Isaiah 40: Ordinary vs Supernatural

0:00 All right, today we go back to Isaiah chapter forty Isaiah chapter forty. Last week we took two hours to talk about artificial intelligence how it's going to impact the church Christianity, and we'll be utilizing artificial intelligence for some of this this morning. But we're in Isaiah chapter forty. The reason where in Isaiah chapter forty. In fact, we're going from Isaiah chapter forty, verse one to the end of Isaiah chapter fifty five. The reason we have done decided to do this, and you all should remember this is due to I am even yesterday I reviewed another sermon on Isaiah forty and another sermon once again. I don't know why it's so complicated, but they went to Isaiah forty and made it.

0:47 About us us us. I mean, these sermons on Isaiah forty almost it's crazy. The preacher begins and in immediately he. Doesn't talk about them, he doesn't talk about they. It's about me, you, us, we. And it's like, I don't understand why it's so complicated to go to Isaiah forty and go, let's talk about what happened to these people in their situation and what we can learn from it. It's just we want to insert ourselves into it. And so at this point, I probably am close to one hundred sermons on is between Isaiah forty through fifty five, and I've yet to find a sermon that would even be classified as even being remotely close or even accurate to the text. And that's a staggering number. That's a staggering number. I mean, that's crazy because I keep expecting, like, sooner or later, I'm gonna find one. Now, some of them have been better than others. Obviously some will at least even the one yesterday, well, well, at least mention them, right, at least we'll talk about them.

1:56 But it's so quick. It's just like, well for them, and then. And it's like and it'll be talking about things that you're like, what has that got to do with the text at all? So that's frustrating. So that's why we are here. And another kind of interesting development because since we've been talking about artificial intelligence, I started it on the podcast, we've done we've now looked at what we did is I took three sermons, and I let those sermons, you know, handle the text, develop the text the way they would, and then I let AI take the same text basically create its own message, and in every single case gets which one one. Artificial intelligence did a much better job and explaining the text went great better in depth and avoided all the stuff.

2:47 That pastors do. There was no rabbit trails, there was no there was no misusing the text, misapplying the text. And it's like, that's that's a crazy situation that we're in. So we'll be utilizing artificial intelligence as we continue to look at Isaiah forty through fifty five, because it's just it's all of this is coming together, but it just it's kind of frightening to think if you're almost to one hundred sermons on a particular section of scripture and no human can handle the text correctly, but AI can handle the text correctly in five seconds. That's true even even last week at the very end of the second hour, what did Sarah do. She pulled up chat GPT and had an entire breakdown of the section we're about to cover.

3:35 She had it and five seconds. So I mean, you don't even need me, Like, I mean, that's that is where we are. So but in spite you're stuck with me for now, right until we can have an artificial intelligence hologram here, right, but for now it's me. So Isaiah, chapter forty. Let's the for today. The section we're going to be covering is versus nine. Basically basically just verse nine. We want to go from nine to eleven. But I don't think we're gonna get well, we may get we'll get to the beginning. Actually the phrase is used twice, so so we'll we'll be using ten, nine and ten mainly. Maybe it will we'll read between nine to eleven, but just so that you know where we are, we'll read. We'll read Isaiah forty one through eight, just to remind ourselves. But let's just basically remind remember this, okay, the people of Judah, the people will say the people of Israel in a generic way, but Juda specifically.

4:35 They are in captivity to whom the Babylon Babylonians. Right, they're in captivity Babylon about one hundred, depending on which source you look at, one hundred to one hundred and twenty years before the captivity. God gives this message of Isaiah forty to fifty five to Isaiah. Isaiah records this message, and when the people are in Babylon, this message is to come to. Them, because it is to serve as what. As they have forty through fifty five is sometimes referred to as the Book of Comfort or the Book of Consolation, because they need comfort, they need consolation because where are they in captivity? Right? And when they're in captivity, remember the reality. Some people are born in this captivity and die before the captivity ends. Some people come into the captivity and they do what they die before the captivity is over. So they are in a pagan nation. And in this pagan nation there is idols. Everywhere, there is idolatry, there is false gods, and in their culture, their false gods are very much connected to what their military success, they're victories, their conquest. So if you're an Israelite or if someone in Judah and you're living there, you would possibly start struggling with what concept.

5:57 Well, maybe their god. Is the real god because their god did what to my God, destroyed his temple, right that I mean, it would be hard for them not to think that way. So there would be a lot of just discouragement, despondency, doubt, a worry, anxiety, fear, defeat. And so now this Book of Comfort comes to them and simply put, God is telling them right out of the gate, what basically the time has ended, and you're going to be basically set free. I know we're paraphrasing, right, and so that's what we looked at. So let's just remind ourselves. We'll read verses forty one through eight, right, and then then we'll set everything up with verses nine and ten.

6:43 Here we go. It starts off I'm reading from the New King James. So here we go. It starts off with what two words and verse one We're going to go back to verse one. Comfort, yes, comfort my people, right, This is a call for someone to comfort his people. Right, bring this comfort to my people, says your God. Who is the comfort ultimately coming from God? Who is my people? Israel? Right? I mean or or we can just say Juda if we want to, But well, Israel, we can. Just see Israel. In fact, is there any confusion in who this is for? Look at verse two, speak tenderly or speak comfort to Jerusalem.

7:28 There's no question who this is about, right, What was the capital of the Southern Kingdom, Jerusalem? There's no question. Like, I don't know. How pastors can come in here and just make this about comfort for you and comfort for me. This is comfort for. Them, Okay, And cry out to her that her warfare is ended, her iniquity is pardoned, for she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. I'm not gonna go back and break all of that down. We spent weeks breaking all of that down. Then verse three, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord may straight in the desert, a highway for our God. Every valley should be exalted, Every mountain shall be brought low, The crooked places shall be made straight, and the rough place is smooth. The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. Now we know that in the New Testament this is utilized to make a reference to John de Baptist, But in this historical context, it's not about John to Baptist.

8:21 Right, there's a call here, there's a. Voice of one crying in the wilderness, saying, prepare the way for God. And we connected this with what the Decree of Cyrus, which is in what Ezra right, Ezra chapter one, And we saw and this is and I want to start setting this up that whether we remember, AI did not necessarily like the connection. But we went back and forth. When we looked at the decree of Cyrus, we saw a lot of similarities. I don't think there's any way to get around it, right, So let's just remember this. No matter if we connect this. No matter if we don't connect this, this is a historical fact. Right. How is Jude delivered from Babylon? From a human perspective, the Babylonians are defeated by whom Cyrus, right, and they that's the Persians, right, Okay, so they defeat the babylon Now when to say defeated, Remember, it's kind of unique the way it happened because the Babylonian king had basically was a wall, right, and the people just kind of opened the doors and said, come on in.

9:27 Okay. So it's but ultimately they come in and take over. Right. So Cyrus is the one that basically calls for them to do what gather all the supplies, prepare everything, because he basically says God has told me, right, he uses that God is basically using him for them to go back and rebuild everything. So we could So I just want you to see just I told you at the very beginning of Isaiah forty, write down the name Cyrus, right, write that name Cyrus down, and that's gonna I'm into play really important here today, right, So just remember Cyrus. Okay, So we talked about Cyrus and the decree of Cyrus and all of that. And then if the end of verse five, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken, look at verse six the voice said cry out, and he said, what shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.

10:23 The grass withers, the flower fades because the breath of the Lord blows upon it. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower phase. But the word of our God stands forever. And in the context here, what's significant. Hey, it doesn't matter which nation, doesn't matter, the circumstance doesn't matter. The people God is sovereign. All of that is what going to fade. All of that's going to disappear. What's going to stand the word God, the Word and the specifically what is it a reference to God's word about their deliverance. I know we want to take it and make it about the Bible and all of that But in this text, it's about what God's spoken word in regards to their deliverance.

11:06 That's what it's about. And what is he saying? Hey, it doesn't matter what you see, doesn't matter how mighty the nation is, doesn't matter how numerous the people are. They're all going to do what fade away? Like like grass, there's gonna be blown away. But who's going what's gonna stand? God's word? Right? Everybody? See that? Now that brings us to where we are today. Verse nine. All right, you ready, o Zion. You who bring good tidings, get up into the high mountains, Oh Jerusalem, you who bring good tidings, Lift up your voice with strength, lift it up.

11:49 Be not afraid, say to the cities of what's again? Is there is it? How many different ways can God make it clear who this is a out? Over and over? It's it amazing that God can spend all of this time making sure any reader knows who. This is about. But preachers can stand behind the pulpit and somehow insert you into it. Now, any person going to church should raise their hand and away, why are you making this about us? They wanted to be about them. That that's the case. But who's it. So what is supposed to happen? They're supposed to. Bring good tidings or good news to whom to the cities of Judah, and what is the message? Okay, well look unless the NIV changes it dramatically, the King James, new King James.

12:44 They all read what Behold your God. Behold your God. Everybody see that. Now remember what I told you to write down to name Cyrus. Now you may want to write down the phrase. Behold your God. Because this concept of Cyrus and behold your God this sparked all everything. So when I was reviewing a sermon yesterday, all of a sudden it kind of clicked, and I was like, huh, there's something going on here, Because as soon as I saw Behold your God, I started comparing it and contrasting it in my mind to something that happened in the Book of Exodus.

13:32 So then I kept thinking about it. So then I spent. One hour, about an hour going back and forth with Ai. We were just going back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. AI did not necessarily like my idea at the beginning, but we kept going. Back and forth, back and forth. I don't know if it ever completely liked my idea, but I'm going with it anyway. Okay, So here when I see this, I was like, huh, this is kind of interesting. Let's think about this. The message that's supposed to be brought to the people in captivity is behold your God. Right now, we know historically, right, some facts here, So let me ask you some questions.

14:15 When they say behold your God and their historical situation, everything you know about their deliverance from Babylon, everything you know about them going back and having to rebuild everything. Does God show up in some miraculous supernatural way? Does the red sea part? Does fire come from heaven? Are armies consumed? Does the earth open up and all of the Babylonians fall into it? Does somehow they get to they get back to Jerusalem and boom, all of a sudden, magically the temple reappears. None of it happens that way, does it? Right? Everything that happens happens, And what what would be a good word to describe the way everything plays out? You have a key who take over, takes over a normal Okay, there's.

15:05 A word that's a good word. How about the word ordinary? Okay? Good? So I want you to write down these two words, because this is where I went yesterday. I want you to write down the phrase ordinary. Means, supernatural means ordinary means and supernatural means now because today, I mean, I thought we were gonna you know, if we had two plus hours here, I would be able to cover a lot more. So we're not going to be able to get far into this, but I want us to just really consider this concept. So today, for this hour, I want to take that phrase Behold your God. In fact, it's look at verse ten. Behold the Lord God shall come with a strong hand, and his arms shall rule for him. Behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will gather the lambs with his and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those who are with young. It's all behold God, Behold what He's going to do. But what and our minds when we think about that, when we think about God showing up, I think we can say we our minds typically think of something dramatic, right, supernatural acts like the parting of the Red Sea, fire falling from heaven, Jesus walking on the water, those kinds of just miraculous things, correct, But in this particular case, nothing miraculous like that is going to have everything that happens. Look, if you don't have

16:38 Isaiah forty and you live, then you'd be like, well, man, I'm sure glad Cyrus took over. I'm sure glad Cyrus is letting us go back. Now once we got back, Oh, this is gonna be a lot of hard work. Right, What would you have seen or I mean just an ordinary. Life, right, Powers come, powers rise, powers fall. Yeah, sometimes you're sometimes you have deliverance, sometimes you have captivity, You always have work effort. It would have been just looked like a very normal situation, right, So just keep that in mind because in our minds we always think of these other situations because those those that's supernatural captures our imagination, doesn't it.

17:30 And let's be honest, we. Are all we all get tired and almost fatigued, which is normal life, right, because it's just. Like time, you know, get up. I know, a dated reference, but time to make the donuts, right, just get up, because life is just a kind of a routine, right, get up, do this, get up, You got this responsibility, you got to do this one hour turns into two hours, two hours turns into five hours, and then the day comes to an end so that you can get up and. Do it all over again. That's a lot, and people want something to break up that, right, So people get caught up with that. We look for escape. Right now, within Christianity, a lot of that escape, even though we would never state it this way, is the concept of God intervening in a powerful and supernatural way.

18:19 Charismatics really get into that because that breaks up life, right if God is doing this. Supernatural thing and this supernatural thing. But over and over and over we find out that their stories tend to be fraudulent, made up hoaxes, and well that's not good, but we want something to break it up. But what if the reality is what if this is true? Much of God's work throughout history happened through ordinary means. I think that's true. Now, that typically doesn't get preached that much, right, we preach these the big stories, right, the parting of the Red Sea, Manna falling from heaven, right, the Earth opening up, right, all of these because those things are much I mean, when when kids go to Sunday school, what do they learn the Bible stories where the big things happen. Right, But I think what we and which then gives us in our mindset, especially if you're a young Christian.

19:30 It may kind of get like you kind of go into the world going, Okay, where's it gonna happen? And then you kind of realize it doesn't really work that way, and maybe we're not theologically prepared for that. Oh yeah, yeah, they were ready for they were ready for it. They didn't know that. Well, sorry, they We're never gonna see it, right, Okay, never gonna see it? All right? I believe Isaiah Ford. And this is the way I'm going to approachize afforty at the beginning, and we'll do a typical breakdown of the section. But I'm going to approachize A forty nine through eleven as possibly offering us kind of a glimpse into the reality of ordinary means versus supernatural means.

20:18 Because in this passage. Zion, there basically is a call to Zion to proclaim a very simple message. What is the message that is to be proclaimed? Here? Behold your God. I want you to that's the message. Here. There is a call for the message to be. Delivered to whom the cities of Judah, Behold your God, because guess what they could not see God? What did they see around them? Other gods? Pain, suffering, captivity, knowing their temple was gone, their city was gone. Behold your God, and come on. If we're being honest, if I live there, I would probably be.

21:03 Like where right? Maybe they didn't, but if I live there. If I lived, I'm not gonna speak for them. But if I live there, I'd have been like, behold your God. Okay, what are you talking about? Our God died a long time ago. Okay, our God got defeated, especially in that cultural mindset, when one god, when one comes in and destroys your temple, that, in every symbolic way, that was their God defeating your God. It would have been very hard. For them not to have been impacted by that way of thinking. But that's the message.

21:45 Now this proclamation comes, and this is how one source puts it, as God's people are in exile. We already knew that longing for deliverance. I think we can agree to that that would have been wanting to be deliverered. Correct, But unlike the Maracus events of the Exodus, their salvation this time will come through the rise of. That's what Ai said. In this situation, though. Their deliverance is coming by the rise of a pagan king by the name of Cyrus. Even Ai understands that because that's a historical fact, right, AI can stay with it.

22:27 This is not about us, This is about them now, this is what AI said. God will use ordinary political and military means to accomplish his extraordinary purpose. His purpose may be extraordinary, but what's going to happen. It's going to be done through ordinary means. I don't want you to forget that phrase ordinary means, because I believe throughout history that's how God typically works. So ordinary means. Which wait and guess what. It's hard to do when you see ordinary means. If I show you ordinary means and I walk up to you and say, behold your God, you're.

23:10 Gonna be like, that's just my car breaking down. That's just a flat tire. That's just me getting laid off, that's just me not having enough money to cover my bills. That's just the air conditioner breaking down. That's just oh, that's a good tax return, like you just a's life. But no, behold if someone says behold your God. You're waiting for like smoke or something, you know, something to appear, right, lightning to come down, right, something miraculous to happen. That's the stories we want. Correct. When missionaries tell their stories, they always tell some miraculous story.

23:51 Right. Oh, there was this tribe and they were hostile towards us, and they surrounded us, and we thought they were gonna come in and. Kill us in the middle of the night. They were so worried. But the attack never came. And so we found out talking to the chief of the tribe like six months later, and they said we could not attack because the house was surrounded by guards, And we're, like, what guards? And then we realized that the houses and the huts had been surrounded by angelic beings. You know how many missionaries I heard tell that story, the exact same story, probably at least five or six times, And anytime I would have been the last missionary had told are you telling the same story? I mean, right there, you start questioning the veracity if everyone's telling the exact same story the exact same way, right, I mean, come on, But because we lacked those stories, right, nobody wants to hear a missionary going well. For the last year, we've got up each morning, we've tried to preach. We've had sickness.

24:52 Me and my wife been fighting. Kids are tired of sick and tired of that. They want to come back to America. Some of the people in the village. Hate us, just like basic every day. You'd be like boring boom. Bring on the good missionary with good stories. Right. We don't like the ordinary. We want the extraordinary, not the ordinary. I like that, Yeah, yeah, because Stephen can help write the sermon. Okay, right, the ordinary versus the extraordinary. We want the extraordinary. Behold your God. But that's what caught my attention when I read this, behold your God, I want I immediately said to the text, God's not showing up and behold your God moment.

25:40 Correct, not at that time, not at that time? All right? So AI then said this is what AI said, This raises an important question. Do we recognize God's hand and ordinary events of life? And I was say, it's hard for us to say, behold God in the ordinary? Can we behold His glory not just in the miraculous, but in the every day. Those are good questions for even us to ask. So what Ai set out to do was to give me a long kind of list of some things about the ordinary, and I want to get to how it broke it down. But I was like, well, I'm like, there's something going on here, because when I read Behold your God, my mind immediately kept going.

26:37 Back to Exodus Exus. There's a phrase here, and I'm like, there's a contrast here that I think we'll really kind of set this up. So I started, I continued, I'm like, okay, Ai, you've broken all of this down, but we've got to go a different. Direction here, right. So I said, Ai, is there a there's a kind of a contrast here between what happens in Isaiah forty and what happens in Exodus fourteen? Right? So I kind of started structuring it and then I handed it to Ai. So Ai then said this, You are absolutely correct. The contrast you're drawing between Isaiah forty nine through eleven, what's the key phrase, Behold your God and the events in the book of Exodus is striking and philologically significant.

27:26 I'm like, okay, good, I was on this. I'm glad we're on the. Same page here, because my mind was like I could not keep I couldn't keep reading this going. The difference here is amazing. Behold You're good. And nothing really happens other than I'm my name is Cyrus, and I'm a pagan king, and God has told me. That you know what's going on here? Right, it had been unique, but it would have looked very ordinary, right versus an Exodus, where there's almost the same idea, behold your God, but something big happens. So I think I think there's something significant here. So AI said this in Isaiah forty nine through eleven, the call is to behold your God.

28:11 Right, we can agree. In the context, but in this in that case and behold your God, it is in the context of deliverance through This is how Ai said it, through ordinary means. AI use the phrase, and I was like, okay, now it's even you. Okay, that's the language I'm seeing that behold your God. But it's going to be deliverance through ordinary means, such as God's juseph Cyrus to free the exiles. The contrast is dramatic supernatural deliverance of Israel in the Exodus, where people are explicitly called to witness God's direct intervention.

28:52 So look at Exodus chapter fourteen. Look at verses thirteen through fourteen. Exodus chapter fourteen, let's go there. We'll go to. Exodus fourteen ten because we can kind of set up the story. Right, Exodus fourteen ten. Now we know that the children of Israel had been in bondage and captivity to the Egyptians. God basically shows up with these miraculous plagues.

29:34 Right, that's the miraculous. That's not the ordinary, correct, because even if it's maybe using ordinary things, they're showing up in extraordinary ways, right, because they're just these plagues are just happening almost instantaneously. Right. Then ultimately you have the Angel of Death, you pass over. All of these things are happening. And then ultimately look at Exodus fourteen ten. And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted up, lifted their eyes, and behold the Egyptians marched after them. Oh that's not good. Right. If you're the Israelites and you're. Trying to get out of Egypt and you look up and Pharaoh's army is marching after you, you're gonna do what You're gonna be in panic. You're gonna be fearful.

30:21 Can we agree on that all right? What happens in the next verse? So they were very afraid, or the nivs is terrified, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. Then they said to Moses, because there was no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? What emotion are they experiencing? Doubt, dread, fear, maybe a little anger. Hey, Moses, we could have just died in Egypt. Why why we're gonna now die and be slaughtered right here? Thank you so very much. You've been such a great help to us. Right They're not happy, are they? They're very bothered?

31:02 Why have you so dealt with us to bring us up out of Egypt? Is it not that the word that we told you in Egypt? In Egypt, saying let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians, For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than we should die in the wilderness. We told you to leave us alone. And Moses said to the people, here we go. Are you ready? Here's the dramatic scene. This is the dramatic scene. What does he say, fear not, do not be afraid. Now what what next? Stand still? It's almost like be quiet, stand still, stop, stop saying anything, and do what. See the salvation of the Lord which he will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.

32:00 And around about Wait, what is he saying? Behold your God? There's a dramatic. Contrast, right, okay, so and another translation, fear not, stand firm, see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent. That's how one translate. In other words, be quiet, be still, and just do what see or behold. The Israelites are told to see the salvation of the Lord in the context of a miraculous, supernatural act.

32:44 The parting of the Red Sea. This was a visible, undeniable demonstration of God's power, designed to reveal his glory and instill faith in and faith in the people. I think we can agree to that. Now we've got to see Isaiah forty behold your God, and they're they're to behold God. But how are they going to see God? And Isaiah forty? How are they going to see God? Right? And Isaiah forty and Isaiah forty, They're gonna see God in a ordinary way. Nothing dramatic is going to take place, right. It's they're gonna they're gonna be. There for how many years? Seventy years and then finally and one king is going to take over for the other king, and then he's gonna say.

33:34 You can go. And you're like, oh, okay, that's kind of that's kind of anti climatic. I'm a fire come from heaven and destroy the Babylonians, or they get swallowed by the sand of the desert. Something dramatic right now over. Here, Hey, the entire army of Pharaoh, you're never going to see them again? And was it miraculous way they get wiped off the face of the heir? I think so the entire sea parts they go through and it drowns. Those are dramatically different situations. So let's con I'm gonna contrast them. I know it takes us a little bit away from Isaiah forty, but I think this contrast is important. All right, So are you ready to contrast these, right, So first we'll contrast the nature of God's deliverance. I've kind of already given you a preview the exodus. The deliverance is what supernatural dramatic. It involves plagues. It involves the parting of the Red Sea and the visible destruction.

34:41 Of the Egyptian army. I mean, if they can see what's happening, even if they depends. On where they are. I mean, I don't know how else you can understand it, but seeing it as dramatic as possible. Because when the sea comes. Doing what drowns an entire army, you're gonna know that it took place. It can't get much more drama than that. Now, compare that to Isaiah forty The deliverance is what ordinary Cyrus is a human king conquering the Babylonians, any issues a decree allowing the exiles to return. Look at Isaiah forty four twenty eight. Tell me what you see there, Isaiah forty four to twenty eight. Isaiah forty four twenty eight, what do you read?

35:45 Who is the shepherd Sorrus? Go back to Isaiah forty verse nine through I think eleven. Doesn't it use shepherding language, and nine through eleven. See if you find it. Yeah, he hears shepherding language. Right, there we go, Yeah, there we go. Okay, So who is the shepherd? Who's gonna at least act us? I mean, God makes it very clear who is his shepherd.

36:26 Cyrus? Who is shepherd? Who is Sarrus shepherding Israel? Does people? Jud I mean right? You cannot miss this? Right? The text screams that, I don't know how pastors miss this. Go to Isaiah forty five to one. Forty five one, Thus says the Lord to his anointed, whoa anointed? That's where that's the idea. For a messiah like right? And well, who is it? Who's the anointed? Cyrus is the anointed? What is he going to do?

37:12 Whose right hand? I have held to subdue nations before him, and loose the armor of kings to open before him the double doors, so that the gates will not be shut. I will go before you and make the crooked places straight. I will break in pieces the gates of brush. Some of that sounds like Isaiah forty does it not? The voice in the wilderness preparing away, making the crooked way straight, or making the way straight, very similar. You cannot miss Cyrus in all of this. So guess what the ordinary means is going to be? Whom Cyrus? Who's working God? It may be God working in an extraordinary way, but he's doing it through an ordinary means That is completely different an exodus.

38:02 God's hand is behind the events, but they lack the overall or the overt miraculous nature of the exodus. Can we agree that the nature of the deliverance are dramatically different. In the two? Can we agree? All right? How about number two? The call to Behold God and Exodus? The people are called to stand still and witness God's power and action with no human agent as the focus. Right, there's no human agent involved. Moses is doing. What when this all happens? Behold, he's standing there with the people, right boom. God is the one who's going to take care of everything. Right, God is gonna be the one who's gonna do this.

38:48 It's the focus is on God and Isaiah forty. Even though it says behold your God, the people are told to behold your God by recognizing and how are they going to behold God in this situation? How are they supposed to behold and and Exodus. Everyone can understand a standstill and see God. I mean, you can't miss it. An entire sea parts you walk through on dry ground, you get on the other side, and you can behold your God. How are the people of Judah to behold God in their situation? They are to see God's hand in the ordinary means.

39:30 Or as Ai put it, Ai stated it this way. They are to recognize God's sovereignty and his power working through historical events and through Cyrus. When he says, behold your God, they are to see God even though it's all just ordinary. A pagan king there to see God. Ordinary he means. So the call to behold God are radically different. Can we agree on that? So the first thing. We have the nature of the deliverance completely opposite. Number two the call to behold God. Number three the temptation of the visible versus the invisible. The temptation of the visible versus the invisible. In Exodus, the Israelites, even after witnessing God's supernatural power, struggle with faith and later demand visible idols. Is that not crazy? Go to Exodus thirty two.

40:33 Go to Exodus thirty two. This is a crazy part of this story. Tell me what happens in Exodus thirty two one through four. They want an idol, They want a visible what they want a visible manifestation of God. It is crazy. They got to see what behold God and they got to see the miraculous. But after seeing the miraculous that's visible, they then want what. More visible? Yeah, they need something visible? So is it possible?

41:18 This is just just throwing this concept out there. Now, this is not Ai, this is me. I'm just throwing this out there. Is it possible that once we see the supernatural or the extraordinary, we almost now become dependent on needing and seeing more of the supernatural because they see it and they want more, but they need something. Isn't that crazy? Are we not drawn in our natural way to needing to see We want to see something, We want to behold something, right, we need a visible manifestation of something. I think we're very much prone to that, are we not? I mean, think about throughout I mean, if you think about it, there's.

41:59 Nothing in the Bible. Now I'm not now this is gonna get I'm gonna be careful because I'm not throwing a condemnation upon it. But I just think we have to at least consider it in this context. Right, These people needed something visible. We are prone to wanting something visible. We want us Jesus talks to the religious leaders. They wanted to sign, they wanted wonders. We want signs, we want wonders, we want the visible. Right, Okay, Our God that we worship is invisible, and we have a hard time with that, but we like a visible representation. If you really go back and look. At the Bible, right, especially in the New Testament, is there any call in the New Testament to build anything like any The Temple's gone, right, the visible manifestation of God's presence is gone, and seventy eight has wopped off the face of the earth. Right, Okay, Now is there a call to build a great church, a huge building?

42:58 But throughout church history, what did we do these beautiful buildings? Right now? People will talk about the you. Know, the the philological significance of architecture, right that in churches it draws your eyes up towards Heaven, and it gives us a sense to let us be drawn into the transcendence and taken away from the world. When we walk into one of these beautiful churches right, these beautiful they they are beautiful, and maybe they do accomplish that. But at the same time, is it is it more so because we need the visible.

43:39 I'm not saying it's bad, but I think we can. At least challenge we need. Maybe it's our need to see something. Right. Charismatics may not build these beautiful, you know churches, right, but they need the visible manifestation of what signs and wonders see. Some people want them, maybe the big. Architecture in the church right, beautiful, you know, a beautiful building. Others may just need signs and wonders. Others may to need to feel or experience something through maybe you know, an hour of praise and worship. I think we're drawn to needing to feel, see and experience. They saw and it wasn't enough. They need to see more. That seems crazy.

44:31 Isaiah forty. The exiles surrounded by Babylonian idols. I cannot stress this enough. If you study Babylon they're polytheistic, They've got gods for everything. They build these structures where in a. Sense God and man are supposed to kind of meet together. That they are surrounded by idols. Just keep that in mind, because that comes to play later on in Isaiah forty. Just keep that mind, okay, And they could be tempted to do what they could be tempted to trust in these idols because they can see them. Their temple is what gone. They can't see their God, and they're in Babylon and all around them are visible gods. They can be drawn to that. And if you look at Isaiah forty, does this not become an issue later on in Isaiah forty?

45:26 Just skim through Isaiah. Forty and tell me when they start talking about idols, just skim see how quickly. It shows up. Yes, especially, I think it's already starting to be hinted at before that. Well and Isaiah forty, Yeah, and forty. But Bobby is right, and eighteen it becomes explained leading up to this, it's already started. It's already started, right. But because it says who has measured the waters in the hollow of. His hand, he's immediately saying who is like God?

46:07 Right? But when you get to eighteen, there's no question to whom? Then will you. Liking God? Or what likeness will you compare to him? The working molds and image the Goldsmith overspread. He starts in eighteen. It's explicitly, but he's already leading up to that. It's probably starting in verse. Twelve, right, So when he says behold your God, he's saying behold God to those of Judah who are aware in captivity and is surrounded by what idols, the visible manifestation. Now they're said to behold God, but they are to be in the crazy Israel gets to behold God in a visible way, and they want an idol. In this case, they have all the idols and they're told behold your God, but they're not going to be given anything visible. In that contrast, there is crazy to me. There's something significant going on here, right, So AI said it this way.

47:10 The exiles are surrounded by Babylonian idols and are tempted to trust in what is visible and tangible rather than the invisible God who works through ordinary means. So they have visible idols all around them, and he says, behold your God, say God in the ordinary over here and Exodus, behold your God. Say all of his power, say all of his glory, say all of his might. And then they're like, can we have an idol? That is nuts that kind. If we miss that contrast, now, what we do with that? We could spend all day working on that. But that is significant, is it not so? Number One, when we're looking at this contrast the nature of God the deliverances, they're completely different. Number two, the call to behold God.

47:59 Number three the tempo of the visible versus the invisible. And all of us are drawn to what the visible. Let's just be honest, we're all drawn to We want visible something, Something's got to be visible. We got to see it. Christianity always we talk. I don't care if non charismatic or charismatic. It's all about power in God doing this and God doing that. And so we have to convince ourselves of something tangible. And they're being set told to behold God, and they're not going to see anything other than what looks like the most ordinary of ordinary things. If a historian writes about it, are they going to see God?

48:40 Cyrus takes over. Lets these people go, big deal, It's happened before. But we are told see God right now. So one of the theological implications of these contrasts, so the the Three Maiden contrasts the nature of the deliverances, the call to behold God and the temptation of the visible and the invisible. So what are the theological implications? You're ready for? Some theological implications. Number One, God's sovereignty in all circumstances, whether it's a supernatural act or whether it's an ordinary God is sovereign and actively involved in the deliverance of his people. That is true in both cases an Exodus, who is involved in delivering the people? God in Isaiah forty, who is involved in delivering his people?

49:35 God, God, God is sovereignly involved. Whether we see supernatural or don't see supernatural. That's hard to say, that's hard to understand, right, does anyone struggle with that? Like, if God doesn't show up, it's sometimes it makes no sense. But God is sovereign in both circumstances. Isa of forty emphasizes that God's power is no less present when he works human history rather than through great miracles. Can we agree to that is, behold your God. God is justice present, just as active, even though it's all gonna look ordinary. We cannot forget this. So the first zoological implication God's sovereignty, God's presence, God's action, and all circumstances.

50:31 Number two, Faith beyond the visible. The Exodus demonstrates God's ability to work supernaturally, but Isaiah forty calls for faith to see God's hand. In the ordinary. And resists the temptation of visible idols. Or let's say this, let's state it this way, faith beyond the visible. We are called to have faith in trusting a God in whom we cannot see. We've been talking about this alive when all the visible calls us to question the existence of that God, and we have to watch ourselves that.

51:13 Are we comfortable with faith in a God in whom we cannot see? Or do we constantly find ourselves being drawn to needing something visible, needing some kind of something? And I think we're drawn to that. I think that's why these great churches have been built. I know, I know people are going. To get mad at me for saying that, but I mean, just think of just think of some of these major churches that have been built. They I mean, the amount of money that has gone into building some of these. I mean, the entire Reformation started for white that were trying to build Saint Peter's Basilica, right, And what did they need? They needed money, and how did they try to get the money? Indulgences, so they they had to raise money to build a building. Now it's the building beautiful.

52:05 You ever go to Rome and look at the Vatican and all the buildings and all the churches associated with those things are beautiful, powerful symbols. But they all are draws to the visible. Now again, even if it's not we can condemn that, but you can have You can be in a little small building without that, and you can still be looking for what visible. You can be in the hills of North Carolina or somewhere in that area and they're running around with snakes. Well, because people want a visible want better visible manifestation. Then look at me holding your rattlesnak. You're insane, But okay, right now, they do that because the people long for something visible, even if it's not that, Even if they're not holding a snake, signs and wonders, people on the floor, getting slain in the spirit, speaking in tongues, or having some emotional experience. Everyone wants something visible. We are drawn to that.

53:11 Now in their historical case, what could these people be drawn to behold your God? Why? Hey, guys, guys, stop looking at the Babylonian gods. I know they're visible. You see their buildings, you see the idols. Your God is present, and they may be like but no, Oh, God was wiped off the face of the earth when the Temple was destroyed. And that's going to be important for Israel moving forward, right because. When we get to Hebrews, the message to. Israelites or what in a sense, behold your God. There's something better than this visible manifestation, because what's about to have let's say we date Hebrew sixty six sixty seven AD in just a few years.

53:55 What's going to happen and never coming back at least. Unless we believe obviously for a future one being built, but before, for the for the now, there's God. I mean, if you go to if you go to Israel, there's no temple there. There's a big thing sitting where the temple is supposed to be, okay, and the Jews for the most part, don't even have access to the temple mouth. They're not allowed there because who controls it. Muslims they can't even get there, but they don't need it. Behold your God. It's hard to see that. Yes, I think it's important to see that. So the Exodus demonstrates God's ability. So this is faith beyond the visible. The Exodus demonstrates God's ability to work supernaturally, but Isaiah forty calls for faith to see God's hand in the ordinary and to resist the temptation of visible idols. This reflects a maturing of faith, trusting God even when his actions are not accompanied by dramatic display.

55:00 I will say your faith. Your faith is more mature, and you have grown in your faith when you don't need all the visible manifestation. If you can behold God and you can't see him, that is a mature It does not take a mature. Faith to you know, someone dies and are resurrected. That doesn't take a mature faith to accept that. Right. Doesn't take a mature faith to oh, we don't have food and it just drops from heaven. What takes the mature faith is to behold God. I'll use my own life standing in Buffalo Gap Cemetery watching my mother be buried as a young person. Now, let's be honest. I didn't behold God because that was what October. I don't always forget the date October.

55:55 I didn't behold God. I left there, drove. Right down this road, and I don't remember how many weeks later, not long after the funeral, going out that way in the middle of nowhere, a big ranch out there, walked into the parents' room, grabbed the gun, knelt down and said, God, forgive me, and got ready to pull the trigger to blow my brains. Out because I did not behold God. A mature faith would have been able to somehow behold. I could not behold God because my mind, if God was really working, what. Should have happened? And I let her die? That's hard to comes. That's see.

56:43 Sometimes charismatics, you just don't have enough faith. No, it takes far more faith to believe when your mother is buried than it does to believe when your mother is healed. If you want to test someone's faith, that's faith. Who took more faith people being healed? Or watching what Job went through? That was hard? And did he have struggles? He's like, Okay, God, where are you? And finally when he beheld God, God basically told him what nothing. He didn't tell him anything. He just gave him questions.

57:23 And finally Job was just like, I'm just gonna shut up. Now that's hard to comprehend. I don't understand how that works, but this is demonstrating it, right. So it reflects a mature. Faith to trust God even when actions are not accompanied by dramatic displays. Next, God's dual nature as shepherd and warrior and Exodus God is betrayed as a warrior fighting for his people. We can see that, right, And Isaiah forty, God has depicted as a shepherd gently leading his people. But guess what, what's crazy? And Isaiah forty God has kind of me? You could say, is God being depicted as a shepherd, because really the shepherd is whom Cyrus.

58:06 He's even referred to as a shepherd in just a couple of chapters. So in one case, God's action is really he may be a shepherd, but he's a hidden shepherd. And Exodus is a warrior who is visible. See God can And I think it's it's important to say God can be a warrior. God can be a shepherd and can do it in an invisible way through ordinary means. That's hard for us to comprehend sometimes, is it not? So? So those are the theological implications God's sovereignty and all circumstances, Faith beyond. The visible.

58:46 The yeah, well we can make it at number three, the reflection that this is about a maturing faith. But that's really about faith beyond the visible God's dual nature as shepherd and warrior. Those are kind of the three major points of the fill logical implications. I kind of gave more there, but okay, that's fine. Now some applications for today. You ready. We need to learn to recognize God in the ordinary. Just as the exiles were called to see God's hand in their deliverance through Cyrus, we're called to recognize God's work and the ordinary events of our lives. And let me tell you it's hard to do. It's hard to do, but. We are to try to learn to recognize God in the ordinary. Number two, Balancing expectation of the miraculous with trust in the ordinary. God can and does work supernaturally, but more than often he works in an ordinary way, and it requires us to exercise faith in patience. We have to we have to.

59:47 Make sure our expect what should our expectation be for God to work in an ordinary way? That should be our expectation. And if your expectation is the other you're gonna you end up doing two things. Your expectation is for the supernatural. Here's what you do. You either start making up. Stories right okay, or you lose your faith, or you start trying to create situations where you can have some kind of emotional experience to try to sustain you. So you basically you become like you need a hit, like a drug addict, you need something to boost you. Or you start creating these concepts where you're just not factually true, like you start questioning and a lot of the stories you hear Christians say, you're just like your whole story is falling completely apart. And it's sad to have to do that to people. But in many cases their stories just don't make sense. But we but people long for it. They have to feel that it's true.

1:00:44 So we have to balance that expectation. We have to avoid idolatry. Like the Israelites in both Exodus and Isaiah's time, we are tempted to place our trust in visible or tangible things. We cannot do that. We have to resist that temptation. We've got to stop being drawn to the visible and people are drawn to it. Oh, I guarantee you in fact, I know it to be factual. There have been times people have pulled up at this building, walked in, and they didn't come back because they didn't like the building. I mean, by come on, I'll never forget that. I won't name any people. But there were people who attended here and then they left. They decided to go join a Presbyterian church in Ambling and one of their first social media posts was took pictures and like, look, I'm so grateful for the church I have and look at how beautiful it is.

1:01:42 And it was all about what. The building. They didn't take any pictures here. Now you can draw your own judgment whether that's a good thing or. A bad thing. But it makes you question, right, makes your question. Because God is present in the most beautiful building or in a little small grass hut in the middle of nowhere with two people and an open Bible. But if if people know you go to this little broken down building in the middle of nowhere, West Texas, that could be kind of embarrassing, couldn't it?

1:02:27 For some people? It would be for other people it wouldn't be. I mean, truss me when I first was I mean, I've told the story. I mean I've been. I've always been very honest when in my mind when I was like, I'm going to go to school and I'm gonna get all these degrees and I'm going to. Be a pastor. Do you think when the first time I walked into this building, I was like, this is what I had always dreamed of. When I first walked into this middle there were wires hanging down, There was a couple of small metal chairs there, the floor was seamen, it was cold. It was like, what is this place? And that this is where my ministry was going to begin. I was kind of like, oh, this is this is not what I expected. But you know what, God justice present here.

1:03:09 If I would have been in a church with five hundred people in a beautiful building, were tempted to be. Drawn to what. In many cases it's because it's about us and more than it is about God. We can be drawn to that. Yes, I mean nobody wants to admit that, but I've seen it here just enough. Not always, but there were certain circumstances where you could just tell people walked in and you just knew they weren't coming back because it just didn't feel didn't feel a certain way people like walking into that nice beautiful building. I mean, I remember I've said before, if you bought books on church growth, especially in the nineties into the early two thousands, what did they All those books say build it and they will come.

1:04:02 If you're willing to go into debt and build a nice, beautiful building, you're gonna do a good job of at least filling it up halfway, just because people are gonna be drawn to the nice, new shiny thing. That shows you Christians are no more spiritual than the typical lost person, because lost people are drawn to the new, nice shiny thing. And guess what, we are no different. We are no different. Now when I choose a movie theater, like, the only movie theater I'll go to an Albileen is on the north side. That's the only one, the center mark XD. I'm not gonna go to any of the others because they're now old and done. I'm not going into them.

1:04:43 If I go to a movie, I want the nice seats and I want the biggest green with the best sound and the best picture, or I'm not gonna go. That's okay choosing a movie theater, but it's very easy for us to think the same way when it. Comes to churches, because we want the visible. That desire for the visual shows up in countless ways. Does that make sense? Come on, we've all been there. Come on, we have to be honest, right, all right? So a couple of discussion questions and we'll end. How does the contrast between Exodus and Isaiah forty shape our understanding of how God. Works in history?

1:05:26 I think how it should shape our understanding is especially in our day and age. And I know this is gonna sound very dispensational, but I think we have to acknowledge God worked in the supernatural and past dispensations. I know that's going to drive reform people out of their minds, but I don't care. Let's not use the word dispensation. Dispensation just means a period of time. I don't know why the word is so like. You say the word like they're gonna pull out holy water and try to perform an exorcism. It's just God. There's no way to deny it. God worked differently in the past than he does today. That doesn't mean God changed. When we say God is the same yesterday and today forever, his nature is the same. You can't deny that he's worked in a different way. Is the Chicana glory floating around somewhere? No?

1:06:13 Is God speaking directly to us? No is he using audible voices. No is he parting the red sea? No is he feeding people by Manif drop he could solve or he could solve world hunger instantaneously, just have mana drop down every morning for all the people starving. He's not doing that, right. Is he water coming from a rock or birds coming down. And coming into the camp where you can have some quell. No, none of those things are happening that way. Right, Something has changed dramatically. I think what it shows me is that in Exodus, you're very much in the supernatural framework, right, and those and if you think in the Bible, really there's only segments where their things are very supernatural, right, they kind of play out in certain segments. A good portion of Abraham's life was what just ordinary, doing a lot of walking around. They kept waiting for the supernatural, and when they didn't, they took themselves to go for an ordinary need.

1:07:17 They're like, we're gonna we're gonna do something to fix this problem. Right, They and in many cases even when you read in Hebrews that many of them and uh in Hebrews eleven the Hall of Faith, it says at the end that many of them were giving these promises, but they never saw them. They saw the ordinary. The order. Now the times God steps. In in the Old Testament and then the New Testament, you have the life of Jesus. But then after Jesus is gone, everything falls into other than the Book of Acts. Everything falls in into very much in ordinary. In fact, by the time you get to what Timothy, When Timothy is having stomach problems, what's Paul telling him to do? Have a little wine? What just happened?

1:07:58 Where's the where's the supernat I think what we can see is God has worked in the supernatural at different times in history. We do believe there will come a time. Where the supernatural will become prominent again, that's the time of revelation. But in our time things are working in a very ordinary way. God speaks to us through what now scriptures. There's nothing what happens in the life of believers. We get sick, we die, there's not resurrections, there's not all of these. Supposedly, we have to accept that. Now we are in a very much an ordinary means time, and that. Doesn't mean God has changed.

1:08:40 God is just as present in the times of the ordinaries he was in the supernatural. So I think the contrast between Exodus and Isaiah forty shapes my understanding that throughout most of history God has worked in the ordinary versus the supernatural. Look, it's called supernatural for a reason. If it happens all the time, it would be it would be ordinary. The supernatural is not the ordinary. Therefore it is unique. It is, as Stephen said, extraordinary, it's not the norm. Right. And uh, and I've got more here, here's here's I'll skip.

1:09:22 I'm skipping some of these questions. These are questions put forth by AI. What are some modern idols that tempt us to trust in the visible rather than in God. I think we can. I think we've discussed some of it. We have the buildings, the architecture, we have the signs and wonders, right, we have that because a lot of people are drawn to that. I think we have wanting to experience something emotional, right, That's where a lot of the praise and worship because we need an emotional experience. So I think those are the same. And I know calling those things idols, people will lose their minds on me. But I think church buildings can become an eye. I think signs and wonders can become an idol, and I think the idea for an emotional experience can become an idol, because all of that is what you need to somehow you need your golden idol.

1:10:13 What did they need in Exodus thirty two? They need an idol to go in front of them. They needed invisible manifestation of something tangible. Well, people today are drawn to these things. It's very difficult to just say, well, hey, we're experiencing God right here in this little building in the middle of nowhere, Texas. There's nothing fancy about this little building. God is just as present as he is in belt weigh this morning. But numbers and buildings were drawn to that we are. And I think we have to just look and see and know those idols in our own selves. And then it says, how can we train ourselves to recognize God's hand in the ordinary event of our lives. I think the way we train ourselves is just to remember God is working, God is present, God is active in every situation, whether we perceive it or not, whether we understand it or not.

1:11:13 Sometimes we don't understand it. I can't I can't understand all the things that happened. I mean, I don't know what was going on this morning. But as I was driving here, there was an ambulance with a sheriff's truck in front of it with his lights on, a sheriff's bronco behind it. It was being escorted and the ambulance was going all the lights were on. Something bad it happened. I don't know who was in the back of that ambulance. Someone's father, someone's mother, someone's sister, someone's daughter. Something bad had gone down right now. Someone could be at you know, Hendrick's hospitals, probably South, and maybe they just received the bad news that someone just died. Now the question would be where is God?

1:12:03 And I can understand that question. But behold, God, somehow is still present in the ordinary. It's hard to understand, all right, So I asked AI to summarize this. AI said this, By examining these two passages, we see that God is always at work, whether through the supernatural or the ordinary, and our faith must rest in His sovereignty. And wisdom, not in the method he chooses to use. We trust in God's sovereignty and wisdom, not and how he manifested or uses it. And in our day and age, what should we expect.

1:12:46 Ordinary? We should expect it. If you're looking for anything else, you're gonna have to make it up. I'm just saying you're gonna. Have to lie. And a lot of people do. They get mad when they get called out on it. But I'm sorry because. As soon as you should ask for a bit of proof, they never have proof. And in an age where everyone has a video of a camera on their phone, come on, there should be videos of the extraordinary happening all the time. And typically when you see now with AI, there's gonna be a lot of fake videos coming out. Trust me, there will be a lot of fake videos. And you're gonna have to know the difference. But we have to see that. So and Isaiah forty will end here. Go back to Isaiah forty. I know we went a little long, but that's okay. We only had one hour this morning.

1:13:26 Isaiah forty. When you see those that word in the end of verse nine, the phrase behold your God, I want you to remember how they were told to behold God. They were to behold God within their captivity, an army of the Babylonians around them, with all of their false gods. They were not to look to those idols. They were to look to God. And God was going to do something and deliver them, but he was going to do it in the most ordinary way possible. Another country, another nation is going to rise, take over this nation, and then let us go. And when we get back, we're going to have the same problems and the same difficulties and the same hardships that we had before. God's not going to show up and say, here you go, You've got everything you want. Doesn't work that way. Even when God brought them into the Promised Land, what did they have to face. There was giants in the land, There was problems, there were difficulties. So even though supernatural was much more active there, the ordinary things were still present.

1:14:36 So that's what we have to begin to realize and understand that Behold Your God is significant because it shows for them to perceive God in the most ordinary of circumstances that were not good circumstances and were difficult and would cause many of us to question God, that's the significance there. All right, let's pray, Lord God, we come before you this afternoon. Thank you Lord, that. You were pres. And any situation, whether we perceive you to be there or not, you're omnipresent. You're all powerful. Sometimes we don't understand the way you use your power or don't use your power, how you intervene or don't intervene. But a mature faith learns to trust in you, whether we perceive it or not.

1:15:21 And we ask this in Jesus name. And God's people said