March 2, 2025

Transition: Isaiah 40 to Isaiah 41

Transition: Isaiah 40 to Isaiah 41

We study the transition from Isaiah 40 to Isaiah 41

We study the transition from Isaiah 40 to Isaiah 41

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All right, Isaiah chapter forty one again a new chapter today.

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Yesterday for those who don't know, yesterday was the three

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hundred and thirty three years ago. Yesterday was the beginning

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of the Salem witch Trials. Well, someoneld say they actually

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started a little before the hysteria started, before the first

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three women who were examined or interrogated. That happened three

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hundred and thirty three years ago yesterday, not in where

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we're in Salem village, which is different than where Salem

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is today. It's a place called Danvers, I believe, is

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what it's called. And they don't get all the press

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and all the tourists that they all go to Salem.

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I guess you'd call Salem proper. But whenever I think

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about what happened in the Salem Witch Trials, one of

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the things, well I've read so many books on it,

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but one of the things I like to do is

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go back and look at the sermons that were preached

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leading right up to the hysteria, all the sermons preached

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during the hysteria, and then the sermons preached at the

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conclusion at the end of the Salemwich Trials went Finally

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they were basically told stop it, because you know how

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many more people you're gonna kill. But because I feel

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a lot of what happened can be traced really back

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to the sermons, the things that were being said, and

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it was just basically inside this church, basically Satan is

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at work, Satan is here. You could be that person,

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could be that person, which then creates paranoia and then

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everyone starts blaming everyone. And I believe a lot of

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what happened was well, people were turning on each other

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inside the church because some people didn't like the new pastor,

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and there was like all kinds of problems. It was

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all vile and disgusting, all done in the name of

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you know, Jesus. So the civil thought, yeah, because they

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I think it was the daughter of one of the

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government officials in Boston who got accused that she was

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a witch. And so then they were like, whoa, this

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gotta stop, this, gotta stop. Okay, what is going on

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here because they were starting to anybody didn't like you

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just accused, which which and just just demonstrates it. But

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I like going back and looking at the sermons, So

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I've read a number of them I was using I've

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been using AI to try to construct a sermon timeline,

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chronological order of events to see, Okay, this is the

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first sermon. Okay, so I definitely know the first sermon

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that was preached about a month before, and you can go, ah, okay,

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see where this is headed, right, and then you can

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see some and especially right in the middle of it.

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I mean, those sermons were increasing the paranoia and increasing

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the fear, and it's just so messed up the way

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it works. But my whole point is sometimes when we

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pay attention to sermons, and we pay attention to what's

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being preached at any given moment within Christianity, a lot

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of times you can tell what's going on within Christianity

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by paying attention to as many sermons as possible, because

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it gives you a sense of where things are going

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or where things are have gone. And one of the

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obviously things that have been so maddening since last year

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has been all the sermons I have listened to now

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at this point, I'm going to be over two hundred

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at some point, a sermons between based on Isaiah forty,

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you know, any chapter between Isaiah forty and Isaiah fifty five.

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In fact, on the way here, I was listening to

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a sermon on Isaiah forty one, and they all follow

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the same pattern, and it is maddening. It's like it's

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like a memo went out to everyone, this is the

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way you preach the text. And again this morning it

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was Isaiah forty one. I think the name of the

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sermon was fear not and advitably. Who does it become

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about us us us us us? And I don't know

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how to fix it. I don't know how to correct it.

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I don't know, so it just seems like it's a

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waste of time to even try. Oh why, And people

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gotta want to hear as well, and I don't think

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people want to necessarily hear. So all I can do

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is we started this, we finished chapter forty, we go

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to chapter forty one, and we're gonna continue to fight

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this trend of how preachers handle this section of scripture.

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I don't get it. I don't understand, but we're gonna

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do things a little different now. We did this once

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in Isaiah chapter forty, when we moved from one section

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in Isaiah forty to another section. I took the time

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to do a study of how it transitioned from one

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section to the other, because typically you don't do that

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in sermons, right, You just go for one section to

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the next, you don't spend a lot of time on

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We're gonna spend an hour talking about how it transitions,

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but this morning, we're gonna spend this first hour all

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about how chapter forty transitions into chapter forty one. That's

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what we're going to do because first that will help

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give us a reminder of forty, which everyone always needs,

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and it will kind of start setting us up and

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start seeing things in forty one. And the more things

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you see in the chapter, hopefully what will happen. The

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more you see it, the more you remember it. And

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that's that's the goal. So are we That's that's that's

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what we're going to attempt to do. I almost want

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to ask you guys to find some things in chapter

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forty one, but I will not do that right now, Okay,

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So we're going to just focus on the transition from

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chapter forty to forty one, right, That's what we're going

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to see. And the reason where I'm stressing this so

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much is because I want us to continually to see

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how this narrative starts in chapter forty and continues through

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and how it relates and how it's connected. A lot

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of times when people even do expositional preaching, you finish

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one chapter and you kind of do what you move

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on to the next. You may connect it to the

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previous chapter, but you almost approach it as its own thing.

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I don't want to do that, because this whole narrative

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starts in Isaiah chapter forty, verse one with what words

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comfort ye, comfort ye my people? Right? My people are

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whom those in Babylonian captivity. Right, the comfort is to

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be taken to them. Just I cannot stress that enough.

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And then this entire section forty to fifty five is

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often referred to as the Book of Comfort or the

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Book of Consolation. All right, So how then does the

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and how did forty end? You know, those that wait

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upon the Lord shall renew their streak. They shall mount

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out with wings as eagles. They shall run and not

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be weary, and they shall not walk, and they shall

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walk enop faint. That's again not about us, It's about

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those in Babylonian captivity. And then chapter forty one begins

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with keep silence before me, oh islands. Okay, now, but

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no notice the next part and let the people renew

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their strength. That sounds interesting, right now, what do you

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immediately see kind of a contrast something that may raise

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a question? In chapter forty, verse thirty one, they that

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wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, right and

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forty one owe islands and let the people renew their strength.

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So is it the people renewing their strength or do

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they renew their strength by waiting? Is it God renewing

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their strength? I mean, just immediately I start seeing some

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things that I would start asking. So the transition from

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Isaiah forty to forty one, Isaiah forty and forty one

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are deeply connected. Right, there's going to be a connection.

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But here's what we're going to be looking for. Do

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they have distinct emphasis? Is there a specific emphasis in

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forty and is there a different emphasis in forty one.

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That's what we're going to a tip to see and

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see what we can find. All right, Isaiah forty sets

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the stage by declaring God's greatness, his sovereignty, and his

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faithfulness to his people. I think that's fair. Do we

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agree that that's pretty fair? Shows God's greatness, his sovereignty,

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and his faithfulness to his people. Which people are they?

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Is it referring to the people in Babylonian captivity. Why

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is God demonstrating faithfulness to those in Babylonian captivity because

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of a covenant given specifically to them and specific promises.

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I cannot stress that enough. Okay. Isaiah forty one builds

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on those things by addressing God's power over the nations

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and his unique relationship with Israel. So this where it's

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going to get specific on God's power, his sovereignty, and

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his faithfulness. He's gonna show us power, sovereignty over the nations,

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and then his unique relationship with Israel. We'll see, we'll

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look for that. And if it does focus on his

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unique relationship with Israel once again, that demonstrates there is

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no excuse for any preacher who makes this all about us,

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because the text will see how clear the text is.

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The two chapters are not disconnected. Rather, forty one develops

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and applies the theology in Isaiah forty. Isaiah forty in

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a sense, gives us a philological foundation. Forty one is

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going to build upon that philological foundation. Right, So we're

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gonna look at how Isaiah forty one builds off Isaiah

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forty and in what ways they are different. Okay, does

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that make sense. That's kind of a good, hopefully introduction.

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All right, So we're gonna kind of look at how

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Isaiah forty leads into Isaiah forty one. All right, First,

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let's think of the philological foundation of Isaiah forty. The

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philological foundation that establishes we're gonna look for Isaiah forty

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is a philological foundation that establishes God's power, supremacy, and faithfulness.

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Isaiah forty lays the philological foundation, and it basically it

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declares and establishes God's power, his supremacy, and his faithfulness. Okay,

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look at Isaiah forty verses one through two. All right,

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Isaiah forty one through two, we all see comfort here,

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do we not? Would you say? We see comfort and

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hope for Israel? And Isaiah forty one through two? All right?

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Where do you see we see the comfort? Where? Where

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are the very first words? Where do we see hope

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for Israel? Verse two? Speak ye comfortably to to Jerusalem?

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You see that right to Jerusalem. I want to make

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sure we were establishing clearly who is being spoken to?

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All right? Right, and basically we're there being told the

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exile is ending. God is speaking words of comfort and

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restoration to Israel. I cannot stress that enough, all right,

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So it's going to establish the philological foundation. Hey, guys,

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you can have comfort. There's hope for you, guys. And

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it's because your exile is ending. What happens in twelve

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through twenty six the incomparable God, right, the incomparable God.

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And how do we see that in twelve through twenty six? Well,

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what happened? What's the focus in twelve through seventeen? But

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it makes about creation? Right, all right? So God is

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supreme over creation. There's nothing within creation you can compare

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God to. He's incomparable, incomprehensible, He's above, beyond, all right,

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We get that right. And then what happens in verses

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eighteen through twenty six. Now God is greater than the

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idols and the nations. So God is supreme over creation.

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He's greater than the idols, he's greater than the nations.

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We see that, And then verses twenty seven through thirty one,

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This is strength for the weary, right, This is a

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specific promise to those in captivity. Israel may feel forgotten,

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Israel may feel abandoned, but what God will not forget them?

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And God's never going to grow weary and he will

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renew their strength, all right. So the philological foundation what

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I want you to see though, and that the theological

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foundation in Isaiah forty basically from one to the end

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of the chapter, it's all about God God. And that

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makes it philological, right, because theology is to study and

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knowledge of God. What does he want them to understand God?

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He wants them to see God. Why does he have

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to do Why is he spending the entire first chapter

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trying to help them see God? Well? I think we

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can say this way. If they look to their circumstances,

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are they going to find comfort and hope?

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No?

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If they look to themselves, they're gonna find comfort and hope.

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Are they look to the Babylonians, They're gonna find comfort

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and hope. They look to the Babylonian idols, Are they

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going to find comfort and hope? Hmmm? Where does that

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leave them? No? Hope unless they look to God. But

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what's the problem. Are the Babylonians going to point them

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to God? Are their circumstances going to point them to God?

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Are themselves going to appoint themselves to God? No, they

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have to look to God from a thiological perspective. And

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so here's this theological truth about God and whom you

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cannot see and whom you're not feeling, and you're not

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even experiencing because everything you say goes against it. So

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they need a thiological foundation, right. A thiological foundation is

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truths about God, and they are not impacted, they're not

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changed by what emotion, feeling, or circumstance. That's a theological

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foundation that establishes the theological foundation, and there's practical lessons

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in that for everyone. Everybody got that, all right, now,

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So there's the theological foundation. Now. The transition to Isaiah

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forty one. Isaiah forty one now picks up where Isaiah

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forty leaves off, but shifts from a philological proclamation well

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to it seems I kind of want to do I

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give this away. I'm just gonna give it away. I

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was going to try to work us through it and

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then you have to try to figure it out for me.

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But I'll just give you this, all right, So let's

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try this again. Isaiah forty one picks up where Isaiah

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forty leaves off, but it shifts from a theological proclamation

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to a direct engagement with the nations. This transition is

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seen in two major ways. Two major ways the transition

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is seen, all right. First, it's going to seem clear

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that God is sovereign over the nations, and this moves

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from a theoretical to an active demonstration of it. All right,

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it's going to demonstrate this by God's sovereignty of our nations,

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and it's no longer theoretical. It's going to be seen

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as active. Forty is the theoretical or the philological forty

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one is going to try to move this into a

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more active or practical all right, think of it this way,

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and Isaiah forty. God's greatness is proclaimed as an abstract

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philological truth, an abstract meaning. It's just saying God is

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this or God is greater than this. But it's not

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saying God is okay, well that's great, Like you're if

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you're there, you're like, okay, well this is great. You're

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telling me all of this theology. But when I walk

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out of this room, what am I walking back into

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the reality of what? Or in Babylonian captivity, how are

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we gonna get out? It's great for you to tell

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me all these wonderful things about God, but what does

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that do for me in a practical way. Right, So

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that's why it's theoretical Isaiah forty one. God is going

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to demonstrate his sovereignty and it's going to be demonstrated

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by his controlling history, particularly through raising up a particular ruler,

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and that will be Cyrus right to defeat nations. Right.

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So there it's gonna go from theoretical to practical. And

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the first way God's sovereignty of our nations moves from

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theoretical to active. That's the first major way. Second, the

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theme of comfort transitions into God's protection of Israel. Right. Hey,

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it's going to go from comfort, but now it's gonna

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go to specific lead God's protection of Israel. Isaiah forty says,

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behold your God. Israel must trust in God's greatness Isaiah

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forty one. Look at verse ten, Isaiah forty one, verse ten.

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What does it say in forty one ten? All right,

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now it gets specific. It's not behold your God, look

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at how great he is? Now it's hey, fear not

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for why that great God in chapter forty that incomparable

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God in forty is Now what in forty one ten?

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With you? God assures Israel his protection against enemies. Now,

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please note those promises in forty one are to Israel,

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not to us, even though we want to claim them.

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Discermon that I was listening to on the way here

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immediately took the promises in forty one and made them

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applicable to us. And that is complete. That's just wrong.

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That's just wrong. But you see how he goes from

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the theoretical to the practical. All right, So this transition

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happens in two ways. Number one, God's sovereignty over nations

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moves from theoretical to active. And number two, the theme

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of comfort transitions specifically into God's protection of Israel. Everybody

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see that? Are we good with that? All right? So

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we see Isaiah forty as the philological foundation. We see

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the transition basically from theoretical to practical. Now, how Isaiah

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forty one builds upon Isaiah forty. We see how it

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transitions to how does it build Isaiah forty one expands

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upon the themes of Isaiah forty, but shifts focus to

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two key areas. All right. First, God's power over nations

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and history. God's power over nations and history. Right, look

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at Isaiah forty verses fifteen through seventeen. Isaiah forty fifteen

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through seventeen, Yeah, forty, yeah, forty. Because we're trying to

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show how this is going to build. What do you

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see in Isaiah forty fifteen through seventeen, Yeah, God states God.

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Isaiah forty states that God is above all nations. Would

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you agree? You see that in forty fifteen through seventeen,

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God is greater above all the nations? Right now? Isaiah

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forty one demonstrates this by describing God's control over world events.

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Look at Isaiah forty one two through four. It's gonna

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get very specific, right, Who raised up the Isaiah forty

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one two? This righteous man from the east, call him

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to his foot, gave the nations before him, made him

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ruler over kings. He gave them as the dust to

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the sword, and has driven stubble to his bow. Now

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is speaking of someone specific, right, It's not vague. It's

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not just God is greater? And who most likely are

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is that referencing Cyrus? Now it's getting specific. This is

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a real person in history. Everybody see that, all right?

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So Isaiah forty demonstrates so in Isaiah forty God is

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above all the nations. But now in forty one. It's

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gonna show God's power over nation in history because God

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is raising up a ruler from the east to conquer nations.

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That's forty one two through four. What happens in forty one,

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twenty one through twenty nine, forty one, twenty one through

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twenty nine, forty one, twenty one through twenty nine, And

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I'm making you look at it, so you just become

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more and more familiar with the contents of the chapter

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she's in forty two. I'm like, that makes no sense. Okay,

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all right. I was like, wait a minute, that makes

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no sense. That's not what I'm saying. Owlk Cavories in

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chapter forty two. Look at forty one twenty one. What

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does he say here, produce your cause, saith the Lord,

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bring forth your strong reasons, say it the King of Jacob.

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Let them bring them forth and show us what shall happen.

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Let them show the former things what they be, that

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they may consider them, that we may consider them and

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know the latter in of them, or declare us things

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for them to come, show the things that are to

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come hereafter that you may know that ye are God,

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yay do good or do evil? That we may be

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dismayed and behold it together. What is happening here is

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God is basically challenging the nations. He's almost calling them

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to a trial. Right this entire section, God is demonstrating

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that he is controls world events forty one two through four.

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He's raising up Cyrus forty one, twenty one through twenty nine.

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He challenges the nation basically to a trial to prove

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their because he wants them to demonstrate that their idols

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are not powerless. What can they do now? He's getting

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very specific, right all right? And forty we just found

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that that God is greater than all than all the

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idols forty one. Now what's happening, Well, let's prove it.

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Come on, come on, bring your proof, show me. I

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told you in forty that God is greater. Now come

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on now, step up, prove it. Does that make sense?

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All right? So the first key area where this is

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a shift from theoretical philological to more practical is God's

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power over nations and history. Isaiah forty states that God

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is above all the nations, but forty one it demonstrates

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that by describing God's control over world events by raising

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up Cyrus and challenging the nations to a trial. Okay,

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that's the first major ways. Next Israel's special relationship with

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God and Isaiah forty The focus seems to be on

359
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God's universal greatness. Right, He's greater than creation, He's greater

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than the nations, He's greater than idols, kind of in

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a universal way. What happens in chapter forty one? Okay?

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God now applies this to Israel specifically, reassuring them. Look

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at verse eight through nine. What does he say in

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verse eight through nine of forty one? Okay? And who's

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he speaking to in eight through nine? Israel? Right? They

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are God's chosen people. He gets specific, Right, what in

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eight through nine lets you know exactly who he's referring to?

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Is this something before eight to nine? Okay? Hey, it

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makes it very clear who's referring to now Israel? Okay, right.

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I just want to make sure since pastors can't seem

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to figure it out, I want to see if you

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guys can figure it out. Right, So maybe the answer

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is don't go to seminary, no good to Bible college

374
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and don't preach sermons, and you will know how to

375
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read the Bible. Because for some weird reason, this turns

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into all about us. How about verse ten, We've read ten.

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What is he saying ten? Yeah? Now in the context,

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who is he clearly referencing Israel? Right, they do not

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need to fear, they are God's shows them people. They

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do not need to fear. What happens in verses eleven

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through thirteen, God is going to strengthen them and He's

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gonna do what against their enemies. So what happen in

383
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Isaiah forty it's kind of God's greater than everything forty one.

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Now this is applied specifically to Israel, that they are

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God's chosen people, they do not fear, they do not

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need to fear, and God will strengthen them against their enemies.

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It's specific towards Israel. So now the theology they learned

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in forty now it's being applied to them specifically that

389
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would focus on what their current circumstances. Thus, Isaiah forty

390
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takes the theological truths of Isaiah forty applies them to

391
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Israel's situation, showing that God's power is not theoretical, it

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is active in history on behalf of them. Yeah, forty

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one thirteen for I the Lord that God will hold

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thy right hand saying unto the fear not, I will

395
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help thee. Yeah, very personal, speaking direct to them. Now,

396
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every preacher in the world comes in and makes that

397
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all about whom us us us us us. You cannot

398
00:26:08.039 --> 00:26:11.640
do that. You have no right to do that. You

399
00:26:11.720 --> 00:26:14.759
have no right to do that, all right, because because

400
00:26:14.799 --> 00:26:17.960
if you if you take this personal promises and you

401
00:26:18.039 --> 00:26:20.240
give them the people sitting in the pew, then what

402
00:26:20.279 --> 00:26:24.640
would should be the logical expectation that whatever you're facing,

403
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whatever you're dealing, God's gonna step in and basically fix

404
00:26:28.799 --> 00:26:33.240
or solve your problem. Can I give that promise to anyone? No?

405
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I cannot. I can say spiritually God is with me

406
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to take care of my sin problem, to get me

407
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to Heaven, but I cannot say that He's going to

408
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take care of my practical problem. These are practical promises

409
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to a specific nation, and that we're fulfilled in a

410
00:26:47.920 --> 00:26:51.640
practical way, all right. That, Oh, those sermons that do

411
00:26:51.720 --> 00:26:54.720
that are just their criminal the way they handle this,

412
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all right. So how does Isaiah forty one build in

413
00:26:59.319 --> 00:27:01.920
Isaiah forty one? Isaiah forty one expands on the themes

414
00:27:01.920 --> 00:27:04.359
of Isaiah forty but shifts the focus in Two key

415
00:27:04.400 --> 00:27:08.400
areas God's power over nations in history. Isaiah forty states

416
00:27:08.440 --> 00:27:11.720
that God is above all nations. Isaiah forty one demonstrates

417
00:27:11.759 --> 00:27:15.200
this by describing God's control over world events by talking

418
00:27:15.200 --> 00:27:18.200
about raising up a ruler from the east and challenging

419
00:27:18.240 --> 00:27:22.720
the nations to a trial. Second, Israel's special relationship with God.

420
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Isaiah forty focuses on God's universal greatness. Forty one applies

421
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that two Israel, reassuring them of three things, that they're

422
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God's chosen people, they do not need to fear, and

423
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God will strengthen them against their enemies. Everybody see all

424
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of that. Next major thing, how Isaiah forty one is

425
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different from Isaiah forty Now, how are they different? Well,

426
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Isaiah forty one builds on Isaiah forty. There are some

427
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key differences, all right. I hope I have all of

428
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these right, But I think I do all right. Isaiah

429
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forty just we're not going to go through all the verses.

430
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Emphasizes God's greatness over creation. I think we've already demonstrated that.

431
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I think we feel comfortable with that. Isaiah forty one

432
00:28:09.039 --> 00:28:16.559
emphasizes God's control over world history. Now it gets very specific, right,

433
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Isaiah forty addresses all people. It has more of a

434
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universal scope. Isaiah forty one addresses Israel specifically. Now there's

435
00:28:25.400 --> 00:28:27.359
a little bit of that in Isaiah forty as well,

436
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but in general it takes a more universal scope. Forty

437
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one is very much directed towards Israel. Isaiah forty focuses

438
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on God's transcendence. Forty one focuses on God's active involvement.

439
00:28:48.720 --> 00:28:54.680
Forty calls Israel to trust in God's power. Forty one

440
00:28:55.440 --> 00:29:03.640
Israel is assured of God's protection. Isaiah forty uses poetical

441
00:29:04.279 --> 00:29:10.680
poetic theological language. Forty one uses more direct courtroom imagery.

442
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So you could say Isaiah forty is broad and majestic.

443
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Forty one is specific and confrontational. So let's go through

444
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those again. All right, here's how they are different. You're ready.

445
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Isaiah forty emphasizes God's what greatness over creation. Isaiah forty

446
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one emphasize God's control over world history. Everybody got that.

447
00:29:39.599 --> 00:29:44.960
Isaiah forty addresses all people. It's more universal. Forty one

448
00:29:45.160 --> 00:29:53.240
addresses Israel specifically. So far, so good. Isaiah forty focuses

449
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on God's why transcendence. Forty one focuses on God's involvement.

450
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Isaiah forty calls Israel to trust in God's power. Forty

451
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one Israel's assured of God's protection. Isaiah forty uses what

452
00:30:11.640 --> 00:30:16.759
kind of language? Poetic theological language? Isaiah forty one uses

453
00:30:16.880 --> 00:30:22.200
courtroom imagery. And so we can say Isaiah forty is

454
00:30:22.240 --> 00:30:36.839
broad and majestic. Isaiah forty one is what specific and confrontational. Right,

455
00:30:38.319 --> 00:30:39.799
do we feel good? Do we have a good Are

456
00:30:39.799 --> 00:30:42.599
we seeing a good transition here? Seeing how they relate,

457
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how they build upon and some of the differences. Now,

458
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let's look at the key thematic connections between the two chapters.

459
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The key thematic connections, what themes connect them? Well, I

460
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think we've kind of already demonstrated this, right number one,

461
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God's power over creation shifts to God's power over nations.

462
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There's the transition. There's the key theme. What's the key theme,

463
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God's power? How is it? Transition forty is about his

464
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power over creation. Forty one it shifts to God's power

465
00:31:15.480 --> 00:31:19.359
over nations. Right, Look at chapter forty twelve through twenty six.

466
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We've already talked about this, but I'm just going to

467
00:31:24.799 --> 00:31:27.960
reemphasize it. Forty twelve through twenty six is about God

468
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being over creation. Right, Okay, Now look at forty one,

469
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Chapter forty one, look at two through four. We've already

470
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read it once, you can read it again. It gets

471
00:31:38.920 --> 00:31:44.880
very specific here right now it's God doing what God

472
00:31:45.000 --> 00:31:49.160
rules over history about raising up Cyrus. So chapter forty

473
00:31:49.440 --> 00:31:53.079
God rules over all nations. Now, God rules over history

474
00:31:53.359 --> 00:31:58.880
raising up Cyrus. He's specifically involved in this historical event

475
00:31:58.960 --> 00:32:01.680
that we can read about. Forget the Bible. We can

476
00:32:01.680 --> 00:32:04.839
read about Cyris coming to power in secular history books.

477
00:32:07.640 --> 00:32:11.200
All right, So the first thematic connection is God's power

478
00:32:11.720 --> 00:32:15.519
forty it's over creation forty one. God's power is over nations,

479
00:32:16.319 --> 00:32:21.680
it's over history. It's specific. Second thematic connection Israel's doubt

480
00:32:22.119 --> 00:32:27.720
God's assurance. Look at Isaiah forty verse twenty seven. Isaiah

481
00:32:27.799 --> 00:32:33.680
forty verse twenty seven. What do you find there? Yeah?

482
00:32:33.720 --> 00:32:37.960
Does Israel feel forgotten? Could you say they feel forgotten? Here?

483
00:32:38.839 --> 00:32:41.839
So Israel feels forgotten? What happens in chapter forty one,

484
00:32:41.920 --> 00:32:57.920
verses ten through fourteen, God personally reassures them forty day,

485
00:32:58.039 --> 00:33:01.000
They're like, what's going on? Forty one? Guys, like, I'm

486
00:33:01.039 --> 00:33:04.119
right here, I'm right here. He personally assures them. You

487
00:33:04.200 --> 00:33:06.640
see that. It goes from So think of this way

488
00:33:07.200 --> 00:33:10.440
forty If we want to see thematic connections, God's power

489
00:33:10.480 --> 00:33:13.400
over creation shifts to God's power. Are God's power over

490
00:33:13.920 --> 00:33:18.559
over creation shifts to God's power over nations. Secondly, Israel's

491
00:33:18.599 --> 00:33:23.400
doubt shifts to God's assurance. That's the second major transition

492
00:33:23.519 --> 00:33:29.200
and thematic connection. Third, idols are worthless Isaiah Chapter forty.

493
00:33:29.240 --> 00:33:35.319
What happens in verses eighteen through twenty Isaiah forty eighteen

494
00:33:35.359 --> 00:33:44.000
through twenty shows idols cannot be compared to God. Right,

495
00:33:44.359 --> 00:33:47.039
they can't be compared to God. What happens in chapter

496
00:33:47.079 --> 00:33:51.759
forty one twenty one through twenty nine forty one twenty

497
00:33:51.799 --> 00:33:55.440
one through twenty nine. Now God challenges the idols directly.

498
00:33:56.400 --> 00:33:59.039
It's not just hey, hey, nothing can compare to God

499
00:33:59.079 --> 00:34:01.440
now like God is like, oh okay, I'm gonna challenge

500
00:34:01.440 --> 00:34:07.119
you specifically. So what are the thematic connections God's power

501
00:34:07.160 --> 00:34:09.840
over basically God's power. It goes from God's power over

502
00:34:09.880 --> 00:34:13.760
creation to God's power over nations. Doubt goes to assurance,

503
00:34:14.440 --> 00:34:18.679
and then idols are worthless. And that's it goes from hey, God,

504
00:34:18.719 --> 00:34:22.480
nothing can compare to God to God challenging the idols directly.

505
00:34:23.519 --> 00:34:26.760
Those are the thematic connections between the two chapters. Everybody

506
00:34:26.760 --> 00:34:33.760
see that, right Now, what does this mean for our

507
00:34:33.920 --> 00:34:36.559
understanding of Isaiah forty and forty one. Now that we

508
00:34:36.639 --> 00:34:39.519
take all of that information, how does this help us? Well?

509
00:34:39.719 --> 00:34:42.800
Think of it this way? Isaiah forty is supposed to

510
00:34:42.800 --> 00:34:47.199
give confidence in God's greatness. Isaiah forty one gives confidence

511
00:34:47.239 --> 00:34:52.400
in God's presence. Now I'm not gonna apply that to us,

512
00:34:52.519 --> 00:34:55.639
I'm gonna say for them right, but us understanding it,

513
00:34:55.840 --> 00:34:58.480
Isaiah forty is like, Hey, God is great, God is

514
00:34:58.599 --> 00:35:01.599
over everything. Look at how great God is. Behold your God.

515
00:35:01.760 --> 00:35:04.440
And forty one it's like, hey, but God is present,

516
00:35:04.519 --> 00:35:11.400
He's here, he's going to do something, He's active. Think

517
00:35:11.440 --> 00:35:16.639
of it this way. Forty is still logical reflection. Forty

518
00:35:16.639 --> 00:35:24.039
one is personal assurance. Forty is still logical reflection. Forty

519
00:35:24.079 --> 00:35:30.079
one is personal assurance. Now how does that work for us? Well,

520
00:35:30.079 --> 00:35:32.360
what we want to do is take that personal assurance

521
00:35:32.400 --> 00:35:35.960
and apply it to what our everyday problems and difficulties

522
00:35:36.000 --> 00:35:39.719
and sickness and trials, which is why churches constantly give

523
00:35:39.760 --> 00:35:42.599
people that And then many people will look around going

524
00:35:42.800 --> 00:35:45.119
none of this assurance and promise that you promise me

525
00:35:45.199 --> 00:35:48.639
is working. They become disillusioned, They deconstruct, and they leave

526
00:35:48.760 --> 00:35:52.679
Christianity because they don't think it works. And that's on

527
00:35:52.760 --> 00:36:00.519
Pastor's fault. The pulpit is responsible, right, right, they had

528
00:36:00.559 --> 00:36:03.760
a long time. But I'm saying for us, this is

529
00:36:03.800 --> 00:36:06.519
how it can be applicable to us. We understand the

530
00:36:06.519 --> 00:36:09.840
theology that God is greater than everything right, more powerful

531
00:36:09.880 --> 00:36:12.880
than everything else right, But how can I find personal

532
00:36:12.920 --> 00:36:16.280
assurance in that theological truth? Because then I know God

533
00:36:16.559 --> 00:36:21.840
has intervened in history to do what for me, to

534
00:36:22.159 --> 00:36:26.559
save me from my sins, for His righteousness to be

535
00:36:26.599 --> 00:36:29.280
imputed to my account, to save me, to remove my

536
00:36:29.320 --> 00:36:31.000
sins as far as the east is from the west,

537
00:36:31.199 --> 00:36:33.840
to make me a child of God. Right, And then

538
00:36:33.880 --> 00:36:35.800
I know nothing is going to separate me from the

539
00:36:35.840 --> 00:36:38.440
love of God, because my salvation is not dependent on

540
00:36:38.480 --> 00:36:40.800
what I do, but what God has done for me.

541
00:36:41.079 --> 00:36:44.480
And then I know then that that guarantees what that

542
00:36:44.559 --> 00:36:47.599
there will come a time that there will be eternal glory,

543
00:36:47.639 --> 00:36:51.559
will there'll be what no more pain, no more suffering,

544
00:36:51.800 --> 00:36:55.960
no more death. Now, just like them that's a long

545
00:36:56.000 --> 00:36:59.320
ways away. That could be tomorrow, but I mean it

546
00:36:59.360 --> 00:37:01.920
could be seventy years, one hundred years, depending on how

547
00:37:01.920 --> 00:37:03.920
long you live. And your life may be filled with

548
00:37:04.000 --> 00:37:08.199
what during those seventy fifty eighty years. It can depending

549
00:37:08.239 --> 00:37:10.920
on you how your life goes. It may be filled

550
00:37:10.960 --> 00:37:16.519
with pain, loneliness, isolation, and suffering. But the end result

551
00:37:16.760 --> 00:37:19.440
is now, and that's where it's hard. How can I

552
00:37:19.679 --> 00:37:25.360
find assurance from God's philological truth or the truth of God? Philologically?

553
00:37:25.679 --> 00:37:30.239
I find assurance and simply knowing what God does guarantee me,

554
00:37:31.000 --> 00:37:36.360
not making promises about what He hasn't guaranteed me. Where

555
00:37:36.360 --> 00:37:39.719
can I not go find guarantees by going to Isaiah

556
00:37:39.840 --> 00:37:42.920
forty one and taking those guarantees and making them about

557
00:37:43.519 --> 00:37:47.760
me because they're not about me? All right? Does that

558
00:37:47.840 --> 00:37:54.239
make sense? So that's the idea that there is a

559
00:37:54.320 --> 00:37:57.199
personal assurance that comes from philological truth. It's just got

560
00:37:57.239 --> 00:38:01.199
to be applied correctly, right. So Isaiah forty gives confidence

561
00:38:01.199 --> 00:38:04.199
in God's greatness. Isaiah forty one gives confidence in God's

562
00:38:04.239 --> 00:38:09.519
presence Isaiah number two. Isaiah forty emphasizes God's majesty. Isaiah

563
00:38:09.519 --> 00:38:15.400
forty one emphasizes God's intervention. Forty emphasizes God's majesty. Forty

564
00:38:15.440 --> 00:38:19.440
one emphasizes God's intervention and Isaiah forty God is above

565
00:38:19.519 --> 00:38:23.639
all things, and Isaiah forty God is actively working for Israel.

566
00:38:23.719 --> 00:38:30.400
Please note actively working for Israel, all right. A third

567
00:38:30.559 --> 00:38:34.800
Isaiah forty shows why God is trustworthy. Isaiah forty one

568
00:38:34.840 --> 00:38:40.320
shows what God will do for his people Israel. For example,

569
00:38:40.360 --> 00:38:46.440
Isaiah forty, look at God's greatness Isaiah forty one, because

570
00:38:46.480 --> 00:38:48.800
God is great, and do not fear, because he's doing

571
00:38:48.880 --> 00:39:06.199
something for you. It's again this theoretical to the practical. Right. Okay,

572
00:39:06.199 --> 00:39:09.159
now I've got i got a bunch of other things here.

573
00:39:09.239 --> 00:39:13.599
I'm gonna skip some of this, all right, I will

574
00:39:13.639 --> 00:39:15.239
do We'll see. I think we have a little bit

575
00:39:15.280 --> 00:39:16.800
of time. We have a little bit of time here.

576
00:39:17.199 --> 00:39:20.360
Do this. Go ahead. If you take your bibles, look

577
00:39:20.400 --> 00:39:24.719
at Isaiah forty one. There's how many There's twenty nine verses,

578
00:39:25.679 --> 00:39:29.519
twenty nine verses. All right, Isaiah forty one, there's twenty nine.

579
00:39:29.599 --> 00:39:34.199
Start skimming those twenty nine. Write down as many promises

580
00:39:35.199 --> 00:39:38.599
as you can find. And forty one one through twenty nine,

581
00:39:39.519 --> 00:39:42.280
write down the promise in the reference, it appears to

582
00:39:42.280 --> 00:39:45.760
be some kind of promise, some kind of assurance, promise, assurance.

583
00:39:45.800 --> 00:39:49.320
You get the idea, but I will do this, or

584
00:39:49.360 --> 00:39:51.480
I'm gonna do this, or hey, don't need to worry

585
00:39:51.519 --> 00:39:54.800
about this. Anything that's promise or assurance. Write down all

586
00:39:54.840 --> 00:40:01.679
the ones that you can find, all the ones that

587
00:40:01.719 --> 00:40:07.440
you can find, all.

588
00:40:07.320 --> 00:40:21.360
The ones you can find. Hey, there's a lot, I think, yeah.

589
00:40:19.159 --> 00:40:27.880
Right down the ones, right down the reference. And I

590
00:40:27.880 --> 00:40:29.880
thought about this when I was listening to the sermon

591
00:40:29.920 --> 00:40:40.519
on the way here. If you if you start in

592
00:40:40.599 --> 00:40:42.639
verse one, where's the first one that jumps out at you?

593
00:40:44.199 --> 00:40:46.320
If you start in verse one, where where's the first one.

594
00:40:48.719 --> 00:40:51.320
Let's just see if which we we can find them?

595
00:40:51.440 --> 00:41:06.639
The first one that kind of jumps out.

596
00:41:08.559 --> 00:41:11.559
Yeah, but it is. It is offering up almost as

597
00:41:11.599 --> 00:41:14.519
if a done fact. But he's gonna raise someone up right, Okay,

598
00:41:14.679 --> 00:41:19.480
but yeah, right especially but it definitely gives us the

599
00:41:19.599 --> 00:41:24.199
idea that God's gonna do something with someone right now.

600
00:41:24.280 --> 00:41:28.599
Some people will may trying to make that mess a

601
00:41:28.679 --> 00:41:32.360
messianic promise, but that's dealing with Cyrus there. Okay, but

602
00:41:32.400 --> 00:41:42.800
then verse eight, did you say Verse nine? Okay? Verse nine, Thou,

603
00:41:43.000 --> 00:41:46.239
though thou whom I have taken from the ends of

604
00:41:46.280 --> 00:41:48.800
the earth and called THEE from the chief men thereof,

605
00:41:49.119 --> 00:41:51.360
and said, unto thee, thou art, my servant, I have

606
00:41:51.480 --> 00:41:54.800
chosen THEE and not cast THEE away. Now, please note

607
00:41:55.119 --> 00:41:58.440
any language that sounds like us in eight through nine,

608
00:41:59.039 --> 00:42:03.800
stop it, because it's very clear who he's referring to, right, Israel,

609
00:42:03.960 --> 00:42:07.639
arn't my servant Jacob, whom I have chosen the seat

610
00:42:07.679 --> 00:42:11.920
of Abraham my friend Thou whom he's referring to Israel? Okay?

611
00:42:12.159 --> 00:42:14.119
And then verse ten is where most of the sermons,

612
00:42:14.119 --> 00:42:18.039
and most immediately go. They drive to ten, even though

613
00:42:18.039 --> 00:42:20.760
they say that the text is bigger. They go to ten.

614
00:42:21.199 --> 00:42:26.679
Why because immediately it is fear thou, not but what

615
00:42:27.280 --> 00:42:31.639
any good anyone who's who's a good reader? Basic reading comprehension,

616
00:42:31.840 --> 00:42:33.960
What do you look for in that phrase? Fear thou,

617
00:42:34.119 --> 00:42:41.039
not Sarah? Who is the thou? Because the thou isn't me? Right,

618
00:42:41.280 --> 00:42:43.920
It doesn't tell me not to fear it says thou,

619
00:42:44.039 --> 00:42:46.639
who is the thou? How do you identify the thou?

620
00:42:46.719 --> 00:42:52.360
In doing basic reading comprehensions, the mediate reference and the

621
00:42:52.400 --> 00:42:56.840
immediate reference is it's Israel, There's no question about it. Right,

622
00:42:57.239 --> 00:43:01.199
So fear thou not, for I am with THEE. Now

623
00:43:01.239 --> 00:43:03.079
what you I know people want to run into the

624
00:43:03.119 --> 00:43:05.800
New Testament and try to find some scripture. The point is,

625
00:43:05.840 --> 00:43:08.880
in this context it has nothing to do with us.

626
00:43:10.119 --> 00:43:12.000
What are they not to be fearing in their in

627
00:43:12.039 --> 00:43:19.000
this context their captivity? The idols Babylonians. Because he's already

628
00:43:19.000 --> 00:43:23.679
demonstrated that he's gonna rise What raised someone verse two?

629
00:43:23.920 --> 00:43:26.239
Who raised up the righteous man from the east, called

630
00:43:26.320 --> 00:43:29.400
him to his foot, gave the nations before him, made

631
00:43:29.440 --> 00:43:33.440
him rule over kings. He gave them as the dust

632
00:43:33.480 --> 00:43:37.679
of the sword, whoever that is. And in some ways

633
00:43:37.679 --> 00:43:39.639
they don't even need to fear that person that's being

634
00:43:39.719 --> 00:43:41.599
raised up, because they may think they need to be

635
00:43:41.639 --> 00:43:44.679
fearful of him as well. Right now, the person being

636
00:43:44.760 --> 00:43:49.719
raised up, don't fear. Don't fear Babylonians. Babylonians, don't fear captivity,

637
00:43:50.000 --> 00:43:55.559
don't fear their gods. Don't fear because I am with THEE.

638
00:43:55.639 --> 00:44:02.320
What's the next phrase? And verse two, Well, fear thou

639
00:44:02.400 --> 00:44:07.199
not for I am with THEE. Next phrase, be not dismayed. Now, say,

640
00:44:07.239 --> 00:44:08.760
if you go to Bible college, or you can go

641
00:44:08.760 --> 00:44:11.760
to seminary and you see that you know what that screams?

642
00:44:11.880 --> 00:44:13.840
What does that when you really look at verse ten.

643
00:44:14.039 --> 00:44:16.440
Maybe you don't realize this, but what does that verse

644
00:44:16.519 --> 00:44:21.320
just start screaming at you outline? Right? Do you not

645
00:44:21.400 --> 00:44:29.880
have a sermon? Point one? Fear not point two. I

646
00:44:29.920 --> 00:44:32.840
am with THEE. I break, I mean break this, break

647
00:44:32.840 --> 00:44:35.880
the text down right, fear not, I am with THEE.

648
00:44:36.000 --> 00:44:41.519
Number three, be not dismayed. I am your God. You

649
00:44:41.519 --> 00:44:43.639
could break it down into four parts if you want, right,

650
00:44:45.880 --> 00:44:50.639
or actually you can add more. I will strengthen THEE.

651
00:44:50.920 --> 00:44:55.119
I will help THEE. I will uphold THEE with the

652
00:44:55.199 --> 00:45:00.239
right hand of my righteousness. Okay, breach is really good.

653
00:45:00.440 --> 00:45:02.840
Now you can combine some of those and then you

654
00:45:02.840 --> 00:45:05.079
could probably break it down into three major points, which

655
00:45:05.079 --> 00:45:08.840
you'd have your three points. Every sermon does that, and

656
00:45:08.880 --> 00:45:12.960
then everyone in the congregation do they leave thinking about Israel?

657
00:45:13.000 --> 00:45:15.960
And that now will Israel be mentioned? Oh, don't be mentioned.

658
00:45:16.480 --> 00:45:20.719
They'll be talked about the pastor may give the impression that, oh,

659
00:45:20.840 --> 00:45:23.719
look we got historical context. We go to a church

660
00:45:23.760 --> 00:45:27.719
that does exegetical preaching. But when you walk out taking

661
00:45:27.840 --> 00:45:30.639
those points, and then you say, what was discerned about

662
00:45:30.679 --> 00:45:33.519
in your church? Oh? I got so much comfort today.

663
00:45:33.800 --> 00:45:36.239
I was told not to fear slap them in the face.

664
00:45:36.280 --> 00:45:38.360
You shouldn't be fearful of me, because I'm gonna beat

665
00:45:38.400 --> 00:45:41.880
you unconscious, because what are you talking about? That's not

666
00:45:42.199 --> 00:45:46.920
for you? Okay, it's not for you. It was for them.

667
00:45:47.320 --> 00:45:49.639
Well then why do I go to church? Well, exactly,

668
00:45:49.679 --> 00:45:52.239
you want it to be about you, So go find

669
00:45:52.239 --> 00:45:54.280
a church and makes it about you and you'll be happy.

670
00:45:54.599 --> 00:45:56.920
But the text has nothing to do with us none.

671
00:45:58.239 --> 00:46:01.320
We're not there. Does everybody understand that we're not there?

672
00:46:02.159 --> 00:46:06.639
Verse eleven. Behold all they say that we're incensed against Thee.

673
00:46:06.760 --> 00:46:10.039
Behold all they that were incensed against THEE shall be

674
00:46:10.079 --> 00:46:13.639
ashamed and confounded. They shall be as nothing, and they

675
00:46:13.679 --> 00:46:17.800
shall strive with the day that strived with these shall perish.

676
00:46:17.960 --> 00:46:22.519
You know what you'll see in devotional books. Hey, today,

677
00:46:23.280 --> 00:46:26.559
are you having struggles with someone? Someone's been against you,

678
00:46:26.960 --> 00:46:30.280
someone has spoken against you. Well, trust God, he's gonna

679
00:46:30.280 --> 00:46:37.000
take care of you. Cannot say that. You cannot say

680
00:46:37.039 --> 00:46:42.360
that some woman who's in an abusive relationship, here's that

681
00:46:42.519 --> 00:46:44.639
in their devotional and then now I don't know. Six

682
00:46:44.719 --> 00:46:47.920
days later her husband ex husband finds her and beats

683
00:46:47.920 --> 00:46:50.880
her to death, and she's dead. That verse didn't help her,

684
00:46:51.320 --> 00:46:54.800
did it. Some child is in an abusive situation gets

685
00:46:54.840 --> 00:46:56.920
tied up in a closet and beat with a baseball

686
00:46:57.000 --> 00:46:59.760
bat or burt with a curling iron. Guess what? That

687
00:47:00.079 --> 00:47:06.880
first can not help anyone. When pastors apply it to people,

688
00:47:07.239 --> 00:47:13.440
they set them up for total, total, absolute psychological damage.

689
00:47:14.360 --> 00:47:17.519
All right, and it cannot. And you can just go

690
00:47:17.559 --> 00:47:19.360
through here, and there's all this kind of stuff like

691
00:47:19.480 --> 00:47:22.760
verse thirteen, for I the Lord thy God will hold

692
00:47:22.760 --> 00:47:25.119
thy hand God. I mean, you go through here. It's

693
00:47:25.199 --> 00:47:29.519
filled with these kinds of promises, right verse nineteen or

694
00:47:29.760 --> 00:47:32.599
verse eighteen. I will open the rivers in high places.

695
00:47:33.480 --> 00:47:36.280
I will plant thee in the wilderness in nineteen it's there.

696
00:47:36.360 --> 00:47:38.079
I mean, I was gonna have you go through and

697
00:47:38.079 --> 00:47:40.320
write them all down. And for those listening online, you

698
00:47:40.400 --> 00:47:45.360
really should make a list of all these promises, put

699
00:47:45.400 --> 00:47:49.199
the promises on your refrigerator and remind yourself every day.

700
00:47:49.440 --> 00:47:55.760
Those aren't for you. You can try to spiritualize them,

701
00:47:56.079 --> 00:48:00.280
you can try to rip them off. They're not free you,

702
00:48:00.480 --> 00:48:03.000
So how do we understand all of that what God

703
00:48:03.159 --> 00:48:07.079
was doing for Israel? And what's the lesson for them?

704
00:48:07.239 --> 00:48:10.920
And forty they get the philological lesson? And forty one.

705
00:48:11.280 --> 00:48:14.880
Now that theology is going to be applied specifically, do

706
00:48:14.920 --> 00:48:17.159
we have philological truths that will be applied to our

707
00:48:17.199 --> 00:48:21.639
lives specifically? Yes? How is it primarily applied to us? Specifically?

708
00:48:22.320 --> 00:48:28.920
God sending his son into our spiritual Babylonian captivity to

709
00:48:29.039 --> 00:48:33.920
do what in a sense to be our cyrus, to

710
00:48:34.119 --> 00:48:39.679
set us free from what the condemnation of sin, the

711
00:48:39.800 --> 00:48:44.599
penalty of sin, the power of sin. Not now, but

712
00:48:46.280 --> 00:48:50.679
then now, if you apply it that way, perfect, I

713
00:48:50.760 --> 00:48:53.880
got no problem if you apply if you say that

714
00:48:53.880 --> 00:48:56.400
that's how it relates. But if when you make it

715
00:48:56.440 --> 00:48:58.480
that you have been set free, but I mean every

716
00:48:58.559 --> 00:49:00.280
church will say you've been set free from the power

717
00:49:00.280 --> 00:49:01.960
of sin. You've been set free from the power of sin.

718
00:49:02.119 --> 00:49:04.000
We we've all been set free from the power of sin.

719
00:49:04.119 --> 00:49:07.480
Then what should we stop doing? Sinning? If I can't

720
00:49:07.480 --> 00:49:12.039
stop sinning, then what is holding me back from sinning?

721
00:49:12.400 --> 00:49:16.039
Then would be still what in power? In fact, it

722
00:49:16.039 --> 00:49:20.119
would be the greater power. If I can't stop sinning,

723
00:49:20.360 --> 00:49:22.840
that which keeps me from not sinning. There is the

724
00:49:23.000 --> 00:49:25.719
active power. It's still in control. Don't tell me I've

725
00:49:25.719 --> 00:49:28.159
been set free from something that stops me from getting

726
00:49:28.159 --> 00:49:31.719
to perfection. Christians are insane with some of this stuff.

727
00:49:32.000 --> 00:49:34.559
But if we apply it to them, does it make

728
00:49:34.559 --> 00:49:38.440
perfect sense? Yes? Because we saw it play out in history?

729
00:49:38.719 --> 00:49:41.159
All right, So I will say this because we're out

730
00:49:41.199 --> 00:49:44.840
of time. Isaiah forty one does not stand apart from

731
00:49:44.880 --> 00:49:47.079
Isaiah forty. It builds upon it. Can we all say

732
00:49:47.079 --> 00:49:50.599
an end to that? Right? Isaiah forty declares God's greatness

733
00:49:50.599 --> 00:49:53.480
in a universal sense. Isaiah forty one shows how God's

734
00:49:53.480 --> 00:49:56.360
greatness is applied to history and israel situation. Can we

735
00:49:56.400 --> 00:50:00.320
agree to that? I hope? So both chapters together a

736
00:50:00.320 --> 00:50:03.599
complete picture. God does not only transcend it and powerful,

737
00:50:03.800 --> 00:50:07.679
but he is near and active. A correct reading of

738
00:50:07.760 --> 00:50:13.519
Isaiah forty through forty one prevents misinterpretation by showing how

739
00:50:13.639 --> 00:50:18.000
philological truths in Isaiah forty lead to specific actions In

740
00:50:18.079 --> 00:50:21.000
forty one. It reminds us that the God who created

741
00:50:21.000 --> 00:50:24.360
the universe is also the God who governs history and

742
00:50:24.519 --> 00:50:29.159
cares for his people Israel. And that's how we understand this.

743
00:50:30.519 --> 00:50:33.920
You see the connection. So when we and that's just

744
00:50:33.960 --> 00:50:36.320
important to remember. Whenever you read one chapter and you

745
00:50:36.360 --> 00:50:38.800
get ready to read another chapter, what's a question you

746
00:50:38.840 --> 00:50:42.800
should always ask yourself. How does that chapter lead into

747
00:50:42.840 --> 00:50:46.559
this one? How does the narrative continue, does it shift,

748
00:50:46.920 --> 00:50:50.000
is it a contrast, is it different? Does it build

749
00:50:50.079 --> 00:50:52.599
upon it? And it's hard to do that because we

750
00:50:52.639 --> 00:50:57.880
have these stupid chapter divisions, But we do the same,

751
00:50:58.239 --> 00:51:00.360
if we would think about it, we do very good

752
00:51:00.400 --> 00:51:05.079
doing chapter divisions and novels. Right, if I'm reading a novel,

753
00:51:06.039 --> 00:51:09.440
I don't see it disconnected from the previous chapter. I

754
00:51:09.480 --> 00:51:12.320
see it as a continuation, right, I see it as

755
00:51:12.360 --> 00:51:15.280
a But sometimes in the Bible, I know, we know

756
00:51:15.400 --> 00:51:19.119
it's connected. But because we have we're so used to

757
00:51:19.239 --> 00:51:21.880
the way we preach it. Right because even if I

758
00:51:22.000 --> 00:51:25.079
try to remind you last week we're in Isaiah forty,

759
00:51:25.679 --> 00:51:27.800
this week we're in Isaiah forty one. Now, remember in

760
00:51:27.840 --> 00:51:29.840
Isaiah forty we said this and this and this, But

761
00:51:29.880 --> 00:51:32.159
as soon as we start your focus, then it's just

762
00:51:32.239 --> 00:51:35.239
you've disconnected it. So I wanted to do the transition

763
00:51:35.480 --> 00:51:39.119
thing just to try to show you they're more connected

764
00:51:39.119 --> 00:51:41.960
than we because it's hard when I start preaching forty one,

765
00:51:42.000 --> 00:51:44.400
to keep flipping back to forty going. See that we're connection,

766
00:51:44.880 --> 00:51:48.239
see that connection, See that we'll never get done right.

767
00:51:48.519 --> 00:51:51.239
But if I can just do it in one hour now,

768
00:51:51.320 --> 00:51:57.039
hopefully you'll not forget the connection. Hopefully, hopefully, hopefully right.

769
00:51:57.119 --> 00:52:00.280
Let's let's pray it. God, we come before you this morning. Lord,

770
00:52:00.320 --> 00:52:02.280
thank you for again being in a church where we

771
00:52:02.320 --> 00:52:05.119
can do things like this. This would not be very

772
00:52:05.199 --> 00:52:09.800
welcomed in many other places. And Lord, forgive us for

773
00:52:09.920 --> 00:52:14.320
the way we've mishandled your word countless times. Forgive us.

774
00:52:15.119 --> 00:52:17.880
And Lord, I pray that we would give this much

775
00:52:17.920 --> 00:52:22.840
thought and meditation and continue to learn and just grow

776
00:52:22.920 --> 00:52:26.239
in our understanding of this important section of scripture. And

777
00:52:26.280 --> 00:52:28.039
we asked us in Jesus name, and God's people said