Jack Hibbs - All Things Considered (01/23/2026)
Introduction to Isaiah Chapter 16
We’ll grab your Bibles tonight, you guys, and turn to where we left off last time in Isaiah chapter 16. Isaiah chapter 16. I remember the last time we were here, we went through Isaiah 15, and we were trying to finish 16. So tonight we will do chapter 17. I have had my sights on chapter 17, verse 1, for such a long time. I have failed repeatedly to get there. And tonight, what we’re going to do—in fact, what we’ll probably do from this time onward in the book of Isaiah—is take a chapter or two and extract out of that chapter, based on the context, things that are very, very applicable for us in our day and age. It’s not that the entire book isn’t—it is—but we’re going to be pulling out important things that specifically apply to us in our day.
All Things Considered
You guys, the title of the message tonight is «All Things Considered.» If you write that down—“All Things Considered.» It’s really part two of our study, though it’s a different title. All things considered, as believers we are to be knowing the Word of God. In Isaiah chapter 16, by way of overview, these 14 verses teach us this: that Moab—the area of Jordan today—on your map, you don’t need to memorize Moab or Edom, just know this—it’s now today the Hashemite Kingdom. King Abdullah, that is there, the king—he’s over the Kingdom of Jordan today. And Jordan plays a very key role in Bible prophecy. It’s amazing.
Jordan in Bible Prophecy
I love this. Here we are 21 centuries since the coming of Jesus Christ, and here we have in our hands the Bible that goes back to, obviously, the penning of the Scriptures through Moses thousands and thousands of years ago. And here we are in the 21st century, on this new year, we’re talking about the kingdom of Moab in ancient times—nearly 3,000 years ago from this moment back to the time of Isaiah. But we’re going to be led by Isaiah the prophet to a time yet future, and it deals with the nation of Jordan. I love that because here we are today, and Jordan’s on your map. It’s not a nation like the Hittites that once were and now they’re gone, the Amorite kingdom—the Amorites, they once were, now they’re gone.
God Knows the Future
Think about that. Think about, for example, the Egyptian empire—it’s gone. Egypt’s there, but the empire is gone. Well, tonight we’re talking about Jordan and what God has in store for it. And we’re going to be looking at that because God knows the future. That’s one of His profound, awesome attributes as the God of the Bible. But we’ll take a couple of rabbit trails, if that’s what we’re going to call them, to bring it home to us. Believe that or not. So listen, all things considered—I got to tell you, with Bible open, I don’t know if we should have newspapers up here right now with Bibles open. Should we be reading our newspapers as much as we’re reading our Bibles right now?
Global Makeover Today
It is absolutely amazing what’s happening out there in the world on an amazing scale. And there’s a global makeover that’s taking place right now as we watch around the world. As the prophet begins to speak in Isaiah chapter 16, he begins to make these proclamations regarding the judgment of nations. And from chapter 15 through 16 and onward into the mid-chapters, the 20s, he’s speaking about national judgments. These are nations that mistreated—listen—mistreated Israel. And we’ll read this in the future as well. And they are being punished for their dealings with the nation of Israel.
Warning Against Anti-Semitism
Now, in an audience like this, you guys may all understand Bible prophecy or not—I don’t want to make that assumption. Let’s say tonight you’re not only not aware of Bible prophecy, but let’s say that you’re here tonight or you’re watching tonight and you are just absolutely antagonistic against Bible prophecy. You don’t want to know anything about it. Or maybe there’s even a spirit more malicious than that—that for whatever prejudice or biases or religious reasons, you hate the nation of Israel, you hate the Jew, you can’t stand them, and it just—you know, you hate them. Just know this: the Bible talks about nations and people groups who have hated the Jewish people, and they come to nothing. They come to destruction.
Historical Empires Gone
That’s serious. Where’s Hitler? Where’s Germany today? Where are the empires of the world that have attacked this little tiny country? And yet they’re gone, and yet Israel still exists. What’s the deal? What’s going on? It’s not so much the people or the nation, ladies and gentlemen. The fact is that God has set His hand upon them, and He’s not asking for our approval. It’s God. It’s His workings. It’s what He does. Listen, best to obey God no matter what your feelings may be or whatever your professor at college is telling you. Best obey God and live than swallow some sort of bias and wind up kicking against God in the end.
Saul’s Example
Isn’t that what Saul of Tarsus was doing—kicking against God? And when he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, Syria, to go kill Christians, didn’t the Lord respond to him and say, «Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?» Don’t you know—are My people, My church—don’t you know that it’s hard to kick against the goads? Those are like needles or nails that hit the back of an ox when an ox wants to rebel and back up—that they back up into the needles and it pokes their ankles, keeps them going forward. And Jesus says, don’t you know that’s a ridiculous way to live your life.
Monumental Prophetic Moment
So listen, for all of us tonight, be very wise, be very careful, because God is at work among the nations right now. We are sitting in history—I don’t know if you feel it, I’ve realized it—but you and I are sitting at a monumental moment prophetically in the world. And I want to talk about some of those things tonight. That’s why the title is «All Things Considered.» Daniel chapter 2, verse 21—Daniel 2:21 says, «And He”—that is the Lord—“changes the times and the seasons. He removes kings and He raises up kings.» Who does that? God does that.
Humbling of Nations
Isaiah chapter 2, verse 11: «Human pride will be brought down, ” says God, „and human arrogance that is among the nations.“ Think of that. „We’ll be humbled. Only the Lord will be exalted on that day of judgment.“ God will humble all haughty or arrogant people and nations. God brings them down low—including in America. I believe God is bringing America down now. You say, „Well, no—don’t you think progressives are?“ Nope. „Don’t you think liberals are?“ No. „Don’t you think the Republicans are?“ Nope. „What about the Democrats?“ No. Listen, God’s doing this. That’s a sobering thing, but it’s a fact.
Nations for God’s Glory
God raises up nations. God pulls them down. We don’t want to hear that for our country, but it’s exactly what’s going on when we consider these things. Vitally important. So listen, remember—and I’ll touch on it, but we’ll move on—the first thing we saw in chapter 15, verses one through nine, was this: God must judge the nations according to the Bible. And I’m gonna get a little sarcastic here in a moment, but I’m doing it with love—please receive this. But nations were created to give God glory. Nations—think of that right now—nations were created to give God glory. God calls the nations from the beginning to be submissive to Him, to be obedient to Him, to consult Him, to follow Him.
Judgment for Disobedience
But when nations don’t—and that’s what chapter 15 is about, and 16—when nations don’t, they bring upon themselves judgment. And I want to ask you this question tonight—here’s my loving sarcasm: How many of you are for justice? Right? Come on, what’s wrong with you—raise your hands. Justice. We hear a lot about social justice. But yeah, you know what—in an educated society, we know if there’s anything that’s good and anything that’s right, you got to have justice. If somebody steals your car and kills your dog and breaks your piggy bank and takes your money, you call 9-1-1. You want something done. It’s my right that I get my whatever it is. That’s justice. And it’s big—it’s big to us.
God as Judge
Did you know that God is the engineer and designer of justice? And did you know—listen, this is where I get sarcastically loving—that Jesus is not a peace-neck Jesus, is not a hipster Jesus, is not a hippie Jesus, isn’t even „cool“ Jesus. Jesus is God Almighty. And the Bible says He’s coming back to judge the nations. People today want to reduce the sovereignty and the glory of God down to a marketable, pocket-sized version of God—a Jesus style that is one-size-fits-all. Yet He’s the God who rules heaven and earth, and He is the God who will judge all things. And He’s coming. He’s coming back.
Second Coming Literal
The Bible says He’s coming. And a lot of people today are saying, „Well, that’s figurative speaking.“ You know what—just remember that when you see Him coming in the atmosphere. „I thought that was going to be figuratively.“ No, He’s coming. And listen, He’s going to judge the nations. And we saw that Psalm 110—Psalm 110, verse 5 says, „The Lord is at Your right hand; He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath.“ Ladies and gentlemen, church family, people—look at that. The Bible says that when He comes back, He’s going to execute kings in the day of His wrath. You think He’s joking?
Shocking Holy God
This shocks so many young people today because they don’t see this holy version of Almighty God. He’s coming back. We want to keep Jesus kind of surf-looking, kind of Newport Beach-like, walking down the beach—kind of down by Brookhurst or Magnolia Street—and you just gotta have a surfboard. Or the Sunday school Jesus. He’s not coming back like that. That verse goes on to say, verse 6: „He shall judge among the nations, He shall fill the places with the dead, He shall execute the heads of many countries.“ This is the Bible, ladies and gentlemen. This is the second coming of Christ.
Christ’s Throne in Jerusalem
When we look at Isaiah chapter 15 and 16, He’s talking about the nations being judged because—listen—it’s going to be the opening scene, actually, of Christ taking His throne in Jerusalem according to the Bible. The next time the world sees Jesus, the Bible says it’s going to be terribly awesome—terribly awesome. Revelation 19, verse 11 says, John says, „Now I saw heaven open, and behold a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.“ This is Jesus Christ. „His eyes were like a flame of fire”—this is Jesus—does this kind of rock some of your world right now?
Description of Returning Christ
„And on His head were many crowns. And He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called the Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes—can you imagine, He’s descending, He’s coming—out of His mouth, ” verse 15 says, „a sharp sword proceeds out of His mouth, that with it He should strike the nations. He Himself will rule them—here’s, listen, if you’re taking notes, this is the millennium—Christ in the second coming comes to establish His kingdom, and it is the millennial reign.
Millennial Kingdom
„And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron or authority. He will be King over all the earth, ” the Bible says, „for a thousand years. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.“ What do you think of that? This is awesome. This is Jesus. This is Jesus. He’s coming back. He’s coming back in power. He’s coming back with eyes of flame of fire. He’s coming back in righteousness. He will shake the earth, the Bible says. He will shake the earth when He comes.
Second Coming vs Rapture
Jesus is coming. I’m not talking about the rapture—I’m talking about the second coming of Christ. One: He comes in the atmosphere to receive His people and back to heaven He goes—I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about His literal physical return to earth when His feet, according to the book of Isaiah and the book of Ezekiel and Zechariah, His feet touch the earth, and He walks again on the earth—Jesus Christ. This is going to be awesome.
C.S. Lewis on God’s Invasion
And I want you to hear C.S. Lewis and how he wraps this up, this concept: „Why is God landing in this enemy-occupied world in disguise and starting a sort of secret society to undermine the devil? Why is He not landing in force, invading it? Is it that He is not strong enough? Well, Christians think He is going to land in force; we do not know when. But we can guess why He is delayed. He wants to give us the chance of joining His side freely. I do not suppose you and I would have thought much of a Frenchman who waited till the Allies were marching into Germany and then announced he was on our side. God will invade.
The Moment of Invasion
But I wonder whether people who ask God to interfere openly and directly in our world quite realize what it will be like when He does. When that happens, it is the end of the world. When the author walks onto the stage, the play is over. God is going to invade, all right. But what is the good of saying you are on His side then, when you see the whole natural universe melting away like a dream and something else—something it never entered your head to conceive—comes crashing in; something so beautiful to some of us and so terrible to others that none of us will have any choice left?
No More Choice
For this time it will be God without disguise; something so overwhelming that it will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every creature. It will be too late then to choose your side. There is no use saying you could choose to lie down when it has become impossible to stand up. That will not be the time for choosing; it will be the time when we discover which side we really have chosen, whether we realized it before or not. Now, today, this moment is our chance to choose the right side. God is holding back to give us that chance. It will not last forever. We must take it or leave it.“
Invasion of Man’s Rule
Powerful words from Mere Christianity. He’s saying there’s going to be a moment when He comes and the time for choosing will have passed. There won’t be another opportunity. God will invade. And when Christ comes in the second coming, He’s invading the rule of man, the government of man, the tyranny of man in a world whose nations have gone crazy in their sin. And He’s returning, according to the Bible, to the land of Israel.
Nations Aligned per God’s Will
And that takes us now to this chapter 16 and the second argument: nations are being aligned per His will. In these 14 verses, the announcement is being made that God is saying, „Moab, I’m against you. You were in alignment against My people, and I’m going to deal with you. You are going to be brought down.“ Now, the amazing thing is God will judge Moab—Jordan—but He will not destroy them. God’s got a special place, as I said in the opening, for the nation of Jordan.
Isaiah 16 Verses
And so look at verse 1, chapter 16: „Send the lamb”—this is a tribute, our taxes—“to the ruler of the land, from Sela”—circle the word Sela—Petra or Basra—“to the wilderness, to the mount of the daughter of Zion. For it shall be as a wandering bird thrown out of the nest; so shall the daughters of Moab be at the fords of the Arnon.“ Verse 3 to verse 5 is where we’ll spend tonight, and just leave the chapter to this: „Take counsel, execute judgment; make your shadow like the night in the middle of the day”—I’ll explain this in a moment—“hide the outcast.“
Hiding Israel’s Outcasts
If you’re a note-taker, the outcast are the people of Israel. Moab—hide the people of Israel. „Hide the outcast.“ This is something yet coming. Isaiah’s speaking about an event that’s going to happen in the near prophetic fulfillment 3,000 years ago, and then he drifts remarkably in his prophecy to a future event—to things that have not yet happened—that there’s going to be Sela—Petra—it will be available, and the command that God gives to now—we know Jordan—is to hide the outcast. „Do not betray him who escapes.“ Just mark that down.
Shelter from Antichrist
„Let My outcasts dwell with you, O Moab; be a shelter to them from the face of the spoiler”—circle that and write „Antichrist—future event.“ „For the extortioner is at an end, devastation ceases, the oppressors are consumed out of the land.“ Verse 5: „In mercy”—watch this, this is the second coming, this is when Christ returns—“in mercy the throne will be established; and One will sit on it in truth, in the tabernacle of David, judging and seeking justice and hastening righteousness.“
Israel’s Existence Today
Amazing statements. The profound existence tonight of the nation of Israel in light of all the things that are going on—considering everything that’s taking place in the world right now. Bible students, listen: you’ve got Israel existing as a nation again. You’ve got these nations around the world that are being positioned or repositioned. And it’s remarkable. My fear is that there’s so much going on right now that we could sleep through some of these monumental moments.
Closing Prayer
Father, we thank You for Your Word. We thank You, God, that You are the God of gods, the King of kings, the Lord of lords. You are the one true God. Your Word never fails. And Father, I just pray right now that we would go forth in boldness, recognizing that You are God. Father, may we worship You right now in closing from the depth of our heart and soul. In Jesus' name. And all God’s people said, Amen.