Isaiah 54 - 57

Okay, welcome to the Bible study this evening. As you might know, the background is a bit different. We have now moved from Big Sandy to Tyler, and we are in chapter 54 of Isaiah. Briefly review some of what we said last time as we ended. We're going to read now Galatians 4, verse 26. For it is written, Rejoice, you barren that bear not, break forth, and cry, you that travail not, for the desolate hath many more children than she which has a husband. That is talking about the time in which the church was barren before the day of Pentecost came. But now, in the restoration, there will be many more sons than there is with the wife of those who were under the Old Covenant. So we are in Isaiah 54, and we are going to read Isaiah 54, verse 1 again. Sing, O barren, and that was the Old Covenant church, the church in your wilderness, you that did not bear, break forth into singing.

I said that wrong. Sing, O barren, you that did not bear. That's speaking of the New Covenant church, the New Testament church, break forth into singing and cry, you that did not travail with child, for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, says the Lord. Of course, Israel was married to the one who became Jesus Christ in terms of the Old Covenant. Enlarge the place of your tent, so it shifts from the point in which the desolate, the New Covenant church, did not have many members, of course, to begin with, but it grows into, as you read in Revelation chapter 7, to an innumerable multitude of people that are in the kingdom of God. Be sure you note that in Revelation chapter 7, it says, the question is asked, what are these? The innumerable multitude, and they have washed their robes made of white, and they're standing before the throne of God. Enlarge the place of your tent. Now, tent and tabernacle are used very often to refer to the place of meeting of the Old Covenant church. You know, the tabernacle moved with the Israel as they made their 40-year trek to the Promised Land, and the tabernacle was first of all pitched at Shiloh, and many Israelites thought because the tabernacle was at Shiloh, God would never do anything, but he says, go look at Shiloh and see what you see now, because he leveled the place because of their disobedience, and the ten tribes to the north under Jeroboam went into captivity, and let them stretch forth the curtains of your habitations, spare not, lengthen your cords, and strengthen the stakes. So the Old Covenant tabernacle, of course, had stakes, and this is speaking metaphorically, figuratively, with regard to the New Covenant church, that there will be many more members in this church, in the New Covenant church, than in the Old Covenant church. Continuing in verse 3 of Isaiah 54, where you shall break forth on the right hand and on the left, and your seed shall inherit the Gentiles, the nations. And so, Israel will be the leading nation in the wonderful world tomorrow, in the kingdom of God, as you read in the last verse of Zechariah chapter 8, where it says, and those from many languages take hold of the spirit of a Jew and say, show us your God, we have heard that God is with you, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. And so there's going to be a tremendous rebuilding project at the beginning of the millennium, and those that are in first resurrection will participate in that building program of rebuilding the cities and rebuilding a civilization in which righteousness is going to abound. Verse 4, fear not, or you shall not be ashamed, neither be you confounded, or you shall be you shall not be put to shame. Whereas they've been put to shame, or even physical Israel today is being put to shame by the nations, and it's going to be very interesting to see how these things fall out when all is said and done with regard to the nation of Israel and to Judah, or you shall forget the shame of your youth, and shall not remember the approach of your widowhood anymore. Of course, there was a period of time in which God gave them a bill of divorcement and put them away. And even now, as it says in 2 Corinthians 10, verse 2, that we are espoused to Christ, and we're looking forward to the marriage supper of the Lamb.

For your Maker is your husband. The marriage supper of the Lamb, as we read about in Revelation 19, in verse 9. If you want to turn there to Revelation chapter 19, in verse 9, we'll see there about the marriage supper of the Lamb. And we all want to be a part of the marriage supper of the Lamb. We want to be clothed in white linen, which is the righteousness of the saints. So I'm reading now Revelation 19.9. And He said unto me, Right, blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And He said unto me, These are the true sayings of God. So we want to make sure that we have on the wedding garment that we are clothed in white linen, which is the righteousness of the saints. For your Maker is your husband. Yes, we are going to be married to Jesus Christ. The Lord of Hosts is His name. We have talked about how that the one who became Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ musters the heavenly host. He is the captain of the host. He is God's agent. He is God's servant. He is God's holy one who is going to direct the government over all the earth. He will be known as King of Kings and Lord of Lords when He comes again. And we're going to be with Him in bright and shining armor. And your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. Of course, anything you can say about the Father can be said about Jesus Christ, or you could turn it around. Basically anything that is said about Jesus Christ can be said of the Father.

The Father, in one sense, is now a Redeemer because He sent Jesus Christ to the earth. Of course, He and the One who became the Word had planned out a great ingenious plan in which one would be begotten by the Spirit of God and making it possible through His death, His burial, His resurrection, that we could be viewed as sinless upon repentance from dead works and faith in the sacrifice of Christ for remission of sins that have passed. We can be viewed as sinless and we can receive the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit of the ghetto from the Father. The God of the whole earth shall be called. Jesus Christ is going to be known as King of Kings and Lord of Lords in the millennium. That does not diminish the role of the Father because always and forever the Father will be over Jesus Christ.

Now, verse 6. For the eternal YHVH have called you as a woman forsaken. Of course, woman oftentimes used figuratively and metaphorically for the Church. A woman forsaken and grieved in spirit and a wife of youth. When you were refused, says your God. Of course, they were refused and given a bill of divorcement because of their spiritual burdens. They played the role of the harlot, as we have mentioned from Hosea chapter 1. For a small moment have I forsaken you. Of course, they were given that bill of divorcement, as we have mentioned several times. But with great mercies will I gather you. And we've talked about how that Israel and Judah are going to be gathered from the four corners of the earth. We have turned to Amos chapter 9 where it talks about gathering all the nations from the four corners of the earth.

For a small moment have I forsaken you. But with great mercies will I gather you.

The Church is going to be in a state of mourning when Jesus Christ comes again. And essentially they'll be saying, how long, O Lord, how long, how long will it be?

Just as those who cry out figuratively when the fifth seal is open, how long is it going to be before you avenge us of our enemies? You avenge those who put us to death.

In a little rash I hid my face from you for a moment, for it's God speaking. But with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on you, says the Lord, your Redeemer. And once again, we know the Redeemer part that we are redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ, but at the same time, the Father sent Jesus Christ and He, in the Word, planted out the great plan of redemption whereby we can be viewed as sinless and received the Holy Spirit of again. For this, as the waters of Noah unto me, as I have sworn, as the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth. So God is not going to destroy all of humankind again, and He made the covenant way back then in Genesis chapter 9, the rainbow covenant, saying I will not destroy the earth again with a flood, with water. Of course, the earth is going to be purged with fire at the second coming of Jesus Christ. So have I sworn that I would not be mad with you nor rebuke you.

So that wonderful time is coming in which the resurrection is going to take place, and it says in 1 John, after we are resurrected, we cannot sin. God the Father cannot sin. Jesus Christ cannot sin. In resurrection, we will not sin.

We are being tried, testing now. Judgment is now on the house of God, as it says in 1 Peter chapter 3. And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the sinner, the wicked people, where are they going to appear? And of course, we're saved in so many different ways. We play a role in our salvation. We have to repent. We have to obey. We have to be faithful all the way. Salvation even then is still a gift, and God has showers us with His grace, continually His mercy, His long-separate.

Even though we go astray and we come back, if we repent, confess our sins, He's faithful and just to forgive us of all unrighteousness, as it says in 1 John chapter 1. O, you afflicted, tossed with tempest, Isaiah 54.11. O, you afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted. Behold, I will lay your stones with fair colors and lay your foundation with sapphires. So, the foundation, if you go to Revelation chapter 21 and you read the description of the New Jerusalem and all the precious stones that are going to be in the New Jerusalem, it is absolutely amazing.

Streets of gold and stones of precious jewels and gems everywhere you look. And I will make your windows of agates and your gates of carboxers, precious gems, and all your borders and pleasant stones. So, it's going to be a wonderful time. It's going to be a site that we cannot even possibly imagine, like it says in verse Corinthians chapter 2.

I have not seen here, have not heard, neither has it entered in the hearts of man what God has prepared for those who love Him. And your children shall be taught of the Lord. Remember Isaiah chapter 2, where they're going to go and the nations are going to meet their swords in the plowshares and their swords in the pruningherks, and they're going to go up to Jerusalem, especially during the feast, and they're going to be taught of God.

And out of the Jerusalem and out of Zion shall go forth the Word of God and the law of God. And nations are going to go there. And if a nation refuses to go there, as it says in Zechariah 14, they are not going to receive any rain. So, it won't be a matter of, well, we decide or we don't decide, no, God is going to rule the nations.

They're at least going to play church whether or not they really, really are converted or not. Of course, we know at the end of the millennium that Satan is going to be loose, and he's going to deceive many. How would that be possible? It's amazing to even contemplate that, that many will be deceived when Satan is loose for a little season. So even during the millennium, we have to, those who are living in the flesh, have to make sure that they are not deceived. Of course, those who are in the first resurrection cannot sin and cannot be deceived.

So, read in verse 11 again, O you afflicted and tossed with tempets and not comforted. Behold, I will lay stones with fair colors and lay your foundations and sapphires. Verse 12, and I will make your windows of agates and your gates of carbuckles and all your borders of pleasant stones. So once again, the new Jerusalem is going to be a wonderful, beautiful place that we cannot even imagine the beauty and how we're going to enjoy that life when we are there in the kingdom of God.

And all your children shall be taught, O the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children. The children of today's world are in torment. You can read about various articles now that children today are depressed and many are on antidepressants and they feel unsafe. They feel uncomfortable. And there is this thing of bullying that is going on among the children. And in addition to that, they are being taught the evil way that the law of God and the righteousness that comes from obedience to God has fallen into the streets and is not being taught at any level except in the home and in the Church of God.

Verse 14, in righteousness shall you be established. You shall be heard from oppression, and you shall not fear, and from terror for it shall not come near you. So it's going to be a wonderful time when we enter into the covenant of peace because God is going to present to us a covenant of peace. And it'd be wonderful to live in that period of time where the covenant of peace abounds in all the world. Behold, they shall surely gather together but not by me. Oh yeah, even the nations are going to fight against the returning Jesus Christ and the saints, and they will be gathered together. Satan and the beast and the false prophet are going to stir up. They're going to stir up the nations to come fight against Jesus Christ when he returns.

Whosoever shall gather together against you shall fall for your sake. So no matter who or what or how many come against God and the returning saints, they are not going to prevail.

And it will look like during that period of time leading up to the coming of Jesus Christ, the church is going to be in the state of mourning as I have mentioned several times, and then that state of mourning and the state of being in dust and ashes is going to be changed through praising God in the kingdom of God. Verse 16, 16 Behold, I have created the smith that blows their toads in the fire.

So you know what happens when toads receive a blast of wind? They flame up. That brings forth an instrument for his work, and I have created the waster to destroy. So the waster is going to be there, but eventually the waster, Satan the devil and his allegiance and his demons, they are going to be destroyed. No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper. And every tongue shall rise against you in judgment. You shall, and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment, you shall condemn. This is the way that we are this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord. So time after time, Isaiah gives us a glimpse of what lies ahead for those who are faithful, who endure to the very end, faithful, called and chosen, who are in the kingdom of God, who experience first resurrection and first roots. Of course, your job is going to be to have all the nations all over the earth become a part of the Israel of God. So the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their righteousness is of me, says the Etern. What a wonderful picture that Isaiah presents here of what is going to be like, how that God is going to put down all clothes, all enemies. He is going to make sure that the people of God are able to live and prosper in peace. Now we go to chapter 55.

In chapter 55, the first few verses, we see once again the compassion, the long-separating of the eternal God and his servant Jesus Christ. Oh, everyone that serves, come you to the waters, and waters is oftentimes used metaphorically for the Holy Spirit and the truth.

And he that hath no money, come, come you by and eat. See, that spiritual food that's going to be available in the millennium cannot be bought by silver or gold or any medium of exchange. It will be from the heart. It will be that of confessing sin and repenting and turning to God.

Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money, without price. So you look at that metaphorically of how the truth of God is going to balance sand covers the seashore. It's so wonderful a time that it's going to be.

Wherefore do you spend money for that which is not breaded? And we're talking about the true bread. Jesus Christ says in John chapter 6 that he is the true bread that came down from heaven and he that eats the drinks of that bread shall never be hungry anymore. That spiritual bread, that spiritual life, that spiritual life and bread that endures forever. And your labor for that which satisfies not harken diligently unto me and eat you that which is good, eat that which is of the Spirit, and let your soul, your life essence, the light of self, in factness. Yes, it's going to be a time in which righteousness and peace is going to prevail, and those who go against it will not prosper at all. Incline your ear, verse 3, and come unto me. Here your life essence shall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you the sure mercies of David, the Apostle Paul in Acts chapter 13 when he gave that great inspired sermon in Acts 13. If you're not read, Paul's inspired sermon in Acts 13, you need to read it. There are three great inspired sermons in the book of Acts. First of all, Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost in chapter 2. Secondly, Stephen's inspired testimony when he was called into question by the Sanhedrin, and then Paul's inspired sermon in Acts 13 in which he explains how we are going to be raised to life and where resurrection is equated with birth. So once again we're reading verse 3. Incline your ear and come unto me. Here and your soul shall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. And so we will participate in the sure mercies of David.

And we participate in the sure mercies of David through God's mercy and through Jesus Christ. Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and a commander to the people. And of course, Jesus Christ is a witness above all witnesses to what God has done, can do, and will do, and a commander of the people, Lord of lords, King of kings. Behold, you shall call a nation that knows not and nations that do not. You shall run unto you because of the eternal God.

Marking back to that Zachariah 8 last verse where Israel is the bottle nation, even those who live in the flesh. And of course those who live in the spirit and the resurrection of the just and the coming of Jesus Christ are going to be there as teachers as well to help. But you know, it says in Isaiah that you'll hear a voice behind you saying, this is the way, walk you in it. And for the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you. In the ultimate sense, glorification has to do with resurrection. Remember that Jesus Christ prayed in John 17, restore unto me the glory that I had with you before the world began. So when we are glorified, we will receive a glorified body. We will be glorious, radiant spirit beings. Radiant means that we will be give off light. We will be sons of light, children of light. So Jesus Christ has been given as a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. Behold, you shall call a nation that knows you not, and nations that do not, you shall run unto you because of the eternal of your God. They're going to hear about it. They're going to be emissaries that go out to the four corners of the earth. And they are going to bring the everlasting gospel to those who have never even heard of the gospel. Of course, even before the resurrection, God is going to send forth an angel that you read about in Revelation 14, where the three angels go forth, and one of them goes forth, declaring the everlasting gospel, giving people when the time comes for the great battle, the great day of God Almighty, and the great judgment of the nations, they shall be without excuse because God shall have provided ample witness both in the human form and in the spirit form. We talk about the gospel being preached to all nations, and oftentimes that verse is quoted in Revelation 20, Matthew 24, where it says, and this gospel or kingdom shall be preached to all nations, and then the end shall come. Well, human beings, we're called to do everything that we possibly can, but God is going to go even above and beyond that, as we read about once again in Revelation 14, where an angel goes forth preaching the everlasting gospel just before Jesus Christ comes again. Verse 6, "...seek you the Lord while he may be found." Right now, God is calling out a faithful few to serve with him in the kingdom of God. We have been called for a mission, for a duty.

We have not been called just to sit on our laurels and wait for the kingdom of God. We're being called to fulfill the Great Commission, like you read about in Matthew 28, the last couple verses there. Go in the sight of all nations, teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you, even to the end of the age. So call on the Lord. Call him out. Seek him while he is near. Don't be like the unrighteous judge, the Judge Paul, on his way to when he appealed to Caesar, in which that ruler said, well, Paul, you really make sense. I'm paraphrasing. But come back and talk to me on a more convenient day. I have a lot of things I want to do, you know, before that time.

Now is the time to call on God. Verse 7, let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the abbey, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly harm. And once again, I note 1 John chapter 1.

If we confess our sins and repent of our sins and exercise faith in the sacrifice of Christ, he is faithful and just to forgive us of all unrighteousness. For my thoughts are not your thoughts. We can't even imagine how higher the thoughts of God are than our thoughts. These are your ways. My ways says the Eternal. When we begin to think about where one little voice out of eight plus billion people on the face of the earth, and who knows how many people have gone before us, or who knows how many people come after us, one small voice. Of course, one small voice can do a lot, but in comparison to God, it is as nothing. As it says in one place in Scripture, the nations are counted as a drop in the bucket as grasshoppers, for as the heavens are higher than the earth. So are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

That's one of the things we have to do continually, is to try to guide and guard our thoughts.

We're familiar with the Scripture in Proverbs 14 and Proverbs 4 and verse 16, which says, keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it flows the issues of life. So keep your mind, keep your thoughts with all diligence, because out of it flows the issues of life. Before an action is performed, the thought comes into our minds, and we wrestle with that thought oftentimes. Sometimes we act compulsively. We act before we really think about it. God wants us to act after thought, and that's one of the things that I know I have to battle it continually, is to be on guard, not to blurt out something before you think about it, because once words go out into the airways, it's almost impossible to regather them again.

For as the rain comes down and the snow from heaven, it returns not there, but waters the earth, and may should bring forth and bud that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater.

So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth.

So God is not just bumping his guns, as someone might say. He says what he means and means what he says. He's unlike us. He's not unstable in any ways. His thoughts are always just, pure and right. Keep your heart with all diligence because out of it flows the issues of life.

You know, you sow a thought. You may reap a habit. You reap a habit. You reap an action. You reap an action. You sow character. So we have to continually be on guard, so that we can out sow the wrong seed. It shall not return unto me void, speaking of the Word of God.

God once again means what he says and he says what he means. But it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the theme, where to I said it. For you shall go out with joy. And it's going to be quite a joyous time. We cannot even imagine, as I've already quoted 1 Corinthians 2.9, how the year is unheard and the eye is not seen, what God has prepared for those who love him. For you shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace. The mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, speaking metaphorically. And all the trees of the fields shall clap, shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorns shall come up the fir tree, instead of the briars shall come up the myrtle tree. And it shall be to the eternal for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. What of once again, what a glorious time that is going to be in the kingdom of God. Now we go to chapter 56. As you know tonight, I am quoting many of the scriptures instead of turning to them. I hope that you write down the scriptures, the reference scriptures, and that you turn to them. Now in Isaiah 56, neither Isaiah 56 verse 1, God says to the Lord, keep you judgment.

But one of the things that God is, he is a God of judgment.

Oftentimes we think about, well, God is long suffering, he's merciful.

And all of this I usually go with being patient and kind and graceful. But at the same time, he is a God of judgment and judgment. And remember what the weightier matters of the law are. Matthew 23 verse 23. The Pharisees boasted that they paved by the bent anise and coming, even weighing out the tiniest little parcels of herbs and mint, that kind of things.

Whereas God says, they thought you have done. But what I'm really interested in is that you, that you exercise judgment, mercy, and faith that the weightier matters of the law. So this, in essence, is a shortcut saying that, thus says the eternal, the Yahweh, keep you justice, keep you judgment, and do justice.

And do justice for my salvation is near to come and my righteousness to be revealed.

Blessed is the man that does this and the Son of man that lays hold on it, that keeps the sound.

Now there is a section here in which God talks about how important the Sabbath is to keep and to observe the way it is. Remember the Sabbath was ordained on the seventh day of recreation in Genesis chapter two. It says that God rested on the seventh day and that He kept Sabbath on the seventh day. He keeps the Sabbath from polluting it and keeps His hand from doing any evil. Neither lets the Son of the stranger that has joined himself to the Lord speak, saying, The Lord hath utterly separated me from people. Neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am dry. I am a dry tree. So everyone that is under your roof, so to speak, everyone that is within the sound of your voice, everyone that you have anything to do with, the seventh day is a special day under God. And I'm afraid that I am so many fall short at times on how we observe the Sabbath. It is very important to God because it shows that we honor Him as the Creator, both of the physical and the spiritual. It says in Romans 7 that the law is spiritual.

The law is spiritual. The law says in Psalm 19 that the law is perfect for burning the soul.

So keeping the Sabbath, which is one of the Ten Commandments, reminds God that we honor Him and that we are forsaking all to follow Him and to obey Him. For thus says the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my Sabbath, and choose those things that please me and take hold of my covenant. We have entered into the terms of the new covenant. We have, in entering into the terms of the new covenant, we have repented. We've exercised faith in the sacrifice of Christ. The law of God is now being written on our inward parts. It's not just written on tables of stone. It's not just in the Ark of the covenant. It is written on our minds and hearts. Even unto them will I give in mine house, and within my walls a place, and a name better than of sons than of daughters. We're going to be exalted to the point of being better than a son of daughter in a physical family. I will give them an everlasting name, which shall not be cut off.

I don't know exactly what that everlasting name is, but it talks about in Revelation how we will be given a new name. Also, the sons of the stranger that join themselves to the Lord, those that are not Jews by birth, and to serve Him and to love the name of the Lord to be His servants, everyone that keeps their Sabbath from polluting it and takes hold of my covenant.

Once again, we'll try to see how important the Sabbath is to God. Even then will I bring to my holy mountain. His holy mountain is Jerusalem-exhined and makes them joyful. Remember holy things have God's active presence within it. Now I will make them joyful in my house of prayer.

Of course, the Jews are talking about it at this time, of building a temple, and guess what? They're talking about calling it a house of prayer for all nations. I would venture in this speculation that in order to be able to have granted to them permission to build a temple and restore temple worship, that it will somehow include all nations and maybe all religions.

The Lord God, which gathers the outcasts of Israel, says, yet will I gather others to Him besides those who are gathered unto Him. So all nations are going to be given heat. As He says in Romans chapter 3, is he the God of the Jews? Only note, he is the God of all peoples, of all nations, kindreds, races, and tongues. Now, Isaiah 56.9, all ye beasts in the field, come to devour, yes, all ye beasts in the forest.

His watchmen are blind. They are all ignorant. They are all dumb dogs. They cannot bark, sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. They are as if they are asleep. They have not made up the hedge. They have not prepared the people, as Ezekiel talks about in Ezekiel 13, for the day of the Lord. Yes, they are greedy dogs, which can never happen now. And they are shepherds that cannot understand. They all look to their own way, everyone for his gain from his quarter. And so that's what we have today. Everyone that is looking to his own way, everyone is trying to get all that he can. Everyone is thinking about the physical verse, except those that have been called, called, chosen, and faithful. We want to make sure that we are called, chosen, and faithful. Come you, they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink, and tomorrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant. So eat drink and be married, tomorrow we may die. But there is a price to be paid because God will bring everyone into judgment. Now, chapter 57, the righteous parishes, and no man lays it to heart. We oftentimes read this verse at herems, that the righteous pass away. They die there in the grave. The dead know not anything. They have no consciousness in the grave, and no one really pays much attention. Today we may go to the funeral, or tomorrow we may go to the funeral, or the memorial service, and we think about it for a short period of time, and then out of sight, out of mind, and we go our way. And merciful men are taken away, non-considered, that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. And the evil to come, of course, will be when judgment comes upon the nations. Remember, I quoted from 1 Peter chapter 3, judgment is now on the house of God, and if the righteous scarcely be saved, where will the evil person stand? He shall enter into peace. And of course, in the grave it's like an unto sleep. It's peaceful. There's no worries in the grave. They shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness. But draw near and here, you sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adultery, adulterer, and the whore. Oh, in contrast to the righteous, we have those. Against whom do you sport yourself? Who do you think you're fooling? You're definitely not fooling God.

The seed of the adulterer and the whore. Against whom do you sport yourself? Against whom make you a whiter and a wide mouth and draw out the tongue? Oh, yeah, you can speak all kind of things that they may err on CNN or Fox or some other news channel, but you really don't consider the fact that your words are numbered and God will bring every thought and every word into judgment. Are you not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood, inflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree versus trees where the phallic symbol and the phallic symbol and the male symbol and the female symbol were idolized in pagan worship, because that's where they went to worship and slaying the children in the valleys under the cliffs of the rocks and children were slain in the valley of inner. As we've talked about, especially in the inner study of Jeremiah and 10, Madranir here, sons of the sorcerers, the seed of the adultery and the whore, against whom do you support yourselves? Verse 5, flaming yourself with idols under every green tree and slaying the children in the valleys under the cliffs of the rocks.

Of course, we have abortion going on, and unbridled abortion is what so many want. They don't want any limitation at all whatsoever on it. Even some are advocating infanticide of having a child that is born being killed. Amazingly as that may sound. Verse 6, among the smooth stones of the stream of suppression, they are your lot. Even to them you pour in a drink offering. You've offered a meat offering. Should I receive comfort in these? Oh, you may honor your gods. You may offer offerings to them. You may be a great, benevolent giver to various cousins. But if you are not obeying God, then He is going to bring you into judgment. Upon a locked-in high mountain, you have sent your bed, even there when you have to offer sacrifice.

Behold, the doors also and the posts have you set up your remembrance, for you have discovered yourself to another than me. At our goner, you have enlarged your bed and made your covenant with them, your lovers that are dead where you saw. Birds of a feather flock together, they lie together, they are brought to judgment together, and that day is coming. And you went to the king with ointment and did increase your perfumes and did send your messengers far off. So the heads of state now especially are running back into Israel and to other parts on the face of the earth.

But they are not taking the Word of God. They are not taking righteousness within. They are trying to take politics. They are trying to take militarism. They are trying to take that which is not proper in the long run. Your messengers are far off and you debase yourself even unto hell, even unto the grave, even unto and this is not, this is used literally or figuratively in a place and a time specifically often used for a whole space, a great file to count.

You're weary in your greatness and of your weight. Set as you not, there is no hope. You have found the life of your hand. Therefore, you were not grieved. So there is no grief. There is no sadness. There's no shame in the land today. People even boast of their ungodliness and they are praised for their ungodliness. You mentioned marijuana. You mentioned drugs. You mentioned being loose, morally, sexually, and all those kinds of things. And what will the audience do? They will applaud. They will cheer because of that, because there is no fear.

And of whom have you been afraid or feared that you have lied and have not remembered me?

What do you fear? Why weren't you ashamed? You are related to the heart. I have not I held my peace, even of all. And you feared me not?

You talk about long suffering. God has suffered a long, long, long time with humankind.

And who knows how long we have to go? It seems. And people say, how much worse can it get? We must be living in the last days, see how bad things really are. But of course, things can get a lot worse than they are now. I will declare your righteousness in your works, for they shall not profit you. Of course, there is no true righteousness within them. When you cried, let your company's delivery here. So what are the allies going to do? Are they going to save you? But the winds shall carry them all away. Vanity shall take them. But he that puts his trust in me shall possess the land and shall inherit my holy mountain. We want to inherit the holy mountain. We want to inherit Zion and Jerusalem. That's where we want to be. God's headquarters is going to be in Zion and Jerusalem. And the new Jerusalem eventually is going to descend from the heavens. And that's where we want to be. Right now, people think they are really with him. If they are with the wells, take the World Economic Forum. The World Economic Forum. They chart and trample out what life is going to be a year from now or 15 years from now. And how they are trying to quote, save the world again at the same time. They are destroying the world. And much of what they do will come to nothing. And shall say, cast you up, cast you up. Prepare the way. Take up your stumbling block out of the way of my people. So get out of the way, you wicked people. Get out of the way. Why are you casting up a stumbling block? For thus says the high and the lofty one that inhabits eternity. That is a very famous quote that you need to God inhabits eternity.

He always has been, he always will be. He inhabits eternity. There is no beginning, there is no end.

Whose name is holy, I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite, humble spirit. So God looks to those of a humble, contrite spirit. Of course, this is not nearly the only place in scripture where this is used.

He dwells in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. Yes, for every good deed, for every good word, for every good work, for everything that is good in the sight of God, you will be rewarded. For I will not contend forever, neither will I always, will I be always mad or wrath, for the spirits shall fail before me and the souls which I have made. For the iniquity of his covetousness was I mad and smote him. I hid me and was mad or wrath, and he went on forwardly in the way of his heart, even when punished, and even when God shows that he is a God of justice and judgment. Those who have the wrong part, those who have the wrong attitude still are content to go their own way. Just as Pharaoh did, they hardened their heart. You can read about in Revelation 9, the last few verses, when the trumpet plagues are being poured out, and all the trumpet plagues and all the things that go with it, instead of repenting, they curse God, they turn against God, for that which they are suffering, instead of humbling their selves and turning to God.

For the iniquity of his covetousness I was mad and smote him. I hid me and was mad, angry, and he went on forwardly in the way of his heart. Do not pay any attention to me. I have seen his ways and will heal him. I will leave him also and restore comforts into him and to his mourners. I create the fruit of the lips, peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, says the Lord, and I will heal him. But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, says my God, to the wicked. So we come to the end of the study for this evening. Of course, without turning to the scriptures, we cover a lot more ground.

And it's not just that we want to cover ground. I think we understand the meaning behind these verses. Basically, what we have dealt with here tonight is that God honors those who honor him, and those who do not honor him will be brought into judgment, and they will pay the price. And seek the Lord while he's near, call upon his name while he's there, while you have the opportunity. Okay, we come to the end of our study tonight. We now are open to questions and comments from you. Do we have any questions or comments that any of you would like to present?

Dr. Ward? Yes, sir. I was suffering the other day and thought of the phrase, Why hast thou forsaken me? At lunchtime today, I came across from my Bible concordance, Isaiah 53, 7, that you mentioned. For a small moment, have I forsaken you, but with great mercies will I gather you. And I remember 2 Corinthians 4, 17, along with that, For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Yes, we don't even begin to understand the suffering and what Christ went through. And then once the 12 went through, it is unbelievable. I'm not including Judas and His carat in the 12, but the suffering, according to tradition, all of the apostles were martyred.

The original apostles were martyred. The suffering that people, even people who didn't know the truth, that you know the truth and know that we are destined to become glorious, radiant spirit beings in the family of God, born of the Spirit, with new life, with everlasting life abiding within us. Even those people, many of them suffered tremendously. We don't even begin to understand the affliction that people have gone through in honoring and keeping the Word of God. There are people today who honor God and try to obey to the best of their ability. They haven't been called. The blinders have not been removed from their eyes, but our light and affliction does not even remotely compare with what most people or people in the past have gone before himself. That's a wonderful pair of scriptures you have there, Tim. Anybody else?

Okay, we'll see you in two weeks from now.