 Micah chapter 4. We'll begin reading together at verse 1. I'll read to verse 3, and we'll get into our study. Micah chapter 4, beginning at verse 1, reading to verse 3, Now it shall come to pass in the latter days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on the top of the mountain, and shall be exalted above the hills. People shall flow to it. Many nations shall come and say, come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, and we shall walk in his paths. For out of Zion the law shall go forth, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many peoples and rebuke strong nations far off. They shall beat their swords into plowshares, their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. The first three chapters as we've been going through the book of Micah deal with God bringing judgment, and we've been seeing that as we've been going through this book. And we've seen that God is bringing judgment on the nation for a variety of reasons, but especially because of their idolatry. And last time we were together, we were in chapter three. And in chapter three I was pointing out that the false prophets of Israel were going to be judged because they were leading people astray. Remember what it says in chapter three verses five through seven how it says, thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who make my people stray, who chant peace while they chew with their teeth, but who prepare war against him, who puts nothing into their mouths. Therefore you shall have night without vision. You shall have darkness without divination. The sun shall go down on the prophets, and the day shall be dark for them. So the seers shall be ashamed. The diviners abashed. Indeed they shall all cover their lips for there's no answer from God. So he had spoken and he had said that he was going to bring judgment, especially speaking concerning these false prophets. But in contrast as we've been going through the book of Micah, Micah has made it very clear that in contrast to the false prophets that he himself was a true prophet. He had said in chapter three verse eight, truly I am full of power by the spirit of the Lord and of justice and might to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin. And so he said that I am, this is what he's saying. He is saying I am a true prophet. I've been sent by God. I have a message. It is a message that will reveal the transgression of the nation and I as a prophet am full of the Holy Spirit and that's one who is empowering me. And so as this is taking place and as he's bringing this message, we've already seen this but let me refresh your memory. He was speaking the truth to them but they wanted him to be quiet. They wanted him to leave them alone. In chapter two we had seen in verse six they had said do not prattle. You say to those who prophesy so they shall not prophesy to you. They shall not return insult for insult. You say to them shut up. Don't be telling us these things. We don't want to hear it. You're just rambling on. And so he says as a true prophet I've brought a word of judgment that is to come. The false prophets are saying to you that there is peace but God had stated in other places they say there is going to be peace but there is no peace. And so we've been looking at the contrast between the message of the true prophet and the message the false prophets were bringing. Now somebody says how do you know the difference between a true prophecy and a false prophecy? How do you know that in the Bible when you're reading it what was true and what was not true? How did the children of Israel know when something was true and when something was not true? And all you need to do if you take notes you might want to note Deuteronomy chapters 13 and Deuteronomy chapter 18. Those two chapters early in the history of Israel were given to the children of Israel in order that as God was speaking to them that they would be able to test whether or not somebody was speaking in the name of the Lord. In chapter 13 it speaks concerning those who are coming and speaking and he says what they're saying may come to pass but the problem is if this person says come and let us follow other gods God says do not follow that person because I have not sent him. Then later on and I'll read this to you in chapter 18 of Deuteronomy he said in verse 21 and 22 if you say in your heart how shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord if the thing does not happen or come to pass that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken the prophet has spoken it presumptuously you shall not be afraid of him. So on the one hand if a false prophet speaks and takes you away from God he said be not afraid of that prophet he is not speaking for me he's taking you away from me or if the person is speaking and what he says does not come to pass he's speaking presumptuously and thus you shall have no fear of him. You see a true prophet in the Old Testament is really clearly presented as a person who when they give a prophecy it brings a honoring glory to God and it's always a hundred percent accurate and so that's how you see it. So we're coming up pretty soon to New Year's and they'll have these magazines or these newspapers that are at the checkout stand when you're leaving the store and it'll say you know five prophets making their prophecies for 2017 and you can take that home and use it to line the bird cage because none of that is true they're always always wrong and God says don't believe them because they're not speaking for me. Well Micah was speaking in the name of the Lord. Micah was a true prophet and because he's a true prophet he was speaking the mind of the Lord to the nation that had walked away from him a nation that was beginning to mix the worship of God with paganism and so when he came and spoke to them and said to them you're doing these things and it is wrong and God will bring judgment that's when they began to say don't prattle to me don't be just running your mouth off I don't want to hear it. You see the people had sinned and now it's necessary for God to chastise them and the punishment that he's bringing as we're looking at these chapters together is severe but it is intended to bring them back to him. In Deuteronomy in chapter 8 verse 5 it says you should know in your heart that as a man chasens his son so the Lord your God chasens you so God is bringing judgment a punishment upon you because that's what fathers do in Proverbs 3 11 and 12 it reads my son do not despise the chastening of the Lord nor detest his correction for whom the Lord loves he corrects just as a father the son in whom he delights and so because he loves them he's going to deal with their sin and the judgment will be severe but he will not completely abandon them and so what we see here as we open up chapter 4 is that the chapter begins with a prophecy a prophecy of future glory it will still speak of judgment we'll see that as we go through chapter 4 but it also reveals God's intention for their future so beginning at verse 1 it says it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on the top of the mountains shall be exalted above the hills and peoples shall flow to it now you might notice those of you who've been walking with the Lord for a while those of you who've been reading your bible and all you might notice that these verses here are very similar to verses you find in another prophetic book it's found in the book of Isaiah there are these there is a similarity to what is being said here that was stated in the time of Isaiah and you need to remember that Micah and Isaiah actually lived and ministered at the same time and they prophesied a similar message on occasion and so when you take these verses and it says many nations shall come and say come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of God Jacob he will teach us his ways we shall walk in his path out of Zion the law shall go forth the word of the Lord from Jerusalem you can see a similar thought in Isaiah chapter two in Isaiah chapter two and I'm going to read it to you verses two through four this is what Isaiah said it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills and all nations shall flow to it many people shall come and say come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob he will teach us his ways we shall walk in his path for out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem he shall judge between the nations and rebuke many people they shall beat their swords into plowshares their spears into pruning hooks nation shall not lift up sword against nation neither shall they learn war anymore and so these contemporaries were given by the spirit of the Lord a similar message and so that's why you'll see it in Isaiah and that's why you'll see the same thing here in Micah we need to remember that the nation is filled with idolatry and as we've been looking at Micah as well as Amos we noticed that it was governed the nation was governed by thieves who were ruling by violence and graft justice was no longer afforded to the least in society the widows and the orphans and because of this God had said that he would turn his hand against them as if they were his enemies and the reason he was going to do that is he was going to cleanse the evil from amongst them but he wasn't going to completely destroy them you see the cleansing ultimately will occur completely in the future and that is going to lead to restoration we'll see that in just a moment in this chapter now these promises that we're looking at here in Micah and the same promises that were given on in Isaiah were what are called messianic they refer to messiah and so this is for telling the future work that God is going to perform through messiah for them when you look in the Old Testament book of Jeremiah in chapter 33 verses 15 and 16 it says in those days and at that time I will cause to grow up to David a branch of righteousness he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth in those days Judah will be saved Jerusalem will dwell safely and this is the name by which he will be called the Lord our righteousness and so this is a prophecy concerning the time that messiah will rule and reign now God's promise is that he's going to restore them when messiah rules and reigns in Jerusalem when messiah rules all transgression will be dealt with when you look back at Isaiah if you take notes Isaiah 1 verse 28 it reads the destruction of transgressors and of sinners shall be together and those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed well Micah is echoing a similar prophecy as he proclaims this to the to the nation now in Micah chapter 3 verse 12 he had he had predicted that Jerusalem would be leveled and become a heap of ruins but now he moves beyond the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon as well as the future destruction through Rome and he moves beyond all destructions of the city and he begins to speak of what he calls the latter days notice that in verse 1 it shall come to pass in the latter days latter days are also referred to in scripture as the last days also spoken of as the last times and so this is speaking specifically of end time events the last days is a technical term and what it does is it speaks of God moving in judgment against all evil and Jesus uses a similar term but he actually speaks of the last days in this way he'll speak of tribulation and he'll also speak of great tribulation and as we're studying Matthew some of you are traveling with me through Matthew and we're going to enter into chapter 19 some day and then just a few chapters later another year and a half we'll be looking at chapter 24 and in chapter 24 of Matthew that's where Jesus gives us this tremendous insight into future events and so he speaks concerning the time that is referred to as Jacob's trouble it's referred to as tribulation but Jesus will speak of it as not only tribulation which refers to the first three and a half years of this tribulation period but then he says and then shall there be great tribulation so the tribulation period which is a seven-year period where God pours out his wrath on Christ's rejected the Christ's rejecting world it's called the tribulation is divided into two aspects there is tribulation and then great tribulation three and a half years of of tribulation three and a half years of what is called great tribulation and so as we're looking at this that all makes up part of what is called the last days last times and so that's what he's referring to here when he's speaking concerning the latter days see the tribulation is is relatively short it's it's seven years but in the tribulation at the end of it is when Jesus will return to earth the return of Christ concludes the tribulation and then he's going to establish his kingdom on earth and so the last days includes the tribulation the return of Jesus and what is called the millennial kingdom or the thousand year reign of Christ and so that helps us when you understand that that helps us to see that Micah is not speaking of near events alone but he's speaking when he uses the term latter days he's speaking of distant future events and so in this time in verse one he says it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on the top of the mountain and shall be exalted above the hills and peoples shall flow to it and so the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established she says on the top of the mountains Zechariah 14 in verse 10 says all the land shall be turned into a plane but Jerusalem shall be raised up and so there's going to be a time when it is the center if you will and the people it says will flow to it in other words many nations shall come and they're going to speak speak in desire to know more of the Lord it's interesting how it says that people shall flow to it that word flow is an interesting word that that speaks of being driven by internal desire there's going to be something within them that is going to provoke them internally to want to go up to the mountain of the Lord in order to worship there's going to be something that causes them to say come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of God of Jacob why he will teach us his ways we shall walk in his paths for out of Zion the law shall go forth in the word of the Lord from Jerusalem there's going to be an internal drawing to the people to want to come and to worship the Lord there's going to be something marvelous that is within that causes them to desire to hear the word of the Lord now that is in the very end we have a a foretaste of that by the way now when I when I was a young man before I got saved if you had said to me let's go to a party I just said yes let us go and and many of you in this room know exactly what I mean there's going to party where where's it going to be let's get out of here let's go and is it it it didn't matter if it was on Friday it didn't matter if it sat or your Wednesday it didn't matter party yes that's something I enjoy let's go that was just the way it is but if you had said to me which it was on occasion hey you want to go to a bible study you've got to be kidding why would I want to go to a bible study I I didn't get witnessed to by the way very much during my young teen years but I do remember in 1966 it was the summer of 1960 actually the summer of 1967 I was 16 yet to be 17 I was at the beach I believe it was Newport and I was laying there as a 16 almost 17 year old boy in front of mine bill who I meet with now you know every month and mentor we were kids just laying on our beach blankets watching the bikinis walk by I still remember I still remember a guy walking up to me and kneeling down wanting to talk to me about God he wanted to witness to me about Jesus I only was witnessed to maybe two or three times before I came to faith in Christ by strangers but I do remember that because I was always fairly respectful to believers in God just not interested in their beliefs but I remember how awkward it felt that here I am taking in all of these bouncing beauties as they're going by in their bikinis and this guy wants to talk to me about good stuff about God and holiness and you've got to be kidding me you know you're ruining my daydream I was that way if there was a party yes if there's you know drinking and drugs absolutely if they give it to you for free that's even better that was my life and that's the life of many in this room many of you understand what I'm saying partying all of that I had a hunger for that that was what drove me the next party the next drink the next joint that's a fact that's what drove me at that time then I got saved come and let us go to the house of the Lord became the internal driving of my life whereas I used to go to the party to get high now I went to church to get we used to call it a spiritual high and I loved the spiritual high because I never took the risk of being pulled over for driving under the influence of the spirit I just they didn't arrest me and make me do one of those little walks and this like that you know what I'm saying there was no holy ghost hangovers you know and I wasn't worried about the harm that I had done to somebody the night before what I had stolen from them or whatever I didn't have any of that anymore and so as when I got saved at the age of 20 as I used to be so excited about going to a party and some of you know what I'm saying when you know yeah let's go party now they were saying there's a bible study there's a bible study in La Habra man there's a bible study in Long Beach there's a bible study in Costa Mesa and we'd say let's go and see that's that internal drive I don't know if someone forced you to come to church tonight some of you probably yeah but see I wasn't forced to go to bible studies I said come and let us go to the house of the lord there's this internal pushing this desire to be in the word to be around those who love Jesus Christ listen all day long I walk in the world and my feet get dirty from that walk and I need a place where my feet can be washed and Jesus is the one who takes that base and it takes that towel and puts your feet in it and washes it and that comes through the word of God and so for me it's exciting to be able to get into the word of God and it's more exciting when the word of God gets in me because it changes my life you see that's how you make the best decisions the best decisions you'll ever make are the ones led by the spirit the worst ones are the ones that are not informed by the word of God and you just go out and say well let's see no I want to make my decisions based on the spirit's leading and the words direction and so there's a hunger and that's what this is speaking about people will flow to it many nations shall come and say come and let us go up to the house of the lord there's a divine drive that that that internal desire and and they want to go and and it's one of these things that it's a spontaneous movement that they all gather together and people are going to recognize that God is once again with his people and they will be internally driven to worship him. Zechariah tells us in chapter 8 verse 23 in those days 10 men from every language of the nation shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man saying let us go with you for we have heard that God is with you I want to go with you some of you have had friends who have said this to you in a similar way they're not saying it like they're not grabbing your sleeve necessarily saying I know that God is with you but they're saying things like what's happened to you what happened to you something's different about you and then you say you know what I got my life right with the Lord that's how it was with me when I first got saved I got right with the Lord really where you going I go to Calvary Chapel really God is with you and my friends came my friends would come to church because they saw there's something in me that they don't have and that's what's going to take place in these latter days that he's speaking about they'll take the sleeve and they'll say we have heard that God is with you you see when Messiah reigns the nation of Israel will be known as the headquarters of Messiah and when people desire to worship God they will come to those they know worship him that's how you by the way can be the best witness somebody said I wish I could quote the person who said it we all know this quote preach the gospel at all times and when necessary use words live the gospel out may that be the way that we live so that people actually will look at us and say what is it that drives you what is it that motivates you what is it that has made you different that they may not say it like that they may even be sarcastic they may even kind of put you down a little bit they may want to shame you well you know but they're saying the same thing what they're saying is something happened to you and I don't know what it is and I don't know whether or not I think it's good or bad but I would like to know what it is and then you say you know I got saved that's what happened to me I had a friend of mine his name was Paul Paul lived in a place up north Pacific Grove I got saved I went with my friend Bill and another guy another guy named Bill we drove from Norwalk we went up to the Pacific Grove and I wanted to visit my friend Paul and when we went there to his house it was just before I went into the military when we went to his apartment as I came in with my two friends Paul said Dave wait a minute I invited some friends I wanted them to meet you and I said oh really now Paul was from Whittier but now he's living in Pacific Grove I happen to think Pacific Grove is a beautiful place by the way I don't know how many of you have had a chance to go up there it's a gorgeous place and so as I was up there I was thinking what a beautiful place this is and Paul's living in a little apartment there and it's really nice and I hadn't been there for about four months and the last time I had been there was during a time that was called the Monterey Pop Festival they used to have something called the Monterey Pop Festival some of you are old enough to remember that others of you have studied in an ancient rock and roll history it was called Monterey Pop Festival and they had all kinds of music and things there was a big festival and this and that and I had gone there a few months before I had dropped something called psilocybin and I'd been smoking dope for several days and stuff and that's the last time I'd seen Paul you know I was on hallucinogenics and smoking marijuana now I'm back but he thinks I'm the same guy that I was just a few months before so he invites his friends to meet me and he says I'd like you to meet my friends and and just kind of there with Paul I'm not really speaking to him because we're waiting for the friends and they come into the house and there's two or three guys that come in and he says this is how he introduced me he said guys I want you to meet David he's one of my best friends I've known him since high school this is the guy he said concerning me this is the guy that got me high for the very first time that was my introduction now would you like that to be your your legacy would you like that I didn't want that I didn't want to be known for the guy who turned them on to drugs and there I am so I still remember I was sitting there 20 years old brand new in the Lord I hadn't been a Christian more than more than a month and a half no more than two at the maximum and I'm there looking at him across this small front room and he says this is Dave he got me high the first time and his friends are looking at me like well I was some guru or something you know that's true I had that space you look I looked like John Lennon I used to have these round glasses and my hair was long and I had these bushy sideburns and they'd looking at me like I was some guru I said you know Paul last time I was here you know we got high and then I said that's true I said that's true I I got Paul loaded for the first time when he was in high school that's true but I came here for a different reason I told Paul and and these guys were there and I'm a brand new Christian and I said but I came here for a different reason I want you to know Paul and you guys too that Jesus Christ died on across to save me of my sins he's cleansed me from all of my unrighteousness I'm born again and I'm serving the Lord Jesus Christ now so the way I was is no longer that man is dead and the man who's in this room with you right now has come with a message and Paul the reason I came with this message is I want you saved too see that's what God does he changes your life you don't want to see your friends perish and go to hell you want them to go to heaven too it has been said that the most selfish man is the one who goes to heaven alone and you don't want that that's why you tell people about the Lord that's why you come to Bible studies on a midweek when you could be doing something like watching the doctor game which I'm teabowing so are you unless you're an angels fan then you just be who cares right come and let us go into the house of the Lord he shall teach us his ways and we will learn his path we will follow his path and so that's what we're looking at right now in Isaiah 55 verse 5 surely you will summon nations you you know not and nations that do not know you will hasten to you because of the Lord your God the holy one of Israel for he has endowed you with splendor he says in verse 2 many nations shall come and say come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob he will teach us his ways we shall walk in his paths out of Zion the law shall go forth the word of the Lord from Jerusalem so when Jesus reigns people come to him to learn how to worship him and these are coming to be taught by messiah they're not coming for information they are coming for equipping and he's teaching them when it speaks concerning the word teach he shall teach that word teach simply means to instruct or direct it it also carries the connotation of pointing something out Isaiah 54 13 says all your children shall be taught by the Lord and great shall be the peace of your children in John 6 45 Jesus said it is written in the prophets they shall all be taught by God therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me they'll be taught by God they come to him it's another way of saying that he's the fulfillment of those prophecies he will teach us the ways the word way is is a habit of life it speaks really of your moral character when he uses the word walk the walk is your your manner of living it's how you proceed in life if you will and the path is is the path that a traveler will follow it speaking of a way of life the point he's making is that Jesus will teach us how to live he will not only instruct us with things that inform us but he will show us how to live in a way that is most blessed in verse three it says he shall judge between many peoples and rebuke strong nations afar off they shall beat their swords into plowshares their spears into pruning hooks nations shall not lift up sword against nation neither shall they learn war anymore notice how it says he shall judge between many peoples the word judge speaks of to decide deciding a controversy or executing judgment it carries with that the connotation of ruling or governing so there's no need of a world court when Jesus is the one settling all disputes psalm nine verse eight says he shall judge the world in righteousness he shall administer judgment for the people in in uprightness so he settles conflicts and as he settles these conflicts peace that is the fruit of righteousness will begin to exist you see you might want to note this without righteousness there can never be peace keep that in mind now i i appreciate the cessation of wars and violence i do i served in the military i did my duty to god in country but that does not mean that i wanted to go and use my weapon and it doesn't mean that was my heart my desire i desire peace i've always desired peace and uh it was coming to christ to help me to realize that without christ there is no chance of peace see peace comes when there's a cessation of hostility not just with man peace comes when there's a cessation of hostility between man and his god when you hear the gospel of reconciliation that christ was that god was in christ reconciling the world to himself the message of the gospel is called the message of reconciliation the cessation of hostility when you by faith receive christ as your lord and savior and you abide by the terms of peace which is that i fully surrender to god he is the victor i am the vanquished he owns me now i am not on loan to him but i have been bought at a price and when i understand that he is my lord and i will do the things that he says and i'll demonstrate i love him by my obedience the fruit of my life will demonstrate that there has been a change i will have peace with him because he gave me peace in that i i stopped my war i surrendered and now and this is where it's so very practical i can live at peace with other people and so hostility ceases first between man and god and then under christ because the hostility has ceased then hostility can cease between man and other men nations in other words can actually live at peace with one another as he rules the things that cause division between nations are going to be settled by the messiah and so they're no longer going to need to learn war anymore it speaks concerning the swords and it says they shall they shall beat in verse three they shall beat their swords into plowshares their spears into pruning hooks swords well obviously we know that a sword is a military weapon and a sword is a picture of killing and destruction plowshares would be used to speak of producing crops so plowshares speaks of the betterment of and care for people there's an interesting many of you know this there's an interesting bronze sculptor in the north gardens of the the un headquarters and and this sculptor is is is called let us beat our swords into plowshares it was created by a soviet artist and it was donated on december 4th 1959 intending to symbolize man's desire to put an end to war and to convert a means of destruction into creative tools for the benefit of mankind you can see that all you need to do is is go to the almighty google and you can look up the sculptor let us beat our swords into plowshares and it'll show you that particular statue if you will so instead of learning to fight jesus teaches us to walk in peace with one another and so on 46 verse nine he makes war cease to the end of the earth he breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two he burns the chariot in the fire and that's what he's speaking about in the time of peace under the messiah's rule in verse four but everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree and no one shall make them afraid for the mouth of the lord of host has spoken so so you're not going to need to have any kind of alarms in your house anymore and those decorative bars that some people put on their windows you're not going to need those anymore when it speaks concerning everyone being seated under his vine and under his fig tree that's a picture of of prosperity safety and security that's what that's a picture of it speaks of lounging if you will so they're going to be secure they're going to be at peace in zechariah 1310 it reads in that days as the lord of host everyone will invite his neighbor under his vine and under his fig tree so it's a picture of just you know just having a real nice relaxed life don't you look forward to that by the way oh yes oh yes i look forward to that so much when when when all the anxiety and tension is finally gone and i'm not talking about your children moving out i'm talking about real some of the more relaxing times you ever have if you have a chance to can be just sitting down under a tree by the water's edge at a lake or something just kind of just hanging out drinking a cup of coffee and saying oh the world is good i'm at peace with god this year is relaxing how often do you get to do that very seldom probably some of you do it every sunday you should be here but at some of the more peaceful times that you have we just have no agenda other just other than just let's relax and just enjoy enjoy ourselves on and that's that's what he's speaking about the time when all the tension is gone and you're at peace with one another and you're in a state of relaxation why because messiah is ruling now i better hurry up verse five for all people walk each in the name of his god but we will walk in the name of the lord our god forever and ever see in the past people walked after their own gods the result was war and problems their idolatry led them into violence as well as evil but when messiah rules all will honor him and all will follow him and in the future all will walk in the name of the lord like it says in psalm 145 verse 2 every day i will bless you i will praise your name forever and ever in philippians 2 9 through 11 god also has highly exalted him and given him the name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of those in heaven those on earth those under the earth and that every tongue should confess that jesus christ is lord to the glory of god the father and so we'll be there just worshiping and praising him and all this is a picture of that time well in verse six in that day says the lord i will assemble the lame i will gather the outcast those whom i've afflicted i will make the lame a remnant the outcast a strong nation so the lord will reign over them in mount zion from now on even forever and so he's speaking concerning his rule and in the millennial kingdom the nation of israel which is pictured as being lame you know crippled outcast the remnant well in the millennial kingdom in the time when jesus is ruling and reigning israel will be restored in their long history much suffering occurred and they were in a position of need and god acknowledges it was he who afflicted them but not only did he afflict them but he will also comfort them it's like what the psalmist one of my favorite scriptures is psalm 51 verse 8 where the psalmist said make me hear joy and gladness that the bones you have broken may rejoice what an interesting thing to say the bones that you have broken you want to be deep with the lord you want to know the ways of the lord the lord has a way of breaking us and healing us i've mentioned this recently but i don't remember how recent where i gave a message 30 some years ago that i still remember the title it was well i kind of remember the title uh when god cripples it was it was it was taken out of the book of genesis where jacob wrestled with the angel and the lord the angel reaches over and touches the hip of jacob and withers the sinew there and from that moment on from that time on jacob walked with a limp it was a constant reminder of his encounter with god he had grabbed hold of the angel would not allow would hold on was holding on tightly and the angel said let me go and and jacob said no i will not unless you bless me you remember that story i will not unless you bless me angel reaches down and and touches his hip and withers the bone cripples him and and when i gave that message it was a it was something lord was teaching me then that he has been teaching me now for over 30 years that one lesson and that is when i break a man i will use the man when i break the man i will use the man you will never be used by god until you are broken by god and he will put in you a reminder and some that's why some people don't want to be used like that people want all the blessings without the buffeting that's the fact isn't it just pour your blessings on me lord blow you know blow your spirit on me oh thank you and i'll float now do all these things and i'll get all this blessing and everything while the lord says you want to be like me yes i do oh i we sing songs like that make me like you lord make me like you uh do you know how i want to make you like me yeah you want to just say abracadabra you're like me right no i will make you wounded because i was wounded you want to be like me you're gonna have gethsemanes you want to be like me you will be pierced you want to be like me you will have friends who will forsake you and flee you want to be like me well you know on second thought see that's this is by the way you know this may be foreign to some of you what i just said that's because there's so much fluff that comes over the airwaves today that all you hear is like yeah whoopee but i've discovered something i've discovered that the deeper the break the deeper the wound the deeper the saint you know and what is it that paul said he said that the messenger was satan was sent to buffet me and three times i said god remove it and god said no my grace is sufficient because he said my strength is perfected in weakness and thus he said i just just then buffet me because i want to be like you listen there are not too many people who want to take that road who want to be deep with god but you know what there's what are the what are the road is better than to be like him when you think about it i mean isn't he conforming us into his image so quick quit kicking against the prods the lord is fashioning you and answering that prayer that you prayed when you said make me like you lord i want to be like you i honestly i'll just go one more moment with this and then we'll get into the rest of the study i honestly when i got saved was surprised by the joy of the spirit i was i i was so overwhelmed by the joy of the spirit but i have discovered in the 40s some years that i walk with god now there have been a lot of breakings in my life and a lot of times people don't when they come in here david was always you know sometimes david was always will weep and they don't know why it's because i'm touched by the infirmities of people in a way i've never been and it's my i'm breaking before you and i'm saying god pour your spirit out on us on me make me like you lord and yeah i smile and i have joy but jesus jesus also wept and and when you see the society the way that it is without him why aren't more of us weeping why aren't more of us broken because it needs jesus doesn't this world need jesus listen it doesn't need trump and it doesn't need hillary it needs the lord and then we really need to bring jesus to this nation we really do we really really really do now moving on i got a hurry i got a hurry because we're supposed to have communion and i was planning on being done by now but i'm not so i will finish here we go where am i okay first eight you o tower of the flock the stronghold of the daughter of zion to you shall it come even the former dominion shall come the kingdom of the daughter of jerusalem the kingdom while the kingdom was mighty under david it was mighty under solomon but under messiah it will be much greater in verse nine now why do you cry aloud is there no king in your midst has your counselor perished for pangs have seized you like a woman in labor be in pain and labor to bring forth oh daughter of zion like a woman in birth pangs for now you shall go forth from the city you shall dwell in the field and you shall go even to babelan there you shall be delivered there the lord will redeem you from the hand of your enemies in the near future babelan will come babelan will conquer that nation we know through history that king nebuchadnezzar came against juda three times and left it in ruins and the suffering of the people is described like the pain of labor you see in the future there's going to be a time called the tribulation the pain will be intense destruction will be terrible many will suffer many will die zekariah 13 eight and nine says it like this it shall come to pass and all the land says the lord that two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die one-third shall be left in it i will bring the one-third through the fire will refine them as silver is refined test them as gold is tested they will call on my name i will answer them i will say this is my people each one will say the lord is my god and so he says you're going to go through this terrible purging it's the tribulation that he's referring to in matthew 24 22 Jesus said unless those days were shortened no flesh would be saved but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened so he's speaking concerning this time that's going to come the tribulation we're so much pain so it's not just speaking about the events that are in the near history or in the near future of Babylon and all but going on further into those last days and then finally verse 11 through 13 now also many nations have gathered against you say let her be defiled and let our eye look upon Zion but they do not know the thoughts of the lord nor do they understand his council he will gather them like like sheaves to the threshing floor arise and threshold daughters of Zion for I will make your horn iron I will make your hooves bronze you shall be it in pieces many peoples I will consecrate their gain to the lord their substance to the lord of the whole earth so ultimately ultimately there will be nations that will come against them in all but God says in that day I will be your help and your help and I'll close with this I actually had a whole study I was going to give you Adam Ezekiel 38 I might introduce next week with that probably won't I'm just saying that so you'll think I am but I'll conclude it because we need to I want to celebrate communion with you arise and threshold daughter of Zion in that day when the nations do come against them and it looks like they're about to be destroyed Ezekiel 38 and 39 speak concerning this in that day their help will not come from man their help will come from God and God will allow them to go through the purging but he ultimately will rescue them