Hello, I'm Clive Nash.
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Welcome to Let God Speak.
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CS Lewis, the
20th century atheist
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who became a Christian
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once said, "I
believe in Christianity,
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as I believe that
the sun has risen.
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Not only because I
see it, but because by it,
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I see everything else."
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It is like that
with the Christian Bible.
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By it, we understand
the big questions of life,
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origins, meaning and destiny.
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The Bible tells that story.
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But today, we will look at
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a particular part of that theme.
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God is our teacher on
the subject of redemption,
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and our role as His students.
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So have your
Bible ready as we begin.
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Hello now.
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On panel today we have
David Currie and Steven Groom.
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Good to have you
with us together.
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Well, let's pray before
we begin our discussion.
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Loving Father in heaven,
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we thank You that we
can come and learn from You.
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We thank You, You
are the master teacher.
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And we want to
sit at Your feet today
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as we discuss
this important topic.
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And we ask for a
blessing in Jesus' name, amen.
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Now, David, some
works of fiction or novels
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or that sort of thing
have a good ending to them,
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have a happy ending,
some have an unhappy ending.
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But when it comes to real life,
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we don't know what the ending
is going to be for us, do we?
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Absolutely not.
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You know, I like to
think of the late Billy Graham.
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He was a great
Christian evangelist,
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and a very popular
speaker around the world.
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And he said one time,
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"I've read the
last page of the Bible,
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it's all going to
turn out all right."
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Okay.
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The Bible gives us
the end of the story,
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as well as the
beginning of course.
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As long as we're on
the right side of course.
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Absolutely.
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That makes me,
prompts me to ask,
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you know, is it going to
be a universally happy ending?
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Well, for God's people, yes.
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But for those who
are not His people, no.
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And I love this
text in Revelation 22.
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It says, "And behold,"
that's Revelation 22:12.
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"And behold, I
am coming quickly,
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and My reward is with Me,
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to give to every man
according to his works."
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So for some,
it's going to be no,
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but I trust for most of us
it's going to be yes for sure.
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And we must choose,
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God gives us
the power of choice,
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and we must choose
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which ending
we're going to be in.
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And I think it's
going to be very important
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that through this life we
learn that the grace of God
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is one of the
most important things
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that God wants to teach us.
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Well, learning
is one of the things
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that seems to happen right
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throughout our
lives, doesn't it?
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Absolutely.
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Kind of think of
learning is happening
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and when we're in
school or university
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or something like that.
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But in fact, life itself
is a great teacher for us.
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Absolutely.
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I'd like to have a look
at a passage of Scripture
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found in 2 Timothy 3:16.
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And, Steven,
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looking for a
comment from you on this one.
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2 Timothy 3:16 says,
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"All Scripture is
given by inspiration of God,
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and is profitable for doctrine,
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for reproof, for correction,
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for instruction
in righteousness."
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What can we imply
from this text about
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learning, Steven?
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Well, first of all, notice
all the instruction words.
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I mean,
doctrine means teachings.
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Reproof means reproving someone.
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We learn from reproof? Yes.
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Correction and
instruction in righteousness,
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not unrighteousness.
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And so, we see that
God wants to teach us
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in this case
through the scriptures,
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and it's our benefit to
listen to what He has to say,
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because He has our
best interest in at hearts.
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He wants to instruct us on
how to prepare for eternity.
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It's not against our,
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I know some people
who rebel against God,
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that's not a good
thing to do is it,
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when He's got our
best interest at heart.
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So Paul is saying,
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this is the
purpose of all Scripture,
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that it fulfills all
these different functions.
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Yes.
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And let's go back to
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the first book of the Bible now.
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Genesis Chapter 1,
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and the book of
beginnings and verse 26, and 27.
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"And God said, 'Let
us make man in our image,
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'" And I just want to
focus on this phrase here,
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"in our image" in a moment,
"according to our likeness,
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so let them have dominion over
the fish of the sea, '" etc.
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And then verse 27, says,
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"So God created
man in His own image,
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in the image of
God He created him,
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male and female,
He created them."
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Now, David, to further
this divine teacher idea,
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what does it mean
that this image of God
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that's mentioned here,
this likeness to be like God?
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I suppose we would
say that this is a copy,
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or a very close
representation of the divine,
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but doesn't make us divine,
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we are not a part
of divinity itself.
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While these two
images and likeness
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are very, very
similar, one explains the other.
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In some ways,
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we are like God
without having divinity.
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So, Steven, you've got
anything to add to that?
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What ways do you think
you understand we're like God?
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Well, since Genesis Chapter 3,
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it says that they
went through a test,
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the tree of
knowledge of good and evil,
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they failed that test.
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And Paul says in Romans 7,
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that we've been
sold to the devil.
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So a lot of commentators
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have said that we
have lost the image of God
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to some degree,
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but we're still
like our parents,
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you know, like a child reflects
the image of their parents.
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So now, we tend to reflect,
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to some degree might
surprise our audience
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to know that we
more reflect the devil,
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but God still wants
to communicate with us.
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And so,
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He can't commune with us
openly, we can't see God,
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but He wants to
communicate with us
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to prepare and
fix that relationship.
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That's why Jesus came,
so that He can restore us.
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So it's become
more an urgent thing
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that He has to do now.
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So restoring the
image of God in us.
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And that's still possible.
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But it's, it's urgent for us
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to work with
His Son Jesus Christ
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in restoring that image.
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I was interested
in a little quote
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from the book
Education by EG White,
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where she says,
"In the highest sense,
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the work of education
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and the work of
redemption are one."
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So there's this
restoring that image of God
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is part of that restoration,
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isn't it, part
of that education?
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Yes.
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Do you think that
there is still some
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vestiges of the
image of God in us?
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Or has it been completely marred
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by the entrance of sin?
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Well, it's a
very essential work,
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you know, in life,
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we know that parents
train their little children,
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then they go on to school,
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and the teachers have as
a part of their training.
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And teachers can guide
the children little by little,
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may become into the
likeness of the divine.
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And we begin to
reflect His image.
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You know, you often read
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how that they've
discovered an old painting,
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and they get their
specialists to come in
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and restore that image,
they take off the old dust
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and some of the
grime that's gone there
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over the centuries.
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And that becomes a
beautiful picture once again.
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Whereas when you
first see it is very dull,
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you wonder whether
it's worth anything at all.
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God does that with us.
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Little by little, He
brings us back into His image.
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I'd like to look
at another passage
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in the Old
Testament, and this time,
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it's in Isaiah Chapter 11.
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And we're going to look
at verses 1-3, Isaiah 11:1-3.
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Now this is a prophecy written
about 700 years before Christ,
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but it's referring to Christ.
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"Then shall come forth a
rod from the stem of Jesse,
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and a Branch shall
grow out of his roots.
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The Spirit of the
Lord shall rest upon Him,
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the Spirit of
wisdom, notice these words,
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Spirit of wisdom
and understanding,
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the Spirit of counsel and might,
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the Spirit of knowledge
and of the fear of the Lord."
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And then verse 3 says,
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"His delight is in
the fear of the Lord,
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and He shall not judge
by the sight of His eyes,
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nor decide by the
hearing of His ears."
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Steven, this old
prophecy about Jesus,
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how does the idea of Jesus
as a teacher come through here?
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Well, if I'd like to, I'd
like to read verse 2 again.
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Notice these words here,
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the Spirit of
wisdom and understanding,
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the Spirit of counsel and might,
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the Spirit of knowledge
and the fear of the Lord.
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So once we, once again we have
strong education terms here.
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So we know that the
Lord wants to redeem us.
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These are very
strong counseling words
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to bring us back
into restoration with God.
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And if we cooperate with Him,
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in a life of
obedience, this will happen.
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We can be fully
restored into the image of God.
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Okay.
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So how does this passage
here finish up by then, Steven?
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What promise is there?
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Redemption will be complete.
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Okay, I'm thinking,
for example of verse 9,
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if you could read
that for us, please?
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Isaiah 11:9.
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Okay, so it's speaking about
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redeemed to the
kingdom of heaven, isn't it?
00:10:25.55\00:10:28.69
So it says, "They
shall not hurt or destroy
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in all My holy mountain,
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for the earth shall be full
of the knowledge of the Lord,
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as the waters cover the sea."
00:10:35.96\00:10:38.43
So redemption is about
education, it says here.
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Yes, if we acknowledge here,
00:10:42.84\00:10:44.17
I assume Christ quite
strongly there, doesn't it?
00:10:44.21\00:10:45.94
And responding to that knowledge
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in a positive way.
00:10:47.64\00:10:49.78
One of the stories that I
like in the New Testament,
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which brings out the
idea of Jesus as a teacher,
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is in John Chapter 3.
00:10:57.89\00:11:00.09
It's interesting that you
got a couple of chapters here,
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which deal quite extensively
00:11:02.76\00:11:05.06
with Jesus
talking with individuals,
00:11:05.09\00:11:06.59
Chapter 3 and Chapter 4,
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but Chapter 3 of John
1-3, I'm going to read now.
00:11:08.36\00:11:13.00
"There was a
man of the Pharisees
00:11:13.03\00:11:14.50
named Nicodemus, a
ruler of the Jews."
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So he was an important person,
wasn't he, a ruler of the Jews?
00:11:18.31\00:11:22.44
This man came to Jesus
by night and said to Him,
00:11:22.48\00:11:25.51
"Rabbi,
00:11:25.55\00:11:26.88
we know that You are
a teacher come from God,
00:11:26.92\00:11:29.55
for no one can do these signs
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that You do
unless God is with him."
00:11:31.32\00:11:34.82
Jesus answered and said
to him, "Most assuredly,
00:11:34.86\00:11:38.66
I say to you,
unless one is born again,
00:11:38.69\00:11:41.36
he cannot see
the kingdom of God."
00:11:41.40\00:11:45.00
"So here's, there's Nicodemus.
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Why does he call
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even though he's
a ruler of the Jews?
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David, why does
he call him Rabbi?
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Rabbi means my
teacher, or my master.
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And even though
Nicodemus was himself
00:11:59.51\00:12:01.32
a ruler of the Jews,
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he saw in Jesus
something greater.
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And the answer that comes in,
you're a teacher come from God,
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for no one can do these signs
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that you do,
unless God is with him.
00:12:10.26\00:12:12.89
So Nicodemus was acquainted
with what Jesus was doing.
00:12:12.93\00:12:16.00
The very signs
that He was fulfilling,
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the people that He was healing.
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Nobody could else do that.
00:12:19.17\00:12:20.50
So he was his teacher,
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or he was the one who
was his master as it were.
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He must have seen something
special in Jesus, doesn't he?
00:12:27.88\00:12:33.01
Well, Jesus got that
from His heavenly Father.
00:12:33.05\00:12:35.82
And so He was now passing on.
00:12:35.85\00:12:37.82
Yes.
00:12:37.85\00:12:39.19
It is quite interesting
that Nicodemus was quite high
00:12:39.22\00:12:42.82
in the church in
the Jewish church.
00:12:42.86\00:12:45.36
But Jesus said he
needed to be born again.
00:12:45.39\00:12:48.13
Yes.
00:12:48.16\00:12:49.50
As you said.
00:12:49.53\00:12:50.90
If Jesus is
teaching him something,
00:12:50.93\00:12:52.83
He's teaching
00:12:52.87\00:12:54.20
a very important lesson
here, isn't He in verse 3?
00:12:54.24\00:12:56.81
Yes.
00:12:56.84\00:12:58.17
By coming straight to the point
00:12:58.21\00:12:59.54
I know what your
hearts need is, Nicodemus,
00:12:59.57\00:13:02.18
you know, and a good
teacher will do that.
00:13:02.21\00:13:05.95
And Jesus is
certainly the master teacher.
00:13:05.98\00:13:09.18
Our opening texts we had today
was Paul writing to Timothy.
00:13:09.22\00:13:14.92
And I'd like to go
again to 2 Timothy,
00:13:14.96\00:13:19.86
we looked at verse
16, didn't we, early on?
00:13:19.89\00:13:24.60
So let's have a look
at the two verses before.
00:13:24.63\00:13:28.07
2 Timothy 3:
00:13:28.10\00:13:32.81
14-15.
00:13:32.84\00:13:37.05
"But you must continue
00:13:37.08\00:13:38.58
in the things
which you have learned."
00:13:38.61\00:13:40.18
So here's the older person
00:13:40.22\00:13:42.62
talking to the
younger man in Timothy.
00:13:42.65\00:13:46.55
"Continue in the
things which you have learned,
00:13:46.59\00:13:49.36
and being assured of
00:13:49.39\00:13:51.23
knowing from whom
you have learned them."
00:13:51.26\00:13:53.90
And again he's talking about
education really, isn't he?
00:13:53.93\00:13:57.70
And then verse 15,
"And that from childhood,
00:13:57.73\00:14:00.24
you have known
the Holy Scriptures,
00:14:00.27\00:14:02.54
which are able to make you wise
for salvation through faith,
00:14:02.57\00:14:06.01
which is in Christ Jesus."
00:14:06.04\00:14:09.48
David, what scriptures
is Paul talking about here?
00:14:09.51\00:14:13.65
Yes, well, of course,
00:14:13.68\00:14:15.02
the New Testament
wasn't formed at that time.
00:14:15.05\00:14:17.89
So the scriptures
that he was talking about
00:14:17.92\00:14:19.92
and the scriptures
that Jesus referred
00:14:19.95\00:14:21.52
to was the Old
Testament as we know it today.
00:14:21.56\00:14:24.53
And I like that text in Luke 24,
00:14:24.56\00:14:27.90
where Jesus is
reminding the disciples
00:14:27.93\00:14:32.67
of things that had happen.
00:14:32.70\00:14:34.04
In verse 27,
00:14:34.07\00:14:36.40
He says, "In beginning at
Moses and all the prophets,
00:14:36.44\00:14:39.87
He expounded to them
in all the scriptures
00:14:39.91\00:14:42.08
the things concerning Himself."
00:14:42.11\00:14:44.11
Now he talks about
Moses and the prophets
00:14:44.15\00:14:46.38
a little bit later on in
Chapter 44, the last part.
00:14:46.41\00:14:50.19
He says, "Are still
with you that all things
00:14:50.22\00:14:53.25
must be fulfilled was
written in the law of Moses,
00:14:53.29\00:14:55.86
the prophets and the Psalms."
00:14:55.89\00:14:58.09
And the Jews understood this
00:14:58.13\00:14:59.86
as being the Old Testament
as we understand it today,
00:14:59.89\00:15:03.03
they understood them
as that is the scriptures.
00:15:03.06\00:15:06.10
And so here we
have the scriptures
00:15:06.13\00:15:09.00
that Paul was talking
about, was the law of Moses,
00:15:09.04\00:15:12.74
which are the first
five books of the Bible,
00:15:12.77\00:15:15.94
then we have the Psalms,
and we have all the prophets,
00:15:15.98\00:15:19.48
and that comprises the
whole of the Old Testament.
00:15:19.51\00:15:23.49
Okay.
00:15:23.52\00:15:24.85
Yes, a few years ago,
00:15:24.89\00:15:26.22
I was in Israel and met
with a Samaritan priest,
00:15:26.25\00:15:31.09
and they only accept
the Torah as scriptures,
00:15:31.13\00:15:35.83
just the writings of Moses.
00:15:35.86\00:15:37.63
So, Steven,
00:15:37.67\00:15:39.90
what was the purpose
of the writings of Moses
00:15:39.93\00:15:43.77
that are
referred to here by Jesus?
00:15:43.81\00:15:46.34
What's the purpose of the Torah?
00:15:46.37\00:15:47.94
The first five books?
00:15:47.98\00:15:49.58
It's interesting to note that
the whole of the Old Testament
00:15:49.61\00:15:52.81
is summarized in three things,
00:15:52.85\00:15:54.48
the law,
prophets and the writings.
00:15:54.52\00:15:58.05
That's the heading
of the Hebrew Bible.
00:15:58.09\00:16:00.39
But well, Torah means law.
00:16:00.42\00:16:02.49
First five books, it also
means teachings or instructions.
00:16:02.52\00:16:05.69
And those books, we know
are full of instructions.
00:16:05.73\00:16:08.66
Through Moses, God
teaches us about creation,
00:16:08.70\00:16:12.63
the fall into sin,
the promise of a redeemer,
00:16:12.67\00:16:16.71
and His working
out of that plan.
00:16:16.74\00:16:18.84
Well, that was veiled somewhat
in the sanctuary service.
00:16:18.87\00:16:21.84
But it did teach
about a Messiah to come.
00:16:21.88\00:16:27.92
Yes, see, the writings
of Moses are foundational
00:16:27.95\00:16:31.45
to the whole of
the plan of redemption
00:16:31.49\00:16:33.62
really, aren't they?
00:16:33.66\00:16:34.99
Because it tells
us why we're here,
00:16:35.02\00:16:37.33
you know, the creation story,
00:16:37.36\00:16:39.13
and why there is so
much evil in the world.
00:16:39.16\00:16:41.80
It's so sad that some Christians
00:16:41.83\00:16:45.17
don't place any
authority on the Old Testament
00:16:45.20\00:16:47.70
when there's so much to learn.
00:16:47.74\00:16:49.97
And that is still authoritative
in the Old Testament.
00:16:50.01\00:16:53.38
Okay, so the writings of
Moses are very important.
00:16:53.41\00:16:56.44
What about the prophets, David?
00:16:56.48\00:16:58.98
What teaching role
do they have to play?
00:16:59.01\00:17:02.78
Yes, well, while
the Torah, the law,
00:17:02.82\00:17:05.12
showed the
relationship of people to God,
00:17:05.15\00:17:08.22
and He to them,
00:17:08.26\00:17:09.86
the prophets of historical books
00:17:09.89\00:17:12.29
tell us how well the
people didn't practice,
00:17:12.33\00:17:15.06
and also how
they need to improve.
00:17:15.10\00:17:17.50
And the prophet
particularly showed them
00:17:17.53\00:17:19.00
how they should improve.
00:17:19.03\00:17:20.54
Even the song book of the Bible,
00:17:20.57\00:17:22.44
the Psalms that is
contained educational Psalms,
00:17:22.47\00:17:26.98
like Psalms 1, for instance.
00:17:27.01\00:17:28.88
And then you're
going to come to Psalms 37.
00:17:28.91\00:17:32.58
And then if you
reverse that to Psalm 73,
00:17:32.61\00:17:35.08
they're all educational
Psalms, and very important
00:17:35.12\00:17:38.35
in it as they are in
the song book of the Bible.
00:17:38.39\00:17:43.16
And, Steven, do we find
00:17:43.19\00:17:45.69
elements of teaching
in the New Testament?
00:17:45.73\00:17:48.76
Oh, most definitely.
00:17:48.80\00:17:50.13
Jesus was the master teacher.
00:17:50.17\00:17:51.57
So we must turn and
see how He taught people.
00:17:51.60\00:17:55.30
If you go to Matthew 13:34,
00:17:55.34\00:17:59.71
it says, after
speaking a parable to them,
00:17:59.74\00:18:05.65
it says, "All these things,
00:18:05.68\00:18:07.52
Jesus spoke unto the
multitude in parables,
00:18:07.55\00:18:10.39
and without a parable,
He did not speak unto them."
00:18:10.42\00:18:13.46
And so, Jesus spoke or taught
00:18:13.49\00:18:16.93
through short
stories or parables,
00:18:16.96\00:18:19.13
a great teaching method,
00:18:19.16\00:18:21.86
even though even non-Christians
know a lot of them,
00:18:21.90\00:18:25.13
you know, the story
of the Good Samaritan,
00:18:25.17\00:18:26.63
the sheep and the
goats, the wheat and the tares.
00:18:26.67\00:18:30.64
And all these are
very well- known stories.
00:18:30.67\00:18:33.78
And so Jesus
used things of nature
00:18:33.81\00:18:37.11
to teach hidden
things, spiritual things.
00:18:37.15\00:18:40.08
And I believe this is a
carry on from the Old Testament,
00:18:40.12\00:18:42.52
I believe the sanctuary service
was redemption in parables
00:18:42.55\00:18:49.39
that many of the
Jews failed to see.
00:18:49.42\00:18:53.03
The danger is that they saw
that fulfilling these rituals
00:18:53.06\00:18:58.93
was a way of
redemption, rather than seeing
00:18:58.97\00:19:01.00
the teaching elements
00:19:01.04\00:19:02.40
that were actually in
the sanctuary service.
00:19:02.44\00:19:04.04
Yeah.
00:19:04.07\00:19:05.41
And certainly, with
Jesus using illustrations
00:19:05.44\00:19:09.21
from, for example nature,
00:19:09.24\00:19:11.58
you know, when people looked
at those kinds of scenes later,
00:19:11.61\00:19:15.75
they would remember the
stories that Jesus told,
00:19:15.78\00:19:18.09
wouldn't they?
00:19:18.12\00:19:19.45
Yes, there's...
00:19:19.49\00:19:20.82
It's, I mean, nature
is just a lesson book.
00:19:20.86\00:19:23.32
I mean, Jesus made ant,
00:19:23.36\00:19:24.93
you see the
industriousness of the ants,
00:19:24.96\00:19:27.76
and the wise man Solomon
has a lesson for lazy people.
00:19:27.80\00:19:32.37
He says, "Go to the ant,
00:19:32.40\00:19:33.74
you sluggard and watch
them, and learn from them,
00:19:33.77\00:19:36.10
so we can learn
so much from animals
00:19:36.14\00:19:38.37
and nature around us."
00:19:38.41\00:19:39.74
Yeah.
00:19:39.77\00:19:41.11
I'd like to go over
00:19:41.14\00:19:42.48
to the last book
of the Bible now,
00:19:42.51\00:19:44.85
the Book of Revelation,
00:19:44.88\00:19:46.75
because there's
an interesting scene
00:19:46.78\00:19:48.25
in Revelation Chapter 5,
00:19:48.28\00:19:50.25
and we have to look at
the first five verses here.
00:19:50.29\00:19:54.29
"And I saw in
the right hand of him
00:19:54.32\00:19:56.42
who sat on the throne a scroll
written inside and on the back,
00:19:56.46\00:20:01.33
sealed with seven seals.
00:20:01.36\00:20:04.03
Then I saw a strong angel
proclaiming with a loud voice,
00:20:04.07\00:20:08.14
'Who is worthy
to open the scroll
00:20:08.17\00:20:10.37
and to loose its seals?'
00:20:10.41\00:20:12.71
And no one in
heaven or on the earth
00:20:12.74\00:20:14.81
or under the earth was
able to open the scroll,
00:20:14.84\00:20:17.45
or to look at it.'"
00:20:17.48\00:20:19.25
Well, this perplexed to John,
00:20:19.28\00:20:20.95
he says, "So I wept much,
00:20:20.98\00:20:23.02
because no one was found worthy
to open and read the scroll,
00:20:23.05\00:20:26.45
or to look at it.
00:20:26.49\00:20:28.02
But one of the elders
said to me, 'Do not weep.
00:20:28.06\00:20:31.89
Behold, the Lion
of the tribe of Judah,
00:20:31.93\00:20:34.66
the Root of David,
00:20:34.70\00:20:36.03
has prevailed to open the scroll
00:20:36.06\00:20:37.97
and to loose its seven seals.'"
00:20:38.00\00:20:40.94
David, who's able to
unlock this sealed scroll
00:20:40.97\00:20:45.67
that he is, is here?
00:20:45.71\00:20:47.71
Yes, here we have a
very wonderful prophecy
00:20:47.74\00:20:51.01
actually from Revelation.
00:20:51.05\00:20:52.85
And it actually reminds us
of a prophecy in Genesis 49,
00:20:52.88\00:20:58.42
where Jesus also is predicted
way back in the 1,500 years,
00:20:58.45\00:21:03.49
before Jesus came.
00:21:03.53\00:21:04.89
Here is Moses
predicting Him as being the lion
00:21:04.93\00:21:07.63
of the tribe of Judah,
00:21:07.66\00:21:09.10
and the great messianic prophecy
00:21:09.13\00:21:11.67
at the center of King David.
00:21:11.70\00:21:13.94
And this, of
course, brought out here,
00:21:13.97\00:21:16.27
and Jesus
indeed was all of that.
00:21:16.30\00:21:19.01
And He was a great
teacher, there's no question.
00:21:19.04\00:21:21.84
And when you use the terms,
in Genesis of lion and scepter,
00:21:21.88\00:21:27.38
He's foretelling the Messiah.
00:21:27.42\00:21:29.65
And this is one of
the 300 prophecies,
00:21:29.68\00:21:31.69
at least,
00:21:31.72\00:21:33.05
about the Messiah in
the Old Testament itself.
00:21:33.09\00:21:36.36
And so, Jesus teaches
us so much about salvation,
00:21:36.39\00:21:42.13
and the future that
we have in the redemption
00:21:42.16\00:21:44.37
that He's offering to us.
00:21:44.40\00:21:47.44
One of the books of the Bible,
I guess, in the Old Testament,
00:21:47.47\00:21:50.54
which really focuses
quite a bit on wisdom,
00:21:50.57\00:21:55.58
which we would hope
00:21:55.61\00:21:56.95
is something we
get from education,
00:21:56.98\00:21:58.95
particularly with regard
to the plan of redemption,
00:21:58.98\00:22:02.78
is the Book of Proverbs.
00:22:02.82\00:22:04.75
And I'm going to have a
look at Chapter 16 of Proverbs,
00:22:04.79\00:22:08.39
and verse 23.
00:22:08.42\00:22:11.19
This simply says,
00:22:11.23\00:22:13.19
"The heart of the
wise teaches his mouth,
00:22:13.23\00:22:17.33
and adds learning to his lips."
00:22:17.37\00:22:21.10
Steven, is this...
00:22:21.14\00:22:22.94
this wisdom
that's spoken of here,
00:22:22.97\00:22:25.67
who is writing about this?
00:22:25.71\00:22:27.91
Oh, we believe that Solomon,
00:22:27.94\00:22:30.61
wise man Solomon wrote
most of the Book of Proverbs,
00:22:30.65\00:22:34.68
and certainly the early parts.
00:22:34.72\00:22:36.69
And I'd like to prove
that from 1 Kings 4:34.
00:22:36.72\00:22:41.99
It says that all,
00:22:42.02\00:22:44.43
"There came all of the people
00:22:44.46\00:22:45.79
to hear the wisdom of Solomon
from all kings of the earth,
00:22:45.83\00:22:49.43
who had heard of his wisdom."
00:22:49.46\00:22:51.53
And we know he
is wise because he,
00:22:51.57\00:22:54.17
he got this wisdom
from God as a present.
00:22:54.20\00:22:57.61
As a matter of fact,
00:23:00.71\00:23:02.04
he didn't ask
for riches, did he?
00:23:02.08\00:23:05.15
He asked for wisdom.
00:23:05.18\00:23:06.51
He didn't ask for
fame, he asked for wisdom.
00:23:06.55\00:23:08.88
And God was very pleased
with him asking about that.
00:23:08.92\00:23:12.09
Also I have 1 Kings 3:9-12.
00:23:12.12\00:23:15.42
And this is the
test where he asked if...
00:23:19.13\00:23:23.87
Where Solomon
requests, he says to God,
00:23:23.90\00:23:27.04
"Give therefore my servant,
your servant an understanding
00:23:27.07\00:23:30.71
how to judge your people
00:23:30.74\00:23:32.07
that I may discern
between good and bad,
00:23:32.11\00:23:34.38
for who is able to judge
this Your so great a people.
00:23:34.41\00:23:37.85
And the speech pleased the Lord,
00:23:37.88\00:23:39.78
that Solomon had
asked this great thing,
00:23:39.81\00:23:42.22
and God said to him,
00:23:42.25\00:23:44.02
'Because you
have asked this thing
00:23:44.05\00:23:45.39
that had not asked
for long life, or riches,
00:23:45.42\00:23:49.52
or the life of your enemies
but have asked for yourself,
00:23:49.56\00:23:54.06
understanding,
discern, judgment,
00:23:54.10\00:23:55.90
behold, I've done
according to your words.
00:23:55.93\00:23:58.23
So I have given you a wise
and an understanding heart.
00:23:58.27\00:24:01.47
So there was none
like you before you,
00:24:01.50\00:24:04.14
neither shall
there be any after you.'"
00:24:04.17\00:24:08.48
A good thing to ask for wisdom.
00:24:08.51\00:24:12.35
So we can ask the
same thing of God, can we?
00:24:12.38\00:24:14.85
Sure.
00:24:14.88\00:24:16.22
So there's instruction
00:24:16.25\00:24:17.59
and many hard things to
understand in the Bible.
00:24:17.62\00:24:19.89
But if we ask of God, who
is the author of the Word,
00:24:19.92\00:24:23.16
He will help us understand
it as well through His Spirit.
00:24:23.19\00:24:26.29
Now, gentlemen, I'd
like to put a question
00:24:26.33\00:24:27.66
to perhaps both of you
like, I'd like to consider,
00:24:27.70\00:24:30.57
how do we generally gain wisdom?
00:24:30.60\00:24:33.57
Well, first of all, we
gained it from our parents,
00:24:33.60\00:24:37.24
then we gained it
from our school teaching,
00:24:37.27\00:24:39.87
from our teachers.
00:24:39.91\00:24:41.48
But, you know, frankly,
I think that we can gain
00:24:41.51\00:24:43.58
even more by
reading the scriptures,
00:24:43.61\00:24:46.45
learning the scriptures.
00:24:46.48\00:24:48.65
Yes, Steven?
00:24:48.68\00:24:50.02
As a secondary revelation,
00:24:50.05\00:24:51.65
I believe that God
speaks through nature.
00:24:51.69\00:24:54.12
And as I already
mentioned before in Chapter 6...
00:24:54.16\00:24:57.96
On Proverbs, you mean?
00:25:03.23\00:25:04.57
Proverbs Chapter 6,
it's, where it says, God,
00:25:04.60\00:25:08.90
God says, "Go to the ant
you sluggard," verses 6, 6-8.
00:25:08.94\00:25:13.88
"Go to the ant, you sluggard.
00:25:13.91\00:25:16.04
Consider her ways and be
wise which having no guide,
00:25:16.08\00:25:18.98
overseer or ruler,
00:25:19.01\00:25:20.62
provides her meat in the summer
00:25:20.65\00:25:22.05
and gathers her
food in the harvest."
00:25:22.08\00:25:24.52
So here we have a call to
be industrious in our life.
00:25:24.55\00:25:30.59
In the New Testament,
00:25:30.63\00:25:32.76
we have very much
give a focus of Jesus
00:25:32.79\00:25:35.60
about what would happen
after He went back to heaven.
00:25:35.63\00:25:39.33
He has cared for His disciples,
00:25:39.37\00:25:41.80
and He was offering the
gift of the Holy Spirit.
00:25:41.84\00:25:46.21
I like to have a look
here at John 14:16-17.
00:25:46.24\00:25:51.91
Well, matter of fact,
00:25:51.95\00:25:53.28
I see our time is
running away from us.
00:25:53.31\00:25:55.05
But let me just
remind you and our viewers,
00:25:55.08\00:25:58.75
that the Holy Spirit had
the advantage over Jesus,
00:25:58.79\00:26:02.16
in that He was able
to be everywhere present.
00:26:02.19\00:26:06.23
And the gift of the Holy
Spirit was very important
00:26:06.26\00:26:09.20
for the education of
the early Christian church,
00:26:09.23\00:26:12.87
in matters of redemption.
00:26:12.90\00:26:15.20
And Paul gives us
00:26:15.24\00:26:17.54
some simple truth about that
00:26:17.57\00:26:19.74
in 1 Corinthians 2:2,
00:26:19.77\00:26:25.91
6, and 7.
00:26:25.95\00:26:28.25
1 Corinthians 2,
00:26:28.28\00:26:29.68
and I'll just
read verse 2 there.
00:26:29.72\00:26:32.72
"I determined not to
know anything among you,
00:26:32.75\00:26:35.26
except Jesus
Christ, and Him crucified."
00:26:35.29\00:26:39.16
Here we have the
gospel simply put, don't we?
00:26:39.19\00:26:41.70
Yes. Absolutely.
00:26:41.73\00:26:43.06
To know Jesus and Him crucified.
00:26:43.10\00:26:46.20
Well, you know, we've only
00:26:46.23\00:26:47.57
just touched on
the relationship today
00:26:47.60\00:26:50.41
between
education and redemption.
00:26:50.44\00:26:53.78
Just as Jesus increased
00:26:53.81\00:26:55.28
in wisdom during
His formative years,
00:26:55.31\00:26:58.25
so we can continue to
grow into a deeper relationship
00:26:58.28\00:27:01.68
and understanding of
God's will for our lives.
00:27:01.72\00:27:05.22
We began with a
quote from CS Lewis,
00:27:05.25\00:27:07.82
let me close with another.
00:27:07.86\00:27:10.23
"If all the
world were Christian,
00:27:10.26\00:27:12.29
it might not matter
00:27:12.33\00:27:13.66
if all the world were educated.
00:27:13.70\00:27:15.70
Good philosophy must
exist, if for no other reason,
00:27:15.73\00:27:19.03
because bad philosophy
needs to be answered."
00:27:19.07\00:27:22.97
Well, we're glad you joined
us today on Let God Speak.
00:27:23.00\00:27:25.87
Remember, all past
programs plus teacher's notes
00:27:25.91\00:27:29.31
are available on our
website 3abnaustralia.org.au.
00:27:29.34\00:27:35.18
Email us if you wish on
lgs@3abnaustralia.org.au.
00:27:35.22\00:27:41.39
Join us again next time.
00:27:41.42\00:27:42.92
Until then, may
God bless you all.
00:27:42.96\00:27:45.13