Participants: Doug Batchelor
Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021504
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:34 >>HELLO FRIENDS, I'D LIKE TO WELCOME YOU BACK TO 00:36 ANOTHER SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR PROGRAM. 00:40 I'D LIKE TO WELCOME THOSE JOINING US ACROSS THE COUNTRY 00:41 AND AROUND THE WORLD ON THE VARIOUS TELEVISION CHANNELS - 00:44 ALSO ON THE INTERNET. WE'VE BEEN STUDYING THROUGH THE 00:46 BOOK OF PROVERBS AND I'D LIKE TO WELCOME OUR LOCAL AUDIENCE HERE, 00:49 MEMBERS OF THE GRANITE BAY SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH. 00:52 THIS IS OUR TUESDAY EVENING PRAYER MEETING AND WE'RE GLAD 00:55 THAT THE FOLKS HAVE COME AND JOINED US HERE AT 00:57 THE AMAZING FACTS STUDIO. 00:58 WE'RE IN TRANSITION TO A NEW FACILITY WHERE WE'LL BE ABLE TO 01:03 FILM OUR REGULAR SABBATH SCHOOL PROGRAM. 01:06 BUT IN THE MEANTIME, I'M GLAD THAT YOU CAME OUT AND JOINED US 01:08 TONIGHT. FOR OUR FRIENDS WATCHING, WE 01:11 HAVE A FREE OFFER THAT WE'D LIKE TO LET YOU KNOW ABOUT. 01:13 IT IS A BOOK WRITTEN BY JOE CREWS ENTITLED 'AMAZING WONDERS 01:17 OF CREATION' AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SEND THIS BOOK TO ANYBODY WHO 01:20 CALLS AND ASKS. THE NUMBER TO CALL IS 1 - RATHER 01:23 - 866-788-3966 AND YOU CAN ASK FOR OFFER #116 - 116 - ASK FOR 01:34 THE BOOK 'AMAZING WONDERS OF CREATION' AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO 01:37 SEND THAT TO ANYONE WHO CALLS AND ASKS. 01:40 WELL, BEFORE WE GET TO OUR LESSON FOR THIS EVENING, LET'S 01:44 ONCE AGAIN BOW OUR HEADS AND ASK GOD'S BLESSING TO BE WITH US. 01:47 DEAR FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORD. 01:50 WE THANK YOU FOR THE WORDS OF TRUTH AND WISDOM THAT WE FIND IN 01:52 THE SCRIPTURES AND TODAY, AS WE OPEN UP THY WORD, WE JUST PRAY 01:57 FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT TO COME AND GUIDE OUR HEARTS AND OUR MINDS. 02:00 THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT SUBJECT AND SUCH A BEAUTIFUL 02:03 LESSON, SO WE ASK FOR YOUR SPIRIT TO BE WITH US. 02:05 IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. TODAY WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING 02:10 AT LESSON #4 IN THE SABBATH SCHOOL QUARTERLY, SO IF YOU HAVE 02:14 YOUR QUARTERLIES WITH YOU, YOU CAN TURN TO PAGE 30. 02:17 AND THOSE JOINING US, YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG WITH THE LESSON BY 02:20 DOWNLOADING IT, IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT, AT THE AMAZING FACTS 02:23 WEBSITE - JUST 'AMAZINGFACTS.ORG' AND YOU CAN 02:27 CLICK ON THE LINK THAT SAYS 'SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR' AND 02:29 YOU CAN DOWNLOAD LESSON #4. NOW THE LESSON IS ENTITLED 02:33 'DIVINE WISDOM' AND WE HAVE A MEMORY TEXT. IT'S PROVERBS 02:37 CHAPTER 8, VERSE 22 AND YOU CAN READ ALONG WITH ME. 02:41 PROVERBS 8:22. IT SAYS, "THE LORD POSSESSED ME 02:45 AT THE BEGINNING OF HIS WAY BEFORE HIS WORKS OF OLD." 02:50 NOW, AS WE GET INTO THIS LESSON A LITTLE BIT MORE, WE'RE GOING 02:52 TO DISCOVER THAT THIS IS A REFERENCE HERE, NOT ONLY TO 02:55 WISDOM, BUT ALSO TO THE ROLE OF CHRIST IN CREATION 03:00 AND WE'LL GET TO THAT IN JUST A FEW MOMENTS. 03:02 NOW, AT THIS STAGE IN OUR STUDY OF THE BOOK OF PROVERBS, WE'RE 03:05 FOCUSING TODAY ON PROVERBS CHAPTER 8 AND PROVERBS CHAPTER 9 03:10 - THOSE ARE THE PRINCIPLE PASSAGES. 03:11 AND IN THIS SECTION WE FIND WISDOM, AGAIN, REAPPEARING BUT 03:15 IT'S BEING EMPHASIZED IN THE CONTEXT OF TRUTH. 03:19 SO, THE COMPONENT OF WISDOM THAT'S HIGHLIGHTED HERE IN OUR 03:22 STUDY IS TRUTH AND, OF COURSE, TRUTH EXISTS IN GOD AND GOD IS 03:26 THE SOURCE AND FOUNDATION OF ALL TRUTH. NOW WHAT THE SCRIPTURE 03:30 TEACHES WITH REFERENCE TO TRUTH IS THAT TRUTH IS ABSOLUTE. 03:34 OF COURSE, THAT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM TODAY'S 03:36 CONTEMPORARY THINKING WITH REFERENCE TO TRUTH. 03:39 WE LIVE IN A CULTURE WHERE TRUTH HAS BECOME VERY RELATIVE. 03:43 IN OTHER WORDS, MY TRUTH MIGHT BE DIFFERENT FROM YOUR TRUTH. 03:47 OR ONE CULTURE MIGHT HAVE A DIFFERENT TRUTH FROM ANOTHER 03:51 CULTURE. BUT THIS ISN'T WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES. 03:54 THE BIBLE TEACHES ABSOLUTE TRUTH. WHY? 03:57 BECAUSE TRUTH IS FOUND IN GOD AND GOD IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, 04:02 TODAY, AND FOREVER. SO FINDING TRUTH THAT'S ABSOLUTE 04:07 BRINGS WISDOM, BRINGS PEACE, BRINGS JOY, BRINGS SALVATION. 04:13 TRUTH - ABSOLUTE TRUTH IS LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE LAW OF GRAVITY. 04:17 WHETHER YOU'RE IN NORTH AMERICA OR WHETHER YOU HAPPEN TO BE IN 04:20 SOUTH AMERICA, OR AFRICA, GRAVITY WORKS THE SAME. 04:24 IF YOU DROP A BOOK OR YOU DROP SOMETHING - IT DOESN'T MATTER 04:28 WHERE YOU ARE IN THE WORLD - WHETHER YOU WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE 04:30 IT OR NOT, THERE IS A LAW - THE LAW OF GRAVITY - AND IT IS TRUE 04:33 THAT IF YOU LET IT GO IT WILL FALL BECAUSE OF THE LAW OF 04:37 GRAVITY. SO ABSOLUTE TRUTH IS FOUND IN SCRIPTURE. 04:40 IT IS TRUSTWORTHY. IT IS FOR EVERYONE. 04:42 IT IS APPLICABLE FOR EVERY CULTURE, EVERY PERSON, EVERY 04:46 TIME - ABSOLUTE TRUTH. OF COURSE, PILATE ASKED THAT 04:49 FAMOUS QUESTION OF JESUS AT THE TRIAL, HE SAID, 'WHAT IS TRUTH?' 04:55 PILATE, A ROMAN, WAS LIVING IN A TIME WHERE TRUTH WAS VERY 04:57 RELATIVE TO THE THINKING OF THE PEOPLE. THERE WERE DIFFERENT 05:00 GODS, DIFFERENT PHILOSOPHIES, DIFFERENT IDEAS, 05:03 AND ONE PERSON'S TRUTH WAS DIFFERENT FROM ANOTHER 05:06 PERSON'S TRUTH AND SO HE ASKED JESUS, 'WHAT IS TRUTH?' 05:08 JESUS SAYS, IN JOHN CHAPTER 8, VERSE 32, YOU SHALL KNOW THE 05:12 TRUTH AND THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE. 05:16 NOW, OF COURSE, THE TRUTH, WE KNOW, IS JESUS. 05:19 JESUS SAID OF HIMSELF, 'I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE.' 05:24 SO TO KNOW THE TRUTH IS TO KNOW JESUS. 05:27 TO KNOW JESUS IS TO HAVE LIFE. ON SUNDAY OUR DAY'S STUDY IS 05:34 ENTITLED, 'WISDOM THAT CRIES OUT' AND SO WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN 05:38 STUDYING NOW PROVERBS CHAPTER 8 AND WE'RE GOING TO BE READING 05:42 ALL THE WAY FROM VERSE 1 THROUGH TO VERSE 23. 05:46 IF YOU HAVE YOUR BIBLES YOU CAN OPEN IT UP TO PROVERBS CHAPTER 05:49 8, BEGINNING HERE IN VERSE 1, "DOES NOT WISDOM CRY OUT AND 05:57 UNDERSTANDING LIFT UP HER VOICE?" 06:00 NOW THERE'S TWO QUESTIONS I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT HERE IN VERSE 06:03 1: 'DOES NOT WISDOM CRY OUT?' - HOW DOES WISDOM CRY? 06:08 AND NUMBER TWO, WHERE DOES SHE LIFT UP HER VOICE? 06:13 NOTICE VERSE 1, "DOES NOT WISDOM CRY - CRY OUT AND UNDERSTANDING 06:17 LIFT UP HER VOICE?" NOW THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION 06:19 OF 'HOW DOES WISDOM SPEAK?' OR 'HOW DOES WISDOM CRY OUT TO US?' 06:24 AND 'WHERE DO WE FIND WISDOM CRYING OUT?' IS ANSWERED IN 06:28 VERSES 2 AND 3. SO NOTICE VERSE 2, "SHE TAKES HER STAND ON THE 06:35 TOP OF A HILL" - OR HIGH HILL - "BESIDE THE WAY 06:39 WHERE THE PATHS MEET." SO HOW DOES WISDOM CRY OUT? 06:43 THE FIRST PART OF VERSE 2, "SHE TAKES HER STAND." 06:47 YOU KNOW, YOU CAN CRY OUT IN TRUTH BY SIMPLY MAKING A STAND 06:52 FOR WHAT'S RIGHT. YOU MIGHT NOT SAY ANYTHING, BUT 06:55 JUST BY SIMPLY DOING THE RIGHT THING, YOU ARE CRYING OUT FOR 06:59 WISDOM'S SAKE OR YOU ARE PROCLAIMING THE TRUTH. 07:03 NOW IN REVELATION CHAPTER 6, VERSE 17, A QUESTION IS ASKED. 07:07 IN REVELATION CHAPTER 6 YOU HAVE THE OPENING OF THE SEALS. 07:09 YOU HAVE THE OPENING OF THE SIXTH SEAL IN REVELATION CHAPTER 07:12 6 NEAR THE END, AND IT DESCRIBES EVENTS CONNECTED WITH 07:16 THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS. IT TALKS ABOUT A GREAT 07:19 EARTHQUAKE AND HAIL COMING AND SO ON. 07:22 AND THE INHABITANTS OF THE EARTH HIDING IN THE ROCKS AND THE 07:26 CAVES AND SAYING TO THE MOUNTAINS AND THE ROCKS, 07:28 'FALL ON US. 07:29 HIDE US FROM THE FACE OF HIM THAT SITS UPON THE THRONE AND 07:31 FROM THE WRATH OF THE LAMB.' AND THEN IN VERSE 17 WE HAVE THE 07:34 QUESTION, "FOR THE GREAT DAY OF HIS WRATH HAS COME" - AND HERE'S 07:39 THE QUESTION - "WHO SHALL BE ABLE TO STAND?" 07:43 SO THE QUESTION IS ASKED, WHEN JESUS COMES, 'WHO'S GOING TO BE 07:46 ABLE TO STAND?' WELL, I PROPOSE THOSE WHO ARE 07:48 ABLE TO STAND ARE THE ONES WHO STAND WITH WISDOM, WHO STAND FOR 07:52 TRUTH, WHO STAND WITH JESUS, WHO TRUST IN JESUS. 07:56 THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION IN REVELATION IS FOUND IN 08:00 REVELATION CHAPTER 17, WHERE YOU HAVE A DESCRIPTION OF THE 08:03 144,000 WHO HAVE THE SEAL OF GOD IN THEIR FOREHEADS. 08:07 OF COURSE, THE SEAL OF GOD HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH CHARACTER. 08:10 IT HAS TO DO WITH OBEDIENCE TO GOD'S COMMANDMENTS. 08:13 AND THEN WE ALSO FIND A GROUP - AGAIN THE 144,000 ARE DESCRIBED 08:18 IN REVELATION CHAPTER 14. AND IN REVELATION CHAPTER 14, 08:22 VERSE 1, IT SPEAKS ABOUT THE LAMB STANDING ON MOUNT ZION. 08:27 THERE WE HAVE THAT SAME IDEA OF CHRIST STANDING OR TRUTH 08:30 STANDING. HE'S STANDING ON MOUNT ZION AND 08:32 MOUNT ZION IS A HIGH HILL AND WITH THEM ARE THE 144,000 - 08:37 THOSE WHO HAVE STOOD WITH CHRIST HERE ON THE EARTH, NOW THEY ARE 08:41 SEEN VICTORIOUS IN HEAVEN STANDING WITH JESUS ON MOUNT 08:44 ZION. SO HOW DOES WISDOM CRY OUT? 08:47 NUMBER ONE, SHE MAKES A STAND FOR THE TRUTH. 08:51 HOW CAN WE PROCLAIM WISDOM IN OUR WORLD? 08:54 BY MAKING A STAND WITH JESUS TO STAND ON THE TRUTH. 08:57 IT SAYS, "SHE STANDS FOR THE TRUTH ON A HIGH HILL AND BESIDE 09:03 THE WAY AND WHERE THE PATHS MEET." 09:07 SO WISDOM IS MAKING A STAND FOR TRUTH. 09:10 THAT PHRASE THERE, 'BESIDE THE WAY' MADE ME THINK OF A VERSE 09:15 THAT WE HAVE IN SCRIPTURE, ISAIAH CHAPTER 30, VERSE 21 09:19 SAYS, "YOUR EARS SHALL HEAR A WORD BEHIND YOU, 'THIS IS THE 09:22 WAY, WALK IN IT.'" WHEN WE MAKE A STAND FOR TRUTH WE ARE 09:27 PROMISED THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL GUIDE US IN THE PATHS OF 09:31 LIFE AND GUIDE US ALONG THE WAY. THEN VERSE 3 ALSO CONTINUES BY 09:36 TELLING US HOW WISDOM CRIES OUT AND WHERE SHE CRIES OUT. 09:40 IF YOU LOOK AT VERSE 3 IT SAYS, 'SHE CRIES OUT BY THE GATES, AT 09:45 THE ENTRY OF THE CITY, AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE DOORS." 09:50 SO NOT ONLY DOES WISDOM CRY OUT BY SIMPLY MAKING A STAND FOR THE 09:54 TRUTH, WISDOM ALSO CRIES OUT BY THE PROCLAMATION OF THE TRUTH. 09:59 YOU KNOW THAT THE PREACHING OF TRUTH IS IMPORTANT. 10:02 JESUS WENT ABOUT PREACHING, TEACHING, AND HEALING. 10:06 THE APOSTLES WENT ABOUT PREACHING AND TEACHING. 10:09 THE THREE ANGELS' MESSAGES - THE FIRST ANGEL - IT DESCRIBES THIS 10:13 ANGEL FLYING IN THE MIDST OF HEAVEN HAVING THE EVERLASTING 10:16 GOSPEL TO PREACH TO THOSE THAT DWELL UPON THE EARTH, TO EVERY 10:19 NATION, KINDRED, TONGUE, AND PEOPLE. 10:21 SO THERE IS THE STANDING FOR TRUTH, BUT THERE'S ALSO THE 10:23 PROCLAIMING OF TRUTH THAT IS HIGHLIGHTED. 10:27 IN ORDER FOR US TO ENTER INTO THE GATES OF THE CITY, THAT CITY 10:31 BEING THE NEW JERUSALEM, WE NEED TO DO THE THINGS THAT GOD HAS 10:35 ASKED US TO DO. IN REVELATION 22, VERSE 14, WE 10:39 READ, "BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO DO HIS COMMANDMENTS, THAT THEY MAY 10:43 HAVE RIGHT TO THE TREE OF LIFE AND ENTER INTO THE GATES OF THE 10:48 CITY." IT SAYS, "WISDOM CAN ALSO BE 10:50 FOUND AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE DOORS." 10:53 NOW I FIND THAT TO BE SOMEWHAT OF AN INTERESTING PHRASE. 10:56 TO THE CHURCH OF LAODICEA, IN REVELATION CHAPTER 3, JESUS 10:59 SAYS, "BEHOLD, I STAND AT THE DOOR AND KNOCK. 11:02 WHOEVER HEARS MY VOICE AND OPENS THE DOOR, I WILL COME IN UNTO 11:05 HIM AND I WILL DINE WITH HIM AND HE WITH ME." 11:07 JESUS IS KNOCKING AT OUR HEART'S DOOR - THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT - 11:13 THROUGH THAT STILL SMALL VOICE - THROUGH THE WORD. 11:16 AND BY MAKING A STAND FOR TRUTH, WE CAN HEAR THE VOICE OF WISDOM 11:20 AND WE CAN JOIN THAT VOICE IN PROCLAIMING THE TRUTH ABOUT GOD 11:24 AND THE TRUTH OF GOD TO THE WORLD. 11:26 ALRIGHT, WELL LET'S LOOK AT VERSE 4. WE'RE IN PROVERBS 11:29 CHAPTER 8, MOVING RIGHT ALONG NOW, VERSE 4 - IT SAYS, 11:34 "TO YOU, O MEN, I CALL AND MY VOICE IS TO THE SONS OF MEN." 11:40 NOW NOTICE THERE IN THE FIRST PART OF VERSE 4 IT SAYS, 'TO 11:42 YOU, O MEN' AND THEN THE NEXT PART SAYS 'THE SONS OF MEN' IN 11:47 THE HEBREW THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT WORDS USED. 11:49 THE WORD TRANSLATED 'MEN' IN THE FIRST PART OF THE VERSE, 11:53 EMPHASIZES INDIVIDUALITY OR STRENGTH OR DETERMINATION. 12:00 IN OTHER WORDS, THAT IS A PERSON WHO HAS A DETERMINATION OR A 12:04 CLEAR DIRECTION - SOMETHING THAT HE WANTS - SOMEWHERE WHERE HE IS 12:08 GOING, WHEREAS THE NEXT WORD IN THE HEBREW FOR THE SECOND PART 12:12 OF THE VERSE WHERE IT SAYS, 'THE SONS OF MEN' THE HEBREW WORD 12:14 THERE IS 'ADAM,' WHICH MEANS MANKIND IN GENERAL. 12:18 IT IS THE MASSES - THE SEA OF HUMANITY - THOSE WHO ARE JUST 12:21 SWEPT ALONG WITH THE MASSES. SO WISDOM IS CALLING OUT TO 12:26 THOSE WHO THINK THEY HAVE PURPOSE AND DIRECTION IN THEIR 12:30 LIVES, BUT IT'S ALSO CALLING TO THOSE WHO ARE JUST SIMPLY 12:33 FOLLOWING THE CROWD, GOING ALONG WITH THE MASSES. 12:36 IN OTHER WORDS, THE CALL OF WISDOM - THE PROCLAMATION OF 12:40 TRUTH - IS FOR EVERYONE - FOR THOSE WHO THINK THEY HAVE 12:43 PURPOSE, FOR THOSE WHO WONDER WHAT THE PURPOSE OF LIFE REALLY 12:46 IS - IT'S FOR EVERYONE. VERSE 5 SAYS, "O YOU SIMPLE 12:51 ONES, UNDERSTAND PRUDENCE AND YOU FOOLS, BE OF AN 12:56 UNDERSTANDING HEART. AGAIN WE HAVE TWO GROUPS. 12:59 WE HAVE THE SIMPLE ONES, THE FIRST PART OF THE VERSE, 13:01 AND THEN WE HAVE THE FOOLS. 13:03 NOW 'THE SIMPLE ONES' REFERS TO THOSE WHO ARE IN THE VALLEY OF 13:07 DECISION, IF YOU LIKE, IT COULD BE THOSE WHO ARE PART OF THAT 13:11 MASS OF HUMANITY, SORT OF JUST FLOATING ALONG. 13:15 THEY HAVE NOT YET MADE A CLEAR DECISION FOR THE TRUTH, THEY 13:20 MIGHT NOT EVEN KNOW THE TRUTH, BUT THEY'RE NOT ACTIVELY 13:22 RESISTING A DESIRE TO KNOW TRUTH. 13:25 THEY'RE JUST SIMPLY GOING ALONG WITH THE FLOW. 13:28 BUT THE NEXT GROUP DESCRIBED IN VERSE 5, THE FOOLS, THOSE ARE 13:32 THE ONES WHO ARE ACTIVELY RESISTING WISDOM. 13:36 THEIR HEART IS SET ON SELFISHNESS AND PRIDE. 13:39 SO THERE ARE TWO GROUPS THERE IN VERSE 5. 13:42 OUT OF THOSE WHO - THE MASSES IN THE VALLEY OF DECISION - AND 13:44 THOSE WHO ARE ACTIVELY RESISTING THE TRUTH OF GOD'S WORD. 13:48 VERSE 6 SAYS, "LISTEN, FOR I WILL SPEAK EXCELLENT THINGS AND 13:53 FROM THE OPENING OF MY LIPS WILL COME RIGHT THINGS." 13:57 NOW THE PHRASE THERE 'EXCELLENT THINGS' IN THE HEBREW THERE IT 14:01 MEANS 'PRINCELY THINGS' OR 'THINGS RELATED TO KINGSHIP OR 14:07 RULERSHIP.' SO WISDOM TEACHES US HOW WE CAN RULE - 14:14 HOW WE CAN GOVERN OURSELVES. 14:17 THE NEXT PART OF THE VERSE SAYS, 'RIGHT THINGS' OR 'DOING THE 14:20 RIGHT THING.' YOU KNOW, GOD SAID TO CAIN, AFTER HE HAD KILLED HIS 14:24 BROTHER ABEL - YOU CAN READ THIS IN GENESIS CHAPTER 4, VERSE 7, 14:28 "IF YOU DO WELL YOU SHALL BE ACCEPTED AND IF YOU DO NOT WELL, 14:33 SIN LIES AT THE DOOR" - NOTICE THE NEXT PART OF THE VERSE - 14:36 "AND ITS DESIRE IS FOR YOU, BUT YOU SHALL RULE OVER IT." 14:41 HOW CAN WE RULE OVER SIN IN OUR LIVES? 14:45 BY TAKING HEED TO THE WISDOM THAT COMES FROM CHRIST - THE 14:51 TRUTH THAT GOD WANTS TO GIVE US. SO BY HEEDING THE WISDOM OF THE 14:56 WORD, WE HAVE STRENGTH TO RULE OURSELVES, TO RULE OVER SIN. 15:02 VERSE 7 - IT SAYS, "FOR MY MOUTH WILL SPEAK TRUTH. WICKEDNESS 15:09 IS AN ABOMINATION TO MY LIPS." SO CHRIST SPEAKS TRUTH. 15:13 JESUS CAME TO REVEAL TO US THE TRUTH ABOUT GOD. 15:17 HE CAME TO REVEAL TO US THE CHARACTER OF GOD. 15:19 JESUS SAID TO HIS DISCIPLES, 'IF YOU HAVE SEEN ME, YOU HAVE SEEN 15:22 THE FATHER.' "BUT THAT WHICH CONSISTS OF LIES" - IT SAYS - 15:26 "IS AN ABOMINATION TO THE LORD." NOW, IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, WE 15:31 HAVE AT LEAST SIX CATEGORIES THAT ARE REFERRED TO AS 15:36 'ABOMINATIONS.' DIVINATION IS AN ABOMINATION TO THE LORD. 15:40 THAT IS COMMUNICATING WITH THE DEAD AND SPIRITUALISM IN ITS 15:43 DIFFERENT PHASES. ANOTHER ABOMINATION IS 15:45 SACRIFICES THAT ARE OFFERED WITH THE WRONG SPIRIT. 15:49 THAT'S REFERRED TO AS AN ABOMINATION. 15:52 THE EATING OF CERTAIN UNCLEAN MEATS IS DESCRIBED AS 15:56 AN ABOMINATION, IN THE SCRIPTURES. 15:58 CERTAIN SEXUAL SINS ARE ALSO DESCRIBED AS ABOMINATIONS. 16:02 LYING LIPS ARE SAID TO BE AN ABOMINATION TO THE LORD, AND 16:06 FALSE WEIGHTS. WHEN IT COMES TO BUSINESS, FALSE 16:10 DEALINGS WITH OTHERS IS ALSO SAID TO BE AN ABOMINATION. 16:16 VERSE 8, "ALL THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH ARE RIGHTEOUSNESS. 16:20 NOTHING CROOKED OR PERVERSE IS IN THEM." 16:24 SO HERE IT IS - HE'S EMPHASIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF TRUTH - 16:27 FINDING THE TRUTH - THE TRUTH BRINGS LIFE. 16:30 THE TRUTH BRINGS WISDOM. VERSE 9, "THEY ARE ALL PLAIN TO 16:34 HIM WHO UNDERSTANDS AND RIGHT TO THOSE WHO FIND KNOWLEDGE. 16:39 NOW HERE'S THE KEY: IN ORDER FOR US TO KNOW THE TRUTH - IN ORDER 16:42 FOR US TO HAVE TRUE WISDOM, THERE NEEDS TO BE A WILLINGNESS 16:46 TO RECEIVE THE TRUTH GIVEN IN THE WORD THROUGH CHRIST - TO 16:50 RECEIVE THAT TRUTH AND APPLY IT TO YOUR LIFE. 16:53 JESUS PUT IT THIS WAY IN JOHN CHAPTER 7, VERSE 17, "IF ANYONE 16:58 WILLS TO DO HIS WILL, HE SHALL KNOW CONCERNING THE DOCTRINE." 17:02 SO IF THERE IS A WILLINGNESS TO DO WHAT GOD ASKS OF US, 17:06 THEN GOD'LL REVEAL MORE TRUTH TO US. 17:09 AND WHEN WE RECEIVE THAT TRUTH AND APPLY THAT TRUTH TO OUR 17:12 LIFE, THEN HE CAN LEAD US EVEN INTO GREATER TRUTH. 17:15 THIS WAS TRUE IN THE EXPERIENCE OF CHRIST. 17:18 OF COURSE, JESUS MANY TIMES PREACHED USING PARABLES - TAUGHT 17:21 WITH PARABLES - THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO COULDN'T 17:25 UNDERSTAND WHAT JESUS WAS SAYING, BUT THOSE WHO HAD A 17:27 WILLING HEART SEEKING TRUTH COULD UNDERSTAND. 17:30 ON ONE OCCASION JESUS SAID TO THE PEOPLE, 'EXCEPT YOU EAT MY 17:34 FLESH AND DRINK MY BLOOD, YOU HAVE NO LIFE IN YOU.' 17:37 AND THERE WERE MANY WHO SAID, 'THIS IS A HARD SAYING,' 17:40 AND THEY TURNED AND THEY LEFT. 17:42 AND EVEN THE DISCIPLES WERE STRIVING WITH THIS AND THEY SAID 17:44 TO JESUS, 'YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?' 17:47 AND JESUS SAID, 'WELL, ARE YOU ALSO GOING TO LEAVE ME?' 17:49 AND THEY SAID, 'LORD, WHERE ARE WE TO GO? 17:51 YOU HAVE THE WORDS OF TRUTH. BUT THIS IS A HARD SAYING. 17:53 WHAT DOES IT MEAN?' JESUS SAID, 'THE WORDS THAT I 17:55 SPEAK UNTO YOU, THEY ARE SPIRIT AND THEY ARE LIFE.' SO TO EAT 18:00 THE FLESH OF CHRIST IS TO RECEIVE HIS WORD. BUT IN ORDER 18:03 FOR US TO UNDERSTAND SOME OF THESE SYMBOLS, THERE NEEDS TO BE 18:07 A WILLINGNESS TO SAY, 'LORD, WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU NEED ME 18:09 TO DO, I'M WILLING TO DO THAT. I'M WILLING TO FOLLOW THE TRUTH 18:12 THAT YOU'VE REVEALED TO ME.' VERSE 10 - PROVERBS CHAPTER 8, 18:18 VERSE 10 THAT SAYS, "RECEIVE MY INSTRUCTION AND NOT SILVER, AND 18:23 KNOWLEDGE RATHER THAN CHOICE GOLD." 18:27 LOOKING AT VERSE 11, "FOR WISDOM IS BETTER THAN RUBIES AND ALL 18:32 THE THINGS ONE MAY DESIRE CANNOT BE COMPARED WITH HER." 18:37 NOW, I WANT YOU TO NOTICE THE THREE WORDS THAT WE FIND IN 18:39 THESE TWO VERSES, 'RECEIVE MY INSTRUCTION' AND THEN IT SAYS, 18:43 'KNOWLEDGE' AND THEN IT SAYS 'WISDOM.' HERE ARE GIVEN THREE 18:49 STEPS TO SPIRITUAL GROWTH. IT BEGINS WITH INSTRUCTION - WE 18:54 RECEIVE THE INSTRUCTION OF GOD'S WORD. 18:56 WHEN WE RECEIVE INSTRUCTION, THAT LEADS TO KNOWLEDGE AND 19:00 UNDERSTANDING A KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH. WHEN THAT KNOWLEDGE IS 19:04 APPLIED TO OUR LIVES, IT RESULTS IN WISDOM. 19:08 SO YOU HAVE 'INSTRUCTION,' YOU HAVE 'KNOWLEDGE,' AND THAT LEADS 19:12 TO 'WISDOM.' NOW INSTRUCTION IS OF VALUE. MATTER OF FACT, 19:17 IT SAYS HERE THAT INSTRUCTION IS MORE VALUABLE THAN SILVER. 19:20 BUT THEN IT TAKES IT THE NEXT STEP AND SAYS, "KNOWLEDGE IS 19:24 MORE VALUABLE THAN GOLD, BUT WISDOM IS BETTER THAN RUBIES." 19:30 AND YOU THINK, 'WELL, I THOUGHT GOLD WAS MORE VALUABLE THAN 19:33 RUBIES.' WELL, IT ADDS TO THAT IN VERSE 11 - IT SAYS, "WISDOM 19:37 IS MORE VALUABLE THAN RUBIES AND ALL THE THINGS THAT ONE MIGHT 19:41 DESIRE CANNOT BE COMPARED WITH HER." SO YOU HAVE INSTRUCTION - 19:46 MORE VALUABLE THAN SILVER; KNOWLEDGE - MORE VALUABLE THAN 19:50 GOLD; BUT WISDOM, THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT - MORE VALUABLE 19:55 THAN ANYTHING THAN YOU CAN HAVE. OF COURSE, THIS IS SOMETHING 19:58 THAT JESUS ILLUSTRATED IN A PARABLE THAT HE TOLD. 20:02 AND LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THAT IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 13, VERSE 44. 20:06 AND MAYBE, IF WE COULD HAVE SOMEBODY READ THIS FOR US, IT'S 20:09 A FAIRLY WELL-KNOWN PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE, MATTHEW CHAPTER 13 - 20:14 THE PARABLE THAT JESUS TOLD BEGINNING HERE IN VERSE 44. 20:19 WE'RE GOING TO READ VERSE 44 THROUGH TO 46. 20:23 >>MATTHEW CHAPTER 13, VERSES 44 THROUGH 46, "AGAIN, THE KINGDOM 20:27 OF HEAVEN IS LIKE UNTO TREASURE HID IN A FIELD, THAT WHICH, WHEN 20:31 A MAN HATH FOUND HE HIDETH AND FOR JOY, THEREOF, GOETH AND 20:35 SELLETH ALL THAT HE HATH AND BUYETH THE FIELD. 20:38 AGAIN, THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE UNTO A MERCHANT MAN SEEKING 20:42 GOODLY PEARLS WHO, WHEN HE HAD FOUND ONE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE, 20:46 WENT AND SOLD ALL THAT HE HAD AND BOUGHT IT." 20:49 >>OKAY, SO HERE WE HAVE THIS GREAT PRIZE. 20:53 HERE IS A MAN WORKING OUT IN HIS FIELD AND HE'S ACTUALLY A 20:56 HIRELING, PROBABLY, AND HE'S WORKING SOMEBODY ELSE'S FIELD, 20:59 AND WHILE HE'S MOVING THE PLOW, SUDDENLY HE FEELS IT KNOCK 21:01 AGAINST SOMETHING AND CURIOSITY LEADS HIM TO MOVE BACK SOME OF 21:05 THE DIRT AND, TO HIS AMAZEMENT, THERE IS TREASURE HIDDEN IN THE 21:08 FIELD. BACK IN BIBLE TIMES, THEY DIDN'T 21:11 ALWAYS HAVE THE MOST TRUSTWORTHY BANKS AND SO PEOPLE WOULD 21:14 SOMETIMES HIDE THEIR TREASURE IN A FIELD. EVIDENTLY, SOMEBODY 21:19 HID THIS TREASURE IN THE FIELD AND MAYBE THE PERSON DIED AND 21:22 NOBODY KNEW ABOUT THE TREASURE HIDDEN IN THE FIELD. 21:24 BUT HERE THIS PERSON IS WORKING AND HE FINDS THE TREASURE. 21:26 IMMEDIATELY HE SEES THE VALUE OF THE TREASURE AND SO HE GOES AND 21:30 HE SELLS EVERYTHING THAT HE HAS IN ORDER TO BUY THE FIELD 21:34 TO OBTAIN THE TREASURE. 21:36 AND, AGAIN, JESUS SAYS IT'S LIKE SOMEBODY LOOKING FOR GOOD PEARLS 21:39 AND WHEN HE FINDS THIS PEARL OF GREAT PRICE, HE ALSO SELLS 21:42 EVERYTHING HE HAS SO THAT HE CAN - HE CAN BUY THIS PEARL. 21:46 OF COURSE THERE IS A VERY PRACTICAL STORY THAT ILLUSTRATES 21:49 THIS POINT: ONE DAY THERE WAS A RICH YOUNG RULER THAT CAME TO 21:52 JESUS AND HE SAID, 'WHAT GOOD THING MUST I DO TO INHERIT 21:54 ETERNAL LIFE?' AND JESUS SAYS, 'WHY DO YOU CALL ME GOOD? 21:57 THERE IS ONLY ONE THAT'S GOOD AND THAT IS GOD, BUT IF YOU WANT 21:59 TO ENTER INTO LIFE, KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS.' AND HE SAID, 22:02 'WHICH?' AND JESUS QUOTED THE COMMANDMENTS. 22:04 AND THEN THE YOUNG MAN SAID, 'ALL OF THESE THINGS I HAVE KEPT 22:06 FROM MY YOUTH. WHAT DO I STILL LACK?' 22:08 JESUS SAID, 'GO SELL ALL THAT YOU HAVE, GIVE IT TO THE POOR, 22:14 AND COME AND FOLLOW ME AND YOU'LL HAVE TREASURE IN HEAVEN.' 22:16 AND JESUS WAS INVITING THAT YOUNG MAN TO BE LIKE, IN THE 22:21 PARABLE, THE MAN WHO FOUND THE TREASURE IN THE FIELD. 22:23 HE SAW THE VALUE OF THE TREASURE AND WAS WILLING TO GIVE 22:27 EVERYTHING FOR THE TREASURE. JESUS WAS LIKENING HIM TO THE 22:31 MERCHANT MEN WHO FOUND THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE WHO WAS WILLING 22:35 TO GIVE EVERYTHING FOR THAT WONDERFUL PEARL. 22:39 SO IT IS WITH WISDOM. A KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH - 22:42 A KNOWLEDGE OF GOD - WHAT ARE WE WILLING TO GIVE FOR IT? 22:45 HOW MUCH EFFORT ARE WE WILLING TO INVEST IN FINDING THAT TRUTH 22:50 - FINDING THAT KNOWLEDGE AND ALLOWING THAT KNOWLEDGE TO 22:53 BECOME AN ACTIVE PART OF OUR LIVES? 22:56 LET'S KEEP LOOKING IN PROVERBS CHAPTER 8 - WE'RE IN VERSE 12 22:59 NOW - PROVERBS CHAPTER 8, LOOKING AT VERSE 12, "I, WISDOM, 23:04 DWELL WITH PRUDENCE AND FIND OUT KNOWLEDGE AND DISCRETION." 23:12 SO HERE IN VERSE 12 WISDOM DWELLS WITH PRUDENCE. 23:16 WHAT DOES THE WORD PRUDENCE MEAN? 23:17 IT COMES FROM THE ROOT WORD MEANING 'REASON' OR 'TO REASON 23:22 ABOUT SOMETHING.' I WAS REMINDED OF ISAIAH CHAPTER 1, VERSE 18, 23:25 WHERE GOD SAYS, "COME NOW, LET US" - DO WHAT? - 23:28 "LET US REASON TOGETHER. THOUGH YOUR SINS BE OF SCARLET, THEY 23:32 SHALL BE AS WHITE AS SNOW." A TRUTH IS NOT AFRAID OF REASON. 23:38 A TRUTH IS ABLE TO STAND NO MATTER HOW MUCH SCRUTINY IT 23:42 COMES UNDER BECAUSE IT'S THE TRUTH. GOD'S NOT AFRAID OF US 23:46 REASONING WITH HIM FOR HE IS THE TRUTH. HE WILL REVEAL TRUTH TO 23:51 US. VERSE 13, "THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS TO HATE EVIL, PRIDE, 23:57 ARROGANCE, AND THE EVIL WAY; AND THE PERVERSE MOUTH I HATE." 24:04 THE FEAR OF THE LORD, THAT IS TO ACKNOWLEDGE GOD AS SUPREME, TO 24:08 HUMBLE OUR HEARTS TO COME TO KNOW HIM. 24:10 WHAT IS THE FEAR OF THE LORD? IT IS TO HATE EVIL. 24:13 NOW THE WORD THERE, 'EVIL,' COMES FROM A ROOT WORD WHICH 24:17 MEANS 'TO BREAK' OR 'TO DESTROY.' 24:20 EVIL BREAKS AND DESTROYS PEOPLE'S LIVES. 24:24 IT BREAKS AND DESTROYS MAN'S RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. 24:29 SO THE LORD HATES EVIL AND PRIDE. 24:32 OF COURSE, PRIDE LED TO LUCIFER'S FALL IN HEAVEN. 24:36 ARROGANCE - ANOTHER WORD FOR ARROGANCE THERE IS 'REBELLION' 24:40 AND IN 1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 15, VERSE 23 WE READ, "REBELLION IS 24:44 AS THE SIN OF WITCHCRAFT." AND THEN THE EVIL WAY - THE EVIL 24:49 WAY REPRESENTS DISOBEDIENCE TO GOD'S COMMANDMENTS. 24:53 AND THEN THE LAST PART OF VERSE 13, "THE PERVERSE MOUTH" - 24:57 THAT'S LIES. SO IN THIS VERSE WE HAVE FOUR DOWNWARD STEPS TO 25:02 DESTRUCTION. WE HAVE PRIDE THAT LEADS TO REBELLION. 25:08 REBELLION IS MANIFEST IN DISOBEDIENCE TO GOD'S 25:11 COMMANDMENTS AND, AS A RESULT, MANKIND ENDS UP LYING OR 25:16 DECEIVING ONESELF AND DECEIVING THOSE AROUND HIM. 25:20 OKAY, VERSE 15, "BY ME" - IT SAYS - "KINGS REIGN" - TALKING 25:25 ABOUT WISDOM - "AND RULERS DECREE JUSTICE." 25:29 OF COURSE, SOLOMON HIMSELF KNEW SOMETHING ABOUT HAVING WISDOM IN 25:33 THE SPHERE OF RULERSHIP OR JUDGING. 25:36 YOU PROBABLY REMEMBER THE STORY OF TWO WOMEN WHO BROUGHT A BABY 25:40 TO KING SOLOMON AND SOLOMON WISELY MADE A DECISION AS TO 25:45 WHOSE CHILD, YOU KNOW, WHO THE CHILD REALLY BELONGED TO. HE HAD 25:50 GREAT WISDOM - DIVINE WISDOM THAT GOD HAD GIVEN HIM. VERSE 16 25:54 SAYS, "BUY ME" - THAT IS, WISDOM - "PRINCES RULE AND NOBLES AND 25:57 THE JUDGES OF THE EARTH. I LOVE THOSE WHO LOVE ME." 26:02 OF COURSE WISDOM, HERE, IS A SYMBOL OF GOD - "I LOVE THOSE 26:04 WHO LOVE ME, AND THOSE WHO SEEK ME DILIGENTLY WILL FIND ME. 26:11 JEREMIAH CHAPTER 29, VERSE 13 SAYS, "AND YOU SHALL SEEK ME AND 26:15 FIND ME" - WHAT'S THE REST OF THE VERSE? 26:18 "WHEN YOU SEARCH FOR ME WITH ALL OF YOUR HEART." 26:21 WHEN IT SAYS, 'WITH ALL OF YOUR HEART,' THAT IS HAVING A WILLING 26:23 HEART TO DO THE THINGS THAT GOD ASKS OF US - HAVING THAT HUMBLE 26:27 SPIRIT. VERSE 18, "RICHES AND HONOR ARE 26:31 WITH ME; ENDURING RICHES AND RIGHTEOUSNESS. 26:35 MY FRUIT IS BETTER THAN GOLD, YES, THAN FINE GOLD, AND MY 26:40 REVENUE THAN CHOICE SILVER." VERSE 20, "I TRAVERSE THE WAY OF 26:46 RIGHTEOUSNESS AND IN THE MIDST OF THE PATHS OF JUSTICE." 26:49 WHERE IS THE PLACE OF WISDOM? IT SAYS HERE, "IN THE WAY OF 26:52 RIGHTEOUSNESS, IN THE PATHS OF JUSTICE" - 26:55 WHAT ARE THE REWARDS OF WISDOM? IT TALKS ABOUT HEAVENLY RICHES, 26:58 HONOR, RIGHTEOUSNESS - AND VERSE 21, "THAT I MAY CAUSE THOSE WHO 27:04 LOVE ME TO INHERIT WEALTH THAT I MIGHT FILL THEIR TREASURES." 27:10 NOW, OF COURSE, WE'RE NOT TALKING HERE ABOUT EARTHLY 27:11 WEALTH, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE GREATEST WEALTH OF ALL AND 27:15 THAT IS THE WEALTH THAT JESUS WANTS TO GIVE THOSE WHO HUMBLE 27:19 THEIR HEARTS. REVELATION CHAPTER 13 - JESUS SAYS, "BUY OF ME GOLD 27:22 REFINED IN THE FIRE THAT YOU MIGHT BE RICH. BY THE WAY, WHAT 27:28 DOES THAT GOLD REFINED IN THE FIRE REPRESENT? FAITH AND LOVE. 27:32 JESUS WANTS TO GIVE US FAITH AND LOVE. JESUS SAYS "BUY OF ME 27:35 GOLD REFINED IN THE FIRE THAT YOU MIGHT BE RICH AND WHITE 27:38 RAIMENT" - THAT SYMBOLIZES THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST - "AND 27:42 EYE SALVE" - THAT'S SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT OR THE HOLY SPIRIT. 27:45 THAT'S THE TRUE RICHES AND GOD WANTS TO GIVE THAT TO US. 27:49 TRUE RICHES IS FOUND IN WISDOM. WISDOM IS FOUND IN GOD. 27:54 NOW, IN THIS PASSAGE THAT WE LOOKED AT HERE, PROVERBS CHAPTER 27:58 8:1 THROUGH TO VERSE 21, WE SEE THAT WISDOM IS IMPORTANT FOR 28:03 EVERYONE. EVERYBODY NEEDS TO HAVE THIS KIND OF WISDOM. 28:08 THEY NEED A KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH. 28:09 AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER, THE FIRST ANGEL'S MESSAGE GOES TO 28:13 EVERY NATION KINDRED, TONGUE AND PEOPLE. 28:15 JESUS DIED FOR EVERYONE. THE GOSPEL MESSAGE IS FOR ALL. 28:20 ALL NEEDS TO COME TO REALIZATION OF TRUTH. 28:24 THERE ARE EIGHT TIMES, IN THESE VERSES THAT WE LOOKED AT, THAT 28:27 THE WORD 'TRUTHFULNESS' IS USED - OR 'TRUTH.' SO IT'S 28:32 EMPHASIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF TRUTH. NOW, IN THE NEXT SECTION 28:36 THAT WE HAVE HERE IN PROVERBS CHAPTER 8, THERE IS A SHIFT. 28:39 AFTER DESCRIBING WHAT WISDOM IS, AND WHAT FOLLY IS, NOW WE FIND A 28:46 CONNECTION BETWEEN WISDOM AND CREATION - AND THIS IS WHERE 28:49 IT GETS REALLY INTERESTING. 28:51 TAKE A LOOK NOW IN VERSE 22 - WE'RE IN PROVERBS CHAPTER 8 AND 28:57 WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE READING HERE IN VERSE 22 - HERE ARE SOME 29:02 WELL-KNOWN VERSES - "THE LORD POSSESSED ME AT THE BEGINNING OF 29:05 HIS WAY, BEFORE HIS WORKS OF OLD. 29:08 I HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED FROM EVERLASTING, FROM THE BEGINNING 29:12 BEFORE THERE WAS EVER AN EARTH." NOW THIS, OF COURSE, IS A 29:18 MESSIANIC PROPHECY. IT'S TALKING ABOUT JESUS. 29:23 IT'S DESCRIBING CHRIST PRIOR TO THE INCARNATION. 29:26 IN YOUR LESSON ON FRIDAY, THERE IS A STATEMENT FROM THE BOOK 29:30 'PATRIARCHS AND PROPHETS' AND I WANT TO READ THAT. 29:33 IT'S FRIDAY AND FRIDAY'S LESSON, "THE SOVEREIGN OF THE UNIVERSE 29:38 WAS NOT ALONE IN HIS WORK OF BENEFICENCE. HE HAD AN ASSOCIATE 29:42 - A COWORKER - WHO COULD APPRECIATE HIS PURPOSES AND 29:46 COULD SHARE HIS JOY IN GIVING HAPPINESS TO CREATED BEINGS. 29:50 "IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD" - WHO'S THE WORD? JESUS 29:54 - "AND THE WORD WAS WITH GOD AND THE WORD WAS GOD. 29:58 THE SAME WAS IN THE BEGINNING WITH GOD." 29:59 CHRIST, THE WORD, THE ONLY BEGOTTEN OF GOD, WAS ONE WITH 30:04 THE ETERNAL FATHER IN NATURE, IN CHARACTER, IN PURPOSE. 30:07 THE ONLY BEING THAT COULD ENTER INTO ALL OF THE COUNCILS AND 30:12 PURPOSES OF GOD AND THE SON OF GOD, DECLARES CONCERNING 30:16 HIMSELF, "THE LORD POSSESSED ME IN THE BEGINNING OF HIS WAY. 30:20 BEFORE HIS WORKS OF OLD, I WAS SET UP FROM EVERLASTING. HE HAS 30:25 APPOINTED THE FOUNDATIONS - WHEN HE APPOINTED THE FOUNDATIONS OF 30:28 THE EARTH, THEN I WAS BY HIM, AS ONE BROUGHT UP WITH HIM, 30:33 I WAS DAILY HIS DELIGHT, REJOICING ALWAYS BEFORE HIM." 30:37 AND THAT, AGAIN, IS FROM 'PATRIARCHS AND PROPHETS.' SO 30:40 THE NEXT FEW VERSES THAT WE HAVE HERE IN PROVERBS CHAPTER 8, ARE 30:43 REFERENCES TO WISDOM BUT ALSO, MORE DIRECTLY, IT'S A REFERENCE 30:48 TO CHRIST. IF YOU LOOK NOW IN VERSE 24 - WE'RE IN PROVERBS 30:53 CHAPTER 8 LOOKING AT VERSE 24, "WHEN THERE WAS NO DEPTHS" - 31:00 THAT IS, BEFORE CREATION - "I WAS BROUGHT FORTH. WHEN THERE 31:04 WERE NO FOUNTAINS ABOUNDING WITH WATER." NOW, OF COURSE, THIS 31:09 VERSE HAS RAISED SOME QUESTIONS IN THE MINDS OF PEOPLE. 31:12 DOES THIS VERSE MEAN THAT THERE WAS A POINT IN TIME WHEN CHRIST 31:15 WAS NOT AND THEN HE WAS BROUGHT FORTH BY THE FATHER? 31:20 WHAT DOES IT MEAN, BY THE WAY, TO BRING FORTH, ANYWAY? 31:23 WELL, THE HEBREW WORD THERE, TRANSLATED AS 'BROUGHT FORTH' IS 31:27 A WORD PRONOUNCED CHAYIL AND, PRIMARILY, IT'S MEANING IS 'TO 31:33 TREMBLE' OR 'TO WRY' OR 'TO MANIFEST ENERGY OR ACTIVITY.' 31:40 SOMETIMES THIS PHRASE IS ALSO REFERRED TO BRINGING FORTH A 31:43 CHILD, BUT IT ALSO MEANS 'TO CALL INTO ACTIVITY' OR IT IS 'TO 31:49 CALL ONE TO ACTION.' IN OTHER WORDS, YOU CAN READ THIS VERSE, 31:54 'WHEN THERE WERE NO DEPTHS I WAS CALLED INTO ACTION' OR 'CALLED 31:59 TO ACTIVITY.' THE NEXT PART OF THE VERSE, 32:02 'WHEN THERE WERE NO FOUNTAINS ABOUNDING WITH WATER.' 32:05 OF COURSE, THIS IS A REFERENCE HERE TO CREATION. 32:07 GENESIS CHAPTER 1, VERSE 2 SAYS THAT "THE EARTH WAS WITHOUT FORM 32:12 AND VOID AND DARKNESS WAS UPON THE FACE OF THE DEEP AND THE 32:15 SPIRIT OF GOD WAS HOVERING OVER THE FACE OF THE WATERS." SO IN 32:18 THE LAST PART OF VERSE 24, WHEN IT TALKS ABOUT 'NO FOUNTAINS 32:21 ABOUNDING WITH WATER,' YOU HAVE A REFERENCE HERE TO DAY ONE 32:25 IN CREATION. AND THEN LOOK AT VERSE 25, 32:29 "BEFORE THE MOUNTAINS WERE SETTLED, BEFORE THE HILLS, I WAS 32:33 BROUGHT FORTH." IT'S THAT SAME WORD - 'I WAS CALLED INTO 32:37 ACTION' OR 'CALLED TO ACTIVITY.' THIS IS A 32:41 REFERENCE TO THE CREATION OF LAND. 32:43 OF COURSE, THAT OCCURRED ON DAY THREE OF THE CREATION WEEK. 32:47 VERSE 26, "WHILE AS YET HE HAD NOT MADE THE EARTH OR THE 32:52 FIELDS, OR THE PRIMORDIAL OR PRIMEVAL DUST OF THE WORLD." 32:58 THIS, AGAIN, REFERS TO DAY THREE IN CREATION, WHEN GOD CREATED 33:03 THE PLANTS AND THE ANIMALS AND THE FIELDS. 33:06 VERSE 28 SAYS, "WHEN HE ESTABLISHED THE CLOUDS ABOVE, 33:10 AND HE STRENGTHENED THE FOUNTAINS OF THE DEEP." 33:14 NOW, THIS IS A REFERENCE TO CREATION, BUT I THINK IT COULD 33:16 ALSO BE A REFERENCE TO THE FLOOD. NOTICE VERSE 28, 33:22 IT SAYS, "WHEN HE ESTABLISHED THE CLOUDS ABOVE." 33:24 DID IT RAIN ON THE EARTH PRIOR TO THE FLOOD? NO IT DIDN'T. 33:29 THE BIBLE SPEAKS OF A MIST THAT CAME UP AND WATERED THE GROUND. 33:32 ALSO, NOTICE IN VERSE 29, IT TALKS ABOUT - OR VERSE 28 - IT 33:36 TALKS ABOUT THE FOUNTAINS OF THE DEEP. WHEN DO WE HAVE A 33:40 REFERENCE IN GENESIS, TO THE FOUNTAINS OF THE DEEP? 33:43 IT'S IN THE CONTEXT OF THE FLOOD. MATTER OF FACT, YOU CAN 33:46 READ IT IN GENESIS CHAPTER 7, VERSE 11, IT SAYS, "THE 33:48 FOUNTAINS OF THE DEEP WERE BROKEN UP." SO, OF COURSE, 33:52 CHRIST IS PRESENT AT CREATION - VERY MUCH SO, BUT HE'S ALSO 33:57 THERE WHEN CREATION IS MODIFIED AS A RESULT OF THE FLOOD. 34:02 LOOKING THEN AT VERSE 29, "WHEN HE ASSIGNED THE SEA ITS LIMITS, 34:07 SO THE WATERS WOULD NOT TRANSGRESS HIS COMMANDMENTS WHEN 34:11 HE MARKED OUT THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE WORLD." SO THIS, AGAIN, IS 34:16 REFERRING TO CHRIST BEING THERE AT CREATION. OF COURSE, CHRIST 34:20 IS VERY MUCH INVOLVED IN CREATION, AS WE'RE GOING TO SEE 34:23 IN VERSES 31 THROUGH 32 HERE IN JUST A FEW MOMENTS. 34:26 SO NOT ONLY IS THIS REFERRING TO CHRIST AND HIS ROLE IN CREATION, 34:30 BUT IT'S ALSO REFERRING TO THE EARTH BEING CREATED IN WISDOM. 34:34 THERE'S GREAT WISDOM DISPLAYED IN THE THINGS GOD HAS MADE. 34:38 IF YOU HAVE YOUR BIBLES YOU CAN TURN TO ROMANS CHAPTER 1, 34:41 VERSE 20, WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT HOW GOD'S POWER IS REVEALED 34:46 IN THE THINGS THAT GOD HAS MADE. 34:47 ROMANS CHAPTER 1, LOOKING HERE AT VERSE 20. 34:52 AND IF SOMEONE WOULD READ THAT FOR US - ROMANS CHAPTER 1 AND 34:55 WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING HERE AT VERSE 20 - TALKING ABOUT HOW 34:59 CREATION REVEALS THE WISDOM OF GOD. 35:03 >>"FOR SINCE THE CREATION OF THE WORLD HIS INVISIBLE ATTRIBUTES 35:07 ARE CLEARLY SEEN, BEING UNDERSTOOD BY THE THINGS THAT 35:11 ARE MADE. EVEN HIS ETERNAL POWER AND 35:14 GODHEAD, SO THAT THEY ARE WITHOUT EXCUSE. 35:17 WELL THERE THE APOSTLE PAUL TELLS US THAT EVEN GOD'S POWER, 35:22 AND UNDERSTANDING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHO GOD IS, 35:25 IS DISPLAYED IN THE THINGS THAT GOD HAS MADE. 35:28 SO CREATION CRIES OUT THE WISDOM OF GOD. 35:32 IT REVEALS THE TRUTH OF WHERE WE CAME FROM. 35:35 OF COURSE, THERE ARE MANY EVIDENCES IN OUR WORLD TODAY 35:38 THAT DEMONSTRATE THE WISDOM OF GOD IN CREATION. 35:41 YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LITTLE RADIO PROGRAM AT AMAZING FACTS, IT'S 35:44 CALLED 'BIBLE ANSWERS LIVE' AND WE ALWAYS BEGIN OUR RADIO 35:47 PROGRAM BY SHARING A LITTLE AMAZING FACT. 35:50 I CAME ACROSS THIS FACT DEALING WITH A LITTLE FISH AND I THINK 35:55 IT'S EVIDENCE OF GOD'S WISDOM IN CREATION. 35:57 LET ME READ IT TO YOU. IT SAYS, "GOBIES ARE SMALL FISH 36:00 WHICH, DURING LOW TIDE, LIKE TO SWIM IN ROCK POOLS ON THE EDGE 36:04 OF THE OCEAN. ONE SPECIES CALLED THE BLENNY 36:07 GOBUS - OR GOBIES, ENJOY JUMPING FROM ONE TIDAL POOL TO ANOTHER. 36:12 RESEARCHERS, INTRIGUED BY THIS HABIT, DECIDED TO INVESTIGATE. 36:16 THEY DISCOVERED THAT THE LITTLE FELLOWS ALWAYS JUMP IN THE RIGHT 36:20 DIRECTION AND AT JUST THE RIGHT DISTANCE, WITHOUT EVER LANDING 36:24 ON THE ROCKS. ALTHOUGH MUCH OF THE AREA AROUND 36:27 THE POOL IS EXPOSED ROCK AND THE LITTLE FISH CANNOT SEE FROM ONE 36:30 TIDAL POOL TO THE NEXT, IT NEVER MISSES. 36:33 HOW DOES THIS LITTLE FISH KNOW JUST HOW FAR TO LEAP AND IN WHAT 36:39 DIRECTION? SCIENTISTS HAVE DISCOVERED THAT 36:41 WHEN THE TIDE IS IN AND COVERS THE ROCKS, THE LITTLE FISH SWIMS 36:45 AROUND AND MEMORIZES ALL OF THE BUMPS AND THE HOLLOWS SO THAT 36:49 WHEN THE TIDE IS OUT, IT KNOWS EXACTLY WHERE TO JUMP. 36:53 IN OTHER WORDS, THIS AMAZING FISH IS ABLE TO PRE-MEMORIZE THE 36:56 SHAPES OF ALL OF THE ROCKS AND THEN CALCULATE WHERE THE WATER 37:00 IS GOING TO POOL. HOW COULD THIS SMALL FISH HAVE 37:04 ENOUGH WISDOM TO GO ABOUT IN ADVANCE AND LEARN ALL OF THAT? 37:08 WELL, IN THE CREATION OF THE WORLD WE SEE THE WISDOM OF GOD 37:13 REVEALED. JAMES CHAPTER 1, VERSE 5 SAYS, 37:16 "IF ANYONE LACKS WISDOM LET HIM ASK OF GOD AND HE WILL GIVE TO 37:20 ALL LIBERALLY WITHOUT REPROACH AND IT WILL BE GIVEN UNTO HIM." 37:25 SO IN THE WORKS OF CREATION WE CAN CLEARLY SEE GOD'S WISDOM 37:29 MANIFEST. WE CAN ALSO SEE HIS CHARACTER OF 37:32 CARE AND CONCERN FOR ALL OF HIS CREATION. 37:36 SO CREATION REVEALS THE WISDOM OF GOD. 37:40 THE BIBLE ALSO TELLS US THAT CHRIST WAS VERY ACTIVE IN THE 37:44 CREATION OF THE EARTH. HEBREWS CHAPTER 1, VERSE 2 - IT 37:47 SAYS, "THROUGH HIM THE WORLDS WERE MADE" - SPEAKING OF CHRIST. 37:52 SO WISDOM, WHICH COMES FROM GOD, EXISTED BEFORE MAN WAS CREATED. 37:58 IN OTHER WORDS, WISDOM DOES NOT ORIGINATE WITH US. 38:04 WISDOM IS REVEALED TO US. 38:07 WISDOM IS SOMETHING OUTSIDE OF US THAT WE LEARN FROM GOD. 38:13 SO GOD IS THE TRUE SOURCE OF ALL WISDOM. 38:17 THEN ON TUESDAY WE HAVE A LESSON ENTITLED 'REJOICING IN 38:20 CREATION.' AND IF YOU HAVE YOUR BIBLES, LET'S LOOK NOW AT 38:24 PROVERBS CHAPTER 8, BEGINNING IN VERSE 30. 38:27 "THEN I WAS BESIDE HIM AS A MASTER CRAFTSMAN. 38:31 I WAS DAILY HIS DELIGHT, REJOICING ALWAYS BEFORE HIM." 38:35 NOW IT'S TALKING ABOUT WISDOM, BUT IT'S ALSO REFERRING, HERE, 38:37 TO CHRIST. JOHN CHAPTER 1 TALKS ABOUT THE 38:40 WORD THAT WAS WITH GOD - "ALL THINGS WERE MADE BY HIM. 38:43 WITHOUT HIM WAS NOT ANYTHING MADE THAT WAS MADE." 38:46 VERSE 31 SAYS, "REJOICING IN HIS INHABITED WORLD AND MY 38:50 DELIGHT WAS WITH THE SONS OF MEN." 38:53 SO WE'VE SEEN IN THIS PASSAGE, REFERENCES TO CREATION. 38:57 DAY 1 THE EARTH BEING CREATED AND THE WATERS ON THE EARTH. 39:02 IT TALKS ABOUT LAND BEING CREATED. 39:05 IT HAS A REFERENCE THERE TO PLANTS BEING CREATED. 39:07 AND NOW WE COME TO DAY 6 HERE WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT THE SONS OF 39:11 MEN. OF COURSE, THAT WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF GOD'S CREATION HERE 39:15 ON THIS EARTH. WHY DID GOD CREATE MAN? 39:17 IN ORDER TO HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH MAN. 39:20 HERE 'SONS OF MAN' IS REFERRED TO AS 'THE DELIGHT OF GOD.' 39:25 LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT ISAIAH 45, VERSE 18 - ISAIAH 45 AND VERSE 39:31 18, WHICH TALKS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY GOD CREATED THE EARTH 39:35 AND GOD'S DESIRE TO HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH US. 39:38 ISAIAH 45 AND VERSE 18 AND I'LL GO AHEAD AND READ THAT FOR US. 39:42 IT SAYS, "FOR THUS SAITH THE LORD, WHO CREATED THE HEAVENS, 39:46 WHO IS GOD, WHO FORMED THE EARTH AND MADE IT, WHO HAS ESTABLISHED 39:51 IT, WHO DID NOT CREATE IT IN VAIN, WHO FORMED IT TO BE 39:56 INHABITED: 'I AM THE LORD, AND THERE IS NO OTHER.'" 40:00 WHY DID GOD CREATE THE EARTH? 40:02 IT SAYS HE CREATED IT IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE INHABITED. 40:06 GOD CREATED MAN BECAUSE HE WANTS FELLOWSHIP WITH US AND IT IS A 40:10 GREAT DELIGHT TO BE IN HIS PRESENCE. NOW LOOK AT VERSE 32. 40:15 WE SPOKE ABOUT THE DIFFERENT DAYS OF CREATION, NOW WE HAVE 40:18 THE SEVENTH DAY OF CREATION REFERRED TO - VERSE 32 - "NOW 40:23 THEREFORE, LISTEN TO ME, MY CHILDREN, FOR BLESSED ARE THOSE 40:29 WHO KEEP MY WAYS." AFTER GOD CREATED THE EARTH IN 40:32 SIX DAYS, WHAT DID HE DO ON THE SEVENTH? 40:34 GOD RESTED, GOD BLESSED, AND GOD SANCTIFIED. 40:39 AND WHEN WE ENTER INTO FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD, WE RECEIVE 40:43 A BLESSING. SO WISDOM, HERE, IS ASSOCIATED WITH TRUTH. 40:47 WISDOM IS ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH THE CREATOR. 40:50 IT'S ASSOCIATED WITH CHRIST. SO IN PROVERBS CHAPTER 8, WE 40:55 FIND THE REASON FOR WISDOM'S REJOICING. 40:59 MY DELIGHT IS WITH THE SONS OF MAN. 41:02 AND, OF COURSE, THE SABBATH BECOMES A SYMBOL OF THAT 41:04 RELATIONSHIP THAT GOD WANTS TO HAVE WITH HIS CREATION. 41:08 COLOSSIANS CHAPTER 1, VERSE 16 - LET'S TURN TO THAT - COLOSSIANS 41:12 CHAPTER 1, VERSES 16 AND 17 TALK ABOUT CHRIST IN CREATION. 41:18 COLOSSIANS CHAPTER 1, BEGINNING HERE IN VERSE 16. AND JOHN, 41:23 WHEN YOU'RE READY, LET US KNOW AND WE'LL HAVE YOU READ IT. 41:25 >>COLOSSIANS 1, VERSE 16, "FOR BY HIM WERE ALL THINGS CREATED 41:33 THAT ARE IN HEAVEN AND THAT ARE IN EARTH, VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE, 41:38 WHETHER THEY BE THRONES OR DOMINIONS OR PRINCIPALITIES OR 41:45 POWERS, ALL THINGS WERE CREATED BY HIM AND FOR HIM." 41:50 >>SO THIS VERSE MAKES IT VERY CLEAR, WITH REFERENCE TO CHRIST, 41:54 THAT HE WAS BEFORE ALL THINGS AND HE WAS THE ONE WHO CREATED 41:58 ALL THINGS. SO IN THE BEGINNING, CHRIST WAS WITH THE FATHER, 42:02 VERY MUCH INVOLVED IN THE CREATION OF THE WORLD. 42:06 NOW LOOKING AT PROVERBS CHAPTER 8, FINISHING UP OUR CHAPTER 42:09 THERE - WE'RE ON VERSE 33 - PROVERBS CHAPTER 8, VERSE 33, 42:15 "HEAR INSTRUCTION AND BE WISE AND DO NOT DISDAIN IT." 42:20 VERSE 34, "BLESSED IS THE MAN WHO LISTENS TO ME, WATCHING 42:24 DAILY AT MY GATES, WAITING AT THE POSTS OF MY DOOR." 42:30 NOW HERE IS A BLESSING PRONOUNCED UPON THOSE WHO LISTEN 42:34 TO WISDOM - THOSE WHO LISTEN TO CHRIST - 42:37 HOW ARE WE TO LISTEN TO WISDOM? 42:40 WELL, THE NEXT PART OF THE VERSE TELLS US HOW - #1, WATCHING 42:44 DAILY AT MY GATE; #2, WAITING AT THE POSTS OF MY DOOR. 42:49 HOW MANY OF YOU WERE IN PATHFINDERS AT SOME POINT IN 42:52 TIME? ALRIGHT, WE SEE SOME HANDS. I WAS IN PATHFINDERS. 42:55 I REMEMBER PART OF THE PATHFINDER LAW WAS TO KEEP THE 42:58 WHAT? KEEP THE MORNING - KEEP THE MORNING WATCH. 43:03 AND WHAT DID THAT REFER TO? THE STUDY OF THE SCRIPTURES. 43:06 HOW DO WE LISTEN TO WISDOM? 43:09 BY SPENDING TIME IN THE SCRIPTURES. 43:12 IN ADDITION TO JUST SPENDING TIME READING, WE ALSO NEED TO 43:15 SPEND TIME IN PRAYER AND THAT IS WAITING ON THE LORD - 43:19 WAITING AT THE POSTS OF MY DOOR, AS IS PORTRAYED IN VERSE 34. 43:24 SO IT'S THROUGH THE STUDY OF THE SCRIPTURES AND THROUGH SPENDING 43:27 TIME IN PRAYER, THAT WE RECEIVE THE WISDOM OF GOD. 43:31 THAT IS HOW WE COME TO KNOW GOD. VERSE 35 SAYS, "FOR WHOEVER 43:36 FINDS ME FINDS LIFE." OF COURSE THE 'ME' IS WISDOM, 43:42 BUT EVEN MORE SPECIFICALLY IT'S JESUS. 43:44 JESUS SAID, 'I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE. 43:48 WHOEVER FINDS ME FINDS LIFE AND OBTAINS FAVOR FROM THE LORD." 43:53 IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 10, VERSE 32 JESUS SAID, "IF YOU CONFESS ME 43:57 BEFORE MAN I WILL CONFESS YOU BEFORE MY FATHER. AND IF JESUS 44:01 CONFESSES US BEFORE HIS FATHER, WE ARE GUARANTEED TO HAVE FAVOR 44:06 FROM GOD. VERSE 36, "BUT HE WHO SINS AGAINST ME WRONGS HIS OWN 44:12 SOUL. ALL THOSE THAT HATE ME, LOVE DEATH." 44:17 AND SO WE SEE THE THREE STEPS INVOLVED HERE, THOSE WHO SIN 44:20 AGAINST ME "WRONGS HIS OWN SOUL." 44:25 NOW GOD IS A GOD OF LOVE AND THE REASON HE GIVES US HIS LAW AND 44:28 THE REASON HE GIVES US GUIDANCE IS REALLY FOR OUR OWN GOOD. 44:31 IT'S THAT HEDGE OF PROTECTION THAT LEADS TO LIFE, THAT LEADS 44:34 TO PEACE, IT LEADS TO JOY, IT LEADS TO THE BLESSINGS 44:37 THAT GOD WANTS TO BESTOW UPON US. 44:40 SO, PROVERBS CHAPTER 8 - BEAUTIFUL PASSAGE TALKING ABOUT 44:43 THE IMPORTANCE OF WISDOM, BUT IT ALSO GIVES US DESCRIPTIONS OF 44:46 JESUS, ESPECIALLY AS IT'S ASSOCIATED WITH CHRIST AND HIS 44:51 ROLE IN CREATION. THAT BRINGS US, NOW, TO 44:53 THURSDAY'S LESSON. IF YOU HAVE YOUR LESSON 44:56 QUARTERLY, THIS IS ON PAGE 35 AND WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING, 45:00 NOW, AT PROVERBS CHAPTER 9. JUST A GREAT PASSAGE AS WELL. 45:05 LET ME JUST GIVE YOU - ORIENT YOU TO THE CHAPTER, THERE ARE 45:09 THREE SECTIONS TO PROVERBS CHAPTER 9. THE FIRST SECTION IS 45:13 FROM VERSE 1 THROUGH TO VERSE 6, AND IT'S TALKING AGAIN ABOUT 45:17 WISDOM. WISDOM HERE IS DESCRIBED AS A WOMAN. 45:20 THEN YOU FIND FROM VERSES 13 TO 18 THERE IS A DESCRIPTION OF 45:25 FOLLY OR FOOLISHNESS AND, AGAIN, IT'S DESCRIBED AS A WOMAN. 45:29 SO THE FIRST PART OF THE CHAPTER TALKS ABOUT WISDOM. 45:32 THE LAST PART TALKS ABOUT FOOLISHNESS. 45:36 AND THEN IN THE MIDDLE IT TALKS ABOUT HOW WE CAN COME TO 45:40 EXPERIENCE WISDOM ONCE MORE. SO LET'S TAKE A LOOK NOW IN 45:44 PROVERBS CHAPTER 9 AND LOOK, IF YOU WOULD, AT VERSE 1. 45:47 NOW I'M GOING TO JUMP BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN PROVERBS 9 - THE 45:50 FIRST PART - AND THEN PROVERBS 9 THE ENDING AND YOU'LL SEE THE 45:54 CONNECTION HERE. TAKE A LOOK AT VERSE 1, IT SAYS, "WISDOM HAS 45:57 BUILT HER HOUSE. SHE HAS HEWN OUT HER SEVEN PILLARS." 46:03 NOW WHAT DOES WISDOM REPRESENT? WHO IS TRUTH? WHO IS WISDOM? 46:09 AS WE'VE LOOKED AT IT, IT'S CHRIST. 46:11 IT SAYS, "WISDOM HAS BUILT HER HOUSE. 46:15 WHO WAS ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE CREATION OF THE EARTH? 46:18 JESUS WAS. "WISDOM HAS BUILT HER HOUSE." 46:22 THE EARTH - NOTICE IT SAID, "SHE HAS HEWN OUT HER SEVEN PILLARS." 46:27 THE EARTH WAS CREATED IN SIX DAYS AND THEN GOD RESTED ON THE 46:31 SEVENTH DAY. OF COURSE, THE WORD - OR THE NUMBER 7, IN SCRIPTURE, 46:34 ALSO REPRESENTS PERFECTION OR COMPLETION. 46:39 IF YOU LOOK AT VERSE 13 YOU HAVE FOOLISHNESS. 46:43 SO WISDOM TALKS ABOUT HER BUILDING HER HOUSE. 46:46 IT TALKS ABOUT THE SEVEN PILLARS. 46:48 BUT LOOK AT VERSE 13, IT SAYS, "A FOOLISH WOMAN IS CLAMOROUS. 46:52 SHE'S SIMPLE AND KNOWS NOTHING." 46:55 NOW, THE WORD CLAMOROUS THERE MEANS 'MARKED BY CONFUSION.' IN 47:00 BIBLE PROPHECY, WHAT DOES A WOMAN SOMETIMES REPRESENT? 47:04 >>THE CHURCH. >>A CHURCH. AND DOES REVELATION 47:08 TALK ABOUT A WOMAN THAT'S MARKED BY CONFUSION? 47:13 WHAT'S ANOTHER WORD FOR CONFUSION IN BIBLE PROPHECY? 47:15 >>BABYLON. >>BABYLON. 47:17 BABYLON MEANS 'CONFUSION.' SO HERE YOU HAVE A CHURCH THAT, 47:22 INSTEAD OF FOLLOWING AFTER WISDOM, BUILDING UP THE TRUTH, 47:26 SHE IS MARKED BY CONFUSION - BY BABYLON. SHE'S SIMPLAND 47:31 SHE KNOWS NOT THE TRUTH. NOW GO BACK TO VERSE 2. 47:35 WE'RE CONTRASTING BETWEEN THESE TWO SYMBOLS. 47:37 VERSE 2 SAYS, SPEAKING OF WISDOM, "SHE HAS SLAUGHTERED HER 47:42 MEAT. SHE HAS MIXED HER WINE. 47:45 SHE HAS ALSO FURNISHED HER TABLE. 47:48 NOW WHEN IT TALKS ABOUT 'SLAUGHTERED HER MEAT, MIXED HER 47:51 WINE, AND FURNISHED HER TABLES,' WE KNOW THAT CHRIST HAS PROVIDED 47:54 A WAY OF SALVATION FOR US THROUGH HIS SACRIFICE. 47:59 SLAUGHTERED HER MEAT - THAT CAN REFER TO THE SACRIFICE. THE WINE 48:02 IS A SYMBOL OF CHRIST - HIS ATONING SACRIFICE - HIS BLOOD. 48:06 SHE HAS FURNISHED A TABLE - IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 22 YOU HAVE A 48:10 PARABLE ABOUT A MARRIAGE FEAST AND ALL THINGS ARE PREPARED. 48:15 AND, OF COURSE, THAT MARRIAGE REPRESENTS CHRIST'S RECEPTION OF 48:17 HIS KINGDOM - THE RECEPTION OF HIS BRIDE. 48:20 IF YOU LOOK AT THE CONTRAST OF THAT, LOOK AT VERSE 14 - 48:24 PROVERBS CHAPTER 9, VERSE 14, TALKING OF FOOLISHNESS, "FOR SHE 48:27 SITS AT THE DOOR OF HER HOUSE ON A SEAT BY THE HIGHEST PLACES OF 48:33 THE HILL TO CALL TO THOSE WHO PASS BY WHO GO STRAIGHT ON THEIR 48:37 WAY." SO YOU FIND WISDOM BUILDING UP HER HOUSE. 48:42 IN VERSE 14, YOU FIND FOOLISHNESS SITTING AT THE DOOR 48:45 OF HER HOUSE. SHE SITS ON A SEAT BY THE 48:48 HIGHEST PLACES AND SHE'S CALLING TO THOSE WHO PASS BY. 48:54 IT'S KIND OF INTERESTING, THAT YOU'LL NOTICE HERE IN THE NEXT - 48:56 OR A LITTLE FURTHER DOWN IN THE CHAPTER - THAT NOT ONLY DOES 48:59 FOOLISHNESS SIT AT THE HIGH PLACES OF THE CITY, BUT WISDOM 49:02 ALSO SITS AT THE HIGH PLACES OF THE CITY. 49:05 AND THEY ARE BOTH CALLING OUT TO THE PEOPLE PASSING BY. 49:09 SO WISDOM - TRUTH - CHRIST - IS CALLING OUT TO PEOPLE. 49:14 AT THE SAME TIME, YOU HAVE FOOLISHNESS OR FOLLY CALLING OUT 49:18 TO PEOPLE. AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO 49:20 DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE TRUTH, WISDOM, AND FALSEHOOD - OR LIES. 49:25 A LOOK AT VERSE 3 - GOING BACK, NOW, TO WISDOM - IT SAYS, "SHE 49:29 SENT OUT HER MAIDENS; SHE CRIED OUT FROM THE HIGHEST PLACES OF 49:34 THE CITY. SOME HAVE SAID THAT MAYBE THESE 49:37 MAIDENS MIGHT REPRESENT THE PROPHETS THAT WERE OUT TO PREACH 49:40 THE GOSPEL AND CALL PEOPLE TO THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB. 49:43 YOU ALSO HAVE THE REFERENCE, POSSIBLY, TO THE PARABLE OF THE 49:47 TEN VIRGINS, IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 25. 49:49 VERSE 4 SAYS, "WHOEVER IS SIMPLE, LET HIM TURN HERE." 49:55 NOW THOSE WHO ARE SIMPLE - IT'S REFERRING TO THOSE WHO HAVE A 49:59 TEACHABLE SPIRIT - THOSE WHO HAVE A HUMBLE HEART - THOSE WHO 50:04 ARE SEEKING FOR TRUTH - SEEKING FOR WISDOM - "AS FOR HIM WHO 50:08 LACKS UNDERSTANDING" - SHE SAYS TO HIM - "COME EAT MY BREAD AND 50:13 DRINK THE WINE THAT I HAVE MIXED." 50:15 SO JESUS IS CALLING OUT TO THOSE WHO ARE TEACHABLE - THOSE WHO 50:20 LACK UNDERSTANDING - AND JESUS SAYS, 'COME EAT MY BREAD.' 50:25 WHAT DOES THAT BREAD REPRESENT? 50:27 JESUS SAYS, 'THE WORDS I SPEAK UNTO YOU, THEY ARE SPIRIT AND 50:30 THEY ARE LIFE.' OF COURSE, ALSO, IT'S A REFERENCE HERE TO THE 50:34 BROKEN BODY OF JESUS. IN THE COMMUNION SERVICE WE 50:37 SPEAK OF THE BREAD AS SYMBOLIZING THE BODY OF CHRIST. 50:39 THE WINE, AGAIN, A REFERENCE TO THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST - HIS 50:42 ATONING SACRIFICE, WHICH MAKES THE WEDDING POSSIBLE. 50:45 AND THEN VERSE 6 SAYS, "FORSAKE FOOLISHNESS AND LIVE 50:48 AND GO IN THE WAY OF UNDERSTANDING. 50:52 FOOLISHNESS THERE, AGAIN, IS REBELLION OR STUBBORNNESS. 50:56 NOW NOTICE THE CONTRAST OVER HERE IN VERSE 16. 51:00 YOU HAVE FOOLISHNESS CALLING TO THE SAME GROUP, "WHOEVER IS 51:05 SIMPLE, LET HIM TURN IN HERE AND AS FOR HIM WHO LACKS 51:09 UNDERSTANDING" - SHE SAYS TO HIM - "STOLEN WATER IS SWEET AND 51:14 BREAD EATEN IN SECRET IS PLEASANT." 51:18 NOW, LET ME SAY SOMETHING ABOUT VERSE 17, BUT BEFORE WE DO, 51:21 NOTICE THAT WISDOM IS CALLING THE SAME GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT 51:26 FOOLISHNESS IS CALLING. IN OTHER WORDS, THE DEVIL IS 51:29 TRYING TO DECEIVE THE VERY ONES THAT CHRIST IS CALLING, ALRIGHT? 51:33 NOTICE WHAT SHE SAYS TO TRY AND DECEIVE: 'STOLEN WATER IS SWEET' 51:40 - NOTICE THERE'S NO REFERENCE HERE TO WINE OR THE ATONING 51:43 SACRIFICE OF CHRIST - 'AND BREAD EATEN IN SECRET IS PLEASANT.' 51:48 NOW, THINK BACK IN YOUR STUDY OF PROVERBS, HAVE WE READ ANYTHING 51:53 ABOUT WATER AND WHAT THAT MIGHT REPRESENT? YES WE HAVE, TAKE 51:58 A LOOK AT PROVERBS CHAPTER 5, VERSE 15 - NOTICE THE LANGUAGE 52:02 HERE - THIS IS FOOLISHNESS DESCRIBED AS A WOMAN AND SHE'S 52:07 CALLING OUT AND SHE'S SAYING, "STOLEN WATER IS SWEET." 52:11 WHAT DOES THE WATER REFER TO HERE IN PROVERBS? 52:14 PROVERBS CHAPTER 5, VERSE 15 - IT SAYS, "DRINK WATER FROM YOUR 52:20 OWN CISTERN AND RUNNING WATER FROM YOUR OWN WELL." 52:24 NOW, IF YOU READ ON THERE IN PROVERBS CHAPTER 5, IT'S TALKING 52:27 ABOUT FAITHFULNESS TO YOUR SPOUSE. STOLEN WATER IS 52:32 OBVIOUSLY NOT DRINKING FROM YOUR OWN CISTERN OR YOUR OWN WELL. 52:36 NOW WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT SYMBOLS IN SCRIPTURE, WHO IS THE CHURCH, 52:40 WHICH IS SOMETIMES DESCRIBED AS A WOMAN, WHO DOES THE CHURCH, IN 52:43 SCRIPTURE, OR A WOMAN IN SCRIPTURE REPRESENT? OR WHO IS 52:47 THE CHURCH, I SHOULD SAY - THE BRIDE - TO BE MARRIED TO? 52:51 >>CHRIST. >>CHRIST. 52:53 BUT WHEN THE CHURCH LEAVES HER ALLEGIANCE TO JESUS AND FORMS AN 52:57 ALLIANCE WITH SOME OTHER POWER, WHETHER IT BE POLITICAL OR 53:01 WHETHER IT BE IN A POWER THAT HAS SET ASIDE THE TRUTHS OF 53:03 GOD'S WORD, SHE IS GUILTY OF SPIRITUAL ADULTERY. 53:08 HERE, THIS FOOLISH WOMAN SAYS, "STOLEN WATER IS SWEET." 53:13 - 'COME MY WAY.' - "AND BREAD EATEN IN SECRET IS PLEASANT." 53:18 NOW WHAT DOES BREAD REPRESENT? >>THE WORD. 53:22 >>THE WORD OF GOD. WHAT DOES IT MEAN 'EATEN IN SECRET?' 53:24 IN 2 PETER CHAPTER 1, VERSE 20, WE READ "NO SCRIPTURE IS FOR 53:29 PRIVATE INTERPRETATION. IN OTHER WORDS, THIS IS SOMEBODY 53:34 THAT TAKES THE SCRIPTURES AND TAKES IT OUT OF CONTEXT OR 53:38 DOESN'T READ THE SCRIPTURES AS A WHOLE. 53:39 OF COURSE, THERE ARE MANY CHURCHES TODAY THAT CLAIM TO BE 53:42 FOLLOWING THE SCRIPTURES - CLAIMING TO FOLLOW THE TRUTHS OF 53:45 GOD'S WORD - BUT THEY ARE NOT EATING - OR STUDYING THE 53:49 SCRIPTURES - AS A WHOLE. A LITTLE BIT HERE, A LITTLE BIT 53:52 THERE - TAKING THINGS OUT OF CONTEXT. 53:55 "AND BREAD EATEN IN SECRET IS PLEASANT." 53:59 BUT VERSE 18, "BUT HE DOES NOT KNOW THAT DEATH" - OR THE DEAD 54:04 ARE THERE - "AND THAT HER GUESTS ARE IN THE DEPTHS OF HELL." 54:08 SO HERE WE HAVE A CALL - A WARNING AGAINST THIS FALSE 54:12 TEACHING - THIS FALSE DOCTRINE. STAY TRUE TO THE WORD OF GOD. 54:17 SO IN PROVERBS CHAPTER 8, WE HAVE THIS BEAUTIFUL PORTRAYAL OF 54:21 WISDOM, WHICH ALSO REPRESENTS CHRIST. 54:24 CONNECTED WITH THE WISDOM, WE FIND CREATION. 54:27 WE FIND TRUTH. WE FIND LIFE. TRUTH IS ABSOLUTE. 54:31 IT STANDS FIRM BECAUSE TRUTH IS FOUND IN GOD. 54:35 GOD DOESN'T CHANGE. 54:37 AND GOD IS INVITING US IN THESE PASSAGES, 'COME TO ME.' JESUS 54:40 SAID, 'COME UNTO ME ALL YOU WHO LABOR AND ARE HEAVY LADEN AND I 54:43 WILL GIVE YOU REST.' TRUE REST - TRUE PEACE IS FOUND IN JESUS AND 54:50 THAT'S THE MESSAGE OF PROVERBS CHAPTER 8, VERSE 9. 54:54 I'D LIKE TO REMIND OUR FRIENDS WATCHING, WE DO HAVE A FREE 54:56 OFFER. IT'S A BOOK ENTITLED 'AMAZING WONDERS OF CREATION.' 55:01 IF YOU'D LIKE TO RECEIVE THIS OFFER, JUST CALL US. 55:03 THE NUMBER IS 866-788-3966 AND YOU CAN ASK FOR OFFER #116 - 55:12 THAT'S 866-788-3966. 55:16 AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US AND TO OUR LOCAL 55:19 CHURCH MEMBERS HERE, THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT THIS EVENING. 55:22 I HOPE YOU WERE INSPIRED BY OUR STUDY. I WAS JUST SO BLESSED 55:27 WHEN I WAS GOING THROUGH THIS PASSAGE AND PREPARING. 55:29 JUST A WONDERFUL DEMONSTRATION OF GOD'S LOVE FOR US. 55:32 LET'S CLOSE WITH A WORD OF PRAYER. 55:34 "DEAR FATHER, ONCE AGAIN WE THANK YOU FOR THE SCRIPTURES. 55:36 WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO GIVE US WISDOM. 55:39 AND YOU WANT TO GIVE YOURSELF TO US THAT WE MIGHT HAVE THE TRUTH. 55:43 WE MIGHT HAVE THAT CREATOR, THROUGH HIS SPIRIT, DWELLING 55:46 WITHIN US. OH FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS GREAT INVITATION. 55:50 THANK YOU FOR THE GIFT OF LIFE THAT'S FOUND IN YOU AND WE 55:54 THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORD WHICH IS INDEED A LAMP TO OUR PATH AND 55:57 WILL LEAD US IN THE WAY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. 56:00 BLESS THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING. BE WITH US HERE. 56:02 WE JUST ASK FOR YOUR CONTINUED LEADING. IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. 56:06 THANK YOU, FRIENDS FOR JOINING US AGAIN THIS WEEK AND THOSE 56:09 WATCHING, PLEASE BE SURE TO TUNE IN NEXT WEEK AS WE CONTINUE 56:13 WITH OUR STUDY IN THE BOOK OF PROVERBS. GOD BLESS YOU. 56:17 >>(CRICKETS CHIRPING) (DRAMATIC MUSIC) 57:01 >>MOMMY! DADDY! HELP ME! >>NO, I DON'T THINK SO. YOU 57:08 DIDN'T DO VERY WELL ON YOUR REPORT CARD THIS LAST QUARTER 57:10 SO...NO. >>YOU HAVEN'T BEEN PULLING YOUR 57:13 WEIGHT AROUND HERE LATELY. YOU WANT HELP? 57:15 WELL, I WANTED HELP WITH THE DISHES LAST NIGHT. 57:18 HELP YOURSELF! >>HUH? 57:20 >>HONEY, DID YOU BRING THE MARSHMALLOWS? 57:24 >>(COUGHING) (SIRENS) (MUSIC) 57:48 >>IN SIX DAYS GOD CREATED THE 57:50 HEAVENS AND THE EARTH. FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS MAN HAS 57:54 WORSHIPED GOD ON THE SEVENTH DAY OF THE WEEK. 57:57 NOW, EACH WEEK MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WORSHIP ON THE FIRST DAY. 58:01 WHAT HAPPENED? WHY DID GOD CREATE A DAY OF REST? 58:04 DOES IT REALLY MATTER WHAT DAY WE WORSHIP? 58:08 WHO IS BEHIND THIS GREAT SHIFT? DISCOVER THE TRUTH BEHIND GOD'S 58:11 LAW AND HOW IT WAS CHANGED. VISIT 'SABBATHTRUTH.COM'. 58:18 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2015-01-22