Isaiah, Chapters 27-28
Isaiah 28:16 · Vern Peterman · Jul 2, 2006
Isaiah, No. 26
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://www.hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/48262355396445

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

Good morning. For those of you who may be joining us for the first time, we have a practice as we're proceeding through the book of Isaiah of first beginning summarizing the chapter or chapters that we're in, and then zeroing in on a particular verse or verses. and looking at that in more detail. So that's the pattern we'll follow this morning. Your handout has page numbers on it, and this number in the corner is the page number on your handout. If there's no page number on the slide, take a picture or write fast. OK.

Now, God has a point to make about stone here this morning, and so we'll be taking a look at this passage certainly in more detail here shortly. We're going to start off with this, the summary. And we're going to summarize chapter 27 this way. It's about the difficulties to come upon Israel, but not ending with that, because it will be followed by a restoration of Israel and the worship of the Lord. This is looking towards a time yet to come in the future, a time of tribulation and then the Lord's coming. The next chapter, chapter 28, where we have our focal point verse here, It's about the evils of the people of Israel and the judgments that are to come upon them. It's about the things that God will have to do in order to make things right once again. And so that's the quick summary on those two chapters. I want to point out before we zero in on our verse that there are portions of Isaiah 28 that look as if they were written for little kids.

Isn't that interesting? Let's take a look here. Some chapters in the Bible are written with Hebrew letters. This is kind of a general background. that have an acrostic idea. And it'd be similar to what we have in English. We have A is for apple, B is for ball, C is for cat, and so on through the alphabet.

I give here the example Psalm 111, 112, and Psalm 119, and Lamentations 1 are examples of some of the books that have that kind of an acrostic pattern. And this acrostic psalm here listing is a more thorough listing of the ones in the psalms and what the pattern is for their beginning. This and something else I'll show you subsequently is on a special handout that's on the cabinet to the right as you exit this room if you want to have a copy of that. I showed one particularly to Crystal because I thought in working with the kids that would be something that would be interesting for her to convey to them.

In order for the kids to learn their aleph, beth, gemels, they have to be able to have things like this, a handy tool. All these psalms have that characteristic, starting with the letters in the Hebrew alphabet. So they'd start here. Remember, Hebrew reads from right to left, so it's opposite. Aleph, beth, gemel, taleth, et cetera. Now, an interesting point. Last November, Dr. Ron Tappe announced that he found a stone with a Hebrew alphabet on one side. And it's dating from the time right after the time of Solomon. So this is actually a couple hundred years before the book of Isaiah was written.

Here is the location in the excavation where they had found it. This little circle that you see right there is actually where they found this particular stone. Here's Dr. Tappe with a portion expanded so you can see what that looks like. It was scratched out on one side of the stone. Now, something very interesting. This is the shape of the stone. The bottom flat side has got the alphabet. The top side is a bowl. And I can imagine some Hebrew mother saying, now Shlomo, when you're finished with your breakfast, turn your bowl over and practice your alphabet. Okay. That's kind of the way it probably was. The only problem is the 38 pound bowl. So it's, it's also physical exercise. That's good for the kid. All right.

Portions of Isaiah look as if it were written for kids. This Isaiah 28 chapter 9 through 13 that comes across as with an adult message, but it's said in Hebrew or Jewish nursery rhymes. Isn't that interesting? It's almost as if the Lord were saying, how basic do I have to get? Okay. How basic do I have to get with you, is the way the Lord is expressing it here with them.

Isaiah 28.9-13, it's like a collection of nursery rhymes, and it looks like this.

And this also is on the handout if you want to grab a sample for yourself there. And it's interesting, it's got little sections. And this also, the parts we have in blue, translated here, order on order. You might've heard the alternate translation, precept upon precept, okay? That's from this passage here. That particular part, order on order, line upon line, is repeated. And again, the whole thing, and the first verse there, first couple of verses, almost looks like a lullaby. So very, very interesting.

If you think that this is a little rough for a little kid's nursery rhyme, this last line, that they may go and stumble backwards and be broken, snared, and taken captive, you would say, wait a minute, that in a nursery rhyme? Now think of Jack and Jill, okay? There are other nursery rhymes that have some pretty rough things in them, and some of them are almost in code for political things of the Middle Ages. And so this is an example in our own culture of nursery rhymes are a little rough.

Anyway, also make note of here, this section 11 and part of 12 are quoted in 1 Corinthians 14 and 21 regarding the gift of tongues. So right out of that nursery rhyme, if you will, is where Paul draws from in order to give instruction on the gift of tongues.

All right, now looking at the passage here, The Lord had been telling the people about all their faithless ways, all the ways in which they had most certainly disobeyed the Lord. And what the Lord does here, because they had not been trusted, He tells them, look, here is what I'm going to have to do to set things straight.

I'm going to do some things in the near term, and I'm doing something else that's longer term. So that's what this particular verse is doing. It's telling us what God is doing in response to the unfaithfulness. And it's a good thing. It's a very good thing. But it's something that God has to do.

Notice that this word stone shows up a few times in the verse there. And he's telling them again, this is in very simplistic, picturesque language that he's trying to get this across here. just following the passage about the nursery rhymes. So again, he's trying to speak to them very plainly, very literally.

These three words are translated from different Hebrew words, even though it looks similar in English. And we'll take a look at some of the shades of meaning and the difference between them shortly here. Let me explain something first to give you an illustration.

Here is a kind of a reconstruction picture of Herod's palace in Jericho. In Jericho, this is the same place where Jesus was with Zacchaeus and passing through as he was headed up toward Jerusalem and for the last week before he was crucified. Here's Herod's palace, which was quite a place and it was about a thousand feet below sea level. So very warm during the winter even.

Here's what it looks like out on the ground. And I show that because that would be an example of major buildings and the way they were constructed. What they would do is they would dig down, sometimes all the way to bedrock. They would dig down to solid earth. They would lay a stone down as the base stone, solidly and firmly placed on the ground. Then they would place the blocks on top. Now they didn't just do it all the same. Here's how they did it.

They started off with a cornerstone. and then used the cornerstone to orient all the other blocks in the foundation. That they built the wall on top of and all the other parts of the structure. So the cornerstone was used to orient everything in the building. Everything in the foundation was set by the cornerstone. How you get that set and the quality of the cornerstone and its angles, and the blemish-free character of the cornerstone was critical.

So as we look at this passage here, these things are to be kept in mind. That's what he is describing here. I'm going to lay a cornerstone. But he starts off saying a stone, and then he gives further description of it, none of which we should ignore.

This is Isaiah's words spoken as if from God himself, Thus says the Lord, as Isaiah and other prophets were prone to say. This stone gets across to these people what God is doing, even in Isaiah's day and afterwards. He's going to follow through on this. It reveals God's plan for how He's going to deal with Judah and with others, other human beings on planet Earth as well.

And God's plan will extend beyond time. God's plan will extend into eternity. based on what Isaiah is telling them, I'm doing it right now. I'm accomplishing it right now. But it's not just for temporary effect. This is something long term and it's going to last forever.

He has this word, therefore, which gives us a clue. He isn't just popping an idea out without any thought. He isn't just laying out some random series of ideas. He is making a conclusion. He says, look at all the things that are going on with you. Let me tell you what I'm going to do based on, logically, based on everything that I've told you and my assessment of what's happening here. This is a long-term plan. It is eternal. It is not something short-term or short-sighted. It is a logical approach. It is God's plan based on His limitless knowledge and His unending love.

He says, Thus says the Lord, and this is a phrase that we see a number of times out of the prophets, but while certainly this is inspired scripture, it gives us something with even more emphasis This is most certainly directly from the Lord's mouth, so to speak, to the people of Judah. Isaiah is being used as God's instrument to speak exactly what God has for them to hear. These words are exceedingly special because they come from the Lord with unparalleled authority.

Someone else can give an opinion. A king can even issue an edict. But what the Lord says here is something that extends beyond the time of even this earth, beyond the time of this universe. This word, behold, now that's something we want to stop and take a look at. I also want to make a correction here. This isn't the idea of holding a bee. Not a good idea. I tried that when I was four years old. It does not work. That's not what we're talking about.

This behold is a word that lays out something that is Hugely significant. It's very special. It is significant and momentous. It is massive in its meaning. We saw before in Isaiah 7.14 where Isaiah used this word, and it was right in the middle of a prophecy.

And what did he say? Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and she will call his name Immanuel." He used this before when he was telling about Jesus Christ coming. So he's using it here. What does he mean by that? It's a metaphor we've used before to explain this word, behold, and we explain it this way.

It means stop and take a mental picture. You'll want to remember this. Certainly Isaiah wouldn't have thought those words, but that's the way it would be helpful for us to understand it. Fix it in your mind. Take a mental picture of what I'm describing here, okay? So behold is, take a mental picture, get that in your head. Think about it. Keep it in your mind. That's what he's trying to tell them.

So he says, I am laying in Zion a stone. And notice that the focus here, I am laying. God is the one speaking, isn't he? So it's being clearly laid out. God is saying, I am the one who was laying. Now, this is not talking about laying on a stone. God is laying a stone. So the rest of this sentence here, we're going to see reference to this stone. And it's not incidental that God starts out before He even tells us about the stone, saying, I am the one laying it.

I am the one doing it. Human beings would do well to recognize that in our human condition. It is God who takes initiative. It is God who takes initiative. Repeatedly through scripture, we see that fact. God is the one who takes initiative. He is the one who takes action. And it is our place to depend upon the action that He has taken, the initiative that He has shown. He is the Savior, not us.

Here's an example out of Galatians 4, 4 and 5. Paul writing some centuries after Isaiah says, but when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son. His Son just didn't happen to pop out, or He didn't say, okay, I'm heading to earth now, and the Lord's talking up there in heaven, and God says, okay, see you later. Let me know when you're back. No. God sent forth His Son. God took the initiative. God took the action of His own self-direction. In the Greek Old Testament, it has an emphatic here.

I am laying. He doesn't just say, I am laying. He says, I am laying. I am the one doing the laying. He says, you, Judah, are doing this and this and this, and you're failing to do this and this and this. Here is my response. I will take action. I will not just pace the floor of heaven, wring my hands, and wonder what on earth I'm going to do next. I am going to take the initiative. In Zion, that's not Zion National Park. No, it's a little farther away than that. Zion is the name of a hill in Southern Jerusalem. This is a map drawn in the late 1800s. I use it because I think it illustrates the topography pretty well and fairly clearly.

And here's the Mount of Olives where Jesus spoke to the disciples telling them what was going to happen in and around Jerusalem. and the week before is crucified. It is the mount from which Jesus ascended. And of course, we were identified with Christ. So guess what? You were there. This is the Mount Moriah where the temple was built. And this is Mount Zion that also, by the way, happens to be the location where Jesus had the last supper. So that's what is used as a kind of as a figure of speech. Zion is used for Jerusalem in the whole.

So location here, location is critical. Here's Denver, here's DIA, this is a God's eye view. And you are about here, all right? Now, to the godly Jew in biblical times, how did they look at location? To them, everything was centered in Jerusalem. They even used the phrase Jerusalem in the midst of the earth. They looked at everything being centered in Jerusalem. And that was the principal place of the heart for the godly Jew. You look at Psalm 137 and it talks about Israel and specifically Jerusalem being a place that I would never forget. Never would it come out of my mind.

To the believer in Christ now, however, the church is the body of saints from Acts 2 until the time of the rapture. The principal place of the heart for the believer is in the heavenlies. You have, as we studied in Philippians, a heavenly citizenship. He urges the believers in Philippians 1, verse 27, live as citizens. Conduct yourselves as citizens of the heavenly place where you have your citizenship.

He lays a stone. These are a couple of small words, but it is the center of significance in this passage, in this verse, and actually in the chapter. A stone. At first, you might say, well, it's just a stone. Yeah, but it's a special stone, as I'll go on to describe here. This stone is Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

It's just like we saw in Isaiah 7.14, Behold, a virgin shall bear a son. This is foretelling the Messiah. How is he laying the stone? By the descendancy of David, living right during Isaiah's time, and that descendancy of David being preserved.

We've been told that God is laying the stone, God himself, and where it's being laid, Zion, being the synonym for Jerusalem there, in the heart of Israel, not just in the heart geographically, but the heart spiritually, the heart in terms of the seat of the emotions as well. Here are some Bible passages you have on page two of your handout referring to Christ as a stone. We're obviously right here in the second one, which is Isaiah 28, 16.

We studied a whole couple years back in Ephesians 2.20, another place where it referred to Christ, and it specifically referred to him as the cornerstone. There are a number of other passages we point out here. Now, this list is not exhaustive. Why?

Because we have Colossians 1.23, which talks about firmly established, using a word that means established and founded as a foundation.

We could point to other passages like 1 Corinthians 3.11, which refers to Christ as being the foundation. So this is just the beginning. A tested stone. Now, think about it. He starts off first, this is just a stone. Why does the stone have to be tested? Why does Jesus Christ have to be tested? Why would they test a stone? Why does that matter? What does it mean?

Well, we'll soon see. This isn't just some generic rock. Hey, let's pick a rock, that one. No, this is not that random a pick here. This is a principle foundation stone. Everything else will be set based on this stone. We'd better pick right. So Jesus Christ was the precisely right person to pick, not a random selection by the Lord. In those days, that stone was picked very carefully. It was shaped within very tight tolerances.

Some of the stones that are in major structures, like the retaining wall holding the temple mount now, over in Egypt, the pyramids, many of those stones are so tight where it's not weathered, you cannot get a knife blade in between the stones, even if the stones are as much as 50 tons. they are incredibly tight, especially considering what, at least we would consider, the technology that they had during those days. This tested stone, the word here, and I bring this up because it's interesting, it's not absolutely certain, it seems possible that it's a word borrowed from the Egyptian language, where they would take a gage stone that was extremely flat and they would hold it up against another stone to make sure that they had flattened it sufficiently. And if they saw gaps, then they would pull the gauge stone away and take off the high spots. And so it appears that this word here is from the Egyptians' use of this gauge stone that would determine this is extremely flat.

We have a series in your handout there of foundations and temples. In Bible times, especially in the middle and latter portions of the Old Testament, Foundations for temples were picked very carefully. They didn't just say, that's a good spot, go for it. They picked them very, very carefully. Everything was considered. They even would have at times a priest be involved, sometimes several of them, sometimes leading the selection of that site. It was not something that you did just arbitrarily or they say, oh about there. No, it was picked very carefully.

The foundation would be set in place oriented by that cornerstone. They would set the cornerstone in place. Everything else was guided by how that cornerstone was set. All the rest of the foundation stones would be set off of that. All the rest of the building then would be built up from that cornerstone.

Every other stone, by that I don't mean alternating stones, I mean one and the next and the next, would be oriented from that cornerstone, so they put a great deal of care and attention into picking it, shaping it, again the tested stone, gauging it, and then placing that cornerstone very carefully.

In our modern buildings, we have examples usually when something gets started like this, we'll have these guys who never use a shovel stand around, they'll do one shovel, turn it over, and then turn it over the people that really used it, right? and so we'll have these ceremonies to start some construction or at the end they have some scissors the size that nobody ever uses for this ribbon-cutting ceremony. Well in those days what they would do is they would put a great focus upon the placing of this cornerstone. Big gatherings of all kinds of people. The Cornerstone Foundation would be one where they would have all sorts of dignitaries gathered, they would say blessings over the stone, they would engrave things on the stone, and they would also even lay a time capsule next to this cornerstone because that was an important time and an important moment. Think of it, a costly cornerstone.

Was our Lord, our Savior, not a costly cornerstone? Was he not one tested? Yes, this one indeed meets all the specifications. Just like the cornerstone that they would seek out in those days, was he not one that they say, yes, this is one without blemish.

This is one worthy to build the entire house. This is one worthy to build the entire structure. This is one, certainly, that is a costly cornerstone. We've invested everything into it. Did our Lord not invest everything into him for our sake. The cornerstone was firmly placed.

They would set it down very carefully. They didn't want it to be something they set down. Oh, it's rocking. They didn't want to be set down and have it go snap. They didn't want to set it down and have it shift. They didn't want to set it down and have it settle afterwards.

So they would very carefully pick the stone, craft it, and set it firmly in place, knowing quite well, yes, it's there, it's going to stay there, it won't crack, it will not shift, it will not move, it's solid. This placement of the stone was exceedingly important because the buildings that they would build would be designed to last for centuries, well beyond the lifetime of anyone there. That was the intent. So when this is laid out here, he's talking about Christ as the cornerstone.

It's not something short term. This isn't a whim. This isn't a quick fix. This is an eternal solution. This is a cornerstone on which the building can be built and last forever. Think of it as believers. We have been set on the cornerstone of Christ. We can count upon how we've been identified in His death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and seeding. Most certainly, God has not given us a shaky foundation. When He comes again, is that God's best guess? No, it is certain. He is one upon whom we can count. So, how do we get a part of this? How does one get to participate in this building with Christ as the cornerstone? How does that happen?

Isaiah answers very clearly. No mincing of words. No foggy speech. No dancing around. He who believes. That's the answer. He who believes. It's not effort. It's not, hey, I'm worthy. It's not, hey, I can pull this off. Pick me, pick me. None of that. Don't pick me. There's only one way to believe. That's it. Any part of the building sitting on top of the foundation is relying on that foundation for support. Isn't that true? It's true here. Isn't that nice that the building is holding us up?

I'll try not to jump too hard next time. That's the kind of belief that Isaiah is talking about here. This is not hypothetical belief, is it? If somebody tells me, you know, Vern, do you believe that the Newtonian law of gravitation is true? And I say, yeah. Now I can say yes to about that and it's somewhat hypothetical, but when I step onto a building like this, I'm depending upon it, aren't I? And that's why the Lord uses this picture very clearly.

This is not intended to be something just hypothetical. Oh yeah, I believe in that in a sort of a theoretical, hypothetical sort of way, in an academic truth. No. It's to be depended upon personally. He who believes in Christ. That's the criteria he set out.

This belief is to depend ultimately upon what God has done in Christ. Notice how emphatically the Lord says, I am laying this. It is belief on what God is doing, not what we can do or will do or should do. It's God's accomplishment that's being pointed to here. We're relying on Christ and His character and His accomplishment. Now, it says, He who believes in it.

Now, in English, that sounds pretty small. Maybe not that consequential, but these words are very, very big, tiny words. A person must believe in Christ as the chief cornerstone. Must. He who believes and does so to the point of dependence, he who depends upon, trusts in, in reliance, is the one who receives this next promise here. Christ is the one to save us eternally from the penalty of sin. Those who have believed in Him for that relief from the penalty of sin, He is asking for us to continue to believe daily, to be saved from the power of sin.

Now, what's about this will not be disturbed question here? Will not be disturbed has nothing to do with getting in a hornet's nest. I've tried that too, but believe me, that's not what it's about. It doesn't mean God hangs a do not disturb sign on your door.

It goes beyond that. The King James has this as not make haste, and that actually is the literal meaning of those words there. It carries across the idea of the Hebrew pretty well. But the thought is this. that he who believes will not be in this panicked, frenzied mode of life. He who believes and trusts in the Lord will not be harried, will not be frazzled at heart.

What he's writing is the verse we studied last week, that message. He says, will not be disturbed, that's the negative statement. The positive statement, the steadfast of mind you will keep in perfect peace because he trusts in you. That's the message. He's repeating again here in the negative statement.

So as we look at these verses here, Ephesians 2, 19-22, he's Paul is writing to the Gentile believers, so then you're no longer strangers and aliens, but are fellow citizens with the saints, are of God's household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.

The church is built upon Jesus Christ as the cornerstone, the one by whom all the other stones are oriented. The chief support of the entire church, every single one. Jesus Christ is the cornerstone set in place by the Lord himself. All the rest of the stones, all the rest of the church is oriented by the one God set firmly in place, Jesus Christ. Now, some key points about this Christ as the foundation stone. God is the one who set Christ as the foundation stone. We've seen that certainly in this verse. We can see it in other verses as well.

There will be those who reject and stumble over Him. That's another thing that some of these verses that we've listed here lay out. There will be those that reject and stumble over Christ. It's important for us to know that. If we look around and say, well, what's everybody else doing? We're going to see people that reject Him. We're going to see people who stumble over Him. That is no reason for us to say, no, not that one. I'll pick another one. It doesn't work. So we're warned about that.

We're told, look, Christ is God's cornerstone. He is the one. Regardless of what the world does, we need to understand that's God's provision and trust in him alone. God says, I am laying a stone. Christ is the foundation stone for the saved people of all three people groups. One of the points we've made previously is the Gentiles, the Jews, and the Church. The first two are ethnic groups. The third one is not. All those three groups have Christ as the foundation stone. All three groups. Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone. So we look at this verse. Who is the one speaking in this verse? Who's saying it? Who is the one who initiates the spiritual construction? He's the one who gets it started. He's the one who sets it in motion and carries it out.

What's the one valid response that it says that you and I can have? What's that one response? Belief. That's it. That's the one valid response. I'll try harder to be a good Christian. It's not, oh Lord, I'll quit worrying, I'll quit worrying, I'll pray a lot, I promise. No. It's belief. It's trust and rely on Him. Not worrying or frenzied or disturbed about our shortcomings. Trusting in Him.

It's all about what God has revealed. God is the one who has spoken Himself. He is the one who intentionally has revealed Himself. This verse lays out what God has done all along. God is the one who has taken the action. What is revealed in His Word?

Those are the spiritual facts. That's why we studied them this morning. Those are the God revealed facts. That's what we want to know. Our one response to those God revealed facts believe in what he said. We have, as we pointed out before, these various revelations that God has given, and these last two particularly we're taking note of this morning. Scripture, wherein God has revealed the things that we need to know. And Jesus Christ, God's special revelation, and the one who is the cornerstone on whom we need to depend. So how are we saved?

Like we saw in Isaiah 28.16, God is the one who has taken the initiative to act for our benefit. God, in taking the initiative for us, laid down Christ as the cornerstone. That's God's answer. That's God's solution. Christ, in being tested, as He was tested, He's set in place as the cornerstone. He laid down his life. That's a spiritual fact. That's one we're called to believe.

The only question, just like Isaiah puts it in 28.16, do you believe it? It's the medicine you need. It's the medicine you need. Forgiven all. Those who believe are forgiven all. You need that. It's God's prescription. God did everything to bring it about, our places to believe, and nothing more, nothing less.

So we pointed out here 1 Corinthians 15, 1 through 11. Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, by which you also are saved. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, there's the gospel, that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures.

And so you, what's the response? Believed. Okay? Believed. And then, about how we live now, that gets addressed as well. We're told in the New Testament epistles about how we who have believed were identified with Christ in his death, his burial, his resurrection, ascension and seeding, seeded in the heavenlies. Those are the spiritually revealed facts.

But they're not just academia. Oh, that's a lot of nice fluff. No, it's to be believed. It's to be lived out. That's why we're told it. Not just to hold it off as some hypothesis. Not as, gee, that's really nice, but put it aside. No, to be lived out day by day.

The only valid response to this question then is, do we believe it? Do we believe it? Faith and the spiritual facts. Do we believe them? You see, we have truths to grow on, spiritually speaking, but the only way to live it is to believe it. That's the way the Lord has laid it out. It's by faith. It's not by our effort. It's not by our working real hard or making sure that we have this or that accomplished or that not undone. It's belief and that's all. Isaiah has actually laid it out very clearly here. What's our one valid response to believe it?

Paul says in Galatians 2.20, I have been crucified with Christ. It's no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith. I live by faith in the Son of God, the cornerstone, who loved me and gave himself up for me. To grow from the truth, the revealed truth, the spiritual facts, one must believe it. To believe it, one must know its contents.

And so we meet this morning to learn what the Lord has laid out. Not to be kept as, gee, that's a nice hypothesis. Boy, that's a great academic theory. But real life for ourselves, for the people we care about, our families, our homes, friend, our marriage, we live that at work of all places. and among us here, even as we meet, to believe that one who believes will not be harried, frenzied, or have frazzled limbs. Let's pray.

Lord, we thank you that you have taken the action. We thank you that our simple response is but to believe what you have spelled out, to believe what you have laid down. We thank you that, like the cornerstone, you've carefully selected and carefully laid and tested Jesus Christ, the one on whom we depend utterly. And so we respond now just saying thank you and looking to you as the one who is always faithful, always reliable, always dependable. Upon you we can trust. Thank you in Jesus' name. Amen.