When You Pass Through the Waters, I Will Be With You | Isaiah 43:1-28

You're listening to The Bible Guys, a podcast where a

couple of friends talk about the Bible in fun in

practical ways. Hey, everybody, welcome to the Bible guys. Man.

It's good to be back back from where from not

being with them and since yesterday's.

Episode, Oh, good to be back with you.

With you today?

Got it?

That's correct, because we were with you yesterday.

Okay, because because not only that, I've never left this table.

Not only that, Yes, this is our eight hundredth time

to be with them. What this is our eight hundred,

eight hundred episode eight hundred.

Wow a lot?

Wow works. It's big budget, big budget episode. Special effects?

Can we add in special effects?

I'm over so I'm of them right now. It's just

like exploding.

Yeah. Well, and for those who listened audio wise, we

should add like.

We just did. We just gave them all kinds of firecrackers.

Sounds awesome, well awesome.

Well, hey, super big deal.

It's such a big deal. Nobody even told me.

And I didn't even know it's on the thing there.

I know, I didn't observe eight hundredth episode, Chris.

Wow, that's pretty cool man.

Hopefully spend time well spent well.

I mean, I'm hoping that people do appreciate it. And

I'll be honest with you, you know, because we both

have very busy.

Lives, very busy lives, right, and.

It seems like you more than me, especially when it

comes to travel. I'm thinking to myself, the only thing

that keeps me going of spending the time and doing

these are the people who come up to me and

tell me how much they appreciate it.

So me too, me too. I love it. And it's weird.

I mean, we go places that walk into restaurants people,

are you one of the Bible guys? Right? They don't

even go to Heritage Church or whatever. Yeah, so that

happens little kids. We've had little kids.

That happened to me in another city. I'm not kidding

when somebody actually said, hey, aren't you that guy on

the Bible Guys? And actually it happened to me in

my friend You're already even Oh but anyway, in the

other city, they said, aren't you the guy on that

podcast of the Bible Guys? And I said, oh, I said,

how long are you going to Heritage Church? And they said,

what are you talking about? I was like, Holy Christmas.

I was in Raleigh in an office building. Yeah, and

I met a new employee at that place and I said, hey,

I'm Jeff. He goes, Oh, I know you are watched

the Bible, guys.

Oh that's so fun.

Is that funny? Yeah's great, So it's neat. Let me

tell you this. Eight hundred episodes and we average about

twenty five minutes apiece. That's twenty thousand minutes that we have.

Really, how many hours is that?

Divided by sixty is three hundred and thirty three and

one third.

Hours, three hundred and thirty three hours.

It's three hundred and thirty three hours of the Bible. Guys.

It seems like it should be longer than that.

Does it? Well, it was twenty thousand minutes divided by

three hundred three and three right, twenty five times eight

hundred twenty thousand divided by sixty minutes. Okay, three hundred

and thirty three.

Hours, thirty three hours. I guess that is a lot.

So just imagine. So divide that by twenty four hours,

it's thirteen point eight. If you could listen NonStop for

fourteen days, two weeks of the Bible, guys, you never

went to NonStop twenty four hours a day.

Wow, it's all the Bible guys, all the time, not

that anybody would ever want to.

Anyways, Hey, this is great. So what better segment to

have yes on the eight hundredth episode Yes, than have

it land on a Friday and have everybody's favorite segment

be what made Chris Mad this week?

Well, I gotta be honest, Jeff, I appreciate that intro,

but I'm going on a limb, out on a limb today. Now.

I also went out on a limb with Wesley and

I and I actually did a little bit slightly different

angle where I was sort of mad at myself. Oh yeah,

is mad at myself for judging people?

Judging people? Oh yeah, you're being judgmental.

Yes, yes, so I'm I'm actually going out on a

limb today, and I've and I made this decision not

lightly okay, okay, But as as is tradition when we

record five episodes in a row, when it comes time

for what make Chris mad? What do I normally.

Do you step out yes, to the restroom, Yes, and

then you come back mad about something.

Yeah, and I'll say, oh I remembered, yes, I remember, right,

and usually how long does it take me?

Like two seconds? Okay, not even not even I'm not

done saying. What make Chris mad is go, oh, I

know that's what you do.

Okay, So here's the thing. I went to the restroom

and I washed my hands and I and I sat

there and thought and thought and thought, and then here's

my decision. I am mad that I don't have anything

that I'm mad about.

You're losing your identity. You're not mad about anything that.

Well, it's part of my job description to be mad,

but I know because I mean I never asked for it. Yeah,

it has become a part of my job description. And

so but I cannot think of anything that I'm mad at.

You're just content.

So I am mad. Maybe I'm not fulfilling my job description.

Maybe I'm mad at myself. Is becoming a good Christian accident?

Is that what's happening? No, it's not. It's not no

impact because I'm already a good Christian, although I am

becoming more like him.

Everybody becoming more like Jesus.

But the point is I am mad at the fact

that I could not come up with something. You know what,

It actually made me mad. I was like, I'm like,

I'm angry, I can't think of anything.

Yeah, okay, well, hey it's been a particularly good week. Yes,

so maybe by the next one. You know, whenever you

have a good week, you know the next week is

going to be a bad week. So so maybe maybe

maybe next week you'll have like lots of things, a

lot lots of things that make you mad.

Well, I hope not.

It's not always just flat and better right up into

the right. So life just kind of highs and lows

and hides and lows. So if you're coming off a

high week and there's nothing to be mad about, thank

God for it, celebrating and then just sort of saying

you're going to go through the waters tomorrow.

Wait a minute, who's to say that seasons have to

run in weeks? Get they run in months?

Well, I think we need them to run in weeks

because we got five episodes of shooting next week. Okay,

all right there there you go, right, so we need

the Lord to just work it out to make me mad. Yeah,

make you mad a couple of times?

Can you please make Chris mad this?

Yeah? Yeah, I'm not gonna pray it, but you just did.

You brought it on yourself. Now. So so today we

are reading in I've just lost it here.

It's Isaiah chapter forty.

Isaiah forty three. Yes, yeah, so let me give you

some context on Isaiah forty three.

What's the transition, Jeff I just said.

When you go through the waters next week?

Is that why you said it?

Yea, yeah, yeah, that's why you said it.

Go through the waters.

Yeah.

Yeah, Hey, guess who else went through the water.

Yes, Chris did.

Actually Isaiah didn't do it. He's actually telling us.

He's telling them when you go through it, when.

You go through the water. Yeah, so there's a promise

when you go through the water screen.

Yes, that's correct. So let me give you some context

on this. Israel has rebelled against God. Isaiah was written,

what my shocked face was it seven hundred years before

Jesus yep, seven hundred years and they had rebelled against God.

God warned them and warned them and warned them, and

then finally the Babylonians just come and wipe them out.

So it's a problem, and they're frustrated and they're upset,

they're they're i think frustrated with God, mad at God,

and then they start coming to this realization, we did

this to ourselves, right, We've we've ruined our lives. We've

done so many bad things, and they begin to turn

back to God and start pleading to God for help.

And so in the first chunks, the Book of Isaiah's

broken into multiple books. So the Bible historians, the Bible

the theologians would say that from chapter forty to chapter

fifty five is what's called the Book of Comfort. So

God says, listen, yes, you rebelled against me. Yes, I

had to send judgment, but that judgment is not going

to last forever. The consequences aren't gonna last forever. And

I will comfort you, and I'm going to come back

to you. So verse four, chapter forty two is him

reminding them again, Hey boy, you guys ran off the rails,

and of course consequences came. You're free to make your choices,

You're not free to choose the consequences. Consequences came. Hopefully

correction is coming along with that, that you're redirecting your life.

But then he picks up in chapter forty three, I

think I want to read the whole chapter. Chris. At first,

I was just gonna read a few days. But yeah,

let me do it because there's so many good ones. Yeah,

he says, but now, oh, Jacob, Jacob is Israel right,

they're the children of Jacob. But now, oh Jacob, listen

to the Lord who created you, Oh Israel, the one

who formed you, says, do not be afraid. How many

times we read that this week? Do not be afraid?

Well, it's the number one promise in the Bible.

Do not be afraid for us. I have ransomed you,

I have called you by name. You are mine, boy,

talking about personal right. When you go through the deep waters,

I will be with you. When you go through rivers

of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through

the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up.

The flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord,

your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I

gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom. I gave

Ethiopia and see, but in your place, others were given

in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours.

Because you are precious to me. You are honored, and

I love you. Do not be afraid, for I am

with you. I will gather you and your children from

east and west. I will say to the north and south,

Bring my sons and daughters back to Israel from the

distant corners of the earth. For all who claim ME

as their God, for I have made them for my glory.

It was I who created them. Bring out the people

who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but

are deaf. Gather the nations together, assemble the peoples of

the world. Which of their idols has ever foretold such things?

Which can predict what will happen tomorrow? Where are the

witnesses of such predictions who can verify that they spoke

the truth? But you are my witnesses, O Israel, says

the Lord. You are my servant. You have been chosen

to know me, believe in me, and understand that I

alone am God. There is no other God. There never

has been and there never will be. Ah. Yes, I

am the Lord, and there is no other savior. First

I predicted your rescue, and then I saved you and

proclaimed it to the world. No foreign god has ever

done this. You are the witnesses that I am the

only God, says the Lord. From eternity to eternity, I

am God. No one can snatch anyone out of my hand.

No one can undo what I have done. This is

what the Lord says, you, Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel,

for your sakes, I will send an army against Babylon,

forcing the Babylonians to flee in those ships they are

so proud of. I love that phrase. I am the Lord,

your Holy One, Israel's creator and King. And I am

the Lord who opened the way through the waters, making

a dry path through the sea. I called forth the

mighty army of Egypt, with all its charots and horses.

I drew them beneath the waves, and they drowned, their lives,

snuffed out like a smoldering candlewick. But forget all that.

It is nothing compared to what I Am going to do.

For I'm about to do something new. See I've already begun,

Do you not see it. I will make a pathway

through the wilderness, and I will create rivers in the

dry wasteland. The wild animals and the fields will thank me.

The jackals and the owls too, for giving them water

in the desert. Yes, I will make rivers in the

dry wasteland so my chosen people can be refreshed. I

have made Israel for myself, and they will someday honor

me before the whole Lord. But dear family of Jacob,

you refuse to ask for my help. You've grown tired

of me, Oh Israel. You've not brought me sheep or

goats for burnt offerings. You've not honored me with sacrifices.

Or I have not burdened and wearied you with requests

for grain offerings and Frankinson's. You've not brought me fragrant

calamus or pleased me with the fat from sacrifices. Indeed,

you've burdened me with your sins and weired me with

your faults. I yes, I alone will blot out your

sins for my own sake and will never think of

them again. Let us review the situation together, and you

can present your case to prove your innocence. From the

very beginning, your first ancestor sinned against me. All your

leaders broke my laws, and that's why I've disgraced your priests,

and I've decreed complete destruction for Jacob and shame for Israel.

And then he goes on. But listen to me now, Jacob,

my servant Israel, my chosen one. The Lord who made

you and helps you says, do not be afraid. Right.

Isn't that a great chapter?

It's great.

I love everything about that chapter. Dude. One, God's just

kind of showing out just a little bit. Yeah, well,

I mean, show me a single idol that ever's done

what I've done? Yes, right, I love it. From eternity

to eternity.

Yeah. Well, that's the best phrase in the chapter by

far right, From eternity to eternity. I am God, I

am I mean that is incredible. Yeah, no one can

undo what I have done. Show me any single.

One he has haunting false gods. Yes, and then declaring listen,

I'm gonna do this, and he says he's doing it

for his own sake. By the way, too, it's not

just theirs.

It's the same thing. It reminds me of the same

thing when he talked to job. Yeah, and he's like,

who told who told the ocean where to stop against

the shore?

Right?

Tell tell me tell me who made who made yea?

Yea? Yeah?

What did he say? Who made the stars in the sky?

Who made the deaf and the dumb? Who made all

those things?

Right?

I the Lord, that's what he says. And it's just

it's just one of those uh, you know things where

Paul Paul says, Hey, it's almost like a self brag.

Remember Paul in the New Testament. He goes, Hey, guys, listen,

if anybody has caused a brag, I do. I'm not

going to, but let me list all my credentials.

Let me tell you. Let me take twenty two verses

to tell you all the amazing things I've done.

It's like a brag. Hey, just let you know. It's

I just saw Guardians of the Galaxy three, and and

as I was watching it, dragts you know, the big diraction.

He goes, I'm extraordinarily humble. That's what he said.

Extraordinarily is what he said.

It's hilarious.

So so I love these passages because this whole chunk

of Isaiah there's a lot of judgment. There's a lot.

Even in here he's referencing the fact, Hey, you're going

through it now, but I've already begun to rescue you. Right,

So he is in from chapter forty to chapter fifty five,

he's beginning to really recognize that they're suffering, and he's

stepping in to provide comfort there. But it's interesting the

comfort that he's offering them is the God you're serving

is so great. He can do anything. You should have

everything else. It doesn't matter what else is happening. Finances

collapsing around you, your career is struggling, your kids are

causing a little bit of trouble, you're struggling in your marriage.

It doesn't matter what the calamity is. You have a

god who is stronger and capable. Not only that, he's

paying attention and he's intervening for your behalf and for

his own right, and he can and he cares. He's watching,

he knows what's happening, and he's actively working. And then

he says, let me remind you, remember that day you're

being chased by the Egyptians, and so you know, all

I did was just split the seat. Remember that day. Well,

I'm going to do even something greater for you. I

wiped out your enemies on that day. But watch this,

He almost literally says, you ain't seen nothing yet, right?

Is that what he says?

Well, behold, I'm about to do something new. See it's

already begun. Do you not see it? Yeah? So yeah,

he's definitely saying something's coming.

Right, well, he says, it's forget all that, it's nothing

compared to what I'm going to do especial, he says

in verse eighteen, go right, he says, so watch this right.

And so if you're in the middle of a calamity,

if you feel like you're in the deep waters, if

you feel like it's you're about to drown, like in

verse two one, he says, I'm holding you up. You

will not drown, right. He says, if you feel like

you're going through the fire, you will not be burned up.

I'll be with you again.

Yeah, I'm carrying you. I will walk through you with you.

But it's not just I'm going to help you get

through this. It's also watch what I do next? Right,

This is the promise in chapter forty three is watch

what I do next? Now. I know this chapter for

all the theologians out there, you're going to say, oh,

he wrote this to Israel. He did. He wrote this

to the people of God. And so the principles apply

to all the people of God. Because God, that's right,

and he never changes. He's the same, yesterday, today, and forever.

As we read he never changes, and so the principle

applies to all the people of God, even though the

events apply to the Israel. That's right. And so the

principles are, when you're going through the fire, God will

go with you.

Actually, like what we said in Deuteronomy, right, bro, we said, well,

you take a promise that was given to the children

of Israel because it's about God.

Multiple times in the New Testament says the old things

were written for our example. Right, So we can take

the principles. And what I can know is this, the

fire I'm going through now is only going to make

me stronger. It's only going to make me better. And

He's going to go through the fire with me, just

like he did with Shadder. At me, shack and have beendigo.

The water makes me feel it makes me feel like

I'm going to drown today. It's just gonna make me cleaner.

I'm going to be better on the other side of this.

And then God says, now watch what I'm gonna do.

You've never seen nothing like I'm about to do in

your life. So all the things that we're going through today,

it's making us stronger, it's making us cleaner, it's making

us holier. It's making us more like Jesus. And then

he says, man, if you'll let me carry you through

these things, you've never seen what I'm about to do.

And I think that's that's one of the most exciting

promises for God that I think is in the whole Bible. Yeah.

Yeah, And so again this is a different context, same promise,

different contexts. So you know, I'll be with you, you know,

in your money don't don't don't love money and be content.

That was Monday. I'll be with you and on your

evangelism journey as you as you make disciples and put

yourself at risk and you feel like it's you know,

and it's a it's a big task. Just know I'm

with you every step of the way. Authority has been

given to me. What was the other ones, I'll be

with you and.

Do it around me. When you're getting ready to go

into battle.

Yeah, when you're getting ready to go to battle, do

not be afraid. And then and this one's slightly.

Different, when you're being drowned by life.

Yes, he's saying, in the worst of times, right, and

you know, by the way, I don't.

Want to get the at the doctor's office, when your

kids are struggling, when you feel like your schedule is unbearable.

It's those moments when you feel like you're drowning. That's

what this passage is talking about. I'm with you.

So I don't often do this. In fact, we don't

often do this, but I'm going to cross reference and

I'm going to read the first eleven verses of this

chapter because this Psalm seventy seven is one of my

favorite chapters in all of the scriptures because it talks

about it.

Which you don't say very often. I'd say it every time.

This is one of my favorites.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I don't say it very much.

Is very significant, well, because I say what I mean.

Jeff, yeah, and so and so the yeah, so the

thing is all It stands out to me because, first

of all, the Psalmist is isn't afraid to say things

about God. Sometimes we're like we're afraid to yell at

God or say say God, I'm angry with you. But

God is not afraid of any of those things. Right,

and so the Psalmist literally expresses grief. And then there's

a turn right and and the turn is so wonderful

that it means so much to me. So the first

verses say this, I cry out to God, Yes, I shout, oh,

that God would listen to me. When I was in

deep trouble, I searched for the Lord all night long.

I prayed with hands lifted toward heaven, and my soul

was not comforted. Man he ever been there? Right? I mean? Are?

These are some pretty desperate times. I think of God

and I moan, and I'm overwhelmed with longing for his help.

And then he talks to God directly, you don't let

me sleep. I'm too distressed even to pray. I think

of the good old days, longs since ended, when my

nights were filled with joyful songs. That's how long it's

been since this guy's been happy. I searched my soul

and pondered the difference now, and then he asked pretty

deep questions. Has the Lord rejected me forever? Will he

never again be kind to me? These are huge questions.

Is his unfailing love gone forever? And they're ready for

this one? Who? This is the biggest one? Has have

his promises permanently failed? Has God forgotten to be gracious?

He has slammed the door on his compassion. And then

he says in verse ten, and I said, this is

his conclusion, This is my fate. The most High has

turned his hand against me. Now that is come on,

that is some of the most raw right. It is

directly to God. But I love the turn. It's so significant.

And he says in verse number eleven, But then I

recall all you have done, Oh Lord, I remember your

wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts.

I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works. And then

he goes on about who God is, not just what

he's done. Oh God, your ways are holy, and then

he asks another great question, is there any God as

mighty as you? And by the way, that verse made

me think of this chapter, is there any God as

mighty as you? You were, the God of great wonders.

You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations. By your

strong arm. You redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob

and Joseph. And I love this. When the Red sea

saw you, Oh God, it's waters looked and trembled. The

sea quaked to its very depths. The clouds poured down rain,

and the thunder rambled in the sky, your arrows of

lightning flash, your thunder roared from the whirlwind in the

lightning lit up the world. The earth trembled and shook,

and you you roared. Your road led through the sea,

your pathway through the mighty waters, a pathway that no

one even knew was there, and you led your people

along that road like the flock of sheep with Moses

and Aaron as a shepherd's So he's just he's going

back and saying, I know what God has done, and

I know who God is, and that's going to take

away the depths of every deep thing that I'm feeling

right now.

I'm going to lean always showed up for me in

the past, Just show up for me in this one.

I'm trusting God's future uncertainties based on God's faithfulness in

the past.

Yeah. Well, then it comes down to, you know, and

he's struggling there over sin, over feeling rejected. I'm not

am I not worthy? It's God forgetting me right all

these things. And I think that's a real struggle for

people that yes, I know God makes those promises, but

you don't know what I done. You don't know how

bad I've been This entire book of Isaiah is about that.

That's what it's about. The first verse. The first chapters

were Judgment's coming people, right, Then judgment comes, and then

you get to this point where God's comforting, going, listen,

it's over, it's coming to an end. I haven't forgotten you.

And then he spends fifteen chapters comforting them. But even

in this passage, he goes, you know, instead, you've burned

me with your sins and wearied me with your faults.

So God acknowledges sin. God's honest. God's not just forgetting

our mistakes. He's not just all pooh, pooh pooh, you know,

oh it's just a little How often do we just

want to say it was a mistake, as opposed to

just admitting God, what I do is a horrific sin

against both you and your words, right, acknowledging that. And

that's what David does here in Psalms is he's acknowledged God,

what I did was against you. Another passage he says

it's against you and you alone.

Because David knows God doesn't wink at our sins, right, right.

And so God's not doing it. Instead, You've burned me

with your sins and weirded me with your faults. So

God's admitting that, But the very next verse says, I, yes,

I alone will blot out your sins. Blot out. That's

an eraser. A blotter is an eraser. Right, I will

completely erase your sins. And he says, for my own sake, right,

and I will never think of them again. Right. So

God's not just saying, listen, it was just a little mistake.

God says, it was an offense. It's why this judgment came.

But listen, for my own sake, I'm not going to

keep focusing. My love for you overrides all the rest

of this justice has been served. I am going to

forgive you. Not only am I going to forgive you,

I'm going to erase it, and I will never think

of it again. So if, by the.

Way, there's a promise that we I know don't often

think about.

He says, for my own sake, I'm going to do it,

and I'm never gonna think about it again. Right, I'm

never gonna gonna bring it back. I will never think

of them again. And so he promis us there's a

great note here. He says, how tempted it is to

remind someone of a past offense. But when God forgives

our sins, he totally forgets them. We never have to

fear that he will remind us of them later. Because

God forgives us, we need to forgive others, and so

we never have to be afraid that God's going to

bring up something He's already forgiven. If you have a

conscious issue and it keeps coming back after you've confessed

to God, after you've truly repented, after you've walked away

from that, if it keeps coming back to you, it's

not from God. God's not piling. That's a devil thing, right,

And now you need God to show up in a

powerful way rebuke the devil. The Bible says, resist the

devil and he will flee from you. Well, how do

you resist the devil the way Jesus did using God's words.

This is why we spend time in God's promises, is

then we can use God's words against the devil. If

you're constant feeling guilty about the past, that's the devil

bringing that up, right, Because God says, I forgave you,

and I'm never even think it again. And it's not

just for you. It's not so you feel better, but

that's a benefits. I'm sick of being mad at you.

I will never think of this again. And here's what

I know about that promise. I know when I'm mad

at my wife and then I say I'll never think

of it again. Maybe I think of it again, Maybe

I do. But what I know here is the Bible

says God always keeps all of his promises. We've already

read that this week multiple times. He never breaks his promise.

So if he says I'll never think of it again,

he never does. It never comes to mind again. If

you confess it. You remember that old song what sin

are you talking about? Remember that you go keep coming

confessing your sin, and God's like, what sin are you

talking about? I already forgave that. I don't know what

you're talking about. So we obsess about it, but he doesn't.

And so if we can let it go, we wind

up walking in freedom. There.

So yeah, and there's a and there's a little uh

tidbit that can be attached to it. If God's already

forgiven you, you need to forgive yourself, right, So hey,

And that's a that's a big mouthful but hey, that

is our time for sure, so thanks for joining us

and uh hopefully we'll see you next time on the Bible.

Guys,