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Jean Ross: Good
morning, friends.
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Welcome again to "Sabbath School
Study Hour" here at the Granite
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Bay Seventh Day Adventist Church
in Sacramento, California.
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I'd like to welcome all of
you on a somewhat rainy Sabbath.
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We glad you have braved
the cold to be here with us.
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I'd also like to welcome
those who are joining us online,
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and we have a number of
our online members that tune
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in every week to participate
in our Bible study together.
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Well, we've come to the final
study in our series on the books
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of Ezra and Nehemiah.
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Today, we find ourselves
on lesson number 13; it's
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entitled "Leaders in Israel."
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So we're going to be wrapping
up our study on these two very
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important prophetic
Old Testament books.
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But before we get to our lesson,
I'd like to let our friends know
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about our free offer today.
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We have one of our "Amazing
Facts" study guides, and we'll
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be happy to send this to
anyone who calls and asks.
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The study guide is entitled
"Is Obedience Legalism?"
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And this again is
our free offer for today.
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If you'd like to receive
this, the number to call is...
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and you can ask
for offer number 706,
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and we'll be happy
to send that to you.
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Again, ask for the
study guide entitled
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"Is Obedience Legalism?"
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Or if you'd like, you'd be
able to download a digital copy
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of our study guide, and you'll
be able to read it online,
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on your iPhone, or
whatever tablet you might have.
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If you'd like to receive
a digital copy of this study
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guide, you would need to just
text the number that you'll find
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on your screen, and we'll be
happy to send you the link as
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to how you can download a free
copy of the study guide, "In
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God, We Trust."
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Well, before we get
to our lesson today,
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we have a special treat.
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We have a musical item
that will be brought to us,
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including the harp,
the oboe, the violin.
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And so I think it'll
help be a wonderful blessing
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for our worship today.
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Jean Ross: Amen.
Thank you, musicians.
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Beautiful.
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Let's bow our heads for prayer.
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Dear father in Heaven, we
thank You that we have this
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opportunity together in
Your house to open up your word,
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and we ask for Your special
blessing as we finish up our
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study on these two Old Testament
books, Ezra and Nehemiah.
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That You would guide us
into a clear understanding
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of how we can apply
these important truths
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to our lives today.
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For we ask this in
Jesus's name, amen.
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Our lesson this
morning's gonna be brought to us
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by Pastor Shawn.
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Shawn Brummund: Well,
good morning to everyone.
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It's good to be able to see you
here on this Sabbath morning as
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we continue to study and as
we look at our last lesson study
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for this particular quarter
of this year, and it's the last
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year of 2019.
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Can you believe it?
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Some of us, the older we
get, the less we can believe it
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because the faster the time goes
by, but another year has flown
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by, we're wrapping things
up for 2019, and we're also
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wrapping up our study
for this particular study.
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And so we're looking at lesson
number 13, "Leaders in Israel."
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And as I already mentioned
by Pastor Jean, this is our last
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weekly study on
Ezra and Nehemiah.
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These are no small individuals
in the history of God's plan
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of Salvation.
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They are
absolutely instrumental.
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And I hope you pick that up.
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We've looked at it
in the light of history.
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We've looked in study
this in the light of prophecy,
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and we've looked at in the light
of the plan of salvation that
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God had and continues to
have for this particular world
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and planet.
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These were two men that played
critical roles in the second
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great Exodus from slavery,
from captivity, and led God's
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people back into
the promised land.
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Now, the first
exodus was led by Moses.
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Good, I hear some people
responding, and some of us are
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tuning in and
waking up, that's good.
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And, so the first
exodus was led by Moses.
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That was an easy one, wasn't it?
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From what country?
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From Egypt.
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There's another easy one.
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The second great Exodus
was from the country of?
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Was from the
countryside of Babylon.
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Now, of course, the Empire was
not ruled by Babylon by the time
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Ezra and Nehemiah came
along, but it was ruled by?
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The Persians and the Medes.
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Now I'm challenge
you a little bit more.
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Now you have to think
a little bit stronger.
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And yeah.
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So, when Moses--
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Or sorry, when Ezra and
Nehemiah came along, they were
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under the rulership of
the Persians, which was more
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to the east,
modern Iran and so on.
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And so the capital of the
Empire was no longer in the city
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of Babylon.
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Babylonia in Mesopotamia was no
longer the central headquarters
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of the known world back then,
but rather it was in Persia.
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But nevertheless,
Babylon is where the Israelites
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and the Jews were taken
into captivity some 70 years
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beforehand, and so of course,
this is where they reproduced
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and settle down and continue
to serve, first the babylonians,
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and then also the
Persians and the Medes.
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And so, yes, the first exodus
was led by Moses from Egypt,
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the second was from the area
of Babylon, and just like Moses,
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both of these men
were called to be prophets.
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And so, there's a lot
of parallels between Ezra
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and Nehemiah and that of Moses.
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Moses was
called to be a prophet.
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Was Moses a Bible writer?
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Mm-kay, some of you are saying
yes, some of you're saying no,
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all right.
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Now, I'm starting to
wake up a little bit more.
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The answer is?
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Yes, okay?
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In fact, he wrote the first five
books of the Bible, didn't he?
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Starting with Genesis
and the evidence also seems
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to indicate that more likely
than not, Moses also wrote
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the book of Job.
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And so Job, I mean Moses wrote
at least five, and probably six
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of the old Testament books.
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And he was the first
Bible writer to contribute
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to the Bible.
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Well, so did Ezra,
and so did Nehemiah.
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So both of them were
called to be prophets.
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Both of them were
Bible writers, okay?
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So these are critical figures,
and just like Moses they are
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instrumental in leading
out in God's plan of fulfilling
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His plan of salvation.
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And how are they doing that?
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They were preparing
the way for the Messiah.
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They were preparing the way
for the arrival of the Christ
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that would take away the sins
of both Israel and the world.
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And so, these are no
small figures that we've been
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studying.
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Just like Moses, Ezra
and Nehemiah did not hesitate
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to stand for the right.
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As we have studied their lives,
just like Moses, even when their
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decisions and stand was
unpopular, not only with those
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outside of Israel--you
know, the surrounding nations
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and leaders and
governors of the area--but also,
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sometimes within the
people of Israel as well.
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And so both Moses, Ezra
and Nehemiah had that parallel.
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They were very strong men
of God, and they were willing
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to take a strong stand,
no matter the heavens fall,
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and these were the type of
men that God had called just
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for that reason.
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And so what was the
secret of their success?
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What made Ezra and
Nehemiah so successful in their
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leadership?
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And how can we tap into it
for our own success in regards
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to faith and in regards
to the role that we play
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in God's plan of salvation?
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'Cause God's plan is
still playing out, isn't it?
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Now, we've been studying,
you know, about 500 years
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before Christ.
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We've been parked about 2,500
years ago, for the last three
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months, as we've studied
these two individuals and books.
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But of course, we're
still extending the God's plan
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of Salvation.
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And if you are a believer today,
and you are studying here as
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a worshiper of God today, there
is a plan and a part that God
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has for you.
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Now, what may not be in
the position, as instrumental
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as Ezra and Nehemiah, but
each of us has a small but very
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important part
and never forget that.
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Never forget that.
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You will say,
"Well, my part is so small.
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I just help out
with the hospitality."
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Or, "I just help out,
you know, with janitorial."
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Whatever it is, friend.
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Whatever your part is, it
is absolutely instrumental.
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It is critical.
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It is important.
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Now, it may be a small
part compared to Ezra, Nehemiah,
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or Doug Bachelor and so
on, but friends, it's still
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critical, because when you put
all of the members of the body
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together, we are fulfilling
and extending the plan
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and the kingdom of
God and preparing the way
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for the second coming of Jesus.
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Ezra and Nehemiah prepared God's
people to be able to be ready
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for the first coming of Christ,
and we are involved in preparing
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God's people and the world
for the second coming of Christ.
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Well, that being said,
let's open our quarterlies
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to page 104.
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We're going to page
104 here this morning.
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And, you know, I
rarely, rarely do this.
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This is for those of you who
have listened in on my "Sabbath
00:11:58.71\00:12:04.59
Schools" before, where I'll just
read the whole page, but you
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know the introduction is so well
done here on the opening page,
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I'm just gonna go ahead and read
that as we introduce ourselves
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to this lesson
study, "Israel's Leaders."
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And it says, "Both Ezra
and Nehemiah are examples
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of great leaders who
were dedicated to God
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and to fulfilling the task that
the Lord had called them to do.
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Their love for God inspired
in them a desire to be faithful
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servants."
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What was it that inspired them?
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Their love.
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Their love for God.
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And we didn't
wanna brush over that.
00:12:35.72\00:12:37.42
In fact, their faithfulness
was a central part of our study.
00:12:37.45\00:12:40.32
This week we're gonna look
at examples of leadership that
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is found in the Bible.
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So not just Ezra and Nehemiah,
but other leaders as well,
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including the
examples of Ezra and Nehemiah.
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These are not exhaustive lessons
for sure, as there are many that
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can be discussed.
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Of course, we don't have
near the time, nor the pages.
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However, their lessons that we
are chosen--we have chosen, are
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essential for any leader.
00:12:59.34\00:13:00.71
And so we're gonna look
at the essentials that are
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universal for the
success of all leaders.
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You may not consider yourself
a leader at this specific time
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in your life, but we all
have influence with some people,
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and therefore, the lessons
are applicable to everyone.
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And so you say, "Well, I don't
have a leadership position,
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and I'm not sure if I ever
going to have a leadership."
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Well, we all have some kind
of leadership capacity, okay?
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We may be the
leader of our house.
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We may be the leader of our
family or a group or a committee
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or an
organization or whatever it is.
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God always puts us in some form
of leadership and influence,
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and so the
principles are universal.
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Central to the story of these
leaders is the word of God.
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Now, I like that, don't you?
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Okay, so central to the story
of these leaders is the word
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of God.
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This was instrumental
to both Ezra and Nehemiah.
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Now, the word transformed their
thinking and life and resulted
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in the whole program
for revival and reformation.
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They were totally
indebted to God's word and His
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instructions
that are found in it.
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And in the same way, no matter
who we are and whatever our role
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is, we must keep the word of
God central to how we live as
00:14:08.44\00:14:13.11
Seventh Day
Adventist Christians.
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And I'm glad to hear a couple
of amen's out there, because I'd
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say a hearty amen to that as
well, and I know that the Lord
00:14:19.29\00:14:21.66
Himself is saying amen,
because Jesus has called us.
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He says, "Sanctify
them by Your truth.
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Thy word is truth."
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As Jesus was praying
to His father concerning
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His first disciples.
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And then later on in that same
prayer, he said, "I pray not
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only for these but for those
in the future, for those who are
00:14:35.70\00:14:38.47
to come."
00:14:38.51\00:14:40.14
And so that
prayer is for us as well.
00:14:40.18\00:14:42.01
So, Ezra and Nehemiah understood
the great power and importance
00:14:42.04\00:14:46.51
and centrality of the
word of God in regard to their
00:14:46.55\00:14:49.25
personal lives and in regards
to the success that God had
00:14:49.28\00:14:53.29
called them to in that
of a position of leadership.
00:14:53.32\00:14:57.59
And too often, as leaders, even
within the church, we can find
00:14:57.63\00:15:02.66
ourselves setting this
aside just a little bit more
00:15:02.70\00:15:05.50
than we should.
00:15:05.53\00:15:07.50
And so I believe that this
lesson, this last lesson that
00:15:07.54\00:15:10.14
we're looking at here today,
in our time here today, is
00:15:10.17\00:15:13.71
speaking to all
of us as leaders.
00:15:13.74\00:15:15.08
Pastors, conference leaders,
union leaders, GC leaders,
00:15:15.11\00:15:19.65
and so on.
00:15:19.68\00:15:21.02
All the different levels of
leadership that God has given
00:15:21.05\00:15:22.68
to this organization.
00:15:22.72\00:15:24.29
We have to remember that this
needs to remain central to our
00:15:24.32\00:15:28.56
personal lives, our thinking,
our decision-making, our
00:15:28.59\00:15:32.13
sanctification, as well as,
of course, all church leaders
00:15:32.16\00:15:37.57
within the church at whatever
capacity that is in our church
00:15:37.60\00:15:42.17
leadership.
00:15:42.20\00:15:44.37
So thats
instrumental for you and me.
00:15:44.41\00:15:48.91
Now, the interesting thing
about Ezra the priest is that he
00:15:48.94\00:15:52.08
was not the only priest to
lead and reestablishing Israel
00:15:52.11\00:15:54.48
in the promised land.
00:15:54.52\00:15:55.85
Now, we have to think way back
to the very beginning of this
00:15:55.88\00:15:57.95
quarter, and at the very
beginning of the book of Ezra,
00:15:57.99\00:16:01.39
and we find there that Ezra is
not found in the first exodus,
00:16:01.42\00:16:05.06
in the first phase of the
second great exodus of Israel's
00:16:05.09\00:16:08.10
history.
00:16:08.13\00:16:09.43
It's the largest group.
00:16:09.46\00:16:10.80
There's about 50,000 that
went originally but it was led
00:16:10.83\00:16:13.27
under Zerubbabel, who was
the governor, but then the high
00:16:13.30\00:16:17.51
priest and the instrumentals
figure that's listed right
00:16:17.54\00:16:20.01
after the governor is?
00:16:20.04\00:16:22.41
Is Jeshua.
00:16:22.44\00:16:24.28
Now Jeshua were not quite
as familiar with that form
00:16:24.31\00:16:27.35
of the name, but that
form of the name it turns out,
00:16:27.38\00:16:29.42
scholars have discovered,
and Zechariah also uses
00:16:29.45\00:16:33.69
the form Joshua.
00:16:33.72\00:16:35.66
So Joshua or Yeshua,
and so we have Jeshua.
00:16:35.69\00:16:40.73
And so we have a
number of different forms
00:16:40.76\00:16:43.83
of the same name.
00:16:43.87\00:16:46.13
So Jeshua was the high priest,
and he was with the first phase
00:16:46.17\00:16:49.20
of the exodus, the largest group
that first initially went back.
00:16:49.24\00:16:52.54
And so he was the initial key
priest that led that first group
00:16:52.57\00:16:55.71
of Jews back to Israel.
00:16:55.74\00:16:58.41
And he was also
living when Ezra arrived.
00:16:58.45\00:17:00.22
So, when Ezra arrived several
years later, we find that Jeshua
00:17:00.25\00:17:03.72
continued to parallel his
leadership and his role as high
00:17:03.75\00:17:08.59
priest in this new budding,
reestablishing nation that God
00:17:08.62\00:17:13.36
had led them back for.
00:17:13.40\00:17:16.60
And yet we find the interesting
thing is that Ezra very quickly
00:17:16.63\00:17:19.57
rose to prominence.
00:17:19.60\00:17:21.27
It almost seems like the moment
that Ezra arrived, God kinda put
00:17:21.30\00:17:24.91
him in front.
00:17:24.94\00:17:26.27
Now, Jeshua continued to lead
in his role as the high priest,
00:17:26.31\00:17:29.98
but he was no longer the
instrumental priest, very
00:17:30.01\00:17:33.95
parallel, again,
to that of Moses.
00:17:33.98\00:17:35.62
Because when we find Moses
and Aaron, we find that Moses
00:17:35.65\00:17:38.89
was not the high priest,
Aaron was the high priest.
00:17:38.92\00:17:43.73
Now Moses was a levite.
00:17:43.76\00:17:45.23
He was part of the
tribe of Levi and of Holy work
00:17:45.26\00:17:48.43
within the sanctuary and temple
and so on, but he was called
00:17:48.46\00:17:52.20
to a more prominent position
than even that of his brother
00:17:52.23\00:17:55.57
Aaron in his position.
00:17:55.60\00:17:57.57
So, interesting that Ezra rose
to prominence so quickly, almost
00:17:57.61\00:18:01.81
immediately after
he arrived in Israel.
00:18:01.84\00:18:05.68
Now, speaking of Moses, have you
ever wondered why God had chosen
00:18:05.71\00:18:08.28
Moses instead of
his older brother Aaron?
00:18:08.32\00:18:12.82
Why had God chosen Moses instead
of his older brother Aaron?
00:18:12.85\00:18:16.22
Now, we could have a whole--
spend the rest of our time
00:18:16.26\00:18:18.76
looking at that,
examining the life of Moses
00:18:18.79\00:18:20.80
and the background that Moses
had, the experiences that God
00:18:20.83\00:18:23.53
had given to Moses.
00:18:23.57\00:18:24.90
But why had God chosen Moses?
00:18:24.93\00:18:26.23
He could have
chose a different plan.
00:18:26.27\00:18:27.60
I mean, it makes more
sense and biblically, there's
00:18:27.64\00:18:29.74
a principle there.
00:18:29.77\00:18:31.11
Even today, you know, when I
think of my experience with my
00:18:31.14\00:18:34.08
younger brother, I
was the preeminent one.
00:18:34.11\00:18:36.81
Now, doesn't make me more
important, but you know, when
00:18:36.85\00:18:38.71
you're the older brother,
you're the older brother.
00:18:38.75\00:18:41.02
And so, then you
have your kid brother.
00:18:41.05\00:18:44.32
Why was it that God chose
Moses's kid--I mean, Aaron's
00:18:44.35\00:18:47.36
kid brother to be the most
prominent leader in the first
00:18:47.39\00:18:50.93
exodus and establishing
the initial nation of Israel?
00:18:50.96\00:18:56.90
Well, history tells us
that Moses had proven to be more
00:18:57.30\00:19:00.17
faithful than Aaron.
00:19:00.20\00:19:02.37
Now, if we look at the history
and the record of Aaron as we
00:19:02.40\00:19:05.71
look at his life and actions
and decisions, can you imagine
00:19:05.74\00:19:09.54
how history would've been
rewritten for the worse if God
00:19:09.58\00:19:12.65
had chosen Aaron to be
the preeminent and the most
00:19:12.68\00:19:15.88
prominent leader
in the first exodus?
00:19:15.92\00:19:18.92
They would have been
in trouble, wouldn't they?
00:19:18.95\00:19:21.12
Mm-kay, some of us remember
some of the different foibles
00:19:21.16\00:19:24.99
of the older brother of Moses.
00:19:25.03\00:19:27.60
So Moses had proven to be more
faithful, and therefore he was,
00:19:27.66\00:19:30.70
as a result, he was
stronger than Aaron.
00:19:30.73\00:19:33.77
Now that doesn't mean he could
necessarily win him in a arm
00:19:33.80\00:19:37.37
wrestle, but what that means
is that he was stronger morally,
00:19:37.41\00:19:41.08
spiritually, and
that's what God needed.
00:19:41.11\00:19:44.41
That's what God needed, that's
what Israel needed at that time.
00:19:44.45\00:19:46.72
And so therefore, Moses was
more qualified, and he was more
00:19:46.75\00:19:50.89
capable to withstand
the tremendous pressures
00:19:50.92\00:19:53.99
and the temptations that
Israel would give to him.
00:19:54.02\00:19:56.96
And many of us that have
read through the writings
00:19:56.99\00:19:58.83
and the experience of Moses
saw that he went through a lot
00:19:58.86\00:20:02.96
of tremendous pressure.
00:20:03.00\00:20:04.80
Not from those
outside of Israel, but within
00:20:04.83\00:20:07.84
the ranks themselves.
00:20:07.87\00:20:09.50
That's where his
greatest source of grief was on
00:20:09.54\00:20:10.71
a continual basis.
00:20:10.74\00:20:13.24
And so, because of that,
God knew that Moses, the younger
00:20:13.27\00:20:17.48
brother, was the one that was
to be chosen to be preeminent.
00:20:17.51\00:20:22.08
Of course, as we look at Aaron,
and again this is not a slight
00:20:22.12\00:20:24.32
against Aaron.
00:20:24.35\00:20:25.65
Aaron was still a
sincere man of God.
00:20:25.69\00:20:27.02
God had demonstrated that
through his continual support
00:20:27.06\00:20:30.86
of Aaron.
00:20:30.89\00:20:32.19
But Aaron, you know, when Moses
took a long meeting, committee
00:20:32.23\00:20:36.83
time with the Lord Himself
at the top of Mount Sinai, you
00:20:36.87\00:20:40.74
know, the Israelites got
restless, their minds started
00:20:40.77\00:20:42.84
to go back to their religious
ways in Egypt, mingling
00:20:42.87\00:20:47.24
through the truth of the
religion they'd inherited
00:20:47.28\00:20:49.34
from Abraham with
that of the Egyptians.
00:20:49.38\00:20:51.11
And they said to themselves, "We
want to know and worship the God
00:20:51.15\00:20:54.92
that has called us
out of here in the way
00:20:54.95\00:20:56.48
that we're accustomed.
00:20:56.52\00:20:57.85
Make us a golden calf!"
00:20:57.89\00:20:59.45
Now, Aaron was second-in-charge,
and so he was the one that was
00:20:59.49\00:21:02.19
in charge while
Moses was vacant.
00:21:02.22\00:21:04.59
And of course we find that Aaron
didn't take a stand, and instead
00:21:04.63\00:21:10.17
we find that he ended
up capitulating and he had
00:21:10.20\00:21:15.10
helped facilitate the
making of this golden calf,
00:21:15.14\00:21:19.14
and of course the golden
calf is just a small part.
00:21:19.17\00:21:21.54
All the religious
activities that surrounded that
00:21:21.58\00:21:23.68
and the deep immorality that
surrounded that religious system
00:21:23.71\00:21:27.05
also emerged during that time.
00:21:27.08\00:21:29.75
Now, when Moses came back, did
he say, "Oh well, it's too late.
00:21:29.78\00:21:33.49
You know, the horse
is out of the corral.
00:21:33.52\00:21:35.12
Cat's out of the bag.
00:21:35.16\00:21:36.46
Nothing we can do
now to get it back in."?
00:21:36.49\00:21:37.99
No, not at all.
00:21:38.03\00:21:39.33
Moses came back and he was a
much different man, wasn't he?
00:21:39.36\00:21:42.50
Much stronger than
his older brother Aaron.
00:21:42.53\00:21:46.47
Now, again, this is not to
say that Aaron's faith was not
00:21:46.50\00:21:48.67
saving and sincere.
00:21:48.70\00:21:50.01
God still chose him to be--
to take the role as high priest,
00:21:50.04\00:21:54.04
the first high priest.
00:21:54.08\00:21:56.14
We find here that God is still
merciful and graceful to Aaron,
00:21:56.18\00:22:02.25
but Aaron was not the
man for the job as far
00:22:02.55\00:22:05.65
as position goes.
00:22:05.69\00:22:08.22
And so when we come back
to Ezra, we find that Ezra
00:22:08.26\00:22:10.53
proved himself to be more
of a Moses, and we find that
00:22:10.56\00:22:13.93
the evidence is that
Jeshua proved himself to be more
00:22:13.96\00:22:17.67
of an Aaron.
00:22:17.70\00:22:19.00
And so both sincere men of
God, but Ezra certainly was more
00:22:19.03\00:22:22.34
faithful, he was more stronger,
as a result, he was more
00:22:22.37\00:22:25.01
capable, and
therefore more qualified.
00:22:25.04\00:22:28.78
Let me demonstrate that.
00:22:28.81\00:22:30.11
Let's open our
bibles to Ezra chapter 7.
00:22:30.15\00:22:32.95
Let's go back to
the book of Ezra.
00:22:32.98\00:22:35.35
Now, of course, at the end
of this particular time, we find
00:22:35.38\00:22:37.92
that--
00:22:37.95\00:22:42.39
In our study, we find that we've
read through pretty well, if not
00:22:42.42\00:22:46.19
every verse in
both Ezra and Nehemiah.
00:22:46.23\00:22:47.96
They're not long
books, and so that's one
00:22:48.00\00:22:49.56
of the advantages when we study
these two small books over three
00:22:49.60\00:22:52.50
months is that we can make
our way carefully through all
00:22:52.53\00:22:55.87
the verses.
00:22:55.90\00:22:57.64
So we're going through Ezra
chapter 7, and we're gonna read
00:22:57.67\00:23:02.74
verse 10.
00:23:02.78\00:23:04.08
Now, this is not a small verse.
00:23:04.11\00:23:05.91
In Ezra chapter 7, verse 10.
00:23:05.95\00:23:07.55
This is Ezra recording his
initial experience and calling
00:23:07.58\00:23:10.55
by God as God is about to have
him head up the second phase
00:23:10.59\00:23:16.56
and group of Israelites
to exodus, or exit, that
00:23:16.59\00:23:21.13
of Babylonia and go back
to Israel, the land of Israel.
00:23:21.16\00:23:24.23
Verse 10, it says, "For Ezra
had prepared his heart to seek
00:23:24.27\00:23:28.60
the law of the Lord and to?"
00:23:28.64\00:23:32.47
To do it, okay?
00:23:32.51\00:23:34.48
We find James in the New
Testament says be not only
00:23:34.51\00:23:36.85
hearers of the word,
but be doers also, alright?
00:23:36.88\00:23:40.55
So here we have that
Ezra has fulfilled that.
00:23:40.58\00:23:43.18
He says, "For Ezra prepared
his heart to seek the law
00:23:43.22\00:23:45.05
of the Lord and to do
it, and to teach statutes
00:23:45.09\00:23:49.32
and ordinances in Israel."
00:23:49.36\00:23:51.79
And so here we have Ezra,
from his heart, he's preparing
00:23:51.83\00:23:55.63
his heart, and he had determined
as God had very clearly called
00:23:55.66\00:23:59.40
him to seek the Law of the Lord.
00:23:59.43\00:24:00.84
Now, we may have to remember
the law here is capital L,
00:24:00.87\00:24:03.44
and this is not in the context
of just the 10 Commandments,
00:24:03.47\00:24:06.44
although that is to be
sure to be included, but the Law
00:24:06.47\00:24:09.14
of the Lord in this particular
context, as it is many times
00:24:09.18\00:24:11.95
in the Old Testament, is
referring to all the writings
00:24:11.98\00:24:13.95
of Moses, the first
five books of the Bible.
00:24:13.98\00:24:16.82
The old covenant and all
the details that God had given
00:24:16.85\00:24:19.29
them to follow and to obey.
00:24:19.32\00:24:22.82
And not only would he do it
personally, but then he was also
00:24:22.86\00:24:25.43
determined as God had called
them to be a teacher of those
00:24:25.46\00:24:27.96
statutes and
ordinances in Israel.
00:24:27.96\00:24:30.77
And so, because Ezra was so
solid and so daily committed
00:24:30.80\00:24:35.50
to that calling and that
foundation that we read in verse
00:24:35.54\00:24:39.87
10, which of course needs
to apply to us if we're going
00:24:39.91\00:24:41.98
to be successful as
Christians, especially
00:24:42.01\00:24:43.78
as a Christian leaders.
00:24:43.81\00:24:46.65
Then, of course, that qualified
Ezra for a preeminent position.
00:24:46.68\00:24:52.69
Now, last week we learned
that shortly after Ezra arrived
00:24:54.22\00:24:56.83
in Israel, he had learned
from some of the Jewish leaders
00:24:56.86\00:25:00.33
that many of the Jewish young
men or older men perhaps as well
00:25:00.36\00:25:03.50
had taken for themselves wives,
but they didn't choose those
00:25:03.53\00:25:06.17
wives from within God's
people, they had chosen them
00:25:06.20\00:25:09.77
from the
surrounding nations and peoples,
00:25:09.80\00:25:11.97
unconverted pagan wives.
00:25:12.01\00:25:14.31
Now, if they had done Bible
studies with them, and there may
00:25:14.34\00:25:15.91
be some watching, or some
here today in Granite Bay Church
00:25:15.94\00:25:18.65
that, you know, I have a good
friend of mine back in Canada,
00:25:18.68\00:25:21.68
and he's a pastor, and
he used to be a coal porter,
00:25:21.72\00:25:23.65
a Bible worker.
00:25:23.69\00:25:25.65
And one of his Bible studies
ended up being a young woman
00:25:25.69\00:25:27.59
that he ended up marrying.
00:25:27.62\00:25:29.16
Now when he first started Bible
studies with her, she wasn't
00:25:29.19\00:25:31.83
on the same page, she didn't
understand the truths and so on,
00:25:31.86\00:25:34.23
but as she understood and
accepted those truths, was
00:25:34.30\00:25:36.56
baptized, then she
became qualified to be his wife.
00:25:36.60\00:25:40.14
And they're still
happily married today.
00:25:40.17\00:25:43.44
But in this case, we're
talking about marrying wives
00:25:43.47\00:25:47.31
before they're converted.
00:25:47.34\00:25:49.28
And so these are pagan wives,
and we studied that in extent
00:25:49.31\00:25:52.55
last week as Pastor Lucas
had done such a good job for us.
00:25:52.58\00:25:56.48
And so we don't want to spend
too much time on that, but we're
00:25:56.52\00:25:59.52
looking at in the light of Ezra
and why he was preeminent even
00:25:59.55\00:26:03.19
after he came after Jeshua.
00:26:03.22\00:26:08.10
Now, what was Ezra's
immediate response when he heard
00:26:08.13\00:26:10.20
the bad news?
00:26:10.23\00:26:13.13
Tore his robe, he began to tear
at his hair, and then we find
00:26:13.17\00:26:18.41
that he immediately started
to go into a phase of fasting.
00:26:18.44\00:26:23.11
So he put aside you know,
the regular luxuries and creams
00:26:23.14\00:26:26.61
and lotions and things and as
well as food and such, and so he
00:26:26.65\00:26:30.75
began to put all these
things that we have distract us
00:26:30.79\00:26:34.12
and consume so much of our day,
and he just poured his heart
00:26:34.16\00:26:37.39
out before the Lord.
00:26:37.43\00:26:38.73
And after a phase of fasting,
we find then that he's on record
00:26:38.76\00:26:41.40
of falling on his
knees, and he lifts up his arms
00:26:41.43\00:26:44.80
before the Lord,
and he begins to pray.
00:26:44.83\00:26:47.00
And he lifts up his arms,
but he doesn't lift up his head.
00:26:47.04\00:26:49.97
In fact, it says that
he bows his head and says,
00:26:50.01\00:26:51.54
"Lord, I am shamed."
00:26:51.57\00:26:53.68
I'm ashamed, not because of his
own decisions, but the shame--
00:26:53.71\00:26:56.31
he was ashamed of the
choices of his people.
00:26:56.34\00:26:58.85
And he had been out of
town for a while, by the way.
00:26:58.88\00:27:00.88
The context is he was
back at the King's business
00:27:00.92\00:27:03.02
in Persia, and now he
had returned and found--
00:27:03.05\00:27:05.65
And sorry, no, that's
not true, that's Nehemiah.
00:27:05.69\00:27:10.03
Don't want to
get the two confused.
00:27:10.06\00:27:11.73
And so here Ezra is arriving.
00:27:11.76\00:27:13.90
He hears the bad news, he falls
on his knees, and in shame he
00:27:13.93\00:27:17.33
confesses the
sins of his people.
00:27:17.37\00:27:19.87
And it says that he was weeping,
he was crying over the sins
00:27:19.90\00:27:24.11
and the sinful position,
the very vulnerable position
00:27:24.14\00:27:29.04
that the
decisions of the Israelites
00:27:29.08\00:27:30.38
had put them in.
00:27:30.41\00:27:32.38
And as he's praying, we
find here that God had answered.
00:27:32.41\00:27:35.45
He's praying and not
only confessing, but praying
00:27:35.48\00:27:37.42
for repentance.
00:27:37.45\00:27:38.75
And repentance came, didn't it?
00:27:38.79\00:27:40.76
And before his prayers were
even open, we have them come
00:27:40.79\00:27:44.13
in and they're crying as well,
some of the key Israelites.
00:27:44.16\00:27:46.56
"And they're saying,
We've really blown it.
00:27:46.59\00:27:48.83
We need to be able to fix this."
00:27:48.86\00:27:50.40
And by God's grace they did.
00:27:50.43\00:27:53.47
Now, again, this is
not a slight against Jeshua
00:27:53.50\00:27:56.40
in regards to his faith, because
Jeshua and the evidence, just as
00:27:56.44\00:27:59.67
Aaron was, was that even though
he wasn't as strong as Aaron, he
00:27:59.71\00:28:02.41
still had a sincere
faith, the evidence is there.
00:28:02.44\00:28:04.51
But Jeshua was the only
one on record of permitting one
00:28:04.55\00:28:08.02
or more of his sons
to marry one of those
00:28:08.05\00:28:10.72
unconverted pagan wives.
00:28:10.75\00:28:12.75
And so the response, in
the position of both these
00:28:12.79\00:28:15.76
men of God, these priests,
is much different, isn't it?
00:28:15.79\00:28:20.10
So Jeshua was
sincere, just as Aaron was,
00:28:20.13\00:28:21.93
but he was not as strong.
00:28:21.96\00:28:25.17
Ezra chapter 10 and verse
18, by the way, is where you can
00:28:25.20\00:28:27.67
find that record.
00:28:27.70\00:28:29.00
So Jeshua was on record of
permitting one or more of his
00:28:29.04\00:28:31.51
sons to marry one of
those unconverted pagan wives,
00:28:31.54\00:28:34.64
and so Joshua had committed,
even under his own household,
00:28:34.68\00:28:38.01
had allowed this
predicament to take place
00:28:38.05\00:28:40.15
in his particular house.
00:28:40.18\00:28:42.78
Now, to be sure, also Jeshua
and his son, or more again, it's
00:28:42.82\00:28:48.79
not clear in that verse if it
was one or more, but certainly
00:28:49.26\00:28:54.10
both Jeshua and his son or
sons, had repented with the rest
00:28:54.13\00:28:58.20
and had separated themselves
from the unconverted pagan wives
00:28:58.23\00:29:01.60
that they had
brought into the camp.
00:29:01.64\00:29:03.57
And so that's just something
interesting and a parallel there
00:29:03.61\00:29:07.68
between Moses and that of Ezra,
as well as that of the older
00:29:07.71\00:29:11.81
brother of Moses, Aaron.
00:29:11.85\00:29:15.45
Well, as we continue
on in Sunday, we look
00:29:15.48\00:29:17.25
at the influence of leaders.
00:29:17.29\00:29:19.39
And as we look at the influence
of leaders, we find that Sunday
00:29:19.42\00:29:23.59
is pointing out that there
are some good influences found
00:29:23.63\00:29:26.96
in the leadership of Israel
throughout its history and some
00:29:27.00\00:29:29.66
bad leadership examples as well.
00:29:29.70\00:29:32.77
And so it gives us a number
of those for us to be able
00:29:32.80\00:29:36.00
to look at.
00:29:36.04\00:29:37.67
And of course, when we're
in a position of leadership,
00:29:37.71\00:29:41.11
our influence is greater.
00:29:41.14\00:29:42.38
The decisions that we make have
a bigger impact on other people,
00:29:42.41\00:29:46.95
both, not only believers,
but also unbelievers as well.
00:29:46.98\00:29:50.92
And so as a pastor, sometimes,
you know, I have to remember, I
00:29:50.95\00:29:53.22
have to keep reminding
myself, you know, that my
00:29:53.25\00:29:55.06
neighbors are watching.
00:29:55.09\00:29:56.76
You know, they found out very
quickly that they have a new
00:29:56.79\00:29:59.39
neighbor and that
neighbor is a pastor.
00:29:59.43\00:30:01.43
He's not only a Christian,
but he's a Christian pastor.
00:30:01.46\00:30:04.37
And so because of that,
you know, I have to be--
00:30:04.40\00:30:09.70
I'm sincere anyway, but you
know, I have to be careful, you
00:30:09.74\00:30:13.68
know, and I have to make
sure that I understand that my
00:30:13.71\00:30:18.11
influence and the decisions that
I'm making is impacting not only
00:30:18.15\00:30:21.08
church members, but also
non-church members as well.
00:30:21.12\00:30:25.09
And sometimes, you know, because
God is working on all of us,
00:30:25.12\00:30:29.02
there's been times when I say
something or do something it is
00:30:29.06\00:30:33.40
not--the Lord has spoken to me
on it, but he not always speaks
00:30:33.43\00:30:36.53
to me on it in concern
to my error, but then it was
00:30:36.56\00:30:39.57
in earshot or in eyesight of
a neighbor, and I realize oh,
00:30:39.60\00:30:42.74
Lord, please forgive me,
and may You help to undo that
00:30:42.77\00:30:46.17
influence for the
worse, rather than the good.
00:30:46.21\00:30:50.05
By God's grace, you know, that's
the exception to the rule in my
00:30:50.08\00:30:54.48
life as he works through me,
but it's a good principle for us
00:30:54.52\00:30:57.92
to be able to keep in mind.
00:30:57.95\00:30:59.25
It's crucial that we reflect
the principles and teachings
00:30:59.29\00:31:02.79
of scripture.
00:31:02.82\00:31:04.99
So we're gonna just look at
a couple of them as they give
00:31:05.03\00:31:07.13
a number of examples.
00:31:07.13\00:31:08.46
Rehoboam.
00:31:08.50\00:31:09.80
Now, Rehoboam is the son of?
00:31:09.83\00:31:12.23
Solomon, somebody says.
00:31:12.27\00:31:13.57
Okay, this is where I know
if you've studied your lesson
00:31:13.60\00:31:15.47
or not.
00:31:15.50\00:31:16.81
Or you know the
Bible really, really well.
00:31:16.84\00:31:19.04
Because, not too many people,
if you haven't studied this book
00:31:19.07\00:31:22.01
or lesson beforehand,
would remember who Rehoboam is.
00:31:22.04\00:31:25.15
But Rehoboam is the
eldest son of King Solomon.
00:31:25.18\00:31:27.92
King Solomon dies, and so,
of course, Rehoboam is the one
00:31:27.95\00:31:31.62
that is rightly
put on the throne.
00:31:31.65\00:31:33.56
And but the problem is that
Rehoboam is not, well, Solomon
00:31:33.59\00:31:38.39
wasn't all that wise in his last
years either, unfortunately,
00:31:38.43\00:31:41.90
and he wasn't so
close to the Lord Himself.
00:31:41.93\00:31:45.50
And so because of that, some
of the fruits, and by the way
00:31:45.53\00:31:48.00
the influence of the leadership
of Solomon didn't end at his
00:31:48.04\00:31:50.87
grave, did it?
00:31:50.91\00:31:53.54
You know, the influence
of Solomon rubbed off on--
00:31:53.58\00:31:56.81
and his bad decisions rubbed
on--his bad leadership rubbed
00:31:56.85\00:32:01.82
off on his son as well.
00:32:01.85\00:32:03.52
And so here we have Rehoboam, I
think the scripture says he was
00:32:03.55\00:32:06.42
like 41 years old.
00:32:06.45\00:32:08.56
So he's not old man, he's
not a young man, but he's been
00:32:08.59\00:32:10.66
around and such.
00:32:10.69\00:32:12.73
And we find that you
know, Jeroboam one of the Jews
00:32:12.76\00:32:17.73
from the tribe of Efraim.
00:32:17.77\00:32:20.00
He is also a prominent leader,
he was a servant of Solomon, he
00:32:20.04\00:32:24.74
was in hiding in Egypt because
Solomon was after him because
00:32:24.77\00:32:27.88
God had prophesied that he
would rule most of the tribes
00:32:27.91\00:32:31.65
of Israel after Solomon's death.
00:32:31.68\00:32:34.02
And Solomon tried to interfere
with God's plan, and so he tried
00:32:34.05\00:32:37.85
to have him killed.
00:32:37.89\00:32:39.19
And so he's in
hiding, he comes out.
00:32:39.22\00:32:41.29
And so during the inauguration
of Rehoboam, we find that
00:32:41.32\00:32:45.49
Jeroboam is the spokesperson
for the majority of the tribes
00:32:45.53\00:32:48.40
of Israel.
00:32:48.43\00:32:49.73
And he comes up
and he speaks publicly,
00:32:49.76\00:32:52.70
and he addresses Rehoboam.
00:32:52.73\00:32:54.70
And he says, "Rehoboam, you know
your father, your dad, Solomon,
00:32:54.74\00:32:58.81
you know he was hard on us.
00:32:58.84\00:33:01.01
He brought on us unreasonable
burdens, upon the people, and if
00:33:01.04\00:33:05.85
there's one request that we have
at the beginning of your reign,
00:33:05.88\00:33:08.35
if you could please lighten
those burdens to something
00:33:08.38\00:33:10.79
at a more reasonable rate
and a more reasonable level."
00:33:10.82\00:33:13.89
Jeroboam said, "I'll get
back to you in three days."
00:33:13.92\00:33:15.76
He addressed the elders who
had been around for many years,
00:33:15.79\00:33:18.59
had the experience, had
stood beside, at the side
00:33:18.63\00:33:21.83
of the throne of Solomon
for many years, and he said,
00:33:21.86\00:33:23.70
"What do you think?"
00:33:23.73\00:33:25.07
And they said, "Well, O King,
live forever, but Rehoboam, we
00:33:25.10\00:33:28.57
are suggesting a devices
that you do lighten the load.
00:33:28.60\00:33:30.71
You listen to the people, and if
you encourage them and show them
00:33:30.74\00:33:33.94
that you sincerely care for them
and you give them good words
00:33:33.98\00:33:36.68
and you count yourselves as
their servant, then they we'll
00:33:36.71\00:33:40.25
serve you forever."
00:33:40.28\00:33:42.98
Now, does that
sound like good advice?
00:33:43.02\00:33:45.39
Sure it is!
00:33:45.42\00:33:46.76
Okay, this advice came
from the Lord without doubt.
00:33:46.79\00:33:48.62
Well, Rehoboam, it says, sadly,
he didn't like that advice
00:33:48.66\00:33:51.06
at all.
00:33:51.09\00:33:52.43
And so he said, "You know what?
00:33:52.46\00:33:53.76
That doesn't
hold water with me."
00:33:53.80\00:33:55.10
And so, he went and he got
his second group of advisers.
00:33:55.13\00:33:57.37
Now, the second group of
advisers are his buddies.
00:33:57.40\00:34:00.27
These are the ones he went
to high school with, he grew
00:34:00.30\00:34:02.24
up with, and such.
00:34:02.27\00:34:04.14
And so he goes to them and
he says, "What do you think?"
00:34:04.17\00:34:06.04
And they said, "Well,
Rehoboam, no, don't listen
00:34:06.07\00:34:08.21
to those old guys.
00:34:08.24\00:34:10.25
They don't know what
they're talking about.
00:34:10.28\00:34:11.51
You need to go out and you need
to tell them you thought it was
00:34:11.55\00:34:12.95
tough with Solomon, it's
going to be twice as tough
00:34:12.98\00:34:14.48
with me now."
00:34:14.52\00:34:16.15
And so we increased the burden
to show how tough he was and how
00:34:16.18\00:34:18.79
strong and
powerful he was as a king.
00:34:18.82\00:34:21.09
And so, his head kind
of swelled two sizes bigger
00:34:21.12\00:34:23.76
probably that day.
00:34:23.79\00:34:26.56
Did it work out?
00:34:26.59\00:34:28.20
How did that go?
00:34:28.23\00:34:29.56
How did that work out
for him, as we say today?
00:34:29.60\00:34:32.43
Okay, he lost 10 of the tribes
of the 12 tribes of Israel.
00:34:32.47\00:34:36.64
And so his reign and his kingdom
shrunk to about, well, less than
00:34:36.67\00:34:40.44
20% of what it was before
he had made that bad decision.
00:34:40.48\00:34:44.98
So there's an example of
bad leadership in concern to one
00:34:45.01\00:34:49.92
of the ancient kings
and leaders of God's Nation.
00:34:49.95\00:34:53.22
Now, in 1 Kings chapter 14, 1
Kings chapter 14 and verse 21, 1
00:34:53.25\00:34:59.26
King--sorry, 1 Kings chapter 14
and verse 21, as well as verse
00:35:05.73\00:35:09.67
31, you will find there that
God had inspired the prophet
00:35:09.70\00:35:15.48
or prophets that wrote the
book of 1 Kings, that they point
00:35:15.51\00:35:20.12
out something interesting that
normally is not pointed out.
00:35:20.15\00:35:22.65
But I believe it was pointed
out twice because God wanted us
00:35:22.68\00:35:24.89
to pick up on this.
00:35:24.92\00:35:26.76
And this brings us back to Ezra,
Nehemiah's day, when you have
00:35:26.79\00:35:29.12
intermarrying with unbelievers
in the surrounding peoples.
00:35:29.16\00:35:34.00
And that is that Rehoboam's
mother was not an Israelite,
00:35:34.03\00:35:38.77
she was an Ammonitess.
00:35:38.80\00:35:41.50
An Ammonitess, okay?
00:35:41.54\00:35:43.41
It sounds like a
disease today, doesn't it?
00:35:43.44\00:35:45.87
Okay, but it's not, and it
actually means that she was
00:35:45.91\00:35:48.21
a citizen of the people
and country of Ammon, okay?
00:35:48.24\00:35:53.15
And so, was she a believer?
00:35:53.18\00:35:55.58
No, was she converted?
00:35:55.62\00:35:56.95
No, see, one of the things
on the record of Solomon is that
00:35:56.99\00:35:59.02
he had made the mistake
of marrying dozens, even
00:35:59.05\00:36:00.96
hundreds of unbelieving wives.
00:36:00.99\00:36:03.56
And it was to his
detriment and to the detriment
00:36:03.59\00:36:06.19
of the nation.
00:36:06.23\00:36:07.56
And so here we have another
result of the bad decisions that
00:36:07.60\00:36:11.00
Solomon had made during his
reign and that he had chosen
00:36:11.03\00:36:14.04
to marry an Ammonitess, a
woman of Ammon who also had
00:36:14.07\00:36:17.74
a different religion, different
language, different values,
00:36:17.77\00:36:20.31
different principles,
and because of that, she was
00:36:20.34\00:36:23.38
the number one influence,
of course on Rehoboam.
00:36:23.41\00:36:28.65
And it didn't
turn out well, did it?
00:36:28.68\00:36:31.02
No, not at all.
00:36:31.05\00:36:34.09
All right, so let's look at
a good example, we don't want
00:36:34.12\00:36:36.06
to focus on the
negative for too long.
00:36:36.09\00:36:37.93
In 2 Kings chapter 23, in verses
1-10, if you read in debt your
00:36:37.96\00:36:41.93
homework beforehand,
you're able to read that.
00:36:41.96\00:36:43.83
We don't have time
to read all 10 verses,
00:36:43.87\00:36:45.63
but then we have Josiah.
00:36:45.67\00:36:47.64
And Josiah was one of the line.
00:36:47.67\00:36:49.00
In fact, he was the last
faithful king during the reign
00:36:49.04\00:36:50.84
of Israel before they were
taken into exile and captivity
00:36:50.87\00:36:54.18
to Babylon.
00:36:54.21\00:36:55.64
Excuse me, so Josiah was
at the last, at the very tail
00:36:55.68\00:36:59.15
end of the string of
kings that had ruled in Israel
00:36:59.18\00:37:02.95
up until the Babylonian exile.
00:37:02.98\00:37:06.59
And was he faithful to God?
00:37:06.62\00:37:10.39
Praise God, he was.
00:37:10.43\00:37:11.73
Wasn't he?
00:37:11.76\00:37:13.09
He was the exception.
00:37:13.13\00:37:14.40
Sadly, we have to say that he
was the exception because sadly,
00:37:14.46\00:37:17.50
most were not quite as faithful
as they should have been.
00:37:17.53\00:37:19.77
But Josiah was one of those ones
that was very faithful to God,
00:37:19.80\00:37:25.41
just like Ezra and Nehemiah.
00:37:25.44\00:37:27.14
And so we find that there's
an interesting, very intriguing
00:37:27.18\00:37:31.35
scene there, they were Josiah
and his previous kings, his
00:37:31.38\00:37:36.99
ancestors had strayed so far
from the Lord that not only were
00:37:37.02\00:37:40.49
they not reading and
following and teaching
00:37:40.52\00:37:42.16
the Bible, they didn't
even know where the Bible was.
00:37:42.19\00:37:46.03
So, you know, if Ezra would
arrive at that time and they
00:37:46.06\00:37:48.36
said, "Well, show
me the book of the law.
00:37:48.40\00:37:49.70
I need a copy of the
book of Deuteronomy."
00:37:49.73\00:37:52.20
And they said, "Deuter-what?"
00:37:52.23\00:37:54.74
They said, "We'd never
even heard of Deuteronomy.
00:37:54.77\00:37:56.67
What is that"
"Well, so what do you mean?
00:37:56.71\00:37:58.61
Of course, that's the fifth
book of the book of the law
00:37:58.64\00:38:01.01
of Moses."
00:38:01.04\00:38:02.34
And they said, "Well, we haven't
had a bible around for years!"
00:38:02.38\00:38:04.58
And so they literally didn't
even know where the Bible was.
00:38:04.61\00:38:07.55
And so here we have
Hilkiah and Shaphan the Scribe.
00:38:07.58\00:38:11.09
Hilkiah the high priest
and they're doing some other
00:38:11.12\00:38:13.42
orders and
renovations of the house of God
00:38:13.46\00:38:15.69
and the temple of God as
Josiah had righteously had
00:38:15.72\00:38:20.06
commissioned, and we find there
that they're going through one
00:38:20.10\00:38:24.07
of the back rooms, and they
come across this mysterious book
00:38:24.10\00:38:26.47
and it says Deuteronomy
and Exodus, and it talks
00:38:26.50\00:38:29.50
about Aaron and so on,
and so Shaphan, you know
00:38:29.54\00:38:32.37
the scribe, brings it to
the king and starts to read
00:38:32.41\00:38:34.48
it to the King.
00:38:34.51\00:38:35.81
And the King is hearing
the word of God for the very
00:38:35.84\00:38:37.61
first time, okay?
00:38:37.65\00:38:40.65
He took the throne, I
think he was eight years old.
00:38:40.68\00:38:41.98
Just a young boy.
00:38:42.02\00:38:43.32
Can you imagine taking
the throne at eight and still
00:38:43.35\00:38:44.69
being faithful to God?
00:38:44.72\00:38:46.02
Now there's a faithful
young man, faithful boy
00:38:46.05\00:38:48.09
and then young man.
00:38:48.12\00:38:50.13
And so he was about 26 I think,
when this happened and he hears
00:38:50.16\00:38:52.53
the word of God after being king
for several years in Israel.
00:38:52.56\00:38:55.30
And here's the word of God
for the very first time and as
00:38:55.33\00:38:58.03
he hears the words, and
the words of the covenants,
00:38:58.07\00:39:00.07
and he hears the blessings
and the curses at the end
00:39:00.10\00:39:02.00
of the last speech of Moses
in Deuteronomy, and he realizes
00:39:02.04\00:39:06.11
that everything that
is happening in Israel,
00:39:06.14\00:39:08.71
under the leadership of
his ancestors, for decades now,
00:39:08.74\00:39:12.18
is demanding
God's curse upon Israel.
00:39:12.21\00:39:16.08
And so how does he respond?
00:39:16.12\00:39:19.02
He tears his robe,
just like Ezra did.
00:39:19.05\00:39:21.62
Didn't he?
00:39:21.66\00:39:22.89
He tears his robe and he puts
on sackcloth and ashes, and he
00:39:22.92\00:39:26.46
begins to mourn and to weep
and to cry over the condition
00:39:26.49\00:39:30.77
that he realizes more than--
00:39:30.80\00:39:32.30
Now, he probably had a pretty
good feeling and a pretty good
00:39:32.33\00:39:35.00
idea because he had the spirit
of the Lord that Israel wasn't
00:39:35.04\00:39:37.31
where it's supposed to be,
but now this confirmed crystal
00:39:37.34\00:39:40.38
clear, in living color,
that they had strayed so far
00:39:40.41\00:39:44.45
from the Lord
Himself and from His covenant
00:39:44.48\00:39:46.58
and from His words.
00:39:46.61\00:39:48.18
And so we find that he's very
much on the same page as Ezra
00:39:48.22\00:39:52.39
and the same page of Nehemiah.
00:39:52.42\00:39:54.52
And so not only does he
weep over it, but then he leads
00:39:54.56\00:39:56.99
out a very powerful
reformation and revival.
00:39:57.03\00:40:01.00
He begins to tear down things,
you know and crush and break
00:40:01.03\00:40:05.40
to pieces all these idols,
some of them in the very temple
00:40:05.43\00:40:07.97
of God itself.
00:40:08.00\00:40:10.27
Now, friend, sometimes we brush
over this and we don't think
00:40:10.31\00:40:13.14
about the personal experience
that Josiah must have gone
00:40:13.17\00:40:16.34
through, but can you imagine
the pushback that he experienced
00:40:16.38\00:40:20.12
when that took place?
00:40:20.15\00:40:21.68
Now, when he gave all these
commissions, and I'm sure he
00:40:21.72\00:40:23.69
over-looked it, and
was physically there most
00:40:23.72\00:40:25.89
of the time when these
instrumental idols were being
00:40:25.92\00:40:28.26
destroyed and so on.
00:40:28.29\00:40:30.23
Because you know that the
pushback and the resistance
00:40:30.26\00:40:32.93
would've been tremendous,
because the devil had such
00:40:32.96\00:40:36.83
inroads and had established
routes that were so deep
00:40:36.87\00:40:40.14
for so long that inevitably he
would have experienced all kinds
00:40:40.17\00:40:45.21
of pushback and resistance.
00:40:45.24\00:40:48.11
And so it wasn't a popular
thing for him to do that.
00:40:48.14\00:40:50.11
For us, we read it,
and would say, "Go Josiah!"
00:40:50.15\00:40:53.08
You know?
00:40:53.11\00:40:54.45
But for him, he's not sleeping
very well a lot of those nights
00:40:54.48\00:40:56.85
because there's bound to be
tremendous pushback from very
00:40:56.89\00:40:59.85
powerful and instrumental
figures within Israel.
00:40:59.89\00:41:03.93
But just like Ezra and Nehemiah,
regardless of how popular it
00:41:03.96\00:41:07.30
was, he wanted to
please the Lord first.
00:41:07.30\00:41:10.57
You know, it's like the Apostle
Paul says, "If I were a pleaser
00:41:10.60\00:41:12.77
of men, I would not
be a pleaser of God."
00:41:12.80\00:41:15.30
You can't please man
and God at the same time.
00:41:15.34\00:41:18.34
So sometimes the stands that we
make don't always make friends,
00:41:18.37\00:41:22.54
but friends, sometimes
even though we may lose friends
00:41:22.58\00:41:25.25
at times, it's amazing how many
times God can bring us around,
00:41:25.28\00:41:29.75
you know round circle, and
we can come back and be friends
00:41:29.78\00:41:32.02
in the future as god brings
us both to that same page.
00:41:32.05\00:41:35.29
So that's important
for us to understand.
00:41:35.32\00:41:36.62
Let's continue on.
00:41:36.66\00:41:37.99
It was, you go to Monday.
00:41:38.03\00:41:39.49
Evil in the sight of the Lord.
00:41:39.53\00:41:40.83
We have a few more examples
of a bad leadership, very much
00:41:40.86\00:41:45.17
like on Sunday, and then it goes
on and tells us that spiritual
00:41:45.20\00:41:49.07
leaders influence others, either
toward God, if they themselves
00:41:49.10\00:41:54.31
see God, or toward
evil if they do not.
00:41:54.34\00:41:56.95
The fact that Ezra and Nehemiah
had a strong relationship
00:41:56.98\00:41:59.68
with God is undeniable.
00:41:59.71\00:42:03.08
Now, friends, this is just as
important as their faithfulness
00:42:03.12\00:42:05.95
to the word of God.
00:42:05.99\00:42:07.59
If we are only faithful
to studying the word of God,
00:42:07.62\00:42:09.76
but we're not faithful
and committed to have any
00:42:09.79\00:42:11.83
personal, saving, day-by-day
relationship with the Lord, then
00:42:11.86\00:42:17.03
we're still in a
bad place, aren't we?
00:42:17.07\00:42:20.07
Okay, and so Ezra and Nehemiah
found their qualifications, not
00:42:20.10\00:42:23.57
only because of their dedication
to the word of God, but because
00:42:23.61\00:42:26.54
of the dedication
to the God of the word.
00:42:26.57\00:42:30.28
And so they also found
themselves on their knees
00:42:30.31\00:42:33.45
on a daily basis, talking
to the Lord, saying, "Lord,
00:42:33.48\00:42:36.99
guide me, help me to be a
faithful servant again today.
00:42:37.02\00:42:39.52
Help me to know
what Your plan is.
00:42:39.55\00:42:41.12
Give me Your Holy Spirit, that
I may have strength that is far
00:42:41.16\00:42:44.59
bigger than myself.
00:42:44.63\00:42:45.93
Help me to have wisdom that
is far greater than my mind.
00:42:45.96\00:42:48.73
Help me to make good decisions,
because you're walking with me
00:42:48.76\00:42:51.70
and through me and in me."
00:42:51.73\00:42:53.84
And the same thing of course
applies to us, doesn't it?
00:42:53.87\00:42:56.87
And so they had both.
00:42:56.91\00:42:58.21
We need to have both.
00:42:58.24\00:42:59.54
And we need to be able to
understand that's the only
00:42:59.57\00:43:01.78
way that we can resist evil.
00:43:01.81\00:43:03.71
The word of God, plus a
personal relationship with
00:43:03.75\00:43:07.08
the Lord Himself.
00:43:07.12\00:43:10.75
And then we can make a
powerful, powerful difference.
00:43:10.79\00:43:14.39
Now, it's also pointed out
on Monday that not everyone
00:43:14.42\00:43:16.62
that Ezra and Nehemiah
influenced brought them
00:43:16.66\00:43:19.63
to the throne of grace, okay?
00:43:19.66\00:43:21.90
Not everybody that Nehemiah
and Ezra influenced were brought
00:43:21.93\00:43:25.63
into the kingdom of God.
00:43:25.67\00:43:26.97
Some of them still
said, "You know what?
00:43:27.00\00:43:28.34
I see the Lord.
00:43:28.37\00:43:29.67
I see the powerful workings.
00:43:29.70\00:43:31.04
There's an undeniable evidence
that the Lord is working
00:43:31.07\00:43:32.74
through you and through your
ministry, in rebuilding the wall
00:43:32.77\00:43:35.81
and rebuilding the temple,
and rebuilding and establishing
00:43:35.84\00:43:38.21
Israel and
Jerusalem as the Holy City.
00:43:38.25\00:43:40.52
But you know what?
00:43:40.55\00:43:41.85
I still want to go my own way."
00:43:41.88\00:43:43.62
Okay, there are still several
people that find themselves
00:43:43.65\00:43:46.05
in that camp.
00:43:46.09\00:43:47.89
Does that mean that
Ezra and Nehemiah failed?
00:43:47.92\00:43:50.59
Does that mean that
we as spiritual leaders
00:43:50.63\00:43:52.73
in the church fail?
00:43:52.76\00:43:54.73
No, of course, we just
have to go back to the Master
00:43:54.73\00:43:57.23
Himself, to Jesus.
00:43:57.27\00:43:59.10
Now, Jesus walked for 3 1/2
years, He ate, He talked, He
00:43:59.13\00:44:02.27
walked, and He lived with
12-plus faithful disciples.
00:44:02.30\00:44:06.64
Now the 12, the most prominent,
where the inner circle
00:44:06.68\00:44:09.34
of the 12 Apostles.
00:44:09.38\00:44:10.68
Now, one of those 12 was by the
name of Judas Iscariot, okay?
00:44:10.71\00:44:16.05
Now, did Jesus neglect Judas?
00:44:16.08\00:44:18.05
Did He say, "Oh, listen, you're
a write off, like, you know,
00:44:18.09\00:44:20.76
I'm not gonna spend my--"
00:44:20.79\00:44:22.12
No, He--in fact, He probably
invested more in Judas than He
00:44:22.16\00:44:26.43
did in some of
the other Apostles.
00:44:26.46\00:44:28.90
Did Judas still find
himself in the kingdom of God?
00:44:28.93\00:44:32.53
No.
00:44:32.57\00:44:33.87
All the evidence shows that
he hung himself, and he became
00:44:33.90\00:44:35.70
a man that was lost
for all of eternity.
00:44:35.74\00:44:38.27
And so even Jesus, the greatest,
most influential figure in all
00:44:38.31\00:44:42.24
of time, that had the attention
of Judas Iscariot for 3 1/2
00:44:42.28\00:44:47.02
complete years still lost Judas.
00:44:47.05\00:44:49.38
And so, if He can't win
them all, we won't be able
00:44:49.42\00:44:52.52
to influence them all
into the kingdom as well.
00:44:52.55\00:44:54.79
The bottom line is that
all of us need to answer
00:44:54.82\00:44:57.46
before the Lord alone.
00:44:57.49\00:44:58.79
We all as individuals have
to answer and say, "Am I going
00:44:58.83\00:45:01.90
to respond to the faithful
influence of this pastor or my
00:45:01.93\00:45:05.30
Christian friend or my Seventh
Day Adventist neighbor, or am I
00:45:05.33\00:45:08.97
not gonna respond?"
00:45:09.00\00:45:10.47
And some say yes, some say no.
00:45:10.51\00:45:14.48
And that's just a
sad reality of life.
00:45:14.51\00:45:17.81
But let's
continue on to Tuesday.
00:45:17.85\00:45:19.15
On Tuesday, we also have a
very important facet or trait
00:45:19.18\00:45:25.19
of every successful spiritual
leader, and that is courage.
00:45:25.65\00:45:30.33
Courage is neat.
00:45:30.36\00:45:31.66
Now, we've already touched
on that, we looked at Moses,
00:45:31.69\00:45:33.66
we looked at Ezra,
we looked at Nehemiah.
00:45:33.70\00:45:35.93
These were men of great courage
because of their faithfulness
00:45:35.96\00:45:38.57
and their submission to
God in such a regular, deep,
00:45:38.60\00:45:41.30
and real way.
00:45:41.34\00:45:43.91
In Nehemiah chapter 4, verses
7-23, the passage there that
00:45:43.94\00:45:48.08
the study points us to
is in regards to rebuilding
00:45:48.11\00:45:51.55
the wall.
00:45:51.58\00:45:52.91
Now, as they started to rebuild
the wall, and as the surrounding
00:45:52.95\00:45:55.32
enemies and non-Israelite people
saw their success that was
00:45:55.35\00:45:59.45
budding, they started
to try to stymie that.
00:45:59.49\00:46:02.02
In fact, they even conspired
that we're going to attack them
00:46:02.06\00:46:04.93
when they don't
know we're coming.
00:46:04.96\00:46:06.26
Well, the word got out,
and the Lord gave them a heads
00:46:06.29\00:46:08.43
up on that.
00:46:08.46\00:46:09.80
And so, Nehemiah made it clear
to them, to the enemies, that
00:46:09.83\00:46:12.37
they were prepared, and he
also prepared them, didn't they?
00:46:12.40\00:46:15.87
And that points out something
very important in regards
00:46:15.90\00:46:18.01
to courage and working with God.
00:46:18.04\00:46:19.87
Now, Nehemiah could have said,
"All right God, You do it all.
00:46:19.91\00:46:22.88
You know, I'm just going to put
it in Your hands, we're going
00:46:22.91\00:46:24.55
to go out there just with our
tools that are needed to be able
00:46:24.58\00:46:30.45
to build the wall, and that's
all we're gonna bring with us.
00:46:30.49\00:46:33.09
And the rest we're
going to put in Your hands."
00:46:33.12\00:46:34.59
No, we find that he works
in partnership with what he has
00:46:34.62\00:46:37.06
at his hand, and as it turns
out, they had available spears
00:46:37.09\00:46:41.03
and bows and swords and so
on, and so he took half of his
00:46:41.06\00:46:47.07
resources and people and he
put them in charge of protecting
00:46:47.40\00:46:50.57
the other half, and even
the ones that were at the wall
00:46:50.61\00:46:52.51
were taking turns.
00:46:52.54\00:46:53.88
They would take watch by night,
and they would build a wall
00:46:53.91\00:46:56.71
during the day
when it was daylight.
00:46:56.75\00:46:58.31
And it says that the
during the last days of that
00:46:58.35\00:47:00.88
51 powerful period in which they
rebuilt the wall, they didn't
00:47:00.92\00:47:03.95
even change the clothes.
00:47:03.99\00:47:05.32
They didn't even
go home and go to bed.
00:47:05.35\00:47:06.79
They would just sleep on
the wall, as they were taking
00:47:06.82\00:47:09.09
turns watching
through the night.
00:47:09.12\00:47:10.93
And it says the only time they
change their clothes was when
00:47:10.96\00:47:12.86
they had to wash their clothes,
but otherwise they didn't even
00:47:12.89\00:47:15.23
take off the clothes
to go to sleep at night.
00:47:15.26\00:47:17.40
No one really saw
their bed for several weeks.
00:47:17.43\00:47:20.17
And so here we find a very
powerful, courageous partnership
00:47:20.20\00:47:25.17
that Nehemiah had
with the Lord Himself.
00:47:25.21\00:47:29.51
There's a really
powerful sentence in the middle
00:47:29.54\00:47:32.48
of Tuesday's lesson.
00:47:32.51\00:47:33.75
It says, "Nehemiah encouraged
the people, believed in them,
00:47:33.78\00:47:37.82
worked with them, and gave
them responsibility to act."
00:47:37.85\00:47:41.69
And this is important, "He
empowered them to do the work as
00:47:41.72\00:47:45.79
he delegated and
assigned responsibilities."
00:47:45.83\00:47:47.76
And so Nehemiah also didn't make
the mistake of thinking that he
00:47:47.76\00:47:50.67
could do it all himself.
00:47:50.70\00:47:52.03
He says, "Wow, I'm powerful.
00:47:52.07\00:47:53.37
I'm close to the Lord.
00:47:53.40\00:47:54.74
God has given me a
preeminent position.
00:47:54.77\00:47:56.07
I'm just going to do it all.
00:47:56.10\00:47:57.44
You guys just stay back
and just watch the show."
00:47:57.47\00:47:59.27
No, he said, "Listen,
we're in this together.
00:47:59.31\00:48:01.14
There's no way
I can do it alone.
00:48:01.18\00:48:02.51
We need to work together."
00:48:02.54\00:48:03.85
And so he encouraged them.
00:48:03.88\00:48:05.28
He worked with them.
00:48:05.31\00:48:07.02
He believed in them.
00:48:07.05\00:48:08.62
Have you ever noticed that when
you're working out at a leader
00:48:08.65\00:48:10.55
within a committee in the church
or in ministry, and they believe
00:48:10.59\00:48:13.32
in you and encourage you
and they empower you, that you
00:48:13.36\00:48:17.03
just feel a whole lot more
encouraged, and you just feel
00:48:17.06\00:48:19.56
a lot more
effective in your ministry?
00:48:19.59\00:48:21.93
And so this is powerful,
valuable stuff for us as leaders
00:48:21.96\00:48:26.13
in whatever capacity
we are within the church.
00:48:26.17\00:48:30.44
The other thing that we find
is that Nehemiah not only did he
00:48:30.47\00:48:33.81
delegate and empower and
encourage and such, but it
00:48:33.84\00:48:36.21
tells us that he worked
alongside with them as the work
00:48:36.24\00:48:39.48
needed to be done, and so he
didn't just delegate, encourage
00:48:39.51\00:48:42.52
only, and then just say,
"Listen, you know, I'll be
00:48:42.55\00:48:45.02
at home if you need me."
00:48:45.05\00:48:47.02
No, he said, "Listen,
we're in this together.
00:48:47.06\00:48:49.22
We're in this together."
00:48:49.26\00:48:50.56
So Wednesday's lesson
is on purpose and passion.
00:48:50.59\00:48:53.36
Every good spiritual leader will
have purpose and they will have
00:48:53.40\00:48:55.86
passion within their ministry.
00:48:55.90\00:48:58.07
What is purpose?
00:48:58.10\00:48:59.43
What was the purpose
of Ezra and Nehemiah?
00:48:59.47\00:49:01.87
To see God's will done
in the lives of His people.
00:49:01.90\00:49:04.07
To establish the Holy Temple,
to establish the Holy City,
00:49:04.11\00:49:07.34
so that it would be
prepared to receive the Messiah
00:49:07.38\00:49:10.05
of the Lord.
00:49:10.08\00:49:11.41
To reestablish the
great symbolism that was found
00:49:11.45\00:49:13.68
in the ceremonial sacrificial
system of the temple that was
00:49:13.72\00:49:17.05
all declaring in 3D, God's plan
of Salvation in which Christ was
00:49:17.09\00:49:20.52
going to come and
fulfill in His literal ministry.
00:49:20.56\00:49:23.76
And so there was a lot
of purpose, and therefore
00:49:23.79\00:49:27.10
the passion follows that purpose
as they went forward to fulfill
00:49:27.13\00:49:32.23
that purpose God
had in their life.
00:49:32.27\00:49:35.94
Ezra did this through studying
the scriptures, teaching
00:49:35.97\00:49:38.61
the people the word of God
on a faithful and regular basis.
00:49:38.64\00:49:41.84
Nehemiah encouraged the people
to do what was right and stand
00:49:41.88\00:49:44.28
up boldly for God.
00:49:44.31\00:49:46.08
And so they fulfilled
their purpose in a powerful way
00:49:46.11\00:49:49.45
with God-given passion.
00:49:49.48\00:49:51.92
And then finally on
Thursday we have humility.
00:49:51.95\00:49:55.19
And Nehemiah chapter 4 and
verse 23 is where we're going
00:49:55.22\00:49:58.59
to close today.
00:49:58.63\00:50:00.03
So if you want to turn with
me to Nehemiah and chapter 4
00:50:00.06\00:50:06.03
and verse 23.
00:50:06.30\00:50:09.24
Nehemiah chapter 4,
the last verse, verse 23.
00:50:09.27\00:50:12.94
It says, "So neither I,
my brethren, my servants,
00:50:12.97\00:50:16.34
nor the men of the guard
who followed me, took off our
00:50:16.38\00:50:19.58
clothes, except that everyone
took them off for washing."
00:50:19.61\00:50:21.72
And that's why I was
just talkin' about before.
00:50:21.75\00:50:23.79
And so what I want to point
out here is that we find that is
00:50:23.82\00:50:26.69
in the
exclusive sense, isn't it?
00:50:26.72\00:50:28.72
Here Nehemiah is writing.
00:50:28.76\00:50:30.06
He says, "Neither I, my
brethren, or my servants,
00:50:30.09\00:50:33.50
or the men of the guard
who followed me, took off our
00:50:33.53\00:50:35.00
clothes."
00:50:35.03\00:50:36.33
So Nehemiah didn't say, "Listen,
you guys just stay overnight.
00:50:36.36\00:50:38.37
You guys, you know,
you're not gonna see your beds
00:50:38.40\00:50:40.20
for a couple weeks.
00:50:40.24\00:50:42.20
But I'll be at
home sleeping soundly."
00:50:42.24\00:50:43.97
No, he said, "Listen, I'm going
to be sleeping on that wall
00:50:44.01\00:50:45.87
just with you.
00:50:45.91\00:50:47.54
I'm going to be in the
same predicament as you are.
00:50:47.58\00:50:48.91
We're in this together."
00:50:48.94\00:50:50.25
He rolled up his sleeves
and that shows a humble leader,
00:50:50.28\00:50:53.48
doesn't it?
00:50:53.52\00:50:54.92
And so, the last verse on
Thursday, it says, "He sat,"
00:50:54.95\00:50:57.45
this is Jesus, "and he sat down,
called the 12, and said to them,
00:50:57.49\00:51:01.16
'If anyone desires to be
first, he shall be last of all
00:51:01.19\00:51:04.69
and servant of all.'"
00:51:04.73\00:51:06.76
We found that in Mark
chapter 9, and verse 35.
00:51:06.80\00:51:09.76
Jesus said, "The Son of
Man did not come to be served,
00:51:09.80\00:51:13.44
but to serve, and to give
His life a ransom for many."
00:51:13.47\00:51:17.97
And so we need to
remember that God calls us
00:51:18.01\00:51:21.14
to be successful leaders.
00:51:21.18\00:51:23.18
And humility, being
humble and counting ourselves as
00:51:23.21\00:51:25.95
a servant to the people that
were leading, is instrumental
00:51:25.98\00:51:29.48
to that success.
00:51:29.52\00:51:30.82
Well, it's nice to be
able to have you join us here
00:51:30.85\00:51:32.75
on the "Sabbath
School Study Hour."
00:51:32.79\00:51:35.16
We're just so thrilled to
be able to study with you week
00:51:35.19\00:51:37.19
by week, as we have made our
way through Ezra and Nehemiah.
00:51:37.23\00:51:40.20
Next week, we're going to pick
it up with a new study and that
00:51:40.23\00:51:42.50
quarterly is one
of my favorite books.
00:51:42.53\00:51:44.00
It's the
prophetic book of Daniel.
00:51:44.03\00:51:46.37
Now, if Daniel is a foreign name
to you, or you thought, "Boy,
00:51:46.40\00:51:49.07
I've never really studied
the Old Testament of Daniel."
00:51:49.10\00:51:50.67
Don't miss this quarterly
because this is powerful stuff.
00:51:50.71\00:51:53.91
It is the sister book of
Revelation, whether you knew
00:51:53.94\00:51:56.34
that or not, you'll
find out as we go through it.
00:51:56.38\00:51:58.61
And we look forward to
seeing you next week, God bless.
00:51:58.65\00:52:04.59
male announcer: Don't forget
to request today's life-changing
00:52:04.62\00:52:06.92
free resource.
00:52:06.96\00:52:08.19
Not only can you receive this
free gift in the mail, you can
00:52:08.22\00:52:10.56
download a digital copy
straight to your computer
00:52:10.59\00:52:12.69
or mobile device.
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To get your digital copy
of today's free gift, simply
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text the keyword on
your screen to 40544.
00:52:17.40\00:52:20.97
Or visit the web address
shown on your screen and be sure
00:52:21.00\00:52:24.37
to select a digital download
option on the request page.
00:52:24.41\00:52:27.48
It's now easier than ever
for you to study God's word
00:52:27.51\00:52:30.71
with "Amazing Facts" wherever
and whenever you want and most
00:52:30.75\00:52:34.52
important, to
share it with others.
00:52:34.55\00:52:40.56
male announcer:
"Amazing Facts: Changed Lives."
00:52:42.39\00:52:48.36
¤¤¤
00:52:49.13\00:52:50.47
female: It wasn't my
choice to be a Catholic.
00:52:50.50\00:52:52.93
It was my parents' choice.
00:52:52.97\00:52:54.57
My mom, she's
very, very religious.
00:52:54.60\00:52:59.21
My father, he was made the
presidential trouble-shooter
00:52:59.24\00:53:04.28
during the martial law.
00:53:04.31\00:53:07.55
I guess, having seven kids would
not be able to make my mother
00:53:07.58\00:53:12.32
to be, you know, be there
for each and every one of us,
00:53:12.35\00:53:15.66
but what was really very hard
for me was I was always told
00:53:15.69\00:53:19.69
to be the
ugliest, to be the darkest.
00:53:19.73\00:53:22.60
You know, here in
the Philippines, you're
00:53:22.63\00:53:24.80
beautiful if you're white,
but if you're brown or a little
00:53:24.83\00:53:29.20
bit darker, which
I was, you're ugly.
00:53:29.24\00:53:33.68
All of us had about seven
maids, one for each child.
00:53:33.71\00:53:38.45
The maids would say, "My baby,"
or the one she's taking care of,
00:53:38.48\00:53:42.98
"Is a lot better than
yours," referring to me.
00:53:43.02\00:53:47.32
I believed because I was
ugly, I believed I was stupid.
00:53:47.36\00:53:50.56
I believed I was good for
nothing, so I attracted all
00:53:50.59\00:53:54.66
the bad things in my life.
00:53:54.73\00:53:57.23
I had to believe that God
is fair, so I said maybe that's
00:53:57.27\00:54:02.57
because I was bad
in my previous lives.
00:54:02.60\00:54:07.28
So I believe in, of course,
reincarnation, and when I was
00:54:07.31\00:54:11.81
young, my mom told me
that I could really see ghosts.
00:54:11.85\00:54:16.89
I went into a lot of seance.
00:54:16.92\00:54:21.69
And there was even a time when
we did a ouija board, and then
00:54:21.72\00:54:25.13
in front of me--really,
it really happened, the four
00:54:25.16\00:54:29.10
of us--the glass, which is
a wine glass, it just went up.
00:54:29.13\00:54:35.14
So because this is my life, I
do believe that I was attracted
00:54:38.11\00:54:42.31
to the wrong man.
00:54:42.34\00:54:43.75
There's anything that really
happened very good was to have
00:54:43.78\00:54:47.22
my two adorable children, but I
was really abused in all areas:
00:54:47.25\00:54:53.25
physically, emotionally,
of course spiritually.
00:54:53.92\00:55:00.10
You will think, "Where is God?"
00:55:00.13\00:55:06.10
I began to search, and
unfortunately, my church
00:55:07.30\00:55:10.41
doesn't have a Bible study.
00:55:10.44\00:55:12.54
So I was able to go to a Baptist
Bible study, and there I had
00:55:12.57\00:55:17.98
a classmate.
00:55:18.01\00:55:19.35
Her name is Lu.
00:55:19.38\00:55:20.72
She gave me the DVDs, and
that is where I learned about
00:55:20.75\00:55:25.85
Pastor Doug and "Amazing Facts."
00:55:25.89\00:55:30.46
That Baptist church saw my
eagerness, so when I started
00:55:30.49\00:55:35.63
asking for Sabbath worship
on Saturday, they took me out.
00:55:35.66\00:55:41.67
They even got a meeting,
and they said that I was
00:55:43.84\00:55:47.11
a stumbling block, me and
Lu, and that is how we left.
00:55:47.14\00:55:52.48
Our friends are all
from the Baptist and we love
00:55:52.51\00:55:56.05
them dearly, but the
truth cannot be compromised.
00:55:56.08\00:56:02.16
So that is when we started
having a Bible study, every four
00:56:03.29\00:56:08.76
o'clock at Club Filipino,
and I invite all my friends.
00:56:08.80\00:56:14.80
It pains me to think
that I was really lost.
00:56:15.10\00:56:19.21
Why is it I could find
teaching through a foreigner,
00:56:19.24\00:56:24.78
from Pastor Doug?
00:56:24.81\00:56:27.15
What if nobody gave me
the message, because my growth
00:56:27.18\00:56:33.12
happened because the DVDs
that I watch every night, every
00:56:33.15\00:56:39.16
morning.
00:56:40.60\00:56:41.86
And even my friends, who
happened to have Master degree,
00:56:41.90\00:56:46.30
they say, "Why are
you so much better?
00:56:46.33\00:56:49.70
Maybe your teachers are good."
00:56:49.74\00:56:52.24
Yes, my teachers are
from the "Amazing Facts."
00:56:52.27\00:56:56.38
I owe my salvation, really,
to all the teachings that I've
00:56:56.41\00:57:00.32
learned from your
DVDs and from your books.
00:57:00.35\00:57:06.35
male announcer: Can't get enough
Amazing facts Bible study?
00:57:17.13\00:57:19.97
You don't have to wait
until next week to enjoy more
00:57:20.00\00:57:22.90
truth-filled programming.
00:57:22.94\00:57:24.97
Watch Amazing Facts
television by visiting aftv.org.
00:57:25.01\00:57:30.88
At aftv.org, you can view
Amazing Facts programming 24
00:57:30.91\00:57:35.78
hours a day, 7 days a
week, right from your computer
00:57:35.82\00:57:38.99
or mobile device.
00:57:39.02\00:57:40.56
Why wait a week?
00:57:40.59\00:57:41.89
Visit aftv.org, it's that easy.
00:57:41.92\00:57:46.66
male announcer: If you've
missed any of our Amazing Facts
00:57:46.70\00:57:48.30
programs, visit our
website at amazingfacts.org.
00:57:48.33\00:57:51.47
There you'll find an archive
of all our television and radio
00:57:51.50\00:57:54.04
programs, including
"Amazing Facts Presents."
00:57:54.07\00:57:56.94
One location, so many
possibilities amazingfacts.org.
00:57:56.97\00:58:00.54