¤¤¤ 00:00:00.50\00:00:04.47 ¤¤¤ 00:00:12.97\00:00:14.64 >>Eric Flickinger: Welcome to "Sabbath School," 00:00:15.98\00:00:17.45 brought to you by It Is Written. 00:00:17.48\00:00:19.45 We are on a journey this quarter through the book of Psalms, 00:00:19.48\00:00:22.85 and this week is lesson number 3, "The Lord Reigns." 00:00:22.88\00:00:27.02 We're gonna look at something very fascinating this week, 00:00:27.06\00:00:29.36 but before we do, as usual, let's begin with prayer. 00:00:29.39\00:00:32.59 Father, we thank You for being with us again this week 00:00:32.63\00:00:35.73 as we continue our journey through the book of Psalms. 00:00:35.76\00:00:38.67 Help us to gain a better picture, 00:00:38.70\00:00:40.44 a greater understanding of who You are and Your impact 00:00:40.47\00:00:44.37 on the Psalms and, ultimately, Your impact in our lives. 00:00:44.41\00:00:47.41 We ask that You'll bless our time together, and we thank You 00:00:47.44\00:00:49.88 in Jesus' name, amen. 00:00:49.91\00:00:52.21 Well, my guest today, as in the last couple of weeks and through 00:00:52.25\00:00:55.45 the remainder of the quarter is Dr. Dragoslava Santrac. 00:00:55.48\00:00:59.09 She is, well, she's passionate about the Psalms. 00:00:59.12\00:01:02.29 I guess that's a good way of saying it. 00:01:02.32\00:01:03.99 Slava, welcome back once again. 00:01:04.03\00:01:05.39 >>Dragoslava Santrac: Thank you. Nice being here. 00:01:05.43\00:01:07.56 >>Eric: So, we've already looked at two lessons, 00:01:07.60\00:01:09.93 and this week we're looking at "The Lord Reigns." 00:01:09.96\00:01:12.90 As we look at this, what are some of the fundamental beliefs 00:01:12.93\00:01:16.14 upon which the world of the Psalms is built? 00:01:16.17\00:01:19.34 What are we understanding--or assuming, 00:01:19.37\00:01:22.91 maybe "assuming" is an appropriate word-- 00:01:22.94\00:01:25.28 as we enter into the book of Psalms, 00:01:25.31\00:01:27.75 with respect to God? How does this all fit together? 00:01:27.78\00:01:29.95 >>Dragoslava: Yes, if there was just a few words to describe 00:01:29.98\00:01:35.49 this fundamental belief, the foundation on which the entire 00:01:35.52\00:01:40.36 building of the Psalms stand, it would be "the Lord reigns." 00:01:40.40\00:01:46.23 And from that, every other theme finds its meaning in that 00:01:46.27\00:01:52.87 every other appeal and activity in the Psalms has its context. 00:01:52.91\00:01:58.08 It's the sovereign reign of the Lord as the sovereign 00:01:58.11\00:02:02.18 Ruler and King of everything that exists. 00:02:02.22\00:02:05.49 >>Eric: Okay, so if we don't understand that, 00:02:05.52\00:02:07.46 Psalms really don't mean too much. 00:02:07.49\00:02:10.26 It is somewhat empty. 00:02:10.29\00:02:11.96 But if that is the case, if the Lord does reign, 00:02:11.99\00:02:15.30 if He is who He is, then all of a sudden the Psalms have 00:02:15.33\00:02:20.30 a much deeper meaning, a much more solid foundation, 00:02:20.34\00:02:24.41 an immoveable foundation, if He is who He is. 00:02:24.44\00:02:28.81 What kind of words would describe the faith of the Psalms 00:02:28.84\00:02:32.91 in a nutshell? 00:02:32.95\00:02:35.45 >>Dragoslava: Yes, I would definitely, 00:02:35.48\00:02:37.22 again, repeat "the Lord reigns." 00:02:37.25\00:02:40.19 That's at the core of the Psalmist's belief, and, 00:02:40.22\00:02:45.53 as we will study even more in the following lessons, 00:02:45.56\00:02:49.63 even when that reign is challenged, 00:02:49.66\00:02:53.17 the Psalms never abandon the faith in this 00:02:53.20\00:02:57.61 basic proclamation, "The Lord reigns." 00:02:57.64\00:03:01.74 And because the Lord reigns, the earth is called to rejoice. 00:03:01.78\00:03:07.28 Because God will do all things in its right time. 00:03:07.32\00:03:11.35 God is not surprised. God is not weak. 00:03:11.39\00:03:14.46 He reigns. He is in control. 00:03:14.49\00:03:17.36 That's the base, the foundation of everything. 00:03:17.39\00:03:20.96 >>Eric: So if that's the foundation 00:03:20.96\00:03:22.96 and everything else kind of springs from that, 00:03:23.00\00:03:25.13 how do we experience that? 00:03:25.17\00:03:27.30 What does that mean to the life of a Christian? 00:03:27.34\00:03:30.91 We know it's foundational, we know it's important, 00:03:30.94\00:03:33.04 but bring that out. 00:03:33.07\00:03:35.61 >>Dragoslava: So how do we experience God's rule 00:03:35.64\00:03:38.65 in our personal lives? 00:03:38.68\00:03:40.68 That's an excellent question, and the first we find that 00:03:40.72\00:03:45.22 the Lord is Creator. 00:03:45.25\00:03:47.82 That's the basic relationship that we have, 00:03:47.86\00:03:51.56 that He's our heavenly Father, the one who created us. 00:03:51.59\00:03:56.16 Then, He is also the Judge, meaning that God created us, 00:03:56.20\00:04:02.97 but He also gave us certain guidelines or His righteous 00:04:03.00\00:04:07.84 principles and laws to guide us in His creation. 00:04:07.88\00:04:13.48 Then also we experience God as the Savior, 00:04:13.52\00:04:18.25 the one who forgives, the one who redeems. 00:04:18.29\00:04:21.59 And of course, we experience God as the one who comes, 00:04:21.62\00:04:26.96 the one whom we expect. 00:04:27.00\00:04:29.93 >>Eric: So He plays a great many roles in our life 00:04:29.96\00:04:34.17 as the Sovereign, and it's not something fluffy, 00:04:34.20\00:04:40.51 it's not something intellectual, but these are very real roles 00:04:40.54\00:04:44.25 that He plays in our lives. 00:04:44.28\00:04:46.75 You asked some interesting questions during the course 00:04:46.78\00:04:50.05 of this week's lesson. 00:04:50.09\00:04:51.99 One of the questions that you asked is regarding Psalm 97. 00:04:52.02\00:04:55.96 It says, "What characterizes the Lord's reign?... 00:04:55.99\00:04:59.89 [And] the domain of His reign?" 00:04:59.93\00:05:01.96 Can we take a look at that over in Psalm 97? 00:05:02.00\00:05:05.00 I'd like to kind of dwell on that just a little bit. 00:05:05.03\00:05:08.17 So, in Psalm 97, what characterizes the Lord's reign? 00:05:08.20\00:05:12.44 You've mentioned here, or referenced, 00:05:12.47\00:05:14.31 verses 2 and 10: "Clouds and darkness surround Him; 00:05:14.34\00:05:16.98 righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne." 00:05:17.01\00:05:19.85 And verse 10: "You who love the Lord, hate evil! 00:05:19.88\00:05:23.79 "He preserves the souls of His saints; 00:05:23.82\00:05:25.29 He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked." 00:05:25.32\00:05:27.86 Dive into that a little bit more. 00:05:27.89\00:05:29.79 Who is He, and why is this so important? 00:05:29.82\00:05:32.29 >>Dragoslava: Yes, so the Lord bases His reign on justice 00:05:32.33\00:05:37.90 and righteousness. That's who He is. 00:05:37.93\00:05:41.47 He is just, and He is righteous. 00:05:41.50\00:05:44.94 And as such, He has that prerogative to judge the world. 00:05:44.97\00:05:49.91 Now, when we say the word "judge the world," it can create 00:05:49.94\00:05:55.38 some uneasiness in us, but if we just look at verse 1, 00:05:55.42\00:06:00.06 "The Lord reigns; let the earth"--what?-- 00:06:00.09\00:06:03.22 [together] "rejoice." 00:06:03.26\00:06:04.76 And then, verses 11 and 12 speak of gladness, 00:06:04.79\00:06:11.07 speak again of joys. Why? 00:06:11.10\00:06:13.94 Because by His justice and His righteousness, 00:06:13.97\00:06:18.94 God does not punish; God delivers, you know? 00:06:18.97\00:06:23.61 So when we think of God's judgment and His righteousness 00:06:23.65\00:06:27.78 and His reign, we should think of God who delivers, 00:06:27.82\00:06:31.79 the God who comes to save what He can save, 00:06:31.82\00:06:35.79 and that is the reason the earth rejoice. 00:06:35.82\00:06:39.19 Now, will there be some who won't be rejoicing? 00:06:39.23\00:06:42.63 Well, verse 7 says, "Let all be put to shame who serve 00:06:42.66\00:06:47.60 carved images, who boast of idols." 00:06:47.64\00:06:51.14 So those who reject the plan of salvation, 00:06:51.17\00:06:54.78 those who reject this hand that's been given graciously 00:06:54.81\00:06:59.48 to them, there is no other way of salvation. 00:06:59.51\00:07:03.32 And if we reject the only way, there is nothing left 00:07:03.35\00:07:07.76 but shame and destruction. 00:07:07.79\00:07:09.89 But this is not God's desire. 00:07:09.92\00:07:12.89 God desires that by judgment to help us get rid of everything 00:07:12.93\00:07:18.27 that stands between us and Him as our Creator 00:07:18.30\00:07:21.84 and to redeem us from evil. 00:07:21.87\00:07:24.91 >>Eric: You know, Slava, as we look at the world today, 00:07:24.94\00:07:27.21 there is a great deal of concern about injustice, 00:07:27.24\00:07:31.65 about one group judging another, but this should help us to 00:07:31.68\00:07:37.69 lay aside some of those fears because today many people 00:07:37.72\00:07:41.69 may not receive what they consider to be justice. 00:07:41.72\00:07:44.69 The world is an unjust place and injustices abound. 00:07:44.73\00:07:49.36 But this helps us to remember that God is reliable, 00:07:49.40\00:07:53.50 that He's going to bring a genuine justice 00:07:53.54\00:07:56.30 and a genuine hope. 00:07:56.34\00:07:58.67 How might that give someone encouragement today? 00:07:58.71\00:08:02.68 >>Dragoslava: Yes, well, the encouragement is that 00:08:02.71\00:08:05.08 the Lord reigns, that He is the living God, and that 00:08:05.11\00:08:09.95 He is in control and His word will be the last. 00:08:09.98\00:08:14.29 Psalm 96 says, "Say among the nations"--so there is 00:08:14.32\00:08:18.96 a call for the believers to say something about the injustices 00:08:18.99\00:08:24.33 in the world. And the message is, "The Lord reigns; 00:08:24.37\00:08:28.37 "the world also is firmly established, 00:08:28.40\00:08:32.47 it shall not be moved." 00:08:32.51\00:08:34.61 Sometimes we may think we are going to perish, 00:08:34.64\00:08:37.48 all of us; this Planet Earth is going to dissolve. 00:08:37.51\00:08:40.75 But there is a promise here that the world is 00:08:40.78\00:08:44.29 "firmly established, and "it shall not be moved." 00:08:44.32\00:08:46.62 Why? Because the Lord will "judge the peoples righteously." 00:08:46.65\00:08:52.39 But sometimes, Eric, we want to take verses like this 00:08:52.43\00:08:55.70 and say, "The judgment belongs to God," and it does, 00:08:55.73\00:08:59.67 and He's the one who will level all unlevel things and bring 00:08:59.70\00:09:04.47 the right up and the wrong down, but let us not forget verse 10 00:09:04.51\00:09:10.41 that we read in Psalm 97: "You who love the Lord"-- 00:09:10.45\00:09:15.38 do what?-- [together] "hate evil!" 00:09:15.42\00:09:18.15 There is a responsibility on us to speak against injustice 00:09:18.19\00:09:23.46 and to work against injustice, for us to play a part, 00:09:23.49\00:09:28.16 not to be neutral and sit aside and say, 00:09:28.20\00:09:30.80 "Well, one day the Lord will--" 00:09:30.83\00:09:32.77 the Lord wants to use us where we can 00:09:32.80\00:09:36.04 and how He can, even today. 00:09:36.07\00:09:38.67 >>Eric: So there's, there are real, tangible, 00:09:38.71\00:09:40.71 practical ways that we can be involved in God's justice 00:09:40.74\00:09:44.18 that He wishes to see, He desires to see on earth. 00:09:44.21\00:09:47.65 We may not be able to turn the tide of everything, 00:09:47.68\00:09:50.49 but that doesn't mean that we should stay silent, either. 00:09:50.52\00:09:53.69 But there is that encouragement that even when there are things 00:09:53.72\00:09:57.46 that we can't change, things that are beyond our abilities, 00:09:57.49\00:10:01.36 that ultimately God is going to bring up the right 00:10:01.40\00:10:06.50 and bring down the wrong. 00:10:06.53\00:10:08.50 And that ought to give us some hope, 00:10:08.54\00:10:11.54 rather than leaving us in frustration 00:10:11.57\00:10:14.21 that we just can't change everything-- 00:10:14.24\00:10:17.95 >>Dragoslava: Yes, yes. >>Eric: ...everything. 00:10:17.98\00:10:19.61 So the book of Psalms, as you've mentioned, 00:10:19.65\00:10:21.85 gives us a clear picture of God, of His sovereignty. 00:10:21.88\00:10:25.09 But in our first week together, 00:10:25.12\00:10:26.42 you mentioned how the book of Psalms 00:10:26.45\00:10:28.46 kind of transitions from challenging times 00:10:28.49\00:10:32.46 and discouraging things to hope and maybe enlightenment-- 00:10:32.49\00:10:37.17 I don't know if that's a good word to use here. 00:10:37.20\00:10:39.13 So when we feel--when we feel that the world is unjust, 00:10:39.17\00:10:44.84 maybe reading some of those latter Psalms, 00:10:44.87\00:10:48.48 like what we're reading here, 00:10:48.51\00:10:50.81 could lift us up and could encourage us. 00:10:50.85\00:10:52.81 >>Dragoslava: Yes, that's true, absolutely. 00:10:52.85\00:10:55.78 And the Psalms will give us words. 00:10:55.82\00:10:58.95 If there is a victim, the Psalms will give you words. 00:10:58.99\00:11:04.16 You are not to keep quiet. God wants you to speak. 00:11:04.19\00:11:08.60 And also, the Psalms will lead you, 00:11:08.63\00:11:13.10 will lead us, towards that hope. 00:11:13.13\00:11:16.14 So there is this, as we mentioned earlier, 00:11:16.17\00:11:19.07 that the Psalms give us words to pray to God and express 00:11:19.11\00:11:24.05 our thoughts and our hurts, but the Psalms will also provide 00:11:24.08\00:11:30.39 this feedback of hope and lead us to this wonderful message 00:11:30.42\00:11:35.62 that the Lord is coming and His judgment will not be late. 00:11:35.66\00:11:39.86 >>Eric: So it seems sometimes like wickedness is-- 00:11:39.89\00:11:43.06 >>Dragoslava: Prevailing. 00:11:43.10\00:11:44.40 >>Eric: ...is prevailing-- that's a good word. I like that. 00:11:44.43\00:11:46.90 And we look and we say, you know, 00:11:46.94\00:11:48.74 "How long, O Lord?" is that cry. 00:11:48.77\00:11:52.17 But in the book of Psalms, He helps us to understand that 00:11:52.21\00:11:54.51 there is light beyond the darkness, and if we can be 00:11:54.54\00:11:57.75 involved in that, then praise Him for it. 00:11:57.78\00:12:00.75 But even if we can't effect the change that we wish 00:12:00.78\00:12:04.09 that we could or can't undo some wickedness or injustice 00:12:04.12\00:12:07.49 that has been done, we can know that in the future, 00:12:07.52\00:12:10.66 things are going to work out better. 00:12:10.69\00:12:12.33 But we can in tangible ways make some difference today. 00:12:12.36\00:12:15.93 So this is a fantastic week that we're going through 00:12:15.96\00:12:18.43 here with God reigning and His sovereignty. 00:12:18.47\00:12:21.60 And we've mentioned this a couple of times already, 00:12:21.64\00:12:23.97 but if somebody wants to dig more deeply 00:12:24.01\00:12:25.71 into this and other subjects in the Psalms, talk about 00:12:25.74\00:12:28.94 the companion book for just a moment. 00:12:28.98\00:12:30.48 >>Dragoslava: Yes, the companion book, 00:12:30.51\00:12:32.28 a wonderful addition to the Sabbath school quarterly, 00:12:32.31\00:12:35.62 the Sabbath school guide, where you can follow, 00:12:35.65\00:12:38.72 week by week, what we do in this quarterly, 00:12:38.75\00:12:42.06 and then learn more in-depth information about the topics 00:12:42.09\00:12:47.30 and things mentioned in this quarterly, 00:12:47.36\00:12:50.40 or adult Bible study guide. 00:12:50.43\00:12:52.73 >>Eric: Thank you, Slava. 00:12:52.77\00:12:54.07 And if you are wanting to pick that up, 00:12:54.10\00:12:55.94 and I would strongly encourage you to do that, 00:12:55.97\00:12:58.54 it's very easy to do. 00:12:58.57\00:13:00.44 Simply go to itiswritten.shop. 00:13:00.48\00:13:03.28 That's itiswritten.shop, and you will there find 00:13:03.31\00:13:07.18 the companion book to this quarter's Sabbath school lesson. 00:13:07.22\00:13:10.75 Easy to pick up, easy to find, and easy to read through, 00:13:10.79\00:13:14.66 you will find so much more that will bring a great deal of depth 00:13:14.69\00:13:19.16 to your study of the book of Psalms. 00:13:19.19\00:13:21.06 We're going to continue in just a moment when we come back, 00:13:21.10\00:13:23.73 looking at God's reign. We'll be right back. 00:13:23.77\00:13:26.57 ¤¤¤ 00:13:26.60\00:13:29.60 >>John Bradshaw: It's the longest chapter 00:13:30.47\00:13:32.27 in all of the Bible: Psalm 119, 176 verses long, 00:13:32.31\00:13:39.58 with all but just a very few of those verses 00:13:39.61\00:13:42.58 speaking about the word of God. 00:13:42.62\00:13:46.39 Don't miss "Great Chapters of the Bible: Psalm 119" 00:13:46.42\00:13:50.79 and journey through this beautiful psalm. 00:13:50.83\00:13:54.03 The law of God, the statutes of God, 00:13:54.10\00:13:57.30 the commandments of God, the word of God 00:13:57.33\00:14:00.24 focused on by David, the writer of Psalm 119. 00:14:00.27\00:14:05.04 Psalm 119 gives us deep insights into not only the Word of God 00:14:05.07\00:14:09.58 but the faithfulness, the love, and the heart of a mighty God. 00:14:09.61\00:14:15.75 Don't miss "Great Chapters of the Bible: Psalm 119" 00:14:15.78\00:14:20.59 and grow your appreciation for the Word of God. 00:14:20.62\00:14:23.69 "Psalm 119," brought to you by It Is Written TV. 00:14:23.73\00:14:29.30 ¤¤¤ 00:14:30.97\00:14:32.93 >>Female announcer: Planning for your financial future 00:14:32.97\00:14:34.44 is a vital aspect of Christian stewardship. 00:14:34.47\00:14:38.17 For this reason, It Is Written is pleased to offer 00:14:38.21\00:14:41.18 free planned giving and estate services. 00:14:41.21\00:14:43.81 For information on how we can help you, 00:14:43.85\00:14:46.25 please call 800-992-2219. 00:14:46.28\00:14:51.05 Call today or visit our website: HisLegacy.com. 00:14:51.09\00:14:55.22 Call 800-992-2219. 00:14:55.26\00:14:59.29 ¤¤¤ 00:15:01.26\00:15:05.27 >>Eric: Welcome back to "Sabbath School," 00:15:05.30\00:15:06.84 brought to you by It Is Written. 00:15:06.87\00:15:08.27 We are looking at lesson number 3 00:15:08.30\00:15:10.31 about God's reign and His sovereignty. 00:15:10.34\00:15:13.88 Slava, we mentioned a moment ago about God's creatorship 00:15:13.91\00:15:19.41 and the fact that, really, everything in the Psalms 00:15:19.45\00:15:21.85 is making that assumption, that He is the Creator. 00:15:21.88\00:15:25.12 Why is that identity of God being the Creator 00:15:25.15\00:15:28.29 so very critical for us to understand? 00:15:28.32\00:15:30.83 >>Dragoslava: Yes, it is very critical because 00:15:30.86\00:15:33.96 it gives us identity, our true identity. 00:15:34.00\00:15:37.90 Today we hear from psychologists and social workers how people, 00:15:37.93\00:15:43.34 especially young people, struggle with identity, 00:15:43.37\00:15:46.98 with a sense of self-worth, finding purpose in life. 00:15:47.01\00:15:52.51 So, knowing that God is our Creator gives us identity 00:15:52.55\00:15:58.15 as being God's children. 00:15:58.19\00:16:00.56 And it led the Psalmist in Psalm 8 exclaim, 00:16:00.59\00:16:04.13 "How wonderfully I'm created," 00:16:04.16\00:16:07.83 and he rejoices in the fact that the Lord created him 00:16:07.86\00:16:11.57 the way He did. 00:16:11.60\00:16:13.44 So it gives us a sense of who we are. 00:16:13.47\00:16:16.24 It builds the sense of self-worth that we truly need, 00:16:16.27\00:16:21.51 and at the same time, it gives us humility because we realize 00:16:21.54\00:16:26.65 that we are not the center of the universe, 00:16:26.68\00:16:29.25 but it is God who gives everything that is. 00:16:29.28\00:16:33.19 So this self-reliance is so unnecessary. 00:16:33.22\00:16:38.33 We can rest and rejoice in the care and love 00:16:38.36\00:16:41.53 of our heavenly Father. 00:16:41.56\00:16:43.33 And also, God as Creator, understanding that fully 00:16:43.37\00:16:48.50 guard us against idolatry. 00:16:48.54\00:16:51.17 Because, as human beings, we have to put trust in something. 00:16:51.21\00:16:57.35 If it's not ourselves or our money, 00:16:57.38\00:17:00.45 our profession, then maybe it's politics, 00:17:00.48\00:17:03.79 the government, whatever, but we seek for an outward, 00:17:03.82\00:17:10.59 for an outside authority, to place our trust, 00:17:10.63\00:17:15.26 and all these things will disappoint us 00:17:15.30\00:17:18.90 at one point or another. 00:17:18.93\00:17:20.67 But God is our Creator. 00:17:20.70\00:17:23.07 He's the only one worthy of our trust, 00:17:23.10\00:17:26.74 and also it helps us appreciate God but also other people 00:17:26.78\00:17:31.68 because them now are not a product of evolution, where, 00:17:31.71\00:17:36.55 you know, through the fight of the fittest we win the prize. 00:17:36.58\00:17:39.99 They become my brothers and sisters, 00:17:40.02\00:17:42.29 God's children, just like myself. 00:17:42.32\00:17:44.83 It's a wonderful theme: God as Creator. 00:17:44.86\00:17:48.26 It's as important as God being the sovereign King. 00:17:48.30\00:17:52.27 >>Eric: You know, I think what you point out is 00:17:52.30\00:17:54.10 really important because it helps us to understand 00:17:54.14\00:17:56.34 a right relationship that we should have with other people. 00:17:56.37\00:17:59.14 We look around the world today-- probably don't have to look 00:17:59.17\00:18:01.88 very far, you know, turn on your favorite news channel 00:18:01.91\00:18:04.18 or pull up your favorite news app, and you see...discontent-- 00:18:04.21\00:18:08.68 I guess we'll put it that way. 00:18:08.72\00:18:10.15 And that's probably spoken very lightly, compared to 00:18:10.19\00:18:12.92 a lot of the things that are going on in the world today. 00:18:12.95\00:18:15.79 And much of that is because we don't understand 00:18:15.82\00:18:17.79 that we are brothers and sisters. 00:18:17.83\00:18:19.89 When much of the world is trying to teach us that we did evolve 00:18:19.93\00:18:23.26 through macroevolution and we're, you know, 00:18:23.30\00:18:26.17 so many cells that miraculously came together-- 00:18:26.20\00:18:30.24 well, "miraculously" is the wrong word-- 00:18:30.27\00:18:32.44 that by chance came together-- which is really a miracle-- 00:18:32.47\00:18:37.61 but by chance came together, and some have advantages, 00:18:37.65\00:18:40.95 and some have disadvantages. 00:18:40.98\00:18:42.45 It can, indeed, put us at odds with one another. 00:18:42.48\00:18:45.02 But understanding that God is our Creator, 00:18:45.05\00:18:48.56 that we have that same identity, that same relationship, 00:18:48.59\00:18:53.70 with one another, that we are all of one blood, 00:18:53.73\00:18:57.00 it really, it changes the playing field 00:18:57.03\00:19:00.44 on the planet, or at least it should, 00:19:00.47\00:19:03.51 if we all had that understanding. 00:19:03.54\00:19:06.27 But seeing that we are, indeed, created beings-- 00:19:06.31\00:19:08.74 you mentioned also that it's--we shouldn't be 00:19:08.78\00:19:11.75 so full of ourselves, but appreciating God 00:19:11.78\00:19:16.22 for what He has done in us and through us 00:19:16.25\00:19:19.72 and is continuing to do in us is really, really huge. 00:19:19.75\00:19:24.46 I want to come back to something we touched on 00:19:24.49\00:19:25.96 a little bit earlier, and that is judgment. 00:19:25.99\00:19:28.50 When we take a look at God's judgment, 00:19:28.53\00:19:30.37 we mentioned that God's judgment is good news, 00:19:30.40\00:19:32.80 and you hit on something in Wednesday's lesson. 00:19:32.83\00:19:36.07 The question is asked: "The theme of God's judgment prompts 00:19:36.10\00:19:38.24 "a significant question: How can God's people have peace with God 00:19:38.27\00:19:42.58 and assurance of salvation at the time of judgment?" 00:19:42.61\00:19:47.38 There are many Christians who struggle with this: 00:19:47.42\00:19:52.29 Am I good enough? Have I done enough? 00:19:52.32\00:19:57.16 And really, these are questions that are based 00:19:57.19\00:19:59.36 on a misunderstanding of salvation and lean 00:19:59.39\00:20:02.70 more toward a salvation-by-works approach. 00:20:02.73\00:20:05.77 But when we understand God's sovereignty and who He is 00:20:05.80\00:20:09.74 and His role in the judgment, how should that give us 00:20:09.77\00:20:14.71 encouragement, and how can we face the judgment 00:20:14.74\00:20:19.05 without the fear and trepidation 00:20:19.08\00:20:20.95 that so often embody people's thoughts 00:20:20.98\00:20:25.89 about the judgment or worries about the judgment? 00:20:25.92\00:20:28.29 >>Dragoslava: Yes, yes. Well, I will use 00:20:28.32\00:20:30.13 one simple illustration from everyday life 00:20:30.16\00:20:33.36 that I believe many can relate to. 00:20:33.40\00:20:36.50 I am married. 00:20:36.53\00:20:38.13 I love my husband, and I know that he loves me. 00:20:38.17\00:20:41.74 Being married means that we are in a covenantal 00:20:41.77\00:20:45.37 marital relationship. 00:20:45.41\00:20:47.91 Now, do we sometimes have some disagreements? 00:20:47.94\00:20:52.15 Am I allowed to say publicly "yes"? 00:20:52.18\00:20:56.15 But then am I to wonder, "Oh no, now my husband 00:20:56.18\00:21:00.69 "is going to leave me. 00:21:00.72\00:21:02.82 "He doesn't love me anymore because I told him-- 00:21:02.86\00:21:06.09 I was frustrated, and I said that." 00:21:06.13\00:21:07.96 Or maybe the lunch I prepared was not to the best 00:21:07.96\00:21:12.03 of his tasting and all, so am I to fear now he's going to leave, 00:21:12.07\00:21:17.41 he is going to love me less? Never. Why? 00:21:17.44\00:21:21.64 Because our relationship is based on much stronger 00:21:21.68\00:21:26.95 and bigger things than these little disagreements 00:21:26.98\00:21:30.95 we may have from time to time. And that is what? 00:21:30.99\00:21:34.36 Covenant faithfulness to that marital covenant, 00:21:34.39\00:21:38.16 and number two, love. 00:21:38.19\00:21:40.53 Now, if we human beings who are sinful and selfish by nature 00:21:40.56\00:21:45.37 implement these high values in our lives, 00:21:45.40\00:21:49.77 how much more God? 00:21:49.80\00:21:51.54 So the key word that makes God's judgment good news is covenant-- 00:21:51.57\00:21:57.98 or two words: God's covenant. 00:21:58.01\00:22:00.72 God is faithful to His covenant. 00:22:00.75\00:22:03.69 And we read in Psalm 94, which is a psalm about God's judgment, 00:22:03.72\00:22:10.39 in verse 14 and 15, "For the Lord will not cast off 00:22:10.43\00:22:16.13 His people, nor will He forsake"--or forget-- 00:22:16.16\00:22:21.04 "His inheritance. But judgment will return to righteousness, 00:22:21.07\00:22:25.87 and all the upright in heart will follow it." 00:22:25.91\00:22:29.18 In many other psalms, we read how God remembers 00:22:29.21\00:22:33.62 His covenant, and because He remembers His covenant, 00:22:33.65\00:22:37.22 He takes pity on His erring, sinful, repentant children. 00:22:37.25\00:22:43.36 And that's the wonderful news. 00:22:43.39\00:22:45.73 >>Eric: So that's something that we should spend more time 00:22:45.76\00:22:48.23 thinking about and less time worrying about, am I good enough 00:22:48.26\00:22:53.47 to be saved, am I ready to be saved? 00:22:53.50\00:22:56.07 We should all feel ready to be saved, by the grace of God. 00:22:56.10\00:22:59.41 But it's not by something that we are actively doing. 00:22:59.44\00:23:02.91 We're trusting in His goodness and His promises 00:23:02.94\00:23:07.28 that He's not going to forsake us. 00:23:07.32\00:23:09.28 If we've chosen Him and we've surrendered our lives 00:23:09.32\00:23:11.95 and ourselves to Him, then we're in that relationship 00:23:11.99\00:23:16.09 that we shouldn't spend time worrying so much. 00:23:16.12\00:23:18.99 On Thursday, you talk about 00:23:19.03\00:23:20.30 "Your testimonies are very sure." 00:23:20.33\00:23:23.06 And you give us a list of verses that we can read there 00:23:23.10\00:23:27.74 through the Psalms, and a common thread that runs through them: 00:23:27.77\00:23:31.57 If His testimonies are very sure, 00:23:31.61\00:23:34.08 why does that give us hope? 00:23:34.11\00:23:36.71 >>Dragoslava: It give us hope that God does not change. 00:23:36.75\00:23:40.22 They say that in psychology of education for children, 00:23:40.25\00:23:45.55 the worst--one of the worst-- things parents can do is to be 00:23:45.59\00:23:49.59 unreliable in what they demand or expect from their children. 00:23:49.62\00:23:54.96 So if it is one day "I want you to wash the dishes every day," 00:23:55.00\00:23:58.80 and then tomorrow, "I just don't care if you didn't," 00:23:58.83\00:24:01.44 say, "Ah, it's fine," the child is going to be confused. 00:24:01.47\00:24:04.77 Am I supposed to do this or that, or does it matter? 00:24:04.81\00:24:07.98 But with God, His word is sure. 00:24:08.01\00:24:11.45 His precepts are always right. God does not change. 00:24:11.48\00:24:15.58 His will, revealed in His Word and through His righteous laws, 00:24:15.62\00:24:21.06 are clear, and they do not change. 00:24:21.09\00:24:23.63 And by following them, we get this reassurance 00:24:23.66\00:24:27.96 that we are given guidance in this life. 00:24:27.96\00:24:31.70 The psalmist will say in Psalm 119 that 00:24:31.73\00:24:35.50 "Your word is [the] lamp to my feet." 00:24:35.54\00:24:38.97 In his culture, they literally had lamp attached to the feet 00:24:39.01\00:24:44.91 to help them see in the dark the path so that a snake 00:24:44.95\00:24:49.28 or some other dangers are not there. 00:24:49.32\00:24:51.89 So this firm Word of God, His righteous laws, 00:24:51.92\00:24:56.46 they give us direction, and we can rely on them. 00:24:56.49\00:25:00.96 >>Eric: So He's very consistent. >>Dragoslava: Yes. 00:25:01.00\00:25:03.77 >>Eric: You're right, one of the things, the challenges 00:25:03.80\00:25:05.27 that we face in this life is that life seems to be 00:25:05.30\00:25:07.44 inconsistent, but we can come back to God, and we can know 00:25:07.47\00:25:10.24 He is consistent, His Word doesn't change, 00:25:10.27\00:25:12.81 He doesn't change, and because of that 00:25:12.84\00:25:15.28 we can have confidence that He's going to do 00:25:15.31\00:25:16.78 what He's promised to do. 00:25:16.81\00:25:18.65 If somebody is concerned, they're worried 00:25:18.68\00:25:23.72 about themselves, about someone that they care about-- 00:25:23.75\00:25:27.42 more often than not they're worried about themselves 00:25:27.46\00:25:29.32 and their relationship--what kind of words of encouragement, 00:25:29.36\00:25:32.59 of hope would you give to that person to remind them 00:25:32.63\00:25:36.73 that our God reigns, 00:25:36.77\00:25:39.53 that He is on His throne, and that they don't need 00:25:39.57\00:25:43.24 to spend so much time worrying? 00:25:43.27\00:25:45.21 Maybe spend less time worrying and more time trusting? 00:25:45.24\00:25:47.94 >>Dragoslava: Yes, yes. Well, I can think 00:25:47.98\00:25:51.08 of many verses in the book of Psalms, 00:25:51.11\00:25:54.42 but I just remembered, when I heard your question, 00:25:54.45\00:25:57.62 Psalm 61, verse 2: "When my heart is overwhelmed; 00:25:57.65\00:26:04.59 lead me to the rock that is higher than I." 00:26:04.63\00:26:08.76 And I believe that today there are many people whose hearts 00:26:08.80\00:26:12.40 are overwhelmed. 00:26:12.43\00:26:14.20 If not because of our personal life situation, 00:26:14.24\00:26:18.51 then just by listening to the news and hearing 00:26:18.54\00:26:22.08 about the atrocities happening around the world. 00:26:22.11\00:26:25.31 It is just too overwhelming. 00:26:25.35\00:26:28.02 And we tend to sink and get deep into depression and sorrow 00:26:28.05\00:26:34.06 because we feel helpless. 00:26:34.09\00:26:36.96 However, the Psalms remind us that the Lord reigns. 00:26:36.99\00:26:41.30 He is the one who created us. 00:26:41.33\00:26:44.27 He's the one who sustains our lives. 00:26:44.30\00:26:47.14 And He's the one who, through His righteous judgments, 00:26:47.17\00:26:51.57 will redeem this world from all these evils 00:26:51.61\00:26:55.98 and sadness and atrocities. 00:26:56.01\00:26:58.81 And the prayer here that we read: 00:26:58.85\00:27:01.42 "Lead me to the rock that is higher than I." 00:27:01.45\00:27:06.35 Who is that rock? What is that rock? 00:27:06.39\00:27:08.62 It is the Lord. 00:27:08.66\00:27:10.29 In the Psalms, the Lord is pictured as 00:27:10.33\00:27:13.13 "the rock of my salvation." 00:27:13.16\00:27:15.80 What I love about this verse is that 00:27:15.83\00:27:18.93 that rock "is higher than I." 00:27:18.97\00:27:22.17 And, you know, when you are on a higher level, 00:27:22.20\00:27:24.94 you can see much bigger, broader, picture 00:27:24.97\00:27:28.54 than when you are down in the valley. 00:27:28.58\00:27:31.15 Let us remember that God is high, lifted up. 00:27:31.18\00:27:35.35 He sees the entire picture. 00:27:35.38\00:27:37.49 He sees your life. He sees this world. 00:27:37.52\00:27:40.29 >>Eric: Slava, thank you for that verse, 00:27:40.32\00:27:41.82 for those thoughts, for the something to dwell upon 00:27:41.86\00:27:44.86 and really draw close to our hearts. 00:27:44.89\00:27:47.76 They are encouraging words. 00:27:47.83\00:27:49.53 And thank you for joining us once again this week as we 00:27:49.56\00:27:52.90 have continued our journey through the book of Psalms. 00:27:52.93\00:27:55.47 We, of course, will be back again next week 00:27:55.50\00:27:58.44 with lesson number 4 as we learn more about Jesus 00:27:58.47\00:28:02.34 through the book of Psalms. 00:28:02.38\00:28:04.48 This has been "Sabbath School," 00:28:04.51\00:28:06.11 brought to you by It Is Written. 00:28:06.15\00:28:09.28 ¤¤¤ 00:28:09.32\00:28:13.32 ¤¤¤ 00:28:22.96\00:28:26.94 [Closed captioning by Aberdeen Captioning www.abercap.com] 00:28:26.97\00:28:29.64