Isaiah 17 · Grade 4
The Gleanings of Olives
Read and Think
Isaiah 17 is "The burden of Damascus." Syria's capital and its partner, Israel (also called Ephraim), had joined against Judah in chapter 7. Isaiah said Damascus would become "a ruinous heap," and the glory of Jacob "will be made thin."
Israel would be like a field after harvest, or an olive tree with only "two or three olives in the top of the uppermost bough." Yet these few left behind would turn to God: "people will look to their Maker, and their eyes will have respect for the Holy One of Israel." They would no longer look to the altars they had made with their own hands.
The reason for the trouble is given in verse 10: "For you have forgotten the God of your salvation, and have not remembered the rock of your strength." The chapter ends with the nations rushing like roaring waters. But God would rebuke them, and they would flee "like the chaff of the mountains before the wind."
Show What You Know
What two kingdoms had joined against Judah in chapter 7?
What picture shows that only a few would be left?
Why did trouble come, according to verse 10?
What happens to the roaring nations when God rebukes them?
Think About It
Israel forgot the rock of your strength. What helps you remember God during busy or easy times?
The people made altars with their own hands. What things do people today trust instead of their Maker?
Memory Verse
“For you have forgotten the God of your salvation, and have not remembered the rock of your strength. Therefore you plant pleasant plants, and set out foreign seedlings.”
Isaiah 17:10 (WEB)
Copy It
Prayer
Dear God, thank You for being my Rock. Help me . Amen.
Take It Home
For families: talk about these together.
- What could make you forget God?
- What does the gleaning picture mean?
Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.