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Small Stature, Big Faith · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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and the camp and holiday club, I spoke about King Josiah and that young king,
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eight-year-old king, the one that reformed Israel,
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and he who had found the workers in the temple had found the book of the law,
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and they brought it to him, and then he brought it before the people.
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And I remember saying that, well, we hope and pray that the young ones that would find and have be shown the Bible,
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and that they too would embrace it and understand it and look at it and say,
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why are these things not being taught?
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And that they would hold it high and regard it as high in their lives
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and show forth to others how to live their lives.
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And like I was thinking of the influence that children can have in our lives,
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the providence that God gives us.
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It was amazing to have all these children with us last week,
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and how God brought them to that place,
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some from church backgrounds, others from unchurched backgrounds.
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It was wonderful to have them,
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and you can't help but wonder afterwards what influence these children will have when they leave.
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And it is important for us to remember to keep praying for these children and the families that they go back to.
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And in our two passages tonight,
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we meet with two young girls,
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two little girls.
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We're not entirely sure of their ages.
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In Exodus,
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we have Moses's sister.
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And in second Kings,
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we have the slave girl who worked in the house of Naaman.
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And each,
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we'll take each in turn.
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We'll start with Moses's sister.
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But before we do this,
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there's things that are common between the two of them,
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and apply in the same.
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Both their situations are far from ideal.
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They're far from comfortable.
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They're far from good.
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One,
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Moses's sister,
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had her brother cast out into the water,
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for fear of him being murdered.
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And the other
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was captured as a slave to the Syrians from the land of Israel.
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But both of them,
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notably,
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are
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Hebrews or
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Israelites.
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Both within the promises of God,
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both God's people.
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Whether they realized it or not in their young lives,
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they were marked by God and set aside for his purposes.
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But in the
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childish ways
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and the innocence of the child,
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they can
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bring before us things that are hugely profound.
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They reason in ways that we don't seem to reason,
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and they can
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leave us stumped by the questions they bring to us.
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And we can say,
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well,
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I didn't quite think of it like that.
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But it is worth thinking about.
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We can be refined
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how they think and how they reason.
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And the child has an approachability that some others won't.
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Even we as adults,
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we don't have the same
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approachability to,
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could be our own families,
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or those we come into contact with as a child.
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We have a voice that can be heard in a way that
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others can't.
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Their innocence
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can have a huge influence
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on the lives of many.
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And there are many who can probably voice that sentiment,
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that it was their own child
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that brought them to Christ,
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or made such an influence on them
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to bring them to hear more
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about the Word of God.
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And we see the placement
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of these children.
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Children who are of
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God's,
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within the promises,
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placed into
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hard situations.
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And we don't know the situations
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that our children go home to.
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And we must remember
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they may not be as comfortable as ours.
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But
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we continue to pray for them.
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And that they too
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are loved by God.
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And that they are too
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may be within the providence
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and found,
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providence and promises
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of God.
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When we think of all the children
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who have attended camps this summer,
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who attended various holiday clubs,
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those who come to
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Twini Sunday School,
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Creche,
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and they're all being taught
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about the good news
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and the gospel,
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what Jesus Christ
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has done for them.
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However,
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or however,
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they came,
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it is God's purpose
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and God's providence
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that they all
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are there
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to hear the gospel
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and the good news
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of Christ.
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and we pray
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that they may
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may voice
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in their innocence
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faithfully
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the life
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and the good news
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of Jesus Christ
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to others,
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maybe in places
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that we
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can't even
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get to.
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So first,
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we'll consider
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Moses'
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sister.
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Read there
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in verse
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Mark 7,
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Then his sister
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said to Pharaoh's daughter,
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Shall I go
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and call
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you a nurse
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from the Hebrew woman
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to nurse
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the child
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for you?
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That's a remarkable
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statement
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when we actually
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consider it,
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which we will do
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in a second.
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Moses'
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big sister,
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and we know
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when we look at
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1 Chronicles 6,
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verse 3,
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it gives us
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the family line.
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Their father
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was Amram
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of a Levite,
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their mother
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was a Levite
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as well,
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we heard here.
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And they had
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three children,
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Miriam,
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Moses,
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and Aaron.
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So we know
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that this girl
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is Miriam.
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And
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we understand
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that she is
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old enough
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to grasp
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what is going on.
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knowing that
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there is a risk
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to her
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baby brother,
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that he must
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be hidden,
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the family
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must hide her
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and keep him
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safe.
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And now
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the childlike
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innocence,
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of maybe not
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understanding
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everything,
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leaves her
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watching
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this basket,
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or leaves
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even her
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watching her
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parents making
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the basket,
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and winding
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the rushes
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together,
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and
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putting
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bitumen
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and pitch
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on the
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inside of
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it to
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protect it.
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And then
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watching her
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parents lay
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in this
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basket in
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the river
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amongst the
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reeds with
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her baby
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brother in
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it.
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And after
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that,
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the parents
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left,
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it would
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seem.
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Possibly it
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was that there
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would be no
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attention drawn
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to the site
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where they
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had left
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the baby
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Moses.
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Maybe they
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couldn't
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bear to
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stay there
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and see
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what happened.
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But the
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sister stayed
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on and
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watched.
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She maintained
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from afar
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an eye upon
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the basket
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where her
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brother was.
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And you can
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picture the
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scene as
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she watches
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Pharaoh's
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daughter and
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her,
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I don't
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name for them,
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the ladies
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that were
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with her,
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come walking
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along the
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riverside.
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And you
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can imagine
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Miriam there
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seeing them
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coming with
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fear.
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Because this
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would have been
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the last
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person she
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would have
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wanted to
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come.
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Hearing maybe
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her brother
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crying,
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if you picture
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the scene.
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This is the
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worst of
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situations.
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in her
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mind.
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Surely
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he will
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be taken
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and killed.
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But she
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makes a
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bold approach
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into this
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situation.
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Situation that
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could have so
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easily turned
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on its head
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for her.
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She walks
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into it.
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She says
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there that
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the Pharaoh's
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daughter had
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pity when
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she saw
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the child.
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When she
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opened it,
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she saw
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the child
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and behold,
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the baby
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was crying
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and she
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took pity
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on him
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there in
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verse 6.
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And the
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baby is
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identified
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clearly as
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one of the
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Hebrew
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children.
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Whether or
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not Miriam
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realised the
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pity she
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had,
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she surely
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sensed it.
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And children,
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we don't give
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them credit
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at times
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how they
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sense
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things.
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But they
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can pick
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up on
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things like
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maybe we
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don't.
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And they
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can trust,
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they know
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who to
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trust and
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know who
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not to
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trust.
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And she
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knew this
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woman had
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pity on
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her brother.
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And she
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placed
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ignorance to
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knowing the
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baby.
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pity.
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And in
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the situation
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walks in
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seeing that
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she had
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pity and
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says,
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shall I
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go and
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call you
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a nurse
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from the
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Hebrew
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woman to
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nurse the
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child for
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you?
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to say
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this to
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Pharaoh's
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daughter is
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quite
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remarkable.
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But she
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went straight
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into that
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tender
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situation
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where the
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life of
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her brother
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hanged on
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the edge
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of a
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cord and
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said these
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things.
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That she
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would go and
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get a
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Hebrew
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woman from
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the Hebrews
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whom they
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hated,
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the Hebrews
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whom they
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wanted to
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reduce a
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number.
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That she
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would go
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and get
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one of
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them.
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And likewise
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that she
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would go
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and risk
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others
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Hebrew
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child
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given to
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her that
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you should
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be killing.
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But how
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to come
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into this
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situation
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and say
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these things?
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It's
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unfathomable.
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We
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wouldn't
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say it.
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It's just
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too far
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beyond our
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understanding
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that no
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one would
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respond to
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it in
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such a
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way.
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We
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would maybe
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get a
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hostile
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retaliation
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to suggest
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to get
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a Hebrew
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mother to
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look after
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the Hebrew
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child that
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should have
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been killed.
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In a sense
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no one else
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could have
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said it but
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a child.
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And the
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words that
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she heard
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from the
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Pharaoh's
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daughter was
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go.
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So she
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went and
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she had the
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wisdom to
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discern that
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she could get
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her mother
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as the
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best of
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woman to
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look after
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her brother.
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And you
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can imagine
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the joy
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she had
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in running
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to get
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her mother
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to come
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and nurse
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her brother
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and her
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son.
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He was
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within moments
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of death.
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We have
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here the
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most wonderful
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restoration of
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the greatest
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love, of
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one of the
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greatest loves
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that we
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can know
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in our
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existence.
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A mother's
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love for
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a child
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who she
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had to
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painfully
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abandon,
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who she
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had to
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lift,
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she had to
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leave there
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because she
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had done all
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she could
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for the
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child and
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she couldn't
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do any
12:12
more for
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it.
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Her heart
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would have
12:14
been broken
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putting the
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child into
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the river.
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But we
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have this
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restoration
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made through
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this child
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of one of
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the greatest
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loves that
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we can
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know.
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This child
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in the
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providence of
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God
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faithfully
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kept an
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eye upon
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the child
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and responded
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with these
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childlike
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impulses
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to restore
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that love.
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And the
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situation
12:44
which was
12:45
so bleak
12:46
and so
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hopeless
12:47
before
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is turned
12:49
on its
12:50
head
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to give
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an unspeakable
12:53
joy,
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because it
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was really
12:55
an unspeakable
12:56
joy.
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They
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couldn't
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say of
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whom their
13:00
love was
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for each
13:01
other.
13:02
It had
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to be a
13:03
secret.
13:06
And his
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sister,
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Miriam,
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whatever
13:10
she had
13:12
been taught,
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this young
13:14
girl had
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witnessed,
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well,
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strange things.
13:19
She witnessed
13:19
the faith
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enacted by
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her parents
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for making
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the basket,
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placing her
13:25
brother in
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it,
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and leaving
13:28
him there
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in the
13:30
river.
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She was
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the one
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that waited
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on their
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faith.
13:35
She waited
13:36
to see
13:37
what would
13:37
be the
13:38
outcome of
13:38
the parents'
13:40
faith.
13:42
She could
13:43
stay,
13:44
and so
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she remained
13:45
there.
13:46
waited to
13:48
see what
13:49
would come
13:49
of it.
13:51
And she
13:52
saw the
13:53
favour of
13:54
God acted
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in faith.
13:57
And she
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spoke herself
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out of
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faith,
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and knowing
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a joy to
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have a love
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restored,
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she saw
14:09
faith being
14:09
acted out,
14:10
and she
14:10
herself acted
14:12
out faithfully,
14:14
and drawing
14:15
near into
14:15
that tender
14:16
situation.
14:18
And by
14:19
trusting in
14:19
God,
14:21
was able to
14:23
restore the
14:24
greatest love.
14:26
And it is,
14:27
in a sense,
14:29
what we have
14:29
in the
14:30
gospel.
14:31
It may be
14:31
a weak
14:32
image,
14:33
in a sense,
14:34
but we
14:36
have here
14:36
in the
14:38
girl,
14:39
like the
14:40
gospel message.
14:41
that Christ
14:43
is like
14:44
the child.
14:46
And we
14:47
are the
14:47
ones,
14:47
as the
14:48
parents,
14:48
that have
14:48
been pushed
14:49
away because
14:50
of sin.
14:51
The sin,
14:52
the Pharaoh
14:54
had sinfully
14:56
said that the
14:57
children should
14:58
die.
14:59
And we
15:00
have been
15:00
pushed away
15:01
from that
15:03
love.
15:05
We have
15:05
been separated
15:06
from the
15:06
greatest love
15:07
because of the
15:08
sins of men
15:09
and the sins
15:10
of our own.
15:11
sin.
15:12
But the
15:13
believer
15:14
who knows
15:16
Christ,
15:17
who has
15:17
that blood
15:18
connection
15:18
with Christ,
15:20
holds on
15:21
throughout the
15:22
situation,
15:23
though it
15:23
would be
15:23
fearful,
15:24
though it
15:24
would be
15:25
difficult.
15:27
And they
15:28
can see
15:29
that the
15:30
son,
15:31
whom they
15:32
have been
15:32
faithfully
15:33
watching on,
15:34
has been
15:35
uplifted from
15:36
death and
15:37
rescued.
15:38
and we
15:41
can run
15:41
and say
15:44
to each
15:45
other,
15:46
he is
15:46
alive,
15:48
he is
15:48
alive.
15:50
How
15:50
beautiful were
15:51
these feet
15:52
that brought
15:53
the good
15:54
news to
15:55
that mother.
15:57
As if
15:59
the spirit
16:01
at work
16:04
asking,
16:07
that gospel
16:08
message asking,
16:10
shall I
16:10
go?
16:11
And God
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saying,
16:13
go,
16:13
go and
16:15
tell the
16:16
people
16:16
that their
16:18
love can be
16:18
restored.
16:19
and that
16:23
men and
16:23
women can
16:24
have the
16:25
greatest love
16:25
restored in
16:27
knowing Christ
16:28
Jesus.
16:29
Maybe it's a
16:29
love that we
16:30
don't know
16:32
in full.
16:34
But through
16:35
the gospel,
16:36
and through
16:36
the ones who
16:37
brings it,
16:38
and through
16:38
the ones who
16:38
faithfully keep
16:40
their eye on
16:40
Christ,
16:42
we can say
16:43
to one
16:44
another,
16:45
to come.
16:46
but he
16:48
calls us
16:49
to himself.
16:52
No greater
16:53
joy is
16:55
there to
16:56
know the
16:56
love of
16:57
God in
16:58
our lives.
17:00
A love
17:00
that was
17:01
known in
17:01
past ages.
17:04
God
17:04
dwelt with
17:05
man in
17:05
the Garden
17:06
of Eden.
17:07
And through
17:08
that son,
17:09
it is
17:10
restored to
17:11
us a
17:12
great love.
17:14
For Moses
17:15
became the
17:16
ruler,
17:16
defender,
17:17
deliverer,
17:18
intercessor for
17:19
the people.
17:20
And so
17:21
Christ is
17:21
to us
17:22
the source
17:24
of all
17:25
hope,
17:26
as Moses
17:27
came to
17:27
be for
17:28
the people
17:28
of Israel.
17:29
And in
17:30
Christ he
17:31
is the
17:31
source of
17:31
our hope.
17:33
And great
17:34
joy we
17:35
find when
17:36
we know
17:37
that we
17:37
are called
17:38
and we
17:38
know that
17:39
the love
17:40
of Christ
17:41
is restored
17:41
to us.
17:42
through that
17:45
young girl
17:45
who held
17:46
on in
17:47
faith,
17:48
saw an
17:49
enacted
17:49
faith,
17:51
and went
17:52
boldly into
17:52
situations that
17:54
were terrifying
17:55
for her,
17:57
but received
17:58
great joy
17:59
in restoring
18:00
love.
18:03
Wouldn't it be a
18:04
great joy for
18:05
us if we
18:07
saw people
18:07
coming to
18:08
know of that
18:09
love?
18:09
boys and
18:12
girls,
18:12
men and
18:13
women,
18:15
to know
18:15
the
18:16
restoration
18:16
of the
18:18
great love
18:18
of Jesus
18:19
Christ for
18:20
when.
18:23
We'll turn
18:24
now to the
18:24
book of
18:24
2 Kings.
18:27
And there's
18:28
a passage
18:28
there about
18:29
the girl
18:29
who was
18:30
captured
18:31
by the
18:32
Syrians.
18:33
And let's
18:34
read there
18:34
in verse
18:35
3 what
18:36
she says.
18:37
Would
18:38
that my
18:39
lord were
18:39
with the
18:39
prophet who
18:40
is in
18:40
Samaria,
18:42
he would
18:42
cure him
18:43
of his
18:43
leprosy.
18:45
This young
18:46
girl, as we
18:46
said, is
18:46
not in the
18:47
preferred
18:47
conditions that
18:48
she would
18:48
have liked,
18:50
far from
18:50
ideal,
18:51
captured from
18:52
Israel,
18:53
likely to
18:54
have been
18:54
separated from
18:55
her parents,
18:56
but again
18:56
this mouthpiece,
18:58
and little
18:58
mouthpiece as
18:59
it is,
19:00
placed by
19:01
God, by
19:02
his providence
19:02
again,
19:04
among the
19:05
esteemed of
19:05
the world,
19:06
to give
19:07
them
19:08
direction.
19:10
We
19:10
couldn't have
19:11
been there.
19:12
It could
19:13
only have
19:13
been a
19:14
child.
19:16
She has
19:16
identified
19:17
the plight
19:21
of Naaman
19:22
by being
19:23
in that
19:23
household,
19:25
by being
19:25
in that
19:25
esteemed
19:26
household,
19:27
working
19:28
alongside
19:28
his wife,
19:31
and
19:32
confidently
19:33
declared a
19:33
message of
19:34
hope there.
19:35
in verse
19:36
3.
19:38
And there's
19:39
a message
19:39
of hope
19:40
that draws
19:41
them closer
19:41
to the
19:42
enemy,
19:44
of whom
19:44
they had
19:45
been
19:45
stealing
19:48
from,
19:49
and plundering
19:50
many a
19:51
times,
19:53
and she
19:53
herself had
19:54
been plundered
19:54
from them.
19:56
And there
19:56
she brings
19:57
this message
19:57
of hope
19:58
to be
19:58
found
19:59
amongst
19:59
that land.
20:01
And you
20:02
wonder why,
20:03
or how did
20:03
she know
20:04
these things?
20:06
How did
20:06
she know
20:07
that the
20:07
prophet
20:07
would save
20:08
and cure
20:10
Naaman's
20:11
leprosy?
20:13
We don't
20:14
know for
20:14
sure,
20:16
but we
20:16
know that
20:17
she knew
20:17
about the
20:18
prophet,
20:19
and she
20:20
knew that
20:21
he could
20:21
do miraculous
20:22
works and
20:23
signs.
20:23
she had
20:25
been taught
20:26
things of
20:28
God.
20:30
She had
20:30
been taught
20:31
about the
20:31
power of
20:32
God,
20:33
and she
20:34
had no
20:34
doubt about
20:35
it.
20:35
She did
20:36
not waver
20:37
in it,
20:38
but she
20:39
had confidence
20:40
in this
20:40
time to
20:42
say that
20:43
Naaman can
20:45
be healed
20:46
of his
20:46
leprosy if
20:47
he would
20:48
meet the
20:48
man of
20:48
God.
20:51
And God's
20:51
providence,
20:52
she is
20:53
there.
20:53
To bring
20:54
hope to
20:55
this man.
20:56
She had
20:57
been prepared
20:57
and taught
20:58
likely by
21:00
her parents
21:01
she would
21:02
have seen
21:02
these things
21:03
beside her.
21:05
Whether she
21:05
valued it at
21:06
the time when
21:07
she was younger
21:07
or not,
21:08
we do not
21:08
know.
21:10
But she
21:10
remembered it,
21:11
and she
21:12
remembered the
21:12
effects of
21:14
the man of
21:16
God,
21:17
and the
21:17
power of
21:18
God,
21:18
and what
21:19
God could
21:20
do.
21:20
she remembered
21:24
it in her
21:24
own affliction,
21:25
no doubt,
21:27
and she
21:27
had confidence
21:28
to say
21:29
that in the
21:30
afflictions of
21:31
Naaman,
21:32
and the
21:32
saving of
21:33
him from
21:34
his own
21:34
leprosy,
21:36
the confidence
21:38
of a child
21:39
who knows
21:39
the truth,
21:41
who has
21:41
been taught
21:41
the truth,
21:43
and has
21:44
that childlike
21:46
faith not
21:47
to doubt
21:48
it.
21:51
It's a
21:51
situation
21:52
where you
21:52
think a
21:53
man or
21:53
woman,
21:55
had they
21:55
said such
21:56
a word,
21:57
would have
21:57
doubted that
21:58
well, if he
21:59
went, will
22:00
he come
22:00
back healed?
22:03
They would
22:03
have to face
22:04
the retribution
22:04
of a
22:06
returning
22:06
commander if
22:07
he came
22:08
back unhealed,
22:10
and what
22:10
would that
22:10
mean for
22:11
them?
22:11
But the
22:12
child,
22:13
just out
22:14
of faith
22:15
and
22:15
confidence,
22:17
plainly
22:17
stated,
22:19
that Naaman
22:20
can be
22:21
healed if
22:22
he goes
22:23
to the
22:23
prophet who
22:23
is Samaria,
22:25
he would
22:25
cure him
22:26
of his
22:26
leprosy.
22:28
She had
22:28
confidence
22:29
in the
22:31
man of
22:31
God,
22:33
and she
22:34
sets forth
22:34
a hope
22:35
to Naaman
22:35
that otherwise
22:36
he did
22:37
not have,
22:39
a hope
22:39
that he
22:40
could not
22:40
find in
22:40
anywhere
22:41
else,
22:43
and the
22:43
influence
22:44
again
22:45
of the
22:46
innocent
22:46
child's
22:47
voice.
22:49
It's
22:49
remarkable.
22:52
And of
22:52
course she
22:53
returned
22:54
cleansed,
22:55
so we
22:55
know the
22:55
story.
22:58
And I
22:58
wonder what
22:59
joy it
22:59
brought to
23:00
the family
23:01
of Naaman,
23:02
the household
23:02
of Naaman,
23:04
I wonder
23:04
what joy it
23:05
brought to
23:05
the girl,
23:08
in knowing
23:09
that God
23:09
did not
23:10
fail her,
23:12
in knowing
23:13
that she
23:13
was assured
23:14
of God's
23:16
power,
23:18
that she
23:19
would have
23:19
been confident
23:21
again to
23:22
speak and
23:23
trust in
23:23
that God
23:24
of whom
23:25
she had
23:25
been taught.
23:28
The children
23:29
who are set
23:30
aside as the
23:31
Lord's
23:31
children,
23:34
these two
23:34
voiced hope,
23:37
and they
23:39
brought joy.
23:41
And we
23:42
pray that
23:42
the children
23:44
whom we
23:44
teach,
23:46
whom we
23:46
meet,
23:47
whom we
23:47
know in
23:48
our families,
23:48
would do
23:49
likewise,
23:50
that they
23:51
would bring
23:51
hope into
23:52
this world,
23:54
that they
23:54
would bring
23:54
hope to
23:55
the souls
23:56
of men
23:57
and women
23:57
who are
23:57
suffering,
23:58
and they
24:00
would,
24:00
in their
24:00
childlike
24:01
faith and
24:02
confidence,
24:04
speak of
24:04
the healing
24:05
of sin
24:06
that we
24:07
can each
24:08
know,
24:09
and the
24:09
peace of
24:10
heart,
24:11
and the
24:11
freedom from
24:12
the world's
24:12
oppressions,
24:14
and the
24:14
eternal
24:14
security that
24:16
we can
24:16
have,
24:17
trusting
24:18
in God.
24:22
There is a
24:23
man,
24:24
there is
24:25
Christ,
24:26
he died for
24:27
your sins,
24:29
he is one
24:30
that will
24:30
restore your
24:31
life,
24:32
and restore
24:32
and give
24:33
you the
24:33
greatest love
24:34
that you
24:35
will ever
24:35
know.
24:37
In the
24:38
providence of
24:39
God,
24:40
these children
24:40
are set
24:41
in their
24:41
midst,
24:46
maybe they're
24:46
in an
24:47
experience in
24:47
situations that
24:48
are not
24:49
favourable,
24:50
we don't
24:51
know,
24:53
yet we
24:53
pray that
24:55
they will be
24:55
ones who
24:56
will trust
24:57
in God,
24:59
and to
24:59
understand
25:00
what we
25:01
teach them,
25:03
and understand
25:03
what Christ
25:04
has done
25:05
for them,
25:06
and that
25:07
they will be
25:07
prepared in
25:08
their young
25:09
lives,
25:09
we don't
25:10
know where
25:10
God will
25:10
lead them,
25:12
but the
25:12
providence of
25:13
God will
25:13
take them
25:14
to the
25:15
people that
25:15
they would
25:16
meet,
25:18
but we
25:18
pray that
25:18
they will
25:19
not forget
25:20
what they
25:20
were taught,
25:22
and they
25:22
would remember
25:23
in their
25:24
afflictions,
25:25
and in
25:25
other
25:25
afflictions,
25:27
that they
25:27
too would
25:28
have
25:28
confidence
25:28
to turn
25:29
and direct
25:30
others to
25:31
the man
25:31
of God,
25:33
with great
25:35
trust and
25:35
faith,
25:38
that they
25:39
would likewise
25:39
know the
25:40
joy of
25:42
one's
25:42
returning,
25:44
who knew
25:45
the cleansing
25:47
of their
25:47
sin,
25:48
who knew
25:49
a restored
25:49
joy,
25:50
that they
25:52
would set
25:53
their hearts
25:53
on God's
25:54
word,
25:55
and trust
25:56
in it,
25:58
we would
25:59
be witnesses
25:59
of the
26:00
goodness of
26:01
God in
26:02
all things,
26:03
and we
26:04
likewise
26:05
would know
26:05
joy in
26:07
seeing them
26:08
grow,
26:08
the importance
26:12
of teaching
26:14
our children,
26:16
the influence
26:16
that they
26:16
can have
26:17
in our
26:18
lives,
26:19
and in
26:19
the lives
26:20
of others,
26:20
they can
26:21
go into
26:22
places where
26:23
we cannot
26:23
go,
26:25
and they
26:25
can speak
26:25
to people
26:26
that we
26:26
cannot speak
26:27
to,
26:28
so we
26:29
must be
26:30
mindful to
26:31
be praying
26:31
for them,
26:33
that they
26:33
would bring
26:34
the gospel
26:36
to others,
26:38
and that they
26:38
would likewise
26:39
share in the
26:41
joys of
26:42
knowing God
26:43
and trusting
26:44
in him.
26:46
May these
26:46
thoughts be
26:47
blessed to
26:47
us.
26:48
we'll
26:49
conclude
26:50
our
26:50
wash.