1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:03,569 Hello and welcome to the Middletown Baptist Church Podcast 2 00:00:03,697 --> 00:00:06,593 where we are proclaiming the truth to the world. 3 00:00:06,689 --> 00:00:09,657 My name is Pastor Josh and I want to thank you for listening to 4 00:00:09,681 --> 00:00:10,685 this podcast. 5 00:00:10,985 --> 00:00:14,625 I hope that this podcast can be a blessing to you and strengthen 6 00:00:14,665 --> 00:00:16,245 you in the Word of God. 7 00:00:16,745 --> 00:00:20,145 Now come along, let's look into the Bible and see what God has 8 00:00:20,185 --> 00:00:21,765 for us here today. 9 00:00:23,465 --> 00:00:27,301 Praise the Lord that He fulfilled the Father's will by coming 10 00:00:27,333 --> 00:00:31,613 to earth being born a lowly estate by the Virgin Mary by the 11 00:00:31,629 --> 00:00:34,925 Virgin Mary to come to this earth to fulfill what the Father 12 00:00:34,965 --> 00:00:35,341 had planned. 13 00:00:35,373 --> 00:00:36,765 What was that Salvation's plan? 14 00:00:36,805 --> 00:00:38,869 The good news of Jesus Christ. 15 00:00:38,917 --> 00:00:44,185 And tonight we're going to talk about a very unique person. 16 00:00:44,605 --> 00:00:48,365 His name is Isaiah in the Old Testament, the Book of Isaiah, Chapter 17 00:00:48,405 --> 00:00:53,193 one Isaiah, Chapter one Before we get there about Isaiah, there 18 00:00:53,209 --> 00:00:57,697 was a lady whose name was Jocelyn Robertson in her final performance 19 00:00:57,761 --> 00:01:02,289 at the US Olympic team trials for gymnastics on Sunday 30 June, 20 00:01:02,457 --> 00:01:06,097 inside Minneapolis Target Center, Jocelyn Robertson brought 21 00:01:06,121 --> 00:01:07,145 the house down. 22 00:01:07,305 --> 00:01:11,305 Her full Exercise in the fourth rotation was captivating powerful 23 00:01:11,345 --> 00:01:14,285 in Cap 2 days of 8 for 8 performances. 24 00:01:14,705 --> 00:01:18,137 As Robertson hit her final pose, her head thrown back and arms 25 00:01:18,201 --> 00:01:22,275 raised, the tears started to flow and the crowd erupted. 26 00:01:22,775 --> 00:01:26,839 She hadn't just met the moment, she had made a one, and it 27 00:01:26,847 --> 00:01:28,911 was one that earlier this year seemed like a dream. 28 00:01:28,943 --> 00:01:33,351 I might have to wait four more years, she stated this My ankle was 29 00:01:33,383 --> 00:01:34,135 still really hurt. 30 00:01:34,175 --> 00:01:37,911 It hurt bad still in February, Robertson, one of two traveling Team 31 00:01:37,943 --> 00:01:42,439 USA alternates for Paris 2024, told reporters less than 24 hours 32 00:01:42,487 --> 00:01:45,847 later, referring to an injury sustained during the final warmups 33 00:01:45,871 --> 00:01:46,383 for the team. 34 00:01:46,439 --> 00:01:50,465 Finally, at the 2023 World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium, 35 00:01:50,925 --> 00:01:53,917 it definitely was 24 is not happening. 36 00:01:54,101 --> 00:01:56,645 You're going to get to the Olympic trials even because our team 37 00:01:56,685 --> 00:01:59,141 this year has so much depth, she says. 38 00:01:59,173 --> 00:02:02,101 It was either you're perfect or you're not going to make it, she 39 00:02:02,133 --> 00:02:06,381 concluded, shaking off tough performances at the American Classic 40 00:02:06,413 --> 00:02:10,013 and US Classic in late April and mid May respectively, to finish 41 00:02:10,069 --> 00:02:14,025 10th at the US Championships earned her spot at the trials. 42 00:02:14,425 --> 00:02:17,305 It was a fight that was as much mental as it was physical, she 43 00:02:17,345 --> 00:02:17,925 says. 44 00:02:18,265 --> 00:02:21,121 It was hard to battle mentally because it was hard for me to be 45 00:02:21,153 --> 00:02:24,049 like, you're fine, it's just achy, she explained. 46 00:02:24,217 --> 00:02:27,297 When January and February hit, I was still having a lot of pain 47 00:02:27,441 --> 00:02:28,921 and I was really down on myself. 48 00:02:28,993 --> 00:02:32,425 My support team really pulled me back out of that and we figured 49 00:02:32,465 --> 00:02:33,205 it out. 50 00:02:34,265 --> 00:02:39,201 Now I want you to imagine that kind of picture with the prophet 51 00:02:39,233 --> 00:02:42,263 Isaiah in Isaiah, chapter 6. 52 00:02:42,319 --> 00:02:45,943 God commissions the prophet Isaiah to do a very special and unique 53 00:02:45,999 --> 00:02:46,795 ministry. 54 00:02:47,455 --> 00:02:50,435 One that required Isaiah to share a message. 55 00:02:50,815 --> 00:02:54,463 But he says, share this message until the lands are desolate 56 00:02:54,599 --> 00:02:56,635 and there's nobody else left to preach to. 57 00:02:57,695 --> 00:02:59,955 How would you feel about that kind of a ministry? 58 00:03:00,335 --> 00:03:03,575 It's the same idea as, you know, God telling you to get a sales 59 00:03:03,615 --> 00:03:04,103 job. 60 00:03:04,239 --> 00:03:05,543 All right, I want you to get a sales job. 61 00:03:05,559 --> 00:03:07,327 You're going to make millions and millions of dollars in sales. 62 00:03:07,351 --> 00:03:10,241 You're going to make a really good income for your family and you're 63 00:03:10,273 --> 00:03:12,897 like, okay, that's a very risky business. 64 00:03:12,961 --> 00:03:13,233 Right? 65 00:03:13,289 --> 00:03:17,745 But all right, you know, it's the same kind of idea where Isaiah, 66 00:03:17,865 --> 00:03:19,241 Isaiah or maybe. 67 00:03:19,393 --> 00:03:22,449 And so, but Isaiah's told us where it's like, okay, I'm going 68 00:03:22,457 --> 00:03:23,185 to go here. 69 00:03:23,305 --> 00:03:25,681 Eventually there would be fruit from Isaiah's ministry. 70 00:03:25,753 --> 00:03:27,977 Eventually down the road they will look back at the book of Isaiah 71 00:03:28,001 --> 00:03:30,577 and there'll be eventual fruit from his ministry. 72 00:03:30,761 --> 00:03:33,685 But it was going to take a very long time to see that fruit. 73 00:03:34,755 --> 00:03:37,547 Now the name Isaiah means the Lord is salvation. 74 00:03:37,611 --> 00:03:40,363 This name is similar to Joshua, Elisha and Jesus. 75 00:03:40,419 --> 00:03:44,323 Isaiah is quoted directly in the New Testament over 65 times, 76 00:03:44,499 --> 00:03:48,051 far more than any other Old Testament prophet and mentioned by 77 00:03:48,083 --> 00:03:49,179 name over 20 times. 78 00:03:49,227 --> 00:03:53,899 Isaiah was the prophet to Judah during 4 Kings, Uzziah, Jotham, 79 00:03:53,947 --> 00:03:56,115 Ahaz and Hezekiah. 80 00:03:56,275 --> 00:03:58,355 Now Isaiah was a contemporary to Hosea. 81 00:03:58,395 --> 00:04:03,065 Micah 2 Chronicles 32, 32 seems to indicate that Isaiah even 82 00:04:03,105 --> 00:04:06,473 had the opportunity to write the biography for King Hezekiah. 83 00:04:06,649 --> 00:04:09,209 Isaiah lived until at least 681 BC. 84 00:04:09,337 --> 00:04:10,569 Tradition says that he would. 85 00:04:10,617 --> 00:04:14,393 He was killed under King Manasseh by being cut in two with 86 00:04:14,409 --> 00:04:15,365 a wooden saw. 87 00:04:16,145 --> 00:04:21,025 A man who had stuck faithful to his mission of what God had called 88 00:04:21,065 --> 00:04:22,565 him to do to his death. 89 00:04:23,145 --> 00:04:26,401 The key verse in the book of Isaiah, Isaiah, chapter 12, verse 90 00:04:26,433 --> 00:04:26,601 2. 91 00:04:26,633 --> 00:04:27,241 It states this. 92 00:04:27,273 --> 00:04:29,957 And this is actually the verse we claim when Isaiah was born because 93 00:04:29,981 --> 00:04:32,757 it was a very difficult delivery process. 94 00:04:32,941 --> 00:04:34,613 Isaiah 12:2 states this. 95 00:04:34,669 --> 00:04:37,305 Behold, God is my salvation. 96 00:04:37,685 --> 00:04:40,625 I will trust and not be afraid. 97 00:04:40,925 --> 00:04:41,605 For the Lord. 98 00:04:41,645 --> 00:04:43,989 Jehovah is my strength and my song. 99 00:04:44,157 --> 00:04:46,545 He also has become my salvation. 100 00:04:48,045 --> 00:04:49,745 Think about that verse there. 101 00:04:50,445 --> 00:04:51,813 I will trust. 102 00:04:51,909 --> 00:04:56,197 I will not be afraid for the Lord Jehovah, the all powerful God, 103 00:04:56,221 --> 00:04:59,359 the all sufficient God, the God who knows all of my needs. 104 00:04:59,407 --> 00:05:02,735 The God who has called me to, to this specific purpose for Isaiah, 105 00:05:02,855 --> 00:05:06,835 his very difficult ministry of sharing this message. 106 00:05:09,015 --> 00:05:11,351 But God is my strength, he is my song. 107 00:05:11,503 --> 00:05:13,555 He also has become my salvation. 108 00:05:14,495 --> 00:05:17,567 It may not be a salvation that he would see in his lifetime but 109 00:05:17,591 --> 00:05:19,315 one day that salvation would come. 110 00:05:19,935 --> 00:05:22,839 Now, Isaiah prophesied during the period of the divided kingdom, 111 00:05:22,887 --> 00:05:26,243 during the major thrust of his message to the southern kingdom of 112 00:05:26,259 --> 00:05:26,571 Judah. 113 00:05:26,603 --> 00:05:30,155 He condemned the empty ritualism of his day and the idolatry 114 00:05:30,195 --> 00:05:31,875 into which many of the people had fallen. 115 00:05:31,915 --> 00:05:34,855 We'll talk about that in the first part of Isaiah, chapter one. 116 00:05:35,595 --> 00:05:39,347 But he foresaw this coming Babylonian captivity of Judah, because 117 00:05:39,411 --> 00:05:43,411 this departure from the Lord, a very, very sad state with the nation 118 00:05:43,443 --> 00:05:45,419 of Israel and specifically with Judah. 119 00:05:45,587 --> 00:05:48,747 And the book of Isaiah has 66 chapters, much like the Scripture, 120 00:05:48,771 --> 00:05:50,905 right has 66 books in the Bible. 121 00:05:51,075 --> 00:05:54,125 The first through nine chapters are of judgment, judgment, 122 00:05:54,205 --> 00:05:56,185 judgment, and. 123 00:05:57,045 --> 00:06:00,741 But the last 27 books talk about a message of hope. 124 00:06:00,773 --> 00:06:04,981 In Isaiah chapter 40, where he says in verse one, comfort ye, comfort 125 00:06:05,013 --> 00:06:06,985 ye, my people, saith your God. 126 00:06:07,565 --> 00:06:10,505 There was a plan of restoration that God had for Israel. 127 00:06:11,725 --> 00:06:14,685 But a chapter to highlight, as mentioned earlier, was chapter six, 128 00:06:14,725 --> 00:06:17,707 where the Lord brings Isaiah into his throne room. 129 00:06:17,861 --> 00:06:21,223 And he commissioned to give this message of judgment and hope 130 00:06:21,359 --> 00:06:23,395 until there was no one who would be left. 131 00:06:24,375 --> 00:06:26,515 But we're here in Isaiah chapter one. 132 00:06:27,855 --> 00:06:30,239 If you have your Bibles in Isaiah chapter one there, we're going 133 00:06:30,247 --> 00:06:32,039 to see a simple truth tonight. 134 00:06:32,167 --> 00:06:33,415 And that truth is this. 135 00:06:33,495 --> 00:06:35,835 God wants your life preserved. 136 00:06:36,495 --> 00:06:37,999 God wants your life preserved. 137 00:06:38,047 --> 00:06:39,319 How can your life be preserved? 138 00:06:39,407 --> 00:06:44,143 Your life can be preserved by observing three steps to destruction 139 00:06:44,199 --> 00:06:47,415 found here in Isaiah chapter one were three warnings you could 140 00:06:47,455 --> 00:06:51,655 say to be able to preserve yourself on the road of obedience 141 00:06:51,775 --> 00:06:52,715 for God. 142 00:06:53,175 --> 00:06:56,395 First, number one, recognize sin markers. 143 00:06:56,695 --> 00:06:59,239 Number two, you must believe God's word. 144 00:06:59,327 --> 00:07:01,195 And third, you must fear the Lord. 145 00:07:02,495 --> 00:07:06,287 So Isaiah, having just finished talking about false worship 146 00:07:06,391 --> 00:07:10,807 and how distasteful it was in God's eyes, he moves to showing how 147 00:07:10,831 --> 00:07:14,351 it leads to wickedness and that God has to deal with that wickedness. 148 00:07:14,383 --> 00:07:16,079 Let's look Here in Isaiah 1. 149 00:07:16,206 --> 00:07:19,975 1, it states the vision of Isaiah, the son of Amaz, which he 150 00:07:20,015 --> 00:07:22,919 saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, 151 00:07:23,047 --> 00:07:25,831 Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. 152 00:07:25,983 --> 00:07:29,195 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord hath spoken. 153 00:07:29,535 --> 00:07:33,439 I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled 154 00:07:33,487 --> 00:07:34,413 against me. 155 00:07:34,599 --> 00:07:37,561 The ox knoweth his owner and the ass his master's crib. 156 00:07:37,593 --> 00:07:40,497 But Israel doth not know why people doth not consider. 157 00:07:40,681 --> 00:07:41,849 Ah, sinful nation. 158 00:07:41,897 --> 00:07:45,497 A people laden with iniquity, a seat of evildoers. 159 00:07:45,561 --> 00:07:47,089 Children are corrupters. 160 00:07:47,257 --> 00:07:49,921 They have forsaken the Lord. 161 00:07:50,073 --> 00:07:52,593 They have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger they are 162 00:07:52,609 --> 00:07:53,845 gone away backward. 163 00:07:54,185 --> 00:07:56,137 Why should ye be stricken anymore? 164 00:07:56,281 --> 00:07:57,953 Ye'll revolt more and more. 165 00:07:58,009 --> 00:08:01,363 The whole head is sick, and the heart of faith, from the sole 166 00:08:01,379 --> 00:08:04,379 of the foot even to the head, there was no soundness in it, but 167 00:08:04,427 --> 00:08:07,131 wounds and bruises and putrefying sores. 168 00:08:07,243 --> 00:08:11,035 They have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified 169 00:08:11,115 --> 00:08:12,055 with ointments. 170 00:08:12,795 --> 00:08:14,643 Your country is desolate. 171 00:08:14,819 --> 00:08:16,895 Your cities are burned with fire. 172 00:08:17,195 --> 00:08:21,051 Your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, 173 00:08:21,163 --> 00:08:23,295 as overthrown by strangers. 174 00:08:23,675 --> 00:08:26,547 And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage, and a vineyard, 175 00:08:26,651 --> 00:08:29,747 as a lodge, and a garden of cucumbers as a besieged city, except 176 00:08:29,771 --> 00:08:35,131 the Lord of hosts had left us, left unto us a very small remnant, 177 00:08:35,243 --> 00:08:38,875 we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto 178 00:08:38,915 --> 00:08:39,895 Gomorrah. 179 00:08:40,955 --> 00:08:43,019 Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom. 180 00:08:43,067 --> 00:08:44,411 Give unto the law of our God. 181 00:08:44,443 --> 00:08:45,659 Ye people of Gomorrah. 182 00:08:45,747 --> 00:08:48,379 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto 183 00:08:48,427 --> 00:08:50,707 me, saith the Lord. 184 00:08:50,771 --> 00:08:53,315 I am full of the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of 185 00:08:53,395 --> 00:08:56,997 fed beasts, and I delight not in the blood of bullocks or of lambs, 186 00:08:57,021 --> 00:08:57,765 or of he goats. 187 00:08:57,805 --> 00:08:59,501 When ye come to appear before me. 188 00:08:59,573 --> 00:09:02,997 Who hath required this at your hand to tread my courts, pray no 189 00:09:03,021 --> 00:09:03,949 more vain oblations. 190 00:09:04,037 --> 00:09:05,973 Incense is an abomination unto me. 191 00:09:06,069 --> 00:09:08,349 The new movements and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, 192 00:09:08,397 --> 00:09:09,701 I cannot away with it. 193 00:09:09,813 --> 00:09:11,797 It is iniquity. 194 00:09:11,981 --> 00:09:14,625 Even the solemn meeting. 195 00:09:14,965 --> 00:09:15,829 Verse 16. 196 00:09:15,917 --> 00:09:18,637 Wash you, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings from 197 00:09:18,661 --> 00:09:19,437 before mine eyes. 198 00:09:19,501 --> 00:09:23,367 Ceaseless to do evil, learn to do well, seek judgment, relieve the 199 00:09:23,391 --> 00:09:25,911 oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. 200 00:09:26,063 --> 00:09:29,015 Come now, let us reason together, saith the Lord. 201 00:09:29,095 --> 00:09:33,055 Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow. 202 00:09:33,215 --> 00:09:36,543 Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 203 00:09:36,719 --> 00:09:40,115 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land. 204 00:09:40,455 --> 00:09:43,679 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword 205 00:09:43,727 --> 00:09:45,915 from the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. 206 00:09:46,705 --> 00:09:49,657 And so I read all those verses to be able to give you that context 207 00:09:49,721 --> 00:09:50,137 there. 208 00:09:50,241 --> 00:09:51,365 How Israel. 209 00:09:52,225 --> 00:09:54,625 God tells Israel in the verse two. 210 00:09:54,665 --> 00:09:59,529 He says, I have nourished you, I have brought you up as a precious 211 00:09:59,617 --> 00:10:00,485 little one. 212 00:10:00,785 --> 00:10:03,337 As an infant, I have taken care of you. 213 00:10:03,361 --> 00:10:07,161 I've been a faithful God, I have provided for you. 214 00:10:07,353 --> 00:10:08,369 Verse 3. 215 00:10:08,497 --> 00:10:12,097 Israel have rejected their provider. 216 00:10:12,201 --> 00:10:14,737 Israel had rejected the one who had brought them and delivered 217 00:10:14,761 --> 00:10:17,329 him from Egypt, had brought them into this promised land. 218 00:10:17,377 --> 00:10:18,617 They had completely rejected him. 219 00:10:18,641 --> 00:10:24,873 And so far, to the degree that they were rejecting God so much that 220 00:10:24,889 --> 00:10:27,537 they were rejecting their own physical issues and meaning, specifically 221 00:10:27,561 --> 00:10:28,641 their spiritual issues. 222 00:10:28,753 --> 00:10:31,081 It goes on to talk about some examples in verse 6. 223 00:10:31,113 --> 00:10:34,489 The sole of the foot to the head, there is no soundness of it. 224 00:10:34,617 --> 00:10:38,421 You have these opal wounds all over your body, Israel, and you're 225 00:10:38,453 --> 00:10:39,821 not getting it taken care of. 226 00:10:39,853 --> 00:10:42,105 There's some major issues going on here. 227 00:10:43,725 --> 00:10:44,365 Verse 7. 228 00:10:44,405 --> 00:10:45,445 Your country is desolate. 229 00:10:45,485 --> 00:10:47,005 Your cities are burned with fire. 230 00:10:47,125 --> 00:10:50,625 Your land is filled with strangers who are not even Israelites, 231 00:10:51,645 --> 00:10:53,309 and they're devouring it in your presence. 232 00:10:53,357 --> 00:10:55,941 It's desolate as overthrown by strangers. 233 00:10:55,973 --> 00:10:58,865 And the daughter of Zion left as a cottage in a vineyard. 234 00:10:59,845 --> 00:11:02,213 And it says, this is a very sad thing in verse nine. 235 00:11:02,269 --> 00:11:05,861 Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a small remnant. 236 00:11:05,893 --> 00:11:09,141 We would have been like Sodom and Gomorrah if we had that small 237 00:11:09,213 --> 00:11:09,985 remnant. 238 00:11:10,325 --> 00:11:13,749 If we had those faithful individuals who had stuck to being 239 00:11:13,797 --> 00:11:18,237 real, worshiping God, we wouldn't have had it turned out like 240 00:11:18,261 --> 00:11:19,945 Sodom and as Gomorrah. 241 00:11:21,805 --> 00:11:25,565 But then God has a message of hope and restoration and a promise 242 00:11:25,605 --> 00:11:28,065 for the Israelites, and that's what we're getting into tonight. 243 00:11:28,765 --> 00:11:31,797 And so there's three different ways that God encourages the Israelites 244 00:11:31,821 --> 00:11:34,545 to be preserved, and God encourages us to be preserved today, 245 00:11:35,365 --> 00:11:38,025 us who are striving to follow and obey Christ. 246 00:11:39,245 --> 00:11:41,061 First, you recognize sin markers. 247 00:11:41,093 --> 00:11:45,781 So we've talked about a lot of the process of how Israel got to 248 00:11:45,813 --> 00:11:48,225 where they are right now in verse 21. 249 00:11:48,565 --> 00:11:49,965 So let's look at verse 21. 250 00:11:50,005 --> 00:11:52,985 It says, how is the faithful city becoming harlot? 251 00:11:53,885 --> 00:11:56,701 It was full of judgment, righteousness lodged in it. 252 00:11:56,733 --> 00:12:01,317 But now murderers, Thy silver has become dross, thy wine mixed 253 00:12:01,341 --> 00:12:02,137 with water. 254 00:12:02,301 --> 00:12:05,217 Thy princes are rebellious and companions of thieves. 255 00:12:05,401 --> 00:12:07,953 Everyone loveth gifts and followeth after rewards. 256 00:12:08,129 --> 00:12:10,801 They judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow 257 00:12:10,873 --> 00:12:12,125 come unto them. 258 00:12:12,585 --> 00:12:13,241 So what is. 259 00:12:13,273 --> 00:12:14,457 What does God first? 260 00:12:14,601 --> 00:12:16,685 How does he first describe Israel? 261 00:12:17,105 --> 00:12:18,089 Look at verse 21. 262 00:12:18,137 --> 00:12:21,445 There it states, how is that faithful city? 263 00:12:21,985 --> 00:12:24,245 You guys have been faithful to me. 264 00:12:24,585 --> 00:12:27,689 You have been offering your sacrifices faithfully before me, 265 00:12:27,737 --> 00:12:28,457 having that. 266 00:12:28,601 --> 00:12:31,857 That complete openness and that transparency with me, right? 267 00:12:32,001 --> 00:12:34,321 There were no skeletons in the closet, right? 268 00:12:34,353 --> 00:12:35,345 They were open with God. 269 00:12:35,385 --> 00:12:37,001 They were real with God. 270 00:12:37,193 --> 00:12:38,569 It was full of judgment. 271 00:12:38,617 --> 00:12:40,565 There was righteousness going on. 272 00:12:41,345 --> 00:12:44,065 And people were looking at them literally coming in, observing 273 00:12:44,105 --> 00:12:46,337 like the riches of Solomon, right? 274 00:12:46,401 --> 00:12:49,205 Saying how richly God had blessed their country. 275 00:12:49,585 --> 00:12:53,025 Things were properly rendered in accordance with the law, and everyone 276 00:12:53,105 --> 00:12:55,045 followed what God had said. 277 00:12:55,435 --> 00:12:55,723 And. 278 00:12:55,739 --> 00:12:58,739 But not only did it have good judgment, but righteousness also 279 00:12:58,787 --> 00:12:59,347 lodged in it. 280 00:12:59,371 --> 00:13:00,275 What is that talking about? 281 00:13:00,315 --> 00:13:03,851 Well, it's talking about how the people, specifically the leaders 282 00:13:03,883 --> 00:13:07,731 of the country, the leaders and the people of Israel, they faithfully 283 00:13:07,883 --> 00:13:11,291 followed after making righteous judgments, following in 284 00:13:11,323 --> 00:13:14,187 true righteousness after how, according to how God wanted them 285 00:13:14,211 --> 00:13:16,899 to live, things were right. 286 00:13:17,067 --> 00:13:19,107 These were right where they were focusing on. 287 00:13:19,251 --> 00:13:21,659 It was literally the center of attention to people because they 288 00:13:21,667 --> 00:13:23,185 were doing it God way. 289 00:13:23,315 --> 00:13:26,117 And when you choose to live for God, you choose to say, you know 290 00:13:26,141 --> 00:13:26,705 what? 291 00:13:27,125 --> 00:13:28,125 I want to be faithful. 292 00:13:28,165 --> 00:13:29,381 I want to be faithful to God. 293 00:13:29,413 --> 00:13:30,745 You're going to stand out. 294 00:13:31,245 --> 00:13:33,549 As I mentioned this morning, you're going to stand out because 295 00:13:33,597 --> 00:13:34,545 you're different. 296 00:13:34,885 --> 00:13:38,157 Everyone else around us, they're caught up with their own 297 00:13:38,181 --> 00:13:39,813 sin, they're caught up with their own wickedness. 298 00:13:39,909 --> 00:13:43,065 They're caught up with being completely isolated from God. 299 00:13:43,965 --> 00:13:48,621 And we are called to be a faithful people who are zealous of 300 00:13:48,653 --> 00:13:53,055 good works, who are living out testimonies of God's grace and his 301 00:13:53,095 --> 00:13:53,639 mercy. 302 00:13:53,727 --> 00:13:58,895 And specifically here, righteousness, good judgment, right? 303 00:13:59,055 --> 00:14:03,783 You have rumors going on, lies being spread, maybe at work or with 304 00:14:03,839 --> 00:14:06,035 family, family relationships and stuff. 305 00:14:06,935 --> 00:14:08,519 How are you known within your family? 306 00:14:08,567 --> 00:14:09,975 How are you known within your workplace? 307 00:14:10,015 --> 00:14:13,115 Are you known as somebody who has good judgment, God's judgment, 308 00:14:13,415 --> 00:14:17,577 God's righteousness, or, you know, as somebody who, who's like 309 00:14:17,601 --> 00:14:18,565 anybody else? 310 00:14:19,305 --> 00:14:22,553 So we see here that, that some of these things is that Israel had 311 00:14:22,569 --> 00:14:25,245 been a faithful city, but what had they become? 312 00:14:26,785 --> 00:14:27,929 Look at verse 21. 313 00:14:27,977 --> 00:14:30,305 It says now, murderers. 314 00:14:30,425 --> 00:14:32,525 Wow, what a contrast there. 315 00:14:32,865 --> 00:14:33,513 Murderers. 316 00:14:33,569 --> 00:14:35,849 God says here, literally killing people. 317 00:14:35,897 --> 00:14:39,881 They used to value things that were precious, such as life, but 318 00:14:39,913 --> 00:14:43,001 now they value things that were clearly wrong, that were completely 319 00:14:43,033 --> 00:14:45,313 in violation to the law. 320 00:14:45,449 --> 00:14:48,565 Killing in violation before the presence of a holy God. 321 00:14:49,065 --> 00:14:50,737 And there were some clear comparisons here. 322 00:14:50,761 --> 00:14:52,405 Look at verse 22. 323 00:14:52,785 --> 00:14:58,329 It says, Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water. 324 00:14:58,497 --> 00:15:01,245 Thy princes are rebellious, the companions of thieves. 325 00:15:01,585 --> 00:15:03,841 Everyone loveth gifts and followeth after rewards. 326 00:15:03,913 --> 00:15:06,777 They judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow 327 00:15:06,921 --> 00:15:08,125 come unto them. 328 00:15:08,465 --> 00:15:09,401 What's he saying here? 329 00:15:09,433 --> 00:15:11,089 Well, first he's saying, thy silver's become dross. 330 00:15:11,137 --> 00:15:11,945 What's that talking about? 331 00:15:11,985 --> 00:15:14,335 He's saying, you've lost your shine. 332 00:15:15,395 --> 00:15:17,695 You've lost your identity with me. 333 00:15:17,995 --> 00:15:20,651 You've gotten mixed up with the local heathen nations around 334 00:15:20,723 --> 00:15:21,335 you. 335 00:15:21,715 --> 00:15:25,147 You've allowed yourself to ally with the false gods around you 336 00:15:25,171 --> 00:15:30,019 by marrying individuals who are not saved, individuals who were 337 00:15:30,067 --> 00:15:32,295 not, who were not believers. 338 00:15:32,715 --> 00:15:35,203 You were allowing yourself to be connected with them. 339 00:15:35,299 --> 00:15:36,867 They were not true blood Israelites. 340 00:15:36,891 --> 00:15:39,555 They were not people who were desiring to follow after God. 341 00:15:39,595 --> 00:15:41,015 They were the heathen people. 342 00:15:41,965 --> 00:15:44,709 What kind of relationships are we striving to have with people around 343 00:15:44,757 --> 00:15:45,345 us? 344 00:15:45,765 --> 00:15:48,501 There is that evangelistic relationship, people who are not 345 00:15:48,533 --> 00:15:52,045 saved that we have to strive to show God's love and his kindness 346 00:15:52,085 --> 00:15:52,705 towards. 347 00:15:53,005 --> 00:15:56,285 But there's also relationships of fellowship and it's a very careful 348 00:15:56,325 --> 00:15:56,733 distinction. 349 00:15:56,789 --> 00:15:58,285 Be very careful about that. 350 00:15:58,405 --> 00:16:01,237 Because if we can make connections with people and we say, 351 00:16:01,261 --> 00:16:06,537 oh, you know what truth is Bending God's word is not, is not 352 00:16:06,661 --> 00:16:09,953 all that I need, I need to add things to it, my own opinions that 353 00:16:09,969 --> 00:16:12,801 are not based on Scripture, then you're going to find yourself 354 00:16:12,873 --> 00:16:13,457 going astray. 355 00:16:13,481 --> 00:16:16,377 You're going to find yourself wandering just like the Israelites 356 00:16:16,401 --> 00:16:16,537 here. 357 00:16:16,561 --> 00:16:19,729 And before you know it, like this morning we talked about, you're 358 00:16:19,737 --> 00:16:24,377 going to be as that branch that withers up and then God can't 359 00:16:24,401 --> 00:16:25,565 use you effectively. 360 00:16:26,505 --> 00:16:28,885 But a silver is become dross. 361 00:16:29,785 --> 00:16:33,673 They have become worn out and become useless for God to be able 362 00:16:33,689 --> 00:16:34,445 to use. 363 00:16:36,945 --> 00:16:40,833 Next we see that he describes them as wine mixed with water. 364 00:16:40,929 --> 00:16:44,565 Now mixed here, this literally means to be defiled. 365 00:16:45,465 --> 00:16:48,425 The Israelites had defiled themselves with the heathens around 366 00:16:48,465 --> 00:16:49,045 them. 367 00:16:49,425 --> 00:16:51,265 That was one of the things God had warned them about. 368 00:16:51,345 --> 00:16:53,545 Don't connect with those nations around you. 369 00:16:53,665 --> 00:16:55,049 Stay faithful to me. 370 00:16:55,137 --> 00:16:56,689 Stay connected with your people. 371 00:16:56,817 --> 00:16:59,721 The people who are striving to be a people who are zealous for good 372 00:16:59,753 --> 00:17:03,317 works, striving to be that testimony to the nations around you. 373 00:17:03,341 --> 00:17:05,973 But instead they were, they allowed themselves to get polluted 374 00:17:06,069 --> 00:17:07,665 by the nations around them. 375 00:17:08,205 --> 00:17:11,573 And so it gives a breakdown though in verse 23 of what this looked 376 00:17:11,589 --> 00:17:14,733 like, what was happening within the nation of Israel, verse 377 00:17:14,789 --> 00:17:15,181 23. 378 00:17:15,213 --> 00:17:20,425 Thy princes are rebellious and companions of thieves. 379 00:17:20,805 --> 00:17:24,825 The leaders of Israel were stubborn and not following the Lord. 380 00:17:25,485 --> 00:17:29,121 It wasn't, it was no longer an outward fake show. 381 00:17:29,313 --> 00:17:31,565 They were actually being corrupt. 382 00:17:32,025 --> 00:17:35,205 They were making unrighteous judgments. 383 00:17:35,945 --> 00:17:40,057 They were allowing their judgments to be tainted by the ideologies 384 00:17:40,081 --> 00:17:41,721 of the false gods around them. 385 00:17:41,833 --> 00:17:44,905 Or even maybe their own selfish desires, their own wicked 386 00:17:44,945 --> 00:17:46,977 desires that were not according to how God had called them 387 00:17:47,001 --> 00:17:50,617 to live and to rule over is over the Israelites, or specifically 388 00:17:50,641 --> 00:17:51,725 with Judah here. 389 00:17:53,595 --> 00:17:56,091 They were rebellious and they were companions of thieves. 390 00:17:56,123 --> 00:17:58,891 It was not talking about, well, they were stealing, right? 391 00:17:59,083 --> 00:18:01,715 They were manipulating, they were stealing things from what wasn't 392 00:18:01,755 --> 00:18:02,495 theirs. 393 00:18:03,035 --> 00:18:04,659 They associated themselves with thieves. 394 00:18:04,707 --> 00:18:06,735 They were very dishonest in their rule. 395 00:18:07,435 --> 00:18:11,547 Was there bribery going on, you know, with these different things 396 00:18:11,571 --> 00:18:14,243 that were going On, I mean, Solomon, right, He allowed other 397 00:18:14,299 --> 00:18:16,363 wives to marry the other countries and stuff, that kind of 398 00:18:16,379 --> 00:18:17,255 idea there. 399 00:18:18,125 --> 00:18:22,733 But we, but we see this corruption from the crown down, and 400 00:18:22,749 --> 00:18:27,741 princes are rebellious, but not only that, everyone loveth gifts 401 00:18:27,773 --> 00:18:29,181 and followeth after rewards. 402 00:18:29,253 --> 00:18:32,581 Verse 23, it says everyone, everyone loveth gifts, followeth 403 00:18:32,613 --> 00:18:33,301 after rewards. 404 00:18:33,373 --> 00:18:36,265 Nobody really cares anymore about desiring God. 405 00:18:36,685 --> 00:18:39,265 The only desire about what can I get out of the deal? 406 00:18:39,765 --> 00:18:41,365 What can I get out of it? 407 00:18:41,525 --> 00:18:42,989 God was no longer in the equation. 408 00:18:43,037 --> 00:18:44,513 That's what he's saying here. 409 00:18:44,709 --> 00:18:46,537 He's saying these people cannot properly judge. 410 00:18:46,561 --> 00:18:50,313 They were allowing their own selfishness to be guiding how they 411 00:18:50,329 --> 00:18:53,033 were living their life, how they were ruling as princes all the 412 00:18:53,049 --> 00:18:56,057 way down to their average person, like you and I. 413 00:18:56,201 --> 00:18:59,129 They were allowing themselves to get caught up with bribery, to 414 00:18:59,137 --> 00:19:01,645 get caught up with stealing, with gifts, right? 415 00:19:01,985 --> 00:19:04,793 Oh, you know, so and so, you know, this is one case coming up. 416 00:19:04,809 --> 00:19:07,049 I'm not sure if it might sound familiar to certain situations today, 417 00:19:07,097 --> 00:19:07,305 right? 418 00:19:07,345 --> 00:19:14,595 But someone gets bribed to make a certain judgment, right? 419 00:19:14,675 --> 00:19:17,255 And then that judgment goes a certain way, right? 420 00:19:17,675 --> 00:19:19,335 That's how it was back then. 421 00:19:20,435 --> 00:19:23,027 These leaders of Israel were allowing themselves to be bribed 422 00:19:23,051 --> 00:19:25,095 to be to make unrighteous judgments. 423 00:19:25,715 --> 00:19:26,555 And why was this? 424 00:19:26,595 --> 00:19:28,435 Because they were relying on their own understanding. 425 00:19:28,475 --> 00:19:30,975 These rulers subjected themselves to briberies. 426 00:19:31,795 --> 00:19:34,131 They did not regard the needy in their society. 427 00:19:34,203 --> 00:19:35,691 That's ultimately what ends up here. 428 00:19:35,723 --> 00:19:39,651 The last part of verse 23, it says, they judge not the fatherless, 429 00:19:39,683 --> 00:19:42,091 neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them. 430 00:19:42,123 --> 00:19:46,083 So who is the ones who really get hurt here in this verse are the 431 00:19:46,099 --> 00:19:47,295 ones who were helpless. 432 00:19:47,635 --> 00:19:51,947 They get neglected, the fatherless, the widows, the ones 433 00:19:51,971 --> 00:19:53,335 who really needed help. 434 00:19:53,995 --> 00:19:55,051 They were getting neglected. 435 00:19:55,083 --> 00:19:57,735 They weren't truly desiring to be righteous rulers. 436 00:19:58,435 --> 00:20:02,475 So the first point we saw was they recognized sin markers. 437 00:20:02,515 --> 00:20:03,867 But secondly, believe God's word. 438 00:20:03,891 --> 00:20:05,127 Look at verse 24. 439 00:20:05,291 --> 00:20:07,791 Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty One of 440 00:20:07,823 --> 00:20:11,431 Israel, Ah, I will ease thee of mine adversaries and avenge me 441 00:20:11,463 --> 00:20:12,519 of mine enemies. 442 00:20:12,687 --> 00:20:16,151 And I will turn my hand upon thee and purely purge away thy dross 443 00:20:16,223 --> 00:20:17,835 and take away all thy ten. 444 00:20:18,415 --> 00:20:21,287 And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsels 445 00:20:21,311 --> 00:20:22,355 as at the beginning. 446 00:20:22,815 --> 00:20:25,887 Afterward thou shalt be called the city of righteousness, the faithful 447 00:20:25,951 --> 00:20:30,311 city Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with 448 00:20:30,423 --> 00:20:31,355 righteousness. 449 00:20:32,885 --> 00:20:34,197 So what is God saying here? 450 00:20:34,221 --> 00:20:36,261 He's saying the identity of the Lord. 451 00:20:36,293 --> 00:20:37,493 What is his identity? 452 00:20:37,669 --> 00:20:38,685 Verse 24. 453 00:20:38,765 --> 00:20:42,277 Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty one of 454 00:20:42,301 --> 00:20:43,005 Israel. 455 00:20:43,165 --> 00:20:45,345 This isn't just coming from anybody. 456 00:20:45,685 --> 00:20:50,709 This is coming from God himself, the God who had supernaturally 457 00:20:50,757 --> 00:20:53,741 delivered Israel out of the country of Egypt, supernaturally 458 00:20:53,773 --> 00:20:56,717 led him through the wilderness for 40 years, supernaturally brought 459 00:20:56,741 --> 00:20:59,469 him into the promised land and delivered all these different people 460 00:20:59,517 --> 00:21:02,233 groups and taking this land that was promised to them. 461 00:21:02,369 --> 00:21:05,561 That's the same God here in verse 24, where it states, the Lord, 462 00:21:05,673 --> 00:21:09,113 the Lord of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, the one who had gone 463 00:21:09,209 --> 00:21:13,681 before Israel had opened up the sea for the Israelites to go 464 00:21:13,713 --> 00:21:16,873 across to deliver them, the one who had given them manna every 465 00:21:16,889 --> 00:21:19,857 single day, who had taken care of the young, had taken care of every 466 00:21:19,881 --> 00:21:22,445 single person within the country of Israel. 467 00:21:24,065 --> 00:21:27,985 God saying, I'm the one who has been so faithful through the 468 00:21:28,025 --> 00:21:31,285 years, through all generations before you. 469 00:21:33,025 --> 00:21:34,857 I want to encourage you guys tonight. 470 00:21:35,041 --> 00:21:36,965 God is still a faithful God. 471 00:21:37,585 --> 00:21:39,405 God is still a loving God. 472 00:21:40,185 --> 00:21:44,873 You may feel like you've messed up, but God's grace is always 473 00:21:44,929 --> 00:21:47,805 willing to receive you back for what you have done. 474 00:21:48,265 --> 00:21:52,713 Verse 18, he says, Come now, let us reason together, saith the 475 00:21:52,729 --> 00:21:53,209 Lord. 476 00:21:53,337 --> 00:21:55,625 Though your sins be as scarlet, they should be as white 477 00:21:55,665 --> 00:21:56,017 as snow. 478 00:21:56,041 --> 00:21:58,401 And you say, well, Pastor John, you have no idea what I've 479 00:21:58,433 --> 00:21:59,005 done. 480 00:21:59,785 --> 00:22:02,845 You know, I don't have to know, but God already knows. 481 00:22:03,545 --> 00:22:07,593 And God's the one who's saying, come back to me, confess 482 00:22:07,649 --> 00:22:08,525 that sin. 483 00:22:09,905 --> 00:22:14,925 Say, lord, forgive me for my sin, raise them together. 484 00:22:15,225 --> 00:22:18,737 That's the same idea as confessing, which means saying the 485 00:22:18,761 --> 00:22:21,285 same thing as saying the same thing as meaning. 486 00:22:21,595 --> 00:22:22,571 Let's talk about it. 487 00:22:22,603 --> 00:22:23,803 Let's get on the same page, right? 488 00:22:23,819 --> 00:22:27,091 Have you ever had that before with somebody where there's somebody 489 00:22:27,123 --> 00:22:30,891 else who, you know, has clearly misunderstood what you were 490 00:22:30,923 --> 00:22:32,667 doing or what you were saying? 491 00:22:32,811 --> 00:22:33,495 Right? 492 00:22:34,075 --> 00:22:35,587 And that's kind of the idea here. 493 00:22:35,611 --> 00:22:36,291 And what do you do? 494 00:22:36,323 --> 00:22:37,427 You go talk to them, right? 495 00:22:37,451 --> 00:22:39,827 You'd be like, hey, why are you upset at me? 496 00:22:39,891 --> 00:22:40,067 Right? 497 00:22:40,091 --> 00:22:41,507 What did I do to offend you? 498 00:22:41,651 --> 00:22:43,411 And they say, well, you said this to me, whatever. 499 00:22:43,443 --> 00:22:46,811 And it's like, no, you know, I didn't mean it that way, right? 500 00:22:46,843 --> 00:22:47,859 I'm sorry, I apologize. 501 00:22:47,907 --> 00:22:48,091 Right? 502 00:22:48,123 --> 00:22:49,017 I'm sorry. 503 00:22:49,211 --> 00:22:51,869 And you make that relationship, right, just like that. 504 00:22:51,997 --> 00:22:54,837 That's what God is saying here, Come back to me. 505 00:22:54,981 --> 00:22:58,305 But in a very real sense, you've done wrong. 506 00:22:59,325 --> 00:23:03,557 So when you come on the terms with God, you come before him to 507 00:23:03,581 --> 00:23:06,957 reason with him, to say, lord, I was wrong, I have sinned. 508 00:23:06,981 --> 00:23:10,301 I've committed wickedness before you, Lord, please forgive 509 00:23:10,333 --> 00:23:13,145 me and cleanse me and help me to walk in obedience to you. 510 00:23:13,805 --> 00:23:16,533 Verse 18, Though your sins be as scarlet, they should be white 511 00:23:16,589 --> 00:23:20,705 as snow, but they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 512 00:23:21,365 --> 00:23:24,653 And in verse 19, if ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat 513 00:23:24,789 --> 00:23:27,025 the good of the land. 514 00:23:28,285 --> 00:23:31,541 So, as I mentioned earlier, thus saith the Lord, the Lord of 515 00:23:31,573 --> 00:23:32,789 hosts, the mighty, One of Israel. 516 00:23:32,837 --> 00:23:36,021 This is the one almighty God, the one who will never grow faint 517 00:23:36,053 --> 00:23:37,637 or weary in dealing with his people. 518 00:23:37,741 --> 00:23:38,945 What does he say? 519 00:23:39,245 --> 00:23:44,573 Verse 24, I will ease me of mine adversaries and avenge me of 520 00:23:44,629 --> 00:23:45,705 mine enemies. 521 00:23:47,545 --> 00:23:49,009 Here it says with ease. 522 00:23:49,097 --> 00:23:52,929 It means to regret in a compassionate manner, right? 523 00:23:52,977 --> 00:23:56,041 If reading that phrase there, I will ease me on my enemies. 524 00:23:56,233 --> 00:23:59,889 We talk today and we say, all right, man, sleeves up, right? 525 00:23:59,937 --> 00:24:01,049 Someone did something to me. 526 00:24:01,137 --> 00:24:05,737 I'm going to ease myself and just take care of it here, God, with 527 00:24:05,761 --> 00:24:08,625 that word ease there, it means I want to come alongside. 528 00:24:08,785 --> 00:24:10,081 I want to restore. 529 00:24:10,233 --> 00:24:14,045 I want to see this come back together in a compassionate manner. 530 00:24:14,705 --> 00:24:15,265 That's what. 531 00:24:15,305 --> 00:24:16,805 That's where God's heart is. 532 00:24:18,505 --> 00:24:20,425 Genesis chapter six talked about this. 533 00:24:20,465 --> 00:24:24,729 It talks about how God had seen the wickedness of man, how it 534 00:24:24,737 --> 00:24:25,377 was great in the earth. 535 00:24:25,401 --> 00:24:26,885 This is right before the flood. 536 00:24:27,625 --> 00:24:30,297 In that same chapter, God saw that the wickedness of man was great 537 00:24:30,321 --> 00:24:33,601 in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his 538 00:24:33,633 --> 00:24:36,401 heart was only evil continually. 539 00:24:36,593 --> 00:24:40,097 And it says it repented the Lord that he had made man on the 540 00:24:40,121 --> 00:24:41,945 earth and had grieved him at his heart. 541 00:24:42,105 --> 00:24:45,873 Even there you can see the same picture, that sorrow, that love, 542 00:24:46,009 --> 00:24:50,205 that compassion that God has for anybody to come back to him. 543 00:24:50,905 --> 00:24:54,801 Micah 7, 18, 19, some other really good verses. 544 00:24:54,833 --> 00:24:57,081 If you have someone who's asking you and challenging you for 545 00:24:57,113 --> 00:25:01,201 God being a hateful God, you can challenge him with this. 546 00:25:01,233 --> 00:25:02,793 Micah 7, 18 and 19. 547 00:25:02,849 --> 00:25:07,225 Who is a godlike unto thee, that pardoned the iniquity and passeth 548 00:25:07,265 --> 00:25:09,725 by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage. 549 00:25:09,905 --> 00:25:13,421 He retaineth not his anger forever because he delighteth in 550 00:25:13,453 --> 00:25:14,205 mercy. 551 00:25:14,365 --> 00:25:15,477 He will turn again. 552 00:25:15,541 --> 00:25:17,493 He will have compassion upon us. 553 00:25:17,629 --> 00:25:22,269 He will subdue our iniquities, and thou will cast all their sins 554 00:25:22,437 --> 00:25:24,625 into the depths of the sea. 555 00:25:25,045 --> 00:25:27,265 So what's he saying with those verses there? 556 00:25:27,845 --> 00:25:30,445 I read the first part of verse 8, the last part of verse 18. 557 00:25:30,485 --> 00:25:32,309 He retaineth on his anger forever. 558 00:25:32,477 --> 00:25:34,869 I don't know about you, but I think about that, you know, historically 559 00:25:34,917 --> 00:25:37,903 in my life, and it's like, well, I just need to get it out, 560 00:25:37,959 --> 00:25:38,103 right? 561 00:25:38,119 --> 00:25:40,247 I need to be like, oh, I have this anger. 562 00:25:40,271 --> 00:25:41,875 I just need to release it, right? 563 00:25:42,175 --> 00:25:47,255 But here, God does not retain his anger forever because he'd rather 564 00:25:47,295 --> 00:25:48,915 show his mercy to somebody. 565 00:25:49,255 --> 00:25:50,239 He would rather be. 566 00:25:50,287 --> 00:25:52,839 He wants to show his mercy of forgiveness and compassion. 567 00:25:52,887 --> 00:25:56,983 That's why when God called Jonah to go to the people of Nineveh, 568 00:25:57,159 --> 00:26:00,127 and then when they repented, Jonah got upset, right? 569 00:26:00,151 --> 00:26:02,545 Jonah was like, come on, Lord, take them down. 570 00:26:02,585 --> 00:26:04,729 Strike them down with fire from heaven, right? 571 00:26:04,897 --> 00:26:09,393 Not literally, but the idea, right, of judging them and. 572 00:26:09,529 --> 00:26:11,121 But God didn't do that. 573 00:26:11,313 --> 00:26:15,409 Jonah was so fixed on God's judging Nineveh, but when they actually 574 00:26:15,457 --> 00:26:17,777 repented, God forgave them and showed them mercy. 575 00:26:17,801 --> 00:26:19,777 And that's what God desires for you? 576 00:26:19,961 --> 00:26:21,765 That's what God desires for me. 577 00:26:22,465 --> 00:26:24,805 That we have nothing between us and him. 578 00:26:25,225 --> 00:26:26,305 Everything is confessed. 579 00:26:26,345 --> 00:26:28,245 Everything is open before him. 580 00:26:29,285 --> 00:26:29,853 So we see. 581 00:26:29,869 --> 00:26:32,445 He will ease himself of his enemies, but also he will avenge 582 00:26:32,485 --> 00:26:32,909 his enemies. 583 00:26:32,957 --> 00:26:33,901 And what is this? 584 00:26:34,053 --> 00:26:36,945 It means God will be just in dealing with the wicked properly, 585 00:26:37,365 --> 00:26:37,725 right? 586 00:26:37,765 --> 00:26:38,325 God will be. 587 00:26:38,365 --> 00:26:39,685 God will deal with the wicked properly. 588 00:26:39,725 --> 00:26:44,037 You come in and you're going to be hurting, specifically his people 589 00:26:44,101 --> 00:26:44,781 wickedly. 590 00:26:44,893 --> 00:26:46,053 He is going to deal with them. 591 00:26:46,109 --> 00:26:49,925 Likewise, the individuals who are unrepentant who choose to reject 592 00:26:50,005 --> 00:26:52,385 him, he will reject and judge. 593 00:26:53,575 --> 00:26:57,231 Anybody who chooses to reject God is, now, I want to go my way. 594 00:26:57,423 --> 00:26:58,915 They're going to be rejected. 595 00:26:59,895 --> 00:27:01,487 But let's keep moving on here. 596 00:27:01,551 --> 00:27:02,399 Verse 25. 597 00:27:02,447 --> 00:27:08,375 So we see this contrast here of how he has the ease of his enemies, 598 00:27:08,415 --> 00:27:08,591 right? 599 00:27:08,623 --> 00:27:09,167 That compassion. 600 00:27:09,191 --> 00:27:12,183 But also there is that avenging of the enemies, those ones 601 00:27:12,199 --> 00:27:13,475 who are unrepentant. 602 00:27:13,775 --> 00:27:15,055 Verse 24. 603 00:27:15,215 --> 00:27:17,495 Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts. 604 00:27:17,575 --> 00:27:18,727 Sorry, verse 25. 605 00:27:18,831 --> 00:27:22,951 And I will turn my hand upon thee and purely purge away thy dross 606 00:27:23,023 --> 00:27:24,595 and take away all thy ten. 607 00:27:26,495 --> 00:27:28,195 What a beautiful picture there. 608 00:27:30,135 --> 00:27:31,711 What is he saying there? 609 00:27:31,903 --> 00:27:38,075 God will restore Israel and God will restore you. 610 00:27:38,975 --> 00:27:43,911 He can restore you right now in your seat where you are, you say, 611 00:27:43,943 --> 00:27:47,011 lord, I've sinned against you. 612 00:27:47,143 --> 00:27:48,387 Please forgive me, Lord. 613 00:27:48,411 --> 00:27:51,495 Help me know to live a life that is obedient for you. 614 00:27:52,355 --> 00:27:55,483 But he says that he will purely purge away thy dross, take 615 00:27:55,499 --> 00:27:56,387 away all thy ten. 616 00:27:56,451 --> 00:28:00,171 He will purify the silver to make it completely clean. 617 00:28:00,203 --> 00:28:00,987 Now, do you guys. 618 00:28:01,091 --> 00:28:03,775 Are you guys familiar with that process of the silversmithing? 619 00:28:04,555 --> 00:28:05,907 See, of the silversmith, right? 620 00:28:05,931 --> 00:28:06,387 What does he do? 621 00:28:06,411 --> 00:28:08,371 Well, he gets the fire going, right? 622 00:28:08,403 --> 00:28:09,575 He gets that fire. 623 00:28:09,995 --> 00:28:13,783 And as the fire is started up, the silver starts to melt. 624 00:28:13,979 --> 00:28:16,407 And as the silver starts to melt, the silversmith starts taking 625 00:28:16,431 --> 00:28:17,775 out his impurities, right? 626 00:28:17,815 --> 00:28:19,231 Just the exact same picture Here. 627 00:28:19,263 --> 00:28:19,911 Right. 628 00:28:20,103 --> 00:28:23,487 But how do you know when the silversmith is done refining the 629 00:28:23,511 --> 00:28:29,607 silver is when you see the image of the silversmith's face and 630 00:28:29,631 --> 00:28:30,435 the silver. 631 00:28:31,335 --> 00:28:32,743 And that's God's goal for us. 632 00:28:32,799 --> 00:28:34,395 That was God's goal for Israel. 633 00:28:35,615 --> 00:28:40,577 Through this purging process, when we confess our sin to him, we 634 00:28:40,601 --> 00:28:42,289 choose to live obediently for him. 635 00:28:42,417 --> 00:28:44,085 That's when we look like him. 636 00:28:44,705 --> 00:28:45,273 God will. 637 00:28:45,329 --> 00:28:46,057 God purges us. 638 00:28:46,081 --> 00:28:48,937 He will purge the Israelites, he will restore them back. 639 00:28:49,081 --> 00:28:52,377 He will take away all of the dross, all those impurities, take 640 00:28:52,401 --> 00:28:53,765 away all of itin. 641 00:28:54,705 --> 00:28:56,425 And what does he say in verse 26? 642 00:28:56,465 --> 00:28:59,481 I will restore thy judges as at the first. 643 00:28:59,673 --> 00:29:02,641 God will restore righteousness after their cleansing. 644 00:29:02,713 --> 00:29:05,091 You see, it wasn't backwards, right? 645 00:29:05,123 --> 00:29:07,667 God wasn't going to give him righteous judges because they were 646 00:29:07,691 --> 00:29:08,735 asking for it. 647 00:29:09,195 --> 00:29:11,187 I feel like a lot of times today, you know, we're. 648 00:29:11,251 --> 00:29:12,251 We kind of had a perspective. 649 00:29:12,283 --> 00:29:16,435 We were praying for maybe as leaders in our country or whatever 650 00:29:16,515 --> 00:29:19,051 specific leaders it is, but we're neglecting the own wickedness 651 00:29:19,083 --> 00:29:20,055 in our hearts. 652 00:29:20,595 --> 00:29:23,095 How can we expect God to do any changes? 653 00:29:23,475 --> 00:29:25,135 Well, it starts with us first. 654 00:29:26,035 --> 00:29:26,775 Right? 655 00:29:27,835 --> 00:29:30,741 Come before God and say, lord, I have sinned. 656 00:29:30,773 --> 00:29:32,381 Lord, I confess my sin to you. 657 00:29:32,413 --> 00:29:34,025 I bring it before you, Lord. 658 00:29:34,525 --> 00:29:36,533 God will have his way with Israel. 659 00:29:36,709 --> 00:29:39,425 Nobody will be able to stop his plan. 660 00:29:40,005 --> 00:29:42,945 Now let me ask you a question, an illustration here with this. 661 00:29:43,325 --> 00:29:45,909 Are you familiar with the waxing, what it means to wax the 662 00:29:45,917 --> 00:29:46,625 floor? 663 00:29:47,405 --> 00:29:50,701 When I worked at PCC as a part of the wax crew for like one or two 664 00:29:50,733 --> 00:29:52,357 semesters, it was like a weird shift. 665 00:29:52,461 --> 00:29:55,205 It was like 7 to 9pm, like Tuesday and Thursday night or something 666 00:29:55,245 --> 00:29:56,009 like that. 667 00:29:56,197 --> 00:29:59,161 And we would go over and what was the first step? 668 00:29:59,193 --> 00:30:01,921 Well, the first step was we had to mop the floor. 669 00:30:02,113 --> 00:30:02,845 Why? 670 00:30:03,745 --> 00:30:04,657 Yeah, to clean it. 671 00:30:04,681 --> 00:30:04,817 Right. 672 00:30:04,841 --> 00:30:09,857 If you hadn't mopped the floor and you put the wax on, would it 673 00:30:09,881 --> 00:30:13,825 be a nice fresh wax looked, you know, polished floor? 674 00:30:13,905 --> 00:30:14,505 No. 675 00:30:14,665 --> 00:30:15,365 Right. 676 00:30:15,825 --> 00:30:19,873 Likewise here, God says you get your cleansing made. 677 00:30:19,929 --> 00:30:20,505 Right. 678 00:30:20,665 --> 00:30:24,555 And then I will restore the judges and I will restore righteousness 679 00:30:24,715 --> 00:30:25,251 to where? 680 00:30:25,323 --> 00:30:29,539 To where it was before they would become a righteous and faithful 681 00:30:29,587 --> 00:30:30,695 city to the Lord. 682 00:30:31,595 --> 00:30:33,315 Our final point tonight is this. 683 00:30:33,395 --> 00:30:34,291 Fear the Lord. 684 00:30:34,323 --> 00:30:35,655 Look at verse 27. 685 00:30:37,755 --> 00:30:39,299 Zion shall be redeemed with judgment. 686 00:30:39,347 --> 00:30:41,507 Her converse with righteousness and the destruction 687 00:30:41,531 --> 00:30:44,163 of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together. 688 00:30:44,339 --> 00:30:47,947 And they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed, for they shall 689 00:30:47,971 --> 00:30:49,779 be ashamed of the yokes which ye have desired. 690 00:30:49,827 --> 00:30:53,047 And ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen for 691 00:30:53,071 --> 00:30:56,751 ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that 692 00:30:56,783 --> 00:30:59,623 hath no water, and the strong shall be as tow, and a maker of it 693 00:30:59,639 --> 00:31:00,607 as a spark. 694 00:31:00,791 --> 00:31:04,755 And they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them. 695 00:31:05,175 --> 00:31:08,615 God will deal with the obedient and he will deal with the 696 00:31:08,655 --> 00:31:10,799 disobedient first. 697 00:31:10,847 --> 00:31:14,595 Here it says that they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed. 698 00:31:15,335 --> 00:31:19,313 Those who forsake God, who choose not to embrace the Lord to 699 00:31:19,329 --> 00:31:20,289 embrace his commandments. 700 00:31:20,337 --> 00:31:21,177 They're going to be. 701 00:31:21,281 --> 00:31:23,753 They're going to be as those branches are cast in the fire, those 702 00:31:23,769 --> 00:31:27,205 who are truly not saved, those who are truly not. 703 00:31:27,825 --> 00:31:31,809 Who are truly not desiring to follow after God, to have that, they're 704 00:31:31,817 --> 00:31:32,609 going to be cast away. 705 00:31:32,657 --> 00:31:35,921 But those who are saved, those who truly desire to follow after 706 00:31:35,953 --> 00:31:37,565 God, who want to come, be restored. 707 00:31:38,025 --> 00:31:40,465 He says, I'm going to restore you. 708 00:31:40,545 --> 00:31:42,045 I'm going to bring you back. 709 00:31:42,425 --> 00:31:44,305 But there's no exception to this. 710 00:31:44,345 --> 00:31:45,809 There's no dodge on this judgment. 711 00:31:45,937 --> 00:31:48,325 We all fall between one of the two. 712 00:31:52,225 --> 00:31:53,729 Look at verse 29. 713 00:31:53,857 --> 00:31:55,929 They shall be ashamed of the oaks that ye have desired. 714 00:31:55,977 --> 00:31:58,209 Ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen. 715 00:31:58,297 --> 00:32:02,137 Ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth as a garden hath no water, 716 00:32:02,321 --> 00:32:06,049 and the strong shall be as a toe, and the maker of it as a spark. 717 00:32:06,097 --> 00:32:08,485 They shall both burn together, and none shall quench them. 718 00:32:08,825 --> 00:32:10,065 So what's this talking about? 719 00:32:10,105 --> 00:32:13,725 Well, it's saying those who truly are wicked, those who. 720 00:32:14,495 --> 00:32:18,607 Who are not following after me, they are going to truly be burned 721 00:32:18,711 --> 00:32:21,127 together, and nobody will be able to quench them. 722 00:32:21,151 --> 00:32:24,315 That destruction is final when it happens. 723 00:32:25,495 --> 00:32:28,875 But what does it say to those who. 724 00:32:29,255 --> 00:32:33,327 To those who are truly faithful, as mentioned this morning, 725 00:32:33,511 --> 00:32:33,855 right? 726 00:32:33,895 --> 00:32:36,143 Those who are truly faithful to the word of God, those who are 727 00:32:36,159 --> 00:32:37,639 truly faithful to following the after. 728 00:32:37,687 --> 00:32:42,137 The Lord going to be as a tree planted by the rivers of water that 729 00:32:42,161 --> 00:32:43,881 brings forth his fruit in the season. 730 00:32:43,993 --> 00:32:46,125 You're going to be as a strong reed. 731 00:32:48,225 --> 00:32:49,369 The song becomes. 732 00:32:49,497 --> 00:32:50,845 As a strong reed. 733 00:32:51,305 --> 00:32:52,045 But. 734 00:32:53,425 --> 00:32:55,233 And so the final question is this. 735 00:32:55,289 --> 00:32:56,161 Will you be restored? 736 00:32:56,233 --> 00:33:00,281 Will you be restored back to where God has you, or will you be 737 00:33:00,313 --> 00:33:06,035 as the wicked here, where, you know, at the end of the day, they 738 00:33:06,075 --> 00:33:07,547 chose and they said, you know what? 739 00:33:07,691 --> 00:33:09,219 I'm not truly going to live for God. 740 00:33:09,267 --> 00:33:12,187 Even though, you know, they had gone through all the motions. 741 00:33:12,251 --> 00:33:13,139 Verse 13. 742 00:33:13,307 --> 00:33:15,379 Bring no more vain oblations before me. 743 00:33:15,427 --> 00:33:18,335 Stop bringing your emptiness before me, your empty worship. 744 00:33:18,635 --> 00:33:20,935 Be faithful to what I've called you to do. 745 00:33:23,395 --> 00:33:25,935 Be restored, Be real with God. 746 00:33:27,035 --> 00:33:31,075 Stop being a hypocrite, be real with him and confess that sin 747 00:33:31,115 --> 00:33:32,015 before him. 748 00:33:33,185 --> 00:33:34,645 Will you be restored? 749 00:33:39,025 --> 00:33:41,961 All right, let's see here. 750 00:33:41,993 --> 00:33:46,033 I have one major announcement and that's for I forgot I mentioned 751 00:33:46,049 --> 00:33:50,165 that this morning too, but Sherry Fulmer's funeral is this Saturday. 752 00:33:51,625 --> 00:33:55,665 9:00 is a visitation and 10:00 is the service here at the church. 753 00:33:55,705 --> 00:33:59,615 If you're able to make it out for that close service in prayer. 754 00:34:00,235 --> 00:34:04,131 Dear Lord, I thank you so much Lord for this message of hope, Lord, 755 00:34:04,163 --> 00:34:08,571 this message of judgment, Lord it is a very scary position, Lord, 756 00:34:08,603 --> 00:34:13,411 to think about how this really could be anybody, Lord, who does 757 00:34:13,443 --> 00:34:17,635 not truly desire to follow after you, God But I pray that you 758 00:34:17,675 --> 00:34:22,067 please help us, Lord to have a heart of openness, Lord, a desire 759 00:34:22,131 --> 00:34:25,055 to confess our sins before you, Lord to be real with you, Lord 760 00:34:25,534 --> 00:34:27,982 and I pray there's anybody in here tonight, Lord or who those who 761 00:34:27,998 --> 00:34:31,518 are watching to the livestream Father Help us to make our lives 762 00:34:31,566 --> 00:34:33,734 right before you, Lord that we would confess our sins, Lord. 763 00:34:33,774 --> 00:34:36,350 First John 1:9 if we confess our sin, he is faithful and just 764 00:34:36,382 --> 00:34:39,902 to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, 765 00:34:39,958 --> 00:34:42,318 Father in Jesus name I pray. 766 00:34:42,366 --> 00:34:43,034 Amen. 767 00:34:44,174 --> 00:34:46,758 Thank you again for listening to the Middletown Baptist Church 768 00:34:46,806 --> 00:34:47,534 podcast. 769 00:34:47,694 --> 00:34:50,234 I hope that this sermon has been a blessing for you. 770 00:34:50,625 --> 00:34:52,921 If you would like to find out more information about our church 771 00:34:52,953 --> 00:34:56,601 or this sermon, you can find us at middletownbaptistchurch.org 772 00:34:56,753 --> 00:34:59,525 or find us on Facebook or YouTube. 773 00:34:59,985 --> 00:35:04,449 You can also email me directly at joshmusaroiddletownbaptistchurch 774 00:35:04,497 --> 00:35:07,217 dot com if you've enjoyed this podcast. 775 00:35:07,361 --> 00:35:11,965 Please subscribe and follow along for future podcasts and updates. 776 00:35:12,385 --> 00:35:13,473 Thank you so much. 777 00:35:13,609 --> 00:35:14,433 God Bless. 778 00:35:14,569 --> 00:35:15,585 Have a wonderful day.