictorian. At the end of the speech he said，“Thank you Mom! It was because of you that I was able to graduate. Therefore, I should not receive this, but you should receive it. ” Then he took the honorary golden medal and hung it on his mother who was
wearing shabby clothing. In the course of time the son became a lawyer, then a University professor and at last became an American president. He was Wilson, the 20th President of the United States. Later he also received the Nobel peace prize.
“Do this in remembrance of me.” (I Cor. 11:14) What are you doing so that you
won’t forget the God of salvation? By attending Sunday worship eveηr Sunday, by taking communion are important ways to remember the grace of our Lord Jesus’ salvation. Today later we will have an engagement ceremony. July 15th will become a
day that the couple will de直nitely not forget. They must not forget. They don’t have to
remember July 15th, but they mustn’t forget the grace of God who led them.

So that you don’t forget the salvation of God, always remember the grace of the salvation of God, and be thankful to the Lord. That is the sign of the remnant and of those who are richly ble ssed.

Aoolvin!! it 旬 our lives

• Is this world is so fascinating that you find it di伍cult to be separated 企om it? What in this world is pulling you?

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• Are you discouraged that there are so few Christians? Do you believe that God is keeping a remnant and that God is doing His work through that remnant?

• Are you remembering the God of salvation？羽市at are you doing so that you don’t forget the grace of God?