The Bible tells us, "In
the beginning was the Word,
00:00:01.36\00:00:03.73
and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God."
00:00:03.77\00:00:08.07
It says to,
"Receive with meekness
00:00:08.10\00:00:10.31
the implanted Word,
00:00:10.34\00:00:11.87
which is able
to save your souls.
00:00:11.91\00:00:14.18
And to be diligent to present
yourself approved to God,
00:00:14.21\00:00:18.08
rightly dividing
the Word of truth."
00:00:18.11\00:00:20.98
Join us now for the
3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
00:00:21.02\00:00:25.92
Our study today is,
"The Least of These."
00:00:25.95\00:00:29.32
Hello, friends, welcome to
our 3ABN Sabbath School panel.
00:00:34.10\00:00:38.40
If you've been tuning in,
00:00:38.43\00:00:39.77
we thank you for
your consistency.
00:00:39.80\00:00:41.27
We also thank
you for your prayers
00:00:41.30\00:00:43.10
and your financial
support of this network
00:00:43.14\00:00:44.84
which we believe is
anointed of the Lord
00:00:44.87\00:00:46.84
to do a work that He
alone receives the praise for.
00:00:46.88\00:00:50.05
And the Sabbath School
panel has become in your words
00:00:50.08\00:00:53.31
one of the
favorite programs on 3ABN,
00:00:53.35\00:00:55.18
but keep praying for us
because this is not a tiptoe
00:00:55.22\00:00:58.32
through the tulip work,
00:00:58.35\00:00:59.69
it's a diligent
work that we praise God
00:00:59.72\00:01:02.02
to be involved in.
00:01:02.06\00:01:03.53
Today, we're talking
about the cry of the prophets.
00:01:03.56\00:01:06.63
And this is a
particularly challenging lesson
00:01:06.66\00:01:09.33
because when you think
of prophets in the Bible,
00:01:09.36\00:01:11.30
they have had a
diligent work to do.
00:01:11.33\00:01:13.23
God has anointed
them to do something
00:01:13.27\00:01:14.87
that was not
something that was preferential,
00:01:14.90\00:01:17.97
but it was, in fact, mandatory.
00:01:18.01\00:01:20.14
And when you follow God,
00:01:20.18\00:01:21.51
you cannot make decisions about
00:01:21.54\00:01:22.88
what to say and what not to say.
00:01:22.91\00:01:24.68
So follow us today,
we're going to be talking about
00:01:24.71\00:01:26.85
something that's
really important.
00:01:26.88\00:01:28.58
And it all fits into
the context of how God
00:01:28.62\00:01:31.25
has been involved in
repairing a broken earth
00:01:31.29\00:01:34.06
through work, through justice,
00:01:34.09\00:01:35.99
through taking care
of the needs of the poor,
00:01:36.02\00:01:38.43
through relationships
that have been bound together
00:01:38.46\00:01:41.33
that have been fractured over
the course of human history.
00:01:41.36\00:01:44.27
And each of us today has
a lesson that will address
00:01:44.30\00:01:47.07
the cry of the
prophets in particular.
00:01:47.10\00:01:49.57
But first of all,
let's meet our panel.
00:01:49.60\00:01:51.17
To my immediate
left is Mollie Steenson.
00:01:51.21\00:01:52.94
Always good to have you back.
00:01:52.97\00:01:54.61
Thank you. Thank you.
It's a joy to be here.
00:01:54.64\00:01:56.75
And you're Mollie,
isn't that what they call it?
00:01:56.78\00:01:58.61
I'm afraid, there are
Alabama-isms, I don't know.
00:01:58.65\00:02:02.35
Good to have you here. Thank you
00:02:02.38\00:02:03.72
And, Shelley, how're you doing?
00:02:03.75\00:02:05.09
I'm doing great.
00:02:05.12\00:02:06.45
Always a pleasure to be here
00:02:06.49\00:02:07.82
and learn from each
and every one of you.
00:02:07.86\00:02:09.62
That's right and
the man with the plan,
00:02:09.66\00:02:12.63
Pastor Ryan
Day, good to see you.
00:02:12.66\00:02:14.73
It's good to be here,
Brother. That's right.
00:02:14.76\00:02:16.10
I appreciate you all the
gifts God has given to you.
00:02:16.13\00:02:17.93
Praise the Lord for that.
00:02:17.97\00:02:19.33
And, Jill, the list lady.
00:02:19.37\00:02:22.40
I always look for that list.
00:02:22.44\00:02:23.91
I know I'm redundant on that,
00:02:23.94\00:02:25.27
but I
appreciate every bit of it.
00:02:25.31\00:02:26.64
It's a privilege to be here
00:02:26.68\00:02:28.01
and to learn
from each one of you
00:02:28.04\00:02:29.44
and to study God's Word.
00:02:29.48\00:02:30.81
That's right,
and we're going to do
00:02:30.85\00:02:32.18
nonetheless today.
00:02:32.21\00:02:33.55
But we need the
power that is not
00:02:33.58\00:02:34.92
something that's
resident within us.
00:02:34.95\00:02:36.65
So bow your heads as I ask Jill
00:02:36.69\00:02:38.59
to take us before
the Lord in prayer.
00:02:38.62\00:02:40.76
Holy Father, we come
before You in the name of Jesus,
00:02:40.79\00:02:43.32
and we just thank You
for the gift of Your Word.
00:02:43.36\00:02:46.33
Thank you for the
gift of Your Spirit.
00:02:46.36\00:02:48.73
And we just ask right now
that You would tune our hearts
00:02:48.76\00:02:51.93
and our minds
00:02:51.97\00:02:53.30
that we would
receive what You have for us
00:02:53.34\00:02:56.50
in Jesus' name, amen.
00:02:56.54\00:02:58.47
Amen. Amen.
00:02:58.51\00:02:59.84
The cry of the
prophets, the memory text.
00:02:59.87\00:03:02.84
And by the way to
get a copy of the lesson,
00:03:02.88\00:03:04.31
let me just let you know that.
00:03:04.35\00:03:05.81
Go to the following
website ABSG.Adventist.org
00:03:05.85\00:03:10.95
and download a copy.
00:03:10.99\00:03:12.32
But if you don't
have access to a computer,
00:03:12.35\00:03:14.99
or if you prefer a live audience
00:03:15.02\00:03:18.26
where you can study together,
00:03:18.29\00:03:19.63
go to your local
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:03:19.66\00:03:21.36
Just type it in
Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:03:21.40\00:03:23.33
and Lord will lead you
00:03:23.37\00:03:24.73
and you'll find not
only wonderful fellowship,
00:03:24.77\00:03:26.90
but solid Bible students.
00:03:26.94\00:03:29.37
The cry of the prophets.
Let's look at our memory text.
00:03:29.40\00:03:32.21
It comes from the
Book of Micah 6:8.
00:03:32.24\00:03:35.48
You know, Old
Testament prophets,
00:03:35.51\00:03:37.85
I just take my hat off to them.
00:03:37.88\00:03:41.38
When you look at the
declaration of Stephen
00:03:41.42\00:03:43.39
just by the time he
was about to be stoned...
00:03:43.42\00:03:47.12
Yes.
00:03:47.16\00:03:48.49
He ran through, he
literally summarized
00:03:48.52\00:03:51.86
the work of the prophets
00:03:51.89\00:03:53.36
and how God used
prophets through the ages
00:03:53.40\00:03:56.30
as constant calibration
of the journey of His people.
00:03:56.33\00:04:00.64
But look at the words
of Micah the Prophet here.
00:04:00.67\00:04:02.84
Micah 6:8, "He has shown
you, O man, what is good,
00:04:02.87\00:04:08.11
and what does the
Lord require of you
00:04:08.14\00:04:10.75
but to do justly, to love mercy,
00:04:10.78\00:04:13.72
and to walk
humbly with your God?
00:04:13.75\00:04:16.35
Amen.
00:04:16.38\00:04:17.72
When you think of prophets,
00:04:17.75\00:04:19.09
we often think of
bearded men on grey,
00:04:19.12\00:04:22.26
but then when
you read the Bible,
00:04:22.29\00:04:23.73
and you hear Jeremiah says,
00:04:23.76\00:04:25.09
"I'm too young,
I'm just but a youth."
00:04:25.13\00:04:27.26
When you think of the call
00:04:27.30\00:04:28.63
of some of the prophets
and the kings of Israel,
00:04:28.66\00:04:30.90
some of them began to
reign when they were 16
00:04:30.93\00:04:33.27
and others when they were eight.
00:04:33.30\00:04:34.80
And I'm thinking,
00:04:34.84\00:04:36.17
I wouldn't even
give the car keys
00:04:36.20\00:04:38.01
to the lawnmower
to an eight year old.
00:04:38.04\00:04:40.91
Am I right? Absolutely.
00:04:40.94\00:04:42.28
Just take out the garbage,
00:04:42.31\00:04:43.65
that's about all I'm
gonna trust you with.
00:04:43.68\00:04:45.31
But the Lord has seen
in His wisdom to choose men
00:04:45.35\00:04:48.78
before they were molded
by the influences of world
00:04:48.82\00:04:51.95
and put them under His tutelage
00:04:51.99\00:04:53.66
and develop their
minds and mold their minds.
00:04:53.69\00:04:55.76
I think of Uzziah,
00:04:55.79\00:04:59.63
how Uzziah began to
reign when he was 16 years old.
00:04:59.66\00:05:02.70
Well, some 16
year olds get excited
00:05:02.73\00:05:04.33
when they get their
own room for the first time
00:05:04.37\00:05:06.74
but he reigned for 52
years and what a beautiful life.
00:05:06.77\00:05:09.70
But it says of him,
00:05:09.74\00:05:11.07
he was marvelously
helped until he became great.
00:05:11.11\00:05:14.91
So what I want
to point out today
00:05:14.94\00:05:16.28
in the very beginning
of any role of leadership
00:05:16.31\00:05:18.38
that anybody is
called to leadership.
00:05:18.41\00:05:20.88
Don't ever let your
greatness get to the place
00:05:20.92\00:05:23.89
where you use God's
tools to rob God of His glory.
00:05:23.92\00:05:28.12
That's a
dangerous thing and Uzziah,
00:05:28.16\00:05:30.89
when you think
about the reforms.
00:05:30.93\00:05:32.66
And years ago,
00:05:32.69\00:05:34.03
I always remember that
text in Isaiah Chapter 6,
00:05:34.06\00:05:36.97
where it says, "In the
year that King Uzziah died,
00:05:37.00\00:05:40.60
I saw the Lord
sitting on His throne,
00:05:40.64\00:05:43.57
high and lifted up."
00:05:43.61\00:05:45.07
And it baffled me
until one day I decided,
00:05:45.11\00:05:47.51
why is Isaiah
talking about Uzziah?
00:05:47.54\00:05:50.91
And I looked at his life.
00:05:50.95\00:05:52.61
And it was
amazing how God called him
00:05:52.65\00:05:54.15
and that man's
life was a trajectory
00:05:54.18\00:05:55.85
of success after
success after success
00:05:55.88\00:05:58.69
until one day his success
00:05:58.72\00:06:00.36
became the God
that he worshiped.
00:06:00.39\00:06:02.76
And when he denied God's rebuke,
00:06:02.79\00:06:05.49
leprosy broke
out on his forehead
00:06:05.53\00:06:07.20
and the Bible talks
about two famous lepers.
00:06:07.23\00:06:09.73
Naaman was a leper, but
the Bible says of Uzziah,
00:06:09.76\00:06:12.50
he is a leper, and he
died in the house of leprosy.
00:06:12.53\00:06:15.70
So the day, the most,
00:06:15.74\00:06:17.31
the greatest danger
in a prophet's life...
00:06:17.34\00:06:19.84
And by the way, another
word for prophet is preacher,
00:06:19.87\00:06:22.04
a proclaimer
00:06:22.08\00:06:23.41
because
prophets were to proclaim
00:06:23.45\00:06:24.78
things to come.
00:06:24.81\00:06:26.15
And today, you
know, the gift of prophecy
00:06:26.18\00:06:27.98
is not just a
gift, it prophesies
00:06:28.02\00:06:29.82
to give trajectories
00:06:29.85\00:06:31.19
of what's
happening in the future.
00:06:31.22\00:06:32.55
But it's also a
gift to proclamation,
00:06:32.59\00:06:34.39
proclaiming the Word of God.
00:06:34.42\00:06:36.09
And so despite God's
clearly detailed plan
00:06:36.12\00:06:38.59
for the Israelite nation,
00:06:38.63\00:06:40.30
they just ignore the
prophets over and over and over,
00:06:40.33\00:06:43.03
and they fell into the
category or chasm I would say,
00:06:43.06\00:06:46.63
of the request that we're going
to look now in 1 Samuel 8:5,
00:06:46.67\00:06:50.54
it fell into this chasm
00:06:50.57\00:06:52.77
that brought them
untold failure in leadership.
00:06:52.81\00:06:57.85
And I'm referring now
00:06:57.88\00:06:59.21
to the
recurring call to justice,
00:06:59.25\00:07:02.12
which is our Sunday's lesson.
00:07:02.15\00:07:05.39
Notice the
request of the Israelites.
00:07:05.42\00:07:08.66
And they're speaking
to Samuel by the way,
00:07:08.69\00:07:10.83
"And they said to him,"
verse 5, "look, you are old."
00:07:10.86\00:07:16.77
Now I don't want
to even run past that
00:07:16.80\00:07:18.20
because an old prophet is
better than a young prophet
00:07:18.23\00:07:20.34
without wisdom.
00:07:20.37\00:07:22.47
Come on, Mollie,
can I get an amen?
00:07:22.50\00:07:23.84
Amen.
00:07:23.87\00:07:25.21
An old prophet is
better than a young prophet
00:07:25.24\00:07:27.44
without wisdom.
00:07:27.48\00:07:28.81
There're certain things,
00:07:28.84\00:07:30.18
I remember when
I was in New Guinea
00:07:30.21\00:07:32.11
years ago and I, I
viewed in a community
00:07:32.15\00:07:35.72
up in the mountains of
New Guinea, I was watching,
00:07:35.75\00:07:37.59
and they had these
reoccurring circles,
00:07:37.62\00:07:39.55
small circle, larger,
larger, larger and larger,
00:07:39.59\00:07:42.92
and I noticed that
the ones on the outer ring
00:07:42.96\00:07:45.59
were the younger boys,
00:07:45.63\00:07:47.16
and it seems like
the ages increased as
00:07:47.20\00:07:49.83
the ring got smaller.
00:07:49.86\00:07:51.53
And I couldn't help and ask,
00:07:51.57\00:07:52.90
what, what's
this ring all about?
00:07:52.93\00:07:55.67
And they said, "The
older man, the wiser man
00:07:55.70\00:07:58.54
sits in the
center of the circle.
00:07:58.57\00:08:00.44
You have to earn the
right to get close to him."
00:08:00.48\00:08:02.81
Amen.
00:08:02.84\00:08:04.58
Because his age brought wisdom
00:08:04.61\00:08:06.78
that the younger
men couldn't appreciate,
00:08:06.82\00:08:08.58
yet they earned the right
to get close to that circle.
00:08:08.62\00:08:11.52
And so when they came and sat up
00:08:11.55\00:08:12.89
for their daily
lessons, they sat on their ring,
00:08:12.92\00:08:15.82
and they surrounded
00:08:15.86\00:08:17.19
and when you, you have to earn
00:08:17.23\00:08:18.56
the right to get
close to that older man.
00:08:18.59\00:08:21.13
And in our society like America,
00:08:21.16\00:08:24.40
we put older people in buildings
00:08:24.43\00:08:26.20
and say they are, they
have passed their usefulness.
00:08:26.23\00:08:28.77
But Samuel, they told him
the same thing, you are old,
00:08:28.80\00:08:31.84
and your sons don't,
do not walk in your ways.
00:08:31.87\00:08:35.04
Now make us a king to
judge us, like all the nations.
00:08:35.08\00:08:38.71
And boy, did they get a king?
00:08:38.75\00:08:41.48
Did they get a king?
00:08:41.52\00:08:43.05
He was tall and handsome.
00:08:43.08\00:08:45.25
He was everything
that the eye could have.
00:08:45.29\00:08:47.76
But what was on the
outside did not match
00:08:47.79\00:08:50.96
what was on the inside.
00:08:50.99\00:08:52.73
And look at 1 Samuel 8:10-18.
00:08:52.76\00:08:56.90
What was Samuels' warning
00:08:56.93\00:08:58.27
to the people in response
to their request for a king?
00:08:58.30\00:09:00.57
Now, I want to read this
because there are many of you,
00:09:00.60\00:09:02.67
you might be in a
church where you're saying,
00:09:02.70\00:09:04.04
you know, this is the
kind of pastor we need.
00:09:04.07\00:09:06.91
And we get
committees together now,
00:09:06.94\00:09:08.28
they talk about the
kind of pastor they want.
00:09:08.31\00:09:10.11
They predesigned pastors.
00:09:10.15\00:09:11.78
And sometimes when
the pastor shows up
00:09:11.81\00:09:13.31
that begins to become
the pastor in your church,
00:09:13.35\00:09:15.08
you say, "That's
not what we asked for."
00:09:15.12\00:09:17.22
Well, you know what
I've discovered, panel.
00:09:17.25\00:09:19.49
We could ask for what...
00:09:19.52\00:09:20.86
We could ask for something,
but God knows what we need.
00:09:20.89\00:09:23.43
Amen.
00:09:23.46\00:09:24.79
And so, if the
Lord sends you somebody
00:09:24.83\00:09:26.66
that doesn't
match your preferences,
00:09:26.70\00:09:30.40
God knows your need
rather than your preferences.
00:09:30.43\00:09:34.67
1 Samuel 8:10-18 notice this.
00:09:34.70\00:09:37.54
"So Samuel told all the
words of the Lord to the people
00:09:37.57\00:09:40.34
who asked him for a king.
00:09:40.38\00:09:42.08
And he said, 'This will
be the behavior of the king
00:09:42.11\00:09:45.48
who will reign over you."
00:09:45.51\00:09:46.85
He says, "I
know about this guy."
00:09:46.88\00:09:49.08
"He will take your
sons and appoint them
00:09:49.12\00:09:51.39
for his own chariots
and to be his horsemen,
00:09:51.42\00:09:55.29
and some will run
before his chariots."
00:09:55.32\00:09:57.36
Notice, he is a
self-centered man.
00:09:57.39\00:09:59.26
"He will appoint
captains over his thousands
00:09:59.29\00:10:02.23
and captains over his fifties,
00:10:02.26\00:10:04.47
will set some to plow his ground
00:10:04.50\00:10:07.37
and reap his harvest."
00:10:07.40\00:10:08.74
Do you see his self-centeredness
00:10:08.77\00:10:10.94
of his leadership?
00:10:10.97\00:10:12.47
"And some to make
his weapons of war
00:10:12.51\00:10:14.84
and equipment for his chariots."
00:10:14.88\00:10:18.28
And then it gets even worse.
00:10:18.31\00:10:19.65
"He will take your daughters
00:10:19.68\00:10:21.12
to be perfumers,
cooks, and bakers.
00:10:21.15\00:10:23.75
And he will take
the best of your fields,
00:10:23.79\00:10:26.19
your vineyards,
and your olive groves,
00:10:26.22\00:10:28.36
and give them to his servants.
00:10:28.39\00:10:30.56
He will take a
tenth of your grain
00:10:30.59\00:10:32.59
and your vintage,
00:10:32.63\00:10:34.00
and give it to his
officers and servants.
00:10:34.03\00:10:36.77
And he will take
your male servants,
00:10:36.80\00:10:38.80
your female servants,
your finest young men,
00:10:38.83\00:10:41.44
your donkeys, and
put them to his work.
00:10:41.47\00:10:45.07
He will take a
tenth of your sheep.
00:10:45.11\00:10:47.18
And you will be his servants.
00:10:47.21\00:10:49.04
And you will cry out in that day
00:10:49.08\00:10:51.05
because of your king whom
you have chosen for yourselves,
00:10:51.08\00:10:54.75
and the Lord will not
hear you in that day.'
00:10:54.78\00:10:57.49
" What a rebuke. Yeah.
00:10:57.52\00:10:59.32
Well, you know,
the story of Saul.
00:10:59.35\00:11:01.36
And there are two
things in the Bible
00:11:01.39\00:11:02.76
that are reoccurring,
two reoccurring statements
00:11:02.79\00:11:04.96
that I want to
share with you right now.
00:11:04.99\00:11:06.53
Go to 2 Kings 12:2,
00:11:06.56\00:11:09.06
this is the first one.
00:11:09.10\00:11:10.83
2 Kings 12:2.
00:11:10.87\00:11:12.73
My wife and I, we love
studying our Bible together.
00:11:12.77\00:11:15.54
And this was something
that, we have a new Bible,
00:11:15.57\00:11:17.84
I'm highlighting
and highlighting it.
00:11:17.87\00:11:19.37
But, Jill, read 2 Kings 12:2,
and notice the statement here.
00:11:19.41\00:11:23.14
"Jehoash did what was
right in the sight of the Lord
00:11:23.18\00:11:25.48
all the days in which Jehoiada
the priest instructed him."
00:11:25.51\00:11:29.42
Okay, he was not
afraid to take instruction.
00:11:29.45\00:11:32.25
And what kind of life did he do?
00:11:32.29\00:11:33.86
He did what was
right in whose sight?
00:11:33.89\00:11:36.42
Sight of the Lord. In
the sight of the Lord.
00:11:36.46\00:11:38.39
Many people look
right in your sight.
00:11:38.43\00:11:41.26
But in the sight of the Lord
is a question, who are they?
00:11:41.30\00:11:44.30
And that's the thing
that we must always exemplify,
00:11:44.33\00:11:46.90
not how people perceive
us, but how God perceives us.
00:11:46.94\00:11:50.71
Amen. That's right.
00:11:50.74\00:11:52.07
A workman that
needeth not to be ashamed.
00:11:52.11\00:11:54.08
Who is he approved unto?
00:11:54.11\00:11:55.81
He is approved unto God.
00:11:55.84\00:11:57.48
One of my favorite devotional,
Oswald Chambers says,
00:11:57.51\00:11:59.78
"If we live our lives
wanting to be approved unto God,
00:11:59.81\00:12:02.58
we will be approved unto men."
00:12:02.62\00:12:04.69
If you live a life
that's just approved unto men,
00:12:04.72\00:12:07.02
you will not necessarily
be approved unto God.
00:12:07.06\00:12:09.32
He did what was right
in the sight of the Lord.
00:12:09.36\00:12:11.36
O would that be
your desire to do
00:12:11.39\00:12:13.03
what was right in
the sight of the Lord.
00:12:13.06\00:12:14.40
We can easily
impress the masses,
00:12:14.43\00:12:16.36
but are we right in
the sight of the Lord?
00:12:16.40\00:12:18.53
And 1 Kings 15:34.
00:12:18.57\00:12:21.47
Whoever gets there first,
read that, well, 1 Kings 15:34.
00:12:21.50\00:12:25.47
I'm just winding mine up
on a very important point.
00:12:25.51\00:12:28.64
Go ahead.
00:12:28.68\00:12:30.01
"He did evil in
the sight of the Lord,
00:12:30.05\00:12:31.81
and walked in
the way of Jeroboam,
00:12:31.85\00:12:34.22
and in his sin by which
he had made Israel sin."
00:12:34.25\00:12:37.95
These are the two parodies
00:12:37.99\00:12:40.02
in the life of the
kings and leaders of Israel.
00:12:40.06\00:12:42.79
And Samuel,
Saul, Solomon, David,
00:12:42.82\00:12:45.46
they all fall into these,
one of these two categories.
00:12:45.49\00:12:47.96
He did evil in
the sight of the Lord.
00:12:48.00\00:12:49.90
And let me just
go ahead and segue
00:12:49.93\00:12:51.60
to the next day on this note.
00:12:51.63\00:12:53.90
I did, I want to spend some time
00:12:53.94\00:12:55.34
on the important
values of leadership.
00:12:55.37\00:12:57.97
It is not what we
do in the sight of men
00:12:58.01\00:13:00.14
that determine greatness,
00:13:00.18\00:13:02.08
but what we do in
the sight of the Lord.
00:13:02.11\00:13:04.48
And what promise
has the Lord made to us?
00:13:04.51\00:13:06.28
1 John 3:22.
00:13:06.31\00:13:08.22
"And whatever we
ask, we receive from him,"
00:13:08.25\00:13:11.99
but here are the conditions,
00:13:12.02\00:13:13.52
"because we keep
His commandments,
00:13:13.56\00:13:15.69
and do those things
00:13:15.72\00:13:17.06
that are pleasing in His sight."
00:13:17.09\00:13:18.43
Amen.
00:13:18.46\00:13:19.79
The judgment will be
in Ecclesiastes 12:14,
00:13:19.83\00:13:22.86
"For God will bring
every work into judgment,
00:13:22.90\00:13:25.33
including every secret thing,
00:13:25.37\00:13:27.44
whether it be good,
or whether it be evil."
00:13:27.47\00:13:30.87
Amen. Mollie.
00:13:30.91\00:13:32.24
Well, I have Amos, so
go to the Book of Amos.
00:13:32.27\00:13:36.21
And let's just look at
what Amos says about himself.
00:13:36.24\00:13:41.85
And so, I think I
want to say it this way,
00:13:41.88\00:13:45.02
because he reminds me of me.
00:13:45.05\00:13:48.12
He says, "Look out,
00:13:48.16\00:13:50.33
I'm not a prophet, nor
I'm the son of a prophet."
00:13:50.36\00:13:53.76
But God has given
me a message for you
00:13:53.80\00:13:56.20
and I wanna give it to you.
00:13:56.23\00:13:57.57
So let me read that for you.
00:13:57.60\00:13:59.03
It's, "I was neither a prophet
nor the son of a prophet,"
00:13:59.07\00:14:02.74
that's Amos 7:14-15,
"but I was a shepherd.
00:14:02.77\00:14:06.81
And I also took care
of sycamore or fig tree.
00:14:06.84\00:14:10.71
But the Lord took me
00:14:10.75\00:14:12.25
from tending the
flock and said to me,
00:14:12.28\00:14:14.82
'Go prophesy to my people.'
00:14:14.85\00:14:18.02
" So now, what
does a prophet do?
00:14:18.05\00:14:21.29
Amos tells us in 7:8,
"The Lord says to Amos,
00:14:21.32\00:14:27.30
'Behold, I am
setting a plumb line
00:14:27.33\00:14:30.93
in the midst of
My people Israel."
00:14:30.97\00:14:34.57
Now, here's what a prophet does.
00:14:34.60\00:14:37.34
Does a prophet
usually come, Pastor Lomacang,
00:14:37.37\00:14:40.31
with a good
message for the people?
00:14:40.34\00:14:43.21
Why does God send the
prophet in the first place?
00:14:43.24\00:14:46.58
The plumb,
you're at plumb, what?
00:14:46.61\00:14:49.25
When you drop a plumb line,
00:14:49.28\00:14:51.65
what's the
purpose of the plumb line?
00:14:51.69\00:14:53.39
So you build a wall and
you drop the plumb line,
00:14:53.42\00:14:56.06
what does the
plumb line show you?
00:14:56.09\00:14:57.43
Straight line.
00:14:57.46\00:14:58.79
Either the wall is
straight or the wall is crooked.
00:14:58.83\00:15:01.30
So God sends His prophets
00:15:01.33\00:15:03.57
to walk right down
the middle of our churches
00:15:03.60\00:15:06.40
and drop a plumb line.
00:15:06.43\00:15:08.00
Now, in the nation of Israel,
00:15:08.04\00:15:10.31
they could do and we
see it all through history
00:15:10.34\00:15:15.01
where God would send
a prophet to a people,
00:15:15.04\00:15:20.72
and He will
drop that plumb line,
00:15:20.75\00:15:22.75
and the people had
one of two choices.
00:15:22.78\00:15:25.09
They could straighten the
wall or they killed the prophet.
00:15:25.12\00:15:29.72
Now, how many times
did they kill the prophet?
00:15:29.76\00:15:31.89
Because straightening the
wall rarely ever seem to be
00:15:31.93\00:15:35.16
what the people wanted to do.
00:15:35.20\00:15:37.03
So it's interesting to
know that Amos prophesies
00:15:37.07\00:15:41.87
during a period
of time in Israel
00:15:41.90\00:15:44.41
when Israel was doing great.
00:15:44.44\00:15:47.18
Business was booming.
00:15:47.21\00:15:49.38
Their boundaries were bulging.
00:15:49.41\00:15:51.85
So on the surface,
00:15:51.88\00:15:54.22
it looked like
Israel was doing just fine.
00:15:54.25\00:15:57.92
There was money in
their bank account.
00:15:57.95\00:16:00.06
Their kids were behaving.
00:16:00.09\00:16:02.16
And so, they
were self-sufficient.
00:16:02.19\00:16:05.99
Okay.
00:16:06.03\00:16:08.33
What does God look at?
00:16:08.36\00:16:10.13
Does He look at the outward? No.
00:16:10.17\00:16:12.17
Okay, here's
where we get in trouble.
00:16:12.20\00:16:15.97
God looks below the surface.
00:16:16.00\00:16:18.17
In the nation of
Israel below the surface,
00:16:18.21\00:16:21.41
there was greed and injustice,
00:16:21.44\00:16:24.21
hypocritical religious motions
have replaced true worship,
00:16:24.25\00:16:29.42
which had created a
false sense of security
00:16:29.45\00:16:34.99
and growing callousness to God.
00:16:35.02\00:16:38.09
So Amos is given
a message from God
00:16:38.13\00:16:41.63
to go to the nation of Israel.
00:16:41.66\00:16:43.77
So I want to
delve into this message
00:16:43.80\00:16:47.40
that that Amos has
been sent to deliver.
00:16:47.44\00:16:52.74
Amos 1:3, "Thus
says the Lord..."
00:16:52.77\00:16:56.51
He begins on a popular note,
00:16:56.54\00:16:59.85
listing off the
surrounding nations
00:16:59.88\00:17:02.75
which are Syria, Philistia,
00:17:02.78\00:17:05.39
Phoenicia, Edom, Ammon, and Moab
00:17:05.42\00:17:07.92
detailing their
crimes and their atrocities
00:17:07.96\00:17:11.99
for which God will promise them.
00:17:12.03\00:17:14.60
He's speaking as an
oracle of God to Israel.
00:17:14.63\00:17:19.23
And you could just imagine
00:17:19.27\00:17:22.04
the Israelites
applauding these indictments
00:17:22.07\00:17:25.51
of their enemies,
00:17:25.54\00:17:27.31
particularly
since many of the crimes
00:17:27.34\00:17:30.15
of these nations,
the surrounding nations
00:17:30.18\00:17:33.45
that surrounded Israel,
00:17:33.48\00:17:35.58
these, their crimes had been
directed at Israel themselves.
00:17:35.62\00:17:40.46
Okay, then Amos moves
a little closer to home,
00:17:40.49\00:17:45.33
declaring God's judgment
against the people of Judah.
00:17:45.36\00:17:49.53
Israel seven neighbor, remember,
00:17:49.56\00:17:53.23
that the kingdom was split,
00:17:53.27\00:17:56.50
and there was a northern kingdom
00:17:56.54\00:17:58.91
and there was a
southern kingdom.
00:17:58.94\00:18:01.31
So Israel is the
northern kingdom,
00:18:01.34\00:18:04.75
Judah is the southern kingdom.
00:18:04.78\00:18:07.52
And so they had split obviously
00:18:07.55\00:18:09.62
because of
dissension between them.
00:18:09.65\00:18:12.09
So Israel's southern neighbor
is now the separated kingdom,
00:18:12.12\00:18:18.09
speaking on behalf of God,
00:18:18.13\00:18:20.26
Amos cites their
rejection of God,
00:18:20.30\00:18:23.30
not the northern
kingdom which Israel was,
00:18:23.33\00:18:26.60
but the southern
kingdom which Judah was.
00:18:26.63\00:18:29.80
Their
disobedience of his commands
00:18:29.84\00:18:31.91
and the punishment
that would come to them.
00:18:31.94\00:18:34.08
Again, we can just
imagine the Israelite people,
00:18:34.11\00:18:37.88
the people of
the northern kingdom.
00:18:37.91\00:18:40.62
They were
applauding, as Amos pointed out
00:18:40.65\00:18:43.69
the wrongdoing of the
people of the southern kingdom.
00:18:43.72\00:18:47.22
Now, do you remember
00:18:47.26\00:18:48.62
when Nathan the
Prophet came to King David?
00:18:48.66\00:18:51.59
Yes.
00:18:51.63\00:18:52.96
And he was ascribing
to him this situation.
00:18:52.99\00:18:57.23
Now, what he was really doing
00:18:57.27\00:18:58.63
was addressing
David's kin sin against Uriah.
00:18:58.67\00:19:02.94
But he gives a little story
00:19:02.97\00:19:07.14
of rich man had a lot of sheep,
00:19:07.18\00:19:11.28
and the poor man only had one.
00:19:11.31\00:19:13.48
And the rich man
was having a banquet.
00:19:13.52\00:19:16.38
And he rather
than going to his flock
00:19:16.42\00:19:18.62
went to the poor man
and got his one sheep.
00:19:18.65\00:19:21.29
Oh, how did David react to that?
00:19:21.32\00:19:23.09
Off with his head.
00:19:23.12\00:19:24.46
Off with his head,
but what did Nathan do?
00:19:24.49\00:19:27.00
He turned to David and he
said, "O thou art the man."
00:19:27.03\00:19:31.10
So now we have
the northern kingdom.
00:19:31.13\00:19:36.04
And they're
thinking, look at this.
00:19:36.07\00:19:39.64
Amos is here,
00:19:39.67\00:19:41.01
and he is prophesying against
all of these surrounding us.
00:19:41.04\00:19:44.68
He's prophesying
against that southern kingdom,
00:19:44.71\00:19:47.92
and they're feeling
good about themselves.
00:19:47.95\00:19:50.09
However, Nathan,
00:19:50.12\00:19:52.72
Amos is about to turn his
attention to his audience.
00:19:52.75\00:19:59.26
So Amos 3:1-3,
"Hear this word..."
00:19:59.29\00:20:02.56
Now, something I want
to say before I read this.
00:20:02.60\00:20:05.70
God can't seem to help Himself.
00:20:05.73\00:20:08.40
He can ascribe all of your sins
00:20:08.44\00:20:13.31
and the degradation and,
00:20:13.34\00:20:15.61
but He's always going to
give you that hand of hope.
00:20:15.64\00:20:19.11
Amen.
00:20:19.15\00:20:21.28
He just can't
seem to help Himself.
00:20:21.32\00:20:22.82
So here, Amos 3:1-3,
00:20:22.85\00:20:25.35
"Hear this word that the
Lord has spoken against you,
00:20:25.39\00:20:27.89
O children of Israel,
against the whole family
00:20:27.92\00:20:30.23
which I brought up from
the land of Egypt, saying:
00:20:30.26\00:20:32.63
'You only have I known
00:20:32.66\00:20:34.36
of all the
families of the earth,
00:20:34.40\00:20:36.06
therefore I will punish
you for your iniquities.'
00:20:36.10\00:20:39.53
Can two walk together,
unless they are agreed?"
00:20:39.57\00:20:42.54
Now Amos 5:1-4,
00:20:42.57\00:20:44.77
"Hear this word which
I take up against you,
00:20:44.81\00:20:47.61
a lamentation,
O house of Israel:
00:20:47.64\00:20:50.61
The virgin of Israel has fallen,
00:20:50.65\00:20:53.11
she will rise no more.
00:20:53.15\00:20:54.98
She lies forsaken on her land,
00:20:55.02\00:20:57.29
there is no one to raise her up.
00:20:57.32\00:20:59.25
For thus says the Lord God:
00:20:59.29\00:21:01.46
'The city that
go out by thousand
00:21:01.49\00:21:03.83
shall have a hundred left,
00:21:03.86\00:21:05.69
that which goes out by a hundred
00:21:05.73\00:21:08.23
shall have ten left
to the house of Israel.'
00:21:08.26\00:21:10.00
" Is He ascribing punishment
to the nation of Israel?
00:21:10.03\00:21:13.94
Yes, He is.
00:21:13.97\00:21:15.30
Look at verse 4,
00:21:15.34\00:21:16.84
"For thus says the Lord to
the house of Israel," what?
00:21:16.87\00:21:20.44
"Seek Me and live."
00:21:20.48\00:21:24.31
And verse 14.
00:21:24.35\00:21:27.88
Jump down to that.
00:21:27.92\00:21:29.45
Well, let's go to Amos 5:12-15,
00:21:29.48\00:21:31.82
For I know your
manifold transgressions
00:21:31.85\00:21:34.12
and your mighty
sins: afflicting the just
00:21:34.16\00:21:36.29
and taking bribes,
00:21:36.32\00:21:37.66
diverting the poor
from justice at the gate.
00:21:37.69\00:21:40.83
Therefore the prudent
keep silent at that time,
00:21:40.86\00:21:43.90
for it is an evil time."
00:21:43.93\00:21:46.30
Verse 14, "Seek good
not evil, that you may live,
00:21:46.33\00:21:50.64
so the Lord God of
hosts will be with you,
00:21:50.67\00:21:54.68
as you have spoken.
00:21:54.71\00:21:56.04
Hate evil, love good,
establish justice in the gate.
00:21:56.08\00:22:00.08
It may be that the Lord
God of hosts will be gracious
00:22:00.12\00:22:03.08
to the remnant of Joseph."
00:22:03.12\00:22:05.85
The last verses of Amos,
00:22:05.89\00:22:08.32
prophecy point to the future
restoration of God's people.
00:22:08.36\00:22:11.36
Now I want to read you
this quote from Sister White.
00:22:11.39\00:22:15.56
In Patriarchs and Prophets,
talking about this prophecy
00:22:15.60\00:22:18.83
that Amos
delivers to his people.
00:22:18.87\00:22:21.30
"Ten thousand unnoticed mercies
00:22:21.34\00:22:24.04
were silently falling in
the pathway of ungrateful
00:22:24.07\00:22:30.75
rebellious man.
00:22:30.78\00:22:32.38
Every blessing spoke
to them of the giver,
00:22:32.41\00:22:35.68
but they were
indifferent to His love.
00:22:35.72\00:22:38.62
They refused to
listen to the voice of God,
00:22:38.65\00:22:41.69
in His created works and
in the warnings, councils,
00:22:41.72\00:22:45.63
and reproves of His Word,
00:22:45.66\00:22:47.50
and thus he was forced to
speak to them through judgment.
00:22:47.53\00:22:53.20
Paul tells us in Romans
2:4 that it is the what?
00:22:53.23\00:22:57.77
The goodness of God
that leads us to repentance
00:22:57.81\00:23:01.81
but, and there is a but.
00:23:01.84\00:23:03.95
But if in our stubbornness
we refuse to repent,
00:23:03.98\00:23:08.65
God loves us so much,
00:23:08.68\00:23:11.39
He will bring
judgment to get our attention.
00:23:11.42\00:23:15.26
That is, I think a
powerful statement.
00:23:15.29\00:23:18.46
Oh, God loves us,
00:23:18.49\00:23:19.86
His hand of love and
mercy is always extended to us.
00:23:19.89\00:23:23.77
In their hour of deepest
apostasy and greatest need,
00:23:23.80\00:23:28.27
God's message to them was
one of forgiveness and hope.
00:23:28.30\00:23:35.04
What do we take
away from this, Jill?
00:23:35.08\00:23:37.71
There are times we need
to speak up address wrong,
00:23:37.75\00:23:43.15
but always do it with
love and a hand of hope.
00:23:43.18\00:23:47.26
Amen.
00:23:47.29\00:23:49.66
Mollie, I don't
know if it's a Mollie-ism
00:23:49.69\00:23:51.79
but when you said,
God can't help Himself.
00:23:51.83\00:23:53.80
He just can't.
00:23:53.83\00:23:55.16
I love that because
He loves us so much.
00:23:55.20\00:23:58.07
He cannot stop loving us.
00:23:58.10\00:23:59.60
I want you to think about
that as we take a short break,
00:23:59.63\00:24:02.57
and we'll be right back.
00:24:02.60\00:24:08.74
Ever wish you could watch
00:24:08.78\00:24:10.11
a 3ABN Sabbath
School Panel again,
00:24:10.15\00:24:12.25
or share it on
Facebook, Instagram or Twitter?
00:24:12.28\00:24:15.52
Well, you can by visiting
3abnsabbathschoolpanel.com.
00:24:15.55\00:24:20.39
A clean design makes it easy
00:24:20.42\00:24:22.86
to find the
program you're looking for.
00:24:22.89\00:24:25.06
There are also links to
the Adult Bible Study Guide
00:24:25.09\00:24:28.43
so you can follow along.
00:24:28.46\00:24:30.20
Sharing is easy.
00:24:30.23\00:24:31.57
Just click share and choose
your favorite social media.
00:24:31.60\00:24:34.84
Share a link, save
a life for eternity.
00:24:34.87\00:24:38.07
Welcome back.
00:24:42.14\00:24:43.48
We'll continue
in our lesson study
00:24:43.51\00:24:45.08
with Shelley Quinn
on the Prophet Micah.
00:24:45.11\00:24:48.12
And that is, I just loved
your lesson, Mollie, on Amos,
00:24:48.15\00:24:51.59
but if you just go
over a couple more books
00:24:51.62\00:24:53.92
and past Jonah, you
find the Prophet Micah.
00:24:53.96\00:24:57.29
And one thing I
wanted to say is that,
00:24:57.33\00:24:59.53
Micah and his contemporaries
00:24:59.56\00:25:01.43
were called the
grieving prophets of doom
00:25:01.46\00:25:05.83
because God was calling
His people to repentance.
00:25:05.87\00:25:09.47
They were willfully
breaking His covenant,
00:25:09.50\00:25:12.94
and God sent them down.
00:25:12.97\00:25:14.34
You know, the first
three chapters of Micah.
00:25:14.38\00:25:17.81
It's pretty much just expressing
00:25:17.85\00:25:20.28
the anger that God was feeling,
00:25:20.32\00:25:22.35
the sadness, the disappointment,
00:25:22.38\00:25:24.22
the anger against the evil
that the people had been doing.
00:25:24.25\00:25:29.52
And he sent Micah to just say,
00:25:29.56\00:25:32.26
hey, if you don't straighten up,
00:25:32.29\00:25:33.63
you've got
destruction coming your way.
00:25:33.66\00:25:35.20
So let's look at Micah 1:1.
00:25:35.23\00:25:38.27
Micah 1:1,
00:25:38.30\00:25:39.93
"The word of the
Lord that came to Micah
00:25:39.97\00:25:42.07
of Moresheth in the days
of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah,
00:25:42.10\00:25:46.31
kings of Judah,
00:25:46.34\00:25:48.28
which he saw concerning
Samaria and Jerusalem."
00:25:48.31\00:25:53.45
Now you talked about the
division of the kingdoms.
00:25:53.48\00:25:56.28
The capital of
the northern kingdom
00:25:56.32\00:25:58.95
was Samaria,
00:25:58.99\00:26:00.72
and they had fallen
into idolatry and immorality
00:26:00.76\00:26:04.66
so bad that God
marked the northern kingdom
00:26:04.69\00:26:10.50
for destruction and they were,
00:26:10.53\00:26:12.27
Assyria came in and
captured them in 722.
00:26:12.30\00:26:16.14
What was the capital
of the southern kingdom,
00:26:16.17\00:26:19.47
the kingdom of Judah?
00:26:19.51\00:26:21.04
The capital was Jerusalem.
00:26:21.08\00:26:22.54
That's right.
00:26:22.58\00:26:24.05
But worshiping Jerusalem
had degraded to the point
00:26:24.08\00:26:28.08
that they were just
mimicking pagan worship
00:26:28.12\00:26:31.59
that was in the north.
00:26:31.62\00:26:32.95
So these two
capitals basically represented
00:26:32.99\00:26:36.36
all of the entire
nations of Israel and Judah.
00:26:36.39\00:26:40.13
So understanding that,
let's look at Micah 2:8.
00:26:40.16\00:26:44.13
Micah 2:8.
00:26:44.17\00:26:47.54
And this is the Lord
speaking and he says,
00:26:47.57\00:26:50.11
"Lately My people
have risen up as an enemy,
00:26:50.14\00:26:53.51
you pull off the
robe with the garment
00:26:53.54\00:26:56.11
from those who trust
you, as they pass by,
00:26:56.14\00:27:00.05
like men returned from war.
00:27:00.08\00:27:03.89
The women of My people
00:27:03.92\00:27:05.25
you cast out from
their pleasant houses,
00:27:05.29\00:27:07.46
from their children you have
taken away My glory forever."
00:27:07.49\00:27:11.63
So what is he saying?
00:27:11.66\00:27:13.50
He's saying,
innocent folks are passing by,
00:27:13.53\00:27:16.90
and you greedy
oppressors are attacking them.
00:27:16.93\00:27:21.40
And you're the
enemy of the people.
00:27:21.44\00:27:24.11
You're evicting the
helpless widow from their homes,
00:27:24.14\00:27:28.58
and God's upset.
00:27:28.61\00:27:30.18
So he says in verse
10, "Arise and depart,
00:27:30.21\00:27:34.42
for this is not your
rest, because it is defiled,
00:27:34.45\00:27:38.92
it shall destroy, yes,
with utter destruction.
00:27:38.95\00:27:42.42
If a man should walk in a
false spirit and speak a lie,
00:27:42.46\00:27:45.66
saying, 'I will prophesy
to you of wine and drink,'
00:27:45.69\00:27:51.03
even he would be the
prattler of his peoples."
00:27:51.07\00:27:54.80
So what? Let's
unpack that a little bit.
00:27:54.84\00:27:58.07
The landlords were
rich, they were powerful,
00:27:58.11\00:28:02.14
they were wreaking havoc
on the people around them,
00:28:02.18\00:28:05.55
and devising schemes
to get the people's land.
00:28:05.58\00:28:10.02
They were depriving people
of their right to the property
00:28:10.05\00:28:13.22
which was against God's law.
00:28:13.25\00:28:15.49
But they had false prophets
that were popular in that day,
00:28:15.52\00:28:19.53
who were coming along,
saying, "Hey, you know,
00:28:19.56\00:28:24.00
he's the God of grace.
00:28:24.03\00:28:25.53
He's the God of goodness.
00:28:25.57\00:28:27.00
God wants you to enjoy
your wine, enjoy this."
00:28:27.04\00:28:30.77
They were focused
only on God's love,
00:28:30.81\00:28:35.34
His patience,
00:28:35.38\00:28:37.05
but they've forgotten to focus
00:28:37.08\00:28:38.98
on His holiness and His justice.
00:28:39.01\00:28:41.95
For don't we need,
you know, those prophets
00:28:41.98\00:28:44.52
were promising a
life of self indulgence,
00:28:44.55\00:28:47.96
the false prophets, a
life of self indulgence,
00:28:47.99\00:28:51.36
one that did not demand
righteousness and holiness.
00:28:51.39\00:28:54.76
How much do we hear
00:28:54.80\00:28:58.03
the false prophets of today
who were doing the same thing?
00:28:58.07\00:29:01.80
So Micah, you know,
God sends him to say,
00:29:01.84\00:29:06.41
"Hey, I'm a just
and righteous God.
00:29:06.44\00:29:10.38
And so, Micah comes
along to give the message.
00:29:10.41\00:29:13.72
So in Chapter 3 of Micah,
00:29:13.75\00:29:17.02
Micah Chapter 3,
let's begin with verse 8.
00:29:17.05\00:29:20.59
He says, this is
Micah speaking now.
00:29:20.62\00:29:23.32
And he says, "Truly
00:29:23.36\00:29:25.23
I am full of power by
the Spirit of the Lord,
00:29:25.26\00:29:28.83
and of justice and might,
00:29:28.86\00:29:31.63
to declare to
Jacob his transgression
00:29:31.67\00:29:35.10
and to Israel his sin.
00:29:35.14\00:29:38.01
Now hear this, you
heads of the house of Jacob
00:29:38.04\00:29:41.34
and rulers of
the house of Israel,
00:29:41.38\00:29:43.58
who abhor justice
and pervert all equity,
00:29:43.61\00:29:47.42
who build up Zion with bloodshed
00:29:47.45\00:29:50.09
and Jerusalem with iniquity:
00:29:50.12\00:29:52.82
Her heads judge for a bribe,
00:29:52.85\00:29:56.22
her priests teach for pay,
00:29:56.26\00:29:59.83
and her prophets
divine for money.
00:29:59.86\00:30:03.63
Yet they lean on the Lord,
00:30:03.67\00:30:06.23
and say, 'Is not
the Lord among us?
00:30:06.27\00:30:09.77
No harm can come upon us.'
00:30:09.80\00:30:12.51
Therefore because of you
00:30:12.54\00:30:15.04
Zion shall be
plowed like a field,
00:30:15.08\00:30:18.55
Jerusalem shall
become heaps of ruins,
00:30:18.58\00:30:22.28
and the mountain of the temple
00:30:22.32\00:30:24.39
like the bare
hills of the forest.'
00:30:24.42\00:30:28.16
" So God send Micah to
confront the political leaders,
00:30:28.19\00:30:32.33
the spiritual
leaders, the judicial leaders,
00:30:32.36\00:30:36.46
who they're perverting justice,
00:30:36.50\00:30:38.80
and they're
perverting God's Word.
00:30:38.83\00:30:41.00
And so, here God sends Micah,
00:30:41.04\00:30:44.14
and as I said, these
people had misinterpreted
00:30:44.17\00:30:49.01
God's patience with
them as His approval.
00:30:49.04\00:30:52.71
And because they
offered no justice,
00:30:52.75\00:30:55.18
God's saying, "Hey, I
want to hide My face from you."
00:30:55.22\00:30:58.85
God can't look
favorably upon sin.
00:30:58.89\00:31:01.79
So when His people,
00:31:01.82\00:31:04.19
when He sent Micah to
tell him this and, you know,
00:31:04.23\00:31:07.60
King Hezekiah repented
because of Micah's message.
00:31:07.63\00:31:12.17
We find that in Jeremiah 26:19,
00:31:12.20\00:31:16.47
Hezekiah brought
down every high place,
00:31:16.50\00:31:19.54
every stone altar and
every pole of Asherah.
00:31:19.57\00:31:23.55
But now, as you said,
00:31:23.58\00:31:25.51
God cannot help
Himself, Mollie Sue.
00:31:25.55\00:31:28.75
So let's look at the best part,
my favorite verses in Micah.
00:31:28.78\00:31:33.29
This is Micah 6:8.
00:31:33.32\00:31:35.06
"He has shown you,
O man, what is good,
00:31:35.09\00:31:38.16
and what does the
Lord require of you
00:31:38.19\00:31:40.66
but to do justly, to love mercy,
00:31:40.70\00:31:43.16
and to walk
humbly with your God?"
00:31:43.20\00:31:45.80
You know, God's people
were His covenant people.
00:31:45.83\00:31:48.67
They knew what
He required of them.
00:31:48.70\00:31:50.91
He had already shown
them what His standards were,
00:31:50.94\00:31:54.21
and the standards
were pretty simple,
00:31:54.24\00:31:55.98
do justly, love mercy,
walk with humility before Me.
00:31:56.01\00:32:00.35
And that just means,
walk depending on Me.
00:32:00.38\00:32:03.39
Humility is total dependence
upon God and upon His Spirit.
00:32:03.42\00:32:08.12
So God didn't
give up on His people.
00:32:08.16\00:32:11.19
Look at Micah 7
and we'll look...
00:32:11.23\00:32:15.03
This is, just
remember it this way.
00:32:15.06\00:32:17.33
Micah 7:8-9.
00:32:17.37\00:32:20.90
That's the way to remember,
00:32:20.94\00:32:22.27
this is one of my
favorite scriptures.
00:32:22.30\00:32:24.64
"Do not rejoice
over me, my enemy,
00:32:24.67\00:32:28.48
when I fall, I will arise,
00:32:28.51\00:32:30.45
when I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be a light to me.
00:32:30.48\00:32:34.58
I will bear the
indignation of the Lord,
00:32:34.62\00:32:36.65
because I have
sinned against Him,
00:32:36.69\00:32:38.65
until He pleads my case
00:32:38.69\00:32:42.42
and executes justice for me.
00:32:42.46\00:32:45.86
He will bring me
forth to the light,
00:32:45.89\00:32:48.40
I will see His righteousness."
00:32:48.43\00:32:52.17
See, God was giving
them all of these warnings
00:32:52.20\00:32:54.74
because He loved them.
00:32:54.77\00:32:56.37
And He's saying, "Hey,
if you just come to Me,
00:32:56.40\00:33:00.21
I want to turn things around.
00:33:00.24\00:33:01.78
You may fall down
one time, two times,
00:33:01.81\00:33:04.15
three times, four times,
00:33:04.18\00:33:05.61
however many
times you fall down,
00:33:05.65\00:33:07.65
you, I'll get you up again."
00:33:07.68\00:33:09.65
And going down to Micah 7:18.
00:33:09.68\00:33:15.62
And we're going to look at
two more verses, Micah 7:18-19.
00:33:15.66\00:33:21.26
And I can just hear
this prophet of doom,
00:33:21.30\00:33:25.23
this grieving prophet
who's been telling these people
00:33:25.27\00:33:29.17
in the first three
chapters, this message of, boy,
00:33:29.20\00:33:33.14
here's how bad you are.
00:33:33.17\00:33:34.51
Here's what God's judgment is,
00:33:34.54\00:33:35.98
this is what's going to
happen if you don't repent.
00:33:36.01\00:33:38.61
Listen what he says,
"Who is a God like You,
00:33:38.65\00:33:43.62
pardoning iniquity,"
I'm in Micah 7:18-19,
00:33:43.65\00:33:47.82
"Who is a God like
You, pardoning iniquity,
00:33:47.86\00:33:50.76
and passing over
the transgression
00:33:50.79\00:33:53.43
of the remnant of His heritage?
00:33:53.46\00:33:55.36
He does not
retain His anger forever
00:33:55.40\00:33:59.53
because He delights in mercy.
00:33:59.57\00:34:02.04
He will again
have compassion on us,
00:34:02.07\00:34:05.41
He will subdue our iniquities
00:34:05.44\00:34:08.88
and cast all of our sins
into the depths of the sea."
00:34:08.91\00:34:14.92
Micah found hope in
God's unchanging character.
00:34:14.95\00:34:18.32
Amen.
00:34:18.35\00:34:19.69
Micah knew that only God
could solve this sin problem.
00:34:19.72\00:34:23.43
And he knew
that God is gracious.
00:34:23.46\00:34:25.79
He remembers his covenant
with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
00:34:25.83\00:34:30.60
And we know that 1 John 1:9,
says, "If we confess our sins,
00:34:30.63\00:34:35.80
He is faithful and just to
forgive us of all of our sins
00:34:35.84\00:34:38.57
and cleanse us of
all unrighteousness.
00:34:38.61\00:34:41.91
Who is God like you, oh, God."
00:34:41.94\00:34:44.81
Amen. Amen.
00:34:44.85\00:34:46.25
Praise the Lord.
00:34:46.28\00:34:48.22
Well, my lesson is on Ezekiel.
00:34:48.25\00:34:51.09
So we're going to
continue on that theme.
00:34:51.12\00:34:54.56
But, you know, kind of
taking a few steps back.
00:34:54.59\00:35:00.63
Much of the Book of Ezekiel,
00:35:00.66\00:35:02.00
see, the Book of
Ezekiel is an incredible book.
00:35:02.03\00:35:04.40
It's kind of multifaceted.
00:35:04.43\00:35:05.77
There's much, much
that Ezekiel shares,
00:35:05.80\00:35:07.80
much of his visions,
00:35:07.84\00:35:09.40
very complex prophetic material.
00:35:09.44\00:35:12.21
But also much of
the Book of Ezekiel
00:35:12.24\00:35:15.21
is God speaking through Ezekiel,
00:35:15.24\00:35:18.08
calling out the
apostasy of His time.
00:35:18.11\00:35:21.32
Ezekiel the
Prophet along with Jeremiah
00:35:21.35\00:35:23.69
lived in what is,
00:35:23.72\00:35:25.05
I considered the height
of the apostasy of Israel.
00:35:25.09\00:35:28.12
And so when you consider,
00:35:28.16\00:35:30.16
you know, these
different transition
00:35:30.19\00:35:33.40
periods of time in
which Israel, or God's people,
00:35:33.43\00:35:36.56
or the nations of the
world were in great apostasy.
00:35:36.60\00:35:40.24
Many people think of,
00:35:40.27\00:35:41.60
you know, cities
like Sodom and Gomorrah
00:35:41.64\00:35:43.81
to be the height of the
great apostasy that, you know,
00:35:43.84\00:35:46.71
God brought a judgment
upon Sodom and Gomorrah.
00:35:46.74\00:35:48.84
And if we were to ask
a group of Christians,
00:35:48.88\00:35:50.71
this came from the study lesson.
00:35:50.75\00:35:52.25
If we were to ask
a group of Christians
00:35:52.28\00:35:53.72
about the sins of Sodom,
00:35:53.75\00:35:56.02
chances are many would
launch into a description
00:35:56.05\00:35:58.19
of its various sexual sins
and other forms of depravity.
00:35:58.22\00:36:01.82
And that is true
because when we think of that,
00:36:01.86\00:36:03.56
we think of that great apostate
state that Sodom and Gomorrah
00:36:03.59\00:36:07.63
was in that
eventually brought to its end.
00:36:07.66\00:36:10.40
But in
considering Ezekiel 16:49.
00:36:10.43\00:36:13.94
Notice what Ezekiel,
00:36:13.97\00:36:15.30
he brings about
a different element
00:36:15.34\00:36:18.41
to the sins of
Sodom and Gomorrah
00:36:18.44\00:36:20.61
that many of us
may not think of.
00:36:20.64\00:36:22.04
Again, Ezekiel 16:49,
00:36:22.08\00:36:26.51
the prophet writes, "Look,
00:36:26.55\00:36:28.58
this was the
iniquity of your sister Sodom:
00:36:28.62\00:36:32.42
She and her daughter
had pride, fullness of food,
00:36:32.45\00:36:37.03
and abundance of idleness,
00:36:37.06\00:36:39.26
neither did she strengthen
00:36:39.29\00:36:41.00
the hand of the poor and needy."
00:36:41.03\00:36:43.50
Okay.
00:36:43.53\00:36:44.87
And so we don't usually
think of Sodom and Gomorrah
00:36:44.90\00:36:46.80
in this particular way,
00:36:46.84\00:36:48.17
but it's almost
like Ezekiel's focus
00:36:48.20\00:36:50.61
is on the economic
injustice and lack of care
00:36:50.64\00:36:53.68
for those in need in
this particular aspect.
00:36:53.71\00:36:56.08
And the lesson
brings out this question,
00:36:56.11\00:36:57.81
I think it's a
fair question to ask.
00:36:57.85\00:36:59.65
Could it be that
in the eyes of God,
00:36:59.68\00:37:02.28
these economic sins were
just as bad as the sexual sins.
00:37:02.32\00:37:05.72
You know, sometimes in our own
humanistic minds, we like to,
00:37:05.75\00:37:08.32
you know, layer or, you
know, rank sins above another,
00:37:08.36\00:37:11.39
but in God's eyes, sin is sin.
00:37:11.43\00:37:13.09
And it doesn't
matter what type of sin
00:37:13.13\00:37:14.53
it separates you from the Lord.
00:37:14.56\00:37:16.30
And obviously Ezekiel highlights
00:37:16.33\00:37:18.87
the economic
injustice and the lack of care
00:37:18.90\00:37:21.47
for those who are in need.
00:37:21.50\00:37:23.74
Sodom and Gomorrah
00:37:23.77\00:37:25.11
very much
practiced that as well.
00:37:25.14\00:37:27.54
But I want to kind of
take a different turn,
00:37:27.58\00:37:29.88
because when you think of
these particular practices,
00:37:29.91\00:37:33.48
much of the aspects
of our lesson so far
00:37:33.52\00:37:35.82
have been on, you know,
00:37:35.85\00:37:37.89
the laity or the
general populace.
00:37:37.92\00:37:41.09
You think of just in general,
00:37:41.12\00:37:42.66
we're addressing
the fact that people
00:37:42.69\00:37:44.09
need to give more attention
to those who are in need.
00:37:44.13\00:37:48.50
But most of the
time, we don't think
00:37:48.53\00:37:50.57
they're putting much
thought into or expecting
00:37:50.60\00:37:53.07
the leadership of the church
00:37:53.10\00:37:55.10
who are lacking
in this area greatly.
00:37:55.14\00:37:57.27
And it was through
the Prophet Ezekiel
00:37:57.31\00:37:58.91
that we see that God
highlights this problem
00:37:58.94\00:38:01.71
even within the
leadership of God's Church.
00:38:01.74\00:38:03.24
I'm going to be...
00:38:03.28\00:38:04.61
I'm going to take us
to Ezekiel Chapter 34
00:38:04.65\00:38:06.72
at this point.
00:38:06.75\00:38:08.08
And I want you to see how
through the Prophet Ezekiel,
00:38:08.12\00:38:10.72
God actually
calls out His shepherds,
00:38:10.75\00:38:14.12
He calls out the sheep,
00:38:14.16\00:38:15.79
or excuse me, the
shepherd of the sheep,
00:38:15.82\00:38:17.73
the leaders of the church.
00:38:17.76\00:38:20.13
And so I'm in Ezekiel 34:2-4.
00:38:20.16\00:38:24.33
Notice what this
particular text says,
00:38:24.37\00:38:26.77
"Son of man, prophesy
against the shepherds of Israel,
00:38:31.51\00:38:36.51
prophesy and say to them,
00:38:36.54\00:38:38.55
'Thus says the Lord
God to the shepherds:
00:38:38.58\00:38:41.25
'Woe to the shepherds of Israel
00:38:41.28\00:38:43.02
who feed themselves!
00:38:43.05\00:38:45.05
Should not the
shepherds feed the flocks?"
00:38:45.09\00:38:47.22
So there can be a
literal, very much a literal
00:38:47.26\00:38:49.22
application of this as well
00:38:49.26\00:38:50.69
as a spiritual
application along with it.
00:38:50.73\00:38:53.73
"You eat the fat
00:38:53.76\00:38:55.10
and clothe
yourselves with the wool,
00:38:55.13\00:38:57.37
you slaughter the fatlings,
but you do not feed the flock."
00:38:57.40\00:39:02.40
And then verse 4,
00:39:02.44\00:39:03.77
"The weak you
have not strengthened,
00:39:03.81\00:39:06.88
nor have you healed
those who were sick,
00:39:06.91\00:39:09.44
nor bound up the broken,
00:39:09.48\00:39:11.35
nor brought back
what was driven away,
00:39:11.38\00:39:13.62
nor sought what was lost,
00:39:13.65\00:39:16.42
but with force and
cruelty you have ruled them."
00:39:16.45\00:39:19.72
Now, we don't usually get
00:39:19.75\00:39:21.66
that type of
mentality or image in our mind
00:39:21.69\00:39:24.66
that the leadership
of a particular church
00:39:24.69\00:39:27.30
or a religious Christian
group like this would be cruel
00:39:27.33\00:39:31.10
and use force to
rule over the people.
00:39:31.13\00:39:33.10
But we have to
remember again, this was in,
00:39:33.13\00:39:35.04
this was the period of
probably the height of apostasy
00:39:35.07\00:39:38.54
in Israel's history.
00:39:38.57\00:39:39.91
This was the,
these are the same people
00:39:39.94\00:39:42.01
that forced God to evacuate
00:39:42.04\00:39:43.95
its own holy
sanctuary back in Ezekiel 11.
00:39:43.98\00:39:46.98
And so God is calling them out.
00:39:47.02\00:39:48.85
He's saying, "Look,
00:39:48.88\00:39:50.22
you know, you need to be
made known of your state."
00:39:50.25\00:39:52.89
And I just want to
kind of take us back.
00:39:52.92\00:39:54.76
Now, we're still in
the Book of Ezekiel,
00:39:54.79\00:39:56.29
but I wanted to
highlight in fairly good detail
00:39:56.32\00:39:58.69
from a biblical perspective
of the spiritual state
00:39:58.73\00:40:01.80
that these shepherds,
these leaders were in.
00:40:01.83\00:40:04.90
When you get to a point
00:40:04.93\00:40:06.27
where you're starting to have
to call out God's leadership,
00:40:06.30\00:40:08.70
because they're not
following God's principles
00:40:08.74\00:40:11.27
in taking care, or
paying attention, or giving,
00:40:11.31\00:40:14.24
or showing care
to those in need,
00:40:14.28\00:40:16.28
that is the
result of something else.
00:40:16.31\00:40:18.25
And we can see that actually
highlighted very clearly
00:40:18.28\00:40:20.72
in Ezekiel Chapter 22.
00:40:20.75\00:40:22.65
In the 22nd Chapter of Ezekiel,
00:40:22.68\00:40:24.05
I'm gonna begin
reading in verse 26 and onward.
00:40:24.09\00:40:26.42
Listen to the
details very, very much.
00:40:26.45\00:40:29.02
This is very
strong language here.
00:40:29.06\00:40:30.39
Notice what he says,
00:40:30.43\00:40:32.16
"Her priests
have violated My law
00:40:32.19\00:40:35.83
and profaned My holy things,
00:40:35.86\00:40:38.30
they have not distinguished
00:40:38.33\00:40:39.70
between the holy and the unholy,
00:40:39.73\00:40:43.41
nor have they made
known the difference
00:40:43.44\00:40:45.04
between the
unclean and the clean."
00:40:45.07\00:40:47.08
You know much of what
we're talking about here
00:40:47.11\00:40:48.61
in this particular verse,
00:40:48.64\00:40:50.35
we can say this is
going on in today's time.
00:40:50.38\00:40:52.18
This is very much a reflection
of the many of the leadership
00:40:52.21\00:40:55.48
of the
ministries of today's world.
00:40:55.52\00:40:57.29
It goes on to say, "And
they have hid their eyes
00:40:57.32\00:41:00.12
from my Sabbaths,
00:41:00.16\00:41:02.42
so that I am
profaned among them.
00:41:02.46\00:41:04.46
Her princes
00:41:04.49\00:41:05.83
in her midst are like
wolves tearing the prey,
00:41:05.86\00:41:08.86
to shed blood,
to destroy people,
00:41:08.90\00:41:11.00
and to get dishonest gain.
00:41:11.03\00:41:13.77
Her prophets plastered
them with untempered mortar,
00:41:13.80\00:41:16.54
seeing false visions,
and divining lies for them,
00:41:16.57\00:41:18.84
saying, 'Thus
saith the Lord God,'
00:41:18.87\00:41:21.01
when the Lord hath not spoken."
00:41:21.04\00:41:22.84
Speaking on behalf of God,
00:41:22.88\00:41:24.31
but yet God had
not spoken to them.
00:41:24.35\00:41:26.31
But notice what the
Bible continues to say.
00:41:26.35\00:41:28.02
Verse 29, "The
people of the land
00:41:28.05\00:41:30.12
have used
oppressions, committed robbery,
00:41:30.15\00:41:32.95
and mistreated
the poor and needy,
00:41:32.99\00:41:34.89
and they wrongfully
oppress the stranger.
00:41:34.92\00:41:37.33
So I sought for a man..."
00:41:37.36\00:41:38.69
Notice what God says
through the prophet here,
00:41:38.73\00:41:40.46
"I sought for a man among them
00:41:40.50\00:41:42.83
who would make a
wall, and stand in the gap
00:41:42.86\00:41:45.83
before Me on behalf of the land,
00:41:45.87\00:41:47.57
that I should not
destroy it, but I found no one."
00:41:47.60\00:41:52.57
He couldn't find anyone to
stand up for righteousness.
00:41:52.61\00:41:55.78
"Therefore I have poured
out My indignation on them,
00:41:55.81\00:41:58.41
I have consumed them
with the fire of My wrath,
00:41:58.45\00:42:00.82
and I have
recompensed their deeds
00:42:00.85\00:42:02.52
on their own
heads," says the Lord God.
00:42:02.55\00:42:06.69
And so this was a very strong,
strong language from God,
00:42:06.72\00:42:09.99
to these priests, to
the leaders of Israel.
00:42:10.03\00:42:11.86
And He's
basically saying, "Look,
00:42:11.89\00:42:13.50
you're not paying attention
00:42:13.53\00:42:14.86
to these other
major aspects of ministry.
00:42:14.90\00:42:16.56
My people are in need.
00:42:16.60\00:42:18.03
I need you to
reach out and touch them.
00:42:18.07\00:42:19.80
I need you to serve them.
00:42:19.83\00:42:21.17
I need you to meet
their needs, but you can't
00:42:21.20\00:42:22.90
because you are
so far away from Me.
00:42:22.94\00:42:24.97
And so God is
pleading with His people,
00:42:25.01\00:42:26.84
"Please turn to Me,
keep My commandments,
00:42:26.88\00:42:28.91
obey my principles."
00:42:28.94\00:42:31.21
We also see in Ezekiel 34.
00:42:31.25\00:42:33.11
So I'm going now forward into
the 34th Chapter of Ezekiel.
00:42:33.15\00:42:38.42
And I may not read
all of these texts,
00:42:38.45\00:42:40.46
but I want you to
see something here.
00:42:40.49\00:42:41.92
There is a differentiation
00:42:41.96\00:42:43.96
between what God is
actually spelling out
00:42:43.99\00:42:46.13
or kind of penning
a clear picture here
00:42:46.16\00:42:47.90
between a shepherd
00:42:47.93\00:42:49.26
who is not fulfilling the deeds
and the works of a shepherd.
00:42:49.30\00:42:53.13
And then God highlights
Himself and showing Himself
00:42:53.17\00:42:56.27
as the God or the
true Shepherd that He is.
00:42:56.30\00:42:59.47
Notice the beginning
verses of Ezekiel 34,
00:42:59.51\00:43:01.78
starting with verse 7.
00:43:01.81\00:43:03.14
It says,
"Therefore, you shepherds,
00:43:03.18\00:43:04.81
hear the word of the Lord:
00:43:04.85\00:43:06.18
'As I live,' says the Lord God,
00:43:06.21\00:43:08.08
'surely because My
flock became a prey,
00:43:08.12\00:43:10.32
and My flock became food
for every beast of the field,
00:43:10.35\00:43:13.25
because there was no shepherd,
00:43:13.29\00:43:14.89
nor did My
shepherds search for My flock,
00:43:14.92\00:43:17.83
but the shepherds fed themselves
00:43:17.86\00:43:19.26
and did not feed My flock.'
00:43:19.29\00:43:21.16
" So God, He's saying, "Look,
I need you to tend to My sheep.
00:43:21.20\00:43:23.93
I need you to feed My sheep,
but you're not doing this.
00:43:23.97\00:43:26.33
And He calls them out
for these various sins,
00:43:26.37\00:43:28.77
but then jump down to verse 11.
00:43:28.80\00:43:30.27
This is where God
now inserts Himself.
00:43:30.31\00:43:32.27
He says, "Use Me an example.
00:43:32.31\00:43:33.91
I'm the true Shepherd here."
00:43:33.94\00:43:35.98
It says, "For thus says
the Lord God," verse 11,
00:43:36.01\00:43:38.81
"Indeed I Myself
00:43:38.85\00:43:40.18
will search for My
sheep and seek them out."
00:43:40.22\00:43:42.22
He said, "You may not
search for them, but I will.
00:43:42.25\00:43:44.62
You may not seek
them out, but I will.
00:43:44.65\00:43:46.76
As a shepherd
seeks out his flock
00:43:46.79\00:43:49.39
on the day he is
among his scattered sheep,
00:43:49.42\00:43:52.09
so will I seek out My
sheep and deliver them
00:43:52.13\00:43:54.73
from all the places
where they were scattered
00:43:54.76\00:43:57.07
on a cloudy and dark day."
00:43:57.10\00:43:59.20
He says, "Look, My sheep
may be wondering in darkness,
00:43:59.23\00:44:01.60
but I'm right there with them."
00:44:01.64\00:44:03.87
I found this interesting quote
from Testimonies for Minister,
00:44:03.91\00:44:07.14
Testimonies for the
Church, volume four, page 377.
00:44:07.18\00:44:10.55
She says, "The preacher
who bears the sacred truth
00:44:10.58\00:44:13.62
for these last days must be
the opposite of all this and,
00:44:13.65\00:44:18.09
by his life of
practical godliness,
00:44:18.12\00:44:20.72
plainly mark the
distinction existing
00:44:20.76\00:44:23.16
between the false
and the true shepherd."
00:44:23.19\00:44:26.46
She goes on to
say, "The Good Shepherd
00:44:26.49\00:44:28.73
came to seek and to
save that which was lost.
00:44:28.76\00:44:31.30
He has manifested in His
works His love for His sheep.
00:44:31.33\00:44:34.87
All the shepherds
00:44:34.90\00:44:36.24
who work under
the Chief Shepherd
00:44:36.27\00:44:38.27
will possess
His characteristics,
00:44:38.31\00:44:40.14
they will be meek
and lowly of heart.
00:44:40.18\00:44:42.01
Childlike faith
brings rest to the soul
00:44:42.04\00:44:45.11
and also works by love
00:44:45.15\00:44:46.85
and is ever
interested for others.
00:44:46.88\00:44:48.85
If the Spirit of
Christ dwells in them,
00:44:48.88\00:44:52.09
they will be Christlike
and do the works of Christ."
00:44:52.12\00:44:55.39
Amen. Amen.
00:44:55.42\00:44:57.19
What a powerful study each
one of you as you were talking,
00:44:57.23\00:45:00.33
I was just thinking, here today,
00:45:00.36\00:45:03.00
we think if a preacher
preaches a straight message,
00:45:03.03\00:45:05.70
whoo, that was a little harsh.
00:45:05.73\00:45:07.90
They are to read
the Old Testament.
00:45:07.94\00:45:09.64
They are to read the
minor and the major prophets
00:45:09.67\00:45:12.77
and read the scathing
'cause they used that word,
00:45:12.81\00:45:17.35
the scathing
rebukes that were given.
00:45:17.38\00:45:20.62
And why were they given?
00:45:20.65\00:45:21.98
'Cause God loves
His people passionately,
00:45:22.02\00:45:25.95
and He wants to see them saved.
00:45:25.99\00:45:27.56
He is not willing
that any should perish,
00:45:27.59\00:45:30.49
but that all
should come to repentance.
00:45:30.53\00:45:32.29
When each one of
you were sharing,
00:45:32.33\00:45:34.76
I just saw the prophets
calling to people's hearts.
00:45:34.80\00:45:38.03
They've turned away from God.
00:45:38.07\00:45:39.40
They're worshipping false idols.
00:45:39.43\00:45:41.27
They're doing idol
worship of false gods,
00:45:41.30\00:45:43.57
and they're oppressing the poor
00:45:43.61\00:45:46.24
and there's such
injustice going on.
00:45:46.27\00:45:49.38
But yet, there's always
this call for repentance.
00:45:49.41\00:45:52.91
My prophet is
Isaiah, not my prophet,
00:45:52.95\00:45:55.25
but Thursday's lesson
is on the Prophet Isaiah.
00:45:55.28\00:45:59.02
And thank you,
Shelley, for giving me Isaiah
00:45:59.05\00:46:01.82
because I love
the Book of Isaiah.
00:46:01.86\00:46:04.89
It's actually one of my
favorite books of the prophets.
00:46:04.93\00:46:09.50
Isaiah begins the
section of the latter prophets.
00:46:09.53\00:46:12.47
Isaiah going all
the way to Malachi.
00:46:12.50\00:46:14.80
It's the longest
book in the section.
00:46:14.84\00:46:17.27
And Isaiah used a
larger vocabulary of Hebrew
00:46:17.31\00:46:21.68
than any of the other
Old Testament writers.
00:46:21.71\00:46:24.65
It contains both
prose and poetry.
00:46:24.68\00:46:26.82
And even when you
read it in English,
00:46:26.85\00:46:28.58
it's amazing,
just the writing of it.
00:46:28.62\00:46:31.25
I love it.
00:46:31.29\00:46:32.62
His name Isaiah
means salvation of Yahweh,
00:46:32.65\00:46:37.56
or God saves.
00:46:37.59\00:46:39.09
He was a contemporary of
Amos, and Hosea, and Micah.
00:46:39.13\00:46:43.70
And it was written to
those specifically in Judah
00:46:43.73\00:46:46.33
and Jerusalem.
00:46:46.37\00:46:48.37
The themes of
the Book of Isaiah,
00:46:48.40\00:46:50.01
we see themes of
salvation, judgment,
00:46:50.04\00:46:52.97
which we're going to
get to, remnant, Messiah.
00:46:53.01\00:46:56.14
There's a lot of prophecies
about the coming Messiah.
00:46:56.18\00:46:59.65
And Isaiah actually, you
get to the end of the book,
00:46:59.68\00:47:01.68
it takes us all the
way up to the new heavens
00:47:01.72\00:47:04.05
and the new earth.
00:47:04.09\00:47:05.55
There's also comfort,
00:47:05.59\00:47:06.92
and redemption, and restoration.
00:47:06.96\00:47:10.06
If you kind of
divide Isaiah into parts,
00:47:10.09\00:47:11.86
that would be part one,
which is the book of judgment.
00:47:11.89\00:47:18.03
Then we have a historical
interlude in the middle.
00:47:18.07\00:47:21.40
And then we have part two,
which is the book of comfort.
00:47:21.44\00:47:25.81
So hopefully, in
my remaining time,
00:47:25.84\00:47:28.61
we're going to get to
part one and part two,
00:47:28.64\00:47:30.45
but we got to start with
the book of judgment first.
00:47:30.48\00:47:32.88
So turn me to Isaiah 1:15.
00:47:32.91\00:47:35.98
We're going to look at a lot
of scriptures here from Isaiah.
00:47:36.02\00:47:38.92
Isaiah 1:15.
00:47:38.95\00:47:41.19
It tells us that God refuses
to see or hear His people.
00:47:41.22\00:47:46.03
And why is that?
00:47:46.06\00:47:47.40
Verse 15,
00:47:47.43\00:47:48.76
"When you spread out your hands,
00:47:48.80\00:47:50.13
I will hide My eyes from you,
00:47:50.17\00:47:52.67
even though you
make many prayers,
00:47:52.70\00:47:54.54
I will not hear." Why?
00:47:54.57\00:47:56.91
"Your hands are full of blood."
00:47:56.94\00:48:00.28
And then he makes this appeal,
00:48:00.31\00:48:02.08
verse 16, "Wash yourselves,
make yourselves clean,
00:48:02.11\00:48:06.92
put away the evil of your doings
00:48:06.95\00:48:09.38
from before My eyes.
00:48:09.42\00:48:11.09
Cease to do evil, learn
to do good, seek justice,
00:48:11.12\00:48:16.12
rebuke the oppressor,
defend the fatherless,
00:48:16.16\00:48:18.99
plead for the widow."
00:48:19.03\00:48:21.33
Verse 18, "Come now, he says,
and let us reason together.
00:48:21.36\00:48:25.87
Though your sins
are like scarlet,
00:48:25.90\00:48:28.30
they shall be as white as snow,
00:48:28.34\00:48:31.11
though they are
red like crimson,
00:48:31.14\00:48:32.61
they shall be as wool."
00:48:32.64\00:48:33.98
The people that Isaiah
was talking to of that time,
00:48:34.01\00:48:36.64
and we're going to look
at some of the specific sins
00:48:36.68\00:48:39.21
that he condemned
in the Book of Isaiah.
00:48:39.25\00:48:42.48
But their hands were
pretty red, you could say.
00:48:42.52\00:48:45.79
There was a lot of sin going on
00:48:45.82\00:48:47.36
in the nation of
Judah at that time.
00:48:47.39\00:48:50.66
But yet God's saying,
00:48:50.69\00:48:52.03
"I can forgive all
that, I can redeem all that
00:48:52.06\00:48:54.73
and you can be
white as snow again."
00:48:54.76\00:48:57.50
And then there's a call,
00:48:57.53\00:48:58.87
a challenge to
walk in obedience.
00:48:58.90\00:49:00.24
The next verse,
verses 19 and 20.
00:49:00.27\00:49:02.54
"If you are
willing and obedient,
00:49:02.57\00:49:05.64
you shall eat
the good of the land,
00:49:05.67\00:49:07.38
but if you refuse and rebel,
00:49:07.41\00:49:09.81
you shall be
devoured by the sword,
00:49:09.84\00:49:12.78
for the mouth of
the Lord has spoken."
00:49:12.81\00:49:14.78
So there was a choice that
the people were faced with,
00:49:14.82\00:49:17.79
they could choose God's way,
00:49:17.82\00:49:19.99
they could choose to
repent and turn back to Him.
00:49:20.02\00:49:22.92
Or they can choose to
walk in their own stubbornness,
00:49:22.96\00:49:25.59
their own foolish pride,
00:49:25.63\00:49:27.33
and there would be consequences
00:49:27.36\00:49:29.46
as a result of that
choice to walk against God.
00:49:29.50\00:49:32.70
So let's look at
some of the specific sins
00:49:32.73\00:49:35.70
that Isaiah condemned.
00:49:35.74\00:49:37.07
Jump over to 3:14-15.
00:49:37.11\00:49:40.28
He condemns the
oppression of the poor.
00:49:40.31\00:49:43.58
Isaiah 3:14-15,
00:49:43.61\00:49:45.81
"The Lord will
enter into judgment
00:49:45.85\00:49:47.48
with the elders of His
people and His princes:
00:49:47.52\00:49:50.19
'For you have
eaten up the vineyard,
00:49:50.22\00:49:53.25
the plunder of the
poor is in your houses.
00:49:53.29\00:49:56.62
And what do you mean
by crushing My people
00:49:56.66\00:49:59.36
and grinding the
faces of the poor?'
00:49:59.39\00:50:01.93
says the Lord God of hosts.'
00:50:01.96\00:50:03.67
" Now, that's
pretty strong language
00:50:03.70\00:50:06.17
to not only crush people
00:50:06.20\00:50:07.74
to but to
literally grind their face.
00:50:07.77\00:50:11.87
So he's condemning them
for oppressing the poor.
00:50:11.91\00:50:15.88
Isaiah 5:8,
00:50:15.91\00:50:17.25
he condemns them for a
greed to want to get more.
00:50:17.28\00:50:21.18
Isaiah 5:8, "Woe to
those who join house to house,
00:50:21.22\00:50:24.65
they add field to
field, till there is no place
00:50:24.69\00:50:27.36
where they may dwell
alone in the midst of the land!"
00:50:27.39\00:50:30.76
Now, we know that
money itself is not evil,
00:50:30.79\00:50:33.63
but the love of money
is the root of all evil.
00:50:33.66\00:50:37.43
And in this case,
they loved it so much.
00:50:37.47\00:50:39.57
They were greedy, and they were
trying to add house to house,
00:50:39.60\00:50:42.07
and field to
field, and land to land.
00:50:42.10\00:50:44.81
There's also condemnation,
we're going to Isaiah 10:1-2,
00:50:44.84\00:50:49.38
condemnation against
00:50:49.41\00:50:50.75
unjust laws and
oppressive decrees,
00:50:50.78\00:50:53.08
against the deprivation
of the rights of the poor,
00:50:53.11\00:50:56.12
against the abuse
of dependent people
00:50:56.15\00:50:58.85
such as widows and orphans.
00:50:58.89\00:51:00.39
So we're in Isaiah 10:1-2,
00:51:00.42\00:51:02.92
"Woe to those who
decree unrighteous decrees,
00:51:02.96\00:51:05.86
who write misfortune,
00:51:05.89\00:51:07.46
which they have prescribed
to rob the needy of justice,
00:51:07.50\00:51:10.53
to take what is right
from the poor of My people,
00:51:10.57\00:51:14.47
that widows may be their prey,
00:51:14.50\00:51:16.64
that they may
rob the fatherless."
00:51:16.67\00:51:19.01
So the whole
first part of Isaiah
00:51:19.04\00:51:21.14
is this book of judgment.
00:51:21.18\00:51:22.91
Then we have the
historical interlude.
00:51:22.94\00:51:24.68
And my favorite
part is part two.
00:51:24.71\00:51:27.62
That is the book of comfort.
00:51:27.65\00:51:30.35
So there are so many promises.
00:51:30.39\00:51:32.02
If you look at
my Bible in Isaiah,
00:51:32.05\00:51:34.49
I always highlight the
promises that I see in yellow
00:51:34.52\00:51:38.36
and Isaiah is
just full of yellow.
00:51:38.39\00:51:40.00
I love it at the end.
00:51:40.03\00:51:41.86
There's too many
to enumerate, Ryan,
00:51:41.90\00:51:43.73
but I'm going to give you seven,
00:51:43.77\00:51:45.47
seven promises we find
here in the book of comfort.
00:51:45.50\00:51:49.67
Number one, he's going
to send an intercessor.
00:51:49.70\00:51:52.67
This is Isaiah 59:15,
00:51:52.71\00:51:55.24
the latter part of verse 15
and the first part of verse 16.
00:51:55.28\00:51:58.48
"Then the Lord saw it,
00:51:58.51\00:51:59.85
and it displeased Him
that there was no justice.
00:51:59.88\00:52:02.72
He saw that there was no man,
00:52:02.75\00:52:04.19
and wondered that
there was no intercessor."
00:52:04.22\00:52:08.32
And we're gonna see, He sends
Himself as the intercessor.
00:52:08.36\00:52:13.60
Isaiah 59:16, that second part,
00:52:13.63\00:52:16.23
"Therefore His own arm
brought salvation for Him,
00:52:16.26\00:52:19.80
and His own righteousness,
it sustained Him."
00:52:19.83\00:52:22.70
Number two, promise two,
00:52:22.74\00:52:24.34
He will bring salvation
and He will bring forgiveness.
00:52:24.37\00:52:28.21
Isaiah 59:20,
00:52:28.24\00:52:30.08
" The Redeemer
will come to Zion,
00:52:30.11\00:52:31.81
and to those who turn
from transgression in Jacob,'
00:52:31.85\00:52:34.68
says the Lord.'
00:52:34.72\00:52:36.05
" Isaiah 55:7, "Let
the wicked forsake his way,
00:52:36.08\00:52:39.99
and the
unrighteous man his thoughts,
00:52:40.02\00:52:42.49
let him return to the Lord,
and He will have mercy on him,
00:52:42.52\00:52:46.53
and to our God, for He
will abundantly pardon."
00:52:46.56\00:52:50.73
He promises to
send the intercessor,
00:52:50.77\00:52:52.83
that's the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:52:52.87\00:52:54.20
He promises to bring
salvation and forgiveness.
00:52:54.24\00:52:57.24
He promises that
He will defend us.
00:52:57.27\00:52:59.87
That's number
three, He will defend us.
00:52:59.91\00:53:02.14
Isaiah 59:19, the
latter part of that verse.
00:53:02.18\00:53:06.11
"When the enemy
comes in like a flood,
00:53:06.15\00:53:08.38
the Spirit of the Lord
00:53:08.42\00:53:09.75
will raise up a
standard against him."
00:53:09.78\00:53:13.22
Isaiah 54:17, Mollie,
you quote this all the time.
00:53:13.25\00:53:16.52
"No weapon formed
against you shall prosper,
00:53:16.56\00:53:18.76
but every tongue that
rises up against you in judgment
00:53:18.79\00:53:22.30
you shall condemn.
00:53:22.33\00:53:23.67
For this is the heritage
of the servants of the Lord."
00:53:23.70\00:53:27.04
Number four, He will
renew His covenant with us.
00:53:27.07\00:53:30.71
Isaiah 59:21, "As
for Me,' says the Lord,
00:53:30.74\00:53:34.58
'this is My covenant with them:
00:53:34.61\00:53:36.18
My Spirit who is upon you,
00:53:36.21\00:53:37.65
and My words which I
have put in your mouth,
00:53:37.68\00:53:39.91
shall not
depart from your mouth,
00:53:39.95\00:53:42.75
nor from the mouth
of your descendants,
00:53:42.78\00:53:44.35
nor from the mouth of
your descendants' descendants,'
00:53:44.39\00:53:47.56
says the Lord, from
this time and forevermore.'
00:53:47.59\00:53:50.53
" Isaiah 54:10,
00:53:50.56\00:53:52.13
"For the mountains shall
depart and the hills be removed,
00:53:52.16\00:53:55.36
but My kindness
shall not depart from you,
00:53:55.40\00:53:58.03
nor shall the covenant
of My peace be removed,'
00:53:58.07\00:54:00.64
says the Lord,
who has mercy on you.'
00:54:00.67\00:54:03.71
" Number five, moving quickly,
00:54:03.74\00:54:05.27
he will grant us
His righteousness.
00:54:05.31\00:54:08.51
That's His character.
00:54:08.54\00:54:10.65
Also Isaiah 60:21,"
00:54:10.68\00:54:12.61
Also your people
shall all be righteous,
00:54:12.65\00:54:15.92
they shall
inherit the land forever,
00:54:15.95\00:54:18.25
the branch of My
planting, the work of My hands,
00:54:18.29\00:54:20.96
that I may be glorified."
00:54:20.99\00:54:22.32
Number six, he will do
a new thing in our lives.
00:54:22.36\00:54:25.93
Isaiah 43:18-19,
00:54:25.96\00:54:28.73
"Don't remember
the former things,
00:54:28.76\00:54:30.10
nor consider the things of old.
00:54:30.13\00:54:31.83
Behold, I will do a new thing,
now it shall spring forth,
00:54:31.87\00:54:36.10
shall you not know it?
00:54:36.14\00:54:37.47
I will even make a
road in the wilderness
00:54:37.51\00:54:40.14
and springs of
water in the desert."
00:54:40.18\00:54:42.68
Finally, number seven,
00:54:42.71\00:54:44.05
He will grant us
peace and comfort.
00:54:44.08\00:54:47.85
Isaiah 52:9,
"Break forth into joy,
00:54:47.88\00:54:51.49
sing together, you
waste places of Jerusalem!
00:54:51.52\00:54:55.32
For the Lord has
comforted His people,
00:54:55.36\00:54:58.09
He has redeemed Jerusalem."
00:54:58.13\00:55:01.13
So God comes with a message,
a stern message of rebuke.
00:55:01.16\00:55:05.93
But if we heed, and
if we turn back to Him,
00:55:05.97\00:55:09.27
His promises are
incredible to use,
00:55:09.30\00:55:12.01
Ryan, where His
promises are incredible.
00:55:12.04\00:55:14.58
Wow. That's right.
00:55:14.61\00:55:15.94
I'm full. Amen,
this was beautiful.
00:55:15.98\00:55:17.75
I think we could just say
amen and do the benediction.
00:55:17.78\00:55:21.22
But we have about a
little more than two minutes.
00:55:21.25\00:55:24.32
I'll give you an
opportunity to recap
00:55:24.35\00:55:26.35
what we covered this week.
00:55:26.39\00:55:27.72
You know, each one of
these, looking at the prophets,
00:55:27.76\00:55:31.13
they all had a stern rebuke
00:55:31.16\00:55:33.50
to bring to the people
that God sent them too.
00:55:33.53\00:55:36.77
And I'm thinking of times when
maybe we feel within ourselves
00:55:36.80\00:55:40.24
that we need to speak to
someone about a situation.
00:55:40.27\00:55:43.24
And I just want
to encourage you,
00:55:43.27\00:55:44.91
if you feel that
impression, make sure it's God,
00:55:44.94\00:55:48.34
and then bathed in prayer.
00:55:48.38\00:55:50.61
And always, if you need
to address the situation,
00:55:50.65\00:55:53.88
remember how God always did it.
00:55:53.92\00:55:56.62
He always gave the instruction
and then He always gave hope,
00:55:56.65\00:56:02.59
He gave a message of salvation.
00:56:02.62\00:56:05.69
So always bring any message.
00:56:05.73\00:56:07.83
There are times when
we need a stern rebuke,
00:56:07.86\00:56:10.17
but always deliver it
with hope and with mercy.
00:56:10.20\00:56:13.47
Amen and amen.
00:56:13.50\00:56:14.84
I'm just thinking that,
00:56:14.87\00:56:16.20
you know, sometimes the
enemy of our souls trips us up.
00:56:16.24\00:56:20.61
Sometimes we,
somebody knocks us down,
00:56:20.64\00:56:23.18
I mean, we're being oppressed.
00:56:23.21\00:56:24.98
But just remember Micah
7:8-9, where Micah said,
00:56:25.01\00:56:28.75
"Do not rejoice
over me, my enemy,
00:56:28.78\00:56:31.72
when I fall, I will
arise, when I sit in darkness,
00:56:31.75\00:56:35.62
the Lord will be a light to me."
00:56:35.66\00:56:37.13
Amen. Praise the Lord.
00:56:37.16\00:56:38.49
I just want to reiterate
the last couple of sentences
00:56:38.53\00:56:41.36
of Testimonies for the Church,
00:56:41.40\00:56:43.60
volume four,
page 377, I love this.
00:56:43.63\00:56:46.03
It says, "Childlike faith
00:56:46.07\00:56:47.90
brings rest to the
soul and also works by love
00:56:47.94\00:56:50.94
and is ever
interested for others.
00:56:50.97\00:56:53.84
If the Spirit of
Christ dwells in them,
00:56:53.88\00:56:56.41
they will be Christlike
and do the works of Christ."
00:56:56.44\00:56:59.95
Amen. Amen.
00:56:59.98\00:57:01.68
Isaiah 54:11, "O
you afflicted one,
00:57:01.72\00:57:06.05
tossed with
tempest, and not comforted,
00:57:06.09\00:57:09.16
the Lord will lay your
stones with colorful gems,
00:57:09.19\00:57:12.43
and your
foundations with sapphires."
00:57:12.46\00:57:14.10
So no matter what
you're going through,
00:57:14.13\00:57:15.93
God is beside you and
He will see you through.
00:57:15.96\00:57:19.17
Amen. Wow, wow.
00:57:19.20\00:57:20.54
This week I know, when
we approach this lesson,
00:57:20.57\00:57:23.81
we all said, Lord,
this is a big mountain.
00:57:23.84\00:57:26.78
How can we summarize
the life of a prophet?
00:57:26.81\00:57:29.58
But God is faithful. Is He not?
00:57:29.61\00:57:31.11
Amen. Amen. Can we get an amen?
00:57:31.15\00:57:32.48
Amen!
00:57:32.51\00:57:33.85
I like those words,
because it means true,
00:57:33.88\00:57:35.42
God's Word is true
00:57:35.45\00:57:36.79
and everything He
has said is wonderful.
00:57:36.82\00:57:38.69
We'd like to encourage
you to join us next time.
00:57:38.72\00:57:40.92
Our next lesson is
Worship the Creator,
00:57:40.96\00:57:44.76
and it's getting
better and better.
00:57:44.79\00:57:47.16
And the Worship of the Creator
00:57:47.20\00:57:48.60
is broken down
to the multifaceted,
00:57:48.63\00:57:51.00
but if I could
summarize this lesson,
00:57:51.03\00:57:52.50
it's these words,
00:57:52.53\00:57:53.87
2 Chronicles
20:20, the last part,
00:57:53.90\00:57:56.60
"Believe in the Lord your God
and you shall be established.
00:57:56.64\00:58:00.01
Believe in His prophets,
and you shall prosper."
00:58:00.04\00:58:02.98
God bless you
until we see you again.
00:58:03.01\00:58:05.61