Well Danny, this has been
one really blessed Camp Meeting.
00:00:53.34\00:00:59.30
All right. Ya'll agree?
Say "Amen, praise the Lord. "
00:00:59.50\00:01:02.39
It really has. I mean
we say this every year.
00:01:02.49\00:01:04.87
Isn't it amazing? How
many of you come and say
00:01:04.97\00:01:06.93
"This is the best
Camp Meeting ever! "
00:01:07.13\00:01:08.84
Yeah. But either our memories
are short or it really is!
00:01:09.04\00:01:11.54
It just keeps getting
better and better. It does!
00:01:11.74\00:01:13.89
Mollie is always saying
this; she said it again today.
00:01:14.09\00:01:17.08
And she's said it every
time that we've ever had a Camp
00:01:17.38\00:01:21.04
Meeting. And you know,
I told her the same thing.
00:01:21.15\00:01:23.65
And actually I have more energy
at the end of this Camp Meeting
00:01:23.95\00:01:28.32
than I've ever had at one.
00:01:28.42\00:01:29.83
Well, any time you're
in the presence of the Lord
00:01:30.03\00:01:31.97
it's gonna be good
for sure. That's right.
00:01:32.07\00:01:33.67
And I've really felt like that.
All the sermons, the music.
00:01:33.87\00:01:36.35
And special thank you
to Pastor David Asscherick
00:01:36.56\00:01:40.75
for being here and sharing.
Hasn't it been enlightening?
00:01:40.95\00:01:43.24
Amen. And don't you like to hear
somebody teach you something
00:01:43.44\00:01:46.05
you didn't already know? Yeah.
You know, we as Adventists...
00:01:46.15\00:01:48.74
we kind of... we're a
little bit know-it-alls, right?
00:01:48.94\00:01:50.67
I mean, we kind of know
the Bible and all of that.
00:01:50.87\00:01:53.28
But I like to hear a guy
who can tell you something
00:01:53.48\00:01:55.70
you didn't already know.
It bothers me a little bit
00:01:55.80\00:01:58.14
he's so young and
he knows so much -
00:01:58.24\00:01:59.83
yeah, yeah - but
I'm happy about it, too.
00:02:00.03\00:02:01.56
You don't like kids telling you
stuff you didn't already know,
00:02:02.80\00:02:05.62
but in this case I accept it.
00:02:05.82\00:02:07.23
Yeah, we really love this guy.
00:02:07.43\00:02:09.52
He kind of has
our DNA, you know.
00:02:09.72\00:02:12.59
I think he would feel right
at home around here, Danny.
00:02:12.99\00:02:16.29
Well, we've been telling
him you know, maybe he ought to
00:02:16.39\00:02:19.28
make this his home. I
think he should; I really do
00:02:19.38\00:02:22.91
because he has a real
gift for sharing the gospel.
00:02:23.84\00:02:28.58
Yeah, he does. Absolutely.
And a heart for it for sure.
00:02:28.68\00:02:31.19
We may not get to say
too much to those on the air
00:02:31.39\00:02:34.11
when it's over. We'll be able
to talk to those that are here,
00:02:34.31\00:02:36.83
but we just want to
thank them for joining us
00:02:37.03\00:02:40.77
and being with us
and for standing with us
00:02:40.97\00:02:43.61
and being so
generous to this ministry.
00:02:43.81\00:02:47.61
We have great things ahead.
00:02:47.81\00:02:49.62
We're excited
about those things.
00:02:49.82\00:02:52.01
All the things that
are happening. Thank you -
00:02:52.21\00:02:54.98
for those of you at
home - for your help.
00:02:55.08\00:02:57.58
And talk about
going to India and Russia.
00:02:57.78\00:02:59.94
What we bit off today
is huge: $25,000 a month -
00:03:00.15\00:03:03.08
yeah - added to
our budget for Russia.
00:03:03.28\00:03:05.35
That's right. I mean, that's
a lot of money if you think
00:03:05.55\00:03:07.43
about it. But
somehow the Lord will bless.
00:03:07.53\00:03:09.68
He always has. But
I just thank you, Jim,
00:03:09.88\00:03:11.85
for saying: "You know what?
We're not going to worry about
00:03:11.95\00:03:14.16
the money; we're
going to go forward. "
00:03:14.26\00:03:15.64
Thank the Lord. I
was sitting in the back
00:03:15.75\00:03:17.47
and it just overwhelmed me
that we have to move forward.
00:03:17.67\00:03:21.35
I had no choice, Danny.
It was... the Lord just...
00:03:21.38\00:03:24.67
And when I called
Brian, he's our treasurer,
00:03:24.77\00:03:27.77
he was driving. He
wrecked a car and...
00:03:27.97\00:03:31.86
But when he got it
back on the road he...
00:03:32.00\00:03:34.39
Poor Brian's getting it tonight.
00:03:35.45\00:03:37.61
he said: "I vote
for it; I vote for it. "
00:03:37.81\00:03:40.26
And Mollie the
same; you the same.
00:03:40.46\00:03:43.09
And actually when
we announced it here
00:03:43.39\00:03:46.38
Julia... that was the
first you had heard it.
00:03:46.58\00:03:49.70
And she said: "This is the
second most wonderful thing
00:03:49.90\00:03:52.77
that every happened to me. "
00:03:52.97\00:03:54.14
The first was the
birth of her grandchild
00:03:54.34\00:03:57.01
and the second was hearing
this announcement this morning.
00:03:57.21\00:04:00.22
If you've got grandchildren,
you know what that's like.
00:04:00.52\00:04:04.67
That's right; that's right.
00:04:04.87\00:04:06.47
That's a big praise the Lord.
00:04:06.57\00:04:07.64
Well, we've got some
music coming. Somebody you know
00:04:07.74\00:04:09.98
pretty well.
Somebody singing tonight?
00:04:10.08\00:04:12.03
This wouldn't be
Darrell, would it?
00:04:12.24\00:04:13.85
Could be. Darrell Marshall.
Drinkin' From the Saucer.
00:04:13.95\00:04:17.06
Yeah, there's a song that
he... Have any of you heard him
00:04:17.26\00:04:21.02
sing that song
Drinkin' From The Saucer? Yeah.
00:04:21.12\00:04:23.25
He says: "Everywhere I go and
travel that's the people's #1
00:04:23.46\00:04:28.07
favorite most requested song. "
00:04:28.17\00:04:30.30
And so we're happy that
Darrell is here tonight.
00:04:30.50\00:04:33.15
He's happy in the
Lord and his wife, Brenda.
00:04:33.35\00:04:35.67
Wonderful pair; wonderful team.
00:04:35.87\00:04:37.52
But he's going to
come out and sing for us
00:04:37.72\00:04:39.86
Drinkin' From The Saucer.
And then after that, Jim?
00:04:40.06\00:04:42.75
Yeah well, after that
our speaker David Asscherick
00:04:42.88\00:04:45.97
will come with
the final presentation
00:04:46.17\00:04:49.77
on the covenants. And we're
going to be blessed by that.
00:04:49.97\00:04:53.27
Darrell, we're glad
you're here. Thank you.
00:04:53.57\00:04:56.69
I've never made a fortune
00:05:12.83\00:05:17.33
and it's probably too late now.
00:05:19.64\00:05:25.22
Oh, but I don't
worry about that much
00:05:26.67\00:05:31.12
'cause I'm happy anyhow.
00:05:33.03\00:05:38.96
As I go along life's journey
00:05:40.30\00:05:45.91
I'm reaping better
00:05:46.96\00:05:49.09
than I've sowed...
00:05:49.49\00:05:55.23
I'm drinkin' from my saucer
00:05:55.54\00:05:59.97
'cause my cup has
overflowed. Ain't that good?
00:06:00.37\00:06:05.59
Amen.
00:06:05.79\00:06:06.86
Ain't got a lot of riches;
00:06:08.37\00:06:12.55
sometimes the goin's rough.
00:06:14.10\00:06:18.29
Listen to this:
00:06:19.78\00:06:21.04
But I've got a friend in Jesus
00:06:21.24\00:06:26.25
and that makes me rich enough.
00:06:27.56\00:06:32.19
Oh yes...
00:06:32.49\00:06:34.42
I thank God for
all His blessings on me
00:06:34.72\00:06:40.42
and the mercy
00:06:41.54\00:06:43.87
that He's bestowed.
00:06:44.27\00:06:49.90
I'm drinkin' from my saucer
00:06:50.59\00:06:54.96
'cause my cup has overflowed.
00:06:55.83\00:07:00.99
You know, my friend,
sometimes sadness and sorrow
00:07:03.53\00:07:07.16
comes our way. There
doesn't seem to be much we can
00:07:07.26\00:07:10.07
do about it. But I remember
that one night when I was
00:07:10.17\00:07:14.08
at my very lowest I
looked up into heaven
00:07:14.19\00:07:16.84
and I touched His
precious nail-scarred hand.
00:07:17.04\00:07:19.88
God promised us
that He'd be faithful
00:07:20.18\00:07:22.53
to reach down and pick
us up and restore us to new.
00:07:22.73\00:07:25.61
Has He done
that for you tonight?
00:07:25.81\00:07:27.77
So Lord, help me not
to grumble and complain
00:07:29.88\00:07:34.76
about the tough rows
00:07:36.21\00:07:38.29
I have hoed...
00:07:38.59\00:07:44.53
I'm drinkin' from my saucer
00:07:45.30\00:07:49.85
'cause my cup has overflowed.
00:07:50.25\00:07:55.76
And if I should go on living
00:07:57.30\00:08:02.02
and if my way gets
00:08:03.47\00:08:05.78
steep and rough
00:08:06.08\00:08:09.62
I'm not going to ask
for other blessings...
00:08:10.44\00:08:14.31
And do you know why?
00:08:14.41\00:08:15.67
'cause I feel that I'm
already blessed enough.
00:08:15.87\00:08:21.14
Ah, this is my
prayer for you tonight:
00:08:21.54\00:08:24.00
That I may never be too busy
00:08:24.30\00:08:29.09
I don't ever want to
be too busy, friend -
00:08:29.29\00:08:31.24
to help another
00:08:31.44\00:08:33.31
bear his load...
00:08:33.51\00:08:39.41
You see, I'm
drinkin' from my saucer
00:08:39.61\00:08:44.95
'cause my cup has overflowed...
00:08:45.25\00:08:50.82
Yes, I'll be
drinkin' from my saucer, Lord,
00:08:51.32\00:08:56.55
oh yes I will,
00:08:56.75\00:08:59.77
this cup has
overflowed. Tell me tonight:
00:09:00.27\00:09:04.93
has your cup
00:09:05.33\00:09:07.82
overflowed?
00:09:08.02\00:09:13.36
Amen... amen.
00:09:13.56\00:09:16.38
Amen! Thank you, Darrell.
00:09:19.80\00:09:21.62
All right. Have we
had a great Camp Meeting?
00:09:23.95\00:09:25.76
Yeah... we've had a
wonderful Camp Meeting.
00:09:27.05\00:09:29.68
And they'll tell you that in
the back as I was getting ready
00:09:29.88\00:09:33.08
for this particular...
the final, the sort of
00:09:33.18\00:09:35.85
climax to our series on the
covenants, I was just bubbling.
00:09:36.05\00:09:38.74
I am so excited about this
presentation I can't contain
00:09:38.94\00:09:41.23
myself. So I'm going
to forego any niceties
00:09:41.34\00:09:43.97
and we're just going to
pray and get into the Word.
00:09:44.17\00:09:45.99
Is that cool? All
right, let's do it.
00:09:46.29\00:09:48.29
Father in heaven, we
come before You just now
00:09:49.80\00:09:51.78
and we want to thank you
for all of the good gifts
00:09:51.98\00:09:54.79
that come down from above.
As Pastor Lomacang was quoting
00:09:54.99\00:09:57.42
that verse there, it just
reminds us that everything
00:09:57.52\00:10:00.80
from a beautiful song
to a good meal to a lovely
00:10:01.01\00:10:03.66
Sabbath Day, the warm
sunshine and everything else
00:10:03.76\00:10:06.19
that every good gift
comes directly from You.
00:10:06.40\00:10:08.67
And Father, the greatest of
gifts is the gift of salvation,
00:10:08.87\00:10:12.07
the gift of Christ. And
we've been talking about that
00:10:12.27\00:10:14.82
from the perspective
of this covenant between
00:10:14.92\00:10:16.72
the family of God
and the family of earth.
00:10:16.82\00:10:18.57
Father, as we seek to land
this plane now and to bring
00:10:18.97\00:10:22.09
some of these threads -
these various threads that we
00:10:22.29\00:10:24.13
have yet out - I
pray that You will help me
00:10:24.23\00:10:26.42
to explain and to
speak of scripture -
00:10:26.52\00:10:31.21
to dig into scripture in
a way that will make this
00:10:31.41\00:10:34.72
very clear, very beautiful,
and very life-changing.
00:10:34.92\00:10:38.23
Be with us now, Father. Send
Your Spirit into this place,
00:10:38.63\00:10:41.63
into our hearts,
and into these halls.
00:10:41.83\00:10:43.51
And we anticipate
Your presence among us.
00:10:43.72\00:10:46.43
Be with us now, Father,
in our last presentation
00:10:46.63\00:10:49.04
of Camp Meeting. In
Jesus' name let everyone say
00:10:49.24\00:10:51.58
Amen.
00:10:51.88\00:10:53.22
All right, let's
talk about the covenant.
00:10:54.38\00:10:56.56
We're going to do our
review, if at all, at the end
00:10:56.76\00:10:59.04
and I want to literally
just pick up the story from
00:10:59.24\00:11:01.85
exactly where we had ended it.
00:11:02.06\00:11:03.81
We had talked about the
fact that God as a covenantal
00:11:04.11\00:11:07.20
reality - Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit - has made
00:11:07.40\00:11:09.79
a series of
covenants with humanity.
00:11:09.99\00:11:12.21
We saw that He made a
covenant with Adam for example
00:11:12.41\00:11:14.63
that was a covenant to
eat of every tree but not of
00:11:14.83\00:11:17.61
this particular tree, and Adam
was disobedient to the covenant.
00:11:17.71\00:11:20.26
God then "reset the
hard drive" so to speak
00:11:20.66\00:11:23.26
and He started over with
His new man - His new Adam -
00:11:23.47\00:11:26.37
and that was Noah.
God extended Himself
00:11:26.57\00:11:28.90
in covenantal
relation to Noah, and Noah was
00:11:29.10\00:11:31.77
partially faithful in the
sense that he made the ark, etc.
00:11:31.88\00:11:34.85
But later he too failed and
came short of God's covenantal
00:11:35.05\00:11:38.85
promise. And in the book of
Genesis which we've mentioned
00:11:38.95\00:11:42.00
several times it's as if
the author, Moses, is racing
00:11:42.10\00:11:44.65
right up to Genesis chapter 12
00:11:44.95\00:11:47.28
because he wants to get
to the story of Abram - who
00:11:47.58\00:11:50.21
later becomes Abraham.
Abraham becomes the pivotal
00:11:50.31\00:11:53.76
figure, the fulcrum on which the
entire Old and New Testaments
00:11:53.86\00:11:57.92
hinge. And that's why you
have this very-strongly-weighted
00:11:58.02\00:12:01.69
emphasis in Genesis
in the last 39 chapters
00:12:01.79\00:12:04.96
it covers just a few...
you know, 150, maybe 100 years
00:12:05.07\00:12:08.07
where the first covers
the better part of 2,000 years
00:12:08.27\00:12:10.17
of earth's history.
Racing to get to Abraham
00:12:10.27\00:12:12.85
because Abraham did not seek
to... well in a sense he did...
00:12:13.05\00:12:17.28
we're going to get to
that in just a moment... but
00:12:17.48\00:12:18.63
the thing that Abraham
did right - we're not going to
00:12:18.74\00:12:20.85
talk about all the
things he did wrong -
00:12:20.96\00:12:22.49
is the Bible says: "He
believed the promises of God. "
00:12:22.69\00:12:25.95
He did what, everyone?
00:12:26.35\00:12:27.61
He believed the promises of God.
00:12:27.91\00:12:29.59
And he did have one little
hiccup, and we talked about
00:12:29.62\00:12:31.58
that - circumcision - in
which God gives him an ongoing
00:12:31.68\00:12:34.34
sign and symbol for
him and his descendants
00:12:34.44\00:12:36.77
that they were not to try
and fulfill God's promises
00:12:36.97\00:12:39.85
but they were to trust that God
would fulfill His own promises.
00:12:40.05\00:12:42.33
Amen? And yet the rest of
the history of the Old Testament
00:12:42.53\00:12:47.28
and much of the rest
of the history of Israel
00:12:47.48\00:12:49.21
is basically an uninterrupted
succession - an uninterrupted
00:12:49.41\00:12:53.40
series - of God extending His
hand in covenant faithfulness
00:12:53.50\00:12:56.54
and it being
rejected, rejected, rejected.
00:12:56.74\00:12:58.76
The followers - the descendants
of Abraham - coming short of
00:12:59.06\00:13:02.04
the covenant: coming short,
coming short, coming short,
00:13:02.14\00:13:03.81
coming short, coming
short so that we finally arrive
00:13:03.91\00:13:06.40
in Daniel toward the
end of the Old Testament
00:13:06.61\00:13:08.88
and we find Daniel
praying. And the first thing
00:13:09.08\00:13:10.96
out of his mouth as he's pray-
ing there in Babylonian exile,
00:13:11.07\00:13:13.55
"Oh Lord, the
great God, You who... "
00:13:13.75\00:13:17.74
And what's the
first thing that he says?
00:13:17.84\00:13:19.15
"You who keeps the covenant. "
00:13:19.93\00:13:21.98
"You have kept the covenant. "
00:13:22.18\00:13:24.14
And it's as if God has
extended his hand over and over
00:13:24.24\00:13:27.49
and over and over again
00:13:27.59\00:13:29.79
in wooing and beckoning
and inviting His people.
00:13:29.99\00:13:34.51
In fact, the longing
desire of God's heart -
00:13:34.61\00:13:36.19
and you find this refrain
over and over again in the Old
00:13:36.39\00:13:38.17
Testament - is this:
that "I will be their God... "
00:13:38.27\00:13:41.46
Can you finish this?
00:13:41.66\00:13:42.69
"and they will be My people. "
00:13:42.72\00:13:44.65
You find that refrain that just
comes up over and over again.
00:13:44.75\00:13:47.00
God wanted to say
that of Adam in the garden.
00:13:47.10\00:13:48.82
"I am his God and he is
My son, Eve is My daughter. "
00:13:49.12\00:13:52.44
He wanted to say it of
Noah when the thoughts of man
00:13:52.64\00:13:54.65
were only evil
continually. "I am his God
00:13:54.75\00:13:57.46
and he is My people. "
00:13:57.66\00:13:59.04
It's the same thing
that He said of Job.
00:13:59.15\00:14:00.38
"Have you considered My
servant Job? " And God finally
00:14:00.48\00:14:03.01
finds Abraham. And
when He find Abraham
00:14:03.21\00:14:07.46
He makes this
series of promises.
00:14:07.66\00:14:09.71
"I will give you the
land and I will keep covenant
00:14:09.81\00:14:11.75
and you will have descendants
as the sand of the seashore
00:14:11.95\00:14:15.36
and the stars of the
sky. " And the Bible says
00:14:15.46\00:14:17.32
"Abraham believed God. "
00:14:17.42\00:14:19.68
Now there's a very
interesting thing -
00:14:19.88\00:14:21.46
go to Genesis chapter 15-
that happens right in the midst
00:14:21.56\00:14:24.62
of that. And it's... Frankly
it's just a little weird.
00:14:24.72\00:14:28.15
Genesis chapter 15.
00:14:28.25\00:14:29.95
And it really is
communicating here
00:14:30.97\00:14:34.85
the severity
and the significance
00:14:35.06\00:14:38.67
of the nature of the covenant
that God made with Abraham
00:14:38.87\00:14:44.03
and the way that those covenants
were taken in ancient times.
00:14:44.26\00:14:49.88
Let me just say it that way.
In Genesis chapter 15 we find -
00:14:50.08\00:14:52.67
we'll pick it up in verse 8.
00:14:52.77\00:14:55.96
This is where Abram says:
"Lord God, how will I know
00:14:56.16\00:14:59.02
that I shall inherit
it? " And He said to him:
00:14:59.12\00:15:01.59
'Bring me a 3-year-old heifer,
a 3-year-old female goat,
00:15:01.79\00:15:04.68
a 3-year-old lamb, a turtle-
dove, and a young pigeon. '
00:15:04.78\00:15:07.13
Then he brought
all these to Him. "
00:15:07.34\00:15:08.70
Now watch this: "And
He cut them in two. "
00:15:08.84\00:15:11.05
Bring these various things. How
do we know that this covenant?
00:15:11.26\00:15:15.22
How will we know that
the covenant will be true?
00:15:15.42\00:15:17.11
That You will do all of the
things that You say You will do?
00:15:17.21\00:15:19.29
We need something...
And this is very much
00:15:19.49\00:15:20.62
in keeping with what's called
ancient Near Eastern tradition.
00:15:20.72\00:15:23.50
OK? You bring these three
animals, and then notice that
00:15:23.70\00:15:26.90
they're cut in two. Hold
onto that; that's exactly
00:15:27.00\00:15:29.72
where we're going to
end up with at the end of
00:15:29.82\00:15:30.85
the whole presentation.
It says that they were cut
00:15:30.88\00:15:33.48
in two... It
says: "down the middle.
00:15:33.58\00:15:36.15
They placed each
piece opposite the other,
00:15:36.35\00:15:38.90
but he did not
cut the birds in two.
00:15:39.00\00:15:40.55
And when the vultures
came down to the carcasses
00:15:40.75\00:15:42.83
Abram drove them away. "
00:15:43.03\00:15:44.21
Now verse 12 is a
fascinating verse.
00:15:44.31\00:15:45.80
This is the
kind of strange part.
00:15:46.01\00:15:47.41
It says: "Now when the sun
was going down, a deep sleep
00:15:47.61\00:15:50.64
fell on Abram, and
behold horror and great darkness
00:15:50.84\00:15:55.50
fell upon him. "
This is like a nightmare.
00:15:55.70\00:15:58.38
In the midst of this
ratification of the covenant
00:15:58.58\00:16:01.14
these animals have
been severed into two.
00:16:01.24\00:16:04.01
And incidentally,
what that means is
00:16:04.11\00:16:06.10
that if you are untrue to the
covenant or I am untrue to the
00:16:06.30\00:16:08.72
covenant, may this happen to me.
00:16:08.82\00:16:11.30
May I be severed in two.
00:16:11.50\00:16:13.43
May I be cut in two
just as these animals have.
00:16:13.53\00:16:15.82
It was a far more solemn
and somber ratification of
00:16:16.02\00:16:19.87
a covenant than
a mere handshake.
00:16:19.97\00:16:21.43
Just as these
animals have been split,
00:16:21.83\00:16:23.74
just as these animals
have been bifurcated and split
00:16:23.84\00:16:26.39
down the middle, may the
same happen to you and/or to me
00:16:26.49\00:16:29.30
if I violate the
terms of this covenant.
00:16:29.50\00:16:31.69
And so Abraham then lays
down and he goes to sleep.
00:16:31.89\00:16:34.76
And the Bible says a
deep darkness came upon him.
00:16:34.96\00:16:37.74
Notice what it says:
not just a deep darkness.
00:16:37.94\00:16:39.64
It says: "A horror and
great darkness came upon him. "
00:16:39.84\00:16:43.24
In other words, he had
a tremendous nightmare.
00:16:43.64\00:16:46.92
He had a nightmare.
00:16:47.12\00:16:49.55
Now watch what happens
in the very next verse.
00:16:49.75\00:16:51.06
Verse 13: "Then He said to
Abram: 'Know that certainly your
00:16:51.46\00:16:55.49
descendants will be strangers
in a land that is not theirs.
00:16:55.59\00:16:57.80
And they will serve them
and they will afflict them
00:16:57.90\00:16:59.05
for 400 years. ' And the
nation... " I'm trying to find
00:16:59.15\00:17:02.18
the place here... OK,
verse 17. Jump down to verse 17.
00:17:02.28\00:17:04.09
"And it came to pass
when the sun went down
00:17:04.29\00:17:05.93
and it was dark that behold
there appeared a smoking oven
00:17:06.13\00:17:10.08
and a burning torch that
passed between those pieces
00:17:10.28\00:17:14.22
on the same day the Lord
made a covenant with Abram. "
00:17:14.52\00:17:17.14
What a strange thing.
Abraham falls into this deep
00:17:17.34\00:17:19.91
slumber - this nightmarish
sleep -and as he sort of awakens
00:17:20.01\00:17:23.74
he sees this thing that the
Bible describes as a smoking
00:17:23.94\00:17:27.76
oven and a burning torch.
00:17:27.86\00:17:29.65
Some supernatural thing.
00:17:30.15\00:17:33.54
The very divine presence
of God, and where is that
00:17:33.74\00:17:37.90
smoking oven and
burning torch? Where is it?
00:17:38.10\00:17:40.32
It's walking between the
two pieces of the animals
00:17:41.07\00:17:45.04
that have been cut in half
as a symbol that if you violate
00:17:46.35\00:17:49.16
the terms of the covenant or
I do, this would happen to us.
00:17:49.26\00:17:51.96
That there would be a severing;
that there would be a splitting.
00:17:52.26\00:17:55.53
And Abraham in his
groggy, nightmarish condition
00:17:55.63\00:17:59.30
sees this smoking... I
mean what does that even mean?
00:17:59.50\00:18:03.10
It's obviously
some picturesque vision
00:18:03.50\00:18:06.40
of some supernatural entity
that is brooding between the two
00:18:06.60\00:18:11.07
pieces. Now here's a fascinating
little insight from Ellen White.
00:18:11.17\00:18:13.96
She says that while
Abraham was slumbering there
00:18:14.06\00:18:17.40
and that nightmarish
darkness came over him
00:18:17.50\00:18:20.31
that God came into that
and preached the gospel to him.
00:18:20.51\00:18:25.13
Now you might be
thinking: "What? The gospel?
00:18:25.43\00:18:27.85
How could that possibly be
darkness and a great horror?
00:18:28.06\00:18:30.59
And what is happening
with the splitting of the thing
00:18:30.89\00:18:33.76
and the smoking
furnace walking through? "
00:18:33.96\00:18:35.97
In the preaching of the
gospel basically it was shown to
00:18:36.27\00:18:39.26
Abraham: this is how
the covenant will be kept.
00:18:39.36\00:18:42.01
And it was a horror to
him and a great darkness.
00:18:42.75\00:18:45.34
Are we together everyone so far?
00:18:45.55\00:18:47.16
Now, take all of that
and sort of put it on a shelf
00:18:47.46\00:18:50.42
in your mind and recall with me
00:18:50.62\00:18:52.26
that when we come
to the New Testament...
00:18:52.46\00:18:54.46
Let's transition now right
up to the book of Galatians.
00:18:54.56\00:18:56.64
We've got to just spend
a moment here in Galatians.
00:18:56.84\00:18:59.01
Go with me there.
00:18:59.22\00:19:00.32
We're going to return to
that very idea of the splitting
00:19:00.52\00:19:03.59
of the sacrifice and that
great darkness that came upon
00:19:03.79\00:19:07.98
Abram in this nightmarish
preaching of the gospel.
00:19:08.18\00:19:10.65
The truth of the covenant.
00:19:10.95\00:19:12.53
We're going to what
book everyone? Galatians.
00:19:12.83\00:19:15.24
Now obviously time is not
going to allow us to go into
00:19:15.44\00:19:17.85
an exhaustive exposition
of Paul's understanding
00:19:17.95\00:19:20.38
of the centrality of
the Abrahamic covenant.
00:19:20.58\00:19:23.01
I'll just give you two
passages, two passages,
00:19:23.21\00:19:25.64
and the first is in
Galatians chapter 3 verse 26.
00:19:25.84\00:19:29.13
Galatians chapter 3 verse 26
00:19:29.33\00:19:31.32
and Paul is drawing one
of a series of arguments
00:19:31.63\00:19:34.62
to a close here, and notice
how profound and inescapable
00:19:34.82\00:19:38.15
the conclusion is
based on Jesus' faithfulness
00:19:38.25\00:19:41.38
to the covenant.
I'm in Galatians 3:26.
00:19:41.48\00:19:43.97
"For you are all...
" What are we all now?
00:19:44.17\00:19:46.66
"sons of God through
faith in Christ Jesus. "
00:19:46.96\00:19:49.39
By the way, we've
mentioned this but we've got to
00:19:49.59\00:19:50.70
revisit it. Who were the
two primary figures in the
00:19:50.80\00:19:53.60
Old Testament that
were the son of God?
00:19:53.70\00:19:55.96
Adam was the son of God and
00:19:56.26\00:19:58.46
Israel was the son
of God. Now watch this:
00:19:58.76\00:20:00.94
Paul says: "You are now the sons
of God and the daughters of God
00:20:01.24\00:20:07.15
through faith in Christ Jesus. "
00:20:07.28\00:20:10.07
Verse 27: "For as many of
you as were baptized into Christ
00:20:10.27\00:20:13.52
have put on Christ. " Now this
is what we were talking about
00:20:13.62\00:20:15.97
earlier: the reversing not only
of the sin problem of Genesis 3
00:20:16.07\00:20:19.37
which is cutting off from
God but also the reversal of the
00:20:19.57\00:20:22.69
sin problem of Genesis 11
which is alienation from our
00:20:22.79\00:20:25.38
fellow brothers
and sisters. Yeah?
00:20:25.58\00:20:27.20
And so look at what
he says here in verse 28:
00:20:27.30\00:20:28.76
Boom! "There is neither
Jew nor Greek; there is neither
00:20:28.96\00:20:32.56
slave nor free; there
is neither male nor female
00:20:32.66\00:20:34.97
for you are
all... " What are we?
00:20:35.17\00:20:37.33
"one in Christ Jesus. "
00:20:37.53\00:20:39.79
You are all what? One in...
00:20:40.89\00:20:43.52
All of those ethnic,
racial, socioeconomic divisions
00:20:43.65\00:20:48.09
that you think divide you
00:20:48.19\00:20:49.64
have been eviscerated
and annihilated in Christ.
00:20:49.94\00:20:53.64
And then this is the conclusion
that Paul is forced to come to
00:20:53.94\00:20:58.60
based on all of the foregoing
testimony of scripture:
00:20:58.80\00:21:01.92
verse 29: "And
if you are Christ's
00:21:02.13\00:21:05.23
Then you are... "
What? "Abraham's seed. "
00:21:06.45\00:21:10.15
Let me just say that
in a more modern language.
00:21:10.25\00:21:12.05
If you are Christ's you
are Abraham's descendant
00:21:12.35\00:21:15.78
and you are heirs
according to the promise.
00:21:15.99\00:21:18.34
So for Paul - as well as for
the other New Testament writers
00:21:19.02\00:21:22.22
but here in
particular Paul in Galatians -
00:21:22.42\00:21:24.22
this is not a series of
broken, fragmented pieces
00:21:24.42\00:21:28.73
between the Old and the
New Testament as - you know -
00:21:28.93\00:21:31.32
various people in the dispen-
sationalist camp would teach us.
00:21:31.52\00:21:34.75
No! There is a
tremendous continuity here
00:21:34.95\00:21:38.81
between God's
covenant with Adam which failed
00:21:39.01\00:21:40.91
and His covenant with
Noah which largely failed
00:21:41.21\00:21:42.77
and then His
covenant with Abraham.
00:21:42.87\00:21:44.23
The descendants of Abraham
failed, failed, failed, failed,
00:21:44.43\00:21:46.74
failed, failed.
00:21:46.94\00:21:47.97
Then what does
the covenant require?
00:21:48.17\00:21:50.10
The covenant requires
- and don't miss this -
00:21:50.30\00:21:52.83
a faithful Israelite.
00:21:53.03\00:21:55.96
Ah, and alas, that is
what we have in Christ.
00:21:56.91\00:21:59.96
Now think of it this way.
00:21:59.99\00:22:01.88
Here's God
extending His hand as God.
00:22:02.09\00:22:04.65
Right? He who has been faithful.
That was Daniel's prayer.
00:22:04.95\00:22:07.05
"You have been faithful;
You have been faithful;
00:22:07.25\00:22:09.09
You have been faithful.
You, O great God, have kept
00:22:09.30\00:22:11.61
the covenant. " And
man after man after man
00:22:11.71\00:22:14.57
after man after
man - and women -
00:22:14.67\00:22:16.12
have failed to keep covenant;
failed to keep covenant;
00:22:16.32\00:22:17.87
failed to keep covenant;
failed to keep covenant.
00:22:18.07\00:22:19.46
And so God essentially
says to oversimplify it...
00:22:19.66\00:22:23.22
Not to oversimplify
it... just to simplify it:
00:22:23.52\00:22:25.38
God essentially says
"The only way a man will ever
00:22:25.58\00:22:30.60
keep covenant with Me and
truly live by the principles
00:22:30.70\00:22:33.18
of the tablets of the law -
to love the Lord your God with
00:22:33.28\00:22:36.44
all your heart, mind, and
soul and the second is like it:
00:22:36.54\00:22:38.38
to love your
neighbor as yourself -
00:22:38.58\00:22:39.77
the only way that anyone will
keep covenant - My covenant -
00:22:39.98\00:22:44.04
a man... is if I become a man. "
00:22:44.24\00:22:47.94
So God, in a
marvelous act of condescension,
00:22:50.20\00:22:54.53
in Christ becomes a man and
ends up in Bethlehem's manger.
00:22:54.73\00:22:59.60
Now this pick up one of the
threads that we've been talking
00:22:59.80\00:23:01.81
about: behind the veil.
Satan raised his various
00:23:01.92\00:23:04.87
and sundry accusations about
the kind of person and being
00:23:04.98\00:23:07.78
that God really was. But here
He ends up in Bethlehem's manger
00:23:07.88\00:23:11.42
and lives a life - our life,
a human life, a real life -
00:23:11.62\00:23:15.81
and walks a mile in our
moccasins. And at every step,
00:23:15.95\00:23:19.69
at every turn, at
every opportunity,
00:23:19.90\00:23:22.05
at every place that you see in
the whole of the New Testament
00:23:22.15\00:23:24.98
Jesus is loving the Lord
His God with all of His heart,
00:23:25.18\00:23:28.90
mind, and soul and He is always
loving His neighbor as Himself.
00:23:29.00\00:23:32.74
He's keeping covenant with God!
00:23:33.04\00:23:35.82
And He's a man, right?
00:23:35.92\00:23:38.35
He's keeping covenant
with God and He's a man.
00:23:38.45\00:23:40.23
And He will keep the covenant
so profoundly and so faithfully
00:23:40.34\00:23:44.30
that He will be
faithful unto death...
00:23:44.50\00:23:47.78
which is where we're
going to go in just a bit.
00:23:47.98\00:23:49.68
Which is exactly what that,
the cutting of those animals
00:23:49.88\00:23:52.66
down the middle meant.
00:23:52.76\00:23:53.90
Now here's a very
interesting thing.
00:23:54.20\00:23:55.78
I told you two passages
in Galatians. Let me show you
00:23:55.88\00:23:57.66
another one. And I don't have
time to go into great detail
00:23:57.76\00:23:59.71
here, but I do want to
introduce you to very briefly
00:23:59.82\00:24:03.10
a very interesting scholarly
debate that's been taking place
00:24:03.30\00:24:06.08
particularly over
the last 20 years.
00:24:06.28\00:24:07.55
And you'll just have to forgive
me. I'm going to have to be very
00:24:07.75\00:24:09.61
slightly technical here,
but you'll be able to get it.
00:24:09.71\00:24:11.67
The New Testament, of course, is
written in the Greek language.
00:24:13.51\00:24:16.70
And there is a phrase
that Paul uses repeatedly
00:24:16.90\00:24:19.99
and the phrase in
Greek is "Pistis Christou. "
00:24:20.29\00:24:23.32
"Pistis Christou" - which
literally means, simply means
00:24:23.52\00:24:27.17
faith Christ. "Pistis" is
faith; "Christou" is Christ.
00:24:27.37\00:24:31.12
OK? And there's a very
interesting scholarly debate
00:24:31.32\00:24:34.18
that's been taking place that
basically goes something like
00:24:34.39\00:24:36.40
this: historically that
phrase "Pistis Christou"
00:24:36.50\00:24:40.05
which is used regularly by
Paul, particularly in Romans
00:24:40.15\00:24:43.01
and Galatians, that phrase
has historically been translated
00:24:43.11\00:24:46.88
in what's called
the objective genitive.
00:24:47.08\00:24:48.99
Now you might be
thinking: "OK, you've lost me.
00:24:49.19\00:24:50.44
There's too much
theology. " Hang on!
00:24:50.54\00:24:52.12
Just hang on for a moment.
00:24:52.32\00:24:53.45
It has
historically been rendered as
00:24:53.75\00:24:56.14
faith in Christ, right?
00:24:56.34\00:24:59.51
And most of us would be
very comfortable with that.
00:24:59.71\00:25:01.42
In fact, if you read your Bible
00:25:01.62\00:25:03.34
virtually every time if you
have the King James or the NKJ
00:25:03.54\00:25:06.62
or even most of the
modern translations,
00:25:06.72\00:25:08.65
if you come across the
Greek phrase "Pistis Christou, "
00:25:08.85\00:25:11.93
it will be rendered in what
is called the objective genitive
00:25:12.13\00:25:14.55
faith in Christ.
00:25:14.75\00:25:17.06
But in about the
last 20 or 25 years
00:25:17.36\00:25:19.98
there have been a number
of conservative theologians
00:25:20.18\00:25:23.15
who have looked at that
and said: "You know what?
00:25:23.35\00:25:24.61
It is not absolutely necessary
00:25:24.71\00:25:27.71
exegetically to render
that in the objective genitive.
00:25:27.92\00:25:31.37
It may well be the
subjective genitive
00:25:31.57\00:25:34.20
which would not be
rendered faith in Christ
00:25:34.40\00:25:37.40
but the faithfulness of Christ.
00:25:37.60\00:25:40.33
Now when you do this, and
I'm not going to go into the
00:25:41.30\00:25:43.84
debate, the exegetical reasons
why faith in Christ is probably
00:25:43.94\00:25:48.02
actually the better
exegetical translation.
00:25:48.12\00:25:49.81
My point here is it's
a far better theological
00:25:49.91\00:25:52.79
translation. And I want to
show you just one passage, OK?
00:25:52.89\00:25:56.35
And it's right here in
Galatians - Galatians chapter 2.
00:25:56.65\00:25:59.51
Now what I'm going to do is
I'm going to read it through
00:25:59.84\00:26:01.95
in my translation here
which is New King James.
00:26:02.05\00:26:05.28
And that's probably pretty
similar to what many of you
00:26:05.48\00:26:07.40
have. Either New King James
or King James... almost all
00:26:07.51\00:26:10.27
modern translations are
going to render it this way.
00:26:10.37\00:26:12.20
And I think I've actually
got it on the screen here, too.
00:26:12.51\00:26:14.46
So if you don't have the
New King James and you have some
00:26:14.66\00:26:17.54
new translation, you can
just see it here on the screen.
00:26:17.64\00:26:19.45
It goes like this. We'll pick
it up in Galatians 2 verse 15.
00:26:19.66\00:26:23.51
It says:
00:26:24.21\00:26:25.60
"I went back and I
read my own book, " he said,
00:27:13.44\00:27:15.56
"and I died to my own
rabbinical way of reading it. "
00:27:15.76\00:27:18.27
Verse 20:
00:27:18.47\00:27:19.50
Now this passage
here Galatians 2:15-21
00:27:36.17\00:27:39.22
which we cannot go into
a thorough-going exposition
00:27:39.42\00:27:42.07
what we've just read here
is a translation of that phrase
00:27:42.37\00:27:47.12
"Pistis Christou" in
the objective genitive.
00:27:47.23\00:27:49.19
And I just want to
ask you a question here.
00:27:49.39\00:27:50.63
You don't have to know any
Greek, you don't have to be
00:27:50.73\00:27:51.78
a scholar. If we say
that someone is saved,
00:27:51.88\00:27:56.23
that someone comes into a
right relationship with God
00:27:56.43\00:27:58.84
because of
their faith in Christ.
00:27:59.04\00:28:02.18
Where does it sound
just to your ears...
00:28:03.12\00:28:05.41
just in the English...
where does it sound like
00:28:05.52\00:28:08.37
the locus or the
place of salvation is?
00:28:08.47\00:28:11.66
Yeah that's
right. It is, isn't it?
00:28:12.06\00:28:13.76
There's a subtlety there that I
am saved by my faith in Christ.
00:28:13.96\00:28:18.73
Do you hear that there?
It's a subtle suggestion
00:28:19.16\00:28:22.31
that somehow it's my faith
and my great confidence in God.
00:28:22.71\00:28:28.69
When if we take that very same
phrase... and again, there are
00:28:28.89\00:28:32.18
excellent both exegetical
and theological reasons
00:28:32.38\00:28:34.92
to render this
phrase not in the objective
00:28:35.12\00:28:37.43
"my faith in Christ"
but in the subjective
00:28:37.63\00:28:41.18
"Christ's faithfulness. "
Which raises the question:
00:28:41.48\00:28:44.21
Christ's faithfulness to what?
And the answer is saturative in
00:28:45.42\00:28:49.18
scripture:
faithfulness to the covenant.
00:28:49.28\00:28:52.90
Christ's
faithfulness to the covenant.
00:28:53.20\00:28:55.95
Where Adam had
failed and Noah had failed
00:28:56.15\00:28:58.92
and Abram had failed and person
after person after person after
00:28:59.13\00:29:01.53
person had failed and
failed and failed and failed.
00:29:01.67\00:29:03.81
But here comes Jesus
who literally was a man
00:29:03.91\00:29:06.34
who walked a mile in our
moccasins who was in all points
00:29:06.54\00:29:08.59
tempted like as we
are yet without sin
00:29:08.69\00:29:10.36
who lived His life in perfect
relational integrity before God
00:29:10.56\00:29:13.11
and perfect relational
integrity before others.
00:29:13.31\00:29:15.78
HIS
faithfulness to the covenant.
00:29:16.08\00:29:18.31
And this is Paul's point!
00:29:18.41\00:29:20.11
The point we just read
in Galatians chapter 3.
00:29:20.42\00:29:22.59
He said: "If you are
Christ's, you are the descendant
00:29:22.79\00:29:25.89
of Abraham. " The covenant
has been kept, and it was the
00:29:25.99\00:29:28.88
Abrahamic
covenant. Now watch this:
00:29:28.98\00:29:30.77
we're going to put
up a translation here.
00:29:30.97\00:29:32.63
It's actually quite a
fascinating translation
00:29:32.83\00:29:34.54
called the
Kingdom New Testament.
00:29:34.64\00:29:35.75
Translation by well-known
Anglican scholar N. T. Wright
00:29:36.62\00:29:39.94
who renders this same
passage that we just read
00:29:40.14\00:29:42.91
in the subjective genitive,
and I want you to tell me
00:29:42.94\00:29:45.24
if it makes any difference
in the passage. You tell me.
00:29:45.35\00:29:47.60
Did that change the passage?
00:30:00.82\00:30:02.68
Oh, it marvelously
wonderfully changes it
00:30:02.88\00:30:05.86
and it gives it a covenantal
context - which is Paul's
00:30:05.96\00:30:08.35
context. Continuing on:
00:30:08.45\00:30:10.36
Which by the way, that's
an unnecessary redundancy.
00:30:13.14\00:30:15.77
If you look at the
text, why would Paul say
00:30:15.97\00:30:18.22
"We are saved by
faith in the Messiah
00:30:18.42\00:30:20.32
therefore we have
believed in the Messiah. "
00:30:20.52\00:30:22.07
That's saying
basically the same thing.
00:30:23.36\00:30:25.03
We have faith in the Messiah;
we have believed in the Messiah.
00:30:25.23\00:30:27.39
No, what he says is:
"The Messiah has been faithful
00:30:27.59\00:30:30.20
and we believe it. "
00:30:30.40\00:30:31.81
Whoo, now we're getting some-
where. Give it back to me Will.
00:30:32.11\00:30:34.38
It says... it's coming:
00:30:34.58\00:30:37.30
Now I just need to pause
right here and say something.
00:30:51.81\00:30:53.45
Scripture says over
and over and over again
00:30:53.65\00:30:56.80
that God is righteous.
00:30:56.83\00:30:58.97
God is what? But
most of us, we think: "OK,
00:30:59.27\00:31:01.98
what does that mean?
What does that mean that God
00:31:02.18\00:31:03.79
is righteous? "
It means He's holy.
00:31:03.89\00:31:05.16
It means that He's
morally virtuous, etc.
00:31:05.37\00:31:07.68
But the Old Testament
uses the term righteousness
00:31:07.92\00:31:11.07
basically in this sense:
00:31:11.27\00:31:13.33
when it speaks of God's
righteousness it means that
00:31:13.53\00:31:15.64
God has done what
He said He would do.
00:31:15.84\00:31:18.84
He's been faithful to Himself
and faithful to the covenant.
00:31:19.48\00:31:23.81
And so when Paul repeatedly
refers to the fact that
00:31:24.11\00:31:26.50
we are made righteous by
the Messiah's faithfulness
00:31:26.70\00:31:29.82
he says we are grafted
in to Christ's faithfulness
00:31:30.02\00:31:34.74
to the covenant. So
now, back to our point here.
00:31:34.84\00:31:37.52
God has been faithful as
God. He has extended His hand;
00:31:37.82\00:31:40.53
He has extended His
hand; He has extended His hand
00:31:40.73\00:31:42.29
and there was failure, failure,
failure, failure, failure,
00:31:42.49\00:31:44.61
failure by a man.
And God basically said:
00:31:44.71\00:31:46.44
"If any man's ever
going to keep this covenant,
00:31:46.65\00:31:48.27
if anyone is ever going to
truly love the Lord their God
00:31:48.57\00:31:50.97
with all their heart, mind,
and soul and love their neighbor
00:31:51.17\00:31:53.03
as their self, I Myself in
Christ will become a man. "
00:31:53.13\00:31:56.25
And so God performs
an outflanking maneuver,
00:31:57.14\00:32:00.58
ends up in Bethlehem's manger,
00:32:00.88\00:32:02.72
lives the real life
of a real human being
00:32:02.93\00:32:05.42
with all of the temptations
and struggles and vicissitudes
00:32:05.62\00:32:08.65
of a real human life.
00:32:08.75\00:32:11.03
And remember, this was
one of the major objections
00:32:11.24\00:32:13.35
of Lucifer. "How
can He understand us
00:32:13.55\00:32:14.95
the chasm between the Creator
00:32:15.15\00:32:16.26
and the created
being so great? "
00:32:16.36\00:32:18.15
But He comes and
He's really one of us.
00:32:18.25\00:32:19.72
By the way, this is Paul's
point in Hebrews when he says
00:32:19.93\00:32:21.70
"We do not have a High
Priest which cannot be temped
00:32:21.91\00:32:25.07
with the feelings
of our infirmities. "
00:32:25.27\00:32:26.64
He could have just said:
"We have a High Priest that
00:32:26.94\00:32:28.79
can be touched with the
feeling of our infirmities. "
00:32:28.99\00:32:30.22
He could have put
it in the positive.
00:32:30.42\00:32:31.45
Why did he put it
in the double negative?
00:32:31.63\00:32:33.04
"We do not have a High
Priest which cannot be touched
00:32:33.24\00:32:35.66
with the feeling
of our infirmities. "
00:32:35.86\00:32:36.89
Why the double negative?
00:32:37.19\00:32:38.52
Because the natural assumption
is: "How can God relate to me? "
00:32:38.82\00:32:42.71
How could God
possibly? I mean, God is God.
00:32:43.62\00:32:46.24
God is grand; God is
mighty. He's omnipotent,
00:32:46.44\00:32:48.61
He's eternal and
all of those things.
00:32:48.81\00:32:50.11
But when God becomes a real
man, a helpless vulnerable babe
00:32:50.41\00:32:55.00
in Bethlehem's manger
and walks a mile in our shoes
00:32:55.10\00:32:58.45
and lives the life that
we have been called to live
00:32:58.65\00:33:00.62
in faithfulness as
a man to the covenant.
00:33:00.82\00:33:03.20
Oh, now, His hand is extended
00:33:03.30\00:33:07.58
the hand of God is extended
00:33:07.78\00:33:10.00
and the family of God - the
family of Abram by the way -
00:33:10.21\00:33:13.38
Remember, the call of Abraham
00:33:13.58\00:33:14.65
was the answer
to the sin of Adam.
00:33:14.75\00:33:16.06
Wholeness. God has
been faithful as God
00:33:17.58\00:33:20.77
and God has
been faithful as man.
00:33:20.97\00:33:22.97
And you might be sitting
there scratching your head and
00:33:23.17\00:33:24.22
thinking: "Well what do I do?
00:33:24.32\00:33:26.64
I mean, this sounds like
God has done everything! "
00:33:27.52\00:33:31.49
Oh, you're
starting to hear the gospel.
00:33:31.79\00:33:34.11
"Well what do I
do? What's my job? "
00:33:36.22\00:33:38.16
And according to scripture
your job is to believe it.
00:33:38.74\00:33:42.71
Your job is to believe
it, and when you believe
00:33:44.29\00:33:46.74
that's what Paul just
said. "We know that no man's
00:33:46.84\00:33:49.19
going to be made righteous on
the basis of the Jewish law. "
00:33:49.29\00:33:51.43
We are grafted into
the Messiah's faithfulness
00:33:51.64\00:33:55.92
to the covenant. And
thus the family of God
00:33:56.12\00:33:58.47
and the family of men are
united in the only being -
00:33:58.67\00:34:02.36
check this out - the only
being who knows what it is
00:34:03.18\00:34:06.53
to experience reality
both as God and as man.
00:34:06.73\00:34:10.72
He literally is the link.
00:34:11.47\00:34:13.39
He is the chain because He is
fully God and He is fully man.
00:34:13.59\00:34:17.24
God knows what it is to live
as a God and to live as a man.
00:34:17.54\00:34:20.78
In Christ... He's the
lynchpin. Now check this out.
00:34:20.98\00:34:24.50
This is mind blowing.
00:34:24.61\00:34:26.16
Go to Psalm 40... Psalm 40.
00:34:26.36\00:34:28.45
Here we have a
Messianic prophecy about Jesus
00:34:29.05\00:34:34.25
who would come. Psalm 40.
00:34:34.45\00:34:36.42
I am literally jumping
out of my skin right now.
00:34:36.62\00:34:39.03
Psalm 40... and David here,
this is one of the Messianic
00:34:40.10\00:34:44.99
psalms, one of the
Davidic psalms that anticipates
00:34:45.09\00:34:47.43
the Messiah. And we're
not going to read all of it.
00:34:47.53\00:34:49.10
We're just going to
pick it up in verse 6.
00:34:49.20\00:34:50.63
Psalm 40. What
verse everyone? Six.
00:34:50.83\00:34:52.84
Check this out:
"Sacrifice and offering
00:34:53.04\00:34:55.70
You did not desire.
My ears you have... "
00:34:55.91\00:34:58.19
What does your
Bible say? Opened.
00:34:58.39\00:34:59.66
Yeah. That's what my Bible says:
"my ears you have opened. "
00:34:59.76\00:35:03.07
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:35:03.40\00:35:04.57
What does that sound
like? "Open your ears. "
00:35:04.77\00:35:06.49
"My ears You
have... " "I hear You. "
00:35:06.80\00:35:10.26
"You've given
me understanding. "
00:35:10.46\00:35:11.88
That's not what it says.
00:35:12.08\00:35:13.28
The Hebrew word here is pierced.
00:35:14.02\00:35:16.43
Does anybody here have
a translation by the way
00:35:16.73\00:35:18.31
that says that? "My
ears you have pierced. "
00:35:18.41\00:35:20.34
You do, don't you. What
translation have you got?
00:35:20.44\00:35:22.34
NIV. It says: "My
ears you have pierced. "
00:35:22.64\00:35:25.82
And that's exactly the
correct translation here.
00:35:26.02\00:35:27.96
The NIV has its own
problems in other places
00:35:28.06\00:35:29.67
but it gets this one right.
It gets this one exactly right.
00:35:29.77\00:35:33.55
By the way, it gets it wrong in
Galatians 2, but that's another
00:35:33.75\00:35:35.23
story. "Sacrifice and
offering You did not desire.
00:35:35.34\00:35:38.60
My ears you have pierced. "
00:35:38.80\00:35:42.08
"My ears you have pierced.
Burnt offering and sin offering
00:35:43.34\00:35:46.28
You did not require.
Then I said: 'Behold I come. '
00:35:46.38\00:35:48.13
In the scroll of the
book it is written of me
00:35:48.33\00:35:49.90
'I delight to do
Your will O My God.
00:35:50.00\00:35:51.77
Yes, Your law is
within my heart. ' "
00:35:51.87\00:35:54.25
The law is the
basis of the covenant.
00:35:54.55\00:35:56.27
And here is a
very interesting thing.
00:35:56.47\00:35:57.71
I have to now take about 5 or
7 minutes to explain something
00:35:57.91\00:36:00.70
to you that would have been
instantaneously recognizable
00:36:00.80\00:36:03.93
to a first-century Jew.
00:36:04.14\00:36:05.51
Or actually, this
is not first century.
00:36:05.71\00:36:06.99
This is far before that.
00:36:07.09\00:36:09.19
"My ears you have pierced. "
00:36:09.39\00:36:11.44
"You don't desire
sacrifice and offerings.
00:36:11.74\00:36:15.15
You want Your law in
my innermost being. "
00:36:15.35\00:36:19.43
Go to Exodus 21.
00:36:19.73\00:36:21.59
Oh, that's easy to find. That's
right after the 10 Commandments,
00:36:21.79\00:36:25.48
Exodus 20. And in
Exodus 21 we have here
00:36:25.68\00:36:29.22
what the Bible simply calls
- and Danny, I need you to come
00:36:29.52\00:36:31.85
out now if you're ready -
00:36:31.95\00:36:33.09
I needed somebody who
carried themself as an august,
00:36:34.68\00:36:38.61
wealthy-looking person.
That's exactly what we need.
00:36:38.81\00:36:41.40
Right there. That's what
I need. I need a wealthy...
00:36:41.60\00:36:45.03
Not a proud, just a wealthy...
00:36:46.07\00:36:48.48
ancient land owner.
OK. Yeah, there we go.
00:36:50.49\00:36:53.51
Look at him; look at
him. OK, now check this out:
00:36:53.61\00:36:55.80
Exodus 21.
00:36:56.20\00:36:58.81
I told them: "Don't
give him a microphone.
00:36:58.91\00:37:00.40
Just set him out. "
Exodus 21... check this out.
00:37:00.50\00:37:05.74
It says: "Now these are
the judgments concerning which
00:37:06.86\00:37:09.06
you shall set before them. "
00:37:09.26\00:37:10.43
OK, now this is basically
God telling them how to live
00:37:10.63\00:37:12.25
a civil society. This is
how you do civil society.
00:37:12.35\00:37:14.73
Here's one of
the things. Verse 2:
00:37:14.93\00:37:16.83
"If you buy a Hebrew servant
00:37:16.93\00:37:19.17
he shall serve six years and
in the seventh he shall go out
00:37:19.47\00:37:22.57
free and pay nothing. "
Now already this sounds crazy
00:37:22.77\00:37:24.82
to us, right? Buying people?
00:37:24.92\00:37:27.73
But it's not slavery in
the North American sense.
00:37:27.94\00:37:30.30
It's not slavery in the
oppressive and unjust sense.
00:37:30.40\00:37:32.85
This was an
economic institution.
00:37:33.05\00:37:35.22
It was a what, everyone?
00:37:35.89\00:37:37.06
It was an economic institution
in which if you did not have the
00:37:37.26\00:37:40.22
fluidity... the
resources to pay off a debt...
00:37:40.42\00:37:42.91
you could indenture yourself
to the person to whom you owed
00:37:43.11\00:37:46.78
the money for a period
of not more than six years.
00:37:46.88\00:37:49.92
Make sense? And if the
Jubilee cycle had come up
00:37:51.00\00:37:53.84
say within three years
of those five or six years
00:37:54.05\00:37:55.87
that you have indentured
yourself, you are all out.
00:37:55.97\00:37:58.07
So let's say that I
owe Danny some money.
00:37:58.37\00:38:01.34
OK? And I have maybe borrowed
some money that I am unable
00:38:01.54\00:38:04.89
to pay back, or maybe I have
purchased some land from him
00:38:04.99\00:38:07.04
that I'm not
able to make good on.
00:38:07.24\00:38:08.48
And we're going
back to Biblical times.
00:38:08.68\00:38:10.72
We're going back to
like post-Abrahamic times.
00:38:10.82\00:38:13.66
The time of Moses, and
God is giving these laws.
00:38:13.76\00:38:15.56
And He basically says:
"If you need to in this
00:38:15.76\00:38:18.58
financial/economic
institution indenture a servant
00:38:18.68\00:38:21.70
you can do so, but only for
a period of up to six years,
00:38:21.80\00:38:23.91
not more than
seven. " So far so good?
00:38:24.01\00:38:25.84
Now God gives very
specific instructions here.
00:38:26.14\00:38:28.94
Verse 3. It says: "If
he comes in by himself... "
00:38:29.14\00:38:32.81
that's me... "If
he comes in by himself
00:38:33.01\00:38:35.35
he shall go out by himself.
" Well that's reasonable.
00:38:35.55\00:38:37.75
If I indenture myself to
Danny... Let's say we agree
00:38:38.06\00:38:41.01
on a period of five years.
Because of the debt that I owe
00:38:41.11\00:38:43.08
him, five years is appropriate.
00:38:43.18\00:38:44.54
So what the Bible is saying
here... And it has to spell this
00:38:44.74\00:38:47.12
all out because they had
so lost awareness of just
00:38:47.25\00:38:50.50
basic civility and
basic fairness and justice.
00:38:50.60\00:38:54.10
It says if I indenture
myself to Danny for five years
00:38:54.30\00:38:57.28
and I go in as a single man,
00:38:57.48\00:38:59.72
how do I go out?
00:39:00.77\00:39:02.08
I go out as a
single man. So far so good.
00:39:02.38\00:39:04.19
Now watch the
next part of verse 3.
00:39:04.29\00:39:06.29
It says: "If he goes in married,
00:39:06.59\00:39:09.18
then his wife
will go out with him. "
00:39:09.38\00:39:11.10
OK, so let's say
that I was already married
00:39:11.40\00:39:13.70
and as I indenture myself
to Danny for that period of
00:39:13.90\00:39:15.94
how many years? Five years...
00:39:16.04\00:39:18.44
What is being said
here is that Danny cannot
00:39:18.64\00:39:21.30
somehow manipulate or
take advantage of the situation
00:39:21.50\00:39:23.76
and retain my wife.
No. If I go in single,
00:39:23.96\00:39:27.17
I go out single.
That's fair and square.
00:39:27.37\00:39:29.17
And if I go in with
a wife and a family,
00:39:29.37\00:39:32.13
I go out with a
wife and a family.
00:39:32.33\00:39:34.91
But there's yet
another possibility.
00:39:35.11\00:39:36.91
And here's the
possibility, verse 4:
00:39:37.01\00:39:38.77
"If his master
has given him a wife
00:39:39.17\00:39:41.65
and she has borne
him sons or daughters,
00:39:41.85\00:39:44.43
the wife and her
children shall be her master's
00:39:44.63\00:39:46.89
and he shall go
out by himself. "
00:39:46.99\00:39:48.37
Now this is very interesting.
00:39:48.57\00:39:49.80
In ancient times it was
very much in keeping with
00:39:50.68\00:39:55.22
basically just the way that
the world worked, the economic
00:39:55.52\00:40:00.06
world. It was an agrarian
world; it was a nomadic world.
00:40:00.16\00:40:02.07
Things were different.
And somebody like Danny
00:40:02.27\00:40:04.88
who was an entrepreneur
who had acquired flocks
00:40:05.08\00:40:08.50
and herds and thus,
like Abraham for example,
00:40:08.60\00:40:10.69
servants and many people
that lived in his household.
00:40:10.89\00:40:14.05
We know on one occasion
that Abraham was able to rally
00:40:14.25\00:40:16.00
a large army to go and get
back the situation that had gone
00:40:16.10\00:40:18.94
south with his
nephew Lot. Right?
00:40:19.04\00:40:20.95
And so Danny is not
just wealthy by himself.
00:40:21.15\00:40:23.88
He has a whole
entourage. He's in agriculture
00:40:24.08\00:40:26.85
and he travels. And so
it's not going to be fair
00:40:26.95\00:40:30.58
if I go in and
say fancy his daughter
00:40:30.68\00:40:33.44
or maybe his niece
or one of his servants.
00:40:33.64\00:40:35.65
And I ask permission -
say it was his daughter -
00:40:35.85\00:40:38.04
to marry his
daughter and he says "yes. "
00:40:38.24\00:40:40.68
And we get married say
two years into our five-year
00:40:40.88\00:40:43.14
commitment. Now at the end
of that five-year commitment
00:40:43.25\00:40:45.46
we've been married for 3 years.
What the text is saying is
00:40:45.56\00:40:47.75
I don't just have the right
now without an arrangement with
00:40:47.95\00:40:51.50
Danny to just go ahead
and take her... "I'm out. "
00:40:51.60\00:40:54.29
Because she could play an
important and critical role
00:40:54.49\00:40:57.26
in the
functioning of that household.
00:40:57.47\00:40:59.03
Times were tough.
You couldn't just go in
00:40:59.34\00:41:01.49
and marry somebody and
think it was your right
00:41:01.59\00:41:03.26
to take them
off. No, no, no, no.
00:41:03.36\00:41:05.42
I would have to
further negotiate. By the way,
00:41:05.52\00:41:07.35
you see an instance of
this with Laban. Right?
00:41:07.45\00:41:09.73
I have to negotiate
with him. And he was not fair
00:41:09.87\00:41:12.72
to the contract.
Far beyond it, in fact.
00:41:12.82\00:41:14.82
Very unjust. But I
negotiate with Danny
00:41:14.92\00:41:17.79
and now he could
say: "You know what?
00:41:17.99\00:41:21.15
You've worked for me for these
five years. You can work another
00:41:21.35\00:41:23.40
two or three years and then
the vacancy that is left by my
00:41:23.50\00:41:27.11
daughter or by
my niece or whatever
00:41:27.21\00:41:28.88
will be sufficiently filled
and I will allow you to go.
00:41:29.08\00:41:31.58
So far so good?
00:41:31.88\00:41:32.97
So if I go in
single, I go out...
00:41:33.27\00:41:35.28
If I go in married, I go out...
00:41:36.16\00:41:38.36
And if I go in single and marry
somebody from his household,
00:41:38.86\00:41:41.80
can I just go off with her?
00:41:42.00\00:41:44.12
No. I have to make
an arrangement, don't I?
00:41:44.32\00:41:45.74
Now watch this... verse 5:
00:41:45.84\00:41:48.16
"But if the
servant plainly says.. "
00:41:48.36\00:41:51.56
And hold onto that;
that's critically important.
00:41:51.76\00:41:53.50
If the servant plainly says...
00:41:53.80\00:41:56.53
If he? Plainly. And the
reason it has to be plain
00:41:56.73\00:41:59.87
is that what you are about
ready to read is astonishing.
00:41:59.97\00:42:01.94
"If the servant plainly says
00:42:02.34\00:42:05.22
'I love my master, my
wife, and my children' "
00:42:05.42\00:42:08.99
Now look at these next words:
00:42:09.19\00:42:10.29
"I will not go free. "
00:42:10.59\00:42:12.67
What? "I will not
go... " What was the word?
00:42:14.52\00:42:19.45
Free. Now let's just
say in the course of events
00:42:19.75\00:42:22.14
that I realize that my family
and my own life is going to be
00:42:22.34\00:42:26.84
better off staying
united with Danny and his clan.
00:42:26.94\00:42:30.41
With Danny and his family.
00:42:30.61\00:42:32.10
And over time Danny has
shown himself to be a Godly man.
00:42:32.30\00:42:34.80
To be a just
man; to be a fair man.
00:42:35.00\00:42:36.53
To be a man that I have
come to love - say I married his
00:42:36.83\00:42:39.53
daughter - as a father
and I don't want to go.
00:42:39.63\00:42:42.22
I don't want to leave.
I've been indentured to him
00:42:43.27\00:42:45.18
for five years. I
can now say plainly...
00:42:45.28\00:42:49.52
I say it how? Plainly.
00:42:49.86\00:42:52.30
I can say plainly:
"Danny: man, I love you
00:42:52.50\00:42:55.37
and I love your
people and I love your camp
00:42:55.57\00:42:57.59
and I don't want to
go. I will not go out free.
00:42:57.69\00:43:01.77
I want to remain
under your supervision
00:43:01.97\00:43:05.09
and under your
mastership forever. "
00:43:05.29\00:43:09.14
Danny, if he feels mutually and
we agree to this arrangement,
00:43:10.20\00:43:13.88
watch what happens. We
don't just shake on it.
00:43:14.09\00:43:15.49
No, this is far too serious.
00:43:15.69\00:43:16.98
Look at what it says.
00:43:17.18\00:43:18.77
Verse 6: "This his master
will bring him to the judges. "
00:43:18.97\00:43:22.69
And very interesting for those
of you that are Bible students
00:43:23.09\00:43:25.33
here, the Hebrew
word here is Elohim.
00:43:25.43\00:43:27.75
The master will
bring him to the Elohim.
00:43:28.72\00:43:31.63
And watch this. This is where
I'm going to say plainly...
00:43:31.83\00:43:34.82
Why do I have to say it plainly?
Because it's astonishing!
00:43:35.02\00:43:37.32
I am going to
willfully surrender my freedom.
00:43:37.72\00:43:41.87
Did you hear what I just said?
00:43:42.28\00:43:43.88
I am going to
willfully surrender my what?
00:43:44.18\00:43:47.38
I'm free to
go... and watch this:
00:43:47.58\00:43:49.30
"They will bring him to
the door or to the doorpost
00:43:49.51\00:43:52.77
and his master will
pierce his ear with an awl
00:43:52.97\00:43:56.52
and he will serve him forever. "
00:43:56.72\00:43:58.78
Now let me ask you a question:
00:43:59.08\00:44:00.61
What's the purpose of a door?
00:44:00.81\00:44:03.70
Simple question:
what's the purpose of a door?
00:44:06.02\00:44:07.87
To go in and out.
00:44:08.17\00:44:09.90
Right? So when my master and I,
00:44:10.10\00:44:13.47
because we love one another,
we have a great relationship.
00:44:13.68\00:44:16.45
I love his clan and
his family; he loves me.
00:44:16.66\00:44:19.37
I'm a hard worker;
he's a just and Godly man.
00:44:19.47\00:44:21.47
When we go to the judges
- to the Elohim - and we say
00:44:21.67\00:44:25.05
plainly - I say plainly -
"I'm not being manipulated
00:44:25.25\00:44:28.00
by him, I'm not
being coerced by him"
00:44:28.10\00:44:29.73
I say plainly "I love my master,
00:44:29.94\00:44:35.52
I want to serve him forever. "
00:44:35.62\00:44:37.78
"You sure about
this? " "I'm sure. "
00:44:37.98\00:44:40.59
"I love my master; I love
my family and I love my wife.
00:44:40.89\00:44:46.10
I want to stay
with him. " "You sure? "
00:44:46.24\00:44:48.46
"I'm sure. "
"Come to the door. "
00:44:48.66\00:44:50.07
And I would stand in the
door as a symbol that I'm what?
00:44:50.28\00:44:53.45
I'm free to go. I'm
under no compulsion.
00:44:53.75\00:44:57.71
The judges are observing to
see if I'm being manipulated.
00:44:57.81\00:45:00.07
And they see that this is
not external responsibility or
00:45:00.27\00:45:03.33
obedience. This is my own
voluntary... I am voluntarily
00:45:03.43\00:45:06.92
"I will not go
free. I love my master.
00:45:07.02\00:45:09.46
I love my wife.
I love my family. "
00:45:09.49\00:45:12.15
And the judges will
say: "OK, come to the door. "
00:45:12.35\00:45:13.79
And then my
master pierces my ear.
00:45:13.99\00:45:17.42
He pierces my ear
with an awl as a symbol
00:45:18.66\00:45:22.16
and not just as a
symbol but as an announcement
00:45:22.46\00:45:25.57
to the world. "I
was free to go...
00:45:25.68\00:45:27.23
I was free to go but I
chose to stay for love. "
00:45:27.73\00:45:33.69
Did you get it?
00:45:34.13\00:45:35.35
"I was free to go but
I chose to stay for love
00:45:35.55\00:45:40.48
because I love my
master, I love my wife,
00:45:40.68\00:45:43.63
and I love my children. "
00:45:43.83\00:45:45.92
Beloved, now go back to
Psalm 40 and what does he say?
00:45:46.89\00:45:50.02
He says: "You didn't
desire sacrifice and offering.
00:45:50.23\00:45:53.46
No, no, no. You
have pierced my ears. "
00:45:53.66\00:45:58.83
And any Jew would say: "Oh...
00:45:59.13\00:46:02.58
he's a willful servant.
00:46:02.88\00:46:05.64
He has indentured
himself... " Watch this...
00:46:06.04\00:46:09.22
"to his master and
to his family forever. "
00:46:09.52\00:46:14.78
He was pierced. But
Jesus was not merely pierced
00:46:14.98\00:46:19.64
in His ears. Oh,
no. That's far too easy.
00:46:19.94\00:46:23.95
The reason they chose the
ear was very likely that it
00:46:24.28\00:46:26.33
is the most innocuous
and harmless place to pierce.
00:46:26.43\00:46:29.16
But Jesus was not pierced
here. Jesus was pierced here
00:46:29.36\00:46:32.39
and He was pierced
here. And in that piercing...
00:46:32.59\00:46:35.16
By the way, when He was
in the Garden of Gethsemane
00:46:35.36\00:46:37.10
and Peter took out his sword
and he was going to try to cut
00:46:38.55\00:46:41.04
the head off... Remember that?
Do you remember Jesus' response?
00:46:41.14\00:46:44.60
"Whoa, whoa, whoa,
whoa. Peter, Peter.
00:46:44.80\00:46:46.20
Don't you think that I
could at this very moment
00:46:46.60\00:46:50.98
call to My Father and
legions of angels would come.
00:46:51.28\00:46:54.35
I'm standing in the
door. I'm free to go.
00:46:54.45\00:46:58.72
I am under no
compulsion to be here.
00:46:58.86\00:47:01.35
I am under no manipulation
or obligation to be here.
00:47:01.55\00:47:04.21
I'm standing in the
door between heaven and earth
00:47:04.41\00:47:07.49
and I could be back at My
Father's side with the snap
00:47:07.69\00:47:10.17
of a finger or the blink of
an eye. But I'm going to stay
00:47:10.27\00:47:13.13
because I love My
Master and I love My family
00:47:13.33\00:47:16.67
and I love My wife - the church.
I'm going to stay here. "
00:47:16.87\00:47:19.78
And He was led
and He was pierced
00:47:20.88\00:47:23.40
and His faithfulness... His
faithfulness to the covenant...
00:47:23.60\00:47:27.77
His faithfulness to God
to love the Lord His God
00:47:27.97\00:47:30.43
with all of his heart,
mind, and soul and to love His
00:47:30.53\00:47:32.14
neighbor as Himself...
He was faithful unto death.
00:47:32.24\00:47:36.86
Now this is where
it gets even better.
00:47:37.06\00:47:38.77
Just before He had been led
into the Garden of Gethsemane
00:47:40.49\00:47:43.37
Jesus gave His
disciples a cup and He said:
00:47:43.40\00:47:47.27
"Hey, drink out
of this cup, guys.
00:47:47.37\00:47:48.77
This is My
blood... " Listen carefully.
00:47:49.07\00:47:51.10
"of the new covenant.
This is the blood of the
00:47:51.30\00:47:54.64
arrangement. This is the
blood of the agreement. "
00:47:54.74\00:47:56.29
And the disciples didn't have
a clue about what was going on.
00:47:56.39\00:47:58.25
They didn't know about this.
00:47:58.65\00:48:00.10
They just wanted to lop
the heads off of the Romans!
00:48:00.30\00:48:01.98
But He said: "No, no,
no, no. You drink this cup
00:48:02.08\00:48:03.83
and you eat this.
You'll understand later. "
00:48:04.03\00:48:06.20
But here's a fascinating thing:
00:48:06.50\00:48:07.85
when Jesus gave it to them
00:48:08.05\00:48:09.29
He said: "You
guys drink all of it. "
00:48:09.39\00:48:11.23
You know why He said that?
00:48:12.55\00:48:13.78
Because He
didn't drink any of it.
00:48:13.98\00:48:16.24
He didn't drink that cup.
00:48:17.48\00:48:19.13
He did not drink that cup.
In fact, we know this because
00:48:19.53\00:48:22.47
the gospel says that Jesus in
Mark, He says: "I'm not going to
00:48:22.67\00:48:25.57
drink of this cup until
the day I drink it new with you
00:48:25.67\00:48:28.06
in the kingdom.
You drink this cup. "
00:48:28.26\00:48:30.07
Because just moments later...
00:48:30.27\00:48:32.23
Just moments later - I
mean within a few hours -
00:48:32.63\00:48:36.25
Jesus goes into the
Garden of Gethsemane
00:48:36.46\00:48:39.04
and now here He's
going to drink His cup.
00:48:39.24\00:48:41.63
You see, He had given
the cup... Watch this...
00:48:42.80\00:48:46.24
He had given the cup
of union and communion
00:48:46.54\00:48:51.30
and connection to His disciples.
00:48:51.50\00:48:53.29
Even they didn't
understand what was happening,
00:48:53.69\00:48:55.98
but He was bringing back
together the family of God
00:48:56.18\00:48:59.70
and the family of man. He was...
00:48:59.91\00:49:01.59
They don't even
get it. "Drink the cup.
00:49:03.88\00:49:05.73
That's my blood. You drink it. "
00:49:06.03\00:49:07.48
"I will be faithful to
the covenant unto death.
00:49:07.88\00:49:10.96
You drink that. "
"Oh, yeah, yeah. "
00:49:11.06\00:49:12.75
"And eat this
bread. This is My body
00:49:13.05\00:49:14.73
broken for you. Eat
it. " "Oh, yeah, yeah. "
00:49:14.83\00:49:17.03
They don't even
understand what's happening.
00:49:17.23\00:49:18.72
And Jesus in just a few
short hours is going to go
00:49:18.92\00:49:21.51
stumbling into Gethsemane.
00:49:21.81\00:49:24.51
And as He stumbles into
Gethsemane He's not play acting
00:49:24.81\00:49:27.48
and He's not being
melodramatic when He cries out
00:49:27.58\00:49:30.01
"Father, if there's another
way. If we can bring unity
00:49:30.21\00:49:33.12
to the family of God
and the family of man...
00:49:33.32\00:49:35.17
If there's another
way that we can do this,
00:49:35.37\00:49:37.26
let this cup pass from Me. "
00:49:37.46\00:49:41.15
Three times He
prays that prayer.
00:49:41.35\00:49:43.34
"I don't want to drink this cup.
I don't want to drink this cup.
00:49:43.54\00:49:45.59
I don't want to
drink this cup. "
00:49:45.79\00:49:46.86
Because that cup was the
exact opposite of the cup
00:49:47.06\00:49:49.33
that His disciples had
drunk just a few hours before.
00:49:49.53\00:49:51.65
They had drunk
the cup of communion.
00:49:51.85\00:49:53.51
They had drunk the cup
of connection and of family
00:49:53.71\00:49:56.24
and Jesus is drinking
the cup of separation.
00:49:57.91\00:50:01.37
He's drinking
the cup of severing.
00:50:01.67\00:50:04.29
He's drinking the cup of
being cut off from His Father
00:50:04.49\00:50:07.66
and He's scared
and He's terrified.
00:50:07.86\00:50:10.18
He could have delivered Himself
00:50:10.68\00:50:12.44
to remind ourselves.
He's standing in the door
00:50:12.54\00:50:14.35
but He says: "I'll be pierced. "
00:50:14.55\00:50:16.22
The piercing of the ear
in ancient Israelite times
00:50:17.23\00:50:19.46
was a rather modest piercing.
00:50:19.56\00:50:21.67
But Jesus here says: "If there's
another way, we'll do it. "
00:50:21.87\00:50:26.38
And there is no
response from the Father.
00:50:29.97\00:50:32.06
"Father, if it is possible... "
00:50:32.16\00:50:33.81
No response; no
response; no response.
00:50:35.75\00:50:38.31
"Nevertheless,
Thy will be done. "
00:50:38.41\00:50:42.95
And He's led to Calvary's
cross, and He there is pierced.
00:50:43.15\00:50:47.92
And in that piercing
when He cries out finally
00:50:48.15\00:50:50.64
"Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? "
00:50:50.84\00:50:52.23
When He is faithful to...
In fact, Satan, he overplayed
00:50:52.43\00:50:56.36
his hand. I love the
words of Ellen White here
00:50:56.47\00:50:58.17
where she basically says that
Satan pressed and he pressed.
00:50:58.37\00:51:01.39
He capitalized on Jesus'
humanity with physical pain
00:51:01.59\00:51:04.16
and the abandonment of His
friends, and pressed upon Him.
00:51:04.37\00:51:07.64
And he overplays his hand.
00:51:07.84\00:51:10.29
In fact, he ends up doing
the very thing that he thought
00:51:10.59\00:51:13.02
God would do to him.
Remember the demoniacs?
00:51:13.12\00:51:14.48
"Have You come to
torture us before the time? "
00:51:14.58\00:51:16.11
And here he goes from
concern about being tortured
00:51:16.21\00:51:18.87
to torturing. And I love
what Ellen White says here.
00:51:18.97\00:51:21.02
"He bore his chest... only to
receive the stroke of death. "
00:51:21.33\00:51:24.77
He overplayed his hand.
00:51:25.07\00:51:27.02
And in pushing Jesus
to the uttermost limits
00:51:27.23\00:51:29.58
exhausting Him physically,
emotionally, spiritually,
00:51:29.78\00:51:32.22
and psychologically,
he pushed Him to the end.
00:51:32.42\00:51:35.19
And when Jesus let out
that last breath - uuh -
00:51:35.39\00:51:37.90
and He died Satan
thought for a moment
00:51:41.79\00:51:43.66
"Yes! I got Him! "
00:51:43.86\00:51:46.36
Only to realize in it must
have been the very next moment
00:51:46.56\00:51:49.66
"He was faithful.
00:51:53.70\00:51:56.16
I never got Him. "
00:51:56.46\00:51:58.24
"I could only kill
Him but He was faithful. "
00:51:58.54\00:52:03.16
"He was faithful to the
covenant. He did what Adam
00:52:03.37\00:52:07.30
hadn't done. He did
what Noah hadn't done.
00:52:07.50\00:52:09.80
He did even what
Abram himself hadn't done.
00:52:10.01\00:52:12.15
He came as a
man. He outflanked me.
00:52:12.35\00:52:15.34
Yes, He was a man subject
to death but He never sinned
00:52:15.75\00:52:19.09
and I pushed my
advantage against Him.
00:52:19.19\00:52:20.99
I coerced Him, manipulated
Him in all various and sundry
00:52:21.19\00:52:24.15
ways. And here I pushed
Him to the extreme physical and
00:52:24.25\00:52:26.53
emotional and psychological
breaking point. And He broke
00:52:26.63\00:52:29.65
and I thought I'd won. And
the moment I thought I'd won
00:52:29.85\00:52:31.73
I'd lost! "
00:52:31.83\00:52:33.98
Oh, I tell you beloved...
it is the most beautiful story.
00:52:35.79\00:52:38.82
And here is where we
encounter a great black box
00:52:39.03\00:52:42.24
of mystery. We don't even know
what we're talking about now.
00:52:42.44\00:52:44.78
God dying?
00:52:45.85\00:52:49.74
And someone will
object. "No, no, no, no, no.
00:52:50.04\00:52:51.79
God didn't die. "
Well I am fully aware that
00:52:51.99\00:52:53.80
God is not capable of
dying. But I am fully aware that
00:52:53.90\00:52:56.22
Jesus was God, and
inasmuch as it was possible
00:52:56.32\00:52:59.28
for God to experience
death in Christ He did.
00:52:59.48\00:53:02.83
Did you hear that?
00:53:03.06\00:53:04.42
Inasmuch as it was possible
for Christ or God to experience
00:53:04.72\00:53:08.88
death, He did.
Certainly His humanity died.
00:53:09.08\00:53:12.12
But even... What
happened to that divinity?
00:53:12.32\00:53:13.94
And here's a quotation.
It's one of the only quotations
00:53:14.14\00:53:16.04
that I am aware of in
the voluminous writings of
00:53:16.14\00:53:18.24
Ellen White - the
only one that I am aware of
00:53:18.34\00:53:20.41
where she speaks
directly to this issue -
00:53:20.61\00:53:23.43
and I want to read it to you.
00:53:23.63\00:53:25.48
She says: "The Captain of our
salvation... " It's right here:
00:53:25.78\00:53:28.85
And here's the sentence.
00:54:05.53\00:54:07.00
This is the only statement
that I am aware of in the
00:54:07.50\00:54:09.96
voluminous writings of
Ellen White where she speaks
00:54:10.06\00:54:11.89
to the issue of what
happened to the Godhead
00:54:11.99\00:54:14.25
at the cross. She says:
00:54:14.35\00:54:15.96
Do you know what
that mean? To sunder?
00:54:22.29\00:54:24.98
It means to break. It
means to split violently.
00:54:25.38\00:54:28.75
It's what we say
at weddings at times.
00:54:28.96\00:54:30.54
We say: "What God has joined
00:54:30.74\00:54:33.09
let not man... " What?
"break or split asunder. "
00:54:33.29\00:54:37.65
And here she, as it
were, pulls back the veil
00:54:37.75\00:54:41.34
to help us to see in some
glimmering incandescent way
00:54:41.55\00:54:44.90
what happened even within
the very nature of the Godhead
00:54:45.10\00:54:48.60
itself. She said
something happened relationally
00:54:48.80\00:54:51.98
within the family of
God where the family of God
00:54:52.08\00:54:55.10
was sundered at the cross.
00:54:57.23\00:54:59.94
And she says
that'll never happen again.
00:55:00.24\00:55:01.97
That was a one off.
And so it would not be
00:55:02.37\00:55:05.70
an oversimplification to
say and it would be really the
00:55:05.80\00:55:08.60
heart of the gospel and
the heart of the covenant
00:55:08.70\00:55:10.46
that the cost of our
connection to Christ,
00:55:10.76\00:55:15.27
the cost of our
connection to God,
00:55:15.47\00:55:18.87
was His absolute
faithfulness to the covenant
00:55:20.45\00:55:24.19
even unto death. And when
the sin of the world was levied
00:55:24.39\00:55:26.62
upon Him, He experienced
separation from His own
00:55:26.73\00:55:32.13
eternal family: the
Father and the Spirit.
00:55:32.33\00:55:36.62
The cost of your
connection was His separation.
00:55:37.12\00:55:40.85
And Satan is standing
there. The Bible says he was
00:55:41.25\00:55:44.82
led naked, he was
standing there dumbstruck
00:55:44.92\00:55:47.98
when he realized
"Not only does He know now
00:55:48.18\00:55:50.47
what it is to be a creature.
00:55:50.57\00:55:51.91
He knows what it is to suffer
00:55:52.21\00:55:55.51
and to die and to be in despair.
00:55:55.71\00:55:59.31
He knows what it is to be us. "
At that moment, every accusation
00:55:59.52\00:56:04.16
that Satan had ever levied
against the character of God
00:56:04.36\00:56:06.93
instantaneously
fell flat on its face.
00:56:07.13\00:56:09.57
And just a few short days
later Jesus is resurrected
00:56:10.07\00:56:14.15
from the grave. Can
you say "Hallelujah? "
00:56:14.35\00:56:16.36
Jesus is
resurrected from the grave.
00:56:16.56\00:56:18.85
and He ever lives at
the very throne of God
00:56:18.88\00:56:23.59
and beside His Father to
make intercession... now listen
00:56:23.69\00:56:26.25
carefully... for His
brothers and sisters.
00:56:26.35\00:56:29.76
Whoo! He's there to
make intercession for you!
00:56:30.26\00:56:33.68
And I want to make an appeal
tonight, and here's the appeal:
00:56:35.77\00:56:37.83
right there, back
on the table of truth,
00:56:38.03\00:56:40.79
"God is love. "
00:56:41.09\00:56:43.10
And here's the appeal.
You've responded to appeals
00:56:43.40\00:56:45.26
before, but we're going to
make a different appeal tonight.
00:56:45.36\00:56:47.04
You've responded to the
appeal before and you've said:
00:56:47.44\00:56:49.47
"You know what,
Lord? " I've done this...
00:56:49.57\00:56:51.01
Come forward and said:
"Lord, by the grace of God
00:56:51.21\00:56:53.53
I'll be faithful.
00:56:53.73\00:56:55.82
I'm going to stop a, b, c, d.
00:56:56.12\00:56:59.18
I'm going to start e, f, g, h. "
00:56:59.38\00:57:00.99
Oh, no, no, no, no, no.
00:57:01.29\00:57:03.31
Tonight... tonight let's respond
00:57:03.51\00:57:07.37
not in our faithfulness
00:57:07.58\00:57:10.05
but let's respond to
the Messiah's faithfulness.
00:57:10.99\00:57:14.20
I want to invite anyone
who says: "You know what?
00:57:15.78\00:57:17.94
I believe in the
faithfulness of Jesus.
00:57:19.11\00:57:22.99
I need His faithfulness. "
00:57:23.19\00:57:25.16
I want to invite
you to come forward.
00:57:25.47\00:57:27.80