Isaiah 25, Picture The Future To Praise God Now
1. Willingly Praise God Now (v1-3)
2. Victoriously Praise God Now (v4-5)
3. Joyfully Praise God Now (v6-9)
4. Humbly Submit To God Now (v10-12)
Isaiah 25, Picture The Future To Praise God Now
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Well, as we have some tech issues, I probably won't get to use a screen that much today.
That's OK, we'll work through it.
We had some equipment malfunction on Monday at the VBS, and so no, I replaced a piece that was broken and now that piece that I replaced is now broken so.
Uhm, that's that's how it goes.
All right, Isaiah chapter 25 titled the Message This morning. Picture the future to praise God. Now picture the future to praise God.
Now Isaiah Chapter 25 is right in the midst of a few chapters where Isaiah is looking ahead at.
Things to come now, of course much of Isaiah is looking at things to come from his perspective.
If that is from his point in time, many of the things he promised and prophesied about that God had shown him are things that were to take place soon after his life or during his lifetime, but also some of the things that Isaiah prophesied about have not yet come to pass.
But being the word of God and being the.
The prophetic word of the Lord.
We look at them and we understand they are still yet to come just because they haven't come to pass yet doesn't mean that they will not come to pass.
But God gave Isaiah some things to share that were immediately for that Gen.
Duration or for the immediate following generations, but also God gave Isaiah some things to share that would be for many generations to come.
And so chapter 24 of Isaiah really jumps ahead in history to look at a glimpse of the Tribulation period.
And in the tribulation period there was going to be great judgment from God that would be poured out upon the Earth.
And so chapter 24 reflects that in the words of Isaiah and then chapter 25, the tone kind of changes a bit.
And what happens in Chapter 25 is position from what is called the tribulation to the millennial Kingdom, which is the Kingdom where Jesus will rule and reign for 1000 years here upon the earth. And so he's going to come at the end of the tribulation, establish his Kingdom.
And he will rule on the earth for the 1000 years, and there's going.
To be a.
Dramatic difference of course. During that seven-year tribulation period to the 1000 year Reign of Christ.
Well, as you go on in the future that God has foretold us about, then after the Millennium we enter into eternity and so you can follow along with this in the Book of Revelation, walking through each of these segments, the present.
Day church age.
The tribulation period that is to come the millennial.
Kingdom where Christ rules and reigns for 1000 years and then on into eternity. So chapter 24 of Isaiah.
Address is that time of the tribulation period and then chapter 2526 and 27. I'll speak about the millennial Kingdom and some of the things that will be happening then in the sentiment and the ideas that will be going on during that time. And so as we look at this passage today, we're kind of in the middle.
Of these chapters, but we're looking at this time frame in the future of the Millennium and some of the things that will be happening in regards to the people of God at that time.
And so again, I've titled the message this morning.
Picture the future to praise God.
Now picture the future.
Try to keep in mind.
Try to understand the picture that God has painted of the future, that things that are to come in the tribulation period in the Millennium on into eternity to understand why we can.
And should praise God right now today, and so there's four pictures that Isaiah shares with us.
4 pictures for us to consider to help us to praise God right now.
The first one we find in verses one through three.
Here's point, number one this morning.
Willingly praise God.
Now willingly praise God.
Now verse one says, oh Lord, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God.
You do such wonderful things.
You planned them long ago and now you have accomplished them.
Isaiah begins.
With this entrance into a time of praise.
He says, oh Lord, I will honor and praise your name.
It's kind of interesting to think about.
In the midst of talking about, he comes right out of Chapter 24, great destruction and the wrath and judgment of God.
Being poured out.
In two verse 10 Lord I will honor.
And praise your name.
Talking about a time of wrath and judgment and then instantly transitioning into a time of praise and a praise that is being offered unto the Lord.
But Isaiah is able to praise in the midst of the idea of judgment and the idea of the wrath of God being poured out.
Because it is all reflective of God's character and nature. He goes on in verse one to say you planned them long ago and now you have accomplished them.
There was the plan a long time ago.
There was the.
Plans that God had set for.
But then the plan of God is been established from eternity, and that's why he's able to in these chapters, foretell and declare 'cause he can speak the end from the beginning.
He can describe and declare all the things that are yet to come because.
He is outside of time and can.
See and declare those things, Richard, I'm sorry, can you grab me a bottle water my throat's kind of messed up and.
While he does that, I want to try something here real quick.
That might reset it, we'll see.
Thank you Sir.
And now if you want to try something in the back corner just underneath the.
Camera there's a little square box with.
Two HDMI cables.
And a messed up throat.
You can unplug the power and plug it back in.
That might reset it.
I apologize.
Isaiah says you planned them long ago and now you have accomplished them.
All of these things God has laid out in his words so.
For those of you inside the sanctuary, here's the diagrams you weren't able to see before.
The president charge the tribulation period, the Millennium and eternity.
Chapter 24 dealing with the Tribulation 25 through 27, dealing with the Millennium and Chapter 25 is right at the entrance of that.
And Isaiah is looking at all these things and looking at what is unfolding here.
And recognizing Lord, this has been your plan all along.
And now you have accomplished them.
Now when Isaiah was writing this, it hadn't been accomplished yet, right?
But he's looking ahead.
And putting himself in that place in that moment of the future, and recognizing this, will be the things that unfold and Lord you will have accomplished.
All of these things.
And so on.
The heels of the Tribulation period, where great destruction has come as a result of the wrath of God being poured out on the rebellion of man.
Isaiah says now we need to take a moment here and stop and praise God for this righteous judgment that he has brought forth in this work that he has.
We need to willingly praise God now, and so he says, I will honor and praise your name.
He's making that deliberate decision.
I will honor and praise your name to praise God.
It speaks of uplifting the name of God, acknowledging the glory of God and his position not only in in our.
Lives in our hearts but but in all of eternity and all of Creation, acknowledging who God is and and recognizing him as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the creator of the heavens and the earth, he says, for you are my God.
But I worship you, I'm submitted to you.
I follow you and so I will honor and praise your name.
You do such wonderful things.
What are those wonderful things?
Well, he gives us the first picture.
In verse two you turn mighty cities into heaps of ruins.
Mighty cities into heaps of ruins, cities with strong walls are turned to rubble, beautiful places and distant lands disappear and will never be.
Rebuilt, can you see the picture that Isaiah is painting here?
Again looking back at talking about the Tribulation period.
That seven-year period of God's wrath being poured out upon the earth, he says, the mighty cities, the strong cities, the best that the world is able to produce.
Are going to be brought to destruction.
Now how can we consider praising God?
As we consider destruction, judgment and these kinds of things.
It's something that we struggle with often and I like to remind people that when we do not understand the judgment of God, it is always because we do not understand the sin that is involved.
There are lots of cases where we would look at a situation and cry out for justice, right?
We would cry out for judgment because, well, we have some sense of the injustice and the crime that has been committed when it comes to humanity and our sin against the Lord.
There are many times where we look at the scriptures and we see the judgment that God pronounces upon that sin, and we struggle with it, but not because the judgment is not right and not because it is unjust.
But we struggle with it because we don't really understand the severity of the sin that is involved and the multitudes of people that are hurt and harmed and their lives destroyed by the sinfulness, and so the judgment of God, the wrath of God is always in direct proportion to the sin that is involved and it's.
All we
These the appropriate amount, just enough judgment to deal with the sin that is at hand.
Pastor David Guzik says we can worship God for his judgment because we have confidence in his fairness.
As was the case with Sodom and Gomorrah, God will never make a city a ruin unless the judgment is deserved.
And God has made provision for the righteous.
God throughout history, as he has brought judgment in different situations, has always made provision for the righteous.
In the example of Sodom and Gomorrah that he's giving there, he gave lot an opportunity with his family to escape and to remove themselves so that they were not judged along with the rest of the city.
And the judgment that is received is always the right and fair amount of judgment.
That is, the way that God works.
He is righteous and just and everything that he does is right and correct, and we may not always understand it.
And from our perspective, we may not always see it.
But in eternity, in looking back, we will be able to see and understand and testify.
God, what you did was exactly the right thing to do.
In that situation.
Verse three, he says, therefore, strong nations will declare your glory.
Ruthless nations will fear you.
The judgment that God brings causes strong nations, ruthless nations.
To acknowledge
The position and place that God has.
And the reality here is, you read through the Book of Revelation and consider the Tribulation period.
You see that the the judgment that was brought was necessary for these nations to come to this place.
Of acknowledging God's rightful place and that he is the King of kings.
And Lord of Lords.
God always uses the least amount of judgment possible.
He never overdoes it.
He never, you know, goes off and flies off the handle.
It's always the least amount possible to bring about the best results.
Again, without getting into all of the details in the Book of Revelation Chapter 16.
During the Bowls of wrath that are being poured out upon the Earth that says the 4th Angel poured out his bowl on the Sun causing it to scorch everyone with its fire.
Everyone was burned by this blast of heat and they cursed the name of God.
Who had control over all these plagues?
But they did not repent of their sins and turn to give turn to God, and give him glory.
So in the Tribulation period, even in.
The midst of the.
Most intense plagues and wrath being poured out.
The nations are still rebellious against God and refusing to repent and acknowledge God as God to submit and surrender to God.
Now that's in the midst of the tribulation. That's while the bowls are being poured out. But when all of the judgments are completed, then that's verse 3 here of Isaiah 25.
Then the nations will declare his glory.
They would not glorify God.
Yet in the middle, as all of these different events are happening in.
The tribulation period but at the end finally.
Ruthless nations will fear you, and strong nations will declare your glory.
It's important to understand there's basically.
Two ways to praise God.
Right now in faith, voluntarily.
Or after judgment praising God in condemnation of yourself, finally recognizing him as God, finally acknowledging his rightful place in your life.
And the far better way to praise God is to do the first version right now in Faith willingly, voluntarily, to praise God, right?
Now, because anyone that is resisting God, anyone that is in opposition to God, anyone, any nation, any city, any group of people know whether it's one person or thousands of people.
Millions of people there is no resistance against God.
He is God and our best course of action is to willingly acknowledge that.
To praise him right now to lift him up, I give him that right, rightful place of full authority over our lives.
Well, moving on to verse four and five, we get the second point to consider this morning and that is victoriously praise God now.
We praise God willingly and we praise God for the victory that is to come.
Verse 4.
But you are a tower of refuge to the poor, oh Lord.
A tower of refuge to the needy in distress.
You are a refuge from the storm and a shelter from the heat.
For the oppressive acts of ruthless, people are like a storm beating against a wall.
Or like the relentless heat of the desert.
But you're not, but you silence the roar of foreign nations.
As the shade of a cloud cools relentless heat.
So the boastful songs of ruthless people are stilled.
Here we are encouraged to praise God.
Now in the victory that is to come victoriously praise.
God here Isaiah.
Stops thinking about the judgment that has come and starts thinking about the protection and provision that was given to.
The people of God.
In contrast to that, great destruction that came upon those who resisted God and opposed God, in contrast to that here, he says you are a tower of refuge.
To the poor, can you see that picture?
For those who are poor for those who are needy?
For those who are calling out to God.
Instead of destruction, like those who oppose God experience, they experience this strong fortress of protection from God.
He is a refuge for the poor.
And he goes on to continue some visual illustrations in the things he's describing here.
He says a refuge from the storm and a shelter from the heat.
And so, in the midst of a storm, a refuge can be a great place of rest and comfort and sanctuary.
When the storm is stronger than we're able to handle.
Now here in Southern California, we don't experience a ton of that right.
There's very little storms that come our way that we have to be.
Concerned about, although if you believe the news, you know, every sprinkle of rain is something to panic about, but you know, usually for us it's not that big of a deal, but in other parts of the world.
In other parts of.
Our nation.
There are storms where you have to seek shelter.
You can't just stay in the house.
You can't just walk about in the field, you have to go down into the basement or you have to, you know, find that place of security and shelter.
And Isaiah says God, that's what you are.
To us
In the storms of life and the storms of judgment upon.
The nations in the storms of adversity that we face.
God, you are that refuge that when those storms come, they they should, just like, knock us out and blow us away.
But we are preserved.
Because we run to you.
And you protect us.
And as the winds come.
We are not moved as the rains pound as the hail hits.
As you know whatever that storm is bringing as the forces of nature come against.
We are able to be safe and secured.
In the presence of the Lord in the hands of the Lord, and they shelter from the heat.
And you know what?
It's like to have a shelter from the heat, right?
Just the idea of of having a little bit of shade provides so much relief in the midst of a hot and sunny day.
And so Isaiah here is picturing all of these things, and saying, God, that's like what you are to us.
That you, in the midst of dealing with all this sin and issues of sin in our lives and all around us.
You have provided this refuge this sanctuary.
This shelter for us verse four goes on to say for the oppressive acts of ruthless people.
Are like a storm beating against a wall, or like the relentless heat of the desert.
So this storm this heat.
As they announced says that's all the oppression that your people have experienced.
From the world around them.
And God, you have been with.
US in the midst of that.
God's people have experienced various amounts of oppression from the world throughout all of history and some societies. Some people experience more oppression than others.
We in comparison to the rest of the world, experience very little oppression, but we do experience that opposition and we do live in a world where there's people around us where there's family members around us where there's coworkers or bosses around us.
That do not know the Lord and are against.
The things of the Lord.
And there is that oppression that pushback that antagonism that we experience as a result.
And Isaiah describes that as relentless heat in the desert.
Yesterday morning was like 9:30 in the morning. I went out to my backyard and began to water. Remember those palm trees?
I told you about a couple weeks ago.
I was watering those trees yesterday and the sun was just like this relentless heat of the desert and my sweat glands opened up and there were fountains of sweat pouring forth.
No exaggeration.
And I was thinking about this relentless heat in the desert.
Sometimes the pressures and the opposition and the things that we face in this life.
They're they're like that intense heat.
And it's so uncomfortable and so hard to bear with.
But Isaiah says in the midst of that God, you're a shelter.
You provide a bit of shade in the midst of those attacks in the midst of those adversities.
He says in verse 5, but you silence the roar of foreign nations.
As the shade of a cloud cools relentless heat.
So the boastful songs of the ruthless people are stilled.
That picture of a cloud, you know.
Sometimes I'm sure you've experienced it.
You're outside, it's sunny.
And then there's a cloud that comes by and just you feel that that dramatic change where you're not in that direct heat any longer that that direct contact with the sun.
But now just a little bit of shade.
Provides so much relief.
And that's the way that Isaiah says God is that that God adds this layer of shade in the midst of the heat and provides such incredible relief.
This also made me think back to my wedding when we got married back 18 years ago.
Now it was on a Sunday afternoon in early May.
And we expected beautiful weather when we started planning it.
And on that day it was a.
103 degrees.
For an outdoor wedding, right?
Who expects 103 degrees from a wedding? But there it was 103 degrees and the outdoor wedding had.
A slice of shade that went across where the people would sit and so guess where the people were sitting primarily for our wedding.
There was a couple people who couldn't fit in the shade and so they were in the sun, but almost everybody was in this like little triangle of shade that was provided by whatever was casting the shadow and and so that relief is sought after when we desire it, we crave it in the midst of heat.
And Isaiah says, Lord, that's what you are for us now.
Something really important to consider about these pictures.
This idea of a shelter.
This idea of a shade that God provides.
These pictures both tell the story of endurance through something not escape from something.
The shelter for the storm does it remove the storm it protects in the midst of the storm.
The shade from the heat doesn't remove the heat it protects in the midst of the heat, and that's important to consider because the way that God works in our lives is that he does not eliminate all of those.
Hardships and oppressions and adversities.
And difficulties that we face.
But what he does provide is the protection and the strength that we need.
To endure those difficulties and afflictions, and we're not promised perfection, we're promised protection were promised that in the midst of these things God is able to work.
And to provide and to meet our needs.
A good example of this I was thinking about Shadrack, Meshach and Abednego in Daniel Chapter 3.
When Nebuchadnezzar builds a huge statue, demands everybody to worship it.
But these three say no way, and so Nebuchadnezzar cast them into the fiery furnace.
And he sees them.
There are three guys in the fiery furnace, but now there's a fourth.
And the 4th looks like the son of God and Nebuchadnezzar is confounded.
His advisers are confounded.
He calls them out.
And everybody gathers around as Misaka Cedric me second.
I've been to go walk out of the fire.
And they gather around and they're examining them, and they're saying look, the fire hasn't touched them.
Their hair has not been burned.
Their clothing was not scorched, and then they noted at the end and they didn't even smell of smoke.
Now, I'm sure you've had this experience.
You spend 2 minutes at a bonfire and you smell like smoke for the rest of the week, right?
But but here these guys are in the furnace.
They they didn't even smell like smoke.
God preserved them and protected them in the midst of the fire.
He didn't keep them from the fire, but he was with them in the fire and for you and I today as we look at this again, these are things that Isaiah is prophesying prophesying about in regards to the millennia.
In regards to the things that are to come and how this is a reflection on how God protected and preserved his people through the Tribulation period so that they were surviving into the millennial Kingdom and how God had worked in that way.
And so there's.
A lot there that you can consider and reflect on.
But for us today.
Even though those things are yet future, and we're not necessarily part of that group who will be experiencing.
That we can choose to praise God now because.
It's not that.
God only starts doing that in the future and for the Tribulation period.
But this is the way that God operates with his people.
Again in verse one, I say it tells the Lord you planned them long ago.
These wonderful things you planned them long ago and in your life God has a plan and there is going to be adversity and there is going to be difficulty.
There is going to be things to endure.
But God's plan includes the protection and the provision that you need so that none of those things end up being for evil.
But if you allow God to work and you submit to God, work in your life.
Every one of those adversities will be producing good and accomplishing good.
And as I said, when we are in eternity and can look back with the perspective and understanding that God has, we will recognize.
That hardest thing that I ever went through in my life, Lord.
I needed that and I'm glad you did that.
Thank you.
For preserving me through that, but allowing me to experience that and go through that so that I could grow and be transformed to be more like you in the midst of those trials and adversities.
And so we can choose now as we face adversity.
As we feel the heat, we have the shade.
But the shade doesn't remove the heat entirely, right?
It removes that direct contact that intensity.
We have the shelter that doesn't remove the storm entirely.
We we experience those difficulties.
But we can trust and rest in the protection and preservation of God, and know that our loving and Heavenly Father.
Is perhaps a lot like a surgeon he is cutting.
Inflicting damage upon the body in order to produce healing, and to bring forth good, and we can understand trials and difficulties that we face in that way that God is protecting us and preserving us and producing, even though there is some pain.
And maybe intense pain and lots of pain, but.
It is so that good may result and that.
We may become more like the Lord and so victoriously praise God.
Now, willingly praise God now, and thirdly, going on to verses 6 through 9 joyfully praise God now.
Joyfully praise God.
Now verse six says in Jerusalem, the Lord of Heavens armies will spread a wonderful feast for all the people of the world.
It will be a delicious banquet with clear well aged wine and choice meat.
There he will remove the cloud of gloom, the shadow of death that hangs.
Over the earth.
He will swallow up death forever.
The sovereign Lord will wipe away all tears.
He will remove forever all insults and mockery against his land and people.
The Lord has spoken.
In that day, the people will proclaim this is our God we trusted in him and he saved us.
This is the Lord in whom we trusted.
Let us rejoice.
In the salvation he brings.
Joyfully praise God.
Now we're looking ahead at this time in the millennial Kingdom and God, people are going to be rejoicing greatly as the Lord lays out.
A banquet.
Verse six gives us the picture here.
Can you see the picture, the Lord?
Of heaven's armies will spread a wonderful feast.
For all people of the world.
It will be a delicious banquet with clear, well aged wine.
And choice meat.
This feast this banquet.
Is something that the Lord will establish.
They're in the millennial Kingdom.
Now there's two feasts that we can consider.
In thinking about this.
As you look again at the the timeline you have the church age, the tribulation period, the Millennium, and then eternity.
The rapture of the church we believe, happens right before the Tribulation period begins.
The church has caught up to meet.
With the Lord in the air.
And we're forever with the Lord, but for the first seven years we're with the Lord in heaven.
And then we return with the Lord when he comes, and that's called the second coming of Jesus when he comes at the end of the Tribulation period.
And so for that seven-year period, we often look at that and refer to the marriage supper of the lamb and talking about the feast that will be with Jesus there in heaven.
But this also is a feast.
Here in Isaiah 25 and placed not in the midst of the Tribulation period in heaven, but placed on Earth during the millennial Kingdom.
And so you can wrestle with is this one feast or two fees?
Is there, you know, different ways to understand this?
Yes, you can.
Research and kind of.
Pray through these things and think about what you want to hold to on that.
But the idea is the same regardless whether it's two feasts or one fees.
The idea is this joyful gathering.
That God has prepared for his people who have been delivered from and rescued through.
The events of this world and the sin that has been there, and so there is this celebration feast where God says congratulations you did it.
You made it through.
You trusted me and I've brought you through all of those challenges.
Those adversities, those attacks of the enemy, and those temptations.
Of sin.
And now you have opportunity to celebrate and rejoice with the Lord and with one another.
Verse 7 says.
There he will remove the cloud of gloom.
The shadow of death that hangs over the earth.
Ever since Sin entered into.
The world.
There has been this cloud.
Of gloom
This shadow of death.
Death that hangs over all of the Earth.
We've been threatened by.
And faced with and having to deal with the issue of death.
Ever since.
The beginning in the garden.
But in that time?
He will remove the cloud of gloom.
Death will not be resolved.
Until Jesus comes back.
So you don't have to worry about any science, any technology that will deal with and put an end to death.
Now the thing that will remove the cloud of gloom.
Is the return of Jesus Christ and he will set-up his banquet.
His people will be invited to it.
And they will experience the removal of this cloud.
In Jesus there is life.
There is the promised resurrection.
And the shadow of death is removed for us, so that although the reality of that and the physical death is put an end later on in the timeline, and what God is promised right now, we can joyfully praise God.
Because we've already been given the promise of everlasting.
Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life.
He who dies, though he may die, yet he shall live because he believed in me.
And so, believing in Jesus, we have the promise of everlasting life, and so we can.
Although this banquet will take place later on in history.
We can celebrate joyfully now.
In advance and faith in understanding the promise that has been given to us in verse eight, he goes on to say he will.
Swallow up death forever.
He will swallow up death.
Forever Paul the apostle.
Quotes from this.
In first Corinthians Chapter 15, talking all about the resurrection and the resurrected bodies, the sting of death has been removed.
And we.
Can thank God because he's given us victory over sin and death through Jesus Christ.
Our dying bodies must be transformed, he says, into bodies that will never die.
The mortal needs to put on immortality, and that is what God does for us in the resurrection.
And so he will swallow up death.
Forever, it goes on in verse 8 to say the sovereign Lord will wipe away all tears.
He will remove forever all insults and mockery against his land and.
People, all of those challenges.
All of those adversities.
All of that opposition.
Everything that caused tears.
Everything that caused pain and.
Agony and hurt.
The Lord is resolving.
All of that in this time.
And again, that's not for this moment for us as we read this.
This is yet future, and yet at the same time we can rejoice now in the promise that God is made because he is.
Faithful and for sure going to fulfill it, it says at the university the Lord has spoken.
God has declared this.
He has the last word.
His word will not fail never, not even one little bit.
And so we can take joy now and rejoice.
For the things that God has promised the relief, the celebration, the fellowship.
All of the.
Incredible things that God has promised for us in eternity.
And that day the people will proclaim this.
Is our God.
We trusted in him and he.
Saved us, we rejoice now because we trust God.
And later on there will be that celebration.
Yes, we made the right decision.
We trusted God.
And he did what he said he would do.
He saved us.
This is the Lord.
This is who we trusted.
In this is the one that we've been looking to and holding fast to.
Let us rejoice in the salvation he brings.
We will rejoice that, but we don't have to wait till then, trusting God.
Now we can praise him and rejoice in that future work.
Pastor David Guzik says each of these will ultimately be fulfilled in that day, the future.
But they can be substantially fulfilled right now.
We can praise God for these things right now, and as we do, we bring some of the glory of that day.
To pass in our lives, right?
We get to experience a little T's.
Of the glory that is to come when we praise God right now with joy in faith, trusting him to be faithful to his word.
Well, finally the 4th point found in verses 10 through 12 humbly submit to God.
Verse 10 says for the Lord's hand of Blessing will rest on Jerusalem.
But Moab will be crushed.
It would be like straw trampled down and left to rot.
God will push down moab's people as a swimmer pushes down water.
With his hands.
He will end their pride and all.
Their evil works.
The high walls of Moab will be demolished.
They will be brought down to the ground, down into the dust.
Here Isaiah gives us another picture.
This time it's the picture.
Of a swimmer. Verse 11.
God will push down gloves, people as a swimmer pushes down water with his hands.
Can you see the picture?
The swimmer doing the stroke?
The hand hits the water and just pushes right through it.
Now a swimmer.
Sit in great fear.
For hours and hours before jumping into the pool, wondering if they'll be able to push their hand through the water.
Now, some people who are not swimmers might fear that right, but a swimmer.
They don't stress and wrestle with are they going to be able to move their arms and feet through the water?
That's that's not something they're ever concerned about.
They know.
Great confidence.
They'll be able to do that.
In a similar way.
This idea of God.
Pushing down Moab.
Is that God is?
Infinitely powerful.
Idea here is using Moab as.
As a picture.
It's not necessarily strictly limited to Moab.
But Moab was noted for its pride against the Lord.
And those who stand in pride against the Lord will experience God's pushing down into the water.
Will experience God's firm hand of judgment and they will be moved.
As they stand against God.
Now there is a variation in translating this verse and understanding this verse.
You can see it both ways, so one picture is God pushing down Moab like a swimmer pushes down water.
The other way of understanding it is that God pushes down Moab so that Moab has to try hard to swim 'cause they're pushed so far down and and even into manure is the way that it's sometimes looked at and understood, and so they're pushed down into the manure of their sinfulness and trying to swim their way out of it.
But it will ultimately not be successful.
Looking at those two understandings, those two interpretations, it's really the the same picture.
The idea here is that pride in resistance against God, pride in opposition to God, will result in being pushed down, being brought under and and without escape.
Without rescue in that.
And there's the contrast in verse 10. The Lord's hand of Blessing will rest on Jerusalem, so you have the Lord's hand of blessing on Jerusalem, and then the hand on Moab is pushing under.
And there is no amount of resistance that Moab can offer.
To avoid this too, to push back against what the Lord has determined and verse 10, it says Moab will be crushed.
It will be like straw trampled and left.
To rot.
This is the state.
This is the condition for all who stand in opposition to God for all who insists.
In pride in resisting the word and the work of God.
Verse 12 the high walls of Moab will be demolished.
They will be brought down to the ground down into the dust.
Pride was an issue that Isaiah hit really strongly throughout his ministry.
It started all the way back in Isaiah Chapter 2.
In verse 11, Isaiah says through the Lord, but Isaiah says human pride will be brought down, and human arrogance will be humbled.
Only the Lord will be exalted on that day of judgment, and he goes on to give examples.
Every high mountain, the lofty hills, the, the mighty oaks, the great trading ships, and magnificent vessels like everything that we can grow.
Everything that we can form everything that we can make.
Every technology that we create.
Everything that we can do every.
Of humanity will be brought down.
There is nothing and no one that stands against the Lord successfully in pride in their own strength or efforts.
In their own resources.
And so in the end, again, in this millennial Kingdom there is going to be this testimony, every nation, every Kingdom, every person that has been in opposition to God.
Refusing to listen to what God says, refusing to obey God, they will be brought down.
They will be pushed down just like a swimmer pushes down the water.
They'll be taken under with no recovery.
And that is the truth that is the reality of all opposition against God.
And so the lesson for us.
Is to humbly submit to God.
Pastor Thomas Constable says the same pride which held Moab back from seeking security in the divine promises and an earthly crisis will exclude Moab.
From partaking of the heavenly promises.
The same pride that keeps us from running to God for a shelter in the storm right now.
Keeps us from all eternity with God.
We need to humble ourselves and start now.
Receiving from God.
Submitting to God.
Listening to God, hearing what he has to say and being obedient to him.
Picture the future.
It will help you.
To praise God now.
As you understand what God has laid out and the prophetic scenario that will be unfolding.
As you picture those things as you understand those things as you visualize or consider those things.
May it help you?
To choose right now to praise God willingly.
Again, there's two ways to praise God right now in faith.
For all of the things that he has said that will come to pass right now, in faith voluntarily, willingly or forcibly, later on, as we condemn ourselves after judgment, acknowledging finally who God is, and his rightful place in our lives.
The best option is to willingly praise God now.
And then we get to victoriously praise God down.
Even though we face trials and hardships and storms and heatwaves.
We can rejoice now in the victory.
And thank God and praise God for the victory that we know will come because we trust him.
He promises endurance through not escape from but, but he will carry us through and on the other side will be better.
He'll be glorified.
His work will be accomplished and we will be grateful for what he has done in US and through us.
So joyfully praise God now.
As you think about the future feast, the future fellowship, the feast is not just really about the food, there's.
Of course, great rejoicing in the food, but but it's the gathering of God's people.
And the fellowship and celebration with each other and with the Lord that brings that feast.
So much joy.
And so we can joyfully praise God.
Now as we look ahead as we anticipate that that is to come as we spend time with one another and and point each other to the Lord, we can joyfully praise God.
Now in light of those things that are to come and then finally humbly submit.
To God now.
There is no place.
For pride in our hearts and in our lives, all pride will be knocked down.
All pride is opposition to God and will be cut off cut down.
So that we finally recognize.
His place and our place and like the first point we can do that willingly, voluntarily.
Or we can do that forcibly, being pushed down like the swimmer pushes.
Down the water.
Humbly submit to God.
Now make the choice.
Let him be the one who rules and reigns in your life.
Receive what he has for you, the promised glory, the wonderful feast, the incredible joy, the great victory.
It's all found in.
Submitting to God.
And receiving his work on your bath, let's pray.
What I pray for each of us.
Lord, that you would give us a clear picture of the things that are to come, and Lord, the accuracy of the specific details of which nations and how these prophecies are fulfilled.
That's not so important as understanding Lord the the picture that you've painted of the victory that you will have.
And your Kingdom that will be established and how you will rule and reign for all of eternity.
And so Lord, I pray in light of that acknowledging the truth, Lord, and the the reality of what you have declared, you've planned it all from the beginning.
Lord, we want to respond to that and praise you now recognizing your goodness towards us.
Your work in our lives, your provisions for us.
I pray God that you would help us to lay down all pride.
And Lord, may we.
Have insight from you.
On what pride there is?
And in what ways we are resisting you and pushing back upon your word and what you have called us to.
But may we see and recognize those things clearly that we can lay them down before you.
Willingly and voluntarily humbling ourselves before you.
But we don't want to resist you.
Not even a tiny bit.
We want to fully surrender.
To your plans and purposes because we know they are good.
Because we know that you love us and you know what's best and you want what's best for us.
And so, Lord, we submit ourselves to you.
And we praise you.
We lift you up.
And recognize you.
As God as creator as our Lord and master.
We pray this in Jesus name.