(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

all right Isaiah chapter number 10 of course this is a continuation from chapters 9 and previous I mentioned before you know we started going through Isaiah 1 and I mentioned there's you know it's gonna be different segments of the book of Isaiah that that flow together and kind of go together and others that where you're skipping in great periods of time or whatever before the next prophecy comes and prophecies span more than just one chapter in most cases so we're just going to continue here and I'm not going to go too much into the into the context of last week other than it was not overall a very positive chapter now there was that that great prophecy Isaiah 9 6 right of Jesus Christ to come and there's that hope of that of that Messiah and of that Savior but it's clear that that's not going to happen for time like even even in this prophecy it's not it's not something that was going to happen right away and that God was focused on the the punishment of his people because of their wickedness and their idolatry and everything else that they've been caught up in and honestly Isaiah chapter 10 as we continue to get in this and this entire chapter is essentially just more of God of you know warning and telling the people what's going to happen because of because of their unrighteousness and it's prophesying the king of Assyria to come in and judge them and you know Assyria it ends up taking Israel captive in Samaria which is the northern kingdom and and they're taken captive before Judah and Jerusalem is and but they're still going to vex and and kind of conquer Judah and Jerusalem but it's not quite the same as the devastation that happens with the northern kingdom of Israel but that's what's going on right now and he's and he's warning and prophesying of Assyria to come against Jerusalem that hasn't happened yet and that's that's kind of a big overview but let's dig into this verse number one of Isaiah 10 and I'm sorry I meant to mention this before I even started talking about the chapter because I missed an announcement I keep forgetting about we're having a preaching class on June 12th okay this week from Saturday and so every man every man who's been interested in coming into the preaching class is welcome to attend same form as we've done before except we're doing things a little bit different now I'm giving a few guys opportunity to teach the class instead of me teaching the class so brother Devin's gonna be preaching and teaching the preaching class Saturday June 12th and hopefully you can make it out for that so enough of the announcements we'll go back to the sermon Isaiah chapter 10 verse number one look what the Bible says there Bible says woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees and that right grievousness which they have prescribed to turn aside the needy from judgment and to take away the right from the poor of my people that widows may be their prey and that they may rob the fatherless and this is talking about what the Bible talks about in many places throughout Scripture and excuse me how often times you get a lot of really wicked people in power and it's normally rich people that oppress the poor and this is talking about you know people who are needy people who are in want people who who have needs where you know the the wicked people who are ruling or judging are taking away the judgment like their judgment that would be righteous for them they're taking that away they're taking away the right from the poor of my people that widows may be their prey so they're making it easy to target these these you know people who are not easy to defend themselves right widows they don't have anyone really protecting them right they're kind of all by themselves and widows typically is going to be talking probably about a woman not a man right so a woman who was married now she doesn't have her husband around anymore she's got no one there really look out for and protect her and those are the ones that evil wicked people are going to target because they're easy marks for them they just look at people you'll really wicked people look at people like that going wow we could we could make some easy money there we could just stomp all over these people we don't really care about them at all and you know be aware of that that there's a lot of spiritual wickedness in high places there's a lot of really rich people in this world that want to make you think that they're so great and they they're so wonderful and they they give all this money to these charities and stuff but honestly what they're true what they what they are trying to do what they often are doing are enslaving people they're giving money to these organizations that want to keep the widow and the fatherless down the plan parenthoods and all the the vaccinations and in in all that other garbage that's targeting the poor that's targeting the needy that's targeting this group of people they make it look like it's all good they're gonna blow a trumpet but in reality they're not doing good to those people and on a higher level too even when it just comes to to government and all these people who want to you know they pretend like they oh no we're all for the poor we're all for the needy but then they get people just latched on to the teat of government and dependent on government and just waiting for the next handout instead of helping them because honestly the the true help for a person for the needy for the poor is to get them work to get them on the right path to do what's right and to live righteously and to live godly not just to sit on the rear end and collect a paycheck every month from the government and while I'm speaking on government I'm going to go back a step up here to verse number one where the Bible says woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees so what's the decree it could be a lot of different there it could be a new law right they're making some proclamation they're making some decree and it's interesting the timing on this because as I was preparing for my sermon yesterday I saw because yesterday we all know was June 1st and unfortunately our extremely wicked vile culture today has been has been warped and changed to where now you've got you know this really really small group of people of perverts and pedophiles and disgusting horrible vile people have gotten the ear of corporations and other groups and governments thinking that somehow it's going to be advantageous for them to cater to this group so now you start seeing all the rainbow flags all the the homo propaganda being pushed on us during this month because it's it's deemed sodomite month and what kind of blew me away and gave me just a little bit you know just kind of woke me up even further to how far things have slid in in our country is when I saw I saw this post from Prescott Valley the town of Prescott Valley that's the town that I moved from to come here the town of Prescott Valley the town of Prescott Valley is really small I forget the the population is like 40 50,000 something like that it's not a lot of people it's up in the mountains of Arizona in central Arizona it's not some huge metropolis it's not Phoenix for sure it's a smaller community when I moved up there one of the things I loved about it is is you know it's full of all these you know relatively conservative people it's family-friendly so at least I thought it was then you know it's got this small-town feel you know it's really safe and everything else and and I loved it there's one of things I love about that area I thought man what a great place and I love that I didn't see sodomites all over the place it was something that was very a rare event to see it was something I just felt like you know I feel a little bit safer here there's a lot of places down in Phoenix and other big cities you know down in Atlanta where you can just it feels like you're in Sodom or Gomorrah just because of how many perverts are hanging around in that same area whatever Prescott Valley wasn't like that but I saw this proclamation this decree on Facebook that I just it blew me away and I'm thinking if this is taking place in in this little town that's this little town hell you know and you know y'all know I'm not Trump support but they held this big Trump rally at the arena there because of the demand of all the people that were that were there but you know what I guess it shouldn't really surprise me because Trump was pro-homo anyways because people have just been brainwashed now into accepting all this garbage but what I'm gonna read this proclamation which is exactly what it what I copied and pasted this and it's from the town of Prescott Valley from their official you know Facebook page or whatever and it says Pride Month proclamation received by local business owner Jonathan at the May 27th town council meeting so the town council has this meeting and they give this local business owner this proclamation apparently that's why it says received by and here's what it says and it's written in their legal terms whereas Pride Month is an opportunity to peacefully raise society's awareness of current issues facing the community and celebrate sexual diversity through various social educational and community events now how weird and wicked is that celebrate sex I mean what like what like what type of hedonistic society in a small town is saying yeah we're just gonna celebrate perversion we're gonna celebrate and what's diversity well it's all different types of it right so I guess I guess people with animals hey let's celebrate its diversity people with kids with kids it's diverse kids with kids that's diverse right it's all these different diversity let's celebrate it you stinking perverts it's not something to celebrate it's something to be a horn it's not gonna be hated it's not gonna be shouted down and you've got people and local governments trying to promote this garbage and that's just the first whereas the first paragraph whereas the first pride March was held on June 28th 1970 in New York a year after the Stonewall riots of 1969 which later served as a catalyst for the gay rights movement in the United States and around the world and whereas in 1981 the first Phoenix pride March was done in downtown Phoenix organized by gay and lesbian activists to raise awareness of gay rights and has continued for almost 40 years and whereas the town of Prescott Valley supports the LGBTQ communities right to live their lives freely and supports equal rights for all and recognizes June as a month of celebration of lesbian gay bisexual transgender questioning and supporters across our nation now therefore I Carol Pelguta mayor of the town of Prescott Valley Arizona do hereby declare June 2021 as Pride Month and encourage the citizens of Prescott Valley to observe recognize and celebrate the contributions LGBTQ people give to our country state cities and towns and to celebrate that diversity of all our people well to them that decree on righteous decrees want to you town of Prescott Valley well on to all of you towns and cities and governments that are promoting perversion yeah let's let's celebrate let's celebrate the contributions of the LGBTQ and their contributions of defiling little children let's celebrate the pedophilia let's celebrate their their their sexual perversions and disgusting acts and behaviors that the Bible says is worthy of death yeah let's celebrate that no it's not something to celebrate you are a fine me celebrating anything about Pride Month I'm gonna be celebrating a gallows being hung up and a bunch of faggots being hung up on the pole and and being put to death by the government that's something to celebrate LGBTQ people give me a break celebrate that this is this is insanity this is insanity people have no morals whatsoever just going yeah let's just let's let's be proud about it let's celebrate this unbelievable hey one to them that decree on righteous decrees and that right grievousness which they have prescribed that's an unrighteous decree I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw I was like really that place America's doomed this is supposed to be some small town some you know great place to raise a family nope guess not not if you're just welcoming and celebrating a bunch of perverts unbelievable let's keep reading here in Isaiah chapter 10 like verse number 3 the Bible reads and what will you do in the day of visitation and in the desolation which shall come from far to whom will you flee for help and where will you leave your glory without me they shall bow down under the prisoners and they shall fall under the slain for all this his anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still and if you remember from last week that was that phrase came up over and over again which is obviously a continuation of what we read in chapter 9 continuing to talk about God's judgment and he's talking about the day of visitation the desolation which shall come from a from far it's an invading army that's going to come from a faraway land that's going to come in and visit and come upon the people and and destroy them it's the desolation is going to bring desolation to the area and he says to whom will you flee for help and where will you leave your glory so who you gonna run to there's nobody to help you verse 4 says without me they shall bow down under the prisoners because they've turned their back on the Lord they left the Lord as their defense as their shield as the righteousness so now who are you returning to flee for help because God's the one that's bringing this nation in upon you now where are you gonna go hey without me they shall bow down under the prisoners and they shall fall under the slain for all this his anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still verse 5 Oh Assyrian the rod of mine anger and the staff in their hand is mine indignation and this is saying and this is a topic that was priced when the most time on this evening is just the concept of God using foreign armies and in foreign countries to bring judgment upon his people and upon any nation he deems that he needs a judge and he uses this all the time and America needs to not be so confident and oh we have the mighty military and oh we have all this other stuff because you know what if God is against you who can be for you right if God if God be with us who's against us right who could be against us who you know we can do all things through God would strengthen it us but you know what if God is against us what are the flesh are you gonna trust in that's gonna save you from the Lord doesn't exist though hand join in hand though though the whole world band together and unite God could just snap his fingers with his word just consume the entire population in an instant if God wants something to happen believe me it'll happen if God's gonna bring judgment you have nowhere to turn he's talking about using a Syria as the rod of his anger that's the instrument that's the tool that he's using to go now forth and judge his people to go and judge the children of Israel verse 6 I will send him against an hypocritical nation that's one of the things that makes them angry there's the rod of his anger why is he angry because they're a hypocritical nation because they claim that they would lay love the Lord they claim that they worship the Lord as you read on Sunday in Malachi right the same type of persons the same type of people the same type of priests they got dung on their face that are saying you know oh we worship the Lord yeah we're holding these feasts and their heart is far from them they don't really believe this stuff they're worshiping idols are doing all other things to make God angry and they're just a bunch of stinking hypocrites and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge to take the spoil and to take the prey and to tread them down like the mire of the streets how be it he meaneth not so neither doth his heart thing so this is talking about now the heart of Assyria but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few Assyria doesn't even need to know that they're being used of God that doesn't matter they've got their own agenda but you know what God is the one behind the the scenes pulling the strings on Assyria going and judging the people and I'm gonna get in that I'm gonna expound on it a little bit more in just a minute I want to keep reading some of these verses here verse number eight the Bible says for he saith are not my princes altogether kings this is the heart of Assyria is what this talk about now when he says are not my princes altogether kings right and he's starting to compare himself to other nation says it's not Calanoa's car key mesh is not Hamath as our pad is not Samaria as Damascus as my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols and whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria shall I not as I have done unto Samaria and her idols so due to Jerusalem and her idols wherefore it shall come to pass that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon Mount Zion and on Jerusalem I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria and the glory of his high look so basically he's saying he's already saying I've defeated Samaria every defeated the northern kingdom so and can't I just do exactly the same thing to Judah and Jerusalem can't I just come in here just I mean what are they compared to everything else now that I've already come in and defeated so he's going down there with this with this proud heart not even realizing God's the one that delivered them into your hand not giving God the cradle he's just starting to get more and more lifted up as he gets his victories and starts conquering people and lands so he's approaching Jerusalem going hey I mean I could do why can't I just do the same thing to them as I've done to these other countries and God's saying you know what after I've made my judgment after I brought in the destruction after I've done what I want to do the way I want to punish my people king of Assyria is next so it's not that God only is going to use some righteous nation to judge everybody else he doesn't and even when he brought the children of Israel into the promised land he already said it's not that there were some righteous people they didn't they weren't brought in there because of how righteous they were he made a promise unto Abraham Isaac and Jacob and he needed to bring the judgment on those wicked people of that land which which needed to be done and he used the children of Israel to bring forth that judgment while simultaneously keeping his promise but it's not because they were just some super holy righteous group of people don't don't forget even after they got let out of Egypt they were still turning their back on the Lord and in the wilderness and God made him wander around for 40 years so it's not like they were just all serving Lord with all their heart and that's why he led him in there was a whole bunch of people generation people had to die before he brought them into the promised land so God uses of the whole point is that God uses nations that oftentimes are gonna be much more wicked than the people he's judging even so don't think well we're in the most righteous nation in the world so God's not gonna judge us you better believe he will you better and you know what he's gonna use someone way worse he could bring in the communist Chinese he could bring in the the the Muslims and you know I mean he could bring in anybody anyone he chooses to use you think oh they know they can't do anything us there you know God wants it to happen it'll happen and it's so easy to people get so lifted up and proud I mean the smallest things though make people just quiver and fear imagine not having power for like a week what's that going to do to like all the people of the country practically what are we running around like like they got their heads cut off chickens with their heads cut off because they don't even know how to survive now without having power that's a simple thing these days you shut down the gas just one gas pipeline people are losing their ever-loving minds don't know what to do and oh wait should we should we trust in our in our homo affirming military to save us yeah I want some flamer going out and fighting for me when the enemies come yes send out the the dykes and the queers and the fags in fact I actually think that's a good idea put them on the front line let's get them all out there the operation human shield go forward and and you get the front I'm for that boy what a June that would be let's get back in the passage I don't know how I even got off on that at this point he's using these nations that's where I was he's using these nations wicked nations to come and judge you know his people and and and whoever he wants to judge so God God is in charge okay if God wants something to happen he makes it happen so don't think that some wicked country can't come in here and punish us the way that God is punishing his people in Isaiah chapter 10 verse number 13 about says for he saith by the strength of my hand I have done it so he's talking he's referring to the king of Assyria right so he's getting these victories and the king of Assyria saying by strength of my hand I have done it and by my wisdom for I am prudent and I have removed the bounds of the people and have robbed their treasures and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man and my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people and as one gathers eggs that are left have I gathered all the earth and there was none that moved the wing or open the mouth or peeped basically saying you know I've done all this up and there's no one that even stood against me I came in I found all these riches I did this I did that I removed the bounds I robbed their treasures I put down the inhabitants like a valiant man I did all these things no God did that for you you were just a tool being used now this attitude and we see this time and time again through scripture and this is this is such a basic doctrine because this is found all over the place turn if you would to Daniel chapter 4 keep your place in Isaiah 10 but go to Daniel chapter 4 because this type of an attitude saying oh I did this and I did that and I'm the one who won these great victories and I'm the one you know this is all how wonderful that I am and how smart I am and how powerful I am like a valiant man I did all this stuff this is a sure way to be a based now look we're reading about some wicked king of Assyria okay but the attitude and the judgment can still be applied to you okay you don't have to be a wicked king to be lifted up with pride and to think that all these great victories are coming because of me watch out for that trip you may be having a lot of victories and spiritual victories and good things right don't allow yourself to get full of yourself and lift it up into thinking wow everything's working out so great for me wow I'm getting all these salvations Wow everything's great because I am so good that's not the reason why it's because God's so good that's why that's why we need to keep a humble spirit a humble attitude as a servant and say I'm gonna keep serving God thank you for blessing thank you for for protecting thank you for blessing me thank you for for for using me thank you for helping me to get these people saved but whatever you know whatever victories you're getting whatever you're seeing being being achieved and in great victories that you're having and succeeding God thank you thank you not that's because I'm so awesome now it's gonna take a lot of your hard work to get that right and and to be used I'm sure even a king of Assyria was doing a lot of hard work right I mean he couldn't he wasn't just sitting on his haunches when going in and conquering people he's going out there and and you know working and fighting and and everything else but if you don't have the proper respect and and the proper sight of what's really happening you know giving a credit where credit's due then you may be next and this you know this pride pay pride goeth before destruction and a hottest haughty spirit before a fall there's your pride month for you that's a comment I left to you on that problem just and and and I didn't expound anything I didn't say anything I just wanted to leave a Bible verse there just to see if anyone would even like it yeah there's a lot of people from my friends liked it but I wanted to see if any you know like like is someone really gonna say something against the scripture a lot of people do I mean God haters do but just there you go there's a Bible verse for you that's not my thoughts that's God's Word I'm waiting for someone to call me hateful because I quoted the Bible waiting for it oh you're so hate me yeah yeah just quoted the Bible you want to claim pride I'm waiting for your destruction because it's gonna happen it's going to happen and that's why I'm not homophobic because I'm not afraid of them go ahead fill yourself with more pride go ahead you're gonna be destroyed you're gonna have a great fall King of Assyria found this out you know I was following this out Daniel chapter 4 Nebuchadnezzar found this out he had the same type of an attitude he was used of God to bring judgment he was used of God to establish that kingdom he was used of God to do things God wanted him to do but he thought it was all himself look at verse number 29 Daniel chapter 4 the Bible reads at the end of 12 months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon the king spake and said is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty talk about being full of yourself I mean the other thing about that because I'm sure Nebuchadnezzar no one else helped you either right you did all of that it wasn't your armies and generals and captains or anyone else with you it was all you right but look at this we're starting on while the word was in the king's mouth he's not he's like not even completely done speaking on how great he is there fell a voice from heaven saying Oh King Nebuchadnezzar to thee it is spoken the kingdom is departed from thee that's all God has to say he speaks from him I mean imagine that just getting God's attention to say you know after you just get done saying how great you are I can imagine in an instant his heart must have dropped to the floor hearing the voice of God out of heaven yeah you think you've accomplished all this kingdoms departed from you let's keep reading though he says goes on verse 32 says and they shall drive thee from men and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen and seven times shall pass over thee until thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men and giveth it to whom so ever he will the same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar and he was driven from men and did eat grass as oxen and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hairs were grown like Eagles feathers and his nails like birds claws and at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven and my understanding returned unto me and I blessed the Most High and I praise and honored him that liveth forever whose Dominion is an everlasting Dominion and his kingdom is from generation to generation now before I continue reading here here's a picture that that Kingdom is taken away from Nebuchadnezzar and God gives him the heart of a beast and for seven years he's out outside eating grass like oxen and because of his exposure to the elements and because he's got this heart of a beast I mean he basically loses his mind he goes crazy and he's out there acting like an animal which by the way when God abases someone and brings them low he makes them act like an animal which another thing you know these perverts that want to say oh these animals have these same-sex relationships yeah you're acting like an animal because you've been brought down you've been a base to act like an animal animal animals have no control over their appetites and their desires and their fleshly lusts you're a beast you're an animal God made Nebuchadnezzar like an animal to the point where his hair is like is becoming like a bird's feathers you it's all matted and nasty from just being outside not being well camped not taking care of himself his nails are just growing out and becoming like claws like a bird's claws and and he's just looking he's becoming to look like a beast he's acting like a beast because God made it so because God wanted to bring him down and as soon as he gets his he comes back to his senses as soon as he gets his understanding back and God finishes his his punishment on Nebuchadnezzar the first words I was saying praise God because he's been in that state for a long time and it took him you know those seven years he realizes you know what is this was not me this is God God gets accredited I'm gonna praise God right now he was humbled it worked and you know what praise God like you know people need to be brought down that low unfortunately sometimes people need to be brought down that low but you know thank God I would thank God to be to be ahead even if you have to hopefully don't have to be brought down that low but hey if that humbles you to put your trust in God and understand who God is then great unfortunately there's still some people that never will humble themselves and never will recognize Lord but he does so he says you know he looked up his eyes cuz I bless the Most High I praise and honored him that liveth forever whose dominion is an everlasting dominion his kingdom is from generation to generation verse 35 and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing and he do with according to his will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand or say unto him what doest thou at the same time my reason returned unto me and for the glory of my kingdom mine honor and brightness returned unto me and my counselors my Lord saw it unto me and I was established in my kingdom and excellent majesty was added unto me now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honor the king of heaven all whose works are truth and his ways judgment and those that walk in pride he is able to abase that's the lesson to be learned all those that walk in pride he is able to abase turn if you would to Romans chapter 9 because I want to I want to clear this up as well I'm gonna read from Isaiah 10 just the next verse verse 15 the Bible says shall the axe this is this is God talking about how he's using Assyria and Assyria's got this stout heart this proud heart right and just as God used Nebuchadnezzar just as God has used other God used Pharaoh God lifted Pharaoh up to show his mighty arm to show his strength to prove a point to show how strong God is because Pharaoh was was so obstinate and his heart was hardened God made that happen God hardened his heart so that he could continue doing all those miracles to show who the Lord really is and to show almighty is God made that happen now look we're not Calvinists here because Calvinists take this teaching too far they take this too far but don't go the other direction and say well God doesn't really do anything in this earth right God has given us free will yes God's given us free will he's given us ability to choose to do things and to choose to serve him and choose to believe on him and everything else but you better believe that there's a king in heaven that rules and he lifts up and he brings down and he can use his people as his instruments and as his tools as he sees fit and that's what Romans 9 is talking about by the way it's this concept but but you know who we see God using and doing this with it's always these rulers it's always people he's raising up people from from humble beginnings so whether it's whether it's wicked rulers or righteous rulers right the righteous rulers he raises up and nurtures from a humble beginning and and and puts them in a position to be able to do his will right for good but here's the thing with with that they still had the choice to serve the Lord or to believe on him God in his foreknowledge knows the hearts of man and God is capable of choosing who he wants to knowing that they are going to accept him knowing you know everything about them and then choosing them to be his vessel to work good or evil he knows people like Pharaoh are going to reject him he knows the beginning from the end he knows the end from the beginning you know he knows it all so in in his infinite wisdom and knowledge and foreknowledge is able to make things work together as he sees fit now it's hard to wrap your mind around how God knows everything because this is and this is where this is where the Calvinist major fail is is you start trying to to logic and reason through which I'm not saying logic and reason are bad I I think logic and reason are good but when you start just getting into your own understanding and trying to understand things without just relying on what the scripture says you can find yourself contradicting strict scripture because you don't know how to understand the way that God works and this is fundamental to who God is there is no reason the Bible would say whosoever will let him come freely if it was impossible for a person to will to do that without God making you do that that makes no sense at all it's a complete contradiction these people who are these hyper Calvinists that want to tell you that well no God already determined from the beginning who's gonna be saved who's gonna be damned he picked and chose it you didn't have any part in that you didn't decide anything you didn't actually when you believed on Jesus is because God made you believe you know that's nonsense and that's contradictory to scripture but it's it comes from trying to grapple with and try and understand how you can read passages where God is is essentially just saying hey look I rule and if I'm gonna let people up I'm gonna lift them up if I'm gonna put him down I'm gonna bring him down I do these things and what are you gonna do about it you can't do anything about it because I'm God because I'm the Lord and I'm gonna do these things as I see fit so trying to reconcile that with having a free will you know Calvinists fail in this regard but both are compatible one with the other again and again it has more to do with God's foreknowledge understanding of people and sitting in the position that he sits outside of time whereas we are locked into time so and I don't want to get into this huge you know discussion on this but we could just simply go to the scripture and that's what I'm saying we need to you know before you try to make your head hurt trying to wrap your mind around how everything works exactly let's just believe the scripture for what it says so when God says he brings lifts people up and brings them down we could believe that but when God says that there's free will offerings and that you have a free will and you could choose and whosoever believeth you know we believe that too and they're and they're not contradictory you just have to understand how it all works together now Isaiah 1015 has this insert in interesting passage you're in Romans 9 stay there he says shall the axe boast itself against him that he with therewith or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up or as if the staff should lift up itself as if it were no wood so he's talking about these instruments these tools standing up against a person actually using them right like like how is the axe gonna boast itself just just some tool an axe right wooden handle metal head gonna gonna stand up against the person who's using the axe like that's silly it's just an axe there's no there's nothing that it can do and he's saying you know same thing with a rod you know there's a person shaking the rod the Roger's a piece of wood and he's saying shell that the staff should lift it up itself as if it were no wood like it's like you think you're not just a piece of wood this is how he's describing the king of Assyria he's saying you think you're somebody you think you're gonna turn against me I'm the one using you you're just my tool you're my instrument you're my arm of flesh to go over here and do what I want you to do don't you think that you're anything and that you can just do whatever you want without me allowing it to happen because I got something some news for you you're just my instrument that's what he's telling him and this is the understanding that we need to know because Romans 9 is the place that Calvinists are going to turn to to try to prove their Calvin is one of the one of their main passages is Romans chapter 9 but even in the context of Romans 9 so we write about Nebuchadnezzar we're reading about the king of Assyria the Pharaoh I'd mentioned him is the same exact way I'm not we're not going to read that whole story just for sake of time but you hopefully you know the story already Pharaoh was lifted up God was gave him a hard heart and and did that on purpose so that he could show his might and his power when God chooses to do this he's doing this with these rulers he's doing this for this big impact right we don't see God just doing this with every person on the earth or I just met you I'm just gonna make you hard I'm gonna make you know he's doing this in specific situations and he's doing this with the rulers of the world too right so there's these rulers that God is lifting up and the Bible talks about that okay about about rulers it's not every human being in the whole world and it's not as if they didn't have their own ability to be able to put their trust in Jesus to put their trust in the Lord they had that opportunity as well as anyone else did but they rejected Pharaoh had the opportunity to believe Moses and Aaron when they came to him because when you read the story he hardens his heart first God doesn't start off by hardening his heart he does end up hardening his heart but there's plenty of opportunities where it says Pharaoh hardened his heart he earned his own heart he was already making himself hard and obstinate against the word of the Lord that's his doing and then God just said okay you want to harden your heart I'll harden your heart verse 17 Romans 9 and this is important context too as we get into this because he's bringing up Pharaoh for the scripture saith unto Pharaoh even for this same purpose have I raised thee up that I might show my power in thee and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth thou wilt say then unto me why doth he yet find fault for who hath resisted his will nay but oh man who art thou that replies against God shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why is thou made me thus hath not the Potter power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel in honor another unto dishonor what if God willing to show his wrath and to make his power known endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory even us whom he hath called not of the Jews only but also the Gentiles so this is another explanation another way of saying the same thing you know the act boasting himself against that him that Hughes with it he's saying look the Potter has power over the clay God's able to lift people up and bring them down as he sees fit if God wants to bring up a ruler and allow and as we says here endures with much long suffering the vessels of wrath so allows them to continue God is allowing them to continue instead of just bringing the destruction swiftly on them he's using them for a purpose he's using them for a cause he's allowing them to continue God's able to bring people I think about this way let me let me explain this way think about the righteous because people don't have as much of a problem with the righteous people as they do with the wicked people being hardened right because they they want to say oh man well how could you you know if God just used to harden your heart they're just gonna be hardened and that's where people have the problem but think about how God has raised righteous people think about how King David came into being a king right the humble beginnings God chose him and nurtured him and and made it for him to become king in many of the righteous kings that we read about in Scripture how about Joseph to get to the position that he was in that's even a more extreme example of God working in someone's life to ultimately bring them to a position of where God wanted them to be now I don't believe that God was making Joseph make all the decisions that he made to get to that point I don't think God made Joseph be what you know do good while he was a prisoner do good while he was a servant you know Joseph was doing good because it was in his heart because it was it was he was doing what he thought was the right thing to do and God knows that because God knows his heart so he's the perfect person for God to want to use because he knows him and he knows what he's going to do it's not that God was making him do right in order to prop him up to be the king to do what he wanted to do the same way wicked people God's not making them do wickedness he's not waking making them be evil bad people they've chosen decided to become an evil wicked person themselves and to make bad decisions and to turn their back on the Lord and to not receive God and to do whatever they think is right which is you know not following the word of the Lord and God knows that about them yet he was still able to put them in these positions to get them into power because he knows their heart and he knows that they're rejected him and then he could harden her heart and do things and have them rule the way that he wants as well see get he could lift up who he wants to to put in the position of power because he knows how they're going to react and how they're going to respond what they're going to do and he places people as he sees fit that's how God operates so he's fully capable of bringing up one and bring another down and bring one down bring another up and and and and you know manipulating people in that sense because he puts them in these positions it's strategic but at the same time it's not violating the will of an individual hopefully you understand that I mean it's not it's one of those you know slightly more complicated things and and and can get you maybe a little confused when you spend too much time on this just trying to figure out everything how God operates it's really not that complicated but you know don't be deceived by the Calvinist crowd because they get really far away from Scripture I mean they'll point to a few servers like this but then they go on and on and on trying to reason in logic and you're gonna find faulty logic like I mean the biggest one I think the most glaring faulty logic that that should hopefully seal the deal for you is that when they take things to their logical and they come they come up with this conclusion of basically grace happens like you receive grace before you have faith that the grace comes before faith we receive God's grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ we we receive that forgiveness but in the Calvinist way of thinking it's that that grace that God gives you the ability even to believe on Jesus so it's like he chooses you and saves you and then you put your faith in Jesus because you have to because who can resist as well that's what they say which completely contradicts the order in which the Bible says that salvation happens first you put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ then he gives you the eternal eternal life then he gives you that gift and the gift is eternal life the gift isn't faith so I don't want to spend any more time on Calvin is we're already running really late I didn't think I was gonna take this long all right back to Isaiah chapter 10 let's finish off this chapter there's a lot of verses here but I'm not gonna spend a lot of time on each verse because there's it's kind of a lot of the similar concept continuing to be described here about God using the king of Assyria and how God's gonna not only judge Jude and Jerusalem but he's gonna judge the king of Assyria then look at verse number 16 the Bible says therefore shall the Lord the Lord of hosts send among his fat ones leanness and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire and the light of Israel shall be for a fire and his holy one for a flame and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briars in one day God's gonna make a big purge the thorns and the briars the wicked people they're gonna be burned up and and and wiped away and it says and shall consume the glory of his forests and of his fruitful field both soul and body and they shall be as when a standard bearer fainted the standard bearers is the person bearing the flag like in an army and you know war in a battle they're kind of you know bringing you know helping lead people on and then when they faint and fall over it's not a good sign right because people are gonna see that and and kind of cause fear in their heart but it says that that's what's gonna be like is when that standard bearer fainteth and the rest of the trees of this forest shall be few that a child may write them now and what I think this is teaching here that child may write them it's kind of a weird verse is that basically he's talking about this land is being decimated and as we're gonna see here in just a minute it talks about a remnant being left of the children of Israel so there's gonna be this small remnant left and imagine this is just a whole forest but it's full of thorns and briars and it's all gonna have this consuming fire go through it but there's still some trees are gonna remain but there's so few when it says a child can write them I think it's like a child can count them a child can just can record that they can write down you know a forest a child's not I mean a child can only count so high right a child is only handle so many different things but there's gonna be so few left you say yeah even a child can record that yeah there's there's like five trees standing they can handle that that's the utter destruction that's being described here talking about a child may write them verse 20 and it shall come to pass in that day that the remnant of Israel and such as our escaped of the house of Jacob shall no more again stay upon him that smote them but shall stay upon the Lord the Holy One of Israel in truth so now you're saying you know that remnant the people were finally left over they're finally gonna get it and they're gonna go back to relying on God and not relying on the people who are smiting them I mean Israel has done this so many times it's like they go back and run to Egypt and they go back and run to these other nations that have already you know done bad things unto them and they're going back to these oppressors it's like stop going back to the oppressor and relying on them to define defend you and protect you go back to the Lord but says here that then they will go back to the Lord the remnant shall return even the remnant of Jacob unto the mighty God now that's what God wanted the whole time but unfortunately they had to go through a lot of heartache and pain and misery and suffering to get to that point we want to learn the lesson of not having to go through that let's not be like the children of Israel requiring being brought down really low before you go back and turn turn back unto the Lord we need to stay with the Lord and continue to rely on him as our as our stay and as our strength verse 22 for though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea yet a remnant of them shall return the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness for the Lord God of hosts shall make a consumption even determined in the midst of all the land consumption is consuming right I mean he's just gonna make this huge consuming therefore thus that the Lord God of hosts oh my people that dwell us in Zion be not afraid of the Assyrian he shall smite thee with a rod and shall lift up his staff against thee after the manner of Egypt so now always tell them don't be afraid of the king of Assyria he's going to come against you and he's going to smite you it's coming but don't be afraid of him verse 25 for yet a very little while and the indignation shall cease in mine anger in their destruction so he's saying my anger is gonna run out don't worry about it like like I'm gonna make an end of this and just don't fear him it says verse 26 and the Lord of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of orb and as his rod was upon the sea so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt and it shall come to pass in that day that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder and his yoke from off thy neck and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing so he's basically informing them the king of Assyria is going to be destroyed at God's going to take care of him so while he is going to come with the rod you don't need to be afraid of him because God will deal with him and he says he has come to Aath he has passed to Migron at Micmash he had laid up his carriages they are gone over the passage they have taken up their lodging at Geba Rhema is afraid Geba of Saul is fled lift up thy voice O daughter of Galen cause it to be heard unto Laish O poor Anathoth Madmina is removed the inhabitants of Geban gathered themselves to flee as yet shall he remain at Nob that day he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion the hill of Jerusalem behold the Lord the Lord of hosts shall lop the bow with terror and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down and the haughty shall be humbled this is the theme of this chapter the pride the prideful are going to be brought low and even though he may use these wicked people to bring judgment he's going to use the king of Assyria to bring forth the judgment he brought forth the judgment against the northern kingdom of Israel and he's going to bring them against Judah in Jerusalem but you know what God is going to bring him low and and he's going to lop off that top bow now this is all bow is a branch right so I'm about this big branch from a tree and he's going to lop off that big branch with terror he's gonna terrify the king of Assyria and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down and the haughty shall be humbled and you shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one God will make sure that things go the way he wants it to go and God's people need to understand hey don't get lifted up with pride don't don't get so proud in our country and in our nation and our military and and everything else especially when your country and your military and your government is all turning to the to the proud of the land is turning to the god haters and promoting and and exalting all manner of wickedness and filth look I went you know we ought to be getting on our knees and just begging God to protect us protect protect your people Lord because we still love you we still care about you we're trying to do what's right God bring the judgment on a wicked people people need to understand and get the fear of the Lord and if they're not going to get it through preaching if they're not going to get it from church then God himself is gonna have to bring that fear and terror upon people and you know what I don't look forward to that day at all because it's not going to be good for us either but I was praying I know that God will keep us and protect us through whatever judgment he wants to bring there's still going to be a remnant of his people that are still to be left standing in that forest when God brings through the destruction let's make sure that we're not consumed in the consumption when he decides to bring his judgment upon this country and let's let's do what we can to proclaim the word of the Lord to proclaim these warnings as God has done all throughout history hey even if this is a stiff neck and rebellious people that our job doesn't change our job doesn't change it's about rides have a word of prayer to Heavenly Father Lord we thank you so much for your word thank you for teaching us all these truths Lord we know that history repeats itself and that's evident but we thank you for giving us your words and giving us all these these lessons that we could learn I pray that you would just help us to stay strong help us to be righteous Lord help us to to stand for the right ways and in the old past dear Lord and that you would use us as you see fit and God we know that that your anger is is got to be continuing to boil over reach a reach a boiling point here with with this wicked country and we thank you for your long suffering and mercy and Lord you know the the end from the beginning use us as as you would you'd have us to do your will and continue to just just teach us and and help us to to know the the right path Lord we love you to Jesus name we pray amen