Isaiah 17:10
Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength, therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants, and shalt set it with strange slips:
ISAIAH 17:10
Verse 10: “Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength, therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants, and shalt set it with strange slips.” The prophet binds forgetfulness of God to unwise agricultural metaphor—planting for security what cannot sustain. The “rock of thy strength” is God’s steadfastness; forgetting him leads to reliance on human effort and foreign influences (“pleasant plants” and “strange slips”). The cultural backdrop includes agricultural imagery common in Isaiah’s oracles, where fields and vines symbolize national prosperity or prosperity strategies. The memory crisis is spiritual: forgetting God leads to strategic missteps that eventually prove unsustainable. The verse foreshadows consequences of pagan syncretism and political improvisation without divine guidance.
Theologically, this passage ties forgetfulness of God to a failure of trust and allegiance. It calls out how spiritual amnesia invites reliance on human invention—tools, alliances, and rituals not anchored in covenant relationship. It reinforces the principle that God’s people prosper or falter depending on whether they recognize God as their source and strength. The text emphasizes God’s desire for exclusive devotion and warns of the spiritual and social costs of borrowed security.
Practically, examine where you plant “pleasant plants.” Are you investing in plans, technologies, or affiliations that promise security but drift from God? This could be a dependence on career success, consumer culture, or political power. Practical steps: re-anchor life in God’s guidance—quiet time with Scripture, prayer for discernment, and seeking wise counsel. Reassess commitments and align them with God’s purposes—justice, mercy, and love. Cultivate gratitude and dependence on God rather than on clever schemes. If your environment pushes you toward compromising beliefs for convenience, seek alternate paths that honor God and serve others.
Cross-References: Deuteronomy 8:17-18; Jeremiah 17:5-8; Hosea 14:8; Psalm 20:7; Proverbs 3:5-6