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Audio Recording Sermon OutlineSpeaker: Rev. Tim ChangSermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the LordIsaiah 14:1-23 (ESV)1 For the Lord will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2 And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the Lord's land as male and female slaves. They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them.3 When the Lord has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:“How the oppressor has ceased, the insolent fury ceased!5 The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of rulers,6 that struck the peoples in wrath with unceasing blows,that ruled the nations in anger with unrelenting persecution.7 The whole earth is at rest and quiet; they break forth into singing.8 The cypresses rejoice at you, the cedars of Lebanon, saying,‘Since you were laid low, no woodcutter comes up against us.'9 Sheol beneath is stirred up to meet you when you come;it rouses the shades to greet you, all who were leaders of the earth;it raises from their thrones all who were kings of the nations.10 All of them will answer and say to you:‘You too have become as weak as we! You have become like us!'11 Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, the sound of your harps;maggots are laid as a bed beneath you, and worms are your covers.12 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn!How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!13 You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven;above the stars of God I will set my throne on high;I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north;14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.'15 But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit.16 Those who see you will stare at you and ponder over you:‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms,17 who made the world like a desert and overthrew its cities, who did not let his prisoners go home?'18 All the kings of the nations lie in glory, each in his own tomb;19 but you are cast out, away from your grave, like a loathed branch,clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword, who go down to the stones of the pit, like a dead body trampled underfoot.20 You will not be joined with them in burial, because you have destroyed your land, you have slain your people.“May the offspring of evildoers nevermore be named!21 Prepare slaughter for his sons because of the guilt of their fathers,lest they rise and possess the earth, and fill the face of the world with cities.”22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the Lord of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity,” declares the Lord. 23 “And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog, and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the Lord of hosts.Sermon OutlineRemembering Past Promises (v. 1-2)Confronting the Present Reality (v. 3-21)Holding onto a Future Certainty (v. 22-23)Prayer of ConfessionHeavenly Father, the darkness of the world looms overs us. We fail to remember your promises from of old. We are prone to trust the powers of the world instead of yours. We struggle with despair and sometimes believe that hoping is in vain. But you are the sovereign and compassionate God who has made good on your promise by sending Jesus to be our salvation. May we trust in his finished work that gives us an enduring hope. Amen.Questions for ReflectionWhat connected with you from the sermon or the passage?Why do you think it was difficult for the Israelites to remember God's promises? Why do you find it difficult to remember God's promises?How does the prophesied downfall of Babylon in Isaiah 14 illustrate the limits of worldly power? Discuss the tension between confronting the present reality with all of its struggles along with God's sovereignty. Describes the differences between how Babylon shows power and how Jesus shows power.In what ways do you need to hold onto the future certainty secured for us by Jesus? What do you sense God calling you to do from this passage?Read AheadIsaiah Sermon Series

Audio Recording Sermon OutlineSpeaker: Rev. Tim ChangSermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the LordIsaiah 14:1-23 (ESV)1 For the Lord will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2 And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the Lord's land as male and female slaves. They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them.3 When the Lord has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:“How the oppressor has ceased, the insolent fury ceased!5 The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of rulers,6 that struck the peoples in wrath with unceasing blows,that ruled the nations in anger with unrelenting persecution.7 The whole earth is at rest and quiet; they break forth into singing.8 The cypresses rejoice at you, the cedars of Lebanon, saying,‘Since you were laid low, no woodcutter comes up against us.'9 Sheol beneath is stirred up to meet you when you come;it rouses the shades to greet you, all who were leaders of the earth;it raises from their thrones all who were kings of the nations.10 All of them will answer and say to you:‘You too have become as weak as we! You have become like us!'11 Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, the sound of your harps;maggots are laid as a bed beneath you, and worms are your covers.12 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn!How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!13 You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven;above the stars of God I will set my throne on high;I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north;14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.'15 But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit.16 Those who see you will stare at you and ponder over you:‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms,17 who made the world like a desert and overthrew its cities, who did not let his prisoners go home?'18 All the kings of the nations lie in glory, each in his own tomb;19 but you are cast out, away from your grave, like a loathed branch,clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword, who go down to the stones of the pit, like a dead body trampled underfoot.20 You will not be joined with them in burial, because you have destroyed your land, you have slain your people.“May the offspring of evildoers nevermore be named!21 Prepare slaughter for his sons because of the guilt of their fathers,lest they rise and possess the earth, and fill the face of the world with cities.”22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the Lord of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity,” declares the Lord. 23 “And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog, and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the Lord of hosts.Sermon OutlineRemembering Past Promises (v. 1-2)Confronting the Present Reality (v. 3-21)Holding onto a Future Certainty (v. 22-23)Prayer of ConfessionHeavenly Father, the darkness of the world looms overs us. We fail to remember your promises from of old. We are prone to trust the powers of the world instead of yours. We struggle with despair and sometimes believe that hoping is in vain. But you are the sovereign and compassionate God who has made good on your promise by sending Jesus to be our salvation. May we trust in his finished work that gives us an enduring hope. Amen.Questions for ReflectionWhat connected with you from the sermon or the passage?Why do you think it was difficult for the Israelites to remember God's promises? Why do you find it difficult to remember God's promises?How does the prophesied downfall of Babylon in Isaiah 14 illustrate the limits of worldly power? Discuss the tension between confronting the present reality with all of its struggles along with God's sovereignty. Describes the differences between how Babylon shows power and how Jesus shows power.In what ways do you need to hold onto the future certainty secured for us by Jesus? What do you sense God calling you to do from this passage?Read AheadIsaiah Sermon Series

Sermon Series: Exodus: The Gospel According to the Old Testament Sermon Text: Exodus 15:1-21 Sermon Title: “The Greatest Love Song” Sermon Slides: SLIDE 1 – Today's Big Idea: What Makes a Great Love Song … is a Great Love Story. So, the Greatest Love Story … Needs to be Sung. SLIDE 2 – 1 Corinthians 10:1-6 – “For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food … drank the same spiritual drink … the spiritual Rock that followed them … the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.” SLIDE 3 – Chorus: The LORD … is Salvation's Song (vv. 1-2, 20-21) SLIDE 4 – Genesis 18:23-26 – “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city … Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! … Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” And the Lord said, ‘If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.'” SLIDE 5 – Psalm 14:1-3 – “There is none who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.” SLIDE 6 – Verse 1: I Will Sing … Because He Rescued Me From My Enemies (vv. 3-12) SLIDE 7 – Isaiah 14:12-14 – “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! … You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God. I will set my throne on high; I willsit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I willascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.'” SLIDE 8 – Exodus 6:6-8 – “‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians … I will deliver you from slavery to them … I will redeem you with an outstretched arm … I will take you to be my people … I will be your God … I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham … I will give it to you … I am the Lord.'” SLIDE 9 – Verse 2: I Must Sing … Because He Rescued Me For Himself (vv. 13-18) SLIDE 10 – Romans 8:28-30 – “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good … For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son … And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” SLIDE 11 – Four Uses of This Sermon for Your Life SLIDE 12 – Our Worship Must Be Generous, Not Stingy. SLIDE 13 – Sin Can Make our Worship Fall Silent. SLIDE 14 – The Sovereign Grace of God, Should Cause Supreme Delight in Us. SLIDE 15 – The Gospel Has One Chorus, but Never-ending Verses.

Join us for episode 15, in our brand new eight-week series, Be Strong: The Armor of God. Lisa and Laura will be diving into Ephesians 6:10–18, awakening us to the invisible battle that rages, while encouraging us to reach for the weapons that keep us strong and steady in any circumstance. If you're tired of feeling depleted and defeated, this series is for you. Open to Ephesians and grab a notebook and pen, because you are going to want to write every word down. Then, stand strong, as you open your heart, open your Bible, and invite Him in. Open your Heart to our key Scripture. 2 Corinthians 10:3–5: For though we live in the world we are not carrying on a worldly war, for the weapons of our warfare are not worldly but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle to the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. Open your Bible to other Scriptures referenced in this episode. Ephesians 6:10–18 Isaiah 14:12–15: How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, “I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will make myself like the Most High.” But you are brought down to Sheol, to the depths of the Pit. Ezekiel 28:11–19 Matthew 4:3: And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” Matthew 12:24: But when the Pharisees heard it they said, “It is only by Be-el'zebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” 2 Corinthians 4:4: In their case the god of this world has blinded the mind of the unbelievers. 1 John 5:18: We know that anyone born of God does not sin, but He was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. 1 Peter 5:8: Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. John 8:44: He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth. Invite Him in with this episode's questions for reflection. We mentioned three lies that the enemy loves to whisper to mess with our minds: I am alone. I am unlovable. I am powerless and hopeless.  Do you find that any of these lies take up space in your head? Or is it a different lie? Write the lie in your journal, then take some time to journal the truth you know about God.  Show mentions. Priscilla Shirer, “Sizing Up the Enemy” CCC 2851: In this petition, evil is not an abstraction, but refers to a person, Satan, the Evil One, the angel who opposes God. The devil is the one who “throws himself across” God's plan and his work of salvation accomplished in Christ. Laura Phelps, Victorious Secret: Everyday Battles and How to Win Them Richard F. Lovelace, Dynamics of Spiritual Life J.I. Packer, Quote. Walking with Purpose, Fearless and Free Let's stay connected. Don't miss an episode. Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform.  Want to keep the conversation going? Join our private Facebook community. Stay in the know. Connect with us today.  We are committed to creating content that is free and easily accessible to every woman—especially the one looking for answers but unsure of where to go. If you've enjoyed this podcast, prayerfully consider making a donation to support it and other WWP outreach programs that bring women closer to Christ. Learn more about WWP on our website. Our Shop. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube.

Sermon Series: Exodus: The Gospel According to the Old Testament Sermon Text: Exodus 10:1-29 Sermon Title: “What's it Going to Take?” Sermon Slides: SLIDE 1 – Today's Big Idea: To Not Totally Surrender to God, is a Totally Losing Proposition. So … What's it Going to Take? SLIDE 2 – Sermon Point 1 – The Source of Darkness … is Our Unsubmissive Pride (vv. 1-7, 12-22, 28-29) SLIDE 3 – Exodus 20:5-6 – “For I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.” SLIDE 4 – Isaiah 14:12-15 – “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! … You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God, I will set my throne on high … I will make myself like the Most High.' But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit.” SLIDE 5 – John 8:42-44 – “Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires … for he is a liar and the father of lies.” SLIDE 6 – “In this dramatic evolution of Pharoah's reactions there is a consistency of principle – the core of his intransigence – namely the maintenance of his sovereignty. That is the crux of the matter; that is what cannot coexist with God's authority … under pressure it will show flexibility and accommodation, even … confessing guilt and making concessions. But after all its retreats … it [still] clings to independence. And it resists … unto death.” – Moshe Greenberg SLIDE 7 – Sermon Point 2 – The Solution to Darkness … is God's Miraculous Light (vv. 22-23) SLIDE 8 – Isaiah 9:2 – “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.” SLIDE 9 – 2 Corinthians 4:5-6 – “For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” SLIDE 10 – Three Uses of This Sermon for Your Life SLIDE 11 – Discipleship is Taking All of God's Works to Heart … and Passing them On. SLIDE 12 – Submission is Taking All of God's Rule to Heart … and Surrendering to His Will. SLIDE 13 – Salvation is Free, But Salvation is not Easy.

RELATED WORDS/CONCEPTS to address our “self-deception” Envy - painful or resentful awareness of an advantage or possession (situation) enjoyed by another and the desire to possess the same thing. Theological: Sin of jealousy over the blessings and achievements of others. Jealousy – synonym of envyCovetousness - the feeling of having a strong desire for the things that other people have (situations/circumstances/ministries) DiscontentmentFOMO – Fear of Missing Out ResentmentBitternessJames 3:16  - For where you have envy (jealousy) and selfish ambition (selfishness), there you find disorder and every evil practice. (NIV) For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. (NASB) “evil of every kind” (NLT) “confusion and every evil work.” (KJV) “every vile practice” (ESV) “every kind of evil.” (HCSB) “chaos and every evil thing.” “confusion and every perverse work.” “insurrection and every evil matter” ORIGIN of DEMONIC REALM - Satan  / Satan's Fall – Who? When? What?Ezekiel 28:13-15 – 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God...14 You were an anointed guardian Cherub; I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God. 15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. Isaiah 14:12-14 - “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star/shining one/O Lucifer, son of Dawn! What was the devil's 1st sin? Pride or Envy??ANCIENT JEWISH COMMENTARY - But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world, and they who are allied with him experience it.  Wisdom 2:24 COMMENTARY OF THE EARLY CHURCH FATHERS Irenaeus (AD 180) - For he [the devil] was envious of God's workmanship  ...becoming envious of man, he was rendered an apostate from the divine law.  Tertullian (AD 210)  - the malignant being who, in the beginning, regarded them with envious eye.  Cyprian (AD 250) - he broke forth into jealous and malevolent envy. ...How great an evil it was... that caused an angel to fall! THE SECRET OF THE AGES - CONTENTMENT  - Phil 4:11 - ...I have learned to be content (to be satisfied) regardless of my circumstances 1 Cor. 13:4 - ...love does NOT envy (therefore envy = hate)Gal 5:19-21 - Envy = work of the fleshOvercoming Envy? 1. Agree that it is SIN, MY SIN? (the devil's original sin). Serious. 2. Know/Believe = open door for ALL evil3. Learn to be content (wage war on discontentment)4. Grow in love (love does NOT envy!) 5. By the Spirit...STOP - Galatians 5:25-26 6. Put it away/Get rid of it (1 Pet. 2:1) – So, put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander 7. Fixing our eyes upon Jesus! (not on others) – Social Media? 8. Thankfulness   

Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 114 Psalm 114 (Listen) Tremble at the Presence of the Lord 114   When Israel went out from Egypt,    the house of Jacob from a people of strange language,2   Judah became his sanctuary,    Israel his dominion. 3   The sea looked and fled;    Jordan turned back.4   The mountains skipped like rams,    the hills like lambs. 5   What ails you, O sea, that you flee?    O Jordan, that you turn back?6   O mountains, that you skip like rams?    O hills, like lambs? 7   Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,    at the presence of the God of Jacob,8   who turns the rock into a pool of water,    the flint into a spring of water. (ESV) Pentateuch and History: 2 Kings 22 2 Kings 22 (Listen) Josiah Reigns in Judah 22 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in all the way of David his father, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left. Josiah Repairs the Temple 3 In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, the secretary, to the house of the LORD, saying, 4 “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may count the money that has been brought into the house of the LORD, which the keepers of the threshold have collected from the people. 5 And let it be given into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the LORD, and let them give it to the workmen who are at the house of the LORD, repairing the house 6 (that is, to the carpenters, and to the builders, and to the masons), and let them use it for buying timber and quarried stone to repair the house. 7 But no accounting shall be asked from them for the money that is delivered into their hand, for they deal honestly.” Hilkiah Finds the Book of the Law 8 And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. 9 And Shaphan the secretary came to the king, and reported to the king, “Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the LORD.” 10 Then Shaphan the secretary told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it before the king. 11 When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes. 12 And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying, 13 “Go, inquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.” 14 So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter), and they talked with her. 15 And she said to them, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: ‘Tell the man who sent you to me, 16 Thus says the LORD, Behold, I will bring disaster upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the words of the book that the king of Judah has read. 17 Because they have forsaken me and have made offerings to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore my wrath will be kindled against this place, and it will not be quenched. 18 But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, thus shall you say to him, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Regarding the words that you have heard, 19 because your heart was penitent, and you humbled yourself before the LORD, when you heard how I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the LORD. 20 Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring upon this place.'” And they brought back word to the king. (ESV) Chronicles and Prophets: Isaiah 13–14 Isaiah 13–14 (Listen) The Judgment of Babylon 13 The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. 2   On a bare hill raise a signal;    cry aloud to them;  wave the hand for them to enter    the gates of the nobles.3   I myself have commanded my consecrated ones,    and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger,    my proudly exulting ones.1 4   The sound of a tumult is on the mountains    as of a great multitude!  The sound of an uproar of kingdoms,    of nations gathering together!  The LORD of hosts is mustering    a host for battle.5   They come from a distant land,    from the end of the heavens,  the LORD and the weapons of his indignation,    to destroy the whole land.2 6   Wail, for the day of the LORD is near;    as destruction from the Almighty3 it will come!7   Therefore all hands will be feeble,    and every human heart will melt.8   They will be dismayed:    pangs and agony will seize them;    they will be in anguish like a woman in labor.  They will look aghast at one another;    their faces will be aflame. 9   Behold, the day of the LORD comes,    cruel, with wrath and fierce anger,  to make the land a desolation    and to destroy its sinners from it.10   For the stars of the heavens and their constellations    will not give their light;  the sun will be dark at its rising,    and the moon will not shed its light.11   I will punish the world for its evil,    and the wicked for their iniquity;  I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant,    and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.12   I will make people more rare than fine gold,    and mankind than the gold of Ophir.13   Therefore I will make the heavens tremble,    and the earth will be shaken out of its place,  at the wrath of the LORD of hosts    in the day of his fierce anger.14   And like a hunted gazelle,    or like sheep with none to gather them,  each will turn to his own people,    and each will flee to his own land.15   Whoever is found will be thrust through,    and whoever is caught will fall by the sword.16   Their infants will be dashed in pieces    before their eyes;  their houses will be plundered    and their wives ravished. 17   Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them,    who have no regard for silver    and do not delight in gold.18   Their bows will slaughter4 the young men;    they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb;    their eyes will not pity children.19   And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,    the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans,  will be like Sodom and Gomorrah    when God overthrew them.20   It will never be inhabited    or lived in for all generations;  no Arab will pitch his tent there;    no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.21   But wild animals will lie down there,    and their houses will be full of howling creatures;  there ostriches5 will dwell,    and there wild goats will dance.22   Hyenas6 will cry in its towers,    and jackals in the pleasant palaces;  its time is close at hand    and its days will not be prolonged. The Restoration of Jacob 14 For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2 And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the LORD's land as male and female slaves.7 They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them. Israel's Remnant Taunts Babylon 3 When the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:   “How the oppressor has ceased,    the insolent fury8 ceased!5   The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked,    the scepter of rulers,6   that struck the peoples in wrath    with unceasing blows,  that ruled the nations in anger    with unrelenting persecution.7   The whole earth is at rest and quiet;    they break forth into singing.8   The cypresses rejoice at you,    the cedars of Lebanon, saying,  ‘Since you were laid low,    no woodcutter comes up against us.'9   Sheol beneath is stirred up    to meet you when you come;  it rouses the shades to greet you,    all who were leaders of the earth;  it raises from their thrones    all who were kings of the nations.10   All of them will answer    and say to you:  ‘You too have become as weak as we!    You have become like us!'11   Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,    the sound of your harps;  maggots are laid as a bed beneath you,    and worms are your covers. 12   “How you are fallen from heaven,    O Day Star, son of Dawn!  How you are cut down to the ground,    you who laid the nations low!13   You said in your heart,    ‘I will ascend to heaven;  above the stars of God    I will set my throne on high;  I will sit on the mount of assembly    in the far reaches of the north;914   I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;    I will make myself like the Most High.'15   But you are brought down to Sheol,    to the far reaches of the pit.16   Those who see you will stare at you    and ponder over you:  ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,    who shook kingdoms,17   who made the world like a desert    and overthrew its cities,    who did not let his prisoners go home?'18   All the kings of the nations lie in glory,    each in his own tomb;1019   but you are cast out, away from your grave,    like a loathed branch,  clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword,    who go down to the stones of the pit,    like a dead body trampled underfoot.20   You will not be joined with them in burial,    because you have destroyed your land,    you have slain your people.   “May the offspring of evildoers    nevermore be named!21   Prepare slaughter for his sons    because of the guilt of their fathers,  lest they rise and possess the earth,    and fill the face of the world with cities.” 22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity,” declares the LORD. 23 “And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog,11 and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of hosts. An Oracle Concerning Assyria 24   The LORD of hosts has sworn:  “As I have planned,    so shall it be,  and as I have purposed,    so shall it stand,25   that I will break the Assyrian in my land,    and on my mountains trample him underfoot;  and his yoke shall depart from them,    and his burden from their shoulder.” 26   This is the purpose that is purposed    concerning the whole earth,  and this is the hand that is stretched out    over all the nations.27   For the LORD of hosts has purposed,    and who will annul it?  His hand is stretched out,    and who will turn it back? An Oracle Concerning Philistia 28 In the year that King Ahaz died came this oracle: 29   Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you,    that the rod that struck you is broken,  for from the serpent's root will come forth an adder,    and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent.30   And the firstborn of the poor will graze,    and the needy lie down in safety;  but I will kill your root with famine,    and your remnant it will slay.31   Wail, O gate; cry out, O city;    melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you!  For smoke comes out of the north,    and there is no straggler in his ranks. 32   What will one answer the messengers of the nation?  “The LORD has founded Zion,    and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge.” Footnotes [1] 13:3 Or those who exult in my majesty [2] 13:5 Or earth; also verse 9 [3] 13:6 The Hebrew words for destruction and almighty sound alike [4] 13:18 Hebrew dash in pieces [5] 13:21 Or owls [6] 13:22 Or foxes [7] 14:2 Or servants [8] 14:4 Dead Sea Scroll (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate); the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain [9] 14:13 Or in the remote parts of Zaphon [10] 14:18 Hebrew house [11] 14:23 Possibly porcupine, or owl (ESV) Gospels and Epistles: John 15:1–17 John 15:1–17 (Listen) I Am the True Vine 15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

Old Testament: Isaiah 13–14 Isaiah 13–14 (Listen) The Judgment of Babylon 13 The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. 2   On a bare hill raise a signal;    cry aloud to them;  wave the hand for them to enter    the gates of the nobles.3   I myself have commanded my consecrated ones,    and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger,    my proudly exulting ones.1 4   The sound of a tumult is on the mountains    as of a great multitude!  The sound of an uproar of kingdoms,    of nations gathering together!  The LORD of hosts is mustering    a host for battle.5   They come from a distant land,    from the end of the heavens,  the LORD and the weapons of his indignation,    to destroy the whole land.2 6   Wail, for the day of the LORD is near;    as destruction from the Almighty3 it will come!7   Therefore all hands will be feeble,    and every human heart will melt.8   They will be dismayed:    pangs and agony will seize them;    they will be in anguish like a woman in labor.  They will look aghast at one another;    their faces will be aflame. 9   Behold, the day of the LORD comes,    cruel, with wrath and fierce anger,  to make the land a desolation    and to destroy its sinners from it.10   For the stars of the heavens and their constellations    will not give their light;  the sun will be dark at its rising,    and the moon will not shed its light.11   I will punish the world for its evil,    and the wicked for their iniquity;  I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant,    and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.12   I will make people more rare than fine gold,    and mankind than the gold of Ophir.13   Therefore I will make the heavens tremble,    and the earth will be shaken out of its place,  at the wrath of the LORD of hosts    in the day of his fierce anger.14   And like a hunted gazelle,    or like sheep with none to gather them,  each will turn to his own people,    and each will flee to his own land.15   Whoever is found will be thrust through,    and whoever is caught will fall by the sword.16   Their infants will be dashed in pieces    before their eyes;  their houses will be plundered    and their wives ravished. 17   Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them,    who have no regard for silver    and do not delight in gold.18   Their bows will slaughter4 the young men;    they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb;    their eyes will not pity children.19   And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,    the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans,  will be like Sodom and Gomorrah    when God overthrew them.20   It will never be inhabited    or lived in for all generations;  no Arab will pitch his tent there;    no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.21   But wild animals will lie down there,    and their houses will be full of howling creatures;  there ostriches5 will dwell,    and there wild goats will dance.22   Hyenas6 will cry in its towers,    and jackals in the pleasant palaces;  its time is close at hand    and its days will not be prolonged. The Restoration of Jacob 14 For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2 And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the LORD's land as male and female slaves.7 They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them. Israel's Remnant Taunts Babylon 3 When the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:   “How the oppressor has ceased,    the insolent fury8 ceased!5   The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked,    the scepter of rulers,6   that struck the peoples in wrath    with unceasing blows,  that ruled the nations in anger    with unrelenting persecution.7   The whole earth is at rest and quiet;    they break forth into singing.8   The cypresses rejoice at you,    the cedars of Lebanon, saying,  ‘Since you were laid low,    no woodcutter comes up against us.'9   Sheol beneath is stirred up    to meet you when you come;  it rouses the shades to greet you,    all who were leaders of the earth;  it raises from their thrones    all who were kings of the nations.10   All of them will answer    and say to you:  ‘You too have become as weak as we!    You have become like us!'11   Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,    the sound of your harps;  maggots are laid as a bed beneath you,    and worms are your covers. 12   “How you are fallen from heaven,    O Day Star, son of Dawn!  How you are cut down to the ground,    you who laid the nations low!13   You said in your heart,    ‘I will ascend to heaven;  above the stars of God    I will set my throne on high;  I will sit on the mount of assembly    in the far reaches of the north;914   I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;    I will make myself like the Most High.'15   But you are brought down to Sheol,    to the far reaches of the pit.16   Those who see you will stare at you    and ponder over you:  ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,    who shook kingdoms,17   who made the world like a desert    and overthrew its cities,    who did not let his prisoners go home?'18   All the kings of the nations lie in glory,    each in his own tomb;1019   but you are cast out, away from your grave,    like a loathed branch,  clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword,    who go down to the stones of the pit,    like a dead body trampled underfoot.20   You will not be joined with them in burial,    because you have destroyed your land,    you have slain your people.   “May the offspring of evildoers    nevermore be named!21   Prepare slaughter for his sons    because of the guilt of their fathers,  lest they rise and possess the earth,    and fill the face of the world with cities.” 22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity,” declares the LORD. 23 “And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog,11 and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of hosts. An Oracle Concerning Assyria 24   The LORD of hosts has sworn:  “As I have planned,    so shall it be,  and as I have purposed,    so shall it stand,25   that I will break the Assyrian in my land,    and on my mountains trample him underfoot;  and his yoke shall depart from them,    and his burden from their shoulder.” 26   This is the purpose that is purposed    concerning the whole earth,  and this is the hand that is stretched out    over all the nations.27   For the LORD of hosts has purposed,    and who will annul it?  His hand is stretched out,    and who will turn it back? An Oracle Concerning Philistia 28 In the year that King Ahaz died came this oracle: 29   Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you,    that the rod that struck you is broken,  for from the serpent's root will come forth an adder,    and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent.30   And the firstborn of the poor will graze,    and the needy lie down in safety;  but I will kill your root with famine,    and your remnant it will slay.31   Wail, O gate; cry out, O city;    melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you!  For smoke comes out of the north,    and there is no straggler in his ranks. 32   What will one answer the messengers of the nation?  “The LORD has founded Zion,    and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge.” Footnotes [1] 13:3 Or those who exult in my majesty [2] 13:5 Or earth; also verse 9 [3] 13:6 The Hebrew words for destruction and almighty sound alike [4] 13:18 Hebrew dash in pieces [5] 13:21 Or owls [6] 13:22 Or foxes [7] 14:2 Or servants [8] 14:4 Dead Sea Scroll (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate); the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain [9] 14:13 Or in the remote parts of Zaphon [10] 14:18 Hebrew house [11] 14:23 Possibly porcupine, or owl (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 86 Psalm 86 (Listen) Great Is Your Steadfast Love A Prayer of David. 86   Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me,    for I am poor and needy.2   Preserve my life, for I am godly;    save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God.3   Be gracious to me, O Lord,    for to you do I cry all the day.4   Gladden the soul of your servant,    for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.5   For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,    abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.6   Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer;    listen to my plea for grace.7   In the day of my trouble I call upon you,    for you answer me. 8   There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,    nor are there any works like yours.9   All the nations you have made shall come    and worship before you, O Lord,    and shall glorify your name.10   For you are great and do wondrous things;    you alone are God.11   Teach me your way, O LORD,    that I may walk in your truth;    unite my heart to fear your name.12   I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,    and I will glorify your name forever.13   For great is your steadfast love toward me;    you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. 14   O God, insolent men have risen up against me;    a band of ruthless men seeks my life,    and they do not set you before them.15   But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.16   Turn to me and be gracious to me;    give your strength to your servant,    and save the son of your maidservant.17   Show me a sign of your favor,    that those who hate me may see and be put to shame    because you, LORD, have helped me and comforted me. (ESV) New Testament: Acts 9 Acts 9 (Listen) The Conversion of Saul 9 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. 10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; 19 and taking food, he was strengthened. Saul Proclaims Jesus in Synagogues For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. 20 And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” 21 And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of thos

Old Testament: Isaiah 13–14 Isaiah 13–14 (Listen) The Judgment of Babylon 13 The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. 2   On a bare hill raise a signal;    cry aloud to them;  wave the hand for them to enter    the gates of the nobles.3   I myself have commanded my consecrated ones,    and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger,    my proudly exulting ones.1 4   The sound of a tumult is on the mountains    as of a great multitude!  The sound of an uproar of kingdoms,    of nations gathering together!  The LORD of hosts is mustering    a host for battle.5   They come from a distant land,    from the end of the heavens,  the LORD and the weapons of his indignation,    to destroy the whole land.2 6   Wail, for the day of the LORD is near;    as destruction from the Almighty3 it will come!7   Therefore all hands will be feeble,    and every human heart will melt.8   They will be dismayed:    pangs and agony will seize them;    they will be in anguish like a woman in labor.  They will look aghast at one another;    their faces will be aflame. 9   Behold, the day of the LORD comes,    cruel, with wrath and fierce anger,  to make the land a desolation    and to destroy its sinners from it.10   For the stars of the heavens and their constellations    will not give their light;  the sun will be dark at its rising,    and the moon will not shed its light.11   I will punish the world for its evil,    and the wicked for their iniquity;  I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant,    and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.12   I will make people more rare than fine gold,    and mankind than the gold of Ophir.13   Therefore I will make the heavens tremble,    and the earth will be shaken out of its place,  at the wrath of the LORD of hosts    in the day of his fierce anger.14   And like a hunted gazelle,    or like sheep with none to gather them,  each will turn to his own people,    and each will flee to his own land.15   Whoever is found will be thrust through,    and whoever is caught will fall by the sword.16   Their infants will be dashed in pieces    before their eyes;  their houses will be plundered    and their wives ravished. 17   Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them,    who have no regard for silver    and do not delight in gold.18   Their bows will slaughter4 the young men;    they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb;    their eyes will not pity children.19   And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,    the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans,  will be like Sodom and Gomorrah    when God overthrew them.20   It will never be inhabited    or lived in for all generations;  no Arab will pitch his tent there;    no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.21   But wild animals will lie down there,    and their houses will be full of howling creatures;  there ostriches5 will dwell,    and there wild goats will dance.22   Hyenas6 will cry in its towers,    and jackals in the pleasant palaces;  its time is close at hand    and its days will not be prolonged. The Restoration of Jacob 14 For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2 And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the LORD's land as male and female slaves.7 They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them. Israel's Remnant Taunts Babylon 3 When the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:   “How the oppressor has ceased,    the insolent fury8 ceased!5   The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked,    the scepter of rulers,6   that struck the peoples in wrath    with unceasing blows,  that ruled the nations in anger    with unrelenting persecution.7   The whole earth is at rest and quiet;    they break forth into singing.8   The cypresses rejoice at you,    the cedars of Lebanon, saying,  ‘Since you were laid low,    no woodcutter comes up against us.'9   Sheol beneath is stirred up    to meet you when you come;  it rouses the shades to greet you,    all who were leaders of the earth;  it raises from their thrones    all who were kings of the nations.10   All of them will answer    and say to you:  ‘You too have become as weak as we!    You have become like us!'11   Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,    the sound of your harps;  maggots are laid as a bed beneath you,    and worms are your covers. 12   “How you are fallen from heaven,    O Day Star, son of Dawn!  How you are cut down to the ground,    you who laid the nations low!13   You said in your heart,    ‘I will ascend to heaven;  above the stars of God    I will set my throne on high;  I will sit on the mount of assembly    in the far reaches of the north;914   I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;    I will make myself like the Most High.'15   But you are brought down to Sheol,    to the far reaches of the pit.16   Those who see you will stare at you    and ponder over you:  ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,    who shook kingdoms,17   who made the world like a desert    and overthrew its cities,    who did not let his prisoners go home?'18   All the kings of the nations lie in glory,    each in his own tomb;1019   but you are cast out, away from your grave,    like a loathed branch,  clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword,    who go down to the stones of the pit,    like a dead body trampled underfoot.20   You will not be joined with them in burial,    because you have destroyed your land,    you have slain your people.   “May the offspring of evildoers    nevermore be named!21   Prepare slaughter for his sons    because of the guilt of their fathers,  lest they rise and possess the earth,    and fill the face of the world with cities.” 22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity,” declares the LORD. 23 “And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog,11 and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of hosts. An Oracle Concerning Assyria 24   The LORD of hosts has sworn:  “As I have planned,    so shall it be,  and as I have purposed,    so shall it stand,25   that I will break the Assyrian in my land,    and on my mountains trample him underfoot;  and his yoke shall depart from them,    and his burden from their shoulder.” 26   This is the purpose that is purposed    concerning the whole earth,  and this is the hand that is stretched out    over all the nations.27   For the LORD of hosts has purposed,    and who will annul it?  His hand is stretched out,    and who will turn it back? An Oracle Concerning Philistia 28 In the year that King Ahaz died came this oracle: 29   Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you,    that the rod that struck you is broken,  for from the serpent's root will come forth an adder,    and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent.30   And the firstborn of the poor will graze,    and the needy lie down in safety;  but I will kill your root with famine,    and your remnant it will slay.31   Wail, O gate; cry out, O city;    melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you!  For smoke comes out of the north,    and there is no straggler in his ranks. 32   What will one answer the messengers of the nation?  “The LORD has founded Zion,    and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge.” Footnotes [1] 13:3 Or those who exult in my majesty [2] 13:5 Or earth; also verse 9 [3] 13:6 The Hebrew words for destruction and almighty sound alike [4] 13:18 Hebrew dash in pieces [5] 13:21 Or owls [6] 13:22 Or foxes [7] 14:2 Or servants [8] 14:4 Dead Sea Scroll (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate); the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain [9] 14:13 Or in the remote parts of Zaphon [10] 14:18 Hebrew house [11] 14:23 Possibly porcupine, or owl (ESV) New Testament: Hebrews 8–9:10 Hebrews 8–9:10 (Listen) Jesus, High Priest of a Better Covenant 8 Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 a minister in the holy places, in the true tent1 that the Lord set up, not man. 3 For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. 4 Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. 5 They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” 6 But as it is, Christ2 has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. 8 For he finds fault with them when he says:3   “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord,    when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel    and with the house of Judah,9   not like the covenant that I made with their fathers    on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt.  For they did not continue in my covenant,    and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord.10   For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel    after those days, declares the Lord:  I will put my laws into their minds,    and write them on their hearts,  and I will be their God,    and they shall be my people.11   And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor    and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,'  for they shall all know me,    from the least of them to the greatest.12   For I will be merciful toward their iniquities,    and I will remember their sins no more.” 13 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. The Earthly Holy Place 9 Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly place of holiness. 2 For a tent4 was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence.5 It is called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a second section6 called the Most Holy Place, 4 having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron's staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. 5 Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. 6 These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, 7 but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. 8 By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing 9 (which is symbolic for the present age).7 According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, 10 but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation. Footnotes [1] 8:2 Or tabernacle; also verse 5 [2] 8:6 Greek he [3] 8:8 Some manuscripts For finding fault with it he says to them [4] 9:2 Or tabernacle; also verses 11, 21 [5] 9:2 Greek the presentation of the loaves [6] 9:3 Greek tent; also verses 6, 8 [7] 9:9 Or which is symbolic for the age then present (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 86 Psalm 86 (Listen) Great Is Your Steadfast Love A Prayer of David. 86   Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me,    for I am poor and needy.2   Preserve my life, for I am godly;    save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God.3 

Morning: Isaiah 13–15 Isaiah 13–15 (Listen) The Judgment of Babylon 13 The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. 2   On a bare hill raise a signal;    cry aloud to them;  wave the hand for them to enter    the gates of the nobles.3   I myself have commanded my consecrated ones,    and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger,    my proudly exulting ones.1 4   The sound of a tumult is on the mountains    as of a great multitude!  The sound of an uproar of kingdoms,    of nations gathering together!  The LORD of hosts is mustering    a host for battle.5   They come from a distant land,    from the end of the heavens,  the LORD and the weapons of his indignation,    to destroy the whole land.2 6   Wail, for the day of the LORD is near;    as destruction from the Almighty3 it will come!7   Therefore all hands will be feeble,    and every human heart will melt.8   They will be dismayed:    pangs and agony will seize them;    they will be in anguish like a woman in labor.  They will look aghast at one another;    their faces will be aflame. 9   Behold, the day of the LORD comes,    cruel, with wrath and fierce anger,  to make the land a desolation    and to destroy its sinners from it.10   For the stars of the heavens and their constellations    will not give their light;  the sun will be dark at its rising,    and the moon will not shed its light.11   I will punish the world for its evil,    and the wicked for their iniquity;  I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant,    and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.12   I will make people more rare than fine gold,    and mankind than the gold of Ophir.13   Therefore I will make the heavens tremble,    and the earth will be shaken out of its place,  at the wrath of the LORD of hosts    in the day of his fierce anger.14   And like a hunted gazelle,    or like sheep with none to gather them,  each will turn to his own people,    and each will flee to his own land.15   Whoever is found will be thrust through,    and whoever is caught will fall by the sword.16   Their infants will be dashed in pieces    before their eyes;  their houses will be plundered    and their wives ravished. 17   Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them,    who have no regard for silver    and do not delight in gold.18   Their bows will slaughter4 the young men;    they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb;    their eyes will not pity children.19   And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,    the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans,  will be like Sodom and Gomorrah    when God overthrew them.20   It will never be inhabited    or lived in for all generations;  no Arab will pitch his tent there;    no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.21   But wild animals will lie down there,    and their houses will be full of howling creatures;  there ostriches5 will dwell,    and there wild goats will dance.22   Hyenas6 will cry in its towers,    and jackals in the pleasant palaces;  its time is close at hand    and its days will not be prolonged. The Restoration of Jacob 14 For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2 And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the LORD's land as male and female slaves.7 They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them. Israel's Remnant Taunts Babylon 3 When the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:   “How the oppressor has ceased,    the insolent fury8 ceased!5   The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked,    the scepter of rulers,6   that struck the peoples in wrath    with unceasing blows,  that ruled the nations in anger    with unrelenting persecution.7   The whole earth is at rest and quiet;    they break forth into singing.8   The cypresses rejoice at you,    the cedars of Lebanon, saying,  ‘Since you were laid low,    no woodcutter comes up against us.'9   Sheol beneath is stirred up    to meet you when you come;  it rouses the shades to greet you,    all who were leaders of the earth;  it raises from their thrones    all who were kings of the nations.10   All of them will answer    and say to you:  ‘You too have become as weak as we!    You have become like us!'11   Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,    the sound of your harps;  maggots are laid as a bed beneath you,    and worms are your covers. 12   “How you are fallen from heaven,    O Day Star, son of Dawn!  How you are cut down to the ground,    you who laid the nations low!13   You said in your heart,    ‘I will ascend to heaven;  above the stars of God    I will set my throne on high;  I will sit on the mount of assembly    in the far reaches of the north;914   I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;    I will make myself like the Most High.'15   But you are brought down to Sheol,    to the far reaches of the pit.16   Those who see you will stare at you    and ponder over you:  ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,    who shook kingdoms,17   who made the world like a desert    and overthrew its cities,    who did not let his prisoners go home?'18   All the kings of the nations lie in glory,    each in his own tomb;1019   but you are cast out, away from your grave,    like a loathed branch,  clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword,    who go down to the stones of the pit,    like a dead body trampled underfoot.20   You will not be joined with them in burial,    because you have destroyed your land,    you have slain your people.   “May the offspring of evildoers    nevermore be named!21   Prepare slaughter for his sons    because of the guilt of their fathers,  lest they rise and possess the earth,    and fill the face of the world with cities.” 22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity,” declares the LORD. 23 “And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog,11 and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of hosts. An Oracle Concerning Assyria 24   The LORD of hosts has sworn:  “As I have planned,    so shall it be,  and as I have purposed,    so shall it stand,25   that I will break the Assyrian in my land,    and on my mountains trample him underfoot;  and his yoke shall depart from them,    and his burden from their shoulder.” 26   This is the purpose that is purposed    concerning the whole earth,  and this is the hand that is stretched out    over all the nations.27   For the LORD of hosts has purposed,    and who will annul it?  His hand is stretched out,    and who will turn it back? An Oracle Concerning Philistia 28 In the year that King Ahaz died came this oracle: 29   Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you,    that the rod that struck you is broken,  for from the serpent's root will come forth an adder,    and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent.30   And the firstborn of the poor will graze,    and the needy lie down in safety;  but I will kill your root with famine,    and your remnant it will slay.31   Wail, O gate; cry out, O city;    melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you!  For smoke comes out of the north,    and there is no straggler in his ranks. 32   What will one answer the messengers of the nation?  “The LORD has founded Zion,    and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge.” An Oracle Concerning Moab 15 An oracle concerning Moab.   Because Ar of Moab is laid waste in a night,    Moab is undone;  because Kir of Moab is laid waste in a night,    Moab is undone.2   He has gone up to the temple,12 and to Dibon,    to the high places13 to weep;  over Nebo and over Medeba    Moab wails.  On every head is baldness;    every beard is shorn;3   in the streets they wear sackcloth;    on the housetops and in the squares    everyone wails and melts in tears.4   Heshbon and Elealeh cry out;    their voice is heard as far as Jahaz;  therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud;    his soul trembles.5   My heart cries out for Moab;    her fugitives flee to Zoar,    to Eglath-shelishiyah.  For at the ascent of Luhith    they go up weeping;  on the road to Horonaim    they raise a cry of destruction;6   the waters of Nimrim    are a desolation;  the grass is withered, the vegetation fails,    the greenery is no more.7   Therefore the abundance they have gained    and what they have laid up  they carry away    over the Brook of the Willows.8   For a cry has gone    around the land of Moab;  her wailing reaches to Eglaim;    her wailing reaches to Beer-elim.9   For the waters of Dibon14 are full of blood;    for I will bring upon Dibon even more,  a lion for those of Moab who escape,    for the remnant of the land. Footnotes [1] 13:3 Or those who exult in my majesty [2] 13:5 Or earth; also verse 9 [3] 13:6 The Hebrew words for destruction and almighty sound alike [4] 13:18 Hebrew dash in pieces [5] 13:21 Or owls [6] 13:22 Or foxes [7] 14:2 Or servants [8] 14:4 Dead Sea Scroll (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate); the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain [9] 14:13 Or in the remote parts of Zaphon [10] 14:18 Hebrew house [11] 14:23 Possibly porcupine, or owl [12] 15:2 Hebrew the house [13] 15:2 Or temple, even Dibon to the high places [14] 15:9 Dead Sea Scroll, Vulgate (compare Syriac); Masoretic Text Dimon; twice in this verse (ESV) Evening: Galatians 6 Galatians 6 (Listen) Bear One Another's Burdens 6 Brothers,1 if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. 5 For each will have to bear his own load. 6 Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. Final Warning and Benediction 11 See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. 12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. 14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which2 the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. 16 And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. 17 From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen. Footnotes

Isaiah 13–17 Isaiah 13–17 (Listen) The Judgment of Babylon 13 The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. 2   On a bare hill raise a signal;    cry aloud to them;  wave the hand for them to enter    the gates of the nobles.3   I myself have commanded my consecrated ones,    and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger,    my proudly exulting ones.1 4   The sound of a tumult is on the mountains    as of a great multitude!  The sound of an uproar of kingdoms,    of nations gathering together!  The LORD of hosts is mustering    a host for battle.5   They come from a distant land,    from the end of the heavens,  the LORD and the weapons of his indignation,    to destroy the whole land.2 6   Wail, for the day of the LORD is near;    as destruction from the Almighty3 it will come!7   Therefore all hands will be feeble,    and every human heart will melt.8   They will be dismayed:    pangs and agony will seize them;    they will be in anguish like a woman in labor.  They will look aghast at one another;    their faces will be aflame. 9   Behold, the day of the LORD comes,    cruel, with wrath and fierce anger,  to make the land a desolation    and to destroy its sinners from it.10   For the stars of the heavens and their constellations    will not give their light;  the sun will be dark at its rising,    and the moon will not shed its light.11   I will punish the world for its evil,    and the wicked for their iniquity;  I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant,    and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.12   I will make people more rare than fine gold,    and mankind than the gold of Ophir.13   Therefore I will make the heavens tremble,    and the earth will be shaken out of its place,  at the wrath of the LORD of hosts    in the day of his fierce anger.14   And like a hunted gazelle,    or like sheep with none to gather them,  each will turn to his own people,    and each will flee to his own land.15   Whoever is found will be thrust through,    and whoever is caught will fall by the sword.16   Their infants will be dashed in pieces    before their eyes;  their houses will be plundered    and their wives ravished. 17   Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them,    who have no regard for silver    and do not delight in gold.18   Their bows will slaughter4 the young men;    they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb;    their eyes will not pity children.19   And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,    the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans,  will be like Sodom and Gomorrah    when God overthrew them.20   It will never be inhabited    or lived in for all generations;  no Arab will pitch his tent there;    no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.21   But wild animals will lie down there,    and their houses will be full of howling creatures;  there ostriches5 will dwell,    and there wild goats will dance.22   Hyenas6 will cry in its towers,    and jackals in the pleasant palaces;  its time is close at hand    and its days will not be prolonged. The Restoration of Jacob 14 For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2 And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the LORD's land as male and female slaves.7 They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them. Israel's Remnant Taunts Babylon 3 When the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:   “How the oppressor has ceased,    the insolent fury8 ceased!5   The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked,    the scepter of rulers,6   that struck the peoples in wrath    with unceasing blows,  that ruled the nations in anger    with unrelenting persecution.7   The whole earth is at rest and quiet;    they break forth into singing.8   The cypresses rejoice at you,    the cedars of Lebanon, saying,  ‘Since you were laid low,    no woodcutter comes up against us.'9   Sheol beneath is stirred up    to meet you when you come;  it rouses the shades to greet you,    all who were leaders of the earth;  it raises from their thrones    all who were kings of the nations.10   All of them will answer    and say to you:  ‘You too have become as weak as we!    You have become like us!'11   Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,    the sound of your harps;  maggots are laid as a bed beneath you,    and worms are your covers. 12   “How you are fallen from heaven,    O Day Star, son of Dawn!  How you are cut down to the ground,    you who laid the nations low!13   You said in your heart,    ‘I will ascend to heaven;  above the stars of God    I will set my throne on high;  I will sit on the mount of assembly    in the far reaches of the north;914   I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;    I will make myself like the Most High.'15   But you are brought down to Sheol,    to the far reaches of the pit.16   Those who see you will stare at you    and ponder over you:  ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,    who shook kingdoms,17   who made the world like a desert    and overthrew its cities,    who did not let his prisoners go home?'18   All the kings of the nations lie in glory,    each in his own tomb;1019   but you are cast out, away from your grave,    like a loathed branch,  clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword,    who go down to the stones of the pit,    like a dead body trampled underfoot.20   You will not be joined with them in burial,    because you have destroyed your land,    you have slain your people.   “May the offspring of evildoers    nevermore be named!21   Prepare slaughter for his sons    because of the guilt of their fathers,  lest they rise and possess the earth,    and fill the face of the world with cities.” 22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity,” declares the LORD. 23 “And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog,11 and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of hosts. An Oracle Concerning Assyria 24   The LORD of hosts has sworn:  “As I have planned,    so shall it be,  and as I have purposed,    so shall it stand,25   that I will break the Assyrian in my land,    and on my mountains trample him underfoot;  and his yoke shall depart from them,    and his burden from their shoulder.” 26   This is the purpose that is purposed    concerning the whole earth,  and this is the hand that is stretched out    over all the nations.27   For the LORD of hosts has purposed,    and who will annul it?  His hand is stretched out,    and who will turn it back? An Oracle Concerning Philistia 28 In the year that King Ahaz died came this oracle: 29   Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you,    that the rod that struck you is broken,  for from the serpent's root will come forth an adder,    and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent.30   And the firstborn of the poor will graze,    and the needy lie down in safety;  but I will kill your root with famine,    and your remnant it will slay.31   Wail, O gate; cry out, O city;    melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you!  For smoke comes out of the north,    and there is no straggler in his ranks. 32   What will one answer the messengers of the nation?  “The LORD has founded Zion,    and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge.” An Oracle Concerning Moab 15 An oracle concerning Moab.   Because Ar of Moab is laid waste in a night,    Moab is undone;  because Kir of Moab is laid waste in a night,    Moab is undone.2   He has gone up to the temple,12 and to Dibon,    to the high places13 to weep;  over Nebo and over Medeba    Moab wails.  On every head is baldness;    every beard is shorn;3   in the streets they wear sackcloth;    on the housetops and in the squares    everyone wails and melts in tears.4   Heshbon and Elealeh cry out;    their voice is heard as far as Jahaz;  therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud;    his soul trembles.5   My heart cries out for Moab;    her fugitives flee to Zoar,    to Eglath-shelishiyah.  For at the ascent of Luhith    they go up weeping;  on the road to Horonaim    they raise a cry of destruction;6   the waters of Nimrim    are a desolation;  the grass is withered, the vegetation fails,    the greenery is no more.7   Therefore the abundance they have gained    and what they have laid up  they carry away    over the Brook of the Willows.8   For a cry has gone    around the land of Moab;  her wailing reaches to Eglaim;    her wailing reaches to Beer-elim.9   For the waters of Dibon14 are full of blood;    for I will bring upon Dibon even more,  a lion for those of Moab who escape,    for the remnant of the land.16   Send the lamb to the ruler of the land,  from Sela, by way of the desert,    to the mount of the daughter of Zion.2   Like fleeing birds,    like a scattered nest,  so are the daughters of Moab    at the fords of the Arnon. 3   “Give counsel;    grant justice;  make your shade like night    at the height of noon;  shelter the outcasts;    do not reveal the fugitive;4   let the outcasts of Moab    sojourn among you;  be a shelter to them15    from the destroyer.  When the oppressor is no more,    and destruction has ceased,  and he who tramples underfoot has vanished from the land,5   then a throne will be established in steadfast love,    and on it will sit in faithfulness    in the tent of David  one who judges and seeks justice    and is swift to do righteousness.” 6   We have heard of the pride of Moab—    how proud he is!—  of his arrogance, his pride, and his insolence;    in his idle boasting he is not right.7   Therefore let Moab wail for Moab,    let everyone wail.  Mourn, utterly stricken,    for the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth. 8   For the fields of Heshbon languish,    and the vine of Sibmah;  the lords of the nations    have struck down its branches,  which reached to Jazer    and strayed to the desert;  its shoots spread abroad    and passed over the sea.9   Therefore I weep with the weeping of Jazer    for the vine of Sibmah;  I drench you with my tears,    O Heshbon and Elealeh;

12 “How you are fallen from heaven,    O Day Star, son of Dawn!How you are cut down to the ground,    you who laid the nations low!13 You said in your heart,    ‘I will ascend to heaven;above the stars of God    I will set my throne on high;I will sit on the mount of assembly    in the far reaches of the north;14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;    I will make myself like the Most High.' The post The two kingdoms (DC summer camp 2023) appeared first on Disciples Church.

Isaiah 13–17 Isaiah 13–17 (Listen) The Judgment of Babylon 13 The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. 2   On a bare hill raise a signal;    cry aloud to them;  wave the hand for them to enter    the gates of the nobles.3   I myself have commanded my consecrated ones,    and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger,    my proudly exulting ones.1 4   The sound of a tumult is on the mountains    as of a great multitude!  The sound of an uproar of kingdoms,    of nations gathering together!  The LORD of hosts is mustering    a host for battle.5   They come from a distant land,    from the end of the heavens,  the LORD and the weapons of his indignation,    to destroy the whole land.2 6   Wail, for the day of the LORD is near;    as destruction from the Almighty3 it will come!7   Therefore all hands will be feeble,    and every human heart will melt.8   They will be dismayed:    pangs and agony will seize them;    they will be in anguish like a woman in labor.  They will look aghast at one another;    their faces will be aflame. 9   Behold, the day of the LORD comes,    cruel, with wrath and fierce anger,  to make the land a desolation    and to destroy its sinners from it.10   For the stars of the heavens and their constellations    will not give their light;  the sun will be dark at its rising,    and the moon will not shed its light.11   I will punish the world for its evil,    and the wicked for their iniquity;  I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant,    and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.12   I will make people more rare than fine gold,    and mankind than the gold of Ophir.13   Therefore I will make the heavens tremble,    and the earth will be shaken out of its place,  at the wrath of the LORD of hosts    in the day of his fierce anger.14   And like a hunted gazelle,    or like sheep with none to gather them,  each will turn to his own people,    and each will flee to his own land.15   Whoever is found will be thrust through,    and whoever is caught will fall by the sword.16   Their infants will be dashed in pieces    before their eyes;  their houses will be plundered    and their wives ravished. 17   Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them,    who have no regard for silver    and do not delight in gold.18   Their bows will slaughter4 the young men;    they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb;    their eyes will not pity children.19   And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,    the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans,  will be like Sodom and Gomorrah    when God overthrew them.20   It will never be inhabited    or lived in for all generations;  no Arab will pitch his tent there;    no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.21   But wild animals will lie down there,    and their houses will be full of howling creatures;  there ostriches5 will dwell,    and there wild goats will dance.22   Hyenas6 will cry in its towers,    and jackals in the pleasant palaces;  its time is close at hand    and its days will not be prolonged. The Restoration of Jacob 14 For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2 And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the LORD's land as male and female slaves.7 They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them. Israel's Remnant Taunts Babylon 3 When the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:   “How the oppressor has ceased,    the insolent fury8 ceased!5   The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked,    the scepter of rulers,6   that struck the peoples in wrath    with unceasing blows,  that ruled the nations in anger    with unrelenting persecution.7   The whole earth is at rest and quiet;    they break forth into singing.8   The cypresses rejoice at you,    the cedars of Lebanon, saying,  ‘Since you were laid low,    no woodcutter comes up against us.'9   Sheol beneath is stirred up    to meet you when you come;  it rouses the shades to greet you,    all who were leaders of the earth;  it raises from their thrones    all who were kings of the nations.10   All of them will answer    and say to you:  ‘You too have become as weak as we!    You have become like us!'11   Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,    the sound of your harps;  maggots are laid as a bed beneath you,    and worms are your covers. 12   “How you are fallen from heaven,    O Day Star, son of Dawn!  How you are cut down to the ground,    you who laid the nations low!13   You said in your heart,    ‘I will ascend to heaven;  above the stars of God    I will set my throne on high;  I will sit on the mount of assembly    in the far reaches of the north;914   I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;    I will make myself like the Most High.'15   But you are brought down to Sheol,    to the far reaches of the pit.16   Those who see you will stare at you    and ponder over you:  ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,    who shook kingdoms,17   who made the world like a desert    and overthrew its cities,    who did not let his prisoners go home?'18   All the kings of the nations lie in glory,    each in his own tomb;1019   but you are cast out, away from your grave,    like a loathed branch,  clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword,    who go down to the stones of the pit,    like a dead body trampled underfoot.20   You will not be joined with them in burial,    because you have destroyed your land,    you have slain your people.   “May the offspring of evildoers    nevermore be named!21   Prepare slaughter for his sons    because of the guilt of their fathers,  lest they rise and possess the earth,    and fill the face of the world with cities.” 22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity,” declares the LORD. 23 “And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog,11 and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of hosts. An Oracle Concerning Assyria 24   The LORD of hosts has sworn:  “As I have planned,    so shall it be,  and as I have purposed,    so shall it stand,25   that I will break the Assyrian in my land,    and on my mountains trample him underfoot;  and his yoke shall depart from them,    and his burden from their shoulder.” 26   This is the purpose that is purposed    concerning the whole earth,  and this is the hand that is stretched out    over all the nations.27   For the LORD of hosts has purposed,    and who will annul it?  His hand is stretched out,    and who will turn it back? An Oracle Concerning Philistia 28 In the year that King Ahaz died came this oracle: 29   Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you,    that the rod that struck you is broken,  for from the serpent's root will come forth an adder,    and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent.30   And the firstborn of the poor will graze,    and the needy lie down in safety;  but I will kill your root with famine,    and your remnant it will slay.31   Wail, O gate; cry out, O city;    melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you!  For smoke comes out of the north,    and there is no straggler in his ranks. 32   What will one answer the messengers of the nation?  “The LORD has founded Zion,    and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge.” An Oracle Concerning Moab 15 An oracle concerning Moab.   Because Ar of Moab is laid waste in a night,    Moab is undone;  because Kir of Moab is laid waste in a night,    Moab is undone.2   He has gone up to the temple,12 and to Dibon,    to the high places13 to weep;  over Nebo and over Medeba    Moab wails.  On every head is baldness;    every beard is shorn;3   in the streets they wear sackcloth;    on the housetops and in the squares    everyone wails and melts in tears.4   Heshbon and Elealeh cry out;    their voice is heard as far as Jahaz;  therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud;    his soul trembles.5   My heart cries out for Moab;    her fugitives flee to Zoar,    to Eglath-shelishiyah.  For at the ascent of Luhith    they go up weeping;  on the road to Horonaim    they raise a cry of destruction;6   the waters of Nimrim    are a desolation;  the grass is withered, the vegetation fails,    the greenery is no more.7   Therefore the abundance they have gained    and what they have laid up  they carry away    over the Brook of the Willows.8   For a cry has gone    around the land of Moab;  her wailing reaches to Eglaim;    her wailing reaches to Beer-elim.9   For the waters of Dibon14 are full of blood;    for I will bring upon Dibon even more,  a lion for those of Moab who escape,    for the remnant of the land.16   Send the lamb to the ruler of the land,  from Sela, by way of the desert,    to the mount of the daughter of Zion.2   Like fleeing birds,    like a scattered nest,  so are the daughters of Moab    at the fords of the Arnon. 3   “Give counsel;    grant justice;  make your shade like night    at the height of noon;  shelter the outcasts;    do not reveal the fugitive;4   let the outcasts of Moab    sojourn among you;  be a shelter to them15    from the destroyer.  When the oppressor is no more,    and destruction has ceased,  and he who tramples underfoot has vanished from the land,5   then a throne will be established in steadfast love,    and on it will sit in faithfulness    in the tent of David  one who judges and seeks justice    and is swift to do righteousness.” 6   We have heard of the pride of Moab—    how proud he is!—  of his arrogance, his pride, and his insolence;    in his idle boasting he is not right.7   Therefore let Moab wail for Moab,    let everyone wail.  Mourn, utterly stricken,    for the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth. 8   For the fields of Heshbon languish,    and the vine of Sibmah;  the lords of the nations    have struck down its branches,  which reached to Jazer    and strayed to the desert;  its shoots spread abroad    and passed over the sea.9   Therefore I weep with the weeping of Jazer    for the vine of Sibmah;  I drench you with my tears,    O Heshbon and Elealeh;

With family: Numbers 24; Psalms 66–67 Numbers 24 (Listen) Balaam's Third Oracle 24 When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go, as at other times, to look for omens, but set his face toward the wilderness. 2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. And the Spirit of God came upon him, 3 and he took up his discourse and said,   “The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,    the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,14   the oracle of him who hears the words of God,    who sees the vision of the Almighty,    falling down with his eyes uncovered:5   How lovely are your tents, O Jacob,    your encampments, O Israel!6   Like palm groves2 that stretch afar,    like gardens beside a river,  like aloes that the LORD has planted,    like cedar trees beside the waters.7   Water shall flow from his buckets,    and his seed shall be in many waters;  his king shall be higher than Agag,    and his kingdom shall be exalted.8   God brings him out of Egypt    and is for him like the horns of the wild ox;  he shall eat up the nations, his adversaries,    and shall break their bones in pieces    and pierce them through with his arrows.9   He crouched, he lay down like a lion    and like a lioness; who will rouse him up?  Blessed are those who bless you,    and cursed are those who curse you.” 10 And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. And Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them these three times. 11 Therefore now flee to your own place. I said, ‘I will certainly honor you,' but the LORD has held you back from honor.” 12 And Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not tell your messengers whom you sent to me, 13 ‘If Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the word of the LORD, to do either good or bad of my own will. What the LORD speaks, that will I speak'? 14 And now, behold, I am going to my people. Come, I will let you know what this people will do to your people in the latter days.” Balaam's Final Oracle 15 And he took up his discourse and said,   “The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,    the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,16   the oracle of him who hears the words of God,    and knows the knowledge of the Most High,  who sees the vision of the Almighty,    falling down with his eyes uncovered:17   I see him, but not now;    I behold him, but not near:  a star shall come out of Jacob,    and a scepter shall rise out of Israel;  it shall crush the forehead3 of Moab    and break down all the sons of Sheth.18   Edom shall be dispossessed;    Seir also, his enemies, shall be dispossessed.    Israel is doing valiantly.19   And one from Jacob shall exercise dominion    and destroy the survivors of cities!” 20 Then he looked on Amalek and took up his discourse and said,   “Amalek was the first among the nations,    but its end is utter destruction.” 21 And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his discourse and said,   “Enduring is your dwelling place,    and your nest is set in the rock.22   Nevertheless, Kain shall be burned    when Asshur takes you away captive.” 23 And he took up his discourse and said,   “Alas, who shall live when God does this?24     But ships shall come from Kittim  and shall afflict Asshur and Eber;    and he too shall come to utter destruction.” 25 Then Balaam rose and went back to his place. And Balak also went his way. Footnotes [1] 24:3 Or closed, or perfect; also verse 15 [2] 24:6 Or valleys [3] 24:17 Hebrew corners [of the head] (ESV) Psalms 66–67 (Listen) How Awesome Are Your Deeds To the choirmaster. A Song. A Psalm. 66   Shout for joy to God, all the earth;2     sing the glory of his name;    give to him glorious praise!3   Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!    So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.4   All the earth worships you    and sings praises to you;    they sing praises to your name.” Selah 5   Come and see what God has done:    he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.6   He turned the sea into dry land;    they passed through the river on foot.  There did we rejoice in him,7     who rules by his might forever,  whose eyes keep watch on the nations—    let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah 8   Bless our God, O peoples;    let the sound of his praise be heard,9   who has kept our soul among the living    and has not let our feet slip.10   For you, O God, have tested us;    you have tried us as silver is tried.11   You brought us into the net;    you laid a crushing burden on our backs;12   you let men ride over our heads;    we went through fire and through water;  yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance. 13   I will come into your house with burnt offerings;    I will perform my vows to you,14   that which my lips uttered    and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.15   I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals,    with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams;  I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah 16   Come and hear, all you who fear God,    and I will tell what he has done for my soul.17   I cried to him with my mouth,    and high praise was on1 my tongue.218   If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,    the Lord would not have listened.19   But truly God has listened;    he has attended to the voice of my prayer. 20   Blessed be God,    because he has not rejected my prayer    or removed his steadfast love from me! Make Your Face Shine upon Us To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song. 67   May God be gracious to us and bless us    and make his face to shine upon us, Selah2   that your way may be known on earth,    your saving power among all nations.3   Let the peoples praise you, O God;    let all the peoples praise you! 4   Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,    for you judge the peoples with equity    and guide the nations upon earth. Selah5   Let the peoples praise you, O God;    let all the peoples praise you! 6   The earth has yielded its increase;    God, our God, shall bless us.7   God shall bless us;    let all the ends of the earth fear him! Footnotes [1] 66:17 Hebrew under [2] 66:17 Or and he was exalted with my tongue (ESV) In private: Isaiah 14; 1 Peter 2 Isaiah 14 (Listen) The Restoration of Jacob 14 For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2 And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the LORD's land as male and female slaves.1 They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them. Israel's Remnant Taunts Babylon 3 When the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:   “How the oppressor has ceased,    the insolent fury2 ceased!5   The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked,    the scepter of rulers,6   that struck the peoples in wrath    with unceasing blows,  that ruled the nations in anger    with unrelenting persecution.7   The whole earth is at rest and quiet;    they break forth into singing.8   The cypresses rejoice at you,    the cedars of Lebanon, saying,  ‘Since you were laid low,    no woodcutter comes up against us.'9   Sheol beneath is stirred up    to meet you when you come;  it rouses the shades to greet you,    all who were leaders of the earth;  it raises from their thrones    all who were kings of the nations.10   All of them will answer    and say to you:  ‘You too have become as weak as we!    You have become like us!'11   Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,    the sound of your harps;  maggots are laid as a bed beneath you,    and worms are your covers. 12   “How you are fallen from heaven,    O Day Star, son of Dawn!  How you are cut down to the ground,    you who laid the nations low!13   You said in your heart,    ‘I will ascend to heaven;  above the stars of God    I will set my throne on high;  I will sit on the mount of assembly    in the far reaches of the north;314   I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;    I will make myself like the Most High.'15   But you are brought down to Sheol,    to the far reaches of the pit.16   Those who see you will stare at you    and ponder over you:  ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,    who shook kingdoms,17   who made the world like a desert    and overthrew its cities,    who did not let his prisoners go home?'18   All the kings of the nations lie in glory,    each in his own tomb;419   but you are cast out, away from your grave,    like a loathed branch,  clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword,    who go down to the stones of the pit,    like a dead body trampled underfoot.20   You will not be joined with them in burial,    because you have destroyed your land,    you have slain your people.   “May the offspring of evildoers    nevermore be named!21   Prepare slaughter for his sons    because of the guilt of their fathers,  lest they rise and possess the earth,    and fill the face of the world with cities.” 22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity,” declares the LORD. 23 “And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog,5 and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of hosts. An Oracle Concerning Assyria 24   The LORD of hosts has sworn:  “As I have planned,    so shall it be,  and as I have purposed,    so shall it stand,25   that I will break the Assyrian in my land,    and on my mountains trample him underfoot;  and his yoke shall depart from them,    and his burden from their shoulder.” 26   This is the purpose that is purposed    concerning the whole earth,  and this is the hand that is stretched out    over all the nations.27   For the LORD of hosts has purposed,    and who will annul it?  His hand is stretched out,    and who will turn it back? An Oracle Concerning Philistia 28 In the year that King Ahaz died came this oracle: 29   Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you,    that the rod that struck you is broken,  for from the serpent's root will come forth an adder,    and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent.30   And the firstborn of the poor will graze,    and the needy lie down in safety;  but I will kill your root with famine,    and your remnant it will slay.31   Wail, O gate; cry out, O city;    melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you!  For smoke comes out of the north,    and there is no straggler in his ranks. 32   What will one answer the messengers of the nation?  “The LORD has founded Zion,    and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge.” Footnotes [1] 14:2 Or servants [2] 14:4 Dead Sea Scroll (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate); the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain [3] 14:13 Or in the remote parts of Zaphon [4] 14:18 Hebrew house [5] 14:23 Possibly porcupine, or owl (ESV) 1 Peter 2 (Listen) A Living Stone and a Holy People 2 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. 4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture:

Awareness of & Standing Against  “the schemes of the devil”2 Corinthians 2:11 - 11 in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.Ephesians 6:10-12 - 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.1 Corinthians 12:10 – “to another the ability to distinguish between spirits”“He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit.”“…the ability to tell the difference between gifts that come from the Spirit and those that do not”A Vision for FreedomLuke 6:17-18  - 17 When Jesus had come down from the hill with the apostles, he stood on a level place with a large number of his disciples. A large crowd of people was there from all over Judea and from Jerusalem and from the coastal cities of Tyre and Sidon; 18 they had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those who were troubled by evil spirits also came and were healed. ROCK OC = A PLACE FOR ALL TYPES OF HEALING!!Origin of Demonic Realm - SatanSatan's Fall – Who? When? What?Ezekiel 28:13-15 – 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God… 14 You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God.  15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. Isaiah 14:12-14 - “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star/shining one/O Lucifer, son of Dawn!“...When he saw man made in the image of God, he [Satan] broke forth into jealous and malevolent envy. ...How great an evil it was, beloved brethren, that caused an angel to fall!” Cyprian (AD250)The devil was one of those angels who are placed over the spirit of the air. ...However, becoming envious of man, he was rendered an apostate from the divine law. Irenaeus (AD180)Origin of Demonic Realm - Fallen Angels & Demons•Fallen Angelic Beings – “Sons of God”/ “Watchers” / “elohim” - embodied•Nephilim - LXX –γίγαντες (gigantes) = Demons (disembodied spirits)Genesis 6:1-4 - When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. 3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” 4 The nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.Psalm 82:1, 6-7 – 1 God [elohim] has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods [elohim] He holds judgment…6 I said, “You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you; 7 nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince.”Origin and Schemes of the Demonic RealmThe angels transgressed this appointment and were captivated by love of women. And they begat children [the nephilim], who are those who are called demons.  Justin Martyr (AD 160)These angels, then, who have fallen from heaven, and haunt the air and the earth, and are no longer able to rise to heavenly things, and the souls of the giants [nephilim], who are the demons who wander about the world, perform similar actions.  Athenagoras (AD 175)Furthermore, we are instructed by our sacred books how from certain angels, who fell of their own free will, there sprang a more wicked demon brood, condemned of God along with the authors of their race. ...Their great business is the ruin of mankind. So, from the start, spiritual wickedness sought our destruction. Accordingly, they inflict upon our bodies diseases and other grievous calamities. And by violent assaults, they hurry the soul into sudden and extraordinary excesses. ...By an influence equally obscure, demons and angels breathe into the soul, and rouse up its corruptions with furious passions and vile excesses.  Tertullian (AD 197)“…the demons…No doubt, they are very kind, too, in regard to the healing of diseases! For, first of all, they make you ill. Then, to get a miracle out of it,...they withdraw their hurtful influence. Supposedly, then, they have wrought a cure!”  Tertullian (AD197)The angels transgressed this appointment and were captivated by love of women. And they begat…certain wicked demons (so to speak, of the race of Titans or giants [nephilim]) who have been guilty of impiety towards the true God and towards the angels in heaven. They have fallen from it, and they haunt the denser parts of bodies. They also frequent unclean places on the earth. Since they are without bodies of earthly material, they possess some power of foretelling future events. So, they engage in works of this kind, desiring to lead the human race away from the true God. They also secretly enter the bodies of the more predatory, savage, and wicked of animals and stir them up to do whatever they choose, whenever they choose. They can turn the fancies of these animals to make flights and movements of various kinds, in order to entrap men by such power of divination.  Origen (AD 248)Among angels, some are angels of God, and others are angels of the devil. But among demons, there is no such distinction. For they are all said to be wicked.  Origen (AD 248)From the seed [of the fallen angels and women], giants [nephilim] are said to have been born. By them, arts were made known in the earth. They taught the dyeing of wool and everything that is done. When they died, men erected images to them. Yet, because they were of an evil seed, the Almighty did not approve of their being brought back from death when they had died. For that reason, they wander and they now subvert many bodies. And it is these whom you [pagans] presently worship and pray to as gods.  Commodianus (AD 240)However, those who were born from [the relations of angels with women]—because they were neither angels nor men, but had a mixed nature—were not admitted into Hades [when they died]. Similarly, their fathers had not been admitted into heaven, either. Thus, there came to be two kinds of demons: one of heaven, the other of the earth. The latter are the wicked spirits, who are the authors of all the evils that are done. This same devil is their prince. ...However, grammari­ans say that the reason they are called demons...is because they are skilled and acquainted with matters. For the grammarians think they are gods. In truth, the demons are acquainted with some future events, but not with all. For He has not permitted them to know entirely the counsel of God. ...As I was saying, these contaminated and abandoned spirits wander over the whole earth. They console their own ruin by destroying others. Therefore, they fill every place with snares, deceits, frauds, and errors. For they cling to individuals and even occupy whole houses, from door to door. ...And since spirits are without physical substance and cannot be held, they slink into the bodies of men. Secretly working in their inward parts, they corrupt the health of these persons, bring on diseases, terrify their souls with dreams, and harass their minds with frenzies. They do this so that by these evils, they may cause men to come to them for aid.  Lactantius (AD 304-313)Summary of the Schemes of the Demonic RealmSeduction & secret knowledge (fallen angels)Haunt the air and the earth (both)Business = ruin of humanity (demons)Inflict bodily disease (demons) – ‘calamities'?Soul into sudden & extraordinary excesses (demons)Rouse corruptions, passions, vile excesses (both)Illness & then demonic healing (demons)Haunt denser parts of human bodies (demons)Hang around “unclean places” (demons)Disembodied (demons)“Some power” of foretelling future (demons)Lead humanity away from God/deception (demons)Possess animals, affect behavior to entrap us (demons)All wicked (demons)Arts revealed (demons? fallen angels)Source of idolatry & false religions (demons)Wander & subvert bodies (demons)Worshipped as false gods (demons)Authors of ALL evils (demons)Devil = their prince (both)Sow snares, deceits, frauds, and errors (demons)Nightmares (demons)Work secretly in our inward parts (demons)Harrass minds (demons)MODERN APPLICATIONSMental Health issues – anxiety, paranoiaAddictionsSexual perversions, abominationsChanneling – Sex Magick, spirit guidesReincarnationYoga (false religious ideas/practices)Fortune TellingNew Age ideasHoroscope (Astrology)SUMMARY OF DEMONIC SCHEMES - "THE WATCHERS"“…the same angels who rushed from heaven on the daughters of men. ... they laid bare the operations of metallurgy, divulged the natural properties of herbs, promulgated the powers of enchantments, and traced out every curiosity, even to the interpreta­tion of the stars. They conferred appropriately—and as it were, peculiarly—upon women that instrumental means of womanly ostentation: the radiances of jewels,...the dyes of orchil with which wools are dyed, and that black powder itself with which the eyelids and eyelashes are made prominent.  Tertullian (AD 198)“those angels—the deserters from God, the lovers of women—were likewise the discoverers of this curious art [of astrology]...For we know the mutual alliance of magic and astrology.  Tertullian (AD200)Secret Knowledge (forbidden)Art of seduction (make-up, jewelry)Advanced Technology AstrologyMagicpharmakeia (herbs)Future Deception?? Alien agenda? “as in the days of Noah”Medical? – Rev. 18:23 - …your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery (Gk. pharmakeia).RESOURCES FOR FURTHER STUDYDemons – documentary - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H41Lw2YEY74 Demons: What the Bible Really Says about the Powers of Darkness – Michael HeiserThe Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible – Michael Heiser

Isaiah 9:6-7Summary: The incarnation of Jesus Christ is the beginning of the establishment of God's eternal Kingdom. Jesus has come to redeem and rescue but one day in the future, He will take His place as the One True King.Isaiah 9:6–7 (ESV) 6For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.Understanding the Big Picture of the Kingdom.1)   God is Creator and King.  Genesis 1:1 (ESV)n the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.John 1:1–5 (ESV) 1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4In him was life, and the life was the light of men.5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.2)   The devil leads a rebellion against the LORD.Isaiah 14:12–15 (ESV) 12“How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! 13You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; 14I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.' 15But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit.3)   The Devil is judged BY GOD!  Luke 10:18 (ESV) And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.4)   The Devil leads man to rebel against God.Genesis 3:15 (ESV) I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”5)   God promises a Savior and KING to the world. Gen 3:14,15Genesis 3:14–15 (ESV) 14The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. 15I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”6)   Jesus brings us the Good News of His Kingdom.John 3:16–17 (ESV) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.7)   HE CONTINUES THE WORK OF THE KINGDOM THRU HIS CHURCH.Matthew 28:18–20 (ESV) And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”8)   AT THE APPOINTED TIME HE WILL RETURN TO PUT HIS KINGDOM INTO FULL EFFECT!Revelation 19:11–16 (ESV) 11Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.12His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.9)   The One True King will reign forever and ever.Revelation 21:1–6 (ESV) 1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Isaiah 9:6-7Summary: The incarnation of Jesus Christ is the beginning of the establishment of God's eternal Kingdom. Jesus has come to redeem and rescue but one day in the future, He will take His place as the One True King.Isaiah 9:6–7 (ESV) 6For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.Understanding the Big Picture of the Kingdom.1)   God is Creator and King.  Genesis 1:1 (ESV)n the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.John 1:1–5 (ESV) 1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4In him was life, and the life was the light of men.5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.2)   The devil leads a rebellion against the LORD.Isaiah 14:12–15 (ESV) 12“How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! 13You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; 14I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.' 15But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit.3)   The Devil is judged BY GOD!  Luke 10:18 (ESV) And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.4)   The Devil leads man to rebel against God.Genesis 3:15 (ESV) I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”5)   God promises a Savior and KING to the world. Gen 3:14,15Genesis 3:14–15 (ESV) 14The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. 15I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”6)   Jesus brings us the Good News of His Kingdom.John 3:16–17 (ESV) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.7)   HE CONTINUES THE WORK OF THE KINGDOM THRU HIS CHURCH.Matthew 28:18–20 (ESV) And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”8)   AT THE APPOINTED TIME HE WILL RETURN TO PUT HIS KINGDOM INTO FULL EFFECT!Revelation 19:11–16 (ESV) 11Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.12His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.9)   The One True King will reign forever and ever.Revelation 21:1–6 (ESV) 1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 114 Psalm 114 (Listen) Tremble at the Presence of the Lord 114   When Israel went out from Egypt,    the house of Jacob from a people of strange language,2   Judah became his sanctuary,    Israel his dominion. 3   The sea looked and fled;    Jordan turned back.4   The mountains skipped like rams,    the hills like lambs. 5   What ails you, O sea, that you flee?    O Jordan, that you turn back?6   O mountains, that you skip like rams?    O hills, like lambs? 7   Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,    at the presence of the God of Jacob,8   who turns the rock into a pool of water,    the flint into a spring of water. (ESV) Pentateuch and History: 2 Kings 22 2 Kings 22 (Listen) Josiah Reigns in Judah 22 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in all the way of David his father, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left. Josiah Repairs the Temple 3 In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, the secretary, to the house of the LORD, saying, 4 “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may count the money that has been brought into the house of the LORD, which the keepers of the threshold have collected from the people. 5 And let it be given into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the LORD, and let them give it to the workmen who are at the house of the LORD, repairing the house 6 (that is, to the carpenters, and to the builders, and to the masons), and let them use it for buying timber and quarried stone to repair the house. 7 But no accounting shall be asked from them for the money that is delivered into their hand, for they deal honestly.” Hilkiah Finds the Book of the Law 8 And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. 9 And Shaphan the secretary came to the king, and reported to the king, “Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the LORD.” 10 Then Shaphan the secretary told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it before the king. 11 When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes. 12 And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying, 13 “Go, inquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.” 14 So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter), and they talked with her. 15 And she said to them, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: ‘Tell the man who sent you to me, 16 Thus says the LORD, Behold, I will bring disaster upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the words of the book that the king of Judah has read. 17 Because they have forsaken me and have made offerings to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore my wrath will be kindled against this place, and it will not be quenched. 18 But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, thus shall you say to him, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Regarding the words that you have heard, 19 because your heart was penitent, and you humbled yourself before the LORD, when you heard how I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the LORD. 20 Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring upon this place.'” And they brought back word to the king. (ESV) Chronicles and Prophets: Isaiah 13–14 Isaiah 13–14 (Listen) The Judgment of Babylon 13 The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. 2   On a bare hill raise a signal;    cry aloud to them;  wave the hand for them to enter    the gates of the nobles.3   I myself have commanded my consecrated ones,    and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger,    my proudly exulting ones.1 4   The sound of a tumult is on the mountains    as of a great multitude!  The sound of an uproar of kingdoms,    of nations gathering together!  The LORD of hosts is mustering    a host for battle.5   They come from a distant land,    from the end of the heavens,  the LORD and the weapons of his indignation,    to destroy the whole land.2 6   Wail, for the day of the LORD is near;    as destruction from the Almighty3 it will come!7   Therefore all hands will be feeble,    and every human heart will melt.8   They will be dismayed:    pangs and agony will seize them;    they will be in anguish like a woman in labor.  They will look aghast at one another;    their faces will be aflame. 9   Behold, the day of the LORD comes,    cruel, with wrath and fierce anger,  to make the land a desolation    and to destroy its sinners from it.10   For the stars of the heavens and their constellations    will not give their light;  the sun will be dark at its rising,    and the moon will not shed its light.11   I will punish the world for its evil,    and the wicked for their iniquity;  I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant,    and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.12   I will make people more rare than fine gold,    and mankind than the gold of Ophir.13   Therefore I will make the heavens tremble,    and the earth will be shaken out of its place,  at the wrath of the LORD of hosts    in the day of his fierce anger.14   And like a hunted gazelle,    or like sheep with none to gather them,  each will turn to his own people,    and each will flee to his own land.15   Whoever is found will be thrust through,    and whoever is caught will fall by the sword.16   Their infants will be dashed in pieces    before their eyes;  their houses will be plundered    and their wives ravished. 17   Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them,    who have no regard for silver    and do not delight in gold.18   Their bows will slaughter4 the young men;    they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb;    their eyes will not pity children.19   And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,    the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans,  will be like Sodom and Gomorrah    when God overthrew them.20   It will never be inhabited    or lived in for all generations;  no Arab will pitch his tent there;    no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.21   But wild animals will lie down there,    and their houses will be full of howling creatures;  there ostriches5 will dwell,    and there wild goats will dance.22   Hyenas6 will cry in its towers,    and jackals in the pleasant palaces;  its time is close at hand    and its days will not be prolonged. The Restoration of Jacob 14 For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2 And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the LORD's land as male and female slaves.7 They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them. Israel's Remnant Taunts Babylon 3 When the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:   “How the oppressor has ceased,    the insolent fury8 ceased!5   The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked,    the scepter of rulers,6   that struck the peoples in wrath    with unceasing blows,  that ruled the nations in anger    with unrelenting persecution.7   The whole earth is at rest and quiet;    they break forth into singing.8   The cypresses rejoice at you,    the cedars of Lebanon, saying,  ‘Since you were laid low,    no woodcutter comes up against us.'9   Sheol beneath is stirred up    to meet you when you come;  it rouses the shades to greet you,    all who were leaders of the earth;  it raises from their thrones    all who were kings of the nations.10   All of them will answer    and say to you:  ‘You too have become as weak as we!    You have become like us!'11   Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,    the sound of your harps;  maggots are laid as a bed beneath you,    and worms are your covers. 12   “How you are fallen from heaven,    O Day Star, son of Dawn!  How you are cut down to the ground,    you who laid the nations low!13   You said in your heart,    ‘I will ascend to heaven;  above the stars of God    I will set my throne on high;  I will sit on the mount of assembly    in the far reaches of the north;914   I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;    I will make myself like the Most High.'15   But you are brought down to Sheol,    to the far reaches of the pit.16   Those who see you will stare at you    and ponder over you:  ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,    who shook kingdoms,17   who made the world like a desert    and overthrew its cities,    who did not let his prisoners go home?'18   All the kings of the nations lie in glory,    each in his own tomb;1019   but you are cast out, away from your grave,    like a loathed branch,  clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword,    who go down to the stones of the pit,    like a dead body trampled underfoot.20   You will not be joined with them in burial,    because you have destroyed your land,    you have slain your people.   “May the offspring of evildoers    nevermore be named!21   Prepare slaughter for his sons    because of the guilt of their fathers,  lest they rise and possess the earth,    and fill the face of the world with cities.” 22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity,” declares the LORD. 23 “And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog,11 and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of hosts. An Oracle Concerning Assyria 24   The LORD of hosts has sworn:  “As I have planned,    so shall it be,  and as I have purposed,    so shall it stand,25   that I will break the Assyrian in my land,    and on my mountains trample him underfoot;  and his yoke shall depart from them,    and his burden from their shoulder.” 26   This is the purpose that is purposed    concerning the whole earth,  and this is the hand that is stretched out    over all the nations.27   For the LORD of hosts has purposed,    and who will annul it?  His hand is stretched out,    and who will turn it back? An Oracle Concerning Philistia 28 In the year that King Ahaz died came this oracle: 29   Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you,    that the rod that struck you is broken,  for from the serpent's root will come forth an adder,    and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent.30   And the firstborn of the poor will graze,    and the needy lie down in safety;  but I will kill your root with famine,    and your remnant it will slay.31   Wail, O gate; cry out, O city;    melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you!  For smoke comes out of the north,    and there is no straggler in his ranks. 32   What will one answer the messengers of the nation?  “The LORD has founded Zion,    and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge.” Footnotes [1] 13:3 Or those who exult in my majesty [2] 13:5 Or earth; also verse 9 [3] 13:6 The Hebrew words for destruction and almighty sound alike [4] 13:18 Hebrew dash in pieces [5] 13:21 Or owls [6] 13:22 Or foxes [7] 14:2 Or servants [8] 14:4 Dead Sea Scroll (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate); the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain [9] 14:13 Or in the remote parts of Zaphon [10] 14:18 Hebrew house [11] 14:23 Possibly porcupine, or owl (ESV) Gospels and Epistles: John 15:1–17 John 15:1–17 (Listen) I Am the True Vine 15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

Old Testament: Isaiah 13–14 Isaiah 13–14 (Listen) The Judgment of Babylon 13 The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. 2   On a bare hill raise a signal;    cry aloud to them;  wave the hand for them to enter    the gates of the nobles.3   I myself have commanded my consecrated ones,    and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger,    my proudly exulting ones.1 4   The sound of a tumult is on the mountains    as of a great multitude!  The sound of an uproar of kingdoms,    of nations gathering together!  The LORD of hosts is mustering    a host for battle.5   They come from a distant land,    from the end of the heavens,  the LORD and the weapons of his indignation,    to destroy the whole land.2 6   Wail, for the day of the LORD is near;    as destruction from the Almighty3 it will come!7   Therefore all hands will be feeble,    and every human heart will melt.8   They will be dismayed:    pangs and agony will seize them;    they will be in anguish like a woman in labor.  They will look aghast at one another;    their faces will be aflame. 9   Behold, the day of the LORD comes,    cruel, with wrath and fierce anger,  to make the land a desolation    and to destroy its sinners from it.10   For the stars of the heavens and their constellations    will not give their light;  the sun will be dark at its rising,    and the moon will not shed its light.11   I will punish the world for its evil,    and the wicked for their iniquity;  I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant,    and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.12   I will make people more rare than fine gold,    and mankind than the gold of Ophir.13   Therefore I will make the heavens tremble,    and the earth will be shaken out of its place,  at the wrath of the LORD of hosts    in the day of his fierce anger.14   And like a hunted gazelle,    or like sheep with none to gather them,  each will turn to his own people,    and each will flee to his own land.15   Whoever is found will be thrust through,    and whoever is caught will fall by the sword.16   Their infants will be dashed in pieces    before their eyes;  their houses will be plundered    and their wives ravished. 17   Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them,    who have no regard for silver    and do not delight in gold.18   Their bows will slaughter4 the young men;    they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb;    their eyes will not pity children.19   And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,    the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans,  will be like Sodom and Gomorrah    when God overthrew them.20   It will never be inhabited    or lived in for all generations;  no Arab will pitch his tent there;    no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.21   But wild animals will lie down there,    and their houses will be full of howling creatures;  there ostriches5 will dwell,    and there wild goats will dance.22   Hyenas6 will cry in its towers,    and jackals in the pleasant palaces;  its time is close at hand    and its days will not be prolonged. The Restoration of Jacob 14 For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2 And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the LORD's land as male and female slaves.7 They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them. Israel's Remnant Taunts Babylon 3 When the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:   “How the oppressor has ceased,    the insolent fury8 ceased!5   The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked,    the scepter of rulers,6   that struck the peoples in wrath    with unceasing blows,  that ruled the nations in anger    with unrelenting persecution.7   The whole earth is at rest and quiet;    they break forth into singing.8   The cypresses rejoice at you,    the cedars of Lebanon, saying,  ‘Since you were laid low,    no woodcutter comes up against us.'9   Sheol beneath is stirred up    to meet you when you come;  it rouses the shades to greet you,    all who were leaders of the earth;  it raises from their thrones    all who were kings of the nations.10   All of them will answer    and say to you:  ‘You too have become as weak as we!    You have become like us!'11   Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,    the sound of your harps;  maggots are laid as a bed beneath you,    and worms are your covers. 12   “How you are fallen from heaven,    O Day Star, son of Dawn!  How you are cut down to the ground,    you who laid the nations low!13   You said in your heart,    ‘I will ascend to heaven;  above the stars of God    I will set my throne on high;  I will sit on the mount of assembly    in the far reaches of the north;914   I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;    I will make myself like the Most High.'15   But you are brought down to Sheol,    to the far reaches of the pit.16   Those who see you will stare at you    and ponder over you:  ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,    who shook kingdoms,17   who made the world like a desert    and overthrew its cities,    who did not let his prisoners go home?'18   All the kings of the nations lie in glory,    each in his own tomb;1019   but you are cast out, away from your grave,    like a loathed branch,  clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword,    who go down to the stones of the pit,    like a dead body trampled underfoot.20   You will not be joined with them in burial,    because you have destroyed your land,    you have slain your people.   “May the offspring of evildoers    nevermore be named!21   Prepare slaughter for his sons    because of the guilt of their fathers,  lest they rise and possess the earth,    and fill the face of the world with cities.” 22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity,” declares the LORD. 23 “And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog,11 and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of hosts. An Oracle Concerning Assyria 24   The LORD of hosts has sworn:  “As I have planned,    so shall it be,  and as I have purposed,    so shall it stand,25   that I will break the Assyrian in my land,    and on my mountains trample him underfoot;  and his yoke shall depart from them,    and his burden from their shoulder.” 26   This is the purpose that is purposed    concerning the whole earth,  and this is the hand that is stretched out    over all the nations.27   For the LORD of hosts has purposed,    and who will annul it?  His hand is stretched out,    and who will turn it back? An Oracle Concerning Philistia 28 In the year that King Ahaz died came this oracle: 29   Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you,    that the rod that struck you is broken,  for from the serpent's root will come forth an adder,    and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent.30   And the firstborn of the poor will graze,    and the needy lie down in safety;  but I will kill your root with famine,    and your remnant it will slay.31   Wail, O gate; cry out, O city;    melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you!  For smoke comes out of the north,    and there is no straggler in his ranks. 32   What will one answer the messengers of the nation?  “The LORD has founded Zion,    and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge.” Footnotes [1] 13:3 Or those who exult in my majesty [2] 13:5 Or earth; also verse 9 [3] 13:6 The Hebrew words for destruction and almighty sound alike [4] 13:18 Hebrew dash in pieces [5] 13:21 Or owls [6] 13:22 Or foxes [7] 14:2 Or servants [8] 14:4 Dead Sea Scroll (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate); the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain [9] 14:13 Or in the remote parts of Zaphon [10] 14:18 Hebrew house [11] 14:23 Possibly porcupine, or owl (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 86 Psalm 86 (Listen) Great Is Your Steadfast Love A Prayer of David. 86   Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me,    for I am poor and needy.2   Preserve my life, for I am godly;    save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God.3   Be gracious to me, O Lord,    for to you do I cry all the day.4   Gladden the soul of your servant,    for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.5   For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,    abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.6   Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer;    listen to my plea for grace.7   In the day of my trouble I call upon you,    for you answer me. 8   There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,    nor are there any works like yours.9   All the nations you have made shall come    and worship before you, O Lord,    and shall glorify your name.10   For you are great and do wondrous things;    you alone are God.11   Teach me your way, O LORD,    that I may walk in your truth;    unite my heart to fear your name.12   I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,    and I will glorify your name forever.13   For great is your steadfast love toward me;    you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. 14   O God, insolent men have risen up against me;    a band of ruthless men seeks my life,    and they do not set you before them.15   But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.16   Turn to me and be gracious to me;    give your strength to your servant,    and save the son of your maidservant.17   Show me a sign of your favor,    that those who hate me may see and be put to shame    because you, LORD, have helped me and comforted me. (ESV) New Testament: Acts 9 Acts 9 (Listen) The Conversion of Saul 9 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. 10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; 19 and taking food, he was strengthened. Saul Proclaims Jesus in Synagogues For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. 20 And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” 21 And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of thos

Old Testament: Isaiah 13–14 Isaiah 13–14 (Listen) The Judgment of Babylon 13 The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. 2   On a bare hill raise a signal;    cry aloud to them;  wave the hand for them to enter    the gates of the nobles.3   I myself have commanded my consecrated ones,    and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger,    my proudly exulting ones.1 4   The sound of a tumult is on the mountains    as of a great multitude!  The sound of an uproar of kingdoms,    of nations gathering together!  The LORD of hosts is mustering    a host for battle.5   They come from a distant land,    from the end of the heavens,  the LORD and the weapons of his indignation,    to destroy the whole land.2 6   Wail, for the day of the LORD is near;    as destruction from the Almighty3 it will come!7   Therefore all hands will be feeble,    and every human heart will melt.8   They will be dismayed:    pangs and agony will seize them;    they will be in anguish like a woman in labor.  They will look aghast at one another;    their faces will be aflame. 9   Behold, the day of the LORD comes,    cruel, with wrath and fierce anger,  to make the land a desolation    and to destroy its sinners from it.10   For the stars of the heavens and their constellations    will not give their light;  the sun will be dark at its rising,    and the moon will not shed its light.11   I will punish the world for its evil,    and the wicked for their iniquity;  I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant,    and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.12   I will make people more rare than fine gold,    and mankind than the gold of Ophir.13   Therefore I will make the heavens tremble,    and the earth will be shaken out of its place,  at the wrath of the LORD of hosts    in the day of his fierce anger.14   And like a hunted gazelle,    or like sheep with none to gather them,  each will turn to his own people,    and each will flee to his own land.15   Whoever is found will be thrust through,    and whoever is caught will fall by the sword.16   Their infants will be dashed in pieces    before their eyes;  their houses will be plundered    and their wives ravished. 17   Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them,    who have no regard for silver    and do not delight in gold.18   Their bows will slaughter4 the young men;    they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb;    their eyes will not pity children.19   And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,    the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans,  will be like Sodom and Gomorrah    when God overthrew them.20   It will never be inhabited    or lived in for all generations;  no Arab will pitch his tent there;    no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.21   But wild animals will lie down there,    and their houses will be full of howling creatures;  there ostriches5 will dwell,    and there wild goats will dance.22   Hyenas6 will cry in its towers,    and jackals in the pleasant palaces;  its time is close at hand    and its days will not be prolonged. The Restoration of Jacob 14 For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2 And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the LORD's land as male and female slaves.7 They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them. Israel's Remnant Taunts Babylon 3 When the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:   “How the oppressor has ceased,    the insolent fury8 ceased!5   The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked,    the scepter of rulers,6   that struck the peoples in wrath    with unceasing blows,  that ruled the nations in anger    with unrelenting persecution.7   The whole earth is at rest and quiet;    they break forth into singing.8   The cypresses rejoice at you,    the cedars of Lebanon, saying,  ‘Since you were laid low,    no woodcutter comes up against us.'9   Sheol beneath is stirred up    to meet you when you come;  it rouses the shades to greet you,    all who were leaders of the earth;  it raises from their thrones    all who were kings of the nations.10   All of them will answer    and say to you:  ‘You too have become as weak as we!    You have become like us!'11   Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,    the sound of your harps;  maggots are laid as a bed beneath you,    and worms are your covers. 12   “How you are fallen from heaven,    O Day Star, son of Dawn!  How you are cut down to the ground,    you who laid the nations low!13   You said in your heart,    ‘I will ascend to heaven;  above the stars of God    I will set my throne on high;  I will sit on the mount of assembly    in the far reaches of the north;914   I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;    I will make myself like the Most High.'15   But you are brought down to Sheol,    to the far reaches of the pit.16   Those who see you will stare at you    and ponder over you:  ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,    who shook kingdoms,17   who made the world like a desert    and overthrew its cities,    who did not let his prisoners go home?'18   All the kings of the nations lie in glory,    each in his own tomb;1019   but you are cast out, away from your grave,    like a loathed branch,  clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword,    who go down to the stones of the pit,    like a dead body trampled underfoot.20   You will not be joined with them in burial,    because you have destroyed your land,    you have slain your people.   “May the offspring of evildoers    nevermore be named!21   Prepare slaughter for his sons    because of the guilt of their fathers,  lest they rise and possess the earth,    and fill the face of the world with cities.” 22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity,” declares the LORD. 23 “And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog,11 and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of hosts. An Oracle Concerning Assyria 24   The LORD of hosts has sworn:  “As I have planned,    so shall it be,  and as I have purposed,    so shall it stand,25   that I will break the Assyrian in my land,    and on my mountains trample him underfoot;  and his yoke shall depart from them,    and his burden from their shoulder.” 26   This is the purpose that is purposed    concerning the whole earth,  and this is the hand that is stretched out    over all the nations.27   For the LORD of hosts has purposed,    and who will annul it?  His hand is stretched out,    and who will turn it back? An Oracle Concerning Philistia 28 In the year that King Ahaz died came this oracle: 29   Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you,    that the rod that struck you is broken,  for from the serpent's root will come forth an adder,    and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent.30   And the firstborn of the poor will graze,    and the needy lie down in safety;  but I will kill your root with famine,    and your remnant it will slay.31   Wail, O gate; cry out, O city;    melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you!  For smoke comes out of the north,    and there is no straggler in his ranks. 32   What will one answer the messengers of the nation?  “The LORD has founded Zion,    and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge.” Footnotes [1] 13:3 Or those who exult in my majesty [2] 13:5 Or earth; also verse 9 [3] 13:6 The Hebrew words for destruction and almighty sound alike [4] 13:18 Hebrew dash in pieces [5] 13:21 Or owls [6] 13:22 Or foxes [7] 14:2 Or servants [8] 14:4 Dead Sea Scroll (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate); the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain [9] 14:13 Or in the remote parts of Zaphon [10] 14:18 Hebrew house [11] 14:23 Possibly porcupine, or owl (ESV) New Testament: Hebrews 8–9:10 Hebrews 8–9:10 (Listen) Jesus, High Priest of a Better Covenant 8 Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 a minister in the holy places, in the true tent1 that the Lord set up, not man. 3 For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. 4 Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. 5 They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” 6 But as it is, Christ2 has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. 8 For he finds fault with them when he says:3   “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord,    when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel    and with the house of Judah,9   not like the covenant that I made with their fathers    on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt.  For they did not continue in my covenant,    and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord.10   For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel    after those days, declares the Lord:  I will put my laws into their minds,    and write them on their hearts,  and I will be their God,    and they shall be my people.11   And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor    and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,'  for they shall all know me,    from the least of them to the greatest.12   For I will be merciful toward their iniquities,    and I will remember their sins no more.” 13 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. The Earthly Holy Place 9 Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly place of holiness. 2 For a tent4 was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence.5 It is called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a second section6 called the Most Holy Place, 4 having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron's staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. 5 Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. 6 These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, 7 but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. 8 By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing 9 (which is symbolic for the present age).7 According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, 10 but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation. Footnotes [1] 8:2 Or tabernacle; also verse 5 [2] 8:6 Greek he [3] 8:8 Some manuscripts For finding fault with it he says to them [4] 9:2 Or tabernacle; also verses 11, 21 [5] 9:2 Greek the presentation of the loaves [6] 9:3 Greek tent; also verses 6, 8 [7] 9:9 Or which is symbolic for the age then present (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 86 Psalm 86 (Listen) Great Is Your Steadfast Love A Prayer of David. 86   Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me,    for I am poor and needy.2   Preserve my life, for I am godly;    save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God.3 

Morning: Isaiah 13–15 Isaiah 13–15 (Listen) The Judgment of Babylon 13 The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. 2   On a bare hill raise a signal;    cry aloud to them;  wave the hand for them to enter    the gates of the nobles.3   I myself have commanded my consecrated ones,    and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger,    my proudly exulting ones.1 4   The sound of a tumult is on the mountains    as of a great multitude!  The sound of an uproar of kingdoms,    of nations gathering together!  The LORD of hosts is mustering    a host for battle.5   They come from a distant land,    from the end of the heavens,  the LORD and the weapons of his indignation,    to destroy the whole land.2 6   Wail, for the day of the LORD is near;    as destruction from the Almighty3 it will come!7   Therefore all hands will be feeble,    and every human heart will melt.8   They will be dismayed:    pangs and agony will seize them;    they will be in anguish like a woman in labor.  They will look aghast at one another;    their faces will be aflame. 9   Behold, the day of the LORD comes,    cruel, with wrath and fierce anger,  to make the land a desolation    and to destroy its sinners from it.10   For the stars of the heavens and their constellations    will not give their light;  the sun will be dark at its rising,    and the moon will not shed its light.11   I will punish the world for its evil,    and the wicked for their iniquity;  I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant,    and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.12   I will make people more rare than fine gold,    and mankind than the gold of Ophir.13   Therefore I will make the heavens tremble,    and the earth will be shaken out of its place,  at the wrath of the LORD of hosts    in the day of his fierce anger.14   And like a hunted gazelle,    or like sheep with none to gather them,  each will turn to his own people,    and each will flee to his own land.15   Whoever is found will be thrust through,    and whoever is caught will fall by the sword.16   Their infants will be dashed in pieces    before their eyes;  their houses will be plundered    and their wives ravished. 17   Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them,    who have no regard for silver    and do not delight in gold.18   Their bows will slaughter4 the young men;    they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb;    their eyes will not pity children.19   And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,    the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans,  will be like Sodom and Gomorrah    when God overthrew them.20   It will never be inhabited    or lived in for all generations;  no Arab will pitch his tent there;    no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.21   But wild animals will lie down there,    and their houses will be full of howling creatures;  there ostriches5 will dwell,    and there wild goats will dance.22   Hyenas6 will cry in its towers,    and jackals in the pleasant palaces;  its time is close at hand    and its days will not be prolonged. The Restoration of Jacob 14 For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2 And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the LORD's land as male and female slaves.7 They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them. Israel's Remnant Taunts Babylon 3 When the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:   “How the oppressor has ceased,    the insolent fury8 ceased!5   The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked,    the scepter of rulers,6   that struck the peoples in wrath    with unceasing blows,  that ruled the nations in anger    with unrelenting persecution.7   The whole earth is at rest and quiet;    they break forth into singing.8   The cypresses rejoice at you,    the cedars of Lebanon, saying,  ‘Since you were laid low,    no woodcutter comes up against us.'9   Sheol beneath is stirred up    to meet you when you come;  it rouses the shades to greet you,    all who were leaders of the earth;  it raises from their thrones    all who were kings of the nations.10   All of them will answer    and say to you:  ‘You too have become as weak as we!    You have become like us!'11   Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,    the sound of your harps;  maggots are laid as a bed beneath you,    and worms are your covers. 12   “How you are fallen from heaven,    O Day Star, son of Dawn!  How you are cut down to the ground,    you who laid the nations low!13   You said in your heart,    ‘I will ascend to heaven;  above the stars of God    I will set my throne on high;  I will sit on the mount of assembly    in the far reaches of the north;914   I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;    I will make myself like the Most High.'15   But you are brought down to Sheol,    to the far reaches of the pit.16   Those who see you will stare at you    and ponder over you:  ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,    who shook kingdoms,17   who made the world like a desert    and overthrew its cities,    who did not let his prisoners go home?'18   All the kings of the nations lie in glory,    each in his own tomb;1019   but you are cast out, away from your grave,    like a loathed branch,  clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword,    who go down to the stones of the pit,    like a dead body trampled underfoot.20   You will not be joined with them in burial,    because you have destroyed your land,    you have slain your people.   “May the offspring of evildoers    nevermore be named!21   Prepare slaughter for his sons    because of the guilt of their fathers,  lest they rise and possess the earth,    and fill the face of the world with cities.” 22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity,” declares the LORD. 23 “And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog,11 and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of hosts. An Oracle Concerning Assyria 24   The LORD of hosts has sworn:  “As I have planned,    so shall it be,  and as I have purposed,    so shall it stand,25   that I will break the Assyrian in my land,    and on my mountains trample him underfoot;  and his yoke shall depart from them,    and his burden from their shoulder.” 26   This is the purpose that is purposed    concerning the whole earth,  and this is the hand that is stretched out    over all the nations.27   For the LORD of hosts has purposed,    and who will annul it?  His hand is stretched out,    and who will turn it back? An Oracle Concerning Philistia 28 In the year that King Ahaz died came this oracle: 29   Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you,    that the rod that struck you is broken,  for from the serpent's root will come forth an adder,    and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent.30   And the firstborn of the poor will graze,    and the needy lie down in safety;  but I will kill your root with famine,    and your remnant it will slay.31   Wail, O gate; cry out, O city;    melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you!  For smoke comes out of the north,    and there is no straggler in his ranks. 32   What will one answer the messengers of the nation?  “The LORD has founded Zion,    and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge.” An Oracle Concerning Moab 15 An oracle concerning Moab.   Because Ar of Moab is laid waste in a night,    Moab is undone;  because Kir of Moab is laid waste in a night,    Moab is undone.2   He has gone up to the temple,12 and to Dibon,    to the high places13 to weep;  over Nebo and over Medeba    Moab wails.  On every head is baldness;    every beard is shorn;3   in the streets they wear sackcloth;    on the housetops and in the squares    everyone wails and melts in tears.4   Heshbon and Elealeh cry out;    their voice is heard as far as Jahaz;  therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud;    his soul trembles.5   My heart cries out for Moab;    her fugitives flee to Zoar,    to Eglath-shelishiyah.  For at the ascent of Luhith    they go up weeping;  on the road to Horonaim    they raise a cry of destruction;6   the waters of Nimrim    are a desolation;  the grass is withered, the vegetation fails,    the greenery is no more.7   Therefore the abundance they have gained    and what they have laid up  they carry away    over the Brook of the Willows.8   For a cry has gone    around the land of Moab;  her wailing reaches to Eglaim;    her wailing reaches to Beer-elim.9   For the waters of Dibon14 are full of blood;    for I will bring upon Dibon even more,  a lion for those of Moab who escape,    for the remnant of the land. Footnotes [1] 13:3 Or those who exult in my majesty [2] 13:5 Or earth; also verse 9 [3] 13:6 The Hebrew words for destruction and almighty sound alike [4] 13:18 Hebrew dash in pieces [5] 13:21 Or owls [6] 13:22 Or foxes [7] 14:2 Or servants [8] 14:4 Dead Sea Scroll (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate); the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain [9] 14:13 Or in the remote parts of Zaphon [10] 14:18 Hebrew house [11] 14:23 Possibly porcupine, or owl [12] 15:2 Hebrew the house [13] 15:2 Or temple, even Dibon to the high places [14] 15:9 Dead Sea Scroll, Vulgate (compare Syriac); Masoretic Text Dimon; twice in this verse (ESV) Evening: Galatians 6 Galatians 6 (Listen) Bear One Another's Burdens 6 Brothers,1 if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. 5 For each will have to bear his own load. 6 Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. Final Warning and Benediction 11 See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. 12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. 14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which2 the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. 16 And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. 17 From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen. Footnotes

Isaiah 13–17 Isaiah 13–17 (Listen) The Judgment of Babylon 13 The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. 2   On a bare hill raise a signal;    cry aloud to them;  wave the hand for them to enter    the gates of the nobles.3   I myself have commanded my consecrated ones,    and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger,    my proudly exulting ones.1 4   The sound of a tumult is on the mountains    as of a great multitude!  The sound of an uproar of kingdoms,    of nations gathering together!  The LORD of hosts is mustering    a host for battle.5   They come from a distant land,    from the end of the heavens,  the LORD and the weapons of his indignation,    to destroy the whole land.2 6   Wail, for the day of the LORD is near;    as destruction from the Almighty3 it will come!7   Therefore all hands will be feeble,    and every human heart will melt.8   They will be dismayed:    pangs and agony will seize them;    they will be in anguish like a woman in labor.  They will look aghast at one another;    their faces will be aflame. 9   Behold, the day of the LORD comes,    cruel, with wrath and fierce anger,  to make the land a desolation    and to destroy its sinners from it.10   For the stars of the heavens and their constellations    will not give their light;  the sun will be dark at its rising,    and the moon will not shed its light.11   I will punish the world for its evil,    and the wicked for their iniquity;  I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant,    and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.12   I will make people more rare than fine gold,    and mankind than the gold of Ophir.13   Therefore I will make the heavens tremble,    and the earth will be shaken out of its place,  at the wrath of the LORD of hosts    in the day of his fierce anger.14   And like a hunted gazelle,    or like sheep with none to gather them,  each will turn to his own people,    and each will flee to his own land.15   Whoever is found will be thrust through,    and whoever is caught will fall by the sword.16   Their infants will be dashed in pieces    before their eyes;  their houses will be plundered    and their wives ravished. 17   Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them,    who have no regard for silver    and do not delight in gold.18   Their bows will slaughter4 the young men;    they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb;    their eyes will not pity children.19   And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,    the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans,  will be like Sodom and Gomorrah    when God overthrew them.20   It will never be inhabited    or lived in for all generations;  no Arab will pitch his tent there;    no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.21   But wild animals will lie down there,    and their houses will be full of howling creatures;  there ostriches5 will dwell,    and there wild goats will dance.22   Hyenas6 will cry in its towers,    and jackals in the pleasant palaces;  its time is close at hand    and its days will not be prolonged. The Restoration of Jacob 14 For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2 And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the LORD's land as male and female slaves.7 They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them. Israel's Remnant Taunts Babylon 3 When the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:   “How the oppressor has ceased,    the insolent fury8 ceased!5   The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked,    the scepter of rulers,6   that struck the peoples in wrath    with unceasing blows,  that ruled the nations in anger    with unrelenting persecution.7   The whole earth is at rest and quiet;    they break forth into singing.8   The cypresses rejoice at you,    the cedars of Lebanon, saying,  ‘Since you were laid low,    no woodcutter comes up against us.'9   Sheol beneath is stirred up    to meet you when you come;  it rouses the shades to greet you,    all who were leaders of the earth;  it raises from their thrones    all who were kings of the nations.10   All of them will answer    and say to you:  ‘You too have become as weak as we!    You have become like us!'11   Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,    the sound of your harps;  maggots are laid as a bed beneath you,    and worms are your covers. 12   “How you are fallen from heaven,    O Day Star, son of Dawn!  How you are cut down to the ground,    you who laid the nations low!13   You said in your heart,    ‘I will ascend to heaven;  above the stars of God    I will set my throne on high;  I will sit on the mount of assembly    in the far reaches of the north;914   I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;    I will make myself like the Most High.'15   But you are brought down to Sheol,    to the far reaches of the pit.16   Those who see you will stare at you    and ponder over you:  ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,    who shook kingdoms,17   who made the world like a desert    and overthrew its cities,    who did not let his prisoners go home?'18   All the kings of the nations lie in glory,    each in his own tomb;1019   but you are cast out, away from your grave,    like a loathed branch,  clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword,    who go down to the stones of the pit,    like a dead body trampled underfoot.20   You will not be joined with them in burial,    because you have destroyed your land,    you have slain your people.   “May the offspring of evildoers    nevermore be named!21   Prepare slaughter for his sons    because of the guilt of their fathers,  lest they rise and possess the earth,    and fill the face of the world with cities.” 22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity,” declares the LORD. 23 “And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog,11 and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of hosts. An Oracle Concerning Assyria 24   The LORD of hosts has sworn:  “As I have planned,    so shall it be,  and as I have purposed,    so shall it stand,25   that I will break the Assyrian in my land,    and on my mountains trample him underfoot;  and his yoke shall depart from them,    and his burden from their shoulder.” 26   This is the purpose that is purposed    concerning the whole earth,  and this is the hand that is stretched out    over all the nations.27   For the LORD of hosts has purposed,    and who will annul it?  His hand is stretched out,    and who will turn it back? An Oracle Concerning Philistia 28 In the year that King Ahaz died came this oracle: 29   Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you,    that the rod that struck you is broken,  for from the serpent's root will come forth an adder,    and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent.30   And the firstborn of the poor will graze,    and the needy lie down in safety;  but I will kill your root with famine,    and your remnant it will slay.31   Wail, O gate; cry out, O city;    melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you!  For smoke comes out of the north,    and there is no straggler in his ranks. 32   What will one answer the messengers of the nation?  “The LORD has founded Zion,    and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge.” An Oracle Concerning Moab 15 An oracle concerning Moab.   Because Ar of Moab is laid waste in a night,    Moab is undone;  because Kir of Moab is laid waste in a night,    Moab is undone.2   He has gone up to the temple,12 and to Dibon,    to the high places13 to weep;  over Nebo and over Medeba    Moab wails.  On every head is baldness;    every beard is shorn;3   in the streets they wear sackcloth;    on the housetops and in the squares    everyone wails and melts in tears.4   Heshbon and Elealeh cry out;    their voice is heard as far as Jahaz;  therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud;    his soul trembles.5   My heart cries out for Moab;    her fugitives flee to Zoar,    to Eglath-shelishiyah.  For at the ascent of Luhith    they go up weeping;  on the road to Horonaim    they raise a cry of destruction;6   the waters of Nimrim    are a desolation;  the grass is withered, the vegetation fails,    the greenery is no more.7   Therefore the abundance they have gained    and what they have laid up  they carry away    over the Brook of the Willows.8   For a cry has gone    around the land of Moab;  her wailing reaches to Eglaim;    her wailing reaches to Beer-elim.9   For the waters of Dibon14 are full of blood;    for I will bring upon Dibon even more,  a lion for those of Moab who escape,    for the remnant of the land.16   Send the lamb to the ruler of the land,  from Sela, by way of the desert,    to the mount of the daughter of Zion.2   Like fleeing birds,    like a scattered nest,  so are the daughters of Moab    at the fords of the Arnon. 3   “Give counsel;    grant justice;  make your shade like night    at the height of noon;  shelter the outcasts;    do not reveal the fugitive;4   let the outcasts of Moab    sojourn among you;  be a shelter to them15    from the destroyer.  When the oppressor is no more,    and destruction has ceased,  and he who tramples underfoot has vanished from the land,5   then a throne will be established in steadfast love,    and on it will sit in faithfulness    in the tent of David  one who judges and seeks justice    and is swift to do righteousness.” 6   We have heard of the pride of Moab—    how proud he is!—  of his arrogance, his pride, and his insolence;    in his idle boasting he is not right.7   Therefore let Moab wail for Moab,    let everyone wail.  Mourn, utterly stricken,    for the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth. 8   For the fields of Heshbon languish,    and the vine of Sibmah;  the lords of the nations    have struck down its branches,  which reached to Jazer    and strayed to the desert;  its shoots spread abroad    and passed over the sea.9   Therefore I weep with the weeping of Jazer    for the vine of Sibmah;  I drench you with my tears,    O Heshbon and Elealeh;

Living in the Light - Part 3 The Dark Side vs. The Light Side The Dark Side Revelation 12:7-9 Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. This great dragon-the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world-was thrown down to the earth with all his angels. Isaiah 14:12-17 How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High." But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit. Those who see you will stare at you and ponder over you: "Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook the kingdoms, who made the world like a desert and overthrew its cities, who did not let his prisoners go home?" Ezekiel 28:12-19 "You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared. You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you.In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profance thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you. By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousnss of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries; so I brought fire out from your midst; it consumed you, and I turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all who saw you. All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever." Genesis 3:14-15 Then the Lord God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, grovelling in the dust as long as you live. And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel." Matthew 23:33 Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape the judgment of hell? Matthew 23:42-44 Jesus told them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me. Why can't you understand what I am saying? It's because you can't even hear me! For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies." The Light Side John 8:12 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life." Matthew 5:14 You are the light of the world. Genesis 1:27-28 So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Then God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground." 2 Peter 2:9 ...you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. Matthew 5:14 You are the light of the world-like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. Luke 10:17-18 When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, "Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!" "Yes," he told them, "I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning! Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. but don't rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven." Ephesians 6:10-17 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God's armors so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. John 1:5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

Isaiah 13–17 Isaiah 13–17 (Listen) The Judgment of Babylon 13 The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. 2   On a bare hill raise a signal;    cry aloud to them;  wave the hand for them to enter    the gates of the nobles.3   I myself have commanded my consecrated ones,    and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger,    my proudly exulting ones.1 4   The sound of a tumult is on the mountains    as of a great multitude!  The sound of an uproar of kingdoms,    of nations gathering together!  The LORD of hosts is mustering    a host for battle.5   They come from a distant land,    from the end of the heavens,  the LORD and the weapons of his indignation,    to destroy the whole land.2 6   Wail, for the day of the LORD is near;    as destruction from the Almighty3 it will come!7   Therefore all hands will be feeble,    and every human heart will melt.8   They will be dismayed:    pangs and agony will seize them;    they will be in anguish like a woman in labor.  They will look aghast at one another;    their faces will be aflame. 9   Behold, the day of the LORD comes,    cruel, with wrath and fierce anger,  to make the land a desolation    and to destroy its sinners from it.10   For the stars of the heavens and their constellations    will not give their light;  the sun will be dark at its rising,    and the moon will not shed its light.11   I will punish the world for its evil,    and the wicked for their iniquity;  I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant,    and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.12   I will make people more rare than fine gold,    and mankind than the gold of Ophir.13   Therefore I will make the heavens tremble,    and the earth will be shaken out of its place,  at the wrath of the LORD of hosts    in the day of his fierce anger.14   And like a hunted gazelle,    or like sheep with none to gather them,  each will turn to his own people,    and each will flee to his own land.15   Whoever is found will be thrust through,    and whoever is caught will fall by the sword.16   Their infants will be dashed in pieces    before their eyes;  their houses will be plundered    and their wives ravished. 17   Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them,    who have no regard for silver    and do not delight in gold.18   Their bows will slaughter4 the young men;    they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb;    their eyes will not pity children.19   And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,    the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans,  will be like Sodom and Gomorrah    when God overthrew them.20   It will never be inhabited    or lived in for all generations;  no Arab will pitch his tent there;    no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.21   But wild animals will lie down there,    and their houses will be full of howling creatures;  there ostriches5 will dwell,    and there wild goats will dance.22   Hyenas6 will cry in its towers,    and jackals in the pleasant palaces;  its time is close at hand    and its days will not be prolonged. The Restoration of Jacob 14 For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2 And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the LORD's land as male and female slaves.7 They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them. Israel's Remnant Taunts Babylon 3 When the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:   “How the oppressor has ceased,    the insolent fury8 ceased!5   The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked,    the scepter of rulers,6   that struck the peoples in wrath    with unceasing blows,  that ruled the nations in anger    with unrelenting persecution.7   The whole earth is at rest and quiet;    they break forth into singing.8   The cypresses rejoice at you,    the cedars of Lebanon, saying,  ‘Since you were laid low,    no woodcutter comes up against us.'9   Sheol beneath is stirred up    to meet you when you come;  it rouses the shades to greet you,    all who were leaders of the earth;  it raises from their thrones    all who were kings of the nations.10   All of them will answer    and say to you:  ‘You too have become as weak as we!    You have become like us!'11   Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,    the sound of your harps;  maggots are laid as a bed beneath you,    and worms are your covers. 12   “How you are fallen from heaven,    O Day Star, son of Dawn!  How you are cut down to the ground,    you who laid the nations low!13   You said in your heart,    ‘I will ascend to heaven;  above the stars of God    I will set my throne on high;  I will sit on the mount of assembly    in the far reaches of the north;914   I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;    I will make myself like the Most High.'15   But you are brought down to Sheol,    to the far reaches of the pit.16   Those who see you will stare at you    and ponder over you:  ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,    who shook kingdoms,17   who made the world like a desert    and overthrew its cities,    who did not let his prisoners go home?'18   All the kings of the nations lie in glory,    each in his own tomb;1019   but you are cast out, away from your grave,    like a loathed branch,  clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword,    who go down to the stones of the pit,    like a dead body trampled underfoot.20   You will not be joined with them in burial,    because you have destroyed your land,    you have slain your people.   “May the offspring of evildoers    nevermore be named!21   Prepare slaughter for his sons    because of the guilt of their fathers,  lest they rise and possess the earth,    and fill the face of the world with cities.” 22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity,” declares the LORD. 23 “And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog,11 and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of hosts. An Oracle Concerning Assyria 24   The LORD of hosts has sworn:  “As I have planned,    so shall it be,  and as I have purposed,    so shall it stand,25   that I will break the Assyrian in my land,    and on my mountains trample him underfoot;  and his yoke shall depart from them,    and his burden from their shoulder.” 26   This is the purpose that is purposed    concerning the whole earth,  and this is the hand that is stretched out    over all the nations.27   For the LORD of hosts has purposed,    and who will annul it?  His hand is stretched out,    and who will turn it back? An Oracle Concerning Philistia 28 In the year that King Ahaz died came this oracle: 29   Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you,    that the rod that struck you is broken,  for from the serpent's root will come forth an adder,    and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent.30   And the firstborn of the poor will graze,    and the needy lie down in safety;  but I will kill your root with famine,    and your remnant it will slay.31   Wail, O gate; cry out, O city;    melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you!  For smoke comes out of the north,    and there is no straggler in his ranks. 32   What will one answer the messengers of the nation?  “The LORD has founded Zion,    and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge.” An Oracle Concerning Moab 15 An oracle concerning Moab.   Because Ar of Moab is laid waste in a night,    Moab is undone;  because Kir of Moab is laid waste in a night,    Moab is undone.2   He has gone up to the temple,12 and to Dibon,    to the high places13 to weep;  over Nebo and over Medeba    Moab wails.  On every head is baldness;    every beard is shorn;3   in the streets they wear sackcloth;    on the housetops and in the squares    everyone wails and melts in tears.4   Heshbon and Elealeh cry out;    their voice is heard as far as Jahaz;  therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud;    his soul trembles.5   My heart cries out for Moab;    her fugitives flee to Zoar,    to Eglath-shelishiyah.  For at the ascent of Luhith    they go up weeping;  on the road to Horonaim    they raise a cry of destruction;6   the waters of Nimrim    are a desolation;  the grass is withered, the vegetation fails,    the greenery is no more.7   Therefore the abundance they have gained    and what they have laid up  they carry away    over the Brook of the Willows.8   For a cry has gone    around the land of Moab;  her wailing reaches to Eglaim;    her wailing reaches to Beer-elim.9   For the waters of Dibon14 are full of blood;    for I will bring upon Dibon even more,  a lion for those of Moab who escape,    for the remnant of the land.16   Send the lamb to the ruler of the land,  from Sela, by way of the desert,    to the mount of the daughter of Zion.2   Like fleeing birds,    like a scattered nest,  so are the daughters of Moab    at the fords of the Arnon. 3   “Give counsel;    grant justice;  make your shade like night    at the height of noon;  shelter the outcasts;    do not reveal the fugitive;4   let the outcasts of Moab    sojourn among you;  be a shelter to them15    from the destroyer.  When the oppressor is no more,    and destruction has ceased,  and he who tramples underfoot has vanished from the land,5   then a throne will be established in steadfast love,    and on it will sit in faithfulness    in the tent of David  one who judges and seeks justice    and is swift to do righteousness.” 6   We have heard of the pride of Moab—    how proud he is!—  of his arrogance, his pride, and his insolence;    in his idle boasting he is not right.7   Therefore let Moab wail for Moab,    let everyone wail.  Mourn, utterly stricken,    for the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth. 8   For the fields of Heshbon languish,    and the vine of Sibmah;  the lords of the nations    have struck down its branches,  which reached to Jazer    and strayed to the desert;  its shoots spread abroad    and passed over the sea.9   Therefore I weep with the weeping of Jazer    for the vine of Sibmah;  I drench you with my tears,    O Heshbon and Elealeh;

With family: Numbers 24; Psalms 66–67 Numbers 24 (Listen) Balaam's Third Oracle 24 When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go, as at other times, to look for omens, but set his face toward the wilderness. 2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. And the Spirit of God came upon him, 3 and he took up his discourse and said,   “The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,    the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,14   the oracle of him who hears the words of God,    who sees the vision of the Almighty,    falling down with his eyes uncovered:5   How lovely are your tents, O Jacob,    your encampments, O Israel!6   Like palm groves2 that stretch afar,    like gardens beside a river,  like aloes that the LORD has planted,    like cedar trees beside the waters.7   Water shall flow from his buckets,    and his seed shall be in many waters;  his king shall be higher than Agag,    and his kingdom shall be exalted.8   God brings him out of Egypt    and is for him like the horns of the wild ox;  he shall eat up the nations, his adversaries,    and shall break their bones in pieces    and pierce them through with his arrows.9   He crouched, he lay down like a lion    and like a lioness; who will rouse him up?  Blessed are those who bless you,    and cursed are those who curse you.” 10 And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. And Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them these three times. 11 Therefore now flee to your own place. I said, ‘I will certainly honor you,' but the LORD has held you back from honor.” 12 And Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not tell your messengers whom you sent to me, 13 ‘If Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the word of the LORD, to do either good or bad of my own will. What the LORD speaks, that will I speak'? 14 And now, behold, I am going to my people. Come, I will let you know what this people will do to your people in the latter days.” Balaam's Final Oracle 15 And he took up his discourse and said,   “The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,    the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,16   the oracle of him who hears the words of God,    and knows the knowledge of the Most High,  who sees the vision of the Almighty,    falling down with his eyes uncovered:17   I see him, but not now;    I behold him, but not near:  a star shall come out of Jacob,    and a scepter shall rise out of Israel;  it shall crush the forehead3 of Moab    and break down all the sons of Sheth.18   Edom shall be dispossessed;    Seir also, his enemies, shall be dispossessed.    Israel is doing valiantly.19   And one from Jacob shall exercise dominion    and destroy the survivors of cities!” 20 Then he looked on Amalek and took up his discourse and said,   “Amalek was the first among the nations,    but its end is utter destruction.” 21 And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his discourse and said,   “Enduring is your dwelling place,    and your nest is set in the rock.22   Nevertheless, Kain shall be burned    when Asshur takes you away captive.” 23 And he took up his discourse and said,   “Alas, who shall live when God does this?24     But ships shall come from Kittim  and shall afflict Asshur and Eber;    and he too shall come to utter destruction.” 25 Then Balaam rose and went back to his place. And Balak also went his way. Footnotes [1] 24:3 Or closed, or perfect; also verse 15 [2] 24:6 Or valleys [3] 24:17 Hebrew corners [of the head] (ESV) Psalms 66–67 (Listen) How Awesome Are Your Deeds To the choirmaster. A Song. A Psalm. 66   Shout for joy to God, all the earth;2     sing the glory of his name;    give to him glorious praise!3   Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!    So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.4   All the earth worships you    and sings praises to you;    they sing praises to your name.” Selah 5   Come and see what God has done:    he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.6   He turned the sea into dry land;    they passed through the river on foot.  There did we rejoice in him,7     who rules by his might forever,  whose eyes keep watch on the nations—    let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah 8   Bless our God, O peoples;    let the sound of his praise be heard,9   who has kept our soul among the living    and has not let our feet slip.10   For you, O God, have tested us;    you have tried us as silver is tried.11   You brought us into the net;    you laid a crushing burden on our backs;12   you let men ride over our heads;    we went through fire and through water;  yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance. 13   I will come into your house with burnt offerings;    I will perform my vows to you,14   that which my lips uttered    and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.15   I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals,    with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams;  I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah 16   Come and hear, all you who fear God,    and I will tell what he has done for my soul.17   I cried to him with my mouth,    and high praise was on1 my tongue.218   If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,    the Lord would not have listened.19   But truly God has listened;    he has attended to the voice of my prayer. 20   Blessed be God,    because he has not rejected my prayer    or removed his steadfast love from me! Make Your Face Shine upon Us To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song. 67   May God be gracious to us and bless us    and make his face to shine upon us, Selah2   that your way may be known on earth,    your saving power among all nations.3   Let the peoples praise you, O God;    let all the peoples praise you! 4   Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,    for you judge the peoples with equity    and guide the nations upon earth. Selah5   Let the peoples praise you, O God;    let all the peoples praise you! 6   The earth has yielded its increase;    God, our God, shall bless us.7   God shall bless us;    let all the ends of the earth fear him! Footnotes [1] 66:17 Hebrew under [2] 66:17 Or and he was exalted with my tongue (ESV) In private: Isaiah 14; 1 Peter 2 Isaiah 14 (Listen) The Restoration of Jacob 14 For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2 And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the LORD's land as male and female slaves.1 They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them. Israel's Remnant Taunts Babylon 3 When the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:   “How the oppressor has ceased,    the insolent fury2 ceased!5   The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked,    the scepter of rulers,6   that struck the peoples in wrath    with unceasing blows,  that ruled the nations in anger    with unrelenting persecution.7   The whole earth is at rest and quiet;    they break forth into singing.8   The cypresses rejoice at you,    the cedars of Lebanon, saying,  ‘Since you were laid low,    no woodcutter comes up against us.'9   Sheol beneath is stirred up    to meet you when you come;  it rouses the shades to greet you,    all who were leaders of the earth;  it raises from their thrones    all who were kings of the nations.10   All of them will answer    and say to you:  ‘You too have become as weak as we!    You have become like us!'11   Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,    the sound of your harps;  maggots are laid as a bed beneath you,    and worms are your covers. 12   “How you are fallen from heaven,    O Day Star, son of Dawn!  How you are cut down to the ground,    you who laid the nations low!13   You said in your heart,    ‘I will ascend to heaven;  above the stars of God    I will set my throne on high;  I will sit on the mount of assembly    in the far reaches of the north;314   I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;    I will make myself like the Most High.'15   But you are brought down to Sheol,    to the far reaches of the pit.16   Those who see you will stare at you    and ponder over you:  ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,    who shook kingdoms,17   who made the world like a desert    and overthrew its cities,    who did not let his prisoners go home?'18   All the kings of the nations lie in glory,    each in his own tomb;419   but you are cast out, away from your grave,    like a loathed branch,  clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword,    who go down to the stones of the pit,    like a dead body trampled underfoot.20   You will not be joined with them in burial,    because you have destroyed your land,    you have slain your people.   “May the offspring of evildoers    nevermore be named!21   Prepare slaughter for his sons    because of the guilt of their fathers,  lest they rise and possess the earth,    and fill the face of the world with cities.” 22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity,” declares the LORD. 23 “And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog,5 and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of hosts. An Oracle Concerning Assyria 24   The LORD of hosts has sworn:  “As I have planned,    so shall it be,  and as I have purposed,    so shall it stand,25   that I will break the Assyrian in my land,    and on my mountains trample him underfoot;  and his yoke shall depart from them,    and his burden from their shoulder.” 26   This is the purpose that is purposed    concerning the whole earth,  and this is the hand that is stretched out    over all the nations.27   For the LORD of hosts has purposed,    and who will annul it?  His hand is stretched out,    and who will turn it back? An Oracle Concerning Philistia 28 In the year that King Ahaz died came this oracle: 29   Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you,    that the rod that struck you is broken,  for from the serpent's root will come forth an adder,    and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent.30   And the firstborn of the poor will graze,    and the needy lie down in safety;  but I will kill your root with famine,    and your remnant it will slay.31   Wail, O gate; cry out, O city;    melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you!  For smoke comes out of the north,    and there is no straggler in his ranks. 32   What will one answer the messengers of the nation?  “The LORD has founded Zion,    and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge.” Footnotes [1] 14:2 Or servants [2] 14:4 Dead Sea Scroll (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate); the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain [3] 14:13 Or in the remote parts of Zaphon [4] 14:18 Hebrew house [5] 14:23 Possibly porcupine, or owl (ESV) 1 Peter 2 (Listen) A Living Stone and a Holy People 2 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. 4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture:

Ross Tenneson Luke 21:20-28 Summary Text: Luke 21:20-28 MP: Jesus is coming back soon to rule heaven and earth so we should have a sense of assurance rather than distress. Sticky: We remain courageous disciple-makers as the world falls apart. Heading 1 Introduction I remember in the early days of COVID thinking that it was a big exaggeration. Then, I remember reading news stories about people losing their sense of smell and some cognitive function. I wasn't scared of death because of my age group, but began to have a fear of getting physical complications, possibly life long, if I caught this virus. Around this time, I was in a Target parking lot (when COVID was everywhere in 2020). And a man approached me to ask for some money. He was large and his face was right up in mine and I remember feeling his hot breath against my face and thinking, “I definitely have COVID.” I would wake up several mornings and smell something with a strong smell just to make sure I still had my sense of smell and thinking “oh, good, I don't have it yet.” At this time in my life, there was a sense of fear that was influencing me. It was influencing me so much that I didn't want to converse with the man in the parking lot who needed my help, and I felt tempted to walk away from him (by God's grace, I didn't). Fear has the potential to influence and even control how we live. I want us to ask this morning, how does Jesus want us to respond to the things that make us fearful? In particular, how do we respond to the inevitable chaos in the world as the return of Jesus approaches? Let's hop into our text. Jesus is continuing to talk about his return and the end of this age. Heading 1 Revelation Luke 21:20 ESV 20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Our text this morning begins with Jesus describing the worst case scenario: armies surround Jerusalem and are about to bring devastation to it. The word “desolation” means , “devastation, destruction, depopulation.”[1] Why is this the worst case scenario? Because this is the opposite of the Old Testament's hope for how God would rescue the world from sin and suffering. The Davidic king was supposed to rule from Jerusalem over the nations in the power of God and bring peace. Through his righteous rule, more and more people would become worshipers of the God of Israel. So, for Jesus to predict that armies would surround and devastate Jerusalem would have been devastating for his disciples to hear. It's the opposite of what they were hoping for: instead of the king ruling over the nations, the nations would surround the city of God and inflict destruction upon it. It's a complete unraveling of what the people hoped for. We have here in this text exhibit A that sin ruins everything it touches. The reason the Romans would surround and destroy Jerusalem is the people's sin against their God, specifically in their rejection of Jesus. Their sins had piled up over the centuries and come to a head in what will happen in the next few days: the people will reject Jesus as king and put him to death instead. Whatever sin we may give into, it all has the same core: a rejection of Jesus and serving someone or something else. Next Jesus says, Luke 21:21 ESV 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, Jerusalem was supposed to be the fortress where God's people could flee for refuge in times of danger. Now, it would be the place of danger and the people of Judea and Jerusalem would need to flee from Jerusalem and into the mountains. When we reject Jesus, we position ourselves against God, like the Jewish people did. Positioning oneself against God brings about the wrath and punishment of God. There is nothing more frightening than facing the judgement and wrath of God. Verse 22 now gives us the reason God brings such devastation on Jerusalem, Luke 21:22 Luke 21:22 (ESV) 22 for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. The word “vengeance” means “full justice or satisfaction.”[2] The desolation of Jerusalem is God's righteous judgment for the people's rejection of Jesus, it's his “vengeance.” We should not think of his vengeance as uncontrolled rage (as we tend to see depicted in popular media), but rather a steady commitment to righteousness and uprightness. After generations of idolatry, exploiting the poor, and sexual immorality, and now their final rejection of God in rejecting Jesus, God's judgement is the right and true response. Yet, in this same verse we findthe first ray of hope piercing through. Jesus does not say that these “days of vengeance” were an accident, or an unforeseen event, but rather that they, “fulfill all that is written.” Even the devastation of Jerusalem was according to the plan of God. Our God has a plan to do good and to bring life to his dying world, and not even our sins or the sins of others can ultimately thwart his plan. The consequences of our sins are great, yet the goodness and wisdom of our God's plan is greater. No matter how scared, sorrowful, or hurting you are this morning, you can hope in the God whose plan both encompasses the sorrow we experience and provides a way out. Though the coming destruction of Jerusalem would have been horrific to think about, the Scriptures clearly predicted it would happen. Jesus is reminding his listeners of this truth so that the disciples could have confidence that the plan of God had not failed. People had failed, but the plan of God had not. Here is something important to keep in mind: Even though history is unfolding according to our God's plan, the pain and suffering that human sin brings in the world is still worth grieving and weeping over. Here's how Jesus puts it: Luke 21:23 ESV 23 Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. Next, Jesus says “Alas for women who are pregnant or nursing infants!” He means that they will suffer especially during this time. The thought of such people suffering likely contributed to Jesus's tears over Jerusalem a few chapters ago. When a society rebels against God, often the worst of the resulting suffering lands upon the weak and the vulnerable. Then Jesus says, Luke 21:24 ESV 24 They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. Jesus reiterates again that the city of Jerusalem and her temple will fall. The nations God had raised up Israel to rule over will rule over them. Their sin and rebellion against their God had undermined God's purposes for them and the exact opposite resulted. Jerusalem was trampled “underfoot by the Gentiles.” The gentile king Titus brought this reign of destruction upon Jerusalem just a few decades later, just as Jesus had said. The destruction of the temple and Jerusalem marks the beginning of the era called, “the times of the Gentiles.” “the times of the Gentiles” is a mysterious phrase. It likely means the era in which God's kingdom is not present on the earth in the way it was when God established Israel and ruled through the king in Jerusalem. Instead, it's a time in which rulers opposed to the kingdom of God and his purposes exercise their dominion. The era in which we live is the “times of the Gentiles” when wicked rulers like Putin cause warfare and bloodshed. The full expression of God's kingdom remains not yet present, and we await the return of the king Jesus to make it so. This is where Jesus is going to go now: he's going to talk more about these “times of the Gentiles” and what they will be like until the time Jesus comes back to make all things right: Luke 21:25–26 ESV 25 “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Heading 3 The Symbols Jesus Uses The Signs in the Heavens Here is a very mysterious verse. What could Jesus mean by there being “signs in sun and moon and stars”? One option is that it could be referring to rare astrological patterns that point toward chaos on the Earth. However, I tend to think differently. I believe that Jesus is using creative imagery to refer to chaos in the natural and spiritual realms as they both continue to deteriorate. From our Western perspective, we tend to look at the world in an analytical manner. For example, when we see stars in the sky, we tend to think of them as suns that are blazing millions of miles away. That's a true and correct perspective, but it is not the only perspective. The ancient, biblical perspective tends to have a more enchanted view of creation. Their view would not contradict any scientific facts about the sky, but it would have a different emphasis in what it focuses on. Rather than focusing on the distance or material makeup of stars, the ancient Biblical perspective focuses on what the stars represent. In the Bible, stars and luminaries in the sky symbolize spiritual rulers and authorities in the spiritual realm. God made a human family and gave them authority and rule over the earth. God also made a spiritual family and gave them authority and rule over the spiritual realm that overlaps with and influences our realm. Here is one example of stars representing spiritual rulers: When God questions Job in the book of Job about the creation of the world. He asks Job if he was there… Job 38:7 Job 38:7 (ESV) 7 when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? The “sons of God” is a biblical term for angels. Right alongside it, “morning stars” is another term for angels who were witnessing and rejoicing in God's act of creation. Here's another example for those to whom this may be a strange concept. In Isaiah 14:12, God refers to a rebellious spiritual being as a “fallen star,” 12 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Is 14:12. When Jesus says, “the powers of the heavens will be shaken,” he is probably defining what these “signs” will be: namely, chaos and disorder in the spiritual realm. While we can't perceive that chaos with our naked eye, we can feel its effects in our world. The evil, the chaos, the confusion that is increasingly present in our society and the world is partially owing to the continued deterioration of the spiritual world and its influence on rebellious leaders and nations. The Flood on the Earth That's the first part of the puzzle of this verse. There is a second. Jesus says, “and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and waves.” Is Jesus here referring to oceans and bodies of water that overflow and wipe away human cities? He could be. Yet, I take another perspective. In the Bible, chaotic bodies of water can symbolize chaotic armies and human civilizations destroying and wreaking havoc. In Daniel 9, when Daniel is speaking about the destruction of Jerusalem, he prophecies, Dan 9:26 Daniel 9:26 (ESV) 26 Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. In this verse, the image of a flood depicts the chaos and destruction of war and other disasters in the natural world. So, if we put these images together, the picture Jesus is painting for us is that there will be chaos and destruction in spiritual and natural realms as the end approaches. Jesus speaks first of the “heavens” and then he speaks of the “earth.” Jesus uses poetic, symbolic language to make a concrete point: there will be destruction, death, and chaos in the world (in both its spiritual and natural aspects) as the end draws near. The war in Ukraine, the prevalence of the pornography and abortion industries, the presence of COVID, and the struggles and pain you have in your own life are symptoms of the fallen spiritual and natural worlds to which Jesus is referring here. Passages like these show us: these things have not caught Jesus off guard. This world is unfolding according to his plan and his plan includes overcoming all of this evil and chaos and making all things right. The Point Behind These Symbols Now, that we have a better grasp of what Jesus is talking about, let's try to understand his point. Jesus's concern here does not seem to be about whether there will be this chaos and destruction in the world: he simply asserts it will be the case. Rather, he describes two different ways of responding to it: We see the first one in verse 26. He says there will be “distress of nations in perplexity…people fainting in fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world.” Jesus says that fear and confusion will define this age. Could you think of better words to describe how people feel in our society today? Never have I witnessed such fear and never have I witnessed such fear and confusion in people as I have in the last two years. The emotions are things we each feel in varying degrees: Has COVID created a sense of fear or confusion in you? Has police brutality, riots, and political unrest in our city created a sense of fear or confusion in you? Does illness in yourself or a loved one or depression or anxiety disorders create a sense of fear or confusion in you? Chaos in our bodies, our relationships, and the world consistently provoke these kinds of responses. This is not a unique age or time: it is sadly a typical one in our fallen existence. The description Jesus gives here is not simply of people who experience a sense of fear and confusion, but of people who are overwhelmed and controlled by these emotions. He says people will be “fainting with fear and with foreboding at what is coming on the world.” You may not be to the point of fainting, but does fear dominate your thoughts or your life choices? Do you have an anxious demeanor? Friends, I know this is my natural disposition apart from the help of God, I constantly face the distraction of anxious thoughts that threaten to dominate my mind. Do you avoid people because of fear of illness, social anxiety, or the cost of interacting with others? Never before has it been more normal to isolate and separate yourself from interacting with others. Please visit my apartment building and you will observe this in five minutes. And I suggest that a sense of fear contributes to this phenomenon. Yet, our Lord Jesus calls us into a different response to an unraveling world. He begins to explain why in verse 27, Luke 21:27 ESV 27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. There will be a sudden moment when the things that people found so fearsome and worthy of their attention will suddenly seem insignificant. Everyone's eyes will become locked on the returning king. Church, please picture this: suddenly everything and everyone stops. There is a man descending from the sky. He radiates with beauty and power. He is returning to the world he made to assume all authority and rule for all of time. You understand that all suffering and all evil is coming to an end in the world. Here finally is the one you have been waiting for. That's the picture Jesus is painting of himself. When Jesus returns, it will be clear there is no one more glorious, more wonderful, more authoritative than him. All the world will come to a sudden stop, and all the things they were focusing on and worrying about will seem insignificant. Then, the Son of Man will occupy the full attention of every human. There are some of us here who love him and anticipate his return who will respond with joy. Sadly, unless they repent, there are some here who are rejecting Jesus and will respond with terror. Christians, we want to strive to help others recognize this reality now, so when they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud, they respond with great rejoicing with us rather than an even greater sense of terror that they have made a terrible mistake. Now, Jesus is going to show us an alternate response we should have, in the present, to help one another and our neighbors keep everything in perspective of the return of Christ: Luke 21:28 ESV 28 Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Jesus talks about how a Christian should respond to the turmoil and chaos in the spiritual and natural worlds. He says, “when these things begin to take place… straighten up and raise your heads.” That means, grow in confidence that God has a good plan and that your obedience to Jesus is part of that good plan. When the world experiences chaos, they begin to sense that “their plan” is falling apart and hopelessness and fear set in as their lives lose a sense of purpose behind the things that are happening. On the other hand, when Christians experience chaos in the world, it's a signal to us that we are closer than ever to seeing Jesus. That's what Jesus means by “your redemption is drawing near.” We just got through a very hard year on many accounts, and we are one year closer to seeing Jesus. What can possibly give us such an unwavering sense of confidence that endures in every situation of chaos? That we worship the king who will return to this world to rule over all of heaven and earth. It is meditating on this reality that frees us from fear in this age to be courageous followers of Jesus. If we meditate on the things the world meditates on, we will find ourselves to be fearful people. If we meditate on Jesus coming back, we will find ourselves to be bold and courageous people. In moments of great turmoil, at the next wave of COVID, at the next instance of social unrest or a chaotic election, at this present moment, we straighten up and raise our heads. That means, our body language reveals the disposition of our souls. It's not one of defiance or carelessness, but rather of confident expectation that God has got this. That we would have a demeanor of calmness and trust in the midst of chaos and continue to move toward people rather than away from them. Imagine what our neighbors would feel like if at the next catastrophe, when everyone else is panicking, you are calmly reaching out to them to love and serve them. We could even start to live like this now. More than ever, our world has normalized isolation and avoiding others. Yet, this way of life is not the way of Jesus. There are likely very few people engaging your neighbors, family, and friends. Let's be the exception.We have not bought into society's narrative that isolation is a good thing for society. We pursue people intentionally like Jesus did. Gospel Connection Now, a fundamental building block of our faith is that evil, suffering, and death do not indicate that there is no good plan for things or a good God we can trust in. Rather, we trust that God in his wisdom and goodness takes the evil and death that we sinful people cause and uses them to accomplish his good plan. God uses evil and suffering as a part of his good plan, and never do we see that more clearly than when Jesus of Nazareth dies on the cross. Luke writes about this very thing in the book of Acts 2:23-24 Acts 2:23–24 (ESV) 23d this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. Was there ever a greater moment of chaos and evil than when the Roman and Jewish authorities nailed the savior of the world to a cross? Would any moment have ever felt as chaotic and disheartening than that if you were a follower of Jesus? Yet, was there ever a moment where was God accomplishing more good? At the very moment it seemed as if the world was falling apart, Jesus was rescuing the world from its sins through his death. The moment that looked like the plan of God had fallen apart was the moment that the plan of God was triumphing, as becomes clear a few days later when Jesus raises from the dead. Church, we can trust this Jesus in the moments and times of crisis we face. He already walked through the greatest crisis imaginable. The plans of our God don't. ever. fail. This same Jesus is quickly coming back to rescue us from sin, despair, and death, so the fear of those things don't control us like they used to. We can be courageous disciple-makers as the world falls apart. And if you don't yet have a relationship with this wonderful savior who is quickly coming back, please talk to me or anyone else who is following Jesus and ask more about how you can know and trust Jesus. [1] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 392. [2] Marvin Richardson Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, vol. 1 (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1887), 418.

Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 114 Psalm 114 (Listen) Tremble at the Presence of the Lord 114   When Israel went out from Egypt,    the house of Jacob from a people of strange language,2   Judah became his sanctuary,    Israel his dominion. 3   The sea looked and fled;    Jordan turned back.4   The mountains skipped like rams,    the hills like lambs. 5   What ails you, O sea, that you flee?    O Jordan, that you turn back?6   O mountains, that you skip like rams?    O hills, like lambs? 7   Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,    at the presence of the God of Jacob,8   who turns the rock into a pool of water,    the flint into a spring of water. (ESV) Pentateuch and History: 2 Kings 22 2 Kings 22 (Listen) Josiah Reigns in Judah 22 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in all the way of David his father, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left. Josiah Repairs the Temple 3 In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, the secretary, to the house of the LORD, saying, 4 “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may count the money that has been brought into the house of the LORD, which the keepers of the threshold have collected from the people. 5 And let it be given into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the LORD, and let them give it to the workmen who are at the house of the LORD, repairing the house 6 (that is, to the carpenters, and to the builders, and to the masons), and let them use it for buying timber and quarried stone to repair the house. 7 But no accounting shall be asked from them for the money that is delivered into their hand, for they deal honestly.” Hilkiah Finds the Book of the Law 8 And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. 9 And Shaphan the secretary came to the king, and reported to the king, “Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the LORD.” 10 Then Shaphan the secretary told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it before the king. 11 When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes. 12 And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying, 13 “Go, inquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.” 14 So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter), and they talked with her. 15 And she said to them, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: ‘Tell the man who sent you to me, 16 Thus says the LORD, Behold, I will bring disaster upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the words of the book that the king of Judah has read. 17 Because they have forsaken me and have made offerings to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore my wrath will be kindled against this place, and it will not be quenched. 18 But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, thus shall you say to him, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Regarding the words that you have heard, 19 because your heart was penitent, and you humbled yourself before the LORD, when you heard how I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the LORD. 20 Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring upon this place.'” And they brought back word to the king. (ESV) Chronicles and Prophets: Isaiah 13–14 Isaiah 13–14 (Listen) The Judgment of Babylon 13 The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. 2   On a bare hill raise a signal;    cry aloud to them;  wave the hand for them to enter    the gates of the nobles.3   I myself have commanded my consecrated ones,    and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger,    my proudly exulting ones.1 4   The sound of a tumult is on the mountains    as of a great multitude!  The sound of an uproar of kingdoms,    of nations gathering together!  The LORD of hosts is mustering    a host for battle.5   They come from a distant land,    from the end of the heavens,  the LORD and the weapons of his indignation,    to destroy the whole land.2 6   Wail, for the day of the LORD is near;    as destruction from the Almighty3 it will come!7   Therefore all hands will be feeble,    and every human heart will melt.8   They will be dismayed:    pangs and agony will seize them;    they will be in anguish like a woman in labor.  They will look aghast at one another;    their faces will be aflame. 9   Behold, the day of the LORD comes,    cruel, with wrath and fierce anger,  to make the land a desolation    and to destroy its sinners from it.10   For the stars of the heavens and their constellations    will not give their light;  the sun will be dark at its rising,    and the moon will not shed its light.11   I will punish the world for its evil,    and the wicked for their iniquity;  I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant,    and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.12   I will make people more rare than fine gold,    and mankind than the gold of Ophir.13   Therefore I will make the heavens tremble,    and the earth will be shaken out of its place,  at the wrath of the LORD of hosts    in the day of his fierce anger.14   And like a hunted gazelle,    or like sheep with none to gather them,  each will turn to his own people,    and each will flee to his own land.15   Whoever is found will be thrust through,    and whoever is caught will fall by the sword.16   Their infants will be dashed in pieces    before their eyes;  their houses will be plundered    and their wives ravished. 17   Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them,    who have no regard for silver    and do not delight in gold.18   Their bows will slaughter4 the young men;    they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb;    their eyes will not pity children.19   And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,    the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans,  will be like Sodom and Gomorrah    when God overthrew them.20   It will never be inhabited    or lived in for all generations;  no Arab will pitch his tent there;    no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.21   But wild animals will lie down there,    and their houses will be full of howling creatures;  there ostriches5 will dwell,    and there wild goats will dance.22   Hyenas6 will cry in its towers,    and jackals in the pleasant palaces;  its time is close at hand    and its days will not be prolonged. The Restoration of Jacob 14 For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2 And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the LORD's land as male and female slaves.7 They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them. Israel's Remnant Taunts Babylon 3 When the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:   “How the oppressor has ceased,    the insolent fury8 ceased!5   The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked,    the scepter of rulers,6   that struck the peoples in wrath    with unceasing blows,  that ruled the nations in anger    with unrelenting persecution.7   The whole earth is at rest and quiet;    they break forth into singing.8   The cypresses rejoice at you,    the cedars of Lebanon, saying,  ‘Since you were laid low,    no woodcutter comes up against us.'9   Sheol beneath is stirred up    to meet you when you come;  it rouses the shades to greet you,    all who were leaders of the earth;  it raises from their thrones    all who were kings of the nations.10   All of them will answer    and say to you:  ‘You too have become as weak as we!    You have become like us!'11   Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,    the sound of your harps;  maggots are laid as a bed beneath you,    and worms are your covers. 12   “How you are fallen from heaven,    O Day Star, son of Dawn!  How you are cut down to the ground,    you who laid the nations low!13   You said in your heart,    ‘I will ascend to heaven;  above the stars of God    I will set my throne on high;  I will sit on the mount of assembly    in the far reaches of the north;914   I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;    I will make myself like the Most High.'15   But you are brought down to Sheol,    to the far reaches of the pit.16   Those who see you will stare at you    and ponder over you:  ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,    who shook kingdoms,17   who made the world like a desert    and overthrew its cities,    who did not let his prisoners go home?'18   All the kings of the nations lie in glory,    each in his own tomb;1019   but you are cast out, away from your grave,    like a loathed branch,  clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword,    who go down to the stones of the pit,    like a dead body trampled underfoot.20   You will not be joined with them in burial,    because you have destroyed your land,    you have slain your people.   “May the offspring of evildoers    nevermore be named!21   Prepare slaughter for his sons    because of the guilt of their fathers,  lest they rise and possess the earth,    and fill the face of the world with cities.” 22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity,” declares the LORD. 23 “And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog,11 and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of hosts. An Oracle Concerning Assyria 24   The LORD of hosts has sworn:  “As I have planned,    so shall it be,  and as I have purposed,    so shall it stand,25   that I will break the Assyrian in my land,    and on my mountains trample him underfoot;  and his yoke shall depart from them,    and his burden from their shoulder.” 26   This is the purpose that is purposed    concerning the whole earth,  and this is the hand that is stretched out    over all the nations.27   For the LORD of hosts has purposed,    and who will annul it?  His hand is stretched out,    and who will turn it back? An Oracle Concerning Philistia 28 In the year that King Ahaz died came this oracle: 29   Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you,    that the rod that struck you is broken,  for from the serpent's root will come forth an adder,    and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent.30   And the firstborn of the poor will graze,    and the needy lie down in safety;  but I will kill your root with famine,    and your remnant it will slay.31   Wail, O gate; cry out, O city;    melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you!  For smoke comes out of the north,    and there is no straggler in his ranks. 32   What will one answer the messengers of the nation?  “The LORD has founded Zion,    and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge.” Footnotes [1] 13:3 Or those who exult in my majesty [2] 13:5 Or earth; also verse 9 [3] 13:6 The Hebrew words for destruction and almighty sound alike [4] 13:18 Hebrew dash in pieces [5] 13:21 Or owls [6] 13:22 Or foxes [7] 14:2 Or servants [8] 14:4 Dead Sea Scroll (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate); the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain [9] 14:13 Or in the remote parts of Zaphon [10] 14:18 Hebrew house [11] 14:23 Possibly porcupine, or owl (ESV) Gospels and Epistles: John 15:1–17 John 15:1–17 (Listen) I Am the True Vine 15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

Psalm 90:1–2 (ESV): Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. 2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. HEBREWS 13:15 ESV Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. WE PRAISE GOD FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE. WE WORSHIP GOD FOR WHO HE IS. EXODUS 15:11 “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? PSALM 86:8-10 There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours. 9 All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name. 10 For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God. ISAIAH 40: 28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. GOD IS GOD. THAT ALONE SHOULD INSPIRE OUR WORSHIP. AND IF NOT...WHAT IS YOUR THOUGHT OF GOD? IF YOU TRULY KNOW GOD? YOU'LL WORSHIP GOD HE IS BEAUTIFUL 1 CHRONICLES 16: 29 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. HE IS LOVE: 1 JOHN 4: 7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins HE IS GLORIOUS: GLORIOUS IS DEFINED AS “MARKED BY SPLENDOR, POSSESSING AND DESERVING HONOR + FAME, SOMETHING THAT COMMANDS PRAISE” PSALM 86:8-10 There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours. 9 All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name. 10 For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God. Psalm 92:1–5 (ESV): It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; 2 to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night, Isaiah 6:1–5 (ESV): In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. SATAN'S OFFENSE ISAIAH 14: 12-14 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! 13 You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.' SATAN WANTS FEW THINGS MORE THAN TO PERVERT THE PURPOSE + INTENTION OF WORSHIP… BE WEARY OF THE TRAP… GOD DOES NOT EXIST FOR OUR GOOD PLEASURE IT ALL COMES BACK TO THE HEART (KEYS HERE) 1 SAMUEL 13: 14 But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.” THE HEART OF WORSHIP BY MATT REDMAN (CCLI #: ​​2296522) When the music fades, all is stripped away, and I simply come longing just to bring something that's of worth that will bless your heart. I'll bring you more than a song for a song in itself is not what you have required. You search much deeper within through the way things appear. you're looking into my heart I'm coming back to the heart of worship and it's all about you, it's all about you, Jesus. I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it when it's all about you it's all about you, Jesus

Old Testament: Isaiah 13–14 Isaiah 13–14 (Listen) The Judgment of Babylon 13 The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. 2   On a bare hill raise a signal;    cry aloud to them;  wave the hand for them to enter    the gates of the nobles.3   I myself have commanded my consecrated ones,    and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger,    my proudly exulting ones.1 4   The sound of a tumult is on the mountains    as of a great multitude!  The sound of an uproar of kingdoms,    of nations gathering together!  The LORD of hosts is mustering    a host for battle.5   They come from a distant land,    from the end of the heavens,  the LORD and the weapons of his indignation,    to destroy the whole land.2 6   Wail, for the day of the LORD is near;    as destruction from the Almighty3 it will come!7   Therefore all hands will be feeble,    and every human heart will melt.8   They will be dismayed:    pangs and agony will seize them;    they will be in anguish like a woman in labor.  They will look aghast at one another;    their faces will be aflame. 9   Behold, the day of the LORD comes,    cruel, with wrath and fierce anger,  to make the land a desolation    and to destroy its sinners from it.10   For the stars of the heavens and their constellations    will not give their light;  the sun will be dark at its rising,    and the moon will not shed its light.11   I will punish the world for its evil,    and the wicked for their iniquity;  I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant,    and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.12   I will make people more rare than fine gold,    and mankind than the gold of Ophir.13   Therefore I will make the heavens tremble,    and the earth will be shaken out of its place,  at the wrath of the LORD of hosts    in the day of his fierce anger.14   And like a hunted gazelle,    or like sheep with none to gather them,  each will turn to his own people,    and each will flee to his own land.15   Whoever is found will be thrust through,    and whoever is caught will fall by the sword.16   Their infants will be dashed in pieces    before their eyes;  their houses will be plundered    and their wives ravished. 17   Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them,    who have no regard for silver    and do not delight in gold.18   Their bows will slaughter4 the young men;    they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb;    their eyes will not pity children.19   And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,    the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans,  will be like Sodom and Gomorrah    when God overthrew them.20   It will never be inhabited    or lived in for all generations;  no Arab will pitch his tent there;    no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.21   But wild animals will lie down there,    and their houses will be full of howling creatures;  there ostriches5 will dwell,    and there wild goats will dance.22   Hyenas6 will cry in its towers,    and jackals in the pleasant palaces;  its time is close at hand    and its days will not be prolonged. The Restoration of Jacob 14 For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2 And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the LORD's land as male and female slaves.7 They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them. Israel's Remnant Taunts Babylon 3 When the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:   “How the oppressor has ceased,    the insolent fury8 ceased!5   The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked,    the scepter of rulers,6   that struck the peoples in wrath    with unceasing blows,  that ruled the nations in anger    with unrelenting persecution.7   The whole earth is at rest and quiet;    they break forth into singing.8   The cypresses rejoice at you,    the cedars of Lebanon, saying,  ‘Since you were laid low,    no woodcutter comes up against us.'9   Sheol beneath is stirred up    to meet you when you come;  it rouses the shades to greet you,    all who were leaders of the earth;  it raises from their thrones    all who were kings of the nations.10   All of them will answer    and say to you:  ‘You too have become as weak as we!    You have become like us!'11   Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,    the sound of your harps;  maggots are laid as a bed beneath you,    and worms are your covers. 12   “How you are fallen from heaven,    O Day Star, son of Dawn!  How you are cut down to the ground,    you who laid the nations low!13   You said in your heart,    ‘I will ascend to heaven;  above the stars of God    I will set my throne on high;  I will sit on the mount of assembly    in the far reaches of the north;914   I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;    I will make myself like the Most High.'15   But you are brought down to Sheol,    to the far reaches of the pit.16   Those who see you will stare at you    and ponder over you:  ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,    who shook kingdoms,17   who made the world like a desert    and overthrew its cities,    who did not let his prisoners go home?'18   All the kings of the nations lie in glory,    each in his own tomb;1019   but you are cast out, away from your grave,    like a loathed branch,  clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword,    who go down to the stones of the pit,    like a dead body trampled underfoot.20   You will not be joined with them in burial,    because you have destroyed your land,    you have slain your people.   “May the offspring of evildoers    nevermore be named!21   Prepare slaughter for his sons    because of the guilt of their fathers,  lest they rise and possess the earth,    and fill the face of the world with cities.” 22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity,” declares the LORD. 23 “And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog,11 and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of hosts. An Oracle Concerning Assyria 24   The LORD of hosts has sworn:  “As I have planned,    so shall it be,  and as I have purposed,    so shall it stand,25   that I will break the Assyrian in my land,    and on my mountains trample him underfoot;  and his yoke shall depart from them,    and his burden from their shoulder.” 26   This is the purpose that is purposed    concerning the whole earth,  and this is the hand that is stretched out    over all the nations.27   For the LORD of hosts has purposed,    and who will annul it?  His hand is stretched out,    and who will turn it back? An Oracle Concerning Philistia 28 In the year that King Ahaz died came this oracle: 29   Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you,    that the rod that struck you is broken,  for from the serpent's root will come forth an adder,    and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent.30   And the firstborn of the poor will graze,    and the needy lie down in safety;  but I will kill your root with famine,    and your remnant it will slay.31   Wail, O gate; cry out, O city;    melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you!  For smoke comes out of the north,    and there is no straggler in his ranks. 32   What will one answer the messengers of the nation?  “The LORD has founded Zion,    and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge.” Footnotes [1] 13:3 Or those who exult in my majesty [2] 13:5 Or earth; also verse 9 [3] 13:6 The Hebrew words for destruction and almighty sound alike [4] 13:18 Hebrew dash in pieces [5] 13:21 Or owls [6] 13:22 Or foxes [7] 14:2 Or servants [8] 14:4 Dead Sea Scroll (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate); the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain [9] 14:13 Or in the remote parts of Zaphon [10] 14:18 Hebrew house [11] 14:23 Possibly porcupine, or owl (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 86 Psalm 86 (Listen) Great Is Your Steadfast Love A Prayer of David. 86   Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me,    for I am poor and needy.2   Preserve my life, for I am godly;    save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God.3   Be gracious to me, O Lord,    for to you do I cry all the day.4   Gladden the soul of your servant,    for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.5   For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,    abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.6   Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer;    listen to my plea for grace.7   In the day of my trouble I call upon you,    for you answer me. 8   There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,    nor are there any works like yours.9   All the nations you have made shall come    and worship before you, O Lord,    and shall glorify your name.10   For you are great and do wondrous things;    you alone are God.11   Teach me your way, O LORD,    that I may walk in your truth;    unite my heart to fear your name.12   I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,    and I will glorify your name forever.13   For great is your steadfast love toward me;    you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. 14   O God, insolent men have risen up against me;    a band of ruthless men seeks my life,    and they do not set you before them.15   But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.16   Turn to me and be gracious to me;    give your strength to your servant,    and save the son of your maidservant.17   Show me a sign of your favor,    that those who hate me may see and be put to shame    because you, LORD, have helped me and comforted me. (ESV) New Testament: Acts 9 Acts 9 (Listen) The Conversion of Saul 9 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. 10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; 19 and taking food, he was strengthened. Saul Proclaims Jesus in Synagogues For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. 20 And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” 21 And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of thos

Old Testament: Isaiah 13–14 Isaiah 13–14 (Listen) The Judgment of Babylon 13 The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. 2   On a bare hill raise a signal;    cry aloud to them;  wave the hand for them to enter    the gates of the nobles.3   I myself have commanded my consecrated ones,    and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger,    my proudly exulting ones.1 4   The sound of a tumult is on the mountains    as of a great multitude!  The sound of an uproar of kingdoms,    of nations gathering together!  The LORD of hosts is mustering    a host for battle.5   They come from a distant land,    from the end of the heavens,  the LORD and the weapons of his indignation,    to destroy the whole land.2 6   Wail, for the day of the LORD is near;    as destruction from the Almighty3 it will come!7   Therefore all hands will be feeble,    and every human heart will melt.8   They will be dismayed:    pangs and agony will seize them;    they will be in anguish like a woman in labor.  They will look aghast at one another;    their faces will be aflame. 9   Behold, the day of the LORD comes,    cruel, with wrath and fierce anger,  to make the land a desolation    and to destroy its sinners from it.10   For the stars of the heavens and their constellations    will not give their light;  the sun will be dark at its rising,    and the moon will not shed its light.11   I will punish the world for its evil,    and the wicked for their iniquity;  I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant,    and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.12   I will make people more rare than fine gold,    and mankind than the gold of Ophir.13   Therefore I will make the heavens tremble,    and the earth will be shaken out of its place,  at the wrath of the LORD of hosts    in the day of his fierce anger.14   And like a hunted gazelle,    or like sheep with none to gather them,  each will turn to his own people,    and each will flee to his own land.15   Whoever is found will be thrust through,    and whoever is caught will fall by the sword.16   Their infants will be dashed in pieces    before their eyes;  their houses will be plundered    and their wives ravished. 17   Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them,    who have no regard for silver    and do not delight in gold.18   Their bows will slaughter4 the young men;    they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb;    their eyes will not pity children.19   And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,    the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans,  will be like Sodom and Gomorrah    when God overthrew them.20   It will never be inhabited    or lived in for all generations;  no Arab will pitch his tent there;    no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.21   But wild animals will lie down there,    and their houses will be full of howling creatures;  there ostriches5 will dwell,    and there wild goats will dance.22   Hyenas6 will cry in its towers,    and jackals in the pleasant palaces;  its time is close at hand    and its days will not be prolonged. The Restoration of Jacob 14 For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2 And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the LORD's land as male and female slaves.7 They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them. Israel's Remnant Taunts Babylon 3 When the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:   “How the oppressor has ceased,    the insolent fury8 ceased!5   The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked,    the scepter of rulers,6   that struck the peoples in wrath    with unceasing blows,  that ruled the nations in anger    with unrelenting persecution.7   The whole earth is at rest and quiet;    they break forth into singing.8   The cypresses rejoice at you,    the cedars of Lebanon, saying,  ‘Since you were laid low,    no woodcutter comes up against us.'9   Sheol beneath is stirred up    to meet you when you come;  it rouses the shades to greet you,    all who were leaders of the earth;  it raises from their thrones    all who were kings of the nations.10   All of them will answer    and say to you:  ‘You too have become as weak as we!    You have become like us!'11   Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,    the sound of your harps;  maggots are laid as a bed beneath you,    and worms are your covers. 12   “How you are fallen from heaven,    O Day Star, son of Dawn!  How you are cut down to the ground,    you who laid the nations low!13   You said in your heart,    ‘I will ascend to heaven;  above the stars of God    I will set my throne on high;  I will sit on the mount of assembly    in the far reaches of the north;914   I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;    I will make myself like the Most High.'15   But you are brought down to Sheol,    to the far reaches of the pit.16   Those who see you will stare at you    and ponder over you:  ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,    who shook kingdoms,17   who made the world like a desert    and overthrew its cities,    who did not let his prisoners go home?'18   All the kings of the nations lie in glory,    each in his own tomb;1019   but you are cast out, away from your grave,    like a loathed branch,  clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword,    who go down to the stones of the pit,    like a dead body trampled underfoot.20   You will not be joined with them in burial,    because you have destroyed your land,    you have slain your people.   “May the offspring of evildoers    nevermore be named!21   Prepare slaughter for his sons    because of the guilt of their fathers,  lest they rise and possess the earth,    and fill the face of the world with cities.” 22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity,” declares the LORD. 23 “And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog,11 and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of hosts. An Oracle Concerning Assyria 24   The LORD of hosts has sworn:  “As I have planned,    so shall it be,  and as I have purposed,    so shall it stand,25   that I will break the Assyrian in my land,    and on my mountains trample him underfoot;  and his yoke shall depart from them,    and his burden from their shoulder.” 26   This is the purpose that is purposed    concerning the whole earth,  and this is the hand that is stretched out    over all the nations.27   For the LORD of hosts has purposed,    and who will annul it?  His hand is stretched out,    and who will turn it back? An Oracle Concerning Philistia 28 In the year that King Ahaz died came this oracle: 29   Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you,    that the rod that struck you is broken,  for from the serpent's root will come forth an adder,    and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent.30   And the firstborn of the poor will graze,    and the needy lie down in safety;  but I will kill your root with famine,    and your remnant it will slay.31   Wail, O gate; cry out, O city;    melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you!  For smoke comes out of the north,    and there is no straggler in his ranks. 32   What will one answer the messengers of the nation?  “The LORD has founded Zion,    and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge.” Footnotes [1] 13:3 Or those who exult in my majesty [2] 13:5 Or earth; also verse 9 [3] 13:6 The Hebrew words for destruction and almighty sound alike [4] 13:18 Hebrew dash in pieces [5] 13:21 Or owls [6] 13:22 Or foxes [7] 14:2 Or servants [8] 14:4 Dead Sea Scroll (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate); the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain [9] 14:13 Or in the remote parts of Zaphon [10] 14:18 Hebrew house [11] 14:23 Possibly porcupine, or owl (ESV) New Testament: Hebrews 8–9:10 Hebrews 8–9:10 (Listen) Jesus, High Priest of a Better Covenant 8 Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 a minister in the holy places, in the true tent1 that the Lord set up, not man. 3 For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. 4 Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. 5 They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” 6 But as it is, Christ2 has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. 8 For he finds fault with them when he says:3   “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord,    when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel    and with the house of Judah,9   not like the covenant that I made with their fathers    on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt.  For they did not continue in my covenant,    and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord.10   For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel    after those days, declares the Lord:  I will put my laws into their minds,    and write them on their hearts,  and I will be their God,    and they shall be my people.11   And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor    and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,'  for they shall all know me,    from the least of them to the greatest.12   For I will be merciful toward their iniquities,    and I will remember their sins no more.” 13 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. The Earthly Holy Place 9 Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly place of holiness. 2 For a tent4 was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence.5 It is called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a second section6 called the Most Holy Place, 4 having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron's staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. 5 Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. 6 These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, 7 but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. 8 By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing 9 (which is symbolic for the present age).7 According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, 10 but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation. Footnotes [1] 8:2 Or tabernacle; also verse 5 [2] 8:6 Greek he [3] 8:8 Some manuscripts For finding fault with it he says to them [4] 9:2 Or tabernacle; also verses 11, 21 [5] 9:2 Greek the presentation of the loaves [6] 9:3 Greek tent; also verses 6, 8 [7] 9:9 Or which is symbolic for the age then present (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 86 Psalm 86 (Listen) Great Is Your Steadfast Love A Prayer of David. 86   Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me,    for I am poor and needy.2   Preserve my life, for I am godly;    save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God.3 

Morning: Isaiah 13–15 Isaiah 13–15 (Listen) The Judgment of Babylon 13 The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. 2   On a bare hill raise a signal;    cry aloud to them;  wave the hand for them to enter    the gates of the nobles.3   I myself have commanded my consecrated ones,    and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger,    my proudly exulting ones.1 4   The sound of a tumult is on the mountains    as of a great multitude!  The sound of an uproar of kingdoms,    of nations gathering together!  The LORD of hosts is mustering    a host for battle.5   They come from a distant land,    from the end of the heavens,  the LORD and the weapons of his indignation,    to destroy the whole land.2 6   Wail, for the day of the LORD is near;    as destruction from the Almighty3 it will come!7   Therefore all hands will be feeble,    and every human heart will melt.8   They will be dismayed:    pangs and agony will seize them;    they will be in anguish like a woman in labor.  They will look aghast at one another;    their faces will be aflame. 9   Behold, the day of the LORD comes,    cruel, with wrath and fierce anger,  to make the land a desolation    and to destroy its sinners from it.10   For the stars of the heavens and their constellations    will not give their light;  the sun will be dark at its rising,    and the moon will not shed its light.11   I will punish the world for its evil,    and the wicked for their iniquity;  I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant,    and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.12   I will make people more rare than fine gold,    and mankind than the gold of Ophir.13   Therefore I will make the heavens tremble,    and the earth will be shaken out of its place,  at the wrath of the LORD of hosts    in the day of his fierce anger.14   And like a hunted gazelle,    or like sheep with none to gather them,  each will turn to his own people,    and each will flee to his own land.15   Whoever is found will be thrust through,    and whoever is caught will fall by the sword.16   Their infants will be dashed in pieces    before their eyes;  their houses will be plundered    and their wives ravished. 17   Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them,    who have no regard for silver    and do not delight in gold.18   Their bows will slaughter4 the young men;    they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb;    their eyes will not pity children.19   And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,    the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans,  will be like Sodom and Gomorrah    when God overthrew them.20   It will never be inhabited    or lived in for all generations;  no Arab will pitch his tent there;    no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.21   But wild animals will lie down there,    and their houses will be full of howling creatures;  there ostriches5 will dwell,    and there wild goats will dance.22   Hyenas6 will cry in its towers,    and jackals in the pleasant palaces;  its time is close at hand    and its days will not be prolonged. The Restoration of Jacob 14 For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2 And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the LORD's land as male and female slaves.7 They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them. Israel's Remnant Taunts Babylon 3 When the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:   “How the oppressor has ceased,    the insolent fury8 ceased!5   The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked,    the scepter of rulers,6   that struck the peoples in wrath    with unceasing blows,  that ruled the nations in anger    with unrelenting persecution.7   The whole earth is at rest and quiet;    they break forth into singing.8   The cypresses rejoice at you,    the cedars of Lebanon, saying,  ‘Since you were laid low,    no woodcutter comes up against us.'9   Sheol beneath is stirred up    to meet you when you come;  it rouses the shades to greet you,    all who were leaders of the earth;  it raises from their thrones    all who were kings of the nations.10   All of them will answer    and say to you:  ‘You too have become as weak as we!    You have become like us!'11   Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,    the sound of your harps;  maggots are laid as a bed beneath you,    and worms are your covers. 12   “How you are fallen from heaven,    O Day Star, son of Dawn!  How you are cut down to the ground,    you who laid the nations low!13   You said in your heart,    ‘I will ascend to heaven;  above the stars of God    I will set my throne on high;  I will sit on the mount of assembly    in the far reaches of the north;914   I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;    I will make myself like the Most High.'15   But you are brought down to Sheol,    to the far reaches of the pit.16   Those who see you will stare at you    and ponder over you:  ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,    who shook kingdoms,17   who made the world like a desert    and overthrew its cities,    who did not let his prisoners go home?'18   All the kings of the nations lie in glory,    each in his own tomb;1019   but you are cast out, away from your grave,    like a loathed branch,  clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword,    who go down to the stones of the pit,    like a dead body trampled underfoot.20   You will not be joined with them in burial,    because you have destroyed your land,    you have slain your people.   “May the offspring of evildoers    nevermore be named!21   Prepare slaughter for his sons    because of the guilt of their fathers,  lest they rise and possess the earth,    and fill the face of the world with cities.” 22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity,” declares the LORD. 23 “And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog,11 and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of hosts. An Oracle Concerning Assyria 24   The LORD of hosts has sworn:  “As I have planned,    so shall it be,  and as I have purposed,    so shall it stand,25   that I will break the Assyrian in my land,    and on my mountains trample him underfoot;  and his yoke shall depart from them,    and his burden from their shoulder.” 26   This is the purpose that is purposed    concerning the whole earth,  and this is the hand that is stretched out    over all the nations.27   For the LORD of hosts has purposed,    and who will annul it?  His hand is stretched out,    and who will turn it back? An Oracle Concerning Philistia 28 In the year that King Ahaz died came this oracle: 29   Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you,    that the rod that struck you is broken,  for from the serpent's root will come forth an adder,    and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent.30   And the firstborn of the poor will graze,    and the needy lie down in safety;  but I will kill your root with famine,    and your remnant it will slay.31   Wail, O gate; cry out, O city;    melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you!  For smoke comes out of the north,    and there is no straggler in his ranks. 32   What will one answer the messengers of the nation?  “The LORD has founded Zion,    and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge.” An Oracle Concerning Moab 15 An oracle concerning Moab.   Because Ar of Moab is laid waste in a night,    Moab is undone;  because Kir of Moab is laid waste in a night,    Moab is undone.2   He has gone up to the temple,12 and to Dibon,    to the high places13 to weep;  over Nebo and over Medeba    Moab wails.  On every head is baldness;    every beard is shorn;3   in the streets they wear sackcloth;    on the housetops and in the squares    everyone wails and melts in tears.4   Heshbon and Elealeh cry out;    their voice is heard as far as Jahaz;  therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud;    his soul trembles.5   My heart cries out for Moab;    her fugitives flee to Zoar,    to Eglath-shelishiyah.  For at the ascent of Luhith    they go up weeping;  on the road to Horonaim    they raise a cry of destruction;6   the waters of Nimrim    are a desolation;  the grass is withered, the vegetation fails,    the greenery is no more.7   Therefore the abundance they have gained    and what they have laid up  they carry away    over the Brook of the Willows.8   For a cry has gone    around the land of Moab;  her wailing reaches to Eglaim;    her wailing reaches to Beer-elim.9   For the waters of Dibon14 are full of blood;    for I will bring upon Dibon even more,  a lion for those of Moab who escape,    for the remnant of the land. Footnotes [1] 13:3 Or those who exult in my majesty [2] 13:5 Or earth; also verse 9 [3] 13:6 The Hebrew words for destruction and almighty sound alike [4] 13:18 Hebrew dash in pieces [5] 13:21 Or owls [6] 13:22 Or foxes [7] 14:2 Or servants [8] 14:4 Dead Sea Scroll (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate); the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain [9] 14:13 Or in the remote parts of Zaphon [10] 14:18 Hebrew house [11] 14:23 Possibly porcupine, or owl [12] 15:2 Hebrew the house [13] 15:2 Or temple, even Dibon to the high places [14] 15:9 Dead Sea Scroll, Vulgate (compare Syriac); Masoretic Text Dimon; twice in this verse (ESV) Evening: Galatians 6 Galatians 6 (Listen) Bear One Another's Burdens 6 Brothers,1 if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. 5 For each will have to bear his own load. 6 Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. Final Warning and Benediction 11 See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. 12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. 14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which2 the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. 16 And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. 17 From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen. Footnotes [1]

Isaiah 13–17 Isaiah 13–17 (Listen) The Judgment of Babylon 13 The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. 2   On a bare hill raise a signal;    cry aloud to them;  wave the hand for them to enter    the gates of the nobles.3   I myself have commanded my consecrated ones,    and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger,    my proudly exulting ones.1 4   The sound of a tumult is on the mountains    as of a great multitude!  The sound of an uproar of kingdoms,    of nations gathering together!  The LORD of hosts is mustering    a host for battle.5   They come from a distant land,    from the end of the heavens,  the LORD and the weapons of his indignation,    to destroy the whole land.2 6   Wail, for the day of the LORD is near;    as destruction from the Almighty3 it will come!7   Therefore all hands will be feeble,    and every human heart will melt.8   They will be dismayed:    pangs and agony will seize them;    they will be in anguish like a woman in labor.  They will look aghast at one another;    their faces will be aflame. 9   Behold, the day of the LORD comes,    cruel, with wrath and fierce anger,  to make the land a desolation    and to destroy its sinners from it.10   For the stars of the heavens and their constellations    will not give their light;  the sun will be dark at its rising,    and the moon will not shed its light.11   I will punish the world for its evil,    and the wicked for their iniquity;  I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant,    and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.12   I will make people more rare than fine gold,    and mankind than the gold of Ophir.13   Therefore I will make the heavens tremble,    and the earth will be shaken out of its place,  at the wrath of the LORD of hosts    in the day of his fierce anger.14   And like a hunted gazelle,    or like sheep with none to gather them,  each will turn to his own people,    and each will flee to his own land.15   Whoever is found will be thrust through,    and whoever is caught will fall by the sword.16   Their infants will be dashed in pieces    before their eyes;  their houses will be plundered    and their wives ravished. 17   Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them,    who have no regard for silver    and do not delight in gold.18   Their bows will slaughter4 the young men;    they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb;    their eyes will not pity children.19   And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,    the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans,  will be like Sodom and Gomorrah    when God overthrew them.20   It will never be inhabited    or lived in for all generations;  no Arab will pitch his tent there;    no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.21   But wild animals will lie down there,    and their houses will be full of howling creatures;  there ostriches5 will dwell,    and there wild goats will dance.22   Hyenas6 will cry in its towers,    and jackals in the pleasant palaces;  its time is close at hand    and its days will not be prolonged. The Restoration of Jacob 14 For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2 And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the LORD's land as male and female slaves.7 They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them. Israel's Remnant Taunts Babylon 3 When the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:   “How the oppressor has ceased,    the insolent fury8 ceased!5   The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked,    the scepter of rulers,6   that struck the peoples in wrath    with unceasing blows,  that ruled the nations in anger    with unrelenting persecution.7   The whole earth is at rest and quiet;    they break forth into singing.8   The cypresses rejoice at you,    the cedars of Lebanon, saying,  ‘Since you were laid low,    no woodcutter comes up against us.'9   Sheol beneath is stirred up    to meet you when you come;  it rouses the shades to greet you,    all who were leaders of the earth;  it raises from their thrones    all who were kings of the nations.10   All of them will answer    and say to you:  ‘You too have become as weak as we!    You have become like us!'11   Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,    the sound of your harps;  maggots are laid as a bed beneath you,    and worms are your covers. 12   “How you are fallen from heaven,    O Day Star, son of Dawn!  How you are cut down to the ground,    you who laid the nations low!13   You said in your heart,    ‘I will ascend to heaven;  above the stars of God    I will set my throne on high;  I will sit on the mount of assembly    in the far reaches of the north;914   I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;    I will make myself like the Most High.'15   But you are brought down to Sheol,    to the far reaches of the pit.16   Those who see you will stare at you    and ponder over you:  ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,    who shook kingdoms,17   who made the world like a desert    and overthrew its cities,    who did not let his prisoners go home?'18   All the kings of the nations lie in glory,    each in his own tomb;1019   but you are cast out, away from your grave,    like a loathed branch,  clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword,    who go down to the stones of the pit,    like a dead body trampled underfoot.20   You will not be joined with them in burial,    because you have destroyed your land,    you have slain your people.   “May the offspring of evildoers    nevermore be named!21   Prepare slaughter for his sons    because of the guilt of their fathers,  lest they rise and possess the earth,    and fill the face of the world with cities.” 22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity,” declares the LORD. 23 “And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog,11 and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of hosts. An Oracle Concerning Assyria 24   The LORD of hosts has sworn:  “As I have planned,    so shall it be,  and as I have purposed,    so shall it stand,25   that I will break the Assyrian in my land,    and on my mountains trample him underfoot;  and his yoke shall depart from them,    and his burden from their shoulder.” 26   This is the purpose that is purposed    concerning the whole earth,  and this is the hand that is stretched out    over all the nations.27   For the LORD of hosts has purposed,    and who will annul it?  His hand is stretched out,    and who will turn it back? An Oracle Concerning Philistia 28 In the year that King Ahaz died came this oracle: 29   Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you,    that the rod that struck you is broken,  for from the serpent's root will come forth an adder,    and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent.30   And the firstborn of the poor will graze,    and the needy lie down in safety;  but I will kill your root with famine,    and your remnant it will slay.31   Wail, O gate; cry out, O city;    melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you!  For smoke comes out of the north,    and there is no straggler in his ranks. 32   What will one answer the messengers of the nation?  “The LORD has founded Zion,    and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge.” An Oracle Concerning Moab 15 An oracle concerning Moab.   Because Ar of Moab is laid waste in a night,    Moab is undone;  because Kir of Moab is laid waste in a night,    Moab is undone.2   He has gone up to the temple,12 and to Dibon,    to the high places13 to weep;  over Nebo and over Medeba    Moab wails.  On every head is baldness;    every beard is shorn;3   in the streets they wear sackcloth;    on the housetops and in the squares    everyone wails and melts in tears.4   Heshbon and Elealeh cry out;    their voice is heard as far as Jahaz;  therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud;    his soul trembles.5   My heart cries out for Moab;    her fugitives flee to Zoar,    to Eglath-shelishiyah.  For at the ascent of Luhith    they go up weeping;  on the road to Horonaim    they raise a cry of destruction;6   the waters of Nimrim    are a desolation;  the grass is withered, the vegetation fails,    the greenery is no more.7   Therefore the abundance they have gained    and what they have laid up  they carry away    over the Brook of the Willows.8   For a cry has gone    around the land of Moab;  her wailing reaches to Eglaim;    her wailing reaches to Beer-elim.9   For the waters of Dibon14 are full of blood;    for I will bring upon Dibon even more,  a lion for those of Moab who escape,    for the remnant of the land.16   Send the lamb to the ruler of the land,  from Sela, by way of the desert,    to the mount of the daughter of Zion.2   Like fleeing birds,    like a scattered nest,  so are the daughters of Moab    at the fords of the Arnon. 3   “Give counsel;    grant justice;  make your shade like night    at the height of noon;  shelter the outcasts;    do not reveal the fugitive;4   let the outcasts of Moab    sojourn among you;  be a shelter to them15    from the destroyer.  When the oppressor is no more,    and destruction has ceased,  and he who tramples underfoot has vanished from the land,5   then a throne will be established in steadfast love,    and on it will sit in faithfulness    in the tent of David  one who judges and seeks justice    and is swift to do righteousness.” 6   We have heard of the pride of Moab—    how proud he is!—  of his arrogance, his pride, and his insolence;    in his idle boasting he is not right.7   Therefore let Moab wail for Moab,    let everyone wail.  Mourn, utterly stricken,    for the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth. 8   For the fields of Heshbon languish,    and the vine of Sibmah;  the lords of the nations    have struck down its branches,  which reached to Jazer    and strayed to the desert;  its shoots spread abroad    and passed over the sea.9   Therefore I weep with the weeping of Jazer    for the vine of Sibmah;  I drench you with my tears,    O Heshbon and Elealeh;

With family: Numbers 24; Psalms 66–67 Numbers 24 (Listen) Balaam’s Third Oracle 24 When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go, as at other times, to look for omens, but set his face toward the wilderness. 2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. And the Spirit of God came upon him, 3 and he took up his discourse and said,   “The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,    the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,14   the oracle of him who hears the words of God,    who sees the vision of the Almighty,    falling down with his eyes uncovered:5   How lovely are your tents, O Jacob,    your encampments, O Israel!6   Like palm groves2 that stretch afar,    like gardens beside a river,  like aloes that the LORD has planted,    like cedar trees beside the waters.7   Water shall flow from his buckets,    and his seed shall be in many waters;  his king shall be higher than Agag,    and his kingdom shall be exalted.8   God brings him out of Egypt    and is for him like the horns of the wild ox;  he shall eat up the nations, his adversaries,    and shall break their bones in pieces    and pierce them through with his arrows.9   He crouched, he lay down like a lion    and like a lioness; who will rouse him up?  Blessed are those who bless you,    and cursed are those who curse you.” 10 And Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. And Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them these three times. 11 Therefore now flee to your own place. I said, ‘I will certainly honor you,’ but the LORD has held you back from honor.” 12 And Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not tell your messengers whom you sent to me, 13 ‘If Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the word of the LORD, to do either good or bad of my own will. What the LORD speaks, that will I speak’? 14 And now, behold, I am going to my people. Come, I will let you know what this people will do to your people in the latter days.” Balaam’s Final Oracle 15 And he took up his discourse and said,   “The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,    the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,16   the oracle of him who hears the words of God,    and knows the knowledge of the Most High,  who sees the vision of the Almighty,    falling down with his eyes uncovered:17   I see him, but not now;    I behold him, but not near:  a star shall come out of Jacob,    and a scepter shall rise out of Israel;  it shall crush the forehead3 of Moab    and break down all the sons of Sheth.18   Edom shall be dispossessed;    Seir also, his enemies, shall be dispossessed.    Israel is doing valiantly.19   And one from Jacob shall exercise dominion    and destroy the survivors of cities!” 20 Then he looked on Amalek and took up his discourse and said,   “Amalek was the first among the nations,    but its end is utter destruction.” 21 And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his discourse and said,   “Enduring is your dwelling place,    and your nest is set in the rock.22   Nevertheless, Kain shall be burned    when Asshur takes you away captive.” 23 And he took up his discourse and said,   “Alas, who shall live when God does this?24     But ships shall come from Kittim  and shall afflict Asshur and Eber;    and he too shall come to utter destruction.” 25 Then Balaam rose and went back to his place. And Balak also went his way. Footnotes [1] 24:3 Or closed, or perfect; also verse 15 [2] 24:6 Or valleys [3] 24:17 Hebrew corners [of the head] (ESV) Psalms 66–67 (Listen) How Awesome Are Your Deeds To the choirmaster. A Song. A Psalm. 66   Shout for joy to God, all the earth;2     sing the glory of his name;    give to him glorious praise!3   Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!    So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.4   All the earth worships you    and sings praises to you;    they sing praises to your name.” Selah 5   Come and see what God has done:    he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.6   He turned the sea into dry land;    they passed through the river on foot.  There did we rejoice in him,7     who rules by his might forever,  whose eyes keep watch on the nations—    let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah 8   Bless our God, O peoples;    let the sound of his praise be heard,9   who has kept our soul among the living    and has not let our feet slip.10   For you, O God, have tested us;    you have tried us as silver is tried.11   You brought us into the net;    you laid a crushing burden on our backs;12   you let men ride over our heads;    we went through fire and through water;  yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance. 13   I will come into your house with burnt offerings;    I will perform my vows to you,14   that which my lips uttered    and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.15   I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals,    with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams;  I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah 16   Come and hear, all you who fear God,    and I will tell what he has done for my soul.17   I cried to him with my mouth,    and high praise was on1 my tongue.218   If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,    the Lord would not have listened.19   But truly God has listened;    he has attended to the voice of my prayer. 20   Blessed be God,    because he has not rejected my prayer    or removed his steadfast love from me! Make Your Face Shine upon Us To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song. 67   May God be gracious to us and bless us    and make his face to shine upon us, Selah2   that your way may be known on earth,    your saving power among all nations.3   Let the peoples praise you, O God;    let all the peoples praise you! 4   Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,    for you judge the peoples with equity    and guide the nations upon earth. Selah5   Let the peoples praise you, O God;    let all the peoples praise you! 6   The earth has yielded its increase;    God, our God, shall bless us.7   God shall bless us;    let all the ends of the earth fear him! Footnotes [1] 66:17 Hebrew under [2] 66:17 Or and he was exalted with my tongue (ESV) In private: Isaiah 14; 1 Peter 2 Isaiah 14 (Listen) The Restoration of Jacob 14 For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2 And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the LORD’s land as male and female slaves.1 They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them. Israel’s Remnant Taunts Babylon 3 When the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:   “How the oppressor has ceased,    the insolent fury2 ceased!5   The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked,    the scepter of rulers,6   that struck the peoples in wrath    with unceasing blows,  that ruled the nations in anger    with unrelenting persecution.7   The whole earth is at rest and quiet;    they break forth into singing.8   The cypresses rejoice at you,    the cedars of Lebanon, saying,  ‘Since you were laid low,    no woodcutter comes up against us.’9   Sheol beneath is stirred up    to meet you when you come;  it rouses the shades to greet you,    all who were leaders of the earth;  it raises from their thrones    all who were kings of the nations.10   All of them will answer    and say to you:  ‘You too have become as weak as we!    You have become like us!’11   Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,    the sound of your harps;  maggots are laid as a bed beneath you,    and worms are your covers. 12   “How you are fallen from heaven,    O Day Star, son of Dawn!  How you are cut down to the ground,    you who laid the nations low!13   You said in your heart,    ‘I will ascend to heaven;  above the stars of God    I will set my throne on high;  I will sit on the mount of assembly    in the far reaches of the north;314   I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;    I will make myself like the Most High.’15   But you are brought down to Sheol,    to the far reaches of the pit.16   Those who see you will stare at you    and ponder over you:  ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,    who shook kingdoms,17   who made the world like a desert    and overthrew its cities,    who did not let his prisoners go home?’18   All the kings of the nations lie in glory,    each in his own tomb;419   but you are cast out, away from your grave,    like a loathed branch,  clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword,    who go down to the stones of the pit,    like a dead body trampled underfoot.20   You will not be joined with them in burial,    because you have destroyed your land,    you have slain your people.   “May the offspring of evildoers    nevermore be named!21   Prepare slaughter for his sons    because of the guilt of their fathers,  lest they rise and possess the earth,    and fill the face of the world with cities.” 22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity,” declares the LORD. 23 “And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog,5 and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of hosts. An Oracle Concerning Assyria 24   The LORD of hosts has sworn:  “As I have planned,    so shall it be,  and as I have purposed,    so shall it stand,25   that I will break the Assyrian in my land,    and on my mountains trample him underfoot;  and his yoke shall depart from them,    and his burden from their shoulder.” 26   This is the purpose that is purposed    concerning the whole earth,  and this is the hand that is stretched out    over all the nations.27   For the LORD of hosts has purposed,    and who will annul it?  His hand is stretched out,    and who will turn it back? An Oracle Concerning Philistia 28 In the year that King Ahaz died came this oracle: 29   Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you,    that the rod that struck you is broken,  for from the serpent’s root will come forth an adder,    and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent.30   And the firstborn of the poor will graze,    and the needy lie down in safety;  but I will kill your root with famine,    and your remnant it will slay.31   Wail, O gate; cry out, O city;    melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you!  For smoke comes out of the north,    and there is no straggler in his ranks. 32   What will one answer the messengers of the nation?  “The LORD has founded Zion,    and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge.” Footnotes [1] 14:2 Or servants [2] 14:4 Dead Sea Scroll (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate); the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain [3] 14:13 Or in the remote parts of Zaphon [4] 14:18 Hebrew house [5] 14:23 Possibly porcupine, or owl (ESV) 1 Peter 2 (Listen) A Living Stone and a Holy People 2 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. 4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture:   “Behold, I am

Audio Transcript:Good morning, good afternoon, good evening. Welcome to another edition of our Mosaic Boston Brookline online worship services. So glad that you are with us tuning in. Say hello in the comments section below if you're on Facebook live. Also, just a word to our regular attenders, if we have your email address and you are on our newsletter, you have received this week a survey, and we would love if you could give us the feedback, fill it out. It would help us tremendously in gathering all the information we need to gather so that we open a Mosaic and open well.With that said, would you please pray with me over the preaching of God's holy word? Heavenly Father, we love you. We thank you, Lord, that you are Father, and that you have many children, and that when you call us to be one of your children, you call us into a family. And Lord, we know in any family conflict arises. And I pray, Lord, that you today show us that by the gospel of Jesus Christ through grace you humble us. The gospel is the only force in the universe capable of humbling us, of getting us to the point where we crucify flesh and deny ourselves and follow you and serve others.Lord, I pray that you bless us today in your word. Take these words, Lord, and apply them not just to our minds, but to our hearts. And empower our wills to live in a manner worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We pray all this in Christ's holy name. Amen.We are in a sermon series through the book of Philippians. This is sermon number three. Pastor Ivy kicked off the series week one. Last week, we looked at Philippians chapter 1:12-30. Today, we are in Philippians 2:1-11. Title of the sermon today is Humility, the Key to Harmony. Humility, the Key to Harmony.One of the things that quarantine has done is it has surfaced any relational conflict we have with our roommates or our family members. And we're thankful for them because now we can work through those issues by the gospel of Jesus Christ, and humility is truly a key to harmony.One of my mentors is Bill Wellons, and he defines humility like this: "Humility is nothing to prove and no one to impress." Nothing to prove and no one to impress. I really, really like that. Scripture teaches that pride is the root of all sin, and sin is what keeps us from living the lives that God has intended us to live. Pride gets in the way of enjoying God. Pride gets in the way of enjoying people and enjoying life.Sometimes pride surfaces in our lives where we think too much of ourselves. Sometimes pride surfaces as insecurity where we think too little of ourselves. But in either case, we're thinking of ourselves. Too much thinking of yourself, that's what pride is. C.S. Lewis said, "Pride isn't thinking too much of yourself, it's thinking of yourself too much." Pride isn't thinking too much of yourself, it's thinking of yourself too much.Peter Kreeft, one of my favorite philosophers says, "Pride has ingrown eyeballs. Humility stares outward in self-forgetful ecstasy." What a place that is, self-forgetfulness. And that's where the gospel intend to take us.One of the things I will mention about preaching through Philippians, this is my second, maybe third time preaching through Philippians chapter 2:1-11. And I was reading through my notes from 2015, and I was struck by the thought of, "Oh, wow. The guy in 2015, Jan Vezikov in 2015 five years ago had no idea how much he was struggling with pride." I'm doing so much better in 2020. And as soon as you get there, you realize, well, that is so proud. And this is the thing that you see with pride. You never attain humility. It's not about getting to the destination of humility, it's all about the journey. Are you growing in humility? Are you growing in repentance of pride?We're about to encounter one of the most theologically, Christology dense scriptures and passages in scripture, but this scripture wasn't written for theologians alone. This scripture was written to common people, to regular people, regular Christians dealing with regular problems, to business people, to working people, soldiers, wives, husbands, parents, children. It's not just about Christology, it's about dealing and getting along with one another.So would you look at the text with me? Today we are in Philippians 2:1-11. Philippians 2:1-11. "So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my job by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interest of others."Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father." This is the reading of God's and infallible authoritative word. May He write these eternal truths upon our hearts.The keys to harmonious relationship, I already mentioned, is humility. And we got to ask ourselves at least five questions from this text to diagnose whether we are growing in humility. First of all, am I motivated by God's great love? Second, am I seeking unity or my own way? Third, am I growing in selfishness or humility? Am I putting the interests of others above my own? And number five, am I thinking with the mind of Christ?So first of all, am I motivated by God's great love? I love how St. Paul starts with this. He could've just rebuked them. He could've just said, "Why is there disunity in this family, this family of God in this local church in Philippi?" He doesn't. He doesn't start with a harsh rebuke. He starts with God's tender love. Why? Because God's love is the only force powerful enough to get us to a point where we humble ourselves, where we seek to crucify our pride, and ourself, and our ego.Here he says, "So if there is, so therefore ..." The word so means therefore. Wherever you see a therefore in scripture, you got to ask what it's there for. Well, it goes back to 1:27, Philippians 1:27, which is maybe the thesis of the whole book. He says, "Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear that you are standing firm in the gospel, striving side by side for the faith of the gospel." Are you striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, you brothers and sisters? Are you united in pursuit of the mission of god, the expansion of his kingdom of love?It goes back to we need to stand firm in unity. And the context is that seeds of disunity have been sewn in the body in Philippi. So St. Paul starts with Christ and the gospel and the word if. So if there is. If isn't a word of doubt or certainty. It's a word that means since. And he gives us a fourfold rhetorical question. There's four things. He says, "If since you have this in the gospel." Then he goes to what he wants them to do in light of that.Why does he start with the gospel? He starts with the gospel to get us into a point of indebtedness. There are two ways of living through life, entitlement or indebtedness. Pride leads to entitlement where you think that you deserve. And the gospel gets you to a place of indebtedness where you realize that the only thing you do truly deserve is hell. It's separation from God for all of eternity. If you hear this for the first time, by the way, it sounds so harsh. It sounds so abrupt. It's so unpalatable. But, the scripture always does this to awaken us, to awaken us from our pride, to awaken us from our spiritual stupor.He says, "Because so if there," that's verse one, "If there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the spirit, any affection and sympathy ..." And I'll just break this down. He starts with encouragement and Christ. It's a Greek word paracleses. Jesus uses this word to actually describe the Holy Spirit who is the Paraclete. He is the helper. He is the comforter. He is the encourager, the one called alongside to help, as scripture says in John 14.St. Paul starts here in terms of encouragement because relational conflict is always a source of discouragement. And at such times when you're discouraged by the people closest to you, you have a choice. You have a choice to either remain in that discouragement or turn to Christ who is the encourager, who by the Holy Spirit is our sufficiency. And he has promised to never leave us or forsake us no matter what. There is encouragement in Christ.Second is participation in the spirit, participation or fellowship. When a person turns from sin to Christ, repents by grace through faith, trusts in the Lord, you are at that moment indwelt with the Holy Spirit. You're baptized into the body of Christ. And the Holy Spirit draws us into fellowship with Christ and with one another. This is what it means to have fellowship in the spirit. You have fellowship with God. And you have fellowship with those who have the Holy Spirit, and that's our fellow Christians, our brothers and sisters. You can't have love for God without love for Christians, as first John says.If there's any affection and sympathy, the affection and sympathy here, St. Paul gets to the emotional element of God's love. He doesn't allow us to just stay at the level of logic where many of us naturally want to stay. He descends further into our heart, into our affection and he says, if you have in your heart this living experience of God, how can you but not share those affections, extend those affections to others?It's the same word that's used in Matthew 9:36 where it says that Jesus, when he saw the crowds, he had compassion. He had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. It's the Greek word splagchnizomai. It talks about the internal organs. Jesus internally, he felt love. He felt empathy and compassion.Every relation with conflict, every relation with problem is an opportunity to learn more of what Christ felt. Do you feel offended by the people around you? Well, no one was treated as offensively as Jesus Christ. Have you ever abandoned by your friends? Well, Jesus invested three years into his 12 disciplines, was abandoned by 11 of them. Have you ever felt betrayed? Jesus was betrayed by Judas, and still he loved. Still he extended his love so much so that on the cross he said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." So if we have this affection, this sympathy, this encourage, if we have all of this in Christ, participation in the spirit, how are we not to be motivated to love others when we're motivated by God's great love?Second, am I seeking unity or my own way? Philippians 2:2, he says, "Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind." This, by the way, this is such incredible lesson in leadership. It's an incredible lesson in marriage. It's incredible lesson in ... This right here is such ...St. Paul does not tell them what to do. That's not where he starts. He first starts with the gospel, if you love God, if you have experienced God love. Then, he says ... Then he goes to himself. Do you love me? If you love me, complete my ... I'm going to start doing this all the time with my daughters. I think I'm going to start doing this. "Oh, Sophia, complete my joy by making me an omelet. Oh, Elizabeth, complete my joy by washing the dishes. Catarina, complete my joy by not watching three more hours of whatever you're watching. Don't. Milana, complete my joy by not screaming so much. Please, please, complete my joy." And this is Paul's tactful way to appeal to them. Rather than rebuke them for the disunity, he appeals to the fact that they love him.In here, he says, "Complete my joy by being of the same mind." Now, what's fascinating, he repeats this, being full accord and of one mind. Here he's not talking about uniformity. He's talking about unison. That's why I use the word harmony, that humility is the key to relational harmony, that we are not singing one voice, different voices, but we're singing in harmony. It's not uniformity, it's unison. And Paul's joy is wrapped up in their unity, in their unison, not their uniformity.Harmonious relationships, they don't happen by accident. If you see a couple who've been married for decades and you see them holding hands as they're walking on the beach, there's a beautiful sunset, and they're always wearing shirts with khaki pants. Always. Always. And you see that. And as they're holding hands, you say, "Oh, they're so lucky. They're so fortunate." I'll tell you something. They didn't get there because of luck or just because of natural compatibility. They got there. They got there because of hard work. Relationships, they take work. And harmonious relationships take this mindset that St. Paul's talking about, mindset that works toward unity, works towards singing in unison and not uniformity.He's not talking about drab intellectual conformity. He's not talking about thinking the same things. He's talking about not just being on the same page, he's talking about moving in the same direction, being on the same journey. It's not an expression of intellectual agreement but one of intent, one of disposition. We all have our different roles on the team. So we must all be growing and experiencing this desire, and this comes from the mind of Christ.And by the way, this is so different from worldly conflict resolution, going to see a therapist or a marriage counselor who has no grounding in the gospel. Usually, the way that they seek resolution is by saying, "What do you want? And what do you want? And how can we get you to the point where both of you get what you want? What do you need to sacrifice a little bit? What do you need to sacrifice a little bit? And we'll get you to that ..." Scripture says no. No, that's not the way. The way to this unity and unison, the way is for you to sacrifice your own self. That's why he says same love. Have the same mind. Have the same love. The same love is talking about the love of Christ that's revealed in his incarnation, life, death, burial, and resurrection. We'll talk about that.The final phrase in this verse is being in full accord and of one mind. And here, it's a little different in the Greek where he talks about being of one soul, that true unity isn't just organizational or outward. It's a matter of the heart. It's not automatic. It's deliberate action. I choose to be united. I choose to seek unity.Christian unity is categorically different from any other kind of unity. And our world, by the way, celebrates unity. One of the reasons why it celebrates unity is because there's so little unity in the world. Perhaps unity around a sports team or common effort in a charitable cause, running a 5k together, going on a hunger walk. But usually, unity that's found in the world today is unity with people that think precisely like you do, that look precisely like you do, that vote precisely like you do. Christianity says no.The gospel of Jesus Christ takes very different people, categorically different people and brings them together into one family. Unity is so rare. It's so hard to achieve and so difficult to preserve and sustain. That's why when the world sees it they're shocked by it. That's why Jesus said, "The world will know that you are my disciples because of what? Because of your love toward one another."I'm going to pause here and say one of the things that I love so dearly about Mosaic is that we are a true mosaic. People from all over the world, people speaking dozens of languages, people in different life stages coming together and worshiping the same Christ, our world desperately needs more of that. And we've seen this with people dying because of racism. We've seen this with George Floyd. And this is over and over. It's people remembered by hashtags because of racism, because of institutional racism.Now, I'll tell you this, it's not just a skin problem. It's a sin problem. And scripture says that every single one of us is a sinner. Every single one of us is driven by pride, be it racial pride, or financial pride, or national pride, and the gospel says no. We are to repent of that pride and accept the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.Third, am I growing in selfishness or humility? Philippians 2:3 says, "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit. But in humility, count others more significant than yourselves." I'll just let you meditate on that. I can say so much about this, and I've learned from my own personal experience there is no amount of homiletical function that I can give you to get you to the point where you can do this. I can't do that, but the Holy Spirit can. This is so unnatural.And St. Paul here says that the true obstacle to true unity isn't just a difference in opinion. That's not the obstacle to unity is that people have different opinions. The obstacle to unity is selfishness, and it's vanity. That's why I said humility is the key to true unity to relational harmony. Worldly conflict resolution goes like this: Stand up for your rights, be assertive, negotiate what you want. The technique is really balancing your needs against another person's needs, and here he says no. Stay away from selfish ambition. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit.Here, in the Greek, this is a party spirit or a political spirit where you try to build up a following for yourself, putting your opponents down. And scripture says in Galatians 5 that both selfish ambition and conceit are fruit of the flesh. And conceit here is empty conceit, or in the Greek it's vain glory, kenodoxia, useless glory where you're puffed up with the sense of your own self-importance and you forget that everything that you have is from God.1 Corinthians tells us, who made you to differ? Who made you to be a little different than anyone else? Who made you to be unique? It was God. He gave you the gifts. He gave you the abilities. He gave you the opportunities. He gave you the strength. He gives you every single heart beat. So why? Why are we puffed up with our useless glory?He says, "We are to seek humility of mind. But in humility, count others more significant than yourselves." We're too self-focused. Even our insecurities, too much self-focus. We need to get our thoughts away from ourselves to the needs of others. And here the question is, am I supposed to be some kind of doormat? Am I supposed to just allow people to walk all over me? No, of course not. Of course not. But we are to start thinking about the needs of others. We are to realize that everything I have, intelligence, money, work ethic, everything is from Him and for Him. Also, we are to ...This is where the gospel does truly humble us, where it brings us face to face with our sinfulness, with our own depravity. And if you're not growing in a deeper realization daily of your sinfulness before God, then you're not growing spiritually. The closer you get to God, the bigger he looks, the small we look. And that's a great place to be.Four, am I putting the interests of others above my own? This is verse four. "Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others." By the way, this doesn't mean that we never say no to people. Jesus had moments where he would receive from the crowd. He would back away from the crowd in order to go and spend time with God, the Father. He knew that he was getting to the point where he was running on fumes, running on empty spiritually speaking. He needed to refuel and recharge. He understood that if he wasn't in a strong place spiritually and physically, he couldn't help people. Jesus often would say no to the needs of the crowds to spend time with the Father or to train up his disciples. So, he did have priorities, and he did all of that in order to make sure that he was a better servant of God.Here, a question is, count others more significant than yourselves. Look to the interests of others. Whom are you not counting more significant than yourself? Whose interest of the people in your circle of influence, whose interest are you not looking to? Do you even know the interest of others? Are you a good listener? I say that a little tongue in cheek because people think I'm a terrible listener. I try. I'm growing at listening, and this happens only by the power of the Holy ... Are you a good listener? Jan Vezikov. Keep growing in that.Number five, am I think with the mind of Christ? I'm going to spend the bulk of our time on this point because that's where St. Paul spends the bulk of his time. Am I growing? Am I thinking with the mind of Christ? How? By meditating on the incarnation, on the miracle that the incarnation is. This is verse five. "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus." You have access to the mind of Christ. You have access to the mind of the God of the universe. And the closer you get to God, the more time you spend with God, the more you study the holy scripture, you begin to think the thoughts of God. Your mind become in sync with the mind of Christ, and that's how transformation happens where your mind is in lockstep with the mind of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.Look at Romans 12:1 and 2. "I appear to you, therefore, brothers, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, which is what is good, acceptable, and perfect."You see that connection? Between being transformed by the renewal of your mind and discerning God's will, what's the connection there? The connection is when your mind is connected to the mind of God, of Christ, that's where transformation happens, and that's when you begin to understand what God's will is.A lot of people ask, "What's the will of God for my life? What's the will of God for this season in my life?" I'll tell you what it is. The will of God for this season in your life is for you to start thinking the thoughts of Christ, and we get that by the power of the spirit from the holy scriptures. Jesus voluntarily left the highest position in the universe. This is the incarnation. Voluntary left the highest position in the universe. And from the highest of heights, he goes to the lowest of depths in order to rescue us from God's judgment, people, us, people who in no way deserved rescuing.When we meditate on the incarnation that Jesus left the splendor, the purity of heaven, he comes into this wicked world and he actually ... Scripture says he doesn't just take our sin upon himself, he become our sin. He who knew no sin becomes sins that we might become, the righteousness of God. No personal sacrifice that we make can ever match what the glorious savior did for us."He existed in the form of God," verse six says. And the preexistence of Christ is that he was God. He is God before he was born to the Virgin Mary. Jesus Christ is not a created being. He's the second person of the triune God. John 1:1-3 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made." John 1:14, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father full of grace and truth." Jesus in John 8 says, "Before Abraham was born, I am." Not I was, not I will be, I am. Jesus is God. Before he came to earth, he dwelled in indescribable glory, one with the Father, blessedness of divine being, and he was willing to leave all of that to come to earth. He humbled himself.I don't know how to describe how hard this is. If anyone's become ... If you're a parent, you kind of understand this, especially if you had a career prior to having children, you've had career success. Then, you become a parent. Then, you're spending hours a day talking with a two-year-old. Then you start thinking like a two-year-old. There's a humility that needs to happen for you to connect with this person who's so little, and so dumb, and so brilliant at the same time. There's something like that. When you've tasted height, it's so hard to go low.This past week, my brother got married. Actually, I'm preaching on Thursday. So he's getting married on Friday, but you're watching on Sunday, so he got married on Friday. Hopefully, Lord willing, that's going to work out. But, we went to New Hampshire to celebrate his this like a bachelor getaway of some friends. We rented a Ford Expedition, brand new. This things massive. We drove in comfort, in luxury. I came home, and I got into my Toyota Highlander, and I got a glimpse of what Jesus ... No. You can't even compare. But, it's something like that. There's incredible humility that happens with Christ.And here, in verses 6 through 11, St. Paul gives us the Carmen Christi. This is a hymn. This is a song. The early church sang this in order to remind themselves daily of what Christ went through. Verse six, "Who though he was in the form of God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped." Jesus didn't treat his equality with God as a treasure to be greedily clutched, he resigned the glories of heavens for us. Verse seven, "He emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men." He emptied himself. What does this mean? What does it mean that he made himself nothing?Well, God can't cease to be God. Jesus didn't give up his divine attributes. However, he voluntarily limited his independent use of certain attributes, of certain prerogatives. His preincarnate glory was veiled, as scripture says, except for a brief time. We get this in the mountain of transfiguration where he takes three of his disciplines and he goes up in the mountain and they say his glory. They were struck by his glory. Or perhaps this glory was unveiled just a little bit when the soldiers came to the guard in Gethsemane in order to arrest him. They fall backwards after a flash of his glory.How? How did he empty himself? How did he make himself nothing? By becoming a king, by coming as a glorious earthly ruler? No. He takes the form of a servant, the Greek word doulas of a slave. He didn't cease to be God in any sense, but he added to his divine nature, human nature, just like ours. It's not mixed, it's not blended. He was without sin, but he was subject to the consequence or results of the fall. Jesus grew tired. Jesus aged. Jesus died.There was a time when God, the Son, was not a man, but there was never a time when God, the Son, was not. He became a man by taking flesh, adding flesh to himself. He didn't cease to be God, but he became man also. And by his union of natures in his person, he remains in that forever. In heaven, he is the God man with two natures inseparably joined, fully God and fully man.Philippians 2:8, "And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." He took on a human form. He looked normal. He was a normal-looking guy. However, he was also glorious. He was God, and he humbled himself.One of the catechism says that he is undiminished deity and perfect humanity united without confusion in one person forever. To deny that he was fully God or to deny that he was fully man, fully human is to veer into heresy. He didn't just become human. He didn't just become a servant or slave, but he actually subjected himself to death, and not just any death, the most embarrassing, humiliating, shameful death imaginable.Jesus, he could've come down to earth as a king. He could've come down to earth in a different time. He could've come down to earth and forced people to serve him. He does not. He comes down. He serves, lives a perfect life, and then he goes to a cross crucifixion. It was a death that was anything but noble. It was horrible. It was ignoble. It was the death of a common criminal. For Jews or Hebrew theologians, dying on a cross was the lowest death you could possibly die because Deuteronomy says that he who hangs on a cross, he who hangs on a tree is accursed by God. For gentiles, death by crucifixion was the lowest, most despicable death imaginable.The Roman poet Cicero says, "Far be the very name of a cross, not only from the body but even from the thoughts, the eyes, the ears of Roman citizens." It was the ultimate indignity beyond contempt, excruciating physical pain was only magnified by the degradation, by the humiliation, by the death of the ego, by the humility. So Jesus goes to the height of heights to the depth depths.And by the way, not until I can give you all the words I can think of to describe how low this was, but not until we can get to heaven will we be able to ... When we see Christ in all his glory on that throne will we then begin to understand just how vast the chasm was of his drop from the height of heights to the depth of depths. Why? Why, Christ? Why'd you do that? Because of his vast love for us. And that right there, that's ... If that doesn't melt your heart, if that doesn't melt you, nothing will. And when your heart melts because of the gospel, that's when you can go back to verses three and four. That's when you can start thinking of others as more significant than yourselves because Christ did that for you.Pride says my will be done. Humility, that's Christ in the garden of Gethsemane. Not my will, but yours be done. This is why humility is the heart of Christianity. Chris Austin says, "Humility is the foundation of Christian." Agustin says, "The precepts of Christianity are first, second, third, always humility."C.S: Lewis says this the Mere Christianity, "Pride has been the chief cause of misery in every nation and every family since the world began. Pride always means enmity. It is enmity. Not only enmity between man and man, but enmity to God. In God, you come up against something which is in every respect immeasurably superior to yourself. Unless you know God as that, and therefore know yourself as nothing in comparison, you do not know God at all. As long as you are proud, you cannot know God. Proud man is always looking down on things and people. And of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you." Christ comes down to get us to look up away from ourselves, away from naval gazing to Christ.Practically, how can I get to a place where I treasure Christ's love more than ever? I'll tell you how. Try loving unlovable people. Try loving people who are hard to love. How do you love a porcupine? In the comments below. Chicken wing. How do you love a porcupine? Carefully. There's a lot of people that you're going to love carefully. And when you try to love unlovable people, you begin to realize how hard that is. You begin to realize how much effort it takes, how much you got to sacrifice your own comfort, sacrifice your own time, sacrifice your own desires. Then you begin to understand, oh my, that's what Christ did for me. He loved me not because I was lovable but because I he's loving.And when we love people with action first, people for whom we do not feel love, I'll tell you this, that the feelings, the affection, they always follow the actions. Affection always follows action. In any single relationship, when you see that you have yourself sacrificed for this person, you heart begins to warm up to them. As you act lovingly, the feelings follow. Feelings follow action.In Philippians 2:9, "Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him a name that is above every name." The crucified, risen, ascended Christ is in a place of supremacy on the throne at the right hand of God, the Father today. He's highly exalted. That's the only time in all the scripture the word is used. He's super exalted. He goes from the height of heights to the depths, a depths of depths back to the height of heights. Say that 10 times fast.Jesus didn't exalt himself, he was exalted by God, the Father. I love that. I pointed this out multiple times. There's a humility in the trinity that God, the most glorious being, God the Father could say, "Worship me. Worship me. Worship me." Instead, he says, "Worship Christ." Holy Spirit says, "Worship Christ. Worship the Father." The Father and Christ say, "Worship the Holy Spirit." They deflect glory. They deflect exaltation. What an incredible God he is.Acts 5:30-31, "The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins." Well, what is the name that God the Father gave Christ? Is it Jesus? Not just Jesus. Is it Christ? Not just Christ.Look at verse 10. "So that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. He's Lord to the glory of God the Father." Lord, this is the equivalent in the Old Testament for Yahweh, the name of God, a name so sacred that Hebrew believers, when they would read the Torah, when they would read the holy scripture, the Hebrew scriptures and they would get to the name of Yahweh, they wouldn't say Yahweh. They would say Adonai because it was so sacred.And this sacred name is given to Jesus Christ. He is Lord. The one who made himself a slave, the one who made himself to serve, the one who empty himself, made himself nothing is Lord. When we see what he did, that gets us to a point where we realize how full of ourselves we are. If the God of the universe can empty himself by grace through faith, we can empty ourselves of our ego, of our pride, of our selfishness.To get the full meaning of what scripture is saying here that Jesus is Lord, you got to go back to Isaiah 45. This is the text that St. Paul is actually quoting where God says, "Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God and there is no other. By myself, I have sworn from my mouth has gone out, for my mouth has gone out in righteousness, a word that shall not return. To me every knee shall bow. Every tongue shall swear allegiance to me." To whom? To God. To Yahweh. St. Paul says, "God the Father gives Jesus the name Lord, a name that is above every name, and every knee shall bow to Yahweh, to Jesus our Lord."Peter says this in Acts 2:33-36. "Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, 'The Lord said to my Lord, the Father says to Jesus, 'Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.' Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, that Jesus, this Jesus whom you crucified.'"St. Paul says Jesus has a name above every name. Jesus is currently sitting at the right hand of God the Father and we can have fellowship with this same Jesus through the spirit of Jesus, which is the Holy Spirit, as we learned in chapter one. And he says, "As sure as Christ has risen, verified historic fact, as sure as by fully God, fully man, the God man sitting on the throne in heaven, as sure as that, as sure as day, as sure as the day follows the night, every knee will bow to Jesus Christ, either willingly in humility in this life or forcibly, forced humility in the next." He says, "Every creature will submit to Christ. In heaven, that's all of the angels who bow willing before Christ. On earth, that's every Christian who will bow willingly before Jesus." "And every one else," he says, "under the earth that Satan and his powerful demonic forces and those in hell who will have to acknowledge the lordship of Christ."Jesus dethroned himself to serve us, to forgive us for throning ourselves, to getting on the throne of God. He does the opposite of what Satan did. Pride does what Satan did as described in Isaiah 14. Isaiah 14:12-15, "How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn." That's a reference to Satan. "How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low. You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven above the stars of God. I will set my throne on high. I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will make myself like the most high.' But you are brought down to Sheol, hell to the far reaches of the pit." Pride does what Satan did. Pride is the utmost complete anti God mindset, and humility does Jesus did as described in Philippians. Jesus descended. Jesus humbled. Jesus emptied. Jesus died for us.And when you see that, when you see what Christ did, when you live your life at the foot of the cross, you can't but grow in humility. You meditate on the cross. When you look up to the cross and see that God man crucified for you, blood poured out in anguish, forgiving us, cut off from the Father and from the Holy Spirit, alienated for the first time in all of his existence where he cries out, "My God. My God. Why have you forsaken me?" A reference to the Father and a reference to the Holy Spirit. My God. My God. He did that for us. And when you live your life at the foot of the cross, you can't but grow in humility. And that's what St. Paul does here. He tries to turn our sight to Christ.Have you bowed a knee to Christ? I call you to do that today. I plead with you. Bow not just your heart to Christ, bow your knees to Christ in repentance. Trust in Christ. At this moment, at that moment, all of your sins are forgiven. You're a child of God. Welcome to the family. That said, please pray with me.Heavenly Father, we thank you for this word. Wow. What a rich, rich, incredible text this is. Lord, it's a text that easier to understand than to live. Actually, it's impossible to live. But Lord, I pray by the gospel and power of the Holy Spirit make us a church that embodies this text as the body of Christ in whose name we pray. Amen.

Audio Transcript:This media has been made available by Mosaic Boston Church. If you'd like to check out more resources, learn about Mosaic Boston and our neighborhood churches, or donate to this ministry, please visit mosaicboston.comGood morning and welcome again to Mosaic. We are beginning a new sermon series today that is going to take us through the season of lent all the way up to Easter and really excited about it. I usually go into these sermon series with a lot of excitement, but I am just upfront. This one is a little bit different. I'm excited, but it's a somber excitement. It's a very sober excitement. We have a very serious topic that for the next six weeks we're going to be looking at and what we're going to be focusing on throughout this series is the work of Satan and demons and how that plays a part in our lives and it's not a topic that we enter into lightly nor should we. A scripture frequently pulls back the curtain on physical reality and shows us that there is a spiritual realm and there is a spiritual war that is going on behind the scenes.Ephesians six, Paul tells the church in Ephesus in verse 10, "Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." And so we've called this series Stratagem. That if we are to defend against the schemes of this enemy, we need to know who he is, what he wants, what he is capable of, what are his strategies, what are his tactics? What's his M.O.?Jesus told his disciples, I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. That Jesus has a mission, he has a church, and that this church has an enemy and it's not one that we should take lightly. Over the next six weeks, we're going to be looking at some of the ways that scripture depicts this enemy. And so we see that Satan is sometimes depicted as the deceiver, as the tempter, as the accuser, as the divider, as the thief, as the murderer. And today we're going to start things off by looking at his primary title, which actually comes from his name itself, the name in Hebrew, sâtan or in Greek diabolos. It's this idea that Satan is our adversary.Now, as we start just going to clear the air, acknowledge the elephant in the room, because I know what some of you are thinking. Some of you guys, you're thinking is that guy really going to stand up there this morning in front of a room of highly edumacated Bostonian's and talk about our old cleft foot friend, the devil? Yeah. Maybe we'll get to big foot in the Loch Ness Monster while we're at it. But no this is real. And I understand that a lot of us, especially from more secular or Western cultures, we come to this with a bit of skepticism. Now, others of you perhaps have come from cultures in other parts of the world where you are painfully aware of the physical and the spiritual reality of evil. That you've maybe had personal experiences with the demonic as some of you have maybe even come from cultures that have even an unhealthy preoccupation with Satan and demons. Where people live with anxiety and fear of the spiritual realm.That really shows us that there's two dangers that we can come to as Christians when we begin talking about Satan and demons. On the one hand, we can overestimate their power and their influence. And so you have Christians who, they see a demon hiding under every rock that everything that goes wrong in their life is spiritual attack. Everything they do wrong, it's like, "Well, the devil made me do it." And that's not biblical or helpful. But on the other hand, we're tempted at times to underestimate the power in the presence, in the influence of Satan and demons, or maybe even to dismiss them to the category of myth and legend and scripture will not allow that either.And so what does scripture actually say? That's what we're going to be scratching the surface on this morning, and looking at over the next several weeks. And if you have your Bibles, go ahead and open up. We're going to be in 1st Peter chapter five primarily today. Looking at verse one through 11 we're going to begin our series looking at how Satan is our adversary and how he is actively... this is one of the ways that he is actively at work in the world today.So 1st Peter 5:1, "So exhort the elders among you as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed. Shepherd the flock of God that is among you exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly as God would have you. Not for shameful gain, but eagerly. Not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. Likewise, you who are younger be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you casting all your anxieties on him because he cares for you.Be sober-minded, be watchful, your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world and after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To Him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen."Let's pray. God, we thank you for your Holy and infallible authoritative word for our lives. I pray today, Holy Spirit, that you would help us to see, to understand, to believe and to obey what you have to say to us. That you would use this word to shape us more into the image of Christ for the sake of your kingdom and glory. We ask in Jesus' name, amen.Only have two points today, and the first point is pretty straight forward and it's simply this that we need to know our adversary. When I was in high school, I got really into Taekwondo, into kickboxing and I was always the smallest kid in class, but I was always also one of the fastest and most agile kids in class. And so I really picked the sport up really quickly. My friend and I, we would go and we would train like four or five nights a week. And I was really quick, I was really fast, I could also jump really high. And so my specialty, the thing that I poured the most time into perfecting was the spinning jump kick. I worked on this and actually, I got to the point where I could kick well over my head, six, seven feet in the air about as high as the instructor could hold the pad. And I was thinking about demonstrating that for you this morning, but this was like 21 years ago, I'll break a hip.Anyways, loved it, got really involved and started entering tournaments. I remember the very first tournament that I ever fought in. It was a touch sparring tournament, which means you're not trying to hurt each other, you're just trying to make contact and score points. And because of that, there was no weight divisions. And I ended up in one of the rounds fighting against another guy who was actually, he was a police officer. He was much older, much, much bigger than me, but it really didn't matter because it was all about speed. It was just about scoring points and so I was just going to town. I was way ahead in the points and I don't know what was going through my head.I was getting bored. I was like, "This is my moment to shine." I need to Jean-Claude Van Damme, this guy right in the side of the head, in front of everyone. Show everyone just how awesome I am." So I get ready, I square up, I take my step, I jump, I spin in, just perfectly execute the spinning jump kick. Now, here's some advice just in case you ever find yourself in a street fight on the main streets of Brooklyn, this is what you do. If someone comes at you with a spinning jump kick and this is what he did, you ready for it? You do this. They don't show you that in the movies, but if you just move your head like three or four inches, that's all you've got to do and they totally miss. And that's what I did. I totally missed. I land on the ground, my guard is down and he just side kicks me right in the gut and I fly back, literally like fly back out of the ring like 10 feet, so embarrassing.Here's the point. It doesn't matter what you're talking about, doesn't matter if you're talking about kickboxing, boxing, warfare, sports, business, anything. You need to know your enemy, you need to take them seriously. You need to study the competition and anticipate their moves or you are likely to fail. And that's what we're doing in this series. We're trying to study the enemy so that we can anticipate his moves so that we can defend against his attacks. And now part of the problem is that there's just a lot of bad information, a lot of misinformation out there in our culture, even in spears of Christian culture, about who Satan is and about what he is capable of. So we're just going to begin by just taking a systematic look at what does the Bible say about Satan, about who he is, about where he came from, about what he wants and what he's capable of.So first of all, who is he? It's important to understand that the Bible was not written to angels and demons, it wasn't written to the spiritual realm, it was written to us. And so the primary focus in scripture is us. It's our responsibility as human beings before God. So there's not a book of the Bible on introduction to Satan and demons. You're not going to find that but what you do find is you just find bits and pieces of information sprinkled in throughout the story of scripture. So, for example, who is Satan and where did he come from? Well, there's passages like 2nd Peter 2:4, Jude 1:6 that tell us that Satan and the demons were originally angels, right? Satan is not God's counterpart, he's not the yin to God's yang. He was an angel that God created, and in the beginning he was good. He was beautiful, he was holy and sinless.But what these passages show us is that at some point in time between the end of creation, when God looks out and says everything was very good, between that point and the garden of Eden, where the serpent comes to Eve, somewhere in there, a faction of the angels fell under the leadership of Satan. They rebelled against God and they were cast out of heaven. You have passages like Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28. These are passages that were prophetic passages and they were written about real earthly rulers who were prideful or rebellious toward God, and inevitably it was prophesying their fall. But when you read these passages, they're using heavenly angelic language and it's very clear that what's going on here is more than just what we see on the surface, that the authors, Isaiah and Ezekiel, the prophets were either using these stories to simultaneously teach us about the story of Satan and his fault, or at least comparing these earthly rulers to a story about Satan that the readers would have been familiar with.So just for example, look at Isaiah 14:12. It's written concerning the King of Babylon, but this is what it says, it says, "How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of the Dawn." Scripture frequently uses the imagery of stars as a metaphor for angelic beings and the day star, it's the last star to disappear from the sky in the morning when the sun comes up. So it's the most bright, it's the most glorious, the most powerful of the stars. And in this context it's talking about the most powerful and glorious of the angels. "How you've fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of the Dawn." Actually when that was translated into the Latin, Day Star is where we get the name of Lucifer."How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low. You said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven above the stars of God. I will rule over all the other angels. I will set my throne on high and sit on the mount of assembly. I'll have equal authority to God. I'll start running the heavenly staff meetings," so to speak. "I will sit in the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north. I will ascend above the Heights of the cloud. I will make myself like the Most High. I will make myself God." But you were brought down to Sheol, to hell, to the far reaches of the pit.Ezekiel 28 is very similar language, angelic language concerning the King of Tyre and I think these passages they're meant to teach us on the one hand that there is a fearful judgment awaiting earthly rulers who defy God, who used their authority in rebellion to God and misused their positions to do evil. Now, I think these stories are also meant to show us that the fall of evil earthly rulers is merely an echo of this original fall of Satan and the demons. That becomes much more clear when we read Revelation chapter 12. Revelation 12:7 says, "Now a war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting back against the dragon and the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down." That ancient serpent who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world, he was thrown down to earth and his angels were thrown down with him.So we see that the story behind perhaps these other stories of the King of Babylon, the King of Tyre is a true story. It's something that actually happened, that there was a rebellion in heaven that war broke out, that Satan and the demons were cast down in and that brings us to Revelation 12:12, "And therefore rejoice, Oh heavens and you who dwell in them for the Dragon's been cast down. But woe to you Oh, earth and sea for the devil has come down to you in great wrath because he knows his time is short." That sounds a lot like 1st Peter five, your enemy prowls around like a roaring lion in his wrath looking for someone to devour.And really I think that is what brings us to Genesis chapter three. That Satan falls, he's cast out of heaven, he fails to take God's throne in heaven. So he sets up a fraudulent throne on earth. He comes to Adam and Eve in the garden, and what does he do? He tempts them. He said, "You don't really believe that God is good, do you? You don't really trust him, right? I mean, he just wants to control you. He knows that if you break his commandments, that you'll actually be set free. You'll be like him, you'll become autonomous. You'll be a law to yourself. Independent. So do what? So join my rebellion, follow in my footsteps." And they do.Now the irony of Eden is that Adam and Eve had been created in the image and likeness of God and yet Satan convinces them God's likeness is not enough. You need to be completely like God. You need to be fully a lot here. You need to be independent from him, but then when they fall for that deception, they don't find the autonomy that Satan was promising them. Instead, what they find is that now instead of being under God's good, gracious, loving rule in paradise, they come under a curse. They're cast out of Eden and they come under the harsh tyrannical rule of Satan's sin and death. See, Satan's sin was pride in his own glory and his primary agenda today is to kill and to steal and to destroy anything that would bring glory or honor to God. Where he failed in heaven at taking God's crown, he's in a sense set up a throne here on earth and that sounds strange, but you actually see this in scripture.In revelation two, Jesus is talking to the church and he says, "I know where you dwell, where the throne of Satan is." If you read through the book of revelation, the symbol of a throne, anytime you see a throne in heaven, it's symbolic of God's good and sovereign rule that anytime you see a throne on earth, it's symbolic of Satan's fraudulent tyrannical rule. Satan is now rebelliously ruling the earth. And so we see in the book of job where Satan comes into the heavenly council and they ask him, "Where have you been?" And Satan is like, "You know, just walking around like I own the place." Like to and fro wherever I want to go, all over the face of the earth. Everyone down there bows to me." And God says, "Well, have you considered job?"2nd Corinthians four, Paul calls Satan the God of this world. Ephesians two, calls him the Prince of the power of the air. Jesus in John chapter 12, John chapter 14, John chapter 16 refers to Satan as the ruler of this world. And we just looked at this a week or two ago, and 1st John five, the apostle John says, "We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one." That he's called the God of this world. Not in the sense that he's the God of creation, but in the sense that he is ruling over every person, every place, everything that does not bow before God and worship and confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord, that Jesus is the true and rightful King. And this shouldn't surprise us, right? Because when you look out at the world around us, are you amazed at just how much of the kingdom of Jesus you see?Like everywhere you look, it's just like everybody's worshiping Jesus, everybody's humble, everybody's loving their neighbors. No, you see pain, you see perversion, you see chaos, destruction, rebellion. You see the chief virtue of Satan's kingdom, which is pride, everywhere you look. Now, Satan is obviously not God or equal to God in any way, but when Jesus calls him the God of this world, we know what he's talking about. So let's move now from talking about just the world and people in general. Let's talk about the Christians in the church specifically because this is who Peter's is writing to and it's who he's talking about. Peter commands us to be sober-minded and alert to that we need to be aware of spiritual reality and we need to not let our guard down. Why? Because our enemy wants to kill, steal and destroy anything that would bring glory to God. And there are a few things that do that more than his children. So he wants to take us out. Stay with me because I know the first part of the sermon is pretty dark.And Peter's painting a frightening picture. There's a light coming at the end of the tunnel, but we need to understand the fear of being out and you hear a lion roaring on the prowl but you don't know exactly where it is that it's hunting you down ready to strike. Most of us might have a hard time relating to this, but the closest that I've ever come was one time in high school my family had taken... we were on vacation at a cabin in a Lake in Northern Wisconsin and I was walking through the grounds. I came around the corner of a building where the dumpsters were, and about feet in front of me was a black bear and I just shipped back around the corner and just sprinted as fast as I could in the other direction. I don't want to mess with that. The closest thing we have to that here in, I don't know, is probably the turkeys in Brookline. They're pretty fearsome if you've ever gotten...Actually this happened a couple of years ago, but I had dropped Owen off at daycare. I was driving home going down Tappan Street in Brookline and I see this high school kid come over the hill and he's just like booking it, running for his life, full sprint about 10 feet behind him and there's massive turkeys. Like fluffed up, chasing him down out for blood. Satan's not a turkey, he's a lion. He's hungry, he's fearsome, he's ferocious. He's roaring. He's looking for someone to devour. Now, here's what we need to know. There are two primary categories of tactics that he uses to attack the children of God as our adversary. And the first is the tactic of stealth. We're going to talk about this in a few weeks. I'm not going to talk about a whole lot now, but sometimes he comes in stealth, concealed, hidden as a serpent. He comes, scripture tells us, as an angel of light, as a Wolf in sheep's clothing, he comes and he seems so harmless. He might even seem good, but he's aiming to tempt and to deceive and to manipulate.So Satan will use stealth. But here Peter shows us the other tactic, which is the tactic of terror. The Satan is a roaring lion and he wants to tear, a psychological warfare. Or you hear stories of Alexander the great and would ride into battle with war elephants to intimidate the enemy. I heard stories that he would actually have his blacksmiths make these massive suits of armor that were fitted for giant men. For men like eight, nine feet tall and he didn't have anyone that large in his ranks. But what he would do is when they would abandon a camp, they would leave these behind so that if an enemy were pursuing them, they'd come up on their camp and they'd find these massive suits of armor and they'd be demoralized, they'd be terrified of, "Oh, these guys has giants." And he would through this, win the battle before it even began. Satan uses this. He wants to demoralize the children of God. And the way he does this, the roars that he uses are those of suffering and persecution.Peter talks about that here. And he will use the threat of physical harm for the purpose of doing spiritual harm, to demoralize us, to scare us out of the fight, to scare us away from the battle. So suffering. Now, this includes some of the more bizarre stuff that you think about like demonic affliction, demonic oppression, even demonic possession, nightmares, night terrors. Other things like unexplained physical or mental illness, abuse, alcoholism, compulsive lying, drug addiction, idolatry, death, calamity, disaster. Scripture at times, attributes all of these things to the work of Satan and demons. Now we've got to be careful because scripture doesn't always attribute all of these things to the work of Satan and demons. Sometimes there are other causes.Primarily you think about like our own fallen bodies. Sometimes what appears to be a physical or a mental illness, it could be demonic and need spiritual attention or it could be physical and need medical attention or it could be both. You need to be wise. You need to be discerning, suffering caused by our fallen body. Sometimes it's caused by our fallen flesh, by our sinful nature that we as human beings are perfectly capable of sinning and doing evil without any help from Satan or demons. Yet 2nd Timothy 2:26, says that Satan can capture people to do his will. It could be our fallen bodies, could be our fallen flesh, it could be just living in a fallen world that creation is fallen, it's groaning and sometimes suffering happens and we don't know why.And so we should be careful not to attribute every odd or evil thing to the work of the demonic, but we should also be careful not to write that off as a possibility because it doesn't matter where that suffering is coming from. Satan can still try to use it against us and what he wants to do is he wants to pull us away from God. He wants to pull us away from God's mission so that we're not abiding in Christ. Satan also uses persecution. Now, when you study the New Testament, and especially when you read through the book of Revelation, what you see is that there's three primary categories of persecution that the enemy uses against the church. There's social persecution, there's economic persecution, and there's physical persecution.And so social persecution is, we're talking about when Jesus says, "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad for great is your reward in heaven." That if I am living my life as a Christian and if people find out, they're going to mock me, they're going to ridicule me, they're going to exclude me, they're going to slander me, they're going to label me as this or that, and they're going to destroy my reputation. Satan will use social persecution to destroy my reputation.The second is economic persecution. You read in the book of Revelation that one of the things that the church was facing is that if you wanted to be a Christian business owner and participate in the marketplace, that in some cities they would require you to join their trade guilds and in order to be part of these guilds, you needed to participate in their idolatrous ceremonies to their patron deities. And so Christians had a choice. I can compromise my faith and my integrity in order to keep my business or I can be faithful to Jesus and lose and risk being pushed out of the marketplace, being not allowed where they would destroy my business. This happens in our country still today.It's economic persecution and then the third is the one we think of most often, which is physical persecution that if I followed Jesus, if I'm truly faithful to him, then people are going to try to harm me or my family. Perhaps even wicked systems of government will seek to have us silenced, arrested, or even killed. Now, this is not one that we face much where we live today, but it's one that's faced by many of our brothers and sisters around the globe even right now. Now this is really important. This is profound. Peter's point is not, "Hey, you need to watch out. You need to be alert so that you can avoid the persecution of the enemy." That's not what he's talking about. He's saying, Satan can destroy your reputation and he can destroy your business or your bank account and he can even destroy your body, but he has no claim on your soul.So don't lose heart, don't back down, don't compromise. That what he really wants to do is not just to harm us, but to terrorize us and to coerce us into compromising our integrity and denying our faith. That's what he's after. And so there's more at stake in the spiritual realm than even what we see going on in the physical realm. And Peter's trying to help us understand, and he's trying to help a church that's facing this understand. It would be better for you and more blessed for you to die as a faithful martyr for the name of Jesus Christ, than to back down from this terror and compromise.Revelation 12:10 says that the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. You see, we as Christians, we say that we trust Jesus and we say that we trust that he is going to work ultimately all things together for our good and that even in death he is going to raise us up and Satan wants to prove us liars. But you don't really believe that. This is crazy passage in Matthew chapter 10, Jesus is talking to his disciples in verse 16 and he says, "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. So be wise as serpents and as innocent as doves.Beware of men for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake to bear witness before them and the Gentiles." And verse 28, "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your father, but even the hairs of your head are numbered. Fear not therefore, you are more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men I will acknowledge before my father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I will deny him before my father who is in heaven."This is one of the most terrifying, encouraging, scary, comforting passages in the whole Bible. But the point is, God loves you. Don't underestimate how much your father loves you. He's numbered the hairs on your head and He is strong. Do not underestimate the power of His sovereignty to work all things together for your good. So love God< Fear Him and you need not fear anything else. 1st John 4:4 says, "Little children, you are from God and have overcome them for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." And Peter tells us in our passage today, "Resist him, therefore firm in your faith knowing that the same kinds of sufferings are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you've suffered a little while, the God of all grace who's called you to His eternal glory in Christ will himself restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen."That there's nothing Satan can do that God cannot redeem. There's nothing Satan can steal that God cannot return. There's nothing he can destroy that God cannot renew. There's nothing he possesses that God cannot revoke and there's nothing he can kill that God cannot resurrect. Satan's greatest act of defiance and evil was the murder of Jesus Christ in the cross. And yet God in His sovereignty, before the foundation of the earth had ordained that this would be the very means by which he would be most glorified and bring about the redemption of his children. Using Satan against himself. And what we see is that when we look at scripture, we as Christians, we are not called to fight for victory and we are called to stand in the victory of Christ, that the war's already been won and what we need to do now is we need to hold our ground, stand firm and spread the word that the rightful King is coming, that he's offering amnesty to all who would repent and put their faith in him before he does.So that's like a little bit of the theological framework for the spiritual warfare, and now with that as the backdrop, we begin to see that Peter in our passage today just gives us some super practical instruction for what we need to do as Christians in order to stand firm in this battle. And so we need to know our adversary and point to is we need to know our army. I'm just going to read the first part of our passage again, and Peter says, "So I exhort the elders among you as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed.Shepherd the flock of God that is among you exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly as God would have you. Not for shameful gain, but eagerly. Not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock and when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. Likewise, you who are younger be subject to the elders, clothe yourselves, all of you with humility toward one another for God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you. Casting all your anxieties on him because he cares for you.As I was studying this, I mean, I've read this text so many times, I've studied it before. For some reason I'd missed something hugely important. When we talk about spiritual warfare, we often talk about what we need to do individually as Christians because there are things that we need to do individually as Christians, we each need to, as Ephesians Chapter six tells us, "Put on the full armor of God." Ephesians chapter six it says, "Put on the belt of truth." Right? If you're going to defend against the lies of the enemy, you need to know the truth, you need to abide in the truth, you need to love the truth. Put on the breastplate of righteousness. That personal righteousness doesn't save us, but it does give us protection. That when we're walking in unrepentant sin, we actually give the enemy a foothold in our lives.It's like we have holes in our armor, and so we need to pursue personal righteousness. Now on the other hand, we're not saved by own righteousness, and so when we mess up, when we fail, when we sin, we rest in the righteousness of Christ that we are saved by grace through faith. He says, put on the shoes of the readiness of the gospel. Be ready to share the gospel. If you're not doing this, then you're not even on the battlefield. The enemy's not... He's already defeated you. The helmet of salvation, the shield of faith, the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, and wield the power of prayer continuously for yourselves and for your fellow Christians. We all have a personal responsibility individually to be doing these things as Christians. We also have a personal responsibility though, to not be doing these things alone.And what Peter shows us is that a soldier without an army and without a commander is like a sheep without a shepherd in a flock and there is a lion on the prowl waiting for just such an opportunity for someone to devour. We need to be soldiers and we need to be sheep. We need to stand firm in the humility that we can't fight this battle by our own strength or on our own. to stand any chance against this line, we need to stay with the flock under the mighty hand of the shepherd. The practical application here, it might be surprising, but it's very clear. We need to be members of a church. We need to be healthy members of a healthy local church. I would say here at Mosaic what that means, you need to be in a community group. You need to be serving with fellow Christians. You need to be building relationships with people who are going to know you and care for you and holds you accountable and encourage you to fight the good fight.Peter gives some practical applications. First of all, for pastors in the local church. He says, "Pastors, you need to humble yourselves under the authority of Jesus." It's not your church, it's his church. He's the chief shepherd. And so you need to lead the church with a gentle Christ like authority. Don't be passive and neglect your duties and don't be domineering or aggressive and domineer God's people, but steward the authority that you have been given with reverence to Christ leading by example, in order to equip the saints. In order to train, equip, to prepare the soldiers for battle.In the same way Peter calls church members to humble themselves by submitting to their pastors oversight that they are His ordained means of leading and feeding and protecting his flock, the church. And then to everyone, he says, "Clothe yourselves in humility toward one another and humbly stand under the mighty hand of God." Under the hand of our chief shepherd Jesus Christ. Now, at first that might not seem terribly encouraging because when I think of a shepherd versus a lion, in my mind the lion has the upper hand. There's this epic dialogue in 1st Samuel where King David, when he's a boy, goes out to visit his brothers on the battlefield and when he gets there, everybody is cowering in fear because the Philistines have this giant Goliath they're all terrified of. And Peter's like, "Let me hurt him. I'm going to take them out. Let me go."And King Saul's like, "No, you're just a boy. He's a massive brute of a man. He's going to eat you alive. And what does David say? In 1st Samuel 17:24, David says to King Saul, listen, "Your servant used to keep sheep for his father and when there came a lion or a bear and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he rose against me, I caught him by his beard and I struck him and I killed him. And your servant has struck down both lions and bears and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them of he's defied the armies of the living God." My first thought when I read this is modern men, we've got some work to do. I've barely killed any lions with my bare hands. And secondly, if a shepherd boy with just an audacious faith can do that, how much more confidence should we have in the object of his faith, which is the mighty hand of God, the good shepherd Jesus Christ.See, whatever evil may come our way, be it temptation, be it spiritual attack, be it persecution, be it suffering. Romans 8:38, "Neither death nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Later in his life, King David wrote what is arguably the most famous song in scripture, maybe one of the most famous passages in scripture. Psalm 23 and he says that, "The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the Valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me."John 10 Jesus says, "I am the good shepherd." The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. And verse 27 he says, "My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they will never perish and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My father who has given them to me is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of the father's hand. I and the father are one." Peter says, "Humble yourself under the mighty hand of this God and after you have suffered a little while," verse 10, "The God of all grace who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you."The culture of Satan's kingdom is one of pride, anxiety, fear, darkness, and ultimately defeat. Christ Kingdom is one of humility, confidence, victory and light. Colossians 1:13 tells us that He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and has transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved son and whom we have redemption, forgiveness of sins." And James 4:6 says, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves, therefore to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you." We're going to do that today as we celebrate communion together. This is a time where we as the church of Christ, we draw near to Him as we remember that the bread represents his body that was broken and given for us. The blood represents his blood that was poured out on the cross so that we could be forgiven.And if you're new to Mosaic, the way we do communion here is the ushers are going to pass out the elements and you can take those as they go by and pass them down the row. Hold on to them once we've all received them. We're going to take communion together. And if you're here today and you're a Christian, we would welcome you to celebrate communion with us. If you're here today and you're not a Christian, we're really glad that you're with us this morning. We would ask that you refrain from participating in communion. It's nothing magical about this. It's not going to do anything for you. It's a sign for Christ in his church, but if you've made the decision today to put your faith in Jesus Christ, then we would welcome you to come, to draw near to Him and to join us as we celebrate our communion right now.So I'm going to pray and then the ushers are going to hand out the elements. We'll just take some time to pray and meditate individually and once everybody's received it, I'll come back up here and we'll take communion together. So let's pray. Father, your word tells us that while we were dead in our trespasses in slaves to Satan's sin and death, that you made us alive with Christ. You forgive our sins. You canceled the record of debt that stood against us by nailing it to the cross and that Jesus, through your death and resurrection, you have disarmed our spiritual enemy.You've put Satan and demons to open shame and triumphed over them on your cross, and we thank you that the war has been won. We ask that you give us faith to believe it, to stand firm in the battle as we await your return unflinching in our faith, even as our enemy roars against us. God give us the confidence to know that you alone are sovereign and to share the good news that the true rightful King Jesus Christ has come. He is coming again, and when He does, He will come with total victory and put an end to these powers of darkness once and for all. We thank you, we praise you for this in Jesus name. Amen.