00:00 Introduction and Sad News

00:23 Reflecting on Dr. John MacArthur's Legacy

09:13 Transition to Bible Study: Isaiah 18-22

12:26 The Arrival of the Messiah and the Millennial Kingdom

12:50 Judgment and Blessings for Egypt and Assyria

13:44 Isaiah's Object Lesson and Warnings

15:31 Judgment Against Other Nations

18:52 The Valley of Vision and Hezekiah's Tunnel

21:36 Trust in God, Not Human Leaders

22:56 Concluding Prayer and Reflections

Find out more about Compass Bible Church.

Learn more about our Bible Reading Plan.

Questions or Comments? Email us podcast@compassntx.org

Hey everybody.

2

Welcome back to another edition

of the Daily Bible Podcast.

3

Hello, and thank you for

waiting on this conversation.

4

I know you guys are wondering why we

haven't talked about it yet, but Dr.

5

John MacArthur has perished.

6

He did?

7

Yes.

8

Physically he has been deceased.

9

Yes.

10

Declared dead.

11

Yes.

12

But our hope, of course, is not that

he's ultimately gonna stay dead.

13

He actually is very much a

alive right now, probably more

14

alive than he is ever been.

15

And his body will be resurrected.

16

So Pastor pge, share a couple

thoughts about your reflections on Dr.

17

MacArthur and what he means to you.

18

Yeah.

19

I think a lot of you know this, but

I went to my, I got my undergrad at

20

Masters University, is that master's

College at the time, and then I got

21

my doctorate back at Master Seminary.

22

And so he, he's had a

huge impact on my life.

23

In fact, probably as far as a, a

theologian slash pastor probably

24

the greatest impact that I've

been informed by as far as he was.

25

When I was impressionable and coming

up in, in college and learning

26

what ministry looked like, and

then pursuing my doctorate there.

27

He's just a guy that I've always

looked up to and respected.

28

And one of the things that struck me

most as I've been reflecting about his

29

life and the legacy that he is left

behind the last couple days is just his

30

faithfulness in and out of the pulpit.

31

When I think about

integrity he's a man that I.

32

Feel lived a life of integrity.

33

And I told my wife after his passing,

I said, it is not so much that I ever

34

thought to myself, man, I wanna preach

like MacArthur because I know there's

35

only one guy that's ever gonna be able

to have that power and that ability.

36

But I do wanna live a life like

his I wanna be able to follow

37

him as he followed Christ.

38

And I think that's a sentiment that

I've seen come out a lot from a lot of

39

different people in the last handful

of days as they've been posting,

40

memories of him and everything else.

41

But he just was a guy that, that

you could tell loved his flock.

42

And and loved his lock really well.

43

He was great.

44

When he would come to the college

campus, he would come to college

45

basketball games and sit in the stands

with the students and hang out there.

46

He was accessible even though, he's a guy

that, that is has thousands of people that

47

want his attention on a regular basis.

48

And I appreciated Phil Johnson's response

of saying, and that really came out too.

49

He, I think he posted something

online where he said, look at all

50

of the pictures of John with people.

51

That are coming out there.

52

These are not pictures people are

sharing of him behind the pulpit and all

53

these, in professional mode pictures.

54

But so many of the pictures that are

in memoriam of him the last couple

55

of days right, have been him standing

next to people smiling with his arm

56

around people or taking, shots of

pictures of him at dinner with people.

57

He was a man that, that.

58

Loved others and did that really well.

59

And so he left a huge impact

on me, both professionally as a

60

pastor, but also just personally.

61

I just I wanna live a life like

his as much as I possibly can.

62

Yeah.

63

What a legacy he has left for us.

64

And it's funny 'cause not too long ago we

shared this meme that was going around.

65

Do you remember this?

66

It's a Meet the pastor line.

67

Oh yeah.

68

And here's what it says.

69

Please observe.

70

Oh, I can't see it.

71

It's so pixelated.

72

Do you remember?

73

Yes.

74

Okay, the line says, please

observe the following.

75

No photos with the pastor.

76

No handshakes or hugs.

77

Pastor is unable to receive.

78

I can't see what that says there.

79

Receive any I don't know what it says,

but it's, Hey don't get too close.

80

Don't allow yourself to enjoy this

guy too much because he's got bigger

81

fish to fry or whatever it is.

82

I don't even know who it was.

83

But we have every reason

to believe that it's real.

84

Pastor's unable to receive

any items at this time.

85

Don't bring him any gifts.

86

Don't give him any gifts.

87

No.

88

No chocolate covered.

89

What do, what's your favorite treat?

90

Your little Christmas trees?

91

Little Debbie's Reese's.

92

Oh, your Reese's No re s

or the little Debbie's?

93

Yeah.

94

Like those, no, little Debbie's.

95

Yeah, but that's not John MacArthur.

96

Dr.

97

MacArthur was super accessible.

98

I remember going to several shepherds

conferences and just different events that

99

the church was hosting and he was there.

100

Yeah, I always was a bit leery.

101

To talk to him.

102

'cause I know people were clamoring

to get his attention, so I always

103

felt like I'm, I'll just spare

him, he doesn't need to talk to me.

104

But I was always so honored honored.

105

I was always so impressed by his

accessibility and how real he was.

106

He wasn't a face on a book cover.

107

He wasn't just a talking

head from the pulpit.

108

He was a man who loved people.

109

And I think that's one

of his lasting legacies.

110

And in addition to the Bible teaching,

obviously there's so many other

111

things, but man, I remember having

to download his sermons for pay.

112

I bought them a long time ago

before, after CDs, but before

113

freely accessible MP threes.

114

I had to buy them.

115

And I did.

116

I did that joyfully.

117

He was one of the reasons I ended up

believing the charismatic movement.

118

'cause that's where I

started my Christian faith.

119

His sermons were really instrumental

in developing my theology and has even

120

influenced me to where I am today.

121

And I'm sure a million other

people can say that, but man, we

122

thank God for people like that.

123

Yeah.

124

Talk to the people now who are concerned

about where Christiandom goes after

125

this, because if there's anybody.

126

Who was a unifying figure, right?

127

It was him, right.

128

People would jokingly call him

the evangelical pope, right?

129

'cause of his word having such authority

and power, and now he's off the scene.

130

First we lost rc and now

we have, now we lost dr.

131

Ma MacArthur.

132

Yep.

133

Already.

134

Yeah.

135

What, now what, what's gonna happen next?

136

Who's gonna be the next pastor

of Grace who's gonna command the

137

authority that Pastor MacArthur had?

138

Yeah.

139

And the answer really is no one Jesus.

140

Yeah.

141

They, there, there are cling voices in

our culture and there are still some.

142

That are here.

143

You think of Al Muller, I think that's

another one that you look to or Oh, yeah.

144

Or, I think John Piper in a different

way, but he carries weight when he speaks.

145

And there's other men that have been

faithful that are growing older though.

146

And I remember thinking about

that with MacArthur and there

147

is a sense in which it's okay.

148

Wow.

149

I you feel like your, one

of your spiritual dads died.

150

It's he's gone.

151

Something big happens to the world.

152

You could always go what is

MacArthur saying right now?

153

During COVID that was especially true.

154

He was leading so many, he

was so helpful during COVID.

155

Yeah, man.

156

Yeah, just stalwart there and I

think two, two thoughts that I have.

157

Number one he showed us the path

forward and one of the things I love

158

is that he didn't make it complicated.

159

Hi.

160

His response and his guidance

and his counsel always started

161

with, what does the Bible say?

162

And what the Bible says.

163

That's where we're gonna stand

and that's where we're gonna land.

164

And I think what was so appealing

to him and why it was so effective

165

is he was so confident there.

166

He just, he bel he was a man of conviction

and he believed what he believed what

167

he knew to be true in the scriptures.

168

And so he came out and said, this is

what we're gonna do and this is what

169

we need to do and this is what's right.

170

And so the good news there is that

we can follow as lead in that.

171

In fact, that's what Hebrews 13 says.

172

Consider their way of

faith and imitate them.

173

Imitate them in that, be like

them in the way that they, that.

174

They conducted themselves.

175

So there's that there's no magic

sauce here that he possessed that.

176

Now we're like, okay, it's gone

and it's perished with him forever.

177

I think the second thing is, as

far as grace goes man, there's,

178

are you the next pastor of Grace?

179

No.

180

Did they call you?

181

No, they didn't.

182

No.

183

No.

184

Have they called you yet?

185

They have not.

186

Alright.

187

And I don't think they will

keep your phone on, even if they

188

did keep your phone ringer on.

189

No, man.

190

It's.

191

We were talking about it this morning,

tongue in cheek, like that's the

192

worst job anybody could ever take.

193

It's doomed to fail.

194

Yeah.

195

Because, no, I'm sorry.

196

No one's gonna repeat.

197

He's inimitable.

198

Yeah.

199

That's he's a definition of the word.

200

Which is why they need somebody

who, that's not their goal.

201

They need somebody who is gonna step

into that pulpit and say, our job is

202

not to be, to continue to be the grace

community church that we've always been

203

because it's been so marked by him,

but to be a faithful bride of Christ.

204

And that's gonna look different.

205

And I'm here to tell you guys

that's gonna look different.

206

My leadership's gonna

be different than Dr.

207

MacArthur's leadership.

208

I'm not gonna preach the same way.

209

We're gonna have different things.

210

We may go in different directions

than we've ever gone before, but

211

we're gonna be faithful to the Bible.

212

We'll stay.

213

That's, that legacy will continue.

214

But our goal is to simply be

a faithful bride of Christ.

215

And our identity as a lampstand

has changed because we're no

216

longer MacArthur's church.

217

And MacArthur would've said,

Hey, this is Christ Church.

218

It's not my church.

219

Yeah.

220

But humanly speaking the guy that's next

up has to simply say, you know what?

221

This is truly.

222

Our identity, first and

foremost is the bride of Christ.

223

And and that's what's gonna characterize

us moving forward, not necessarily the.

224

Clearing voice from the pulpit.

225

We talked offline about this, but

let's quickly discuss what success

226

and failure looks like from at

least an outsider's perspective.

227

We were talking shop about the

fact that the next guy that takes

228

the pulpit at Grace Community

Church is probably not gonna be

229

successful to the same degree as Dr.

230

MacArthur.

231

It almost would be, I don't

wanna say it's impossible.

232

God could do that, right?

233

But it's not likely that the next guy that

takes that role will be as influential.

234

As authoritative and as powerful as Dr.

235

MacArthur's ministry is.

236

So let's talk shop about what it is

then for a church to be successful.

237

Yeah.

238

And I think that's what I was I'm

driving at there even with identity.

239

His if his identity is in, the

numbers in the butts, in the seats

240

and the numbers and the financial

offerings that come in year over year.

241

And if his identities

in, the, whether or not.

242

He's writing books and he's being

asked to go and speak on the

243

preaching circuit like MacArthur was.

244

Then he's gonna fail because

people are gonna leave the church.

245

Inevitably, people are gonna

leave the church because

246

MacArthur's not there anymore.

247

Their giving's gonna drop,

which it already has.

248

They even released a statement a

couple months ago saying, Hey we're

249

having to cut our budget back.

250

Yeah.

251

People are gonna not give as much.

252

Outside donors are gonna cut down.

253

He's not gonna be asked on the

speaking tour and the speaking circuit.

254

He's not gonna write the

books that MacArthur wrote.

255

People aren't gonna flock to Simi

Valley anymore, to San Fernando Valley

256

anymore to be able to go to his church.

257

And so that's a standard of

success, then he's gonna fail.

258

And that's the standard of a lot

of people's success because a lot

259

of people look from the outside and

measure things by, those things.

260

Yeah.

261

One of the first questions

you ask a pastor is how many

262

people go to your church?

263

Yeah, for sure.

264

But if his standard of success is, what?

265

I know I'm gonna lose people,

but my job is to shepherd

266

the people that God has here.

267

And I'm gonna do that through faithfully

preaching and teaching the word.

268

We're gonna do the

ordinances of the church.

269

We're gonna lead biblically.

270

We're gonna have, we're gonna do the

job that Christ has called us to.

271

And it may not look the same that

it's looked in the past, but this is

272

our priority is to preach the word.

273

Then I think he can be

successful as far as where.

274

It biblically counts as for success, man.

275

Amen.

276

We're gonna miss Dr.

277

MacArthur for sure.

278

We love you.

279

We look forward to seeing you soon, Dr.

280

MacArthur, if you can

even hear us right now.

281

But let's do what he did and

let's talk shop about the Bible.

282

Let's do that, man.

283

Yeah.

284

Isaiah 18, 19, 20, 21, 22.

285

So Isaiah 18 through 22.

286

We continue to talk about the nations

and the first one up in chapter

287

18 at least, is the nation of Kush

and either associated with the the.

288

The Ethiopians or just Southern Egypt.

289

It's a region of Africa.

290

We do know that, but it's, as

far as specifically identifying,

291

this is modern day Ethiopia.

292

It's an area that incorporates that,

but probably a broader region too.

293

And as you were talking about in

yesterday's episode, as he's continuing

294

to zero in on Jerusalem now he's south.

295

He's in Egypt in the Kush region here.

296

In fact, he goes to Egypt in chapter 19.

297

And again, God is.

298

Showing his lordship, his reign and

rule over all of the nations, and

299

talking about the vulnerabilities here.

300

In with Egypt in chapter 19, he's

talks about the Nile and identifies,

301

Hey the Nile's gonna dry up and

you're gonna have massive problems

302

there when the Nile does dry up.

303

And Egypt becomes a, a.

304

Problem for God's people throughout

the history of God's, people from the

305

very beginning when they're in slavery

to Egypt all the way through the very

306

end of right before their fall and the

downfall of Jerusalem, Egypt is the broken

307

read that they're trying to lean on.

308

And God, I think here is.

309

Saying, I'm stronger than both Egypt.

310

I'm stronger than Kush,

I'm stronger than Assyria.

311

I'm stronger than Babylon.

312

And and he's addressing that

in chapters 18 and 19 there.

313

Yeah.

314

One of the things that stood out to

me in particular, chapter 19, is verse

315

one, the second half of verse one.

316

He says, the idols of Egypt

will tremble at his presence.

317

Now, I know that there's poetic license

here, and so I don't wanna make a

318

mountain out of a molehill, but I

wonder if this is alluding to what Paul

319

will later say is that all idols are

basically demons that are behind them.

320

And so it seems here.

321

To me that Isaiah is demonstrating

through verse one, that idol idolatry is

322

based on real entities, but those real

entities are demonic entities, which

323

would explain a lot of things for us.

324

Number one, it would explain their

appeal and their power because

325

there are personal forces at work.

326

And number two, it would explain why

under some circumstances these false

327

religions can produce real results.

328

That is they produce something

that for the worshiper is tangible

329

and they could, I don't know.

330

I think about when someone visits

a witch or someone like that, a

331

psychic, they can produce real results

and potentially accurate results.

332

How?

333

Because there are real personal

forces behind their power, and that's

334

what he's saying here in verse nine

or chapter 19 verse one, I think.

335

I think that's my humble assessment here,

that he's talking to the fact that idols

336

have real personalities and powers behind

them, but they're demonic powers and

337

get this, they tremble at his presence.

338

Yeah.

339

The chapter 19 then shifts to this

forward looking picture of Egypt in a

340

different light though, and this is Egypt

and Assyria and Israel now in the rest

341

of chapter 19, in a sense where it's,

they're put in a positive light, which is.

342

Is confusing 'cause Assyria is

gonna be judged to the point that

343

they're taking out six 12 when the

Babylonians come in and defeat Assyria.

344

Assyria is, if you look on the

Google Maps right now and type in

345

Assyria, you're not gonna find them.

346

There is no Assyrian Nation anymore.

347

And so this is looking forward to

this time when he's talking about

348

the Egyptians and he's talking about

the Assyrians and he's talking about

349

the Israelites and they're in it's a

period of blessing upon these nations.

350

So something's gonna shift.

351

And that is the arrival of the Messiah

and the setting up the millennial kingdom.

352

And this is where we see that the

millennial kingdom's not just gonna be

353

about Israel, but it's gonna be about

the nations surrounding Israel as well.

354

That all of the nations that are still

on the earth during the millennial

355

kingdom are going to flock to Jerusalem.

356

In fact, there's other passages

that talk about the log.

357

Coming out of Jerusalem they're going

to come to Jerusalem to learn the

358

law from Jesus as he reigns there on

the throne in the millennial kingdom.

359

But Egypt is gonna be

judged during Isaiah's time.

360

But again, like we've been talking

about, Isaiah's gonna now fast forward

361

and say there's gonna come a time when

Egypt is gonna be blessed along with the

362

Syria, because their relationship with

Israel during the millennial kingdom.

363

Yeah.

364

So this isn't a Syria proper.

365

Right this 'cause they're no

longer on the scene, right?

366

They're missing.

367

But this is to say that Gentiles will have

inclusion into the blessings of Israel.

368

And we're gonna say that the

way that happens is during the

369

millennial reign of Christ, right?

370

When all of the nations are brought

under the rulership of Jesus

371

Christ, and therefore every nation

will have representation for those

372

who worship and serve King Jesus.

373

That's not to say there

won't be unbelievers.

374

There will be unbelievers will be

born at that time and we believe

375

that there will still be evil.

376

That is, that happens, but it

will be under the rulership

377

of King Jesus in Jerusalem.

378

Yeah.

379

Restrained because Satan will be bound.

380

But that just goes to remind

us that our sin is not, because

381

Satan is not only Satan.

382

It's not Satan may be do it.

383

That's right.

384

Yeah.

385

It's the fallen nature.

386

Alright.

387

Chapter 20, he returns back

though to the present time.

388

He's okay.

389

It's again Isaiah.

390

It's can you, Isaiah, can you help please?

391

Can you explain why you set

things up the way you did?

392

'cause now he's back to judgment.

393

Against Kush Egypt.

394

Pastor Rod did Isaiah walk

around naked for three years?

395

That's what everybody wants to know.

396

I man.

397

Okay.

398

I don't know if it was an uni

uninterrupted timeframe where he was all

399

day, every day, just strutting his stuff.

400

I don't think he enjoyed

it, whatever it was.

401

Clearly there was some shame there.

402

But I, man, there are so many

questions I have about this.

403

Yeah.

404

I, why don't you give

a, you answered that.

405

Y.

406

So maybe it's like he, this was his job.

407

Like he clocked in at eight

and clocked out at five and got

408

the close back on it at five.

409

I, man, what a challenging scenario it is.

410

And we're gonna see this other places too.

411

Ezekiel has similar situations where we're

like, okay, is this, how do we understand?

412

And I think the important

thing to remember is the

413

point, and that is verse four.

414

And that is this.

415

So shall the king of his

hero lead away the Egypt?

416

Egyptian caption captives in the cushite

exiles, both the young and the old,

417

naked and barefoot with the buttocks

uncovered in the nakedness of Egypt.

418

So Isaiah's doing this as a, an object

lesson to the Cushite and to the Egyptians

419

and saying, Hey, look the Assyrians

are gonna come and take you guys away.

420

And this is that warning

shot across, across the bow.

421

I've been talking a lot in your stead

of, we, we look at, we would look at

422

the Northern kingdom before they were

carried off into exile and say, man.

423

Was God merciful to them?

424

And you have to say yes.

425

There were so many times that God went

to them and said, here's judgment.

426

Will you repent and turn?

427

Will you come back?

428

Here's famine, here's

drought, here's these things.

429

Here's prophets, here's everything else.

430

God gave them every opportunity to

turn from their sin and they didn't.

431

And I think here again, there's

warning shots being delivered

432

to these nations too, saying.

433

Turn to the true God.

434

Turn to the true God of Israel.

435

Yes, you're gonna do that in a

millennial kingdom, but even now do

436

this otherwise, Hey, judgment is coming.

437

So much like judgment was prophesied

against Israel and judgment

438

was prophesied against Judah.

439

I think there's judgment prophesy

against these other nations saying

440

this is the thing that's coming.

441

If you don't recognize the

only true God that there is.

442

Oh, absolutely.

443

Because we're gonna get

to that in chapter 22.

444

He's gonna the bullseye or the

funnel is gonna land on them and he,

445

they're gonna realize, look, God is

not just gonna judge those nations.

446

If he's gonna judge them.

447

Of course he's gonna judge you, right?

448

How could he not?

449

He loves you.

450

You are the apple of his eye, and

therefore, because of your position,

451

you have greater responsibility that

God will necessarily have to respond to.

452

And I think you're absolutely

right to call that out.

453

The fact that he's judging these

other nations would comfort them on

454

the one hand, but warn them on the

other to say, look, if you don't

455

get your own act together, that

is through repentance and faith.

456

To overstate it a little simply, then

this is gonna be your lot as well.

457

And they would deserve it because they're

seeing, oh, they're being charged with the

458

same sins that we are being charged with.

459

Pride, idolatry.

460

That's just Jerusalem de two.

461

Yeah.

462

Yeah.

463

And I think there's another thing

going on, and that is God is singling

464

out these nations that Judah might

be trusted to turn to and trust

465

in instead of trusting in him.

466

That's a good point.

467

Saying, Hey I'm taking these out.

468

And I think that's where he

goes in chapter 21 when he

469

says, fall on his Babylon.

470

Now.

471

There's multiple, I think there's

three levels to look at this.

472

The level the furthest out level

is, this is picked up in Revelation.

473

In fact, this is quoted in Revelation that

Babylon is gonna fall and that Babylon's

474

gonna be no more that's Neo Babylon.

475

That's yet future Babylon.

476

And then we can come back and

say, okay, 5 39 BC Babylon.

477

The powerful Empire is ultimately gonna

fall to the Meads and the Persians.

478

But even before that, Babylon

is gonna fall to Assyria when

479

Assyria is still powerful in 6 89.

480

Now, not a complete destruction, but

as I read through this, and I know

481

there's differing views on this, I'm

curious to get yours two pr, but.

482

I, I think this is a timeframe there

during the seven hundreds late or

483

I guess early, I don't know, close

to 700 BC down to through the time

484

that Babylon falls, when Judah and

Babylon were actually teaming up

485

together a little bit against Assyria.

486

Again, Babylon was a nation.

487

Judah was tempted to trust in,

to avoid the judgment that God

488

was bringing by the Assyrians

against other regions and nations.

489

And here God is saying you can't

trust Babylon either because Babylon's

490

gonna be overcome by the Assyrians

as well during this timeframe.

491

Yeah, I guess I would agree with that.

492

I haven't done enough homework to

say with certainty that's the case.

493

I do know that Israel was always

tempted to trust outside nations

494

rather than to trust the Lord.

495

So that would make perfect

sense if that's his goal.

496

Isaiah's goal, I think,

is to shake awake Israel.

497

Judah's rather Judah's complacency

because Isaiah's a southern prophet.

498

Yeah.

499

So all that to say I

would agree with that.

500

I think that would be a perfectly

suitable interpretation.

501

And remember Isaiah six, the

people aren't gonna listen to this.

502

That's no.

503

That's what God told him.

504

He's delivering all this and we're reading

this going, okay, this seems powerful.

505

Maybe people are gonna wake up and see,

and yet God said they're not gonna listen

506

to you, even if he's naked walking around.

507

That's pretty powerful, right?

508

That'll get your attention.

509

That will get your attention.

510

We're not gonna do that, by the way.

511

Which tells you that you're welcome.

512

Secret sensitive techniques aren't

guaranteed to work just because

513

they appeal to a broader audience.

514

Uh, that, do you wanna talk about

appealing to somebody if one of the, yeah.

515

Pastors around here.

516

Yeah.

517

Went into his pulpit naked.

518

I think there'd be headlines the next day.

519

A few, maybe a few.

520

I, and he'd get a lot of attention.

521

Eddie Young Jr.

522

Did a whole series.

523

Was he naked though?

524

I don't wanna know.

525

No.

526

I don't know about that.

527

But he did a series where he

put his he, his wife to bed

528

on the roof of their church.

529

Of the church.

530

Yeah.

531

I was thinking exactly of him.

532

I didn't wanna name his name 'cause I

didn't wanna give anyone any fodder,

533

but Yeah, that's who I was thinking of.

534

Yeah, exactly.

535

And yeah, that's not.

536

That's not that's not great.

537

Yeah.

538

Okay, so chapter 22, pr we do

target, we do land on Jerusalem here.

539

Yeah.

540

And this is the Valley of Vision.

541

What's the significance?

542

Why is it called the

Valley of Vision here?

543

I think it's an ironic

statement because this is mount.

544

Zion.

545

Yeah.

546

So the Mount is now a valley,

and the Valley of Vision suggests

547

that he's showing them something.

548

He's giving them an opportunity.

549

He's hemming them in.

550

Think about a valley.

551

You got walls on either

side, or at least not walls.

552

Walls, but you get the idea.

553

You're hemmed in, you're being

shown something, and now you have

554

an opportunity to respond to it.

555

So I think that's what he's getting at.

556

I did a little bit of digging on that

before we came onto the podcast about

557

what the value of vision referred

to, and I think that's the best take.

558

And of course, as he's gonna show

them this burden, this oracle.

559

About their impending future.

560

It's not gonna work.

561

The vision is gonna be obscure.

562

They're not gonna see as they should.

563

Yeah.

564

Yeah.

565

And yeah.

566

So I think it is, you're right an ironic

play on words because it was the place

567

where they had, he had given so many

visions to so many prophets in the past

568

and now that was going to be drying up.

569

I think that the context in chapter 22

seems to be still with the Assyrians on

570

the scene, just as we're dealing with the

rest of the context leading up to this.

571

Yes, this is pointing to ultimately

Babylon as well, but I think it's

572

first pointing to the Assyrians coming

again right up to the neck of Judah

573

there, as we're gonna read about in

Second Kings 19, 18, 19, with the

574

Rob Saka and Sona and all of this.

575

That seems to be what's happening here as

the prophet is receiving this vision and

576

this seems to be that siege there, as he's

talking about in verses seven and eight,

577

your choice is valley is full of chariots.

578

The horseman took their

stand at the gates.

579

He's taken away the covering of Judah

again until Hezekiah's repentance.

580

God was ready to take Judah.

581

And and that's what it

looked like was gonna happen.

582

And in fact, we're gonna get into

what was taking place inside the city.

583

Horrible things were taking place inside

the city because of the famine, because

584

of the siege, because of everything else.

585

And this is what Isaiah's

warning about here in chapter 22.

586

Yeah, I would agree with that.

587

And in fact, I think that's what

verse 11 points to is Hezekiah's

588

ingenuity and creating a reservoir of

water to supply fresh water to them

589

while they were undergoing the siege.

590

Which is so fascinating because in

verse 11 it says, even though this

591

happened, you did not look to him.

592

Who did it?

593

Or see him who planned it long ago,

which is incredible because Hezekiah

594

and his team were the ones who, I

don't know, had the idea to say, Hey,

595

let's divert water into our city so

that they don't have access into it,

596

and yet God is taking full credit.

597

He says, I'm the one that did that.

598

Yeah, I gave you the idea.

599

I told you how to invent this process.

600

And the ingenuity of it

is still visible today.

601

You can go to Israel or

Juda rather go to Jerusalem.

602

You could see this in effect, and

yet God is taking full credit.

603

I find that so fascinating

because they, no one knew that.

604

No one said, I got a word from God.

605

I have an idea about how to divert

water, and God is saying, that was me.

606

Yeah.

607

Oh, so cool.

608

Yeah.

609

If you go to Jerusalem today, you can

still walk through Hezekiah's Tunnel.

610

Isn't that amazing?

611

Yeah.

612

I, ah, man I can't wait someday.

613

Yep.

614

15 through 25.

615

The last part of chapter 22, there's

two men highlighted in this section.

616

The first being Sheb, who represented

a general mindset of the people

617

resigned to die and be buried.

618

In this choice tomb cut out

that he prepared for himself.

619

And then the second is this man, Elia Kim,

who would provide a, at least a glimpse

620

of hope and security for the people as

he served as their governor slash kind

621

of prime minister during this time.

622

But he too would eventually fall as well.

623

And so this section reminded the

people that their trust had to

624

transcend human princes and rulers.

625

So again, even Okay, don't.

626

Externally to all these nations,

but even internally, you can't

627

look to a human being for your

hope in the midst of all of this.

628

Because if this is God's

wrath coming, there's only one

629

response that's appropriate and

right and gonna be effective.

630

And that is repentance in, in

returning to him in obedience.

631

And so the chapter ends

with that message as well.

632

Which doesn't mean that you

throw away your leaders, your

633

pastors, your governors, right?

634

Yeah.

635

Please don't throw us out.

636

Yeah.

637

Please.

638

Thank you.

639

But it does mean that your

ultimate trust is not in them.

640

Yeah.

641

This is, this goes back to what we

opened the podcast with and it's that Dr.

642

MacArthur for all that he was not Jesus.

643

He's not the one that we put our

hope in, and he would be mortified

644

to think that we thought otherwise.

645

Totally.

646

He wants us to have our trust in Jesus.

647

And that's what Isaiah's pointing us to.

648

He's not saying it.

649

He's not saying, by the way,

when Jesus comes in 700 years,

650

I want you to trust him.

651

But that really is the point.

652

Yeah.

653

Don't put your trust in people.

654

Ultimately, they are your proximate trust.

655

But your ultimate trust is in

Jesus and he alone is worthy

656

and strong enough to carry it.

657

Yeah.

658

Yeah.

659

Let's pray and then we'll be done with

this episode of the Daily Bible Podcast.

660

God, we do thank you for the life

and legacy and ministry of Dr.

661

MacArthur and how he has impacted so

many and I know so many in our church.

662

Lord we're grateful for that and

thankful for the His faithfulness.

663

And yet it's a good reminder.

664

He is not the Messiah.

665

Jesus is our messiah.

666

Jesus is our savior, and he was

simply there to point us to Christ.

667

And so help us to glean that from his life

and to be more like Jesus as a result.

668

I know that would be the

best way to honor him.

669

Is if we are more godly, more like

Christ as a result of the impact

670

that he's made in our lives.

671

And so we thank you so much

for these things and we praise

672

you for this all in Jesus name.

673

Amen.

674

Amen.

675

Hey, keeper in your Bibles and

tune in again tomorrow for another

676

edition of the Daily Bible Podcast.

677

See you then.

678

Bye.

679

PJ: thanks for listening to another

edition of the Daily Bible Podcast.

680

This is a ministry of Compass

Bible Church in north Texas.

681

You can find out more information

about ourChurch@compassntx.org.

682

We would love for you to leave a

review to rate to share this podcast

683

on whatever platform you happen to

be listening on, and we will catch

684

you against tomorrow for another

edition of the Daily Bible Podcast.