WEBVTT 00:00:00.321 --> 00:00:04.772 All right, let's turn in our Bibles to Isaiah, chapter 30, isaiah, chapter 30. 00:00:04.772 --> 00:00:16.330 If you're new, with us visiting or perhaps just coming in, we're going through the book of Isaiah as a study on Sunday mornings and we've moved our way into chapter 30 by this time. 00:00:16.330 --> 00:00:29.634 The 1930s France built a fortification along their border with Germany, called the Maginot Line. 00:00:29.634 --> 00:00:46.600 It was named after André Maginot, who was the Minister of War for France, and it was designed to prevent another disaster of invasion that happened like it did in France in World War I, of invasion that happened like it did in France in World War I. 00:00:46.600 --> 00:00:54.927 The Maginot Line was 280 miles long of bunkers and gun batteries and reinforced concrete structures. 00:00:54.927 --> 00:00:57.649 It was a marvel of its time. 00:00:57.649 --> 00:01:16.382 The French believed that this defensive line would act as a deterrent to any forces to come and to attack their border, or would at least slow them down enough to be able to muster the forces to give a response. 00:01:16.382 --> 00:01:22.307 They thought that this Maginot Line would prove to be successful and they put a lot of trust, a lot of money into it. 00:01:22.307 --> 00:01:51.272 But it failed spectacularly when World War II happened, instead of attacking this heavily fortified 200 plus mile border, germany bypassed the line completely and went through Belgium and took over France, and that rapid and unexpected maneuver by them led to the downfall of France very quickly and to the British forces having to be rescued off of Dunkirk. 00:01:51.272 --> 00:02:11.573 The failure of this Maginot Line and the trust that the French people and the Allies put into it stands as a symbol of misplaced trust, of the dangers of false security and of the ineffectiveness of looking to one single solution to fix our problems. 00:02:13.501 --> 00:02:30.580 In Isaiah, chapter 30, we find the leaders and the people of Judah overcome with a very difficult problem, with a very difficult problem. 00:02:30.580 --> 00:02:42.569 The kingdom of Assyria has swept down from the north and has destroyed all of the countries around them, has taken away captive the 10 tribes of Israel, has defeated every fortified city in Judah apart from Jerusalem itself. 00:02:42.569 --> 00:02:49.028 There seemed to be little hope and they had four options in front of them. 00:02:49.028 --> 00:02:51.548 One option was simply to surrender. 00:02:51.548 --> 00:02:58.106 But they had been maneuvering behind the scenes and the Assyrians knew that. 00:02:58.106 --> 00:03:07.001 And if they simply gave up, that would mean that they would open themselves up to all the treachery and tyranny that war brings. 00:03:07.001 --> 00:03:12.212 They could also resist as long as possible. 00:03:12.212 --> 00:03:30.754 The people of Assyria, the warriors, were surrounding them in a siege and they could just wait it out and perhaps wear Assyria down, and of course that would mean a lot of death, starvation inside the city, as the resources were gone. 00:03:30.754 --> 00:03:34.289 But could they survive? 00:03:34.289 --> 00:03:43.313 They could, thirdly, look for help from some outside power to stand with them in some alliance and coalition. 00:03:43.313 --> 00:03:46.606 But what cost would that bring? 00:03:46.606 --> 00:03:56.067 Or, fourth, they could look to God in trust, and so their options boiled down to just a few. 00:03:56.067 --> 00:04:03.710 They could surrender, they could try to manipulate the circumstances, or they could trust in the living God to bring them through. 00:04:03.710 --> 00:04:19.569 Just like France relied upon the Maginot Line, believing it would shield them from the aggression of Germany, and then finding out Germany bypassed all of their plans, left them vulnerable and swiftly to defeat. 00:04:19.569 --> 00:04:31.353 Here the leaders of Judah have put everything in their confidence in Egypt, as they made an ally of Egypt to try to protect them from Assyria. 00:04:31.353 --> 00:04:44.475 This Maginot line and Judah's coalition with Egypt at the time seemed to be very, very reasonable. 00:04:44.475 --> 00:04:48.050 It seemed to be a secure defense. 00:04:48.050 --> 00:04:51.004 It seemed to be the right way to go. 00:04:51.004 --> 00:04:55.130 But both of them were disastrous. 00:04:55.130 --> 00:05:00.923 They proved unable to help them when the thing they needed most was help. 00:05:00.923 --> 00:05:09.475 Their reliance upon this led to nothing but catastrophic circumstances and outcomes. 00:05:11.240 --> 00:05:15.572 What happens when life throws us all of its difficulties and hardships and challenges? 00:05:15.572 --> 00:05:18.487 What kind of options do we have? 00:05:18.487 --> 00:05:21.928 Do we surrender to the problems without a fight? 00:05:21.928 --> 00:05:27.362 Do we try to hold up inside the walls and just hope it eventually goes away? 00:05:27.362 --> 00:05:32.132 Do we try to work out all the things that we think are the best? 00:05:32.132 --> 00:05:42.365 Or do we give ourselves over to God in his word, to his presence and to his direction and plan and purposes and trust him in the midst of this? 00:05:42.365 --> 00:06:03.310 As humans, we're very, very prone to try to fix it as best we can, to look to the resources around us or perhaps others might be able to give us and to find those limitations met in their abilities, and we cry out to one another don't just stand there, do something. 00:06:03.310 --> 00:06:04.528 And we feel compelled. 00:06:04.528 --> 00:06:06.379 To one another don't just stand there, do something, and we feel compelled to fix it. 00:06:06.379 --> 00:06:12.572 However, we often find ourselves reaching out to places that are of no help at all. 00:06:13.980 --> 00:06:22.408 Now, this passage of Scripture will reveal to us the folly of misplaced trust, but it does something far bigger than that. 00:06:22.408 --> 00:06:35.449 It also reveals to us the character of God and of his demonstrating willingness to forgive and to restore those who come to him, no matter how wretchedly rebellious they've been. 00:06:35.449 --> 00:06:50.564 It's a remarkable passage of scripture and as we work through this chapter you'll see the movement of folly and false trust, but also the wonderful focus of God in restoring sinners to himself. 00:06:50.564 --> 00:06:54.821 In the first seven verses I want to introduce you to a rebellious people. 00:06:54.821 --> 00:07:02.562 A rebellious people, and the first verse introduces us with another one of the woes in these few chapters here. 00:07:02.562 --> 00:07:06.329 Woe to the rebellious children. 00:07:06.329 --> 00:07:09.940 This is the Lord's declaration. 00:07:09.940 --> 00:07:23.826 Now, at first we might think of that like we would if we were parents of children who are full of trouble and resisting our guidance and are living a life that's contrary to our desires, and we would cry out in agony over that. 00:07:23.826 --> 00:07:26.872 But this is something bigger than that. 00:07:28.961 --> 00:08:19.514 When God calls the people here rebellious children, he is bringing into play some statements from the law of Moses, particularly Deuteronomy, chapter 21, in which there's a scenario of parents taking a rebellious, stubborn son to the elders at the city gate and taking them into a court of judgment and talking about their abject resistance and rebellion against their parents and against the word of God, and that after a time of consideration, a judgment would be made that this child, this son, was so rebellious that they forfeited the right of life and execution. 00:08:19.514 --> 00:08:37.714 And what God is declaring here about these people is that their sin was so egregious that it warranted the death penalty, that they had acted with such rebellion that they really had no right to even exist on earth. 00:08:37.714 --> 00:08:42.230 Isaiah doesn't equivocate at all here. 00:08:42.230 --> 00:08:48.260 Equivocate at all here. 00:08:48.260 --> 00:08:52.010 His indictment to them should have struck fear into their heart and moved them to an awareness of themselves that would lead to repentance. 00:08:52.010 --> 00:08:59.052 However, all it did was provoke them to more anger and led to their death. 00:08:59.052 --> 00:09:04.889 His specific charges get even more troubling. 00:09:08.220 --> 00:09:13.389 So let's unpack these few verses here by seeing these rebellious children, by, first of all, the rebellious refusal of God's guidance. 00:09:13.389 --> 00:09:15.826 Take a look at verse two and three. 00:09:15.826 --> 00:09:19.360 Well, one and two, rather. 00:09:19.360 --> 00:09:22.931 They carry out a plan, but not mine. 00:09:22.931 --> 00:09:31.008 They make an alliance, but against my will, piling sin upon sin. 00:09:31.008 --> 00:09:43.312 Without asking my advice, they go down to Egypt in order to seek shelter under Pharaoh's protection and take refuge in Egypt's shadow. 00:09:43.312 --> 00:09:55.231 These rebellious ones had so rejected God's plans and purposes and person that they felt like the only option that they had was to run to Egypt for help. 00:09:55.231 --> 00:10:10.827 And God addresses that rebellion in their defiance against him and their unwillingness to consult him and their desire to seek anything apart from him in order to gain a victory. 00:10:10.827 --> 00:10:30.807 And this section paints a vivid warning of the tendency to stray away from God's path, to trust worldly solutions and, like these people, too often we run into decisions without at all thinking about God's wisdom, god's word, god's advice. 00:10:30.807 --> 00:10:39.591 There's loads of scriptures that tell us that there is a downfall in trusting ourselves and yet safety in trusting God. 00:10:39.591 --> 00:10:42.458 The next chapter we'll look at soon. 00:10:42.538 --> 00:10:49.052 In Isaiah 31 says woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and who do not look to the Holy One of Israel. 00:10:49.052 --> 00:10:57.732 Jeremiah spoke to the same people Cursed is the one who trusts in man, but blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord. 00:10:57.732 --> 00:11:05.225 And then in Psalm 121, my eyes are lifted up to the mountains when does my help come from? 00:11:05.225 --> 00:11:12.312 And he answers his own question my help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. 00:11:12.312 --> 00:11:21.668 So these rebellious people are evidencing the rebellion, first of all by rejecting God's plan, but it's also seen in what they do. 00:11:21.668 --> 00:11:33.369 They make this rebellious reliance on Egypt and instead of trusting God for protection and provision, these stubborn and rebellious children turn there, to Egypt for help. 00:11:33.369 --> 00:11:35.092 And look what they do. 00:11:35.092 --> 00:11:41.789 They send ambassadors to seek help from Egypt Without seeking my advice. 00:11:41.789 --> 00:11:56.509 They set out to go down to Egypt in order to seek shelter under Pharaoh's protection and to take refuge in Egypt's shadow, and Isaiah denounces that as sin adding to sin. 00:11:56.509 --> 00:12:06.932 And in verse 4, though his princes are at Zoan and his messengers reach as far as Haines, everyone will be ashamed because of a people who cannot help. 00:12:06.932 --> 00:12:10.796 What have they done? 00:12:10.796 --> 00:12:27.794 They've sent envoys down to the major cities of Egypt, to where the power centers lie, and it tells us that they've brought money with them in order to pay bribes or tribute to Egypt to try to solicit their help. 00:12:27.794 --> 00:12:29.184 Take a look at verse 6. 00:12:30.159 --> 00:12:32.489 A pronouncement concerning the animals of the Negev. 00:12:32.489 --> 00:12:38.513 Through a land of trouble and distress, of lion, lioness and lion, of viper and flying serpent. 00:12:38.513 --> 00:12:45.134 They carry their wealth on the back of donkeys and their treasures on the humps of camels to a people who will not help. 00:12:45.134 --> 00:12:58.207 Okay, they've taken all of their resources and they've gone to the people of Egypt and said here is our money, here is our wealth. 00:12:58.207 --> 00:13:03.543 Please take these things and we will give you more if you will help us. 00:13:03.543 --> 00:13:12.812 And they traversed through the deserts, through all the challenges that that was in order to gain some security of help in a time of trouble. 00:13:15.280 --> 00:13:29.464 This is one of the saddest displays in all of Scripture, because what you see is think about it for just a second a complete reversal of the exodus out of Egypt. 00:13:29.464 --> 00:13:32.605 They've denied the heritage and the love of God of the exodus out of Egypt. 00:13:32.605 --> 00:13:43.455 They've denied the heritage and the love of God and they've re-entered Egypt and taken their wealth and given it back to Egypt. 00:13:43.455 --> 00:13:55.298 The exact opposite of what the exodus was, where God brought them out of Egypt with the wealth of Egypt into the land of promise and hope. 00:13:55.298 --> 00:14:02.871 But they've rejected the love of God and they desired to weave together an unholy alliance with the pagan people. 00:14:02.871 --> 00:14:17.769 And I'm sure, after all the contracts were signed, they all sort of slapped each other on the back and said let's have a celebratory state dinner and let's enjoy and let's lift up our drinks in tribute to this great coalition that we've built. 00:14:20.181 --> 00:14:31.828 God warns them that it's going to come to ruin, and he does so with one word, verse seven Egypt's help is completely worthless. 00:14:31.828 --> 00:14:35.898 Egypt's help is completely worthless. 00:14:35.898 --> 00:14:38.803 Therefore, I will call her Rahab, who just sits Now. 00:14:38.803 --> 00:14:41.311 We were introduced to Rahab a little bit ago. 00:14:41.311 --> 00:14:46.423 It's translated Leviathan in other places. 00:14:46.423 --> 00:14:47.386 What is Rahab? 00:14:47.386 --> 00:14:48.389 What is Leviathan? 00:14:48.389 --> 00:15:18.620 It is this mythical monster of chaos, this multi-headed beast, the side of which would cause our hearts to melt in an instant, so fearsome it is, and so Egypt is likened to this mythical dragon, if you will, this mighty beast that is more powerful than any human could ever be or any gathering of humans could ever overcome. 00:15:18.620 --> 00:15:32.964 This is Egypt, and so God calls Egypt Rahab, the mythical dragon of chaos that does nothing. 00:15:32.964 --> 00:15:40.812 This is the ferocious monster that sits on its hands. 00:15:40.812 --> 00:15:44.355 You will not get any help. 00:15:44.355 --> 00:15:55.626 No matter how mighty it looks, no matter how ferocious it seems, no matter how powerful you think it could be, it's not going to help you. 00:16:00.881 --> 00:16:05.825 These rebellious people need to learn a lesson, but the lesson they need to learn. 00:16:05.825 --> 00:16:09.712 They've been long, long long rejecting. 00:16:09.712 --> 00:16:12.105 In verses 8 to 17,. 00:16:12.105 --> 00:16:25.764 Take us past a description of these rebellious people who leave aside God's plan and make alliances to show us how long they've been down this reckless path and that's our second point the reckless path. 00:16:25.764 --> 00:16:40.272 Verses 8 to 17, give us a background of why they're going to Egypt instead of trusting the living God, and verses 8 to 11 tell us about their rejection of God's truth. 00:16:40.272 --> 00:16:47.091 God tells Isaiah go, write it on a tablet in their presence and inscribe it on a scroll. 00:16:47.091 --> 00:16:49.447 It'll be for the future, forever and ever. 00:16:49.447 --> 00:16:58.570 They are a rebellious people, deceptive children, children who do not want to listen to the Lord's instructions. 00:16:59.200 --> 00:17:04.291 And those three descriptors are followed by four demands that the people make. 00:17:04.291 --> 00:17:06.405 Look at what it says there. 00:17:06.405 --> 00:17:10.609 They say to the seers do not see. 00:17:10.609 --> 00:17:14.970 And to the prophets do not prophesy the truth to us. 00:17:14.970 --> 00:17:20.365 Tell us flattering things, prophesy illusions. 00:17:20.365 --> 00:17:28.009 Get out of the way, leave the pathway, rid us of the Holy One of Israel. 00:17:28.009 --> 00:17:40.553 Well, the first thing that they insist upon is that the prophets do not see, and basically what they're saying is we don't want to know any more about God. 00:17:40.553 --> 00:17:46.471 Don't give us anything that might reveal more about him. 00:17:46.471 --> 00:18:06.131 The second thing that they ask for is for them to be given things that flatter them, that tickle their ears, that are pleasing to them, that are conditioned toward their favor and their bias. 00:18:06.131 --> 00:18:11.191 They don't want God's word to speak into their life. 00:18:11.191 --> 00:18:16.211 They want a message that will make them feel better about their life. 00:18:16.211 --> 00:18:23.010 Thirdly, they don't want the truth at all. 00:18:23.010 --> 00:18:26.730 Do not prophesy to us the truth. 00:18:26.730 --> 00:18:31.651 Speak to us of smooth things. 00:18:31.651 --> 00:18:37.592 Luther translated this verse preach soft things to us. 00:18:37.592 --> 00:18:58.905 They wanted the half truth of God's promise, then no truth about his judgment, and then, fourth of all, their demand get out of the way, leave the pathway, rid us of the Holy One of Israel. 00:18:59.820 --> 00:19:14.300 Now, the prophets would often sit in court with the rulers, and they would be there as part of the council of wisdom that would help the rulers of Judah and Israel to make the decisions that they needed to make. 00:19:14.300 --> 00:19:23.321 And what's happening here is that the man of God, isaiah, is being ousted out of the council of the king. 00:19:23.321 --> 00:19:25.627 Now. 00:19:25.627 --> 00:19:29.016 The king was required to write out his own copy of the law. 00:19:29.016 --> 00:19:32.772 It was to meditate upon it and to act out of it. 00:19:32.772 --> 00:19:40.644 And now the king is saying here I don't even want the prophet to be there because I don't want anything that represents God to be in my presence. 00:19:40.644 --> 00:19:54.384 I want no reminder of him, not even you being near me, isaiah, not even you be near me, isaiah. 00:19:54.384 --> 00:20:12.390 And so God tells him to make a placard, to put a sign up, and said this is a rebellious people, these are a stubborn people, these are people that don't want to obey the Lord, and I'm sure Isaiah was walking around the cities of the streets of Jerusalem, just like this. 00:20:12.390 --> 00:20:16.066 You know, you know the guy that's in Times Square. 00:20:16.066 --> 00:20:18.352 You know it says repent, right? 00:20:18.352 --> 00:20:37.587 Yeah well, isaiah started that and it was a warning to them, because it was a reflection of what their hearts were and they couldn't stand it. 00:20:43.340 --> 00:20:58.568 Christopher Leish, in his book the Culture of Narcissism, said that our modern society fosters self-absorption and a focus on personal gratification, and we're all about what makes us feel good. 00:20:58.568 --> 00:21:04.051 We're all about ourselves in every way. 00:21:04.051 --> 00:21:20.809 And when we don't find the fulfillment that that self-gratification that we pursue in self-gratification, we end up going to therapy and we look for help to cope. 00:21:20.809 --> 00:21:34.011 We go from comfortably numb to neurotic, but never living out the fulfillment of the fullness of life that God intended for us as his creation. 00:21:34.011 --> 00:21:48.553 And in this shift of our culture, we've rejected God, we've rejected his moral obligations, even in society itself. 00:21:48.553 --> 00:22:08.828 And here the people of Israel are running headlong down that same pathway, prioritizing their own desires, rejecting their communal and moral responsibilities before God, rejecting God's word at all and even not wanting his people and his representatives to be in their presence. 00:22:08.828 --> 00:22:14.289 And verses 12 to 17 tell us more about that. 00:22:14.700 --> 00:22:21.012 This reckless path is also full of a resistance to repent. 00:22:21.012 --> 00:22:41.128 Verse 12, the Holy One of Israel says because you've rejected this message and have trusted in oppression and deceit and have depended on them, this iniquity of yours will be like a crumbling gap, a bulge in a high wall whose collapse will come in an instant, suddenly. 00:22:41.128 --> 00:22:45.984 And look at verse 15. 00:22:45.984 --> 00:22:48.627 We'll get back to some of those images in a moment. 00:22:48.627 --> 00:22:57.910 But verse 15, the Lord, god, the Holy One of Israel, has said you will be delivered by returning and resting. 00:22:57.910 --> 00:23:01.549 Your strength will lie in quiet confidence. 00:23:01.549 --> 00:23:05.326 But you are not willing. 00:23:05.326 --> 00:23:08.086 You said no. 00:23:08.086 --> 00:23:15.307 Why is this past so reckless? 00:23:15.307 --> 00:23:29.554 Because they've completely rejected the promises of God and they are refusing to repent of their reckless life and behavior and direction. 00:23:31.361 --> 00:24:08.545 And here God is, if you will imagine this caravan of representatives of the court of Jerusalem making its way down to Egypt and God is calling out to them in the middle of the desert as they've made their way down through there on their pathway to Egypt, made their way down through there on their pathway to Egypt, and he's saying turn it around, turn the caravan around, bring all of yourselves back and you'll find rest and you'll be able to sit in quiet confidence instead of the fear that's gripping you right now. 00:24:08.545 --> 00:24:14.191 And they said no, no. 00:24:14.191 --> 00:24:23.529 And once again this image of Egypt and the Exodus comes into play here. 00:24:23.529 --> 00:24:30.689 Come back to the promised land, come back to the God who promises you the land. 00:24:30.689 --> 00:24:36.907 Nope, nope, nope, nope. 00:24:36.907 --> 00:24:38.192 We're going to escape. 00:24:38.192 --> 00:24:42.508 We've got fast horses, we will be able to get away from our troubles. 00:24:45.099 --> 00:24:53.188 And God says to them you're going to face tragedy Verse 13. 00:24:53.188 --> 00:24:55.589 You're going to face tragedy, verse 13,. 00:24:55.589 --> 00:24:58.432 Your collapse will be like a wall bulging out. 00:24:58.432 --> 00:25:00.453 It's just there. 00:25:00.453 --> 00:25:03.576 It's stable one minute and it's rubble the next. 00:25:03.576 --> 00:25:09.255 That's going to be your future. 00:25:09.255 --> 00:25:17.324 You are on the very brink of falling because of your misplaced trust and your rejection of the living God. 00:25:17.324 --> 00:25:25.549 You're going to be verse 14, like a shattered piece of pottery that's going to be so broken that it can't be used for anything. 00:25:25.549 --> 00:25:29.603 Not even a fragment of pottery will be found among its shattered remains. 00:25:29.603 --> 00:25:34.503 No fragment large enough to take a fire from the hearth or to scoop water from a cistern. 00:25:34.503 --> 00:25:40.840 It has no useful purpose other than to be underneath someone's marching feet. 00:25:43.765 --> 00:25:48.410 In verse 16, we will escape on horses. 00:25:48.410 --> 00:25:56.789 We will ride on fast horses, but those who pursue you will be faster. 00:25:56.789 --> 00:26:10.092 The people's trust in Egypt is symbolized by them getting on the back of a swift horse, but the judgment of God rides a swifter steed. 00:26:10.092 --> 00:26:18.104 It's a tragic metaphor In verse 17,. 00:26:18.104 --> 00:26:21.031 They're left to the humiliation of ruin. 00:26:21.031 --> 00:26:25.009 One thousand will flee at the threat of one. 00:26:25.009 --> 00:26:32.874 At the threat of five, you will flee until you remain like a solitary pole on a mountaintop or a banner on a hill. 00:26:32.874 --> 00:26:36.907 You're going to be left weak and vulnerable. 00:26:36.907 --> 00:26:39.375 You're going to look pathetic. 00:26:39.375 --> 00:26:43.323 You're going to be isolated and easily defeated. 00:26:43.323 --> 00:26:46.527 That's the end of your plan. 00:26:51.292 --> 00:26:59.127 And if this chapter ended just there, all of us would have to say it sounds like it's deserved. 00:26:59.127 --> 00:27:04.290 They've recklessly rejected God's plan. 00:27:04.290 --> 00:27:06.406 They've refused his person. 00:27:06.406 --> 00:27:09.609 They've turned aside from his word. 00:27:09.609 --> 00:27:15.873 They've tried to eradicate anybody who represents him from any places of influence. 00:27:15.873 --> 00:27:19.319 They've stiff-necked, have refused to bend. 00:27:19.319 --> 00:27:25.292 They've laughed at the promises and the extensions of invitation to God. 00:27:25.292 --> 00:27:27.448 They deserve what they're going to get. 00:27:27.448 --> 00:27:32.804 That's not how this chapter ends. 00:27:32.804 --> 00:27:37.394 What is God's response to all this stubbornness going to be? 00:27:38.681 --> 00:27:50.788 And that leads us to our third point, and it's astounding Verse 18, a redeeming plan. 00:27:50.788 --> 00:28:05.712 The Lord is waiting to show you mercy and is rising up to show you compassion, for the Lord is a just God and all who wait patiently for him are happy. 00:28:05.712 --> 00:28:15.008 That's the last thing we would expect verse 18 to read in light of the first 17 verses. 00:28:15.008 --> 00:28:30.510 While Israel is flying futilely flying to find hope in Egypt, god is there waiting to show grace and mercy. 00:28:30.510 --> 00:28:32.778 Amen. 00:28:32.778 --> 00:28:38.792 What patience, what willingness to forgive. 00:28:38.792 --> 00:28:50.470 These people have rebelled, but he tells them if you return, you're going to find healing and you're going to find compassion and you're going to find restoration. 00:28:50.470 --> 00:28:56.048 There's a man by the name of Robert Hawker. 00:28:56.048 --> 00:28:58.289 There's a man by the name of Robert Hawker. 00:28:58.289 --> 00:29:18.367 Robert Hawker lived in a cave in the north side of Cornwall, in a hermit's hut of all places, and I've been to that hut many, many years ago and in that hut he did some good thinking besides doing some strange living. 00:29:19.661 --> 00:29:23.560 Listen what he has to say about this verse Reader. 00:29:23.560 --> 00:29:37.594 Observe the workings of grace and how the Lord's love breaks out Before the weapons of sin in the rebellious child's hands have even fallen down. 00:29:37.594 --> 00:29:42.480 Sin in the rebellious child's hands have even fallen down. 00:29:42.480 --> 00:29:54.067 Observe in this sweet scripture not only the waiting in the Lord to be gracious, but to be very gracious, not only in his yearnings to pardon, but in his receiving into his favor. 00:29:54.067 --> 00:30:07.613 Isn't that beautiful and as proof of it, whereas in times past the Lord's prophets and teachers had been prohibited from speaking to the people here in the name of the Lord. 00:30:07.613 --> 00:30:16.131 Yet now the people should not only hear God and see these prophets, but feel the power of grace in their hearts. 00:30:16.131 --> 00:30:24.874 What a wonder this is. 00:30:24.874 --> 00:30:26.960 God has called them to turn around. 00:30:26.960 --> 00:30:29.250 Come back. 00:30:29.250 --> 00:30:32.191 Quit trusting in Egypt. 00:30:32.191 --> 00:30:35.846 Put yourself in the hands of the one who made the heavens and the earth. 00:30:35.846 --> 00:30:36.469 Trust him. 00:30:36.469 --> 00:30:37.632 Listen to his word. 00:30:37.632 --> 00:30:40.566 You'll be delivered. 00:30:40.566 --> 00:30:49.769 You will find your deliverance in your returning and your resting, and your strength will be in quiet confidence. 00:30:52.661 --> 00:31:07.665 When we're faced with troubling things those options of just surrendering to the problem or just ignoring it and holding out and hopefully it goes away, or trying to find our own solutions to it all there's another option. 00:31:07.665 --> 00:31:15.285 It's called trusting the living God, and that answer isn't just blind faith at all. 00:31:15.285 --> 00:31:18.429 This is not what God's calling them to. 00:31:18.429 --> 00:31:36.027 He's calling them to trust the one who made all things and who displays himself as one full of mercy and grace and deliverance to help those in need who seek it from him. 00:31:36.027 --> 00:31:49.143 You see, once you've tasted that the Lord is good, once you've realized that Jesus is your wisdom from God, your righteousness, your justification and your redemption. 00:31:49.143 --> 00:31:57.986 You don't want to look anywhere else, you certainly don't want to just give in to trouble and you certainly don't want to just hold out and hope it just goes away. 00:31:57.986 --> 00:32:01.450 And you certainly don't go making your own solutions. 00:32:01.450 --> 00:32:13.882 You trust in this God who has saved you, who has redeemed you, who has been merciful to you, who shows his personal favor to you undeservedly. 00:32:13.882 --> 00:32:27.308 You learn to live life in light of him, you learn to live life in reliance of this one who is full of character and promises and control. 00:32:27.308 --> 00:32:47.691 And so the rest of this chapter moves into some of the blessings that the people receive by turning around and heading to God, encountering all of their rebellious attitudes, encountering all the devastation of that refusal to listen. 00:32:47.691 --> 00:32:53.268 We find these wonderful truths given to us and we're just going to move through them very, very quickly. 00:32:53.859 --> 00:32:54.602 Verse 19,. 00:32:54.602 --> 00:32:59.724 You will weep no more, the people who live in Zion and Jerusalem. 00:32:59.724 --> 00:33:01.550 You will never weep again. 00:33:01.550 --> 00:33:13.392 Well, they were going to sorrow and mourn in light of their trouble and in light of their conquest and exile, in light of their rebellion. 00:33:13.392 --> 00:33:20.894 But if they turn to the Lord, he tells them that he will wipe away their tears. 00:33:20.894 --> 00:33:32.828 The scriptures tell us at the very end of the Bible, in Revelation, chapter 21, that God will wipe away every tear from our eyes. 00:33:32.828 --> 00:33:37.465 Death will be no more. 00:33:37.465 --> 00:33:41.326 Grief, crying and pain will be no more. 00:33:41.326 --> 00:33:42.568 Grief, crying and pain will be no more. 00:33:42.568 --> 00:34:05.833 You see, this passage speaks into a situation, but then it lifts up and then it speaks to an eternal perspective that God will take all that's wrong with us and all that's wrong with the world and transform it, so that the things that we experience here, such as pain and grief and loss and tears, will be gone. 00:34:05.833 --> 00:34:15.731 And here he's speaking the whispers of what he fulfills greater and fully and completely through Christ in that eternal day. 00:34:17.804 --> 00:34:24.146 Verses 20 and 21, speak to a rebellious people that refuse God's word, but now will hear it. 00:34:24.146 --> 00:34:35.927 Will hear it Says there the Lord will give you meager bread and water during oppression, but your teacher will not hide any longer. 00:34:35.927 --> 00:34:42.391 Your eyes will see your teacher and whatever you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you. 00:34:42.391 --> 00:34:43.862 This is the way. 00:34:43.862 --> 00:34:45.423 Walk in it. 00:34:45.423 --> 00:34:53.081 The people that didn't want to listen are now straining to hear a whisper. 00:34:53.081 --> 00:35:00.815 The people that refused the cry of the prophet are now longing for the Spirit to speak, the quiet guidance that he gives. 00:35:00.815 --> 00:35:03.025 What a wonder this is. 00:35:04.280 --> 00:35:18.764 And these are echoes of the new covenant in Jeremiah, where Jeremiah speaks of the day when people will know the Lord and they won't have to be told to know him, because they will know him, because he will be with them. 00:35:18.764 --> 00:35:24.311 He said I'll be their God, I will be their God and they will be my people. 00:35:24.311 --> 00:35:29.666 And no longer will one teach his neighbor or brother saying know the Lord for sure they shall all know me. 00:35:29.666 --> 00:35:36.545 And I love this beautiful picture of the word of God standing behind us. 00:35:36.545 --> 00:35:49.666 And if we're going down life and we kind of veer this way or we kind of veer this way, god is behind us, going this way, no, no, this way, no, this way. 00:35:49.666 --> 00:35:59.650 And the sensitivity of our spirit to hear the whispers behind our head giving us the direction of life. 00:36:03.202 --> 00:36:11.847 Not only will they no longer weep, now they start to hear and heed God's word Verse 22, they rid themselves of idols. 00:36:11.847 --> 00:36:18.746 And whenever it says then you will defile your silver-plated idols and your gold-plated images. 00:36:18.746 --> 00:36:29.253 You will throw them away like menstrual cloths and call them filth, the things that they once worshipped they don't want to have in their life at all anymore. 00:36:29.253 --> 00:36:32.927 They throw them away. 00:36:32.927 --> 00:36:58.768 Paul commended the church at Thessalonica because they turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and these people who had constructed their religion and the idols that they had worshiped and had looked to them for help in all of their life, they said this is worthless, just like Paul did in Philippians 3. 00:36:58.768 --> 00:37:07.512 He said I count all these things but filth for the excellency of the knowledge of God in Christ Jesus. 00:37:10.411 --> 00:37:18.987 Verses 23 to 26 talk about their healing, but it starts with the healing of the land, then it moves to the healing of their hearts and there's a land of plenty described here. 00:37:18.987 --> 00:37:23.521 But it starts with the healing of the land, then it moves to the healing of their hearts and there's a land of plenty described here. 00:37:23.521 --> 00:37:26.344 God will give them rain in the land instead of drought. 00:37:26.344 --> 00:37:29.208 That will help them to sow seed and to reap a harvest. 00:37:29.208 --> 00:37:41.101 He will provide for them large green pastures that will be grazing land for herds of cattle and choice fodder for the oxen, and young donkeys will work the land. 00:37:41.101 --> 00:37:45.030 The mountain streams are going to flow again and empty rivers will bubble into life-giving waters. 00:37:45.030 --> 00:37:53.264 The moon and the sun, whose lights have been darkened by judgment, are now going to shine with a greater splendor than ever before. 00:37:53.264 --> 00:38:10.269 And all of it is culminated in verse 26, where it says this on the day that the Lord bandages his people's injuries and heals the wounds he inflicted, how fully does God restore the repentant heart? 00:38:10.269 --> 00:38:19.409 Absolutely, that's how much, every way you can possibly think. 00:38:19.409 --> 00:38:34.255 In an agrarian society, the best life ever has just been described, with all of the plentiful resources needed for abundance and flourishing and peace and fulfillment. 00:38:34.255 --> 00:38:45.074 And it says this is the image of God's grace, this age of peace and security. 00:38:47.260 --> 00:38:48.563 Verse 27 and 28,. 00:38:48.563 --> 00:38:51.168 You will see God destroying your enemies. 00:38:51.168 --> 00:39:03.349 The name of the Lord is coming from far away, his anger burning and heavy with smoke, his lips full of fury, his tongue like a consuming fire, his breath like an overflowing torrent that rises to the neck. 00:39:03.349 --> 00:39:08.652 And he comes to sift the nations in a sieve of destruction. 00:39:08.652 --> 00:39:13.547 All of their enemies will be no more. 00:39:13.547 --> 00:39:18.266 It is peace in every way. 00:39:18.266 --> 00:39:25.333 And finally, one thing they will do is they will sing. 00:39:25.333 --> 00:39:30.623 They will sing Verse 29,. 00:39:30.623 --> 00:39:46.181 Your singing will be like that on the night of a holy festival, and your heart will rejoice like one who walks to the music of a flute, going up to the mountain of the Lord, to the rock of Israel, the Lord will make the splendor of his voice heard and reveal his arm. 00:39:46.181 --> 00:40:15.130 God will cause his people not to gloat over their enemies and not just to be full of gluttonous pleasure by taking in all the bounty, but by giving God glory for his merciful grace to turn toward them, not in the judgment that they deserved, but in the grace of receiving, as he gives them the gift of repentance and return. 00:40:17.661 --> 00:40:18.545 What a wonderful chapter. 00:40:18.545 --> 00:40:25.586 This is A chapter in which we've seen the people of Israel come full circle from rebellion to redemption. 00:40:25.586 --> 00:40:29.875 The warnings in it are real. 00:40:29.875 --> 00:40:46.088 The prospect of ruination for those who continue to live a life apart from God and his word are real, but so are the promises of hope and restoration to the repentant. 00:40:46.088 --> 00:40:54.130 And I have a question for you Is your life got a Maginot line? 00:40:54.130 --> 00:41:02.990 Have you built up your defenses and have you put your securities in all of those things that you think are going to protect you? 00:41:02.990 --> 00:41:13.309 Do you think, well, come what may, I'm good and perhaps for a while it looks like it'll defend you? 00:41:13.309 --> 00:41:17.871 Perhaps for a while you feel like you live in safety and abundance. 00:41:17.871 --> 00:41:21.963 You feel like you live with security and perhaps even success. 00:41:21.963 --> 00:41:34.128 But there's more to life than just how big your bank account is and how secure your job is and how wide your house is. 00:41:36.150 --> 00:41:47.028 There comes a day that all of us have to face, when our eyes will close in death and the scriptures say that we will awaken to face the living God in a judgment. 00:41:47.028 --> 00:41:51.668 What will your line of defense be for that? 00:41:51.668 --> 00:41:58.909 Will it withstand that coming day? 00:41:58.909 --> 00:42:05.489 Will it be able to exonerate you on the day? 00:42:05.489 --> 00:42:23.690 God, who is thrice holy, looks into your life and examines it, or will he bypass it in a moment and bring you to swift destruction, like France when it fell? 00:42:23.690 --> 00:42:30.367 What are you trusting, not just for life, but for eternity? 00:42:32.402 --> 00:42:47.134 You can't just hope it goes away, because it's not going to go away and you might get on the horseback of a swift beast to carry you away from him and his presence. 00:42:47.134 --> 00:43:01.300 But I have to tell you, god has some very, very fast horses in his stable and they're a lot faster than yours and they're a lot faster than yours. 00:43:01.300 --> 00:43:15.612 You see, the remedy is to receive the sweet invitation that's here, and I dare say there's none of us any worse than the folks listed in the first 17 verses of this chapter? 00:43:15.612 --> 00:43:23.277 Now we might be just as bad, but I doubt we can be much worse. 00:43:23.277 --> 00:43:31.949 And if God would speak the sweet invitations and hope and reconciliation to them, he can speak it and does speak it to you. 00:43:31.949 --> 00:43:33.744 Isn't that wonderful. 00:43:33.744 --> 00:43:40.371 So what do you do? 00:43:43.561 --> 00:43:55.650 Read verse 15 again for yourself, for the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, has said you will be delivered by returning and resting. 00:43:55.650 --> 00:43:59.869 Your strength will lie in quiet confidence. 00:43:59.869 --> 00:44:04.402 What will your answer be? 00:44:04.402 --> 00:44:06.186 Will you say yes? 00:44:06.186 --> 00:44:17.148 Will you say yes, will you say yes To repent of rebellious actions, to look to God for his salvation? 00:44:17.148 --> 00:44:33.463 It will lead you to a place where you can be calm rather than fearful, where you can rely upon his strength rather than your own ingenuity, where you can let go of all your strivings and find a place of peace. 00:44:33.463 --> 00:44:34.293 Let's pray. 00:44:34.293 --> 00:44:36.592 A place of peace. 00:44:36.592 --> 00:44:41.329 Let's pray. 00:44:41.369 --> 00:44:54.673 Oh Father, we pray to you and we ask Lord, as rebellious as we are and as unworthy as we are, of the least of your mercies. 00:44:54.835 --> 00:44:58.769 We pray for your sake, for the glory of your grace, that you would let our protection be the least of your mercies. 00:44:58.699 --> 00:45:16.387 We pray for your sake, for the glory of your grace, that you would let our protection be the protection of you and, lord, that you would stop our striving to seek the strength from the Egypts of this world, the arm of flesh and the false confidences of the heart. 00:45:16.387 --> 00:45:44.768 Oh, lord, jesus, be our strength, be our salvation, be our sure help in every time of need, and let that sweet promise of yours be ever in our hearts that you are the Lord who waits to be gracious, who waits not only to give mercy in the best time, but in the time of our deepest need. 00:45:44.768 --> 00:46:02.090 Let that be our hearts, lord, and grant us the ability to fully understand you and to understand all of your mercies, and to make room in our poor souls for you. 00:46:02.090 --> 00:46:26.434 Drive out every other thought, every other interest, every other affection, so that you, the living God, may come and take entire possession and reign and rule in us, you who are the Lord of life and the Lord of glory, and we pray this in Christ's name, amen.