[Music]
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[Music]
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Having these conversations
is just opening my mind left and
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right to new ideas.
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There's this synergy that
happens around a table, and I'm,
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I'm really benefiting from
personally, and in our last
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conversation, for example, James
brought 2 Corinthians 11 to the
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table, and it was
like new light for me.
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I, I, I was really familiar with
2 Corinthians 4 and the idea
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that Satan is the god of this
era, this age, and that he, he
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works to deceive people's minds,
and Christ is the illumination
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of God's character in contrast
to the devil's deception.
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I was also really familiar with
2 Corinthians chapter 10, and
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the idea that the warfare
between good and evil is, is
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primarily a war between
arguments and ideas playing out
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against one another, so
it's really a truth-error war.
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But then, chapter...
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He goes to 11...
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He goes to 11, which I've read
before, and all of a sudden I
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realize that here the Apostle
Paul is carrying on...there's
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this trajectory, this continuum,
and in chapter 11, Paul is
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taking us all the way back to
Genesis 3, and he's saying there
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was craftiness, and Eve was the
object and focus and it happened
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in her mind, the devil deceived
her mind, and then Paul leaps
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forward and says, and the whole
world now is in this mind war,
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this great controversy, and
there is this constant foisting
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upon the world of another
gospel, another Jesus, another
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spirit, so conversation is
powerful, and we actually want
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to encourage people to do this.
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To get together around tables
in homes and converse around the
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Word of God and you will
learn things as you hear God
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communicating through a friend,
a family member, to you, so I'm
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blessed.
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I wanna say
something on that too.
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We often think, oh, I'm gonna go
to church because that's where
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I'll hear the word.
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That's where I'll hear a sermon,
and praise God that that's one
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of the best things about church,
but too often we think, that's
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where the spiritual happens.
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That's the place where the
Bible, the gospel...and then we
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go home, and we talk about the
football game or the basketball
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game, or we talk about surfing
or our vacation or whatever.
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The very best place for these
kinds of conversations to take
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place is not in a church because
a church is, important as it is,
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it's a monologue, usually,
except for Sabbath school.
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Where somebody's up front
and they're teaching, but here,
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Jeffery, and he brings
something, and James, and it can
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happen not just here with us but
on your own, so to me this venue
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is such a rich venue because as
Scripture says, and I think you
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quoted this in the very first
program, iron sharpens iron, so
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a friend sharpens the
countenance of his friends,
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somewhere Proverbs 17.
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This idea of, oh, yeah, yeah,
yeah, I hadn't seen that before.
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Different
perspectives, different ideas.
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I love it.
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I just want people
to understand this.
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This is how this works.
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It's not necessarily that we are
sitting here with our own little
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nuggets that
we're going to share.
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I've got my little nugget.
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You've got your little nugget.
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We've all got our little
nuggets, but there are times,
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may times, like this occasion
where as we're talking, and as
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were bringing together all these
ideas and thoughts, something
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else steps in among us.
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God's Spirit leads us to
thoughts and ideas that He
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didn't necessarily entrust to
one or two of us individually,
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separately, but He entrusts to
the group of us together because
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each one of us together is
coming together discussing,
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seeing,
uncovering, and suddenly, boom!
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And without that
interaction, it's not possible.
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It wasn't possible because that
2 Corinthians idea was and idea
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that gelled in my mind as
we were talking about Genesis.
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As we were talking
about Revelation 12.
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As we were talking about
Ezekiel 28 and that whole great
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conversation.
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All of a sudden
it's coming together.
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Wait a minute!
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Merchandise.
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Wait a minute.
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Look at the way
the devil is working.
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Pitchfork.
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No!
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Angel of light, yes.
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Another gospel.
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Another spirit.
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Another Jesus.
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That's, yeah, his merchandise,
and now we're sharing and
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presenting this beautiful gospel
and the same thing that the god,
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the merchandising and
misrepresenting, the same thing
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that he wants to do to
us in these last times.
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False prophets first as the
truth, the light, the gospel.
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Understanding the
gospel as a community exercise.
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It's a community event.
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This is a little community
around this table and it'd be
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great if there were
all kinds of people...
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Listen, Ty...listen, Ty.
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This is why we're doing
this because we have sat down in
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offices, in cars, in homes,
at coffee tables, wherever, and
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we've, whoa, whoa, it'd be
so cool if we could have this.
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It's be so neat if
we could have this.
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And that's why we said
hey, let's do Table Talk.
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Not to get too far field here,
but, this, people are longing
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for this.
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They're not just longing
to sit down and have a sermon.
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And the sermon has a crucial, I
mean you're a preacher, you're a
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preacher, you're a preacher, I'm
a preacher, we're all preachers.
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Nobody here is diminishing the
role of the sermon, so it's not
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that in lieu of this.
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It's this and that.
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More interaction.
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More communication.
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More community.
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More priesthood of all believers
bringing what they're learning
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about God and the
Gospel to the table.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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So, where're we headed?
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Ok, so this conversation, we're
dealing with the covenant of
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peace.
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Just covenant concepts in
Scripture which all of us have
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discovered in our Bible study,
is pervasive through the Bible.
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The Bible basically, we look at
Scripture and we see one book.
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Then we understand on another
level that it's two books we
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refer to as the Old Testament
and the New Testament, and then
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we realize that basically the
whole Bible can be summarized in
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the fact that the Old Testament
is God making promises,
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establishing and
articulating covenant.
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And then the New Testament
is God keeping those promises.
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Fulfilling His covenant in
the person of Jesus Christ.
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I love that even the structure
of the Bible is covenant.
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So in the Old Testament you have
a covenant, and that covenant
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created a movement of
God's people, and that movement
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brought about a
body of literature.
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And that body of literature has
been collected and we call it
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the Old Testament.
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The New Testament,
God's promises brings about a
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movement, and that
movement brings about a body of
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literature and we call
that the New Testament.
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So I don't think, I think that
you can even say further that
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the Bible doesn't have covenant.
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The Bible is covenant.
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That's what it is.
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I love that.
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It's not just
that it contains it.
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It's that it is.
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Now, I'm just gonna press the
quickest of pauses here and say
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for the hair dresser, the
grocer, the brother, the sister
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that's at the table here.
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We're using this language
covenant, covenant, covenant.
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That's not everyday speak.
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It's an everyday concept, but
that's not everyday speak, so we
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need to put some flesh on that.
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What are we talking about when
we say, the Bible is a covenant,
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uh, the Old
Testament is a covenant.
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The New Testament is
the covenant fulfilled.
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What's our word here?
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What does it mean?
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A synonym for the word
covenant would be agreement.
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Another would be promise.
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Uh, the idea is that God makes
promises and He faithfully keeps
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His promises.
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Contract?
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Would that work at all?
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Contract works.
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A contract or a vow.
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A vow.
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A bond.
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A pledge.
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What we have happening in
the Bible is that God is making
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promises.
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He's keeping them.
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On the human end, the promises,
the covenant is being broken,
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and finally Jesus comes as we
will just really magnify in our
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next conversation, and Jesus is
the fulfillment of the covenant,
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from both the divine end of the
spectrum and the human end of
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the spectrum, so that there's
total faithfulness achieved in
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the person of Jesus
Christ, the God-Man.
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And I really like that, when
I think about a contract too,
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because when I think about
a contract, I think about a
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contractor.
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I think about, for example,
building a house, and a house
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builder, a person, a family
who's building a will get a
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loan, or if they have the money,
they will contract it to someone
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who promises to A, B, and C
for a certain amount of money.
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But the way you're describing
it, God is the contractor, and
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God is the contractor.
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In other words, He's the one
that is making the promises to
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build the house, but He's
also the one who is supplying
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everything that's needed
financially or otherwise.
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He's executing as well.
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Yes.
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He's drawing the
plans and he's executing it.
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And He's providing
everything in-between.
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But that is slightly ahead of
the story because as the story
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unfolds, and I agree, yes, yes,
yes, that's all true, but as the
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story unfolds, as we're gonna
see, God extends His hand in a
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series of covenants.
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We're gonna I think get into
that, and the reason that God
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comes in Christ to fulfill,
not only the divine half of the
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covenant as God, but to fulfill
the human half of the covenant,
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is that you have an
uninterrupted series of covenant
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failures as human beings.
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Failure, failure, failure,
failure, failure, so that God
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has to take upon Himself as
a man, what no man, or group of
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men, or women, had
done up to that point.
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Another way to define covenant,
David, you, you, you're probing
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into basic definition of the
word and the idea, is to think
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of it this way.
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That we live in a universe
that is basically governed by
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covenant.
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If we go all the way back,
as we have done in a previous
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conversation, to God
before creation, in Genesis 1 we
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discover what we might
call the covenant of creation.
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You have the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit, and how did
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we discover that they
exist prior to creation?
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They exist in
covenant among themselves.
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They exist, that is to say,
in a condition, in a relational
00:10:17.76\00:10:23.23
condition of
others centered love.
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Each living for the others.
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Out of that covenant that is
intrinsic to God's character,
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which is simply to say that
faithfulness, faithful love, is
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intrinsic and
central to God's character.
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The Father is faithful
to the Son and the Spirit.
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The Son is faithful in love to
the Spirit and the Father, and
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the circle.
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Got it.
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Ok, so then, then, out of
that foundational covenant
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relationship, we hear in
Genesis, let us make mankind in
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our image.
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Let's create covenant
relationship adjacent to
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ourselves, and so, Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit, enter into the
00:11:03.80\00:11:06.46
covenant, or the agreement
or the contract of creation.
00:11:06.46\00:11:10.86
Let's create in our image, and
they fulfill what they agreed
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among themselves,
the three of them, to do.
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Boom!
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You have humanity.
00:11:18.23\00:11:19.50
You have the man and the woman,
and now covenant is expanding.
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Something, that, that's
true, beautiful, and awesome.
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The other thing that comes to my
mind when you say those words is
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that a covenant within say,
let's just take the pre-creation
00:11:32.53\00:11:36.33
covenant, Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit, requires not only
00:11:36.33\00:11:38.80
faithfulness to the agreement.
00:11:38.80\00:11:41.26
It requires a self understanding
of one's role within the
00:11:41.26\00:11:45.80
covenant.
00:11:45.80\00:11:47.60
So, for example, the
Father is the Father.
00:11:47.60\00:11:51.10
That is who He is, and as
the Father he superintends and
00:11:51.10\00:11:55.63
executes certain
elements within the covenant.
00:11:55.63\00:11:58.10
That's His role.
00:11:58.10\00:11:59.16
So, to the Son.
00:11:59.16\00:12:00.20
So to the Spirit.
00:12:00.20\00:12:01.53
The Son's role is
not the Spirit's role.
00:12:01.53\00:12:03.26
The Spirit's role
is not the Son's role.
00:12:03.26\00:12:04.63
The Father's role is not the
Son's role, and the Son's the
00:12:04.63\00:12:07.03
Father's, so...so too
in a marriage covenant.
00:12:07.03\00:12:09.56
My wife, she has an identity
and a role to play out in the
00:12:09.56\00:12:15.93
context of the covenant.
00:12:15.93\00:12:16.96
Her job is not my job.
00:12:16.96\00:12:18.43
Her role is not my role.
00:12:18.43\00:12:19.36
Neither mine hers.
00:12:19.36\00:12:20.63
So, even within, before you even
get to the creation covenant,
00:12:20.63\00:12:24.26
God is covenant.
00:12:24.26\00:12:26.26
The Father, the Son, and
the Spirit each knowing who they
00:12:26.26\00:12:29.30
are, being true to the other
within the roles that are a part
00:12:29.30\00:12:33.93
of the very essence of the
Godhead itself, so then it makes
00:12:33.93\00:12:36.56
sense that that kind
of a God who is covenant.
00:12:36.56\00:12:39.83
Who is identified as three and
yet one, that He would establish
00:12:39.83\00:12:45.40
people in
covenantal relationship.
00:12:45.40\00:12:48.00
He would make,
ok, you're the man.
00:12:48.00\00:12:50.00
Ok, and now you're the woman,
and you're role and her role,
00:12:50.00\00:12:53.66
and then
children and their role.
00:12:53.66\00:12:55.53
The whole thing is not
just relational, but it's
00:12:55.53\00:12:59.06
relationship defined by roles
and being true to that role as
00:12:59.06\00:13:03.23
well as being true to
others within the agreement.
00:13:03.23\00:13:06.66
That's covenant.
00:13:06.66\00:13:07.93
Ok, so we have the covenant of
creation, then that emerges from
00:13:07.93\00:13:11.20
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
and God's anticipation, God's
00:13:11.20\00:13:16.36
hope, God's desire is that
faithfulness will be maintained.
00:13:16.36\00:13:19.20
That humanity will maintain
faithful, relational integrity.
00:13:19.20\00:13:24.96
Covenant.
00:13:24.96\00:13:26.40
With God and with one another.
00:13:26.40\00:13:27.60
The fall occurs.
00:13:27.60\00:13:29.23
When the fall occurs, we need to
understand, in Scripture, that
00:13:29.23\00:13:34.03
God has already in
His foreknowledge, in His
00:13:34.03\00:13:38.10
omniscience, God has already
anticipated the fall, and has
00:13:38.10\00:13:41.73
made a decision consistent with
His character, that if humanity
00:13:41.73\00:13:48.93
should defect, fall,
rebel, what will God do?
00:13:48.93\00:13:53.16
Well, God will follow through
with, and I love this language,
00:13:53.16\00:13:57.23
He will follow through
with the covenant of peace.
00:13:57.23\00:14:00.90
And this is found, that language
is found in Isaiah chapter 54
00:14:00.90\00:14:05.26
and verse 10.
00:14:05.26\00:14:06.66
And here's God speaking, "For
the mountains shall depart, and
00:14:06.66\00:14:11.26
the hills will be removed,
but my kindness shall not depart
00:14:11.26\00:14:17.66
from you, nor shall my covenant
of peace be removed, says the
00:14:17.66\00:14:22.73
Lord who has mercy on you."
00:14:22.73\00:14:25.63
So, here's this language
covenant of peace, and God is
00:14:25.63\00:14:28.23
basically making a pledge.
00:14:28.23\00:14:29.46
He's saying, no matter
what happens in the material
00:14:29.46\00:14:34.96
creation, mountains will shake
and remove, but I'm immovable.
00:14:34.96\00:14:38.73
In what sense am I immovable?
00:14:38.73\00:14:41.96
I will follow through
with my faithful love for you.
00:14:41.96\00:14:45.30
Now, you've not
been faithful to me.
00:14:45.30\00:14:46.86
You've broken covenant.
00:14:46.86\00:14:48.60
You've defected.
00:14:48.60\00:14:49.86
You've rebelled, but your
unfaithfulness will not have any
00:14:49.86\00:14:55.66
impact on my faithfulness.
00:14:55.66\00:14:59.43
I'll keep being who I am.
00:14:59.43\00:15:01.16
I'll keep being faithful to you
no matter what you are toward
00:15:01.16\00:15:06.23
me.
00:15:06.23\00:15:07.50
I love that because if covenant
means promise, a promise is only
00:15:07.50\00:15:10.20
as good as the reputation
and character of the person
00:15:10.20\00:15:13.16
promising.
00:15:13.16\00:15:14.00
Right?
00:15:14.00\00:15:15.56
There are certain individuals
that they can say, oh man, I'll
00:15:15.56\00:15:18.86
come through, I promise.
00:15:18.86\00:15:20.13
I'll be there, or I promise, and
you're like, yeah, whatever, you
00:15:20.13\00:15:24.03
promised the last 10 times.
00:15:24.03\00:15:25.23
So reputation has a lot to
do with the integrity of the
00:15:25.23\00:15:28.26
promise, so could it be that
Scripture's the story of God's
00:15:28.26\00:15:31.76
consistent,
faithfulness to his promises.
00:15:31.76\00:15:36.40
A track record
of His reputation.
00:15:36.40\00:15:38.53
That when God promises
something, He always comes
00:15:38.53\00:15:41.40
through, and...
00:15:41.40\00:15:42.53
But He doesn't always
come through in the way that we
00:15:42.53\00:15:44.70
think.
00:15:44.70\00:15:46.13
That's sort of the, that's
the story, the story, the Bible
00:15:46.13\00:15:49.53
springs a surprise on us as to
how God fulfills His promises.
00:15:49.53\00:15:53.16
I know that that's skipping
ahead slightly, but it's
00:15:53.16\00:15:56.63
amazing.
00:15:56.63\00:15:57.90
And it reminds me of the text
that says He couldn't figure out
00:15:57.90\00:16:01.16
who to swear by so
He swore by Himself.
00:16:01.16\00:16:02.73
He couldn't figure out somebody
greater, somebody greater, so he
00:16:02.73\00:16:07.00
swears by Himself.
00:16:07.00\00:16:08.23
That language, I'm so glad
you brought that to the table
00:16:08.23\00:16:10.20
because that's basically
God saying, I'm going to pledge
00:16:10.20\00:16:15.80
and promise and swear by myself
because there's no one greater
00:16:15.80\00:16:19.63
Hebrews says.
00:16:19.63\00:16:20.90
In other words, I'm pledging to
be consistent in Myself and not,
00:16:20.90\00:16:24.90
illustration we had in the
previous conversation, I'm not
00:16:24.90\00:16:28.86
going under the table.
00:16:28.86\00:16:30.00
I'm not going to break
covenant with my own character.
00:16:30.00\00:16:33.40
I'm not going to violate
the integrity of who I am.
00:16:33.40\00:16:36.53
Isn't that amazing love?
00:16:36.53\00:16:39.63
Amazing love
that God has for us.
00:16:39.63\00:16:42.70
Something that I just kind of
want to just tell a little of my
00:16:42.70\00:16:45.46
own story here about the Bible
and my own maturation or my own
00:16:45.46\00:16:50.33
increasing understanding of what
Scripture is and the role of
00:16:50.33\00:16:54.80
Scripture in my own life
goes something like this.
00:16:54.80\00:16:57.03
Prior to my becoming a believer,
you know I was just a purple
00:16:57.03\00:17:03.03
haired punk rocker,
skateboarder, did that thing.
00:17:03.03\00:17:05.73
Then when I became a believer
at the age of 23, almost 24, I
00:17:05.73\00:17:09.00
would read the Bible, but I was
reading the Bible primarily, and
00:17:09.00\00:17:12.66
I did for a number of years, as
a series, what's right, what's
00:17:12.66\00:17:16.86
wrong.
00:17:16.86\00:17:17.56
What should I do?
00:17:17.56\00:17:18.30
What shouldn't I do?
00:17:18.30\00:17:19.56
And I read the Bible, I would
say, in a certainly sincere and
00:17:19.56\00:17:22.40
genuine way, but in a fairly
perfunctory and immature way.
00:17:22.40\00:17:27.10
I just saw the
Bible as a code book.
00:17:27.10\00:17:29.96
Right?
00:17:29.96\00:17:31.03
Just, do this, do this,
do this, do this, do this.
00:17:31.03\00:17:33.63
Don't do this.
00:17:33.63\00:17:34.76
Don't do this.
00:17:34.76\00:17:35.30
Don't do this.
00:17:35.30\00:17:36.56
This is the...but then over time
you transition from code book to
00:17:36.56\00:17:40.30
case book, right, where you
have also this is Moses story.
00:17:40.30\00:17:44.73
Oh, this is...and this is a
story, and this is a story, and
00:17:44.73\00:17:47.66
you start to see the Bible
is not just a list of rules, but
00:17:47.66\00:17:50.66
it's how God interacts with
people and as that transition
00:17:50.66\00:17:54.06
took place in my own life, I
began to see, it's not just any
00:17:54.06\00:17:57.30
ordinary story, or
a series of stories.
00:17:57.30\00:18:00.13
The fullest maturation, not that
I've arrived, I don't suggest
00:18:00.13\00:18:04.30
that, is when you come to
realize that the Bible is the
00:18:04.30\00:18:07.40
story of God's
covenantal faithfulness.
00:18:07.40\00:18:09.80
And I just want to speak to any
of the listeners that are here,
00:18:09.80\00:18:13.60
that are listening in, there's
nothing wrong with growing in
00:18:13.60\00:18:16.83
how you understand Scripture.
00:18:16.83\00:18:18.90
It might just start of as
a, that's wrong, that's wrong,
00:18:18.90\00:18:21.63
that's right, that's right, but
as we mature, as we grow, the
00:18:21.63\00:18:23.53
Bible becomes a
beautiful covenant document.
00:18:23.53\00:18:26.23
Not just an ancient, but a
modern covenant promise, God to
00:18:26.23\00:18:29.53
us.
00:18:29.53\00:18:30.76
You know, David, not only is
there nothing wrong with growing
00:18:30.76\00:18:34.23
and you know, and expanding
and maturing our perspectives.
00:18:34.23\00:18:38.30
That's the only way to actually
progress in our experience with
00:18:38.30\00:18:44.26
Jesus is to keep learning.
00:18:44.26\00:18:46.80
In our second segment of
this conversation, we're gonna
00:18:46.80\00:18:51.30
discover some incredible ideas,
I believe, as we continue this
00:18:51.30\00:18:55.73
conversation, because we're
dealing with an incredible God
00:18:55.73\00:18:58.60
who is making
and keeping promises.
00:18:58.60\00:19:00.63
Amen.
00:19:00.63\00:19:01.40
Praise God.
00:19:01.40\00:19:03.03
Hi, I'm Ty Gibson.
00:19:03.03\00:19:10.70
Welcome to digma.com.
00:19:10.70\00:19:12.56
I am so excited about this
website because you're about to
00:19:12.56\00:19:16.03
discover a powerful new way to
share life-transforming messages
00:19:16.03\00:19:19.93
and videos with your family,
friends, and anybody else on the
00:19:19.93\00:19:24.20
planet that has
access to a computer.
00:19:24.20\00:19:25.66
Digma is a Greek word.
00:19:25.66\00:19:28.63
It basically means to show or to
reveal something by means of a
00:19:28.63\00:19:33.10
pattern or an
example of some kind.
00:19:33.10\00:19:35.50
It's the second half of the word
paradigma from which we get the
00:19:35.50\00:19:43.36
English word paradigm, as
in paradigm shift, and so what
00:19:43.36\00:19:45.56
you're going to find at
digma.com is a growing library
00:19:45.56\00:19:47.80
of short videos and transcripts
dealing with paradigms and
00:19:47.80\00:19:51.50
fundamental questions.
00:19:51.50\00:19:52.90
What's the meaning of life?
00:19:52.90\00:19:55.63
What is our origin and
destiny as human beings?
00:19:55.63\00:19:59.13
What happens when we die?
00:19:59.13\00:20:01.63
Does God exist or are we
alone in this vast universe?
00:20:01.63\00:20:06.30
Why is there so much evil
and suffering in our world.
00:20:06.30\00:20:09.96
An estimated 70% of Americans
have a computer right in their
00:20:09.96\00:20:14.56
home and stay in touch with
family and friends by email, and
00:20:14.56\00:20:18.50
more than 400 million
people are active on Facebook.
00:20:18.50\00:20:23.50
And 5 million new users
are signing up every week.
00:20:23.50\00:20:28.26
We are literally in the midst of
a communications revolution of
00:20:28.26\00:20:32.96
massive proportions.
00:20:32.96\00:20:34.96
This is granting the
Gospel direct and easy access to
00:20:34.96\00:20:39.40
millions upon millions of homes
and hearts, and that's what
00:20:39.40\00:20:44.80
digma.com is all about.
00:20:44.80\00:20:48.06
It's a tool for leading
our family and friends on an
00:20:48.06\00:20:51.76
exciting paradigm shift by
revealing the truth of God's
00:20:51.76\00:20:56.40
creative power and his
incredibly beautiful character
00:20:56.40\00:20:59.96
in contrast to our world's
popular misconceptions about who
00:20:59.96\00:21:05.63
God is.
00:21:05.63\00:21:07.80
Again, you guys, I'm pretty
excited about the Digma project.
00:21:07.80\00:21:19.76
I know you are as well, because
it does something a little bit
00:21:19.76\00:21:24.20
new.
00:21:24.20\00:21:25.46
It approaches Biblical subject
matter from an angle that will
00:21:25.46\00:21:30.70
be accessible to the kinds
of people that I grew up with.
00:21:30.70\00:21:37.03
People who have no Biblical
foundation, who are basically
00:21:37.03\00:21:42.86
raised in secular homes and
they're not hostile toward God,
00:21:42.86\00:21:47.50
but they're basically in a frame
of mind, well, I don't know.
00:21:47.50\00:21:51.03
Maybe God exists, maybe God
doesn't exist, and if He does,
00:21:51.03\00:21:53.56
what kind of person is He?
00:21:53.56\00:21:55.06
I don't know, so the Digma
videos are basically a short
00:21:55.06\00:21:59.96
little, story-based,
communication devices that
00:21:59.96\00:22:04.20
stimulate conversation
with people regarding two basic
00:22:04.20\00:22:08.73
categories of ideas: does God
exist, and if He does, what kind
00:22:08.73\00:22:13.23
of God is he, what
kind of being is he?
00:22:13.23\00:22:17.26
So, we just hope people
will find them valuable.
00:22:17.26\00:22:18.93
Digma.com.
00:22:18.93\00:22:20.20
Share those things, pass them
around, and let's get right back
00:22:20.20\00:22:23.03
into our subject.
00:22:23.03\00:22:24.16
So, we're talking about
covenant, and where we've come
00:22:24.16\00:22:27.13
from in the first part of our
conversation is basically say
00:22:27.13\00:22:31.20
that God is a covenantal
being in and of Himself, God is
00:22:31.20\00:22:42.16
consistent.
00:22:42.16\00:22:43.66
There is faithfulness that
lies at the foundation of the
00:22:43.66\00:22:47.76
character of God.
00:22:47.76\00:22:49.26
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
live in an eternal ebb and flow
00:22:49.26\00:22:54.10
of others-centered,
faithful unchanging love.
00:22:54.10\00:22:57.63
Out of that God says, let us
make mankind in our own image,
00:22:57.63\00:23:03.56
and so now covenant is
expanding, and human beings are
00:23:03.56\00:23:07.73
now a replica of the triune love
that exists with the Father,
00:23:07.73\00:23:11.96
Son, and Holy Spirit, and as
they replicate that love, now a
00:23:11.96\00:23:17.20
whole new possibility of
expanding love is before the
00:23:17.20\00:23:22.13
universe.
00:23:22.13\00:23:23.10
Then we notice
that the fall occurred.
00:23:23.10\00:23:25.73
Adam and Eve defected.
00:23:25.73\00:23:27.76
They rebelled, basically they
rebelled against God's love,
00:23:27.76\00:23:31.40
against the idea, the mode
of living that is grounded in
00:23:31.40\00:23:37.63
relational integrity, covenant.
00:23:37.63\00:23:40.56
They then find themselves in the
predicament in which, and God is
00:23:40.56\00:23:46.86
in a predicament that of course
in His foreknowledge He saw and
00:23:46.86\00:23:49.90
anticipated, and God has already
determined to remain consistent
00:23:49.90\00:23:54.30
no matter what human beings do.
00:23:54.30\00:23:56.13
It's called the
covenant of peace.
00:23:56.13\00:23:57.93
God basically says, within the
Godhead, Father, Son, and Holy
00:23:57.93\00:24:03.33
Spirit, no matter what they do,
we will continue to be faithful.
00:24:03.33\00:24:07.50
We will
continue to keep promise.
00:24:07.50\00:24:10.30
We will continue to be who
we are, and so that launches the
00:24:10.30\00:24:13.40
Biblical story.
00:24:13.40\00:24:15.13
The Biblical story begins
with this foundational idea of
00:24:15.13\00:24:18.50
covenant, and now covenant
has been broken, so in Genesis
00:24:18.50\00:24:23.00
chapter 3, now we're moving
on in the story line, and I know
00:24:23.00\00:24:28.06
Jeffery really
loves Genesis 3:15.
00:24:28.06\00:24:30.36
It comes up in our
conversations sometimes.
00:24:30.36\00:24:32.63
Well, it's the first time
God basically chimes in, so to
00:24:32.63\00:24:36.96
speak, and He blows the trumpet
and the whole buildup of Genesis
00:24:36.96\00:24:40.76
3 is the fall and it's dark.
00:24:40.76\00:24:42.70
It's failure.
00:24:42.70\00:24:45.23
It's disappointment, and then in
verse 15, "And I will put enmity
00:24:45.23\00:24:51.50
between you and the woman, and
between your seed and her seed.
00:24:51.50\00:24:58.13
He shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel."
00:24:58.13\00:25:05.13
So, I love that word
enmity, and it's hostility.
00:25:05.13\00:25:10.13
It's resistance, and it's almost
like, humanity fell and we
00:25:10.13\00:25:14.63
caught the virus.
00:25:14.63\00:25:17.86
The virus is gonna be
passed down from generation to
00:25:17.86\00:25:19.60
generation and then God
introduces this guarantee that
00:25:19.60\00:25:22.56
there's gonna be
resistance to the virus.
00:25:22.56\00:25:26.20
There's gonna be resistance to
this, to this warped picture of
00:25:26.20\00:25:29.73
God, and He's gonna introduce
it into the very race, into the
00:25:29.73\00:25:33.56
human race, and I think that's a
beautiful thing, and so it seems
00:25:33.56\00:25:36.26
like this is basically the
launching pad for this covenant
00:25:36.26\00:25:40.36
that's going to be
traced throughout the entire Old
00:25:40.36\00:25:43.30
Testament.
00:25:43.30\00:25:44.56
Notice how the
language begins, "I will."
00:25:44.56\00:25:48.76
Yeah, I love this.
00:25:48.76\00:25:50.36
I love this.
00:25:50.36\00:25:51.53
It's promise language.
00:25:51.53\00:25:53.13
It is.
00:25:53.13\00:25:54.36
It's...I think this is the first
covenant agreement that God
00:25:54.36\00:25:56.13
makes with humankind.
00:25:56.13\00:25:57.53
I mean, when you look at this,
we really have nothing to say,
00:25:57.53\00:26:00.63
but, yes.
00:26:00.63\00:26:01.63
Yes.
00:26:01.63\00:26:02.46
Yes.
00:26:02.46\00:26:03.16
Because we're helpless.
00:26:03.16\00:26:05.26
We're fully depraved, so God
makes this covenant agreement.
00:26:05.26\00:26:07.66
He says this is what I'm gonna
do for you, and I'm gonna do
00:26:07.66\00:26:10.26
it through my Son, Jesus Christ,
and we're standing there going,
00:26:10.26\00:26:13.03
ok.
00:26:13.03\00:26:14.73
Ok.
00:26:14.73\00:26:15.86
Now, I have a question for you.
00:26:15.86\00:26:17.23
I just wanna, just ever so
slightly challenge you, or maybe
00:26:17.23\00:26:20.10
I just misunderstood
what you were saying.
00:26:20.10\00:26:21.63
What, or maybe a better question
to ask is, what was the covenant
00:26:21.63\00:26:26.30
that God had with
Adam before the fall?
00:26:26.30\00:26:28.50
It seems to me like we skipped
a chapter there, because God
00:26:28.50\00:26:32.13
created Adam and Eve.
00:26:32.13\00:26:35.26
They were perfect people in a
perfect environment in a perfect
00:26:35.26\00:26:37.16
situation.
00:26:37.16\00:26:39.70
He certainly as a covenantal
being made them as covenantal
00:26:39.70\00:26:41.53
beings, so this here is a
covenant as to how I will redeem
00:26:41.53\00:26:44.33
or rescue you from the fall, but
prior to that there would have
00:26:44.33\00:26:49.06
been another covenant that God
would have made with them that
00:26:49.06\00:26:52.00
was not based on His redemption
of them but His faithfulness, do
00:26:52.00\00:26:56.03
you see where
I'm going with that?
00:26:56.03\00:26:57.50
Of which this is a corrective.
00:26:57.50\00:26:59.76
Yeah, this is the corrective
to the initial covenant.
00:26:59.76\00:27:01.63
This is the pathway
back to where they were.
00:27:01.63\00:27:03.36
So, what was that covenant?
00:27:03.36\00:27:05.26
Love.
00:27:05.26\00:27:06.53
It certainly was a covenant of
love, but it wasn't a covenant
00:27:06.53\00:27:08.90
based on a savior
or based on redemption.
00:27:08.90\00:27:10.86
It was based on them remaining
loyal and trusting and obedient
00:27:10.86\00:27:15.46
to...
00:27:15.46\00:27:16.40
There you go.
00:27:16.40\00:27:17.66
That's where I was going.
00:27:17.66\00:27:19.20
That's the word I'm looking for.
00:27:19.20\00:27:20.43
It was a covenant of obedience.
00:27:20.43\00:27:21.73
it was a covenant of loyalty.
00:27:21.73\00:27:22.80
It was a covenant of not
salvation, but a covenant
00:27:22.80\00:27:24.96
of...certainly in a sense they
had to believe God because, I
00:27:24.96\00:27:28.06
mean here they're just...
00:27:28.06\00:27:29.96
Of abiding in
what God had created.
00:27:29.96\00:27:31.66
It was a
covenant of abiding, no?
00:27:31.66\00:27:33.36
They were to abide in the love
and freedom and liberty that God
00:27:33.36\00:27:36.96
had established, and you had
mentioned earlier that the whole
00:27:36.96\00:27:40.30
idea of the tree of life is,
here we have an opportunity for
00:27:40.30\00:27:44.00
a choice, and that with
that choice could come moral
00:27:44.00\00:27:47.80
development, right, and so
it seems to me that was the
00:27:47.80\00:27:53.36
covenant, and then now
this is God's great corrective.
00:27:53.36\00:27:56.50
A covenant based on Adam's
obedience to the, at least, the
00:27:56.50\00:28:01.43
one that we know that's clearly
there in Genesis 3 is, don't eat
00:28:01.43\00:28:04.20
of the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil, but presumably
00:28:04.20\00:28:06.53
this is just a...emblematic of
a larger body of responsibility.
00:28:06.53\00:28:12.06
That's what I was getting
at with the responsibilities.
00:28:12.06\00:28:14.10
You have a responsibility,
I have a responsibility, and
00:28:14.10\00:28:16.73
Adam's responsibility was the
things that are mentioned there.
00:28:16.73\00:28:19.33
Be fruitful and multiply.
00:28:19.33\00:28:20.26
Subdue the earth.
00:28:20.26\00:28:21.56
Extend the garden.
00:28:21.56\00:28:22.56
Don't eat of the tree.
00:28:22.56\00:28:23.63
So it's a covenant
based on, you keep your part.
00:28:23.63\00:28:25.90
I keep my part.
00:28:25.90\00:28:26.90
I will be your God.
00:28:26.90\00:28:27.66
You will be my people.
00:28:27.66\00:28:28.46
Then he falls.
00:28:28.46\00:28:29.86
He's unfaithful to that.
00:28:29.86\00:28:31.76
He doesn't believe
the promises of God.
00:28:31.76\00:28:33.23
He believes, he and she, Adam
and Eve both believe the words
00:28:33.23\00:28:36.90
of Satan, so then now there's no
lapse there, there's no synapse
00:28:36.90\00:28:41.30
between God, oh
now what do we do now?
00:28:41.30\00:28:43.10
It's already in place.
00:28:43.10\00:28:45.60
Yeah, that's Genesis 3:15.
00:28:45.60\00:28:46.73
It's there.
00:28:46.73\00:28:48.00
And Genesis 3:15, though, what I
heard James say a moment ago, is
00:28:48.00\00:28:52.10
that post fall, after the fall
has occurred, now there's human
00:28:52.10\00:28:57.73
impotence.
00:28:57.73\00:28:59.83
Yeah, of course.
00:28:59.83\00:29:01.23
That now they're powerless to
form righteous characters and to
00:29:01.23\00:29:05.93
be obedient and to, they can't
self, they can't self generate
00:29:05.93\00:29:11.93
the faithfulness.
00:29:11.93\00:29:14.40
That's not the point I
was challenging, James, and
00:29:14.40\00:29:16.26
challenge is too
strong of a word.
00:29:16.26\00:29:17.73
It's just that James had used
the language, I think you said
00:29:17.73\00:29:21.13
something like, this
is the first covenant.
00:29:21.13\00:29:22.43
What you mean is this is
the first post-fall covenant,
00:29:22.43\00:29:25.93
exactly.
00:29:25.93\00:29:27.20
I was saying that well there's
a...that what going on prior to
00:29:27.20\00:29:29.50
that was that God had
a covenant of obedience.
00:29:29.50\00:29:31.10
He had a covenant
of trust and loyalty.
00:29:31.10\00:29:32.60
Yeah, so we're on the same page.
00:29:32.60\00:29:36.03
But this is a the
first Gospel promise.
00:29:36.03\00:29:37.63
This is the first covenant
promise post-fall, and I like
00:29:37.63\00:29:39.70
something here, Jeffery, you
read the whole text, and I had
00:29:39.70\00:29:43.63
just begun to call our attention
to the fact that this is, this
00:29:43.63\00:29:48.30
is God making the promise
because he says, I will put
00:29:48.30\00:29:53.40
enmity, and then He
goes a step further.
00:29:53.40\00:29:55.36
He says, not only will He put
enmity or hostility between the
00:29:55.36\00:29:58.73
woman and the serpent.
00:29:58.73\00:30:00.70
By the way, we didn't mention,
and we should, this is God
00:30:00.70\00:30:03.16
speaking to the serpent,
or to Satan in the hearing of
00:30:03.16\00:30:07.30
humanity, ok, so when He says, I
will put enmity between you and
00:30:07.30\00:30:11.93
you, He's
addressing the serpent.
00:30:11.93\00:30:14.13
He's addressing Satan.
00:30:14.13\00:30:15.80
Satan, I will put enmity
between you and the woman.
00:30:15.80\00:30:19.60
There's gonna be hostility.
00:30:19.60\00:30:21.30
We're not going
along with your plan.
00:30:21.30\00:30:24.10
You've laid claim to
humanity and planet earth, but a
00:30:24.10\00:30:26.46
reclaimation process is
going to be implemented.
00:30:26.46\00:30:29.80
I'm going to reclaim the
human race and planet earth.
00:30:29.80\00:30:34.23
And how am I going to do it?
00:30:34.23\00:30:35.43
I'm going to do it straight
through the lineage of the
00:30:35.43\00:30:38.13
woman.
00:30:38.13\00:30:39.20
I'm going to,
somebody is going to be born.
00:30:39.20\00:30:41.76
Right here at this early stage,
if this is all you had, right
00:30:41.76\00:30:44.90
here, you don't
know the name Jesus.
00:30:44.90\00:30:47.40
You don't know Messiah.
00:30:47.40\00:30:49.23
All you know is God is saying,
I'm going to come through human
00:30:49.23\00:30:54.43
lineage.
00:30:54.43\00:30:55.93
I'm going to bring a savior,
and the savior has warrior
00:30:55.93\00:30:59.50
characteristics.
00:30:59.50\00:31:00.93
Did you notice that?
00:31:00.93\00:31:02.33
Warrior characteristics
because He, that is, the one I'm
00:31:02.33\00:31:06.36
sending, will bruise your head.
00:31:06.36\00:31:08.53
The language is
actually stronger in the Hebrew.
00:31:08.53\00:31:10.66
He will crush your head, and you
will bruise your heel, and the
00:31:10.66\00:31:15.00
image here is that the head
of the serpent is being crushed
00:31:15.00\00:31:19.46
under the foot, under the heel,
of this warrior-savior, but in
00:31:19.46\00:31:24.53
the process of the crushing, the
savior's crushing, he's wounded
00:31:24.53\00:31:30.66
in the process.
00:31:30.66\00:31:32.23
In other words the savior
sustains some kind of injury in
00:31:32.23\00:31:36.53
the process of defending
the human race and rescuing us.
00:31:36.53\00:31:42.76
Beautiful.
00:31:42.76\00:31:43.73
It sounds like an epic movie.
00:31:43.73\00:31:45.50
That sounds, I'm sorry, I'm
still stuck in the movie thing.
00:31:45.50\00:31:49.16
Well, it's a story.
00:31:49.16\00:31:52.03
Brother, this crushing of
the head under the heel of the
00:31:52.03\00:31:56.10
Messiah, this is describing,
and we're gonna get there in our
00:31:56.10\00:32:00.26
conversation later on, but this
is pointing straight forward to
00:32:00.26\00:32:04.43
the cross of Calvary where God
Himself in human flesh will be
00:32:04.43\00:32:08.53
horribly injured,
wounded, on our behalf.
00:32:08.53\00:32:14.03
I really think that's
significant because here God is
00:32:14.03\00:32:16.16
making this first post-fall
covenant for us, for mankind,
00:32:16.16\00:32:20.93
and we are listening.
00:32:20.93\00:32:23.20
He's not speaking to us.
00:32:23.20\00:32:24.73
He's speaking to the
serpent, and we're listening.
00:32:24.73\00:32:27.83
We're listening to,
see that sets the stage.
00:32:27.83\00:32:31.00
That actually lays the
foundation for what God's
00:32:31.00\00:32:33.70
everlasting covenant is because
I think as we go through the Old
00:32:33.70\00:32:37.30
Testament, we're gonna find all
of these detours, all of these
00:32:37.30\00:32:39.73
covenant failures, agreement
failures that involved us, but
00:32:39.73\00:32:43.70
here' a covenant
that, it involves us.
00:32:43.70\00:32:46.66
It's about us, but it
doesn't exactly involve us.
00:32:46.66\00:32:48.70
Satan, this is
what I'm going to do.
00:32:48.70\00:32:50.80
We're listening.
00:32:50.80\00:32:51.50
Satan, you're Adam, you're Eve.
00:32:51.50\00:32:52.70
Sorry.
00:32:52.70\00:32:53.93
This is what I'm going to do.
00:32:53.93\00:32:55.20
I'm going to do this, and it's
not like, ok, Adam, Eve, this is
00:32:55.20\00:32:59.13
what I'm going to do, you guys.
00:32:59.13\00:33:00.70
No, Satan, this is what I'm
going to do, and so it makes it
00:33:00.70\00:33:02.90
very clear that we're the
spectators listening to what God
00:33:02.90\00:33:06.23
is going to do on our behalf.
00:33:06.23\00:33:07.50
It's like back in school, like
when you're getting picked on,
00:33:07.50\00:33:10.16
you're getting pushed around,
smashed against the lockers, and
00:33:10.16\00:33:13.40
then your older cousin or your
older brother or whatever walks
00:33:13.40\00:33:16.40
in, he walks up to the main
guy and he says, if you touch my
00:33:16.40\00:33:18.53
brother again.
00:33:18.53\00:33:19.66
And you're just
listening, you know?
00:33:19.66\00:33:21.53
And then the next day you
show up to school, you're just
00:33:21.53\00:33:23.76
like....you're
feeling tall and mighty.
00:33:23.76\00:33:27.13
This is what came to my
mind when James was talking.
00:33:27.13\00:33:29.40
When I was a little kid, there
was a boy, and he was picking on
00:33:29.40\00:33:33.46
me almost every day on the way
home from school, just him and
00:33:33.46\00:33:38.36
his bigger brother.
00:33:38.36\00:33:40.30
Throwing rocks at me.
00:33:40.30\00:33:41.70
Calling me names.
00:33:41.70\00:33:42.96
Swatting me on the head, and my
mom knew this was happening, and
00:33:42.96\00:33:47.70
my mom took me by the hand one
day, took me down the street to
00:33:47.70\00:33:53.90
the house where the house
where those two boys lived.
00:33:53.90\00:33:58.06
She knocked on the door.
00:33:58.06\00:33:59.90
The parents came to the
door with these two little guys
00:33:59.90\00:34:02.46
standing behind, and my mom
said, tomorrow after school, our
00:34:02.46\00:34:05.43
front yard, my boy is gonna
fight your boy, and we're gonna
00:34:05.43\00:34:10.13
end this matter.
00:34:10.13\00:34:12.13
So, I didn't have a big brother,
Jeffery, to step in and make
00:34:12.13\00:34:18.16
threats and promises
on my behalf to defend me.
00:34:18.16\00:34:20.13
I just looked up at my mom, and
she just gave me a look like,
00:34:20.13\00:34:24.56
no, you're gonna do this...
00:34:24.56\00:34:25.70
You gonna fight him or me?
00:34:25.70\00:34:27.26
When we went home, my
mom gave me instructions.
00:34:27.26\00:34:31.50
She said, this is how you're
gonna whoop him, and my mom told
00:34:31.50\00:34:36.16
me what to do.
00:34:36.16\00:34:37.46
The next day, it happened.
00:34:37.46\00:34:38.83
His parents came.
00:34:38.83\00:34:40.06
There was my mom outside the
fence, and these two little boys
00:34:40.06\00:34:44.26
were put in the front yard,
and we just had to go at it...
00:34:44.26\00:34:48.40
You against two of them?
00:34:48.40\00:34:52.70
No, no, just me and the one, the
younger one my size, and I hate
00:34:52.70\00:34:56.53
to say it, but I grew up in
a pretty rough neighborhood.
00:34:56.53\00:34:58.23
My mom said
here's how you do it.
00:34:58.23\00:34:59.40
You walk in.
00:34:59.40\00:35:00.33
You don't hesitate.
00:35:00.33\00:35:01.30
You walk in and you
take the first blow.
00:35:01.30\00:35:02.56
She said, you just start
swinging your little fists and
00:35:02.56\00:35:04.86
just start hitting.
00:35:04.86\00:35:06.23
So, I'm laughing here, I'm
laughing here because you might
00:35:06.23\00:35:09.33
think that's, that's uh,
unusual, that's what happened in
00:35:09.33\00:35:13.43
my experience too.
00:35:13.43\00:35:17.36
The same thing.
00:35:17.36\00:35:18.30
Are you serious?
00:35:18.30\00:35:18.93
Absolutely.
00:35:18.93\00:35:20.20
My parents and my, uh, my friend
Lance's parents were like, ok,
00:35:20.20\00:35:21.43
these kids can't get along,
they'll just fight in front of
00:35:21.43\00:35:23.83
us, so we duked it out and our
parents just sort of sat by...
00:35:23.83\00:35:26.00
I think what we're saying,
before we start....bring it back
00:35:26.00\00:35:28.76
before we start
embellishing stuff here now...
00:35:28.76\00:35:30.83
I'll bring it back...
00:35:30.83\00:35:32.40
...and I took 10
guys on, you know.
00:35:32.40\00:35:33.63
I'll bring it back.
00:35:33.63\00:35:34.60
My experience was
very Old Covenant.
00:35:34.60\00:35:37.93
And mine was New Covenant.
00:35:37.93\00:35:41.46
I didn't have anybody come to my
defense and say, I'm gonna crush
00:35:41.46\00:35:44.46
your head under my heel on
behalf of this little guy, but
00:35:44.46\00:35:47.70
here this promise is, I will,
God, I will step in and I will
00:35:47.70\00:35:54.10
deal with you, the serpent, on
behalf of my children whom I'm
00:35:54.10\00:35:59.66
defending.
00:35:59.66\00:36:00.60
We're saying these
are fighting words.
00:36:00.60\00:36:02.43
We're saying God opens His
mouth, and they're fighting
00:36:02.43\00:36:04.76
words.
00:36:04.76\00:36:06.03
That's right.
00:36:06.03\00:36:06.90
That's awesome.
00:36:06.90\00:36:08.06
The other thing I like
about this is this is the first
00:36:08.06\00:36:09.90
prophetic declaration of the
post-fall Old Covenant, I mean,
00:36:09.90\00:36:12.23
Old Testament.
00:36:12.23\00:36:13.46
This is the first prophetic
declaration, and that prophetic
00:36:13.46\00:36:15.33
declaration focuses on Jesus.
00:36:15.33\00:36:18.43
Also it focuses, it talks about
the serpent, which you take that
00:36:18.43\00:36:21.76
all the way to the book of
Revelation you've got the same
00:36:21.76\00:36:23.50
thing, but Christ, Jesus is the
center of prophecy, the center
00:36:23.50\00:36:27.16
of this prophetic declaration.
00:36:27.16\00:36:28.80
Am I getting sidetracked there?
00:36:28.80\00:36:30.70
No, we're not
getting sidetracked at all.
00:36:30.70\00:36:32.76
That, that's so true.
00:36:32.76\00:36:34.10
That's a good point that we have
to, because so much prophecy is
00:36:34.10\00:36:37.43
just novelty and interest...or
it's conspiracy theories.
00:36:37.43\00:36:41.73
It's, you know, international
government agencies and all of
00:36:41.73\00:36:45.06
that stuff, religious, ok,
whatever, but at the center of
00:36:45.06\00:36:48.46
prophecy and the
center of Revelation is Jesus.
00:36:48.46\00:36:51.46
The center of Scripture
is Jesus, and too prophecy.
00:36:51.46\00:36:54.46
So, I love this because it
lays the foundation out just for
00:36:54.46\00:36:57.30
prophecy, as you were saying,
but it lays the foundation for
00:36:57.30\00:36:59.36
identifying what the
everlasting covenant looks like.
00:36:59.36\00:37:02.73
This is what it looks like.
00:37:02.73\00:37:04.03
The text is actually whispering
to, to, to read through, the
00:37:04.03\00:37:07.16
text is telling us to keep
our eyes open and watch closely.
00:37:07.16\00:37:09.43
Yeah, the text is also telling
us, uh, I don't know, do you
00:37:09.43\00:37:13.86
guys see this here?
00:37:13.86\00:37:15.13
This just popped into my head, I
don't know, yeah, I'm just gonna
00:37:15.13\00:37:18.83
say it, this is before
there's any Jewish nation.
00:37:18.83\00:37:21.50
There are no Israelites.
00:37:21.50\00:37:23.40
This is God making covenant
with the human race Yes.
00:37:23.40\00:37:26.63
God always intended to save
humanity as a whole, and was
00:37:26.63\00:37:30.96
never exclusive and never wanted
a separatist people, an elite
00:37:30.96\00:37:37.43
people.
00:37:37.43\00:37:38.30
God is making
covenant promise here...
00:37:38.30\00:37:43.06
To all.
00:37:43.06\00:37:44.00
...to save humanity.
00:37:44.00\00:37:45.13
And in addition to that,
a mistake was made at Sinai.
00:37:45.13\00:37:47.50
Adam and Eve stood by as
spectators and they watched.
00:37:47.50\00:37:51.23
At Sinai?
00:37:51.23\00:37:52.46
Yes, a mistake
was made at Sinai.
00:37:52.46\00:37:54.20
Oh, Adam and Eve
stood by and watched...
00:37:54.20\00:37:56.66
No, no, I'm going back.
00:37:56.66\00:37:57.86
Adam and Eve stood by in
Eden and they watched and they
00:37:57.86\00:38:00.23
listened and said, whoa, this
is...but at Sinai, at Sinai God
00:38:00.23\00:38:04.40
is coming down to make covenant
promise, and the people step in.
00:38:04.40\00:38:07.73
They don't stay back.
00:38:07.73\00:38:09.70
They don't listen.
00:38:09.70\00:38:10.60
They don't accept.
00:38:10.60\00:38:11.86
They don't say, yeah, they step
in and they say, oh, and we're
00:38:11.86\00:38:15.30
gonna.
00:38:15.30\00:38:15.90
You see what I'm saying?
00:38:15.90\00:38:16.96
Which is a symptom of the fall.
00:38:16.96\00:38:18.23
Yes!
00:38:18.23\00:38:19.43
Because back at the fall,
remember, they made coverings.
00:38:19.43\00:38:22.13
They're trying to compensate.
00:38:22.13\00:38:25.10
They're trying to somehow save
themselves by their own works,
00:38:25.10\00:38:29.46
and now when we come to
Sinai and the people are making
00:38:29.46\00:38:32.33
promises to God that are like
ropes of sand, they'll never be
00:38:32.33\00:38:34.93
able to keep them.
00:38:34.93\00:38:36.23
That's a symptom of the fall.
00:38:36.23\00:38:38.06
It's indicative of the issue
that began in the mind that
00:38:38.06\00:38:43.73
distorted humanity at the very
foundational level, and brought
00:38:43.73\00:38:48.20
us into a state of
self centeredness and
00:38:48.20\00:38:50.80
self-dependence,
rather than dependence on God.
00:38:50.80\00:38:52.96
You could almost, Adam and Eve's
hiding and covering themselves,
00:38:52.96\00:38:58.30
their acts of self-dependence,
could almost be forgiven in this
00:38:58.30\00:39:02.40
sense.
00:39:02.40\00:39:04.40
The announcement of the good
news had not yet taken place.
00:39:04.40\00:39:06.70
They didn't know.
00:39:06.70\00:39:09.50
They're afraid of God.
00:39:09.50\00:39:10.76
They don't trust God, so they're
thinking, oh, we gotta do this
00:39:10.76\00:39:12.80
ourselves, but by the time you
get down to Sinai, it's, I mean
00:39:12.80\00:39:15.76
you have two thousand years-ish
of human history, more maybe by
00:39:15.76\00:39:19.40
the time you get down to,
in fact quite a few more by the
00:39:19.40\00:39:22.56
time you get down there.
00:39:22.56\00:39:23.96
They should have known well
and truly, you can't...it's not
00:39:23.96\00:39:27.66
gonna...
00:39:27.66\00:39:28.43
And here's the value.
00:39:28.43\00:39:29.70
I really like what you're
saying because here's the value.
00:39:29.70\00:39:31.76
God allows the fig leaf
experience to help us to realize
00:39:31.76\00:39:36.26
as human beings, this is
what we naturally tend to.
00:39:36.26\00:39:38.73
But then God continues to allow
it because at Sinai He could
00:39:38.73\00:39:42.56
have stopped right there and
said, wait, wait, wait a minute,
00:39:42.56\00:39:44.50
this is not...but He allows
it again, and again, and again.
00:39:44.50\00:39:46.93
The whole, I think,
experience in history...
00:39:46.93\00:39:50.10
Well, how many of us at this
table have made promises to God?
00:39:50.10\00:39:52.16
Yes!
00:39:52.16\00:39:52.83
Ok.
00:39:52.83\00:39:53.43
I know I've done it.
00:39:53.43\00:39:54.16
I mean, haven't you?
00:39:54.16\00:39:55.13
I've made promises
to God and then failed.
00:39:55.13\00:39:57.30
That's the same thing, right?
00:39:57.30\00:39:59.36
Absolutely.
00:39:59.36\00:40:00.33
It's the same thing.
00:40:00.33\00:40:01.36
I will never, or I will....
00:40:01.36\00:40:02.50
And if they should have
known, we should have known.
00:40:02.50\00:40:04.93
So it simply brings us back, not
just to a revelation of the fact
00:40:04.93\00:40:08.53
that we can't
fulfill these promises.
00:40:08.53\00:40:10.76
We can't carry through with our
word, but also, directs us then
00:40:10.76\00:40:12.86
to the foundation
that was laid by God.
00:40:12.86\00:40:17.03
Right there.
00:40:17.03\00:40:18.76
Push the pause button, and we'll
take our final break, and then
00:40:18.76\00:40:21.76
we'll come back because lots of
good stuff is being brought to
00:40:21.76\00:40:24.86
the table, and this is, this
is, yeah, we'll continue the
00:40:24.86\00:40:27.36
discussion.
00:40:27.36\00:40:28.63
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00:40:28.63\00:40:34.00
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00:40:34.00\00:40:36.90
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00:40:36.90\00:40:40.70
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00:41:07.13\00:41:10.86
Simply ask for Digma DVD 3.
00:41:10.86\00:41:14.70
I love this.
00:41:14.70\00:41:19.93
I love what we're discovering
here in the book of Genesis,
00:41:19.93\00:41:23.16
because Genesis is the
beginning, and in the beginning
00:41:23.16\00:41:26.66
we have, post-fall, this
powerful foundation that's laid
00:41:26.66\00:41:31.33
for the everlasting covenant,
for God's covenant with the
00:41:31.33\00:41:36.66
human race, and it's based, as
we are spectators, it's based on
00:41:36.66\00:41:39.40
what God promises as he's
speaking to the serpent, to
00:41:39.40\00:41:43.60
Satan, what God promises He's
going to do in our behalf
because we're helpless.
00:41:43.60\00:41:47.70
We're hopeless.
00:41:47.70\00:41:48.93
Now, the thing, the reason I
think this is so beautiful and
00:41:48.93\00:41:52.16
so significant is because as we
move through the Old Testament,
00:41:52.16\00:41:56.46
we see failure after failure
after failure of God's covenant
00:41:56.46\00:42:01.66
people to understand and to
take a hold of this everlasting
00:42:01.66\00:42:05.36
covenant, so we see detours.
00:42:05.36\00:42:06.73
I think about, for example,
the experience of Abraham.
00:42:06.73\00:42:10.43
Abraham is to enter into the
same covenant, along with God's
00:42:10.43\00:42:14.33
people at Sinai, along with,
along with, and we see these
00:42:14.33\00:42:17.30
detours that are taken, in fact
Paul even tells us, I'm just
00:42:17.30\00:42:21.43
jumping ahead in the summery,
Paul even tells us that there
00:42:21.43\00:42:24.40
are these two understandings
that develop in the Bible of the
00:42:24.40\00:42:28.20
covenant.
00:42:28.20\00:42:29.53
One's an Old Covenant
understanding and one's a New
00:42:29.53\00:42:33.56
Covenant understanding, which
is I think, this everlasting
00:42:33.56\00:42:35.40
covenant.
00:42:35.40\00:42:36.63
This same covenant that God
began with in Genesis, in the
00:42:36.63\00:42:38.63
book of Genesis.
00:42:38.63\00:42:40.83
Well let's just move to Abraham,
then, and with Genesis chapter
00:42:40.83\00:42:43.46
12 and see how far we can get
because what's happening here in
00:42:43.46\00:42:47.03
the Biblical narrative, this
unfolding story, is that God is
00:42:47.03\00:42:53.03
active in real
time in human history.
00:42:53.03\00:42:56.90
He just made the
promise in Genesis 3:15.
00:42:56.90\00:43:00.26
I'm gonna step in.
00:43:00.26\00:43:01.53
I'm gonna do something, so then
He's relating to people on the
00:43:01.53\00:43:05.73
basis of His
covenant faithfulness.
00:43:05.73\00:43:07.96
He enters into covenant
with Abraham in chapter 12.
00:43:07.96\00:43:10.63
"Now the Lord said to Abram, get
out of your country from your
00:43:10.63\00:43:15.26
family and from your father's
house to a land that I will show
00:43:15.26\00:43:18.96
you..."
00:43:18.96\00:43:20.10
and here's the covenant
language..."I will make you a
00:43:20.10\00:43:24.36
great nation and bless you
and make your name great and you
00:43:24.36\00:43:28.53
shall be a blessing.
00:43:28.53\00:43:30.93
I will bless those who bless
you, and I will curse those who
00:43:30.93\00:43:33.80
curse you, and in you all the
families of the earth shall be
00:43:33.80\00:43:38.53
blessed."
00:43:38.53\00:43:40.63
So, I just want to call our
attention to two things here.
00:43:40.63\00:43:44.33
See what else
emerges from the text.
00:43:44.33\00:43:46.40
God enters into a
covenant with Abraham.
00:43:46.40\00:43:49.76
He's making a promise, and
He says, I'm going to bless you.
00:43:49.76\00:43:54.66
I'm going to make you a great
nation, and I love this part,
00:43:54.66\00:43:57.13
all the families of the earth,
all the nations, will be blessed
00:43:57.13\00:44:02.30
in you.
00:44:02.30\00:44:04.00
That is to say, through your
lineage, which loops back to
00:44:04.00\00:44:07.60
Genesis 3:15, through the
woman, your seed, through your
00:44:07.60\00:44:11.63
posterity, someone's gonna come.
00:44:11.63\00:44:14.23
This is a repeat, but an
expansion of the Genesis 3:15
00:44:14.23\00:44:19.86
promise where God is saying to
Abraham, ok, you're the one I'm
00:44:19.86\00:44:25.03
choosing to create, initiate,
the lineage through which
00:44:25.03\00:44:29.50
ultimately, all the families
of the earth will be blessed.
00:44:29.50\00:44:36.73
This is pointing forward to the
complete fulfillment of Jesus
00:44:36.73\00:44:41.30
Christ as the Son of Abraham,
ultimately, so this is where we
00:44:41.30\00:44:45.83
have kind of a beginning point
of God entering into covenant
00:44:45.83\00:44:51.43
relationship with human beings.
00:44:51.43\00:44:53.13
Genesis 3:15 of course is the
first Gospel promise, but now
00:44:53.13\00:44:57.00
it's taking on form.
00:44:57.00\00:44:58.70
It's developing.
00:44:58.70\00:44:59.80
Yeah, I love this.
00:44:59.80\00:45:01.96
In fact, when you look at
this in the context of Abraham's
00:45:01.96\00:45:05.83
experience, you see him
wrestling in a sense with this
00:45:05.83\00:45:10.13
whole idea, but coming to terms
with it over and over again.
00:45:10.13\00:45:14.13
One of the examples you see
of this is found in the further
00:45:14.13\00:45:19.73
development of the story in
Genesis 22 where God, I think,
00:45:19.73\00:45:24.80
repeats this same
promise to Abraham.
00:45:24.80\00:45:27.33
I mean, he is first of all
asking him to make a sacrifice
00:45:27.33\00:45:32.13
of his son, which to me
is a beautiful picture of the
00:45:32.13\00:45:35.76
sacrifice the Father is making
of his son Jesus Christ for the
00:45:35.76\00:45:41.60
world, so you see this kind
of representation of the plan of
00:45:41.60\00:45:46.20
salvation in the sacrifice that
Abraham is asked to make here,
00:45:46.20\00:45:50.13
but Abraham is told to withhold.
00:45:50.13\00:45:51.66
He doesn't, you know, finally
have to make that sacrifice, and
00:45:51.66\00:45:55.60
then God says in verse 15,
the angel of the Lord calls to
00:45:55.60\00:45:58.70
Abraham out of heaven the second
time, Genesis 22:15, and he says
00:45:58.70\00:46:02.40
verse 16, "By myself have
I sworn, says the Lord, for
00:46:02.40\00:46:07.53
because thou hast done this
thing and has not withheld thy
00:46:07.53\00:46:10.36
son, thine only son..."
00:46:10.36\00:46:11.50
verse 17..."then in blessing
I will bless thee and in
00:46:11.50\00:46:15.26
multiplying I will multiply thy
seed as the stars of heaven, and
00:46:15.26\00:46:18.16
as the sand that is on the
seashore and thy seed shall
00:46:18.16\00:46:20.96
possess the gate of
this enemies, and..."
00:46:20.96\00:46:23.36
verse 18..."in thy seed shall
all the nations of the earth be
00:46:23.36\00:46:27.90
blessed because thou
hast obeyed my voice."
00:46:27.90\00:46:29.76
So here again you see Abraham,
uh God, again confirming this
00:46:29.76\00:46:36.46
covenant.
00:46:36.46\00:46:37.50
He says, by myself I have sworn.
00:46:37.50\00:46:38.93
I'm gonna do this.
00:46:38.93\00:46:40.83
Why?
00:46:40.83\00:46:41.60
Because you have listened to me.
00:46:41.60\00:46:44.00
You have agreed with me.
00:46:44.00\00:46:45.43
You put your trust in Me.
00:46:45.43\00:46:46.90
You haven't put
your trust in yourself.
00:46:46.90\00:46:48.56
Can you imagine if Abraham would
have put his trust in the death
00:46:48.56\00:46:52.16
of his son.
00:46:52.16\00:46:53.16
I don't have to imagine it.
00:46:53.16\00:46:54.46
He did.
00:46:54.46\00:46:55.56
We don't have to imagine
Abraham putting his trust in
00:46:55.56\00:46:58.33
himself because you jumped ahead
to Genesis 22, but all the way
00:46:58.33\00:47:02.30
back in Genesis 15,16, 17,
Abraham tries to fulfill part of
00:47:02.30\00:47:07.30
God's covenant
promise by taking Hagar.
00:47:07.30\00:47:10.43
Exactly!
00:47:10.43\00:47:11.70
Yes, yes, yes, yes.
00:47:11.70\00:47:13.13
So we have that contrast taking
place, and I think that contrast
00:47:13.13\00:47:15.60
follows, goes all the way
through the Bible, Old Testament
00:47:15.60\00:47:19.83
and even New Testament because
in the New Testament you still
00:47:19.83\00:47:22.83
have people trying to work out
that Old Covenant experience,
00:47:22.83\00:47:26.06
that we understand to be the Old
Covenant experience, that whole
00:47:26.06\00:47:29.06
idea of putting
trust in themselves.
00:47:29.06\00:47:30.46
I love the idea
of how they laugh.
00:47:30.46\00:47:31.80
How Sarah laughs.
00:47:31.80\00:47:33.10
She just cracks up when God
says, this is what I'm going to
00:47:33.10\00:47:37.56
fulfill.
00:47:37.56\00:47:39.30
It sounds so crazy, so
impossible, so she laughs in
00:47:39.30\00:47:42.76
Genesis 18.
00:47:42.76\00:47:44.10
Why?
00:47:44.10\00:47:45.56
Why does it sound impossible?
00:47:45.56\00:47:46.66
She says, I'm so old,
basically, and you're so old.
00:47:46.66\00:47:48.36
How are we?
00:47:48.36\00:47:49.76
How is this going to happen?
00:47:49.76\00:47:51.90
And she laughs, and the funny
thing, there, I love how there's
00:47:51.90\00:47:54.80
humor in the Bible.
00:47:54.80\00:47:56.26
There's comedy here because in
Genesis 18 when she laughs, she
00:47:56.26\00:48:02.06
almost catches herself, but it
was too late, God already heard
00:48:02.06\00:48:05.93
her and in verse 14, is
anything too hard for the Lord?
00:48:05.93\00:48:09.23
And then in verse
15, but Sarah denied it.
00:48:09.23\00:48:13.70
She said no, no, I didn't laugh
because she was afraid, and then
00:48:13.70\00:48:17.10
God says, no, you did laugh.
00:48:17.10\00:48:18.83
I heard you.
00:48:18.83\00:48:21.93
And then the real funny part is
that when she finally does have
00:48:21.93\00:48:25.16
a child, she
names him "Crack-up."
00:48:25.16\00:48:28.46
Yeah, because I laughed...
00:48:28.46\00:48:29.86
She names him "Laughter."
00:48:29.86\00:48:30.93
His name is Isaac
which means "laughter."
00:48:30.93\00:48:32.53
But I think that's
more than just funny.
00:48:32.53\00:48:34.60
I think it's indicative
that God's promises throughout
00:48:34.60\00:48:38.73
Scripture and history are so
amazing that our difficulty is
00:48:38.73\00:48:42.96
to, is to grapple
with it, is to believe.
00:48:42.96\00:48:46.66
To disbelieve.
00:48:46.66\00:48:47.80
Well yeah, what comes naturally
to us is to disbelieve.
00:48:47.80\00:48:52.93
Yeah, and the difficulty is to
believe because it's so amazing.
00:48:52.93\00:48:55.73
There's another thing here
that is really significant that
00:48:55.73\00:48:57.50
you're bringing out, Jeffery,
and that is, is that we can be
00:48:57.50\00:48:59.76
real with God.
00:48:59.76\00:49:00.80
We don't have to
pretend with God.
00:49:00.80\00:49:01.96
God knows everything, and
he knows the struggles we're
00:49:01.96\00:49:04.06
having.
00:49:04.06\00:49:06.53
He knows how funny it is,
how impossible it seems to us,
00:49:06.53\00:49:08.16
etcetera, and as Sarah realizes
that she can be real with God,
00:49:08.16\00:49:12.13
that realization makes itself
manifest in the name of her
00:49:12.13\00:49:15.96
child.
00:49:15.96\00:49:17.20
Her child now reminds her that
God is real, that she can be
00:49:17.20\00:49:20.86
real with Him, that this is
the relationship experience, and
00:49:20.86\00:49:24.73
that He's faithful.
00:49:24.73\00:49:26.00
What about the whole idea where,
when God tells Abraham, you were
00:49:26.00\00:49:30.40
just pointing out, uh, the
sacrifice, He says takes your
00:49:30.40\00:49:33.03
son Isaac, your only son.
00:49:33.03\00:49:34.26
That whole concept of was Isaac
the only son, in the literal
00:49:34.26\00:49:40.26
sense.
00:49:40.26\00:49:42.20
He was the only promised son.
00:49:42.20\00:49:44.10
He was the only promised son,
right, so it's almost like God
00:49:44.10\00:49:47.03
doesn't even acknowledge
Abraham's own efforts in the
00:49:47.03\00:49:49.16
other son.
00:49:49.16\00:49:50.36
In God's mind, there's only
one son, and that's the son of
00:49:50.36\00:49:52.96
promise.
00:49:52.96\00:49:54.20
Because in God's mind there's
really only one covenant and
00:49:54.20\00:49:56.40
that is the eternal, everlasting
covenant, and human beings are
00:49:56.40\00:50:01.30
continually going, mmm,
mmm, mmm, you know, detour...
00:50:01.30\00:50:04.43
I have another son, I
have another...and God says, I
00:50:04.43\00:50:06.33
don't see it.
00:50:06.33\00:50:07.23
How about this angle?
00:50:07.23\00:50:08.23
Can you do it this way?
00:50:08.23\00:50:09.23
God says, nope, I don't
acknowledge any of that.
00:50:09.23\00:50:11.13
Now what we've been
doing here is interesting.
00:50:11.13\00:50:13.30
We said, uh, let's go to Genesis
12 and look at Abraham, and we
00:50:13.30\00:50:18.30
went to chapter 12.
00:50:18.30\00:50:20.83
Then we went to chapter 22.
00:50:20.83\00:50:22.10
Then we went back to chapter 18,
so the chronology of the story,
00:50:22.10\00:50:27.03
though, if you back up
to chapter 15, this is very
00:50:27.03\00:50:29.63
fascinating because in chapter
15, in my Bible actually it
00:50:29.63\00:50:34.10
says, God's covenant with
Abraham as the heading for
00:50:34.10\00:50:37.16
chapter 15, and God reiterates
His promise to Abraham, and
00:50:37.16\00:50:44.30
Abraham responds to the Lord
in verse 2 in basically, Abraham
00:50:44.30\00:50:49.63
says to the Lord God, what
will you give me seeing I go
00:50:49.63\00:50:54.26
childless.
00:50:54.26\00:50:56.06
In other words, ok, you've made
this promise to me that through
00:50:56.06\00:50:58.70
my lineage all the earth is
going to be blessed, but I don't
00:50:58.70\00:51:01.43
even have a child, if
this is a lineage promise.
00:51:01.43\00:51:04.53
If it's through my posterity,
I don't have posterity, and this
00:51:04.53\00:51:09.60
is interesting, he says in verse
3, look you have given me no
00:51:09.60\00:51:14.53
offspring, Lord, so he's
emphasizing this, and then verse
00:51:14.53\00:51:18.23
4, and behold the word of the
Lord came to him saying, this
00:51:18.23\00:51:22.86
one shall not be your heir...
00:51:22.86\00:51:26.06
You missed that part because
he puts forward his servant
00:51:26.06\00:51:29.06
Eliezer.
00:51:29.06\00:51:32.53
Right, of course.
00:51:32.53\00:51:33.36
He says, ok,
let's just take Eliezer.
00:51:33.36\00:51:34.30
He can be like my son.
00:51:34.30\00:51:35.76
Yeah, yeah, and God is saying
I'm going to do it through you.
00:51:35.76\00:51:38.53
Through your own body, and this
is the part I really want to get
00:51:38.53\00:51:44.10
to, verse 8, how shall I know?
00:51:44.10\00:51:46.00
So Abraham, ok, how can I
know that you're going to do it
00:51:46.00\00:51:51.76
through me?
00:51:51.76\00:51:53.03
I tried to come up with a method
that we could pull this off with
00:51:53.03\00:51:55.66
because I don't
have any children.
00:51:55.66\00:51:57.43
I'm kinda old, so God, how can
I know you're gonna do this, and
00:51:57.43\00:52:01.70
then God does
something really strange.
00:52:01.70\00:52:04.60
He says, here's what I
want you to do Abraham.
00:52:04.60\00:52:08.56
I want you to get three animals.
00:52:08.56\00:52:09.90
I want you to sever them
straight down the middle, cut
00:52:09.90\00:52:14.53
them in half.
00:52:14.53\00:52:16.53
Lay them across
from one another.
00:52:16.53\00:52:19.20
Three animals across from
one another, and some birds.
00:52:19.20\00:52:23.13
Lay them across from one another
creating a path between the
00:52:23.13\00:52:26.60
severed animals, ok?
00:52:26.60\00:52:30.36
And then, you're thinking, well
wait a minute, how does this
00:52:30.36\00:52:33.30
answer the question, how can I
know that you're gonna do this?
00:52:33.30\00:52:36.30
Abraham severs the animals
in half, all three of them.
00:52:36.30\00:52:40.00
Lays the birds across from
one another, and a pathway is
00:52:40.00\00:52:42.90
created, and Abraham goes into
a sleep and a vision and a dark
00:52:42.90\00:52:46.63
horror comes upon him in verse
12, as he's just there, and then
00:52:46.63\00:52:51.46
verse 17 says that a smoking
oven and a burning torch of fire
00:52:51.46\00:52:56.73
passed between those pieces and
on that same day, verse 18, the
00:52:56.73\00:53:03.33
Lord made a
covenant with Abraham.
00:53:03.33\00:53:05.16
In that ancient culture, the way
covenants were made was not with
00:53:05.16\00:53:10.50
a piece of paper that is signed
by two people in front of a
00:53:10.50\00:53:16.23
lawyer and then notarized.
00:53:16.23\00:53:17.43
The way covenants were made
in that day, when two people
00:53:17.43\00:53:21.00
entered into an agreement
together, and animal would be
00:53:21.00\00:53:23.93
sacrificed, severed in half and
laid across from one another,
00:53:23.93\00:53:28.16
and then each of the two parties
would pass between the pieces to
00:53:28.16\00:53:32.10
basically signify symbolically,
may it be done to me as done to
00:53:32.10\00:53:36.53
this animal sacrifice if I
don't fulfill my half of this
00:53:36.53\00:53:40.40
covenant.
00:53:40.40\00:53:42.36
In other words, I'm pledging
my life for my integrity and
00:53:42.36\00:53:47.93
faithfulness.
00:53:47.93\00:53:49.23
Ok?
00:53:49.23\00:53:50.50
So, then what happens is Abraham
severs the animals in half, cuts
00:53:50.50\00:53:53.20
them in half, and then Abraham
is not asked to pass between the
00:53:53.20\00:53:59.06
pieces.
00:53:59.06\00:54:00.60
Abraham is watching from a
distance, and a torch of fire
00:54:00.60\00:54:04.33
passes between the pieces,
and this is none other than God
00:54:04.33\00:54:08.96
Himself passing between the
animal sacrifices and in the
00:54:08.96\00:54:13.96
symbolism, saying to Abraham,
Abraham, here's how you can
00:54:13.96\00:54:17.46
know.
00:54:17.46\00:54:18.26
Remember the question?
00:54:18.26\00:54:19.50
How can I know that you're going
to, through me, fulfill the
00:54:19.50\00:54:22.03
promise.
00:54:22.03\00:54:23.03
I'll tell you how
you can know, Abraham.
00:54:23.03\00:54:25.66
Because I'm going to lay down
my very life to fulfill this
00:54:25.66\00:54:29.53
covenant.
00:54:29.53\00:54:32.46
I will save you and the human
race, the human race through
00:54:32.46\00:54:36.56
your lineage, at
any cost to myself...
00:54:36.56\00:54:40.83
By any means necessary.
00:54:40.83\00:54:42.76
Yeah, Abraham, somebody's gonna
pass through the pieces, and
00:54:42.76\00:54:45.50
it's not gonna be you.
00:54:45.50\00:54:48.76
A sacrifice is going to be made.
00:54:48.76\00:54:52.13
A severing is going to occur.
00:54:52.13\00:54:53.43
Suffering is going to happen.
00:54:53.43\00:54:55.83
A thick, dreadful darkness
is going to envelop the earth.
00:54:55.83\00:55:00.26
That's right.
00:55:00.26\00:55:02.30
So, so, this is
Abraham's story, you guys.
00:55:02.30\00:55:06.53
This is God saying essentially
to Abraham, I'm going to remain
00:55:06.53\00:55:12.40
faithful.
00:55:12.40\00:55:15.00
Abraham, you don't
need to worry about this.
00:55:15.00\00:55:16.53
I've got this in hand.
00:55:16.53\00:55:18.73
It's going to
happen through your body.
00:55:18.73\00:55:20.46
I'm going to save the
human race through you.
00:55:20.46\00:55:24.06
Love it.
00:55:24.06\00:55:24.93
It's beautiful.
00:55:24.93\00:55:26.16
It's all pointing forward to
Jesus, and Satan, just like he
00:55:26.16\00:55:29.63
did here in this story, the
birds of prey tried to come down
00:55:29.63\00:55:33.16
and they tried to take, and
Abraham drove them away, Satan
00:55:33.16\00:55:35.90
has tried to detour,
detour, detour us away from this
00:55:35.90\00:55:39.13
covenant and this covenant
promise, all the way through.
00:55:39.13\00:55:42.26
All the way through the Old
Testament, all the way through
00:55:42.26\00:55:44.63
New Testament.
00:55:44.63\00:55:46.86
One of my favorite authors,
someone you guys love as well,
00:55:46.86\00:55:50.00
Ellen White, makes this
statement and it's profound.
00:55:50.00\00:55:55.03
She says that what happened for
our salvation was the sundering
00:55:55.03\00:56:01.76
of the three
great powers of heaven.
00:56:01.76\00:56:04.66
You've got
three sacrifices here.
00:56:04.66\00:56:07.50
You've got Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit all experiencing a
00:56:07.50\00:56:11.20
fracture of relationship, a
severing of connection in order
00:56:11.20\00:56:17.40
to save the human race.
00:56:17.40\00:56:19.86
You've got, my God, my
God, why this separation?
00:56:19.86\00:56:24.53
And it was all pointed forward
to from the very beginning of
00:56:24.53\00:56:28.80
the covenant that God was laying
down for the human race, this,
00:56:28.80\00:56:33.00
this suffering
that was going to occur.
00:56:33.00\00:56:35.10
And not even just back to
Genesis 15, which certainly
00:56:35.10\00:56:37.90
that's there, but even back to,
as you mentioned earlier Genesis
00:56:37.90\00:56:41.00
3, that there would be a
woundedness in the warrior
00:56:41.00\00:56:45.56
himself.
00:56:45.56\00:56:46.40
A bruise, bruising.
00:56:46.40\00:56:48.46
Somebody summarize what covenant
of peace, what, what's our
00:56:48.46\00:56:51.80
takeaway.
00:56:51.80\00:56:52.93
What's the message that
we've basically gathered here?
00:56:52.93\00:56:57.30
I just love the imagery.
00:56:57.30\00:56:58.96
I think, if I can summarize just
in a picture, I mean, that whole
00:56:58.96\00:57:03.20
cutting the animal apart, I mean
you can just picture Abraham,
00:57:03.20\00:57:07.76
and he's just like, what?
00:57:07.76\00:57:09.83
And you can just imagine him
getting ready and God's like, no
00:57:09.83\00:57:12.66
I'm going to do this.
00:57:12.66\00:57:14.10
I think the summery is is
basically that God, the very
00:57:14.10\00:57:17.96
second humanity fell, stepped
right in, and God was already
00:57:17.96\00:57:24.13
prepared to invest all
of heaven into this race.
00:57:24.13\00:57:29.26
Could we say it
this way, Jeffery?
00:57:29.26\00:57:30.93
As soon as there was
sin, there was a savior.
00:57:30.93\00:57:34.93
This is the covenant of peace.
00:57:34.93\00:57:38.63
Before human beings ever sinned,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit had
00:57:38.63\00:57:41.50
a holy agreement within the
sacred inner-precincts of the
00:57:41.50\00:57:46.60
Godhead...
00:57:46.60\00:57:48.93
The community of
the Godhead itself...
00:57:48.93\00:57:50.66
Yeah, there was an agreement,
whatever happens, we will
00:57:50.66\00:57:55.03
intervene.
00:57:55.03\00:57:56.56
We will save the human race at
literally any cost to ourselves.
00:57:56.56\00:58:04.00
By any means necessary.
00:58:04.00\00:58:05.90
By any means necessary.
00:58:05.90\00:58:07.06
It's gonna happen.
00:58:07.06\00:58:08.76
God will remain faithful within
Himself and we, here we are, the
00:58:08.76\00:58:13.60
recipients of that faithfulness.
00:58:13.60\00:58:15.93
Amen.
00:58:15.93\00:58:17.13
Hallelujah.
00:58:17.13\00:58:18.86
We can praise God for
that, and just camp right there.
00:58:18.86\00:58:21.10
That's a good
place for us to close.
00:58:21.10\00:58:22.80
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00:58:22.80\00:58:28.73
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00:58:33.93\00:58:38.10
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