The
Stability of the Times
[An Advanced Study]
Take your Bibles
and turn to Isaiah please. Tonight I
want to teach you on the subject of The Stability of the Times. This truth of this subject relates to our
times as well as to any time. And the stability
of the times is dependent upon the stability of the Word in the hearts and
souls of men and women. In the
theological world, in the academic theological world, there is a subject known
as homiletics. Homiletics is defined as
the art of publicly expounding the Scriptures.
An art can be learned, but you have to sort of have natural ability to
develop the art. But homiletics is the
art of publicly expounding the Scriptures.
I have both my Masters in theology and my doctorate in theology on this subject,
homiletics. As a matter of fact I have
two majors, the other one is in religious education.
Our topic as I
said is the stability of the times. I
want to talk to you a little bit about topics.
Topics are always the best if they are short. Three, four, five words at
the most if you can work it that way.
And a good topic, a top-quality knowledgeable topic has two elements in
it - the human and the divine or you might call it the human and the spiritual. As you will see tonight, this topic is truly
biblical because I’ve taken it directly from the Scriptures so I couldn’t be
wrong on that topic. Other topics like,
remember the class Living Victoriously.
Living is the
human side. Victoriously
was the divine or the spiritual side.
Another good topic is the Joy of Serving. The joy is the human side. Serving is the divine or the spiritual
side. The topic Jesus Christ is not God
is good because Jesus Christ is the human side, God is the spiritual or the
divine side. Some time you ought to take
a little time in your life and just write some topics to see if you can put
both the human and the divine in it.
It’s a learning experience. And
it develops you so that you can be a good twig leader.
There is
absolutely nothing stable about the kingdoms of the world. And one of the kingdoms of the world is our
country. Nothing
stable about the stock market.
Nothing stable about the prices that they pay for food or that they
charge you at the market. So basically,
there’s nothing stable about the kingdoms of the world. All is fluctuation or change. And the reason of course, for that is that
they’re not built on truth. Truth is a
constant, class. Truth is
unchangeable. Therefore, all truth is
stable. You remember the record in
Malachi 3: 6 where it says, “I am the Lord, I change not.” Because He is truth and He does not change.
For
I am the
Lord, I change not; -- Malachi
3: 6a
There is a record
in Isaiah 33 that in 2 verses sets all the great integrity regarding this topic
or subject that I’m dealing with you tonight on the stability of the
times. It’s in Isaiah chapter 33. Look at verse 5. The Lord is what? For he dwelleth
on high. He, the Lord, hath
filled
The
Lord is exalted: for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled
And
wisdom and knowledge [true
spiritual skill] shall
be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear [reverence,
respect] of the Lord is his treasure. --
Isaiah 33: 6
And then it says
strength of salvation, the fear or reverence of the Lord is His treasure. The first thing you notice in verse 5, the
Lord is exalted. It’s the exultation of
the Lord. And the word Lord there is the
word Jehovah. And there is one thing you
ought to write in your mind and you oughta’
work. And that’s the difference between
the usage of the word God and the word Jehovah in the Scriptures.
Keep your finger
here, but in Exodus chapter 6, verse 3:
And
I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name
JE-HO-VAH was I not known to them. -- Exodus 6: 3
And I
have also established my covenant with them, to give them the
And
I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the
[Note: Many times the
teacher of this section 2 will skip certain parts of Scriptures so that he can
make a specific point about a specific subject in that Scripture. For your clearness and understanding, I will
add the complete Scripture from the King James version
which should aid in your understanding of the overall teaching. – Webmaster: Section 1]
Every time the
word Elohim is used in the Scriptures, it refers to
God as the Creator. Genesis 1: 1: In the beginning God Elohim created the
heavens and the what?,
earth. Right. Elohim as God the creator.
Jehovah is God in relationship to that which he has created. In Genesis, chapter 2, verse 4.
These are the
generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day
that the Lord [Jehovah/Elohim] made the earth and the heavens, -- Genesis 2:
4
These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when
they were created, in the day that the Lord [Jehovah/Elohim]
God made the earth and the heavens, -- Genesis 2: 4
That’s the first usage of the word Jehovah. Now the word Jehovah for the Jews or Judeans became
such a great word that they never used it.
The word is made up of 4 radicals – JHVH, that’s what it’s made of. That’s the radicals. The vowel points were appointed to it much
later. The Judeans never pronounced the
name. Whenever they got to it, they
either skipped it or they put the word Lord in it. That’s why the word Lord appears in your King
James for the word Jehovah. It was too
holy a name. The reason it said that in
Exodus that he was known as God Almighty, but he was not known as Jehovah is
because the people of Israel at that time did not recognize Him as the one who
took care of them because they were always kicking the traces. They did not know Him as the one who took care
of that which He created. That’s why it
was that way in Exodus. So whenever you
read the word Elohim, in this particular Bible I do
not have them all marked. But I have a
Bible that I marked every one of them wherever the word Elohim
or Jehovah so that I wouldn’t miss it.
But I’ve lived long enough to be able to handle it without marking it
today. It’s not the exultation in Isaiah
of Elohim.
It’s the exultation of Jehovah, the God in relationship to that which he
has created.
The Lord, the Jehovah, is exalted, Isaiah 33: 5. It’s the exultation of God in relationship to
that which he has created. That is what
gives you the stability of the times.
Our times, or any times is God’s faithfulness and God’s ability and what
He has done.
In the book of Psalms, Psalm 19 please, verse 9. The fear of the Lord [the word fear is the
word, reverence, respect, awe] for the Lord is clean,
and enduring [how long?] for ever: [now watch the next phrase] the judgments of
the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
The fear of the Lord
is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous
altogether. -- Psalm 19: 9
So with the exultation of Jehovah, of Isaiah 33, you will get true
judgment and true righteousness. True
judgment and true righteousness are in Psalm 19, verse 9. That’s the stability of our times to have
true judgment and to have true righteousness.
As I said, there is nothing stable about the kingdoms of the world, but
there is stability with God, with Jehovah, in relationship to that which He has
created, for you will have true judgment and you will have true what? righteousness.
Psalm 111, verse 10, verse 10: The fear [or reverence] of Jehovah is
the beginning of [what?] wisdom: a good
understanding have all they that do his commandments. The reverence of the Lord is the beginning of
wisdom. So with the exultation, class,
of Jehovah, you have true judgment, you have true [what?] righteousness and
you have true wisdom.
The fear of the Lord
is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth
for ever. -- Psalm 111: 10
Look at Proverbs chapter 2, verse 6:
For the Lord [Jehovah] giveth [what?] wisdom; and out of
his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding, see? True wisdom comes from the Lord and the way
we know this is because we know the Word, right? The Word is the truth.
For the Lord giveth
wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge
and understanding. -- Proverbs
2: 6
Look at James, Hebrews James chapter 3, verse 17: But the wisdom [here we are talking about
true wisdom] that is from above [from God] is first [what?] pure, it’s then
[what?] peaceable, number 3 is gentle,
number 4 – easy to be entreated, number 5 - its full of mercy, and number 6 -
good fruit without partiality - number 7 and number 8 its without
hypocrisy. That is true wisdom which you
get from God, from Jehovah and our knowledge of it comes from the greatness of
the Word.
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then
peaceable, gentle, and easy
to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without
hypocrisy. -- James 3: 17
In Proverbs chapter 1, verse 7: The
fear or reverence of Jehovah is the beginning of what? Right. So people who have no respect, no respect for
God or His Word just cannot have knowledge.
That’s why there is nothing stable, class, about the kingdoms of this
world or the people in it. No matter how
intellectual they look to you or how great they may be in business or any other
profession, they lack the stability of the times because they do not know
Jehovah or Jehovah in relationship to what He has created. The reverence of the Lord is the beginning of
knowledge.
The fear [reverence]
of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge:
but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
-- Proverbs 1: 7
Look at chapter 12 in Proverbs, verse 1: Whoso loveth
instruction loveth what? knowledge: but he that hateth
reproof is brutish. Whosoever loveth instruction loves knowledge.
WHOSO loveth instruction loveth knowledge:
but he that hateth reproof is brutish. -- Proverbs 12: 1
You cannot have knowledge and wisdom without instruction and that
instruction comes from the Word, class.
That’s the stability of the times.
It’s the exultation, the lifting up of Jehovah. God in relationship to that
which he has created. And in you
He’s created His own spirit in you.
According to that which is created within you. So, God as Jehovah always makes available to
you according to His Word true judgment, true righteousness, true wisdom and
true knowledge. Those five, class: exultation of Jehovah, true judgment, true
righteousness, true wisdom and true knowledge are the stability of your times,
your life. And according to Isaiah 33:
6, they’re the strength for your salvation.
And the word salvation in Isaiah 33: 6 is the word wholeness. They’re the strength for your wholeness. The reverence of the Lord is His
treasure. They’re not only the strength
for your salvation, your wholeness, but the reverence of Jehovah is man’s
treasure. Your reverence of Jehovah is
your treasure.
Look at Isaiah 32 please.
BEHOLD, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes
shall rule in judgment. --
Isaiah 32: 1
In the light of what I’ve just taught you, that’s why a man shall be as
a hiding place from the wind. Because
you have the exultation of Jehovah, you have true judgment, true righteousness,
true wisdom, true knowledge. Therefore you, as a leader are a hidden place
from the wind. The cold wind is for
other people. You’re a covert, a shelter
from the tempest as rivers of water in a dry place. As the shadow of a great
rock in a weary land. As I said,
those 5 are the stability of your times, your life and the strength for your
salvation, your wholeness and the reverence of Jehovah is a man’s
treasure. And that’s why as leaders, you
are hiding places for others. You’re a
shelter from the tempest for others.
You’re like rivers of water in a dry place. You’re like the shade of a great rock in a
weary land.
That’s the stability of our times in which we live. And I thought I’d just like to share that
with you tonight because 2 verses of Scripture in Isaiah 33 give all the
greatness of this exultation of Jehovah and what He’s done for every one of
us. Made available for us true judgment,
true righteousness, true wisdom, true knowledge and He is the strength or our
wholeness and our reverence and love for God in relationship to His creation in
us is our great treasure. Okay? That’s all I got today.
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