Shall we bow our
heads for prayer?
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Father in Heaven, we thank You
once again for the privilege of
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being here. And as we open Your
Holy Word we ask that You will
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reveal to us the wondrous
things from the book of Genesis.
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We ask that as we study about
history's hidden conspiracy
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that Your Holy Spirit will help
us see that there is a history
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being written behind history,
and help us to understand how we
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fit within this scenario.
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We thank You, Lord,
for hearing our prayer,
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for we ask it in
Jesus' name, Amen.
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I want to start out by saying
that I do not believe very much
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in conspiracy theories.
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Every once in awhile I'll
have people give me videos
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and DVD's of people who
have these conspiracy theories;
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for example, about what happened
on 9/11, about the idea that it
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wasn't an airplane that
crashed into the Pentagon,
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and that really, you know,
the Twin Towers actually had
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dynamite within
them and they imploded.
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I'm not very high on this
type of conspiracy theory,
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to be honest with you.
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But I can tell you one thing,
and we're going to study this
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tonight. There is a conspiracy
behind the events of human
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history, and I like to call it
the mother of all conspiracies.
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And this evening we're going
to study about this conspiracy
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that is taking place in the
invisible world, where we can't
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really see the
movements that are taking place.
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All we can see is the
repercussions in the visible
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world. We want to begin
our study in the book of Job.
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And basically, I need to
tell you a few things about Job
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before we read
chapter 1 and verse 12.
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There was a meeting
that took place in heaven.
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Very clearly Job chapter
1 describes this meeting.
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And representing Planet Earth
went Satan to that meeting.
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And the subject of conversation
in this Heavenly meeting turned
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to Job, whom the Bible
describes as a perfect man;
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as a man who had departed
from evil; as a righteous man.
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And the conversation turned
to this man who was in harmony
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with God's will. And the
devil basically accused God,
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and he said, the reason why Job
serves You, and is righteous,
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and is Holy and perfect, is
because You have not allowed
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me to touch him. But if You
allowed me to take what You have
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given to him, he would
blaspheme You in Your face.
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And in Job 1:12 we find the
experience about what God said
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to Satan in this meeting.
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If you'll turn with me
there, Job 1:12. It says there:
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And he came back to the earth,
and in just a matter of a few
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minutes he took
everything that Job possessed.
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In chapter 2 we find
another Heavenly meeting.
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By the way, Job said,
God gave and God took away;
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blessed be the name of the Lord.
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He was half right. God
gave, but God did not take away.
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The devil took away.
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But anyway, Job
remained faithful to God.
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So now another meeting
takes placed in Heaven.
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And once again the
Sons of God are up there,
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and they're gathered together
before the throne of God,
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and God says to Satan,
Have you seen my servant Job,
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that even though you
turned Me against him,
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and you took
everything that he has,
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he still
conserves his integrity?
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And the devil says,
Oh, of course he does,
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because You
didn't let me touch him.
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You let me take everything
he had, but you didn't let me
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touch him. If You would let
me touch him he would blaspheme
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You to Your face. So God said
to Satan, (you can find this in
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chapter 2 verses 1 and 2),
you can go down to the Earth
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and you can do
anything you want with Job,
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except take his life.
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I will not allow
you to take his life.
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And so the devil goes out
from the presence of the Lord,
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comes to the Earth, and afflicts
Job with boils from the tip
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of his head, from the top of his
head, to the plant of his feet.
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And it got so bad that he had to
scratch himself with a potsherd,
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with a piece of pottery.
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Now you can imagine how
he was tearing up his body.
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And yet as you read the book of
Job, Job did not blaspheme God.
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He did ask God questions;
why this was happening to him,
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but he did not blaspheme God.
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Now Job did not understand
what was happening to him.
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He did not understand that
what was happening on earth
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was really a repercussion of
a battle that was taking place
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in the invisible world.
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In other words, this historical
event that Job was going through
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was really caused by something
that was happening beyond
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history, behind history.
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And so, basically, in this story
we find that the events of human
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history are repercussions,
or results of movements that are
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taking place in the invisible
world; a controversy that's
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taking place in the invisible
world between God and Satan.
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Now we find another example of
this in 2 Chronicles 18:18-22,
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2 Chronicles 18:18-22.
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This is a very interesting
story, and I'm going to dwell
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on it just for a few minutes,
because I feel that it shows,
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once again, that earthly
events are very closely related
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with what takes place
in the invisible world.
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It just so happens that at
this time, when 2 Chronicles 18
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transpires, Israel had
been divided into two kingdoms:
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the ten tribes of the North,
and the two tribes of the South.
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And a certain day the king
of the ten tribes of the North,
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who was Ahab, and Jehoshaphat,
the king of the two tribes of
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the South, met in the city of
Samaria, which was the capitol
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of the kingdom of the North.
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And when Ahab saw that
Jehoshaphat was with him,
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they were together now,
Ahab came up with an idea.
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He said this would be a
golden opportunity for us to go
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and fight against our
common enemy, the Syrians,
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because they were
ascending in power.
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And so Ahab said to Jehoshaphat,
don't you think it would be
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a good idea for us to go
and fight against the Syrians
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now that we're together?
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We could beat them between us.
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And, of course,
Jehoshaphat was a good king,
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and Ahab was a bad king,
so Jehoshaphat says to Ahab,
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don't you think it would be a
good idea to consult a prophet
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to find out if
this is the Lord's will?
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And Ahab says, Yah,
that would be a good idea.
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I have about 400
prophets that I can provide.
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So the 400 prophets
come and Ahab says to them,
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now Jehoshaphat and I want
to go to fight the Syrians.
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Do you think
that's a good idea or not?
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And, of course, these prophets,
they were paid by Ahab,
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and so they say, Of course,
O King, if you go to fight
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against those Syrians
you're going to defeat them,
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and you're going to prevail.
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But Jehoshaphat was a good king.
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He wasn't too convinced, and so
he says to Ahab, now don't you
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have a prophet
of the Lord around?
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And king Ahab says, yes, I have
one, but he's in the dungeon.
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And Micaiah, who was
the prophet in the dungeon,
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was called to come before Ahab.
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And Ahab says to Micaiah,
Micaiah, Jehoshaphat and I want
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to go to war
against the Syrians.
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Do you think this
is a good idea or not?
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And the answer that Micaiah
gives to king Ahab appears to be
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totally disconnected with
the event that's taking place.
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This is where I want to go: to
2 Chronicles 18, and I want to
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begin reading at verse
18, 2 Chronicles 18:18.
00:10:02.21\00:10:08.48
Then Micaiah said:
00:10:08.51\00:10:11.80
In other words, who will
entice Ahab to go to the battle
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so that he gets killed?
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And now notice that
there's disagreement
00:10:35.87\00:10:38.90
in the Heavenly court. It says:
00:10:38.93\00:10:40.84
Now notice this:
00:10:58.46\00:10:59.64
Why did those prophets lie?
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Why did they tell Ahab, go to
battle; you're going to prevail?
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because there was a spirit,
a lying spirit, that actually
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wanted Ahab to go
to battle to be killed.
00:11:25.53\00:11:30.24
Now who was that spirit?
00:11:30.27\00:11:32.59
It can't be, by the way, the
angels are called ministering
00:11:32.62\00:11:36.71
spirits. This was an angel,
but he was not a good angel.
00:11:36.74\00:11:43.11
How do we know he
wasn't a good angel?
00:11:43.14\00:11:46.27
Because the Bible says that
he used lying as his method.
00:11:46.30\00:11:51.69
Now who is the father of
lies, according to the Bible?
00:11:51.72\00:11:54.57
The father of lies is Satan.
00:11:54.60\00:11:57.30
Once again, we find
that Ahab went to battle,
00:11:57.33\00:12:01.37
and he was killed. The
earthly event was determined
00:12:01.40\00:12:07.77
by a Heavenly meeting.
00:12:07.80\00:12:09.44
We have a third
example that I want to go to.
00:12:09.47\00:12:12.77
This one is found in
Matthew 2:16, Matthew 2:16.
00:12:12.80\00:12:19.09
You know, I don't even think
that I have to look that up.
00:12:19.12\00:12:21.40
It's talking about king
Herod when the wise men came by
00:12:21.43\00:12:26.35
Jerusalem. Remember Herod said,
Oh, find out where the child is
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so that I can
go and worship him.
00:12:31.44\00:12:35.03
And so the wise men said, Okay,
we'll do that, and they left.
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But then one of the wise
men received a dream that Herod
00:12:38.59\00:12:41.57
wanted to kill the child,
so they left in a different
00:12:41.60\00:12:44.36
direction. And it
says there in Matthew 2:16:
00:12:44.39\00:12:48.04
And what did he do? He had
all of the children two years
00:12:53.67\00:13:00.08
and under killed...
00:13:00.11\00:13:01.46
Now if you looked at this
event; if you read the newspaper
00:13:07.32\00:13:10.64
for the next day, they
probably didn't have newspapers
00:13:10.67\00:13:12.47
back then, but if you'd read
the newspaper, you would have
00:13:12.50\00:13:15.58
a clipping that would say,
Herod fearing that he would lose
00:13:15.61\00:13:21.29
his throne, killed all
of the children in Bethlehem
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two years and younger.
00:13:25.36\00:13:26.39
But let me ask you, what was the
force or the power behind this
00:13:26.42\00:13:31.11
historical event? Go
with me to Revelation 12.
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You see, there is a
conspiracy in human history.
00:13:35.34\00:13:38.54
There's a great battle
going on between good and evil,
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between Satan and God, and
historical events are merely
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a reflection of that battle that
takes place in the invisible
00:13:46.77\00:13:50.42
world. Notice Revelation 12,
and I want to read just verse 4.
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Speaking about
the dragon, it says:
00:13:57.13\00:13:59.36
Who wanted to
see the Child dead?
00:14:12.31\00:14:14.26
According to this it was the
dragon who is called the ancient
00:14:14.30\00:14:18.67
serpent, the devil, and Satan.
00:14:18.70\00:14:20.89
So that historical event: Herod
killing all of the children
00:14:20.93\00:14:25.90
two years and younger, was
actually a historical reflection
00:14:25.93\00:14:30.61
of a battle which was taking
place in the invisible world.
00:14:30.64\00:14:34.77
In other words, there is a
conspiracy going on in human
00:14:34.80\00:14:38.90
history. And that conspiracy
involves the devil trying to
00:14:38.93\00:14:43.70
bring
destruction upon the world.
00:14:43.73\00:14:46.61
Now go with me to Genesis 1:26
and examine what God's original
00:14:46.64\00:14:54.30
plan was for man. Genesis 1:26.
00:14:54.33\00:15:00.43
And there are two ideas
that I want to underline here.
00:15:00.46\00:15:03.92
God is speaking about the
creation of man, and He says:
00:15:03.95\00:15:07.40
That word means let
them be kings, let them rule.
00:15:15.88\00:15:19.40
Dominion over what? Every king,
every ruler has a realm over
00:15:21.54\00:15:27.44
which he or she rules.
00:15:27.48\00:15:29.31
In other words, God gave Adam
and Eve dominion over the earth,
00:15:42.40\00:15:51.19
and everything
relating to this earth.
00:15:51.22\00:15:54.35
Therefore we find it somewhat
strange that in the book of
00:15:54.39\00:15:59.15
Job 1:6 that in that Heavenly
meeting, where the Sons of God
00:15:59.18\00:16:05.90
come to present
themselves before the Lord,
00:16:05.94\00:16:08.97
who comes among them?
00:16:09.00\00:16:11.25
It says, and
Satan came among them.
00:16:11.28\00:16:14.69
And then God asks him,
where do you come from?
00:16:14.72\00:16:17.89
And he says, well, from roaming
up and down upon the earth.
00:16:17.93\00:16:23.16
That means, I have come
from patrolling, or supervising,
00:16:23.19\00:16:28.39
or directing my territory.
00:16:28.43\00:16:30.66
Now what was the
devil doing in that meeting?
00:16:30.70\00:16:33.99
And who should have
really been in that meeting?
00:16:34.02\00:16:37.97
Well, lets take a look
at what the Bible has to say
00:16:38.00\00:16:41.91
in Luke 4:16, Luke
4:16, actually verse 6.
00:16:41.94\00:16:48.72
We've read this verse
before, but lets read it again.
00:16:48.76\00:16:51.39
Luke 4:6, not 16. It
says: And the devil said to him,
00:16:51.42\00:16:59.99
to Jesus that is,...
00:17:00.02\00:17:01.05
What does the
devil say here to Jesus?
00:17:15.64\00:17:18.77
I will give you all of the power
and the kingdoms of the world,
00:17:18.80\00:17:22.01
because the kingdoms
have been delivered unto me,
00:17:22.04\00:17:26.02
and to whomever I
wish, I what? I give them.
00:17:26.05\00:17:30.43
Why did the devil feel he had
a right to give these kingdoms
00:17:30.46\00:17:34.03
to Jesus? Because the
devil had stolen them from whom?
00:17:34.06\00:17:38.17
He had stolen the
kingdom from Adam.
00:17:38.20\00:17:42.83
In other words, the devil
took from Adam two things that
00:17:42.87\00:17:47.76
God spoke of in Genesis 1:26:
1. He took from him kingship,
00:17:47.79\00:17:54.15
or dominion. 2. He took
his inheritance: the Earth.
00:17:54.18\00:17:58.64
He stole the Earth. 3. It
was God's plan that Adam and Eve
00:17:58.67\00:18:03.77
live forever; that
their name never disappear
00:18:03.80\00:18:06.49
from human history. But
as a result of sin, God said,
00:18:06.53\00:18:10.38
dust you are and to
dust you shall return.
00:18:10.42\00:18:13.46
Your name will be
erased from human history.
00:18:13.50\00:18:16.47
Three things that God
had planned for Adam and Eve:
00:18:16.50\00:18:19.70
dominion, the earth as their
inheritance, and living forever,
00:18:19.73\00:18:26.47
their name enduring forever.
00:18:26.51\00:18:28.53
And when the devil led
them into sin he took dominion,
00:18:28.57\00:18:33.21
he stole the earth, and he
brought death into the world.
00:18:33.25\00:18:36.98
And, of course, Adam and
Eve deserved to have their name
00:18:37.01\00:18:40.71
blotted out once and
for all from history,
00:18:40.74\00:18:44.36
never to arise again.
00:18:44.40\00:18:48.47
But as we've studied in our
previous lecture, God, when Adam
00:18:48.51\00:18:53.91
and Eve sinned, went down to the
garden and He spoke those famous
00:18:53.94\00:18:59.28
words to Satan.
What are those words?
00:18:59.32\00:19:02.88
We've read them
many times before.
00:19:02.91\00:19:06.44
That is the Seed of the woman.
00:19:18.12\00:19:19.66
In other words, God was
saying, I'm going to send a Seed
00:19:26.83\00:19:29.23
to the world that is
going to do battle with you,
00:19:29.27\00:19:31.45
and He's going to take away
what you took away from Adam.
00:19:31.48\00:19:33.92
He's going to restore dominion.
00:19:33.95\00:19:37.08
He's going to restore the earth,
and He's going to perpetuate
00:19:37.11\00:19:41.83
the names of Adam and Eve,
and all of those who accept Him.
00:19:41.86\00:19:46.51
And as we notice in our previous
lecture, the devil trembled when
00:19:46.54\00:19:52.29
he heard those words.
00:19:52.32\00:19:53.35
He said, I can't
allow that Seed to come.
00:19:53.38\00:19:55.09
And the whole Old Testament
is the story of Satan trying
00:19:55.12\00:20:00.20
to keep the Seed from coming,
and God working to prepare
00:20:00.23\00:20:05.27
the world for the Seed to come.
00:20:05.30\00:20:07.13
And the devil uses two methods:
he tries to kill the Seed,
00:20:07.17\00:20:10.35
and he tries to
corrupt the lineage.
00:20:10.38\00:20:12.84
Throughout several events that
we studied in the Old Testament
00:20:12.88\00:20:16.70
the devil is trying to corrupt
the lineage of the Messiah
00:20:16.74\00:20:20.03
so that there is no Holy line
from whom the Messiah can come,
00:20:20.06\00:20:23.36
or else he's trying to destroy
the Seed, like in the case of
00:20:23.39\00:20:26.74
trying to totally uproot
Israel in the days of Esther.
00:20:26.77\00:20:30.28
Get rid of all of the Jews,
not because he hates the Jews,
00:20:30.31\00:20:33.06
but because he hates
the Messiah that will come
00:20:33.09\00:20:36.44
from the Jewish nation.
00:20:36.48\00:20:37.99
And so God serves Satan notice.
00:20:38.03\00:20:40.59
He says, I'm going to
send a Seed to the world.
00:20:40.63\00:20:42.92
He's going to do you battle,
and He's going to defeat you.
00:20:42.95\00:20:45.60
He's going to crush your head.
00:20:45.63\00:20:46.89
And so the devil makes up
his mind that he's not going to
00:20:46.92\00:20:49.51
allow the Seed to come.
00:20:49.54\00:20:51.63
Now in our lecture
today we are going to study,
00:20:51.66\00:20:55.82
not from Genesis,
Genesis has the background,
00:20:55.86\00:20:59.95
but we're going study a
story from the Old Testament
00:20:59.98\00:21:03.50
which illustrates this
central theme of Genesis 3:15.
00:21:03.53\00:21:06.97
I want to show you how all of
the stories of the Old Testament
00:21:07.01\00:21:10.38
need to be seen within this
framework, of this invisible
00:21:10.41\00:21:15.44
battle going on
between Christ and Satan,
00:21:15.47\00:21:18.18
between God and Satan;
God preparing the world
00:21:18.22\00:21:21.11
for the Messiah, and Satan
trying to impede the possibility
00:21:21.15\00:21:25.67
of the Messiah from
coming to the world.
00:21:25.70\00:21:27.90
Now I'm referring specifically
to a four chapter book
00:21:27.93\00:21:31.33
which is called Ruth.
00:21:31.37\00:21:33.39
It's a wonderful story.
00:21:33.43\00:21:35.38
And so I invite you to turn in
your Bibles with me to the book
00:21:35.42\00:21:38.49
of Ruth, and I need to give
you a little bit of background
00:21:38.52\00:21:41.87
about this story. This story
is taking place in the period of
00:21:41.90\00:21:46.69
the judges. It's right
before the Hebrew monarchy.
00:21:46.72\00:21:51.49
In other words, before
king David and Saul, and Solomon
00:21:51.52\00:21:56.13
begin to govern in Israel.
00:21:56.16\00:21:58.43
I also need to tell you that
when this story takes place,
00:21:58.47\00:22:03.05
God had already
prophesied in Genesis 49:10.
00:22:03.08\00:22:08.29
This is very important.
00:22:08.33\00:22:10.10
God had already prophesied in
Genesis 49:10, which was written
00:22:10.14\00:22:15.47
by Moses approximately in the
year 1500 B.C., that the Messiah
00:22:15.50\00:22:20.80
would come from
the tribe of Judah.
00:22:20.83\00:22:23.88
That's very important.
00:22:23.91\00:22:25.96
In other words, at this point
it was known that the Messiah
00:22:25.99\00:22:29.61
would come from the tribe
of Judah, because God had said
00:22:29.65\00:22:33.20
the scepter will not depart from
Judah until Shiloh, the peace
00:22:33.24\00:22:37.99
giver comes. In other words,
at this point the devil knew
00:22:38.02\00:22:41.82
that the Deliverer, that
the promised Seed was going
00:22:41.86\00:22:45.30
to belong to the tribe of Judah.
00:22:45.34\00:22:48.04
That a very,
very important detail.
00:22:48.07\00:22:50.70
Now let's go to the book of Ruth
1:1, 2, Ruth 1:1, 2. It says:
00:22:50.73\00:23:01.94
It continues saying:
00:23:22.89\00:23:25.31
Now we can imagine this
family, this very happy family,
00:23:47.12\00:23:51.50
the family of Elimelech
and Naomi, living in Bethlehem
00:23:51.54\00:23:55.89
Ephrata, as it
says here in verse 2.
00:23:55.93\00:24:00.85
But suddenly calamity strikes.
00:24:00.88\00:24:02.78
According to these verses,
a terrible famine afflicted
00:24:02.81\00:24:07.35
the land. Now
immediately we ask the question,
00:24:07.39\00:24:10.24
who caused this famine?
00:24:10.28\00:24:14.97
You know, in scripture it's
not God who causes these natural
00:24:15.00\00:24:18.70
disasters. The book of Job
shows us that these disasters
00:24:18.73\00:24:22.39
are caused by whom?
00:24:22.43\00:24:23.46
They are allowed by God,
but they are caused by Satan.
00:24:23.49\00:24:26.83
So this famine must have been
caused by Satan for some reason.
00:24:26.87\00:24:31.45
And we don't have to guess,
because we're told in the verses
00:24:31.48\00:24:36.03
that we just read, that
as a result of the famine,
00:24:36.06\00:24:40.77
Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and
their two sons had to immigrate
00:24:40.80\00:24:46.45
to Moab. Now for those of you
who don't know very much about
00:24:46.49\00:24:52.14
Moab, allow me to tell you that
Moab was one of the most corrupt
00:24:52.17\00:24:56.90
and iniquitous
nations in antiquity.
00:24:56.93\00:24:59.34
Moab originated in the
days of Lot, as a result of an
00:24:59.37\00:25:05.28
incestuous relationship between
Lot and one of his daughters.
00:25:05.31\00:25:09.18
When Israel was about the enter
the promised land the men of
00:25:09.22\00:25:13.06
Israel were enticed by
the harlots of Moab to worship
00:25:13.09\00:25:16.93
strange Gods, and to commit
adultery, and fornication,
00:25:16.96\00:25:21.35
and as a result 23,000 of
the cream of the crop of Israel
00:25:21.39\00:25:25.75
died as a result of that sin.
00:25:25.78\00:25:28.25
It was a corrupt nation
just East of the land of Israel.
00:25:28.28\00:25:33.56
Now the question is, why
would Satan want the family of
00:25:33.59\00:25:37.79
Elimelech, by the way, he
was from the tribe of Judah,
00:25:37.82\00:25:43.13
to immigrate to Moab, which
was such an iniquitous place?
00:25:43.16\00:25:48.43
Well, allow me to give you
an analogy of another story that
00:25:48.46\00:25:52.97
we find in scripture,
which shows us the reason why.
00:25:53.00\00:25:56.00
The story of Joseph.
00:25:56.04\00:25:57.62
Do you remember we
studied the story of Joseph?
00:25:57.66\00:25:59.88
You know, if anybody got a raw
deal, it was certainly Joseph.
00:25:59.92\00:26:04.29
I mean he was a good kid.
00:26:04.32\00:26:05.64
You read the story.
He wasn't a bad kid.
00:26:05.67\00:26:07.58
I mean he was a little
bit too close to his father,
00:26:07.62\00:26:12.35
as compared to his brothers.
00:26:12.38\00:26:13.73
You know his father
favored him above his brothers,
00:26:13.77\00:26:16.16
but he was a good kid.
00:26:16.19\00:26:17.42
He was an obedient child.
00:26:17.46\00:26:18.62
And in spite of his
faithfulness, he's sold into
00:26:18.66\00:26:23.23
slavery by his brothers.
00:26:23.26\00:26:24.41
You know, Joseph could
have said, wow, you know what,
00:26:24.44\00:26:26.81
I'm faithful to God and
look what happens to me.
00:26:26.85\00:26:29.40
You know, I'm sold into slavery.
00:26:29.44\00:26:31.33
What's it worth
to be loyal to God?
00:26:31.36\00:26:33.18
But things got worse, because
it tells us that he went to work
00:26:33.22\00:26:38.02
in the house of Potipher, who
was one of the higher ups in the
00:26:38.63\00:26:42.82
kingdom for the Pharaoh.
00:26:42.86\00:26:44.67
And the wife of Potipher came
one day, actually several days,
00:26:44.71\00:26:51.76
but one day she came and tried
to entice him to have sexual
00:26:51.79\00:26:54.75
relations with her, and
Joseph said absolutely not.
00:26:54.78\00:27:00.06
She tore off his
clothes; he fled.
00:27:00.10\00:27:03.02
And you know the
rest of the story.
00:27:03.05\00:27:05.90
Because of his faithfulness
he ended up in jail.
00:27:05.94\00:27:09.13
Now if he hadn't doubted
about God before this, you know,
00:27:09.17\00:27:13.58
he probably thought,
here I'm faithful to God,
00:27:13.62\00:27:16.95
and I'm obedient to Him.
00:27:16.98\00:27:18.68
I'm sold into slavery.
00:27:18.71\00:27:19.99
Now I'm faithful to God by
not breaking the commandment,
00:27:20.02\00:27:24.76
you shall not commit
adultery, and I end up in jail.
00:27:24.79\00:27:27.78
What kind of justice is there?
00:27:27.81\00:27:30.05
What is it worth to serve God?
00:27:30.08\00:27:32.25
But Joseph had made up his
mind that even though he didn't
00:27:32.29\00:27:35.25
understand the historical
circumstances that were going
00:27:35.29\00:27:38.22
on, God had a plan.
00:27:38.26\00:27:40.02
And he was going to be faithful
to God because God eventually
00:27:40.05\00:27:44.15
would show him the plan.
00:27:44.18\00:27:45.93
And, of course, we all
know what the plan was.
00:27:45.97\00:27:48.50
In jail Joseph met the baker,
and the cup bearer of Pharaoh.
00:27:48.54\00:27:58.01
And to make a long story short,
the cup bearer and the baker had
00:27:58.04\00:28:03.12
dreams. The baker, of
course, became ancient history.
00:28:03.15\00:28:05.94
But the cup bearer, Joseph told
him, you're going to get out of
00:28:05.97\00:28:10.10
jail, and you're going to
serve Pharaoh's wine again.
00:28:10.14\00:28:14.87
Just when you
get out, remember me.
00:28:14.90\00:28:17.55
And, of course, the cup
bearer goes out of the jail,
00:28:17.58\00:28:20.36
and he totally forgets.
00:28:20.40\00:28:21.62
I like to call
this divine amnesia.
00:28:21.66\00:28:23.42
It wasn't time yet.
It wasn't the moment yet.
00:28:23.46\00:28:27.03
And so two years later
Pharaoh has these two dreams
00:28:27.06\00:28:30.55
that basically meant that there
were going to be seven years
00:28:30.58\00:28:33.25
of plenty, and then there
were going to be seven years
00:28:33.29\00:28:35.15
of famine. And Joseph says
to Pharaoh, you know you need to
00:28:35.18\00:28:40.46
find somebody who will make
provision during the years of
00:28:40.49\00:28:42.71
plenty, and store the goods
of the land, so the people don't
00:28:42.75\00:28:46.36
stave to death when the
seven years of famine come.
00:28:46.40\00:28:48.93
And, of course, Pharaoh
says, who better than you?
00:28:48.96\00:28:51.77
Now the tables were turning.
00:28:51.80\00:28:54.04
Now we're discovering the reason
for what happened to Joseph;
00:28:54.07\00:28:58.02
why God allowed
Joseph to go down into Egypt;
00:28:58.05\00:29:00.56
why God allowed
Joseph to end up in jail
00:29:00.59\00:29:03.39
where he would
meet the cupbearer;
00:29:03.42\00:29:04.85
why the cupbearer
forgot Joseph for two years,
00:29:04.88\00:29:08.54
until Pharaoh had the dreams.
00:29:08.57\00:29:10.45
You see a hand of divine
providence leading these events.
00:29:10.48\00:29:14.49
And then, of course, I
can't tell you the whole story,
00:29:14.52\00:29:18.70
because we have to study
the book of Ruth tonight,
00:29:18.73\00:29:20.94
but to make a long story
short, at the end of the story
00:29:20.97\00:29:25.36
when Joseph reveals
himself to his brothers,
00:29:25.39\00:29:28.55
by the way, his brothers
came after two years because
00:29:28.58\00:29:31.21
they were
already suffering hunger.
00:29:31.24\00:29:33.43
Can you imagine what
it would have been like
00:29:33.46\00:29:35.05
seven years later
after the famine began?
00:29:35.08\00:29:38.44
What would have happened
to Jacob and his family?
00:29:38.47\00:29:41.37
They would have been wiped out.
00:29:41.40\00:29:43.07
Who do you suppose
wanted them wiped out?
00:29:43.10\00:29:45.15
Satan! Why would
Satan want them wiped out?
00:29:45.18\00:29:48.31
Because Satan knew that
from Jacob the Seed would come.
00:29:48.34\00:29:55.56
And, in fact, as we
read in our study last time,
00:29:55.59\00:29:59.12
in Genesis 45:7, 8 Joseph
says to his brothers, don't cry,
00:29:59.15\00:30:04.30
for the Lord has sent me
down to Egypt ahead of you
00:30:04.33\00:30:09.09
to preserve a
posterity in the earth.
00:30:09.12\00:30:13.27
Other translations say, to
preserve the Seed in the earth.
00:30:13.30\00:30:17.96
And so this
famine had a purpose;
00:30:17.99\00:30:20.93
to starve Jacob and his family.
00:30:20.96\00:30:23.79
But God knew the end from
the beginning, so He sent Joseph
00:30:23.82\00:30:27.24
down into Egypt so that
the Seed would be preserved.
00:30:27.27\00:30:32.16
The same is happening
here in the story of Ruth.
00:30:32.19\00:30:35.47
The devil says, well, if
I send Elimelech and Naomi,
00:30:35.50\00:30:38.58
and the two sons;
they're from the tribe of Judah.
00:30:38.61\00:30:41.20
Evidentially He saw something
special in this family.
00:30:41.23\00:30:43.70
If I send them over there,
they're going to get corrupted
00:30:43.73\00:30:47.09
with the Moabites, and I
won't have to worry about them
00:30:47.12\00:30:49.83
bringing any
Seed into the world.
00:30:49.86\00:30:51.51
But, you know, the plan worked
out better than what the devil
00:30:51.54\00:30:54.53
had anticipated, because notice
that in the book of Ruth 1
00:30:54.56\00:31:00.32
it tells us that Elimelech
died while they were in Moab.
00:31:00.35\00:31:04.26
So the devil is saying, well,
that takes care of Elimelech.
00:31:04.29\00:31:08.17
No seed from Elimelech, but
I still have these two sons.
00:31:08.20\00:31:13.19
Do you know whom
the two sons married?
00:31:13.22\00:31:16.66
They married Moabite women,
contrary to what God had told
00:31:16.69\00:31:23.42
the Israelites to do.
00:31:23.45\00:31:24.83
Who do you suppose enticed
them to marry women from Moab?
00:31:24.86\00:31:29.49
You see, we're dealing with
the conspiracy behind history.
00:31:29.52\00:31:33.31
There's an agenda that's going
on beyond history in this story.
00:31:33.34\00:31:38.17
We have to read this
story with enlightened eyes,
00:31:38.21\00:31:40.33
in the light of Genesis 3:15.
00:31:40.36\00:31:43.19
The devil is trying to
keep the Seed from coming.
00:31:43.22\00:31:46.12
He says, if I can get these
two sons to marry these women,
00:31:46.15\00:31:48.98
from Moab, they're
going to lose their identity.
00:31:49.01\00:31:52.72
But the plan worked better
for the devil than he thought,
00:31:52.75\00:31:56.31
because it tells us in the
book of Ruth 1:6 the following:
00:31:56.34\00:32:03.01
actually, it's
chapter 1, and verse 4.
00:32:03.04\00:32:06.14
We'll go to verse 6 in a moment.
00:32:06.17\00:32:07.77
It says, Now they took
wives of the women of Moab;
00:32:07.80\00:32:10.50
the name of the one was Orpah,..
00:32:10.53\00:32:13.38
not Oprah, folks... Orpah,
and the name of the other Ruth:
00:32:13.41\00:32:18.33
and they dwelt
there about ten years.
00:32:18.36\00:32:20.13
Then both Mahlon and Chilion
also died; so the woman survived
00:32:20.16\00:32:26.20
her two sons and her husband.
00:32:26.23\00:32:28.17
So basically the devil
says, the heirs are wiped out.
00:32:28.20\00:32:33.45
The Seed is wiped
out from this family.
00:32:33.48\00:32:35.53
There's not going to be any
Seed coming, because Elimelech,
00:32:35.56\00:32:38.89
from the tribe of Judah,
and his two sons are dead.
00:32:38.92\00:32:42.21
Mission accomplished!
00:32:42.24\00:32:44.24
But God is writing this story.
00:32:44.27\00:32:47.56
God is working behind
the scenes to bring the Seed
00:32:47.59\00:32:51.44
into the world. Notice
chapter 1 and verse 6. It says:
00:32:51.47\00:32:56.39
In other words, she
says to her daughters-in-law,
00:33:10.03\00:33:12.36
I'm going to go back to Judah.
00:33:12.39\00:33:15.27
I'm going to go back to
Bethlehem where I came from,
00:33:15.30\00:33:18.05
because I've heard
that there's bread there.
00:33:18.08\00:33:20.47
I have no reason to stay here.
00:33:20.50\00:33:21.62
My husband is dead,
and my sons are dead.
00:33:21.65\00:33:23.92
The Lord has worked against me.
00:33:23.95\00:33:26.10
She says, I'm going to go
back, even though I don't have
00:33:26.13\00:33:28.35
an inheritance; even though
I don't have any place to live;
00:33:28.38\00:33:31.58
even though I don't have anybody
to carry on the family name.
00:33:31.61\00:33:35.15
I'm still going to go
back to Bethlehem Ephrata.
00:33:35.18\00:33:38.91
I'm still going
to go back to Judah.
00:33:38.94\00:33:40.48
And so she gathers her
two daughters-in-law together,
00:33:40.51\00:33:45.54
and she gives them this news.
00:33:45.57\00:33:47.78
Now notice Ruth 1:16, 17.
00:33:47.81\00:33:51.53
By the way, Orpah says,
okay, I'm going to go back to my
00:33:51.56\00:33:56.24
people. I'm going
to go back to my gods.
00:33:56.27\00:33:58.00
But Ruth was different.
00:33:58.03\00:34:00.38
Chapter 1 and verse 16 and 17.
00:34:00.41\00:34:04.23
It says here, and we all
have heard these words before:
00:34:05.94\00:34:08.88
But Ruth said,...
00:34:08.91\00:34:10.23
Now notice this; very important.
00:34:25.91\00:34:27.48
In other words she's saying,
I am disenfranchising myself
00:34:32.96\00:34:37.80
from being a Moabite, and I
am incorporating myself into the
00:34:37.83\00:34:43.64
lineage of Israel.
She's becoming an Israelite
00:34:43.67\00:34:49.32
according to her own admission.
00:34:49.35\00:34:51.59
And then in verse 17 she says:
00:34:51.62\00:34:53.82
Now I find it very interesting
that the Lord has led Naomi
00:35:05.75\00:35:11.91
all the way to Moab.
00:35:11.94\00:35:14.00
The devil has thought that in
this way he's going to corrupt
00:35:14.03\00:35:21.37
the seed so that the promised
Seed cannot come, but as they go
00:35:21.40\00:35:26.98
to the land of Moab now
God actually takes this Moabite
00:35:27.01\00:35:32.14
woman, Ruth, and brings
her back to Bethlehem Ephrata.
00:35:32.17\00:35:37.74
This is a very,
very important event,
00:35:37.77\00:35:40.61
we're going to see
later on in this story.
00:35:40.64\00:35:42.73
Now they get
together, Ruth and Naomi.
00:35:42.76\00:35:50.27
They go back to
Bethlehem, and when they arrive
00:35:50.30\00:35:54.14
the people in
Bethlehem are really in turmoil
00:35:54.17\00:35:57.58
because Naomi's been
gone for a long time.
00:35:57.61\00:35:59.90
Let's notice chapter
1 and verses 19 and 20.
00:35:59.93\00:36:04.81
It says: Now the two of
them went until they came to
00:36:04.84\00:36:11.20
Bethlehem. That's
important: to Bethlehem.
00:36:11.23\00:36:13.86
And it happened, when
they had come to Bethlehem,
00:36:13.89\00:36:17.86
that all the city was
excited because of them,
00:36:17.89\00:36:21.30
and the woman said, Is it Naomi?
00:36:21.33\00:36:24.51
But she said to them,
00:36:24.54\00:36:26.40
The word Naomi means pleasant.
00:36:29.13\00:36:31.33
Which means bitter.
00:36:35.80\00:36:37.69
Isn't this interesting?
00:36:42.47\00:36:44.53
She's complaining against God.
00:36:44.56\00:36:46.46
She says, God has
dealt very bitterly with me.
00:36:46.49\00:36:49.39
If she only knew what God
had in store, and the reason for
00:36:49.42\00:36:54.39
everything, she would
have done like Joseph.
00:36:54.42\00:36:56.28
She would have said, I don't
understand why all of this took
00:36:56.31\00:36:59.32
place, but I'm
going to trust the Lord.
00:36:59.35\00:37:01.43
The Lord has a plan.
00:37:01.46\00:37:03.24
But she didn't. Verse 21:
00:37:03.27\00:37:05.51
She's blaming God
for her calamities.
00:37:23.31\00:37:27.93
And, by the way, at this
time she has no inheritance.
00:37:27.96\00:37:32.75
She doesn't have
any place to live.
00:37:32.78\00:37:33.91
Furthermore, she has no one
to carry on the family name,
00:37:33.94\00:37:40.55
the lineage. Her name, the
name of Elimelech and his sons
00:37:40.58\00:37:45.80
is going to
disappear from history.
00:37:45.83\00:37:47.69
And furthermore, instead of
being Lord over her heritage,
00:37:47.72\00:37:54.85
now she's practically a slave,
because she has to depend on
00:37:54.88\00:37:57.62
everybody else to sustain her.
00:37:57.65\00:38:00.06
In other words,
she's lost everything.
00:38:00.09\00:38:02.26
But now God is
going to turn the tables.
00:38:02.29\00:38:05.44
Notice chapter 1 and verse 22.
00:38:05.47\00:38:07.89
By the way, the barley harvest
is at the time of Passover,
00:38:23.37\00:38:26.49
so it's approximately
the months of April or May.
00:38:26.52\00:38:30.21
It's very significant that they
came back at this particular
00:38:30.24\00:38:33.21
time, the time of
the barley harvest.
00:38:33.24\00:38:35.49
Now before I continue telling
this story, I need to share
00:38:35.52\00:38:39.90
with you something about
the Hebrew laws of redemption.
00:38:39.93\00:38:42.93
God gave certain laws to
Israel that if someone sold his
00:38:42.96\00:38:46.34
inheritance, or if someone
sold himself into slavery,
00:38:46.37\00:38:50.33
or if a man died and had no
one to carry on the family name,
00:38:50.36\00:38:54.62
the seed, there was a way in
which the inheritance could be
00:38:54.65\00:38:58.44
recovered, freedom could be
recovered, and the name could
00:38:58.47\00:39:01.73
be perpetuated. Let's notice
the book of Leviticus 25:25,
00:39:01.76\00:39:08.26
Leviticus 25:25. Here we find
what would happen if a person
00:39:08.29\00:39:15.42
sold his inheritance.
00:39:15.45\00:39:17.44
In other words, his land.
00:39:17.47\00:39:19.20
Chapter 25 and
verse 25. It says this:
00:39:19.23\00:39:24.27
You notice the
word some is in italics.
00:39:32.39\00:39:35.12
It's not in the Hebrew.
00:39:35.15\00:39:36.18
Actually, it says,...
00:39:36.21\00:39:37.68
By the way, the word
redeemed there means to recover
00:39:46.90\00:39:49.54
by paying a price.
00:39:49.57\00:39:50.63
Who needed to redeem what a
next of kin, or brother sold?
00:39:55.17\00:40:01.92
It had to be a close relative
who could pay the price,
00:40:01.95\00:40:08.38
and buy back what had been sold.
00:40:08.41\00:40:10.66
Now notice what would happen
if an individual sold himself
00:40:10.69\00:40:14.67
into slavery. Chapter 25,
and verses 48 and 49, 25:48, 49.
00:40:14.70\00:40:22.72
It says here:
00:40:22.75\00:40:24.23
Of course he
couldn't redeem himself,
00:40:47.84\00:40:49.05
because he'd sold himself.
00:40:49.08\00:40:51.95
How could he redeem himself?
00:40:51.98\00:40:53.12
That's a hypothetical statement.
00:40:53.15\00:40:54.60
But you notice that in order
to redeem the lost inheritance,
00:40:54.63\00:40:57.66
and in order to be redeemed
from slavery, from servant hood,
00:40:57.69\00:41:02.55
a next of kin had to pay
the price to buy back freedom,
00:41:02.58\00:41:07.88
and to buy back
the lost inheritance.
00:41:07.91\00:41:10.38
And because of scarcity
of time, I might mention
00:41:10.41\00:41:13.28
Deuteronomy 25:5. We
won't look for it right now,
00:41:13.31\00:41:17.30
but it said
there that if somebody,
00:41:17.33\00:41:19.36
if a wife had a husband with
no seed who could carry on the
00:41:19.39\00:41:25.36
family name, the
brother of the dead husband,
00:41:25.39\00:41:30.11
or one of the close relatives
was required to marry the wife
00:41:30.14\00:41:38.66
who had been left without
a husband, so that the family
00:41:38.69\00:41:41.82
name, so that the family
seed could be carried on.
00:41:41.85\00:41:44.57
Now I find these laws of
redemption very interesting.
00:41:44.60\00:41:48.14
You could buy back
the sold inheritance.
00:41:48.17\00:41:50.63
You could buy back freedom.
00:41:50.66\00:41:53.08
You could
perpetuate the family name.
00:41:53.11\00:41:56.28
And a next of kin had to do it;
a blood brother, if you please.
00:41:56.31\00:42:01.06
Now we can continue with
the story of Ruth 2:1, 2.
00:42:01.09\00:42:07.36
It says there was a
relative of Naomi's husband.
00:42:07.39\00:42:11.98
Interesting isn't it?
00:42:12.01\00:42:15.19
Notice this was
not Naomi's idea.
00:42:34.27\00:42:35.74
Naomi didn't say, hey, go over
to Boaz's field to see if maybe
00:42:35.77\00:42:39.38
he likes you, and he'll get
married to carry on Elimelech's
00:42:39.41\00:42:42.81
name. The idea did
not come from Naomi.
00:42:42.84\00:42:45.84
In fact we're going to find
that Ruth ends up in the field
00:42:45.87\00:42:49.22
of Boaz by coincidence;
actually it's providence.
00:42:49.25\00:42:53.89
So it says in verse 2, so Ruth
the Moabitess said to Naomi,
00:42:53.92\00:42:58.16
Please let me go to
the field, and glean
00:42:58.19\00:43:01.54
heads of grain after him...
00:43:01.57\00:43:03.42
Then she left and went and
gleaned in the field after the
00:43:09.25\00:43:14.17
reapers: and she happened to
come to the part of the field
00:43:14.20\00:43:19.56
belonging to Boaz. Some versions
say, perchance, by coincidence,
00:43:19.59\00:43:27.68
she came and she was
working in the fields of Boaz,
00:43:27.71\00:43:30.71
and you say, what's
so great about that?
00:43:30.74\00:43:32.15
Well, Boaz was a next of
kin of Elimelech, and as such,
00:43:32.18\00:43:40.36
according to the
Hebrew laws of redemption,
00:43:40.39\00:43:42.23
he could pay the price to
redeem the lost inheritance
00:43:42.26\00:43:45.79
and buy it back, to redeem
Naomi from the servanthood
00:43:45.82\00:43:49.51
that she was in, and to
perpetuate the family name.
00:43:49.54\00:43:53.52
A next of kin had to do that.
00:43:53.55\00:43:56.50
And to make a long story
short, Boaz sees Ruth gleaning
00:43:56.53\00:44:03.65
the fields. By the way, when
it says gleaning in the fields,
00:44:03.68\00:44:06.76
she's actually picking up what's
left over after the reapers
00:44:06.79\00:44:10.42
have gone by. That
shows how destitute they were,
00:44:10.45\00:44:12.78
because Hebrew law forbade
the owners of fields to totally
00:44:12.81\00:44:19.85
harvest the fields. They had
to leave a certain amount of the
00:44:19.88\00:44:22.62
grain in the field so that the
poor could come to the fields
00:44:22.65\00:44:26.57
and pick up the grain
so, that they could eat.
00:44:26.60\00:44:28.53
And so what Ruth is doing,
she's gleaning what's left over.
00:44:28.56\00:44:32.97
In other words, this shows the
destitute situation that Ruth
00:44:33.00\00:44:38.00
and Naomi were in. But then Boaz
sees Ruth, starts asking about
00:44:38.03\00:44:43.65
her, and finds out that
she's actually the relative now,
00:44:43.68\00:44:51.14
inherited by Naomi,
who is Elimelech's wife.
00:44:51.17\00:44:55.96
And, of course, Boaz
is related to Elimelech.
00:44:55.99\00:44:58.74
And Boaz says, You know,
I will redeem what was lost.
00:44:58.77\00:45:05.52
I'll pay the price. But the
problem is there was another
00:45:05.55\00:45:10.89
next of kin who was a closer
relative of Elimelech than Boaz
00:45:10.92\00:45:14.74
was. Now isn't that interesting?
00:45:14.77\00:45:18.07
And so Boaz goes to him and
he says, you know, you really,
00:45:18.10\00:45:22.15
technically are the one
who is supposed to redeem
00:45:22.18\00:45:25.16
the lost possession. You are to
redeem Naomi from the deplorable
00:45:25.19\00:45:29.71
condition that she's in.
00:45:29.74\00:45:30.77
You're supposed to pay the
price so that the family name;
00:45:30.80\00:45:35.10
you're supposed to marry
her so that the family name
00:45:35.13\00:45:36.83
is perpetuated. Are
you willing to do it?
00:45:36.86\00:45:40.32
He says, well, you know,
basically if you want me to
00:45:40.35\00:45:46.60
pay the price to buy back the
inheritance, and if you want me
00:45:46.63\00:45:50.71
to deliver her from the
deplorable situation that she's
00:45:50.74\00:45:53.57
in that would be fine.
00:45:53.60\00:45:56.02
I'm willing to pay the price,
but when it comes to marrying
00:45:56.05\00:45:58.91
Ruth, I don't think so.
00:45:58.94\00:46:00.73
He didn't like the idea of
marrying her because he wasn't
00:46:00.76\00:46:05.93
the right man. There was someone
else who was the right man.
00:46:05.96\00:46:09.66
It was Boaz. And so
the marriage took place.
00:46:09.69\00:46:16.12
Notice chapter 4, and
lets read verses 9 and 10,
00:46:16.15\00:46:20.50
chapter, 4 verses 9 and 10.
00:46:20.53\00:46:22.50
And you should
read the whole story.
00:46:22.53\00:46:23.77
It's a fascinating story.
00:46:23.80\00:46:24.86
It says there in verse 9:
00:46:24.89\00:46:26.91
In other words, he's saying,
I'm going to buy back the lost
00:47:05.99\00:47:08.97
inheritance. I am going to put
Naomi once again on a position
00:47:09.00\00:47:14.33
of rulership over the heritage,
and I am going to perpetuate
00:47:14.36\00:47:19.01
the name of Elimelech so
it is not erased from history.
00:47:19.04\00:47:25.35
But, you know, there was
much more than meets the eye.
00:47:25.38\00:47:28.48
You see, Boaz was just looking
at the restricted picture
00:47:28.51\00:47:34.22
that he was seeing
at that very moment.
00:47:34.25\00:47:36.17
But there's much
more to this story.
00:47:36.20\00:47:38.58
We don't know where this story
is leading to until we get to
00:47:38.61\00:47:43.76
the very end of it.
00:47:43.79\00:47:45.22
Let's go to chapter 4, and
let's begin reading at verse 13.
00:47:45.25\00:47:53.60
It says... So Boaz took
Ruth, and she became his wife:
00:47:53.63\00:47:58.77
and when he went in unto her,
the Lord gave her conception,
00:47:58.80\00:48:03.15
and she bore a son.
Then the women said to Naomi,
00:48:03.18\00:48:08.97
Blessed be the Lord, who has
not left you this day without
00:48:09.00\00:48:14.17
a close relative, and may
his name be famous in Israel.
00:48:14.20\00:48:20.36
And may he be to you a restorer
of life, and a nourisher of your
00:48:20.39\00:48:25.91
old age: for your
daughter-in-law, who loves you,
00:48:25.94\00:48:29.67
who is better to you
than seven sons, has born him.
00:48:29.70\00:48:33.70
Then Naomi took the child
and laid him on her bosom,
00:48:33.73\00:48:38.27
and became a nurse to him.
00:48:38.30\00:48:40.73
Are you catching a glimpse
of something very interesting
00:48:56.73\00:49:01.25
in this story? What the devil
intended to do by exiling this
00:49:01.28\00:49:10.64
family from the tribe of
Judah, hoping they would become
00:49:10.67\00:49:15.04
contaminated with the nations,
gleeful because all of the men
00:49:15.07\00:49:19.50
in the family had died there;
God actually sent that family
00:49:19.53\00:49:24.95
over to Moab so that
they could come back with Ruth
00:49:24.98\00:49:30.58
to Bethlehem Ephrata so
that Ruth could marry Boaz,
00:49:30.61\00:49:36.19
from whom, eventually,
would come David, and from David
00:49:36.22\00:49:40.84
the Messiah. Does
this help you see history
00:49:40.87\00:49:46.19
in a different light?
00:49:46.22\00:49:47.25
Now you know something,
who would ever end a love story
00:49:47.28\00:49:52.84
with a genealogy? What
an anti-climax, you know!
00:49:52.87\00:49:58.19
This story ends
with a genealogy;
00:49:58.22\00:50:00.84
with a list of descendents.
00:50:00.87\00:50:02.00
Maybe we'd better take
a look at that genealogy.
00:50:02.03\00:50:04.15
Let's go to chapter 4 and
verse 28, actually verse 18.
00:50:04.18\00:50:11.45
Now this is the genealogy
of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron,
00:50:11.48\00:50:17.19
And Hezron begat Ram,
and Ram begat Amminadab,
00:50:17.22\00:50:20.86
And Amminadab begat Nahshon,
and Nahshon begat Salmon,
00:50:20.89\00:50:25.64
And Salmon begat
Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed,
00:50:25.67\00:50:28.79
And Obed begat Jesse,
and Jesse begat David.
00:50:28.82\00:50:33.73
Now that's only a
part of the genealogy.
00:50:33.76\00:50:37.33
Go with me to Matthew 1,
Matthew 1 and lets read verses
00:50:37.36\00:50:44.95
3 through 6, Matthew 1:3-6.
00:50:44.98\00:50:49.38
It says here... Judas
begat Phares and Zara by Tamar;
00:50:49.41\00:50:56.00
and Phares begat
Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;
00:50:56.03\00:50:59.48
And Aram begat Aminadab;
and Aminadab begat Naasson;
00:50:59.51\00:51:02.87
and Naasson begat Salmon;...
00:51:02.90\00:51:04.67
Is that the same genealogy? Yes.
00:51:14.23\00:51:17.51
Let me ask you, who is at
the very end of this genealogy?
00:51:17.54\00:51:20.94
Notice verse 16:
00:51:20.97\00:51:23.64
All of this story had
one intention, and that was
00:51:35.15\00:51:40.73
to continue the Holy
line from which the Messiah
00:51:40.76\00:51:44.71
would eventually come.
00:51:44.74\00:51:46.30
Probably many of us are
acquainted with that text in
00:51:46.33\00:51:49.68
Micah 5:2 where it speaks about
Bethlehem Ephrata being little
00:51:49.71\00:51:55.81
among the thousands of Judah.
00:51:55.84\00:51:57.62
Yet God says, Out of you shall
come unto Me He who is to be
00:51:57.65\00:52:03.50
ruler in Israel. And then
it says, whose goings forth
00:52:03.53\00:52:08.53
are from when? from everlasting.
00:52:08.56\00:52:13.52
Who was going to
be born in Bethlehem?
00:52:13.55\00:52:16.11
The promised Seed; the Messiah.
00:52:16.14\00:52:19.17
And so you go full circle.
00:52:19.20\00:52:23.13
Elimelech and his family go
to Moab, and Naomi brings Ruth
00:52:23.16\00:52:29.76
back to Bethlehem. And
eventually in Bethlehem is born
00:52:29.79\00:52:34.96
Jesus, the Messiah. Now allow
me to conclude by saying a few
00:52:34.99\00:52:41.82
things about Christ.
00:52:41.85\00:52:43.06
Do you know that there's
no one within the human race
00:52:43.09\00:52:46.79
who can recover that which was
lost, because all have sinned
00:52:46.82\00:52:51.25
and come short
of the glory of God.
00:52:51.28\00:52:53.11
There is none righteous, no
not one, we're told in Romans 3.
00:52:53.14\00:52:57.62
And so within the human
race there was no one who could
00:52:57.65\00:53:02.32
recover the lost inheritance;
there was no one who could
00:53:02.35\00:53:06.85
deliver humanity from slavery;
there was no one who could
00:53:06.88\00:53:11.33
perpetuate the name of God's
people, or perpetuate God's
00:53:11.36\00:53:15.11
people because everyone in
humanity had become defeated
00:53:15.14\00:53:19.36
by Satan. The human
race needed a Redeemer.
00:53:19.39\00:53:23.40
The human race needed a
next of kin to restore the lost
00:53:23.43\00:53:28.64
possession; to
recover the lost inheritance;
00:53:28.67\00:53:31.98
to deliver His people
from slavery; and not only to
00:53:32.01\00:53:35.59
perpetuate their name,
but to perpetuate them,
00:53:35.62\00:53:39.21
though they should die, through
the resurrection from the dead.
00:53:39.24\00:53:43.67
The human race needed
someone to fulfill that role.
00:53:43.70\00:53:47.21
Do you know that Jesus,
before He became incarnate,
00:53:47.25\00:53:50.72
He could not fulfill that role,
because before Jesus came a man
00:53:50.75\00:53:54.87
He was God. He
belonged to a different family.
00:53:54.90\00:53:56.89
This is the real reason
why Jesus took human flesh,
00:53:56.92\00:54:01.11
as it says in John 1:14.
00:54:01.14\00:54:04.48
It says, And the
Word of God became flesh
00:54:04.52\00:54:10.91
and dwelt among us.
00:54:10.94\00:54:13.32
In other words, Jesus
became our blood brother.
00:54:13.35\00:54:16.89
He became our next of kin, so
that He could fulfill the Hebrew
00:54:16.93\00:54:21.10
laws of redemption; so that He
could pay the price to buy back
00:54:21.13\00:54:25.27
the lost inheritance; so that
Jesus could deliver us from the
00:54:25.30\00:54:29.48
slavery to sin that we had sold
ourselves into; so that He could
00:54:29.52\00:54:33.69
perpetuate not our name, but
so that he could perpetuate us
00:54:33.72\00:54:37.23
forever and ever.
Jesus came to perform that.
00:54:37.26\00:54:41.36
The interesting thing is that,
and we'll study this in our next
00:54:41.39\00:54:45.70
lecture; Do you know that the
Bible says in Revelation 22:16
00:54:45.73\00:54:49.97
that Jesus is the father of
David, and the son of David?
00:54:50.00\00:54:54.20
Now you try and explain that!
00:54:54.24\00:54:57.80
Let me ask you, can I be my
sons father, and my son's son?
00:54:57.83\00:55:02.56
You say, that's ridiculous.
00:55:02.59\00:55:04.12
But Jesus, in scripture,
is called the root of David,
00:55:04.15\00:55:08.10
and the offspring of David.
00:55:08.14\00:55:09.55
He's the root, or the father
of David, because as God He
00:55:09.59\00:55:14.45
created David when He created
Adam, because David comes from
00:55:14.49\00:55:19.91
Adam, and He's the son of David,
when He incorporated Himself
00:55:19.95\00:55:25.33
into the human race.
00:55:25.37\00:55:26.41
And, by the way, that's the
reason why Hebrews 2:14 says
00:55:26.44\00:55:32.45
that Jesus became
like unto His brethren.
00:55:32.49\00:55:38.08
He took flesh in as much then
as the children have partaken of
00:55:38.11\00:55:42.39
flesh and blood. He Himself
likewise shared the same,
00:55:42.42\00:55:46.82
that through death He might
overcome he who had the power
00:55:46.85\00:55:51.21
of death, that is Satan,
and deliver those who through
00:55:51.24\00:55:55.13
fear of death had been
held in life time bondage.
00:55:55.17\00:56:01.13
What did Jesus come to do?
00:56:01.16\00:56:03.52
He came to deliver His
people from bondage to Satan
00:56:03.56\00:56:07.75
and to evil. Now
this is a beautiful thing.
00:56:07.79\00:56:11.65
The only person who deserves
to be called the Son of God
00:56:11.69\00:56:15.86
really is Jesus. We are Sons
of Wrath according to the Bible.
00:56:15.89\00:56:21.56
But you know what happens?
00:56:21.60\00:56:23.38
When I receive Jesus as my
Savior then Jesus is my brother.
00:56:23.41\00:56:29.47
And so Jesus comes to
His Father and He says,
00:56:29.50\00:56:34.36
Father, I've got a new brother
whom I bought the inheritance
00:56:34.40\00:56:41.88
back for; whose name I
want to perpetuate forever;
00:56:41.91\00:56:46.44
whom I delivered
from slavery to sin.
00:56:46.47\00:56:49.56
I have a new brother, Father.
00:56:49.59\00:56:50.85
And the Father says, and
what's that brothers name?
00:56:50.88\00:56:53.74
Oh, Pastor Bohr. And the
Father looks at Him and He says,
00:56:53.77\00:56:58.38
Pastor Bohr's your brother?
00:56:58.41\00:56:59.75
Well, if Pastor Bohr's
your brother, then he's my son.
00:56:59.78\00:57:05.41
By becoming man Jesus paid
the price to recover everything
00:57:05.44\00:57:11.03
that was lost. What the devil
tried to do to derail the plan
00:57:11.06\00:57:15.24
of God in the days of Ruth,
God used to eventually bring
00:57:15.27\00:57:20.68
the Seed into the world.
00:57:20.72\00:57:23.51
And Matthew 5 says we will
inherit the earth very soon.
00:57:23.54\00:57:29.16