Latest / Near East Christian Fellowship Sermons / The Issues about Women's Liberty pt 22: The Giving of the Law
Transcript
- 0:01Welcome to NECF sermons. Each message here is
- 0:06designed to uplift and strengthen you in your
- 0:09walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until
- 0:13the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive
- 0:17right in. Okay, so we will continue from where
- 0:25we stopped on Sunday. We have been trying to
- 0:35look at the giving of the law, the giving of
- 0:41the law. I don't want you to forget that our
- 0:46focus is to understand why Moses ruled this law,
- 0:58particularly Deuteronomy 22 .5 That the woman
- 1:06shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man,
- 1:10neither shall a man put on the woman's garment.
- 1:16For all that do so are abomination unto the Lord
- 1:24thy God. I want to note something crucial that
- 1:37as we study, I want you to pay attention. When
- 1:44I say the law here, I am talking about legalism.
- 1:52However, the word law does not have a blanket
- 2:01meaning. Are we together? Yes, it does not have
- 2:07a blanket meaning. I believe we have been taught
- 2:11in this church that we are not looking for formulas
- 2:15in the Bible. That every word's meaning is found
- 2:22in its context. So as we study different contexts,
- 2:28The word law will be appearing. Now, I don't
- 2:32want to take time. I would have shown you in
- 2:34a diverse place, meaning a lot of places in the
- 2:38Bible where law is appeared. I mean, law was
- 2:43used. That does not mean legalism. It means the
- 2:49doctrine of Christ. In fact, some of the scripture
- 2:52we read last Sunday. What law means the gospel.
- 3:01So it's not all the time when we say law, your
- 3:04mind should go to legalism. No. So, however,
- 3:10why am I stressing this is for you to pay attention.
- 3:17As we study, we will be making note of those
- 3:21things. So in the context, you will know what
- 3:23he's talking about. But remember we said the
- 3:29law of Moses, which was added, understand? Well,
- 3:37let me put it this way. That legalism is a corruption
- 3:41of the gospel or was what came out of unbelief.
- 3:48We're going to see that so that you will know
- 3:50that not just only that Moses gave the law, but
- 3:54he also preached. The gospel. Are we together?
- 3:58So he gave the gospel, he also gave the law.
- 4:02Amen. And we knew the reason why he gave the
- 4:05law was because of unbelief. See, it was added
- 4:14because of transgression. Are we together? Yes.
- 4:19So, and the corruption I'm talking about is the
- 4:23unbelief. that birth the law. Hallelujah. So
- 4:29we ended last Sunday on the note that Jesus is
- 4:36the mediator. The mediator of a better and a
- 4:42new covenant. Not Moses. We ended by saying that
- 4:47both the law and the mediation or Moses as the
- 4:55mediator. We are both, we are all an addition.
- 5:00That we are not the plan of God for any man to
- 5:03stand in between God and man. Are we together?
- 5:06Yes. Okay, so let's look at this thought a little
- 5:12bit then before we move on. Hebrews chapter 12.
- 5:17Let me pick one scripture. Hebrews chapter 12
- 5:20that talks about Christ. the mediator of a better
- 5:26covenant. Hebrews chapter 12, let me read verse
- 5:3022. But you have come to Mount Zion and to the
- 5:40city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,
- 5:45to an innumerable company of angels, to the general
- 5:51assembly and the church of the firstborn, who
- 5:54are registered in heaven, to God, the judge of
- 6:01all, to the spirit of just men made perfect,
- 6:06verse 24, to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant,
- 6:15and to the blood of the sprinkling that speaks
- 6:22better things, than that of Abel. Amen. Now,
- 6:30look at that 24. I want you to look at that word,
- 6:35that of. If you are using King James or New King
- 6:40James, you will see that of is in Italics, which
- 6:46means that it has been added. Yeah, it's not
- 6:50in the original. It has been added by the translators.
- 6:53They want to put it there in their wisdom so
- 6:56that it can make meaning. Are we together? Yes.
- 7:02So if we disregard that because it's not in the
- 7:05original, so let's remove it. So we can read
- 7:10it this way, that to Jesus, the mediator of the
- 7:13new covenant, and to the blood of the sprinkling
- 7:18that speaks, Better things than what? Herbal.
- 7:25Amen. Are we there? Now let's look at that word
- 7:29than. That word than herbal. So that word than.
- 7:35It was translated from the word para. That is
- 7:39P -A -R -A. P -A -R -A. Para. And that word para.
- 7:51have different meaning in different contexts.
- 7:56So para could mean from. Para could mean done,
- 8:04which was used here. Para could mean by. Or above.
- 8:14Or besides. Or near. From. Dan, by, above, beside,
- 8:25or near. ETC. I just picked some. Now, what determines
- 8:31which one to use is by reading the context. Are
- 8:36we together? Amen. Are we together? Yes. This
- 8:41is why we are teaching. And you have to pay attention
- 8:44because in every teaching, you will see that
- 8:48we're not just only teaching the topic. or the
- 8:51subject, but we are also teaching how to read
- 8:54Bible. If you have been following this church,
- 8:57you understand that every teaching is a Bible
- 9:02study and a method to study the Bible. Are we
- 9:05together? Now, if you look at the context where
- 9:08I read, you will bear me witness. Are we together?
- 9:14That this text is not actually comparing Abel
- 9:23and Jesus. Is that right? Is that true? Is he
- 9:26comparing whose blood screams louder? Did you
- 9:32understand what I'm trying to say? All the time,
- 9:34you see, when I read from the time he was talking
- 9:35about Mount Zion, he says the city of the living
- 9:40God, right? And he was describing, you understand,
- 9:43the uniqueness of this heavenly Jerusalem. Amen.
- 9:48Are we together? And he said, we have a mediator,
- 9:52which is Christ. So there's no way he was talking
- 9:55about a comparison between the blood that screams.
- 10:00You know, sir? So we will not actually look at
- 10:03it, therefore, as a comparison. So that means
- 10:06that word done wouldn't be the best word for
- 10:11para there. Are we together? So if you look at
- 10:14it, that means from what I have said, you will
- 10:19see clearly that the best fit there is the word
- 10:24from, is the word from. So the verse can be correctly
- 10:33read as, let me take the last part, to the blood
- 10:39of the sprinkling that speaks better things from
- 10:44where? From Abel. The blood of the sprinkling
- 10:49that speaks better things from Hebel. I believe,
- 10:54I remember Pastor Fred taught us this word Becca,
- 10:58I think some time ago, even though we're going
- 11:00to study it again. Reputation is good and healthy
- 11:04for your spiritual health. Hallelujah. So Pastor
- 11:08Fred told us that that word Becca, it appears
- 11:11several times in the book of, I mean, in Hebrews.
- 11:15And he said that better is not a comparison of
- 11:18the same things. You understand? No. He's talking
- 11:21about something of a different kind. You understand
- 11:25what I'm saying? So when he says, like, for example,
- 11:29where we read here, he said, Jesus, the mediator
- 11:34of a new covenant. You understand? And in many
- 11:37other places, he talks about Jesus better than
- 11:41angels. Are we together? He's not comparing two
- 11:43things. You understand? Of the same kind. No,
- 11:46he's saying that they are in different class.
- 11:50There is no comparison. This one is in a different
- 11:53class. Are we together? Yes, of a different kind.
- 11:58So here he's trying to speak to us that Abel's
- 12:07righteousness, please listen to me. Abel's righteousness,
- 12:12remember I will point us to the text and the
- 12:14sign in Hebrews. I will go back a little bit
- 12:17to Hebrews chapter 11 because that's where he
- 12:19started discussing. Abel's righteousness was
- 12:25because of Christ. Abel's righteousness was because
- 12:31of the blood of Christ. Let me use that word
- 12:34because since we are talking about the blood
- 12:36here. You understand? The blood of the sprinkling
- 12:40that speaks better things from Abel. That means
- 12:45right from Genesis. Remember the Bible says that
- 12:50the lamb which was slain from the what? From
- 12:53the foundation of the world. I remember Pastor
- 12:56Fred also taught us again the issue of foundation.
- 12:58Are we together? Amen. That means... So right
- 13:04from Genesis, you understand, in the gospel,
- 13:08you understand, the person is made righteous.
- 13:12How is a man made righteous? By the blood of
- 13:16Christ. They believe in the promissory, but that
- 13:19is exactly what happened. So it's not really
- 13:21a comparison between which blood screams. Is
- 13:24it the blood of Hebel or the blood of Jesus?
- 13:26So the blood of Jesus is better than the blood
- 13:29of Hebel? No, no, no, no, no. is that the blood
- 13:32of Jesus that speaks better things, you understand,
- 13:35from what? From Abel. Are we together? Amen.
- 13:41Now look at Hebrews, go back a little bit, Hebrews
- 13:4311. Hebrews 11, look at one. He said, now, let
- 13:51me speak from, let's say, verse 10, chapter 10,
- 13:55sorry, verse 39. Hebrews chapter 10, verse 39.
- 13:59But we are not of those who draw back to perdition,
- 14:04but of those who believe to the saving of the
- 14:08soul. So that is a category of people that drill
- 14:11back. He said, no, we are not of them that drill
- 14:14back. You understand? But them that believe in
- 14:17the saving of the soul. So then verse 1 of chapter
- 14:2111 says, now, that word now is we are for or
- 14:25they are for. That word is not present. It's
- 14:32also currently in the sand. That's not what you
- 14:36look at it. It means therefore. The Hebrew word
- 14:42there is therefore. Faith is a substance of things
- 14:48hopeful, the evidence of things not sent. Now,
- 14:53here is defining faith as hope. Now, faith here
- 14:57is a faith of the men of the old. That's before
- 15:01Christ died. Because now, if you believe in Jesus,
- 15:04you believe in what has happened, not what will
- 15:07happen. Are we together? Amen. Are we together?
- 15:11Yes, that Jesus raised him from the dead and
- 15:14you shall do what? You shall be saved. So that
- 15:17is our faith now on what has happened. But for
- 15:21the men of old, they believe in what will happen.
- 15:25That's why here he's describing their faith.
- 15:28And their faith is called hope. Amen? That's
- 15:33not your own. He says, because Jesus hasn't died
- 15:42then when they believed. So now, or therefore,
- 15:49faith is a substance of things hoped for. The
- 15:54evidence of things not seen. That word things
- 15:57is pragma. P -R -A -G -M -A P -R -A -G -M -A
- 16:06means pragma or pragma. It means deeds. It means
- 16:13actions. It's not car, house. I know some faith
- 16:18movement have used this text terribly bad. You
- 16:21know, sir. talking about these things, his car,
- 16:24house, whatever, you know what I'm saying? He
- 16:26said, now he's faith. It's not tomorrow. Now
- 16:28he's faith. No, no, no. That's not what he's
- 16:29talking about here. He's talking about these
- 16:32things here, you know what I'm saying? It's not
- 16:35material things. It's deeds. It's actions. You
- 16:40understand? That is the actions of Christ. The
- 16:44deeds of Christ. What Christ has done on Calvary.
- 16:49So that's why they said, Faith is what they hope
- 16:54for ahead. What do they hope for? Is the action
- 17:00of Christ. What Christ will do. You understand?
- 17:03And that was what, that was what Abel believed.
- 17:11When you begin to read, if you go to verse 4,
- 17:18by faith is that Abel? Enoch was next. You understand?
- 17:23Then Noah. Then Abraham. And on and on. You see
- 17:27all this when he said by faith. That's what it
- 17:29means. The faith there is talking about that.
- 17:32Every of their actions described was a response
- 17:37of what they believed. Are we together? So, for
- 17:43Abel, verse 4. You see, by faith, Abel offered.
- 17:48Did you see that? to God a more excellent sacrifice
- 17:53than king. That's another word that we discuss,
- 17:57a more excellent. We're not going into that,
- 18:00but it's also describing, because I'm going to
- 18:02talk about it later on, because it's also describing
- 18:05something of a different kind. Are we together?
- 18:09Just like beta. It's not talking about like a
- 18:12two comparison of the same thing. So that means
- 18:16he gave a more excellent, excellent sacrifice,
- 18:19you understand, than Cain. I hope you are suspecting
- 18:24exactly what he did. You understand what I'm
- 18:26saying? Because his sacrifice was born out of
- 18:30the substance of things hoped for. Are we together?
- 18:34Are we together? While that of Abel was born
- 18:37out of unbelief. Do you understand what I'm trying
- 18:39to say? So that's why I say he gave a more excellent
- 18:42sacrifice. Now, a man today, you that now understand
- 18:46the gospel, And you're coming to give a gift.
- 18:49You'll be coming to give a gift because you have
- 18:51been blessed. But somebody, you'll be coming
- 18:54to give a gift because he wants God to give him
- 18:58something. You see, your own is a more excellent
- 19:02one. Did you understand what I'm trying to say?
- 19:04Because his own is born out of the system of
- 19:08unbelief. You understand? But yours is born out
- 19:13of the righteousness of Christ. That is because
- 19:16of what he has done, so we give in thanksgiving.
- 19:20Amen. Are we together? So you see, this is exactly
- 19:24what happened here. You understand? He said,
- 19:27obtain a witness that he was what? Oh, talk to
- 19:32me. That he was what? Righteous. Because God
- 19:38testifying of his gift and to it. Even that still
- 19:45speaks. We're reading of their faith. We're reading
- 19:52of what they have done. Are we together? Are
- 19:57we together? In fact, Jesus made mention of Abel
- 20:02as a prophet. Amen? Matthew 23. Look at Matthew
- 20:0923. Verse 35. Verse 35. Matthew 23, verse 35.
- 20:24He said, that on you may come all the righteous
- 20:30blood shed on the earth from the blood of righteousness.
- 20:38And to the blood of who? Zechariah, the son of
- 20:43who? Berethia, whom you murdered between the
- 20:47temple and the altar. Look at how he describes.
- 20:50From the blood of righteous Abel. This is not
- 20:56righteousness by works. This is righteousness
- 20:59by faith. Luke 50. Luke 50. Luke 11 50. Somebody
- 21:17will be imagining. For the victory of ideas from
- 21:21verses. From chapters. Luke 11 50. That the blood
- 21:30of the prophets which was shed from the foundation
- 21:36of the world may be required of this generation.
- 21:39From the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah
- 21:45who perished between the altar and the temple.
- 21:50Did you see that? Who? He said he called them
- 21:54prophets. So not just only that he believed,
- 21:57he what? He preached this same it, this same
- 22:06righteousness by faith. We say, believe in the
- 22:13things to come. The deeds of Christ. The actions
- 22:18of Christ. His sufferings and the glory shall
- 22:26come. So, at that time, Abel believed. Listen.
- 22:41Before, you remember the text we read? He's talking
- 22:45about a sacrifice. That was before even Abel
- 22:49was killed. Are we together? Because the problem
- 22:57started after God was asking him, if you do well,
- 23:02will you not have been accepted? Yeah? So, What
- 23:08we are talking about now is before even Abel's
- 23:12blood was shed. Did you understand what I'm saying?
- 23:17So, it is the blood of the sprinkling, the blood
- 23:22of Jesus, that spoke. It is that same blood that
- 23:26spoke. Are we together? For us. Amen. Galatians
- 23:33chapter 3. Galatians 3, verse 19. What purpose
- 23:53then? The Lord saith, It was added because of
- 24:01transgression, till the seed should come. to
- 24:07whom the promise was made, and it was appointed
- 24:11to angels by the hand of a mediator. So both
- 24:23the law and the mediation of Moses were added
- 24:26because of transgression. And God revealed to
- 24:31Moses, Remember last time on Sunday we talked
- 24:36about what Stephen was speaking. It's a lively
- 24:40oracle. Right? Yes. The words giving life. That
- 24:49was what was delivered. Are we together? Amen.
- 24:58So these people refused to believe. And Moses
- 25:04said, okay, I will give you the law. Just follow
- 25:11me. So, God gave Moses the message and Moses
- 25:21involved the angels. And Moses did what? So,
- 25:28in the giving of the law, Moses did what? Involved
- 25:32who? The angels. Hebrews chapter 2. Hebrews chapter
- 25:422. Verse 1. Therefore we must give the more earnest
- 25:54heed to the things which we have heard, lest
- 26:00we drift away. For if the words spoken through
- 26:07angels proved steadfast, and every transgression
- 26:18and disobedience received a just reward. Stop
- 26:26there. I'm coming to that verse in the psalm.
- 26:29Again, this is just to add to what we have been
- 26:34Another text. That way he said the words. Talking
- 26:41through angels. He's talking about the law of
- 26:44Moses. The law that was delivered to unbelievers.
- 26:50Those who refuse to believe. Hallelujah. So.
- 26:59What are we trying to see here? That the delivery
- 27:02of the law was supernatural to the involvement
- 27:09of angels by Moses. Now, because of this, I said,
- 27:20I need to, we need to, we can't stop like that.
- 27:26Before we move to see other things. I said, let
- 27:30me go through. We need to search. We need to
- 27:34study some activities of angels in the Old Testament,
- 27:40what we call the Old Testament text. Are we together?
- 27:44Let me start from Judges. And I want you to pay
- 27:47attention as we go through because we're going
- 27:49to solve multiple things as we go through. Amen?
- 27:53Let me start from Judges. Judges chapter 6. Look
- 28:06at verse 11. Now the angel of the Lord came and
- 28:13sat under the talibin tree, which was in Ophrah,
- 28:18which belonged to Josh and Abizreit. Yes, thank
- 28:29you. While his son Gideon threshed wheat. in
- 28:35the winepress in order to hide it from the Midianites.
- 28:39And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and
- 28:42said to him, The Lord is with you, you mighty
- 28:46man of valor. But starting, Gideon said to him,
- 28:52O my Lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has
- 29:00all this happened to us? And where are all his
- 29:07miracles? Which our fathers told us about, saying,
- 29:11Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? But
- 29:17now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us
- 29:19into the hands of the Midianites. Then the Lord
- 29:23turned to him and said, Go in this might of yours,
- 29:30and you shall save Israel. from the hand of the
- 29:33Midianites. Have I not sent you? Verse 15. So
- 29:40he said to him, O my Lord, how can I save Israel?
- 29:46Indeed, my clan is the weakest in men, I say,
- 29:49and I am the least in my father's house. Verse
- 29:5216. And the Lord said to him, Surely I will be
- 29:56with you, and you will defeat the Midianites
- 30:00as one man. Then he said to him, If now I have
- 30:05found favor in your sight, then show me a sign
- 30:09that it is you who talk with me. Verse 18. Do
- 30:19not depart from here, I pray, until I come to
- 30:23you and bring out my offering and set it before
- 30:26you. You! And he said, I will wait until you
- 30:34come back. Verse 19. So Vidon went in and prepared
- 30:38a young goat and on living bread from an ephah
- 30:43of flour and the meat he put in a basket. And
- 30:47he put the bread in a pot and he brought them
- 30:51out to him under the table tree and presented
- 30:54them. Verse 20. The angel of the Lord. The angel
- 31:00of God said to him, take the meat and the unleavened
- 31:03bread and lay them on this rock and pour out
- 31:08the bread. And he did so. He did so. Verse 21.
- 31:12Then the angel of the Lord put out the end of
- 31:16the staff that was in his hand and touched the
- 31:20meat and the unleavened bread. And fire rose
- 31:25out of the rock and consumed the meat. and the
- 31:29one living bread. The angel of the Lord departs
- 31:33out of his sight. Now Gideon perceived that he
- 31:41was the angel of the Lord. So Gideon said, Alas,
- 31:48O Lord God, for I have seen the angel of the
- 31:54Lord face to face. Verse 23. Then the Lord said
- 31:57to him, Peace be with you. Do not fear. You shall
- 32:03not die. I want you to pay attention. That's
- 32:06the reason why I read through. Now, you must
- 32:13have observed when I was reading. It is a word
- 32:18that appeared to be, to be interchangeable. The
- 32:26word, the angel of the Lord. and the word the
- 32:31Lord. If you look at the entire encounter, you
- 32:36would think two people are there. That is the
- 32:39Lord and the angel of the Lord. There's no way
- 32:42that we heard, actually Gideon was just conversing
- 32:46and talking and then interacting with the word,
- 32:48the angel of the Lord. So first look at it, verse
- 32:5211. Let's go through. Verse 11. The verse 11,
- 32:56he said, now the angel of who? The Lord. Verse
- 32:5912. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him.
- 33:04Are you in verse 12? That's why you need to have
- 33:06your Bible. Amen. Look at verse 20 again. He
- 33:12said, verse 20. The angel of God said to him.
- 33:17Verse 21. Then the angel of the Lord. Again,
- 33:22he says in that same verse. And the angel of
- 33:26the Lord departed out of his sight. Are we together?
- 33:29Please, I want us to go together. You understand?
- 33:31Look at verse 22. The angel of who? The Lord.
- 33:37Now, look at verse 14. Come back to verse 14.
- 33:41Then the Lord turned to him. Verse 16. And the
- 33:50Lord said to him. Verse 23. The Lord said to
- 33:56him, are we together? In fact, several times,
- 34:01Gideon himself referred to the angel as my Lord
- 34:05or Lord God. Verse 13. Are you verse 13? This
- 34:15is what he said. Oh my Lord. Verse 15. Oh my.
- 34:23Lord. Verse 22. Look at verse 22. Now Gideon
- 34:28perceived that he was what? The angel of the
- 34:32Lord. So Gideon said, alas, what? Oh my God.
- 34:37Are we together? Amen. Yes. For I have seen.
- 34:43Look at, he's the one that said, for I have seen
- 34:46the angel of the Lord face to face. But he called
- 34:50the angel of the Lord, O Lord God. Are you seeing
- 35:01something? Okay, go to chapter 13. You see, George's
- 35:10chapter 13. Again, the children of Israel did
- 35:30evil in the sight of the Lord. Verse 1. And the
- 35:34Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistine
- 35:38for 40 years. Now there was a certain man from
- 35:41Zorah of the family of the Danites, whose name
- 35:45was Manuah, and his wife was barren and had no
- 35:49child. And the angel of the Lord appeared to
- 35:53the woman. And said to her, Indeed now you are
- 35:57barren and have born no children, but you shall
- 36:02pass conceived and bear a son. Now therefore,
- 36:06please be careful not to drink wine or similar
- 36:11drinks and not to eat anything unclean. Verse
- 36:175. For behold, you have... You shall conceive
- 36:25and bear a son, and no result shall come upon
- 36:29his head. For the child shall be a Nazareth to
- 36:35God from the womb, and he shall begin to deliver
- 36:38Israel out of the hand of the Philistine. So
- 36:43the woman came and told her husband, saying,
- 36:47A man of God, note that, a man of God came to
- 36:52me. And his countenance was like the countenance
- 36:57of who? Of an angel of God. Very handsome. But
- 37:02I... Good. Now you are now... I can see you are
- 37:09following me. Are we together? But I did not
- 37:12ask him... Are we together? Where he was from...
- 37:16Oh, they are reading from here. Ah. Okay. Is
- 37:22he good? But I did not ask him where he was from,
- 37:27and he did not tell me his name. And he said
- 37:32to me, Behold, you shall conceive and bear a
- 37:35son. Now drink no wine or similar drink. Nor
- 37:38eat anything unclean, for the child shall be
- 37:41a Nazareth to God from the womb to the day of
- 37:44his death. Then Manoah prayed to the Lord and
- 37:48said, O my Lord, Please let the man of God whom
- 37:55you sent come to us again and teach us what we
- 37:58shall do for the child who will be born. Verse
- 38:049. And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and
- 38:07the angel of God came to the woman again as she
- 38:12was sitting in the field. But Manoah, her husband,
- 38:16was not with her. Verse 10. Then the woman ran
- 38:20in haste. and told her husband and said to him,
- 38:23Look, the man who came to me the other day has
- 38:29just now appeared to me. So Manoah arose and
- 38:33followed his wife. When he came to the man, he
- 38:37said to him, Are you the man who spoke to this
- 38:41woman? And he said, I am. Manoah said, Now let
- 38:45your words come to pass. What will be the boy's
- 38:49rule of life? and his work. Verse 13, So the
- 38:53angel of the Lord said to Manoah, Of all that
- 38:56I said to the woman, let her be careful. Verse
- 39:0114, She may not eat everything that comes from
- 39:05the wine, nor may she drink wine or similar drink,
- 39:09nor eat anything unclean. All that I commanded
- 39:14her, let her do what? Observe. Verse 15, then
- 39:19Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, please
- 39:24let us detain you and we will prepare a young
- 39:30goat for you. Verse 16, and the angel of the
- 39:34Lord said to Manoah, though you detain me, I
- 39:38will not eat your food. But if you offer a burnt
- 39:42offering, you must offer it to the Lord. For
- 39:46Manoah did not know. He was the what? The angel
- 39:49of the Lord. Verse 17. Verse 18. upon the rock
- 40:18to the Lord, and he did a wondrous thing while
- 40:24Manoah and his wife looked on. It happened, verse
- 40:2820, as the flame went up toward heaven from the
- 40:32altar, the angel of the Lord ascended in the
- 40:35flame of the altar. When Manoah and his wife
- 40:38saw this, they fell on their faces on the ground.
- 40:43Verse 21. When the angel of the Lord appeared
- 40:47no more to Manoah and his wife, then Manoah knew
- 40:52that he was the angel of the Lord. Verse 22.
- 41:03And Manoah said to his wife, We shall surely
- 41:07do what? Die. Because we have seen who? We have
- 41:11seen who? Now go to verse 3. Now let's look at
- 41:24it again. Verse 3 and 4. What did you see there?
- 41:28First, the angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah's
- 41:30wife, right? She was bearing with her foods,
- 41:34right? And she would conceive to bear a son.
- 41:40Verse 6. What did verse 6 say? They now referred
- 41:45to him as the man of God, right? And then she
- 41:48perceived that he could be an angel of the Lord
- 41:50or angel of God. Verse 8. So Manoah prayed for
- 41:54the man of God, you understand, to visit them.
- 41:58Remember, at this time, Manoah, according to
- 42:01the text, that did not know he was an angel of
- 42:03the Lord. Verse 9. He says the angel of God came
- 42:06to the woman again. Verse 13. The angel of the
- 42:09Lord spoke to Manoah. Verse 15. Manoah said to
- 42:13the angel of the Lord, verse 16, and the angel
- 42:15of the Lord said to Manoah, again in verse 16,
- 42:18he said, for Manoah did not know he was what?
- 42:21The angel of the Lord. Verse 18, the angel of
- 42:25the Lord said, verse 20, the angel of the Lord
- 42:28ascended in the flame of who? Of the altar. Look
- 42:33at verse 21. Look at verse 21. the angel of the
- 42:39Lord appeared no more to Manoah and his wife.
- 42:43Then Manoah knew he was what? The angel. So at
- 42:48this point, Manoah knew he was the angel of the
- 42:51Lord. Verse 22, And Manoah said to his wife,
- 42:55We shall surely what? Die. Because what? We have
- 43:00seen God. I want you to note The manua, as I
- 43:08said, knew that what they saw, what they interacted,
- 43:13was an angel. However, they said, we have seen
- 43:20what? We have seen God. Now, from these few texts,
- 43:25you understand, or verses that we have studied,
- 43:30you could see that in the Old Testament, where
- 43:34we call the Old Testament text, An encounter
- 43:38with an angel is often interpreted as an encounter
- 43:42with God. Did you see that? An encounter or an
- 43:47interaction with an angel is often interpreted
- 43:51as what? As an encounter with God. As an encounter
- 43:58with God. Now, go to Exodus quickly. We're still
- 44:05moving because I need to, See where we can stop.
- 44:10So which means that you have to be careful when
- 44:13you are reading, you understand, the scriptures.
- 44:18So that it's not wherever you see the Lord said,
- 44:20the Lord said, the Lord said. So it means he's
- 44:23actually the God Almighty. You might be taking
- 44:26the words of an angel and then you are thinking
- 44:29actually is a word of the Lord. Remember, sometimes
- 44:33both the authors, as well as the people be reported.
- 44:38That's how they saw. That's how they normally
- 44:41refer angels. You know, sir. He referred them
- 44:46as well as the Lord. So in the text where we
- 44:51read, you will see that even the ones that you
- 44:53know is the angel of the Lord and the Lord said,
- 44:55that's the author. Are we together? Please, amen.
- 44:58Because there are parts that we know that yes,
- 45:00either Manoah or... actually knew that it was
- 45:13an angel. But you see, there's a place again
- 45:16that the author of the text will say what? And
- 45:19the Lord said, did you see that place? Oh, are
- 45:22we together? So you see that there are two people
- 45:25there. The first thing, who had the encounter,
- 45:30perceived the angel or interpreted the angel
- 45:36as a Lord or God, but as well, the author, you
- 45:41understand? So that's why you have to pay attention
- 45:49when you are reading. You understand? When you
- 45:52are doing what? When you are reading. Exodus
- 45:57chapter 3. Look at verse 1. Exodus chapter 3.
- 46:25Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro, his
- 46:29father -in -law, the priest of Midian. And he
- 46:33led the flock to the back of the desert and came
- 46:36to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel
- 46:40of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire
- 46:43from the midst of the bush. So he looked, and
- 46:46behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the
- 46:49bush was not consumed. And then Moses said, I
- 46:53will now turn aside and see this great sight,
- 47:00why the bush does not burn. So when the Lord
- 47:04saw that he turned aside to look, God called
- 47:08to him from the mist of the bush and said, Moses,
- 47:14Moses. And he answered, Here I am. Look at verse
- 47:182. He said, And the angel of the Lord appeared
- 47:21to him. Where did he appear? Where did the angel
- 47:24of the Lord appear? He said, From where? The
- 47:28mist of where? The bush. Now look at verse 4.
- 47:34Look at verse 4. God called him from where? Who
- 47:39are we together? From the midst of the bush and
- 47:43said, Moses, Moses. Who do you think is calling
- 47:45him? Amen. It was the angel that was calling
- 47:52him from that same place where he turned in the
- 47:56midst of the bush. But it was said that it is
- 47:59the Lord. The same place that was bombing. So
- 48:13apparently the same angel in verse 2 was later
- 48:16referred by the author as the Lord. In verse
- 48:204, who was also implied as God calling him or
- 48:25calling Moses from the midst of the bush. So
- 48:31Moses' interaction and experience with the angel
- 48:34here was labeled. Remember Moses was the one
- 48:39who wrote this. Huh? Was Lumbel as what? As speaking
- 48:46with the Lord. Hmm? Amen? Are we together? Are
- 48:56we together? Now, look at some verses here. I
- 48:59want you... Exodus 33. Exodus 33. Verse 11. Exodus
- 49:1533. Verse what? Verse 11. So the Lord spoke to
- 49:28Moses face to face as a man speaks to what? His
- 49:34friend. Face to face. Remember Jesus told us
- 49:40in John chapter 1 verse 18. No man has seen what?
- 49:46Are we together? Deuteronomy 5. Go to Deuteronomy.
- 49:57Chapter 5 verse... Let's go to 34 first. Deuteronomy
- 50:0334. Deuteronomy 34, verse 10. But since then,
- 50:21there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like
- 50:25Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. Him the
- 50:30Lord knew face to face. Deuteronomy, return back
- 50:34to 5, chapter 5. Deuteronomy chapter 5. Look
- 50:51at verse 1. And Moses called all Israel and said
- 50:58to them, Hear, O Israel, the statues and judgment,
- 51:02and I speak in your hearing today. and you may
- 51:07learn them and be careful to observe. The Lord
- 51:11our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. Verse
- 51:153, the Lord did not make this covenant with our
- 51:19fathers, but with us, those who are here today,
- 51:23all of us who are alive. Verse 4, the Lord talked
- 51:29with you face to face on the mountain from the
- 51:32mist of the fire. Did you see that? Did you see
- 51:37that? When we read last on, sorry, when we read
- 51:43on Sunday, did the Lord talk with them? They
- 51:47said, no Moses, could we not agree you? Right?
- 51:52He said, you go and hear. And remember we saw
- 51:56this fire, mountain, you know what I'm saying?
- 51:59Smoke, lightning, you know what I'm saying? Yes.
- 52:03We saw that, earthquake. But here he's saying,
- 52:07the Lord talked with you face to face on the
- 52:09mountain from the mist of the fire. From the
- 52:15mist of the fire. And I stood between the Lord
- 52:19and you at that time to declare to you the word
- 52:24of the Lord, for you were afraid because of the
- 52:28fire and you did not go up. to the mountain.
- 52:34Remember, when we read Stephen, who was Moses'
- 52:38wit on the mountain? Are we together? So, when
- 52:44he was talking about the Lord, the Lord, the
- 52:48Lord in the midst of the fire, the Lord is not
- 52:53in the midst of the fire. Did you understand
- 52:56what I'm trying to say? It was an angel there.
- 53:01It was an angel there. Are we together? Let me
- 53:07read quickly because I'm trying not to leave
- 53:13something before we just move. I know we're going
- 53:16to return back. Hebrews chapter 12. Come back.
- 53:19Come quickly to Hebrews chapter 12. I think I
- 53:22will end there. Hebrews chapter 12. Verse 18.
- 53:32Hebrews chapter 12, verse 18. For you have not
- 53:40come to the mountain. Now, when he said you have
- 53:45not, remember, he's talking to believers. You
- 53:50understand? So, I wanted to observe this. He's
- 53:53talking to believers here. He said, you have
- 53:59not come to the mountain that may be touched
- 54:02and burned with fire and to blackness and darkness
- 54:09and tempest and the sound of the trumpet and
- 54:13the voice of words so that those who heard it
- 54:17begged that the word should not be spoken to
- 54:23them anymore. Verse 20. For they would not endure
- 54:27what was commanded. For they could not endure
- 54:34what was commanded. And if so much as a beast
- 54:40touched the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot
- 54:46with an arrow. And so terrifying was the sight
- 54:52that Moses said, I exceedingly afraid and tremble.
- 54:58So it wasn't only the people that were afraid.
- 55:01Even Moses was afraid. But look at verse 22.
- 55:06He said, but you have come to Mount Zion. Now
- 55:10you see, this compiles him here of two things.
- 55:13Mount Sinai and Mount Zion. Mount Sinai and what?
- 55:20Mount Zion. He said, He was telling the believer,
- 55:22he said, you have not come to the mountain. If
- 55:26you see that verse 18, that may not be touched,
- 55:30which means that this is not the believing. So
- 55:35it's a comparison between the unbelieving and
- 55:39the believing. Where God is, is Mount Zion. He
- 55:45said, for you have come to Mount Zion and to
- 55:49the city of the living God. The heavenly Jerusalem,
- 55:53there's no fear here. There's no trembling here.
- 55:56Are we together? Yes. He said to an admirable
- 56:00company of angels. I'm going to talk about later
- 56:03on, you know, son, that now in Mount Zion, the
- 56:08behavior of angels has changed. There's a reason.
- 56:14You know, son. He said to the general assembly,
- 56:17to the church of the firstborn, who? Are we together?
- 56:49and to the blood of the sprinkler which we have
- 56:52studied. Oh, at this point, you may have begun
- 56:58to recognize why some events were happening.
- 57:03I'm going to come back to this text also again.
- 57:06The issue of the smoke at Mount Zion, the creaking,
- 57:09the trembling. Are we together? But I wanted
- 57:12to connect what Stephen said, who was there.
- 57:19You understand? You may have begun to recognize
- 57:21why some events were happening. They are straight
- 57:25events, supernatural events. But you are all
- 57:29taken and said the Lord was the one responsible.
- 57:35So you must read the scripture carefully to recognize
- 57:40whether you are reading the Lord God Almighty
- 57:44or an angel. Are we together? Or an angel? To
- 57:49assume that anywhere you see the Lord said refers
- 57:53to God Almighty can be misleading. And many people
- 57:58have been misled. So reading the scripture together
- 58:03can help us. I mean understanding that God never
- 58:10changed. The same God who was in the Old Testament
- 58:15was the same God. Who. Today live in us. Are
- 58:22we together? Is important. Is important. Just
- 58:28pray. share this message with someone you care
- 58:49about. Until next time, stay blessed.