Isaiah 30, Evaluating My Rebelliousness
1. Do I Seek Counsel From God Or Just From People? (v1-5)
2. Do I Want To Hear The Truth Or Only Pleasant Things? (v6-14)
3. Do I Rest Or Am I Restless? (v15-17)
4. Do I Wait For God Or Does God Wait For Me? (v18-26)
5. Do I Have Judgment Or Joy Ahead? (v27-33)
Here, as we look at Isaiah Chapter 30 this evening I've titled the message evaluating my rebelliousness evaluating my rebelliousness already.
You can tell this is going to be an awesome teaching.
Write a little bit soul searching.
I hope for us as we consider this as the prophet Isaiah is sent to the nation of Judah.
He is.
Calling out and highlighting the aspects and the characteristics of their rebelliousness as the Lord is speaking through the Prophet Isaiah now, Isaiah historically is set in the nation of Judah.
Which is it's been split from the northern Kingdom for some time now, and both kingdoms once were Israel combined, but they've split.
Both of them have had primarily bad kings.
The Northern Kingdom has had all bad kings and they've been in rebellion against the Lord the whole time.
From the initial splits.
And as a result of their rebellion, God has been raising up the nation of Assyria and using Assyria to discipline the northern Kingdom, the Nation of Israel, and a few years after.
I say in Chapter 30 this prophecy goes out a few years after.
That is when Assyria conquers the northern Kingdom entirely empties out.
The people transports them to other regions of the nation or of the empire and and so that happens during Isaiah's lifetime. Isaiah and the people.
Of Judah watched that happen.
It happens in some area.
It's just a few miles north of Jerusalem where they're at.
And so it's you know, really close to them.
They're hearing about it.
They're essentially watching it unfold.
Play by play as they see this happen, and then Assyria sets their eyes on the nation of Judah and.
The City of Jerusalem.
And so now Jerusalem is seriously threatened and there is great pressure and intensity.
And during this time Hezekiah is king.
Now for those of us who are familiar with the the kings of the nation of Judah, we hear the name Hezekiah, and we kind of get a little bit of a smile.
Maybe a sigh of relief.
Hezekiah, we know as a good king who sought the Lord, and he was one of those standout kings that really made a big impact for the nation of Judah.
And that's how we think of him.
And of course it is accurate.
But it's also a summary of his life.
I I would maybe encourage you to consider that at the beginning of Hezekiah's reign it may not have been the case.
Now I'm not trying to slander Hezekiah or anything, but as you read the context, if you go back to Second Kings chapter 18, you can kind of read through it and you see the things that the nation of Assyria is telling.
Hezekiah and his people.
He's making reference to their trust in Egypt.
And so, although Hezekiah was a good king, there were movements within the nation to try to persuade the people and to persuade, you know, the the political system to negotiate with Egypt to trust in Egypt, to protect them from the nation of Assyria.
And it doesn't tell us specifically that Hezekiah.
As part of those plans, but it also doesn't tell us specifically that he was not, and so there is a potential here. A possibility that even during Isaiah's ministry, Hezekiah.
Persuaded and encouraged to trust in the Lord, and eventually he does trust in the Lord against the onslaught of Assyria.
But as you read again the account, it's it's not like from the get go.
He's just trusting in the Lord and there's no problems there.
There was a little bit of back and forth.
There was a little bit of work that had to be done, and so Hezekiah may not have started out.
Trusting God in the way that he later on did, but it may.
Have been in response.
Once to Isaiah's ministry that Hezekiah came to that position, and and became that king that we know the king, that we celebrate that King Hezekiah, who was so good and brought about so much revival in the land.
Of Judah at
Some point Hezekiah evaluated his life and decided to trust.
And and I would encourage.
You to to.
Take that example and apply it in the mirror to yourself as well, evaluating my rebelliousness as we look at these these things so there there is opportunity for us too.
Hear these words from the Lord through the prophet Isaiah.
And for us to consider.
And perhaps there is some things that are out of line and there is some issues that the Lord would have us to correct, and so he's given us in this chapter some ways to evaluate how we're doing and where we're at as we face various situations and deal with some of the tents and difficult things that we have.
In our own lives, and so we're going to walk through this chapter and see some of those evaluations to help us consider where we're at in our relationship with the law.
So point number one.
The first thing we look at is in verses one through 5 point number.
One is do I seek counsel from God or just from people?
What we need to evaluate is where we get our counsel from verse one and two again says woe to the rebellious children, says the Lord.
Who take counsel?
But not of me.
And who devised plans, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin, who go down to Egypt, and have not asked my advice to strengthen themselves.
And the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust?
In the shadow of Egypt.
I would consider this to be a pretty shocking statement.
That rebellious children seek counsel.
It's not typically what I would think of if you talk about someone as a rebellious child, I would picture someone who will not listen to anybody else.
Who will not even care to ask?
For advice or counsel or seek to, you know, receive advice or or input from anybody else.
But I I kind of associate in my mind rebelliousness with that refusal to listen, or to hear anybody else.
But here God says.
My rebellious children do seek counsel.
But they're still rebellious.
Because the way that they're seeking counsel.
Is limited.
To other people.
We can, of course.
Do a good job seeking counsel.
And still be in a position of rebelliousness against the Lord, and we might even.
Quote Scripture to do it.
Proverbs chapter 15, verse 22, without counsel, plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors they are established. And so that's why I need to find out what Harvey says. And what Rick says.
And what Lisa says.
And I'm going to get all I need a multitude of counselors and find out what everybody says about my situation.
And we have Scripture to back that up right?
But at the same time we can do all of that and still be in a position of rebelliousness.
Still be in a position of running from God and refusing to hear from God because.
What that doesn't take into consideration is what does God say about my situation?
Now God is not saying never ask anybody for counsel.
You know people wise.
He's saying.
Ask people for counsel.
Invite input into your life.
But not at the exclusion of me.
Let me be your primary counselor.
And all of these others that I've placed in your life are there to supplement some supplement the the Council of the Lord to bring confirmation and the the testimony of the two or three witnesses, as well as the Lord, brings that confirmation.
Mission and solidifies the things that God is saying, and the things that God wants to do in the direction he wants you to go.
But here the nation of Judah is seeking counsel.
But just from people they're talking to each other.
They're negotiating with Egypt.
They're working out plans and coming up with ideas, but it's limited to the people around them.
And they are not allowing God to have an input into their plans, they're devising plans.
Again, you might think of rebelliousness, and just think of recklessness and you know there's no plans.
It's just whatever I want to do.
Spur the moment, whatever, but but there's devising of plans.
There's seeking counsel.
But God says, woe to the rebellious children.
They're not devising plans by my spirit concepts.
They're not allowing the Holy Spirit to lead them and guide them.
They're not inviting God to speak into the situation.
And so they're adding sin to sin.
They're adding to their sins.
By refusing to hear God and seek after God, and so in all of their counsel and all of their plans and and devices that they've come up with, they've decided that Egypt is their best play in this threat of Assyria that's come against them.
Egypt is their best opportunity for a defense.
In verse 2, again, who walked down to Egypt and have not asked my advice to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh into trust.
In the shadow of Egypt.
Notice God calls Egypt a shadow.
They seem like there's substance there, but when it comes down to it, they're not actually going to be effective and helpful in defending you, God is telling.
The nation of Judah.
But here's God, people going down to Egypt.
They haven't talked to God about it.
They haven't heard from God about it.
They've talked to themselves.
They've come up with their own plans, and now they're off to try to execute those plans and secure those things now.
I think it's important to really try to picture the scenario that is going on here.
Because the nation of Judah at this point has been much reduced.
Again, the Kingdom was divided.
There was the northern Kingdom and the southern Kingdom.
The Northern Kingdom is very much in decline about to be defeated.
The southern Kingdom.
Also, it's not like it's remained untouched until after all of this is over.
If it's also been diminished, and Assyria comes against Judah and conquers many of the strongholds before Jerusalem that well, they try to take Jerusalem and they're unable to.
But but they do take much of the land, and so there is this very real threat that that people have lost their homes.
They've lost.
Their farms, they've lost their land, and they've run to the stronghold of Jerusalem to.
Take up.
To try to save their lives.
The the nation of Judah at this point is truly in every sense of the idea in a life threatening situation.
They are facing.
Possible death.
The nation of Assyria was a cruel nation, though they also didn't just conquer people, but they would torture them.
They would humiliate them.
So they're facing death.
They're facing possibly a lifetime of humiliation and slave Minton.
Trance being transported to a whole different region and forced subjected to the nation of Assyria for the rest.
Of their lives.
And it's not just that the nation of Judah is facing this right, but but each one is facing this individually.
I might die when Assyria comes.
I might be enslaved.
I might be stripped and humiliated and LED away captive.
I might be tortured.
But but it's not just that it's my wife might be tortured.
My wife might be killed.
Might be taken into captivity.
My children might be abused and hurt and killed in this whole thing.
I mean in like I said, it's in every sense of the idea.
It's a life threatening situation and so it's important to try to kind of picture the scenario and and understand the stakes.
That are happening here.
The pressure that the people of Judah are feeling because it's easy for me to look at this chapter and kind of go.
Oh guys, why are you just not seeking counsel of the Lord?
Right?
From thousands of years away I can look back and go, just.
You know it's so clear and so easy you should have just sought the counsel of God.
But but understanding what it's like to be in intense situations, what?
What is the scariest situation that you have ever been in?
What is a season in your life that has just been filled with great uncertainty?
And and difficulty and.
And you know what it's like in those times?
It's not a great example, but you know when.
You're in the spotlight.
You're an expert at jeopardy or Wheel of Fortune when you're watching it on the TV.
But when you're the contestant and the lights are on you and you're you know it's a whole different scenario and and when there is that pressure.
You know, sometimes you know exactly the answer, but because everybody is looking at you all of a sudden like your brain stops working.
And you're unable to come up with that answer that you know for sure in a similar way, when we are in those seasons of life where there is that great intensity, great pressure, there is real fear and real reason to fear.
It's not just baseless fears.
This is like actual real.
Harm might come from this situation.
It is very easy for us to be pressured into action to be pressured into plans and and coming up with things and to allow the intensity of that situation to put us in that same position where we were seeking counsel.
But we haven't slowed down enough to hear.
From the Lord.
And listen.
All of this life threatening situation that I'm describing here for the.
Nation of Judah.
It doesn't excuse them.
For not seeking the Lord, it just helps me relate.
To them, a little bit better.
It doesn't excuse them.
God calls them rebellious children.
And and the fact that they're not seeking counsel from him adds sin to their sin.
It's a sin not to seek counsel from God, even in those times in those seasons that are intense and have a lot of things at stake and a.
Lot of risk.
Is involved.
There is a need for us.
To hear God's counsel about our lives and the decisions that we make, and if I only get counsel from people.
And and it might not be as a whole.
Banner over my whole life that I only get counsel from people but.
It might even be that.
In these certain aspects of my life that there's some rebellious strongholds where I don't allow God to speak.
Into that part of my life, I listen to others.
I seek counsel, but.
But I'm not allowing God to lead me by his spirit in that.
Scary situations, we all have them right?
I was thinking back a year ago because this week it is the one year anniversary of me as my new role at work as the marketing manager and I was thinking back to a year ago.
I was in a position of job uncertainty.
And I was starting to look around and make some arrangements OK.
My boss is.
Being let go, he's going to be out of.
The company I'm
Probably going to be on his heels.
They're going to get rid of me also, so I need to think about what am I going to do next, and so maybe revise some old.
You know, freelancing relationships and see what opportunities might be there.
You know, like in my head, I'm trying to think.
And plan him and and put things together.
And God had a completely different plan.
And it wasn't even a plan that I wanted.
And yet God spoke into the situation and directed me in that.
Or I was thinking back beyond that five years ago or so, I can't remember exactly the the years the math is hard in my head.
But five years ago, there was a season where I was doing freelance work, but not being paid for it and.
For almost a year we were just kind of watching our savings account go down and down and down.
Then we're like, Keeler.
There's only this much left.
What, what are we going to do?
You know, and and there is great temptation in that time to scramble and once again I'm getting the application to work at Target and trying to figure out.
OK, you know how I got to do something and so there is the the pressure and yet we have to in those moments of great pressure and intensity and real.
Things are at stake.
We have to seek God for counsel.
I know it's hard to imagine, but what if there was a worldwide pandemic that just changed everything across the whole face of the Earth?
We know what it's like.
To be in a.
Real life situation where there's great pressure and intensity.
What if your rights are threatened by the government like that'll never happen.
We're Americans, right?
In the midst.
Of all of that.
Pressure that we've seen over the past several years.
I think that gives us ample material to kind of sift through in our own hearts.
And say alert was I seeking your counsel?
In those things.
Did I did I hear from you or did I just hear from John and Ken on the radio?
Or did I just hear from Doctor Phil?
Or did I just hear from you, know what my neighbors or my family or my coworkers would did?
I seek counsel from.
From you that I hear.
From you in the midst of that situation.
It's it's a.
A good opportunity for us to evaluate.
My rebelliousness, but am I rebellious?
Do I do I have those pockets?
In my life.
Where I?
Don't seek you and don't allow you to speak.
I do see counsel, so that's good, but but I don't let God speak into this situation.
And so Judah here is running to Egypt.
As I shared last week, Egypt, many times in the scripture is a.
Possible picture of illustration of the world system and it can be many times helpful for us to evaluate ourselves in light of these things as looking at Egypt and understanding.
OK, this represents the world they ran to the world to help them to strengthen them, to provide what they needed.
Because the world promises great promises of help.
But they turn out to be nothing and we have to be careful not to buy into the world system.
And the things that the world is telling us, the things that the world is promising us.
But we need to make sure that we hear from God, and so God says in verse three.
Therefore, the strength of Pharaoh shall be your shame and trust in the shadow of Egypt shall be your humiliation.
You're running down, you're not seeking me and so you're running ahead.
Trusting in Egypt, resting on them, and it's going to be a huge embarrassment.
Do you?
That you would.
Run to trust in such a vain thing such.
A shadow he goes on in verse four and five to say for his Princess, where his own his ambassadors came to Haines.
They were all ashamed of a people who could not benefit them or help or be help or benefit, but a shame and also our approach here it's describing the ambassadors going out from Judah to these locations.
These key cities.
In Egypt.
They're going to try to strike a deal.
Try to make a deal, but the reception is not great.
And Egypt is looking at these guys and saying.
We understand why you want us to make a pact and defend you, but what do we get out of this?
Egypt is like we don't get anything.
You're worthless.
You don't have anything to offer.
You can't help us you.
Can't benefit us.
And so they went down to Egypt to try to strike a deal.
But all they received was shame and a reproach.
That's what happens when we don't seek counsel from God when we rest in our own strength or resources.
If we just seek counsel from people, we're going to wind up being embarrassed, embarrassed that we would trust in such vain things.
And so where do you get your counsel from if you only get your counsel from people?
It's really dangerous.
And I'll say this it might sound.
Little bit weird if you only get your counsel from God, it's a little bit dangerous.
And what I mean by that is not that God is going to give you bad counsel, but sometimes we will use.
I only get counsel from God as a cloak.
To also not receive from people you see.
For a little bit of balance, it's.
Good for us.
We need to hear from God and we need to have people that can bring input into our lives and so listen if God giving you counsel.
It's always good to trust that, but to use the name of God too.
Pretend like you are hearing from the Lord or to refuse to listen to other people that God is placed in your life.
That's really dangerous, so people only and not allowing people in.
That's dangerous both ways.
And we need that balance of hearing from the Lord and having others in our lives.
Who can help us and instruct us and direct us in the way that God wants to go?
FB Meyer says oh.
That we were more quiet and calm.
In the face.
Of danger hushing our fears.
Stilling our throbbing hearts.
And leaning back on the everlasting arms.
God cannot fail you.
You fearful Saints.
When the pressure is mounting and decision has to be made and there feels like you know, there just has to be something to do and everybody around you is telling you what they think you should do.
But if you haven't heard from the Lord, seek counsel.
From the Lord and don't.
Let that pressure cause you to step over and shortcut that step.
Seek counsel, ask God for advice in the situations.
That you face.
Alright point #2 moving on to verses 6 through 14 do I want to hear the truth?
Or only pleasant things?
How to evaluate my rebelliousness?
Well, what do I like to listen to?
What do I want to hear?
Verse 8 through 11 is where we're going to focus here.
In this portion it says in verse 8.
Now go write it before them on a tablet and note it.
On a scroll.
That it may be for a time to come.
Forever and ever.
That this is a rebellious people lying children.
Children who will not hear the.
Law of the Lord.
Who say?
To the seers.
Do not see and to the prophets.
Do not prophesied to us right things.
Speak to us smooth things.
Prophesy deceits.
Get out of the way.
Turn aside from the path.
Caused the holy one of Israel to cease.
From before us.
In verse six and seven, God describes the burdens of the beasts going through the desert to Egypt.
And the idea is those poor animals having to carry all that treasure to Egypt to try to secure an alliance.
With a nation that will not help them.
And so God calls Egypt in verse 7 rehab him Sabbath.
Which literally could be translated rehab that do nothing.
They're trying to secure Egypt and so they're loading down these animals and sending them through a rugged, harsh desert.
But what they're going to get out of it is nothing.
Egypt is not going to help them when it comes down to it, and so God says, Isaiah write this down.
Write it on a tablet and note it on a scroll and the idea here is there's like a public proclamation and a more private long term proclamation.
The public one on the tablet.
This is for everybody to see.
Carry this placard around Isaiah.
Let everybody see.
This is a rebellious people.
And God wants to record this in advance so that when Egypt does not step in and help them when the Syria comes against them.
They have the record in advance.
God told them ahead of time Egypt was not going to help.
So write this down Isaiah.
This is a rebellious people, lying children, children who will not hear the law of the Lord.
But what's interesting about this is that.
They are not.
Wanting to turn away from God completely.
They are rebellious children.
But perhaps another shocking statement for us to consider is that rebellious children go to church.
Rebellious children are not just those children who refuse to go to church.
Rebellious children show up for Wednesday night service and they sit on this side of the room.
Not just kidding.
The reality is rebellious people stay home and watch.
Online, no, I'm kidding.
Rebellious people stand up here and teach no OK.
We can be rebellious and yet be very spiritual.
And and this is what the nation of Judah was seeking to be.
They still wanted to go to Temple.
They were still operating in the sacrifices.
They were still participating in the feasts.
They were still doing all of those ceremonial religious things and rituals.
But they didn't like what they were hearing.
When they would show up for those things.
And so they would say to the seers.
You know what, don't don't.
See those things?
Don't look ahead and see what God is telling us about the things that are to come.
He prophets.
Don't prophesied to us right things.
We don't want to hear the truth.
You know what really is good like?
We just need something really encouraging, you know, listen, I work hard and and there's.
There's a great threat, but I'm out there, you know, outside the walls of Jerusalem, working on the farm and and Syria is right there, and they could come get me in a moment.
And so I'm in a lot of stress and danger and and I come to the temple after a hard week of working in the field and.
Listen, I don't need to be hounded with all the things I'm doing wrong like, you just need to encourage me and help me to to be able to go back to work tomorrow and carry on I I just need some help to to be motivated and built up and and you should stop really trying to tell me all these things that.
That just really bring me down.
And so the reality is, they're saying, prophesy, deceits.
Tell me lies I don't want.
To hear the truth.
I don't want.
To hear anything unpleasant I want I want.
To be encouraged.
I think you profits.
You should make me feel good about myself.
You should make me feel good about what's going on and about the week ahead and and you should help me to have a good outlook on life and the things that are going to happen.
Speak to us smooth things.
Pastor Warren Wisby says the leaders did not want to hear God.
's truth.
They wanted pleasant words from the false prophets.
Sermons that would not disturb their comfortable way of life.
And then he asked the question, is the situation much different?
There is a great temptation.
To fill our ears, to fill ourselves with only the pleasant things.
To kind of pick and choose.
The favorite passages.
The favorite things the promises right.
We get the promise book.
And as you look at the promises.
The promises are all blessings and good things and pleasant things, and none of them are the wages of sin is death.
That's just as much of a promise as everything else, right?
But but though I don't think about that promise, like I don't need to hear that doesn't encourage me.
That doesn't build me up and.
It's not that we shouldn't be encouraged or built up, but also we need to hear the things that are the truth.
Even if they are unpleasant, even if they challenge.
Our lifestyle, our mindset, our attitude, our behavior.
So I want to hear the truth.
What I only want to hear.
Pleasant things Paul.
Warn Timothy about this.
In second Timothy four, he says, the time will come when they will not want to endure sound doctrine.
But according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers.
And they'll turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables again.
It's not that.
They will not endure sound doctrine, and so they'll stop coming to church.
The idea is they will not endure sound doctrine, so they will go to church or they will heap up churches and collect in their podcast feed and in their YouTube feed and in there you know TV channel feed or whatever the teachers.
That they enjoy.
That scratched the itching ears.
But that do not tell them the truth and the result is they will be turned aside to fables when we refuse to hear the truth.
Even if it's unpleasant and hard to deal with and and difficult for us to stomach.
We will be turned aside to fables.
And we need to be persistent in evaluating the things that we're hearing with the word of God and making sure that we are hearing and receiving the truth.
That we're not just being entertained that we're not just being comforted only.
Again, not that we can't receive comfort or or have those kinds of things, but.
But we also need to make sure that we're.
Hearing the truth.
In verse 11, the people go on to say get out of the way talking to the Sears and the prophets turn aside from the path caused the holy one of Israel to cease from before us.
They're calling the prophets and the seers.
To change their ways, the people are saying we don't want to change our ways, so stop telling us the same message.
Calling us to repentance.
You change your ways and start giving good messages.
Things that make us feel good and comfortable and that build us up and make us smile.
Caused the holy one of Israel to.
Cease from before us.
We're not really trying to experience the presence of God.
Pastor David Guzik says Judah wanted to hear from the prophets and God messengers, but they did not want to hear the truth from them.
They wanted religion, but they didn't want the living God of heaven to have a real presence in their lives.
We can be very religious about our Bible reading.
We can be very religious about.
Hearing and listening to Bible teaching.
We can be very religious about.
Outward practices and ceremonies and rituals.
But all of those are not a complete picture.
They don't fully evaluate whether or not I'm in a place of rebellion.
The better evaluation.
Is do I want to hear the truth?
Am I listening to the truth?
Am I willing to receive the truth even when it's hard to receive?
Moving on to verses 15 through 17 for point #3.
Do I rest or am I restless?
Do I rest or am I rest less?
Here's a good tool for evaluating my rebelliousness.
Verse 15 says.
For thus says the Lord God, the holy.
One of Israel.
In returning and rest you shall be saved.
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.
But you would not.
And you said no, for we will.
Flee on horses.
Therefore you shall flee.
And we will ride on Swift horses, he said.
Therefore, those who pursue you shall be swift.
1000 shall flee at the threat of 1.
At the thread of five you shall flee till you are left as a pole on top of a mountain and as a banner on a hill.
Card says I have a solution for you for this aceria problem.
Here's the solution.
Return to me.
Come back to right relationship with me.
And rest.
Don't rush around, don't go negotiate with Egypt.
Don't try to strike a deal with.
Israel or any other surrounding nations.
Don't try to come up with some plan or purpose or scramble to figure out some solution yourself.
Here's my course for you.
It's a course and a path to victory.
It's in returning and rest.
In repentance.
And faith.
You shall be saved, God tells them.
In quietness and confidence.
I think quietness was.
A strong contrast to what was happening in Judah at that time.
There was lots of disk witness uncleanness, lots of talk.
How we're going to arrange things, what we're going to do.
All of the negotiations.
Talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, figure it out, talk about talking about three different ways.
You know all the different angles.
God says if you'll just be quiet.
And trust in me.
You'll have strength.
That's my path for you, that's my.
Course for you.
But he says at the end of verse 15 but.
You would not.
Again, easy for us a couple thousand years later to go.
What's wrong with you guys, right?
But when we're in?
The Crucible.
And the heat's getting turned up.
And we're panicked.
Rest and quietness and confidence.
That's not always our strong characteristics either.
And then he gets turned up and and it doesn't take much many times for us to become restless.
And we scramble.
We were.
Working hard and trying to use all two of our arms and hoping that we have two more to kind of sprout out to kind of hold all the to plug all the holes and hold everything in.
Place we're working so diligently to try to keep it all together to rush around to make deals and agreements and and resolve situations.
And that's what they did.
In verse 16 instead of quietness and rest.
God says you said no, we will flee on horses.
God says, OK, you shall flee.
Now they meant.
It we shall flee, and we'll head out we'll escape this and be victorious.
God says, well, you will flee, but the idea here is you're going to run for your lives.
You're not going to run out in victory.
You're going to run for your lives.
We're going to write on swift horses.
We're going to get out of this.
We're going to be able to make a way.
We're going to be able to sidestep this, but we're going to work it out somehow we.
Have swift horses from Egypt.
We made this deal.
We got these two choices from them.
God says OK.
Those who pursue you will be swifter.
You can't.
Out, negotiate God, get out, do God and come up with.
A plan and think.
That's it, I figured it out.
I figured out the way to get around this without returning and resting in God.
I've got my own path.
God says you don't understand.
The best that you can come up with.
Isn't going to measure up to the situation at hand.
So the result is in verse 17, a reversal of the blessings that God had promised to them.
1000 of you shall flee at the threat of 1 enemy.
Now God told the Nation of Israel when they're heading into the promised land. Look. When you walk with me and you trusting me, one of you will put 1000 enemies to flight. But now here's the reverse of that.
1000 of you are going to run even if there's just one.
Enemy on the battlefield.
You're going to be spread out.
You're going to be scattered.
You're going to be deeply affected.
Because you refused.
To rest.
And in your restlessness and your scramble, you made all these deals and negotiations and sought out plans and purposes and tried to come up with your own.
Solution and resolution for the problem.
Pastor David Guzik says when we trust God.
We don't have to strive for ourselves.
We don't have to run all about trying to protect our guard ourselves.
We have the best protector.
The best guard.
We can rest in him and when we do.
Shows we are really trusting in God's promises.
So a good evaluation tool.
How rebellious am I?
Closely related to how much I rest?
And how much?
I am restless.
Point #4 moving onto.
Verses 18 through 26.
Do I wait for God?
Or does God week for me?
Do I wait for God or does God wait for me?
Verse 18 says, therefore, the Lord will wait.
That he may be gracious to you.
And therefore he will be exalted that he may have mercy on you.
For the Lord is a God of justice.
Blessid are all those who wait for him.
Really interesting verse here.
Pay attention to the turn that is happening.
Therefore the Lord will.
You go to the previous verses.
God says rest, and you say no, we're gonna flee.
We got a plan.
We got fast horses we can get out of this we're gonna do it we're not gonna listen to you God we're gonna do what we wanna do.
And it would make sense if verse 18 says therefore the Lord will strike you down and you'll never recover like we.
It would be justified if God said that and did that.
But instead therefore the Lord will wait that he.
May be gracious.
To you, the grace of God so evident.
In God's approach to these things.
In his treatment of his people.
He doesn't just.
Strike them down permanently because they're rebellious.
He says look OK.
You're insisting on your way.
You're insisting on your plans, you you've got to figure it out, and you're determined you're gonna do it that way all right.
I'm just going to step back.
And I'm going to wait.
I'm going to let you see the fruits of your plans.
I'm going to let you experience.
What happens when you go down that path?
I'm going to wait.
So that I can later on show you grace.
So that you can experience favor, goodness, restoration and healing that you don't deserve because you refused me, refuse me, refuse me and wouldn't listen to me and wouldn't seek counsel of me and didn't trust in me.
And didn't rest in me.
So I'm gonna.
Let you exhaust all of your efforts.
So that I can come in afterwards.
And show you grace.
Have mercy on you.
And give you another opportunity after you've tried it the hard way.
View after you've tried to learn the lesson the hard way.
He's not giving up on his people.
He's just giving them an opportunity to play out their plans to finally realize.
We need to seek counsel of the Lord and we need to listen to what he has to say.
Our ways we tried the best of the best of the best and.
It didn't work, it doesn't work.
Pastor Charles Spurgeon says certain of God's people are in trouble and distress, and they're eager for immediate rescue. They cannot wait for God's time.
Nor exercise submission to as well.
He will surely deliver them.
In due season, but they cannot tarry.
The children they ****** at unripe fruit.
I gotta do something I gotta go I gotta get out there I gotta work this out.
I can't stay here I can't.
Take this any minute or one more minute.
God says Blessid are all those who wait for him.
If you wait for me, God says I'm going to take care of this for you.
You rest in me.
I'm going to take care of this.
You try to handle that yourself.
It's like grabbing unripe fruit.
It's not going to be good.
It's going to be sour.
It's going to make your face look.
All funny you can't.
Be satisfied with that you won't be satisfied with that.
But if you'll wait for the Lord.
Isaiah Chapter 64 verse 4.
Later on, Isaiah says for since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides you, who acts for the one who waits.
For him.
One of the astounding and amazing things about him.
Is that when people wait?
For him, wait on him.
He acts.
He works.
He moves.
Sometimes in the waiting he tells us to act or move her to work right, and so then it's in response and it's waiting on him.
But but when we are rushing around, scrambling.
Trying to come up with our own plans and purposes and using our own resources.
We're missing out.
And there's this contrast here in verse 18.
That's really interesting.
That verse begins with the Lord will wait.
But it ends with a blessing for those who will wait for the Lord.
And that's what brings the question.
Do I wait for God?
Or does God wait for me?
There is incredible blessing for me if I will wait for God.
And there will be stress and pressure and temptations of scrambling to move around all.
These things, but.
If I will wait for God.
To give his direction to work out his plans, I'll be so much better for it.
His plans are always much better than my plans.
But it's hard to wait for God.
And the contrast is God waiting for me.
God says, OK, Judah, I've told you everything that you need to hear.
I've given you all of the instruction you refuse to do it, so I'm.
I'm just going to wait.
I'm going to wait till you start taking seriously what I've given to you.
I can't bless you now.
I can't rescue you now.
I can't bless your.
Your own efforts that are.
Worked out and strategize and.
Done apart from me.
So I'm gonna just have to wait.
And let you.
Suffer the consequences of you providing your own means and providing your own strategies.
And your own solutions and your own resources.
And so God says, I'm just going to wait.
Verse 20 out though the Lord gives.
You, the bread of.
Adversity and the water of affliction.
Yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore.
But your eyes shall see your teachers.
He goes on to describe this.
This affliction this difficulty that they're going to go through.
But again, God hasn't abandoned them.
He's going to provide teachers in.
The midst of it.
He's waiting for them.
To respond to him and the bread of adversity and the water of Affliction is his grace and mercy to them, giving them extended opportunity to turn back to him.
And God says eventually, you're gonna come around and the next couple verses, he says, look, you're going to hear my voice and and you're gonna say, hear me say, this is the way and walk in it.
And those idols that you've been worshipping, you're going to despise those, and you're going to cast those out like this is going to be effective.
You are going to turn to me, but you're going to go the long rough route rather than.
The short wedding route.
And so I'm gonna wait for you to come back around.
The verses after that versus 23 through 26 go on to.
Describe the millennial Kingdom.
And I'm not going to get into that, but.
I I just.
Want to continue to consider with you?
Do I wait for God or?
Does God wait for me?
Because, you know?
If there's anything that God is waiting for you on.
Your best course of action is to get that resolved.
If there's anything outstanding, God says, OK, here's what I want to do in your life.
Here's what I want to work on in your life.
Here's things that I want you to do differently.
Here's things I want you to give up.
Here's new steps.
I want you to take.
If there's anything outstanding in the things that God has given to you, and so God's waiting for you because he's given you what you need.
He's given you his.
Plan or the direction or the first steps he's he has instructed you.
But he can't carry on the next part of the plan because he's waiting for you to respond and to act.
That's never going to go well and God will wait and he will be gracious and praise God for his grace.
That it doesn't mean that he's just given up, but.
At the same time.
If we will.
Learn to act on the things that God is saying.
And to make sure there's no outstanding business, no nothing on the checklist of.
God saying, here's the things that I want you to pay attention to and to.
Address and to take care of.
Check those things off, get those things done, work on them, move in that direction.
Respond as God is speaking.
Don't put God in a position to.
Wait for you.
He will wait for you.
And that's a blessing.
But it comes to our own hurt.
And later on, we'll experience this grace, but we would be so much better off if we would learn to wait for God.
Like we should always be in a position where.
God checklist that we make for him that still has a bunch of stuff on it, but the checklist that God makes for us that's all checked off.
Like OK God, I'm waiting for you.
There's all these things that you said you would do I'm waiting for this and I'm waiting for that and I know you want to do that I know you're going to do that and so I'm waiting you.
Said you were going to do these things, you you gave these promises.
You're gonna work out this issue.
You're gonna deal with that.
Difficulty you're going to resolve that and heal that you're going to fulfill this promise and and all of this checklist.
And I I know God, you're going to do these things and so.
To check off those boxes for you.
See Abraham and Sarah trying to fulfill the promise of God right?
They were waiting for God.
The checklist was there.
And they were.
Like maybe we could do that one ourselves.
Sometimes there's a checklist that Kim has.
Things for Jerry to do.
Jerry is not doing it.
She's not doing drugs.
OK, maybe I can do that one myself.
Maybe I can get somebody else to come do that 'cause.
Jerry is not getting to it.
When we do that with God, we mess things up.
We make problems, we make issues.
We need to wait for God to check off those things.
Let him fulfill those plans again if he says here's the plan.
Take this step well now he's directing us, and so we need to act in that right?
But we don't need to come up with our own plans.
We don't need to try to accomplish it ourselves.
We need to wait for God.
And we always want.
To be in that position of waiting for God.
That all the open outstanding items.
Are on his side because he's going to fulfill those things in the right time.
That is best for us and good.
For us and to our benefit.
But let none of the outstanding things be on your side.
Where God is waiting for you listen.
God would say I I want to do all of these things in your life.
Before I can do these things.
There's these five things that.
Listen, I've been talking to.
You about that for a long time and.
You're not moving forward.
You've given up in those areas you're not trying.
To receive from me what you need to address.
That and to.
Do the work that I want you.
To do there.
And So what are those things that God?
Is waiting for you on.
He has his list and he's wanting.
To be gracious, he's looking for the opportunity to be gracious.
But is he having to wait until you finally get around to realizing I can't do this on my own?
This isn't working out.
And so I'll come back.
To returning and rest and waiting for the Lord and hearing the truth and listening to what God has to say about these situations.
Do I wait for God?
What is God weight?
For me.
Well, finally point #5 verses 27 through 33.
Do I have judgment or joy ahead? We're not going to get into depth in these things, but verse 27 through.
29 says behold the name.
Of the Lord comes from afar.
Burning with his anger and his burden is heavy.
His lips are full of indignation and his tongue, like a devouring fire.
His breath is like an overflowing stream.
Which reaches up to the neck to sift the nations with the sieve of utility, and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to air.
Verse 29 you shall have a song.
As in the night when a holy festival is kept and gladness of heart.
As one goes with a flute to come into the mountain of the Lord, to the mighty one of Israel.
One of the challenging things about.
The prophecies of Isaiah is.
Very often he is dealing with a situation immediately within his context.
In his time frame his lifetime.
And then in the very next moment he's seeing things that have still not yet come to pass, even as we read these things today.
And so here it seems to be one of those times.
He's looking ahead at the Tribulation period.
And so there is the combination of Millennium that he was speaking out in the verses before the tribulation.
Here in these verses and and so he's.
Addressing their current situation, but also foreshadowing those future.
Events that will take place.
So the nation of Assyria coming against them is a picture of the tribulation period.
And the nation of Assyria coming.
Is the name of the Lord coming burning with his anger?
His burden is heavy, his lips are full of indignation.
His tongue is a devouring fire.
God raised up Assyria to bring judgment on Israel on Judah on the surrounding regions.
Got this was a work that God legitimately gave Assyria to do.
Now we'll know as we get into further chapters in Isaiah that Assyria tried to take it beyond what God had authorized them to do, and to try to take Jerusalem itself.
But to some extent, God had.
Called them to be his instrument of indignation.
And yet, in the midst of this wrath being poured out, and this judgment.
Being poured out.
He says in verse 29 you shall have a song.
You shall have a song as in the night when a holy festival is kept.
Notice the contrast.
There's going to be wrath and judgment poured.
Outs, but yet.
You're going to be rejoicing and celebrating.
Is the reality.
That we face.
There is a future judgment that is to come.
But there's also a future joy that is to come.
And those.
Who are not rebellious against God?
Get to experience that future joy.
And those who are rebellious against God.
We'll experience that future judgment.
And so this is the situation that we face.
What, what lies?
Ahead of me.
Judgment or joy it's based on.
My rebelliousness.
And so again, we come back to this need.
To evaluate my.
Rebelliousness it's important there's judgment, and there's joy ahead.
And essentially I get to choose.
Which one of those I experience?
By my response.
To God call.
By choosing obedience or.
Rebelliousness now one of the challenges.
Is the deception of our hearts.
And so that's why we need these cues to help us evaluate.
Number one, do I seek counsel from God or just from people?
How am I making my decisions?
How am I directing my course?
How am I coming to the to the right conclusion about the things that need to take place in my life?
Responding to the.
Medical situation the political situation.
The church situation.
The family situation.
How do I?
Come to my decisions.
Am I hearing from God about those things, or is it just I'm seeking counsel, but it's just limited to people?
I'm in danger.
I'm rebellious.
If that's the case.
Do I wanna hear the truth?
Or really, really only listen to pleasant things.
And that's one of the reasons why I'm only seeking counsel from people 'cause I don't actually want to hear the truth.
And maybe I'm very selective about the people I hear from because I know.
What they're going to tell me is not going to be very pleasant, and so I'm going to find the ones that speak to pleasant things and.
I'm going to surround myself with those who will scratch my ears.
Make me feel good and comfortable.
Now I need to be.
Receiving from those.
Who will speak the truth?
And challenge those parts that are rebellious in my heart and mind.
Do I rest?
Or am I restless?
Do I rest?
Or am I restless?
It's a tough one.
But we're instructed.
To not be anxious.
Paul tells us in Philippians, Jesus tells us not to worry in Matthew 6.
Do I listen or am I rebellious?
Do I rest?
Or am I restless trying to resolve things and work things out for myself?
Do I wait for God?
What does God wait for?
Me all the outstanding things.
At work, that's something that we deal with to great degree.
We have long lists of projects and things to do and everyone has someone assigned to it.
Let that list of outstanding items let none of those be assigned to you all the things.
That are assigned to you do those as.
Quick as you can anything God asks of you, anything that God wants for you.
Do it, get to it, don't delay it.
Let all the outstanding items.
Be assigned to God and God is going to deal with that.
He's going to do that.
He's going to take care of that and it'll be in his timing.
It'll be.
The right time.
The best time.
For your benefit.
So I wait for God.
Where is God waiting for me?
He's saying.
Look, this project can't continue on it.
Can't go on until you take care of these.
Things I've already talked to you about.
So I'm waiting on you now.
When you gonna get to it.
When you get to work, when are?
You gonna get to work.
On those things that I've put before you.
Would we pray that you would help us to evaluate our rebelliousness?
Lord, that we would.
Have clarity by your spirit.
To the reality of our hearts.
I pray Lord, that.
You would use these things to expose and.
To bring out.
Those areas that you're wanting to address, and Lord, I pray.
As they come to the surface.
Lord, that we wouldn't put them off that we wouldn't ignore them, that we wouldn't choose to hear a different, softer, better message in our mind.
Lord, that we would hear and receive.
What you have presented to us.
And that we would respond.
Believing you at your word.
Getting to work on the hard things, the difficult things are challenging things.
Allowing you to direct us.
And be the Lord of our lives.
And so God help us.
To cleanse
And purge out all aspects of rebelliousness in our hearts in our lives.
May we be your children who are obedient to you from.
Beginning to end.
We pray this in Jesus name.