Oct. 22, 2024

Isaiah 43: Fear Not

Isaiah 43: Fear Not

A discussion about Isaiah 43 and bible interpretation

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A discussion about Isaiah 43 and bible interpretation

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Looking at our world from a theological perspective. This is

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the Theology Central podcast, making Theology Central Today. Are you

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overwhelmed with a sense of dread, a sense of worry,

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a sense of anxiety. Are there things in your life

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right now that just seem too big for you to

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handle and you're filled with a sense of fear, a

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sense of worry, and you don't know what to do. Well,

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brothers and sisters, let me tell you that when you

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open up the Bible, the Bible gives you a fear

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not for every single day of the year. So you

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can take courage. You can take it to heart that

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God tells you every single day of the year fear not.

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You can take your worry, you can take your anxiety

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and hand it to him, because the creator, the God

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of the universe, tells you, every single day of the year,

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in the Word of God, fear not. Have you ever

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heard anything like that? Have you ever heard anything like

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that preached from the pulpit of the church you attend?

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Have you heard other preachers online tell you that there

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is a fear not for every day of the year

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in the Word of God. Did it make you feel better?

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Did it give you a sense of peace, a sense

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of hope. And are you grateful that they told you

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that there is a fear not for every single day

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of the year, or did it bother you? Did you

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want to just scream? What in the name of bubblegum

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are you talking about? Did you hear that and was

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more frustrated, more bothered or did you find great comfort

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in it? Well, we're going to talk about fear not,

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and we're going to do that right after I tell

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you this. It is Tuesday, October the twenty second, twenty

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twenty four. It is currently eleven thirteen am Central time,

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and I am coming to you live from the Theology

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Central Studio located right here in Abilene, Texas. Fear not,

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Fear not. That is something that is said frequently within Christianity.

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If you know someone, if maybe sometimes you've been overwhelmed

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or you're just going through a very difficult time, and

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you'll have well meaning Christians come alongside of you and say,

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fear not, brother, fear not, sister, because the Word of

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God gives us a fear not for every single day

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of the year. And they they're well meaning, their heart

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is in the right place. But just because they're well

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meaning just because their heart is in the right place.

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Is that even accurate? Is that even true? And is

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it possible that time and time again Christians run to

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the Bible find a fear not passage, slap the person

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in the face that it was originally written, to rip

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it out of its context, and say this is my

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fear not. As we talked about yesterday, I think the

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reality is Christians are narcissistic, textual hijackers or narcissistic because

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we think every verse in the Bible is about us.

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We take the Bible, the text, and we hijack it

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to use it for our own purpose or in this case,

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to try to give us or others comfort. Now, our

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motives may be right. We may be trying to take

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the text to bring comfort to people, but in some

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cases are we actually bringing comfort? Are we are we

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simply going to actually increase harm? How you use the

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Bible is important. Well. This claim that there is a

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fear not or some similar phrase for every day of

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the year in the Bible three hundred and sixty five times.

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It's a popular assertion. It is heard in many sermons

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and in devotionals, in devotional talks, small group Bible study. However,

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the statement is not entirely accurate when examined closely. Is

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there a fear not for every day? While the phrase

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fear not or do not be afraid appears many times

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throughout the Bible, three hundred and sixty five occurrences is

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not a precise figure. Depending on the translations, scholars typically

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find around one hundred to one hundred and fifty occurrences

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of phrases like fear not or do not be afraid,

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or do not fear, or similar expressions. For example, the

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kjav the phrase fear not specifically appears around one hundred

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and three times in the King James version. In the

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New International version, the count can differ slightly due to

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translation choices, with similar phrases appearing just over one hundred times.

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While the idea of fear not for every day of

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the year is inspiring, it is comforting, it is more

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of a thiological metaphor and motivational statement rather than a

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precise biblical fact. Now I'm gonna I'm gonna argue with this.

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It's not a theological metaphor. It's a flat out lie,

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that's what it is. It's a misrepresentation of the Word

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of God, it is a lie. It is trash, and

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I've heard it over and over and over and over

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and over again, to the point I want to drive

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my car into an oncoming semi He said, well, that's

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a little bit of hyperbole. Well why not, okay, because

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I mean, I grow so tired of this. Now, why

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does this claim persist even though we have all the

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ability to look it up and say, wait a minute,

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this is not accurate. Well why why is this the

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idea of having a fear not for every day of

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the year. Why does it Why does it work? Why

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does it seem to resonate so much? Well, because fear

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is a universal experience. Many Christians are comforted by the

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idea that God offers daily reassurance to not be afraid. So,

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because fear is a universal experience, many Christians are going

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through difficult times, it gives them some sense of assurance.

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But here's the question. Do you want assurance that's based

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on fact or do you want assurance that's just simply

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made up? Which what kind of assurance do you want?

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Do you want to an assurance based on reality or

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do you want an assurance that just made up? Do

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you want the doctor to say hey, you know, well, hey,

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you know, the doctor's meeting in a back room, like, hey, guys,

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we just got the results. This person's got six months

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at maximum to live. I mean they got terminal cancer.

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It has spread throughout the entire body. I mean, this

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thing is horrible. Well give them assurance. Go in there

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and tell them the cancer is gone. I mean, what

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you what would you want to know the reality or

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to know some fraudulent assurance. I think many Christians don't

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really care about truth. They just like comfort. They're just

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like they're like easy answers. They like comfort. They don't

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really care to deal with reality. So it's a universal

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experience and many Christians want assurance. It serves as a

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powerful rhetorical tool. It makes for an easy to remember

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encouragement in sermons, providing a sense of ongoing divine protection.

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So it gives you this idea, it's a rhetorical tool. Hey,

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there's three hundred and sixty five days a year. There's

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a fear not for every day of the year. Oh

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please God, Amen, thank you pastor. That was so comforting.

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And then because it's a good rhetorical tool, I guess

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that makes it a good thing. It's not a good

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rhetorical tool if it's not true, So I would argue

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it's a bad thing. But here's the real issue. Even

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if now listen, are you ready for this? This is gonna,

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this is gonna, This is gonna become the crux of

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where we're going. All right, this is the big transition

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where I'm about to put forth really the hypotheses right

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here we go? You ready, Even if there were a

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fear not for every single day of the year in

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the Bible, even if there was do not be afraid,

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fear not one for every single day of the year,

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even if that was a true statement, it still may

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not be true. In this way. There's a high probability,

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in fact, a great likelihood that many of those fear

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nots that you're reading and claiming for yourself really isn't

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for you. And that's the issue. When is it about you?

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When is it not about you? How do we handle

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the Word of God in a correct, responsible way? Because

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over the last week or so we have seen some

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crazy things in a way pastors and preachers handle the

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Word of God. We have an floating accent that literally

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can represent basically anything you wanted to represent. We have

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seen that. We found out that in Proverbs thirty they're

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eating the people, they're eating the poor. Okay, yeah, I'm

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making okay, you get it all right? Then I'm like, wait,

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what is happening? And then next thing you know, we

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have a discussion about cutting off their heads drinking the blood,

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and You're like, what is going on here? All from

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the word of God? Well, guess what if that can happen?

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People can take fear nots and promises of do not

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fear and just make them about them, even if it's

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not about them. And then yesterday we had a little contest.

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I told everyone to get a timer, a stopwatch. We

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started listening to a sermon on Isaiah forty five three,

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and I challenged everyone to time it. How long will

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it take before the pastor preaching on Isaiah forty three

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will immediately make it about us? He will insert us

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into the text. How long will it take? Well, depending

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on who has emailed me, I think I've got everything

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from thirty nine seconds to twenty five seconds to twenty

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six seconds Somewhere. I got a number of different times,

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So I don't know where people started the timer, but

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we can. I think everyone can agree on this that

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it took less than forty seconds. It took less than

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forty seconds for a pastor preaching on Isaiah forty three

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to all of a sudden, sudden start using terms like us, we, you,

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I me. It's all of a sudden we were inserted

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into Isaiah forty three. There was no explanation. It's just

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ladies and gentlemen, we are here now. Once again, he

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made a reference to Matthew Henry, which we already saw

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another sermon make a reference to Matthew Henry which did

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very similar things. Okay, we don't even get me started there.

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But I was like, what just happened? So I obviously

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was very frustrated by the entire thing. I basically started

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referencing Christians as narcissistic textual hijackers. We just hijack the

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Bible and we just fly it to wherever we want

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it to go, and we landed, and we just do

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whatever we want with it, and we think it's always

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about us. So I was very frustrated by the entire thing.

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But I'm like, you know what. One of the things

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I constantly try to say on this podcast is wow, First,

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I'll try to get you to listen to as many

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sermons as possible, right, I do that. I try my

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best to promote and get people listen to sermons. But

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I always try to tell you that no matter how

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bad the sermon goes, no matter how bad it goes,

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always do everything in your power to try to make

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it positive in some way, shape or form, to do

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something positive with I always say that now, to be honest,

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I wasn't able to do much with the Proverbs thirty

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thing because that guy's just lost, that lost. I don't

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even know how that what happened there, and the floating

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Axehead just became almost a It almost just became a parody.

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I mean it almost became a joke. It almost became

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like it was a skit for a comedy show because

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it was like the floating axe head, it will not

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leave me alone, right, And it's like, so we weren't

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really able to do anything very positive with either of those,

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and that's on me. I could have tried to find

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a way to do something positive with it, but it

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just became so frustrated. I guess I did. If you

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consider Sunday two plus hours trying to go through hermeneutical

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principles and common hermonutical errors. I think there that's trying

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to turn it into something positive. Right, That's not just me.

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I mean, I'm complaining about it, but I'm trying to

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offer something positive. But the Isaiah forty three thing really

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bothered me yesterday. So I woke up this morning and

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I have spend I don't know, over an hour plus

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on Isaiah forty three. So we're going to do a

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little work on Isaiah forty three. I don't know how

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how we may just end up spending a while on

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Isaiah forty three. We may do multiple parts, but we're

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going to start in Isaiah forty three, verse one. And

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my entire introduction was on fear not. Right, Well, now

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you know why Isaiah forty three, verse one. But now

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thus Saith the Lord that created the oh Jacob and

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he that formed the o Israel, fear not. Fear not.

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We are going to focus on this idea of fear not.

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We're going to try to put it in its proper context.

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And one of the things we're gonna do is we

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can't just run in and immediately grab this fear not

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and apply it as it is given to us, because

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that will be very that will have very negative consequences,

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and we will talk about that. So we are going

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to look at the phrase fear not all right, because

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this is very important. So let's just we're gonna just

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work through this kind of an exegetical almost like a

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discussion way. We're going to do it, more like just

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kind of working through it, talking through it. I don't

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think I'll give you too many I don't think i'll

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give you any sum Maybe who knows, I may come

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up with an assignment. But we're just gonna start working

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through Isaiah forty three. So let me read that again.

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I'm gonna read the entire verse, all right, But now

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but now that's that's interesting, right, But now, because this

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means that this comes right after something, right, which I

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think is maybe even more important than I even considered

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earlier this morning. Now I'm thinking I probably should have

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done more work on that. But but now, right but now, now,

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if you, if you, if you, if you want to

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mark in your Bible that butt, now just draw a

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line and an arrow back to chapter forty two. But

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now this is a contrast Isaiah forty two. Now but now,

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but now, thus Saith the lord that created Thee. This

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is the word of God, God specifically speaking, oh Jacob

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and he that formed the o Israel. Fear not, for

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I have redeemed THEE. I have called thee by Thy name,

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Thou art mine. So whatever was going on in Isaiah

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forty two, whatever may be going on, historically, God feels

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the need to step in and say fear not. Now

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Almost immediately in the sermon we reviewed yesterday, this became

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about you, This became about I, it became about us,

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It became about we. But if it did not become

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about them, them was kicked out of the text. So

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when we see fear not, we need to immediately remember

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that this is directed specifically to Israel. I don't. No

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one can debate me on that. But now thus saith

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the Lord that created the oh Jacob and He that

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formed the oh ray L. This is specifically given to Israel.

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It's directed specifically to them. This is this verse Isaiah

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forty three to one, as part of God's reassurance to

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his people. I'm gonna even I'm gonna. I don't we

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can use that phrase. But see the minute I say

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his people, someone will come along. Go Well, we're part

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of his people. So this is no this is about

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Israel specifically. This addresses this verse the fears of Israel

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within a very specific historical Now, this is very now.

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I want to make sure you write this down right.

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This is addressing fear with a very specific historical and

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covenantal context. This fear not fits into a historical context

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and a covenantal context. You cannot forget the covenantal context

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of the Old Testament. Too many Christians forget the covenantal context.

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What do I mean by that? God made specific covenant

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promises to Israel. So a lot of times the fear

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not or God's going to do this, or God's going

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to provide this, or they're praying for this. That all

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fits within the covenantal context. You cannot insert yourself into

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a covenantal context when the Covenant wasn't mad with you.

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If you walk by and someone is promising someone certain things,

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you can't then go claim that promise for yourself. You

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cannot do that. So who is being told not to

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be afraid? Here? Well, we've already identified it, but I'm

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just gonna I'm gonna double down on this. Israel is

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explicitly named in Isaiah forty three to one as the

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recipient of this message. The verse begins, But now thus

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says the Lord your creator, oh Jacob, and he who

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formed you, Oh Israel. Jacob and Israel refer to the

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collective nation, emphasizing that the message is for the entire

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nation of Israel, north and south. Fear not. Now, why

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would the north and south have something to fear? That

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was the obvious question, right What might Israel be fearing?

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This is not about you, This is not about me.

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It's about them. What could they possibly be fearing? That's

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the question when you read this fear not? What should

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be a good Bible stindent. What are they fearing? I

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need to understand what they are fearing so that I

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can understand why God would be telling them to fear not.

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So let's break down what might they be fearing. Let's

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break it down first into the historical context. At this

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point in the Book of Isaiah, Israel, more specifically, at

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this point Judah is facing or anticipating the consequences of

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exile and captivity, particularly by the Babylonians. The Northern Kingdom

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Israel has already fallen to the Assyrians and the Southern Kingdom.

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Judah is facing threat of babylons. So the immediate context

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of the immedia historical context, this is about exile. This

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is about being taken captive. This is about going into captivity.

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That's the immediate fear here. That's the immediate fear. Not

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about you. This is not like, hey, God says in

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Isaiah forty three, fear not well, okay, what am I feary?

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I'm fearing the election. I'm fearing losing my job. I'm

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fearing that my kid has this disease. I'm fearing stop it.

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This is not about that. The prospects or the prospect

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of exile, the destruction of Jerusalem and the loss of

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their homeland would naturally invoke fear among the people. Additionally,

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Israel had experienced divine judgment for their disobedience to God's Covenant,

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which led to their national crisis. The fear could stem

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from their sense of guilt, feeling that they had been

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abandoned by God, as well as the very real danger

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of being destroyed or assimilated into foreign empires. So they

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could be fearing judgment, Hey, we've ticked off God. We

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we could be with the fear of the loss of

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their homeland. The fear of the destruction of Jerusalem, the

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fear of exile, fear of being assimilated into these other nations,

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the fear, all the fear would would be surrounding these

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very real historical situations. Exile, judgment, destruction, pain, suffering, death,

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real situations. That's the historical context. This is real. This

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is not about you fearing home. I'm gonna have this

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bad meeting with with my boss. Well, fear not stop

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quoting Isaiah forty three to one. That's the historical context, right, Exile, judgment, destruction, pain, death, captivity, slavery.

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Now what's the textual context. The earlier chapters of Isaiah,

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especially from chapter forty onward, addresses Israel's fear of being

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forsaken by God due to their sins and the impending exile.

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Isaiah's prophecy calls for trust in God's ultimate redemption, even

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though Israel's currently facing judgment. In this context, the fear

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would be primarily about exile and the uncertainty of the future,

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fear of destruction as a people, their national identity being

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completely lost, and a fear that God had abandoned them

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due to their disobedients. So they are facing circumstances. They're

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facing real situations that would say that would tell you fear, run, scream, panic,

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all hope is lost. It's over. You have felled God.

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You have disobeyed him, You've let him down. He's mad

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at you. These nations are going to destroy you. Everything

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would say fear, and God says fear not. I think

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that's very important. There's the textual there's a historical and

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textual context. Now see your your your desire maybe, but

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but but but just don't don't just right now, just

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focus on what Israel was facing. God was mad at them.

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They have to know that they failed, they have to

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know they had disobeyed. They're fear fearful of God's wrath,

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God's judgment. They're fearful of these nations coming to take

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them away. If you're the South, you already know the

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North has been taken away by the Assyrians. You've got

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to be scared to death. So now God comes along

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and says, fear not. Now we know now the reason

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why why they're afraid. We know now a reason why

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God is telling them to fear not. They have very

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real fears, very real grounded in reality. Now God's gonna

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say fear not. Now, any good Bible student then would

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be like, hmm, why are we not to fear? What? God?

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Give me a reason why I shouldn't be afraid, Because

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I can give you all the reasons why I should

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be afraid. The historical and textual context outlines why they

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should be afraid. Well, why should they not be afraid? Well?

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In this verse Isaiah forty three to one, God provides

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reasons for Israel not to fear. He provides Israel reasons

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not to fear number one. You can see number one.

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But now, thus saith the Lord that created the Oh Jacob,

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and he that formed the Oh Israel, because of God's

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creative because God's creation, God created them. I have created you,

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Oh Jacob, I have formed Joe Israel. God reminds Israel

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that He is the one who made them, both in

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terms of creation and their identity as His chosen people.

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This is a reference to their history beginning with the

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patriarch Jacob and the formation of the nation. I have

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redeemed you or so, so let's just go with that

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part right there. I think that's that's key. Look at it.

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It starts with but now, thus saith the Lord that

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created the Oh Jacob, and have formed the Oh Israel.

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This is going that God I created you from the

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very beginning. Look at that. I just note the way

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he states that God reminds Israel that he is the

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one who made them, both in terms of creation and

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their identity as his chosen people. That this is a

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reference to the history beginning with the patriarch Jacob and

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the formation of the nation. I have redeemed or I

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have created you. I have created you. I want you

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to see that this is this is a reference all

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the way from your very beginning, when when you become Israel,

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your creation, to your identity. I've been there. So fear

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not because I'm the one who created you. I'm the

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one who made you. I'm the one who identified you.

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It's all I'm in other words, i am your creator.

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Fear not. Trust in me. Now, don't look to your circumstances.

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Trust in me. I'm the one who formed THEE. Immediately

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you're going to try to apply it to you, No,

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apply it to Israel. But then look what he goes

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on to say, I I have I have see. But

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now let's say it's the Lord that created THEE and

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have formed thee fear not, for I have redeemed thee

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right now when he says I have redeemed thee. So

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so if we want to look at some reasons they're

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told not to fear His number one. God reminds them

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that I am your creator, and second, I am your redeemer.

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I have created you, and I've redeemed you. I'm gonna

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break those down into two parts the way I had

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it in my notes, I kind of grouped those together.

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But then when I started getting into the especially that

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Jacob to Israel part, I really want to separate that God.

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I created you, I formed you, You're everything about you

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is because of me. But I have redeemed THEE now

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yesterday and Discermon, we were listening to the pastor immediately

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took this redemption and turned it into some spiritual redemption,

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made it salvific. But is that the redeeming that God

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is talking about here? The redemption here refers to God's

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past acts of deliverance, such as freeing them from Egypt

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in the Exodus. By reminding them of his role as

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their redeem God is reassuring Israel that he will act

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again to deliver them from their current predictament Babylonian exile.

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He is saying, I have redeemed you in the past,

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when you were in captivity, when you were in slavery,

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when you were in bondage. In the past, I have

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redeemed you. I have redeemed you from this situation and

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this situation. So now when you look to this situation,

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you're like, we're in a bad situation. God has obviously

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mad at us, but he created us and he has

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redeemed us in the past, so we're going to trust

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that He will redeem us in the future. Now that redemption,

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the redemption in the past. Make sure you understand it's

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a material, physical redemption, has nothing that this has nothing

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to do with salvation. At this point, God will redeem

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Israel from their captivity. This could refer to the Babylonian exile,

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even the Assyrian one. They don't come back from it.

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But I think this can have future implications that there

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will come a day that God is going to redeem

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all of Israel, regather them, transfer form them, and then

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they will be in the land that God had promised them.

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So God gives them two reasons. I have created you

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and I have redeemed you. But the redemption here is

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not a reference to a Salvafic one. It's about a

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physical redemption, a physical being redeemed from and being delivered.

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So number one, God created them. Number two, God had

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redeemed them, delivered them in the past. I think number three, Well,

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look at what he says in verse one. But now

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thus saith the Lord that created thee O Jacob and

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he that formed the O Israel. Fear enough, for I

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have redeemed THEE. I have called thee by Thy name.

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I think this now refers to the next number three,

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their covenant relationship. This is an intimate affirmation of Israel's

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covenant relationship with God. Despite their current fears of exile

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and judge. They belong to God and He has not

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forgotten nor forsaken them. Being called by name indicates God's

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personal knowledge and care for his people. Hey, I think

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of it this way. I have created you, I have

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redeemed you, and I have a relationship, a covenant relationship

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with you. I've entered into a covenant relationship with you

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because of my creation, because of my redemption, and because

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of my covenant relationship with you. You do not need to fear,

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but if we expanded, we can add another. So he created,

461
00:30:39.759 --> 00:30:42.480
he redeemed. He has a covenant relationship. He's called them

462
00:30:42.519 --> 00:30:47.279
by name. He also makes a promise of protection, his

463
00:30:47.400 --> 00:30:51.000
presence and protection. Look at verse two. When you, thou Israel,

464
00:30:51.640 --> 00:30:54.079
pass through the waters, I will be there with thee.

465
00:30:54.359 --> 00:30:57.720
And through the rivers they shall not overflow thee. When

466
00:30:57.720 --> 00:30:59.960
thou walk us through the fire, there shall not be burned,

467
00:31:00.200 --> 00:31:03.599
neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. Now I think

468
00:31:03.640 --> 00:31:06.799
this is referencing, and you could argue this is using

469
00:31:06.839 --> 00:31:10.000
some form of metaphorical language, may be somewhat rooted in

470
00:31:10.039 --> 00:31:14.640
some real experiences. But the point is whether it's uh,

471
00:31:15.079 --> 00:31:19.680
whether it's the water, whether it's the fire. Right, in

472
00:31:19.759 --> 00:31:22.319
other words, no matter what, no matter what difficulties you're

473
00:31:22.319 --> 00:31:26.400
about to encounter, They're about to encounter some very serious difficulties.

474
00:31:26.480 --> 00:31:30.759
Right the North is in Assyrian captivity, the South is

475
00:31:30.759 --> 00:31:33.279
about to go into Babylonian captivity. There's gonna be pain,

476
00:31:33.400 --> 00:31:36.440
there's gonna be suffering, there's gonna be destruction. But he

477
00:31:36.480 --> 00:31:39.559
promises that you're not gonna be completely overwhelmed, You're not

478
00:31:39.599 --> 00:31:45.680
gonna be completely destroyed, and I will be with you.

479
00:31:45.920 --> 00:31:48.519
I'm gonna be with you and through this, but I'm

480
00:31:48.559 --> 00:31:53.599
gonna preserve you through this. God promises that even when

481
00:31:53.680 --> 00:31:55.759
Israel passes through water is a fire, he will be

482
00:31:55.839 --> 00:31:58.240
with them and they will not be overwhelmed or consumed.

483
00:31:58.400 --> 00:32:01.480
These metaphors of water and fire, some trials and dangers

484
00:32:01.519 --> 00:32:04.680
Israel my face. The promise is that God's presence will

485
00:32:04.720 --> 00:32:08.960
sustain them through these difficulties, whether it be exile, oppression,

486
00:32:09.319 --> 00:32:15.680
or hardship. The historical context breaks it makes this very clear.

487
00:32:15.960 --> 00:32:19.200
God comes to Israel because they are fearful. Why are

488
00:32:19.240 --> 00:32:23.519
they fearful? They are fearful about coming exile, coming judgment,

489
00:32:23.759 --> 00:32:27.119
God being upset with them, their own guilt, the destruction

490
00:32:27.319 --> 00:32:31.160
of their homeland, them being assimilated by the enemy. They're

491
00:32:31.240 --> 00:32:35.880
losing their identity, losing the land, losing everything. They have

492
00:32:35.960 --> 00:32:38.440
real reasons to fear. And then God steps in and say, hey, guys,

493
00:32:38.599 --> 00:32:43.640
do not fear Why I made Israel from Jacob to

494
00:32:43.720 --> 00:32:47.680
you being called I created the I'm in control of this,

495
00:32:48.400 --> 00:32:50.799
but I have redeemed you. Remember the times that you

496
00:32:50.880 --> 00:32:53.720
were in bad situations and I pulled you out. I

497
00:32:53.799 --> 00:32:58.519
redeemed you from those situations, and I have called you

498
00:32:58.720 --> 00:33:04.680
by the name Thou art Mine. Why because I entered

499
00:33:04.720 --> 00:33:07.480
into a covenant relationship with you, and I'm going to

500
00:33:07.559 --> 00:33:10.319
remain faithful to that covenant. So those are the reasons

501
00:33:10.319 --> 00:33:19.160
you should not fear. But not only that, I'm gonna

502
00:33:19.200 --> 00:33:23.200
be with you. I'm gonna be with you when you

503
00:33:23.240 --> 00:33:24.920
go through the fire, when you go through the water,

504
00:33:24.960 --> 00:33:27.519
when you go through the because because God is not denying,

505
00:33:27.559 --> 00:33:29.480
they're not going to go through some very difficult times.

506
00:33:29.559 --> 00:33:32.160
Israel's about to go through some very serious difficult times.

507
00:33:32.400 --> 00:33:34.039
And that's just the beginning of all the things that

508
00:33:34.039 --> 00:33:36.799
we're going to go through with a nation, right, I mean,

509
00:33:36.799 --> 00:33:42.640
think about it. Assyrian, Babylonian come back. Then they are

510
00:33:42.680 --> 00:33:46.039
under the Hill of Rome. Oh, then they're wiped off

511
00:33:46.039 --> 00:33:49.279
the face of the earth. Oh, then they go through

512
00:33:49.279 --> 00:33:53.039
the Holocaust. Oh, then then they become a nation. But

513
00:33:53.039 --> 00:33:58.720
they've been surrounded by their enemies ever since. But fear not,

514
00:33:59.519 --> 00:34:05.559
because God created you, God has redeemed you. God is

515
00:34:05.599 --> 00:34:09.679
into a covenant relationship with you, and God's going to

516
00:34:09.719 --> 00:34:12.639
be with you. Because there's coming a time Israel. All

517
00:34:12.679 --> 00:34:21.320
those promises to Israel that we have talked about so historically,

518
00:34:22.440 --> 00:34:24.880
this would have given hope to Israel as they faced

519
00:34:24.880 --> 00:34:30.519
the dangers of exile. They might fear destruction, are being

520
00:34:30.559 --> 00:34:35.400
lost as a people, but God promises preservation through it all.

521
00:34:39.519 --> 00:34:43.519
Isaiah forty three is directed towards Israel, who, in the

522
00:34:43.559 --> 00:34:47.760
face of impending exile and judgment, would naturally fear destruction

523
00:34:48.280 --> 00:34:58.519
and abandonment by God. This entire promise, this entire message,

524
00:34:58.800 --> 00:35:01.360
is rooted in Israel's go covenant relationship with God and

525
00:35:01.400 --> 00:35:08.320
their historical situation, a fear surrounding the Babylonian exile. Now,

526
00:35:08.360 --> 00:35:13.280
that's how we understand Isaiah forty three. This is God saying, hey, hey, guys,

527
00:35:13.360 --> 00:35:15.599
I know this is not looking good, and I know

528
00:35:15.719 --> 00:35:17.480
you're worried, and I know your friend, but look, I

529
00:35:17.679 --> 00:35:22.000
created you, I've redeemed you, I made you mine, I

530
00:35:22.519 --> 00:35:26.400
call you by name because of our covenant relationship, I

531
00:35:26.480 --> 00:35:30.079
will protect you. And clearly we can understand the water

532
00:35:30.159 --> 00:35:32.239
and the fire there. We can see it as being

533
00:35:32.360 --> 00:35:34.599
very representative of what they were about to go through

534
00:35:34.639 --> 00:35:41.920
in the exile. We can clearly see it. Now I

535
00:35:41.960 --> 00:35:44.840
want to double down here, just briefly. I want to

536
00:35:44.880 --> 00:35:48.239
go back to I have redeemed thee right just because

537
00:35:48.559 --> 00:35:51.360
pastors love to run here and just make this somehow SALVIVII.

538
00:35:51.840 --> 00:35:54.039
This is I want to make sure. This is primarily

539
00:35:54.079 --> 00:35:58.679
referring to God's delivering Israel from specific physical circumstances not

540
00:35:58.719 --> 00:36:01.119
to be a not to be seen, a spiritual redemption,

541
00:36:01.440 --> 00:36:05.719
and the New Testament sins. In this context, God references

542
00:36:05.760 --> 00:36:09.119
redeeming Israel relates to his historical acts of deliverance, such

543
00:36:09.159 --> 00:36:11.840
as the exodus from Egypt. This is often seen as

544
00:36:11.880 --> 00:36:14.760
the foundational act of God's redemption for Israel, where he

545
00:36:14.840 --> 00:36:20.960
physically delivered them from slavery and oppression under Pharaoh, deliverance

546
00:36:21.000 --> 00:36:24.440
from exile. More immediately, in Isaiah forty three, the reference

547
00:36:24.519 --> 00:36:27.840
to redemption is tied to Israel's future deliverance from Babylonian exile.

548
00:36:28.079 --> 00:36:31.039
God is promising to redeem, rescue them from the captivity,

549
00:36:31.159 --> 00:36:34.440
and bring them back to their homeland. This is about

550
00:36:34.599 --> 00:36:38.679
physical redemption, God saving his people from national destruction, exile,

551
00:36:38.760 --> 00:36:42.440
and foreign oppression. The Babylonian captivity and the anticipated return

552
00:36:42.480 --> 00:36:45.719
from it are central to Isaiah's message in these chapters.

553
00:36:46.840 --> 00:36:49.760
The concept of spiritual redemption and the sense of being

554
00:36:49.840 --> 00:36:52.480
freed from sin and death through the work of Jesus Christ,

555
00:36:52.679 --> 00:36:55.079
as seen in the New Testament, is not the focus

556
00:36:55.119 --> 00:37:03.000
in Isaiah forty three. I cannot stress that enough. I

557
00:37:03.079 --> 00:37:06.599
just want to double down on that, so we break

558
00:37:06.639 --> 00:37:14.079
the text apart. Israel has reasons. Judah and Israel have

559
00:37:14.159 --> 00:37:17.159
great reasons to fear of, not only what is happening

560
00:37:17.320 --> 00:37:20.119
what is about to happen. They have great reasons to

561
00:37:20.159 --> 00:37:22.800
fear because of their own sin and their own guilt.

562
00:37:23.239 --> 00:37:25.559
And God steps in and says, hey, hey, hey, do

563
00:37:25.719 --> 00:37:28.519
not fear, And they say, well, why should we not fear?

564
00:37:29.119 --> 00:37:35.320
Because I made thee I created you from Jacob to

565
00:37:35.440 --> 00:37:39.199
you being named Israel. I have been right there. I

566
00:37:39.320 --> 00:37:47.239
have redeemed you, and I have called you by name

567
00:37:47.280 --> 00:37:49.880
and your mine because of a covenant I have made

568
00:37:50.239 --> 00:37:56.119
with you, And I promise to be with you and

569
00:37:56.199 --> 00:37:59.079
protect you when you go through all of this, so

570
00:37:59.119 --> 00:38:02.960
that you will not be allultimately destroyed. Israel will be preserved.

571
00:38:03.360 --> 00:38:06.400
Israel will last even when it doesn't look like they

572
00:38:06.400 --> 00:38:08.840
shouldn't be, even when it looked like they no longer existed,

573
00:38:08.840 --> 00:38:11.039
Even in seventy a d. When in some ways they're

574
00:38:11.039 --> 00:38:13.719
wiped off the face of the earth, God never forgot them.

575
00:38:13.840 --> 00:38:16.719
God has kept them. God has preserved them, and they

576
00:38:16.760 --> 00:38:19.880
are a nation today, and we believe that God will

577
00:38:20.079 --> 00:38:25.039
bring them all back together and then they'll be saved

578
00:38:25.159 --> 00:38:28.599
and they'll be in the land as promised in Ezekiel

579
00:38:28.719 --> 00:38:38.639
and in Jeremiah. That's what this is about. Now, there's

580
00:38:38.679 --> 00:38:43.519
a danger here if we run in and grab this

581
00:38:43.599 --> 00:38:46.360
fear not, and if we run in and grab other

582
00:38:46.440 --> 00:38:50.039
promises God made specifically to Israel and we start claiming

583
00:38:50.039 --> 00:38:53.440
them for ourselves, or we start preaching these fear nots

584
00:38:53.559 --> 00:38:56.079
and giving them to other people sitting in the congregation

585
00:38:56.360 --> 00:38:58.880
or to Christian friends, you know, going through difficult things.

586
00:38:59.159 --> 00:39:02.159
This can be very very very very very very dangerous.

587
00:39:03.760 --> 00:39:07.199
There is a danger in taking Old Testament fear not passages,

588
00:39:07.880 --> 00:39:12.639
particularly those promising protection from physical harm, material loss, and

589
00:39:12.719 --> 00:39:18.719
other temporal damages and dangers, and claiming them directly for

590
00:39:19.039 --> 00:39:26.239
Christians today. Why because there's key differences. Let me consider

591
00:39:26.320 --> 00:39:29.280
some of these. First. I talked about this a minute ago.

592
00:39:29.559 --> 00:39:35.119
The covenantal context. Old Testament Israel was under the Mosaic Covenant,

593
00:39:35.199 --> 00:39:42.039
which included promises of physical blessing and protection, and you

594
00:39:42.079 --> 00:39:44.800
can read about this in Deuteronomy twenty eight verses one

595
00:39:44.920 --> 00:39:46.920
through fourteen, God says, I will do this, and I

596
00:39:46.960 --> 00:39:48.519
will do this, I will do this now. Yes, this

597
00:39:48.599 --> 00:39:50.920
is a very works base situation going on in that

598
00:39:50.960 --> 00:39:54.199
particular covenant. We understand that. But the point is there's

599
00:39:54.360 --> 00:40:00.800
clear promises of provision of protection. This deals with ysical protection,

600
00:40:01.119 --> 00:40:05.400
material blessing that. This is very specific, it's very materialistic,

601
00:40:05.440 --> 00:40:11.320
it's very earthly, it's very fleshly. We understand this. This

602
00:40:11.440 --> 00:40:15.280
covenant outline rewards for Israel as a nation, including protection

603
00:40:15.360 --> 00:40:18.960
from enemies, fertility of the land, and freedom from disease.

604
00:40:19.880 --> 00:40:23.159
These physical promises were tied to Israel's national identity and

605
00:40:23.159 --> 00:40:26.440
their obedience. While Israel's physical prosperity and safety were part

606
00:40:26.440 --> 00:40:29.000
of the Covenant, the new Covenant that Christians are under

607
00:40:29.159 --> 00:40:34.360
through Christ does not guarantee the same material or physical benefits.

608
00:40:34.519 --> 00:40:37.679
We cannot run to the promises and the fear nots

609
00:40:37.719 --> 00:40:40.159
of the Old Testament and then just knock them in

610
00:40:40.199 --> 00:40:42.119
the face and say I'm gonna take it for me.

611
00:40:42.360 --> 00:40:45.599
And now here's my Christian friend who's having a little difficulty. Here,

612
00:40:45.760 --> 00:40:48.599
here's a fear nod, here's these promises in the Old Testament.

613
00:40:48.920 --> 00:40:51.960
How dare you do that. How dare you do that?

614
00:40:52.920 --> 00:40:54.960
You're just gonna lead to pain. You're gonna lead to

615
00:40:55.000 --> 00:40:58.599
disillusion them being disillusioned, and you may lead them to

616
00:40:58.760 --> 00:41:02.840
just utterly deconstruc and leaving the faith because you're promising

617
00:41:03.039 --> 00:41:05.719
some trash that's not real, and they're going to go

618
00:41:06.000 --> 00:41:09.559
this garbage doesn't work. Well, you know why it doesn't

619
00:41:09.599 --> 00:41:13.320
work because Christians lied to you. They sold you a

620
00:41:13.519 --> 00:41:23.800
fraudulent thing. For For us, as Christians, we're under a

621
00:41:23.880 --> 00:41:29.440
New Testament context and contrast, the New Testament makes it

622
00:41:29.480 --> 00:41:34.800
clear that Christians are not promised immunity from physical suffering, sickness, persecution,

623
00:41:34.960 --> 00:41:38.000
or material loss. In fact, Jesus and the Apostles often

624
00:41:38.039 --> 00:41:41.599
worn of the reality of suffering for those who follow Christ.

625
00:41:43.199 --> 00:41:47.119
In this world you will have tribulation, but take heart,

626
00:41:47.320 --> 00:41:50.320
I have overcome the world. That's John sixteen thirty three.

627
00:41:50.519 --> 00:41:53.000
In this life you're going to suffer, but hey, take heart,

628
00:41:53.320 --> 00:41:56.800
there's coming a time. Hey, Now, this is where you

629
00:41:56.840 --> 00:42:00.960
can find some parallel. Hey, Israel, you're suffering, but fear

630
00:42:01.079 --> 00:42:04.519
not because this this this this Hey Christians, we're going

631
00:42:04.559 --> 00:42:08.800
to suffer now, but fear not. Why there's coming a

632
00:42:08.880 --> 00:42:11.800
day just as Israel. There's coming a day that they

633
00:42:11.840 --> 00:42:14.960
will ultimately be restored and ultimately be put in the land.

634
00:42:15.079 --> 00:42:18.280
There's coming a day when we, in a sense, will

635
00:42:18.320 --> 00:42:22.039
be taken. We'll be where we've been left in exile. Here,

636
00:42:22.199 --> 00:42:26.000
we're in our Babylonian captivity. We're in this world. We're

637
00:42:26.039 --> 00:42:29.199
not of this world. We're just passing through. We're strangers here,

638
00:42:29.280 --> 00:42:32.440
we're pilgrims here. This is not our home. There's coming

639
00:42:32.480 --> 00:42:35.360
a time that we will then be gathered together in

640
00:42:35.639 --> 00:42:39.280
our new where our rightful home is, where our citizenship is.

641
00:42:39.400 --> 00:42:44.400
We're in exile right now. There's the parallel. But we're

642
00:42:44.400 --> 00:42:54.599
gonna suffer right now. Christians are not guaranteed physical safety

643
00:42:55.239 --> 00:43:00.000
or material prosperity. Instead, the premises are focused on spiritual

644
00:43:00.039 --> 00:43:06.800
blessings and eternal security. I cannot stress that enough. We

645
00:43:06.840 --> 00:43:09.320
can't go to these promises and think that we want

646
00:43:09.320 --> 00:43:12.800
the promises that was given to Israel, and we want

647
00:43:12.840 --> 00:43:16.639
those promises to be ours. But those promises aren't for us,

648
00:43:16.679 --> 00:43:25.400
they were for Israel. We can't do that now. We

649
00:43:25.440 --> 00:43:28.039
are similar to Israel in this says as they were

650
00:43:28.039 --> 00:43:34.440
in exile, we are in exile. We're in this world

651
00:43:34.440 --> 00:43:37.760
that's not our home. And guess what happens in this world.

652
00:43:38.840 --> 00:43:43.159
There's pain, there's suffering, there's death. That's what happens in

653
00:43:43.199 --> 00:43:46.280
this world. There's pain, there's suffering, there's death. That's what

654
00:43:46.400 --> 00:43:54.039
happens here. But guess what we have promises? In a sense,

655
00:43:54.079 --> 00:43:56.400
we can be told fear not not fear not because

656
00:43:56.400 --> 00:43:58.239
things are going to get better here, but fear not

657
00:43:58.360 --> 00:44:02.480
because of what is coming, what's going to be when

658
00:44:02.559 --> 00:44:07.880
we finally are brought into our true land. There is

659
00:44:07.920 --> 00:44:13.039
the parallel. Now, what are the dangers of missupplying these

660
00:44:13.079 --> 00:44:16.480
Old Testament fear or notes? Well, it gives unrealistic expectations.

661
00:44:16.639 --> 00:44:20.159
Claiming promises of physical protection from Old Testament passages like

662
00:44:20.199 --> 00:44:24.679
Isaiah forty three for Christians today can lead to unrealistic expectations.

663
00:44:24.800 --> 00:44:27.599
When a believer expects protection from physical harm, sickness, and

664
00:44:27.639 --> 00:44:30.920
material loss based on these verses and then encounters hardship

665
00:44:31.000 --> 00:44:33.639
or suffering, it can lead to disillusionment or even a

666
00:44:33.679 --> 00:44:38.440
loss of faith. Many Christians may wonder why God is

667
00:44:38.480 --> 00:44:41.000
allowing them to sufferer face trials when they're claiming a

668
00:44:41.039 --> 00:44:44.119
promise of physical safety from the Old Testament. Stop claiming

669
00:44:44.159 --> 00:44:47.480
promises from the Old Testament, they're not for you. And

670
00:44:47.599 --> 00:44:51.199
almost every single situation, other than some exceptions where clearly

671
00:44:51.360 --> 00:44:54.280
we are that's applicable to us. These many of these

672
00:44:54.320 --> 00:44:58.440
are covenantal promises, not for you. Stop claiming them and

673
00:44:58.480 --> 00:45:02.039
stop telling other people to claim them, because then they're

674
00:45:02.039 --> 00:45:04.000
going to be left. Well, wait a minute, I'm suffering.

675
00:45:04.039 --> 00:45:06.280
This is this is not I said. Or you start thinking, well,

676
00:45:06.280 --> 00:45:08.599
I'm not doing good enough and I'm not doing good enough,

677
00:45:08.719 --> 00:45:17.480
and you just destroy everything Christianity is supposed to be us.

678
00:45:17.840 --> 00:45:21.719
This misunderstanding can cause serious spiritual crises when reality does

679
00:45:21.760 --> 00:45:24.800
not match their expectations, and it will. It will destroy you.

680
00:45:28.599 --> 00:45:31.960
So number one, it's going to give you unrealistic expectations.

681
00:45:32.000 --> 00:45:33.800
Number two, it's going to give you a misunderstanding of

682
00:45:33.800 --> 00:45:37.639
God's promises in Christ. Focusing on physical protection and material

683
00:45:37.679 --> 00:45:40.239
blessings may distract from the greater promises in Christ, such

684
00:45:40.239 --> 00:45:43.440
as the forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and spiritual security.

685
00:45:43.639 --> 00:45:46.079
Christians are promised that nothing can separate us from the

686
00:45:46.079 --> 00:45:48.400
love of God and Christ Jesus, but this does not

687
00:45:48.480 --> 00:45:50.760
mean that they will be avoid they will avoid suffering

688
00:45:50.840 --> 00:45:53.960
in this life. It is crucial to recognize that spiritual

689
00:45:54.000 --> 00:45:56.880
protection and ultimate victory over death and judgment are the

690
00:45:56.880 --> 00:46:00.679
true promises of the Christian rather than temporal earthly guarantees.

691
00:46:00.840 --> 00:46:04.760
We don't have any temporal earthly guarantees. We have guarantees

692
00:46:04.960 --> 00:46:08.480
that in Christ Jesus I am saved, I am born again.

693
00:46:09.159 --> 00:46:12.639
Nothing is gonna separate me from that. I am forever secure.

694
00:46:12.880 --> 00:46:14.840
My name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

695
00:46:15.360 --> 00:46:17.840
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are

696
00:46:17.840 --> 00:46:22.719
in Christ. Jesus I am seated in heavenly places. Everything

697
00:46:22.840 --> 00:46:26.639
is perfect there. But in this life I'm an exile,

698
00:46:26.639 --> 00:46:28.480
and there's gonna be pain, and there's gonna be selfering,

699
00:46:28.760 --> 00:46:31.079
and there's gonna be difficulty, and there's gonna be discouragement,

700
00:46:31.239 --> 00:46:33.239
and things are not always going to go right in

701
00:46:33.280 --> 00:46:41.519
any way, shape or form. So what happens if we

702
00:46:41.559 --> 00:46:44.159
take these fear nots from the Old Testament and instill

703
00:46:44.239 --> 00:46:46.480
them from the people whom they were attended will give

704
00:46:46.519 --> 00:46:50.039
you an i unrealistic expectations. And number two, it will

705
00:46:50.039 --> 00:46:52.760
give us a misunderstanding of God's promises. In Christ. We

706
00:46:52.800 --> 00:46:56.320
start focusing on temporal promises and physical promises. Other than

707
00:46:56.360 --> 00:47:01.199
the spiritual promises which we can grab on to number three.

708
00:47:01.280 --> 00:47:04.800
It destroys a theology of suffering. Misapplying these fear not

709
00:47:04.880 --> 00:47:07.960
passages can lead to a prosperity theology, or a belief

710
00:47:08.000 --> 00:47:10.760
that if someone has enough faith, they will be protected

711
00:47:10.760 --> 00:47:13.480
from sickness, suffering, or financial loss. This idea is not

712
00:47:13.559 --> 00:47:17.199
biblical and directly contradicts the teaching of Jesus and the Apostles,

713
00:47:17.239 --> 00:47:20.760
who emphasize the reality of suffering for all believers the

714
00:47:20.760 --> 00:47:23.599
Health and Wealth Gospel. The Health and Wealth Gospel claims

715
00:47:23.599 --> 00:47:26.199
that Christians can avoid suffering if they have enough faith.

716
00:47:26.280 --> 00:47:30.519
Often realize on misinterpretations of Old Testament promises. When suffering

717
00:47:30.599 --> 00:47:32.920
does come, it can lead people to wrongly believe that

718
00:47:32.960 --> 00:47:35.960
their faith is inadequate, or even worse, that God has

719
00:47:36.079 --> 00:47:42.400
filled them. A proper understanding of fear not for Christians

720
00:47:42.519 --> 00:47:46.519
when Christians should. While Christians should certainly draw comfort from

721
00:47:46.559 --> 00:47:48.800
the fact that God is always present and they are

722
00:47:48.880 --> 00:47:52.559
spiritually secure in Christ, fear not promises must be understood

723
00:47:52.559 --> 00:47:56.199
in light of the New Covenant and spiritual realities. It

724
00:47:56.360 --> 00:48:00.480
emphasis so for a Christian. When we see hear not,

725
00:48:00.840 --> 00:48:03.320
we don't look at the fear not that was given

726
00:48:03.360 --> 00:48:07.800
to Israel and those specific historical situations. We see the

727
00:48:07.840 --> 00:48:11.519
fear not this way. I can fear not because of

728
00:48:11.599 --> 00:48:16.239
spiritual security. Paul reassures believers in Romans eight thirty one

729
00:48:16.320 --> 00:48:18.559
through thirty nine that nothing can separate is from the

730
00:48:18.559 --> 00:48:25.280
love of God, even though they may face tribulation, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger,

731
00:48:25.559 --> 00:48:29.639
or sword. This passage shows that the security Christians promised

732
00:48:29.639 --> 00:48:33.559
this primarily spiritual, not physical. We may face the sword,

733
00:48:33.760 --> 00:48:36.400
we may face famine, we may face the plague, we

734
00:48:36.480 --> 00:48:40.159
may face disease, we may face persecution, we may face

735
00:48:40.400 --> 00:48:43.480
all kinds of natural disasters and pain and suffering. But

736
00:48:43.559 --> 00:48:46.280
guess what, Nothing can separate me from the love of God.

737
00:48:46.559 --> 00:48:49.239
This is my fear. Is I fear not because of

738
00:48:49.280 --> 00:48:52.840
a spiritual security, not because of anything else. Now, if

739
00:48:52.840 --> 00:48:56.480
we want to draw a parallel, Israel is suffering. They're sinners,

740
00:48:56.679 --> 00:48:59.480
they are suffering the judgment and wrath of God, the

741
00:48:59.679 --> 00:49:04.199
face exile. They're facing all of these difficulties. But God

742
00:49:04.239 --> 00:49:07.000
tells them to fear not. Well, guess what we, in

743
00:49:07.000 --> 00:49:10.360
a sense are in exile? Right? We are in this world.

744
00:49:10.480 --> 00:49:12.360
We're not of it, but we are in it, and

745
00:49:12.400 --> 00:49:14.840
we face the pain and the suffering and all the

746
00:49:14.880 --> 00:49:17.119
things that come along with being in this world. Because

747
00:49:17.199 --> 00:49:20.840
what I can be told because of spiritual promises, I

748
00:49:20.880 --> 00:49:23.920
can fear not, because nothing can separate me from the

749
00:49:23.920 --> 00:49:27.239
love of God. I am eternally secure no matter what happens.

750
00:49:27.360 --> 00:49:29.719
If my house burns down, if I get cancer, if

751
00:49:29.760 --> 00:49:31.719
I get hit by a car and paralyzed, if I

752
00:49:31.760 --> 00:49:35.480
get shot five times, stabbed twenty three times, if I

753
00:49:35.519 --> 00:49:38.800
am starving to death, I can fear not because I

754
00:49:38.840 --> 00:49:43.679
am spiritually secure in Christ. Because that security does not

755
00:49:43.679 --> 00:49:45.960
come by anything I have done, but what Christ has

756
00:49:46.000 --> 00:49:50.599
done for me. There I can drol There, I can say, Okay,

757
00:49:50.679 --> 00:49:52.639
I can fear not. But I don't take these fear

758
00:49:52.679 --> 00:49:55.119
nots and apply them to me, because these fear nots

759
00:49:55.119 --> 00:49:58.559
have a very clear historical context to a very specific

760
00:49:58.599 --> 00:50:07.440
people and a very specific situation Hebrews thirteen five through six.

761
00:50:07.480 --> 00:50:09.440
I will never leave you nor forsake you. The promise

762
00:50:09.480 --> 00:50:11.480
to hear is about God's presence and faithfulness and all

763
00:50:11.519 --> 00:50:16.079
circumstances it does not have promised to avoid hardship. Christians

764
00:50:16.079 --> 00:50:18.159
are called to trust in God's presence even in the

765
00:50:18.199 --> 00:50:20.920
midst of suffering. God is with us as he was

766
00:50:21.000 --> 00:50:24.559
with them, But that doesn't mean that we're going to

767
00:50:24.599 --> 00:50:32.039
be preserved from physical pain or suffering. I can fear

768
00:50:32.079 --> 00:50:34.920
not as a New Testament Christian because of victory over

769
00:50:35.000 --> 00:50:38.320
death and judgment one Corinthians fifteen fifty four through fifty seven.

770
00:50:39.199 --> 00:50:41.800
Death is swallowed up in victory, Thanks be to God

771
00:50:41.840 --> 00:50:44.559
who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

772
00:50:44.719 --> 00:50:47.320
The ultimate fear not for Christians is knowing that Christ

773
00:50:47.320 --> 00:50:49.840
has conquered death and that eternal life is secured. For

774
00:50:49.880 --> 00:50:53.320
those who believe John five twenty four. Whoever hears my

775
00:50:53.400 --> 00:50:56.920
word and believes Him who sent me, has eternal life.

776
00:50:57.119 --> 00:50:59.440
It does not come into judgment, but has passed from

777
00:50:59.440 --> 00:51:01.920
death to life. Christians do not need to fear eternal

778
00:51:02.000 --> 00:51:04.480
judgment because they have already passed from death to life

779
00:51:04.599 --> 00:51:07.920
through faith in Christ. That's the ultimate fear not for us.

780
00:51:09.039 --> 00:51:12.159
Death has been defeated. I have eternal life. I am

781
00:51:12.239 --> 00:51:15.039
guaranteed I have passed from judgment into life because of

782
00:51:15.079 --> 00:51:17.920
what Christ has done. There is where I don't fear

783
00:51:25.800 --> 00:51:28.559
so as a Christian, I fear not because of spiritual security.

784
00:51:28.840 --> 00:51:31.960
I fear not because of victory over death and judgment.

785
00:51:32.559 --> 00:51:35.840
I fear not because of God's sovereign plan and suffering.

786
00:51:36.920 --> 00:51:39.119
James one twenty four counted, all joy, my brother, and

787
00:51:39.119 --> 00:51:41.199
when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know

788
00:51:41.239 --> 00:51:44.760
that the testing of her faith produces steadfastness one Peter

789
00:51:44.840 --> 00:51:47.719
four twelve through thirteen. Beloved, be not surprised at the

790
00:51:47.760 --> 00:51:50.880
fiery trial which comes upon you to test you as

791
00:51:50.880 --> 00:51:53.559
though something strange was happening to you, But rejoice in

792
00:51:53.599 --> 00:51:55.800
so far as you as you share Christ's suffering, that

793
00:51:55.880 --> 00:51:58.239
you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory

794
00:51:58.320 --> 00:52:01.840
is revealed. The New Testament perspective on suffering is not

795
00:52:01.880 --> 00:52:04.199
to avoid it, but to understand that God uses trials

796
00:52:04.280 --> 00:52:07.559
for the sanctification and maturity of believers. The Christian hope

797
00:52:07.599 --> 00:52:10.119
is not to avoid suffering, but in knowing that God's

798
00:52:10.119 --> 00:52:25.920
purposes are being worked in and through it. When we

799
00:52:26.000 --> 00:52:28.800
take these Old Testament fear nods and rip them out

800
00:52:28.840 --> 00:52:31.519
of their context, not only we mishandling the word of God,

801
00:52:31.679 --> 00:52:34.480
we're doing actual spiritual damage to the people we give

802
00:52:34.599 --> 00:52:40.039
this lie to. Israel's given a very specific fear nod

803
00:52:40.880 --> 00:52:44.719
for a very specific reason. Given very specific reasons why

804
00:52:44.760 --> 00:52:47.760
they should not fear. Because God created them, that's them.

805
00:52:48.000 --> 00:52:51.559
He created them as a nation, He identified them as Israel.

806
00:52:52.039 --> 00:52:54.920
He redeemed them. This is not salvific. This is He

807
00:52:55.000 --> 00:52:57.639
redeemed them from all of these other horrible situations, and

808
00:52:57.639 --> 00:53:00.239
they're now in another situation. So they can trust he

809
00:53:00.840 --> 00:53:04.239
will once again deliver them, which ultimately he will. We

810
00:53:04.320 --> 00:53:07.760
believe that the promise to ultimately redeem Israel from all

811
00:53:08.000 --> 00:53:10.480
where all the places they've been separated and bring them

812
00:53:10.519 --> 00:53:12.920
back into the land. We believe that's going to occur.

813
00:53:14.519 --> 00:53:18.519
He's entered into a covenant with them, and he offers

814
00:53:18.760 --> 00:53:22.880
protection for them. All of that is based off his

815
00:53:22.920 --> 00:53:26.800
covenant relationship with them. Now for us, if we want

816
00:53:26.840 --> 00:53:30.239
to see a parallel, we too are in exile. We

817
00:53:30.280 --> 00:53:32.000
are in this world, even though we're not of it.

818
00:53:32.039 --> 00:53:34.880
We're pilgrims, we're strangers here. This is not our home.

819
00:53:35.039 --> 00:53:37.519
Our citizenship is in heaven. But for now we are

820
00:53:37.559 --> 00:53:40.679
in exile. We are in exile, but the time is

821
00:53:40.760 --> 00:53:44.960
coming that we will be brought into the land. There

822
00:53:45.039 --> 00:53:48.079
is the parallel. But when God tells for me not

823
00:53:48.239 --> 00:53:50.960
to fear, is I don't take the old Testament promises

824
00:53:50.960 --> 00:53:53.480
of fear not I take the New Testament concept of

825
00:53:53.519 --> 00:53:56.159
why would I not fear? Well, I don't fear for

826
00:53:56.320 --> 00:54:00.679
very specific reasons. I don't fear because I have spiritual security.

827
00:54:01.400 --> 00:54:05.119
I don't fear because I know Christ has gained victory

828
00:54:05.159 --> 00:54:08.440
over death and judgment, and now I am one hundred

829
00:54:08.559 --> 00:54:11.960
percent guaranteed eternal life, and I know that death is

830
00:54:12.000 --> 00:54:14.400
not the end. I do not fear because of God's

831
00:54:14.440 --> 00:54:18.440
sovereign purpose and suffering. So but guess what, there's a

832
00:54:18.480 --> 00:54:21.039
major danger if I take these fear nots of the

833
00:54:21.079 --> 00:54:26.800
Old Testament apply him to me, I'm gonna end up disillusioned, discourage, confused,

834
00:54:27.119 --> 00:54:31.400
and probably absolutely maybe leading to wanting to just give

835
00:54:31.480 --> 00:54:48.639
up and say Christianity as a fraud. Now I can.

836
00:54:48.679 --> 00:54:50.239
I could do more here, but I think you get

837
00:54:50.239 --> 00:54:57.480
the idea. I think you get the idea. Oh I

838
00:54:57.519 --> 00:54:58.199
want to. I want to.

839
00:54:58.239 --> 00:55:00.000
I want to do much more. I've got I got

840
00:55:00.159 --> 00:55:08.760
a lot more here. Oh, I want to do more here,

841
00:55:08.800 --> 00:55:10.320
but I won't.

842
00:55:11.519 --> 00:55:14.280
Wow, I could go for another too an hour, I

843
00:55:14.280 --> 00:55:21.440
could go for another hour. So now do you understand

844
00:55:21.480 --> 00:55:29.039
Isaiah forty three and its proper historical context Israel's in

845
00:55:29.079 --> 00:55:32.559
a bad situation. Judah and Israel, they're in a horrible situation.

846
00:55:33.320 --> 00:55:36.119
They know they're guilty, they know they've failed God. They

847
00:55:36.199 --> 00:55:38.840
feel that guilt, they feel that shame. They know God

848
00:55:38.920 --> 00:55:42.079
is upset. They know that the Northern Kingdom's already been

849
00:55:42.119 --> 00:55:44.440
taken by the Assyrians, the Southern Kingdom's about to go

850
00:55:44.480 --> 00:55:47.679
into Babylonian exile. There's pain they're suffering, there's fear, and

851
00:55:47.800 --> 00:55:51.360
you can see why they're worried. You can see it,

852
00:55:51.400 --> 00:55:53.679
you can feel it. It's very real. There's a historical

853
00:55:53.760 --> 00:55:58.360
textual reason. If you look at Isaiah forty two, you

854
00:55:58.400 --> 00:56:02.480
really get the sense of it. Right. Starting a chapter

855
00:56:02.559 --> 00:56:05.639
of forty two, starting in verse thirteen, we start reading

856
00:56:05.679 --> 00:56:10.079
about the judgment of God, and then he is starting

857
00:56:10.079 --> 00:56:15.199
in forty two eighteen, Here here ye death, and look

858
00:56:15.280 --> 00:56:17.719
ye blind that you may see who is blind, but

859
00:56:17.800 --> 00:56:20.960
my servant or Death as my messenger that I sent.

860
00:56:21.159 --> 00:56:23.440
Who is blind? Is he that is perfect and blind

861
00:56:23.440 --> 00:56:26.760
as the Lord's servant, seeing many things, But thou observest

862
00:56:26.760 --> 00:56:29.320
not opening the ears, but the hereth not. The Lord

863
00:56:29.400 --> 00:56:32.360
is well pleased for his righteousness sake, he will magnify

864
00:56:32.400 --> 00:56:35.239
the law and make it honorable. But this is a

865
00:56:35.280 --> 00:56:38.760
people who robbed and spoiled. They are all of them

866
00:56:39.360 --> 00:56:42.400
snared in holes. They are hid in a prison houses

867
00:56:42.639 --> 00:56:45.400
there for a prey, and none delivereth for a spoil,

868
00:56:45.559 --> 00:56:48.280
and none saith restore. Who among you will give ear

869
00:56:48.360 --> 00:56:50.719
to this? Who will hearken in here for the time

870
00:56:50.760 --> 00:56:53.400
to come? Who gave Jacob for a spoil? And Israel

871
00:56:53.440 --> 00:56:56.400
to the robbers? Did not the Lord he against whom

872
00:56:56.559 --> 00:56:59.280
we have sinned, For they would not walk in his ways,

873
00:56:59.480 --> 00:57:03.360
neither were they obedient unto his law. Therefore he poured

874
00:57:03.480 --> 00:57:06.840
upon the fury of his anger and the strength of battle.

875
00:57:06.960 --> 00:57:09.519
And he had sent them on and set them on

876
00:57:09.719 --> 00:57:13.360
fire round about. Yet he knew not, and it burned him.

877
00:57:13.559 --> 00:57:15.960
Yet he laid it not to heart. Hey, this is

878
00:57:16.119 --> 00:57:18.239
this is, I mean literally forty two gives you the

879
00:57:18.360 --> 00:57:23.280
idea you are suffering because of your sin. You are guilty,

880
00:57:23.480 --> 00:57:25.360
And he even mentions the idea of fire. And then

881
00:57:25.360 --> 00:57:29.199
all of a sudden, he says, but now fear not,

882
00:57:31.199 --> 00:57:36.400
fear not, And they're like white. Why we are so guilty?

883
00:57:36.559 --> 00:57:39.239
We deserve everything, God says, fear not. Why but why

884
00:57:39.239 --> 00:57:43.079
should we not fear? I made you from Jacob to Israel.

885
00:57:43.119 --> 00:57:46.000
I made you, I created you, I redeemed you. Remember

886
00:57:46.039 --> 00:57:48.639
all those times where you messed up and I redeemed you.

887
00:57:49.480 --> 00:57:53.880
I'm gonna redeem you again, and I entered into a

888
00:57:53.920 --> 00:57:56.239
covenant with you. I do not forget my covenant, and

889
00:57:56.519 --> 00:57:58.519
I'm gonna be with you as you go through all

890
00:57:58.519 --> 00:58:06.480
of the difficulty, whether fire water. That's for Israel. And

891
00:58:06.559 --> 00:58:09.960
I think anyone who knows that God has made promises

892
00:58:09.960 --> 00:58:12.079
to Israel that have yet been fulfilled, He's going to

893
00:58:12.119 --> 00:58:15.480
fulfill them as well. They're ultimately going to be redeemed,

894
00:58:15.559 --> 00:58:21.199
ultimately from their ultimate exile because they've been scattered and

895
00:58:21.239 --> 00:58:23.320
they're going to ultimately be brought back, put in the

896
00:58:23.400 --> 00:58:27.199
land and redeemed. God's going to give them a new heart.

897
00:58:27.280 --> 00:58:29.719
He's going to save them, and he's going to fulfill

898
00:58:29.760 --> 00:58:37.599
those promises. That's what it's about. You say, well, where

899
00:58:37.599 --> 00:58:40.760
are we, Well, primarily we're nowhere in it, but we

900
00:58:40.800 --> 00:58:44.960
can see a parallel. Where are we right now? Well,

901
00:58:44.960 --> 00:58:48.239
we're sinners. We still sin all the time. We know

902
00:58:48.360 --> 00:58:51.159
we're sinners. You should know that guilt. Every single day,

903
00:58:51.280 --> 00:58:53.599
you should know how you fell God. Every single day

904
00:58:53.639 --> 00:58:55.400
you should feel it, and you should look around and go,

905
00:58:55.639 --> 00:58:58.760
this is not my home. I'm still in exile. I'm

906
00:58:58.760 --> 00:59:00.920
in it, but I'm not of it. I'm a pilgrim.

907
00:59:01.000 --> 00:59:03.679
I'm a stranger here. And guess what I'm going to incur.

908
00:59:03.880 --> 00:59:06.199
I'm going to recur. I'm going to incur suffering, and

909
00:59:06.199 --> 00:59:09.920
I'm going to incur pain and death and sickness and

910
00:59:10.000 --> 00:59:12.519
all the things that I'm going to experience right here

911
00:59:12.559 --> 00:59:14.559
in this world and when I'm going to do so.

912
00:59:14.760 --> 00:59:18.719
But in a roundabout way, we have reasons for us

913
00:59:18.800 --> 00:59:25.320
not to fear because of all the spiritual promises we

914
00:59:25.440 --> 00:59:36.440
have been given, all the spiritual promises. Fear not because

915
00:59:36.480 --> 00:59:40.599
of your spiritual security. Romans eight thirty one through thirty nine.

916
00:59:40.920 --> 00:59:44.159
Fear not because of Christ's victory over death, the grave

917
00:59:44.440 --> 00:59:47.639
and sin one Corinthians fifteen fifty four through fifty seven,

918
00:59:47.639 --> 00:59:50.760
and John five twenty four. Fear not because of God's

919
00:59:50.760 --> 00:59:54.159
sovereign plan and suffering James one two through four, and

920
00:59:54.199 --> 00:59:57.760
one Peter four twelve through thirteen. There is where you

921
00:59:57.760 --> 01:00:00.079
can find some parallel, and there's coming a time for

922
01:00:00.000 --> 01:00:03.239
for us that we will be gathered together out of

923
01:00:03.280 --> 01:00:07.440
our exile and brought into the land, and then we

924
01:00:07.480 --> 01:00:11.360
will be just like Israel. Oh we're gonna get We're

925
01:00:11.360 --> 01:00:15.559
gonna be completely transformed. There's the parallel if you want

926
01:00:15.559 --> 01:00:19.880
to see a parallel, But that's not what Isaiah's pointing to.

927
01:00:20.000 --> 01:00:23.199
Isaiah's pointing to Israel. We can see ourselves in it,

928
01:00:23.280 --> 01:00:29.360
but it's not what it's about. Now that's sixty minutes.

929
01:00:32.000 --> 01:00:34.679
What I wanted to do was to show you how

930
01:00:34.679 --> 01:00:37.079
we took a We listened to a sermon that immediately

931
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obliterated the text. We tried to go back and actually

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01:00:41.320 --> 01:00:44.000
look at the text and its historical and textual context.

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We try to show you the dangers of ripping things

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out of context, but then we try to at least

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01:00:48.559 --> 01:00:51.320
demonstrate how you can still make it applicable to a

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certain degree without doing any damage to the text. And

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I think if you look at Isaiah forty two, it

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even becomes more prominent. They're fearful because of how guilty

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they are. Well, I'm fearful because of how guilty I am.

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Now I can draw some more parallels between them and us,

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01:01:12.360 --> 01:01:18.360
but they're parallels. There's similarities, but it's not what if

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01:01:18.480 --> 01:01:24.480
the key from Isaiah's to see what God did for them.

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01:01:24.599 --> 01:01:27.440
All right, I'll stop there. You can tell me what

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01:01:27.480 --> 01:01:32.360
you think, right, Isaiah forty three, you may want to

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01:01:32.400 --> 01:01:33.960
go back and read forty two. You may want to

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01:01:33.960 --> 01:01:36.880
go back and read forty to forty two. And maybe

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01:01:36.880 --> 01:01:39.039
we'll do some more work on Isaiah forty three. But see,

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01:01:39.119 --> 01:01:41.960
if you'll just exegetically stay with the text, you can

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01:01:42.039 --> 01:01:47.119
find parallel. Parallel is one thing. Just knocking them out

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01:01:47.119 --> 01:01:49.039
of the text and making it about us is where

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01:01:49.039 --> 01:01:51.599
we're hijacking the text. See there, we did not hijack

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01:01:51.679 --> 01:01:54.880
the text. We stayed true to the text, and then

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01:01:54.920 --> 01:01:58.039
we saw an interesting parallel. And there is an interesting parallel,

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01:01:58.519 --> 01:02:00.159
and we can do a little bit more work on it,

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but for now we'll stop. Thanks for listening Isaiah forty three.

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Just maybe focus on that today. I was typically i'd

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give you some assignment, but just focus on Isaiah forty three.

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Thanks for listening. God bless