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 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, welcome to our
3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
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We are continuing our journey
in enjoyable, informative,
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very educational
journey in the Word of God.
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You know, sometimes you
think the Word of God is deep
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until you get into
books that you have
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otherwise ignored
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and Nehemiah and
Ezra are very deep,
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very committed books.
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And they have
calibrated our thinking about
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many subjects that were
not just important to them
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then, but are very important
to the church of the last days,
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calibrating our
thoughts like our last lesson.
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And this lesson is entitled
"Dealing with Bad Decisions."
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Now when is a bad
decision a good decision,
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and a good
decision a bad decision?
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I'll answer that question later.
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But before we go any
further and have our prayer,
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I'd like to introduce our panel.
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Just think about that,
mow that over in your mind
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and I'll tell you
when a bad decision
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is a good one,
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and a good
decision is a bad one.
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But to my immediate
left is Pastor Kenny Shelton.
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Good to have you here, Kenny.
Good to be here. Thank you.
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I tell you,
you're a man of fire,
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enthusiasm and experience.
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I appreciate you so much.
Good to be here. Thank you.
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Sister Shelley, the
lady with many hats.
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Brother John.
It's lovely to be here.
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You know, we've
created a family atmosphere
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with one another and
our hearts are beginning
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to understand
each other more deeply
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as we spend time in God's Word.
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Good to have
you here. Thank you.
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It's good to be here.
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Pastor John Dinzey,
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my brother, my one time brother,
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my Spanish brother.
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Yeah.
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Head of 3ABN Latino,
and a man of the Word.
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Good to have you here.
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It's a blessing to be
here again to study together.
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Yes.
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And I cannot forget the
title I've given to Jill,
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the List Lady.
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Yes. It's good
to have your list.
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You are unique.
You got that corner.
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We're not going to
try to even mess with it
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because you do it so well.
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God bless you, Jill.
Thank you, Pastor John.
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I love to study
with each one of you.
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I'm thinking, every time
we get to Jill we say, here,
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we get our pens
out and start writing.
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Am I right, Shelley? I see you.
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But we want you to join us.
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All you need is a Bible
and a Sabbath School Guide.
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That's it.
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If you'd like to
get a copy of that,
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go to the following
website absg.adventist.org.
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Download a free
copy or better yet,
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look for a local
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
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Just walk in and say,
I'm here to study God's Word.
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And if you come in
time for Sabbath School,
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you'll be able to join us
in this immersive Bible study.
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But before we go
any further, Shelley,
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would you have a
word of prayer for us?
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Yes, I will.
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Heavenly Father,
we're ever grateful to You
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for the gift of salvation
and we thank You so much
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for our Lord and
Savior, Jesus Christ for
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Your Holy Spirit and Your Word.
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And we pray now
that Your spirit will
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illuminate these words
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as it comes from our
mouth, illuminate our minds.
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And give us ears to hear
what the Holy Spirit says.
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And, Lord, help us to put
into practice the principles
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we're studying, in
Jesus' name we pray, amen.
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Amen.
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Dealing with bad decisions.
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Our memory text is Ezra 9:6,
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and I'll read
it in your hearing.
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Ezra 9:6, "And I said: O my God,
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I am too ashamed
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and humiliated to
lift up my face to You,
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my God, for our iniquities
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have risen
higher than our heads,
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and our guilt has
grown up to the heavens."
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What a place to be. Wow.
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When you think about it,
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and we study this
in the past panel.
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We have seen
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and we read this
in one of the books
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I remember reading
and I even repeating this
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with my wife is
Nehemiah Chapter 9.
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How God outlined over and
over His mercies, His patience.
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And even when they
fell into iniquity, he says,
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"And yet You still fed
them, You gave them water,
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their clothing
did not fall apart,
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You provided them
food, You defended them
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against their enemies.
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Yet, they did not obey,
however You still love them."
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And I thought to
myself, what a God?
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A God who
regardless of our frailty
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and sometimes our recalcitrance
does not turn His back on us.
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However, sometimes what
we do brings a reaction.
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So let's look
right to Sunday's lesson.
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Nehemiah's
reaction. Nehemiah's reaction.
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And we spent some time
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in the Book of
Nehemiah Chapter 13,
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and Nehemiah's reaction,
we've talked about this.
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But for whatever reason,
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the writer
decides to reiterate this
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because I think
that the principles
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that are communicated
here are so vitally important
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that they cannot be missed.
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And what have we
said in the past,
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repetition is a great teacher.
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That's good. Sure.
So Nehemiah 13:23-25.
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Once again diving
into the situation,
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the question is,
what happened here,
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and how do we
explain Nehemiah's reaction
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to the situation?
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The writer says,
since the children
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didn't speak Aramaic,
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the language used
during the exile or Hebrew,
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they couldn't understand
the teaching from Scripture.
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This was a real problem
because the knowledge of God's
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revelation could just be
distorted or even disappeared.
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So now since they
didn't fully understand
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and since some of those
who came back from captivity
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were not clear
about what was happening.
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It would seem as
though Nehemiah was overboard.
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You know, sometimes we
react to things and people say,
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do you have to be so extreme?
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Yes.
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Well, the mother might
say, I just save your life
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and being run over by
a truck, is that extreme?
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I just grabbed you.
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Why do you have
to grab me so hard?
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You almost just got hit by
22 ton truck, is that extreme?
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We sometimes don't see
disaster speeding towards us.
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And God's reaction
sometimes seems to be extreme.
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But when we stand on
the sea of glass one day
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we will praise God that
His reaction was extreme.
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But let's look at the
reaction is in verse 23-25.
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And the Bible reads
in Nehemiah Chapter 13.
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It says, here I am,
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"In those days I also saw Jews
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who had married women
of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.
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And half of their children
spoke the language of Ashdod,
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and could not speak
the language of Judah,"
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isn't that amazing?
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"But spoke according
to the language of one
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or the other people.
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So I contended with
them and cursed them,
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struck some of them
and pulled out their hair."
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I tell you. This is serious.
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This is a serious issue.
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I just wanna let you know,
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I'm not gonna
follow Nehemiah's example,
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except the Lord
gives me a direct email.
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But that hasn't
happened yet in my church.
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But it says, "And He made
them swear by God, saying,
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'You shall not give
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your daughters as
wives to their sons,
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nor take their daughters
for your sons or yourselves.'
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" And when you think about this,
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there's a clear injunction here.
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And what the Lord was
trying to clarify was,
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you don't really
understand the language
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that the gospel is
being communicated to you.
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You're stuck in the
language of your bondage.
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You're stuck in the
language of the people
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that you are associated with.
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You are now married
to people whose language
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is opposite to the language
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where God has
communicated His truths,
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and you just don't understand.
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So His reaction,
when you think about it,
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you probably ask
yourself, could there have been
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another way to make
your point Nehemiah?
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Well, we cannot
question the sovereignty of God.
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No.
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And we didn't see
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any backlash on
God's part saying,
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however I disagreed
with Nehemiah's reaction.
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It had to be to
some... I think the...
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Let me use the right word here.
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The gravity of it
was so detrimental that
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if he didn't correct it there,
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he felt that it
would continue to go on.
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So why was the
reaction important?
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Nehemiah spoke
the covenant curses
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upon those who had
influences over the assembly.
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And that was one of the keys.
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The ones who had influence
was leading them away from
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what God wanted them to do.
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So Nehemiah
didn't curse the ones
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that were participating,
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he cursed the ones that
were leading them astray.
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And the same thing
you find in Jeremiah 23.
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Jeremiah, the Lord
spoke against the prophets
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who destroy and scatter
the sheep of His pasture.
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He spoke against
the Jewish leaders
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in the New Testament,
who distorted worship.
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Every time the
situation called for,
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and I use the word very
carefully, a discipline,
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the Lord spoke harshly.
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When we follow
Jesus as an example,
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He never spoke
harshly to the people,
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but He always
rebuked the leaders,
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because the leaders
left an indelible impression.
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Yes.
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You find here,
look at Psalm 89:32.
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Psalm 89:32.
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Some examples you
find in the Scripture.
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Nehemiah followed...
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And by the way,
what Nehemiah did,
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he followed the prescribed
method of punitive punishment
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for the offense.
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There was a prescribed
method already established
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long before this
time, he simply follow
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the prescribed method
for punitive punishment.
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Psalm 89:32, "Then I will punish
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their
transgressions with the rod,
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and their iniquity with," what?
00:10:03.83\00:10:05.97
Stripes. "With Stripes."
00:10:06.00\00:10:07.34
So there are times
when, how do we say it?
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Extreme
situations call for what?
00:10:10.34\00:10:13.01
Extreme measures.
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As my good friend
Pastor Doug once said
00:10:15.54\00:10:17.65
and he said it
many times, but he says,
00:10:17.68\00:10:19.75
"If your
neighbor's house was on fire,
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would you say, I
don't want to wake them?
00:10:21.82\00:10:24.45
Don't bang so hard on the door."
00:10:24.49\00:10:26.05
No, we'll be thundering
00:10:26.09\00:10:28.02
our appeal as quickly as we can.
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And that's why
all of the messages
00:10:31.16\00:10:32.89
of the Three Angels
of Revelation are first
00:10:32.93\00:10:36.36
and third are loud.
00:10:36.40\00:10:37.73
And eventually the
call out of Babylon
00:10:37.77\00:10:39.53
becomes a loud call, a loud cry.
00:10:39.57\00:10:42.84
Extreme situations
calls for extreme measures.
00:10:42.87\00:10:46.41
Look at Leviticus
26:27-28, another example.
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Look at this.
00:10:51.18\00:10:52.51
The Lord makes it very clear,
00:10:52.55\00:10:54.12
He says in verse 27-28
of Leviticus Chapter 26.
00:10:54.15\00:10:59.72
"And after all this,
if you do not obey Me,
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but walk contrary to Me,
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then I also will walk
contrary to you in fury,
00:11:05.29\00:11:08.93
and I, even I, will chastise you
00:11:08.96\00:11:11.63
seven times for your sins."
00:11:11.67\00:11:13.57
Amen.
00:11:13.60\00:11:14.94
So when you think of the Lord,
and why is all this happening?
00:11:14.97\00:11:17.77
You know when the Lord
has our salvation at heart,
00:11:17.81\00:11:23.01
and He doesn't want to
see us lost or to be destroyed
00:11:23.04\00:11:26.98
in the fires of destruction.
00:11:27.02\00:11:28.88
He is
proportionate to the impact
00:11:28.92\00:11:32.65
is the proportion of
His dealings with us.
00:11:32.69\00:11:36.22
He's shaking us into awake...
00:11:36.26\00:11:38.53
He's trying to wake us up
and say, "You have no clue."
00:11:38.56\00:11:41.90
As I said to one person...
00:11:41.93\00:11:44.20
Somebody once said
to me one day, "Well,
00:11:44.23\00:11:45.57
so what if I'm lost?"
00:11:45.60\00:11:46.94
I said, "You have no
idea what you just said.
00:11:46.97\00:11:48.90
You have no clue."
00:11:48.94\00:11:50.27
That's true.
00:11:50.31\00:11:51.64
I said, "If I just decided
to dash your entire apartment
00:11:51.67\00:11:53.41
with gasoline and drop a
match and lock you in here,
00:11:53.44\00:11:56.01
would you say I was extreme?
00:11:56.04\00:11:57.41
They said, "I'll
say, you lost your mind."
00:11:57.45\00:11:58.91
I said, "Well, what's coming,
that's just a walk in the park
00:11:58.95\00:12:03.12
compared to what's coming.
00:12:03.15\00:12:04.49
You have no clue what's coming."
00:12:04.52\00:12:06.92
And when we ignore
the voice of God...
00:12:06.96\00:12:09.46
Oh, the text that shut us
me, Pastor Kenney, it says,
00:12:09.49\00:12:12.59
"When you ignore
Me, when calamity comes,
00:12:12.63\00:12:17.77
I will laugh at your calamity."
00:12:17.80\00:12:19.83
And that's the
strange act of God.
00:12:19.87\00:12:22.87
But look, as how
He illustrates this.
00:12:22.90\00:12:28.34
Luke 12:47-48.
00:12:28.38\00:12:31.51
And here is the real issue.
00:12:31.55\00:12:34.08
"And that servant who
knew his master's will,"
00:12:34.12\00:12:37.49
that's the key.
00:12:37.52\00:12:39.25
"And did not prepare himself
to do according to his will,
00:12:39.29\00:12:42.89
shall be beaten
with many stripes."
00:12:42.92\00:12:45.93
Who's at fault?
00:12:45.96\00:12:47.30
He brought it on himself
because of willing ignorance.
00:12:47.33\00:12:51.83
Verse 48, "But
he who did not know,
00:12:51.87\00:12:55.47
yet committed things
deserving of stripes,
00:12:55.50\00:12:58.24
shall be beaten with few."
00:12:58.27\00:13:00.21
Notice, God is a
just God, He's a fair God.
00:13:00.24\00:13:03.18
"For everyone to
whom much is given,
00:13:03.21\00:13:05.11
from him much will be required,
00:13:05.15\00:13:07.95
and to whom much
has been committed,
00:13:07.98\00:13:09.72
of him they will ask the more."
00:13:09.75\00:13:12.75
So when you think of God,
God is not a God that just
00:13:12.79\00:13:15.36
swinging a strap or swinging
a switch or just, you know,
00:13:15.39\00:13:18.99
randomly executing judgment.
00:13:19.03\00:13:21.26
He wants those who
know better to do better
00:13:21.30\00:13:24.83
and be a better example.
00:13:24.87\00:13:27.04
Amen. Amen.
00:13:27.07\00:13:28.40
Praise the Lord.
What a good foundation.
00:13:28.44\00:13:29.77
Thank you.
00:13:29.80\00:13:31.14
Because now on Monday's lesson,
00:13:31.17\00:13:32.74
I'm gonna have to go into,
you know, Nehemiah's reproof
00:13:32.77\00:13:36.71
and some of the things
that's been explained already.
00:13:36.75\00:13:39.45
You know, Nehemiah laid hands
on several things, you know,
00:13:39.48\00:13:42.88
he got them squared away.
00:13:42.92\00:13:44.25
But here, you know,
the Word of God is good.
00:13:44.29\00:13:46.19
He sets example for
us that you told us.
00:13:46.22\00:13:47.72
I'm gonna read Nehemiah
13. So I like two verses there.
00:13:47.76\00:13:51.49
Nehemiah 13:26-27.
00:13:51.53\00:13:55.53
I'm gonna deal
with Nehemiah's reproof.
00:13:55.56\00:13:57.63
He said, "Did not Solomon king
of Israel sin by these things?
00:13:57.67\00:14:01.60
Yet among many nations
were there no king like him,
00:14:01.64\00:14:05.24
who was beloved of his God,
00:14:05.27\00:14:07.51
God made him
king over all Israel.
00:14:07.54\00:14:09.74
Nevertheless even
him did outlandish
00:14:09.78\00:14:13.52
women cause to sin.
00:14:13.55\00:14:16.22
Shall we then hearken unto
you to do all this great evil,
00:14:16.25\00:14:20.02
to transgress against our
God in marrying strange wives?"
00:14:20.06\00:14:24.33
So this is put
here for a reason,
00:14:24.36\00:14:26.33
can subjects most people
just they want to skirt around
00:14:26.36\00:14:29.06
and maybe not
talk too much about.
00:14:29.10\00:14:30.87
But, you know, I've
always been a believer
00:14:30.90\00:14:32.67
that if it's in God's
word, then it's for us.
00:14:32.70\00:14:35.27
That's right. It
has to be good for us.
00:14:35.30\00:14:38.34
Not always what
people wanna hear
00:14:38.37\00:14:40.58
or what any of us may be,
00:14:40.61\00:14:41.94
but it's still God's
word and we need to pay
00:14:41.98\00:14:44.31
close attention to it.
00:14:44.35\00:14:45.71
And notice there how he
uses that word, you know,
00:14:45.75\00:14:49.05
deviating, you
know, I dropped that down.
00:14:49.08\00:14:51.65
What do you do when
you deviate from that
00:14:51.69\00:14:53.36
which God has said?
00:14:53.39\00:14:54.72
Didn't say turn your back fully,
00:14:54.76\00:14:56.09
just deviate from it.
00:14:56.12\00:14:57.46
The word deviate simply
is a turning or going astray.
00:14:57.49\00:15:01.73
It means, just
not going straight.
00:15:01.76\00:15:03.83
God wants us to go straight
because strait is the gate,
00:15:03.87\00:15:07.10
that's what He tells
us, that leads to where?
00:15:07.14\00:15:09.27
Eternal life.
00:15:09.30\00:15:10.64
You know, and narrow crocked
00:15:10.67\00:15:12.67
is one there's
very few that go in.
00:15:12.71\00:15:15.14
He use the Solomon, I like that
00:15:15.18\00:15:16.91
because he gives an example.
00:15:16.95\00:15:18.28
So he uses Solomon
here as an example of man
00:15:18.31\00:15:21.05
making bad decisions.
00:15:21.08\00:15:22.92
You know, how they might
be made bad decision here?
00:15:22.95\00:15:25.65
His bad
decision, one of many to be
00:15:25.69\00:15:29.12
such a wise man made one of many
00:15:29.16\00:15:31.46
of the choosing of a wife.
00:15:31.49\00:15:33.50
Now, well it's often said,
00:15:33.53\00:15:34.86
a woman can make or break a man,
00:15:34.90\00:15:36.23
you have to be very careful,
00:15:36.26\00:15:37.60
you know, and
have good influence.
00:15:37.63\00:15:39.13
And a good woman
there's nothing the Bible
00:15:39.17\00:15:40.50
said that beats a good woman.
00:15:40.54\00:15:41.87
As you know for a
man who want a helpmate.
00:15:41.90\00:15:45.07
Now was a choice of a wife,
00:15:45.11\00:15:47.18
but with Solomon it was
a choice of wives, plural.
00:15:47.21\00:15:50.71
He didn't stop at one, you know?
00:15:50.75\00:15:52.38
Seven hundred to
be exact. And, yeah.
00:15:52.41\00:15:54.38
So Nehemiah said,
you know, what he said,
00:15:54.42\00:15:58.15
he confronted the people
over there and then he said...
00:15:58.19\00:16:00.76
And I like this because he said,
00:16:00.79\00:16:02.12
let's take an oath here.
00:16:02.16\00:16:04.93
We're not gonna
follow after this.
00:16:04.96\00:16:06.53
Here's an example, but
you don't do these things.
00:16:06.56\00:16:08.90
And so we're gonna take an oath,
00:16:08.93\00:16:10.33
you're not gonna find you.
00:16:10.37\00:16:11.70
He said, "Any strange wives."
00:16:11.73\00:16:13.54
That's kind of
interesting that meant what?
00:16:13.57\00:16:15.27
That meant pagan, foreign,
strange it says here, alien,
00:16:15.30\00:16:20.08
whatever might be as it
were here in a good sense
00:16:20.11\00:16:23.04
that unless
there of your nation,
00:16:23.08\00:16:26.38
your nationality was
speaking where we can understand
00:16:26.41\00:16:28.28
language and all.
00:16:28.32\00:16:29.65
Don't go outside of
Israel to find a wife.
00:16:29.68\00:16:33.46
Nehemiah calls Solomon's choice.
00:16:33.49\00:16:35.52
Listen to this. You
say, it's just a choice.
00:16:35.56\00:16:37.23
I made a choice.
I couldn't help it.
00:16:37.26\00:16:38.59
I fell in love. I did...
00:16:38.63\00:16:39.96
Well, because maybe
00:16:40.00\00:16:41.33
you're looking
in the wrong places.
00:16:41.36\00:16:42.70
You know, end result
spending time with people
00:16:42.73\00:16:44.07
you might fall in
love with the wrong person.
00:16:44.10\00:16:45.53
So we had to be
very careful to me
00:16:45.57\00:16:46.90
at least in the beginning here.
00:16:46.94\00:16:48.30
Nehemiah call Solomon's
choice about strange wives.
00:16:48.34\00:16:51.44
In Nehemiah
13:26, he calls it a sin.
00:16:51.47\00:16:55.54
So was any different than
when you were talking about
00:16:55.58\00:16:57.65
the other issues of truth
of God's Word or the Sabbath.
00:16:57.68\00:17:01.72
Sin is a
transgression of God's law.
00:17:01.75\00:17:04.42
God said, "Be careful
about choosing you a wife."
00:17:04.45\00:17:08.52
God gave warning to King Solomon
00:17:08.56\00:17:11.13
in Deuteronomy 17:17.
00:17:11.16\00:17:13.26
I thought it was
really interesting.
00:17:13.29\00:17:14.63
In other words,
I liked this too,
00:17:14.66\00:17:16.00
because it's clear.
00:17:16.03\00:17:17.37
I always like black and white.
00:17:17.40\00:17:18.73
I like to get
down to the bottom.
00:17:18.77\00:17:20.10
I like to know,
I'm simple minded.
00:17:20.14\00:17:21.47
So I like to know.
00:17:21.50\00:17:22.84
And the Bible
says, Deuteronomy 17:17,
00:17:22.87\00:17:24.84
"Neither shall he,"
talking about the king,
00:17:24.87\00:17:27.58
"multiply wives to himself."
00:17:27.61\00:17:31.11
Notice this, "That
his heart turn," what?
00:17:31.15\00:17:34.68
"Not away." So what was it say?
00:17:34.72\00:17:37.82
Oh, you can't
have multiple wives.
00:17:37.85\00:17:39.19
You shouldn't be to be careful
about the choice of a wife,
00:17:39.22\00:17:42.56
even one wife,
because she's liable too,
00:17:42.59\00:17:45.79
and not because she's bad,
the man may do the same thing.
00:17:45.83\00:17:48.16
But it may turn our
heart away from God.
00:17:48.20\00:17:51.47
So a choice of a mate's
00:17:51.50\00:17:52.83
very, very, very
important, is it not?
00:17:52.87\00:17:54.77
It is. And here's poor...
00:17:54.80\00:17:57.07
I'll say it
tonight, poor King Solomon,
00:17:57.11\00:17:59.17
he starts out with two strikes.
00:17:59.21\00:18:01.71
You know, you
get in the ball game,
00:18:01.74\00:18:03.14
you got two
strikes on you, you know,
00:18:03.18\00:18:04.51
you kind of feel bad,
00:18:04.55\00:18:05.88
you only got one
attempt to make it.
00:18:05.91\00:18:07.25
So I think you
follow what I'm saying here.
00:18:07.28\00:18:08.78
He started with two strikes.
00:18:08.82\00:18:10.22
First, he married
more than one wife.
00:18:10.25\00:18:13.39
God told plainly,
don't do it. He did.
00:18:13.42\00:18:16.56
Secondly, matters got worse.
00:18:16.59\00:18:19.66
He married a woman
who was not a worshiper
00:18:19.69\00:18:23.26
of the true God.
00:18:23.30\00:18:24.83
This is very, very important
that we understand that
00:18:24.87\00:18:28.00
we need to find
someone, you know,
00:18:28.04\00:18:30.44
that agrees that loves
we Jesus is willing to study
00:18:30.47\00:18:34.31
the Scripture together.
00:18:34.34\00:18:36.88
And so, yeah, the
Bible simply doesn't it
00:18:36.91\00:18:39.11
over and over it
gives the principles of it,
00:18:39.15\00:18:41.32
but does it not in Scripture,
in 2 Corinthians 6:14,
00:18:41.35\00:18:45.25
"Be ye not
unequally yoked together."
00:18:45.29\00:18:48.86
I've heard all, I've
heard so many excuses.
00:18:48.89\00:18:51.96
Well, I just
heard a lot of excuses,
00:18:51.99\00:18:53.56
I better leave it there,
I'll be on a box before long.
00:18:53.60\00:18:55.66
Well, people will say that
00:18:55.70\00:18:57.83
when they move
in this direction.
00:18:57.87\00:19:00.94
And I've always said sometime
we move in the wrong direction
00:19:00.97\00:19:03.54
and there are
feelings, there are emotions
00:19:03.57\00:19:05.37
and we fall in love
and then pretty soon
00:19:05.41\00:19:07.21
we're not willing to risk that
love for the cause of Christ.
00:19:07.24\00:19:10.68
And we're
unequally yoked together
00:19:10.71\00:19:12.48
because one has
promised, I will do better.
00:19:12.51\00:19:15.68
One has promised,
I will find Jesus.
00:19:15.72\00:19:18.05
One has promised, well, I
go to church with you honey.
00:19:18.09\00:19:21.72
Does that really ever pan out?
00:19:21.76\00:19:23.32
Sometimes, but most
of the time it does not.
00:19:23.36\00:19:25.39
Because God said in
His Word right here,
00:19:25.43\00:19:27.90
"Be careful the wife you choose
00:19:27.93\00:19:29.40
because I don't want her/him
to turn you away from Me."
00:19:29.43\00:19:32.73
That's right.
00:19:32.77\00:19:34.10
The choice that we make
is very, very important.
00:19:34.14\00:19:35.74
And then I think
in 2 Corinthians 6,
00:19:35.77\00:19:37.67
it goes on verse 15.
00:19:37.71\00:19:39.07
Because the God tries
us, impress on our mind,
00:19:39.11\00:19:41.34
what part hath He that
believeth with an infidel?
00:19:41.38\00:19:46.01
That's right.
What part does he have?
00:19:46.05\00:19:47.68
What is it about us
00:19:47.72\00:19:49.08
that sometimes we almost like,
00:19:49.12\00:19:54.89
you know, being
around the wrong source.
00:19:54.92\00:19:57.39
Now, you say,
"Well, I don't like that."
00:19:57.43\00:19:58.79
There's other people,
they get there something
00:19:58.83\00:20:00.56
about being kind of
out of their easy place
00:20:00.60\00:20:04.30
that they're used to being
in and they see somebody else
00:20:04.33\00:20:06.60
looking like
something or doing something
00:20:06.63\00:20:08.27
and they kinda like that.
00:20:08.30\00:20:10.51
But really what is
this that draws together?
00:20:10.54\00:20:12.94
Shouldn't be, you know,
if you're looking for a mate,
00:20:12.97\00:20:16.04
something that would
draw you would not be Jesus?
00:20:16.08\00:20:18.88
It should be Jesus in them
that's drawing us together,
00:20:18.91\00:20:21.78
we have things in common.
00:20:21.82\00:20:23.35
But, you know, the Bible
00:20:23.39\00:20:24.79
and then it goes
on in 2 Corinthians 6,
00:20:24.82\00:20:27.06
it talks about in
verse 17, "Come out of her,
00:20:27.09\00:20:31.19
My people and do not
be partakers of her sins."
00:20:31.23\00:20:33.70
That's right.
00:20:33.73\00:20:35.06
There's a call to come
out and to be what God says
00:20:35.10\00:20:36.77
that we need to be.
00:20:36.80\00:20:38.73
Remember the
command, not to, you know,
00:20:38.77\00:20:41.80
intermarry was not
based upon nationality.
00:20:41.84\00:20:45.74
It was not based
upon people as it were.
00:20:45.77\00:20:49.58
It was based upon idolatry.
00:20:49.61\00:20:52.11
That's right.
00:20:52.15\00:20:53.48
It was based upon idolatry
00:20:53.52\00:20:54.88
and that's certainly
one of the commandments.
00:20:54.92\00:20:56.25
And God said, now you be
careful about your idols.
00:20:56.28\00:20:59.15
People are saying today,
00:20:59.19\00:21:00.52
they say it over
and over and over.
00:21:00.56\00:21:02.32
I've talked to them,
you've talked to them,
00:21:02.36\00:21:05.09
I would come to
church, I would do because
00:21:05.13\00:21:06.90
I'm impressed that
this is the right message.
00:21:06.93\00:21:09.16
I'm impressed. But
my husband won't let me.
00:21:09.20\00:21:11.73
My wife won't let me.
00:21:11.77\00:21:13.13
One of these days,
God's gonna eliminate that.
00:21:13.17\00:21:15.90
And He's gonna
bring it to very close.
00:21:15.94\00:21:17.27
You're gonna have
to make a decision.
00:21:17.31\00:21:18.64
If you say, I know
what is truth and right.
00:21:18.67\00:21:20.64
But many are making
that excuse right now,
00:21:20.68\00:21:22.28
I just don't know.
00:21:22.31\00:21:23.91
"Thou shall have no
other gods before Me."
00:21:23.95\00:21:27.58
So we cannot choose
anything over and above God.
00:21:27.62\00:21:30.19
And this count, you know,
talking about strange wife,
00:21:30.22\00:21:33.25
again calling
it a sin, you know,
00:21:33.29\00:21:36.36
and, you know, what?
00:21:36.39\00:21:37.73
They just didn't wanna change.
00:21:37.76\00:21:39.46
And God's calling us I
believe today with our...
00:21:39.49\00:21:41.56
my whole heart.
00:21:41.60\00:21:42.93
I believe He's
calling us to change.
00:21:42.96\00:21:44.33
To make changes,
to come back to Him
00:21:44.37\00:21:46.27
before it is ever too late.
00:21:46.30\00:21:47.84
Idolatry, Acts of the
Apostles, quickly 317 says this.
00:21:47.87\00:21:51.44
Paul warns that
Corinthian Church,
00:21:51.47\00:21:53.74
and the course of us
today, "By idolatry he meant
00:21:53.78\00:21:57.81
not only the worship of idols,
00:21:57.85\00:22:00.75
but self-serving, love of ease."
00:22:00.78\00:22:04.55
Now get down to it,
00:22:04.59\00:22:05.92
"The gratification
of appetite and passion.
00:22:05.95\00:22:09.32
A religion that seeks
00:22:09.36\00:22:10.69
only to gratify
self or the eyes,
00:22:10.73\00:22:14.23
or to gratify the
ears, or the taste,
00:22:14.26\00:22:18.67
that sanctions
of self-indulgence
00:22:18.70\00:22:21.80
is not the religion of Christ."
00:22:21.84\00:22:24.84
To me that just
really covers a lot of things
00:22:24.87\00:22:27.04
and then I have to stop
and really think about it
00:22:27.08\00:22:28.94
because it covers my
eyes, it covers my ears,
00:22:28.98\00:22:31.28
it covers my choices.
00:22:31.31\00:22:32.91
And then God is
calling us back to make
00:22:32.95\00:22:35.08
the right choice
here, it's very important.
00:22:35.12\00:22:38.42
1 Corinthians 10, follows
up with that just simply says,
00:22:38.45\00:22:41.36
you know, whether therefore
you eat or what you drink,
00:22:41.39\00:22:44.33
or whatsoever you do, do what?
00:22:44.36\00:22:47.10
Do all to the glory of God.
00:22:47.13\00:22:49.43
This is what it
comes down to intermarriage
00:22:49.46\00:22:52.67
with unbelievers
and pagan goes back
00:22:52.70\00:22:55.40
to the beginning
in Genesis Chapter 6.
00:22:55.44\00:22:57.31
I mean, you can go
back it's always been there.
00:22:57.34\00:22:59.37
It's always been an issue.
00:22:59.41\00:23:01.94
You know, God's people went out
00:23:01.98\00:23:05.35
and found women that
the Bible talks about
00:23:05.38\00:23:08.62
when you read
there in Genesis 24.
00:23:08.65\00:23:11.75
It says, "God's people went out
00:23:11.79\00:23:14.12
and looked at other
women because they look good."
00:23:14.16\00:23:16.56
Well, Lord have mercy.
00:23:16.59\00:23:18.43
What we need to do is get back
00:23:18.46\00:23:19.79
and look good at God's Word
and see what God's Word says.
00:23:19.83\00:23:23.20
"Be not unequally yoked together
00:23:23.23\00:23:25.17
with unbelievers."
00:23:25.20\00:23:26.53
I wish we had more
time because everybody does.
00:23:26.57\00:23:28.20
We go into what
a real unbeliever
00:23:28.24\00:23:30.17
is as Seventh-day Adventist,
we need to keep our eyes
00:23:30.21\00:23:32.04
and heart on the mind of Christ.
00:23:32.07\00:23:33.48
Have the mind of
Christ and the Word of God.
00:23:33.51\00:23:35.21
Amen. Amen.
00:23:35.24\00:23:36.58
Thank you so much, Pastor Kenny.
00:23:36.61\00:23:38.25
I tell you so far,
00:23:38.28\00:23:40.52
the Lord is swinging
those holy bats again.
00:23:40.55\00:23:44.39
Getting us in line
and what I love about it
00:23:44.42\00:23:46.82
is as many as He
love, He rebukes.
00:23:46.86\00:23:48.92
So we're gonna
take a short break
00:23:48.96\00:23:50.29
and we'll be right back
00:23:50.33\00:23:51.66
for the remainder of our lesson.
00:23:51.69\00:23:53.03
Amen.
00:23:53.06\00:23:54.40
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Welcome back to
our lesson study.
00:24:30.67\00:24:32.90
And we are gonna continue
on Tuesday with Ezra reacts.
00:24:32.93\00:24:37.44
It's interesting that
we did Nehemiah first.
00:24:37.47\00:24:39.77
We're gonna back up
to just to decade earlier
00:24:39.81\00:24:44.18
when Ezra reacted to this.
00:24:44.21\00:24:46.78
Let's look at Ezra 9:1-4,
00:24:46.82\00:24:52.49
facing the same problems that
Kenny was just talking about.
00:24:52.52\00:24:57.86
So Ezra 9, says, "When
these things were done,
00:24:57.89\00:25:02.86
the leaders came to me,"
this is the civil leaders,
00:25:02.90\00:25:07.07
not the religious leaders.
00:25:07.10\00:25:08.80
But the civil leaders
are coming to Ezra saying,
00:25:08.84\00:25:14.31
"The people of
Israel and the priests
00:25:14.34\00:25:17.28
and the Levites have
not separated themselves,"
00:25:17.31\00:25:22.28
we're gonna come
back to that word,
00:25:22.32\00:25:24.59
"separated themselves
from the peoples of the lands,
00:25:24.62\00:25:26.92
with respect to the abominations
00:25:26.96\00:25:30.06
of the Canaanites, the Hittites,
00:25:30.09\00:25:31.99
the Perizzites, the Jebusites,
00:25:32.03\00:25:34.46
the Ammonites, the Moabites,
00:25:34.50\00:25:36.23
the Egyptians,
and the Amorites."
00:25:36.26\00:25:39.07
These were all pagan nations.
00:25:39.10\00:25:43.81
And then they say,
"For they have taken
00:25:43.84\00:25:46.11
some of their daughters
as wives for themselves
00:25:46.14\00:25:49.98
and for their sons,
so that" in other words,
00:25:50.01\00:25:54.05
the result is "the holy seed
00:25:54.08\00:25:59.09
is mixed with the people
00:25:59.12\00:26:01.32
of those lands.
00:26:01.36\00:26:02.69
Indeed, the hand of the leaders
00:26:02.72\00:26:04.59
and rulers has been
foremost in this trespass."
00:26:04.63\00:26:10.27
If you remember before,
00:26:10.30\00:26:11.93
the Assyrian and
Babylonian exiles,
00:26:11.97\00:26:15.20
the spiritual
leadership had backslidden,
00:26:15.24\00:26:19.81
where actually along
with the people even...
00:26:19.84\00:26:23.58
maybe leading,
they were intermarrying
00:26:23.61\00:26:27.75
with pagan wives.
00:26:27.78\00:26:30.29
Well, now it's happening again.
00:26:30.32\00:26:33.36
The word separated means to
be set apart for God's purpose.
00:26:33.39\00:26:39.69
It describes a
special activity of God.
00:26:39.73\00:26:43.93
And we remember Aaron
was separated as our priest,
00:26:43.97\00:26:49.14
the high priest.
00:26:49.17\00:26:50.51
He was
consecrated and the Levites
00:26:50.54\00:26:53.64
were consecrated to holy things.
00:26:53.68\00:26:56.95
Israel was set apart
00:26:56.98\00:26:59.71
as being God's special treasure,
00:26:59.75\00:27:01.92
a holy nation.
00:27:01.95\00:27:03.62
They were His heritage.
00:27:03.65\00:27:05.29
They were to be spreading
the good news of the gospel,
00:27:05.32\00:27:10.69
the Seed of
Abraham was set apart.
00:27:10.73\00:27:15.66
God knew that it was
from the Seed of Abraham
00:27:15.70\00:27:20.84
that the Messiah would come,
00:27:20.87\00:27:24.54
the Messiah who would be
a light to all the nations,
00:27:24.57\00:27:27.61
who bear the iniquity of us all.
00:27:27.64\00:27:30.05
So let me be
really perfectly clear,
00:27:30.08\00:27:33.31
and I think you
made that clear as well.
00:27:33.35\00:27:36.18
When we're talking here
about this sin of intermarriage,
00:27:36.22\00:27:40.96
it has absolutely
nothing to do with race.
00:27:40.99\00:27:46.43
This is not racial at all.
00:27:46.46\00:27:48.50
As a matter of fact, Joseph
00:27:48.53\00:27:50.63
and Moses had
foreign wives, right?
00:27:50.67\00:27:53.97
It is religious.
00:27:54.00\00:27:56.67
It is the intermarriage
with the local Canaanite groups
00:27:56.71\00:28:01.88
that was forbidden in God's law.
00:28:01.91\00:28:03.78
Deuteronomy 7:4,
God had told them.
00:28:03.81\00:28:06.82
He said, "They
will turn your sons
00:28:06.85\00:28:09.52
away from following
Me, to serve other gods,
00:28:09.55\00:28:13.09
so the anger of the Lord will be
00:28:13.12\00:28:15.09
aroused against you
and destroy you suddenly."
00:28:15.12\00:28:18.49
He said, "Don't
marry these pagans."
00:28:18.53\00:28:22.23
Deuteronomy 20:18.
00:28:22.26\00:28:24.80
God says, "Lest they
teach you to do according
00:28:24.83\00:28:29.00
to all their abominations."
00:28:29.04\00:28:32.67
They were sacrificing children
00:28:32.71\00:28:35.88
to their pagan gods, He said,
00:28:35.91\00:28:39.35
"To the abominations
00:28:39.38\00:28:40.72
which they have
done for their gods,
00:28:40.75\00:28:42.48
and you sin
against the Lord your God."
00:28:42.52\00:28:46.02
So separation, God was not being
00:28:46.05\00:28:50.99
racially motivated.
00:28:51.03\00:28:53.13
Separation was
to prevent apostasy.
00:28:53.16\00:28:58.10
Intermarriage with
the pagans inevitably led
00:28:58.13\00:29:03.74
to worship of pagan gods.
00:29:03.77\00:29:06.78
And idolatry is an
abomination to the Lord.
00:29:06.81\00:29:09.94
So from the time of
Judges, the Israelites had been
00:29:09.98\00:29:14.08
intermarrying
with pagan believers,
00:29:14.12\00:29:17.05
adopting their practices.
00:29:17.09\00:29:20.42
And this is what precipitated
00:29:20.46\00:29:22.96
this 70 year exile into Babylon.
00:29:22.99\00:29:27.33
Now, here they just
returned from this, right?
00:29:27.36\00:29:30.63
And some of the Jewish people,
00:29:30.67\00:29:33.44
the priests, the Levites had
already defected to this same
00:29:33.47\00:29:39.24
disastrous path
of idolatry marrying,
00:29:39.27\00:29:43.81
intermarrying with pagan wives
which would surely introduced
00:29:43.85\00:29:49.58
the idolatry to
the next generation.
00:29:49.62\00:29:54.26
Even if they were strong enough,
00:29:54.29\00:29:56.42
you know, because
usually children end up
00:29:56.46\00:29:59.69
following the mother, right?
00:29:59.73\00:30:01.63
So it happened in Ezra's day,
00:30:01.66\00:30:04.03
then it happened
again in Nehemiah's day.
00:30:04.07\00:30:07.04
Idolatry remained
a constant problem
00:30:07.07\00:30:11.57
till the nation of
Israel quit intermarrying.
00:30:11.61\00:30:15.54
So Ezra 9:3-4, says this,
00:30:15.58\00:30:21.28
here's Ezra's reaction.
00:30:21.32\00:30:24.55
"When I heard this thing, I
tore my garment and my robe,
00:30:24.59\00:30:29.96
and plucked out some of the hair
00:30:29.99\00:30:32.43
of my head and my
beard, and I sat astonished."
00:30:32.46\00:30:36.80
So he's reacting
strongly, you know,
00:30:36.83\00:30:40.67
the transgressors were
ignoring the wrath of God
00:30:40.70\00:30:44.01
that had sent them into exile.
00:30:44.04\00:30:46.47
They're also
ignoring the grace of God
00:30:46.51\00:30:49.81
that had brought
them back from exile.
00:30:49.84\00:30:52.65
You know, God had
been true to His character
00:30:52.68\00:30:56.95
and His covenant
in restoring Jerusalem
00:30:56.99\00:31:00.06
and the people and the temple.
00:31:00.09\00:31:02.16
But now, after His love
00:31:02.19\00:31:05.36
and His mercy had
spared the nation,
00:31:05.39\00:31:08.50
when they didn't do
anything to deserve it.
00:31:08.53\00:31:12.17
Now they're
doing the same thing.
00:31:12.20\00:31:14.40
So the people's
ingratitude toward God
00:31:14.44\00:31:18.57
is just filling
Ezra's heart with grief.
00:31:18.61\00:31:22.44
And he responds with
actions that are associated with
00:31:22.48\00:31:28.22
repentance and mourning.
00:31:28.25\00:31:30.49
This is how they
expressed sorrow for their sin.
00:31:30.52\00:31:33.69
They tore their
clothes, they pulled the hair
00:31:33.72\00:31:36.73
from their head and their beard.
00:31:36.76\00:31:38.09
This was to be a sign of
self abasement and humility.
00:31:38.13\00:31:42.80
And then it
goes on with verse 4.
00:31:42.83\00:31:47.57
Ezra's sitting there astonished.
00:31:47.60\00:31:50.27
I mean, his
heart's filled with grief.
00:31:50.31\00:31:52.47
And verse 4 says, "Then everyone
00:31:52.51\00:31:55.04
who trembled at the words
00:31:55.08\00:31:56.95
of the God of
Israel assembled to me,
00:31:56.98\00:32:00.32
because of the transgression
of those who had been
00:32:00.35\00:32:03.15
carried away captive,
00:32:03.18\00:32:04.75
and I sat astonished
until the evening sacrifice."
00:32:04.79\00:32:09.29
So those who
trembled at God's Word
00:32:09.32\00:32:11.73
were those who were
committed to keeping God's law.
00:32:11.76\00:32:16.10
They recognized the abomination,
00:32:16.13\00:32:21.10
they feared the Lord's judgment,
00:32:21.14\00:32:23.61
and they sat with Ezra,
00:32:23.64\00:32:26.78
till the gathering of the people
00:32:26.81\00:32:28.21
for the evening sacrifice.
00:32:28.24\00:32:29.81
When there
surely would have been
00:32:29.84\00:32:31.41
a public prayer and confession.
00:32:31.45\00:32:34.12
So it goes on.
00:32:34.15\00:32:36.32
Ezra fasted, he
lamented, he prayed,
00:32:36.35\00:32:39.49
we see this in verse 5,
00:32:39.52\00:32:41.19
in an effort to lead the leaders
00:32:41.22\00:32:46.13
and the people to repent.
00:32:46.16\00:32:47.50
So he's very much
like Daniel and Nehemiah.
00:32:47.53\00:32:50.30
That's right.
00:32:50.33\00:32:51.67
He has this priestly prayer
of intercession and confession
00:32:51.70\00:32:54.74
and he identifies
himself with the people sin,
00:32:54.77\00:32:57.57
although he hasn't committed it.
00:32:57.61\00:33:00.21
But here's what he
demonstrated by doing that.
00:33:00.24\00:33:04.38
He demonstrated and
don't miss this point.
00:33:04.41\00:33:07.62
All right.
00:33:07.65\00:33:09.08
The sin of the few
00:33:09.12\00:33:12.82
could contaminate them all.
00:33:12.85\00:33:17.33
No one sins in a
vacuum. That's right.
00:33:17.36\00:33:21.73
You cannot sin and
only affect yourself.
00:33:21.76\00:33:26.13
First of all, you're
sinning against the Lord.
00:33:26.17\00:33:28.50
But, you know, in
commandments where it says,
00:33:28.54\00:33:31.81
"God is a jealous God,
He visits the transgressions
00:33:31.84\00:33:35.44
to the second and
third generation."
00:33:35.48\00:33:38.81
That used to trouble me
because in Jeremiah, God says,
00:33:38.85\00:33:41.95
"Hey, I don't put, you know,
00:33:41.98\00:33:44.02
every man is
responsible for your own sin."
00:33:44.05\00:33:46.99
But what I've learned
is what God was saying
00:33:47.02\00:33:49.76
to the Hebrew mind.
00:33:49.79\00:33:51.29
The Hebrews live together
in multiple generations.
00:33:51.33\00:33:56.23
So what God was saying
is, "Hey, grandpa, you sin
00:33:56.26\00:34:00.57
and the consequences
end up getting passed down
00:34:00.60\00:34:03.84
to all in your household,
00:34:03.87\00:34:05.77
going down several generations."
00:34:05.81\00:34:08.61
So we don't sin in a vacuum.
00:34:08.64\00:34:12.11
And Ezra recognized
the seriousness of the sin,
00:34:12.15\00:34:15.45
He was weeping for them.
00:34:15.48\00:34:17.95
And God had been
so merciful to them.
00:34:17.99\00:34:21.86
It was so amazing.
00:34:21.89\00:34:24.13
But his focus, he says,
"Oh, Lord God of Israel,
00:34:24.16\00:34:27.66
You are
righteous, for we are left
00:34:27.70\00:34:30.77
as a remnant as this day.
00:34:30.80\00:34:32.40
Here we are before
You in our guild that
00:34:32.43\00:34:35.04
no one can stand
before You because of this."
00:34:35.07\00:34:39.84
If the people received
that justice they deserved,
00:34:39.87\00:34:43.11
no one could stand before God.
00:34:43.14\00:34:45.51
That's right.
00:34:45.55\00:34:46.88
Praise God that He
gives us grace and mercy.
00:34:46.92\00:34:49.08
But Ezra's prayer
moved the people to tears
00:34:49.12\00:34:52.89
and they turn to God
for the gift of repentance.
00:34:52.92\00:34:55.76
Amen. Amen.
00:34:55.79\00:34:57.63
Well, moving on. I have the...
00:34:57.66\00:34:59.63
You have Ezra reacts.
And now I have Ezra acts.
00:34:59.66\00:35:04.90
And so we move into
Chapter 10 of the Book of Ezra.
00:35:04.93\00:35:08.47
And I would like to
just read these verses
00:35:08.50\00:35:11.27
because they
detail what took place
00:35:11.31\00:35:15.44
in a wonderful way.
00:35:15.48\00:35:17.28
"Now while Ezra was praying,
and while he was confessing,
00:35:17.31\00:35:21.25
weeping, and bowing
down before the house of God,
00:35:21.28\00:35:24.02
a very large
assembly of men, women,
00:35:24.05\00:35:25.99
and children
gathered to him from Israel,
00:35:26.02\00:35:28.82
for the people
wept very bitterly."
00:35:28.86\00:35:32.46
Apparently, it is very
apparent that the Holy Spirit
00:35:32.49\00:35:35.56
was working in the hearts
and minds of these people,
00:35:35.60\00:35:39.00
that not only were
they sense the guilt,
00:35:39.03\00:35:43.24
but they were weeping bitterly
00:35:43.27\00:35:45.27
because of what had taken place.
00:35:45.31\00:35:48.04
"And Shechaniah
the son of Jehiel,
00:35:48.08\00:35:50.31
one of the sons of Elam,
spoke up and said to Ezra,
00:35:50.35\00:35:53.05
'We have
trespassed against our God,
00:35:53.08\00:35:55.85
and have taken pagan wives
from the peoples of the land,
00:35:55.88\00:35:59.15
yet now there is hope in
Israel in spite of this.'
00:35:59.19\00:36:03.59
" So in other words, God,
00:36:03.63\00:36:07.43
we believe God
will extend to us mercy.
00:36:07.46\00:36:10.10
But we have to understand
00:36:10.13\00:36:12.67
that while God is
willing to forgive sins,
00:36:12.70\00:36:16.00
it's not just that
we have to confess sins,
00:36:16.04\00:36:17.57
we have to put away sin.
00:36:17.61\00:36:20.24
And this is where
Chapter 10 comes in,
00:36:20.28\00:36:22.44
because there is
the putting away of sin,
00:36:22.48\00:36:25.68
undoing what was done.
00:36:25.71\00:36:27.92
And so we move
here into verse 3.
00:36:27.95\00:36:30.95
"Now therefore,
let us make a covenant
00:36:30.99\00:36:33.29
with our God to put
away all these wives
00:36:33.32\00:36:36.86
and those who
have been born to them,
00:36:36.89\00:36:39.29
according to the
advice of my master of those
00:36:39.33\00:36:42.03
who tremble at the
commandment of our God,
00:36:42.06\00:36:44.57
and let it be done
according to the law."
00:36:44.60\00:36:47.34
So these are people that
understand God's commandment,
00:36:47.37\00:36:50.84
they know, they are wrong,
00:36:50.87\00:36:52.51
they know they
have to take action,
00:36:52.54\00:36:55.84
and not let this continue.
00:36:55.88\00:36:57.55
Because as you said,
it will draw their hearts
00:36:57.58\00:37:01.68
away from serving the Lord.
00:37:01.72\00:37:03.75
And this is what
they wanna preserve,
00:37:03.79\00:37:06.05
their connection to
the Lord and they want,
00:37:06.09\00:37:08.06
this is also a step that
had to be taken to preserve
00:37:08.09\00:37:12.93
the connection with
God for their children.
00:37:12.96\00:37:17.63
And so, verse 4, "Arise,
00:37:17.67\00:37:20.50
for this matter is
your responsibility.
00:37:20.54\00:37:23.41
We also are with you."
00:37:23.44\00:37:25.51
In other words,
we will support you.
00:37:25.54\00:37:27.68
And then it says,
00:37:27.71\00:37:29.04
"Be of good courage, and do it."
00:37:29.08\00:37:30.98
So Ezra listens to this, he
sees the heart of the people
00:37:31.01\00:37:33.98
moved by their dedication.
00:37:34.02\00:37:37.32
And it says, verse
5, "Then Ezra arose,
00:37:37.35\00:37:39.19
and made the leaders of
the priests, the Levites,
00:37:39.22\00:37:41.09
and all Israel swear
an oath that they would do
00:37:41.12\00:37:43.83
according to this word.
00:37:43.86\00:37:45.19
So they swore an oath."
00:37:45.23\00:37:46.86
And now notice verse
6, "Then Ezra rose up from
00:37:46.90\00:37:49.46
before the house of God,
and went into the chamber
00:37:49.50\00:37:52.13
of Jehohanan
the son of Eliashib,
00:37:52.17\00:37:54.40
and when he came
there, he ate no bread
00:37:54.44\00:37:57.74
and drank no
water, for he mourned
00:37:57.77\00:38:00.31
because of the guilt
of those from captivity."
00:38:00.34\00:38:03.85
And this, he made it
his own, he felt that,
00:38:03.88\00:38:08.48
he lived it in the
sense of the guilt.
00:38:08.52\00:38:12.65
And so verse 7,
"They issued a proclamation
00:38:12.69\00:38:16.46
throughout Judah and Jerusalem
00:38:16.49\00:38:18.99
to all the
descendants of the captivity,
00:38:19.03\00:38:20.46
that they must
gather at Jerusalem."
00:38:20.50\00:38:22.20
And this was
such a serious matter,
00:38:22.23\00:38:25.37
that verse 8 declares
00:38:25.40\00:38:27.60
what action they were
willing to take for those
00:38:27.64\00:38:30.24
that will not respond.
00:38:30.27\00:38:31.61
"And all that whoever
00:38:31.64\00:38:32.97
would not come
within three days,
00:38:33.01\00:38:36.21
according to the instructions
of the leaders and elders,
00:38:36.24\00:38:38.61
all his property
would be confiscated,
00:38:38.65\00:38:41.02
and he himself
would be separated
00:38:41.05\00:38:43.32
from the assembly of
those from the captivity."
00:38:43.35\00:38:45.85
In other words,
you have to be there.
00:38:45.89\00:38:47.82
This is a... What
do they call meeting?
00:38:47.86\00:38:49.89
A mandatory. A
mandatory meeting.
00:38:49.92\00:38:52.66
If you don't come,
there are consequences.
00:38:52.69\00:38:54.66
Yes.
00:38:54.70\00:38:56.03
"So all the men
of Judah and Benjamin
00:38:56.06\00:38:57.40
gathered at
Jerusalem within three days.
00:38:57.43\00:38:58.83
It was the ninth month, on
the twentieth of the month,
00:38:58.87\00:39:01.80
and all the people sat
00:39:01.84\00:39:03.17
in the open square
of the house of God,
00:39:03.20\00:39:04.54
trembling because of this matter
00:39:04.57\00:39:07.61
and because of the
heavy rain," as well.
00:39:07.64\00:39:10.45
But they were
there, despite the rain,
00:39:10.48\00:39:12.61
they were trembling
00:39:12.65\00:39:13.98
because this was
a serious matter.
00:39:14.02\00:39:15.35
Yes.
00:39:15.38\00:39:16.72
And this was part of the reason
why they went into captivity,
00:39:16.75\00:39:20.86
and they feared the consequence.
00:39:20.89\00:39:23.22
Yeah.
00:39:23.26\00:39:24.73
But they were truly
repentant because of the way
00:39:24.76\00:39:27.70
all this process took place.
00:39:27.73\00:39:30.07
So Ezra the priest, verse
10, "Stood up and said to them,
00:39:30.10\00:39:33.87
'You have transgressed
and have taken pagan wives,
00:39:33.90\00:39:37.94
adding to the guilt of Israel."
00:39:37.97\00:39:39.61
Now, this is something
that we must understand.
00:39:39.64\00:39:42.14
And that is that
when sin is apparent,
00:39:42.18\00:39:46.85
it must be declared.
00:39:46.88\00:39:48.22
You have sin in
this and you have
00:39:48.25\00:39:51.29
taken pagan wives,
he then sugarcoated.
00:39:51.32\00:39:53.46
Right.
00:39:53.49\00:39:54.82
He then said, "Well, you know,
it was, you're kind of weak,
00:39:54.86\00:39:57.59
the situation was, I understand.
00:39:57.63\00:39:59.79
No.
00:39:59.83\00:40:01.16
You have transgressed
the commandment of the Lord
00:40:01.20\00:40:03.00
and you have added to guilt.
00:40:03.03\00:40:04.40
And so this is a serious matter.
00:40:04.43\00:40:06.60
And so, "Now therefore,
00:40:06.63\00:40:08.57
one, make confession to the Lord
00:40:08.60\00:40:11.27
God of your
fathers, and do His will."
00:40:11.31\00:40:14.38
Action had to take place.
00:40:14.41\00:40:15.98
Not only confession, but action.
00:40:16.01\00:40:17.91
We have to confess
and forsake our sins.
00:40:17.95\00:40:22.02
In other words, when we confess,
00:40:22.05\00:40:23.59
it's not like, "Okay,
00:40:23.62\00:40:24.95
Lord, please
forgive me for this one.
00:40:24.99\00:40:26.45
And with the plan,
I'm gonna do it again
00:40:26.49\00:40:28.59
soon as I get a chance."
00:40:28.62\00:40:30.23
It is an entire
surrender to the Lord.
00:40:30.26\00:40:32.79
Amen.
00:40:32.83\00:40:34.16
You'd say, Lord, I
have sinned against you,
00:40:34.20\00:40:37.37
and I don't
wanna do this anymore.
00:40:37.40\00:40:38.80
Amen.
00:40:38.83\00:40:40.17
So this is a
serious, serious thing.
00:40:40.20\00:40:43.27
Now listen, let's
go over to verse 11.
00:40:43.30\00:40:47.54
We read verse 11,
but let's read it again
00:40:47.58\00:40:49.41
because we need to
connect it with verse 12.
00:40:49.44\00:40:51.21
"Now therefore, make confession
00:40:51.25\00:40:52.68
to the Lord God of your fathers,
00:40:52.71\00:40:54.05
and do His will, God's
will, separate yourselves
00:40:54.08\00:40:57.09
from the peoples of the
land, and from the pagan wives.
00:40:57.12\00:41:02.56
Then all the assembly answered
and said with a loud voice,
00:41:02.59\00:41:05.89
'Yes!
00:41:05.93\00:41:07.63
As you have
said, so we must do.'
00:41:07.66\00:41:11.03
" And I have to praise the Lord
00:41:11.07\00:41:12.77
because of the commitment
to do the right thing,
00:41:12.80\00:41:18.54
the right thing for
the people of Israel.
00:41:18.57\00:41:20.68
They were a handful of people.
00:41:20.71\00:41:22.04
As you can read and you'll see
00:41:22.08\00:41:23.41
there were handful of people.
00:41:23.45\00:41:24.78
They said, "Wait a
minute, wait a minute.
00:41:24.81\00:41:26.82
This is harsh."
00:41:26.85\00:41:28.18
And now I have to say this
00:41:28.22\00:41:29.98
because we as
people living today,
00:41:30.02\00:41:32.75
we have to ask ourselves,
man, that is really something,
00:41:32.79\00:41:34.79
they had to
separate from their families,
00:41:34.82\00:41:36.73
they had to break up.
00:41:36.76\00:41:38.09
Wives, children, they had to go.
00:41:38.13\00:41:41.70
And please understand that
those things that do you harm,
00:41:41.73\00:41:46.57
it may be painful
to separate from them.
00:41:46.60\00:41:48.97
But is a necessity for the sake
00:41:49.00\00:41:52.61
of your
connection with the Lord,
00:41:52.64\00:41:53.98
for the sake of your
salvation, it may be painful.
00:41:54.01\00:41:56.78
For example, one
of the hardest things
00:41:56.81\00:41:59.35
that I have heard for
people to give up is cigarettes.
00:41:59.38\00:42:01.82
And when they understand
00:42:01.85\00:42:03.18
the Lord is
leading them, alcohol,
00:42:03.22\00:42:05.29
drugs, it's hard to
give those things up
00:42:05.32\00:42:08.29
because it becomes ingrained,
it becomes part of them.
00:42:08.32\00:42:11.66
That's right.
00:42:11.69\00:42:13.03
But they understand,
they have to give it up,
00:42:13.06\00:42:14.76
because there are consequences.
00:42:14.80\00:42:16.13
You're gonna get sick,
you're gonna die sooner.
00:42:16.16\00:42:17.67
And so, it's a painful process,
00:42:17.70\00:42:20.24
and there's
withdrawal, but to and thanks be
00:42:20.27\00:42:24.37
to the Lord because He
gives us power to obey.
00:42:24.41\00:42:27.64
He gives us victory
through the blood of the Lamb.
00:42:27.68\00:42:30.41
And so when the Lord
calls us to repentance,
00:42:30.45\00:42:33.48
He gives us the power.
00:42:33.52\00:42:35.12
It is marvelous because
we understand from the Bible
00:42:35.15\00:42:38.19
that the Holy Spirit
leads us to repentance.
00:42:38.22\00:42:42.62
God was at work here,
00:42:42.66\00:42:44.86
there was
trembling taking place.
00:42:44.89\00:42:47.43
They knew, they
had to make a change.
00:42:47.46\00:42:50.77
And because of the
conviction of the Holy Spirit,
00:42:50.80\00:42:54.30
they were willing to
follow and do what God has said.
00:42:54.34\00:42:57.24
Yes. Now, notice here.
00:42:57.27\00:43:00.38
Time is quickly running away.
00:43:00.41\00:43:01.91
This as you have
already mentioned,
00:43:01.94\00:43:04.41
involved elders, even priests.
00:43:04.45\00:43:08.38
And when the priests
and pastors get involved
00:43:08.42\00:43:11.82
in doing this
same sin as the people,
00:43:11.85\00:43:14.86
they're not gonna
condemn these things.
00:43:14.89\00:43:16.22
They're gonna say,
"Thou shalt not steal,"
00:43:16.26\00:43:19.13
if they are stealing.
00:43:19.16\00:43:20.80
"Thou shalt not
commit adultery,"
00:43:20.83\00:43:22.70
if they are also doing it.
00:43:22.73\00:43:24.10
And if they say
with their mouth,
00:43:24.13\00:43:25.47
but they are doing it secretly,
God cannot bless that ministry.
00:43:25.50\00:43:29.60
So now let's move on
to what had to take place.
00:43:29.64\00:43:35.11
Verse 18-19, "And
among the sons of the priests
00:43:35.14\00:43:37.61
who had taken pagan wives
00:43:37.65\00:43:40.55
the following were
found of the sons of Jeshua
00:43:40.58\00:43:43.49
the son of
Jozadak, and his brothers,
00:43:43.52\00:43:46.09
Maaseiah, Eliezer,
Jarib, and Gedaliah."
00:43:46.12\00:43:48.66
And this is the
verse I wanted to get to.
00:43:48.69\00:43:51.16
"And they gave their promise
00:43:51.19\00:43:53.09
that they would
put away their wives,
00:43:53.13\00:43:54.60
and being guilty,
they presented a ram
00:43:54.63\00:43:57.90
of the flock as
their trespass offering."
00:43:57.93\00:44:00.44
And this is found
in Leviticus Chapter 4.
00:44:00.47\00:44:05.44
I guess so.
00:44:05.47\00:44:06.81
I'll limit myself in compensate.
00:44:06.84\00:44:08.18
But it says that,
"When you find out
00:44:08.21\00:44:09.54
that you have sinned,
00:44:09.58\00:44:11.01
you're supposed to
confess the sin in those days,
00:44:11.05\00:44:13.15
of course, they had to bring
00:44:13.18\00:44:15.18
an offering to the
Lord, sacrifice that offering.
00:44:15.22\00:44:18.15
And then their
sin will be forgiven,
00:44:18.19\00:44:20.32
pointing to the Lamb of God,
00:44:20.36\00:44:22.92
Jesus Christ that
will be crucified for us,
00:44:22.96\00:44:26.59
so that we can be forgiven.
00:44:26.63\00:44:27.96
Amen.
00:44:28.00\00:44:29.33
And I thank the Lord that we see
00:44:29.36\00:44:30.83
the commitment of the people.
00:44:30.87\00:44:32.53
And so today we
have to ask ourselves,
00:44:32.57\00:44:35.24
we have to do a
self examination.
00:44:35.27\00:44:37.81
This was the
guilt these people had.
00:44:37.84\00:44:40.94
What guilt do we
have? What guilt do I have?
00:44:40.98\00:44:42.78
What's in my life
that I must cut it off
00:44:42.81\00:44:47.08
by the grace of
the Lord, put it away
00:44:47.12\00:44:49.22
and ask God to forgive,
cleanse and give power to obey?
00:44:49.25\00:44:53.29
So I make an appeal.
00:44:53.32\00:44:55.22
What is in your
life that the Lord
00:44:55.26\00:44:57.89
is calling you to put away?
00:44:57.93\00:44:59.73
Is it some sin, some secret sin,
00:44:59.76\00:45:01.80
is this some habit?
00:45:01.83\00:45:03.37
God can give you power,
00:45:03.40\00:45:05.13
confess and forsake
through the power of the Lord.
00:45:05.17\00:45:08.00
Amen.
00:45:08.04\00:45:09.37
Thank you so
much, Pastor Johnny.
00:45:09.40\00:45:11.21
I see the saw
with the law of sowing
00:45:11.24\00:45:14.14
and reaping exemplified
00:45:14.18\00:45:16.04
as each one of
you have been talking,
00:45:16.08\00:45:17.65
talked about in
Galatians Chapter 6,
00:45:17.68\00:45:19.78
that if you sow righteousness,
you sow repentance,
00:45:19.81\00:45:24.95
you sow obedience,
00:45:24.99\00:45:26.52
you will reap an
abundant harvest.
00:45:26.55\00:45:29.32
But if you choose,
by an act of your will
00:45:29.36\00:45:32.86
to walk in disobedient
to the commands of God,
00:45:32.89\00:45:36.97
there will be consequences.
00:45:37.00\00:45:38.73
And those consequences in
Ezra Chapter 10 are heavy.
00:45:38.77\00:45:43.34
I have Thursday's
lesson, which is Marriage Today.
00:45:43.37\00:45:46.57
So what we're
going to look at is,
00:45:46.61\00:45:48.38
does this even apply today,
and how does it apply today
00:45:48.41\00:45:52.51
to marriages?
00:45:52.55\00:45:53.88
Aside from accepting Jesus,
choosing a spouse is probably
00:45:53.92\00:45:58.12
the most important
decision you will ever make.
00:45:58.15\00:46:01.62
Absolutely.
00:46:01.66\00:46:02.99
Because it has
eternal consequences.
00:46:03.02\00:46:05.29
Yes.
00:46:05.33\00:46:06.66
Your spouse can
impact you negatively.
00:46:06.70\00:46:09.86
Would that be accurate? Yes.
00:46:09.90\00:46:11.37
1 Corinthians
15:33, "Do not be deceived,
00:46:11.40\00:46:14.50
'Evil company
corrupts good habits.'
00:46:14.54\00:46:17.11
" But your spouse can
also impact you for Christ.
00:46:17.14\00:46:20.64
Absolutely.
00:46:20.68\00:46:22.01
I love Proverbs 27:17,
"As iron sharpens iron,
00:46:22.04\00:46:26.11
so a man sharpens the
countenance of his friend."
00:46:26.15\00:46:30.45
From Ezra 9 and
10, and Nehemiah 13,
00:46:30.49\00:46:34.92
we see how
seriously God took marriage,
00:46:34.96\00:46:37.66
especially the
consequences of intermarriage
00:46:37.69\00:46:41.73
with the children of Israel
with a pagan or an idolater.
00:46:41.76\00:46:47.17
Let's look at the New Testament,
00:46:47.20\00:46:48.54
what is our council today?
00:46:48.57\00:46:49.90
2 Corinthians.
00:46:49.94\00:46:51.27
Turn with me to 2
Corinthians Chapter 6.
00:46:51.31\00:46:53.07
Pastor Kenny, I think it was you
00:46:53.11\00:46:54.44
who referenced this a
bit earlier, Verses 14-18.
00:46:54.48\00:46:58.71
Even today there is
still the danger of being
00:46:58.75\00:47:02.52
unequally yoked.
00:47:02.55\00:47:05.22
What we would say
today is a believer
00:47:05.25\00:47:08.16
with a non believer.
00:47:08.19\00:47:10.66
So we're in 2
Corinthians 6:14-18.
00:47:10.69\00:47:12.43
That's right.
00:47:12.46\00:47:13.80
"Do not be unequally
yoked together with unbelievers.
00:47:13.83\00:47:17.93
For what
fellowship has righteousness
00:47:17.97\00:47:20.24
with lawlessness?
00:47:20.27\00:47:21.60
And what communion
has light with darkness?
00:47:21.64\00:47:23.64
And what accord
has Christ with Belial?
00:47:23.67\00:47:27.51
What part has a
believer with an unbeliever?
00:47:27.54\00:47:29.78
And what agreement has
the temple of God with idols?"
00:47:29.81\00:47:33.65
Paul brings it to
the same comparison,
00:47:33.68\00:47:36.35
believers with unbelievers
00:47:36.38\00:47:37.72
is the same thing as
in the Old Testament,
00:47:37.75\00:47:39.55
believers with
those who worship idols.
00:47:39.59\00:47:42.82
Going on, "For
you are the temple
00:47:42.86\00:47:45.16
of the living God.
00:47:45.19\00:47:47.23
As God has said:
'I will dwell in them
00:47:47.26\00:47:49.30
and walk among them.
00:47:49.33\00:47:51.10
I will be their God, and
they shall be My people.'
00:47:51.13\00:47:54.24
Therefore 'Come
out from among them
00:47:54.27\00:47:56.54
and be separate, says the Lord.
00:47:56.57\00:47:58.74
Do not touch what is
unclean, and I will receive you.
00:47:58.77\00:48:02.71
I will be a Father to you,
00:48:02.74\00:48:04.08
and you shall be
My sons and daughters,
00:48:04.11\00:48:05.78
says the Lord Almighty.'"
00:48:05.81\00:48:07.18
Amen.
00:48:07.22\00:48:08.55
Turn back to 1 Corinthians,
we're gonna spend the balance
00:48:08.58\00:48:10.75
of our time in 1
Corinthians Chapter 7,
00:48:10.79\00:48:12.65
which is Paul's counsel
00:48:12.69\00:48:14.49
to those who are
married to unbelievers.
00:48:14.52\00:48:18.33
1 Corinthians 6, we
know the Corinthian church
00:48:18.36\00:48:22.36
was surrounded by a culture that
00:48:22.40\00:48:24.87
was steeped in
sexual immorality.
00:48:24.90\00:48:28.17
The Roman world of that time,
you can say moral conditions
00:48:28.20\00:48:32.44
were at an all time low.
00:48:32.47\00:48:34.94
The Christians
in Corinth weren't
00:48:34.98\00:48:36.31
even shocked by immorality.
00:48:36.34\00:48:38.15
And in fact, they
engaged in immorality.
00:48:38.18\00:48:41.95
1 Corinthians 5, and
Paul's very clear that
00:48:41.98\00:48:45.32
what is not even accepted
in the pagan Roman world,
00:48:45.35\00:48:49.22
they were engaging
that in the church.
00:48:49.26\00:48:50.83
Yeah.
00:48:50.86\00:48:52.19
1 Corinthians 6,
he has to tell them,
00:48:52.23\00:48:54.23
listen folks,
sexual relationships
00:48:54.26\00:48:56.67
with the prostitute is wrong.
00:48:56.70\00:48:58.13
Now, you would
think you wouldn't even
00:48:58.17\00:48:59.50
need to be told that, right?
00:48:59.53\00:49:01.07
But yet, they
needed to be told that.
00:49:01.10\00:49:04.21
Paul wrote that the
union of a Christian
00:49:04.24\00:49:06.37
with a pagan prostitute
00:49:06.41\00:49:07.74
has serious
spiritual implications.
00:49:07.78\00:49:11.75
And now the
Christians were wondering,
00:49:11.78\00:49:13.45
are we sinning if
we're remaining married
00:49:13.48\00:49:15.95
to our unbelieving spouse?
00:49:15.98\00:49:18.49
That was the question
00:49:18.52\00:49:19.85
we see in 1
Corinthians Chapter 7.
00:49:19.89\00:49:21.66
Now the lesson brought this out.
00:49:21.69\00:49:23.59
I just wanna read one
quote from the lesson.
00:49:23.63\00:49:26.86
It says, "Because we have no
elaborate command in the Bible
00:49:26.90\00:49:30.03
and what to do with
interfaith marriages,
00:49:30.07\00:49:31.93
it would be very unwise
and run against the intention
00:49:31.97\00:49:35.00
of the text and its
principles to insist
00:49:35.04\00:49:37.84
that separating from
the unbelieving spouse
00:49:37.87\00:49:40.38
is the right approach.
00:49:40.41\00:49:41.91
And based on
this account by Ezra,"
00:49:41.94\00:49:43.65
which you
referenced, Pastor Johnny.
00:49:43.68\00:49:45.51
"Ezra, Nehemiah
situation was a onetime event
00:49:45.55\00:49:48.35
and according to God's will."
00:49:48.38\00:49:50.12
So in other words,
we're not saying that today
00:49:50.15\00:49:53.92
we should have this separation
00:49:53.96\00:49:55.86
or this divorce take place
00:49:55.89\00:49:57.23
like they did
in Ezra Chapter 10.
00:49:57.26\00:49:59.29
But let's see
what is Paul's counsel?
00:49:59.33\00:50:01.86
And we're getting to a list.
00:50:01.90\00:50:04.17
We're looking
at five principles,
00:50:04.20\00:50:07.04
five principles that we
see here in 1 Corinthians 7,
00:50:07.07\00:50:10.21
on dealing with
marriage to an unbeliever.
00:50:10.24\00:50:14.01
Principle number one,
do not initiate divorce.
00:50:14.04\00:50:18.11
1 Corinthians 7:12-13.
00:50:18.15\00:50:20.98
Paul writes, "But to the
rest," now who are the rest?
00:50:21.02\00:50:23.95
The rest are the believers
if you read the context,
00:50:23.99\00:50:26.99
the believers who are
married to a non believer.
00:50:27.02\00:50:29.92
So this is counsel
specifically for those married
00:50:29.96\00:50:32.03
to non believers.
00:50:32.06\00:50:33.40
"But to the rest
I, not the Lord,"
00:50:33.43\00:50:35.73
meaning this is not a based
on a direct command of Jesus.
00:50:35.76\00:50:39.50
I say, "If any
brother has a wife
00:50:39.53\00:50:41.44
who does not believe,
00:50:41.47\00:50:42.80
and she is
willing to live with him,
00:50:42.84\00:50:44.94
let him not divorce her.
00:50:44.97\00:50:47.64
And a woman who has a
husband who does not believe,
00:50:47.68\00:50:50.65
if he is willing
to live with her,
00:50:50.68\00:50:52.71
let her not divorce him."
00:50:52.75\00:50:56.38
So in other words, if
you are married right now
00:50:56.42\00:50:59.12
to an unbelieving
spouse, don't initiate divorce.
00:50:59.15\00:51:03.29
Principle number two,
the union with an unbeliever,
00:51:03.32\00:51:06.86
the marriage union
00:51:06.90\00:51:08.23
with an
unbeliever can result in...
00:51:08.26\00:51:10.53
I call it fringe
benefits to the believer.
00:51:10.57\00:51:14.24
This is what I mean. Okay.
00:51:14.27\00:51:15.94
1 Corinthians 7:14,
"For the unbelieving husband
00:51:15.97\00:51:19.34
is sanctified by the
wife, and the unbelieving wife
00:51:19.37\00:51:24.21
is sanctified by the husband,
00:51:24.25\00:51:26.75
otherwise your
children would be unclean,
00:51:26.78\00:51:28.65
but now they are holy."
00:51:28.68\00:51:30.19
Think of Joseph.
00:51:30.22\00:51:31.75
Remember he was sold as a slave.
00:51:31.79\00:51:33.62
He was in Potiphar's household.
00:51:33.66\00:51:36.46
Now the Lord blessed
Potiphar and his household,
00:51:36.49\00:51:39.46
not because of
anything Potiphar did,
00:51:39.49\00:51:41.03
and not because
he was a believer.
00:51:41.06\00:51:42.60
The Lord blessed
him because of Joseph.
00:51:42.63\00:51:44.77
Joseph went into prison.
00:51:44.80\00:51:46.47
The Lord blessed
those in prison, why?
00:51:46.50\00:51:49.00
Not because of the
keeper of the prison
00:51:49.04\00:51:50.94
or because anyone was sanctified
00:51:50.97\00:51:52.37
or holy in the prison.
00:51:52.41\00:51:53.74
It was because of Joseph.
00:51:53.78\00:51:56.44
Think of Sodom, it
would have been spared
00:51:56.48\00:51:58.55
if there had only been, what?
00:51:58.58\00:52:00.15
Fifty righteous
people in that city.
00:52:00.18\00:52:03.85
Think of the people
who would be blessed
00:52:03.89\00:52:06.02
because of
Abraham's faithfulness.
00:52:06.05\00:52:09.29
So there are benefits
to the unbelieving spouse,
00:52:09.32\00:52:13.83
for being married to a believer.
00:52:13.86\00:52:16.50
Number three, this
takes it a step further,
00:52:16.53\00:52:19.40
seek to win the
unbelieving spouse to Christ.
00:52:19.43\00:52:23.67
That is the ultimate goal
to win the unbelieving spouse
00:52:23.71\00:52:26.84
to Christ.
00:52:26.88\00:52:28.21
1 Peter 3, 1 Peter 3:1-2,
00:52:28.24\00:52:30.98
this is counseled
specifically to wives.
00:52:31.01\00:52:33.18
"Wives, likewise,
00:52:33.21\00:52:34.55
be submissive to
your own husbands,
00:52:34.58\00:52:36.32
that even if some do
not obey the word, they,
00:52:36.35\00:52:39.72
without a word, may be won
by the conduct of their wives,
00:52:39.75\00:52:44.43
when they observe your chaste
conduct accompanied by fear."
00:52:44.46\00:52:48.63
Now, what is that saying?
00:52:48.66\00:52:50.00
That saying your
attitude is important.
00:52:50.03\00:52:51.97
That saying when you
don't even speak anything,
00:52:52.00\00:52:54.47
and when you're not
even trying to say something
00:52:54.50\00:52:57.14
and convert your
spouse by your actions,
00:52:57.17\00:53:00.88
by what you do
and how you do it.
00:53:00.91\00:53:04.71
It impacts your
spouse for Christ.
00:53:04.75\00:53:07.15
Now, unless you think, well,
this only applies for wives
00:53:07.18\00:53:10.49
and most certainly
applies for husbands
00:53:10.52\00:53:12.22
because 1
Corinthians 7:16, says,
00:53:12.25\00:53:14.99
"How do you know, O wife,
00:53:15.02\00:53:16.36
whether you will
save your husband?
00:53:16.39\00:53:18.13
How do you know, O husband,
00:53:18.16\00:53:20.53
whether you
will save your wife?"
00:53:20.56\00:53:23.03
Oh, boy.
00:53:23.06\00:53:24.40
Principle number four,
00:53:24.43\00:53:25.77
do not resist
divorce proceedings,
00:53:25.80\00:53:28.97
if the unbeliever initiates it.
00:53:29.00\00:53:32.37
1 Corinthians 7:15,
"If the unbeliever,"
00:53:32.41\00:53:36.71
that would be the
unbelieving spouse,
00:53:36.75\00:53:38.48
"if they depart, let him depart,
00:53:38.51\00:53:40.98
a brother or a
sister is not under bondage
00:53:41.02\00:53:44.19
in such cases."
00:53:44.22\00:53:45.55
What does that mean?
00:53:45.59\00:53:46.92
Not under Jesus'
prohibition on divorce.
00:53:46.96\00:53:49.79
"But God has
called us to peace."
00:53:49.82\00:53:52.29
So we're called not
to, if you're married
00:53:52.33\00:53:55.23
to an unbelieving spouse,
00:53:55.26\00:53:56.97
don't you be the one
to initiate the divorce.
00:53:57.00\00:54:00.17
Show Christian
kindness and love toward
00:54:00.20\00:54:03.20
your unbelieving
spouse and pray for them
00:54:03.24\00:54:05.74
because God could win your
unbelieving spouse to Christ.
00:54:05.77\00:54:10.35
But if your unbelieving
spouse initiates divorce,
00:54:10.38\00:54:14.08
the believer may agree to it.
00:54:14.12\00:54:16.82
My, my.
00:54:16.85\00:54:18.19
Final principle number five,
Trust God in your marriage.
00:54:18.22\00:54:22.16
Amen.
00:54:22.19\00:54:23.53
Trust God in your
spouse's salvation.
00:54:23.56\00:54:27.40
2 Peter 3:9, "God is not willing
00:54:27.43\00:54:29.30
that any should perish."
00:54:29.33\00:54:30.93
"But that all
should come to repentance."
00:54:30.97\00:54:35.14
You might feel right
now that you're walking
00:54:35.17\00:54:37.64
in an unequally yoked marriage
00:54:37.67\00:54:39.64
and there might be
darkness in your home,
00:54:39.67\00:54:42.34
there might be
oppression in your home.
00:54:42.38\00:54:45.21
The Lord Jesus
can walk beside you
00:54:45.25\00:54:48.28
in the midst of that.
00:54:48.32\00:54:50.55
He can bring light,
He can bring gladness,
00:54:50.59\00:54:53.86
He can bring deliverance.
00:54:53.89\00:54:56.39
Trust God with your salvation,
00:54:56.42\00:54:58.66
but trust God with the salvation
00:54:58.69\00:55:00.90
of your spouse as well.
00:55:00.93\00:55:02.86
Amen. Thank you, Jill.
00:55:02.90\00:55:04.40
Thank you, Pastor
Dinzey, Shelley, Pastor Kenny,
00:55:04.43\00:55:07.37
I'm gonna give
you an opportunity
00:55:07.40\00:55:08.74
as you can see this lesson
dealing with bad decisions.
00:55:08.77\00:55:12.47
Wow, it really
pulled our coattail.
00:55:12.51\00:55:15.74
Let me give you an
opportunity to summarize.
00:55:15.78\00:55:17.18
Okay. Good.
00:55:17.21\00:55:18.55
I found something I thought
00:55:18.58\00:55:19.91
it was good to
all in a little book
00:55:19.95\00:55:21.28
called Adventist Home,
00:55:21.32\00:55:22.65
page 66 and 67,
just a little paragraph.
00:55:22.68\00:55:24.35
But boy, just,
it's really potent.
00:55:24.39\00:55:26.25
"Hundreds have sacrificed Christ
00:55:26.29\00:55:28.82
and heaven in consequences
00:55:28.86\00:55:30.86
of marrying unconverted persons.
00:55:30.89\00:55:33.80
Can it be that the love
and fellowship of Christ
00:55:33.83\00:55:37.10
are of so little value
to them that they prefer
00:55:37.13\00:55:40.77
the
companionship of poor mortals?
00:55:40.80\00:55:45.61
Commitments and obedience to God
00:55:45.64\00:55:47.31
is the most
important thing in our life.
00:55:47.34\00:55:48.94
And if we are in
a mismatched union,
00:55:48.98\00:55:51.11
whether it is
that with a spouse,
00:55:51.15\00:55:53.92
or even a business, you know,
00:55:53.95\00:55:56.12
what happens is you get
close and then you begin to
00:55:56.15\00:55:59.32
compromise for
the sake of unity.
00:55:59.35\00:56:01.39
But as Ezra said, "Hey,
00:56:01.42\00:56:04.83
if we got what we
deserved, we wouldn't be here."
00:56:04.86\00:56:07.16
I just want to,
00:56:07.20\00:56:08.53
God is a God of
justice and mercy,
00:56:08.56\00:56:10.60
but He is a God of grace.
00:56:10.63\00:56:12.33
Justice would be
getting what you deserve.
00:56:12.37\00:56:16.20
Mercy would be getting
what you don't deserve.
00:56:16.24\00:56:21.64
Grace is... Excuse me.
00:56:21.68\00:56:24.21
Mercy is not
getting what you deserve,
00:56:24.25\00:56:28.32
but grace is getting
what you don't deserve.
00:56:28.35\00:56:32.09
That's good. Amen.
00:56:32.12\00:56:33.46
Praise the Lord.
00:56:33.49\00:56:34.82
I just want to add
because of the some people
00:56:34.86\00:56:39.43
that are listening to
us and we're talking about
00:56:39.46\00:56:43.10
a believer married
with an unbeliever,
00:56:43.13\00:56:45.43
because some
people learn about Jesus
00:56:45.47\00:56:47.90
and they give
their hearts to the Lord,
00:56:47.94\00:56:49.64
and they're already married,
00:56:49.67\00:56:51.04
and the other person does
not wanna make that decision,
00:56:51.07\00:56:53.11
these things that Sister Jill
spoke off very, very clearly.
00:56:53.14\00:56:57.25
Come to the point,
but I want to caution
00:56:57.28\00:56:59.71
those especially young people
00:56:59.75\00:57:01.48
that are looking for a spouse,
00:57:01.52\00:57:04.15
take it to the Lord in prayer.
00:57:04.19\00:57:06.52
And do not seek to be
married to an unbeliever
00:57:06.55\00:57:09.12
because as the Bible
says, they will draw your heart
00:57:09.16\00:57:11.53
away from the Lord.
00:57:11.56\00:57:12.89
That's right.
00:57:12.93\00:57:14.26
They will draw your
heart away from the Lord.
00:57:14.30\00:57:15.63
And so I encourage
you to take this matter
00:57:15.66\00:57:17.33
of very important
decision to the Lord in prayer,
00:57:17.37\00:57:20.00
that He will
guide you and bless you
00:57:20.04\00:57:22.27
with the person that He
knows will be best for you.
00:57:22.30\00:57:24.54
That's right.
00:57:24.57\00:57:25.91
I'm so grateful that our
God uses the gentlest means
00:57:25.94\00:57:28.58
possible to get our attention.
00:57:28.61\00:57:30.45
Amen. Wow.
00:57:30.48\00:57:31.95
Dealing with bad decisions.
00:57:31.98\00:57:34.08
Now, the Lord desires that
00:57:34.12\00:57:35.78
we all even if
we've made bad decision,
00:57:35.82\00:57:38.45
the Lord is the
God of forgiveness.
00:57:38.49\00:57:39.82
Yes. Amen.
00:57:39.85\00:57:41.19
But His joy is
found in 3 John 1:4,
00:57:41.22\00:57:42.79
"I have no
greater joy than to hear
00:57:42.82\00:57:45.26
that my children walk in truth."
00:57:45.29\00:57:47.03
If you know what to do,
00:57:47.06\00:57:49.16
ask for God to give you strength
00:57:49.20\00:57:50.93
to live it to His glory.
00:57:50.97\00:57:53.03
Join us next time
for lesson number 13,
00:57:53.07\00:57:56.30
entitled Leaders in Israel.
00:57:56.34\00:57:59.17
God bless you
until we see you again.
00:57:59.21\00:58:01.41