Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn,
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and we welcome you
to 3ABN Sabbath School.
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We are beginning a brand
new Adult Bible Study Guide
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called Present
Truth in Deuteronomy.
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And this was authored
by Clifford Goldstein,
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who is the editor for
the Adult Study Bible Guide.
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If you don't yet have yours,
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you can go to ABSG.Adventist.org
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and download one or run by any
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Seventh-day Adventist Church,
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I'm sure they'll
be happy to welcome
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you into their fellowship,
give you a copy of the study
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and study with you.
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This is a beautiful quarter.
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The lessons we're going to study
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Deuteronomy
topically covering such things
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as the everlasting covenant
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of God's grace.
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The law and grace,
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we're going to look at
what it means to love God
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and to love your neighbor.
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And most particularly,
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we will see how the
Book of Deuteronomy reveals
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the love of God,
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as demonstrated in
Christ's death on the cross
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and His resurrection.
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So we hope you will
join us today with a pen
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and your Bible, piece
of paper to take notes.
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This study is the
preamble to Deuteronomy.
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Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn,
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and we welcome you once
again to 3ABN Sabbath School.
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I want to introduce the rest
of the family that's sitting
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around the table with me.
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We have Pastor Ryan Day.
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I'm here and accounted
for and excited to study
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the Book of Deuteronomy.
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Amen. John Lomacang, pastor?
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Praise the Lord. We always
learn something as we share.
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Amen. And my
precious sister Jill Morikone.
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Thank you, Shelley.
Always excited to study.
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And this is a brand new quarter,
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so looking
forward to Deuteronomy.
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Amen.
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And then we have a new face
on our panel, but he's not new,
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I should say a new
member on our panel,
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but he's not a new face to 3ABN
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and that's
Pastor James Rafferty.
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It's so good to be here.
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This is my first
time, so go easy on me.
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Oh, we're so excited.
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We never go easy
on first timers, so.
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Just teasing. Okay.
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James, would you
like to have our prayer
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before we begin today?
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Absolutely.
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Father in heaven, again, we just
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want to thank You for Your Word.
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We want to thank You for
the promise of Your Spirit.
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We claim the
promise now that Your Spirit
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will come to teach us,
to guide us, to instruct us,
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to convict us, to comfort us,
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be with us, be with the viewers.
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We pray and ask these
things in Jesus' name.
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Amen. Amen, and amen.
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I just want to begin by saying,
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Bible study should
always be done through
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the perspective of
a lens of God's love.
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It's so important to
understand God's love
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if you're going to
understand the Bible.
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And context is critical,
because the Bible doesn't
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make sense without context.
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So what we're
going to do today is,
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I'm going to start
off with just kind of...
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Kind of pulling back,
so that we get a wide view
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of the five
books that Moses wrote.
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You know, these books
are called the Law of Moses,
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Moses' Law.
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They're called the
Torah in the Hebrew.
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In the Greek it's
called the Pentateuch.
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And when Moses was
writing, I find this amazing,
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the Bible covers
4100 years of history.
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But the first book of the Bible,
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the Book of
Genesis covers like 2300
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of those 4100 years.
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In fact, the first
11 chapters of Genesis,
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which is the book
of new beginnings,
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or book of
beginnings, the book of origins.
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The first 11 chapters,
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11 chapters cover
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over 2,000 years of history.
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And we see five epic events
in those first 11 chapters.
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There's creation,
then the fall of mankind,
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the announcement of the Messiah,
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then we see the flood,
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and the
dispersion of the nations,
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all in those five chapters.
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I find that
amazing, over 2,000 years
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of history
distilled into five chapters.
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And you know what's interesting?
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God's existence and
God's law are assumed.
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They're not explained.
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But what happens
then in verse 12,
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through verse,
Chapters 12 through 15,
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is now it's going to give
us the patriarchal history.
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God calls Abraham.
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And when God calls Abraham,
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He announces to him
the everlasting covenant
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of salvation by grace.
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Hallelujah.
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And He tells Abraham,
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"This salvation is going
to come through your seed."
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And we know that
God's commandments
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were in place,
because when God renews
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the covenant with
Isaac in Genesis 26:5,
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He says, "Hey, I'm
renewing this covenant with you,
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because your father Abraham
obeyed all of My commandments,
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all of My statutes."
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And so we see then in these
latter chapters of Genesis,
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it goes from Abraham, Isaac,
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Jacob, then Joseph
goes down into Egypt,
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then the rest of the extended
family follows him down.
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Now, Exodus is probably one
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of my favorite books in
the Bible, because Exodus,
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of course, most
people think of it,
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well, it's the story of Moses.
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He grew up 40 years
maturing in the Pharaoh's court,
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then 40 years on the
backside of the desert,
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and then 40 years
leading God's people.
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And when Moses began
to lead God's people,
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what we see is that they've now
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been down there
for 430 years in Egypt,
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many of those years as slaves.
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And God saves them before
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He even reminds them
of their obedience to Him.
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He saves them, He parts the
Red Sea, they make the escape.
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Then God comes
down on the mountain
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and speaks His Ten Commandments.
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And then Moses goes up.
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And God speaks to him the words
of the Book of the Covenant.
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Now let me explain
something, the Ten Commandments,
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the way I see it,
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the Ten Commandments
are God's Bill of Rights.
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The first four commandments
is the love for Him.
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The last six are
the Bill of Rights,
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the love for our
covenant community.
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But God gives Moses
civil laws and ceremonial laws,
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and it's all based
around the Ten Commandments.
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Moses comes down, and
then we find in verse,
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Exodus 24:7,
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Moses speaks all
these words to the people,
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writes it in a
book, builds an altar,
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and he ratifies is the book
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is called the
Book of the Covenant.
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That's important,
because this was the first...
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Most scholars believe it
was the first written portion
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of the Bible.
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But what happens?
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Moses goes back up the
mountain for another 40 days.
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God's giving him Ten
Commandments written on stone.
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And guess what?
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The people have broken
the covenant by the time
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he got down there,
with those Ten Commandments,
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which Moses throws down
and he has to go back up
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and get another copy.
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And so,
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when we look at Exodus,
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we see a rebellious people,
they failed to follow God.
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Now, both Genesis and Exodus,
they advance historically
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or chronologically,
we're covering some time.
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You get to Leviticus, Leviticus
doesn't advance in time.
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This is the instructions
to the Levitical priesthood,
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how to lead the
people in worship.
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That's one portion of the book.
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And it has a lot to
do with ceremonial laws.
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Another portion of the book
is that it's teaching people
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how to walk in
obedience and live a holy life.
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So Numbers, we get
to the Book of Numbers,
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another book that Moses wrote,
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and this chronicles the 39 years
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of history of
God's chosen people.
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They rebelled at Kadesh Barnea.
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And then it's their
wanderings in the desert.
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And that gets us to Deuteronomy.
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Deuteronomy doesn't
advance chronologically.
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It happens in a
period of a month.
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The older
generation of the people
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who rebelled have died off.
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Now the new generation
standing at the edge of promise,
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and they're about to go in.
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So Moses gives
them some sermons.
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And what he is doing
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is he is leading
them in a renewal
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of the covenant that
was written in the Book
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of the Covenant
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and the emphasis
is on covenant love.
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Deuteronomy is a
covenant document.
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That's, it's all
about God's redemption
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and how He's going to fulfill
His promises to the patriarchs.
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So Deuteronomy is
called the Book of the Law.
00:10:13.64\00:10:19.15
But we're also going to
see it's called the Book
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of the Covenant.
00:10:21.75\00:10:23.08
So what Moses was
doing, he's 120 years old,
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these are his farewell speeches.
00:10:26.49\00:10:28.49
And Moses is
expanding the understanding
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of God's covenant.
00:10:32.19\00:10:33.70
And he says in
Deuteronomy 30:10,
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"The Lord will again
rejoice over you for good
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as He rejoiced
over your fathers,
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if," if, the biggest two
letter word in the world,
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"you obey the voice
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of the Lord your God,
to keep His commandments
00:10:48.34\00:10:50.28
and His statutes which
are written in this Book
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of the Law," there's
Book of the Covenant,
00:10:53.85\00:10:55.78
"and if you turn
to the Lord your God
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with all of your heart
and with all of your soul."
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That's always been God's goal.
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In Deuteronomy 31:24-26,
00:11:03.26\00:11:08.26
it says this,
00:11:08.30\00:11:09.63
"When Moses had completed
writing the words of this law,
00:11:09.66\00:11:15.10
this covenant law, in a book,
00:11:15.14\00:11:17.94
when they were finished,
00:11:17.97\00:11:19.44
Moses commanded
the Levites saying,
00:11:19.47\00:11:22.34
'Take this Book of
the Law and put it beside
00:11:22.38\00:11:24.55
the Ark of the
Covenant of the Lord your God,
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that it may be there as
a witness against you.'"
00:11:27.35\00:11:30.12
Why was it a
witness against them?
00:11:30.15\00:11:32.32
Because it not only
contained the blessings,
00:11:32.35\00:11:35.39
but it contained the curses
00:11:35.42\00:11:37.63
if they broke
covenant with the Lord.
00:11:37.66\00:11:40.60
It's on the
side, it's temporary,
00:11:40.63\00:11:44.07
inside the ark,
what have we got?
00:11:44.10\00:11:46.74
The Ten Commandments of God.
00:11:46.77\00:11:49.07
Sunday's lesson and, boy,
we got to do this went fast,
00:11:49.10\00:11:52.37
but it's love to be loved.
00:11:52.41\00:11:55.68
1 John 4:8, 4:16
say, "God is love."
00:11:55.71\00:12:00.78
Listen, that's not
just some emotional
00:12:00.82\00:12:04.59
experience that God has.
00:12:04.62\00:12:07.42
That is the
essence, the nature of God.
00:12:07.46\00:12:12.23
This love is
expressed by salvation,
00:12:12.26\00:12:15.53
by grace through faith.
00:12:15.56\00:12:17.27
It was demonstrated when
Christ died on the cross for us.
00:12:17.30\00:12:21.04
But God never changes.
00:12:21.07\00:12:23.74
He says, "I change not."
00:12:23.77\00:12:26.14
Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday, today and forever.
00:12:26.17\00:12:29.58
I'll bet if you've been
in the church very long,
00:12:29.61\00:12:32.58
you know the
words agape and grace.
00:12:32.61\00:12:36.22
And somebody told me once,
00:12:36.25\00:12:37.65
well, grace isn't
in the Old Testament.
00:12:37.69\00:12:40.69
The Old Testament
is filled with grace.
00:12:40.72\00:12:42.72
But the word that
was used is hesed.
00:12:42.76\00:12:47.53
Oh, it's the most beautiful
00:12:47.56\00:12:49.16
Hebrew word in
the whole vocabulary.
00:12:49.20\00:12:53.10
And it talks about God's hesed.
00:12:53.13\00:12:56.91
Here's you cannot describe it
00:12:56.94\00:13:00.01
in a single phrase in English.
00:13:00.04\00:13:03.85
What it means
is loving-kindness,
00:13:03.88\00:13:06.45
steadfast love,
grace, mercy, faithfulness,
00:13:06.48\00:13:10.09
goodness,
devotion, generous, patient,
00:13:10.12\00:13:14.32
loyal love, not of feeling,
it's expressed by doing.
00:13:14.36\00:13:19.86
Everything that God does
00:13:19.89\00:13:22.56
is an expression of His love.
00:13:22.60\00:13:25.77
And Psalm 136:1 says,
00:13:25.80\00:13:27.50
"Oh, give thanks to
the Lord, for He is good!
00:13:27.54\00:13:30.31
His mercy," that's
actually his hesed,
00:13:30.34\00:13:33.51
"His love, His grace,
00:13:33.54\00:13:35.14
His mercy, His
patience endures forever."
00:13:35.18\00:13:40.22
Now, when we are
looking, you know,
00:13:40.25\00:13:42.85
1 John says that we love Him
00:13:42.88\00:13:47.22
because He first loved us.
00:13:47.26\00:13:48.59
That's right.
00:13:48.62\00:13:49.96
Deuteronomy, it's all...
00:13:49.99\00:13:51.69
God's covenant is all about
00:13:51.73\00:13:54.13
entering into a love
relationship with Him.
00:13:54.16\00:13:57.47
Deuteronomy 6:4-6 says this,
00:13:57.50\00:14:01.47
"Hear, O Israel: The Lord
our God, the Lord is one!"
00:14:01.50\00:14:05.17
Now get this.
00:14:05.21\00:14:06.54
"You shall love the Lord
your God with all your heart,
00:14:06.57\00:14:09.48
with all your soul,
with all your strength.
00:14:09.51\00:14:13.21
And these words
00:14:13.25\00:14:14.58
which I command you
today shall be in your heart."
00:14:14.62\00:14:17.82
Jesus answered
someone who asked Him,
00:14:17.85\00:14:23.46
what's the most
important commandment.
00:14:23.49\00:14:25.19
In Mark 12:30,
this is what Jesus says,
00:14:25.23\00:14:28.73
is the most important
commandment in the second
00:14:28.76\00:14:32.00
is to love your
neighbor as yourself.
00:14:32.03\00:14:34.67
I just want to
point out one thing.
00:14:34.70\00:14:37.11
God's government
operates by love.
00:14:37.14\00:14:40.51
The Ten Commandments
are written in future
00:14:40.54\00:14:42.54
tense in the form of promises.
00:14:42.58\00:14:46.38
The risk of love is free will.
00:14:46.41\00:14:50.02
And we see what
happened in Ezekiel 28:12-17,
00:14:50.05\00:14:55.49
Isaiah 14:12-15.
00:14:55.52\00:14:58.49
We see a covering cherub,
00:14:58.53\00:15:00.93
who was created with perfection,
00:15:00.96\00:15:05.93
but iniquity entered his heart.
00:15:05.97\00:15:08.84
He got prideful and lifted up.
00:15:08.87\00:15:11.57
And he started a war in heaven.
00:15:11.61\00:15:13.94
And that's where the
great controversy comes in.
00:15:13.98\00:15:17.15
Amen. Thank you so
much, Shelley, for that.
00:15:17.18\00:15:19.78
I'm Ryan Day.
00:15:19.81\00:15:21.15
And I have
Monday's lesson entitled,
00:15:21.18\00:15:22.68
The Fall and the Flood.
00:15:22.72\00:15:24.52
And we're going to
kind of continue off
00:15:24.55\00:15:26.22
of what Shelley
just set up for us,
00:15:26.25\00:15:28.42
which is a beautiful
introduction, by the way.
00:15:28.46\00:15:30.93
But I had, I
normally try to find
00:15:30.96\00:15:33.06
some little snippets throughout
00:15:33.09\00:15:34.43
the lesson that
the author wrote,
00:15:34.46\00:15:36.40
just to kind of hide
in there or bring about
00:15:36.43\00:15:39.40
something that the author
actually in his own words,
00:15:39.43\00:15:42.44
and I love how he
opened Monday's lesson,
00:15:42.47\00:15:44.67
because it really
sets us up for the content.
00:15:44.71\00:15:46.88
And I'm gonna read
through this, it says,
00:15:46.91\00:15:48.24
"Almost every school
child has heard the story
00:15:48.28\00:15:50.91
about an apple falling on
Isaac Newton's head, and voila!
00:15:50.95\00:15:54.65
Newton discovered gravity.
00:15:54.68\00:15:56.85
Whether or not an
apple really fell on his head
00:15:56.89\00:15:58.82
isn't the crucial point,
00:15:58.85\00:16:00.19
instead, the point is
that Newton's great insight
00:16:00.22\00:16:02.86
was to understand that the same
force that dropped the apple,
00:16:02.89\00:16:06.39
of course, gravity,
00:16:06.43\00:16:07.76
also kept the moon in
orbit around the earth,
00:16:07.80\00:16:09.83
the earth in orbit
around the sun, and so forth.
00:16:09.86\00:16:13.17
This was important
because for millennia
00:16:13.20\00:16:15.00
many people believed
that the laws that governed
00:16:15.04\00:16:17.01
the heavens were
different from the laws
00:16:17.04\00:16:18.97
that governed the earth.
00:16:19.01\00:16:21.21
Newton showed that
this belief was wrong.
00:16:21.24\00:16:24.78
"And then I
love this next point.
00:16:24.81\00:16:26.15
"And though Newton's
contribution was in the area
00:16:26.18\00:16:28.08
of natural law, the
same principle holds true
00:16:28.12\00:16:30.95
with moral law.
00:16:30.99\00:16:32.55
The same freedom, the
freedom inherent in love,
00:16:32.59\00:16:35.62
that led to
Lucifer's fall in heaven
00:16:35.66\00:16:37.86
led to humanity's
fall on earth, as well."
00:16:37.89\00:16:41.60
And that's where
we're going to pick up.
00:16:41.63\00:16:43.00
We've all read these texts,
00:16:43.03\00:16:44.37
but we have to go back to
the beginning to understand
00:16:44.40\00:16:47.17
what is coming because
pastor is going to take us
00:16:47.20\00:16:49.44
through to Abraham
in just a moment, Abram.
00:16:49.47\00:16:52.37
And in this case,
00:16:52.41\00:16:53.74
we're setting up
for Tuesday's lesson.
00:16:53.78\00:16:56.58
But let's go to Genesis
2:16-17. Let's start there.
00:16:56.61\00:16:59.91
These are verses that we
have read many, many times.
00:16:59.95\00:17:02.22
But this is where God basically
He lays out the groundwork,
00:17:02.25\00:17:05.95
He brings about the
conditions of this relationship,
00:17:05.99\00:17:09.09
and Adam and Eve had
been living in a perfect
00:17:09.12\00:17:11.09
uninterrupted communion
with God up to this point.
00:17:11.13\00:17:14.53
And God lays it out very
clearly in Genesis 2:16-17.
00:17:14.56\00:17:18.43
Notice what the Bible says.
00:17:18.47\00:17:19.87
It says, "And the Lord
God commanded the man, saying,
00:17:19.90\00:17:22.94
'Of every tree of the
garden that you may freely eat,
00:17:22.97\00:17:26.21
of every tree of the
garden you may freely eat,
00:17:26.24\00:17:28.31
but of the tree
of knowledge of good
00:17:28.34\00:17:30.38
and evil you shall not
eat, for in it, for in the day,"
00:17:30.41\00:17:34.38
excuse me, "for in the
day that you may eat of it
00:17:34.42\00:17:37.02
you shall surely die.'"
00:17:37.05\00:17:39.55
So again, of all the trees,
00:17:39.59\00:17:41.39
and I have to
just highlight this,
00:17:41.42\00:17:42.82
because this highlights
again, this God of love aspect.
00:17:42.86\00:17:46.09
Notice what God says,
00:17:46.13\00:17:47.46
"Of every tree,
you may freely eat."
00:17:47.50\00:17:51.70
I heard a minister one time say,
00:17:51.73\00:17:53.10
let's just put a
numerical value to this.
00:17:53.13\00:17:54.80
If there was one, let's
just say there's thousand
00:17:54.84\00:17:56.87
trees in the Garden of Eden,
00:17:56.91\00:17:58.91
God gave 999 yeses to one no.
00:17:58.94\00:18:03.01
And that's not, that
does not tell the story
00:18:03.04\00:18:04.85
of a restrictive God.
00:18:04.88\00:18:06.21
It's not like God was
out there pointing out
00:18:06.25\00:18:07.58
all these different
elements, you can't go here
00:18:07.62\00:18:08.98
and you can't go
there, and you can't do this
00:18:09.02\00:18:10.35
and you can't do that.
00:18:10.39\00:18:11.72
Oftentimes, we see
Christianity in that way.
00:18:11.75\00:18:13.69
But yet we see a God
of love, a God of freedom,
00:18:13.72\00:18:16.16
because true
love requires freedom.
00:18:16.19\00:18:18.79
And so in this case,
this is a God who loves us
00:18:18.83\00:18:21.66
enough to give us choice.
00:18:21.70\00:18:24.60
And so true love, as I
said, requires freedom.
00:18:24.63\00:18:28.10
But, of course,
with freedom comes risk.
00:18:28.14\00:18:30.61
And therefore, in the
aftermath of this beautiful
00:18:30.64\00:18:33.38
commandment that God
has set out very clearly,
00:18:33.41\00:18:35.34
again, of 999 yeses to one no.
00:18:35.38\00:18:38.78
We see the fall of man
comes in Genesis Chapter 3.
00:18:38.81\00:18:41.08
Let's go there. Let's
read verses 1 through 7.
00:18:41.12\00:18:43.15
I'm going to read through this
because there may be someone
00:18:43.18\00:18:44.65
watching right
now that has never
00:18:44.69\00:18:46.22
heard these verses before.
00:18:46.25\00:18:47.69
So we're going to
read Genesis 3:1-7.
00:18:47.72\00:18:50.46
And notice what the Bible says.
00:18:50.49\00:18:52.63
It says, "Now the serpent
was more cunning than any beast
00:18:52.66\00:18:54.70
of the field which
the Lord God had made.
00:18:54.73\00:18:57.40
And he said to the
woman, has God indeed said,
00:18:57.43\00:18:59.87
'You shall not eat of
every tree of the garden?'"
00:18:59.90\00:19:02.30
So he's kind of throwing
God under the bus already.
00:19:02.34\00:19:04.11
Really, God, God's
being restrictive in that way.
00:19:04.14\00:19:06.91
Come on, right?
00:19:06.94\00:19:08.38
Verse 2, "And the
woman said unto the serpent,
00:19:08.41\00:19:10.21
'We may eat of the fruit
of the trees of the garden,
00:19:10.25\00:19:12.35
but of the fruit of the
tree which is in the midst
00:19:12.38\00:19:14.38
of the garden, God has
said, 'You shall not eat of it,
00:19:14.42\00:19:16.99
nor shall you
touch it, lest you die.'
00:19:17.02\00:19:20.06
Then the serpent
said to the woman,
00:19:20.09\00:19:21.42
'You will not surely die.
00:19:21.46\00:19:23.43
For God knows that in the
day you eat of it your eyes
00:19:23.46\00:19:26.09
will be opened, and
you will be like God,
00:19:26.13\00:19:28.53
knowing good from evil.'"
00:19:28.56\00:19:30.07
Okay, so now
she's kind of already
00:19:30.10\00:19:32.17
sucked into this deceptive void.
00:19:32.20\00:19:34.30
And now here comes
the aftermath of it.
00:19:34.34\00:19:36.57
"So when the woman saw
that the tree was good for food,
00:19:36.60\00:19:38.97
that it was
pleasant to the eyes,
00:19:39.01\00:19:40.58
and a tree
desirable to make one wise,
00:19:40.61\00:19:42.81
she took of its fruit and ate."
00:19:42.84\00:19:46.08
And also it say, "She also
gave to her husband with her,
00:19:46.11\00:19:49.22
and he ate.
00:19:49.25\00:19:50.59
Then the eyes of
both of them were opened,
00:19:50.62\00:19:52.39
and they knew
that they were naked,
00:19:52.42\00:19:54.66
and they sewed
fig leaves together
00:19:54.69\00:19:56.02
and made themselves coverings."
00:19:56.06\00:19:58.13
You know, it's
interesting because when I read
00:19:58.16\00:19:59.66
through this, could God have
showed up at this very moment
00:19:59.69\00:20:03.03
and said, "Hey, hey,
Eve, what are you doing?
00:20:03.06\00:20:06.00
What's happening here?"
00:20:06.03\00:20:07.37
He could have showed up at that
moment and stopped her, right?
00:20:07.40\00:20:09.90
But was she aware of
the word of the Lord?
00:20:09.94\00:20:13.27
And I think
that's the point here,
00:20:13.31\00:20:14.64
God was giving Eve,
in this case, also Adam,
00:20:14.68\00:20:17.81
free will and free choice, why?
00:20:17.85\00:20:19.18
Because the point
that this lesson is making
00:20:19.21\00:20:21.12
is that true love
requires a freedom.
00:20:21.15\00:20:23.95
And I was...
00:20:23.99\00:20:25.32
I have to mention this also
because I've read quite a bit
00:20:25.35\00:20:27.32
of CS Lewis over the years.
00:20:27.36\00:20:29.32
Again, we may not
agree with every little thing
00:20:29.36\00:20:31.06
he's ever wrote, but
he's a great Christian author.
00:20:31.09\00:20:33.53
And you know, he
makes this point, that God
00:20:33.56\00:20:36.30
and basically all of His majesty
00:20:36.33\00:20:38.40
and all of His
grandeur and in the vastness
00:20:38.43\00:20:40.64
and His eternality and,
you know, His omniscience
00:20:40.67\00:20:43.47
and His
omnipotence, He condescends
00:20:43.51\00:20:46.57
not only to make
something only in His image,
00:20:46.61\00:20:49.71
but He invests the created
with the will so authentic
00:20:49.74\00:20:53.31
and genuine that
the creation, get this,
00:20:53.35\00:20:55.68
the creation could
resist the Creator.
00:20:55.72\00:20:59.59
And He says,
surely, this is the greatest
00:20:59.62\00:21:01.22
mystery of all, right?
00:21:01.26\00:21:02.59
And I just think of
that because you can't quite
00:21:02.62\00:21:05.09
wrap your mind around it.
00:21:05.13\00:21:06.56
I think Sunday's
lesson brings us out that can
00:21:06.59\00:21:08.33
we fully wrap our minds around
the fact that God is love.
00:21:08.36\00:21:12.33
What does that even mean, right?
00:21:12.37\00:21:13.94
But yet we know that
true love requires freedom.
00:21:13.97\00:21:17.01
And in this case, God
gives man the freewill
00:21:17.04\00:21:19.81
and the free choice to either
choose him or to reject Him.
00:21:19.84\00:21:23.51
And, of course, in this
case, man rejected him and,
00:21:23.55\00:21:25.71
of course, it
launches us into a forever,
00:21:25.75\00:21:28.88
it seems like forever problem,
00:21:28.92\00:21:30.79
at least now
6,000 years into this.
00:21:30.82\00:21:33.15
But, of course, after the fall,
things go from bad to worse,
00:21:33.19\00:21:36.83
because now we get
to Genesis Chapter 6.
00:21:36.86\00:21:39.06
And God is...
00:21:39.09\00:21:40.50
He's got to hit
the reset button.
00:21:40.53\00:21:42.90
At least it seems
like it in this case.
00:21:42.93\00:21:44.53
Genesis Chapter 6,
00:21:44.57\00:21:45.90
and I'm gonna read
verses 1, 2, and 5.
00:21:45.93\00:21:47.90
So Genesis 6:1, 2, and 5.
00:21:47.94\00:21:50.11
Notice what the Bible says.
00:21:50.14\00:21:51.47
It says, "Now it came to pass,
00:21:51.51\00:21:52.84
when men began to multiply
on the face of the earth,
00:21:52.87\00:21:55.18
and daughters were born to them,
00:21:55.21\00:21:57.05
that the sons of God
saw the daughters of men,
00:21:57.08\00:21:59.85
that they were
beautiful, and they took
00:21:59.88\00:22:01.98
wives for
themselves of whom they chose."
00:22:02.02\00:22:04.29
So we already see
this, this degradation
00:22:04.32\00:22:06.72
of man to the point and
now they're still defying God,
00:22:06.76\00:22:09.46
even from when Adam
and Eve had defied God.
00:22:09.49\00:22:11.56
Now, it's even worse
than the sons of God,
00:22:11.59\00:22:13.63
God's people, His chosen
people are now going outside
00:22:13.66\00:22:16.43
the sanctity of the
rules and regulations
00:22:16.46\00:22:18.93
and the plan that
God have for them,
00:22:18.97\00:22:20.50
and marrying within the ranks
of faith within the church.
00:22:20.54\00:22:23.77
Now they're going outside that
00:22:23.81\00:22:25.41
and they're
bringing in the heathen,
00:22:25.44\00:22:26.78
they're basically unequally
00:22:26.81\00:22:28.14
yoking
themselves with the world.
00:22:28.18\00:22:29.81
And so because of
this, verse 5 comes.
00:22:29.84\00:22:32.21
It says, "Then the
Lord saw that the wickedness
00:22:32.25\00:22:34.25
of man was great in the
earth, and that every intent
00:22:34.28\00:22:36.58
of the thoughts of his heart
was only evil continually."
00:22:36.62\00:22:41.59
And we know the results
of this, God sends the flood.
00:22:41.62\00:22:44.36
And, of course,
you know, in a sense,
00:22:44.39\00:22:46.59
He gives man a
chance to start over
00:22:46.63\00:22:48.96
through the family
of Noah in this case.
00:22:49.00\00:22:53.67
But, of course, by the time
we get to the Tower of Babel,
00:22:53.70\00:22:56.57
in Genesis Chapter 11,
00:22:56.60\00:22:58.44
we see man is still
intent on defying God.
00:22:58.47\00:23:02.81
And so, you're going
through, you know, you see that,
00:23:02.84\00:23:04.98
you know, Noah and
his family survive it.
00:23:05.01\00:23:07.68
But of course, you
know, out of that Shem,
00:23:07.72\00:23:10.15
Ham and Japheth, now
they're beginning to multiply,
00:23:10.19\00:23:12.22
the men is multiplying.
00:23:12.25\00:23:13.59
By the time you get to the Tower
00:23:13.62\00:23:14.96
of Babel in Genesis Chapter
11, things are out of control.
00:23:14.99\00:23:18.16
Because you would
think, you know, of course,
00:23:18.19\00:23:19.79
the word of mouth, the
stories that were passed down
00:23:19.83\00:23:21.96
of how God had to,
00:23:22.00\00:23:23.33
you know, again flood the earth,
00:23:23.37\00:23:24.70
because of the
wickedness of man, man,
00:23:24.73\00:23:26.07
things are still way getting
out of control to the point
00:23:26.10\00:23:28.70
that I have to read this quote
from Patriarchs and Prophets,
00:23:28.74\00:23:31.07
page 119, to kind of sum up
00:23:31.11\00:23:32.91
what's happening here in
Genesis 11 with this Tower
00:23:32.94\00:23:34.98
of Babel situation.
00:23:35.01\00:23:36.51
Patriarchs and
Prophets, page 119 says,
00:23:36.54\00:23:38.51
"When the tower had
been partially completed,
00:23:38.55\00:23:41.75
a portion of it was occupied
00:23:41.78\00:23:43.39
as a dwelling
place for the builders,
00:23:43.42\00:23:46.96
other apartments, splendidly
furnished and adorned,
00:23:46.99\00:23:50.63
were devoted to their idols.
00:23:50.66\00:23:53.63
The people
rejoiced in their success,
00:23:53.66\00:23:56.56
and praised the
gods of gold and silver,
00:23:56.60\00:23:59.33
and set themselves against
the Ruler of heaven and earth."
00:23:59.37\00:24:04.64
And so, we see
this great defying,
00:24:04.67\00:24:07.51
just outpouring of defiance.
00:24:07.54\00:24:09.11
Of course, in this case,
00:24:09.14\00:24:10.48
we know the Bible goes
on to say that God confused,
00:24:10.51\00:24:13.05
not only did He
confused the languages,
00:24:13.08\00:24:15.38
but, of course, He
scattered the fallen race across
00:24:15.42\00:24:18.05
the face of the earth.
00:24:18.09\00:24:19.42
And it's very
interesting when you,
00:24:19.45\00:24:20.79
as Shelley
brought up very clearly.
00:24:20.82\00:24:22.66
You know, you have these
first 11 chapters of Genesis,
00:24:22.69\00:24:24.93
but it almost seems like
where God is not rushing,
00:24:24.96\00:24:28.76
but He's swiftly moving
through the first 2,000,
00:24:28.80\00:24:31.83
2,500 years of man's history,
00:24:31.87\00:24:34.67
of earth's history in this case,
00:24:34.70\00:24:36.04
because we're moving closer
and closer to Abram, to Abraham
00:24:36.07\00:24:39.61
which Pastor Lomacang
is going to be covering,
00:24:39.64\00:24:41.61
but it's powerful to see
00:24:41.64\00:24:43.71
how quick the sin
issue just dominated mankind.
00:24:43.75\00:24:48.12
But yet the Bible
says, God is love.
00:24:48.15\00:24:52.39
And we're going to be
talking a whole lot more
00:24:52.42\00:24:54.02
about how God is love
and what that entails,
00:24:54.06\00:24:56.69
even though we can't fully
00:24:56.73\00:24:58.06
comprehend it to
the fullest extent.
00:24:58.09\00:25:00.33
The Bible gives us glimpses
00:25:00.36\00:25:02.30
and pictures and
imagery beautifully,
00:25:02.33\00:25:04.43
so we can look into
apparent of the mind,
00:25:04.47\00:25:06.27
the heart of God to
understand just who He is.
00:25:06.30\00:25:09.34
Oh, amen.
00:25:09.37\00:25:10.71
We're gonna be
studying this for eternity.
00:25:10.74\00:25:13.21
We need to take a quick break.
00:25:13.24\00:25:15.21
Please stay with
this, we'll be right back.
00:25:15.24\00:25:17.11
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00:25:22.38\00:25:24.35
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This is such an exciting study.
00:25:53.18\00:25:54.82
And Pastor John
Lomacang is going to continue
00:25:54.85\00:25:57.75
with The Call of Abram.
00:25:57.79\00:25:59.39
That's right. I have Tuesday's
lesson, The Call of Abram.
00:25:59.42\00:26:02.86
Now Abram is the
prior name of Abraham.
00:26:02.89\00:26:07.23
One meaning the
exalted father, that's Abram.
00:26:07.26\00:26:10.57
And Abraham meaning
the father of a multitude.
00:26:10.60\00:26:14.10
But you know, I'm going
to begin by talking about
00:26:14.14\00:26:15.70
where he's from, because this
00:26:15.74\00:26:17.07
is very interesting,
because the Bible in Genesis
00:26:17.11\00:26:19.67
26:5, speaking
about his changed name.
00:26:19.71\00:26:24.38
It says, "Because
Abraham kept My commandments,
00:26:24.41\00:26:28.72
my statutes and My laws."
00:26:28.75\00:26:30.89
And it's commonly
understood by many
00:26:30.92\00:26:32.65
and even in Christianity
that, well, nobody kept
00:26:32.69\00:26:35.49
the commandments until they were
00:26:35.52\00:26:36.86
written on tables of stone.
00:26:36.89\00:26:38.36
Well, let's follow
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,
00:26:38.39\00:26:40.56
Jacob's 12 sons, Israel,
go into bondage come out,
00:26:40.60\00:26:43.97
go to Mount Sinai week
before the Sabbath test.
00:26:44.00\00:26:46.60
And then the stones
contained the Ten Commandments
00:26:46.63\00:26:49.27
long before they
were written on stone.
00:26:49.30\00:26:53.17
Abraham kept them
God's commandments,
00:26:53.21\00:26:55.61
God statutes and God's laws.
00:26:55.64\00:26:57.68
And the other thing
that people often think about
00:26:57.71\00:26:59.65
is Abraham was an Israelite.
00:26:59.68\00:27:01.02
Well, that's also
wrong. That's right.
00:27:01.05\00:27:03.28
Abraham was from a place
called Ur Kasdim, in the Hebrew,
00:27:03.32\00:27:07.62
which is about 200
miles or 300 kilometers,
00:27:07.66\00:27:12.26
southeast of Baghdad,
00:27:12.29\00:27:14.30
where it's located
today in lower Mesopotamia,
00:27:14.33\00:27:17.23
called Ur of the
Chaldeans, or Chaldeans,
00:27:17.27\00:27:20.27
whichever way you
say it, I've heard both.
00:27:20.30\00:27:22.44
So God found a man in the most
00:27:22.47\00:27:25.64
unlikely place to do
00:27:25.67\00:27:28.71
the most uncommon thing.
00:27:28.74\00:27:31.25
It's good.
00:27:31.28\00:27:32.61
God often chooses the most
00:27:32.65\00:27:34.58
unlikely to do
the most unimaginable.
00:27:34.62\00:27:38.32
Now when I read Genesis 12:1-3,
00:27:38.35\00:27:40.99
which we're going
to turn to right now,
00:27:41.02\00:27:43.06
And, Jill, I have six points.
00:27:43.09\00:27:45.19
We kind of take you
through the points today.
00:27:45.23\00:27:47.96
I want to talk about
how this verse is really
00:27:48.00\00:27:50.30
the synopsis of
almost all Christian's lives.
00:27:50.33\00:27:53.94
When I read this,
my wife and I paused,
00:27:53.97\00:27:55.77
I called her and when I
was putting my lesson together,
00:27:55.80\00:27:57.97
and I said,
"Look at this passage,
00:27:58.01\00:28:00.54
it reminds us so
much of our lives,"
00:28:00.58\00:28:03.68
because when we were praying
to be involved in ministry,
00:28:03.71\00:28:06.61
we were praying
in Orlando, Florida.
00:28:06.65\00:28:10.32
And we wanted so
badly to be in Orlando,
00:28:10.35\00:28:12.69
Florida to begin
pastoral ministry.
00:28:12.72\00:28:15.16
The Lord called us
to Northern California.
00:28:15.19\00:28:18.13
And in so many of
these things reminds us
00:28:18.16\00:28:20.96
of the parallel of
how our lives unfolded.
00:28:21.00\00:28:23.73
But here's the
verses, Genesis 12:1-3.
00:28:23.77\00:28:27.04
"Now the Lord said to Abram:
00:28:27.07\00:28:29.37
'Get out of your country,"
and I'm going to parallel,
00:28:29.40\00:28:32.47
get out of
Florida, "from your family
00:28:32.51\00:28:34.91
and from your
father's house, to a land
00:28:34.94\00:28:37.81
that I will show you."
00:28:37.85\00:28:39.18
We had no idea where
we were going to live,
00:28:39.21\00:28:41.28
we started in a
hotel, at a truck stop,
00:28:41.32\00:28:43.99
no idea where we
were going to live.
00:28:44.02\00:28:46.69
"I will make you a great nation.
00:28:46.72\00:28:48.69
I will bless you and
make your name great."
00:28:48.72\00:28:51.06
And I want to say
this in the context
00:28:51.09\00:28:52.49
of this 3ABN
platform we're all on.
00:28:52.53\00:28:55.70
You know, it's so
humbling. And I take no glory.
00:28:55.73\00:28:58.57
When we travel to places
in the world that we don't
00:28:58.60\00:29:00.40
even know
exists, that people say,
00:29:00.44\00:29:03.44
Oh, that's Ryan Day,
that's Shelley Quinn,
00:29:03.47\00:29:05.47
that's John
Lomacang, that's Jill Morikone.
00:29:05.51\00:29:08.14
God has done
something with our humble lives.
00:29:08.18\00:29:10.35
And this is why
we have to handle
00:29:10.38\00:29:12.31
what God has given to us
with humility, because God
00:29:12.35\00:29:15.05
takes the unlikely.
00:29:15.08\00:29:16.42
Amen.
00:29:16.45\00:29:17.79
Jill, did you ever think
you'd be the vice president
00:29:17.82\00:29:19.15
of 3ABN?
00:29:19.19\00:29:20.52
No, but I look back at
Jill when I called her Julie.
00:29:20.56\00:29:23.06
'Cause he didn't
know what my name was.
00:29:23.09\00:29:26.63
But I look at where
God brought her today.
00:29:26.66\00:29:29.16
I look at our
time coming to 3ABN,
00:29:29.20\00:29:30.90
I look at my wife
doing a program on 3ABN,
00:29:30.93\00:29:33.03
her first solo program.
00:29:33.07\00:29:34.74
And I said, "She wouldn't
think of ever doing that."
00:29:34.77\00:29:38.24
But God takes the
most unlikely to accomplish
00:29:38.27\00:29:41.54
the most unimaginable.
00:29:41.58\00:29:43.14
And He says in verse 3,
00:29:43.18\00:29:44.75
"I will bless
those who bless you,
00:29:44.78\00:29:47.02
and I will curse
him who curses you.
00:29:47.05\00:29:49.58
And in you all the
families of the earth
00:29:49.62\00:29:52.02
shall be blessed."
00:29:52.05\00:29:53.39
And I tell you, God
does amazing things.
00:29:53.42\00:29:56.46
But God is the
massive architect,
00:29:56.49\00:29:59.03
the great orchestrator.
00:29:59.06\00:30:00.56
He puts His plans before us.
00:30:00.60\00:30:03.37
And then He starts
to arrange our destiny.
00:30:03.40\00:30:06.70
Now Abraham had
no idea that in 2021,
00:30:06.74\00:30:09.70
people will still
be talking about him.
00:30:09.74\00:30:11.54
Is that amazing?
Only God can do that.
00:30:11.57\00:30:14.14
And so we have to keep in
mind that all of the components
00:30:14.18\00:30:17.35
of our lives can be
in someone's conversation
00:30:17.38\00:30:20.98
many decades from now,
or many millennia from now
00:30:21.02\00:30:23.79
for good or bad.
00:30:23.82\00:30:25.15
I'm hoping the world
doesn't last that much longer.
00:30:25.19\00:30:27.56
But God is the master architect
00:30:27.59\00:30:29.39
who sees the building
occupied before the ground
00:30:29.42\00:30:32.36
is even broken.
00:30:32.39\00:30:33.83
And He saw that
in Abraham's life,
00:30:33.86\00:30:36.03
and then we look at what
kind of life Abraham had.
00:30:36.06\00:30:38.67
And we looked
at Galatians 3:7-9,
00:30:38.70\00:30:41.27
the Bible talks about
the kind of man he was.
00:30:41.30\00:30:44.74
"Therefore know that only
those who are of faith are sons
00:30:44.77\00:30:48.88
of Abraham.
00:30:48.91\00:30:50.35
And the Scripture, foreseeing
that God would justify
00:30:50.38\00:30:54.02
the Gentiles by faith,
00:30:54.05\00:30:55.92
preached the gospel
to Abraham beforehand."
00:30:55.95\00:30:59.65
Did you ever think the
gospel was preached to Abraham?
00:30:59.69\00:31:02.59
Yes, it was. That's right.
00:31:02.62\00:31:03.96
Because he communicated
what the Lord gave to him,
00:31:03.99\00:31:06.53
saying, "In you, all the
nations shall be blessed."
00:31:06.56\00:31:10.77
Verse 9, "So then those
who are of faith are blessed
00:31:10.80\00:31:15.30
with believing Abraham.
00:31:15.34\00:31:17.34
First point.
00:31:17.37\00:31:19.67
We don't have to see
00:31:19.71\00:31:21.04
God's plans to
know God's capabilities.
00:31:21.08\00:31:25.81
We don't have to
see God's plans to know
00:31:25.85\00:31:27.62
God's capabilities.
00:31:27.65\00:31:28.98
Hebrews 11:1, and
we're going to unfold
00:31:29.02\00:31:31.45
all this in the
context of Abraham's life.
00:31:31.49\00:31:34.72
"Now faith is the
substance of things hoped for,
00:31:34.76\00:31:38.06
the evidence of
things not seen."
00:31:38.09\00:31:40.86
God saw Abraham's life unfold.
00:31:40.90\00:31:43.97
God saw Jeremiah's life unfold.
00:31:44.00\00:31:46.00
He said, "Before you were born,
00:31:46.03\00:31:48.87
before you were
formed in your mother's womb,
00:31:48.90\00:31:52.11
I saw all your days before me.
00:31:52.14\00:31:54.08
And I can't hesitate
but to think that God,
00:31:54.11\00:31:56.11
this is us sitting
here is no shock to God.
00:31:56.14\00:31:58.41
How did Shelley
and Ryan get there?
00:31:58.45\00:31:59.78
How did Pastor James,
and Jill, and John get there?
00:31:59.81\00:32:02.02
How did they get there?
00:32:02.05\00:32:03.39
God saw this long
before we envisioned it.
00:32:03.42\00:32:06.05
The second point
is, when we believe God,
00:32:06.09\00:32:09.19
He never disappoints us.
00:32:09.22\00:32:11.59
James 2:23,
00:32:11.63\00:32:13.86
"And the Scripture
was fulfilled which says,
00:32:13.90\00:32:16.20
'Abraham believed God,
00:32:16.23\00:32:18.50
and it was accounted
to him for righteousness.'
00:32:18.53\00:32:21.30
And he was called
the friend of God.'"
00:32:21.34\00:32:23.47
You know, I love that He called
Abraham, the friend of God.
00:32:23.51\00:32:25.91
And when Jesus came,
He said to His disciples,
00:32:25.94\00:32:30.38
you're not just My
disciples, you're My friends.
00:32:30.41\00:32:33.52
And I know one
of my good friends,
00:32:33.55\00:32:36.42
Pastor Dwight Nelson always
talks about the friend of God.
00:32:36.45\00:32:39.92
But I want to say
something about this passage.
00:32:39.95\00:32:42.39
Abraham didn't believe in
God, Abraham believed God.
00:32:42.42\00:32:46.43
And in Scripture,
there's quite a difference
00:32:46.46\00:32:47.90
between believing in God.
00:32:47.93\00:32:49.26
A lot of people
say I believe in God,
00:32:49.30\00:32:50.63
but do you believe God.
00:32:50.67\00:32:52.00
See Apostle Paul
also in Acts 27:25,
00:32:52.03\00:32:55.87
when he was taking
the journey to Rome,
00:32:55.90\00:32:57.91
in his appeal to
Caesar, he said the same thing,
00:32:57.94\00:33:00.68
"Therefore take
heart, for I believe God,"
00:33:00.71\00:33:04.05
and he took it further,
00:33:04.08\00:33:05.41
"that it will be
just as it was told me."
00:33:05.45\00:33:07.82
So believing God also
means believing what He says.
00:33:07.85\00:33:11.72
Believing God also
means believing what He says,
00:33:11.75\00:33:14.96
which takes me to the
third point in Psalms 37:23.
00:33:14.99\00:33:20.43
When we trust God's
plans, He guides our steps.
00:33:20.46\00:33:24.10
You know, when Abraham left,
00:33:24.13\00:33:25.47
he had no idea
where he was going,
00:33:25.50\00:33:27.24
but the Lord said,
"I'll show you where to go.
00:33:27.27\00:33:29.20
I'll give you guidance."
00:33:29.24\00:33:30.87
God's providential system, GPS,
00:33:30.91\00:33:34.51
God's providential system, GPS.
00:33:34.54\00:33:38.28
Psalm 37:23,
00:33:38.31\00:33:40.35
"The steps of a good
man are ordered by the Lord,
00:33:40.38\00:33:44.75
and He delights in His way."
00:33:44.79\00:33:47.26
Now, we would think that we're
00:33:47.29\00:33:48.62
delighting in God's
way, but the Bible says
00:33:48.66\00:33:50.16
He's delighting in our way.
00:33:50.19\00:33:51.83
That's a humbling thing.
00:33:51.86\00:33:53.29
Can you get to
the place in your life
00:33:53.33\00:33:54.83
where you live in
such harmony with God,
00:33:54.86\00:33:57.27
He starts delighting.
00:33:57.30\00:33:58.63
He says, "Look, look,
00:33:58.67\00:34:00.00
he's following the
path I've laid out."
00:34:00.04\00:34:01.80
For God to delight in my
way is a humbling thought.
00:34:01.84\00:34:05.97
He delighted.
00:34:06.01\00:34:07.68
He delights in the path
of all of the righteous,
00:34:07.71\00:34:10.85
when they do not lean
on their own understanding
00:34:10.88\00:34:13.58
and all their
ways acknowledge Him,
00:34:13.62\00:34:15.92
then He directs their paths.
00:34:15.95\00:34:19.35
And the fourth one.
00:34:19.39\00:34:20.72
Abram's life was one of faith.
00:34:20.76\00:34:22.12
He followed God
out of obedience,
00:34:22.16\00:34:23.79
not out of information.
00:34:23.83\00:34:25.93
Look at Genesis 12:4,
00:34:25.96\00:34:28.46
"So Abram departed as
the Lord had spoken to him,
00:34:28.50\00:34:32.90
and Lot went with him.
00:34:32.93\00:34:35.07
And Abram was
seventy-five years old
00:34:35.10\00:34:37.51
when he departed
from Haran or Haran."
00:34:37.54\00:34:39.34
However you'd like to say that.
00:34:39.37\00:34:41.41
Now why is this
vitally important to me?
00:34:41.44\00:34:43.65
Abraham left, not
because God gave him
00:34:43.68\00:34:46.45
all the information
that he was going to need.
00:34:46.48\00:34:48.95
Lot of people
don't experience God's
00:34:48.98\00:34:51.39
blessings because
they want God to tell them
00:34:51.42\00:34:53.46
what He's going to
do before He does it.
00:34:53.49\00:34:55.29
Abraham didn't do that.
00:34:55.32\00:34:56.69
He said, "I believe You, God,
00:34:56.73\00:34:58.19
I'm going to follow You, God."
00:34:58.23\00:34:59.56
And God made of
him a great nation.
00:34:59.59\00:35:01.93
So here's my point to you.
00:35:01.96\00:35:03.67
Don't wait for the information,
because you won't experience
00:35:03.70\00:35:07.94
the transformation.
00:35:07.97\00:35:09.74
God transformed
him, not informed him.
00:35:09.77\00:35:13.27
Number five,
00:35:13.31\00:35:14.64
Abram's life was one of testing.
00:35:14.68\00:35:17.35
Abram's life was one of testing.
00:35:17.38\00:35:19.45
God tested Abraham when he said,
00:35:19.48\00:35:21.72
offer up your son Isaac.
00:35:21.75\00:35:23.49
Do you know that the test
will come to every one of us,
00:35:23.52\00:35:25.95
but the blessing is
on the heel of the test.
00:35:25.99\00:35:28.22
So don't be fearful
about the testing of God.
00:35:28.26\00:35:32.79
He tests us not
to reveal Himself,
00:35:32.83\00:35:35.60
but to reveal to
us whether or not
00:35:35.63\00:35:37.67
we really trust Him
the way that we should.
00:35:37.70\00:35:40.20
And finally, those that believe
by faith and follow God's plan,
00:35:40.24\00:35:43.94
know that His Word is
going to be fulfilled.
00:35:43.97\00:35:47.24
Hebrews 11:9-10,
00:35:47.28\00:35:49.58
"By faith he dwelt
in the land of promise
00:35:49.61\00:35:51.31
as in a foreign country,
dwelling in tents with Isaac
00:35:51.35\00:35:54.68
and Jacob, the heirs
with him of the same promise,
00:35:54.72\00:35:58.25
for he waited for the
city which had foundations,
00:35:58.29\00:36:00.99
whose builder and maker is God."
00:36:01.02\00:36:02.89
He trusted God, and he looked
forward to that eternal city.
00:36:02.92\00:36:06.03
Amen. Thank you so
much each one of you.
00:36:06.06\00:36:08.53
That's incredible. I love that.
00:36:08.56\00:36:11.37
We've been spending a lot
of time in the Book of Genesis.
00:36:11.40\00:36:14.40
Now flip over one book,
we're going to go to Exodus.
00:36:14.44\00:36:17.17
I have Wednesday's lesson,
which is The Covenant at Sinai.
00:36:17.21\00:36:21.14
We'll look at the connection
00:36:21.18\00:36:22.51
between the
Sinaitic covenant and grace.
00:36:22.54\00:36:24.55
Now I have four
major points, Pastor John.
00:36:24.58\00:36:28.22
The covenant is based
on, number one, redemption.
00:36:28.25\00:36:31.65
Number two, the covenant
is based on relationship.
00:36:31.69\00:36:35.02
Amen.
00:36:35.06\00:36:36.39
Number three, the covenant
is based on God's promise.
00:36:36.42\00:36:40.23
And number four, the
covenant is based on obedience.
00:36:40.26\00:36:43.83
So let's unpack
those four things.
00:36:43.87\00:36:45.43
The covenant is
based on redemption.
00:36:45.47\00:36:47.44
Turn to Exodus Chapter 19.
00:36:47.47\00:36:49.40
Now we think the covenant
would be the Ten Commandments,
00:36:49.44\00:36:51.87
but it actually begins
in Exodus 19 and it carries.
00:36:51.91\00:36:55.41
Of course, the Ten Commandments
00:36:55.44\00:36:56.78
would be the
heart of the covenant.
00:36:56.81\00:36:58.45
But let's start
with Exodus 19:4,
00:36:58.48\00:37:01.28
God is speaking,
and you will have seen
00:37:01.32\00:37:04.42
what I did to the Egyptians,
how I bore you on eagles' wings
00:37:04.45\00:37:08.39
and brought you to Myself."
00:37:08.42\00:37:10.53
Now three months have passed
since Israel went out of Egypt,
00:37:10.56\00:37:13.80
three months since God
delivered them from bondage,
00:37:13.83\00:37:17.00
three months since
God parted the Red Sea,
00:37:17.03\00:37:20.20
three months since
they were redeemed,
00:37:20.24\00:37:21.84
and they are camped
here at Mount Sinai.
00:37:21.87\00:37:24.81
And God says, "You have seen
what I did to the Egyptians."
00:37:24.84\00:37:28.08
God redeemed
them, He delivered them.
00:37:28.11\00:37:32.45
He bored them on eagles' wings.
That reminds me of the eagle.
00:37:32.48\00:37:35.92
You know, the
mother eagle sometimes,
00:37:35.95\00:37:37.75
they toss the
baby out of the nest,
00:37:37.79\00:37:39.65
but yet the mother always
swoops down and catches them,
00:37:39.69\00:37:42.89
so that they do not fall.
00:37:42.92\00:37:44.39
Let's read the next verse.
00:37:44.43\00:37:45.76
Verse 5, now therefore,
now when you say now therefore,
00:37:45.79\00:37:50.13
that means something
came before, what came before?
00:37:50.17\00:37:52.33
The redemption.
00:37:52.37\00:37:53.70
God redeemed them.
00:37:53.74\00:37:55.07
"Therefore,
because they are redeemed,
00:37:55.10\00:37:57.74
you will indeed obey My
voice, and keep My covenant,
00:37:57.77\00:38:01.48
then you shall be a
special treasure to me,
00:38:01.51\00:38:03.65
above all people, for
all the earth is mine."
00:38:03.68\00:38:07.85
We see the covenant
is based on redemption.
00:38:07.88\00:38:10.09
After He delivers them,
00:38:10.12\00:38:12.02
then He calls them
into covenant relationship
00:38:12.05\00:38:15.26
with Himself.
00:38:15.29\00:38:16.69
We look at the Ten Commandments,
00:38:16.73\00:38:18.06
of course, that's
found in Exodus 20.
00:38:18.09\00:38:19.59
In the preamble to
the Ten Commandments,
00:38:19.63\00:38:21.80
Exodus 20:2, how does it start?
00:38:21.83\00:38:24.37
It says, "I am
the Lord your God,
00:38:24.40\00:38:26.63
who brought you out of bondage."
00:38:26.67\00:38:28.44
There, again, we're reminded
that God is our Deliverer,
00:38:28.47\00:38:32.67
that God is our Redeemer.
00:38:32.71\00:38:35.41
And if you look at Deuteronomy,
00:38:35.44\00:38:36.78
this quarter, we're
studying Deuteronomy,
00:38:36.81\00:38:38.31
Deuteronomy Chapter 5,
the fourth commandment,
00:38:38.35\00:38:41.15
the center of the covenant,
in Deuteronomy Chapter 5,
00:38:41.18\00:38:45.05
what we see?
00:38:45.09\00:38:46.42
That the Sabbath commandment,
the seventh day is holy
00:38:46.45\00:38:49.32
is connected
again with redemption.
00:38:49.36\00:38:53.03
Let's look at point number two.
00:38:53.06\00:38:54.43
The covenant is not
only based on redemption,
00:38:54.46\00:38:56.56
it's also based on relationship.
00:38:56.60\00:38:59.43
God desires to enter into
relationship with His people.
00:38:59.47\00:39:03.00
From the beginning,
Ryan talked so clearly about
00:39:03.04\00:39:05.74
the entrance of
sin into this world.
00:39:05.77\00:39:08.78
Adam and Eve used to commune
00:39:08.81\00:39:10.35
with God on a daily basis.
00:39:10.38\00:39:12.51
And then when sin
entered, there was a separation.
00:39:12.55\00:39:15.98
They could no
longer commune with God
00:39:16.02\00:39:18.02
face to face as they used to.
00:39:18.05\00:39:20.09
But God wanted to
dwell with His people.
00:39:20.12\00:39:23.43
He always wanted
relationship with His people.
00:39:23.46\00:39:26.56
We see this with a covenant.
00:39:26.59\00:39:28.23
We see this in Exodus 25:8,
00:39:28.26\00:39:30.03
"Let them make me a sanctuary,
that I may dwell among them."
00:39:30.07\00:39:34.17
We see this when Jesus
came, the Word became flesh,
00:39:34.20\00:39:36.84
John Chapter 1,
and dwelt among us.
00:39:36.87\00:39:40.11
We see this in
the New Testament,
00:39:40.14\00:39:41.64
God wants to dwell
in us through the power
00:39:41.68\00:39:43.71
of the Holy Spirit.
00:39:43.75\00:39:45.08
And we get all the way
down to the Book of Revelation.
00:39:45.11\00:39:47.08
And again, in the new
heavens and the new earth,
00:39:47.12\00:39:50.09
God will dwell with His people.
00:39:50.12\00:39:52.99
So we're in Exodus 19.
00:39:53.02\00:39:54.89
The covenant is
based on relationship.
00:39:54.92\00:39:58.19
Sin broke our
relationship with God,
00:39:58.23\00:40:00.80
but redemption restores
our relationship with God.
00:40:00.83\00:40:04.87
Amen. That's right.
00:40:04.90\00:40:06.23
19:5, we already read it.
00:40:06.27\00:40:08.00
Let's pick it up in verse 6,
00:40:08.04\00:40:10.01
"And you shall
be to Me a kingdom
00:40:10.04\00:40:12.17
of priests and a holy nation."
00:40:12.21\00:40:14.78
You see, God
delivered them from bondage,
00:40:14.81\00:40:16.48
He redeemed them,
He then established
00:40:16.51\00:40:18.31
a special covenantal
relationship with them,
00:40:18.35\00:40:21.88
they would be His people,
and He would be their God.
00:40:21.92\00:40:26.32
Let's look at number three.
00:40:26.35\00:40:27.69
This is, the covenant
is based on God's promise.
00:40:27.72\00:40:31.73
Now, of course, we
have the sacrificial system,
00:40:31.76\00:40:33.80
we can look at that,
00:40:33.83\00:40:35.16
and the promise
of the coming Savior.
00:40:35.20\00:40:36.93
We know in John 1:29,
00:40:36.97\00:40:38.77
"Behold, the Lamb of God
00:40:38.80\00:40:40.17
who takes away
the sin of the world."
00:40:40.20\00:40:42.97
And the sacrificial system
00:40:43.00\00:40:44.34
established there
in the Old Testament,
00:40:44.37\00:40:47.51
we see the slain
of the perfect lamb,
00:40:47.54\00:40:50.65
symbolic of Jesus,
who would come thousands
00:40:50.68\00:40:53.85
of years later who
would redeem us from sin.
00:40:53.88\00:40:57.45
But not only do
we see that promise
00:40:57.49\00:40:59.29
of a coming Savior, we also
see God's 10 promises of love.
00:40:59.32\00:41:04.03
This is what we call
the Ten Commandments.
00:41:04.06\00:41:06.19
Now you might
say, wait a minute,
00:41:06.23\00:41:07.56
but they're commandments
and its do's and don'ts,
00:41:07.60\00:41:09.73
and they're very difficult,
00:41:09.76\00:41:11.23
and I don't
think I can keep them.
00:41:11.27\00:41:14.17
You know, the word
commandments in Hebrew
00:41:14.20\00:41:16.44
literally means sayings,
like the 10 words of God,
00:41:16.47\00:41:19.67
or the 10 sayings of God,
00:41:19.71\00:41:22.78
and the promises the
shalt and thou shalt not,
00:41:22.81\00:41:25.51
you know, thou
shalt not commit adultery,
00:41:25.55\00:41:27.48
thou shalt not kill,
thou shalt not steal.
00:41:27.52\00:41:30.69
The shalts and the shalt
nots are written in the second
00:41:30.72\00:41:34.22
person singular imperfect.
00:41:34.26\00:41:37.49
Now the imperfect verb
form note that it's not
00:41:37.53\00:41:40.43
all completed, the
action is being completed.
00:41:40.46\00:41:45.03
It's the same verb
form used in Judges 6:23.
00:41:45.07\00:41:50.27
It says, "Then
the Lord said unto me,
00:41:50.31\00:41:52.07
'Peace be unto thee,
fear not, thou shalt not die."
00:41:52.11\00:41:55.58
Now, does that
mean I have to sit here
00:41:55.61\00:41:57.38
and try not to die?
00:41:57.41\00:41:58.75
No, that's the promise.
00:41:58.78\00:42:00.12
God says, "You're
not going to die."
00:42:00.15\00:42:02.35
It's the same verb tense.
00:42:02.38\00:42:04.29
So when we look at God's
law, God's covenant of love.
00:42:04.32\00:42:08.12
And the aspect of
these are promises
00:42:08.16\00:42:11.26
that He extends to
you and to me saying,
00:42:11.29\00:42:14.46
Yes, I can do this in your life.
00:42:14.50\00:42:17.77
These are promises of
who you will be in me.
00:42:17.80\00:42:20.87
Now I've done this before,
but since we're talking about
00:42:20.90\00:42:22.94
the covenant sign, I
want to mention it again.
00:42:22.97\00:42:25.57
I've taken the liberty.
00:42:25.61\00:42:27.21
This is Jill's version
of the Ten Commandments
00:42:27.24\00:42:30.48
rewritten as ten
promises of love.
00:42:30.51\00:42:34.92
Promise number one,
you will desire only me,
00:42:34.95\00:42:38.22
nobody else, and nothing else.
00:42:38.25\00:42:41.39
Promise number two,
00:42:41.42\00:42:42.76
you will need no other gods
or support systems because I,
00:42:42.79\00:42:47.33
I fulfill everything you need.
00:42:47.36\00:42:50.13
Promise number three,
00:42:50.17\00:42:51.77
you will
reverence and respect Me,
00:42:51.80\00:42:54.24
My name and My character,
00:42:54.27\00:42:56.50
and you will do everything you
can to guard our relationship.
00:42:56.54\00:43:01.18
Promise number four,
00:43:01.21\00:43:02.54
you will
delight in spending time
00:43:02.58\00:43:04.45
with Me on our special
day, the seventh day Sabbath,
00:43:04.48\00:43:08.68
no
interruptions, no distractions,
00:43:08.72\00:43:11.49
just God and us together.
00:43:11.52\00:43:14.46
Promise number five,
00:43:14.49\00:43:15.99
you will love those
who have given you life
00:43:16.02\00:43:19.39
and respect the family
that I have given to you.
00:43:19.43\00:43:24.00
Promise number six,
00:43:24.03\00:43:25.53
you will respect
other people's lives
00:43:25.57\00:43:29.07
and hold them sacred
as you would your own.
00:43:29.10\00:43:32.71
Promise number
seven, you will delight in
00:43:32.74\00:43:35.88
and love the
spouse that I gave to you.
00:43:35.91\00:43:40.25
Promise number eight,
00:43:40.28\00:43:41.88
you will have enough
with what I've given to you,
00:43:41.92\00:43:44.25
and will have no need
to take from anybody else.
00:43:44.29\00:43:48.36
Promise number nine,
00:43:48.39\00:43:49.72
you will speak truthfully
00:43:49.76\00:43:51.19
and well of
neighbors and associates
00:43:51.23\00:43:53.86
because I've placed them
in your life for a purpose.
00:43:53.90\00:43:57.30
And finally promise number 10,
00:43:57.33\00:43:59.23
you will be content
with what I have given to you
00:43:59.27\00:44:02.70
and will rejoice in the
gifts I have given in your life.
00:44:02.74\00:44:07.04
So we look at the
Sinaitic covenant,
00:44:07.08\00:44:08.84
a covenant based on redemption,
00:44:08.88\00:44:10.51
a covenant
based on relationship,
00:44:10.55\00:44:12.51
a covenant based on the promises
00:44:12.55\00:44:14.25
of God extended
to you and to me.
00:44:14.28\00:44:16.92
Number four, the
covenant is based on obedience.
00:44:16.95\00:44:20.69
Exodus 19:5 we
already read this,
00:44:20.72\00:44:23.19
if you will indeed obey My
voice and keep My covenant.
00:44:23.22\00:44:26.76
Now the children of
Israel, they clearly understood.
00:44:26.80\00:44:29.13
They were supposed to
obey because they said
00:44:29.16\00:44:31.03
twice in those several chapters.
00:44:31.07\00:44:33.17
All that the Lord
has said we will do.
00:44:33.20\00:44:38.21
But you know,
obedience is not gritting teeth.
00:44:38.24\00:44:41.11
Obedience is not trying harder.
00:44:41.14\00:44:45.35
Obedience is based on love.
00:44:45.38\00:44:48.02
John 14:15, "If you love
Me, keep My commandments."
00:44:48.05\00:44:51.99
Obedience is based on grace.
00:44:52.02\00:44:54.76
Ephesians 2:8-10, verse 10 says,
00:44:54.79\00:44:57.53
"We're God's workmanship
created in Christ Jesus,
00:44:57.56\00:45:00.86
which God ordained
before that we should walk in."
00:45:00.90\00:45:03.67
Meaning, obedience
itself is a gift from God.
00:45:03.70\00:45:07.57
Obedience is based on
Christ working in the heart
00:45:07.60\00:45:10.64
of the believer.
00:45:10.67\00:45:12.01
John Chapter 15, "I am the vine,
00:45:12.04\00:45:13.98
we are the branches."
00:45:14.01\00:45:15.44
It's based on us
being connected to Him.
00:45:15.48\00:45:18.55
Now finally, the
Sinaitic covenant kind
00:45:18.58\00:45:20.42
of winds up in
Exodus Chapter 24.
00:45:20.45\00:45:23.39
And we see that it
was ratified with blood.
00:45:23.42\00:45:27.52
And the people said,
"All that the Lord has said,
00:45:27.56\00:45:29.56
we're gonna do."
00:45:29.59\00:45:30.93
This covenant
that God put in place,
00:45:30.96\00:45:34.06
based on redemption,
based on relationship,
00:45:34.10\00:45:37.70
based on God's
promises in our hearts,
00:45:37.73\00:45:40.34
and in our lives, and based on
obedience was set up perfectly.
00:45:40.37\00:45:44.81
But did the
people obey it perfectly?
00:45:44.84\00:45:46.94
Did the people walk after God
00:45:46.98\00:45:49.08
and seek Him
with all their heart?
00:45:49.11\00:45:51.38
Did they seek to honor this God
00:45:51.41\00:45:53.28
who would lavish
them with such love?
00:45:53.31\00:45:55.75
I think we'll go to Pastor James
00:45:55.78\00:45:57.39
and find out what
happened with the people.
00:45:57.42\00:45:59.22
Okay. Well, that
was such a blessing.
00:45:59.25\00:46:02.62
Thursday's lesson is
Apostasy and Punishment.
00:46:02.66\00:46:05.49
I'm Pastor James Rafferty,
00:46:05.53\00:46:06.86
and this is my
first time on the set
00:46:06.90\00:46:08.63
with these honorable people,
but it's a blessing to be here.
00:46:08.66\00:46:12.43
Powerful, really, when we
think about our lesson starts
00:46:12.47\00:46:14.90
with this Bible
verse in Exodus 19:8,
00:46:14.94\00:46:18.71
right where Jill left
off, we're going to pick up.
00:46:18.74\00:46:20.98
Exodus 19:8 says,
00:46:21.01\00:46:22.34
"And all the people
answered together, together."
00:46:22.38\00:46:25.31
There's something
powerful in unity.
00:46:25.35\00:46:26.68
You know, when
you're all together,
00:46:26.72\00:46:28.05
you're all one voice.
00:46:28.08\00:46:29.42
All the people
answered together and said,
00:46:29.45\00:46:30.79
'All that the Lord
has spoken, we will do.'"
00:46:30.82\00:46:33.59
Yes, it's
amazing what you can do,
00:46:33.62\00:46:36.56
and what you can't
do, when you're united.
00:46:36.59\00:46:39.69
It doesn't
matter how many people
00:46:39.73\00:46:41.53
you get together in
football stadiums across
00:46:41.56\00:46:43.67
the United States, we
are not promised keepers.
00:46:43.70\00:46:48.00
We're not promised keepers,
we just are not able to do
00:46:48.04\00:46:51.91
what God has promised to do.
00:46:51.94\00:46:53.38
And we can't put
ourselves in the place of God.
00:46:53.41\00:46:56.75
We have to allow God to fulfill
the promises He's made to us.
00:46:56.78\00:47:00.85
And I think that's
really the bottom line
00:47:00.88\00:47:03.28
of what happened at Sinai,
00:47:03.32\00:47:05.02
as Jill, as you
were sharing there,
00:47:05.05\00:47:06.92
we got the
commandments upside down.
00:47:06.96\00:47:09.22
We started thinking
these are thou shalt nots,
00:47:09.26\00:47:11.26
these are things we need to do
00:47:11.29\00:47:13.76
and we forgot
these are promises.
00:47:13.80\00:47:15.96
These are promises that
God has promised to do in us
00:47:16.00\00:47:19.33
and for us.
00:47:19.37\00:47:20.97
Now, the beautiful thing about
Israel's failure here in Sinai,
00:47:21.00\00:47:25.94
is that it revealed to them
their inability to do for God.
00:47:25.97\00:47:31.61
And over and over again,
00:47:31.65\00:47:32.98
I find this
happening in my life,
00:47:33.01\00:47:34.35
I don't know if you've
experienced in your life.
00:47:34.38\00:47:35.78
But over and over again,
I find myself being reminded
00:47:35.82\00:47:38.52
of my inability to do for God,
00:47:38.55\00:47:40.86
in my relationship with my wife,
00:47:40.89\00:47:42.32
in my relationships with people,
00:47:42.36\00:47:44.06
in my reactions to things
that I face, in community,
00:47:44.09\00:47:48.23
in church, in the world,
in the way I look at things
00:47:48.26\00:47:52.33
and the way I judge people,
and the way I'm critical,
00:47:52.37\00:47:54.50
I find myself
over and over again,
00:47:54.54\00:47:56.77
be reminded of my
inability to do for God.
00:47:56.81\00:47:59.77
And that is
precisely where God steps in.
00:47:59.81\00:48:03.01
You see, sometimes we
think that the failure
00:48:03.04\00:48:05.75
of our inability to be obedient
to God means we're done.
00:48:05.78\00:48:09.15
It's over, it's
ended, we're finished.
00:48:09.18\00:48:10.99
There's no way we're
going to be able to do, to be,
00:48:11.02\00:48:12.82
to do the Christian
life, to be a Christian,
00:48:12.85\00:48:16.09
but that's actually
where the Christian life begin.
00:48:16.12\00:48:19.29
That's where we transition
from the world to Christianity,
00:48:19.33\00:48:22.80
because of the
world we say, well,
00:48:22.83\00:48:24.17
pull yourself up
by your bootstraps,
00:48:24.20\00:48:25.67
and you can do it
and grit your teeth,
00:48:25.70\00:48:28.20
and then try it again.
00:48:28.24\00:48:29.87
But in Christianity,
00:48:29.90\00:48:31.81
we come to God as
I did 37 years ago,
00:48:31.84\00:48:34.58
and I say, you know,
Lord, I can't be a Christian.
00:48:34.61\00:48:36.88
There's no way that I can do
what I know I should be doing.
00:48:36.91\00:48:40.58
And if you want
me to be a Christian,
00:48:40.62\00:48:42.05
you're gonna
have to do it in me.
00:48:42.08\00:48:43.55
That was my first prayer.
00:48:43.59\00:48:44.92
That was the way my life
started as a true believer.
00:48:44.95\00:48:47.59
Now I've been
raised in a Christian home,
00:48:47.62\00:48:49.39
I said my prayers every night,
whether I was drunk or sober,
00:48:49.42\00:48:51.49
but that transition
from me trying to meet God's
00:48:51.53\00:48:56.16
expectations
failing over and over again
00:48:56.20\00:48:58.23
and thinking I got to do better.
00:48:58.27\00:48:59.60
I got to do better
to trusting the Lord,
00:48:59.63\00:49:01.40
trusting in Jesus
was a transition from
00:49:01.44\00:49:04.37
the Old Covenant
to the New Covenant.
00:49:04.41\00:49:06.47
See, the Old
Covenant is not just this idea
00:49:06.51\00:49:09.64
of keeping God's law.
00:49:09.68\00:49:11.48
The Old Covenant is this idea
00:49:11.51\00:49:13.52
of keeping God's
law in our own strength.
00:49:13.55\00:49:15.78
There's nothing wrong
with keeping the law of God.
00:49:15.82\00:49:17.82
Lot of people say
today, well, you know,
00:49:17.85\00:49:19.45
if you're keeping the law
of God, you're a legalist.
00:49:19.49\00:49:21.16
You know, that's,
that's legalism trying to keep
00:49:21.19\00:49:22.92
the law of God.
00:49:22.96\00:49:24.29
Well, no,
actually, all you need to do
00:49:24.33\00:49:26.33
is go to the New Testament.
00:49:26.36\00:49:28.03
Hebrews Chapter 8,
Hebrews Chapter 10,
00:49:28.06\00:49:30.97
will tell you what the
New Covenant is all about.
00:49:31.00\00:49:33.44
And the center
of the New Covenant
00:49:33.47\00:49:36.44
is where God is going to
put His law in our hearts
00:49:36.47\00:49:39.47
and our minds.
00:49:39.51\00:49:40.84
God's gonna write
them there in our hearts
00:49:40.88\00:49:42.48
and in our minds.
00:49:42.51\00:49:43.85
So the law is still a powerful,
00:49:43.88\00:49:45.38
a central part
of the New Covenant,
00:49:45.41\00:49:48.22
what I would call
the everlasting covenant.
00:49:48.25\00:49:50.19
I think we'd all agree
it's the everlasting covenant,
00:49:50.22\00:49:52.32
because the first promise
of the covenant that was given
00:49:52.35\00:49:56.22
was given to Abraham.
00:49:56.26\00:49:58.06
And Abraham was
promised something from God.
00:49:58.09\00:50:00.40
And Abraham
struggled with the promise,
00:50:00.43\00:50:02.06
you know, I'm going to
do this for Abraham of all,
00:50:02.10\00:50:04.40
you know, how could
this be, and you know,
00:50:04.43\00:50:07.24
my wife, there's no way
that she can have a child.
00:50:07.27\00:50:09.57
That mean, God is
making a promise to us.
00:50:09.60\00:50:12.07
And it's typified in Abraham,
because Abraham is facing
00:50:12.11\00:50:15.74
something that is overwhelming
him, the fact that his wife
00:50:15.78\00:50:18.95
can't have children, and yet
he's supposed to have a child.
00:50:18.98\00:50:21.42
And so he tries to
figure out another way.
00:50:21.45\00:50:24.99
Sarah helps him,
his wife helps him,
00:50:25.02\00:50:26.59
hey, listen, get
together with Hagar.
00:50:26.62\00:50:28.39
You and Hagar get together,
and we'll help God, right?
00:50:28.42\00:50:31.59
We'll help God
fulfill His promise, right?
00:50:31.63\00:50:34.30
We'll do our part,
right? God does His part.
00:50:34.33\00:50:37.40
And they do actually,
you know, produce a child,
00:50:37.43\00:50:40.14
but God comes to
them and He says,
00:50:40.17\00:50:41.54
you know, this is
not the child I promised,
00:50:41.57\00:50:44.21
this is not what I promised you.
00:50:44.24\00:50:46.17
I promised you something
that surpasses your ability.
00:50:46.21\00:50:50.18
I promised you something
that surpasses Sarah's ability.
00:50:50.21\00:50:53.15
And so you know, a year goes by,
00:50:53.18\00:50:54.68
two years goes by,
five years goes by,
00:50:54.72\00:50:56.42
10 years goes by, right?
00:50:56.45\00:50:58.25
Abraham was
promised when he was 75.
00:50:58.29\00:50:59.92
Now he's 85. Now wait a minute.
00:50:59.95\00:51:02.56
Sarah was 75, 85,
90, he's 100 years old.
00:51:02.59\00:51:06.23
Twenty five
years go by, he's 99,
00:51:06.26\00:51:09.40
moving to 100 years old.
00:51:09.43\00:51:11.03
And Abraham
himself finally says,
00:51:11.07\00:51:13.40
you know, not only
can Sarah and I have kids,
00:51:13.44\00:51:15.44
but I give up on myself.
00:51:15.47\00:51:16.81
I mean, I'm done. I've
just, I just can't do this.
00:51:16.84\00:51:19.11
It's just not possible.
00:51:19.14\00:51:20.48
And God says, yes,
00:51:20.51\00:51:22.18
the transition
has just taken place,
00:51:22.21\00:51:23.91
you're qualified right now.
00:51:23.95\00:51:25.88
You're qualified to transition
from the Old Testament
00:51:25.91\00:51:29.18
to the New
Testament, from the Old Covenant
00:51:29.22\00:51:30.55
to the New Cover in
the context of experience,
00:51:30.59\00:51:33.36
in the context of
understanding how God works.
00:51:33.39\00:51:36.29
And so Abraham then has a son.
00:51:36.32\00:51:38.96
It's a miracle
son, it's not a son,
00:51:38.99\00:51:40.50
that he can take credit for.
00:51:40.53\00:51:42.50
It's not a son that his
wife can take credit for.
00:51:42.53\00:51:45.07
God gets all the glory.
00:51:45.10\00:51:46.94
And that whole story is
told to us in Romans Chapter 4,
00:51:46.97\00:51:50.14
God gets all the
glory all the time.
00:51:50.17\00:51:52.37
That's right.
00:51:52.41\00:51:53.74
This is the
transition that God wants
00:51:53.78\00:51:55.11
His people to make at Sinai.
00:51:55.14\00:51:56.48
Sinai wasn't a mistake from
which they could not recover.
00:51:56.51\00:52:00.35
Sinai, that disobedience
00:52:00.38\00:52:02.95
after the 40 days was
a beautiful opportunity
00:52:02.98\00:52:06.19
for them to
transition in the New Covenant
00:52:06.22\00:52:08.52
experience for them
to realize, you know,
00:52:08.56\00:52:10.93
why did we say all
before he said we can do.
00:52:10.96\00:52:14.36
What were we
thinking? What were we thinking?
00:52:14.40\00:52:16.90
Those were bad promises.
00:52:16.93\00:52:18.27
And, of course, Paul brings
this up in this beautiful Book
00:52:18.30\00:52:21.74
of Hebrews that we
focused on in our camp meeting,
00:52:21.77\00:52:25.11
this relational book.
00:52:25.14\00:52:26.94
Paul brings out
all of these truths,
00:52:26.98\00:52:29.11
all of these covenant truths.
00:52:29.14\00:52:30.98
And he says, you know
what? Those were bad promises.
00:52:31.01\00:52:33.45
You know, that,
that the people made,
00:52:33.48\00:52:35.75
they were bad, but it wasn't
bad promises that God made.
00:52:35.78\00:52:38.02
But it was bad
promises that people made
00:52:38.05\00:52:39.49
when they said, all
the Lord has said we...
00:52:39.52\00:52:40.86
Those were terrible promises.
00:52:40.89\00:52:42.49
So God has stepped in,
00:52:42.52\00:52:43.86
He's overruled
those bad promises.
00:52:43.89\00:52:46.43
And He's told us, you know what?
00:52:46.46\00:52:48.23
I'm going to put
My law in your hearts
00:52:48.26\00:52:50.87
and in your minds.
00:52:50.90\00:52:52.23
I'm going to be your God.
You're going to be My people.
00:52:52.27\00:52:54.87
I'm the one that's
going to teach you.
00:52:54.90\00:52:57.27
All the way
through the New Covenant.
00:52:57.31\00:52:59.17
In Hebrews Chapter
8, you have I, I, I,
00:52:59.21\00:53:02.64
I pointing to
God, He's the source.
00:53:02.68\00:53:05.55
This is the lesson that
God was longing to teach
00:53:05.58\00:53:08.28
the children of Israel,
00:53:08.32\00:53:09.65
as He transitioned
them from this apostasy
00:53:09.68\00:53:11.62
and move them forward.
00:53:11.65\00:53:13.02
He wanted them to
understand, if you love Me,
00:53:13.05\00:53:16.12
you will keep My commandments.
00:53:16.16\00:53:17.49
It's going to be an
outworking of keeping My,
00:53:17.53\00:53:19.59
if you love Me, so
what is our focus to be?
00:53:19.63\00:53:22.03
Our focus is to be loved.
00:53:22.06\00:53:23.83
The children of Israel
were to learn this lesson.
00:53:23.87\00:53:26.33
The Jewish nation
was to learn this lesson.
00:53:26.37\00:53:28.30
You know, the Jewish
nation kept the law of God,
00:53:28.34\00:53:30.97
I mean to the tee,
they kept the law of God.
00:53:31.01\00:53:33.91
But in Luke 11:42,
00:53:33.94\00:53:36.04
Jesus says that
you left out love,
00:53:36.08\00:53:38.51
you left out the love of God,
00:53:38.55\00:53:40.22
and without the love of God,
all that obedience is legalism.
00:53:40.25\00:53:43.82
It doesn't matter if we're
keeping God's law for keeping
00:53:43.85\00:53:46.82
the right day or the wrong day.
00:53:46.86\00:53:48.42
If we're religious,
according to the Bible
00:53:48.46\00:53:50.26
or religious outside
the Bible or in a perversion
00:53:50.29\00:53:53.06
of the Bible,
whatever our religion is,
00:53:53.09\00:53:54.96
it's legalism without God.
00:53:55.00\00:53:57.07
It's legalism without
the motivation of God's love,
00:53:57.10\00:54:00.64
because the love of God
is the only thing that can
00:54:00.67\00:54:03.87
actually cause us to have
this New Covenant experience.
00:54:03.91\00:54:07.61
The anointing
of the Holy Spirit.
00:54:07.64\00:54:09.08
That's what's promised
again in Hebrews Chapter 8,
00:54:09.11\00:54:11.18
the anointing of the Holy Spirit
00:54:11.21\00:54:12.55
is the only thing
that can transition us
00:54:12.58\00:54:14.68
from an Old Covenant experience
to the New Covenant experience,
00:54:14.72\00:54:17.92
from that apostasy
at Sinai, to the reality
00:54:17.95\00:54:22.09
of having a new heart that
has fallen in love with God.
00:54:22.12\00:54:25.73
So this week's lesson
was powerful in this sense,
00:54:25.76\00:54:27.93
and just want to close
it out with Proverbs 3:5-7.
00:54:27.96\00:54:32.50
Proverbs 3:5-7
00:54:32.53\00:54:34.80
really powerful verses
here that kind of lay out for us
00:54:34.84\00:54:38.94
the outline of
what it means to have
00:54:38.97\00:54:41.14
this relationship with God.
00:54:41.18\00:54:42.51
Proverbs 3,
beginning with verse 5
00:54:42.54\00:54:44.31
and all the way through verse 7.
00:54:44.35\00:54:46.38
"Let not mercy and
truth forsake thee:
00:54:46.41\00:54:48.65
bind them about thy neck,
write them upon the tables
00:54:48.68\00:54:51.42
of thine heart:
00:54:51.45\00:54:52.89
So shalt thou find favor
00:54:52.92\00:54:54.99
and good understanding
in the sight of God and man.
00:54:55.02\00:54:57.53
Trust in the Lord
with all thine heart,
00:54:57.56\00:55:00.33
lean not on our
own understanding.
00:55:00.36\00:55:02.10
In all thy ways acknowledge him,
00:55:02.13\00:55:04.67
and he shall direct thy paths.
00:55:04.70\00:55:06.20
Be not wise in thine own eyes:
00:55:06.23\00:55:08.04
fear the Lord,
and depart from evil."
00:55:08.07\00:55:11.04
Do you see the
principles in there?
00:55:11.07\00:55:12.54
God is revealing
these principles,
00:55:12.57\00:55:13.94
and He's showing
us this is the way
00:55:13.98\00:55:15.84
and the way is to have
this relationship with God,
00:55:15.88\00:55:19.28
this constant dependence on God,
00:55:19.31\00:55:21.35
this continual
communion with God,
00:55:21.38\00:55:23.39
this walk with God that causes
us to rely upon His strength,
00:55:23.42\00:55:27.29
His power, His love, His mercy,
His grace, and as we do that,
00:55:27.32\00:55:31.59
it works out in us
this beautiful picture
00:55:31.63\00:55:35.00
of commandment keeping
that Jill brought to us
00:55:35.03\00:55:37.17
and that that we've
looked at as we've moved
00:55:37.20\00:55:39.50
through this first
part of our lesson.
00:55:39.53\00:55:42.10
Amen. Oh, wonderful.
00:55:42.14\00:55:43.47
We're so glad to
have you join the team,
00:55:43.51\00:55:47.64
the family of 3ABN,
00:55:47.68\00:55:49.48
and what a wonderful addition
00:55:49.51\00:55:51.48
you are to our
Sabbath School study.
00:55:51.51\00:55:53.95
We learn so
much from each other.
00:55:53.98\00:55:56.55
Want to give everyone
00:55:56.58\00:55:57.92
just a few seconds to
have a comment about your day?
00:55:57.95\00:56:01.36
Amen.
00:56:01.39\00:56:02.72
Yeah, we've learned here
today that the Bible says
00:56:02.76\00:56:04.09
God is love, not
that He's mere loving,
00:56:04.13\00:56:06.76
but yet He is love.
00:56:06.80\00:56:08.13
How do we fully comprehend that?
00:56:08.16\00:56:09.66
We're going to continue
to learn that over this many,
00:56:09.70\00:56:12.03
many ceaseless ages to come,
00:56:12.07\00:56:13.40
but at the same time,
true love requires freedom.
00:56:13.44\00:56:15.94
And we learn that we
serve a God of love and freedom.
00:56:15.97\00:56:18.64
Amen.
00:56:18.67\00:56:20.01
And the other thing God calls us
00:56:20.04\00:56:21.51
not because of who we are,
00:56:21.54\00:56:23.61
but because of
who we can become.
00:56:23.65\00:56:26.38
He calls us not
because of what He sees in us,
00:56:26.41\00:56:29.88
but because of what
He wants to do in us.
00:56:29.92\00:56:31.85
Philippians 2:13,
00:56:31.89\00:56:33.76
"For it is God who
works in us both to will
00:56:33.79\00:56:36.93
and to do of His good pleasure."
00:56:36.96\00:56:39.23
Amen.
00:56:39.26\00:56:40.60
I had the covenant at Sinai,
this incredible covenant God
00:56:40.63\00:56:42.73
made with His people,
redemption, relationship,
00:56:42.76\00:56:45.77
God's promise in obedience.
00:56:45.80\00:56:47.67
I'm reminded of Philippians 1:6,
00:56:47.70\00:56:49.40
"Being confident
of this very thing,
00:56:49.44\00:56:51.37
that He, that's God,
who began a good work in us
00:56:51.41\00:56:54.94
will carry it
forward to completion.
00:56:54.98\00:56:56.71
You can rest with
assurance in Jesus.
00:56:56.75\00:56:59.61
And I love the fact that no
matter what our failures are,
00:56:59.65\00:57:04.05
that those failures are
doors, they're gateways,
00:57:04.09\00:57:06.25
they're opportunities for
us to see God as He really
00:57:06.29\00:57:08.96
is to trust Him as He really is.
00:57:08.99\00:57:10.66
And to have Him recover us
00:57:10.69\00:57:12.99
and renew us in
the true New Covenant
00:57:13.03\00:57:15.16
experience that
He wants us to have.
00:57:15.20\00:57:16.77
Amen, and amen.
00:57:16.80\00:57:18.13
And you know, the
wonderful thing about God
00:57:18.17\00:57:21.37
is love is that His government
is a government of love.
00:57:21.40\00:57:25.51
He operates by
the power of love.
00:57:25.54\00:57:28.14
And the unifying
theme through Scripture
00:57:28.18\00:57:30.85
is that our God is a
covenant keeping God.
00:57:30.88\00:57:34.65
His promises are sure.
00:57:34.68\00:57:36.82
And He says, "I will be your God
00:57:36.85\00:57:38.89
and you will be My people."
00:57:38.92\00:57:40.99
I love the Book of Deuteronomy.
00:57:41.02\00:57:44.96
I am so excited
about this study.
00:57:44.99\00:57:48.03
And I pray that you'll
be able to join us next time
00:57:48.06\00:57:52.03
and the second lesson
is Moses' history lesson.
00:57:52.07\00:57:56.17
So join us then.
00:57:56.20\00:57:57.74
We want to thank each one
00:57:57.77\00:57:59.37
of you for your
wonderful input today.
00:57:59.41\00:58:03.14
And thank you at
home for joining us.
00:58:03.18\00:58:05.95
Amen.
00:58:05.98\00:58:07.45