Matthew 3:1-6

Hello, good evening. This is Truth in Love. I'm so glad to be with you tonight. Looking at God's Word tonight is going to be amazing. We could talk about current events, and maybe we should, and maybe I should change up the topics, but spending time in God's Word and digging into God's Word, studying God's Word, or just reading God's Word is such a blessing, and it's so amazing, and that's what I want to do with you.

Do it together as we reach our community. I hope that you will join me in that effort to see God's kingdom grow, to see the kingdom of Christ grow, for the lost to be saved, people to come to the saving knowledge of faith in Jesus Christ.

I hope that you will join in that effort with me as we work together for that. We want to see people saved. We want to see Christ exalted and God glorified, and I hope this is a part of that kingdom work, and I'm thankful to do it with you and spend time together with you.

Truth in Love came from Ephesians chapter 4 verse 15. Paul tells us to speak the truth in love so that we can grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head even Christ. So all of life is about Christ, and we want to grow up in all things into Him, and to do that we've got to study God's Word.

We can't go about this life on our own in our own wisdom. It's just foolishness. We have to be in God's Word where God speaks to us about how He would have us to live. So thank you for joining me. If you're watching, I'd love if you would let me know that you're watching.

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Maybe this will be an encouragement for at least one person. So I'm thankful that we're together. If I can pray for you, I always try to pray at the end, and if I can pray for you, I'd love to be able to do that.

Let me know that I can pray for you. All you have to do is type me. Let me get on the comment section here. All you have to do is type me. Let me know that you'd like for me to pray for you. I'd love to be able to do that.

I'm sure other brothers and sisters in Christ of ours will see that and they would love to pray for you as well. So we'll pray at the end and we'll pray for one another. I'd love to be able to pray for you.

I've already received two prayer requests this evening before we come on live. I'm not gonna mention names or what the circumstances are, but two gentlemen, both husbands and fathers, they're dealing with two difficult things, two different things, but two difficult things.

And so we want to remember those two gentlemen tonight as we pray and as we continue to pray, as they continue to battle these difficult situations and pray that God through the Holy Spirit would comfort their hearts and help them and their families through these difficult times.

And so if I can pray for you, let me know that I can do that. We want to continue in the book of Matthew. It's Tuesday night while we're doing this video live. It's Tuesday night and on Tuesdays. I've been going through the book of Matthew because I wanted to look at the topic and why I say Jesus is King.

I want to remind us of that, that Jesus is King, and we want to live in that victory, that Jesus is King. Jesus is our King. He is currently ruling and reigning, so we want to live in that victory. And what does that mean?

What does that look like? And a great place for us to go is the book of Matthew because Matthew, his main objective, it seems, is to exalt Christ as King. And so there's really no better place to go than to look at Matthew as he presents Jesus as King to us.

And so we can worship him. We can exalt him as King and learn how to live in that victory of Jesus being King. We are starting tonight in Matthew chapter 3. We're going to look at verses 1 through 6. And as I said at the beginning, looking at God's Word as I went over it and read it, it was just so exciting for me.

And I couldn't wait to share with you this time looking at God's Word because of how wonderful it is, how God-glorifying it is, this passage, these passages that we're going to look at tonight. But we're in Matthew chapter 3, and as we read, as we look at this, keep in mind the theme, where we want to put our effort is focusing on Jesus as King and how we can live in that victory.

So Matthew chapter 3 verses 1 through 6, he tells us, Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ready the way of the Lord, make his path straight.

Now John himself had a garment of camel's hair, and a leather belt in his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea, and all the district around the Jordan.

And they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins. We finished up chapter 2 looking at what we actually did two videos that we did the end of chapter 2 and then we just focused on a part 2 which was Matthew chapter 2 verse 23, looking at Jesus, the Nazarene, Jesus coming from Nazareth and the Nazarene, and how Christ grew up in obscurity, and how his kingdom grows up in obscurity.

And that theme kind of trickles on down into chapter 3 a little bit. Matthew chapter 3 verse 1, it says, Now in those days. So it's not a frame-by-frame, this happened, now this happened. There's a gap here, but what he means when he says it now in those days, it's still in that time period.

So we're still in that time period of the life of Christ, that first century, but in fact between the end of Matthew chapter 2 and the beginning of Matthew chapter 3, there's this 30, maybe less, somewhere around there, 30 year period of obscurity, of silence, where Christ is growing.

And of course, you know, we do have the passage where Jesus goes to the temple, but that's it. Between Matthew 2 and Matthew 3, you have this gap. Speaking of Christ and pointing to that period of obscurity in his life, where he's growing and he's not making himself known, but he's growing in obscurity.

And Jesus, being called a Nazarene, fulfilled the prophet, where the prophet says that from Jesse, from the stem of Jesse, would come a sprout, a branch. And Isaiah also says that it would come forth from dry ground, where no other plant could grow, this plant can grow.

And Jesus is the only one that can grow from this dry ground. The genealogy had, there was no mention of Christ genealogy. There was a gap there. There's just this obscurity of Jesus' early life. And as we look and see how this theme of obscurity kind of trickles down into chapter 3, we're also going to be seeing in chapter 3 this compare and contrast of what Christ is bringing and what's here on the earth, where they were at this time, and what Christ is bringing, this awakening that he's bringing to them.

There's going to be this compare and contrast. And I hope you see this compare and contrast that we're going to look at. But in those days, John the Baptist, and of course, John is fulfilling his prophetic role that was given to his father and his mother at that time.

He's now beginning his ministry, and he's fulfilling that prophetic role. And it says that he came or arrived on the scene, and he's preaching. Or in other words, maybe a better explanation is John is proclaiming as a herald.

So he's announcing. And maybe if you've done Bible studies before, you've heard the comparison to a king sending out an announcement or a king preparing his arrival. But he would have a predecessor who would sound a trumpet and read the proclamation.

There was this predecessor that would come before this important information or before the king himself. And that's the prophetic role that John was fulfilling here. He arrived on the scene, and this preaching was a proclamation of a herald.

I mean, he was lifting his voice, and he was giving this proclamation. It wasn't quiet. He wasn't shy about it. He was lifting his voice as a herald to the people that were coming. And it says that he was in the wilderness of Judea.

And I think that's one of the places where we can see that this compare and contrast begins to start. He was in the wilderness of Judea. Of course, he's fulfilling the Bible prophecy, fulfilling his role.

But if you think about it, and I don't want to make too much of my own interjection, but I just see this. I see this compare and contrast where John, the herald of the king to come, he's announcing his arrival.

And not just announcing his arrival, but he's announcing this kingdom, this kingdom that's coming with this king, and that a transfer needs to take place. And that transfer is also part of the compare and contrast that we see here in Matthew chapter 3.

But you look at John and his role and what he's doing here in the wilderness of Judea as the proclaimer, the messenger that precedes the king he's doing it in the wilderness of Judea. Where in a kingdom, you would have the palace or the castle and you would have you would have the walls, you know, Jerusalem had had their protective walls and they had the temple and they had the palaces and they had the marketplaces and they had everything that a capital city, you would expect them to have and a king would be in his palace and his herald would go out into the streets where the people were and herald this message of the king or herald the arrival of the king in the city, in the big city, the protected city, to show his prowess, his power, elevate his status or to show off his status or what he wanted you to see of him.

But you have this comparison and contrasting of here you have Jerusalem, the capital city where the the great temple was and and the great palace was where the the ruler, the authorities would live and yet the herald of our king was in the wilderness of Judea and the contrasting and comparing that I see is the the thought of this is where they are and and apart from Christ we are but this is this is where they are spiritually.

They they think and they are worshiping and they are living as the as people who feel like they they have this great great status. I mean they they're they're living and they have this capital city where even if they're far away they can they can travel back to for the festivals, for the sacrifices.

They have this place that they can return to and it's and it's big and it's magnificent and it's wonderful and they it's a place with with traffic where people are coming and trading and selling and it's just this wonderful place and and they their status, who they feel they are is wrapped up in in this place, this big wonderful place but spiritually I think the wilderness of Judea is representation of where they are and apart from Christ we are we're in in the wilderness and and the language that's used here and the other passes that we're going to look at speaks to that speaks to that that wilderness that rugged terrain that we're in spiritually and then his message starting in verse 2 Matthew tells us what his his message is and the first part of his message of course he says repent and this is it says a present imperative where it's something that you you do and then you continue to do so that he was calling them to repent and of course if you look at repent it's repent is telling us that looking at the definition and the understanding of repent is telling us that it's a it's a change of mind it's a change of heart a change change of thinking a change of mind but it's not first according to the raw definition it's a change of mind change of thinking not first the change of action but that the change of thinking the change of mind results in therefore the the change of behavior the change of action.

And that's what he was calling them to and we're gonna see this visually here in just a second. But this repentance is the first thing that he's calling them to and we're gonna see why that is too as we look at the other passage but he says repent for there's there's a reason for this repentance a reason for this repentance it's because the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Um well how can I how can I continue to talk and and not look down on my notes and see all the things that that I skipped that I wanted to say I'm going back to if you'll forgive me let me briefly go back.

I'm going back to John the Baptist there was there was 430 years just just speaking of this this obscurity that that Matthew seems to draw out and how it trickles down into chapter 3 you have 430 years of silence from the prophets of God from Malachi to John the Baptist.

And yeah I think that was it until we get down to to verse verse 4 and we're almost there. But um but he goes from repentance for this reason for the kingdom of heaven is is at hand. What I've learned is that this terminology of the kingdom of heaven is unique to Matthew and it speaks of this the the kingdom of the Messiah.

But it speaks it's speaking to us in a in a broader sense when it speaks of the kingdom of heaven we're we're accustomed to and we're familiar with the terminology of the kingdom of God or the kingdom of Christ here Matthew uses the kingdom of heaven and I think he uses it to introduce us to a broader understanding of this kingdom.

Vincent says it in this way it's its origin the kingdom of heaven the kingdom of the Messiah its origin its in its King its character its destiny of its subjects. The laws institutions privileges are all heavenly.

And I want to make sure that I don't know exactly what Vincent meant by heavenly. Of course he's drawing the connection there to the the kingdom of heaven so therefore all these descriptions make them all heavenly.

But I don't think that I want to portray this and and for us to understand this as a location like this is these things are happening there. I don't I don't want us to understand it as a location. What I think it's pointing us to when it says you know all these things its origin in King character destination laws institution privileges are all heavenly.

What I think it's speaking of is the the seat of authority the place of authority where where Christ rules. And so we think of all these things coming together and and having their coming under submission from an authority under heaven.

And then he goes on to say that this kingdom of Messiah is the actual consummation the full bringing together of the prophetic idea. So you're looking at the prophecies which which Matthew continues to do he continue to continues to quote the prophets.

So this idea of the kingdom of heaven and and remember I said it's it's Matthew trying to broaden our understanding of this kingdom. It's this kingdom of the Messiah is actual full consummation of the prophetic idea from the prophets of the Old Testament of the rule of God without any national limitation.

So participation rest only on faith in Jesus. It is the combination of all rights of Christian citizenship in this world and eternal blessedness in the next or in other words as scripture using scriptural language in this age in the age to come.

So we're not. We don't separate the two. It's both together in this world and in the eternal blessedness or this age in the age to come we're seeing those things together this this kingdom those two things are underneath this authority of heaven currently and and in the future in all senses are only different sides of the same coin.

So in all the different senses of this kingdom all the different things that he pointed out they're there. The only difference is that they're just different sides of the same coin. Or he says they're only different sides of the same great idea.

And that idea is this this coin. Is this the subjection of all things this age and the age to come rule authority everything this world the eternal blessedness this age the age to come everything in it is underneath this heavenly authority he says the subjection of all things to God in Christ.

So I think Vincent here helps us to to elaborate and understand what Matthew wants us to understand where when he uses this term kingdom of heaven he wants us to to have a broader understanding of what the kingdom of heaven is.

So you have repentance the call to repentance the changing of mind which generates a change of behavior a change of even location. And we're going to see this physically representing representing it spiritually.

And then the entrance or participation as Vincent says is faith in Christ. So you have repentance and then the kingdom of heaven which is representative of representative of faith in Christ as a part to be able to have be a participant.

Okay. So you have repentance and faith and a broader understanding of the kingdom of heaven. And he says John says it's at hand it is it's here and so this is this is an immediate concern. That's why he's proclaiming as a herald this is an immediate concern for you bringing the consummation the full consummation of this prophetic thought this prophetic idea what we were looking for is at hand so therefore it is an immediate concern for you.

My audience is what John is trying to portray and then we're gonna we're gonna skip over verse 3 because I want to take just a little bit more time for verse 3 and I hope that if you watch or if you listen you'll bear with me.

It may take just a few extra minutes but but it's it will be really good to look at God's Word together. And then in the verse 4 continue to look at John now John himself speaking of John had a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt about his waist and his food was locusts and wild honey.

Um I read something that never triggered in my mind before and maybe it has yours maybe it hasn't. But if you've ever have you ever thought that scripture never references what Jesus wore but here the Bible tells us what John wore and so of course there has to be a reason for explaining what his wardrobe was and what he ate.

Otherwise it wouldn't be in there. So therefore purpose you know otherwise it would be more important to know more about Jesus. But we don't we don't hear or know about what Jesus is wearing other than you know the the the lady with the issue for 12 years she just wanted to touch the hem of his garment.

So we know Jesus wore a garment with a that's about it that's about all we know what Jesus wore. But here specifically we're told what John the Baptist is wearing as he is in the wilderness of Judea proclaiming this message that the kingdom of heaven is at hand and I think it's for a purpose and this is what I think that that purpose is.

If you look in second Kings 1 8 you'll see that the Prophet Elijah wore a garment of camel hair and a leather belt. And also in in Zechariah chapter 13 verse 4 it kind of tells us there that this was the traditional garb of the prophets.

So John was representing himself as a prophet of God speaking speaking on behalf of God to the people so that when when the people came they would have recognized they would have known and understood by his traditional dress that he was presenting himself and his message as as a prophet and a prophecy from God.

So that's that's the explanation for his his dress his wardrobe and why he wore that so they would recognize who he was and what he was doing. And you know how can we say that this is Matthew is trying to make a connection between John the Baptist and Elijah just because of what they wore.

Well we can confirm that of course by Matthew chapter 11 and verse 11 and 14 Jesus confirmed himself that John was the Elijah that was foretold to come before actually Malachi verse Matt Jesus does confirm that in in Matthew 11 and he confirms that the prophecy that's in Malachi chapter 4 verse 5 I will send Elijah and Jesus said John is is Elijah that that was prophesied to come and Malachi says before the great and terrible day of the Lord.

And that's so important to remember that the prophecy is more than Malachi telling us I will send Elijah and that John fulfills that that prophecy of Elijah coming but the rest of the prophecy tells us that he's coming before the great and terrible day of the Lord so important for us to remember because our theology from Genesis to Revelation must be consistent.

And if John the Baptist is this Elijah fulfilling this prophecy in Malachi and the rest of the prophecies about this great and terrible he's coming before this great and terrible day of the Lord. How does that fit in with the rest of Scripture.

How does that work together. How does that fit together. And of course that's a that's a different different subject altogether a different rabbit trail. We don't have time to go down but I just wanted to encourage you to to take the whole verse look at the whole context the immediate context the greater context of the book the Bible the the history and geography and the consistency of Scripture.

Because one one one way of understanding a certain topic in the Bible can't contradict other beliefs that we have it there's got to be a consistency and there is consistency within Scripture if there's contradictions and there's there's areas that do not flow.

Well that's on our part the interpreter the Bible flows the Bible is consistent and so we we have to find out how we're wrong and how we can understand it to where the Bible is consistent to us. I hope that makes sense.

And speaking of that that terrible day of the Lord John somewhat I think references that idea Luke tells us in Luke chapter 3 verse 7 Luke tells us about more of the conversation that John had with the audience that was coming the the multitude the crowd that was coming that was coming to hear him be baptized whatever reason that they were coming this was his part of his message to them specifically and I think it's it's referencing continuing to reference this Malachi chapter 4 verse 5 he says to them you brood of vipers who warned you to flee from the wrath to come.

Isn't that interesting. We don't speak about this this time of Jesus on earth and and part of part of what he is accomplishing and fulfilling and prophecy was this great and terrible day of the Lord this this wrath to come.

And John John speaking to the crowd he says to them you brood of vipers who warned you to flee from the wrath to come. And he says don't rely on Abraham as your father. Don't don't fool yourself don't be misguided.

He says God can raise up stones to worship you. So don't rely on your lineage. There's wrath coming. And that's again a whole different rabbit trail a whole different topic subject but I just say that to encourage us to be consistent to look at the whole context of what's going on in Scripture.

So I think that's why Matthew tells us what John wore and and what was going on here in his his his wardrobe and his diet and how it points to the prophets of old and how his audience would have understood and known that.

And then in verse 5 keep hitting the table in verse 5 says then Jerusalem was going out to him. So they were going out of Jerusalem and all it says all Judea and all the districts around the Jordan. Now I think in in this case and it's it's very true it's very true that and maybe you've heard this before the word all means all.

Of course we agree on that but how it's used can be used hyperbolically and over-exaggeration. And some places some people disagree on that on how it's used or that it's ever used or that it's ever used like that because they'll say all means all always all the time it means all.

You know they'll say those types of clever phrases but you just simply have to go back to the birth of Christ where it says all of the world was taxed. We know that's hyperbolic language. It's because he was not ruler over the whole world it was it was his world his his kingdom that he was calling to be taxed.

So yes the word all can be all of a certain thing or or maybe hyperbolic language and over-exaggeration. And here obviously it says that then Jerusalem now you we say that we take the Bible literally did the the city itself the walls did they come down to where John was being baptized the earth move.

We have to read the Bible literally the way it meant us to read it. Jerusalem meaning the people was going out out of Jerusalem to him. And in all of Judea we've got to understand that not every single person left their post and went out but it was you know the majority a great number you know we even use we even use that type of language.

Let's just for an example let's say that there's a we've been going through this pandemic and we can't have public events but then let's say that we're the the stipulations on getting together are lifted and we can have our local parade.

Finally we can have our local parade and the news reporter comes and they say all of such-and-such was there to see the parade. Well we know that not every single citizen of that city or county was there but when he says all of such-and-such city was there.

We understand that it seemed like everybody was there because it was such a great multitude. That's what's going on here. That's interpreting and understanding scripture with a consistency interpreting it in its context the way it means it but a great multitude from Jerusalem all Judea and the districts around the Jordan they were coming to John.

And this is where I saw again the the comparing and contrasting. We talked about how John was proclaiming as a herald in the wilderness of Judea. And where were they coming from. They were coming from.

They were coming out of Jerusalem to the wilderness of Judea. And so if this is where they are spiritually in the wilderness where they think they are spiritually is in Jerusalem the the temple of God.

They they are righteous they are God's children. And you can you can hear you can understand their mindset when John tells them because he knew their mindset when he tells them that when we quoted the verse from Luke Luke 3 7 when he tells them don't don't say to yourself we're we're children of Abraham.

This is where their mindset was. We are God's people. We have the temple the great temple we are descendants we have the lineage we are Abraham's children. So where they truly were was in the wilderness of Judea.

Where they thought they were was in the great capital city God's promised land with the great temple. They thought they were in Jerusalem in a real right relationship with God. But what needed to happen was a repentance a coming out of Jerusalem changing their mind.

This is not right. I need to come out of Jerusalem and go to the wilderness to the dry ground where the branch is growing and go to this branch where I can sit under his limbs and his tree and be protected and be satisfied spiritually.

I think that is what it's pointing to and what I see. And like I said I don't want to take too much and put too much into that. But I can see that spiritual compare and contrast. And then in verse 6 and they the people that were coming out to John in the wilderness and they were being baptized by him John the Baptist in the Jordan River as they were confessing their sin.

Do you see that connection there today we speak of baptism as a as a public profession of faith. It's a it's a symbol of it's an outward symbol of what has happened on the inside. But these these things coincided with each other they happened together.

All these things were done publicly. It wasn't it wasn't a confession with just them and John. The confession and the baptism coincided with one another and both were public proclamations. The confession of sin was a public proclamation and the baptism was a public proclamation.

And there was more to it. You know I can visualize seeing people in our churches being baptized and it's a it's a joyous occasion. But it's it's just it's it's a simple ceremony where they enter the water they go under the water and come out of the water and it represents that that death and spiritual death and salvation that that God does within us.

And it's a beautiful thing. But it's a simple ceremony. But baptism this baptism language that the Bible uses in the Old Testament here in the New Testament as well and in this this baptism language and it being done publicly was more of a deal than what we probably understand it to be because it was it was a public proclamation going with this confession of sin that I am wrong.

And what was the message repent I am I am wrong I have been doing wrong and I want to forsake that and what was the second half of the message that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. So therefore this transfer of location is happening.

And I'm proclaiming that with my public public baptism where I thought I was in a right place in a right relationship with God because I was a child of Abraham I was from Jerusalem this is my people in my city that was promised and given to us by God.

And because of these things I'm in a right relationship with God because I do these things I'm in a right relationship with God. But baptism in response to the kingdom of heaven is a public transfer of I am symbolizing my transfer from who I was to who I am and who and where I am I am in this I'm in this new and different I'm acknowledging and accepting that this was wrong and this kingdom of heaven this is where I'm supposed to be that was wrong and it was is I'm forsaking that and that's why I think baptism is much deeper and more profound than what we often understand it to be.

It was a big deal for this public proclamation. And then there's of course a third thing that that's public and we're gonna see that in just a second but repentance this confession of sin was public baptism the symbol of transferring from what was wrong to the kingdom that's right was was public.

And then what else public and not private is the proclamation ourselves of this good news. And that's why you see sometimes in baptisms today with a pastor the elders will have the the baptism baptismal candidate to share their testimony of how God has worked in them repentance and faith towards Christ a message of the good news and what it has done in them and for them.

Because it's not a it's not a private thing and it's not a simple ceremony it's a public proclamation and we as the recipients of the baptism are proclaiming it publicly and not just with the action but with our words just like John the Baptist he was he proclaiming as a herald with his voice and visually with water baptism.

And that's what we we are called to do. So what I want to look at now with with the remainder of the time that we have together which you know there's no real time limits on here. I hope you will stick with me but we're gonna go back to verse 3 for just a second because it says for this is the one John the Baptist referred to by Isaiah and Matthew continues to quote the prophets saying the voice of one crying in the wilderness make ready the way of the Lord make his pass straight.

So John is fulfilling this prophetic word from Isaiah and Matthew is is calling attention to that fulfillment of that verse. And this particular prophecy is found in Isaiah chapter 40 verse 3. And if we flip back if you're with me if you have your Bibles open you can follow along with me.

The the prophecy that Matthew is speaking of is is Isaiah chapter 40 verse 3 a voice is calling clear the way of the Lord in the wilderness make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. And then there's that fulfillment.

And then Matthew points that out to us but just as I've said in the past when they heard a small quote when they heard a small quote from the Old Testament their knowledge of the context would have come to mind come flooding in their mind and they would have understood the the whole passage the whole context that you know where we just focus on verse verse to verse and compare verse to verse this by Matthew and this is consistent throughout you know the New Testament.

Of course by Matthew quoting this verse that was basically the same or similar to us saying here's the reference here's the passage that I want you to remember or look up or read and so by him quoting this one verse Matthew was pointing to this this passage this whole passage and of course like I've done in the past I want to look at Isaiah chapter 40 not just verse 3 but the whole chapter and I know it it's a lot chapters can be a lot but it's so wonderful and refreshing and powerful to read what they would have understood when Matthew pointed out Isaiah chapter 40 verse 3 they would have thought back to Isaiah chapter 40.

So think about Jesus being King living in that victory and and and Matthew speaking to us about John the Baptist his fulfillment of this prophecy and and the message that they would have heard. I'm recalling Isaiah and the message from Isaiah.

So we're going to step into their shoes and recall the message of Isaiah as we look at Isaiah chapter 40 and I'm gonna read and just make a few brief comments as as we read along. So I hope you will follow along with me.

Starting in verse 1 it says comfort. Oh comfort my people says God. So this is opening up as a passage of comfort. Remember the context. John is fulfilling the prophecy. He's preaching his message and he's also speaking to them roughly in some in some cases you brood of vipers who warned you to flee the wrath to come.

But Matthew is pointing us back to this this passage in Isaiah this comfort passage comfort Oh comfort my people says your God speak kindly to Jerusalem and call out to her that her warfare has ended that her iniquity has been removed that she has received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins.

So we know we know that the the fall of Jerusalem came that Jerusalem was wiped out we know that warfare had not ended. So we we understand this as as the New Testament writers did as fulfillment of spiritual prophecy and in spiritual terms in in this way the the warfare of sin.

Verse 3 of course is our passage a voice is calling clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. Then verse 4 let how do we do that. So his calling is to clear the way in the wilderness make smooth the desert pass.

And listen to this description let every valley be lifted up and every mountain and hill be made low. So what happens when the valleys lifted up in the mountain and hills made low. It comes together. You have this level plain now and let the rough ground become a plain.

And here's here's this verse this these words that I was referencing earlier and the the rugged terrain the wilderness that they were in he says and the rugged terrain as in you're walking through a jungle that that's thick with vines and weeds and trees.

And you're you're having to you know machete or or pull away so that you can navigate through. Make the rugged terrain a broad valley to where there's no obstacles there's no stumbling blocks. You're not going to to stumble and fall or roll down the hill.