Nov. 10, 2024

Isaiah 40: The Context Pt 2

Isaiah 40: The Context Pt 2

We conclude our work on the context for Isaiah 40-55

We conclude our work on the context for Isaiah 40-55

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All right, for the second hour, we're going to continue on.

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I know, with no one being here last week and

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some people being gone the week before, we're kind of

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we got some people like three weeks behind on everything.

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But I can't do a lot of review.

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I mean, of course, everything is posted online, so I

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can just ask you to go back. I'll just try

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to make it simple. We are looking at Isaiah forty

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through fifty five. The reason we're working through Isaiah forty

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through fifty five is because, over and over and over,

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if you just take random sermons on Isaiah forty through

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fifty five, every preacher on the face of the earth

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seems to think that he can just insert us into

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Isaiah forty through fifty five and doesn't.

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It doesn't really matter.

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I guess you can just do whatever you want with

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the text. So I've reviewed some sermons where they have

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done this. We went all the way back to Pilgrim's Progress,

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the famous book where he algorizes Isaiah forty I think

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forty or forty three, forty three, I think, and just

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enough is enough so I can either criticize it or

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I can to do something constructive.

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Right, So we're.

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Gonna go through Isaiah forty through fifty five, and we're

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going to try to put it all in its historical

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and textual context. We have now spent hours working on it.

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We've done an outline of the entire section, We've done overview,

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We've done so many different things. The main thing to remember,

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Isaiah forty through fifty five is a message of comfort

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to people who are in Babylonian captivity. They're not words

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of comfort comfort for you because you're having a bad

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week or a bad day, or you face some tragedy

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in your life. These are words of comfort to people

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and Babylonian captivity. How they are applicable to us, we

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will try to figure that out, but first and foremost,

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we have to put it in its original context. All right,

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So we've done a lot. I'm not there's a we

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put it in chronological order. We've done all this work.

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But for this morning, we are continuing what we ended

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with in the last hour. We're only going to go

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back to what we ended with in the last hour.

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I'm not going to go back to anything before. What

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we have discovered is that you cannot understand Isaiah forty

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through fifty five. You have no hope of understanding it

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without first connecting it to Isaiah chapter thirty nine. So

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if you have a bible Isaiah thirty nine, we will

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just go back to these words.

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We will read them again. We can't read them enough.

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You cannot understand Isaiah forty through fifty five.

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Let me state it again.

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You cannot understand Isaiah forty through fifty five without what

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thirty nine, and specifically thirty nine, verses five through eight.

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Isaiah thirty nine, verses five through eight. All right, let

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me read it for you Isaiah thirty nine, verse five.

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Then said Isaiah. Hezekiah, hear the word of the Lord

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of Host. Behold the days come that all that is

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in your house, that which thy fathers have laid up

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in store unto this day, shall.

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Be carried to Babylon.

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Nothing shall be left Saith the Lord, and of thy

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sons that shall issue from thee which thou shalt beget,

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they shall take away, and they shall be eunuchs, and

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the palace of the King of Babylon. Then said Hazekai

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to Isaiah. Good is the word of the Lord which

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thou hast spoken. He said, moreover, for there shall be

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peace and truth, and my days which is all right,

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which is kind of funny. We can again into whole

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discussion about that. But the point is it's a prophecy

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that what's coming.

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Captivity.

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And therefore, when you turn to Isaiah chapter forty, verse one,

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what words do you hear?

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Comfort?

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Ye?

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Comfort ye?

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And those words of comfort are to those people who

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go into Babylonian exile. No, just so that you know,

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when Isaiah prophesies the captivity and prophesies these words of comfort,

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by the time the captivity occurs, Isaiah is long dead,

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close to possibly one hundred years, all right, So he

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gives the prophecy, he gives the words of comfort.

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He dies.

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Ultimately they go into captivity. Then the words of comfort

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become very applicable to whom the people in captivity. The

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people in captivity sermon after sermon will be like, what

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comfort do you need today? Well, I don't know why

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you're asking me that question, because you're preaching on Isaiah forty.

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There's no comfort there for me in the original context. Okay,

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all right, And just for those people who haven't been here,

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another name, just to write down. We'll get to it

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at some point. Just write down the word cyrus because

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Cyrus is key to Isaiah forty through fifty five. All right,

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Cyrus is the deliverer, Cyrus is the shepherd, Cyrus.

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Is the anointed one in this section.

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And if you forget Cyrus, well, once again you have

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churches who do weird things with this section.

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All right, so we're going to get into all of

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that now.

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Not only is Isaiah forty connect it to Isaiah thirty nine.

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Isaiah thirty nine.

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Speaks of their captivity, and the question should be in fact,

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let me just go back and state this. I stated

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this in the first hour. Any good Bible student, if

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you open your Bible, forget a Bible student, a kid

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in middle school, if they open up Isaiah forty and

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they read comfort yee, comfort ye, what is the first

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question they should ask? Okay, why or what comfort? What

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do they need comfort from?

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Why?

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Why do they need comfort? What comfort is needed? Like?

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Those are the kinds of questions which would lead you

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back to Isaiah thirty nine, and you would establish that

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they need comfort because they are in captivity.

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Right, who is the captivity for?

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According to Isaiah forty verse one, look at the verse.

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My people, my people. Who is my people?

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Well, the people who go into Babylonian captivity, which happened

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to be.

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Specifically the Southern Kingdom.

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Right, Okay, so just basic reading sets all of that up. Now,

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when you go to Isaiah thirty nine and they're going

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to captivity, what should be the question you should have here?

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Why are they going into captivity? And what do we discover?

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They're going into captivity because of their sin?

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Now, this would.

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Take you back to Deuteronomy twenty eight because Deuteronomy twenty eight,

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God makes very specific statement, Right, if you obey all

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of my law, you.

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Get what blessing.

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If you disobey, if you do not keep all of

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my law, you get curses. Guess what the Babylonian captivity represents.

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The Babylonian captivity represents anyone who tries to live according

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to God's law. Because when we try to live according

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to God's law, what are we going to end up with? Curses?

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Now?

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I know right there? See just saying that, I know

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that if I was in any church right now now,

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I would get kicked out because what is it constantly

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timed that if you will follow God's law, you will

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have a life of blessing. Everything will be better in

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your life well, the only way to get blessing from

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God's law is what.

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Perfect obedience. Let me state it again.

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The only way to get blessings from God's law is

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what perfect Don't.

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Take my word for it. Go to Deuteronomy twenty eight.

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Everyone there, I think it's verse fourteen or verse fifteen.

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I'm not making it up. I know some of you

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kind of looked at me, maybe for a second, going, well,

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wait a minute, I think you're on drugs. I may

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be on drugs, but I think on this I'm pretty accurate.

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Even if I'm on drugs. Deuteronomy twenty eight. Look at

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verse fifteen, Yes, verse fifteen, look at that. I remember

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to number deuteronymy fifteen.

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But it shall come to pass if thou will.

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Not hearken to the voice of the Lord God to

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observe to do all his commandments. If you want blessing,

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what do you have to do? Obey all of his commandments?

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If you do not obey all his commandments, what do

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you get?

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Curses? Does everyone understand this.

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All? Right? I know, I know this goes contrary to

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everything being taught in American Christianity. Because American Christianity, we

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just need the law of God. If we have the

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law of God, we will get the blessings of God.

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The law of God does not bring blessings. The Law

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of God brings curses because nobody can keep it. What

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happens if you violate one point of the law, you

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guilty of all of it.

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Therefore, you, me, and.

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Everyone in the country, everyone in America, and everyone going

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to church in Abilene gets what they all are and

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a perpetual state of disobedience. Therefore we are cursed. That's

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the only thing that will save us from the curse

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Christ by making us able to keep the law, No,

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by him.

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Keeping it for me. All right, So the.

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Entire Babylonian captivity, you know what you should see when

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you see Babylonia captaining.

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This is the way. This is what we do as Christians.

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And come on, some of you were listening to sermons

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like this, and some of you probably even thought that, well,

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Judah got what they deserve, that they wouldn't obey God's law.

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I don't know what was wrong with those people. They

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were so messed up.

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God did this for them, and God did this, and

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they just discibeyed. We almost speak as if what is

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wrong with them that's you. The Babylonian captivity should be like, man,

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if I know to keep the law, I end up cursed.

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So what is the hope? We think the hope is

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keeping it. The hope is not keeping it. The hope

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is someone else keeping it for us? Because we can't

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keep it no matter what? Does everybody understand that?

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I cannot stress that?

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So Isaiah forty takes you to Isaiah thirty nine, Isaiah

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thirty nine takes you to Deuteronomy twenty eight.

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With that in mine, that is what we're trying to

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work through in this hour. Already.

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Now, some of these things I'm just gonna have to

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give you because we covered them in the first hour.

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Already.

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Ready, all right, here's kind of an outline and summary

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of the laws they disobeyed in the curses they suffered.

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Are you ready?

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Number one? An overview of the disobeyed laws. Here's the

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first major category. Okay, I should just say first major section.

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We're looking at the overview of the disobeyed laws. The

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laws given them Mount Sinai, primarily an exodus Leviticus included

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commands related to worship, justice, purity, idolatry, Sabbath, and ethical behavior.

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They violated all of them over and over and over

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and over, generation after generation. Why did they violate it

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over and over and over and over again. I want

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you to tell me why did they violate the law

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over and over and over again, generation after generation because

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they can't keep the law. I want everyone to say that,

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why did they do it over and over and over?

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Because they can't keep the law. I know that I'm

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going to get emails. That's a defeatist view. It is reality,

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all right. Why what is our default position? What is

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our default setting? Sinners? What do sinners do? Sin? Do

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we become sinners because we sin?

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No?

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We sin because we are sinners. Therefore we can never

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keep the law. So when you say, what was judas problem?

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Our problem, it's the same problem. Yesterday I was reviewing.

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We've talked about all the scandal with the Steve Loston

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scandal and all the things that have happened, and everyone

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losing their minds over.

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The whole situation.

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Well, yesterday a pastor did a video that he discovered

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why Steve Lowson fell into sin? You know why pastors

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fall into sin? Well, no, no, I guess that's no

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longer true. Pastors fall into sin because there's always something.

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Anytime a pastor falls into sin, you can find out

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why because there's something wrong in their doctrine. So if

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you see a pastor falls into sin, go back and

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look at their doctrine. You'll find something his words, something

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wonky in their doctrine, and.

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That's why they fell into sin.

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That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard in my

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entire life, because that indicates logically, what, Hey, guys, get

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your doctrine right and.

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You won't sin.

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That is stupid, You know why, because it's here's what. So, man,

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you want to talk about wonky doctrine. That's wonky doctrine,

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you know why, because it's bad doctrine on the doctrine

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of sin.

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You don't.

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Right doctrine does not stop you from sinning. Right doctrine

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does not fix your nature. What does right doctrine do?

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It teaches you that you are a sinner.

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It exposes the truth of your sin and points you

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to Christ. It's not like, well, if my doctrine is right,

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then and then who gets to determine who has the

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right doctrine? I guess the guy on YouTube, because hey,

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and I've seen this. Steve last them because he was

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a Calvinist. All the non Calvinists saying he's sinned because

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he was a Calvinist. His Calvinism led to it. So

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non Calvinist never commits sin. I mean, it's dumb. Everyone

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commits in because where does did it come from the heart?

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Why did Israel sin because they were sinners? Why did

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judasin because they were sinners? Why did Abraham sind because

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he was a sinner. Why did Kaine sand? Because why

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did everyone's in because of the same problem. Everybody got that.

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Now we can argue over the philosoph like, philosophically that's troubling,

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but that's the reality. Has everybody got that, so they

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sin because of it. What are the laws they disobeyed? Well,

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the first one is worship and idolatry and Exodus chapter twenty.

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They're told not to bow down, worship any false God's

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not make a graven image, and Israel did that over

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and over and over again. I'm not going to go

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back to the cross references just to know they disobeyed

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the laws on worship.

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And idolatry right.

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In fact, they were commanded to destroy all the Pigan

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worship sites and they did not do that, all right?

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So what's the first laws that they disobeyed? Worship in idolatry.

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I'm not going to go through all the cross references

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because of time.

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Number two. What's the second laws that they disobeyed? Keeping

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the Sabbath?

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That's Exodus chapter twenty eight through eleven. They violated it.

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In fact, why do they go in captivity for seventy years?

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They have not followed the Sabbath years? So the land

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had not been given the rest. So guy's like, I'm

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gonna take you off the land so that the land

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can rest.

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Right.

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That's kind of like whoa. That's that shows you what

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they had done, all right? So there was the number

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one worship in idolatry, number two, Sabbath number three?

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What was the third thing? Justice and care for the poor?

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All right?

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And Deuteronomy fifteen and Deuteronomy twenty four. It makes it

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very clear that they were to take care of the poor,

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and not only the poor, the alien, stranger or immigrant

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who came into the land. What were they to do

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if they had crops, they had things, they were to

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leave things for the immigrant, for the for the stranger.

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And not do it.

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Not to say, well, that's my property. They were to

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leave it for them. Did Israel do that? No, over

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and over and over they did. Let's look at some

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cross references for this, because we did not get to

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these cross references in the last hour. Go to Isaiah

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chapter one. I believe it's twenty three. Believe it's Isaiah

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one twenty three.

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I could be wrong. Oh, I was like, there's not

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twenty three. Judge. I was looking at Isaiah two, going.

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Yeah, I was really wrong. All right, Yeah, here we

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go Isaiah one twenty three. Thy princes are rebellious and

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companions of thieves. Everyone loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards.

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They judge not fatherless. Neither doth the cause of the

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widow come onto them? They what were they worried about themselves?

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They didn't care about the weak, or the helpless, or

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the needy. They did not look at Jeremiah five twenty eight. Yeah,

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one three, and then Jeremiah five twenty eight. Jeremiah five

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twenty eight. They are waxing fat fat, They shine, yay,

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they overpass the deeds of the wicked. They judge not

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the cause the cause of the fatherless. Yea, they prosper

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and the right of the needy. Do they not judge?

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In other words, they they mistreat the needy, those are

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fatherless or a widow or anything like that. Go back

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to Isaiah or go to Isaiah ten. I'm going through

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some of these quickly. Isaiah ten. Look at verse one

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Isaiah ten one. Woe to unto them that decree unrighteous decrees,

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and that right grievous, grievous, grievousness which they have prescribed

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to turn aside the needy from judgment, take away the

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right from the poor of my people that widows may

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be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless.

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Bottom line, what was Israel and Judah doing mistreating the poor,

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the fatherless, the widow, the stranger. They were not taking

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care and doing as they were supposed to do. All right,

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everybody got that, all right? So what laws have they violated?

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Worship and idolatry number two, Sabbath number three, Justice and

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care for the vulnerable, poor, needy, stranger, you get the idea.

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Number four.

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Purity and sexual ethics Leviticus eighteen. The laws prohibited various

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sexual sins, and im moral practices. Many of these practices

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became prevalent, and Judah leading to social and spiritual corruption.

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You can look at we can look at some of these.

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Go to Jeremiah chapter five. Back to Jeremiah chapter five.

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How many of these cross references?

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To look is always difficult Isaiah chapter five, verse seven.

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All right, I'm sorry, Jeremiah chapter five. I'm trying to

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get back to Isaiah quicker than I need to. Jeremiah

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chapter five, verse seven. Everybody there, Jeremiah five to seven.

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How shall I pardon THEE for this? That children have

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forsaken me and sworn by them that they are no gods?

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When I had fed them, when I had fed them

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to the full, they then committed adultery, assembled themselves by

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troops and the harlots houses. Okay, there were his fed

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horses in the morning. Everyone died after his neighbor's wife.

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I mean, that's very graphic. The way that's describing that,

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is it not very graphic?

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You get the idea.

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Go to Ezequel twenty two, Ezekiel twenty two, Ezequel twenty

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two to eleven, and one Hath committed abomination with his

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neighbor's wife and another. Hath ludely defiled his daughter in

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law and another in thee Hath humbled, his sister, his

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father's daughter.

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Now, let me make it clear. All these sexual sins

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were occurring.

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Before there was Netflix, before there was anything along those lines,

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before rock and roll, before Elvis Presley, before video games,

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before any of that.

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All of these sexual sins were occurring.

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When you open your Bible and there's sexual there's laws

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against beast reality.

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Well there wouldn't.

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God wouldn't be establishing laws against bestiality unless what.

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Before rock and roll, before rap.

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Before all the things we blame because we always want

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to blame the reason these things are.

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The world is getting so bad today. I don't know

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what's wrong with the world today. It's been going on forever. Okay, why.

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Sin?

378
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Do these things happen because of the movies they watched?

379
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They weren't watching any movies. It was happening because sin

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is inside of everyone. I cannot stress it enough. Why

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does sin occur? Because it's inside of us? So let

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me I'm going to connect us to other conversations we've had.

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What sin can a Christian not commit? There is no

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sin and we can not commit. There is no sin

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you cannot commit. I'm gonna make it very clear, even

386
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as a Christian there is no sin you cannot commit.

387
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And we can get into blasphem of the Holy Spirit.

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We'll just set that aside because there's all kinds of debate.

389
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Is it, can it even happen? What's required? Okay, we

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can get into that, But every other sin we can

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set blasphe me of the Holy Spirit aside because there's

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discussion on what it is. But every other sin, I

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mean a Christian can do. What can commit the sin

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of homosexuality? A Christian commit the sin of beast reality.

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Now if I say that people will lose their ever

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living mind, there is no sin we cannot commit.

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Now does that mean we will commit all of them?

398
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No, But it means that you don't know which sin

399
00:22:43.759 --> 00:22:45.759
you're going to end up with because you have a

400
00:22:45.799 --> 00:22:50.279
sinful nature, and between your sinful nature, your psychology.

401
00:22:49.680 --> 00:22:51.200
The way you're made, the way you were.

402
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Raised, and because of things sometimes we even scientists don't

403
00:22:54.279 --> 00:22:56.680
really understand how the brain works. You are drawn to

404
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something that someone else is not drawn to, and nobody

405
00:22:59.200 --> 00:23:02.000
can really explain. And the person we always want to

406
00:23:02.039 --> 00:23:04.839
explain it by what well, the reason they got there

407
00:23:04.920 --> 00:23:08.599
is because they saw it on TV. I've heard Christian

408
00:23:08.640 --> 00:23:12.039
parents say that I'm not gonna let my kids say anything,

409
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and therefore they will. And now you think they won't

410
00:23:14.200 --> 00:23:18.920
do it. They didn't need TV to do these things.

411
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Even reading some of the things they're doing there, some

412
00:23:22.400 --> 00:23:23.400
of you are kind of like, whoa.

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When we go through the Bible, what do we have?

414
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Do we have rape?

415
00:23:29.880 --> 00:23:33.839
Yes? Do we have homosexuality yes?

416
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Do it be reality? Yes? I mean it's at least condemned.

417
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So therefore obviously something's going on.

418
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You don't just make a law for no reason.

419
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Right, Hey, here's the law, because I know no one

420
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is ever gonna think about it.

421
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And no, obviously there's a reason for the law. Correct.

422
00:23:49.400 --> 00:23:51.640
So you got all these things going on, Why is

423
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all this happening? Because sin sin. Judah's just demonstrating what.

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Sin.

425
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All right, So all these laws prohibiting various sexual sins

426
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become the norm in Judah and in Israel.

427
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All right, everybody got that?

428
00:24:09.599 --> 00:24:12.759
So what was the first laws worship in idolatry? A

429
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second Sabbath? Number three, the care for the poor and

430
00:24:17.640 --> 00:24:19.400
the stranger, okay, and the vulnerable?

431
00:24:19.480 --> 00:24:22.160
Number four? Purity and sexual ethics.

432
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Let's just make it clear sexual sin occurs. Sexual sin occurs,

433
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Sexual sin occurs.

434
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Why does sexual sin happen.

435
00:24:31.400 --> 00:24:32.279
For sinners?

436
00:24:33.000 --> 00:24:33.440
Right now?

437
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Forget even biological need and desire for it. Forget that

438
00:24:37.000 --> 00:24:40.799
it just happens because of who we are. It's it's there.

439
00:24:41.000 --> 00:24:43.279
I know the Church doesn't know how to handle that,

440
00:24:43.359 --> 00:24:48.400
but it's just there and it's been there since well

441
00:24:48.759 --> 00:24:49.480
since the fall.

442
00:24:51.559 --> 00:24:52.000
All right.

443
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Number five Covenant loyalty. Look at Deuteronomy chapter six, verses

444
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four through five. Deuteronomy six four through five. Tell me

445
00:25:04.000 --> 00:25:14.519
what you find when you get there. What do you

446
00:25:14.519 --> 00:25:22.000
have in Deuteronomy six four through five. I love your

447
00:25:22.160 --> 00:25:25.880
the Lord, your guy, with at your heart, mind, soul,

448
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with all your might. Look at Deuteronomy ten twelve through thirteen.

449
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Deuteronomy ten twelve through thirteen. What do we have in

450
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Deuteronomy ten twelve through thirteen? Love him, fear him, obey him,

451
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keep his commandments right. Judah was called to love God

452
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wholeheartedly and obey his commandments as a sign of covenant loyalty.

453
00:25:59.240 --> 00:26:03.480
There persistent and disobedience, idolatry, and rejection of God God's

454
00:26:03.519 --> 00:26:04.319
profits showed a.

455
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Lack of faithfulness to this covenant.

456
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This covenant unfaithfulness was a core reason for their judgment

457
00:26:09.880 --> 00:26:13.319
and exile because they did not obey, because they did

458
00:26:13.319 --> 00:26:15.559
not love God, they end up in exile.

459
00:26:15.720 --> 00:26:17.720
And guess what. We are commanded to love God with

460
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all of our heartmind, body.

461
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And soul, and therefore we are perpetually under what a

462
00:26:21.720 --> 00:26:22.880
curse because.

463
00:26:22.559 --> 00:26:23.759
We never do so.

464
00:26:24.079 --> 00:26:27.079
The only way we escape the curse is because of

465
00:26:27.160 --> 00:26:32.279
imputed righteousness, not infused. So guess what, just because you

466
00:26:32.319 --> 00:26:34.599
become a Christian, do you immediately love God with all

467
00:26:34.599 --> 00:26:37.240
your heart, mind, body and soul. No? In fact, guess what,

468
00:26:38.599 --> 00:26:48.559
you never will not toil glorification. Why will you never

469
00:26:48.599 --> 00:26:52.720
love God with all your heart? Because your heart is

470
00:26:53.160 --> 00:26:56.799
still sinful. But the Bible says you get a new heart. No,

471
00:26:56.960 --> 00:26:59.119
that says Israel will get a new heart. And once

472
00:26:59.160 --> 00:27:01.359
they get that new heart, then they go into the land.

473
00:27:01.440 --> 00:27:03.720
And then the text says that they will obey. You

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00:27:03.759 --> 00:27:05.960
know why, they will obey everything because they have a

475
00:27:06.000 --> 00:27:09.039
new heart. Do you obey everything? No, which proves you

476
00:27:09.119 --> 00:27:17.359
still don't have a new heart. It's not that complicated, right,

477
00:27:17.400 --> 00:27:18.640
So everybody got all of that.

478
00:27:18.960 --> 00:27:21.279
Those are all the laws, Those are the categories of laws.

479
00:27:21.359 --> 00:27:24.799
Number one, what was it worship in idolatry number two,

480
00:27:25.839 --> 00:27:30.440
Sabbath number three, care for the poor, vulnerable, the stranger,

481
00:27:30.559 --> 00:27:32.920
number four, sex, and number five.

482
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Covenant, loyalty or love for God. They violated all of this.

483
00:27:40.839 --> 00:27:45.559
Now what is called for when they violate these rules?

484
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What's called for?

485
00:27:46.440 --> 00:27:48.799
Go back to Deuteronomy twenty eight. Go back to Deuteronomy

486
00:27:48.839 --> 00:27:54.559
twenty eight. Curses starting again. Now I've seen Now I'm

487
00:27:54.559 --> 00:27:55.720
going to fifteen.

488
00:27:55.759 --> 00:27:56.160
There we go.

489
00:27:56.279 --> 00:27:58.599
I was gonna get ready to say fourteen because that's

490
00:27:58.640 --> 00:28:02.000
what I do with numbers. Right, Guess what's going to happen.

491
00:28:02.039 --> 00:28:05.920
They're going to be cursed now, are right? So those

492
00:28:05.960 --> 00:28:08.599
are the laws? Now the second major thing I want

493
00:28:08.640 --> 00:28:11.839
us to consider. Are you ready a summary of curses

494
00:28:11.880 --> 00:28:14.279
suffered during the Babylonian captivity.

495
00:28:14.920 --> 00:28:17.200
I want you to now see those are the laws

496
00:28:17.240 --> 00:28:17.799
they broke.

497
00:28:18.160 --> 00:28:20.799
Now, I want you to see the curses they suffer

498
00:28:20.920 --> 00:28:24.839
during the Babylonian exile. If you have Deuteronomy twenty eight,

499
00:28:24.880 --> 00:28:27.119
you can look at fifteen through sixty eight. I'm not

500
00:28:27.119 --> 00:28:28.759
going to read all of that right now because that

501
00:28:28.799 --> 00:28:30.400
would take probably the rest of our time.

502
00:28:30.480 --> 00:28:32.319
Right, that's a lot of scripture, is it not?

503
00:28:34.400 --> 00:28:34.599
Now?

504
00:28:34.720 --> 00:28:38.839
Isn't that interesting? That the blessings cover. I think what

505
00:28:39.000 --> 00:28:42.119
thirteen or fourteen verses? Look at Deuteronomy thirteen. Isn't it

506
00:28:42.160 --> 00:28:45.200
one through fourteen that covers the blessings? Or am I

507
00:28:45.720 --> 00:28:51.880
messing it up? And then fifteen through sixty eight are

508
00:28:51.920 --> 00:28:53.119
the curses.

509
00:28:54.960 --> 00:28:56.000
That I don't know?

510
00:28:56.119 --> 00:28:58.480
Does not anyone find that interesting? I find that interesting?

511
00:28:58.559 --> 00:29:01.680
Okay? All right? I think it seems to indicate which one,

512
00:29:01.720 --> 00:29:04.240
which one they're going to get? Right?

513
00:29:05.079 --> 00:29:06.799
I think I think it seems to indicate which ones

514
00:29:06.799 --> 00:29:09.200
they're going to get? All right? So here are some

515
00:29:09.240 --> 00:29:11.960
of the key curses experienced by Judah. All right, look

516
00:29:12.000 --> 00:29:14.480
at Deuteronomy twenty eight. I'm gonna give you some verses

517
00:29:15.319 --> 00:29:17.480
her Deuteronomy twenty eight. Look at verse twenty five. Tell

518
00:29:17.480 --> 00:29:23.759
me what you should discover when you get there? Oh,

519
00:29:23.839 --> 00:29:26.279
the Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies.

520
00:29:26.720 --> 00:29:29.279
Look at verse thirty six and thirty seven of Deuteronomy

521
00:29:29.319 --> 00:29:32.119
twenty eight. This is interesting? Does that sound interesting? That

522
00:29:32.160 --> 00:29:37.279
they're gonna be defeated by their enemies? What happens in

523
00:29:37.279 --> 00:29:42.880
thirty six through thirty seven? The Lord will bring you

524
00:29:42.920 --> 00:29:44.960
in your king, whom you said over you, a nation

525
00:29:45.079 --> 00:29:49.839
that neither you nor your fathers have known. Isn't that interesting? Hey,

526
00:29:50.000 --> 00:29:54.200
unless you obey me perfectly, what's going to happen? You're

527
00:29:54.200 --> 00:29:56.799
gonna be defeated and go into exile. So when you

528
00:29:56.839 --> 00:30:00.640
get to when you get to Isaiah thirty nine, what

529
00:30:00.720 --> 00:30:01.880
are you seeing.

530
00:30:02.799 --> 00:30:04.440
The curse from?

531
00:30:04.519 --> 00:30:04.599
What?

532
00:30:06.039 --> 00:30:10.079
Deuteronomy twenty eight. So then all they.

533
00:30:10.079 --> 00:30:14.359
Suffer in the Babylonian exile are the curses of Deuteronomy

534
00:30:14.400 --> 00:30:18.240
twenty eight. Do you see the correlation? Do you see

535
00:30:18.240 --> 00:30:23.039
the connection? This prophecy was fulfilled when Babylon defeated Judah

536
00:30:23.079 --> 00:30:25.319
and took the people into exile. The king of Judah,

537
00:30:25.359 --> 00:30:28.279
along with many nobles and citizens, were deported to a

538
00:30:28.400 --> 00:30:32.559
foreign land. So the first curse experience is defeat and

539
00:30:32.720 --> 00:30:36.519
exile by a foreign nation. That's Deuteronomy twenty eight twenty five.

540
00:30:37.240 --> 00:30:40.920
Deuteronomy twenty eight, thirty six through thirty seven. Everybody got that?

541
00:30:41.799 --> 00:30:44.839
How about number two? Go to Deuteronomy twenty eight. Look

542
00:30:44.880 --> 00:30:51.000
at verses fifty two and fifty three. Deuteronomy twenty eight,

543
00:30:51.000 --> 00:30:52.200
fifty two through fifty three.

544
00:30:52.240 --> 00:31:03.759
What does it say and what else?

545
00:31:15.200 --> 00:31:18.559
Okay, yeah, sounds pretty bad, does it not? All?

546
00:31:18.640 --> 00:31:18.880
Right?

547
00:31:19.319 --> 00:31:22.599
During Babylonian siege of Jerusalem, the people suffered extreme starvation

548
00:31:22.880 --> 00:31:27.359
and desperation, also recorded in the limitations. Fulfilling these hectic warnings,

549
00:31:27.400 --> 00:31:29.400
it almost sounds like what they're going to be in

550
00:31:29.440 --> 00:31:31.599
such bad shape during the siege that they're going to

551
00:31:31.599 --> 00:31:31.839
do what?

552
00:31:33.680 --> 00:31:35.640
Cannibalism? That's bad.

553
00:31:36.400 --> 00:31:38.720
That's the curse for doing what.

554
00:31:39.640 --> 00:31:42.160
Not obeying the law of God.

555
00:31:43.680 --> 00:31:45.759
Now we like to believe, well the law, if we

556
00:31:45.799 --> 00:31:47.680
can follow the law, will get the blessings. But the

557
00:31:47.720 --> 00:31:50.720
point is we never can, nobody ever can obey it.

558
00:31:51.279 --> 00:31:54.359
That's why they constantly are are cursed. All right, So

559
00:31:54.599 --> 00:31:57.200
what's number one? Defeat and exile by foreign nations? Number

560
00:31:57.200 --> 00:32:01.200
two siege and destruction of Jerusalem Uteronomy twenty eight, fifty

561
00:32:01.200 --> 00:32:03.240
two through fifty three. These are the curses, and you

562
00:32:03.240 --> 00:32:06.000
can get into some of the other vile war. I mean,

563
00:32:06.039 --> 00:32:07.720
that's some horrible things, is it not?

564
00:32:09.200 --> 00:32:09.640
All right?

565
00:32:09.839 --> 00:32:12.279
Number three, look at Deuteronomy twenty eight. I think it's

566
00:32:12.319 --> 00:32:27.799
sixty three, twenty eight, sixty three. All right, you're gonna

567
00:32:27.839 --> 00:32:31.039
lose your homeland. That's the third Thing're gonna lose your homeland.

568
00:32:31.079 --> 00:32:32.559
And of course they're gonna lose the temple if they

569
00:32:32.599 --> 00:32:33.200
lose the homeland.

570
00:32:33.240 --> 00:32:36.319
What are they losing? I'm gonna lose the temple. The

571
00:32:36.359 --> 00:32:36.960
people were.

572
00:32:36.839 --> 00:32:39.119
Forcibly removed from the land of Judah and the Temple

573
00:32:39.160 --> 00:32:42.119
in Jerusalem was destroyed, marking a devastating loss of their

574
00:32:42.119 --> 00:32:47.240
homeland and the center of their worship. So what's the

575
00:32:47.279 --> 00:32:51.400
first curse? Defeat in exile by foreign nation? Second siege

576
00:32:51.400 --> 00:32:54.960
and destruction of Jerusalem. Three loss of homeland and temple

577
00:32:56.200 --> 00:32:59.400
number four. Go to Deuteronomy twenty eight fifty nine through

578
00:32:59.400 --> 00:33:07.200
sixty one. Deuteronomy twenty eight fifty nine through sixty one

579
00:33:12.440 --> 00:33:14.319
and names a number of things. What does it name?

580
00:33:18.640 --> 00:33:24.440
Fearful plagues, chronic diseases, and severe afflictions Depending on one's translation,

581
00:33:25.160 --> 00:33:28.240
does that sound somewhat right? Do you agree with that?

582
00:33:28.279 --> 00:33:30.279
It's all there in Deuteronomy twenty eight fifty nine through

583
00:33:30.319 --> 00:33:34.640
sixty one and exile the people suffered not only physically

584
00:33:34.880 --> 00:33:39.920
but also emotionally and spiritually, facing hardships, foreign diseases, and

585
00:33:40.000 --> 00:33:41.480
an alien environment where.

586
00:33:41.319 --> 00:33:43.119
They were despised.

587
00:33:47.119 --> 00:33:56.079
How about Deuteronomy twenty eight thirty seven. Deuteronomy twenty eight

588
00:33:56.279 --> 00:34:07.920
thirty seven What happens here? Depending on your translation? Some

589
00:34:08.480 --> 00:34:12.280
translations read and you shall become a horror, a proverb,

590
00:34:12.639 --> 00:34:15.480
and a byword among all the peoples where the Lord

591
00:34:15.559 --> 00:34:18.079
will lead you away. This is a loss of their

592
00:34:18.159 --> 00:34:27.000
national identity and basically becoming a byword, almost becoming you know, mocking, right, oh, Israel, Yeah, yeah,

593
00:34:27.039 --> 00:34:30.440
well yeah, those great people who are now slaves and

594
00:34:30.559 --> 00:34:34.280
been defeated and destroyed and exile. Judah lost its national

595
00:34:34.320 --> 00:34:37.280
identity and was often mocked or looked down upon by

596
00:34:37.280 --> 00:34:40.760
other nations, fulfilling the warning of becoming a byword and

597
00:34:40.840 --> 00:34:45.280
a people of and becoming a byword and basically a

598
00:34:45.320 --> 00:34:48.920
people without honor. That's another way of stating it. Right,

599
00:34:48.960 --> 00:34:51.480
So they lose their national identity and become basically a

600
00:34:51.559 --> 00:34:53.840
laughing stock used as mocking.

601
00:34:53.920 --> 00:34:55.159
They become mocked.

602
00:34:57.400 --> 00:34:57.599
Right.

603
00:34:57.800 --> 00:34:58.400
Number six.

604
00:34:58.639 --> 00:35:08.239
Look at Deuteronomy twenty eight fifteen through twenty, Deuteronomy fifteen,

605
00:35:08.760 --> 00:35:11.920
Deuteronomy twenty eight fifteen through twenty. What do we see

606
00:35:17.320 --> 00:35:22.840
twenty eight fifteen through twenty What do we see? Personal

607
00:35:22.920 --> 00:35:27.800
cursing talks about basically God withdrawing any blessing.

608
00:35:27.880 --> 00:35:28.760
Would you agree?

609
00:35:28.760 --> 00:35:30.800
And he turns against them, He's not for them, he's

610
00:35:30.840 --> 00:35:31.440
against them.

611
00:35:31.679 --> 00:35:32.719
Would that be fair?

612
00:35:34.599 --> 00:35:35.000
All right?

613
00:35:35.400 --> 00:35:37.880
Some refer to this Basically, God is almost in a sense,

614
00:35:37.880 --> 00:35:41.760
separating his presence from them, and now they're being cursed.

615
00:35:41.960 --> 00:35:45.079
The destruction of the temple symbolized God's withdrawal of his presence,

616
00:35:46.039 --> 00:35:49.280
and babylon the people felt separated from God and his favor,

617
00:35:49.440 --> 00:35:52.000
which they associated with the temple in Jerusalem. So some

618
00:35:52.039 --> 00:35:55.320
would label this one as separation from God's presence. They're

619
00:35:55.320 --> 00:35:58.119
separated from his presence, they're separated from his blessing, and

620
00:35:58.159 --> 00:36:02.519
they are getting curse purse only nationally, they are suffering

621
00:36:02.800 --> 00:36:07.239
as being separated from his presence because of their disobedience,

622
00:36:07.280 --> 00:36:12.079
because they are under a curse. So what are the

623
00:36:12.159 --> 00:36:15.519
six things of curses? Number one defeat in exile by

624
00:36:15.519 --> 00:36:18.519
a foreign nation. Number two, siege and destruction of Jerusalem.

625
00:36:18.599 --> 00:36:21.239
Number three a loss of their homeland and temple. Number four,

626
00:36:21.280 --> 00:36:24.199
sickness and suffering. Number five but loss of their national

627
00:36:24.239 --> 00:36:27.440
identity and basically becoming mocked and made fun of, and

628
00:36:27.559 --> 00:36:32.599
number six a separation from God's presence, the Babylonian exile.

629
00:36:32.639 --> 00:36:35.400
This is how one concluded the Babylonian exile was a

630
00:36:35.480 --> 00:36:40.320
direct consequence of judas persistence disobedience to the Covenant laws,

631
00:36:40.480 --> 00:36:43.760
resulting in their experience of the curses outlined in Deuteronomy

632
00:36:43.800 --> 00:36:48.000
twenty eight. They failed to uphold key aspects of God's law,

633
00:36:48.320 --> 00:36:52.840
including exclusive worship of Yahweh, justice and compassion for others,

634
00:36:53.159 --> 00:36:57.320
Sabbath observance, and faithfulness to the Covenant. These violations led

635
00:36:57.360 --> 00:37:02.119
to their defeat, exile, suffering, and separation from their homeland

636
00:37:02.480 --> 00:37:06.480
and symbolically, from God's presence. These curses they endured in

637
00:37:06.519 --> 00:37:10.360
Babylon reflected the warning God had given it Cyanai, illustrating

638
00:37:10.360 --> 00:37:14.280
the seriousness of covenantal faithfulness and foreshadowing the hope of

639
00:37:14.320 --> 00:37:17.480
restoration that would come only when Israel would turn back

640
00:37:17.519 --> 00:37:23.119
to God. This historical background leads to Isaiah forty's message.

641
00:37:23.480 --> 00:37:27.480
And I won't say anymore there because that's where we turn.

642
00:37:27.559 --> 00:37:39.880
Now go to Isaiah forty. Now, when you get to

643
00:37:39.920 --> 00:37:43.159
Isaiah forty, they.

644
00:37:43.000 --> 00:37:44.360
Have been taken into exile.

645
00:37:47.800 --> 00:37:52.480
Yeah, all of this time, right and especially during the

646
00:37:52.639 --> 00:37:56.039
siege of Jerusalem, And all this time they have been

647
00:37:56.079 --> 00:38:00.920
disobeying and disobeying and disobeying, and slowly but sure now

648
00:38:00.960 --> 00:38:06.519
they are experiencing wide curse after curse after curse.

649
00:38:07.000 --> 00:38:07.960
They were sieged.

650
00:38:08.079 --> 00:38:11.519
The people were starving, may have even led to cannibalism.

651
00:38:11.920 --> 00:38:15.719
Horrible things were taking place. They suffered, The temple was burned,

652
00:38:15.760 --> 00:38:19.679
Jerusalem was destroyed, they were separated from everything. They are

653
00:38:19.719 --> 00:38:22.280
suffering curses of physical disease.

654
00:38:22.679 --> 00:38:25.920
They're in pain. Their life is not good.

655
00:38:26.239 --> 00:38:28.719
And all of a sudden, what words do you open

656
00:38:28.800 --> 00:38:32.079
Isaiah forty and read comfort? Ye?

657
00:38:32.239 --> 00:38:33.000
Comfort ye?

658
00:38:33.840 --> 00:38:39.800
Now those words take on great significance. They lose their

659
00:38:39.840 --> 00:38:44.159
significance without that context. And you know what's even more

660
00:38:44.239 --> 00:38:46.840
messed up when a pastor would come in and take

661
00:38:46.880 --> 00:38:51.360
that comfort and offer it to you, because that's not

662
00:38:51.639 --> 00:38:58.599
for you, that's for them. How it relates to us.

663
00:38:58.760 --> 00:39:02.519
We're getting kind of an idea, right comfort. We need

664
00:39:02.559 --> 00:39:06.400
comfort because we are cursed, because we under the law

665
00:39:06.480 --> 00:39:09.440
cannot keep the law. But the comfort we get, we

666
00:39:09.519 --> 00:39:11.480
have to then to figure out what is that comfort?

667
00:39:11.480 --> 00:39:13.239
How do we get it? And we'll talk about that

668
00:39:13.360 --> 00:39:15.639
more so now we come to Isaiah four. Now we've

669
00:39:15.639 --> 00:39:18.840
got all the background right.

670
00:39:19.360 --> 00:39:24.800
So my argument is this, I believe the textual that

671
00:39:24.920 --> 00:39:27.800
makes the most sense from a textual sense, is to

672
00:39:27.880 --> 00:39:33.039
treat Isaiah forty one through two. This is my hypotheses

673
00:39:33.519 --> 00:39:39.400
Isaiah forty one through two as a distinct section separate

674
00:39:39.719 --> 00:39:45.079
from Isaiah forty verse three onward. I believe forty one

675
00:39:45.119 --> 00:39:47.880
through two has to be separated.

676
00:39:48.719 --> 00:39:51.079
That's my argument, all right.

677
00:39:52.239 --> 00:39:55.760
I believe verse one through two serves as a prologue

678
00:39:55.960 --> 00:39:59.519
or an introduction to the entire section of Isaiah forty

679
00:39:59.519 --> 00:40:04.960
through fifty. This sets the tone with the message of

680
00:40:05.039 --> 00:40:08.519
comfort and assurance for Israel. Well. Verse three begins a

681
00:40:08.559 --> 00:40:12.320
new section that introduces specific imagery and themes about God's

682
00:40:12.360 --> 00:40:13.360
coming deliverance.

683
00:40:14.320 --> 00:40:18.360
I believe so so right here, so the context.

684
00:40:18.559 --> 00:40:20.360
As soon as you go to Isaiah forty verse one

685
00:40:20.400 --> 00:40:23.440
in hear comfort comfort now it makes sense, right, But

686
00:40:23.480 --> 00:40:25.639
as soon as I feel those words of comfort, now,

687
00:40:25.679 --> 00:40:27.559
I got to step back and go, Okay, how do

688
00:40:27.679 --> 00:40:30.760
I approach this? Now? Here's the reason. I'm going to

689
00:40:30.840 --> 00:40:32.960
give you my reasoning. Look at go to verse three.

690
00:40:33.039 --> 00:40:41.239
Go to Isaiah forty verse three. Read Isaiah forty verse three.

691
00:40:43.480 --> 00:40:45.400
As soon as you read it, you what do you

692
00:40:45.400 --> 00:40:46.840
Your mind does something? Right?

693
00:40:47.239 --> 00:40:48.559
What does your mind do with verse three?

694
00:40:49.480 --> 00:40:53.280
John a Baptist because this is referenced in the New Testament.

695
00:40:53.679 --> 00:40:56.880
Right, So immediately I'm like, whoa, oka, what am I gonna.

696
00:40:56.679 --> 00:40:59.280
Do with that? So in my brain verse one and two,

697
00:40:59.320 --> 00:41:02.920
I gotta set it from three just for this to

698
00:41:03.000 --> 00:41:05.039
him and makes sense because when I get to get

699
00:41:05.079 --> 00:41:08.719
to three, something's going on here, right, So if we are,

700
00:41:08.760 --> 00:41:11.159
if we jump to something that's quoted in the New Testament.

701
00:41:11.320 --> 00:41:13.360
I got to figure this out. So I'm going to

702
00:41:13.440 --> 00:41:18.400
separate forty one through two as its own distinct section

703
00:41:18.800 --> 00:41:21.599
that serves as a prologue and an introduction to everything.

704
00:41:21.760 --> 00:41:26.280
Verse three says everything changes in three. One in two

705
00:41:26.880 --> 00:41:27.920
is the introduction.

706
00:41:28.119 --> 00:41:28.960
Is the prologue.

707
00:41:29.000 --> 00:41:32.159
All right, here's some of the reasons I'm gonna treat

708
00:41:32.159 --> 00:41:35.840
it separately, right, Number one, because I believe forty one

709
00:41:35.880 --> 00:41:40.760
through two has a distinct theme and tone, Isaiah, forty

710
00:41:40.800 --> 00:41:43.199
one through two, this is from a source, has a

711
00:41:43.280 --> 00:41:46.440
unique tone that calls for comfort and pardon for Jerusalem,

712
00:41:46.719 --> 00:41:50.400
signaling a shift from the earlier message of judgment to

713
00:41:50.480 --> 00:41:54.360
a new message. Oh that's why one in two It

714
00:41:54.440 --> 00:41:58.119
is a distinct theme and tone because of all that

715
00:41:58.199 --> 00:42:02.079
context we just looked at, right, it's been cursed, it's judgment,

716
00:42:02.159 --> 00:42:05.119
and all of a sudden, what do we read comfort? Okay,

717
00:42:05.159 --> 00:42:08.880
something's changed. This is a distinct tone and a distinct

718
00:42:09.119 --> 00:42:12.320
theme but I think it has to be separated from three,

719
00:42:12.639 --> 00:42:15.559
all right. It is a direct proclamation from God to

720
00:42:15.639 --> 00:42:18.920
his people, and its purpose is to announce a change

721
00:42:19.000 --> 00:42:23.320
and God's dealing with Israel. The language comfort, comfort my people,

722
00:42:23.719 --> 00:42:27.559
her iniquity as pardon is both soothing and declarative, marking

723
00:42:27.599 --> 00:42:31.199
a break from what precedes and introducing the upcoming message

724
00:42:31.239 --> 00:42:32.000
of restoration.

725
00:42:32.480 --> 00:42:35.239
So it's distinct specific theme.

726
00:42:36.400 --> 00:42:39.280
It's very different from what comes before, and it sets

727
00:42:39.360 --> 00:42:45.360
up everything that comes After's everybody got that, all right?

728
00:42:45.480 --> 00:42:48.920
So that's number one. It has distinct theme and theme

729
00:42:49.039 --> 00:42:54.400
number two. Opening with a divine declaration. The phrase comfort,

730
00:42:54.440 --> 00:42:58.079
comfort my people says You're God acts a divine declaration,

731
00:42:58.480 --> 00:43:02.039
setting the stage forever thing that follows. It signals that

732
00:43:02.079 --> 00:43:05.440
God himself is speaking directly to Israel with words of consolation.

733
00:43:05.800 --> 00:43:11.920
It immediately sets up who's speaking. God is speaking. It

734
00:43:12.000 --> 00:43:16.559
sets up a divine declaration which then is going to

735
00:43:16.599 --> 00:43:19.039
serve as an introduction for everything that comes after. Does

736
00:43:19.039 --> 00:43:22.719
that make sense? It serves as a framework for the

737
00:43:22.760 --> 00:43:27.039
next chapters where the theme of God's faithfulness and redemptive power

738
00:43:27.119 --> 00:43:31.119
are further developed. So it opens with a divine declaration

739
00:43:31.239 --> 00:43:33.360
which sets up everything for the rest of the of

740
00:43:33.400 --> 00:43:39.079
the section number three, it introduces key themes Isaiah forty

741
00:43:39.119 --> 00:43:42.599
through one two introduced core themes. Here's some of the

742
00:43:42.639 --> 00:43:46.880
core themes introduced. You're ready comfort everybody, see comfort?

743
00:43:47.920 --> 00:43:51.360
All right? I think you can see that. Pardon, I

744
00:43:51.400 --> 00:43:54.000
think you can see that. Or warfare is.

745
00:43:53.960 --> 00:43:57.639
Accomplished, her iniquity is pardon see that in verse two?

746
00:43:58.599 --> 00:44:01.760
All right, So pardon is introduced, and the end of

747
00:44:02.039 --> 00:44:06.039
judgment is discuss This will be expanded in the chapters

748
00:44:06.079 --> 00:44:09.679
that follow. So comfort, pardon, and the end of judgment.

749
00:44:10.039 --> 00:44:13.840
It's introduced here and that it's expanded through the rest

750
00:44:13.880 --> 00:44:17.480
of forty through fifty five. Does that make some sense,

751
00:44:18.280 --> 00:44:21.880
or at least I think it does, right, These two

752
00:44:21.960 --> 00:44:26.880
verses are a thematic preview of the restoration that God

753
00:44:26.920 --> 00:44:30.840
will bring, particularly in the context of Israel's exile. So

754
00:44:30.960 --> 00:44:32.960
think of it as a thematic preview. What do I

755
00:44:33.000 --> 00:44:36.320
always say about if you're going to interpret movies, the

756
00:44:36.360 --> 00:44:42.199
opening scene inevitably tells the whole story of the movie.

757
00:44:43.320 --> 00:44:44.800
A lot of times people are like, they're not even

758
00:44:44.840 --> 00:44:47.000
pay attention to the opening scene, right, They're either walking

759
00:44:47.000 --> 00:44:49.559
into the movies late, which they should actually be forbidden

760
00:44:49.599 --> 00:44:51.679
and prohibited, and nobody should be allowed in the theater.

761
00:44:52.039 --> 00:44:54.519
Or you're started the movie and everybody's off in the

762
00:44:54.599 --> 00:44:57.239
kitchen doing whatever, and then they come in because they

763
00:44:57.239 --> 00:44:59.039
don't pay any attention to the opening scene.

764
00:44:59.639 --> 00:45:02.440
You just we missed the whole movie. The whole movie

765
00:45:02.559 --> 00:45:04.519
is an opening scene, right.

766
00:45:04.400 --> 00:45:07.599
We've talked about that well, Isaiah forty one through two,

767
00:45:09.440 --> 00:45:13.519
it's the opening scene. It's the thematic preview of everything

768
00:45:13.519 --> 00:45:17.519
that what follows. Does everybody get kind of understand that?

769
00:45:17.559 --> 00:45:20.079
Does that make some sense? All right?

770
00:45:20.400 --> 00:45:22.679
I think I hope it does, all right.

771
00:45:23.039 --> 00:45:27.679
So it serves as a framework, it serves as the

772
00:45:27.679 --> 00:45:29.840
themes are going to be further developed.

773
00:45:29.840 --> 00:45:33.119
Everybody got kind of got that, all right? We got

774
00:45:33.159 --> 00:45:33.840
that all right?

775
00:45:34.079 --> 00:45:37.679
So we have the thematic the thematic preview of the

776
00:45:37.719 --> 00:45:40.119
restoration that God will bring, particularly in the context of

777
00:45:40.199 --> 00:45:44.400
Israel's exile. By placing these verses as an independent introduction,

778
00:45:44.920 --> 00:45:49.440
they function as an over arching statement of God's intentions

779
00:45:49.440 --> 00:45:52.559
for his people, framing the rest of Isaiah forty and

780
00:45:52.559 --> 00:45:55.519
fifty five and the broader and a broader context. So

781
00:45:56.320 --> 00:45:59.519
one through two we separate it, we frame it, and

782
00:45:59.559 --> 00:46:03.199
it sets everything else up. So that means one through two.

783
00:46:03.440 --> 00:46:06.239
If this is the thematic preview, then one through two

784
00:46:06.280 --> 00:46:11.480
is pretty important. Correct, It's pretty important. So we're gonna

785
00:46:11.480 --> 00:46:13.079
have to really work do some time on that.

786
00:46:13.159 --> 00:46:13.519
All right?

787
00:46:13.960 --> 00:46:18.039
Next, So what was number one? Distinct theme and tone?

788
00:46:18.119 --> 00:46:21.880
Number two opening with a divine declaration. Number three introduces

789
00:46:21.920 --> 00:46:24.639
the key themes I pointed out the key themes comfort, pardon,

790
00:46:24.719 --> 00:46:26.000
and end of judgment.

791
00:46:26.039 --> 00:46:28.519
Everybody got those? That's all in verse one through two?

792
00:46:28.800 --> 00:46:29.159
All right?

793
00:46:29.360 --> 00:46:32.960
Number four a shift in imagery starting in verse three

794
00:46:33.320 --> 00:46:36.039
Isaiah forty three marks the start of a specific imagery

795
00:46:36.079 --> 00:46:37.920
with the call to prepare the way in the wilderness.

796
00:46:37.920 --> 00:46:39.719
Does that not change dramatically?

797
00:46:40.920 --> 00:46:43.079
You got one through two, You have a you have

798
00:46:43.199 --> 00:46:45.920
who is speaking in verses one through two, You have

799
00:46:45.920 --> 00:46:48.599
a divine declaration? Right, and then all of a sudden,

800
00:46:48.599 --> 00:46:52.039
what happens in three the voice of him that cries

801
00:46:52.119 --> 00:46:53.880
in the wilderness? Wait, well, what's going on?

802
00:46:54.719 --> 00:46:55.559
What just happened?

803
00:46:56.519 --> 00:46:58.920
Do you not kind of fill a shift?

804
00:46:58.400 --> 00:47:00.599
I feel there a shift?

805
00:47:01.159 --> 00:47:03.800
This introduces the concept of a path for God to

806
00:47:03.800 --> 00:47:06.880
bring his people out of exile. That this runs all

807
00:47:06.920 --> 00:47:09.519
the way from chapter forty to forty eight.

808
00:47:09.639 --> 00:47:10.440
In particular.

809
00:47:11.239 --> 00:47:14.320
Verse three is gonna set up really firse three, what

810
00:47:14.559 --> 00:47:17.559
it shifts. That shift is going to go all the

811
00:47:17.559 --> 00:47:22.239
way to forty eight, right, So there's a major there.

812
00:47:22.280 --> 00:47:23.719
There's another shift right there.

813
00:47:23.880 --> 00:47:27.440
So forty forty three is a shift, So forty one

814
00:47:27.480 --> 00:47:29.280
through two has to be then a separate is a

815
00:47:29.360 --> 00:47:32.039
separate section in introduction if that makes sense?

816
00:47:32.400 --> 00:47:32.639
Right?

817
00:47:35.159 --> 00:47:37.519
This introduces the concept of a path for God to

818
00:47:37.559 --> 00:47:41.159
bring as people out of exile. This metaphorical language of

819
00:47:41.280 --> 00:47:44.519
valleys lifted and mountains made low is distinct from the

820
00:47:44.559 --> 00:47:48.239
direct declarations of comfort and verses one through two, creating

821
00:47:48.599 --> 00:47:53.400
a clear textual break. We have a clear textual break

822
00:47:53.440 --> 00:47:56.440
and verse three, verse one and two and a clear

823
00:47:56.519 --> 00:47:58.920
textual break in verse three. Now we have kind of

824
00:47:58.960 --> 00:48:03.199
metaphorical language. We have some image or everything's changing in

825
00:48:03.280 --> 00:48:06.480
verse three. Does that make sense? So we have a

826
00:48:06.519 --> 00:48:07.599
shift in imagery.

827
00:48:08.159 --> 00:48:11.719
All right? Sounds good? All right?

828
00:48:11.760 --> 00:48:14.280
So then let's kind of do in an outline of

829
00:48:14.320 --> 00:48:16.599
some kind of some sort. Let's kind of do a

830
00:48:16.639 --> 00:48:21.119
brief outline of this section, all right, Isaiah. Forty one

831
00:48:21.159 --> 00:48:25.760
through two is an introduction in prologue, and we could

832
00:48:25.760 --> 00:48:30.519
call this divine comfort and pardon, Divine comfort and pardon.

833
00:48:31.960 --> 00:48:35.360
That's verses one through two. God announces comfort for his people,

834
00:48:35.760 --> 00:48:38.440
the end of their punishment, and pardon for their sins.

835
00:48:40.800 --> 00:48:41.480
That sounds good.

836
00:48:42.239 --> 00:48:44.199
So what are we gonna call verses one through two.

837
00:48:45.639 --> 00:48:46.519
Comfort and pardon?

838
00:48:46.719 --> 00:48:49.480
If you want, we can call it introduction and prologue.

839
00:48:49.480 --> 00:48:52.960
Which one do you choose? Introduction and prologue is more

840
00:48:53.239 --> 00:48:57.199
just kind of academic. Divine comfort and pardon is more

841
00:48:57.239 --> 00:49:01.039
observational because it's taking the actual language of the text.

842
00:49:01.039 --> 00:49:03.320
Do you see the two options there, but you get

843
00:49:03.320 --> 00:49:06.800
the You can put it all together. Introduction and prologue,

844
00:49:06.960 --> 00:49:07.880
divine comfort and.

845
00:49:07.840 --> 00:49:09.119
Pardon if you want.

846
00:49:10.000 --> 00:49:12.920
The message is God announces comfort for his people and

847
00:49:13.000 --> 00:49:15.159
the end of their punishment and pardon for their sins.

848
00:49:15.159 --> 00:49:17.679
What is the purpose of Isaiah forty three one two two.

849
00:49:18.000 --> 00:49:20.079
It sets the tone for the new message of hope

850
00:49:20.079 --> 00:49:23.480
and restoration. It introduces God's intention for his people and

851
00:49:23.559 --> 00:49:26.360
a post judgment context.

852
00:49:27.280 --> 00:49:31.000
Then what do we have that's verses one through two.

853
00:49:31.039 --> 00:49:33.840
Then we have three through five, and we'll call this

854
00:49:33.880 --> 00:49:38.000
a call to prepare the way for the Lord. We

855
00:49:38.039 --> 00:49:40.559
have a voice crying out for the preparation of a

856
00:49:40.599 --> 00:49:43.079
path for God who will lead his people out of exile.

857
00:49:43.719 --> 00:49:47.800
The imagery is wilderness, highway, valleys lifted up, mountains made low.

858
00:49:48.159 --> 00:49:52.280
These verses speak metaphorically of removing obstacles as God prepares

859
00:49:52.320 --> 00:49:54.000
to deliver his people.

860
00:50:02.480 --> 00:50:07.239
Right, does that kind of get a set up? Does

861
00:50:07.239 --> 00:50:08.199
that everybody feel good?

862
00:50:08.199 --> 00:50:10.079
There? All?

863
00:50:10.159 --> 00:50:10.440
Right?

864
00:50:11.199 --> 00:50:21.639
Any questions? Everybody thinks? That makes everybody okay? With separating that?

865
00:50:22.320 --> 00:50:25.119
So that means forty through one through two then becomes

866
00:50:25.159 --> 00:50:28.719
the key here. So we have to spend we will

867
00:50:28.719 --> 00:50:31.239
spend a lot of time in versus forty one through two,

868
00:50:31.440 --> 00:50:33.679
but let's establish some basic concepts here.

869
00:50:33.760 --> 00:50:35.679
Right, forty one through two.

870
00:50:36.679 --> 00:50:39.480
You lose all of its meaning and all of its

871
00:50:39.639 --> 00:50:42.320
power if you do not first connect it with Deuteron

872
00:50:42.519 --> 00:50:46.000
or with Isaiah thirty nine. Isaiah thirty nine knows why

873
00:50:46.079 --> 00:50:48.360
the people need comfort because they've been in exile. But

874
00:50:48.440 --> 00:50:51.559
why have they been in exile because Deuteronomy twenty eight says,

875
00:50:51.679 --> 00:50:53.440
these are all the horrible things that's going to happen

876
00:50:53.480 --> 00:50:55.199
to you if you don't keep my law. Did they

877
00:50:55.320 --> 00:50:58.360
violate the law over and over and over? I demonstrated

878
00:50:58.400 --> 00:51:01.519
all the ways they broke the law. Then guess what happens.

879
00:51:01.559 --> 00:51:03.480
If you break the law, you get the curses. Did

880
00:51:03.480 --> 00:51:06.440
they get the curses? They got all the curses. So

881
00:51:06.480 --> 00:51:09.320
they have broken the law. They are under a curse.

882
00:51:09.599 --> 00:51:12.360
And now we turn to Isaiah forty and you hear

883
00:51:14.960 --> 00:51:19.519
the beautiful word comfort. Now, who has any kind of

884
00:51:19.559 --> 00:51:21.840
connection on their phone? If you have the blue letter

885
00:51:21.880 --> 00:51:25.360
Bible app open it up to Isaiah forty verse one.

886
00:51:25.960 --> 00:51:33.719
What is the Hebrew word for comfort? What is the

887
00:51:33.760 --> 00:51:41.920
Hebrew word for comfort? And Isaiah forty verse one, knock,

888
00:51:41.960 --> 00:51:45.519
Come right, everybody see that if you're able to look

889
00:51:46.639 --> 00:51:51.639
to comfort or console, this is the primary meeting. Yeah,

890
00:51:51.960 --> 00:51:54.320
there's some interesting meetings there, but the primary is to

891
00:51:54.400 --> 00:51:57.400
comfort or to console. This is the most common use,

892
00:51:57.480 --> 00:52:01.639
particularly when directed at someone experiencing sorrow distress. It applies

893
00:52:01.840 --> 00:52:08.320
offering compassion and reassurance. So I want us to take

894
00:52:08.360 --> 00:52:11.400
a little bit of time to consider at least the

895
00:52:11.440 --> 00:52:17.320
first word here comfort, Ye, comfort me one. It's repeated twice.

896
00:52:17.719 --> 00:52:21.679
That's significant. Yes. And here's the difference of this Hebrew

897
00:52:21.679 --> 00:52:25.840
word is it is a verb that has broad range

898
00:52:25.880 --> 00:52:31.400
of meaning depending on its context. The word appears frequently

899
00:52:31.480 --> 00:52:34.639
in the Hebrew Bible, and it generally conveys the ideas

900
00:52:34.679 --> 00:52:38.880
related to comfort, compassion, regret, or even a change of mind,

901
00:52:39.199 --> 00:52:44.039
which is somewhat interesting all right. Its primary meeting is

902
00:52:44.079 --> 00:52:46.840
to comfort or to console. It is most commonly used

903
00:52:46.840 --> 00:52:50.400
particularly when directed at someone experiencing sorrow or distress. It

904
00:52:50.440 --> 00:52:56.320
implies offering compassion and reassurance, but it can also mean

905
00:52:56.679 --> 00:53:06.039
to feel sorry, to regrets, rent, or repent. In other contexts.

906
00:53:06.280 --> 00:53:09.320
The Hebrew word here can mean to regret or relent,

907
00:53:09.599 --> 00:53:12.480
as when God has depicted as changing his course of

908
00:53:12.639 --> 00:53:19.320
action due to compassion or mercy. That's an interesting concept, right,

909
00:53:19.559 --> 00:53:23.360
It's to bring comfort, but it also can show sorrow

910
00:53:23.719 --> 00:53:28.119
or regret or a change of mind. Are relenting because

911
00:53:28.159 --> 00:53:32.960
of mercy? Now this adds a little dimension to this, right,

912
00:53:33.679 --> 00:53:37.559
because who's the one saying, bring comfort God? Who have

913
00:53:37.639 --> 00:53:41.119
they violated God? But for some reason God has done

914
00:53:41.159 --> 00:53:46.440
what He's relenting. He's changing his mind. He is, he's

915
00:53:46.519 --> 00:53:48.360
in a sty And when we say change his mind,

916
00:53:48.440 --> 00:53:51.519
understand we're not talking about open theism. We understand he

917
00:53:51.559 --> 00:53:53.760
always knows what he's going to do. But it appears

918
00:53:53.800 --> 00:53:56.639
to be a change from the perspective of the people. Right,

919
00:53:56.920 --> 00:53:59.599
if you've been suffering for all of this time, all

920
00:53:59.639 --> 00:54:02.119
of these purses, and all of a sudden, God says,

921
00:54:02.239 --> 00:54:05.480
I'm gonna bring comfort to you. Something is happening, right,

922
00:54:07.360 --> 00:54:11.639
everybody kind of understand that. I think the same Hebrew

923
00:54:11.719 --> 00:54:13.679
word is used in Genesis six.

924
00:54:13.800 --> 00:54:14.400
I believe.

925
00:54:14.719 --> 00:54:17.519
I don't know if anyone can verify it. I don't

926
00:54:17.519 --> 00:54:22.239
have the Hebrew. Yeah, okay, Genesis sixty six. I believe

927
00:54:22.280 --> 00:54:24.280
the same Hebrew word is used. And look how it's

928
00:54:24.360 --> 00:54:29.840
used in Genesis sixty six. You may not find this interesting.

929
00:54:30.119 --> 00:54:32.280
And it repented the Lord that he had made man

930
00:54:32.320 --> 00:54:35.239
on earth, and it grieved him at his heart. There's

931
00:54:35.280 --> 00:54:38.800
this idea of repenting God, repenting God. It seems like

932
00:54:39.000 --> 00:54:42.159
it indicates because it's being spoken to from our perspective,

933
00:54:42.320 --> 00:54:45.119
it appears that God has changed right there. It appears

934
00:54:45.119 --> 00:54:48.400
that God in the sense is upset. He's grieved that

935
00:54:48.440 --> 00:54:50.239
he's ever made. And of course, on one hand, God

936
00:54:50.320 --> 00:54:53.639
knows everything that's going to happen. It's very complicated in

937
00:54:53.639 --> 00:54:57.079
how to understand it. But when it's used here in

938
00:54:57.280 --> 00:55:02.199
Isaiah comfort, whoa what just how there's been a change.

939
00:55:02.840 --> 00:55:06.920
Because one through thirty nine is all about what judgment

940
00:55:07.880 --> 00:55:11.800
and all of a sudden forty comfort. God is relenting

941
00:55:12.119 --> 00:55:15.679
not because of some change in him, but because, well,

942
00:55:15.719 --> 00:55:17.440
I think there's something that's driving it, and we can

943
00:55:17.480 --> 00:55:21.559
talk about that. Why this many meaning carries the idea

944
00:55:21.760 --> 00:55:26.199
of grieving over a situation or feeling sorrow for past actions.

945
00:55:26.280 --> 00:55:30.159
It seems the idea God is grieving over the situation. Again,

946
00:55:30.199 --> 00:55:33.639
it's spoken in human terms, right, I think we can

947
00:55:33.679 --> 00:55:35.639
get the idea, so we kind of get this.

948
00:55:36.320 --> 00:55:38.840
Meaning here of this Hebrew word.

949
00:55:38.760 --> 00:55:42.039
Is very significant when you read comfort comfort, There's a

950
00:55:42.079 --> 00:55:43.920
lot going on in that Hebrew word.

951
00:55:44.400 --> 00:55:45.880
There's a lot going on.

952
00:55:46.159 --> 00:55:49.840
You can't just say, oh, comfort, There's a lot happening here.

953
00:55:49.960 --> 00:55:52.880
It's signifying a lot of different things going on.

954
00:55:53.280 --> 00:55:53.519
Right.

955
00:55:54.000 --> 00:55:56.920
So for example, in Isaiah forty verse one, we obviously

956
00:55:56.920 --> 00:55:57.760
can tell it's repeated.

957
00:55:57.800 --> 00:55:59.440
Everyone can see that, correct.

958
00:56:00.480 --> 00:56:04.880
It uses it twice, which intensifies the sense of urgency

959
00:56:05.159 --> 00:56:07.800
and the depth of comfort God is offering to Israel.

960
00:56:07.920 --> 00:56:10.159
There's an urgency here.

961
00:56:10.400 --> 00:56:13.480
You need comfort, you need it now, and it needs

962
00:56:13.559 --> 00:56:16.119
to be the right kind of comfort, a deep kind

963
00:56:16.119 --> 00:56:21.800
of comfort. This repetition signifies a shift from the themes

964
00:56:21.800 --> 00:56:25.679
of judgment in the preceding chapters to hope and restoration.

965
00:56:27.000 --> 00:56:31.400
The use of this Hebrew word reflects God's compassionate response

966
00:56:32.199 --> 00:56:35.880
after a period of judgment, which is the Babylonian exile.

967
00:56:36.559 --> 00:56:41.760
It suggests that God's anger has subsided and he now

968
00:56:41.920 --> 00:56:48.800
desires to comfort his people, promising forgiveness and restoration. The

969
00:56:48.840 --> 00:56:53.440
comfort offered in Isaiah is not merely emotional. It has

970
00:56:53.639 --> 00:56:59.599
promised a change in circumstance for Israel. The comfort is

971
00:56:59.599 --> 00:57:03.800
intended to reassure Israel of God's ongoing commitment and to

972
00:57:03.880 --> 00:57:08.519
offer hope of a future return from exile and reconciliation

973
00:57:08.920 --> 00:57:10.079
with God.

974
00:57:10.199 --> 00:57:12.760
Now, I want to go through all the uses of

975
00:57:12.760 --> 00:57:13.559
the Hebrew word.

976
00:57:14.440 --> 00:57:16.679
I want to go through all of them, but let's

977
00:57:16.679 --> 00:57:19.199
take a minute here because we need to talk about

978
00:57:19.239 --> 00:57:20.320
comfort for a second.

979
00:57:20.360 --> 00:57:22.679
Okay, all right, we may.

980
00:57:22.559 --> 00:57:24.440
Not get I want to go through all the uses

981
00:57:24.679 --> 00:57:26.880
of in the Book of Isaiah so you get an

982
00:57:26.920 --> 00:57:29.559
idea of how it's used. But before we do that,

983
00:57:29.679 --> 00:57:33.400
let's talk about this idea of comfort. All right, Let's

984
00:57:33.400 --> 00:57:38.000
talk about this concept of comfort. As Christians.

985
00:57:38.559 --> 00:57:39.679
This is a common theme.

986
00:57:39.519 --> 00:57:44.199
In preaching, this is a common theme in devotional literature.

987
00:57:44.679 --> 00:57:47.760
It's a common theme and sermons, and this kind of

988
00:57:47.800 --> 00:57:50.679
thing that God brings us comfort?

989
00:57:51.039 --> 00:57:52.079
Is that not a common theme?

990
00:57:52.519 --> 00:57:55.360
Right? That God is the god of all comfort? I

991
00:57:55.360 --> 00:57:57.360
think it's even mentioned in First Corinthians, right, I think

992
00:57:57.360 --> 00:58:01.679
it's First Corinthians. And we each this idea. If you're

993
00:58:01.719 --> 00:58:04.639
going through great difficulty, if you're going through great pain,

994
00:58:04.960 --> 00:58:09.480
if you're going through great suffering, God provide you comfort.

995
00:58:10.400 --> 00:58:10.840
Correct?

996
00:58:11.599 --> 00:58:15.039
Has that talked about frequently? Open your Bible and read

997
00:58:15.079 --> 00:58:15.360
it for.

998
00:58:16.880 --> 00:58:17.400
Comfort?

999
00:58:17.880 --> 00:58:21.079
This is a common theme in Christianity. But I think

1000
00:58:21.079 --> 00:58:24.280
there's a lot of problems with this concept, all right,

1001
00:58:24.360 --> 00:58:25.800
So let's think this.

1002
00:58:25.760 --> 00:58:26.400
Through, all right?

1003
00:58:26.559 --> 00:58:31.840
First, Okay, let's think this through sometimes. As we've already seen,

1004
00:58:32.199 --> 00:58:36.440
the comfort in Isaiah forty has nothing to do with us, right,

1005
00:58:36.599 --> 00:58:38.920
So whenever we hear about comfort, we always have to

1006
00:58:38.960 --> 00:58:41.960
do what make sure that the words of comfort are

1007
00:58:41.960 --> 00:58:45.639
actually directed to us and we're not stealing someone else's comfort,

1008
00:58:45.880 --> 00:58:48.960
and therefore we're not actually getting any comfort to Still,

1009
00:58:49.039 --> 00:58:52.440
comfort not intended for you is not comfort.

1010
00:58:52.840 --> 00:58:55.400
It's just illusion, right, It's just like.

1011
00:58:57.360 --> 00:59:01.199
You're just doing something to confe just to make yourself

1012
00:59:01.239 --> 00:59:03.840
feel better, but there's no reality to it.

1013
00:59:04.400 --> 00:59:07.239
Does everybody see that? Not only that.

1014
00:59:09.079 --> 00:59:16.119
Many times When pastors speak about comfort, do they get

1015
00:59:16.159 --> 00:59:20.039
specific and the comfort that God provides or do they

1016
00:59:20.039 --> 00:59:28.119
sometimes leave it vague. When a pastor promises you comfort,

1017
00:59:28.800 --> 00:59:36.039
is it tangible or is it theoretical? Then you tell

1018
00:59:36.079 --> 00:59:38.000
me what you think I mean. If you listen to preaching,

1019
00:59:38.039 --> 00:59:39.920
you've heard these kinds of messages. Do you think it's

1020
00:59:39.920 --> 00:59:44.000
a tangible comfort or it's a theoretical comfort. If you

1021
00:59:44.039 --> 00:59:45.800
go to church and God, it's like, if you're here

1022
00:59:45.840 --> 00:59:50.119
this morning and you're struggling God, God will provide you comfort.

1023
00:59:50.159 --> 00:59:52.239
What should be the obvious question. You raise your hand

1024
00:59:52.239 --> 00:59:56.840
and say, what comfort are you talking about?

1025
00:59:57.320 --> 00:59:59.320
What does that mean? Right?

1026
01:00:00.480 --> 01:00:03.519
God provides comfort. I could pull up a bunch of

1027
01:00:03.519 --> 01:00:06.760
statistics right now to show you. I mean, we could

1028
01:00:06.760 --> 01:00:08.920
get in a car right now, drive to any children's

1029
01:00:08.960 --> 01:00:12.360
hospital where children are dying of cancer and horrible diseases

1030
01:00:12.400 --> 01:00:14.840
and they won't live to be sixteen. When you say

1031
01:00:14.840 --> 01:00:16.960
God's going to provide comfort, are you saying He's gonna

1032
01:00:16.960 --> 01:00:21.719
get rid of the disease? You can't promise that, can you?

1033
01:00:22.719 --> 01:00:25.239
God's going to provide comfort? You know how many children

1034
01:00:25.239 --> 01:00:28.320
are sexually abused every year in the United States of America.

1035
01:00:29.320 --> 01:00:30.320
Numbers are staggering.

1036
01:00:31.119 --> 01:00:33.519
How many women are sexually assaulted in the United States

1037
01:00:33.519 --> 01:00:37.360
of America every staggering. You want to talk about human trafficking,

1038
01:00:37.559 --> 01:00:41.119
sexual trafficking disturbing. You know how many people are suffer

1039
01:00:41.159 --> 01:00:44.519
and die every year in our world because of starvation?

1040
01:00:44.920 --> 01:00:47.800
Numbers are horrible. You want to talk about diseases, You

1041
01:00:47.840 --> 01:00:50.800
want to talk about war. So when you say when

1042
01:00:50.800 --> 01:00:52.800
the pastor tell us everyone, God will.

1043
01:00:52.599 --> 01:00:54.920
Bring you comfort, that's got.

1044
01:00:54.960 --> 01:00:57.760
To be that's got to be spoken. And so what

1045
01:00:57.800 --> 01:01:01.480
does that mean? It almost technically mean He's just gonna

1046
01:01:01.519 --> 01:01:01.719
make you?

1047
01:01:01.760 --> 01:01:03.880
What feel better?

1048
01:01:08.360 --> 01:01:10.760
Now? Do I want a God who's just gonna make

1049
01:01:10.800 --> 01:01:14.199
me feel better? If I'm if I'm a child suffering

1050
01:01:14.679 --> 01:01:16.119
some kind of sexual assault?

1051
01:01:16.519 --> 01:01:19.760
Do I want to feel better? What do I want?

1052
01:01:21.559 --> 01:01:23.519
I want to be really moved from the situation?

1053
01:01:23.800 --> 01:01:29.760
Right. So, comfort is such a it's almost a fraudulent

1054
01:01:29.920 --> 01:01:31.639
thing that Christians put out there.

1055
01:01:31.840 --> 01:01:34.559
God's gonna comfort you. What does it even mean.

1056
01:01:36.039 --> 01:01:42.039
Now? In this particular case? Comfort ye? Comfort ye, my people?

1057
01:01:42.719 --> 01:01:45.760
How would we classify the comfort promise in Isaiah forty?

1058
01:01:47.280 --> 01:01:49.840
Theoretical or tangible?

1059
01:01:55.880 --> 01:02:00.800
Is God showing up to make them feel better? Or

1060
01:02:00.920 --> 01:02:03.599
is God showing him up to announce something.

1061
01:02:06.239 --> 01:02:16.000
What do you think everybody? Look at verse two?

1062
01:02:17.360 --> 01:02:23.000
Seems to be some hesitancy here, Okay, he mentions, he's

1063
01:02:23.079 --> 01:02:25.119
very specific, right, What does he mention in verse two?

1064
01:02:25.159 --> 01:02:32.599
There's like what three things? He speak tenderly? There you go,

1065
01:02:32.679 --> 01:02:36.079
Your hard service has been completed? What is that referencing?

1066
01:02:37.440 --> 01:02:43.440
Your captivity is over? That's tangible, ladies and gentlemen. Right,

1067
01:02:43.800 --> 01:02:47.280
if you're in captivity and God says comfort, ye, comfort ye,

1068
01:02:47.280 --> 01:02:48.880
my people, what's the first thing?

1069
01:02:49.039 --> 01:02:50.159
What is the only thing? You want?

1070
01:02:50.199 --> 01:02:54.639
Comfort from your captivity? So God starts with what's over?

1071
01:02:56.480 --> 01:02:57.880
Your captivity has come.

1072
01:02:57.719 --> 01:03:00.199
To an end? What else does he say? In verse two?

1073
01:03:02.280 --> 01:03:04.079
We're gonna cover this over and over and over until

1074
01:03:04.440 --> 01:03:08.360
y'all get it down. Your service is completed? In some translations,

1075
01:03:08.360 --> 01:03:12.639
how does the King James state it? Your warfare is accomplished,

1076
01:03:14.119 --> 01:03:17.599
Your iniquity is pardoned, and now there's a spiritual comfort.

1077
01:03:17.760 --> 01:03:21.280
Now it's in which context your iniquity has pardoned? As

1078
01:03:21.280 --> 01:03:25.800
far as what your captivity? All this punishment for it?

1079
01:03:26.079 --> 01:03:26.679
That's over?

1080
01:03:26.840 --> 01:03:29.039
And in verse three are they end of verse two,

1081
01:03:29.199 --> 01:03:35.239
there's one third thing you've received double for extence? Now

1082
01:03:35.280 --> 01:03:37.480
there's a lot of discussion exactly what this means. We'll

1083
01:03:37.480 --> 01:03:39.719
get into it, but the bottom line is when he

1084
01:03:39.760 --> 01:03:44.639
says comfort, yee, comfort ye, the comfort is a tangible comfort,

1085
01:03:45.840 --> 01:03:48.360
a tangible comfort.

1086
01:03:48.440 --> 01:03:52.800
Not theoretical. Does everyone understand that?

1087
01:03:53.000 --> 01:03:53.199
Right?

1088
01:03:55.199 --> 01:03:59.760
Everybody got that that's important to note. No, when one

1089
01:04:00.159 --> 01:04:02.440
that means if you're going to come still this comfort,

1090
01:04:02.559 --> 01:04:04.360
then it would only be comfort that would relate to

1091
01:04:04.400 --> 01:04:07.159
these things, which doesn't relate to us unless you spiritualize them.

1092
01:04:07.199 --> 01:04:08.280
You see where all the problem is.

1093
01:04:08.320 --> 01:04:11.599
But here's what I want to know for you, as

1094
01:04:11.719 --> 01:04:12.599
a Christian?

1095
01:04:15.039 --> 01:04:18.440
What comfort is actually promised to us?

1096
01:04:18.760 --> 01:04:21.639
Do we think that the promise offered to us is

1097
01:04:21.679 --> 01:04:24.559
a spiritual promise or a material promise?

1098
01:04:29.079 --> 01:04:30.039
Now, Church is.

1099
01:04:30.000 --> 01:04:34.679
Always constantly treated as what a material thing? And I

1100
01:04:34.800 --> 01:04:36.400
think that's majorly problematic.

1101
01:04:36.519 --> 01:04:36.719
Right.

1102
01:04:37.920 --> 01:04:40.280
I was listening to a sermon talking about comfort and

1103
01:04:40.280 --> 01:04:42.840
then we're using some things in Isaiah forty drove me

1104
01:04:42.920 --> 01:04:48.679
absolutely nuts because it, let me just ask you this question.

1105
01:04:50.800 --> 01:04:57.320
Knowing that God is omnipotent, knowing that God is creator,

1106
01:04:58.480 --> 01:05:01.400
knowing that God knows that names of all the stars,

1107
01:05:01.400 --> 01:05:04.679
he names them, and He's in control of everything, does

1108
01:05:04.719 --> 01:05:06.159
that bring you comfort.

1109
01:05:07.559 --> 01:05:08.159
Oh it does.

1110
01:05:09.559 --> 01:05:13.920
Oh, this is interesting all right. Knowing God is all powerful,

1111
01:05:14.559 --> 01:05:18.719
knows the stars created everything. Steven says, that brings him comfort. Okay,

1112
01:05:18.719 --> 01:05:25.360
does that bring anybody else comfort? It's okay. In this church.

1113
01:05:25.400 --> 01:05:28.360
We don't have to be give church answers. Right, Stephen

1114
01:05:28.400 --> 01:05:29.320
gave us a good answer.

1115
01:05:29.320 --> 01:05:29.760
That's fine.

1116
01:05:29.800 --> 01:05:37.000
It may bring him comfort. Does it bring you comfort?

1117
01:05:37.159 --> 01:05:38.119
Okay? All right?

1118
01:05:38.280 --> 01:05:41.239
So you are giving me the pretty good churches, So

1119
01:05:41.320 --> 01:05:42.920
you're good. Y'all can go to any other church and

1120
01:05:42.960 --> 01:05:48.159
you'll get along. It absolutely brings me no comfort. What

1121
01:05:48.280 --> 01:05:50.039
good is it that God is all powerful?

1122
01:05:50.519 --> 01:05:51.199
I can do? You do?

1123
01:05:51.239 --> 01:05:52.920
I need to go through and name all the things

1124
01:05:52.920 --> 01:05:55.119
that are going on in the world. My brain is

1125
01:05:55.159 --> 01:05:56.760
well if you want to, if you want to bring

1126
01:05:56.800 --> 01:05:59.599
comfort with me, knowing that he's in charge of nothing,

1127
01:05:59.639 --> 01:06:03.199
doesn't know anything. Unless he does something right, he doesn't

1128
01:06:03.199 --> 01:06:06.679
bring me comfort. If I'm laying under a car, my

1129
01:06:07.159 --> 01:06:09.880
leg is bleeding out, and I know mister Goodlett has

1130
01:06:09.920 --> 01:06:11.760
the power to come lift the car, but he just

1131
01:06:11.760 --> 01:06:14.039
stands there, going, man, you're bleeding really bad.

1132
01:06:16.000 --> 01:06:20.119
That's really bad. Man. You can lift the car. I

1133
01:06:20.159 --> 01:06:23.920
know I can because I'm all powerful. You're bleeding out.

1134
01:06:24.480 --> 01:06:25.400
This is really bad.

1135
01:06:26.239 --> 01:06:29.679
I think you're starting to lose consciousness. This really stinks.

1136
01:06:31.000 --> 01:06:33.159
Does it bring me comfort that he can lift the car?

1137
01:06:36.280 --> 01:06:39.440
Okay? At least Eli's shaking his head and out.

1138
01:06:39.400 --> 01:06:42.519
Oh my no, I be like you trush shooking.

1139
01:06:42.599 --> 01:06:44.039
What are you doing right?

1140
01:06:44.320 --> 01:06:46.400
That doesn't bring me comfort to know that he can

1141
01:06:46.440 --> 01:06:49.920
lift the car. What would bring me comfort? Hey, lift

1142
01:06:49.960 --> 01:06:52.559
the car, pull me out, put a tarniquet on my leg,

1143
01:06:52.679 --> 01:06:53.960
and give me to a hospital.

1144
01:06:54.079 --> 01:06:54.599
Okay.

1145
01:06:54.719 --> 01:06:56.719
And He's just like, well, I could get you to

1146
01:06:56.760 --> 01:06:58.440
the I could just snap my fingers.

1147
01:06:58.480 --> 01:07:00.719
You'd be in hospital. I could just heal your leg.

1148
01:07:01.079 --> 01:07:02.519
That doesn't do me any good.

1149
01:07:04.559 --> 01:07:07.920
That's a complex thing about Christianity. So I heard an

1150
01:07:08.039 --> 01:07:10.239
entire sermon that hey, if you need comfort this morning,

1151
01:07:10.519 --> 01:07:13.960
know this. Your God is your creator. He is all powerful.

1152
01:07:14.079 --> 01:07:22.840
He has named the stars. And I'm like, well, now,

1153
01:07:22.880 --> 01:07:30.400
in Israel's context, that could provide them great comfort. Why

1154
01:07:30.559 --> 01:07:32.400
knowing he's all powerful is going to be very importan

1155
01:07:32.400 --> 01:07:33.880
because they get figure hound the worth of getting out

1156
01:07:33.880 --> 01:07:36.599
of Babylonian captivity, which he just promised that is getting

1157
01:07:36.639 --> 01:07:38.760
ready to happen. It may look a little bit what

1158
01:07:42.760 --> 01:07:44.159
I think it would look up late. Are they going

1159
01:07:44.199 --> 01:07:47.039
to be able to rise up and overthrow Babylon. No,

1160
01:07:47.280 --> 01:07:50.800
they can't do it right, So they need God's power

1161
01:07:50.880 --> 01:07:51.920
in order to make it happen.

1162
01:07:51.960 --> 01:07:53.039
And God does something.

1163
01:07:55.039 --> 01:07:58.519
He brings in Persia Cyrus, who's a shepherd, his anointed

1164
01:07:58.519 --> 01:08:02.320
one to destroy the Babylonian. Israel doesn't destroy the Babylonians.

1165
01:08:02.480 --> 01:08:05.320
Israel doesn't plan a great escape at midnight, or they

1166
01:08:05.320 --> 01:08:10.639
tunnel under the prison wall and swim away from Alcatraz.

1167
01:08:10.920 --> 01:08:13.880
They don't have some No, they are delivered by God.

1168
01:08:14.079 --> 01:08:17.720
So when God talks about his power and his sovereignty

1169
01:08:17.760 --> 01:08:22.359
in Isaiah forty through fifty five, it makes perfect sense.

1170
01:08:24.119 --> 01:08:26.239
What I'm trying to say is we sometimes as Christians,

1171
01:08:26.239 --> 01:08:28.640
think we're offering someone comfort and I don't know what

1172
01:08:28.680 --> 01:08:31.920
we think we're doing. Hey, I know you're suffering, but

1173
01:08:32.359 --> 01:08:35.439
God is all powerful. Well, thank you. That's wonderful. If

1174
01:08:35.439 --> 01:08:38.239
God's all powerful, why am I in the situation in

1175
01:08:38.239 --> 01:08:42.159
the first place? Right? I mean, take get in your

1176
01:08:42.159 --> 01:08:44.960
car or go to the airport, fly to Ukraine right

1177
01:08:45.000 --> 01:08:47.600
now and where people are suffering and dying and say, hey, guys,

1178
01:08:48.079 --> 01:08:48.800
good news.

1179
01:08:49.000 --> 01:08:50.399
God is all powerful.

1180
01:08:51.960 --> 01:08:55.680
Well, then get rid of Russia. Go to Gaza right now.

1181
01:08:55.920 --> 01:09:00.520
How many children have died in the bombings? All go

1182
01:09:00.560 --> 01:09:03.359
to Israel, all the people who died on October seventh.

1183
01:09:04.039 --> 01:09:05.000
Hey, God is.

1184
01:09:04.960 --> 01:09:09.319
All powerful, oh man, that brings me great comfort. Is

1185
01:09:09.359 --> 01:09:12.960
that gonna bring standing at the grave of their family

1186
01:09:12.960 --> 01:09:14.760
members and just put your arm around them.

1187
01:09:14.880 --> 01:09:17.199
God is all powerful? Is that gonna bring any comfort

1188
01:09:17.199 --> 01:09:19.600
to them?

1189
01:09:20.239 --> 01:09:22.159
I know we're not supposed to say it, can we

1190
01:09:22.199 --> 01:09:29.319
say it? No? So when we sometimes when I'm saying,

1191
01:09:29.319 --> 01:09:32.239
when it comes to comfort, the church does weird things

1192
01:09:32.239 --> 01:09:36.399
with comfort because we don't know how to comfort. So

1193
01:09:36.439 --> 01:09:39.279
we just throw out our little spiritual bumper stickers that

1194
01:09:39.359 --> 01:09:42.199
don't really provide comfort. That's why sometimes what's the best

1195
01:09:42.199 --> 01:09:48.720
thing to do. Just shut up, because if they would

1196
01:09:48.760 --> 01:09:51.680
have went to job. Hey Joe, God is all powerful.

1197
01:09:52.000 --> 01:09:55.640
Well that's wonderful, thank you so very much. Is that

1198
01:09:55.680 --> 01:10:01.560
gonna bring back my dead kids?

1199
01:10:03.159 --> 01:10:03.319
No?

1200
01:10:04.000 --> 01:10:05.880
I know that makes us uncomfortable in church. I can

1201
01:10:05.920 --> 01:10:08.479
already feel the uncomfortable in this here right, But that's okay.

1202
01:10:09.039 --> 01:10:11.279
It's a reality we have to deal with. So when

1203
01:10:11.319 --> 01:10:13.840
it comes to comfort, you see where we've got to

1204
01:10:13.840 --> 01:10:16.000
be very careful. So number one, we got to be

1205
01:10:16.039 --> 01:10:18.239
careful not to take comfort that's meant for someone else

1206
01:10:18.239 --> 01:10:21.319
and make it about us. And number two, we got

1207
01:10:21.359 --> 01:10:24.159
to be very careful to just take scripture and say, well,

1208
01:10:24.159 --> 01:10:28.000
you should find comfort in this attribute of God. God's

1209
01:10:28.000 --> 01:10:30.720
attributes are just the truth of God. Doesn't mean I'm

1210
01:10:30.760 --> 01:10:34.800
going to find necessarily comfort and said attribute, When would

1211
01:10:34.800 --> 01:10:38.000
I find comfort in God's attribute that he's all powerful

1212
01:10:38.520 --> 01:10:41.640
creator and name the stars? When would I find comfort

1213
01:10:41.680 --> 01:10:47.560
in that when that power is what directed towards my situation?

1214
01:10:49.000 --> 01:10:52.920
But until then, it's just a fact. Facts don't provide

1215
01:10:53.159 --> 01:10:54.039
lots of comfort.

1216
01:10:54.119 --> 01:10:54.319
Right.

1217
01:10:54.399 --> 01:10:58.039
It would be like Bobby suffering from some horrible disease

1218
01:10:58.079 --> 01:10:59.880
and I come up and go, hey, do you know

1219
01:11:00.000 --> 01:11:03.239
so it's this many miles between Chicago and New York City?

1220
01:11:03.359 --> 01:11:05.479
Do you know if I get on a train traveling

1221
01:11:05.520 --> 01:11:07.600
this fast, I will get in New York City? And

1222
01:11:07.640 --> 01:11:09.479
Bobby would be like, what are you doing? I'm just

1223
01:11:09.479 --> 01:11:15.199
giving you facts. Don't they bring you comfort? That would

1224
01:11:15.199 --> 01:11:17.279
seem kind of mean, would it not? Did you know

1225
01:11:17.319 --> 01:11:19.680
one plus one is two. That's the only mathem fact

1226
01:11:19.680 --> 01:11:21.359
I know? Okay, any other math facts I don't know.

1227
01:11:21.439 --> 01:11:24.119
I think I know that one right, are there everything? Hey?

1228
01:11:24.199 --> 01:11:27.279
Do you know a comma goes after this? And sometimes

1229
01:11:27.279 --> 01:11:29.079
it well because in grammar it all makes sense. You

1230
01:11:29.119 --> 01:11:32.720
know it's relativism. But yeah, you know subject verb agreement.

1231
01:11:32.720 --> 01:11:34.279
And I just start giving you all these facts. Would

1232
01:11:34.319 --> 01:11:36.039
that bring you comfort? Or would you tell me to

1233
01:11:36.039 --> 01:11:39.039
get out of your hospital room go jump off the building?

1234
01:11:39.279 --> 01:11:41.640
You probably would? I mean, able to get these facts

1235
01:11:41.640 --> 01:11:45.439
should bring you comfort. Well, Offering a spiritual fact does

1236
01:11:45.520 --> 01:11:50.319
not bring any more comfort than offering what an academic fact,

1237
01:11:51.159 --> 01:11:54.680
because a spiritual fact is only an academic fact unless

1238
01:11:54.720 --> 01:11:59.319
the spiritual fact is doing something for you. Now, what

1239
01:11:59.520 --> 01:12:05.039
does demonstrate God's power? Does show what that God will

1240
01:12:05.079 --> 01:12:09.119
fulfill his purpose his promise, So I can find then

1241
01:12:09.159 --> 01:12:11.319
comfort that Okay, I don't know how things are gonna

1242
01:12:11.359 --> 01:12:14.439
go here because God may not do anything, but I

1243
01:12:14.439 --> 01:12:17.279
can have comfort. Then He will get me where to

1244
01:12:17.359 --> 01:12:19.960
heaven because his salvation is based on him. Then I

1245
01:12:19.960 --> 01:12:22.880
can find some comfort in it. But to hear an

1246
01:12:23.039 --> 01:12:26.119
entire sermon where the whole idea quoting from parts of

1247
01:12:26.159 --> 01:12:29.399
Isaiah forty through fifty five about comfort and then relying

1248
01:12:29.439 --> 01:12:34.239
on these texts where God is telling Judah his attributes. Well,

1249
01:12:34.279 --> 01:12:38.640
his attributes are directly related to their situation because they

1250
01:12:38.640 --> 01:12:44.239
are facing a power known as the Babylonians. So then

1251
01:12:44.399 --> 01:12:48.000
knowing his power has direct relation to them because starting

1252
01:12:48.000 --> 01:12:51.159
in Isaiah forty, he tells them that their captivity is

1253
01:12:51.199 --> 01:12:55.079
what over? How are they going to believe that it's over?

1254
01:12:55.159 --> 01:13:01.479
Because it probably seems what impossible? Then God's power has

1255
01:13:01.600 --> 01:13:05.680
direct correlation to their situation. For a pastor to go

1256
01:13:05.720 --> 01:13:08.159
there and say you should find comfort that God is

1257
01:13:08.199 --> 01:13:10.159
all powerful, I don't know what in the world that

1258
01:13:10.239 --> 01:13:15.600
even means. Because if God is all powerful, the immediate

1259
01:13:15.800 --> 01:13:17.800
question should be, well, then why am I in the

1260
01:13:18.079 --> 01:13:19.000
situation in.

1261
01:13:18.920 --> 01:13:22.720
The first place. He said, well, it's because of your sin. Well,

1262
01:13:22.760 --> 01:13:27.399
if he's all powerful, he could keep me from there

1263
01:13:27.439 --> 01:13:30.960
we go. So the whole thing is confusing.

1264
01:13:31.000 --> 01:13:33.479
So when we get to Isaiah forty, the comfort is

1265
01:13:33.560 --> 01:13:38.439
beautiful in its context. To rip it out of its context,

1266
01:13:38.640 --> 01:13:41.720
what are the dangers that can occur? We're taking comfort

1267
01:13:41.760 --> 01:13:45.039
that's not for us, and then I'm offering comfort to

1268
01:13:45.079 --> 01:13:48.560
other people and I'm basing it on things that really

1269
01:13:48.960 --> 01:13:53.479
don't bring comfort, And a Christian seem incapable of understanding.

1270
01:13:53.520 --> 01:13:55.720
They're like well, why isn't that comfortable? I mean, I

1271
01:13:55.760 --> 01:13:57.920
saw it when my mother died. People just quoting random

1272
01:13:57.960 --> 01:14:01.239
Bible verses just get out of my What does it

1273
01:14:01.319 --> 01:14:02.239
get to do with me?

1274
01:14:02.479 --> 01:14:05.920
Right now? She's dead, So if you're gonna tell me

1275
01:14:05.960 --> 01:14:09.239
about God's power raise her from the dead, she didn't

1276
01:14:09.239 --> 01:14:09.800
give up.

1277
01:14:10.319 --> 01:14:12.199
So what difference does it make that God is all

1278
01:14:12.239 --> 01:14:16.680
powerful in that situation? In that situation, how much difference

1279
01:14:16.720 --> 01:14:17.159
does it make?

1280
01:14:18.000 --> 01:14:20.800
None?

1281
01:14:21.720 --> 01:14:25.000
That's the That's that's the danger of what that's that.

1282
01:14:25.199 --> 01:14:29.199
It's that devotional mentality within christiandom. We go to a

1283
01:14:29.319 --> 01:14:31.000
verse and we just think we can do what with it,

1284
01:14:32.439 --> 01:14:35.119
do whatever we want, and then we just cite that

1285
01:14:35.159 --> 01:14:37.560
concept to someone else, thinking that we're somehow helping them.

1286
01:14:37.680 --> 01:14:40.479
In reality, what are we doing? We actually be may

1287
01:14:40.640 --> 01:14:44.479
making it worse. Now.

1288
01:14:44.560 --> 01:14:47.199
Is it a fact that God is all powerful? Yes?

1289
01:14:48.119 --> 01:14:51.359
Is it a fact that he's creator? Yes? Is it

1290
01:14:51.399 --> 01:14:56.319
a fact that he knows the names of all the stars? Fact? Now?

1291
01:14:58.279 --> 01:15:02.199
What does that fact do for me? In some cases,

1292
01:15:02.239 --> 01:15:04.680
it's not suppentious. It's not meant to do anything other

1293
01:15:04.720 --> 01:15:08.920
than to do what identify our God and give me

1294
01:15:08.960 --> 01:15:12.479
his attributes. It's not necessarily designed to make me feel better.

1295
01:15:13.000 --> 01:15:16.359
It can make me feel better ultimately in what way?

1296
01:15:17.239 --> 01:15:20.000
Maybe in the future, but in the meantime it may

1297
01:15:20.119 --> 01:15:21.119
actually lead to what.

1298
01:15:23.119 --> 01:15:25.960
More frustration. It's okay to.

1299
01:15:25.920 --> 01:15:27.640
Be frustrated and go, well, wait minute, if he's all

1300
01:15:27.920 --> 01:15:30.399
I mean, what's the obvious question. Whenever we hear a

1301
01:15:30.439 --> 01:15:33.880
God's all powerful, what's the obvious question? Well, then why

1302
01:15:33.880 --> 01:15:35.079
don't he do something?

1303
01:15:36.399 --> 01:15:36.720
Now?

1304
01:15:36.960 --> 01:15:39.119
So when we take the comfort, we got to make

1305
01:15:39.159 --> 01:15:42.039
sure we handle it correctly. Right, We've got to make

1306
01:15:42.079 --> 01:15:44.520
sure we handle it correctly because some of the things

1307
01:15:44.560 --> 01:15:46.600
we're going to read in Isaiah forty through fifty five

1308
01:15:46.880 --> 01:15:50.319
that's going to be directly related to comfort, is directly

1309
01:15:50.359 --> 01:15:54.159
related to their situation, because why is God? What is

1310
01:15:54.159 --> 01:15:56.479
the comfort He's about to give them? And we'll end here.

1311
01:15:57.359 --> 01:16:05.439
It's tangible. It's material, right, it's earthly. It's deliverance from

1312
01:16:05.680 --> 01:16:10.039
literal captivity to be brought back into their literal land.

1313
01:16:11.039 --> 01:16:14.520
There's nothing theoretical about it. Is there a spiritual element

1314
01:16:14.600 --> 01:16:14.960
to it?

1315
01:16:15.640 --> 01:16:15.920
Yes?

1316
01:16:16.319 --> 01:16:22.640
But what comes before the spiritual element the tangible? The tangible.

1317
01:16:23.039 --> 01:16:25.000
So how we got to be careful.

1318
01:16:25.159 --> 01:16:28.399
We can't take these promises of tangible and somehow think

1319
01:16:28.439 --> 01:16:32.319
they apply to us. Whenever someone's going through a bad situation,

1320
01:16:32.520 --> 01:16:34.720
I can't promise them God's power is going to do

1321
01:16:34.760 --> 01:16:39.119
anything for them. I can't, right not in their immediate situation.

1322
01:16:39.479 --> 01:16:43.399
I can offer them some hope for you know, eternity,

1323
01:16:43.640 --> 01:16:45.560
But what could they possibly say to me?

1324
01:16:45.680 --> 01:16:47.000
Well, what good is that doing me?

1325
01:16:47.760 --> 01:16:49.640
Now? And you know what, they would have every right

1326
01:16:49.720 --> 01:16:53.800
to say that. I could come with some pious words,

1327
01:16:53.960 --> 01:16:58.600
They're just meaningless, right. I know that nobody likes that,

1328
01:16:58.680 --> 01:17:00.880
but it's just we got to deal with that reality

1329
01:17:00.920 --> 01:17:02.960
because I listened to too many sermons doing that and

1330
01:17:02.960 --> 01:17:04.920
I was just sitting there, Like if I was sitting

1331
01:17:04.920 --> 01:17:07.840
there going through a horrible situation, I would.

1332
01:17:07.600 --> 01:17:10.600
Lose my mind. Right now, everybody.

1333
01:17:10.279 --> 01:17:12.720
In the church will got out, what are you weighmening,

1334
01:17:12.800 --> 01:17:16.600
I don't know what you're Amening's no value in that situation.

1335
01:17:17.439 --> 01:17:19.239
So we got to if we're gonna deal with the

1336
01:17:19.279 --> 01:17:21.439
comfort of the book, the comfort has to be kept

1337
01:17:21.479 --> 01:17:26.880
in the book and kept to whom Israel or to Israel.

1338
01:17:26.960 --> 01:17:29.439
There's promises maybe going towards Israel, well, because they're in

1339
01:17:29.479 --> 01:17:32.359
a Syrian captivity, and well, then ultimately the New Covenant's

1340
01:17:32.359 --> 01:17:35.039
made with both so that we could go there.

1341
01:17:35.319 --> 01:17:37.800
But there there's Isaiah forty.

1342
01:17:37.960 --> 01:17:40.199
We've connected it to thirty nine, we've connected it to

1343
01:17:40.239 --> 01:17:43.600
Douteronomy twenty eight. We've seen the Hebrew word here comfort

1344
01:17:43.640 --> 01:17:46.880
has these two very kind of powerful meanings of comfort,

1345
01:17:47.000 --> 01:17:50.239
but also idea of sorrow or kind of regret.

1346
01:17:50.760 --> 01:17:53.439
And well, next time, well, what.

1347
01:17:53.359 --> 01:17:55.000
We're gonna do is you We're just gonna start with

1348
01:17:55.039 --> 01:17:57.119
the word comfort, and I look at every way that

1349
01:17:57.159 --> 01:17:59.479
Hebrew word is used in the Book of Isaiah itself,

1350
01:17:59.560 --> 01:18:02.960
not the whole Old Testament. And then we'll just start

1351
01:18:03.000 --> 01:18:05.560
taking the passage apart, and we're going to separate two

1352
01:18:06.039 --> 01:18:09.399
from three through five. Right, I think that's as much

1353
01:18:09.399 --> 01:18:11.479
as we can do right now, Right, we'll stop there. Look, God,

1354
01:18:11.479 --> 01:18:14.960
we come before you this afternoon. Lord, a lot of

1355
01:18:15.960 --> 01:18:19.720
difficult truths to be confronted with. But Lord, we are

1356
01:18:19.760 --> 01:18:21.920
grateful that we can open up your word, try to

1357
01:18:22.039 --> 01:18:24.760
understand it to the original people it was given to,

1358
01:18:25.439 --> 01:18:28.680
and forgive us when we reach in to take which

1359
01:18:28.800 --> 01:18:31.960
was never ours and push out the people that was

1360
01:18:31.960 --> 01:18:35.000
originally intended for. That should never be what we do.

1361
01:18:35.520 --> 01:18:37.800
And we have all in this room been guilty of it.

1362
01:18:37.960 --> 01:18:40.439
Probably more than once, and we probably will do it again.

1363
01:18:40.920 --> 01:18:42.800
So forgive us, and we thank you for your son,

1364
01:18:42.920 --> 01:18:47.199
Jesus Christ, and God's people said