Episode Transcript
It's 1001 because I've been talking about my brand new number four granddaughter down here So you'll excuse me for being a bit tardy with our beginning today We are in second Kings chapter 19 and verse 22 second Kings 1922 that was our stopping point last week and it's where we will begin today Second Kings chapter 19 verse 22 We began to look at the word voice and its significance in our text So we're going to reread the verse and then briefly review our observations from last time before we move on And this is a continuation of What Isaiah said about the king of Assyria This is the message to the king of Assyria.
So in verse 22, he said Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed and against whom has thou exalted thy voice and lifted up thine eyes on high Even against the Holy One of Israel.
So the one who is being offended here is the Holy One of Israel We'll talk more about those words in a few moments and from the voice of God to Isaiah came God's condemnation of the actions of the king of Assyria and among the indictments against that king was the crime of Exalting or lifting his voice up against the Holy One of Israel and Just as we learned last week That Adam exalted his wife's voice above the voice of God Sinacarab the Assyrian king has exalted his voice lifted his voice against the voice of God in Our text the Holy One of Israel is God the Father But also God the Son and God the Holy Spirit and we'll look at that more today as well if we can get that far And we spent some time last week looking at that and we read or we read in John chapter 10 Where Jesus said his sheep hear his voice And he knows them and they follow him And he further said his sheep would not hear the voice of another And when we left off We were looking at how it seems that many people in this world Want their voices heard and it's always been that way They want to be noticed and To add to that today May I say many preachers want their voices heard They want to leave some kind of a legacy Maybe an imprint on their church leave their mark in the world Listen if anyone Exalts his voice against the voice of God and it's a pastor a teacher you run away as fast as you can You don't put up with that When God's voice is exalted then man's voice fades away And that's how it's supposed to be You know John the Baptist had a very impactful though short-lived earthly ministry He was you might say he was famous he was well respected Now this is so good.
Do you remember?
Which prophecy John the Baptist fulfilled?
Well, we're gonna look at it.
Just write down Isaiah chapter 40 in verse 3 Isaiah 40 and verse 3 Where Isaiah said?
The voice of him that cryeth in the wilderness Prepare ye the way of the Lord make straight in the desert a highway for our God I Want to pause right there for a second and I want to I don't guess it'd be challenging you I want to offer you something this holiday season coming up if You get the chance to listen to a rendition of Handel's Messiah.
I strongly encourage you to do that it is nothing but scripture sung by some of the most beautiful voices in the world and Accompanied by the greatest orchestras in the world and those words That Messiah is the gospel that it's about two hours long if you if they sung every part But most composers don't they most conductors do about 45 minutes worth of it So this is one of the scriptures in there prepare you the way of the Lord make straight in the desert a highway for our God Now here is the fulfillment of that prophecy by Isaiah And this is where John the Baptist comes in in John chapter 1 verses 6 through 7 John chapter 1 verses 6 through 7 The Apostle John wrote this about John the Baptist.
Those are two different men by the way He said there was a man sent from God whose name was John that's John the Baptist The same came for a witness To bear witness of the light with a capital L.
That's Jesus that all men through him might believe So John the Apostle is simply writing about John the Baptist whom he calls John Now if you skip down to verse 23 in that same chapter, that's John 1 23 if you're writing it down John the Baptist Had been baptizing at Bethabara and There were Pharisees there who were questioning him about who he claimed he was and in verse 23 speaking to the Pharisees John the Baptist said this about himself.
He said I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness Make straight the way of the Lord as said the prophet is sayus or Isaiah It's the same person John's voice Was proclaiming what Isaiah's voice prophesied And Isaiah's voice prophesied what God's voice told him to write and to say now I want you to think about John the Baptist for a moment There he was and by divine inspiration of God He knew that he himself and his ministry and the words he spoke were the fulfillment of a prophecy Now if that wouldn't swell your head up and make you proud in the flesh What would boy that would be easy for somebody to say?
Look you there.
I am the fulfillment of a prophecy and the flesh would love to do that You go out and get people's autographs over something like that But John the Baptist is the living fulfillment of a prophecy That was given by Isaiah about 800 years before John was born Can you imagine how that would feel to know that your voice was being used to prepare the way of the Lord and That through the preaching of that word many would be saved But because of the flesh a wonderful thing such as that a Wonderful thing in the spirit could become a source of pride in the flesh But rather than exalting or lifting up his own voice against the Lord like Sennacherib did John the Baptist does just the opposite I'll read to you from John chapter 3 verse 28 John 3 28 Where John the Baptist said?
Ye yourselves bear me witness That I said I am not the Christ But that I am sent before him so he wanted to make that one thing very clear.
I'm not Jesus I'm the one who was sent before him There was a prophecy about me and it was it was that I would say Prepare ye the way of the Lord make his past straight But I'm not him and Then down in verse 30 John 3 30 John said this about himself and Christ He said he must increase but I must decrease Now that is the key verse right here John the Baptist Who of all people ever born on this earth in fact Jesus said?
Man that is born of woman.
There's not arisen a greater than John the Baptist and Then he went on to teach something else about those who are least in the kingdom of heaven are greater than he but Jesus Even recognized that among men John the Baptist was head and shoulders above all men and Then John said I must decrease He didn't try to start his own church dynasty Though he probably could have John the Baptist did not try to convince people that he was the Messiah though He could have fooled many because they were asking him the Pharisees said what sayest thou thyself?
Who are you that we may give an account to them that sent us?
His voice was mightily used to proclaim the Son of God in fact John the Baptist even baptized Jesus and Yet he said he Jesus must increase That word means grow But I must decrease which means to be made lower John wouldn't even try to partner with Jesus and share the pastor it with him No, he submitted to the Great Shepherd and he decreased himself Rather than exalting his voice against the Holy One of Israel John the Baptist took a back seat to Jesus And it was not long after that That John the Baptist would literally decrease Because he'd have his head cut off That tends to make you less than what you were before doesn't it?
He'd lose his head Because he did not harken to the voice of Herod, but the voice of the Lord And besides exalting his voice against God how else had this Assyrian king offended God I Want us to look at a?
Just a slice of the doctrine of the Trinity right here.
This doctrine would take a long time to thoroughly teach I'm not sure we'd ever get done in fact But the Trinity God the Father God the Son God the Holy Spirit one God expressed in three persons and in the Bible These three persons are not called the Trinity you won't see that word in the Bible But they are called the Godhead the Godhead Not God heads, but the Godhead Colossians chapter 2 verses 8 through 9 is where we find one of those occasions Colossians 2 verses 8 through 9 Paul wrote beware lest any man spoil you through the through philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men After the rudiments of the world and not after Christ for in him Dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily That is in Jesus the man There is no deficit.
There's not any lack of God's attributes He's not just a man like some religious people claim some religions claim He's as much God as God the Father and as God the Holy Spirit In him dwelled all the fullness of the Godhead bodily Now in case you haven't learned this as a great example the All three persons in the Godhead were active in the creation of the earth Which dispels any myth that Jesus was a created being?
But I'll give you that very quickly all three persons of the Godhead or the Trinity as is referred to Were active in the creation of all things Genesis 1 verses 1 through 2 gives 2 of those persons in the beginning God underlined that created the heaven and the earth and the earth was without form and void and Darkness was upon the face of the deep and the Spirit of God underline that that's your second person in the Godhead The Spirit of God moved across the face of the waters So you have God the Father and God the Holy Spirit active in the creation according to that those first two verses of Genesis and then For God the Son his involvement in the creation You find it in John chapter 1 And at first I'll read you verses 1 through 3 you've heard these verses John 1 verses 1 through 3 in the beginning was the word now the word is with a capital W That means it's a person in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God do you hear that the word was God?
The same was in the beginning with God all things were made by him and without him was not anything made that was made and later in John chapter 1 that same chapter write down John 1 114 a so I'm just reading the first part of it John 1 14 little letter a And it says and the word with the capital W and the word was made flesh and dwelt among us That word made flesh was Jesus.
So there you go Father son and Holy Spirit all active in the creation of all things Now as a part of the truth about the Trinity or the Godhead We have to understand that God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Spirit Are always in agreement and are never at cross purposes with one another I mean you saw it in the creation You never saw anything like well God the Father wanted to make this but Jesus said I don't think that would look good They were in perfect absolute union about the creation Everything created Was created by all three persons in the Godhead?
There are so many ways to put this but there's never any disagreement within the Godhead they all say the same thing and When people misinterpret what Jesus said For example, they've usually not compared it to what?
The actions of God the Father or God the Holy Spirit were or what they said Now let's look at just a few of the texts that prove this and It will help us more fully understand the foolishness of exalting one's voice against the Holy One of Israel First Corinthians 12 and verse 3 First Corinthians 12 and verse 3 Paul wrote to the church Wherefore I give you to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed and That no man can say that Jesus is Lord, but by the Holy Ghost So if a man claims that God's Holy Spirit lives in him or That he is Holy Spirit filled or that he's speaking as the Holy Spirit leads him then he cannot Call Jesus accursed.
He just can't do it.
Not if he says I am led by the Holy Spirit now He may be a liar, but if he is Led by the Holy Spirit if he is Spirit filled he cannot call Jesus accursed the Holy Spirit would never call Jesus accursed and He would never cause a Christian to call Jesus accursed On the other side of this a Holy Spirit filled person a Christian will say Jesus is the Lord He has to he must The Holy Spirit will never lead a Christian to say anyone else's Lord Their voices will agree To speak against God the Son is to speak against the Holy Spirit Now let's look at how all three persons of the Godhead agree That people should come to Jesus and this is what rubs people the wrong way in this Multi-religious world all of these different beliefs and doctrines about God.
This is what Tests every one of those religions and proves them all to be false and That is how they disagree that people have to come to Jesus to be saved John chapter 7 Verses 37 through 39 a John 7 verses 37 through 39 a In the last day that great day of the feast Jesus stood and cried saying If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink He that believeth on me now, that's what coming to him and drinking is spiritually speaking he that believeth on me as The scripture has said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water But this spake he of the Spirit with a capital s the Holy Spirit But this spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive so God the Son Said to come to him And he said the Spirit is in on this with me Matthew 17 5 Matthew 17 5 this is at the Mount of Transfiguration Where God the Father said this you remember Jesus took his three disciples up there to that Mount as Peter James and John three of his disciples and Jesus Appeared he was shining and these disciples saw Moses there and What God said I won't go into the whole passage there's a lot to teach But here's what verse 5 says about Jesus I'm sorry about God the Father speaking about Jesus while he yet spake behold a bright cloud foreshadowed them and behold a voice out of the cloud which said this is my beloved son So you have got the father Saying this is my beloved son and Whom I am well pleased here ye him Jesus said come to me God said here ye him.
That's the same thing And now what sayeth the Holy Spirit Revelation chapter 22 verses 16 through 17 Revelation 6 22 verses 16 through 17 I Jesus have sent my an angel to testify unto you these things in the churches I am the root and the offspring of David and the bright and morning star and The Spirit capital s that's the Holy Spirit and the Spirit and the bride say come and Let him that here is say come and let him that is a thirst come Now who did Jesus tell the people to come to if they thirsted you should come to me and Whosoever will let him take the water of life freely So the Holy Spirit says come and the bride the church says the same thing come All three persons of the Godhead do this they point you to Jesus.
That's how man will be saved There's no disagreement in the Godhead about how a man is to be saved how a woman is to be saved So if there's no disagreement in the Godhead Why is there such disagreement among men?
When it comes to the doctrines about the Godhead Could it be that each one of such people has his own God Of course they do but their God is not the God of the Bible Their gods have no Godhead Do you ever think about that Their gods have no spirit.
They have no father Their gods created nothing Their gods are deaf.
They're dumb means they can't speak in fact, they're human creators made them and Their human creators made up the words of these gods to force them on the people You ever notice in these false religions how?
these heavy burdens That the leaders of those religions put on others are not burdens.
They themselves bear It never works out that way The religious the cult leader will just call them that what they are the cult leader Doesn't subject himself to those burdens Religions say that say Jesus was a created being or false religions religions that leave out any part of the Godhead or false religions Religions that try to use the words of God the Father against the words of God the Son you'll hear people do that You'll say well the scripture says this and then they'll say we are but it says this as if those two can't agree to one another But they do You just haven't studied it if you think there's a contradiction The problem with the people who have a disagreement about The Godhead who believe one is less than the other or one is not part of the other or that they contradict is That their God is the God of this world No matter how they dress it up as You've learned it comes down to two religions You are either of the religion of Abel or the religion of Cain You either come to God in the way he said through the blood or you come some other way and We as Christians do not acknowledge that there are other gods so don't ever let anybody get you into a trap They say well, do you think it's possible that maybe there are other gods that you don't know about and the answer is no Well, how can you prove a negative oh I can prove a negative by looking at what God said about it Paul the Apostle wrote these words.
Here's how you prove that negative when somebody says what if there are other gods?
first Timothy 2 5 through 7 verse Timothy 2 5 through 7 For there is one God now, that's how I prove that there are no other gods For there is one God and one mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus.
It's not Muhammad It's not any in fact, you know what?
It's not any of the Old Testament prophets either It's not Isaiah or Elijah or any of the others.
They're not mediators between God and men.
They were prophets Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus It says who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time So if he gave himself a ransom for all that means that he took care of all that there's nobody who can say well He didn't give himself a ransom for me So I'm gonna go to this other religion here that'll do something else for me since he gave a ransom gave himself a ransom For all to be testified in due time Where unto I am ordained a preacher and an Apostle I speak the truth in Christ and lie not a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and Verity or truthfulness.
So Paul said there's one God and That Jesus is the mediator The one who makes things right between sinful men and holy God.
He's a go-between That's what a mediator is and it is this Jesus of Whom Paul was to testify when he was ordained a preacher This Jesus he said there's one God Now when Paul was a lost Pharisee, let's just go back in his life for a moment when Paul was a lost Pharisee He was very religious just like the Pharisees were he knew the law at least had it memorized I'm sure and knew all of these ordinances and so forth But he liked the Pharisees added so many burdens to men Grievous burdens that the Pharisees themselves would never bear But when he was a lost Pharisee, did you know that he spoke against the Holy One of Israel just like Sennacherib did?
You might think Wow What does it tell you about Sennacherib he has had the opportunity to repent of his wickedness Because what he did and what the Apostle Paul did were the same thing And that means that Paul not only spoke against Jesus But he spoke against God the Father by doing that and against God the Holy Spirit Who is also called the Spirit of Christ in Romans 8 9 and 1st Peter 1 11 So the Holy Spirit in the Spirit of Christ you'll see both terms both names in the New Testament.
They are the same person The Holy Spirit is not one spirit and then Spirit of Christ another they are the same person because God the Father Son and Holy Spirit Are all the same God?
But When Paul was saved He began to testify of the Holy One of Israel The Assyrian king lifted up his voice against the Holy One of Israel and therefore as we noted last week He lifted up his voice against the Holy Spirit and God the Father as well How else did this foolish Assyrian king offend God look back in your text in?
second Kings 1922 After it says against whom has thou exalted thy voice Look next and lifted up thine eyes on high Even against the Holy One of Israel Now lift it up here is a different Hebrew word than the one for exalted But it is very close in meaning very close This phrase for lifted up describes a person who is prideful and Rather than humbling himself by casting his gaze toward the ground looking toward the ground that kind of person throws his head back and looks upward I Don't know if you all remember seeing Barack Obama do that This here that's that's I don't know why that is the look that came to me I know there are a lot of other people who've done it to Donald Trump's done it So I don't care which party you are they've all done that this right here and The heart of someone if that is truly that person's heart Then they have lifted up their eyes on high Here are two passages that show these opposing attitudes lifting your eyes on high or Casting your gaze toward the ground Luke chapter 18 verses 13 through 14 Luke 18 verses 13 through 14 You had a Pharisee and a publican and Here's what the text said and the publican standing afar off Would not you hear this would not?
Lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven He wouldn't even look up But smote his upon his breast saying God be merciful to me a sinner.
I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather than the other For everyone that exalteth himself shall be a based brought low and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted Now you can read the rest of that chapter on both sides of the verse as I read you and what you will learn If you don't remember it still is that the Pharisee?
Opened up this prayer meeting and he said Lord.
I think thee that I'm not like these extortioners and adulterers and unjust or this public I can just see him pointing that bony finger at the This public and who was casting his gaze toward the ground.
I'm not like him Thank you Lord that I'm not bad like these others That one exalted himself and Jesus said you exalt yourself you'll be brought low and He that humbles himself, which is what that Publican did when he would not so much lift up his eyes to heaven, but cast his gaze on the ground he looked down He shall be exalted The public and had just witnessed that Pharisee exalt himself by thanking God that he was not like the extortioners and the unjust and the adulterers or like himself But the Pharisee spiritually speaking Lifted up his high his eyes on high just like the king of Assyria did The public and on the other hand showed great humility He dared not lift his eyes up to heaven but smote his breast and asked for God's mercy So this Assyria and king were reading about Sennacherib and the Pharisee here though.
They come from entirely different backgrounds nationally and religiously They had so much in common with each other They both lifted up their voices on high in pride And the king reproached and blasphemed and lifted up his eyes on high and exalted his voice against whom Look in your text It said the holy one of Israel Now we look Into how foolish it was to lift one's voice against God Now we're going to look a little more into this phrase lift up thine eyes on high Because it means so much more than simply pointing your gaze upward or whether you look downward It's about much more than where your eyeballs are It represents a spiritual condition that is offensive to God In Genesis chapter 13 There was a scene where Abram this is before his name was changed to Abraham It's the same person where Abrams heard men and the herd men of his nephew lot Were striving against one another They weren't able to get along with one another which by the way is the reason that I have a job still As people can't get along with one another Whether they're in their house in the store at the bank or in a car They cannot get along with one another and these Herdman could not and Abram was in charge of this caravan and He could have told lot hit the road Don't you're no longer part of this party?
However Abram humbled himself And he said and I'll just brother Andy this for a second.
He said hey buddy, whichever way you want to go Go, I'll take the other way You want to go down the frontage road?
I'll take the interstate you want to get on the interstate?
I'll go the frontage road wherever you want to go and Abram would simply go the other way you know why?
Because when God called him out of his homeland He didn't say hey Y'all are gonna get out in the middle of the wilderness and you and lot are gonna have a fight now I want you to put your foot down and you pick the land that you want now he took him to a place and Abram didn't know where they were going and He still doesn't know where they were going but he knows that if God took him out God had plant him where he wanted him And it wasn't here But lot was not walking in the spirit Or he would have scolded his herdman and said hey guys come here have a seat We're not in charge around here Abram is and if he tells you to stand on your head till sundown you do exactly that because I got his back He is the commander in chief.
He didn't do that Lot wasn't walking in the spirit Or he would have submitted himself to God and Abram as well, but here's what he did instead.
This is found in Lot chapter Lot Genesis chapter 13 verse 10 Genesis 13 10 and Lot lifted up his eyes and beheld All the plain of Jordan that means he looked it over That it was well watered everywhere Before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah even as the garden of the Lord Like the land of Egypt as thou cometh unto Zohar, so don't miss that When Lot lifted up his eyes after all this striving He looked at the plain of Jordan and This was in the area of Sodom and Gomorrah, and it was so Well watered it was beautiful It said even as the garden of the Lord.
That's how pretty he thought it was Lot said man, this is what the Garden of Eden must have looked like this is beautiful What was the only problem?
This garden was in a sin cursed earth and the Garden of Eden was not Like the land of Egypt as thou cometh unto Zohar now most of you if maybe not all I've heard the story of Sodom and Gomorrah and it in Lot's pride and According to the desires of his flesh what he thought looked good what he thought was beautiful He chose to live there in those plains Sodom and Gomorrah Now Listen to what the Bible said about Lot Hundreds of years after God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and Lot had been gone for many many centuries But listen to what the Bible said about Lot in 2nd Peter chapter 2 verses 7 through 8 2nd Peter chapter 2 verses 7 through 8 Speaking of how God delivered Lot from his wrath upon Sodom and Gomorrah Peter wrote and delivered Just Lot that doesn't mean only Lot that means Lot.
He was just he was a Christian He was a justified man and delivered just Lot Vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked for that righteous man now that tells you right there He's a Christian for that righteous man dwelling among them that is among the wicked in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds So even as a Christian Lot was shallow He was weak and Had he humbled himself in the days of striving with Abram's herdman He would not have been vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked there in Sodom and Gomorrah because he would have never lived there He would have kept going with Abram wherever Abram went he would go I mean wouldn't you want to even speaking in worldly terms?
Wouldn't you want to follow somebody who is so greatly blessed as Abraham Abram was?
You wouldn't want to do anything to separate yourself from that kind of a person But if Lot had humbled himself and not lifted up his eyes and beheld the plain of Jordan that it was well watered He would have grown in his faith as he shadowed Abram Perhaps he would have been with Abram when Isaac was offered upon that altar and could have seen that beautiful substitute that picture of a substitute where God provided a ram in the thicket But Lot lifted up his eyes instead and his latter days were terrible And just a few verses after Lot departed from Abram there in Genesis 13 God told Abram to lift his eyes up now.
There's the difference right there Before Lot lifted his eyes up, but here God told Abram now you lift your eyes up remember Everyone who abases himself or humbles himself shall be exalted Abram humbled himself he left to land not knowing where he was going moved out of whatever nice house he had and just traveled and traveled and traveled and slept with the flocks and Then the tents and all that He humbled himself and God said alright Lot is out of here.
He's gone his way Now I want you to lift your eyes up.
He hadn't told him to do that before now you lift your eyes up, so I'll finished reading and Genesis 13 verses 14 through 15 is where this is by the way Genesis 13 verses 14 through 15 and the Lord said unto Abram after that Lot was separated from him Lift up now thine eyes and look from the place where thou art northward and southward and eastward and westward For all the land I know that's north.
I'm just if you're watching where I was point For all the land which thou seest to thee will I give it and to thy seed forever Abram did not seek for riches according to what he saw He had not lifted up his eyes as Lot did He believed God and he humbled himself So God exalted him by telling him lift up your eyes and see what I'm going to give you and to your seed Lot saw things like he saw did He saw what was right now in front of him.
He wanted satisfaction right now, but Abram saw afar off like Jacob did Believing God would provide for him not just now But even more and forever and Did you know as we close we benefit from Abram not lifting up his eyes?
But trusting God because we are Abram's seed according to the promise and We're to lift our eyes only when God says To do so and he is show us by sight that which we believed by faith But son Akhreb lifted up his eyes on high against the Holy One of Israel We'll come back and look at that phrase even against the Holy One of Israel a little more closely Next week, let's pray Father thank you for your wonderful word.
Thank you for how the Old and New Testaments teach each other so that we may understand and Lord the hard subjects the ones that aren't so hard to understand We need your help to learn them all and to apply them and we thank you for what you've done in our lives Thank you for your spirit who lives in us your son who died for us And father I pray as we go into the next hour That that's your spirit would teach us That your son would be high and lifted up and all praise and glory and honor will be directed to you in Jesus name amen
