¤¤¤
00:00:00.46\00:00:08.27
Jean Ross: Good
morning, friends.
00:00:35.10\00:00:36.43
Welcome to "Sabbath School Study
Hour" here at the Granite Bay
00:00:36.46\00:00:38.90
Seventh-Day
Adventist Church in Sacramento.
00:00:38.93\00:00:41.84
I'd like to welcome our online
Sabbath School members scattered
00:00:41.87\00:00:44.57
across the country and around
the world, as well as the many
00:00:44.61\00:00:47.58
others who tune in on a regular
basis to participate, to study
00:00:47.61\00:00:51.01
with us here at
our Sabbath School.
00:00:51.05\00:00:53.72
I'd also like to welcome our
regular Sabbath School members
00:00:53.75\00:00:56.58
here in person.
00:00:56.62\00:00:57.95
I know we have some visitors
who are joining us today.
00:00:57.99\00:00:59.82
Very warm welcome to all
of you on a very warm July day
00:00:59.85\00:01:04.46
here in Sacramento.
00:01:04.49\00:01:06.13
As many of you know, we've
been studying through our lesson
00:01:06.16\00:01:08.20
quarterly entitled "The Least
of These," and today we find
00:01:08.23\00:01:11.97
ourselves on lesson number five.
00:01:12.00\00:01:14.57
Interesting study, it's called
"The Cry of the Prophets."
00:01:14.60\00:01:17.91
So we're going to be looking at
some of what's called the minor
00:01:17.94\00:01:20.21
prophets, or the smaller
books that we find in the Old
00:01:20.24\00:01:22.54
Testament, dealing with our
subject of mercy and it's called
00:01:22.58\00:01:26.08
"The Least of These"
is our lesson quarterly.
00:01:26.11\00:01:28.62
If you don't have a copy
of the lesson, we're only
00:01:28.65\00:01:31.25
on lesson number five.
00:01:31.29\00:01:32.79
There's a total of 13 lessons.
00:01:32.82\00:01:34.36
If you'd like to download
today's lesson, it's free.
00:01:34.39\00:01:37.36
Just go to Lesson.aftv.org and,
as mentioned already, lesson
00:01:37.39\00:01:42.63
number five is the one
that we're looking at today.
00:01:42.66\00:01:44.90
We also have a free offer that
we'd like to tell our friends
00:01:44.93\00:01:47.07
about who are joining us.
00:01:47.10\00:01:48.64
We have a DVD,
DVD sermon, entitled
00:01:48.67\00:01:51.41
"When a Christian Falls."
00:01:51.44\00:01:53.94
I think it's an
encouraging study and I think
00:01:53.98\00:01:56.44
you'll enjoy that.
00:01:56.48\00:01:58.08
All you'll need to do to receive
a free DVD of this study is call
00:01:58.11\00:02:01.88
the number... and you want
to ask for offer number 867
00:02:01.92\00:02:09.02
or you can send a text
message or text the code "SH128"
00:02:09.06\00:02:13.76
to the number 40544.
00:02:13.80\00:02:17.67
And you'll get a link as
to where you can download
00:02:17.70\00:02:20.74
the sermon entitled
"When a Christian Falls."
00:02:20.77\00:02:23.91
Well, before we get to our
study, we always like to start
00:02:23.94\00:02:26.88
by lifting our voices in song
so we'd like to invite our song
00:02:26.91\00:02:30.71
leaders to come
forward at this time.
00:02:30.75\00:02:35.38
female: As we do every time
we study together, we love to
00:02:40.39\00:02:43.12
sing and I believe that
that is truly just another
00:02:43.16\00:02:45.59
part of worship.
00:02:45.63\00:02:47.93
So if you are at home and have
your hymnals, you might need
00:02:47.96\00:02:50.63
to pull them out.
00:02:50.67\00:02:51.90
We are going to sing a song that
everyone knows, hymn number 348.
00:02:51.93\00:02:57.14
We're going to sing, "The
church has one foundation.
00:02:57.17\00:02:59.77
'Tis Jesus Christ our Lord."
00:02:59.81\00:03:02.51
We're going to sing the first,
the third, and the fourth verse.
00:03:02.54\00:03:08.48
¤¤¤
00:03:09.05\00:03:15.86
¤ The church has
one foundation. ¤
00:03:16.69\00:03:22.10
¤ 'Tis Jesus Christ, her Lord. ¤
00:03:22.13\00:03:26.70
¤ She is His new creation ¤
00:03:26.74\00:03:31.84
¤ by water and the Word. ¤
00:03:31.87\00:03:36.48
¤ From heav'n He
came and sought her ¤
00:03:36.51\00:03:42.88
¤ to be His holy bride; ¤
00:03:42.92\00:03:46.92
¤ with His own
blood He bought her, ¤
00:03:46.96\00:03:52.39
¤ and for her life He died. ¤
00:03:52.43\00:03:58.50
¤ Though with a
scornful wonder ¤
00:03:58.53\00:04:03.71
¤ men see her sore oppressed, ¤
00:04:03.74\00:04:08.18
¤ though foes
would rend asunder, ¤
00:04:08.21\00:04:15.18
¤ The Rock
where she doth rest. ¤
00:04:15.22\00:04:19.25
¤ Yet saints their
faith are keeping, ¤
00:04:19.29\00:04:23.69
¤ their cry goes
up, "How long?" ¤
00:04:23.73\00:04:28.83
¤ And soon the
night of weeping ¤
00:04:28.86\00:04:33.94
¤ shall be the morn of song. ¤
00:04:33.97\00:04:40.64
¤ 'Mid toil and tribulation,
and tumult of her war, ¤
00:04:40.68\00:04:50.09
¤ she waits the consummation ¤
00:04:50.12\00:04:55.52
¤ of peace forevermore; ¤
00:04:55.56\00:05:00.70
¤ 'til with the
vision glorious, ¤
00:05:00.73\00:05:06.43
¤ her longing
eyes are blessed, ¤
00:05:06.47\00:05:12.14
¤ and the great
church victorious ¤
00:05:12.17\00:05:18.41
¤ shall be the
church at rest. ¤¤
00:05:18.45\00:05:28.46
Jean: Amen.
00:05:40.17\00:05:42.80
Let's go ahead and bow our
heads for a word of prayer.
00:05:42.84\00:05:45.07
Dear Father, once again, we
are indeed grateful for the many
00:05:45.11\00:05:47.81
blessings that You bestowed upon
us for life, for strength, but
00:05:47.84\00:05:50.91
most of all we are grateful for
Jesus, for the gospel, for hope
00:05:50.95\00:05:55.32
for a future with You
and with those that love You.
00:05:55.35\00:05:58.02
Father, as we open up Your Word
and study a theme that we find
00:05:58.05\00:06:01.76
all the way back in the
times of the prophets in the Old
00:06:01.79\00:06:04.46
Testament, a theme that is
relevant and important for us
00:06:04.49\00:06:07.60
today, we do pray for the Holy
Spirit to come and guide our
00:06:07.60\00:06:10.50
hearts and lead us into a clear
understanding of the gospel and
00:06:10.53\00:06:14.44
the work that You
wish to do for us.
00:06:14.47\00:06:16.20
So bless our time together.
00:06:16.24\00:06:17.87
We ask this in
Jesus's name, amen.
00:06:17.91\00:06:21.74
Our lesson this morning
is going to be brought to us
00:06:21.78\00:06:23.55
by Pastor Doug.
00:06:23.58\00:06:28.52
Doug Batchelor:
Thank you, Pastor Ross.
00:06:30.45\00:06:32.49
Good morning, everybody.
00:06:32.52\00:06:34.62
How are you?
00:06:34.66\00:06:37.96
Good to see you this morning.
00:06:37.99\00:06:39.89
I want to welcome our friends
who are studying with us via the
00:06:39.93\00:06:42.06
Internet or maybe it's Facebook
or satellite or whatever the
00:06:42.10\00:06:47.40
different technology might be.
00:06:47.44\00:06:50.01
We're glad that you joined us.
00:06:50.04\00:06:51.77
We know that we have some of you
who are regular Sabbath School
00:06:51.81\00:06:54.74
class members for our Granite
Bay program and some of you are
00:06:54.78\00:06:58.38
actually some of our online
members around the world because
00:06:58.41\00:07:01.72
there is no church nearby
that you can attend that you've
00:07:01.75\00:07:05.65
adopted us, and we're
very thankful for that.
00:07:05.69\00:07:09.29
We're continuing in our lesson,
"The Least of These," and today
00:07:09.32\00:07:12.89
we're doing lesson number five.
00:07:12.93\00:07:15.46
And the lesson is about
"The Cry of the Prophets."
00:07:15.50\00:07:18.93
"The Cry of the Prophets."
00:07:18.97\00:07:20.54
We'll see how, through the
course of the Bible, a number of
00:07:20.57\00:07:23.51
the different prophets, both
some of the major prophets and
00:07:23.54\00:07:28.11
minor prophets, talk about the
importance of justice, a cry for
00:07:28.14\00:07:32.18
justice.
00:07:32.21\00:07:34.25
And we have a memory verse,
and the memory verse is from the
00:07:34.28\00:07:36.52
book of Micah,
chapter 6, verse 8.
00:07:36.55\00:07:39.39
If you want to say this with me,
it's here in the lesson, in the
00:07:39.42\00:07:42.19
New King James Version,
Micah 6, verse 8: one of my
00:07:42.22\00:07:46.33
favorite verses.
00:07:46.36\00:07:47.86
Are you ready?
00:07:47.93\00:07:49.70
"He has shown you, O man, what
is good; and what does the Lord
00:07:49.73\00:07:53.17
require of you but that you
do justly, to love mercy, and to
00:07:53.20\00:07:58.81
walk humbly with your God?"
00:07:58.84\00:08:01.68
You know, I love
these bottom-line verses.
00:08:01.71\00:08:05.01
This is one of those verses that
gets right to the bottom line.
00:08:05.05\00:08:07.75
Lord, what do You want from me?
00:08:07.78\00:08:09.65
Matter of fact, this verse was
so precious to me that years ago
00:08:09.68\00:08:13.76
it was a reason that we named
one of our boys Micah is because
00:08:13.79\00:08:17.53
this verse touched me.
00:08:17.56\00:08:19.26
What does God want from us?
00:08:19.29\00:08:21.00
"To love mercy, to do
justly, and to walk humbly
00:08:21.03\00:08:26.07
with your God."
00:08:26.10\00:08:27.60
If you get those things
covered, you're probably walking
00:08:27.64\00:08:29.64
in the gospel.
00:08:29.67\00:08:31.24
Now, in the lesson that we're
dealing with, it's talking about
00:08:31.27\00:08:37.01
how, over the course of history,
it seems like under just about
00:08:37.05\00:08:43.05
every different form of
government, at some point or
00:08:43.08\00:08:45.32
other, mankind gravitates.
00:08:45.35\00:08:50.03
If you don't have love and you
don't have the gospel, mankind
00:08:50.06\00:08:52.23
will eventually gravitate to
exploit and take advantage of
00:08:52.26\00:08:56.13
his fellow man.
00:08:56.16\00:08:57.80
There's almost never an age in
history you can point to where
00:08:57.83\00:09:01.44
it doesn't seem like, given a
chance, people will grind down
00:09:01.47\00:09:08.11
the poor and take
advantage of their brother.
00:09:08.14\00:09:10.15
And many of the leaders, even
though in the governments, they
00:09:10.18\00:09:12.75
started out with the best of
intentions to have revival in
00:09:12.78\00:09:15.85
government, it ends
up gravitating that way
00:09:15.88\00:09:18.25
after a generation.
00:09:18.29\00:09:19.72
You know, when you
study history, churches go
00:09:19.75\00:09:26.29
through a cycle.
00:09:26.33\00:09:29.26
Denominations.
00:09:29.30\00:09:32.67
Most denominations
start out with a vision.
00:09:32.70\00:09:37.51
They want to get back to the
basics and there's sacrifice and
00:09:37.54\00:09:40.98
simplicity and the people are
mission-minded and they're out
00:09:41.01\00:09:44.31
there and there's trust and
there's integrity but then, as
00:09:44.35\00:09:48.48
they grow and they become more
successful, they need to get
00:09:48.52\00:09:51.15
organized and, as they
get organized, then they start
00:09:51.19\00:09:53.89
building institutions, and one
or two generations goes by and
00:09:53.92\00:09:58.09
then pretty soon it becomes
cultural and it's the social
00:09:58.13\00:10:01.96
life of the group instead
of it being the vision of
00:10:02.00\00:10:05.90
the early founders.
00:10:05.93\00:10:08.30
And the next thing you know,
you've just got a denomination
00:10:08.34\00:10:10.91
and they lost that early--that
passion, that vision.
00:10:10.94\00:10:15.54
I mean, I'll just pick out
of thin air, the Methodists.
00:10:15.58\00:10:21.95
Got the greatest respect--we'll
talk a little later in the
00:10:21.98\00:10:25.32
morning services
about one of the founders.
00:10:25.35\00:10:29.52
Greatest respect for John Wesley
and Charles Wesley and their
00:10:29.56\00:10:33.60
mother who had, like, 18 kids
and all raised godly, and the
00:10:33.63\00:10:37.67
passion they had, crossing
oceans to do mission work.
00:10:37.70\00:10:43.74
And, you know, Methodism,
you know how it got its name?
00:10:43.77\00:10:47.18
They were so methodical about
their devotions and about living
00:10:47.21\00:10:52.25
a godly life and sanctification,
the church spread like crazy and
00:10:52.28\00:10:56.72
there was a great revival.
00:10:56.75\00:10:58.82
If John Wesley could be
resurrected today and look at
00:10:58.85\00:11:02.69
the Methodist church today he
would be aghast, that they have
00:11:02.72\00:11:06.63
drifted so far from the
Scriptures and the passion
00:11:06.66\00:11:10.87
and the ideal.
00:11:10.90\00:11:12.87
It's because the devil is
constantly pulling us back
00:11:12.90\00:11:15.64
towards the world.
00:11:15.67\00:11:17.11
Instead of being governed
by the gospel, they're governed
00:11:17.14\00:11:18.81
by culture.
00:11:18.84\00:11:20.41
That's happened to the
Lutherans, it's happened to the
00:11:20.44\00:11:23.61
Baptists, it's
happened to the Pentecostals.
00:11:23.65\00:11:28.42
It's happened to us.
00:11:28.45\00:11:31.35
As a few generations go by,
we start to be governed by the
00:11:31.39\00:11:35.69
culture around us.
00:11:35.72\00:11:37.39
Now, I said this about religion.
00:11:37.43\00:11:39.46
It's a cycle that
churches tend to go through.
00:11:39.49\00:11:41.33
We start out like Ephesus
and we end up like Laodicea.
00:11:41.36\00:11:46.33
It's a cycle that
you see in history.
00:11:46.37\00:11:48.60
You also see this
cycle with the governments.
00:11:48.64\00:11:52.94
The people get so tired of some
despot that's grinding down the
00:11:52.97\00:11:58.55
poor or you've got,
like, the French Revolution.
00:11:58.58\00:12:01.28
What brought about
the French Revolution?
00:12:01.32\00:12:04.05
You had all the wealthy
aristocrats that were just
00:12:04.09\00:12:08.02
exploiting the poor people.
00:12:08.06\00:12:10.86
They thought the purpose of the
poor was to make the rich more
00:12:10.89\00:12:13.40
comfortable and when they came
and then talked to, was it Maria
00:12:13.43\00:12:18.00
Antoinette, and they
said, "The people are starving.
00:12:18.03\00:12:20.20
They have no bread."
00:12:20.24\00:12:21.70
She said, "Let them eat cake."
00:12:21.74\00:12:23.94
You remember that one?
00:12:23.97\00:12:26.24
And they were so removed that
finally, the people rose up and
00:12:26.27\00:12:29.91
they said, "We
need a new government.
00:12:29.94\00:12:32.08
We need a government
that's going to have justice."
00:12:32.11\00:12:34.92
And they built the guillotine
and when it came to the rulers
00:12:34.95\00:12:37.95
and the aristocrats, they
said, "Off with their heads."
00:12:37.99\00:12:41.22
Well, how do you
think Communism took off?
00:12:41.26\00:12:44.03
Because of the Bolsheviks, the
Tsar, and they felt like they're
00:12:44.06\00:12:49.16
grinding down the poor and when
they said, "We're going to have
00:12:49.20\00:12:51.27
a government of the people where
everybody's equal," and there
00:12:51.30\00:12:53.70
was a great revolution so
there'd be justice and equality.
00:12:53.74\00:12:59.17
I don't know about you, but when
I was a kid, one of my classes
00:12:59.21\00:13:03.14
required me to read
the book "Animal Farm."
00:13:03.18\00:13:06.11
Any of you ever
required to read "Animal Farm"?
00:13:06.15\00:13:08.85
You know, even if
you're a Christian you can read
00:13:08.88\00:13:11.02
that book.
00:13:11.05\00:13:13.39
It really talks about these
farming animals that rise up
00:13:13.42\00:13:17.23
against the farmer because
he's taking advantage of them.
00:13:17.26\00:13:19.09
And so they chase away
the farmer and pretty soon the
00:13:19.13\00:13:21.90
animals are in charge.
00:13:21.93\00:13:23.53
And they say, "All of us
are going to be equal now."
00:13:23.57\00:13:25.77
I think the pig ends up
somehow getting the lead role.
00:13:25.80\00:13:30.77
And pretty soon, the pig is
eating better than all the other
00:13:30.81\00:13:33.41
animals and they
don't understand.
00:13:33.44\00:13:35.64
They said, "You
said we'd be all equal."
00:13:35.68\00:13:37.91
And he said, "We are all equal,
but some of us are more equal
00:13:37.95\00:13:40.98
than others."
00:13:41.02\00:13:42.75
That was a
famous line in the book.
00:13:42.78\00:13:45.72
That's what happens.
00:13:45.75\00:13:47.62
America's got a government where
we're all supposed to be equal.
00:13:47.66\00:13:50.36
Then why do we have separate
tax laws for congressmen and
00:13:50.39\00:13:52.63
senators?
00:13:52.66\00:13:55.16
As time goes by, it
seems we all gravitate down.
00:13:55.20\00:14:01.70
It's a siphon effect to
the lowest common denominator.
00:14:01.74\00:14:04.04
Not only does it happen
in churches, it happens in
00:14:04.07\00:14:06.27
governments, and the Bible not
only talks about religion, it
00:14:06.31\00:14:09.18
talks about government.
00:14:09.21\00:14:10.88
And you're going to see this, so
we're going to talk--we're going
00:14:10.91\00:14:13.98
to be looking at some of
the different rulers that took
00:14:14.02\00:14:16.62
charge in the Bible and we're
going to start with Samuel.
00:14:16.65\00:14:20.32
Turn with me in your
Bibles to the book of Samuel
00:14:20.36\00:14:22.32
and chapter 8.
00:14:22.36\00:14:24.46
Now, the best form of
government is a benevolent godly
00:14:24.49\00:14:32.27
dictatorship.
00:14:32.30\00:14:34.27
You're going to think,
"Pastor Doug, how dare you say
00:14:34.30\00:14:35.80
such a thing?"
00:14:35.84\00:14:37.44
If you get somebody who has
absolute control and they are
00:14:37.47\00:14:42.74
absolutely converted,
that's the best government.
00:14:42.78\00:14:45.91
But that's so hard to
get, that you almost need
00:14:45.95\00:14:50.12
a representative government.
00:14:50.15\00:14:52.25
What were the times when
they had the best government
00:14:52.29\00:14:56.83
in Israel?
00:14:56.86\00:14:58.89
Don't be afraid
to venture a guess.
00:14:58.93\00:15:05.43
I didn't hand out any Scriptures
today so I'm letting you talk
00:15:05.47\00:15:07.00
from the floor.
00:15:07.04\00:15:08.60
If you haven't--I'll
repeat what you say, so--huh?
00:15:08.64\00:15:10.04
Moses. That's true.
00:15:10.07\00:15:14.04
Moses was absolutely converted
and he was a just leader
00:15:14.08\00:15:17.61
and--but at one point,
Moses--Jethro came to visit him
00:15:17.65\00:15:23.69
and he watched Moses.
00:15:23.72\00:15:26.55
From the time he woke up in
the morning he sat down and he
00:15:26.59\00:15:29.39
judged the people.
00:15:29.42\00:15:31.23
Now you've got, like,
1 1/2, 2 million people.
00:15:31.26\00:15:33.40
They must have had about 2
million people because they
00:15:33.43\00:15:35.00
numbered the soldiers one time
and they were, like, 600,000
00:15:35.03\00:15:37.97
fighting men so you add in the
women and the children and the
00:15:38.00\00:15:40.80
old, and you
got a lot of people.
00:15:40.84\00:15:43.37
And when you get that many
people, there's going to be
00:15:43.41\00:15:46.91
disagreements and squabbles.
00:15:46.94\00:15:48.71
"Their goat went rampaging
through my tent and destroyed
00:15:48.74\00:15:51.38
everything.
00:15:51.41\00:15:52.75
What are you
going to do about that?"
00:15:52.78\00:15:54.75
And so you have to listen to the
case and, you know, and you can
00:15:54.78\00:15:58.72
listen to the civil laws that
Moses gives and you can tell he
00:15:58.75\00:16:01.29
had a lot of experience, he
says, and if you had an oxen and
00:16:01.32\00:16:05.73
you knew that oxen had a
tendency to bore people with his
00:16:05.76\00:16:09.13
horns and you didn't restrain
him, then you're guilty.
00:16:09.16\00:16:12.23
Now, it was the first time it
happened, you had no idea he was
00:16:12.27\00:16:14.20
going to act that way, then
there's a different punishment.
00:16:14.24\00:16:16.00
And they had different laws
for manslaughter, premeditated,
00:16:16.04\00:16:18.44
unintentional, and you
could tell Moses was dealing
00:16:18.47\00:16:20.98
with all kinds of case.
00:16:21.01\00:16:22.84
He was a converted person,
he was a just judge, led by the
00:16:22.88\00:16:25.71
Holy Spirit, but he was
judging all day long, and his
00:16:25.75\00:16:28.58
father-in-law came to visit him.
00:16:28.62\00:16:30.35
How old was
Jethro, if Moses was 80?
00:16:30.39\00:16:34.79
But his father-in-law comes to
visit him and he watches him all
00:16:34.82\00:16:37.93
day long, judging the people.
00:16:37.96\00:16:39.53
And he said, "What
you're doing is not good.
00:16:39.56\00:16:41.16
You're going to
wear yourself out.
00:16:41.20\00:16:43.33
Let me give you some advice.
00:16:43.37\00:16:45.00
It's called delegate.
00:16:45.03\00:16:48.00
You need to search out among you
wise, honest people that you can
00:16:48.04\00:16:52.47
trust, people who will
loathe to take a bribe, people
00:16:52.51\00:16:58.28
who have good judgment.
00:16:58.31\00:17:00.42
And you need to set them
over thousands and hundreds and
00:17:00.45\00:17:03.05
fifties and tens.
00:17:03.08\00:17:05.22
And all the little family
squabbles, they can take it to
00:17:05.25\00:17:07.49
the tribal leader of ten or
whatever and then you'll have
00:17:07.52\00:17:10.36
the fifties and the hundreds
and, by the way, when Jesus sat
00:17:10.39\00:17:13.90
the people down to give
them bread, do you know how
00:17:13.93\00:17:16.06
He did it?
00:17:16.10\00:17:17.50
He broke them up in companies
of fifties and hundreds.
00:17:17.53\00:17:20.47
And Moses, God said, "Your
father-in-law has good counsel.
00:17:20.50\00:17:26.74
You need to follow that."
00:17:26.78\00:17:28.71
So they--I don't know
what process they used.
00:17:28.74\00:17:30.41
Maybe the people elected the
judges or maybe Moses just--they
00:17:30.45\00:17:34.35
did a survey to find out who had
the most honest people, people
00:17:34.38\00:17:39.29
with some age and experience,
and they appointed them.
00:17:39.32\00:17:41.89
And when they were picked,
it says, "These are going to be
00:17:41.92\00:17:45.63
people that hate covetousness.
00:17:45.66\00:17:48.76
You can't bribe them."
00:17:48.80\00:17:50.27
They're--and, you know,
Moses said, "You will not show
00:17:50.30\00:17:53.90
preference to the rich because
they're rich and," he said,
00:17:53.94\00:17:58.97
"you will not show
preference to the poor."
00:17:59.01\00:18:01.41
Now you know what happens
in our government these days.
00:18:01.44\00:18:03.91
We swing back and forth between
being so overly careful to take
00:18:03.95\00:18:08.45
care of the poor that we abuse
the rich, or we're so concerned
00:18:08.48\00:18:11.22
about the rich,
we abuse the poor.
00:18:11.25\00:18:13.12
It goes both ways, two extremes.
00:18:13.15\00:18:16.09
And so Moses actually said that.
00:18:16.12\00:18:18.99
He said, "Don't give
preferential treatment to
00:18:19.03\00:18:20.63
either.
00:18:20.66\00:18:22.36
You have to be absolutely fair.
00:18:22.40\00:18:24.53
You need to have a just scale."
00:18:24.57\00:18:26.47
That was the best
government when they had that.
00:18:26.50\00:18:29.27
So during the reign, I
heard someone say Moses.
00:18:29.30\00:18:31.81
Who else?
00:18:31.84\00:18:34.51
Joshua, they probably
had a good government.
00:18:34.54\00:18:37.05
I was almost--Joshua almost
lived during a time of military
00:18:37.08\00:18:41.42
conquest but I'm
sure they had those cases.
00:18:41.45\00:18:44.95
How about David?
00:18:44.99\00:18:47.49
Did I hear David?
00:18:47.52\00:18:49.52
And the early reign of
Solomon was great justice.
00:18:49.56\00:18:53.83
Jehoshaphat, he went through the
land, he appointed judges that
00:18:53.86\00:18:57.83
would be just.
00:18:57.87\00:18:59.70
There would be fairness among
the people and there was great
00:18:59.73\00:19:02.47
prosperity during those times.
00:19:02.50\00:19:04.37
There was also a lot of national
contentment during those times.
00:19:04.41\00:19:08.11
So with that as a backdrop,
we're going to go and we'll take
00:19:08.14\00:19:15.15
a look--what did I say?
00:19:15.18\00:19:16.92
We're going to go look at Samuel
chapter 8, verse--now, during
00:19:16.95\00:19:21.09
the time of Samuel,
was there tranquility?
00:19:21.12\00:19:23.79
Not Eli, but from the time
Eli died and Samuel was young.
00:19:23.83\00:19:27.60
He was a head prophet and
priest, up until he got old.
00:19:27.60\00:19:30.73
Now, you go to chapter 8 of 1
Samuel and verse 1: "Now it came
00:19:30.77\00:19:36.44
to pass that when Samuel was
old that he made his sons judges
00:19:36.47\00:19:39.31
over Israel.
00:19:39.34\00:19:41.04
The name of his firstborn was
Joel, and the name of his second
00:19:41.08\00:19:43.95
was Abijah; and they
were judging in Beersheba.
00:19:43.98\00:19:47.38
But his sons did not walk in
his ways; and they turned aside
00:19:47.42\00:19:51.69
after dishonest gain, and they
took bribes, and they perverted
00:19:51.72\00:19:57.06
justice."
00:19:57.09\00:19:59.86
And so the people
became very discontent.
00:19:59.89\00:20:04.13
And Samuel was fair, he
was honest, he was just.
00:20:04.17\00:20:07.40
But his sons, they let the
wicked go off scot free because
00:20:07.44\00:20:10.64
they'd get a bribe.
00:20:10.67\00:20:12.41
Now, we heard something in the
news this week that's been the
00:20:12.44\00:20:17.21
rage about a man named Epstein
that was flagged several years
00:20:17.25\00:20:25.19
ago and arrested for trafficking
young girls and doing terrible
00:20:25.22\00:20:31.46
things and he's out
walking the streets.
00:20:31.49\00:20:36.73
At least, he was, for several
years because it looks like he
00:20:36.77\00:20:39.00
had a lot of money and influence
and good lawyers and got
00:20:39.03\00:20:41.77
preferential treatment.
00:20:41.80\00:20:45.34
He's back in jail again and--but
people are amazed how he seemed
00:20:45.37\00:20:52.28
to be able to walk away with a
very minimal sentence with such
00:20:52.31\00:20:56.82
overwhelming evidence.
00:20:56.85\00:21:01.32
You remember a few years ago
they had what they called the
00:21:01.36\00:21:05.89
trial of the century.
00:21:05.93\00:21:08.10
And a famous celebrity football
star was Exhibit A in the murder
00:21:08.13\00:21:16.84
of his wife and
another gentleman.
00:21:16.87\00:21:19.84
But because had really good
attorneys and had money and had
00:21:19.87\00:21:24.78
celebrity, he walked
away and people were outraged.
00:21:24.81\00:21:30.99
But then later, in a
civil trial, he was convicted.
00:21:31.02\00:21:35.69
But then he walked away.
00:21:35.72\00:21:38.06
Then he got arrested again for
pulling a gun and threatening
00:21:38.09\00:21:40.36
someone for stealing sports
memorabilia, thrown in jail.
00:21:40.40\00:21:44.90
He's free and
golfing again today.
00:21:44.93\00:21:50.31
This is someone who everyone is
pretty sure murdered two people.
00:21:50.34\00:21:57.11
And you wonder, do you get
preferential treatment if you
00:21:57.15\00:21:59.95
have celebrity?
00:22:00.05\00:22:01.78
And if you have wealth?
00:22:01.82\00:22:04.59
Yeah, so they said to
Samuel, "Your sons are not doing
00:22:04.62\00:22:11.96
what you did."
00:22:11.99\00:22:14.00
And they came to him and I think
you can go to--they said, "Your
00:22:14.00\00:22:20.77
sons do not walk in your ways.
00:22:20.80\00:22:23.67
The elders gathered together
to Samuel," I'm in verse 4, "at
00:22:23.71\00:22:26.47
Ramah, 'You're old, your
sons don't walk in your ways.
00:22:26.51\00:22:30.38
Now make us a king to
judge us like all the nations.'
00:22:30.41\00:22:35.28
But the thing
displeased Samuel."
00:22:35.32\00:22:37.85
Now, was God shocked that
they would ask for a king?
00:22:37.89\00:22:41.72
No.
00:22:41.76\00:22:43.26
Was it God's plan
that they have a king?
00:22:43.29\00:22:45.46
No, but He knew it would happen.
00:22:45.49\00:22:47.46
You know, even in the law of
Moses, it says, "When you pick a
00:22:47.50\00:22:49.63
king."
00:22:49.66\00:22:51.17
He knew it would eventually
happen, that they'd reject Him,
00:22:51.20\00:22:53.87
they'd reject the theocracy and
they'd go towards a monarchy.
00:22:53.90\00:22:56.77
And God said, "Moses."
00:22:56.81\00:22:59.71
The Lord told Moses to say,
"When you get a king, tell him
00:22:59.74\00:23:03.91
not to multiply horses
and trust in his horses.
00:23:03.95\00:23:06.15
Don't come back to
Egypt and get horses.
00:23:06.18\00:23:08.18
Tell him not to multiply money,
lest he trust in his money, and
00:23:08.22\00:23:12.35
tell him not to multiply wives."
00:23:12.39\00:23:14.69
So finally, they get one of
the greatest kings they've had.
00:23:14.72\00:23:18.13
What was his name?
00:23:18.16\00:23:19.96
Solomon. What does he do?
00:23:20.00\00:23:22.30
He goes down to Egypt and
he gets horses from Egypt.
00:23:22.33\00:23:24.00
And then he gets
a wife from Egypt.
00:23:24.03\00:23:26.17
He gets a few spare
wives along the way.
00:23:26.20\00:23:28.37
Gets about 1000
before he's done.
00:23:28.40\00:23:30.91
And then it says:
"Do not multiply money."
00:23:30.94\00:23:33.27
He amassed a tremendous fortune.
00:23:33.31\00:23:35.58
Most of it got carried back
to Egypt, did you know that?
00:23:35.61\00:23:38.11
When Shishak came up during
the time of his son Rehoboam.
00:23:38.15\00:23:41.52
The very things
that God said not to do.
00:23:41.55\00:23:44.39
So God knew they
would ultimately get a king.
00:23:44.42\00:23:46.29
But then He said, "I'm
going to give you some advice."
00:23:46.32\00:23:48.69
God told Samuel,
"Don't take it personal.
00:23:48.72\00:23:52.26
It's not you they've rejected;
it's Me they've rejected."
00:23:52.29\00:23:54.63
He said, "But I want you to
go tell them what to expect."
00:23:54.66\00:23:57.33
Now listen to what Samuel says.
00:23:57.37\00:23:58.70
This is 1 Samuel 8, verse 10:
"So Samuel told all the words of
00:23:58.73\00:24:04.44
the Lord to the people
who had asked him for a king.
00:24:04.47\00:24:07.54
And he says, 'This will be the
behavior of the king who will
00:24:07.58\00:24:10.45
reign over you: he will take
your sons and appoint them for
00:24:10.48\00:24:14.15
his own chariots to be his
horsemen, and some will run
00:24:14.18\00:24:17.09
before his chariots.
00:24:17.12\00:24:18.95
He will appoint
captains over--'"
00:24:18.99\00:24:21.02
Now, did that happen? It did.
00:24:21.06\00:24:23.83
It says Absalom appointed 50
men to run before his chariot.
00:24:23.86\00:24:26.33
I'm sure the
others did that as well.
00:24:26.36\00:24:28.96
"He will appoint captains over
his thousands and captains over
00:24:29.00\00:24:33.10
his fifties, he will set some to
plow his ground and to reap his
00:24:33.13\00:24:37.01
harvest, and some to make his
weapons of war and equipment for
00:24:37.04\00:24:40.21
his chariots.
00:24:40.24\00:24:41.94
He'll take your daughters to be
perfumers and cooks and bakers.
00:24:41.98\00:24:46.21
He'll take the best of your
fields and your vineyards and
00:24:46.25\00:24:49.48
your olive groves, and
give them to his servants.
00:24:49.52\00:24:52.39
He'll take a tenth of your grain
and your vintage, and give it to
00:24:52.42\00:24:55.96
his officers."
00:24:55.99\00:24:57.49
Now, wait a second.
00:24:57.53\00:24:58.93
Ten percent went to the priest,
now Samuel's saying another ten
00:24:58.96\00:25:01.53
percent is going
to go to the king.
00:25:01.56\00:25:03.83
The more government you
have, the more taxes you have to
00:25:03.87\00:25:06.84
sustain the government.
00:25:06.87\00:25:08.80
Isn't that right?
00:25:08.84\00:25:11.31
And it seems like we're always
voting new departments in the
00:25:11.34\00:25:14.28
government and it's almost
impossible to diminish them once
00:25:14.31\00:25:17.95
you vote them.
00:25:17.98\00:25:19.71
Once you vote people a benefit
for free, just try to take it
00:25:19.75\00:25:22.42
away and watch what happens.
00:25:22.45\00:25:25.19
It's always easy to give a
person a raise when they're an
00:25:25.22\00:25:27.99
employee but tell them you have
cuts and you have to take that
00:25:28.02\00:25:30.83
raise back again,
and you have a riot.
00:25:30.86\00:25:34.93
"He'll take the best of your
fields, a tenth of your grain
00:25:34.96\00:25:38.10
and your vintage, and give it to
his officers and his servants.
00:25:38.13\00:25:41.40
He'll take your male and your
female servants, and the finest
00:25:41.44\00:25:43.91
young men, and donkeys,
and put them to his work.
00:25:43.94\00:25:47.38
He'll take a
tenth of your sheep.
00:25:47.41\00:25:49.74
And you will be his servants.
00:25:49.78\00:25:51.78
And you will cry out in that day
because of your king that you
00:25:51.81\00:25:55.15
have chosen for yourself, and
the Lord will not hear you in
00:25:55.18\00:25:58.02
that day."
00:25:58.05\00:25:59.79
In other words, look, if you
get a king, I'm just telling you
00:25:59.82\00:26:01.56
that eventually you're going to
get one that's not converted and
00:26:01.59\00:26:03.46
he was--he's going to exploit
you and he's going to oppress
00:26:03.49\00:26:09.50
you and he's going to take
advantage of you and you can
00:26:09.53\00:26:13.07
say, "Oh man, this
king is grinding us down."
00:26:13.10\00:26:15.64
God's going to say, "I told you.
00:26:15.67\00:26:17.21
You said you didn't
want Me, you wanted a king.
00:26:17.24\00:26:18.77
There you go."
00:26:18.81\00:26:20.48
And any of you ever have a
parent, you ask for something,
00:26:20.51\00:26:24.98
they knew it wasn't very
good and they gave you what you
00:26:25.01\00:26:26.72
wanted and then you cried out?
00:26:26.75\00:26:29.42
I remember one time my
father picked up--my parents
00:26:29.45\00:26:32.99
were divorced.
00:26:33.02\00:26:34.49
My dad came to pick me and my
brother up for his time with us
00:26:34.52\00:26:38.39
and said he can
take us to a movie.
00:26:38.43\00:26:40.70
So he was on the way to the
movie and we saw him drive by
00:26:40.73\00:26:42.96
the drive-in theater.
00:26:43.00\00:26:45.33
Well, we had been to that
drive-in theater before and they
00:26:45.37\00:26:46.74
were showing "Dumbo."
00:26:46.77\00:26:48.24
Well, we were young.
00:26:48.27\00:26:49.67
We said, "Go
there, Dad. Go there."
00:26:49.70\00:26:51.04
He said, "No, you
don't want to go there."
00:26:51.07\00:26:52.37
"Go there, Dad.
Go there, go there."
00:26:52.41\00:26:53.88
He said, "You
don't want to go there.
00:26:53.91\00:26:55.34
Said, "No, go there.
We want to go there."
00:26:55.38\00:26:56.88
He said, "Okay,
you want to go there."
00:26:56.91\00:26:58.88
He took us to the drive-in
theater and it was like a
00:26:58.91\00:27:01.88
Perry Mason movie,
not for kids at all.
00:27:01.92\00:27:05.39
And we said, "Oh, we
don't want to stay here."
00:27:05.42\00:27:06.86
He said, "No, we're
going to stay and watch it now.
00:27:06.89\00:27:09.32
You asked for it, you got it."
00:27:09.36\00:27:12.33
I remember going to sleep
in the back seat, miserable.
00:27:12.36\00:27:17.27
Anyway, so He says, "I'm going
to give you what you want, if
00:27:17.30\00:27:22.70
you want it bad enough."
00:27:22.74\00:27:25.11
And they ended up
having a variety of kings
00:27:25.14\00:27:27.18
that oppressed them.
00:27:27.21\00:27:28.81
There was a few good ones but
so often He says, "I'll give you
00:27:28.84\00:27:31.68
what you want," and they
were sorry they asked for it.
00:27:31.71\00:27:34.45
Next, we go to Amos.
00:27:34.48\00:27:37.75
He's among the minor prophets.
00:27:37.79\00:27:39.12
Now, Amos was among what--you
know, there's technically 12
00:27:39.15\00:27:42.16
minor prophets, interesting
number, in the Old Testament.
00:27:42.19\00:27:45.86
He was a contemporary.
00:27:45.89\00:27:48.96
Amos lived during the
time of Hosea and Isaiah.
00:27:49.00\00:27:52.30
He was active from about 760
to 755 BC during the rule of the
00:27:52.33\00:27:56.37
kings Jeroboam II and King
Uzziah, and the king Uzziah
00:27:56.40\00:28:00.38
reigned for 52 years.
00:28:00.41\00:28:03.68
He was a long-reigning king.
00:28:03.71\00:28:05.41
Jeroboam II I think was
king in the northern empire.
00:28:05.45\00:28:08.78
Even though Amos was from the
southern empire that worshiped
00:28:08.82\00:28:12.99
God and had the temple,
most of his ministry was in
00:28:13.02\00:28:16.02
the northern kingdom.
00:28:16.06\00:28:17.59
And so he wrote during a time
of relative peace and prosperity
00:28:17.63\00:28:20.50
but there was also terrible
neglect of God's law and they
00:28:20.53\00:28:24.60
were at that time
grinding down the poor.
00:28:24.63\00:28:27.54
So let's look, for example,
in the book of Amos chapter 7,
00:28:27.57\00:28:30.67
verse 14.
00:28:30.71\00:28:32.11
First thing, Amos did not go to
the school of the prophets and
00:28:32.14\00:28:36.24
he says in Amos 7:14, he says to
Amaziah: "I was no prophet, nor
00:28:36.28\00:28:41.95
was I the son of a prophet,
but I was a sheepbreeder
00:28:41.98\00:28:45.52
and a tender of sycamore fruit."
00:28:45.55\00:28:47.99
That sycamore fruit was
really a--they were like a very
00:28:48.02\00:28:51.53
primitive form of fig.
00:28:51.56\00:28:53.70
They weren't the best figs.
00:28:53.73\00:28:55.40
They usually fed
those to the animals.
00:28:55.43\00:28:56.87
And so he says, "Look,
I was doing my business.
00:28:56.90\00:28:58.63
God called me as a prophet.
00:28:58.67\00:29:00.27
I did not go--I did not
go looking for this calling.
00:29:00.30\00:29:02.94
God placed it on me.
00:29:02.97\00:29:04.31
I was not one of the sons of
the prophets you trained for it.
00:29:04.34\00:29:06.78
And so he's given
some difficult messages.
00:29:06.81\00:29:10.05
Now, they like the first
messages that Amos gives because
00:29:10.08\00:29:13.98
in his first messages, he is
decrying the kingdoms of Moab
00:29:14.02\00:29:21.59
and Edom and Ammon and the other
empires in Israel, going, "Yes,
00:29:21.62\00:29:25.03
keep prophesying."
00:29:25.06\00:29:26.49
And then he said, "And
now, for you, I've got a word
00:29:26.53\00:29:29.60
from the Lord."
00:29:29.63\00:29:31.10
And you go to Amos chapter
2, verse 4: "Thus says the Lord:
00:29:31.13\00:29:36.60
'For three transgressions of
Judah, and for four, I will not
00:29:36.64\00:29:41.41
turn away its punishment,
because they've despised the law
00:29:41.44\00:29:44.65
of the Lord, and have
not kept His commandments.
00:29:44.68\00:29:47.48
Their lies lead
them astray, lies which
00:29:47.52\00:29:49.95
their fathers followed.
00:29:49.98\00:29:53.02
But I'll send a fire upon Judah,
and it will devour the palaces
00:29:53.05\00:29:56.96
of Jerusalem."
00:29:56.99\00:29:58.69
Now, how do we
know Amos was a prophet?
00:29:58.73\00:30:00.96
Did it happen?
00:30:00.96\00:30:02.43
Just as a little follow-up so
you know that he was a prophet,
00:30:02.46\00:30:06.33
if you look in 2 Kings 25, verse
8, 2 Kings 25, verse 8: "And in
00:30:06.37\00:30:11.67
the 5th month, on the 7th day
of the month which was the 19th
00:30:11.71\00:30:15.14
year of King Nebuchadnezzar king
of Babylon, Nebuzaradan, captain
00:30:15.18\00:30:19.91
of the guard, a
servant of the king of Babylon,
00:30:19.95\00:30:22.88
came to Jerusalem.
00:30:22.92\00:30:24.39
He burned the house of the Lord
and the king's house; and all
00:30:24.42\00:30:28.46
the houses of Jerusalem,
that is, all the houses of the
00:30:28.49\00:30:31.16
great," these are the
palaces, "he burned with fire.
00:30:31.19\00:30:34.40
And all the army of the
Chaldeans who were with the
00:30:34.46\00:30:37.97
captain of the guard
broke down the wall of Jerusalem
00:30:38.00\00:30:40.27
all round about."
00:30:40.30\00:30:42.30
And so it didn't happen right
away but the prophecy of Amos
00:30:42.34\00:30:44.61
was vividly fulfilled.
00:30:44.64\00:30:46.57
And he said, "Why
was this judgment coming?
00:30:46.61\00:30:49.11
Because you're neglecting the
law of the Lord and those were
00:30:49.14\00:30:51.75
particularly laws that had to do
with caring for the poor, about
00:30:51.78\00:30:55.45
justice, and equity.
00:30:55.48\00:30:59.19
So if you turn now to
Amos chapter 3, and we're going
00:30:59.22\00:31:02.36
to go there.
00:31:02.39\00:31:04.56
In the book of Amos chapter
3, and we're going to start out
00:31:04.59\00:31:08.03
reading verse--chapter 3, verse
9: "Proclaim in the palaces at
00:31:08.06\00:31:15.04
Ashdod," that
was the Philistines.
00:31:15.07\00:31:17.17
"In the palaces in the land
of Egypt, and say: 'Assemble on
00:31:17.21\00:31:20.94
the mountains of Samaria;
see a great tumult in her midst,
00:31:20.98\00:31:25.11
and the oppressed within her.'"
00:31:25.15\00:31:26.88
Samaria is where?
00:31:26.92\00:31:29.42
It's a northern
kingdom, kingdom of Israel.
00:31:29.45\00:31:33.59
This is where
Amos's prophecy was.
00:31:33.62\00:31:35.32
He's saying that tell among the
Philistines and tell the people
00:31:35.36\00:31:39.63
of Egypt, they can celebrate
because the northern kingdom's
00:31:39.66\00:31:44.33
going to fall.
00:31:44.37\00:31:45.77
"'For they do not know to
do right,' says the Lord, 'who
00:31:45.80\00:31:49.50
store up violence and
robbery in their palaces.'
00:31:49.54\00:31:53.38
Therefore thus
says the Lord God:
00:31:53.41\00:31:55.58
'An adversary will be
all around the land; and
00:31:55.61\00:31:59.08
he will sap your strength
from you, and your palaces
00:31:59.11\00:32:02.72
will be plundered.'
00:32:02.75\00:32:04.32
Thus says the Lord."
00:32:04.35\00:32:05.85
Now, this happened during the
time of Assyria, the palaces of
00:32:05.89\00:32:07.56
the northern kingdom,
Samaria, were plundered.
00:32:07.59\00:32:10.33
"Thus says the Lord: 'As a
shepherd takes from the mouth of
00:32:10.36\00:32:14.20
a lion two legs and a piece of
an ear, so shall the children of
00:32:14.20\00:32:18.20
Israel be taken who dwell in
Samaria--in the corner of a bed
00:32:18.23\00:32:22.04
on the edge of a couch!'"
00:32:22.07\00:32:24.34
You know, a
shepherd might find that
00:32:24.37\00:32:28.14
a lion has come among the flock
and he chases off the lion and
00:32:28.18\00:32:32.25
all that's left of the
lamb are some small parts.
00:32:32.28\00:32:35.78
And he's saying that's what's
going to happen to Israel.
00:32:35.82\00:32:38.89
It was going to be just
decimated because of their
00:32:38.92\00:32:42.16
unjust behavior.
00:32:42.19\00:32:45.93
"'So shall the children of
Israel be who are taken out, who
00:32:45.96\00:32:50.77
dwell in Samaria--in the corner
of a bed on the edge of a couch!
00:32:50.80\00:32:53.50
Hear and testify against the
house of Jacob,' says the Lord
00:32:53.54\00:32:56.87
God, and the God of hosts, 'that
in that day I will punish Israel
00:32:56.91\00:33:01.18
for their transgressions, I will
also visit destruction on the
00:33:01.21\00:33:04.81
altars of Bethel; and
on the horns of the altar
00:33:04.85\00:33:07.28
they'll be cut off.'"
00:33:07.32\00:33:08.85
Bethel was where
they set up a false altar
00:33:08.88\00:33:10.75
and a golden calf.
00:33:10.79\00:33:12.79
"And it shall
fall to the ground."
00:33:12.82\00:33:14.99
That happened during
the time of King Josiah.
00:33:15.02\00:33:17.03
"'I will destroy the winter
house along with the summer
00:33:17.06\00:33:20.13
house; the houses of ivory will
perish, and the great houses
00:33:20.16\00:33:22.90
will have an
end,' says the Lord."
00:33:22.93\00:33:25.00
You notice it says that
Amos prophesied during a time of
00:33:25.03\00:33:27.60
prosperity.
00:33:27.64\00:33:29.04
People not only had their winter
house, they had their summer
00:33:29.07\00:33:31.07
house.
00:33:31.11\00:33:32.51
It's because the rich were
exploiting the poor and there
00:33:32.54\00:33:35.01
was a lot of wealth in the
kingdom but it wasn't, you might
00:33:35.04\00:33:38.91
say, it wasn't
evenly distributed.
00:33:38.95\00:33:41.65
Now, I'm going to get
political for a minute.
00:33:41.68\00:33:44.45
Can I do that in church?
00:33:44.49\00:33:46.99
You don't know what I'm going
to say so you don't know how to
00:33:47.02\00:33:48.86
answer me yet.
00:33:48.89\00:33:50.36
Everyone wants to live in a
country that cares for the poor,
00:33:50.39\00:33:57.43
that cares for the sick.
00:33:57.47\00:34:00.80
But do you want the government
to say, "We don't think that you
00:34:00.84\00:34:06.57
are good enough to do it so
we're going to make you do it"?
00:34:06.61\00:34:11.98
What's the best
government to live in?
00:34:12.01\00:34:14.02
Isn't it the government where
the government says, "We believe
00:34:14.05\00:34:16.45
that we govern an
honest and a loving people.
00:34:16.48\00:34:18.95
We are not going to force you
with laws to care for the poor
00:34:18.99\00:34:22.52
and the sick.
00:34:22.56\00:34:24.43
We are going to serve in
government, we're going to
00:34:24.46\00:34:28.50
support the country, we're going
to protect you from foreign
00:34:28.53\00:34:31.03
invasion, we're going to protect
your freedoms but we're going to
00:34:31.07\00:34:35.54
trust that you
are a just people."
00:34:35.57\00:34:38.11
When the government has to
say, "Look, we don't think we're
00:34:38.14\00:34:41.64
doing enough to care for the
poor and so we're going to take
00:34:41.68\00:34:44.38
more away from working people to
care for people who can't work
00:34:44.41\00:34:47.12
for whatever reason, you're
basically saying, "We don't
00:34:47.15\00:34:49.92
trust that you'll do it."
00:34:49.95\00:34:52.65
These things that the government
now is forcing people to do, by
00:34:52.69\00:34:55.96
penalty if you don't do it,
used to be done by Christians
00:34:55.99\00:35:00.66
in the country.
00:35:00.70\00:35:02.86
Governments never
used to run orphanages.
00:35:02.90\00:35:04.90
Governments never
used to run hospitals.
00:35:04.93\00:35:07.04
You notice that they don't have
a hospital called First Sisters
00:35:07.07\00:35:10.01
of Atheism?
00:35:10.04\00:35:14.18
You got Mercy General Methodist,
you got Baptist Hospital, you
00:35:14.21\00:35:16.71
got Catholic Hospital,
you got an Adventist Hospital.
00:35:16.75\00:35:19.31
Churches used to
do all these things.
00:35:19.35\00:35:22.05
But what happened is the
government said, "We're not
00:35:22.08\00:35:23.72
going to trust the
people to do it anymore.
00:35:23.75\00:35:25.39
We're going to make you do it."
00:35:25.42\00:35:27.12
And it basically took the
blessing away from the people to
00:35:27.16\00:35:30.23
say, "We're going to do this
willingly from our hearts," and
00:35:30.26\00:35:32.36
the government then mandated it.
00:35:32.39\00:35:34.23
You don't get a
blessing for it. It's a tax.
00:35:34.30\00:35:36.40
The more laws that a government
has, is a result of the more
00:35:36.43\00:35:41.00
lawless the people are.
00:35:41.04\00:35:43.57
And when people are greedy, then
the government feels like we've
00:35:43.61\00:35:48.41
got to make them do it.
00:35:48.44\00:35:50.71
And it's usually
because the gospel's departed
00:35:50.75\00:35:52.88
from the people.
00:35:52.91\00:35:54.28
Okay, that's all I'm
going to say about that.
00:35:54.32\00:35:56.62
Amos 8, verse 4.
00:35:56.65\00:36:00.39
I read verses 11 in chapter 5.
00:36:00.42\00:36:03.19
Go to Amos chapter 8, verse 4:
"Hear this, you who swallow up
00:36:03.22\00:36:07.50
the needy, and you make the poor
of the land fail, saying: 'When
00:36:07.50\00:36:10.70
will the New Moon be past,
that we might sell grain?'"
00:36:10.73\00:36:13.94
They said they're
keeping the new moon,
00:36:13.97\00:36:15.27
but they don't want to.
00:36:15.30\00:36:16.87
They can't wait for the
sun go down so they can go
00:36:16.91\00:36:18.24
make more money.
00:36:18.27\00:36:19.84
"And the Sabbath,
that we might trade wheat?"
00:36:19.87\00:36:21.98
They were keeping the Sabbath
but they were hating every
00:36:22.01\00:36:24.31
minute of it because they
couldn't wait for the sun go
00:36:24.35\00:36:26.61
down so they could open up
their stores and sell again.
00:36:26.65\00:36:30.25
Just watching the clock.
You don't ever do that, do you?
00:36:30.29\00:36:32.92
"Oh, I can't do
that yet, it's Sabbath.
00:36:32.95\00:36:34.69
Can't wait to do
what I want to do.
00:36:34.72\00:36:37.46
It's still holy time.
00:36:37.49\00:36:39.59
Can't wait for God's time,
special time, to be over so I
00:36:39.63\00:36:42.43
can do my regular thing."
00:36:42.46\00:36:44.43
I've been guilty of
that before, I'll confess.
00:36:44.47\00:36:50.27
You've got to watch the clock.
00:36:50.31\00:36:52.01
But is that the right spirit?
00:36:52.04\00:36:54.61
Amos is saying, "You just can't
wait to go out and make more
00:36:54.64\00:36:57.05
money and grind down the poor,
that we might buy the poor for
00:36:57.08\00:37:01.28
silver, and the needy a pair
of--for a pair of sandals--even
00:37:01.32\00:37:05.52
selling the bad wheat."
00:37:05.55\00:37:07.29
I'll even sell stuff that's
no good at a profit to the poor
00:37:07.32\00:37:10.16
for--so I can make money.
00:37:10.19\00:37:13.83
And he said, "That's not just."
00:37:13.86\00:37:16.43
You know, one of the people
in the Bible who you can see the
00:37:16.46\00:37:21.84
right attitude: there was
a farmer who married Ruth.
00:37:21.87\00:37:25.91
Do you remember his name?
00:37:25.94\00:37:27.84
Boaz.
00:37:27.88\00:37:29.21
He had the attitude
that God wanted him to have.
00:37:29.24\00:37:31.95
Moses had instructed the people.
00:37:31.98\00:37:33.75
He said, "You shall not harvest
the corners of your field.
00:37:33.78\00:37:37.92
You shall not go over
your olive tree and shake
00:37:37.95\00:37:41.16
every branch twice.
00:37:41.19\00:37:42.76
You'll shake it once, you'll
leave the rest for," what?
00:37:42.79\00:37:45.29
"For the poor.
00:37:45.33\00:37:47.66
You do not--you leave the
corners of your field and the
00:37:47.66\00:37:50.17
edges of your fields for
the poor and the hungry and the
00:37:50.20\00:37:53.03
widows among you."
00:37:53.07\00:37:54.94
And do you remember when
Boaz said, "Who's that woman out
00:37:54.97\00:38:00.74
there in the field with the
other ladies that's harvesting?"
00:38:00.78\00:38:03.08
They said, "That's a Moabite.
She came back with Naomi.
00:38:03.11\00:38:05.41
She's helping take care of Naomi
who lost, you know, her husband
00:38:05.45\00:38:07.75
and her two sons."
00:38:07.78\00:38:09.12
And he told his harvesters,
"Leave some extra sheaves.
00:38:09.15\00:38:13.72
Drop some extra
sheaves for the poor."
00:38:13.76\00:38:17.23
You know, that's the attitude
of the Christian is he not only
00:38:17.26\00:38:21.40
didn't harvest the edges of his
field, he told his harvesters,
00:38:21.43\00:38:23.63
"Don't pick it all up.
00:38:23.67\00:38:25.43
Leave plenty behind."
00:38:25.47\00:38:27.50
And then when Ruth came to the
floor, he said, "Open up your
00:38:27.54\00:38:30.94
robe," and he filled her robe
with extra food because he knew
00:38:30.97\00:38:33.64
Naomi was hungry
and she was poor.
00:38:33.68\00:38:35.54
He was a generous man and that's
the spirit that God wanted
00:38:35.58\00:38:39.51
everybody to have.
00:38:39.55\00:38:41.62
One time, David came to see if
he could buy the threshing floor
00:38:41.65\00:38:46.39
of Araunah and
Araunah said, "Just take it.
00:38:46.42\00:38:50.79
I'll give it to you.
00:38:50.83\00:38:52.36
I'll not only give you the
threshing floor, I'll give you
00:38:52.39\00:38:53.76
the oxen to sacrifice and the
implements to use for firewood."
00:38:53.80\00:38:59.57
When Abraham needed a place to
bury Sarah, he said, "I'd like
00:38:59.60\00:39:04.17
to buy this cave of Machpelah,"
and the people of Heth said,
00:39:04.21\00:39:07.28
"No, no, we'll give it to you."
00:39:07.31\00:39:09.61
I mean, there was a lot more
generosity during that age where
00:39:09.64\00:39:13.21
people cared.
00:39:13.25\00:39:15.42
Have you read about Job?
00:39:15.45\00:39:16.99
Job said, "If I did not hear the
cry," and I'm paraphrasing here.
00:39:17.02\00:39:20.16
He said, "If I did not
hear the cry of the poor and the
00:39:20.19\00:39:23.99
fatherless and the
widowed, then let me suffer.
00:39:24.03\00:39:26.56
But God, You know that I
have cared for the poor and the
00:39:26.59\00:39:29.26
fatherless and the widowed."
00:39:29.30\00:39:31.33
The people did it back then.
00:39:31.37\00:39:33.17
Every wealthy man
was a philanthropist back
00:39:33.20\00:39:35.44
in that time.
00:39:35.47\00:39:37.47
But when you get where folks are
more grasping and stingy, then
00:39:37.51\00:39:40.34
it ends up the government has
to force people to do it because
00:39:40.38\00:39:43.14
they don't have
the spirit anymore.
00:39:43.18\00:39:44.65
So you can see Amos
was talking about that.
00:39:44.68\00:39:48.42
"Sell even bad wheat."
00:39:48.45\00:39:50.15
Now, go to Micah.
00:39:50.19\00:39:51.62
I got a lot of prophets left
and I'm running out of time.
00:39:51.65\00:39:54.69
Micah 6, verse 8.
00:39:54.72\00:39:57.03
That was our memory verse: "He
has shown you, O man, what is
00:39:57.06\00:39:59.49
good; what does the Lord require
of you but to do justly, love
00:39:59.53\00:40:03.37
mercy," show mercy to
the poor and the fatherless
00:40:03.40\00:40:06.03
and the widows.
00:40:06.07\00:40:08.14
Was it James who said, "Pure
religion and undefiled before
00:40:08.17\00:40:12.94
God is this, to visit the widow
and the fatherless in their
00:40:12.97\00:40:16.85
affliction and keep yourself
unspotted from the world."
00:40:16.88\00:40:19.51
He said, "This is pure religion
to care for the poor and the
00:40:19.55\00:40:22.55
fatherless."
00:40:22.58\00:40:24.02
You know, there were a lot more
orphans back in Bible times.
00:40:24.05\00:40:26.22
Men would go off to war and they
did not have social services.
00:40:26.25\00:40:32.29
How many of you have read about
George Mueller who started those
00:40:32.33\00:40:35.26
orphanages?
00:40:35.30\00:40:36.93
It's an incredible story, how
he had sometimes thousands of
00:40:36.97\00:40:39.80
orphans.
00:40:39.83\00:40:41.47
Orphans, if you ever read
"Oliver Twist," you at least
00:40:41.50\00:40:43.10
heard of it, back when that
was written, these orphans would
00:40:43.14\00:40:47.14
just roam the streets of England
by the thousands because the
00:40:47.18\00:40:52.65
plagues had gone through and
killed their parents or wars or
00:40:52.68\00:40:54.78
whatever reason and
there were so many children
00:40:54.82\00:40:58.02
without parents.
00:40:58.05\00:40:59.49
And it was during that time,
Mueller, he started building
00:40:59.52\00:41:03.46
these orphanages and he just
depended on the generosity of
00:41:03.49\00:41:07.50
Christians to keep it
going and he just prayed.
00:41:07.50\00:41:11.30
He never sent out an appeal
letter, never made an offering
00:41:11.33\00:41:14.07
appeal, he would
pray all the time.
00:41:14.10\00:41:15.64
And the money kept coming.
00:41:15.67\00:41:17.07
God would move on people.
00:41:17.11\00:41:19.44
Micah chapter 2, verse 8:
"Lately My people have risen up
00:41:19.47\00:41:21.91
as an enemy--you pull off the
robe with the garment from those
00:41:21.94\00:41:25.91
who trust you, as they pass by."
00:41:25.95\00:41:28.75
Now, back in Bible times, you
know, now if you want to, you
00:41:28.78\00:41:32.52
know, go rent a piece of
equipment, they say, "We're
00:41:32.55\00:41:34.06
going to hold your credit card."
00:41:34.09\00:41:35.59
They didn't have
credit cards back then.
00:41:35.62\00:41:36.93
You would actually
give them your robe.
00:41:36.96\00:41:38.99
If you were poor and you needed
to borrow something, they'd say,
00:41:39.03\00:41:42.40
"I want your robe," and they
were taking the robes and the
00:41:42.43\00:41:46.50
clothes from the poor and they
were shivering at night and they
00:41:46.53\00:41:48.90
had nothing because
that was their surety.
00:41:48.94\00:41:52.97
"You pull the robe with the
garment from those who trust
00:41:53.01\00:41:56.44
you, as they pass by,
like men returned from war.
00:41:56.48\00:42:00.75
The women of My people you cast
out from the pleasant houses;
00:42:00.78\00:42:03.89
from their children you've
taken away My glory forever.
00:42:03.92\00:42:07.69
Arise and depart, for this
is not your rest; because it is
00:42:07.72\00:42:11.43
defiled, it shall destroy,
yes, with utter destruction.
00:42:11.46\00:42:16.53
If a man should walk in a false
spirit and speak a lie, saying,
00:42:16.56\00:42:19.77
'I will prophesy to you of wine
and drink,' even he would be a
00:42:19.80\00:42:23.07
prattler of this people."
00:42:23.10\00:42:25.74
Talks about how they
were oppressing the poor.
00:42:25.77\00:42:27.41
Go to Micah chapter 3, verse 8:
"But truly I am full of power in
00:42:27.44\00:42:31.98
the Spirit of the Lord, and of
justice and might, and declare
00:42:32.01\00:42:36.48
to Jacob his transgression
and to Israel his sin.
00:42:36.52\00:42:38.99
Now hear this, you heads of the
houses of Jacob and rulers of
00:42:39.02\00:42:42.49
the house of Israel, who harbor
justice and pervert all equity,
00:42:42.52\00:42:47.13
who build up Zion with bloodshed
and Jerusalem with iniquity: Her
00:42:47.13\00:42:50.50
heads judge for a bribe,
her priests teach for pay, her
00:42:50.53\00:42:55.27
prophets divine for money."
00:42:55.30\00:42:57.51
I've always said that's one
of the quickest ways to tell the
00:42:57.54\00:43:01.11
difference between a true
prophet and a false prophet, is
00:43:01.14\00:43:03.48
the false prophet is going
to send you a bill, an invoice.
00:43:03.51\00:43:06.82
"Yet they lean on the Lord,
and they say, 'Is not the Lord
00:43:06.85\00:43:12.35
among us?
00:43:12.39\00:43:14.19
No harm can come to us.'
00:43:14.22\00:43:15.56
Therefore because of you Zion
00:43:15.59\00:43:17.53
will be plowed like a field, and
Jerusalem will become a heap of
00:43:17.56\00:43:20.83
ruins, and the mountains of the
temple like before the hills of
00:43:20.86\00:43:24.40
the forest."
00:43:24.43\00:43:25.97
Now, Micah was among the
last prophets before the New
00:43:26.00\00:43:27.50
Testament time, and did his
prophecy come true because of
00:43:27.54\00:43:31.24
the injustice that
was happening in Israel?
00:43:31.27\00:43:34.38
I'm going to read to you from
the commentary of Adam Clarke.
00:43:34.41\00:43:37.88
Notice what Micah said
would happen: "Because of the
00:43:37.91\00:43:40.52
injustice and taking advantage
of the poor, Zion will be plowed
00:43:40.55\00:43:45.19
like a field,"
that's where the temple was.
00:43:45.22\00:43:48.66
"Jerusalem will become heaps
of ruins and the mountain of the
00:43:48.69\00:43:52.33
temple like a bare
hill of the forest."
00:43:52.36\00:43:55.03
Here's what Adam
Clarke says happened.
00:43:55.06\00:43:58.30
"Thus did the Romans
treat Jerusalem when it was
00:43:58.33\00:44:00.27
taken by Titus.
00:44:00.30\00:44:02.20
Turnus Rufus, or as he is called
by St. Jerome, Titus Arinius
00:44:02.24\00:44:07.94
Rufus, according to Josephus, he
caused a plow to be drawn over
00:44:07.98\00:44:12.35
all the courts of the temple,"
they did not leave one stone
00:44:12.38\00:44:15.22
upon another, as Jesus said.
00:44:15.25\00:44:17.79
And they got down to bare dirt
so that they actually plowed the
00:44:17.82\00:44:20.62
ground, "to signify that it
should never be rebuilt, and the
00:44:20.66\00:44:25.63
place only to serve
for agricultural purposes.
00:44:25.66\00:44:29.10
Thus Jerusalem became heaps, and
an indiscriminate mass of ruins
00:44:29.13\00:44:33.77
and rubble; and mountain of the
house, Mount Moriah, on which
00:44:33.80\00:44:38.37
the temple stood, became so
much neglected after the total
00:44:38.41\00:44:41.04
destruction of the temple, that
it was soon resembled the high
00:44:41.08\00:44:44.48
place of a forest.
00:44:44.51\00:44:46.35
What is said here may apply
also, as before hinted, to the
00:44:46.38\00:44:50.29
ruin of the temple by
Nebuchadnezzar at the last reign
00:44:50.32\00:44:52.22
of Zedekiah, the
last king of the Jews."
00:44:52.25\00:44:55.26
So it happened both during the
time of Nebuchadnezzar when he
00:44:55.29\00:44:58.59
destroyed the temple but
especially was fulfilled during
00:44:58.63\00:45:01.76
the time when the
Romans destroyed it.
00:45:01.80\00:45:03.50
And we were
there just last year.
00:45:03.53\00:45:05.67
I see Dwayne and Betty
were there and we saw, remember,
00:45:05.70\00:45:07.07
the rubble still.
00:45:07.10\00:45:08.67
They got piles of huge rubble
and stones that were there, that
00:45:08.70\00:45:13.38
they've left as a monument
to remind what the Romans
00:45:13.41\00:45:17.81
had done to the city.
00:45:17.85\00:45:19.68
All right, going to look under
Ezekiel and his cry for justice.
00:45:19.71\00:45:23.25
Ezekiel 16:48: "'As I live,'
says the Lord God, 'neither your
00:45:23.28\00:45:27.52
sister Sodom nor her daughters
have done as you and your
00:45:27.56\00:45:31.46
daughters have done.
00:45:31.49\00:45:33.86
Look, this was the iniquity of
your sister Sodom: She and her
00:45:33.90\00:45:36.60
daughter had pride, fullness of
food, and abundance of idleness;
00:45:36.63\00:45:40.54
neither she did strengthen the
hand of the poor and the needy.
00:45:40.57\00:45:44.37
And they were haughty and
they committed abominations.'"
00:45:44.41\00:45:47.64
Now we know what
those abominations were.
00:45:47.68\00:45:49.38
Some people point to this verse
in Ezekiel 16, they say, "The
00:45:49.41\00:45:52.55
sin of Sodom and Gomorrah
was not sexual immorality.
00:45:52.58\00:45:55.38
It was their pride and
their fullness of bread."
00:45:55.42\00:45:57.62
No, that's not what it says.
00:45:57.65\00:46:00.52
It says, yeah, they had pride,
fullness of bread, and they were
00:46:00.56\00:46:03.36
haughty and
"committed abomination."
00:46:03.39\00:46:06.23
That word "abomination" is
used by Moses to talk about
00:46:06.26\00:46:09.93
homosexual behavior.
00:46:09.96\00:46:12.53
And if you doubt that, you look
in Jude verse 7: "As Sodom and
00:46:12.57\00:46:16.14
Gomorrah, and the cities around
them in similar manner to these,
00:46:16.17\00:46:19.67
having given themselves over
to sexual immorality and going
00:46:19.71\00:46:23.81
after strange flesh," not
what is natural, in other words,
00:46:23.85\00:46:27.38
"are set forth as an
example, suffering the vengeance
00:46:27.42\00:46:30.32
of eternal fire."
00:46:30.35\00:46:31.99
Ezekiel is simply adding
to the mix of what they did.
00:46:32.02\00:46:36.66
It wasn't just
the sexual immorality.
00:46:36.69\00:46:38.73
He said that "she didn't
strengthen the hand of the poor
00:46:38.76\00:46:43.53
and the needy.
00:46:43.57\00:46:45.10
They had an abundance
and fullness of food."
00:46:45.13\00:46:48.34
You know, one of the signs of
the last days, it says, "As it
00:46:48.37\00:46:51.91
was in the days of Noah,
they planted and they builded."
00:46:51.94\00:46:54.28
Do you know we're planting and
building more than ever before?
00:46:54.31\00:46:58.98
Do we have more idle time?
00:46:59.01\00:47:01.02
Yeah, you might
not think so but yeah.
00:47:01.05\00:47:09.16
People used to wake up and
go to the farms, they'd then
00:47:09.19\00:47:11.13
fall--they'd fall
in the wheelbarrow.
00:47:11.16\00:47:13.50
The wife would bring the husband
home and dump him out in bed.
00:47:13.53\00:47:16.67
He'd wake up the next day
and they'd do the same thing.
00:47:16.70\00:47:18.50
And now through mechanized
farming, most of the people
00:47:18.53\00:47:23.27
living on a farm, see, they had
to just work like that all day
00:47:23.30\00:47:26.47
long to have enough food.
00:47:26.51\00:47:28.24
And a few people
lived in the city.
00:47:28.28\00:47:29.78
Do you know the majority of
people in the world now, I think
00:47:29.81\00:47:31.61
as of about eight years
ago, live in the city in
00:47:31.65\00:47:34.05
the urban areas.
00:47:34.08\00:47:35.98
And not on farms.
00:47:36.02\00:47:37.45
And because we've figured
out how to do mass farming,
00:47:37.49\00:47:39.82
people now have a
little more abundance of time.
00:47:39.85\00:47:44.26
And idleness, the fullness
of food and yet not caring
00:47:44.29\00:47:49.93
for the poor and the
people who are suffering.
00:47:49.96\00:47:54.80
Ezekiel 34, verse 2: "Son
of man, prophesy against the
00:47:54.84\00:47:58.51
shepherds of Israel, prophesy
and say to them, 'Thus says the
00:47:58.54\00:48:01.34
Lord God to the shepherds:
"Woe to the shepherds of Israel
00:48:01.38\00:48:03.98
who feed themselves!
00:48:04.01\00:48:06.25
Should not the
shepherds feed the flocks?
00:48:06.28\00:48:08.85
You eat the fat and you
clothe yourselves with wool;
00:48:08.88\00:48:11.32
you slaughter the fatlings,
but you do not feed the flock.
00:48:11.35\00:48:13.92
The weak you've not
strengthened, nor have you
00:48:13.96\00:48:16.66
healed those who were sick, nor
bound up the broken, nor brought
00:48:16.69\00:48:20.06
back what was driven away, nor
sought what was lost; but with
00:48:20.10\00:48:24.27
force and cruelty
you've ruled them."'"
00:48:24.30\00:48:26.94
Are there a breed of pastors
00:48:26.97\00:48:29.10
out there that instead
of caring for the flock are
00:48:29.14\00:48:31.24
more interested in
prosperity and wealth?
00:48:31.27\00:48:34.21
Is that just my imagination
or are there a growing number of
00:48:34.24\00:48:37.11
preachers that flaunt
their godliness by their money?
00:48:37.15\00:48:41.22
And they say,
"This is how we show."
00:48:41.25\00:48:43.59
One pastor I know of had
the audacity, church bought
00:48:43.62\00:48:45.82
him a Bentley.
00:48:45.85\00:48:47.62
He said, "You need to
buy one for my wife too."
00:48:47.66\00:48:50.69
And it's just
amazing, the abuse.
00:48:50.73\00:48:54.73
Where the pastors are supposed
to care for the people of a
00:48:54.76\00:48:57.17
flock and feed the people
the Word of God and nurture them
00:48:57.20\00:49:01.14
and inspire them
towards godliness.
00:49:01.17\00:49:03.57
All right, I can just read a
quote here from "Prophets and
00:49:03.61\00:49:10.25
Kings," page 282: "Against the
marked oppression, the flagrant
00:49:10.28\00:49:14.95
injustice and the unwanted
luxury and extravagance, the
00:49:14.98\00:49:18.29
shameless feasting
and drunkenness, the gross
00:49:18.32\00:49:21.59
licentiousness and debauchery of
their age, the prophets lifted
00:49:21.62\00:49:25.53
their voices but in
vain were their protests.
00:49:25.56\00:49:28.43
In vain, their
denunciation of sin.
00:49:28.46\00:49:30.73
All of the judgments that were
foretold by Micah and Amos and
00:49:30.77\00:49:34.70
Ezekiel ultimately came on the
people in the Old Testament and
00:49:34.74\00:49:39.57
many of those same sins are
repeated in the church today as
00:49:39.61\00:49:43.45
we've seen.
00:49:43.48\00:49:45.15
I am out of time.
00:49:45.18\00:49:46.65
I'm sorry I didn't have time to
get to Isaiah but we got most of
00:49:46.68\00:49:49.45
the lesson and I
trust you were edified.
00:49:49.48\00:49:52.15
I want to remind everybody
we do have a special free offer.
00:49:52.19\00:49:55.16
And the offer is
"When a Christian Falls."
00:49:55.19\00:49:58.59
How do you get back up again?
00:49:58.63\00:50:00.10
If you're a Christian and
you fall, how do you get a new
00:50:00.13\00:50:01.83
beginning?
00:50:01.86\00:50:03.16
This is a free DVD that we'll
send anybody who would like one.
00:50:03.20\00:50:06.00
You simply ask
or you can call...
00:50:06.03\00:50:10.51
That's 866-Study-More.
00:50:10.54\00:50:12.74
Or you can text.
00:50:12.77\00:50:14.78
Here's what you text: "SH128"
and you text that code to 40544
00:50:14.81\00:50:22.08
and you'll be asking
for offer number 867.
00:50:22.12\00:50:25.22
You can download this
information or listen to it,
00:50:25.25\00:50:27.49
I should say, online.
00:50:27.52\00:50:29.26
Thank you very much.
00:50:29.29\00:50:30.69
We are out of
time for today's study.
00:50:30.73\00:50:32.29
God bless.
00:50:32.33\00:50:33.83
We'll study His Word
together again next week.
00:50:33.86\00:50:36.16
male announcer: Don't forget
to request today's life-changing
00:50:37.60\00:50:39.20
free resource.
00:50:39.23\00:50:40.70
Not only can you receive this
free gift in the mail, you can
00:50:40.74\00:50:43.04
download a digital copy
straight to your computer or
00:50:43.07\00:50:45.31
mobile device.
00:50:45.34\00:50:46.94
To get your digital copy of
today's free gift, simply text
00:50:46.98\00:50:50.08
the key word on your screen to
40544 or visit the web address
00:50:50.11\00:50:54.75
shown on your screen, and
be sure to select the digital
00:50:54.78\00:50:57.69
download option
on the request page.
00:50:57.72\00:50:59.92
It's now easier than ever
for you to study God's Word with
00:50:59.95\00:51:03.09
"Amazing Facts," wherever
and whenever you want and most
00:51:03.12\00:51:07.03
important, to
share it with others.
00:51:07.10\00:51:10.83
¤¤¤
00:51:11.80\00:51:16.94
Doug: We're here on the
beautiful coast of the island of
00:51:21.24\00:51:23.11
Puerto Rico.
00:51:23.14\00:51:24.71
And if you were to travel east
about 2000 miles, of course,
00:51:24.75\00:51:27.72
you'd be out in the middle of
the ocean but you'd also be in
00:51:27.75\00:51:30.25
the middle of a mystical
sea called the Sargasso Sea.
00:51:30.29\00:51:33.72
It gets its name because of this
common brown seaweed that can be
00:51:33.76\00:51:36.99
found floating in vast mass.
00:51:37.03\00:51:40.80
The area of the Sargasso Sea
is about 700 miles wide and 2000
00:51:40.83\00:51:45.73
miles long.
00:51:45.77\00:51:47.87
Now, the seaweed
itself is fascinating stuff.
00:51:47.90\00:51:50.14
It was first observed and
called gulf weed by Christopher
00:51:50.17\00:51:53.07
Columbus.
00:51:53.11\00:51:54.84
It gets the name
sargum* from the Portuguese.
00:51:54.88\00:51:56.34
Some people use it
as herbal remedies.
00:51:56.38\00:51:58.25
But out in the middle of the
Sargasso Sea the water is some
00:51:58.28\00:52:01.35
of the bluest in the world.
00:52:01.38\00:52:03.18
It's there you can see
200 feet deep in places.
00:52:03.22\00:52:06.09
It also has a great biodiversity
and ecosystem that surrounds the
00:52:06.12\00:52:10.46
Sargasso Sea.
00:52:10.49\00:52:12.39
For years, scientists wondered
where the American and the
00:52:12.43\00:52:14.96
Atlantic eels were breeding.
00:52:15.00\00:52:16.73
They knew the adult eel swam
down the rivers out into the
00:52:16.77\00:52:19.63
Atlantic but they never
could find the place where they
00:52:19.67\00:52:22.04
reproduced.
00:52:22.07\00:52:23.71
Finally, they discovered it
was out in the middle of the
00:52:23.74\00:52:25.57
Sargasso Sea.
00:52:25.61\00:52:27.28
So it's a fascinating place but
if you were an ancient sailor
00:52:27.31\00:52:29.64
you did not want
to get stuck there.
00:52:29.68\00:52:31.95
Doug: Being caught in the
doldrums was extremely difficult
00:52:31.98\00:52:37.45
for the ancient sailors.
00:52:37.49\00:52:39.35
Of course, their boats
were driven by wind and sail and
00:52:39.39\00:52:41.36
they'd be caught in the vast
mass of the seaweed that would
00:52:41.39\00:52:45.23
wrap around their rudder,
barnacles would begin to grow.
00:52:45.26\00:52:47.86
It's an area that is notorious
for light and baffling winds and
00:52:47.93\00:52:50.97
so they'd make no progress.
00:52:51.00\00:52:53.60
They'd get stuck.
00:52:53.64\00:52:55.27
The men would become
extremely dispirited.
00:52:55.30\00:52:57.54
Sometimes, violence and
even insanity would break out as
00:52:57.57\00:53:00.48
people were
trapped in the doldrums.
00:53:00.51\00:53:03.28
Well, friends, perhaps sometimes
you've felt that you're trapped
00:53:03.31\00:53:06.38
in the doldrums.
00:53:06.41\00:53:08.12
You've gone through episodes of
depression, you feel like you're
00:53:08.15\00:53:10.35
going in circles,
life seems stifling.
00:53:10.39\00:53:13.42
You know, the
Bible offers good news.
00:53:13.46\00:53:15.19
There is a way out.
00:53:15.22\00:53:17.23
The Bible talks about a famous
character that was trapped in a
00:53:17.26\00:53:19.66
cycle of depression.
00:53:19.69\00:53:21.33
He was low as you could be.
00:53:21.36\00:53:22.96
Matter of fact, he even had
seaweed wrapped around his head.
00:53:23.00\00:53:25.63
His name was Jonah.
00:53:25.67\00:53:27.50
But God gave
him a way of escape.
00:53:27.54\00:53:29.47
In Jonah chapter 2, verse 3
through 7, we read: "For You
00:53:29.50\00:53:33.91
cast me into the depths, Into
the heart of the seas, and the
00:53:33.94\00:53:37.68
floods surrounded me; all
of Your billows and Your waves
00:53:37.71\00:53:40.98
passed over me.
00:53:41.02\00:53:42.88
Then I said, 'I have been cast
out of Your sight; yet I will
00:53:42.92\00:53:45.65
look again
towards Your holy temple.'
00:53:45.69\00:53:48.36
The waters surrounded
me, even to my soul; the deep
00:53:48.39\00:53:51.09
closed around me; weeds
were wrapped around my head.
00:53:51.13\00:53:54.60
I went down to the moorings
of the mountains; the earth with
00:53:54.63\00:53:58.47
its bars closed behind me
forever; yet You've brought my
00:53:58.50\00:54:02.37
life up from the
pit, O Lord, my God.
00:54:02.40\00:54:05.67
When my soul fainted within me,
I remembered the Lord; and my
00:54:05.71\00:54:09.18
prayer went up to You,
into Your holy temple."
00:54:09.21\00:54:12.28
You know, friends, the
way that Jonah got out of his
00:54:12.31\00:54:15.02
discouraging circumstances,
he turned to God and he prayed.
00:54:15.05\00:54:18.99
And if God could hear Jonah's
prayer, just think about it, he
00:54:19.02\00:54:21.76
was as far away from God as
anybody could be, he was in the
00:54:21.79\00:54:24.53
belly of a sea monster in the
bottom of the ocean in the dark,
00:54:24.56\00:54:28.30
yet he turned to God
and God heard his prayer.
00:54:28.33\00:54:30.83
You know, these ancient sailors,
when they were trapped on the
00:54:30.87\00:54:33.44
deck of a ship for weeks, stuck
in the doldrums, discouraged,
00:54:33.47\00:54:36.57
sometimes they would have a
prayer meeting and pray that God
00:54:36.60\00:54:39.61
would send a breeze that would
set them free and get their
00:54:39.64\00:54:43.28
boats moving.
00:54:43.31\00:54:44.71
They turned to God in prayer and
often miracles would happen and
00:54:44.75\00:54:47.02
the wind would flutter in
the sails and bring them out of
00:54:47.05\00:54:50.22
their seaweed prison.
00:54:50.25\00:54:52.19
Friends, maybe you have
been stuck in the doldrums.
00:54:52.22\00:54:54.92
Maybe you've been caught
in a cycle of depression.
00:54:54.96\00:54:57.06
If God can do it for Jonah,
if He can do it for the ancient
00:54:57.09\00:54:59.59
sailors, He can do it for you.
00:54:59.63\00:55:01.33
Turn to the Lord in prayer.
00:55:01.36\00:55:02.83
Trust His Spirit to blow through
your soul and to set you free.
00:55:02.86\00:55:07.90
¤¤¤
00:55:08.24\00:55:13.88
announcer: "Amazing
Facts" changed lives.
00:55:18.45\00:55:22.22
female: My mother passed away
when I was three and my paternal
00:55:27.82\00:55:30.86
grandparents decided they would
care for my two others sisters
00:55:30.89\00:55:35.46
and I so that my father
would have time to mourn.
00:55:35.50\00:55:39.93
We never really had a mother or
a strong fatherly figure and I'm
00:55:39.97\00:55:44.27
not blaming my dad, I'm
just saying that's how things
00:55:44.31\00:55:46.47
worked out.
00:55:46.51\00:55:49.78
When I was in high school,
my oldest sister got into an
00:55:49.81\00:55:55.42
argument with our father and
my sister and I decided that we
00:55:55.45\00:56:00.76
would take her side and so that
caused a split in our family.
00:56:00.79\00:56:08.93
For four years we
lived in the same house.
00:56:08.96\00:56:13.50
We ate from the same pot,
we used the same restroom, we
00:56:13.54\00:56:16.91
walked by each other but
we never said anything to our
00:56:16.94\00:56:18.77
father and he never
said anything to us.
00:56:18.81\00:56:24.68
A year later, I had decided
I would move out for college.
00:56:24.71\00:56:27.35
He wasn't very happy with that.
00:56:27.38\00:56:30.32
We got booted out of the house.
00:56:30.35\00:56:33.86
We went back to apologize but
we weren't really accepted back.
00:56:33.89\00:56:39.16
I have felt so
alone a lot of my life.
00:56:39.19\00:56:44.23
I felt like I've
had to fend for myself.
00:56:44.27\00:56:47.10
I've been
missing a fatherly love.
00:56:47.14\00:56:50.47
I don't have family with me.
00:56:50.51\00:56:54.21
I don't have a lot
of things but I have God
00:56:54.24\00:57:02.28
and I've been fulfilled.
00:57:02.32\00:57:04.62
I've been satisfied.
00:57:04.65\00:57:06.62
God has been my Father.
00:57:06.65\00:57:10.73
announcer: Together, we have
spread the gospel much farther
00:57:19.43\00:57:22.14
than ever before.
00:57:22.17\00:57:23.61
Thank you for your support.
00:57:23.64\00:57:26.98
female announcer: Let's face it.
00:57:31.41\00:57:32.95
It's not always easy to
understand everything you read
00:57:32.98\00:57:35.28
in the Bible.
00:57:35.32\00:57:36.69
With over 700,000 words
contained in 66 books, the Bible
00:57:36.72\00:57:40.42
can generate a lot of questions.
00:57:40.46\00:57:42.79
To get biblical straightforward
answers, call into "Bible
00:57:42.82\00:57:45.66
Answers Live," a live nationwide
call-in radio program where you
00:57:45.69\00:57:49.50
can talk to Pastor Doug
Batchelor and ask him your most
00:57:49.53\00:57:52.60
difficult Bible questions.
00:57:52.63\00:57:54.94
For times and stations in your
area or to listen to answers
00:57:54.97\00:57:57.37
online, visit
bal.amazingfacts.org.
00:57:57.41\00:58:02.14
¤¤¤
00:58:04.91\00:58:14.29