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All right, bonus points if you work out the title of the sermon before I tell you. Who wants bonus points? Yeah, you would have chosen that one if you were preaching. Anyone else want to take a guess? Yeah, that's it. All right, bonus points. Bonus points to you, Nathan. I don't know what that means, but we'll figure it out later on. But yeah, in Isaiah 23 verse number one, it says the burden of Tyre, which I've taken as the title for the sermon today, it continues by saying, And so we see again, when God is speaking through the prophet Isaiah, that he's speaking of this burden. And again, over and over and over so far in the book of Isaiah, we see these burdens referred to a judgment that's fallen upon a nation or a city or a land. And this time it's Tyre. Tyre is a city of the Phoenicians. Like today, it's located in modern day Lebanon. Tyre does come up several times in the Bible. We see this one reference, of course, in the Old Testament. They do appear in the New Testament as well. And of course, when Christ walked the earth, they're brought up. And also after that, when you have the book of Acts and the Acts of the Apostles, they go about preaching the gospel to different places. Tyre is brought up again. Now, the vast majority of Isaiah 23 is negative in terms of the city. But you get to right at the end, and it just kind of seems surprising. Look at verse number 18. It says, And so verse number 18 is very positive in terms of the city of Tyre, but all the way from verses 1 to 17, it's all very negative. And so this chapter reminds me a lot of the burden of Egypt. You know, going back where God was judged in Egypt, and of course, the references of that chapter, coming with chapters specifically right now, but it was all about, you know, speaking of the end times and how God's going to judge that nation. And in God's judgment, the Egyptians are actually going to turn toward the Lord God. And so we see something similar with Tyre. Again, modern-day Lebanon. We're not talking about a city of the Jews. We're not talking about God's people here. This judgment is forming upon them. But again, we see God judging a Gentile city, if you want to put it that way, but then he gives them this great promise that they're going to be holy in the eyes of the Lord. And we're going to look at what that all means shortly. But when you see here, Halyi, in verse number 1, Halyi, ships of Tarshish. So from Tarshish, you've got these merchant ships traveling, and they want to go into Tyre. They want to buy and sell. And then they're going to notice that, hey, the city of Tyre has been conquered. It's been taken over. The people have been taken into captivity. And that's why God is saying to them, how? Because you're not going to be able to sell your merchandise into the city of Tyre. Verse number 2, it says, Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle, whom now the merchants of Zion, that pass over the sea, have replenished. So the inhabitants of the isle are, you know, the islands of Cyprus. What other islands do we have that are sort of in that Cyprus kind of area? A little bit, sorry? Crete. Crete, yeah, of course. Crete as well, sorry? Roads. Roads? Okay, I don't know. Okay, but yeah, so these are other isles that also, they want to make merchandise. They want to make trade. But this time, in verse number 2, we get brought up the city of Zion. See? Thou whom the merchants of Zion, that pass over the sea, have replenished. And so these are people going into the city of Zion to replenish. Many times in the Bible, Tyre and Zidon come up side by side. In the New Testament, it's not Zidon, it's what we have an S, Zidon. And you may recall Jesus Christ going to the cities of Tyre and Zidon, brought up multiple times in the New Testament. So, you know, Zidon is essentially part of the district of Tyre, which is why they're often brought up together at the same time. And so not only is this a burden of Tyre, but it's also a burden of Zidon. And in verse number 3, it says, And by great waters the seed of Sihor, the harvest of the river is her revenue, and she is a mart of nations. Now, does anybody know the way it says, by the great waters of the seed of Sihor, does anyone know what that is a reference of? No. Close though. So it's not really close, but somewhat close, the idea there. Okay. If you want, come with me to Jeremiah chapter 2. Come with me to Jeremiah chapter 2 and verse number 18. Jeremiah chapter 2 and verse number 18. And cause, you know, a few years ago I preached through the book of Jeremiah with the church. So as soon as I saw Sihor, he kind of reminded me, he rang a bell in Jeremiah chapter 2 and verse number 18. Jeremiah chapter 2, verse number 18 says, And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt to drink the waters of Sihor? So Sihor is a river located where? In Egypt. Okay. Today we know it as the Nile River. Okay. And so that's what it's referring to. So this is Nile River where the Egyptians would travel through as well and they would make their merchandise. You know, their sellers would come through and try to sell in different places. And so, you know, this is also a burden, I suppose, that's formed upon Egypt because they don't have the trading partners of Tyre and Sidon any further. And so while Tyre and Sidon are being judged by God, many of the other nations have been affected because they're losing their profit margin. Okay. They can't sell into these cities. And then back in Isaiah 23, verse number 4, Be thou ashamed, O Sidon, for the sea hath spoken, even the strength of the sea, saying, I travail not, nor bring forth children, neither do I nourish up young men, nor bring up virgins. All right. So what I want you to think about here in verse number 4, if we're in Isaiah 23 and we've also been looking at the corresponding books of the Bible, what's the 23rd book of the Bible? Does anyone know? No, not the Song of Solomon. We've looked at the Song of Solomon. It's Isaiah. It's Isaiah. So look, we're not going to spend much time comparing Isaiah 23 to Isaiah because every single verse you're going to find in Isaiah. You know, Isaiah 23. But I do want you to pick up one thing though. If you go back to Isaiah 1, like right at the beginning of the book of Isaiah, come with me to Isaiah chapter 1. All right. And let me just read again what it said in Isaiah 23, verse 4. It says, saying, Well, in Isaiah chapter 1, look at verse number 2, right at the beginning, it says, So when God is speaking here, He says, I've nourished and brought up children. He's speaking about the nation of Judah and by extension, you know, the nation of Israel, the northern nation of Israel. And so He's speaking about these nations being His people, but He's nourished the nation of Israel or the nation of Judah. He's nourished and brought up children in that land. But when He speaks of Tyre and Zion, He says, Neither do I nourish up young men nor bring up virgins. So you see the similarities there. But He's speaking of these cities that this is not where He's nourished people. These are wicked cities. These are cities that did not have the Lord God of the Bible as their God. And so God is showing us a comparison with Tyre and Zion, with the people of Israel and Judah. Now look at verse number 5. It says, As at the report concerning Egypt, so there's Egypt as a reference back to Sihor. As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre. Now I told you, as I was reading through this, it reminded me of the burden of Egypt. And it's actually Isaiah 19, okay? If you ever want to go back and read Isaiah 19, for me, Isaiah 23 rings the bell a lot with Isaiah 19, because as we saw when it says in verse number 5, As at the report concerning Egypt, that report was in Isaiah 19, so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre. It's the same pain. It's the same judgment. It's the same hardship that these two nations or cities are going to go through. But there is good news at the end of the judgment to come for both of these people. Verse number 6. How the inhabitants of the isle. Is this your joyous city? Whose antiquity is of ancient days? Her own feet shall carry her afar off to Solzhen. So again, speaking to the merchants of Tarshish, is this your joyous city? Speaking of Tyre and Sidon, you know, these are cities that were supposed to be plenteous. People are coming and going. And once again, they've been taken into captivity. I'm not sure if the captivity, speaking of the Assyrian captivity or the Babylonian captivity, I'll share a little bit more as we keep going. But if God is asking the question, look, what happened to this city? It used to be joyous. They used to be celebrating. But now they've gone quiet. Why? Because God's judgment has fallen upon them. In verse number 7, it says whose antiquity is of ancient days is because the city of Tyre, you know, goes back a long time. Like it's a very historic city. It's been around for many centuries. And then look at verse number 8. Who have taken this council against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth. So in verse number 8, the question gets asked, who have taken this council against Tyre? Okay. And as I said to you, when I think about it from a human point of view, I was reading through this, I was trying to compare scriptures, I could not decide if God is speaking of the Assyrian or the Babylonian empire. So the question gets asked, right? Who have taken this council? Who's judging against Tyre? But the answer gets brought up in verse number 9. Because it doesn't matter whether it's the Assyrians or the Babylonians. Verse number 9 says, the Lord of hosts has purposed it, okay? So the one that's actually judging, the one that's turned against Tyre is the Lord of hosts. He's the one that has purposed it. He is the one that's given the Assyrian empire or the Babylonian empire the power to take over this city. It says, to stain the pride of all glory and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth. So we see what the problem with Tyre was. Pride, okay? They'd be lifted up and they'd be buying and selling. They thought of themselves as a great city. But God, the God of Bob was not their God. And as they were lifting up in pride, God saw that pride and He said, you know what? It's time for you to be judged. It's time for the burden of Tyre to fall upon this city. Verse number 10. Pass through thy land as a river, O daughter of Tarshish. There is no more strength. Again, the merchants of Tarshish, go and have a look at the land. There's nothing left. You can't buy and sell. You can't trade with this city. Verse number 11. He stretched out his hand over the sea. He shook the kingdoms. The Lord had given a commandment against the merchant city to destroy the strongholds thereof. And He said, thou shalt no more rejoice, O thou oppressed virgin, daughter of Zidon. Arise, pass over to Chittim. Thou also shalt thou have no rest. And so again, God is, you know, speaking of Zidon and Tyre-Zion, you know, side by side because the burden falls upon them. But God is saying that these cities will no longer rejoice even if they escape into Chittim. Okay? If that's where they escape as the Assyrians or Babylonians come through, it says they also shalt thou have no rest. Because even Chittim itself will be taken over by this powerful empire. Now, verse number 13 is interesting. Verse number 13, if you can decipher it for me, I'd really appreciate it. But it says, behold the land of the Chaldeans. Now, when we think of the Chaldeans or the Chaldean empire, we're talking about the Babylonian empire. The Babylonian empire came out after the Assyrian empire. So you say, well, pastor, maybe this is speaking of the Babylonian empire. Okay. Behold the land of the Chaldeans. Then it says this, this people was not. So the Babylonian empire was not yet. It wasn't known for its power. It wasn't known for its strength yet. Till the Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness. So now God is speaking of the Assyrians. And so, but essentially God is saying that the strength of Babylon came from Assyria. That as Assyria set up their powerful kingdom, Babylon kind of was able to take that for themselves and develop themselves into a great nation or a great empire themselves. But till the Assyrians founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness, they set up the towers thereof, they raised up the palaces thereof, and he brought it to ruin. Okay. So the Assyrians did all the hard work, building the cities, and then Babylon comes in later on, like, you know, when they become powerful empire and they took over many of the lands that the Assyrian empire took over. So God is just speaking about these two empires to come. And again, that's why as I read this, I'm not sure which one it is that God is speaking out that's going to bring that burden upon Tyre. But they're both brought up in verse number 13. Then verse number 14, How ye ships of Tarshish, for your strength is laid waste, and it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years according to the days of one king. After the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot. Now very quickly, verse number 14, it's just a repetition of what we've seen in the past, but how? Because Tarshish, as they come in to sell their merchandise, it says for your strength is laid waste. Once again, you know, if they bring in perishable items, when they come to sell, there's no one to sell to, and those perishable items are going to go to waste. So they're losing their profit margins, and so the merchants are all upset, these trading partners are all upset, that Tyre and Sidon has been destroyed, or taken over, taken into captivity. And verse number 15 is interesting, we see how long they're taken into captivity for, for seventy years. Very similar to when Judah was taken into captivity by the Babylonians, maybe that leads credence to the Babylonian Empire being the empire that took over them. But he says this, at the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot. Now this is very different to the Jews. When they were taken into captivity for seventy years, what happened? At the end of the seventy years, they got right with God, like a new generation was able to return back into the land, rebuild the city of Jerusalem, rebuild the temple, dedicate it to the Lord, make things right for a few generations before they went backwards, but not Tyre, not Sidon. They're going to sing as a harlot, harlot like a prostitute. Like they've got a very different outlook when they come out of captivity. They're not going to learn their lessons. They're going to continue in their wickedness, they're going to continue in their fornications. And in verse number 16, like God is kind of speaking sarcastically of the city. He says take and harp, go about the city, thou harlot, that has been forgotten, make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered. And so we get an insight of how the prostitutes of Tyre and Sidon operated back in these days, where they wouldn't just stand on some corner, but they would sing songs. Okay? They'd sing songs, they'd make sweet melody, you know, they wanted to attract men not just by their looks, but also by their songs. And when I thought about this verse, I just thought, you know what, nothing's changed. Like, that's what the music industry is today. Right? I mean, if you go and listen to, you know, I don't know, what's that woman that goes, the famous one now? Taylor Swift? Or whatever it is, like in my days, Britney Spears, that's, I don't know how it, like you can probably tell how I am by that. I don't know. And before that, it was Madonna or something. All right? There's all these female artists, and boy, sometimes YouTube can be so disgusting, and they promote certain videos, and then you're like, what is this? These women are dressed like harlots, and it's a music video, right? But it's the same. It's like, you know, this music industry, like the songs are, they're making sweet melody, they sing many songs, that they may be remembered, right? You know, they hit the top charts, and people buy their music, and they play it on the radio, and they play it at your workplace, and you're hearing these songs, they kind of sound catchy, but if you spend time, not that you should, but if you went have a look at it, these women are dressed like harlots. They're dressed like prostitutes. Look, that's not the kind of music that we ought to be listening to as God's people. You know, I'm not going to turn around and say, you know, the only songs you should listen to are hymns and psalms. You know, there are some worldly music out there that's half decent, I suppose, but boy, you know, if the artists are dressed like harlots, look, it doesn't matter how sweet-sounding it is to your ears. Look, the whole idea for that song is for fornication, for, you know, indecent thoughts, you know, to commit adultery in the heart. That's not the kind of music that we ought to be listening to. And tyrants, they don't learn the lesson. They go back to their wicked ways. Their women are back to being prostitutes, and singing their songs, and turning the hearts and attentions of men back to themselves. So God is speaking sarcastically of this city. It's like, man, you don't learn. You take captivity for 70 years, and you come back, and you're just as wicked as you were. Verse number 17. And it shall come to pass after the end of 70 years, that the Lord will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth. So tyrants are going to be back to being trading partners with everybody, you know, buying and selling. They're going to be trading their songs, and their fornication, and their sins, and they're going to be expressing that to the whole world. So God just says, look, man, you guys don't just learn anything. You don't learn anything. And so like, you know, as you keep going, like we've gone through these first 17 verses pretty quickly, because it's pretty much the same thing. God's judgment, right? You know, and the wickedness of the city, first it's pride, now it's been a harlot, and all this stuff, and they're back to committing fornication, you know, spiritual fornication, or physical fornication, or just symbolic fornication, you know, just being amongst all the other wicked of the world. They continue doing wickedly. And it just seems like when you get to this, you know, to the verse 17, like there's nothing good to be said for tiring sight on, even in their fornication, even in their wickedness, even in the harlotry. But look at verse 18. And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the Lord. So God is saying, look, there actually will be a good end result for the people of Tyre. Okay, like her merchandise, what we just read were her songs, all right, what's playing on the radio, but at some point, her merchandise will be holiness to God. Okay, so this to me, it means there's going to be singing, there's going to be praising coming out of Tyre and Sidon that is holiness to the Lord, that it's going to be pleasing to the people of God. It says it shall not be treasured nor laid up for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the Lord, to eat sufficiently and for durable clothing. So we're talking also food, we're talking about reignments. And so it looks like there are going to be people in Tyre and Sidon that are providing for the needs of God's people, whether it's food or reignments. Okay, but there's going to be certain people there that actually are going to learn the lesson. There are some people there that are actually going to be righteous before the Lord God. But that, when it comes to Isaiah 23, that's the end of the prophecy there. That's why then we can pick up the story in the New Testament. So come with me now to the book of Mark. Come with me to Mark chapter 3. Mark chapter 3 and verse number 7. Mark chapter 3 and verse number 7. Mark chapter 3 verse number 7. Now obviously Galilee was known as Galilee of the Gentiles as a mix of Jews and Gentiles. People are also following him from Judea. That's the Jews. Okay. It says in verse number 8 and from Jerusalem and from Erumiah and from beyond Jordan. So it's talking about all these different people that want to hear Jesus Christ speak. And then it says this. And they about Tyre and Sidon are great multitude. So not only have you got people of the surrounding lands coming and listening to Jesus Christ, we've got people coming from Tyre and Sidon are great multitude coming to seek the Lord Jesus Christ. These are not Jews. No, these are Phoenicians. These are Gentiles. It says and then continues When they heard what great things he did came unto him and he spoke to his disciples that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude lest they should throng him. For he had healed many insomuch they pressed upon him for to touch him as many as had plagues and unclean spirits when they saw him fell down before him and cried saying Thou art the Son of God and he straightly charged them that they should not make him known. So you know there's a great multitude just pressing, pushing you know to be healed by Jesus. They've heard of his great miracles and this information has come all the way to Tyre and Sidon. And they're like we want to hear about this Jesus. We need to be healed as well. You know they're finally doing the right thing like they're seeking the Son of God. You know even the devils themselves are acknowledging this is the Son of God. Thou art the Son of God. Come with me now to chapter 7. Mark chapter 7. Mark chapter 7. Verse number 24. Verse number 24. And from thence he arose this is speaking of Jesus and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon. So in March of the Three you got people from Tyre and Sidon coming to see Jesus. There were so many of them Jesus was trying to limit how many people were coming he didn't want it to be made known because there's just too many people. But this time four chapters later you know what he's seeing people come from Tyre and Sidon he knows they want to hear of him they want to see his works they want to hear his words so he decides we're going to go to Tyre and Sidon ourselves. And what I love about this brethren is because you know I don't know what it is with certain baptist preachers I don't know what it is like when people teach Jesus Christ only came for the Jews. I'm sure you've heard some variation of that. Okay. He did not come for the gentiles. What's he doing in Tyre and Sidon? The Jews aren't there. You know like he went there he went there for a reason. Let's read it again verse 24 And from thence he arose and went into the border of Tyre and Sidon and entered into an house and would have no man know it but he could not be hid. For a certain woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell at his feet. The woman was a Greek. She's not a Jew no she's a Greek. A sorrow Phoenician by nation. And she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. And Jesus said unto her let the children first be filled for it is not meat to take the children's bread and to cast it unto the dogs. Now I've heard a lot of people quote verse number 27 or they might quote it from another one of the gospel books. Well Jesus Christ is speaking here when he says let the children first be filled he's speaking of the Jews. That the Jews should first be filled it is not meat to take the children's bread the Jews bread and cast it unto the dogs. You know people from Tyre and Sidon the Gentiles. So what's interesting a lot of people take verse number 27 to speak see Jesus did not care for the Gentiles he did not come for the Gentiles he came for the Jews. And they read that verse by itself without understanding the context that it is found. Jesus made the effort to go to Tyre and Sidon. He went there on purpose. And look how she responds. Jesus is not saying I'm not going to look care I don't care for your daughter. That's not what he's saying. Oh you're not a Jew? You're a Greek? I don't care about that it's not for you. What he's doing here is he's testing her faith. You know is she truly trusting the Lord Jesus Christ to do this miracle for her daughter? He says look how she answers verse number 28. And she answered and said unto him Yes Lord yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs. She says well even the dogs get to eat even if it's just the crumbs of the children. Okay so you can see her faith from the Lord Jesus Christ. She's like look yes Lord yes you know you're doing your miracles and you're teaching the Jews but I'm sure you have sufficient to feed these dogs as well. Like she sees herself in the right light. Like you know what we saw in Tyre and Sidon in Isaiah 23 is that they were filled with pride. But for her to be first as a dog she accepts that. She says well I'm humbled you know I'm lowly I'm but a dog but even a dog gets to eat the crumbs that fall off the table. So you see the heart of the people change as the generations have gone on. And look how Jesus Christ responds in verse number 29. And he said unto her for this saying go thy way the devil is gone out of thy daughter. And when she was come to her house she found the devil gone out and her daughter laid upon the bed and again departing from the coast of Tyre and Sidon he came unto the sea of Galilee through the midst of the coast of Decapolis. So just want you to notice this time in March 7 he goes to Tyre and Sidon and there's one woman. Okay but that one woman had a daughter who had a devil you know and that's why he came. He came for that woman he came for that daughter who was struggling with this unclean spirit in her life. But let's drop down a little bit further look at verse number 31. It says that all Jesus Christ came to do for Tyre and Sidon heal one person or look at verse number 31 and again departing from the coast of Tyre and Sidon. Okay so he's departing from the coast he came unto the sea of Galilee through the midst of the coast of Decapolis and they bring unto him one that was death that had an impediment in his speech and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. Now obviously I don't want to misunderstand this is his left but what I want you to pick up is that he's back in Tyre and Sidon again. Like he's traveling back and forth doing this work doing these miracles. I'll just quickly read to you the miracle that he does here. It says verse number 33 and he took aside from the multitude and put his fingers into his ears and he spit and touched his tongue and looking up to heaven he sighed and safe unto him at pap papa that is to say that is be opened and straightway his ears were open and the sting string of his tongue was loosed and he spake plain. But I want you to notice once again how God Jesus Christ is doing these miracles you know in whatever place he finds himself whether it's amongst the Jews or whether it's amongst the Gentiles you see his heart is full of lost his heart is to heal the sick his heart is to help those that are plagued with unclean spirits. So you know it's quite interesting like this judgment formed upon these cities and how wicked they are and yet you know you see people from these cities like their only hope is Jesus Christ. Like when there's so many people in Judea and the Jews that are openly rejecting Christ. You know they're even calling him Beelzebub that he's doing it by the power of the devil they say and yet there are these Gentiles that are seeking you know to just you know just see a little bit of Christ. And so what we get in Isaiah 23 is this hope that there will be this holiness entire and side on. But let's fast forward a little bit further let's go to the book of Acts Acts 21 please Acts 21 and as we return to Acts 21 I'm going to read back to you from Isaiah 23 and you go to Acts 21 in Isaiah 23 I'll read it again it says in verse about 18 and her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the Lord it shall not be treasured nor laid up for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the Lord to eat sufficiently for durable clothing. So the same people of Tyre are actually going to look after God's people they're going to clothe them he's going to feed them they're going to sing songs phrases together then we get to Acts 21 the works of the apostles you know what we're following here right now is the apostle Paul in Acts 21 verse number one and it came to pass that after we were gotten from them and had launched we came up a straight course unto Coos and the day following unto Rhodes oh there's Rhodes brother and from thence unto Patara and finding a ship sailing over unto Phoenicia we went abroad and set forth now when we had discovered Cyprus we left it on the left hand and sailed into Syria and landed at Tyre there we have Tyre okay and there the ship was to unload her burden so Paul is traveling on this merchant ship right that they've got you know cargo and the ship they stop by here they stop at Tyre and they start to unload you know the cargo and things like that now this is super interesting verse number four and finding disciples what? these are gentiles Isaiah 23 the burden of Tyre you know God's judgment on the wicked God's judgment on the prideful God's judgment on the harlots and yet we have this glimpse of hope right at the end of Isaiah 23 and then as we see Jesus Christ they're following Christ they're hearing of Christ you know they're hoping he does a miracle for them then we have Christ going into Tyre and Sidon you know himself performing a miracle in the very place in the very coasts and then we have Paul traveling just you know it's not like he purposed to stop at Tyre it's because the ship that he was with had to stop to unload the cargo and so he gets off and then what happens? he finds disciples he finds believers what? in this gentile city I mean this makes sense for us that it's been prophesied of it makes sense to us now because they followed Christ they desired Christ and so it gets on the ship and people are like hey that's Paul that's the great Paul let's go talk to him it's a look we tarried there seven days who said to Paul through the spirit that he should not go up to Jerusalem look they're saved they even have prophets in Tyre telling Paul hey Paul don't go to Jerusalem the Holy Spirit is warning you don't go there Paul was this obedient hands off going but anyway the point being there are believers there are spirit-fueled believers there are preachers where do you think they came from? from trusting the Lord Jesus Christ how can we turn around and say I just came for the Jews it did come for the Jews but for the gentiles also you know and just like us brethren we will you know thank God that you know as dogs we could eat some of the crumbs that falls off the children's table we were able to receive the blessings that Jesus Christ offered us salvation for the gospel message what I love about that description you know I might say I don't want to see myself as a dog but really we were destined to hell less than a dog really when you think about it okay and what is crumbs falling off the master's table or children's table it's free it's a free gift it's fallen it's not like the dog went to work and earned the meal did they you know it's been offered it's come off the table you know from the master it's a free meal and that's really what we received the freeness of salvation and so you know Paul gets off and they're being looked after by the brethren for seven days I mean this makes sense to Isaiah 23 that if their merchandise is going to be holy to the Lord they're going to be their food their raiment I can understand right as Paul gets off hey let's feed you come stay here Paul we'll feed you Paul you need some new clothes we'll clothe you Paul let's worship let's praise God together let's not sing the song of the harlots let's sing some praises and worship to our heavenly father verse number four again and finally disciples we tarried their seven days who said to Paul for the spirit that he should not go up to Jerusalem and when he had accomplished those days so the seven days are over the week's over we departed and went our way look at this so they're getting ready to leave and they all brought us on our way so they're they're coming with it's like when someone leaves your house you say I'll walk you out you know I'll take you out to the front well that's what they're doing they go Paul will come you know we'll walk you out to the ship as you leave but not only are they leaving it says here we've wives and children like whole families you know even little children you know coming out and seeing Paul and his company right to see him off as he goes back continuing his missionary journeys it says till we were out of the city and then what happens and we kneel down on the shore and prayed like think about this public ministry you know they're all in the city they come out we'll come with you Paul we'll come back to the ship then they see the ship they're at the shore they're like let's pray let's all come together men, women, children Paul and his company let's all just bow our knees let's just pray to our heavenly father let's thank God that you could actually be here teach us be with us for seven days and so I strongly believe the the great promise in Isaiah 23 is being completely fulfilled here in Acts 21 you know and then it says in verse number six and when we had taken our leave one of another we took ship and they returned home again okay they returned back to their city so brethren you know Isaiah 23 like I said you know most of it is just a judgment and again I'm not sure whether it's speaking of Babylon or Assyria but again I just I see when God is judging the wicked and as much as you know we want to see God's judgment and maybe you want to see God's destruction on the wicked we need to understand at the same time it's not just that God simply wants to destroy though when God's wrath does fall on the earth and he casts people to hell that is beyond hope of course but that God wants to see a saved remnant even amongst the gentiles even amongst Tyron Sidon again even amongst Sydney like these chapters of Isaiah many of them have given me a lot of hope as I think about as I meditate upon it because man even even the wickedness and pride and like you know and fornication and what else was that you know that was mentioned in the list but that God can still in his judgment bring forth something good you know and of course he sent Jesus Christ to come yes he's the king of the Jews he came to the Jews first but don't forget that Christ's ministry was for the gentiles also which is why you and I are saved you know so it's like you know there's never like a lost cause like we think of certain nations and we're like you know there are certain nations where maybe you're banned from preaching the gospel but you don't know look you know if things might be so horrible where God just is going to bring down the hammer you know and we might rejoice in God's judgment on the wicked and we should rejoice at God's judgment but what we should be hoping for is that the end result some people are going to know Christ as their savior and we see that with Tyron Sidon the burden of Tyre but God always has an amazing purpose God always has an amazing plan all right brethren let's pray