Isaiah 40: Comfort Pt 2

0:01 All right, Isaiah chapter forty. I think we're finally there. We kind of got there last week and then we kind of stopped. So we're gonna hopefully get this all put back into kind of some kind of context and all hopefully we can move forward. I hope, I hope. I hope. I hope. I hope. The comfort discussion about false comfort, the discussion about the fake comfort, to me is the reason I had to spend so much time on it and the reason I'm separate from church. I'm doing an entire podcast series about it, is because remember, the whole reason we're in Isaiah forty, the whole reason we are there and we're gonna look at Isaiah forty through fifty five is because of sermon after sermon after sermon after sermon after sermon after sermon after sermon that I would listen to on anything between Isaiah forty and fifty five. In fact, it became a joke on the podcast Take a stop watch, let's see how quick we get inserted into the text. The very first one that I chose was thirty nine I think thirty eight, thirty seven seconds we were already inserted into the text. Others it was zero seconds because the title inserted us into it, and it's just what in the world is that? Right?

1:17 So yeah, I mean, well it's I guess it's attempt to feel good, but it's just an attempt to take the text and make it about us when it shouldn't be about us. So my goal here is to try to go through Isaiah forty through fifty five, put it in its proper context, and see what we can do with it correctly. We've already spent multiple hours outlining everything, summarizing it, struck all of that, So in some ways I want to go back through it, but I'm not. We're just gonna We're just gonna jump in and see what we can get. So let's try to at least remember the basic context, all right. Isaiah thirty nine six through eight provides the context for Isaiah forty through fifty five.

2:00 It explains why Judah will suffer exile in Babylon, and it sets up the need for comfort and hope. I cannot stress that enough, right, So Isaiah thirty nine explains who needs comfort. It's the people in Babylonian captivity. Right, we talked about we went from Isaiah thirty nine to Deuteronomy twenty eight, because God said, if they do this, they get blessing. If they do this, they get cursed. And we looked at all the things that they did wrong, and they did everything wrong. Therefore they get the curse. And now the curse is happening, right because no matter what Israel did, they were always going to get the curse because no one can keep God's law, which is really the bigger philological discussion here, all right, But it all sets up. They are suffering, they're in captivity. So when you go to Isaiah chapter forty, verse one, what do we read, comfort yee, comfort yee. It makes it means something, all right. Isaiah forty through fifty five offers the hope. It addresses Israel's brokenness and God's plan for restoration.

3:05 This entire section reassures Israel that despite the consequences of their action, God will remain faithful. He will demonstrate his power mercy through their return from exile and through promises of spiritual redemption that reach beyond mere physical restoration. But the power, the mercy, the faithfulness, it's all directed to those who areware and Babylonian captivity. I cannot stress that enough, all right. The context of Isaiah forty is indeed connected to Isaiah thirty nine, where the impending Babylonian captivity is foretold due to Juda's persistent disobedience to the laws given at Siinai. This disobedience led to their experiencing the cursing outlined in Deuteronomy twenty eight, which warned at the consequences for forsaking God's commandments. All right, and we outlined that, and we took that all apart. Can we agree with that the Babylonian exile was a direct consequence of judas persistent disobedience to the covenant laws, resulting in the curses of Deuteronomy twenty eight. They failed to uphold key aspects of God's law, including exclusive worship of Yahweh, justice and compassion for others, Sabbath observance, and faithfulness to the Covenant.

4:38 These violations led to their defeat, exile, and suffering separation from their homeland and symbolically, from God's presence. The curses they endured in Babylon reflect the warning God had given at Sinai, illustrating the seriousness of covenantal faithfulness and foreshadowing the hope of restoration that would come only when Israel turned back to God. That historical background leads right into Isaiah chapter forty verse one. All right, I thought it was easier to read a summary than to try to just walk through it, because then I would start preaching it again. All right, So I made myself read a summary because if I started to give the summary, then all the summary would turn into a sermon? Right? Does that work for everyone? That get us all set up?

5:24 All right? So Isaiah chapter forty verse one, we begin with one word repeated two times, right, comfort? Comfort? Everybody see that comfort? Ye? Comfort, Ye, my people, saith your God. Now, typically what I would do here is that would probably provide an outline to the entire chapter, and we would, but I'm not going to do that. What we're gonna do is we're just going for this hour. Since we spent the entire first hour and the end of the last hour last week talking about this thing of com comfort. Comfort, that's what we're going to focus on. That word comfort.

6:05 That's exactly what I was about to do last week when I asked all of you guys the question about should God's attributes bring us comfort? And then I started giving you kind of my thesis as I've talked about in the first hour this morning, which then I felt like that kind of changed the temperature in the room. But we got to talk about the comfort part, all right. So we've talked about comfort as false comfort. Now we've got to try to understand what is the word used here? Everybody ready, all right? The word comfort in this verse is translated from the Hebrew word does everyone remember knack'm Knack'm right? It's meaning usage and significant provide profound insight into the message of Isaiah chapter forty, verse one, and it's broader context in Isaiah forty through fifty five, and it's the way it would be understood by the original recipients.

7:08 So in other words, this Hebrew word knockham is absolutely key to understanding the whole section. So that's why instead of coming in going okay, Because if you look at Isaiah chapter forty, right, look at verse one and two, just for a little bit of structure purposes a right, what is verse one and two? Verse one is comfort? Comfort? Verse two speak comfortable to Jerusalem, and it says some specific things, right. I think it mitches three or four things, right, and then what happens in verse three? Okay, Now, all of a sudden, we have a voice crying in the wilderness. We know that's connected in the New Testament to John the Baptist. What just happened? So from a structural standpoint, we would separate what verse one and two into its own section is kind of like the prelog, kind of like the introduction, and then verse three kind of goes.

8:02 So we're typically I would try to look at one and two as a unit, but I'm just going to focus on comfort and then maybe next week we'll put one and two together as a unit. Does that make sense to what I'm doing? And why am I doing that? What have we just been the last hour talking about false comfort? So now we're going to talk about the real comfort in its real context? All right? So what let's start with the meaning of the Hebrew word knockham. All right, Let's start with the Hebrew the meaning of the Hebrew word all right, The primary meaning the verb knockham generally conveys the idea of two things. Two basic concepts come from this Hebrew word where he says comfort, comfort.

8:48 What are these two things from knockham? Two basic ideas. Number One, comfort or console provide relief, consolation, or encouragement in the face of sorrow or distress. Comfort or console relief, consolation, encouragement in the face of sorrow or distress. Now does that fit the context? Does that? Yes? It does. Are they facing sorrow and distress? Yeah, they're in Babylonian captivity. Now remember the comfort These words of comfort were given before they went into Babylonian captivity. But it's for when they're facing their sorrow and distress. In some ways, it's telling them what's going to happen, even before it happens.

9:34 But you get the idea, all right, So it's to provide relief, consolation, or encouragement. Everybody got that. What's the second primary meaning of kno caam? What's the second meaning anybody know? To repent, relent, or be sorry, feeling regret, sorrow, or a change of mind in response to circumstances. Oh, that's interesting, right, So what are the two meanings comfort or console, providing relief, consolation, encouragement in the face of sorrow or distress? And what else does it mean to repent, to relent, to be sorry, to feel regret, to feel sorrow, possibly a change of mind and response to circumstances. That's very important. All right. Now that's the meaning of the Hebrew word, just the basic meaning consolation, comfort, encouragement, or to repent, relent or be sorry. Those are the two basic ideas. Now, what is the kind of the nuance of knock cam? There's kind of a nuance here.

10:54 The word carries a sense of an emotional and active passion, meaning that the one offering comfort does so with intentional care and resolve to address the distress of the recipient. In other words, this is it carries a deep sense of emotion, a deep sense of compassion that's meant to be to do something right. It's one thing to say, oh man, I feel really bad about the situation and then just do what. It's another to have such an emotion and such compassion that you do what you seek to do something. This is the idea that the one saying comfort comfort, there's it's it's it's demonstrating that there's something that's going to be done, which is what the entire section is about. Because God is going to do what He's gonna do something right, He's gonna do something.

11:54 Does everybody see kind of that that idea. When knock am is used to discret God's actions, it often reflects his compassion or relenting and response to human suffering or repentance. In other words, when it describes God, it's going to describe action. He's going to do something, or he's going to relent from doing something, he's going to stop doing something. Well, you kind of get both right here in Isaiah forty verse one. Right, you get the stopping relenting part. He's going to stop and relent the captivity, right, and then he's going to do what He's going to actively work to get them out of it. So you've got the action and the relenting all in Isaiah chapter forty, verse one.

12:43 Does that make sense? Everybody should say, amen, they're okay, all right, all right, I think it's I think that makes sense. All right. So what do we have here? We have the meaning of the Hebrew word, we have the kind of the nuance of it. All right, I think that makes sense. All right. How about the usage of knockham elsewhere in the Old Testament. Let's look at where this word is used elsewhere in the Old Testament. All right, are you ready go to Genesis thirty seven thirty five, Genesis thirty seven thirty five. Tell me what you see there? Now, we're not going to go through every usage of it. Okay, I don't remember how many times it's used. I had it written down, but I deleted it somehow. Okay, you see that they rose up to do what to comfort him? Jacob refuses to be comforted knock him after believing Joseph is dead, emphasizing the emotional depth of consolation. What does it demonstrate He's so emotional that he can't be comforted? He refuses to be comforted. Right, it's showing again its connected to the emotion. Everybody see that?

14:00 Everybody good with that? How about Job to eleven? I don't have time to go expound every one of these sections. Okay, Job two eleven? I think we have an idea. What's going on here? Right? Job's going through some difficult times? Is he not? What happens in two eleven? His three friends show up. What does it say about them? There? We go to comfort him, notock him? All right? They come to this show's kind of a relational and empathetic aspect of the word. They're his friends and they're showing up to try to comfort him. Now we know, do they They don't really do a lot of comforting, but they alas showed up with a but what is this show? Action?

14:50 They didn't just say did you hear about job man? That's really bad? And then left? They did what? And they stayed. Remember they spent what seven days without even speaking, and then we don't know how long those dialogue went on and on and on and on, but they stayed. So even if we don't agree with what they did, well, you gotta admit they did. They did something, or in some ways they do more than a lot of people do, right, So in some ways they kind of did a good thing, right. I mean, I know it's easy to criticize them, but they have actually stayed with job correct, So I guess in some ways you can see it as a good thing.

15:31 There's lots of ways of looking at it. So there is the example of knockham being used in relation to comfort or to console. Those are two examples Genesis thirty seven thirty five in Job two eleven. Those are examples of it being used that way. All right, how about the other way that it can be used? Look at Genesis sixty six, I think you know what this is? Where this is going. Genesis sixty six. Everybody know what this is. Yeah, it says repented. I think the NIV Steven is turant turned into the NIV. I've got one right here, but I bet you it's going to say something about sorry or something along those lines. Genesis sixty six grieved all right, so grieved sorry, and the King James repented. That's Knockham that he was sorry. He relented that he had made or repented almost that he made humanity because of their wickedness, including great regret and sorrow.

16:32 So it's kind of showing that he's almost he feels bad. And now again it's anthropomorphic. It's speaking of God in human terms, so we can understand, but it's speaking that God is looking, going, man, why did this happen? Like I almost regret this, I'm almost sorry that I did this because of the way this turned out. Of course he knew it was going to turn out that way. We can get into that whole discussion. Look at Exodus thirty two fourteen. I think you know where this is going. Exodus thirty two fourteen. What happens the Lord repented or relented from bringing disaster on his people after moses intercession, showing a change in course born out of compassion, God relents from bringing judgment. This is very applicable to Isaiah forty verse one, Is it not so? In many cases knockam reflects both sorrow and comfort, or in some cases it reflects sorrow, comfort, and relenting. It can really have three ideas, sorrow, comfort, and relenting. Everybody get that idea as the act of comfort often arises out of grief regret about a difficult situation. All right, So that's how it's used elsewhere. In other words, what am I demonstrating?

18:05 It has a wide range of usages Just in those few passages, I mean those are very different to go God is sorry, or God relents to well, they showed up to comfort a friend. It just shows a wide range of usage. Does that make sense? But we're in what book? Isaiah? So what should we look at? Look at how knockam is used where in Isaiah? So knockam appears multiple times in Isaiah, conveying God's compassion and intent to restore his people. Look at Isaiah twelve one. Though you were angry with me, your anger turned away that you might comfort me knock am reflects God's shift from anger to comfort, emphasizing his willingness to restore after judgment.

19:00 Everybody see that Isaiah twelve to one. Everybody got that kind of basic idea. So not gam can reflect what a move or a transition from what anger to comfort. Now that's important why Isaiah forty through fifty five is called what we talked about in the first hour. We talked about it last week, we talked about it the week before that, the Book of comfort or the Book of consolation. That's what is often referred to. Why because in Isaiah forty it's a shift, it's a change from what judgment to comfort? And what is the Hebrew word used immediately in Isaiah forty verse one, knock them? Which can you be used to show what? Well? In Isaiah twelve to one, it's reflects God's shift from anger to comfort.

19:57 It can demonstrate a shift from judgment to comfort. That's exactly what's happening in Isaiah chapter forty, verse one. Everything shifts. That's why we separate Isaiah forty through fifty five in its own section because it's a major shift from one to thirty nine. One to thirty nine is you're a center, You're a center. You did this, you did this, you did this, you did this. Judgment judgment, judgment, judgment. And then all of a sudden, in chapter forty we read knock them knock Am, which is now the shift is a curry. So that word is very important to go to Isaiah forty nine thirteen. Now this is right there in that section. The Lord has comforted his people. Please know the Lord has almost in past tens now in forty nine, is it right? And we'll have compassion on his afflicted. Is that not how it reads? Or something to that effect. We'll have mercy on the afflicted. Knockam is tied to God's compassionate action on behalf of the suffering, aligning with his redemptive purposes. In other words, what this shows is not Gammas, tied to God doing something, not just feeling something, but doing something forty nine thirteen, forty nine thirteen. Everybody see it? Okay? I want to make sure I'm not confuse anybody. How about Isaiah fifty one to three. The Lord comforts Zion, He comforts all her

21:32 waste places. The word expresses God's intent to restore and renew Jerusalem after devastation, bringing joy and flourishing. But once again, not chemist deal with what. It's compassion, it's mercy, it's to consult, but it's tied with what action. It's tied with and restoring. That's very key, restoring, restoring, because that's gonna be key here. How about Isaiah sixty six thirteen as one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you. This verse highlights the intimacy and tenderness of God's comfort, liking it to a mother's care for her child. This is showing not camus. It's intimate, it's relational, it's active.

22:21 It demonstrates a change, demonstrates are relenting. Right, God is punished, but now he is comforting. Does that make sense? All right? That's how it choosed. Everybody see that. So what have we looked at? We have looked at the meaning of the Hebrew word. Right, we got the primary meaning, and we got the nuance there. Right, we got the usage of knockam elsewhere in the Old Testament. We saw that in Genesis thirty seven. Job too, we saw examples of it being about relenting or being sorry in Genesis sixty six. In Exodus thirty two fourteen. We kind of talked about it's almost more than a duel meaning, a triple meaning. Right.

23:01 We kind of talked about how it's used for sorrow, comfort, and to relent. Right. We talked about the usage of Knockham and Isaiah. We looked at Isaiah twelve to one, Isaiah forty nine to thirteen, Isaiah fifty one to three, Isaiah sixty six thirteen. Now let's go to its specific usage where Isaiah forty verse one. All right, let's look at the context now, because all of that brings us where to Isaiah chapter forty verse one, Isaiah forty one. This is how one source states It opens with a double imperative comfort, comfort my people. This repetition emphasizes urgency and certainty of God's call to console his people. It sets the tone for the entire section, Comfort Ye, Comfort Ye sets the tone for the entire section, demonstrating God's going to act, God's going to relent, showing emotion. Does that make sense? Knock Am expresses God's desire to provide consolation and reassurance to Israel after a period of judgment.

24:18 And where do we read of that period of judgment? Isaiah thirty nine six through seven. We read about that there, correct, all right, So there there is the context of knock Am and Isaiah chapter forty verse one that kind of gives us exactly what is going on. It's urgent, it's relational. It sets the tone for the entire section because it's expressing God's desire to provide consolation after this period of judgment. All right, the comfort is relational. God addresses Israel as what in Isaiah chapter forty verse one, my people? Everybody see that. It's relational, right, It reaffirms his covenantal relationship with them despite their unfaithfulness. You may want to circle my people and you want to put covenant. You can't take that my people and just necessarily apply that to everyone.

25:15 Why what keeps us from saying my people in Isaiah forty verse one is everyone? What keeps us from doing that? Thirty nine keeps it because my people is identified as the people who were in Babylonian captivity. You can't apply that to the church. Does everybody understand that? That's clear? But it's relational based off that covenant? And what are we demonstrating? God is faithful even though the people have been unfaithful. Right. Not only that the comfort is active, so it's relational. Can everyone see how it's relational? My people, it's active.

25:59 It's not merely a emotional but promises real restoration, including their return from exile and God's renewed presence with them. It's an active comfort. As we've already talked about, it is a divine comfort because it says comfort, ye, comfort ye my people, last part saith your God? Right? Everybody see that? So it's a divine comfort. It's not a human comfort. It flows from God's character as compassionate and faithful, grounded in his ability to deliver his people. Everybody see that.

26:42 So in its immediate context, when we look at the specific usage of Isaiah of Knockam in Isaiah forty verse one, we see the immediate context. It's a double imperative. It sets the tone. We see that it is a relational comfort. We see that it's a divine comfort. We see it's an active comfort. We see all of that. Right there? Does that? Does everybody kind of see that? All? Right? Knock Am here reflects God's sorrow over his people suffering a result of their disobedience and his commitment to act on their behalf or to bring relief and restoration. Look at Isaiah forty verse two. What is it? What do we see in Isaiah forty verse two? Yeah, but it signifies what that this time of suffering has come to an end. I know we can break we're gonna break all of that down specifically, but it's basically saying it's over.

27:50 It's over, it's come to an end. It's assuring this comfort is assuring the people that it's come to an end, the suffering, that the suffering is not the final word, that it's going to come to an end. There's something after the suffering. There's a restoration, there's something to come. Right. Does everybody get that? All? Right? I think that kind of break that kind of puts KNOCKM in its context. Now, let's just briefly look at how would this be significant to the original recipients. I don't think you really need my help on this, but we got to make sure we connect this to the original recipients. Right, The original recipients were Israelites in or anticipating Babylonian exile. It was a time of immense suffering, loss and disillusionment. Can we all agree with that right. That's the So the comfort of Isaiah forty verse one is immediate. It's God's promise to end their captivity. Ultimately the assurance of his continued covenantal faithfulness. So we see this significant to them, It makes perfect sense. Comfort. They need comfort. They have a real problem. They need real deliverance. Not only that. When we read in Isaiah chapter forty verse one, the phrase my people, it's reminding Israel that they have not been abandoned.

29:06 God has not left them, even though they have experienced judgment. It reflects God's active restoration of his covenant relationship when he says my people, what is he saying? You are still my people, even though you've been suffering for seventy years. You are still my people. And what's the basis of him being their people? Covenant not their actions? Does that make sense all right? For the exiles, the comfort was deeply practical. It pointed to their eventual return from Babylon, the rebuilding of Jerusalem, and the renewal of their national identity.

29:48 This was not some abstract encouragement, but a concrete promise tied to a historical reality. In other words, this is tangible, it is physical, It is material, not just like, oh, well, find comfort. No, it's something rooted in And why is that so important? Because I can't just go in instill that because it's tangible to their situation. Does that make sense? I think that can make some sense? All right? So what is the significance then? And understanding comfort ye or knock am? In Isaiah forty verse one? What is the significance? Well, what does it demonstrate? Well, let's just see if you can figure it out. What would be the significance of Isaiah chapter forty verse one? Comfort ye? Comfort ye? My people say it, you're mind? Can we agree this? That the first piece of significance? It shows God is the source of the comfort. Can we agree with that? The comfort of Isaiah forty verse one highlights God's unchanging nature.

30:51 His justice leads to discipline, but his mercy brings restoration. It shows God is the source of comfort. Who nobody else is going to comfort them? Right? Why? Well? One, they can't get themselves out of captivity. They need something greater than themselves, so they have to look to God. God is the source of comfort. I think that's important, especially in its context. Agreed? All right? Next, I think understanding not. Gham helps see that God's comfort is rooted in truth. It does not ignore sin, it does not ignore suffering, but it addresses them with his power to redeem and restore. It shows a balance of judgment and mercy. Right.

31:38 It shows a willingness to acknowledge reality. He's not denying the reality. He's like, hey, be comforted. No, it's like, no, you need comfort, and I'm going to do it in a very real, tangible way. There has been judgment, but there's going to be mercy. It does not deny reality, doesn't overlook sin. It's very based in reality, and it shows a balance between judgment and mercy. It shows that it is rooted in truth. It's rooted in reality. So Number one, it shows God's source of comfort. It shows a balance here. It's an invitation to trust in some ways, is it not? Israel was called to trust in God's promises during exile. Can we agree what do they have to trust in here? When they get these words? Where are they at? I mean the words come before they get there, but at this point, when the message is preached to them, they're in captivity. But they have to trust that God is going to bring them comfort in a tangible way by doing what bringing it to an end.

32:39 They got to trust that. Can they yet see that? No, they have to trust it. So it does call on them to trust what they cannot currently see. Does that make sense? They have to trust in that to some level. Yeah, that's what I said. Yeah, it comes to be well one hundred I mean, Isaiah dies about one hundred years before it even happened, So yeah, these words are there, so they already know it's coming, but at first they probably wouldn't have known what to do with it. Now the words mean something when now they're in it. But they're gonna have to trust because they are in it, right, getting a word comfort, comfort, it's all coming to an end.

33:23 You're like, well, wonderful, but you got to trust that it's actually going to come to an end or you're looking for it to happen right now, and when it doesn't come right now, it may cause a little bit of difficulty. Correct. So the Hebrew word not cam in Isaiah forty one captures the depth of God's compassionate response to his people. It signifies comfort that is both emotional, it is active, It is rooted in his faithfulness and redemptive power. The original recipients, the comfort provided assurance of restoration. It reaffirmed their covenant to relationship with God. And by understanding the full meaning of Knockam, we gain a rich appreciation for the profound hope and restoration promised. And Isaiah forty one. I think that's the case. Now, what's the obvious question? Now at this point, we know the comfort, right, we know the comfort, yes, okay, so we know how it applies to them. So what would be the obvious question we would ask? Now, as because you know we're Christians and we go to church, they will how does it apply to us? How does knockham apply to us?

34:32 All right, Well, first and foremost, let's let's demonstrate what doesn't apply to us. The promises and Isaiah forty through fifty five, almost most of them are directly related to whom Israel and their covenant relationship. We can't go take those promises and say, well, now I'm going through this difficult time, but God's going to deliver me and God's going to restore. You can't do that, right, You can't do that, and Christians have a long history of doing that. We go to the Exodus, God delivered them from bondage. He's gonna deliver stop it, stop it. We cannot do that.

35:14 So we know we can't do that, right, But how have we stated that there is a connection here? What is the spiritual connection between us in this situation? Well, in a similar way? Okay, these are some things we have in common. Was Israel sinners? Are we sinners? Were they living in a world where there was pain, suffering and death. We live in a world where there's pain, suffering and death. Were they giving promises? Could they see the fulfillment of that promise at the time they get the promise? No? Do we have promises? Yes? Do we have promises? Can we see the fulfillment of those promises right now? No?

35:56 I can't see the fulfillment of a promise where there's no more pain, no more suffering, no more death, and everything is wonderful. And to have a new body and there's no more sin and everything is great. Can I see that in any way, shape or form. No. In fact, I may look at my life and do what Just like there's probably some people who were sitting in Babylonian captivity going, come on, this is this is trash? Okay, this is garbage, okay, because I don't know if you've realized this. We've been here thirty five years. In fact, a lot of the people who entered here are all dead. And I'm the kid of the parent who, for some weird reason had me born in Babylonian captivity. And I didn't ask to be born. My parents are trash, right, Okay, maybe they didn't say it exactly that way, but you can kind of hear that, right, I mean, if you're born in babylon captivity, well how did we get here? Well, mom and dad didn't obey God, and so now you're born in captivity. Well that's not fair. I mean, can you hear that? Complain? Right? Hey, can't imagine your kid eating the meal with the family and you need to clean your room. Well maybe you should have panged God. Okay, then I wouldn't have to clean my room in captivity. Right.

37:02 You can understand why that would be the case. But we can relate to this. We're sinners and we live in a world filled with pain, suffering, and death. And the reason we live in this world field with pain, suffering, death is because of sin. Yet we read promises that there's going to be a deliverance. Our captivity will finally be truly over right, because as long as we live in the flesh, we're still captive to them. Even no Christians say we've been set free, we haven't been set free from the bondage of sin. Because I've been set free from the bondage of sin, then I would be able to stop sinning. And if I can't stop sinning, whatever's keeping me from sinning means I'm still in bondage too, all right, So clearly I'm still in bondage. So in a roundabout way, where do we live and Babylon? Do we have promises that are for us? Okay, we're not stealing their promises? And guess what those promises? What did we say about some of those promises that Knockham was pointing to that discomfort was active? Do we believe God's promise to us are active? We believe it will be active?

38:11 Now for them, there was a time it wasn't active, correct, I mean for seventy years, right, So for us for seventy years, right? I remember they always say the Bible talks about living what's seventy and by strength seventy five? Right? So for about seventy years. We live in captivity. Right, God's promise it will be active, but not here there now it did do what it was active in the sense that God sent his son to die for me, but that even happened before I lived. But in my life doesn't mean all my pain is suffering. None of it may ever go away, but it will ultimately go away.

38:51 So what do I have to do. I got to trust that God's promise is active and what it will do. It's personal because I am now declared to be a child of God. I'm in relationship with God, just like Israel is a relationship with God because I've been grafted in. It's a divine comfort because it comes from God. I can't get myself into Heaven. God has to. So it's very connected that sense. So I'm in captivity now. I have been given promises that says one day it's all going to come to an end. Right, one day it's all gonna go. I'm gonna put away this body of flesh and I will receive a new body that death.

39:42 Where is thy sting? Right? Because it's all been defeated, but I don't see it now. They receive the words of comfort. But even before the captivity started, isn't that crazy? We received the words in a sense because way before we were born, right way before we were born, we received the words of comfort. And then we were born and we entered into captivity, and then we get these words, and then these words give us all of these promises. But what do we have to do? We got to do the same thing, Israel. Do we have to trust his promises in the midst of what a reality? That seems to say? What that there's no reason to trust it?

40:24 Why should I trust a promise that one day that all this is going to happen when I can't see it? How would they supposed to believe it? Now? A lot of people will say, well, they had examples. Remember, by the time these people are in Babylonian captivity, they are generations removed from people who saw many of those great power. They're way removed from it. Right. In fact, many of them were born in captivity. All they've ever known is have they seen God chicana glory? No? The temple is in shambles. Have they seen God feeding them with manna? No? Have seen God part the Red sea? No? So they all they can see is reality, and reality would say don't trust in God's promises, just like we can feel the exact same thing, correct, And so what can we do?

41:19 We have words of comfort spoken to us. What is a good New Testament verse about comfort? Direct that would be directed to us? See if you can find one? And the New Testament, See if you can find one. I think there's a verse about the God of all Comfort. I think that's in the New Testament. See if who can find it. First we find it, we can go home. Okay. If you don't find it, we stay here all day, or no, you stay here all day, I'm leaving. Okay, I'm gonna go home and get food. I'll see y'all next Sunday. You see if y'all found the verse by then, okay?

42:08 Maybe First Corinthians. Second Corinthians is where I'm thinking, because that's a letter to a church that really fits a little bit better. Right, Second Corinthians one three? And what does that say? Eating Jesus the God of all comfort, and the Holy Spirit's called the comfort or right, there's lots of So there's things in the New Testament about comfort. So where do we look for comfort? God? Now here's the key. Now, I want ever to get this. We look to God for comfort, but that doesn't mean God is going to comfort us in our present captivity by fixing our circumstances. That's where the church messes up right.

43:07 I can tell you God is the God of all comfort. Look to him for comfort. But what comfort are you? Guaranteed salvation in Christ Jesus, which guarantees you what no more pain, no more suffering, no more death, no more sin, no more tears? What can that? Comfort? Cannot mean? Hey, God is the God of all comfort. That's going to fix your situation. Your sickness is going to go away, This is going to go away, This is going to get better. I can't promise you any of that, but I can point you to the God of all comfort as the one who comforted us. He comforts us in what way? I have his word of comfort, just like they had a word of comfort. Now, look, I can't speak of you to you, but for me, if I'm in this situation, especially if I was born into the situation, I probably would have been not such a good person to hang around because I would have been like, what good is a stinking word of comfort? When the captivity is not being lifted up. Do something now. I don't care about seventy years from now, I might be dead.

44:17 Do it now. I mean, come on, would that not be a reasonable I know I'm not supposed to talk that way, but it would be seventy years is a long time when the life expectancy at that time wasn't that long, right, but it was coming. Well, guess what, sometimes you know how I feel? Well, it's great God that you promised me I knew heaven and a new earth with no more pain, no more suffering, no more debt. But it would be great that you would do something now. But the problem is is I've been told that I should expect something now, when that's the lie, and that's the false comfort. The comfort that I can grab on to is what it's coming, and it's guaranteed, not because of my faithfulness, but because God's faithful. You see the parallel, There is a parallel. See people think whenever I argue for the original context that you just don't ever want to apply it. No, there is an application. But the application has to be why in a way that I don't do any damage to the scripture. So I can look to them and go, Okay, is there a parallel to me. I'm not inserting myself there, I'm saying, looking at their situation, I can see me. I'm in captivity.

45:33 I'm in a world of pain, suffering and death. That's very captive to sink. So am I. Yeah, there's words of comfort, but those words of comforter for well seventy years from now, I mean obviously metaphorically speaking, right, it's in the future for a lot of people within seventy because when I die, I am delivered then from this body, this captivity, and then I'm truly seph free. There's the parallel that makes sense. And what did I not do? I didn't insert myself, taking their tangible promises and then trying to tell people in church, hey, you need comfort today, Well, God's there for you. God's gonna do this. God's gonna do that. When pastors do that, they should be sued into oblivion. That's malpractice. You know what I can tell you leave today. God is the god of all comfort.

46:30 Find comfort in him, but don't for a second think that that comfort means he's going to do anything. In the present. Your situation may get worse and you may not even know what's coming. What coming may be far worse than anything you've ever experienced in your life. I hate to say that it could be. But ultimately, now, how do we trust that? That's called faith? And that's the difficulty. You know why faith is difficult because we believe in that which we cannot see. We believe in that which we have yet to experience. That's hard to trust because I can only trust what I can see and what I can experience. But by faith, that's that's what faith is. Faith is a complete and in some cases in conflict with reality. Reality says your faith is stupid, but we can't deny that reality. Right? Does that make some sense? I hope? So I hope. I hope that makes sense. All right, Okay, let's let's stop. Not too bad, twelve oh nine, not too bad. It's hard only having two hours now because now you said to go, oh well, I can do that Wednesday, or I gotta try to do everything and two hours on a Sunday morning, right, or then try to move things to the podcast. Right, All right, let's pray. Look, got we come before you this afternoon? Lord to one Hebrew word used twice in

48:03 a text challenges us to consider what comfort is, what it isn't, what fake comfort is, what true comfort is. Try to understand the comfort that was offered to them, and then try to see ourselves in it. Lord, we may have mishandled the text, and if we did, forgive us. Lord, we have tried our very best to understand all of this in a way that hopefully brings light and understanding and helps with any confusion, pain and feeling disillusioned because of the lies that's been given to us. Help us see this correctly, and may we have faith to trust in you when everything around us sometimes says to question you. And we ask this in Jesus name, and God's people said