¤[music ends]¤¤
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>>John Bradshaw:
This is It Is Written.
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I'm John Bradshaw.
Thanks for joining me.
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We're going to look together
at the account of someone
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who refused to
do what God asked.
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He was given a
great responsibility,
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and he told God he
simply wasn't interested.
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In fact, he did
everything he could
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to not do what God was asking.
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It's an astonishing story
of someone who did not want
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to see people saved and actually
preferred that they be lost.
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Who in the world would
have an attitude like that?
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Well, it turns out that
the man with the bad attitude
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was a prophet, who ended up
taking history's most famous
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submarine ride in
history's most famous fish.
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We're continuing our series
"Great Characters of the Bible"
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looking at Jonah.
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The book of
Jonah begins like this:
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"Now the word of the Lord came
to Jonah the son of Amittai,
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"saying, 'Arise, go to
Nineveh, that great city,
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"'and cry out against it;
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for their wickedness
has come up before me.'"
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Now, this was more complicated
than you might like to think.
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God commissioned Jonah
to go to the city of Nineveh
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and cry out against it
owing to its wickedness.
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There's a lot to see there.
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Yes, wickedness
doesn't escape God.
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He sees it all.
He takes note of it.
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But note this: The purpose
for Jonah going to Nineveh
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was to call the
Ninevites to repentance.
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As wicked as the people were,
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God wanted them to turn
from their sins and be saved.
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And that's God.
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The God of heaven wants
the very best for people.
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Let's not forget that.
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God loves the
people who don't love Him.
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God loves people who
turn their backs on Him,
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who ignore Him,
people who reject Him.
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And if God loves the lost, we
ought to love the lost as well.
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God was asking Jonah to do
something about this great city
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and the wicked
people who lived there,
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in the hope that they
would be saved and not lost.
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The call of Jonah is a call
to people of faith everywhere.
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God wants us to do something
to share Jesus with others.
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But Jonah didn't want to
go. In fact, the Bible says,
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"Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish
from the presence of the Lord.
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"He went down to Joppa, and
found a ship going to Tarshish;
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"so he paid the fare,
and went down into it,
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to go with them to Tarshish
from the presence of the Lord."
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Jonah was serious
about not going to Nineveh.
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Tarshish was in the
far western Mediterranean,
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in the south of Spain.
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Instead of going just 500 or
so miles northeast to Nineveh,
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Jonah was gonna head 2,500 miles
west to basically Gibraltar.
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He was not going to Nineveh.
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Now, of course, Jonah
was attempting something
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that was completely futile.
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He fled from the presence of
the Lord--or at least tried to.
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That was never gonna happen.
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God knew where he was.
God knew what Jonah was doing,
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which reminds us that
God knows where you are
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and what you are doing.
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God knows. He
hasn't forgotten you.
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His eye is on you...always.
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So why did Jonah
have such a bad attitude?
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Well, this was
Nineveh, the capital city
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of the Assyrian Empire,
and the Assyrians were brutal.
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An exhibition of Assyrian
art at the British Museum
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in London, England,
was said by the Guardian
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to contain "some of the most
appalling images ever created"--
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tongues being
ripped out of prisoners,
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those prisoners
then being skinned alive,
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beheadings.
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And that's just for starters.
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People were
terrified of the Assyrians.
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The book of Nahum
was directed to Nineveh.
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Nahum compares the Ninevites
to a cruel, ravenous lion.
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"For upon whom has not your
wickedness passed continually?"
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the prophet asked.
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He said, "Woe
to the bloody city!
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"It is all full
of lies and robbery.
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Its victim never departs."
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And God was asking Jonah to
travel there and invite them
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to repent and to inform
them that if they did not,
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they would be destroyed.
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Now, if we were
looking for a modern parallel,
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maybe this would be
like asking a Jew in 1941
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to call Nazis to repentance.
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The Assyrians were oppressors,
and God was asking Jonah
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to go to them and
invite them to turn to God.
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So this tells us
several things about God.
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God knew better than anyone just
how wicked the people of Nineveh
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really were, but He saw
something in the Assyrians
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that was worth
saving, and He hasn't changed.
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God looks at
sinners of the worst kind
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and sees what they can be
through the power of the gospel.
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You might think your
family members or your neighbors
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or the people you work
with are beyond redemption,
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but God thinks otherwise.
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And where we
might see hopelessness,
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God sees hope.
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But Jonah
didn't see it that way.
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He didn't want
the Assyrians saved.
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He was full of hate.
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Isn't that something?
A prophet with a grudge,
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a prophet who didn't want
to see everyone come to God.
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But things didn't work out
for Jonah as he had planned.
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They usually don't
when you run from God.
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A violent storm arose.
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The mariners feared that their
boat was about to be broken up.
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When Jesus was in a similar
situation on the Sea of Galilee,
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He woke from
sleep to calm the storm.
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But unlike Jesus
800 or so years later,
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when Jonah woke, he
couldn't settle the stormy sea.
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Realizing that he
hadn't escaped God after all,
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and still determined
not to go to Nineveh,
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he told the men to throw him out
of the boat and into the sea--
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anything but go to Nineveh.
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The sailors first
tried to row to safety,
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but in vain, as the
storm only got worse.
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They appealed to God
that they not be held guilty
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for Jonah's death.
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And as it seemed
like their only hope,
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they then cast him
into the Mediterranean.
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And Jonah was relieved.
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He wouldn't be responsible
for the sailors perishing,
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and he wouldn't
have to go to Nineveh.
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But God had other ideas.
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And here's where the
story gets really interesting,
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and this is where Jonah's
story challenges many people.
00:07:19.43\00:07:23.91
A whale?
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Swallowing a man who
survived inside the whale?
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Well, sure. First, it
likely wasn't a whale.
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The original language
says it was a "large fish."
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And when Jesus referred
to the event in Matthew 12,
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He actually said "huge
fish" or maybe "sea monster."
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Now, there have been
stories told of people surviving
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being swallowed by whales.
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Some of those
stories have been debunked.
00:07:49.10\00:07:51.80
But whether or not we
can find scientific evidence
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to demonstrate that a whale
could actually swallow a man
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and then regurgitate him
alive, that's not the point.
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It says, "Now the Lord
had prepared a great fish
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to swallow Jonah."
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Whatever it was, God
prepared it; God worked it out.
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God saw to it that Jonah
could take a submarine ride
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in the belly of a
creature that He had prepared
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for that purpose.
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And if the event didn't happen,
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it's interesting that
Jesus believed that it did.
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He referenced Jonah
in the New Testament
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and used Jonah's experience
to illustrate His own death,
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burial, and resurrection.
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So Jesus certainly believed
that Jonah was swallowed
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by a large sea creature,
spent three days inside it,
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and then--well,
what happened next?
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And what impact did
spending three days in a fish
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have on the reluctant prophet?
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We'll find that
out in just a moment.
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¤[music swells and ends]¤
00:08:53.60\00:09:00.57
>>Announcer: In the heart
of the book of Revelation,
00:09:02.37\00:09:04.21
there's a warning message
that will save lives if heeded.
00:09:04.24\00:09:07.21
Learn what the Bible
says about the final judgment
00:09:07.24\00:09:09.54
and how to be ready in
"Earth's Final Warning"
00:09:09.58\00:09:11.95
of It Is Written's
Answers in Prophecy series.
00:09:11.98\00:09:14.45
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call 800-253-3000
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00:09:28.80\00:09:31.47
>>John Bradshaw:
Thanks for joining me today
00:09:32.63\00:09:34.07
on It Is Written.
00:09:34.10\00:09:35.27
He was told by God to take
a warning message to Nineveh.
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But Jonah didn't want to go.
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He ran in exactly
the opposite direction,
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but was...apprehended by a God
who was very patient with Jonah,
00:09:44.21\00:09:49.32
very merciful towards him--
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and who had and still
has a heart for the lost.
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God wanted even the
Assyrians to be saved.
00:09:55.72\00:09:58.63
So Jonah was selected to deliver
the message of mercy to them.
00:09:58.66\00:10:02.13
After three days inside
a big fish of some kind,
00:10:02.16\00:10:05.67
"The Lord spoke to the fish, and
it vomited Jonah onto dry land."
00:10:05.70\00:10:11.27
So Jonah found himself
back where he'd started from.
00:10:11.31\00:10:15.14
He could have saved
himself a lot of time and grief
00:10:15.18\00:10:19.78
if he'd only done what God asked
him to do in the first place.
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Maybe that's true for you.
00:10:25.39\00:10:27.22
You know, it's always
better to do things God's way
00:10:27.26\00:10:31.19
because God only ever
wants the best for you.
00:10:31.23\00:10:36.10
When Jonah arrived in Nineveh,
00:10:36.13\00:10:37.93
he was greeted by a
truly beautiful city
00:10:37.97\00:10:42.00
that had been
developed by Sennacherib,
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the Assyrian ruler
named in the Bible.
00:10:44.27\00:10:46.47
It was a big city.
00:10:46.51\00:10:47.98
Samaria in the
Bible? Nineteen acres.
00:10:48.01\00:10:51.51
Jerusalem, even today, the
Old City covers 220 acres or so.
00:10:51.55\00:10:56.52
Nineveh covered an
area of 1,700 acres,
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more than twice the size of
Central Park in New York City,
00:11:00.92\00:11:04.13
about 12 times bigger than
the mall in Washington, D.C.
00:11:04.16\00:11:08.23
It was a big place.
00:11:08.26\00:11:10.43
In recent years historical sites
in the area have been destroyed
00:11:10.47\00:11:14.40
or damaged, but when
Jonah arrived in Nineveh,
00:11:14.44\00:11:18.47
it was a stunning city.
00:11:18.51\00:11:21.44
This time Jonah
got straight to work
00:11:22.44\00:11:25.15
sharing a
direct, pointed message.
00:11:25.18\00:11:28.32
The Bible says, "He cried
out and said, 'Yet forty days,
00:11:28.35\00:11:32.39
and Nineveh
shall be overthrown!'"
00:11:32.42\00:11:34.89
Now, keep this in mind.
00:11:34.92\00:11:36.22
This really did
take faith in God.
00:11:36.26\00:11:39.69
He was clearly a foreigner,
and he's in this strange town
00:11:39.73\00:11:43.70
telling people that God is
going to overthrow the place
00:11:43.73\00:11:47.94
if the people don't repent.
00:11:47.97\00:11:50.14
The response was stunning.
00:11:50.17\00:11:53.24
"So the people of Nineveh
believed God, proclaimed a fast,
00:11:53.27\00:11:57.35
"and put on sackcloth, from the
greatest to the least of them.
00:11:57.38\00:12:02.08
"Then word came to
the king of Nineveh;
00:12:02.12\00:12:04.79
"and he arose from his
throne and laid aside his robe,
00:12:04.82\00:12:07.59
covered himself with
sackcloth and sat in ashes."
00:12:07.62\00:12:10.83
It was an amazing thing.
00:12:10.86\00:12:12.79
They responded to the
appeals being made to them
00:12:12.83\00:12:15.76
by the Spirit of God.
00:12:15.80\00:12:17.83
"And he caused it to be
proclaimed and published
00:12:17.87\00:12:20.34
"throughout Nineveh
by the decree of the king
00:12:20.37\00:12:22.67
"and his nobles, saying,
00:12:22.70\00:12:24.61
"'Let neither man nor beast,
herd nor flock, taste anything;
00:12:24.64\00:12:30.78
"'do not let them
eat, or drink water.
00:12:30.81\00:12:33.21
"'But let man and beast
be covered with sackcloth,
00:12:33.25\00:12:35.92
"'and cry mightily to God;
00:12:35.95\00:12:38.29
"'yes, let every one
turn from his evil way
00:12:38.32\00:12:40.52
"'and from the
violence that is in his hands.
00:12:40.56\00:12:43.76
"'Who can tell if
God will turn and relent,
00:12:43.79\00:12:46.59
"'and turn away
from His fierce anger,
00:12:46.63\00:12:49.00
so that we may not perish?'"
00:12:49.03\00:12:51.33
Interesting. The decree
even called for the people
00:12:51.37\00:12:54.10
to turn away
from their violence,
00:12:54.14\00:12:57.04
not what you'd expect to
hear in a place like Nineveh.
00:12:57.07\00:13:00.61
But this is what happens
when the Holy Spirit gets hold
00:13:00.64\00:13:03.98
of a person's heart,
and this is what happens
00:13:04.01\00:13:06.92
when the word of
God is proclaimed.
00:13:06.95\00:13:09.48
This was a
profoundly wicked place.
00:13:09.52\00:13:12.19
The Assyrians
worshiped a plethora of gods.
00:13:12.22\00:13:15.46
Assyria had the first
standing army in all of history.
00:13:15.49\00:13:19.73
And the national god, Ashur, was
credited with bringing victory
00:13:19.76\00:13:24.27
and granting military power.
00:13:24.30\00:13:26.77
But something happened here.
00:13:26.80\00:13:28.44
The people steeped in sin
responded to Jonah's message.
00:13:28.47\00:13:34.64
Two things I wanna point out.
00:13:35.64\00:13:37.45
One, sometimes God sends you
to places you don't want to go
00:13:37.48\00:13:42.68
because He has a
purpose that you can't see.
00:13:42.72\00:13:45.99
Did Joseph want to go to Egypt?
00:13:46.02\00:13:48.66
No, he did not.
00:13:48.69\00:13:49.89
He was sold into slavery. There
was nothing good about that.
00:13:49.92\00:13:54.40
He was falsely
accused, wrongfully convicted,
00:13:54.46\00:13:57.70
imprisoned, betrayed.
00:13:57.73\00:13:59.87
Even when he was
liberated, he was still living
00:13:59.90\00:14:01.97
in a foreign country
separated from his father.
00:14:02.00\00:14:05.21
But the Bible says
in Psalm 105 in verse 17
00:14:05.24\00:14:09.11
that God sent Joseph to Egypt.
00:14:09.14\00:14:13.25
And He sent him
there for a purpose.
00:14:13.28\00:14:15.18
God could see what was coming.
00:14:15.22\00:14:17.65
God wanted a man there so
He could provide a safe haven
00:14:17.69\00:14:20.32
for His people.
00:14:20.36\00:14:21.32
And in light of their captivity,
00:14:21.36\00:14:23.06
their release was so
much more remarkable.
00:14:23.09\00:14:26.03
God allowed Daniel and his
friends to be taken captive
00:14:26.06\00:14:28.60
to Babylon because He
had a great purpose there.
00:14:28.63\00:14:32.10
John was a prisoner
on the island of Patmos,
00:14:32.13\00:14:34.90
but it was there that he
wrote the book of Revelation.
00:14:34.94\00:14:37.71
So if you find yourself in a
place you would rather not be,
00:14:37.74\00:14:41.08
remember that you might be
there because God is about to do
00:14:41.11\00:14:44.28
something great,
either in you or through you.
00:14:44.31\00:14:49.65
And here's the second: If
you're sharing your faith,
00:14:49.68\00:14:52.69
there are people
who will respond.
00:14:52.72\00:14:55.39
If the people of Nineveh could
respond to an appeal from God,
00:14:55.42\00:14:59.89
that means anyone can.
00:14:59.93\00:15:02.00
Don't lose hope for your family.
00:15:02.03\00:15:04.33
Don't ever give up on
your wayward children,
00:15:04.37\00:15:06.70
your wandering
parents, your neighbors,
00:15:06.74\00:15:09.37
the people you study with
or work with or work out with.
00:15:09.40\00:15:13.04
God is at work.
00:15:13.07\00:15:15.31
I recently spoke with a friend
who told me that he had been
00:15:15.34\00:15:17.58
praying for a family member
for 30 years to come to Jesus.
00:15:17.61\00:15:22.82
Finally, the breakthrough,
00:15:22.85\00:15:24.92
and now that family member
is living a life of faith,
00:15:24.95\00:15:28.39
loving God, growing spiritually.
00:15:28.42\00:15:31.39
You might not be able to see
God working, but He's working.
00:15:31.43\00:15:35.16
Who would have thought
that wicked king Manasseh
00:15:35.20\00:15:38.37
would have
turned to God in faith?
00:15:38.40\00:15:41.17
Who would have
thought that Nebuchadnezzar,
00:15:41.20\00:15:43.07
idol-worshipper Nebuchadnezzar,
would ever turn to God in faith?
00:15:43.10\00:15:47.84
But he did.
00:15:47.88\00:15:49.44
If you were a Christian shortly
after the death of Jesus,
00:15:49.48\00:15:52.31
you wouldn't have
believed it if someone told you
00:15:52.35\00:15:54.18
that Saul of Tarsus
had joined the church.
00:15:54.22\00:15:58.25
In fact, the Bible tells us that
00:15:58.29\00:16:00.22
"all who heard were amazed,
and said, 'Is this not he
00:16:00.26\00:16:04.09
"'who destroyed those who called
on this name in Jerusalem,
00:16:04.13\00:16:07.83
"'and has come
here for that purpose,
00:16:07.86\00:16:09.80
so that he might bring them
bound to the chief priests?'"
00:16:09.83\00:16:13.87
And there's a third thing.
00:16:13.90\00:16:15.64
It's related to Jonah, who, even
after the Assyrians repented,
00:16:15.67\00:16:20.44
incredibly was not amused.
00:16:20.48\00:16:25.11
I'll be right back.
00:16:25.15\00:16:26.21
¤[music swells and ends]¤
00:16:26.25\00:16:33.25
>>Announcer: In the heart
of the book of Revelation,
00:16:35.26\00:16:37.03
there's a warning message
that will save lives if heeded.
00:16:37.06\00:16:40.06
Learn what the Bible
says about the final judgment
00:16:40.10\00:16:42.30
and how to be ready in
"Earth's Final Warning"
00:16:42.33\00:16:44.83
of It Is Written's
Answers in Prophecy series.
00:16:44.87\00:16:47.24
To receive this free DVD,
00:16:47.27\00:16:48.60
call 800-253-3000
00:16:48.64\00:16:51.34
or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com.
00:16:51.37\00:16:54.88
We would like to share
this message with you today.
00:16:54.91\00:16:57.35
Get "Earth's Final Warning."
00:16:57.38\00:16:59.11
Call 800-253-3000
00:16:59.15\00:17:01.62
or visit iiwoffer.com.
00:17:01.65\00:17:04.49
>>John Bradshaw: Standing
on a railroad station platform
00:17:05.69\00:17:08.26
in a small town
in South Australia,
00:17:08.29\00:17:10.63
Gen. Douglas MacArthur
uttered some of history's
00:17:10.66\00:17:13.40
most famous words
when he boldly declared...
00:17:13.43\00:17:16.93
>>Gen. Douglas
MacArthur: I shall return.
00:17:16.97\00:17:19.23
>>John: Having
escaped the ferocity
00:17:19.27\00:17:20.90
of the Japanese military,
MacArthur promised to return
00:17:20.94\00:17:24.44
to the Philippines and
bring liberty to people
00:17:24.47\00:17:27.24
captive in their own country
with little hope of freedom.
00:17:27.28\00:17:30.35
¤[uplifting music]¤
00:17:30.38\00:17:31.61
Two thousand years before,
Jesus made the same promise
00:17:31.65\00:17:34.92
to a captive world when He
assured people from every age
00:17:34.95\00:17:38.75
that, "I will come again,
and receive you unto myself."
00:17:38.79\00:17:43.89
The return of Jesus to the world
is a major theme of the Bible.
00:17:43.93\00:17:48.10
But what does the Bible really
teach about the return of Jesus?
00:17:48.13\00:17:53.23
And how can you be
ready for that awesome day?
00:17:53.27\00:17:56.77
Don't miss "I Shall Return"
00:17:56.81\00:17:58.91
on It Is Written TV.
00:17:58.94\00:18:01.61
¤[music ends]¤¤
00:18:02.98\00:18:04.71
>>John Bradshaw: He was
asked by God to offer salvation
00:18:05.91\00:18:08.35
to a group of people,
and he didn't want to.
00:18:08.38\00:18:11.02
In fact, he flat-out refused.
He was asked to go here,
00:18:11.05\00:18:15.82
and he went in
another direction altogether.
00:18:15.86\00:18:18.09
Swallowed by a fish
and transported back
00:18:18.13\00:18:20.76
to the eastern shore
of the Mediterranean,
00:18:20.80\00:18:23.23
Jonah finally
made it to Nineveh.
00:18:23.26\00:18:26.74
He warned the people:
00:18:26.77\00:18:28.54
"Yet forty days, and
Nineveh shall be overthrown!"
00:18:28.57\00:18:32.57
Astonishingly,
the people repented.
00:18:32.61\00:18:36.11
The proud king of the
mightiest empire of the day
00:18:36.14\00:18:39.61
humbled himself in
sackcloth and ashes
00:18:39.65\00:18:42.82
owing to the
ministry of a foreign prophet.
00:18:42.85\00:18:46.62
And the Bible says,
00:18:46.65\00:18:48.02
"Then God saw their works, that
they turned from their evil way;
00:18:48.06\00:18:52.86
"and God relented from
the disaster that He had said
00:18:52.89\00:18:55.46
He would bring upon
them, and He did not do it."
00:18:55.50\00:18:59.00
What a relief! The city
would not be overthrown.
00:19:00.04\00:19:03.64
The people would be spared.
00:19:03.67\00:19:05.04
You would think that the
evangelist would be thrilled.
00:19:05.07\00:19:08.34
He had made an appeal, and every
person in the city responded.
00:19:08.38\00:19:13.78
They surrendered
themselves to God.
00:19:13.82\00:19:16.28
They turned from
their sinful ways.
00:19:16.32\00:19:19.69
It was one of history's
most stunning revivals.
00:19:19.72\00:19:23.86
If Jonah went home and
told his friends that everyone
00:19:23.89\00:19:26.59
living in the
least-likely city on the planet
00:19:26.63\00:19:29.30
had turned to faith in God,
00:19:29.33\00:19:31.40
you'd think that would
be cause for celebration.
00:19:31.43\00:19:34.64
But Jonah wasn't celebrating--
quite the opposite, in fact.
00:19:34.67\00:19:39.27
The Bible says, "But it
displeased Jonah exceedingly,
00:19:39.31\00:19:44.48
and he became angry."
00:19:44.51\00:19:46.55
Angry? But wait, it gets worse.
00:19:46.58\00:19:49.58
"Ah, Lord [God],
was not this what I said
00:19:49.62\00:19:53.72
"when I was still in my country?
00:19:53.76\00:19:55.96
"Therefore I fled
previously to Tarshish;
00:19:55.99\00:19:59.13
"for I know that You are
a gracious and merciful God,
00:19:59.16\00:20:03.03
"slow to anger and
abundant in lovingkindness,
00:20:03.06\00:20:06.50
One who relents
from doing harm."
00:20:06.53\00:20:09.54
Look at what Jonah was saying:
00:20:09.57\00:20:11.04
"I knew You'd do this. I
knew that You would save them."
00:20:11.07\00:20:14.64
Jonah was worried
about his reputation,
00:20:14.68\00:20:17.01
worried that people would
consider him a false prophet.
00:20:17.05\00:20:20.12
Nineveh wouldn't be
destroyed after all.
00:20:20.15\00:20:22.22
And he was enraged
that God spared Nineveh.
00:20:22.25\00:20:25.45
Verse 1 of chapter 4 could read,
00:20:25.49\00:20:27.09
"It was evil unto
Jonah, a great evil."
00:20:27.12\00:20:32.16
What a guy. Think
of the hypocrisy here.
00:20:32.19\00:20:35.83
When Jonah disobeyed God,
running to the south of Spain
00:20:35.86\00:20:39.60
instead of northern
Iraq, God spared Jonah.
00:20:39.63\00:20:44.41
There was a raging
storm, Jonah goes into the sea,
00:20:44.44\00:20:47.94
and God saved him by
entombing him for three days
00:20:47.98\00:20:50.88
in a sea creature.
00:20:50.91\00:20:52.68
God saved Jonah
in his disobedience,
00:20:52.71\00:20:56.48
but Jonah was angry the
people of Nineveh were saved.
00:20:56.52\00:20:59.62
He was happy to receive mercy,
00:20:59.65\00:21:02.42
but not so happy to
extend it to others.
00:21:02.46\00:21:05.99
Jonah was so upset that he
begged God to take his life.
00:21:07.00\00:21:12.43
So God asked him,
00:21:12.47\00:21:13.94
"Is it right for
you to be angry?"
00:21:13.97\00:21:16.67
Jonah stormed out of Nineveh
and sat and waited to see
00:21:16.71\00:21:20.31
what would become of the city.
00:21:20.34\00:21:21.81
Maybe he thought that the
people would change their minds
00:21:21.84\00:21:24.15
and that God would
ultimately destroy them anyway.
00:21:24.18\00:21:27.28
But as he waited, God
caused a plant of some kind
00:21:27.32\00:21:31.55
to quickly grow up over
Jonah and provide shade for him
00:21:31.59\00:21:35.39
from the hot sun.
00:21:35.42\00:21:36.99
Jonah liked that.
00:21:37.03\00:21:38.46
It says that he was
very grateful for the plant.
00:21:38.49\00:21:41.76
But the next day, a
worm damaged the plant,
00:21:41.80\00:21:45.77
and it withered and died.
00:21:45.80\00:21:47.54
And Jonah was angry again, this
time, angry that the plant died.
00:21:47.57\00:21:53.41
When God asked him if it was
right for him to be so angry,
00:21:53.44\00:21:55.88
he said,
00:21:55.91\00:21:56.95
"It is right for me to
be angry, even to death!"
00:21:56.98\00:22:01.48
He was out of
control, totally unreasonable.
00:22:01.52\00:22:05.69
And God brought it
home to Jonah when He said,
00:22:05.72\00:22:09.06
"You have had pity on the plant
for which you have not labored,
00:22:09.09\00:22:12.53
"nor made it grow,
00:22:12.56\00:22:13.73
"which came up in a
night and perished in a night.
00:22:13.76\00:22:18.23
"And should I not pity Nineveh,
that great city, in which
00:22:18.27\00:22:22.97
"are more than one hundred
and twenty thousand persons
00:22:23.00\00:22:25.81
"who cannot discern
between their right hand
00:22:25.84\00:22:28.11
and their left--
and much livestock?"
00:22:28.14\00:22:31.11
Jonah cared more for a plant
00:22:31.95\00:22:35.82
than he cared for
the people of Nineveh.
00:22:35.85\00:22:38.42
So let's look at this.
00:22:38.45\00:22:40.02
Jonah simply
couldn't be reasoned with.
00:22:40.06\00:22:43.59
He was irrational,
illogical. It was madness.
00:22:43.63\00:22:49.13
The Ninevites repented
when a foreign prophet showed up
00:22:49.16\00:22:53.10
from out of nowhere, but
Israel refused to repent,
00:22:53.13\00:22:57.94
even though prophets pleaded
with them for hundreds of years.
00:22:57.97\00:23:02.34
The 10 northern
tribes went into captivity
00:23:02.38\00:23:04.65
and were absorbed by
the surrounding nations.
00:23:04.68\00:23:07.18
The southern tribes
were taken to Babylon
00:23:07.22\00:23:08.85
before returning to Jerusalem,
00:23:08.88\00:23:10.49
even though God pleaded
with them to turn to Him.
00:23:10.52\00:23:15.16
Also, history
shows that ultimately
00:23:15.19\00:23:18.43
Nineveh's
repentance didn't last.
00:23:18.46\00:23:21.36
It wasn't too long after this
that they were back to invading
00:23:21.40\00:23:23.93
and pillaging and
destroying and conquering.
00:23:23.97\00:23:27.50
Why they turned
back? We don't know.
00:23:27.54\00:23:30.27
But we do know the
devil is relentless.
00:23:30.31\00:23:34.28
And we know turning away
from God makes no sense at all.
00:23:34.31\00:23:38.15
Is God calling you?
00:23:39.15\00:23:42.18
If He is, follow
Him and don't turn back.
00:23:42.22\00:23:46.45
Have you wandered away from God?
00:23:46.49\00:23:48.49
Well, return.
Don't even wait a moment.
00:23:48.52\00:23:52.13
When God calls, you want
to respond and not delay.
00:23:52.16\00:23:56.83
And what about Jonah?
00:23:57.83\00:23:59.47
This is how prophets act?
00:23:59.50\00:24:02.10
Well, no. Well, yes and no.
00:24:02.14\00:24:06.41
This is how a
faulty person acts.
00:24:06.44\00:24:09.11
But what we see is that
God will use a faulty person,
00:24:09.14\00:24:12.35
which means we ought to
be a little longsuffering
00:24:12.38\00:24:14.88
with others, and we should
realize that God will use people
00:24:14.92\00:24:18.29
who have faults, people
like... like you and me.
00:24:18.32\00:24:23.36
David--faulty.
00:24:23.39\00:24:25.19
Solomon...
[exhales dramatically]
00:24:25.23\00:24:27.40
Abraham, Moses,
Peter-- God uses faulty people
00:24:27.46\00:24:33.44
because that's all
God has at His disposal.
00:24:33.47\00:24:38.37
We're all faulty.
00:24:38.41\00:24:39.77
Jonah?
00:24:39.81\00:24:40.84
Well, Jonah was just...
Jonah was just one of us.
00:24:40.88\00:24:45.75
The story of Jonah
tells us a lot about Jonah,
00:24:45.78\00:24:48.08
but it also tells
us a lot about God.
00:24:48.12\00:24:52.32
God asked someone to
go to save His people,
00:24:52.35\00:24:55.62
to call them to turn.
00:24:55.66\00:24:57.56
He was patient with
the people of Nineveh--
00:24:57.59\00:25:00.20
and patient with Jonah,
00:25:00.23\00:25:01.46
who was so stubborn
and, and so ungracious.
00:25:01.50\00:25:04.67
God worked miracles
to get through to Jonah
00:25:04.70\00:25:07.44
and to reach the lost Ninevites.
00:25:07.47\00:25:10.87
But what's interesting
is that the story of Jonah
00:25:10.91\00:25:12.71
doesn't really resolve.
00:25:12.74\00:25:15.48
It ends with a question:
00:25:15.51\00:25:16.51
Shouldn't I be
merciful? God asks Jonah.
00:25:16.54\00:25:21.62
The answer is obvious, but
Jonah's response isn't recorded.
00:25:21.65\00:25:26.86
Maybe this suggests that
Jonah had to think about it.
00:25:26.89\00:25:30.06
It definitely suggests
that you and I ought to think
00:25:30.09\00:25:33.26
about that question.
00:25:33.29\00:25:34.56
"Shouldn't I be
merciful?" God asks.
00:25:34.60\00:25:37.57
Yes, He should.
00:25:37.60\00:25:39.40
And then what about us?
00:25:39.43\00:25:41.40
We're to enter into
that mercy, to share it,
00:25:41.44\00:25:44.81
and to experience it.
00:25:44.84\00:25:46.74
We don't have to
like what people stand for
00:25:46.78\00:25:49.54
in order to love them.
00:25:49.58\00:25:51.55
God is still looking for Jonahs
00:25:51.58\00:25:53.68
who would share a
message of mercy with others
00:25:53.72\00:25:56.79
and for people who
would receive His mercy.
00:25:56.82\00:25:59.92
How is it with you?
00:25:59.95\00:26:01.52
Have you
accepted the mercy of God?
00:26:01.56\00:26:03.79
Is the God you
believe in gracious, merciful,
00:26:03.83\00:26:07.66
kind, loving?
00:26:07.73\00:26:10.13
Is He calling
you to turn to Him?
00:26:10.17\00:26:12.83
That's the God of the Bible.
00:26:12.87\00:26:15.10
Let that God melt your
heart, draw you to Himself,
00:26:15.14\00:26:19.87
and keep you with
Him for all eternity.
00:26:19.91\00:26:23.98
>>John: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:26:25.28\00:26:27.08
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:26:27.12\00:26:30.55
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:26:30.59\00:26:33.79
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:26:33.82\00:26:38.03
You can send your
tax-deductible gift
00:26:38.06\00:26:39.49
to the address on your screen,
00:26:39.53\00:26:40.96
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:26:41.00\00:26:44.77
Thank you for your prayers
and for your financial support.
00:26:44.80\00:26:47.64
Our number
again is 800-253-3000,
00:26:47.67\00:26:51.81
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:26:51.84\00:26:54.84
>>John Bradshaw: Let
me pray with you now.
00:26:56.11\00:26:57.85
Our Father in
heaven, the story of Jonah
00:26:57.88\00:27:00.62
causes us to stop and think
about the attitude of a man
00:27:00.65\00:27:05.05
who did not want to
see Your grace and mercy
00:27:05.09\00:27:07.19
extended to others,
00:27:07.22\00:27:08.46
and I would pray that we would
never manifest that attitude,
00:27:08.49\00:27:12.96
but no matter who
we're interacting with,
00:27:12.99\00:27:15.36
no matter what
our circumstances,
00:27:15.40\00:27:17.00
our burden would be for
the salvation of others.
00:27:17.03\00:27:19.77
And I would ask also
that we would remember
00:27:19.80\00:27:22.67
what the book of
Jonah tells us about You,
00:27:22.70\00:27:25.77
that You are gracious
and longsuffering with Jonah,
00:27:25.81\00:27:29.28
that You were
merciful to the Assyrians,
00:27:29.31\00:27:32.35
that undoubtedly You
would extend that same love,
00:27:32.38\00:27:35.68
mercy, and grace to us.
00:27:35.72\00:27:38.39
Lord, move in our hearts that we
would accept all You offer us.
00:27:38.42\00:27:42.46
Keep us, save us,
bless us, we ask You,
00:27:42.49\00:27:46.56
in Jesus' name, amen.
00:27:46.59\00:27:50.37
Thanks so much for joining me.
00:27:50.40\00:27:51.87
Look forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:51.90\00:27:53.74
Until then, remember:
00:27:53.77\00:27:56.27
"It is written, 'Man
shall not live by bread alone,
00:27:56.30\00:28:00.11
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
00:28:00.14\00:28:04.95
¤[dramatic theme music]¤
00:28:04.98\00:28:10.99
¤[music ends]¤¤
00:28:24.97\00:28:27.37