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>>Eric Flickinger:
Welcome to "Sabbath School,"
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brought to you by It Is Written.
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We're glad that you could
join us for lesson number 6,
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"I Will Arise."
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Let's begin today with prayer.
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Father, thank You for bringing
us together again this week
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as we continue to look at the
Psalms and find encouragement
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and answers to the
challenging difficulties
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that we find in life.
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We ask that You'll
bless us and encourage us
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and help us to find
hope once again this week.
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And we thank You,
in Jesus' name, amen.
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Well, our guest
once again this week
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is Dr. Dragoslava Santrac.
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She has a PhD in Old Testament
and is absolutely thrilled
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to be sharing with us
about the book of Psalms.
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Slava, thank you for
being with us once again.
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>>Dragoslava Santrac:
Thank you for having me here.
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>>Eric: So we are now
looking at week number 6.
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We're almost
halfway through our studies
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in the book of Psalms.
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Last week, in week number 5,
we kind of dwelt upon the hope,
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or at least we
ended with the hope,
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that God is in
charge, that ultimately
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He's going to bring justice
and restoration and so forth.
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And what do the Psalms say makes
God kind of the ultimate hope
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that we have, and how does
He intervene in the challenges
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that we see going on
in the world right now?
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Where's the hope in that?
Or how do we find hope in that?
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>>Dragoslava: Well,
God's power as Creator
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and sovereign King and Judge
is unparalleled in this world.
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However, the key here
that the psalmist highlights
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so many times is
that God can be trusted,
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that He's reliable.
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So, not only that
He is able to do it,
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He is willing to do it,
and if we turn to Psalm 18,
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which is a beautiful song to
the God, the sovereign Savior,
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we read that the
psalmist is in deep trouble.
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He says that "the pangs
of death surrounded" him.
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And in the midst of all of that,
he proclaims a wonderful message
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in verse 30: "As for
God, His way is perfect;
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the word of the Lord is proven."
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Therefore, for the psalmist,
this is so very important
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to know, that
God is not just able,
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but that He has proven Himself
to be reliable and trustworthy.
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And we will see that
it's done through creation,
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and Psalm 18 employs
the language of creation,
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and we read about
the clouds and fire
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and thunders and seas and
the foundations of the world
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are uncovered and shaken
when God is coming to save
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and deliver His faithful people.
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So, this creation
language points to God's power,
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but also to His involvement
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with the world
that He's created.
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And in the midst of all of that,
His word is proven to be true.
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So God is faithful,
and that's the source
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of great hope
for all who believe.
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>>Eric: What about His
intervention here in this world?
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Again, sometimes people
get this idea that God is--
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He's God, He's off somewhere
in the universe doing His thing,
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and while He may not really
like what's happening here,
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He's a little bit distant,
a little bit removed from it.
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But that's not the picture
that we get here in Psalms,
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is it? >>Dragoslava: Yes.
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Well, we can maybe wonder,
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was the psalmist's
deliverance as dramatic
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as the psalmist
describes it in Psalm 18,
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where God shoots His
arrows and smoke went up
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from His nostrils, and
He's riding on the clouds?
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It's a very dramatic
scene, but we may wonder, is--
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did it really happen that way?
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Well, for someone
who was in deep trouble
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and seen and was a
witness of God's deliverance,
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it is as dramatic and wonderful
as it sounds in this psalm.
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Though God will
sometimes work in quiet ways
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through circumstances
that, to an unobservant person,
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may seem like
even a coincidence,
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but working behind
the scenes does not make
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God's intervention a
less intervention than it is.
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But yes, God
does answer prayers,
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and He does intervene in
the lives of His children.
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And those who have
experienced God's deliverance
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in various ways in their lives,
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they know that God is
living and that He is there.
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Though, sometimes,
God does call us to wait,
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but in His time, He will
appear; He will intervene.
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>>Eric: You know,
some of this language
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that you just shared
here, with the arrows
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and the smoke
coming out of His nostrils,
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you get this
picture that God is not a--
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He's not a
passive God; He's just--
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He's not in the background,
kind of in the shadows,
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but He's very much involved,
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and sometimes in
the book of Psalms
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you see this
depiction of Him as a warrior.
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Now, we may not always
think of God as a warrior.
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I think we view Him as powerful,
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but this warrior
imagery is something that maybe
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we could learn something
more about God's character.
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>>Dragoslava: Yes, yes.
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No, that's right,
and the picture of war
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and God as warrior,
it's a little bit strange,
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especially for us today.
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But again, let's
try to see this image
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from the point of
view of the oppressed,
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from the point of view of those
who suffer, who are imprisoned.
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They need a
warrior, not a weak God,
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and God is definitely
not weak. He is a warrior.
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He takes the sufferings
of His people seriously,
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and the image of
warrior points to the severity
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and urgency of God's response.
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And my favorite
image or portrayal of God
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as a warrior is in Psalm 98.
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And here we can learn about
the kind of warrior God is.
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"Oh, sing to
the Lord a new song!
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"For He has done
marvelous things;
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"His right hand and His holy
arm have gained Him the victory.
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"The Lord has made
known His salvation;
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"His
righteousness He has revealed
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in the sight of the nations."
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What kind of warrior is God?
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God is the warrior who
fights to bring salvation.
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The verse says that "the Lord
has made known His salvation."
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And also "His holy arm
has gained Him the victory."
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The word for, the Hebrew word
for "victory," "hoshiah" here,
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also means "salvation,"
so the Lord wages wars
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to bring salvation to people,
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to those who are oppressed
and to those who suffer.
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And what I also
find very encouraging
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and inspiring here
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is that the psalm
says that God gave--
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gained Him the victory
and made known His salvation.
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We may wonder, how is it
that God gained Him a victory?
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Did He need that victory?
Was the salvation for Himself?
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Well, obviously here
God is identifying Himself
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with the
oppressed, with the suffering,
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with His people,
meaning that their salvation
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is His salvation; His
victory is their victory.
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And there is also this
universalistic approach,
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universal salvation,
because "the earth," verse 3,
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"have seen the
salvation of...God.
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Shout joyfully to
the Lord, all the earth."
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So this is the kind of
warrior that we talk about
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when we speak of God as warrior.
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>>Eric: So it's a
warrior who connects Himself
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with those who are
going through the challenges,
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who maybe don't feel
that they have the power,
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they're in a position
where they feel powerless,
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but they can see that they
have a God who is all-powerful,
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who fights on their side
and fights on their behalf.
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The psalmist uses
a lot of these words,
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but did God always fight
on the side of the psalmist?
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Did the psalmist always receive
the answers to the prayers
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that he expected, that he hoped?
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My suspicion is it's
maybe not always what he hoped.
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>>Dragoslava: Yes, yes,
and I believe that many of us
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are wondering the same thing:
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Does God always intervene?
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And when we read the Psalms,
the Psalms are full of hope
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and confidence, and we
may get this idea that,
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"Well, it was
easy for the psalmist.
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Look, God would always
intervene immediately."
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But it was not always so.
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And many Psalms actually
tell us about that and teach us
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what to do in
situations like this.
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For example, Psalms 142,
if maybe someone is going
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through the
period of waiting on God
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and praying and
still not receiving
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the answer from God,
reading Psalms 142 and 143,
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these earnest
prayers for deliverance,
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and although the psalmist
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still does not have
the answer from God,
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he resolves to doing something.
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The psalmist is not passive.
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He's not being
depressed and worrying.
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Instead, he turns to
meditating and remembering:
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"I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all Your works;
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I muse on the
work of Your hand."
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And this is the continuation
of his plea for deliverance,
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and the psalmist now
turns to the sources of hope,
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which is God's
intervention in the past,
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and the triple repetition here:
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"I remember, I meditate, I muse"
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tells us of this fervent
need to draw closer to God.
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And then we also have
these beautiful expressions:
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"I muse on the
work of Your hand,"
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and then in the next verse,
the psalmist says "my hand"--
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Your hand, my hand.
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Then in verse 7: "my spirit."
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In verse 10, he
says: "Your Spirit."
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"Your hand, my hand,
my spirit, Your Spirit"--
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in these times of waiting,
the psalmist fervently wants
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to draw near, near to God.
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>>Eric: Yeah, and I
think God wants to see that.
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He longs to be close to us.
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He longs to be near us,
or, I mean, He is near us,
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He is close to us, but
He longs for us to recognize
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that He is near us and
that He is close to us,
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and sometimes,
unfortunately, we forget that,
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especially when we're
going through difficult times,
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through challenging times.
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But these are psalms
that can help us to see
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that we're not alone
when we feel...discouraged,
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when we feel that life
is against us, that they--
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whoever "they" happen to be--
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but they are making
our lives difficult.
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God's right there.
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And He wants us to
place our hands in His hands,
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and our spirit united with
His Spirit can give us hope
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and can give us encouragement.
00:12:18.90\00:12:20.84
These are some incredible
psalms we're looking at,
00:12:20.87\00:12:24.21
"I Will Arise."
00:12:24.24\00:12:25.94
And if you want to dig more into
00:12:25.97\00:12:27.94
this quarter's
Sabbath school lesson,
00:12:27.98\00:12:29.44
make sure that you
pick up the companion book
00:12:29.48\00:12:31.91
to this quarter's
Sabbath school lesson.
00:12:31.95\00:12:34.18
You will find it
at itiswritten.shop.
00:12:34.22\00:12:37.49
It's on, of
course, the book of Psalms,
00:12:37.52\00:12:39.45
and Dr. Martin
Klingbeil is the author,
00:12:39.49\00:12:41.99
and he is a
wealth of information
00:12:42.02\00:12:45.46
on the book of Psalms.
00:12:45.49\00:12:47.13
So between the study guide that
you're going through right now
00:12:47.20\00:12:50.50
and Dr. Klingbeil's book,
00:12:50.53\00:12:51.93
you're going to
find additional depth,
00:12:51.97\00:12:54.94
you're going to
find more meaning,
00:12:54.97\00:12:56.71
greater understanding
of the book of Psalms,
00:12:56.74\00:13:00.71
and through that, not
only will your own strength
00:13:00.74\00:13:03.45
or your own
walk be strengthened,
00:13:03.48\00:13:05.61
but you're going to find
that others will be as well
00:13:05.65\00:13:08.75
as you seek to
share encouragement
00:13:08.78\00:13:10.85
and hope with them.
00:13:10.89\00:13:12.22
We're going to be
back in just a moment
00:13:12.25\00:13:13.72
as we continue
looking at lesson number 6,
00:13:13.76\00:13:16.09
"I Will Arise."
00:13:16.12\00:13:17.56
¤¤¤
00:13:17.59\00:13:20.60
>>John Bradshaw: It's one of
the great stories of the Bible:
00:13:21.63\00:13:23.63
a shepherd boy against a giant.
00:13:23.67\00:13:25.63
It's a story that
speaks to your story:
00:13:25.67\00:13:28.14
human beings weakened by
years of sin up against an enemy
00:13:28.17\00:13:31.77
with years of experience in sin.
00:13:31.81\00:13:33.78
I'm John Bradshaw.
00:13:33.81\00:13:35.48
Join me on location in
Israel for "David and Goliath."
00:13:35.51\00:13:39.11
We'll go to the Valley
of Elah where the conflict
00:13:39.15\00:13:41.45
between Judah and the
Philistines took place.
00:13:41.48\00:13:43.89
We'll visit the stream
where David selected five stones
00:13:43.92\00:13:46.89
and see the
hillsides on which Israel
00:13:46.92\00:13:49.26
and the Philistines camped.
00:13:49.29\00:13:50.86
The Bible comes alive
in "David and Goliath":
00:13:50.89\00:13:53.83
faith in the face of darkness,
00:13:53.86\00:13:56.03
faith in the midst of
faithlessness and failure,
00:13:56.06\00:13:58.47
and reliance upon God
when all other hope is gone.
00:13:58.50\00:14:02.20
"David and Goliath,"
filmed on location in Israel.
00:14:02.24\00:14:05.84
Hope in the midst of trials,
the power of a mighty God,
00:14:05.87\00:14:09.94
deliverance when
deliverance is needed.
00:14:09.98\00:14:13.28
Don't miss "David and Goliath,"
00:14:13.31\00:14:15.85
brought to you
by It Is Written TV.
00:14:15.88\00:14:18.89
>>John: More and more people
are watching It Is Written TV.
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They're watching their favorite
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>>Eric: Welcome
back to "Sabbath School,"
00:14:56.16\00:14:57.79
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:14:57.83\00:14:59.36
We're continuing our
study of lesson number 6,
00:14:59.39\00:15:01.56
"I Will Arise."
00:15:01.60\00:15:03.47
Slava, let me ask
you this question.
00:15:03.50\00:15:05.10
It's clear that God
intervenes from time to time
00:15:05.13\00:15:08.20
in earth's history.
00:15:08.24\00:15:09.54
We know that He's
going to be intervening
00:15:09.57\00:15:11.07
when Jesus comes back again.
00:15:11.11\00:15:13.98
But are there times
when God expects His people--
00:15:14.01\00:15:17.11
you, me, others--
to play an active role
00:15:17.15\00:15:21.18
in the restorative work
00:15:21.22\00:15:22.75
that He is doing
here on Planet Earth?
00:15:22.78\00:15:25.55
Where do we fit in to all this,
00:15:25.59\00:15:27.56
or is He just kind of
doing everything on His own,
00:15:27.59\00:15:29.62
and we just hope for the best?
00:15:29.66\00:15:32.13
>>Dragoslava: Yes, well,
sometimes it becomes so easy
00:15:32.16\00:15:35.10
to take the Psalms and
other parts of the Bible,
00:15:35.13\00:15:39.67
where God speaks
about His intervention
00:15:39.70\00:15:42.07
and His acts of
salvation and deliverance,
00:15:42.10\00:15:45.07
to take all
these verses and serve
00:15:45.11\00:15:48.71
as a kind of excuse
for us to do nothing.
00:15:48.74\00:15:52.61
Why? Because God
will do everything.
00:15:52.65\00:15:55.35
However, the Psalms do
not give us this excuse
00:15:55.38\00:16:00.79
to give over to
God our responsibility,
00:16:00.82\00:16:05.13
and we do play
a significant part
00:16:05.16\00:16:07.66
and have a responsibility
when it comes to the deliverance
00:16:07.73\00:16:11.57
and seeking justice
and restoring the world
00:16:11.60\00:16:14.87
to what God wants it to be.
00:16:14.90\00:16:16.84
And we can mention
several psalms in this context.
00:16:16.87\00:16:20.61
For example, Psalm 41,
00:16:20.64\00:16:23.78
it says, "Blessed is
he who considers the poor;
00:16:23.81\00:16:28.35
"the Lord will deliver
him in [the] time of trouble.
00:16:28.38\00:16:32.45
"The Lord will
preserve him and keep him alive,
00:16:32.49\00:16:35.59
and he will be
blessed on the earth."
00:16:35.62\00:16:38.29
So here we see that
the Lord puts together
00:16:38.33\00:16:42.96
our consideration for the poor,
00:16:43.00\00:16:46.60
our work on alleviating
suffering in the world,
00:16:46.63\00:16:50.81
with our own salvation
and blessing and wellbeing.
00:16:50.84\00:16:54.71
"Blessed is the one
who considers the poor."
00:16:54.74\00:16:57.91
So we are to consider the
poor; we are to be involved
00:16:57.95\00:17:01.92
in the work of
helping the unfortunate
00:17:01.95\00:17:05.15
and restoring the
justice in the world.
00:17:05.19\00:17:08.02
And then Psalm 82,
00:17:08.06\00:17:10.69
this is an excellent,
excellent psalm that speaks
00:17:10.73\00:17:15.56
about our responsibility
in God's work on this earth.
00:17:15.60\00:17:21.57
And it is the
psalm, a plea for justice,
00:17:21.60\00:17:24.77
and we see God
standing "in the congregation
00:17:24.81\00:17:28.24
of the mighty,"
and then it says,
00:17:28.28\00:17:31.38
"He judges among the gods."
00:17:31.41\00:17:34.58
A very
interesting choice of words.
00:17:34.62\00:17:37.85
Why would God call the gods?
00:17:37.89\00:17:41.56
Why is He
judging among the gods?
00:17:41.59\00:17:43.66
And then we are
trying to understand
00:17:43.69\00:17:46.03
the identity of
these gods, and God says,
00:17:46.06\00:17:48.83
"How long will
you judge unjustly,
00:17:48.86\00:17:52.50
"and show
partiality to the wicked?
00:17:52.53\00:17:55.37
"Defend the poor and fatherless;
00:17:55.40\00:17:57.87
"do justice to the
afflicted and [the] needy.
00:17:57.91\00:18:00.98
"Deliver the poor and needy;
00:18:01.01\00:18:03.21
free them from the
hand of the wicked."
00:18:03.24\00:18:06.92
And these are all requirements
we find in Deuteronomy
00:18:06.95\00:18:10.79
and requirements that God
had of His leaders and judges,
00:18:10.82\00:18:15.66
but, by extent, of
His people as well.
00:18:15.69\00:18:18.96
So, God expects His
people to be involved.
00:18:18.99\00:18:22.33
But it's interesting that
God calls the judges "gods."
00:18:22.36\00:18:26.94
And there is a
whole poetic ambiguity
00:18:26.97\00:18:29.94
and wordplay in this psalm
00:18:29.97\00:18:32.97
where God is calling people
who think they have authority
00:18:33.01\00:18:37.58
and behave as if they are gods
because they are above the law,
00:18:37.61\00:18:42.45
or they think that
they're above the law.
00:18:42.48\00:18:44.52
But then God says, "I'm the one
who will stand and judge you."
00:18:44.55\00:18:49.52
And then later it
says, "You are gods....
00:18:49.56\00:18:52.63
But you shall die like
men." So you think you are gods.
00:18:52.66\00:18:56.40
You do have this
authority and privilege from me
00:18:56.43\00:18:59.77
to serve as leaders,
00:18:59.80\00:19:01.60
but if you don't use
it justly and correctly,
00:19:01.64\00:19:05.51
you will die like mere
men because that's exactly
00:19:05.54\00:19:08.94
what you are.
00:19:08.98\00:19:10.61
No one is above the law.
00:19:10.65\00:19:12.85
>>Eric: That
really helps, I think,
00:19:12.88\00:19:14.45
put everybody right
where they ought to be,
00:19:14.48\00:19:17.22
because there
are some people today
00:19:17.25\00:19:18.92
who are in
positions of authority
00:19:18.95\00:19:20.76
who may do things
that are out of line
00:19:20.79\00:19:25.93
with God's will--
we'll put it that way--
00:19:25.96\00:19:27.96
and think that they don't
have to answer to anybody.
00:19:27.96\00:19:30.40
Well, ultimately,
what it sounds like here is
00:19:30.43\00:19:32.17
that God is going
to-- He's going to be just,
00:19:32.20\00:19:35.47
He's going to bring
fairness and justice in the end.
00:19:35.50\00:19:40.34
How much should
we be involved in?
00:19:40.38\00:19:42.98
Where--is there a line between--
can we try to do God's work?
00:19:43.01\00:19:47.58
Or where does our work end?
00:19:47.62\00:19:50.52
Is there--or do
the two work together?
00:19:50.55\00:19:53.66
Is there a hard
line between God's work
00:19:53.69\00:19:55.79
and our work, or is
He trying to help us
00:19:55.82\00:19:58.93
find ways to work in concert
with Him as we try to relieve
00:19:58.96\00:20:03.43
the pain and the suffering
of the needy and the poor?
00:20:03.47\00:20:07.07
How does that all work together?
00:20:07.10\00:20:08.50
>>Dragoslava: Well, you
already hinted it correctly,
00:20:08.54\00:20:11.44
that this is
combined work with God.
00:20:11.47\00:20:15.28
It is not us who
are doing our work;
00:20:15.31\00:20:18.48
it is us
joining God in His work.
00:20:18.51\00:20:21.88
And that's why
prayer is very important
00:20:21.92\00:20:24.79
and seeking God's will
00:20:24.82\00:20:26.69
because we don't want
to have projects of our own
00:20:26.72\00:20:30.53
and trying to
impress God and people.
00:20:30.56\00:20:33.50
We ask God, humbly, to give
us the opportunity and show us
00:20:33.53\00:20:39.13
the ways how we can join
Him in His work of restoration.
00:20:39.17\00:20:43.84
And God will lead us.
00:20:43.87\00:20:45.51
God will open the doors and
give the opportunities for that.
00:20:45.54\00:20:50.18
>>Eric: So we're talking about
helping those who are in need.
00:20:50.21\00:20:53.45
The term "social justice" is
frequently talked of these days.
00:20:53.48\00:21:00.92
How does social justice fit
with what we're talking about?
00:21:00.96\00:21:04.13
Are they kind
of part and parcel?
00:21:04.16\00:21:06.46
Are they separate?
Are they different?
00:21:06.49\00:21:08.23
How does this all
fit together in Psalms?
00:21:08.26\00:21:10.43
>>Dragoslava:
Well, in the Psalms,
00:21:10.47\00:21:11.60
there is no such
term as "social justice."
00:21:11.63\00:21:14.87
I'm not sure if that
phrase appears in the Bible.
00:21:14.90\00:21:18.17
"Social justice"
is something that,
00:21:18.21\00:21:20.48
in these modern times,
we like to talk about a lot.
00:21:20.51\00:21:24.15
Because for the
psalmist, justice,
00:21:24.18\00:21:27.35
social justice, what
we call social justice,
00:21:27.38\00:21:30.19
is an inevitable
part of personal piety.
00:21:30.22\00:21:34.56
That's not a
separate thing that we do.
00:21:34.59\00:21:37.93
Oh, we serve God here,
00:21:37.96\00:21:40.43
but then we remember
that there is something
00:21:40.46\00:21:42.56
called "social justice,"
00:21:42.60\00:21:44.33
and then we go and
do it sporadically.
00:21:44.37\00:21:46.94
Doing social justice,
taking care of our communities,
00:21:46.97\00:21:50.37
helping people, being involved,
00:21:50.41\00:21:53.81
is what piety, faith
in action is all about.
00:21:53.84\00:21:58.68
And that's why
we see in the Psalms
00:21:58.71\00:22:01.15
that what we call
social justice and worship
00:22:01.18\00:22:04.42
are tied very closely together.
00:22:04.45\00:22:07.59
And we can point to certain
psalms and read about that.
00:22:07.62\00:22:12.29
>>Eric: So, what might that
look like in practical terms?
00:22:12.33\00:22:16.53
Let's say I'm living my
life, and I happen to see
00:22:16.56\00:22:20.20
an opportunity to help someone.
00:22:20.24\00:22:22.90
How might that play itself out,
00:22:22.94\00:22:25.21
and how would that be
an extension, a connection
00:22:25.24\00:22:28.68
of my worship with God?
00:22:28.71\00:22:30.71
>>Dragoslava: Well, let's go
and check some of the Psalms,
00:22:30.75\00:22:33.95
especially Psalms 15 and
24 can help us in that regard,
00:22:33.98\00:22:40.16
where we see that
what you mentioned, Eric,
00:22:40.19\00:22:43.32
is a way of
life, is not something
00:22:43.36\00:22:46.93
that we necessarily think about.
00:22:46.96\00:22:49.86
It is the way we
respond, almost naturally,
00:22:49.90\00:22:53.17
because we live at
the center of God's will
00:22:53.20\00:22:56.24
and His Spirit.
00:22:56.27\00:22:58.11
And we read here in Psalm 15,
00:22:58.14\00:23:02.48
"Who may abide in
Your tabernacle, Lord?
00:23:02.51\00:23:06.25
Who may dwell
in Your holy hill?"
00:23:06.28\00:23:10.22
So, therefore, if we are
to abide in God's presence,
00:23:10.25\00:23:13.49
then verse 2 says,
"He who walks uprightly,
00:23:13.52\00:23:17.59
"and works righteousness,
00:23:17.63\00:23:19.69
"and speaks the
truth in his heart;
00:23:19.73\00:23:22.53
"he who does not
backbite with his tongue,
00:23:22.56\00:23:25.47
"nor does evil to his neighbor,
00:23:25.50\00:23:28.70
"nor does he take up a
reproach against his friend;
00:23:28.74\00:23:33.41
"in whose eyes a
vile person is despised,
00:23:33.44\00:23:37.28
but he honors
those who fear God,"
00:23:37.31\00:23:40.12
et cetera, et cetera.
00:23:40.15\00:23:41.32
And then he does not take money
from the innocent, and then,
00:23:41.35\00:23:46.69
"He who does these
things shall never be moved."
00:23:46.72\00:23:50.46
So in order to
abide in God's presence,
00:23:50.49\00:23:53.43
we need to live and
we live like God lives:
00:23:53.46\00:23:58.70
His values, His
character is reflected in us.
00:23:58.73\00:24:03.14
Or Psalm 24, just briefly:
00:24:03.17\00:24:06.31
"Who may ascend into
the hill of the Lord?
00:24:06.34\00:24:10.58
"Or who may stand
in His holy place?
00:24:10.61\00:24:14.32
"He who has clean
hands and a pure heart,
00:24:14.35\00:24:17.82
"who has not lifted
up his soul to an idol,
00:24:17.85\00:24:21.29
"nor sworn deceitfully.
00:24:21.32\00:24:24.09
He shall receive [the] blessing
from the Lord," et cetera.
00:24:24.13\00:24:27.60
So, ethical choices that we make
in life are part of worship.
00:24:27.66\00:24:32.77
And what we do in our
everyday life opportunities
00:24:32.80\00:24:36.54
that God places on our path,
00:24:36.57\00:24:39.74
we should not
take them as something
00:24:39.77\00:24:41.68
that happened by chance.
00:24:41.71\00:24:44.25
It is maybe God who placed them.
00:24:44.28\00:24:46.38
If we remember Jesus,
when the people asked,
00:24:46.41\00:24:49.35
"Lord, When did
we see You in prison?
00:24:49.38\00:24:52.65
When did we see You naked
or hungry and helped You?"
00:24:52.69\00:24:56.46
What did Jesus say?
00:24:56.49\00:24:58.49
"When you did to the
least of these children of mine,
00:24:58.53\00:25:02.03
you did it to me," yes.
00:25:02.06\00:25:04.63
>>Eric: You know, in
joining hands with God,
00:25:04.67\00:25:07.47
if I can use
that imagery in this,
00:25:07.50\00:25:10.17
not only are we helping
others, but in helping others,
00:25:10.21\00:25:15.54
I'm going to assume
that there's a benefit
00:25:15.58\00:25:18.45
to ourselves, that
somehow that helps us.
00:25:18.48\00:25:21.55
How can--what's the
benefit to us in helping others?
00:25:21.58\00:25:27.22
>>Dragoslava: Well, as Psalm 41,
00:25:27.26\00:25:29.59
when we partner with
God in doing these things,
00:25:29.62\00:25:33.93
we ourselves are blessed
00:25:33.96\00:25:36.26
because we are
brought closer to God.
00:25:36.30\00:25:39.10
We get to
understand who God really is
00:25:39.13\00:25:41.90
and what His mission in
this world is all about.
00:25:41.94\00:25:45.91
We get
strengthened, we get restored,
00:25:45.94\00:25:49.78
we get encouraged,
00:25:49.81\00:25:51.38
and we learn to be thankful and
satisfied in all circumstances.
00:25:51.41\00:25:57.05
Like the apostle Paul said,
00:25:57.09\00:25:59.05
"I know how to have
plenty and to have little,"
00:25:59.09\00:26:02.62
because we partner with
God, and we understand the path
00:26:02.66\00:26:06.63
that Jesus went through,
and we are following Him.
00:26:06.66\00:26:11.07
>>Eric: Slava, if somebody
was kind of thinking right now,
00:26:11.10\00:26:14.90
"I know of an
opportunity. What should I do?"
00:26:14.94\00:26:19.31
How would you
encourage them in that?
00:26:19.34\00:26:21.58
>>Dragoslava: Yes,
well, I would tell them--
00:26:21.61\00:26:23.95
I would tell you
to join the psalmist
00:26:23.98\00:26:27.75
and not remain silent
in the face of injustices
00:26:27.78\00:26:32.29
and oppression.
00:26:32.32\00:26:33.69
Raise your
voices in prayer to God
00:26:33.72\00:26:37.59
and ask God for
the opportunities
00:26:37.63\00:26:40.40
and for these
wonderful privileges
00:26:40.43\00:26:43.26
to join with Him
and partner with Him
00:26:43.30\00:26:46.84
in doing His work in this world.
00:26:46.87\00:26:49.80
And let Psalm 72 serve
as both as encouragement
00:26:49.84\00:26:56.61
and guidance to us.
00:26:56.64\00:26:59.11
"For He"--the Lord--
00:26:59.15\00:27:00.62
"will deliver the needy
when he cries, the poor also,
00:27:00.65\00:27:05.15
"and him who has no helper.
00:27:05.19\00:27:07.56
"He will spare the
poor and [the] needy,
00:27:07.59\00:27:10.56
"and will save the
souls of the needy.
00:27:10.59\00:27:13.93
"He will redeem their
life from [the] oppression
00:27:13.96\00:27:17.23
and violence; and precious shall
be their blood in His sight."
00:27:17.27\00:27:22.80
It is both an encouragement
of our deliverance,
00:27:22.84\00:27:25.74
but also a call for us
to join God in His work
00:27:25.77\00:27:29.78
of deliverance of people.
00:27:29.81\00:27:31.95
>>Eric: Slava, thank you
for helping us to see today
00:27:31.98\00:27:33.95
how we can join hands with
God in helping His children
00:27:33.98\00:27:37.69
who are going
through challenging times.
00:27:37.72\00:27:39.89
We hope that you
also have been encouraged
00:27:39.92\00:27:42.19
as you've seen
how we can link hands,
00:27:42.22\00:27:45.23
link arms with God and
be a blessing to others.
00:27:45.26\00:27:48.10
We're going to
continue our study of the Psalms
00:27:48.13\00:27:50.57
next week as we
look at lesson number 7,
00:27:50.60\00:27:53.23
and we look forward to
having you join us as well.
00:27:53.27\00:27:55.60
This has been "Sabbath School,"
00:27:55.64\00:27:56.97
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:27:57.01\00:27:58.84
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