A Word for Egypt (Part 2)

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.000 And let's pray now and asks for God bless the Reading and preaching of his 2 00:00:05.040 --> 00:00:10.160 word. Our heavenly father, we do thank you that you give your word 3 00:00:10.240 --> 00:00:16.559 to us. We thank you that it comes to us, I'm not only 4 00:00:16.640 --> 00:00:23.359 in the copies and shadows and types of the Old Testament, but also more 5 00:00:23.359 --> 00:00:30.239 fully and more completely in the manifestation of your will for us, in the 6 00:00:30.280 --> 00:00:35.799 son of God, in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. We ask 7 00:00:35.880 --> 00:00:39.240 that you would help us to read and understand all of your word in light 8 00:00:39.320 --> 00:00:47.719 of him and thereby to be his disciples, following him in every way, 9 00:00:47.719 --> 00:00:54.880 trusting him for everything, praising him as the one true God. We pray 10 00:00:54.960 --> 00:01:03.920 this in Jesus name, our Savior. Amen. I have a longer passage 11 00:01:03.280 --> 00:01:07.319 to read to you tonight. I'm so you may be seated if you like, 12 00:01:07.439 --> 00:01:10.959 but I heard you to stand as well. WE'RE GOING TO BE READING 13 00:01:11.000 --> 00:01:19.519 EZEKIEL CHAPTER THIRTY OF, beginning at Verse Twenty, through through Chapter Thirty two, 14 00:01:19.599 --> 00:01:23.280 so just a little bit of the end of thirty then thirty one and 15 00:01:23.359 --> 00:01:30.040 thirty two. This is the second half of a even large your section, 16 00:01:30.159 --> 00:01:34.760 the first half of which we covered last time. There were four oracles that 17 00:01:34.799 --> 00:01:41.359 came to Ezekiel, and here are the final three, making for a complete 18 00:01:41.400 --> 00:01:47.920 seven. These are oracles that a come against Egypt. First, in the 19 00:01:47.920 --> 00:01:53.519 first Oracle, Egypt is pictured as a great and mighty tree, really, 20 00:01:53.560 --> 00:01:59.799 really big. You'll see how big. Then in the second, Pharaoh is 21 00:01:59.879 --> 00:02:06.319 a pictured as a crocodile lion figure, and then finally, we have a 22 00:02:06.760 --> 00:02:09.520 lament over Pharaoh in Egypt in the end. So let's give our attention to 23 00:02:09.560 --> 00:02:15.280 God's word. Is Ekiel thirty, verse twenty and the Eleventh Year, in 24 00:02:15.319 --> 00:02:17.199 the first month, on the seventh day of the month, the word of 25 00:02:17.240 --> 00:02:21.759 the Lord came to me, son of man, I have broken the arm 26 00:02:21.840 --> 00:02:24.360 of Pharaoh, King of Egypt, and behold, it has not been bound 27 00:02:24.479 --> 00:02:29.080 up. To heal it by binding it with a bandage so that it may 28 00:02:29.159 --> 00:02:32.840 become strong to wield the sword. Therefore, thus says the Lord God. 29 00:02:32.879 --> 00:02:37.719 Behold, I am against Pharaoh, King of Egypt, and I will break 30 00:02:37.759 --> 00:02:40.840 his arms, both the strong arm and the one that was broken, and 31 00:02:40.879 --> 00:02:46.639 I will make the sword fall from his hand. I will scatter the Egyptians 32 00:02:46.680 --> 00:02:50.960 among the nations and disperse them through the countries, and I will strengthen the 33 00:02:51.039 --> 00:02:55.039 arms of the King of Babylon and put my sword in his hand, but 34 00:02:55.120 --> 00:03:00.039 I will break the arms of Pharaoh and he will groan before him like a 35 00:03:00.120 --> 00:03:05.479 man mortally wounded. I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, 36 00:03:05.599 --> 00:03:09.080 but the arms of Pharaoh shall fall. Then they shall know that I am 37 00:03:09.120 --> 00:03:13.439 the Lord. When I put my sword into the hand of the King of 38 00:03:13.439 --> 00:03:17.520 Babylon and he stretches it out against the land of Egypt, I will scatter 39 00:03:17.560 --> 00:03:23.560 the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries. Then they will 40 00:03:23.599 --> 00:03:29.240 know that I am the Lord. In the eleventh year, on the third 41 00:03:29.319 --> 00:03:30.680 month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord 42 00:03:30.759 --> 00:03:35.719 came to me, son of man, say to Pharaoh, King of Egypt, 43 00:03:35.759 --> 00:03:42.080 and to his multitude, whom are you like in your greatness? Behold 44 00:03:42.120 --> 00:03:46.680 Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches and forest shade and of 45 00:03:46.840 --> 00:03:53.080 towering height its top among the clouds. The waters nourished it, the deep 46 00:03:53.199 --> 00:03:58.560 made it grow tall, making its rivers flow around the place of its planting, 47 00:03:58.680 --> 00:04:01.639 sending forth its streams to all the trees of the field. So it 48 00:04:01.719 --> 00:04:06.280 towered high above all the trees of the field. Its boughs grew large and 49 00:04:06.319 --> 00:04:13.560 its branches long from abundant water in its shoots. All the birds of the 50 00:04:13.560 --> 00:04:17.120 heavens made their nest in its boughs. Under its branches, all the beasts 51 00:04:17.160 --> 00:04:23.319 of the field gave birth to their young, and under its shadow lived all 52 00:04:23.319 --> 00:04:29.240 great nations. It was beautiful and its greatness and the length of its branches, 53 00:04:29.279 --> 00:04:34.160 for its roots went down to abundant waters. The Cedars and the Garden 54 00:04:34.240 --> 00:04:39.920 of God could not rival it, nor the fir trees equal its boughs. 55 00:04:39.959 --> 00:04:44.759 Neither were the plane trees like its branches. No tree in the garden of 56 00:04:44.800 --> 00:04:50.399 God was equal in beauty. I made it beautiful in the mass of its 57 00:04:50.480 --> 00:04:56.240 branches, and all the trees of Eden envied it that were in the garden 58 00:04:56.279 --> 00:05:01.920 of God. Therefore, thus says the Lord God, because it towered high 59 00:05:01.959 --> 00:05:06.839 and set its top above the clouds and its heart was proud of its height, 60 00:05:06.879 --> 00:05:11.800 I will give it into the hand of a mighty one of the nations. 61 00:05:11.839 --> 00:05:15.759 He shall surely deal with it as its wickedness deserves. I have cast 62 00:05:15.839 --> 00:05:19.800 it out. Foreigners, the most ruthless of nations, have cut it down 63 00:05:19.879 --> 00:05:25.399 and left it on the mountains and in all the valleys. Its branches have 64 00:05:25.439 --> 00:05:30.879 fallen and its boughs have been broken, and all the ravines of the land 65 00:05:30.160 --> 00:05:34.480 and all the peoples of the Earth have gone away from its shadow and left 66 00:05:34.560 --> 00:05:39.879 it on its fallen trunk dwell all the birds of the heavens, and on 67 00:05:39.920 --> 00:05:44.360 its branches are the beasts of the field. All this in order that no 68 00:05:44.480 --> 00:05:48.879 trees by the water may grow to towering height or set their tops among the 69 00:05:48.920 --> 00:05:54.839 clouds, and that no trees may drink water that drink water may reach up 70 00:05:54.839 --> 00:05:58.920 to them in height, for they are all given over to death, to 71 00:05:59.079 --> 00:06:03.759 the world below, among the children of man, with those who go down 72 00:06:03.800 --> 00:06:09.879 to the pit. Thus says the Lord God. On the day the Cedar 73 00:06:09.959 --> 00:06:14.399 went down to Sheol, I caused mourning. I closed the deep over it 74 00:06:14.439 --> 00:06:19.040 and restrained its waters, and many waters were stopped. I clothed Lebanon and 75 00:06:19.120 --> 00:06:24.160 gloom for it, and all the trees of the field fainted because of it. 76 00:06:24.279 --> 00:06:28.560 I made the nation's quake at the sound of its fall when I cast 77 00:06:28.639 --> 00:06:31.759 it down to Sheol with those who go down to the pit, and all 78 00:06:31.800 --> 00:06:36.079 the trees of Eden, the choice and Best of Lebanon, all that drink 79 00:06:36.120 --> 00:06:43.600 water were comforted in the world below. They also went down to Sheol with 80 00:06:43.680 --> 00:06:47.040 it, to those who are slain by the sword. Yes, those who 81 00:06:47.079 --> 00:06:53.959 were its arms, arm who lived under its shadow among the nations. Whom 82 00:06:54.000 --> 00:06:57.439 Are you? Thus like in glory and in greatness, among the trees of 83 00:06:57.600 --> 00:07:00.680 Eden, you shall be brought down with the trees of Eden too. The 84 00:07:00.680 --> 00:07:06.040 world below. You shall lie among the uncircumcised, with those who are slain 85 00:07:06.120 --> 00:07:14.120 by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, declares the Lord 86 00:07:14.680 --> 00:07:16.399 and the Twelve Year of the twelve month, on the first day of the 87 00:07:16.399 --> 00:07:19.839 month, the word of the Lord came to me, son of man, 88 00:07:19.879 --> 00:07:25.680 say raise a lamentation over Pharaoh, King of Egypt, and say to him 89 00:07:26.160 --> 00:07:30.160 you consider yourself a lion of the nations, but you are like a dragon 90 00:07:30.240 --> 00:07:35.120 in the seas. You burst forth in your rivers, trouble the waters with 91 00:07:35.160 --> 00:07:41.120 your feet and foul their rivers. Thus says the Lord God, I will 92 00:07:41.120 --> 00:07:44.879 throw my net over you with a host of many peoples, and they will 93 00:07:44.920 --> 00:07:48.079 haul you up in my dragnet and I will cast you on the ground, 94 00:07:48.079 --> 00:07:51.040 on the open field. I will fling you and I will cause all the 95 00:07:51.079 --> 00:07:56.920 birds of the Heavens to settle on you, and I will gorge the beasts 96 00:07:56.920 --> 00:08:01.879 of the whole Earth with you. I will strew your flesh upon the mountains 97 00:08:01.920 --> 00:08:05.560 and fill the valleys with your carcass. I will drench the land, even 98 00:08:05.600 --> 00:08:09.759 to the mountains, with your flowing blood. The ravines will be full of 99 00:08:09.800 --> 00:08:15.360 you. When I blought you out, I will cover the heavens and make 100 00:08:15.439 --> 00:08:18.279 their stars dark. I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the 101 00:08:18.319 --> 00:08:22.920 moon shall not give its light. All the Bright Lights of heavens, of 102 00:08:24.040 --> 00:08:28.040 Heaven, will I make dark over you and put darkness on your land. 103 00:08:28.160 --> 00:08:33.279 Declares the Lord God. I will trouble the hearts of many peoples when I 104 00:08:33.279 --> 00:08:39.360 bring your destruction among the nations, in the countries that you have not known, 105 00:08:39.480 --> 00:08:43.120 I will make many people's appalled at you, and the hair of their 106 00:08:43.200 --> 00:08:48.399 kings we shall bristle with horror because of you. When I brandish my sword 107 00:08:48.480 --> 00:08:52.039 before them, they shall tremble every moment, every one for his own life. 108 00:08:52.159 --> 00:08:56.120 On the day of your downfall, for thus says the Lord God, 109 00:08:56.200 --> 00:09:00.720 the key, the sword of the King of Babylon, shall come upon you. 110 00:09:01.080 --> 00:09:03.559 I will cause your multitude to fall by the sword of the mighty ones, 111 00:09:03.679 --> 00:09:09.080 all of them most ruthless of nations. They shall bring to ruin the 112 00:09:09.120 --> 00:09:13.320 pride of Egypt, and all is multitude shall perish. I will destroy all 113 00:09:13.320 --> 00:09:18.120 its beast from beside many waters, and no foot of man shall trouble them 114 00:09:18.159 --> 00:09:22.240 anymore, nor shall the hoofs of beasts trouble them. Then I will make 115 00:09:22.279 --> 00:09:28.000 their waters clear and cause their rivers to run like oil, declares the Lord 116 00:09:28.080 --> 00:09:31.639 God. When I make the land of Egypt desolate, and when the land 117 00:09:31.720 --> 00:09:35.519 is desolate of all that fills it, when I strike down all who dwell 118 00:09:35.519 --> 00:09:39.000 in it, then they will know that I am the Lord. This is 119 00:09:39.039 --> 00:09:43.759 the lamentation that shall be chanted. The daughters of the nations shall chant it 120 00:09:43.840 --> 00:09:48.279 over Egypt and over all her multitude. Shall they chant it? Declares the 121 00:09:48.320 --> 00:09:52.879 Lord God. In the twelve year and the twelve month, on the fifteen 122 00:09:54.000 --> 00:09:56.960 day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me. Son 123 00:09:56.039 --> 00:10:00.960 Of man, Wail over the multitude of Egypt and send them down, her 124 00:10:01.039 --> 00:10:05.159 daughter, her and the daughters of majestic nations to the world below, to 125 00:10:05.279 --> 00:10:11.080 those who have gone down to the pit. Whom do you surpass in beauty 126 00:10:11.360 --> 00:10:16.720 go down and be laid to rest with the uncircumcised. They shall fall amid 127 00:10:16.799 --> 00:10:20.639 those who are slain by the sword. Egypt is delivered to the sword. 128 00:10:20.879 --> 00:10:28.480 Drag her away and all her multitudes. The mighty excuse me, the mighty 129 00:10:28.559 --> 00:10:31.679 chief, shall speak of them, with their helpers. Out of the midst 130 00:10:31.679 --> 00:10:37.799 of Sheol. They have come down. They lie still, the uncircumcised slain 131 00:10:37.840 --> 00:10:41.919 by the sword. Assyria is there and all her company, it's graves all 132 00:10:41.000 --> 00:10:45.960 around it, all of them slain fallen by the sword, whose graves are 133 00:10:46.000 --> 00:10:48.720 said in the uppermost parts of the pit, and her company is all around 134 00:10:48.720 --> 00:10:54.440 her grave. All of them slain fallen by the sword, who spread terror 135 00:10:54.440 --> 00:10:58.120 in the land of the living. Elam is there and all her multitude around 136 00:10:58.159 --> 00:11:01.960 her grave. All of them slain fallen by the sword, who went down 137 00:11:03.080 --> 00:11:07.799 uncircumcised into the world below, who spread their terror in the land of the 138 00:11:07.840 --> 00:11:11.159 living, and they bear their shame with those who go down to the pit. 139 00:11:11.759 --> 00:11:16.639 They have made her a bed among the slain, with all her multitude, 140 00:11:16.639 --> 00:11:20.399 her graves all around it, all of them uncircumcised, slain by the 141 00:11:20.440 --> 00:11:24.080 sword, for terror of them was spread in the land of the living and 142 00:11:24.120 --> 00:11:28.399 they bear their shame with those who go down to the pit. They are 143 00:11:28.440 --> 00:11:33.200 placed among the shame slain. Meshak to ball is there, and all her 144 00:11:33.279 --> 00:11:37.919 multitude, her graves all around it, all of them uncircumcised, slain by 145 00:11:37.960 --> 00:11:41.919 the sword, for they spread their terror and the land of the living, 146 00:11:43.159 --> 00:11:46.240 and they do not lie with the mighty that fallen from the unser among the 147 00:11:46.240 --> 00:11:50.480 circumcised who went down to Shiol with their weapons of war, whose souls were 148 00:11:50.559 --> 00:11:54.759 laid under their heads, or swords were laid under their heads, and whose 149 00:11:54.799 --> 00:12:01.360 iniquities are upon their bones, for the terror of the mighty men was in 150 00:12:01.399 --> 00:12:05.679 the land of the living. But as for you, you shall be broken 151 00:12:05.720 --> 00:12:09.559 and lie among the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword. 152 00:12:11.080 --> 00:12:15.080 Edam is there, her kings and all her princes who, for all their 153 00:12:15.240 --> 00:12:18.320 might, are laid with those who are killed by the sword. They lie 154 00:12:18.399 --> 00:12:24.240 with the uncircumcised, with those who go down to the pit. The princess 155 00:12:24.279 --> 00:12:26.440 of the north are all there, all of them and all the Sidonians who 156 00:12:26.440 --> 00:12:31.600 have gone down in shame with the slain for all the terror that they caused 157 00:12:31.600 --> 00:12:37.159 by their might. They lie uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the 158 00:12:37.200 --> 00:12:39.399 sword and bear their shame, and those who go down to the pit. 159 00:12:39.960 --> 00:12:46.080 When Pharaoh sees them, he will be comforted for all his multitude, Pharaoh 160 00:12:46.120 --> 00:12:50.320 and all his army slain by the sword, declares the Lord God, for 161 00:12:50.440 --> 00:12:54.879 I spread terror in the land of the living, and he shall be laid 162 00:12:54.919 --> 00:13:00.600 to rest among the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword, 163 00:13:00.720 --> 00:13:07.159 Pharaoh and all his multitude, declares the Lord God. May God bless his 164 00:13:07.200 --> 00:13:26.080 word to us. You may be seated. One of the lines from one 165 00:13:26.120 --> 00:13:33.080 of the songs that we say saying earlier said praise him for his mighty acts 166 00:13:33.120 --> 00:13:41.519 of power. This is one of them. In a passage like this, 167 00:13:41.600 --> 00:13:45.480 and in many of the passages that we have been reading, we have been 168 00:13:45.480 --> 00:13:52.600 coming to know the great and awesome power of God. We often think of 169 00:13:52.639 --> 00:13:58.039 God is too small, we often think we often make God in our own 170 00:13:58.039 --> 00:14:05.120 image. We often forget his power, his sovereignty, his lordship over everything. 171 00:14:07.399 --> 00:14:16.320 The passage is like this help us to understand and to remember. When 172 00:14:16.399 --> 00:14:24.799 musicians go to practice, they go to what they call a rehearsal, and 173 00:14:24.919 --> 00:14:30.919 it is a rehearing right. They are rehearing again the things that they have 174 00:14:31.039 --> 00:14:35.559 heard before, and they do that as part of their practice, as a 175 00:14:35.600 --> 00:14:39.279 way to become more and more familiar with the music that they are studying and 176 00:14:39.360 --> 00:14:46.039 learning to know it more particularly to know it in its details, to know 177 00:14:46.120 --> 00:14:52.080 it in its whole. And sometimes orchestras, for example, will practice for 178 00:14:54.279 --> 00:14:58.120 many, many hours, months, sometimes years, as they play the same 179 00:14:58.120 --> 00:15:05.399 pieces over and over again. It's not boring because it's great music and it 180 00:15:05.440 --> 00:15:11.480 deserves to be reheard and rehearsed over and over again. And I think something 181 00:15:11.519 --> 00:15:16.639 like that is happening, happening for us in Ezekiel as we come to these 182 00:15:16.679 --> 00:15:22.360 passages and God speaks to the nations of the world, having first spoken to 183 00:15:22.679 --> 00:15:28.720 Judah and Jerusalem, he is rehearsing for us in all kinds of different ways, 184 00:15:28.759 --> 00:15:37.639 in songs, in metaphors and with repetition and great power in those words, 185 00:15:37.679 --> 00:15:41.519 even like the end that we read in Chapter Thirty two, to impress 186 00:15:41.559 --> 00:15:50.080 on our minds his excellence, his power and that he is the Lord. 187 00:15:50.240 --> 00:15:52.759 Isn't that another one of the refrains that we've come to over and over again? 188 00:15:52.759 --> 00:15:58.720 And Ezekiel I will do these things that they may know that I am 189 00:15:58.840 --> 00:16:06.399 the Lord, and so is God, closes this Oracle against Egypt. We 190 00:16:06.600 --> 00:16:11.200 come to this theme again, a theme that deserves to be remembered and rehearsed 191 00:16:12.279 --> 00:16:22.879 because of what we read in chapter thirty one about the tree. There is 192 00:16:22.919 --> 00:16:30.320 a kind of myth about this world and its power, that the old is 193 00:16:30.320 --> 00:16:34.559 always perpetuating about itself and that we are often believing about it, and that 194 00:16:34.720 --> 00:16:42.039 myth is exposed here and has been exposed in other passages. The Myth is 195 00:16:42.080 --> 00:16:48.399 that the powers and the strength of things in this world, whether it's military 196 00:16:48.639 --> 00:16:56.240 might or persuasion, fancy words, wealth, all kinds of things, that 197 00:16:56.240 --> 00:17:02.279 that's where it's all at, that that's what really makes a difference and that 198 00:17:02.279 --> 00:17:07.440 that is what deserves to be honored as God, submitted to and feared above 199 00:17:07.480 --> 00:17:15.480 all things. But it's not true. It's not true. We have this 200 00:17:15.519 --> 00:17:22.559 rehearsal of the myth of power so on in the let me go to the 201 00:17:22.599 --> 00:17:27.119 beginning, at the end of chapter thirty. What happens there? We have 202 00:17:27.599 --> 00:17:33.680 the Lord's promise that he is going to break the arms of Pharaoh, that 203 00:17:33.720 --> 00:17:37.680 he is going to break not just one arm but both arms. Have you 204 00:17:37.720 --> 00:17:41.279 ever been in a position where you didn't have use of one of your arms? 205 00:17:41.279 --> 00:17:45.200 It's awful, right. There's so much you can't do. Have you 206 00:17:45.200 --> 00:17:49.599 ever been in a position where you could not use either arm? You're pretty 207 00:17:49.640 --> 00:17:55.640 helpless. It's a very, very difficult thing. Some people do live this 208 00:17:55.680 --> 00:18:00.920 way and it is not easy. It is very, very hard word and 209 00:18:00.039 --> 00:18:07.480 God uses this as a metaphor and to speak of Pharaoh's power. The arm 210 00:18:07.559 --> 00:18:11.680 is often a metaphor in the scripture. Is for acting, for working, 211 00:18:11.720 --> 00:18:17.759 for accomplishing, and what God is going to do is show exactly how strong 212 00:18:17.799 --> 00:18:25.079 his arms are in compared and comparison with Pharaoh. Pharaoh is thinks he is 213 00:18:25.160 --> 00:18:32.839 mighty. Egypt thinks it is powerful. Israel thanks Egypt is mighty. Israel 214 00:18:32.839 --> 00:18:37.839 thinks Egypt is powerful and worthy to protect them. But the Lord is making 215 00:18:37.920 --> 00:18:41.599 known to them and to us that it is by his arm that salvation comes, 216 00:18:41.599 --> 00:18:47.960 it is by his arm that protection comes, not Egypt or any other 217 00:18:47.960 --> 00:18:52.880 power, any other nation in this world. So then we come to chapter 218 00:18:52.920 --> 00:18:57.119 thirty one and Egypt is pictured on like a tree. There's a little bit 219 00:18:57.119 --> 00:19:02.240 of question as to whether how to translate verse three, where it says, 220 00:19:02.279 --> 00:19:07.079 behold, Assyria was a seater in Lebanon. It could be translated a little 221 00:19:07.079 --> 00:19:14.519 differently to refer more directly to Egypt, or it is translated correctly here, 222 00:19:14.559 --> 00:19:19.480 and it is Egypt is being compared to a Syria, a serie of Lebanon 223 00:19:19.640 --> 00:19:23.079 and this tree. Either way, how are you get at it? More 224 00:19:23.079 --> 00:19:30.039 directly or more indirectly? The Metaphor, as the end of thirty one and 225 00:19:30.160 --> 00:19:36.839 firms, this is pharaoh and all his multitude. This picture of this giant, 226 00:19:37.119 --> 00:19:41.920 giant tree is a picture of Pharaoh and Egypt and all his multitude, 227 00:19:42.000 --> 00:19:49.440 his strength, his his hosts, his armies. This tree, as I've 228 00:19:49.480 --> 00:19:56.200 said, is big and beautiful. We read in verse three. It has 229 00:19:56.240 --> 00:20:03.279 beautiful branches and forest shade. It towers and its height above the clouds or 230 00:20:03.359 --> 00:20:07.240 among the clouds. So I want you to imagine, on along with the 231 00:20:07.279 --> 00:20:15.400 scriptures here, a tree right growing up and filling up. Maybe you can 232 00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:21.000 imagine it from some distance away, right like you can't see it, except 233 00:20:21.039 --> 00:20:23.839 for maybe you know somebody's showing you on their phone or something. Right, 234 00:20:23.960 --> 00:20:29.160 this tree is getting bigger and bigger. Then in some point the phone's feed 235 00:20:29.279 --> 00:20:33.039 shuts down and all of a sudden you see it rising up above the skyline. 236 00:20:33.240 --> 00:20:37.200 Right it's just growing and growing more and more massive, and next thing 237 00:20:37.240 --> 00:20:44.559 you know it's it's up above the catalinus. It's just huge, this huge 238 00:20:44.599 --> 00:20:49.240 tree, towering above, towering above everything, above the city, above the 239 00:20:49.279 --> 00:20:56.759 now it is even described as covering all the nations, this cosmic, world 240 00:20:56.799 --> 00:21:03.799 wide tree, huge wods. This is this description of Egypt in its power, 241 00:21:03.839 --> 00:21:08.640 in its my end. Indeed, Egypt has been very powerful at certain 242 00:21:08.680 --> 00:21:14.319 points in history, a place to which all the nations looked, a place 243 00:21:14.359 --> 00:21:18.960 to which all the nation's feared. It's towering height above the clouds. The 244 00:21:19.000 --> 00:21:25.920 waters nourish it from these deep, deep aquifers. Its roots go way, 245 00:21:25.920 --> 00:21:32.319 way down. The waters nourish at the deep, make it grow tall, 246 00:21:32.759 --> 00:21:37.480 making its rivers flow and the place of its planting sending forth its streams to 247 00:21:37.640 --> 00:21:41.000 all the trees of the field. There's a way in which this tree, 248 00:21:41.039 --> 00:21:47.240 this tree of life, is providing life and sustenance for everything. Egypt has 249 00:21:47.240 --> 00:21:51.440 been called the bread basket are, a bread basket of the bread basket of 250 00:21:51.519 --> 00:21:56.200 Rome. Egypt has been a place, because of the Nile in particular, 251 00:21:56.240 --> 00:22:02.039 a place of prosperity and wealth. Even today are you can go and see 252 00:22:02.039 --> 00:22:11.599 things in Egypt that are ancient and amazing, impressive and mighty. All the 253 00:22:11.599 --> 00:22:14.720 birds in verse six, All the birds of the heavens make their nests in 254 00:22:14.759 --> 00:22:18.039 this branches, at the branches under its branches. All the beasts of the 255 00:22:18.079 --> 00:22:25.599 field give birth to their young. It provides shade for the nation's people, 256 00:22:25.839 --> 00:22:33.440 animals, nature, all is provided for by this tree. Awesome Tree, 257 00:22:33.440 --> 00:22:38.720 Wonderful Tree, beautiful tree, great tree. Nothing can rival it, even 258 00:22:38.759 --> 00:22:45.839 the trees in the garden of Eden. Nothing in rival this tree. But 259 00:22:45.920 --> 00:22:52.200 what do we read in verse ten? It's heart was proud of its height, 260 00:22:53.599 --> 00:22:59.240 like the Tower of Babble, like Nebuchadnezzar standing out on his balcony and 261 00:22:59.279 --> 00:23:03.880 pattent himself on his back and SAM. Yeah, I am sure something. 262 00:23:03.559 --> 00:23:11.559 Like many, many others who have come before and after it, prided Egypt 263 00:23:11.599 --> 00:23:18.480 and Pharaoh, pride it itself in its power and its height. And God 264 00:23:18.640 --> 00:23:26.160 is going to bring that tree down. Perhaps some of you have done some 265 00:23:26.279 --> 00:23:30.839 yard work, probably early in the morning as it gets hot. It's hard, 266 00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:34.400 even if you're whacking away it bushes. Try to cut down a tree 267 00:23:34.480 --> 00:23:40.559 not an easy thing. Try to cut down a really big tree. Not 268 00:23:40.720 --> 00:23:45.279 An easy thing. What would it be like to cut down a cosmic, 269 00:23:45.440 --> 00:23:55.559 worldwide tree? Impossible, except for God, and that's what he does. 270 00:23:56.359 --> 00:24:06.039 He puts sword into the hands of Babylon Nebuchadnezzar. Even foreigners, the most 271 00:24:06.079 --> 00:24:08.559 ruthless of foreigners, verse twelve of Nations, have cut it down and left 272 00:24:08.599 --> 00:24:12.880 it. If you are seen a tree fall or I ever cut a big 273 00:24:12.880 --> 00:24:18.079 branch, it's sort of a dramatic thing. Right here and then it just 274 00:24:18.720 --> 00:24:25.559 bomb right in the big bends and it maybe breaks or damages perhaps the ground 275 00:24:25.680 --> 00:24:30.480 or things around it. Listen to what happens with this tree. On the 276 00:24:30.640 --> 00:24:37.920 mountains and in all the valleys. It's branches have fallen, its bows have 277 00:24:38.000 --> 00:24:45.880 broken and all the ravines of the land, the kingdom just falls and the 278 00:24:45.920 --> 00:24:56.240 weight of falls down onto the world and all of the protection and all of 279 00:24:56.359 --> 00:25:02.039 the hellop and all of the nourishment and beauty and shade that it provided, 280 00:25:03.000 --> 00:25:07.960 it's all different. Now, instead of up in the branches where birds, 281 00:25:08.000 --> 00:25:12.319 you know, like to be, in verse thirteen there on its trunk or 282 00:25:12.319 --> 00:25:15.440 also they going to go, the tree has gone right they can't rest in 283 00:25:15.480 --> 00:25:22.319 the branches. The settle on what they can. On its trunk, narrow 284 00:25:22.359 --> 00:25:26.480 waters or no flow, no longer flowing, the beasts of the field are 285 00:25:26.920 --> 00:25:33.519 day in its and on its branches right instead of being under the shade and 286 00:25:33.599 --> 00:25:40.000 under its protection. It's just everything's a mess, everything's a problem now, 287 00:25:40.039 --> 00:25:45.960 everything is not as it should be and it's difficult and it's struggling. And 288 00:25:45.000 --> 00:25:48.880 not only has this tree been destroyed, but God says it is going to 289 00:25:48.920 --> 00:25:53.720 be. God it is going to go down to the pit, to Sheol. 290 00:25:56.279 --> 00:25:59.079 And then you describe some of that, which is then picked up again 291 00:25:59.119 --> 00:26:03.680 at the end of chapter thirty two. It goes down to She'al, where 292 00:26:03.720 --> 00:26:10.400 those are who are slain by the sword, the uncircumcised, those who lived 293 00:26:10.480 --> 00:26:15.200 under its shadow, those who went after its ways. They're all there, 294 00:26:15.960 --> 00:26:22.000 all in the pit, all in Sheol, in Doo good, an old 295 00:26:22.000 --> 00:26:26.319 testament commentator, writes in this book. He says it's more care. It's 296 00:26:26.359 --> 00:26:33.480 a more accurate to characterize she'll as a place of underlife rather than afterlife, 297 00:26:33.640 --> 00:26:37.920 for there is nothing in that realm that Dur deserves the epithet of life. 298 00:26:38.000 --> 00:26:44.519 It is a place of shadows and a place of consequences. This is the 299 00:26:44.559 --> 00:26:48.119 place which Egypt goes, this is the place which the nation's that trusted in 300 00:26:48.160 --> 00:26:53.960 them go, as they go down, down into the pit, those uncircumcised, 301 00:26:55.119 --> 00:27:00.759 those slain, those broken, those is the end of after thirty two, 302 00:27:00.759 --> 00:27:04.640 says, who once went around bringing terror on the land of the living. 303 00:27:04.680 --> 00:27:08.880 Everyone was Ho you're afraid of Egypt. Her horses are chariot's everything. 304 00:27:08.920 --> 00:27:11.960 What can we do? What can we do? Who once was a terror 305 00:27:12.000 --> 00:27:18.200 to everything is now a terror to no one, brought down, brought low. 306 00:27:19.000 --> 00:27:23.039 Well, this will not only happen to Egypt as a whole, but 307 00:27:23.119 --> 00:27:30.079 to Pharaoh in particular. Pharaoh, this lion of the nation's, as he 308 00:27:30.119 --> 00:27:34.519 considers himself. This is a chapter thirty two, verse two. A dragon 309 00:27:34.960 --> 00:27:42.359 in the seas, or perhaps a crocodile, images that were used of kingship 310 00:27:42.480 --> 00:27:49.400 and power, and for Pharaoh, strong and mighty, this great beast is 311 00:27:49.440 --> 00:27:56.559 again brought to nothing, a dragnet pulled out of the source of his strength, 312 00:27:56.680 --> 00:28:00.640 pulled out of the Nile, cast on the ground and the open fields. 313 00:28:00.680 --> 00:28:06.440 I will fling you. God has had enough of Pharaoh. God hasn't 314 00:28:06.440 --> 00:28:11.559 had enough of Egypt in her pride, and the Egypt will become again with 315 00:28:11.640 --> 00:28:18.160 the birds of the heavens will gorge themselves, the beasts will gorge themselves on 316 00:28:18.279 --> 00:28:23.400 you, and all his might and all his strength that will be cast on 317 00:28:23.400 --> 00:28:30.799 the mountains, cast in the valleys, the earth will be drenched, drenched 318 00:28:30.000 --> 00:28:41.200 with your flowing blood, a disgusting image, rouvines filled with you. Here, 319 00:28:41.880 --> 00:28:45.160 you might have noticed, we have echoes of something that happened before, 320 00:28:45.400 --> 00:28:52.839 when Egypt was judge, when the Nile turned to blood, with darkness covered 321 00:28:52.960 --> 00:28:56.880 the face of the land. In verse seven, I but, God says, 322 00:28:56.920 --> 00:29:00.079 when I blought you out, I will cover the dark heavens, I 323 00:29:00.119 --> 00:29:03.640 will make their stars dark, I will cover the sun with the cloud in 324 00:29:03.640 --> 00:29:08.240 the moon shall not give its light these powers that Egypt trusted in, whether 325 00:29:08.279 --> 00:29:14.000 it was the sun or the moon or the Nile or animals or any of 326 00:29:14.079 --> 00:29:18.240 it. God will take it all down, just take it all down. 327 00:29:18.240 --> 00:29:22.799 Take down the king, down the country, nature itself, no problem for 328 00:29:22.920 --> 00:29:30.400 God. It will all be brought to an end and everyone will tremble because 329 00:29:30.480 --> 00:29:37.640 of this, as the Lord unsheathed his sword, where your even verse nine, 330 00:29:37.680 --> 00:29:42.400 I will trouble the heart of many people's when I bring your destruction among 331 00:29:42.440 --> 00:29:48.839 the nations, into the countries, even the ones you have not known. 332 00:29:53.200 --> 00:30:02.119 Do not play games with me, do not mock me, says the Lord. 333 00:30:02.319 --> 00:30:07.039 Do Not Disobey Me, do not fill your heart with pride and say 334 00:30:07.119 --> 00:30:15.160 I am who I am because of who I am. The Lord only is 335 00:30:15.240 --> 00:30:22.119 the great I am. The Lord only is the ever living, all powerful 336 00:30:22.160 --> 00:30:27.359 creator of Heavens, the heavens and the earth. The Lord only is the 337 00:30:27.400 --> 00:30:33.079 one who created the seas and all that is in them. The Lord only 338 00:30:33.200 --> 00:30:40.599 is the one who has dominion over all things. He gave it to Adam. 339 00:30:40.640 --> 00:30:45.400 He called Adam to exercise dominion under him is a kind of vice, 340 00:30:45.519 --> 00:30:52.160 regent king, but not to not to place himself above God, not to 341 00:30:52.279 --> 00:30:59.640 style himself as a God, but to rule under God with all obedience and 342 00:30:59.839 --> 00:31:07.519 honor to him. Yes, Egypt is a great, beautiful, powerful, 343 00:31:07.599 --> 00:31:14.839 mighty, Wonderful Life giving tree, but only because the Lord allowed her to 344 00:31:14.880 --> 00:31:21.319 be, only because the Lord made her who she is. And that same 345 00:31:21.359 --> 00:31:25.680 Lord, in his awesome strength, that brought Egypt up, can also take 346 00:31:25.720 --> 00:31:30.519 Egypt down well. So that brings us to these lessons that God wants us 347 00:31:30.559 --> 00:31:37.000 to learn that he wants us to rehearse. There is this myth of power, 348 00:31:37.000 --> 00:31:41.440 of stability, of strength in the kingdoms of this world and the things 349 00:31:41.440 --> 00:31:45.960 that they promised to us. Safety, protection, prosperity, all of these 350 00:31:45.960 --> 00:31:51.759 things. It's not that those things don't exist or they can't be achieved. 351 00:31:51.759 --> 00:31:56.839 They obviously can. Egypt is a good example, Rome is a good example, 352 00:31:56.079 --> 00:32:02.519 America is a great example. The Lord gives many wonderful things. The 353 00:32:02.599 --> 00:32:09.839 Lord blasses and strengthens and we can achieve amazing, amazing things. But the 354 00:32:09.880 --> 00:32:15.640 thing we can never forget is that every king, every country, every cloud, 355 00:32:15.759 --> 00:32:22.720 every animal, every wit river, every wind, is all and only 356 00:32:22.839 --> 00:32:30.599 at his discretion. He is the king. He can bring down the walls 357 00:32:30.720 --> 00:32:35.400 of any city. Think of Jericho. He can shut the mouths of beasts. 358 00:32:35.400 --> 00:32:37.640 Think of Daniel and the lions. Then he can open the mouth of 359 00:32:37.680 --> 00:32:45.000 beasts. Think of the other officials in Daniels Lyon Den. He can elevate 360 00:32:45.000 --> 00:32:51.400 people to great positions of power who are once poor and struggling and persecuted. 361 00:32:51.480 --> 00:32:58.119 Think of Mordecai and Esther Moses. He can bring down the great powerful like 362 00:32:58.279 --> 00:33:07.200 Hayman and Pharaoh and Herod no one. No one, no kingdom, no 363 00:33:07.319 --> 00:33:14.000 country, no king no power, no one can secure the last lasting blessing, 364 00:33:14.039 --> 00:33:21.400 eternal blessing and security apart from God. And no one can have God 365 00:33:21.400 --> 00:33:28.319 without receiving that blessing. Any turls security and protection. It's all about him, 366 00:33:28.519 --> 00:33:36.920 always, always and at every time. Israel's mistake was trusting in Egypt, 367 00:33:37.200 --> 00:33:42.920 was trusting and fearing Egypt above God. Remember before when Egypt was pictured 368 00:33:42.960 --> 00:33:46.559 as a staff, right, a staff that was just a read, and 369 00:33:46.680 --> 00:33:54.440 Israelins on it and problems. That was what Israel's mistake was. They trusted 370 00:33:54.519 --> 00:33:59.799 in a thing that couldn't be trusted in. They trusted in a king and 371 00:33:59.880 --> 00:34:04.640 a country that couldn't be trusted in for the things that they wanted, things 372 00:34:04.680 --> 00:34:09.880 that they needed. Egypt's was mistake was thinking that they were trustworthy. Egypt's 373 00:34:09.880 --> 00:34:15.119 mistake was saying, come unto me, all who are heady laden, and 374 00:34:15.199 --> 00:34:20.199 I will give you a rest. No one does that, except for God, 375 00:34:20.960 --> 00:34:25.519 no one. This applies to us, of course as well. We 376 00:34:25.599 --> 00:34:31.039 are tempted all the time to trust things we shouldn't ust. Good things, 377 00:34:31.159 --> 00:34:37.320 wonderful things, beautiful things that shouldn't be trusted. As we ought to trust 378 00:34:37.400 --> 00:34:46.000 the Lord. He alone is God. We also fail when we encourage others 379 00:34:46.039 --> 00:34:54.480 to depend on us as when they shouldn't. We are not God's can't be 380 00:34:54.559 --> 00:35:00.039 everywhere all the same time. We can't do everything, we are not omnipotent. 381 00:35:00.960 --> 00:35:06.440 Can't see all things and know all things and do all things. There's 382 00:35:06.480 --> 00:35:12.199 only one who can do that, God, Father, son and Holy Spirit. 383 00:35:13.559 --> 00:35:16.639 What we must learn to see, and what is equel helps us to 384 00:35:16.679 --> 00:35:24.920 see, by the grace of God, is the myth. Responsible Parents and 385 00:35:25.039 --> 00:35:30.440 mentors and teachers at all times, in in every place, and especially in 386 00:35:30.480 --> 00:35:36.800 our age, learn to teach their children about the myth. It's a good 387 00:35:36.800 --> 00:35:43.440 thing to sit down with your kids in front of a TV watch some commercials. 388 00:35:44.840 --> 00:35:50.679 What are they promising? What are they offering? Your family can be 389 00:35:50.760 --> 00:35:55.760 happy again if you buy this potato chip. It's ridiculous, right, but 390 00:35:55.840 --> 00:36:02.199 that's what they say, that's what they offer. You need to find a 391 00:36:02.320 --> 00:36:09.280 drop dead gorgeous mate and you can do that with this car or this dress 392 00:36:09.440 --> 00:36:15.519 or this shampoo. Right, it's ridiculous, but that's the promise, isn't 393 00:36:15.559 --> 00:36:21.800 it? Sometimes they say it explicitly. It don't beat around the Bush. 394 00:36:21.920 --> 00:36:29.039 Sometimes it's a little subtler, but it's there. This drug will cure your 395 00:36:29.119 --> 00:36:36.559 loneliness, this politician will make sure you will be safe. And it's not 396 00:36:36.679 --> 00:36:43.119 that aren't some shampoos that are better than other shampoos, I suppose. It's 397 00:36:43.159 --> 00:36:46.800 not that there are some cars are better than other cars, some politicians are 398 00:36:46.840 --> 00:36:52.760 better than all of politicians, some countries are better than other countries. It's 399 00:36:52.800 --> 00:36:58.599 not that people and things can't have real effects in our lives. Of course 400 00:36:58.639 --> 00:37:02.320 they do. We experience that all the time. It's the problem is is 401 00:37:02.360 --> 00:37:12.719 that the there are promises that these things can't deliver, promises that flour exceed 402 00:37:13.360 --> 00:37:22.400 clean hair, promises that get down into who we are, what we love, 403 00:37:22.119 --> 00:37:30.679 what we care about, what we worship. God alone has the power 404 00:37:30.719 --> 00:37:37.119 to give the things that we need the most and the things that we need 405 00:37:37.159 --> 00:37:42.320 the least. As it turns out, Jesus says to pray for our daily 406 00:37:42.400 --> 00:37:46.920 bread. God says, I'll take care of your food, your clothing, 407 00:37:46.920 --> 00:37:52.960 your shelter, I'll take care of everything you need. The thing that we 408 00:37:52.000 --> 00:37:57.079 want, need to remember is we get this picture of God is. God 409 00:37:57.079 --> 00:38:00.679 gives to us this picture of himself. What a gracious thing that he does 410 00:38:00.760 --> 00:38:06.880 is that God can take away more than we can imagine. The things that 411 00:38:06.920 --> 00:38:12.280 we think are stable and secure our way less stable and secure than we think 412 00:38:12.360 --> 00:38:17.199 they are. It doesn't take long. They're like a dream. They can 413 00:38:17.239 --> 00:38:22.079 go away in a moment. If you doubt it, read passages like this. 414 00:38:22.800 --> 00:38:28.880 Read about Joe, read about David. We could, we could add 415 00:38:28.920 --> 00:38:35.280 more examples. He can take away more than we can imagine and faster than 416 00:38:35.320 --> 00:38:42.480 we can imagine. But he can also give more than we can ever dream, 417 00:38:42.519 --> 00:38:45.719 more than we can desire, more than we would even dare to ask. 418 00:38:45.800 --> 00:38:50.800 Any tells us to ask for it. Think about Jesus as an example 419 00:38:50.880 --> 00:38:57.360 of this. Think about our Lord. Think about what God does and taking 420 00:38:57.400 --> 00:39:04.039 and giving away and his all some power. It is exhibited in the Sun. 421 00:39:05.960 --> 00:39:15.519 Consider how God demonstrates the weakness of Man's highest power compared to the power 422 00:39:15.559 --> 00:39:22.480 of God's weakness. Let me say that again. Think about how God demonstrates 423 00:39:22.480 --> 00:39:31.400 in Christ the weakness of Man's highest power when compared to the power of God's 424 00:39:31.400 --> 00:39:45.079 weakness. Think about how God in Christ makes himself forever known as a King 425 00:39:46.039 --> 00:39:57.320 by achieving the highest possible position of authority and power, by giving up all 426 00:39:57.400 --> 00:40:06.199 power, worldly power. What does Jesus do? Does Jesus come into the 427 00:40:06.280 --> 00:40:09.719 world the sort of like glistening man. You know what? This Mighty Sword, 428 00:40:09.800 --> 00:40:15.000 the brings mighty armies. Is he another Nebuchadnezzar? Is he another sirus? 429 00:40:15.119 --> 00:40:20.760 Is He another Caesar? Is he another Alexander the Great? Is he 430 00:40:20.840 --> 00:40:23.599 another GINGHIS CAD? No, even none of these people. He's not like 431 00:40:23.800 --> 00:40:29.559 any of them. He's homeless, he hangs out with people who are poor, 432 00:40:30.400 --> 00:40:38.000 he has uneducated in many cases, people who are often rejecting him and 433 00:40:38.280 --> 00:40:46.320 not understanding him. He comes into the world born in a manger, and 434 00:40:46.360 --> 00:40:52.719 then we get to the end of his life and the great powers of the 435 00:40:52.800 --> 00:40:58.599 world, in his particular context, the powers of Israel, coupled with the 436 00:40:58.639 --> 00:41:07.320 powers of Rome, put him to death on across. They shame him, 437 00:41:07.320 --> 00:41:13.760 they humiliate him, on his disciples flee from him. All the power and 438 00:41:13.800 --> 00:41:19.960 the strength that the world prizes, none of it is there on the cross. 439 00:41:20.159 --> 00:41:24.159 None of it is there in the life of Christ. Instead, he 440 00:41:24.239 --> 00:41:36.199 hangs there naked, helpless, dying, ashamed, despised, weak, and 441 00:41:36.360 --> 00:41:43.840 he does all of that willingly. He lets go of his power, he 442 00:41:43.920 --> 00:41:52.880 lets go of his glory and dies and all of the wrath and the power 443 00:41:52.920 --> 00:42:00.719 of God coming down on Egypt here comes down even more so on his own 444 00:42:00.760 --> 00:42:09.480 son on the cross, a place of judgment in which God says, I 445 00:42:09.519 --> 00:42:19.039 am going to judge sin. The scriptures say he became sin even though he 446 00:42:19.079 --> 00:42:24.239 committed no sin. He took on the curse for pride and lust and all 447 00:42:24.360 --> 00:42:32.679 kinds of other things on himself. That great, awesome power of God came 448 00:42:32.719 --> 00:42:37.400 down upon him and you know what happened? The Earth shook, literally, 449 00:42:38.320 --> 00:42:45.280 the skies or darkened, literally, the temple shook, the the curtain tore 450 00:42:45.480 --> 00:42:53.320 into things were happening as this cosmic power of God, this awesome power of 451 00:42:53.360 --> 00:43:05.119 God was was being manifest in the this awesome display of weakness of Jesus. 452 00:43:05.280 --> 00:43:13.320 Dying. Jesus shows us, God shows to us his his power over all 453 00:43:13.440 --> 00:43:19.480 the world, by becoming the weakest of all things, of all worldly power, 454 00:43:19.559 --> 00:43:24.880 and then coming to a place of victory from that point, because we 455 00:43:24.920 --> 00:43:31.480 know what happens next. The Lord, our Savior, the son of God, 456 00:43:31.559 --> 00:43:42.079 dies and then he rises from the dead and at that time other people 457 00:43:42.199 --> 00:43:46.840 come out of the tombs of the scriptures say like the resurrection starts happening and 458 00:43:46.960 --> 00:43:52.559 the Lord comes and people are seeing him and his glory and then they see 459 00:43:52.639 --> 00:44:00.360 him ascend into the heavens and and sit down with authority at the right hand 460 00:44:00.440 --> 00:44:04.719 of God. And then John later has this revelation of Jesus and his power, 461 00:44:04.880 --> 00:44:07.679 his authority, and he sees what is Zeek. You will see, 462 00:44:07.760 --> 00:44:10.280 is at the beginning of the book, if you remember. He sees the 463 00:44:10.280 --> 00:44:16.800 Throne Room of God and there is Jesus, terrifying, Jesus, powerful Jesus 464 00:44:16.800 --> 00:44:23.519 with angels and archangels surrounding him, and there's fire and rubies and gems and 465 00:44:23.519 --> 00:44:29.519 and it's just magnificent. His throne is awesome. The whole thing is just 466 00:44:29.639 --> 00:44:34.199 awesome. And that is our Lord. And what else John Sees? He 467 00:44:34.280 --> 00:44:44.039 sees him as a lamb who is slain. Amazing. How did Jesus come 468 00:44:44.159 --> 00:44:54.639 to this great place of power we're put put more particularly, how did Jesus, 469 00:44:54.639 --> 00:45:00.320 not just the son of God but also the son of man, a 470 00:45:00.639 --> 00:45:07.840 human being, come to that place of power? He did it, the 471 00:45:07.880 --> 00:45:15.119 Scriptures say, through obedience. He didn't say I will establish my own kingdom, 472 00:45:15.159 --> 00:45:17.239 I will establish my own way. Satan even offered it to him. 473 00:45:17.280 --> 00:45:21.800 Satan said, I'll give it to you if you just follow me, but 474 00:45:21.920 --> 00:45:25.599 Jesus said no, he said he would give all his obedience and his own, 475 00:45:25.679 --> 00:45:34.119 his obedience as the incarnate and as as God incarnate, to the father. 476 00:45:36.400 --> 00:45:39.280 And because of that obedience, because he did what Adam failed to do, 477 00:45:39.400 --> 00:45:49.559 he establishes a kingdom of men under God forever and ever, a kingdom 478 00:45:49.599 --> 00:45:52.880 that is not based on the strength of Man rising up in his own flesh 479 00:45:52.920 --> 00:45:57.920 and in his own way, but on the strength of God, in His 480 00:45:58.039 --> 00:46:06.000 grace given to us in Jesus Christ. We if we are going to see 481 00:46:06.039 --> 00:46:10.719 through the myths of this world, we need to have a much more true 482 00:46:10.760 --> 00:46:17.039 and awesome conception of the power in the might of God, and we also 483 00:46:17.079 --> 00:46:23.119 need to learn to trust that God used that power to establish a kingdom for 484 00:46:23.199 --> 00:46:30.440 himself and that he did so through grace and through weakness us, because God, 485 00:46:30.559 --> 00:46:37.760 God had established his kingdom only in glory. We'd all be dead if 486 00:46:37.840 --> 00:46:42.320 God had come and only in his glory and his power. None of us 487 00:46:42.360 --> 00:46:47.159 would survive. We are all his enemies. But he exercised that power in 488 00:46:47.360 --> 00:46:54.000 grace so that while we were still ungodly Jesus died for us, Jesus paid 489 00:46:54.079 --> 00:47:00.159 the penalty for us so that we would live and so that we would be 490 00:47:00.239 --> 00:47:06.719 called blessed and not go down to Sheol, were all the enemies of the 491 00:47:06.760 --> 00:47:10.440 Lord Go, not go down into darkness, not go down into wrath, 492 00:47:10.599 --> 00:47:15.920 not go down into judgment, but might raise with the king so that we 493 00:47:15.960 --> 00:47:22.880 would be seated with him forever and ever. That's what he gives to us 494 00:47:22.440 --> 00:47:27.840 when we put our faith, not in Egypt, name any other country you 495 00:47:27.880 --> 00:47:30.280 want, or name anything you want, or any person you want, but 496 00:47:30.360 --> 00:47:35.599 we put our faith in Jesus alone, who gives himself to US freely, 497 00:47:36.599 --> 00:47:45.559 to be received only by grace. This is your God. Let's pray, 498 00:47:52.920 --> 00:48:01.039 Oh God, our God. You are no king who styles himself as a 499 00:48:01.119 --> 00:48:07.960 God only to die the death of men and go down to the pit to 500 00:48:08.079 --> 00:48:15.920 hell. But Lord, you are a god above all gods, a king 501 00:48:15.000 --> 00:48:22.800 above all kings, who has created the world and has now established a kingdom 502 00:48:22.840 --> 00:48:29.239 that will be forever by your grace. You not only have come to this 503 00:48:29.320 --> 00:48:34.360 world in judgment, but you brought judgment even on yourself, so that the 504 00:48:34.480 --> 00:48:40.480 world might be saved by you, and so we come to see your awesome 505 00:48:40.559 --> 00:48:46.679 power, not only in your mighty acts of justice and judgment, but also 506 00:48:46.719 --> 00:48:52.679 in your mighty acts of grace. Lord, help us to look to you 507 00:48:52.800 --> 00:48:57.440 and as we see our own sin, as we see our own pride, 508 00:48:57.480 --> 00:49:01.400 as we come to see the foolish ways in which we have trusted in ourselves 509 00:49:01.480 --> 00:49:07.320 and in the things of this world, we asked that you would help us 510 00:49:07.360 --> 00:49:12.239 to repent of these things and to put our faith only in you, the 511 00:49:12.360 --> 00:49:20.480 righteous one, who has provided a savior for us that establish as a kingdom 512 00:49:20.559 --> 00:49:25.280 that is not of this world. Lord, we ask that you would forgive 513 00:49:25.360 --> 00:49:30.239 us our sins, that you would help us to trust in you when you 514 00:49:30.320 --> 00:49:32.880 alone, that you would help us to look to you, even when we 515 00:49:32.920 --> 00:49:37.599 go through the Valley of the shadow of death, knowing that you are with 516 00:49:37.719 --> 00:49:44.960 us, that you are near to us and that you bring peace to our 517 00:49:45.000 --> 00:49:49.840 hearts. We also ask, Lord, that you would bring us this piece 518 00:49:49.880 --> 00:49:53.440 when we are afraid of the things of this world. Yes, sometimes they 519 00:49:53.840 --> 00:49:58.599 lure us the end and we desire them, and sometimes we fear them more 520 00:49:58.639 --> 00:50:02.559 than we ought to. Give us confidence, boldness, poor steel into our 521 00:50:02.559 --> 00:50:07.800 spines that we might stand up straight and look the world and the devil and 522 00:50:07.840 --> 00:50:15.239 the eye and say we are not afraid. We have King Jesus ruling over 523 00:50:15.440 --> 00:50:22.840 US, reigning over us, rescuing us from all of his and our enemies. 524 00:50:22.960 --> 00:50:28.599 Give us strength and confidence, Lord, give us eyes to see so 525 00:50:28.639 --> 00:50:34.480 that we might recognize what is truly ultimate and what is truly penultimate. Help 526 00:50:34.559 --> 00:50:38.760 us to know and see the truth and to give you glory all things and 527 00:50:38.760 --> 00:50:44.280 in you alone. Thank you for our salvation, Lord, thank you for 528 00:50:44.360 --> 00:50:49.760 taking judgment on yourself that we might live. Thank you for bringing us this 529 00:50:49.840 --> 00:50:53.519 word before it is too late. Thank you for loving us when we were 530 00:50:53.519 --> 00:51:00.719 still so unlovely. We trust you a love all things, above all people, 531 00:51:00.840 --> 00:51:07.239 of all times, above all places. You are our God, we 532 00:51:07.280 --> 00:51:10.599 are your people, to the praise of your glorious name. Amen.