Bringing the light of Jesus Christ into a sin-darkened world. This is the Lighthouse Radio Bible Study. Hello, my name is Ben Fordham, and I invite you to join us now as we study God's Word together. Welcome to the Lighthouse Radio Bible Study. I greet you all in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, and thank you for tuning in. As we look to the Word of God today, I would like to draw your attention again to the book of Isaiah and chapter 28, as we look at verses 23 through 29. In the opening verses, we find this prophecy of Isaiah condemns Ephraim, or Israel, the northern tribes, and their utter destruction comes at the hands of the Assyrians. And we see as well the promised deliverance and restoration of Judah, though it was guilty of rebellion. We then follow that with verses that tell us of the promises he has to judge Judah, but it will not be to the extent that he crushed Ephraim. The works in these passages seem strange or maybe uneven to us. In fact, the scriptures themselves say these are strange works or a strange act. But the Lord is working all of this in His perfect wisdom and His perfect way. Our modern-day equity police would not appreciate the way that the Lord works at all. Everything needs to be even-handed. Everybody must be treated exactly the same as though everybody was exactly the same. Here we find Judah is guilty of many of the same sins that Ephraim is. The question must arise at some point in our minds, why is one of these nations crushed and the other merely chastened? Why was Judah blessed despite its sins? What the purveyors of equity and inclusion miss, somewhere along the way, is that we're not all exactly the same cookie-cutter humans. We do not all have the exact same personalities, preferences, and predilections. We aren't the same kinds of seeds. There are some of us that are herbs, some are wheat, and some are corn. We are all sinners and we can say for sure that in that sense we are all equal. We can read our constitution and find out that all men are created equal and they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights that among those are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Some guy named Jefferson copied it and somehow someone less famous did not get the credit, but I digress. What is never a guarantee, though, is the equality of outcome. All the seeds that are planted are not going to produce corn, no matter how much we try to make them. Some are going to bring forth apple trees. Some are going to bring forth wheat. Some are going to bring forth herbs. This is not a problem. I know, that sounds strange, but these things are not bugs, but features of God's design. Each seed has a purpose, and there is a certain fruit that it will bring forth in due season. This is the analogy of our text, and a lesson that we clearly need to relearn. The Lord is a wise farmer, and He knows exactly the process to use for plowing, planting, growing, and harvesting. He is a perfect farmer, and he gets the fruit that he desires. He brings forth and he plants, he plows, he grows, and he harvests. He provides the sun, he provides the rain, and he provides all the threshing tools, he provides the wheel, he provides the rod. Different seeds require different processes in order to be fruitful, in order to have the intended effect. To expect the same outcome for every seed is to ignore the wisdom of God in His design and work. In thinking of it this way, we must remember, as well, that we are to treat one another as though we are all image-bearers of God, because indeed we are, even those that are in the womb. The Lord is good and perfect, and in His perfect providence, He deals with us according to His purposes and for His glory, and ultimately that is for our greatest good. How do we make sense of this work? What is it that we are to do? Let us look to our text. Isaiah chapter 28, beginning in verse 23. Give ye ear, and hear my voice, hearken, and hear my speech. Doth the ploughman plough all day to sow? Doth he open and break the clods of his ground? When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cumin, and cast in the principal wheat, and the appointed barley, and the rye in their place? For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him. For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart-wheel turned about upon the cooman, but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cooman with a rod. Bread-corn is bruised, because he will not ever be threshing it. nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it with his horseman. This also cometh forth from the Lord of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working. We begin again in verse 23. Give ye ear, and hear my voice, hearken, and hear my speech. The Lord here, through the Holy Spirit, speaks to those who have heard the word of the coming judgment and the Lord's strange work. The verses that follow will use farming and agricultural methods to impress upon the hearers of the word that the Lord is a wise farmer, knows what he must do in order to produce a fruitful harvest. The call of this verse is to be wise and to hear what the Lord has to say. There is much wisdom in these words alone. Give ye ear, and hear my voice. Hearken, and hear my speech. We may look around and wonder at what the Lord is doing, and we may know that His ways are past finding out. But what joy is in store for us, His children, when we do this, when we give ear and hearken to His word? The Lord calls for the faithful to listen to Him. It seems simple enough, perhaps not so easy. We have seen Him judging Ephraim and consuming them. And yes, we also at the same time have seen Judah blessed and chastened, but not to the extent of being fully consumed as Ephraim. The Lord in His sovereignty does as He will. That does not mean His will is arbitrary. He is indeed wise in executing His will, and His will is perfectly holy, righteous, and ultimately is the way that He brings His people salvation. So this is not a sovereignty that is exercised as a tyrant, but a sovereignty exercised as a father who has in mind the good of his children. We will see how, like a farmer, different seeds are chosen, different preparations are made, Different processes are used to bring about different yields and harvests as we look at the verses ahead. We see that God does the same thing with nations and men. He chastens and crushes and blesses. He does this all in perfect time and for His perfect purposes. What seems to be a strange act or strange work to us is in fact His wisdom. Nothing is random and nothing is done by chance. And so we should hearken to his word, and remember this at all times. Is it a strange work God is doing in our day? Verse 24. Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? Doth he open and break the clods of his ground? The farmer is systematic in his work. The farmer does not spend all day in plowing the ground. He spends some time plowing, and then some time planting the seeds. The plowing is not the sole object or the only thing to be done, and it's not the only work necessary. The farmer's job is not simply to plow, but also to plant. There is a process involved, in other words. This isn't as simple as do one thing and it's done. There are steps and the first clause tells us that the work is not plowing alone, but sowing must be completed as well. The farmer opens and breaks the clods, or clumps of dirt, to sow. He does so to bring forth fruit. Again, ultimately the goal is for this planted seed to take root and to grow and to produce fruit. God does not punish or chasten without an end in mind. This is for us to remember and to learn from the passages that we are reading. The Lord is plowing, and doing so to bring forth fruit. Plowing is preparation, and the Lord is a wise farmer. Verse 25. When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cumin, and cast in the principal wheat, and the appointed barley, and the rye in their place? When the ground is prepared and turned over, and the soil is right, the Lord will plant His seeds. As soon as the farmer has his field soil turned and smooth, he plants wisely his seeds. Fitch in this passage is an herb, something like dill, that is sown broadcast style, and has its seed pods beaten out with staffs or rods for use as a seasoning. Cumin is also sown broadcast and was beaten with a rod when ripe to detach its seeds. The principal wheat and other crops, barley and rye, are more carefully planted or raked into the soil. And that is done in rows or other potential ways where there is an appointed place for these things. Wheat is called principal wheat because it is the primary grain used. And barley is called appointed because it has a very fruitful yield. Every grain has its own place. In the same manner, we see that God deals with each nation and person as they need, where they are, and puts them where they're supposed to be. Based on the seed they are, He does so to get the fruit that He expects. He's not the kind of farmer that jumbles up seed, mixes it all together, and throws it out all broadcast-style. in the hopes that he will have a good yield. God does things wisely. Not all of these seeds have the same needs, not all of them are treated the same way, as the purposes of God are worked out in all, but all of them in different ways. Everything is done in due season, at the right time, sowing, planting, and harvesting. Verse 26, for his God doth instruct him to discretion and doth teach him. What is Isaiah saying here? Who taught the farmer? Was it the farmer that went before him? Well, who taught him? And who taught the one that went before him? And before that? And before that? Did we just learn all this stuff by trial and error? God forbid. There is wisdom given to men by God. Proverbs 8 verse 12 I wisdom dwell in prudence and find out knowledge of witty inventions. God gave gifts to men by revelation, and continues to do so. God can provoke inventive minds anytime He wants to. He gives us ideas. God blesses men with the ability to learn through experience as well. But not all learn at the same rate, or for the same reasons, or in the same seasons. I always found it fascinating when someone would have to open their car door and do so by inserting the key and lifting the door handle then turning the key to unlock it. What made them think of that to open their car door? Why did their car door not open the way that it should have? Who knows, maybe the Lord gave it to them. Why do some men and nations have wisdom that others seem to lack? God is the one who has blessed them and has done so for His purposes and in His good time. We need not worry about these things, but we need to remember that it is God that instructs us and teaches us. God is the source of all wisdom. The fear of the Lord, in fact, is the beginning of wisdom. And so, what we find is that men who have been given witty inventions by wisdom and who have learned things from God are sinning when they do not give God the glory for the wisdom He has given them in His mercy. And yet, despite the fact that they don't necessarily glorify Him, the inventions may glorify Him, and His purposes are worked out nonetheless. Verse 27. For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cooman. but the fitches are beaten out with a staff and the cumin with a rod. Here we see the harvest and processing of these grains. Fitches and cumin are beaten with a staff and a rod. They are not crushed with a wheel or threshed with a threshing instrument. Different methods are required. for different plants to separate the seeds, to make use of the fruit that they have borne. And tender plants require tender work. The Lord may or can be severe in chastening or tender in chastening, but the moment or method is always perfect to bring forth the fruit required. Psalm 103, verses 13 and 14. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame, he remembereth that we are dust. Verse 28. Breadcorn is bruised, because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it with his horseman. This brings to mind that passage in Deuteronomy chapter 25 verse 4 that is also quoted by Paul in the New Testament. Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn. The ox treads out corn. The ox does so and draws a sledge with serrated wheels over the corn stalks, and this is what separates the grain, or the corn, from the stalk. Corn needed to be bruised, but not crushed or dealt with harshly or extensively. When he says he would not ever be threshing it, that doesn't mean that he'll never thresh it. That means that he would not be forever threshing it. He will not deal harshly or too harshly with it, and he won't do so for long. He won't do so by running over it with wheels or with horsemen. Psalm 103, again, and now verses eight and nine. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide, neither will He keep His anger forever. Verse 29, this also cometh forth from the Lord of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working. Farmers will treat different grains differently and at different times throughout the year. And all of this wisdom comes from the Lord as he blesses them. The Lord has spoken through Isaiah to show us how he works sovereignly in his providence. This includes hard providences, like plowing up the ground and treading the corn. The Lord deals tenderly when tenderness is warranted. Nothing in these providences is accidental, and all is excellent in His working. This is the Lord showing His people how they can rejoice in tribulations. We know that the Lord is working. He has not destroyed the soil He plants, but He has made it ready to sow. He has not chastened us too hard or tempted us beyond that which we are able. 1 Corinthians 10 verse 13. There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man. But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. The Lord is going to do what is necessary to correct his children and sanctify them. The Lord is truly wonderful in his counsel and excellent in his work. His strange work is not so strange to him as it is perfectly planned and executed. Some lessons for us. Strange works, providence, and hearkening to the word. The Lord is truly performing a strange work in our time. It does seem a little more than uneven. Do any of you not believe the world is turned upside down, or at least is turning that way? We must hearken to the Word of God and consider that the Lord, through His strange work, this strange work, these strange acts, is doing the work of a wise farmer. In the days of Isaiah, as the Lord commissioned him, he was given a commission with these words. Isaiah 6 verses 9 and 10. And he said, Go and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not, and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes, lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. And lo, Isaiah answered and said, Wonderful, when do I get started? Actually, his reply was something like this in verses 11 and 12. Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate. And the Lord have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land. How long, O Lord? Isaiah hearkened to the word, and heeding it, he went forth and was faithful in preaching the word. The Lord used him in a time of breaking up ground and threshing. One of the lessons we must come to grips with is that the Lord is sovereign. This is, in fact, His field. He is the wise farmer, and when it is time to plow, He will do so. The Lord is breaking ground and threshing, even now. He is pruning the vine, and He is doing so, so that it may bring forth more fruit. No vine likes the time of pruning. None of us are just aching for some good old-fashioned chastening. But we are instructed by Hebrews chapter 12 and verses 5 through 11. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children. My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons. For what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards and not sons. Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence. Shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure, but he for our that we might be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous. Nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Chastening is not really a strange work, nor is farming for that matter. We simply have not hearkened unto the Word to understand what the Lord is doing. He is cultivating, and pruning, and going about His work. There is providence in the storms He has sent. The crops need rain and sun. God timed everything in His plan perfectly to bring forth Jesus at the right time in history. And all of these seemingly strange acts and works of his with his people were part of the plan. In fact, they were necessary to the plan to bring forth Christ to save his people from their sins. We look back at Judah and remember a prophecy in Genesis that promised that through Judah's line Shiloh would come, and unto him would the gathering of the people be. How would that have been possible if Judah had in fact utterly fallen to Assyria? Judah was specially blessed to have been preserved in exile in Babylon and returned to Jerusalem later. The temple was then rebuilt and had a greater glory than that of the Temple of Solomon. for the Son of God would be there walking in it as a man. History is, in fact, God's master plan in motion, and His hand worked through it all the way. Every sin accounted for in the plan. Man cannot thwart the plans of God with sin. It is difficult for us to see the story's end from our page in the book, but the ending truly is a glorious one. The end of all this is the glory of God and the great good of His people in an eternal life in His presence. What are we to do? Remember this also, cometh forth from the Lord of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working. The Lord knows what He is doing. Even if we don't see it or understand it, we are to hearken to His word and walk in faith. The Lord is wise and has given us, those who fear Him, wisdom. Wisdom involves listening. So wise was the Lord in good that he instructed us to hear by giving us two ears to listen and one tongue to tame. The Lord chastens us and deals with us as children, not as we deserve. In the worst of times, we rejoice in his mercy. So may we hearken to the word and be patient, and let patience have her perfect work. And may the Lord give us more light. bringing the light of Jesus Christ into a sin-darkened world. This is the Lighthouse Radio Bible Study. The Primitive Baptists who bring you this program each week do so with the following conviction. We believe that the Bible is the Word of God. It is our guide for what we are to believe, and it is our guide for what we are to do. We believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Son of God, and He is to be followed as Lord and Savior. And, we believe that His salvation is a free gift of God's sovereign grace, not dependent on any work that we do, but wholly dependent on His finished work done on our behalf. We present this weekly Bible study based on the premise of Psalm 119 verse 105, Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. If you would like to contribute to the furtherance of this program, then please send your donation to this address. EO Box 1317, Baxley, GA 31515. Or if you would like to send a question or comment to us, you can also send your correspondence to that address. We also have a website where you can access our programs and other helpful information. It can be found at www.lighthousebiblestudy.org. That's all one word and with all lowercase letters. Again, that's www.lighthousebiblestudy.org. Until next week, this is your speaker, Ben Fordham, praying that God will light your world.