[uplifting music]
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[upliftingusic]
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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
are joining us today.
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We are beginning
a brand new quarter
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of "Sabbath School," 13
weeks, 13 episodes delving into
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the subject of
God's love and justice.
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How do God's love
and justiccoexist?
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What does love loolike,
what does justice look like,
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and are r concepts
of love and justice
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really biblical?
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We're gointo be delving
into that over the course
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of the next 13
lessons, d we're glad
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th you are here with us.
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Let's begin with prayer.
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Father, we thank You
for giving us an oppornity
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to delve into Your
Word, to delvento Your love
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and Yo justice, and
we ask that as we do so,
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You will open our hearts
and minds to a clearer picture
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of who You are and
Your character of love.
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And we thank You in Jesus' name.
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Amen.
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Well, we're grateful to
have with us this quarter
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the author of this quarter's
"Sabbath School" lesson.
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That is John Peckham.
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John is an associate editor
of the "Adventist Review,"
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and he is also a
research professor
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at the theological
seminary at Andrews Uversity.
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John, thanks for joining us.
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>>John Peckham: It's
a pasure to be with you.
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Thanks for having me.
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>>Eric: So let's talk
about this for a momt.
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We're looking at
God's love and justice.
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This is something
that you've been studying,
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you've been
interested in foquite some time.
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Give us a little
bit of background
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into what-- where
did this birth from?
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Why are you-- y
is this something
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that you are passionate about?
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>>John: Yeah, I've
been studying divi love
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for many, many years now.
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PhD dissertation was actually
on the concept of divine love,
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and that
dissertation turned into
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a massive project, 800 pages.
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So I've been studying these
things for quite some time.
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I wrote a few books on
love and the problem of el--
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how does God's love
coexistwith the fact
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that there's so
much evil in the world?
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And so when the opportunity
came to write the lesson
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a few years ago, I
jumped at the chance.
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It's a great opportunity
to speak about God's love.
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>>Eric: So thiis--
has been a long time
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in coming, and now we
get glean some of this.
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And it's unftunate
we only have 13 lessons,
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a book about that
thick, to dig into it,
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but we're gog to
get the most of it
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that we can in
our time together.
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Let me begin by
asking this question.
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We take a look
at the interaction
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between Jesus and
Peter after the Resurrection.
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How do we get--
how do we understand
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the concepts of
divine forgiveness
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and restoration
in that relationship
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and thinteractions
that we see there?
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>>John: Yeah, you
have this amazing sce
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ter the
Resurrection when Jesus eats
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with the
disciples and then He has
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this conversation with Peter
where He asks him three times,
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"Peter, do you love me?"
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And three times Peter answers,
"Lord, you know all things.
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You know that I love you."
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And Peter is grieved,
the text says in John 21,
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that Jesus asked him And three
times three times, "Do you love
me?" He gives the commission
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to "feed my sheep"
or "tend my lambs."
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Now, what's going on
here needs to be understood
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in the background
of what had happened
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before the Crucifixion.
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Jesus had told Peter--
predicted, "Peter, you're ing
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to deny me three times
before the rooster crows."
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Now, of coursenowing Peter, he's
like, "No, of course not. I'll
never deny you, Lord."
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But sure enough,
just as Jesus predts,
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this takes place
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And even according to
Luke, right aftePeter denies Him
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the third time, their eyes
meet, and I can only imagine
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the way Peter
feels at that moment.
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He has betrayed his Lord.
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Jesus goes to the cross.
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And now here we ar
after the Resurrection,
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and sus has risen,
but Peter is probably
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still deeply
ashamed of himself, right?
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He's failed Christ.
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But now Jesus asked him
three times, "Do you love me?
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Do you love me?"
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And of course Peter answers,
"You know. You know all things,"
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right? Jesus had
predicted the denial before.
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"You know. Why a you
asking me if I love you?"
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Three times He asked
him the same question.
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Why three times?
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Because Peter had
deni Him three times.
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And so this is
actually an episode of restation
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where Jesus is
actually restoring Peter
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ter that episode,
providing him forgiveness,
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reconciling him to Himself.
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And amazgly, if you
know the story of Peter,
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this wn't the only
time that Peter messed up,
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so to speak.
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But Peter's made a
leader in the church
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and a nderful
champion for Christ.
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But here we see
Jesu taking the time.
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"Do you love me? Do
you love me? Do you ve me?"
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And that'sthe
most important question
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we can answer as
well that Jesus as us,
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"Do you love me?"
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>>Eric: , it's a beautiful
picture of that restoration.
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Peter messed up,
but Jes brought him back
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and restored
him, and that gives us
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some encouragement as
well if-- for those of us
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who have messed up,
and I think that's--
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honestly, th's all of us.
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>>John: All  us.
>>Eric: That's all of us.
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Let's talk for a
moment about Hoa.
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You ver a lot of
things in this first chapter.
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In theook of Hosea,
chapter 14 and verse 4,
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you find this passage.
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will heal their backsliding,
I will love them freely."
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What does this
tell us about God's--
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His attitude toward our
repentance, our failure?
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Wh insights do we get into
God and His character with this?
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>>JohnYeah, this whole lesson,
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this first lesson, is based on
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God loving us freely
and the emphasis that
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we don't deserve
God's love, right?
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We don't merit it.
Like you said, we messed up.
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mess up a lot, and
yet God in His love
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freely decides to bestow
mercy and love and compassion
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on us anyways,
and the book of Hosea
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is a wonderful example of th.
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In Hosea, Gos people have broken
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covenant relatiohip with Him.
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They have egregiously
sinned to the point where
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they should be cut off.
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At least according
to the y the covenants
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are described earlier,
theyhould have been cut off.
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God's blessing should
have been removed from them.
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God Himself even
wrestlesin the book of Hosea,
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"How can I give you
up?" This is in Hosea 11.
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And finally in Hosea 4
you have this statement:
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"I will heal their backsliding,
I will love them freely."
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Now, initially when
someon reads that text,
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they might think
that it's saying,
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"I will love
them without any st,"
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and that would be
theologically correct.
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God's love is without cost.
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But that's not the
kind of freely-given love
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that is being
discussed in this passage,
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and we know that
from the word itself.
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The word for "freely"
there, thHebrew word "nedabah,"
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it's the same term
that's used, fornstance,
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of the freewill offerings
in the sanctuary system.
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So it's literally
saying, "I will love you
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of my own free will."
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d that is very significant
because they have no claim
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on the covenanblessings.
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They have no claim
on God's love anymore.
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It should have bn forfeited.
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But God is saying,
"Despite what you've done,
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"dpite how far you have gone,
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I will continue to love you
freely as my covenant people."
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And this is
wonderful news for them,
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it's wonderful news for
us because if God'sot willing
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to bear along with them,
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that's going to be bad
news for us too, right?
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>>Eric: There's
lotsof people today--
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you n into them,
I run into them--
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who say, "How could d love me?
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"You know, all thehings that
I've done and I've messed up,
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"and I promised
this and I promised that,
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and I've dropped the
ball so many other ways."
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But God--that doesn't
stop Him from loving us.
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He conties to love
us, even as we see here
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in the book of Hosea.
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There's another
interesting story
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over in the book of Exodus,
the story of the golden calf
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Here, God's
people really messed up
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in spectacular
fashion, and yet d
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still bears with them.
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Unpack the story
a little bit for us.
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>>John: Yeah, I mean, it--
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yohave this golden
calf incident in Exodus 32,
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where the people,
they've been delivered
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with mighty nders
from slavery in Egypt,
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generational slavery, and
they go into the wilderness,
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d Moses is up on the mountain
with God receiving instructions,
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among other things,
to bui the sanctuary,
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which is the way
that God is going to dwell
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in the midst of His people.
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Sanctuary hasn't been built yet.
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And while Moses is
there, they decide, "We're going
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"to make an idol. We're
going to make a golden calf,
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"and we're going to
worship that golden calf
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"as  the golden
calf delivered us
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from slavery in Egypt."
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So, and they do all
kinds of other horrible thgs
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based on pagan worship practices
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that I won't paint
the picture of here.
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But let's just say when
Moses comes down the mountain
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and he sees what they are doing,
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he throws the
Ten Commandmts down
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onto the ground
and shatters them,
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which tually
symbolizes the covenant itself
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being shattered.
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And it looks like the covenant's
gog to be entirely broken,
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that covenant
relationship will not continue,
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but because of God's
grace and mercy, God decides
00:09:18.52\00:09:21.22
to maintain
covenant relationship
00:09:21.26\00:09:23.06
wi this people anyways, and Will
God be able to go yet there's
still a question: in the midst
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of His people? How can
the holy God go in the midst
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of a sinful people
without stroying them?
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That's one of the reasons
why the nctuary is built,
00:09:32.87\00:09:34.94
as alace of God's mediation.
00:09:34.97\00:09:36.64
But there's a question
at this point of the story.
00:09:36.67\00:09:38.91
Will the
sanctuary even be built?
00:09:38.94\00:09:40.61
And so there's a back-and-forth
where ses intercedes--
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actually, God draws
out interceson on purpose--
00:09:43.41\00:09:45.71
and Moses intercedes
for the people, and God--
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over and over
again God assus him,
00:09:49.38\00:09:50.92
"I will continueto go with you,"
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with more
specificit and more specificity
00:09:53.02\00:09:55.09
until God says, "I will do
everything that you've asked.
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I will still continue to go in
the very midst of the people."
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And then Moses
asked this question,
00:10:01.36\00:10:02.83
maybe a bit of an
audacious question,
00:10:02.86\00:10:04.73
wherhe says, "Lord, I
pray, show me Your glory."
00:10:04.77\00:10:09.94
And God promises, 
will make all my goodness
00:10:09.97\00:10:13.24
pass before you."
00:10:13.27\00:10:14.61
And then He makes this phrase
about, "I will grant compassion
00:10:14.64\00:10:17.65
"to who I will
grant and show mercy
00:10:17.68\00:10:19.61
to whom I will sw mercy."
00:10:19.65\00:10:21.25
d there God is,
again, showing His right,
00:10:21.28\00:10:24.42
at even though
they have forfeited
00:10:24.45\00:10:25.99
all the conant blessings,
even though the relationship
00:10:26.02\00:10:28.09
has been forfeited
God says, "Because I am
00:10:28.12\00:10:30.39
"the God of
compassion and mercy,
00:10:30.43\00:10:31.83
"I will show
compassion and mercy
00:10:31.86\00:10:33.40
on this people, even
though they don't deserve it."
00:10:33.43\00:10:36.06
Again, great news for us.
00:10:36.10\00:10:37.63
>>Eric: Thatassage, that
phrase that you just mentioned,
00:10:37.67\00:10:40.80
"I will have comssion on
who I will have compassion on,
00:10:40.84\00:10:43.04
I will have mercy on"-- some
people take that to-- that God's
00:10:45.97\00:10:47.51
arbitrary. "You know, do thisnd
do that with whoever I feel
00:10:47.54\00:10:51.31
like." That's not the picture
tt we're getting there, though.
00:10:51.35\00:10:53.11
>>John: No.
>>Eric: That's--this is God
00:10:53.15\00:10:54.78
exercising His free will.
00:10:54.82\00:10:56.42
He says, "Even
though you don't deserve it,
00:10:56.42\00:10:59.42
I'm going to show
compassion on you."
00:10:59.45\00:11:01.22
>>John: Th's right. A lot
of people read this passage
00:11:01.26\00:11:03.86
as if Gois saying, "I'm
going to have compassion
00:11:03.89\00:11:05.43
"on some
arbitrarily and not others,
00:11:05.46\00:11:07.86
that some are chosen to
be saved and some are not."
00:11:07.93\00:11:10.57
But acally the
context of the passage
00:11:10.60\00:11:12.23
shows something different.
God gives evyone a choice.
00:11:12.27\00:11:14.64
Which side are
you going to go to
00:11:14.67\00:11:15.97
athe end of Exodus 32?
00:11:16.00\00:11:17.34
And here God is assertg,
"No, I am going to bestow mercy
00:11:17.37\00:11:21.48
"and compassn on this people
00:11:21.48\00:11:22.81
because I have the
right to freely do it,"
00:11:22.84\00:11:24.35
not arbitrary
between some and others.
00:11:24.38\00:11:26.38
They have a decisi to
make to respond to that grace,
00:11:26.41\00:11:28.62
but God is saying, "I'm going
to do it of my own free will."
00:11:28.65\00:11:31.42
>>Eric: So that's a
beautiful picture of God.
00:11:31.45\00:11:32.75
It helps us to
understand His character
00:11:32.79\00:11:34.42
a whole lot beer.
>>John: Absolutely.
00:11:34.46\00:11:36.09
>>Eric: John, 're
looking at God loving freely
00:11:36.12\00:11:38.46
here in our firslesson
00:11:38.49\00:11:40.46
of this 13-lesson
journey that we're taking.
00:11:40.50\00:11:43.23
You've taken many years
of digging into God's ve,
00:11:43.26\00:11:48.04
and you've distilled
it into the quartly lesson
00:11:48.07\00:11:50.87
that we have, but there
is also a companion book.
00:11:50.91\00:11:54.11
You can't fit all of yr research
00:11:54.14\00:11:55.94
into that little
quarterly. would be nice,
00:11:55.98\00:11:57.65
but it would be very fl.
00:11:57.68\00:11:59.65
Tell us a little bitore
about this companion book
00:11:59.68\00:12:02.08
th's available and why someone
might want to pick that up.
00:12:02.12\00:12:05.75
>>John: Yeah,
the companion volume
00:12:05.79\00:12:07.12
gives me an opportunity
to delve lot more deeply
00:12:07.16\00:12:09.86
into these issues In this first
lesson, of divine love and
justice. for instance,
00:12:13.13\00:12:14.46
which is about
God's loving freely,
00:12:14.46\00:12:16.53
I'll introduceou to a theologian
00:12:16.53\00:12:18.90
you've probably never
heard of but you've actually
00:12:18.93\00:12:20.74
been very impacted
by his theology of love,
00:12:20.77\00:12:23.30
but actually that
theology of lovturns out to be
00:12:23.34\00:12:25.81
not very biblical.
00:12:25.84\00:12:27.18
And so we walk
through some of ose things
00:12:27.21\00:12:29.98
and what the
Bible really teaches
00:12:30.01\00:12:31.48
about God's love
and later in the quarter
00:12:31.51\00:12:33.48
how we deal with things
like the problem of evil
00:12:33.52\00:12:35.45
and God's goodness.
00:12:35.48\00:12:36.79
And so it gives an
opportunity to go much deeper
00:12:36.82\00:12:39.39
into the biblical
text, much deeper into this
00:12:39.42\00:12:42.12
wonderful message of G and
His love, what God is like,
00:12:42.16\00:12:46.36
how God really loves
us, how we can wrestleith
00:12:46.39\00:12:49.16
so of the biggest questions
that people struggle with,
00:12:49.20\00:12:51.97
about why is there suffering,
where is the God of justice,
00:12:52.00\00:12:54.67
and more questions like this.
00:12:54.70\00:12:56.54
>>Er: So make sure that
you pick up that companion book
00:12:56.54\00:12:59.01
to this quarter's
"Sabbath School" lesson.
00:12:59.04\00:13:01.01
Where can you find it?
00:13:01.04\00:13:02.31
It's very easy to find.
00:13:02.34\00:13:03.68
Just go to itiswritten.shop
and you can fi that book.
00:13:03.71\00:13:07.48
You will be blessed
indeed as you pick it up
00:13:07.52\00:13:10.32
and as you delve more
deeply intohis quarter's
00:13:10.35\00:13:13.96
"Sabbath School" lesson.
00:13:13.99\00:13:15.32
We'll be back in just a
moment as we continueur journey
00:13:15.36\00:13:18.16
through looking at
how God loves freely.
00:13:18.19\00:13:21.00
We'll be right back.
00:13:21.03\00:13:22.56
[uplifting music]
00:13:22.60\00:13:24.60
>>John Bradsw: Well,
it's about that time,
00:13:26.23\00:13:27.60
the time when
ople are thinking about
00:13:27.64\00:13:29.70
New Year's resolutions.
00:13:29.74\00:13:31.57
and start over is a good thing,
And ally, an opportunity but
what we see is that to turn the
00:13:34.24\00:13:37.75
page even the most
exciting, meaningful
00:13:37.78\00:13:40.15
important New Year's
resutions often don't get kept.
00:13:40.18\00:13:44.69
You've tried to hold
your temper, and you faile
00:13:44.72\00:13:47.02
You'veried not to do this thing
00:13:47.06\00:13:48.36
or that thing, and you failed.
00:13:48.39\00:13:50.03
You've tried to
be more like Jesus,
00:13:50.06\00:13:51.76
and you've failed.
00:13:51.79\00:13:53.29
And that's
because when you think
00:13:53.29\00:13:54.73
for even a moment
that you can do it,
00:13:54.73\00:13:58.33
yoare bound for disaster.
00:13:58.37\00:13:59.93
But unlike a New
Year's resolution,
00:14:00.04\00:14:03.00
faith in God isn't
about what you can do.
00:14:03.04\00:14:06.98
It's aut what God
can do in your life.
00:14:07.01\00:14:09.54
Unleash the power of God
in your life and you'll meet
00:14:09.58\00:14:13.28
with success, not
ilure, as God's power
00:14:13.31\00:14:17.32
becomes the
foundation of your life.
00:14:17.35\00:14:19.55
"The Promise
You Can Never Keep,"
00:14:19.59\00:14:21.69
watch now on It Isritten TV.
00:14:21.69\00:14:24.96
[uplifting music]
00:14:26.19\00:14:30.60
>>Eric: Welcome
back to "Sabbath School,"
00:14:30.63\00:14:32.10
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:14:32.13\00:14:33.94
We're taking a look this quarter
at God's love and justice,
00:14:33.97\00:14:37.61
and in our first
lesson we are looking
00:14:37.64\00:14:39.64
at how God loves freely.
00:14:39.67\00:14:42.44
John, there'sa
very interesting story
00:14:42.48\00:14:44.91
that you draw out
in this first lesson
00:14:44.95\00:14:47.75
and it's about Hosea
and his unfaithful wife,
00:14:47.78\00:14:50.95
and it's kind of
an allego that we see
00:14:50.99\00:14:53.29
with God and His people.
00:14:53.32\00:14:55.86
Help us to
understand how does this help us
00:14:55.89\00:14:58.96
to get how God loves
freely througthis story.
00:14:58.99\00:15:02.13
>>John: Yeah, this is the--
one of the most common maphors
00:15:02.16\00:15:04.80
about divine love
throughout Scripture.
00:15:04.83\00:15:06.97
Througut
Scripture, God is presented
00:15:07.00\00:15:08.50
as this faithful husband
of a deeply unfaithful wife.
00:15:08.54\00:15:14.91
And in the story of
Hosea and his unfaithf wife,
00:15:14.94\00:15:17.41
viously Hosea is
representing God,
00:15:17.45\00:15:19.35
and the
unfaithfulness of Hosea's wife
00:15:19.38\00:15:21.25
is representing the
unfaithfulnessf God's people.
00:15:21.28\00:15:23.95
They're continually ruing
after other lovers, so to speak,
00:15:23.99\00:15:27.16
which is a metaphor
for them going after
00:15:27.19\00:15:29.62
serving other gods.
00:15:29.66\00:15:31.66
And so you have
this picture of God
00:15:31.69\00:15:33.70
throughout the Old
Testament, especially in Hosea,
00:15:33.73\00:15:36.30
where He is doing
everything for His people,
00:15:36.33\00:15:39.07
everything to drawhem
into love relationship,
00:15:39.10\00:15:41.74
everything to take
care of them, and they are
00:15:41.74\00:15:43.64
continually
rebelling against Him
00:15:43.67\00:15:45.51
and departing from Him.
00:15:45.54\00:15:46.94
And so God is presented
00:15:46.98\00:15:48.34
as the ultimate
unrequited lover.
00:15:48.38\00:15:53.28
And we see God's love
shine through in thiepisode
00:15:53.31\00:15:57.12
of Hosea and many
others, where He is doing
00:15:57.15\00:15:59.45
everything He can, despite
His people's unfaithfulness,
00:15:59.49\00:16:03.19
to bring them back to
Himsel and not primarily
00:16:03.22\00:16:05.93
for His n good,
but because this is
00:16:05.96\00:16:07.60
the best thing
for them, the only way
00:16:07.66\00:16:10.23
that they can actually prosper
and flrish in the fullness
00:16:10.27\00:16:14.34
of the way that God wants
them to prosper and flourish.
00:16:14.37\00:16:18.64
And so you have this picture
God, who is not the picture
00:16:18.67\00:16:22.24
of God that many people have.
00:16:22.28\00:16:23.75
Some people think that God
is a harsh or exacting God,
00:16:23.78\00:16:27.68
or you have to be
good enough for His favor,
00:16:27.72\00:16:30.45
but actually you
have the opposi here.
00:16:30.49\00:16:31.82
You have God who is
desperately trying to restore
00:16:31.82\00:16:36.09
a relationship with the people
who doesn't deserve it at all,
00:16:36.12\00:16:38.66
a God who is
pained, a God who  grieved,
00:16:38.69\00:16:41.46
a God who is
weeping over His people
00:16:41.50\00:16:44.27
and tryingo draw them
back into relationship.
00:16:44.30\00:16:46.43
So we get just a
beautiful picture
00:16:46.47\00:16:48.70
and beautifuinsight
into the heart of God
00:16:48.74\00:16:50.64
in this story.
00:16:50.67\00:16:52.04
>>Eric: So we would
never-- at least, I don't think
00:16:52.07\00:16:54.48
most of us would choose to
have a relationship like that.
00:16:54.51\00:16:57.01
It's a very strained, a
ve difficult relationship
00:16:57.05\00:16:59.68
that makes it a
challenge to continue to love
00:16:59.71\00:17:03.35
that other person en
they're continually unfaithful,
00:17:03.39\00:17:06.02
and t this picture of God,
He says, "I'm not going to stop
00:17:06.05\00:17:08.59
"loving you; I'm
going to continue tlove you
00:17:08.62\00:17:10.26
and continue to love you."
00:17:10.29\00:17:11.83
There are some passages
here that, again, you draw out
00:17:11.86\00:17:15.26
in this lesson that help us to
see the God of creation in this,
00:17:15.30\00:17:21.27
and again we see God's
love depicted in creation.
00:17:21.30\00:17:24.57
I'm going to read
Revetion 4, verse 11
00:17:24.61\00:17:27.28
and Psalm 33, verse 6
00:17:27.31\00:17:29.11
and then give you an
opportunity to comment on these.
00:17:29.14\00:17:31.31
Revelation,
chapter 4, verse 11 says,
00:17:31.35\00:17:34.02
"You are worthy, O
Lord,to receive glory and honor
00:17:34.05\00:17:37.12
"and power; for
You created all things,
00:17:37.15\00:17:39.95
and by Your will they
exist and were created."
00:17:39.99\00:17:43.99
d then over in
Psalm 33, verse 6 it says,
00:17:44.03\00:17:47.40
"By the word of the
Lord the heavens were made,
00:17:47.46\00:17:49.96
and all the host of them
by the breath of His mouth."
00:17:50.00\00:17:53.60
So he is a picture
of God as the Creator.
00:17:53.64\00:17:58.67
How does this gi
us a picture of God?
00:17:58.71\00:18:01.61
We know He created things.
00:18:01.64\00:18:03.48
How does theact that
what we see Him creating
00:18:03.51\00:18:07.18
give us insights
into His character?
00:18:07.22\00:18:09.05
>>John: Yeah. Both of
these passages emphasize
00:18:09.08\00:18:12.45
that God freely
creates the world, right?
00:18:12.49\00:18:15.32
And we know the Bible
teaches that God creates the wor
00:18:15.36\00:18:17.46
out of nothing,
that apart from God
00:18:17.49\00:18:20.10
the world does not exist.
00:18:20.13\00:18:21.40
Anyou have this
very interesting phrase
00:18:21.43\00:18:23.43
in Revelation 4:11 tt
says, "By Your will they exist
00:18:23.47\00:18:27.37
and were created."
00:18:27.40\00:18:28.77
And here, again, this is
testimony about God's free will,
00:18:28.80\00:18:32.17
God's free will
to create the world
00:18:32.21\00:18:34.28
and enter into love
relationship with the world.
00:18:34.31\00:18:36.81
And by the world--when I
use the phrase "the rld,"
00:18:36.85\00:18:38.38
I mean the universe.
00:18:38.41\00:18:39.71
I me everything
that has been created.
00:18:39.75\00:18:42.78
Now, this shows us
that me theological views
00:18:42.82\00:18:46.12
that some people
have are not quite acrate.
00:18:46.15\00:18:48.12
There are some
theological systems
00:18:48.16\00:18:49.49
where God is eternallyin
relationship with some world,
00:18:49.52\00:18:53.23
like the world
is part of His beg.
00:18:53.26\00:18:54.96
You have panthsm and
other kinds of systems.
00:18:55.00\00:18:57.40
But he we see that God
creates the world freely.
00:18:57.43\00:19:01.97
within the Trinity God actually
enjoys apart from any creation,
00:19:03.74\00:19:06.34
lo relationship but He
decides of His own free will
00:19:06.37\00:19:08.74
to bring the world into
creationbecause He wants to
00:19:08.78\00:19:12.25
bestow His love on
creatures, and He wants to enter
00:19:12.28\00:19:14.62
into
relationship with creatures.
00:19:14.65\00:19:16.65
Now, that's
awesome enough alrdy.
00:19:16.69\00:19:18.35
That's amazi enough already.
00:19:18.39\00:19:20.09
But when youactor in
the fact that this is a God
00:19:20.12\00:19:22.16
who isll-knowing, a
God who knows the future,
00:19:22.19\00:19:24.83
and He knows what this
world is going to become
00:19:24.86\00:19:27.30
and what the world
isprecisely going to cost Him
00:19:27.36\00:19:30.37
specifically, right?
00:19:30.40\00:19:31.90
God the Son becomes
human to suffer and die
00:19:31.93\00:19:36.60
to save this world, and
yet, knowing all of that,
00:19:36.64\00:19:40.58
the God of theible decides
to create this world freely.
00:19:40.61\00:19:44.35
He decides it is worth
it, that He's going to create
00:19:44.38\00:19:47.68
the world, He's
going to bestow love on us,
00:19:47.72\00:19:50.39
and He's going to create
the very context forelationship.
00:19:50.42\00:19:53.09
And so we see
from the very beginning
00:19:53.12\00:19:54.72
we don't deserve God's lov
00:19:54.76\00:19:56.56
we don't deserve
relationip with Him,
00:19:56.59\00:19:58.06
we don't even deservto exist,
00:19:58.09\00:19:59.89
but God creates us freely.
00:19:59.93\00:20:01.36
And as we've
alrea seen in the show
00:20:01.40\00:20:03.33
through many passages,
don't deserve God's love
00:20:03.37\00:20:05.77
after we'vfallen,
and yet God decides
00:20:05.80\00:20:08.47
to bestow it on us freely again.
00:20:08.50\00:20:10.84
Anso really many people, again,
00:20:10.87\00:20:12.54
struggle with this concept.
00:20:12.57\00:20:13.88
They think, "I
have to be good enough."
00:20:13.91\00:20:15.38
They think that somehow
God's love is rooted in me,
00:20:15.41\00:20:17.71
but we see over and over again
that it's really rooted in God
00:20:17.75\00:20:20.55
and who He is,
which is wonderful news.
00:20:20.58\00:20:22.52
>>Eric: This is
part of His character,
00:20:22.55\00:20:24.05
part of His being.
00:20:24.09\00:20:26.05
I don't even know a
better way of saying that.
00:20:26.09\00:20:27.89
He is. He is love.
>>John: He is love.
00:20:27.92\00:20:30.76
>>Eric: You know, kind
of buildi on that concept,
00:20:30.79\00:20:33.13
God created everything here
knowing what was going to come.
00:20:33.16\00:20:37.27
It's not like it caughHim
by surprise. He knew that.
00:20:37.30\00:20:40.50
There's a fascinating
parable that Jesus shares
00:20:40.54\00:20:44.31
of the wedding banquet
in Matthew, chapter 22,
00:20:44.34\00:20:47.51
and it gives us this
picture of God's invitatio
00:20:47.54\00:20:53.08
and human response or lack
thereof. What does it mean?
00:20:53.11\00:20:59.12
In this passage it
says, "Many are called,
00:20:59.15\00:21:01.62
but few are chosen."
00:21:01.66\00:21:03.49
Again, there are so
theological misconceptions
00:21:03.53\00:21:06.26
out the in
areas of Christianity.
00:21:06.29\00:21:09.60
Help us to unpack and understand
00:21:09.63\00:21:11.57
this parable of
the wedding feast
00:21:11.60\00:21:13.57
>>John: Yeah. Th's
right. This parable,
00:21:13.60\00:21:15.54
coistent with the
rest of the teachings
00:21:15.57\00:21:17.04
of Scripture, shows us that but
He also invites us God loves us
freely, to respond.
00:21:20.88\00:21:23.04
So there's a lot of people
who have these misconceptions
00:21:23.08\00:21:25.88
that God's love is
unilateral, it's only one way,
00:21:25.91\00:21:29.42
and when they speak of things
like election or God's choe,
00:21:29.45\00:21:32.72
they think that God
chooses some people to bsaved
00:21:32.75\00:21:35.72
and others to be lost.
00:21:35.76\00:21:37.09
And if God chooses you to
be saved, then you're saved,
00:21:37.09\00:21:39.69
and you can't do
anything about it.
00:21:39.73\00:21:40.96
And if God chooses you
to be lo, then you're lost,
00:21:41.00\00:21:43.77
and you can't do
anything about that either.
00:21:43.80\00:21:45.60
But this passage paints
a very different picture.
00:21:45.63\00:21:48.14
Not only does God love freely,
but He also grants creatures
00:21:48.17\00:21:51.97
free will to accept His loveor
to reject His love in return.
00:21:52.01\00:21:56.11
So in the parable you have
00:21:56.14\00:21:57.45
this parable of a great lord
00:21:57.48\00:22:00.95
who invites
people to this feast,
00:22:00.98\00:22:03.55
and he goes out
with his invitation.
00:22:03.59\00:22:05.45
He sen his servants out and the
byways into the highways and
goes to invite people.
00:22:07.49\00:22:10.43
And that word for "invitation,"
the Greek word, is the same word
00:22:10.46\00:22:14.30
that is used
throughout the New Testament
00:22:14.30\00:22:15.86
for calling people.
00:22:15.90\00:22:17.20
So if it talks about
those who are called,
00:22:17.23\00:22:18.87
it's the same Greek word.
00:22:18.90\00:22:20.24
It just means to invite, right?
Which is significant because,
00:22:20.27\00:22:23.17
again,ome people have a
theological misconception
00:22:23.20\00:22:25.57
that the called are autotically
00:22:25.61\00:22:27.11
But in this parable you see the
called are those those who are
00:22:28.64\00:22:30.58
chosen. who e invited,
and then the question is
00:22:30.61\00:22:32.65
whether you
respond to that invitation.
00:22:32.68\00:22:35.42
Sadly, in the
parable many of the people
00:22:35.45\00:22:37.72
who are invited, they
reject the invitation.
00:22:37.75\00:22:40.56
They don't come to the
wedding feast. They dismiss .
00:22:40.59\00:22:44.76
And so the man sends
his servants out again
00:22:44.79\00:22:47.03
to others, to the
highways and e byways
00:22:47.03\00:22:49.56
bring anyone in who is
willing, to invite them.
00:22:49.60\00:22:52.83
And, again,
people have a choice.
00:22:52.87\00:22:54.24
Will you accept
the invitation or not?
00:22:54.27\00:22:56.30
You and I have the same choice.
00:22:56.34\00:22:57.81
Will you accept
the invitation or t?
00:22:57.84\00:22:59.94
And so many do
accept the invitation,
00:23:00.04\00:23:02.44
and they come in
to thwedding feast.
00:23:02.48\00:23:04.61
And at the end of that parable,
you have that phrase, right?
00:23:04.65\00:23:09.65
"Many are called,
but few are chosen."
00:23:09.68\00:23:13.66
And, again, that is sometimes
misunderood to mean that God
00:23:13.69\00:23:17.53
is cosing some
unilaterally, that the elect
00:23:17.56\00:23:21.30
are some special group
that God has decided by Himself.
00:23:21.33\00:23:26.13
But according to the
parable, if you understand
00:23:26.17\00:23:28.40
the word
"called"-- many are called,
00:23:28.44\00:23:29.70
just means
"invite-- it's the same word
00:23:29.74\00:23:31.41
that's used all
throughout the parle--
00:23:31.44\00:23:33.41
then what determines
who are finally osen?
00:23:33.44\00:23:36.01
Who are those thatre elect?
00:23:36.04\00:23:37.41
And it's very simple
if you read it in context,
00:23:37.45\00:23:39.45
which is usually the case
in many cases of the Bible.
00:23:39.48\00:23:41.88
If you don't
understand something,
00:23:41.92\00:23:43.22
read the ctext.
00:23:43.25\00:23:44.52
Pay attention to
what is bng taught.
00:23:44.55\00:23:46.82
And in the parable itself,
those who are finallchosen
00:23:46.86\00:23:50.99
are the on who respond
favorably to the invitation.
00:23:51.03\00:23:54.00
It's as simple as that.
00:23:54.03\00:23:55.33
Many are called,
meaning many are invited.
00:23:55.36\00:23:57.70
Inact, according to
the Bible, all are invited.
00:23:57.73\00:24:00.27
God wants to save everyone.
00:24:00.30\00:24:01.60
He's not wling
that any should perish.
00:24:01.64\00:24:03.64
But it's only those who
will aept the invitation,
00:24:03.67\00:24:06.11
only thoseho will
freely accept God's love
00:24:06.14\00:24:08.84
and also reflect God's love
00:24:08.88\00:24:11.41
who are finally among that group
00:24:11.45\00:24:13.05
that is known as the elect.
00:24:13.08\00:24:14.52
And so it's not
decided just by God.
00:24:14.55\00:24:16.75
God wants everyone to
be a part of that group,
00:24:16.79\00:24:18.85
but we all have a
decion about whether we will
00:24:18.89\00:24:21.76
accept God's love and
be a part of that group.
00:24:21.79\00:24:24.66
>>Eric: So we get
to pticipate in this.
00:24:24.69\00:24:27.00
>>John: That's right.
>>Eric: We don't save ouelves.
00:24:27.03\00:24:29.13
God's thone who saves
us, but we have to respond
00:24:29.16\00:24:31.37
to His invitation to be
saved. >>John: That's right.
00:24:31.40\00:24:33.74
>>Eric: I want to touch
on something inhe few moments
00:24:33.77\00:24:35.64
th we have left, and
that's this imagery of God
00:24:35.67\00:24:38.27
as an unrequited lover.
00:24:38.31\00:24:39.97
Help us to understand
that little bit more clearly.
00:24:40.01\00:24:42.81
>>John: Yeah, so you have
Go as the one who is pained
00:24:42.84\00:24:47.05
by His people. He--you ha--
00:24:47.08\00:24:49.75
in theook of Jeremiah, for
instance, you have Jeremiah,
00:24:49.78\00:24:52.82
who's often spoken of
as "the weepinprophet,"
00:24:52.85\00:24:56.69
the weeping prophet. Why is
he called the weeping proet?
00:24:56.73\00:24:59.96
Because in many
of the prophecies,
00:25:00.06\00:25:01.86
he is lamenting
over his belov people.
00:25:01.90\00:25:05.67
He's lamenting theact that
they have strayed far from God.
00:25:05.67\00:25:09.80
But actually if you read
the book of Jeremiah carefully,
00:25:09.84\00:25:12.14
it's not just the
prophet who is weeng--
00:25:12.17\00:25:14.81
it not just the
prophet who is lamenting
00:25:14.84\00:25:17.45
this broken
relationship; it's actuay God
00:25:17.48\00:25:20.55
who is grieved, God
who is deeply stirred
00:25:20.58\00:25:23.72
with emotion for His people.
00:25:23.75\00:25:25.45
And so I wld say that
actually you don't just have
00:25:25.49\00:25:27.42
the eping prophet in
Jeremiah and elsewhere
00:25:27.46\00:25:29.62
in the Old Testament;
you have the weeping God,
00:25:29.66\00:25:32.23
God who is
weeping over His people
00:25:32.26\00:25:34.76
who are used-- who
are described, again,
00:25:34.83\00:25:36.90
with this metaphor of a
bride, but an uaithful bride,
00:25:36.93\00:25:40.54
a bride who
goesfter other lovers,
00:25:40.57\00:25:43.34
o's been so unfaithful
that even in some texts
00:25:43.37\00:25:45.81
it says that
she's kind of picted
00:25:45.84\00:25:48.31
almost like a prostitute.
00:25:48.34\00:25:50.28
But it says unlike a prostitute,
e actually pays her lovers,
00:25:50.31\00:25:53.58
right? This isow
far she has strayed.
00:25:53.62\00:25:56.22
This is how far d's people
have strayed from relationship
00:25:56.25\00:25:59.25
with Him, and yet
God in His great love
00:25:59.29\00:26:02.89
wants to be in
relationship with them anyways.
00:26:02.92\00:26:05.66
And so He is the
great unrequited lover
00:26:05.69\00:26:08.36
who is doing everything He
can to restore this relationship
00:26:08.40\00:26:12.27
with His people, and
He does erything He can
00:26:12.30\00:26:14.47
restore
relationship with us as well,
00:26:14.50\00:26:16.54
if we are willing
to respond favorably.
00:26:16.57\00:26:18.77
>>Eric: So that's our
part. Our parts to respond.
00:26:18.81\00:26:22.31
And if wget a clearer,
better picture of who He is
00:26:22.34\00:26:25.88
and how much He loves
us and how much He wants
00:26:25.91\00:26:28.05
to be with us and
wants us to be with Him,
00:26:28.08\00:26:31.02
maybe it would make
it a little bit easier
00:26:31.05\00:26:32.59
for us to respond favorably.
00:26:32.62\00:26:34.66
>>John: That's
right. This is a key.
00:26:34.69\00:26:36.16
When you see love--
00:26:36.19\00:26:37.73
I often say, to know
God is to love Him, right?
00:26:37.76\00:26:40.96
And a lot of people, I
think, struggle to understand
00:26:40.96\00:26:43.20
God's character because they've
been shown pictures of God
00:26:43.23\00:26:46.97
who is actually not very
loving, who is hsh and exacting.
00:26:47.00\00:26:50.04
But when you
comto know the real God,
00:26:50.07\00:26:51.44
the God of the Bible, He
dra us into relationship.
00:26:51.47\00:26:54.11
To know Him is to love Him.
00:26:54.14\00:26:55.48
>>Eric: And that's what
we're going to be studying
00:26:55.51\00:26:57.28
and lening more about
as we continue this journey
00:26:57.31\00:26:59.81
through looking at God's
love and justice, and we're glad
00:26:59.85\00:27:04.32
that you are joinings
on this journey as well.
00:27:04.35\00:27:06.96
It is a deep journey.
00:27:06.99\00:27:08.69
It is an awe-inspiring
jrney, and you're going to find
00:27:08.72\00:27:12.79
some answers to
estions that perhaps you've had
00:27:12.83\00:27:15.90
in the past and perhaps some
people who you know have had.
00:27:15.93\00:27:19.93
Maybe they have a somewhat
off-base picture of who God is.
00:27:19.97\00:27:24.64
Thisuarter as we look
at God's love and justice,
00:27:24.67\00:27:27.34
you're going to see clearly
what a God of love He is.
00:27:27.38\00:27:31.81
We're glad that you are
joining us on this journey.
00:27:31.85\00:27:34.75
We're going to be back
again next week as we continue
00:27:34.78\00:27:37.59
our journey through
God's love and justice.
00:27:37.62\00:27:41.16
God bless you, and
we'll see you again next time
00:27:41.19\00:27:43.29
here on "Sabbath School,"
brought to you by It Is Written.
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