1 00:00:02,730 --> 00:00:06,730 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,790 --> 00:00:13,580 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at BibleStudyHeadquarters.com. You're listening 3 00:00:13,620 --> 00:00:17,280 Speaker 1: to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible. I'm John Stonge 4 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:21,900 Speaker 1: and today we're in Isaiah chapter 30 and we'll be 5 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:28,160 Speaker 1: reading from the New English Translation. The rebellious children are 6 00:00:28,220 --> 00:00:31,200 Speaker 1: as good as dead, says the Lord. Those who make 7 00:00:31,260 --> 00:00:36,440 Speaker 1: plans without consulting me, who form alliances without consulting my spirit, 8 00:00:36,940 --> 00:00:41,550 Speaker 1: and thereby compound their sin. They travel down to Egypt 9 00:00:41,610 --> 00:00:46,089 Speaker 1: without seeking my will, seeking Pharaoh's protection, and looking for 10 00:00:46,190 --> 00:00:51,070 Speaker 1: safety in Egypt's protective shade. But Pharaoh's protection will bring 11 00:00:51,110 --> 00:00:54,940 Speaker 1: you nothing but shame, and the safety of Egypt's protective 12 00:00:55,040 --> 00:01:00,020 Speaker 1: shade nothing but humiliation. Though his officials are in Zoan, 13 00:01:00,500 --> 00:01:03,940 Speaker 1: and his messengers arrive at Haines, all will be put 14 00:01:04,020 --> 00:01:06,959 Speaker 1: to shame, because of a nation that cannot help them, 15 00:01:07,380 --> 00:01:10,910 Speaker 1: who cannot give them aid or help, but only shame 16 00:01:11,270 --> 00:01:15,550 Speaker 1: and disgrace. This is a message about the animals in 17 00:01:15,569 --> 00:01:20,809 Speaker 1: the Negev. Through a land of distress and danger, inhabited 18 00:01:20,870 --> 00:01:25,550 Speaker 1: by lionesses and roaring lions, by snakes and darting adders, 19 00:01:25,990 --> 00:01:29,860 Speaker 1: they transport their wealth on the backs of donkeys, their 20 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:33,240 Speaker 1: riches on the humps of camels, to a nation that 21 00:01:33,340 --> 00:01:38,810 Speaker 1: cannot help them. Egypt is totally incapable of helping. For 22 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:42,289 Speaker 1: this reason I call her proud one who is silenced. 23 00:01:43,030 --> 00:01:46,589 Speaker 1: Now go, write it down on a tablet in their presence, 24 00:01:47,069 --> 00:01:49,970 Speaker 1: inscribe it on a scroll, so that it might be 25 00:01:50,050 --> 00:01:54,330 Speaker 1: preserved for a future time as an enduring witness. For 26 00:01:54,370 --> 00:01:59,070 Speaker 1: these are rebellious people, they are lying children, children unwilling 27 00:01:59,130 --> 00:02:02,730 Speaker 1: to obey the Lord's law. They say to the visionaries, 28 00:02:03,050 --> 00:02:06,510 Speaker 1: See no more visions. And to the seers, Don't relate 29 00:02:06,590 --> 00:02:10,090 Speaker 1: messages to us about what is right. Tell us nice things. 30 00:02:10,470 --> 00:02:15,160 Speaker 1: Relate deceptive messages. Turn aside from the way. Stray off 31 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:19,700 Speaker 1: the path. Remove from our presence the Holy One of Israel. 32 00:02:20,900 --> 00:02:23,380 Speaker 1: For this reason, this is what the Holy One of 33 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 1: Israel says. You have rejected this message. You trust instead 34 00:02:28,540 --> 00:02:32,220 Speaker 1: in your ability to oppress and trick and rely on 35 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:36,750 Speaker 1: that kind of behavior. So this sin will become your downfall. 36 00:02:37,230 --> 00:02:39,950 Speaker 1: You will be like a high wall that bulges and 37 00:02:40,070 --> 00:02:44,230 Speaker 1: cracks and is ready to collapse. It crumbles suddenly in 38 00:02:44,270 --> 00:02:48,210 Speaker 1: a flash. It shatters in pieces like a clay jar, 39 00:02:48,730 --> 00:02:51,930 Speaker 1: so shattered to bits that none of it can be salvaged. 40 00:02:52,710 --> 00:02:56,750 Speaker 1: Among its fragments, one cannot find a shard large enough 41 00:02:56,810 --> 00:02:59,740 Speaker 1: to scoop a hot coal from a fire, or to 42 00:02:59,820 --> 00:03:03,340 Speaker 1: skim off water from a cistern. For this is what 43 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:06,440 Speaker 1: the Master, the Lord, the Holy One of Israel says, 44 00:03:07,490 --> 00:03:10,930 Speaker 1: If you repented and patiently waited for me, you would 45 00:03:10,970 --> 00:03:14,169 Speaker 1: be delivered. If you calmly trusted in me, you would 46 00:03:14,230 --> 00:03:18,609 Speaker 1: find strength, but you are unwilling. You say, No, we 47 00:03:18,650 --> 00:03:23,010 Speaker 1: will flee on horses. So you will indeed flee. You say, 48 00:03:23,310 --> 00:03:27,430 Speaker 1: We will ride on fast horses. so your pursuers will 49 00:03:27,450 --> 00:03:31,660 Speaker 1: be fast. One thousand will scurry at the battle cry 50 00:03:31,760 --> 00:03:35,420 Speaker 1: of one enemy soldier. At the battle cry of five 51 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:38,960 Speaker 1: enemy soldiers, you will all run away until the remaining 52 00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:42,860 Speaker 1: few are as isolated as a flagpole on a mountaintop 53 00:03:43,340 --> 00:03:46,790 Speaker 1: or a signal flag on a hill. For this reason, 54 00:03:47,290 --> 00:03:50,490 Speaker 1: the Lord is ready to show you mercy. He sits 55 00:03:50,630 --> 00:03:54,090 Speaker 1: on His throne ready to have compassion on you. Indeed, 56 00:03:54,510 --> 00:03:57,730 Speaker 1: The Lord is a just God. All who wait for 57 00:03:57,770 --> 00:04:01,280 Speaker 1: Him in faith will be blessed. For people will live 58 00:04:01,410 --> 00:04:05,400 Speaker 1: in Zion. In Jerusalem you will weep no more. When 59 00:04:05,460 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 1: He hears your cry of despair, He will indeed show 60 00:04:08,780 --> 00:04:12,619 Speaker 1: you mercy. When He hears it, He will respond to you. 61 00:04:13,660 --> 00:04:16,279 Speaker 1: The Sovereign Master will give you distress to eat and 62 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:20,299 Speaker 1: suffering to drink. But your teachers will no longer be hidden. 63 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:23,920 Speaker 1: Your eyes will see them. You will hear a word 64 00:04:23,980 --> 00:04:27,300 Speaker 1: spoken behind you saying, this is the correct way, walk 65 00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:30,020 Speaker 1: in it, whether you are heading to the right or 66 00:04:30,100 --> 00:04:34,580 Speaker 1: the left. You will desecrate your silver-plated idols and your 67 00:04:34,660 --> 00:04:38,240 Speaker 1: gold-plated images. You will throw them away as if they 68 00:04:38,300 --> 00:04:42,500 Speaker 1: were a menstrual rag, saying to them, get out. He 69 00:04:42,540 --> 00:04:45,600 Speaker 1: will water the seed you plant in the ground, and 70 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:49,400 Speaker 1: the ground will produce crops in abundance. At that time, 71 00:04:49,460 --> 00:04:54,130 Speaker 1: your cattle will graze in wide pastures. The oxen and 72 00:04:54,210 --> 00:04:58,620 Speaker 1: donkeys used in plowing will eat seasoned feed winnowed with 73 00:04:58,660 --> 00:05:02,920 Speaker 1: a shovel and pitchfork. On every high mountain and every 74 00:05:02,980 --> 00:05:06,560 Speaker 1: high hill there will be streams flowing with water at 75 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:10,060 Speaker 1: the time of great slaughter when the fortified towers collapse. 76 00:05:10,940 --> 00:05:13,310 Speaker 1: The light of the full moon will be like the 77 00:05:13,410 --> 00:05:17,490 Speaker 1: sun's glare, and the sun's glare will be seven times brighter, 78 00:05:17,870 --> 00:05:20,950 Speaker 1: like the light of seven days when the Lord binds 79 00:05:21,029 --> 00:05:26,270 Speaker 1: up His people's fractured bones together and heals their severe wound. Look, 80 00:05:26,830 --> 00:05:29,330 Speaker 1: the name of the Lord comes from a distant place, 81 00:05:29,830 --> 00:05:34,560 Speaker 1: in raging anger and awesome splendor. He speaks angrily, and 82 00:05:34,620 --> 00:05:39,340 Speaker 1: His word is like destructive fire. His battle cry overwhelms 83 00:05:39,420 --> 00:05:43,140 Speaker 1: like a flooding river that reaches one's neck. He shakes 84 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:46,640 Speaker 1: the nations in a sieve that isolates the chaff. He 85 00:05:46,690 --> 00:05:49,330 Speaker 1: puts a bit into the mouth of the nations and 86 00:05:49,430 --> 00:05:53,020 Speaker 1: leads them to destruction. You will sing as you do 87 00:05:53,100 --> 00:05:56,200 Speaker 1: in the evening when you are celebrating a festival. You 88 00:05:56,250 --> 00:05:58,950 Speaker 1: will be happy like one who plays a flute as 89 00:05:58,990 --> 00:06:01,310 Speaker 1: he goes to the mountain of the Lord, the rock 90 00:06:01,589 --> 00:06:05,589 Speaker 1: who shelters Israel. The Lord will give a mighty shout 91 00:06:05,750 --> 00:06:11,130 Speaker 1: and intervene in power, with furious anger and flaming, destructive fire, 92 00:06:11,570 --> 00:06:16,830 Speaker 1: with a driving rainstorm and hailstones. Indeed, the Lord's shout 93 00:06:16,890 --> 00:06:20,440 Speaker 1: will shatter Assyria. He will beat them with a club. 94 00:06:21,170 --> 00:06:24,470 Speaker 1: Every blow from his punishing cudgel with which the Lord 95 00:06:24,510 --> 00:06:27,450 Speaker 1: will beat them will be accompanied by music from the 96 00:06:27,510 --> 00:06:31,510 Speaker 1: tambourine and harp, and he will attack them with his weapons. 97 00:06:32,550 --> 00:06:36,190 Speaker 1: For the burial place is already prepared. It has been 98 00:06:36,230 --> 00:06:39,849 Speaker 1: made deep and wide for the king. The firewood is 99 00:06:39,930 --> 00:06:43,680 Speaker 1: piled high on it. The Lord's breath, like a stream 100 00:06:43,770 --> 00:06:51,280 Speaker 1: flowing with brimstone, will ignite it. Let's pray. Lord, thank 101 00:06:51,300 --> 00:06:53,380 Speaker 1: you for your word. Thank you for this portion of 102 00:06:53,460 --> 00:06:57,500 Speaker 1: scripture that reminds us not to trust in human leadership 103 00:06:57,540 --> 00:07:00,640 Speaker 1: in the sense that we replace our trust in you 104 00:07:00,810 --> 00:07:04,289 Speaker 1: with trust in faulty human beings who could only do 105 00:07:04,410 --> 00:07:07,410 Speaker 1: so much. We know, Lord, that it was a temptation 106 00:07:07,510 --> 00:07:11,350 Speaker 1: for your people during Isaiah's time to put their trust 107 00:07:11,510 --> 00:07:15,830 Speaker 1: in neighboring nations. These nations and their leaders seem so strong, 108 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:18,680 Speaker 1: but you reminded them in this portion of scripture, just 109 00:07:18,700 --> 00:07:21,230 Speaker 1: like you remind us, that you're the one that we 110 00:07:21,270 --> 00:07:24,390 Speaker 1: should ultimately trust, that human leaders do not have the 111 00:07:24,450 --> 00:07:27,090 Speaker 1: capacity to do the things that only you can do. 112 00:07:27,790 --> 00:07:30,390 Speaker 1: So we're grateful for recognizing this. We look forward to 113 00:07:30,430 --> 00:07:33,310 Speaker 1: the day when your son, Jesus Christ, will rule and 114 00:07:33,370 --> 00:07:36,310 Speaker 1: reign on this earth. And we're grateful for your presence 115 00:07:36,350 --> 00:07:39,510 Speaker 1: with us in all circumstances. We commit this day to 116 00:07:39,530 --> 00:07:44,100 Speaker 1: your care. We pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.