Latest / 1 Year Audio Bible Podcast / Veil Obscuring Your Faith? | Paul's Warning from 2 Corinthians 3 (Aug 29)

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Veil Obscuring Your Faith? | Paul's Warning from 2 Corinthians 3 (Aug 29) · 1 Year Audio Bible Podcast

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In 2 Corinthians chapter 3, verse 13, it is written,
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we are not like Moses who put a veil over his face so
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the people of Israel would not see the glory fading away.
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But the people's minds were hardened, and even
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to this very day, whenever the Old Covenant is being read,
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a veil covers their minds so they cannot understand
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the truth. And this veil can be
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removed only by believing in Christ.
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I have a question for you. Is it possible that
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you are under a veil? Is there a veil that is obscuring
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your view and your vision, your understanding and
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discernment of the Scriptures? Ask the Lord
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to reveal if there is a veil. And Jesus will
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remove it. Only he can.
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Welcome to the Daily Audio Torah. Today is
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August 29th. Now let's continue our journey reading through
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the entire Bible in one year. This week we are reading from the
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New Living Translation for the Old Testament and for the New Testament.
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Deuteronomy 16:1-17.
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In honor of the Lord your God, celebrate the Passover each year in
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the early spring, in the month of Aviv, for that was
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the month in which the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt by night.
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Your Passover sacrifice may be from either the flock or the herd,
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and it must be sacrificed to the Lord your God at the designated place of
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worship, the place he chooses for his name to be
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honored. Eat it with bread made without yeast,
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For 7 days the bread you eat must be made without yeast,
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as when you escaped from Egypt in such a hurry.
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Eat this bread, the bread of suffering, so that as long as
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you live you will remember the day you departed from Egypt.
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Let no yeast be found in any house throughout your land for those
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7 days. And when you sacrifice the Passover lamb on the evening
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of the first day, do not let any of the meat remain until the
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next morning. You may not sacrifice the Passover in just
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any of the towns that the Lord your God is giving you.
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You must offer it only at the designated place of worship,
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the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to be honored.
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Sacrifice it there in the evening as the sun goes down on the anniversary
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of your exodus from Egypt.
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Roast the lamb and eat it in the place the Lord your God chooses.
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Then you may go back to your tents the next morning.
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For the next 6 days you may not eat any bread made with yeast.
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On the 7th day proclaim another holy day in honor of the
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Lord your God, and no work may be done on that day.
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Count off 7 weeks from when you first begin to cut
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the grain at the time of harvest. Then celebrate
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the Festival of Harvest to honor the Lord your God. Bring him a
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voluntary offering in proportion to the blessings you have received
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from him. This is a time to celebrate before the Lord your God
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at the designated place of worship he will choose for his name to be
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honored. Celebrate with your sons and daughters,
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your male and female servants, the Levites from your
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towns, and the foreigners, orphans, and widows who live among you.
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Remember that you were once slaves in Egypt, so be
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careful to obey all these decrees.
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You must observe the Festival of Sukkot for 7 days at the end of the
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harvest season. After the grain has been
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threshed and the grapes have been pressed. This festival will
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be a happy time of celebrating with your sons and daughters, your male
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and female servants, and the Levites, foreigners, orphans,
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and widows from your towns. For 7 days you must celebrate
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this festival to honor the Lord your God at the place he chooses,
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for it is he who blesses you with bountiful harvests and
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gives you success in all your work.
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This festival will be a time of great joy for all.
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Each year, every man in Israel must celebrate these 3
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festivals: the Festival of Unleavened Bread,
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the Festival of Harvest, and the Festival of Sukkot.
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On each of these occasions, all men must appear before the Lord
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your God at the place he chooses, but they must not appear before
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the Lord without a gift for him. All must give as
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they are able according to the blessings given to them by the Lord
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your God.
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Job 31:1-33:33.
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I, Job, made a covenant with my eyes not to look
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with lust upon a young woman. What has God above chosen for
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us? What is our inheritance from the Almighty on high? It is calamity
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for the wicked misfortune for those who do evil.
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He sees everything I do and every step I take. Have I lied to
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anyone or deceived anyone? Let God judge
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me on the scales of justice, for He knows my integrity.
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If I have strayed from His pathway, or if my heart has lusted for
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what my eyes have seen, or if I am guilty
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of any other sin, then let someone else harvest the
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crops I have planted. And let all that I have planted be uprooted.
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If my heart has been seduced by a woman, or if I
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have lusted for my neighbor's wife, then may my wife belong to
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another man. May other men sleep with her. For lust is
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a shameful sin, a crime that should be punished.
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It is a devastating fire that destroys to hell. It would
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wipe out everything I own. If I have been unfair to my
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male or female servants, if I have refused to hear their
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complaints, How could I face God? What could I say when
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He questioned me about it? For God created me,
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both me and my servants. He created us both.
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Have I refused to help the poor or crushed the
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hopes of widows who looked to me for help? Have I
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been stingy with my food and refused to share it with hungry orphans?
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No! From childhood I have cared for orphans,
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and all my life I have cared for widows. Whenever I saw
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someone who was homeless and without clothes,
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did they not praise me for providing wool clothing to keep them warm?
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If my arm has abused an orphan because
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I thought I could get away with it, then let my shoulder be wrenched out
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of place, let my arm be torn from its socket. That would
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be better than facing the judgment sent by God.
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For if the majesty of God opposes me, What hope is there?
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Have I not put my trust in money or felt secure because of
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my gold? Does my happiness depend on my wealth and
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all that I own? Have I looked at the sun shining in the skies
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or the moon walking down its silver pathway and been secretly
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enticed in my heart to worship them? If so, I should
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be punished by the judges, for it would mean I had denied the God of
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heaven. Have I ever rejoiced when my enemies
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came to ruin, or become excited when harm came their
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way? No, I have never cursed anyone or
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asked for revenge. My servants have never let others go hungry.
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I have never turned away a stranger, but have opened my doors to
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everyone. Have I tried to hide my sins as people normally
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do, hiding my guilt in a closet? Have I feared the
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crowd and its contempt so that I refused to acknowledge my
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sin and would not go outside? If only I
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had someone who would listen to me and try to see my side.
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Look, I will sign my name to my defense.
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Let the Almighty show me that I am wrong. Let my accuser
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write out the charges against me. I would face the accusation
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proudly. I would treasure it like a crown. For I would
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tell him exactly what I have done. I would come before him like
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a prince. If my land accuses me and all its furrows
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weep together, or if I have stolen its crops or murdered its owners,
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then let thistles grow on that land instead of wheat and weeds instead
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of barley. Job's words are ended.
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Job's 3 friends refused to reply further to him because
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he kept insisting on his innocence. Then Elihu
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son of Barakel the Benzite of the clan of Ram became
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angry. He was angry because Job refused to
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admit that he had sinned and that God was right
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in punishing him. He was also angry with Job's 3 friends because
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they had condemned God by their inability to answer Job's
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arguments. Elihu had waited for the others to speak
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because they were older than he. But when he saw that they had
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no further reply, he spoke out angrily.
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Elihu son of Barakel the Busite said,
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I am young and you are old, so I held back and did not dare
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to tell you what I think. I thought those who are older should speak,
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for wisdom comes with age.
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Surely it is God's Spirit within people, the breath
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of the Almighty within them, that makes them intelligent.
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But sometimes the elders are not wise; sometimes the aged
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do not understand justice. So listen to me and let
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me express my opinion. I have waited all this time,
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listening very carefully to your arguments, listening to you grope
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for words. I have listened, but not one of you has refuted
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Job or answered his arguments. And don't tell me he is too wise for
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us. Only God can convince him. If Job had been arguing
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with me, I would not answer with that kind of logic.
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You sit there baffled with no further response. Should I
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continue to wait now that you are silent? Must I remain
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silent? No, I will say my piece.
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I will speak my mind. I surely will, for I am pent up
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and full of words, and the spirit within me urges me on. I I am
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like a wine cask without a vent. My words are ready
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to burst out. I must speak to find relief. So let
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me give my answers. I won't play favorites or try to flatter anyone.
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And if I tried, my Creator would soon do away with me.
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Listen, Job, to what I have to say. Now that I have begun
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to speak, let me continue. I speak with all sincerity.
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I speak the truth. For the Spirit of God has made me,
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and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. Answer me if
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you can. Make your case and take your stand. Look,
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you and I are the same before God. I too was formed
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from clay, so you don't need to be afraid of me.
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I am not some great person to make you nervous and afraid.
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You have said it in my hearing. I have heard your very words.
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You said, I am pure. I am innocent. I have not sinned.
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God is picking a quarrel with me and He considers me to be His enemy.
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He puts my feet in the stocks and watches every move
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I make. In this you are not right, and I will show you why.
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As you yourself have said, God is greater than any person.
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So why are you bringing a charge against Him? You say,
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He does not respond to people's complaints. But God speaks again
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and again. Though people do not recognize it. He speaks in dreams,
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in visions in the night when deep sleep falls on people
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as they lie in bed. He whispers in their ear and terrifies
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them with his warning. He causes them to change
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their minds. He keeps them from pride. He keeps them
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from the grave, from crossing over the river of death. Or God
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disciplines people with sickness and pain. With ceaseless
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aching in their bones. They lose their appetite and do
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not care for even the most delicious food. They waste away to
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skin and bones. They are at death's door. The angels of death
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wait for them. But if a special messenger
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from heaven is there to intercede for a person, to declare that
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he is upright, God will be gracious and say, set him free.
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Do not make him die, for I have found a ransom for his life.
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Then his body will become as healthy as a child's, firm and youthful
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again. When he prays to God, he will be accepted, and God
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will receive him with joy and restore him to good standing.
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He will declare to his friends, I sinned, but it
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was not worth it. God rescued me from the grave, and now
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my life is filled with light. Yes,
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God often does these things for people. He rescues
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them from the grave so they may live in the light. Of the living.
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Mark this well, Job. Listen to me and let me say more.
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But if you have anything to say, go ahead. I want to hear it,
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for I am anxious to see you justified. But if not,
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then listen to me. Keep silent and I will teach you
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wisdom.
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2 Corinthians 3:1-18.
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Are we Paul and his coworkers beginning again to
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tell you how good we are. Some people need to bring letters
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of recommendation with them or ask you to write letters of recommendation for
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them. But the only letter of recommendation we need
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is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter
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written in our hearts, and everyone can read it and recognize our
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good work among you. Clearly, you are a
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letter from Christ prepared by us. It is written
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not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God.
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It is carved not on stone, but on human hearts.
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We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through
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Christ. It is not that we think we can do anything of lasting
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value by ourselves. Our only power and success come
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from God. He is the one who has enabled us to represent His
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new covenant. This is a covenant not of
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written laws, but of the Spirit. The old
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way ends in death. In the new way, the Holy
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Spirit gives life. That old system
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of law etched in stone led to death.
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Yet it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not
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bear to look at Moses' face. His face shone
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with the glory of God, even though the brightness was
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already fading away Shouldn't we expect far greater
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glory when the Holy Spirit is giving life?
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If the Old Covenant, which brings condemnation,
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was glorious, how much more glorious is the New Covenant,
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which makes us right with God!
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In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared
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with the overwhelming glory of the New Covenant.
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So if the Old Covenant, which has been set aside,
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was full of glory, then the new covenant,
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which remains forever, has far greater glory.
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Since this new covenant gives us such confidence,
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we can be very bold. We are not like Moses, who put a
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veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the
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glory fading away. But the people's minds were hardened,
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And even to this day, whenever the Old Covenant is being read,
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a veil covers their minds so they cannot understand
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the truth. And this veil can be
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removed only by believing in Christ.
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Yes, even today when they read Moses's writings,
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their hearts are covered with that veil and they do not understand.
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But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, then the
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veil is taken away. Now the Lord is
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the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, He gives
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freedom. And all of us have had
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that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that
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brightly reflect the glory of the Lord.
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And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more
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like Him and reflect His glory even Psalm
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43:1-5. O God,
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take up my cause; defend me against these ungodly people.
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Rescue me from these unjust liars, for You are
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God, my only safe haven. Why have You tossed me aside?
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Why must I wander around in darkness, oppressed by my
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enemies? Send out Your light and Your truth, Let them
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guide me. Let them lead me to your holy mountain,
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to the place where you live. There I will go to the
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altar of God, to God, the source of all my joy.
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I will praise you with my harp, O God, my God. Why am
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I so discouraged? Why so sad? I will put my hope
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in the Lord. I will praise him again, my Savior and
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my God. Proverbs 22:8-9.
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Those who plant seeds of injustice will harvest disaster, and their
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reign of terror will end. Blessed are those who are generous
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because they feed the poor. I want
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to speak to you today from our reading from 2 Corinthians chapter 3,
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and this is a really important and foundational
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chapter, and there's a really wonderful truth
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that I want to unpack with you here. And so in this chapter,
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Paul is talking about the Old Covenant
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and the New Covenant. He's comparing and
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contrasting these 2 things, and he goes on to say in verse 6,
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He is the one who has enabled us to represent
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His New Covenant— that is, Jesus. This New Covenant— this
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is a covenant not of written laws but
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of the Spirit. The old way ends
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in death, and in the new way the Holy Spirit gives
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life. So what was the old way?
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The old way was the first covenant that was given at
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Mount Sinai by God to Moses and
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then communicated to the people. It was the Torah.
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It was the law. It was the Ten Commandments, and it
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was a covenant, an invitation to the people to be in a covenant
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relationship with the God of Israel, the King of
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Kings, by obeying his covenant.
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But the people failed. They failed immediately
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while Moses was up at Mount Sinai. They made a golden
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calf and called that golden calf Yahweh.
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They immediately fell into idolatry and worship of
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false gods. They were not able to keep
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this Old Covenant. Paul goes on to say
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in verse 7, that old system of law etched in stone led
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to death, yet it began with such glory that the
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people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses's face. His face
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shone with radiance because he had been in the presence
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of God. But the people couldn't stand looking at his face, so he covered his
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face with a veil.
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So if the Old Covenant, which has been set aside, was full of glory,
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then the New Covenant, which remains forever, has far greater
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glory. Now here's the real bottom
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line. The linchpin, the conclusion of the matter.
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Verse 14: But the people's minds were hardened,
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and even to this day, whenever the Old Covenant is
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being read, a veil covers their minds so they
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cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed
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only by believing in Christ.
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Yes, even today When they read Moses's writings,
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their hearts are covered with that veil and they do not
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understand. So here's my
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warning. I want to give a strong warning here.
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There's a real danger in the Hebrew Roots movement
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to come back into that veil,
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to spend all your time in the Old Testament,
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in the Tanakh and
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getting into the food laws, following the feasts of the
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Lord, doing all the Old Testament practices and
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trying to follow the letter of the law. Basically, you are
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going back to Mount Sinai and you are trying to put yourself under Moses,
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and that is putting yourself under the letter of the law.
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The Old Covenant or the First Covenant leads
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to death. It does not lead to life.
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It leads to legalism. It leads to Phariseeism.
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It leads to the pointing of the finger.
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It leads to an arrogance and a pride. And Jesus
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wants us to be in the New Covenant, the Second Covenant,
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where we follow the Spirit of the Law.
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Where we are filled with the Holy Spirit.
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And the only— if there's a veil over a person's mind,
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whether you're talking to a Jewish Orthodox person or you're talking
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to somebody in the Hebrew Roots world that does the Sabbath
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and does the feasts and doesn't eat pork or shellfish and follows
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all the Old Testament laws to the best of their ability, and of course it's
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impossible to follow all of the laws because there isn't a temple.
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There's no more— there's no temple, so they can't even do much
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of what the Old Testament talks about regarding temple
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worship and temple practice and temple sacrifices.
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This veil can only be removed by believing in
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Christ, and then the veil comes off.
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And so my warning is, if you're involved
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yourself in the Hebrew Roots Movement, Be careful.
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I know a lot of well-intentioned people. I am good friends with many people
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in the Hebrew Roots world, and they begin with an innocence
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and a joy and a purity and a love for the Feasts and a love
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for the Sabbath. But if you stay in it for very long,
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a veil can come over a person's mind and heart,
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and they are back under the Law. Of Moses,
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and they're trying to follow the letter of the law.
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And when they get into all kinds of controversies and conflicts
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about what calendar to follow— the dark moon, the sliver moon, the Zadok
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calendar— they get into all of these controversies about
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what is the purest, what is the most correct.
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That's the letter of the law. That's not the spirit of the law.
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That's going under Moses. And not
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under the Holy Spirit, that not under Jesus.
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And so I'm— my concern is that
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many in the Hebrew Roots world have lost their
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way. Many of the leaders have lost their way.
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They've disconnected from Jesus Christ.
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They've disconnected from the Holy Spirit. And instead
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they are following Moses.
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Paul warns about this also in Galatians.
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He says, you started by walking in grace,
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walking in faith. You began your walk by walking in faith,
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and I am afraid now you want to go back to following the law?
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You have fallen from grace. So what is this New
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Covenant? It is spoken of in Jeremiah chapter 31, verse 31,
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where it is written: Behold, the days are coming, says the
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LORD, when I will make a New Covenant with
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the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not according to
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the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them
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by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt,
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My covenant which they broke. Though I was
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a husband to them, says the LORD. So there He is referring back
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to that first covenant that was made at Mount Sinai when
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they left Egypt, the Ten Commandments, and it was
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a marriage covenant, but they broke it. He is
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referring back to that first covenant. Verse 33:
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But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
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after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in
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their minds and write it on their hearts,
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and I will be their God and they shall be my people.
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And how does that happen? It happens when we are born again
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and we repent of our sins, and God takes the heart of stone
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out of us and gives us a heart of flesh. And with that
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heart of flesh, then He's able to write the Word of God upon
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our heart, and then we're able to follow His Word
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by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
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So my question for you to ponder and think on and reflect
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on and pray about is, are you under a veil?
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Are you wearing a veil? Is there a veil that is obscuring your
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vision and your understanding of the Word of God?
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Only Jesus can remove that veil.
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Ask Him. Ask Him,
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Jesus, am I under a veil? Is there a veil covering
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my mind that I'm not discerning and understanding the Word
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of God? And only Jesus can remove
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that veil. Have a blessed day, and we'll
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see you tomorrow. Shalom.
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Yevrek ka Adonai,
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vishmareka
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yeh Adonai.
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Anav Elikah,
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Vikunnehka.
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Yisrael Adonai,
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Anav Elikah,
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Vayeseh Lekah.
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The Aaronic Blessing from Numbers chapter 6,
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24 to 26.
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Adonai bless you and keep you.
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Adonai make his face to shine upon you and
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be gracious to you. Adonai lift up his
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countenance upon you and give you peace.