The Bible tells us, "In
the beginning was the Word,
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and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God."
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It says, "To
receive with meekness
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the implanted Word,
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which is able
to save your souls.
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And to be diligent
to present yourself
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approved to God,
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rightly dividing
the Word of truth."
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Join us now for the
3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
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Our study today
is Ezra and Nehemiah.
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Hello, friends, welcome to
our 3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
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As we continue to trek
through Nehemiah and Ezra,
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two amazing books we found out
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so much was hidden in there
that has now been discovered.
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And we know that God has more.
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Can we say amen to that? Amen.
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These books have challenged us.
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We have seen God's
mercy, we have seen God's grace,
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we have seen the
rebellion of the people,
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we have seen the opposition,
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trying to prevent
what God ordained,
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and we have seen
God deliver Israel
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through trial and circumstances.
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And we're gonna be talking
about God and the covenant.
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And I'm excited about this.
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I know to my immediate left,
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Shelley Quinn is
excited about that.
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She's a covenant lady. Amen.
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I'm looking forward to
what you have to say about that.
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I know God has
really led you in your past
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and continues to do so
on that particular topic.
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And if you'd like to
get a copy of the lesson,
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you can go to the following
website absg.adventist.org,
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and download a free
copy of that or better yet,
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look for a local Seventh-day
Adventist congregation
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and just go on and
during Sabbath school time,
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which is
earlier part of the day,
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and you'll enjoy
the study of God's Word,
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and I encourage you
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to become a part
of the fellowship
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permanently.
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But before we go any
further, we're gonna have prayer
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and then I'm gonna
introduce our panelists,
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and then we'll dive
into the Word of God.
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Shelley, would you
have a prayer for us?
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I will, indeed.
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Heavenly
Father, how we thank You
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and praise You, Lord,
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for Your plan of
salvation by grace
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and that You are a covenant
making covenant keeping God.
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Father, we pray, You will
send Your Holy Spirit just now
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to be our teacher,
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give us ears to hear
what the Holy Spirit says
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and work in us, Lord,
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to will and to do
Your good pleasure,
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in Jesus name.
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Amen. Amen.
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I need to go ahead and
continue my introduction.
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Shelley Quinn to
my immediate left.
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Yes.
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The reason I'm so
excited about the covenants.
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I grew up in as a
New Testament Church,
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knew nothing
about the Old Testament
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and the covenants.
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And if you don't
understand the Old Covenant,
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you can't understand the New.
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That's right. That's right.
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And you have
discovered something
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that led you to
where you are today.
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Yes. Praise the Lord for that.
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Pastor Kenny,
good to have you here.
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Always good to
be here, thank you.
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All right, Pastor Kenny
Shelton to be candid for those
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who are watching
maybe for the first time.
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There's Mollie Steenson.
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Good to have
you here. Thank you.
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And happily retired in Alabama,
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but we thank you for coming up
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and joining us on such a trek
that we enjoy your presence.
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Thank you for having me.
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And our COO, Jill
Morikone, among other things.
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I always try to
encourage her to sleep,
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but God has done a wonderful job
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between with you
and your husband,
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praise the Lord for that.
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But you are the list lady
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and anybody watching
Sabbath School Panel knows
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we got a list on the way.
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Absolutely. Thank
you so much, Pastor.
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It's a privilege to be here.
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Thank the Lord for that.
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God and the covenant.
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I've done some
homework about covenants.
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And I tell you
the topic of covenants
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is one that will exhaust you.
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I looked up the word
covenant in Hebrew and Greek.
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And I found out that 318 times
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the word covenant
appears in the Bible,
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which to me means
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that God
intended for the covenant
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to be found.
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The unfortunate part of that
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is not a lot of
people understand
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what the
covenants are all about.
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And you'll discover as we
go through the lessons today
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that covenants are only as good
as the one making the covenant.
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Amen.
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That's the point,
that's very important.
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The covenant is only as
good as one making the covenant.
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Another word for covenant
today would be an agreement
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or contract,
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whatever you might refer.
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Today we have
contracts and you know,
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whenever you get a credit card
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or you get a car
payment or a student loan,
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for those of you, you know,
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the student loan
covenant cannot be broken.
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You can move 15 times in a week
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and the student loan
people will find you.
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It's just an
unbreakable covenant,
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and also house payments.
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If you think that
you own your house
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and you ignore the
covenant, you will discover that
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the house is
owned by somebody else.
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The tax covenant,
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property taxes
is another covenant.
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You don't own anything
if you don't pay your taxes.
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This is a temporal covenant,
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but the covenant
that God makes...
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Let me begin with
passage in Psalm 89:34.
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Look at that with me.
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What does the Bible say
about God and His covenant?
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Because you find the
nature of the covenant here
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in Nehemiah Chapter 9 and 10,
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and it's amazing I
got Nehemiah 10:1-29,
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when in fact there are
only two verses readable,
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it's 28 and 29.
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Did you know, we
are just not messing
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with those beautiful names.
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But Psalm 89:34,
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this is what the
Bible says about the Lord.
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And He says this up
of Himself, He says,
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"My covenant I will not break,
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nor alter the word that
has gone out of My lips."
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So that's the one guarantee
when God makes a covenant,
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how long is it?
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It's forever. Yes.
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Now you will find
because somebody may say,
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well, what about
the Old Covenant?
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What about the New Covenant?
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What about the one
who testifies of it,
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the test state or how
is a covenant established?
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How is it ratified?
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These are things that I
think we're gonna find out about
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during the program
and I know Shelley's just,
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she's on that
runway about to take off.
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So I'm gonna give
her room for that.
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But before we get to that,
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I wanna point out a
couple of covenants.
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But first, let's
read Nehemiah 9:36-38,
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to address the initial question,
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and by the way, this is,
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I didn't read the Bible verse,
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but I'm gonna
read that right now.
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Our memory text
is Nehemiah 9:38,
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and a portion of Nehemiah 10:39.
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And on our Sabbath afternoon,
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it says,
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"And because of all this,
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we make a sure
covenant and write it,
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our leaders, our Levites,
and our priests seal it.
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We will not neglect
the house of our God."
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And that was the
covenant that they made.
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But going
quickly now, to Sunday,
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the idea of the covenant.
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I'll read very quickly,
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these two verses
in Nehemiah 9:36-38,
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actually three verses.
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And here's the
covenant I just referred to.
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"Here we are," and
these are the servants,
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"servants today!
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And the land that
You gave to our fathers,
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to eat its fruit
and its good things,
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here we are, servants in it!"
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And that's almost a realization.
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"And it yields much increase
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to the kings you
have set over us,
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because of our sins,
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also they have
dominion over our bodies
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and our cattle
at their pleasure,
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and we are in great distress."
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But look at this.
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"And because of all this,"
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this is what God often gets
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when we are in
our straight place,
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a difficult challenge.
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Those are the moments
where people tend to reevaluate
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where they are,
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and try to make some adjustments
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because of all this.
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Here's what we're
going to do, Lord,
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"We make a sure
covenant and write it,
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and our
leaders, and our Levites,
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and our priests seal it."
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They made an agreement with God.
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They said, Lord, we understand
why we're in the situation,
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and the problem is clearly
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we haven't kept our
agreement between You.
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So they're taking
it to the next level.
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We're not promising,
we're not making an agreement,
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we're making a covenant,
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and the covenant is far
deeper than just I promise.
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Just, you know, this
is what you can expect.
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A covenant is a
deep heart commitment,
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human to the divine,
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but only the
presence of the Divine
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can actually keep
the covenant alive.
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Let's look at
some of the covenants
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in the Bible.
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One of the first covenants,
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it's not even
referred to as a covenant.
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But let's look at Genesis 3:15.
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Because God's
servants made these covenants
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because of the dire
straits that they were in.
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And when we find out
further in Chapter 10,
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which is gonna
unfold as we go from
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one panelists to the other,
we'll see this more clearly.
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But I just wanna focus on
various types of covenants.
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One of the first ones I believe,
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it wasn't called the covenant,
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but this is
beautiful because this promise
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or covenant the Lord
made in the Garden of Eden,
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was fulfilled in
the person of Christ.
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He says, "And I will
put enmity" Genesis 3:15,
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"between you and the woman,
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and between your
seed and her Seed,
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He shall bruise your head,
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and you shall bruise His heel."
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I discovered in my study
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that it doesn't have
to be called a covenant.
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But here's the
basis of the covenant.
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When the Lord makes a promise,
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it might as well be a covenant
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because this promise,
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a covenant is something
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that is unconditional
to the other party.
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Because the Lord
makes the promise
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and it's not based,
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this promise that the
Lord made here in Genesis 3:15
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was not based on anything
that Adam and Eve would do,
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anybody would do here after.
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This was an
unbreakable, unalterable,
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unpreventable covenant,
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and it could not be prevented.
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And when Jesus Christ came,
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we saw the
fulfillment of that covenant.
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Here's another one.
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The covenant is
always ratified by blood
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and here we find in Exodus 24:8,
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moving right along.
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"And Moses took the blood,
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sprinkled it on
the people, and said,
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'This is the
blood of the covenant
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which the Lord has made with you
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according to all these words.'"
00:10:13.78\00:10:15.84
When the Lord repeated His words
00:10:15.88\00:10:17.21
to the people of Israel,
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the covenant was
ratified by blood,
00:10:19.15\00:10:21.68
and where there is no blood,
00:10:21.72\00:10:24.25
where there is
no blood involved,
00:10:24.29\00:10:26.82
the covenant that is
made, is not ratified.
00:10:26.86\00:10:29.99
Now, when you
look back at Genesis,
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now you ask
yourself the question,
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well, then how
could that be a covenant?
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Well, the blood
was shed later on.
00:10:35.43\00:10:37.70
So there
wherever covenant is made,
00:10:37.73\00:10:39.43
blood has to be shed.
00:10:39.47\00:10:40.80
And here's another one.
00:10:40.87\00:10:42.20
Paul the Apostle brings this out
00:10:42.24\00:10:43.57
in 1 Corinthians 11:25.
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And this is something we
observe on a quarterly basis
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to communion service.
00:10:50.31\00:10:51.75
This is a
symbolic representation
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of the blood of Christ.
00:10:54.35\00:10:56.62
1 Corinthians 11:25.
00:10:56.65\00:10:59.42
First he talks about the bread,
00:10:59.45\00:11:00.86
but then it now
brings in the blood
00:11:00.89\00:11:02.22
and the purpose of it.
00:11:02.26\00:11:03.63
"In the same manner
00:11:03.66\00:11:04.99
He also took the cup
after supper, saying,
00:11:05.03\00:11:06.90
'This cup is the new
covenant in My blood.
00:11:06.93\00:11:11.03
This do, as
often as you drink it,
00:11:11.07\00:11:12.97
in remembrance of Me.'"
00:11:13.00\00:11:14.60
The covenant is
not only ratified,
00:11:14.64\00:11:16.60
but the covenant
is a constant reminder
00:11:16.67\00:11:18.87
of the agreement
and the commitment
00:11:18.91\00:11:20.58
that Christ has made.
00:11:20.64\00:11:22.14
As long as you do
this, you won't forget.
00:11:22.18\00:11:24.65
Another one is the
covenant with a family.
00:11:24.68\00:11:27.85
Let's go to Genesis 6:18.
00:11:27.88\00:11:30.35
The Lord made a family covenant.
00:11:30.39\00:11:32.29
This is wonderful.
00:11:32.32\00:11:33.66
Genesis 6:18.
00:11:33.72\00:11:36.06
And the Lord says,
00:11:36.09\00:11:37.69
"But I will
establish My covenant with you,
00:11:37.73\00:11:42.06
and you shall go
into the ark," notice,
00:11:42.10\00:11:44.50
"you, your sons, your wife,
00:11:44.53\00:11:47.37
and your sons' wives with you."
00:11:47.40\00:11:49.44
The covenant that
the Lord made with Noah
00:11:49.47\00:11:52.47
was a blessing to
his entire family.
00:11:52.51\00:11:54.74
And when God makes
the covenant with us
00:11:54.78\00:11:56.41
and we make a covenant with God,
00:11:56.44\00:11:58.08
everyone around us can
benefit from that covenant
00:11:58.11\00:12:01.22
that God makes with us,
00:12:01.25\00:12:02.75
if we are faithful
00:12:02.78\00:12:05.05
to the covenant that He made.
00:12:05.09\00:12:06.86
But now let's
look at the converse,
00:12:06.89\00:12:08.39
Isaiah 24:5.
00:12:08.42\00:12:10.76
One of the reasons why the world
00:12:10.83\00:12:12.16
is in the condition it is in
00:12:12.19\00:12:13.90
is because of violated covenant.
00:12:13.93\00:12:17.07
Isaiah 24:5,
you have that, Jill?
00:12:17.13\00:12:21.10
"The earth is also
defiled under its inhabitants,
00:12:21.14\00:12:26.64
because they have
transgressed the laws,
00:12:26.68\00:12:28.54
changed the ordinance,
00:12:28.58\00:12:29.91
broken the
everlasting covenant."
00:12:29.94\00:12:31.65
Notice, what does the
Bible say about the covenant?
00:12:31.68\00:12:33.72
Everlasting.
00:12:33.78\00:12:35.15
The everlasting
gospel is in the framework
00:12:35.18\00:12:37.82
of an everlasting covenant,
00:12:37.85\00:12:39.89
both of them being
ratified by the same person,
00:12:39.92\00:12:43.12
the eternal God.
00:12:43.16\00:12:44.53
Another one,
00:12:44.56\00:12:45.89
let's look at what's
also included in covenant
00:12:45.93\00:12:48.40
by Hebrews 10:16, Hebrews 10:16,
00:12:48.43\00:12:52.23
the law of God
cannot be separated
00:12:52.27\00:12:55.04
from His covenant.
00:12:55.07\00:12:56.50
I'll read in your hearing.
00:12:56.54\00:12:58.27
"This is the
covenant I will make with them
00:12:58.31\00:13:00.51
after those days, says the Lord:
00:13:00.58\00:13:03.55
I will put My
laws into their hearts,
00:13:03.58\00:13:05.85
and in their minds
I will write them."
00:13:05.88\00:13:07.72
Now let me make a
very important point.
00:13:07.75\00:13:09.72
If you try to get rid
of the commandments of God,
00:13:09.75\00:13:12.39
you have no basis on which
the covenant is gonna continue,
00:13:12.42\00:13:16.26
because the
covenant that God makes
00:13:16.29\00:13:18.39
cannot be deleted
or removed or separated
00:13:18.43\00:13:21.93
from His eternal
law, which is in fact,
00:13:21.96\00:13:24.53
a transcript of the
character of the covenant maker.
00:13:24.57\00:13:28.34
Amen. Amen.
00:13:28.37\00:13:29.70
Now, on that note
I'll share with you.
00:13:29.74\00:13:31.14
Okay, well, I've
got too much to share.
00:13:31.17\00:13:34.14
A unifying theme of Scripture
is that God is a covenant maker
00:13:34.18\00:13:37.98
and a covenant keeper
00:13:38.01\00:13:39.38
and His purpose has always been
00:13:39.41\00:13:42.22
that I will be their God
and they shall be My people.
00:13:42.25\00:13:46.72
You know, after the flood,
00:13:46.76\00:13:48.09
God went into covenant with Noah
00:13:48.12\00:13:51.53
and then from it progressed...
00:13:51.56\00:13:54.13
His everlasting
covenant progressed from there.
00:13:54.20\00:13:56.83
But God's covenant
contains His promises,
00:13:56.90\00:14:00.64
oath bound promises
that cannot be broken
00:14:00.67\00:14:03.71
for people who are willing
00:14:03.74\00:14:05.47
to enter into an
intimate relationship with us.
00:14:05.51\00:14:08.14
That's why He created us was
for an intimate relationship.
00:14:08.18\00:14:13.01
But fellowship with
God requires holiness.
00:14:13.05\00:14:16.72
And when Adam and Eve sinned,
00:14:16.79\00:14:21.46
they fractured that
relationship with God.
00:14:21.49\00:14:24.03
It didn't catch Him
by surprise, though,
00:14:24.06\00:14:26.56
because before
the beginning of time,
00:14:26.59\00:14:28.90
He had already had a
plan in Revelation 14:6,
00:14:28.93\00:14:34.77
we have, the
angels are flying around
00:14:34.80\00:14:37.71
in the midst of heaven.
00:14:37.74\00:14:39.31
And it says that they
have an everlasting gospel
00:14:39.34\00:14:42.44
to preach to the entire world.
00:14:42.48\00:14:45.88
And you know what the
everlasting gospel is?
00:14:45.91\00:14:48.68
It's found in Revelation 13:8,
00:14:48.72\00:14:51.25
the Lamb who was slain
00:14:51.29\00:14:53.62
from the
foundation of the earth.
00:14:53.66\00:14:55.82
That is the everlasting gospel.
00:14:55.86\00:15:00.06
Our God, in perfect omniscience,
00:15:00.13\00:15:02.50
looked into the
future and He knew that
00:15:02.53\00:15:06.53
He was gonna have to come down,
00:15:06.57\00:15:09.04
He was going to
have to become a man
00:15:09.07\00:15:11.81
and die in our place
00:15:11.84\00:15:13.38
because Revelation 13:8,
00:15:13.41\00:15:15.51
is an obvious
reference to the Calvary plan.
00:15:15.54\00:15:18.68
And this was a beautiful promise
00:15:18.71\00:15:22.62
that we kept in
Hebrews 13:20-21,
00:15:22.65\00:15:27.69
it says, "May the God of peace
00:15:27.72\00:15:30.46
who brought up our
Lord Jesus from the dead,
00:15:30.53\00:15:32.76
that great
Shepherd of the sheep,
00:15:32.79\00:15:34.93
through the blood of
the everlasting covenant,
00:15:34.93\00:15:40.80
make you complete
in every good work
00:15:40.84\00:15:43.10
to do His will,
00:15:43.14\00:15:44.47
working in you what is
well pleasing in His sight,
00:15:44.51\00:15:47.48
through Jesus Christ."
00:15:47.54\00:15:49.14
So we see that
the everlasting gospel
00:15:49.18\00:15:51.71
is the everlasting covenant,
00:15:51.75\00:15:53.98
the Lamb who was slain
00:15:54.02\00:15:55.98
from the
foundation of the earth.
00:15:56.02\00:15:58.92
God promised to
ratify this covenant
00:15:58.95\00:16:02.69
with His own blood in
the person of Jesus Christ.
00:16:02.72\00:16:07.13
Who, by the
way, is our covenant?
00:16:07.13\00:16:09.46
Look at Isaiah 42:6-7,
00:16:09.50\00:16:13.84
Isaiah 42:6-7.
00:16:13.87\00:16:17.74
This is a messianic prophecy.
00:16:17.77\00:16:20.41
And this is what the Lord says,
"I, the Lord, have called You,"
00:16:20.48\00:16:24.15
speaking to the
Messiah, "in righteousness,
00:16:24.18\00:16:26.85
I will hold Your
hand, I will keep You,"
00:16:26.92\00:16:30.59
capital Y,
00:16:30.62\00:16:31.95
"and give You as a
covenant to the people,
00:16:31.99\00:16:34.96
as a light to the
Gentiles, to open blind eyes,
00:16:34.99\00:16:39.59
and bring
prisoners from the prison,
00:16:39.63\00:16:42.03
those who sit in
darkness from the prison house."
00:16:42.06\00:16:44.83
So God's covenants are
a progressive revelation,
00:16:44.87\00:16:49.84
an unfolding of the eternal plan
00:16:49.87\00:16:53.74
of salvation by grace
through faith in Christ Jesus.
00:16:53.78\00:16:57.88
And by the way, righteousness
has always been by faith.
00:16:57.91\00:17:03.45
When you think the
Old Testament prophets
00:17:03.52\00:17:05.42
in Jeremiah 33:16,
00:17:05.45\00:17:07.69
he said the Lord,
our righteousness,
00:17:07.72\00:17:10.76
and then Isaiah 64:6, said, hey,
00:17:10.79\00:17:14.63
your
righteousness, my righteousness
00:17:14.66\00:17:17.30
is nothing but
filthy rags before the Lord.
00:17:17.37\00:17:19.93
So it's always been
righteousness by faith.
00:17:19.97\00:17:23.61
Now you
mentioned in Genesis 3:15,
00:17:23.64\00:17:26.78
God sets his everlasting gospel,
00:17:26.81\00:17:30.98
the everlasting
covenant into motion
00:17:31.01\00:17:33.65
as soon as Adam and
Eve have sinned, right?
00:17:33.72\00:17:38.15
And He tells them,
00:17:38.19\00:17:40.39
that He is going to put enmity,
00:17:40.46\00:17:42.62
He's talking to the serpent,
00:17:42.66\00:17:44.26
and the serpent
representing Satan.
00:17:44.33\00:17:46.33
He says, I'm gonna put enmity
00:17:46.36\00:17:48.53
between you, your
seed and her seed.
00:17:48.56\00:17:52.97
He's talking
about the Holy Seed,
00:17:53.00\00:17:55.44
Jesus Christ.
00:17:55.47\00:17:57.11
And He says, you're
gonna bruise his heel,
00:17:57.17\00:17:59.64
but he'll crush your head.
00:17:59.67\00:18:03.31
And so what we have here
00:18:03.38\00:18:05.28
is the entire Bible
from Genesis to Revelation
00:18:05.31\00:18:09.95
is an unfolding of
this everlasting covenant
00:18:09.98\00:18:14.96
through the Holy
Seed, Jesus Christ.
00:18:14.99\00:18:17.69
You'll find Him on every page,
00:18:17.73\00:18:20.33
because all of the Old Testament
00:18:20.36\00:18:22.23
is filled with types
and shadows of the Messiah.
00:18:22.26\00:18:25.73
And the New Testament authors
simply pick up the narrative
00:18:25.77\00:18:30.11
from the Old Testament prophets,
00:18:30.14\00:18:31.87
and they continue it.
00:18:31.91\00:18:33.24
Because Jesus came to
fulfill God's covenant promises
00:18:33.27\00:18:38.75
in 2 Corinthians 1:20.
00:18:38.78\00:18:41.22
Paul says that
all of God's promises
00:18:41.25\00:18:44.89
are yes and
amen in Christ Jesus.
00:18:44.92\00:18:47.36
That's right. And
so, He is our covenant.
00:18:47.39\00:18:51.09
Now, we know that
00:18:51.13\00:18:52.46
it is a covenant
of grace by faith.
00:18:52.49\00:18:54.93
In Genesis 15:6,
00:18:54.96\00:18:57.67
the Bible says,
Abraham believed the Lord,
00:18:57.70\00:19:01.20
and He accounted it
to Him for righteousness.
00:19:01.24\00:19:04.77
And then we see, interestingly,
00:19:04.81\00:19:07.01
God renewed the same
covenant of Abraham with Isaac.
00:19:07.04\00:19:11.58
And He says, in
Genesis 26:4-5, He tells Isaac,
00:19:11.61\00:19:17.22
I'm renewing this
covenant with you.
00:19:17.25\00:19:19.15
Because Abraham obeyed My voice,
00:19:19.19\00:19:21.26
He kept My charge,
00:19:21.29\00:19:22.62
He kept My commandments.
00:19:22.66\00:19:24.26
Now, wait a minute,
it's righteousness by faith,
00:19:24.29\00:19:28.20
but He's renewing it
00:19:28.23\00:19:30.17
because Abraham
obeyed by faith as well.
00:19:30.20\00:19:35.07
So we see that righteousness
by faith and obedience
00:19:35.10\00:19:39.64
go hand in hand.
00:19:39.67\00:19:41.21
Now, then He
renewed it with Jacob.
00:19:41.24\00:19:43.65
But now I want to
show you something
00:19:43.68\00:19:45.28
because so many
people don't understand
00:19:45.31\00:19:47.98
that when we get to Moses,
00:19:48.02\00:19:50.69
and the Hebrew
children coming out of slavery,
00:19:50.72\00:19:53.76
they don't understand.
00:19:53.79\00:19:55.12
This is still the same
00:19:55.16\00:19:57.33
righteousness by faith covenant.
00:19:57.36\00:19:59.13
Let's look at Exodus 2:24. Okay.
00:19:59.16\00:20:02.83
The Hebrew
children are crying out.
00:20:02.86\00:20:06.33
And the Bible says
God heard their groaning,
00:20:06.37\00:20:10.27
and God remembered what?
00:20:10.31\00:20:13.68
His covenant. His covenant.
00:20:13.74\00:20:15.08
His covenant with Abraham,
00:20:15.11\00:20:17.81
Isaac and Jacob.
00:20:17.85\00:20:19.61
He remembered his
covenant of salvation
00:20:19.65\00:20:22.38
by grace through faith.
00:20:22.42\00:20:24.09
So what happened is,
00:20:24.15\00:20:25.52
God graciously
delivers them from bondage.
00:20:25.55\00:20:29.86
He saves them, He brings
them through the Red Sea,
00:20:29.89\00:20:33.56
before they ever measured
up to His moral standards.
00:20:33.60\00:20:37.30
It was not a
precondition of their salvation,
00:20:37.33\00:20:40.67
and they were to
be His covenant people
00:20:40.70\00:20:43.44
and enjoy His
covenant blessings.
00:20:43.47\00:20:46.37
And so, when we
look at God's covenants,
00:20:46.41\00:20:50.18
they're always unilateral.
00:20:50.21\00:20:52.31
That means only God
is making the promise.
00:20:52.35\00:20:54.92
Now, there are two types
of covenants in the Bible
00:20:54.95\00:20:57.92
and there are covenants
00:20:57.95\00:20:59.39
between people like a contract,
00:20:59.42\00:21:03.43
or an agreement.
00:21:03.46\00:21:04.79
And if you look in the Greek,
00:21:04.83\00:21:07.60
these are syntheke
00:21:07.66\00:21:09.36
when they have
people working together.
00:21:09.40\00:21:11.77
But the interesting thing is
00:21:11.80\00:21:14.14
that God's
covenants are always diatheke,
00:21:14.20\00:21:17.74
they are a will.
00:21:17.77\00:21:19.11
He's the only one
that's making the promise.
00:21:19.14\00:21:23.41
So, on occasion,
00:21:23.45\00:21:24.78
His promises were unconditional,
00:21:24.81\00:21:26.68
like with Noah,
about that rainbow
00:21:26.72\00:21:29.68
and He's not
gonna flood the earth,
00:21:29.72\00:21:31.22
that was totally unconditional.
00:21:31.25\00:21:32.82
To David that there'd always
be a descendant on the throne,
00:21:32.85\00:21:35.52
unconditional.
00:21:35.56\00:21:36.89
But on other occasions,
00:21:36.93\00:21:38.56
there is a
condition He requires faith
00:21:38.59\00:21:42.60
to receive His promise.
00:21:42.63\00:21:44.00
So humans can only
enter into covenant with God
00:21:44.03\00:21:47.17
by accepting His offer
with a response of trust,
00:21:47.20\00:21:52.24
and faith, and gratitude.
00:21:52.27\00:21:55.34
And our obedience is just
to express covenant loyalty,
00:21:55.38\00:22:00.22
covenant love to God,
00:22:00.25\00:22:02.92
because within
context of the covenant,
00:22:02.95\00:22:06.12
obedience is the
pathway to blessing.
00:22:06.15\00:22:08.52
Now, real quickly
in the Old Covenant,
00:22:08.56\00:22:12.06
this is really gonna be quick.
00:22:12.09\00:22:14.30
The heart of the Old Covenant
was the Ten Commandments,
00:22:14.30\00:22:17.70
but it also...
00:22:17.73\00:22:19.20
The Ten Commandments
was the Bill of Rights
00:22:19.23\00:22:22.80
for God's covenant.
00:22:22.84\00:22:24.87
It had civil laws
and ceremonial laws,
00:22:24.91\00:22:28.21
and it had righteous judgments
00:22:28.24\00:22:32.78
against the law breakers.
00:22:32.81\00:22:34.45
But we see in Exodus 24,
00:22:34.48\00:22:38.29
when we see, God
spoke in Exodus 20,
00:22:38.32\00:22:41.62
He speaks the Ten Commandments.
00:22:41.66\00:22:44.49
Then Moses goes up the mountain,
00:22:44.53\00:22:46.86
God gives him the Old Covenant,
00:22:46.90\00:22:49.73
he gives him all of these things
00:22:49.76\00:22:52.17
with the civil laws
and ceremonial laws.
00:22:52.20\00:22:54.94
Moses comes down, Exodus 24:7,
00:22:54.97\00:22:59.04
it says, that he writes
it in a book of the covenant
00:22:59.07\00:23:02.21
and ratifies it with blood,
00:23:02.24\00:23:04.68
and then later when he...
00:23:04.71\00:23:07.65
When they get to the
end of the 39th year,
00:23:07.68\00:23:10.69
but you know, as they've
been going around the mountain,
00:23:10.72\00:23:13.89
later he expounds on it
in the Book of Deuteronomy.
00:23:13.96\00:23:17.63
But this is the point
I wanna make little time
00:23:17.66\00:23:20.50
I have left.
00:23:20.53\00:23:22.10
The heart of the Old Covenant
was the Ten Commandments,
00:23:22.13\00:23:26.30
it was right in the
center of the Old Covenant,
00:23:26.33\00:23:28.64
but it's right in the center
of the New Covenant as well.
00:23:28.67\00:23:31.74
God says in Hebrews 8:8-10,
00:23:31.77\00:23:33.64
he's got a righteous
covenant on our hearts.
00:23:33.68\00:23:37.68
So we cannot say that
when the Old Covenant,
00:23:37.71\00:23:43.12
it was meant to be temporary,
00:23:43.15\00:23:44.85
it was put on the
outside of the Ark
00:23:44.89\00:23:47.02
as a witness against them.
00:23:47.06\00:23:48.59
It pointed to Jesus,
00:23:48.62\00:23:50.29
but Jesus came and
fulfilled all of those promises
00:23:50.33\00:23:53.86
and ushered in the New Covenant.
00:23:53.90\00:23:55.36
Amen. Thank you, Shelley.
00:23:55.40\00:23:57.00
And on that
note, I think that's...
00:23:57.03\00:24:00.44
I give you some...
00:24:00.47\00:24:02.24
I commend you for getting
all that in that time frame.
00:24:02.27\00:24:05.34
But we're gonna
continue unfolding the covenants
00:24:05.37\00:24:07.94
that we're talking
about when we come back.
00:24:07.98\00:24:10.35
Ever wish you could watch
00:24:16.08\00:24:17.49
a 3ABN Sabbath
School Panel again,
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Welcome back to our
study on the covenants
00:24:48.85\00:24:51.09
and now the next topic
is covenantal structure,
00:24:51.12\00:24:53.76
Tuesday's lesson.
00:24:53.82\00:24:55.16
Pastor Kenny Shelton.
00:24:55.19\00:24:56.52
Yeah, on Tuesday's lesson,
00:24:56.56\00:24:57.89
I like this, it's a shift
00:24:57.93\00:24:59.73
from what you are doing here,
00:24:59.76\00:25:01.13
but still yet it's
looking at the covenant,
00:25:01.16\00:25:03.57
that there is a structure.
00:25:03.60\00:25:05.37
God has a
structure, God's organized.
00:25:05.40\00:25:07.94
And so, that we
look at the structures
00:25:07.97\00:25:09.34
and we can find the structure.
00:25:09.37\00:25:10.71
God has certain
things that are in here to...
00:25:10.74\00:25:13.58
not only, I think
to protect mankind,
00:25:13.61\00:25:15.41
so man can understand it
00:25:15.44\00:25:16.95
and so God understands us.
00:25:16.98\00:25:18.31
So there's a good agreement,
no one misunderstands.
00:25:18.35\00:25:21.98
Now, there's always that
we've talked about this here
00:25:22.02\00:25:24.02
in areas that
everyone understands,
00:25:24.09\00:25:25.72
God even did it in things
00:25:25.75\00:25:27.46
where people could
understand in the language
00:25:27.49\00:25:30.26
that they spoke,
00:25:30.33\00:25:31.79
where they lived,
00:25:31.83\00:25:33.60
He always comes to them
00:25:33.63\00:25:35.76
to where they can
understand what is being made,
00:25:35.80\00:25:38.57
because He wants them to
be able to keep the language,
00:25:38.60\00:25:40.34
culture so on so forth.
00:25:40.40\00:25:41.94
So covenants were
common we understand,
00:25:41.97\00:25:44.44
very common in ancient Israel.
00:25:44.47\00:25:47.38
They include the part, so
part of going the covenant,
00:25:47.44\00:25:50.71
the biblical
covenant here is going over
00:25:50.75\00:25:52.38
and looking and maybe
add a few of those parts.
00:25:52.41\00:25:55.02
And it to be a real covenant,
00:25:55.05\00:25:56.85
it must include these parts
00:25:56.89\00:25:58.22
because God's Word says that
00:25:58.25\00:26:00.22
it must include these parts.
00:26:00.29\00:26:01.99
And the first part in there,
00:26:02.02\00:26:03.36
and there's like
five, six of them.
00:26:03.39\00:26:05.09
They're preamble.
Now what does that mean?
00:26:05.13\00:26:06.96
People say, "Well,
what does it mean?"
00:26:07.03\00:26:08.63
You can see that in a
lot of different things,
00:26:08.66\00:26:10.70
but we're talking about
a covenant here with God.
00:26:10.77\00:26:13.07
Preamble would
be an introduction,
00:26:13.10\00:26:15.84
kind of a fact or events.
00:26:15.87\00:26:18.11
Here, it tells the
preamble of who God is.
00:26:18.14\00:26:20.78
So first of all we're making
a covenant was and who is God?
00:26:20.81\00:26:23.95
Who God is?
00:26:23.98\00:26:25.48
And then number two,
00:26:25.51\00:26:26.92
you have the
historical relationship
00:26:26.95\00:26:30.29
or defining our
past relationship.
00:26:30.32\00:26:34.29
This prologue is
called the before.
00:26:34.32\00:26:37.03
So that's got to be
included in it also.
00:26:37.06\00:26:40.13
And number three,
00:26:40.20\00:26:41.50
you have the
stipulations or the laws.
00:26:41.53\00:26:44.13
Now that's the
terms of the agreement.
00:26:44.17\00:26:47.04
I always looked when
I was buying something
00:26:47.10\00:26:49.40
or you said, I
want to know the terms.
00:26:49.44\00:26:52.41
Most of you
probably pay cash for things,
00:26:52.44\00:26:54.14
if I want to charge something,
I wanna look at, what?
00:26:54.18\00:26:57.15
I wanna look at the
terms and the agreement of it.
00:26:57.21\00:27:00.05
And when you pay
and how much you pay
00:27:00.08\00:27:01.42
and so on and so forth.
00:27:01.45\00:27:02.78
So in the covenant that
God makes with His people,
00:27:02.82\00:27:04.75
we talk about it.
00:27:04.79\00:27:06.12
There's some
stipulations that are there,
00:27:06.15\00:27:07.62
terms of agreement, a contract,
00:27:07.69\00:27:10.46
binding and naturally
between two parties here,
00:27:10.49\00:27:13.19
for in this would be
blessings and curses.
00:27:13.23\00:27:18.00
I read that, I
thought how interesting,
00:27:18.03\00:27:20.24
blessings and curses.
00:27:20.27\00:27:21.90
God says it over and over.
00:27:21.94\00:27:23.71
You know, in Scripture.
00:27:23.74\00:27:25.07
He said He set before us
today a blessing and a curse.
00:27:25.11\00:27:28.71
Yeah. And I was wondering who...
00:27:28.74\00:27:30.55
Choose life.
00:27:30.58\00:27:32.15
Who would choose a curse?
00:27:32.18\00:27:34.32
You know, if He said, I said
two things before you today,
00:27:34.35\00:27:36.35
here's the blessing
and here's the curse.
00:27:36.38\00:27:38.29
How many would have the audacity
00:27:38.32\00:27:39.82
to choose the curse?
00:27:39.85\00:27:42.16
Now, I assume that
maybe one time choice,
00:27:42.19\00:27:45.19
but most of us
would choose the blessing.
00:27:45.23\00:27:47.50
We want the
blessings of God. That's right.
00:27:47.60\00:27:49.56
In order to receive
the blessings of God
00:27:49.60\00:27:51.03
what everyone's
been talking about here.
00:27:51.07\00:27:52.53
We want to do what
God has asked us to do
00:27:52.57\00:27:55.44
and said to do in His
Word, blessings and a curse.
00:27:55.47\00:27:58.61
Deuteronomy 11:26-28,
00:27:58.64\00:28:02.54
it says, "Behold, again
00:28:02.58\00:28:03.91
I set before you this
day a blessing and," what?
00:28:03.98\00:28:06.28
"A curse." Verse 26.
00:28:06.31\00:28:08.05
Verse 27, it says,
"A blessing, if you..."
00:28:08.08\00:28:10.92
I like this.
00:28:10.95\00:28:12.29
"A blessing if you
obey the commandments."
00:28:12.32\00:28:15.52
He didn't say,
I'm gonna bless you,
00:28:15.56\00:28:16.89
if you don't
obey, if you disobey.
00:28:16.96\00:28:19.19
He said, I gave...
00:28:19.23\00:28:20.56
you know, I'm gonna
set before you today
00:28:20.63\00:28:21.93
notice "A blessing,
00:28:21.96\00:28:23.30
if you obey the commandments
of the Lord your God,
00:28:23.33\00:28:26.10
which I command you this day."
00:28:26.13\00:28:28.27
You mentioned one time before,
00:28:28.30\00:28:29.67
it's what kind of an argument
00:28:29.70\00:28:31.04
could an individual
put up in principle here
00:28:31.07\00:28:33.71
with something that's so clear.
00:28:33.78\00:28:35.41
Right.
00:28:35.44\00:28:36.78
You know, there's so much
in the Bible that's so clear,
00:28:36.85\00:28:39.11
that's very easy to understand.
00:28:39.15\00:28:40.72
Yet someone has something
way that they can go around it,
00:28:40.75\00:28:44.39
or try to jump
over, but you know,
00:28:44.42\00:28:45.95
you just really can't
do that in the Word of God,
00:28:45.99\00:28:48.86
a blessing and a curse.
00:28:48.89\00:28:50.63
He said, which I
command you this day.
00:28:50.66\00:28:52.03
Verse 28, "A curse,
if you will not obey."
00:28:52.06\00:28:55.26
So, here He goes.
00:28:55.30\00:28:56.63
Blessing if you obey,
curse, if you don't obey.
00:28:56.67\00:28:59.27
Pretty simple, isn't it?
00:28:59.30\00:29:00.70
We should all be
able to understand that
00:29:00.77\00:29:02.84
and but it said,
"Turn aside out of the way
00:29:02.87\00:29:05.51
which I command you this day."
00:29:05.54\00:29:07.31
Now, God said you
that go after other gods
00:29:07.34\00:29:09.88
which you have not known.
00:29:09.91\00:29:12.51
God say, if you do
that, it's gonna be curses,
00:29:12.55\00:29:14.68
it's not gonna be a blessing.
00:29:14.72\00:29:16.38
Number five, in this covenant...
00:29:16.42\00:29:19.19
In this, you know, a
structural part of it here
00:29:19.22\00:29:22.26
is any special
provision then would be added
00:29:22.29\00:29:25.19
in that covenant there,
00:29:25.23\00:29:26.83
that'd be something
that would be signed
00:29:26.86\00:29:28.40
or special
something need to be in there.
00:29:28.43\00:29:30.30
And then the last part,
six part would be witnesses.
00:29:30.37\00:29:34.04
You know, how important
is it to have witnesses?
00:29:34.07\00:29:36.30
You know, it's very difficult
to get by in this world
00:29:36.34\00:29:39.31
if you have
something that you can't do it.
00:29:39.34\00:29:41.51
I guess legally done,
00:29:41.54\00:29:43.08
that you don't
have some witnesses...
00:29:43.11\00:29:45.78
Whether it's in
marriage or the, you know,
00:29:45.81\00:29:47.42
go to the courthouse,
whether you buy sell houses
00:29:47.45\00:29:49.68
when you do you
have it notarized.
00:29:49.72\00:29:51.32
You have a stamp you have people
00:29:51.35\00:29:52.69
who sign as witnesses
that this really took place
00:29:52.72\00:29:55.49
and you really who
you say, you say you are.
00:29:55.52\00:29:58.59
So the Book of Deuteronomy
that we've been looking at,
00:29:58.63\00:30:00.96
studying at here is in
the form of a covenant.
00:30:01.00\00:30:04.77
We know that and Moses invites
00:30:04.80\00:30:06.60
God's people to enter
into that new covenant
00:30:06.63\00:30:09.84
relationship with God.
00:30:09.87\00:30:12.41
We can find a
structure and the form,
00:30:12.44\00:30:15.44
starting in
Deuteronomy Chapter 1,
00:30:15.48\00:30:17.51
because we're just challenged
00:30:17.55\00:30:18.88
with this little
part of the lesson here,
00:30:18.91\00:30:20.38
just almost insignificant,
00:30:20.42\00:30:21.75
maybe, but just
what's in the covenant,
00:30:21.78\00:30:24.05
but we're challenged with it
00:30:24.09\00:30:25.42
to look and
find it in Scripture.
00:30:25.45\00:30:27.12
And then go ahead
in just a few moments
00:30:27.16\00:30:29.06
and look in the Book
of Joshua Chapter 24,
00:30:29.09\00:30:31.73
if there was
really a covenant there.
00:30:31.76\00:30:33.66
And so it will
have these things in it.
00:30:33.70\00:30:36.73
Starting Deuteronomy Chapter 1,
00:30:36.80\00:30:39.17
Chapter 4, and
again Chapter 30 and 31,
00:30:39.20\00:30:42.17
so we find structure and form.
00:30:42.20\00:30:44.57
Our lesson wants
us to read Joshua,
00:30:44.61\00:30:46.54
we mentioned Chapter 24.
00:30:46.61\00:30:49.14
Well, there's how many verses?
00:30:49.18\00:30:51.18
Thirty three
verses or so in there,
00:30:51.21\00:30:53.18
so how are we
gonna read them all?
00:30:53.21\00:30:54.98
Like you didn't
have the time you wanted,
00:30:55.02\00:30:56.55
you can't read all of
those verses in there,
00:30:56.62\00:30:59.05
but you know,
00:30:59.09\00:31:00.49
I encourage you to do that.
00:31:00.56\00:31:01.89
If you have an
opportunity at home,
00:31:01.92\00:31:03.32
be sure and read
all of those verses
00:31:03.36\00:31:05.29
because it's
important to see that the point
00:31:05.33\00:31:07.73
that we're trying to
make here in this lesson.
00:31:07.76\00:31:09.50
Those who have read them
00:31:09.53\00:31:10.87
can see that there
is a covenant there.
00:31:10.93\00:31:13.40
It has form, it
has the structure,
00:31:13.44\00:31:16.14
you know, in their
number one, we can see,
00:31:16.17\00:31:18.34
it has the
preamble in the Joshua 24:2,
00:31:18.37\00:31:22.14
there's a preamble there.
00:31:22.18\00:31:23.91
God presents Himself
as the Lord God of Israel.
00:31:23.95\00:31:28.88
Two, there's a
historical aspect, prologue,
00:31:28.92\00:31:32.32
where Joshua reminds the people
00:31:32.35\00:31:34.66
what God has done for them.
00:31:34.69\00:31:36.83
That's always good, who did?
00:31:36.89\00:31:38.33
God, you know, who is God?
00:31:38.36\00:31:40.36
What has God done for you?
00:31:40.40\00:31:42.16
What has He done for us?
00:31:42.20\00:31:43.53
So that's always
into Joshua 24:2-33.
00:31:43.60\00:31:46.50
Three, then with a stipulation
of the laws that were listed,
00:31:46.53\00:31:50.14
and you find that in
Joshua 24:14,15 and 25,
00:31:50.17\00:31:55.18
jot all those down
and look them all up.
00:31:55.21\00:31:57.18
Then you start finding
00:31:57.21\00:31:58.55
what we just talked
about blessings and curse.
00:31:58.58\00:32:00.65
If you do these
things, Joshua 24:19-20,
00:32:00.72\00:32:03.72
then you'll find naturally
the special provisions,
00:32:03.79\00:32:06.55
if there are any
special provisions,
00:32:06.59\00:32:08.36
they will be added in there,
00:32:08.39\00:32:09.72
and then you're
gonna have the witnesses
00:32:09.76\00:32:11.69
in Joshua 24:22, 27.
00:32:11.73\00:32:14.86
I thought was interesting
in Letter 3, 1879 says this,
00:32:14.93\00:32:19.30
as Joshua was
nearing the end of his life,
00:32:19.33\00:32:23.97
as Joshua was nearing
the end of his life...
00:32:24.01\00:32:27.44
When we start
nearing the end of our lives,
00:32:27.48\00:32:28.98
sometime we might
make a little bit of sense.
00:32:29.01\00:32:31.51
There might be something
we've learned over the years
00:32:31.55\00:32:33.48
where we might be able
to pass on to somebody else.
00:32:33.52\00:32:36.75
Think about it.
00:32:36.79\00:32:38.39
His life, he
said, not to neglect,
00:32:38.42\00:32:41.82
never neglect the
true revealed will of God.
00:32:41.86\00:32:46.36
If you understand what
the revealed will of God is,
00:32:46.39\00:32:51.27
never neglect that.
00:32:51.30\00:32:52.83
I thought that's a
very, very, very good point.
00:32:52.87\00:32:55.34
He goes on to say here
and this is something very,
00:32:55.37\00:32:58.57
maybe it's difficult for some.
00:32:58.61\00:33:00.28
He goes on to say,
00:33:00.31\00:33:01.64
have no
connection with idolaters,
00:33:01.68\00:33:04.51
that would be very clear.
00:33:04.55\00:33:05.95
How many of us maybe
have a little more connection
00:33:05.98\00:33:07.82
with idolaters and things
that are going on in the world
00:33:07.85\00:33:10.42
that is labeled and under the,
00:33:10.49\00:33:12.52
you know, the
heading of idolatry.
00:33:12.55\00:33:14.66
He goes on to say not
to intermarry with him,
00:33:14.69\00:33:17.33
nor in any way put
themselves in danger
00:33:17.36\00:33:20.13
of being affected or corrupted
00:33:20.20\00:33:22.70
by their abominations.
00:33:22.73\00:33:25.33
To me this, I mean, to
me this is good counsel.
00:33:25.37\00:33:28.97
This is counsel things that
he had learned over the years,
00:33:29.00\00:33:32.61
that we need to be
very careful in this life
00:33:32.64\00:33:35.64
that I wanna say who with,
00:33:35.68\00:33:37.95
it's in our lesson
where we hang out with,
00:33:37.98\00:33:40.08
our friends that we have,
00:33:40.12\00:33:42.08
do they really love, you know,
do they love Jesus right here?
00:33:42.12\00:33:45.42
You know,
00:33:45.45\00:33:46.82
I don't have
anything to do with it
00:33:46.86\00:33:48.42
that might put you in danger
00:33:48.46\00:33:49.79
of maybe taking you back
00:33:49.82\00:33:52.26
to where you came from
00:33:52.29\00:33:54.13
where God had pulled you out,
00:33:54.20\00:33:55.66
you know, don't
go back into that.
00:33:55.70\00:33:57.63
He showed them, notice that,
00:33:57.67\00:33:59.27
desolation would be the result
of their departing from God.
00:33:59.30\00:34:03.71
So I thought this is just
some simple things in there,
00:34:03.74\00:34:06.41
but there's gonna be desolation
if we depart from God.
00:34:06.44\00:34:10.98
We never wanna depart from
God, we wanna stay close to God.
00:34:11.01\00:34:14.35
Amen.
00:34:14.38\00:34:15.72
Thankful that He
wants to draw close to us.
00:34:15.75\00:34:17.99
He said, "Now draw nigh to Me,
00:34:18.02\00:34:19.62
I'll draw nigh to you."
00:34:19.65\00:34:21.02
So this is the
council that He gives.
00:34:21.06\00:34:23.09
And when He gives us counsel,
people say, yeah, I know,
00:34:23.12\00:34:25.26
but you know, a lot of
times even as Adventist friends,
00:34:25.29\00:34:27.86
we have more
friends outside of that
00:34:27.86\00:34:29.56
didn't even know the message,
and we keep coming in with Him,
00:34:29.60\00:34:31.57
we do with our own.
00:34:31.60\00:34:33.17
I'm just saying the
warning as a danger,
00:34:33.20\00:34:34.87
not trying to
criticize or condemn.
00:34:34.90\00:34:36.97
But there's danger in that
00:34:37.01\00:34:38.41
because scripture
reveals that to us,
00:34:38.44\00:34:40.48
we either wanna follow it,
you know, or maybe nothing.
00:34:40.54\00:34:43.71
So, by God's grace,
00:34:43.75\00:34:45.15
what we wanna follow exactly
what God says in His Word.
00:34:45.18\00:34:47.65
Amen. Amen. Amen.
00:34:47.68\00:34:49.28
Well, I am Wednesday.
00:34:49.32\00:34:50.95
And I'm going
to look at pledges.
00:34:50.99\00:34:53.92
Now, tell me what a pledge is?
00:34:53.96\00:34:56.79
It's an oath, it's a vow,
00:34:56.83\00:34:59.36
it's a promise.
00:34:59.39\00:35:00.83
But let me give you
a little background.
00:35:00.86\00:35:02.86
I'm starting in
Nehemiah 10:33-39.
00:35:02.90\00:35:07.84
But now back in
Nehemiah Chapter 9,
00:35:07.87\00:35:11.44
remember they pray
that long beautiful prayer
00:35:11.47\00:35:14.48
which was more like a sermon.
00:35:14.51\00:35:17.18
And at the very end
of Chapter 9:38, it says,
00:35:17.25\00:35:21.32
"And because of all
this, we make a sure covenant."
00:35:21.35\00:35:24.82
Kenny was just
talking about covenant
00:35:24.85\00:35:27.06
and covenant structure.
00:35:27.09\00:35:29.09
And so the children of
Israel are making a covenant.
00:35:29.12\00:35:33.43
They are saying,
00:35:33.50\00:35:34.83
here is what we will do for you.
00:35:34.83\00:35:37.23
Well, so we look
nail down in Chapter 10,
00:35:37.27\00:35:41.50
all the people that are saying,
00:35:41.54\00:35:44.17
"Yes,
00:35:44.21\00:35:45.54
we want to seal this covenant,
00:35:45.57\00:35:46.94
so the covenant is sealed."
00:35:46.98\00:35:48.41
And in verse 29, it says,
00:35:48.44\00:35:51.61
"These joined
with their brethren,"
00:35:51.65\00:35:53.28
This is Nehemiah 10:29,
00:35:53.31\00:35:56.95
"These joined
with their brethren,
00:35:56.99\00:35:58.69
and their nobles,
00:35:58.72\00:36:00.12
and entered into a
curse and an oath."
00:36:00.19\00:36:01.72
Remember what Kenny told us?
00:36:01.76\00:36:03.46
Each covenant has two aspects.
00:36:03.49\00:36:06.09
One is, if you will do it,
00:36:06.13\00:36:08.26
here's what will happen to you,
00:36:08.30\00:36:10.27
but if you don't,
there are consequences.
00:36:10.30\00:36:14.67
So, "curse and an
oath to walk in God's laws,
00:36:14.70\00:36:17.91
which was given by
Moses and the servants of God,
00:36:17.94\00:36:20.78
and to observe
00:36:20.81\00:36:22.14
and do all the
commandments of the Lord."
00:36:22.18\00:36:24.48
So this was what they
were covenanting to do.
00:36:24.51\00:36:28.12
Now, God wanted
them to make a pledge.
00:36:28.15\00:36:32.09
He wanted them to make a promise
00:36:32.12\00:36:34.29
that you're gonna do
what I'm asking you to do.
00:36:34.32\00:36:38.36
So we're going to
look at some of the things,
00:36:38.39\00:36:41.63
three actually, I'm
gonna look at three areas
00:36:41.66\00:36:44.43
that God asked them
to make a promise in,
00:36:44.47\00:36:47.50
and the reason why,
00:36:47.54\00:36:49.34
or to make a
pledge, or to make an oath,
00:36:49.37\00:36:51.11
or to make a vow.
00:36:51.14\00:36:52.47
So in verse 30,
this is Nehemiah 10:30.
00:36:52.51\00:36:57.81
The Word says,
00:36:57.85\00:36:59.51
"We would not
give our daughters,"
00:36:59.55\00:37:01.48
here's what God is asking them.
00:37:01.52\00:37:03.45
"We would not give our daughters
00:37:03.52\00:37:05.09
as wives to the
peoples of the land,
00:37:05.12\00:37:08.79
nor take their
daughters for our sons,"
00:37:08.82\00:37:12.19
So we're not gonna give
our daughters to other nations,
00:37:12.23\00:37:17.27
to other lands,
00:37:17.30\00:37:18.63
and we're not
gonna take their sons
00:37:18.67\00:37:20.04
to our daughters.
00:37:20.07\00:37:21.40
Okay. So why?
00:37:21.44\00:37:24.31
Why would God ask them
to promise not to do that?
00:37:24.34\00:37:28.21
Why is that so important?
00:37:28.24\00:37:30.78
What had happened previously?
00:37:30.85\00:37:33.21
Oh, mercy.
00:37:33.25\00:37:34.72
The children of
Israel had intermarriage.
00:37:34.75\00:37:38.15
And what did that
bring into Israel?
00:37:38.19\00:37:42.02
Idolatry. It brought idolatry.
00:37:42.06\00:37:44.16
So think about it,
00:37:44.23\00:37:45.56
here we've got this
beautiful young lady
00:37:45.59\00:37:48.43
that has come
from a foreign land
00:37:48.46\00:37:50.23
and what did she bring with her?
00:37:50.27\00:37:52.23
She brought her gods.
00:37:52.27\00:37:54.54
And so now, a woman in a house
00:37:54.57\00:37:58.07
that wants to
worship another god,
00:37:58.11\00:38:00.61
her husband can't
stop her from doing...
00:38:00.64\00:38:02.64
I mean, a woman
can be a powerful force
00:38:02.68\00:38:04.95
when she sets her mind to.
00:38:04.98\00:38:08.12
Amen.
00:38:08.15\00:38:09.48
They had marry, well,
it's okay what I mean.
00:38:09.52\00:38:12.42
So they had...
00:38:12.45\00:38:15.82
God was making them promise.
00:38:15.86\00:38:17.86
Don't make the mistakes
that your father's made,
00:38:17.89\00:38:21.63
don't allow this intermarriage,
00:38:21.66\00:38:24.73
don't allow this
avenue for idolatry
00:38:24.77\00:38:28.77
to come into your home.
00:38:28.80\00:38:30.14
Now let's make this
relevant for us today.
00:38:30.21\00:38:32.97
How do we do that?
00:38:33.01\00:38:34.34
I wanna look at 2
Corinthians 6:14-16.
00:38:34.38\00:38:39.35
I'll read this to you.
00:38:39.38\00:38:41.02
"Do not be unequally
yoked together with unbelievers.
00:38:41.05\00:38:46.45
For what
fellowship has righteousness
00:38:46.49\00:38:48.82
with lawlessness?
00:38:48.86\00:38:50.43
And what communion
has light with darkness?
00:38:50.46\00:38:53.26
And what accord
has Christ with Belial?
00:38:53.29\00:38:56.63
And what part has a
believer with an unbeliever?
00:38:56.67\00:39:00.87
And what agreement has
the temple of God with..."
00:39:00.90\00:39:03.77
What's that word?
00:39:03.84\00:39:05.17
"Idols?
00:39:05.21\00:39:07.78
For you are the
temple of the living God.
00:39:07.81\00:39:10.38
Do you know each
and every one of us?
00:39:10.41\00:39:12.41
This is, we are the
temple of the living God.
00:39:12.45\00:39:15.08
God has set up His
residence within us,
00:39:15.12\00:39:17.65
Christ in us, the hope of glory.
00:39:17.69\00:39:20.49
What know you not you
are the temple of God.
00:39:20.52\00:39:23.39
And we join our
self with an unbeliever
00:39:23.46\00:39:27.40
that's bringing
idolatry into our homes.
00:39:27.46\00:39:32.77
"For you are the
temple of the living God.
00:39:32.80\00:39:35.04
As God has said:
00:39:35.07\00:39:36.74
'I will dwell in
them and walk among them.
00:39:36.81\00:39:39.77
I will be their God, and
they shall be My people.'
00:39:39.81\00:39:42.91
" Whereas the children
of Israel pledged to God
00:39:42.94\00:39:47.42
not to intermarry.
00:39:47.45\00:39:49.25
Paul in these passages
gives us the same instructions,
00:39:49.28\00:39:53.96
does he not?
00:39:53.99\00:39:55.32
And for the same reason,
00:39:55.36\00:39:57.13
don't marry an unbeliever
00:39:57.16\00:39:59.06
or you are joining your
light with their darkness.
00:39:59.09\00:40:03.67
Okay, the next area,
they were to make a promise,
00:40:03.73\00:40:07.10
a commitment, a vow, a pledge
to God that they wouldn't do.
00:40:07.14\00:40:11.31
Let's look at
that. That's verse 31.
00:40:11.34\00:40:14.48
"That if the peoples
of the land brought wares
00:40:14.51\00:40:19.35
or any grain to
sell on the Sabbath day,
00:40:19.38\00:40:23.59
we would not buy it
from them on the Sabbath,
00:40:23.65\00:40:27.62
or on a holy day,
00:40:27.66\00:40:29.19
and we would forego
the seventh year's produce
00:40:29.22\00:40:32.66
and the exacting of every debt."
00:40:32.69\00:40:34.93
Why?
00:40:34.93\00:40:36.26
Why was God telling
them make a promise to me
00:40:36.30\00:40:39.80
that you in effect won't
break the Sabbath command?
00:40:39.83\00:40:44.17
Amen. Why would He say that?
00:40:44.24\00:40:46.37
To preserve the
sanctity of the Sabbath.
00:40:46.41\00:40:50.38
God is setting forth here
00:40:50.41\00:40:52.45
how vitally
important it is for us
00:40:52.48\00:40:55.85
to be Sabbath keepers
00:40:55.88\00:40:58.42
and to preserve the
sanctity of the Sabbath.
00:40:58.45\00:41:01.42
What is the
purpose of the Sabbath?
00:41:01.46\00:41:03.12
I'll go over this again.
00:41:03.16\00:41:04.49
I love to go over this.
00:41:04.53\00:41:05.86
For us to rest in God,
00:41:05.89\00:41:08.20
for us to put away
anything that will separate us,
00:41:08.23\00:41:11.13
from concentrating on
the faithfulness of God,
00:41:11.17\00:41:14.64
to recognize Him as our Creator,
00:41:14.67\00:41:17.77
to put our focus totally on Him,
00:41:17.81\00:41:20.74
and for us to
draw closer to God.
00:41:20.78\00:41:23.61
Once a week, we are
given this opportunity.
00:41:23.65\00:41:27.72
When Sabbath
keeping begins to erode,
00:41:27.75\00:41:30.85
now listen to this,
00:41:30.89\00:41:32.22
when your Sabbath
keeping begins to erode,
00:41:32.25\00:41:36.22
our relationship
with God begins to erode.
00:41:36.26\00:41:40.36
That's right. Okay.
00:41:40.40\00:41:41.70
It was true for
the children of Israel,
00:41:41.73\00:41:44.30
and it's true for us today.
00:41:44.33\00:41:46.30
All right, the
third aspect, verse 32.
00:41:46.33\00:41:49.40
"Also we made
ordinances for ourselves,"
00:41:49.44\00:41:52.57
and I want you to see this.
00:41:52.61\00:41:54.14
"They made these
ordinances for themselves
00:41:54.21\00:41:57.91
to exact from ourselves
00:41:57.95\00:42:01.32
yearly one-third
of a shekel," why?
00:42:01.35\00:42:04.85
And here's purpose of it,
00:42:04.89\00:42:06.22
so I can do
rather than going back
00:42:06.25\00:42:08.62
and looking over this
because I run out of time.
00:42:08.66\00:42:11.49
Why did they do that?
00:42:11.53\00:42:12.86
Why did they make this
ordinance for themselves?
00:42:12.89\00:42:15.93
For the service of
the house of our God.
00:42:15.96\00:42:18.57
Do you remember
00:42:18.60\00:42:20.30
when and I
believe that was Nehemiah,
00:42:20.34\00:42:23.47
but if you tell me it
was Ezra, I'll think that,
00:42:23.51\00:42:25.97
but I think it was Nehemiah
came to the children of Israel,
00:42:26.01\00:42:29.58
and he told them,
00:42:29.61\00:42:30.95
the reason that
you're not prospering
00:42:30.98\00:42:33.98
is because you have
neglected something.
00:42:34.02\00:42:36.65
You have put all
of your attentions
00:42:36.69\00:42:39.09
to the restoring
of your own house,
00:42:39.12\00:42:41.49
and you have
neglected the house of God,
00:42:41.52\00:42:44.13
for that reason,
00:42:44.19\00:42:46.03
there has been crop failure,
00:42:46.06\00:42:47.96
there has been a curse
that has come upon you.
00:42:47.96\00:42:51.13
And so, now,
00:42:51.17\00:42:53.20
the children of Israel realized
00:42:53.27\00:42:55.50
if we neglect the house of God,
00:42:55.54\00:42:58.04
it's to our own detriment.
00:42:58.07\00:43:00.68
And so...
00:43:00.71\00:43:02.81
And there are
following verses for...
00:43:02.84\00:43:05.48
Again, these are ordinances,
they laid unto themselves.
00:43:05.51\00:43:09.22
Now, how are we going
to bring that home to us?
00:43:09.25\00:43:12.29
How does this
affect us personally?
00:43:12.32\00:43:14.72
How can we make this
relevant to us today?
00:43:14.76\00:43:17.96
I'll say that
would be Malachi 3:10.
00:43:17.99\00:43:20.90
Amen. Good.
00:43:20.93\00:43:23.10
Here's what Malachi 3:10, says,
00:43:23.13\00:43:26.03
bring him much of the tithe?
00:43:26.07\00:43:28.20
"All the tithes
into the storehouse,
00:43:28.24\00:43:30.77
that there may
be food in My house,
00:43:30.81\00:43:33.78
Here is the
command to bring the tithe
00:43:33.84\00:43:37.11
into the storehouse."
00:43:37.15\00:43:38.61
And it's for
the very same reason
00:43:38.65\00:43:41.25
for the service of
the house of our God.
00:43:41.28\00:43:44.65
We are not doing it so
that we can make anybody rich
00:43:44.69\00:43:48.16
or this or that.
00:43:48.19\00:43:49.72
But let me show you
00:43:49.76\00:43:51.63
the blessing
that comes with this,
00:43:51.66\00:43:54.03
you don't tithe to get
00:43:54.10\00:43:55.43
and I don't want that
to come across that way.
00:43:55.46\00:43:58.13
But here's a blessing
00:43:58.17\00:43:59.60
when you put a
biblical principle
00:43:59.63\00:44:01.34
into operation,
00:44:01.37\00:44:02.70
you are gonna get
a biblical result.
00:44:02.74\00:44:04.97
Here's the biblical result.
00:44:05.01\00:44:07.61
And try me now in
this, says the Lord of host,
00:44:07.64\00:44:11.45
if I will not open for
you the windows of heaven
00:44:11.48\00:44:14.78
and pour out for
you such blessing that
00:44:14.82\00:44:17.29
there will not be
room enough to receive.
00:44:17.32\00:44:20.29
How many of you want God
00:44:20.36\00:44:21.69
to open up the
windows of heaven,
00:44:21.72\00:44:23.12
pour you out a
blessing, you can't receive?
00:44:23.16\00:44:25.63
Well, these three principles
00:44:25.66\00:44:28.53
are vitally
important for us today.
00:44:28.56\00:44:30.73
Let me go over them again.
00:44:30.77\00:44:32.10
Number one, keep
yourself from idolatry.
00:44:32.13\00:44:34.94
Number two, keep
the Sabbath holy.
00:44:34.97\00:44:37.67
And number three,
00:44:37.71\00:44:39.04
don't neglect the house of God.
00:44:39.07\00:44:41.71
It's a choice that
each and every one of us
00:44:41.74\00:44:44.35
have to make.
00:44:44.38\00:44:45.71
Amen. Amen.
00:44:45.75\00:44:47.08
Powerful job, thank you, Mollie.
00:44:47.12\00:44:49.32
I have Thursday's lesson,
00:44:49.35\00:44:51.09
which is the temple
00:44:51.12\00:44:52.95
and it really
expands on the third aspect
00:44:52.99\00:44:56.79
that you talked about, Mollie.
00:44:56.83\00:44:58.16
We talked about
the ancient covenants,
00:44:58.19\00:45:00.63
they included
blessings and curses
00:45:00.66\00:45:02.83
as you talked
about, Pastor Kenny,
00:45:02.86\00:45:04.57
and regulations.
00:45:04.60\00:45:06.74
Mollie, you talked about
keep yourself from idolatry
00:45:06.77\00:45:10.21
and no mixed
marriages, that's number one.
00:45:10.24\00:45:13.27
Number two, true
Sabbath observance.
00:45:13.31\00:45:16.75
Number three, not to
neglect the house of God.
00:45:16.78\00:45:20.62
And I'm gonna
take that third aspect,
00:45:20.65\00:45:23.22
not to neglect the house of God.
00:45:23.25\00:45:24.95
And we're going to
expand it, as it were,
00:45:24.99\00:45:27.46
as it talks about
here in Nehemiah 10,
00:45:27.49\00:45:29.86
into four different components.
00:45:29.89\00:45:31.79
These are four different ways
00:45:31.83\00:45:33.33
that they could help not
to neglect the house of God.
00:45:33.40\00:45:37.63
Number one was to
pay the temple tax.
00:45:37.67\00:45:41.34
That's in Nehemiah 10,
you just read verse 32,
00:45:41.37\00:45:44.27
where we read 32 and 33.
00:45:44.31\00:45:47.24
Also, we made
ordinances for ourselves
00:45:47.28\00:45:50.21
and I like what
you said, Mollie,
00:45:50.25\00:45:51.68
the rest of this
from this to the end
00:45:51.71\00:45:53.52
is all those ordinances
that they made for themselves.
00:45:53.58\00:45:57.72
"To exact from ourselves yearly,
00:45:57.75\00:45:59.69
one third of a shekel
00:45:59.72\00:46:01.82
for the service of
the house of our God,
00:46:01.86\00:46:04.76
for the show bread,
00:46:04.79\00:46:06.13
for the regular grain offering,
00:46:06.16\00:46:07.83
for the regular burnt
offering of the Sabbath,
00:46:07.86\00:46:10.57
the new moons and the set
feats for the holy things,
00:46:10.60\00:46:15.17
for the sin offerings to
make atonement for Israel,
00:46:15.20\00:46:18.24
and all the work of
the house of our God."
00:46:18.27\00:46:21.18
Now the lesson brought
out something interesting,
00:46:21.21\00:46:23.35
which if I'm being
honest with you all,
00:46:23.38\00:46:25.75
I haven't studied a great deal,
00:46:25.78\00:46:27.52
but it was very fascinating,
the lesson talked about,
00:46:27.55\00:46:30.52
and I did some
research into that,
00:46:30.59\00:46:32.49
that this is the first time
00:46:32.52\00:46:34.69
that they had an
actual annual temple tax,
00:46:34.72\00:46:38.49
where they made this ordinance.
00:46:38.53\00:46:40.40
Prior to that, if you look up,
00:46:40.43\00:46:41.90
we won't take the
time to read it now,
00:46:41.93\00:46:43.63
but Exodus 30:11-16,
00:46:43.67\00:46:48.17
they have the atonement tax
00:46:48.20\00:46:51.11
or the ransom money
00:46:51.14\00:46:53.04
that was
required of all Israelites
00:46:53.07\00:46:55.28
over 20 years of age,
but it was not an annual tax.
00:46:55.31\00:46:58.81
It was only done
when the census was taken.
00:46:58.85\00:47:02.38
And it was to remind the people
00:47:02.42\00:47:04.82
that they were
dependent on the Lord.
00:47:04.85\00:47:07.22
And it was not an annual
tax, it was just an occasional,
00:47:07.29\00:47:11.03
whenever they did that census.
00:47:11.06\00:47:12.99
The offering was the same.
00:47:13.03\00:47:14.36
I love that for the
rich and for the poor.
00:47:14.36\00:47:16.87
And in this particular
tax, it was half a shekel,
00:47:16.90\00:47:19.23
not a third,
00:47:19.27\00:47:20.64
but it was half a shekel,
00:47:20.67\00:47:22.00
that's from Exodus
Chapter 30, you can look it up.
00:47:22.04\00:47:24.41
But in this case,
it's a third of a shekel,
00:47:24.44\00:47:28.18
and it was the
first time instituted
00:47:28.21\00:47:30.15
that they would have
that annual contribution.
00:47:30.18\00:47:32.71
Now, we know this continued,
00:47:32.75\00:47:34.55
because we know
in the time of Jesus,
00:47:34.58\00:47:36.48
and the
disciples, we know Peter,
00:47:36.52\00:47:38.09
remember reached
into the fish's mouth
00:47:38.12\00:47:40.36
and took that out.
00:47:40.39\00:47:41.72
They had the
annual tax at that time.
00:47:41.76\00:47:44.33
Now, in the time of Jesus,
it was actually half a shekel,
00:47:44.36\00:47:47.40
where here they
instituted a third.
00:47:47.40\00:47:49.66
But what does that
even matter to us today?
00:47:49.70\00:47:52.23
It matters
because it is important
00:47:52.27\00:47:54.57
to financially
support God's work.
00:47:54.60\00:47:57.67
That's why it's
important to financially support
00:47:57.71\00:48:00.74
God's work.
00:48:00.81\00:48:02.14
What's the second thing?
00:48:02.18\00:48:03.51
They did provision for
the firewood of the temple.
00:48:03.55\00:48:07.35
Now, we read that
now and we think okay,
00:48:07.38\00:48:09.45
but there's a
point to this as well.
00:48:09.48\00:48:11.39
Let's read verse 34.
00:48:11.42\00:48:13.19
"We cast lots among the priests,
00:48:13.22\00:48:15.29
the Levites, and the people,
00:48:15.32\00:48:16.96
for bringing the wood offering
into the house of our God,
00:48:16.99\00:48:19.39
according to
our father's houses,
00:48:19.43\00:48:21.53
at the appointed
times year by year,
00:48:21.56\00:48:23.70
to burn on the
altar of the Lord our God
00:48:23.77\00:48:25.87
as it is written in the Law."
00:48:25.90\00:48:27.64
They allotted responsibility
for burning the firewood
00:48:27.67\00:48:31.07
on the altar to specific family.
00:48:31.11\00:48:33.38
It goes back to what you
talked about, Pastor Kenny,
00:48:33.41\00:48:35.58
I think it was you organization,
00:48:35.61\00:48:38.08
how organization
is vitally important
00:48:38.11\00:48:40.72
to the work of God?
00:48:40.75\00:48:42.25
That's what I get from
this second regulation.
00:48:42.28\00:48:45.19
It's important to have structure
00:48:45.22\00:48:47.66
and organization in the church.
00:48:47.69\00:48:50.03
That's right.
00:48:50.06\00:48:51.39
What's the third thing?
00:48:51.43\00:48:52.76
The offering of the firstfruits,
00:48:52.79\00:48:54.60
the firstborn and the tithe.
00:48:54.63\00:48:58.77
So the
firstfruits is the next verse,
00:48:58.80\00:49:00.57
Nehemiah 10:35,
00:49:00.60\00:49:02.14
"We made ordinances to bring
the firstfruits of our ground
00:49:02.17\00:49:04.87
and the first fruits
of all fruit of all trees,
00:49:04.91\00:49:08.24
year by year, to
the house of the Lord."
00:49:08.28\00:49:10.51
The next verse is the firstborn,
00:49:10.58\00:49:12.41
"to bring the firstborn
of our sons and cattle,
00:49:12.45\00:49:15.25
as it is written in the Law,
00:49:15.28\00:49:16.92
the firstborn of
our herds and flocks,
00:49:16.95\00:49:19.59
to the house of
our God, to the priests
00:49:19.62\00:49:21.46
who minister in
the house of our God,
00:49:21.49\00:49:23.29
to bring the
firstfruits of our dough,
00:49:23.32\00:49:25.03
our offerings, the
fruit of all kinds of trees,"
00:49:25.06\00:49:26.86
and it goes on
all the firstfruits,
00:49:26.93\00:49:29.73
"to the storerooms
of the house of God,
00:49:29.76\00:49:32.17
to bring the tithes of
our land to the Levites,
00:49:32.20\00:49:34.44
for the Levites
should receive the tithes
00:49:34.47\00:49:36.07
in all our farming communities."
00:49:36.10\00:49:37.91
And that brings us to tithe
00:49:37.94\00:49:40.81
and the importance
of paying the tithe.
00:49:40.88\00:49:43.08
Verse 38.
00:49:43.11\00:49:44.45
"And the priest,
the descendant of Aaron,
00:49:44.48\00:49:45.95
shall be with the Levites
00:49:45.98\00:49:47.32
when the Levites receive tithes,
00:49:47.35\00:49:48.98
and the Levites shall
bring up a tenth of the tithes
00:49:49.02\00:49:52.22
to the house of our God,
00:49:52.25\00:49:53.59
to the rooms of the storehouse."
00:49:53.66\00:49:56.12
What do I get from that?
00:49:56.16\00:49:57.53
It is important to
pay a biblical tithe
00:49:57.56\00:50:01.00
and free will offerings,
00:50:01.03\00:50:04.13
not just tithe,
but tithe and offerings
00:50:04.17\00:50:07.67
for the support
of the work of God.
00:50:07.70\00:50:10.27
We know that a
10th of everything
00:50:10.31\00:50:12.11
went to the Levites,
00:50:12.14\00:50:13.48
also the firstborns
that were redeemed by money
00:50:13.54\00:50:16.01
adding to the amount
that the Levites received.
00:50:16.04\00:50:18.45
And then the 10th
of the Levites 10th
00:50:18.48\00:50:20.48
went to the priests.
00:50:20.52\00:50:22.62
Now, the fourth thing
was temple attendance,
00:50:22.65\00:50:25.05
Nehemiah 10:39.
00:50:25.09\00:50:26.82
It said, we will not
neglect the house of our God.
00:50:26.86\00:50:30.29
That's right. What
do we get from that?
00:50:30.33\00:50:32.06
It is important to
attend church regularly.
00:50:32.09\00:50:36.13
Hebrews 10:25,
00:50:36.16\00:50:37.60
"Don't forsake the assembling
of ourselves together,
00:50:37.63\00:50:41.14
as is the manner of some,
00:50:41.17\00:50:42.90
but exhorting one another,
00:50:42.94\00:50:44.27
and so much the more
00:50:44.31\00:50:45.64
as you see the Day approaching."
00:50:45.67\00:50:47.31
So I would just ask...
00:50:47.34\00:50:49.34
I always ask myself this when
I study, why is this important?
00:50:49.38\00:50:52.55
And I don't mean
that disrespectfully,
00:50:52.58\00:50:54.05
this is important.
00:50:54.08\00:50:55.42
But why is this important?
00:50:55.45\00:50:56.79
Why was the temple important?
00:50:56.82\00:50:58.75
Because the sanctuary runs
throughout the entire Bible,
00:50:58.79\00:51:03.16
and in that is
the plan of salvation.
00:51:03.19\00:51:06.83
Absolutely.
00:51:06.90\00:51:08.53
From the sacrificial
symbolism of Genesis 3 and 4,
00:51:08.56\00:51:11.30
when sin began all the way
00:51:11.33\00:51:13.17
through the last
Chapters of Revelation,
00:51:13.20\00:51:15.37
we see the sanctuary
unfold throughout the Bible.
00:51:15.40\00:51:19.14
The earthly sanctuary
was a model to prefigure
00:51:19.17\00:51:22.78
what Christ would do
when He came to this earth.
00:51:22.81\00:51:26.21
He pointed forward to
Christ, the Lamb of God,
00:51:26.25\00:51:29.15
who took away the
sins of the world.
00:51:29.18\00:51:33.09
1 Peter 1:18-19, I
love that scripture.
00:51:33.12\00:51:36.06
"We knowing that
we were not redeemed
00:51:36.09\00:51:38.49
with corruptible things,
00:51:38.53\00:51:40.06
like silver or gold,
from your aimless conduct
00:51:40.10\00:51:43.43
received by
tradition from your fathers,
00:51:43.50\00:51:45.13
but with the
precious blood of Christ,
00:51:45.17\00:51:47.90
as of a lamb without
blemish and without spot."
00:51:47.94\00:51:52.07
So in my remaining time,
00:51:52.11\00:51:53.44
I wanna look at a couple points
of the heavenly sanctuary.
00:51:53.51\00:51:57.48
Most of them are
taken from Hebrews.
00:51:57.51\00:51:58.85
So if you wanna turn
to Hebrews, Hebrews 8:2.
00:51:58.88\00:52:03.49
First point we know
that the heavenly sanctuary
00:52:03.52\00:52:05.59
was built by God and not by man.
00:52:05.62\00:52:09.52
Hebrews 8:2, I'm sorry,
00:52:09.56\00:52:11.73
Hebrews 8:2,
00:52:11.76\00:52:13.80
"Christ is a
Minister of the sanctuary
00:52:13.83\00:52:16.26
and of the true tabernacle
which the Lord erected,
00:52:16.30\00:52:20.10
and not man."
00:52:20.14\00:52:22.27
The second thing I see is
that this heavenly sanctuary
00:52:22.30\00:52:25.27
contained a better sacrifice
00:52:25.31\00:52:27.68
that did not have to
be repeatedly offered.
00:52:27.71\00:52:31.68
Christ was the
perfect High Priest,
00:52:31.71\00:52:33.88
and He was the
perfect sacrifice.
00:52:33.92\00:52:37.69
Hebrews 7:26,
00:52:37.72\00:52:39.12
"For such a High
Priest was fitting for us,
00:52:39.15\00:52:42.16
who is holy,
harmless, undefiled,
00:52:42.19\00:52:45.36
separate from sinners,
00:52:45.39\00:52:47.23
and has become
higher than the heavens."
00:52:47.30\00:52:50.30
Hebrews 7:28,
00:52:50.33\00:52:51.93
"For the law
appoints as high priests men
00:52:51.97\00:52:54.40
who have weakness,
but the word of the oath,
00:52:54.44\00:52:56.94
which came after the
law, appoints the Son
00:52:56.97\00:52:59.87
who has been perfected forever."
00:52:59.91\00:53:03.18
We know that Christ
died once and for all.
00:53:03.21\00:53:07.78
Hebrews 7:27,
00:53:07.82\00:53:09.25
"Who does not need daily,
00:53:09.28\00:53:10.99
as those high priests,
to offer up sacrifices."
00:53:11.02\00:53:14.82
Remember the high priests
00:53:14.86\00:53:16.19
did it first for their own sins,
00:53:16.22\00:53:17.99
and then for the people sins.
00:53:18.03\00:53:20.43
But Jesus did it once for
all, when He offered up Himself.
00:53:20.50\00:53:25.23
It contained
the blood of Christ,
00:53:28.30\00:53:30.01
which truly could
purchase our salvation.
00:53:30.07\00:53:34.04
Hebrews 9:12-14,
00:53:34.08\00:53:36.85
"Not with the blood
of goats and calves,
00:53:36.91\00:53:39.21
but with His own blood
00:53:39.25\00:53:41.42
He entered the Most
Holy Place once for all,
00:53:41.45\00:53:43.95
having obtained
eternal redemption.
00:53:43.99\00:53:46.92
For if the blood
of bulls and goats
00:53:46.96\00:53:48.69
and the ashes of a
heifer, sprinkling the unclean,
00:53:48.72\00:53:51.13
sacrifices for the
purifying of the flesh,
00:53:51.16\00:53:53.46
how much more shall
the blood of Christ,
00:53:53.50\00:53:57.30
who through the
eternal Spirit offered Himself
00:53:57.33\00:53:59.87
without spot to God,
00:53:59.90\00:54:01.94
cleanse your
conscience from dead works
00:54:01.97\00:54:04.67
to serve the living God?"
00:54:04.71\00:54:07.18
Since Jesus is our high priest,
00:54:07.21\00:54:09.54
it guarantees
00:54:09.58\00:54:11.18
that what God promises
to us will be fulfilled.
00:54:11.21\00:54:14.35
And what does He promised?
00:54:14.38\00:54:15.72
He promises cleansing from sin.
00:54:15.75\00:54:17.09
Amen. John 1:29.
00:54:17.12\00:54:18.95
"Behold the Lamb of God,
00:54:18.99\00:54:21.46
which takes away
the sin of the world."
00:54:21.49\00:54:24.53
and He promises
confident access to the Father.
00:54:24.56\00:54:28.33
My last scripture,
2 Corinthians 5:18-19,
00:54:28.36\00:54:32.07
"All things are of God,
00:54:32.10\00:54:33.44
who has reconciled us to Himself
00:54:33.50\00:54:35.34
through Jesus Christ,
00:54:35.37\00:54:37.81
and has given to us that
ministry of reconciliation.
00:54:37.84\00:54:41.58
God was in Christ reconciling
the world to Himself,
00:54:41.61\00:54:47.18
not imputing their
trespasses to them,
00:54:47.22\00:54:49.42
and has committed to
you and I that ministry,
00:54:49.45\00:54:52.75
that word of reconciliation."
00:54:52.79\00:54:55.16
I'm so thankful for
the earthly sanctuary,
00:54:55.19\00:54:58.36
but I'm so much more grateful
for the heavenly sanctuary
00:54:58.39\00:55:01.53
and our heavenly
sacrifice and high priest.
00:55:01.56\00:55:04.10
Amen. Amen. Thank you so much.
00:55:04.17\00:55:06.30
We've had so much to
say in this lesson God
00:55:06.33\00:55:08.24
and the Covenant.
00:55:08.27\00:55:09.60
I'm gonna give
Shelley an opportunity
00:55:09.64\00:55:10.97
to plug in
something as you summarize
00:55:11.01\00:55:14.01
what we've talked about.
00:55:14.08\00:55:16.34
Oh, there's so much
I'd like to say, but the...
00:55:16.38\00:55:18.65
We just have to remember
that the covenant of God,
00:55:18.68\00:55:22.78
the everlasting covenant is
just progressively revealed.
00:55:22.82\00:55:26.99
And each covenant kind
of builds on the other.
00:55:27.06\00:55:29.62
It's all part of the same thing.
00:55:29.66\00:55:31.73
But Hebrews 7:22 is one
of my favorite scriptures.
00:55:31.76\00:55:35.93
It says that
Christ is the surety
00:55:35.96\00:55:38.83
of the New Covenant.
00:55:38.87\00:55:40.20
He is the guarantor
00:55:40.24\00:55:41.64
because He
guarantees God's promises to us,
00:55:41.67\00:55:44.97
2 Corinthians 1:20.
00:55:45.01\00:55:46.74
All of His promises
are fulfilled in Christ,
00:55:46.78\00:55:49.41
but He also guarantees
our faithfulness to God
00:55:49.44\00:55:53.31
because Philippians 2:13 says,
00:55:53.38\00:55:55.25
that He works in us to will
and to do His good pleasure.
00:55:55.28\00:55:59.65
Amen. Pastor Kenny?
00:55:59.69\00:56:01.99
You know, I've been
hearing over and over on this
00:56:02.02\00:56:04.06
and I've marked it down.
00:56:04.09\00:56:05.89
You know, God's
always faithful on His part.
00:56:05.93\00:56:08.00
Amen. He'll never let you down.
00:56:08.03\00:56:10.70
And just may we make
that covenant with Him,
00:56:10.77\00:56:14.44
sign that agreement,
00:56:14.47\00:56:16.04
that document that
we will not let Him down
00:56:16.07\00:56:18.94
by the grace of God anymore.
00:56:18.97\00:56:20.51
We may have done it in the past,
00:56:20.58\00:56:22.11
but that's over with
today by the grace of God.
00:56:22.14\00:56:24.51
Amen. Amen.
00:56:24.55\00:56:25.88
And you know, those areas
00:56:25.91\00:56:28.98
that He asked us
to covenant with Him,
00:56:29.02\00:56:31.95
to pledge or to vow to
Him, it's for our good.
00:56:31.99\00:56:36.66
It's to make our lives better.
00:56:36.73\00:56:39.46
And I look at the
three areas specifically
00:56:39.49\00:56:42.16
in our lesson today,
00:56:42.20\00:56:43.63
which was to keep
ourselves from idolatry,
00:56:43.67\00:56:47.67
and to remember the
Sabbath to keep it holy,
00:56:47.70\00:56:51.51
and to bring our tithes
00:56:51.54\00:56:53.94
and offerings
into the storehouse.
00:56:53.98\00:56:56.11
Each one of those areas
00:56:56.14\00:56:58.21
as we're obedient
brings a blessing to us.
00:56:58.25\00:57:05.02
And so why not be
obedient to God's Word
00:57:05.05\00:57:07.32
and receive all
that He has for us.
00:57:07.39\00:57:08.99
Amen.
00:57:09.02\00:57:10.36
Hebrews 8:10, the new covenant
God wants to write His law
00:57:10.39\00:57:13.73
in our hearts and in our minds.
00:57:13.76\00:57:15.10
Amen. Thank you, Jill.
00:57:15.13\00:57:16.80
What a lesson.
00:57:16.87\00:57:18.20
And you know, friends,
00:57:18.23\00:57:19.57
we've just
scratched the surface.
00:57:19.60\00:57:21.00
But I wanna leave this law
with you because the Lord has,
00:57:21.04\00:57:22.97
the covenant keeper has
made a covenant with us,
00:57:23.00\00:57:25.51
and here's the promise
of the covenant keeping God.
00:57:25.54\00:57:28.51
Exodus 19:5.
00:57:28.54\00:57:30.58
"Now therefore,
00:57:30.65\00:57:32.08
if you will indeed obey My voice
00:57:32.11\00:57:34.35
and keep My covenant,
00:57:34.38\00:57:36.32
then you shall be a
special treasure to Me
00:57:36.35\00:57:39.29
above all people,
00:57:39.32\00:57:41.12
for all the earth is Mine."
00:57:41.16\00:57:44.03
That's the promise from
the covenant keeping God.
00:57:44.06\00:57:45.89
Amen, Shelley? Amen.
00:57:45.93\00:57:47.60
And Shelley beams
with that word covenant.
00:57:47.60\00:57:50.03
We have enjoyed ourselves
00:57:50.07\00:57:51.40
and we have enjoyed studying
this about God's covenant,
00:57:51.43\00:57:53.50
but now it's your
turn to dive into it more
00:57:53.54\00:57:57.17
and find out what the
Lord has in store for you.
00:57:57.21\00:57:59.27
Our next lesson, Jill, is called
00:57:59.31\00:58:01.21
Trials Tribulations and Lists.
00:58:01.24\00:58:03.78
And we encourage you to come
and join us for Lesson Nine.
00:58:03.81\00:58:06.65
God bless you. Amen.
00:58:06.68\00:58:08.55