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Shawn Brummund: Hello, and
welcome to another edition of
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the "Sabbath School Study Hour."
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We are just so pleased to
be able to have you join us.
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If you're with us
live here this morning,
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nice to have you.
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If you are tuning in later, as
we are broadcasting on different
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various networks, it is good to
be able to have you join us for
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the next hour as we continue
to study in one of my favorite
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subjects which
is "Rest In Christ."
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And that's our new quarterly
that we've been looking at for
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the last two or three weeks.
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So depending on
how you define "new,"
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I suppose, on that as well.
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So, again, we're
looking at "Rest In Christ."
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Today's lesson
study is number 4.
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Lesson study number
4, "The Cost of Rest."
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Well, what does that mean?
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What does the Scriptures talk
about in regards to the cost of
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finding that rest in Christ?
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So make sure that you
invest in the next one hour,
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as we continue to
learn more about God's Word.
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Also want to invite you to take
advantage of some further study.
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We have a new free-gift offer
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that we would
like to offer to you.
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And this one is a
study guide and it's entitled
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"No Turning Back."
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Now, friends, this is one of the
most important topics that we
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can study in all of Scripture,
and it regards your eternal
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life as well is that rest
that we can find in Christ.
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And so, if you've never studied,
never had this in your hands,
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please take advantage
of our free-gift offer.
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And all you have to do
is dial 1-866-788-3966.
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That's 1-866-Study-More.
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Ask for offer number 1-4-6.
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And if you have a smart phone
and you would like a digital
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copy of that and
download it to your phone,
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and you live in North America,
then you can just go ahead and
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text the code S-H-1-3-7, and you
want to dial that to the number
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4-0-5-4-4, and that will hook
you up with a link online that
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will allow you to
downlink that for you.
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And if you live
outside of North America,
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you would still like
a digital copy of that,
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make sure that you go online on
your computer to study.aftv.org
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and then /S-H-1-3-7.
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And so, friends, we're trying
this available and readily
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available as to as
many people as possible.
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Please take advantage of that,
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and I know that
you will be blessed.
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Our teacher today is going
to be Pastor Doug Batchelor,
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our lead pastor for our church
here in Granite Bay Hilltop as
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well as the President Director
of Amazing Facts Ministries.
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And before I invite him
out and we open with prayer,
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we're going to invite our
musicians out as they bless us
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in worship through music.
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¤¤¤
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¤¤¤
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¤ Great is thy faithfulness, ¤
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¤ O God My Father. ¤
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¤ There is no shadow
of turning with thee. ¤
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¤ Thou changest not. ¤
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¤ Thy
compassions, they fail not. ¤
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¤ All thou hast been
thou forever wilt be. ¤
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¤¤¤
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¤¤¤
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¤¤¤
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¤¤¤
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¤ Great is thy faithfulness. ¤
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¤ Great is thy faithfulness. ¤
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¤ Morning by
morning new mercies I see. ¤
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¤ All I have needed
thy hand hath provided. ¤
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¤ Great is thy
faithfulness, Lord, unto me. ¤
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¤ Pardon for sin and
a peace that endureth. ¤
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¤ Thy own dear presence
to cheer and to guide. ¤
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¤ Strength for today and
bright hope for tomorrow. ¤
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¤ Blessings all
mine, with 10,000 beside. ¤
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¤ Great is thy faithfulness.
Great is thy faithfulness. ¤
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¤ Morning by
morning new mercies I see. ¤
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¤ All I have needed
thy hand hath provided. ¤
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¤ Great is thy faithfulness. ¤
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¤ Great is thy
faithfulness, Lord, unto me. ¤¤
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Shawn: "Father in heaven,
this morning as we continue our
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study, we want to pray that
your Holy Spirit will guide us
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and lead us.
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We claim that promise that you
would send your Holy Spirit to
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teach us, and guide us
and lead us into all truth.
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Lord, we come today praying that
you will speak the truth to us.
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And not only, Father, do we pray
that you will help us to hear
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it, but just as
importantly, Lord,
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we want to pray that you'll also
help us to be able to embrace
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it, and to be able to love it,
and be able to run with it and
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call it ours as well.
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In Jesus's name we pray
these things, Lord, amen."
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Again, we want to thank
you, Pastor Doug Batchelor for
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teaching our lesson study.
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Doug Batchelor: Good morning.
Thank you, Pastor Shawn.
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Morning, everybody.
Glad to have you here.
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That's so good to be
able to meet together again.
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Can you say amen?
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all: Amen.
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Doug: And I want to welcome
our friends while watching via
00:08:23.73\00:08:26.57
satellite or online, and we know
we have some of our friends that
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are watching that are a part of
the Hilltop online family from
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around the world,
and we greet you as well.
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We're continuing in our study
dealing with the subject of
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"Rest In Christ."
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And today we're going to be
talking about lesson number 4,
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talks about "The Cost of Rest."
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Before we get into the
lesson and the memory verse,
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want to share a
little amazing fact with you.
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Self-imposed imprisonment.
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For most people, prison is a
place you want to escape from.
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But for some South Koreans,
in desperate need of a break,
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a day or two in an
imitation jail is the escape.
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Since 2013, the Prison Inside
of Me facility in Northeast
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Hongcheon has hosted
more than 2000 inmates,
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many of them overstressed office
workers and students seeking
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relief from South
Korea's hyper-demanding
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work expectations.
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For $90 a day, a client can
check themselves into prison
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where they get a
blue uniform, a yoga mat,
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a tea set, a pen and a notebook.
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They sleep on the floor.
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There's a small toilet
inside the room but no mirror.
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Prison rules are strict.
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No talking with other inmates.
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No mobile phones or clocks.
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The menu is rice
porridge for breakfast,
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and steamed sweet potato
and a banana shake for dinner.
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You might
wonder, Why would someone
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be paid to be incarcerated?
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South Koreans work more
hours per week than any other
00:10:03.70\00:10:06.80
first-world country.
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This extra stress leads to a
very high rate of suicide among
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business
professionals and students.
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Park Hye-Ri, a
28-year-old office worker said,
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"The prison gave
me a sense of freedom.
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I was too busy,"
Park said as she sat in a
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54-foot square cell.
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She said that as
she was in the cell.
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Prison co-founder, Noh Ji-Hyang,
said "Some customers are a
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little apprehensive about
spending a day or two in a
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prison cell until they try it.
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After a stay in
prison, many inmates say,
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"This is not a prison.
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The real prison is the
hectic life we return to."
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You know the Bible says,
"There's many free people out
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walking the streets
that are really in prison."
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Some people are so desperate
for a little peace and rest,
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they will actually
put themselves in prison
00:10:54.48\00:10:57.22
to find that.
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You know what recidivism is.
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Recidivism is the rate of
people retuning to jail after
00:11:02.09\00:11:08.10
they've been released.
00:11:08.13\00:11:09.80
Some people get so used the
being in jail that after they're
00:11:09.83\00:11:13.67
free and out on the streets,
they don't know how to handle it
00:11:13.70\00:11:16.47
and they try to check back in.
00:11:16.50\00:11:18.81
They get institutionalized.
00:11:18.84\00:11:21.54
I heard one man that walked up
to a teller in a bank and said,
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"I'm robing the bank for $20."
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She said, "For $20?"
Said, "Just want $20."
00:11:27.95\00:11:31.32
So she gave him
$20, and he went,
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and he sat down in the
waiting area as the police came.
00:11:32.75\00:11:36.36
Said, "That's all it would take
for it to be a felony and him
00:11:36.39\00:11:38.46
to go back to jail."
00:11:38.49\00:11:40.46
He wasn't sure how
to cope on the outside.
00:11:40.50\00:11:44.20
Well, there are some people that
have a hard time finding that
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rest, and then some people who
are such at a desperate need of
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rest that they have a breakdown.
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That's where our
story is going to go today.
00:11:57.81\00:11:59.11
"The Cost of Rest."
00:11:59.15\00:12:01.72
And a lot of this is based upon
the experience that you find in
00:12:01.75\00:12:05.02
2 Samuel chapter 11 dealing with
David and Bathsheba and some of
00:12:05.05\00:12:09.56
the fallout from that,
and David's repentance.
00:12:09.59\00:12:12.36
But we have a
memory verse from Psalm 51,
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and its Psalm 51
verse 10, "Create--"
00:12:15.50\00:12:18.60
I'll give you a
chance to find that.
00:12:18.63\00:12:19.93
You can say it with me.
00:12:19.97\00:12:21.27
Psalm 51, verse
10. You know this.
00:12:21.30\00:12:24.51
"Create in me a
clean heart, O God,
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and renew a
steadfast spirit within me."
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I'm going to invite you
to say that with me again
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here at Hilltop, you ready?
00:12:33.55\00:12:36.25
"Create in me a
clean heart, O God,
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and renew a
steadfast spirit within me."
00:12:39.82\00:12:43.39
This is the new birth where
God creates in us a clean heart.
00:12:43.43\00:12:48.06
All right, so
under Sunday's Section,
00:12:48.10\00:12:49.86
it starts out
talking about worn and weary.
00:12:49.90\00:12:53.10
And we're going to go to
in our Bibles to the 2 book of
00:12:53.13\00:12:55.77
Samuel, chapter 11, and
we're going to be reading verses
00:12:55.80\00:12:58.24
1 through 5 together.
00:12:58.27\00:13:00.41
And this sort of
gives us the backdrop
00:13:00.44\00:13:03.51
for what's happening here.
00:13:03.55\00:13:05.61
2 Samuel 11, verse 1 through 5.
00:13:05.65\00:13:08.95
"It happened in
the spring of the year,
00:13:08.98\00:13:12.09
at the time when
kings go out to battle,
00:13:12.12\00:13:15.59
that David sent Joab
and his servants with him,
00:13:15.62\00:13:17.79
and all Israel; and they
destroyed the people of Ammon
00:13:17.83\00:13:21.20
and besieged Rabbah, but
David remained at Jerusalem."
00:13:21.23\00:13:26.00
Now, right away, do you
see something interesting
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about this passage?
00:13:28.24\00:13:31.17
This is a time when kings
go out to battle but David
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stayed in Jerusalem.
00:13:36.31\00:13:38.35
He quite frankly
was pretty tired.
00:13:38.38\00:13:41.65
Do you realize if you
read the history of David,
00:13:41.68\00:13:44.89
David fought
with the Philistines.
00:13:44.92\00:13:46.55
Of course, you
probably know Goliath very well.
00:13:46.59\00:13:49.86
He fought with--and
he fought several battles
00:13:49.89\00:13:51.83
with the Philistines.
00:13:51.86\00:13:53.16
He fought with the Ammonites,
he fought to the Edomites,
00:13:53.19\00:13:57.20
he fought with the Moabites,
he fought with the Syrians.
00:13:57.23\00:14:02.54
David fought with
virtually every bordering nation
00:14:02.57\00:14:05.64
and some beyond.
00:14:05.67\00:14:06.98
And sometimes, several
nations would come together
00:14:07.01\00:14:09.24
in a coalition to fight against
David and Joab and Amasai.
00:14:09.28\00:14:14.32
And so he had been
fighting wars on every side.
00:14:14.35\00:14:18.05
But now, he had pretty
much subdued all of his enemies
00:14:18.09\00:14:22.09
except the people of Ammon.
00:14:22.12\00:14:24.49
And he said, "You
know, I need a break.
00:14:24.53\00:14:28.63
And so, I just--I
am so stressed out.
00:14:28.66\00:14:30.77
I need to rest."
00:14:30.80\00:14:33.44
And he decided, Joab,
you know how this is done,
00:14:33.47\00:14:36.57
I mean they'd been fighting
for years at this point.
00:14:36.60\00:14:38.97
He said, "You
take the mighty men,
00:14:39.01\00:14:40.31
you go besiege Rabbah.
00:14:40.34\00:14:42.18
Rabbah is the capital of Amman.
Now, a siege can be boring.
00:14:42.21\00:14:46.45
When you besiege a city,
you're surrounding the capital.
00:14:46.48\00:14:48.42
You don't allow anyone in.
00:14:48.45\00:14:49.98
You don't allow anybody out to
get food and you kind of starve
00:14:50.02\00:14:53.79
them into surrender, and
it's kind of a waiting game.
00:14:53.82\00:14:56.69
David thought, "I'm not going to
be down there on the battlefield
00:14:56.73\00:14:59.09
when I can be up
here in the palace.
00:14:59.13\00:15:01.23
I've earned my dues."
00:15:01.26\00:15:02.86
And so David ended
up staying in Jerusalem.
00:15:02.90\00:15:05.67
He probably should've
been--the season for kings
00:15:05.70\00:15:08.47
to go out for battle.
00:15:08.50\00:15:10.67
But you know, there's a
passage, if you read in Ezekiel.
00:15:10.71\00:15:14.88
If you got your Bibles, you know
if I were to tell you what was
00:15:14.91\00:15:19.31
the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah,
a lot of people would instantly
00:15:19.35\00:15:22.62
say, "Oh yeah,
that's an easy one.
00:15:22.65\00:15:24.79
That was talking
about the immorality."
00:15:24.82\00:15:28.86
But that's not the whole story.
00:15:28.89\00:15:31.73
You look in Ezekiel
chapter 16, verse 49.
00:15:31.76\00:15:36.10
"Look, this was the
iniquity of your sister Sodom.
00:15:36.13\00:15:40.30
She and her daughter
had pride, fullness of food,
00:15:40.34\00:15:43.97
an abundance of idleness.
00:15:44.01\00:15:46.54
Neither did she strengthen
the hand of the poor and needy."
00:15:46.57\00:15:51.18
"An abundance of idleness."
You ever heard the expression,
00:15:51.21\00:15:53.48
"Idleness is the
devil's workshop?"
00:15:53.52\00:15:56.58
They used to say that.
00:15:56.62\00:15:58.15
If you don't
have anything to do,
00:15:58.19\00:15:59.89
you get into trouble,
and this is what happened.
00:15:59.92\00:16:03.96
David, he said
look, "I need some R&R."
00:16:03.99\00:16:07.30
And a little R&R is good,
but too much after you've been
00:16:07.36\00:16:10.40
stressed out, you
can have a meltdown.
00:16:10.43\00:16:13.74
And it happened when he
should have been at battle.
00:16:13.77\00:16:15.47
Go to verse 2, "It
happened one evening
00:16:15.50\00:16:18.21
that David arose from his bed."
00:16:18.24\00:16:20.28
Now, when it says evening there,
00:16:20.31\00:16:21.61
it's talking about
later in the afternoon.
00:16:21.64\00:16:22.94
Twilight. He had
taken an afternoon nap.
00:16:22.98\00:16:24.28
He got up.
00:16:24.31\00:16:25.61
It wasn't uncommon for people
when it was hot in that country
00:16:25.65\00:16:29.02
to take an afternoon siesta.
00:16:29.05\00:16:32.05
And it says that--because
if it was pitch dark,
00:16:32.09\00:16:35.19
he wouldn't have seen anything.
00:16:35.22\00:16:38.46
Says, "It happened one evening
that David arose from his bed,
00:16:38.49\00:16:41.10
and he walked on the
roof of the king's house.
00:16:41.13\00:16:44.87
And from the roof,"
which probably was a good piece
00:16:44.90\00:16:47.17
of real estate.
00:16:47.20\00:16:48.50
Usually higher than other
places if it's the king's house.
00:16:48.54\00:16:52.21
He had good view of
the surrounding area.
00:16:52.24\00:16:55.58
Says, "From the roof,
he saw a woman bathing,
00:16:55.61\00:16:59.91
and the woman was
very beautiful to behold."
00:16:59.95\00:17:02.25
Now, you know, if he's
walking around the roof,
00:17:02.28\00:17:05.02
just trying to
take in some fresh air,
00:17:05.05\00:17:07.72
and he saw a woman bathing.
00:17:07.76\00:17:09.76
Bathing, you're not usually,
00:17:09.79\00:17:11.09
you're not
properly clad for that.
00:17:11.13\00:17:13.86
It wasn't a sin
for him to notice that.
00:17:13.90\00:17:16.13
But when he continued to look,
00:17:16.16\00:17:18.13
that
observation turned into sin.
00:17:18.17\00:17:22.04
Now, whether
you're a man or woman,
00:17:22.07\00:17:24.34
if you're walking down the
street and you happen to notice
00:17:24.37\00:17:26.37
somebody that is immodestly
clothed or not clothed at all,
00:17:26.41\00:17:29.48
it's not a sin if that
comes to your attention.
00:17:29.51\00:17:32.58
But when you then
begin to focus on that--
00:17:32.61\00:17:36.48
and that's what happened.
00:17:36.52\00:17:38.82
You think about
it, the little mistake.
00:17:38.85\00:17:41.22
You know Job--yeah, Job.
00:17:41.26\00:17:43.02
Job says, "I've made
a covenant with my eyes,
00:17:43.06\00:17:45.49
why should I
behold a young maiden?
00:17:45.53\00:17:48.30
"Made a covenant with his eyes."
00:17:48.33\00:17:49.63
And every believer needs to
make a covenant with their eyes.
00:17:49.66\00:17:52.23
And if they're seeing something
they shouldn't be seeing,
00:17:52.27\00:17:54.50
don't keep looking.
00:17:54.54\00:17:56.50
Turn away.
00:17:56.54\00:17:58.07
What did Joseph do
when Potiphar's wife cast
00:17:58.11\00:18:01.48
her eyes upon him?
00:18:01.51\00:18:03.61
He ultimately, he made it a
point not to be where she was
00:18:03.65\00:18:06.61
and then he ran when she
actually got a hold of him.
00:18:06.65\00:18:10.75
Well, David, he
knew better, but it says,
00:18:10.79\00:18:15.62
"She was very beautiful."
00:18:15.66\00:18:16.96
And he thought,
"You know, I'm the king."
00:18:16.99\00:18:19.56
I can't read his mind, but
this is the kind of thing that
00:18:19.59\00:18:21.73
sometimes is a prelude to sin.
00:18:21.76\00:18:25.13
"I'm the king
and I've worked hard.
00:18:25.17\00:18:26.53
And you know, she should know
better than to bathe right there
00:18:26.57\00:18:33.38
in my vista."
00:18:33.41\00:18:34.71
Who knows what he was thinking?
00:18:34.74\00:18:37.38
But he looked long enough
where he became intrigued.
00:18:37.41\00:18:39.78
He became infatuated.
00:18:39.81\00:18:41.22
And he went his
servants and he said,
00:18:41.25\00:18:43.39
"You know that
house around the corner?
00:18:43.42\00:18:47.16
It's on Beautiful
Street, number 666.
00:18:47.19\00:18:52.19
He said, "Who lives there?"
00:18:52.23\00:18:55.53
And they said, "Oh, that's
where Uriah lives, the Hittite.
00:18:55.56\00:19:01.24
Your soldier. One
of your sergeants.
00:19:01.27\00:19:03.61
He's one of your
mighty men. You know Uriah.
00:19:03.64\00:19:05.74
That's his wife Bathsheba."
00:19:05.77\00:19:08.74
And it says, "She is
the daughter of Eliam.
00:19:08.78\00:19:10.71
You know Eliam. Eliam
is the son of Ahithophel.
00:19:10.75\00:19:13.05
You know Ahithophel.
He is your counselor."
00:19:13.08\00:19:15.75
So he knew who this was.
00:19:15.78\00:19:18.65
And I'd just like to mention
that because sometimes people
00:19:18.69\00:19:21.69
think, "Well, Bathsheba,
she was just, you know,
00:19:21.72\00:19:23.73
a pretty, empty-headed
girl that was not paying
00:19:23.76\00:19:27.40
attention when
she was out bathing."
00:19:27.40\00:19:28.86
She was actually
very intelligent.
00:19:28.90\00:19:30.87
She gave birth to
Solomon and her father
00:19:30.90\00:19:34.20
was David's wisest counselor.
00:19:34.24\00:19:37.41
So she was not only
beautiful, she was bright.
00:19:37.44\00:19:41.18
And it tells us
that he did something.
00:19:41.21\00:19:44.58
Note his servants are saying,
00:19:44.61\00:19:45.91
"Hey, David,
look, you got ten wives.
00:19:45.95\00:19:47.88
This is the wife of Uriah."
00:19:47.92\00:19:51.15
He said, "Well,
I know, you know.
00:19:51.19\00:19:52.52
He's off at battle." He
said, "I'm kind of lonely.
00:19:52.55\00:19:54.49
Just tell her to come on up.
00:19:54.52\00:19:56.39
I want to show her
a new song I wrote."
00:19:56.42\00:20:01.53
I don't know.
Something happened.
00:20:01.56\00:20:05.60
And so, "David sent
messengers, and took her,"
00:20:05.63\00:20:08.27
brought her to the home,
and he said, "You hungry?"
00:20:08.30\00:20:12.31
Has his servants
bring out this little feast.
00:20:12.34\00:20:14.94
Says, "I want to play for you."
00:20:14.98\00:20:16.28
David could sing, and
he could play the harp.
00:20:16.31\00:20:19.95
And he swooned her.
00:20:19.98\00:20:21.28
And David, the Bible
says was good-looking.
00:20:21.32\00:20:23.55
These are facts in the Bible.
00:20:23.59\00:20:25.12
We know he had a great voice;
we know he was one of the best
00:20:25.15\00:20:28.76
songwriters in history,
and that he was good-looking,
00:20:28.79\00:20:32.13
and he was strong.
00:20:32.16\00:20:34.56
So yeah, that
kind of set the table.
00:20:34.60\00:20:37.77
I don't think--some
people say that he raped her.
00:20:37.80\00:20:39.83
There's nothing in
the text that says that.
00:20:39.87\00:20:42.84
By the way, in the
judgment that came,
00:20:42.87\00:20:44.44
the judgment came
on David and Bathsheba.
00:20:44.47\00:20:49.21
So he took her.
00:20:49.24\00:20:51.15
I think he took advantage
of his power and his position
00:20:51.18\00:20:54.78
and seduced her, and it
says, "He laid with her.
00:20:54.82\00:20:59.75
For she was
cleansed of her impurity."
00:20:59.79\00:21:01.66
You know the Bible,
there was a certain period,
00:21:01.69\00:21:03.79
this is during and shortly
following the monthly cycle that
00:21:03.83\00:21:08.36
you are not to come together.
00:21:08.40\00:21:10.77
And while the siege goes on,
00:21:10.80\00:21:14.50
she notices that
something's happening.
00:21:14.54\00:21:19.34
Maybe she's feeling seasick
and she's missing those normal
00:21:19.37\00:21:24.55
dates, and she sends a
message to David and said,
00:21:24.58\00:21:28.48
"I am with child."
00:21:28.52\00:21:31.55
You know you cannot sow wild
oats on Saturday night and then
00:21:31.59\00:21:34.46
pray for crop failure on Sunday.
00:21:34.49\00:21:37.66
The Bible says, "that what
you sow you're going to reap."
00:21:37.69\00:21:40.76
God is not mocked.
00:21:40.80\00:21:43.83
So we see here that David,
00:21:43.87\00:21:47.00
and maybe he had just
been working too long.
00:21:47.04\00:21:49.54
He hadn't been
taking appropriate rest,
00:21:49.57\00:21:51.31
and so when he finally
did rest, he was exhausted.
00:21:51.34\00:21:56.04
His guard was down.
00:21:56.08\00:21:57.68
When does the devil
come with temptation?
00:21:57.71\00:22:01.08
When did the
devil come to Jesus?
00:22:01.12\00:22:04.05
Hungry, tired. Yeah.
00:22:04.09\00:22:09.12
Now, Karen and I
are a little different.
00:22:09.16\00:22:12.93
When she gets hungry, she'll
feel a lot better and be a lot
00:22:12.96\00:22:15.93
nicer if you feed her.
00:22:15.96\00:22:17.60
I can go a while
without food and I'm okay,
00:22:17.63\00:22:19.50
but if I get
sleepy, I get grumpy.
00:22:19.53\00:22:23.77
And so everyone's
wired a little different.
00:22:23.81\00:22:25.57
But the devil takes advantage
of it if you are hungry,
00:22:25.61\00:22:28.88
and you are tired
and you are stressed.
00:22:28.91\00:22:30.58
I mean he had
been under distress.
00:22:30.61\00:22:32.65
He'd been chased by
King Saul for years,
00:22:32.68\00:22:34.72
and he's been
in constant battle,
00:22:34.75\00:22:36.62
and there was
civil war in the kingdom.
00:22:36.65\00:22:38.39
And he's got all
these things going on.
00:22:38.42\00:22:40.82
And in a moment of
weakness, he just gave in.
00:22:40.86\00:22:47.86
And then you read on
in 2 Samuel 11, verse 6.
00:22:47.86\00:22:51.63
Then after she
says she's with child,
00:22:51.67\00:22:53.94
David thinks instead of
confessing and coming to God and
00:22:53.97\00:22:56.71
finding rest, the
cost of rest is repentance,
00:22:56.74\00:23:00.28
and that's where
we're going in this lesson.
00:23:00.31\00:23:01.78
But instead of repenting,
instead of confessing,
00:23:01.81\00:23:04.85
he tries to do a
man-made cover-up.
00:23:04.88\00:23:07.75
David's pretty smart.
00:23:07.78\00:23:09.08
He thinks, "Well, I don't
want to get her in trouble,
00:23:09.12\00:23:12.45
so it's got to look like
her husband's responsible,
00:23:12.49\00:23:16.79
but he's out of
town on business."
00:23:16.83\00:23:19.63
He thought, "Well, I'll find--
I'll create an excuse to get
00:23:19.66\00:23:23.16
Uriah to come home."
00:23:23.20\00:23:24.97
So David sends a
messenger, and to Joab.
00:23:25.00\00:23:27.87
And he says, "Send Uriah to me."
00:23:27.90\00:23:30.71
And Uriah comes. And he
says, "How is Joab doing?
00:23:30.74\00:23:35.98
Joab is a general.
"And how other people doing?
00:23:36.01\00:23:39.11
How is the work prospering?"
00:23:39.15\00:23:41.25
And then David said to Uriah,
00:23:41.28\00:23:42.68
"Now, go on down to the house.
00:23:42.72\00:23:45.32
And he actually
catered a little meal.
00:23:45.35\00:23:46.89
He says, "I've sent a present.
You don't even have to cook.
00:23:46.92\00:23:49.12
I don't want your
wife busy cooking.
00:23:49.16\00:23:50.76
And you go down to your house."
00:23:50.79\00:23:52.09
And he's trying to
set things up so that,
00:23:52.13\00:23:54.83
you know, Uriah would enjoy the
normal privileges of a husband
00:23:54.83\00:23:59.00
and wife after being
gone for a long time.
00:23:59.03\00:24:01.84
And David thinks
"problem solved,"
00:24:01.87\00:24:04.21
except something goes wrong.
00:24:04.24\00:24:06.14
He doesn't know
how dedicated Uriah is.
00:24:06.17\00:24:11.81
The Bible says, "Uriah
departed from the king's house,
00:24:11.85\00:24:14.78
and a gift of food
from the king followed him.
00:24:14.82\00:24:16.69
But Uriah slept at the door
of the king's house with all the
00:24:16.72\00:24:21.09
servants of his lord, and he
did not go down to his house.
00:24:21.12\00:24:26.09
So when they told David, 'Uriah
did not go to his house,' David
00:24:26.13\00:24:28.96
said to Uriah, "'Did
you not come from a journey?
00:24:29.00\00:24:32.53
Why then did you not
go down to your house?'"
00:24:32.57\00:24:34.84
David is mystified.
00:24:34.87\00:24:36.17
I mean what soldier who has been
out in the field eating army
00:24:36.20\00:24:40.41
rations and, you know, who's
sleeping in a dirty tent with a
00:24:40.44\00:24:47.12
bunch of stinking
soldiers, you go home,
00:24:47.15\00:24:49.25
and you're married to Bathsheba,
and you don't go home,
00:24:49.28\00:24:51.79
but you sleep with
the king's servants
00:24:51.82\00:24:53.99
in the barracks of the king?
00:24:54.02\00:24:59.19
You know, the
hero in this story,
00:24:59.23\00:25:00.96
people always focus
on David and Bathsheba,
00:25:00.96\00:25:03.26
and the scandal, but
there's a hero in the story.
00:25:03.30\00:25:06.84
And you read
here in 2 Samuel 11,
00:25:06.87\00:25:14.21
Uriah says, and
this is 2 Samuel 11:11.
00:25:14.24\00:25:17.01
It's a great verse.
00:25:17.05\00:25:18.78
Uriah--it's the
only time Uriah speaks.
00:25:18.81\00:25:21.78
Uriah is listed among
the mighty men of David,
00:25:21.82\00:25:23.99
but here's the
only place he speaks.
00:25:24.02\00:25:26.32
"And Uriah says
to David, 'The ark.'"
00:25:26.35\00:25:27.99
What's the first
words out of his mouth?
00:25:28.02\00:25:30.63
The ark. What was the ark?
00:25:30.66\00:25:32.43
Where was the presence of God?
00:25:32.46\00:25:34.60
If you needed to put your finger
on the land of Israel and say
00:25:34.63\00:25:37.53
where do find God's presence?
00:25:37.57\00:25:39.50
It would be the ark.
00:25:39.53\00:25:40.90
That's where God
appeared to Moses.
00:25:40.94\00:25:42.97
That's where
the Word of God was.
00:25:43.00\00:25:45.31
He says the ark.
00:25:45.34\00:25:46.64
First thing out of
his mouth, the ark.
00:25:46.68\00:25:48.01
Now, it calls him, "Uriah
the Hittite"because he had been
00:25:48.04\00:25:50.31
from a Hittite
background, but he had converted
00:25:50.35\00:25:52.48
to Jehovah and Israel.
00:25:52.51\00:25:55.28
He talks about
God and his neighbors.
00:25:55.32\00:25:57.89
What's the two
great commandments?
00:25:57.92\00:25:59.92
Love the Lord and
love your neighbor.
00:25:59.95\00:26:02.59
This is the first
thing comes out of his mouth.
00:26:02.62\00:26:04.69
"And Judah, the people of
God, are dwelling in tents,"
00:26:04.73\00:26:08.56
They're out in the field.
00:26:08.60\00:26:10.07
And my lord Joab."
00:26:10.10\00:26:12.17
He's got respect for leadership.
00:26:12.20\00:26:14.84
"And the servants of my lord are
encamped in the open fields."
00:26:14.87\00:26:18.31
They're involved in a battle.
00:26:18.34\00:26:20.14
"Shall I then go to my
house and eat and drink,
00:26:20.18\00:26:23.41
and lie with my wife?
00:26:23.45\00:26:25.11
As you live," he actually
articulates the very thing David
00:26:25.15\00:26:27.92
was hoping, "as you
live and as your soul lives,"
00:26:27.95\00:26:31.05
he makes a vow.
00:26:31.09\00:26:32.39
He says, "I will
not do this thing."
00:26:32.42\00:26:34.16
Why did he say that?
00:26:34.19\00:26:35.49
Now, if you're Bathsheba,
would you be a little offended?
00:26:35.52\00:26:39.06
Your husband comes home and he's
within a stone's throw from your
00:26:39.09\00:26:44.70
house and he doesn't come home?
00:26:44.73\00:26:46.90
You know, I think what Uriah was
doing is the men had often made
00:26:46.94\00:26:50.77
covenants and they said, "We
are not going to rest until this
00:26:50.81\00:26:53.38
battle is won."
00:26:53.41\00:26:54.71
Uriah also was a leader.
He had other men under him.
00:26:54.74\00:26:58.11
And he probably thought, "I
don't want to demoralize my men.
00:26:58.15\00:27:01.98
They're suffering. I'm
going to suffer with them."
00:27:02.02\00:27:03.42
Uriah is like a type
of Christ in the story.
00:27:03.45\00:27:06.59
He ends up dying
the sacrificial death.
00:27:06.62\00:27:09.96
He dies to cover David's sin.
00:27:09.99\00:27:12.09
Isn't that what Jesus does?
00:27:12.13\00:27:14.66
Matter of fact,
when David hears this,
00:27:14.73\00:27:18.40
he realizes--who's
the best man in the story,
00:27:18.43\00:27:20.54
David or Uriah?
00:27:20.57\00:27:23.51
David's saying, "He's
a better man than I am."
00:27:23.54\00:27:27.11
And he says, "Well,
I know what I'll do.
00:27:27.14\00:27:29.48
I'll get him drunk.
00:27:29.51\00:27:30.81
If I could get him
to drink, it will lower
00:27:30.85\00:27:32.15
his natural resistance."
00:27:32.18\00:27:33.48
I mean after all David could
read in the Bible where Lot's
00:27:33.52\00:27:36.82
daughters got their father drunk
and he did the unthinkable.
00:27:36.85\00:27:40.36
So David things Noah got
drunk and wandered around naked.
00:27:40.39\00:27:44.69
I mean let's face it, when
you drink you're not the same.
00:27:44.73\00:27:48.90
And that's why Christians
shouldn't drink, amen?
00:27:48.93\00:27:51.93
And so, he says, "I'll just get
him to drink a little bit and
00:27:51.97\00:27:56.37
I'll say, "Okay,
Uriah, let's toast the army."
00:27:56.40\00:27:59.71
And he says--he
respectfully says [inaudible].
00:27:59.74\00:28:01.61
And he gives in the strongest
drink--wine they've got.
00:28:01.64\00:28:03.55
You know, wine could have
varying levels of alcohol.
00:28:03.58\00:28:06.41
And he makes them drunk.
00:28:06.45\00:28:08.68
And he thinks, "Surely
now, he'll go to his home.
00:28:08.72\00:28:12.35
He'll go staggering home.
00:28:12.39\00:28:14.26
And then when Bathsheba comes
up pregnant and has a baby after
00:28:14.29\00:28:17.96
only six months, we'll just say,
00:28:17.99\00:28:19.29
'Oh, I guess, it
was a premature.'"
00:28:19.33\00:28:23.53
But even drunk, he does
not go against his conscience.
00:28:23.57\00:28:27.74
This guy's remarkable.
00:28:27.77\00:28:29.97
He goes back and he
sleeps again in the barracks.
00:28:30.01\00:28:33.07
David said, "Enough is enough."
00:28:33.11\00:28:36.21
And so what Davis
does is he writes a letter.
00:28:36.24\00:28:39.18
Now, I'm condensing the story
because--but you need to know
00:28:39.21\00:28:43.05
the background for the
Psalms we're going to study.
00:28:43.08\00:28:46.09
David writes a letter.
00:28:46.12\00:28:48.92
Now, keep in mind,
Uriah is one of his friends.
00:28:48.96\00:28:51.26
He and Uriah have
lived in caves together
00:28:51.29\00:28:53.70
fighting the Philistines.
00:28:53.73\00:28:55.26
And I mean,
they are old friends.
00:28:55.30\00:28:57.60
He writes a letter.
00:28:57.63\00:28:59.00
He's so worried about losing
the respect of his people,
00:28:59.03\00:29:01.24
and literally, Uriah's got
the right to kill David for what
00:29:01.27\00:29:04.07
he's done
according to the Bible.
00:29:04.11\00:29:07.28
So David writes a
letter. He becomes frightened.
00:29:07.31\00:29:09.44
Still doesn't
repent and confess.
00:29:09.48\00:29:10.95
Doesn't trust that even God's
going to get him out of this.
00:29:10.98\00:29:14.55
Sends it Joab, a sealed letter.
00:29:14.58\00:29:16.95
Sends it by the hand of
Uriah, his own death sentence.
00:29:16.99\00:29:22.79
And Joab reads the
letter, and the letter says,
00:29:22.82\00:29:25.43
"Take Uriah, set them at the
forefront of the hottest battle
00:29:25.46\00:29:30.07
and retire from
him that he dies."
00:29:30.10\00:29:34.70
Now Joab is--he's
an obedient general.
00:29:34.74\00:29:37.74
He may not know what's going on,
00:29:37.77\00:29:39.21
but he's got a
direct order from the king.
00:29:39.24\00:29:41.98
It's a sealed order
which means it's top secret.
00:29:42.01\00:29:46.05
And so Joab, I think
Joab failed here too.
00:29:46.08\00:29:49.72
He knew Uriah
was a good soldier.
00:29:49.75\00:29:52.42
Joab takes Uriah and he
puts him at the forefront.
00:29:52.45\00:29:55.76
There was a place
where the gates were guarded.
00:29:55.79\00:29:59.23
It was probably the
main entrance of Rabbah,
00:29:59.26\00:30:01.06
and they had the
the mightiest men there.
00:30:01.10\00:30:03.00
And he assigns Uriah and his
little contingent of soldiers.
00:30:03.03\00:30:06.57
And says, "I want you to
go charge; storm the gates."
00:30:06.60\00:30:08.84
And Uriah looks
at Joab, he says,
00:30:08.87\00:30:11.24
"Hey, look, you guys, we've been
fighting together for years.
00:30:11.27\00:30:14.61
We understand war tactics.
00:30:14.64\00:30:15.94
You realize this
is a suicide mission?
00:30:15.98\00:30:18.21
Why would we charge the gates?"
Joab says, "We'll cover you."
00:30:18.25\00:30:23.35
You ever heard that
before? "We'll cover you.
00:30:23.39\00:30:25.69
We got your back."
00:30:25.72\00:30:29.09
And so,
obediently, Uriah and his men,
00:30:29.12\00:30:32.76
they charged
the gates of Rabbah.
00:30:32.79\00:30:36.60
And at first, Uriah and
his soldiers are covering them,
00:30:36.63\00:30:38.93
then they withdraw.
00:30:38.97\00:30:40.90
And the soldiers up on
the wall, they get down,
00:30:40.94\00:30:42.67
they fire down a hail of
arrows just as you would expect.
00:30:42.70\00:30:46.57
And several soldiers
are killed, including Uriah.
00:30:46.61\00:30:50.28
It's a tragedy.
00:30:50.31\00:30:51.61
So Uriah goes
into a suicide mission.
00:30:51.65\00:30:53.68
He basically lays
down his life to obey.
00:30:53.72\00:30:56.72
That's a great lesson for us.
00:30:56.75\00:30:59.22
So David thinks, all right, as
soon as Bathsheba gets with that
00:30:59.25\00:31:04.36
Uriah is dead, she wears
her--she goes through the
00:31:04.39\00:31:07.30
customary period of
mourning but it's not very long.
00:31:07.36\00:31:10.63
I think it's truncated, because
as soon as she's done mourning,
00:31:10.67\00:31:13.97
David takes her as wife so that
when she comes up with the baby
00:31:14.00\00:31:17.27
in about six months, at least,
00:31:17.31\00:31:20.54
they've got some
semblance of a story.
00:31:20.58\00:31:25.51
Now, God gives David
all this time to repent,
00:31:25.55\00:31:28.42
you know, God is patient.
00:31:28.45\00:31:30.39
The Bible says in Ecclesiastes,
and I forget the verse,
00:31:30.42\00:31:33.02
but I remember the passage.
00:31:33.05\00:31:34.76
"Because sentence against
an evil work is not executed
00:31:34.79\00:31:38.66
speedily, therefore the hearts
of the sons of men are fully set
00:31:38.69\00:31:41.96
in them to do evil."
00:31:42.00\00:31:43.60
That means that because God does
not thump us with a hammer from
00:31:43.63\00:31:47.07
heaven, as soon as we do
wrong, we think that we're okay.
00:31:47.10\00:31:50.54
God did not send judgment on
David right away because he was
00:31:50.57\00:31:53.11
giving him time to repent.
00:31:53.14\00:31:55.31
There's a lot of people that
have peace in their lives right
00:31:55.34\00:31:57.61
now, not because they're doing
well but because God is patient.
00:31:57.65\00:32:02.78
Think about how patient God was
when Noah was building the ark
00:32:02.82\00:32:06.02
with that world.
00:32:06.05\00:32:07.69
It says, "The
thoughts of their hearts
00:32:07.72\00:32:09.69
were only evil continually,
and God give them 120 years."
00:32:09.72\00:32:14.50
God is loving and he's patient.
00:32:14.56\00:32:16.97
God rescued Sodom and Gomorrah
through Abraham before he
00:32:17.00\00:32:19.57
destroyed them years later.
00:32:19.60\00:32:21.37
Gave them patience.
00:32:21.40\00:32:23.14
So God gives David this
probationary period of time
00:32:23.17\00:32:27.11
to repent and confess.
00:32:27.14\00:32:28.88
There was a lot of
the things about David.
00:32:28.91\00:32:31.31
You know, God loved David.
00:32:31.35\00:32:32.78
David had done a
lot-- God had chosen David.
00:32:32.81\00:32:35.58
But David had fallen
for this terrible sin.
00:32:35.62\00:32:39.65
And so, do you think David
had peace during that time?
00:32:39.69\00:32:45.49
Man, how could you?
00:32:45.53\00:32:47.86
You kill a loyal friend to take
his wife to cover up your sin
00:32:47.93\00:32:53.44
and other been
died in the process.
00:32:53.47\00:32:57.31
I'm sure that he
was tormented by that,
00:32:57.34\00:32:59.41
but he had somehow
stifled his conscience.
00:32:59.44\00:33:02.98
And then you go to
now, the wake-up call.
00:33:03.01\00:33:05.41
This is our next section, and
you turn to 2 Samuel chapter 12.
00:33:05.45\00:33:10.72
Oh by the way,
the end of chapter 11,
00:33:10.75\00:33:14.82
it says, "The thing that David
had done displeased the Lord."
00:33:14.86\00:33:18.96
Now, that is the
understatement of Scripture.
00:33:18.99\00:33:22.23
Displeased. That
word "displeased"there;
00:33:22.26\00:33:24.10
it means God was
extremely aggravated.
00:33:24.13\00:33:29.77
He was disappointed.
00:33:29.80\00:33:32.17
He was grieved by
what David had done.
00:33:32.21\00:33:37.65
Go to chapter 12, verse 1, and
we'll be reading through verse
00:33:37.68\00:33:41.48
7, "And the Lord
sent Nathan to David.
00:33:41.52\00:33:45.85
And he came to him, and said,
00:33:45.89\00:33:47.56
'There were two
men in one city.'"
00:33:47.59\00:33:49.06
Now, what's happening here, it
was common for the king to sit,
00:33:49.09\00:33:54.03
usually a couple of times a week
and he was the supreme court.
00:33:54.10\00:33:57.63
They had priests
scattered throughout the land.
00:33:57.67\00:33:59.50
The Levites were to be judges.
00:33:59.53\00:34:01.04
The Levites were
like your doctors too.
00:34:01.07\00:34:02.54
Whenever anybody was examined
for any kind of uncleanness or
00:34:02.57\00:34:05.14
disease, the Levites
often would prescribe a cure.
00:34:05.17\00:34:08.01
They declared them
unclean if it was contagious.
00:34:08.04\00:34:10.71
And the Levites
would also adjudicate
00:34:10.75\00:34:13.48
small cases and disputes.
00:34:13.52\00:34:15.52
They had judges in every town,
and they had Levites that would
00:34:15.55\00:34:18.15
help do this.
00:34:18.19\00:34:19.49
But then the
supreme court was the king.
00:34:19.52\00:34:20.86
If they had difficult cases,
it would come to the king.
00:34:20.89\00:34:22.82
Remember the two
women that had the baby,
00:34:22.86\00:34:24.63
and died during the night and
they're fighting over the baby?
00:34:24.66\00:34:27.76
The king would sit in judgment
on these difficult cases.
00:34:27.83\00:34:30.23
So Nathan, the
prophet, friend of David,
00:34:30.27\00:34:33.00
God told Nathan
what was going on.
00:34:33.03\00:34:35.94
But Nathan now is going to get
David to confess and basically
00:34:35.97\00:34:41.24
to condemn himself.
00:34:41.28\00:34:47.88
He says to the king, "There
were two men in one city."
00:34:47.92\00:34:51.09
Doesn't say what city.
"One rich; the other poor.
00:34:51.12\00:34:54.12
The rich man had
exceeding many flocks and herds.
00:34:54.16\00:34:58.49
But the poor man had nothing,
except one little ewe lamb which
00:34:58.53\00:35:02.26
he had bought up,
ever since it was a lamb,
00:35:02.30\00:35:04.90
and nourished, and it
grew up together with him
00:35:04.93\00:35:07.44
and with his children."
00:35:07.47\00:35:08.77
It was a family member.
00:35:08.80\00:35:11.04
"It ate of its own food
and drank from its own cup."
00:35:11.07\00:35:14.58
We used to have goats years ago,
and when we milked the goats,
00:35:14.61\00:35:19.11
because the goats would fight
over the feed and we didn't have
00:35:19.15\00:35:21.25
a barn built yet, we'd
bring the goats into the house.
00:35:21.28\00:35:24.22
I know I
shouldn't tell you that.
00:35:24.25\00:35:25.55
You probably think
I'm unsanitary but--
00:35:25.59\00:35:27.99
so, you know, you
kind of somewhat relate
00:35:28.02\00:35:30.29
here a little bit.
00:35:30.33\00:35:31.63
But--and they said,
"It ate of its own food."
00:35:31.66\00:35:37.83
And any or you ever feed
your dogs from the table?
00:35:37.87\00:35:39.37
Come on.
00:35:39.40\00:35:41.27
Not supposed to do it.
All the guilty just laughed.
00:35:41.30\00:35:47.74
Ate of its own food, drank
of its own cup and lay in his
00:35:47.78\00:35:50.61
bosom; and it was
like a daughter to him.
00:35:50.65\00:35:54.38
And a traveler
came to the rich man,
00:35:54.42\00:35:57.89
who refused to take
from his own flock."
00:35:57.92\00:36:00.36
Now, it was a custom in Bible
times that if a traveler came,
00:36:00.39\00:36:03.79
you were supposed to host them.
00:36:03.83\00:36:06.53
And you are remember when the
two travelers came to Abraham,
00:36:06.56\00:36:08.96
he told Sarah, "Kill the
fatted calf and we're going to,
00:36:09.00\00:36:13.00
you know, have a meal."
00:36:13.03\00:36:14.34
So this traveler comes and
instead of providing from his
00:36:14.37\00:36:18.17
own many flocks and herds,
he forcefully takes his poor
00:36:18.21\00:36:23.31
neighbor's only
lamb and kills it,
00:36:23.35\00:36:28.95
and feeds it to his guests.
00:36:28.98\00:36:31.95
"David's anger
was greatly aroused."
00:36:31.99\00:36:34.22
Now God is--that's sort of
silly to say God is very smart
00:36:34.26\00:36:37.93
because that's obvious.
00:36:37.96\00:36:39.39
But what was David's
occupation his whole early life?
00:36:39.43\00:36:45.13
So he puts this in a story
00:36:45.17\00:36:47.94
that David could
really resonate with.
00:36:47.97\00:36:51.57
Did David, when he was young,
did David lay down his life to
00:36:51.61\00:36:54.31
defend little lambs that were
taken by the bear and the lion?
00:36:54.34\00:36:58.45
And here to have this
stranger, this wealthy stranger
00:36:58.48\00:37:01.15
who is so greedy.
00:37:01.18\00:37:02.48
David had dealt
with a wealthy, greedy,
00:37:02.52\00:37:05.39
friend--it wasn't a friend,
a wealthy, greedy neighbor.
00:37:05.42\00:37:08.19
His name was Nabal.
00:37:08.22\00:37:09.86
That's how David ended
up with his wife Abigail.
00:37:09.89\00:37:12.56
Nabal was a selfish, stingy man.
00:37:12.59\00:37:15.73
And so, David's
going, "Yeah, yeah.
00:37:15.76\00:37:17.27
Boy, this guy. He
took his only lamb?"
00:37:17.30\00:37:20.67
And David, when he hears this,
"His anger was greatly aroused
00:37:20.70\00:37:25.24
against the man,
and he said to Nathan,
00:37:25.27\00:37:27.74
'As the Lord lives, the man who
has done this shall surely die!
00:37:27.78\00:37:32.51
And he will restore
fourfold for the lamb,
00:37:32.55\00:37:35.08
because he did this thing
and because he had no pity.'
00:37:35.12\00:37:39.45
And then Nathan said, "these are
some of the most stirring words
00:37:39.49\00:37:44.09
in the Bible, "Nathan
said, 'You are the man.'"
00:37:44.13\00:37:49.10
Now, there are
several videos I want to see
00:37:49.13\00:37:51.30
when I get to heaven.
00:37:51.33\00:37:55.24
And just little
vignettes, you know?
00:37:55.27\00:37:58.54
But I always--I
think I've told you;
00:37:58.57\00:38:01.34
I want to see the
look on Haman's face,
00:38:01.38\00:38:06.55
you know, in
the story of Esther?
00:38:06.58\00:38:09.42
When Haman's invited to this
feast and he doesn't know why
00:38:09.45\00:38:13.49
he's coming to this feast, but
he's just really honored that
00:38:13.52\00:38:15.29
he's invited to
a feast, just him,
00:38:15.32\00:38:17.49
the king and the queen,
and he's invited to this feast.
00:38:17.53\00:38:21.76
And finally, at the
feast, the king says,
00:38:21.80\00:38:23.20
"Esther, you've asked
for this feast two times now,
00:38:23.23\00:38:26.10
we've had the feast
and I'm here with Haman."
00:38:26.13\00:38:28.10
He said, "What's up."
00:38:28.14\00:38:30.71
And Esther says, "Your Highness,
there's someone who wants to
00:38:30.74\00:38:35.98
annihilate me and my people.
00:38:36.01\00:38:38.71
And if you wanted
to make us slaves,
00:38:38.75\00:38:40.05
that would be okay
but to exterminate us,
00:38:40.08\00:38:41.98
I can't bear this."
00:38:42.02\00:38:43.32
And the king says,
"Who is it that would dare
00:38:43.35\00:38:45.95
to do such a thing?"
00:38:45.99\00:38:48.12
And Haman goes, "Yeah, who?
00:38:48.16\00:38:53.06
And Esther said,
"Thou art the man."
00:38:53.09\00:38:55.76
She said, "It is
this wicked Haman."
00:38:55.80\00:38:58.63
I want to see that video to
look at how the blood drains
00:38:58.67\00:39:03.61
from his face.
00:39:03.64\00:39:06.71
And you know Jesus,
he goes around the table,
00:39:06.74\00:39:09.21
and he says, "This night, one
of you is going to betray me.
00:39:09.24\00:39:12.81
And all of the
apostles, one by one,
00:39:12.85\00:39:15.02
said "No, we all love you.
00:39:15.05\00:39:16.85
No, none of us.
We'd die for you."
00:39:16.89\00:39:19.29
Peter actually said that.
"I'll lay down my life for you.
00:39:19.32\00:39:21.92
Even if all of
these forsake you.
00:39:21.96\00:39:23.56
I'll never forsake you."
00:39:23.59\00:39:25.29
Then one by one, they
say it, "Lord, is it I?
00:39:25.33\00:39:29.26
Is it I? Is it I?
00:39:29.30\00:39:30.60
Is it I?"
00:39:30.63\00:39:31.93
Finally, Judas sees
everybody looking at him because
00:39:31.97\00:39:33.84
he hasn't asked yet.
00:39:33.87\00:39:36.17
And he goes, "Is it I?"
00:39:36.20\00:39:38.57
And Jesus said,
"Thou hast said."
00:39:38.61\00:39:43.48
"So when Nathan said to David,
'Thou art the man,' thus says
00:39:43.51\00:39:47.62
the Lord God of Israel.
00:39:47.65\00:39:48.95
'I anointed you
king over Israel,
00:39:48.98\00:39:50.65
and I delivered you
from the hand of Saul.
00:39:50.69\00:39:53.32
I gave you your master's
house and your master's wives
00:39:53.36\00:39:56.83
into your keeping.
00:39:56.86\00:39:58.16
I gave you the house of Israel
and Judah, "and if that--"
00:39:58.19\00:40:02.03
This is something
that is just amazing.
00:40:02.06\00:40:03.90
God says, "And if
that had been too little,
00:40:03.93\00:40:06.70
I would have
given you much more."
00:40:06.74\00:40:10.84
He says,
"David, if you had said,
00:40:10.87\00:40:12.17
'Lord, I'm just lacking.
00:40:12.21\00:40:14.21
I need more
land, and more palaces,
00:40:14.24\00:40:16.78
and more kingdoms
or whatever,"he said,
00:40:16.81\00:40:18.11
"I would've given you more.
00:40:18.15\00:40:21.38
I wouldn't have think
you'd need any more wives."
00:40:21.42\00:40:24.22
I mean, you know one is plenty.
00:40:24.25\00:40:30.16
But yeah, someone
asked Benjamin Franklin,
00:40:30.19\00:40:31.96
you've heard me share this.
00:40:31.99\00:40:34.00
They asked Benjamin Franklin,
they got into a theological
00:40:34.00\00:40:35.76
argument with
him, and they said,
00:40:35.80\00:40:37.10
"There's nothing in the Bible
that says a man can't have more
00:40:37.13\00:40:39.27
than one wife."
00:40:39.30\00:40:40.60
Franklin disagreed.
00:40:40.64\00:40:41.94
He says, "It says, 'You
cannot serve two masters.'"
00:40:41.97\00:40:47.21
And he said to him,
"If you wanted more,
00:40:47.24\00:40:49.41
I would've given you more.
00:40:49.44\00:40:51.81
Why have you despised
the commandment of the Lord?"
00:40:51.85\00:40:55.42
Not only the commandment that
says though shalt not murder but
00:40:55.45\00:40:58.45
the commandment that says, "Thou
shalt not commit adultery,"and
00:40:58.49\00:41:01.12
the commandment that says,
00:41:01.16\00:41:02.46
"Thou shalt not
covet thy neighbor's wife."
00:41:02.49\00:41:05.33
David broke
several commandments here.
00:41:05.36\00:41:08.86
"Why have you despised
the commandment of the Lord,
00:41:08.90\00:41:11.60
and done evil in his sight?
00:41:11.63\00:41:13.47
You have killed Uriah
the Hittite with the sword."
00:41:13.50\00:41:17.51
David is thinking,
"Well, I wasn't there."
00:41:17.54\00:41:20.24
God's saying, "You did it.
00:41:20.28\00:41:22.04
It's your blood--it's
his blood on your hands.
00:41:22.08\00:41:26.15
And you've taken his wife to
be your wife and you killed him
00:41:26.18\00:41:30.05
with the sword of
the people of Amman.
00:41:30.09\00:41:31.39
You killed him with a sword.
00:41:31.42\00:41:32.72
You just used someone
else's sword to do it."
00:41:32.75\00:41:35.46
"Now, therefore the sword will
never depart from your house
00:41:35.49\00:41:39.33
because you've despised me, and
you've taken the wife of Uriah
00:41:39.36\00:41:42.63
the Hittite for your wife.
00:41:42.66\00:41:43.97
Thus says the Lord, 'Behold,
I will raise up adversaries
00:41:44.00\00:41:46.97
against you from your own house
and I'll take your wives before
00:41:47.00\00:41:50.94
your eyes and give
them to your neighbor.
00:41:50.97\00:41:53.74
What you do to
others will be done to you."
00:41:53.78\00:41:57.08
And it wasn't just one wife.
00:41:57.11\00:41:58.95
Absalom laid with
ten of David's wives.
00:41:58.98\00:42:01.32
They were his concubines.
00:42:01.35\00:42:03.22
David took Abigail and his other
wives with him when he fled from
00:42:03.25\00:42:06.79
Jerusalem, but his ten
concubines who were left behind,
00:42:06.82\00:42:10.09
in the presence of everybody,
Absalom went into the harem.
00:42:10.13\00:42:16.20
He says,
"Because you've done this,
00:42:16.23\00:42:17.47
I'll raise up adversaries from
your own house," his own sons.
00:42:17.50\00:42:22.47
"For you did
this thing secretly,
00:42:22.50\00:42:23.84
but I'll do this thing before
Israel and before the sun."
00:42:23.87\00:42:27.98
Now David is so
overcome with guilt and shame,
00:42:28.01\00:42:31.95
finally he comes to his senses.
00:42:31.98\00:42:34.85
This is the turning
point where he discovers rest,
00:42:34.88\00:42:38.12
but he has to go
through repentance.
00:42:38.15\00:42:42.22
He says, "I have
sinned against the Lord."
00:42:42.26\00:42:45.36
As soon as he
repents of his sin,
00:42:45.39\00:42:47.60
Nathan says, "The
Lord has put away your sin.
00:42:47.66\00:42:50.60
You shall not die."
00:42:50.63\00:42:52.10
However, there are consequences.
00:42:52.13\00:42:54.04
Because of this deed, you've
given great occasion to the
00:42:54.07\00:42:56.77
enemies of the
Lord to blaspheme."
00:42:56.81\00:42:58.57
By the way,
this is in the Bible.
00:42:58.61\00:43:00.14
Did everybody in
Israel soon know?
00:43:00.18\00:43:01.94
Was it in all of the
tabloids and the newspapers
00:43:01.98\00:43:03.88
what David had done?
00:43:03.91\00:43:05.88
Did he lose the
respect of his people after
00:43:05.91\00:43:07.98
this to a great extent?
00:43:08.02\00:43:09.78
They would never have followed
Absalom against David if David
00:43:09.82\00:43:13.15
hadn't lost the
respect of the people.
00:43:13.19\00:43:15.89
How can David judge his
people when he's done this?
00:43:15.92\00:43:22.00
"You have given great
occasion for the enemies
00:43:22.03\00:43:24.43
of the Lord to blaspheme.
00:43:24.47\00:43:26.13
The child who is born
to you shall surely die."
00:43:26.17\00:43:28.24
God is basically saying, "I
can't bless this relationship
00:43:28.27\00:43:31.91
and the whole
world's going to see."
00:43:31.94\00:43:34.18
"Then Nathan
departed to his house.
00:43:34.21\00:43:36.11
And the Lord struck the
child." And you know this story.
00:43:36.14\00:43:38.28
David spent
seven days on his face,
00:43:38.31\00:43:40.72
and he prayed, and God
kept his Word and the baby died.
00:43:40.75\00:43:45.92
Now think about this.
00:43:45.95\00:43:47.39
That son of David died
because of David's sin.
00:43:47.42\00:43:50.86
What is Jesus's title?
00:43:50.89\00:43:53.43
The son of David
died because of our sin.
00:43:53.46\00:43:57.50
Isn't that right?
00:43:57.53\00:43:58.83
So there's a
beautiful analogy here.
00:43:58.87\00:44:01.97
As a result of that--now
turn in your Bibles to--
00:44:02.00\00:44:06.41
oh, you know what?
00:44:06.44\00:44:07.74
There's one more story. See
if I can squeeze it in here.
00:44:07.78\00:44:10.75
Talking about,
"Thou art the man."
00:44:10.78\00:44:12.71
How many of you remember in
the Bible where Judah had a son,
00:44:12.75\00:44:20.36
and he married a local
Canaanite gal name Tamar.
00:44:20.39\00:44:24.69
And Judah's son died.
00:44:24.73\00:44:26.90
The Lord slew him
because he was evil.
00:44:26.93\00:44:28.83
So as the custom was, the
younger brother married Tamar
00:44:28.86\00:44:33.20
and then he died.
00:44:33.23\00:44:34.54
Now you're thinking,
"This girl's bad luck."
00:44:34.57\00:44:37.34
Now Judah's supposed to give
his younger son Shelah to Tamar,
00:44:37.37\00:44:41.51
but he said, "I've lost
two sons married to her.
00:44:41.54\00:44:44.55
I don't know what's wrong but
I'm not going to do the third."
00:44:44.58\00:44:47.68
Well, she's wearing her widow
garments for years and he never
00:44:47.72\00:44:50.89
follows what
he's supposed to do.
00:44:50.92\00:44:53.22
And so Tamar says, "Look,
I'm going to be a widow and
00:44:53.25\00:44:56.39
childless the rest of my life."
00:44:56.42\00:44:58.66
And so she disguises herself
and probably paints herself up
00:44:58.69\00:45:02.96
pretty good,
dresses like a harlot.
00:45:03.00\00:45:04.33
That's what the Bible says.
00:45:04.37\00:45:06.20
She knows Judah's
going to be travelling alone
00:45:06.23\00:45:07.90
between his flocks.
00:45:07.94\00:45:09.70
She seduces him successfully.
00:45:09.74\00:45:12.27
She says, "Instead
of payment, you know,
00:45:12.31\00:45:15.78
give me your staff and
give me your signet ring."
00:45:15.81\00:45:18.35
And he does, and then when he
goes to get those things back to
00:45:18.38\00:45:23.69
redeem them with money,
never can find this harlot.
00:45:23.72\00:45:28.59
Several months
later, someone tells Judah,
00:45:28.62\00:45:30.93
"You realize that your
daughter-in-law is pregnant?"
00:45:30.96\00:45:36.63
And Judah says, "That scoundrel.
Bring her forth and burn her."
00:45:36.67\00:45:42.50
So they bring her out with the
mob and they're going to burn
00:45:42.54\00:45:44.54
her publicly for her adultery.
00:45:44.57\00:45:47.24
And she says, "Well,
just before you burn me,
00:45:47.28\00:45:50.45
I think I ought to let you know
that I'm pregnant by the person
00:45:50.48\00:45:52.71
who owns these things."
00:45:52.75\00:45:55.68
Basically she says to
Judah, "Thou art the man."
00:45:55.72\00:46:00.96
So does Jesus say be
careful about judging others?
00:46:00.99\00:46:05.56
Because in doing so, you might
have one of those aha moments,
00:46:05.59\00:46:10.30
where God says, "Before you take
the speck out of your neighbor's
00:46:10.33\00:46:13.87
eye, you might want to get the
log out of your own eye," right?
00:46:13.90\00:46:18.07
Okay, that one's not in the
lesson but it's good theology.
00:46:18.11\00:46:20.41
I wanted you to just know
that. Also happened to Paul.
00:46:20.44\00:46:24.41
He's killing all the Christians
and Jesus appears and said,
00:46:24.45\00:46:27.98
"Paul, you're
not fighting for God,
00:46:28.02\00:46:29.72
you're fighting against God."
00:46:29.75\00:46:31.05
Thou art the man.
00:46:31.09\00:46:32.39
You're the bad
guy not the good guy.
00:46:32.42\00:46:33.72
So there's several
of those in the Bible.
00:46:33.76\00:46:35.26
So go with me in
your Bibles to Psalm 51.
00:46:35.29\00:46:39.36
And here you see where God has
said he's forgiven David's sin,
00:46:39.39\00:46:44.17
and this is under
"Forgiven and Forgotten."
00:46:44.20\00:46:46.67
Let's look at
the first six verses.
00:46:46.70\00:46:49.00
"Have mercy upon me, O God."
00:46:49.04\00:46:50.47
David writes a song,
pleading for God's mercy.
00:46:50.51\00:46:53.68
"According to
Your lovingkindness.
00:46:53.71\00:46:55.24
According to the multitude
of Your tender mercies.
00:46:55.28\00:46:57.88
Blot out my transgressions.
00:46:57.91\00:47:00.28
Wash me
thoroughly from my iniquity,
00:47:00.32\00:47:02.38
and cleanse me from my sin.
00:47:02.42\00:47:04.35
For I
acknowledge my transgression,
00:47:04.39\00:47:06.22
and my sin is always before me.
00:47:06.25\00:47:08.32
Against You and You
only, have I sinned."
00:47:08.36\00:47:10.43
Well, I thought he
had sinned against Uriah
00:47:10.46\00:47:12.13
and maybe even Bathsheba.
00:47:12.16\00:47:14.30
But ultimately
who is sin against?
00:47:14.36\00:47:17.33
God.
00:47:17.37\00:47:19.03
When Joseph was
tempted by Potiphar's wife,
00:47:19.07\00:47:22.94
Joseph said to Potiphar's wife,
"How can I sin against God?"
00:47:22.97\00:47:26.78
He didn't say against my master.
00:47:26.81\00:47:28.61
All sin is ultimately
breaking the law of God.
00:47:28.64\00:47:31.61
It's a sin against our Creator.
00:47:31.65\00:47:34.95
"Against You and
You only, have I sinned,
00:47:34.98\00:47:36.65
and done this evil
in your sight, that--"
00:47:36.69\00:47:38.85
Can we ever sin
outside of God's sight?
00:47:38.89\00:47:41.26
Can you run from his presence or
is everything "naked and open to
00:47:41.29\00:47:45.96
the eyes of God,
"as it says in Hebrews?
00:47:45.99\00:47:49.20
"That you may be
found just when You speak,
00:47:49.23\00:47:51.23
and blameless when You judge.
00:47:51.27\00:47:53.34
Behold, I was
brought forth in iniquity,
00:47:53.37\00:47:55.04
and in sin my
mother conceived me.
00:47:55.07\00:47:57.04
Behold, You desire
truth in the inward parts.
00:47:57.07\00:48:00.54
And in the hidden part, you
will make me to know wisdom."
00:48:00.58\00:48:04.68
You read on in the Psalm
now, this is under the section,
00:48:04.71\00:48:06.95
"Something New."
00:48:06.98\00:48:08.28
"Purge me with hyssop,"
verse 7, "and I will be clean.
00:48:08.32\00:48:11.69
Wash me, and I shall
be whiter than snow."
00:48:11.72\00:48:13.76
What's that promise in Isaiah?
00:48:13.79\00:48:16.69
"Put away the
evil of your doings."
00:48:16.73\00:48:19.33
And it says, "that
though our sins be as scarlet,
00:48:19.36\00:48:21.63
they shall be as white as snow.
00:48:21.66\00:48:23.30
Though they be red like
crimson, they shall be as wool."
00:48:23.33\00:48:27.50
"Make me hear joy and gladness,
that the bones that You have
00:48:27.54\00:48:30.44
broken may rejoice."
00:48:30.47\00:48:32.04
We are humbled
sometimes through conviction,
00:48:32.07\00:48:34.58
but God wants to lift us up.
00:48:34.61\00:48:36.98
"Hide Your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquities.
00:48:37.01\00:48:40.82
Create in me a clean
heart, O God and renew
00:48:40.85\00:48:44.35
a steadfast spirit within me."
00:48:44.39\00:48:46.52
And then when God does
that, what's the result?
00:48:46.55\00:48:49.32
We then become
reflectors of his light.
00:48:49.36\00:48:52.36
When you do that, it says,
00:48:52.39\00:48:54.56
"Restore to me the
joy of your salvation.
00:48:54.60\00:48:57.30
Then," verse 13, "I will
teach transgressors Your ways."
00:48:57.33\00:49:01.40
How can we convert
others if we're not surrendered?
00:49:01.44\00:49:03.97
If we have not
repented of our sins?
00:49:04.01\00:49:06.17
"I will teach others your ways
00:49:06.21\00:49:08.08
and sinners will
be converted to You."
00:49:08.11\00:49:10.55
Beautiful Psalm.
00:49:10.58\00:49:11.88
One of the most
beautiful Psalms of repentance.
00:49:11.91\00:49:14.08
David also wrote Psalm 32.
00:49:14.12\00:49:16.45
You can read that,
verses 1 through 11,
00:49:16.48\00:49:18.82
but we don't have time today.
00:49:18.85\00:49:20.46
We--I think I've--
we're up for lesson.
00:49:20.49\00:49:24.06
Want to remind those who may
be tuning in a little bit late,
00:49:24.09\00:49:26.66
we do have a free offer
connected with today's study.
00:49:26.70\00:49:29.80
And it's called
"No Turning Back."
00:49:29.83\00:49:31.43
How do you consecrate yourself
00:49:31.47\00:49:32.77
to the Lord and
not change your mind?
00:49:32.80\00:49:34.64
If you would like
a free copy of this,
00:49:34.67\00:49:36.30
you can simply Call 866-788-3966
and ask for offer 146.
00:49:36.34\00:49:44.21
And you can also text
S-H-1-3-7 to 4-0-5-4-4.
00:49:44.25\00:49:49.85
You can actually
read this online.
00:49:49.88\00:49:51.85
Thank you so much for
studying with us, friends.
00:49:51.89\00:49:54.06
And God willing, we'll
continue to study his word
00:49:54.09\00:49:55.99
together again next week.
00:49:56.02\00:49:59.89
male announcer: Don't
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00:50:22.92\00:50:26.19
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And most important,
to share it with others.
00:50:29.36\00:50:35.33
announcer: "Amazing
Facts. Changed Lives."
00:50:37.93\00:50:46.61
Josh: Our family was
Christian to begin with.
00:50:46.64\00:50:48.98
Mom and dad were
involved at the church at times.
00:50:49.01\00:50:51.68
On the inside, our family wasn't
really Christian, I guess.
00:50:51.71\00:50:54.55
It was just, it was
a front that we put on.
00:50:54.58\00:50:57.75
My dad suffered
from bipolar disorder.
00:50:57.79\00:51:00.49
Instead of
taking his medication,
00:51:00.52\00:51:01.82
he turned to alcohol.
00:51:01.86\00:51:03.46
He could be mad one second
and then in the next second,
00:51:03.49\00:51:05.29
he'd be happy, and it
was so confusing for us.
00:51:05.33\00:51:08.50
Most of the time, we'd be
upstairs to try to avoid him.
00:51:08.53\00:51:13.17
I made good grades all
the way up until high school.
00:51:13.20\00:51:15.47
High school, I started
struggling because my mom was a
00:51:15.50\00:51:18.81
single parent at a
time, and I had to get a job.
00:51:18.84\00:51:21.74
And I was working
every day after school.
00:51:21.78\00:51:24.15
I didn't have many
friends to talk to,
00:51:24.18\00:51:25.48
so I was getting depressed.
00:51:25.51\00:51:27.48
I was always tired.
00:51:27.52\00:51:29.15
I started failing my assignments
because I would fall asleep
00:51:29.18\00:51:31.89
during class, and I
couldn't listen to the teachers.
00:51:31.92\00:51:33.92
I couldn't comprehend
what they were saying.
00:51:33.96\00:51:36.52
By my 11th-grade year, I dropped
out and I tried homeschooling.
00:51:36.56\00:51:41.73
I just ended up
working full-time.
00:51:41.76\00:51:44.23
I had lots of
girlfriends growing up,
00:51:44.27\00:51:45.87
but I was always
terrified of talking to guys,
00:51:45.90\00:51:47.90
like my hands
would start to sweat.
00:51:47.94\00:51:49.67
I would tense up.
I just couldn't talk.
00:51:49.70\00:51:52.31
I guess that's when I started
developing an attraction.
00:51:52.34\00:51:55.91
Gay guys weren't
scary to talk to.
00:51:55.94\00:51:57.81
So I started talking to them,
and then I started meeting them
00:51:57.85\00:52:00.45
and then it
just went from there.
00:52:00.48\00:52:01.78
And then I started
having relationships with them.
00:52:01.82\00:52:05.22
I just wanted to find
someone who would care.
00:52:05.25\00:52:08.46
After high school, most of my
friends were gone but there were
00:52:08.49\00:52:11.66
a few left to home.
00:52:11.69\00:52:13.29
We all started
getting into drugs and smoking
00:52:13.33\00:52:15.10
weed and drinking.
00:52:15.13\00:52:16.80
I was able to leave
my depression behind
00:52:16.83\00:52:18.73
and I wasn't shy anymore.
00:52:18.77\00:52:20.57
I was able to talk
to anyone I wanted to.
00:52:20.60\00:52:22.84
It wasn't real, but
it felt real at the time.
00:52:22.87\00:52:26.57
During this time, I
felt like God had left me.
00:52:26.61\00:52:29.91
And I'd hear conversations
at church talking about gays and
00:52:29.94\00:52:33.01
people on drugs and stuff.
00:52:33.05\00:52:34.68
And you know, they
talked so bad about them,
00:52:34.72\00:52:36.42
it drove me to leave church.
00:52:36.45\00:52:37.75
I eventually I just
left church; I left God.
00:52:37.79\00:52:40.12
I just didn't care anymore.
I didn't care what God thought
00:52:40.16\00:52:42.92
because I didn't
think he cared about me.
00:52:42.96\00:52:46.19
At the beginning of this year,
I moved in with my boyfriend.
00:52:46.23\00:52:49.13
I still felt empty.
I still wasn't happy.
00:52:49.16\00:52:50.87
I thought I had what I wanted.
00:52:50.90\00:52:52.47
I had a guy that I could
love, and I thought he loved me,
00:52:52.50\00:52:54.70
but I was still empty.
00:52:54.74\00:52:56.04
I still felt
like if I died today,
00:52:56.07\00:52:57.84
I wasn't sure
where was going to go.
00:52:57.87\00:52:59.71
And I wasn't sure if I'd be
a disappointment to everyone.
00:52:59.74\00:53:05.28
Josh: My grandma texted me.
00:53:05.31\00:53:07.45
She told me that an "Amazing
Facts" evangelist was coming to
00:53:07.48\00:53:10.12
our church to do
a prophecy seminar.
00:53:10.15\00:53:12.72
I didn't really want to
go because I've been to those
00:53:12.75\00:53:14.56
before, and they were
normally pretty boring,
00:53:14.59\00:53:16.39
and I'd fall asleep.
00:53:16.42\00:53:17.73
I was planning on
making excuses for every night,
00:53:17.76\00:53:19.63
but she was dedicated.
00:53:19.66\00:53:20.96
She really wanted me
to go, and so did my mom.
00:53:20.96\00:53:23.00
So I ended up going to church
and the evangelist that was
00:53:23.03\00:53:25.43
speaking, he was speaking
on the sanctuary that morning.
00:53:25.47\00:53:29.10
It made sense to me that
there was someone up in heaven
00:53:29.14\00:53:31.81
pleading may cause.
00:53:31.84\00:53:33.24
I've never heard
Jesus this way before.
00:53:33.27\00:53:35.84
I went back all the
nights that I could,
00:53:35.88\00:53:37.18
except the nights that I worked.
00:53:37.21\00:53:38.68
At the end of it, I
ended up getting rebaptized.
00:53:38.71\00:53:41.38
I made a decision to
leave this life behind.
00:53:41.42\00:53:43.89
I was still attracted to men,
00:53:43.92\00:53:45.45
but I wanted to
leave the lifestyle.
00:53:45.49\00:53:47.76
I didn't want to
live in it anymore,
00:53:47.79\00:53:49.42
any longer, because
I knew it was wrong.
00:53:49.46\00:53:51.39
The evangelist that was at
our church that did the prophecy
00:53:51.43\00:53:54.20
seminar, became my mentor.
00:53:54.23\00:53:55.76
He told me about
the school, AFCOE.
00:53:55.80\00:53:57.83
It stands for Amazing
Facts Center of Evangelism.
00:53:57.87\00:54:00.90
And I was like,
"Well, I want that,
00:54:00.94\00:54:02.34
because I want to
learn how to share Jesus.
00:54:02.37\00:54:03.77
I want to learn how to
be able to help others.
00:54:03.81\00:54:06.24
I prayed about it,
and I applied online.
00:54:06.27\00:54:08.31
They accepted my application,
00:54:08.34\00:54:09.64
but I still had
the money problem left.
00:54:09.68\00:54:11.95
That night, right before I
left, he provided over $3000,
00:54:11.98\00:54:16.42
and he's been
providing for me ever since.
00:54:16.45\00:54:18.75
The tools that I've learned here
are tools that will stick with
00:54:18.79\00:54:21.39
me forever, and it was
life-changing to be able to come
00:54:21.42\00:54:23.96
here, to AFCOE.
00:54:23.99\00:54:25.83
I would love to help other
people in my situation because a
00:54:25.86\00:54:28.96
lot of people have prayed that
God would take this stuff away,
00:54:29.00\00:54:32.43
and then they get
discouraged when he doesn't.
00:54:32.47\00:54:34.60
But what they don't
know is that Jesus is there.
00:54:34.64\00:54:37.01
He'll help you through it.
00:54:37.04\00:54:39.14
My name is Josh,
and "Amazing Facts"
00:54:39.17\00:54:41.24
has helped change my life.
00:54:41.28\00:54:44.45
¤¤¤
00:54:44.48\00:54:47.45
¤¤¤
00:54:47.48\00:54:57.46
announcer: "Amazing
Facts. Changed Lives."
00:54:57.49\00:55:05.40
male: I had grew up
here in New York City.
00:55:05.43\00:55:08.17
I guess dealing with all the
temptations that you would have
00:55:08.20\00:55:11.21
in a big city.
00:55:11.24\00:55:12.74
Everything that you could
imagine that you could run into
00:55:12.77\00:55:16.34
drugs, crime was always here.
00:55:16.38\00:55:20.15
When I was at a young age, I
actually got into trouble with
00:55:20.18\00:55:23.32
the law, and my only out was to
join the military at the time in
00:55:23.35\00:55:28.22
order to not do time.
00:55:28.26\00:55:30.16
So I left New York and traveled
the world a little bit while I
00:55:30.19\00:55:34.10
was in the military.
00:55:34.13\00:55:36.20
Eventually, I came back.
00:55:36.23\00:55:38.47
Having grown up
as a hip-hop kid,
00:55:38.50\00:55:40.67
I eventually
found myself working
00:55:40.70\00:55:42.70
in the music business actually.
00:55:42.74\00:55:44.81
I worked at a couple of major
radio stations, hip hop, reggae.
00:55:44.84\00:55:47.94
I was at all the big
reggae shows, working them.
00:55:47.98\00:55:50.35
No matter what I did
to try and satisfy myself,
00:55:50.38\00:55:53.28
nothing really worked.
00:55:53.31\00:55:56.35
I remember I used to play
at this one club in Manhattan.
00:55:56.38\00:55:59.85
Used to play there
every Friday night.
00:55:59.89\00:56:02.29
So I came home one Saturday
morning after leaving the club
00:56:02.32\00:56:06.19
and I turned on the video
channel like I usually do.
00:56:06.23\00:56:09.73
So there was this guy in the
video channel talking and he was
00:56:09.76\00:56:11.83
definitely out of place, but the
things that he was saying just
00:56:11.87\00:56:16.54
totally amazed me.
00:56:16.57\00:56:18.37
I had never heard anyone
speak about the Bible like this
00:56:18.41\00:56:21.64
before, so I started coming home
early on Saturday mornings just
00:56:21.68\00:56:25.18
to catch this show.
00:56:25.21\00:56:26.92
I found the things that he
was saying absolutely amazing.
00:56:26.95\00:56:30.72
To the point where it literally
made me stop and start to think
00:56:30.75\00:56:35.69
about how I was living my life.
00:56:35.72\00:56:37.99
So I found that all of these
things that I had been doing to
00:56:38.03\00:56:40.93
try and find happiness, were
actually not making me happy at
00:56:40.96\00:56:44.30
all, but were really
just leaving me empty inside.
00:56:44.33\00:56:48.14
When I started reading the Bible
and it started to make sense,
00:56:48.17\00:56:51.44
I started to make changes.
00:56:51.47\00:56:53.68
I even tried to
keep the Sabbath,
00:56:53.71\00:56:56.14
which I failed at miserably.
00:56:56.18\00:56:58.55
So I was actually invited by
"Amazing Facts" to go to see a
00:56:58.58\00:57:02.45
live series at one
of the local churches.
00:57:02.48\00:57:05.82
But after going the first night,
I ended up going another night
00:57:05.85\00:57:08.99
and another night.
00:57:09.02\00:57:10.36
I stayed for the entire series.
00:57:10.39\00:57:12.26
That was the day I made a
decision that changed the rest
00:57:12.29\00:57:14.36
of my life forever.
00:57:14.40\00:57:15.93
I give my life to Christ,
00:57:15.96\00:57:17.80
and everything was
different after that.
00:57:17.83\00:57:20.00
I made a decision to
give up the music business,
00:57:20.04\00:57:22.24
stop hanging out
at all of the clubs.
00:57:22.27\00:57:23.94
I made a decision
00:57:23.97\00:57:25.27
that was eternal for
me and for my family.
00:57:25.31\00:57:29.31
I started going to church.
00:57:29.34\00:57:32.38
I got a position in church where
I was actually in charge of the
00:57:32.41\00:57:35.72
Personal Ministries Department.
00:57:35.75\00:57:37.99
And the same "Amazing Facts"
studies that changed my life,
00:57:38.02\00:57:41.69
I actually got to
share them with people,
00:57:41.72\00:57:43.99
and sit down with them
and tell them about Jesus.
00:57:44.03\00:57:47.66
¤¤¤
00:57:47.66\00:57:55.54
¤¤¤
00:57:55.57\00:58:05.55
¤¤¤
00:58:05.58\00:58:15.56
¤¤¤
00:58:15.59\00:58:20.56
CC by Aberdeen Captioning
1-800-688-6621 aberdeen.io
00:58:20.60\00:58:25.57