Isaiah Lesson 74

Cornerstone Church

Subscribe

Download

Share

00

00:01

And we are saying good afternoon, it has always been a pleasure, can you believe this is our 74th session, now that's

00:12

Isaiah, we've had some breaks in between for other topics. Only a couple.

00:19

I'm sorry? Only a couple. Yeah, we've pretty much been plowing through, but my point is that if you add in the three extras, this is our 77th session, wow, that we've been doing this.

00:31

I think that, Jeff I think you were talking to Lisa just a little bit ago, I think our big plan is to continue through the month of June and then recognizing people's preference to go down to the shore on a nice day.

00:47

Yeah, we're going to take July and August, take a break and resume in somewhere around Labor Day, give or take?

00:52

No, I think we're going to start back in August, right? Oh, we're starting back in August? I think so. Yeah, because both of us are gone in July.

00:59

Okay. So that was the issue there. Gotcha, alright. No, we were going to finish Isaiah in August. That's right.

01:05

And then start a new book. You haven't decided what yet? Oh, we're having fun talking about it. I bet you are.

01:13

We thought about Malachi, but that's probably not, no, Maccabees, we thought about Maccabees, but that's probably not.

01:21

Maccabees, isn't that in the Catholic Bible? Yes, it is. That's why I said it's not going to be there. He's a jokester.

01:28

Well, well. Hesitation. I've heard of it, but not of it. Lamentations.

01:34

I don't think I've ever read that. It's too hard. How's it going? It is a difficult time.

01:42

John, would you open us in a word of prayer? Lord, we come to you with a heart of hope, knowing that we can talk about things like pandemics and stuff like that.

01:56

We have a hope that far exceeds anything the world can give.

02:02

But yet, Lord, the world denying you does not have that hope. We're going to be looking in Isaiah 57 and seeing the stark difference between the future of those who turn to you, call on you, and rely on you, and the destiny for those who don't.

02:20

Pray that we would be motivated, Lord, to spread your word to the world that needs to hear it.

02:26

We pray in Jesus' name, amen. Amen. We began a ministry called Love Life in the fall of last year, going down to the abortion clinic in Cherry Hill, crying out to women not to murder their babies, standing there and praying and even singing praise to our

02:44

God, who's the Lord over all creation. But one of the things that we noticed from the very first time we were out there is that those who are intent to murder their own babies are without peace.

02:57

The first time we were there, a man was somehow volunteering to help and escort these women into the building.

03:06

He came out and began to mock and assail the people who were gathered on the sidewalk. Whenever we would try to sing, he'd put a blaring song on his phone and try to hold it in our faces.

03:18

He'd put pornography on his phone. He would curse, and he would get in people's faces. He stood face to face with a guy, mocking him, trying to provoke him in that moment, and that was the last that we ever saw of that guy.

03:31

We just kept praying, and he was gone. This most recent time that we were out there,

03:36

I was standing on the curb and glanced over my shoulder to see that a truck, driving at probably 35 miles an hour, came swerving at our group.

03:52

I looked back in time to see the guy's face. He was enraged, bright red, screaming at the top of his lungs, swerved as if to hit us.

04:01

Mind you, in order to do this, he had to leave the lane and go into a very large shoulder of the road, so it was obvious that he hadn't just lost control for a second.

04:14

His entire car was in the shoulder and missed us by about that far.

04:19

Me and Steve Marindola. What's that? I would have jumped out in front of him. Well, the first thing

04:25

I did is I looked back, and I memorized the license plate. Good. And then another took their phone out and took a picture of the car before it went by, and we called the cops.

04:35

And the guy came, and we filed a report, gave him the license plate. He was able to look it up right there and identify the picture matched the license plate, and he said,

04:44

I'm going to go and deal with it. So the officer hopefully took care of that.

04:52

There is a wicked demonic spirit that would arrive at the place where someone is willing to murder their own children or to support others in doing that.

05:07

And there's a connection between this desire and sexual immorality and the worship of idols.

05:14

All of these things are addressed in Isaiah 57. Conversely, great peace have they who love thy law.

05:25

Nothing can make them stumble. Our inheritance as Christians is peace. When you see the wicked in their sin, there is no peace.

05:35

They spin up muck and mire and dirt and all manner of just discord and anger and the rage in the faces of these two men.

05:46

Not to mention that every time we go out to the abortion clinic, multiple cars will stop to harass, lay on their horns and mock and curse.

05:55

And they're just filled with such vile vitriol and hatred over against those who are standing and praying.

06:03

And we have peace in our hearts. There's no raging of the soul. This is addressed in Isaiah 57.

06:11

John, would you mind reading the first two verses? And remember the context here before we begin to read.

06:18

The Israelites, by and large, are rebellious people. It won't be long until they're they're sold into captivity.

06:27

All the northern tribes and everything really besides Jerusalem got wiped out by the

06:32

Assyrians. But now the Assyrian threat is gone. And about 100 years later, the

06:37

Babylonians will come. The watchmen, the leaders of Israel are not genuine leaders.

06:46

These are watchmen that don't cry out. These are watchdogs that don't bark. These are shepherds that don't lead.

06:53

But the people themselves, the majority are not walking with God. We're going to get into that.

06:59

There is, however, a remnant. As God always has a remnant people. And here the remnant is addressed in 1 and 2.

07:07

And then we'll see the wickedness of the people in 3 and the following. So 1 and 2, John. The righteous man perishes and no one lays it to heart.

07:16

The devout men are taken away while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from calamity.

07:23

He enters into peace. They rest in their beds who walk in their uprightness.

07:30

So here the subject is death. And especially the death of the righteous.

07:38

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of a righteous one.

07:45

Here death is a form of deliverance. Israel has become so wicked that to die is to be put at peace.

07:56

It says the righteous man perishes and no one lays it to heart. The Israelites are not warned by the death of a righteous person.

08:08

Or by their death that surrounds them everywhere. Devout men are taken away while no one understands.

08:15

That stroke of death is not a warning to the living. They pay no mind.

08:21

They're so hardened in sin that they're not aware of what's at stake. For the righteous man is taken away from calamity.

08:30

Now notice there. You would think that death is always back, right?

08:37

But what did Paul say in Philippians chapter 1? To die is gain.

08:44

Now, would he rather go on living in the flesh or to die? Well, living. He actually debates the point.

08:52

He says, I would rather die to go be with the Lord, which is better by far.

08:58

But it is more necessary for you that I remain in the flesh. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith.

09:08

But the point is to live is Christ, to die is gain. It's better to die. And here the culture has become so wicked that death is deliverance for the righteous.

09:19

I like how Matthew Henry says of this moment in Israel's history. He says when the ambassadors are called home.

09:29

The war is at hand. Think of that. That's true. When you're at peace in the nations, right?

09:36

Your ambassadors are free to be in Ukraine or in Russia. But when the ambassadors are called home, you're preparing for war.

09:44

I think that's kind of the idea. Matthew Henry gets at it here. Look, when the righteous are dying here, it's because God is preparing

09:52

Israel for judgment. And the righteous ones in such a wicked culture are actually discovering peace.

09:59

Can you imagine what it would be like to be the chosen people of God with such an inheritance?

10:05

And yet to look around you and see your nation surrounded by foreign armies because of the unfaithfulness of the people.

10:14

How it would grieve your soul. Well, in a sense, we experience that, don't we? When that ship

10:22

Arabella was sailing to the Americas and a sermon was preached, a city on a hill.

10:31

That this new nation, the Puritans arriving on the shores of America, would be a city on a hill.

10:39

And all the world would see what it's like when a nation is blessed by God. Now, these were post -millennial in their theology.

10:45

So they kind of thought that they were establishing the kingdom of God on Earth. And of course, that's pretty much been proven false, right?

10:53

For the last three or four hundred years, we've seen a pretty steep downward slope as we await the second coming of Christ.

11:03

But there was a time in American history where America became the envy of all the

11:09

Earth. America was a city on a hill to some level. Never an ideal version of it.

11:16

But now we're living in a generation like this one. Where we see wickedness increasing all around us.

11:26

Where standing on the sidewalk, a truck will swerve, either trying to hit you or at least trying to threaten to hit you.

11:35

And you look around and just wonder, these kids that are being raised in these schools are believing the lies of the enemy.

11:44

It breaks your heart. When will this end? And here in death, the person is delivered.

11:51

He enters into peace, verse 2. So death to the righteous is not a judgment.

11:57

It's coming home. It's a home going. What is there to fear? Oh, death, where is your sting?

12:04

Grave, where is your victory? That's it. Oh, grave, where is your victory? Because the sting of death is swallowed up in victory.

12:11

As Christ rose from the dead as the first fruits, he will raise us too. We have nothing to fear. In fact, in dying, we can have peace.

12:19

That's what happens here. There's nothing to fear. He enters into peace. They rest in their beds, who walk in their uprightness.

12:27

One of the reasons that the nations rage is because all their lives, they are controlled by their fear of death.

12:35

They're afraid. When they see the righteous preacher on the street corner or you living your life different than them, it enrages them because they're afraid to die.

12:48

And if you're right, then they're wrong. And you, as a preacher of righteousness, like Noah, condemn them.

12:56

Remember how it says in Hebrews 11, Noah condemned his generation, not because he preached condemnation, he preached rescue.

13:03

But because they rejected that, it was doubling their own condemnation.

13:09

Does it make sense? So that's how the world views you. You're a threat.

13:15

You remind them of death. And isn't that what Paul said to the

13:21

Corinthians? To some, we are the aroma of life. To others, the aroma of death.

13:27

We smell like death to them. That's what Pastor Joe used to say. We smell to them.

13:32

We smell like death. We smell like death to them. Because it reminds them. Well, Joe is a wise man to say that.

13:38

I haven't heard him say that, but no, just kidding. Because I just said that. The point is, we're the aroma of death to them, but we're at peace.

13:47

Death isn't even scary to us. The martyrs, when you read the Fox's Book of Martyrs, the martyrs who faced death did it with joy.

13:56

And they embraced it. If they're going to take my life for the sake of the gospel, I'm glad to be counted worthy of dying for his name's sake.

14:07

For suffering for his name's sake. As in Acts 4. So here you have the righteous not afraid.

14:15

Even in death, they're at peace. And they're being made at perfect peace in their dying. Because the sin nature in all this wicked world is removed.

14:23

Now, let's see the contrast. Who'd like to read? Why don't we just do three to eight and get the full scope of what's going on.

14:30

In Israel, if in chapter 56 you have the warning to the leaders. The watchmen who don't watch.

14:37

The sheep dogs that don't bark. The shepherds that don't lead. That's the end of chapter 56.

14:43

Now it's the people. What are they doing? Well, if the leaders are corrupt, where do you think the people are?

14:49

If there's no shepherd, the people will be without a shepherd. Lacking knowledge.

14:54

And they'll go the way. So that's what's happening. Three to eight. Kristen, you got that? Thanks. But you draw near, sons of the sorceress, offspring of the adulterer and the loose woman.

15:07

Whom are you mocking? Against whom do you open your mouth wide and stick out your tongue?

15:13

Are you not children of transgression, the offspring of deceit? You who burn with lust among the oaks under every green tree.

15:21

Who slaughter your children in the valleys under the clefts of the rocks. Among the smooth stones of the valley is your portion.

15:28

They are your lot. To them you have poured out a drink offering.

15:34

You have brought a grain offering. Shall I relent for these things? On a high and lofty mountain you have set your bed.

15:41

And there you went up to offer sacrifice. Behind the door and the doorpost you have set up your memorial.

15:47

For deserting me, you have uncovered your bed. You have gone up to it. You have made it wide.

15:53

And you have made a covenant for yourself with them. You have loved their bed. You have looked on nakedness.

16:00

Is this referring to physical sexual sin? Or the spiritual adultery of idol worship?

16:10

One way or the other. It's both and.

16:17

Because, here's the key. The Moabites who worshipped Molech and Baal.

16:24

And the surrounding nations, the Canaanites. A part of their religious practice was this sexual temple prostitution.

16:34

So it is a both and. The answer was yes. He's referring to physical sexual immorality.

16:40

And the adultery of leaving God for the gods of the nations.

16:45

That's what's happening here. So remember, I think I mentioned this last week as well.

16:52

When Balaam was called in by Balak to curse Israel. And he wouldn't do it.

16:59

Balaam couldn't do it. But after that episode, we're told in Revelation 2. I think it's verse 14.

17:04

That Balaam taught Balak how they could entice the

17:10

Israelites. What was it? Sexual immorality. He enticed them to sexual immorality.

17:17

And to eat food sacrificed to idols. So what they couldn't do at cursing them.

17:22

Overpowering them. They could do with sexual temptation. So the worship of Molech.

17:30

Out on the hilltops. In the green trees. They actually had prostitutes. That were part of this supposed fertility worship service.

17:40

What they would do is they would go to the prostitute. And in that in the lush environment. They would expect that then they would have many sons and daughters.

17:47

Well, how do you ensure that you have many sons and daughters? If you're doing this idolatrous worship practice.

17:56

You offer one of your sons or daughters.

18:02

As a sacrifice to this wicked God. There's actually a feature.

18:08

And if you look in the last half of verse 5. Who slaughter your children in the valleys under the clefts of the rock.

18:15

There's a feature called the gates of hell. It's a cave. Where people would send their young children to be murdered.

18:26

To the idol. To appease the idols. Who slaughter your children in the valleys under the clefts of the rocks.

18:34

We go out to the abortion clinic. And we have a term for it. Everybody that goes out there. We call it the gates of hell.

18:40

For that very reason. And because of what Jesus said about the gates of hell. Will not prevail against the church.

18:47

The church cannot be resisted by the gates of hell. But yeah for that reason and this.

18:53

There is nothing more demonic. Can you imagine the satanic lie? That if you will merely offer your child.

19:03

Then you will be blessed. In fact isn't that what a woman is doing in abortion now? For her own life.

19:09

She's promised your dreams. If you don't do this. You'll never have an opportunity to thrive.

19:16

It'll change your whole future if you have this child. This dependent. And she then for her own desires.

19:25

And her own dreams. Will offer a sacrifice to mold. Abortion is mullet worship.

19:32

It's the same thing. Let's look at it verse by verse. Verse 3. But you.

19:39

This is the name that he gives them. Sons of the sorceress. You don't want

19:45

God to give you that name. He's promised us a new name. Written on a white stone in heaven. You don't want this moniker.

19:53

This description. But this describes adultery. You offspring of the adulterer.

20:00

And the loose woman. Whom are you mocking? Against whom do you open your mouth wide.

20:07

And stick out your tongue. I can still picture that man who was. Face to face with all of us mocking us. You could see his teeth were rotten.

20:15

And his breath smelled of. Of some kind of drug. There was a demonic spirit really.

20:21

Coming from him. And that anger. And I think the mockery. The opening wide of the mouth.

20:28

Is hatred towards God. It's a complete rebellious spirit. Against the law of God.

20:34

Now what did the law of God say? Regarding sexual morality. Let's look in the notes at Leviticus 18.

20:41

John could you read this one? You shall not do as they do. In the land of Egypt where you live.

20:47

You shall not do as they do. In the land of Canaan. To which I am bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes.

20:54

You shall not lie sexually. With your neighbor's wife. And so make yourself unclean with her.

21:00

You shall not give any of your children. To offer them to Molech. And so profane the name of your

21:06

God. I am the Lord. You shall not lie with a male. As with a woman. It is an abomination.

21:13

Abomination to Ebal. Now listen. In Leviticus 18. Before they go into the promised land.

21:20

They were warned of this. That you must not be like the nation that you left.

21:26

The Egyptians and their practices. Where all of the plagues of Egypt.

21:32

Paralleled the false religion of the gods of Egypt. Judgment over those gods.

21:38

And the sexual immorality of Egypt. Well going into the promised land. You'll see the same paganism.

21:44

Because paganism is the same worldwide. It's really creature worship. It's the idea that the world is one.

21:53

And that you need to appease these spirits of the world. And they call it monism.

22:00

What's that? The Gaia hypothesis. The Gaia. Yeah. These spirits. The idea of paganism.

22:06

Is that nature is God. And so humanity. As part of that.

22:13

Is part of God. You are God. And God is you. It's the lie of the Garden of Eden. So wherever you see the

22:18

Babylonian mystery religions. Wherever you see the shamanism.

22:24

Of whether the rainmaker in Africa. Or in the Americas or in India. All over you see this androgyny.

22:32

This homosexuality as part of the worship. All of this is part and parcel of paganism.

22:38

These are the nations that they were to displace. And God tells them. You are not to be like that.

22:45

But you are to be sexually pure. And then I find it so interesting in Leviticus 18. That right in between the sexual immorality.

22:55

Of adultery. And the condemnation of homosexuality. You have what doesn't seem to be a sexual sin.

23:04

The offering of your children to Moloch. But do you see all of Leviticus 18.

23:10

Is against the sexual sin. Sexual immorality. Whether it be incest or bestiality or homosexuality.

23:18

Or all manner of sexual sin, adultery. Right in the middle of that chapter.

23:24

Is the offering of your children to Moloch. Because these things are connected.

23:30

There would not be abortion in America. If there hadn't been the sexual revolution.

23:37

Where now there is outside of marriage. Women becoming pregnant usually in their teenage years.

23:43

And then going on to kill their own children. It is connected.

23:49

The pagans because they worship all of earth. The gods and the earth.

23:57

Meaning that they too were god like. Yes. Isn't that in a positive way.

24:07

They claim to have nature as part of them. And we have Christ as part of us. Every sin is really an aberration.

24:16

Satan is not a creator. All he can do is take and pervert what God has made. So God made sex as a beautiful thing.

24:24

For procreation it is God's design. But it is Satan who can take what God has made and make it perverted.

24:31

And in the same way God made us to be image bearers. Who reflect the glory of the Lord. And we glorify him as sons of God.

24:39

Image bearers. The world is waiting to see these sons of God revealed. In Romans 8 we learn.

24:46

So what Satan does is say you can be God. He takes what is a good thing created by God.

24:51

Reflecting the glory of God. Like the moon reflects the sun. And says you can be the sun. You can be

24:57

God. So yeah you are right. It is a perversion of the good thing that God made. So here we see it then.

25:05

The sexual sin. Are you not children of transgression?

25:12

The offspring of deceit? You who burn with lust among the oaks.

25:18

That is a picture of going to the temple prostitute. And they have made these big ornate gardens.

25:24

Where this takes place. Under every green tree. And then it says right there in verse 5.

25:31

Who slaughter your children in the valleys. Under the clefts of the rocks.

25:39

The gates of hell. This wicked place of idol worship. Spiritual adultery but also sexual immorality.

25:49

And murder. Then it says among the smooth stones of the valley.

25:55

Is your portion. They are your lot. To them you have poured out a drink offering.

26:01

You have brought a grain offering. Shall I relent for these things? So they are bringing sacrifices.

26:08

And again Bob the idea of sacrifice. Drink offering, grain offering. That was to be to God in the temple.

26:15

But they have left the temple. And they have gone out to the gods of the nations. To the high places, to the hills.

26:23

To offer drink offerings to idols. So they are worthless to God. Even in the temple they are worthless to God.

26:31

At the beginning of Isaiah we learned that. Even these sacrifices are an abomination. Because the heart isn't it.

26:39

But here they have not only stopped bringing with the right heart. They are actually going to the gods of the nations.

26:47

They think there is power there. They find prosperity there. It is a covetousness for money.

26:53

And if it works and they start to believe it all the more. On a high and lofty mountain.

27:01

You have set your bed. And there you went up to offer sacrifice. They are offering to Molech.

27:08

To Baal. Behind the door in the door post you have set up a memorial.

27:14

For deserting me you have uncovered your bed. You have gone up to it. You have made it wide.

27:22

You have made a covenant for yourself with them. You have loved their bed. You have looked on nakedness.

27:29

Is he talking about the Israelites? Yes that is what I am saying. These are the

27:34

Israelites. They are the common people. The shepherds have not protected the flock. Instead the flock is scattered.

27:42

And they are going to the nations. Surrounding countries. They have been enticed by Molech. This is the

27:49

Lord talking? Yes Isaiah is speaking for God. I just wanted to make sure.

27:58

Here you have Isaiah giving the prophecy. This is what God says. He is just saying that Israel is an adulteress.

28:08

This is a nation that is apostate. And he is the one that is failing. He is the faithful husband.

28:15

And he has an unfaithful wife. Remember the book of Hosea? Israel has become an adulteress. And now he is saying not my people.

28:27

Not loved. Good thing the good news is coming.

28:36

Verses 9 -13a. Lisa if you would.

28:43

And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thine perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even unto hell.

28:55

Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way, yet saidst thou not, there is no hope.

29:02

Thou hast found the life of thine hand, therefore thou wast not grieved.

29:08

And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart?

29:18

Have not I held my peace even of old, and thou fearest me not?

29:25

I will declare thy righteousness and thy works, for they shall not profit thee. When Christ let thy companies deliver thee, but the wind shall carry them all away.

29:38

I don't know where A is. He shall take them, but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my whole land.

29:50

Very good. That but will become the transition point, as it often is. So leading into that, the first half of verse 13.

29:58

Notice what effort they go to. What lengths they go to.

30:04

Yet they never have peace. Isn't it true that every morning, here in Mount Laurel, people rise at five, six in the morning, and they go work all day long, and they strive after things.

30:19

They're not just idle all the time. The person who's desiring sexual immorality will go to great lengths for that, and strive and strive, but never find peace.

30:33

They're chasing idols. It says in verse nine, you journeyed to the king with oil and multiplied your perfumes.

30:41

So these are going to the surrounding nations, whether it be Balak, but this is later in time.

30:47

Whoever the king is, whether it be an Assyrian king or now the rise of Babylon, they're trying to appease these nations because they don't trust

30:56

God to protect them from the nations. They bring oils, and they're doing what they can to make peace.

31:02

They're going and worshiping their gods. You sent your envoys far off and sent down even to Sheol, the gates of hell.

31:13

Whew. You were wearied with the length of your way. So this is like great effort that they're going to.

31:20

All they had to do was rest in Yahweh. The blessings of Deuteronomy 28 were theirs.

31:26

Protection from the enemies. Instead, look at these lengths, and then it says, but you did not say it is hopeless.

31:33

They're still trying to do it themselves. They're still trying to run their lives and find you found new life for your strength, and so you were not faint.

31:44

They're rallying their strength. They're hanging on. They're clinging to this life. That's the nature of the people around us in the world.

31:52

They have no peace in their hearts. Remember C .S. Lewis described that there's a hole in every man's heart and only

32:01

God can fill it. It's shape, it's a God -sized hole, but they're trying everything else, and they strive and they strive, constantly striving.

32:12

So this almost sounds like the definition of insanity. It is the same thing again and again, thinking it'll change.

32:20

They run from one woman to the next and one experience to the next and one venture to the next, always striving but never going to change.

32:27

It's not hopeless. I can do it. I can do it. Yes. I'm really curious, with the

32:33

Israelites, where is this remnant while all the rest of the Israelites are being adulterous?

32:41

They're refusing to go. They don't leave Israel. They're at peace, and they're dying. And when they die, they're laid at rest.

32:48

But no, they're not participating. They're crying out. They're actually in the midst of it.

32:55

They're in the midst. They're in the midst of it. They see truth, but they are in the midst of it.

33:01

They're just like us in this generation. And are they persecuted by the...

33:06

Very much so. When you think of Micaiah the prophet, he prophesied against the wicked king.

33:13

And another prophet slapped him in the mouth because all of the prophets were lying prophets except for Micaiah.

33:21

So there were... The true ones are persecuted. And he was thrown in a dungeon, and then everything he said happened.

33:30

The king was shot with an arrow and died in his chariot, just like Micaiah said.

33:35

And did he go, huh? Well, eventually we're vindicated. And our vindication comes from the

33:42

Lord. We actually can refute every tongue. And we'll talk about...

33:50

I think it was at the end of 54. I love... This is one of my favorite... In fact, let me just read this.

33:56

If anyone stirs up strife, it is not from me. Whoever stirs up strife with you shall fall because of you.

34:04

Behold, I have created the smith who blows the coals and produces a weapon for its purpose.

34:11

I have also created the ravager to destroy. Now listen to what he says to us because we are persecuted.

34:17

But this is the promise for us. No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed. And you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment.

34:28

This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord. And their vindication from me declares the

34:33

Lord. We will be vindicated. And we are vindicated. We do refute.

34:40

When I made the argument of woke free church against critical race theory, no one stands up to debate it.

34:48

When James White and Votie Backham and Tom Askell and the statement on social justice, no one dares debate them because they know they can't.

34:59

They slander them and say things behind their back. But no one can go Proverbs 18, 17, one man seems right until another comes and examines him.

35:07

No one can refute the truth of what's being said. They can only make assertions. But our side is willing to debate at any point.

35:16

And that's the thing. I'll defend anything I teach because if it's true, it's true.

35:21

Otherwise, let me be corrected. Let me be corrected. That's how a Berean should think.

35:27

We can refute any lie. So in the midst of this, they're telling the truth, but the people don't want to hear it.

35:33

There is a remnant that's telling the truth. So we are in chapter 57.

35:41

Let's get to this turning point. John, if you would just read it from the butt halfway through verse 13.

35:48

It turns much more hopeful. How far do you want me to go? Let's just read it through.

35:55

But he who takes refuge in me shall possess the land and shall inherit my holy mountain.

36:01

And it shall be said, build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstacle from my people's way.

36:08

For thus says the Holy One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy.

36:14

I dwell in the high and holy place and also with him who is of contrite and lowly heart, to revive the spirit of the lowly, to revive the heart of the contrite.

36:25

For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry. For the spirit would go faint before me and the breath of life that I made.

36:35

Because of the iniquity of his unjust gain, I was angry. I struck him. I hid my face and was angry.

36:42

But he went on backsliding in the way of his own heart. I have seen his ways, but I will heal him.

36:48

I lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners, creating the fruit of the lips.

36:54

Peace, peace to the far and to the near, says the Lord, and I will heal him.

37:00

But the wicked, I like the tossing sea, for it cannot be quiet. And its waters toss up mire and dirt, for there is no peace, says my

37:10

God, for the wicked. Isn't that an awesome passage? Yeah.

37:16

The transition halfway through chapter 57 is but he. So he who what?

37:22

Who takes refuge. So here in that first section you have God holding his peace.

37:27

He's reserving judgment for the day of judgment, the day of the Lord. He's at peace in heaven, but he's angry and holding back judgment.

37:38

So pretty much Israel is done for. But he who takes refuge in me shall possess the land.

37:49

Why? Because God's wrath is commensurate to the sin of his people.

37:57

But his character, his very nature, is love.

38:03

And he relents from judgment. What is required then? Do they have to make up for all that they've done?

38:10

No. He says, I dwell in a high and lofty place, but also among the contrite and lowly in spirit.

38:18

Any Israelite who would beat his chest and look to heaven and say, have mercy on me, the sinner, who breaks and weeps over his sin and turns for forgiveness, will find in God a perfect Savior.

38:38

And this, of course, pictures Jesus, who himself will take our penalty so that we can be forgiven.

38:44

And that blood atonement is applied retroactively back to the Israelites who are contrite, as well as forward in time to us.

38:51

His death, once and for all, is for all who would take refuge in him. Isn't that beautiful?

38:57

This is his gospel right here. God would be just to destroy Israel, but he says,

39:03

I won't. But notice, it's not because of them, but because of him. The key phrase, like in Ephesians 2, verse 4, but God, look at the but I.

39:18

He says, I will not contend forever. Look at verse 18. I have seen his ways.

39:24

He knows every sexual sin that any of us have ever committed. He knows it.

39:29

He's seen it. And he would be just to condemn us. But God, he says in verse 18, but I will heal him.

39:40

Isn't that good news? He is the God that heals us. Jehovah Jireh.

39:46

No, Jehovah Rapha. Right? Jehovah Jireh is our provider. God who heals.

39:53

Jehovah Nisi. Jehovah Rapha. Rapha. Yeah, Jehovah Rapha. But I, Jehovah Rapha, he doesn't say that here, but I will heal him.

40:04

I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners, creating the fruit of the lips.

40:11

What's the fruit of the lips? Praise. It's praise. It's worship. It's what comes from your lips when he has healed you, when you've been forgiven, that spiritual inner healing that comes from forgiveness of sin and the gift of eternal life.

40:26

Now we begin to praise peace, peace, peace. To the far and to the near, says the

40:32

Lord, and I will heal him. Do you see that offer? He's offering forgiveness. Peace with God.

40:40

Romans 5 verse 1. And then verse 20 and 21. Not all will receive this gospel hope.

40:48

Why don't we read that again? Can somebody read just the last two? This is that picture that I wanted to kind of paint for us when

40:55

I talked about love life, and you have men cursing you to your face, and they're in a rage, and you have trucks swerving at you like they want to kill you, and drivers cursing you.

41:05

What is that? This is what it is. Sandy? But the wicked are like the tossing sea, for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up where peace is mud.

41:17

There is no peace, says my God, for the wicked. There is no peace. For the wicked.

41:22

No peace for the wicked. Wow. I like your translation. It said refuse and mud.

41:31

Mine says mire and dirt. Mire and mud. That's the picture. Just that's what will steam, and I do a lot of counseling, and when

41:41

I hear of unbelievers and the pain in their life, some people sharing about their situations, you just want to say, if you would only turn to Christ, you would have peace, but they don't.

41:57

They're constantly without peace, without hope, without God in the world, but we have the gospel, so we publish peace.

42:06

We say peace, peace to the far and to the near. Anybody who will turn will find refuge in Yahweh.

42:15

Guys, don't forget this lesson from Isaiah 57. What you have been given in Christ is peace.

42:23

You have peace with God, and what your neighbors have, even if they look good on the outside, they get up and they strive and they work.

42:30

Maybe their house is nicer than yours. That doesn't mean they have peace.

42:36

You have something to give them. Their heart is toil and turmoil and refuse and mire.

42:44

Inside, there's never peace. You can go to them and publish peace far and near.

42:49

Amen? Amen. Anything else you want to say and then close with some prayer? I'm just going to close. How do you improve on the gospel message?

42:57

For thus says the Holy One, who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is

43:03

Holy, I dwell in the high and holy place. And also with Him, who is of a contrite and lowly spirit,

43:12

He revives the spirit of the lowly. Father, we claim this promise.

43:18

We can only rest in You because the world only provides strife.

43:24

I pray, Father, that this message means something to us, encourages us, but also motivates us to talk to the world that needs to hear this message.

43:35

In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Amen. Be well.

43:41

Here's a good verse. They're all good verses. Hebrew. And four phrases in English.