Latest / Near East Christian Fellowship Sermons / Life in the Spirit: The Walk and the Work (Part 4)

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Life in the Spirit: The Walk and the Work (Part 4) · Near East Christian Fellowship Sermons

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Welcome to NECF Sermons. Each message here is
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designed to uplift and strengthen you in your
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walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until
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the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive
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right in. Okay, so we are continuing from where
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we left on Sunday. We'll continue from where
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we left on Sunday. I just want to thank the pastorate
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for another opportunity to share the word of
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God with us. We began teaching on God's plan
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for all nations on Sunday, and we're going to
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continue in that teaching. I believe that we
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had already started in Genesis 1, 20, 60, 28,
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which is God's original plan. So I'm going to
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give a background or a recap on what we did on
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Sunday. We started reading from the book of Matthew
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chapter 28 from verses 16. And we found out that
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the Lord appointed a mountain to meet his disciples,
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which is in Galilee. And we say that our Lord
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Jesus intentionally chose that location. Pastor
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Fanny helped us to see and also Pastor Victor
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during Catechismas. But geography, right, is
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important when it comes to the interpretation
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of the scriptures also. It's very important.
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And one of the things we looked into was Galilee
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was referred to as Galilee of the Nations by
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the time we go to Isaiah chapter 9 from verses
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1 to 2 because of what had happened in that region.
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And if you go back to the book of Kings, 2 Kings,
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One thing you see there is that there was an
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invasion that happened. That's Kings 15. You
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see the northern side, what was happening in
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the northern side, which is the kingdom of Israel.
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But this time, Israel was divided into two kingdoms,
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the south and the north. So the north, that's
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where it happens to, that side happens to have
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the Galilee, that Galilee. And in that region
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also, we have lands like the lands of Naphtali
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the land of Zebulon. So one thing you see in
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that 2 Kings chapter 15 was that the kings, the
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king of the north, they wanted to go and invade,
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the king of the north wanted to go and invade
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the king of the south, the southern kingdom.
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Because the southern kingdom refused to join
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them, right? Well, they wanted to fight the Assyrian
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kingdom that was reigning by that time, but they
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were paying taxes to them. So they They wanted
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the south to join them. When the south refused
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to join them, they now wanted to attack the south.
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So by that time, Ahaz, in 2 Kings 16, he now
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sends some gifts to the king of Assyria, telling
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him to come for his aid or his help. Because
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of the king of south and the king of Syria, they
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wanted to fight the king of the north and the
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king of Syria. wanted to fight the king of the
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south. So later on, in response, the king of
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Assyria now comes and invades that portion of
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the land because he had been called to help.
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So he comes and invades the north part, which
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happens to have Galilee. Then when that invasion
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happens, he took the people of that place captive.
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Then in return, he now repopulated the same region.
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with different people, right, from different
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regions who were not actually the original inhabitants
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of that land. So now that's where the background,
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you see that now it's called the Galilee of Nations
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because there was now an emerging of different
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people from different ethnicities, from different
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parts of the world coming to live in that region.
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And also it happens to be a trade route, right,
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a trade route. So when people come to do trade,
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they usually come to the ports. of Galilee nearby.
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So it shows you that Galilee was like a gateway
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to all the other parts of the world. And also
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we looked at around Galilee, there were also
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regions that were filled with pagan worship.
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And one of the places we looked into was Caesarea
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Philippi, which happens to be some few kilometers
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to the north side of Galilee. Then also across
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the sea, we see a place called Decapolis. And
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in that area of Degapolis, we have the Gadarenes.
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And in that place of Gadarenes, they show you
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that it was not a Jewish region because they
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were keeping swine, which was seen as ceremonially
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unclean. And also there were tombs all over the
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embassy. A man there and Jesus is going there.
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It shows you the kind of place it was. And it
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is in that place, near that place, that Jesus
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gave the Great Commission. to go into all the
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world and preach the gospel. So meaning, one
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thing we look also is that the mandate of God
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or the plan of God is not discriminatory. So
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it's for all the world. I think we are together
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on that. So now, we're going to look at the original
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plan of God from the beginning. We'll look at
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the original plan, then look at what went wrong.
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So we have to look at the original plan and what
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went wrong. At the last meeting, we looked at
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Genesis chapter 1 verses 26 to 28. Let's go there.
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Genesis chapter 1, 26 to 28. Genesis 1, 26 to
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28. I'll read. And God said, let us, let us make
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man in our image. after our likeness, let them
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have dominion over the fish of the sea and over
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the fowl of the air and over the cattle and over
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all the earth and over every creeping thing that
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creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in
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his image, in his own image. In the image of
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God created he, him, male and female, created
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he, them. And God blessed them. So we are seeing
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that this is the intention or God's plan. And
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one of the things also we looked in the ending
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part of Sunday meeting is the image is not...
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about functionality first, but rather it's about
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identity, right? Then after identity follows
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functionality. So God created man in his image,
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which implies that man is to be God's representative
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here on earth. And we looked in word studies,
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we looked at the word image, and we said that
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word was derived from... The Hebrew word tselem.
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T -S -E -L -E -M. And it means resemblance. Then
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also we looked at the word likeness. And we said
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the word likeness was derived also from a Hebrew
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word, which is demuth. D -E -M -U -T -H. Which
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carries the same connotation as tselem. So, that
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word demuth was derived from a Hebrew word, another
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Hebrew word, which is... Damah, D -A -M -A -H,
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which means to, which means resemblance, right?
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Also, right, to be like God, right? To be like
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him or to be like God. So the word man also,
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we look there, that is the word Adam. And in
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this context, it implies humanity, which is both
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male and female, which is both male and female.
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So the fundamental truth, right, is that. man
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in God's image and likeness, right? It talks
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about or it gives us an idea of God's new creation,
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God's new creation or new humanity. And this
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new humanity includes both male and female, both
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male and female. Then we looked also and we say
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that the word blessed in Genesis 1 .28 is from
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the word barak, which means to welcome in this
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context, right? to welcome into God's plan. So
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in other words, the writer explained that both
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male and female, right, are welcomed into God's
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new humanity, that is God's new creation, which
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is in the image and the likeness of God, which
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is in the image and the likeness of God. And
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also we look at some terms, and just in that
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same verse 28, which is the word subdue, the
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word subdue, which is the word kabash. K -A -B
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-A -S -H. The word subdue in Genesis 1 .28. Which
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implies to trample underfoot. And also we have
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another word called replenish. Replenish. And
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the word replenish is the word male. M -A -L
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-E or malai. M -A -L -A. The word was referenced
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as feud. Feud. It means just to feel. So. And
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the word multiply is the word rabah, which implies
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increase, rabah, R -A -B -A -H, which means increase,
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to increase. Then the word fruitfulness is the
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word parah, which implies to bring forth much
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fruit. And the word dominion is the word radah,
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which means to prevail against or to reign, but
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without violence in this context, without violence
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and death. This is important because when we
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are going to move to Genesis chapter 11, you
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will see the exact opposite of Genesis 1, 26
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to 28 happening. So that's why I have to pass
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through this. So the words replenish, multiply,
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fruitful, and dominion in Genesis 1, verse 28
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had to do with God's plan for man. It has to
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do with God's plan for man to function as his
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image here on earth. So we are going to look
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at that as we go down. So in that same place,
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let's look at Genesis 2 .21. Genesis 2 .21. Genesis
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2 .21. We are still looking at God's original
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plan. Genesis 2 .21. It reads, And the Lord God
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caused a deep sleep. So there's a teaching here
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by Pastor. Victor, right, woman's liberty. You
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can also try to go through it and also pastor
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Fred teaching from Karatismas and many years
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also you see the same explained. So here you
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see the word rib and we're meant to understand
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that the word rib there means cellar. S -S -T
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-S -T -S -E -L -A is the word cellar. It was
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applied for a building. of a tabernacle, or at
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all, a temple, or a house. Tsela, talking about
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the side of a tabernacle, or temple, or house.
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So, in this reference, it was, we're going to
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look, sorry, we're going to look at how it was
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used by Moses in other writings. Let's read the
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book of Exodus 25, verse 12. We'll see how he
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applied the word tsela. Exodus. Exodus chapter
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25, verse 12. It reads, And thou shalt cast four
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rings of gold, right, of gold for it, and put
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them in the four corners thereof, and the two
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rings shall be in the side of it, and the two
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rings in the other side of it. Talking about
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the building of the tabernacle, right? Then verse
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14 says, And thou shalt put the staffs, into
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the rings of the sides, same word, selah is the
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word sides, of the ark. That is, that the ark
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may be born with them, right? So talking about
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still in the context of the temple, right, or
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the tabernacle. Then also we have Exodus 26,
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verse 20. Exodus 26, 20. Exodus 26, 20. It reads,
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And for the second side of the tabernacle on
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the north side, there shall be 20 boards. So
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you're talking about the side of a tabernacle.
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That's how Moses applies it. You can write the
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other ones down. That is Exodus 36, 31. Exodus
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36, 31. And Exodus 26, 26. Exodus 26, 26. So,
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after going through... how the word was used
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by Moses. One thing that we can see is both male
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and female have the same identity in God's plan
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and purposes. They have same identity in God's
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plan and purpose, both male and female. Let's
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go back to Genesis 1, Genesis 2. Let's go to
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Genesis 2 again. Genesis chapter 2. So we're
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still looking at God's plan. And as we're going
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to move, we're going to see when we reach to
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Babel, we'll be able to see what really went
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wrong when we are reading that Babel. The story
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at Babel, that is Genesis 11. So, let's go back
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to Genesis 2. Genesis 2. Verse 21. And the Lord
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God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and
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he slept and took one of his ribs and closed
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the flesh instead of. So, One thing you see is
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that Adam, God caused a deep sleep to fall upon
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Adam. Pastor Victor also in Women's Liberty,
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he explained this. So I'm not going to do much
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on this. You can refer back to the messages,
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they are online. So the word deep sleep there
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is the word tadema, which means deep sleep and
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also can mean trance, a deep sleep or trance.
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And we see the same word used in Genesis 15 verse
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1 in reference to Abraham. Genesis 15 verse 1.
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Genesis 15 verse 1. So one thing we'll see is
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that both male and female, they have the same
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identity in God's plans and purposes here on
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earth. Genesis 15 verses 1. It says, And this
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thing, after these things, the word of the Lord
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came unto Abraham in a vision, saying, Fear not,
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Abraham. I am thy shield and thy exceeding great
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reward. And Abraham said, Lord, what wilt thou
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give me, seeing that I go childless? Verse 1
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is talking about vision. Then he said, Abraham,
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now ask the Lord, what wilt thou give me, seeing
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that I go childless, and the steward of my house
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is this Eleazar of Damascus? And Abraham said,
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Behold, to me thou hast not given a seed. And,
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Lord, one born in my house is mine heir. And,
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behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying,
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This shall not be thy heir, but he that shall
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come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine
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heir. And he brought him forth abroad and said
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unto him, Look now towards heaven and tell the
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stars, if thou be able to number them. And he
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said unto him, So shall be thy seed. And he believed
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the Lord, and he accounted to him. for righteousness.
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So one thing you see here is that Abraham, right?
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He says that what? He says that the word of the
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Lord come to Abraham in a vision. So this is
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a supernatural occurrence. And in that supernatural
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occurrence, the Lord reiterates, the Lord iterates
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his plans to him. He narrates his plan to Abraham
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in a supernatural encounter, right? Supernatural
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encounter. We see the same word used in Samuel
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26 verse 12 for Saul. 1 Samuel 26 verse 12 for
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Saul. They say that Saul fell into a deep sleep.
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Then also we have it in Job 33 verse 15. You
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can write that down. You can just refer them
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back when you get home. Also in Job 33 verse
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15. So meaning that what Adam saw in Genesis
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2 was that the woman and him, They have the same
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identity, right, in regarding to God's plans
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and purposes for the earth. That's what it is.
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So it was a supernatural, that was a supernatural
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sight that happened there in Genesis 2. That's
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a supernatural sight, right? Then also, going
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back, so let's go back again to Genesis 2. Genesis
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2. Let's just be there for just a few minutes,
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then we'll move quickly. Genesis 2. From verses
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23, right? Which follows after 22, and Adam said,
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this is now the bone of my bones and the flesh
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of my flesh. She shall be called woman because
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she was taken out of man, right? So same flesh,
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bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh, right?
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Which is a same and Bazaar, a same, a same and
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Bazaar, right? Yes. When you look to the, And
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that word refers to one who is your kindred.
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The one who is your kindred. You see that used
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in Genesis 29 verse 14. It means one of your
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kindred. One who is your kindred. Genesis 29
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verse 14. Genesis 29 verse 14. Let's just read
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a few. Then the next one you can just write them
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down. Then read them when you get home. Genesis.
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Genesis 29 verse 14. Genesis 29 verse 14. It
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reads, And Laban said unto him, Surely thou art
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my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him in
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the place of a month. This is Jacob and Laban.
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So he's talking about relation in this scripture.
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Then also we have 2 Samuel chapter 5 verse 1.
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2 Samuel chapter 5 verse 1. Then the rest, I'll
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just cut them out and you write them down. 2
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Samuel 5, verse 1. It says, Then came all the
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tribes of Israel to David and to Hebron, and
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spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy
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flesh. So you're talking about kindred. So, therefore,
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what Adam saw, and Adam's words that proceeds
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after what he saw, saying, Surely she is the
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bone of my bone and the flesh of my flesh. He's
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just saying that there is a shared identity between
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man and female as regarding to God's plans and
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purposes for the earth. There is no one who is
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inferior to another. It's the same. That's why
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when you now read how Moses constructs it or
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how Moses paints it in Genesis and subsequently
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in other writings of Moses, he refers to the
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same word. side, that is verse 22, talking about
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the tabernacle. So, he's talking about the tabernacle
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and refers to the word side in reference to both
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male and female. So, both male and female are
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the house of the Lord. Are we together? Yes.
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So, now, let's read. Now, this will make us understand
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Genesis 20, Genesis 19. Verse 4 to 8, still in
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Pastor Victor's teaching. Genesis chapter 19,
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verse 4 to 8. Genesis 19, 4 to 8. When the Pharisees
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came to ask Jesus a question concerning divorce.
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That's Matthew 19. Yes. Matthew 19, verse 4 to
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8. Matthew 19, 4 to 8. Sorry. So. Let's read
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from verses 3. And the Pharisees also came unto
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him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it
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lawful for a man to put away his wife for every
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cause? And he answered and said unto them, Have
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you not read that he that made them at the beginning
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made them male and female? Referring to Genesis.
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And said, For this cause shall a man leave his
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father and mother. and shall cleave unto his
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wife, and the twain shall become one flesh. Wherefore,
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there are no more twain, but one flesh. Why therefore
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God hath joined together, let no man put a sinner?
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So, then he continues and says, then they say
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unto him, why then did Moses then command us
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to give a writing of divorcement and to put away?
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And he said unto them, Moses, because of the
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hardness of your hearts, suffered you to put
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your wives away. But from the beginning, it was
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not so. And I say to you, whosoever shall put
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away his wife, except of fornication, shall be,
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and shall marry another one, committed adultery,
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and whosoever married her, which is put away,
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doth commit adultery. So what Jesus was doing
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here was to put them or to make them see, right,
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the intention from the beginning. That man and
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female, male and female, from the beginning,
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Right? Their identity is in regards to God's
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plans and purpose, and they are equal. I'm not
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going to talk much about this. So, having seen
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that now, we've seen God's plan, we've seen God's
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purposes in Genesis 1, 2, entering into 3. Then
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the question now that comes is, what then went
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wrong? What went wrong? What went wrong? Where
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did the nations emerge from? If God's man has
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one identity, why then was there confusion when
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you now go to Genesis 11? What happened or what
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went wrong? So now we are getting into the teaching,
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the main teaching. Genesis chapter 11, let's
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go there. All of us in your Bibles, if you have
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a hard copy Bible, you can use that. It works
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best. Let's look at what went wrong. We have
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seen God's plan. We have seen God's intention
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for both male and female and what God wants.
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But something went wrong when you go to Genesis
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chapter 11. I want you to read Genesis 11 from
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verses 1 down to, from verses 1 up to 10. It
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reads, and the whole earth was of one language
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and one speech. And it came to pass as they journeyed
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from the east that they found a plain in the
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land of Shinar. And they do out there, the background
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is chapter 10. You can go and read it. And they
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said one to another, go to, let us make brick
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and bend them thoroughly. And they had brick
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for stone and slime they had made for mortar.
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And they said, go to, let us build us, let us,
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let us build us a city. and the tower whose top
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may reach unto heaven. And let us make us a name,
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lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of
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the earth. And the Lord came down and see the
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city and the tower which the children of men
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built. And the Lord said, Behold, the people
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is one, and they have one language. And this
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they began to do, and now nothing. will be restrained
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from them which they have imagined to do. Go
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to, let us go down. And they confounded their
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language that they may not understand one another.
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So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence
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upon the face of all the earth and they left
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off to build the city. Therefore is the name
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of it called Babel. Because the Lord did there
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confound the language of all the earth, and from
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thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon
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the face of the earth. So, let's move from here.
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So, let's go back to verse 1 now. We do word
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study, right? We do a word study there in Genesis
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11. The first word you see appearing in verse
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1 is the word earth. It's the word earth, which
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is the word eretz. Earth, which is the word eretz.
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E -R -E -T -S. Eretz. E -R -E -T -S. Eretz. And
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that word means land. It means earth. But in
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this context, the whole earth there talks about
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humanity. It's talking about humanity. It's in
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reference to humanity. Then when you go to verse
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2, it says, and it came to pass as they journeyed.
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From the east that they found in a plain, they
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found a plain in the land of Shina and they do
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it there. Another word that we need to look at
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is the word journeyed. And the word journeyed
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is the word Nasa. Nasa. N -A -S -A. It means
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to start on a journey. It means to march. It
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means to set aside. It actually infers a nomadic
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lifestyle in response in this context. We are
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going to see it at the end. It infers a nomadic
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lifestyle in response to God's plan to fill the
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earth with his image. Just hold that thought.
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And another word we want to look at is the word
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duals. Duals. Duals. Which is D -W -E -L -T.
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Which is the word yashab. Yashab. Y -A -S -H
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-A -B. It means to settle. It means... To remain.
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And it means to make a house or to tarry. So,
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in your mind now, one thing that is coming is
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they said, let us dwell. That is, they are staying
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in one place. They want to stay in one place.
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And you see why they want to do it and how it
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is a counter narrative to God's plans and purposes.
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Just hold on. Then we see the word build also
28:42
in that verse 4. In verse 4, the word build.
28:46
And they said, go to, let us build us a city
28:51
and a tower whose top may reach unto heaven and
28:55
let us make us a name lest we be scattered abroad
28:59
upon the face of the whole earth. And the word
29:03
build there is the word banah. B -A -N -A -H.
29:07
B -A -N -A -H. It means to make. It means to
29:14
repair. It means to set up. Right? It means to
29:19
repair, to set up, or also it means also to obtain
29:23
children. That's another meaning of that. This,
29:27
when you read it, it is actually a contrast to
29:31
God's plan. Because when you go to Genesis, it
29:35
is God's plan is that he himself is the one who
29:39
will be built by his spirit. From Genesis 1,
29:41
verse 1, 2, 3. It is God who is to do it. But
29:45
now we see man. They are the ones who are to
29:48
build. And you see what they are going to build.
29:50
It is God who is building his house in the earth.
29:54
But here you see that man, they are building
29:56
something that is counter to God's plans and
29:59
purposes. Let's just move. We'll see. They say,
30:02
let us build us a city. Let us build us a city.
30:07
And city there is here. I -Y -R -A. I -Y -R -A.
30:12
which means a town or a people. Let's go a bit
30:18
faster. And we have the word in verse five, which
30:22
is tower, which means migdal, tower. You see
30:26
what they are building. Just follow. We have
30:28
the word migdal for tower. That word means a
30:32
stronghold, right? By analogy, right? It often
30:37
describes a stronghold in cities where gods,
30:41
where gods, G -O -D -S, and idols are kept. That's
30:47
what it meant. So the writer here, Moses, communicates
30:51
that what people intended to build was a temple
30:55
or a supernatural, it was a temple or a supernatural
30:59
space in the earth for supernatural beings who
31:03
sit. That's what they intended to build or to
31:06
do, which is a counter narrative to God's plans
31:09
and purposes. So, another word we'll look at
31:12
is the word top. The word top. The word top in
31:17
verse 5, right? It reads, that should be verse
31:21
4, going down. And they say, let us build a city
31:27
and a tower whose top may reach unto heaven.
31:31
The word top there, it implies head. It implies
31:34
beginning or source of authority. It means head.
31:39
beginning or source of authority. So, they intended
31:43
to make a tower, right? It means authority, right?
31:48
So, it will imply they intended to make a tower
31:51
their ruler, right? Or the object of their worship.
31:59
What they were building there was a house of
32:02
idol worship. Are we together? It was a house
32:07
of idol worship. That's what they were doing
32:10
there. That's what was happening there. Then
32:13
to explain it further, he said that it may reach
32:18
into heaven. It may reach into heaven. It may
32:22
reach into heaven. That's what he said. And they
32:25
said, go to, let us build a city and a tower
32:29
whose top may reach unto heaven. Whose top may
32:32
reach unto heaven. So, heaven there, talk about
32:36
supernatural space. So what they were doing there,
32:39
they were trying to build by themselves, right?
32:44
They were trying to build a supernatural space
32:47
in the earth for supernatural beings, which we
32:52
call idol worship. That's what was happening
32:54
there. This is a counter. This is counter to
32:58
God's plan and purpose. This is opposite. Totally
33:02
opposite. If you want to go and do more study,
33:06
that's where you find the Ziggurat, the concept
33:08
of Ziggurat. Ziggurat is like a space which people
33:13
built. And on top of it, there's a temple. And
33:16
what happens there, because it's elevated, Pastor
33:18
Fred has taught us about heaven, going to heaven,
33:21
and so forth. I think you have an idea. They
33:23
built an elevated place. And what was happening
33:26
there was worship. So an elevated place means
33:28
heaven to them. Right? Yes. It implies heaven.
33:33
So what was happening there was idol worship
33:36
that was happening in Genesis chapter 11. They
33:40
built themselves in them. They stayed in one
33:43
place. Right? This is directly different or totally
33:48
counter to what God planned. What God planned
33:52
for the earth and for humanity. So this is a
33:56
problem. Already there's something that is going
33:58
wrong. We'll see something. Why this? There's
34:02
the contrast of this. Let's see the contrast
34:04
of this. That is Genesis 28. Genesis 28. Genesis
34:09
28, verse 11 to 12. Genesis 28, 11 to 12. This
34:14
is a contrast of what is happening there in Genesis
34:17
11. Genesis 28 is a contrast. Genesis 28, 11
34:22
to 12. Right, 11 to 12. It reads, And he lighted
34:28
up a certain place and tarried there all night,
34:31
because the sun was set, talking about... Jacob,
34:34
before the sun was set and took off the stones
34:38
of that place and put them for his pillows and
34:42
laid down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed
34:46
and behold, a ladder was set on the earth and
34:50
the top of it reached heaven. And behold, the
34:53
angel of the Lord ascending and descending on
34:56
it. And all the Lord stood above it and said,
35:00
I am the Lord of Abraham, thy father. and the
35:03
God of Isaac, the land whereon thou liest, to
35:10
thee will I give it, and to thy seed. So one
35:13
thing you see that here, God is the builder of
35:16
what happened in this analogy. It is no man who
35:19
intended to do it. It is not Jacob who built
35:22
anything, but it is God who was doing it by himself.
35:25
It is God doing it by himself. And we see also,
35:30
The opposite of this is Genesis 11, verse 4.
35:34
Let's go back to Genesis 11. We have not finished.
35:37
And we see the word scattered abroad, the phrase
35:41
scattered abroad, which means to break. Genesis
35:45
11, right, to scatter abroad, which means to
35:48
break or to spread. So they intended, these people,
35:54
they intended the very opposite of God's plan
35:57
to replenish the earth. and to fill the earth.
36:01
So they are coming to one place and they are
36:04
doing it for themselves. All of them, let's come
36:07
together. But God's plan and purpose is that
36:09
the whole earth should be filled with the knowledge
36:12
of the Lord. So this is contrast to what God
36:16
wants. God wants the word of God and God's plans
36:20
and purpose to spread in all areas of the world,
36:22
all parts of the world. But the language, their
36:26
communication, and their actions, They seem to
36:30
talk otherwise or to present otherwise as compared
36:33
to God's plans and purposes. And then also we
36:36
see confound, confound in verse seven, which
36:40
is the word balao, which means to overflow or
36:43
to mix or also it means to mingle, right? And
36:47
we have in verse nine, the word babel, the word
36:51
babel in verse nine. In verse nine, we have the
36:54
word babel, which implies confusion. It's root
36:58
word, actually, you see the word Babylon there.
37:00
So, and in Old Testament, we see the word Babylon.
37:05
And that Babylon, it's usually connotes, right,
37:09
the world, the system of the world, or man -made
37:14
system. It means man -made system. And also it
37:18
talks about man doing things without God's spirit.
37:22
When you go and check it, right, Babylon. So
37:26
as a result of men trying to give, what men was
37:28
trying to do in Genesis 11 was to give the earth
37:31
a purpose. That's what they were trying to do.
37:34
Right. Which is against God's plans and purposes.
37:38
Right. So in itself, that is rebellion that was
37:43
happening there. So they were rebelling against
37:45
God's plans and purposes. Right. So fast forward
37:49
now in chapter 12. Let's start now. Chapter 12.
37:54
So. This is something, something has already
37:57
gone wrong. So God, in response of what had happened
38:01
in Genesis 11, he now calls Abraham out of those
38:06
nations that were scattered. Because when you
38:09
go now in chapter 10, you see the table of generations.
38:13
You see that they came about 70 generations from
38:16
that point. If you read the Septuagint, they
38:19
had two extra, which is 72. So by the time you
38:23
get to... Genesis 12, you see the Lord calling
38:27
Abraham out of those nations, which you find
38:32
in Genesis 11. So what is God doing? This is
38:36
God's response to men's disobedience to his plans
38:40
and purposes. So what does God do? God calls
38:43
a man to reorder what had gone wrong. Because
38:47
God's plan is that the whole earth, man should
38:50
be in his image and his likeness. But this plan
38:53
has been thwarted in chapter 11. So God does
38:56
not have a plan B. That's number one. What he
38:59
does is that he corrects what went wrong. So
39:01
let's look at this. We are going to move a bit
39:03
quicker because we have already done the background.
39:06
Now the Lord said unto Abraham, Get thee out
39:09
of thy country and from thy kindred and from
39:12
thy father's house unto the land which I will
39:14
show thee. And I will make of thee a great nation
39:16
and I will bless thee and make thy name great
39:19
and thou shalt be a blessing. And I will bless
39:21
them that bless thee, and I shall curse him that
39:23
curses thee. And in thee shall all the families
39:28
of the earth be blessed. That is, God picks Abraham.
39:34
And when God picks Abraham, he does not ignore
39:36
what happened in chapter 11. He's saying that
39:39
through Abraham, he's going to correct what had
39:42
gone wrong in chapter 11. All the nations of
39:46
the earth, he's talking about all those. nations
39:50
you see in chapter 11. So he says that whosoever
39:54
bless thee shall be blessed and whosoever cast
39:56
thee shall be cast. That means their blessing
40:00
it means to walk on. Same with Barak. That means
40:03
Abraham will be a carrier of God's plans and
40:07
purposes. He is going to tell them about which
40:09
plan. The same plan of God blessing all the nation
40:12
all mankind to be the image of God and his likeness.
40:16
So Everyone who believes that, they will be welcomed
40:20
in God's plans and purposes. That is, whosoever
40:25
shall bless thee shall be blessed, and whosoever
40:27
shall curse thee shall be cursed. All right.
40:30
Let's move. Let's also read Genesis. Okay, let's
40:34
continue in that Genesis 12. Let's go from verses...
40:38
All right. Let's go to Genesis 15. Genesis 15.
40:42
Just leave it there. Genesis 15 from verses 4.
40:45
Genesis 15 verse 4. It reads, And behold, the
40:49
word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This
40:52
shall not be thy hair, because Abraham had asked
40:55
about him, he did not have an hair. Then verse
40:58
5, it says, And he brought him forth abroad,
41:02
and said, Look now towards heaven, and tell the
41:05
stars, if thou be able to number them. And he
41:08
said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed
41:12
God, and it was accounted for him. for righteousness.
41:16
And he blessed him, right? And he said unto him,
41:20
I am the Lord thy God that brought thee out of
41:23
the chaldeans, that is chapter 11. You see from
41:26
chapter 11, right? To give thee this land to
41:29
inherit it. So one thing you see is that Abraham,
41:33
what did he believe? Abraham believed the word
41:36
of God. And what was the word of God to Abraham?
41:39
That God is going to make right what was going
41:41
wrong in chapter 11 through him. And what is
41:45
the message of it? That man will be in God's
41:48
likeness and his image. That is what he believed.
41:52
So, fast forward. Now, when you now go and read
41:56
Deuteronomy 32 verse 9. Deuteronomy 32 verse
42:02
9. Deuteronomy 32 verse 9. It reads, and the
42:08
Lord's portion is his people, Jacob. It says,
42:13
Jacob is the Lord's inheritance. Can we start
42:15
from verse 7? Remember the days of old. Consider
42:20
the years of many generations. This, consider
42:22
the years of many generations. Ask thy father,
42:25
and they will show thee, and thy elders, they
42:27
will tell thee. Go to verse 8. When the Most
42:29
High divided to the nations their inheritance,
42:32
when he separated the sons of Adam, and set the
42:35
bounds of the people according to the number
42:37
of the children of Israel. And the Lord's portion
42:40
is... his people. And Jacob, Jacob is the Lord
42:45
of the Lord's inheritance. So I mean that out
42:48
of those nations, the Lord chose Israel, nation
42:50
of Israel. And why did he choose them? It's not
42:53
that there were many, more than any other nations,
42:57
or they were the best. No. God chose them because
43:01
he had confidence with their fathers. And the
43:03
plan is that through Israel, the Lord was going
43:06
to make right what had gone wrong. So Israel,
43:10
was to be God's servant to all other nations
43:14
of the world. Are we together? Exactly. So, Israel
43:19
was to be God's servant to all the nations of
43:22
the world, which they failed in, sadly. They
43:25
didn't do it. Or they refused. By the time you
43:27
go to Israel in 19, you see them, God telling
43:31
them that he wants to talk to them, but they
43:33
refused. In chapter 20, in fact. That should
43:36
be Exodus, sorry. Exodus 19 and 20. Then, Exodus
43:41
19, Moses tells them that God wants you to be
43:44
a peculiar nation, a kingdom of priests and kings.
43:47
Chapter 20, they say, no, no, no, Moses, you'll
43:49
be under God, right? You talk to God and talk
43:52
to us. You see unbelief in that, right? So they
43:56
were not able to do it. They're not able to do
43:59
it. So what God is doing now is that through
44:02
Israel, he wants to make things right, but they
44:06
failed on it. So let's see. I mean, Israel as
44:10
a nation was out of it. There were many other
44:13
Israelites or some Jews that preached the gospel
44:15
because Moses also is part of them. Paul is part
44:19
of them, right? So let's go to Genesis into Acts
44:25
chapter 17. Let me just jump some things. Acts
44:30
chapter 17, Acts 17. What we are going to see
44:33
is that did the word of God reach the Gentiles
44:36
also? We're going to just read this and we'll
44:38
see that the word of God, right, or the plan
44:41
of God, it also reached the Gentiles. And Gentiles
44:45
were coming in into this plan. So God was making
44:49
things right. Genesis, sorry, Acts 17 verse 1.
44:53
Acts 17 verse 1. Let's read there. Right. Acts
44:58
17 verse 1. Acts chapter 17 verse 1. And then.
45:05
And when they had passed through, this way. Anyways.
45:11
It's Amphib Police, right? Am I right, sir? Yes,
45:15
thank you. Yes. I know police is there. Well,
45:20
it's talking about a city of metropolitan, something
45:23
like that. And Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica
45:27
and there, there was a synagogue of the Jews.
45:31
There was a synagogue of the Jews. Then continuing
45:34
fast forward, verse 17 to 31, let's read 17 to
45:38
31 of the same chapter. It reads, this is Paul,
45:42
right? And it says that, therefore he disputed,
45:45
all right, I'm reading the right position. Yes,
45:48
and he disputed, he disputed he in the synagogue
45:52
with the Jews and with the devout person and
45:54
in the market daily with them that met with him.
45:58
And certain philosophers, the Epicureans and
46:01
the Stoics encountered him. And some said, What
46:04
would this babbler say? Other some, he seemeth
46:12
to be a setter forth of strange gods, because
46:15
he preached unto them Jesus and the resurrection.
46:19
And they took him and brought him unto Aropagos,
46:22
saying, May we know what this new doctrine therefore
46:29
thou speakest is. For thou bringest certain strange
46:32
things to our ears. We would know, therefore,
46:35
what these things mean. For all the Athenians
46:39
and the strangers which were there, right, spent
46:43
their time in nothing else but either to tell
46:48
or to hear about new things. They loved too much
46:51
knowledge. Then Paul stood in the midst of mass
46:54
here and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that
46:58
in... All things ye are too superstitious. For
47:02
as I passed by, I behold your devotions, and
47:05
I found an altar with inscriptions to an unknown
47:09
God, whom therefore you ignorantly worship. Unto
47:13
him declare I to you. God, who made the world
47:17
and all things therein, seeing that he is the
47:19
Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in the
47:22
temples, made with hands. Still the same narrative.
47:28
Genesis 11. There is still worship of gods here.
47:31
There is still worship of idols here. Men attempt
47:36
to reach out to God, but they missed it. See,
47:39
verse 25. Neither is worshipped with men's hands,
47:43
as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth
47:47
to all life and breath and all things. And at
47:51
Med, just pay attention to 26. I want you to
47:54
tell me what comes in your mind immediately.
47:56
and hath made of one blood all nations of men,
48:01
for to dwell on the face of the earth, and hath
48:05
determined the times before, and appointed, and
48:08
the bounds of their inhabitation. Of one blood,
48:12
he hath made man of one blood. He hath made of
48:17
one blood all nations. What comes in your mind?
48:21
One blood identity. So God's man is one. God's
48:26
intention is one. One man with one identity.
48:30
That's Genesis 1, 26 -28. That is what Paul is
48:34
taking their minds to. That God's man is one.
48:39
There's idol worship that is happening here.
48:42
One blood talking about one identity there. So,
48:46
Paul explains, you can take this down, Paul explains
48:49
humanity as one blood or one humanity or same
48:53
identity in that. So God has made all man. He
48:58
goes further than that. He made all man to seek
49:00
God and God is not far away from everyone, right?
49:04
When he goes down. So Paul's argument is that
49:07
God is just one man or one kind of man, right?
49:11
So by this time, there were many races, different
49:15
cultures, languages, and different locations.
49:18
Even today we have that. All those are man -made.
49:21
All those are man -made. So Paul's argument here
49:24
is that there is only one man in God's plan and
49:28
purposes. And that one man is in God's image
49:31
and likeness. Right? That was the beginning.
49:35
That was the beginning. God's man is one. And
49:38
man is one identity. Right? So that is Paul's
49:42
argument. That this is the intention. So in that,
49:46
he preaches to them about the resurrection of
49:48
Christ. Pointing them back to God's plan and
49:52
purposes for man. here on earth. So now in closing
49:58
in about four minutes time. Right. You now see
50:01
the same Apostle Paul writing in Ephesians chapter
50:04
11 verse Ephesians chapter 2 verse 11 to 21.
50:10
Let's just read that in about four minutes. I'm
50:13
just going to read rushing. You see that now
50:15
he comes and say both the Jew and the Gentile
50:18
are one. What is he taking us back to? That Ephesians
50:23
2 is in reference to Genesis 1, 26 to 28. Both
50:27
Jew and Gentile are one. That is God's plan.
50:31
Because all of them are in one identity now.
50:34
Let's read Ephesians 2, 11 to 21. All right.
50:39
It says, Therefore, wherefore remember that ye
50:41
having in time past Gentiles in the flesh who
50:44
are called and circumcision. by that which is
50:49
called circumcision in the flesh made by the
50:51
hands. That at that time you were without Christ,
50:56
being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel
50:58
and strangers from the convenance of the promise,
51:01
having no hope and without God in the world.
51:03
But now in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were
51:07
far off are made nigh by the blood of Jesus.
51:12
So what did Jesus do? Jesus comes again and...
51:17
Ask where Israel failed and fulfilled what Israel
51:20
failed to do. That is, in Christ, God has made
51:25
right what went wrong. This is what Paul is trying
51:28
to explain to them. Verse 14. For he is our peace,
51:35
who hath made both one, and hath broken down
51:39
the middle wall of petition between us, having
51:41
abolished in his flesh the enmity. even the law
51:46
of the commandments contained in the ordinances,
51:48
and to make in himself of twain one new man,
51:53
one new man, Genesis 1, 26 -28, yes, one new
52:00
man, so making peace, and that he might reconcile
52:04
both unto God in one body by the cross, having
52:09
slain the enmity thereby. and come and preach
52:13
peace unto you which were afar off, and to them
52:16
that were nigh. Talking about Jew and Gentile.
52:19
Nations, Genesis 11, made right in Christ. Yes.
52:25
For through him we both have access by one spirit
52:29
unto the Father. Now therefore, ye are no more
52:33
strangers or foreigners, but fellow citizens
52:36
with the saints and of the household of God.
52:39
This is what God is doing. Right. and are built
52:42
upon the foundation of the apostles and the prophets,
52:45
Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone
52:47
in whom all the building fitly joined together
52:49
groweth unto the holy temple, right? Holy temple
52:53
in the Lord. Genesis 1, 26. Yes. God's intention
52:58
to dwell in both, right? Male and female, Gentiles,
53:03
Jews. Yes. So things were now made right in Christ.
53:07
So Paul's argument in closing. So Paul, will
53:10
now go with this understanding to preach to the
53:14
nations that were lost. And what is he telling
53:16
them? That Christ, in Christ, God has made right
53:19
that which had gone wrong. So what is God doing
53:23
today in our lives? Is that God is reclaiming
53:27
the lost through us. God is reclaiming those
53:30
nations that are in darkness because they are
53:32
also God's people and God wants them to come
53:35
in. So therefore, we are ambassadors of Christ.
53:39
In this island, primarily. In our schools, in
53:42
our houses. What are we going to do? We know
53:44
now the plan of God. That God is making right
53:47
that which went wrong. Through you and through
53:50
me. So anytime when you walk on the streets,
53:53
have the consciousness of this. That God is making
53:56
right that went wrong through you. So you have
53:58
to speak. You have to preach. You have to share.
54:01
What are you doing? You are pointing back man
54:03
to God. Because in God's plan, there's only one
54:06
man. And that man is in the image and the likeness
54:10
of God. And he functions as God's priest here
54:13
on earth. So, just pray for yourself. The Lord,
54:18
I understand this truth. Right? Through you,
54:21
we are reclaiming the lost through me. From our
54:24
relatives to people around us, God is reclaiming
54:26
the lost through you. We appreciate you being
54:30
here today. We hope you carry this word with
54:33
you throughout your week. Until next time, stay
54:49
blessed.