I. EXORDIUM:
Have you seen the lay counselors of Zoan? Don't bother they're all foolish.
II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:
Believers
III. OBJECTIVES:
To show that even leaders of a so-called local church can be foolish even drunkards.
IV. TEXT:
Isaiah 19:14-15 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
The Lord has sent a spirit of foolishness on them, so all their suggestions are wrong. They cause Egypt to stagger like a drunk in his vomit.
There is nothing Egypt can do. All are helpless— the head and the tail, the noble palm branch and the lowly reed.
V. THESIS:
Discover the characteristics of foolish leaders as pictured by the leaders of Zoan.
VI. TITLE:
Counselors of Zoan
VII. EXPLICATION:
Parallel verses:
Isaiah 28:7 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
Now, however, Israel is led by drunks who reel with wine and stagger with alcohol. The priests and prophets stagger with alcohol and lose themselves in wine. They reel when they see visions and stagger as they render decisions.
1 Kings 22:23 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
“So you see, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all your prophets. For the Lord has pronounced your doom.”
A. Author: Isaiah - son of Amos, prophesied during reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah.
B. Isaiah is regarded as greatest Old Testament prophet: (1) preeminently the prophet of redemption, (2) passages in this book are among the finest in literature.
VIII. MAIN BODY:
A. What is Zoan?
1. Zoan is an Egyptian city. (Numbers 13:22) A plain in Egypt where the GOD's miracles have been done in front of the eyes of the Israelites. (Psalms 78:12, Psalms 78:43) Came from the Hebrew word "Tsoan" which means "a place in Egypt." (Ezekiel 30:14) Most probably located along Southern Egypt. (Ezekiel 30:14)
Numbers 13:22 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
Going north, they passed through the Negev and arrived at Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai—all descendants of Anak—lived. (The ancient town of Hebron was founded seven years before the Egyptian city of Zoan.)
Psalms 78:12 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
the miracles he did for their ancestors on the plain of Zoan in the land of Egypt.
Psalms 78:43 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
They did not remember his miraculous signs in Egypt, his wonders on the plain of Zoan.
Ezekiel 30:14 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
I will destroy southern Egypt, set fire to Zoan, and bring judgment against Thebes.
2. Zoan symbolizes foolish leaders. (Isaiah 19:11, Isaiah 19:13)
Isaiah 19:11 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
What fools are the officials of Zoan! Their best counsel to the king of Egypt is stupid and wrong. Will they still boast to Pharaoh of their wisdom? Will they dare brag about all their wise ancestors?
Isaiah 19:13 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
The officials of Zoan are fools, and the officials of Memphis are deluded. The leaders of the people have led Egypt astray.
3. Egypt symbolizes sin or a carnal church.
B. Characteristics of Zoan's leaders:
1. The LORD has sent a spirit of foolishness to them.
a. If you follow foolishness, you may wander from from the faith. (1 Timothy 6:21)
b. Leaders of Zoan symbolizes foolish leaders of a local church.
1 Timothy 6:21 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
Some people have wandered from the faith by following such foolishness. May God’s grace be with you all.
2. All their suggestions are wrong. (Job 12:20)
If their suggestions are wrong, then leaders of Zoan don't have insight.
Job 12:20 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
He silences the trusted adviser and removes the insight of the elders.
GOD's Words gives insight to the leaders and people of GOD. Without it, all leaders are clueless. Want to know which leader or member of your church does not read or meditate GOD's Words regularly? Ask them for insights, if they don't have any, then it's proof that they're not reading GOD's Words or meditating it regularly. (Psalms 19:8)
Psalms 19:8 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living.
3. They cause people to stagger like a sick drunkard.
Jeremiah said that the cause of being his drunkard is because of the false prophets. (Jeremiah 23:9)
Jeremiah 23:9 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
My heart is broken because of the false prophets, and my bones tremble. I stagger like a drunkard, like someone overcome by wine, because of the holy words the Lord has spoken against them.
If you stagger like a drunkard, look at your leaders of the church.
4. Nobody in them can offer any help (Matthew 25:40)
a. rich or poor
b. important or unknown
Matthew 25:40 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’
The LORD said if you offer any help to least of our brethren or refuse to help them, you are refusing to help the LORD Himself. These foolish leaders of this so-called church of God church refuses to help the LORD because no one can be picked on them, whether rich or poor, important or unknown, all of them refused to help and turn the other way. They are very far from the Good Samaritan which they profess or lie that they follow. All these hypocrital leaders can offer are hypocritical "desire to help", "sympathy" but afterwards it's nothing. (Luke 10:30-37) All they are like clouds with no rain. (Proverbs 25:14)
Luke 10:30-37 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling on a trip from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.
“By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by.
A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.
“Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him.
Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him.
The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’
“Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.
The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”
Proverbs 25:14 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
A person who promises a gift but doesn’t give it is like clouds and wind that bring no rain.
IX. CONCLUSION:
Stay away from these foolish leaders of a church, you won't get anything from them.
