Returning to Zechariah chapter
2. Zechariah chapter 2. And before I begin reading, let
me just say, do not feel bad if you have to turn to the front
of your Bible to find out where some books are at. I've been
preaching for 30 years and sometimes I've still got a... Ruth and
Nehemiah give me trouble. I keep wanting to think of them
over here with Zechariah, but they're actually back there The
front part. Ruth and Nehemiah. They give
me trouble. Zechariah chapter 2. It is several verses so let
me just read this. Zechariah is actually continuing.
He has received the word of the Lord at least as what we have
penned in this inspired writing. This makes the third time. And
he writes this. I lifted up mine eyes again and
looked and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand.
Now remember those two are the measuring line. Then said I,
Whither goest thou? He said unto me, To measure Jerusalem,
to see what is the breadth thereof, what is the length thereof. And
behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another
angel went out to meet him, and said unto him, Run, speak to
this young man, saying..." In other words, go tell him what
this is all about. That's what he's saying. Go back
and tell Zechariah exactly what this is all about. "...Jerusalem shall be inhabited
as towns without walls, for the multitude of men and cattle therein."
Let me stop right here. I heard a fellow just the other
day, he said he got some of these people out here who says God's
just saving a little old bitty handful of chosen people. They
lie on God. They lie on us. We're not saying
God's got a little old bitty handful of chosen people. Scripture
says it's a number that cannot be numbered. You know, they lie. They can't help but lie on God.
They're a bunch of liars. Turn that thing on and let's
say it to everybody. They're liars. That's what they
are. They lie. They can't help but lie on God.
And that's not even the message. Towns shall be inhabited as towns
without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein. For
I say if the Lord will be unto her, a wall of fire round about
and will be the glory in the midst of her. Ho, ho, come forth
and flee from the land of the north, saith the Lord, for I
have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith
the Lord. Deliver thyself, O Zion, that
dwellest with the daughter of Babylon. For thus saith the Lord
of hosts, after the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which
spoiled you. For he that toucheth you toucheth
the apple of his eyes, like touching your iris. For behold, I will
shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their
servants, and ye shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me.
Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for lo, I come, and
will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord. And many nations
shall be joined to the Lord in that day." It's about Gentiles.
and shall be my people, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and
thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto thee.
And the Lord shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land,
and shall choose Jerusalem again. Be silent, O all flesh, before
the Lord, for he is raised up out of his holy habitation. What I want to try to talk to
you about is measuring lines, plural. Measuring lines, plural. Now this says measuring line.
I'm not going to deal with the measuring line itself. It was
simply that, a measuring line. What is a measuring line? It
is a device for gauging size, length, breadth, height, all
that kind of thing. You see that here. A device for
gauging size, length, et cetera. But specifically, in the Hebrew,
that is those who know Hebrew, say it's this, it's a device
with a standard attached to it. It's not just a length of string
or something. It's like something similar,
an example would be our yardstick. Our yardstick's not just 36 inches
long, it has all these standard increments on the yardstick.
You see what I'm saying? That's what a measuring line
is. It was a device that had a standard attached to it. Metaphorically, this phrase or
just these words, a measuring line, would mean a principle,
a rule, or authority. Now let me just say, and I hope
you listen to what I'm saying, and I don't say this proudly
as God is my witness. I know what I'm talking about
because I can read what God's Word says. And God Almighty has
opened my eyes to be able to see what God's Word says. Zechariah's
book has internal measuring lines Okay Zechariah's book has internal
measuring lines first of all They're measuring lines to direct
our understanding He starts off in the eighth month in the second
year. I believe Zechariah means exactly
what he says And it's being literal and precise, don't you? And he
keeps saying this over several occasions. Read the book sometime. As you go later, God willing,
do it. Go read the book. And hopefully
what I give you this morning will be a help to you in what? In measuring or having your understanding
directed concerning the book of Zechariah. Chapter 1 and verse
12, the angel of the Lord answered and said, O LORD of hosts, how
long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities
of Judah against which thou hast indignation these threescore
and ten years? Seventy years. What's he talking
about? The captivity in Babylon. and so precise that Jeremiah
prophesied it's going to be, 70 years long. And then when
Daniel, being in Babylon, being in the captivity, begins to read
Jeremiah, he realizes, hey, the 70 years are about up. That's
right. And begins to pray to God for
the deliverance, which lets us know we pray to God even for
that which God's already promised will absolutely come. Yes, sir.
Still pray to God. Cry out to Him for it. That's
a measuring line. Chapter 3, look at it. And he
showed me Joshua the high priest. I know there can be typical illustration
here, but they talk about the man who was the high priest in
that time, his name was Joshua. And he stood in filthy garments,
not dirty garments, but garments not suited for the priesthood.
He had just come from Babylon. They had no priestly garments.
And God says, take away the filthy garments from him and put the
priestly garments on him. That's what he's talking about.
and put a fair miter upon his head. Do you see that verse 5?
In other words, here's the measuring line to direct our understanding
in the book of Zechariah. Zechariah is being literal. You
see what I'm saying? He's being literal. Chapter 4.
Look at verses 6-10. Chapter 4. Then answered and spake he unto
me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel."
That was a real literal man who laid the foundation stone in
the temple of God. And God says, Zerubbabel, lay
it. Lay that headstone and lay it
crying out, Grace, grace unto it. What's the measuring line
here to direct our understanding in the book of Zechariah? Go.
And you can read it. Keep on reading. You'll see over and
over, literal, literal, literal, he's talking to the people of
his day and of another day as well. But he's being literal,
literal, literal, literal. Now there are figures here. There
are metaphors here. But Zerubbabel is writing a letter
just like Paul when he wrote down and wrote an epistle. You
could call this the epistle of Zechariah. Because that's what
it is. It's not like the book of the
Revelation with all of these symbols and things. Zechariah
is quite clear on what he's talking about. Another, there is a measuring
line in Zechariah to focus our understanding. Turn to chapter
3 and verse 8. Hear now, O Joshua the high priest,
thou and thy fellows that sit before thee, for they are men
wondered at, for behold, Look at something, behold. Watch this,
God says. Behold, I will bring forth my
servant, the branch. In other words, here's something
to look at. Yeah, you've got things to do.
You have to engage in a work here in Jerusalem of rebuilding
the temple, and it had to be built. But here's something for you
to look at. The branch. You see it? Behold, I will bring
forth my servant the branch. Look at chapter 6. I'm not going
to read all of this, but look, he talks to certain people. In
verse 6, take of them of the captivity. He begins to name
the people, right? Verse 11, take the silver and
gold, make crowns, set them upon the head of Joshua, the son of
Josedek, the high priest, and speak unto him, saying, Thus
speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the man. Now you know
for sure what we're talking about now. You see that? Before it
was just a servant. Angels are servants. Beasts can
be servants of God. Can they not but he says behold
the same branch, but what he say behold the man whose name
is the branch Look to Christ. That's what he was preaching
That's what he was preaching look to Christ behold Christ
Even while they were building the temple Zacharias crying out
look to Christ look to the Messiah, and I have reason to believe
these Jews knew what he was talking about It's even capitalized so
that this stands out as not just some Weird type or symbol, but
a metaphor of the Messiah himself look behold the Messiah That's
the one that been promised right from the get-go to Adam and Eve
the seed that should come to crush the serpent's head and
Do you see this measuring line focusing our understanding? Chapter
9, verse 9. Look at it. Rejoice greatly,
O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, thy King cometh unto thee. He is just and having salvation. lowly and riding upon an ass
and upon a colt, the foal of an ass. What's he saying? Look
to the Messiah! He's coming! And you know what? This is as literal as it can
be. Because when he came, not when
he first came, but even during his first advent, 33 years later
or so after he first came in the flesh, he rode into Jerusalem
on a foal, a colt. literally Do you see that it's
as literal as you can get and he says what rejoice? Because
he's coming and he's just and he has Salvation it's his See
the measuring line in here in Zechariah focusing our understanding
look at chapter 11 and And I said unto them, if ye think
good, give me my price. And if not forbear, so they weighed
for my price thirty pieces of silver. Does that ring a bell
to anybody here? Now I have to say, I don't know
that these people understood the gravity of what was being
said here. But literally, Several hundred
years later literally Judas sold out our Lord for 30 pieces of
silver That's as literal as you get a look and the Lord said
unto me cast it under the potter What did they do with that when
Judas brought it back said I've betrayed innocent blood and he
cast it down before them They said we can't put this in the
treasury. This is blood money. That's right It's blood money. We paid this money to have a
man killed. We can't put that in the treasury of the Lord.
Ain't that amazing how the murderer decides to get religious all
of a sudden? Well, no, he wasn't getting religious.
They were religious. But religious people can be some
of the most murderous people there are. But what did they
do? They went out and bought the potter's field. You keep reading Jeremiah, you'll
see these literal, literal, literal. Look to the Messiah. Yes, he's
called the branch. It's a metaphor. Yes, there are
some types and figures here. But the measuring line to direct
our understanding and the measuring line to focus our understanding
is literally this. Look to Christ. Look to Christ.
Look to Christ. Here's some things concerning
the Christ. Here's what's going to literally happen. Look at
chapter 13. Verse 6, And one said unto him,
What are these wounds in thy hands? Did that ring a bell to
anybody? What are these wounds in thy
hands? Those, and then he shall answer,
those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. Awake,
O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my
fellow, saith the Lord of hosts. Smite the shepherd, and the sheep
shall be scattered, and I will turn my hand upon the little
ones. He's talking about Jesus Christ, literally. He had wounds in His hands. And
while it was not a literal sword, it's metaphorical for the sword
of God's justice being thrust into the Son when God the Father
seen our sins on Him and in Him God turned His back on Him and
forsook Him because He seen sin on Him. That's what He's talking
about. So the measuring land to direct
our understanding The measuring line to focus our understanding
is this. Take Zachariah quite literally. Wouldn't you think? Huh? Wouldn't you think? Just a thought. Was the colt real? Was the 30 pieces of silver real?
Was his hands and his wounds real? Was his smiting real? Is Olivet real? Is the Mount
of Olives real? Huh? Is Christ's feet real? Then so will Christ's feet be
standing on the Mount of Olives literally one day, and the Mount
of Olives will cleave in two, and will come out two rivers,
flowing one to the east and flowing one to the west. And God Almighty
will again visit Jerusalem with a blessing that Jerusalem has
never known before. And this is Jerusalem which is
below, which is in bondage even until now, but she will be liberated
even according to the promise in chapter 2. We see then the
prophecy being declared in the last chapter, chapter 14, and
I will deliver Jerusalem and both Jews and Gentiles will come
together to Jerusalem and worship the Lord together. Now, how many
people think that all of a sudden chapter 14 becomes spiritualized? Now could we apply it to the
church? Could we say there are some things there that are manifest
in the church? Yes, we certainly can. But we
must take the last chapter of Zechariah just as literal as
all the other chapters. That's the measuring line here.
And why do they worship at Jerusalem? Because Jerusalem itself becomes
some standard itself? Because Jerusalem becomes some
radio to God? No, because Messiah will be in
Jerusalem, on the throne, in the temple. That's what it says. All the nations, it says. All
the nations will gather against Jerusalem to battle. And God
says, I will fight for Jerusalem. The city. He means to say that
Jerusalem is not the church. No. Even Jerusalem which is above
is not the church. Jerusalem which is above is the
power and authority of God's free sovereign grace. And it's
never been in the bondage. And it's the mother of us all.
It doesn't need deliverance. So away with all this. This means
this and this means that. It means if the colt was real,
if the 30 pieces of silver was real, if the wounds in his hands
was real, if the smiting of the shepherd was real, so as chapter
14 and the promise of it in chapter 2. Listen to God's word. I don't believe it like that.
What else don't you believe about God's book? And note the order. Note the
order! The king rides into Jerusalem
on a foal first. Then the king is sold out for
30 pieces of silver. Then the king, or the shepherd
now called, is smitten. It's Fraternian order! Glory
to God look at the Messiah. It's real This was prophesied
hundreds of years before he showed up the first time And it includes
statements about the glory of his second advent as well Now
is there a measuring line here for us in that yeah turn to Romans
chapter 11. There's a measuring line here.
Oh Verse 25, For I would not, brethren,
that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should
be wise in your own conceit, unless ye think more of yourself
than ye ought to. That blindness in part is happening
to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. But
guess what? God's not done with Israel as
a nation. He is not dealing with Israel
as a nation right now. But He's not done with Israel
as a nation. God's not done with Jerusalem
yet. As a matter of fact, even when he winds it up, he said
there's going to come a new one down from him out of heaven. Didn't
he say that, too? So that ain't done with Jerusalem.
The city. The city. I guess that's the
church, too. You know? Come on now. Come on
now. Let's believe God means what
He says and says what He means. And believe that His Spirit can
give us enough sense to know. If the book says, OK, these things
were types and symbols, and it spells it out, then always realize
they're always types and symbols. But if it never spells this or
that thing out as a type and symbol, don't try to spiritualize
it and make it that. Because you'll become wise in
your own conceit. God's not done with Israel yet. What? Right now they're enemies concerning
the gospel. They're enemies for your sake.
But as touching the what? The election. They are beloved
for the Father's sake and the gifts of the calling of God are
without change. God has, right now, He's pushed
them off. Matter of fact, He's breaking
some of them off and grafting some of us in. Right now. But look, here's the measuring
line. Look. Verse 16, for if the first fruit
be holy, and the lump is also holy, and if the root be holy,
so are the branches. And if some of the branches were
broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among
them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the
olive tree." Don't give me this garbage of there's an earthly
people that God's blessing earthly called Israel, then there's a
spiritual people called Israel. No, all the blessings of God
in Christ are yea and amen, and they're all in Christ. Even the
inheritance of the land was promised to the seed, singular, Christ. The inheritance, that's what
Galatians 3 says. Somebody says you're worked up, yeah I'm worked
up because God Almighty's promise and His prophecies of His Messiah
are at stake when men lie on God's Word. Look, boasts not
against the branches. What branch? The ones that are
broken off. Don't even boast against them. Oh, them filthy
unbelieving Jews. Oh, look out. You and I ain't
nothing but a bunch of filthy unbelieving Gentiles apart from
God's free sovereign grace. Boast not against the branches,
but if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root bearest
you. Look, thou wilt say that the
branches were broken off and I might be grafted in. Well,
In other words, well, yeah, that's fine, but because of unbelief
they were broken off. Thou standest by faith, be not
high-minded, but fear. For if God spare not the natural
branches, take he lest he also spare not thee. Don't think God
owes you or me anything. Behold, therefore, the goodness
and severity of God. on them which fail, severity.
God's severe. This lies of God. Our God's a gentleman. He don't
make anybody do anything. That's not the God of Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob is God, not a gentleman. on them which fail severity,
but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness,
otherwise thou also shall be cut off." Don't suppose God owes
you anything. Fear Him. There's a measuring
line. Is it not? There's a measuring
line. There are other measuring lines.
I could just stop there, but I didn't preach long enough for
me to stop this morning. There are other measuring lines,
and if left unheeded, and if left rejected, I can declare
by God's word, disaster is on the horizon. That's right, disaster. Whatever disaster might be, it
might be eternal ruin, it might be temporal ruin. But you don't heed these measuring
lines. You reject these measuring lines.
Disaster will come your way. Let me just give you three common
to our day, three measuring lines. Why is there so much civil unrest
in our day? Why? You've seen it on the TV.
The police are suspected of doing something wrong. I don't know
whether they did or not. I don't know all the facts. Most people
don't, right? But the police is suspected of
doing something wrong. If they did something wrong,
bring them under the same swift justice of the law as anybody
else. But you don't go out and tear up your own community. You
don't burn down your own stores. You don't loot your own community.
But why do men do this? Because they hate the authority
of God Almighty. Romans 13 says the powers that
be that are ordained of God and there is no power that is not
ordained of God And God put them there to punish evil doers now
does that mean that they're always just and fair no sometimes They're
corrupt and evil, but if it wasn't for that This place would be
total chaos. We would be like the beasts of
the field slaughtering one another and feasting upon one another's
flesh and Chaos would ensue apart from God's order. And a person
that resists the power, resists the ordinance of God. That's
why we have so much civil unrest. People don't believe God. They
don't trust God to do His business and do what's right, even over
civil authority that sometimes are corrupt. They just don't
believe God. But that's a rule. There's a
measuring line. What about this? What about the
breakdown of the family unit? Why is there such a breakdown
of the family unit? Why do people not care about
what's right and wrong when it comes to family anymore? I could start seeing things now
that would just peeve some people off to no end. But I'm going
to say something in public, peeve them off even more, and what
I'm not going to say. 1 Corinthians 11 says this. Here's why there's
such a breakdown of the family union in our day. 1 Corinthians
11 3, but I would have you know that the head of every man is
Christ, the head of every woman is the man, the head of Christ
is God. Period. That's the way it is. I don't
like that. Some people abuse that. I don't
care. That's the way it is. That's
the way it is. This is not priority of position.
This is priority of position. It is not inferiority of nature.
The man's not head of the woman because he's a better creature.
He's the head of the woman because God Almighty ordained it so.
The problem is most of them don't want to be the head, they want
to be the boss. The head is the one responsible in charge. The
head is the one that's there where the brains is at to make
sure this is what we do concerning the Lord. And folks, that's just
the way it is. The husband bears the responsibility.
That's just the way it is. But our society is breaking down
in the family unit because men and women despise this ordination,
this measuring line of God Almighty. That's why it is. Let me tell
you, I'm not saying everybody, but at one time in this country
it was understood the husband's the head of the home. And the
bills are to be paid by who? The husband will go out there
and get your butt to work. It was understood, at least.
Why is it such a breakdown? Because we get away from God's
truth. God's measuring line. Why is divorce so rampant? Why
is it so rampant in our day? Because we're so unforgiving
in our hard, evil hearts. Look at it. That's what our Lord
said in Matthew 19, 1-8. He said, God in the beginning
ordained it. Here's the measuring line. One
man and one woman. And they are to marry, marry,
marry! And the two become one flesh.
Just one man and one woman. It wasn't long before man began
to, I think it was Cain, one of them went out and had to have
two wives. And what happened? Trouble ensued. Why? Not because he had two wives.
Not because the wives were bad. He had passed by, he did not
heed. He rejected God's measuring line. And Solomon found out that the
real way. 900 and some concubines. Can you imagine that? This is
to every man, and I say this on Mother's Day. Can you imagine
having to deal with 900 and some women? You just take it however you
want. And you women know the same. You wouldn't want to deal
with two men. You got trouble with the one
you got now. And having to deal with two of them? Come on now. But that's a measuring line.
But what do people do? They don't heed it. Or they reject
it. And that's why it's such chaos
in the family unit. Why there's such civil regress.
Why the family unit's breaking down. That's why divorce is so
rampant. The world may malt these things,
but believers submit. And there's the difference between
an unbeliever and a believer. The believer may not understand
it all. He understands there's a lot of trouble in these things,
Joe. We understand that God ordained the powers that be, but sometimes
the powers that be are corrupt and unjust. We understand that,
but we submit. The world balks. So that's old,
antiquated doctrine, you know. Think about this. Here's another
measuring line. Think of all the various kinds of worship
in our world. and even with murderous results. There are people now,
beheading people, just because they don't agree with them on
how they worship. Are they not? Just because they
don't agree with how they worship! And our Lord Jesus come along
and told a woman, she said, well you say you ought to worship
in Jerusalem, we worship over in this mountain. And you know
what he said? Woman, you don't know what you worship. Isn't that
what he said? That's tough! He said, you don't
know what you're talking about. You and your kind like you. He
said, salvations are the Jews. We know what we worship. But
I tell you, there's coming a time when you'll neither worship in
Jerusalem nor in this mountain. It says, what is it? They that
worship, here's the measuring line, God is spirit, and they
that worship God must, there's your measuring line, must, and
then here's the standard with it, they must worship Him in
spirit, and in truth. Now I could spend messages, but
you know what I'm saying. There's a measuring line. Let
me tell you, men hate the preeminent measuring line. Turn to John
chapter 3. Men and women by nature hate
the preeminent measuring line. John 3. Verse 19, this is the
condemnation. That light is coming to the world
and men love darkness rather than light. Now who is the light
that's coming to the world? It's Christ. It's Christ. He's the light personified. He
said, I am the light of the world. Men love darkness rather than
light because their deeds were evil. For everyone that doeth
evil, what? Hates the measuring line. You
see that? They hate Christ. They hate the
light, and that's why they don't come to the light. Because if
they did, they'd have to have their deeds reproved. That's
what he said. Their deeds should be reproved.
But, he that doeth truth, it doesn't say he who doesn't have
any sin, but does truth. To repent is to do truth, is
it not? But he that doeth truth does
what? He comes to the light that his deeds may manifest that they
are wrought in God. He bows to God's authority. She
bows to God's authority. And that authority is personified
in the Son. That's why Zechariah said, Behold
the branch. Behold thy King cometh. Listen,
one day he'll sit upon the throne in Jerusalem. That's what he
said. After he's done stood on the
Mount of Olives, split it in two. I believe that's just as
real as the 30 pieces of silver. Call me a fool if you will, I
just happen to believe God. Make fun all you want, I believe
God. Think about it. Men reject free
grace and consume human effort with great zeal. And if you'll
read Paul's words in Galatians 6 verses 12-16, he said the people
that want you to be circumcised, they just want a glory in your
flesh. They want a glory in men. They're caught up with human
effort, whatever it is, because they want the glory in men. Paul
says, I've got no glory. I've got no glory save in the
cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world, I am crucified
to the world, and the world is crucified unto me. In Christ
Jesus, circumcision or uncircumcision, neither one of those matter.
What matters is a new creature. And as many as walk according
to this rule, that measuring line. You see that? Huh? What's the new rule? A new creature.
But bless God, it is a new creature. It's a new creature. You walk
differently. You walk differently. Take it as you want it. But isn't
the law a measuring line? Yeah. Yeah. But it doesn't measure life.
It measures the lack thereof. Yeah, Galatians 3, 15-29. The law entered that the offense
might abound. The law shows us not how good
we ought to be, but how bad we really are. That's the purpose
for the law. The law is, according to 2 Corinthians
3, 1-10, it is a glorious condemnation of death. If there had been a
law given that could have given life, really righteousness should
have been by the law. But Paul said, I don't frustrate
the grace of God because if righteousness has come by the law, then Christ
died for no reason whatsoever. Yeah, the law is a measuring
line, but it doesn't measure to us how good we are. It shows
us how evil and how corrupt and how spiritually dead we really
are. Every time I read it, I see how
bad I am. If I just read one of its commands, I see how bad
I am. It's a measuring line. No, but let me tell you, God
demands free grace only. And here's the measuring line.
But of God are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom,
righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, that according
as it is written. Here's the measuring line. He
that glorieth, where are you going to glory? that in glory
in the Lord. God says in Isaiah 42 verse 8,
I'm not going to share my glory with anyone or anything else. I won't do it. That's a measuring
lad. Man will get no glory for his
salvation. None whatsoever. Why? God said
I forbid it. I've got a measuring lad. I get
all the glory. I mean, that's just the way it
is. Just the way it is. Romans 11, 6 puts it this way.
Here's the measuring line. He says that even so, then now
at this present time there's also a remnant according to the
election of grace. A person says they believe in
grace, but don't believe in election. They don't know what grace is.
Mark it down. They don't know what, because
it's the election of grace. And if it's, here's the measuring
line, if it's by grace, it ain't by works. And if it's by works,
it ain't by grace. But Paul says it's by grace,
and it includes the election of grace. Now just deal with
it as it is. That's the measuring line. It's
just the way it is. Just the way it is. There was
an old sister years ago, I'll close this down. Y'all better
be glad they didn't have that amplifier on. There was a sister, several years
ago, who once prayed. Her short prayer expressed more
measuring line than does most men's lifetimes of preaching
all compiled together. I got it here. Let me read it
to you. Here it is. My heart rejoiceth in the Lord. Mine horn is exalted in the Lord. My mouth is enlarged over mine
enemies because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none
holy as the Lord, for there is none besides Thee, neither is
there any rock likened to our God. Talk no more so exceeding
proudly, let not arrogancy come out of your mouth, for the Lord
is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed. There's a measuring line. He
is the measuring line. He both does the measuring, and
he is the standard by which they are measured. The bows of the
mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with
strength. Notice the juxtaposition. They that were full have hired
themselves out for bread, and they that were hungry ceased.
In other words, they weren't hungry anymore. So that the barren
hath borne seven, And she which hath many children is wax feeble.
See the juxtaposition? In other words, God Almighty
always does exactly opposite of the way men think He ought
to do. That's the way it is. Your thoughts are not my thoughts.
Your ways are not my ways. The Lord killeth, and the Lord
maketh alive. Notice He kills first. before
He makes alive. Wouldn't you talk about, most
of us would talk about Him making alive first, Joe. No, this old
sister of old says, and the Lord killeth, and He maketh alive.
He bringeth down to the grave, and He bringeth up. That lets
me know she's talking about two different kinds of raisins there.
The Lord maketh poor, the Lord maketh rich. He bringeth low,
He lifteth up. He raiseth up the poor out of
the dust. Well, that's not too bad. I've
been dusty before. And lifteth up the beggar from
the dung hill. Now, who's the kind of people
who lifts up people on the crack pile? If you ever found yourself living
on the crack pile, do you find out that's where your home's
at, it's on the crack pile. That's what your heart is, is
a crack pile. God raises that kind of people
up. Can you take your place with the beggar on the dunghill? Cause
if not, you'll never be lifted up. Look, to set, now he lifts up
the beggar from the dunghill to set them among princes. And to make them inherit the
throne of glory for the pillars of the earth are the Lord's and
he has set the world upon them. He will keep the feet of his
saints. I don't know if I'll make it to the end. I don't know
if I can hold out. Don't trust in yourself because
you can't. He'll do it for you. That's a part of faith just as
much as the beginning part is. He will keep the feet of his
saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness. He will
shut them up and leave them right where they are. For by strength,
listen, you talk about your will, you talk about what you can do,
for by strength shall no man prevail. The adversaries of the
Lord shall be broken to pieces. Out of heaven shall He thunder
upon them, and the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth,
and He shall give strength unto His King, and exalt the horn
of His anointed." How long do you think it took her to pray
that prayer? Just a couple minutes, I figure. Don't you? And that's
far more measuring line than what I've probably preached in
the past 30 years of my trying to preach. That's a glory, isn't it? Oh,
to be bowed by the grace of God. To God, the measuring line. Well, I just don't believe it
that way. You don't believe the right God
then. You've not been bowed to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob. Well, that's just the way it is. There is no other
God. It's just the way it is. Father,
teach us these things by Thy Spirit, through Thy Word. And
may it be to the honor and glory of Christ Your Son. So in his
name I ask these things, amen.