Participants: Pr. Doug Batchelor
Series Code: EG
Program Code: EG021643A
|
00:00 (MUSIC)
00:15 >>WE'RE BEGINNING A NEW SERIES ON SOMETHING I'VE PRAYED AND 00:19 THOUGHT ABOUT DISCUSSING FOR, LITERALLY, YEARS. 00:23 AND I NEVER HAVE BECAUSE I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE 00:26 TRUTHS WERE JELLED IN MY OWN MIND BEFORE I HAD THE CONFIDENCE 00:31 TO SHARE THEM WITH OTHERS. YOU KNOW, I FEEL A GREAT 00:33 RESPONSIBILITY AS YOUR PASTOR AND THE BIBLE TALKS ABOUT THE 00:38 BOOK OF JAMES, DON'T BE ANXIOUS TO BE MANY MASTERS KNOWING 00:41 YOU'LL RECEIVE A MORE SEVERE JUDGMENT OR FIERCER 00:44 CONDEMNATION. AND SO, WHEN YOU TEACH, YOU WANT 00:47 TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE TEACHING THE TRUTH BECAUSE YOU'RE 00:49 ACCOUNTABLE FOR THAT. AND I HAVE BEEN STUDYING FOR 00:53 A FEW YEARS AND READING WHAT OTHERS HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT THE 00:58 SUBJECT OF ISLAM AND, WITH THINGS HAPPENING IN THE WORLD 01:03 TODAY, IT'S BEEN PROMINENT AND IN THE NEWS AND WE ARE 01:06 WONDERING, AS CHRISTIANS, DOES THIS FACTOR SOMEHOW IN PROPHECY. 01:12 AND SO, I'VE CHOSEN TO SPEAK ON THIS SUBJECT AND THE MESSAGE 01:16 TODAY DEALING WITH ISLAM, CHRISTIANITY, AND PROPHECY, IS 01:20 GOING TO BE PART 1 IN THE SERIES AND IT'S CALLED SIBLING RIVALRY . 01:24 THE BIBLE IS FULL OF STORIES OF SIBLING RIVALRY AND THERE'S 01:30 QUITE A FEW THAT GO THROUGH THE SPAN OF HISTORY TOO. 01:33 PROMINENT BROTHERS AND SISTERS WHO HAD SOME RIVALRY OR SOME 01:39 BATTLES. YOU KNOW, IT WAS ONE OF THE 01:41 PTOLEMYS THAT HE DECIDED THAT HIS TWO CHILDREN WOULD CO-RULE. 01:46 ONE OF THEM WAS CALLED CLEOPATRA AND THEN HIS YOUNGER SON PTOLEMY 01:50 - CLEOPATRA DIDN'T CARE FOR THAT AND SHE GOT CAESAR ON HER SIDE 01:54 AND HE ENDED UP DROWNING IN A BATTLE IN THE NILE. 01:58 YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD ABOUT ELIZABETH AND MARY I IN ENGLAND 02:03 AND ONE PUT THE OTHER IN THE TOWER OF LONDON. 02:06 ONE INTERESTING STORY IS ABOUT ARTEXERXES II AND CYRUS THE 02:11 YOUNGER, WHEN THE KING OF PERSIA WAS AILING, THESE TWO BROTHERS 02:17 BOTH THOUGHT THAT THEY HAD A RIGHT TO THE THRONE. 02:20 AND YOU THINK BROTHERS, YOU KNOW, THEY'D JUST LOVE EACH 02:22 OTHER BUT, I GUESS, WHEN IT COMES TO POWER - YOU'VE NEVER 02:26 KNOWN OF ANY CASES OF SIBLING RIVALRY. ANY OF YOU FIGHT WITH 02:30 YOUR SIBLINGS? >>YES. 02:34 >>WELL, THEY ENDED UP BOTH RAISING ARMIES AND CYRUS CAME 02:38 AND HE JOINED AN ARMY AGAINST HIS BROTHER ARTEXERXES II. 02:42 NOW THESE ARE NOT THE SAME ARTEXERXES AND CYRUS THAT YOU 02:45 READ ABOUT IN THE BIBLE - THAT NAME APPEARS SEVERAL TIMES. 02:49 AND, IN THIS BATTLE, CYRUS ENDED UP BRINGING 30,000 MEN. 02:53 HE CAME TO BATTLE WITH HIS BROTHER WHO HAD 60,000 MEN AND 02:56 HE WAS ACTUALLY WINNING WITH 30,000 MEN - WITH 90,000 MEN ON 03:01 THE BATTLEFIELD, WOULDN'T YOU KNOW, THEY ACTUALLY GOT TO THE 03:04 POINT WHERE THE TWO BROTHERS WERE FACE TO FACE IN BATTLE AND 03:11 CYRUS SUCCEEDED IN WOUNDING HIS BROTHER WITH A SPEAR, BUT THE 03:15 SOLDIERS AROUND HIS BROTHER THREW SEVERAL DARTS AT CYRUS AND 03:19 WOUNDED HIM AND HE DIED LATER THAT DAY AND THE KINGDOM FELL, 03:23 THEN, TO ARTEXERXES II. SIBLING RIVALRY. 03:27 ALL THE WAY BACK FROM CAIN AND ABEL, JACOB AND ESAU - YOU CAN 03:32 READ ABOUT JESUS AND HIS BROTHERS AND DAVID AND HIS 03:35 BROTHERS AND JOSEPH AND HIS BROTHERS AND YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF 03:39 EXAMPLES IN THE BIBLE, EVEN AMONG THE GIRLS - RACHEL AND 03:43 LEAH - YOU EVER READ ABOUT THE ARGUMENTS THEY HAD FIGHTING OVER 03:46 THE SAME HUSBAND? BUT ONE OF THE GREAT EXAMPLES 03:51 OF WHAT HAS BECOME A SIBLING RIVALRY DEALS WITH THE TWO 03:56 OLDEST SONS OF ABRAHAM, THE OLDEST BEING ISHMAEL AND THE 04:02 SECOND BEING ISAAC, AND WHO WAS THE RIGHTFUL HEIR FOR THAT 04:08 PATRIARCHAL BLESSING? AND THE CONTEST THAT BEGINS IN 04:13 THE BOOK OF GENESIS CONTINUES TODAY IN THE WORLD. 04:17 WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THAT IN JUST A MOMENT. 04:20 FIRST I'D LIKE TO JUST STATE SOME OF WHAT IS OBVIOUS. 04:24 RIGHT NOW THERE ARE ABOUT 7.4 BILLION PEOPLE - THE NATION OF 04:30 ISLAM, OR THE PEOPLE OF ISLAM, IS A GREAT NATION OF PEOPLE. 04:34 THERE ARE ABOUT 7.4 BILLION PEOPLE IN THE WORLD TODAY 04:38 CHRISTIANITY IS, BY FAR, THE BIGGEST RELIGION AT PRESENT WITH 04:42 ABOUT 2.2 OR 31% OF ALL THE PEOPLE ON EARTH. 04:47 ISLAM IS IN SECOND PLACE WITH 1.7 ADHERENTS - THAT'S 23%. 04:53 NOW, WHAT'S INTERESTING IS, ACCORDING TO A PEW RESEARCH 04:57 STUDY, MUSLIMS ARE GROWING MUCH FASTER AND IT IS ESTIMATED THAT 05:04 BY THE YEAR 2050, WHILE THE WORLD POPULATION'S ONLY GOING TO 05:09 GROW ABOUT 35%, THE POPULATION OF THE MUSLIMS IN THE WORLD IS 05:13 GOING TO GROW 73%. AND IT WILL BE THE LARGEST 05:18 RELIGIOUS GROUP IN THE WORLD, IF PRESENT TRENDS CONTINUE, BY 2050 05:26 THERE'LL BE 2.8 BILLION MUSLIMS IN THE WORLD. NOW THIS IS 05:30 SOMETHING THAT - AND IT'S A RELIGIOUS BELIEF THAT HAS SOME 05:36 SIMILARITIES IN THEIR HISTORY WITH CHRISTIANITY THAT WE'LL 05:39 TALK ABOUT. SOME OF YOU ARE WONDERING, IS 05:42 THE CHRISTIAN GOD AND THE GOD OF MUSLIMS THE SAME? 05:48 YOU'VE GOT TO COME NEXT WEEK. 05:49 I'M NOT ANSWERING THAT QUESTION TODAY. 05:50 (LAUGHTER) AND IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF 05:54 MUHAMMAD THEN I'M GOING TO BE DEALING MORE ABOUT THAT AND IF 05:56 YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT DANIEL 11 WE'RE GOING TO DELVE INTO THAT A 06:00 LITTLE BIT. YOU'VE GOT TO KEEP COMING. 06:03 BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE HEADLINES TODAY WE HEAR 06:06 ABOUT TERRORISM AND IT'S OFTEN IN CONNECTION WITH ISLAM AND 06:11 PEOPLE WONDER, YOU KNOW, WE HEAR ABOUT ISIS AND ISIL AND IS. 06:16 WHAT DOES ALL THAT MEAN? WELL, ISIS HAS COME TO BE AN 06:19 ACRONYM FOR THE 'ISLAMIC STATE OF IRAQ AND SYRIA'. SOMETIMES 06:24 YOU'LL HEAR PRESIDENT OBAMA USE THE WORD 'ISIL' AND IT'S 06:27 SIMILAR. THAT MEANS THE 'ISLAMIC STATE OF IRAQ AND THE LEVANT'. 06:32 NOW THAT'S AN INTERESTING PHRASE BECAUSE - AND I'VE GOT A MAP 06:36 HERE THAT I THINK IS ON THE SCREEN. WHY DON'T YOU PUT THAT 06:38 UP, SHERLE? I SEE IT ON MY MONITOR; I WANT 06:40 FOLKS TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THAT. 06:43 THE TERRITORY OF THE LEVANT NOT ONLY INCLUDES IRAN, IRAQ, SYRIA, 06:49 JORDAN, LEBANON, BUT IT INCLUDES ISRAEL. 06:51 IT'S AN ANCIENT TERRITORY THAT REALLY CLAIMED ALL THE LAND 06:55 RIGHT TO THE MEDITERRANEAN. AND SO, SOME USE THAT PHRASE 06:57 BECAUSE THEY'RE SORT OF TAKING ISRAEL OUT OF THE PICTURE. 07:00 THEY'RE WANTING TO FORM, OUT OF ALL THESE FRAGMENTS OF THE 07:05 ISLAMIC COUNTRIES, ONE MIGHTY CENTRAL POWER. THAT'S WHAT 07:10 SADDAM HUSSEIN WAS AFTER AND HE HOPED THAT HE COULD RECAPTURE 07:13 THE GLORY OF THE DAYS OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR - A WORLD EMPIRE. 07:17 OF COURSE, THE RELIGION OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR WAS NOTHING LIKE 07:19 ISLAM, BUT SINCE IT WAS SOME OF THE SAME TERRITORY AROUND 07:23 BAGHDAD, HE WAS CLAIMING NEBUCHADNEZZAR AS HIS ANCESTOR 07:26 BECAUSE HE WANTED TO BE THE ONE WHO WOULD UNITE ALL THESE 07:30 FRAGMENTS OF ISLAM AND THE ARAB COUNTRIES. NOW, WE'VE GOT TO BE 07:36 VERY CAREFUL BECAUSE, WHILE THERE ARE 1.7 BILLION MUSLIMS IN 07:41 THE WORLD TODAY, A FEW THINGS NEED TO BE CLEAR. 07:44 MOST ARABS ARE MUSLIMS, BUT NOT MOST MUSLIMS ARE ARABS. 07:53 THE MAJORITY OF MUSLIMS ARE NOT ARABS. 07:57 MOST ARABS ARE MUSLIMS AND THE MUSLIM RELIGION DID SPRING FROM 08:02 SAUDI ARABIA AND MUHAMMAD AND IT LARGELY - IT'S GOT ARAB ROOTS 08:07 THAT ARE CONNECTED WITH ISHMAEL. WE'LL GET TO THAT 08:09 IN JUST A MINUTE. BUT THE RELIGION SPREAD AND SO 08:13 TODAY, MOST MUSLIMS ARE NOT ARABS. THE LARGEST MUSLIM 08:16 COUNTRY - I'VE BEEN THERE - INDONESIA - THEY'RE NOT ARABS. 08:21 AND YOU GO TO PAKISTAN AND NORTH INDIA - NORTH AFRICA - AND 08:26 YOU'RE GOING TO FIND THAT THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF MUSLIM 08:28 PEOPLE IN THE WORLD THAT ARE NOT ARABS. 08:30 AND SO, WE'VE GOT TO BE VERY CAREFUL AND WE ALSO HAVE TO BE 08:33 CAREFUL TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE DO SEE THAT THERE'S A LOT OF 08:37 TERRORISM IN THE WORLD AND A LOT OF IT - A LOT OF THE SUICIDE 08:41 BOMBINGS ARE CONNECTED WITH THE RELIGION ISLAM. 08:44 MATTER OF FACT, A COUPLE OF STUDIES THAT I READ - AND 08:46 THERE'S OTHERS YOU CAN FIND - 2013 STUDY BY THE BROOKINGS 08:50 INSTITUTE FOUND THAT 77% OF TERROR ATTACK PLOTS IN THE 08:55 UNITED STATES WERE MOTIVATED BY ISLAM. 08:59 A 2015 STUDY FROM THE INSTITUTE FOR NATIONAL SECURITY STUDIES - 09:04 AND THAT'S BASED IN ISRAEL, SO - TO GIVE YOU FAIR PERSPECTIVE - 09:07 FOUND THAT 99.5% OF ALL SUICIDE ATTACKS GLOBALLY WERE MOTIVATED 09:15 BY ISLAM. THEY FOUND THAT OUT OF 452 09:19 SUICIDE TERROR ATTACKS IN 2015 - OF COURSE THE DATA'S NOT ALL IN 09:23 ON 2016 YET - THIS IS JUST LAST YEAR, OUT OF 452, 450 WERE 09:29 PERPETRATED BY MUSLIM EXTREMISTS. 09:33 SO PEOPLE THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS AND YOU READ IT IN THE 09:36 HEADLINES AND IT'S - PEOPLE BECOME FRIGHTENED. 09:38 THEY SAY, 'DO I HAVE TO BE AFRAID OF THE RELIGION OF 09:41 ISLAM?' KEEP IN MIND THAT OUT OF 1.7 09:46 BILLION, THE VAST MAJORITY ARE NICE, PEACEFUL PEOPLE; BUT THERE 09:52 IS SOMETHING THAT IS DEFINITELY GOING ON. 09:54 YOU CANNOT DENY THAT THE TERRORISM IS SPRINGING FROM A 09:58 RELIGIOUS FOUNDATION. THOSE WHO ARE EXTREMISTS, 10:02 THERE'S RELIGIOUS REASONS FOR IT. 10:04 THAT'S WHY WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE PEACE IN THE MIDDLE 10:07 EAST AND THE RECENT SECRETARY OF STATE BASICALLY THREW HIS HANDS 10:10 IN THE AIR AND WALKED AWAY, NOT ONLY DEALING WITH SYRIA BUT IN 10:16 WHAT'S GOING ON IN ISRAEL BECAUSE THE PROBLEMS ARE SO 10:19 DEEPLY ROOTED BECAUSE THE RELIGIOUS ISSUES AND, AS LONG AS 10:24 THE JEWS AND THE CHRISTIANS AND THE MUSLIMS BASE THEIR FAITH ON 10:30 DIFFERENT BOOKS - OF COURSE JEWS AND CHRISTIANS HAVE PRETTY MUCH 10:33 THE SAME BOOK. WE HAVE THE NEW TESTAMENT BUT 10:36 THE MUSLIMS PUT THE QURAN AS A PRIORITY. THEY ALSO CLAIM SOME 10:40 VALUE IN THE BIBLE, BUT NOT THE SAME WAY THAT WE DO. 10:44 SO THERE'S - THERE ARE DOCUMENTS OF CONSTITUTION - THEIR 10:48 RELIGIONS ARE DIFFERENT AND THEY CAN'T CHANGE THAT. 10:50 YOU JUST DON'T SEE IT GOING AWAY UNLESS THEY CHANGE THEIR BOOK. 10:54 IT'S ENTRENCHED AND THE BATTLES THAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE GOING 10:58 ON IN THE WORLD TODAY GO WAY BACK. 11:02 RECENTLY CIA DIRECTOR JOHN BRENNAN AND, IN A SIMILAR 11:07 MEETING WHERE ALSO THE FBI BOTH ADDRESSED THE PROBLEMS WITH ISIS 11:13 AND ISIL - ACCORDING TO DIRECTOR BRENNAN HE SAID, 'IRAQ AND SYRIA 11:17 HAVE BEEN SO THOROUGHLY DAMAGED BY WARFARE, SECTARIAN CONFLICT, 11:21 AND KILLING, IT IS UNCLEAR THAT THEY CAN EVER BE PUT BACK 11:24 TOGETHER AGAIN. THOSE NATIONS WE ONCE KNEW AS 11:28 SYRIA AND IRAQ - AND IT MAY SPILL OVER INTO JORDAN AND 11:33 LEBANON AND SOME OF THESE OTHER COUNTRIES - TUNIS, AFRICA, 11:36 YEMEN, THEY'RE UNRAVELING AND THE BORDERS ARE CHANGING. 11:41 AND HE SAYS HE DOESN'T THINK THEY'LL EVER BE PUT BACK 11:43 TOGETHER AGAIN THE WAY WE KNOW THEM NOW. 11:49 HE WENT ON TO SAY HE BELIEVES THAT ISIS WILL REMAIN A PRESENCE 11:53 INSIDE SYRIA AND IRAQ FOR QUITE - "QUITE A WHILE TO COME. 11:59 I DO NOT THINK A NUMBER OF THEM ARE GOING TO REMAIN A CHALLENGE 12:02 FOR THE UNITED STATES AS WELL AS OTHER GOVERNMENTS" - HE SAYS, "I 12:06 DO THINK" - I'M SORRY - "I DO THINK A NUMBER OF THEM ARE GOING 12:09 TO REMAIN A CHALLENGE FOR THE UNITED STATES, AS WELL AS OTHER 12:11 GOVERNMENTS, FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS TO COME." JAMES COMEY, 12:15 DIRECTOR OF THE FBI MADE A SIMILAR ASSERTION - 12:18 SAME DAY - HE SAID, "THE THREAT, I THINK, WILL DOMINATE THE NEXT 12:21 FIVE YEARS FOR THE FBI. AND THE IMPACT OF THE CRUSHING 12:25 OF THE CALIPHATE WILL HAPPEN" - HE SAID, ADDING, THOUGH "THROUGH 12:29 THE FINGERS OF THAT CRUSH ARE GOING TO COME HUNDREDS OF 12:32 HARDENED KILLERS WHO ARE NOT GOING TO DIE ON THE BATTLEFIELD, 12:35 THEY'RE GOING TO FLOW OUT." SO THESE ARE ISSUES THAT ARE 12:41 NOT GOING TO GO AWAY QUICKLY. NOW, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, 12:44 WHILE IT IS TRUE THAT MOST ARABS ARE MUSLIM, MOST 12:48 MUSLIMS ARE NOT ARABS. JUDAISM - OR, RATHER, 12:52 CHRISTIANITY IS ROOTED IN JUDAISM, BUT MOST 12:55 CHRISTIANS ARE NOT JEWS. YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? 12:58 SO, TO UNDERSTAND THIS, AND WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT THE TWO 13:02 PRIMARY RELIGIONS IN THE WORLD TODAY ARE CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAM 13:06 - MORE THAN 50% AND THEY ARE GROWING FASTER THAN BUDDHISM AND 13:10 HINDUISM, WHICH ARE THE OTHER PROMINENT RELIGIONS, THERE ARE 13:13 ONLY ABOUT 16 MILLION JEWS IN THE WORLD - 13:16 COMPARED TO THE OTHER RELIGIONS THEY'RE VERY SMALL, BUT THEY'RE 13:19 AN AMAZING PEOPLE IN THAT THEY HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF INFLUENCE 13:22 ON THE FINANCES OF THE WORLD AND MEDIA. 13:25 I'M JUST STATING A FACT AND I'M A JEW. 13:27 BUT - AND IT'S A SMALL COUNTRY - GOT A LOT OF TECHNOLOGY, A LOT 13:31 OF BRAINPOWER, A LOT OF INFLUENCE - BUT WHEN YOU THINK 13:34 ABOUT THE NUMBERS, JUDAISM IS A VERY SMALL NUMBER COMPARED TO 13:38 THE BILLIONS YOU FIND IN CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAM. 13:42 SO, TO THINK LAST-DAY PROPHECY IS NOT GOING TO FACTOR IN THESE 13:45 RELIGIONS, I THINK, IS RECKLESS. 13:48 SO WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO THAT, BUT BEFORE WE DO YOU'VE GOT TO 13:51 GO BACK IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND IT BECAUSE THESE ANCIENT STORIES 13:56 HAVE A BEARING ON FUTURE EVENTS. WE'RE GOING TO GO WAY BACK. 14:00 WE'RE GOING TO GO TO THE BOOK OF GENESIS AND I THINK YOU'LL FIND, 14:03 IN THIS STUDY - GO TO GENESIS 12 IF YOU HAVE YOUR BIBLES. 14:07 I WON'T HAVE ALL THE SCRIPTURES ON THE SCREEN BECAUSE I THINK 14:09 YOU STILL BRING YOUR BIBLES TO CHURCH. 14:11 I WILL HAVE A FEW PICTURES AND COMMENTS - GO TO GENESIS 12 AND 14:18 WE'RE GOING TO BE READING VERSES 1 TO 3. 14:21 NOW AFTER THE TOWER OF BABEL FELL, GOD THEN CALLS SOMEONE BY 14:25 THE NAME OF ABRAHAM AND GOD SAYS TO ABRAHAM, 'GET OUT OF YOUR 14:29 COUNTRY, FROM YOUR FAMILY, FROM YOUR FATHER'S HOUSE TO A LAND I 14:33 WILL SHOW YOU. I WILL MAKE A GREAT NATION' - 14:37 DON'T MISS THAT PHRASE 'GREAT NATION', IT'S COMING UP AGAIN - 14:41 'I'LL MAKE A GREAT NATION OF YOU AND I WILL BLESS YOU AND MAKE 14:44 YOUR NAME GREAT AND YOU WILL BE A BLESSING AND I'LL BLESS THOSE 14:48 WHO BLESS YOU AND I WILL CURSE HIM WHO CURSES YOU, AND IN YOU 14:53 ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH WILL BE BLESSED.' 14:56 THIS IS A MESSIANIC PROMISE. THIS IS A PROMISE THAT ABRAHAM 15:01 WOULD BE THE FAMILY - THE TRIBE - THROUGH WHICH THE 15:04 MESSIANIC LINE - THE LINE OF JESUS WOULD COME THROUGH 15:08 ABRAHAM. BUT THERE WAS A PROBLEM, SO 15:11 YOU'VE GOT TO GO NOW TO GENESIS CHAPTER 16. 15:14 AND IF YOU READ IN GENESIS 16, VERSE 1, ABRAHAM IS, YOU KNOW, 15:19 GOD CALLS HIM AT 75 YEARS OLD TO COME OUT OF UR OF THE CHALDEES, 15:24 SAYS, 'I'M GOING TO MAKE YOU A GREAT NATION.' HE'S MARRIED HIS 15:25 HALF-SISTER SARAH, EVIDENTLY A VERY BEAUTIFUL WOMAN BECAUSE HE 15:28 LIES TWICE AND SAYS IT'S HIS SISTER BECAUSE SHE'S SO 15:32 BEAUTIFUL HE'S AFRAID THAT THE PHILISTINES AND THE EGYPTIANS 15:35 ARE GOING TO KILL HIM AND TAKE HIS WIFE AND SHE'S ALREADY LIKE 15:39 OVER 60 YEARS OF AGE THE FIRST TIME. 15:44 BUT IT IS A PROBLEM. SO THEY'VE HAD NO CHILDREN. 15:49 GOD EVEN RENAMES ABRAHAM - GIVES HIM THE NAME FROM ABRAM TO 15:53 ABRAHAM, WHICH MEANS 'FATHER OF A MULTITUDE' SO IT'S, 'WHAT'S 15:57 YOUR NAME?' 'FATHER OF A MULTITUDE.' 'OH, 15:59 REALLY, HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU HAVE?' 'NONE YET, BUT I'M 16:02 OPTIMISTIC.' SO THAT MUST HAVE BEEN EMBARRASSING. 16:06 AND SARAH DIDN'T WANT HIM TO BE FOREVER EMBARRASSED AND SO YOU 16:09 READ IN CHAPTER 16, VERSE 1, "NOW SARAI, ABRAHM'S WIFE, 16:12 HAD BORNE HIM NO CHILDREN. SHE HAD AN EGYPTIAN MAIDSERVANT 16:16 WHOSE NAME WAS HAGAR." NOW, YOU MIGHT WONDER WHERE'D HE 16:19 GET HER, BECAUSE ABRAHAM CAME FROM THE EAST - THAT'S NOT WHERE 16:23 - EGYPT WAS WEST OF THE PROMISED LAND. 16:25 WELL, BEFORE CHAPTER 16, YOU'VE GOT CHAPTER 12 - THERE WAS A 16:30 FAMINE AND ABRAHAM, AFTER HE WENT INTO THE PROMISED LAND, HE 16:34 HAD TO GO DOWN TO EGYPT DURING THE TIME OF FAMINE AND THE 16:37 PHARAOH THERE SENT HIM OUT OF THE COUNTRY AND HE GAVE HIM A 16:41 LOT OF GIFTS. AND YOU CAN READ IN GENESIS 16 16:43 - I'M SORRY, GENESIS 12:16, "HE TREATED ABRAHM 16:47 WELL FOR HER SAKE. HE HAD SHEEP, OXEN, MALE 16:51 DONKEYS, MALE AND FEMALE SERVANTS..." 16:53 AND SO THE PHARAOH GAVE A LOT OF GIFTS, INCLUDING FEMALE 16:57 SERVANTS. AMONG THE FEMALE SERVANTS THAT 17:00 WERE GIVEN TO ABRAHAM AND SARAH IN CHAPTER 12 WAS ONE BY THE 17:04 NAME OF HAGAR AND HAGAR'S NAME MEANS 'FUGITIVE; IMMIGRANT'. 17:09 ISN'T THAT INTERESTING? 'THE SOJOURNER' - IT ALSO HAS 17:14 BEEN USED IN ANOTHER CONTEXT TO MEAN 'ENSNARING'. 17:20 AND SO, GOING BACK TO GENESIS 16, SARAH HAS THIS IDEA. 17:24 SHE SAYS TO ABRAHAM, 'LOOK, I CAN'T HAVE CHILDREN, 17:25 BUT I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE CHILDLESS. 17:27 SINCE HAGAR IS MY MAIDSERVANT, I'LL HAVE HER WORK AS A 17:31 SURROGATE, YOU KNOW, SHE CAN BEAR CHILDREN FOR ME.' SHE SAID, 17:38 "PLEASE, GO IN TO MY MAID; PERHAPS I SHALL OBTAIN CHILDREN 17:40 BY HER.'" AND YOU THOUGHT THAT WAS A MODERN PHENOMENON. 17:45 AND SO ABRAHAM, HE JUST GOES ALONG. 17:48 HE HEEDS THE VOICE OF HIS WIFE SARAH AND HE "TOOK HAGAR HER 17:53 MAID, THE EGYPTIAN, AND GAVE HER TO HER HUSBAND ABRAHM" - THAT 17:57 MUST HAVE BEEN TOUGH - "TO BE HIS WIFE, AFTER ABRAM HAD DWELT 18:03 TEN YEARS IN THE LAND OF CANAAN." - THEY STILL HAD NO 18:05 CHILDREN - "SO HE WENT IN TO HAGAR, AND SHE CONCEIVED. 18:09 AND WHEN SHE SAW THAT SHE HAD CONCEIVED, HER MISTRESS BECAME 18:14 DESPISED IN HER EYES." NOW I'VE UNDERLINED THAT. 18:17 RIGHT HERE YOU SEE - NOW KEEP IN MIND, HAGAR IS GOING TO BE THE 18:21 MOTHER OF ISHMAEL WHO ENDS UP BEING THE FIRST ARAB - FATHER OF 18:26 THE ARABS. SARAH, THE MOTHER OF ISAAC - 18:31 CAN YOU IMAGINE NOW, SARAH, WHO SHE'S THE WEALTHY ONE - SHE'S 18:36 THE REAL WIFE - HAGAR IS A SURROGATE; SHE'S BEARING 18:40 CHILDREN FOR SARAH BUT SHE'S HAVING HER OWN BABY. 18:42 SARAH CAN'T HAVE ANY, HAGAR'S CONCEIVED, SHE'S BEGINNING TO 18:45 HAVE HER TUMMY SHOW, AND AS THEY GET TOGETHER AROUND THE CAMPFIRE 18:48 AT NIGHT WITH ALL THE OTHER SERVANTS - ABRAHAM HAD A LARGE 18:51 HOUSEHOLD - HE'S GOT 300 MEN IN HIS HOUSEHOLD AND THE CLOSEST 18:54 NUMBER WE CAN GET - HE'S GOT 300 MEN THAT ARE PART OF AN ARMY, SO 18:59 YOU FIGURE HOW MANY MORE SUSTAIN THAT GROUP AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S 19:03 LIKE 2,000 PEOPLE-PLUS IN HIS HOUSEHOLD - AND THEY GATHER 19:07 AROUND THE CAMPFIRE AND HE OFFERS SACRIFICE FOR EVERYBODY 19:09 AND THEY TELL STORIES AND - AND THERE'S HAGAR STRUTTING AROUND, 19:13 RUBBING HER BELLY, AND SHE'S LOOKING AT SARAH SAYING, 'TSK, 19:15 TSK, TSK, TOO BAD YOU CAN'T HAVE ANY CHILDREN. 19:19 GOD MUST HAVE CURSED YOU.' DO YOU REMEMBER HOW PENINNAH, THE 19:24 WIFE OF ELKANAH - ELKANAH IS THE FATHER OF SAMUEL - PENINNAH 19:29 PERSECUTED HANNAH BECAUSE HANNAH COULDN'T HAVE ANY CHILDREN. 19:33 BOY, WOMEN CAN BE VICIOUS (LAUGHTER) WHEN IT COMES TO 19:38 RIVALRY, FOR A MAN. CAN I GET AN AMEN ON THAT? 19:42 SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? YOU SEE IT IN THE BIBLE. 19:44 LOOK AT RACHEL AND LEAH. THEY'RE FIGHTING 19:46 WITH EACH OTHER. AND SO, HAGAR STARTS TO DESPISE 19:52 - 'YOU'VE GOT THE MONEY. YOU'RE THE REAL WIFE.' AND SHE 19:55 STARTS - THERE'S THIS ANIMOSITY - THIS RIVALRY BECAUSE THE 19:59 ATTITUDES OF THE MOTHERS GET TRANSFERRED TO THE CHILDREN. 20:06 SO THE RIVALRY BETWEEN THE TWO - WAIT, I'M NOT DONE - 'HER 20:09 MISTRESS BECAME DESPISED IN HER EYES.' MATTER OF FACT, I'VE BEEN 20:12 READING OUT OF MY NOTES. I'VE GOT TO JUMP TO GENESIS 16 20:15 AND I'M GOING TO LOOK AT THIS WITH YOU. 20:20 AND THEN SARAH SAYS TO ABRAHAM - I'M IN VERSE 5, 'MY WRONG BE 20:23 UPON YOU. I KNOW I GAVE YOU MY MAID, BUT 20:26 IT'S YOUR FAULT.' "MY WRONG BE UPON YOU! 20:29 I GAVE MY MAID INTO YOUR EMBRACE; AND WHEN SHE SAW THAT 20:33 SHE HAD CONCEIVED, I BECAME DESPISED IN HER EYES. 20:35 THE LORD JUDGE BETWEEN YOU AND ME." 20:37 DOESN'T THAT SOUND LIKE A MARRIAGE? 20:39 (LAUGHTER) AND ABRAHAM SAID, 'LOOK, IT WAS YOUR IDEA.' 'BUT 20:44 YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER.' THAT'S THE WAY I'M READING IT, 20:49 I'M SORRY. SO ABRAHAM SAID TO SARAI 'LOOK, SHE'S YOUR MAID. 20:55 SHE'S IN YOUR HAND' - I MEAN, HERE HE IS, FIRST HE COMPLIES 20:57 AND HE SAYS, 'OKAY, I'LL MARRY HER.' THEN HE SAYS - HE COMPLIES 20:59 AND SAYS, 'OKAY, DO WHAT YOU WANT. SHE'S YOUR MAID. 21:02 YOU'RE THE MISTRESS, SHE'S THE SERVANT - DO AS YOU PLEASE.' 21:07 "AND WHEN SARAI DEALT HARSHLY WITH HER," - 21:09 SO NOW THE ANIMOSITY IS NOT JUST COMING FROM HAGAR TOWARDS SARAH, 21:12 IT'S COMING FROM SARAH TOWARDS HAGAR. 21:14 YOU SEE, IT'S GOING BOTH WAYS. WHEN SARAH DEALT HARSHLY 21:18 WITH HER SHE RUNS. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT MEANS SHE 21:20 BEAT HER OR WHAT HAPPENED. "SHE FLED FROM HER PRESENCE." 21:26 HAGAR TAKES OFF AND SHE HEADS FOR THE HILLS. 21:29 "NOW THE ANGEL OF THE LORD FOUND HER BY A SPRING OF WATER...ON 21:34 THE WAY TO SHUR. AND HE SAID, 'HAGAR, SARAI'S 21:38 MAID, WHERE HAVE YOU COME FROM, AND WHERE ARE YOU GOING?'" 21:43 THAT'S A QUESTION WE ALL OUGHT TO ASK. 21:45 "SHE SAID, 'I AM FLEEING FROM THE PRESENCE OF MY MISTRESS 21:48 SARAI.'" - SARAI, BACK THEN - "THE ANGEL OF THE LORD SAID TO 21:53 HER, 'RETURN TO YOUR MISTRESS, AND SUBMIT YOURSELF UNDER HER 21:57 HAND.'" - BOY, THAT MUST HAVE BEEN TOUGH - "THEN THE ANGEL OF 22:01 THE LORD SAID TO HER, 'I WILL MULTIPLY YOUR DESCENDANTS 22:05 EXCEEDINGLY, SO THAT THEY SHALL NOT BE COUNTED FOR MULTITUDE.'" 22:09 YOU MIGHT MAKE A NOTE OF THAT BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT GOD HAD 22:12 PROMISED ABOUT ISAAC. "AND THE ANGEL OF THE LORD SAID 22:16 TO HER: 'BEHOLD, YOU ARE WITH CHILD, AND YOU SHALL BEAR A SON. 22:20 YOU SHALL CALL HIS NAME ISHMAEL, BECAUSE'" - THE WORD 'EL' IN THE 22:25 BIBLE MEANS GOD - DANI-EL, RACH-EL, MICHA-EL - AND SOME 22:31 DRAW - THERE'S A CONNECTION BETWEEN ALLAH AND ELOHIM, BUT 22:36 I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT MORE NEXT WEEK. 22:38 ISHMAEL MEANS 'GOD HEARS' - 'I'VE HEARD YOUR CRY'. 22:43 SHE'S, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T BLAME HAGAR. 22:45 SHE SAID, 'I WAS A SERVANT IN EGYPT, I GOT HANDED OVER BY THE 22:48 PHARAOH TO THIS GUY NAMED ABRAHAM, SPEAKS A DIFFERENT 22:50 LANGUAGE - I'VE STRUGGLED WITH THE LANGUAGE - THEN SHE HANDS ME 22:54 OVER TO ABRAHAM AND SAYS, 'YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE A BABY 22:56 FOR ME AND SO, HERE I HAVE A BABY AND I'M THINKING MAYBE I'LL 22:58 GET A PROMOTION - I WON'T, YOU KNOW, I WON'T JUST BE A SLAVE, 23:02 I'LL BE AT LEAST A CONCUBINE. AND SARAH GETS ALL UPSET AND SHE 23:08 BEATS ME AND WHAT HAVE I DONE?' YOU KNOW, YOU CAN UNDERSTAND 23:11 HAGAR'S NOT FEELING GOOD ABOUT IT. 23:16 AND SARAH'S THINKING, YOU KNOW, 'WHAT HAVE I DONE THAT I CAN'T 23:18 HAVE A CHILD?' 'YOU'RE WITH CHILD. 23:21 YOU'LL BEAR A SON AND CALL HIS NAME ISHMAEL, BECAUSE THE LORD 23:24 HAS HEARD YOUR AFFLICTION.' NOTICE, VERSE 12: "HE SHALL BE A 23:27 WILD MAN; HIS HAND SHALL BE AGAINST EVERY MAN, AND EVERY 23:33 MAN'S HAND AGAINST HIM. AND HE SHALL DWELL IN THE 23:38 PRESENCE OF ALL HIS BRETHREN." THAT SOUNDS LIKE A CONFLICT. 23:41 THERE WOULD BE SOME ANIMOSITY BETWEEN ISHMAEL AND OTHER PEOPLE 23:49 - AND HE'D DWELL IN THE MIDST OF HIS BRETHREN, BUT THEY WOULD 23:52 HAVE A HARD TIME ASSIMILATING WITH OTHER PEOPLE. 23:57 AND THERE SHE CALLED THE NAME OF THE PLACE - BECAUSE GOD SPOKE TO 24:01 HER - "YOU-ARE-THE-GOD-WHO- SEES; FOR SHE SAID, 'HAVE I ALSO 24:04 HERE SEEN HIM WHO SEES ME?' THEREFORE THE WELL" - WHERE GOD 24:08 APPEARED TO HER - "WAS CALLED BEER LAHAI ROI...BETWEEN 24:12 KADESH AND BERED." ANYWAY, SO YOU SEE THERE'S THIS CONFLICT 24:16 BETWEEN HAGAR AND SARAH. NOW, IF YOU GO TO CHAPTER 21 24:23 OF GENESIS AND YOU SEE THAT IT CONTINUES TO INCREASE. 24:31 "SO THE CHILD (ISAAC) GREW AND WAS WEANED." 24:35 OH WAIT, I LEFT A VERY IMPORTANT POINT ABOUT - YOU'VE GOT TO GO 24:39 BACK WHERE ABRAHAM THEN HAS A VISION WHERE GOD APPEARS TO HIM 24:45 AND HE SAYS, 'I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A SON.' AND ABRAHAM'S GOING, 24:48 'WELL, YOU DID GIVE ME A SON, HIS NAME'S ISHMAEL.' AND GOD IS 24:52 SAYING, 'NO, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A SON BY YOUR WIFE. 24:55 I NEVER TOLD YOU TO TAKE ANOTHER WIFE. I TOLD YOU I WAS GOING TO 24:58 MAKE YOU A FATHER OF A MULTITUDE AND YOU LOST FAITH AND THOUGHT 25:02 YOU WERE GOING TO HELP ME OUT. AND YOU ACCOMPLISHED, BY WORKS, 25:06 WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN BY FAITH. 25:08 YOU ACCOMPLISHED BY CARNAL MEANS, WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO 25:12 HAPPEN BY SPIRITUAL MIRACULOUS MEANS.' HE SAYS, 'I'M GOING TO 25:16 GIVE YOU A SON THROUGH SARAH.' I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE KNOWN 25:20 ANYONE LIKE THIS, BUT I'VE KNOWN TWO OR THREE PEOPLE THAT - A 25:23 COUPLE - THEY TRIED TO HAVE CHILDREN, THEY TRIED TO HAVE 25:24 CHILDREN, THEY COULDN'T HAVE CHILDREN SO THEY ADOPT; 25:28 AND GUESS WHAT HAPPENS? >>THEY GET PREGNANT. 25:30 >>THEN THEY HAVE CHILDREN. ANYONE KNOW ANYONE LIKE THAT? 25:32 THEY JUST DIDN'T WAIT LONG ENOUGH. BUT GOD, EVIDENTLY, 25:35 WANTED THAT CHILD ADOPTED AND SO HE WORKED IT ALL OUT. BUT GOD 25:40 SAID 'YOU KNOW, YOU RAN AHEAD OF ME. THIS WAS NOT MY PLAN.' 25:45 WHICH ALSO REMINDS US THAT POLYGAMY IS NOT GOD'S PLAN. 25:49 IT DID NOT WORK WELL FOR ABRAHAM OR JACOB. 25:52 I'VE ALWAYS WONDERED, YOU KNOW, ABRAHAM HAD SEVERAL WIVES - 25:56 WE'LL GET TO THAT KETURAH LATER - JACOB HAD FOUR WIVES, ISAAC 26:03 HAD ONE WIFE. AND EVEN THOUGH ISAAC WAS YOUNGER, HE'S THE SON 26:08 OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC LIVED LONGER THAN JACOB OR - IT'S JUST A FACT 26:14 - HE LIVED 180 YEARS - HE LIVED LONGER THAN HIS FATHER LIVED AND 26:17 HE LIVED LONGER THAN JACOB LIVED. 26:18 IT'S NOT GOD'S PLAN. IT'LL SHORTEN YOUR LIFE SPAN. 26:21 (LAUGHTER) MAKES SENSE TO ME. SO ABRAHAM THEN PRAYS TO GOD. 26:31 GOD SAYS, 'YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU THIS PROMISED SON.' 26:33 HE PRAYS AND HE SAYS, 'LORD, I WISH THAT ISHMAEL MIGHT LIVE 26:37 BEFORE YOU.' AND GOD SAID, 'HE IS GOING TO LIVE BEFORE ME AND 26:42 I'LL BLESS HIM, BUT I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A CHILD BY SARAH.' 26:48 AND SO, GOD BLESSES SARAH, SHE GETS PREGNANT - 90 YEARS OLD - 26:57 HAS A BABY. NOW 90 THEN WAS NOT LIKE 90 NOW 27:03 BECAUSE 175 IS HOW LONG ABRAHAM LIVED. 27:07 OBVIOUSLY YOU HAVEN'T MET ANYBODY 175 LATELY. 27:11 I'VE JUST READ AN ARTICLE ON AGING AND WITH ALL THE PROGRESS 27:18 THAT THEY'RE MAKING IN GENETICS, THEY DID A STUDY - SOME - I 27:22 CAN'T REMEMBER, I JUST READ IT ON THE PLANE - SOME REPUTABLE 27:25 ORGANIZATION AND THEY SAID THEY'VE COME TO THE CONCLUSION 27:29 THAT THE MAXIMUM LIFE SPAN FOR MAN - THAT WITH ALL OF OUR 27:33 TECHNOLOGY, HE'S STILL NOT GOING TO GET BEYOND 115 YEARS, BECAUSE 27:38 EVEN THOUGH YOU MIGHT DO THINGS THAT WILL IMPROVE HIS LUNGS AND 27:40 IMPROVE HIS HEART, THERE ARE JUST SO MANY SYSTEMS THAT ALL 27:44 BEGIN TO FAIL, THAT IS SORT OF LIKE THE MAX OF WHAT A HUMAN, 27:48 RIGHT NOW, WITH OUR GENES, CAN HOPE FOR. 27:51 NOW, I KNOW THEY'RE ALL HOPING FOR A MAGIC PILL AND GOOGLE AND 27:54 PEOPLE HAVE INVESTED ALL THIS IN TRYING TO EXTEND THE LIFE SPAN 27:58 BUT, YOU KNOW, IT SAYS BACK IN THE BIBLE, 'THE DAYS OF OUR 28:02 YEARS WILL BE THREE SCORE AND TEN AND IF, BY REASON OF 28:04 STRENGTH, THEY'RE FOUR SCORE, THERE'S MUCH SORROW AND ACHES 28:07 AND PAINS.' ABRAHAM LIVED 175, ISAAC LIVED 180, THE LAST REALLY 28:13 OLD PERSON IN THE BIBLE WAS JEHOIADA, A HIGH PRIEST, LIVED 28:16 TO 130. REMEMBER THE HIGH PRIEST IN 28:18 THE DAYS OF JOASH THE KING? THAT'S THE LAST REAL 28:21 LONG LIVER IN THE BIBLE. RUMOR IS HE HAD A LIVER ABOUT 28:25 THAT LONG. NO. (LAUGHTER) 28:27 YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN - DUMB JOKE, SORRY. 28:30 SO WHEN IT SAYS THAT SARAH WAS 90, 90 BACK THEN PROBABLY LOOKED 28:35 LIKE 60 NOW, WHICH WOULD STILL BE PRETTY AMAZING. 28:40 AND SO, THEY WERE JUST ASTOUNDED. 28:45 NOW, OF COURSE, YOU'VE GOT ELIZABETH IN THE NEW TESTAMENT 28:46 WHO ALSO HAS A BABY IN HER OLD AGE. 28:49 SO SHE HAS THIS SON AND THEY'RE ALL CELEBRATING AND FINALLY, 28:55 WHEN THE BOY IS WEANED - ISAAC IS WEANED - THEY HAVE A PARTY. 28:58 AND NOW - I'M IN GENESIS 21, VERSE 8, "AND SARAH SAW" - 29:03 THEY'RE HAVING A FAMILY PARTY AND EVERYBODY'S CELEBRATING 29:06 EXCEPT - HOW DO YOU THINK HAGAR FEELS? 29:10 SHE HAD 'THE BOY' BUT SARAH NOW GETS PREGNANT AND HER BOY, WHO 29:14 SHE THOUGHT WAS GOING TO INHERIT EVERYTHING, SUDDENLY HE GETS - 29:18 HE BECOMES A LITTLE MORE THAN THE SERVANT'S KID AND CAN YOU 29:26 JUST SEE ALL OF HER IDEAS OF THE PROSPERITY OF ISHMAEL AND HIS 29:30 BEING THE FIRSTBORN AND HIS GETTING THE INHERITANCE ARE 29:32 DASHED. AND EVERYBODY AT THE PARTY THAT 29:36 ABRAHAM THROWS FOR THE WEANING OF ISAAC - AND THEY WEANED THEM 29:40 LATER THEN - IT MAY HAVE BEEN FOUR OF FIVE YEARS OLD. 29:42 YOU REMEMBER WHEN SAMUEL WAS WEANED HE WAS BROUGHT TO THE 29:44 TEMPLE? HAD TO BE A LITTLE OLDER THAN WE WEAN THEM NOW. 29:48 AND EVERYBODY'S CELEBRATING AND THEY'RE CLAPPING AND THEY'RE, 29:51 YOU KNOW, WOO - WHAT DO YOU CALL IT? 29:53 THEY'RE GUSHING OVER THE BABY AND HAGAR IS FOLDING HER ARMS 30:00 AND SHE'S STOMPING AROUND AND ISHMAEL SEES HOW MOM FEELS AND 30:02 HE SAYS, 'I WAS THE SPOILED PRINCE AND NOW IT'S ISAAC.' AND 30:09 HE CAN'T CONTAIN HIMSELF AND HE BEGINS TO TAUNT AND MOCK ISAAC. 30:16 SARAH SAW - I'M IN GENESIS 21:9, "AND SARAH SAW THE SON OF HAGAR 30:21 THE EGYPTIAN, WHOM SHE HAD BORNE TO ABRAHAM, SCOFFING. 30:25 THEREFORE SHE SAID TO ABRAHAM," - BOY, THEY JUST HAD A BLOW-UP - 30:30 "'CAST OUT'" - YOU KNOW WHAT THAT [PHRASE] 'CAST OUT' MEANS? 30:33 DIVORCE - "'CAST OUT THIS BONDWOMAN AND HER SON; FOR THE 30:39 SON OF THIS BONDWOMAN SHALL NOT BE HEIR WITH MY SON, NAMELY WITH 30:44 ISAAC.' AND THE MATTER WAS VERY DISPLEASING IN ABRAHAM'S SIGHT 30:50 BECAUSE OF HIS SON." ISHMAEL'S HIS SON - THE 30:52 FATHER LOVES HIS SON. REMEMBER WHEN ABRAHAM PRAYED, 30:55 'LORD, WHAT ABOUT ISHMAEL?' HE CARED ABOUT HIM. 30:59 "BUT GOD SAID TO ABRAHAM, 'DO NOT LET IT BE DISPLEASING IN 31:05 YOUR SIGHT BECAUSE OF THE LAD OR BECAUSE OF YOUR BONDWOMAN. 31:09 WHATEVER SARAH HAS SAID TO YOU, LISTEN TO HER VOICE;'" - NOW 31:14 THAT'S NOT A SCRIPTURE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO TAKE TOO FAR - 31:16 (LAUGHTER) "'WHATEVER SARAH HAS SAID TO 31:20 YOU, LISTEN TO HER VOICE; FOR IN ISAAC YOUR SEED SHALL BE 31:24 CALLED.'" SO YOU SEE RIGHT AWAY WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS? 31:28 THE PROMISED SEED - THE MESSIAH - WAS GOING TO COME, NOT THROUGH 31:31 ISHMAEL, BUT THROUGH ISAAC. AND WE'RE GOING TO GO TO THE NEW 31:34 TESTAMENT IN A MINUTE AND LOOK AT THAT. 31:36 "'YET I WILL ALSO MAKE A NATION OF THE SON OF THE BONDWOMAN 31:39 (ISHMAEL), BECAUSE HE IS YOUR SEED.' SO ABRAHAM ROSE EARLY IN 31:43 THE MORNING," - HE HAD TO DO SOMETHING VERY DIFFICULT - "AND 31:48 TOOK BREAD AND A SKIN OF WATER;" - NOW, I JUST WANT TO STOP RIGHT 31:50 HERE AND MENTION SOMETHING ABOUT ABRAHAM YOU'RE GOING TO NOTICE: 31:53 WHEN GOD TOLD ABRAHAM TO DO SOMETHING, HE DID IT RIGHT AWAY. 31:58 ABRAHAM OBEYED. GOD SAID, 'I WANT YOU TO CIRCUMCISE AS A 32:03 COVENANT' - THAT DAY - HE DOESN'T WAIT - EVERYBODY, 32:09 INCLUDING HIMSELF AND HIS SON ARE CIRCUMCISED. 32:12 ISHMAEL WAS 13 AND ABRAHAM, IT WAS JUST BEFORE HE WAS LIKE 32:17 90-SOMETHING, ARE CIRCUMCISED. GOD SAYS, 'I WANT YOU TO OFFER 32:24 YOUR SON.' HE DOES IT RIGHT AWAY. 32:28 AND GOD SAID, 'I WANT YOU TO CAST OUT THE BONDWOMAN.' HE 32:31 DOESN'T SAY, 'ALRIGHT' THEN 90 DAYS LATER - BOY, THE NEXT DAY 32:34 HE SADDLES HER UP AND HE SAYS, 'YOU'VE GOT TO GO.' AS SOON AS 32:37 HE KNOWS SOMETHING IS GOD'S WILL, HE DOES IT, EVEN THOUGH 32:40 IT'S DIFFICULT. WE COULD ALL LEARN SOMETHING FROM ABRAHAM. 32:44 WHEN YOU KNOW SOMETHING'S GOD'S WILL, THE LONGER YOU 32:46 DILLY-DALLY, THE DEVIL WILL GIVE YOU RATIONALIZATIONS TO NOT DO 32:49 IT. I WAS TALKING WITH A FRIEND THIS 32:52 WEEK WHO USED TO GO TO CHURCH AND HAS BEEN MISSING CHURCH. 32:56 AND HE CONFESSED TO ME - HE SAID, 'YOU KNOW, I HAVEN'T BEEN 32:58 THERE IN A WHILE, SO YOU PRAY FOR ME PASTOR DOUG.' I SAID, 33:01 'I'LL PRAY FOR YOU, BUT WHAT ABOUT TOMORROW?' 33:04 I SAID, 'HOW ABOUT GOING TOMORROW?' 33:06 I SAID, 'I CAN PRAY FOR YOU, BUT YOU CAN CHANGE - TOMORROW.' AND, 33:11 IN OTHER WORDS, 'RIGHT AWAY', BECAUSE THAT WAS THE FIRST 33:13 SABBATH. ANYWAY - SO HE SENT HER AWAY 33:18 - HE ROSE UP EARLY THE NEXT MORNING AND HE TOOK BREAD AND A 33:21 SKIN OF WATER; HE PUT IT ON HER SHOULDERS, HE GAVE HER THE BOY 33:24 - TO HAGAR - AND SENT HER AWAY. HE GAVE HER SOME FINANCES BUT 33:27 INSTEAD OF GOING TO A TOWN, SHE'S ALL BROKEN HEARTED. 33:30 SHE GOES OUT INTO THE WILDERNESS. 33:32 SHE DEPARTED AND SHE WANDERED IN THE WILDERNESS OF BEERSHEBA. 33:36 SHE KNEW HOW TO GET BACK TO EGYPT. 33:39 "AND THE WATER IN THE SKIN WAS USED UP," - AND THEY BECAME 33:45 DEHYDRATED - IT MAY HAVE BEEN A DRY PART OF THE YEAR - THERE'S 33:47 NO RAIN, THE SPRINGS ARE GOING DRY - AND IT GOT SO BAD THAT 33:51 THEY'RE DYING OF THIRST. NOW THAT CAN HAPPEN QUICKLY. 33:55 I DID AN AMAZING FACT, I THINK IT WAS THIS YEAR, ABOUT A FATHER 34:02 AND A MOTHER FROM FRANCE WITH THEIR 8-YEAR-OLD BOY DECIDED 34:06 THEY WERE GOING TO WALK ACROSS THE WHITE SANDS NATIONAL 34:09 MONUMENT IN ALAMOGORDO, NEW MEXICO. 34:12 AND IT'S ONLY ABOUT A 10-MILE WALK, BUT IT WAS A VERY HOT DAY 34:16 AND THEY DIDN'T TAKE ENOUGH WATER WITH THEM AND ALONG THE 34:18 WAY THEY BEGAN RUNNING OUT OF WATER, THEY BECAME EXTREMELY 34:20 THIRSTY - AND THEY KEPT GIVING THEIR WATER TO THE BOY. 34:23 WELL, FINALLY, WHEN THEY WERE FOUND, THE BOY WAS ALIVE AND 34:26 BOTH PARENTS HAD DIED. ONE DAY OUT IN THE DESERT. 34:30 SO, IT CAN HAPPEN. SO SHE WANDERED AND MAYBE SHE GOT LOST 34:34 AND SHE RAN OUT OF WATER AND SHE THOUGHT, 'WE'RE DONE FOR. 34:37 WE'RE GOING TO DIE.' BUT GOD PROMISED THAT THAT BOY WAS GOING 34:39 TO BE A GREAT NATION. HE WASN'T GOING TO DIE. 34:42 AND SHE PUT HIM UNDER A BUSH - LOOKING FOR SHADE, I EXPECT - 34:46 AND SHE WENT AND - SHE SAID, 'I DON'T WANT TO SIT HERE AND WATCH 34:49 HIM DIE.' SHE WENT AND SAT ABOUT A BOW'S DISTANCE FROM HIM - 34:51 DIDN'T WANT TO HEAR HIM CRY AND DIE. 34:54 SHE SAID, "LET ME NOT SEE THE DEATH OF THE BOY." 34:58 NOBODY SHOULD HAVE TO WATCH THEIR CHILD DIE. 35:03 SHE SAT OPPOSITE OF HIM AND SHE LIFTED UP HER VOICE AND SHE 35:05 WEPT. SHE SAT ACROSS THE HILL FROM HIM 35:09 - "AND GOD HEARD THE VOICE OF THE LAD." 35:11 NOW THAT MEANS, NOT ONLY - HE'S 13 YEARS OLD. 35:13 HE'S INTELLIGENT. SHE'S NOT ONLY CRYING AND 35:17 PRAYING, HE IS PRAYING - ISHMAEL - AND CRYING. BECAUSE IT'S NOT - 35:23 GOD DIDN'T JUST HEAR HER VOICE, HE HEARD THE VOICE OF THE LAD. 35:27 "THEN THE ANGEL OF GOD CALLED TO HAGAR OUT OF HEAVEN, AND SAID TO 35:31 HER, 'WHAT AILS YOU, HAGAR?'" - DID GOD KNOW? 35:36 - "'WHAT AILS YOU HAGAR? FEAR NOT, FOR GOD HAS HEARD THE 35:41 VOICE OF THE LAD WHERE HE IS. ARISE, LIFT UP THE LAD AND HOLD 35:45 HIM WITH YOUR HAND, FOR I WILL MAKE HIM A GREAT NATION.' 35:50 THEN GOD OPENED HER EYES. AND SHE SAW A WELL OF WATER." 35:54 ISN'T IT AMAZING HOW GOD HELPS YOU FIND WATER AT THE LAST 35:56 MINUTE? I REMEMBER BEING LOST IN THE 36:01 DESERT AND - ON TWO OCCASIONS - ONCE I ACTUALLY CALLED KAREN. 36:06 I WAS OUT IN NEVADA WITH MY FRIENDS AND WE RAN OUT OF GAS 36:09 AND WE RAN OUT OF WATER AND WE WERE IN THE DESERT. 36:11 IT WAS VERY HOT AND I HAD STEPHEN WITH ME AND WE WERE 36:14 WORRIED BECAUSE WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO TAKE A SHORT CUT 36:16 BACK TO WHERE WE KNEW WATER WAS AND IT ENDED UP BEING A LONG WAY 36:19 AROUND AND WE REALIZED WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET BACK WITHOUT 36:21 RUNNING OUT OF GAS. I CALLED HER - I GOT TO THE TOP 36:25 OF A HILL - I GOT A SIGNAL AND I SAID, 'WELL, KAREN, WE'RE OKAY 36:28 BUT WE'RE OUT OF WATER AND WE'RE OUT OF GAS.' 36:30 >>AND WE'RE LOST. >>'AND WE'RE LOST.' 36:33 AND WE FOUND A SPRING WAY UP IN THIS MOUNTAIN - WE FOUND A 36:39 SPRING AND WE STARTED DIGGING. AND COWS HAD ALSO FOUND THE 36:43 SPRING AND SO WE HAD TO DIG AND TRY AND CLEAN IT OUT. 36:47 WHEN WE FIRST FILLED - OUR FIRST LITTLE EMPTY PLASTIC WATER 36:49 BOTTLES, YOU KNOW, STEPHEN SAID, 'I'M NOT DRINKING THAT!' 36:53 (LAUGHTER) BECAUSE IT WAS CLOUDY AND HE SAW US ALL DRINKING IT 36:58 GOING, 'OH, IT'S SO COLD.' WE GOT IT RIGHT WHERE IT CAME OUT 37:01 OF THE GROUND - TRIED TO GET IT AS CLEAN AS WE COULD, BUT IT 37:03 STILL HAD CLAY IN IT. 'OH, IT'S SO GOOD!' 37:07 STEPHEN SAID, 'I'M NOT DRINKING THAT!' 37:08 WE WERE ALL, 'THIS IS SO GOOD.' HE SAID, 'OKAY, GIVE IT TO ME!' 37:12 AND SO - WHEN I HEAR ABOUT GOD SHOWED HIM THE WATER - REMEMBER 37:16 WHEN SAMSON - HE WON THAT BATTLE AND HE WAS DYING OF THIRST, 37:19 HE SAID, 'WHAT GOOD IS IT? I'VE WON THE BATTLE - I'M 37:20 DYING.' AND GOD ALL OF A SUDDEN MADE A SPRING COME 37:23 UP OUT OF THE GROUND. SO WHEN WE'RE AT OUR WITS' END, 37:26 CAN GOD TAKE CARE OF OUR NEEDS? CAN HE BRING WATER 37:29 OUT OF THE DESERT? GOD OPENED HER EYES 37:32 AND SHE SAW A WELL. IT WAS THERE, BUT 37:34 SHE FINALLY SAW IT. "AND SHE WENT AND FILLED THE 37:36 SKIN WITH WATER, AND GAVE THE LAD A DRINK. 37:39 SO GOD WAS WITH THE LAD;" - SHE NEVER WENT BACK TO EGYPT. 37:43 HE WAS IN THE WILDERNESS AND HE BECAME AN ARCHER - HE BECAME A 37:46 SKILLED HUNTER - "AND HE DWELT IN THE WILDERNESS OF PARAN; AND 37:51 HIS MOTHER TOOK A WIFE FOR HIM FROM THE LAND OF EGYPT." 37:54 DON'T MISS THAT. SO, GOING BACK TO OUR MESSAGE 38:00 HERE, I WANT YOU TO NOTICE NOW THAT THERE'S A PERSECUTION THAT 38:05 HAPPENS BETWEEN ISHMAEL AND ISAAC. 38:09 ISHMAEL ENDS UP BEING THE FATHER OF THE ARABS WHICH, OF COURSE, 38:12 IS WHERE YOU GET ISLAM. AND ISAAC BECOMES THE FATHER OF 38:17 THE JEWS AND, SUBSEQUENTLY, THE CHRISTIANS, THROUGH WHICH CHRIST 38:21 CAME. ONE PERSECUTES THE OTHER. THIS IS WHERE IT STARTS RELATING 38:25 TO WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD TODAY. 38:27 NOW, YOU MIGHT BE THINKING, 'WELL, THAT 13-YEAR-OLD BOY 38:29 TAUNTING BABY ISAAC' - I GUESS HE WAS MORE THAN 13 AT THAT 38:33 POINT, BECAUSE HE WAS 13 WHEN HE WAS CIRCUMCISED, HE MUST HAVE 38:36 BEEN 17 OR SO AT THAT POINT - 'HOW CAN THAT BE PERSECUTION?' 38:43 WELL, LISTEN TO WHAT PAUL SAYS IN GALATIANS 4, SPEAKING OF 38:46 ISAAC AND ISHMAEL, PAUL SAYS, "BUT, AS HE WHO WAS BORN 38:51 ACCORDING TO THE FLESH (ISHMAEL) PERSECUTED HIM WHO WAS BORN 38:56 ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT, EVEN SO IT IS NOW." 39:00 PAUL SAYS WHAT HAPPENED THERE BETWEEN ISHMAEL AND ISAAC WAS A 39:03 PERSECUTION OF ONE AGAINST THE OTHER. 39:07 I ALSO WANT YOU TO NOTICE - YOU GO TO GENESIS 37:28 - WHEN 39:11 JOSEPH WAS SOLD, NOW SIMEON WANTED TO JUST KILL JOSEPH; 39:16 RUBEN WANTED TO SAVE JOSEPH; JUDAH WANTED TO SELL JOSEPH. 39:22 YOU WONDER WHY JOSEPH ENDED UP PUTTING SIMEON IN JAIL UNTIL THE 39:24 BROTHERS CAME BACK; HE WAS PROBABLY THE CHIEF INSTIGATOR 39:27 THAT WANTED HIM MURDERED. REUBEN TRIED TO SNEAK HIM AWAY 39:30 BUT JUDAH SAID, 'HEY, WHY KILL HIM? HE'S OUR BROTHER, LET'S 39:32 SELL HIM AND MAKE A PROFIT.' WHO DID HE SELL HIM TO? 39:37 LET'S READ IT: GENESIS 37:28, "THEN MIDIANITE TRADERS" - WHAT 39:42 ARE THEY CALLED? >>MIDIANITE TRADERS. 39:43 >>"MIDIANITE TRADERS PASSED BY; SO THE BROTHERS PULLED JOSEPH UP 39:46 AND LIFTED HIM OUT OF THE PIT, AND SOLD HIM TO THE ISHMAELITES" 39:52 - MIDIAN WAS ANOTHER SON OF ABRAHAM BY THE WIFE HE MARRIED 39:59 AFTER SARAH DIED, NAMED KETURAH - HE HAD SEVERAL SONS WITH HER - 40:03 SO THERE WAS NEVER A PROBLEM WITH THE VIRILITY OF ABRAHAM 40:06 BECAUSE HE HAD CHILDREN PRETTY LATE IN LIFE. 40:10 MIDIAN AND - I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THE ISHMAELITES, BECAUSE 40:16 THEY WERE TRADERS, THEY CIRCULATED - THEY INTERMARRIED A 40:20 LOT WITH THE OTHER SONS OF ABRAHAM. 40:23 SO AMONG THE ARABS YOU'RE NOT ONLY GOING TO FIND THE 40:25 DESCENDENTS OF ISHMAEL, WHO WAS THE OLDEST, BUT THERE'S SOME 40:28 INTERMARRIAGE GOING ON WITH MIDIAN AND THE OTHER SONS BY 40:30 KETURAH THAT HAPPENS, AND I'LL PROVE THAT IN JUST A MOMENT. 40:34 SOMETHING I WANT YOU TO NOTICE: NOW, LET ME TELL YOU WHAT I'M 40:36 GOING TO SAY IN CONCLUDING THIS MESSAGE - I'M NOT QUITE DONE, 40:39 BUT THE POINT I'M TRYING TO WRAP UP: THESE TWO SONS OF ISAAC AND 40:45 ISHMAEL ARE, IN SOME RESPECTS, PARALLEL - IT'S ALMOST LIKE 40:50 THEY'RE POLAR OPPOSITES, BUT I WANT YOU TO NOTICE TWELVE 40:55 PRINCES. YOU KNOW WHAT THE ODDS 40:57 ARE OF HAVING TWELVE SONS? I WAS LOOKING THAT UP TODAY - OR 41:02 THIS WEEK, RATHER - AND I READ ABOUT JAY AND KATERI SCHWANDT OF 41:08 ROCKFORD, MICHIGAN - THEY HAD TWELVE SONS; NO GIRLS. 41:12 AND THEY CALCULATED THE ODDS OF THAT HAPPENING ARE ONE IN 4,000 41:16 - IT'S JUST LIKE REALLY A JACKPOT. 41:19 I WAS ON THE AIRPLANE THIS LAST WEEK COMING BACK FROM MARYLAND - 41:22 I SAT BETWEEN TWO BROTHERS AND I WAS KIND OF HOPING FOR AN AISLE 41:26 OR WINDOW SEAT - ONE OF THEM WANTED THE AISLE AND ONE OF THEM 41:27 WANTED THE WINDOW SO I HAD TO SIT BETWEEN THEM. 41:29 AND I LOOKED AT THEM - SUSPECTED THEY WERE BROTHERS - STARTED 41:31 TALKING TO THEM - TWO BOYS - HOME SCHOOLED - CHRISTIANS - 41:34 COMING BACK FROM A CONVENTION. I TOLD THEM I WAS A CHRISTIAN. 41:36 THEY WERE HAPPY TO TALK TO ME. 41:37 AND THEY SAID, 'YEAH, WE'RE TWO OF SEVEN BROTHERS - NO GIRLS.' I 41:42 SAID, 'WELL, THAT'S REALLY SOMETHING.' I SAID, 'I ACTUALLY 41:45 KNOW ANOTHER FAMILY IN OUR CHURCH WHERE THEY HAVE SEVEN 41:47 BOYS, NO GIRLS.' THIS FAMILY HAD TWELVE BOYS - I THINK THE 41:52 PICTURE OF THEM ON THE SCREEN - SINCE THE REPORT I READ, I 41:55 LOOKED - CHECKED UP ONLINE - SHE GOT PREGNANT. 41:57 EVERYONE WAS SO EXCITED - SHE HAD ONE MORE. 42:00 WHAT DO YOU THINK? >>BOY. 42:01 >>ANOTHER BOY. THIRTEEN BOYS. SO IT'S NOT THAT COMMON, 42:07 BUT IT DOES HAPPEN. BUT HOW COMMON WOULD IT BE IN 42:12 ONE FAMILY, FOR TWO BOYS - TO HAVE TWELVE SONS AND AT 42:18 LEAST ONE DAUGHTER? DO THE MATH ON THAT. 42:21 YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED WITH ISHMAEL AND JACOB. 42:25 I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT ISHMAEL AND ISAAC, BUT JACOB IS THE SON 42:27 OF ISAAC. NOTICE HERE: THEY HAVE TWELVE 42:31 SONS - GENESIS 17:20, "AND AS FOR ISHMAEL," - WE'RE REVERSING 42:34 - OR WE'RE BACKTRACKING A LITTLE TO REPEAT AND EMPHASIZE 42:37 SOMETHING - "AS FOR ISHMAEL, I HAVE HEARD YOU. 42:40 BEHOLD, I HAVE BLESSED HIM, AND WILL MAKE HIM FRUITFUL," - 42:43 ABRAHAM PRAYED FOR ISHMAEL - "AND WILL MULTIPLY HIM 42:46 EXCEEDINGLY. HE SHALL BEGET TWELVE PRINCES, 42:50 AND I WILL MAKE HIM A GREAT NATION." 42:52 NOW I WANT YOU TO NOTICE WHAT IT SAYS HERE ABOUT ISHMAEL AGAIN - 42:58 GENESIS 25:16, "THESE WERE THE SONS OF ISHMAEL AND THESE WERE 43:02 THEIR NAMES, BY THEIR TOWNS AND THEIR SETTLEMENTS, TWELVE 43:05 PRINCES ACCORDING TO THEIR NATIONS." 43:08 SO NATIONS CAME OUT OF ISHMAEL. 43:11 YOU GO TO GENESIS 35 AND IT SAYS, 'NOW THESE ARE THE SONS OF 43:15 JACOB - TWELVE.' BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE: "AND ESAU" - YOU 43:22 KNOW WHO ESAU IS - I KNOW - SOME OF YOU LADIES ARE HAVING NO 43:24 PROBLEM FOLLOWING THIS - THE GUYS, WHEN YOU START TALKING 43:26 ABOUT THEY'RE RELATED TO HIM BY THIS PERSON AND THAT PERSON, 43:28 THEY GO, 'WELL, I CAN'T FIGURE THAT OUT.' BUT JACOB AND ESAU 43:32 ARE BROTHERS. JACOB AND ESAU ARE 43:34 THE SONS OF ISAAC. ESAU, HE WAS THE SON OF THE 43:37 FLESH; ISAAC THE SON OF THE SPIRIT. 43:39 THE PROMISE CAME THROUGH JACOB, BUT ESAU, WHEN HE SAW THAT 43:44 REBEKAH AND ISAAC WERE UPSET THAT HE HAD MARRIED CANAANITE 43:47 GIRLS AND THEY HAD SENT JACOB ALL THE WAY BACK TO HARAN TO GET 43:52 A GIRL WHO BELIEVED IN YAHWEH, HE SAID, 'WELL, ALRIGHT, IF 43:55 IT'LL MAKE YOU HAPPY, I'LL MARRY ONE.' AND IT SAYS ESAU MARRIED 43:59 ISHMAEL'S DAUGHTER. SO NOT ONLY DID ISHMAEL HAVE 44:04 TWELVE BOYS, HE HAD AT LEAST ONE GIRL. 44:06 YOU WITH ME? >>YES. 44:08 >>AND THAT'S IN GENESIS 28:9, "SO ESAU WENT TO ISHMAEL AND 44:12 TOOK MAHALATH THE DAUGHTER OF ISHMAEL, ABRAHAM'S SON," - THE 44:16 SISTER OF THE FIRSTBORN OF ISHMAEL - TO BE HIS WIFE IN 44:20 ADDITION TO THE WIVES HE HAD." DID JACOB ALSO HAVE ONE 44:26 DAUGHTER AND TWELVE SONS? YOU'RE SEEING, IN THESE TWO 44:30 NATIONS, BECAUSE THE JEWS CAME, PRINCIPALLY, THROUGH JACOB AND 44:35 THE ARABS CAME, PRINCIPALLY, THROUGH ISHMAEL, ALMOST POLAR 44:38 OPPOSITES - THERE'S A PARALLEL HAPPENING HERE. 44:41 AND WHAT ARE THE TWO GREAT RELIGIONS IN THE WORLD TODAY? 44:43 THEY SPRING FROM THESE TWO FAMILIES THAT YOU SEE. 44:47 AND THE SAME PERSECUTION AND ESTRANGEMENT THAT YOU SAW WAY 44:53 BACK IN THE DAYS AROUND THE CAMPFIRE WITH SARAH, ABRAHAM, 44:57 ISHMAEL, HAGAR AND ISAAC, ARE GOING TO PLAY OUT IN FINAL 45:01 PROPHECY. THAT'S MY THEORY THAT I'VE BECOME CONVINCED OF. 45:05 I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO BELIEVES THAT, BY THE WAY. 45:08 SO, NOTICE A FEW STATEMENTS: IT SAYS OF ISHMAEL, 'I'M GOING TO 45:12 MAKE YOU A GREAT NATION.' LOOK AT SOME OF THESE PARALLELS: 45:15 GENESIS 21:17, 'GOD HEARD THE VOICE OF THE LAD' - HEARD HIM 45:19 CRY - 'I WILL MAKE HIM A GREAT NATION.' IT ALSO SAYS, REGARDING 45:25 ISAAC, 'I AM THE GOD OF YOUR FATHER; DO NOT FEAR TO GO DOWN 45:29 TO EGYPT. I WILL MAKE OF YOU A GREAT 45:31 NATION.' ACTUALLY HE SAID THAT TO JACOB. 45:33 SO YOU'VE GOT TWO GREAT NATIONS HAVE COME OUT OF ABRAHAM 45:36 SPRINGING FROM TWELVE SONS. THE NUMBER TWELVE IN THE BIBLE 45:40 REPRESENTS CHURCH - IT'S A RELIGION - RELIGIOUS LEADERSHIP 45:45 - TWELVE APOSTLES - JESUS USED THAT NUMBER. 45:48 HE COULD HAVE PICKED ELEVEN, FOURTEEN - SO YOU'VE GOT A 45:52 RELIGION THAT COMES FROM ISHMAEL AND YOU'VE GOT A RELIGION THAT 45:55 COMES FROM ISAAC - IT SAYS 'YOUR OFFSPRING WILL BE INNUMERABLE' - 46:01 I'LL MULTIPLY YOUR DESCENDENTS - GENESIS 16:9 AND 10 - AND 46:07 THERE'S - YOU'VE GOT A MAP ON THE SCREEN. 46:10 YOU CAN SEE THE DARK GREEN COLORS ON THE MAP REPRESENT THE 46:14 CONCENTRATIONS OF THE WORLD WHERE 99-PERCENT UP TO A HUNDRED 46:18 PERCENT ARE ISLAMIC - AND THESE ARE THE COUNTRIES THAT FLOWED 46:22 OUT FROM SAUDI ARABIA THAT KIND OF ENGULFED SOME OF THESE GREAT 46:27 EMPIRES. YOU READ ALSO IN GENESIS 26 - 46:32 TO ISAAC HE SAID, 'I WILL MAKE YOUR DESCENDENTS MULTIPLY LIKE 46:34 THE STARS OF HEAVEN. I WILL GIVE YOUR DESCENDENTS ALL THESE 46:38 LANDS.' BUT WHAT HE SAYS TO ISAAC HE 46:40 DOES NOT SAY TO ISHMAEL. HERE'S THE DIFFERENCE: TO 46:43 ABRAHAM HE SAYS, 'IN YOUR SEED ALL THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD 46:47 WILL BE BLESSED' TO ISAAC HE SAYS HERE IN GENESIS 26:4, 'AND 46:51 IN YOUR SEED ALL THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD WILL BE BLESSED - THE 46:55 BLESSING WOULD COME - THE TRUTH - BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T HAVE 46:58 TRUTH YOU DON'T HAVE BLESSING - THE TRUTH - THE MESSIAH WHO IS 47:02 THE TRUTH - ARE YOU WITH ME? - THE TRUTH THAT THE JEWS WERE 47:05 THE GUARDIANS OF THE WORD. PAUL SAYS GOD COMMITTED TO THE 47:09 CHILDREN OF ISRAEL THE ORACLES OF TRUTH. 47:12 IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY ALWAYS KEPT IT, BUT THEY HAD IT. 47:16 GENESIS 28:14 - THEN GOD REPEATS THE PROMISE TO JACOB: 'ALSO, TO 47:21 YOUR DESCENDENTS THEY'LL BE LIKE THE DUST OF THE EARTH AND YOU'LL 47:24 SPREAD AROUND AND IN YOU AND IN YOUR SEED ALL THE FAMILIES OF 47:28 THE EARTH WILL BE BLESSED.' SO HE ONLY SAYS THIS TO ABRAHAM, 47:31 ISAAC, AND JACOB. NOW IT'S INTERESTING, ABRAHAM, 47:35 ISAAC, AND JACOB ALL THREE HAD WIVES THAT HAD TROUBLE GETTING 47:38 PREGNANT. YOU KNOW ABOUT SARAH - WE JUST READ THAT. 47:43 THE BIBLE SAYS REBEKAH WAS BARREN AND ISAAC PRAYED AND GOD 47:47 OPENED HER WOMB AND SHE HAD TWINS. 47:49 AND THE BIBLE SAYS RACHEL HAD PROBLEMS HAVING A CHILD. 47:54 AND JACOB PRAYED AND EVENTUALLY SHE HAD JOSEPH AND LATER 47:57 BENJAMIN - DIED GIVING BIRTH TO BENJAMIN. 47:59 THEY ALL HAD PROBLEMS HAVING CHILDREN. 48:02 THE OTHER THING IS, BECAUSE THEIR CHILDREN WERE BORN AS THE 48:05 RESULT OF PRAYER AND INTERCESSION AND PROMISES - 48:09 SPIRITUAL BIRTHS - YOU GOT THAT? >>AMEN. 48:12 >>THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND JACOB - 48:13 THESE PROMISED CHILDREN ARE SPIRITUAL BIRTHS. 48:16 THERE'S A LESSON FOR US THERE. THE OTHER THING IS, WHERE'D 48:18 THEY GET THEIR WIVES? THEY KEPT BRINGING THEIR WIVES 48:22 OUT OF MESOPOTAMIA TO THE PROMISED LAND. 48:25 ABRAHAM SAID, 'DON'T TAKE A WIFE FOR ISAAC FROM THE LOCAL GIRLS, 48:28 SHE MUST BE A BELIEVER IN THE TRUE GOD. HE SAID TO ELIEZER THE 48:32 SERVANT, 'GO GET A WIFE FROM MY PEOPLE AND BRING HER TO THE 48:36 PROMISED LAND.' IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND 48:39 JACOB ALL GOT THEIR WIVES OUT OF MESOPOTAMIA AND BROUGHT THEM TO 48:42 THE PROMISED LAND AND THEN GOD SAID, 'BABYLON IS FALLEN. 48:45 COME OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE.' GOD CALLS HIS CHURCH OUT OF BABYLON 48:48 - SPIRITUAL MESOPOTAMIA - TO THE PROMISED LAND - THE NEW 48:52 JERUSALEM. SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? 48:55 AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WERE CARRIED AWAY CAPTIVE TO BABYLON 48:59 AND THEY CAME OUT OF BABYLON IN THE DAYS OF CYRUS AND CAME BACK 49:02 TO THE PROMISED LAND. THAT'S THE WHOLE STORY 49:04 OF EZRA AND NEHEMIAH. SO THIS IS CARRYING 49:06 ON THROUGH HISTORY. IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IN 49:08 LAST-DAY PROPHECY AS WELL. NOW, I WANT YOU TO NOTICE 49:12 THERE'S A NUMBER OF PARALLELS BETWEEN ISAAC AND ISHMAEL. 49:16 ISAAC COMES INTO THE WORLD AS A RESULT OF FAITH. ISHMAEL COMES 49:23 INTO THE WORLD BY NATURAL MEANS AS A RESULT OF WORKS. 49:26 GOD HAD PROMISED A PROMISED, MIRACULOUS CHILD TO ABRAHAM AND 49:31 SARAH. THEY COULDN'T WAIT. THEY SAID, 'WE'RE GOING TO HELP 49:33 GOD OUT. WE'RE GOING TO DO IT BY WORKS.' 49:35 IT REPRESENTS THE CARNAL SON, WHEREAS YOU'VE GOT 49:39 ISAAC IS THE SPIRITUAL SON. THE INTERESTING THING IS, ISAAC 49:42 THEN HAS TWO BOYS AND ESAU IS THE CARNAL SON - HE'S WILLING TO 49:47 SELL HIS BIRTHRIGHT FOR A POT OF BEANS. 49:50 BUT JACOB IS THE ONE THROUGH WHOM THE TRUTH COMES. 49:53 HE IS THE SPIRITUAL SON. HE WANTS THE BLESSING. 49:55 HE TELLS ESAU, HE SAID, 'YOU CAN TAKE ALL OF DAD'S POSSESSIONS - 50:00 YOU CAN GET THE INHERITANCE.' MATTER OF FACT, WHEN JACOB CAME 50:02 BACK INTO THE PROMISED LAND HE GAVE THINGS TO ESAU AND HE SAID, 50:07 'YOU KEEP IT. I WANT THE SPIRITUAL BLESSING.' 50:10 AND HE GOT THAT, DIDN'T HE? 50:11 THE FATHER PUT HIS HANDS ON HIM AND HE BLESSED HIM. 50:14 AND SO, THERE'S A BIG DEBATE BECAUSE, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE 50:17 AWARE OF THIS, ONLY ISAAC IS CALLED THE ONLY SON. 50:24 WHEN ABRAHAM IS CALLED TO SACRIFICE ISAAC, GOD SAYS, 'TAKE 50:28 YOUR SON, YOUR ONLY SON.' WHAT ABOUT ISHMAEL? 50:33 IS 'GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON' - 50:37 IT'S BECAUSE ISAAC WAS A TYPE. WHEN HE WENT UP ON THE MOUNTAIN 50:40 AS A SACRIFICE, HE WAS A TYPE OF CHRIST. 50:42 IT'S LIKE MOSES WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO STRIKE THE ROCK 50:44 TWICE. HE MESSED UP THE SYMBOL. 50:46 ABRAHAM WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE A CHILD OF THE FLESH. 50:48 HE WAS JUST SUPPOSED TO HAVE THE CHILD OF THE PROMISE. 50:52 SOMETHING ELSE THAT'S INTERESTING IS IN ISLAM THEY 50:55 REFUSE TO ACCEPT THAT ABRAHAM OFFERED ISAAC. 50:57 THEY SAY ABRAHAM OFFERED ISHMAEL. 51:01 NOW YOU CAN'T BELIEVE BOTH THE QURAN AND THE BIBLE BECAUSE 51:05 THERE'S MAJOR CONFLICTS IN THE TEACHINGS THERE. 51:08 YOU READ THE BOOK OF JAMES 2:21, "WAS NOT ABRAHAM OUR FATHER 51:12 JUSTIFIED BY WORKS WHEN HE OFFERED ISAAC" - YOU HAVE TO 51:15 REJECT THE OLD AND THE NEW TESTAMENTS TO BELIEVE THE QURAN. 51:18 IT SAYS IT WAS ISAAC - IT WAS NOT ISHMAEL THAT WAS THE SON. 51:23 LOOK AT SOME OF THE DIFFERENCES: ONE IS A HUNTER, THE OTHER IS A 51:26 FARMER AND A SHEPHERD. ISAAC PLANTED AND GOD 51:28 GAVE HIM A HUNDRED-FOLD. THERE'S A COUPLE MORE PARALLELS 51:35 HERE AND WE'RE GOING TO WRAP THIS UP. GOD NAMES ISAAC AND 51:41 ISHMAEL - THEY BOTH WERE NAMED BY GOD, BUT THE NAME OF ONE 51:44 COMES FROM THE FATHER AND THE NAME OF THE OTHER COMES THROUGH 51:46 THE MOTHER. ISHMAEL DIES SURROUNDED BY FAMILY. 51:51 JACOB AND ISAAC DIED SURROUNDED BY FAMILY. 51:54 ISAAC GOES EAST TO GET HIS WIFE; ISHMAEL GOES WEST TO EGYPT TO 52:00 GET HIS WIFE. THEY'RE OPPOSITES. 52:03 ISAAC'S WIFE IS CHOSEN BY THE FATHER. 52:06 ISHMAEL'S WIFE IS CHOSEN BY THE MOTHER. 52:09 YOU KNOW, MAYBE I'LL CLOSE BY TAKING YOU TO GALATIANS 4 - 52:13 LISTEN TO WHAT PAUL SAYS - WE'RE JUMPING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT. 52:15 PAUL SAYS WHAT HAPPENED TO ISHMAEL AND ISAAC IS AN ALLEGORY 52:19 THAT APPLIES TO US TODAY. PAUL SAYS, "TELL ME, YOU WHO 52:24 DESIRE TO BE UNDER THE LAW, DO YOU NOT HEAR THE LAW? 52:28 FOR IT IS WRITTEN THAT ABRAHAM" - AND, OF COURSE, GENESIS WAS 52:30 CALLED PART OF THE LAW - "ABRAHAM HAD TWO SONS, ONE BY 52:33 A BONDWOMAN, THE OTHER BY A FREEWOMAN. 52:37 BUT HE WHO WAS OF THE BONDWOMAN (ISHMAEL) WAS BORN ACCORDING TO 52:40 THE FLESH, AND HE OF THE FREEWOMAN (ISAAC) THROUGH 52:45 PROMISE, WHICH THINGS ARE SYMBOLIC. 52:49 FOR THESE ARE THE TWO COVENANTS:" - ONE TRUE, ONE 52:53 FALSE - "THE ONE FROM MOUNT SINAI WHICH GIVES BIRTH TO 52:57 BONDAGE, WHICH IS HAGAR" - IS ANYONE SAVED UNDER THE BONDAGE 53:00 OF HAGAR? WELL, I'M TELLING YOU WHAT PAUL 53:03 SAYS - IT'S BONDAGE - "FOR THIS HAGAR IS MOUNT SINAI 53:08 IN ARABIA," - WHERE? ARABIA. WHERE DOES MOHAMMED 53:12 HAVE HIS VISION? WHERE IS ISLAM BORN? 53:17 IT'S ARABIA - "AND CORRESPONDS TO JERUSALEM WHICH NOW IS, AND 53:22 IS IN BONDAGE WITH HER CHILDREN - BUT THE JERUSALEM ABOVE IS 53:25 FREE, WHICH IS THE MOTHER OF US ALL. 53:29 FOR IT IS WRITTEN: 'REJOICE, O BARREN, YOU WHO DO NOT BEAR! 53:32 BREAK FORTH AND SHOUT, YOU WHO ARE NOT IN LABOR! 53:34 FOR THE DESOLATE HAS MANY MORE CHILDREN THAN SHE WHO HAS A 53:38 HUSBAND.' NOW WE, BRETHREN, AS ISAAC WAS, ARE CHILDREN OF 53:42 PROMISE. BUT AS HE WHO WAS BORN ACCORDING 53:45 TO THE FLESH (ISHMAEL) THEN PERSECUTED HIM WHO WAS BORN 53:49 ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT, EVEN SO IT IS NOW. 53:51 NEVERTHELESS WHAT DOES THE SCRIPTURE SAY? 53:53 'CAST OUT THE BONDWOMAN AND HER SON, FOR THE SON OF THE 53:56 BONDWOMAN SHALL NOT BE HEIR WITH THE SON OF THE FREEWOMAN.' SO 54:00 THEN, BRETHREN, WE ARE NOT CHILDREN OF THE BONDWOMAN BUT OF 54:03 THE FREE." WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? 54:06 WELL, IN OUR DAY AND AGE, I THINK, AS WE NEAR THE END OF 54:08 TIME, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE AN INCREASING POLARIZATION IN THE 54:12 WORLD BETWEEN THESE TWO GREAT IDEAS - THESE TWO GREAT 54:18 FAMILIES. NOW, IF YOU'RE A CHRISTIAN, YOUR 54:22 FAITH SPRINGS FROM ISAAC AND JACOB. IF YOU'RE AN ARAB, YOUR 54:27 FAITH IS SPRINGING - HAS ITS ROOTS IN ISHMAEL AND MOHAMMED. 54:32 AND YOU CAN SEE IN THE WORLD TODAY THESE ARE THE TWO 54:35 PRINCIPLE RELIGIONS THAT ARE BEING VERY AGGRESSIVE ABOUT 54:37 SHARING THEIR FAITH, AND I BELIEVE THINGS ARE GOING TO 54:40 REACH CRITICAL MASS IN THE END OF TIME AND IT'S GOING TO RESULT 54:44 IN THE FINAL EVENTS - BUT I DON'T WANT TO GET AHEAD OF 54:47 MYSELF NOW BECAUSE - WAIT, THERE'S MORE. 54:52 AND WE'RE HOPING THAT YOU'LL BE PRAYING FOR ME AS YOU COME AND 54:55 YOU PARTICIPATE IN THIS SERIES. YOU KNOW, IF YOU READ IN THE 55:00 BOOK OF GENESIS CHAPTER 25, IT TALKS ABOUT THE LAST TIME THAT 55:05 ISAAC AND ISHMAEL SAW EACH OTHER - JUST GOING TO CLOSE WITH THIS: 55:11 "ABRAHAM AGAIN TOOK A WIFE, AND HER NAME WAS KETURAH. AND SHE 55:15 BORE HIM ZIMRAN, JOKSHAN, MEDAN, MIDIAN, ISHBAK, AND SHUAH." 55:21 AND IT GOES THROUGH THE GENEALOGY AND IT SAYS, "THIS" - 55:23 IN VERSE 7 - "IS THE SUM OF...ABRAHAM'S LIFE WHICH HE 55:27 LIVED: ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS. 55:29 THEN ABRAHAM BREATHED HIS LAST AND DIED IN A GOOD OLD AGE, AN 55:34 OLD MAN AND FULL OF YEARS, AND WAS GATHERED TO HIS PEOPLE." 55:37 IT'S INTERESTING, THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS ABOUT ISHMAEL; WHEN HE DIES 55:40 HE IS GATHERED TO HIS PEOPLE. "AND HIS SONS ISAAC AND 55:45 ISHMAEL BURIED HIM..." THAT WAS THE LAST TIME WE KNOW 55:47 OF THAT THEY CAME TOGETHER - TO BURY THEIR FATHER IN THE CAVE OF 55:50 MACHPELAH WHERE HE HAD BURIED SARAH, NOT HAGAR. 55:55 AND THEN YOU JUMP AHEAD HERE, IT SAYS, 'NOW THIS IS THE' - VERSE 55:58 12 - "NOW THIS IS THE GENEALOGY OF ISHMAEL," - AND IT SAYS 56:02 ISHMAEL DIED AND WAS GATHERED TO HIS PEOPLE - 56:05 AND THESE ARE THE SONS - THE PEOPLE OF THE EAST. 56:09 AND THEN IT GOES INTO THE GENEALOGY OF ISAAC. 56:11 SO HERE IN GENESIS, AT THE END OF ABRAHAM'S LIFE, IT 56:14 IMMEDIATELY CREATES TWO PILLARS: IT'S GOT THE GENEALOGY OF 56:17 ISHMAEL AND THEN IT SAYS THE GENEALOGY OF ISAAC - IT'S 56:20 BASICALLY SAYING 'THESE ARE GOING TO BE THE TWO STRANDS THAT 56:23 YOU CAN FOLLOW - EVEN HERE WE ARE AT THE END OF TIME AND 56:25 THEY'RE STILL AT ODDS - AND I THINK THAT - I THINK YOU'RE 56:31 GOING TO BE AMAZED AS YOU SEE HOW THESE THINGS WILL AFFECT US 56:35 TODAY AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THESE TWO RELIGIONS AND WHAT THE 56:38 DIFFERENCES ARE. I HOPE YOU'LL BE PRAYING 56:40 WITH ME AS WE PROCEED. AS WE CLOSE, I JUST WANT TO SAY 56:44 THERE'S ONLY ONE NAME UNDER HEAVEN WHEREBY WE MUST BE SAVED 56:46 AND THAT'S THE NAME OF JESUS. >>CAN'T GET ENOUGH 56:49 AMAZING FACTS BIBLE STUDY? YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL 56:52 NEXT WEEK TO ENJOY MORE TRUTH-FILLED PROGRAMMING, VISIT 56:56 THE AMAZING FACTS MEDIA LIBRARY AT 'AFTV.ORG'. AT 'AFTV.ORG' 57:03 YOU CAN ENJOY VIDEO AND AUDIO PRESENTATIONS AS WELL AS PRINTED 57:07 MATERIAL ALL FREE OF CHARGE, 24 HOURS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK, RIGHT 57:11 FROM YOUR COMPUTER OR MOBILE DEVICE. VISIT 'AFTV.ORG'. 57:19 >>DID YOU KNOW THAT NOAH WAS PRESENT AT THE BIRTH OF ABRAHAM? 57:22 OKAY, MAYBE HE WASN'T IN THE ROOM, BUT HE WAS ALIVE AND 57:26 PROBABLY TELLING STORIES ABOUT HIS FLOATING ZOO. 57:30 FROM THE CREATION OF THE WORLD TO THE LAST-DAY EVENTS OF 57:32 REVELATION, 'BIBLEHISTORY.COM' IS A FREE RESOURCE WHERE YOU CAN 57:36 EXPLORE MAJOR BIBLE EVENTS AND CHARACTERS. 57:40 ENHANCE YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE BIBLE AND DRAW CLOSER TO GOD'S 57:43 WORD. GO DEEPER. VISIT 'BIBLEHISTORY.COM'. 57:51 >>FOR LIFE-CHANGING CHRISTIAN RESOURCES, VISIT AFBOOKSTORE.COM 57:55 OR CALL 1-800-538-7275. 57:59 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2017-11-09