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Doug Batchelor: You probably
heard the expression before, "If
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you don't like the
weather in Texas, just wait.
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It'll change."
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And you've also heard,
"Everything is bigger in Texas,"
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the ranches, the belt buckles,
the cowboy hats, but the most
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famous slogan about
Texas is "Remember the Alamo."
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Doug: The violent battles and
bravery of iconic heroes have
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been the stuff of legends
throughout which entire cultures
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often draw their identity and
pride, even long after centuries
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have passed.
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And in Texas, the story of the
Alamo has been a rallying cry of
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Texas
independence for 200 years.
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One reason that Texans love to
brag that everything is bigger
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in Texas is, of course, because
Texas is the largest of the
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lower 48 U.S. states.
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It's hard to believe that this
massive state got its beginning
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in a very small Christian
mission during the Battle of
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the Alamo.
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Every year, this famous mission
museum receives over two and a
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half million visitors from
all parts of the planet that are
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eager to get a good
look at this legendary site.
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The Alamo played a critical
role in the Texas Revolution.
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In December 1835, Texans
and Tejano volunteers battled
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Mexican troops cordoned in
the city, forcing General Martin
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Perfecto de Cos, to surrender.
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The victorious volunteers
then occupied the Alamo and
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strengthened its defenses.
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Famous Americans like Davy
Crockett, Jim Bowie, and Colonel
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William Travis, made this
location, this ancient mission,
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the beachhead, the last
stand in an epic battle to win
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independence of
Texas from Mexico.
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On February 23, 1836, the
arrival of General Antonio Lopez
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Santa Anna, nearly
caught them by surprise.
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Undaunted, the Texans and
Tejanos prepared to defend
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the Alamo.
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For this small, ragtag group of
rebels, the youngest of who was
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about 16, and the oldest, 75,
was against the well-trained and
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organized Mexican Army
of 6,000-plus soldiers.
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It was a fierce and lopsided
battle, yet the small force of
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rebels was able to
repel the troops for 13 days.
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Legend holds that with the
possibility of additional help
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fading, Colonel Travis drew a
line in the ground with a sword
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and asked any man willing
to stay and fight, to step over
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the line.
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All except one crossed over.
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The final assault
came before daybreak.
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On the morning of March 6,
1836, the 13th day of the siege,
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cannon and small arms fire
from inside the Alamo beat back
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several Mexican attacks.
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Regrouping, Santa Anna's
soldiers scaled the walls and
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rushed into the compound.
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The desperate struggle
continued until the defenders
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were overwhelmed.
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By sunrise, the battle
had ended, and the garrison
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were slain.
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You know, historians may debate
some of the details regarding
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the Battle of the Alamo,
but none of them questioned the
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incredible sacrifice that was
made and the courage that was
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displayed during
that intense conflict.
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They made the ultimate
sacrifice, giving their lives,
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and this is why the story of
the Alamo is so inspiring and
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so encouraging.
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You know, and that's why the
Bible is so inspiring, friends,
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because someone was willing to
make the ultimate sacrifice and
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give His life so that you can
have freedom and eternal life.
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Don't you think you could trust
your life to a friend like that,
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that would give everything?
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The story of the Gospel is
a story of courage and hope.
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It's a story of a God who will
never leave you without defense
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and support.
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Jesus is the good news,
and the Gospel is a story
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worth remembering.
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Doug: Hi, friends.
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Welcome to our
"Sabbath School Study Hour."
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We're so thankful that
you're joining us here.
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We have a very important lesson
we're going to study in just a
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minute, but before we get
to the lesson, a couple of
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important announcements.
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As always, we have a free offer
that goes along with our lesson.
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Today we're offering you the
book "12 Steps to Revival," and
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it's very simple.
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If you'd like to get a free copy
of this, you can simply call the
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number 866-788-3966.
00:04:47.78\00:04:52.09
That's 866-Study-More,
or you can text "SH001."
00:04:52.12\00:04:59.89
You text "SH001" to 40544,
and you can download a free copy
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of this.
00:05:07.67\00:05:09.97
If you call us, ask
for Offer Number 780.
00:05:10.01\00:05:12.41
You'll get a free copy of "12
Steps to Revival," written by
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yours truly.
00:05:15.54\00:05:18.15
And sometimes, lately, I've
been doing these lessons with
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Pastor Ross.
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We've been being interactive.
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Today he's participating in
graduation of their daughter,
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and so he could
not be with us today.
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Another important announcement,
as we often do with our study,
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I've got some faithful helpers
here in the studio if you have
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questions about today's lesson.
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Now, the lesson today
is a really important one.
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It's dealing with difficult
Bible passages, and I won't
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pretend that I've got all
the answers to all the difficult
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Bible passages, but we're going
to address some of those today,
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and we're going to talk about
how to approach difficult Bible
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passages in our study today.
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But before we get into our
study, it's always a good idea
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to pray, and so we'd
like to invite you to join us.
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Loving Lord, thank You
so much for Your blessings.
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Thank You so much for the Word
of God, and we just pray that
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the Holy Spirit will take charge
of this study today, that, as a
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result, when the dust settles,
our faith will be stronger in
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the infallibility of Your Word,
and so we just pray that You
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will be glorified and You'll
speak, in Jesus' name, amen.
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So our lesson today is "Dealing
with Difficult Passages," and we
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have a memory verse.
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And the memory
verse-- [clearing throat]
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Excuse me.
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The memory verse comes from
2 Peter chapter 3, verse 15 and
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16, and this is a very important
passage for a number of reasons.
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"And consider that the
longsuffering of our Lord is
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salvation, as also our beloved
brother Paul, according to the
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wisdom given him, has written
to you, also in as all his
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epistles, speaking in them of
these things, in which are some
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things hard to understand,
which those who are untaught and
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unstable, they twist to their
own destruction as they do the
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rest of the Scriptures."
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And this is from the
New King James Version.
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In the things that Paul
says, there are some things that
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people who are untrained twist
to their own destruction as they
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do other Scripture.
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Very important verse.
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For one thing, he's calling
the writings of Paul Scripture,
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while Paul is still alive.
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And so they understood that the
writings of the apostles were to
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be added to the sacred canon,
even in their own lifetime.
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And something else I just think
is worthy of notice that so
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often when people get mixed up
in false doctrines relating to
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law and grace, they almost
universally turn to Paul's
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writings because they
twist these Scriptures, and they
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misunderstand them.
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So what do you do when you
come into difficult passages or
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apparent
contradictions in the Bible?
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If you got questions about that,
friends, we want you to go ahead
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and send those in to the Doug
Batchelor Facebook page or the
00:08:07.22\00:08:11.02
Amazing Facts Facebook page, and
they're going to just hold up
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their hand, and I'll--it'll be
like you're raising your hand,
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and we're going to get to
be--we'll be selective with the
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questions because we want
to make sure they're on topic.
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We'll try to make this study
time as interactive as possible.
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And something I'd like to begin
with before we delve into some
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of the dealing with difficult
passages, what is the official
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position of the Seventh
Day Adventist Church regarding
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the Scriptures?
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And this is from our Fundamental
Belief Number 1: "The Holy
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Scriptures, the Old and New
Testament, are the written Word
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of God, given by divine
inspiration through holy men of
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God who spoke and wrote as they
were moved by the Holy Spirit.
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In this Word, God has committed
to man the knowledge necessary
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for salvation.
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The Holy Scriptures are
the infallible revelation of
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His will."
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Now, notice that wording there.
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It's not saying that there might
not be some scribal or clerical
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error in the translations.
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It's saying that in the
Scriptures, you find the
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infallible
revelation of the will of God.
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"They are the standard
of character, the test of
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experience, the authoritative
revealer of doctrines, the
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trustworthy record of
God's acts in history."
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So some people say, "Well,
Seventh Day Adventists, yeah,
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don't you base your writings on
a magazine or on a committee or
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on a particular person?"
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No, we base our teachings
on the Bible, the Word of God.
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Folks sometimes confuse
us for others, and we are a
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Bible-based church.
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The Bible is the final arbiter,
final Word of God in determining
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what is truth.
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Now, having said that, are there
any--well, certainly, there are
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apparent misunderstandings
in the Bible, and there are some
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apparent
contradictions in the Bible.
00:10:04.07\00:10:06.20
We'll get to
those in just a minute.
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That should not shake
our faith in the Word of God.
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Now, what are some of the
possible reasons for apparent
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contradictions
in the Word of God?
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You look in 2 Timothy chapter
2--and I'm going to read verse
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10 to 16.
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"Therefore I endure all things
for the sake of the elect, that
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they may also obtain the
salvation which is in Christ
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Jesus with eternal glory.
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This is a faithful saying: For
if we died with Him, we'll also
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live with Him.
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If we endure, we
will also reign with Him.
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If we deny Him, He will deny us.
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If we are
faithless, He remains faithful.
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He cannot deny Himself.
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Remind them--"
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Paul is telling Timothy, "Remind
them of these things, charging
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them before the Lord not to
strive about words or--that do
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not profit, to
the ruin of hearers.
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But be diligent to present
yourselves approved to God, a
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worker who does not need to
be ashamed, rightly dividing the
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word of truth.
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But shun profane and
idle babblings, for they will
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increase to more ungodliness."
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You know, it was even someone
like Mark Twain, who said, "It's
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not the mysteries in the Bible
that caused me sleepless nights.
00:11:18.81\00:11:21.24
It's the good, I understand,
I know I should do that
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troubles me."
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And so there are people who will
quibble over small, apparent
00:11:26.72\00:11:31.22
discrepancies in the Word of
God, and then they neglect the
00:11:31.25\00:11:34.52
very clear, unmistakable,
consistent truths, the vast
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preponderance of evidence.
00:11:38.69\00:11:41.96
They neglect that, and they
focus on a fly on the wall, and
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they miss everything else.
00:11:45.97\00:11:47.90
And so don't make that mistake.
00:11:47.94\00:11:49.94
Paul is telling us, "Look, shun
the vain and idle babblings.
00:11:49.97\00:11:54.38
Study to show
yourself approved unto God."
00:11:54.41\00:11:57.45
All right, question is, "If God
is the Creator of all things,
00:11:57.48\00:12:00.28
how can God be
good and create evil?"
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The Bible says God is good.
00:12:04.09\00:12:06.45
Look in the garden of Eden.
00:12:06.49\00:12:08.72
Everything was good, good, very
good, and Bible tells us that
00:12:08.76\00:12:11.46
"Only God is good."
00:12:11.49\00:12:13.36
In fact, the word for "good"
in English is connected with the
00:12:13.40\00:12:17.20
word "God."
00:12:17.23\00:12:19.73
But why is there evil?
00:12:19.77\00:12:21.54
Because God is good, He makes
His creatures free, and that
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means they're free to choose,
and His intelligent creatures,
00:12:24.37\00:12:27.21
they can choose
between good and evil.
00:12:27.24\00:12:30.58
And in order to love Him,
they have to be absolutely free.
00:12:30.61\00:12:33.95
And so, if God only makes
creatures that will love Him and
00:12:33.98\00:12:37.65
worship Him, then
it's not true love.
00:12:37.69\00:12:39.92
In order to have true love,
there must be true freedom.
00:12:39.95\00:12:42.46
That means you take a risk that
some will choose not to love.
00:12:42.49\00:12:45.33
And I think it was C.S. Lewis,
who said, "The lake of fire is
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the greatest evidence that God
is a loving God, that He really
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makes His creatures free."
00:12:53.17\00:12:55.30
All right, now, I want to give
you something to think about.
00:12:55.34\00:12:57.61
We're going to take a look at
some of the inconsistencies in
00:12:57.64\00:13:01.18
the Bible.
00:13:01.21\00:13:02.74
We're going to invite you to
maybe ask about some of them.
00:13:02.78\00:13:04.85
And you just remember,
look at Psalm 139 verse 6: "Such
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knowledge is too
wonderful for me.
00:13:09.78\00:13:12.45
It is high, I
cannot contain it."
00:13:12.49\00:13:15.96
As we are talking about God and
the Word of God and the things
00:13:15.99\00:13:18.96
of God, there are some things
that it takes a while for us
00:13:18.99\00:13:22.10
to understand.
00:13:22.13\00:13:24.23
There were simple truths in the
Bible that I did not understand
00:13:24.27\00:13:26.70
because I was unlearned.
00:13:26.74\00:13:29.00
And it's like Peter said,
"There are some people who are
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unlearned and unstable, and they
twist the Word of God to their
00:13:31.31\00:13:34.71
own destruction."
00:13:34.74\00:13:36.44
I remember when I first started
reading the Bible, I smoked, and
00:13:36.48\00:13:39.35
I drank, and I got convicted by
the Spirit that I should stop,
00:13:39.38\00:13:43.92
but I did not want to stop.
00:13:43.95\00:13:46.32
And then I read that verse that
said, "It's not what goes in a
00:13:46.35\00:13:49.19
man's mouth that defiles
him, but what comes out."
00:13:49.22\00:13:51.89
And I took that Scripture,
and I twisted it to my
00:13:51.93\00:13:54.10
own destruction.
00:13:54.13\00:13:55.80
I said, "Well,
there you have it.
00:13:55.83\00:13:57.63
It's not what goes in my mouth,
whether it's smoke or alcohol.
00:13:57.67\00:14:00.17
It's what comes out."
00:14:00.20\00:14:02.27
And I just felt that was
not a good interpretation.
00:14:02.30\00:14:04.34
I was still convicted, and,
finally, God said, "Doug, what
00:14:04.37\00:14:06.91
goes in your mouth affects
what comes out your mouth," and
00:14:06.94\00:14:10.58
whether it's tobacco breath
or alcohol that makes you say
00:14:10.61\00:14:14.42
things you're ashamed of.
00:14:14.45\00:14:16.52
And so I was not rightly
dividing the Word of God and--or
00:14:16.55\00:14:20.12
I read that verse in the Bible
that said, "If your right hand
00:14:20.16\00:14:23.36
offends you, cut it off.
00:14:23.39\00:14:25.36
Better to enter heaven missing
the hand than go to hell with
00:14:25.39\00:14:27.96
two healthy hands."
00:14:27.96\00:14:29.80
That's a paraphrase.
00:14:29.83\00:14:32.03
And then I realized, "No, God is
not saying that anybody should
00:14:32.07\00:14:34.10
pluck out their eye or cut off
their foot or their hand if they
00:14:34.14\00:14:36.91
offend because, if you steal
with your right hand, then you
00:14:36.94\00:14:40.38
get it cut off, you'll
just deal with your left hand."
00:14:40.41\00:14:42.58
It happens in the heart.
00:14:42.61\00:14:44.35
Jesus was using that to
illustrate that, even if it
00:14:44.38\00:14:46.41
means separating yourself from
something or someone so close to
00:14:46.45\00:14:49.92
you, they're like a right hand
or an eye or a foot, it's better
00:14:49.95\00:14:53.32
to do that.
00:14:53.36\00:14:54.92
Make that sacrifice.
00:14:54.96\00:14:56.46
Go through that
struggle than lose eternal life.
00:14:56.49\00:14:59.73
And so, when you read the
Word of God, you need to rightly
00:14:59.76\00:15:02.80
divide it and know what
are the parables, what are the
00:15:02.83\00:15:06.07
metaphors, and even the
disciples sometimes understood.
00:15:06.10\00:15:09.87
Jesus is crossing the sea.
00:15:09.90\00:15:12.64
I'm saying even the disciples
sometimes misunderstood.
00:15:12.67\00:15:15.21
Going across the Sea of Galilee,
Jesus said, "Beware of the
00:15:15.24\00:15:18.35
leaven of the Pharisees," and
all the disciples in the boat
00:15:18.38\00:15:22.22
looked around, said, "Oh,
we forgot the lunch again."
00:15:22.25\00:15:25.65
And Jesus said, "No,
that's not what I meant.
00:15:25.69\00:15:27.92
I meant beware of the
doctrine of the Pharisees."
00:15:27.96\00:15:31.33
So sometimes even the disciples
misunderstood and misapplied the
00:15:31.36\00:15:35.03
Word of God.
00:15:35.06\00:15:36.90
So don't be surprised if church
members do if the apostles
00:15:36.93\00:15:39.13
sometimes did it.
00:15:39.17\00:15:41.37
So I remember reading a verse
in the Bible, in Proverbs 24--or
00:15:41.40\00:15:48.38
26, verse 4 and 5,
and I thought, "This is
00:15:48.41\00:15:50.75
a contradiction."
00:15:50.78\00:15:53.15
Proverbs 26, verse 4 and 5,
Solomon said, "Do not answer a
00:15:53.18\00:15:56.79
fool according to his
folly, lest you be like him."
00:15:56.82\00:16:00.29
If you start trying to argue
with a fool, you sound foolish.
00:16:00.32\00:16:02.69
But the very next verse says,
"Answer a fool according to his
00:16:02.72\00:16:06.96
folly, lest he is
wise in his own eyes."
00:16:07.00\00:16:09.83
And I'm thinking,
"Solomon, make up your mind.
00:16:09.86\00:16:12.27
Do we answer fools, or
do we not answer fools?"
00:16:12.30\00:16:15.14
Why does he say
two opposite things?
00:16:15.17\00:16:17.64
Which is it?
00:16:17.67\00:16:19.17
Answer the fool, or
don't answer the fool?
00:16:19.21\00:16:21.61
And, finally, it occurred to me,
what Solomon is saying, tongue
00:16:21.64\00:16:24.31
in cheek, is "If you argue with
a fool, you'll lose if you don't
00:16:24.35\00:16:28.85
answer him.
00:16:28.88\00:16:31.05
He'll think he's right.
00:16:31.09\00:16:32.75
And if you do answer
him, you sound like him."
00:16:32.79\00:16:35.22
Any communication with a
fool is a lose-lose situation.
00:16:35.26\00:16:38.99
It's like someone said, "Don't
wrestle with a pig because
00:16:39.03\00:16:41.63
you'll get dirty, and
the pig will enjoy it."
00:16:41.66\00:16:44.37
You just--it's not
helping anybody out.
00:16:44.40\00:16:47.17
What if it's someone who's
even part of your own family?
00:16:47.20\00:16:49.90
Well, not if
you're married to them.
00:16:49.94\00:16:52.54
Bible tells us what the
criteria for marriage is.
00:16:52.57\00:16:55.78
If you have somebody that is
taking you away from the Lord,
00:16:55.81\00:16:59.38
sometimes a person will
convert, and their family are
00:16:59.41\00:17:02.65
unbelievers, and their family
are making it very difficult for
00:17:02.68\00:17:05.65
them to live out their
convictions, they might want to
00:17:05.69\00:17:08.89
separate from those family
members so they can live out
00:17:08.92\00:17:11.86
their convictions.
00:17:11.89\00:17:14.10
Jesus said, "You need to love
Me more than father, mother,
00:17:14.13\00:17:16.33
sister, brother, husband, wife,
houses or lands, anything."
00:17:16.36\00:17:18.57
Loving the Lord first.
00:17:18.60\00:17:21.17
All right, let me give you
a common misconception that
00:17:21.20\00:17:25.07
is--often comes in.
00:17:25.11\00:17:27.31
People say, "Pastor Doug, why
does the Bible say, 'Thou shalt
00:17:27.34\00:17:29.54
not kill'?"
00:17:29.58\00:17:31.58
in Exodus 20:13, and then you
read in 1 Samuel 15, God says to
00:17:31.61\00:17:35.98
King Saul, "Go and
attack Amalek," the Amalekites,
00:17:36.02\00:17:39.72
"utterly destroy
all that they have.
00:17:39.75\00:17:41.82
Do not spare them.
00:17:41.86\00:17:43.79
Kill man and woman, infant,
nursing child, ox, sheep,
00:17:43.83\00:17:46.16
donkey, camel."
00:17:46.19\00:17:48.66
God said, "Don't kill."
00:17:48.70\00:17:50.43
Then he says, "Kill."
00:17:50.47\00:17:52.57
Well, the answer to that,
firstly, is the word is not
00:17:52.60\00:17:54.80
really "kill."
00:17:54.84\00:17:56.54
I know King James says that.
00:17:56.57\00:17:58.24
If you look in the New King
James Version, it says "Thou
00:17:58.27\00:18:00.14
shalt not murder."
00:18:00.18\00:18:02.01
And even in the King James
Version, when Jesus, in the New
00:18:02.04\00:18:03.88
Testament, quotes the Ten
Commandments, he says, "Thou
00:18:03.91\00:18:06.11
shall not murder."
00:18:06.15\00:18:07.88
"Murder" is
different from "killing."
00:18:07.92\00:18:09.82
"Murder" is the unlawful
taking of innocent life.
00:18:09.85\00:18:14.66
When soldiers come home
from defending their country in
00:18:14.69\00:18:18.29
battle, they are
not convicted of murder.
00:18:18.33\00:18:21.00
Now, of course, there are
certain wartime rules of law
00:18:21.03\00:18:23.60
as well.
00:18:23.63\00:18:25.63
There are war crimes, but,
you know, if they're lawfully
00:18:25.67\00:18:28.44
attacking the enemy, when
God told Saul--and other times:
00:18:28.47\00:18:31.64
Joshua, when they entered the
Promised Land, they were told to
00:18:31.67\00:18:34.54
attack and sometimes
annihilate the enemy.
00:18:34.58\00:18:37.28
When God sent the flood in
Noah's day, what's God doing?
00:18:37.31\00:18:41.12
He annihilated everybody
in the world except Noah and
00:18:41.15\00:18:44.42
his family.
00:18:44.45\00:18:46.62
God has the right to judge.
00:18:46.65\00:18:48.59
And, by the way, if God doesn't
send annihilation, we're all
00:18:48.62\00:18:50.56
under a death sentence.
00:18:50.59\00:18:52.56
Everybody is dying.
00:18:52.59\00:18:54.66
If God speeds up that
process of judgment, if He uses
00:18:54.73\00:18:56.56
floodwaters, if He uses another
nation, what's the difference?
00:18:56.60\00:18:59.20
People are all dying without
the Gospel, and God can send His
00:18:59.23\00:19:02.04
judgment any time.
00:19:02.07\00:19:04.27
Question is not
"Why does God kill?"
00:19:04.31\00:19:07.31
But the question is
"Why does God spare?"
00:19:07.34\00:19:10.81
If the penalty for sin is death,
why is He so merciful with us?
00:19:10.85\00:19:14.35
Everybody spins
that the wrong way.
00:19:14.38\00:19:17.35
So it's really "Do not murder."
00:19:17.39\00:19:19.92
By the way, it's in Luke
18:20, where Jesus said, "Do
00:19:19.95\00:19:22.82
not murder."
00:19:22.86\00:19:24.86
"Murder" is
different from "killing."
00:19:24.89\00:19:26.73
If you pull a weed,
you're killing the weed.
00:19:26.76\00:19:28.76
That would be considered
a sin if you take it by that
00:19:28.80\00:19:31.33
clinical definition.
00:19:31.37\00:19:33.57
And--but we need sometimes
people to help us understand,
00:19:33.60\00:19:37.24
and this is part of the
job of Christian teachers.
00:19:37.27\00:19:40.54
That's one of the gifts of the
Spirit, pastors, evangelists, is
00:19:40.58\00:19:43.35
to expound, to explain, to
exhort what the Word of God
00:19:43.38\00:19:46.75
is saying.
00:19:46.78\00:19:49.25
This very bright--he's
an Ethiopian treasure for
00:19:49.28\00:19:51.99
the queen.
00:19:52.02\00:19:53.79
He's obviously a smart man.
00:19:53.82\00:19:55.62
He's riding
along in his chariot.
00:19:55.66\00:19:57.86
He's reading the book of Isaiah.
00:19:57.89\00:20:00.03
Philip asks him, "Do you
know what you're reading?"
00:20:00.06\00:20:01.90
And he said, "How can I
understand unless someone
00:20:01.93\00:20:04.27
guides me?"
00:20:04.30\00:20:06.30
God has a place for teachers.
00:20:06.33\00:20:08.84
And all of us are
really ignorant, just in
00:20:08.87\00:20:11.57
different areas.
00:20:11.61\00:20:13.38
We need sometimes someone to
explain and to teach us and help
00:20:13.41\00:20:16.18
us understand things.
00:20:16.21\00:20:18.28
Don't ever be afraid.
00:20:18.31\00:20:20.02
Now, there are times where
you're going to run into not
00:20:20.05\00:20:22.62
just misunderstandings
in the Bible or
00:20:22.65\00:20:25.05
apparent contradictions.
00:20:25.09\00:20:27.02
There are some very real
areas that are hard to resolve.
00:20:27.06\00:20:32.29
They're not many,
but there's a few.
00:20:32.33\00:20:34.56
Let me read a statement to you
from the "Spirit of Prophecy."
00:20:34.56\00:20:37.27
This is in your lesson under the
first section, Selected Messages
00:20:37.30\00:20:40.30
Book 1, page 16: "Some
discrepancies in Scripture might
00:20:40.34\00:20:45.31
be due to minor errors
of copyists, translators.
00:20:45.34\00:20:48.98
Ellen White stated, 'Some look
to us gravely and say, "Don't
00:20:49.01\00:20:54.72
you think there might have been
some mistakes in the copies to
00:20:54.75\00:20:57.75
the translators?"
00:20:57.79\00:20:59.72
This is all probable, and the
mind that is so narrow that it
00:20:59.75\00:21:03.43
will hesitate and stumble over
the possibility or probability
00:21:03.46\00:21:06.56
would just be as ready to
stumble over the mysteries of
00:21:06.59\00:21:09.60
the Inspired Word, because their
feeble minds cannot see through
00:21:09.63\00:21:12.90
the purposes of God.'"
00:21:12.93\00:21:14.74
That should not
shake the faith of anybody.
00:21:14.77\00:21:17.44
I got a question coming in.
00:21:17.47\00:21:19.67
"So since Jesus said there will
be plagues before the Second
00:21:19.71\00:21:22.18
Coming, do we need to do what
the Israelites did and maybe put
00:21:22.21\00:21:25.21
blood on our door before the
seven last plagues to protect
00:21:25.25\00:21:27.42
our family?"
00:21:27.45\00:21:30.52
No, in the Hebrew plagues, that
lamb's blood was a symbol for
00:21:30.55\00:21:33.25
Christ's blood.
00:21:33.29\00:21:35.29
We must have the blood of
Christ applied to our lives.
00:21:35.32\00:21:38.43
Just like only those who were
in the house of Rahab with a red
00:21:38.46\00:21:41.83
rope in the window were saved,
only those that are in Christ,
00:21:41.86\00:21:45.80
with the red blood of Christ,
they've accepted His sacrifice,
00:21:45.83\00:21:48.64
are going to be spared.
00:21:48.67\00:21:50.61
So, in that sense, it's
similar, but it's a symbol.
00:21:50.64\00:21:53.74
Now, talking about some of the
discrepancies in the Bible, if
00:21:53.78\00:21:57.78
you're walking through Colorado
mountains, and you're dying of
00:21:57.81\00:22:02.72
thirst, and you suddenly
see a creek where there is
00:22:02.75\00:22:06.79
crystal-clear water coming down
from melted snow, no factories
00:22:06.82\00:22:11.36
above this mountain, it's as
pure as you can find on earth,
00:22:11.39\00:22:14.36
you probably would not hesitate
to get down and to drink some of
00:22:14.36\00:22:17.63
that water, and it would save
your life, and you would very
00:22:17.67\00:22:20.34
likely be just fine
and much better for it.
00:22:20.37\00:22:23.57
But if you take that water to
a laboratory, and you look at it
00:22:23.61\00:22:26.91
under an electron microscope,
in that water, you're going to
00:22:26.94\00:22:30.61
probably find microscopic
particles of clay, sodium,
00:22:30.65\00:22:35.82
algae, some bacteria, and even
microscopic particles of gold.
00:22:35.85\00:22:41.79
Even the bottled purified water
that we drink is not 100% pure.
00:22:41.82\00:22:47.86
It is 99.999% pure, depending on
the water and the company that
00:22:47.86\00:22:52.23
you buy--get it from, but we
don't have any problem drinking
00:22:52.27\00:22:57.94
that water because we know
that it is really pure water.
00:22:57.97\00:23:01.58
The Bible--just keep
perspective, friends.
00:23:01.61\00:23:05.85
The Bible has 783,137
words in the King James
00:23:05.88\00:23:10.55
Authorized Version.
00:23:10.59\00:23:12.62
That's 3,116,480 letters.
00:23:12.65\00:23:17.29
When you take all of the
apparent contradictions in the
00:23:17.33\00:23:20.56
Bible, sometimes they are
one digit of a number that is
00:23:20.60\00:23:23.37
different from another place.
00:23:23.40\00:23:25.57
That's one character
out of three million.
00:23:25.60\00:23:28.44
Sometimes it is one letter, a
word, or said letter that may--a
00:23:28.47\00:23:35.44
name may have been pronounced
differently in one book
00:23:35.48\00:23:37.78
than another.
00:23:37.81\00:23:40.12
One letter in the
name was different.
00:23:40.15\00:23:42.38
And people say, "Ah, there's
discrepancies in the Bible.
00:23:42.42\00:23:44.55
It can't be trusted."
00:23:44.59\00:23:46.49
Folks that look at stuff like
that will die in the mountains
00:23:46.52\00:23:48.29
because they won't
drink spring water.
00:23:48.32\00:23:50.33
The Bible is a pure book.
00:23:50.36\00:23:52.53
So I wanted to establish that
because now, as we go through
00:23:52.56\00:23:54.40
the inconsistencies, I want
to make sure you understand they
00:23:54.46\00:23:57.20
are microscopic when you can
look at the size of the Bible,
00:23:57.23\00:24:02.17
how big it is, and
how much is in there.
00:24:02.20\00:24:04.34
Okay, let's keep moving here.
00:24:04.37\00:24:06.41
Let's deal honestly and
carefully when we run into
00:24:06.44\00:24:09.51
discrepancies in the Bible, or
apparent discrepancies, because
00:24:09.54\00:24:13.35
not all of them
are discrepancies.
00:24:13.38\00:24:15.18
Some just look that
way at first glance.
00:24:15.22\00:24:17.29
1 Chronicles 29:17, "I know
also, my God, that You test the
00:24:17.32\00:24:23.29
heart and have
pleasure in uprightness.
00:24:23.32\00:24:26.16
As for me, in the uprightness
of my heart, I have willingly
00:24:26.19\00:24:30.10
offered these things, and now
with joy I've seen Your people,
00:24:30.13\00:24:34.07
who are present here,
who offer willingly to You."
00:24:34.10\00:24:37.31
Something that God really values
is honesty and an uprightness
00:24:37.34\00:24:41.28
and a willingness of heart.
00:24:41.31\00:24:43.71
And so as we encounter different
challenges in reading the Bible,
00:24:43.75\00:24:49.38
don't just, you know, put in
your prejudice right away, what
00:24:49.42\00:24:53.22
your opinion is.
00:24:53.25\00:24:55.42
Don't defend something if
you really don't know what the
00:24:55.46\00:24:57.29
answer is.
00:24:57.33\00:24:59.13
Say, "You know,
that's a good question.
00:24:59.16\00:25:01.13
I'm going to have to
study that and find out more."
00:25:01.16\00:25:03.10
We do a Bible-answer program
every week, and sometimes people
00:25:03.13\00:25:05.07
ask me a question, and, frankly,
I don't know the answer.
00:25:05.10\00:25:07.27
I said, "You know, can
you call back next week?
00:25:07.30\00:25:09.87
I'm going to look that up
and see if I can find a better
00:25:09.90\00:25:11.77
answer for you."
00:25:11.81\00:25:13.98
Only God knows all
things, and so have a humble,
00:25:14.01\00:25:16.61
teachable spirit.
00:25:16.64\00:25:19.28
God respects that.
00:25:19.31\00:25:21.22
Why do the four gospels seem
different when it describes the
00:25:21.25\00:25:23.15
women that went to the tomb?
00:25:23.18\00:25:25.29
Actually, that's one of the
examples where there really is
00:25:25.32\00:25:27.59
perfect harmony.
00:25:27.62\00:25:29.42
What you have that's
different is the timing.
00:25:29.46\00:25:31.43
Now, I researched this in depth
because I wrote a book, called
00:25:31.46\00:25:33.80
"At Jesus' Feet: The Gospel
According to Mary Magdalene,"
00:25:33.83\00:25:36.87
and I had to sort this out.
00:25:36.90\00:25:39.00
But Mary is the first
one who comes to the tomb.
00:25:39.03\00:25:41.54
She comes alone
while it's still dark.
00:25:41.57\00:25:43.61
As she sees the stone
is rolled away, she leaves.
00:25:43.64\00:25:46.31
She encounters the other women,
and then she goes back with them
00:25:46.34\00:25:49.91
to say, "Look, see?
00:25:49.94\00:25:51.95
It was as I said."
00:25:51.98\00:25:54.08
They then go, and
they tell the others.
00:25:54.12\00:25:56.02
Peter and John come.
00:25:56.05\00:25:57.92
Mary is there.
00:25:57.95\00:25:59.62
Peter and John leave.
00:25:59.65\00:26:01.36
Mary stays.
00:26:01.39\00:26:03.12
Jesus then appears to Mary.
00:26:03.16\00:26:04.83
And so it's the sequence of
how it happened that looks like
00:26:04.86\00:26:06.70
different groups are
coming at different times.
00:26:06.73\00:26:08.63
And, of course, each gospel
writer, they're reporting the
00:26:08.66\00:26:10.90
absolute truth.
00:26:10.93\00:26:12.50
They're reporting different
parts of the chronological time
00:26:12.53\00:26:14.40
of the Resurrection morning.
00:26:14.44\00:26:17.11
Okay, back to the lesson here.
00:26:17.14\00:26:19.74
In Proverbs 2, verse 7, it says,
"He stores up sound wisdom for
00:26:19.77\00:26:23.81
the upright."
00:26:23.85\00:26:25.65
You want to understand?
00:26:25.68\00:26:27.35
Be upright in heart, be honest.
00:26:27.38\00:26:29.68
"He's a shield to
those who walk uprightly."
00:26:29.72\00:26:32.22
1 Timothy 4:16, "Take heed
to yourself in the doctrine.
00:26:32.25\00:26:36.99
Continue in this, for in
doing this, you will both save
00:26:37.03\00:26:40.20
yourself and
those who hear you."
00:26:40.23\00:26:42.63
In the process for searching out
the truth--and Jesus said, "Thy
00:26:42.66\00:26:46.63
word is truth."
00:26:46.67\00:26:48.44
The Bible is true.
00:26:48.47\00:26:50.17
God has miraculously preserved
His word and kept it pure.
00:26:50.21\00:26:53.84
And something else I thought you
would find interesting, I was
00:26:53.88\00:26:57.81
doing some research on the
average book when it's printed.
00:26:57.85\00:27:03.22
Oh, yeah.
00:27:03.25\00:27:05.29
Errors in a typical novel.
00:27:05.32\00:27:07.66
There are millions of books that
are printed in the world and in
00:27:07.69\00:27:09.79
North America, and a top
publishing editor said, "A book
00:27:09.82\00:27:15.66
that's been hastily proofread by
just one proofreader may display
00:27:15.70\00:27:19.50
one typo per 1,000 words.
00:27:19.53\00:27:23.14
This is not an unusual
thing among published books.
00:27:23.17\00:27:26.91
I have been sent
to read and review.
00:27:26.94\00:27:30.41
I'm more comfortable with three
typos, single-letter errors, or
00:27:30.45\00:27:35.02
two letters
transposed per 10,000 words."
00:27:35.05\00:27:38.75
Based on the very best
publishing editors, the Bible is
00:27:38.79\00:27:42.12
above all of that, when you
consider there are three million
00:27:42.16\00:27:44.96
words and very few of these
typographical errors that you're
00:27:44.99\00:27:50.97
going to find in the Bible.
00:27:51.00\00:27:53.30
All right, let's move on here.
00:27:53.34\00:27:55.17
In Matthew chapter 13:19,
Jesus said, "Those who are
00:27:55.20\00:27:59.14
unstable," if you're not
grounded in the Word, "you can
00:27:59.17\00:28:02.01
be easily confused."
00:28:02.04\00:28:04.08
"When anyone hears the words
of the kingdom, if he doesn't
00:28:04.11\00:28:06.28
understand it, then the wicked
one comes and snatches away that
00:28:06.31\00:28:09.32
which was sown in his heart.
00:28:09.35\00:28:11.92
This is he who receives
the seed by the wayside."
00:28:11.95\00:28:15.39
And so, when we first read,
you really need to pray for the
00:28:15.42\00:28:18.36
Holy Spirit.
00:28:18.39\00:28:20.33
If there's part of the Bible you
do not understand, or it seems
00:28:20.36\00:28:22.40
there's a discrepancy or some
contradiction, hold fast to that
00:28:22.43\00:28:27.57
which is good and keep reading.
00:28:27.60\00:28:29.84
The answers will come
as you continue to study.
00:28:29.87\00:28:32.17
Remember, Isaiah 55:9, "For as
the heavens are higher than the
00:28:32.21\00:28:38.11
earth, so are my ways higher
than your ways, and my thoughts
00:28:38.15\00:28:41.85
than your thoughts."
00:28:41.88\00:28:44.39
Romans 11:33, "Oh, the depths
of the riches both of the wisdom
00:28:44.42\00:28:47.99
and the knowledge of God.
00:28:48.02\00:28:50.09
How unsearchable are His
judgments and His ways past
00:28:50.13\00:28:53.13
finding out."
00:28:53.16\00:28:55.50
So here's an example of some of
the discrepancies that you might
00:28:55.53\00:28:59.87
run into, and, believe it or
not, in our lesson today, I'm
00:28:59.90\00:29:03.74
trying to cover most of
the major ones here that we
00:29:03.77\00:29:06.44
run into.
00:29:06.47\00:29:08.18
By the way, I should mention
that Amazing Facts has a couple
00:29:08.21\00:29:10.38
of books out that deal
with answers to difficult Bible
00:29:10.41\00:29:13.15
questions, and on the radio
program, we've compiled the most
00:29:13.18\00:29:17.22
common questions we
get: "Who did Cain marry?"
00:29:17.25\00:29:20.99
And some of these, you
know, "Why did God say kill?"
00:29:21.02\00:29:23.53
And it's often just that people
are not--they don't continue
00:29:23.56\00:29:28.96
reading, or they're not
reading it in context, comparing
00:29:29.00\00:29:31.67
Scripture with Scripture.
00:29:31.70\00:29:33.84
Now, here, for instance, is
an example you'll commonly run
00:29:33.87\00:29:36.40
into: 2 Samuel 24, verse 1,
"And, again, the anger of the
00:29:36.44\00:29:41.24
Lord was aroused against Israel,
and He moved David against them,
00:29:41.28\00:29:44.55
saying, 'Go, number Israel.'"
00:29:44.58\00:29:47.38
Anger of the
Lord, Lord moved him.
00:29:47.42\00:29:49.75
But you read that
in 1 Chronicles 21:1.
00:29:49.78\00:29:51.82
It says, "Now Satan stood up
against Israel, and moved David
00:29:51.85\00:29:54.56
to number them."
00:29:54.59\00:29:56.86
"Wait a second," you're
thinking, "How can it be one
00:29:56.89\00:29:59.56
verse says, "The Lord moved
David to number Israel," and the
00:29:59.59\00:30:04.17
other one says, "the devil"?
00:30:04.20\00:30:06.47
I mean, how could you
be more confused than that?
00:30:06.50\00:30:08.47
Sometimes, when I'm preaching,
I've gotten tongue-tied when
00:30:08.50\00:30:12.67
you're in a hurry.
00:30:12.71\00:30:14.98
And, you know, sometimes
I've been preaching, I've gotten
00:30:15.01\00:30:18.08
"Moses" and "Noah" mixed up,
and Karen's often there in the
00:30:18.11\00:30:21.05
audience as she is today, and
she'll say, "Oh, you meant to
00:30:21.08\00:30:23.69
say, "Noah."
00:30:23.72\00:30:25.22
I say, "Oh, yeah, yeah."
00:30:25.25\00:30:27.02
People usually
let you off the hook.
00:30:27.06\00:30:29.06
Or I've gotten my "Peter" and
my "Paul" mixed up while I was
00:30:29.09\00:30:30.83
speaking quickly.
00:30:30.86\00:30:33.06
But one of the things you don't
want to do is get your "Jesus"
00:30:33.09\00:30:35.70
and "Satan" mixed up, but I've
done that too when I was talking
00:30:35.73\00:30:39.20
about the temptation of Christ.
00:30:39.23\00:30:41.44
And Karen said, "No, no,
you mean, 'Jesus,' not 'Satan.'"
00:30:41.47\00:30:44.54
I'd say, "Oh, yeah,
let's get that straight."
00:30:44.57\00:30:47.08
Well, how can you have, here
it says, "The Lord moved David,"
00:30:47.11\00:30:51.35
and "Satan moved David"?
00:30:51.38\00:30:53.75
Well, here's a verse in Acts
chapter 2, verse 22 and 23, that
00:30:53.78\00:30:58.42
helps explain what's
going on behind the scenes.
00:30:58.45\00:31:00.79
"Men of Israel," Acts 2:22, "Men
of Israel, hear these words:
00:31:00.82\00:31:05.39
Jesus of Nazareth, a Man
attested by God to you by
00:31:05.43\00:31:09.46
miracles, wonders, and signs
which God did through Him in
00:31:09.50\00:31:14.27
your midst, as you yourselves
know--Him, being delivered by
00:31:14.30\00:31:18.61
the determined purpose and
foreknowledge of God, you have
00:31:18.64\00:31:23.98
taken by lawless hands, and
crucified and put to death."
00:31:24.01\00:31:28.35
God's purpose allowed this
in advance, but it was something
00:31:28.38\00:31:33.42
that the devil did.
00:31:33.46\00:31:35.76
Even the devil had to ask
God for permission to go and to
00:31:35.79\00:31:38.63
tempt Job.
00:31:38.66\00:31:40.46
So are you going to blame God?
00:31:40.50\00:31:42.56
Are you going to blame Job?
00:31:42.60\00:31:44.77
Do you notice that Job said,
"Shall we not receive good from
00:31:44.80\00:31:47.04
the hand of the Lord, and evil?"
00:31:47.07\00:31:48.77
It was the devil who did it,
but Job said, ultimately, God
00:31:48.80\00:31:51.14
is almighty.
00:31:51.17\00:31:53.27
He's enthroned.
00:31:53.31\00:31:55.44
And so, you know, God sometimes
loosens the devil's leash, and
00:31:55.48\00:31:57.31
so people will say, "Well, it
was God," and other places will
00:31:57.35\00:32:02.68
say, "It was the Lord."
00:32:02.72\00:32:04.52
And it's just the sovereignty
of God that sometimes creates
00:32:04.55\00:32:07.72
confusion in that.
00:32:07.76\00:32:10.03
So, yeah, the Lord allowed the
devil, because of David's pride,
00:32:10.06\00:32:13.70
to test David, and he
failed the test with pride.
00:32:13.73\00:32:17.60
Another question, "Why does
the Bible say, 'Jacob I have
00:32:17.63\00:32:22.14
loved,'" in
Romans, now, was it 9:13?
00:32:22.17\00:32:24.81
"Jacob I loved.
00:32:24.84\00:32:26.27
Esau I have hated"?
00:32:26.31\00:32:28.38
And, actually, when Paul says
that in Romans, he's quoting
00:32:28.41\00:32:30.51
from the Old Testament.
00:32:30.55\00:32:32.85
When it says, "I loved Jacob,"
"I hated Esau," it's not talking
00:32:32.88\00:32:34.75
about the brothers.
00:32:34.78\00:32:36.65
He's talking about the nations
that came from the brothers.
00:32:36.69\00:32:39.75
And the Edomites became carnal.
00:32:39.79\00:32:43.32
Jacob ended up wanting the
spiritual birthright, and so God
00:32:43.36\00:32:47.30
is saying, "Look, I
love the people that want the
00:32:47.36\00:32:50.47
spiritual blessing.
00:32:50.50\00:32:52.77
I curse, or I don't
want those who are carnal."
00:32:52.80\00:32:55.37
They just want the physical
immediate beans in the pot.
00:32:55.40\00:32:58.17
And so God is not saying that
he pre-determined, "I'm going to
00:32:58.21\00:33:02.31
hate Esau, and I'm
going to love Jacob."
00:33:02.34\00:33:04.85
God was now loving and hating
how they responded to His grace,
00:33:04.88\00:33:08.88
and some wanted the spiritual
blessing, some wanted the
00:33:08.92\00:33:11.92
earthly, carnal blessings.
00:33:11.95\00:33:14.59
All right, let's get back into
some of those that are in the
00:33:14.62\00:33:17.69
lesson, some of the
apparent contradictions
00:33:17.73\00:33:20.10
or contradictions.
00:33:20.13\00:33:22.26
Look, for instance, in
Ecclesiastes 7, verse 29.
00:33:22.30\00:33:25.60
"God made man upright."
00:33:25.63\00:33:28.44
Okay, I like that.
00:33:28.47\00:33:30.34
But then, you read in Psalm 51,
verse 5, "Behold, I was brought
00:33:30.37\00:33:33.44
forth in iniquity."
00:33:33.48\00:33:35.44
Well, which is it?
00:33:35.48\00:33:37.05
Were we made upright or
brought forth in iniquity?
00:33:37.08\00:33:39.21
Well, the answer is that
God originally made man perfect.
00:33:39.25\00:33:41.62
Everything in
the garden was pure.
00:33:41.65\00:33:44.02
But after the fall of sin, David
is talking here about his fall
00:33:44.05\00:33:48.06
with Bathsheba
and killing of Uriah.
00:33:48.09\00:33:50.83
Here, he's saying, you know,
after the fall, all of us are
00:33:50.86\00:33:54.63
brought forth with
fallen natures, and so they're
00:33:54.66\00:33:57.83
describing two
different things in this verse.
00:33:57.87\00:34:00.34
So when you come to some
discrepancy in the Bible, who
00:34:00.37\00:34:03.20
does God give knowledge to?
00:34:03.24\00:34:06.01
The Bible says God will teach
the humble, and this is under
00:34:06.04\00:34:08.94
the section "Dealing with
Difficulties with Humility."
00:34:08.98\00:34:12.48
Psalm 25, verse 9, "The
humble He guides in justice.
00:34:12.51\00:34:17.22
The humble He teaches His way."
00:34:17.25\00:34:19.62
Don't jump to conclusions.
00:34:19.65\00:34:21.52
If you don't know,
admit you don't know.
00:34:21.56\00:34:23.66
Humbly wait and pray that,
as you continue to study, you
00:34:23.69\00:34:26.39
will understand.
00:34:26.43\00:34:28.96
Read James 4, verse
6: "He gives more grace.
00:34:29.00\00:34:32.30
Therefore He says, 'God resists
the proud, but He gives grace to
00:34:32.33\00:34:36.10
the humble.'
00:34:36.14\00:34:38.07
Therefore submit to God.
00:34:38.11\00:34:40.14
Resist the devil.
00:34:40.18\00:34:41.91
He'll flee from you.
00:34:41.94\00:34:43.71
Draw near to God and
He'll draw near to you.
00:34:43.75\00:34:45.91
Cleanse your hands, you sinners,
and purify your hearts, you
00:34:45.95\00:34:47.82
double-minded.
00:34:47.85\00:34:49.92
Lament and mourn and weep.
00:34:49.95\00:34:51.85
Let your laughter be turned
into mourning and your joy
00:34:51.89\00:34:53.82
into gloom.
00:34:53.86\00:34:55.59
Humble yourselves in the
sight of God, and He will lift
00:34:55.62\00:34:57.59
you up."
00:34:57.63\00:34:59.73
So when we humbly confess
we're confused on a topic or an
00:34:59.76\00:35:03.30
apparent contradiction, and
we seek for wisdom, God delights
00:35:03.33\00:35:07.27
then to give us the wisdom.
00:35:07.30\00:35:09.57
You know, as you study the
history of the Adventist Church,
00:35:09.60\00:35:12.74
there were a number of
times when our founders were
00:35:12.77\00:35:15.18
confounded by a certain passage,
things they didn't understand,
00:35:15.21\00:35:19.88
and they'd come together,
and they'd humbly kneel, they'd
00:35:19.91\00:35:21.85
pray, they'd study,
they'd debate, and God would
00:35:21.88\00:35:27.02
guide them.
00:35:27.06\00:35:29.36
Sometimes as final
enlightenment, Ellen Wright
00:35:29.39\00:35:32.36
would be brought into vision,
and she would point to the
00:35:32.39\00:35:35.23
Scriptures that gave the answer,
and all of a sudden, the light
00:35:35.26\00:35:38.33
would come on.
00:35:38.37\00:35:40.34
And so sometimes we need that
spiritual guidance in that way
00:35:40.37\00:35:42.54
as long as it's
all based on the Bible.
00:35:42.57\00:35:44.97
That needs to be the key.
00:35:45.01\00:35:46.91
And in Zephaniah 3:12, "I'll
leave in your midst a meek and a
00:35:46.94\00:35:54.52
humble people.
00:35:54.55\00:35:56.32
They will trust in
the name of the Lord."
00:35:56.35\00:35:58.65
Okay, I want to start talking
about some of the apparent
00:35:58.69\00:36:01.59
discrepancies in
numbers in the Bible.
00:36:01.62\00:36:04.46
There's quite a few of these.
00:36:04.49\00:36:06.53
For example--and I wrote a book
on this--the demoniac, if you
00:36:06.56\00:36:10.53
read in Matthew and
if you read--I'm sorry.
00:36:10.57\00:36:13.80
If you read in Mark and Luke,
it says there's one demoniac.
00:36:13.84\00:36:16.57
Mark chapter 5, verse 2, "When
they came out of the boat, there
00:36:16.60\00:36:19.84
met Him a man out of the
tombs with an unclean spirit."
00:36:19.87\00:36:23.24
One man, singular.
00:36:23.28\00:36:25.25
But Matthew chapter 8, verse 28,
"When He was come to the other
00:36:25.28\00:36:29.22
side, into the country of
the Gadarenes, there met Him two
00:36:29.25\00:36:31.79
possessed with devils, coming
out of the tombs, exceedingly
00:36:31.82\00:36:35.52
fierce, so no
man might tame them."
00:36:35.56\00:36:38.16
And says, "Oh,
well, one says it was one.
00:36:38.19\00:36:39.96
One said it was two."
00:36:40.00\00:36:41.73
It's the same story.
00:36:41.76\00:36:43.47
Why does one say there was
one man, and one says there was
00:36:43.50\00:36:45.30
two men?
00:36:45.33\00:36:47.17
Well, because evidently
there were two men, but one was
00:36:47.20\00:36:49.67
probably at the forefront.
00:36:49.70\00:36:51.41
One was the one
who did the speaking.
00:36:51.44\00:36:53.07
One was exceedingly fierce, more
so than the other, and when they
00:36:53.11\00:36:56.44
reported the story, they
reported it based on this one
00:36:56.48\00:37:00.12
outspoken individual, but there
might have been someone else
00:37:00.15\00:37:03.55
that was in the
background there in that story.
00:37:03.59\00:37:06.39
You'll also find the same
principle when they have the
00:37:06.42\00:37:09.46
healing of Bartimaeus.
00:37:09.49\00:37:12.43
Notice here, Mark chapter 10,
verse 46, "They came to Jericho.
00:37:12.46\00:37:15.76
And as He went out of Jericho
with His disciples, a great
00:37:15.80\00:37:18.53
multitude, blind Bartimaeus,
the son of Timaeus, sat by the
00:37:18.57\00:37:21.64
road begging."
00:37:21.67\00:37:23.67
And this talks about this one
man who said, "Son of Jesus, Son
00:37:23.71\00:37:26.61
of David, have mercy on me."
00:37:26.64\00:37:29.24
You read in Matthew, and
Matthew, two times now, he's
00:37:29.28\00:37:32.01
got double.
00:37:32.05\00:37:34.05
Matthew says, "As he went out
of Jericho, a great multitude
00:37:34.08\00:37:36.15
followed Him.
00:37:36.18\00:37:37.92
Behold, two blind men were
sitting there, saying, 'Son of
00:37:37.95\00:37:40.26
David, have mercy on us.'"
00:37:40.29\00:37:42.36
Same event, it's
the same miracle.
00:37:42.39\00:37:44.36
There probably were two.
00:37:44.39\00:37:46.56
Bartimaeus is one of them.
00:37:46.59\00:37:48.43
He was the outspoken one.
00:37:48.46\00:37:50.20
He's the one that ran forward.
00:37:50.23\00:37:52.03
The other one may
have come secondly.
00:37:52.07\00:37:54.17
And so--and this is
actually--this strengthens my
00:37:54.20\00:37:56.24
faith in the Bible because,
if the gospel writers are just
00:37:56.27\00:37:58.51
copying each other, why would
they make a mistake like that?
00:37:58.54\00:38:01.81
But Matthew, who was a firsthand
witness of both those events, he
00:38:01.84\00:38:06.58
knew there was
actually two, and he wrote that.
00:38:06.61\00:38:08.95
And the other gospel writer, he
said, "I'm going to talk about
00:38:08.98\00:38:14.06
the one who did the speaking."
00:38:14.09\00:38:15.82
He mentioned the one.
00:38:15.86\00:38:18.03
And maybe he thought, "This
is such an amazing miracle.
00:38:18.06\00:38:20.86
If you say there were two,
they won't even believe it."
00:38:20.90\00:38:23.60
You know, I'll tell you a little
story--is that a recent movie
00:38:23.63\00:38:27.44
was made by Mel Gibson about
a Seventh-day Adventist, named
00:38:27.47\00:38:32.57
Desmond Doss, called "Hacksaw
Ridge," and they tried to follow
00:38:32.61\00:38:37.18
the book as well as they could,
but there's one story that was
00:38:37.21\00:38:41.42
so miraculous, they
left it out of the script.
00:38:41.45\00:38:44.85
And when asked why, Mel
Gibson said, "This is just so
00:38:44.89\00:38:48.29
incredible, people will
think we're making it up."
00:38:48.32\00:38:51.36
But it was true.
00:38:51.39\00:38:53.09
And so, you know, sometimes the
truth is even harder to believe
00:38:53.13\00:38:56.10
than fiction.
00:38:56.13\00:38:58.47
Yeah, let me give you a couple
more examples of some of these
00:38:58.50\00:39:00.70
numerical discrepancies.
00:39:00.74\00:39:02.94
In 2 Samuel 24, verse 13, Nathan
the prophet says, "You've got to
00:39:02.97\00:39:09.38
choose your judgment.
00:39:09.41\00:39:11.11
There'll be
seven years of famine."
00:39:11.15\00:39:12.98
But when you read it in 1
Chronicles 21, verse 12, it
00:39:13.01\00:39:15.78
says, three years of famine.
00:39:15.82\00:39:17.75
Which is it?
00:39:17.79\00:39:19.55
Well, it was probably three
because he talks about three
00:39:19.59\00:39:22.39
days, three months, and that
stands a reason he would've said
00:39:22.42\00:39:25.43
three years.
00:39:25.46\00:39:27.76
Maybe the scribe who was doing
this or the copyist who was
00:39:27.76\00:39:31.17
copying this manuscript, he was
thinking about the seven years
00:39:31.20\00:39:34.77
of famine in
the story of Joseph.
00:39:34.80\00:39:36.77
It was late in the day
and he wrote down "seven."
00:39:36.81\00:39:38.84
That's one possible explanation.
00:39:38.87\00:39:40.81
This is a place where
there's a definite discrepancy.
00:39:40.84\00:39:43.95
Another possibility is, in
Hebrew, the character number for
00:39:43.98\00:39:49.55
three and seven
are very similar.
00:39:49.58\00:39:52.52
Have you ever read--somebody
give you a phone number, and
00:39:52.55\00:39:54.72
they put down the number two,
but they wrote it so quickly,
00:39:54.76\00:39:57.83
you say, "Is that a
two or is that a seven?"
00:39:57.86\00:40:01.10
And I've seen people that, kind
of, halfway do a five, and it
00:40:01.13\00:40:04.47
looks like a two.
00:40:04.50\00:40:06.23
And so, same thing in Hebrew,
some of these are very old
00:40:06.27\00:40:09.74
manuscripts, and the actual
number one, the number seven,
00:40:09.77\00:40:13.14
and the number three,
very similar, and it's easy
00:40:13.17\00:40:16.41
to misunderstand.
00:40:16.44\00:40:18.08
You can let something
like that shake your faith.
00:40:18.11\00:40:20.82
The whole story is true.
00:40:20.85\00:40:22.55
God gave him these options
of judgment, and when you look
00:40:22.58\00:40:27.96
also--you do
corresponding documents.
00:40:27.99\00:40:30.23
When you look at the Arabic
version of the Old Testament,
00:40:30.26\00:40:33.86
Josephus' writings on this
account, when you look at the
00:40:33.90\00:40:37.53
Syriac version,
they all say "three."
00:40:37.57\00:40:40.90
And so you, just, you go
to some outside manuscripts.
00:40:40.94\00:40:43.74
You say, "Oh, okay,
there's consistency there.
00:40:43.77\00:40:45.87
Here's one manuscript where
he mixed up a two or a three for
00:40:45.91\00:40:49.94
a seven."
00:40:49.98\00:40:51.65
Don't let that shake your faith.
00:40:51.68\00:40:53.52
Here's another example of
that: When he talks about King
00:40:53.55\00:40:56.22
Solomon's stalls for horses, you
read in 1 Kings 4, verse 26, he
00:40:56.25\00:41:01.32
had 40,000 stalls.
00:41:01.36\00:41:04.03
That's quite a few stalls.
00:41:04.06\00:41:06.33
You read in 2 Chronicles
9:25, it says he had 4,000.
00:41:06.36\00:41:10.60
Well, someone says, "See,
look at that exaggeration.
00:41:10.63\00:41:13.40
You can't trust the Bible."
00:41:13.44\00:41:15.40
It's just a scribal error in the
numbers that were written down,
00:41:15.44\00:41:20.78
you know.
00:41:20.81\00:41:22.64
You know what a big difference
it can make when you're writing
00:41:22.68\00:41:24.61
out a check if you put
the comma in the wrong place?
00:41:24.65\00:41:27.22
You can end up giving
somebody $10,000 instead of $10.
00:41:27.25\00:41:31.45
You got to be very careful.
00:41:31.49\00:41:33.46
One little comma can
make a big difference.
00:41:33.49\00:41:35.52
Don't let that shake your faith.
00:41:35.56\00:41:37.59
Probably was 4,000 stalls.
00:41:37.63\00:41:39.59
How do we know that?
00:41:39.63\00:41:41.26
Because it talks about
how many chariots he had.
00:41:41.30\00:41:43.06
Talks about how
many soldiers he had.
00:41:43.10\00:41:45.07
He really didn't need
40,000 stalls for horses.
00:41:45.10\00:41:47.70
But then you go to another
example when it talks about how
00:41:47.74\00:41:51.77
much water was held by the
laver in the temple of Solomon.
00:41:51.81\00:41:56.31
You read in 1 Kings
7:26, there were 2,000 baths.
00:41:56.34\00:42:01.02
"Baths" was a
Hebrew measurement.
00:42:01.05\00:42:03.82
You read in 2 Chronicles
4, verse 5, 3,000 baths.
00:42:03.85\00:42:07.16
Which is it?
00:42:07.19\00:42:09.02
Now, this one, I think,
has an easier explanation.
00:42:09.06\00:42:11.63
Next door, you know, right now
we are taping, and pretty soon
00:42:11.66\00:42:14.73
we're going to start
meeting in person, friends.
00:42:14.76\00:42:17.07
This is really exciting.
00:42:17.10\00:42:19.53
Maybe even as soon as next week,
we'll have a small group meeting
00:42:19.57\00:42:22.24
in a church, and we're praying
about that, but right now we're
00:42:22.27\00:42:24.77
meeting in our
Amazing Facts worship room.
00:42:24.81\00:42:27.74
Next door, we're finishing
the worship center, convention
00:42:27.78\00:42:30.68
center sanctuary, for the
Granite Bay Church, and we got a
00:42:30.71\00:42:34.65
baptistry in the front,
and it is a big baptistry.
00:42:34.68\00:42:37.72
You can just
about dive in there.
00:42:37.75\00:42:40.42
When you were asking,
"How much does it hold?"
00:42:40.46\00:42:43.02
We have two answers.
00:42:43.06\00:42:45.13
We have how much will it hold
when you do a baptism because
00:42:45.16\00:42:47.30
you do not fill it all the
way when you use it, or all the
00:42:47.30\00:42:51.07
water splashes out.
00:42:51.10\00:42:53.03
So we would say, "All
right, it holds 2,000 gallons."
00:42:53.07\00:42:55.50
But how much would it hold
if you filled it to the brim?
00:42:55.54\00:42:57.34
Three thousand gallons because
of the steps that go out.
00:42:57.37\00:43:00.38
You see what I'm saying?
00:43:00.41\00:43:02.24
And so when they give two
different measurements for how
00:43:02.28\00:43:04.05
much water was held in the
laver, don't let that rattle
00:43:04.08\00:43:07.12
your faith.
00:43:07.15\00:43:08.88
The priests might've been
saying, "All right, for regular
00:43:08.92\00:43:11.69
use, we don't
fill it to the top.
00:43:11.72\00:43:13.56
It would all splash out.
00:43:13.59\00:43:15.36
We fill it with 2,000."
00:43:15.39\00:43:16.99
Someone says, "Yeah, if you
actually fill it up, though,
00:43:17.03\00:43:18.89
it's 3,000."
00:43:18.93\00:43:20.76
So, yes, there is a
little discrepancy there.
00:43:20.80\00:43:22.56
That should not shake
your faith in the Word of God.
00:43:22.60\00:43:25.00
So another example of a
numerical discrepancy, how old
00:43:25.03\00:43:29.00
was King Jehoiachin when
he became king of Jerusalem?
00:43:29.04\00:43:33.27
2 Kings 24, says,
he was 18 years of age.
00:43:33.31\00:43:36.71
2 Chronicles 36, says,
he was eight years of age.
00:43:36.75\00:43:40.92
There's an error here.
00:43:40.95\00:43:42.95
He was probably 18 years of age
because why would the Bible say
00:43:42.98\00:43:46.82
that he did those things
that displeased the Lord, so he
00:43:46.86\00:43:50.29
was judged?
00:43:50.33\00:43:52.23
Eight years old?
00:43:52.26\00:43:54.13
God's going to judge him
and overthrow him because of
00:43:54.20\00:43:56.50
his evil?
00:43:56.53\00:43:58.67
Oh, I've known some bad boys
at eight years old but--and the
00:43:58.70\00:44:01.80
other thing, it
talks about his wives.
00:44:01.84\00:44:04.11
Eight years old?
00:44:04.14\00:44:05.81
No, it's easy, just like English
and Hebrew, to miss one digit,
00:44:05.84\00:44:07.44
and instead of it being "18,"
they left something off, and it
00:44:07.48\00:44:13.45
came out "8."
00:44:13.48\00:44:15.35
The other manuscripts
say he was 18 years of age.
00:44:15.38\00:44:17.65
And the other reason we know
this, it says, "In the 37th year
00:44:17.69\00:44:20.26
of Evil-Merodach, he had
mercy on King Jehoiachin--"
00:44:20.29\00:44:24.93
the last verse in Jeremiah--
"and he lifted his head
00:44:24.96\00:44:28.00
from prison."
00:44:28.03\00:44:30.20
So he's probably in
his 50s when that happened.
00:44:30.23\00:44:32.50
It all works out.
00:44:32.53\00:44:34.74
So, yes, there is a minor
discrepancy there, and some
00:44:34.77\00:44:37.74
people think that, "Well,
then, can you say the Bible
00:44:37.77\00:44:40.08
is infallible?"
00:44:40.11\00:44:42.18
It is an infallible
revelation of God's will.
00:44:42.21\00:44:45.08
The originals, I believe, are
infallible, but as translators
00:44:45.11\00:44:49.58
and copyists go through history,
you'll sometimes encounter
00:44:49.62\00:44:53.25
discrepancies or
apparent discrepancies.
00:44:53.29\00:44:57.23
Ninety percent of the people who
say, "I found a discrepancy in
00:44:57.26\00:45:00.26
the Bible," it is an
apparent discrepancy that can
00:45:00.30\00:45:02.96
be explained.
00:45:03.00\00:45:04.67
It is not real.
00:45:04.70\00:45:06.50
It's just because
of their perception.
00:45:06.53\00:45:08.77
Any last questions?
00:45:08.80\00:45:10.71
"If the Bible says the Sabbath
will endure forever, because
00:45:10.74\00:45:12.34
it's holy, what
about the Jewish feasts?"
00:45:12.37\00:45:14.54
No, the Jewish feasts
were not part of God's law
00:45:14.58\00:45:17.95
before Creation.
00:45:17.98\00:45:19.75
It was added because of sin.
00:45:19.78\00:45:22.85
The Sabbath was part of
God's perfect plan in the garden
00:45:22.88\00:45:24.82
of Eden.
00:45:24.85\00:45:27.06
You've been a great class.
00:45:27.09\00:45:28.79
I don't know if I'm going
to have time to get through
00:45:28.82\00:45:30.39
much more.
00:45:30.43\00:45:32.26
I think I've shown you a lot of
the apparent discrepancies, and
00:45:32.29\00:45:34.50
I want to remind you
that I have more notes.
00:45:34.56\00:45:38.07
If you go to the amazing Facts
website, when you look under
00:45:38.10\00:45:40.27
"Sabbath School," you can
actually download our notes
00:45:40.30\00:45:43.07
that, whoever the teacher is
from week to week, we post our
00:45:43.10\00:45:46.14
notes just in a Word
document so you can say, "Oh."
00:45:46.17\00:45:48.98
If you didn't get through it all
and you're teaching a class, and
00:45:49.01\00:45:51.55
you want to use our
notes, we invite you to download
00:45:51.58\00:45:53.78
the notes.
00:45:53.82\00:45:55.95
I also want to remind you that
we do have a free book that is
00:45:55.98\00:45:58.05
available to anybody,
that you simply ask for it.
00:45:58.09\00:46:01.16
It's called "12 Steps to
Revival," written by yours
00:46:01.19\00:46:03.86
truly, and if you want to call
in, call 866--this is for North
00:46:03.89\00:46:08.70
America: 866-788-3966.
00:46:08.73\00:46:13.00
That's actually 866-Study-More,
or you can text, and you text
00:46:13.03\00:46:17.61
40544, and text the letter "SH,"
then "001," and you can download
00:46:17.64\00:46:26.82
"12 Steps to Revival."
00:46:26.85\00:46:29.32
We trust that you'll enjoy that.
00:46:29.35\00:46:31.32
I've enjoyed talking about some
of these discrepancies because I
00:46:31.35\00:46:34.29
want people to have
more faith in the Bible.
00:46:34.32\00:46:37.26
And, you know what?
00:46:37.29\00:46:39.06
I just will tell you in closing,
friends, over my years as a
00:46:39.09\00:46:44.03
Christian, so many times I've
opened the Word of God, and when
00:46:44.07\00:46:46.94
I ran into a problem, God then,
when I prayed about it humbly,
00:46:46.97\00:46:51.01
he gave light and
showed the answer.
00:46:51.04\00:46:53.01
You can trust the Bible.
00:46:53.04\00:46:56.75
male announcer: Don't forget
to request today's life-changing
00:46:56.78\00:46:58.88
free resource.
00:46:58.91\00:47:00.78
Not only can you receive this
free gift in the mail, you can
00:47:00.82\00:47:02.55
download a digital copy
straight to your computer or
00:47:02.58\00:47:04.65
mobile device.
00:47:04.69\00:47:06.69
To get your digital copy of
today's free gift, simply text
00:47:06.72\00:47:09.52
the keyword on your screen to
40544, or visit the web address
00:47:09.56\00:47:14.00
shown on your screen,
and be sure to select the
00:47:14.00\00:47:17.10
digital-download
option on the request page.
00:47:17.13\00:47:19.73
It's now easier than ever
for you to study God's Word with
00:47:19.77\00:47:22.64
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whenever you want and, most
00:47:22.67\00:47:26.21
important, to
share it with others.
00:47:26.24\00:47:28.84
¤¤¤
00:47:31.71\00:47:34.65
announcer: Amazing
Facts Changed Lives.
00:47:34.68\00:47:38.05
¤¤¤
00:47:38.09\00:47:43.49
Brittney: I was addicted to
all different types of things.
00:47:43.53\00:47:46.33
I finally hit rock bottom when I
got pulled over one night after
00:47:46.36\00:47:50.27
a heavy night of
partying with some friends.
00:47:50.30\00:47:53.17
I was drunk, high on Ecstasy,
and I realized then that I had
00:47:53.20\00:47:58.77
to make a change.
00:47:58.81\00:48:01.34
Vince: Was in the military and
listening to very satanic music
00:48:01.38\00:48:03.68
every day and heard this whisper
to carve "666" into my knuckles.
00:48:03.71\00:48:09.28
Contemplated on it a while, and
I was sitting at my desk, and I
00:48:09.32\00:48:11.95
had my knife on me, and I
started carving the horizontal
00:48:11.99\00:48:18.03
lines for the sixes into my
index finger first with serrated
00:48:18.06\00:48:22.03
edges and started to enjoy it.
00:48:22.06\00:48:28.20
I wanted to make it known who I
wanted to follow, actually, and
00:48:28.24\00:48:32.54
not knowing I was
following Satan at the time.
00:48:32.57\00:48:35.34
Just, I thought it
was a cool thing to do.
00:48:35.38\00:48:37.91
Brittney: So I met this guy
online, and that was my husband,
00:48:37.95\00:48:40.85
Vince, and I noticed his ears,
and we started talking, and he
00:48:40.88\00:48:47.09
was just adorable.
00:48:47.12\00:48:48.86
Vince: Flew down and actually
met her here in Arizona.
00:48:48.89\00:48:51.03
Brittney: And, at that point,
I found out quickly after we met
00:48:51.06\00:48:55.13
that I was pregnant.
00:48:55.16\00:48:57.23
Vince: So shortly after our
daughter was born, it was a very
00:48:57.27\00:48:59.60
exciting moment, but the nurses
and doctors notice something
00:48:59.63\00:49:02.17
right away that she was
extremely orange with jaundice.
00:49:02.20\00:49:04.84
Brittney: And she ended up in
the hospital, very sick, and it
00:49:04.87\00:49:08.04
was extremely hard on us.
00:49:08.08\00:49:12.38
We were teenagers.
00:49:12.41\00:49:14.35
We were scared.
00:49:14.38\00:49:16.15
Our baby was sick.
00:49:16.18\00:49:18.12
I was with someone that was very
angry, and at that point, we
00:49:18.15\00:49:24.63
were in the hospital room, and
I remember a chaplain coming in
00:49:24.66\00:49:30.20
and speaking with the people.
00:49:30.23\00:49:32.30
Since it was like a conjoined
room, we had a roommate, and the
00:49:32.33\00:49:35.10
chaplain had said, you know,
if he could pray for the other
00:49:35.14\00:49:39.81
family, and that's when I
knew that it was my chance.
00:49:39.84\00:49:43.01
I had to take that opportunity,
and I asked my husband, "Should
00:49:43.04\00:49:47.18
I go talk to him?"
00:49:47.22\00:49:48.92
Vince: I said, "No way."
00:49:48.95\00:49:50.52
I wanted nothing to do with God.
00:49:50.55\00:49:52.32
I wanted nothing to do
with talking to this chaplain.
00:49:52.35\00:49:54.62
Brittney: I decided that I was
going to get up anyway, and I
00:49:54.66\00:49:57.16
got up, and you could tell he
was very angry that I decided to
00:49:57.19\00:49:59.79
walk over, and I went to
the chaplain, and I asked him to
00:49:59.83\00:50:05.00
come over and
speak to us, and he did.
00:50:05.03\00:50:07.50
Vince: And he came in, and
we asked him questions, and he
00:50:07.54\00:50:10.14
actually came to
visit us every single day.
00:50:10.17\00:50:12.27
Brittney: The chaplain that we
met with mentioned Amazing Facts
00:50:12.31\00:50:15.31
study guides and,
just, the ministries.
00:50:15.34\00:50:18.15
Vince: He showed us videos
and study guides from Amazing
00:50:18.18\00:50:21.95
Facts, specifically.
00:50:21.98\00:50:23.92
It was on "Final
Events" and "Cosmic Conflict."
00:50:23.95\00:50:26.42
At that point, we had
transferred hospitals to an
00:50:26.45\00:50:29.22
outpatient hospital, and we were
able to watch these videos, and
00:50:29.26\00:50:32.19
we were hooked on them.
00:50:32.23\00:50:34.36
Brittney: It
was a huge blessing.
00:50:34.36\00:50:36.60
We would watch Pastor Doug, and
we would sit up late at night,
00:50:36.63\00:50:41.67
watching sermons, and
we were just teenagers.
00:50:41.70\00:50:45.54
Most kids our age were out doing
crazy things, and here we are at
00:50:45.57\00:50:49.24
home with popcorn and chocolate
bars, watching Pastor Doug.
00:50:49.28\00:50:52.55
Ben Lundquist: This young couple
came into the Camelback Church
00:50:52.58\00:50:55.55
holding a beautiful little baby,
and this was one of the first
00:50:55.58\00:50:59.82
times that I had ever
met Vince and Brittney.
00:50:59.85\00:51:02.46
Vince: We needed somebody to
show us that they loved us, that
00:51:02.49\00:51:05.23
they supported us, and Pastor
Ben was there, giving us Bible
00:51:05.26\00:51:07.36
studies on marriage
counseling as well as baptism.
00:51:07.40\00:51:09.90
Brittney: I was still smoking
and drinking lightly, and a few
00:51:09.93\00:51:14.04
things along those lines, and
it was one day when I woke up on
00:51:14.07\00:51:19.44
February 15, 2011,
after watching many sermons on
00:51:19.47\00:51:23.95
"Amazing Facts" from Pastor
Doug, and having a really solid
00:51:23.98\00:51:28.32
church family, that I
was able to say, "No more."
00:51:28.35\00:51:31.82
And from that day on, I
stopped all of my addictions.
00:51:31.85\00:51:35.59
Charles White: And, ultimately,
their lives began to take on
00:51:35.62\00:51:38.93
just a new dimension of
congruity because Jesus was
00:51:38.96\00:51:42.10
there, and He was the one
that was bringing that sense of
00:51:42.13\00:51:45.00
belonging and hope and help.
00:51:45.03\00:51:48.00
Brittney: We decided to get
baptized and married, and we got
00:51:48.04\00:51:51.24
baptized one day and
married the next, and it was an
00:51:51.27\00:51:54.21
amazing experience.
00:51:54.24\00:51:56.24
Ben: And we found a
spot by the lake, and it was
00:51:56.28\00:51:58.35
absolutely perfect.
00:51:58.38\00:52:00.15
The evening was
coming to a close.
00:52:00.18\00:52:02.12
The sun was
about ready to go down.
00:52:02.15\00:52:04.39
Vince: And we were standing on
the water with Pastor Ben, and
00:52:04.42\00:52:08.06
the sky was such a deep red.
00:52:08.09\00:52:10.23
The reflections off the sky was
almost as if we were standing
00:52:10.26\00:52:13.80
in blood.
00:52:13.83\00:52:15.70
We were washed in
the blood of Jesus.
00:52:15.73\00:52:17.87
Ben: And that was the moment
that God painted the canvas of
00:52:17.90\00:52:20.24
the sky with the most beautiful
colors signifying the journey
00:52:20.27\00:52:23.37
that he was going to be laying
out for Vince and Brittney.
00:52:23.41\00:52:26.88
Vince: Shortly after we were
baptized, about a month later,
00:52:26.91\00:52:29.88
we had realized
that my scars were gone.
00:52:29.91\00:52:33.92
I was completely healed
physically of not having the
00:52:33.95\00:52:36.25
"666" on my knuckles anymore,
and I struggled with that for so
00:52:36.28\00:52:38.85
long because of what I
did, and He forgave me.
00:52:38.89\00:52:43.63
Malcolm Douglas: Many times,
when we think of the way that
00:52:43.66\00:52:46.06
we've been led to Christ,
we think there's usually one
00:52:46.09\00:52:47.86
individual, but having been able
to work alongside Pastor Ben and
00:52:47.86\00:52:50.67
Pastor White, it's been great to
see how we've been able to work
00:52:50.70\00:52:55.10
with Brittney and Vincent
and seen them just really grow.
00:52:55.14\00:52:58.44
And this has really been
something that's been beneficial
00:52:58.47\00:53:01.58
to me.
00:53:01.61\00:53:03.18
You know, sometimes I think
about this, and the Bible says,
00:53:03.21\00:53:05.05
"More blessed is he who gives
than receives," and I feel, in
00:53:05.08\00:53:07.58
many times, more blessed, just
seeing them and seeing all the
00:53:07.62\00:53:12.09
challenges they've gone through,
all the difficulties, and seeing
00:53:12.12\00:53:14.86
them overcome these
things, it just--it amazes me.
00:53:14.89\00:53:19.49
Vince: As I reflect back on
everything I've done in my life,
00:53:19.53\00:53:22.40
completely going against God,
wanting nothing to do with Him,
00:53:22.43\00:53:27.04
He still tried so hard as if I
was the only one that was lost,
00:53:27.07\00:53:30.74
just as He promises.
00:53:30.77\00:53:33.27
He still went and found me even
though I wanted nothing to do
00:53:33.31\00:53:37.25
with Him.
00:53:37.28\00:53:39.05
Brittney: Having Amazing Facts
and the pastors in our lives
00:53:39.08\00:53:41.02
help us so much, it's really
a blessing, and I feel like now
00:53:41.05\00:53:45.92
we're happy, and we have these
two healthy, beautiful, little
00:53:45.95\00:53:50.16
girls, and God has truly blessed
us, and I just want to share it
00:53:50.19\00:53:55.20
with everyone.
00:53:55.23\00:53:56.93
I want to scream it.
00:53:56.97\00:53:58.60
I'm so excited, and I feel
really blessed to even have this
00:53:58.63\00:54:01.84
opportunity to share my story.
00:54:01.87\00:54:04.67
¤¤¤
00:54:04.71\00:54:12.58
Doug: We're here on the
beautiful coast of the island of
00:54:18.29\00:54:20.32
Puerto Rico, and if you were to
travel east about 2,000 miles,
00:54:20.36\00:54:24.46
of course, you'd be out
in the middle of the ocean.
00:54:24.49\00:54:26.90
But you'd also be in the middle
of a mystical sea called the
00:54:26.93\00:54:29.40
Sargasso Sea.
00:54:29.43\00:54:31.53
It gets its name because of this
common brown seaweed that can be
00:54:31.57\00:54:35.47
found floating in vast mass.
00:54:35.50\00:54:38.14
The area of the Sargasso Sea is
about 700 miles wide and 2,000
00:54:38.17\00:54:42.78
miles long.
00:54:42.81\00:54:44.95
Now, the seaweed
itself is fascinating stuff.
00:54:44.98\00:54:47.12
It was first observed
and called gulfweed by
00:54:47.15\00:54:49.78
Christopher Columbus.
00:54:49.82\00:54:51.72
It gets the name
"sargum" from the Portuguese.
00:54:51.75\00:54:53.89
Some people use it
as herbal remedies.
00:54:53.92\00:54:55.99
But out in the middle of the
Sargasso Sea the water is some
00:54:56.02\00:54:58.63
of the bluest in the world.
00:54:58.66\00:55:00.66
It's there you can see
200-feet deep in places.
00:55:00.70\00:55:03.53
It also has a great biodiversity
and ecosystem that surrounds the
00:55:03.57\00:55:06.63
Sargasso Sea.
00:55:06.67\00:55:09.14
For years, scientists wondered
where the American and the
00:55:09.17\00:55:11.81
Atlantic eels were breeding.
00:55:11.84\00:55:14.18
They knew the adult eel swam
down the rivers, out into the
00:55:14.21\00:55:16.41
Atlantic, but they never
could find the place where
00:55:16.44\00:55:18.88
they reproduced.
00:55:18.91\00:55:20.78
Finally, they discovered it
was out in the middle of the
00:55:20.82\00:55:23.25
Sargasso Sea.
00:55:23.28\00:55:25.09
So it's a fascinating place, but
if you were an ancient sailor,
00:55:25.12\00:55:27.19
you did not want
to get stuck there.
00:55:27.22\00:55:31.96
Being caught in the
doldrums was extremely difficult
00:55:31.99\00:55:34.76
for the ancient sailors.
00:55:34.83\00:55:36.87
Of course, their boats were
driven by wind and sail, and
00:55:36.90\00:55:39.10
they'd be caught in the vast
mass of the seaweed that would
00:55:39.13\00:55:42.34
wrap around their rudder.
00:55:42.37\00:55:44.21
Barnacles would begin to grow.
00:55:44.24\00:55:46.24
It's an area that is notorious
for light and baffling winds,
00:55:46.27\00:55:48.74
and so they'd make no progress.
00:55:48.78\00:55:50.88
They'd get stuck.
00:55:50.91\00:55:52.55
The men would become
extremely dispirited.
00:55:52.58\00:55:54.72
Sometimes, violence and
even insanity would break out as
00:55:54.75\00:55:57.59
people were
trapped in the doldrums.
00:55:57.62\00:56:00.86
Well, friends, perhaps sometimes
you've felt that you're trapped
00:56:00.89\00:56:03.99
in the doldrums.
00:56:04.03\00:56:05.73
You've gone through
episodes of depression.
00:56:05.76\00:56:07.56
You feel like
you're going in circles.
00:56:07.60\00:56:09.33
Life seems stifling.
00:56:09.36\00:56:11.03
You know, the
Bible offers good news.
00:56:11.07\00:56:12.63
There is a way out.
00:56:12.67\00:56:14.40
The Bible talks about a famous
character that was trapped in a
00:56:14.44\00:56:17.04
cycle of depression.
00:56:17.07\00:56:18.81
He was low as you could be.
00:56:18.84\00:56:20.51
Matter of fact, he even had
seaweed wrapped around his head.
00:56:20.54\00:56:23.08
His name was Jonah.
00:56:23.11\00:56:24.85
But God gave
him a way of escape.
00:56:24.88\00:56:26.85
In Jonah chapter 2, verse 3
through 7, we read: "For You
00:56:26.88\00:56:31.32
cast me into the depths, into
the heart of the seas, and the
00:56:31.35\00:56:34.92
floods surrounded me.
00:56:34.96\00:56:37.09
All of Your billows and
Your waves passed over me.
00:56:37.13\00:56:39.79
Then I said, 'I have been cast
out of Your sight, yet I will
00:56:39.83\00:56:43.13
look again
towards Your holy temple.'
00:56:43.16\00:56:46.60
The waters
surrounded me, even to my soul.
00:56:46.63\00:56:48.84
The deep closed around me.
00:56:48.87\00:56:50.77
Weeds were
wrapped around my head.
00:56:50.81\00:56:52.74
I went down to the
moorings of the mountains.
00:56:52.77\00:56:55.21
The earth with its bars closed
behind me forever, yet You've
00:56:55.24\00:56:58.85
brought my life up from
the pit, O Lord, my God.
00:56:58.88\00:57:03.15
When my soul fainted within me,
I remembered the Lord, and my
00:57:03.18\00:57:06.86
prayer went up to You,
into Your holy temple."
00:57:06.89\00:57:11.63
You know, friends, the
way that Jonah got out of his
00:57:11.66\00:57:13.23
discouraging circumstances,
he turned to God, and he prayed.
00:57:13.26\00:57:16.33
And if God could hear Jonah's
prayer, just think about it: He
00:57:16.36\00:57:19.73
was as far away from
God as anybody could be.
00:57:19.77\00:57:22.44
He was in the belly of a
sea monster in the bottom of the
00:57:22.47\00:57:24.77
ocean in the dark, yet he
turned to God, and God heard
00:57:24.81\00:57:27.48
his prayer.
00:57:27.51\00:57:29.58
You know, these ancient sailors,
when they were trapped on the
00:57:29.61\00:57:31.71
deck of a ship for weeks, stuck
in the doldrums, discouraged,
00:57:31.75\00:57:33.82
sometimes they would have a
prayer meeting and pray that God
00:57:33.85\00:57:37.25
would send a breeze that would
set them free and get their
00:57:37.29\00:57:40.76
boats moving.
00:57:40.79\00:57:42.52
They turned to God in prayer,
and often miracles would happen,
00:57:42.56\00:57:44.79
and the wind would flutter in
the sails and bring them out of
00:57:44.83\00:57:47.86
their seaweed prison.
00:57:47.93\00:57:49.93
Friends, maybe you have
been stuck in the doldrums.
00:57:49.96\00:57:52.30
Maybe you've been caught
in a cycle of depression.
00:57:52.33\00:57:54.44
If God can do it for Jonah,
if He can do it for the ancient
00:57:54.47\00:57:57.01
sailors, He can do it for you.
00:57:57.04\00:57:59.37
Turn to the Lord in prayer.
00:57:59.41\00:58:01.08
Trust His Spirit to blow through
your soul and to set you free.
00:58:01.11\00:58:04.35
¤¤¤
00:58:04.38\00:58:07.65
¤¤¤
00:58:09.35\00:58:14.69