00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview

00:15 Challenges of Reading Isaiah

00:56 The Complexity of Biblical Interpretation

03:01 Theological Shifts and Controversies

08:11 Idolatry and Its Consequences

11:23 Cyrus: God's Anointed Shepherd

12:30 Cyrus and God's Sovereignty

13:13 God's Control Over Good and Evil

14:31 Future Deliverance and Millennial Kingdom

15:49 Idols of Babylon and God's Supremacy

18:03 God's Judgment on Babylon

21:47 God's Glory and Israel's Deliverance

25:08 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

What's happening you know, just

trying to get through five chapters

4

of Isaiah in a reasonable amount of

time so people keep listening to us.

5

Ha.

6

Yeah.

7

Yeah.

8

Not likely, huh?

9

Ha.

10

This today I scoff at

your economy of words.

11

Yeah.

12

Today and then Monday is, is a break

from Isaiah, and then we're back in

13

Isaiah on Tuesday, and it's another

five chapters, including Isaiah 53,

14

which is probably the most significant,

one of the most significant chapters

15

in the entirety of the Old Testament.

16

I would even argue.

17

And it's just thrown in with

four other chapters on top of it.

18

So well, remember the goal is

to read, not to study totally.

19

And so reading these chapters,

probably not very long to do that.

20

Maybe 15, 20 minutes,

I would imagine, right?

21

But if you're gonna get stuck on

words and phrases that are important

22

or just cause you to say, Hmm, then

you're gonna spend a little more time.

23

And that's okay.

24

The more time you spend, the better.

25

But if you're just reading and that's

what we're expecting, then great.

26

It should only take you 15, 20.

27

Right?

28

Right.

29

If you're prepping for a podcast on

this and it takes you, you have to

30

have something to say that's, it takes

you at at least 17 minutes, at least

31

sometimes 18, if you're really pushing it.

32

At least when we endeavor to do this.

33

I think in our minds we knew this

is gonna take a lot because we

34

don't know everything in the Bible.

35

Surprise.

36

What I know.

37

People are shocked right now.

38

I know we don't know

everything in the Bible.

39

We're still working at our own

theology in so many respects.

40

And so as we read the Bible, we're

learning and we're growing too.

41

So we knew this would take a lot, but I

think after you add up all the hours and

42

the time to put into it, I don't think.

43

Yeah, we knew how much,

sometimes it's easier.

44

Yeah.

45

And it's just like, oh,

I love this chapter.

46

These are, these are familiar chapters.

47

I know what this book's about

without really having to

48

do a whole lot of research.

49

And then you get to Ezekiel and then

we're just sitting saying, what do we do?

50

What do we say?

51

How can this be a four minute podcast?

52

Right?

53

Maybe we should make them all four

minutes so that it's not weird.

54

We make Ezekiel a little

shorter than the others.

55

Well, what's his face?

56

Steven Nichols.

57

He's got that five minutes in

church history that he does.

58

He does it right, man.

59

Yeah.

60

I could do five minutes in church history.

61

I could do that one every day.

62

But man, when we start talking about 15

and 20 minutes in some of these really

63

challenging books, and it's not that

they're, I think they're comprehensible.

64

We're not trying to make

scripture out to be more than.

65

It's, it's not complicated.

66

We talk about the

perspicuity of scripture.

67

It's clear, but not, not all

of it is equally clear, right?

68

The important stuff, abundantly clear,

some of the more obscure things.

69

When we start talking about the

millennial kingdom and the temple and

70

Ezekiel and the final chapters, 40, 48

or even Isaiah as we're putting pieces

71

together and saying, okay, there's a

lot of attention here given to this.

72

The servants corporate Israel, the

servant, Jesus, the servant Cyrus.

73

We start talking about multiple servants

and we're trying, we're trying to.

74

Find the, the, I don't know, the

outline and the backbone of the book.

75

Sometimes that gets a bit tricky.

76

I can, and I, I think you

guys can sense some of that.

77

Yeah.

78

Even in the New Testament, Paul or Peter

says of Paul's writings, he's like, Hey,

79

some of these things are really hard.

80

Not a lot of them though,

he was overstating the case.

81

Yeah.

82

Romans seven, super easy.

83

Romans nine.

84

No one disagrees about these things.

85

We're all abundantly clear

on what he meant by that.

86

Yeah, for sure.

87

For sure.

88

In fact, some people are so clear

that they switched denominations.

89

Hey.

90

That seems relevant.

91

Someone was so put off by, I

mean, people within our stripe,

92

let's just say that, that they.

93

S turned in their resignation,

jumped to a new seminary in a

94

different Christian tradition.

95

Yeah, they did.

96

And burned some bridges on the way out.

97

Oh yeah, they did talk

about that a little bit.

98

Yeah.

99

You have some issues, some disagreements.

100

Theologically, what do you do with that?

101

And you, if you know what I'm

talking about, you, if you

102

know, you know, I'll say that.

103

And if you don't know, there's someone

in our ranks who was a high profile

104

teacher, writer, that kind of person.

105

And recently he left his seminary Yeah.

106

To go to an Anglican seminary and now

he's gonna be teaching there where

107

he, where previously he was a Baptist.

108

Right.

109

So things are a bit muddy now.

110

And, and people are making,

they're speculating as to

111

why, what, what happened?

112

Where did this trans

transformation take place?

113

Talk a little bit about that.

114

Help us to, to frame that, if anyone

knows what we're talking about.

115

And there's probably gonna be a few here.

116

Yeah.

117

Well, I.

118

People, people do make different decisions

and we should be perpetual students.

119

We, we shouldn't ever get to the place

where we're like, we, we've arrived.

120

We understand everything there

is to understand about God.

121

Right.

122

And we don't need to learn anymore.

123

Anglicans are not heretics, by the way.

124

Right.

125

Just to be clear, he's

not switching to a cult.

126

Right.

127

And we have nothing against Anglicans.

128

We disagree fundamentally in some

pretty significant issues, but we

129

don't say that they're not Christians.

130

And one of my favorite

writers was an Anglican.

131

By by the name of JC Ryle.

132

Yep.

133

And I love jc.

134

Yeah, he's a great teacher.

135

But we're, so we're not saying that

he's an unbeliever now, we're just

136

saying that this is a big shift.

137

Big shift, yeah.

138

Yeah.

139

And, and so we should

be perpetual students.

140

So the fact that somebody's gonna shift

even from one mainline denomination

141

to another one is not unheard of.

142

I think we just need to.

143

Do that carefully thoughtfully and humbly.

144

And I think he may have

checked the first two boxes.

145

He humbly.

146

Yeah.

147

Mm.

148

But the way that he spoke of his,

the denomination he was leaving

149

as he went to this new one, was,

was certainly not charitable.

150

It was, it didn't betray

a humility and Nope.

151

I mean, we don't know him.

152

And you and I were talking about this

yesterday and, and you were right on that.

153

You were like, Hey, we,

we don't know this guy.

154

But it's hard to, to read the

words that he wrote about.

155

His former institution

in any way that makes it.

156

Seemed like this is humility

and charity on the way out.

157

And yeah, he burned bridges and,

and that's the difficult, he took

158

a flame throwers to everybody.

159

He did napalm.

160

I mean, it was just, boom.

161

He, yeah.

162

And that's, that's the hard thing.

163

We should be perpetual students, but

I think there's a danger, and Joel

164

Bey put it this way, I was, I was

reading something by him recently.

165

He said, the work of learning

true theology is more than

166

an intellectual enterprise.

167

That's true.

168

It requires faith in Christ, submission to

God's will and the pursuit of God's glory.

169

Mm-hmm.

170

And as long as that's what we're after.

171

So faith in Christ's submission to God's

will and pursuit of God's glory, as

172

long as that's what we're after, great.

173

Let's keep learning.

174

Let's keep growing.

175

But we can drift into.

176

This hubris that comes along with a, a

lot of times an overindulgence into the

177

realm of church fathers and church history

and thinking this reverse chronological

178

snobbery that they had it right.

179

And they're the more you know,

intellectually astute and their

180

perception is right, and what, what

we believe currently is the church is

181

just, we're just a bunch of ignoramuses

trying to feel our way blindly

182

through life and figure things out.

183

And, and, and that can lead

to some dangerous areas.

184

The, the church fathers are great.

185

For a lot of reasons, but they

also were not infallible and they

186

made a lot of incorrect assumption,

the incorrect conclusions.

187

And so we, we just need to make sure

that that God's word is our authority.

188

And so I disagree with

his reasons for shifting.

189

As you said, we would have some

disagreements with the Anglican church.

190

But the thing I I, that grieves me more

is the way he went about it shift and

191

the, the heist that came along with that.

192

Yeah.

193

He did not go out silently,

quietly, humbly, all the above.

194

And I think I, I think one of the

dangers, especially today, there's

195

a lot of resurgence for Eastern

Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Anglicanism.

196

More liturgical traditions of the

Christian faith, and probably one

197

of the driving factors is that it

appears at least more historical,

198

and in some ways it's true.

199

There, there are roots that

go down pretty deep and long.

200

However, one of the challenges is that you

start to, again, I, I guess the best way

201

to put it is the way that you've put it.

202

You, it's reverse chron, chronological

snobbery, where you look at the past and

203

glorify it as being this is the way it was

supposed to be, but even in the earliest.

204

Development of the first Century Church.

205

There were already issues.

206

Yep.

207

Acts chapter 15 says that they had to

have a council to really clarify some of

208

the problems that they were experiencing.

209

You've got early on in the church,

Paul contending against false teachers

210

as some form of what we think is

gnosticism or something like it.

211

There was already issues in the first

Century church and so to say, well,

212

if, if Paul, if it was good enough

for Paul and the Apostles, and it

213

should be good enough for us really

puts history on a pedestal that I

214

don't think scripture allows us to do.

215

Right?

216

We have to look at everything

biblically, not just history, the the,

217

the present and the future, but all

of it to look at all of it and say,

218

does it measure against scripture?

219

And that's such a good instinct for

us to have instead of glorifying the

220

past or the present for that matter.

221

Don't glorify the past.

222

Don't glorify the present.

223

Glorify the Lord and he's

revealed in his word.

224

Yeah.

225

Yeah.

226

Speaking of his word, why don't we jump

in with these next five chapters, because

227

we got five chapters, so we might as well.

228

Yeah.

229

Here, I'm, we're just gonna cover

the five chapters right now.

230

Right?

231

Okay.

232

Ready?

233

God's Sovereign and he's gonna flex

and that's kind of these five chapters.

234

Alright, well let's wrap it up.

235

Yeah, let's pray.

236

We're done.

237

Hey.

238

Let's pray.

239

No.

240

But, but in chapter 44, he's

really reminding Israel of,

241

of his power, his authority.

242

He's reminding them of, of

his relationship to them.

243

Look at verse six, thus says The Lord,

the King of Israel, his redeemer that

244

is Israel's redeemer, the Lord of host.

245

I'm the first, the last.

246

There is no God beside me.

247

So you've got him saying, I'm your Lord.

248

I'm your king, I'm your

redeemer, and I'm the only God.

249

And then he contrast that in

chapter 44 with these false

250

idols and the foolishness.

251

Of even the idol makers who take a block

of wood and then chop it in half and

252

with half he's gonna make a fire, and

with half he's gonna create this idol

253

and he's gonna bow down and worship it.

254

He says they know not

nor do they discern for.

255

And here's the, the, the act of

judgment against God of, of God

256

against them, rather is God shut

their eyes so they cannot see in their

257

hearts, so they cannot understand.

258

That's going back to Isaiah chapter six.

259

It's also Second Corinthians chapter

four, when God says, the God of this

260

world is blinded the eyes of the law.

261

So when your loved one or

your neighbor, or your.

262

Coworker is worshiping a fault to God,

or even just an atheist who's rejected

263

the existence of God, and you're

presenting all these arguments, and for

264

you, you look at this and you say, what

doesn't make sense to you about this?

265

We have to remember, it only makes sense

to us because God has opened our eyes to

266

give us the ability to understand and see

these things, but God is reminding Israel

267

of the foolishness of idolatry and instead

of him as their redeemer, and so he's.

268

Reminding them of this and, and,

and flexing a little bit here

269

in chapter 44 which is going to

conclude with a reference to Cyrus.

270

But before we get to chapter

45, anything on chapter 44 pr?

271

Yeah.

272

One quick note here.

273

Notice here in verse 20 talks about

the person who engages in idolatry.

274

It says he feeds on.

275

Ashes, a diluted heart has led him astray

and he cannot deliver himself or say,

276

is there not a lie in my right hand?

277

Couple observations about that.

278

First idolatry is unsatisfying.

279

Feeding on ashes is not

gonna fill your tummy.

280

Would not taste good, would

not encourage you to try that.

281

Also that salt water.

282

Don't drink salt water.

283

Ocean water.

284

Don't do that.

285

But notice also it's the diluted heart.

286

The problem with idolatry is obvious to

those who are not engaged in idolatry.

287

Mm-hmm.

288

You read your Bible, you say, oh

man, it's, it's foolish to bow

289

down to a, a wooden block or to

worship money or career, or to

290

worship something that is not God.

291

It's obvious to everyone

else because the heart.

292

Is deceiving the person

who is engaging in it.

293

So there's a complicity there.

294

Scripture does call us to be aware of

our idolatry, but notice the heart is

295

complicit in leading itself astray.

296

You ought to be aware of that because

the human heart is not different.

297

Even though ours is regenerate,

our hearts can still deceive us

298

and we need to be aware of that.

299

And finally, it cannot

deliver him ultimately.

300

Idolatry is impotent to do anything in

the person's life besides condemn them.

301

It always tantalizes the person by

suggesting, Hey, if you just do this

302

thing, if you just achieve this level,

if you just get to this particular

303

object of your desire, then your

lust will finally be satisfied.

304

But anyone who's ever sinned before

knows that when lust is satisfied,

305

it's only satisfied for the fleeting.

306

Mm-hmm.

307

Most fleeting of moments.

308

Mm-hmm.

309

Milliseconds.

310

And then you're hungry for it again.

311

Just in a different way

and for greater portion.

312

So just take a look here at the

really the way that idolatry works.

313

I thought this was helpful and interesting

for you to see because this is how

314

it works even today for Christians.

315

We just have to be aware.

316

Our hearts can deceive us.

317

It's not satisfying and ultimately.

318

Idolatry only provokes

further sin and not less.

319

Yeah.

320

I mentioned end of chapter

44 references, Cyrus.

321

He calls Cyrus the Lord does my shepherd

and he will fulfill all my purpose.

322

And then he goes in, in chapter

45, and at least the first 13

323

verses talks about that purpose.

324

In fact, in chapter 45,

verse one, he calls Cyrus.

325

He's anointed, and that's the same

word that he's going to use of kings,

326

but also of eventually the Messiah.

327

And here it's used of Cyrus because

he has been, Cyrus has set apart from

328

the use of God for God's purposes.

329

That's what it means to be anointed

God is, is you could think about

330

consecrating him for his purposes

and then he says, whose right hand I

331

have grasped to subdue nations before

him and to loose the belts of kings.

332

And so God is, is saying to Israel

and also by extension of the nations.

333

I'm the, the one behind cyrus's activity

here, but Cyrus is gonna be the, the

334

shepherd and the anointed one, because

he's going to come and deliver Israel

335

from Babylon and the Babylonian captivity.

336

He's gonna take out Nebuchadnezzar.

337

It's really from Cyrus's perspective,

gonna be more about Babylon versus

338

Persia than it is about God's people.

339

But God is gonna use Cyrus to

set up the return of the exiles.

340

Even what we're talking about a

little bit this morning in Malachi

341

they're back in Jerusalem, even

in the book of Malachi because.

342

Cyrus freed them from Babylon

and sent them back there.

343

So the first part of Chapter 45 is so

comforting because it's just a reminder.

344

Man, God uses events in, in

circumstances and people that we

345

would never expect him to use to

accomplish his will and his purpose.

346

So as we look at the landscape,

geopolitically, whatever it may be

347

we don't have to despair or say, God,

do you know what's going on here?

348

In fact, this morning, in, in, at church,

in, in Malachi, that's one of the problems

349

of Israel and the, the last part of

the book, they're saying, God, you're.

350

They're challenging his character.

351

They're saying, God, you

don't care about this.

352

In fact, you're even approving

of what is evil, and we gotta

353

be careful not to do that.

354

God is moving the chess pieces

as he sees fit, and he knows

355

exactly what he's doing here.

356

And his, his relationship with Cyrus

is a, a great reminder of that for us.

357

Yeah, and one of the challenging things

about that is that this means that

358

God is in control of every aspect of

our human existence, whether that be

359

rulers, both righteous and wicked, or

whether that be events both good and bad.

360

And we see that here in verse seven.

361

He says, I form light

and I create darkness.

362

The word for darkness there is rah.

363

Ah, it's.

364

Evil.

365

That's the word we typically use for evil.

366

Now, scripture is gonna be clear here

that we don't wanna charge God with evil.

367

He doesn't directly do that.

368

God's relationship to good

and bad are not symmetrical.

369

His relationship to good is direct.

370

When there's good things that

are happening, God gets the glory

371

because he's directly involved.

372

When it comes to darkness, he is not.

373

And the same way involved with it.

374

He governs it.

375

He oversees it.

376

This is a, a claim of his

sovereignty, but he is not actively

377

engaging or participating in evil.

378

But make no mistake,

he is governor over it.

379

He is sovereign ruler over it.

380

And so this is why he can engage in it.

381

He can engage with in it without being

sinful because he can guarantee that

382

the outcome produces greater glory

for him and greater good for us.

383

You and I can't do this.

384

This is not an end justifying

the means situation.

385

Humans can't do this

because we can't predict.

386

All of the possible outcomes.

387

We think we can, but we can't.

388

Only God can do that with certainty, which

is why he can raise up Cyrus to do his

389

bidding and still say, he's my shepherd.

390

He's my anointed, because he

will guarantee that he does

391

exactly what God wants me to do.

392

And that deliverance is, is a foreshadow

of what the deliverance of the rest

393

of the chapters really speaking of,

which is the future millennial kingdom

394

when God is going to save Israel.

395

Verse 17, Israel is saved

by the Lord with an.

396

Everlasting salvation, you

shall not be put to shame or

397

confounded to all eternity.

398

So now we're looking long term

at how God is gonna deliver the

399

people, but it's not just Israel.

400

Note in verse 22, he says, turn to me

and be saved all the ends of the earth.

401

For I'm God.

402

There's no other by myself.

403

I've sworn from my mouth, has

gone out in righteousness.

404

A word that shall not return to me.

405

Every knee will bow and every

tongue swear allegiance.

406

That should remind you of something Paul

wrote about in Philippians chapter two.

407

There is a coming a day when every

knee will bound, every tongue will

408

confess that Jesus Christ is Lord

to the glory of God the Father.

409

So that's an example of what we

refer to as progressive revelation.

410

Isaiah and his audience are, they're,

they're hearing this, Isaiah's recording

411

this, and then Paul's gonna extrapolate

on that even more to help us understand.

412

A, a further measure

of, of God's plan here.

413

And, and we get to sit here understanding

that, well, how are the nations gonna

414

be calling on God and be saved, or

they're gonna be calling on God and be

415

saved by the one who humbled himself,

the Messiah, the, the, the Lord Jesus

416

Christ, to whom every knee will bow

in every tongue, confessed that he is

417

the Lord to the glory of the Father.

418

So at chapter 45, the first part is

about cyrus's deliverance, and then it

419

shifts to looking forward to that future

deliverance of the millennial kingdom

420

in the, in the still yet future today.

421

Chapter 46.

422

Then speaking of idols, he names a

couple of them right off the bat.

423

Those of of Babylon, specifically Bell and

Nebo, and he's going to call them out and

424

he says this, he says, these things you

carry are born as burdens on weary beast.

425

Verse one.

426

Look down to verse three though.

427

Listen to Mio house of Jacob and the

remnant of the House of Israel, who have

428

been born by me from before your birth.

429

And so God is making sure, again, to

contrast these false gods who he says,

430

look, they have to carry their gods.

431

Your God has carried you.

432

Your God has born you.

433

And so God again is, is still flexing.

434

He's saying, I am the greater one.

435

And recognize that.

436

Understand that.

437

He says in verse nine, I am God.

438

There is no other.

439

I'm God.

440

There's none like me declaring

the N from the beginning like

441

we've been talking about the

sovereignty of God, his ordinance.

442

Providence over his creation from

ancient times, things not yet done,

443

saying, my council shall stand and

I will accomplish all my purpose.

444

A reference to Cyrus again there in

verse 11, the, the bird of pray from

445

the east, the man of my council, he's

gonna call to come against Babylon.

446

So chapter 46, against specifically

targeting the, the idols of

447

Babylon There, if you really

believe this, you would basically

448

eliminate anxiety from your heart.

449

If you trusted what God is saying here,

not just to Israel, but to us, he says

450

it to them, but it's for us as well.

451

We are benefiting from this reality.

452

This is God's self revelation and

self-disclosure of how he operates.

453

And so he's flexing on them

to tell them, I am God.

454

I am God.

455

I am God.

456

By the way, have you heard I am God?

457

And no one else is.

458

And by the way, if you're

gonna go to an idol.

459

And, and granted, we're, we're

looking at idols like Bell and Nebo.

460

But, but you can think about

modern day idols like beauty,

461

success, financial security.

462

You can look at modern day

idols like real estate options.

463

I, I wanna live in a certain

place in a certain city.

464

Those kinds of things.

465

He's saying all of

those things burden you.

466

I idolatry burdens.

467

Those who participate in it.

468

Whereas in theology, rightly

applied, lifts the burdens.

469

Jesus is gonna say later

on, my burden is easy.

470

You my and my yoke is light.

471

And that's the effect of good theology.

472

When you truly believe what God says

it is, burden lifting, cast your

473

cares upon the Lord, cast your burdens

upon him because he cares for you.

474

I love this picture here.

475

He uses it throughout the whole chapter

basically in order to say, I am God.

476

By the way, have you

heard I am God, trust me.

477

And if you believe this man, anxiety

really has few places to hide.

478

And, and then in chapter 47, he picks up

on that same theme but goes after Babylon

479

because Babylon is challenging the Lord

on that and saying that of themselves.

480

So look down in verse eight of chapter 47.

481

Hear this, you love her of

pleasures who sit securely,

482

who's say in your heart I am.

483

And there is no one besides me.

484

Notice again, that's what God has been

saying and he is now confronting Babylon

485

'cause Babylon has been saying that.

486

And if, if we look at Babylon

and say, how could they ever

487

be so stupid to say that again?

488

I think you just pointed

out some ways that we can.

489

Fall prey to, to chasing after our own

version of wanting to be who God is and

490

wanting to control things the way that,

that only God is able to control them.

491

But he's gonna go after them.

492

And he even says, notice verse six.

493

This reminded me of Habakkuk in verse six.

494

He said, I was angry with my people.

495

I profaned my heritage.

496

I gave them into your hand.

497

And, and remember, that's

what Habakkuk said.

498

God, you can't do this.

499

But then he says.

500

But you showed them no mercy on the aged.

501

You made your yoke exceedingly heavy.

502

And so God's gonna do what?

503

God's gonna punish them.

504

In fact, if you look over

for me, it's across the page.

505

Maybe for you it's the next page

or just underneath verse 10 11.

506

Or you're scrolling.

507

Or you're scrolling.

508

He said, you said in your heart, I am.

509

And there is no one beside me.

510

Again, there's their claim

to only what God can claim.

511

Look at verse 11, but here

it is, this threefold.

512

Judgment coming against them.

513

Evil shall come upon you, which you

will not know how to charm away.

514

Disaster shall fall upon you for which

you will not be able to Atone and ruin

515

shall come upon you suddenly, of which you

know nothing so evil, disaster and ruin.

516

God is gonna completely white Babylon

out and there's undertones here.

517

If you're thinking to yourself,

man, isn't there another area

518

where Babylon is gonna be judged?

519

Yes.

520

Book of Revelation is gonna talk

about Neo Babylon or the new Babylon.

521

And so there are some undertones

here that we, again, with progressive

522

revelation under our belts.

523

Can see some foreshadowing of what

God's gonna do in the long term.

524

But for Isaiah's original audience, he's

saying, look, Nebuchadnezzar, you're

525

gonna go down you're gonna go down the,

the Pridefulness and I, I guess it was

526

Belt A Shaar later on or Bel Shaar.

527

You're gonna be judged and you are

going to be punished for your pride

528

and God is gonna not be rival.

529

Yeah, I, I think it's important

to see here that God hates

530

pride more than you do.

531

I know that we, we hate pride and, and

maybe you don't know anyone like this, who

532

in their heart says, I'm basically God.

533

There are people like this, though.

534

There are people that are so arrogant

and so haughty in their approach

535

to life and their approach to other

people that they, you know, railroad

536

people just because they can assert

their dominance in situations.

537

Notice here that God pays close

attention to the way that people

538

interact with others, but also,

did you catch it here in Pastor pj?

539

Read it in verse 10, he says, you said.

540

In your heart, which tells us again or

reminds us, God has access to the secret

541

places of your internal reasoning.

542

It's not just what you say, and it's not

just what you do, but God is o of hi.

543

Everything is available to him.

544

In full disclosure, when you think

something in your heart, when you

545

have a secret lust or a secret desire

that you would be terrified for

546

anyone else to learn, God knows and

he's paying attention, which is why

547

for the Christian faith we are so.

548

We're so passionate about having a faith

that is internal in addition to being

549

external, where we're not happy when

someone's just going through the motions.

550

When we show up to worship

for a Sunday morning, we don't

551

want to just clap our hands.

552

We don't wanna just sing.

553

We want to say, I want

to feel what I'm singing.

554

I want to think about what I'm singing.

555

I want to express my attention

and my thoughts to the Lord in my

556

worship, and that's true worship.

557

Anything short of that actually is.

558

It's false worship because we're

not truly worshiping, we're thinking

559

about food or we're angry at our

spouse or something like that.

560

God is seeing, and he has full access

into with you know, 4K, eight k

561

visibility, what's going on inside.

562

And that really matters.

563

And if you believe that,

again, Corrum dejo, if you're

564

living your whole life in, in.

565

In the, in the face of God.

566

That will change the way that you

allow yourself to reason, that'll

567

change the way that you allow

yourself to, to think on the inside.

568

And again, God has access to that.

569

He sees that, and at, at the end

of the day, he will judge that

570

unless that sin is judged in Christ.

571

Mm-hmm.

572

Well, chapter 48, then it, it just

reminds us again that, that what God

573

is after is God is after his own glory.

574

So he's telling Israel all of these

things that are gonna happen and the

575

reason he's telling Israel all the things

that are gonna happen, we read about in

576

verse four, he says, because I know that

you're obstinate and your neck is as

577

iron sinew and your forehead as brass.

578

I declared them to you from of old and

announce them to you, lest you should

579

say, my idol did them, my carved image

and my metal image commanded them.

580

So remember, God is telling

Israel all about these things

581

before they go into Babylon.

582

Isaiah's writing back

in the seven hundreds.

583

So this is still over

a hundred years away.

584

And God is telling them all of these

things about how Babylon's gonna fall,

585

and here comes Cyrus and all of these.

586

Part of the reason is, is

'cause He wants the glory.

587

Verse nine.

588

For my name's sake, I defer my

anger for the sake of my praise.

589

I restrain it for you that

I may not cut you off.

590

Verse 11.

591

For my own sake.

592

For my own sake, I do it for how

should my name be profane my glory.

593

I will not give to another.

594

And so that is, is what God is really

about here as he's telling the people

595

about this and in, in, in chapter 48,

the rest of it, he's, he's telling

596

the people, okay, and, and when you're

delivered, recognize the deliverance.

597

Go out and, and do as you're called to do.

598

At that point, it's remarkable how, and

this is not directly related to what

599

Reading and Isaiah, but it, it is related.

600

He says, here, you just read it,

pastor pj, for my own sake, I do it.

601

And he says, my glory, I

will not give to another.

602

And yet in John chapter 17, Jesus says.

603

Father glorify me in your own

presence with the glory that I had

604

with you before the world existed.

605

If that's on a claim of

deity, I don't know what is.

606

Jesus himself acknowledges, this is

the glory that I shared with you.

607

And then Isaiah says, speaking

on behalf of God, I won't

608

share my glory with another.

609

So it's either A, Jesus is deceived

and he's out of his mind, or B, he is.

610

The incarnate deity that we believe

he is, and we would land on, obviously

611

on the second one, given the fact that

it says here, my glory, I won't give.

612

And yet God gave him his glory.

613

Yep.

614

Hard to deny all those things.

615

But I, Isaiah 48 here, I, I just wanna

keep on reminding you what you're, you're

616

continuing to see, you're seeing themes

in Isaiah's writing, and one of those

617

themes that he's really concerned about

is that you have a high view of God.

618

Mm.

619

This is why our church is distinctive.

620

Having a high view of God is so important.

621

We see things like this,

and we want to, we want to.

622

Make it part of our culture to say

we don't wanna look lowly upon God.

623

We don't want to ever think

about him in a merely human way.

624

It's good to say, I want

to, God is approachable.

625

He calls himself Father, and so

there's a, oh man, what I just did.

626

You didn't rip it though.

627

Right.

628

I did.

629

I did rip it.

630

Yes.

631

I just hit my BI guys.

632

I just hit my Bible.

633

He just tore the Holy Bible.

634

I ripped my page that I was,

oh, that is so frustrating.

635

That hurts my heart.

636

Yeah.

637

I was saying we should

have a high view of God.

638

Yeah.

639

Even when you rip your Bible.

640

It.

641

You should keep eye view of God and

a very low view of man apparently.

642

'cause our lack of coordination

can sometimes betray us.

643

You're gonna end Isaiah 48 and it

is gonna say, here, there is no

644

peace, says the Lord for the wicked.

645

And you're gonna see that same phrase

in Isaiah 57 21, which is gonna give

646

you a sense, this is this next section

that we're gonna read, not tomorrow,

647

but the day after is part of a unit.

648

So, 48, 22 and 57, 21.

649

Same phrase, basically.

650

That's a section.

651

Yeah.

652

The, the high view you've got, we're

talking about that this morning at church.

653

So we won't rip our Bible pages though.

654

No, we're not gonna do that actually.

655

That's good.

656

That's not part of, that's, I

dunno why you don't wanna do that.

657

Yeah.

658

Yeah.

659

But, join us.

660

Make sure that, that either you're on your

way to church or hopefully you've already

661

been there, but we can't wait to see

you guys there and and worship with you.

662

Yes.

663

So lemme pray and then we'll

be done with this episode.

664

God, we thank you so much for

your word and it's a lot for

665

us to, to cover five chapters.

666

And yet again, as we talked

about at the very beginning,

667

our goals right now to read.

668

And to do our best to, to

understand as we read and, and we

669

need you to be able to do that.

670

That's one of the ministries of

the Holy Spirit within us, to open

671

our eyes, to enlighten us, to be

able to understand these things.

672

And so we thank you God, that,

that you've given us the spirit.

673

We thank you that your word is

understandable and that it is not written

674

in a language that nobody has ever heard

or known or is not recited by only a

675

language that the priests know and, and

the rest of us are, are subject to sitting

676

in, in the church and trusting that.

677

They're telling us what it means,

but we can actually look at

678

it, understand it, and read it.

679

So help us to do that with Isaiah

tomorrow with Kings and and Psalms.

680

And then as we continue in the prophets,

God, just give us a, a desire to be in

681

your Word and something, one or two things

each day that we can pull out and say,

682

I wanna focus on this, meditate on it.

683

Apply this, see my life.

684

Change this way so that you use your

words and make us more like Jesus.

685

We pray this in Jesus' name.

686

Amen.

687

Amen.

688

Keep your new Bibles tuning again

tomorrow for another edition

689

of the Daily Bible Podcast.

690

Bye bye.

691

PJ: thanks for listening to another

edition of the Daily Bible Podcast.

692

This is a ministry of Compass

Bible Church in north Texas.

693

You can find out more information

about ourChurch@compassntx.org.

694

We would love for you to leave a

review to rate to share this podcast

695

on whatever platform you happen to

be listening on, and we will catch

696

you against tomorrow for another

edition of the Daily Bible Podcast.