"Tackling the Text"

Between Sundays Podcast: This is Between Sundays with Pastor Will Thompson and Pastor Zach Gibson. Zach, how you doing today, brother? I'm hanging in there. How about you? I'm doing good, What is hanging in there like a loose tooth? Like a hair and a biscuit. Which that's a good visual. mean, about that. Trying to get it. don't have to think about it. I've had that happen before and it ain't fun. No, it's not, but it's so hard to get that hair out of this. All right. Moving on. How's everybody doing today? Yeah, I'm, I'm tired, but I'm good. Yeah. Yep. Same here by the grace of God. I'm, I'm alive and kicking and that's all we can ask for is another day, another day to serve him. Well, and we We ain't promised it. No. Better make the most out of it. No, it's a gift every day. It sounds like we have three heads in the dryer back there. We're recording live from Dahmer's house today. Well, I guess the first thing I'd like to discuss is, you know, for people that may not have a biblical understanding of what's taking place in the world right now. Yeah, that would be a very good place to start today because I would just tell you guys, this is just a good rule of thumb. stay off social media. Don't, don't, don't get your, your geo politics from Tik TOK and from even YouTube. Facebook Instagram, that's probably not the most reliable ⁓ source for geopolitics Probably ⁓ okay. It not the most reliable source for geopolitics because we know everything on the internet is true. Well, it's because of how corrupt ⁓ and Biased ⁓ mainstream media ⁓ that Just because you see something that's not from them and I'm not just hating on one side, know, there's a reason it's called the right wing and the left wing. Cause they attached to the same bird flopping around. They're both just as equally guilty of the same thing. Just distortion. Every one of us has had a place of that bias in our life. I love, ⁓ researching and looking through and learning about. President Reagan, and if I ever found any video that had anything negative to say, even if it was valid, I'd be like, all right, let's do that. And I'd turn it off real quick, you know, we can all get to that place. The one thing that we need to be truly devoted to, especially in the days in which we live right now is to the word of God. if, what the majority of people think is going on is something political. I'd have to say hit the pause button right there because what we see taking place is prophetic. Yeah. It's, it's already been written about a few times. Well, it's a 20, 2,600 years ago. Yeah. That's what saying. So it's, it's, and I love it because it's nothing to surprise to the Lord. No, it is. And I was actually texting back and forth last night with James, ⁓ about this. And he was, he was talking about how he, he might end up preaching on this Sunday morning. Cause I text him and clear the air. Well, you know, because people, people look at what is happening with Iran and they go, well, this is all about Trump or this is about war powers or this is about congressional approval. or this is all about Israel, oil, man, this stuff. may listen. think I think the term anti-Semitic can get thrown around very loosely in the same way as the term like racist can get thrown around. ⁓ people need to have a true understanding of what the Bible teaches. Again, this is not going back to Darby. This is not going back to Schofield. This is not going back to Larkin. This is going back to when these words were penned in the day in which they were written and what God has said, what God has promised. And I've never seen more of a pushback towards these type of things, like with the ideology of what role does Israel play today? again, I think when you prescribe yourself to the doctrines of man, you can get off on two different paths. And I always refer back. I love how Tozer said that. We're given a road to go down, yet there's ditches on both sides. Yeah, both sides have ditches. Just like I preached on Sunday night, you know, there is devotion and there's doctrine and it gives you the direction. But you veer too far to the right, you're going to wind up in the ditch of legalism, you veer too far to the left, and you're going to wind up in the ditch of liberalism. And I think some people, there is a group of people that go, all Israel is going to be saved, and they're grandfathered in with this deal. I'm telling you right now, there are Jews today going to hell like a bullet, just like anybody else who has rejected the Lord Jesus Christ in this world. Yep. It's it's but but do you see what ends up happening because this type of propaganda is promoted and now, you know, you'll say, well, we need a ministry field here and we need to minister to these people. But these people are just evil and wicked. The same type of things that are written in the towel mood. And I'm not just that that's wickedness. It's 100 percent wickedness. But but we put a ⁓ tier list on things and go. You know, them people that walk by them street preachers and look up in the sky and say the most blasphemous things, they're doing the same thing, but you've got such a visceral hate towards that group of people in that land in the middle East. But you go, boy, we just need to pray for these people that are doing the same thing here. And it's like we've left out a mission field. Yeah. And that's a great illustration as far as like. We are so guilty of, I know I am in my head of making a ⁓ tier system of what's bad, what's really bad and what's unspeakable. When in the eyes of the Lord it's all sin. Yeah, and sin separates us and I think there are definitely different categories because there's things that God... holds in very sacred esteem, like the shedding of innocent blood. When Cain had killed Abel in Genesis 4, it says, your brother's blood cries out to me. Innocent blood cries out to God. That's why it's such a beautiful illustration of how Abel is a typology of the Lord Jesus Christ, where His innocent blood cries out to the Father. And I think there is definite condemnation that's placed on people that are pro choice, which at the end of the day, that's a fancy way of saying you're just pro for abortion. It's not like you're going around demanding people to have them, you know, permissive nature with that thing is agreement and promotion of it. Yeah. Yeah. And I mean, not to go too far. It's, it's the same lines as any, if I step on toes, I'm aiming for your heart. It's, the same lines as people say, well, I'm I'm not gay. I'm just bisexual. yeah, no, really. You're gay. ⁓ have to have, again, ⁓ think we may have mentioned this on here before. ⁓ but in the makeup of, of how ⁓ am. Okay. ⁓ can't ⁓ two men or I can't see two women. Like if it pops up in a TV show, ⁓ immediately. ⁓ Avert my eyes. And that's why my wife and I watch historical documentaries or the Andy Griffith show, because we don't have to worry about those things. We're doing that. But there's like a, there's a physical thing of like, ⁓ If that's the basis of me preaching against homosexuality, I'm in Rome. It don't matter how you try to justify it. What we need to do is go to the book and call to repentance. ⁓ know, a sin that is very, very severe. Cause if you go through and you read the works of the flesh or you go in and you look at a second Peter chapter three and all those things that fall in, mean, envy, ⁓ lust, greed, strife, backbiting, those things. They're all grouped in there together, but we get like our little pedestal sins that we want to fight against. And I get that because they're publicly in the public sphere and culturally accepted of that type of sin. And to try to push it, I would say the same thing would happen if somebody, you know, there was a ⁓ march to say that you should be able to cheat on your wife, or there was a march to say that you should just be as drunk as a skunk, and these things that you would see that reaction from it. But to land this plane here, the thing is, is we hold that tear, we hold this tear, and it is 100 % influenced by outside sources and doctrines that Satan wants to get God's people off of. That one ditch is Israel ain't got to do nothing, they're God's chosen people and they're brought in. I've heard people say that for. That's wrong. There's Jews going to hell every day. You know, if they've denied the Lord Jesus Christ, it's the same thing as that one vehement atheist or that college professor that says this or does that. They've rejected, they've denied, they've mocked, they've said the same thing. But then on the other side of that ditch is those that say, Well, God's completely done with them. He's forfeited those rights and, know, washed his hands and everything's done. ⁓ You know, I challenge you to read through scripture and see, you know, where the Lord actually says, you know, if I break my covenant with with Noah, I'm breaking this covenant, these people, which I will not do as long as the days are continuing on as they do. You know, the sun came up this morning, sun's going to go down the afternoon. Things continue on with that covenant with those people. blindness in part has happened unto Israel. And that's what the tribulation period is for. And it's not just this, you're a Jew, you're in, you know, that's why you have to, you have to persevere to the end and you have to go through and you have to not take the mark and you have to do these things. Yeah, it's the thing called, and it is, it's called the time of Jacob's trouble. That's Jeremiah 30 verse 7. It's the time of Jacob's trouble. You know, a lot of people that have this vehement hate towards that, and it's what it turns into, you know, do I think everything that the government of Israel does is right in line? No. Well, then you're not supporting them. You're not blessing them. You're going to be cursed. You're going to be that. That's not the way this works. It's, it's too extreme. It's too extreme. Cause it's either you try to bless them to the point where they do nothing wrong. Or you just condemn them. Or you don't even get to a place where you're praying for them. Yeah, you're just not done They just completely reject. But all that to be said, here in Jeremiah chapter 49, there's the prophecy against Elam. And Elam is the Persians. Elam is the Persians and is present day Iran. Right here in verses 34 and 35, says, word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet against Elam in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their mind. Well, the bow is a symbol of that militaristic power, that governmental control, the things that people can suppress others with and have that, you know, control in all assets of life. Well, the bow of Elam has been broken. ⁓ The Ayatollah is down. The ⁓ regime is beginning to change. there's like 40, like the whole cabinet, everything's gone. Yeah, because then look down here in verse 38, and I will set my throne in Elam and will destroy from thence the king and the princes, saith the Lord. Now, This is prophecy taking place today. I'm going to just be bold and say it. If you hold to a preterist view of past fulfillment and all these things are accomplished and we're waiting on nothing more than this, I mean, that's just outright heresy. It is. It's just outright heresy. you're not reading your Bible. Well, you're reading your Bible based off of what cultural influences are telling you to do so. If you believe in that frame of mind, your argument against those who would hold a pre-millennial stance, a pre-Tribulation Rapture stance of eschatology, it's the same thing. Well, you're only hearing that because Darby said it. Okay, well, you're only hearing that because Tucker Carlson said it. You're only hearing it because the reformed Calvinists are saying it. You can't just... nitpick and go through and try to weave things in scripture together and go, Oh, well, this fits my agenda. This fits what I want to believe. Um, and, that, would be why it's important to study the show that self approved. Exactly. Cause people could say, well, some of the things that Mike Huckabee said were wrong. And then other people say, well, the things that took across and say are wrong. I got news for you. Don't listen to man. Yeah. Go to the book. Exactly. See what the book says and don't just see it to go in with a preconceived notion and a mindset to go, oh, I'm going to believe in the doctrines of grace. I'm going to believe in Calvinism. I'm going to go with reform theology. I'm going to go read Romans chapter nine because Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated and everywhere elect has said, now my mind's going to trigger go. Oh, that was predestined from the foundation of the world that God has chosen some and Jesus's grace is ⁓ limited, that atonement is limited in these things. You're reading the Bible to fit into the box of the narrative in which you have. You're picking and choosing. Yeah. Instead of reading the Bible through the power of the Holy Ghost to see what does thus sayeth the Lord? What has God said about the matter? Not what man has said about the manner. And reading that way with, well... basically by the Holy Spirit guiding you the entire way through. ⁓ That is a true biblical worldview. Yes. Yes. Because that is the difference then. Okay. That one side of the ditch. I just got done watching Fox News and I'm going to go read this passage because it's going to fit the narrative I just saw. Or, just got done listening to Nick Fuentes, so I'm going to go read this passage because it fits where I saw it. You shouldn't have those influences. The only influence you should have reading Scripture is before you start reading a single word, pray to the Holy Ghost of God and say, God, reveal to me in this word through your power what needs to be done to feed my soul today. ⁓ It probably would be amazing. to see how many people's prayer life and their scripture reading are succinct. To pray about going through the scripture instead of just, okay, here's my prayer time. And I'm not talking about, you you got to take your Bible into your prayer closet, but if you do, you do. But to say, you know, I'm just going to sit down and I'm going read my Bible. And then that's just picking it up and reading it like it's every other book. Instead of before you begin to dive into that, before a pastor begins to preach, what does he do? He prays for the service. The people are praying for the service. That is a helpful, helpful, helpful way to be able to take out the mess and the gum of all the talking heads, whether they be for your position or whether they be against your position and whatever. ⁓ I'm not saying to not be knowledgeable of those things, but if that... is consuming you to the point where that is your guiding force of how you interpret scripture, you might as well go read the Sears catalog because you're going to get as much out of it in that way. thing I always try to remember from even if I'm, know, cause I do like to watch the news. I like to know what's going on in the world. You need to, it's not a call to ignorance. And, one thing I like to, that I constantly tell myself or try to remember is that Basically, whether they want to say they're not biased or not, everyone that is on that screen talking wants you to believe what they're saying. It's just a matter of how much you agree with what they're saying. Exactly. So they are an advocate for what's coming out of their mouth at that point in time. So if it sounds crazy, just know that if you get that person one-on-one, there's a good chance they might try to keep going in that conversation. Exactly. mean, so. Watch, watch with a true biblical worldview. You take, you take a liberal, they're going to believe that CNN is telling the truth and they're going to think that Fox news is the biggest bunch of liars in the world. Yeah. You take a conservative and they're going to say Fox news is telling the truth and CNN is the biggest bunch of liars in the world. And it's because what fits who you are, what fits your identity? ⁓ you know, I, you know, Glenn Beck, Ben Shapiro, Steven Crowder, all the conservative come, they've, they've got to keep you there somehow. Well, they tell the most truth. So now we're just grading it on it. We don't really care about the truth. We just care about the quantity of how much truth we're getting. You know, ⁓ it has to be done that way. And the way I've used to describe this is to, to, to see what takes place in the world through the Bible. You know those toys that kids get and it's the box and here's the circle or here's the sphere? The shapes. Yes, here's the triangle and here's the square. What we so often end up doing is the Bible becomes that box and the things in which we see, we try to say, that seemed like a triangle I was just watching or that seems like a triangle I was just hearing. and we're trying to fit it into that space to make it all gel together, where the Word of God should be the lens, it should be the glass to where you look through it to interpret what's going on in the world, not take what's going on in the world and then try to fit it in and interpret it in Scripture. Does that make sense? Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, I just ⁓ and in today's world and I'll say this and we'd be done with it. But in today's world, there is no shortage of ample places everyone can go to get their views. You can find what you want. Anything and everything. If you have a point of view, you can go exactly where you want. Multiple places you want and get it affirmed in the blink of an I, if you, if you want to, if you're a progressive, you can turn on the young Turks and they're going to sit there and tickle your ears and agree with everything that you have in your mind. And then the same can be for Alex Jones or anybody else. I, I, this is what I think. I found somebody that affirms what I think. Yep. And it just plays into that. It's everywhere. So let's, I was going to say... Segway. So let's get a biblical worldview. Let's get in the book. Yeah, let's get in the book. So something that we hear so often, it is unequivocally the truth, is that we are in some very, very dark and dire times. And one of the things that I hear from people that would have a post-millennial view of eschatology, meaning that... The second coming of Jesus happens after a spiritually interpreted or more of a theoretical millennial reign. Millennial doesn't mean a literal thousand years. ⁓ we begin to do things so right in society and so right in culture that we usher in the Kingdom coming here. And they'll say... Well, if you're pre-millennial, you just think things are going to get worse and worse and worse. And that means you're just doom and gloom and you're not sharing the gospel. And you're an escapist. Easy escape is what it's defined as. And I would say the adverse is what the truth is, is, you know, we read in second Peter about the, for us to hasten his coming. Well, that would be that we hasten His coming by doing what the Lord has commanded of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ to the point where now the fullness of the Gentiles has come in and we're sharing the gospel and now things are ready to be set in motion for the next piece of the puzzle to fall into place. ⁓ If you believe in a post-millennial view, ⁓ boy, we got a long way to go. Yeah. we're doing a terrible job of ushering in the, and that's why if you have that type, you'll forfeit some stretches of doctrine, you'll forfeit some stretches of standards and go, ⁓ man, that revival on that college campus, God's moving there. Because it's almost, you see the timeline and you see everything that according to your view or according to the, post millennial view has to get done. Yeah. Basically. And you're like, okay, so it's by any means necessary that we push this forward that we have to keep going in the timeline. You know, if you want to say that, ⁓ and yeah, so you push aside parts of doctrine, you push aside and you become squishy on some things. And because you're just looking for. As long as the message is good enough. But you know what's amazing about that is a good amount of your Reformed theology Calvinists are post-millennial in their eschatology. ⁓ But if we're the ones ushered in the kingdom and they're all about the absolute sovereignty of God, which I'm about the sovereignty of God too, but believing that there's no free will with that, How is God sovereign over every bit of that yet you're the ones ushering in, you couldn't even come to Christ. How do you equate and balance those two positions? And then again, the other side of the ditch. ⁓ do I think there's going to be a big nationwide revival? I I don't, I don't know. I don't know. then for me, I'm, looking for the return as I'm looking for the rapture as opposed to a revival. But that don't mean we're just going to sit here and sit on our hands and go, Hey, Jesus is coming. World's going to, you know, hell in a hand basket. And it is what it is. No, we're still earnestly contending for the faith. And it's amazing that that comes from the book of Jude that's sitting right there before the book of Revelation. But to say that, people would say, well, you discredit movements of God. No, not true movements of God. Uh, you know, first Timothy four one says, the Spirit speaketh expressly, then in the latter times that many will depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. know, there's a spirit attached to it that's helping move and propagate that. I believe there's movements that take place from a spirit, but I don't think it's... But where is that spirit from? I don't think it's a spirit of God. Exactly. But we have to have the discernment to see. And I think a great illustration of this is here in the book of 1 Samuel. Here in chapter 3, to set the stage, what we see in Judges, you know, the very last verse ⁓ the book of Judges, they're in ⁓ chapter 21 verse 25, and then also again, they're in chapter 17 verse 6, ⁓ you know, it talks about every man did right in his own eyes. ⁓ They had forsaken God, ⁓ doing whatever they want, they're doing what they think is the right thing to do, ⁓ know, ⁓ matches up with right where we're at because, you know, what does... What does Laodicean mean from what I taught last Wednesday night is the people's rights, the people's justice. Everybody wants to do what's right and where they are. Yet, during that time, and listen to how dire it was. I'm going to skip down here to verses 2 and 3. Chapter 3. In chapter 3 of 1 Samuel, says, And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord where the ark of God was and Samuel was laid down to sleep. This is a time where Eli and his two sons who were supposed to continue on the rites of the priest and to do the things and what they have been called to do to maintain the lamp stand, to maintain the showbread, to maintain the incense and all these things. Man, they've let... the lampstand in the temple of God go out. It's dark in that way. It's dark to where even the priest Eli, it says that his eyes began to wax dim. He's not even seeing clearly anymore. He's not seeing the things. The men who are called to be the ones of the heralds of God are slack and are backslidden. and are not able to do those things. So, I mean, it's a dark, it's a dark time ⁓ yet. The thing ⁓ is God still calling ⁓ and, that's what we have to remember in days like this that Yes, it's dark. Yes, it's wicked. Yes, there's things that are just absolutely against what the will of God is. Yet God's still saving souls. Yet people are still being called into the ministry. People are still ⁓ living faithfully for the Lord. And that's where the call of Samuel comes from here, that even in those days and the wickedness of the judges and the darkness that's fallen in the temple and the darkness that's fallen on the priesthood, There's this boy who is his ears are open for when the Lord calls and God is still calling in those trouble times. Yeah, so if we go to ⁓ first Samuel chapter three, verse five or verse four, ⁓ it says that the Lord called Samuel and he answered, Here am I. And he ran into Eli and he said, Here am I. For thou callest me. And he said, I called not. Lie down again. And he went and lay down. So there's the first time that. We've got Samuel is in the temple and he's obviously there to start, guess you could say his training or his. Yeah, because his mother, Hannah, had dedicated him to that. And to give context to that, look back in verse one and the child, Samuel, ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days. There was no open vision. I think that's very key to the Lord. The word of the Lord was coming through very specific, succinct men and it wasn't coming out as wide as it should be. It was, it was very few and far in between. Exactly. You know, it was, it was almost like it was rare to hear it in those days. Well, or you got the first time and Samuel says, here am I. And he runs in there to Eli and Eli says, well, I didn't call you. Go lay down. And then he went and lay down. So verse six. the Lord called yet again, Samuel and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, here am I for thou did is call me. And he answered, I called not my son lie down again. So there's the second time, second time that the Lord is calling on Samuel and he runs in there to Eli and Eli's like, I didn't call you. Go lay down. And Samuel's youth, he's missing a key thing in the Christian life, is discernment. right here you just see the vigor and you see the eagerness. He's a useful instrument. very much. Verse 7, Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord. Very key. That's very important. Neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him. What you could say too is you've got somebody ministering unto the Lord that doesn't know him. I think we can see that quite a bit today too. know that. Yes. Yeah. Well, and then you see how verse seven ties into verses eight and nine. Verse eight says, and the Lord called Samuel again the third time and he arose and went to Eli and said, here am I for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child. So here's Eli who's as backslidden as a billy goat and just as, you know, let his sons run rampant. ⁓ Not in a good place. Near the end of his life, things are starting to wax dim. He's forfeited some of the duties in which he's done, yet he can still sit here and perceive. can still know, you know, this little boy's come in here and ran me three different times. There's something else moving here, which can show you, ⁓ just like, ⁓ where I was reading yesterday in 2 Kings chapter 3, when the nation of Israel and the nation of Judah link together to go up against the nation of Moab, and Jehoram, is the king of Israel, is Ahab and Jezebel's son, who says there in verse 2 that he wrought evil in the eyes of the Lord, even though he didn't do, just like we talked about last week. Nevertheless, he followed after the sins of Jeroboam. And then he saw and said that he knew that there was a prophet of God there in the town and we need to go see him. There's a messenger of God. Carnal people can still see when things are right. Backslidden people can still see when things are right. It still shines through that, that they can tell something different about this deal. Jehoram knew there was something different about Elisha. Eli understands right here that there's something different going on in the life of Samuel. Verse 9 says, Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go lie down, and it shall be, if he call thee, thou shalt say, Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Now, the reason all this connects together is going back into verse 7. Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him. So Eli gives him the command, basically the old, this is what you need to do. If you hear your name called out again, need to say, Lord, for that servant hereeth. But he didn't know him. He didn't have a relationship with him. He hadn't come into that communion yet. So when the Lord calls him again, listen to verse 10, and the Lord came and stood and called as other times, Samuel, Samuel, then Samuel answered, Speak for thy servant heareth. And that made me think about, like we talked about before we got on air, didn't even notice. 1 Corinthians chapter 12 verse 3 is you can't call Jesus Lord unless being guided by the Holy Ghost. Now, Does that mean that anybody who pronounces, you know, we did the whole deal about jelly roll. I mean, I hear you Lord. Um, does that mean that everything's right there? Uh, no, no, it does not. Um, but that's cause we can have false professions. There's people that say Jesus, my Lord and savior and go split hell wide open. Yeah. Cause I mean, that's previously what we was talking about. That's those. those other doctrines that are out there. they're seducing in that way, but you can see the honesty right here because Samuel doesn't know him. He's far from him. And Eli tells him to say this thing, ⁓ which, warn. make you little wary about things like the sinner's prayer, just repeat this and you'll be fine. You better enter into relationship and know what you're saying with how you do it because he told him to speak here. Well, Samuel didn't know. says, speak for thy servant hearth. And the Lord said to Samuel, behold, I will do a thing in Israel at which both the ears of everyone that hearth it shall tingle. What did you ask me before? When is the last time you heard the word of the Lord come? And the people that hear it, like that, their ears would tangle. Like, we, people think they see something that the Lord is truly doing and just, I mean, are beside themself about it instead of being like, ⁓ God's good. Where are going to eat? Can't wait for next week. Yeah. And just, and just move on instead of sitting there and having that time of rejoice in that. He's going to do something in Israel. This verse 11 seems I mean that that is a once in a lifetime earth shaking world shattering thing that people will not forget. You're going to mark that one down. Yeah. That's not going to be something. Oh, let me write down this date or let me do this. No, you will remember that. It's almost as like, you know, this is a, be a bad example. know where you're going. Yeah. People, where were you on nine 11? Yeah. I know exactly where it was. was sitting in income middle school, seventh grade classroom. Yeah. You know, don't say where you were because you're younger than me. grade. Shut up. You know, or some people be like, I know where I was when Kennedy was shot, you know, and all that stuff, but, ⁓ not the best example, but this is when's the last day. Like you said, that's really Well, when something's really impactful and something's very significant. When you know that it is from the Lord. You know that you know that you know that you know. Exactly. like you see these college campuses go into revival all the time and it almost feels like a dime a dozen people go, ⁓ that's just so good. God's moving. Yeah. It's like, ⁓ I got baptized the other night. ⁓ praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. You want a beer? Um, but my place to question that, but when's the last time you saw a movement of God to where everybody's ears were tingling over exactly where his word was going out in that fashion. Um, well, you know, we don't hear him audibly speak to us anymore. What did we talk about that? Peter says we have a more sure word of prophecy. He says, I was there on the Mount of Transfiguration and I heard God's voice. Boom. And now we have this. You have the word of God. It's here before you. Well, and, goes back to verse number one. So it's very obvious. Like we talked about, ⁓ that the Lord was precious in those days. And there, there was no open vision. So like we said, the, the Lord was using prophets and priests, but it was very far and few in between when he would speak to those people. So when, when it did occur, it was a big, big, massive, you will remember this for the rest of your life deal. Well, he's saying it's getting ready to happen. Yeah. And he reveals it to. a young boy. who is willing to hear, who is open and intent to hear. Verse says, in that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house, which I begin, I will also make an end. It's going to be final, it's going to be absolute, they're going to be, and that's a beautiful thing that we can see is, you know, it's beautiful in a saved person's regard, it should be terrifying in a lost person's regard, and it also should be terrifying in a saved person's regard, knowing that you know people who they're, going to have judgment poured down upon them and they ain't going to have any excuses. They ain't going to get out of it. He ain't going to overlook those things. have comfort in knowing my judgment has been taken care of. All mine has been fulfilled on Calvary. It's done. And the only thing that makes me sorrowful about that is knowing that there's people that I love and know who ain't got that blessed hope, who doesn't have that assurance, who isn't sealed into the day of their redemption, who whose sins are not as far as the ace is from the West, who doesn't have an imputed righteousness placed upon them, that wrath that Jesus took, they're going to bear wrath as well. think that's the burden that often me and you and other people pray for. 100%. Now it's important to be in the Word of God. It's important to be faithful to the Word of God. It's important to be faithful to the Lord and be attentive because this goes back to Romans chapter 1 in the New Testament of there are none with an excuse. What does verse 13 say? for the iniquity which he knoweth, because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. He didn't speak up. Nope. He may have loved them too much to tell them the truth. That's those sins of omission we are all so guilty of that are just rampant. It won't be a surprise to Eli when he gets there. And you know, it won't be a surprise to anybody. If somebody goes to hell, they're not going to go. Well, God, I didn't know about any of this. I didn't know what was going on. When the rich man went to hell and looks up and sees Lazarus resting in Abraham's bosom, he doesn't go when Abraham tells him you had Moses in the prophets. He didn't say, who's Moses? Yeah. Who's the prophets? What are you talking about? Yeah, he knew. You'll know. You'll know. And I pray that if you're listening to this and you're just curious and you don't know, You can know today, there is none with an excuse because he has made it evident through his creation. And I firmly believe this will, I said this in Sunday school Sunday morning, and I believe I've said this on here and I've heard it from other people that they, somebody out there at, at, at, at some tribe that walks out there and looks up sky and goes, man, they something else out there. Yeah. I believe, I believe there's some type of creator that's out there. And if his heart is in that place, I believe God will send a missionary to that man and preach him the gospel. I believe that'll happen. Absolutely. Well, I can't believe that. No, but you'll sit there and say that a seed got parted and they walked across on dry ground. How can the God of the universe do all those things that you do believe? Yeah. But he can't send a missionary to a man who wants to know. Well, it goes even further than that. I may step on toes here, but you're going to know where I stand. Yeah. You can believe that a man can be swallowed by a whale and live in his belly for three days and then be spit back up and take to the place he did. But you can't believe that God perfectly preserved his word. So he knew. There's no excuse there. Verse 14, therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering forever. Whoa. I have sworn. That right there, I have sworn. So, you know, and God's not a liar. He can't lie. can't. And if the Lord's saying he has sworn unto the house of Eli, it's happening. So you think about that, getting to that place of reprobate, just like Eli's sons had got to, ⁓ Hophni and Phineas. You think about the place that they've got to, where they're there at the doorstep of the temple and they're associating with strange women. We'll say that. we'll say that. And defiling the temple and doing all these things and letting the lamp go out and all of it. Because here's, why do you think the lamp went out? This just came to me. Why do you think the lamp went out? Because they were distracted. They were distracted. You can tell they ain't been in there because they ain't been to the labor. And if they had walked in there, they'd drop dead. Hmm. Well, yeah, that's it. Think about that. Yeah. They've completely forfeited all of their rights, all of their duties unto God for worldly lust and worldly fleshly fulfillment. Because if they had stepped foot in there, because this is before the cross. We wouldn't be talking about them because they would have none drop dead. Yeah. Well, I mean, it's written right here. His sons made themselves vile. Think about who made them that way. His sons, they made themselves that way. They did it. I mean, it was there. There's no excuse. There's no excuse. Dad's told us all this stuff. We've read all this stuff. I've heard all these things. You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to choose me. You know what's going to happen? I'm going to do what's right in my eyes. Yeah. But think about that. There's no sacrifice. No. They've completely turned their back on You talk about letting something sink down and let your ears tangle. Think about being in the place to know there is no hope. You've gone to that point. and Samuel lay until the morning. He didn't go back. He didn't go back. So he stopped right there because and Samuel because verses 11 through 14. Think about it. You're a boy who is open to the call of the Lord wants to serve, but you're still a boy. But you brought this up earlier. I want I want to stop you out there and I want you to talk about it. Why was Samuel put in this place? Because of the commitment and the love and just the dedication of his Hannah. And has much to do with with him being placed there. ⁓ Mamas your prayers are extremely important. They mean so much. Daddies your prayers are extremely important and it even if... love and God fear and pray and mama And this is from my own personal experience. Amen. Can do. It's such an asset to the Lord. but ⁓ it's. ⁓ It's. I don't know how else to it words ⁓ other than the impact that. ⁓ Like I said. ⁓ a loving, God-fearing, praying mother can do to not just a son or a daughter, but to an entire family, to an entire line. I heard the sermon by... brother Cody about this hell know who you are and talked about those demons in hell sitting there going, we're going to go get them youngins. We're to go, we're going to attack them. And then he said, one of them little imps of hell in the corner comes out and says, wait a minute boys. can't go after them. That house has got a praying mama in it that covers them youngins in those prayers and showers them with the love of God that she's seen in her life. We tried something worse than that to get them last year and it didn't work. And it didn't work. is extremely, extremely important. It don't matter how young they are. And we can see the benefits of it when you do have a praying mama in your life. Yeah. So it's life saving. Amen. So here he is. You ain't gonna go back to sleep after something like that. He sitting there laying, waiting till the morning time comes. This is the guy that basically is now a father figure to Samuel. And he, the first time he's ever heard the Lord speak, this is what you hear. think about that, you know, think about the weight that comes with that. I hear the Lord speak and you know, the first time I heard the Lord talk, it was just, ⁓ it was just this or that, or this or that. it, you know, it's those, it's those fluffy things. He didn't hold back any truth from him. Here's the first time the Lord's going to speak to him and give him his words. He says, this is what's going to happen to Eli, but I'm going to do this great thing in Israel. And Samuel, here's what's going to end up happening later on. Son, because you've been attending my call, I'm going to use you. Yep. Let that sink in for a second. Every single one of us is completely in. utterly unworthy of God to call us. Every single one of us can be useful and I'll never forget it, man. It was 2008. It was October and it was a Thursday night and we were at a revival at Glady Baptist Church up there on Pisgah Highway and this old boy went to the altar and he got saved. And I'll never forget this. And you can say this seems all Pentecostal or not. I'm telling you, the spirit of God was moving in that sanctuary. That old boy came up out of that altar, tears flowing down his face. And he ran down that middle aisle and was just going, he's going to use me. He's going to use me. He's going to use me. yeah. You think about that and you think about what what a, what a honoring and humble service that is. I don't care if you're teaching Sunday school, if you're called to preach, if you're singing in the choir, if you work in the children's department, if you just volunteer your time, if you go out and hand out check tracks on the street corner, he can use you. But how many people have their ears attentive to that call? Exactly. And that's what I was getting ready to talk about. that brings up the point that that I ⁓ down in the center of my Bible. ⁓ The Lord calls Samuel three times, four times total. The first three times he is thinking that it's Eli. So his perspective is worldly. Yeah, it's he's thinking carnal eyes. Yes, he's thinking, OK, well, I'm. ⁓ And that shows how eagerness also get the way because he's eager. You got have that eagerness focused in right place. He's eager to help and to learn from from Eli and everything. But then he changes. ⁓ Eli helps him and helps him change his even his backsliding and as bad as it was. Yeah. Eli understood something was going on and on that fourth time Samuel changed his perspective and his life was changed. So he changed this perspective of where that voice was coming from and it had a change in the message. So he changed his perspective equal to change in the message. That's awesome. That's awesome. And it's, it's, and just like we talked about, and now he, he lay until morning. He didn't go back. Eli went back to sleep. The old backslide and priest went and right back to sleep. Like if it's the Lord, just say, just say, speak Lord for that servant. Even if it wasn't a nonchalant way, even if it went, Samuel, if you hear it again, son, listen to me. That's the Lord calling you, but he still went back to He still went back to sleep. So in the morning when he woke up, it says, open the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel feared to show Eli the vision. Why? Same thing. A lot of people fear today. I'm going have to come tell you the cold, hard facts of the matter, the truth of what the word of God has said. And I know that your flesh is going to rise up against this. know that you ain't going to like what it say, what's being said. ⁓ you know, we can say it in society all day long. You think about this real quick. There, there was the common thread of in society until the word truth got redefined to whatever anybody else wants it to, whatever the individual wants it to mean. But how many times you heard the truth hurts, the truth hurts, but it better not be from a pulpit. it never better not be from a pastor. You know, I don't want that. Ooh, that's, that's, that's too close to home there. That's cause they've got people. have, we just like you said, we have perverted the definition of truth. Yeah. Yeah. So there may be some of y'all listening that go, you know, I know the truth. But I'm afraid what it's going to do with that relationship. I know the truth, but I'm afraid what the response is going to be from the person I tell it to. Well, Samuel had the same fear right here. A boy. A boy. Same exact thing that's going on. Now look, then Eli called Samuel and said, Samuel, my son, and he answered, here am I. And he said, what is the thing that the Lord hath said unto thee? I pray thee, hide it not from me. God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide anything from me, all the things that he said unto thee." Let's, let's look at, don't, I don't know if we're going to get to Daniel chapter three today. I may have to pick up on it next week, but I want, this is important because I want you to think about this. Eli has backslidden to the point because he has covered the truth for so long. He has, you know, negated his duties for so long. His sons have done everything and the Lord even said to Samuel that he didn't restrain them in doing so. And now all of a sudden it seems that the Lord is working again. It seems that the Lord's do. Eli, he didn't go anywhere. You did. Yeah. He didn't go anywhere. You did. And for him to say, I pray thee hide it not from me. You can tell that even though he said, you know, this may be the Lord calling. If he does, you say this and you speak this and he's backslidden and he's done this and he's done that. When the word of the Lord comes through a humble and an accessible servant that he's called, even the most reprobate backslidden person, the Holy Ghost can still work through them to draw them back unto the truth. No matter how hard it's going to be. That shows that Eli truly did have a relationship with the Lord. Cause you know, at the end of the day, I want to hear what the truth is. I want to hear what really matters as much as it may hurt me right here. But what it can also show is when you don't live in the separated manner in which he's called and you permit certain things to go on, you don't address certain things go on that go on. You don't step in and speak boldly for the Lord. How far can you slip? out of what his will is for your life. Well, yeah. And that's right there. Verse 17. It's so telling because it's almost like Eli knows it's going to be bad. Mm He knows that basically it's like, you know if you've got a sister and I've got a sister and growing up, it was almost like, hey, go in there. And he's not, and he's not putting Samuel up to it, but it's along the same lines. It's like, Hey, go in there and ask, ask mom. You know, kind of how much in trouble am I? And you want to know what the punishment is. You know what I'm saying? And that might not be his motivation. And I don't think it is at all, but I think he knows it's going to be bad because he knows, because honestly, we all know those sins of a mission that we do. daily. know those sins of omission and I think Eli knows it ain't gonna be good. I think the other thing too. And I think he's so far away from the Lord. that it's almost as if the Lord I don't want to he has removed his anointing from Eli, but why wouldn't Eli just go to the Lord and ask? Is it because he hadn't heard from him in a while? You see what I'm... I think it's... Let's look at it this way. Or you think it's embarrassment. I think he's been given a task. think he's been given a divine right to keep the commandments of the Lord, keep the statutes of the Lord, to attend to the temple. And somehow, over time, he allowed for carnality to get close to him. He allowed for what the pure and perfect worship in which the way the Lord has commanded it for it to be to be overshadowed by the carnality. And he then begins to forfeit certain things. He begins to let certain things go on. He doesn't address things. And here's the sad part. He continued on. He continued on in some type of service. Samuel is learning how to minister unto the Lord before Eli. He's showing him the ropes. He's still doing those things. The lamp has went out, but there's still things going on because what is the first thing that Samuel does when he gets up in that morning, when he finally gets up out of bed? He opens the doors to the house of the Lord. And it's something that is normal. It's something that is typical. Well, have we gotten to a point in some places of worship, have we gotten to a point in the aspects of the Christian lifestyle where it's just become repetitive? and you've come numb to the carnality. And now when the word of the Lord actually gets delivered by a true called man of God who has that anointing on him that's going to tell the truth, you finally sit back and I think it's more... ⁓ Remorse in which like you got to tell me I've done this too long. I've ran away for too long I've let too much go on now now, but but look look what you forfeited in that entire time by yoking with carnality and Allowing what the commands of God to be faithful have done to slip but to continue on pretty much as business as usual But you're neglecting things You're allowing for the service to not be run right. And you just continue to move on. You just continue to go on and it becomes monotonous. But then this is the good thing about today. Praise be to God. People are still called and people are still called to tell the truth and to call those people into that place that we could see as a place of repentance. He wants to know. It's not out of morbid curiosity that he wants to know. He's fallen so far away that when he actually does hear the word of the Lord again, because now he's hearing it, he's seeing somebody that is being attentive to it instead of slipping into the carnality that he's been associated with for so long. Now it's like, tell me what the Lord has to say. Tell me what this means. It goes back to that people can drift. Where do they always come back to? They always come back to the center. your environment can hurt you in that way. It can drop you off real quick. At lot, vexed his righteous soul by what he saw and what he heard. And the ramifications that came from that. If thou had anything from me, all the things that he said unto thee, and Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him, and he said, It is the LORD, let him do what seemeth him good." I think Eli's broken right there. He's been given those warnings, and here's the thing, Will, how many people are given warnings over and over and over and over again? That's what this podcast has been. And it's not us getting on here, spouting our holier than thou rhetoric. It's warnings to say, don't go down this path. Don't fall into the charismatic mess. Stick to what the true word of God is. Don't do this. Don't do that. Don't do this. Don't do that. And when you're knowledgeable of what you're doing wrong, yet you continue on with it, that's a scary place to be. That's when, that's when the, yeah. the judgment will be hard and swift I'm not saying you're going to go to the white throne of judgment, ⁓ but still the judgment seat of Christ for the believers. And ⁓ we need to be just peddling out ⁓ the of ministry, because that's what Eli's doing as like an organizational task. he's an employee of the temple. ⁓ Pretty Yeah. Yeah. ⁓ He's a manager of the temple and he's the people underneath. He's just let me deal with him. I'll deal with him. Hey guys, don't be doing that. Or at least don't be, don't quit. Get, don't get caught. Come on. Yeah. You know, and the Lord said enough and I don't, I don't believe. I mean, look here to go back into a. Chapter 2. Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial. The sons of the devil. Do know what their names actually mean? I looked this up a while ago. One means fighter and the other means brass tongue or mouth of the serpent. That's fitting. That's literally what their names mean. And the priest's custom with the people was that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came and while flesh was in seething, with a flesh hook and three teeth of his hand. He struck it into the pan or in the kettle or the cauldron or the pot and all the flesh hook brought up the priest took for himself so that ⁓ so they did in shallow unto all the Israelites that came tither. Also before they burnt the fat, the priest's servants came and said to the man that sacrifice give flesh to roast for the priest for he will not have ⁓ sodden flesh of thee but raw. And if any man burn unto him, let them not fail to burn the fat presently." So, can you see what's going on here? And then verse 17, wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for men abhorred the offering of the Lord. Abhorred the offering. That's just, that's a lot for me to do. That's some tight restrictions. That's some tight qualifications. There's things that, it's a lot. So then you get down here for the warning of Eli in verse 27. It's not like this is, you know, it's not like when the Lord speaks to Samuel that this is the first time that Eli is hearing anything Yeah, and there ain't gonna be no excuse. So what is the warning to Eli? Verse 27, And there came a man of God unto Eli, and he said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house? And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest? Speaking of the Levi's. offer upon mine altar to burn incense to wear and he fought before me. And did I give unto the house of the father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel? Whose altar? Mine. Yeah. 29 wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering. Whose sacrifice and whose offering? At mine, which I have commanded in my habitation and honorest thy sons above me to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people. Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house and thy house of thy father should walk before me forever. But now the Lord saith, be it far from me, from them that honor me, I will honor, they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. Behold the days that I will cut off thine arm and the arm of thine father's house that there shall not be an old man in thine house And that shall see an enemy in my habitation, in all thy wealth which God shall give Israel, there shall not be an old man in thine house forever. And the man of thine whom I shall ⁓ cut off from mine altar shall be to consume thine eyes and to grieve thine heart, and all increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age. And this shall be a sign unto thee and shall come upon thy two sons Haphne and Phineas. And one day they shall die both of them. And I will raise me up a faithful priest that shall do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind. And I will build him a sure house and he shall walk before mine anointed forever. You know what it boils down to. They started with letting in a little bit. Yeah. It started very subtly. It started with, we're not going to fulfill all these things. We're going to forfeit this. This just seems too old for us to Just one song. This is all these things that they used to do in the past, and we're just not going to keep up with it. And then it leads to just pure, utter wickedness and debauchery that Sin just needs that little crack to seep in and then how big it can be. And here's the thing. Eli has heard the warning signs. Eli knows it. He knows what the truth is. He just chose not to adhere to it. He chose to do as the people of Israel had done at this time to do what was right in their own eyes. But you notice that it finally gets to a head. And I pray that for some people it gets to a head and they sit back and go, you know, I remember what that one preacher said. You know what? I remember what the word of God says. Why did I ignore all those warnings so long? Why did I ignore all those times when it was told unto me that this is the way and that's the way and straight is the way and narrows the path and all of these things. Why did I ignore that for so long? And my prayer is that people realize that while they're still drawing breath in this life, as opposed to getting to that point there before the judgment seat of Christ and going, gosh, I ignored so many warnings. Yeah. I mean, in verse 35, it's very, ⁓ chapter two, verse 35, the Lord is very clear. He will. Restore what is rightfully his because it's his altar his sacrifice his incense He is this is that no matter what it takes no matter what and It's every knee will bow every tongue will confess. Mm-hmm period ⁓ Yeah, so he's you on knows it's coming yeah, but he chose not to listen to those not He chose to keep going. That's too much work, man. Or to pass it off. You know what? It ain't that bad. Yeah. We just do it this way. Yeah. So then look here back in chapter three, verse 19. I love this verse. And Samuel grew and the Lord was with him. Amen. And let none of his words fall to the ground. God's words are precious and they were precious to Samuel and he wouldn't go forfeit a single one of them. He was going to hold true to what God had said. And all Israel from Dan, even the Bareshiva, knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord. It don't matter who they were, they could look and again, that's what I keep coming back to. They something different there. Yeah, I mean, because look, I mean, jumps back to a 2 Samuel 2.35 at the end. I will build him a sure house. And he shall walk before mine anointed forever. And think about the things that Samuel does. He resists all to his face. He calls David, ⁓ you know, the re the retrieval of the arc, all of these things that takes place during that time. mean, you got to go in there and saw the dude who just had that wicked spirit that will come over him, throw spears at David, look to kill him, get him out of there. All these things. And he went up and does, does God, you know, honor burnt offerings more than obedience and say it right to his face. But you know what helped him with that? He did it. Eli here. ⁓ Samuel gets his courage from the Lord that's, what love about this passage is I wrote down right up here at the top. We're called to action. and we'll let God deal with the reaction. Yeah. Because if it just said, Samuel grew and did not let none of his words fall to the ground, it seems like good old boy. Seems like he's trying to do right. Seems like he was honoring the word. Seems like he's going through all these steps. And the Lord was with him. Amen to that. Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord. It's not easy. It's not easy sometimes speaking the truth. And we've said that numerous times on this show. It's, it's, it's hard, especially when you hear the truth and you have to come to the realization that the things that, that you've been enjoying or what you feel you've been being obedient to are not, you know, they're not biblical. ⁓ But it's also, it's very hard to speak the truth to those people who know they're doing wrong and they just choose not to. Yeah. Because that's just ⁓ when you've got such a hardened heart. That's when becoming a prayer warrior. somebody. Take in the weaker brethren. But... But... there is a but there. I think it's a... Yeah, read that. It's pretty significant. Especially today. Romans 14, 1, him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputation. Bring them in. Work with them. Try to do these things. Love on them. But not to the point where there's going to be ⁓ a discourse, a disagreement that's going to sow seeds of doubt. Well, we didn't get to Daniel, but what time were you? Yeah. We'll get back into it next week. Well, no, no, we didn't get into Daniel chapter three, but if people are going back and listening, I got a lot to look at for the statue from last week. Yeah, no kidding. ⁓ and how that actually pans out also with what's happening in times and, but, ⁓ I just want to say just. And you hear it all the time. You got to know and you have to know that you know that you know that you know. And I've heard you say that, Zach, you must know no matter what the talking heads are saying, the Lord is in control and what and what we see in this world is what He allows and what He allows is ultimately up to Him. And we have no say in it besides our own actions. control yourself and seek the guidance from the Holy Spirit. was going back, ⁓ started reading back through the book of Job last night, you know, and the sons of God come to present Him, come to present themselves for Him and Satan came. He had to come to present himself. Have that has that considered my servant job? And again, Satan knows it go. Who's job? He knew who job was. You got a hedge protection around him. I can't do nothing with him. And that permitted for God's glory because you know, Joe goes through his dialogue of I did the, I mean, the eyes and the maze and the minds and all those things. I think it totals up to like 80 something references when he's going through his answers of given him, him, him, him, him. And we can question God. Why is this? Why is that? is this? Listen to the first couple of verses here in Job 38. The Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man, I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? Or who hath stretched the line upon it? He says, get your big boy britches on, and face me like a man, and here's the thing. What I demand to you, you gonna give me an answer. Yeah. We'll demand an answer. Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge. You going around spouting things you don't even know nothing about. This right here. hearing that from your talk about ears tingling. Knees shaking. Gird up now thy loins like a man. And whatever I ask of you, you going to give me an answer for where were you when I formed the world? Do you know how he says, uh, when I laid the foundation. Declare if thou hast understanding. Come on now. I mean that and where was thou when I laid the foundations or declare if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof if thou knowest. Boy, we better not get self righteous in the way we act these things. We better be careful the way we question. You know, I've heard it so long and I've actually heard it from preachers say, it's all right to question God. And here's my response to that. Go ahead. But you better be okay with the answer. You better be all right with whatever answer you get ready yet. You know, you're reading through to the beginning of 38. I love verse eight or who shut up the sea with doors when it break forth as if it had issued out of the womb. Who did all that? We need to go through this book too. After we get done with Daniel, I'm telling you, Job is... And you hear a lot of people know a lot of secular world knows about, ⁓ about that Job? He had everything. He had the worst life ever and he just wanted to be killed. But you know, and here's the thing. This is why the true, the true one we look to is... is Jesus because you tell me, that response in 38 that God gives to Job right there in chapter 38 verse 1 through 5, however many we read, does it sound like he would give a response to a man that is described in this way in chapter 1 verse 1? There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. And that man was perfect and upright and one that feared God and eschewed evil. Not only was he perfect upright, had a great reverence for God, fear of the Lord, but turned away from all things evil. Does that sound like the person that God would say, gird up now thy loins like a man, and whatever I demand of thee, you'll give an answer. If that man is given that response that just shows how great and mighty he is We better be in full full utter submission and service if somebody talked about me the way job one one is described I Pop that collar son. I would want that on my Yeah, yeah, put that on my tombstone, but this is the same guy that heard those words and it just Nothing. We are nothing. Just bow down before without the Lord. Bow down, humbly fall to your face before Him. As Samuel did. There you go. Attentive to the Word. I like this. love just getting into getting into the book. We, I want to do that. I want to finish up the book of Daniel. I don't know how much longer, it could be. We're only in chapter two. Easy now. Three. So, but then, well, Job's quite a bit longer than that. Job's pretty long, but. But I want, I want to get, like, I love, I love this. Um, gosh, we can learn so much from this. Well, I think we can learn a lot from. the Old Testament. Have to? How do we understand the new without the old? We can't. I even wrote here going into it last night here in chapter one, Job one, where it says, and there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house. ⁓ and I wrote here in verse four, you know, cause here's all this that happens to him. There's the death of the sword, the fire, ⁓ the stolen things from him though, the wind that comes in his family gets killed. Then in verse 4 of chapter 2, when Satan goes and presents himself again, because he said, you know, his first response to the Lord is, you know, when God says, Has thou considered my servant Job? There is none like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one that feareth God and escheweth evil. And Satan answered the Lord. And again, he doesn't say, well, who's Job? He says, doth Job fear God for not? hast thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face." Verse 4 of chapter 2, and Satan answered after the same thing, because God says, and still he holdeth fast in his integrity even though he's lost all this. Satan answered the Lord and said, skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. put forth thy hand now and touch his bone and flesh and he will curse thee to thy face. put now, Satan desires any means for apostasy. He'll desire anything and any way for you to turn away from the Lord. He'll do anything he can to the point there in verse 9 of chapter 2, then said his wife unto him, talking about Job's wife, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? Curse God and die. She says, what are you doing? How can you still be praising and worshiping? But we see Job's not our hero. Job's not our savior. Jesus is. Jesus is the one that ties the whole book together. But man, so many lessons. We could keep going on this. for hours. ⁓ Good episode today, man. I believe so. Yeah. I just like talking about the word Lord. Well, that's, what was it? That little boy said to Spencer that one time he went to preach is like brother Spencer, kill them with the sword of the Lord. Kill them with the sword of the Lord. Spencer said he could about run through a I was a little young and come running up to me, sitting up before I went to pulpit. What would you do one day if Caleb come up to you and said, daddy, go kill him with the sword of the Lord. I'd be ready for him to go do it. And I'd have to have discernment to see if he's meaning the Bible or meaning some other type of instrument. But man, um, praying mamas and praying daddies and, they can. and to separate yourself because no matter what role you're called into when you start forfeiting the things that you should be doing and you're not addressing issues that need to be addressed and you're permitting sin and carnality to enter in, look how far that can slip and go. Mm-hmm. Before you know it. That's a pretty good summary. Yeah. Yeah. Alright, let me pray us out of here. Father, we come to you again humbly. thank you for your Word, God. We thank you that your hands of providential protection, Lord, and preservation was over this blessed Word that we get to hold and get to read and get to come in closer communion with you. Lord, I don't judge this Book. I allow this Book to judge me. Lord, don't correct this Book. I allow this Book to correct me. Lord, Your Word, You said in Your Word that it's lifted higher. Your words are lifted higher than any of Your names. And I'm just so thankful that You've given us this blessing. Lord, I'm thankful that You can guide us. Lord, I'm thankful that we can have, even in days of darkness and days that the lamp seems to have gone out, that the eyes wax dark. Lord, that You're still calling people. You're still using people. You're still moving in the midst of Your people. And Lord, I just pray that for my life, for Will's life, for the men of God you've anointed with your Holy Ghost to preach your Word, Lord, for your people that sit in your congregations, that work in your congregations, that are your children, and whom you have called, and whom the blood of your Son has purchased, Lord, that you would use them in a mighty way. Help us to have our ears attentive to that. Help us to have our hearts open to that, to receive your Word with gladness. Lord, sometimes this word can be as sweet as honey to our mouth and can make our bellies bitter as it says in the book of the Revelation. But Lord, I'm thankful for that correction that can come, and I'm thankful for that sweet peace, grace, and mercy and love that I can receive from it. Lord, guide us in our paths. Help us to be workmen for you. Lord, for all of it to be your glory. Thank you, Jesus, for dying on the cross for me, for taking that wrath for me, for taking my sin for me. and to allow Your righteousness to come over and cover me. Lord, I cannot ever thank You enough. And one day, I'll get to humbly fall at Your feet and praise and cry out aloud, worthy is the Lamb. And Lord, You are today and You will be forevermore. And it's in Your blessed, precious, holy name I pray. Amen. Amen. Well, next week we'll get back on Daniel chapter 3. I'm sure we'll have something before that. I'm sure. But thank you guys so much for listening. We love you and God bless.