Calm Assurance from the Spirit

9 Stand up, you complacent women; listen to me. Pay attention to what I say, you overconfident daughters. 10 In a little more than a year you overconfident ones will shudder, for the vintage will fail and the harvest will not come. 11 Shudder, you complacent ones; tremble, you overconfident ones! Strip yourselves bare and put sackcloth around your waists. 12 Beat your breasts in mourning for the delightful fields and the fruitful vines, 13 for the ground of my people growing thorns and briers, indeed, for every joyous house in the joyful city. 14 For the palace will be forsaken, the busy city abandoned. The hill and the watchtower will become barren places forever, the joy of wild donkeys, and a pasture for flocks,

God has chastisement, correction, and consequences in store for Judah before the glory of the King Comes

Notice he speaks of women several times.

God gives sensitivities to women, I don’t believe most men have.

Dave Ramsey says his wife needs security from him. she has that sense or need for it.

Illustration of Karen and Jennifer Siskey

(MEN LISTEN TO YOUR WIVES)

Note: These women who might would normally have a “Sense” about these things, are complacent.

They should have been clamoring but they are complacent.

They should have been concerned, but they are carefree.

Why? Apparently AT THAT MOMENT everything around them looked like it was going well.

But they weren’t listening to the preacher.

verse 10-

J. Vernon McGee puts this section in the tribulation (that future period when God pours out His wrath on the whole earth) and that may be partially in view, but you have to jump over verse 10… which he does.. His commentary just skips it.

King James says many days and years

NKJ and every other translation I can find says something like in a year or in just over a year… literally the words are year singular and days plural. I take that to mean more than a year but less than two.

I believe he is talking about trouble initiated by sennecherib that almost wiped out Jerusalem… not quite.

This trouble will be realized on a greater scale decades later under the Babylonians, then the Greeks, the Romans, and in the end times by the Antichrist himself.

Acts 14:22 HCSB

22 strengthening the disciples by encouraging them to continue in the faith and by telling them, “It is necessary to pass through many troubles on our way into the kingdom of God.”

strengthened and encouraged by telling them troubles are coming… how does that encourage?

Well it lets me know that if I’m having a hard time, God isn’t against me… he hasn’t left me.

Calm Assurance from the Spirit

Isaiah 32:15–20 HCSB

15 until the Spirit from heaven is poured out on us. Then the desert will become an orchard, and the orchard will seem like a forest. 16 Then justice will inhabit the wilderness, and righteousness will dwell in the orchard. 17 The result of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quiet confidence forever. 18 Then my people will dwell in a peaceful place, in safe and secure dwellings. 19 But hail will level the forest, and the city will sink into the depths. 20 Those who sow seed are happy beside abundant waters; they let ox and donkey range freely.

The Promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit is mentioned more than once in the Old Testament.

Ezekiel 36:26–27 HCSB

26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will place My Spirit within you and cause you to follow My statutes and carefully observe My ordinances.

The tangible benefits that Isaiah promised Judah were not fulfilled when Assyria failed to conquer them, nor when they returned from Babylonian Captivity.

Things like the desert blooming… and orchards becoming as thick as forests, or dwelling in peaceful places… all still will happen… When the King comes and his Kingdom comes in full force.

Joel 2:28–32 HCSB

28 After this I will pour out My Spirit on all humanity; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will have dreams, and your young men will see visions. 29 I will even pour out My Spirit on the male and female slaves in those days. 30 I will display wonders in the heavens and on the earth: blood, fire, and columns of smoke. 31 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and awe-inspiring Day of the Lord comes. 32 Then everyone who calls on the name of Yahweh will be saved, for there will be an escape for those on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, as the Lord promised, among the survivors the Lord calls.

Acts 2:14–21 HCSB

14 But Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them: “Men of Judah and all you residents of Jerusalem, let me explain this to you and pay attention to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it’s only nine in the morning. 16 On the contrary, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: 17 And it will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out My Spirit on all humanity; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. 18 I will even pour out My Spirit on My male and female slaves in those days, and they will prophesy. 19 I will display wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below: blood and fire and a cloud of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and remarkable Day of the Lord comes. 21 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Peter quotes from Joel and says that the coming of the Holy Spirit on that day was the same Holy Spirit Joel prophesied about.

Notice that on the day of Pentecost, the signs didn’t happen… that again is a future event.

In other words, there is much that is still to come in relationship to the work of the Holy Spirit in the end times.... BUT

The Holy Spirit did come and He did bring many benefits when he came.

Isaiah 32:17 HCSB

17 The result of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quiet confidence forever.

The coming of the Holy Spirit gave Peter boldness after denying the Lord a few weeks earlier.

The coming of the Holy Spirit meant that common men… fishermen, tax collectors, etc. would turn the world upside down with the preaching of the Gospel.

But let me just focus in on the quiet peace and confidence that comes from knowing the Lord is with you and living in you!

When I was going to the dr. with my hearing, I had a chance to speak with my the daughter of my pastor growing up. She spoke about his unwavering faith.