Transition: Isaiah 40 to Isaiah 41

0:01 All right, Isaiah chapter forty one again a new chapter today. Yesterday for those who don't know, yesterday was the three hundred and thirty three years ago. Yesterday was the beginning of the Salem witch Trials. Well, someoneld say they actually started a little before the hysteria started, before the first three women who were examined or interrogated. That happened three hundred and thirty three years ago yesterday, not in where we're in Salem village, which is different than where Salem is today. It's a place called Danvers, I believe, is what it's called. And they don't get all the press and all the tourists that they all go to Salem.

0:47 I guess you'd call Salem proper. But whenever I think about what happened in the Salem Witch Trials, one of the things, well I've read so many books on it, but one of the things I like to do is go back and look at the sermons that were preached leading right up to the hysteria, all the sermons preached during the hysteria, and then the sermons preached at the conclusion at the end of the Salemwich Trials went Finally they were basically told stop it, because you know how many more people you're gonna kill. But because I feel a lot of what happened can be traced really back to the sermons, the things that were being said, and it was just basically inside this church, basically Satan is at work, Satan is here. You could be that person, could be that person, which then creates paranoia and then everyone starts blaming everyone. And I believe a lot of what happened was well, people were turning on each other inside the church because some people didn't like the new pastor, and there was like all kinds of problems. It was all vile and disgusting, all done in the name of you know, Jesus. So the civil thought, yeah, because they I think it was the daughter of one of the government officials in Boston who got accused that she was a witch. And so then they were like, whoa, this gotta stop, this, gotta stop. Okay, what is going on here because they were starting to anybody didn't like you just accused, which which and just just demonstrates it. But I like going back and looking at the sermons, So

2:20 I've read a number of them I was using I've been using AI to try to construct a sermon timeline, chronological order of events to see, Okay, this is the first sermon. Okay, so I definitely know the first sermon that was preached about a month before, and you can go, ah, okay, see where this is headed, right, and then you can see some and especially right in the middle of it. I mean, those sermons were increasing the paranoia and increasing the fear, and it's just so messed up the way it works. But my whole point is sometimes when we pay attention to sermons, and we pay attention to what's being preached at any given moment within Christianity, a lot of times you can tell what's going on within Christianity by paying attention to as many sermons as possible, because it gives you a sense of where things are going or where things are have gone. And one of the obviously things that have been so maddening since last year has been all the sermons I have listened to now at this point, I'm going to be over two hundred at some point, a sermons between based on Isaiah forty, you know, any chapter between Isaiah forty and Isaiah fifty five.

3:32 In fact, on the way here, I was listening to a sermon on Isaiah forty one, and they all follow the same pattern, and it is maddening. It's like it's like a memo went out to everyone, this is the way you preach the text. And again this morning it was Isaiah forty one. I think the name of the sermon was fear not and advitably. Who does it become about us us us us us? And I don't know how to fix it. I don't know how to correct it. I don't know, so it just seems like it's a waste of time to even try. Oh why, And people gotta want to hear as well, and I don't think people want to necessarily hear. So all I can do is we started this, we finished chapter forty, we go to chapter forty one, and we're gonna continue to fight this trend of how preachers handle this section of scripture.

4:22 I don't get it. I don't understand, but we're gonna do things a little different now. We did this once in Isaiah chapter forty, when we moved from one section in Isaiah forty to another section. I took the time to do a study of how it transitioned from one section to the other, because typically you don't do that in sermons, right, You just go for one section to the next, you don't spend a lot of time on We're gonna spend an hour talking about how it transitions, but this morning, we're gonna spend this first hour all about how chapter forty transitions into chapter forty one. That's what we're going to do because first that will help give us a reminder of forty, which everyone always needs, and it will kind of start setting us up and start seeing things in forty one. And the more things you see in the chapter, hopefully what will happen. The more you see it, the more you remember it. And that's that's the goal. So are we That's that's that's what we're going to attempt to do. I almost want to ask you guys to find some things in chapter forty one, but I will not do that right now, Okay, So we're going to just focus on the transition from chapter forty to forty one, right, That's what we're going to see. And the reason where I'm stressing this so much is because I want us to continually to see how this narrative starts in chapter forty and continues through and how it relates and how it's connected. A lot of times when people even do expositional preaching, you finish one chapter and you kind of do what you move

5:54 on to the next. You may connect it to the previous chapter, but you almost approach it as its own thing. I don't want to do that, because this whole narrative starts in Isaiah chapter forty, verse one with what words comfort ye, comfort ye my people? Right? My people are whom those in Babylonian captivity. Right, the comfort is to be taken to them. Just I cannot stress that enough. And then this entire section forty to fifty five is often referred to as the Book of Comfort or the Book of Consolation. All right, So how then does the and how did forty end? You know, those that wait upon the Lord shall renew their streak. They shall mount out with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary, and they shall not walk, and they shall walk enop faint. That's again not about us, It's about those in Babylonian captivity. And then chapter forty one begins with keep silence before me, oh islands. Okay, now, but no notice the next part and let the people renew their strength. That sounds interesting, right now, what do you immediately see kind of a contrast something that may raise a question? In chapter forty, verse thirty one, they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, right and forty one owe islands and let the people renew their strength.

7:24 So is it the people renewing their strength or do they renew their strength by waiting? Is it God renewing their strength? I mean, just immediately I start seeing some things that I would start asking. So the transition from Isaiah forty to forty one, Isaiah forty and forty one are deeply connected. Right, there's going to be a connection. But here's what we're going to be looking for. Do they have distinct emphasis? Is there a specific emphasis in forty and is there a different emphasis in forty one. That's what we're going to a tip to see and see what we can find. All right, Isaiah forty sets the stage by declaring God's greatness, his sovereignty, and his faithfulness to his people. I think that's fair. Do we agree that that's pretty fair? Shows God's greatness, his sovereignty, and his faithfulness to his people. Which people are they?

8:21 Is it referring to the people in Babylonian captivity. Why is God demonstrating faithfulness to those in Babylonian captivity because of a covenant given specifically to them and specific promises. I cannot stress that enough. Okay. Isaiah forty one builds on those things by addressing God's power over the nations and his unique relationship with Israel. So this where it's going to get specific on God's power, his sovereignty, and his faithfulness. He's gonna show us power, sovereignty over the nations, and then his unique relationship with Israel. We'll see, we'll look for that. And if it does focus on his unique relationship with Israel once again, that demonstrates there is no excuse for any preacher who makes this all about us, because the text will see how clear the text is.

9:19 The two chapters are not disconnected. Rather, forty one develops and applies the theology in Isaiah forty. Isaiah forty in a sense, gives us a philological foundation. Forty one is going to build upon that philological foundation. Right, So we're gonna look at how Isaiah forty one builds off Isaiah forty and in what ways they are different. Okay, does that make sense. That's kind of a good, hopefully introduction. All right, So we're gonna kind of look at how Isaiah forty leads into Isaiah forty one. All right, First, let's think of the philological foundation of Isaiah forty. The philological foundation that establishes we're gonna look for Isaiah forty is a philological foundation that establishes God's power, supremacy, and faithfulness.

10:18 Isaiah forty lays the philological foundation, and it basically it declares and establishes God's power, his supremacy, and his faithfulness. Okay, look at Isaiah forty verses one through two. All right, Isaiah forty one through two, we all see comfort here, do we not? Would you say? We see comfort and hope for Israel? And Isaiah forty one through two? All right? Where do you see we see the comfort? Where? Where are the very first words? Where do we see hope for Israel? Verse two? Speak ye comfortably to to Jerusalem?

11:01 You see that right to Jerusalem. I want to make sure we were establishing clearly who is being spoken to? All right? Right, and basically we're there being told the exile is ending. God is speaking words of comfort and restoration to Israel. I cannot stress that enough, all right, So it's going to establish the philological foundation. Hey, guys, you can have comfort. There's hope for you, guys. And it's because your exile is ending. What happens in twelve through twenty six the incomparable God, right, the incomparable God. And how do we see that in twelve through twenty six? Well, what happened? What's the focus in twelve through seventeen? But it makes about creation? Right, all right? So God is supreme over creation. There's nothing within creation you can compare God to. He's incomparable, incomprehensible, He's above, beyond, all right, We get that right. And then what happens in verses eighteen through twenty six. Now God is greater than the idols and the nations. So God is supreme over creation.

12:12 He's greater than the idols, he's greater than the nations. We see that, And then verses twenty seven through thirty one, This is strength for the weary, right, This is a specific promise to those in captivity. Israel may feel forgotten, Israel may feel abandoned, but what God will not forget them? And God's never going to grow weary and he will renew their strength, all right. So the philological foundation what I want you to see though, and that the theological foundation in Isaiah forty basically from one to the end of the chapter, it's all about God God. And that makes it philological, right, because theology is to study and knowledge of God. What does he want them to understand God?

12:57 He wants them to see God. Why does he have to do Why is he spending the entire first chapter trying to help them see God? Well? I think we can say this way. If they look to their circumstances, are they going to find comfort and hope? No? If they look to themselves, they're gonna find comfort and hope. Are they look to the Babylonians, They're gonna find comfort and hope. They look to the Babylonian idols, Are they going to find comfort and hope? Hmmm? Where does that leave them? No? Hope unless they look to God. But what's the problem. Are the Babylonians going to point them to God? Are their circumstances going to point them to God?

13:39 Are themselves going to appoint themselves to God? No, they have to look to God from a thiological perspective. And so here's this theological truth about God and whom you cannot see and whom you're not feeling, and you're not even experiencing because everything you say goes against it. So they need a thiological foundation, right. A thiological foundation is truths about God, and they are not impacted, they're not changed by what emotion, feeling, or circumstance. That's a theological foundation that establishes the theological foundation, and there's practical lessons in that for everyone. Everybody got that, all right, now, So there's the theological foundation. Now. The transition to Isaiah forty one. Isaiah forty one now picks up where Isaiah forty leaves off, but shifts from a philological proclamation well to it seems I kind of want to do I give this away. I'm just gonna give it away. I was going to try to work us through it and then you have to try to figure it out for me.

14:41 But I'll just give you this, all right, So let's try this again. Isaiah forty one picks up where Isaiah forty leaves off, but it shifts from a theological proclamation to a direct engagement with the nations. This transition is seen in two major ways. Two major ways the transition is seen, all right. First, it's going to seem clear that God is sovereign over the nations, and this moves from a theoretical to an active demonstration of it. All right, it's going to demonstrate this by God's sovereignty of our nations, and it's no longer theoretical. It's going to be seen as active. Forty is the theoretical or the philological forty one is going to try to move this into a more active or practical all right, think of it this way, and Isaiah forty. God's greatness is proclaimed as an abstract philological truth, an abstract meaning. It's just saying God is this or God is greater than this. But it's not saying God is okay, well that's great, Like you're if you're there, you're like, okay, well this is great. You're telling me all of this theology. But when I walk out of this room, what am I walking back into the reality of what? Or in Babylonian captivity, how are we gonna get out? It's great for you to tell me all these wonderful things about God, but what does

16:13 that do for me in a practical way. Right, So that's why it's theoretical Isaiah forty one. God is going to demonstrate his sovereignty and it's going to be demonstrated by his controlling history, particularly through raising up a particular ruler, and that will be Cyrus right to defeat nations. Right. So there it's gonna go from theoretical to practical. And the first way God's sovereignty of our nations moves from theoretical to active. That's the first major way. Second, the theme of comfort transitions into God's protection of Israel. Right. Hey, it's going to go from comfort, but now it's gonna go to specific lead God's protection of Israel. Isaiah forty says, behold your God. Israel must trust in God's greatness Isaiah forty one. Look at verse ten, Isaiah forty one, verse ten.

17:21 What does it say in forty one ten? All right, now it gets specific. It's not behold your God, look at how great he is? Now it's hey, fear not for why that great God in chapter forty that incomparable God in forty is Now what in forty one ten? With you? God assures Israel his protection against enemies. Now, please note those promises in forty one are to Israel, not to us, even though we want to claim them. Discermon that I was listening to on the way here immediately took the promises in forty one and made them applicable to us. And that is complete. That's just wrong.

18:05 That's just wrong. But you see how he goes from the theoretical to the practical. All right, So this transition happens in two ways. Number one, God's sovereignty over nations moves from theoretical to active. And number two, the theme of comfort transitions specifically into God's protection of Israel. Everybody see that? Are we good with that? All right? So we see Isaiah forty as the philological foundation. We see the transition basically from theoretical to practical. Now, how Isaiah forty one builds upon Isaiah forty. We see how it transitions to how does it build Isaiah forty one expands upon the themes of Isaiah forty, but shifts focus to two key areas. All right. First, God's power over nations and history. God's power over nations and history. Right, look at Isaiah forty verses fifteen through seventeen. Isaiah forty fifteen through seventeen, Yeah, forty, yeah, forty. Because we're trying to show how this is going to build. What do you see in Isaiah forty fifteen through seventeen, Yeah, God states God.

19:18 Isaiah forty states that God is above all nations. Would you agree? You see that in forty fifteen through seventeen, God is greater above all the nations? Right now? Isaiah forty one demonstrates this by describing God's control over world events. Look at Isaiah forty one two through four. It's gonna get very specific, right, Who raised up the Isaiah forty one two? This righteous man from the east, call him to his foot, gave the nations before him, made him ruler over kings. He gave them as the dust to the sword, and has driven stubble to his bow. Now is speaking of someone specific, right, It's not vague. It's not just God is greater? And who most likely are is that referencing Cyrus? Now it's getting specific. This is a real person in history. Everybody see that, all right?

20:22 So Isaiah forty demonstrates so in Isaiah forty God is above all the nations. But now in forty one. It's gonna show God's power over nation in history because God is raising up a ruler from the east to conquer nations. That's forty one two through four. What happens in forty one, twenty one through twenty nine, forty one, twenty one through twenty nine, forty one, twenty one through twenty nine, And I'm making you look at it, so you just become more and more familiar with the contents of the chapter she's in forty two. I'm like, that makes no sense. Okay, all right. I was like, wait a minute, that makes no sense. That's not what I'm saying. Owlk Cavories in chapter forty two. Look at forty one twenty one. What does he say here, produce your cause, saith the Lord, bring forth your strong reasons, say it the King of Jacob.

21:31 Let them bring them forth and show us what shall happen. Let them show the former things what they be, that they may consider them, that we may consider them and know the latter in of them, or declare us things for them to come, show the things that are to come hereafter that you may know that ye are God, yay do good or do evil? That we may be dismayed and behold it together. What is happening here is God is basically challenging the nations. He's almost calling them to a trial. Right this entire section, God is demonstrating that he is controls world events forty one two through four. He's raising up Cyrus forty one, twenty one through twenty nine.

22:11 He challenges the nation basically to a trial to prove their because he wants them to demonstrate that their idols are not powerless. What can they do now? He's getting very specific, right all right? And forty we just found that that God is greater than all than all the idols forty one. Now what's happening, Well, let's prove it. Come on, come on, bring your proof, show me. I told you in forty that God is greater. Now come on now, step up, prove it. Does that make sense? All right? So the first key area where this is a shift from theoretical philological to more practical is God's power over nations and history. Isaiah forty states that God is above all the nations, but forty one it demonstrates that by describing God's control over world events by raising up Cyrus and challenging the nations to a trial. Okay, that's the first major ways. Next Israel's special relationship with God and Isaiah forty The focus seems to be on God's universal greatness. Right, He's greater than creation, He's greater than the nations, He's greater than idols, kind of in a universal way. What happens in chapter forty one? Okay?

23:32 God now applies this to Israel specifically, reassuring them. Look at verse eight through nine. What does he say in verse eight through nine of forty one? Okay? And who's he speaking to in eight through nine? Israel? Right? They are God's chosen people. He gets specific, Right, what in eight through nine lets you know exactly who he's referring to? Is this something before eight to nine? Okay? Hey, it makes it very clear who's referring to now Israel? Okay, right. I just want to make sure since pastors can't seem to figure it out, I want to see if you guys can figure it out. Right, So maybe the answer is don't go to seminary, no good to Bible college and don't preach sermons, and you will know how to read the Bible. Because for some weird reason, this turns into all about us. How about verse ten, We've read ten.

24:31 What is he saying ten? Yeah? Now in the context, who is he clearly referencing Israel? Right, they do not need to fear, they are God's shows them people. They do not need to fear. What happens in verses eleven through thirteen, God is going to strengthen them and He's gonna do what against their enemies. So what happen in Isaiah forty it's kind of God's greater than everything forty one. Now this is applied specifically to Israel, that they are God's chosen people, they do not fear, they do not need to fear, and God will strengthen them against their enemies.

25:15 It's specific towards Israel. So now the theology they learned in forty now it's being applied to them specifically that would focus on what their current circumstances. Thus, Isaiah forty takes the theological truths of Isaiah forty applies them to Israel's situation, showing that God's power is not theoretical, it is active in history on behalf of them. Yeah, forty one thirteen for I the Lord that God will hold thy right hand saying unto the fear not, I will help thee. Yeah, very personal, speaking direct to them. Now, every preacher in the world comes in and makes that all about whom us us us us us. You cannot do that. You have no right to do that. You have no right to do that, all right, because because if you if you take this personal promises and you give them the people sitting in the pew, then what would should be the logical expectation that whatever you're facing, whatever you're dealing, God's gonna step in and basically fix or solve your problem. Can I give that promise to anyone? No?

26:33 I cannot. I can say spiritually God is with me to take care of my sin problem, to get me to Heaven, but I cannot say that He's going to take care of my practical problem. These are practical promises to a specific nation, and that we're fulfilled in a practical way, all right. That, Oh, those sermons that do that are just their criminal the way they handle this, all right. So how does Isaiah forty one build in Isaiah forty one? Isaiah forty one expands on the themes of Isaiah forty but shifts the focus in Two key areas God's power over nations in history. Isaiah forty states that God is above all nations. Isaiah forty one demonstrates this by describing God's control over world events by talking about raising up a ruler from the east and challenging the nations to a trial. Second, Israel's special relationship with God.

27:23 Isaiah forty focuses on God's universal greatness. Forty one applies that two Israel, reassuring them of three things, that they're God's chosen people, they do not need to fear, and God will strengthen them against their enemies. Everybody see all of that. Next major thing, how Isaiah forty one is different from Isaiah forty Now, how are they different? Well, Isaiah forty one builds on Isaiah forty. There are some key differences, all right. I hope I have all of these right, But I think I do all right. Isaiah forty just we're not going to go through all the verses. Emphasizes God's greatness over creation. I think we've already demonstrated that.

28:05 I think we feel comfortable with that. Isaiah forty one emphasizes God's control over world history. Now it gets very specific, right, Isaiah forty addresses all people. It has more of a universal scope. Isaiah forty one addresses Israel specifically. Now there's a little bit of that in Isaiah forty as well, but in general it takes a more universal scope. Forty one is very much directed towards Israel. Isaiah forty focuses on God's transcendence. Forty one focuses on God's active involvement.

28:48 Forty calls Israel to trust in God's power. Forty one Israel is assured of God's protection. Isaiah forty uses poetical poetic theological language. Forty one uses more direct courtroom imagery. So you could say Isaiah forty is broad and majestic. Forty one is specific and confrontational. So let's go through those again. All right, here's how they are different. You're ready. Isaiah forty emphasizes God's what greatness over creation. Isaiah forty one emphasize God's control over world history. Everybody got that.

29:39 Isaiah forty addresses all people. It's more universal. Forty one addresses Israel specifically. So far, so good. Isaiah forty focuses on God's why transcendence. Forty one focuses on God's involvement. Isaiah forty calls Israel to trust in God's power. Forty one Israel's assured of God's protection. Isaiah forty uses what kind of language? Poetic theological language? Isaiah forty one uses courtroom imagery. And so we can say Isaiah forty is broad and majestic. Isaiah forty one is what specific and confrontational. Right, do we feel good? Do we have a good Are we seeing a good transition here? Seeing how they relate, how they build upon and some of the differences. Now, let's look at the key thematic connections between the two chapters.

30:51 The key thematic connections, what themes connect them? Well, I think we've kind of already demonstrated this, right number one, God's power over creation shifts to God's power over nations. There's the transition. There's the key theme. What's the key theme, God's power? How is it? Transition forty is about his power over creation. Forty one it shifts to God's power over nations. Right, Look at chapter forty twelve through twenty six. We've already talked about this, but I'm just going to reemphasize it. Forty twelve through twenty six is about God being over creation. Right, Okay, Now look at forty one, Chapter forty one, look at two through four. We've already read it once, you can read it again. It gets very specific here right now it's God doing what God rules over history about raising up Cyrus. So chapter forty God rules over all nations. Now, God rules over history raising up Cyrus. He's specifically involved in this historical event that we can read about. Forget the Bible. We can read about Cyris coming to power in secular history books.

32:07 All right, So the first thematic connection is God's power forty it's over creation forty one. God's power is over nations, it's over history. It's specific. Second thematic connection Israel's doubt God's assurance. Look at Isaiah forty verse twenty seven. Isaiah forty verse twenty seven. What do you find there? Yeah? Does Israel feel forgotten? Could you say they feel forgotten? Here? So Israel feels forgotten? What happens in chapter forty one, verses ten through fourteen, God personally reassures them forty day, They're like, what's going on? Forty one? Guys, like, I'm right here, I'm right here. He personally assures them. You see that. It goes from So think of this way forty If we want to see thematic connections, God's power over creation shifts to God's power. Are God's power over over creation shifts to God's power over nations. Secondly, Israel's doubt shifts to God's assurance. That's the second major transition and thematic connection. Third, idols are worthless Isaiah Chapter forty.

33:29 What happens in verses eighteen through twenty Isaiah forty eighteen through twenty shows idols cannot be compared to God. Right, they can't be compared to God. What happens in chapter forty one twenty one through twenty nine forty one twenty one through twenty nine. Now God challenges the idols directly. It's not just hey, hey, nothing can compare to God now like God is like, oh okay, I'm gonna challenge you specifically. So what are the thematic connections God's power over basically God's power. It goes from God's power over creation to God's power over nations. Doubt goes to assurance, and then idols are worthless. And that's it goes from hey, God, nothing can compare to God to God challenging the idols directly.

34:23 Those are the thematic connections between the two chapters. Everybody see that, right Now, what does this mean for our understanding of Isaiah forty and forty one. Now that we take all of that information, how does this help us? Well? Think of it this way? Isaiah forty is supposed to give confidence in God's greatness. Isaiah forty one gives confidence in God's presence. Now I'm not gonna apply that to us, I'm gonna say for them right, but us understanding it, Isaiah forty is like, Hey, God is great, God is over everything. Look at how great God is. Behold your God. And forty one it's like, hey, but God is present, He's here, he's going to do something, He's active. Think of it this way. Forty is still logical reflection. Forty one is personal assurance. Forty is still logical reflection. Forty one is personal assurance. Now how does that work for us? Well, what we want to do is take that personal assurance and apply it to what our everyday problems and difficulties and sickness and trials, which is why churches constantly give people that And then many people will look around going none of this assurance and promise that you promise me is working. They become disillusioned, They deconstruct, and they leave Christianity because they don't think it works. And that's on Pastor's fault. The pulpit is responsible, right, right, they had

36:00 a long time. But I'm saying for us, this is how it can be applicable to us. We understand the theology that God is greater than everything right, more powerful than everything else right, But how can I find personal assurance in that theological truth? Because then I know God has intervened in history to do what for me, to save me from my sins, for His righteousness to be imputed to my account, to save me, to remove my sins as far as the east is from the west, to make me a child of God. Right, And then I know nothing is going to separate me from the love of God, because my salvation is not dependent on what I do, but what God has done for me.

36:41 And then I know then that that guarantees what that there will come a time that there will be eternal glory, will there'll be what no more pain, no more suffering, no more death. Now, just like them that's a long ways away. That could be tomorrow, but I mean it could be seventy years, one hundred years, depending on how long you live. And your life may be filled with what during those seventy fifty eighty years. It can depending on you how your life goes. It may be filled with pain, loneliness, isolation, and suffering. But the end result is now, and that's where it's hard. How can I find assurance from God's philological truth or the truth of God? Philologically?

37:25 I find assurance and simply knowing what God does guarantee me, not making promises about what He hasn't guaranteed me. Where can I not go find guarantees by going to Isaiah forty one and taking those guarantees and making them about me because they're not about me? All right? Does that make sense? So that's the idea that there is a personal assurance that comes from philological truth. It's just got to be applied correctly, right. So Isaiah forty gives confidence in God's greatness. Isaiah forty one gives confidence in God's presence Isaiah number two. Isaiah forty emphasizes God's majesty. Isaiah forty one emphasizes God's intervention. Forty emphasizes God's majesty. Forty one emphasizes God's intervention and Isaiah forty God is above all things, and Isaiah forty God is actively working for Israel.

38:23 Please note actively working for Israel, all right. A third Isaiah forty shows why God is trustworthy. Isaiah forty one shows what God will do for his people Israel. For example, Isaiah forty, look at God's greatness Isaiah forty one, because God is great, and do not fear, because he's doing something for you. It's again this theoretical to the practical. Right. Okay, now I've got i got a bunch of other things here.

39:09 I'm gonna skip some of this, all right, I will do We'll see. I think we have a little bit of time. We have a little bit of time here. Do this. Go ahead. If you take your bibles, look at Isaiah forty one. There's how many There's twenty nine verses, twenty nine verses. All right, Isaiah forty one, there's twenty nine. Start skimming those twenty nine. Write down as many promises as you can find. And forty one one through twenty nine, write down the promise in the reference, it appears to be some kind of promise, some kind of assurance, promise, assurance. You get the idea, but I will do this, or I'm gonna do this, or hey, don't need to worry about this. Anything that's promise or assurance. Write down all the ones that you can find, all the ones that you can find, all.

40:07 The ones you can find. Hey, there's a lot, I think, yeah. Right down the ones, right down the reference. And I thought about this when I was listening to the sermon on the way here. If you if you start in verse one, where's the first one that jumps out at you? If you start in verse one, where where's the first one.

40:48 Let's just see if which we we can find them? The first one that kind of jumps out. Yeah, but it is. It is offering up almost as if a done fact. But he's gonna raise someone up right, Okay, but yeah, right especially but it definitely gives us the idea that God's gonna do something with someone right now. Some people will may trying to make that mess a messianic promise, but that's dealing with Cyrus there. Okay, but then verse eight, did you say Verse nine? Okay? Verse nine, Thou, though thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth and called THEE from the chief men thereof, and said, unto thee, thou art, my servant, I have chosen THEE and not cast THEE away. Now, please note any language that sounds like us in eight through nine, stop it, because it's very clear who he's referring to, right, Israel, arn't my servant Jacob, whom I have chosen the seat of Abraham my friend Thou whom he's referring to Israel? Okay?

42:12 And then verse ten is where most of the sermons, and most immediately go. They drive to ten, even though they say that the text is bigger. They go to ten. Why because immediately it is fear thou, not but what any good anyone who's who's a good reader? Basic reading comprehension, What do you look for in that phrase? Fear thou, not Sarah? Who is the thou? Because the thou isn't me? Right, It doesn't tell me not to fear it says thou, who is the thou? How do you identify the thou? In doing basic reading comprehensions, the mediate reference and the immediate reference is it's Israel, There's no question about it. Right, So fear thou not, for I am with THEE. Now what you I know people want to run into the New Testament and try to find some scripture. The point is, in this context it has nothing to do with us.

43:10 What are they not to be fearing in their in this context their captivity? The idols Babylonians. Because he's already demonstrated that he's gonna rise What raised someone verse two? Who raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, made him rule over kings. He gave them as the dust of the sword, whoever that is. And in some ways they don't even need to fear that person that's being raised up, because they may think they need to be fearful of him as well. Right now, the person being raised up, don't fear. Don't fear Babylonians. Babylonians, don't fear captivity, don't fear their gods. Don't fear because I am with THEE.

43:55 What's the next phrase? And verse two, Well, fear thou not for I am with THEE. Next phrase, be not dismayed. Now, say, if you go to Bible college, or you can go to seminary and you see that you know what that screams? What does that when you really look at verse ten. Maybe you don't realize this, but what does that verse just start screaming at you outline? Right? Do you not have a sermon? Point one? Fear not point two. I am with THEE. I break, I mean break this, break the text down right, fear not, I am with THEE.

44:36 Number three, be not dismayed. I am your God. You could break it down into four parts if you want, right, or actually you can add more. I will strengthen THEE. I will help THEE. I will uphold THEE with the right hand of my righteousness. Okay, breach is really good. Now you can combine some of those and then you could probably break it down into three major points, which you'd have your three points. Every sermon does that, and then everyone in the congregation do they leave thinking about Israel? And that now will Israel be mentioned? Oh, don't be mentioned.

45:16 They'll be talked about the pastor may give the impression that, oh, look we got historical context. We go to a church that does exegetical preaching. But when you walk out taking those points, and then you say, what was discerned about in your church? Oh? I got so much comfort today. I was told not to fear slap them in the face. You shouldn't be fearful of me, because I'm gonna beat you unconscious, because what are you talking about? That's not for you? Okay, it's not for you. It was for them. Well then why do I go to church? Well, exactly, you want it to be about you, So go find a church and makes it about you and you'll be happy. But the text has nothing to do with us none.

45:58 We're not there. Does everybody understand that we're not there? Verse eleven. Behold all they say that we're incensed against Thee. Behold all they that were incensed against THEE shall be ashamed and confounded. They shall be as nothing, and they shall strive with the day that strived with these shall perish. You know what you'll see in devotional books. Hey, today, are you having struggles with someone? Someone's been against you, someone has spoken against you. Well, trust God, he's gonna take care of you. Cannot say that. You cannot say that some woman who's in an abusive relationship, here's that in their devotional and then now I don't know. Six days later her husband ex husband finds her and beats her to death, and she's dead. That verse didn't help her, did it. Some child is in an abusive situation gets tied up in a closet and beat with a baseball bat or burt with a curling iron. Guess what? That first can not help anyone. When pastors apply it to people, they set them up for total, total, absolute psychological damage.

47:14 All right, and it cannot. And you can just go through here, and there's all this kind of stuff like verse thirteen, for I the Lord thy God will hold thy hand God. I mean, you go through here. It's filled with these kinds of promises, right verse nineteen or verse eighteen. I will open the rivers in high places. I will plant thee in the wilderness in nineteen it's there. I mean, I was gonna have you go through and write them all down. And for those listening online, you really should make a list of all these promises, put the promises on your refrigerator and remind yourself every day. Those aren't for you. You can try to spiritualize them, you can try to rip them off. They're not free you, So how do we understand all of that what God was doing for Israel? And what's the lesson for them?

48:07 And forty they get the philological lesson? And forty one. Now that theology is going to be applied specifically, do we have philological truths that will be applied to our lives specifically? Yes? How is it primarily applied to us? Specifically? God sending his son into our spiritual Babylonian captivity to do what in a sense to be our cyrus, to set us free from what the condemnation of sin, the penalty of sin, the power of sin. Not now, but then now, if you apply it that way, perfect, I got no problem if you apply if you say that that's how it relates. But if when you make it that you have been set free, but I mean every church will say you've been set free from the power of sin. You've been set free from the power of sin.

49:02 We we've all been set free from the power of sin. Then what should we stop doing? Sinning? If I can't stop sinning, then what is holding me back from sinning? Then would be still what in power? In fact, it would be the greater power. If I can't stop sinning, that which keeps me from not sinning. There is the active power. It's still in control. Don't tell me I've been set free from something that stops me from getting to perfection. Christians are insane with some of this stuff. But if we apply it to them, does it make perfect sense? Yes? Because we saw it play out in history? All right, So I will say this because we're out of time. Isaiah forty one does not stand apart from Isaiah forty. It builds upon it. Can we all say an end to that? Right? Isaiah forty declares God's greatness in a universal sense. Isaiah forty one shows how God's greatness is applied to history and israel situation. Can we agree to that? I hope? So both chapters together a complete picture. God does not only transcend it and powerful, but he is near and active. A correct reading of Isaiah forty through forty one prevents misinterpretation by showing how philological truths in Isaiah forty lead to specific actions In forty one. It reminds us that the God who created the universe is also the God who governs history and cares for his people Israel. And that's how we understand this.

50:30 You see the connection. So when we and that's just important to remember. Whenever you read one chapter and you get ready to read another chapter, what's a question you should always ask yourself. How does that chapter lead into this one? How does the narrative continue, does it shift, is it a contrast, is it different? Does it build upon it? And it's hard to do that because we have these stupid chapter divisions, But we do the same, if we would think about it, we do very good doing chapter divisions and novels. Right, if I'm reading a novel, I don't see it disconnected from the previous chapter. I see it as a continuation, right, I see it as a But sometimes in the Bible, I know, we know it's connected. But because we have we're so used to the way we preach it. Right because even if I try to remind you last week we're in Isaiah forty, this week we're in Isaiah forty one. Now, remember in Isaiah forty we said this and this and this, But as soon as we start your focus, then it's just you've disconnected it. So I wanted to do the transition thing just to try to show you they're more connected than we because it's hard when I start preaching forty one, to keep flipping back to forty going. See that we're connection, see that connection, See that we'll never get done right.

51:48 But if I can just do it in one hour now, hopefully you'll not forget the connection. Hopefully, hopefully, hopefully right. Let's let's pray it. God, we come before you this morning. Lord, thank you for again being in a church where we can do things like this. This would not be very welcomed in many other places. And Lord, forgive us for the way we've mishandled your word countless times. Forgive us. And Lord, I pray that we would give this much thought and meditation and continue to learn and just grow in our understanding of this important section of scripture. And we asked us in Jesus name, and God's people said