30"Doom, rebel children!" GOD's Decree. "You make plans, but not mine. You make deals, but not in my Spirit. You pile sin on sin, one sin on top of another,H1945H5637H1121H5002H3068H6213H6098H5258H4541H7307H5595H2403H24032Going off to Egypt without so much as asking me, Running off to Pharaoh for protection, expecting to hide out in Egypt.H1980H3381H4714H7592H6310H5810H4581H6547H2620H6738H47143Well, some protection Pharaoh will be! Some hideout, Egypt!H4581H6547H1322H2622H6738H4714H36394They look big and important, true, with officials strategically established in Zoan in the north and Hanes in the south,H8269H6814H4397H5060H26095but there's nothing to them. Anyone stupid enough to trust them will end up looking stupid— All show, no substance, an embarrassing farce."H3001H5971H3276H5828H3276H1322H27816And this note on the animals of the Negev encountered on the road to Egypt: A most dangerous, treacherous route, menaced by lions and deadly snakes. And you're going to lug all your stuff down there, your donkeys and camels loaded down with bribes, Thinking you can buy protection from that hollow farce of a nation?H4853H929H5045H776H6869H6695H3833H3918H660H8314H5774H8314H5375H2428H3802H5895H214H1707H1581H5971H32767Egypt is all show, no substance. My name for her is Toothless Dragon.H4714H5826H1892H7385H7121H2063H1992H7293H76748So, go now and write all this down. Put it in a book So that the record will be there to instruct the coming generations,H935H3789H3871H2710H5612H3117H314H5704H5703H57699Because this is a rebel generation, a people who lie, A people unwilling to listen to anything GOD tells them.H4805H5971H3586H1121H1121H14H8085H8451H306810They tell their spiritual leaders, "Don't bother us with irrelevancies." They tell their preachers, "Don't waste our time on impracticalities. Tell us what makes us feel better.H559H7200H7200H2374H2372H5229H1696H2513H2372H412311Don't bore us with obsolete religion. That stuff means nothing to us. Quit hounding us with The Holy of Israel."H5493H1870H5186H734H6918H3478H7673H644012Therefore, The Holy of Israel says this: "Because you scorn this Message, Preferring to live by injustice and shape your lives on lies,H559H6918H3478H3988H1697H982H6233H3868H817213This perverse way of life will be like a towering, badly built wall That slowly, slowly tilts and shifts, and then one day, without warning, collapses—H5771H6556H5307H1158H7682H2346H7667H935H6597H662114Smashed to bits like a piece of pottery, smashed beyond recognition or repair, Useless, a pile of debris to be swept up and thrown in the trash."H7665H7667H3335H5035H3807H2550H4672H4386H2789H2846H784H3344H2834H4325H136015GOD, the Master, The Holy of Israel, has this solemn counsel: "Your salvation requires you to turn back to me and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves. Your strength will come from settling down in complete dependence on me— The very thing you've been unwilling to do.H559H136H3069H6918H3478H7729H5183H3467H8252H985H1369H1416You've said, 'Nothing doing! We'll rush off on horseback!' You'll rush off, all right! Just not far enough! You've said, 'We'll ride off on fast horses!' Do you think your pursuers ride old nags?H559H5127H5483H5127H7392H7031H7291H704317Think again: A thousand of you will scatter before one attacker. Before a mere five you'll all run off. There'll be nothing left of you— a flagpole on a hill with no flag, a signpost on a roadside with the sign torn off."H259H505H6440H1606H259H6440H1606H2568H5127H3498H8650H7218H2022H5251H138918But GOD's not finished. He's waiting around to be gracious to you. He's gathering strength to show mercy to you. GOD takes the time to do everything right—everything. Those who wait around for him are the lucky ones.H3068H2442H2603H7311H7355H3068H430H4941H835H244219Oh yes, people of Zion, citizens of Jerusalem, your time of tears is over. Cry for help and you'll find it's grace and more grace. The moment he hears, he'll answer.H5971H3427H6726H3389H1058H1058H2603H2603H6963H2199H8085H603020Just as the Master kept you alive during the hard times, he'll keep your teacher alive and present among you. Your teacher will be right there, local and on the job,H136H5414H3899H6862H4325H3906H3384H3670H5869H7200H338421urging you on whenever you wander left or right: "This is the right road. Walk down this road."H241H8085H1697H310H559H1870H3212H541H804122You'll scrap your expensive and fashionable god-images. You'll throw them in the trash as so much garbage, saying, "Good riddance!"H2930H6826H6456H3701H642H4541H2091H2219H1739H559H331823God will provide rain for the seeds you sow. The grain that grows will be abundant. Your cattle will range far and wide.H5414H4306H2233H2232H127H3899H8393H127H1879H8082H3117H4735H7462H7337H373324Oblivious to war and earthquake, the oxen and donkeys you use for hauling and plowing will be fed wellH504H5895H5647H127H398H2548H1098H2219H7371H421425near running brooks that flow freely from mountains and hills.H1364H2022H5375H1389H6388H2988H4325H3117H7227H2027H4026H530726Better yet, on the Day GOD heals his people of the wounds and bruises from the time of punishment, moonlight will flare into sunlight, and sunlight, like a whole week of sunshine at once, will flood the land.H216H3842H216H2535H216H2535H7659H216H7651H3117H3117H3068H2280H7667H5971H7495H4273H434727Look, GOD's on his way, and from a long way off! Smoking with anger, immense as he comes into view, Words steaming from his mouth, searing, indicting words!H8034H3068H935H4801H1197H639H4858H3514H8193H4390H2195H3956H398H78428A torrent of words, a flash flood of words sweeping everyone into the vortex of his words. He'll shake down the nations in a sieve of destruction, herd them into a dead end.H7307H7857H5158H2673H6677H5130H1471H5299H7723H7448H3895H5971H858229But you will sing, sing through an all-night holy feast! Your hearts will burst with song, make music like the sound of flutes on parade, En route to the mountain of GOD, on the way to the Rock of Israel.H7892H3915H6942H2282H6942H8057H3824H1980H2485H935H2022H3068H6697H347830GOD will sound out in grandiose thunder, display his hammering arm, Furiously angry, showering sparks— cloudburst, storm, hail!H3068H1935H6963H8085H7200H5183H2220H2197H639H3851H398H784H5311H2230H68H125931Oh yes, at GOD's thunder Assyria will cower under the clubbing.H6963H3068H804H2865H5221H762632Every blow GOD lands on them with his club is in time to the music of drums and pipes, GOD in all-out, two-fisted battle, fighting against them.H3605H4145H4294H4569H3068H5117H8596H3658H4421H8573H389833Topheth's fierce fires are well prepared, ready for the Assyrian king. The Topheth furnace is deep and wide, well stoked with hot-burning wood. GOD's breath, like a river of burning pitch, starts the fire.H8613H6186H865H4428H3559H6009H7337H4071H784H7235H6086H5397H3068H5158H1614H1197
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