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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 again as we continue
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this journey
through the book of Psalms.
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We're on lesson number
10 of 13, so we're almost
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at the end of the
quarter but not there yet.
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The title of this week's lesson
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is "Lessons from the
Past." What can we learn
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from the past that
will help us in the present
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and prepare us for the future?
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That's what we're
going to be looking at today.
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But first, we're
going to start with prayer.
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Father, we want to thank You
for leading us on this journey
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so far. You have been in
the present, in the past,
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You're going to
be in the future,
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and we ask that You
will guide us through today
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as we learn more
about what is to come.
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We thank You in
Jesus' name, amen.
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Well, today, we're
joined once again by the author
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of this quarter's
"Sabbath School" lesson.
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This is Dr. Dragoslava Santrac.
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We're delighted to
have you back again, Slava.
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Thank you so much.
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>>Dragoslava Santrac: Thank
you, and I'm happy to be here.
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>>Eric: Now, as we've been
studying for the last 10 weeks,
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it's very clear
that you love the Psalms.
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There's so much in the Psalms,
so many lessons to learn,
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so much hope, so
much encouragement,
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especially when we're
going through challenging times.
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This week, we're taking a
look at a different element
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of the Psalms, and
that is a historical element
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of the Psalms. There are some
psalms that are certainly songs,
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and we've looked at
some elements of that.
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But there are also psalms that
are more historical in nature.
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How do they differ
from the other psalms,
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and what benefit
do they have to us?
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>>Dragoslava: Yes, well,
praise of God in some psalms
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takes a trajectory
of teaching history
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and drawing
valuable lessons from them.
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So they are a little
bit different from a typical
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hymn of praise or maybe
a typical prayer or lament,
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so they have this didactic
purpose, to teach something.
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And this is an element that
I believe sometimes we forget,
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that part of praising God
is also understanding His truth
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and living in truth.
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So, "Lessons of the Past"
and these historical psalms
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are very valuable.
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There are a couple of them
that are purely historical,
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like Psalm 78,
105, 106, 136, 135,
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and in these psalms
the psalmists retell
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the salvific history, the
past, and to teach the people
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certain lessons, also inspire
people about God's faithfulness
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to His people
throughout all these years
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in various
generations, the ups and downs.
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So, learning from
the past is crucial.
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And also I would like to add,
another very important thing,
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is that when we read
the historical psalms,
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we realize, and they are
meant to help us realize,
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that we are part of that
grand unfolding of history
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of God's people, that we
are not some lonely rangers
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in these generations,
but then that we become
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and we are part of a
large community of faith
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that goes through
generations and centuries,
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and that we can claim
biblical history as our history.
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So it is not
their father Abraham;
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it is also my father Abraham.
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It's not just
their Moses lawgiver;
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it is my Moses the prophet.
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It's not just their King David.
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In Jesus Christ, it
is my King David as well.
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So, biblical
history is also my heritage.
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It provides to me
insight into my spiritual roots,
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and this is one
very important aspect
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that these psalms
want to underline for us.
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>>Eric: So you made mention of
a couple of different examples
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there of Father
Abraham and David and others.
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What are some of
your favorite elements
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of those historical
psalms that have uplifted you
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and given you encouragement
as you see yourself
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in part of that
history? >>Dragoslava: Yes, yes.
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For example, we
can look at Psalm 78.
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It's a long
psalm; it has 72 verses.
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And it takes us on a
journey through the history
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of God's people, starting
with the covenant in Jacob,
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then through Exodus to
the time of the wilderness.
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And through all
these texts and verses,
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we read about God's
faithfulness being challenged
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by people's
unfaithfulness, and we read how
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God blesses His children,
but then, verse 11, it says,
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"And [they] forgot
His works and His wonders
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"that He had shown them.
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Marvelous things He did in
the sight of their fathers."
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And then he says, "He
divided the sea and caused them
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to pass through."
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But then, the next generation
has a tendency to forget,
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and you see when people
forget, with that forgetfulness
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also comes forgetting your
own identity and forgetting
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about God in the present,
and that led them to idolatry.
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So what I find fascinating,
and even encouraging here,
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is that in spite of our
weaknesses and our tendency
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to take God's
blessings for granted
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and even forget them,
God does not forget us.
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And when I sin, I
realize the people before me--
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I need to be humble and not try
to be a superhero when I'm not,
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to be better than
others, because I'm not.
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I find consolation
that when other people,
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my spiritual
ancestors, sinned and failed,
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that whenever they
sought God, God revealed Himself
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and forgave them
and led them further.
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So this is a great comfort.
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It teaches us humility,
but it also encourage us
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in God's grace and
mercy, in His faithfulness.
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>>Eric: So we don't have
to feel that we are alone
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in stumbling and
falling-- >>Dragoslava: Yes.
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>>Eric: ...that in history, many
others have stumbled and fallen,
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and, not that we should
feel comfortable in that--
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>>Dragoslava: Exactly.
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>>Eric: ...but we should
recognize that there is hope
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for us, just as
there was hope for them.
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What do the Psalms
teach us about remembrance?
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In what ways did God's people,
in the Psalms, remember history?
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How did they do that?
>>Dragoslava: Yes, yes.
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There are constant
appeals, not just in the Psalms,
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the several psalms I
mentioned-- 105, 106, 135, 136--
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but throughout the Bible
there is these constant appeals
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to remember God's
great deeds in the past.
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Why? Because
that's our identity.
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Our identity is
shaped by our past.
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Once we forget our
roots, we become an easy target
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for whoever and whatever
ideology is there to grab us
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and claim our devotion.
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But when we know who
we are and whose we are,
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then we have this
protection against temptation,
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against idolatry, against
all these things that are there
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to separate us from God.
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And the Bible would say,
for example, in Deuteronomy,
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"Remember the days of old,
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"consider the years
of many generations.
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"Ask your father,
and he will show you;
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your elders, and
they will tell you."
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It is important. It also
establishes and strengthens
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the fellowship
between various generations.
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Sometimes we speak about
young people not being able
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to fully identify with their
faith today, with their church.
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Well, elders, fathers,
mothers, share your experiences
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with the young people.
Show them where their roots are.
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Tell them who they
are and whose they are.
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>>Eric: I think
that's important,
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those two things, the who
they are and whose they are,
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because when we
understand whose we are,
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that's a whole different--that's
no longer just educational.
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That's very personal, when we
realize that we belong to Jesus,
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very, very personal.
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When you look at the stories
of people's history in here
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and how frequently
Jesus quoted from the Psalms,
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and other Bible
writer-- New Testament writers
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quoted from the Psalms,
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it seems to me that they
had a pretty good idea of who
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they were and whose they were
as they looked at the Psalms.
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If there's somebody who's
watching right now and thinking,
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"I love Jesus,
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"I believe in Him, at least,
but I'm still a little bit shaky
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on some things," what
might you share with them,
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a word of encouragement here
from the Psalms to help them
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connect to their
identity, whose they are?
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>>Dragoslava: Yes, yes. Well,
education is very important,
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and when I say education,
I mean informing ourselves,
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learning about that past.
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This is something that God
cannot and will not do for us.
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He has given us His Word,
and the Psalms even--if we think
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that the Old
Testament is too long to read,
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well, the Psalms give us
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the history of the Old
Testament in a nutshell.
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So if you want to
inform yourselves,
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educate yourself in the
history of God's people,
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which is your history
because you're the child of God,
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I encourage you
to read Psalm 78,
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to read Psalm 105, 106.
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There, in a nutshell, you
will find all the main events
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of the history in the
Old Testament that tell us
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about our roots and also
provide valuable lessons to us
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where we can learn
from the shortcomings
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from, of our
spiritual forefathers,
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but also learn the
lessons of obedience
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when they were blessed.
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So these psalms really are
educational and given to us
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for our benefit, for
our upbringing in faith.
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>>Eric: You know,
it's been said that people
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"who don't learn from history
are doomed to repeat it."
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And you look at some of
the history of God's people,
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there's some of that
that we don't want to repeat.
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They've kind of
wandered down the wrong path;
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they have
histories of rebellion.
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You see a kind of a
rollercoaster experience
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for some.
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I don't think we desire to have
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that rollercoaster
experience in faith.
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We desire to have a
nice steady, firm faith,
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and maybe even one
that's on an incline.
00:12:03.65\00:12:05.99
But if we don't
know the history,
00:12:06.02\00:12:08.89
if we don't know who we are,
if we don't know whose we are,
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then we have a--there's a
very high likelihood that,
00:12:12.39\00:12:16.16
like you mentioned, ideologies
can come in and take us away,
00:12:16.20\00:12:23.14
and even, more than us,
people that we care about,
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people that we love,
children or brothers or sisters.
00:12:26.41\00:12:30.31
The adversary is very
hard at work, but so is God.
00:12:30.35\00:12:33.42
>>Dragoslava: Yes, exactly.
00:12:33.45\00:12:34.98
>>Eric: That's
the encouraging thing.
00:12:35.02\00:12:36.32
>>Dragoslava: And people,
we all search for answers.
00:12:36.35\00:12:39.75
We all want to know
answers to these questions.
00:12:39.79\00:12:42.89
And whose answer are
we--answers are we to adopt,
00:12:42.92\00:12:47.86
if not from the
One who loves us,
00:12:47.86\00:12:50.93
created us, and redeemed us?
00:12:50.97\00:12:53.07
The One who
constantly remembers His people,
00:12:53.10\00:12:57.44
even when they so
stubbornly forget Him.
00:12:57.47\00:13:01.24
>>Eric: Yeah, and unfortunately,
we're good at that.
00:13:01.28\00:13:03.75
>>Dragoslava: Yes, yes.
>>Eric: We're very good at that.
00:13:03.78\00:13:06.11
We are going to continue
taking a look at history
00:13:06.15\00:13:09.58
in the book of Psalms,
but if you wanna get more
00:13:09.62\00:13:12.45
out of your study
of the book of Psalms,
00:13:12.49\00:13:14.66
make sure that you pick
up the companion book to
00:13:14.69\00:13:16.96
this quarter's "Sabbath School"
lesson at itiswritten.shop.
00:13:16.99\00:13:21.10
Make sure you go
to itiswritten.shop.
00:13:21.13\00:13:23.40
You'll find the book there.
00:13:23.43\00:13:24.77
Pick it up, and you will be
blessed indeed as you study it.
00:13:24.80\00:13:28.97
We look forward to
seeing you back in just a moment
00:13:29.00\00:13:30.71
as we continue
looking at the Psalms.
00:13:30.74\00:13:33.34
¤¤¤
00:13:33.38\00:13:36.38
>>Male announcer: It
has followed God's people
00:13:38.08\00:13:39.85
since the dawn of time.
00:13:39.88\00:13:41.52
Under the pharaohs of Egypt,
00:13:41.55\00:13:43.89
the decree against the
Jews in the time of Esther,
00:13:45.99\00:13:48.99
Herod's decree against
baby boys in the time of Jesus,
00:13:51.33\00:13:55.43
and Jesus said many of His
followers would be persecuted.
00:13:55.46\00:14:00.77
The Roman emperor
Diocletian took persecution
00:14:00.80\00:14:03.84
to a whole new level.
00:14:03.87\00:14:06.64
Houses of
worship were destroyed,
00:14:06.68\00:14:09.88
and Christians who
refused to sacrifice to the gods
00:14:09.91\00:14:12.78
were put to death.
00:14:12.81\00:14:15.18
History has a
habit of repeating,
00:14:15.22\00:14:18.22
and the Bible makes clear that
when it comes to persecution,
00:14:18.25\00:14:21.72
history is going to repeat.
00:14:21.76\00:14:24.73
¤¤¤
00:14:24.76\00:14:26.96
Don't miss "History
Repeats" on itiswritten.tv.
00:14:27.00\00:14:31.97
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¤¤¤
00:15:08.20\00:15:12.44
>>Eric: Welcome
back to "Sabbath School,"
00:15:12.47\00:15:14.04
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:15:14.08\00:15:15.71
We're taking a look
at history in the Psalms.
00:15:15.74\00:15:18.98
Slava, let me ask
you this question.
00:15:19.01\00:15:21.78
How does remembering the past
lead to repentance and praise
00:15:21.82\00:15:27.29
of God because, as we remember
Him, hopefully it helps us
00:15:27.32\00:15:31.86
to realize where we are
and who we are and our need.
00:15:31.89\00:15:35.30
>>Dragoslava: Yes, yes.
00:15:35.33\00:15:36.67
When we read the
Psalms, the historical psalms
00:15:36.70\00:15:39.60
especially, that share
about the various mistakes
00:15:39.63\00:15:43.61
and shortcomings of God's
people and they also explain
00:15:43.64\00:15:48.51
why that happened, we
learn something for ourselves.
00:15:48.54\00:15:52.85
Maybe we will recognize
some things that we have been
00:15:52.88\00:15:56.42
repeating
without knowing or maybe
00:15:56.45\00:15:59.75
because of the stubbornness
of our heart, but either way,
00:15:59.79\00:16:03.59
recognizing these things
will lead us to repentance,
00:16:03.63\00:16:09.36
especially when we see
how gracious and kind God is
00:16:09.40\00:16:13.97
in not giving up on people.
00:16:14.00\00:16:16.94
>>Eric: So He has
forgiven people in the past.
00:16:16.97\00:16:19.81
And when we fall
short, we can look back at Him
00:16:19.84\00:16:23.55
and His forgiveness
of others and know that
00:16:23.58\00:16:25.95
there is some hope for us.
00:16:25.98\00:16:28.02
But that repentance--that
repentance comes by the moving
00:16:28.05\00:16:32.55
of the Holy Spirit. And as
we're spending time in His Word,
00:16:32.59\00:16:35.66
especially in something
like the book of Psalms,
00:16:35.69\00:16:37.96
the Holy Spirit
certainly has more opportunities
00:16:37.99\00:16:41.10
to reach out and touch
our hearts and to turn us
00:16:41.13\00:16:44.77
in the right direction.
00:16:44.80\00:16:46.27
What happens if we're
not familiar with the past?
00:16:46.30\00:16:49.54
Or if we were familiar
with it, but it slips away.
00:16:49.57\00:16:54.04
I don't--you've probably
never had this challenge, but I,
00:16:54.08\00:16:57.31
as I gain gray hairs, my memory
is not as good as it used to be,
00:16:57.35\00:17:01.85
and, unfortunately, things
slip away if I don't constantly
00:17:01.88\00:17:06.15
keep reminding myself of them.
00:17:06.19\00:17:08.99
Is there a lesson
there for us as well?
00:17:09.02\00:17:11.66
>>Dragoslava: Yes, yes.
00:17:11.69\00:17:12.99
Well, maybe as an encouragement
for both you and I, who may
00:17:13.03\00:17:16.67
very soon have this
problem of remembering things,
00:17:16.70\00:17:20.70
due to our bodily deterioration,
the--remembering that
00:17:20.74\00:17:25.11
the Psalms talk about, is
not just an intellectual memory
00:17:25.14\00:17:29.81
or intellectual
knowledge of the past.
00:17:29.84\00:17:33.11
Remembering
always leads to action.
00:17:33.15\00:17:36.55
When in the Bible
says, for example, that God
00:17:36.58\00:17:38.95
remembered Noah, that was not
a passive intellectual memory,
00:17:38.99\00:17:44.79
saying, "Oh, I remember
Noah. He's somewhere in the ark.
00:17:44.83\00:17:48.00
Nice, and I'm going
on with my activities."
00:17:48.03\00:17:51.47
When God remembered Noah,
00:17:51.50\00:17:53.23
it means that God
stood up to deliver Noah.
00:17:53.27\00:17:56.50
So remembrance
always leads to action.
00:17:56.54\00:18:00.11
When the Psalms call
us to remember the Lord,
00:18:00.14\00:18:03.45
it means that our actions
are there to kind of support
00:18:03.48\00:18:09.72
and demonstrate that memory.
00:18:09.75\00:18:12.05
So, yes, we know--we
need to know the facts
00:18:12.09\00:18:15.32
of our history, but
if that remembering,
00:18:15.36\00:18:19.39
if that knowledge does not
lead to appropriate action,
00:18:19.43\00:18:23.43
which will be
exemplified in the way of life,
00:18:23.47\00:18:27.24
in the way we approach
God and treat other people,
00:18:27.27\00:18:31.61
then we are not
remembering it rightly.
00:18:31.64\00:18:34.54
And not remembering
will definitely lead
00:18:34.58\00:18:37.98
into idolatry, will
definitely lead away from God.
00:18:38.01\00:18:42.68
And I love the
Hebrew word, "to hear"--
00:18:42.72\00:18:46.49
"shama" means "to hear,"
but it also means "to obey,"
00:18:46.52\00:18:51.73
meaning if you
don't obey what you hear,
00:18:51.76\00:18:55.80
it means that you didn't hear.
The same is with remembering.
00:18:55.83\00:19:00.60
If you don't act
on your remembrance,
00:19:00.64\00:19:03.77
on your memory, it
means that you actually,
00:19:03.81\00:19:07.31
in practice, just
forgot and don't care.
00:19:07.34\00:19:11.28
So, remembering is
important because it leads
00:19:11.31\00:19:15.48
to the correct
action. It shapes our today.
00:19:15.52\00:19:19.75
The memory of the past shapes
our today and also provides hope
00:19:19.79\00:19:24.49
for the future and
vision of the future.
00:19:24.53\00:19:27.66
>>Eric: So this remembering
is kind of interactive.
00:19:27.66\00:19:30.33
It's not just intellectual,
but there is, there's action
00:19:30.37\00:19:34.70
that takes place or
that should take place;
00:19:34.74\00:19:38.04
otherwise, I
suppose if we simply
00:19:38.07\00:19:40.68
intellectually
remembered but didn't act on it,
00:19:40.71\00:19:44.51
then it works against us,
rather than working for us,
00:19:44.55\00:19:49.55
which is the way that
God designed and desires
00:19:49.58\00:19:52.69
for it to work, for us to
remember and put into action.
00:19:52.72\00:19:56.96
How does remembering--
when we talk, this active
00:19:56.99\00:20:00.13
remembering, now--how does
remembering history guard us
00:20:00.16\00:20:03.10
against idolatry and error
and wandering off after these
00:20:03.13\00:20:09.10
other ideologies or
whatever the case may be?
00:20:09.14\00:20:11.74
>>Dragoslava: Yes,
well, as we already mentioned,
00:20:11.77\00:20:14.41
knowing, learning who we
are and whose we are will get us
00:20:14.44\00:20:19.61
well-established and
rooted in the truth of the one
00:20:19.65\00:20:24.59
only living sovereign God.
00:20:24.62\00:20:27.96
But losing the
remembrance of that,
00:20:27.99\00:20:30.36
losing the
remembrance of His past acts
00:20:30.39\00:20:34.56
of mercy and greatness,
will, as we said, leave us open
00:20:34.60\00:20:40.14
to the various options
and ideologies to take hold
00:20:40.17\00:20:45.37
of our mind and
provide answers instead.
00:20:45.41\00:20:48.78
But when we are rooted in God,
that actually leads to praise,
00:20:48.81\00:20:53.11
leads to action
that we highlighted.
00:20:53.15\00:20:55.88
And when we read the Psalms,
00:20:55.92\00:20:57.25
that's exactly
what the people did.
00:20:57.29\00:20:59.82
Whenever they forgot that
it was God who delivered them
00:20:59.85\00:21:04.23
from Egypt, they would turn
to idols and conform themselves
00:21:04.26\00:21:09.13
to the culture surrounding them,
the culture of other religions
00:21:09.16\00:21:13.94
and other people that
were always so very appealing,
00:21:13.97\00:21:17.97
because they
forgot whose they are,
00:21:18.01\00:21:21.88
whose they were,
and who they were.
00:21:21.91\00:21:24.68
>>Eric: You know, when we take
a look at Christianity today,
00:21:24.71\00:21:27.12
as a whole, the number
of Christians worldwide
00:21:27.15\00:21:30.25
is decreasing.
It's not increasing.
00:21:30.29\00:21:34.36
And I think, you know, depending
on which studies you wanna take
00:21:34.39\00:21:37.69
a look at, much of that is
because, I think, Christians
00:21:37.73\00:21:40.46
have forgotten who
they are and whose they are
00:21:40.50\00:21:43.40
and their history.
00:21:43.43\00:21:45.23
And we start to listen to
the other voices out there
00:21:45.27\00:21:47.57
that sound
convincing; they are--well,
00:21:47.60\00:21:53.01
they're encouraging,
from a certain point of view,
00:21:53.04\00:21:55.78
offering, well, offering
kind of like what Satan offered
00:21:55.81\00:21:59.65
at the beginning:
freedom and free yourself
00:21:59.68\00:22:02.62
from the shackles of
Christianity and tradition.
00:22:02.65\00:22:05.52
But really, this is the
freedom. >>Dragoslava: Yes.
00:22:05.55\00:22:08.49
>>Eric: This is the
freedom, and we take a look
00:22:08.52\00:22:10.49
at this history, and it should
help us to see that freedom.
00:22:10.53\00:22:14.00
>>Dragoslava: Yes,
and sometimes people today
00:22:14.00\00:22:16.70
reject Christianity
because of Christians.
00:22:16.73\00:22:20.97
And I would say
this is because we,
00:22:21.00\00:22:23.67
as Christians in general, forgot
all these lessons, and then,
00:22:23.71\00:22:30.18
as you said, we start repeating
the mistakes of the past
00:22:30.21\00:22:34.88
and by doing that, people
see all their shortcomings,
00:22:34.92\00:22:38.45
and they say, "If
that's Christianity,
00:22:38.49\00:22:40.62
I don't want to
be part of that."
00:22:40.66\00:22:43.02
But instead of repeating
the past or maybe being ashamed
00:22:43.06\00:22:47.13
of certain things in the past,
we should face the shortcomings;
00:22:47.13\00:22:51.23
we should face
those dark times and say,
00:22:51.27\00:22:54.27
"Yes, this is what happened,
but I'm going to learn.
00:22:54.30\00:22:58.11
"As a community of faith,
we are going to learn from that
00:22:58.14\00:23:02.38
and become
better by God's grace."
00:23:02.41\00:23:04.71
So we will own our
history, we will acknowledge
00:23:04.75\00:23:08.48
our mistakes, but we will learn
from them and give glory to God
00:23:08.52\00:23:12.69
and become a real testimony
that will inspire people
00:23:12.72\00:23:17.09
to come to God
and accept Christ.
00:23:17.13\00:23:20.03
>>Eric: So history is not
something that we should shun,
00:23:20.06\00:23:23.50
it's not something
that we should cover up.
00:23:23.53\00:23:26.50
Some history is--well,
it's unpleasant, it's very dark,
00:23:26.53\00:23:31.71
but if we forget
it, if we cover it up,
00:23:31.74\00:23:34.74
if we act like it's not there,
we have a higher likelihood
00:23:34.78\00:23:38.68
of going back and
doing the same thing again.
00:23:38.71\00:23:42.65
But embracing
that history as history
00:23:42.68\00:23:45.92
and saying, "Yes, this happened
in the history of Christianity,"
00:23:45.95\00:23:51.53
we can say, "Okay, it did
happen, but by God's grace,
00:23:51.56\00:23:55.86
"I'm not gonna let
it happen in my life
00:23:55.90\00:23:58.60
or on my watch," as it were.
00:23:58.63\00:24:01.47
And we can have
encouragement in that.
00:24:01.50\00:24:03.61
So, awareness is
very, very important.
00:24:03.64\00:24:06.94
>>Dragoslava:
And for that reason,
00:24:06.98\00:24:08.81
God was not ashamed
to give all the details
00:24:08.84\00:24:13.62
of His faithful
servants, all the shortcomings
00:24:13.65\00:24:17.02
because we're not to
cover these things up
00:24:17.05\00:24:19.95
but learn from them and
move forward, become better.
00:24:19.99\00:24:24.19
>>Eric: Yeah,
and I think we can.
00:24:24.23\00:24:26.26
>>Dragoslava: Yes, yes, yes.
>>Eric: David was wonderful.
00:24:26.29\00:24:28.73
He had his
shortcomings, you know.
00:24:28.76\00:24:30.93
You look through
the Bible--Peter--
00:24:30.97\00:24:32.87
great guy, had
some shortcomings.
00:24:32.90\00:24:34.74
Paul? He had a
few shortcomings, too.
00:24:34.77\00:24:37.47
I won't speak for you.
00:24:37.51\00:24:40.11
I have some shortcomings,
but, you know, by God's grace,
00:24:40.14\00:24:43.85
if we have shortcomings and
others have had shortcomings,
00:24:43.88\00:24:47.28
if they made it through,
by His grace, we can, too.
00:24:47.32\00:24:50.95
And that history is
very helpful in that.
00:24:50.99\00:24:53.96
Slava, share with me a resource
that's available to some people
00:24:53.99\00:24:59.13
who want to learn
more about history,
00:24:59.16\00:25:00.96
not so much ancient
history, but more recent history
00:25:00.96\00:25:05.23
that could be a benefit.
00:25:05.27\00:25:06.77
>>Dragoslava: Yes, I
will gladly share about
00:25:06.80\00:25:09.50
one wonderful resource,
00:25:09.54\00:25:11.64
which is fully online
and freely accessible to all.
00:25:11.67\00:25:15.88
It is called the "Encyclopedia
of Seventh-day Adventists,"
00:25:15.91\00:25:20.18
shortly known by many
as "ESDA," or E-S-D-A.
00:25:20.22\00:25:24.99
Well, this wonderful resource
has more than 4,000 stories,
00:25:25.02\00:25:30.26
historical stories, which
have been fully documented
00:25:30.29\00:25:34.40
with sources,
footnotes, and peer reviewed.
00:25:34.46\00:25:37.63
Therefore, they are reliable
and authoritative and provide
00:25:37.67\00:25:42.44
insights into the wonderful
leadings of God's children
00:25:42.47\00:25:47.41
by God in more recent history.
00:25:47.44\00:25:50.75
Yes, we are not
hiding our shortcomings,
00:25:50.78\00:25:53.58
we are learning from
them, and we are glorifying God
00:25:53.62\00:25:57.75
who saw His people
through these difficulties
00:25:57.79\00:26:01.89
and made us
triumphant by this grace.
00:26:01.92\00:26:04.43
So the "Encyclopedia of
Seventh-day Adventists,"
00:26:04.46\00:26:08.20
more than 4,000 articles,
00:26:08.23\00:26:11.03
more than 12,000
historical images,
00:26:11.07\00:26:14.90
and many, many videos
about Adventist missionaries,
00:26:14.94\00:26:18.87
educators, pioneers,
various events, articles
00:26:18.91\00:26:24.58
about how Adventist
church started in many places
00:26:24.61\00:26:29.12
around the world.
00:26:29.15\00:26:30.62
And when we read
more recent history,
00:26:30.65\00:26:33.42
we become more
connected to this wonderful
00:26:33.46\00:26:37.73
and grand people
of God in history.
00:26:37.76\00:26:41.13
Sometimes, we tend
to see, like, a huge gap
00:26:41.16\00:26:43.83
between biblical history
and us today, but God has had
00:26:43.87\00:26:49.77
and still has His
faithful people throughout
00:26:49.80\00:26:53.91
all these decades and
centuries up to this very day.
00:26:53.94\00:26:58.81
And I invite our readers to
read and find the encyclopedia
00:26:58.85\00:27:04.69
at encyclopedia.adventist.org.
00:27:04.72\00:27:08.86
One more time:
encyclopedia.adventist.org
00:27:08.89\00:27:13.83
and learn about
God's wonderful leading
00:27:13.86\00:27:16.60
and His teachings
in our recent history,
00:27:16.63\00:27:20.87
a wonderful resource.
00:27:20.90\00:27:22.70
>>Eric: Slava, thank you
so much for that resource.
00:27:22.74\00:27:25.31
I hope that you
will avail yourself
00:27:25.34\00:27:27.41
of that resource as well.
00:27:27.44\00:27:29.38
It has wonderful articles
in there, a lot of history,
00:27:29.41\00:27:32.81
that, as you read it, will
help you make it through today
00:27:32.85\00:27:36.69
and, by God's grace, prepare you
for the challenges yet to come.
00:27:36.72\00:27:40.89
Speaking of yet to come, we
have just a couple more weeks
00:27:40.92\00:27:43.73
left together in this quarter
studying the book of Psalms.
00:27:43.76\00:27:46.90
We look forward to having
you join us again next week
00:27:46.93\00:27:49.70
as we continue once
again here on "Sabbath School,"
00:27:49.73\00:27:52.47
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:27:52.50\00:27:54.97
¤¤¤
00:27:55.00\00:27:59.01
¤¤¤
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