Steve Webb 0:00 Closed doors are not lost opportunities beloved. Steve Webb 0:11 You found it. This is the Lifespring family Audio Bible coming to you from Riverside, California and podcasting since 2004. I'm here OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. Chuck Tomasi 0:20 Steve Webb? The Steve Webb? Kreg Steppe 0:23 Yes. Steve Webb 0:24 That was longtime podcasters Chuck Tomasi and Kreg Steppe of the Technorama podcast. Thanks, guys. This is the daily podcast where we'll read the entire Bible in a year. It's good to see you today. How are you? Today is prophecy Friday, we'll read Isaiah 18 through 22 and I'm calling today's episode the doors. But before we read, let's pray. Our Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for this time where we gather around your word and hear what you have to say. Teach us today as we read Isaiah, we pray this in Jesus name, amen. Okay, let's begin. Steve Webb 1:00 Isaiah chapter 18. Woah to the land shadowed with buzzing wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, which sends ambassadors by sea, even in vessels of read on the water is saying, Go swift messengers to a nation tall and smooth of skin, to people terrible from their beginning onward, a nation powerful and treading down whose land the rivers divide, all inhabitants of the world and dwellers on the earth. When he lifts up a banner on the mountains, you see it, and when he blows the trumpet, you hear it for so the Lord said to me, I will take my rest, and I will look from my dwelling place, like clear heat in sunshine, like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest. For before the harvest when the bud is perfect, and the sour grape is ripening in the flower, he will both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks and take away and cut down the branches. They will be left together for the mountain birds of prey and for the beasts of the earth, the birds of prey will summer on them, and the beasts of the earth will winter on them. In that time a present will be brought to the LORD of hosts from a people tall and smooth of skin. And from a people terrible from their beginning onward, a nation powerful and treading down whose land the rivers divide, to the place of the name of the Lord of hosts to Mount Zion. Steve Webb 2:25 Isaiah chapter 19. The burden against Egypt, Behold, the Lord rides on a swift cloud and will come into Egypt, the idols of Egypt will tolerate his presence in the heart of Egypt will melt in its midst. I will set Egyptians against Egyptians, everyone will fight against his brother in every one against his neighbor, city against city kingdom against kingdom. The spirit of Egypt will fail in its midst, I will destroy their council and they will consult the idols and the charmers, the mediums and the sorcerers. And the Egyptians, I will give into the hand of a cruel master, and a fierce king will rule over them says the Lord the Lord of hosts, the waters will fail from the sea and the river will be wasted and dried up, the rivers will turn fallow, the brooks of defense will be emptied and dried up, the reeds and rushes will wither, the papyrus reeds by the river by the mouth of the river, and everything sewn by the river will wither be driven away and be no more. The fishermen will also mourn all those will a man who cast hooks into the river, and they will languish who spread nets on the waters. Moreover, those who work in the fine flax and those who we find fabric will be ashamed, and its foundations will be broken. All who make wages will be troubled of soul. Surely the princes of Zoan are fools, pharaohs, wise counselors give foolish counsel, how do you say to Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise the son of ancient kings. Where are they? Where are your wise men? Let them tell you now, and let them know what the Lord of hosts has purposed against Egypt. The princes of Zoan have become fools. The princes of NOF are deceived. They have also deluded Egypt, those who are the mainstay of its tribes. The Lord has mingled a perverse spirit in her midst, and they have caused Egypt to air and all her work as a drunken man staggers in his vomit. Neither will there be any work for Egypt, which the head or tail palm branch or bulrush may do. In that day, Egypt will be like women, and will be afraid and fear because of the waving of a hand of the LORD of hosts which he waves over it. And the land of Judah will be a terror to Egypt, everyone who makes mention of it will be afraid in himself because of the counsel of the LORD of hosts which he has determined against it. In that day, five cities in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear by the Lord of hosts, one will be called the city of destruction. In that day, there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt and a pillar to the Lord at its border. and it will be for a sign and for a witness to the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt, for they will cry out to the Lord because of the oppressors. And he will send them a savior and a mighty one, and he will deliver them. Then the Lord will be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day and will make sacrifice and offering. Yes, they will make a vow to the Lord and perform it. And the Lord will strike Egypt, he will strike it and heal it, they will return to the Lord and He will be treated by them and heal them. In that day, there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come into Egypt in the Egyptian into Assyria and the Egyptians will serve with the Assyrians. In that day, Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria a blessing in the midst of the land whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, bless it as Egypt, my people and to Syria, the work of my hands and Israel, my inheritance. Steve Webb 5:57 Isaiah chapter 20. In the year that a serious King Sargon said his general to Ashdod he fought against Ashdod and captured it. At that time the Lord had spoken through Isaiah Amis his son, go take off the morning clothes from your waist and remove the shoes from your feet. And Isaiah did this walking naked and barefoot. The Lord said, just as my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot three years as a sign and Omen against Egypt and Cush, so will the king of Syria lead the captains of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, both young and old, naked and barefoot with buttocks bared, humiliating Egypt, they will be shattered in shamed because of Cush their hope, and because of Egypt, their glory? On that day, those who live on this coast will say, look at those in whom we have hoped, to whom we fled for help and rescue from the king of Assyria. How then will we escape? Steve Webb 6:57 Isaiah chapter 21, an Oracle about the wilderness near the sea. Like world winds sweeping through the arid southern plain, it comes from the desert from a fearsome land. A harsh vision was proclaimed to me. The betrayer betrays and the destroyer destroys, go up Elam, lay siege media, put an end to all her groaning. Therefore, I'm shaken to my core and anguish. pains have seized me like the pains of a woman in labor. I'm to bend over to here to dismayed to see my heart pounds. convulsions overpower me. He has turned my evening of pleasure into dread, setting the table spreading the cloth eating, drinking. Arise, captains polish the shields. The Lord said this to me. Go post a lookout to report what he sees when he sees chariots, pairs of horsemen, donkey riders, camel riders, he should listen carefully, carefully, very carefully. Then the sea are called out upon a watchtower Lord. I'm standing all day. And upon my observation post I'm stationed throughout the night. Here they come. charioteers pairs of horsemen, one spoke up and said fallen Fallen is Babylon and all the images of her gods are shattered on the ground. Oh my downtrodden people threshed on my threshing floor. What I heard from the Lord of heavenly forces, the God of Israel, I reported to you an Oracle about Duma. Someone is calling to me from SEER. Guard. How long is the night? Guard? How long is the night? The guard said, morning has come but it is still night. If you must inquire, inquire, come back again. An oracle about the desert in the woods in the desert where you camp caravans of the de tonight's meet the thirsty with water. inhabitants of the land of tema greet the refugees with bread. They have fled from swords from the drawn sword from the bent bow and from the intensity of battle. So the Lord said to me, within a year according to the number of years for which a laborer is hired, all the glory of keytar will end there will be few Keta right archers remaining. The Lord God of Israel has spoken. Steve Webb 9:20 Isaiah chapter 22, an Oracle about the Valley of vision. What is wrong with you that you have all gone up to the rooftops you who are filled with noise, you roaring city, you party town, you're dead weren't slaughtered by the sword. They didn't die in battle. All your leaders escaped together but were captured without a single bow shot. All your escapees were bound together even though they fled far away. Therefore, I said, Don't look at me. Let me weep bitterly. Don't try to comfort me about the destruction of my dearly loved people. The Lord God of heavenly forces as a day of tumult and trampling and turmoil in the valley of vision, a breaking down of walls a cry for help to the mountains. Elam carried the quiver with chariots and horsemen in Kier uncovered the shield. Your finest valleys were filled with chariots. Your horsemen doggedly guarded the gate. Judas covering has been stripped away. On that day you trusted the weapons in the forest house, you observed the many broken defenses in David city, and you collected the waters of the lower pool. You counted Jerusalem's houses, and you tore down houses to fortify the wall. You made a reservoir between the walls for the water of the earlier pool, but you didn't trust its maker. You didn't consider the one who planned it long ago, the Lord God of heavenly forces called on that day for weeping and mourning and shaven heads and wearing of mourning clothes. But instead there was fun and frivolity, killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine, eat and drink. Tomorrow we will die. But the Lord of heavenly forces has revealed in my hearing, this iniquity won't be forgiven until you die, says the Lord God of heavenly forces. The Lord God of heavenly forces says, go now to this official to Shebna who was in charge of the house and say to him, What do you have here in Whom do you have here that you have hewed out a tomb for yourself? You who cuts his grave on high and carves himself a home and the cliff, the Lord is about to hurl you down mighty man, he is surely going to cover you with darkness. He will indeed unroll your head wrapping, rolling like a ball into the open country. There you will die with your glorious chariots, you disgrace to the house of your master, I will thrust you from your monument, you will be pulled down from your platform. On that day, I will call my servant eliaquim Hilkiah his son, I will give him your robe and wrap him in your sash and I will hand over to him your authority. He will be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. I will place the key to David's house on his shoulder. What he opens, no one will close and what he closes, no one will open. I will fasten him securely like a tent peg and he will be a throne of Honor for his ancestors house. All the honor of his household will hang on him. The Offspring and the offshoots every little dish, every bowl, every jar. On that day says the Lord of heavenly forces. The peg that is fastened to securely will give way it will be cut down and it will fall and all the load hanging on it will be lost. The Lord has spoken. Steve Webb 12:45 Let's talk about chapter 22. As I said on the last Isaiah episode, Isaiah chapters 13 to 23 are prophecies against nations that have attacked and otherwise been troublesome for Jerusalem and Judah. So what's with chapter 22? This is a message about the destruction of Jerusalem. Well, unfortunately for them, Jerusalem and Judah at this point in their history had again turned from God. And because of this desertion, God would send no help when Babylon attacked. Jerusalem would try to make preparations for defense, but they refused to do the one thing that would stop the destruction, they would not return to the Lord. In the middle of the chapter, Isaiah spoke of Shebna, who served King Hezekiah as the administrator and scribe of the palace, both very high offices. Now King Hezekiah was a good king who honored the Lord. But neither Shebna nor the people of Judah followed suit, so judgment fell on Shebna in the people. Shabnam was a proud man who only sought to bring glory to himself, so much so that he had a great tomb built for himself, which was something often done in that day to show great power and wealth. Isaiah prophesied that the people of Judah and Jerusalem would be taken away into exile. But Shebna did not believe or listen, as was prophesied, he died in exile. Shipped his replacement was eliaquim, the son of Hilkiah. There's another Elijah can spoken about in the Bible, but that's a different one. This is the like him the son of Hilkiah, where Shebna sought only to elevate himself, like him is given an honored name by God. He's called My servant. What a contrast. God said, I will place the key to David's house on his shoulder, and what he opens, no one will close and what he closes, no one will open. David's house here is actually better translated as the house of David, as you might think this phrase is actually a prophecy of the Messiah. And in Revelation three, seven, Jesus spoke of himself with these words. These things, says he who was holy, He who is true He who has the key of David, he who opens and no one shuts and shuts and no one opens. God sometimes closes doors to us while opening others. He knows the plans he has for us and out of love. He closed his doors that we think we want to go through. Closed Doors are not lost opportunities, beloved, they keep us from wasted time or heartache and pain. What our prayer should be when we come to a door that is closed is Lord, lead me to the open door. Through that door our blessings, fulfillment and service to God. No aspiration could be higher than that. Steve Webb 15:43 What are your thoughts as God led you through a door recently? Tell me about it. Call the Lifespring family Hotline at 951-732-8511 If you're outside the US dial plus one at the beginning of that number. Also, you can comment on the show notes page at Lifespring media.com/s 13 e 027. Tomorrow is gospel Saturday, we'll read Matthew A through 10. Among other things, we'll read about the time Jesus calmed a storm. And we'll read about him choosing 12 Ordinary men to take his message to the world. Steve Webb 16:21 You've heard me read some of those unusual Old Testament names on some of our recent episodes. And if you'd like to have these names, easily roll off your tongue all you need is my book, Web's easy Bible names pronunciation guide, I spent over two years compiling this book. And pastors, students, teachers and lots of others have given it an average of four and a half stars on Amazon with 76% of those reviews being five star ratings. Now, when you buy the book on my website, Bible names dot link, you'll get two things that you don't get on Amazon. Number one is my guarantee. If you don't love the book, I'll refund your money. Number two, when you buy the book, you're helping to support this show. And because you're helping, I'll give you a discount. Since you're part of the Lifespring family. When you check out be sure to use discount code podcast, and you'll get a 25% discount. But that's only at Bible names dot link. Steve Webb 17:24 So how's it going, especially for the newer Lifespring family members? Is this the first time you've decided to read through the Bible in a year? Or have you started to do it before but life got in the way? Well, either way, I'm so glad you're with me now. Stick with it. Before you know it a year will have gone by and you'll have done it. I know that sometimes it can be hard to keep up with a daily show. But the good news is that you can catch up, you can always go back and listen to the episodes you've missed. Of course you want to try to keep up but stuff happens no problem. One approach that several Lifespring family members have told me they use is when they get back to a place where they can listen, they listen to the current show. Plus they go back to where they had to take a break. And they listen to those so they listen to two or more a day, or whatever they can do until they're caught up. I think the key is to listen to the current show so that you don't feel like you're getting further and further behind. And then go back and take up the slack. The important thing to remember is that there is no judgment, life gets hectic, just jump back in when you can. Steve Webb 18:30 Sunday will be here in a couple of days. And we'll be sharing prayer requests and praises if you have a need in your life that you'd like the Lifespring family to be praying with you about. Or if God is doing something wonderful in your life, that would be an encouragement to the rest of us. The place to go is prayer dot Lifespring media.com You'll find a very easy to fill out form there where you can tell me whatever you want me to know. I'll pray for you in my daily private prayer time and I'll rejoice with you in your praises and then we'll share them on the show prayer dot Lifespring media.com. And if you want to remain anonymous, you can do that. Steve Webb 19:08 Thanks to the team sister Kirstie, brother Sean of San Pedro and Sister Denise. God bless you guys. Comment on the show by calling the Lifespring family Hotline at 951-732-8511. You can also email me at Steve at Lifespring media.com. If you're glad the Lifespring family Audio Bible exists, please support it in proportion to the amount of value that you receive. That's fair right? Go to Lifespring media.com/support. And until tomorrow may God bless you richly. Thank you for inviting me into your day. My name is Steve Webb. Bye Transcribed by https://otter.ai