Participants: Pr. Doug Batchelor
Series Code: EG
Program Code: EG021717A
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00:00 (DRAMATIC MUSIC)
00:16 >>WELL, WE'RE CONTINUING OUR SERIES IN THE 00:19 LIFE OF DAVID - NEARLY CONCLUDED WITH THIS, KIND OF A 00:22 COMPREHENSIVE STUDY WE'VE BEEN DOING, AND I ALMOST WISH I COULD 00:27 SKIP OVER THIS SECTION - ABOUT A CHAPTER AND A HALF. 00:32 OF COURSE, ALL OF GOD'S WORD IS GOOD AND IT IS EDIFYING, BUT THE 00:38 STORY WE'RE DEALING WITH TODAY - THE TITLE IS DAVID'S GREAT SIN - 00:43 TALKING, OF COURSE, ABOUT DAVID AND BATHSHEBA AND THAT SORDID 00:48 EPISODE IN THE LIFE OF THIS GREAT HERO WE'VE BEEN STUDYING 00:53 IS, IN A SENSE, A GREAT DISAPPOINTMENT BECAUSE, HERE 00:57 YOU'VE GOT THIS MAN OF FAITH - THIS INSPIRED PSALM WRITER - 01:01 THIS GIANT KILLER, AND THERE'S SO MANY THINGS WE ADMIRE ABOUT 01:05 DAVID, AND THEN THERE'S THIS DESPICABLE BEHAVIOR IN THE 01:09 MIDDLE OF IT ALL. ALMOST EVERYBODY HERE, I 01:13 ASSUME, HAS HEARD THIS STORY. PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER DARKENED 01:16 THE DOOR OF A CHURCH HAVE HEARD THAT STORY. 01:19 I TYPED IN, JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, THE PHRASE 'DAVID AND 01:23 BATHSHEBA' IN GOOGLE AND BOY, IT WAS A LONG LIST. 01:28 HOLLYWOOD'S MADE ABOUT TEN MOVIES. 01:30 IT'S THE KIND OF MATERIAL HOLLYWOOD LOVES. 01:33 YOU WON'T HAVE HOLLYWOOD MAKE A MOVIE ABOUT THE HOLINESS OF 01:36 DAVID, BUT THEY WILL MAKE A MOVIE ABOUT THE ADULTERY AND - 01:41 AND I GUESS IT - IT'S ESPECIALLY UNUSUAL BECAUSE GOD, IN SPITE OF 01:47 THIS, IDENTIFIES DAVID AS A MAN AFTER HIS OWN HEART - EVEN AFTER 01:55 THIS DARK DEBACLE WITH DAVID AND BATHSHEBA, GOD REFERS TO DAVID 02:01 AS A MAN AFTER HIS OWN HEART. MATTER OF FACT, THE FIRST HUMAN 02:05 NAME THAT YOU FIND MENTIONED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT IS DAVID'S - 02:10 I'M SAYING, ASIDE FROM JESUS, WHO WAS SUPER-HUMAN, 02:13 YOU'VE GOT DAVID. MATTHEW, CHAPTER 1, THE LAST 02:18 HUMAN NAME YOU FIND IN THE NEW TESTAMENT IN THE BIBLE IS DAVID. 02:23 JESUS IS REFERRED TO AS THE SON OF DAVID. 02:25 SUCH AN EXTRAORDINARY PERSON AND, YET, YOU'VE GOT THIS 02:28 CHAPTER. SO, IN OUR STUDY TODAY, JUST SO 02:32 YOU KNOW AHEAD OF TIME, WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT 2 SAMUEL 02:34 11 - IS WHERE IT BEGINS - THROUGH 2 SAMUEL 12, VERSE 25. 02:41 I MAY NOT READ EVERY VERSE, BUT WE'LL BE COVERING THAT MATERIAL. 02:44 AND, SO WHY DON'T YOU TURN WITH ME AND WE'LL GO LOOK AT 2 SAMUEL 02:48 11, VERSE 1, "IT HAPPENED IN THE SPRING OF THE YEAR, AT THE TIME 02:53 WHEN KINGS GO OUT TO BATTLE, THAT DAVID SENT JOAB AND HIS 02:57 SERVANTS WITH HIM, AND ALL ISRAEL; AND THEY DESTROYED THE 03:01 PEOPLE OF AMMON AND BESIEGED RABBAH." - THAT WAS THE CAPITAL 03:05 CITY. AND THEN YOU'VE GOT THESE LAST FEW WORDS: "BUT DAVID 03:11 REMAINED AT JERUSALEM." NOW I THINK THAT'S KEY. 03:15 IT'S TALKING ABOUT JOAB AND THE SOLDIERS GOING AND FIGHTING AND, 03:19 IN EVERY OTHER PASSAGE WE'VE BEEN READING, DAVID'S BEEN WITH 03:21 THEM FIGHTING BUT, HERE, DAVID IS NOT INVOLVED IN THE FIGHT. 03:27 INSTEAD OF ATTACKING, HE'S RELAXING AND THIS CAN BE PART OF 03:32 THE REASON THAT HE GOT INTO TROUBLE. 03:35 NOW, UP TO THIS POINT, AS WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THE LIFE OF 03:37 DAVID, IT IS - YOU KNOW, IF DAVID WAS A STOCK, YOU WOULD 03:41 HAVE WANTED TO INVEST IN HIM WHEN HE WAS A SHEPHERD BOY, AND 03:46 YOU WOULD HAVE SEEN THAT STOCK GO UP BECAUSE HE JUST CONTINUES 03:50 TO GO FROM - AND HE HAS SOME DOWNS WHERE HE'S BEING CHASED BY 03:53 SAUL, BUT HE CONTINUES TO SUCCEED - CONTINUES TO GET MORE 03:56 VICTORY - HE ENDS UP WITH ALL THE POSSESSIONS OF NABAL, AND 03:59 THEN HE BECOMES SORT OF A CLAN LEADER AMONG THE PHILISTINES, 04:02 AND THEN HE BECOMES KING OF HEBRON, THEN HE BECOMES KING OF 04:05 ISRAEL, AND THEN HE'S CONQUERING THE NATIONS AROUND HIM. 04:07 HE CONQUERED SYRIA, HE CONQUERS THE PHILISTINES, AND IT SAYS 04:10 DAVID IS JUST GOING FROM VICTORY TO VICTORY - HE NEVER LOSES A 04:13 BATTLE - AND NOW HE'S AT THE ZENITH OF HIS POPULARITY. 04:20 HE'S RESPECTED BY ALL THE OTHER KINGDOMS. 04:22 THERE'S REALLY ONLY ONE MORE OUTSTANDING KINGDOM THAT, 04:26 BASICALLY, THE AMMONITES STARTED THE WAR WITH DAVID BY, 04:30 BASICALLY, INSULTING HIS AMBASSADORS, AND SO, HE'S 04:35 PROBABLY THINKING, 'LOOK, JOAB, THE ARMY'S WELL-TRAINED - 04:37 THEY'RE SEASONED - A SIEGE CAN TAKE AWHILE. 04:41 I'LL LET THEM TAKE CARE OF IT.' YOU KNOW, OFTEN WE GET INTO 04:44 TROUBLE THROUGH NOT BEING INVOLVED. 04:49 DAVID, IF HE HAD STUCK TO HIS PRINCIPLES AND STAYED WITH THE 04:52 MEN AND BEEN INVOLVED IN CONQUERING AND DOING WHAT HE DID 04:56 BEST, HE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE STAYED OUT OF TROUBLE. 05:00 BUT, AS YOU READ ON IN THE STORY, YOU FIND OUT HE'S 05:02 RELAXING AND, IF WE'RE INVOLVED IN FIGHTING, WE'RE LESS INVOLVED 05:07 IN FALLING. YOU KNOW, YOU MIGHT BE THINKING, 05:11 'WELL, DON'T SOLDIERS DESERVE SOME R&R?' 05:14 YES, BUT - LET ME ASK YOU: DOES THE DEVIL EVER TAKE A DAY 05:17 OFF? >>NO. 05:19 >>SO, WHEN IT COMES TO FIGHTING TEMPTATION, WHEN DO YOU GET A 05:24 VACATION? THERE WILL BE EPISODES - I MEAN, 05:28 EVEN JESUS, AFTER HE FOUGHT THE THREE TEMPTATIONS, IT SAYS THE 05:30 DEVIL LEFT HIM FOR A SEASON - BUT YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN HE'S 05:33 GOING TO COME BACK AND THAT'S WHY PETER SAID, 'BE SOBER, 05:37 BE VIGILANT, BECAUSE YOUR ADVERSARY, THE DEVIL, IS ROAMING 05:41 AROUND' - HE DOES NOT LET UP. AND SO, YOU JUST CAN'T 05:44 LET YOUR GUARD DOWN. AND DAVID - HE HAD BEEN SO 05:47 SUCCESSFUL AND HE HAD BEEN SO POPULAR THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN 05:51 START TO RELAX IN YOUR SUCCESS AND LET YOUR GUARD DOWN. 05:57 HE HAD BECOME VERY CONFIDENT AND HE STARTED BECOMING LAX IN HIS 06:01 RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. HE WAS PROSPEROUS. 06:05 HE HAD NOW TAKEN - HIS TREASURIES WERE BURSTING WITH 06:07 ALL THE MONEY HE'D TAKEN FROM OTHER KINGDOMS AND, WHILE HE WAS 06:12 OUTWARDLY VERY SUCCESSFUL, AND HE WAS IN HIS PRIME, INWARDLY HE 06:18 WAS NEGLECTING HIS SPIRITUAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD, EVEN 06:21 THOUGH HE HAD BEEN CALLED BY THE LORD AND HE'D WRITTEN INSPIRED 06:24 PSALMS. THERE'S NO PSALMS WRITTEN DURING THIS TIME IN HIS 06:28 LIFE, BECAUSE HE'D BECOME SELF-DEPENDENT. WHAT GOD SAYS TO THE 06:32 CHURCH IN THE LAST DAYS IS WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO DAVID. 06:35 HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW ABOUT THE CHURCH OF LAODICEA? 06:38 IT DESCRIBES THE CONDITION OF GOD'S PEOPLE IN THE TIME JUST 06:42 BEFORE JESUS COMES AND IT SAYS THERE IN REVELATION CHAPTER 3, 06:46 VERSE 17, "BECAUSE YOU SAY, 'I AM RICH, HAVE BECOME WEALTHY, 06:51 AND HAVE NEED OF NOTHING' - AND DO NOT KNOW THAT YOU ARE 06:53 WRETCHED, MISERABLE, POOR, BLIND, AND NAKED" - AND, DURING 06:56 THIS TIME, THE REASON DAVID GOT INTO TROUBLE IS BECAUSE HE WAS 06:59 HEALTHY, HE WAS PROSPEROUS, HE WAS RESPECTED, HE HAD ARRIVED. 07:04 HE WAS LIVING LARGE. AND, FOR A PERIOD OF MONTHS OR 07:07 MAYBE EVEN YEARS HE HAD PRETTY MUCH FORGOTTEN ABOUT GOD. 07:11 AND HE DIDN'T KNOW THAT WITHIN HE WAS ROTTING IN HIS SOUL. 07:17 AND SOMETIMES IT CAN HAPPEN TO US, WHERE WE SEEM TO BE 07:19 PROSPERING ON THE OUTSIDE BUT WE'RE NEGLECTING SPIRITUAL 07:23 GROWTH. YOU KNOW, ONE REASON THE 07:25 CHILDREN OF ISRAEL GOT INTO TROUBLE WHEN THEY ENTERED THE 07:28 PROMISED LAND, IS THE LORD TOLD THEM, 'WHEN YOU ENTER THE 07:31 PROMISED LAND, THERE ARE SEVEN NATIONS THAT YOU 07:33 NEED TO GET RID OF. IF YOU DON'T THOROUGHLY GET RID 07:37 OF THEM THEY WILL BECOME THORNS IN YOUR SIDE, DIRT IN YOUR EYES, 07:43 AND THEY WILL BECOME A PLAGUE TO YOU.' AND WHEN THE CHILDREN OF 07:45 ISRAEL GOT INTO THE PROMISED LAND AND THEY CONQUERED 07:47 ENOUGH OF THE ENEMIES TO GET COMFORTABLE. 07:50 THEY SAID, 'OH, WE'RE TIRED OF FIGHTING. 07:52 LET'S JUST RELAX.' AND IT SAYS THE PEOPLE THEY LET REMAIN IN 07:56 THE LAND ENDED UP BECOMING A PLAGUE FOR THEM. 08:00 AND DAVID HAD ALMOST CONQUERED THE LAST OUTPOST, BUT HE DECIDED 08:05 TO RELAX BEFORE THE FINAL BATTLE WAS FOUGHT AND THAT'S THE DANGER 08:09 SOMETIMES, IS YOU CAN'T LET YOUR GUARD DOWN. 08:12 BY THE WAY, IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, YOU WANT TO CONTINUE 08:16 GROWING. ARE YOU THE SAME NOW AS YOU 08:18 WERE LAST YEAR, SPIRITUALLY? YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NEVER STAGNANT 08:22 IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD. YOU ARE EITHER GROWING, 08:25 FIGHTING - GROWING ON IN YOUR FAITH, OR YOU'RE BACKSLIDING. 08:29 AND, BY THE WAY, TO BACKSLIDE REQUIRES NO EFFORT. 08:32 YOU CAN STAND STILL AND SLIDE, AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED TO 08:35 DAVID, HE DIDN'T KNOW HE WAS BACKSLIDING. 08:38 GOD HAD WARNED THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL - YOU READ IN DEUTERONOMY 08:41 THAT THEY WERE AT RISK, AND WE ARE TOO. 08:44 IN DEUTERONOMY 6:10 HE TOLD THEM WHEN YOU COME INTO THE PROMISED 08:47 LAND, "SO IT SHALL BE, WHEN THE LORD YOUR GOD BRINGS YOU INTO 08:51 THE LAND OF WHICH HE SWORE TO YOUR FATHERS, TO ABRAHAM, ISAAC, 08:53 AND JACOB, TO GIVE YOU" - LISTEN - "LARGE AND BEAUTIFUL CITIES 08:58 WHICH YOU DID NOT BUILD, HOUSES FULL OF GOOD THINGS, WHICH YOU 09:02 DID NOT FILL, HEWN-OUT WELLS WHICH YOU DID NOT DIG, VINEYARDS 09:07 AND OLIVE TREES WHICH YOU DID NOT PLANT - WHEN YOU HAVE EATEN 09:11 AND ARE FULL - THEN BEWARE, LEST YOU FORGET THE LORD WHO BROUGHT 09:17 YOU OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT, FROM THE HOUSE OF BONDAGE." 09:20 IS THERE A DANGER THAT WHEN WE BECOME COMFORTABLE AND WHEN WE 09:24 ARE SATISFIED, WE FORGET ABOUT GOD? 09:28 AND CAN THAT HAPPEN IN A COUNTRY WHERE YOU HAVE GREAT PROSPERITY? 09:34 OR MAYBE WE'RE EVEN MORE AT RISK. 09:38 A MAMA WHALE TOLD HER BABY, 'BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU GET TO THE TOP 09:41 AND START TO BLOW YOUR SPOUT. THAT'S WHEN YOU GET HARPOONED.' 09:46 DAVID WAS AT THE TOP AND HE'D STARTED TO FEEL SELF-SUFFICIENT 09:50 AND THAT'S WHEN THE DEVIL GOT HIM. 09:53 YOU KNOW, THE DEVIL WILL GET YOU WHEN YOU'RE DOWN BUT, YOU KNOW, 09:56 THE DEVIL WILL ALSO GET YOU WHEN YOU'RE UP. 10:00 THE DEVIL CAN ALSO DISCOURAGE AND DESTROY PEOPLE THROUGH WANT 10:04 AND POVERTY, BUT HE DESTROYS MORE THROUGH PROSPERITY. 10:10 AND HE COULDN'T GET DAVID, WHEN HE WAS RUNNING FOR HIS LIFE, BUT 10:12 HE GOT HIM WHEN HE WAS RESTING ON HIS THRONE. 10:16 AND SO, GOING BACK TO OUR STORY, IT SAYS HE'S RESTING IN 10:22 JERUSALEM WHILE THE SOLDIERS ARE OUT FIGHTING IN THE FIELD, "THEN 10:26 IT HAPPENED ONE EVENING THAT DAVID AROSE FROM HIS BED" - AND 10:30 WHEN IT SAYS 'EVENING' HERE, IT MEANS HE TOOK AN AFTERNOON NAP 10:32 DURING THE HEAT OF THE DAY AROUND SUNDOWN. 10:34 HE GETS UP AND HE'S WALKING ON THE ROOF AND HE'S, YOU KNOW, 10:39 THERE IN JERUSALEM, HE'S AT THE TOP - JERUSALEM'S ON A HILL - 10:44 HE'S GOT HIS OWN PALACE, HE'S ON THE TOP OF THE PALACE - HE'S ON 10:47 THE TOP OF THE WORLD. THAT'S HOW NEBUCHADNEZZAR GOT IN 10:49 TROUBLE, JUST LOOKING OUT FROM THE TOP OF THE WORLD SAYING, 10:52 'IS THIS NOT GREAT BABYLON THAT I HAVE BUILT?' 10:54 AND DAVID'S LOOKING OUT OF THE WINDOW AND, FROM HIS WINDOW, 10:57 HE'S GOT A PRETTY GOOD VIEW. I MEAN, EVERYONE WANTS A 10:59 NICE HOUSE WITH A VIEW BUT, UNFORTUNATELY, HIS VIEW ALSO 11:03 LOOKED DOWN INTO THE COURTYARD OF A NEIGHBOR AND HE 11:07 SAW A WOMAN BATHING. NOW, AS SOON AS HE SAW THAT, 11:09 I MEAN, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN ACCIDENTALLY SEE ALL KINDS OF 11:11 THINGS, YOU SHOULD SAY, 'OH, EXCUSE ME' AND YOU LOOK AWAY. 11:17 BUT HE DIDN'T LOOK AWAY. HE THOUGHT, 'WELL, 11:19 NOBODY'S WATCHING. I'VE GOT THIS PRIVATE VOYEUR 11:23 VIEW.' THE FIRST LOOK WAS NOT A SIN. 11:27 I MEAN SOMETIMES YOU SEE THINGS AND YOU SAY - AND YOU REGISTER 11:29 AND YOU SAY, 'OH, THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL PERSON BUT THAT'S NOT 11:32 APPROPRIATE' AND YOU TURN AWAY. THAT'S NOT A SIN. 11:35 SIN IS WHEN YOU LOOK AND YOU START TO LUST. 11:38 AND THAT LITTLE LINGERING FORBIDDEN LOOK TURNED INTO 11:44 LITTLE SIN. 'COME ON, LOOKING, HOW BAD CAN THAT BE?' 11:48 I USED TO HEAR GUYS AT WORK, YOU KNOW, AT A FACTORY, AND GUYS 11:51 WOULD SAY, 'OH, NOTHING WRONG WITH WINDOW SHOPPING. 11:53 I KNOW I'M MARRIED - I'M JUST WINDOW SHOPPING' AND 'JUST 11:57 LOOKING.' THAT LINGERING LOOK - FORBIDDEN LOOK - TURNED INTO 12:02 LUST AND LONGING AND THEN IT WENT FROM THERE TO LYING AND 12:06 MURDER AND ADULTERY AND JUST EVERYTHING IN THE BOOK. 12:11 BUT IT STARTED WITH SUCH A LITTLE THING. 12:13 AND SO, I THINK WE SHOULD BE ADVISED THAT SOMETIMES WE THINK, 12:16 'OH, JUST LOOKING.' YOU CAN GET IN TROUBLE THAT WAY. 12:20 SO HE LOOKED AND SHE WAS BEAUTIFUL TO BEHOLD. 12:22 NOW HE HAD A WHOLE HAREM OF WIVES AND THE BIBLE SAYS THAT 12:26 THEY WERE BEAUTIFUL - WELL, AT LEAST IT SAYS ABIGAIL WAS 12:28 BEAUTIFUL - I'M ASSUMING THE OTHERS WERE. 12:31 AND - BUT, YOU KNOW, HE JUST WASN'T SATISFIED. 12:35 HE DIDN'T HAVE THE LORD IN HIS HEART AT THIS TIME AND SO 12:37 NOTHING WILL SATISFY. AND HE INQUIRED - HE ASKED HIS 12:41 SERVANTS - HE SAID, 'YOU KNOW, OVER THERE ON THAT STREET 12:48 - WHO IS IN THAT HOUSE?' 'WELL, THAT'S URIAH'S HOUSE. 12:51 THAT WOULD BE BATHSHEBA, HIS WIFE.' AND DAVID SENT MESSENGERS 12:56 - HE SAID, 'OH YEAH, YOU'RE RIGHT, HE'S OFF IN THE BATTLE. 12:59 SHE'S ALONE. SHE'S PROBABLY LONELY. 13:01 COME TO THINK OF IT, I'M A LITTLE LONELY NOW TOO.' AND HE 13:04 WENT AND SENT FOR HER "AND SHE CAME TO HIM, AND HE LAY WITH 13:10 HER, FOR SHE WAS CLEANSED FROM HER IMPURITY;" - NOW, THE REASON 13:14 THAT'S MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE IS, OF COURSE, THERE WAS A 13:16 TIME OF MONTH WHEN THEY WERE NOT TO HAVE INTIMATE RELATIONS. 13:20 IT ALSO HAPPENS TO BE THE TIME OF MONTH WHEN YOU'RE TECHNICALLY 13:23 NOT FERTILE. SO IT'S BASICALLY SAYING THEY 13:25 GOT TOGETHER AT A TIME WHEN SHE WAS CLEAN AND FERTILE, WHICH 13:29 ENDED UP PLAYING OUT THE WRONG WAY - "AND SHE 13:33 RETURNED TO HER HOUSE. AND THE WOMAN CONCEIVED;" - YOU 13:38 KNOW SOMEONE SAID, 'YOU CAN'T BE SOWING WILD OATS SATURDAY NIGHT 13:41 AND PRAY FOR CROP FAILURE SUNDAY MORNING.' AND WE JUST HAD A 13:46 LESSON - CHILDREN'S STORY - ON THAT. 13:51 AND SHE SAID TO DAVID - SHE DIDN'T SAY, 'I'VE GOT A FETUS' - 13:55 I JUST WANTED YOU TO NOTICE. >>AMEN. 13:57 >>SHE SAID, "I AM WITH CHILD." IT WAS A LIVING HUMAN. 14:03 AND - NOW I PROBABLY NEED TO PAUSE HERE AND JUST FILL IN A 14:06 COUPLE OF DETAILS ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON, BEFORE WE GET ANY 14:10 FURTHER. DAVID HAD BECOME A LITTLE BIT SELF-SUFFICIENT. 14:16 PAUL SAID, IN 1 CORINTHIANS 10:12, "THEREFORE LET HIM WHO 14:20 THINKS HE STANDS TAKE HEED LEST HE FALL." 14:22 WHAT HAPPENED TO PETER WHEN HE SAID, 'THOUGH ALL MEN FORSAKE 14:25 THEE, I WILL NOT FORSAKE THEE.' WE ALL NEED TO GUARD OUR SOULS 14:28 BECAUSE ALL OF US CAN BE TEMPTED. 14:31 PROVERBS 6:18, "PRIDE GOES BEFORE DESTRUCTION AND A HAUGHTY 14:35 SPIRIT BEFORE A FALL." AND DAVID MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT, 14:38 'WELL I'M JUST LOOKING.' BUT WE SAW WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT LOOK. 14:43 ONE OF THE REASONS HE GOT IN TROUBLE WAS IDLENESS. 14:47 WE THINK ABOUT THE SINS OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH AND, TYPICALLY, 14:51 SEXUAL SINS COME INTO MIND BUT, YOU KNOW, THE SEXUAL SINS WERE 14:55 CONNECTED WITH WHAT EZEKIEL SAYS. IN EZEKIEL 16:49 14:59 IT SAYS ONE OF THE SINS OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH WAS IDLENESS. 15:03 BECAUSE DAVID WAS NOT BUSY FIGHTING GOD'S BATTLES, HE 15:06 STARTED JUST LOOKING FOR ENTERTAINMENT AND - 'I'M JUST 15:12 GOING TO SURF THE INTERNET A LITTLE BIT' - AND YOU'VE GOT TO 15:16 BE CAREFUL SURFING - DAVID AND BATHSHEBA - ON THE INTERNET. 15:22 DON'T GO TO THE INTERNET AND ASK MY WHY - TRY AND FIND OUT WHY I 15:25 TOLD YOU THAT, BUT IT'S A TREE OF GOOD AND EVIL AND A LOT OF 15:31 PEOPLE GET INTO TROUBLE WITH THE INTERNET - WITH LOOKING. 15:37 JOB SAYS, IN JOB 31:1, "I HAVE MADE A COVENANT WITH MY EYES; 15:42 WHY THEN SHOULD I LOOK UPON A YOUNG WOMAN?" 15:45 NOW, AT SOME POINT, ANY MAN - OR WOMAN - THAT HOPES TO GET 15:50 MARRIED SOMEDAY, THEY'RE GOING TO LOOK. 15:53 HOW MANY OF YOU LOOKED AT YOUR SPOUSE BEFORE YOU MARRIED THEM? 15:57 COME ON, BE HONEST. (LAUGHTER) 16:00 ANYONE HERE GOING TO SAY, 'I DIDN'T LOOK'? 16:03 THEY DID HAVE ARRANGED MARRIAGES IN SOME PLACES, WHERE THE GIRL 16:06 WAS VEILED UNTIL THE WEDDING DAY, AND THERE WERE SOME, 16:09 PROBABLY, AMAZING SURPRISES, BUT - THERE'S A TIME TO LOOK - BUT 16:15 ONCE YOU'RE MARRIED - AND JOB WAS MARRIED AND DAVID WAS 16:18 MARRIED TO A WHOLE HAREM - YOU NEED TO MAKE A COVENANT WITH 16:22 YOUR EYES. >>AMEN. 16:24 >>PROVERBS 6:25, "DO NOT LUST AFTER HER BEAUTY IN YOUR HEART, 16:29 NOR LET HER ALLURE YOU WITH HER EYELIDS." 16:32 AND YOU KNOW WHAT JESUS SAYS ABOUT LOOKING - HE SAYS, "BUT I 16:35 SAY TO YOU, WHOEVER LOOKS ON A WOMAN TO LUST FOR HER" - AND, OF 16:38 COURSE THIS APPLIES, YOU NOW, IT SAYS THAT A MAN - IN THE TEN 16:41 COMMANDMENTS SAYS YOU SHOULD NOT COVET YOUR NEIGHBOR'S WIFE, BUT 16:43 EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT ALSO MEANS A WOMAN SHOULD NOT COVET HER 16:47 NEIGHBOR'S HUSBAND. AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT 16:49 WORKS BOTH WAYS HERE. AND JESUS, WHEN HE SAYS, 'IF 16:53 YOU LOOK ON A WOMAN TO LUST FOR HER', IT ALSO MEANS 'IF YOU LOOK 16:56 ON A MAN TO LUST AFTER HIM' - YOU CAN COMMIT 16:58 ADULTERY IN YOUR HEART. BECAUSE ADULTERY BEGINS WITH AN 17:02 ATTITUDE BEFORE IT TURNS INTO AN ACTION. 17:05 AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED WITH DAVID. 17:07 IT STARTED WITH A LOOK AND THEN IT TURNED INTO LUST AND THEN HE 17:10 SAID, 'WELL, MAYBE WE'LL JUST - I'D LIKE TO MEET HER. 17:14 SHE'S PROBABLY LONELY. WE'LL JUST HAVE A BITE 17:16 TOGETHER.' AND THEN THEY STARTED TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT TOGETHER 17:21 AND, MAYBE, A FEW INTIMATE THOUGHTS. 17:23 AND DAVID SAYS, 'I KNOW I'VE GOT A DOZEN WIVES, BUT I'M JUST NOT 17:26 HAPPY.' (LAUGHTER) THIS IS HOW IT HAPPENS, YOU KNOW? 17:30 AT THE OFFICE PEOPLE START GETTING FRIENDLY AND THEY START 17:35 HAVING PRIVATE TIME TOGETHER AND NEXT THING YOU KNEW DAVID SAID, 17:43 'YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT THIS TERRIBLE CRINK IN MY NECK. 17:45 I WONDER IF YOU CAN GIVE ME A MASSAGE.' AND THAT TOUCH JUST - 17:52 'OH, JUST GOING TO RUB THE NECK. MAKE HIM FEEL A LITTLE BETTER.' 17:55 AND ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER AND WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY - 17:59 AND PEOPLE MIGHT WANT TO KNOW, 'WELL, HOW DID 18:01 THAT GET THAT FAR?' I PROBABLY OUGHT TO PAUSE 18:04 HERE AND SAY, 'WELL, WHO IS BATHSHEBA?' 18:07 THE BIBLE TELLS A LITTLE MORE ABOUT BATHSHEBA. 18:09 I'VE HEARD SOME PASTORS AND, WHEN I WAS LOOKING - I LISTENED 18:12 TO SOME OTHER PASTORS TALK ABOUT THIS SUBJECT - I'M KIND OF 18:14 SHOCKED AT THE THINGS I HEAR. DAVID DID NOT RAPE BATHSHEBA. 18:23 BUT HE DID, I THINK, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HIS POWER. 18:29 IT WAS AN ABUSE OF HIS AUTHORITY. 18:32 I DON'T THINK DAVID NEEDED TO RAPE BATHSHEBA, I THINK THAT 18:37 DAVID WAS A GOOD-LOOKING MAN, HER HUSBAND WAS AWAY AT WAR, 18:41 DAVID COULD SING LIKE NOBODY COULD SING - HE SAID, 'COME ON 18:44 IN, LET'S JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT. 18:45 HERE, LET ME SING THE LATEST SONG I WROTE.' BOY, IF ANYBODY 18:48 COULD SWOON A WOMAN, DAVID WAS TALL, DARK, AND HANDSOME. 18:52 IT ACTUALLY NEVER SAYS HE WAS TALL, BUT WE KNOW THAT HE WAS 18:55 HANDSOME AND HE WAS - I MEAN, HERE'S DAVID THE GIANT KILLER - 18:59 AND SO, I'M SURE THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF SEDUCTION TAKING PLACE 19:02 THERE. SHE WAS VERY INTELLIGENT. 19:04 I'M SURMISING THAT, BUT BATHSHEBA DOES SPEAK IN THE 19:07 BIBLE LATER - IN OTHER PLACES - AND SHE CONDUCTS HERSELF WELL. 19:11 IT TELLS YOU ABOUT HER - YOU READ IN 2 SAMUEL 11, IT SAYS, 19:15 "...BATHSHEBA, THE DAUGHTER OF ELIAM, THE WIFE OF URIAH..." 19:19 - NOW, WHO IS ELIAM? ELIAM, YOU READ IN 2 SAMUEL 23, 19:22 VERSE 34, IS THE SON OF AHITHOPHEL THE GILONITE. 19:28 AHITHOPHEL WAS THE COUNSELOR OF DAVID AND I'LL TELL YOU WHAT IT 19:31 SAYS ABOUT AHITHOPHEL: IT SAYS HIS COUNSEL WAS SO BRILLIANT 19:35 THAT IT WAS LIKE ENQUIRING AT THE ORACLES OF GOD. 19:38 WHEN AHITHOPHEL SAID SOMETHING, HE WAS ALWAYS RIGHT. 19:42 AND, NOT ONLY THAT, SHE ENDS UP HAVING A SON THAT BECOMES THE 19:45 KING - BATHSHEBA'S SON, SOLOMON - AND WHAT DOES THE BIBLE TELL 19:49 US ABOUT SOLOMON'S IQ? >>HE WAS THE WISEST OF THE WISE. 19:52 >>YEAH, SO BATHSHEBA WAS BEAUTIFUL, BUT SHE WAS ALSO 19:55 BRIGHT. I THINK SHE WAS VERY INTELLIGENT. 19:58 SHE ENDS UP BECOMING THE QUEEN OF ISRAEL - THE SINGLE QUEEN - 20:02 AFTER THE - OR, THE QUEEN MOTHER, I SHOULD SAY - AFTER 20:05 DAVID DIES. AND SO, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE MORE 20:09 INFORMATION THERE. BUT THEN THEY GOT TOGETHER 20:12 AND ONE THING LED TO ANOTHER. NOW DAVID, AS THEY GOT 20:16 INVOLVED, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF COMMANDMENTS THAT HE'S BREAKING. 20:18 FIRST OF ALL, IT SAYS THEY TOLD HIM - WHEN HE SAID, 'WHO IS IT?' 20:22 'THIS IS BATHSHEBA, THE WIFE OF' - RIGHT THERE, THAT OUGHT TO 20:27 HAVE BEEN THE END OF IT, BECAUSE EVEN THE PAGAN KINGS THAT HAD 20:31 HAREMS, AND DAVID WAS PATTERNING HIS KINGDOM AFTER THE EASTERN 20:34 KINGS, THEY SHOWED THEIR POWER BY HAVING A HAREM. 20:38 THEY ALSO HAD A HAREM BECAUSE, WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A 20:40 MONARCHY AND YOU WANT YOUR CHILDREN TO RULE, YOU'VE GOT TO 20:43 MAKE SURE YOU HAVE LOTS OF SONS, IN CASE ONE GETS SICK. 20:46 THEY HAD A HIGH MORTALITY RATE, AND SO, THEY USED TO JUST - KING 20:50 AHAB HAD SEVENTY SONS. HE ONLY HAD JEZEBEL AS A WIFE. 20:54 HOW DO YOU - YOU THINK JEZEBEL HAD SEVENTY BOYS? 20:56 OR DID HE HAVE A HAREM, ALSO? AND SO, THIS WAS THE PRACTICE. 21:01 IT WASN'T GOD'S PLAN. CAUSED ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS, 21:04 BUT DAVID HAD ALL THESE OTHER WIVES. 21:05 BUT EVEN THE PAGAN KINGS SAID, 'IF SHE'S ALREADY SOMEONE ELSE'S 21:10 WIFE, THEY'RE OFF LIMITS.' SO, AS SOON AS THE SERVANT SAID, 21:15 'SHE'S THE WIFE OF URIAH' - NOT ONLY WAS SHE MARRIED, SHE'S 21:18 MARRIED TO A FRIEND. THAT COMPOUNDS THE DESPICABLE 21:24 THING HE DID EVEN MORE. COMMITTED ADULTERY. 21:31 YOU EVER HEAR ABOUT THE WICKED BIBLE ? 21:33 I EVER TELL YOU THAT STORY? THERE'S A BIBLE THAT WAS PRINTED 21:36 IN 1623, BY BAKER AND LUCAS, IN ENGLAND THAT'S NOW KNOWN 21:40 AS THE WICKED BIBLE . THE BIBLE WAS A GOOD, NORMAL 21:43 BIBLE - ONE OF THE NEW KING JAMES BIBLES. 21:46 EVERYTHING ABOUT IT WAS GREAT EXCEPT THERE WAS JUST ONE 21:49 THREE-LETTER WORD THAT HAD BEEN LEFT OUT. 21:52 IT HAPPENED TO BE IN THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT. 21:55 THAT WORD WAS THE WORD 'NOT'. (LAUGHTER) YOU KNOW WHERE IT 22:00 SAYS, 'THOU SHALT NOT' COMMIT ADULTERY? 22:03 WHAT DO YOU END UP WITH IF YOU LEAVE OUT THE WORD 'NOT'? 22:08 AND WHEN THE BIBLES BEGAN TO CIRCULATE AND SOMEONE READ 22:11 THROUGH THAT, THEY BROUGHT IT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE KING AND 22:14 THE KING NOT ONLY, OF COURSE, COLLECTED AND BURNED THE BIBLES, 22:18 THE PRINTERS WERE FINED AND SO THEY EVENTUALLY WENT BANKRUPT. 22:22 YOU'VE GOT TO BE CAREFUL OF THOSE DETAILS. 22:25 THE BIBLE SAID, 'THOU SHALT COMMIT ADULTERY.' 22:28 NOW, THERE ARE FEW REMAINING EDITIONS OF THE WICKED BIBLE OUT 22:31 THERE, AND THEY'RE VERY, VERY VALUABLE TODAY, BUT THAT WAS THE 22:34 ONLY THING UNIQUE ABOUT IT. BUT, WITH WHAT'S GOING ON IN 22:38 THE WORLD TODAY AND THE WAY THE MEDIA PORTRAYS SEX, YOU WOULD 22:41 THINK THAT'S THE BIBLE THEY'RE READING. ISN'T THAT RIGHT? 22:47 >>YES. >>THE WORLD ACTS LIKE, YOU KNOW, 22:50 IT'S LIKE SHAKING HANDS, WHERE THE BIBLE SAYS IT'S A SACRED 22:55 RELATIONSHIP TO BE RESERVED FOR A MARRIAGE COVENANT. 23:00 BUT - AND THEN I'VE GOT TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT 'WHO WAS 23:05 URIAH THE HITTITE?' WE MENTIONED BATHSHEBA - URIAH 23:10 WAS - FIRST OF ALL, A HITTITE, THEY WERE ANOTHER NATION, SO 23:14 URIAH EITHER WAS THE CHILD OF SOMEONE WHO HAD CONVERTED TO THE 23:18 GOD OF ISRAEL - SO IT SAYS THAT HE HAD HITTITE ANCESTRY - OR 23:23 HE, HIMSELF, WAS A CONVERT. BUT THE HITTITES 23:25 WERE ANOTHER NATION. THEY WERE ONE OF THE NATIONS 23:27 THEY FOUGHT AGAINST TO THROW OUT. 23:28 BUT SOMEWHERE EARLY ALONG THE WAY, URIAH JOINS DAVID WHEN HE'S 23:34 RUNNING FROM SAUL AND HE'S FIGHTING SIDE-BY-SIDE - YOU 23:37 KNOW, IT TALKS ABOUT DAVID'S MIGHTY MEN - URIAH WAS ONE OF 23:40 DAVID'S MIGHTY MEN. YOU CAN READ IN 2 SAMUEL 23:39 23:45 AND IT MENTIONS THE LIST OF THE MIGHTY MEN. AND YOU KNOW WHO'S 23:47 ON - THE LAST ONE THAT'S MENTIONED IS URIAH. I THINK IT 23:51 JUST SHAMED WHOEVER WROTE THAT - YEP, THE ONE THAT DAVID HAD 23:56 KILLED - TOOK HIS WIFE - HE WAS ONE OF HIS MIGHTY MEN. NOW, 23:59 YOU'VE TO - I DON'T WANT TO - I DON'T WANT TO TAKE THIS TOO FAR, 24:04 BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO UNDER- STAND HOW TREACHEROUS THIS WAS. 24:09 THE MIGHTY MEN OF DAVID LOVED HIM SO MUCH THAT, WHEN DAVID WAS 24:13 HIDING FROM SAUL IN A CAVE IT JUST - IN THE BACK OF HIS MIND 24:17 ONE DAY, HE BLURTED OUT AND HE YEARNED AND HE SAID, 'OH MAN, 24:21 THIS AWFUL WATER HERE - THIS SULPHUR WATER HERE IN THE CAVE' 24:24 - HE SAYS - 'OH, WHAT I WOULD GIVE FOR A DRINK OF THE WATER 24:27 FROM THE WELL OF BETHLEHEM WHEN I WAS A BOY - THAT SWEET, COLD, 24:30 CLEAN, CLEAR WATER FROM BETHLEHEM.' 24:32 AND HE SAID SOMETHING LIKE THAT. HIS SOLDIERS HEARD HIM. 24:37 THREE OF HIS MIGHTY MEN LEFT THE CAVE OF ADULLAM, 24:40 THEY WENT INTO JERUSALEM - WENT TO BETHLEHEM, RATHER - WHERE THE 24:44 PHILISTINES HAD OCCUPIED THE CITY AND THEY HAD A GARRISON, 24:47 THEY FOUGHT THEIR WAY THROUGH THE PHILISTINE GARRISON, ONE OF 24:51 THEM LOWERED A POUCH DOWN THE WELL, FILLED IT WITH WATER FROM 24:56 THE WELL OF BETHLEHEM, FOUGHT THEIR WAY BACK OUT OF THE CITY, 25:00 AND THEY BROUGHT IT TO DAVID. >>WOW. 25:02 >>THEY LOVED HIM SO MUCH THEY WERE GOING TO LAY DOWN THEIR 25:04 LIVES TO GIVE THEIR COMMANDER A DRINK OF WATER. 25:08 WOULD GOD ALL OF HIS SERVANTS TODAY FELT THAT WAY ABOUT JESUS, 25:11 THE SON OF DAVID, THAT WE WOULD LAY DOWN OUR LIVES TO BRING HIM 25:14 LIVING WATER. >>AMEN. 25:15 >>ANYWAY, DAVID POURED IT ON THE GROUND. 25:18 HE SAID, 'THIS IS THE BLOOD OF YOU MEN. 25:20 I'M NOT GOING TO RISK YOU DOING ANYTHING LIKE THIS AGAIN, AND 25:23 RISK YOUR LIVES FOR ME.' AND HE SAID, 'I'M NOT GOING TO DRINK 25:26 IT. I'M NOT GOING TO ENCOURAGE 25:27 THIS.' BUT THEY LOVED HIM THAT MUCH. 25:29 SO WHEN DAVID, THEN, DOES WHAT HE DOES NEXT - I JUST WANT YOU 25:33 TO UNDERSTAND - THIS IS SOMEBODY WHO REALLY CARED. 25:37 NOW, YOU'LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT URIAH IN JUST A MOMENT, BECAUSE 25:40 WHAT HE SAYS IS AMAZING. GO BACK TO THE STORY. 25:43 SO - BATHSHEBA, BACK IN 2 SAMUEL 11, SHE SENDS A MESSAGE AND 25:49 SAYS, 'I AM WITH CHILD' AND DAVID SAID, 'UH OH, URIAH'S OUT 25:54 IN THE FIELD. THIS IS GOING TO BE A PROBLEM.' 25:56 AND HE BEGINS TO CALCULATE - WHAT CAN HE DO? 25:59 HE SAYS, 'I'VE GOT TO GET URIAH AND BATHSHEBA TOGETHER SO THAT 26:02 NOBODY WILL ASK QUESTIONS. THEY'LL JUST FIGURE THIS FIRST 26:05 CHILD WAS A LITTLE PREMATURE. AND SO, DAVID TELLS JOAB, 'SEND 26:10 ME URIAH THE HITTITE.' WELL, THAT'S NOT THAT ODD. 26:12 MATTER OF FACT, THE HISTORIAN, JOSEPHUS, SAYS THAT URIAH WAS 26:18 JOAB'S ARMOR BEARER. AND SO, HE SAYS, 'LOOK, I WANT 26:22 TO GET AN UPDATE ON THE WAR. I CAN TRUST URIAH. 26:25 SEND HIM TO ME.' SO HE SENDS URIAH. 26:27 JOAB ASKS NO QUESTIONS. URIAH COMES TO DAVID - I'M IN 26:30 VERSE 7 - HE SAYS, 'HOW'S JOAB DOING? 26:32 HOW ARE THE PEOPLE DOING?' AND HOW THE WAR IS PROSPERING. 26:35 AND SO, DAVID SAID TO URIAH, 'THANK YOU FOR THE REPORT.' - HE 26:39 SAYS, 'NOW RELAX. YOU'VE COME A LONG WAY. GO TO YOUR HOUSE. 26:42 WASH YOUR FEET.' SO URIAH DEPARTED FROM THE KING'S HOUSE 26:46 AND A GIFT OF FOOD - THE KING SAYS, 'LOOK, I'M GOING TO SEND 26:48 SOME CATERED FOOD AND I'LL SEND A COUPLE OF CANDLES AND I'M 26:51 GOING TO TRY TO CREATE SOME AMBIANCE SO HE AND BATHSHEBA 26:55 WILL DO WHAT YOU WOULD NORMALLY EXPECT TO HAPPEN.' AND A GIFT OF 26:59 FOOD FOLLOWS HIM. BUT DAVID IS SHOCKED TO DISCOVER 27:04 THE NEXT DAY - IT SAYS, "URIAH SLEPT AT THE DOOR OF THE KING'S 27:07 HOUSE WITH ALL THE SERVANTS OF HIS LORD, AND DID NOT 27:11 GO DOWN TO HIS HOUSE." SO THE NEXT DAY THEY TOLD DAVID, 27:14 SAYING, 'URIAH DIDN'T GO TO HIS HOUSE. 27:16 BATHSHEBA APPRECIATED, YOU KNOW, THE CATERED FOOD, AND ALL, BUT 27:19 URIAH DIDN'T COME.' AND DAVID IS - DAVID IS SHOCKED. 27:25 HE SAID, 'WHY DIDN'T YOU GO DOWN TO YOUR HOUSE?' 27:29 URIAH'S WONDERING, 'WHY DO YOU CARE? 27:31 WHY ARE YOU ASKING? WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO YOU?' 27:36 AND URIAH SAID TO DAVID - NOW THIS IS THE ONLY TIME URIAH 27:38 SPEAKS IN THE BIBLE - THIS NEXT VERSE - AND THIS IS 2 SAMUEL 27:42 11:11, "AND URIAH SAID" - BY THE WAY, YOU KNOW WHAT THE WORD 27:46 'URIAH' MEANS? 'AH' MEANS 'JEHOVAH' AND 'URI' 27:52 MEANS 'FIRE' - MEANS 'THE FIRE OF JEHOVAH'. 27:55 THAT'S A GOOD NAME - 'THE FIRE OF GOD' IS WHAT HIS NAME IS. 27:59 "AND URIAH SAYS TO DAVID, 'THE ARK'" - THAT'S THE FIRST THING 28:03 OUT OF HIS MOUTH IS CONNECTED WITH GOD. 28:06 >>AMEN. >>HE SAID, "THE ARK AND ISRAEL 28:09 AND JUDAH ARE DWELLING IN TENTS, AND MY LORD JOAB AND THE 28:15 SERVANTS OF MY LORD ARE ENCAMPED IN THE OPEN FIELDS. 28:19 SHALL I THEN GO TO MY HOUSE TO EAT AND DRINK, AND TO LIE WITH 28:23 MY WIFE? AS YOU LIVE," - HE NOW MAKES A 28:26 VOW - "AS YOU LIVE AND AS YOUR SOUL LIVES, I WILL 28:28 NOT DO THIS THING." WOW. 28:31 DAVID IS CONFRONTED BY ONE OF HIS SOLDIERS THAT REALLY IS A 28:35 BETTER MAN THAN HE IS. URIAH WOULD NOT GO TO BATHSHEBA 28:40 WHEN HE HAD THE RIGHT BECAUSE HE WANTED TO BE A GOOD 28:43 EXAMPLE TO HIS SOLDIERS. AND IT IS POSSIBLE - YOU MIGHT 28:46 BE THINKING, 'WHY WOULD HE DO THAT?' 28:49 - I OUGHT TO PAUSE RIGHT HERE AND JUST ASK A QUESTION. 28:55 OF YOU WIVES, HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF YOU WERE BATHSHEBA AND YOUR 29:03 HUSBAND COMES HOME AND HE DOESN'T STOP AT THE HOUSE? 29:08 WOULD YOU APPRECIATE THAT? YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT - 29:17 WE MAKE FUN OF MEN BECAUSE WE'RE SO TASK ORIENTED AND WOMEN ARE A 29:23 LITTLE MORE RELATIONAL ORIENTED. NOW I KNOW THAT'S A 29:25 GENERALIZATION - IT'S PROBABLY A SAFE ONE BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK 29:30 GOD MADE MEN TO BE THE WAY WE ARE AND URIAH THOUGHT, 'THE 29:36 BATTLE IS NOT FOUGHT YET' - 'THE BATTLE IS NOT WON YET' - IT IS 29:40 POSSIBLE THAT HE MADE A VOW THAT SOME SOLDIERS WOULD MAKE, THAT 29:44 THEY DO NOT ENGAGE IN INTIMATE RELATIONS UNTIL THE WAR IS WON. 29:49 THERE USED TO BE AN ANCIENT BELIEF THAT THE MORE VIRILE A 29:51 MAN WAS, THE BETTER HE FOUGHT. AND IT COULD BE HE JUST THOUGHT, 29:55 'HOW AM I GOING TO GO BACK AND BE AN EXAMPLE TO MY MEN? 29:57 THIS BATTLE ISN'T WON. THEY'RE OUT IN THE FIELD AND I'M 30:00 GOING TO SAY, 'OH YEAH, I WAS BACK RELAXING.' AND HE THOUGHT, 30:02 'THIS WON'T BE A GOOD EXAMPLE.' NOW, THE THING THAT SHOCKS ME, 30:05 THOUGH, IS URIAH HAS A RIGHT AND HE WOULDN'T TAKE IT; DAVID HAD 30:09 NO RIGHT AND HE DID TAKE IT. HE HAD NO RIGHT TO BATHSHEBA, 30:12 BUT HE TOOK IT; URIAH DOES HAVE A RIGHT AND HE DOESN'T TAKE IT. 30:16 URIAH, IN MAY WAYS HERE, IS THE HERO OF THE STORY. 30:20 HIS PRINCIPLE CONCERN IS THE ARK OF GOD - GOD, THE PEOPLE OF GOD, 30:25 THE BATTLE THAT WE'RE FIGHTING - HE'S THINKING ABOUT THE WAR THAT 30:27 NEEDS TO BE WON. NOW, IF YOU'RE A CHRISTIAN, 30:29 WE'RE INVOLVED IN A WAR, RIGHT? THERE'S A BATTLE GOING ON AND 30:33 HE'S INTERESTED IN THE VICTORY OF THE BATTLE. 30:36 AND NOW, DAVID, HE SAYS, 'LOOK, STAY ONE MORE DAY.' DAVID, NOW, 30:42 IS WRINGING HIS HANDS. HE'S SAYING, 'WELL, WHAT DO I DO?' 30:44 THIS GUYS GOT ETHICS. HE'S GOT SCRUPLES. 30:48 I'VE GOT TO GET HIM DRUNK SO HE'LL GO AGAINST HIS SCRUPLES.' 30:51 SO DAVID SAYS, 'STAY HERE ONE MORE DAY AND I'LL SEND YOU BACK 30:53 TO THE BATTLE TOMORROW.' "NOW WHEN DAVID CALLED HIM, HE ATE 30:57 AND DRANK BEFORE HIM; AND HE MADE HIM DRUNK." 31:00 INSTEAD OF GIVING HIM THE GRAPE JUICE THAT MIGHT HAVE HAD ONE OR 31:03 TWO PERCENT ALCOHOL IN IT, HE GAVE HIM THE STUFF THAT WAS TEN 31:06 OR FIFTEEN PERCENT AND THEN DAVID SAID, 'I'D LIKE TO DRINK A 31:08 TOAST TO JOAB!' AND DAVID'D PRETEND TO 31:12 DRINK AND URIAH WOULD DRINK. AND HE SAID, 'NOW LET'S DRINK 31:14 A TOAST TO THE SOL-' - 'LET'S DRINK A TOAST TO THE' - AND, 31:17 YOU KNOW, HE'S - WHATEVER HE'S DOING, HE'S SOMEHOW 31:18 GETTING HIM DRUNK. HE'S TRYING TO BE POLITE AND 31:20 HE'S DRINKING THIS WINE THAT IS INTOXICATING HIM. 31:24 BY THE WAY, IN CASE YOU WONDER ABOUT WINE AND THE CHRISTIAN, OR 31:29 ALCOHOL AND THE CHRISTIAN, CHRISTIANS SHOULDN'T DRINK 31:34 ALCOHOL AT ALL. >>AMEN. 31:37 >>NOAH GOT DRUNK AND WANDERED AROUND NAKED. LOT GOT DRUNK - 31:42 HIS DAUGHTERS MADE HIM DRUNK AND HE SLEPT WITH HIS DAUGHTERS. 31:45 DAVID KNEW, IF HE COULD GET - HE THOUGHT, IF HE COULD GET URIAH 31:49 DRUNK, HE WOULD GO AGAINST HIS CONSCIENCE AND, A LOT OF TIMES 31:53 THERE ARE YOUNG MEN OR WOMEN THAT TRY TO GET THE OPPOSITE SEX 31:57 DRUNK SO THEY CAN GET THEM TO GO AGAINST THEIR SCRUPLES. 32:01 YOUR GUARD AGAINST TEMPTATION IS DEFINITELY DOWN WHEN YOU ARE 32:06 UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A DRUG. 32:09 AND SO, WHEN PEOPLE SAY, 'OH, WELL JESUS TURNED THE WATER INTO 32:11 WINE.' HE TURNED THAT WATER INTO GRAPE JUICE. 32:13 IT WASN'T GOING TO GET ANYONE DRUNK. 32:14 HE DID NOT MAKE THIRTY GALLONS OF BOOZE FOR A PARTY, AS SOME 32:18 PEOPLE - I'VE HEARD PEOPLE SAY IT THAT WAY. 32:20 IT'S PRETTY CLEAR, RIGHT HERE, WHY HE WANTED URIAH DRUNK. 32:23 BECAUSE HE KNEW - BETTER CHANCE OF HIM GOING AGAINST HIS 32:26 CONVICTIONS WHEN HE'S DRUNK. SO IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A DRUG 32:30 THAT'S GOING TO MAKE YOU GO AGAINST YOUR CONVICTIONS - YOU 32:32 CAN ARGUE FOR ALCOHOL ALL YOU WANT, FRIENDS, BUT YOU'RE 32:34 KIDDING YOURSELF. IT NEVER MAKES YOU 32:36 A BETTER CHRISTIAN. >>AMEN. 32:38 >>THE BIBLE SAYS, 'BE NOT FILLED WITH WINE WHICH IS DISSIPATION, 32:42 BUT BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT' - BECAUSE YOU CAN'T BE FILLED WITH 32:45 BOTH AT THE SAME TIME. HE TRIES TO MAKE HIM DRUNK, BUT 32:49 EVEN DRUNK, HE WOULD NOT GO DOWN TO HIS HOUSE. 32:54 IT SAYS AFTERWARDS HE STUMBLES OUT TO THE GATEWAY AND LAYS DOWN 32:58 WITH THE SERVANTS OF DAVID. BUT HE HAD MADE A VOW; HE 33:00 WASN'T GOING TO GO AGAINST IT. "IN THE MORNING IT HAPPENED THAT 33:05 DAVID WROTE A LETTER TO JOAB AND SENT IT BY THE HAND OF URIAH." 33:10 - THAT'S ABOUT AS DESPICABLE AS YOU CAN BE. BASICALLY, 33:12 HE GIVES THE DEATH WARRANT OF URIAH TO URIAH, SEALS IT - PUTS 33:22 IT IN A LETTER - AND HERE'S WHAT HE SAYS TO JOAB, "SET URIAH IN 33:27 THE FOREFRONT OF THE HOTTEST BATTLE, AND RETREAT FROM HIM," - 33:31 LEAVE HIM BEHIND - "THAT HE MAY BE STRUCK DOWN AND DIE." 33:35 SO, CAN YOU IMAGINE THIS? NOW, URIAH, HE GETS BACK, HE'S 33:38 MADE THIS TRIP - HE'S PROBABLY STILL A LITTLE HUNG OVER - HE 33:41 GETS TO JOAB ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE JORDAN RIVER, WHERE 33:44 THEY'VE GOT THE CITY OF RAMAH BESIEGED AND THE - THE 33:47 FORTIFICATIONS - AND THERE'RE LITTLE SKIRMISHES GOING ON AS 33:49 THEY'RE FIGHTING AGAINST THE DIFFERENT GATES OF THE CITY, AND 33:54 URIAH HANDS HIM A SEALED SCROLL - IT'S GOT THE OFFICIAL SEAL. 33:57 HE SEES IT'S NOT BEEN OPENED. HE OPENS IT UP, NOT KNOWING, BUT 34:00 IT'S SOMETHING FROM THE KING. HE READS IT AND HE LOOKS AT THE 34:03 LETTER - 'TAKE URIAH, SET HIM AT THE FRONT OF THE HOTTEST BATTLE' 34:06 - HE SEES URIAH STANDING THERE AND JOAB ROLLS IT BACK UP AND HE 34:14 - URIAH'S BEEN A GOOD SOLDIER. LIKE I SAID, HE MAY HAVE EVEN 34:16 BEEN JOAB'S ARMOR BEARER, BUT DAVID IS THE KING AND 34:20 HE'S GIVEN HIM AN ORDER. HE'S BASICALLY SAYING, 'GIVE HIM 34:23 A SUICIDE MISSION SO THAT HE DIES.' NOW URIAH DOESN'T KNOW 34:27 WHAT'S GOING ON BUT, YOU KNOW, [JOAB'S] ALREADY GOT BLOOD ON 34:29 HIS HANDS BECAUSE, REMEMBER, HE KILLED ABNER AND HE SHOULD HAVE 34:33 DIED FOR THAT - IT WAS TOTAL TREACHERY. 34:35 ABNER WAS - HE WAS COMING IN PEACE, THEY HAD SIGNED A PEACE 34:38 AGREEMENT, JOAB TOOK HIM ASIDE AND KILLED HIM. 34:42 AND SO, YOU KNOW, JOAB'S THE NEPHEW OF DAVID, THEY'VE GOT 34:46 THIS FAMILY BOND, AND NOW THERE'S SOMETHING TREACHEROUS 34:48 HAPPENING HERE, BUT JOAB SAID, 'HE'S THE KING. 34:51 DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING, BUT I'M GOING TO GO ALONG.' IT'S NOT 34:57 ONLY A DESPICABLE THING FOR DAVID, YOU WOULD THINK THE 35:00 GENERAL WOULD SAY, 'I AM NOT GOING TO DELIBERATELY KILL ANY 35:03 GOOD SOLDIER.' BUT HE TAKES HIM AND HE PUTS HIM - HE FINDS A 35:07 PART OF THE CITY WHERE HE KNOWS THEY'VE GOT THEIR BEST SOLDIERS 35:10 - THE AMMONITES ARE GOING TO BE FIRING FROM THE WALL AND HE SAYS 35:13 TO URIAH, 'LOOK, CHARGE THE GATES. 35:14 WE'LL COVER YOU.' AND HE GETS ALL HIS ARCHERS BEHIND HIM AND 35:18 HE TELLS URIAH, 'CHARGE THE GATES!' 35:20 AND SO, THEY CHARGE THE GATES AND URIAH'S GOT HIS PLATOON OF 35:23 MEN AND THEY'RE FIRING UP AGAINST THE WALL, AND THEN JOAB 35:26 GIVES HIS COVERING MEN THE SIGNAL - HE SAYS, 'RETREAT. 35:29 LEAVE THEM OUT THERE ALONE.' AND THEY ABANDON THEM AND THEN THE 35:33 SOLDIERS GET BACK UP ON THE WALL AND THEY HAIL DOWN ARROWS ON 35:37 URIAH AND HIS MEN AND THEY'RE KILLED. NOW DON'T MISS THIS. 35:42 NOT ONLY IS URIAH KILLED, BUT IT SAYS SOME OF THE OTHER MEN ARE 35:46 KILLED - DOESN'T EVEN GIVE US THE NUMBER, WHICH MAKES US 35:48 THINK, 'HE DIDN'T SAY 'ONE OTHER GUY GOT KILLED'' - SEVERAL OTHER 35:51 MEN ARE KILLED IN ORDER FOR DAVID TO COVER HIS SIN. 35:55 SO IT'S NOT JUST THE MURDER OF URIAH, IT'S THE MURDER OF MANY - 36:00 ALL TO COVER HIS SIN. AND SO, JOAB DOES IT. 36:06 "THEN THE MEN OF THE CITY CAME OUT AND FOUGHT WITH JOAB. 36:08 AND SOME OF THE PEOPLE OF THE SERVANTS OF DAVID FELL; AND 36:11 URIAH THE HITTITE DIED ALSO." THAT'S WHAT THEY WERE PLANNING. 36:16 "THEN JOAB SENT AND TOLD DAVID ALL THE THINGS CONCERNING THE 36:18 WAR, AND CHARGED THE MESSENGER, SAYING, 'WHEN YOU HAVE FINISHED 36:21 TELLING THE MATTERS OF THE WAR TO THE KING,..." 36:23 - AND THE KING GETS MAD AND SAYS, 'WHAT IN THE WORLD WERE 36:25 YOU THINKING WHEN YOU APPROACHED SO NEAR TO THE WALL?' 36:28 - 'DIDN'T YOU KNOW THEY'D SHOOT FROM THE WALL?' 36:30 HOW DID ABIMELECH DIE - THE SON OF JERUBBESHETH? 36:33 WAS IT NOT A WOMAN WHO CAST A PIECE OF ROCK FROM THE WALL? 36:36 THAT'S ANOTHER STORY IN THE BIBLE. 36:38 ABIMELECH WAS KILLED - A WOMAN PUT A PIECE OF MILLSTONE - THREW 36:41 IT OFF THE WALL - AND HE SAYS, 'IF DAVID SAYS, 'WHAT KIND OF 36:43 TACTICS ARE THESE? WHY DID YOU DO THIS?' 36:45 - HE SAYS, 'YOU TELL DAVID, 'BY THE WAY, URIAH THE HITTITE IS 36:47 DEAD.'' SO THE MESSENGER GIVES THE MESSAGE TO DAVID AND DAVID, 36:52 IT SAYS, "THE ARCHERS SHOT FROM THE WALL" - VERSE 24 - "AT YOUR 36:57 SERVANTS' AND SOME OF THE KING'S SERVANTS ARE DEAD, AND YOUR 37:00 SERVANT URIAH THE HITTITE IS DEAD ALSO." 37:02 AND THEN DAVID, HE SAYS, 'WELL, TELL JOAB, 'DON'T GET 37:04 DISCOURAGED, DON'T LET THIS - YOU JUST KEEP ON FIGHTING. 37:07 YOU KNOW THE SWORD - YOU KNOW HOW THE SWORD IS, THE SWORD 37:10 DEVOURS ONE AS WELL AS ANOTHER. THAT'S WAR.' - WOW - 'THAT'S 37:15 JUST HOW IT HAPPENS.' WELL, HE KNOWS, HE PLOTTED 37:17 THE WHOLE THING. AND SO, RIGHT AFTER BATHSHEBA 37:23 GETS WORD THAT HER HUSBAND, URIAH, HAD DIED AND HER MOURNING 37:26 WAS OVER, DAVID SENT TO HER - SHE WENT THROUGH THE CUSTOMARY 37:31 TEN - OR TWO WEEKS OF MOURNING - DAVID SENT TO HER AND SHE BECAME 37:35 HIS WIFE AND BORE HIM A SON. "BUT" - DON'T MISS THIS - "THE 37:39 THING THAT DAVID HAD DONE DISPLEASED THE LORD." 37:42 NOW, THAT IS PROBABLY UNDERSTATED - IT DISPLEASED THE 37:47 LORD - IT ENRAGED THE LORD, THAT DAVID, AFTER ALL THE GOOD THAT 37:54 GOD HAD GIVEN HIM, HAD DONE THIS. 37:56 NOW SEVERAL MONTHS GO BY, SHE HAS THE BABY - WE DON'T KNOW HOW 37:58 OLD THE BABY IS - HE'S A FEW MONTHS OLD, MAYBE, AND DAVID'S 38:03 MAKING NO SIGNS OF REPENTANCE, NO SIGN OF TURNING TO GOD - IT 38:06 SEEMS LIKE HE'S JUST GOING TO GO ON LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED - NO 38:10 REMORSE - NO OUTSIDE REMORSE - NO RECORD OF IT. 38:14 FINALLY, GOD TELLS NATHAN THE PROPHET, 'I WANT YOU TO GO TALK 38:17 TO DAVID.' AND THE DAY - KING DAVID IS SITTING THERE AND HE'S 38:20 - HE'S LISTENING TO DIFFERENT CASES THAT COME TO THE KING - 38:24 THERE WAS A TIME, EACH WEEK, WHEN THE KING WAS THE SUPREME 38:26 COURT AND DIFFICULT CASES WERE BROUGHT TO HIM AND HE'D MAKE A 38:29 FINAL DETERMINATION. AND NATHAN COMES, OSTENSIBLY 38:32 HE'S REPRESENTING A TERRIBLE THING THAT HAD HAPPENED IN THE 38:35 KINGDOM, AND NATHAN SAYS TO DAVID, "THERE WERE TWO MEN IN 38:40 ONE CITY, ONE RICH AND THE OTHER POOR. THE RICH MAN" - I'M IN 38:43 CHAPTER 12 OF 2 SAMUEL - "THE RICH MAN HAD EXCEEDINGLY MANY 38:46 FLOCKS AND HERDS. BUT THE POOR MAN HAD NOTHING, EXCEPT ONE 38:49 LITTLE EWE LAMB WHICH HE HAD BOUGHT AND NOURISHED; AND IT 38:53 GREW UP TOGETHER WITH HIM AND WITH HIS CHILDREN. IT ATE OF HIS 38:57 OWN FOOD AND DRANK FROM HIS OWN CUP AND LAY IN HIS BOSOM; AND IT 39:01 WAS LIKE A DAUGHTER TO HIM." - AND WHILE NATHAN IS TELLING 39:04 THIS STORY, HE PICKED JUST THE RIGHT PARABLE BECAUSE DAVID'S 39:09 THINKING BACK TO THE DAYS WHEN HE WAS A SHEPHERD AND, DID 39:12 DAVID CARE ABOUT HIS LAMBS? >>YES. 39:15 >>DID HE LAY DOWN HIS LIFE TO SAVE THEM? 39:17 HE FOUGHT BEARS TO SAVE HIS LAMBS, HE FOUGHT LIONS TO SAVE 39:20 HIS LAMBS, HE HAD NAMES FOR THEM, HE KNEW THEIR 39:22 CHARACTERISTICS, HE FELL ASLEEP WITH HIS HEAD ON THE BACK OF A 39:25 LAMB, AND SO, DAVID'S RELATING TO ALL OF THIS. 39:29 HE'S GOING, 'YEAH, YEAH, TELL ME, WHAT HAPPENED? 39:31 I KNOW - THAT POOR LITTLE LAMB - WHAT HAPPENED?' 39:33 - "..AND DRANK FROM HIS OWN CUP..." 39:35 - AND DAVID'S LAUGHING, 'YEAH, I - WE DID THAT TOO.' - "...AND 39:40 LAY IN HIS BOSOM; AND IT WAS LIKE A DAUGHTER TO HIM." 39:42 - THE FAMILY PET - "AND A TRAVELER CAME TO HIS RICH 39:45 NEIGHBOR" - AND THE CUSTOM WAS YOU'D SOMETIMES SET THE FATTED 39:48 CALF OR SOME FOOD BEFORE THE NEIGHBOR, BUT INSTEAD OF TAKING 39:52 FROM HIS OWN FLOCKS, HE TOOK THE ONE LAMB OF THE POOR MAN AND 39:58 BUTCHERED IT TO GIVE TO THE VISITOR. 40:01 "SO DAVID'S ANGER WAS GREATLY AROUSED" - WRATH - JUST FIRE WAS 40:07 SHOOTING OUT OF HIS EYES AND SMOKE OUT OF HIS EARS - AND 40:11 DAVID SAID, "AS THE LORD LIVES, THE MAN WHO HAS DONE THIS SHALL 40:13 SURELY DIE!" - 'WHAT A TERRIBLE THING, TO 40:15 TAKE THAT ONE MAN'S LAMB WHEN YOU'VE GOT SO MANY OF YOUR OWN! 40:20 NOW HE'S GOING TO RESTORE FOURFOLD FOR THE LAMB, BECAUSE 40:23 HE DID THIS THING AND HE HAD NO PITY.' AND THEN SOME OF THE 40:27 GREAT, EPIC WORDS OF THE BIBLE - THIS IS SOMETHING THAT JUST 40:30 JUMPS OUT IN SCRIPTURE - NATHAN SAYS TO DAVID, "YOU ARE THE 40:33 MAN!" - IT'S LIKE WHEN THEY'RE GOING AROUND THE TABLE AND JESUS 40:42 SAYS, 'ONE OF YOU IS GOING TO BETRAY ME.' AND THEY ALL SAY, 40:45 'LORD, IS IT I?' 'IS IT I?' 'IS IT I?' 40:47 AND JUDAS SAYS, 'IS IT I?' AND JESUS SAYS, 'THOU HAS 40:49 SAID.' THIS IS EVEN TOUGHER. HE SAYS, "'YOU ARE THE MAN!' 40:54 THUS SAYS THE LORD" - IT'S LIKE THAT MOMENT WHEN KING AHASUERAS 41:00 SAYS TO ESTHER, 'WHO IS THE ONE WHO WOULD DARE TO THINK TO 41:03 DESTROY YOUR PEOPLE?' AND HAMAN'S GOING, 'YEAH, WHO?' 41:08 AND SHE SAID, 'IT'S YOU.' (LAUGHTER) ONE OF THOSE 'AHA!' 41:13 MOMENTS. HE SAYS, "'YOU ARE THE MAN!' 41:18 THUS SAYS THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL: 'I ANOINTED YOU KING 41:21 OVER ISRAEL, AND I DELIVERED YOU FROM THE HAND OF SAUL. 41:24 I GAVE YOU YOUR MASTER'S HOUSE AND YOUR MASTER'S WIVES INTO 41:27 YOUR KEEPING, AND GAVE YOU THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND JUDAH. 41:31 AND IF THAT HAD BEEN TOO LITTLE, I ALSO WOULD HAVE GIVEN YOU MUCH 41:34 MORE!''" - YOU KNOW, I WONDER HOW MANY 41:38 OF US - GOD CAN SAY THAT TO US TOO. 41:41 'YOU'RE NOT SATISFIED? IF YOU PRAY FOR GOOD THINGS, 41:43 I'LL GIVE YOU MORE.' JESUS SAID, 'YOU HAVE NOT BECAUSE YOU ASK 41:46 NOT.' YOU JUST WONDER, YOU KNOW, WHAT MORE WOULD HE 41:50 HAVE GIVEN DAVID? DAVID WAS, YOU KNOW, IT 41:51 SEEMED LIKE HE WAS SATISFIED. HE SAID, 'IF YOU WERE 41:54 UNSATISFIED, I WOULD HAVE GIVEN YOU MORE, BUT NOT WHEN IT 41:58 INVOLVES BREAKING MY LAW.' - "I ALSO WOULD HAVE 42:03 GIVEN YOU MUCH MORE! WHY HAVE YOU DESPISED THE 42:06 COMMANDMENT OF THE LORD, TO DO EVIL IN HIS SIGHT? 42:10 YOU HAVE KILLED URIAH THE HITTITE WITH THE SWORD; YOU HAVE 42:13 TAKEN HIS WIFE TO BE YOUR WIFE, AND HAVE KILLED HIM WITH THE 42:16 SWORD OF THE PEOPLE OF AMMON." - 'YOU'RE NOT FOOLING ME. 42:18 IT WASN'T THE AMMONITES, YOU KILLED HIM.' - "'NOW THEREFORE, 42:21 THE SWORD SHALL NEVER DEPART FROM YOUR HOUSE, BECAUSE YOU 42:24 HAVE DESPISED ME, AND HAVE TAKEN THE WIFE OF URIAH THE HITTITE TO 42:28 BE YOUR WIFE.' THUS SAYS THE LORD: 'BEHOLD, I WILL RAISE UP 42:33 ADVERSITY AGAINST YOU FROM YOUR OWN HOUSE, AND I WILL TAKE YOUR 42:37 WIVES BEFORE YOUR EYES AND GIVE THEM TO YOUR NEIGHBOR, AND HE 42:41 SHALL LIE WITH YOUR WIVES IN THE SIGHT OF THIS SUN. 42:44 FOR YOU DID IT SECRETLY, BUT I WILL DO THIS THING BEFORE ALL 42:47 ISRAEL,''" - YOU KNOW, JESUS SAID THOSE THINGS 42:48 THAT ARE DONE IN SECRET WILL BE PROCLAIMED FROM THE HOUSETOPS - 42:53 "SO DAVID SAID TO NATHAN, 'I HAVE SINNED AGAINST THE LORD.'" 43:01 NOW SOME KINGS, WHEN PROPHETS CONFRONTED THEM LIKE THIS, THEY 43:05 HAD THE PROPHETS PUT IN JAIL. 'HOW DARE YOU TALK 43:07 TO ME LIKE THAT?' MICAIAH WAS PUT IN JAIL BECAUSE 43:10 HE TALKED LIKE THAT TO AHAB. AND SOME OF THE OTHER [PROPHETS] 43:14 WERE PERSECUTED OR THEY HARASSED THEM IN SOME WAY. 43:18 SOME WERE KILLED - SOME OF THE PROPHETS WERE KILLED BECAUSE 43:21 THEY TOLD THE TRUTH. BUT NATHAN, WHEN HE TALKED TO 43:25 DAVID, DAVID STILL HAD SOMETHING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT LEFT IN 43:28 HIM AND HE WAS OVERCOME WITH CONVICTION. 43:31 HE THOUGHT NATHAN SPOKE THE TRUTH - IT'S - 'THIS IS GOD'S 43:33 WORD AND HE'S RIGHT.' HE WAS OVERWHELMED WITH WAVES OF GRIEF 43:40 AND HE REALIZED, 'WHAT HAS BECOME OF ME? 43:42 WHAT HAPPENED TO ME THAT I WOULD COME TO THIS?' 43:44 AND HE CONFESSES, "I HAVE SINNED AGAINST THE LORD." 43:47 AND THEN, AS SOON AS HE CONFESSES - HOW LONG DOES HE 43:51 HAVE TO WAIT BEFORE HE'S TOLD THAT HE'S FORGIVEN? 43:54 IMMEDIATELY. NATHAN THE PROPHET SAYS, 'GOD 43:59 HAS PUT AWAY YOUR SIN AND YOU WILL NOT DIE.' WOW. 44:04 SO WHAT IS THE DELAY TIME - NOW KAREN AND I, WE'RE IN THIS NEW 44:09 HOUSE NOW AND WHENEVER I DIAL A NUMBER - IT DRIVES ME CRAZY - ON 44:13 THE LAND LINE - WE STILL HAVE A LAND LINE - I DIAL THE NUMBER - 44:15 I'VE GOT TO WAIT TEN SECONDS FOR IT TO RING. 44:17 NOW THAT DOESN'T SEEM LONG UNTIL YOU SIT THERE FOR TEN SECONDS. 44:22 I MEAN, EVERY OTHER NORMAL PHONE, WHEN YOU DIAL YOU WAIT 44:25 ONE SECOND, TWO SECONDS - BUT TEN SECONDS? 44:27 WE HAD THE PHONE MAN COME BACK AND SAID, 'WHY DOES IT TAKE TEN 44:29 SECONDS - THE DELAY - BEFORE THE PHONE RINGS?' 44:33 HE SAID, 'THAT'S JUST HOW FAR YOU ARE FROM THE TERMINATING 44:35 POST OUT THERE. SORRY, NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.' EVERY TIME 44:38 I DIAL I'M GOING, 'OH, ONE-ONE THOUSAND, TWO-ONE THOUSAND' - 44:42 I'M JUST WAITING - 'IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE PHONE?' 44:44 'NO, JUST GOT TO WAIT.' - 'THREE-ONE THOUSAND' - THE DELAY 44:48 TIME BETWEEN YOUR REPENTANCE AND YOUR FORGIVENESS IS NANO 44:53 SECONDS. >>AMEN. 44:55 >>IN THE BIBLE, AS SOON AS YOU GENUINELY REPENT - AND WHEN 44:57 DAVID BURST OUT, 'I HAVE SINNED' - IT CAME FROM A BROKEN HEART 45:01 RIGHT THERE. AND IMMEDIATELY GOD SAID, 'YOU 45:04 ARE FORGIVEN.' NOW WAIT A SECOND. 45:05 HOW CAN YOU DO THAT? AFTER ALL HE'S DONE? 45:09 THAT'S TERRIBLE WHAT HE DID. DON'T YOU THINK YOU 45:10 OUGHT TO NOT FORGIVE HIM? HE OUGHT TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, AT 45:13 LEAST FIFTY DAYS OF LOST TIME BEFORE YOU FORGIVE HIM? 45:18 THAT SHOULD BE ENCOURAGING FOR US. 45:21 BUT HE SAYS, 'EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE FORGIVEN, THERE'S CONSEQUENCES 45:25 THAT WON'T GO AWAY. JESUS FORGAVE THE THIEF ON THE 45:28 CROSS, BUT HE STILL DIED ON THE CROSS, DIDN'T HE? 45:32 HE WAS STILL A THIEF. "...BECAUSE BY THIS DEED YOU 45:36 HAVE GIVEN GREAT OCCASION TO THE ENEMIES OF THE LORD TO 45:38 BLASPHEME," - YOU KNOW HOW LONG PEOPLE HAVE BEEN MAKING 45:42 FUN OF WHAT DAVID DID? BECAUSE OF DAVID'S SIN, DOWN 45:47 THROUGH HISTORY, PEOPLE HAVE SAID, 'YEAH, YOU CAN BELIEVE 45:49 IN GOD, BUT LOOK AT WHAT THOSE PEOPLE DO. REMEMBER DAVID AND 45:51 BATHSHEBA?' AND PEOPLE HAVE USED THAT AS AN EXCUSE FOR SIN ALL 45:55 THROUGH HISTORY. BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU'VE DONE, 45:58 "...'YOU HAVE GIVEN GREAT OCCASION TO THE ENEMIES OF THE 46:00 LORD TO BLASPHEME, THE CHILD ALSO WHO IS BORN TO YOU SHALL 46:04 SURELY DIE.' THEN NATHAN DEPARTED TO HIS HOUSE. 46:08 AND THE LORD STRUCK THE CHILD THAT URIAH'S WIFE BORE TO DAVID, 46:11 AND IT BECAME ILL. DAVID THEREFORE PLEADED WITH GOD FOR 46:15 THE CHILD," - BECAUSE, OFTEN, THE LORD, YOU KNOW, YOU PRAY - 46:17 THE PEOPLE OF NINEVEH REPENTED, GOD RELENTED - HE "PLEADED WITH 46:21 GOD FOR THE CHILD, AND DAVID FASTED AND WENT IN AND LAY ALL 46:25 NIGHT ON THE GROUND. SO THE ELDERS OF HIS HOUSE AROSE AND 46:30 WENT TO HIM, TO RAISE HIM UP FROM THE GROUND. BUT HE WOULD 46:32 NOT, NOR DID HE EAT FOOD WITH THEM. 46:34 THEN ON THE SEVENTH DAY" - NOW, YOU'VE JUST GOT TO PAUSE HERE 46:38 AND REMIND YOU OF SOMETHING ABOUT DAVID THAT, IF YOU HAVEN'T 46:41 NOTICED, SOLOMON, DAVID'S SON, WROTE 'WHATEVER YOUR HAND FINDS 46:45 TO DO, DO IT WITH ALL OF YOUR MIGHT.' DAVID, WHEN HE FOUGHT 46:49 GIANTS, HE WENT OUT WHEN NO ONE ELSE WOULD GO OUT. 46:52 AND DAVID WOULD SING LOUDER THAN ANYONE ELSE, HE WOULD FIGHT 46:55 HARDER - WHATEVER DAVID DID, HE DID WITH ALL OF HIS MIGHT. 46:57 WHEN DAVID MADE UP HIS MIND TO SIN, BOY, HE REALLY WENT FOR IT, 47:03 DIDN'T HE? >>YES. 47:05 >>I MEAN, TO - WHAT HE DID IN TAKING BATHSHEBA AND LYING ABOUT 47:12 IT AND MURDERING - LYING, TRYING TO CONNIVE AND MANIPULATE URIAH 47:18 AND THEN MURDERING URIAH AND JUST ACTING LIKE THE WHOLE THING 47:21 - WHENEVER DAVID DID ANYTHING, HE DID IT WITH ALL HIS MIGHT. 47:24 BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS, NOT ONLY DID HE SIN GREAT, HE REPENTED 47:26 GREAT. >>AMEN. 47:29 >>AND HE WENT - AND I ALWAYS HEAR PEOPLE MAKE EXCUSES AND 47:31 SAY, 'WELL, I KNOW I SINNED. WE ALL SIN. 47:32 LOOK AT WHAT DAVID DID.' ALRIGHT, IF YOU WANT TO USE 47:34 DAVID AS AN EXCUSE FOR YOUR SIN, THEN I WANT TO SEE YOU REPENT 47:39 LIKE DAVID REPENTED. >>AMEN. 47:41 >>DAVID WENT AND LAID ON HIS FACE ALL NIGHT - I'VE NOT SEEN 47:44 TOO MANY PEOPLE DO THAT - FOR SEVEN DAYS. 47:47 HE WOULD NOT EAT. HE WAS BROKEN HEARTED. 47:51 AND IF YOU JUST WONDER, GO TO PSALM 51, PLEASE, AND I'LL CLOSE 47:55 WITH THIS. I WANT YOU TO READ THE 48:00 INTRODUCTION TO THE PSALM, AS MUCH AS ANYTHING, "TO 48:05 THE CHIEF MUSICIAN. A PSALM OF DAVID WHEN NATHAN THE 48:07 PROPHET WENT TO HIM, AFTER HE HAD GONE IN TO BATHSHEBA." 48:11 SO, IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT DAVID WAS SAYING AND PRAYING 48:15 DURING THIS TIME, HERE YOU HAVE IT RECORDED FOR YOU. 48:19 "HAVE MERCY UPON ME, O GOD, ACCORDING TO YOUR 48:21 LOVINGKINDNESS; ACCORDING TO THE MULTITUDE OF YOUR TENDER 48:23 MERCIES, BLOT OUT MY TRANSGRESSIONS. 48:27 WASH ME THOROUGHLY FROM MY INIQUITY, AND CLEANSE ME FROM MY 48:30 SIN. FOR I ACKNOWLEDGE" - HE 48:32 CONFESSED - "MY TRANSGRESSIONS, AND MY SIN IS ALWAYS BEFORE ME." 48:37 - HOW CAN I EVER FORGET WHAT I'VE DONE? 48:39 - "AGAINST YOU, YOU ONLY, HAVE I SINNED," - ALL SIN IS, 48:42 ULTIMATELY, AGAINST GOD - "AND DONE THIS EVIL IN YOUR SIGHT - 48:45 THAT YOU MIGHT BE FOUND JUST WHEN YOU SPEAK AND BLAMELESS 48:48 WHEN YOU JUDGE. BEHOLD, I WAS BROUGHT FORTH IN 48:51 INIQUITY, AND IN SIN MY MOTHER CONCEIVED ME. 48:53 BEHOLD, YOU DESIRE TRUTH IN THE INWARD PARTS, AND IN THE HIDDEN 48:57 PART YOU WILL MAKE ME TO KNOW WISDOM. 48:59 PURGE ME WITH HYSSOP, AND I SHALL BE CLEAN;" - THIS IS WHAT 49:02 THEY USED WHEN THEY DIPPED IT IN THE BLOOD AND THEY PUT THE BLOOD 49:04 OF THE PASSOVER LAMB - THEY USED HYSSOP - HE'S SAYING, "PURGE ME 49:08 WITH HYSSOP," - THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB - "AND I SHALL BE CLEAN; 49:11 WASH ME, AND I SHALL BE WHITER THAN SNOW. 49:14 MAKE ME HEAR JOY AND GLADNESS, THAT THE BONES YOU HAVE BROKEN 49:17 MAY REJOICE. HIDE YOUR FACE FROM MY SINS, 49:20 AND BLOT OUT ALL MY INIQUITIES. CREATE IN ME A CLEAN HEART, 49:24 O GOD, AND RENEW A STEADFAST SPIRIT WITHIN ME. 49:27 DO NOT CAST ME AWAY FROM YOUR PRESENCE, AND DO NOT TAKE YOUR 49:30 HOLY SPIRIT FROM ME. RESTORE TO ME THE JOY OF YOUR 49:34 SALVATION, AND UPHOLD ME BY YOUR GENEROUS SPIRIT." 49:37 - I SAID, THEN ONCE AGAIN, INSTEAD OF BEING AN EVANGELIST 49:40 FOR THE DEVIL, I'LL BE AN EVANGELIST FOR YOU - "THEN I 49:43 WILL TEACH TRANSGRESSORS YOUR WAYS, AND SINNERS SHALL BE 49:47 CONVERTED TO YOU." >>AMEN. 49:48 >>THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL PSALM - AND I'M NOT GOING TO READ IT 49:50 ALL. AND, BY THE WAY, YOU CAN READ PSALM 51 AND YOU CAN READ 49:53 PSALM 32. I WANT TO JUMP BACK TO SOMETHING. 49:57 SOME OF YOU HEAR THE STORY AND YOU THINK, 'THAT DOESN'T SOUND 49:58 RIGHT. HERE, DAVID SINS, BATHSHEBA 50:04 SUFFERS; URIAH DIES, THE BABY DIES. 50:09 WHAT DID THE BABY DO? WHAT DID THE BABY DO?' 50:12 WELL, I MEAN, WHY DID THE BABY HAVE TO SUFFER? 50:17 YOU KNOW WHO HAD TO DIE THAT THEY COULD BE FORGIVEN AND THE 50:21 KINGDOM COULD BE SALVAGED? IT WAS - THAT BABY 50:25 WAS THE SON OF DAVID. ARE YOU GETTING WHAT I'M SAYING? 50:29 IS THERE ANOTHER SON OF DAVID THAT HAD TO DIE THAT SIN COULD 50:32 BE COVERED? THAT BABY THAT DIED, FOR DAVID'S 50:37 SIN - THE BABY WAS INNOCENT. IT REPRESENTS ANOTHER INNOCENT 50:40 BABY THAT CAME INTO THE WORLD AND DIED THAT WE MIGHT BE 50:44 FORGIVEN - ANOTHER SON OF DAVID THAT DIED. 50:50 AND, YOU KNOW, JUST TO SHOW YOU HOW THOROUGHLY GOD FORGAVE 50:54 DAVID, IT SAYS AFTER THE CHILD DIED HE LAID ON HIS FACE FOR 50:57 SEVEN DAYS AND HE WOULDN'T EAT, AND FINALLY THE CHILD DIED. 51:01 IT DOESN'T SAY WHAT THE CHILD DIED FROM. 51:04 AND THE SERVANTS WERE AFRAID TO TELL HIM - VERSE 19 - THEY 51:09 THOUGHT, 'OH MAN. LOOK AT HOW HE'S MOURNING - LOOK 51:11 AT HOW HE'S BEATING UP HIMSELF BECAUSE OF WHAT'S HAPPENED. 51:14 ONCE - HE'S PRAYING FOR THE CHILD - SEVEN DAYS FASTING - 51:18 HE'S POURING OUT HIS HEART. HOW DO WE BEAR NEWS TO HIM THAT 51:22 EVEN THOUGH HE PRAYED AND PRAYED AND PRAYED FOR SOMETHING, 51:25 HE DIDN'T GET AN ANSWER?' - NOT THE ANSWER HE WANTED - 51:27 HAVE YOU EVER FELT LIKE THAT? YOU PRAYED AND PRAYED AND PRAYED 51:29 FOR SOMETHING AND YOU DIDN'T GET THE ANSWER YOU WANTED? 51:33 AND THEY FINALLY TOLD HIM - DAVID HEARD THEM WHISPERING - HE 51:35 SAID, 'TELL ME, IS THE CHILD DEAD?' 51:37 AND THEY SAID, 'YES.' HE GOT UP, HE WASHED HIS CLOTHES, TOOK A 51:41 BATH, CHANGED HIS CLOTHES, SAID, 'BRING ME SOME FOOD.' THEY SAID, 51:44 'WHAT ARE YOU DOING? YOU MOURNED AND REPENTED AND 51:49 CRIED LIKE THIS PRAYING FOR THE BABY WHILE IT WAS ALIVE AND, 51:52 NOW, THE BABY'S DEAD AND YOU'RE GOING TO EAT. 51:55 USUALLY PEOPLE START MOURNING AND FASTING AFTER THE DEATH.' HE 51:58 SAID, 'I WAS PRAYING THAT GOD WOULD SAVE THE CHILD.' HE SAYS, 52:01 'I CAN GO TO THE CHILD NOW. HE WON'T COME TO ME.' HE SAID, 52:05 'GOD'S GIVEN ME HIS ANSWER. WHY SHOULD I FAST? 52:10 CAN I BRING HIM BACK AGAIN? I WILL GO TO HIM, BUT HE'LL NOT 52:13 RETURN TO ME.' NOW HERE'S THE PART I WANT YOU TO GET - VERSE 52:15 24 - 2 SAMUEL 12:24, "THEN DAVID COMFORTED BATHSHEBA" - BECAUSE 52:20 HE'S NOT THE ONLY ONE SUFFERING THROUGH ALL OF THIS; IT WAS HER 52:23 BABY - HE "COMFORTED BATHSHEBA" - AND NOTICE A LITTLE WORD 52:28 THERE, IT SAYS, "HE COMFORTED BATHSHEBA HIS WIFE" - NOW DID 52:34 GOD SAY, 'I WANT YOU TO DIVORCE BATHSHEBA'? IT TALKS ABOUT HIM 52:40 SINNING AGAINST URIAH AND TAKING THE WIFE OF URIAH, BUT WHEN HE 52:43 REPENTED - AND I'M SURE BATHSHEBA REPENTED AT SOME POINT 52:47 - YOU CANNOT UNSCRAMBLE SCRAMBLED EGGS. 52:50 AND HE ACCEPTED, 'ALRIGHT, SHE'S YOUR WIFE. 52:53 THERE'S GOING TO BE CONSEQUENCES FOR WHAT HAS HAPPENED, BUT I'M 52:56 FORGIVING YOU, I'M FORGIVING BATHSHEBA, AND IT SAYS SHE ENDED 53:00 UP, BECAUSE SHE WAS HIS WIFE - THEY CONTINUED RELATIONS - SHE 53:04 HAD ANOTHER SON AND THAT SON'S NAME WAS SOLOMON. 53:09 AND IT SAYS THE LORD LOVED HIM. WHAT A CONTRAST. 53:13 HERE YOU'VE GOT THE FIRST SON OF DAVID AND BATHSHEBA DIES BECAUSE 53:17 OF THEIR SIN. THEY HAVE ANOTHER SON TOGETHER, 53:20 SHE'S NOW CALLED DAVID'S WIFE, AND IT SAYS GOD LOVES THAT SON, 53:25 AND HE BECOMES THE NEXT KING OF ISRAEL - THE SON OF BATHSHEBA 53:28 - WHICH MAKES YOU SCRATCH YOUR HEAD. 53:29 IF YOU'RE LIKE ME, YOU THINK, 'WELL, WAIT A SECOND. 53:32 IF JESUS CAME THROUGH DAVID AND IF JESUS CAME THROUGH BATHSHEBA, 53:37 HOW - WASN'T HE SUPPOSED TO BE WITH BATHSHEBA - BUT THAT WOULD 53:40 MEAN THAT THE LORD WAS AN ACCOMPLICE TO WHAT DAVID DID. 53:43 AND HOW" - I'VE GOT A THEORY - I CAN'T PROVE IT - YOU CAN'T 53:46 DISPROVE IT. IF DAVID HAD LOOKED AT BATHSHEBA 53:50 THAT DAY LIKE HE ONCE HAD LOOKED AT ABIGAIL AND SAY, 'NOW THAT'S 53:54 A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN' - BUT HE DID NOT TAKE NABAL'S WIFE. 53:57 NABAL DIED AND HE GOT ABIGAIL. URIAH MIGHT HAVE DIED IN THAT 54:03 BATTLE ANYWAY AND HE COULD HAVE DONE IT THE RIGHT WAY AND JESUS 54:08 WOULD HAVE COME THROUGH THE LINE OF BATHSHEBA - 54:11 I MEAN, WE DON'T KNOW. I CAN'T PROVE THAT. 54:13 IT'S JUST SPECULATION, BUT IT MAKES YOU WONDER. 54:17 BUT GOD BLESSED THEM AND HE FORGAVE THEM. 54:19 THERE WERE LOTS OF PROBLEMS THAT CAME LATER AND WE'LL GET TO SOME 54:21 OF THAT IN FUTURE STUDIES, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I WANT 54:24 YOU TO KNOW IS DAVID COMMITTED A GREAT SIN BUT, BECAUSE HE 54:28 CONFESSED AND HE EXPERIENCED A GREAT REPENTANCE, HE HAD A GREAT 54:34 FORGIVENESS. NOW, WHEN I TALK ABOUT DAVID, 54:39 YOU KNOW, I THINK I JUST OUGHT TO MENTION - I KNOW I'VE GONE 54:41 LONGER THAN USUAL - GOD IS CALLING US TO LIVES OF PURITY. 54:48 HERE DAVID WAS A MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN HEART AND YET HE STRUGGLED 54:51 WITH SOME BAD BEHAVIOR. GOD IS CALLING US TO PURITY. 54:56 >>AMEN. >>1 THESSALONIANS 4:3, "FOR 54:59 THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD, YOUR SANCTIFICATION: THAT YOU 55:02 SHOULD ABSTAIN FROM SEXUAL IMMORALITY;" - 1 CORINTHIANS 55:06 6:9, "DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT THE UNRIGHTEOUS WILL NOT 55:10 INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD? DO NOT BE DECEIVED. 55:14 NEITHER FORNICATORS, NOR IDOLATERS, NOR ADULTERERS, NOR 55:17 HOMOSEXUALS, NOR SODOMITES, NOR THIEVES, NOR COVETOUS, NOR 55:21 DRUNKARDS, NOR REVILERS, NOR EXTORTIONERS WILL INHERIT THE 55:25 KINGDOM OF GOD." NOW THAT WOULD DISQUALIFY A LOT 55:28 OF US RIGHT THERE, EXCEPT HE GOES ON TO SAY, "AND 55:31 SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU." DAVID WAS AN ADULTERER BUT HE 55:35 REPENTED AND TURNED FROM IT. HE SAYS, "BUT YOU WERE WASHED, 55:38 BUT YOU WERE SANCTIFIED, BUT YOU WERE JUSTIFIED IN THE NAME OF 55:41 THE LORD JESUS AND BY THE SPIRIT OF OUR GOD." 55:44 IF GOD CAN SAVE AND FORGIVE DAVID FROM THAT SIN - AND 55:48 BATHSHEBA - FROM THAT IMPURITY, THEN HE CAN FORGIVE US, AMEN? 55:51 >>AMEN. >>AND, AS DAVID SAID IN HIS 55:53 PSALM, HE CAN WASH US AND MAKE US WHITER THAN SNOW. (MUSIC) 56:06 >>SO WHAT IS THE BRIGHTEST LIGHT IN THE WORLD? 56:09 WELL, NATURALLY, YOU'D SAY THE SUN, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE 56:12 BRIGHTEST MAN-MADE LIGHT IN THE WORLD. 56:14 IT'S THE LIGHT THAT SHINES OUT OF THE ROOF OF THAT 56:17 PYRAMID-SHAPED HOTEL IN LAS VEGAS CALLED THE LUXOR. 56:21 THERE, IN THE CAP OF THAT HOTEL, THERE'S A ROOM THAT CONTAINS 39 56:24 WASHING-MACHINE SIZED XENON BULBS; AND EACH OF THOSE BULBS 56:29 REQUIRES ABOUT 7,000 WATTS. ALTOGETHER, THEY PRODUCE ABOUT 56:33 40 BILLION CANDLE POWER OF LIGHT. 56:37 CAN YOU IMAGINE GETTING THAT ELECTRIC BILL AT THE LUXOR HOTEL 56:39 EVERY MONTH? THAT LIGHT IS SO BRIGHT THAT 56:42 PLANES CAN SEE IT 250 MILES AWAY. 56:46 THEY'RE SHOOTING LIGHT TEN MILES UP INTO SPACE, MEANING, IF YOU 56:49 HAPPEN TO BE FLOATING BY, YOU COULD READ A NEWSPAPER UP THERE. 56:53 AND, AS YOU MIGHT HAVE GUESSED, THAT BRIGHT LIGHT HAS BECOME THE 56:56 WORLD'S BEST BUG ATTRACTOR, BRINGING IN MOTHS, BATS, AND 57:00 OWLS - CREATING IT'S OWN ECOSYSTEM THERE AT NIGHT, ABOVE 57:03 THE HOTEL. BUT THE SAD THING ABOUT THE 57:05 BRIGHTEST LIGHT IN THE WORLD IS ESPECIALLY WHEN THE NIGHT AIR IS 57:09 CLEAR - WITHOUT ANY PARTICLES - THE LIGHT DOESN'T HIT 57:12 ANYTHING AND IT'S INVISIBLE. IT SHOOTS UP INTO EMPTY SPACE. 57:17 THE BRIGHTEST LIGHT IN THE WORLD ILLUMINATES NOTHING. 57:21 YOU KNOW, THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT THERE'S ANOTHER GREAT 57:23 WASTED LIGHT, AND THAT'S THE LIGHT OF GOD'S WORD. 57:26 IT SAYS IN PSALM 119, VERSE 105, "THY WORD IS A LAMP UNTO MY FEET 57:32 AND A LIGHT UNTO MY PATH.' AND YET, SO MANY PEOPLE ARE WALKING 57:35 IN DARKNESS. FURTHERMORE, JESUS SAID, IF YOU 57:38 DO HAVE THAT LIGHT, MAKE SURE YOU DON'T PUT IT UNDER A BUSHEL, 57:41 BUT YOU LET IT SHINE AND ILLUMINATE THE LIVES OF OTHERS. 57:44 JESUS SAID, IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 5, 'SET YOUR LIGHT UP ON A HILL, 57:47 LIKE A CITY, SO THAT ALL MIGHT SEE IT.' LIGHT ONLY BENEFITS 57:52 OTHERS WHEN IT REFLECTS OFF OF SOMETHING. GOD WANTS OUR LIGHTS 57:56 TO ILLUMINATE THE LIVES OF OTHERS. SO, ARE YOU GLOWING FOR 57:59 GOD? REMEMBER, JESUS SAID, 'LET THERE BE LIGHT.' 58:11 >>FOR LIFE-CHANGING CHRISTIAN RESOURCES, 58:13 VISIT AFBOOKSTORE.COM . 58:17 (DRAMATIC MUSIC) |
Revised 2019-05-31