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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
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this week as we take a
look at lesson number 11,
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"Longing for God in Zion,"
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an exciting study
as we're getting close
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to the end of our
13 weeks together.
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But as we begin,
let's start with prayer.
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Father, thank
You for being with us
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through this
journey, and as we look
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at how we can
long for You in Zion
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and understand
more about what Zion is
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and what it means to
truly long for You there,
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we ask that You'll
guide our time together,
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and we thank You
in Jesus' name, amen.
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So our guest this week,
as each week this quarter,
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is Dr. Dragoslava Santrac.
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She has a PhD in Old Testament
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and a deep love
for the book of Psalms.
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Slava, thanks for
joining us again today.
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>>Dragoslava Santrac:
Thank you for having me.
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>>Eric: So this
week, we're looking at
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"Longing for God in Zion."
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Let's start with this question:
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What exactly does Zion
represent in the Psalms,
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and what's the significance
of this week's study?
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>>Dragoslava: Yes, well,
let's start with the question,
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what Zion actually is.
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Mount Zion--and people can
see it and visit it today--
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is a broad low
hill adjacent directly
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to the south side of
the Old City of Jerusalem,
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and in the Bible,
Zion is often used
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as a synonym for
the city of Jerusalem
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and also for the
entire land of Israel.
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So, Zion is very
significant in the Psalms
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because it
represents God's holy mountain.
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And many psalms say that
the foundation of the temple,
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the foundation of
the Lord's sanctuary,
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is the Mount Zion.
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Now, the mention of the
mount is very significant
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because it conveys
this important message
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that the God's temple is
more than just a building.
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It's even more than just a city.
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It's a mountain.
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Therefore, it's something
that's much bigger and greater
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than people can build
and make to honor God,
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and as Solomon in his dedication
prayer for the temple, said,
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God cannot be
contained in a building.
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He's greater,
greater than the temple.
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Also, the mention
of the mountain has
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its significance in its
ancient Near Eastern background
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because, in that
culture, in that world,
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the mountains and
especially the mountain peak
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represented the contact point
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between the celestial
and terrestrial fields.
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It was a
channel of communication
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between the divine
and the human worlds.
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And now the bigger
and more impressive
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and higher the mountain,
the more exalted is the God
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that the mountain represents.
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>>Eric: So it's a little
odd or strange, perhaps, then,
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if Mount Zion is kind of
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a somewhat
insignificant mountain;
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it's not a-- it's
not a Mount Everest--
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we'll put it that way.
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Why would God choose
this somewhat low mountain,
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then, to draw the attention
to? >>Dragoslava: Yes, well,
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that's a very interesting
question because, truly,
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there were and there
are many larger mountains
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in that area--for example,
Mount Hermon on the north--
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that were higher
and more impressive,
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and,
interestingly indeed, God chose
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this quite unimpressive
hill as His holy mountain.
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But there is a very
significant message here.
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Unlike the
pagan idols who needed
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some grand impressive
things to represent them
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in order to
inspire worship in people,
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the Lord has this
grandeur and majesty in Himself.
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He is the one in His person,
in His being, in His actions,
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that inspires love
and worship in His people.
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And what's so
interesting is that,
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unlike the
cultural understanding
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where the mountain
kind of gives this majesty
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to the god it represents,
in the Psalms in the Bible,
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it is the Lord who
grants majesty and honor
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to this humble
hill of Mount Zion.
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As much so that
we read, for example,
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in Psalm 68, verse
16, that other mountains
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who are bigger and higher
are now jealous of Mount Zion
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because it represents the Lord,
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the one who is the only living
and awesome, sovereign God.
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Let's read Psalm 68, verse 16:
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"Why do you fume with envy,
you mountains of many peaks?
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"This is the mountain
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"which [the Lord]
God desires to dwell in;
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yes, the Lord will
dwell in it forever."
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So, seeing that the
Lord chose Mount Zion
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and the Lord is that
high and lifted-up God,
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all these large
mountains are fuming with envy.
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>>Eric: So it's a
very interesting picture
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of this lowly
hill that God exalts,
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very different than the
other way around for others.
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Why are--why are
the psalms dedicated
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to uplifting this hill?
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What's--again, it's not
the hill that's important,
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but it's God
that's exalting that.
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>>Dragoslava:
Exactly, so all these songs
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that express love for
Zion, that lift up Zion on high,
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and praise Zion, they
actually praise the One
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who--to whom this hill belongs.
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And this is the Lord Himself.
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>>Eric: So that
helps us understand Zion
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in the context of
the book of Psalms.
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There are
different types of psalms
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that we come across in here.
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Some of the psalms are
called "psalms of ascents."
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Any connection
there with the mountain?
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>>Dragoslava:
Mm, yes, absolutely.
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The psalms, or
the songs, of ascents,
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Psalms 120 to 134,
form a distinct collection
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or a distinct hymnbook
within the book of Psalms.
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Now the Hebrew
title is a bit unclear,
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but it's taken
by most interpreters
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and scholars and in tradition
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to mean the "songs of ascent,"
of going up. Going up where?
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Up the Mount
Zion, up to Jerusalem
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and the Lord's temple.
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And most likely, these
songs were sung by the pilgrims
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on their way to
the city of Jerusalem
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during the three
annual festivals:
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the Festival of Passover,
and Pentecost in the spring,
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and the Feast of
Tabernacle in the fall.
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And these songs are quite
short and easy to memorize,
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and they
celebrate God's goodness
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and His love and protection.
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So, it was
something that lifted up
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the spirit of the
pilgrims on their long journey,
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and as they were
coming closer to Jerusalem,
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the song became more
fervent and more excited
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because they're coming to bow
down before God in His temple.
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>>Eric: So these
shorter songs of ascents,
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songs of encouragement
and moving forward,
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are there any of them that
kind of stick out in your mind
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as ones that are
just particularly--
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that you appreciate
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or that mean
something significant to you?
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>>Dragoslava: Yes, yes,
I mean, all of them have
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such a wonderful,
wonderful message,
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but I especially
like, for some reason,
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Psalm 123, which says:
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"Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens.
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"Behold, as the eyes of
servants look to the hand
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"of their masters,
as the eyes of a maid
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"to the hand of her mistress,
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"so our eyes look
to the Lord our God,
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until He has mercy on us.
Have mercy on us, O Lord."
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And I love this picture.
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It's very, very tangible,
and it's very intimate.
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We can imagine a servant,
who depends for his living
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on his master, who depends on
his master for his protection,
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for housing, and he
looks at his master's hand,
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and that's what we do.
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We look up to the Lord at
His merciful and loving hand
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until He shows mercy on us.
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>>Eric: So this is one
of several songs of ascents
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that we could
kind of grab a hold of.
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As we're--when might these
songs be an encouragement to us?
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When would be a
time that we might say,
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"You know, maybe I
need to go back and look
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at one of those
songs of ascents"?
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What might that look
like in a person's life?
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>>Dragoslava: Yes,
we should note here
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that many pilgrims came
from situations of hardships
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and faced many challenges
from within and without,
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so verses like, for
example, Psalm 126, verse 5:
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"Those who sow in
tears shall reap in joy."
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And we have many
verses like this that speak
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of the psalmist's
distress, like Psalm 120:
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"In my distress I cried
to the Lord, and He heard me.
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"Deliver my soul, O
Lord, from lying lips
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and from a deceitful tongue."
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So, the pilgrims experienced
all kinds of hardships,
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like we do today, and as
they were going to Jerusalem,
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they were bringing their
burdens with them, to bring them
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to the Lord's feet,
and leave them there
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and find rest and
blessing and reassurance.
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So, each of these psalms,
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you will find a
treasure of reassurement
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or encouragement for
your current situation.
00:11:06.56\00:11:11.47
>>Eric: So that
should be an encouragement.
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I mean, we take a
look at the challenges
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that we face in life today, and
there are no small challenges.
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Whether people are
facing health challenges
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or spiritual challenges
or relationship challenges,
00:11:20.91\00:11:24.35
financial challenges, there's
a long list of challenges
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that we face today.
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And you may be
facing something like that.
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If you are, then
these songs of ascents
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were written for you, to
give you some encouragement,
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to give you some
hope, to give you some help.
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And maybe your
life is going just fine,
00:11:41.73\00:11:44.93
but you know somebody who's
going through some challenges.
00:11:44.97\00:11:48.27
Share with them one
of these songs of ascents
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and give them a
little bit of hope,
00:11:51.34\00:11:53.71
a little bit of
encouragement as they're going
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through some difficult
and challenging times because,
00:11:56.24\00:11:59.31
even though you
may be just fine,
00:11:59.35\00:12:02.08
somebody else may be
having some difficulty,
00:12:02.12\00:12:03.95
and God may be
giving this to you
00:12:03.99\00:12:06.05
so that you can
then share it with them--
00:12:06.09\00:12:09.16
songs of ascents, talking
about ascending Mount Zion.
00:12:09.19\00:12:13.46
We're gonna be coming
back in just a moment or two,
00:12:13.50\00:12:15.76
but before we do,
I wanna remind you,
00:12:15.80\00:12:18.23
don't miss this opportunity
to pick up the companion book
00:12:18.27\00:12:21.67
to this quarter's
"Sabbath School" lesson,
00:12:21.70\00:12:23.74
of course, on
the book of Psalms.
00:12:23.77\00:12:26.17
Dr. Martin Klingbeil
has authored this book.
00:12:26.21\00:12:28.54
You can find it
at itiswritten.shop.
00:12:28.58\00:12:31.58
That's itiswritten.shop.
00:12:31.61\00:12:33.55
And it will be an
incredible blessing to you,
00:12:33.58\00:12:36.15
will go into
greater detail in the things
00:12:36.18\00:12:38.12
that we are looking at
day by day and week by week
00:12:38.15\00:12:40.69
as we go through
this quarter's lesson,
00:12:40.72\00:12:42.79
giving you some
more encouragement,
00:12:42.82\00:12:44.96
helping you to dig more deeply
and learn more about the Psalms
00:12:44.99\00:12:49.06
than,
unfortunately, we're able to put
00:12:49.10\00:12:51.37
in the study guide itself, the
quarterly study guide itself.
00:12:51.40\00:12:55.80
Only so much
information could fit in there,
00:12:55.84\00:12:57.97
but that companion book will be
an incredible blessing to you.
00:12:58.01\00:13:02.54
Couple that with these talks
that we're having each week
00:13:02.58\00:13:06.18
with the author and you're
going to have a wonderful,
00:13:06.21\00:13:09.52
wonderful study indeed.
00:13:09.55\00:13:11.45
Well, we'll be
back in just a moment
00:13:11.49\00:13:12.99
as we continue
looking at week 11
00:13:13.02\00:13:15.66
as we study the book of Psalms.
00:13:15.69\00:13:17.73
We'll be right back.
00:13:17.76\00:13:18.96
¤¤¤
00:13:18.99\00:13:21.96
>>John Bradshaw: It's one
of the most challenging books
00:13:22.96\00:13:24.97
in the Bible. Why do
hard challenges come?
00:13:25.00\00:13:28.40
Why does God allow
difficulty and distress?
00:13:28.44\00:13:31.47
And what's going
on behind the scenes
00:13:31.51\00:13:33.61
in a world filled
with suffering and sorrow?
00:13:33.64\00:13:36.38
Our ongoing series
"Great Characters of the Bible"
00:13:36.41\00:13:39.38
continues with a
look at the life of Job,
00:13:39.41\00:13:42.02
a man described by God
as "perfect" and "upright,"
00:13:42.05\00:13:45.12
yet afflicted by a
devastating illness.
00:13:45.15\00:13:47.79
Some of the most difficult
questions people have deal with
00:13:47.82\00:13:51.09
the God who permits suffering,
yet the Bible presents logical,
00:13:51.13\00:13:54.83
accessible
answers that make sense
00:13:54.83\00:13:57.23
and grow your faith
in the God of heaven.
00:13:57.27\00:14:00.30
Struggling to find
answers, his integrity attacked
00:14:00.34\00:14:03.44
by his friends and
questioned by his wife,
00:14:03.47\00:14:06.07
Job's journey into
the depths of anguish
00:14:06.11\00:14:08.54
provides answers for everyone
00:14:08.58\00:14:10.51
and presents a clear
picture of the character of God.
00:14:10.55\00:14:14.02
Don't miss "Great
Characters of the Bible: Job,"
00:14:14.05\00:14:18.12
brought to you
by It Is Written TV.
00:14:18.15\00:14:20.99
>>Melissa Bradshaw:
If you enjoy coloring,
00:14:22.16\00:14:23.63
then you are going to love the
Buried Treasure Coloring Book
00:14:23.66\00:14:26.33
from My Place With Jesus.
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The Buried
Treasure Coloring Book
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has more than
just pictures to color.
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You'll also
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each accompanied by
their very own audio story.
00:14:33.97\00:14:37.11
>>John Bradshaw [in recording]:
Mr. Dixon came across a small
00:14:37.14\00:14:39.57
well-weeded rice patch
out in the middle of a field.
00:14:39.61\00:14:43.81
>>Melissa: Get
ahead of a rainy day
00:14:43.85\00:14:45.35
or a relaxing
evening as a family
00:14:45.38\00:14:47.25
and order the Buried
Treasure Coloring Book
00:14:47.28\00:14:49.75
from It Is Written.
00:14:49.78\00:14:51.15
¤¤¤
00:14:52.15\00:14:56.96
>>Eric: Welcome
back to "Sabbath School,"
00:14:56.99\00:14:58.29
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:14:58.33\00:15:00.13
We're looking at
lesson number 11 about Zion.
00:15:00.16\00:15:03.77
Slava, let me
ask you a question.
00:15:03.80\00:15:05.47
What makes Zion
the source of hope,
00:15:05.50\00:15:09.20
the source of
joy for the psalmist,
00:15:09.24\00:15:13.61
and why is the
sanctuary such a special place
00:15:13.64\00:15:17.05
that a day there
brings more happiness and joy
00:15:17.08\00:15:20.88
than a thousand days elsewhere?
00:15:20.92\00:15:22.78
>>Dragoslava: Yes, well,
we a bit started this topic
00:15:22.82\00:15:26.39
in the previous
segment when we mentioned
00:15:26.42\00:15:29.42
that the sanctuary was a
safe haven, a place of refuge
00:15:29.46\00:15:33.43
for the pilgrims who
came from various difficulties
00:15:33.46\00:15:37.87
and situations of hardships.
00:15:37.90\00:15:40.07
So, being in the sanctuary
represented a place of peace
00:15:40.10\00:15:44.91
for them. But other than that,
of course, worshiping the Lord
00:15:44.94\00:15:49.11
in His sanctuary was a
very special experience,
00:15:49.14\00:15:52.88
and experiencing the
fellowship of the believers,
00:15:52.91\00:15:57.55
that was a special
treat for the people,
00:15:57.59\00:16:01.66
so much so that, for
example, in Psalm 133, verse 1,
00:16:01.69\00:16:08.16
there is this beautiful metaphor
describing the fellowship
00:16:08.20\00:16:14.40
of the believers in the temple:
00:16:14.44\00:16:16.57
"Behold, how good
and how pleasant it is
00:16:16.60\00:16:21.41
"for brethren to
dwell together in unity!
00:16:21.44\00:16:25.18
"It is like the
precious oil upon the head,
00:16:25.21\00:16:28.72
"running down on the
beard, the beard of Aaron,
00:16:28.75\00:16:32.95
"running down on the
edge of his garments.
00:16:32.99\00:16:36.49
It is like the dew
of [the Mount] Hermon."
00:16:36.52\00:16:40.13
It was a special
event, a special occasion
00:16:40.16\00:16:43.43
to experience this
fellowship of believers
00:16:43.47\00:16:47.54
and to receive that support
from your community of faith
00:16:47.57\00:16:51.77
in a very special way.
00:16:51.81\00:16:53.84
And also, that was a
time when people renewed
00:16:53.88\00:16:57.58
their commitment to
the Lord's covenant,
00:16:57.61\00:17:00.98
and we read in
the songs of ascent
00:17:01.02\00:17:03.49
about the Lord's covenant
and this renewed commitment
00:17:03.52\00:17:08.12
and devotion to the
Lord when people receive
00:17:08.16\00:17:11.36
the forgiveness of sins
and assurance of salvation.
00:17:11.39\00:17:16.40
And perhaps I should also
mention one social element,
00:17:16.43\00:17:21.17
which should not be neglected.
00:17:21.20\00:17:24.21
And that's that
the thrones of judgment
00:17:24.24\00:17:29.01
were placed in Jerusalem.
00:17:29.04\00:17:31.35
And we read in Psalm 122,
which is also a song of ascent:
00:17:31.38\00:17:37.15
"For the thrones are
set there for judgment,
00:17:37.19\00:17:40.86
the thrones of
the house of David."
00:17:40.89\00:17:44.16
Now, the thrones
of judgment points
00:17:44.19\00:17:46.56
to these judgment
seats, where people could bring
00:17:46.59\00:17:50.20
their various inquiries
or queries that they had,
00:17:50.23\00:17:55.20
disputes even, and
receive justice for themselves.
00:17:55.24\00:17:59.84
So, going up to
Jerusalem had this religious,
00:17:59.87\00:18:02.88
spiritual experience,
00:18:02.91\00:18:04.95
but you see how
wonderfully in God's kingdom
00:18:04.98\00:18:08.82
that's tied to the
social element of having justice
00:18:08.85\00:18:13.22
and the due righteousness
and the due right things
00:18:13.25\00:18:18.43
for the people in
the realm of social life.
00:18:18.46\00:18:22.10
>>Eric: So this was a very
positive experience for people,
00:18:22.13\00:18:25.10
something to look forward
to, to anticipate, and to enjoy.
00:18:25.13\00:18:29.00
Now, this, of course, all
happened thousands of years ago.
00:18:29.04\00:18:33.31
We don't have the sanctuary,
per se, to go to today.
00:18:33.34\00:18:38.55
Mount Zion is far away from us.
00:18:38.58\00:18:41.15
We don't go there with
any regularity, if ever.
00:18:41.18\00:18:44.35
How does this kind of apply
to us living today in our world?
00:18:44.39\00:18:49.49
How can we enjoy
some of the same blessings
00:18:49.52\00:18:52.23
that the
psalmists talk about here?
00:18:52.26\00:18:54.83
>>Dragoslava: Well, we can draw
some valuable practical lessons
00:18:54.86\00:18:58.53
from the experience
of the ancient Israelites
00:18:58.57\00:19:02.37
and the songs of ascents.
00:19:02.40\00:19:04.84
Last week, we spoke
about remembering history,
00:19:04.87\00:19:09.38
and I believe we all remember
00:19:09.41\00:19:12.28
and enjoyed those
psalms of remembering history.
00:19:12.31\00:19:15.62
Now, one significant
aspect of remembering history
00:19:15.65\00:19:20.56
is remembering by participating.
00:19:20.59\00:19:24.23
So therefore, taking
time to go up to Jerusalem--
00:19:24.26\00:19:30.23
and some people
lived quite far away,
00:19:30.27\00:19:32.77
and many pilgrims traveled
on foot, so it would take days--
00:19:32.80\00:19:37.57
but taking time to travel,
00:19:37.61\00:19:39.47
taking time to sing
these songs of ascent,
00:19:39.51\00:19:43.48
taking time to make booths
00:19:43.51\00:19:47.08
during the Feast
of the Tabernacle
00:19:47.12\00:19:49.32
and live in the
booths for seven days,
00:19:49.35\00:19:52.89
taking time to prepare
the special food for Passover,
00:19:52.92\00:19:57.63
and eating this bread
without yeast and bitter herbs
00:19:57.66\00:20:02.76
and recount these past
00:20:02.80\00:20:05.27
historical acts of God
where God delivered His people,
00:20:05.30\00:20:09.50
and participating, not
just mentally and spiritually
00:20:09.54\00:20:13.98
but physically as well, was
a way of remembering history.
00:20:14.01\00:20:19.28
And it's a great
lesson for us today,
00:20:19.31\00:20:22.08
to have our worship
services interactive
00:20:22.12\00:20:27.02
and helping us to
participate in the history.
00:20:27.06\00:20:31.46
And the Lord in the
New Testament established
00:20:31.49\00:20:34.56
the Lord's Supper,
the Holy Communion,
00:20:34.60\00:20:38.10
where we take the symbols
of Christ's body and blood,
00:20:38.13\00:20:43.14
and we participate
in the foot washing--
00:20:43.17\00:20:45.64
all these things
are very important;
00:20:45.67\00:20:48.11
they help us
participate holistically.
00:20:48.14\00:20:52.61
And of course, today,
as you mentioned, Eric,
00:20:52.65\00:20:55.62
we don't go to Mount
Zion, the physical mount,
00:20:55.65\00:20:59.59
and we don't need to
because that mount represents
00:20:59.62\00:21:03.26
a much larger
and glorious mount,
00:21:03.29\00:21:06.83
and that's the
holy temple in heaven
00:21:06.86\00:21:09.66
where our High
Priest, Lord Jesus,
00:21:09.70\00:21:12.27
serves on our behalf.
00:21:12.30\00:21:14.37
And we are invited
to freely approach Jesus
00:21:14.40\00:21:19.27
in the heavenly sanctuary
and receive His blessings.
00:21:19.31\00:21:23.95
>>Eric: Yeah, and I
think you mentioned also
00:21:23.98\00:21:25.75
the judgment seats
in the old sanctuary.
00:21:25.78\00:21:28.48
We can
recognize that, of course,
00:21:28.52\00:21:30.19
we get justice and
judgment-- justice in judgment--
00:21:30.22\00:21:34.12
when we come to the
heavenly sanctuary as well--
00:21:34.16\00:21:37.43
very encouraging.
00:21:37.46\00:21:39.56
The book of Psalms
talks about praying
00:21:39.59\00:21:40.96
for the peace of Jerusalem.
What is--what is that?
00:21:40.96\00:21:45.83
You ask different
Christians, you're gonna get
00:21:45.87\00:21:47.54
different answers as
to what that represents.
00:21:47.57\00:21:50.14
What do you think the psalmist
meant, and how does that
00:21:50.17\00:21:53.54
apply to us today
when it talks about praying
00:21:53.58\00:21:55.78
for the peace of Jerusalem?
00:21:55.81\00:21:57.15
>>Dragoslava: Yes,
well, this request comes
00:21:57.18\00:22:01.48
from Psalm 122,
and it is verse 6:
00:22:01.52\00:22:08.16
"Pray for the
peace of Jerusalem:
00:22:08.19\00:22:10.96
'May they
prosper who love you.'"
00:22:10.99\00:22:13.56
Verse 7 goes on, saying,
"Peace be within your walls,
00:22:13.60\00:22:17.17
prosperity within your palaces."
00:22:17.20\00:22:19.67
"Pray for the
peace of Jerusalem."
00:22:19.70\00:22:23.00
Unfortunately,
this is such a relevant,
00:22:23.04\00:22:26.07
relevant request,
such a relevant prayer,
00:22:26.11\00:22:29.68
for, unlike its name,
Jerusalem, "the city of Salem,"
00:22:29.71\00:22:35.28
of "Shalem," of "peace,"
Jerusalem, unfortunately,
00:22:35.32\00:22:39.45
historically, had
very little peace,
00:22:39.49\00:22:43.56
been engaged in so many
wars, and in these unfortunate
00:22:43.59\00:22:47.86
recent events, we're
again reminded that we need,
00:22:47.93\00:22:52.93
that we are called to pray
for literal peace of Jerusalem,
00:22:52.97\00:22:57.77
for all the people,
for all its inhabitants,
00:22:57.81\00:23:01.18
for all the suffering
and innocent people there.
00:23:01.21\00:23:05.31
But this prayer transcends
the physical peace of Jerusalem
00:23:05.35\00:23:10.92
and points to the
eschatological kingdom of God,
00:23:10.95\00:23:14.96
to this
eschatological Jerusalem,
00:23:14.99\00:23:18.33
the city of peace, which
God will establish on this earth
00:23:18.36\00:23:23.57
at Jesus's second coming.
00:23:23.60\00:23:26.13
The glorious things that
are said of Zion in the Psalms
00:23:26.17\00:23:30.11
and the rest of the Bible are
actually never seen in history,
00:23:30.14\00:23:35.38
so they're
prophetic expectations,
00:23:35.41\00:23:37.91
prophetic predictions of
the coming kingdom of God,
00:23:37.95\00:23:42.78
the coming kingdom of peace.
00:23:42.82\00:23:44.85
And when we pray for
the peace of Jerusalem,
00:23:44.89\00:23:47.39
we pray for the coming of the
Lord's kingdom on this earth.
00:23:47.42\00:23:52.39
>>Eric: There are some things
that we're not seeing right now,
00:23:52.43\00:23:54.10
we wish we saw right now,
but unfortunately, we don't.
00:23:54.13\00:23:57.27
But one day, we will see
the fulfillment of those things.
00:23:57.30\00:24:01.00
As far as Zion goes, what
is the significance of Zion
00:24:01.04\00:24:04.21
for the rest of the
world? >>Dragoslava: Yes.
00:24:04.24\00:24:06.21
>>Eric: We have an
understanding of it.
00:24:06.24\00:24:07.71
What about the rest of the
world? How does that fit in?
00:24:07.74\00:24:10.11
>>Dragoslava:
Yeah, I love the Psalms,
00:24:10.15\00:24:12.11
how they place a huge emphasis
on this universal aspect
00:24:12.15\00:24:18.85
of God's work, on
this universal aspect
00:24:18.89\00:24:23.09
of God's plan of salvation.
00:24:23.12\00:24:25.96
It is not just for
one particular people,
00:24:25.99\00:24:29.10
one particular nation,
00:24:29.13\00:24:30.87
but it is for all
the peoples of the world.
00:24:30.90\00:24:33.84
And in this context,
Psalm 87 is such a wonderful,
00:24:33.87\00:24:39.37
wonderful psalm.
00:24:39.41\00:24:42.51
In it we read that the
Lord will make the inhabitants
00:24:42.54\00:24:51.09
of all the earth
the citizens of Zion.
00:24:51.12\00:24:56.26
For example, we
can read verse 4:
00:24:56.29\00:24:59.89
"I will make
mention of Rahab and Babylon
00:24:59.93\00:25:03.26
"to those who know me;
00:25:03.30\00:25:05.47
behold, O Philistia
and Tyre, with Ethiopia."
00:25:05.50\00:25:09.74
So these are all nations
that obviously were not part
00:25:09.77\00:25:14.38
of the ancient Israel,
and so they were not part
00:25:14.41\00:25:18.21
of God's
covenantal people, but this--
00:25:18.25\00:25:21.68
in this psalm, the Lord says,
00:25:21.72\00:25:23.59
"I will make
all these nations"--
00:25:23.62\00:25:26.79
symbolically
representing the entire world--
00:25:26.82\00:25:30.83
"I will make them to say,
'This one was born there.'"
00:25:30.86\00:25:36.63
Where "there"?
Well, in Jerusalem.
00:25:36.67\00:25:40.07
"And of Zion it will be said,
00:25:40.10\00:25:42.90
'This one and that
one were born in her.'"
00:25:42.94\00:25:48.28
And then verse 6:
"The Lord will record,
00:25:48.31\00:25:51.71
when He registers the
peoples"-- meaning the nations--
00:25:51.75\00:25:56.15
"'This one was born there.'"
00:25:56.18\00:25:59.52
So we see here
that the Lord wishes
00:25:59.55\00:26:02.42
all the peoples of the
world to become the citizens
00:26:02.46\00:26:06.83
of His holy mountain
Zion, of His city of Jerusalem,
00:26:06.86\00:26:10.93
of His kingdom. When
did that happen in history?
00:26:10.97\00:26:15.17
It happened in
our Lord Jesus Christ,
00:26:15.20\00:26:18.97
through the
promised seed of Abraham,
00:26:19.01\00:26:21.38
all the peoples will be
called blessed and will be made
00:26:21.41\00:26:24.88
the sons and daughters
of the Lord, of our God.
00:26:24.91\00:26:29.75
And we can read about that
00:26:29.78\00:26:31.52
in Romans, chapter 3,
00:26:31.55\00:26:33.72
Galatians, chapter 3,
Colossians, chapter 3,
00:26:33.76\00:26:37.83
how in Jesus we
have been adopted
00:26:37.86\00:26:42.03
into the family of God
and become citizens of Zion.
00:26:42.06\00:26:48.00
Isn't that wonderful?
00:26:48.04\00:26:49.77
>>Eric: So that's an incredible
truth of New Testament times,
00:26:49.80\00:26:53.41
that fulfillment from
something in the book of Psalms
00:26:53.44\00:26:56.54
and something that gives us,
indeed, a great deal of hope.
00:26:56.58\00:27:00.55
And we hope that this
is giving you some hope
00:27:00.58\00:27:02.28
as you're studying with us
through the book of Psalms,
00:27:02.32\00:27:06.22
looking at the
significance of Zion,
00:27:06.25\00:27:08.22
looking at how this applies
not just to ancient Israel
00:27:08.26\00:27:12.39
and the people of David's day,
but really it applies to us.
00:27:12.43\00:27:16.30
It applies to
you, it applies to me,
00:27:16.33\00:27:18.27
and it applies to
the many strangers
00:27:18.30\00:27:20.07
who are out there as well,
00:27:20.10\00:27:21.90
who maybe don't yet know Jesus.
00:27:21.94\00:27:24.27
This is an opportunity
for us to give them some hope,
00:27:24.31\00:27:26.98
to give them some help.
00:27:27.01\00:27:28.78
As we study
through the book of Psalms,
00:27:28.81\00:27:30.75
we're gaining a greater
picture, a clearer picture
00:27:30.78\00:27:33.68
of the plan of
salvation and Jesus' desire
00:27:33.72\00:27:36.35
for each and every
person to be saved.
00:27:36.38\00:27:38.72
Well, we have yet two
weeks left in our study
00:27:38.75\00:27:42.06
through the book of Psalms,
00:27:42.09\00:27:43.22
and we're going to be
covering some incredible ground.
00:27:43.26\00:27:45.99
You don't want to miss
either of those studies.
00:27:46.03\00:27:48.90
But until then, we wish
you God's richest blessings,
00:27:48.93\00:27:51.90
and we look forward to
seeing you again next week
00:27:51.93\00:27:54.14
here on "Sabbath School,"
00:27:54.17\00:27:56.00
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:27:56.04\00:27:58.77
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