[Music]
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[Music]
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--As we continue this
conversation about righteousness
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by faith, we've been, in the
last two sessions, talking a lot
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about the sin problem, and we've
defined it in really relational
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terms, which has
been a blessing to me.
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--Totally.
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--But now, we just need to
continue the story and we're
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shifting the weight of our
emphasis and our conversation
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from the fallenness, the
sinfulness of man, to the
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righteousness of God,
but that has a backdrop.
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There's a rich history that
leads into the realization of
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the righteousness of God in
Christ, but there's a backdrop
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here.
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-Well, I love the fact, Ty, that
you're using the word there,
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transition because, in my way of
thinking, that's exactly where
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we're at.
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We've sort of told the story
from Genesis 1 up through 11,
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which is, you know, Genesis 1
and 2 is the creation, 3 to 11
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is the fall of man.
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Then we started telling the
Abrahamic story, you know, this
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beautiful story, these
various encounters where God is
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progressively revealing himself
to Abram, the called out one.
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--That was Genesis
12 to 22, basically.
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--Right, 12 to 22, exactly,
and that's, yeah, exactly, 22 is
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Mount Moriah, and that's where
I still kind of am in my brain.
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Now, we've spent the last 2
sessions unpacking the depth and
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darkness and, without Christ,
despair of the sin problem,
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right?
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Which, to me, that's all Genesis
22, because, remember, there
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goes the knife, Abraham's
about ready to do his thing.
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God stays the hand and points
and says, there's a ram caught
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in the thicket.
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God himself has provided.
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There's so much here, right?
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But this idea that God
is going to do something.
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You mentioned we're
transitioning away from the,
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into the righteousness of God.
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And what we see here, then, is
that God is going to do a thing.
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It's consistent with the thing
in Genesis 3, where they're
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making of the coats of skins,
and you know, being wounded on
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the heel, it's consistent with
the promise there, what's the
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other one I'm thinking about,
the anticipation of the death of
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Messiah.
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I can't even think of it.
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--In Genesis?
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--Yeah, it's in Genesis
right there early on, it's just
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slipping my brain.
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Yeah, I said that one.
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--3:15, then the coats of
skin in verse, like, 21, 22.
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--Oh, I know what I was thinking
of, the severing of the animals.
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--Oh, yeah, in Genesis 15.
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--Genesis 15 where
they cut the animals.
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So, here we see it again, that
there's going to be some death
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that will come, and it's gonna
be something that God is doing.
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God is going to do this thing,
and so, as we progress through,
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now we're at Abraham, right?
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And then we talk about
the descendants of Abraham,
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etcetera, and there's a
fascinating idea that in much of
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the rest of the Old Testament,
in particular, though also in
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some degree in the New
Testament, God is so identified
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with this man and his
descendants that he actually,
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let this sink in, the sovereign
of the universe, the infinite,
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inimitable, eternal God of the
universe is called by the name
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of Abraham.
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He refers to himself as the God
of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
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He's so identified.
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--He so identifies
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--In association with this man.
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--That's amazing
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--It becomes normative.
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This is the God
we're dealing with.
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Which God are we talking
about, are we talking about?
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No, no, no, this
is the God of Abraham.
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Oh.
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And he calls himself that.
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--Which translates in the minds
of the people who hear that
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term, for Israel, the God
of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is
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basically code
for all that history.
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--That's right.
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--All that history, let that
be triggered in your thinking.
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The God of Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob is the God of covenant and
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promise and power and
follow through and faithfulness.
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--I can't think of a better
verse that epitomizes that than
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Genesis 22 verse 8, Abraham
is asked by his son, where's the
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sacrifice?
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And Abraham said, my son, God
will provide himself a lamb for
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a burnt offering.
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So this is the essence of
Abraham's faith, of his belief
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in God and it's witnessed to his
son, it's shared with others,
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and this is why I think God is
identifying himself as the God
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of Abraham.
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--We have mentioned before, I
think you are exactly right, we
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have mentioned before how
the sort of landscape or the
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architecture of Genesis is
skewed heavily toward the family
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of Abraham.
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You know, the first little
bit is like 11 chapters is say,
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2,000 years in round figures
of history, and then the last 39
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chapters is like 200 years.
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It's like a 10 to 1 ratio.
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So, you have this, you know,
slowing down when you get to 12
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all the way to 50.
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Then the rest of the writing
of Moses is really telling the
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story of Abraham and his
descendants and then the nation
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that grows out of that, and
these are the covenant people of
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God, Israel.
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--Even just beyond the writings
of Moses, the rest of the
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prophets all the way
throughout the Old Testament.
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And you were saying how
you can see these little hints.
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In Genesis 3, there's the
promise of the 2 lineages, then
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there's the clothing them with
the skins, then there's Abraham,
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so all of these hints, and
then when you get to Israel, God
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basically systematizes
this whole idea that God will
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provide.
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Then you get this whole
concept of the sanctuary.
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So Israel, all the way from
Moses, all the way through to
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the end of the Old Testament
is the long story, the messy and
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bumpy story of this people who
are supposed to contain those
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very promises of God,
or what's a better word?
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Preserve those promises of
God, and they have, in their own
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culture, in their very culture,
they have a system in place, as
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constant reminders through
different symbols of the fact
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that this is what God has done,
this is what God is going to do,
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and the purpose of your
existence is to give other
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people access to that
promise and that history.
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--When you say other
people, who do you mean?
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--I mean the
Gentiles, the rest of the world.
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--That's the
point I was gonna make.
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--So, it's more than
preserving, it's disseminating.
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--Yeah.
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--Preservation for
the sake and purpose of...
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--Dissemination.
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--Exactly.
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--The salvation of the Jews
as Jesus said to the Samaritans.
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--I've got a text on that.
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--I was gonna quote
you, let me quote you to you.
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--Okay.
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--Can I do that?
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I loved it when you said, God
called them out to send them in.
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--There's a text for that
that I think is really crucial.
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So, you kinda moved us very
quickly, in both of your sets of
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comments, from Abraham in
chapter 22 of Genesis into the
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formation of Israel, Abraham,
Isaac, Jacob, the formation of
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Israel as a nation, you
mentioned the sanctuary, which
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was specifically a system that
was created to keep the covenant
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that God had made with Israel in
mind, and watch this, they come
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out of Egyptian bondage and
we come to chapter 19 of Exodus,
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alright?
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And before the 10 commandments
are given, in chapter 20 of
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Exodus, God tells Israel,
through Moses, what his whole
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plan and purpose is.
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Chapter 19, verse 4, you have
seen what I did to the Egyptians
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and now how I bore
you, how I bore you on...
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--I'm sorry, you're in
chapter 19, verse 4, got it.
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--Bore you on eagle's wings and
brought you to myself, and so,
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God is saying to them
here, I pulled you out.
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--It's very paternal.
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--It's very paternal.
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And I'm caring for you,
I'm taking care of you, I'm
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surrounding you with my
influence and my blessing and
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God tells them, in chapter 19,
and you guys help me find the
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verse that follows up on that
one, in chapter 19, he says,
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somewhere here, and I called
you out basically, to make you a
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kingdom of priests.
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Where is that, in chapter 19?
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--Well, first of all, in verse
5, you don't wanna skip over
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that, you look through that
verse, and I'll read verse 5.
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Now, therefore, if you will obey
my voice indeed, and keep my
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covenant, then you shall be a
peculiar treasure unto me of all
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the people, for
all the earth is mine.
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In other words, I want you to be
a treasure because all the earth
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is mine, and I want all
the earth to be blessed.
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--I wasn't seeing it,
but read verse 6 also, James.
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--No, go ahead.
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--In verse 6, and you shall be,
to me, a kingdom of priests and
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a holy nation.
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This is extremely important
because what is a priest?
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--Someone who stands between.
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--It's a mediator, it's someone
who is a conduit, it's somebody
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who's a channel through
which something is to come.
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Our minds
immediately go back to what?
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Chapter 12 of Genesis where the
covenant is originally formed.
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I'm gonna make you a blessing
to all the world, to all the
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nations, and God says how I'm
gonna do that is through you,
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you're going to be a kingdom of
priests, a kingdom of mediators,
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a kingdom of individuals as
a nation who will be a conduit
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through which the knowledge
of my love, my covenant, my
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faithfulness will be
made through the world.
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--I love that, now, with your
permission, I wanna just rewind
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very slightly to Exodus 2.
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In other words, I'm
100% with that...Thanks James
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Look at Exodus 2.
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This begins to tap into what
Jeffrey just called the what?
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Messy, bumpy story?
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Well, the story gets messy
and bumpy, I mean, immediately,
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right after, out of the gate,
it's messy and bumpy, and so,
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here we have the descendants
of Abraham in Egyptian slavery,
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right?
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And look at verse 24,
Exodus 2:24, so God heard their
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groaning, the slaves, Israel are
slaves now, they're in bondage
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to Egypt, and God
remembered his covenant.
00:10:04.30\00:10:07.73
Now, watch this, with Abraham,
Isaac, and with Jacob, now this
00:10:08.03\00:10:10.43
is in Exodus 2, remember Moses
is writing this as a continuous
00:10:10.43\00:10:14.50
narrative.
00:10:14.50\00:10:15.06
It's a continuous story.
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So, he ends Genesis chapter 50,
which is the death of Joseph,
00:10:17.80\00:10:21.03
right?
00:10:21.83\00:10:23.10
And then, as he just begins to
write the next book, the book of
00:10:23.10\00:10:24.70
Exodus, how does it start?
00:10:24.70\00:10:25.73
Well, where else would it start?
00:10:26.13\00:10:27.40
It starts with the descendants
of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
00:10:27.66\00:10:29.56
who've ended up in Egyptian
slavery, and God remembers the
00:10:29.56\00:10:32.60
covenant, the agreement, that he
made with Abraham, with Isaac,
00:10:32.60\00:10:35.80
and with Jacob.
00:10:35.80\00:10:36.83
And here's, to me, the
most fascinating thing.
00:10:36.83\00:10:38.76
The very next two chapters,
chapter 3 and 4 of Exodus, God
00:10:39.20\00:10:44.23
appears to Moses in a burning
bush and he says, go tell
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Pharaoh to what?
00:10:47.63\00:10:48.93
Let my son go.
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--Singular.
00:10:51.73\00:10:52.30
--That's right.
00:10:52.30\00:10:53.10
My firstborn.
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But he is seeing, and by
the way, there are two primary
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figures in the Old Testament
that are the son of God.
00:10:57.66\00:10:59.76
The two primary figures in the
Old Testament that are the son
00:11:00.43\00:11:02.70
of God, number one, we just
read, is Israel, the other is
00:11:02.70\00:11:04.26
Adam.
00:11:04.26\00:11:05.46
These are the sons of God.
00:11:06.26\00:11:08.10
This'll have huge implications
when we get to the New
00:11:08.10\00:11:09.73
Testament, and Jesus is
referred to as the son of God.
00:11:09.73\00:11:12.53
But for our purposes here, it's
like God is saying, hey, that's
00:11:12.93\00:11:15.93
my boy.
00:11:15.93\00:11:17.43
Get my boy out of there because
I have an arrangement with him,
00:11:17.43\00:11:20.30
I have an agreement with him,
I have a covenant with him, so
00:11:20.30\00:11:23.23
then, Ty takes us to 19 and God
brings the children of Israel,
00:11:23.23\00:11:27.56
and you know, we know
this story, most of us, of the
00:11:27.56\00:11:29.36
plagues, right, if we haven't
read the bible story, we saw the
00:11:29.36\00:11:31.50
movie, who was it that
did the 10 commandments movie?
00:11:31.50\00:11:34.20
--Charlton Heston.
00:11:34.20\00:11:34.96
--Charlton Heston.
00:11:34.96\00:11:36.33
So, you get through
there, and here we are in 19,
00:11:36.33\00:11:38.46
and God says I'm going to
establish my covenant with you.
00:11:38.46\00:11:41.33
And you were exactly right,
Jeffrey, when you said, or you,
00:11:42.40\00:11:45.20
I think it was you, Ty, somebody
said, when that language is
00:11:45.20\00:11:48.56
used, the God of Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob, that's code for,
00:11:48.56\00:11:51.10
--that was you, --a whole
history that's going on here.
00:11:52.73\00:11:55.13
So, the Israelites, this
is not happening in a vacuum.
00:11:55.13\00:11:57.66
They know good and well who this
God, oh, oh, this is the God of
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Abraham.
00:12:01.76\00:12:03.03
We know who Abraham and Isaac
is, we know who Jacob is, and
00:12:03.03\00:12:05.56
God says, I'll make my covenant
with you, and you will be what I
00:12:05.56\00:12:08.93
originally
intentioned for Abraham,
00:12:08.93\00:12:10.46
you'll be a kingdom of priests.
00:12:11.36\00:12:13.30
--You know what I love?
00:12:13.30\00:12:14.66
I love this word
in here, remembered.
00:12:14.66\00:12:15.93
I have a little doohickey on my
app, iPhone that is To Do, it's
00:12:15.93\00:12:21.13
To Do lists, and Siri helps me
to remember things, and the only
00:12:21.13\00:12:25.26
reason I need to remember
anything is for one purpose
00:12:25.26\00:12:27.86
to do it.
00:12:29.06\00:12:30.00
Once I've done it, I click a
little button and it's on the
00:12:31.23\00:12:33.63
done list.
00:12:33.63\00:12:34.43
--I love that idea.
00:12:34.43\00:12:35.66
--There's great satisfaction.
00:12:35.66\00:12:36.70
But when it's on
the remember list, it's
00:12:38.30\00:12:39.96
because I need to do it.
00:12:39.96\00:12:41.20
So, when it says God remembered,
what that means is, there's
00:12:41.80\00:12:44.93
something he needs to do,
and I love this because, in the
00:12:44.93\00:12:48.93
context of what we've talked
about with our natures, for
00:12:48.93\00:12:51.30
example, when I first came to
God, I came out of a situation
00:12:51.30\00:12:55.06
where I struggled with being
able to accomplish anything.
00:12:55.06\00:12:59.13
In relation to what we've talked
about, for example, my mom was
00:12:59.90\00:13:03.20
in AA, my dad was a heavy
drinker, alcoholic for a while.
00:13:03.20\00:13:06.90
My grandma was an alcoholic, she
actually had a wet brain, she
00:13:07.70\00:13:09.80
had to have a certain
amount of alcohol every day.
00:13:09.80\00:13:11.56
My aunt was an alcoholic.
00:13:11.56\00:13:13.23
--I've never heard
that term before, wet brain.
00:13:13.23\00:13:14.60
--Yeah, my aunt died of an, she
was a closet alcoholic, and she
00:13:14.60\00:13:17.93
died of an accident wherein
she was, you know, drinking.
00:13:17.93\00:13:21.83
And my grandfather owned a pub
in Ireland, I mean, it was all
00:13:22.50\00:13:25.63
through my family, and I
went in that same direction.
00:13:25.63\00:13:26.96
--It was genetic for you.
00:13:27.23\00:13:27.86
--Yeah, Irish.
00:13:27.86\00:13:29.13
And so, I remember in my early
years, teenage years, getting so
00:13:29.13\00:13:34.93
involved in alcohol, it was
my comfort, you know, it was my
00:13:34.93\00:13:38.13
comfort, it's what I turned to.
00:13:38.13\00:13:40.26
And I remember many times trying
to quit, trying to quit, trying
00:13:40.26\00:13:45.60
to quit, I'm gonna stop,
I'm gonna stop, I'm gonna stop.
00:13:45.60\00:13:47.43
Having bets with my friends,
just, and wanting to quit.
00:13:47.43\00:13:50.03
--Promising
yourself, promising God.
00:13:50.03\00:13:52.00
--Promising, promising,
and knowing that God wanted
00:13:52.00\00:13:54.70
something better for me, being
raised a Catholic and praying
00:13:54.70\00:13:57.40
every night whether I was drunk
or sober, but never being able
00:13:57.40\00:14:00.26
to accomplish it.
00:14:00.26\00:14:01.53
And I remember coming to God,
I was on my knees and I remember
00:14:01.53\00:14:04.03
understanding that I believe God
wanted something better for me,
00:14:04.03\00:14:09.36
but I couldn't do it, and I
remember saying to him, I can't,
00:14:09.66\00:14:12.80
if you want me to be a Christian
and stop drinking, you're going
00:14:12.80\00:14:15.16
to have to do this,
because I can't do this.
00:14:15.16\00:14:17.33
And it was that expectation, I
got off my knees, and I thought,
00:14:17.33\00:14:21.60
God is going to do something,
because I can't do this.
00:14:21.60\00:14:25.80
It was that expectation that
brought me this whole different
00:14:26.20\00:14:29.56
picture of the gospel
and righteousness by faith.
00:14:29.56\00:14:32.56
--Can I ask you a question?
00:14:32.56\00:14:33.83
At that point, because I don't
know your journey as well as I
00:14:33.83\00:14:36.20
wish I did, at that point,
you were not very biblically
00:14:36.20\00:14:39.03
literate?
00:14:39.03\00:14:39.93
--Not at all.
00:14:39.93\00:14:41.13
I knew the Lord's Prayer, I
said a Hail Mary, I said those
00:14:41.13\00:14:42.86
prayers every night, I was
raised in a religious system,
00:14:42.86\00:14:45.93
but not really in a
relationship with Jesus Christ.
00:14:45.93\00:14:48.56
--You were an
altar boy, weren't you?
00:14:48.56\00:14:49.40
--I was an altar boy.
00:14:49.40\00:14:50.13
So, went to a religious school.
00:14:50.13\00:14:52.86
--You know what I love, love,
love about that story, apart
00:14:53.10\00:14:55.36
from the fact that it's a
beautiful story of deliverance,
00:14:55.36\00:14:57.26
I love the fact that you were
already, and I think the first
00:14:57.26\00:15:00.06
time I heard you tell this
story, you actually used this
00:15:00.06\00:15:02.03
language, you said, you didn't
even know the language, but you
00:15:02.03\00:15:07.10
were already praying
a new covenant prayer.
00:15:07.10\00:15:09.50
--Yeah, didn't even know the
language, didn't even understand
00:15:09.73\00:15:11.50
the gospel, but I was
experiencing and understanding
00:15:11.50\00:15:13.83
what that gospel
looked like in reality.
00:15:13.83\00:15:16.76
It was my utter hopelessness
and helplessness and my utter
00:15:17.03\00:15:20.70
dependence on Christ and an
expectation that he was gonna do
00:15:20.70\00:15:23.36
something for me that
I couldn't so for myself.
00:15:23.36\00:15:25.26
--Now, here is the amazing
thing, thank you for sharing
00:15:25.53\00:15:28.10
that, James, and by the
way, we know that we have people
00:15:28.10\00:15:30.56
listening in on this
conversation who are wrestling
00:15:30.56\00:15:33.60
with a variety of things, I
mean, we wrestle with things,
00:15:33.60\00:15:36.30
alcohol in particular and other,
we live in an addictive society
00:15:36.30\00:15:40.96
and an addictive world, and just
knowing that there is a God who
00:15:40.96\00:15:46.33
has your best interest in mind,
who's looking out for you and
00:15:46.33\00:15:48.53
who can do this thing, but
here's the thing I love, apart
00:15:48.53\00:15:52.00
from just the beauty of the
story itself, is that, that ties
00:15:52.00\00:15:54.96
in exactly with where we are in
Exodus 19, because God shows up,
00:15:54.96\00:15:59.20
we've read down to
verse 6, now, just watch this.
00:15:59.20\00:16:00.63
Verse 7, because I wonder if
some people are listening in and
00:16:01.90\00:16:03.90
saying, new covenant
thinking, what's that?
00:16:03.90\00:16:05.50
Listen to this, 7, so Moses came
and called for the elders of the
00:16:05.50\00:16:08.83
people, laid before them
all the words which the Lord had
00:16:08.83\00:16:12.70
commanded him, now, watch this,
verse 8, then all the people
00:16:12.70\00:16:16.06
answered together and said,
all that the Lord has spoken,
00:16:16.06\00:16:20.83
we will do.
00:16:20.83\00:16:21.63
That is not, that was
your prayer until you realized.
00:16:23.06\00:16:25.30
--That was me, through
and through, old covenant, old
00:16:25.30\00:16:27.36
covenant.
00:16:27.36\00:16:28.36
--How long did that
take, that process for you?
00:16:28.36\00:16:29.60
Like, when you were like, I
wanna stop, I wanna stop, I'm
00:16:29.60\00:16:30.86
gonna stop, betting with your
friends, I mean, is that a year,
00:16:30.86\00:16:32.60
is that more than a year?
00:16:32.60\00:16:34.23
--It was more than a year,
because we did it two or three
00:16:34.23\00:16:37.76
times for several months at
a time, so it was more than a
00:16:37.76\00:16:40.60
year.
00:16:40.60\00:16:41.30
--So, it was a long struggle.
00:16:41.30\00:16:42.63
--It was over a
couple years at least.
00:16:42.63\00:16:44.26
--So, you literally lived
the wilderness experience.
00:16:44.26\00:16:48.93
Because that's what's gonna
happen here, they'll say, oh,
00:16:49.33\00:16:50.66
yeah, we'll do that, and
then that's not gonna, and then
00:16:50.66\00:16:53.10
they're, we'll do that,
they don't do it, we'll do that,
00:16:53.10\00:16:55.50
--Exactly.
00:16:55.50\00:16:56.20
we'll do that. we'll do that.
00:16:56.20\00:16:57.40
If that, one year before I
accepted Christ, my mom sent me
00:16:57.40\00:16:59.03
a bible and I started reading
it, and I started reading John
00:16:59.03\00:17:01.16
chapter 1, and by the time I got
to the end of that chapter, I
00:17:01.16\00:17:04.23
couldn't even understand or
remember what I'd read at the
00:17:04.23\00:17:06.03
beginning.
00:17:06.03\00:17:07.63
I was totally
biblically illiterate.
00:17:07.63\00:17:09.76
I couldn't understand the bible,
and yet, I experienced this new
00:17:10.33\00:17:13.93
covenant experience.
00:17:13.93\00:17:15.26
God was working in me as he's
working in every single human
00:17:15.26\00:17:18.03
being on planet earth to bring
them to this good news, this
00:17:18.03\00:17:20.96
revelation of who he is, but
sometimes, it has to get very
00:17:20.96\00:17:24.90
dark, and that's what it was in
my life, before he can bring us
00:17:24.90\00:17:28.43
to this understanding,
this full understanding.
00:17:28.43\00:17:31.60
--It's a very similar experience
to what I had, as you know,
00:17:31.60\00:17:34.86
James, and you guys know as
well, I was also raised in an
00:17:34.86\00:17:37.93
alcoholic home, and also drug
addiction, and my experience was
00:17:37.93\00:17:44.30
slightly different, but the
same exact principles at work.
00:17:44.30\00:17:50.63
I didn't even question the use
of alcohol or drugs because it
00:17:51.90\00:17:57.56
was always around and I grew
up with it and you know, I had a
00:17:57.56\00:18:03.20
brother that was born,
fetal alcohol syndrome,
00:18:03.20\00:18:06.73
he was born addicted to alcohol.
00:18:07.10\00:18:09.06
My mother was also in AA, but
check this out, my experience
00:18:10.90\00:18:13.96
was a little bit different, but
it's the same exact experience
00:18:13.96\00:18:16.96
on another level, and that
is that I never questioned it, I
00:18:16.96\00:18:20.53
just kept doing it.
00:18:20.53\00:18:21.76
From literally, from the fifth
grade on, using drugs nearly
00:18:21.76\00:18:25.16
every day of my life, and then,
with no promises, no effort to
00:18:25.16\00:18:31.73
ever stop doing it, with
no intentions of ever stopping
00:18:31.73\00:18:34.70
doing it, I saw, in my mind,
I don't mean with my eyes, I saw
00:18:34.70\00:18:40.96
the beauty of the character of
God, in a very elementary sense
00:18:40.96\00:18:45.86
at that beginning stage, but
I, it was so overwhelming to me
00:18:45.86\00:18:49.60
that, immediately, the next day,
I woke up and all the desire and
00:18:49.60\00:18:55.63
interest for that stuff was
gone, and I still had it in my
00:18:55.63\00:18:59.43
possession.
00:18:59.43\00:19:00.76
I still had, you know, another
part of the story, I still had
00:19:00.76\00:19:04.93
it for sale, and people were
coming to my house, and I was
00:19:04.93\00:19:08.03
saying, well, no, no.
00:19:08.03\00:19:11.10
It was God.
00:19:11.10\00:19:12.16
I had no interest, no
desire, no struggle, nothing.
00:19:12.16\00:19:16.00
the beauty of the character
of God, literally, overnight,
00:19:16.00\00:19:20.00
eclipsed all interest in those
types of things, well, that
00:19:20.00\00:19:25.13
specifically, and it was gone.
00:19:25.13\00:19:27.76
I didn't know the language, new
covenant, faith, all I knew was
00:19:27.76\00:19:32.90
a very, very elementary picture
of God's love and how that it
00:19:32.90\00:19:37.83
was good and that it was
faithful and that he would
00:19:37.83\00:19:41.26
follow through.
00:19:41.26\00:19:42.16
And that was it,
liberation overnight.
00:19:42.16\00:19:44.66
--I know we have to take a break
here, but the story that you
00:19:44.66\00:19:48.23
just told and the story that you
just told Ty and James, is what
00:19:48.23\00:19:50.46
we ended our last conversation
on, remember, the parable of
00:19:50.46\00:19:53.30
Jesus in what is it, Luke 11.
00:19:53.30\00:19:54.93
We have the one guy
who's got all of his doctrinal,
00:19:54.93\00:19:57.63
theological ducks in
a row, but he's a jerk.
00:19:57.63\00:20:00.73
He's despising other people, and
then you have the other person,
00:20:01.26\00:20:03.63
apparently, no theological
awareness, he's not a Pharisee,
00:20:03.63\00:20:06.76
he's not, and he's got it right.
00:20:06.76\00:20:08.36
Because all he
knows, what does he know?
00:20:08.70\00:20:09.96
He knows two things, that God is
approachable, and that he is a
00:20:09.96\00:20:13.96
sinner.
00:20:13.96\00:20:14.66
--Well, we're off to a really
good start in this first segment
00:20:16.70\00:20:18.86
and...
00:20:18.86\00:20:19.80
--I got a great
point when we come back.
00:20:19.80\00:20:21.50
--We'll just take a break
and come back and keep pursuing
00:20:21.50\00:20:23.90
this.
00:20:23.90\00:20:25.33
[Music]
00:20:26.60\00:20:35.20
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[Music]
00:22:31.43\00:22:35.36
--Hey, David, right at the end
of segment one, you said there
00:22:37.40\00:22:40.06
was something specific that you
wanted to get immediately into?
00:22:40.06\00:22:42.96
--Well, just a thought that
I had, I loved when James, you
00:22:42.96\00:22:46.53
were telling your story, and
empathizing with yours as well,
00:22:46.53\00:22:49.20
about the drug experience and
the alcohol experience, well,
00:22:49.20\00:22:52.03
alcohol with you, and you said
something that was so profound
00:22:52.03\00:22:55.90
and I wanna bring the impression
that that had on me back to the
00:22:55.90\00:23:00.20
experience of Abraham.
00:23:00.20\00:23:01.23
You said God has to bring us
sometimes to a dark place, and I
00:23:02.46\00:23:05.40
was thinking man, that's exactly
what happened with Abraham,
00:23:05.40\00:23:07.13
because, when the sun was going
down, a deep sleep fell on Abram
00:23:07.13\00:23:10.33
and behold, a horror and
great darkness fell upon him.
00:23:10.33\00:23:13.63
Before the announcement of the
good news, you know, God's in
00:23:14.16\00:23:17.60
the midst of making this
covenant, but Abraham has to
00:23:17.60\00:23:19.20
feel the darkness of his
circumstance and his situation
00:23:19.20\00:23:22.83
before he's gonna appreciate the
beauty of covenant, the beauty
00:23:22.83\00:23:25.83
of what God is doing.
00:23:25.83\00:23:27.30
--You know what's really
interesting, David, about this
00:23:27.30\00:23:29.63
whole story, at least for me it
is, one of the goals in my life
00:23:29.63\00:23:34.36
up until I was 21 years of age
had to do with certain worldly
00:23:34.36\00:23:39.70
expectations that involved
exciting new vistas, like, for
00:23:39.70\00:23:43.53
example, when I turned 15 and
a half, I got a driving permit,
00:23:43.53\00:23:46.30
when I turned 16, I got my
driver's license, when I turned
00:23:46.56\00:23:48.46
19, I was legally old enough
to drink in Idaho, which was 30
00:23:48.46\00:23:52.03
minutes from where I
lived in Spokane, Washington.
00:23:52.03\00:23:54.26
But when I turned 21, oh, when I
turned 21, I was legal to drink
00:23:54.26\00:23:59.60
anywhere, and that's, that is
the year that I accepted Christ
00:23:59.60\00:24:03.13
as my savior, because when I hit
21, and I was now legal to drink
00:24:03.13\00:24:07.73
anywhere and I could do whatever
I wanted basically and I wasn't
00:24:07.73\00:24:10.50
dependent on other people to buy
alcohol for me, which I had been
00:24:10.50\00:24:13.36
up to that
time, it dawned on me.
00:24:13.36\00:24:16.86
--It felt like freedom.
00:24:16.86\00:24:18.10
--Yeah, but it dawned on me
that all of the stuff that I was
00:24:18.10\00:24:19.93
pursuing was
absolutely empty and worthless.
00:24:19.93\00:24:23.20
It was the excitement of being
able to do something that was
00:24:23.73\00:24:27.60
illegal for me to do, but once
I realized the freedom of being
00:24:27.60\00:24:33.16
able to do that,
there was nothing left.
00:24:33.16\00:24:36.16
--Yeah, where do
you go from here?
00:24:36.63\00:24:38.03
--And so, and I remember, Ty was
talking about how, the change
00:24:38.03\00:24:42.46
that took place, one day, I'm
selling, the next day, what am I
00:24:42.46\00:24:45.90
doing with this stuff?
00:24:45.90\00:24:47.13
And I remember one day, someone
knocked on my door, this is
00:24:47.13\00:24:49.53
after I became a Christian, I
went to the door, and there was
00:24:49.53\00:24:51.33
a young man standing there that
I knew, he used to party with us
00:24:51.33\00:24:53.40
and he was underage, and he
said, hey, he said, can you buy
00:24:53.40\00:24:58.06
us some alcohol, you know,
because I'm 21 now, been 21 for
00:24:58.06\00:25:01.46
a little while, and I said,
you know what, and it was really
00:25:01.46\00:25:05.60
strange because I couldn't even
relate to him asking me that, it
00:25:05.60\00:25:10.73
was like, I had to, it took me a
few seconds to get my bearings.
00:25:10.73\00:25:15.26
What?
00:25:15.26\00:25:16.53
Oh, yeah, that's right, that's
the way it used to be, isn't it?
00:25:16.53\00:25:20.96
I just looked at him
and said, you know what?
00:25:20.96\00:25:22.90
I don't do that anymore.
00:25:22.90\00:25:24.93
And he wasn't mad
or upset or anything.
00:25:25.30\00:25:27.36
He was, like,
looking at me like, huh?
00:25:27.36\00:25:30.53
You don't do that anymore?
00:25:31.50\00:25:33.56
No frame of reference
whatsoever, and I just.
00:25:33.56\00:25:36.00
Praise God, that is such good
news, and I'll tell you what.
00:25:36.63\00:25:40.26
--Beautiful.
00:25:40.26\00:25:41.50
--Six weeks after I became a
Christian, 6 weeks, I was, it
00:25:41.50\00:25:44.86
was fear and trembling for me.
00:25:44.86\00:25:46.53
I thought, is this real?
00:25:46.90\00:25:48.33
Is this really gonna hold?
00:25:48.93\00:25:50.50
Is this
experience really gonna hold?
00:25:50.73\00:25:52.80
Am I, is this reality?
00:25:53.30\00:25:56.16
Because it had just
never happened before.
00:25:56.16\00:25:57.80
--I was 23, so we were all, I
think, young, how old were you,
00:25:59.46\00:26:05.20
Jeffrey?
00:26:05.20\00:26:05.70
--Seventeen.
00:26:05.70\00:26:06.33
--Oh, we were kids.
00:26:06.33\00:26:07.10
You were about the same, 17?
00:26:07.10\00:26:08.23
--Seventeen, 18, I began
thinking about spiritual things
00:26:08.23\00:26:11.56
right before my 18th birthday
and then it all just came in
00:26:11.56\00:26:15.43
like a flood when I was 18.
00:26:15.43\00:26:17.20
--And it's amazing how, with all
of us, and I'm sure that many of
00:26:17.20\00:26:20.30
our viewers can relate to
this, people listening into the
00:26:20.30\00:26:21.96
conversation, though, maybe not
all, it was like, night and day.
00:26:21.96\00:26:25.06
I mean, I was like a purple
haired punk rocker and then I
00:26:25.70\00:26:27.56
was a believer.
00:26:27.56\00:26:28.60
It was just like a switch.
00:26:29.13\00:26:30.96
Like you said, you woke up
the next day, what is this stuff
00:26:30.96\00:26:33.03
doing in my house?
00:26:33.03\00:26:34.36
It was just a switch.
00:26:34.36\00:26:35.60
--And it's funny because I
didn't have any theological
00:26:36.36\00:26:38.73
understanding of the bible, but
I had friends, many friends, who
00:26:38.73\00:26:42.10
started coming to church
with me, just because of the
00:26:42.10\00:26:44.00
difference they saw in that,
that night and day difference,
00:26:44.00\00:26:47.00
just because of that experience,
and that's what I'm thinking
00:26:47.00\00:26:49.66
we're seeing here.
00:26:49.66\00:26:51.06
It's not just the theological
understanding of God and,
00:26:51.06\00:26:55.66
it's the character,
it's the life, it's the
00:26:56.60\00:26:58.93
change that the gospel makes,
that God makes in our lives
00:26:58.93\00:27:03.63
that is tangible, that people
see and that they want, they're
00:27:03.63\00:27:06.76
longing for, relationship,
love, that whole experience.
00:27:06.76\00:27:09.86
--Well, that's kind of also
part of how we ended the last
00:27:10.20\00:27:12.96
presentation about how God had
called Abraham for the purpose
00:27:12.96\00:27:17.06
of making him a light to be
a blessing, and you, all the
00:27:17.06\00:27:20.43
families of the
earth will be blessed.
00:27:20.43\00:27:22.30
They will see something, not
just that your doctrinal, you
00:27:22.30\00:27:25.86
know, i's are dotted and t's
are crossed, no, but there'll be
00:27:25.86\00:27:28.53
something about you as a person,
your relationships, familial and
00:27:28.53\00:27:32.46
friends and the way you conduct
business and the way that you
00:27:32.46\00:27:34.53
handle your finances, there'll
be something about you that will
00:27:34.53\00:27:37.30
be inherently and
beautifully attractive.
00:27:37.30\00:27:41.46
--It's noticeable.
00:27:42.03\00:27:42.60
--It'll be noticeable.
00:27:42.60\00:27:44.06
Something different, which,
by the way, that's what the word
00:27:44.06\00:27:45.90
holy means.
00:27:45.90\00:27:46.83
We just have this idea of
holiness, and I know many of our
00:27:48.03\00:27:51.46
listeners, the moment you say
holy, I mean, I don't know what
00:27:51.46\00:27:54.20
comes to your mind.
00:27:54.20\00:27:55.46
Glow in the dark, or a little
halo over the head or whatever.
00:27:55.46\00:27:57.43
Holy means, other.
00:27:57.43\00:27:59.70
Just different.
00:28:00.70\00:28:01.70
God is holy, he's different.
00:28:02.30\00:28:03.53
He's not like us, he's
a different kind of being.
00:28:03.53\00:28:05.96
He's righteous, he keeps
his word, etcetera, and when
00:28:06.33\00:28:09.06
Abraham would be holy, when he
would be righteous, he would be
00:28:09.06\00:28:12.16
different.
00:28:12.16\00:28:13.26
Called out, set apart, not
like what's going on in Babylon.
00:28:14.50\00:28:16.63
--Set apart, that's the
word I always remember for holy.
00:28:16.63\00:28:19.06
Set apart.
00:28:19.06\00:28:19.46
--Sanctified, different.
00:28:20.03\00:28:21.10
--There's a key word that we
keep bringing up in a lot of the
00:28:22.33\00:28:26.30
conversations and
that word is covenant.
00:28:26.30\00:28:30.63
Let me just try to build, let
me just show a thread here, and
00:28:31.33\00:28:34.26
kinda back up, rewind, and then
go forward again, because we're
00:28:34.26\00:28:37.96
in this story.
00:28:37.96\00:28:39.16
So, you back up to Genesis 15,
we have the 5 animals that were
00:28:39.80\00:28:44.76
brought by Abraham to the Lord,
the Lord commanded him to bring
00:28:46.33\00:28:49.76
these 5 animals, severe 3 of
them in half, pass between the
00:28:49.76\00:28:53.63
pieces, the Lord passed through
the pieces, and then it says, in
00:28:53.63\00:28:57.76
verse 18, we've already told
that story, so we won't go into
00:28:57.76\00:29:00.20
details, verse 18, on that same
day, the Lord made a covenant
00:29:00.20\00:29:04.26
with Abraham.
00:29:04.26\00:29:05.56
Okay, that's the idea.
00:29:05.56\00:29:06.76
Then we were in Exodus and
we saw, in chapter 19, well,
00:29:06.76\00:29:11.50
actually, back in chapter 2, and
then again in 19, that God is
00:29:11.50\00:29:15.40
remembering his what, covenant
with the people, and he has now
00:29:15.40\00:29:21.40
defined them in terms of
covenant, they are my covenant
00:29:21.40\00:29:25.70
people, and the covenant is the
thing that he wants conveyed,
00:29:25.70\00:29:31.06
communicated to the world.
00:29:31.06\00:29:32.86
So, you're a kingdom of
priests, you're a kingdom of
00:29:33.23\00:29:35.63
communicators.
00:29:35.63\00:29:36.73
Your words, your deeds, the
way you live, the nature of our
00:29:37.96\00:29:41.60
relationship is to witness
to the world, you're my covenant
00:29:41.60\00:29:45.46
people.
00:29:45.46\00:29:46.66
Well, the prophets, now,
we're reading Moses, but all the
00:29:46.66\00:29:50.20
prophets after this begin to
formulate a deeper and higher
00:29:50.20\00:29:55.63
and more nuanced
detailed picture of the covenant
00:29:55.63\00:29:59.53
and what this looks like, okay?
00:29:59.96\00:30:01.16
So, for example, when we come to
Isaiah, the prophet Isaiah, the
00:30:01.90\00:30:06.96
language that is used, and I'm
gonna skip to 3 texts here and
00:30:06.96\00:30:10.40
just jump in at any point if
you like because this'll take a
00:30:10.40\00:30:14.86
couple minutes, but just look
really quickly at chapter 54,
00:30:14.86\00:30:20.00
verse 10, 54, verse 10.
00:30:20.00\00:30:22.80
Isaiah 54:10, for the mountains
shall depart and the hills be
00:30:23.93\00:30:27.30
removed, but my kindness shall
not depart from you, nor shall
00:30:27.30\00:30:34.66
my covenant of peace be removed,
the word kindness there is the
00:30:34.66\00:30:39.30
word Hasid, we've all heard of
Hasidic Jews, for example, it's
00:30:39.30\00:30:44.10
an order of believers in Judaism
that are fascinated with the
00:30:44.10\00:30:51.46
study of the concept of Hasid.
00:30:51.46\00:30:54.40
Hasid is the basis for
covenant in this text, okay?
00:30:54.96\00:30:59.53
What is Hasid?
00:30:59.53\00:31:00.86
Hasid is basically is the Old
Testament word that is used more
00:31:00.86\00:31:05.60
times than any other Old
Testament word to describe God's
00:31:05.60\00:31:08.63
identity, God's
character, who God is.
00:31:08.63\00:31:11.36
And it's in the
context of covenant.
00:31:12.00\00:31:13.66
My kindness shall not depart.
00:31:14.26\00:31:16.96
There's stability here.
00:31:16.96\00:31:18.30
My Hasid, my love, some versions
translate it kindness, other
00:31:18.30\00:31:22.73
versions translate
it, my faithful love.
00:31:22.73\00:31:25.56
Other versions, my mercy.
00:31:25.56\00:31:27.50
Okay, but it's
connected with covenant.
00:31:27.50\00:31:30.60
Okay, look at chapter 55,
next chapter, and verse 3.
00:31:30.60\00:31:35.23
Incline your ear to me, and come
and hear and your soul shall
00:31:35.23\00:31:39.63
live, and I will make an
everlasting covenant with you.
00:31:39.63\00:31:45.66
Notice the covenant
here is everlasting.
00:31:46.00\00:31:48.66
It's eternal, it's reliable
and changeless, and what is that
00:31:48.66\00:31:52.83
covenant?
00:31:52.83\00:31:53.96
My version, New King
James Version, it says, the sure
00:31:53.96\00:31:56.93
mercies of David, and the
punctuation they use here is
00:31:56.93\00:32:00.36
very interesting.
00:32:00.36\00:32:01.56
It's an in-dash, which basically
operates in grammar as an
00:32:01.56\00:32:05.03
equivalency.
00:32:05.03\00:32:06.26
So, the covenant, the
everlasting covenant equals, it
00:32:06.66\00:32:10.00
is the sure mercies of David.
00:32:10.00\00:32:13.43
Another version translates
sure mercies as my faithful love
00:32:13.43\00:32:19.96
promised to David, and
the word, again, is Hasid.
00:32:19.96\00:32:23.20
--So, his covenant is
everlasting because he is
00:32:23.53\00:32:26.10
everlasting.
00:32:26.10\00:32:27.43
So, God's covenant, God's
fidelity, reflects his own
00:32:28.33\00:32:32.03
nature.
00:32:32.03\00:32:32.83
--Yes, of course.
00:32:32.83\00:32:33.76
--So, because he's everlasting,
then his commitment and his
00:32:35.00\00:32:37.63
promises to us are also
everlasting because they would
00:32:37.63\00:32:40.90
be of the same
nature as God himself is.
00:32:40.90\00:32:44.26
--And what I'm trying to get at
here is that the key word in the
00:32:44.76\00:32:49.23
Old Testament, the Hebrew
scriptures that defines the
00:32:49.23\00:32:53.36
nature of God's relationship
with his people is the word
00:32:53.36\00:32:56.86
covenant.
00:32:56.86\00:32:57.96
That word is connected
intimately throughout scripture,
00:32:58.53\00:33:01.03
and I'm just giving a couple
of examples with this idea of
00:33:01.03\00:33:03.23
faithful love, this idea of
kindness, this idea of unbroken,
00:33:03.23\00:33:10.23
unswerving fidelity.
00:33:10.23\00:33:12.66
Okay, that's what the
covenant looks like in action.
00:33:13.20\00:33:15.73
In other words, the word
covenant can be translated in
00:33:15.73\00:33:18.26
our thinking simply and
profoundly like this, I am a God
00:33:18.26\00:33:22.20
of covenant, you are the people
of my covenant, I am promising
00:33:22.20\00:33:26.43
to changelessly, everlastingly,
eternally be faithful to you.
00:33:26.43\00:33:31.70
That's the idea, and so when
we speak of the righteousness of
00:33:32.26\00:33:35.73
God, we're speaking of the
internal consistency of God's
00:33:35.73\00:33:39.80
character to follow through,
to make promises and keep those
00:33:39.80\00:33:42.73
promises.
00:33:42.73\00:33:43.93
--And on what basis do the
people have, what basis do the
00:33:43.93\00:33:47.60
people have to have confidence
in anything that this God says,
00:33:47.60\00:33:51.20
so, if I make you a promise, my
word, your confidence in my word
00:33:51.53\00:33:56.73
depends on my track record,
right, on my track record.
00:33:56.73\00:34:00.76
So, if I'm known to be a liar,
and I ask you to let me borrow
00:34:00.76\00:34:04.50
50 bucks, I promise I'll pay
you back next week when I get my
00:34:04.50\00:34:06.93
paycheck.
00:34:06.93\00:34:08.20
Well, if I've asked you the same
thing 5 times, 10 times before
00:34:08.20\00:34:10.50
and I've ripped you off, you
have no basis to have confidence
00:34:10.50\00:34:13.83
in my promise, right, so, it's
implicit in God's promises that
00:34:13.83\00:34:19.03
he's expecting people to
have confidence in his promises
00:34:19.03\00:34:23.00
because of his track record,
and I think that's one of the
00:34:23.00\00:34:25.76
significant reasons why the
covenant is always based on what
00:34:25.76\00:34:30.06
God has done in the past, so,
I am the God who brought you out
00:34:30.06\00:34:33.00
of Egypt.
00:34:33.00\00:34:34.26
So, why is he bringing up the
things he's done in the past?
00:34:34.26\00:34:38.66
--Track record.
00:34:38.66\00:34:39.93
--Because he's expecting us
to evaluate what he's saying and
00:34:39.93\00:34:43.10
what he's promising on the basis
of what he's done already in the
00:34:43.10\00:34:47.83
past.
00:34:47.83\00:34:48.86
So, I am the God of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
00:34:48.86\00:34:51.03
Why do successive generations
need to know that this God is
00:34:51.03\00:34:56.33
associated with these historical
figures in their history?
00:34:56.33\00:35:00.43
They need to know that because
it's on that basis that they
00:35:01.46\00:35:04.66
will hang their confidence
in what God is saying.
00:35:04.66\00:35:09.33
In two texts, really quick.
00:35:09.33\00:35:10.86
Were you done in Isaiah?
00:35:10.86\00:35:12.93
--I said I had three, but
you go ahead, I'm coming back to
00:35:12.93\00:35:14.33
Isaiah.
00:35:14.33\00:35:15.66
--I'll just quote it really
quick, just to strengthen that
00:35:15.66\00:35:21.10
point there, is, in Titus
chapter 1, verse 2, it says that
00:35:21.10\00:35:24.53
God cannot lie, not that he
doesn't like to, but he can't.
00:35:24.53\00:35:29.73
--Plus he doesn't like to.
00:35:29.73\00:35:31.43
--Plus he doesn't like to, and
in Hebrews, is it, 6, I think
00:35:31.43\00:35:37.66
verse 22 or something, it says
that it is impossible for God to
00:35:37.66\00:35:40.56
lie.
00:35:40.56\00:35:41.70
--Which couldn't
be said of you or me.
00:35:41.70\00:35:43.26
--Now, we can try not to lie, we
can choose not to lie, but God
00:35:44.53\00:35:49.00
cannot lie, and I think he
expects us to have confidence in
00:35:49.00\00:35:53.90
that, on the basis of what he's
already done, and I think that's
00:35:53.90\00:35:57.06
why the Old Testament is
so thick and maybe the New
00:35:57.06\00:35:59.66
Testament is so thin, because
the Old Testament is the basis
00:35:59.66\00:36:02.56
for the New, and the
New Testament fills this Old
00:36:02.56\00:36:06.03
Testament with activity and
intervention in human history so
00:36:06.03\00:36:10.60
that when the New Testament
comes into the picture, it's all
00:36:10.60\00:36:13.56
based on everything
God has already done.
00:36:13.56\00:36:15.26
--And there's something more in
the Old Testament that I think
00:36:15.26\00:36:17.26
is exemplified in the
word in the King James, mercy.
00:36:17.26\00:36:20.90
And that is, not only is the
covenant based on the fact that
00:36:20.90\00:36:23.76
God has a faithful track record,
that he's faithful, but it's
00:36:23.76\00:36:26.80
also based on the
fact that he's merciful.
00:36:26.80\00:36:30.00
Now, mercy implies the
imperfection of the object upon
00:36:30.00\00:36:34.33
which it is bestowed.
00:36:34.33\00:36:35.46
The whole Old Testament is
replete, even with Abraham and
00:36:36.10\00:36:38.90
Sarah, who, Abraham's lying
about Sarah, she's not my wife,
00:36:38.90\00:36:42.33
she's my sister, again, she's
not my wife, she's my sister,
00:36:42.33\00:36:45.50
the Old Testament is replete
with a history of people who
00:36:45.50\00:36:50.10
just fail God,
fail God, fail God.
00:36:50.10\00:36:51.53
So, not only do we need a God
who's faithful, but we also need
00:36:51.53\00:36:54.83
a God who is merciful.
00:36:54.83\00:36:56.26
We need, and notice this, in the
context of these promises that
00:36:56.73\00:37:00.20
are given that Ty pointed out,
he's kind, he's merciful, it
00:37:00.20\00:37:03.53
says in verse 5, behold, thou
shalt call a nation that thou
00:37:03.53\00:37:09.50
knowest not, these are people
that don't know you, and you
00:37:09.50\00:37:12.60
don't know them, and nations
that knew not thee shall run
00:37:12.60\00:37:16.10
unto thee because of the Lord
thy God, and for the Holy One of
00:37:16.10\00:37:20.93
Israel, for he
hath glorified thee.
00:37:20.93\00:37:22.96
In other words, they're seeing a
God who is faithful to a people
00:37:23.30\00:37:26.36
who are unfaithful.
00:37:26.36\00:37:27.60
--What chapter was that?
00:37:27.60\00:37:28.33
--That's Isaiah 55.
00:37:28.33\00:37:29.60
--So, they're being attracted
to God because of the way God is
00:37:29.60\00:37:31.96
relating to his own people.
00:37:31.96\00:37:33.66
--Who are unfaithful.
00:37:34.00\00:37:34.93
--So, right.
00:37:34.93\00:37:36.16
People that are not part of
God's people are being drawn to
00:37:36.16\00:37:41.93
God because of an observation on
how a faithful God is treating
00:37:41.93\00:37:47.13
unfaithful people.
00:37:47.13\00:37:48.70
--They might even be saying
in their minds, boy, our gods
00:37:48.70\00:37:50.36
aren't like that,
Moloch, Ishtar, Baal.
00:37:50.36\00:37:52.86
--And we might be saying in our
minds, boy, we wanna be faithful
00:37:52.86\00:37:55.73
to God and we wanna put up
a good front and we wanna make
00:37:55.73\00:37:57.90
sure when people see us,
they see people who are really
00:37:57.90\00:38:00.53
righteous and really holy, but
no, they're seeing the reality
00:38:00.53\00:38:05.66
of who we are and in
that context, they're seeing a
00:38:05.66\00:38:08.20
faithful God and
they're seeing it.
00:38:08.20\00:38:10.03
That's what we're
hanging our helpless souls on.
00:38:10.03\00:38:13.00
And what that does is, it
frees us, it just frees us.
00:38:13.36\00:38:16.16
We are captive.
00:38:16.73\00:38:17.93
It's like this, we are
captives, it's captive.
00:38:17.93\00:38:23.70
Here it is, there's Ty,
there's David, there's Jeffrey,
00:38:24.66\00:38:30.73
and there's James.
00:38:30.73\00:38:33.06
--I'm glad you
put yourself in there.
00:38:33.06\00:38:34.50
--We're captive.
00:38:34.50\00:38:35.76
And what happens is, is we are
captive, we can't get out, God,
00:38:35.76\00:38:39.06
the word of God, this is,
by the way, the bible, the New
00:38:39.06\00:38:41.73
Testament, this is the
entire New Testament right here.
00:38:41.73\00:38:43.86
In this little thing, which,
by the way, David can read this,
00:38:43.86\00:38:47.80
David can read this.
00:38:47.80\00:38:49.03
--With his spectacles.
00:38:49.03\00:38:50.86
--No, without them.
00:38:50.86\00:38:52.16
--The word of God comes into our
captivity, not to stay in here
00:38:52.16\00:38:56.50
with us, but he comes into that
captivity to release us, I'm not
00:38:56.50\00:39:01.10
gonna be able to
get the other side.
00:39:01.10\00:39:02.33
--You've been
waiting to do this.
00:39:02.33\00:39:04.23
--This is quite
the object lesson.
00:39:05.03\00:39:06.56
--Boom, and set us free, and
I love this because now we're
00:39:07.53\00:39:11.66
free, and other people
are saying, whoa, whoa, wait a
00:39:11.66\00:39:15.06
minute, those, what
kind of God is this?
00:39:15.06\00:39:18.73
That's released
James from alcoholism?
00:39:19.20\00:39:20.86
That's released Ty
from dealing drugs?
00:39:21.26\00:39:22.90
That has taken young people at
the very height of their youth
00:39:22.90\00:39:28.10
and energy and life is ahead of
them and has drawn them to just
00:39:28.10\00:39:31.96
give all of that to God.
00:39:31.96\00:39:33.20
Not when they're at the end of
their lives, but right there in
00:39:33.80\00:39:35.83
the youth of their
lives, just give it all to God.
00:39:35.83\00:39:39.53
--Ty, I think we're getting
ready to take a break, but did
00:39:40.40\00:39:41.73
you have a third verse?
00:39:41.73\00:39:42.80
When we come back to
this third verse you had.
00:39:42.80\00:39:44.50
--We should come back to the
third verse, because the third
00:39:44.50\00:39:46.40
verse launches us into New
Testament fulfillment of the
00:39:46.40\00:39:52.06
promise, so let's do that when
we come back, we don't have time
00:39:52.06\00:39:54.60
now.
00:39:54.60\00:39:55.83
You're gonna read that thing
00:39:55.83\00:39:57.23
--You like
reading it, don't you?
00:39:57.23\00:39:58.40
--I do.
00:39:59.53\00:40:00.93
--You like the fact
that you can read it.
00:40:00.93\00:40:02.43
--I think you're showing off.
00:40:04.93\00:40:06.76
--I want you to, because if
this, if life continues on, if
00:40:06.76\00:40:13.03
time continues on, and 10 years
goes by and we're doing this
00:40:13.03\00:40:17.20
table talk.
00:40:17.20\00:40:18.26
--I won't be able to read it.
00:40:18.26\00:40:19.63
--I will bring that out.
00:40:19.63\00:40:20.36
--Okay, break, Ok, break,
00:40:22.60\00:40:23.93
[Music]
00:40:23.93\00:40:32.16
Truth is not merely a list
of theological facts, but rather
00:40:34.53\00:40:36.90
the revelation of God's
beautiful love in Jesus Christ
00:40:36.90\00:40:40.56
Truth link is a series of
Bible Study Guides that magnify
00:40:40.56\00:40:44.06
God's love as the
center of every bible doctrine.
00:40:44.06\00:40:47.73
To receive your free copy
of lesson 1 call 877-585-1111,
00:40:47.73\00:40:54.13
or write to Light Bearers,
37457 Jasper Lowell Road,
00:40:54.13\00:40:59.70
Jasper, Oregon 97438.
00:40:59.70\00:41:02.20
Once again, to receive your free
copy of Truth link lesson 1,
00:41:02.20\00:41:06.16
call 877-585-1111, or
write to Light Bearers,
00:41:06.16\00:41:13.23
37457 Jasper Lowell
Road, Jasper, Oregon 97438.
00:41:13.23\00:41:18.10
[Music]
00:41:18.10\00:41:21.46
--I have to say, my excitement
level is really high and the
00:41:22.93\00:41:25.83
reason why is because do
you guys realize that we haven't
00:41:25.83\00:41:30.63
even cracked into the New
Testament, and we are just being
00:41:30.63\00:41:35.53
enriched with gospel concepts?
00:41:35.53\00:41:37.76
--So, the gospel's in the
Old Testament just as much.
00:41:38.06\00:41:40.10
--The Old Testament is
saturated with the gospel.
00:41:40.10\00:41:45.60
--It's the foundation work.
00:41:45.60\00:41:47.10
--Yeah, there could be no New
Testament, there could be no New
00:41:47.10\00:41:49.33
Testament gospel without the
back story of the Old Testament,
00:41:49.33\00:41:54.40
and this common notion of
dispensationalism that makes the
00:41:54.40\00:41:57.70
sharp segregation between Old
and New Testament, as if God was
00:41:57.70\00:42:01.73
actually into saving people
by one means back then, but now
00:42:01.73\00:42:06.86
he's into saving people
by another means in the New
00:42:06.86\00:42:09.03
Testament era,
it's just not there.
00:42:09.03\00:42:11.50
--There's an integration.
00:42:12.20\00:42:13.40
--Yeah, there's a complete
integration between the two.
00:42:13.40\00:42:16.76
--Now, Ty, I'm sitting on
the edge of my seat, as I'm sure
00:42:17.23\00:42:19.23
some of our viewers are here.
00:42:19.23\00:42:21.00
You said you had 2 texts for us
in Isaiah, you said you had 3,
00:42:21.00\00:42:23.60
we went to 54:10,
55:3, and where are we going?
00:42:23.60\00:42:28.23
--Well, it's not in order, but
that's on purpose, then go back
00:42:28.66\00:42:32.06
to chapter 42 of Isaiah.
00:42:32.06\00:42:35.70
This is one of the high points
of scripture, because the point
00:42:36.10\00:42:37.70
that I was making, I don't know
if you guys remember this, but
00:42:37.70\00:42:40.40
the point was that once God
calls Abraham out and then he
00:42:40.40\00:42:45.33
forms his people Israel, they
are the covenant people, all the
00:42:45.33\00:42:49.36
prophets forward from there, and
I'm just looking at Isaiah as an
00:42:49.36\00:42:52.96
example.
00:42:52.96\00:42:54.20
All the prophets are basically
enlarging and filling in the
00:42:54.20\00:42:57.30
details of the covenant and what
it will look like in action.
00:42:57.30\00:43:01.83
God's covenant promises taking
on all these beautiful, rich
00:43:01.83\00:43:04.93
hues and features, and
it's building a picture.
00:43:04.93\00:43:08.50
So, when we come to
Isaiah, for example.
00:43:09.00\00:43:11.90
--And I loved when you connected
it, and maybe that's the point
00:43:12.20\00:43:13.83
you're gonna make
now, with the Hasid thing.
00:43:13.83\00:43:16.03
In these two passages, 54:10
and 55:3, the covenant was tied
00:43:16.03\00:43:19.93
intimately.
00:43:19.93\00:43:21.40
--Yeah, Hasid is, as I
was pointing out, the most
00:43:21.40\00:43:26.40
frequently used word in the
Old Testament to describe God's
00:43:26.40\00:43:29.40
identity, his character, and it
is repeatedly connected with the
00:43:29.40\00:43:33.40
idea of covenant, righteousness,
mercy, justice, that's the key
00:43:33.40\00:43:37.53
word that is multidimensional,
that takes in the enormity of
00:43:37.53\00:43:42.86
God's faithful love for Israel,
and ultimately, for the human
00:43:42.86\00:43:46.90
race.
00:43:46.90\00:43:48.16
--And you told me something I
didn't even know, and I looked
00:43:48.16\00:43:50.50
it up and you were right, that
this branch of Judaism called
00:43:50.50\00:43:54.36
the Hasidic Jews call themselves
that, now just let this sink in,
00:43:54.36\00:43:57.63
because they're studying this
as their understanding of the
00:43:57.63\00:44:01.90
centerpiece, Hasid as the
centerpiece of what it means to
00:44:01.90\00:44:08.00
understand and be a follower of
the God of Abraham, Isaac, and
00:44:08.00\00:44:11.53
Jacob.
00:44:11.53\00:44:12.36
That's central.
00:44:12.36\00:44:14.36
--They basically are studying
the fact that God is love in an
00:44:14.36\00:44:18.63
Old Testament setting.
00:44:18.63\00:44:20.36
--Let me just use an
illustration real quick to
00:44:20.36\00:44:22.70
answer that question, but I
call myself an Adventist, right?
00:44:22.70\00:44:25.36
I am an Adventist, that's the
kind of Christian that I am, and
00:44:25.36\00:44:28.73
that mean, demarcates, or
denotes that I believe that the
00:44:28.73\00:44:33.43
advent is absolutely central,
the first coming of Jesus and
00:44:33.43\00:44:36.63
the return of
Jesus to scripture.
00:44:36.63\00:44:39.53
--So your name indicates a
part of your belief system.
00:44:39.96\00:44:41.60
--Exactly, so, it's awesome that
their name, the name that they
00:44:41.60\00:44:44.96
have chosen, whether they're
getting it right or wrong, to
00:44:44.96\00:44:47.13
me, is beside the point.
00:44:47.13\00:44:48.26
They're saying,
hey, this is the thing.
00:44:48.26\00:44:50.33
This is the thing about which
our religion revolves, and of
00:44:50.33\00:44:54.23
course, a great many of
them are getting it right.
00:44:54.23\00:44:56.00
I mean, they may not yet know
about Messiah, which is, we're
00:44:56.53\00:44:58.53
gonna talk about that in the
future, but I just love the idea
00:44:58.53\00:45:00.83
and that was
new to me, Ty, that.
00:45:00.83\00:45:03.53
--Well, for example, there's an
author that we're all familiar
00:45:03.53\00:45:07.33
with and love and that's Abraham
Joshua Heshell, himself a Jew,
00:45:07.33\00:45:13.36
he's a Hebrew scholar, and
actually, he's deceased, but his
00:45:13.36\00:45:19.23
whole line of thinking is also
based on the idea that God's
00:45:19.23\00:45:24.36
Hasid is the love of God taking
the initiative toward human
00:45:24.36\00:45:31.70
beings, and his entire
theological and philosophical
00:45:31.70\00:45:35.93
outlook is based on the idea
that God takes the initiative to
00:45:35.93\00:45:40.53
pursue others.
00:45:40.53\00:45:42.13
For example, one of his books is
called God in search of man, and
00:45:42.13\00:45:45.40
it's a deliberate, you know,
the title itself is deliberately
00:45:45.40\00:45:48.93
turning the normal human idea.
00:45:48.93\00:45:51.33
--I found God.
00:45:52.90\00:45:54.03
--We're pursuing God,
he's playing hard to get, he's
00:45:54.03\00:45:56.76
playing hide and seek, we've
gotta turn on the effort, but
00:45:56.76\00:46:01.53
Abraham Joshua Heshell in this
Hasidic Jewish trajectory is
00:46:01.53\00:46:07.66
basically saying, no, no, we've
got it all wrong, you wouldn't
00:46:07.66\00:46:10.06
even have a thirst or a hunger
for God if he wasn't pursuing
00:46:10.06\00:46:12.76
you.
00:46:12.76\00:46:14.00
--I'd like to say that there's
no parable in the bible of a
00:46:14.00\00:46:16.06
sheep looking for a shepherd.
00:46:16.06\00:46:18.23
--That's right, it's the
shepherd pursuing the sheep.
00:46:18.23\00:46:20.46
--That is actually, that's
funny and it's true, that is a
00:46:20.46\00:46:23.26
legitimate atheistic critique,
that's a legitimate critique of
00:46:23.26\00:46:27.43
much of religion by our atheist
friends is saying, well, is God,
00:46:27.43\00:46:30.86
is he hiding?
00:46:31.56\00:46:33.03
Yeah, I heard a joke saying,
have you found Jesus and then
00:46:33.03\00:46:35.06
the person says, well,
I didn't know he was lost.
00:46:35.06\00:46:36.73
And they're being kinda cheeky
and kinda funny, but the point
00:46:37.33\00:46:39.90
is, is that, that is to turn the
whole thing upside down, right
00:46:39.90\00:46:44.00
side up is that God is in search
of man, and you see it back in
00:46:44.00\00:46:46.46
Genesis 3.
00:46:46.46\00:46:47.20
God comes looking for Adam.
00:46:47.20\00:46:49.30
We're the ones that are fleeing.
00:46:49.30\00:46:50.53
And I love the point that we
made, I don't know if it was in
00:46:50.53\00:46:52.66
this session, the conversations
are starting to blur together
00:46:52.66\00:46:54.36
for me, but that one of the most
popular places, it's a game of
00:46:54.36\00:46:57.96
hide and seek, and one of the
most popular places for people
00:46:57.96\00:47:00.80
to hide from God is in religion.
00:47:00.80\00:47:03.43
--Oh, that was in session
number 3 in program number 4.
00:47:03.43\00:47:06.96
And it was about 5 minutes
in, 5 minutes, 30 seconds in.
00:47:06.96\00:47:10.46
--Yeah, I can't believe that
you're accurate on that, there's
00:47:10.46\00:47:13.26
no way if it is
all running together.
00:47:13.26\00:47:14.76
But you want the
third on in Isaiah?
00:47:15.23\00:47:16.53
--I want the
third one, bring it.
00:47:16.53\00:47:17.80
--Okay, the third one in Isaiah
that breaks down this subject is
00:47:17.80\00:47:21.26
chapter 42 of Isaiah,
starting with verse 1.
00:47:21.26\00:47:24.53
Behold, my servant, whom I
uphold, my elect on in whom my
00:47:24.53\00:47:29.10
soul delights, I have put my
spirit upon him, he will bring
00:47:29.10\00:47:33.36
forth justice to the Gentiles.
00:47:33.36\00:47:35.16
So, just pause at that verse.
00:47:35.16\00:47:36.46
Here is a prophecy of the coming
Messiah, of Jesus, but he's not
00:47:37.00\00:47:43.40
called Jesus here, he's called
my servant, which is language
00:47:43.40\00:47:47.06
that specifically refers
to Israel, in the singular.
00:47:47.06\00:47:50.70
David had brought our attention
to the fact that in Exodus,
00:47:51.86\00:47:54.33
Israel is my son, singular, it's
a corporate body, it's a group
00:47:54.33\00:47:58.46
of people, but it's the same
concept in the New Testament of
00:47:58.46\00:48:01.30
the body of Christ, singular,
okay, so Israel is God's son,
00:48:01.30\00:48:06.63
Israel is God's servant,
but this is Israel, this is the
00:48:07.13\00:48:10.26
servant who's going to be coming
and he's going to be doing
00:48:10.26\00:48:13.43
something.
00:48:13.43\00:48:14.30
What is he going to be doing?
00:48:14.30\00:48:15.30
He's gonna bring forth
justice to the Gentiles.
00:48:15.30\00:48:18.40
That doesn't mean that he's
going to execute justice on the
00:48:18.40\00:48:21.66
Gentiles, he's going to do the
right thing for the wide world
00:48:21.66\00:48:28.10
of Gentiles.
00:48:28.10\00:48:29.40
--Abrahamic promise right there.
00:48:29.40\00:48:30.76
--Which was the original
intention for calling Abraham.
00:48:30.76\00:48:32.83
--That's right.
00:48:32.83\00:48:34.10
We have to keep the narrative in
mind and keep the story in view.
00:48:34.10\00:48:38.06
We need to keep looping
back in order to go forward.
00:48:38.06\00:48:40.46
--And we actually are doing that
in our life, back to forward.
00:48:40.46\00:48:43.83
--So, like you're
saying, Jeffrey, we loop back
00:48:43.83\00:48:45.40
immediately, with this
language, to Genesis 12.
00:48:45.40\00:48:48.20
I'm going to bless you, Abraham,
but not because I am playing
00:48:48.20\00:48:53.36
favorites, I'm gonna bless
you so that through you, all the
00:48:53.36\00:48:56.53
nations of the
earth can be blessed.
00:48:56.53\00:48:59.00
But then, Israel did become
separatist, did become elitist,
00:48:59.00\00:49:04.93
and then, what happens?
00:49:04.93\00:49:07.10
God says, but I'm
going to follow through.
00:49:07.90\00:49:09.40
I'm going to send my servant,
who's going to follow through to
00:49:10.00\00:49:14.76
bring justice to the Gentiles.
00:49:14.76\00:49:17.96
To do the right thing, to bring
the knowledge of my love, my
00:49:17.96\00:49:22.00
faithfulness, even to them.
00:49:22.00\00:49:24.06
Well, then, check this out,
he's described this savior, this
00:49:24.06\00:49:28.40
Messiah who's coming, is
described and in verse 3, a
00:49:28.40\00:49:32.33
bruised reed shall he not break,
and the smoking flax shall he
00:49:32.33\00:49:36.16
not quench, that's
pretty strange language, but
00:49:36.16\00:49:39.16
essentially, it's saying he will
be super sensitive to broken,
00:49:39.16\00:49:42.13
wounded people, he'll be tender,
and then the key verse is verse
00:49:42.13\00:49:45.46
6, verse 6 says, I the Lord have
called you in righteousness,
00:49:45.46\00:49:52.73
this is God the Father speaking
to the Son, the Messiah who's
00:49:52.73\00:49:54.70
coming, and will hold thine
hand, and keep you, and give you
00:49:54.70\00:50:00.33
as a covenant to the people,
as a light to the Gentiles.
00:50:00.33\00:50:05.30
Isn't that incredible?
00:50:05.30\00:50:05.80
--What about that bit
about I will hold your hand?
00:50:07.33\00:50:09.13
--That's beautiful, isn't it?
00:50:09.86\00:50:11.00
So, that indicates that the
Messiah, the servant is going to
00:50:12.23\00:50:14.80
go through some ordeal, he
is going to need to be sustained
00:50:14.80\00:50:19.56
and comforted.
00:50:19.56\00:50:20.80
That goes back to what we've
been talking about, that there's
00:50:20.80\00:50:22.86
going to be a wounding, there's
going to be a fatal wound, in
00:50:22.86\00:50:25.76
fact, there's going to be a
suffering, I'm gonna hold your
00:50:25.76\00:50:28.20
hand.
00:50:28.20\00:50:28.76
--And keep you.
00:50:28.76\00:50:30.00
--And Keep you yeah I'm going
sustain you, but check this
00:50:30.00\00:50:32.13
out, I'm gonna give you
as a covenant to the people.
00:50:32.13\00:50:34.60
But here's the part that
we're not even noticing, okay?
00:50:37.53\00:50:39.46
For the Gentiles, to this point,
Israel and much of, the covenant
00:50:41.10\00:50:47.96
is just for Israel.
00:50:47.96\00:50:49.60
It's not for the Gentiles.
00:50:49.93\00:50:50.93
No, no, no.
00:50:51.16\00:50:52.36
Here, it clearly says, the
covenant encompasses the whole
00:50:52.36\00:50:55.86
world.
00:50:55.86\00:50:57.10
There's a sense in which God
always intended for the entire
00:50:57.10\00:51:00.36
human race to constitute Israel.
00:51:00.36\00:51:02.53
--And look at verse 7.
00:51:03.26\00:51:04.26
--Okay, before you go to verse
7, can you go back, just very
00:51:05.53\00:51:07.96
briefly, look at verse, look
at the language that's used in
00:51:07.96\00:51:11.00
verse 4 and 5, he will not fail
nor be discouraged 'til he has
00:51:11.00\00:51:15.86
established justice where?
00:51:15.86\00:51:17.90
In the earth, and the
coastlands, which is basically
00:51:17.90\00:51:20.26
their way of saying, the far
distant, they'll wait for his
00:51:20.26\00:51:23.16
law.
00:51:23.16\00:51:24.30
Now, look at this, 5, thus
says the Lord who created the
00:51:24.30\00:51:26.53
heavens, who stretched them out,
who spread forth the earth, and
00:51:26.53\00:51:29.16
that which comes from it, who
gives breath to the people on
00:51:29.16\00:51:32.16
it, and spirit to
those who walk on it, I will.
00:51:32.16\00:51:35.00
It's always
universal, it's universality.
00:51:35.00\00:51:37.90
--Inclusiveness.
00:51:37.90\00:51:38.96
--God called Abraham
out to send him back in.
00:51:38.96\00:51:41.50
--And then verse 7, to open
the blind eyes and bring out the
00:51:41.50\00:51:44.23
prisoners out of darkness.
00:51:44.23\00:51:47.03
So, he's releasing.
00:51:47.03\00:51:47.80
--That caught me by surprise.
00:51:50.33\00:51:51.76
--Every time he does that,
it scares the death out of me.
00:51:51.76\00:51:53.90
--We're captive,
and he's releasing us.
00:51:53.90\00:51:56.63
Now, you know, of course we know
the Jews are captive, we know
00:51:56.63\00:52:00.40
God's people are captive, we say
that in the context of the fact
00:52:00.40\00:52:02.96
that we're all in the same
condition, but this verse is
00:52:02.96\00:52:05.86
explicit, concerning
those who are in darkness.
00:52:05.86\00:52:09.16
So, this is specifically talking
about the Gentiles in the
00:52:09.53\00:52:11.60
context.
00:52:11.60\00:52:12.73
It's specifically talking
about the rest of the world.
00:52:12.73\00:52:14.30
In fact, when Jesus quoted
this verse and applied it to the
00:52:14.83\00:52:17.36
Jews, they were indignant.
00:52:17.36\00:52:18.90
They wanted to
throw him off a cliff.
00:52:19.16\00:52:20.56
We're not in darkness.
00:52:20.86\00:52:22.00
So, we know, that in the
thinking of the day, and in the
00:52:22.00\00:52:25.36
thinking of our day, we don't
see ourselves, as Christians, we
00:52:25.36\00:52:27.60
don't see ourselves as
in darkness and need to be
00:52:27.60\00:52:29.23
released.
00:52:29.23\00:52:30.16
So, Jesus came
to release everyone.
00:52:30.16\00:52:31.56
--The Jew and Gentile
alike, which is what you read in
00:52:32.13\00:52:34.06
Romans, Jew and the Greek, the
Jew and the Greek, the Jew and
00:52:34.06\00:52:36.06
the Greek.
00:52:36.06\00:52:37.03
--I just wanted to
ask something real quick.
00:52:37.03\00:52:38.30
So, basically, what we're trying
to say in this text is that he
00:52:38.30\00:52:39.40
will give you as a covenant.
00:52:39.40\00:52:41.36
Going back to what we said
several conversations earlier
00:52:41.36\00:52:44.43
that God is not a means to
some other end, he is the end
00:52:44.43\00:52:48.70
himself.
00:52:48.70\00:52:49.93
Right?
00:52:49.93\00:52:50.86
So, the Messiah
won't bring a covenant.
00:52:50.86\00:52:54.66
Because we keep saying the
covenant of God, the covenant of
00:52:54.66\00:52:56.50
God, distinguishing God
from covenant, and what this is
00:52:56.50\00:53:01.03
bringing out is, though that is
also true, it's even better than
00:53:01.03\00:53:05.26
that, it's not that God has
a covenant, but that God is the
00:53:05.26\00:53:10.00
covenant.
00:53:10.00\00:53:11.26
--That is certainly true in a
sense, but the covenant is the,
00:53:11.26\00:53:13.63
it's not either or, it's both.
00:53:13.63\00:53:15.13
And the thing, yeah, let me just
speak to this issue a little
00:53:15.13\00:53:18.93
bit.
00:53:18.93\00:53:20.20
I think it kind of answers your
question, I was gonna raise one
00:53:20.20\00:53:22.23
contextual point
that I think is important.
00:53:22.23\00:53:24.36
We're sitting here
as believers in Christ.
00:53:25.86\00:53:27.90
Christian,
Christian, Christian, Christian.
00:53:28.20\00:53:29.33
Followers of Jesus here, many
of our viewers are followers of
00:53:30.56\00:53:31.56
Jesus or are
considering becoming.
00:53:31.56\00:53:33.00
We're reading here in the Old
Testament, and it says servant,
00:53:33.73\00:53:36.03
and we're saying, that's Jesus,
and that's Jesus, and that's
00:53:36.03\00:53:38.46
Jesus, and that's Jesus.
00:53:38.46\00:53:40.06
To be fair to the context in
which Isaiah was right, we know
00:53:40.06\00:53:43.90
that.
00:53:43.90\00:53:45.16
We know how the story ends, but
Isaiah is writing as if, right?
00:53:45.16\00:53:50.93
In other words, he writes with
the hope and the belief and the
00:53:50.93\00:53:55.03
expectation of what could be,
should Israel, national Israel,
00:53:55.03\00:53:59.30
fulfill her
God-given, Abrahamic destiny.
00:53:59.30\00:54:02.26
He knows that that won't happen,
right, but he writes as if this
00:54:02.73\00:54:06.43
is what could happen.
00:54:06.43\00:54:07.70
Well, actually, it is going to
happen, but in a really awesome
00:54:07.70\00:54:10.20
way.
00:54:10.20\00:54:11.13
And Israelites will come and
will absolutely be faithful and
00:54:12.36\00:54:17.76
keep covenant.
00:54:17.76\00:54:18.90
--Harkening all the way
back to Genesis 3:15, the seed,
00:54:18.90\00:54:21.20
singular.
00:54:21.20\00:54:21.90
--Yes.
00:54:21.90\00:54:22.53
--There's someone coming.
00:54:22.53\00:54:24.03
--Exactly.
00:54:24.03\00:54:25.70
When we go back to, you know,
like you said, looping back,
00:54:25.70\00:54:28.86
when we go back to Deuteronomy,
that's the last book of Moses.
00:54:28.86\00:54:32.16
You have Genesis, Exodus,
Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy.
00:54:32.16\00:54:34.73
Deuteronomy closes, chapters,
what is it, 27, 28, 29, 30, the
00:54:34.73\00:54:38.16
last chapters of Deuteronomy
close with what is sometimes
00:54:38.16\00:54:41.73
called the covenant curses and
blessings, where God essentially
00:54:41.73\00:54:46.50
says, in the same way that he
said, in the day that you eat of
00:54:46.50\00:54:50.50
that tree, you will die.
00:54:50.50\00:54:52.10
Right, not I will
kill you, but you will die.
00:54:52.10\00:54:54.13
He essentially says, okay, we've
got this covenant established,
00:54:54.13\00:54:56.70
and if you abide by the
principles of this covenant, if
00:54:56.70\00:54:59.50
you live this life that I have
here described for you and we've
00:54:59.50\00:55:02.13
carved out.
00:55:02.13\00:55:03.40
This what will happen, blessing,
blessing, blessing, blessing,
00:55:03.40\00:55:05.33
blessing, as a natural
consequence of living in harmony
00:55:05.33\00:55:08.06
with the way that God
has set up the universe.
00:55:08.06\00:55:10.63
If, however, you don't, this,
this, this, this, this, this
00:55:10.63\00:55:15.73
will be a consequence.
00:55:15.73\00:55:16.83
Not so much an active
punishment, but this is what
00:55:16.83\00:55:19.46
will happen, by virtue of you
living outside of the way that I
00:55:19.46\00:55:22.73
have created the
universe to run, right?
00:55:22.73\00:55:24.26
So, then, much of the history
after that, so you go from
00:55:25.00\00:55:26.96
Deuteronomy and then you have
the rest of the Old Testament,
00:55:26.96\00:55:29.53
which is the major prophets,
the history books, the Psalms,
00:55:29.53\00:55:31.53
etcetera, is not entirely,
but it's largely the story of
00:55:31.53\00:55:35.50
covenantal unfaithfulness.
00:55:35.50\00:55:38.33
Not on God's part, God never,
one time was unfaithful as God,
00:55:38.33\00:55:43.50
never once.
00:55:43.93\00:55:45.06
But you have this
unfaithfulness, unfaithfulness,
00:55:45.06\00:55:46.56
unfaithfulness, unfaithfulness,
so that there was this, I mean,
00:55:46.56\00:55:51.13
we can talk about how, what
ends up happening, you have the
00:55:51.13\00:55:53.60
exile, and a variety of
captivities, you know, the
00:55:53.60\00:55:56.16
fragmentation, the splitting
into the 10 and the 2, the
00:55:56.16\00:55:59.10
tribes, and by the time we
get down into Isaiah, Jeremiah,
00:55:59.10\00:56:02.93
Daniel, we are into a very dark,
very bleak picture of Israel,
00:56:02.93\00:56:08.86
which was brimming with
potential and possibility and
00:56:08.86\00:56:12.63
now, they're fragmented, they're
scattered, they're shattered,
00:56:12.63\00:56:16.46
they're, I mean, they are not
only not what God called them to
00:56:16.46\00:56:20.03
be, they are, scripture says,
in several places, you just
00:56:20.03\00:56:23.40
preached on this, the Gentiles
are looking, saying, you
00:56:23.40\00:56:27.06
remember this verse in the bible
where it says that they make a
00:56:27.06\00:56:28.63
hissing sound,
you remember that?
00:56:28.63\00:56:30.83
Several times, the Gentiles,
they just hiss, they, just.
00:56:30.83\00:56:33.53
--They're dismissive.
00:56:35.80\00:56:36.86
--Perfectly dismissive.
00:56:36.86\00:56:38.56
Oh, you're the
chosen people of God?
00:56:38.56\00:56:39.90
--Yeah, right.
00:56:39.90\00:56:41.00
--Yeah, okay, how'd
that work out for you, right?
00:56:41.00\00:56:43.46
But there's always this longing,
this hope that the one will
00:56:43.46\00:56:47.66
come, someone will come
who will set the thing right.
00:56:47.66\00:56:49.93
Isaiah's writing with
this hope, this longing.
00:56:51.30\00:56:54.56
--And that must've been
heartbreaking for God himself,
00:56:54.56\00:56:56.93
because the original intent was
he wanted to bless the Gentiles,
00:56:56.93\00:57:00.23
and now the Gentiles are looking
in, saying, if that's what it's
00:57:00.23\00:57:02.40
about, no thank you.
00:57:02.40\00:57:03.66
--What does it look like to
set things right, though, David?
00:57:04.03\00:57:07.00
To set things right according to
the Isaiah 42 prophecy and many
00:57:07.30\00:57:10.30
others in Isaiah and many
passages of the Old Testament,
00:57:10.30\00:57:13.46
to set things right is to
establish faithfulness to all of
00:57:13.46\00:57:17.66
humanity.
00:57:17.66\00:57:19.16
--To bring justice to the earth.
00:57:19.16\00:57:21.30
--Yeah, that's right.
00:57:21.30\00:57:22.56
It's basically to say that God
is faithful to Abraham, Isaac,
00:57:22.56\00:57:28.33
Jacob, to Israel, but God is
faithful to the whole human race
00:57:28.33\00:57:32.90
and Israel is merely the vehicle
for bringing that knowledge to
00:57:32.90\00:57:36.93
the human race.
00:57:36.93\00:57:38.66
--I love that, and
can I say one thing?
00:57:38.66\00:57:40.10
And God knew all along that even
though Israel was part of God's
00:57:40.10\00:57:45.33
solution, that Israel itself was
part of the larger problem of
00:57:45.33\00:57:49.50
humanity.
00:57:49.50\00:57:50.80
The problem is that Israel
themselves did not recognize it.
00:57:50.80\00:57:54.13
--They lost sight of that.
00:57:54.13\00:57:55.40
--So, here you have the means
that God is using to reach out
00:57:55.40\00:57:57.73
to the larger world, his
covenant people is itself part
00:57:57.73\00:58:01.33
of the problem, but God, and
I love this language, commits
00:58:01.33\00:58:04.73
himself to the process.
00:58:04.73\00:58:06.30
Israel is blind, they don't
see it, all that the Lord has
00:58:06.30\00:58:08.36
spoken, we will do, we will
be faithful, and unfaithfulness,
00:58:08.36\00:58:10.83
unfaithfulness.
00:58:10.83\00:58:11.50
--In sickness and in health.
00:58:11.50\00:58:12.70
--Yeah, it is, well, it's a
marriage covenant, isn't it?
00:58:12.70\00:58:15.26
--It's amazing, really, because
you just mentioned a thought
00:58:15.26\00:58:18.56
there and that is, is that
Israel was blind and in this
00:58:18.56\00:58:22.23
verse, it's really interesting
what God says, he says, these
00:58:22.23\00:58:26.00
guys are all blind, they don't
see, they need to be released,
00:58:26.00\00:58:28.56
but then he says,
but I'm blind, too.
00:58:28.56\00:58:30.50
I'm blind.
00:58:32.13\00:58:33.33
God is blind, but he's blind
in a different way than we're
00:58:33.33\00:58:36.93
blind.
00:58:36.93\00:58:38.16
The verses that I'm thinking
about are in Isaiah 42 verses
00:58:38.16\00:58:42.96
18 and 19.
00:58:42.96\00:58:43.90
--You got about 20 seconds.
00:58:45.20\00:58:46.46
--That you may see, who is blind
but my servant of death is my
00:58:46.46\00:58:50.63
messenger that I sent, who
is blind that he is perfect and
00:58:50.63\00:58:53.93
blind is the Lord's servant.
00:58:53.93\00:58:55.43
--Blind in what sense?
00:58:55.43\00:58:57.30
--Blind to our sins.
00:58:57.30\00:58:58.73
--To our failures.
00:58:59.63\00:59:00.60
--And on that very note, which
is a very positive note, we're
00:59:01.86\00:59:04.16
done.
00:59:04.16\00:59:05.20
[Music]
00:59:05.20\00:59:06.20