How does Isaiah 17:6 connect to God's promises in Deuteronomy 28:1-14? Scripture Focus “Only gleanings will remain, as when an olive tree is beaten—two or three berries at the top of the tallest bough, four or five on the fruitful branches,” declares the LORD, the God of Israel. “Now if you will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments I am giving you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings will come upon you and overtake you, if you will obey the voice of the LORD your God… • Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb, the produce of your land, and the offspring of your livestock… • The LORD will make you abound in prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the offspring of your livestock, and the produce of your land… • The LORD will open the heavens, His rich storehouse, to give the land rain in season and to bless all the work of your hands.” The Olive-Tree Image in Isaiah 17:6 • “Beaten” olives picture a harvest after judgment—branches shaken, fruit stripped, only a handful left. • The remnant of “two or three… four or five” signals startling scarcity compared with the normal, heavy yield of a mature tree (cf. Deuteronomy 8:7-10). • Yet even in devastation God preserves a tiny remnant—proof that He has not annulled His covenant (Isaiah 1:9; Romans 11:5). Promises of Overflow in Deuteronomy 28:1-14 • Obedience equals extraordinary abundance—full barns, fertile fields, plentiful herds, overflowing kneading bowls. • Word pictures: “abound in prosperity,” “open the heavens,” “bless all the work of your hands.” • Blessing reaches every sphere: city and country (v. 3), womb and land (v. 4), battles and lending (vv. 7, 12-13). Connecting the Dots: Abundance versus Gleanings • Contrast: Deuteronomy’s vision is of trees heavy with fruit; Isaiah shows the same tree nearly stripped bare. • Cause: Deuteronomy links blessing to listening; Isaiah reveals what happens when God’s voice is ignored (see Deuteronomy 28:15-24; Isaiah 17:9-10). • Consistency: Both passages prove the covenant is literal—Israel’s history swings between the two promised outcomes. • Mercy Thread: Even the scant olives fulfill God’s word—He disciplines yet keeps a seed for future restoration, so the blessings can still be realized (2 Kings 13:23; Isaiah 10:20-21). The Remnant Principle • Scarcity in Isaiah is not final annihilation; it is pruning that safeguards a remnant. • God leaves “gleanings” the way farmers left corners of fields for the poor (Leviticus 19:9-10). His judgment still carries compassion. • Through that remnant, covenant blessings can blossom again (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Amos 9:14-15). Living It Today • Take God’s Word at face value—obedience invites tangible blessing; disobedience inevitably thins the harvest. • Recognize mercy in discipline—when life feels like “two or three berries,” God may be preserving you for greater fruitfulness ahead (John 15:2). • Hold to the promise of restoration—the same Lord who warned of gleanings also guarantees seasons of overflowing abundance to those who return to Him (Joel 2:24-26). |
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