คคค
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คคค
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Jean Ross: I'd like you to
bow your heads as we have a word
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of prayer.
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Dear Father, we are indeed so
grateful for the opportunity to
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just take a break from the
busyness of the week and gather
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in Your presence on this special
day that You have blessed.
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Now Lord, we know there are
folks scattered all over the
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country that are part
of our study time together.
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And we can't be united in person
at the moment, but Lord, we are
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grateful that we can
be united in Your Spirit.
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And we're all sharing the same
faith, we're looking at the same
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Scriptures to build our faith.
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And so, Father, we ask a special
blessing upon our time today.
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Be with those who are listening,
and pray that You'd guide them.
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Be with Pastor Doug as he opens
up the Word and we launch into a
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whole new series of
studies on the book of Isaiah.
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How exciting is this?
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So, thank You, Lord, for being
with us, and we commit this time
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in Your keeping,
in Jesus' name, amen.
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Our study on the book of Isaiah
begins today, and Pastor Doug
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will be leading us
in our first lesson.
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Doug Batchelor: I want to
welcome our friends that are
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studying the Word
of God with us today.
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I'm very excited about the new
study that we've got going today
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because we're dealing with
just one of the most magnificent
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books in the
Bible, the book of Isaiah.
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And as was mentioned, for those
who may have tuned in late,
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we're just
beginning a new quarter study.
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Now, keep in mind that
some of you are watching this
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stream live.
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That's because here at the
Granite Bay Church, to provide
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the "Sabbath School" program for
the other satellite networks, we
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record it three weeks in advance
so that we can do the editing,
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and put in the
subtitles, and so forth.
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And but it will play nationally
the first week of January, but
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we're getting to get into it
here with our friends who are
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watching online.
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And I'm excited about
Isaiah because it's just a
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wonderful book.
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It's basically like the
gospel in the Old Testament.
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Now, the lesson for today,
lesson one is called "A Crisis
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of Identity."
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And we've got a memory verse,
and the memory verse is from
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Isaiah 1, verse 18.
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And we've got a few families
here with our support staff that
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are helping us
with this production.
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They're welcome to say
it with us, Isaiah 1:18.
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And I bet some of us know this
one by heart even before we were
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told it was our memory verse.
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"Come now, let us
reason together, says the Lord.
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Though your sins are like
scarlet, they shall be as white
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as snow.
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Though they are red like
crimson, they shall be as wool."
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There you've got the gospel
all summarized in that verse.
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The Lord can take our sins,
though they're just as red as
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scarlet, He can
make them white as snow.
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That's a wonderful promise.
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Now, the study today just so you
don't get confused, you might be
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wondering, how are we going to
study 66 chapters of Isaiah in
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13 weeks?
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And the way I think that they're
doing it, I haven't read the
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whole quarterly yet, is
they're--they'll be bouncing
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around and doing some things
based on content and sections.
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So, our assignment today, we're
going to be studying chapter 1
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of Isaiah and part of chapter 5.
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And then I believe in future
lessons, they'll back up and
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they'll get Isaiah
2, 3, 4, and so forth.
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And so, it'll be
covering certain themes.
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Now, I thought it was
appropriate today as we're
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getting ready to enter this
majestic book of Isaiah that we
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have a little bit
of introduction to help
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understand it.
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The word "Isaiah," the name, it
means salvation is of the Lord.
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And he is really a gospel
prophet in the Old Testament.
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And it says Isaiah
is the son of Amoz.
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And the word "Amoz" means
strong, strength, to be firm.
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And so, here you've got this
person whose name is salvation
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of the Lord, he is
the son of strength.
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And just even in the names,
Bible names means something.
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And you know, when they
were naming their babies in the
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Bible, they would pray the Holy
Spirit would guide them, and
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that name would somehow be the
mission of their life or have
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some prophetic significance.
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And when Jacob went from Jacob,
which means deceiver, and he
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wrestled with
God, he was renamed.
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No longer the deceiver,
now he's the prince Israel.
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And so, they would even change
their names sometimes when their
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destinies changed.
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So, Isaiah's named
salvation is of the Lord.
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And the time period of Isaiah
when you read your Bibles,
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Isaiah is both a historical
book, it covers Bible history,
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and it is also a prophetic book.
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The time of his ministry
is about 47 years of public
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ministry, from
about 760 to 713 BC.
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Now, the Talmud, which is the
Jewish tradition, it tells us
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that he was ultimately killed
by King Manasseh, and he was
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executed supposedly because
Isaiah said that he had visually
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seen the Lord, and they
said that was not possible.
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You read in chapter 60, it says,
"In the year that King Uzziah
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died, I saw the Lord."
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And that's at least the
pretense that Manasseh used for
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executing him.
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I doubt that
was the real reason.
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But tradition says
that he was sawn in two.
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Now, that's very possible
because you read in Hebrews
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11:37 that some of those--that's
in the great chapter of faith.
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Some of those who
died were sawn asunder.
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And they believe that is a
reference to how Isaiah died.
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He started as a prophet early,
his prophetic ministry covering
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47 years, maybe 50 years.
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But he was a contemporaneous
prophet with Jonah.
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That's right, Jonah was a real
prophet in the northern kingdom.
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Amos, Hosea, but he was a
contemporary of Micah, who was
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the prophet in
the southern kingdom.
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Now, you realize that when
Isaiah was involved in ministry,
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civil war had happened long
ago, much earlier between the
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northern ten tribes and
the southern kingdom of Levi,
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Benjamin, and Judah.
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And Isaiah's ministry was
almost exclusively the southern
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kingdom, working in
and around Jerusalem.
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The northern kingdom was being
plagued by the Assyrians at this
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time, and they had their cadre
of God's prophets up there.
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Isaiah was a prophet.
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Unlike Elijah,
Isaiah was married.
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How many of you know
the name of his wife?
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She was a
prophetess, the Bible says.
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I don't think her name's given,
but do you know the name of one
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of Isaiah's sons,
Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.
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So, if any of you are expecting,
you might pass that on.
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But so, he was actually married
evidently to a prophetess, but I
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don't know that
her name is given.
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And if I'm wrong, you
can correct me on that.
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Isaiah is a fascinating book
because it in many respects, it
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is one of the oldest
books that we have copies of.
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A complete copy of the scroll of
Isaiah was found among the first
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Dead Sea
Scrolls that were found.
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And it clearly dates to at
least 100 years before Christ,
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possibly 300 BC.
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Actually, the historians say
you're always supposed to say BC
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first, BC 300.
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And meaning that the prophecies
that you find in Isaiah, such as
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chapter 53, where he talks very
clearly about the Messiah, were
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written before the event.
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And so, it is a
fascinating book.
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Not only that, because Isaiah
lived about 760 to 713 BC, about
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150 years before the king of
Persia was born, he specifically
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mentions the king of Persia by
name and has a message for him
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in his book.
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That's pretty fascinating.
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You know, I remember reading
in the writings of Josephus, the
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Jewish historian, that when
Alexander the Great, after he
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finished conquering Tyre,
he came down to Jerusalem.
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And the priests went out of the
city, kind of waving the white
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flag, and they--a procession
of priests went to Alexander and
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they said, "Do not attack us.
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You are here.
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Our God said that you would
be the king that would destroy
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the Persians.
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You're going to succeed."
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And they showed him, through
translators of course, they
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showed him the books of Daniel
that talked about the Greek king
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that would go forth and conquer.
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And it says Alexander got on
his knees and he worshipped at
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that point.
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So, this is not the first time
that great conquering kings were
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foretold before they lived.
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But yeah, even Cyrus, he could
have read about himself written
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by name.
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Alexander is not given by name,
but Cyrus is mentioned in Isaiah
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by name in chapter 45.
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So, in the prophecies of Isaiah,
it talks about prophecy--he
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prophesied the fate of
many kingdoms, and they all
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came true.
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Babylon, Assyria, the
Philistines, Moab, Syria,
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Ethiopia, Egypt, Edom,
Arabia, Judah, and Tyre.
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And so, it's a
very thorough book.
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Now, there are 66 chapters in
Isaiah, but it's not the longest
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of the prophetic books.
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Do you know who the
longest prophetic book is?
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It's Jeremiah.
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Don't--can't
always go by chapters.
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Jeremiah's got 52 chapters,
but Jeremiah has 33,000 words.
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I don't think that's including
his book of Lamentations.
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And Isaiah's only got 25,000.
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So, sometimes the chapters
are longer, or the--yeah, the
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chapters are longer and
there's more words in them.
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And so, this is just a little
background in the book of Isaiah
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to tell us that--and of
course, Isaiah has quite a few
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prophecies that talk
about the coming Messiah.
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And let me see here, there
were some other little facts.
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Yeah, I think I covered--I
covered the main point.
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Oh, Isaiah is quoted more than
50 times in the New Testament.
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Jesus frequently
refers to the book of Isaiah.
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So, if there's any question
about if Isaiah was really a
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prophet of God,
Jesus said he was.
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And so, with that, and I may
share a little more as we get
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into other weeks, let's get
into the first section of our
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study today.
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And it says, "Hear, oh heavens."
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Now, we're going to
read the first two verses.
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I'm looking forward to the
day when we can move into normal
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Sabbath School
and worship service.
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You know, there was a time we
used to pass around microphones
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and ask people to
help us read the verses.
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Had it a little more
interactive, and I'm hoping that
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that day will come again soon.
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But I'll read this for you.
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Isaiah chapter 1, verse 1 and 2,
"The vision of Isaiah, the son
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of Amoz, which he saw concerning
Judah and Jerusalem in the days
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of Uzziah, Jotham, and Ahaz,
and Hezekiah kings of Judah."
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So, we know that his
ministry spanned the reign of
00:11:36.42\00:11:38.76
several kings.
00:11:38.79\00:11:40.96
Who is the longest
reigning king of Judah?
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Manasseh.
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Manasseh comes
right after Hezekiah.
00:11:50.24\00:11:52.67
Who is the second
longest reigning king of Judah?
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Uzziah.
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So, Isaiah's life is bookend by
the two longest reigning kings.
00:11:58.48\00:12:04.25
Uzziah is when he starts.
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Manasseh is when he ends.
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So, that's just a little
interesting piece of trivia.
00:12:09.09\00:12:11.46
He starts out then and he says
in verse 2, "Hear, oh heavens.
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Give ear, oh earth.
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For the Lord has spoken, I
have nourished and brought up
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children, and they
have rebelled against Me."
00:12:21.20\00:12:23.94
Now, he starts his message
by saying, "Hear, oh heavens."
00:12:23.97\00:12:26.71
Is he asking the
atmosphere to listen?
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Is it the gases
that he's speaking to?
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And when he says, "Give ear, oh
earth," was Isaiah a pantheist
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and he's talking to
the trees and the rocks?
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What does that statement mean?
00:12:42.96\00:12:46.56
Well, you know, if you want
to understand something in the
00:12:46.59\00:12:49.13
Bible, what's the key?
00:12:49.16\00:12:51.43
Compare
Scripture with Scripture.
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If you look in Deuteronomy
30, verse 19, Moses is
00:12:53.84\00:12:57.11
speaking here.
00:12:57.14\00:12:59.34
He said, "I call heaven and
earth as a witness today against
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you, that I have set before
you life and death, blessing
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and cursing.
00:13:05.88\00:13:07.95
Therefore choose life, that
both you and your descendants
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might live."
00:13:10.42\00:13:12.09
I call heaven and
earth as a witness.
00:13:12.12\00:13:13.86
Go to Deuteronomy 31:28, "Gather
to me all the elders of your
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tribes and your officers, that I
might speak these words in their
00:13:16.42\00:13:19.16
hearing, and call heaven and
earth to witness against them."
00:13:19.19\00:13:24.00
So, why did these Bible writers
appeal to the heavens and
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the earth?
00:13:28.57\00:13:30.44
You know, I think it's
interesting, at one point
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Israel, I think it was the
tribe of Manasseh, they built an
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altar, and Joshua and
the other tribes got upset.
00:13:36.75\00:13:39.65
And they said, "You're only
supposed to sacrifice at this
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one altar."
00:13:42.18\00:13:43.92
They said, "No, we just created
this altar to be a witness."
00:13:43.95\00:13:46.45
The rocks are a witness?
00:13:46.49\00:13:48.96
And then when they
crossed the Jordan River and the
00:13:48.99\00:13:51.19
river parted?
00:13:51.23\00:13:53.86
Joshua said, "Take 12 stones
out of the base of the river,"
00:13:53.90\00:13:55.96
before it closed up again, and
stacked them up as a witness,
00:13:56.00\00:13:59.47
really a reminder.
00:13:59.50\00:14:02.20
And so, when they say, "Hear, oh
heavens and earth," now let me
00:14:02.24\00:14:05.27
give you one more
thing to think about.
00:14:05.31\00:14:08.91
Are there beings in the room
today other than human beings?
00:14:08.94\00:14:15.22
I don't mean pinto beans.
00:14:15.25\00:14:18.99
I mean, if you read in
Ephesians, it says we wrestle
00:14:19.02\00:14:21.79
not against flesh and
blood, but against what?
00:14:21.82\00:14:27.20
Principalities and powers
and rulers in heavenly places.
00:14:27.23\00:14:32.20
So, when you say, "Hear, oh
heavens," for the believer in
00:14:32.23\00:14:35.37
Jehovah, is there
a spiritual world?
00:14:35.40\00:14:39.37
Are they witnessing what's
happening here on earth as well?
00:14:39.41\00:14:42.44
And so, when it says, "Give
witness, heavens and earth,"
00:14:42.48\00:14:46.35
it's really calling all the
humans, angels, good and bad.
00:14:46.38\00:14:51.05
The angels
above, the angels below.
00:14:51.09\00:14:53.56
It says we're giving
witness of the Word of God.
00:14:53.59\00:14:56.42
There's a challenge.
00:14:56.46\00:14:58.36
So, Isaiah is making a
declaration for all to hear the
00:14:58.39\00:15:00.43
beginning of his book.
00:15:00.46\00:15:02.80
You can also read in Micah
1, verse 2, "Hear, you peoples.
00:15:02.83\00:15:06.17
All you pay attention, oh
earth and all that is in it.
00:15:06.20\00:15:10.31
Let the Lord God be a witness
against you, the Lord from his
00:15:10.34\00:15:13.61
holy temple."
00:15:13.64\00:15:15.94
All right, so he's making an
appeal, what he's about to say.
00:15:15.98\00:15:19.28
So, what does he say now when
he says, "Hear, oh heavens"?
00:15:19.31\00:15:22.48
Look in verse 3.
00:15:22.52\00:15:25.12
Isaiah 1, verse 3, "The ox knows
its owner, and the donkey its
00:15:25.15\00:15:28.49
master's crib," or
stall we would say.
00:15:28.52\00:15:32.36
"But Israel does not know.
00:15:32.39\00:15:34.46
My people do not consider.
00:15:34.46\00:15:36.67
Alas, sinful nation, a people
laden with iniquity, a brood of
00:15:36.70\00:15:40.20
evildoers,
children who are corrupters.
00:15:40.24\00:15:43.30
They have forsaken the Lord.
00:15:43.34\00:15:45.34
They have provoked to
anger the holy one of Israel.
00:15:45.37\00:15:48.08
They've turned away backward.
00:15:48.11\00:15:50.61
Why should you be stricken again
and you revolt more and more?"
00:15:50.65\00:15:54.48
I'll pause there before I get to
the other section here in this
00:15:54.52\00:15:57.35
passage with verse 6,
or with verse 5 rather.
00:15:57.39\00:16:03.19
He says, "The ox knows his
master, the donkey his master's
00:16:03.22\00:16:07.66
crib, but My
people don't know Me."
00:16:07.73\00:16:11.50
You know, if a horse bucks off
his rider, you know where the
00:16:11.53\00:16:17.24
horse is going to go?
00:16:17.27\00:16:19.64
Back to the barn
where the food is.
00:16:19.67\00:16:22.71
And if you've got a dog that
takes off and runs, they will
00:16:22.74\00:16:25.88
almost always come
home when they get hungry.
00:16:25.91\00:16:29.75
And if you've got a homing
pigeon and you put it in a
00:16:29.78\00:16:31.45
crate, and you take it from
St. Louis to New York and then
00:16:31.49\00:16:34.46
the crate breaks and it takes
off, you know where it's going
00:16:34.49\00:16:36.76
to go?
00:16:36.79\00:16:38.13
It's going to fly
back to St. Louis.
00:16:38.16\00:16:40.23
One of the longest pilgrimages,
a homing pigeon was being
00:16:40.26\00:16:45.47
shipped, it was a very expensive
homing pigeon from England to
00:16:45.50\00:16:49.04
some collector in South Africa.
00:16:49.07\00:16:51.14
And on unloading,
that pigeon, it escaped.
00:16:51.17\00:16:56.88
About six weeks later,
it showed up in England.
00:16:56.91\00:17:00.32
It knew how to find its
way home, that's why they're so
00:17:00.35\00:17:02.28
famous as homing pigeons.
00:17:02.32\00:17:04.22
So, he's saying even the animals
know where their owners are.
00:17:04.25\00:17:09.22
Says, "But my people forgot that
I am your Father, I'm the one
00:17:09.26\00:17:12.33
who led you out of Egypt.
00:17:12.36\00:17:13.76
You're going
after these other gods.
00:17:13.80\00:17:15.83
You're forgetting about Me."
00:17:15.86\00:17:17.97
And then he talks about
what's at the heart of it all.
00:17:18.00\00:17:20.40
This is Isaiah 1, verse 5.
00:17:20.44\00:17:22.97
"Why should you
be stricken again?
00:17:23.00\00:17:25.47
You will revolt more and more.
00:17:25.51\00:17:27.68
The whole head is
sick, the whole heart faints.
00:17:27.71\00:17:32.08
From the sole of the foot to the
head, there is no soundness,"
00:17:32.11\00:17:36.52
that means no healthiness in it.
00:17:36.55\00:17:38.65
"But wounds and bruises
and putrefying," that word
00:17:38.69\00:17:42.62
"putrefying" means stinking,
decaying, corrupting sores.
00:17:42.66\00:17:50.43
It's not a very pretty picture.
00:17:50.47\00:17:54.00
"Putrefying sores.
00:17:54.04\00:17:56.20
They have not been
closed or bound up."
00:17:56.24\00:17:58.31
It's like
talking about gangrene.
00:17:58.34\00:18:01.84
"Or soothed with ointment.
00:18:01.88\00:18:03.98
Your country is desolate."
00:18:04.01\00:18:06.21
Before I get into that part,
here he describes the condition
00:18:06.25\00:18:09.25
of sin.
00:18:09.28\00:18:10.72
Can you think of somebody in
the Bible that was sick from the
00:18:10.75\00:18:12.52
crown of their head to
the sole of their foot?
00:18:12.55\00:18:15.39
When Job was afflicted.
00:18:15.42\00:18:18.09
And by the way, keep in mind the
afflictions of Job were a type
00:18:18.13\00:18:22.10
of the sufferings
of Christ for our sins.
00:18:22.13\00:18:25.77
And it says that Job
was afflicted with boils,
00:18:25.80\00:18:28.87
painful boils.
00:18:28.90\00:18:30.87
And he had to scrape himself,
so these are open sores.
00:18:30.91\00:18:33.41
It's like what
Isaiah is talking about.
00:18:33.44\00:18:35.18
I know it's not pretty, but
this is what the Bible says.
00:18:35.21\00:18:37.45
From the crown of his
head to the sole of his foot.
00:18:37.48\00:18:41.55
How does Paul describe sin?
00:18:41.58\00:18:45.92
It's like a physical sickness.
00:18:45.95\00:18:48.19
It's a disease or a dis-ease.
00:18:48.22\00:18:51.66
And this is what
Isaiah is saying.
00:18:51.69\00:18:53.96
And he says, "I
want to heal you."
00:18:54.00\00:18:55.90
Jesus is called
the balm in Gilead.
00:18:55.93\00:18:58.93
Says, "These wounds have
not been closed or bound up."
00:18:58.97\00:19:01.97
By the way, we're going to study
later on Isaiah does a little
00:19:02.00\00:19:04.81
medical work, did you know that?
00:19:04.84\00:19:07.38
When King Hezekiah is sick, he's
got some kind of a fever, and
00:19:07.41\00:19:12.21
Isaiah has to tell
him he's going to die.
00:19:12.25\00:19:15.22
And there's a sign that comes to
him, and it says, you know, the
00:19:15.25\00:19:20.52
sun actually stops and
goes backwards ten degrees.
00:19:20.56\00:19:24.23
And then God tells Isaiah, "Tell
Hezekiah that he will recover
00:19:24.26\00:19:28.40
and that he is to place a
lump of figs on the boil."
00:19:28.43\00:19:32.13
So, evidently he had some kind
of open infection, and Isaiah's
00:19:32.17\00:19:35.64
the one who gave
him the prescription.
00:19:35.67\00:19:37.71
It's interesting that he didn't
just do a healing like Jesus and
00:19:37.74\00:19:39.67
say, "Be healed," but
he used a medicinal remedy.
00:19:39.71\00:19:44.51
So, they had some rudimentary
idea about healing back then,
00:19:44.55\00:19:48.85
and nothing was being done.
00:19:48.88\00:19:50.72
He says, "You're sick and
you're doing nothing about it."
00:19:50.75\00:19:53.72
"They've not been
closed or bound up or soothed
00:19:53.76\00:19:56.06
with ointment.
00:19:56.09\00:19:57.73
Your country is desolate.
00:19:57.76\00:19:59.76
Your cities are
burned with fire.
00:19:59.79\00:20:01.63
Strangers devour your land
in your presence, and it is
00:20:01.66\00:20:04.50
desolate, as
overthrown by strangers."
00:20:04.53\00:20:07.87
Now, so when Isaiah is writing,
part of the time at least
00:20:07.90\00:20:10.97
historically when Isaiah
is writing, the Assyrians are
00:20:11.01\00:20:14.24
rampaging through
the northern kingdom.
00:20:14.28\00:20:17.51
In fact, at one point in
Isaiah's writing, and this is
00:20:17.55\00:20:21.82
also mentioned in Chronicles
and in Kings, that the king of
00:20:21.85\00:20:26.32
Assyria came right to
the gates of Jerusalem.
00:20:26.35\00:20:29.06
In order for him to get to the
gates of Jerusalem, they had to
00:20:29.09\00:20:32.46
conquer and burn through all
the fortress cities of Judea.
00:20:32.49\00:20:36.33
And so, with all of this--these
enemies at the gates, so to
00:20:36.36\00:20:39.20
speak, the people
are not turning to God.
00:20:39.23\00:20:42.37
They're spiritually sick,
they're threatened by their
00:20:42.40\00:20:44.27
enemies, they're economically
devastated, and he said, "What's
00:20:44.31\00:20:47.04
with this?
00:20:47.08\00:20:48.78
You're not turning to Me.
00:20:48.81\00:20:50.65
You're not praying."
00:20:50.68\00:20:53.28
It says, "Your
cities are burned with fire.
00:20:53.31\00:20:55.48
Strangers devour your
land in your presence, and it's
00:20:55.52\00:20:57.72
desolate, as
overthrown by strangers.
00:20:57.75\00:21:01.02
So the daughter of Zion," God's
people, the church, "is left as
00:21:01.06\00:21:05.33
a booth in a vineyard."
00:21:05.36\00:21:08.26
Now, you know, you might--some
people, if you're going to live
00:21:08.30\00:21:10.13
in a house for a long time, you
might have a substantial house
00:21:10.17\00:21:12.10
with stone walls and a
tile roof in Bible times.
00:21:12.13\00:21:15.90
But the farmers sometimes, when
they were working and watching
00:21:15.94\00:21:18.81
their crops, they would have
these little booths made out of
00:21:18.84\00:21:22.48
leaves that would be out
there in the farm or the garden.
00:21:22.51\00:21:25.71
You know, they were living
scarecrows back then, and they
00:21:25.75\00:21:28.38
had these little
booths out there.
00:21:28.42\00:21:30.15
And he says, "Your cities,
they're beginning to look like a
00:21:30.19\00:21:32.85
hut in a garden of cucumbers."
00:21:32.89\00:21:36.69
Pretty pathetic, "Like a booth
in a vineyard or a hut in a
00:21:36.73\00:21:39.69
garden of
cucumbers, as a besieged city.
00:21:39.73\00:21:42.80
Unless the Lord of hosts had
left to us a very small remnant,
00:21:42.83\00:21:46.53
we would have become like
Sodom, we would have been made
00:21:46.57\00:21:49.07
like Gomorrah."
00:21:49.10\00:21:51.01
Now, of course, Sodom and
Gomorrah were obliterated, they
00:21:51.04\00:21:52.67
were annihilated, no survivors.
00:21:52.71\00:21:55.64
And God said, "Look,
I'm giving you a remnant.
00:21:55.68\00:21:58.18
The ten tribes in the north
are going to be carried off
00:21:58.21\00:22:00.25
by Assyria.
00:22:00.28\00:22:02.22
Your country has been invaded by
the land because of your sins,
00:22:02.25\00:22:04.82
you've turned to other gods."
00:22:04.85\00:22:06.86
In Isaiah, he goes into the
specifics of what those sins are
00:22:06.89\00:22:09.32
many times in his books.
00:22:09.36\00:22:11.86
But the southern kingdom
was still going through the
00:22:11.89\00:22:15.00
sacrificial system.
00:22:15.03\00:22:16.97
They were still going through
the rituals, and we'll get to
00:22:17.00\00:22:20.37
that in just a minute.
00:22:20.40\00:22:22.00
So he said, "If it wasn't
for the mercy of the Lord, you
00:22:22.04\00:22:24.87
wouldn't even have a remnant.
00:22:24.91\00:22:27.24
I'm sparing a remnant."
00:22:27.28\00:22:30.31
Next section, rotten ritualism.
00:22:30.35\00:22:33.68
And Jesus spoke about this, and
I'll be reading Isaiah 1:10-14.
00:22:33.72\00:22:38.92
"Hear the word of the
Lord, you rulers of Sodom."
00:22:38.95\00:22:41.66
Notice how he
starts that next verse.
00:22:41.69\00:22:44.49
"Give ear to the law of your
God, you people of Gomorrah.
00:22:44.53\00:22:48.06
'To what purpose is the
multitude of your sacrifices to
00:22:48.10\00:22:50.63
me?' says the Lord."
00:22:50.67\00:22:52.33
They still had the temple, they
still had the services, they
00:22:52.37\00:22:54.04
still went through the rituals.
00:22:54.07\00:22:57.57
They went through the sham of
going through all the sacraments
00:22:57.61\00:23:00.51
and--but he said, "What good
is it if your life is wicked?"
00:23:00.54\00:23:04.35
And if you're going to
talk about people who are really
00:23:04.38\00:23:06.88
wicked, there's only a couple
places you can point that are
00:23:06.92\00:23:09.02
the epitome of wickedness, Sodom
and Gomorrah, and the people in
00:23:09.05\00:23:12.85
the days of Noah.
00:23:12.89\00:23:14.89
By the way, Jesus said that's
what the world will be like
00:23:14.92\00:23:16.52
before he returns.
00:23:16.56\00:23:18.46
And this is what Israel
had become like before the
00:23:18.49\00:23:20.43
Babylonian captivity.
00:23:20.46\00:23:23.23
"'To what purpose is the
multitude of your sacrifices'
00:23:23.26\00:23:26.97
says the Lord.
00:23:27.00\00:23:28.40
'I've had enough of burnt
offerings of rams and the fat of
00:23:28.44\00:23:31.04
fed cattle.
00:23:31.07\00:23:33.41
I do not delight in the blood of
bulls, or lambs, or of goats.'"
00:23:33.44\00:23:36.34
Can the blood of goats
and lambs and those animal
00:23:36.38\00:23:41.98
sacrifices, do
they wash away sin?
00:23:42.02\00:23:45.09
No, they all pointed to the only
one who can wash away sin, and
00:23:45.12\00:23:49.19
that's Jesus.
00:23:49.22\00:23:51.36
And so, if we're living high
handed, sinful lives, but we
00:23:51.39\00:23:54.00
say, "Well, well, you know,
we're giving a big offering,"
00:23:54.00\00:23:56.87
does that cover our sin?
00:23:56.90\00:23:59.40
God is saying, "What good is
that if you're living wickedly
00:23:59.43\00:24:02.04
and you're going through all
the pretense of religious, you
00:24:02.07\00:24:04.91
know, ceremony?"
00:24:04.94\00:24:08.01
Says, "When you come to appear
before Me, who has required this
00:24:08.04\00:24:11.15
of you from your hand, to
trample my courts, to bring no
00:24:11.18\00:24:14.42
more futile sacrifices?
00:24:14.45\00:24:16.95
Incense is an abomination to Me.
00:24:16.99\00:24:19.49
The new moons, and the
Sabbaths, the calling of your--"
00:24:19.52\00:24:22.39
Now, does that mean he
did away with the Sabbath?
00:24:22.42\00:24:25.23
No, just meant you're not
honoring Me when you come to
00:24:25.26\00:24:28.16
worship me on Sabbath, and you
live like the devil the rest of
00:24:28.20\00:24:30.97
the week.
00:24:31.00\00:24:33.70
"The new moons, and
the Sabbaths, the calling
00:24:33.74\00:24:35.77
of assemblies.
00:24:35.80\00:24:37.64
I cannot endure
iniquity and the sacred meeting.
00:24:37.67\00:24:40.68
Your new moons and your
appointed feasts My soul hates.
00:24:40.71\00:24:44.85
They're trouble to Me, I
am weary of bearing them."
00:24:44.88\00:24:47.92
Now, that's
pretty strong language.
00:24:47.95\00:24:50.72
It's like when Jesus said to
the religious leaders, "You rob
00:24:50.75\00:24:53.99
widow's houses, and for a
pretense you make long prayers."
00:24:54.02\00:24:58.76
So, can you be excused from
robbing widows if you just pray
00:24:58.79\00:25:03.10
a long time?
00:25:03.13\00:25:05.97
No.
00:25:06.00\00:25:08.80
Amos 5, verse 21, he says,
"I hate, I despise your feasts.
00:25:08.84\00:25:13.17
I take no delight in
your solemn assemblies.
00:25:13.21\00:25:16.31
Even though you offer to
Me burnt offerings and grain
00:25:16.34\00:25:19.11
offerings, I
will not accept them.
00:25:19.15\00:25:21.95
And the peace offerings of your
fattened animals, I will not
00:25:21.98\00:25:24.59
look upon them."
00:25:24.62\00:25:26.69
What is the condition to having
the Lord accept our sacrifices?
00:25:26.72\00:25:29.62
Repentance, humbling
of our hearts, sincerity.
00:25:29.66\00:25:34.20
If we sincerely repent of our
sins and come, He accepts our
00:25:34.23\00:25:36.97
worship, He
accepts our sacrifices.
00:25:37.00\00:25:40.30
But if we're living in
open rebellion and we're going
00:25:40.34\00:25:43.37
through just the, you know, the
sham of religious ritual, that
00:25:43.41\00:25:48.31
doesn't please the Lord.
00:25:48.34\00:25:51.68
It's like you remember the
parable that Jesus tells, two
00:25:51.71\00:25:54.65
men went up to
the temple to pray.
00:25:54.68\00:25:56.72
One was a
publican, one was a Pharisee.
00:25:56.75\00:25:59.02
Pharisees were very religious.
00:25:59.05\00:26:01.39
And the Pharisee stood and he
prayed thus with himself, "Lord,
00:26:01.42\00:26:03.39
I thank You I'm
not like other men.
00:26:03.43\00:26:05.46
I pay tithe of all that I have,
and I fast, and I'm not like
00:26:05.49\00:26:08.20
this publican back here."
00:26:08.23\00:26:10.37
He's just trusting in
his own self-righteousness.
00:26:10.40\00:26:13.03
But the publican would not
so much as lift up his head unto
00:26:13.07\00:26:15.60
heaven, but he smote upon
his breast, he's standing in the
00:26:15.64\00:26:18.31
back, he says, "Lord,
have mercy on me, a sinner."
00:26:18.34\00:26:20.74
He's repenting.
00:26:20.78\00:26:23.01
This is what the Lord wants.
00:26:23.04\00:26:25.51
The Bible says a contrite
heart God will not despise.
00:26:25.55\00:26:27.75
He wants us to have broken
hearts, repentance for our sins.
00:26:27.78\00:26:32.62
Amos 5:24 explains what he's
looking for, "But let justice
00:26:32.65\00:26:35.96
run down like waters, and
righteousness like an ever
00:26:35.99\00:26:39.66
flowing stream."
00:26:39.69\00:26:42.83
And moving onto Isaiah chapter
1, verse 15, "When you spread
00:26:42.86\00:26:46.30
out your hands, I will
hide My eyes from you."
00:26:46.33\00:26:49.84
Now, that's a scary thought that
we might pray, talking about
00:26:49.87\00:26:52.47
when you spread out
your hands and you pray.
00:26:52.51\00:26:55.61
"When you spread out your hands,
I will hide My eyes from you.
00:26:55.64\00:26:58.11
Even though you make
many prayers, I will not hear.
00:26:58.15\00:27:00.65
Your hands are full of blood.
00:27:00.68\00:27:03.18
Wash yourselves," here's that
verse that we were memorizing.
00:27:03.22\00:27:06.32
"Wash yourselves,
make yourselves clean.
00:27:06.35\00:27:08.96
Put away the evil of
your doings before My eyes.
00:27:08.99\00:27:14.50
Cease to do evil.
00:27:14.56\00:27:16.70
Learn to do good.
00:27:16.73\00:27:18.87
Seek justice, rebuke
the oppressor; defend the
00:27:18.90\00:27:21.14
fatherless,
plead for the widow."
00:27:21.17\00:27:23.44
Then he says, "Though your sins
be as scarlet, they'll be as
00:27:23.47\00:27:26.04
white as snow."
00:27:26.07\00:27:28.11
So, what does the
Lord want from us?
00:27:28.14\00:27:30.18
Wash yourselves, make yourselves
clean through the blood of the
00:27:30.21\00:27:32.65
Lamb, turning to
Jesus, repentance.
00:27:32.68\00:27:35.45
"Put away the evil of
your doings before My eyes.
00:27:35.48\00:27:40.02
Cease to do evil,
learn to do good."
00:27:40.06\00:27:42.59
Now, that's a very important
verse, learn to do good, you
00:27:42.62\00:27:45.16
know why?
00:27:45.19\00:27:47.50
If you decide you want to turn
to the Lord and you repent, if
00:27:47.56\00:27:49.86
you can't change everything in
one day, don't get discouraged.
00:27:49.90\00:27:52.80
There is a learning process.
00:27:52.83\00:27:54.94
When I first came to the Lord,
it took awhile for me to learn
00:27:54.97\00:27:57.11
how to talk without cursing.
00:27:57.14\00:27:59.27
It was a learning process.
00:27:59.31\00:28:01.48
But through the Holy Spirit, God
was able to put the brakes on.
00:28:01.51\00:28:04.18
And so, you know, if you've
spent your whole life doing evil
00:28:04.21\00:28:07.62
and you decide, "All right, I
repent of my sins, you may need
00:28:07.65\00:28:10.22
to take some time to
learn to do good, right?
00:28:10.25\00:28:13.22
That make sense?
00:28:13.25\00:28:16.39
"Rebuke the oppressor,
defend the fatherless, plead for
00:28:16.42\00:28:19.29
the widow."
00:28:19.33\00:28:21.70
Psalm 66:18, "If I regard
iniquity in the heart--in my
00:28:21.73\00:28:25.23
heart, the Lord
will not hear me."
00:28:25.27\00:28:27.74
That's why he said in Isaiah
1:15, "If you spread out your
00:28:27.77\00:28:30.17
hands, I'll hide My eyes."
00:28:30.21\00:28:33.34
So, if we're living in
deliberate sin, and we're giving
00:28:33.38\00:28:36.24
God our Christmas shopping list
and say, "Lord, do this and this
00:28:36.28\00:28:38.85
and this," God says,
"Look, I want your heart.
00:28:38.88\00:28:42.32
I want you to be surrendered.
00:28:42.35\00:28:44.55
I want you to be turning from
your sins and following Jesus."
00:28:44.59\00:28:47.62
And then we're really
saying, "Lord, I want to be on
00:28:47.66\00:28:52.03
your team."
00:28:52.06\00:28:54.73
Matthew 23:14.
00:28:54.76\00:28:57.20
I already read that,
actually, "Woe to you, scribes
00:28:57.23\00:28:59.27
and Pharisees.
00:28:59.30\00:29:01.30
You devour widows' houses,
and for a pretense you make
00:29:01.34\00:29:03.27
long prayers.
00:29:03.30\00:29:05.21
Therefore, you will
receive greater condemnation."
00:29:05.24\00:29:07.51
And even in Isaiah 58,
he uses the same principle.
00:29:07.54\00:29:10.75
He says, "What good is your
fasting if you fast for strife
00:29:10.78\00:29:13.11
and debate, and to strike
with the fists of wickedness?
00:29:13.15\00:29:17.39
You'll not fast as you do this
day to make--will you not fast
00:29:17.42\00:29:20.42
as you do this day to
make your voice heard on high?"
00:29:20.46\00:29:23.89
Jesus in his ministry said, "Woe
to you, scribes and Pharisees,"
00:29:23.93\00:29:28.80
Matthew 23:23.
00:29:28.83\00:29:31.33
"You pay tithe," and paying
tithe is good, but he says, "You
00:29:31.37\00:29:35.10
pay tithe of mint and anise and
cumin, and you've neglected the
00:29:35.14\00:29:38.64
weightier matters of the law,
justice and mercy and faith.
00:29:38.67\00:29:43.68
These you ought to have
done without leaving the
00:29:43.71\00:29:46.21
other undone."
00:29:46.25\00:29:48.15
Don't neglect paying tithe, and
even in the small things, but he
00:29:48.18\00:29:50.35
said we cannot cloak our
unrighteousness by, you know,
00:29:50.39\00:29:54.76
giving an extra offering.
00:29:54.79\00:29:57.66
And you know, we've all seen
it, not just me, in the church.
00:29:57.69\00:30:02.60
You've got some
people that major in minors.
00:30:02.63\00:30:06.43
They're extremely religious
and exacting in certain areas.
00:30:06.47\00:30:09.87
You know, I'm a vegan.
00:30:09.90\00:30:13.17
And that's--you know, not trying
to make you feel bad if you're
00:30:13.21\00:30:16.81
not, just saying that I
believe in healthful living.
00:30:16.85\00:30:19.65
But I've met some people that
are vegans, they're vegetarians,
00:30:19.68\00:30:22.68
they're very fastidious about
the way they eat, and they are
00:30:22.72\00:30:25.32
as mean as snakes.
00:30:25.35\00:30:27.96
So, you're not saved
by veganism, are you?
00:30:27.99\00:30:30.83
You know what I'm talking about?
00:30:30.86\00:30:32.99
And so, what God wants
is righteousness in us.
00:30:33.03\00:30:36.26
It's not just a few legalistic,
outward forms of worship.
00:30:36.30\00:30:41.64
"Woe to you,
scribes and Pharisees.
00:30:41.67\00:30:44.71
You cleanse the outside of
the cup and the dish, but inside
00:30:44.74\00:30:47.78
they're full of
extortion and self-indulgence.
00:30:47.81\00:30:50.48
Blind Pharisee, first
cleanse the inside of the cup."
00:30:50.51\00:30:53.58
So, what does Jesus
want cleansed first?
00:30:53.62\00:30:56.25
You want the outside to be
clean, you really have got to
00:30:56.28\00:30:58.39
clean the inside.
00:30:58.42\00:31:00.79
All right, and next section
we're going to is the argument
00:31:00.82\00:31:02.69
of forgiveness.
00:31:02.72\00:31:04.69
And this is Isaiah
chapter 1, verse 18.
00:31:04.73\00:31:07.83
"'Come now, let us
reason together,' says the Lord.
00:31:07.86\00:31:10.33
'Though your sins are like
scarlet, they'll be as white
00:31:10.37\00:31:13.13
as snow.
00:31:13.17\00:31:15.00
Though they are red like
crimson, they will be as wool.'"
00:31:15.04\00:31:18.51
So, here you've got
this incredible contrast.
00:31:18.54\00:31:21.58
And you know, whenever I read
this verse, a couple of stories
00:31:21.61\00:31:24.61
come into mind.
00:31:24.65\00:31:26.55
One is when I lived in New York
City growing up, New York City
00:31:26.58\00:31:29.05
is better now as far as
it's--they're having a hard time
00:31:29.08\00:31:32.92
under the current times, but
they are better than back when I
00:31:32.95\00:31:37.43
was a kid.
00:31:37.46\00:31:39.69
You know, now when people walk
their dogs, they kind of clean
00:31:39.73\00:31:41.83
up after the dogs?
00:31:41.86\00:31:43.77
They didn't do that in New
York City, and they had a lot
00:31:43.80\00:31:45.67
of dogs.
00:31:45.70\00:31:48.30
And that just to
give you one example.
00:31:48.34\00:31:50.64
And the buses did not
have catalytic converters.
00:31:50.67\00:31:53.11
There was a lot
of smog in the city.
00:31:53.14\00:31:55.31
And you know, in our buildings
in New York City, we did not
00:31:55.34\00:31:58.18
take the trash out.
00:31:58.21\00:32:00.35
We went to the landing
and there was an incinerator.
00:32:00.38\00:32:02.75
We threw our garbage into a big
burner that was in the basement.
00:32:02.78\00:32:06.25
You can--from the 15th floor,
you could throw your garbage in
00:32:06.29\00:32:08.72
this chute, and you could hear
it go pop, pop, pop, pop, pop as
00:32:08.76\00:32:11.09
it fell down, poosh
into the incinerator.
00:32:11.13\00:32:13.43
You can open up the door and you
can feel the heat coming up from
00:32:13.46\00:32:16.00
the incinerator.
00:32:16.03\00:32:18.13
On top of all the apartment
buildings in New York, they
00:32:18.17\00:32:20.44
had incinerators.
00:32:20.47\00:32:22.67
And there was ashes in the city
on the street, it was a dirty
00:32:22.70\00:32:25.91
city back in the '60s
when I was living there.
00:32:25.94\00:32:29.74
I woke up one morning and
I thought, "Something weird
00:32:29.78\00:32:32.45
going on."
00:32:32.48\00:32:34.65
I couldn't hear anything.
00:32:34.68\00:32:36.55
Usually outside my window in New
York City, you always heard the
00:32:36.58\00:32:38.55
buses stopping and starting,
and the taxis honking, and the
00:32:38.59\00:32:43.19
people yelling,
and just always noise.
00:32:43.22\00:32:46.93
It was dead quiet.
00:32:46.96\00:32:49.40
I thought, "What happened?"
00:32:49.43\00:32:51.67
I went to the window, I looked
out, about a foot of snow had
00:32:51.70\00:32:54.00
fallen during the night.
00:32:54.04\00:32:56.37
And it
paralyzed all the traffic.
00:32:56.40\00:32:58.44
It may have been more than a
foot of snow, but there was no
00:32:58.47\00:33:00.71
vehicles were moving, there
were no snow plows out yet.
00:33:00.74\00:33:03.18
And it made everything so
quiet, it insulates noise.
00:33:03.21\00:33:06.28
And everything suddenly
went from dirty to pure.
00:33:06.31\00:33:09.95
And it was the most amazing
transformation, I'll never
00:33:09.98\00:33:12.39
forget that.
00:33:12.42\00:33:14.66
But then I had
another experience when I read
00:33:14.69\00:33:16.46
this verse.
00:33:16.49\00:33:18.73
I was in Maine, I was
going to school in Maine, and it
00:33:18.76\00:33:20.33
was wintertime.
00:33:20.36\00:33:22.13
And they were driving on the
snow in Maine, they knew how to
00:33:22.16\00:33:24.07
do that.
00:33:24.10\00:33:25.97
And I was going down the
road in a truck with one of
00:33:26.00\00:33:28.00
the teachers.
00:33:28.04\00:33:30.21
And we were on some school
errand to go to the store.
00:33:30.24\00:33:32.44
And we were driving by this
farm, and this beautiful gray
00:33:32.47\00:33:35.24
and white dog ran out as dogs
sometimes do to bark at trucks
00:33:35.28\00:33:38.35
that go by.
00:33:38.38\00:33:40.62
And it slid on the ice,
and it slid under the truck.
00:33:40.65\00:33:44.59
It normally
probably would've been fine.
00:33:44.62\00:33:47.06
And we hit it.
00:33:47.09\00:33:49.06
But we didn't
kill it right away.
00:33:49.09\00:33:50.89
And we felt terrible.
00:33:50.93\00:33:52.79
We hit it, and it went and
tumbled out from underneath
00:33:52.83\00:33:54.63
the truck.
00:33:54.66\00:33:56.53
And we pulled over and went out,
and the dog was on the snow, and
00:33:56.56\00:33:58.37
it was looking up to us,
and it was badly wounded, and it
00:33:58.40\00:34:00.27
was bleeding.
00:34:00.30\00:34:02.50
And the red blood on the
white snow, I'll never forget
00:34:02.54\00:34:04.84
that picture.
00:34:04.87\00:34:07.11
And we watched it, it
died there in front of us.
00:34:07.14\00:34:09.91
And I just think about the
contrast of the steaming red
00:34:09.94\00:34:13.78
blood on the white snow,
and how different it was.
00:34:13.82\00:34:17.12
Whenever I think about Jesus and
it says scarlet, "Though your
00:34:17.15\00:34:20.22
sins be as
scarlet," the white as snow.
00:34:20.26\00:34:22.79
I think because of the scarlet
blood of Jesus, our sins are
00:34:22.82\00:34:26.09
made white as snow.
00:34:26.13\00:34:28.56
And the contrast can't be
any greater between those two.
00:34:28.60\00:34:32.63
So, this is what he does for us.
00:34:32.67\00:34:35.24
And he says it
will be like wool.
00:34:35.27\00:34:37.77
And of course, they would--they
knew how to dye even white wool
00:34:37.81\00:34:41.51
to make it very white back then.
00:34:41.54\00:34:44.81
And so, God is saying doesn't
matter what your sins are,
00:34:44.85\00:34:47.35
though they are like scarlet.
00:34:47.38\00:34:49.92
It's interesting that Isaiah
wrote this and then one of the
00:34:49.95\00:34:53.46
most wicked kings in the world,
Manasseh, whose sins were very
00:34:53.49\00:34:56.52
much like scarlet, he
repented and God forgave him.
00:34:56.56\00:35:00.83
And then when he says, "Come
now, let us reason together,"
00:35:00.86\00:35:04.63
what does that mean?
00:35:04.67\00:35:06.87
Let's argue this out.
00:35:06.90\00:35:08.87
It's like Jesus said,
"What profit is there?"
00:35:08.90\00:35:11.31
He wants us to take into account
and think, use our noodle as
00:35:11.34\00:35:13.51
they used to say.
00:35:13.54\00:35:15.74
"Think about it.
00:35:15.78\00:35:17.68
I'm willing to forgive you."
00:35:17.71\00:35:20.22
In Revelation 3:18, "I counsel
you to buy of Me gold in the
00:35:20.25\00:35:22.85
fire that you might be rich, and
white garments that you might be
00:35:22.88\00:35:27.62
clothed, that the shame of your
nakedness may not be revealed."
00:35:27.66\00:35:32.09
And so, this white
represents the purity of
00:35:32.13\00:35:34.40
Christ's righteousness.
00:35:34.46\00:35:37.70
And then Isaiah 44, a similar
teaching, he says, "I have
00:35:37.73\00:35:40.47
blotted out like a thick
cloud your transgressions."
00:35:40.50\00:35:45.97
And you think not a cloud
of--you can always tell when you
00:35:46.01\00:35:48.84
see a fire on the horizon.
00:35:48.88\00:35:51.21
If the smoke is white,
it's usually a grass fire.
00:35:51.25\00:35:54.22
If the smoke is black, it could
be a car or a house because
00:35:54.25\00:35:56.62
there's toxins and things in
there that produce black smoke.
00:35:56.65\00:36:00.42
And so, when it's talking about
your sins are like a cloud, it's
00:36:00.46\00:36:05.16
talking about a
black cloud of sin.
00:36:05.19\00:36:08.33
Says God can make us pure.
00:36:08.36\00:36:11.30
Says, "Like a cloud, your
sins return to me, for I have
00:36:11.33\00:36:14.34
redeemed you."
00:36:14.37\00:36:16.87
All right, and then we're
going onto the section to eat or
00:36:16.91\00:36:19.91
be eaten.
00:36:19.94\00:36:21.74
This is Isaiah 1, verse 19.
00:36:21.78\00:36:23.98
"If you are willing and
obedient, you will eat the good
00:36:24.01\00:36:26.21
of the land."
00:36:26.25\00:36:28.15
So, when we come to the
Lord, what does He want from us?
00:36:28.18\00:36:30.29
A willingness.
00:36:30.32\00:36:32.25
Now, some of you might say, "You
know, I'm not sure I'm prepared
00:36:32.29\00:36:34.32
to make a Christian commitment.
00:36:34.36\00:36:36.83
I've got so many
changes I need to make.
00:36:36.86\00:36:39.06
I don't know if
I'm even willing."
00:36:39.09\00:36:41.10
You know what you can do?
00:36:41.13\00:36:42.86
You can pray that God will
make you willing to be willing.
00:36:42.90\00:36:45.30
I mean, everybody, you can
be willing to be made willing.
00:36:45.33\00:36:48.00
So, really
everybody's without excuse.
00:36:48.04\00:36:50.17
Say, "Lord, I--make me
willing to do Your will."
00:36:50.21\00:36:53.61
Says, "You will eat
the good of the land.
00:36:53.64\00:36:56.04
But if you refuse and rebel,"
sin is really rebellion, "you
00:36:56.08\00:36:58.58
will be devoured by the sword.
00:36:58.61\00:37:01.68
For the mouth of
the Lord has spoken."
00:37:01.72\00:37:03.89
And you know, they did refuse
and rebel, and the sword of the
00:37:03.92\00:37:06.19
Babylonians did ultimately come.
00:37:06.22\00:37:08.82
"How has the faithful
city has become a harlot.
00:37:08.86\00:37:11.46
It was full of justice."
00:37:11.49\00:37:13.60
Now, does Revelation
talk about a harlot city?
00:37:13.63\00:37:16.20
Revelation 17 and
Revelation 18, it does.
00:37:16.23\00:37:20.17
Jerusalem was to be God's bride,
calls her Zion, and now it says,
00:37:20.20\00:37:24.81
"You've become like a harlot."
00:37:24.84\00:37:27.11
"Your silver has become dross,
your wine mixed with water.
00:37:27.14\00:37:29.98
Your princes are rebellious
and companions of thieves.
00:37:30.01\00:37:33.45
Everyone loves bribes
and follows after rewards.
00:37:33.48\00:37:37.05
They do not defend the
fatherless, nor does the cause
00:37:37.09\00:37:40.56
of the widow come before them.
00:37:40.59\00:37:43.19
Therefore the Lord says, the
Lord of hosts, the mighty one of
00:37:43.22\00:37:45.96
Israel, 'Ah, I will rid Myself
of My adversaries, and I will
00:37:45.99\00:37:50.30
take vengeance on My enemies.
00:37:50.33\00:37:52.63
I will turn my hand against you,
and thoroughly purge away your
00:37:52.67\00:37:55.10
dross, and take away your alloy.
00:37:55.14\00:37:57.77
I will restore your judges as
the first, and your counselors
00:37:57.81\00:38:00.58
as at the beginning.
00:38:00.61\00:38:02.88
Afterward, you will be called
the city of righteousness and
00:38:02.91\00:38:05.41
the faithful city.
00:38:05.45\00:38:07.58
Zion shall be redeemed
with justice, and her penitents
00:38:07.62\00:38:10.15
with righteousness.
00:38:10.19\00:38:12.32
The destruction and
transgression of sinners shall
00:38:12.35\00:38:14.42
be together.
00:38:14.46\00:38:16.86
And those who forsake
the Lord will be consumed.
00:38:16.89\00:38:19.46
For they will be ashamed as
the terebinth trees which you
00:38:19.49\00:38:21.76
have desired.'"
00:38:21.80\00:38:23.77
They were
worshiping under these trees.
00:38:23.80\00:38:26.13
"And you will be embarrassed
because of the gardens," where
00:38:26.17\00:38:28.54
they have their idols,
"which you have chosen.
00:38:28.57\00:38:31.01
For you will be as a terebinth
whose leaf fades, and as a
00:38:31.04\00:38:33.51
garden that has no water.
00:38:33.54\00:38:35.78
The strong shall be as tinder,
and the work of it as a spark."
00:38:35.81\00:38:40.05
It's talking about judgment
coming, like the tinder and
00:38:40.08\00:38:41.95
the spark.
00:38:41.98\00:38:43.32
"Both will burn together,
and no one will quench them."
00:38:43.35\00:38:46.09
Isaiah and Jeremiah talked
about them struggling because of
00:38:46.12\00:38:50.69
judgment, and that they would be
burned with unquenchable fire.
00:38:50.73\00:38:54.10
Now, did this
prophecy of Isaiah come true?
00:38:54.10\00:38:57.00
Because they did not turn.
00:38:57.03\00:38:59.23
They temporarily repented during
the reign of Hezekiah and they
00:38:59.27\00:39:02.04
found some deliverance then.
00:39:02.07\00:39:04.64
And even during
the reign of Josiah.
00:39:04.67\00:39:09.31
But then ultimately, the
Babylonians came and destroyed
00:39:09.34\00:39:12.01
the city.
00:39:12.05\00:39:14.92
And the last section here,
we've just got a couple minutes,
00:39:14.95\00:39:17.52
Isaiah chapter 5.
00:39:17.55\00:39:19.75
Now, we're jumping from Isaiah 1
to chapter 5 'cause we're doing
00:39:19.79\00:39:21.92
these things in segments.
00:39:21.96\00:39:24.56
And verse 1 through 7, "Now
let me sing to my well beloved a
00:39:24.59\00:39:27.86
song of my beloved."
00:39:27.93\00:39:30.27
By the way, Isaiah writes many
of his prophecies in poetry.
00:39:30.30\00:39:34.00
And you know, something is
lost when you go from Hebrew
00:39:34.04\00:39:36.97
to English.
00:39:37.01\00:39:39.94
You know, if I tell you a
poem in English, roses are red,
00:39:39.97\00:39:43.91
violets are blue, whatever,
there'll usually be some rhyme
00:39:43.95\00:39:46.95
to it.
00:39:46.98\00:39:48.98
But when you take the poetry
from one language to another,
00:39:49.02\00:39:52.15
sometimes you lose
some of the rhyme of it.
00:39:52.19\00:39:55.52
But this was
written often in poetry.
00:39:55.56\00:39:59.16
And it's a lot more beautiful,
I understand, in the Hebrew.
00:39:59.19\00:40:03.20
"Let me sing to my well beloved
a song of my beloved regarding
00:40:03.23\00:40:06.90
his vineyard.
00:40:06.94\00:40:09.17
My well beloved has a vineyard."
00:40:09.20\00:40:11.37
Now, where do you find something
about my well beloved in
00:40:11.41\00:40:13.54
a vineyard?
00:40:13.58\00:40:15.51
Isn't that also in what
they call Canticles, the Song
00:40:15.54\00:40:17.71
of Solomon?
00:40:17.75\00:40:19.98
"On a very fruitful hill.
00:40:20.02\00:40:22.08
And he dug it up and he cleared
out its stones, and he planted
00:40:22.12\00:40:24.15
it with the choicest vine.
00:40:24.19\00:40:26.19
He built a tower in its midst,
and he also made a winepress in
00:40:26.22\00:40:28.92
it, so he expected it
to bring forth good grapes.
00:40:28.96\00:40:32.19
But it brought
forth wild grapes.
00:40:32.23\00:40:35.73
And now, O inhabitants of
Jerusalem and men of Judah,
00:40:35.76\00:40:38.80
judge please
between me and my vineyard.
00:40:38.83\00:40:41.77
What more could have been done
to my vineyard that I have not
00:40:41.80\00:40:44.44
done in it?
00:40:44.47\00:40:46.61
Why then, when I expected it to
bring forth good grapes, did it
00:40:46.64\00:40:48.51
bring forth wild grapes?"
00:40:48.54\00:40:50.95
Can you think of a parable
in Luke chapter 13, where Jesus
00:40:50.98\00:40:53.42
talks about a man that had a fig
tree planted in his vineyard?
00:40:53.45\00:40:59.15
And it didn't
bring forth any fruit.
00:40:59.19\00:41:01.56
And the owner said, "Just cut
it down, it's taking up ground.
00:41:01.59\00:41:04.46
These are fruitless trees."
00:41:04.49\00:41:06.83
And he said, "Oh,
give it one more year."
00:41:06.86\00:41:08.73
The gardener said, "Let me dig
around it, let me fertilize it,
00:41:08.76\00:41:11.47
I'll irrigate it, and
then hopefully it'll bring
00:41:11.50\00:41:13.84
forth fruit.
00:41:13.87\00:41:15.84
I'll do everything that
can possibly be done, let's
00:41:15.87\00:41:17.47
be patient."
00:41:17.51\00:41:19.27
And so, God is so patient
with his people back then.
00:41:19.31\00:41:21.51
And is he patient
with his people now?
00:41:21.54\00:41:23.71
I'm not sure, but it could be
true that the worldliness that
00:41:23.75\00:41:28.08
existed in the church in the
days of Isaiah might be existing
00:41:28.12\00:41:31.15
in the church
today, what do you think?
00:41:31.19\00:41:35.22
Was there warnings that came
they had to repent or there'd
00:41:35.26\00:41:38.56
be judgment?
00:41:38.59\00:41:41.30
Yeah, "What more could
be done to my vineyard?
00:41:41.33\00:41:44.67
And now, O inhabitants
of Jerusalem, I'll tell you.
00:41:44.70\00:41:47.54
Why then, when I expected it
to bring forth good grapes, it
00:41:47.57\00:41:51.47
brought forth wild grapes?
00:41:51.51\00:41:53.61
Please let me tell you
what I will do to my vineyard.
00:41:53.64\00:41:56.08
I will take away its hedge."
00:41:56.11\00:41:58.28
The walls of
Jerusalem were broken down.
00:41:58.31\00:42:00.62
"And it shall be burned.
00:42:00.65\00:42:02.65
And I'll break down its wall,
and it will be trampled down.
00:42:02.68\00:42:04.89
I will lay it waste.
00:42:04.92\00:42:07.06
It will not be pruned or dug,
and there will come up briers
00:42:07.09\00:42:09.26
and thorns.
00:42:09.29\00:42:11.69
And I'll also command the clouds
that they do not rain upon it,
00:42:11.73\00:42:14.10
for the vineyard of the Lord
of hosts is the house of Israel,
00:42:14.13\00:42:16.97
and the men of Judah
are its pleasant plant.
00:42:17.00\00:42:20.07
He looked for justice,
but behold, oppression.
00:42:20.10\00:42:22.80
And he looked for righteousness,
but behold, a cry."
00:42:22.84\00:42:26.84
He said that there'd be judgment
because the vineyard did
00:42:26.88\00:42:29.24
not turn.
00:42:29.28\00:42:31.18
Now, this happened twice.
00:42:31.21\00:42:33.31
God's people were judged, the
very prophecy that Isaiah made
00:42:33.35\00:42:35.42
came true in the days of the
Babylonians, Jeremiah, when the
00:42:35.45\00:42:41.16
city was destroyed, the wall was
destroyed, everything was burnt.
00:42:41.19\00:42:45.66
It was thorns came up on
the land of Judah and Jerusalem.
00:42:45.69\00:42:49.73
He restored them,
gave them another chance.
00:42:49.76\00:42:54.64
And after the teaching of
Christ, Jesus' message was very
00:42:54.67\00:42:57.21
much like that of Isaiah.
00:42:57.24\00:42:59.74
He said, "This generation will
not pass away until there won't
00:42:59.77\00:43:02.04
be left one stone upon another."
00:43:02.08\00:43:04.31
The same thing happened again.
00:43:04.35\00:43:06.41
Now, has God changed?
00:43:06.45\00:43:08.68
He's calling again
for His church to repent.
00:43:08.72\00:43:10.99
And I think that
message is going out.
00:43:11.02\00:43:13.39
What did Jesus say to the--you
read in Matthew chapter 20 and
00:43:13.42\00:43:16.09
chapter 22, he tells these
parables about the vineyard
00:43:16.12\00:43:19.56
workers, who abuse the owner of
the vineyard, and they did not
00:43:19.59\00:43:24.67
give him the fruit.
00:43:24.70\00:43:27.00
And he gives two or three
parables about the vineyard.
00:43:27.04\00:43:29.74
And I think he's pointing back
to that passage there in Isaiah
00:43:29.77\00:43:32.34
chapter 5.
00:43:32.37\00:43:33.81
The vineyard
represents the house of God.
00:43:33.84\00:43:35.44
Well, I hope you got something
out of our introduction
00:43:35.48\00:43:37.35
to Isaiah.
00:43:37.38\00:43:38.95
And I want to remind you if you
tuned in a little late, we have
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a free offer that's available
to everybody, and it's called
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"The Point of No Return."
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This is a great book, it talks
about how do you--how do you get
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the point of no return
like in the unpardonable sin?
00:43:50.29\00:43:52.86
And what is the
unpardonable sin?
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You'll really enjoy
this book by Joe Crews.
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And if you like a free copy, you
can download it by texting SH051
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to 40544.
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And that--ask for
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The number is 866-788-3966.
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That's 866-STUDY-MORE.
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God bless you, friends.
00:44:16.38\00:44:18.59
Lord willing, we will study the
next lesson in Isaiah next week.
00:44:18.62\00:44:20.66
male announcer: Don't forget
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share it with others.
00:44:53.19\00:44:56.36
announcer: Amazing
Facts, changed lives.
00:44:59.96\00:45:06.10
male: It was--it
was ongoing with me.
00:45:08.30\00:45:10.41
I would get up and drink.
00:45:10.44\00:45:12.34
I would go to work and drink.
00:45:12.37\00:45:13.81
I would come home and drink.
00:45:13.84\00:45:15.51
And that was--that
was my way of life.
00:45:15.54\00:45:18.31
I had an older sister, and in
2008, we received a phone call
00:45:18.35\00:45:23.02
from her husband saying that she
was involved in a very serious
00:45:23.05\00:45:26.02
home accident.
00:45:26.05\00:45:27.99
She had fallen
outside on her patio.
00:45:28.02\00:45:30.99
It was a concrete patio, and she
hit her head because she was in
00:45:31.03\00:45:36.00
a drunken stupor.
00:45:36.03\00:45:37.87
And she needed emergency brain
surgery because of the trauma
00:45:37.90\00:45:41.64
that she had suffered.
00:45:41.67\00:45:43.64
And so, they were able to stop
the bleeding in her brain, but
00:45:43.67\00:45:46.84
her organs started
shutting down one by one.
00:45:46.88\00:45:50.35
So here I was, you know, hadn't
had a drink, being a full blown
00:45:50.38\00:45:53.85
alcoholic myself, hadn't had
a drink in probably a full day,
00:45:53.88\00:45:58.72
which was, you
know, a lifetime for me.
00:45:58.75\00:46:01.66
And during the time we were
watching there and they said
00:46:01.69\00:46:03.59
that she wasn't going to make
it, and we had made the decision
00:46:03.63\00:46:06.19
as a group, you know, with her
children present and her husband
00:46:06.23\00:46:08.66
that they were just going
to go ahead and pull the plug.
00:46:08.70\00:46:11.77
During that time, watching her
fade away, God forgive me, but I
00:46:11.80\00:46:15.04
sat there asking her to die
fast so I could go get a drink.
00:46:15.07\00:46:22.28
And you know, I didn't even see
it then, I didn't see how bad I
00:46:22.31\00:46:25.88
was at that time.
00:46:25.91\00:46:27.65
But you know, I look back at
it now and it just tears me up.
00:46:27.68\00:46:33.39
Alcohol, that's
what it does to you.
00:46:33.42\00:46:36.29
I was walking out to go to work
one morning with my breakfast,
00:46:36.32\00:46:39.46
which was a six pack of beer.
00:46:39.49\00:46:42.26
And as I was climbing into
my truck, it just hit me that it
00:46:42.30\00:46:46.17
was enough.
00:46:46.20\00:46:48.97
So I turned around, I took the
six pack of beer, and I threw it
00:46:49.00\00:46:52.07
in the trash can, and I went
and told my wife I needed help.
00:46:52.11\00:46:55.78
And there's two things I
never do, ask for help and throw
00:46:55.81\00:46:58.55
away beer.
00:46:58.58\00:47:01.22
And you know, thank
God I was able to do both.
00:47:01.25\00:47:04.69
Well, when I finally got to the
hospital, and they came and got
00:47:04.72\00:47:08.12
me and took me in.
00:47:08.16\00:47:10.83
And when they did a blood
alcohol on me, they had to do it
00:47:10.86\00:47:13.70
twice because they weren't
quite sure it was right, but it
00:47:13.73\00:47:16.06
was 0.38.
00:47:16.10\00:47:18.87
They were all amazed I was
even able to walk in there, let
00:47:18.90\00:47:21.34
alone, you
know, being conscious.
00:47:21.37\00:47:24.04
It was about two months after
I'd got out of treatment and
00:47:24.07\00:47:26.37
starting my fresh life.
00:47:26.41\00:47:28.74
I had left home, left my wife,
and I was going to start my new
00:47:28.78\00:47:31.05
life of sobriety, and she
wasn't going to be a part of it.
00:47:31.08\00:47:34.12
So I moved out and I was on
my way to the store one morning
00:47:34.15\00:47:37.59
when I was T-boned, broadsided
by an oncoming SUV on the
00:47:37.62\00:47:43.43
driver's side door of my truck.
00:47:43.46\00:47:46.59
And this driver was doing
an estimated 65 to 70 miles
00:47:46.63\00:47:49.33
an hour.
00:47:49.36\00:47:51.53
And he smacked on
my side of the door.
00:47:51.57\00:47:53.60
I woke up in the
passenger seat of the truck.
00:47:53.64\00:47:56.47
And I remember coming to and
hearing people standing outside,
00:47:56.50\00:47:59.71
"Look, he's still alive."
00:47:59.74\00:48:02.24
There was hairline fractures
in my pelvis and there was a
00:48:02.28\00:48:04.81
compression
fracture in my spine.
00:48:04.85\00:48:07.28
And so, on all intents and
purposes, I walked away from an
00:48:07.32\00:48:10.22
accident I had
no business living.
00:48:10.25\00:48:12.89
Well, with a broken back, I
wasn't allowed to be vertical
00:48:12.92\00:48:15.36
for but very
short periods of time.
00:48:15.39\00:48:18.43
And I wasn't very mobile with
a fractured pelvis, so I was
00:48:18.46\00:48:22.70
forced to move back home.
00:48:22.73\00:48:25.80
And you know, thank God I've got
a stubborn wife who was willing
00:48:25.83\00:48:29.57
to take me back and
put up with all this.
00:48:29.60\00:48:32.97
During my recovery, the
only thing I could really do was
00:48:33.01\00:48:35.34
watch television.
00:48:35.38\00:48:37.48
And so, as I was thumbing
through the channels, I noticed
00:48:37.51\00:48:39.78
a gentleman.
00:48:39.81\00:48:42.25
And I happened to stop because
he was proclaiming that you
00:48:42.28\00:48:45.42
can't prove biblically that
the Sabbath was changed from
00:48:45.45\00:48:47.96
Saturday to Sunday and
that it's not biblical.
00:48:47.99\00:48:51.26
I thought, "Well, you know
what, I think I can do this."
00:48:51.29\00:48:55.53
You know, so I took up my Bible
and I did something strange to
00:48:55.56\00:48:58.27
me, which was actually study.
00:48:58.30\00:49:01.10
You know, and over the course of
several months of watching this
00:49:01.14\00:49:04.27
man, who I would later discover
was Pastor Doug Batchelor, I
00:49:04.31\00:49:08.18
started trying to disprove
everything he was saying.
00:49:08.21\00:49:13.78
And the more I read and the more
I studied, the more I found out
00:49:13.82\00:49:17.12
that not only could I not
disprove it, I was believing it.
00:49:17.15\00:49:23.02
I realized it was the truth.
00:49:23.06\00:49:25.56
Then I started soaking up
everything that "Amazing Facts"
00:49:25.59\00:49:28.60
had--I was at their website,
you know, doing all the reading,
00:49:28.63\00:49:30.43
I was looking at
the Sabbath truths.
00:49:30.47\00:49:32.43
I was, you know, downloading,
streaming everything they had,
00:49:32.47\00:49:35.57
and I was really, really getting
it, and it helped me so much.
00:49:35.60\00:49:39.51
Over a process of about three
months while studying, you know,
00:49:39.54\00:49:43.98
with Doug Batchelor and the
"Amazing Facts" team and then,
00:49:44.01\00:49:46.88
you know, of course my Bible.
00:49:46.92\00:49:49.32
But over that three months, I
had fallen in love with Christ
00:49:49.35\00:49:53.36
like I had never had before.
00:49:53.39\00:49:55.46
And not only was my back and
my pelvis healed, but my soul
00:49:55.49\00:49:58.76
was healed.
00:49:58.79\00:50:00.76
And I experienced an emotional
and a mental healing that, you
00:50:00.80\00:50:06.13
know, I had been
longing for, for years.
00:50:06.17\00:50:10.91
I've got to do something.
00:50:10.94\00:50:13.11
What do I do next?
00:50:13.14\00:50:14.81
So, I looked up in the phone
book and I found the number for
00:50:14.84\00:50:16.75
the local pastor.
00:50:16.78\00:50:18.28
I called him and I said,
"Hi, my name is Brian, I've just
00:50:18.31\00:50:20.22
been converted.
00:50:20.25\00:50:21.68
Where do I go?"
00:50:21.72\00:50:23.62
And the poor guy was like,
"Brian, it's nice to meet you.
00:50:23.65\00:50:25.82
Converted from
what and go where?"
00:50:25.85\00:50:28.79
I said, "That's
what I want to know."
00:50:28.82\00:50:31.43
But we had a little laugh
over that and he thought it
00:50:31.46\00:50:33.13
was funny.
00:50:33.16\00:50:34.56
And before we knew it, I was,
you know, heart and soul into
00:50:34.60\00:50:37.60
this little church.
00:50:37.63\00:50:39.23
And I was studying with the
pastor and decided, you know, I
00:50:39.27\00:50:43.00
want to be baptized,
I want to be rebaptized.
00:50:43.04\00:50:46.07
And we thought, "Great."
00:50:46.11\00:50:47.94
So, I did some study, and we
agreed that I was going to be
00:50:47.98\00:50:53.15
baptized on this date.
00:50:53.18\00:50:55.25
Well, the next morning, my wife
asked me and said, "You realize
00:50:55.28\00:50:57.25
what day this is?"
00:50:57.29\00:50:58.99
I said, "Well, it's Sabbath."
00:50:59.02\00:51:00.86
And you know, Sabbath was
amazing in itself, but she said,
00:51:00.89\00:51:04.13
"Look at the calendar."
00:51:04.16\00:51:05.83
And when I looked at the
calendar, on that day was my one
00:51:05.86\00:51:08.36
year anniversary of my sobriety.
00:51:08.40\00:51:11.00
I was being baptized
one year after being sober.
00:51:11.03\00:51:14.47
And I just thought, you
know, there's no such thing
00:51:14.50\00:51:16.54
as coincidence.
00:51:16.57\00:51:18.11
That was just amazing
God would work that for me.
00:51:18.14\00:51:19.97
God has done amazing things with
my life, and I have to give Him,
00:51:20.01\00:51:23.61
you know, all the credit because
short of just responding, you
00:51:23.65\00:51:30.12
know, I've done nothing.
00:51:30.15\00:51:32.49
And it's been Him, and it's just
pleasure, absolute pleasure be
00:51:32.52\00:51:35.56
called a child of God.
00:51:35.59\00:51:38.89
I am really thankful that God
used "Amazing Facts" television
00:51:38.93\00:51:41.93
program and Pastor Doug
Batchelor to make a change in
00:51:41.96\00:51:45.10
my life.
00:51:45.13\00:51:47.07
announcer: Together, we have
spread the gospel much farther
00:51:50.51\00:51:53.48
than ever before.
00:51:53.51\00:51:55.78
Thank you for your support.
00:51:55.81\00:51:59.15
announcer: Amazing
Facts, changed lives.
00:52:05.99\00:52:10.23
Ruben: You know, we grew up in
a neighborhood up in the Midwest
00:52:14.50\00:52:17.23
that was a
pretty bad neighborhood.
00:52:17.27\00:52:20.04
And when I became a
teenager, I started using drugs.
00:52:20.07\00:52:24.01
I was on--I started using meth
when I was, like, I think 16,
00:52:24.04\00:52:27.41
15, something like that.
00:52:27.44\00:52:29.84
I was having some problems in my
life I really didn't know how to
00:52:29.88\00:52:32.35
deal with.
00:52:32.38\00:52:35.05
The only thing I
really knew was violence.
00:52:35.08\00:52:37.95
So, this night here, I was going
to inflict violence on myself.
00:52:37.99\00:52:41.79
I was really high and really
depressed, so I took--you know,
00:52:41.82\00:52:45.83
I had this .40 caliber.
00:52:45.86\00:52:48.13
So, I remember I put one in the
chamber, and I stuck it to the
00:52:48.16\00:52:49.96
side of my head like this.
00:52:50.00\00:52:53.13
And that gun had a
hair-trigger, you know?
00:52:53.17\00:52:56.44
And I remember I was tapping it
because a part of me said, "No,
00:52:56.47\00:53:01.21
I don't want to do this," but
there was something very evil
00:53:01.24\00:53:04.98
present there saying, "Do it."
00:53:05.01\00:53:07.62
I just said to myself, I
said, "God, if You're real, show
00:53:07.65\00:53:11.65
yourself to me."
00:53:11.69\00:53:15.69
My mother took me into church
when I was a little kid, and we
00:53:15.72\00:53:19.63
used to sing "Jesus Loves Me."
00:53:19.66\00:53:22.16
And I remembered that song.
00:53:22.20\00:53:24.57
I started playing it in my mind,
and almost had like a vision of
00:53:24.60\00:53:28.07
me as a little kid.
00:53:28.10\00:53:32.27
You know, in Sabbath school,
we used to bang those sticks
00:53:32.31\00:53:37.75
together and
sing "Jesus Loves Me."
00:53:37.78\00:53:43.59
And I heard that in my mind.
00:53:43.62\00:53:47.26
So, I just said, "Wow."
00:53:47.29\00:53:52.36
So, I just kind of, like, put
the gun down, and I kind of fell
00:53:52.39\00:53:55.00
on my bedside
there, and I said, "Lord."
00:53:55.03\00:53:59.27
I just basically just
prayed this crazy prayer.
00:53:59.30\00:54:01.94
I said--you know, I told
Him everything that was wrong
00:54:01.97\00:54:04.21
with me.
00:54:04.24\00:54:06.17
And I remember one day, I
was driving around, I kind of
00:54:06.21\00:54:07.94
felt lost.
00:54:07.98\00:54:10.01
And I drove by this church, and
I'd seen Tom out there, Tom was
00:54:10.05\00:54:11.98
just out there
watering the flowers, you know?
00:54:12.01\00:54:14.95
Tom: So, I caught a vision out
of the side of my eye of this
00:54:14.98\00:54:19.02
big, husky guy with
the tattoos walking up.
00:54:19.05\00:54:22.79
And he's saying hello, and I
said--so, I asked him if I could
00:54:22.82\00:54:27.66
help him.
00:54:27.73\00:54:30.03
And he told me that he drives
by the church on occasion, and
00:54:30.07\00:54:34.64
every time he goes by, he's
thinking that he should stop in.
00:54:34.67\00:54:38.87
Ruben: After he showed me around
the church, you know, I was
00:54:38.91\00:54:43.35
like, "Okay, man, it's nice
meeting you," and this and that.
00:54:43.38\00:54:47.32
So, I jumped in my car
and I started heading down
00:54:47.35\00:54:50.22
the driveway.
00:54:50.25\00:54:52.72
And the next thing you know, in
like my peripheral vision, I see
00:54:52.75\00:54:55.62
him coming around the
corner, like Jerry Rice running
00:54:55.66\00:54:59.36
a football.
00:54:59.39\00:55:01.80
No, not that fast, but you know,
he was taking off after me.
00:55:01.83\00:55:05.63
And he says, "Hey,
hey, hey, hold on, hold on."
00:55:05.67\00:55:08.40
Tom: I asked him if he would
like to have some Bible studies,
00:55:08.44\00:55:10.67
and he said yeah.
00:55:10.71\00:55:13.34
Ruben: He would come by the
house, and we'd all start--we'd
00:55:13.38\00:55:15.44
start hiding the beer
cans and trying to air out the
00:55:15.48\00:55:18.05
weed smell.
00:55:18.08\00:55:20.42
And there was a
presence that came with Tom that
00:55:20.45\00:55:22.85
was comforting.
00:55:22.88\00:55:25.32
You know what I mean?
00:55:25.35\00:55:27.52
Even though I wasn't taking the
Bible studies as serious as I
00:55:27.56\00:55:29.76
should have looking back, there
was just a presence about him
00:55:29.79\00:55:33.13
being there in the
house that was comforting.
00:55:33.16\00:55:37.37
I told Tom, I said, "Tom, you
know, you can't win everybody."
00:55:37.40\00:55:40.50
Tom: I looked at him and I knew.
00:55:40.54\00:55:42.84
I said to him,
"Ruben, I never get anybody."
00:55:42.87\00:55:47.21
I said, "It's the Holy
Spirit who will do that."
00:55:47.24\00:55:51.28
And I kind of in my heart knew
that the Holy Spirit was going
00:55:51.31\00:55:54.72
to work on Ruben.
00:55:54.75\00:55:56.95
Ruben: So, then Tom kind of
left the picture for a while.
00:55:56.99\00:56:00.09
And then I think one day at
my mother's house, they were
00:56:00.12\00:56:02.69
watching "The Final
Events of Bible Prophecy."
00:56:02.72\00:56:05.53
So, I watched that, and I
remember the scene where they
00:56:05.56\00:56:11.20
had the hellfire and stuff.
00:56:11.23\00:56:15.57
You know, they're outside the
city, and it showed the hellfire
00:56:15.60\00:56:19.61
coming down and
burning people and stuff.
00:56:19.64\00:56:23.14
And I remember saying to
myself, "That's where I would be
00:56:23.18\00:56:26.18
right there."
00:56:26.21\00:56:28.75
After the hellfire scene, I saw
the saints, and the city, and
00:56:28.78\00:56:33.82
the New Jerusalem, and
Jesus recreating the earth.
00:56:33.86\00:56:38.99
And I said, "I want
that to be me and my family."
00:56:39.03\00:56:46.13
There was something about
the way Doug preached and things
00:56:46.17\00:56:48.47
that I felt that touched me.
00:56:48.50\00:56:51.57
Because he's kind of like
myself, you know, he's--he
00:56:51.61\00:56:56.68
didn't--he didn't
grow up like that.
00:56:56.71\00:57:00.05
You know, he'd done drugs and
things, so I kind of found these
00:57:00.08\00:57:03.02
common grounds
that I had with him.
00:57:03.05\00:57:05.62
And I liked how he just
kind of, like, kept it real with
00:57:05.65\00:57:07.82
his preaching.
00:57:07.86\00:57:09.92
And then Pastor Rodney came
to the church, and I got to know
00:57:09.96\00:57:13.36
him very well, and we started
doing some finishing studies.
00:57:13.40\00:57:18.00
He wanted to make sure I
understand what I was doing and
00:57:18.03\00:57:21.37
things, and baptized
me, my wife, my brother.
00:57:21.40\00:57:25.87
No matter what you've
done, where you come from, where
00:57:25.91\00:57:30.91
you've been, no matter how bad
of a sinner you think you are,
00:57:30.95\00:57:35.02
the Lord Jesus loves you
no matter what you've done.
00:57:35.05\00:57:40.46
Doug: Friends, it's because of
God's blessing and your support
00:57:40.49\00:57:43.22
thousands of others, just
like Ruben, have found Jesus and
00:57:43.26\00:57:46.29
eternal life.
00:57:46.33\00:57:50.60
คคค
00:57:50.63\00:57:57.11