Join me if you would tonight
in the book of Zechariah chapter 14. Zechariah chapter 14 and
I am with my kerosene version tonight. I forgot my other one
at home plugged in. It'll be ready for... Anyway,
the book of Zechariah chapter 14 and we're working through
this chapter And I'd like to read verses 15 and 16 tonight. I want to keep us in mind of
the first verse of chapter 13 though, because that really centers
in on the message of this gospel according to Zechariah. There
is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins.
Here it says, in that day there shall be a fountain opened. to
the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for
sin and for uncleanliness. Now over here in the book of
Zechariah chapter 14, we find that we have that spiritual message
continuing on. We don't go to a physical fountain
and we're not really dipped in physical blood. It is all a spiritual
work of God, the Holy Spirit, God the Father, and God the Son.
And here in these verses of Scripture, we have mentioned in verse 15,
it says, so shall be the plague of the horse of the mule, of
the camel, and of the ass, and of all beasts that shall be in
these tents as this plague. Verse 16, and it shall come to
pass that everyone that is left of all the nations which came
against Jerusalem, underline that word that are left, which
came against Jerusalem, shall even go up from year to year
to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast
of tabernacles." So we're going to look at these two verses tonight.
In that first verse, verse 15, that we read, there are four
different creatures mentioned in that verse of scripture, and
they are all unclean beasts. We're not gonna spend a lot of
time on the definition of a camel. We're not gonna spend much time
on the definition of a horse or a mule or an ass. Those are
self-explanatory, but we do find that they do symbolize something
for us. So we're gonna look at this,
what they symbol. Over in the book of Isaiah, Isaiah chapter
64, we have the prophet Isaiah using a term that reminds us
of this verse of scripture in Isaiah chapter 64. And I want
to begin reading with verse 1 of this and read down through verse
8. Isaiah 64 verse 1, as we look at how this verse of scripture
shares with us some spiritual application of just even the
human race. In Isaiah 64, O that thou wouldest
rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains
might flow down at thy presence, as when the melting fire burneth,
and the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known
to thy adversaries, that the nation may tremble at thy presence. When thou didst terrible things
which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed
down at thy presence." All of this is spiritual application. We're not looking at the Lord
doing these things from a physical standpoint. Yes, he does melt
rock. Yes, he does have volcanoes.
Yes, he has done these things, but from a spiritual standpoint.
For since the beginning of the world, men have not heard nor
perceived by the ear, neither have the eye seen, O God, beside
thee what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. By
nature, we're not in that group. We're as like that camel, or
we're like that mule, or we're like that donkey. We're like
that. We have not eyes to hear, we
have not ears. ears to hear, eyes to see. We're
in a brutish mood, and we find that word is used in the scriptures. Thou meetest him, rejoiceth,
and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways.
Behold, thou art wroth, for we have sinned. In those this is
countenance, and we shall be saved. But we are all as those
beasts, an unclean thing. And all our righteousnesses are
as filthy rags. We cannot produce anything different. We are an unclean, unclean. The Lord demonstrated this a
number of times by the description of leprosy and how to prepare
a person that is leprous. how he has to call out for his
own words, unclean, unclean, unclean. And so we're as an unclean
thing, we're really have the same attitude as those brute
beasts do it. Over in the New Testament, people
are called that very thing. As it goes on to say here, and
all our righteousness is our filthy rags and we all do fate
as the leaf and our iniquities like the wind have taken us away.
And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth
up himself to take hold of thee. For thou hast hid thy face from
us, and hast consumed us because of our iniquities. But now, O
Lord, thou art our Father, We are the clay, and thou our potter,
and we all are the work of thy hand." What a miraculous work,
a demonstration of the Spirit of God to take us. Now he does
not take unclean animals and make them clean. We've always
been lost sheep, but from the outward appearance except for
the knowledge that God has for his people before the foundation
of the world. We don't know the difference. We don't know what
we are until he saves us and by his revealing power, he opens
up. I've known you with an everlasting
love. I've purposed you before the
foundation of the world. You've always been mine. I've
never had you as the object of my wrath. We didn't know that
before he saves us, but when he saves us, he reveals the truths
of that. So we are all an unclean thing,
and he's the one that does the cleaning. All right, would you
travel with me over to the book of 2 Peter? 2 Peter, as we think
about that verse of scripture, about those four critters, unclean,
unclean. In the book of 2 Peter chapter
2, 2 Peter chapter 2, we have these words that the apostle
Peter was given by the Holy Spirit. The translation is given to us
here in 2 Peter 2, verse 9, as we look at what we were by nature,
unclean, we were all as an unclean thing. There were certain critters
among the Israelites' law, the Jewish law, not to be taken in,
not to be had. It is interesting, though, that
if you were going to redeem, if you're going to redeem
a Why? A donkey's foal. But if you weren't, break its
neck. You're gonna have to pay to redeem it. But if you're not
gonna redeem it, break its neck. Well, 2 Peter 2, verse 9. But ye are a chosen generation. I'm in 1 Peter, excuse me. My
kerosene. Second Peter, chapter two, verse
nine. The Lord knoweth how to deliver
the godly out of temptation and to reserve the unjust until the
day of judgment to be punished. That's an interesting verse of
scripture. But chiefly, them that walk after the flesh in
the lust of uncleanness and despiseth government, presumptuous are
they, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities,
whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not
railing accusation against them before the Lord. But these,"
now notice this, "'as natural root beasts, made to be taken
and destroyed. Speak evil of the things that
they understand not, and surely utterly perish in their own corruption,
and shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that
count it pleasure to riot in that day, in the daytime. Spots
they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings
while they feast with you. The Apostle Peter is speaking
to people that want to get in, want to be part of. And he says,
truly they are nothing but brute beasts. They have no comprehension
or understanding of the word of God. And except for the revelation
of Jesus Christ, nobody would have that. So we have those unclean
beasts. We're all as an unclean thing.
They're described here. And now let's go over to the
book of Acts chapter 10. In Acts chapter 10, you know,
it really struck me. The apostle Peter carried his
legalism a long ways into the scriptures. He carried it clear
into the 10th chapter of the book of Acts. We have the apostle Peter with
this subject that he could not associate with the Gentiles. Yep, we're really no better than
that, aren't we? Why would he send me to Nineveh? And yet, we find in this wonderful
passage of scripture, the Lord of glory demonstrated unto him
that even though they look like brute beasts, and even though
they seem to be unclean, there are some among even them I have
marked out from eternity to be my children. They have also had
an everlasting love in their direction. They also have the
promise of redemption in their direction. And so it tells us
here in the book of Acts chapter 10, beginning with verse nine.
Acts chapter 10, verse nine. And he was three days without,
oh, verse 10. Oh, Acts chapter 10. 10, verse nine, I'll get this. On the morrow, as they went on
their journey, they drew nigh into the city. Peter went up
upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour. Now, if there's
anything demonstrating that Peter is just a little bit legalistic. Thank God, he continues to teach
us all of our lives. He continues to reveal grace
unto grace. He continues to be with us. It
tells us there that he went up the sixth hour and he became
very hungry and would have eaten, but while they made ready, he
fell into a trance. He was getting ready to go down
to the refrigerator for a snack. And he saw heaven opened, and
a certain vessel descending on to him, as it had been a great
sheet knit at the four corners and let down to earth, wherein
were all manner of four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild
beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air." Now, from
what we get Peter to comment on, this is a whole flock of
unclean beasts. There's not one cow, there is
not one thing in here that chewed the cud and had a cloven hoof. Everything is unclean. And there
came a voice to him, rise, Peter, kill and eat. But Peter said,
not so Lord, for I have never eaten anything that is common
or unclean. He has carried with him up to
this point, the 10th chapter of the book of Acts, dietary
laws that he was taught there in the synagogue. And he continues
with it. Now, dietary laws are good, but
they're not religion. They're bad when we make them
a religion. If you don't like this certain thing, don't eat
it. But don't ever tell me I can't, unless it is green. All right,
let's go on here. It says, the boy spake unto him
again the second time. What God hath cleansed, that
call not thou common. But this was done thrice, and
the vessel was received up again into heaven. Now, if you'll go
down with me, to verse 28, we know the story. He is called
out to a Gentile, a Centurion, a Roman Centurion. And it tells
us here in verse 28, and he said unto them, ye know how that it
is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company
or come unto one of another nation. This is the law. And until the
10th chapter, verse 28 of the book of Acts, the apostle Peter
has been following this guideline. And the Lord is teaching him.
what the prophet Isaiah had been sharing, what other prophets
in the Old Testament had been sharing, that there would be
people in the kingdom of God from all the isles, Gentiles. Also, this message is to the
Gentiles. What was it in Acts 13 and verse
48? When the Gentiles heard this,
they rejoiced. And those who were what? ordained
to eternal life believed. So their ordination, preordination,
predestination went before the foundation of the world just
like anybody else in the church. He goes on to tell us here, I
thought these were all unclean beasts. I thought they were camels
and donkeys and asses and so forth. They were creeping things
were in that, sheet that was brought down. He goes on to say,
but God has showed me. Now there's one thing about a
believer over an unbeliever. An unbeliever cannot be taught. He does not have a teachable
spirit. He can't hear it. He will not
accept it. It doesn't matter how many verses
of scripture you read. It doesn't matter how many definitions
you give. It doesn't matter. They're unteachable. And here, the only one that can
teach us is if God should teach us, we will come to the Son. That is the promise of God. Everyone
that God teaches will come to the Son. It goes on to say, but
God has showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean. Now the apostle Paul is later
gonna share with Peter You can't do this. You can't do this. You cannot be legalistic and
treat people like this. And he calls it to him, to his
face. Well, I don't think that Peter
had any more trouble with it because he's teachable. A believer is teachable and they
can see that they have been wrong and that God is always right.
So I'm going to follow the word, follow the scripture, and go
from that point. So in that verse of scripture,
we find that we are as Peter saw the Gentiles as unclean. Peter saw them no different than
all of the unclean beasts that the children of Israel were not
supposed to participate with. He saw that they were just like
all the other animals that they could not eat. And God shared
with him that don't you ever call anything that God says is
clean, common or unclean. Now turn with me if you would
to the book of Ephesians, would you? Ephesians chapter three,
Ephesians chapter three. In Ephesians chapter three, we
have the apostle Paul writing to our dear friends in Ephesus. I don't know their names, but
you know there's gonna be a flock of them around the throne of
grace that knew what Paul was writing about. It had been revealed
to him, revealed to them, Jews and Gentiles alike. Ephesians
chapter three. And there in verse one, he says,
for this cause, I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for
you Gentiles. Now I'm not one that believes
that Paul took Judas's place. I think it's just correct right
over there in the book of Acts when Matthias was appointed and
he was counted as one of the 12. He's not, Paul was not one
of the 12. If you have heard of the dispensation
of grace of God, which was given me to youward, how that by revelation
he made known unto me the mystery. as I wrote it forth in few words,
whereby, when you read, ye may understand my knowledge in the
mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known unto
the sons of men, as it is now revealed." Now, some of the Old
Testament people were believers that were Gentiles. Ruth of Moabitus. Look at that woman that was on
the walls of Jericho. It wasn't as common. It wasn't
as knowledgeable as we see it. But there was some which in other
ages was not made known unto the sons of men as it now revealed
unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. Here's the mystery,
that the Gentile should be fellow heirs. and of the same body,
and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel, whereof
I was made a minister according to the gift of the grace of God
given unto me by the effectual working of his power. You know
what? Everyone that was saved under
Paul's ministry was saved by that same effectual working of
his power. Now he never takes goats and
makes them sheep. But we think like a goat in our
natural state. We are brute beasts in our natural
state. We are, as we read over there
in the book of Isaiah, we're all as an unclean thing. And
when someone cannot admit that they're an unclean thing, they
just don't know what it is to be clean. This is the grace of
God that allows us to know what we are by nature, that what God
had to say about the fall in the Garden of Eden and sin as
it permeated the entire being is actually the truth. And then
we are able to recognize, you know, that's physical, that camel
is physical, and I was a spiritual example of that, unclean, not
fit, not good, wasn't one. But Paul shared with us as the
Old Testament prophets when they preached unto the Gentiles and
a few were saved, Ninevites. I don't know all that happened
there, but there wasn't a Jew among them except that one man,
the preacher. He went through there and just
said a few words and God worked a work of grace to many of them.
All right, now let's go back to the book of Zechariah chapter
14 in that 16th verse, 14, 16. It shares with us here, and it
shall come to pass. We looked one time at the number
of times this phrase is used just in the book of Zechariah.
It came to pass. And here it came to pass. It
shall come to pass that everyone that is left of all the nations
which came against Jerusalem." Now, this is just not those who
attacked the physical walls of Jerusalem. That happened many
times. It happened before this was written.
It's going to happen after it is written. Israel, Jerusalem
is going to come under a lot of attack, but that's not what's
being spoken of here. This Jerusalem is the church.
Zechariah knew about the church. Isaiah knew about the church.
Do you know what? Abel knew about the church. He's
the first known one that died. All right, it goes on to say
here, all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even
go up from year to year to worship the king, the Lord of hosts,
and keep the feast of tabernacles. It shall come to pass that everyone
that is left of all the nations, everyone that is left. We see
in this verse of Zechariah that it agrees with all the other
scriptures that everyone that is left of all the nations which
came against Jerusalem is another way of speaking about the remnant
according to the election of grace. all of those that are
left. Now this word remnant is used
many times in the scriptures and the principle of it is use
more than that. They are the remnant according
to the election of grace. And what are they going to do
to show that? They're going to come and worship God, the Lord,
the Lord of hosts. Now it's by revelation that anybody
knows the Lord of hosts. We've looked at that many times.
It's mentioned many, many times. And here in the book of Zechariah, four dozen times in the book
of Zechariah alone, it just lets us know who is the author of
this book, the Lord of hosts, King of kings and Lord of lords.
This is one like that great, King got acquainted with pretty
close up and personal and spoke about it in the book of Daniel.
Nebuchadnezzar, he rules. I found that out. He is the actual
ruler of all the earth. We read before that we find out
he thought he was. He looked out over his kingdom.
I'm ruling all of this. He found out he was just a puppet
in the hands of God. He was just one that God used. God is over all. So here we find the Lord of Hosts. And if we're called on to worship
the King, the Lord of Hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles,
now never does it mention this is literal. This has been all
taken care of in the past. And we'll look at the spiritual
application of that. But let's look in the scriptures
at the book of Isaiah again, Isaiah chapter six. Isaiah chapter
six, Isaiah the prophet is shown so much that is quoted in the
New Testament. Many verses in the book of Isaiah
are quoted in the New Testament. That's the text, and then we
have the message after that. And now we know it as the New
Testament. Well, in the book of Isaiah chapter one, verse
six, we find these words, from the sole of the foot, even unto
the head, There is no soundness in it but wounds and bruises
and putrefying sores. They have not been closed, neither
bound up, neither mollified with ointment. Your country is desolate. Your cities are burned with fire.
Your land strangers devour. it in your presence, and it is
desolate as overthrown by strangers. And the daughter of Zion is left
as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in the garden of cucumbers,
as a besieged city. The daughter of Zion is left
as a cottage in a vineyard, a very small group of people. And then
he goes on in verse nine to explain this, except the Lord of hosts
had left unto us a very small remnant. Now that's the ones
that are left of coming up against Jerusalem. Those, I think of
Saul of Tarsus. He was proud of his attack against
the city of Jerusalem, against the church. He said, after he
was saved, I persecuted the church. I killed folks that were in the
church. And it broke his heart to think
about it. But he was one that came and attacked, but he was
one that was left of those that came and attacked the city. The
rest were taken care of. But those few, that remnant,
according to the election of grace, Saul of Tarsus is one
of the examples. And here we find that Isaiah
writes about it. He says, except the Lord of hosts
had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been
as Sodom. And what happened to that place?
It was completely destroyed except for one man, two of his daughters. Now his wife got out, but she
didn't make it far. She never left. She left physically,
but she never left mentally or spiritually. She was still attached
in there. Lot. Why did he get taken out?
Because he was justified. God was not going to destroy
him with that city. But we should have been in there.
If it wasn't for a remnant, we should have been a Sodom and
we should have been like unto Gomorrah. We should have had
all that stuff fall on us. That's what should have happened.
But thanks be unto God for his grace. In the book of Isaiah
chapter 17, in Isaiah 17, We have the remnant described
as grapes and olives. Look here in the book of Isaiah
chapter 17 and verses 4 and 5. The remnant is described as the
very last hanging olives and the very last of the grapes.
And in that day shall come to pass that the glory of Jacob
shall be made thin, and the fatness of his flesh shall wax lean,
and it shall be as when the harvest man gathereth the corn, and reapeth
the ears with his arm, and it shall be that he gathereth ears
in the valley of Rephahim. Yet gleaning grapes shall be
left in it, as the shaking of an olive tree, two or three berries
in the top of the uppermost bough, four or five in the outmost fruitful
branches thereof saith the Lord God of Israel. At that day shall
a man look to his maker, and his eye shall have respect on
the Holy One of Israel, and he shall not look to the altars
and the works of his hands. Neither shall you respect that
which his fingers have made, either in the groves or in the
images. What a change has taken place.
I have no respect for what I used to worship. I have no respect
for what I used to go to the altars that I bowed down to.
Just as Saul of Tarsus had no respect for all the law. You
know what he had to say when it came to the law? He's blameless.
What's he saying? You can't find any fault with
me. I've taken care of any time I had it a little bit, I had
an offering made. Here it tells us here, there's
just like two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough,
four or five in the outmost fruitful branches thereof, saith the Lord
of hosts of Israel, Lord God of Israel. What a very small
amount. And yet to those four or five
berries here, and there's six or seven grapes here, it makes
all the difference in the world. They're not permitted to fall
to the ground and rot. They're taken. All right. Now,
in the same book of Isaiah, chapter 24, those that are left that
came up against Jerusalem, they had come and worshiped the king,
the Lord, the Lord of hosts. Isaiah chapter 24, and there
in verses 13 through 16. Isaiah 24, verses 13 through
16. Thus saith, when thus it shall
be in the midst of the land among the people, there shall be the
shaking of an olive tree as the gleaning grapes when the vintage
is done. They shall lift up their voice.
They shall sing for the majesty of the Lord. They shall cry aloud
from the sea. Wherefore, glorify ye the Lord
in the fires, even the name of the Lord God of Israel in the
isles of the sea. From the uppermost part of the
earth have you heard songs, even glory to the righteous. But I
said, my leanness, my leanness, woe to me, the treacherous, Dealers
have dealt treacherously. Yay, the treacherous dealers
have dealt treacherously. You know who the first purveyor
of treachery was? Right there in the garden, when
that serpent said, did God really mean you shall die? Treachery. All right. So we have here that
this passage of scripture about the olive and the grapes, the
small amount that will be delivered, made into the best of the wine
and the best of the oil. Very small. And as we move through,
would you turn with me to the book of Isaiah chapter 37. Isaiah
chapter 37, verse 31. Except the Lord of hosts had
left a very small remnant. A few olives here on the uppermost
branches, a few grapes hidden from everybody else. We should
have all been as Sodom and we should have all been as Gomorrah.
But He's going to make sure those get plucked for His glory. He's
going to find them and call them and make them His own. Here in
the book of Isaiah chapter 37 verse 31, Isaiah chapter 37 verse 31 says,
and the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again
take root downward and bear fruit upward. For out of Jerusalem
shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of the Mount
Zion, the zeal of the Lord of hosts shall do this. A very small
remnant, but they are going to be productive. Tells us right
there in that verse, the remnant that is escaped to the house
of Judah shall take root downward and bear fruit upward. They shall
be fruitful. And we are his workmanship created
in Christ Jesus unto good works, which he hath before ordained
that we should walk in them. I'll never forget getting a trip
out into the cherry orchards with Mike one time, and he was
showing me next year's cherries. And the year after's cherries,
and the year after's cherries are all right there on that branch.
The Lord knows his branches, he knows his cherries, he knows
his grapes, he knows his olives. All right, in the book of 1 Kings
chapter 19, backing way up to the book of 1 Kings chapter 19,
we have here the Lord telling us that he has a specific number. 1 Kings. chapter 19 verse 18. Now this is going to be brought
out into the New Testament. The Apostle Paul takes this passage
of scripture and preaches the gospel and we have the New Testament
then. In 1 Kings chapter 19 verse 18
it says Elijah and Elisha have been prophets of the Lord and
they've been kind of loners. They haven't had a lot of support
and they kind of down in the molly groves. And the Lord comes along and
says, verse 18, yet I have left me 7,000 in Israel. Now I didn't used
to think that was so valuable until Israel and Judah are two
different places, two different nations at this time. This has
been after the division. We have Israel, the worst of
the worst, and yet there's 7,000 in Israel. 7,000 in Israel. I've left 7,000 in Israel, all
the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which
hath not kissed him. And we say, hallelujah. That's the Lord said, I have
left. I preserved them. I preserved
them. All right. In the book of Joel,
in the little book of Joel, if you'd stop there on our way to
the New Testament, little book of Joel. In the book of Joel, chapter
2, one of the little prophets here, and he brings out a verse
of scripture that I had quoted to me, I bet, a hundred times
in the last two years, out of the New Testament. And
that's the only verse out of that whole passage that's been
quoted to me. Here in the book of Joel, chapter 2, Verse 32, it shall come to pass
that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be
delivered. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
shall be deliverance, as the Lord has said, and in the remnant
whom the Lord shall call. That adds a lot of meaning to
that, doesn't it? In the remnant. Whosoever shall call on the name
of the Lord. Now guess where that is mentioned?
Book of Romans chapter 10. And that's the only part that
is quoted out of that to me every time. So let's just travel a
little bit over to the book of Romans chapter 10. In the book
of Romans chapter 10, the apostle Paul is bringing up some wonderful
statements about a remnant. Romans chapter 10 verses 11 through
14 Over here in the book of Joel where this passage came from
it tells us something about a remnant. I Can't wait to the next meeting
You know, I should have checked that out The rest of the passage
here in the book of Romans is self-explanatory. It tells us
what it means but anyway in the book of Romans chapter 10 verse
11 and For the scripture saith, whosoever believeth on him shall
not be ashamed, for there is no difference between the Jew
and the Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that
call upon him. For whosoever shall call on the
name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him
whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in
him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without
a preacher? And how shall they preach except
they be sent? Now there is one preacher that
has capital P-A-S-T-O-R. And that is Christ. And there
is one preacher who has P, capital P, R-E-A-C-H-E-R, and that's
Christ. He is the true pastor and he's
the true preacher. And when he preaches, he makes
a difference. He makes a change. But we found
over there in the book of Joel where this came from, and in
the remnant whom the Lord shall call. So only ones that call
are in the remnant. Now just very quickly, back up
to chapter 9 of the book of Romans. Chapter 9 of the book of Romans,
Zechariah was preaching the gospel. He said, those unclean left to
themselves will never be in. But those who are unclean that
God cleans are my remnant. In the book of Romans chapter
9 verse 26, Romans chapter nine, it shall come to pass that in
the place where it was said unto them, ye are not my people, there
shall they be called the children of the living God. Isaiah also
crieth concerning Israel, though the number of the children of
Israel be the sand of the sea, how remnant shall be saved. For
he will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness because
a short work will the Lord make unto the earth. And as Isaiah
said before, except the Lord of Sabbath had left us a seed,
we had been a Sodom and we had made like unto Gomorrah. How
true that is. And finally, jumping over to
chapter 11, verse 1. 11, verse 1. In this wonderful
message of grace without works, all of grace, all of the remnant
according to the election of grace, I say then, hath God cast
away his people? God forbid. For I also am an
Israelite of the seed of Abraham of the tribe of Benjamin. God
hath not cast away his people, which he foreknew. What ye not
the scripture saith of Elias, how he maketh intercession to
God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets
and dig down thine altars, and I am left alone, and they seek
my life. But what saith the answer of
God to him? I have reserved to myself 7,000
men who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so
then, at this present time, also there is a remnant according
to the election of grace. And that's our only plea. There is a remnant. and God knows
them, and God will call them, and God will present all of them
spotless. So, that group over there that
are horses and mules and camels and asses, unclean, unclean,
brute beasts, the Lord is able to make us His own. Now, He doesn't
take goats and make them sheep. They've always been sheep, but
until the Lord glory reveals the Son to us, we act by Him.
We can't tell the difference from Him. We follow the same
religion. We follow the same leaders. We
follow the same Word. We follow everything until He
reveals Himself. And then we find out that those,
as we read there in verse 16, everyone that is left of all
the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from
year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep
the Feast of Tabernacles. And there's our lesson for next
week. And we'll stop there for tonight.