1 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:11,580 Second Kings chapter 17, brother, you, you prayed 2 00:00:11,580 --> 00:00:13,460 beautifully. Thank you, Brian for praying. 3 00:00:13,460 --> 00:00:15,900 Thank you for the praise team, for helping us love the Lord in 4 00:00:15,900 --> 00:00:18,140 song. But it's on my heart to pray 5 00:00:18,140 --> 00:00:20,380 again. And so before we even read one 6 00:00:20,380 --> 00:00:22,340 verse or I make any other comment, can we just turn our 7 00:00:22,340 --> 00:00:31,500 attention to the Lord once more? Lord, it's only going to be by 8 00:00:31,500 --> 00:00:36,600 the power of your Holy Spirit to make this more than a lesson. 9 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:40,760 For this to be a life changing Bible study, it has to come from 10 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:43,200 you. And so we ask, Lord, that you 11 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:45,800 would visit us. Thank you that you live in US. 12 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:48,000 Thank you that you've sealed us. Thank you that you are a 13 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:50,720 guarantee. But Lord, we pray for the 14 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:53,640 manifest power of the Holy Spirit. 15 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:57,280 And we ask Lord, that even as we go through these truths that we 16 00:00:57,280 --> 00:01:01,880 would hear the voice of Christ. And Lord, our request is single, 17 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:06,600 that we would love the Lord Jesus Christ more, that the love 18 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:12,160 that we can all testify of that is filled with inexpressible joy 19 00:01:12,440 --> 00:01:15,760 and glory. O Lord, wash us again in that 20 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:18,360 kind of a love. We trust that you're able to 21 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:21,440 provide it. And we pray that you deal with 22 00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:23,760 every obstacle, every distraction, anything that would 23 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:26,800 hinder 1 heart in this place from receiving what you have to 24 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:29,520 say. Lord, we adore you and we pray 25 00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:32,400 that you help us cherish you more through this study. 26 00:01:32,960 --> 00:01:37,040 In the name of the living Christ, we pray Amen and Amen. 27 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:44,600 Second King. 17 If I were to title this Bible study, I think 28 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:50,360 I would go with the final straw. The final straw, because we have 29 00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:54,960 been studying week after week, 1, King after another, failing 30 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:58,760 to uphold God's righteous standard and the nation's abject 31 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:03,800 abhorrence of God's Word. And now we have come to the 32 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:07,600 patience of the Lord reaching its breaking point. 33 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:13,800 This is significant because this is going to manifest in the 34 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:18,560 Kingdom of Israel facing its ultimate punishment, the forced 35 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:21,360 evacuation of this people from the Promised land. 36 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:25,920 This is going to change the rest of our study in the Old 37 00:02:25,920 --> 00:02:29,360 Testament. This is absolutely massive. 38 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:33,520 It's imperative and there's so much in it for us to consider. 39 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:37,840 But we have to keep this in mind that even before the people 40 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:42,120 crossed the border and entered into their new home, the Lord 41 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:49,320 warned so many times that if they continued in sin, they 42 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:51,880 would be vomited out of the land, just like the previous 43 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:55,400 inhabitants. But even though those warnings 44 00:02:55,400 --> 00:03:00,120 came to them before and after they lived in this land, none of 45 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:03,640 them could imagine that it would be possible no matter what they 46 00:03:03,640 --> 00:03:06,960 did. And this was a false security 47 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:09,000 that many of them had false hope in. 48 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:12,280 And it was something that the Lord addressed through His 49 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:14,440 servants, the prophets, on more than one occasion. 50 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:17,480 In fact, it's all over the writings of the prophets. 51 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:20,000 So allow me to give you a couple of examples. 52 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:22,880 One that comes to mind is Amos chapter 6, verse 1. 53 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:24,680 And you don't have to turn there unless you want to see with your 54 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:27,400 own eyes. But he says there are woe to 55 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:33,400 those who are at ease in Zion, to those who feel secure in the 56 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:35,680 mountain of Samaria that was the capital of the Kingdom of 57 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:38,240 Israel. And in that same chapter, in 58 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:42,960 verse seven, he says, therefore you're going to be the first one 59 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:47,040 to be exiled. I think of Jeremiah Chapter 7, 60 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:50,640 verses 3 and 4 where the prophet says, thus says the Lord of 61 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:54,640 hosts, the God of Israel, amend your ways and your deeds and I 62 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:59,600 will let you dwell in this place following it with this. 63 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:04,080 Do not trust in deceptive words. And the word specifically that 64 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:07,400 Jeremiah had in mind was this is the temple of the Lord, the 65 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:09,680 temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord. 66 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:13,280 What were they saying? There is no way that God will 67 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:16,000 allow anybody to conquer the temple. 68 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:21,000 It's permanent. And they had all these strange 69 00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:25,400 explanations in their own hearts and even from false prophets who 70 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:27,680 were saying peace, peace when there was no peace. 71 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:31,320 So here's what we can learn right from the beginning. 72 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:35,720 It's a dangerous thing to try to rationalize God's justice with 73 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:39,600 our carnal wisdom. And man has many clever ways of 74 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:45,360 trying to dismiss the concept of divine judgement against sin. 75 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:47,560 And they do this again in many ways. 76 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:52,760 Some try to redefine what sin really is, others put into 77 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:57,240 question God's willingness to judge and what his wrath truly 78 00:04:57,240 --> 00:05:05,040 entails, and some just lie about his desire to bring about swift 79 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:09,480 justice against iniquity and make him out to be someone who's 80 00:05:09,480 --> 00:05:12,640 not wrathful at all. So this was a constant 81 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:14,440 diversion. This was something that was 82 00:05:14,840 --> 00:05:18,320 prominent in the days of the prophets, and it caused many 83 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:19,960 people to be crystallized in their sin. 84 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:21,200 And you have to recognize something. 85 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:24,000 This deception was not only prevalent in the days of 86 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:29,320 Jeremiah and Amos and Isaiah and Ezekiel, it was true in the days 87 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:32,520 of the apostles. I'll ask you to turn here in 88 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:34,720 Ephesians chapter 5. I know I told you to turn to 2nd 89 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:36,680 king 17. Just keep your hand there. 90 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:39,720 But look at this in the New Testament, in Ephesians chapter 91 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:47,800 5, verse 5 to 6, Paul says, for you may be sure of this, that 92 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:51,880 everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous, 93 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:55,760 that is an idolater, has no inheritance in the Kingdom of 94 00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:59,800 Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with 95 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:03,120 empty words, for because of these things, the wrath of God 96 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:05,920 comes upon the sons of disobedience. 97 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:08,800 So this was prominent in Paul's day as well. 98 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:12,040 You had people who are being taught, people who are persuaded 99 00:06:12,680 --> 00:06:17,000 that God will not judge certain sins, that these are just 100 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:19,560 impulses. This is natural, that this is 101 00:06:19,560 --> 00:06:21,320 something that he winks at, this is something that he will not 102 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:24,760 consider or take into account. And Paul calls those empty 103 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:27,400 words. And more than he says, this is 104 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:31,360 deception. Yes, there are sins that we can 105 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:35,680 commit that God will pour out his wrath on, namely, if you are 106 00:06:35,680 --> 00:06:38,680 outside of Christ. Do you think it's any different 107 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:41,040 today? Do you think that there are 108 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:44,520 people who are downplaying the wrath of God that are redefining 109 00:06:44,520 --> 00:06:46,360 what eternal judgement really is? 110 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:50,360 It's becoming increasingly popular in churches, in 111 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:52,120 Christendom. Be careful. 112 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:55,280 Be careful of those who would try to question God's character, 113 00:06:55,280 --> 00:06:59,680 His nature, who emphasize one element of Him while ignoring 114 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:05,560 another. This people here understood that 115 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:09,640 God was patient, I'm talking about Israel, but they could not 116 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:12,400 fathom how and why He would punish. 117 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:17,120 So let's read the first 6 verses together because what you and I 118 00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:20,040 are going to look at is the final king of Israel, not of 119 00:07:20,040 --> 00:07:22,000 Judah but of the Northern Kingdom. 120 00:07:23,200 --> 00:07:28,080 Second king 17 verse one in the 12th year of A has king of 121 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:31,320 Judah. Hoshea the son of Elah began to 122 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:35,640 reign in Samaria over Israel and he reigned nine years and he did 123 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:38,920 what was evil in the sight of the Lord, yet not as the kings 124 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:41,680 of Israel who were before him against them came up. 125 00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:45,320 Shamanese are king of Assyria and Hoshea became his vassal and 126 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:48,120 paid him tribute. But the king of Assyria found 127 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:52,200 treachery in Hoshea, for he had sent messengers to Sew king of 128 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:56,000 Egypt, and offered no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had 129 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:59,000 done year by year. Therefore the king of Assyria 130 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:00,680 shut him up and bound him in prison. 131 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:03,520 Then the king of Assyria invaded all the land and came to 132 00:08:03,520 --> 00:08:06,200 Samaria, and for three years he besieged it. 133 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:09,800 In the ninth year of Hosheh, the king of Assyria captured 134 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:14,320 Samaria, and he carried the Israelites away to Assyria and 135 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:18,520 placed them in Hala and on the high bar the river of Gozen and 136 00:08:18,520 --> 00:08:25,480 the city of the Medes. Behold, the final ruler of this 137 00:08:25,480 --> 00:08:28,600 Kingdom. And as significant as that is, 138 00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:34,000 he doesn't seem to be the focus of these verses at least. 139 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:37,559 Did you notice how many times the title King of Assyria 140 00:08:37,559 --> 00:08:41,159 appears in these verses? It's repeated a total of 6 141 00:08:41,159 --> 00:08:46,600 times. This is a linguistic attempt to 142 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:49,760 try to help us understand that there is one Kingdom now that's 143 00:08:49,760 --> 00:08:52,720 overshadowing another. In other words, there's a new 144 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:56,440 sheriff in town. The king of Israel is no longer 145 00:08:56,440 --> 00:08:59,280 in charge. A foreign nation now has come to 146 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:02,560 take full control. And yes, it's gradual, but we 147 00:09:02,560 --> 00:09:05,600 see where this is going. And this is so important for us 148 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:12,280 to consider because it's kind of odd to see the king of Assyria 149 00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:15,120 encroaching upon the Kingdom of Israel under this 150 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:18,200 administration. Why is it strange, at least 151 00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:19,840 initially? Look back at verse 2. 152 00:09:21,120 --> 00:09:23,760 And he did what was evil in the side of the Lord, yet not as the 153 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:26,920 kings of Israel who were before him. 154 00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:32,280 So he was evil, but he was not as evil as his predecessors. 155 00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:35,040 And so some students of the Bible have come to this and they 156 00:09:35,040 --> 00:09:37,560 were puzzled. Why does an invasion occur under 157 00:09:37,560 --> 00:09:40,320 a king who is not as wicked as those who came before him? 158 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:48,280 It would make more sense for an Ahab like King or it has why 159 00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:52,000 Hoshea and many explanations have been given, but I think 160 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:54,320 it's more simple than people make it out to be. 161 00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:57,520 It's actually not as complicated because it doesn't say that 162 00:09:57,520 --> 00:10:00,160 Hoshea was innocent, does it doesn't say that he was 163 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:02,720 righteous. It just shows that he's sinned 164 00:10:02,720 --> 00:10:04,840 differently than those who came before him. 165 00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:13,160 If anything, this is a reminder to all of us that sin is sin and 166 00:10:13,160 --> 00:10:16,720 that we all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of 167 00:10:16,720 --> 00:10:21,240 God. Because we are very tricky and 168 00:10:21,320 --> 00:10:26,360 we are very clever in how we try to make ourselves less sinful 169 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:32,720 than others. We compare, we contrast, and you 170 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:35,800 and I may transgress in different ways, but choosing 171 00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:39,360 certain sins over others does not give us a better chance of 172 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:42,880 being acquitted. That's exactly what James talks 173 00:10:42,880 --> 00:10:46,360 about in James 211. He says that the law says do not 174 00:10:46,360 --> 00:10:48,720 commit adultery, and it also says do not murder. 175 00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:51,400 And if you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have 176 00:10:51,400 --> 00:10:52,840 become a transgressor of the law. 177 00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:55,600 OK, so you don't sin in this way, but you sin in another. 178 00:10:55,680 --> 00:10:58,040 You're still, you're still a transgressor in your own right. 179 00:10:58,960 --> 00:11:02,240 You still have broken God's law. You're still stained with sin 180 00:11:02,280 --> 00:11:08,200 and you need a Savior. Hoshea here is is not innocent. 181 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:14,320 He can't escape this. He himself is in trouble and you 182 00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:19,360 and I have to understand because if we compare, we can convince 183 00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:23,840 ourselves that we can make make it past God's righteous standard 184 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:26,880 when all the while we are desperately in need of it. 185 00:11:28,400 --> 00:11:32,000 I think of Isaiah having this conversation the other day with 186 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:36,240 somebody where Isaiah there in Isaiah chapter 6 in the presence 187 00:11:36,240 --> 00:11:37,920 of the Lord. He says I'm a man of unclean 188 00:11:37,920 --> 00:11:41,240 lips and a moment among the people of unclean lips. 189 00:11:42,440 --> 00:11:44,760 The context makes that so much more profound than people 190 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:48,520 initially understand it because in the year that king Uzziah 191 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:52,040 died, Isaiah had that vision. How did Uzziah you remember this 192 00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:54,560 for a couple weeks ago. How did Uzziah sin? 193 00:11:54,800 --> 00:11:57,120 He went into the temple of the Lord assumed to be a priest. 194 00:11:57,160 --> 00:12:00,000 How was he punished? He became a leper. 195 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:03,520 What was a leper to do if they to do it, they came into close 196 00:12:03,520 --> 00:12:05,120 proximity with somebody who was not a leper. 197 00:12:05,560 --> 00:12:10,360 They were to announce what unclean, unclean, unclean, 198 00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:12,640 unclean. And here's Isaiah the prophet 199 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:16,640 who up to chapter 6 was telling all the people of Israel, woe to 200 00:12:16,640 --> 00:12:20,200 you, woe to you. And then once he sees the 201 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:23,560 glorified Lord there on his throne, he says, I'm a man of 202 00:12:23,560 --> 00:12:25,160 unclean lips. What is he saying there? 203 00:12:25,320 --> 00:12:26,680 He's saying many things, including this. 204 00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:32,840 I'm no better than Uziah. I'm no better than that man in 205 00:12:32,840 --> 00:12:36,960 the presence of Jesus Christ. I need a savior. 206 00:12:37,680 --> 00:12:39,800 Well, I'm a prophet. Who cares? 207 00:12:40,080 --> 00:12:43,400 I preach well in the presence of the Lord, even your best deeds 208 00:12:43,400 --> 00:12:49,280 are unclean. So Jose here, he's not going to 209 00:12:49,280 --> 00:12:53,120 go free. He's also going to be facing 210 00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:54,960 judgement. And here's what's so 211 00:12:54,960 --> 00:12:56,520 significant. Assyria does not immediately 212 00:12:56,520 --> 00:13:01,480 take over the Kingdom, does he? It's gradual and before he takes 213 00:13:01,480 --> 00:13:05,400 full control, he takes control of the people in terms of 214 00:13:05,400 --> 00:13:07,680 taxation. So now they're subjugated to 215 00:13:07,680 --> 00:13:09,440 them. They have to pay every year. 216 00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:11,320 They have to give up their resources. 217 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:13,880 And look at this at verse 3. This stood out to me here. 218 00:13:14,160 --> 00:13:16,160 It says here that he had to pay him tribute. 219 00:13:16,160 --> 00:13:20,280 That's the last word there. Verse 3, the word in the Hebrew 220 00:13:20,440 --> 00:13:24,680 is found all over the book of Leviticus describing what the 221 00:13:24,680 --> 00:13:28,000 offerings that the people were to make in the temple as an act 222 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:30,560 of worship. And I think there's a subtle 223 00:13:30,560 --> 00:13:33,320 lesson there. I think there's a reminder here 224 00:13:33,320 --> 00:13:35,720 that whether we are aware of it or not, we all worship someone 225 00:13:35,720 --> 00:13:39,840 or something. This is how low the nation got, 226 00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:43,040 that instead of focusing and giving all their tribute to the 227 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:45,600 Lord, they gave it to another king. 228 00:13:47,600 --> 00:13:52,560 Whatever your ultimate allegiance or loyalty is to is 229 00:13:52,560 --> 00:13:56,720 what you worship. There's no other way around it. 230 00:13:57,680 --> 00:14:00,600 And so in refusing to worship the true God, he is in essence 231 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:04,440 worshiping another king. And that is true for all of us 232 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:07,360 to fail to faithfully worship the Lord. 233 00:14:08,040 --> 00:14:10,800 You will give what belongs to God to something else. 234 00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:13,600 You was we heard so many times become a slave to someone or 235 00:14:13,600 --> 00:14:16,400 something else. And those have tragic 236 00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:19,120 consequences when God is not the object of your worship. 237 00:14:19,120 --> 00:14:21,720 Let me give you an example. I know we haven't read these 238 00:14:21,720 --> 00:14:23,600 verses, but Scroll down to verse 15. 239 00:14:26,680 --> 00:14:31,160 It says here they despised His statutes and His covenant that 240 00:14:31,160 --> 00:14:34,200 He made with their fathers and the warnings that He gave them. 241 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:41,400 They went after false idols and became false, and they follow 242 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:44,200 the nations that were around them concerning whom the Lord 243 00:14:44,200 --> 00:14:47,880 have commanded them, that they should not do like them. 244 00:14:48,440 --> 00:14:51,240 I think the King James captures this verse a little bit more 245 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:54,680 accurately. DSV says that they what they 246 00:14:54,680 --> 00:14:56,480 went after false idols and became false. 247 00:14:56,480 --> 00:14:59,120 King James would say they went after vain things and became 248 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:02,160 vain. But when you look at the Hebrew, 249 00:15:02,160 --> 00:15:05,360 it's even more profound. It draws out the meaning, I 250 00:15:05,360 --> 00:15:08,080 believe obviously in the original language for us to 251 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:11,400 consider the the severity of wrong pursuits. 252 00:15:12,120 --> 00:15:15,920 The word there for vain or false in the Hebrew is Havel. 253 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:19,800 When I looked into this word, I wanted to know what it meant. 254 00:15:19,800 --> 00:15:26,320 It was interesting. It means to act mentally void, 255 00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:30,640 something that's profitless, something that's futile. 256 00:15:31,320 --> 00:15:34,960 In other contexts, it would be the word breath or vapor. 257 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:38,760 So if you go with the original, you know how you can translate 258 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:43,120 that one part in that verse? They went after empty things and 259 00:15:43,120 --> 00:15:47,520 became empty. And here's what came to mind. 260 00:15:47,520 --> 00:15:50,400 You all know it, that before you came to Christ there was a 261 00:15:50,400 --> 00:15:54,960 hollowness in the soul, right? You can testify that and you 262 00:15:54,960 --> 00:15:56,720 know it. When you're not walking closely 263 00:15:56,720 --> 00:16:00,960 with the Lord, you, you feel like you're a shell. 264 00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:02,760 You feel like I'm missing something. 265 00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:06,480 And I believe that's a proof text to back that feeling up. 266 00:16:07,880 --> 00:16:10,160 In pursuing empty things, what happens? 267 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:15,200 They became empty. And that's a sad state of 268 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:18,280 anybody who does not have the Lord as their King. 269 00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:22,480 Here's the beauty of our God, that He is so willing to rescue 270 00:16:22,480 --> 00:16:28,440 us from tyrannical masters that have deceived us and lied to us, 271 00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:32,200 and keep us bound and bring us unto Himself and become our Lord 272 00:16:32,440 --> 00:16:36,840 and fulfill us as He becomes our Lord and our Savior. 273 00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:40,280 Hoshey had that choice. I believe that's the reason why 274 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:43,000 the Lord does not allow Assyria to immediately ransack 275 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:45,120 everything. He allows them to come in steps 276 00:16:45,600 --> 00:16:48,920 close enough for Hoshea to taste the misery of being ruled by 277 00:16:48,920 --> 00:16:52,280 something or someone else. So what does Hoshea do? 278 00:16:52,280 --> 00:16:56,320 Does he cry out for mercy? Does he realize that I'm, I'm, 279 00:16:56,320 --> 00:16:58,680 I'm doing the wrong thing here, Lord, I surrender, I repent. 280 00:16:58,880 --> 00:17:00,880 Now look what he does in verse 4 again. 281 00:17:00,880 --> 00:17:03,480 But the king of Assyria found treachery in Hoshea, for he had 282 00:17:03,480 --> 00:17:06,599 sent messengers to sow king of Egypt and offered no tribute to 283 00:17:06,599 --> 00:17:09,079 the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. 284 00:17:09,160 --> 00:17:11,640 Therefore the king of Assyria shut him up and bound him in 285 00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:12,720 prison. He blew it. 286 00:17:14,720 --> 00:17:18,359 The one opportunity for you to cry out so that you can be 287 00:17:18,359 --> 00:17:22,440 liberated, to be saved, you turn to another savior. 288 00:17:23,839 --> 00:17:27,520 And why he messes up here is not because his attempt to conspire 289 00:17:27,520 --> 00:17:29,200 against Assyria angered the king. 290 00:17:29,600 --> 00:17:33,520 It's because he went to another solution apart from God himself. 291 00:17:34,840 --> 00:17:38,400 Can I ask you a question? Did God give precise 292 00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:41,400 instruction, namely to the kings, of how they should relate 293 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:46,520 to the nation of Egypt? Does anything come to mind from 294 00:17:46,520 --> 00:17:49,720 the Old Testament? We've referenced this passage 295 00:17:49,760 --> 00:17:52,840 over and over again throughout our studying kings. 296 00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:57,960 It's in that passage in Deuteronomy 17 and in verse 16, 297 00:17:57,960 --> 00:18:02,400 he was so specific in telling what his future rulers ought to 298 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:05,160 do and how they should relate, namely to the Egyptians. 299 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:07,040 Listen to this in Deuteronomy 1716. 300 00:18:07,760 --> 00:18:12,280 Only he being the king, only he must not acquire many horses for 301 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:18,080 himself, or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to 302 00:18:18,080 --> 00:18:21,800 acquire many horses. Now look at this, since the Lord 303 00:18:21,800 --> 00:18:26,800 has said to you, you shall never return that way again. 304 00:18:29,280 --> 00:18:31,200 The Lord knew the temptation that would come. 305 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:35,680 And Egypt in the Scriptures is often a picture of the world. 306 00:18:37,200 --> 00:18:40,200 And under those circumstances, was Israel ever meant to engage 307 00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:43,080 with the place that they were delivered from? 308 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:48,720 And this may not resonate with you now, but I hope that you'll 309 00:18:48,720 --> 00:18:52,000 remember it for a time where it'll really count. 310 00:18:53,480 --> 00:19:00,920 The temptation to rely on fleshly carnal actions, wisdom, 311 00:19:01,880 --> 00:19:06,040 or worldly partnerships will be much more intense when you're in 312 00:19:06,040 --> 00:19:09,480 trouble. When you find yourself surprised 313 00:19:09,480 --> 00:19:12,680 by some kind of distress or decision, you feel like there 314 00:19:12,680 --> 00:19:16,960 are no answers. Be careful being a Lord to go 315 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:20,440 back to the way you used to think or your former man, 316 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:24,120 because in those moments you know what the Lord does. 317 00:19:25,360 --> 00:19:30,440 He allows those things to happen so that he will watch to see if 318 00:19:30,440 --> 00:19:33,960 you'll come to Him. Where will you run? 319 00:19:34,640 --> 00:19:37,400 Who will you call? What will you rely on? 320 00:19:37,640 --> 00:19:42,840 What will you implement? And there's a place in Isaiah 30 321 00:19:42,840 --> 00:19:47,520 where the Lord speaks about this very incident through the 322 00:19:47,520 --> 00:19:49,520 prophet Isaiah. Oh, it's worth turning there in 323 00:19:49,520 --> 00:19:53,880 Isaiah 30, verse one. Ah, stubborn children, declares 324 00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:57,760 the Lord, who carry out a plan but not mine, and who make an 325 00:19:57,760 --> 00:20:01,840 alliance but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin, 326 00:20:02,120 --> 00:20:09,280 who set out to go down to Egypt and do what without asking for 327 00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:13,320 my direction? To take refuge in the protection 328 00:20:13,320 --> 00:20:15,920 of Pharaoh and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt. 329 00:20:17,520 --> 00:20:21,320 So what was the problem here? Not that they couldn't find 330 00:20:21,600 --> 00:20:26,880 answers elsewhere and practical means, but they did so without 331 00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:30,800 asking direction from God. That's what broke God's heart. 332 00:20:31,800 --> 00:20:33,560 Do you want to enrich your relationship with the Lord? 333 00:20:33,560 --> 00:20:37,360 Can I offer one thing? Make it a regular habit to 334 00:20:37,360 --> 00:20:42,880 consult Him. This is his desire. 335 00:20:42,880 --> 00:20:49,480 He takes delight in receiving your request, and if you do 336 00:20:49,480 --> 00:20:55,360 that, listen, he not only will hear you, you will receive 337 00:20:55,360 --> 00:20:59,520 something in return. You will inherit a steady peace. 338 00:20:59,520 --> 00:21:01,960 If that's a pattern in your life, I can guarantee it. 339 00:21:02,560 --> 00:21:05,000 You will know more of His presence because you're 340 00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:08,480 constantly coming to Him, and you will know the very blessing 341 00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:10,960 of God on the thing that you're asking Him to help you with, 342 00:21:12,360 --> 00:21:15,480 because He doesn't just watch, He waits. 343 00:21:16,200 --> 00:21:20,760 He waits and He waits for the moment that you turn to Him to 344 00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:23,560 do something else. Look at the same passage in 345 00:21:23,560 --> 00:21:25,680 Isaiah 30. Scroll down to verse 18. 346 00:21:25,720 --> 00:21:28,200 It's in the same context, and look what He says. 347 00:21:28,640 --> 00:21:33,320 Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore 348 00:21:33,320 --> 00:21:35,800 he exalts himself to show mercy to you. 349 00:21:36,280 --> 00:21:38,120 For the Lord is a God of justice. 350 00:21:38,120 --> 00:21:40,520 Blessed are all those who wait for him. 351 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:44,000 Do you see that? So not only does he observe to 352 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:50,360 see what will you do when you're pressed and understanding this, 353 00:21:50,360 --> 00:21:55,360 that He waits not just for you to obey, but for you to know His 354 00:21:55,360 --> 00:21:58,960 mercy. He longs to show mercy and 355 00:21:58,960 --> 00:22:02,440 notice that the deliverance, the answer is not necessarily 356 00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:03,880 immediate. And the same passage we're told 357 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:06,120 blessed are all those who wait for him. 358 00:22:06,920 --> 00:22:08,880 So, so many people are frustrated in turning to the 359 00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:11,880 Lord as a reflex because they they want immediate answers. 360 00:22:12,560 --> 00:22:14,640 OK, but there's a specific blessing for those who wait for 361 00:22:14,640 --> 00:22:17,200 the answer and you can comfort yourself with this. 362 00:22:17,360 --> 00:22:22,280 I've done my part to turn to him to receive from him and I trust 363 00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:24,440 that he is merciful to me in that place. 364 00:22:26,840 --> 00:22:31,040 This, this king refused to do it, at least for the time being, 365 00:22:31,720 --> 00:22:35,240 and this captivity would be so shocking to the original readers 366 00:22:35,240 --> 00:22:37,560 that the authors compelled by the Spirit to do something with 367 00:22:37,560 --> 00:22:41,240 the rest of the chapter. He's going to give a summary of 368 00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:45,200 why they were exiled. This is staggering. 369 00:22:45,720 --> 00:22:48,200 This is altering for the future of this people. 370 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:52,480 And so from verse 7 back in our main text in 17 Second Kings 17, 371 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:58,360 from verse 7 down to verse 23, there's going to be an overview 372 00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:02,040 comments that you're very familiar with because we've seen 373 00:23:02,040 --> 00:23:04,680 them over and over in our study of Second Kings. 374 00:23:05,160 --> 00:23:09,880 But as I was staring at this passage the other day, praying, 375 00:23:09,880 --> 00:23:12,520 Lord, I know there's something else here. 376 00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:16,680 You don't repeat yourself without, without a goal, just 377 00:23:16,680 --> 00:23:19,120 meditating and just asking the Lord for something. 378 00:23:19,120 --> 00:23:22,600 I realized that certain words and certain phrases were 379 00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:26,440 standing out. And as things stood out, I 380 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:31,200 realized that there's specific reasons why the people were 381 00:23:31,200 --> 00:23:34,960 removed from the promises of God, and they're the same 382 00:23:34,960 --> 00:23:39,840 reasons, the same causes, the same factors that might lure you 383 00:23:39,840 --> 00:23:42,600 and me away from God's perfect will for our lives. 384 00:23:42,600 --> 00:23:46,360 See, the Promised Land signifies that God's good promises, his 385 00:23:46,360 --> 00:23:49,280 gifts. And though the people remained 386 00:23:49,280 --> 00:23:51,920 his people, even though they were in exile, they removed 387 00:23:51,920 --> 00:23:56,240 themselves from a position of receiving his promises. 388 00:23:56,760 --> 00:23:58,720 It's possible for Christians to do the same. 389 00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:03,120 Praise God, he seals us and keeps us until the end for 390 00:24:03,120 --> 00:24:05,520 eternal life. But you can miss out a lot in 391 00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:07,520 this life. That's why for the rest of the 392 00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:09,600 study, you have to really pay attention. 393 00:24:09,600 --> 00:24:11,840 This is my heart. This has been my prayer because 394 00:24:12,080 --> 00:24:18,160 I think there are at least four reasons why Christians are not 395 00:24:18,240 --> 00:24:23,040 under God's total blessing, are not walking in the fullness of 396 00:24:23,040 --> 00:24:26,080 his plan for their lives. And it's here. 397 00:24:26,160 --> 00:24:29,480 It's it's exemplified with this nation. 398 00:24:30,080 --> 00:24:34,640 And so let's look at 4 reasons, 4 causes for a person who is in 399 00:24:34,640 --> 00:24:37,440 Christ to miss out on all that Christ would have for them. 400 00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:41,720 And the first one is this no awe of God. 401 00:24:43,600 --> 00:24:47,520 There is no awe of God. Look at verse 7 to verse 8. 402 00:24:48,440 --> 00:24:51,680 And this occurred because the people of Israel had sinned 403 00:24:51,680 --> 00:24:55,560 against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the 404 00:24:55,560 --> 00:24:58,760 land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, 405 00:24:59,040 --> 00:25:04,680 and had feared other gods and walked in the customs of the 406 00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:07,920 nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel and 407 00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:10,840 in the customs that the kings of Israel had practiced. 408 00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:14,520 Highlight that phrase at the end of verse seven, had feared other 409 00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:17,280 gods. Obviously that doesn't mean that 410 00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:20,880 they were in dread of different deities or local powers. 411 00:25:21,480 --> 00:25:26,160 This speaks of them having a greater reverence and adoration 412 00:25:26,720 --> 00:25:31,600 for other things instead of the Lord Himself, and that was a 413 00:25:31,600 --> 00:25:36,280 cause for them to slip to a wrong path. 414 00:25:37,040 --> 00:25:40,600 And this is not mentioned first without purpose. 415 00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:43,280 This is where a lot of things go wrong for people. 416 00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:48,520 When they're no longer mesmerized and amazed of who God 417 00:25:48,520 --> 00:25:52,960 is, things become problematic. Another way of saying it is that 418 00:25:53,040 --> 00:25:56,640 the true protection that we can inherit from evil comes from 419 00:25:56,640 --> 00:25:59,640 standing in amazement of who the Lord is. 420 00:26:00,880 --> 00:26:03,360 Proverbs 813. The fear of the Lord is the 421 00:26:03,360 --> 00:26:07,080 hatred of evil. The fear of the Lord is the 422 00:26:07,080 --> 00:26:11,240 hatred of evil. That tells us more than just 423 00:26:11,240 --> 00:26:14,640 what the fear of the Lord is. That also explains what the fear 424 00:26:14,640 --> 00:26:19,240 of the Lord does. It causes you to hate evil. 425 00:26:19,800 --> 00:26:22,640 It inspires you to abhor that which God abhors. 426 00:26:23,360 --> 00:26:28,600 Whatever He loathes, you love. And anytime you find yourself 427 00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:33,120 attached or attracted to that which God hates, you can know 428 00:26:33,120 --> 00:26:35,040 this for sure. You are deficient. 429 00:26:35,080 --> 00:26:39,480 I am deficient in my awareness of the majesty of God always. 430 00:26:39,880 --> 00:26:44,760 Whenever sin looks better than the Savior, I have lost my sense 431 00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:50,880 of awe of who the Lord is. You know, I was thinking about 432 00:26:50,880 --> 00:26:52,480 different verses. I mean, when you talk about the 433 00:26:52,480 --> 00:26:55,640 concept and the truth of the fear of the Lord, so many things 434 00:26:55,640 --> 00:26:58,040 can come to mind. And there's this obscure passage 435 00:26:58,480 --> 00:27:02,120 that I've, I've preached on before, but then I saw it in a 436 00:27:02,120 --> 00:27:05,160 different light because I remember once, I don't know when 437 00:27:05,160 --> 00:27:08,920 exactly, I remember spending a time addressing the issue of 438 00:27:08,920 --> 00:27:13,600 fear, ungodly fear, and what fear inspires a man to do. 439 00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:16,600 And fear, really that emotion, when it is tolerated, leads you 440 00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:19,200 to sin in different ways. So I know I told you to go to 441 00:27:19,200 --> 00:27:21,960 Isaiah earlier, but this is so worth going to again, go to 442 00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:24,960 Isaiah and look at chapter 57, verse 11. 443 00:27:29,200 --> 00:27:31,440 Notice the specific criticism that the Lord gives through the 444 00:27:31,440 --> 00:27:37,640 prophet to the people. Whom do you dread and fear? 445 00:27:38,240 --> 00:27:42,560 So that you lied and did not Remember Me, did not lay it to 446 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:45,840 heart, Have I not held my peace even for a long time? 447 00:27:45,840 --> 00:27:51,240 And you do not fear me. So again here you see how what 448 00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:53,840 fear can do to a person, they can encourage you to do what 449 00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:55,480 lie. Maybe you've known that 450 00:27:55,480 --> 00:27:57,960 temptation when you were faced with something and you 451 00:27:57,960 --> 00:27:59,960 understood. If I tell the truth, there are 452 00:27:59,960 --> 00:28:04,160 going to be consequences. So I'm going to exaggerate or 453 00:28:04,160 --> 00:28:07,120 I'm going to downplay this, or I might just outright deny it. 454 00:28:07,520 --> 00:28:12,840 Fear stimulates us to different sins, but the diagnosis is 455 00:28:12,840 --> 00:28:15,040 deeper than that. Look at the last part, he says, 456 00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:19,120 and you do not fear me. So it's not just the presence of 457 00:28:19,560 --> 00:28:23,640 an unrighteous fear, it's the absence of the fear of the Lord. 458 00:28:25,520 --> 00:28:26,960 So what? Because they didn't fear the 459 00:28:26,960 --> 00:28:28,440 Lord, they felt the liberty to lie. 460 00:28:28,440 --> 00:28:32,040 And the Lord says, you didn't fear me. 461 00:28:32,040 --> 00:28:33,640 That's why you succumbed to this. 462 00:28:34,640 --> 00:28:38,320 And that should be a strong reminder for us that when we do 463 00:28:38,320 --> 00:28:41,640 not have the Lord as our ultimate satisfaction, ultimate 464 00:28:41,640 --> 00:28:45,400 delight, ultimate wonder, other things that take His place will 465 00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:49,000 lead you to do things they never planned doing. 466 00:28:49,880 --> 00:28:51,040 Which brings me to the second point. 467 00:28:51,040 --> 00:28:54,200 Let's go to our main text. They didn't have an awe of God. 468 00:28:55,680 --> 00:28:57,400 But notice what we find here in verse nine. 469 00:28:57,640 --> 00:29:02,840 One word in this verse and the people of Israel did secretly 470 00:29:02,840 --> 00:29:06,920 against the Lord their God, things that were not right. 471 00:29:07,160 --> 00:29:10,080 They built for themselves high places and all their towns from 472 00:29:10,080 --> 00:29:14,000 watchtower to fortified city. What word stands out to you in 473 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:16,600 that verse? Good secretly. 474 00:29:17,520 --> 00:29:21,720 Isn't that fascinating? The public blatant ideology of 475 00:29:21,720 --> 00:29:23,680 this people. You know where it began in 476 00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:28,560 private, you wouldn't know that apart from this verse. 477 00:29:28,560 --> 00:29:30,800 At least I can confess that because everything that we've 478 00:29:30,800 --> 00:29:34,800 seen was just out in the open. But no, in review of the sins of 479 00:29:34,800 --> 00:29:37,800 the nation, the Holy Spirit says it started in secret. 480 00:29:39,400 --> 00:29:42,720 Number two reason why people will disqualify themselves from 481 00:29:42,720 --> 00:29:45,920 God using them and blessing him with his maximum blessing. 482 00:29:46,720 --> 00:29:52,080 They live in secret sin. They live in secret sin, and 483 00:29:52,080 --> 00:29:55,200 again, I don't think it's random that the second point is 484 00:29:55,200 --> 00:29:57,880 following what we just touched on concerning the fear of the 485 00:29:57,880 --> 00:30:03,600 Lord, because when you fear the Lord, it's very hard to sin in 486 00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:09,440 secret. I firmly believe that the one 487 00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:12,200 who honors the Lord in this way will live with the following 488 00:30:12,200 --> 00:30:16,520 understanding sin and sin, whether it's private or public, 489 00:30:16,520 --> 00:30:19,440 whether it's internal or external, other people know 490 00:30:19,440 --> 00:30:22,160 about it or not, it doesn't matter because the Lord is aware 491 00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:26,360 of it. That's one of the ways you know 492 00:30:26,360 --> 00:30:28,000 that you're walking in the fear of the Lord. 493 00:30:30,040 --> 00:30:34,400 And I firmly believe that people walk away from what God has for 494 00:30:34,400 --> 00:30:37,880 them because so many have convinced themselves as long as 495 00:30:37,920 --> 00:30:41,440 other people don't know about this, I am OK. 496 00:30:41,440 --> 00:30:46,920 You're not, because God knows and he's the one who ultimately 497 00:30:46,920 --> 00:30:51,920 blesses. Promotion comes from the Lord. 498 00:30:51,920 --> 00:30:54,880 Psalm says empowerment comes from the Lord. 499 00:30:54,880 --> 00:30:56,280 True treasure comes from the Lord. 500 00:30:57,840 --> 00:31:02,960 And on the flip side, a child of God who believes I may be able 501 00:31:02,960 --> 00:31:04,760 to fool others, but I can't fool God. 502 00:31:04,760 --> 00:31:09,680 Oh, you have secured for yourself a trajectory of great 503 00:31:09,800 --> 00:31:14,160 gifts and blessing and security. I can't fool God. 504 00:31:14,600 --> 00:31:17,160 I can't. He knows what's in here. 505 00:31:17,160 --> 00:31:20,600 He knows what I think about. He knows my motives. 506 00:31:20,600 --> 00:31:26,160 Man, if you're there and you stay there, every area of your 507 00:31:26,160 --> 00:31:29,840 life will be blessed. Every area your marriage will be 508 00:31:29,840 --> 00:31:30,880 blessed. Your relationship with your 509 00:31:30,880 --> 00:31:32,800 children will be blessed. Your relationship with others 510 00:31:32,800 --> 00:31:34,800 will be blessed. Your ministry will be blessed. 511 00:31:35,080 --> 00:31:39,040 Everything will be blessed, but if you think like these 512 00:31:39,040 --> 00:31:42,360 Israelites that you can actually like a ceiling and walls can 513 00:31:42,360 --> 00:31:45,560 keep God from seeing what I'm doing, come on, who are you 514 00:31:45,560 --> 00:31:50,320 fooling? So many truths that encourage me 515 00:31:50,320 --> 00:31:53,120 in the Scriptures. Deal with the heart, where you 516 00:31:53,120 --> 00:31:55,880 have guys like Nehemiah who prayed from the heart, Abraham's 517 00:31:55,880 --> 00:31:57,240 servant looking for a wife for Isaac. 518 00:31:57,440 --> 00:32:00,400 He prayed in his heart. And that shows me every time 519 00:32:00,400 --> 00:32:04,000 that the voice in my heart is just as loud as what I'm saying 520 00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:08,280 in this microphone. It's quiet to you, but to Him is 521 00:32:08,280 --> 00:32:12,800 just as loud. That changes so much, is it not? 522 00:32:15,320 --> 00:32:17,400 We see here that the people refuse to believe that. 523 00:32:17,400 --> 00:32:20,840 And so it started secretly, but then they began to go in the 524 00:32:20,840 --> 00:32:25,840 high places. Third, reason 1/3 cause for us 525 00:32:25,840 --> 00:32:29,080 to veer off God's promises is in verse 10. 526 00:32:30,600 --> 00:32:33,280 They set up for themselves pillars and ash Him on every 527 00:32:33,280 --> 00:32:35,920 high hill and under every green tree, and we continue. 528 00:32:36,440 --> 00:32:39,880 And there they made offerings on all the high places, as the 529 00:32:39,880 --> 00:32:44,200 nations did, whom the Lord carried away before them. 530 00:32:44,480 --> 00:32:47,680 And they did wicked things, provoking the Lord to anger. 531 00:32:47,880 --> 00:32:51,600 And they served idols of which the Lord had said to them, You 532 00:32:51,600 --> 00:32:55,920 shall not do this. Number one, there is no law of 533 00:32:55,920 --> 00:33:02,320 God #2 they sinned in secret #3 You can't expect God's full 534 00:33:02,320 --> 00:33:04,320 blessing if you imitate the world. 535 00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:08,840 Where do I get that from? Says here in the middle of verse 536 00:33:08,840 --> 00:33:12,080 11, as the nations that whom the Lord carried away before them. 537 00:33:13,160 --> 00:33:16,560 One of the most shocking verses in the New Testament regarding 538 00:33:16,560 --> 00:33:22,280 believers is what James says and James 44 You adulterous people, 539 00:33:24,480 --> 00:33:28,200 who's he speaking to? A bunch of churches, He says. 540 00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:32,120 You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the 541 00:33:32,120 --> 00:33:37,240 world is what enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be 542 00:33:37,240 --> 00:33:40,440 a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 543 00:33:42,720 --> 00:33:45,200 And the world that James is referring to speaks about the 544 00:33:45,520 --> 00:33:49,640 godless, self-centered, Antichrist value system of this 545 00:33:49,640 --> 00:33:51,440 world. He's not talking about the 546 00:33:51,440 --> 00:33:54,240 things that we see and we can enjoy in this live. 547 00:33:54,240 --> 00:33:58,800 No, he's talking about the passions, the desires, the 548 00:33:58,800 --> 00:34:02,000 ambitions of those who hate Christ. 549 00:34:04,600 --> 00:34:06,840 And when believers succumb to these things, they make 550 00:34:06,840 --> 00:34:12,480 themselves unfit for much in the Kingdom because the Lord can't 551 00:34:12,480 --> 00:34:15,159 use somebody to reach the World if they're enamored by the 552 00:34:15,159 --> 00:34:18,040 world. And that's what we find here 553 00:34:18,040 --> 00:34:20,520 with this nation that was called to be a light to the nation's. 554 00:34:21,760 --> 00:34:23,159 Now they wanted to be like the nation's. 555 00:34:24,679 --> 00:34:25,880 This the Lord had no use for them. 556 00:34:25,880 --> 00:34:29,199 How can I make you shine? How can I, how can I expect 557 00:34:29,199 --> 00:34:31,400 people to taste something different when you want to blend 558 00:34:31,400 --> 00:34:36,520 in so much? And so why does so many 559 00:34:36,520 --> 00:34:40,840 professing believers want to look like the world? 560 00:34:40,880 --> 00:34:42,800 Why do they want to cuss like the world? 561 00:34:42,800 --> 00:34:44,920 I don't understand this trend of Christians cussing. 562 00:34:45,639 --> 00:34:47,800 Why? What do you get out of that? 563 00:34:50,840 --> 00:34:56,080 Why and how are you entertained by the same vulgarity that the 564 00:34:56,080 --> 00:35:01,920 world drinks in and enjoys the ambitions of the world and at 565 00:35:01,920 --> 00:35:04,760 the same time expect testimonies. 566 00:35:06,800 --> 00:35:09,000 I'm not talking about legalism. I'm talking about blatant 567 00:35:09,000 --> 00:35:11,560 obvious things that a line has been drawn. 568 00:35:11,560 --> 00:35:13,120 This is of the world. This is of those who are in 569 00:35:13,120 --> 00:35:16,800 Christ. It won't happen. 570 00:35:18,200 --> 00:35:20,920 And you might be wondering, well, I know some people who 571 00:35:20,920 --> 00:35:24,400 have ministries and they look, they look like the world. 572 00:35:24,400 --> 00:35:25,960 They sound like the world. They're they're pretty 573 00:35:26,040 --> 00:35:27,880 culturally savvy, if you want to call it that. 574 00:35:28,240 --> 00:35:30,040 OK, fine. They have a platform. 575 00:35:30,040 --> 00:35:31,640 I can tell you this, they don't have God's power. 576 00:35:33,840 --> 00:35:36,400 OK, fine, they have money. They don't have God's favor. 577 00:35:37,960 --> 00:35:40,600 Well, they have so many coming to their meetings, fine. 578 00:35:40,600 --> 00:35:42,760 But do they really have true disciples of the Lord Jesus 579 00:35:42,760 --> 00:35:47,440 Christ or just spectators? I'm talking about the real raw 580 00:35:47,440 --> 00:35:50,400 blessing of God. I'm not talking about marketing 581 00:35:50,400 --> 00:35:53,720 success. I'm not talking about physical 582 00:35:53,720 --> 00:35:55,520 things. I'm talking about the deep 583 00:35:55,520 --> 00:35:59,480 things of the soul, real fruit, things that will carry out into 584 00:35:59,480 --> 00:36:04,120 eternity. I can't expect that if I'm going 585 00:36:04,120 --> 00:36:06,440 to flirt with the things that breaks my God's heart. 586 00:36:07,440 --> 00:36:09,480 So this nation wanted to be like the nation. 587 00:36:09,480 --> 00:36:12,680 So be it. You want it so badly, go live 588 00:36:12,680 --> 00:36:14,680 with them. You like idols? 589 00:36:15,320 --> 00:36:16,840 Go live with those who worship idols. 590 00:36:16,840 --> 00:36:18,120 They have plenty of them in Assyria. 591 00:36:18,800 --> 00:36:23,520 But you can't have both. Last thing, let's come back to 592 00:36:23,520 --> 00:36:34,760 our main text in verse 13. Yet the Lord warned Israel and 593 00:36:34,760 --> 00:36:39,760 Judah by every prophet and every seer saying, turn from your evil 594 00:36:39,760 --> 00:36:43,760 ways and keep My commandments and my statutes in accordance 595 00:36:43,760 --> 00:36:46,880 with all the law that I commanded your Father's and that 596 00:36:46,880 --> 00:36:49,320 I sent to you by my servants, the prophets. 597 00:36:50,360 --> 00:36:53,880 But they will not listen. But we're stubborn as their 598 00:36:53,880 --> 00:36:58,200 fathers had been, who did not believe in the Lord their God. 599 00:37:01,240 --> 00:37:03,320 Let me say this before we go to this fourth point. 600 00:37:03,840 --> 00:37:07,280 You don't need to be entrenched in all of these things. 601 00:37:07,560 --> 00:37:09,920 All it takes is one of them. If I don't have an awe of God, 602 00:37:10,320 --> 00:37:12,560 that's all it takes. If, if I live in secret sin, 603 00:37:13,320 --> 00:37:16,920 that's powerful enough. If if I am imitating the world, 604 00:37:16,920 --> 00:37:18,880 that does enough damage. And though these are all 605 00:37:18,880 --> 00:37:21,760 interconnected in their ways, we can see them as separate 606 00:37:21,760 --> 00:37:24,360 threats. Here's the last one. 607 00:37:25,880 --> 00:37:29,040 If I want a definite way of stepping out of bounds of what 608 00:37:29,040 --> 00:37:34,000 God has for me, all I have to do is ignore His word, ignore God's 609 00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:36,600 word. So here's the kindness of Lord 610 00:37:36,600 --> 00:37:40,640 in verse 13. He sent prophets and every 611 00:37:40,640 --> 00:37:43,480 minister that he had, every seer, they were saying the same 612 00:37:43,480 --> 00:37:45,800 thing. It was a giant megaphone. 613 00:37:46,080 --> 00:37:49,760 Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments over and 614 00:37:49,760 --> 00:37:51,160 over again. And we got a little sample of 615 00:37:51,160 --> 00:37:53,920 the roster prophets that were there at this time. 616 00:37:54,240 --> 00:37:57,560 Guys like Jonah and Hosea and Isaiah. 617 00:37:58,440 --> 00:38:01,240 These were men who were ministering at the same time is 618 00:38:01,240 --> 00:38:04,400 incredible. And they still did what Verse 619 00:38:04,400 --> 00:38:07,560 14, the first few words, they would not listen. 620 00:38:11,200 --> 00:38:15,640 We should all be concerned for anybody on the individual or on 621 00:38:15,640 --> 00:38:21,200 a corporate level who is not sensitive to the Scriptures, 622 00:38:21,680 --> 00:38:25,720 sensitive to the Word of God. I I worry for those who are 623 00:38:25,720 --> 00:38:29,280 consistently distracted when the pure Word of God is being 624 00:38:29,280 --> 00:38:34,960 taught, no matter who's teaching it or worse, when it's heard. 625 00:38:34,960 --> 00:38:38,640 But it's never taken to heart because you see other things 626 00:38:38,640 --> 00:38:43,400 will unfold over time when a person or a society as a whole 627 00:38:43,840 --> 00:38:48,480 are exposed to the Word like this generation was, but does 628 00:38:48,480 --> 00:38:53,640 not listen, but turns a deaf ear but refuses to receive it. 629 00:38:53,760 --> 00:38:58,480 When you hear the Word of God irresponsibly, it's dangerous. 630 00:38:59,240 --> 00:39:00,800 Jesus spoke about that on so many occasions. 631 00:39:00,800 --> 00:39:02,760 Listen. What is He going to say to every 632 00:39:02,760 --> 00:39:05,240 church on Sundays as we listen? He has an ear, let Him hear. 633 00:39:05,520 --> 00:39:09,000 In other words, you can hear sounds and words but not really 634 00:39:09,000 --> 00:39:11,320 Get it? That's exactly what was 635 00:39:11,320 --> 00:39:17,280 happening here. And here is the gradual decline. 636 00:39:18,160 --> 00:39:21,280 We have an outline right here. So it starts with verse 14, 637 00:39:21,280 --> 00:39:22,840 right? But they would not listen. 638 00:39:23,040 --> 00:39:24,640 But look at the next phase, verse 15. 639 00:39:25,440 --> 00:39:30,520 They despised His statutes and His covenant that He made with 640 00:39:30,520 --> 00:39:32,760 their fathers and the warnings that He gave them. 641 00:39:33,040 --> 00:39:36,320 So you went from not listening to now despising. 642 00:39:37,280 --> 00:39:40,960 And the word despising. Here is the image of not taking 643 00:39:40,960 --> 00:39:43,800 it seriously. Yes, but the conviction that you 644 00:39:43,800 --> 00:39:46,520 once knew and praise God for is an annoyance. 645 00:39:48,480 --> 00:39:51,960 You shun it now. You turn off your conscience as 646 00:39:51,960 --> 00:39:54,560 quickly as possible. You deflect. 647 00:39:55,560 --> 00:39:57,320 You never allow it to apply to you. 648 00:39:58,200 --> 00:40:02,760 And over time your conscience becomes more and more numb, 649 00:40:04,760 --> 00:40:08,480 insensitive and things that once pierced your heart. 650 00:40:08,480 --> 00:40:10,840 And you couldn't wait for the benediction of the end of the 651 00:40:10,840 --> 00:40:13,800 service so you can find some quiet place or go home early to 652 00:40:13,800 --> 00:40:17,440 get on your knees. Just bounces off of you. 653 00:40:19,240 --> 00:40:23,880 Oh, you wouldn't say it, but inside you despise it. 654 00:40:24,840 --> 00:40:29,840 It bugs you. I'm happy that I can say this 655 00:40:29,840 --> 00:40:32,440 about very few experiences and not many. 656 00:40:33,280 --> 00:40:36,200 But I'll tell you how I've seen this in my own life from the 657 00:40:36,200 --> 00:40:40,760 platform. This was years ago. 658 00:40:41,840 --> 00:40:45,200 I remember seeing a specific season of somebody's life where 659 00:40:45,200 --> 00:40:51,480 they would come to church always once the meeting was over, they 660 00:40:51,480 --> 00:40:56,240 only came for the fellowship. And the only way I can explain 661 00:40:56,240 --> 00:40:58,440 that was they didn't want to hear God's Word. 662 00:41:00,000 --> 00:41:03,240 It was too hot, it was too convicting. 663 00:41:04,280 --> 00:41:08,000 So I want my friends, I want my fellowship, but they didn't want 664 00:41:08,000 --> 00:41:10,000 God's Word. And I've seen that happen more 665 00:41:10,000 --> 00:41:13,520 than once. And the way they were living 666 00:41:13,720 --> 00:41:16,960 backed it up that God's Word wasn't doing its work in them, 667 00:41:16,960 --> 00:41:18,840 and they didn't want to sit under God's Word. 668 00:41:19,640 --> 00:41:22,880 This can happen in different ways, but that's not even the 669 00:41:22,880 --> 00:41:25,200 final step. There's another thing that takes 670 00:41:25,200 --> 00:41:27,120 place. Look here at verse 16. 671 00:41:28,240 --> 00:41:33,760 And they abandoned and they abandoned all the commandments 672 00:41:33,760 --> 00:41:37,480 of the Lord their God and made for themselves metal images of 673 00:41:37,480 --> 00:41:39,880 two calves. And they made an Asherah and 674 00:41:39,880 --> 00:41:42,360 worship all the hosts of heaven and serve Baal. 675 00:41:43,280 --> 00:41:46,560 So you went from not listening to despising and now you have 676 00:41:46,560 --> 00:41:48,920 abandoned. Here's the image. 677 00:41:49,120 --> 00:41:51,360 It's no longer a negative feeling that you have. 678 00:41:51,440 --> 00:41:54,240 You are now actually walking in the way of the world. 679 00:41:56,400 --> 00:41:59,640 You are now pursuing the things that the world loves. 680 00:42:00,720 --> 00:42:03,960 You are now sacrificing of yourself to that which the world 681 00:42:04,520 --> 00:42:08,840 sacrifices for. And for some they might be at 682 00:42:08,840 --> 00:42:12,280 this phase, you know, picking and choosing certain things in 683 00:42:12,280 --> 00:42:16,160 the Scriptures. Others it can be radical 684 00:42:16,680 --> 00:42:20,200 apostasy. They just deny the thing 685 00:42:20,200 --> 00:42:22,440 altogether. They don't want anything to do 686 00:42:22,440 --> 00:42:24,200 with the Lord. And that happens unfortunately 687 00:42:24,200 --> 00:42:27,680 to some. So they walk away and they 688 00:42:27,840 --> 00:42:31,480 sometimes deny it. And when you when you stay there 689 00:42:31,480 --> 00:42:37,160 long enough and you don't allow the word to torch the lies and 690 00:42:37,160 --> 00:42:41,960 the temptations that try to callus your heart, and you don't 691 00:42:41,960 --> 00:42:45,440 allow God's thunderous and comforting voice to obliterate 692 00:42:45,440 --> 00:42:49,240 anything that tries to steal his goodness, his blessings from 693 00:42:49,240 --> 00:42:55,600 your life, you become more vulnerable to things that you 694 00:42:55,600 --> 00:43:00,280 thought were deplorable. You are now desensitized and you 695 00:43:00,280 --> 00:43:04,480 begin to entertain and even embrace things like what we read 696 00:43:04,480 --> 00:43:12,040 here in verse 17. And they burned, and they burned 697 00:43:12,400 --> 00:43:15,480 their sons and their daughters as offerings, and used 698 00:43:15,480 --> 00:43:18,640 divination and omens and sold themselves to do evil in the 699 00:43:18,640 --> 00:43:20,520 sight of the Lord, provoking Him to anger. 700 00:43:22,320 --> 00:43:25,720 Do you see it? Who would have thought that 701 00:43:25,720 --> 00:43:31,280 would start with not listening would lead to burning? 702 00:43:32,080 --> 00:43:33,720 Burning who? Their children. 703 00:43:35,880 --> 00:43:38,760 You think this is outrageous? This is exaggerated, Is it? 704 00:43:40,640 --> 00:43:43,120 Is there not a silent Holocaust happening while we're having 705 00:43:43,120 --> 00:43:47,920 Bible study here in America? Is it so outlandish to believe 706 00:43:47,920 --> 00:43:51,320 that there are people who are literally killing their sons and 707 00:43:51,320 --> 00:43:53,240 their daughters? Do you think such people are 708 00:43:53,240 --> 00:43:57,440 listening to the word of God? No, such people have abandoned 709 00:43:57,440 --> 00:44:03,000 it. And so understand when you 710 00:44:03,000 --> 00:44:08,120 deviate from this, when this does not become the means of 711 00:44:08,120 --> 00:44:16,080 your worship, of your guidance, of your delight, you can go from 712 00:44:16,080 --> 00:44:17,680 not listening. And the way you do that at home 713 00:44:17,680 --> 00:44:22,440 is you just tuck this away. And when you come here, you're 714 00:44:22,440 --> 00:44:23,600 here, but you're not really here. 715 00:44:25,600 --> 00:44:29,240 And if it's really a church, a pulpit that preaches the truth, 716 00:44:29,240 --> 00:44:32,360 if you're not careful, you can begin to despise. 717 00:44:32,360 --> 00:44:35,320 And there's many ways of despising the truth and all I've 718 00:44:35,320 --> 00:44:37,640 seen it. It goes from despising to 719 00:44:37,640 --> 00:44:42,440 abandoning, from abandoning to making decisions that can leave 720 00:44:42,440 --> 00:44:45,680 scars on your life and other people's lives because it all 721 00:44:45,680 --> 00:44:48,760 began with you choosing to ignore the Word of God. 722 00:44:50,720 --> 00:44:55,920 So this is how the people walked away from the promised land. 723 00:44:56,760 --> 00:44:59,880 And here's how the Lord by the Spirit through the author, 724 00:45:00,520 --> 00:45:02,680 brings this section to a close in verse 18. 725 00:45:02,680 --> 00:45:04,960 Let's just read from verse 18 down to verse 23. 726 00:45:07,080 --> 00:45:09,680 Therefore, the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed 727 00:45:09,680 --> 00:45:13,520 them out of His sight. None was left but the tribe of 728 00:45:13,520 --> 00:45:16,720 Judah only. Judah also did not keep the 729 00:45:16,720 --> 00:45:19,760 commandments of the Lord their God, but walked in the customs 730 00:45:19,760 --> 00:45:22,120 that Israel had introduced. So right there, you and I are 731 00:45:22,120 --> 00:45:24,760 being prepared that Judah is headed for trouble. 732 00:45:26,240 --> 00:45:29,800 Verse 20 And the Lord rejected all the descendants of Israel, 733 00:45:29,800 --> 00:45:32,400 and afflicted them, and gave them into the hand of 734 00:45:32,400 --> 00:45:36,200 plunderers, until he cast them in is rather cast them out of 735 00:45:36,200 --> 00:45:38,440 his sight. When he had torn Israel from the 736 00:45:38,440 --> 00:45:40,480 House of David, they made Jeroboam the son of the back 737 00:45:40,480 --> 00:45:43,680 king, and Jeroboam drove Israel from following the Lord, and 738 00:45:43,680 --> 00:45:47,200 made them commit great sin. The people of Israel walked, and 739 00:45:47,200 --> 00:45:50,120 all the sins that Jeroboam did, they did not depart from them 740 00:45:50,320 --> 00:45:54,280 until the Lord removed Israel out of His sight, as He had 741 00:45:54,280 --> 00:45:56,480 spoken by all His servants, the prophets. 742 00:45:56,800 --> 00:46:03,160 So Israel was exiled from their own land to Assyria until this 743 00:46:03,160 --> 00:46:08,200 day. For the rest of this chapter, 744 00:46:08,320 --> 00:46:10,360 we're going to realize that Assyria didn't stop there 745 00:46:11,080 --> 00:46:14,000 because although they made the land vacant and they dispersed 746 00:46:14,000 --> 00:46:17,920 the people of Israel, they're going to now replace the vacancy 747 00:46:17,920 --> 00:46:22,480 with their own kind of people. And the decision that is Siri 748 00:46:22,480 --> 00:46:25,720 will make here will actually have effect leading up to the 749 00:46:25,720 --> 00:46:29,320 days of Jesus. So I can't keep you here for 750 00:46:29,320 --> 00:46:32,600 another hour, but I'll choose to leave that for next week. 751 00:46:33,320 --> 00:46:37,720 I think what we heard suffices for us to digest the word of the 752 00:46:37,720 --> 00:46:51,880 Lord. Help us, Lord, to examine our 753 00:46:51,880 --> 00:46:54,680 hearts. And we pray, Lord, that we would 754 00:46:54,680 --> 00:47:01,960 just have a renewed awe of you. We pray, Lord, that you would 755 00:47:01,960 --> 00:47:04,840 never allow us to be casual with the Scriptures. 756 00:47:06,920 --> 00:47:08,400 Help us fall deeper in love with you. 757 00:47:10,840 --> 00:47:17,320 Thank You, Lord, that in crisis moments, even if the troubles 758 00:47:17,320 --> 00:47:20,680 that we are facing come from our own sin, You watch and you wait 759 00:47:20,680 --> 00:47:23,960 to be merciful to us. Help us believe that every 760 00:47:23,960 --> 00:47:26,400 single time. If it's a mess that we didn't 761 00:47:26,400 --> 00:47:29,840 ask for or if it's a mess that we created, help us believe that 762 00:47:29,840 --> 00:47:34,600 You're blazing eyes of love look upon us and you're waiting for 763 00:47:34,600 --> 00:47:36,520 us to turn to you and ask for your help. 764 00:47:38,000 --> 00:47:43,240 And if that's, if that's for anybody here who finds 765 00:47:43,240 --> 00:47:48,440 themselves in muck and mire, may they take this truth today and 766 00:47:48,440 --> 00:47:53,720 apply it immediately. And Lord, for all of us, all of 767 00:47:53,720 --> 00:47:55,680 us here, help us, Lord, stay near you. 768 00:47:56,400 --> 00:48:02,160 We want our lives, this short, brief life to not be empty, but 769 00:48:02,160 --> 00:48:05,480 to be filled with your life. So if there's anything that is 770 00:48:05,480 --> 00:48:09,320 vain, anything that we're pursuing that's replacing you, 771 00:48:10,560 --> 00:48:13,240 oh, show it to us. We will abandon it. 772 00:48:13,240 --> 00:48:16,680 We will not abandon you, Lord, by your grace, keep us close to 773 00:48:16,680 --> 00:48:19,080 you. So Lord, even tonight we worship 774 00:48:19,080 --> 00:48:22,040 you and we worship you with hearts that are longing to have 775 00:48:23,400 --> 00:48:26,960 all that you have for us. In Jesus name we pray, Amen. 776 00:48:27,360 --> 00:48:31,680 Amen. Oh, let's worship the Lord 777 00:48:31,680 --> 00:48:33,480 together. Let's stand and adore him and 778 00:48:33,480 --> 00:48:37,880 love him and fear him, for He is worthy and it is for our safety.