Latest / Near East Christian Fellowship Sermons / The Issues about Women's Liberty pt 16

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The Issues about Women's Liberty pt 16 · Near East Christian Fellowship Sermons

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Welcome to NECF. We're thrilled you're here.
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Make sure to stay with us till the end, where
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we'll share some great resources to deepen your
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faith. Now, let's dive into this week's sermon.
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Genesis chapter 1, let's read from verse 26.
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Then God said, let us make man in our image.
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According to our likeness, let them have dominion
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over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the
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air, and over the cattle, over all the earth,
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and over every creeping thing that creeps on
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the earth. Verse 27. So God created man in his
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own image, in the image of God. He created him
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male and female. He created them. So last Sunday,
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we began our study on this matter. And we tried
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to look at how initially we interpret these texts.
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And we saw that particularly true interpretation.
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And we saw why. We may be missing some things
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if we go that way. And so, actually, the essence
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of this part of the teaching is to understand,
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essentially, what is the image of God? What is
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the image? So, whatever we're going to do, the
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end goal is to arrive at a point where we can
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specifically define what the image of God is.
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And that would help us to know that the image
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of God, it will even help us to know what Jesus
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was trying to point out when the Pharisee, I
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mean, yes, the Pharisee asked him concerning
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divorce. And then he pointed them back to this
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text. So I want you to note something. The first
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thing that God said. about man. Isaiah says,
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let us make him in our image. In our image. That's
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what in our image, verse 26. Then God said, let
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us make man in our image. Now by saying man in
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our image, God gives an identity. Please follow
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me gradually. I am begging you to pay attention.
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You know, sometimes it pains me when I understand
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that some of us at the back of our camera were
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just playing. I don't know whether I'm still
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interested in online search. I mean, I don't
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know. So, okay. So, it's verse 26. Now, by saying
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man in our image, God... gives or he gave man
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an identity different from created things before
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him. You know, there are many things which have
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been created, but man now came into the picture,
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but not as other created things. He said, let
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us make man in our image, which means that man
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have a different identity. than other created
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things. And I want you to note very, very well
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here. Man, look at verse 26, particularly verse
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27, look at verse 27. He says, so God created
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man in his own image, in the image of God, he
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created him male and female, male and female.
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And I want you to know that male and female you
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understand, is man. That is, man is male and
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female. So I want you to know that. Don't forget
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that. We're coming to it. Again, that male and
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female are all in the image of God. They are
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all in the image of God. So it means, therefore,
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that God is saying the male is just like the
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female. Or we can say the male man is just like
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The female man is just like the female man. So,
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and from now, I want you to be acquainted with
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Bible words. You know, some people, I think when
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we are dealing, I think last time when we were
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talking about understanding the Bible, I made
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mention about a particular translation that is
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trying to bring these gender guards, you understand,
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into the scripture. They try to see how... Instead
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of saying sons, you now say sons and daughters.
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I mean, we don't need to do that because if you
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interpret the Bible well, you understand. Because
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don't bring social issues into the Bible. Handle
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things sociologically, psychologically, scientifically.
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Settle them. They have a way of settling themselves.
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Don't bring them into the Word of God. You understand?
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Now... Note, as we said, man here does not mean
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the male. No, it means male and female. Now,
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we have seen that also used in the New Testament.
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Sometimes you'll be wondering, you know, I mean,
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for example, 2 Timothy 3, verse 16 and 17, it
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says that all scriptures is given by the inspiration
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of God and is profitable. for doctrine, for reproof,
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for correction, for training in righteousness.
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What Servetus says, he said that the man of God,
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don't miss it and say, oh, what about woman of
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God? Remember again, man is male and female.
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That word, I think, is anthroposed in Greek.
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By the time if you get the... If you do that,
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you understand that he's talking about what we
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will be talking about now also. So he's talking
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about human beings, not the male man. Are we
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together? Hallelujah. So, and the question is
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that, is the male and female we read in Genesis
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1, 26 and 27, talking about Adam and Eve? Adam
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and Eve. Now, first, I want you to know that
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just like we noted that the man there, well,
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the word man there is Adam. You know, most times,
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each time we mention Adam, many people just,
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the first thing, we just go to first man. It
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could be because you can use a general word for
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a single person. For example, you can say, I
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met with a man today. You understand? If you
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talk, I mean, if you are speaking in Bible language,
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it doesn't mean that you meet with a male man.
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So, but that doesn't mean that, again, I cannot
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use that for a male man. You understand? There's
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a way I can say there were 70 human beings. You
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understand? There are 70 human beings. Now, you
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are not human being, or a human being means Adam,
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or it means... A man, you understand, anthropos
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in Greek, man, or Adam. Are we together? Man,
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Adam, you understand, in Hebrew. So the point
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is that when we see, when we hear man, which
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means in Hebrew, Adam, it means actually mankind.
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It means mankind. It means all human beings,
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all human beings, you understand. So, it is also
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used, just like I said, it is also used in Genesis
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to refer to the male, man, you understand. But
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actually, it means mankind. So, in context, it
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means mankind is male and female. So, definitely,
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and I want us to read, because let's read 26
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again. And you see, he says 26, Now, note that
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we'll let them have dominion over the fish of
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the sea. over the birds of the air. Now, if you're
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talking about air, this is not air in Cyprus.
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You have to think about air. It's okay about
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air because by the time you read to the end,
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it said on the earth. So it's talking about the
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entire earth, not just in Cyprus or not just
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in a particular area. So the fish of the sea,
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you rig it on earth, birds on earth, cattle on
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earth. You understand? Look at verse 28. over
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every living thing that moved on the earth. So
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you can look at the influence in the earth. God
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could not have been talking to two people. God
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could not have been talking to two people. Remember
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how we said Adam is mankind. Are we together?
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So what he's trying to say is that God is talking
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about mankind, not just two people. Not just
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two people. He's talking about mankind. And if
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you look at it, Adam just had, I mean, the ones
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we know their name. Adam had three children.
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Are we together? Cain, Abel, and Seth, which
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we know. Cain, if you read Genesis 4, 1, you
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see Cain. Verse 2 of Genesis 4, you see Abel.
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Verse 25 of Genesis chapter 4, you see Seth.
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And also chapter 5, verse 3. Of course. In chapter
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5 of Genesis verse 4, you hear also Adam had
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other sons and daughters. He had other sons and
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daughters. But remember, God is not just talking
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to two people. He's talking to mankind. So he
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couldn't have talked, even if you look at it
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as he's talking to just the ones Adam gave birth
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to. I mean, how could God have done, I mean,
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spoke about all these? That is what he intends
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mankind to do on the earth. He could not have
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been just two people. I mean, sorry, maybe let's
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see, even if it's 50 or 60, how many are we in
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Cyprus? Can you be able to cover all the earth?
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So he could not have been talking to two people.
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So it's really God is talking to mankind, just
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like we said. Now, I make you appreciate that.
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The word Adam means mankind. Therefore, male
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and female are not referring to Adam and Eve
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alone, but they are included when talking to
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mankind. Now, what is image? What is image? Now,
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since we now understand that he's talking about
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mankind, what is image? What is image? The word
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image is Salem. The word image is Salem. Salem
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is S -E -L -E -M. S -E -L -E -M. Salem means
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a representative figure. It means a representative
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figure or a form. Something that represents something.
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A representative figure in Hebrew. That word
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Salem. Now, if you look at that text, for example,
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you will see another term, our likeness. That
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is not just image. It says, let us make man in
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our image according to our likeness. Are we together?
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According to our likeness. That word likeness
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is bemut. Bemut means, bemut in Hebrew is D -E
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-M -U -T. D -E -M -U -T. It's actually the same
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thing as philem. It means a representation or
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representative. It means a model, I mean, or
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a resemblance. So it's actually the same thing.
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I want you to read Genesis chapter 5, verse 3.
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You see that used... they're used together to
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mean the same thing in reference to Seth, the
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son of Adam. He said, and Adam lived 130 years
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and begot his son in his own likeness after his
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image. You understand? Which means, or you can
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read it this way, that in his own likeness, which
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is after his image, you understand, and name
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him Seth. So actually, Whether you say likeness
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or image, you are talking about the same thing.
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So to understand this word image, how it is used,
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remember how we did with rip, how we also did
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with the bones of my bones. We went through also
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the teaching material of Moses because Moses
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was the one who first used these words. So we
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want to understand what did Moses mean when he
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was using the word. And so we will read through
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the Moses teaching materials and look at that.
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And if possible, maybe look at other texts because
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remember we said all the other prophets also
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read from Moses and taught from Moses. Are we
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together? So we will read also maybe to see how
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other prophets use the same word, that word Salem.
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I will, first and foremost, I just read chapter
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5, verse 3. We're coming back to this text. There's
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another text in Genesis chapter 9. We're not
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going to read it now because we're going to return
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to it. There's a lot of story we need to do with
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that text. And I want us to just jump to Numbers
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chapter 33. Numbers 33, verse 52. Numbers 33.
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Verse 52. Let's first look at how Moses used
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that word. Numbers 33, 52. Then you shall drive
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out all the inhabitants of the land from before
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you. Destroy all their engraved stones. Destroy
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all their molded images. That word images is
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selim. And demolish all... are their high places.
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Note that the word high places actually are places
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of idol worship. They are elevated places like
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a hill. Normally, those of us that have been
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following us and reading the Bible in the air,
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we must have read a lot of places. And if you
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have not, probably you have heard our man, what
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is his name? Patrick from Edu, who used to quote
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that Bible popularly. The beauty of Israel is
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slain upon the high places, how the mighty are
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fallen, telling not in God, publishing not in
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the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughter of
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the Philistine rejoice, and lest the daughter
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of the uncircumcised triumph. And he will start,
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Master Speaker, I believe some of us that have
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been following, we know. So when he said the
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beauty of Israel is slain upon the high places,
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high places are just innovative places where
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then in those days, Israel used those for idol
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worship anyway. The inhabitants of the land normally
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used them. So they would go on top of a mountain
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or hill and build all those places of where you
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worship idols. So I want you to see that they
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say molded images. So they say form. They molded
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something in the sense to represent something.
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Are we together? Look at 1 Samuel chapter 6.
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1 Samuel chapter 6 verse 5. 1 Samuel chapter
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6. Verse 5. He says, You understand? So you can
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see that now images of tumor, images of rat is
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a pattern. They've understood that. Those images
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represent something. You understand? They represent
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something. So the representative is what we call
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as image. 1 Kings chapter 11 verse 18. 1 Kings.
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11, 18. Then they arose from Midian and came
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to Parham, and they took men with them from Parham
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and came to Egypt. Am I reading the right place?
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Verse 18. Sorry, let me check that text. Maybe
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I missed that text. Okay, it's 2nd. It's supposed
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to be 2nd. 2nd Kings, sorry. 2nd Kings. It's
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supposed to be 2nd Kings. 11. verse 18. And all
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the people of the land went to the temple of
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Baal and tore it down. They thoroughly broke
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in pieces its altar and images and killed Muthan
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and priest of Baal before the altar and the priest
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appointed officers over the house of the Lord.
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So, again, you can see. Now, I want you to see
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that images is in relation to temple. Because
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you can't, I'll show you, again, some words.
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Let's go, maybe I'll talk about that more. Verse
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is 2 Chronicles, the next text, 2 Chronicles
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23, verse, 2 Chronicles, sorry, not 3, 23, verse
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17. 2 Chronicles 23 verse 17. 23 verse 17. And
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all the people went to the temple of Baals and
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tore it down. They broke in pieces its altars
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and images. Again, its images. I want you to
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know that these images are in relation to temple.
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And kill Mutan. You understand? and the priest
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of Baals before the altar. Just the same as we
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read in 2 Kings. And go to Psalm 39. Psalm 39,
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verse 6. Psalm 39, verse 6. Surely every man
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walks about like a shadow. Surely they busy themselves
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in vain. He heaps up riches and does not know.
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Who will gather them? I miss this scripture.
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Look at 73 verse 20. 73 verse 20. Psalm 73 verse
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20. I said, dream when one awakes, so the Lord,
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when you awake, you will despise their images.
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Not what images there is salame. Look at Ezekiel.
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Look at Ezekiel 7 verse 20. Ezekiel 7 verse 20.
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As for the beauty of his ornament, he set it
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in majesty. But they made it the images of their
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abomination, their detestable things. Therefore,
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I have made it like refuse of things. I want
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you to know that what images of their abomination
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and detestable things. So which means that the
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images represent something that is their abomination
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and their detestable things. Go to Ezekiel 23.
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Just move ahead a little bit. Ezekiel 23 verse
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14. Ezekiel 23 verse 14. But she increased her
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lot. She looked at men portrayed on the world.
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Images of Chaldeans portrayed in Vermilion. Again,
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I want you to note that images of Chaldeans.
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Did you see that? So which means that these images
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are something that they portrayed. Or represent.
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They represent. something. Now, Amos chapter
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5, that's the last scripture that we have. Amos
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chapter 5. Look at verse 26. He said, you also
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carried Silco, your king, and Chium, your idol.
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Actually, the name looked like an idol. Chium,
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your idol, the star of your God, which you made.
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for yourself. So I want you to know that word
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idol means image, salem. It's the same word with
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image, salem. So in other words, an idol is an
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image of the gods. That's why it says you and
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your idols, the star of your gods, which you
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made. for yourself. So what can we see in how,
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this is how the writers of the Bible use it.
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So we can see that how the writers of the Bible
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use the word Salem is as a representative or
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representative figure of something. Like in the
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last text we saw, you understand, an idol. So
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in this ancient time they use it. as something,
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a representation or a representative of an unseen
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God or deity. You understand what I'm saying?
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Or deity. So an image, we can then define that
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an image is a concrete, tangible expression or
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representative figure of something. that is not
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seen or something unseen. Now, when you go back
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to Genesis 1, Genesis 1, verse 27, if you look
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at verse 27, it says, so God created. Now, this
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is used in reference to God, not in reference
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to gods or other things we see they use image
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for. Now, God created man in his own image. In
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the image of God, he created him, male and female.
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He created them. So, that word, God created man
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in his own image. Now, since we now understand
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that image is representative. Which means that
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man is a representative figure of an unseen or
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invisible God. Let me come back, come again.
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So, Salem, we can then explain it as the image
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is the representative figure. Or we can say man,
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because our focus is man, man is the representative
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figure of an unseen God or an... invisible God,
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a representative figure. Now, I want you to note
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something before I move here. Pay attention now.
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Now, in that Genesis, verse 26 and 27, we can
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therefore, from all this understanding we have
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now, you know, in this place, when you look at
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it, it says that word in our image. Now, And
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I want you to do that. When you look at our other
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Bible resources, you understand, in wanting to
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take the word in Hebrew, in the original, you
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will see that that word in our image, is that
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a word? A phrase, rather. In our image is what
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is referred to the Salem. Actually, Salem is
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the image. But you see, that word in our was...
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like an addition, you understand, all together.
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So that because when you are reading it in English,
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so that it can make sense. Not that you say,
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so God created man image. Do you understand what
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I'm saying? You get what I'm saying. So you say
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in our image. So what that means is that also
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when you read 27, you will discover both when
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you check whether BibleHawk or BLB Bible, you
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will see that also in 27, that word. They are
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in his own image. Altogether is what is called
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the Salen. So what that means is that by our
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understanding now that it's a representation.
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So instead of us to say image, we can explain.
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I mean, instead of us to say in, we can explain
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it now and say that God created man as his image
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or as his representative. You know, remember
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we said representative is Salem. So if you substitute
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Salem as image there, you can see, so God created
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man in his own representative figure. No. So
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if you can see that, we can explain it that way,
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that man is created as God's representative figure.
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Now just come with me. I'm trying to build the
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cases somewhere. I'm going. So, verse 27 again
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gives us something I want you to note before
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we move away from here, from there. He said he
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created him male and female. He created them.
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This indicates that image is a collective identity.
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Please, I don't want you to forget this. Image
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is a collective identity because it's a male
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and female. So, image. It's what unites us. Are
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we together? It's what unites us. I'm going to
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return back to that term. It's a collective identity.
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So because it's a collective identity, it means
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that I, as a man, don't have a unique identity
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from the woman. As a man, I do not have a unique
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identity from the woman. That means our identity
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is the same. Now, in relationships, the woman,
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yes. It's a wife. And in the wife, she plays
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a different role. We see that, for example, she
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gives back to children. Even though these days
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there is some confusion happening in the world,
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some people say they move, you know, they say
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they want to give back. I don't understand. I
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mean, that a male wants to give back. It was,
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anyway, she was a female, but now she says she
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is a male. You understand? You know what I mean
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by she's a male? But now, From she, she say,
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he now. You understand? And then because it's
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he now, so he now said, I am pregnant and I'm
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going to give birth. So the he was a she before,
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but now turns he and say, oh, a man give birth.
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But the he was a she, but now transited to a
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he and say, now a man give birth. Anyway, so
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even by signs. They removed a womb or created
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a womb. Of course, we have bottles that are intubators.
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So we can create a form of an environment whereby
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a child can go. So even if science succeeded,
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we know it doesn't change like they say man and
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they say woman. Are we together? Hallelujah.
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As I said, let's study Bible. Leave science alone.
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All of them, they will be confused and return
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back again. What am I trying to say? I am trying
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to say that that image is a collective identity.
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In identity, we are the same with the female.
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Men, we are just like the female. So, we should
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know that God doesn't have two kinds of human.
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He has singular kinds of man. He's a male and
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female, both in the image of God. Remember, we
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have already come to a point to know that man
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is a representative figure of God. We're going
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to build on that, but hold that very well, which
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that's what it means by image. So in the image
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of God, he created him male and female. He created
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them. This tells us also, not just that we have
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a collective identity, but that it tells us again
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who we are. That is our identity. But it also
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tells us whose we are. Whose we are. Because
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he said God. So it tells us again whose we are.
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Not just who we are, but it tells us whose we
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are. You understand? Whose we are. We came from
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God. We... represents God on the earth. So we
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are of God. We belong to God. So you can see
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two things connecting us. We belong to God. We
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are also, remember, who we are, which is our
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identity. But that identity unites us. We say
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it's a collective identity. It unites us with
32:49
others. So I want you to know that. So when we
32:52
say representative, we're not talking about the
32:54
man alone. We're talking about both the man and
32:58
the woman. Which means is that it is anti of
33:03
your identity to say you want to stay alone.
33:09
It is anti of your identity to say you want to
33:13
stay alone. Actually, loneliness... Is actually
33:18
anti -God's agenda. Did you understand what I'm
33:22
saying? Isolation is anti -God's agenda. It's
33:26
not in God's plan. When you say you are in the
33:28
image. Means that he is supposed to be together.
33:33
Remember what Jesus told the Pharisees. They
33:36
are saying divorce. Jesus said no, no, no, no.
33:41
In the beginning it was not so. He made them.
33:46
male and female, which means that he made them
33:49
male and female in the image. In the image means
33:52
also that it's a collective identity, not for
33:55
them to stay apart, but to unite in the agenda
33:59
of God. I don't know whether you get what I'm
34:01
trying to say. So you cannot use the word and
34:04
say, me, I just want to stay alone. I want to
34:07
be alone. You should know that you're already
34:09
working against your identity. You understand?
34:13
It's not correct. Say, Sami, I don't know how
34:16
to speak with people. No, it's not how to speak
34:20
with people. You are actually faking your life.
34:23
That's a fake life you are living if you are
34:25
living an isolated life. It's a fake life. Because
34:28
how God desire and plan it is for you to walk
34:32
in unity with others. It's to walk collectively
34:37
because we have a collective identity. It's not
34:40
to put away, but... to stay together you know
34:45
another thing again sometimes that has been found
34:49
into the scripture unfortunately which has caused
34:54
perversion of scripture and actually the theology
34:57
of the of the bible or the theology of the church
35:00
is this what we call the theory of uniqueness
35:03
you know that's the way we speak of uniqueness
35:06
you know in the bible when the bible speaks of
35:09
our uniqueness it speaks of our uniqueness as
35:12
a collective term, not as individualistic. Please,
35:19
I want you to know that. When he said in 1 Peter
35:22
2 .9 that ye are, you understand, a chosen generation,
35:29
a royal priesthood, a unique people or peculiar
35:35
people. That uniqueness is not talking about
35:39
as individualism or as As independent, each other.
35:45
No, he's talking about, that's why he said, a
35:47
choosing generation. So you must know that any
35:53
uniqueness that seek to make you an individual,
35:59
independent of each other, is not actually of
36:02
God. It's not in the agenda of God to be independent
36:05
in the sense that you do not need anyone. We
36:08
ought to work collectively. Because our identity
36:11
is collective. So you hear all this kind of inspiration.
36:15
Of course, sometimes it's good to inspire people,
36:18
but not without an understanding of the agenda
36:24
of God. So you see all this one, hey, you are
36:27
unique. Hey, you are this. Hey, you are that.
36:32
Oh, you are only the only one in the world. Nobody
36:35
is like you. You are the only, only one in the
36:39
sun. Your DNA is different. Your DNA fingerprint.
36:42
I mean, do you know what I mean? Your fingerprint
36:44
is different. The color of your eye is different.
36:48
You understand? You are an individual. So, we
36:51
use those terms to look as if that suggests uniqueness.
36:56
I want to make you to understand that those differences
36:59
does not depict uniqueness. Hallelujah. So, we
37:05
are all humans in the image of God. Whether you
37:10
are tall or slim, fat or light -skinned or dark,
37:14
you are a human being. Humanity unites us all.
37:20
Now, we would actually miss the will of God each
37:25
time we look at ourselves from this. So when,
37:30
look at it, even when Christ came, he brought
37:36
us into oneness, whereby... There is neither
37:40
Jew or Gentile. You understand? All these divisions
37:43
that says to separate us. He tried to bring us
37:47
to make us know that we are one. And if you are
37:51
going to walk in the will of God, you must understand
37:54
that God desires a family. God desires a community.
38:01
God is not walking with an individual. He is
38:05
walking with the church. So that when you read
38:08
your Bible, read it correctly. When he says Christ
38:11
in you, the hope of glory, he's not talking about
38:14
an individual. He's talking to a church. When
38:18
he says you are the temple of the Holy Spirit,
38:20
he was talking to a church and not just a single
38:23
individual. Yes, you can claim it as an individual,
38:27
but because you are in a community. Glory to
38:30
Jesus. So I want you to note, so that you don't
38:34
see that. You are away from the community and
38:39
you feel happy. You understand? No, not at all.
38:42
Okay, what is image? Again, we said an image
38:47
is the representative figure or we said is a
38:52
form of an unseen God, physically, tangible,
38:56
concrete expression of the invisible God. It's
39:00
a collective term. I'm talking about to say that...
39:03
We are God's representative on earth. So man
39:09
is God's representative on earth. Now, I want
39:12
to just say another thing regarding image again.
39:17
Now, one of the very reasons why some, remember
39:19
we said image is an identity. It's a collective
39:23
identity. One of the reasons, yes, which again,
39:27
we normally move faster to talk on that, that
39:31
word image. means the man in christ again is
39:36
when we read also verse 28 and then we connect
39:41
it that's jesus 120 and then we connect it with
39:44
uh hebrews let's go to hebrew hebrews chapter
39:48
2 hebrews chapter 2 verse 6 let's read from verse
39:54
6 the writer of hebrew was quoting from psalms
39:57
8 So he says 6, he says, in subjection under
40:28
his feet. Did you see what? This is just an echo
40:33
of Genesis. You have put all things under his
40:35
feet. Did you see that? Set him over the works
40:41
of your hands. But look at verse 8. You have
40:45
put all things in subjection under his feet.
40:49
He didn't say he will. He said you have. You
40:53
understand? But look at the continuing statement
40:59
of verse 8. He said, For in that he put all in
41:05
subjection under him, he left nothing that is
41:11
not put under him. But now we do not yet see
41:19
all things put under him. But we see Jesus, verse
41:24
9, who was made a little lower than angels for
41:30
the suffering of death crowned with glory and
41:33
honor. Now, because we see the word there, he
41:38
said, but now we do not yet see all things put
41:44
under him. But we see Jesus. You know, because
41:48
we see that line. And then connected with verse
41:51
28 of Genesis, we say, He blessed them, multiply,
41:55
have dominion, and so on and so forth. You understand?
41:59
Subdue, you understand? Feel, replenish, all
42:02
those things. And we say, ah, because we do not
42:05
yet see man exercising those functions. You understand?
42:11
Then we say, ah, no, no, no, no, no. Man is not
42:13
in the image. So it is Jesus that brought us
42:17
the image of God. But you see, here he's not
42:22
talking about, remember, that's why I say you
42:25
should note verse 7 and also 8. He said, you
42:31
have put all things in the sand, which means
42:35
that image is an identity, it's not a functionality.
42:42
The fact that, please, I want you to know that
42:45
because we're coming to expand that. The image
42:49
is an identity, not a functionality. You understand?
42:54
Not a functionality. So, in other words, if you
42:59
check that place where he says, where he says,
43:04
what is man? You know, you see that verse 6,
43:10
right? What is man? He didn't say man is defined
43:16
by what? he put under him or by those things.
43:20
No, he's not defining man by what man does. Man
43:26
is not defined by what he did or did not do.
43:29
Because that's where we are mixing the two, you
43:34
understand. So the point I'm making is that functionality,
43:39
that's why we said human beings, Adam or Anthropos
43:44
talks about the being. not the doing. So we don't
43:49
say human doing, but human being, because that's
43:53
the identity. You understand? The identity. So
43:58
it's the same thing, for example, if you have,
44:03
let's say, a person who is born again and has
44:07
never prophesied before. Will you say that this
44:09
man is not born again? No, no, you can't say
44:11
that. The fan that is not functioning, doesn't
44:16
make or doesn't invalidate his identity in Christ.
44:20
You understand? He doesn't invalidate that. But
44:22
then, yes, his functioning actually emanates,
44:29
will emanate from his identity. That's just what
44:32
I'm trying to say. But not on the other way around.
44:35
Again, you could find somebody probably like
44:38
trying to mimic and prophesy. You cannot say
44:40
he's born again because functionality does not
44:43
actually produce identity. But of course, identity
44:46
will eventually produce the functionality. But
44:50
what we're trying to say is that when it comes
44:52
to the image of God, it's an identity issue and
44:57
not functionality. So that when you are reading,
45:00
when you see dominion, and you have not yet seen
45:04
man exercising those rights, doesn't mean that
45:08
he's not man. Understand? But it's just that
45:11
it means... to functionality as well. Eventually,
45:14
we're going to talk about that. How does that
45:17
relate together? Very important. So again, image
45:22
speaks of identity, which is being, not functionality.
45:28
Not functionality or function. So identity is
45:33
not what we do. Identity... is why we do what
45:39
we do. So it speaks of the why, not speaks of
45:45
what we do, but why we do what we do. So image
45:49
is being while doing, of course, because we are
45:54
a human being, we will have to do something.
45:56
You understand? The doing, you understand, will
45:59
come from the being, which is identity and then
46:04
functionality. Hallelujah. Okay, so let's go
46:09
back to, let me introduce some thoughts in Genesis
46:14
chapter 5 before we close for today. Genesis
46:18
chapter 5, let's return back there. Now, I'm
46:21
going back now to start with Genesis chapter
46:25
5. Let me read from verse 1 because it echoes
46:30
Genesis also. 1 Corinthians 6 and 37. He said,
46:37
this is the book of the genealogy of Adam. I
46:41
want you to pay attention. Genealogy of Adam.
46:44
This chapter 5, genealogy of Adam. Let me emphasize
46:48
again. In the day that God created man, he made
46:53
him in the likeness of God. He created them,
46:57
male and female, and blessed them and called
47:01
them mankind. In the day they were created. Verse
47:07
3. And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years
47:13
and begot a son in his own likeness after his
47:19
own image and name him Seth. So we can see now
47:25
again the word image, not the word image and
47:28
likeness. And the image and likeness is Seth.
47:32
In the image of Adam. You understand. And likeness
47:37
of Adam. So what can we see. About the word again.
47:42
Image here. So we can just see that. This word
47:47
image. Is relational. Remember I told you. That
47:51
the image is a collective identity. Here we see
47:55
that. Image is relational. So we can say that.
47:59
Image is some. Because. Here he said he begat
48:04
a son in his image. So image relates to what
48:07
we can say image is son or image is family. Or
48:11
talks about family, talks about kingship. Again,
48:16
pay attention to these words. So image means
48:20
son. Image means family. Image means kingship.
48:26
Image means... This collective, remember again
48:30
we said, is a collective identity. It's a collective
48:33
identity. So remember also, very, very important,
48:39
that, let me return back where those words I
48:44
said, which means that image means we belong
48:48
to one another. It's not isolation. Image is
48:53
family. Image is a collective term. Image means
48:56
we belong to one another. Image means we are
49:01
not independent. This already is a message to
49:06
many of those, again, that wants to be isolated.
49:09
I want to be left alone. No. You see, in the
49:14
image of other means they are relation. They
49:19
are a family. Set is a family. is a family of
49:25
Adam. That family. Now, to close, let me take
49:30
you to Luke. Go to Luke chapter 30. I want to
49:36
start introducing. Maybe I will continue next
49:42
week. Why is Jesus called the image of God? Why
49:49
is Jesus called the image of God? So I'll start
49:53
introducing it. Go to Luke. Let's come to the
49:57
New Testament. I mean, the part of the scripture,
50:00
the gospel that we see. Luke chapter 3. Look
50:03
at Luke chapter 3. Let's read from verse 23.
50:08
Luke chapter 3, verse 23. Now Jesus himself began
50:14
his ministry. At about 30 years of age, being
50:20
as was supposed, the son of Joseph, the son of
50:26
Heli, the son of Matat, the son of Levi, the
50:30
son of Melchi, the son of Jana, the son of Joseph,
50:38
the son of Matatia, the son of Amos, the son
50:43
of Nahum, the son of Isli, the son of... Forgive
51:14
my pronunciation of these names. The son of Malti,
51:19
the son of Adi, the son of Kosan, the son of
51:24
Elmodan, the sons of Er, the sons of Joseph,
51:29
the sons of Elisa, the sons of Jerome, the son
51:34
of Matat, the son of Levi, the son of Simeon,
51:40
the sons of Judah, the sons of Joseph, the sons
51:43
of Jonah, the sons of Eliak. the sons of Malia,
51:50
the sons of Manan, the sons of Matahat, the sons
51:58
of Nahum, the sons of David, the sons of Jesse,
52:03
the sons of Obed, the sons of Boaz, the sons
52:08
of Salmon, the sons of Nahum, the sons of Aminadab,
52:12
the son of... Ram, the son of Hezron, the son
52:19
of Perez, the sons of Judah, the sons of Jacob,
52:24
the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son
52:28
of Terah, the son of Naum, the son of Zerubb,
52:33
the son of Rehu, the sons of Pelech, the sons
52:37
of Eber, the sons of Shelah, the sons of Canaan,
52:42
the sons of... The sons of Adam, the son of God.
53:11
Now, you see how, now this is, what Luke did
53:16
was to restate Genesis chapter 5. It also, it
53:21
talks about Adam and Seth. Born, set in the image
53:26
of Adam. But this just restated Genesis chapter
53:32
5. Remember I told you to note verse 1. He said
53:35
the genealogy of Adam. Now he, because... Matthew,
53:39
we studied that in the cell, Matthew traced the
53:43
genealogy of Jesus and stopped at Abraham. But
53:47
Luke, because he's talking to the Gentiles, he
53:49
traced them back to Adam. But not just to Adam,
53:53
Luke said the son of God, all together came from
53:57
God. So he went back not just only to Genesis,
54:00
you know, he moved back also to Genesis chapter
54:02
1, verse 26 and 27. I want to note this. Remember,
54:08
if you note here, you see that if you are using
54:11
King James, you see that the son is in italics.
54:14
Normally, we taught that. If you see in italics,
54:17
it means that the authors just introduced that.
54:23
Are we together? It wasn't the original. So,
54:26
when I mean by the authors, I mean the translators.
54:32
But you see, if you go back to Genesis chapter
54:34
5, you will see that that relationship is father
54:37
-son relationship. So this addition is not wrong.
54:41
You understand? Because they're father -son relationship.
54:43
You understand? So in Luke chapter 3, what we
54:47
see is that it took us back to Genesis. So what
54:51
can you see about Jesus now here? Jesus is a
54:56
son of man, so he's a son of God. His son of
55:00
God is because he become a man. So image, image
55:04
has to do, you understand, with man, not spirit.
55:10
I don't know whether you get what I'm trying
55:12
to say. So Jesus become in a man is why he is
55:18
called the image. You understand? So again, Because
55:25
he became a man. So remember we say image is
55:28
a son. So that's why it's not like a confusion
55:32
here to say he is the son of God. But remember
55:36
we said image is son. But then also we trace
55:40
his human genealogy back to Adam. We're going
55:45
to expand on that. It's not just only here because
55:49
we said theology. I mean, it has to do through
55:53
the scripture, not just only on one. So I will
55:57
continue next time on these thoughts from here.
56:02
We will continue from here. Hallelujah. We're
56:09
thankful you joined us today. Don't forget to
56:13
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56:16
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56:20
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56:24
to having you with us next time. God bless.