WEBVTT 00:00:04.799 --> 00:00:12.480 This podcast is brought to you by Grant Parkway Baptist, helping people to know, enjoy, and glorify God. 00:00:13.039 --> 00:00:18.079 For more information about Grand Parkway, visit GrandHarkway.org. 00:00:20.879 --> 00:00:25.120 Lord, when we sing and say things that are that truthful, it can sound ominous and sad. 00:00:25.280 --> 00:00:32.079 It's not sad, it's inviting when we say that just give me Jesus because everything else pells in comparison to him. 00:00:32.320 --> 00:00:34.640 So that's not punishment, that's invitation. 00:00:34.799 --> 00:00:47.439 We're gonna find ourselves in circumstances and situations in this life, whether we're 17 or 77, we're gonna find ourselves in circumstances and situations where all we have is God. 00:00:48.560 --> 00:00:53.200 And sadly, God, it oftentimes takes that for us to realize that's what we really need. 00:00:53.439 --> 00:01:02.719 That doesn't mean we don't need a truck and a car and college and food and money and sex and pizza and all that other stuff. 00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:06.319 We need all that and we enjoy all that as gifts from God. 00:01:07.840 --> 00:01:17.760 There's gonna be moments, God, where you just have to clarify our understanding by helping us, causing us to realize this is all I have, this is all I need. 00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:21.680 What have I been squirreling my life away on other stuff for? 00:01:22.159 --> 00:01:24.640 So, Holy Spirit, illuminate your word today. 00:01:24.799 --> 00:01:28.879 It's not just words on a page, it is life in peace. 00:01:29.040 --> 00:01:30.000 And that's what we need. 00:01:30.159 --> 00:01:32.879 So, Holy Spirit, give us that today, we pray in Jesus' name. 00:01:33.040 --> 00:01:34.959 And everyone said, Amen. 00:01:35.120 --> 00:01:35.439 Amen. 00:01:35.519 --> 00:01:36.079 You can have a seat. 00:01:36.159 --> 00:01:37.840 If you got a Bible, I invite you to take it. 00:01:37.920 --> 00:01:44.799 Now, by the way, if you would like to, you can remove your mask during the preaching portion of our service and breathe some air that doesn't smell funny. 00:01:44.879 --> 00:01:45.359 Amen. 00:01:45.519 --> 00:01:48.239 Uh, but if you'd like to leave yours on, you can leave it on. 00:01:48.319 --> 00:01:49.680 Uh, you're more than welcome. 00:01:49.760 --> 00:01:51.120 Uh, today is a great day. 00:01:51.200 --> 00:01:54.400 Uh, if you're a if you're visiting our church, we preach through books of the Bible. 00:01:54.560 --> 00:01:57.760 Now, that doesn't mean we give religious lectures and bore you to death. 00:01:57.920 --> 00:01:59.439 We preach through books of the Bible. 00:01:59.519 --> 00:02:01.200 Uh, and today we're starting the book of Daniel. 00:02:01.280 --> 00:02:02.079 It's in the Old Testament. 00:02:02.159 --> 00:02:04.799 So if you've got a Bible, you can turn and find the book of Daniel. 00:02:04.879 --> 00:02:07.519 And you also might want to find 2 Kings chapter 20. 00:02:07.840 --> 00:02:09.439 If you find Daniel, go to the left. 00:02:09.599 --> 00:02:12.080 2 Kings is back there in the historical part. 00:02:12.159 --> 00:02:13.599 And we'll get to that in just a little bit. 00:02:13.759 --> 00:02:16.879 But I want to give you a context uh for the book of Daniel. 00:02:17.039 --> 00:02:18.400 Uh, I'm kind of a nerd. 00:02:18.479 --> 00:02:19.840 Uh, and you say, what do you mean? 00:02:19.919 --> 00:02:21.120 Uh I like some TV. 00:02:21.199 --> 00:02:23.120 Like uh I watch golf tournaments. 00:02:23.280 --> 00:02:24.960 My wife's like, that's the craziest thing. 00:02:25.120 --> 00:02:27.039 You watch men play golf on TV. 00:02:27.120 --> 00:02:28.319 It's so relaxing, though. 00:02:28.560 --> 00:02:29.759 I will watch this afternoon. 00:02:30.000 --> 00:02:32.080 Tour championship is on, or the playoffs are on. 00:02:32.159 --> 00:02:33.680 But anyway, uh, I'm a nerd. 00:02:33.759 --> 00:02:39.680 And what I mean by that is when we built our house in 1999, I drove over and watched them pour the foundation. 00:02:40.159 --> 00:02:41.759 And my wife said, Well, what was that like? 00:02:41.919 --> 00:02:43.840 I said, just men, cement trucks, everything. 00:02:43.919 --> 00:02:47.599 I said, but here's the thing the foundation is really the most important part of the house. 00:02:47.759 --> 00:02:50.319 If they get this wrong, nothing else matters. 00:02:50.479 --> 00:02:52.879 So it is with understanding the book of the Bible. 00:02:53.039 --> 00:02:57.120 If you uh and today we'll be kind of laying the foundation for the book of Daniel. 00:02:57.199 --> 00:03:03.680 Uh, and so, because if you don't understand the foundation, the rest of it's kind of like disconnected, one-off stories. 00:03:03.759 --> 00:03:05.360 Uh, and that's not what the Bible is. 00:03:05.520 --> 00:03:08.800 And so let me just give you kind of an overview of the book of Daniel. 00:03:08.960 --> 00:03:14.159 Uh, the theme of Daniel is simply this: that despite how things look, God is still in control. 00:03:14.639 --> 00:03:18.560 Despite how things look, God is still in control. 00:03:18.719 --> 00:03:22.400 Uh, a couple uh just factoids about Daniel, the book of Daniel. 00:03:22.560 --> 00:03:27.360 It's one of the only books in the entire Bible with nothing negative is written about the author. 00:03:27.599 --> 00:03:29.360 There's nothing negative about Daniel. 00:03:29.439 --> 00:03:32.000 Here's the second thing about the book of Daniel, you should understand. 00:03:32.159 --> 00:03:34.159 It is written in the context of suffering. 00:03:34.319 --> 00:03:35.759 I mean, excuse me, of judgment. 00:03:35.919 --> 00:03:37.840 It's written in the context of judgment. 00:03:37.919 --> 00:03:43.759 Uh, because a lot of books in the Old Testament, they kind of warn against, hey, God's gonna judge you if you guys don't get your act together. 00:03:43.919 --> 00:03:45.439 Other books look back on it. 00:03:45.680 --> 00:03:52.159 Daniel is one of the two or three that writes from the from the in the midst of it, in the context of judgment taking place. 00:03:52.240 --> 00:03:56.639 Now, let me give you the context before we start reading Daniel chapter one, verse one. 00:03:56.960 --> 00:04:03.120 The context of what's happened here is that now, after the reign of King David, you ever heard of King David say amen? 00:04:03.360 --> 00:04:07.759 Yeah, King David, the reign of King David was great, and the reign of his son Solomon was great. 00:04:08.000 --> 00:04:10.080 After that, you had some cats that weren't so great. 00:04:10.240 --> 00:04:11.919 So there were 12 tribes in Israel. 00:04:12.080 --> 00:04:13.599 The 12 tribes separated. 00:04:13.759 --> 00:04:20.240 Ten of the 12 pulled off, and they kind of divided along geographical and kind of uh tribal alliances. 00:04:20.399 --> 00:04:23.439 Ten of the 12 went up and formed what's called the northern kingdom. 00:04:23.600 --> 00:04:25.439 Now, they were doing good for a little bit. 00:04:25.600 --> 00:04:31.519 God warned them hey, don't intermarry with these people, don't let these people turn your heart against God, but they didn't believe God. 00:04:31.600 --> 00:04:32.560 They didn't listen to God. 00:04:32.639 --> 00:04:34.319 They started kind of saying, Hey, you know what? 00:04:34.480 --> 00:04:38.879 We don't want to, we don't want to be a bunch of haters, so we're gonna let those people practice their religion. 00:04:38.959 --> 00:04:42.879 We'll take some of their religion, some of our religion, some of that person's religion over there. 00:04:42.959 --> 00:04:53.199 And pretty soon you have nothing, you don't have a relationship, you have spirituality void of a relationship with a sovereign God who has the moral authority to tell you no. 00:04:54.000 --> 00:04:55.439 Sound familiar? 00:04:56.079 --> 00:04:59.439 Anyway, uh, and so God says, Don't do that, don't do that. 00:04:59.519 --> 00:05:02.720 But they turned their heart against God, and pretty soon they said, you know what? 00:05:02.879 --> 00:05:05.439 We like this idolatry because they let us do whatever we want. 00:05:05.519 --> 00:05:06.160 They're idols. 00:05:06.319 --> 00:05:09.040 God kind of is hating on us and raining on our parade. 00:05:09.120 --> 00:05:19.199 And so God warns them and warns them and warns, and finally, God raises up a nation called Assyria, uh, and they overwhelm, they sack the northern kingdom uh and they overcome it. 00:05:19.279 --> 00:05:24.560 And here's the takeaway: when you refuse to listen to God, he gives you leaders you don't want. 00:05:25.360 --> 00:05:27.279 Remember that come November. 00:05:28.160 --> 00:05:31.839 Uh so that's the the Southern Kingdom, I'm excuse me, the northern kingdom, 10 tribes. 00:05:31.920 --> 00:05:32.720 I told you there was 12. 00:05:32.879 --> 00:05:33.839 What happened to the other two? 00:05:34.000 --> 00:05:37.839 The other two are Judah and Benjamin, the smallest of the 12 tribes. 00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:41.199 They break off and they they form what's called the southern kingdom. 00:05:41.439 --> 00:05:42.319 Why do I tell you this? 00:05:42.399 --> 00:05:43.439 You're like, dude, really? 00:05:43.519 --> 00:05:44.959 I shaved my legs for this? 00:05:45.279 --> 00:05:47.040 This is where Daniel lived. 00:05:47.279 --> 00:05:49.120 Daniel comes from the southern kingdom. 00:05:49.279 --> 00:05:53.360 Despite the fact that they watched what happened in the north, they drifted away from God. 00:05:53.600 --> 00:05:58.800 God warns them through the prophets Jeremiah, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, but they don't listen, okay? 00:05:58.959 --> 00:05:59.680 They do not listen. 00:05:59.839 --> 00:06:01.199 They're just knuckleheads, okay? 00:06:01.360 --> 00:06:02.560 Let me ask you another question. 00:06:02.720 --> 00:06:10.000 How many of you in this room, at any point in your life, you've realized, you know what, this is not the right thing, but you just went ahead and did it anyway. 00:06:10.079 --> 00:06:11.120 Say amen. 00:06:11.839 --> 00:06:12.639 Sinners. 00:06:14.319 --> 00:06:15.839 See, you're surrounded by sinners. 00:06:15.920 --> 00:06:16.800 You're in good company. 00:06:16.879 --> 00:06:17.920 No, here's what I'm saying. 00:06:18.079 --> 00:06:23.680 Because sometimes we can get down on ourselves and be kind of like, oh my gosh, I just can't seem to get my act together. 00:06:23.839 --> 00:06:26.319 I'm not letting you off the hook as much as I'm saying this. 00:06:26.480 --> 00:06:27.120 Look at me. 00:06:27.279 --> 00:06:30.000 The Bible identifies with how you struggle. 00:06:30.399 --> 00:06:32.480 The Bible doesn't come down heavy on you. 00:06:32.639 --> 00:06:35.519 Like, oh my gosh, what a pathetic Christian you are. 00:06:35.680 --> 00:06:38.079 Well, the Bible says, hey, don't be a knucklehead. 00:06:38.160 --> 00:06:40.160 And God warns us, God sends people. 00:06:40.319 --> 00:06:41.680 In the Bible, it was prophets. 00:06:41.759 --> 00:06:46.079 Nowadays it's preachers, it's friends, it's your mom and dad. 00:06:46.959 --> 00:06:48.639 You're like, thanks for that part. 00:06:48.800 --> 00:06:49.120 Yeah. 00:06:49.279 --> 00:06:52.879 It's your mom and dad that are saying, Hey, sweetie, we don't we don't live that way. 00:06:52.959 --> 00:06:54.079 That's not the right thing to do. 00:06:54.160 --> 00:06:57.199 Okay, don't let your friends turn your heart against God. 00:06:57.360 --> 00:07:05.199 And so the southern kingdom, just Judah and Benjamin, they didn't listen until God raises up the nation of Babylon under the leadership of a guy named Nebuchadnezzar. 00:07:05.279 --> 00:07:09.360 Uh, unless you were raised by veggie tails, and then it's Nebuchadnezzar. 00:07:10.560 --> 00:07:18.560 And he sacks Judah and Jerusalem and they take some of the people captives back to Babylon. 00:07:18.639 --> 00:07:19.439 Why do they do that? 00:07:19.600 --> 00:07:23.360 It's real practical on a governmental people-ruling thing. 00:07:23.519 --> 00:07:29.759 An expanding government needs foot soldiers that can they can indoctrinate into their way of thinking so they can stay in the power. 00:07:29.920 --> 00:07:35.199 In other words, if I'm in Babylon, I can't overtake all these other because Babylon's already defeated Assyria. 00:07:35.279 --> 00:07:39.199 They don't have enough people to go occupy Syria and now occupy Jerusalem. 00:07:39.279 --> 00:07:44.879 So what they do is they take some of the elite people out of Jerusalem, bring them back, and they indoctrinate them. 00:07:44.959 --> 00:07:46.560 It's now called college. 00:07:47.360 --> 00:07:48.959 We'll get to that next week. 00:07:49.120 --> 00:07:52.959 Uh y'all are like, you didn't just say that, did you? 00:07:53.040 --> 00:07:53.519 Yes, exactly. 00:07:53.600 --> 00:07:54.399 That's exactly what I said. 00:07:54.560 --> 00:07:59.759 So what they do is they indoctrinate them and then to their way of thinking so they can stay in power. 00:07:59.839 --> 00:08:07.199 Some of them they keep in Babylon, some of them they sit back as a puppet kingdom in Jerusalem and say, hey, run this country the way we would run it if we were here. 00:08:07.360 --> 00:08:09.519 Nowadays we do it through illegal immigration. 00:08:09.680 --> 00:08:11.120 This is the way they do it in the Bible. 00:08:11.279 --> 00:08:13.120 They just brainwash people into their ways. 00:08:13.279 --> 00:08:15.040 Again, why are you telling us that? 00:08:15.199 --> 00:08:19.279 Because Daniel was one of the young men that got taken captive back to Babylon. 00:08:19.360 --> 00:08:23.680 And best we can tell, he was about 15 or 16 years old when this happened. 00:08:24.560 --> 00:08:26.240 15, let that in. 00:08:26.560 --> 00:08:28.879 15 or 16 years old. 00:08:29.040 --> 00:08:31.839 So everything, this is why I say today's kind of a foundation. 00:08:32.000 --> 00:08:33.279 Today's kind of nerdy. 00:08:33.440 --> 00:08:36.720 Today's kind of like, oh, dude, he should drink decaf. 00:08:36.879 --> 00:08:37.919 He's a little excited. 00:08:38.000 --> 00:08:50.240 Uh, because I want you to see uh just just some some some some pillars that that God uh these things are true in in Daniel's day, they're true in our day, and they'll be true for the rest of our days. 00:08:50.399 --> 00:08:55.840 And so now that you kind of got this foundation, Daniel, 16 years old, comes back to Babylon. 00:08:56.000 --> 00:09:00.240 I just want to read from Daniel chapter one, the first two verses. 00:09:00.480 --> 00:09:08.559 He says, In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 00:09:08.720 --> 00:09:13.919 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim, king of Judah, into his hand with some of the vessels of the house of God. 00:09:14.000 --> 00:09:19.840 And he brought them to the land of Shannar, to the house of his God, and he placed the vessels in the treasury of his God. 00:09:20.000 --> 00:09:21.279 Now we'll just stop right there. 00:09:21.440 --> 00:09:22.720 We're just gonna read two verses. 00:09:22.879 --> 00:09:29.440 Now you're probably thinking, dude, if we're just reading two verses every Sunday, we're gonna be in Daniel till Jesus comes. 00:09:29.679 --> 00:09:34.159 I'm hoping Jesus comes before we get to chapter eight, and I gotta explain the visions to you. 00:09:34.480 --> 00:09:36.000 I'll let him do that, okay? 00:09:36.159 --> 00:09:38.480 Uh because Daniel breaks into three sections. 00:09:38.559 --> 00:09:40.320 There's chapter one, which is an overview. 00:09:40.480 --> 00:09:43.279 Chapter one covers 70 years of the life of Daniel. 00:09:43.360 --> 00:09:47.759 And by the way, there's really only records nine episodes from the life of Daniel. 00:09:48.000 --> 00:09:49.840 70 years, nine episodes. 00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:50.639 What does that mean? 00:09:50.799 --> 00:09:52.799 Not every day's a journal entry. 00:09:53.279 --> 00:09:57.039 Some days you're gonna go to work and come home, and your wife's gonna say, Hey, how was it? 00:09:57.279 --> 00:09:58.799 God wants us to pay our mortgage. 00:09:58.879 --> 00:10:01.360 That's all I got to tell you, because I got paid for today. 00:10:01.600 --> 00:10:04.559 Not every day's spectacular, not every day's awesome. 00:10:04.720 --> 00:10:08.799 I shared the gospel in H C B and nine people fell to their knees. 00:10:09.120 --> 00:10:11.759 No, it's like, eh, it was just today. 00:10:12.080 --> 00:10:13.759 Nine episodes over 70 years. 00:10:13.840 --> 00:10:14.960 Chapter one's an overview. 00:10:15.120 --> 00:10:20.159 Chapter one's written in the in the book of Daniel's also bilingual for for you, Bible nerds. 00:10:20.320 --> 00:10:27.679 The chapter one's written in Hebrew, chapters two through seven are written in Aramaic, chapters eight through twelve are back in Hebrew again. 00:10:27.840 --> 00:10:31.440 I'll tell you why at a later date, but I just want you to understand that now. 00:10:31.519 --> 00:10:33.200 I want to draw your attention to verse two. 00:10:33.840 --> 00:10:35.039 Well, let's read verse one. 00:10:35.200 --> 00:10:35.840 There's only two verses. 00:10:36.000 --> 00:10:36.720 How hard is that? 00:10:36.879 --> 00:10:40.720 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, southern kingdom. 00:10:40.960 --> 00:10:44.799 Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 00:10:44.960 --> 00:10:45.759 Here, verse two. 00:10:46.080 --> 00:10:49.759 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim, king of Judah, into his hand. 00:10:50.320 --> 00:10:53.840 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim, king of Judah, into his hand. 00:10:54.000 --> 00:10:59.600 So this is not a story of military might or prowess. 00:10:59.759 --> 00:11:05.200 This is a story about a sovereign God who takes seriously being trusted, okay? 00:11:05.360 --> 00:11:11.759 Here's the I'm gonna make three foundational statements today from this story, just to kind of lay the foundation for Daniel. 00:11:11.919 --> 00:11:15.120 Here's the first one: not trusting God is a sin. 00:11:15.440 --> 00:11:17.519 Not trusting God is a sin. 00:11:17.600 --> 00:11:22.159 You should read verse two, and the Lord gave Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, into his hand. 00:11:22.320 --> 00:11:26.159 You should read that and say and ask yourself, now why would God do that? 00:11:26.399 --> 00:11:27.679 Why would God do that? 00:11:27.840 --> 00:11:28.480 Here's why. 00:11:28.720 --> 00:11:31.679 Because God does not like not being trusted. 00:11:32.159 --> 00:11:35.039 God does not like not being trusted. 00:11:35.200 --> 00:11:39.679 Because when you and I say, I'm not gonna trust God, we're operating in unbelief. 00:11:39.840 --> 00:11:40.639 I don't believe God. 00:11:40.799 --> 00:11:43.200 I don't have to trust God and idolatry. 00:11:43.360 --> 00:11:45.840 I'm trusting somebody or something else. 00:11:46.000 --> 00:11:51.039 You should ask yourself today, hey, when I don't trust God, who or what do I trust? 00:11:51.519 --> 00:11:56.559 Because here's the foundational truth of the book of Daniel: not trusting God is a sin. 00:11:56.639 --> 00:12:02.080 Now, I told you earlier, we're gonna read a little bit in Daniel, but we're gonna read a lot in 2 Kings chapter 20. 00:12:02.240 --> 00:12:09.120 Now, if you're visiting our church or you're new to our church, you'll hear us say this a lot that the Bible is not a bunch of one-off stories. 00:12:09.200 --> 00:12:14.559 It's one story that God is telling all the way from Genesis 1:1 to the very end of Revelation. 00:12:14.720 --> 00:12:16.240 Even so, Lord Jesus, come. 00:12:16.320 --> 00:12:23.519 And sometimes you can read the Bible and it feels like a puzzle, but the more you understand and you see it clearly, it becomes a picture. 00:12:23.679 --> 00:12:25.679 It's not a puzzle, it's a pitcher. 00:12:25.840 --> 00:12:36.480 And this is what I want to do is pan the camera back because we should always ask ourselves in marriage, in business, in friendship, in church, in the book of Daniel, how do we get here? 00:12:37.279 --> 00:12:45.600 How did we get to this point where this good God gives the king Jehoiakim, the king of Judah and Jerusalem? 00:12:46.240 --> 00:12:46.799 The sinner. 00:12:46.879 --> 00:12:52.559 I mean, this is God's people, this is God's city, and God hands it over to a bunch of pagans. 00:12:52.639 --> 00:12:53.440 They didn't take it. 00:12:53.679 --> 00:12:56.159 God said, Here, I want you to have this. 00:12:56.559 --> 00:12:58.080 Why would God do that? 00:12:58.240 --> 00:12:59.600 How do we get to this point? 00:12:59.919 --> 00:13:01.679 Because not trusting God is a sin. 00:13:01.840 --> 00:13:02.399 What do you mean? 00:13:02.639 --> 00:13:05.360 Second Kings chapter 20, verse 1. 00:13:05.600 --> 00:13:08.639 In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. 00:13:08.799 --> 00:13:17.360 And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amaz, came to him and said to him, Thus says the Lord, set your house in order, for you shall die, you shall not recover. 00:13:17.519 --> 00:13:20.480 How'd you like to get a friend visit you in the hospital like that? 00:13:21.120 --> 00:13:23.279 Just came to tell you, dude, it's over. 00:13:23.519 --> 00:13:26.720 Make your peace with God, because you're gonna take the dirt nap. 00:13:27.200 --> 00:13:28.320 Look how he responds. 00:13:28.480 --> 00:13:40.320 Verse 2 Hezekiah turns his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, saying, Now, O Lord, please remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight. 00:13:40.399 --> 00:13:42.480 And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 00:13:42.559 --> 00:13:55.600 And before Isaiah had gone out of the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him, turn back and say to Hezekiah, the leader of my people, thus says the Lord, the God of David, your father, I have heard your prayer and I have seen your tears. 00:13:55.759 --> 00:13:57.200 Now, beloved, look at me. 00:13:57.440 --> 00:14:02.879 God, when it comes to your praying, he doesn't just hear your words, he sees the way you live. 00:14:03.200 --> 00:14:13.919 Because all of us have been around people who've heard people pray, you heard your grandma pray, your grandpa or your parents pray, and you can kind of cobble together some words, you know, God is great, God is good, let us thank him for a food. 00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:14.320 Amen. 00:14:14.639 --> 00:14:21.759 Uh and so I just want to say this when it comes to praying, God doesn't just hear what you say, he sees how you live. 00:14:22.000 --> 00:14:27.039 And sometimes your prayers don't get answered, not because you're not saying the right thing, but because how you live. 00:14:27.120 --> 00:14:36.559 Because for God to answer that prayer you're asking for would be a violation of how you live, because how you live could not support God answering that prayer. 00:14:36.720 --> 00:14:39.120 Does that say, does that make sense to anybody? 00:14:39.440 --> 00:14:41.279 And so it's not just about what you say. 00:14:41.360 --> 00:14:44.399 He says, I've heard your prayer, I've seen your tears. 00:14:44.559 --> 00:14:45.919 Behold, I will heal you. 00:14:46.080 --> 00:14:51.279 On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord, and I will add 15 years to your life. 00:14:51.440 --> 00:14:54.559 I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria. 00:14:54.799 --> 00:14:59.360 Now, remember, I told you, little little Bible fun fact, who sacked the northern kingdom? 00:14:59.519 --> 00:15:00.240 Assyria. 00:15:00.399 --> 00:15:01.919 So everyone's afraid of Assyria. 00:15:02.000 --> 00:15:03.600 They're like, the man of Assyria is coming. 00:15:03.679 --> 00:15:05.840 It's like fighting Mike Tyson in his prime. 00:15:06.080 --> 00:15:11.919 Mike Tyson would walk in the ring with just a towel with a slit cut in it, and no socks on. 00:15:12.000 --> 00:15:13.919 People were scared to death of Mike Tyson. 00:15:14.080 --> 00:15:16.480 Assyria was like Mike Tyson. 00:15:16.639 --> 00:15:25.279 And God says, I will deliver you in this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city for my own sake and for my servant David's sake. 00:15:25.440 --> 00:15:30.159 And Isaiah said, Bring a cake of figs and let them take and lay it on the boil that he may recover. 00:15:30.399 --> 00:15:37.679 Verse 8, and Hezekiah said to Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me, and that I will go up to the house of the Lord on the third day? 00:15:37.840 --> 00:15:42.879 And Isaiah said, This shall be the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do the thing that he has promised. 00:15:43.039 --> 00:15:47.840 Shall the shall the shadow go forward ten steps or back ten steps? 00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:51.840 And Hezekiah answered, It's an easy thing for the shadow to lengthen ten steps. 00:15:52.000 --> 00:15:54.799 Rather, let the shadow go back ten steps. 00:15:55.039 --> 00:15:55.840 Now look at me. 00:15:55.919 --> 00:16:03.759 What God is saying is through his prophet uh Elijah, he's saying, Hey, do you want the sun, you want time to go forward or you want God to move time back? 00:16:04.480 --> 00:16:08.240 God says, I can make the sun go forward, I can make the sun go back. 00:16:10.799 --> 00:16:12.639 Rather let the shadow go back ten steps. 00:16:12.799 --> 00:16:20.000 Verse 11, Isaiah the prophet called to the Lord, and he brought the shadow back ten steps by which it had gone down on the steps of Ahaz. 00:16:20.639 --> 00:16:21.440 Let's keep reading. 00:16:21.519 --> 00:16:22.080 Verse 12. 00:16:22.240 --> 00:16:32.159 At that time, Meridoch Baladan, the son of Baladan, the king of Babylon, sent envoys with letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been sick. 00:16:32.320 --> 00:16:35.120 Beware of strangers bearing gifts. 00:16:35.759 --> 00:16:45.120 And Hezekiah welcomed them, and he showed them all his treasure house the silver, the gold, the spices, the precious oil, his armory, all that was found in his storehouse. 00:16:45.279 --> 00:16:49.840 There was nothing in his house or in all the realm of Hezekiah that did not show them. 00:16:50.000 --> 00:16:54.480 Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and said to him, What did these men say? 00:16:54.639 --> 00:16:56.080 And from where did they come to you? 00:16:56.240 --> 00:17:01.279 And Hezekiah said, They came from a far country, from Babylon. 00:17:01.840 --> 00:17:04.000 He said, What have they seen in your house? 00:17:04.160 --> 00:17:07.039 And Hezekiah answered, They have seen all that is in my house. 00:17:07.200 --> 00:17:10.559 There is nothing in my storehouses that I did not show them. 00:17:10.720 --> 00:17:14.559 And Isaiah said to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the Lord. 00:17:14.720 --> 00:17:21.759 Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house and that which your fathers have stored up to this day shall be carried to Babylon. 00:17:21.920 --> 00:17:23.599 Nothing shall be left, says the Lord. 00:17:23.759 --> 00:17:30.400 And some of your own sons who shall be born to you shall be taken away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. 00:17:30.559 --> 00:17:36.559 And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good, for he thought, Why not? 00:17:36.720 --> 00:17:39.839 If there'll be peace and security in my days. 00:17:41.039 --> 00:17:43.920 This is a great example of short-sighted leadership. 00:17:44.079 --> 00:17:46.960 Let me give you three things if you're taking notes just to jot down. 00:17:47.119 --> 00:17:48.240 You don't have to jot them down. 00:17:48.400 --> 00:17:51.359 You can just look at them and go, Yeah, I'll see if I can remember that. 00:17:52.000 --> 00:17:53.119 A couple of takeaways. 00:17:53.200 --> 00:17:56.000 Number one, you must decide if you're going to trust man. 00:17:56.240 --> 00:17:58.960 This includes yourself, or you're going to trust God. 00:17:59.200 --> 00:18:02.240 And the sooner you can make that decision, the better off you'll be. 00:18:02.400 --> 00:18:06.880 So if you're 12 years old and you're sitting in here, you should ask yourself, am I going to trust God? 00:18:07.039 --> 00:18:09.279 Do I believe that God's real? 00:18:09.440 --> 00:18:12.079 First of all, do I understand that God's good? 00:18:12.240 --> 00:18:14.400 And what can I not trust God with? 00:18:14.720 --> 00:18:18.640 And so, am I going to trust God or am I going to trust man, including myself? 00:18:18.799 --> 00:18:20.720 Secondly, have good boundaries. 00:18:21.440 --> 00:18:22.400 Have good boundaries. 00:18:22.559 --> 00:18:23.519 You say, What do you mean? 00:18:23.680 --> 00:18:30.000 The Bible says that Hezekiah showed these strangers from a far country everything that was in his house. 00:18:30.640 --> 00:18:31.119 Everything. 00:18:31.359 --> 00:18:32.960 Now just think about that. 00:18:33.359 --> 00:18:34.079 Think about that. 00:18:34.400 --> 00:18:36.000 Somebody's getting a trip to the bathroom. 00:18:36.079 --> 00:18:36.799 You see that? 00:18:37.200 --> 00:18:41.039 Now, your teenagers, if you fall asleep, you're gonna go trip to the bathroom too. 00:18:41.440 --> 00:18:44.400 Remember you're little, your parents would say, You want me to take you to the bathroom? 00:18:45.279 --> 00:18:47.119 By the way, my dad never took us to the bathroom. 00:18:47.200 --> 00:18:48.799 He beat us right at the table. 00:18:49.440 --> 00:18:53.039 I was I was being raised in the in the in the early 70s. 00:18:53.119 --> 00:18:54.880 They whip your kids in public back then. 00:18:55.039 --> 00:19:00.319 And by the way, if your kids act up and you have to step out, no one's looking, kind of going, God, what kind of parent are you? 00:19:01.039 --> 00:19:02.799 Because we can't control our kids. 00:19:03.119 --> 00:19:03.440 Okay? 00:19:04.400 --> 00:19:04.799 Yes. 00:19:05.039 --> 00:19:07.359 There's a lady that can't control her kids. 00:19:08.480 --> 00:19:11.279 She feels relieved now for beating her kids in public. 00:19:11.920 --> 00:19:15.200 I when somebody walks out with the kids, y'all all look at me like, what are you gonna do? 00:19:15.359 --> 00:19:16.079 It's just life. 00:19:16.160 --> 00:19:17.200 You can't control your kids. 00:19:17.359 --> 00:19:20.960 But put your hand over your mouth to get to the bathroom and then beat them privately. 00:19:21.200 --> 00:19:24.079 Anyway, back to the three takeaways. 00:19:24.319 --> 00:19:25.680 You gotta have good boundaries. 00:19:25.839 --> 00:19:28.160 I mean, Hezekiah just opens up everything. 00:19:28.240 --> 00:19:32.079 He lets them see his bank account, his 401k, everything. 00:19:32.240 --> 00:19:35.279 And by the way, these people, you don't you gotta have good boundaries. 00:19:35.440 --> 00:19:38.799 Students, remember this mom and dad, teach your kids this, okay? 00:19:38.960 --> 00:19:43.440 We do not talk about our money, our body, or our family secrets. 00:19:44.160 --> 00:19:46.799 That's just a good place to start with having boundaries. 00:19:46.960 --> 00:19:53.119 We don't talk about our body with anybody, we don't talk about our money, our lack thereof, and we don't talk about our family secrets. 00:19:53.359 --> 00:19:57.119 Hezekiah just throws open the door and says, Come on in, I'll show you guys everything. 00:19:57.359 --> 00:20:03.920 And what he's doing is that he is he's making an alliance with Babylon against Assyria instead of trusting God. 00:20:04.079 --> 00:20:05.599 This is what's taking place. 00:20:05.759 --> 00:20:07.759 Here's the third thing as far as a takeaway. 00:20:08.000 --> 00:20:09.599 We have to learn to think beyond ourselves. 00:20:09.680 --> 00:20:10.640 It's verse 19. 00:20:10.799 --> 00:20:16.559 Hezekiah says, I mean, after I mean, the word of the Lord comes uh to him. 00:20:17.680 --> 00:20:21.200 Isaiah lays it out and he just says, Well, uh, this is good. 00:20:21.359 --> 00:20:22.720 What the Lord has spoken is good. 00:20:22.880 --> 00:20:24.079 For he thought, why not? 00:20:24.160 --> 00:20:26.079 If there'll be peace and security in my days. 00:20:26.240 --> 00:20:27.279 You hear the trade-off? 00:20:27.519 --> 00:20:29.759 He says, I don't care what happens after I'm gone. 00:20:30.160 --> 00:20:37.200 As long as my life's okay, as long as I'm peaceful, as long as I get to retire, move to the hill country, play golf three days a week. 00:20:37.359 --> 00:20:39.920 I don't care what happens to my kids or grandkids. 00:20:40.319 --> 00:20:45.200 Short-sighted leadership will damn the generations that come after you. 00:20:45.519 --> 00:20:46.880 And this is what happens. 00:20:47.039 --> 00:20:50.559 It's a sin to not to trust God, okay? 00:20:50.640 --> 00:20:52.720 Well, you got to ask yourself this question today. 00:20:52.880 --> 00:20:56.559 What decisions are you making right now that will outlive you? 00:20:57.200 --> 00:20:59.039 What decisions are you making right now? 00:20:59.200 --> 00:21:05.119 Because whether you realize it or not, positively or negatively, we're all making decisions right now that will outlive us. 00:21:05.279 --> 00:21:10.720 I told the first service this, and then the guys in the booth did the math and said, actually, there was a stock split twice. 00:21:10.799 --> 00:21:14.000 There was a two for one and a four for seven, and so your numbers are off. 00:21:14.079 --> 00:21:15.519 And I was like, Okay, whatever. 00:21:15.599 --> 00:21:19.440 Uh but years ago, I met a young man, uh, he was very young. 00:21:19.519 --> 00:21:21.519 He graduated high school in 1997. 00:21:21.759 --> 00:21:25.359 His grandma was all into investing, very disciplined woman. 00:21:25.440 --> 00:21:29.599 And so his grandma said, for your graduation present, I'm gonna give you$10,000. 00:21:29.920 --> 00:21:36.160 And this kid was like, and she's like, No, no, no, you have$10,000 to invest, and you have to invest all of it. 00:21:36.240 --> 00:21:40.559 So you pick a stock or multiple stocks you want to invest in, and grandma will set it up for you. 00:21:40.640 --> 00:21:45.759 And so he asked around, and somebody said, Hey, computers are kind of gonna be the wave of the future. 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:49.920 There's a computer company, it's kind of started out, it's kind of hit a little rough patch. 00:21:50.079 --> 00:21:51.519 The company's called Apple. 00:21:51.680 --> 00:21:56.559 And in 1997, in June, look it up because some of you are like, that never happened. 00:21:56.640 --> 00:21:59.279 Because when he told me this, I was like, shut up. 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:04.880 He said, I bought Apple stock at$3.56 a share. 00:22:05.200 --> 00:22:05.839 Yeah. 00:22:06.079 --> 00:22:08.960 And I was like, now I'm sure I'm the only one. 00:22:09.039 --> 00:22:11.440 Does anybody you ever hear something that's too good to be true? 00:22:11.519 --> 00:22:13.119 And your first thing is just skepticism. 00:22:13.279 --> 00:22:14.480 Like, that's a lie. 00:22:15.680 --> 00:22:16.640 Go look it up. 00:22:16.799 --> 00:22:22.160 Just type in Google, type in what is the all-time low Apple stock price? 00:22:22.400 --> 00:22:25.599 It's$3.56 a share in June of 1997. 00:22:25.759 --> 00:22:30.400 And he said to his grandma, he goes, I don't know, just put it all on this on this Apple stock, I guess. 00:22:30.559 --> 00:22:31.519 And he did. 00:22:32.880 --> 00:22:36.720 Now, I checked it this past week because I'm nosy rosy. 00:22:37.440 --> 00:22:44.079 Apple was trading at$504 a share and it closed at four, it crashed and closed at$499 a share. 00:22:44.240 --> 00:22:50.000 And so my math, I said, that's today current value,$1.4 million on$10,000. 00:22:50.400 --> 00:22:54.480 The guys in the in the booth back there said, actually, you clearly don't have stock. 00:22:54.559 --> 00:22:56.640 And I'm like, uh, I work for the Lord. 00:22:56.799 --> 00:22:59.680 Uh I live on faith, brother. 00:22:59.759 --> 00:23:02.319 Uh and they said, actually, there's been two stock splits. 00:23:02.400 --> 00:23:04.319 There was a two for one and a four for seven. 00:23:04.559 --> 00:23:07.680 So we did the math, and really that guy has about$19 million. 00:23:08.960 --> 00:23:11.359 And I was like, Oh, I'm calling him after church. 00:23:11.519 --> 00:23:12.640 Hey, remember me? 00:23:12.799 --> 00:23:14.160 Now, why do I tell you this? 00:23:14.319 --> 00:23:18.480 Here's the part that it blew me away when I thought it was 1.5 1.4 million. 00:23:18.559 --> 00:23:20.160 Now that's 19 million, maybe more. 00:23:20.240 --> 00:23:25.599 Because the guy said he was a young man when I met him, probably eight years ago, graduated high school in 1997. 00:23:25.680 --> 00:23:26.799 This is foresight. 00:23:26.960 --> 00:23:27.680 He said, You know what? 00:23:27.759 --> 00:23:28.559 I think I'm gonna do. 00:23:28.720 --> 00:23:35.680 I don't think I'm gonna touch this because my grandmother invested well and she left it, she she gave all of us$10,000 to invest. 00:23:35.920 --> 00:23:40.160