ISAIAH 30-312008 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: Isaiah 30-31

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2008. Isaiah chapter 30.

Let's look at verse 1. It says, Verse 2. Verse 3.

As we get back now into the book of Isaiah, here in chapter 30, the prophet Isaiah is speaking to the children of Israel, the nation of Judah.

Now, at this time, there is a great threat that's coming upon the nation of Judah. The nation of Judah is not a large nation any longer. It's a very small nation now. It's limited really to just one main city. That would be Jerusalem and some of the surrounding areas. But it was very much reduced from what it once was in the glory under King David and under King Solomon.

But because of sin and rebellion against God, they've now been reduced to just a few people. There's somewhat of a remnant there. It's several thousand people, but it's in comparison to what they once were. It's a very devastating loss or very devastating reduction that there's just a few left of the nation.

because of their rebellion, because of their sin. And now, as Isaiah is writing these things, there's a great threat. They've almost been wiped out completely already. And now the last few that remain are facing this terrible threat by the name of Assyria. The nation of Assyria was conquering the whole area around Judah. And I have a map for you if we can put it on the screen.

Here is the nation of Assyria. So kind of the green part and the gray part is all the nation of Assyria during the time that Isaiah is writing these things or shortly after the time that Isaiah is writing these things. Assyria...

is based out of the north here up in Nineveh, if you can see it up there. And so they were coming down from the north this way, conquering all the territory in its way. So Damascus, that was the capital of Syria, they came down this way conquering. All of this right here, that was the northern kingdom, the northern part of Israel, that was conquered by Assyria, even all the way down to Egypt. And you'll notice there's this little pocket here that's not conquered with Jerusalem right in the middle.

This is the nation of Judah, all that's left of it. At one time it was ten times bigger than that, probably even a little bit more than that, but now it's been reduced to just this little pocket,

And Assyria has swarmed all around Jerusalem, conquering all of the surrounding nations, conquering all of the people and the allies of Judah. Now, as Isaiah is writing these things, it is just prior to Assyria coming all the way down here. So they hadn't conquered Egypt yet. They'd conquered the northern kingdom, but they hadn't conquered the southern kingdom or Egypt yet.

And so what's happening here is Judah is freaked out because they can see what's happening. They can see Assyria one by one. Nations fall, nations fall, kingdom fall, city fall. And they can see all the land just being devoured by this nation.

And here they are. They're not a strong people any longer. They don't have a massive army. They don't have a big nation in order to fight back against Assyria. And so this kingdom, this army is marching towards them. What are they going to do? Where are they going to go? How are they going to defend themselves? How are they going to survive this onslaught?

And you could picture yourself, I'm sure, in their shoes. What would you do? As the nation is coming against you, a Syrian army is attacking you. And there's no hope. There's no way that you can defeat them. Your armies are not strong enough. You don't have enough manpower. What are you going to do? You ever face situations like that in your life? You can see it coming from...

a little bit away, you know there's trouble brewing. You know there's things coming towards you. You know there's things that are attacking you and threatening to surround you and then just completely destroy you. Perhaps now in this shaky environment, in this shaky economy, you can feel that way in regards to the financial status of your family. How are we going to survive?

If we really get into a recession, if we really head into and realize the worst fears of all of those who have been projecting the financial crisis that is coming, perhaps it's more personal situations in your life, situations within your marriage or with your children or perhaps legal issues.

But whatever the case may be, we can understand what Judah was feeling as they see this nation just creeping down, slowly but surely just knocking down kingdom, knocking down city, knocking down nation, until they're right at the doorstep of Judah. And what are they going to do? That's what's taking place here in Isaiah chapter 30. Thank you very much for the map.

And so Isaiah starts out, it's really the Lord speaking to his people, and he says, woe to the rebellious children. That's a pronouncement of judgment. There's judgment coming to the rebellious children, says the Lord.

Who are these rebellious children? He says, they take counsel, but not of me. And who devise plans, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin. Israel is in this state already. There's not much left to them, to this nation of Judah, because of their sin, because of their rebellion against God. But now they've added sin unto that sin that they already had committed, unto the sin that they've already been practicing. And the sin that they added was sin.

that they did not seek the counsel of God. They devised plans. They made plans. They had backup scenarios and backup situations, and they had their emergency evacuation plans, but they were not plans of the Spirit. And so the nation of Judah was doing everything they could, seeking counsel, making plans, but their problem, their sin, was that they were not looking to the Lord.

They were not relying upon the Lord. They weren't being led by the Spirit of God. Instead, they were looking to their own means and their own devices. And their own means and their own devices was simply this.

Let's go down to Egypt and Egypt will protect us. Egypt will save us. Egypt is strong. If we ally ourselves with Egypt, we'll be saved. And so their plan was to become good friends with Egypt so that they would be protected when Assyria comes down. And so verse 2, God is continuing on the woe, the pronouncement of judgment. He says, "...who walk to go down to Egypt and have not asked my advice."

to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, to trust in the shadow of Egypt. The sin of Judah was to put their hope, their trust in Egypt instead of God. They were not making spirit-led plans. They were making their own plans, trying to figure out what they could do. And so God says in verse 3, the strength of Pharaoh shall be your shame and trust in the shadow of Egypt shall be your humiliation.

You're going to be ashamed. You're going to be humiliated because you trusted in Egypt. It's interesting that Egypt, as we look throughout the scripture, we can see that it is a picture, a reminder, a type of the flesh. Our sinful nature. Our old nature. We have that picture when Israel was first delivered from Egypt by the man Moses.

As Moses led them out of Egypt. And you remember the plagues that took place. And it's a great picture for us of what Christ has done for those who have been born again. That he has brought us out of bondage. As the children of Israel were in bondage. Christ has brought us out of bondage. He set us free from that old nature, from that sinful flesh. He set us free from the things that once bound us.

And throughout the scriptures, we can see time and time again, Egypt has a picture of the flesh. You remember when Abraham was facing a famine. And so he decided he kind of made his own plans like Judah did here. And he goes down to Egypt in order to escape this famine. And he gets into some trouble there in Egypt.

And we can see it as a picture of, a reminder of, look, if you go back and rely upon the flesh, the old nature, if you go back and live the old lifestyle, well, you're going to be in trouble. And here's the nation of Judah. They've been delivered from Egypt. Now, some time has passed since Moses led them out of Egypt, but they had been delivered. They'd been set free from the bondage there. And now they're going back

really begging for assistance from Egypt. And this is a woeful state for the nation of Judah, but also for the Christian who has been delivered. God has set you free. He's died on the cross to break the hold that sin once had upon us. And yet, there are those who come to the point. Now they're going back

begging really for their flesh. They're going back to their old lifestyle, the things that used to satisfy them, trying out the drugs once again or the alcohol once again or getting involved in the sin that they were once bound to again, seeking for some type of relief or some type of help because they see this threat, this destruction that's coming upon them. It's very easy.

for Christians to run back to the practices of the flesh, to run back to Egypt. And God says, whoa, to those who make plans, those who seek advice but not from God, who try to accomplish deliverance by looking to their flesh, by looking to their strength, by looking to their wisdom and their plans. He says, the strength of Pharaoh shall be your shame.

Listen, whatever you face, whatever difficulty you experience, whatever you go through, if you rely upon the flesh, if you rely upon your plans and you're not seeking God and His ways, if you will not be led by the Spirit of God, the strength that you think you have will end up being your shame. It will end up being your humiliation.

is what God is saying. If you rely upon Egypt, if you go down there, you're going to be humiliated. Verse 6.

Now as God goes on, He says,

The beasts of the south. There's a burden or a pronouncement on the beasts of the south. What is he talking about here? Well, he describes these beasts of the south going across this dangerous wilderness. There's lots of deadly animals, lots of deadly things along the way. But on their backs, the donkeys and camels that are all packed up, they carry all these treasures. What for?

To a people that will not profit, that shall not profit. Here's what he's talking about. He's talking about those animals that Judah is using to send, they're trying to purchase protection. They're sending their money, they're sending all their resources down to Egypt on these beasts of the south, but they're going to purchase a people that cannot protect them. For the Egyptians shall help in vain and to no purpose.

See, the Assyrian army was going to conquer Egypt. But Judah thought, they're going to be our protection. They're going to be our victory. They're going to conquer for us. We'll be safe as long as we're with them. They didn't know that Egypt would be conquered. God knew. But they weren't considering God. They weren't paying attention to God. They didn't want to hear what God had to say. So they were coming up with their own plans, their own devices.

And it was going to end up to their own shame because the Egyptians would not be able to help them. And so God says, I've called her Rahab Hem Shabbat, which means Rahab sits idle. Rahab is a name you might be familiar with it from the book of Joshua. But it's also a word in Hebrew that means pride. Their pride sits idle.

They're puffed up. They've got lots of esteem about themselves. Their self-esteem is doing really well. But it's not going to avail anything. They're not going to accomplish anything. They will not be protection for Judah because they will be destroyed. Verse 8. Now go.

God tells Isaiah, Go, write it before them on a tablet, and note it on a scroll, that it may be for a time to come, forever and ever, that this is a rebellious people, lying children, children who will not hear the law of the Lord, who say to the seers, Do not see. And to the prophets, Do not prophesy to us right things. Speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits.

Get out of the way. Turn aside from the path. Cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us. So God tells Isaiah, this is what's going to happen. The people are relying upon Egypt. Egypt is not going to be able to help them. Here's what I want you to do, Isaiah. Go write it on a tablet and note it on a scroll.

Don't just write one copy, Isaiah. Make a couple copies. Make sure that it's known. Make sure that later on we can go back and look and the people can see that what I said came to pass. What is Isaiah to write? That this is a rebellious people. This is a rebellious people. Now, why are they a rebellious people?

God says again in verse 1, the rebellious children are those who take counsel but not of me, who devise plans but not of my spirit. Understand that rebellious children are those who do not take the counsel of God, those who do not heed the word of God. There's a lot of times that people say, you know, I love God, but I just need to do my own thing right now.

I still love God, but I need to go over here. I need to take care of this. And once this situation is done, then things can change. But I love God, but I just can't do what he says right now. I need to take care of this first. God says the rebellious children are those who take counsel, but not of me. Those whose advice and whose counsel is not coming from me are the children who are rebellious. No, I'm not rebellious. I mean, I love God. It's just I need to do this.

And God says, that's rebellion because you're refusing to listen to me. You're refusing to hear my spirit. Yeah, I know this danger is coming. This destruction is coming. And you know how it is. God's timing is very rarely our timing. I'm sure Judah would have loved for God to say, okay, I'm going to wipe out Assyria before they even come within a hundred miles of you. Then Judah would be like, hey, that's great. Okay, now we're going to trust God. But here is the situation.

Assyria was getting closer and closer and closer. And God had promised that he would deliver Jerusalem, but now Assyria is too close for comfort. It's too close. It doesn't look like God's going to come through. It doesn't look like he's going to make good on his promise. And so now they're trying to do it on their own. They're trying to come up with their own ways because, well, it doesn't look like God's actually going to be able to do what he promised to do.

When we sway, when we veer off from God's promises to our own plans, to our own counsel, to our own advice, or the advice and counsel of others, but not of God, we're in a state of rebellion. And God says, hey, I want them to know, I want forever and ever for this to stand, that this is a rebellious people. What does he say at the end of verse 9? Children who will not hear the law of the Lord. Children who will not hear the law of the Lord.

are the rebellious children, the rebellious people. It's so important for us to hear the Word of God for our life, for our situation, for the specific things that we face. Now in this time, the children of Judah, the children of Israel there in Judah, they're saying to the seers, do not see. The seers are our prophets, those who proclaim the Word of God. They're saying to the prophets, don't prophesy to us right things.

Makes you want to read it again, huh? Does that really what it said? Don't prophesy to us right things. Don't tell us the truth. Don't tell us what we need to hear. Tell us what we want to hear. Speak to us smooth things and prophesy deceits. Just comfort us. Even if it's not the truth, just tell us something good, okay? We just want comfort. And sometimes people want that when they come to God.

Well, I'm coming to church, but you know, I don't want to hear bad things. I don't want to hear that I need to repent. I don't want to hear that I'm in rebellion because I'm not paying attention to God and not looking to His Spirit and not looking for what He wants me to do. And I'm just kind of doing my own thing.

Just tell me, you know, that God loves me and tell me that, you know, we all, you know, have great things in store for us and God has a hope for me and plans for me. Just speak to me the good things, the smooth things, the really things that just kind of I would really enjoy that I could walk away feeling good, you know. I don't want to walk away thinking, man, I'm in rebellion and I need to repent. And the people are saying, hey, just tell us smooth things.

In verse 11, here's continuing on what the people are saying. Hey, get out of the way. Turn aside. In fact, I'm tired. You keep telling me the truth. Just get out of the way. I don't want to hear about God no more. Cause the Holy One to cease from before us. That's enough. I'm tired. I don't want to hear that no more. They were in a state of rebellion.

And so what God says is verse 12. Therefore, thus says the Holy One of Israel, because you despise this word and trust in oppression and perversity and rely on them, therefore this iniquity shall be to you like a breach ready to fall, a bulge in a high wall whose breaking comes suddenly in an instant, and he shall break it like the breaking of the potter's vessel, which is broken in pieces. He shall not spare it.

So there shall not be found among its fragments a shard to take fire from the hearth or to take water from the cistern. So here's what God says. Since that's your attitude, since you insist on not listening to me, now sometimes in a difficult situation,

people feel and sometimes they even express. You know, it's not right for me to come to God now when I'm in the middle of the situation in crisis and I really need help because, you know, I haven't been walking with God and I haven't really been following Him and I don't really go to church that much or pray or read like I know I'm supposed to. And so it's not right for me to come to Him now with my problems because it's kind of like hypocritical, you know, I'm just only here for the bad times. Now listen, here's what God is telling Israel, hey, come back.

Look at verse 15. For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, in returning and rest, you shall be saved. In quietness and confidence shall be your strength. You don't have to feel like, man, I can't come back to God right now. I can't look to Him right now because I've been living in sin and I know it. But now that this trouble is here, it's just not right for me to come back and ask God for help or look to Him. When God's saying, hey, in returning, come back.

Get right with me. That's what I want. That's what I desire. It's what God wants for you to come back. Now, what he also wants is for you to continue with him when times get good again, which often we fail to do. But don't let that keep you from looking to God and relying upon God. This is what God's saying. In returning and rest, you shall be saved. Now, here's the thing. When trouble is coming, you know how we are, just like the nation of Judah.

They were frantic. They're freaked out. Syria is coming. I mean, this is a big army. This is a devastating army. It's a cruel people. We don't need to get into their practices, but they would really torture those that they conquered in defeating them and leading them away captive. It would be just horrendous the things that they would do to people. And so they're freaked out.

They're not resting. There's no quietness. There's no confidence. They're pulling their hair out, running around in circles, screaming, what are we going to do? Let's go to Egypt. It's the only thing they could figure out to do. And that's the same thing we do, huh? We run around, we freak out, we go around, we talk to everybody else, we do everything else except for returning and rest, quietness and confidence. That's the hardest thing to do in the middle of a crisis. That's the hardest thing to do when that army's standing there. And yeah, maybe you have the promises of God, but...

It's already too late for that. It looks like God can't come through. He didn't... What am I going to do? I have to do my own thing. But God says, no, return to me. Rest. Be quiet. Have confidence in me. I'll be your strength. I'll take care of it. I'll carry you through. But the end of verse 15 says, but you would not. And he said, no, for we will flee on horses. That's it. I got it. This is how we can outrun Assyria. We'll get horses. That'll work.

What does God say? Therefore you shall flee. You say, we will ride on swift horses. Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift. You're not going to outrun them. You're not going to win. You can't do it on your own. You can't, on your plans and you think, I've got it. I've got the perfect plan. As long as we got horses, we can outrun them. I got credit cards. No problem. Take care of the situation. I can outrun it.

I can outrun this financial dilemma. I can outrun this recession that's coming. I can outrun the police. Don't try it. You see the TV shows, it doesn't work. You can't outrun them. Where's your salvation? In returning and rest you shall be saved. In quietness and confidence shall be your strength. Verse 17, God continues to tell them what's going to happen if they run. He says, 1,000 shall flee at the threat of one. At the threat of five, you shall flee.

So you are left as a pole on top of a mountain as a banner on a hill. I love the pictures that God's Word gives us. So you have this big mountain and there's just a single pole just all by itself up there. That's what God says. Look, if you insist on doing it your way, following your advice and your plans or the plans and advice of the people around you and not look to me, there's not going to be anything left. It's like you're just going to be all by yourself on top of a hill, no one to help you.

You're going to be destroyed. One thousand shall flee at the threat of one. So one Assyrian comes and knocks on the gate and a thousand Judeans flee. It's backwards. Why? Well, because that's what sin does to us. Verse 18. Therefore the Lord will wait that he may be gracious to you. And therefore he will be exalted that he may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are those who wait for him.

Okay, here we have what we really need to know. Judah's not looking to God. They're not seeking counsel of God. They're not wanting to hear what God has to say. They're ignoring God. They're telling the prophets, stop telling us about God. So God says, this judgment's going to come. You're going to be all by yourself. One is going to chase a thousand of you. But then what does it say in verse 18? Therefore, the Lord will wait that he may be gracious to you. This is awesome. When God's timing does not match our own, we think it's because God's out to get us.

But what we need to know is when God's timing does not match our own, it's God's out to be gracious to us. He waits and we think it's punishment. We think it's like, man, Lord, you failed. You didn't come through. You're mad at me. And you just want to make me stressed out and freaked out.

And God says, no, I'm waiting because I want to be gracious to you. I want to give you grace. I want to give you great and wonderful things you don't deserve. That's why I'm waiting. Know that when it seems like God hasn't come through in time, know when it seems like his promises haven't been fulfilled, know that he is waiting in order to be gracious to you. It's better for you that he waits, and that's why he waits. He goes on, and therefore he may be exalted, that he may have mercy on you.

Yeah, grace and mercy, that's what we need. And so that's why his timing is the perfect timing. So he says, blessed are all those who wait for him. Judah wasn't waiting for God. That's too risky. Assyria is right there. Yeah, God promised Assyria would not conquer Jerusalem. But we can't wait to find out. We got to get out of here. We got to hightail it out of here because they're coming. We got to do something. God says, blessed are those who wait. And if you really trust God, wait.

You'll be blessed if you wait because while God's waiting so that He can be gracious to you and that He can be merciful to you, wait on the Lord. Be patient. Allow Him to accomplish His work and His timing. In returning and rest you shall be saved in quietness and confidence. Not in screaming and pulling your hair out and running around in circles and jumping on horses to run away. That's not your salvation. No, you need to look to the Lord. Look to God for strength.

Let's look at verse 19 through 22. He says, For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem. You shall weep no more. He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry. When he hears it, he will answer you.

And though the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore. But your eyes shall see your teachers. Your ears shall hear a word behind you saying, This is the way, walk in it. Whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left. You will also defile the covering of your images of silver and the ornament of your molded images of gold. You will throw them away as an unclean thing. You will say to them, Get away.

So here's the result. For those who will wait on the Lord, for those who will wait for God to do the salvation that He wants to do, God says, I'm going to establish Jerusalem. I'm going to be gracious to you there.

I'm not going to hide your teachers from you anymore. In fact, you're going to hear in your ears, you're going to hear when you begin to go a little bit the wrong way, you'll hear the correction. No, no, this is the way. Walk this way. I'm going to keep you in the right. If you'll wait for me, I'll keep you in the right path. I'll keep you right where you need to be so that you do not turn to the right or to the left. Hey, if you wait for me, guess what? I'm going to help you. I'm going to show you how to get rid of those gods.

Those idols that you've been worshiping, the idols that you've been bowing down to, the idols that have had such a stronghold in your life, if you will wait for me, then you will cast them away. And you'll say, get away from me. I don't want to worship you any longer. The sin that once bound us, the things that once had strongholds in our life, will give us the strength, the power to cast them away. Continue on verses 23 through 26.

Then He will give the rain for your seed, with which you sow the ground, and bread of the increase of the earth. It will be fat and plentiful. In that day your cattle will feed in large pastures.

Likewise, the oxen and the young donkeys that work the ground will eat cured fodder, which has been winnowed with the shovel and fan. There will be on every high mountain, on every high hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter when the towers fall. Moreover, the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold as the light of seven days in the day that the Lord binds up the bruise of his people and heals the stroke of their wound.

This is the continuing on of the blessing of those who will wait on the Lord. He's going to pour out His blessings. There's going to be rain in the appropriate season. There's going to be abundant crop. Your animals are going to eat prepared food. They're not just going to eat the weeds that are growing up in the grass, but you're going to have prepared food for them. Special food just for them. Like if you go to the grocery store today and you can see the whole aisle of cat food and dog food. The prepared food and...

Some of them are even to the extent like you don't just open the bag, but you prepare it, you heat it up, or you could get really into it. But the point is, hey, you're really living in prosperity when you can afford to have prepared food for your animals. This is what God's saying. I'm going to pour out your blessings upon you if you wait for me. I'm going to take care of you. I'm going to provide for you. I'm going to meet your needs. There's going to be abundant provision.

For those who wait for me. For Zion, if they will wait for me. This is what God ultimately plans to do. And we'll see this fulfilled later on in Israel's history. Still yet to come during the millennial kingdom. We'll really see this fulfilled. This is the ultimate of God's plan for the nation of Israel. But in the meantime, they need to wait. In the meantime, you and I, we need to wait on the Lord and His timing. Now the trouble is, Assyria is coming down.

So Judah's all freaked out. But here's what God says regards to Assyria in verse 27. He says, Now already we start to get freaked out a little bit, right? But let's continue on. His breath is like an overflowing stream which reaches up to the neck to sift the nations with the sieve of futility. And there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people causing them to err.

You shall have a song as in the night when a holy festival is kept, and gladness of heart as when one goes with a flute to come into the mountain of the Lord, to the mighty one of Israel. The Lord will cause his glorious voice to be heard and show the descent of his arm with the indignation of his anger and the flame of a devouring fire with scattering tempest and hailstones. For through the voice of the Lord, Assyria will be beaten down as he strikes with the rod.

And in every place where the staff of punishment passes, which the Lord lays on him, it will be with tambourines and harps.

And in battles of brandishing, he will fight with it. For Tophet was established of old. Yes, for the king it is prepared. He has made it deep and large. Its pyre is fire with much wood. The breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, kindles it. We have this description of God coming down with anger, with power, with great might. And it's easy for us to cower in fear. Because...

Well, this is the image that we have of God and we think it's towards us. But God is not coming down with indignation upon Judah, even though they're still not seeking His counsel. Even though they're still not taking heed to Him. They're still not seeking His advice and being led by His Spirit. No, God is coming against the enemy, Assyria, with this anger, with this might, to establish justice, to bring destruction. God will fight for you.

He will destroy the enemy. Now, our enemy is not flesh and blood. Paul tells us we don't wrestle against flesh and blood. Our enemy is our adversary. It's the devil. Satan. Spiritual hosts of wickedness. They're great enemies. Great powers. Much for us to fear. But if you will wait on the Lord in returning and rest, salvation comes from the Lord. And His anger, His might, His power,

This picture we have of him just riding down, breath like fire, thundering down. It's on those who come against his people. Those who come against his children. Because he loves you. He fights for you. He protects you. It says in verse 33, Toffit was established of old for the king it is prepared. Toffit is a reference to, it's a reference to hell. It's a little bit technical why it's a reference to hell. I'm not going to get into that. But he prepared hell for the devil and his angels.

For your enemies. Because he loves you. Let's go on in chapter 31 verse 1. Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help. And rely on horses. Who trust in chariots. Because there are many. And in horsemen. Because they are very strong. But who do not look to the Holy One of Israel. Nor seek the Lord.

Verse 3, Now the Egyptians are men and not God, and their horses are flesh and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out His hand, both he who helps will fall, and he who is helped will fall down. They will all perish together.

So here's what God says. Look, if you wait, see, I'm waiting for you so that I may be gracious to you, but you're freaked out because I'm waiting. You're freaked out because my timing is not your timing, and so you're running off. Now, if you wait, listen, I'm going to come against your enemies. I'm going to wipe them out. I'm going to destroy them. Trust me. I'm going to take care of them because I love you. You can get the person with the highest degree, the most qualified, but the counsel you need is from God.

What we need the most is a relationship with God. We need to hear Him. We need to rely upon His Spirit. The Egyptians are men and not God. Their horses are flesh. Their horses are flesh and not Spirit. It's not the work of the Holy Spirit. It's the work of the flesh. He says, both he who helps will fall and he who is helped will fall down. So those of you who run to Egypt, He says...

Well, Egypt's going to fall. And because you are relying on Egypt, you're going to fall as well. You'll perish together. Continue on verse 4. For thus the Lord has spoken to me.

As a lion roars and a young lion over his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is summoned against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor be disturbed by their noise. So the Lord of hosts will come down to fight for Mount Zion and for its hill. Like birds flying about, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem. Defending, he will also deliver it. Passing over, he will preserve it. Return to him against whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted.

For in that day every man shall throw away his idols of silver, his idols of gold, sin, which your own hands have made for yourselves.

Then Assyria shall fall by a sword not of man, and a sword not of mankind shall devour him. But he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall become forced labor. He shall cross over to his stronghold for fear, and his princes shall be afraid of the banner, says the Lord, whose fire is in Zion, and whose furnace is in Jerusalem. Here's what God says. If you go to Egypt, you're going to fall, because Egypt is going to fall. You're going to be destroyed.

Because they are men and not God. But God says, I'm going to fight for Jerusalem. I'm going to protect Jerusalem. Assyria is not going to conquer Jerusalem. Remember on the map, there's that little pocket. Why is there that little pocket? Because God said, I'm going to fight for Jerusalem.

I'm not going to be afraid no matter how big the army is that comes against Jerusalem. I'm not going to be afraid no matter how much noise they make. That won't disturb me. That doesn't bother me. That doesn't shake God up at all. No matter how big your problem is, no matter how big the crisis we face, it doesn't freak God out. He doesn't get, oh no, what am I going to do? Oh my. He doesn't get like that. We get like that. But God says, I'm going to fight. I'm going to defend Jerusalem. So what are you going to do?

You're going to run? You're going to flee? You're going to trust your own advice, your own counsel, the counsel of others? Or are you going to listen to what God has to say? It says in verse 7, In that day every man shall throw away his idols of silver, his idols of gold. Sin. See, here's the thing. In verse 6, he says, Return to him. Against whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted. Sin put them in this predicament. Now, not every crisis we face is a result of sin. A lot of times we bring destruction upon ourselves.

The creditors are after us because, well, we've not learned to be content. In my own case, the cops are after us because, well, we don't show up to court when we are supposed to, to take care of those speeding tickets. It's our own sin often that brings the judgment upon us. Return to Him. Against whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted. We need to return to God. We need to seek Him and His counsel. Hear what He has to say. Because He will defend Jerusalem. They will be afflicted.

He promised that in chapter 30. Yeah, there's going to be adversity. There's going to be affliction still. But I'm going to fight for Jerusalem. Yeah, it's going to be difficult. But in the end, there's great promises for those who will wait on the Lord. So return, he says in verse 6. And then in verse 7, get rid of your sin. This is repent. Toss out those idols. The things that you're holding on to. You know they're not right. You know they're not of God. Get rid of them. Clean house. We're going to talk about that on Sunday.

Clean house. We need to clean house. We need to get the things out of our life that are sin, that are idols, that we've made for ourselves. And God says in verse 8, Then Assyria shall fall. It's not going to be by the sword of man. In other words, you're not going to get the credit. It's not going to be because you were so smart, because you were so wise, because you were so great, you were so disciplined, or you were so holy. It's not going to be the sword of man. In fact, we know, we'll read about it in a couple chapters in Isaiah 36 and 37.

That an angel of the Lord will go through the Assyrian army camp and wipe out 185,000 in a single night. God's promises was fulfilled. It's recorded for us. God's promises are fulfilled. Assyria is going to run away like a wounded dog, like a wounded animal. The enemy is defeated in the same way that Satan is defeated at the cross of Jesus Christ. And so that's where we come to this evening. The worship team can come on back up and

I want to ask you, I want to challenge you. Where do you stand right now? Who are you seeking counsel from? Where's your advice coming from? Are you fleeing? Are you running? Maybe horses, you'll be able to outrun the enemy. Are you really hearing from God? Is God leading your life? Is He giving you instruction? Do you experience verse 21? You hear a voice in your ear, hey, that's not the way, this is the way, walk over here, walk this way. Do you experience God leading you? Do you experience His direction in your life?

Where do you stand? Are you seeking the counsel of God? Or are you seeking your own counsel? We need to look to God. We need to come back to the cross of Jesus Christ because there will we have the promise of safety. Just like God would protect Jerusalem, we are safe in the arms of Jesus Christ. Nothing can touch us. Jesus said, hey, don't fear a man who can just kill the body. He can't send you to hell. He can't ruin what God wants for you and what God has in store for you.

No, we need to stay close to Jesus Christ. We need to embrace Him and hold on to Him. We need to seek Him and get close to Him. We need to hear His voice and what He has to say for our life. So this evening, as they lead us in this first worship song, I want to encourage you and challenge you to spend time with Jesus Christ. Return. Hey, even if you've deeply revolted, return. Let's seek the counsel of God. Whatever situation you face, whatever crisis faces you, seek His will. Seek His word. What does He want to do?

As verse 1 said of chapter 30, take counsel of the Lord. Devise plans of the Spirit. Ask God of His advice. Verse 15, return and rest. Salvation is found in quietness and confidence. Not in screaming and freaking out and running from the things of God. Wait for Him, verse 18. Wait for His timing. He's waiting so that He can be more gracious to you. Look to the Holy One. Seek the Lord.

And so during this time, I encourage you just to spend time, just you and the Lord. Seek the Lord. Really seek Him. If you need to or feel led to spend some time in His Word during this song, I would encourage you to read Romans chapter 8, which talks about the struggle between the flesh and the Spirit. Or maybe Galatians chapter 5, which talks about walking in the Spirit and being led by the Spirit and not continuing on in the works of the flesh. Let God work in your heart. Spend time with Him. Seek His counsel. What does He want you to do?

What choices does He want you to make? As we wait for Him, He will fight for us. So let's get rid of our gods, let's throw out the sin, and wait upon the Lord.