Amen. We're in Isaiah chapter 3 and back in chapter 2, if you remember, we were looking
at really what was going to happen in the end times. We saw it talking about it shall
come to pass in the last days and then we sort of looked at what was being prophesied
there and the day of the Lord and obviously what a scary time that was going to be and
Isaiah kind of jumped into that and preached hard on that really didn't he and, you know,
talked about how those great men will be hiding in their rocks and we saw that we lined up
with revelation and then, you know, eventually at the end of all of this prophecy and he
was talking about this a lot obviously and we went into sort of comparing it and
seeing what was going to happen. He said, see, see from man in verse 22, whose breath
is in his nostrils for wherein is he to be accounted of and he basically said, look,
you know, if after, you know, when all of that, that's all going to happen, all these
people are going to be nothing. He said they're going to be hiding in the
rocks, they're going to be hiding out and yet people still seem to put so much
importance on men, on people, instead of on the Lord, right? And it was a, you
know, sort of powerful chapter there and then it goes from there where he says that
about, see, see for men whose breath is in his nostrils for wherein is he to be
accounted of. Straight into chapter 3 where it then says, for behold the Lord, the
Lord of hosts to take away from Jerusalem and from Judah, the stay and
the staff, the whole stay of bread and the whole stay of water, the mighty
man, the man of war, the judge and the prophet and the prudent and the
ancient, the captain of fifty and the honorable man and the counselor and the
cunning artificer and the eloquent orator and I'm going to pray and then we're
going to get started with chapter 3. Father, thank you for your word, thank you for, well,
this great chapter of the Bible, Lord, where we see so much about, you know, what
can go wrong, what can go wrong for your people, Lord, and the result of
that and, you know, pitfalls we need to avoid and we need to understand and
see how you expect us, you know, as your children to behave, both men and
women, Lord, and help us to just really pay attention to what your word's saying,
really apply it to our lives, in the name of Jesus, Amen. Okay, so in the
previous chapter, as I made it clear that he was prophesying of the last days,
okay, we just saw that in verse 2 there. Verse 2 of chapter 2 said, and it
shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the Lord's house
shall be established in the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above
the hills and all nations shall flow into it. He talked of, obviously, the day
of the Lord but I believe that it's a shift here back to a more imminent
prophecy, okay, so with chapter 2, 22, what I just read a second ago, being
the sort of bridge, okay, on the back of what's to come, Isaiah 2, 22, then
said, Cease ye for man whose breath is in his nostrils, for wherein is he to be
accounted of? And then verse 1 says, for behold the Lord, the Lord of hosts,
doth take away from Jerusalem, from Judah, the stay and the staff, the whole
stay of bread and the whole stay of water. So the stay and the staff is
talking about the support, okay, like from a stick when hiking, it's that sort
of thing, it's a stay and stuff, some sort of support, something that you
rely upon, but here it's the support or the reliance on food and water, that
the confidence that comes from having it to hand. So if you turn to 2 Kings
16, for me this was fulfilled in Ahaz rain, which starts somewhere
between 16 and 20 years from this point that Isaiah was
prophesying, which was in King Uzziah's or Azariah's rain. Now in 2 Kings 16,
okay, it gives us some highlights from Ahaz rain, where he's described as not
doing good, sacrificing his children, he's committing idolatry, then it
says in verse 5, then reason King of Syria and Pekah son of Remoliah king of
Israel came up to Jerusalem to war and they besieged Ahaz, okay, so they
besieged him, besieged and obviously Jerusalem itself here, but could not
overcome him. Now what happens during a siege? Well food and water is limited
isn't it, okay, because you're confined to the city, you're confined to
the defense of the walls of a city, which means the fields, obviously
you know, the fresh water from outside etc is not able to be accessed during a
siege, so this is obviously a time of not having that reliance on the food
and the water. Said in verse 6, at that time reason King of Syria recovered
Elath to Syria, drove the Jews from Elath and the Syrians came to
Elath and dwelt there unto this day. So without that support, that confidence
from the food and water, did they do what they should do and turn to God?
That's what we should do, shouldn't we? Sometimes when you're staying, your staff
is removed, whatever it is you rely on in life, that's when you should turn to
God, but unfortunately it says in verse 7, so Ahaz sent messages to
Tiglath-Piles, the king of Assyria, saying I am thy servant and thy son,
come up and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria and out of the
hand of the king of Israel which rise up against me. And this is so often
a test of God's people, when the crutch, when the money, the health or
whatever it is is threatened, do they turn to God or pull away from God?
Do they turn to God or do they pull out of God's house? It's often people like, oh well
I'm having problems with this and that, that's when you don't then go to God,
that's when they stop reading their Bible, that's when they stop going soul
winning or whatever else, but that's the time when you need to draw an eye
onto God, don't you? But here it said in verse 8, Ahaz took the
silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord. So he's literally
removing things from God's house and in the treasures of the king's house
has sent it for a present to the king of Assyria. So instead of relying on
God, he's withdrawing things from the house of God and who's he
relying on? The world. Okay, he's relying on the world instead to
solve the problems, to get out the problems. He's done completely the
wrong thing here and you can preach a whole sermon on obviously what
he did here but we're going to carry on for sake of time. And the
king of Assyria hearkened unto him for the king of Assyria went up
against Damascus and took it and carried the people of it captive to
care and slew reason. So it didn't end well. Ahaz, you know, he
merges the worldly influence with the house of God. He basically
ends up like copying the design of some dodgy Assyrian altar and
bring it into the house of the Lord and he just basically brings
worldliness into the house of God. But for me this is what
Isaiah was prophesying of and back in Isaiah 3 he said this in
verse 1, For behold the Lord, the Lord of hosts, doth take away
from Jerusalem and from Judah, the stay and the staff, the whole
stay of bread and the whole stay of water, the mighty man, the
man of war, the judge and the prophet and the prudent and the
ancient, the captain of fifty and the honorable man, the
counselor and the cunning artificer and the eloquent orator. So it
wasn't just the food and water, okay, that was taken away,
which obviously would have happened in the siege, but the
various men of honor, of high esteem too. And this is shown
in the account in 2 Chronicles 28. So if you please turn to
2 Chronicles chapter 28, 2 Chronicles 28, where what
happened with these sieges is shown in a little more detail.
So in 2 Chronicles 28, we're going to see it in a little
bit more detail now, where it said in verse 5, 2 Chronicles
28, 5, Wherefore the Lord his God delivered him into the
hand of the king of Syria, and they smote him, and carried
away a great multitude of them captives. So what do they do?
They carried away a great multitude, right, and brought
them to Damascus, and he was also delivered into the hand of
the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter. So
I'm sure that some of those multitude were the judges, the
prophets, the prudent, the ancient, the counselors, the
cunning artificers, the eloquent orator. Where it then
says in verse 6, For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah
at 120,000 in one day, which were all valiant men, because
they had forsaken the Lord God of their father. So there's
the mighty man, the man of war, the captains of 50, the
honorable men. And then it said in verse 7, And Zikri, a
mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maasai the king's son, and
Azarikum the governor of the house, and Elkanah that was
next to the king. So there's the prudent, there's a counselor
at least. And keep a finger here because after the list in
Isaiah 3 of these people of honor, it then says in verse
4 this. So we've just seen these people getting obviously
taken away, getting killed. Then it says in verse 4, And I
will give children to be their princes, and babes shall
rule over them. Now go back to 2 Chronicles 28, which shows
who ends up returning en masse. So 2 Chronicles 28 again,
it says in verse 8, And the children of Israel carried
away captive of their brethren 200,000 women, sons, and
daughters, and took also away much spoil for them, and
brought the spoil to Samaria. So the children of Israel, the
northern kingdom, carried away women and children captive.
Yeah, okay, that's what it said. Women, sons, and
daughters, that's who they carry captive. Then it says in
verse 9, But a prophet of the Lord was there, whose name was
Oded. And he went out before the host that came to
Samaria, and said unto them, Behold, because the Lord God
of your fathers was wroth with Judah, you have
delivered them into your hand, and you have slain them
in a rage that reached up unto heaven. And now you
purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem
for bondmen and bondwomen unto you. But are there not
with you even with you sins against the Lord your God?
Now hear me therefore, and deliver the captives again,
which you have taken captive of your brethren. That's
women and children, okay? For the fierce wrath of the
Lord is upon you. Then certainly the heads of the
children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan,
Berakiah the son of Meshelemoth, and Jehizkiah
the son of Shalom, and Amasa the son of Hadlai,
stood up against them that came from the war, and
said unto them, You shall not bring in the captives
hither, for whereas we have offended against the
Lord already, you tend to add more to our sins
than to our trespass, for our trespass is great.
And there is fierce wrath against Israel, this is the
northern kingdom. So the armed men left the
captives and the spoil before the prince and all the
congregation, and the men which were expressed by
name rose up, and took the captives, and with the
spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and
arrayed them, and shot them, and gave them to eat
and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the
feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to
Jericho, the city of palm trees to their brethren,
then they returned to Samaria. At that time did King
Ahaz send unto the kings of Assyria to help him.
So that's what we just saw in the, when we looked
at the second king's account of it. So a load of
men were killed, okay? The Syrians took captive
a load more, but the 200,000 women and children
were returned. Okay? If you've, hopefully you've
kept up and seen that. Which was what Isaiah
prophesied about, where he said that, that all of
these top men would be taken, he said, and I will
give children, back in verse four in Isaiah,
chapter three, and I will give children to be their
princes, and babes shall all over them. So they've
slaughtered a load, they've taken a load, all these
honourable men, these valiant men, all this, they did
take captive these women and children, but then they've
been returned. In fact, verse 12 says, as for my
people, children are their oppressors, and women rule
over them. O my people, they which lead thee, cause
thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.
So we see they end up being their oppressors, they
end up ruling over them. Now, this wasn't a good
thing. Men, not women or children are called to
leadership. Okay? Clearly, in the Bible, that's what
God says, it's men that are called to leadership.
Verse five said, where you are in Isaiah three, and the
people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and
everyone by his neighbour, the child shall behave
himself proudly against the ancient, and the base
against the honourable. Now, turn to first Timothy
three. This is the same when it comes to the
house of God. So what happened here, and what God
says, you know, shouldn't happen, and who he says
should lead and who shouldn't, is the same when it
comes to the house of God. Some snotty-nosed brat
that's just come out of Bible college is not qualified
to lead God's church. He's not qualified, he's not
qualified according to the word of God, according to
what God says. So it's a bit ridiculous, isn't it,
that now you've got men all over the place, or
young men all over the place, leading churches,
pastoring churches, or whatever the equivalent is,
when they're not qualified by what God says.
Who do they, do they care about what the
university says, what the religion says, what God
says? Clearly not what God says. And what's funny,
you know, upside down, inside out world is that
these university-style trained pastors, who are
everywhere, would consider a biblically qualified pastor
unqualified. They look at it and think, who are they?
They haven't been to Bible college. What an
absolute joke, you know, what on earth is it?
They're not even qualified. It's nuts, right?
They look down on men of God trained by a church.
They look down on it, they think, and people do,
you know, and even people, you'll even find people
amongst our circles that would go to, a lot of the
time, a false church, but regardless, and if they
went there and there's some old guy there that
speaks very theologically and has been to Bible
college, they think, wow, you know, that's, that's
what a man of God is meant to be because they've
been so desensitized through years of this
nonsense. But this is what these people think.
What they do then is they uplift men of God,
apparently, in inverted commas, that can't even
seem to read or at least believe and respect the
word of God in passages that are so clear, like
here in 1 Timothy 3, and 1 Timothy 3 and verse 1
says, this is a true saying, if a man desire the
office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
So a bishop being a leader, and this is where
the word can be used interchangeably with
pastor or elder, a bishop then must be blameless,
the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober of good
behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach,
not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of
filthy lucre, but patient, not a brawler, not
covetous, one that ruleth well his own house,
having his children in subjection with all
gravity. So it's pretty clear that he's married
with children plural, isn't it? It's pretty
clear, right? That are in subjection, children in
subjection, you didn't say perfect children, but
children in subjection with all gravity. It's
not the only qualification, okay, just to make
that clear, some people go too far the other
way, and they're just like, well, so and
such got kids, I mean, can't they pastor a
church? It's like, no, that's not, that's not
the only qualification, okay, but just having the
wife and children is the easiest one to prove,
pretty much, isn't it? If you go through the
list there, that's an easy one that you even
have the wife and children, okay, that should
go without saying. Why is it important? Well,
verse five tells us, for if a man know not
how to rule his own house, how shall he take
care of the church of God? So how on earth is
someone to take care of the church of God if
he can't even rule his own house? How can he
take care of the church of God if he doesn't
even have a house to rule? You go, well, what
world? Does it prove that he can't? Well, you
know what, you learn a lot about leadership as
a husband and father, don't you? Dad's out
there, husband's out there, you learn a lot
about leadership. I mean, there are probably
people that have, I mean, I've been in
positions of leadership in my life, and then
when you have kids and a wife, suddenly
it's like, man, I've, you know, you learn,
you learn a load, don't you learn? You
learn from your mistakes and you learn
from your successes. That's just the way it
is. Books and courses on leadership are no
replacement, and the following verse,
therefore, goes hand in hand. He said in
verse six, not a novice, lest being lifted
up with pride he fall into the condemnation
of the devil. And let me tell you a novice,
okay, someone that can't understand this, and
the similar passage in Titus 1 six, that's,
that's beyond, I mean, it's not even a
novice. So you can't even understand the
word of God. You can't even go to the
pastoral epistles, which are telling you
what, what a man should be, how a man
should be qualified to lead a church. You
can't even understand it. You're a novice.
Titus 1 six said, if any, be blameless,
the husband of one wife, having faithful
children, plural, not accused of right or
unruly. It's not, it's not an accident
that he said having a wife and having
children plural. So, by the way, the
people that ignore these, a lot of time
they're just outright Bible rejecters, okay,
someone that picks and chews the parts
that he likes. The plural is there in
both places for a reason, because God
considers it important. God considers it
important. That's why he's made it clear.
He hasn't just had it as one verse
and we go, well, that was just, and of
course, you know, well, in that day
when writings, you know, back in the
day, then if you went back to the
Greek and understood, well, no, he put
it in two places for a reason. And
children with no experience leading a
family, okay, babes in Christ, fresh out
of the world's construct of higher
education are novices and they get
lifted up with pride and think they
know best. And they're so easily deceived
as well, because children are easier
deceived, aren't they? So, these kids
coming out of Bible college with no,
with, and they just don't understand,
really. And they come out and they
think they know it all and they
don't. They get lifted up with pride
and it all just fails. That's if
they're not wicked in the first place,
sadly, because nowadays you look at it
and you think, well, it even is, like, genuine
coming out. It doesn't just, hasn't
just been taught by Bible college,
repent your sins and obviously, you
know, to get through must surely agree
with that, right? How do you even sit in
a place that's teaching you and telling
you all this filth and all this
nonsense? But, and here's the thing
with that as well, is that it's not
just for me, okay, it's not just having
children. So, some people look at this, they
go, well, okay, okay, so there's a guy,
well, he's been a Bible college, he got
married and he's got, for example, two
very young children. No, the whole point
in him being faithful children, not
accused of right or unruly, is that
they're old enough to be able to see
that, right? So, for me, I would never, I'd
never ordained someone with twin babies,
however good their Bible knowledge was,
however well they seem to have their
wife in order, because it's, it's
completely different. And as you have
kids and they grow up and they become
older and older and older, then you
start to see, okay, because the rest of
it, when they're young, that's, that,
like, you, that's when you put in a
worker, that's not what you're
assessing. You're assessing the
product as they're older and they're
becoming the more finished product.
That's what we're looking at, aren't we?
We're looking, can they have their
house in order as those kids grow?
We're not talking about two-year-olds,
three-year-olds, four-year-olds. So,
these young whippersnappers coming, oh,
well, they managed to, you know, do a,
like, this, like, blind date at Bible
College. No, well, they found someone at
Bible College learning to play the
piano. It's like, what's that about? No,
I'll tell you why she's gone next. She
wants to be a pastor's wife, which is
a bizarre craving to have in life,
right? Anyway, so she's gone there, she's
found her guy, they've quickly got
married, don't worry, they've got a
couple of young kids. He ain't qualified. He's
still not qualified. It said back in
Isaiah, though, it said, and the people
shall be oppressed, everyone by another,
and everyone by his neighbor. The
child shall behave himself proudly
against the ancient and the base
against the honorable. Pride is a
result of these people. When a man
should take hold of his brother of the
house of his father, say, thou is
clothing, be thou our ruler, and let
this room be under thy hand. In that
day shall he swear, saying, I will not
be a healer, for in my house is
neither bread nor clothing. Make me not
a ruler of the people. So this is
leadership's shirking responsibility.
They're giving it away to the unqualified
because there's no monetary gain for
them. That's what it's talking about
here. They're saying, well, it's not a bread nor
clothing here, make me not a ruler of thy people.
They're just saying, look, okay, I'm not
gonna get anything out of this. Let's
just get someone unqualified. For
Jerusalem is ruined and Judah is
fallen because their tongue and their
doings are against the Lord to
provoke the eyes of his glory. The show
of their countenance doth witness
against him and they declare their
sin a Sodom. They hide it not. Woe unto
their soul, for they have rewarded evil
unto themselves. So they're open with
their sin like those in Sodom eventually
were. Say you to the righteous that it
should be well with him, for they
shall eat the fruit of their doings.
Woe unto the wicked, it shall be ill
with him, for the reward of his hands
shall be given him. So here this could
be the saved versus the unsaved. Even
those amongst, you know, those
thousands killed were okay if they
put their faith in the Savior, is how
I read that. Eternally God's people
always come out unscathed because they
have eternal life basically, okay.
However in this life, his people are
affected by the judgment on where they
live, okay. So, you know, if God ends up
judging an area you're in, you're
going to be affected by that, but
ultimately in, you know, in eternity
you're right if you're saved. But verse 12
said, As for my people, children are
their oppressors and women rule
over them. All my people, they which
lead thee, cause thee to her and
destroy the way of thy path. So aside
from the children in terms of the, and
look, I would say just babes
across, if you don't, if you can't even
understand that and you're pastoring a
church and you don't have two
children, not, and this is like, this is
base, this is a bottom, this isn't even,
you're not qualified, but at least you're
not unqualified, just having two
children to start with, okay. A wife and
two, and one wife, by the way, not
divorcees, just God said the husband and
one wife. A wife and two, if you don't
have that and you're pastoring a church,
you're a babe in Christ. You're at the
least a complete child that just can't
understand scripture. And so I had a
talk, the guy ended up being a
false prophet once, but I talked about
this and it just came up in
conversation with an old pastor, he started going,
whoa, hold on, hold on, when I just said, oh
yeah, some people didn't want to go
somewhere because a guy was
unqualified. He's going, oh, are you
saying you would deny a talented
preacher from being a pastor because
he's not married, doesn't have kids? I was
like, well yeah, the Bible doesn't say that.
I was like, oh no, I'm gonna get around with this
new pastor now. So it's like, this is what
these people think, because they're putting it in
their own mind. Well, we know better, we
know best what the Bible say, and
they're babes in Christ at the least,
if not just unsaved, a lot of them
obviously are as well. So, however, it's
not just about the children. He said,
and women rule over them, oh my people,
they which lead thee cause thee to err
and destroy the way of thy paths. Was women
ruling over them a good or a bad thing?
It was a bad thing. It was in the same
breath as children oppressing them. It
was, it was, it was compared, it was
alongside children oppressing them, not
because women are like children, women
aren't like children, but because neither
are designed for leadership. That's not
their job. That's not their role, that's
not their job in life, in all areas
of life, they're not designed for it.
He said that they cause thee to err and
destroy the way of thy paths. 1 Timothy 3,
don't have to turn back there, said this is a
true saying, if a man desire the office
of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
The job is for men. He went on to
describe the husband of one wife, didn't
he? Now go to 1 Timothy 2 though, and as
with the unqualified men, how many
women just can't seem to understand this?
They just can't understand this. We had
a newly saved family member, and it
wasn't in a nasty way, they meant it in
an honest way, just ask my wife if she
would ever preach. She said, oh, will you
ever preach one day? You know, you're thinking,
how do I deal with this one? Straight
after getting saved, yeah? She just
didn't know any better, okay? She's not
read the Bible, she doesn't understand
these things, and understandably, because
she's just driving past churches, seeing
churches everywhere, where there's Bible
rejecting female heretics everywhere.
She's probably, you know, shoved on God
TV one day or whatever else and just
seen all these women preaching, women
teaching, she's gone to the wedding, to
the funeral, to whatever, the female
vicar, the female priest, she's just
like, isn't that standard? Well, in 1
Timothy 2, God tells us through Paul,
my wife said next year, by the way,
aside from the Word of God, she was
like, I can never do that. Anyway, 1 Timothy 2,
God tells us through Paul, let the
woman learn in silence with all
subjection, but I've suffered not a
woman to teach, nor to usurp authority
over the man, but to be in silence. For
Adam was first formed then Eve, and
Adam was not deceived, but the woman
being deceived was in the
transgression. Okay, so they're
easier deceived, okay? That's what the
Bible says, that's just the way it is,
okay? Show me a female preacher, I'll show
you a damnable heretic teaching a
load of nonsense. That's what it is,
isn't it? Teaching a load of old
nonsense, if there are the odd one
that might actually be saved, I haven't
seen them, but if there was, I'll tell
you what, they'll be teaching you a right
load of nonsense anyway. That's just
the way it is. Adam still sinned, why?
Because he followed his wife, and this
happens in the home too. So when the
wife is calling the shots, what
happens? Things go wrong. That's just
like, that's what will happen in your
house. If the wife starts calling the
shots, things will go wrong. Just get
that straight men, husbands. You've got
to be stronger than those things, because
they cannot lead like men, they're
easier deceived. Already they're out of
the Spirit, because God said in
Ephesians 5 22, wives submit yourselves
unto your own husbands, as unto the
Lord. So if the wife's calling the shots
in the home, she's out of the Spirit,
because she's meant to submit unto the
Lord. She's not obeying God, so she's
not being led by the Holy Spirit. So
when all those different spiritual
attacks and things come in, let me
tell you something, she's gonna get it
wrong. Because she's not obeying God,
she's not in the Spirit, she's got it
wrong. Wives, he said in Ephesians 5 22,
submit yourselves unto your own
husbands, as unto the Lord. And when we
try to tell the Lord that we know
best, when men try and do that, we're
well off course as well. And if
they're submitting us unto the Lord,
then they ain't telling their husband
what to do, or telling you what to do in this.
Now don't get me wrong, sometimes you
might go to your wife to
discussing, to get counsel, to explain
things through, but if she's telling you
what to do, she's out of line and
things are going to go wrong. It's just
that, I mean it's clear isn't it? But
what about the single women? The
reality is, is that you're going to be
a target. That's just life, okay? You
are because, because you're, you're, the
Bible says you are easier to deceive.
Sorry ladies. Okay, that's the way it
is. Now don't get me wrong, there's a,
you know, most women in here are
probably less easier to deceive than most
safe people out there, okay? That's a reality. But
you are, you are going to be a target,
so what's, what's important, it's even more
important to submit directly to God. So
if you don't have, if you don't have
a dad or a husband leading you, you
need to make sure even more so that
you're in the things of God, because you
have to have that direct line, you
have to be as close as possible to God,
because you are a target. Eve was a
target and Adam messed up there,
didn't he? You've got to have your
guard up to those trying to influence
you, however subtly, and you need to
trust the discernment of whether it's
your fathers, young ladies, as you grow
up, husbands, ladies, just, wives to trust
the discernment of their, of their
husbands. You've just got to deal with
that, trust them, because you, at the end
of the day, you try and do it
yourself, you're going to be easier
deceived. And husbands, that means you
better make sure you're spiritual, you
better make sure that you're able to
lead a wife, otherwise you're messy
you'll get it wrong, and you're leading
her to a point where she can't trust you.
And ultimately good leadership should
result in time with a wife saying,
look, okay, you know, I want to trust
your leadership, right? He said in verse
12, as for my people, children are their
oppressors, and women rule over them.
Oh my people, they which lead thee cause
thee to err, and destroy the way of thy
paths. That's what happens, that's the
result. The Lord standeth up to plead,
and standeth to judge the people. The
Lord will enter into judgment with the
ancients of his people, and the
princes thereof. For you have eaten up the
vineyard, the spoil of the poor is in
your houses. What mean you that you
beat my people to pieces, and grind the
face of the poor, saith the Lord God of
Hosts. Which is what then happened
under Hezekiah's reign, okay? Things got
judged and put right in the end. God
hates people taking advantage of the
poor, Hezekiah turned that around,
providing of his substance for the
offerings, etc. Things got turned around
in Hezekiah's reign. He
said in verse 16, though moreover the
Lord says, because the daughters of Zion
are haughty, and walk with stretched
forth necks, and wanton eyes, walking
and mincing as they go, and making a
tinkling with their feet, therefore the
Lord will smite with a scab the
crown of the head of the daughters
of Zion, and the Lord will discover
their secret parts. Okay, so like I
warned you, okay? The women are getting
it in this chapter, okay? And too right.
Okay, so this is the same trend that
resulted in the women ruling, okay?
Haughtiness, pride, arrogance, getting
full of themselves, thinking that there's
something special. Now here it's
obviously, he's talking about those that
think there's something special in the
way they look, but you can apply it to
anything, okay? It's the pride, it's the
arrogance. And we can sure relate to
that nowadays in this world, can't we?
Women who are the opposite to
what God wanted them to behave like.
Now turn to Titus chapter 2, to see
God's expectation of how women should
behave. Okay, turn to Titus chapter 2.
Titus 2, which says from verse 1, it
said, but speak thou the things which
become sound doctrine, that the aged
men be sober, grave, temperate, sound
in faith, in charity, in patience. The
aged women likewise, that they be in
behavior as becometh holiness. Not
false accusers, not given to much wine,
teachers of good things. So no, not
behind a pulpit, they should be an
example to the younger women. That's
what he's talking about here. They should be an
example to those younger women. That's
what he says when he says, teach the
good things, that he then says in verse
4, that they may teach the young
women to be sober, to love their
husbands, to love their children, to be
discreet, chaste keepers at home, good
obedient to their own husbands, that
the word of God be not blasphemed.
Discreet is prudent, wise, circumspect,
cautious, chaste is sexually pure, not
acting like whores. Good, obedient, okay,
they're pretty obvious. Turn to 1 Peter
chapter 3, not lording it around with
their noses up in the air like
there's something special. That's what
he doesn't want, that's not a godly
woman. Whether it's because she thinks
she looks, you know, amazing or
whether or not it's because she thinks
she's so intelligent or she thinks she's
so godly or whatever it is, not
walking around thinking there's
something special. That's the complete
opposite. I'll remind you what Isaiah
said in Isaiah 3, 16, when you turn to
1 Peter 3, he said, Moreover the Lord
saith, because adults of Zion are haughty,
that's puffed up arrogant, and walk
with stretched forth necks, so their
necks are up here when they walk, and
wanton eyes, that's like the hoary
look that you see these women, walking
down the road, trying to lock eyes with
men as they walk past, trying to look,
you know, like they're available and
everything else, because they want the
attention, walking and mincing as they
go, that's basically just trying to
flaunt their body, how they dress, how
they walk, and making a tinkling with
their feet, they're trying to get
attention. The opposite to what they're
told to do in 1 Peter 3, where he said
in verse 1, Likewise ye wives, be in
subjection to your own husbands, that
if any obey not the word, they also
may without the word be won by the
conversation of the wives. And this is
talking about the behaviour of the
wives, where they behold your chaste
conversation coupled with fear, chaste
conversation, so not hoary, not hoary
behaviour, who's adorning, so what
beautifies them, let it not be that
outward adorning of plaiting the
hair, and of wearing of gold, or of
putting on of apparel, okay this
shouldn't be what adorns or
beautifies them to others, so if what
beautifies a woman to other people is
just her looks, she's already got it
wrong, now look there's nothing wrong
with with wanting to look nice, he's
not saying cut out all that stuff
because he said putting on of apparel,
so obviously he's not saying don't put on
apparel, he's saying that shouldn't be
what beautifies you, yeah you can plait
your hair, okay you don't have to
like, some people go crazy and stuff,
alright no plaiting, okay well then no
clothes, okay, right no jewellery, he said
no wearing of gold, well then no
clothes, that's not what he said, but
it shouldn't be what beautifies you,
that what should, what beautifies a
woman of God should be what's on the
inside, but let it be the hidden man
of the heart, that's the inside, in that
which is not corruptible, even the
ornament of what, of what, a meek and
quiet spirit, which is in the sight of
God of great price, God sees a meek
and quiet spirit amongst women of
great price, that's what he respects,
that's what he wants to see, he wants
the humility, 1st Timothy 2, 9 you have
to understand I said with shamefacedness
and sobriety, so it's not walking
around like this, it's shamefacedness,
it's a certain normal amount of
sort of embarrassment almost, that
if people are looking at you, it's not
like, you know, and how these whores
behave, it's embarrassment, and want to
be stared at like some sort of piece
of meat, yeah how many women want to
be stared at like a piece of meat,
bizarre really isn't it, really let's
be honest, oh great, some, some, some
guy in a van stared at me or beeped at
me or like, well what, that sort of
compliment, it's an insult, it's an
insult because you know why he's
looking at you, because he thinks you
look easy, that's what it's about,
that's what God respects, a meek and
quiet spirit, that's what he wants to
see okay, not hey look at me, or how
much attention can this outfit get me, how
many men will stare at me whilst I'm out
and about, if that's what you're doing
when you look in the mirror you're,
you're completely out over there
compared with how God wants you to
behave, said in verse 16, moreover the
Lord saith, because the daughters of
Zion are haughty and walk with
stretched forth necks of wanton eyes,
walking and mincing as they go and
making a tinkling with the feet,
that's just hey look at me, it's like
trying to just get attention any which
way they can, therefore the Lord will
smite with a scab the crown of the head
of the daughters of Zion and the Lord
will discover their secret parts, he's
saying that when his daughters do, when
God's daughters do that, when God's
children do that, he'll embarrass them,
that's what he's basically saying, he's
going to embarrass them, he's going to,
he's going to basically smite them with
something, he's going to make them
naked, it's embarrassment, he's going to
embarrass them basically, that's what
he's saying okay. In that day the Lord
will take away the bravery of their
tinkling ornaments about their feet
and their calls and their round
tires like the moon, now calls are
ornamental headdresses, tires are some
sort of neck or head jewellery, the
chains and the bracelets and the
mufflers, so mufflers are jewellery, the
bonnets and the ornaments of the
legs and the headbands and the
tablets and the earrings, so bonnets
being hats obviously, tablets are
probably necklaces, the rings and nose
jewels, the changeable suits of apparel
and the mantels and the wimples and the
crisps, and just for a second, even
though I'm sure there are prettier
nose jewels, whenever I just see nose
jewels now, just think of all these
morons that have like rings in their
noses and like coming out in the
middle here, and whenever I see that
always just like makes me think of
like, it'd be funny to just put a
chain in it, it's like such a bizarre
thing to have isn't it, it's like
really what like you put on a cow or a
bull or something to be able to lead it
around because it's so painful, but like
people do bizarre stuff don't they, but
here you know it's not all this
stuff, he's not saying his stuff is
all bad, but he talks about the
trust, the confidence they get from
this stuff, so he said the rings and
nose jewels, the changeable suits of apparel
and the mantels and the wimples and
the crisping pins, so mantels being a
type of clothing you know like some
sort of like over gown thing, wimples
are veils or maybe shawls they could
be as well, crisping pins, it seems
to be some sort of ornamental purse, the
glasses, glasses being a mirror yeah, and
the fine linen and the hoods and the
veils, so he said that he would take
away all that stuff and the bravery
that goes with it, okay, the trust, the
reliance upon all of that stuff, he said
in verse 18, in that day the Lord will
take away the braving of their
tinkling ornaments, okay, about their
feet and their cools and their round tiles like the moon, then he gave this long
list of all these things that women have their
confidence in, why, why is this stuff
so important because so often, now don't
get me wrong okay, again you can go too
far with this, women are like right
that's it you know I'm just gonna
look like hell, not even care, anything
else, no that's not what he's saying
but when that's what the confidence in
it's usually because what's on the
inside is lousy, okay, so he said he's
gonna take away all that stuff and the
bravery, all that stuff that goes with
it and it shall come to pass instead of
sweet smell, there should be stink and
instead of a girdle, a rent and instead
of well-set hair, baldness and instead
of a stomacher, a girding of sackcloth
and burning instead of beauty, now
stomacher being some sort of
underwear basically, okay, he's saying
that all of his daughters that are vain,
whose adorning is all outward, who
rely on all of that stuff, okay, that
that's what you know they care about
most and everything else, who focus on
the outside and not the inside, who walk
around trying to get attention, who walk
with stretched-forth necks, we saw them
wanton eyes walking and mincing as
they go and make you tinkling with
their feet, he said he'll give them
scabs and make them naked so that none
of that stuff can make them brave
basically, he'll make them stink, he'll
make their clothes tear, their hair
bald, their cleverly designed undergarments
useless, some sort of burning disease
probably as well, doesn't sound too good
does it, I mean, wow, that's a bit, I mean
that's a warning isn't it, it's a warning
from God to all the women out
there, all the young girls they grow
up, stop caring so much about how you
look because if you do, if that's
what's so important, it's more
important, it becomes an idol really
doesn't it, so many women, an idol in
their life is there, looks are up here
and God is down here and what's he
going to do when that happen, he's
going to whoop you, he's going to
destroy you, he's going to, he's going to
ruin all of that, he said thy men shall
fall by the sword and I mighty in the
war and a gate shall lament and mourn
and she being desolate shall sit upon
the ground, now with this, in case you
look at that going, well this is a bit harsh isn't it, I mean he's gonna, you know he's
gonna make them stink, he's gonna give
them scabs, he's gonna make them naked
he's gonna, he's gonna, what else did he
say here, he said he's gonna, he's gonna
make them bald, he's gonna give them
girdings of sackcloth instead of you
know these cleverly designed
undergarments to make them
apparently look better, burning instead
of beauty, rents, so rips in their, in
their belts, well you need to get
your head out in the world basically
okay and understand that contrary to the
influences around you, contrary to all
the crap you've been fed as you've
grown up and continue to sadly be
fed, God hates pride, he absolutely
hates him, whatever area of your life
it's not just in, it's not oh God just
hates like women you know who seem to
have all this pride in the way they
look, no he hates it in every area, God
hates pride, turn to Jeremiah chapter 9
well you turn, I'm gonna read Proverbs
8 13 which says, the fear of the
Lord is to hate evil, pride and
arrogance see in the evil way in the
forward mouth do I hate, God hates it, he
hates it, if you're puffed up you think
you're so great in whatever it is
whatever area you think you're so
great God hates it, he hates it and
he's gonna whoop you, so you need to
get it right quickly and that's what
one of the reasons that we preached this
on this stuff is just get right, if you're
puffed up about any sort of area you
think you're so great, so good
compared with other people in whatever
area, God hates it, he hates it,
Jeremiah 9 it says in verse 23, thus saith
the Lord, let not the wise man glory in
his wisdom, so he said look if you're wise
don't glory in that, you're gonna be the
wisest person out there, let not the wise man
glory in his wisdom, neither let the
mighty man glory in his mind, so you
might be so strong, you might be so
powerful, you might be so tough, but he
said don't glory in that, let not the
rich man glory in his riches, don't
glory that you're rich, okay there's
nothing to boast about, but let him that
glorieth glory in this, that he
understandeth and knoweth me, if there's
one, if you want to be, if you want to
boast about anything, boast about how
much you love the Lord, and I don't
mean as in showing what a great person
you are, just mean boast about the Lord,
how great the Lord is, that he
understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the
Lord which exercise loving kindness, it's
about God's qualities that we boast in,
judgment and righteousness in the
earth, for in these things I delight
saith the Lord, so if you really want
to find something to boast of, boast of
the Lord, boast of how great the Lord is,
boast of how great he is, because he
could take away all of that stuff
with you, you make it an idol in your
life, you get proud about any of that
stuff, he will rip it away from you.
Go back to Isaiah 3, Isaiah chapter 3,
where it said in verse 25, sorry in
fact earlier, he said, he said in
verse, he said in verse 20, where are we,
verse 16, he said moreover the Lord saith
because the daughters of Zion are haughty
and walk with stretched forth necks
and wanton eyes, walk here mincing as
they go, and making a tinkling with
their feet, therefore the Lord will
smite with a scab the crown of the
head of the daughters of Zion, the Lord
will discover their secret part. So of
course, you know, it's a big
admonition, isn't it, to women out
there, to just get right on this
stuff, to not be thinking that it's
great because you're getting looks,
because that shouldn't be your goal,
especially when you come to the house
of God, right? I mean I've seen this
stuff before in churches and I don't
think we really get that hopefully
here, but if you're coming into the
house of God, or you're coming to
worship God, you're coming to serve God,
you're coming around God's people and
you're thinking about how you can
get attention for how you dress or
how you look or anything else, I mean
that's pretty wicked, isn't it? That's a
wicked thing to do. Now don't get me
wrong, you don't have to come in looking
like an old bag lady or something, okay,
to show how holy you are, because again
what's really in the heart there, it's
like, it's still the pride, isn't it?
It's like, look how holy I am, I'm
going with the 1800s fashion here,
this is ultimate holiness, no? You
don't have to do that either, but
ultimately your goal should be, look,
we come into the house of God, and I
believe, and look, I know some people
have different views on this, but I
believe if I'm coming to the house of
God, yeah, I'm coming like I'm coming
before the Lord, so I personally, long
before I was preaching, I came to the
house of God for me dressed in my Sunday
best, okay, and it's a Wednesday
evening, what's your Wednesday best?
Probably your Sunday best, alright? I used to come
to the house of God like that, I know
sometimes people come quick from work
and other things, it can be hard to do
that, and some people have different
views on that, it's up to you, right? But
for me it was like, look, I wanted to
make an effort to come to the house
of God, right? So, but what was the effort
for? Was it for other people to see me? No. Who cares what other
people think? It's ultimately because you're
coming before God, and that should be on
your heart, is it? I'm coming towards God, and
God's not looking down going, well, you
know, she looks really, oh yeah, she looks
really pretty right now. That's not what you think
about, it's just like, are you making an effort
with your appearance to come before
God? It shouldn't be about what other
people think, right? Okay, and again, but
that applies to all of us, it applies
to all of us with all areas of our
lives, if our goal is about looking
good in front of other people and
how great we are compared with other
people and all that stuff, we're just,
we're completely out of God's will, aren't we?
And what happened, what did he say with,
you know, and you could say that the
threat here to the women, from verse
24, can apply to all of us. It shall
come to pass, instead of sweet smell
there should be stink, and instead of a
girdle of rent, instead of well-set
hair baldness, instead of a stomacher, a
girding of sackcloth, and burning
instead of beauty, thy men shall fall by
the sword, and I mighty in the gates,
in the wall, sorry, and our gates shall
lament and mourn, and she, being
desolate, shall sit upon the ground.
Basically, those that lift themselves up,
he'll bring you down to the ground.
And that's a warning to every one of
us here, and that is a strong trap to
the Bible there, right, and it's a good
reminder of how God, and especially back
to the first application, how God
expects his daughters, children of his,
young ladies, ladies to behave and to
focus on, and what not to focus on, and
on that we're going to finish up in a
word of prayer.
Father, thank you for your word, thank
you for, well, the strong warnings in
your word there, Lord, and the warnings
of, you know, getting leadership right,
Lord, and not bending to the world's
will with that, and also, Lord, for
us all to just understand that you
don't want us to get puffed up, you
don't want us to get prideful, lift
ourselves up, to put, you know, to
put ourselves up somewhere high, that
ultimately, if we're going to glory in
anything, it should be in you, Lord, but
help us to all just get that right,
Lord, not just the ladies here, but
all of us, the men here too, help us
to just, you know, get right with
you, Lord, in all these areas, help
us to have a good end of the week,
and return on Sunday, and just
don't throw all this, Amen.