Isaiah 17:2
2 The cities [`iyr] of Aroer [`Arow`er] are forsaken [`azab]: they
shall be for flocks [`eder], which shall lie
down [rabats], and none shall make them afraid [charad]. KJV-Interlinear
2 "The cities of Aroer are
forsaken; They will be for flocks to lie down in, And there will be no one to
frighten them. NASB
The cities of Aroer are
not specifically identified, but the word, Aroer, means ‘forever’ and that is significant
here, in that the region will be deserted of evil people, forever. Where once they presumably were thriving cities
as was Damascus, and since they are associated with Damascus in this prophecy
of doom, then we can reasonably conclude that they were an anti-God and
anti-truth society.
Where there are some
who look to God, there is always a remnant remaining. But here there is no one.
Cities have homes and
businesses and streets and people and traffic and such. But here the cities have no activity. They are empty of people and empty of human
activity.
Only the animals who
are not burdened by the issues of humanity, are grazing and laying in rest with
not so much as a care in the world.
And that is the contrast.
Flocks, ‘eder,’ does
not refer to domestic animals per se, but it refers to groups of animals, or arrangements
of animals of a similar type.
The community of people
has been replaced with the community of animals with many types arranged by
their respective species. Kind of like
if you were on a safari and saw many kinds of animals, each group arranged
together with their own kind.
And that is the destiny
of evil. To be wiped out, to leave
behind no evidence of its existence, and to be replaced with animals, who are not
as smart as people, and yet the animals remain and the people are gone.
Our principle to learn
from this is of course to not pursue the things of this world, to not ignore
our obligations to God, and to get with a daily study program so that we can
grow up spiritually and not be a part of the failure that the rest of the world
is pursuing with greater and greater tenacity, only to fail miserably.
