WEBVTT

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 Father, once again, we come to you acknowledging that sometimes your word is shocking and confuses us very deeply.

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 And sometimes, Father, if we're honest, when we come to your word, we actually find it not something that gives us hope, but something that we almost find repulsive.

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 And, Father, we're going to be looking at a text like this today.

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 And so we ask that the Holy Spirit would move with gentle power in each of us, that we might walk towards these fears at the center of our heart as we walk towards you.

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 And we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

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 I have to give you a bit of a almost like a trigger alert or a spoiler alert at the beginning.

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 We're going to be looking at Lamentations chapter 4.

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 Those of you who don't have Bibles or aren't familiar with this, the words to the text are going to show up on the screen underneath.

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 But you know what? It's really good to have your own Bibles as well.

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 So you can just sort of check things out and maybe make marks or notes in them if you're that type of a person.

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 And I should let you know that the text is going to talk about a mother who kills her.

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 Okay. Sorry.

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 There's no sort of way to just sort of bring this up in polite conversation or something like this.

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 This text, once again, talks about some very dark issues, some very, very hard issues, which are issues that happen in the world all of the time but seem to be in the Bible.

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 And not seem to be in the Bible, are in the Bible and are in the Bible in a way which we find very, very hard to understand.

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 The text is going to make reference to a woman who kills her child and then cooks it to eat it.

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 There's no way that I can sort of sugarcoat that.

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 And the text is also going to talk about Sodom.

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 And it's going to talk about the Lord causing pain amongst other things.

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 And so this is what I – when I said this is not the type of text that Christians or non-Christians, I mean, would normally look at.

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 Non-Christians, I guess, probably wouldn't even know that it's there.

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 But it's a very, very hard text.

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 And just a couple of other things before we look at it because we're going to look at the text.

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 We're going to read it from the beginning to the end.

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 And the first thing is, and I hope there's an image here that can go on the screen at this particular time, just to help to understand the context of the text, that the Book of Lamentations are five linked poems.

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 And each poem, in a sense, is separate, but the poems are all linked.

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 And they're linked in a very sort of very clever way and an important way.

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 For instance, each poem has separate subpoems, but because the poem is an acrostic, you know that the poems have to be held together.

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 It's exploring a sets of ideas together.

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 And then the way the whole five poems are sort of structured, there's other significance, and I'll mention something about that at the end.

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 But these five poems are written after the destruction of Jerusalem.

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 And the destruction of Jerusalem was, we would now call it, close to ethnic cleansing.

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 Many, many, many people were killed by the Babylonians.

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 Most of those who weren't killed were carried away into exile.

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 The city is in rubbles.

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 And so when you read this text, really the image, which I think is still up on the screen, that should, in a sense, be in the background of your mind.

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 You might want to, you know, if you're doing this on your own, find some type of image of such ruins and understand the poet is pouring out his pain to God in the context of sitting amongst the rubble, sitting amongst the ruins.

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 And so that's one of the things that you have to understand about this text as you're going through it.

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 And the second thing is, and maybe here we just want to jump ahead to chapter 4, verse 11.

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 This I wanted to be especially helpful for those of you who might be looking at this for the very first time and aren't that familiar with some of the things that I've been wrestling with and we've been talking about in the previous three weeks.

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 And if you see here in verse 11, the Lord gave full vent to his wrath.

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 He poured out his hot anger and he kindled a fire in Zion that consumed its foundations.

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 And Zion sort of is, anyway, it's talking about the rubble.

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 And as we'll see it in verse 17, I think it is as well, or 16.

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 And it's been something that's been in the previous three chapters.

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 It's very, very clear that the destruction was something that the Lord brought about.

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 And so you need to be aware of that as part of the struggling of the text as we read it.

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 And we're going to go back to the beginning.

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 We're going to go to verse 1.

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 We're going to look at all the text and I'll comment about it a bit as we go along.

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 And then a few things at the end as well.

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 And I just want to say something to those of you who might be watching this who definitely wouldn't call yourself Christians or maybe you're ex-Christians or post-Christians.

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 But you consider yourself somebody who's a bit of a seeker, trying to get a better handle on the meaning of life and the meaning of what it means to be human.

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 And one of the things, by the way, you're going to get in this text, and I think it's one of the things which makes it hard for us when we read the book of Lamentations,

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 is a lot of us don't realize that the Bible actually reveals that to understand God we need to also understand ourselves.

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 And that as we understand ourselves, it also is a way to help us understand the mystery of the triune God.

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 And that's one of the things which is going to happen as we look at this text, is it's going to actually show a bit of a searchlight into what it means to be human.

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 But what I want to say is, some of you might be wondering, in fact, one of the things we're going to look at,

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 this book of Lamentations looks more like something that's written by one of God's enemies rather than his friends.

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 It looks more like a chapter that's written by a deconversion blog, or a I gave up religion blog, or why I am an atheist blog.

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 And it looks as if it's evidence against the Christian faith.

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 And so you might wonder why we're even looking at, like, first of all, it's a bit of a shock that it's in the Bible, and why are we even looking at it?

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 One of the things we do at Church of the Messiah is, we want to address the important questions, both emotional, existential, and intellectual, that human beings face.

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 And we don't ever want to try to present Jesus as Lord in a way where, I don't know, God has this wonderful plan for your life,

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 and we say all this, and there's all this glittery stuff, and we sort of hide and cover up the stuff which seems to go against it,

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 or the stuff which is going to be very difficult.

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 That's one of the reasons why we preach through whole books of the Bible, as a general rule.

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 There's no fine print. There's nothing hidden.

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 And if you are at all involved in a bit of a spiritual quest, we'd love it if you connected with us.

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 We'd love to have conversations with you to see what we can do to help you with that, to be challenged by your questions.

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 If you have questions about the sermon, I can't promise to answer all of them, but feel free to email the Church,

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 and I will take that into account as I preach.

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 We don't want to walk away from problems or questions.

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 We want to listen to good questions.

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 We want to look at good problems.

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 We want to walk towards them.

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 And so if you're at all a seeker, please feel free to connect with us.

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 But let's get into the text.

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 Cannibalism, Sodom, God-causing pain.

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 Let's look.

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 Chapter 4, verse 1.

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 And here's how it begins.

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 And we'll just sort of pause there for a second.

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 And the text begins, the word how is part of this whole thing of lament, like how could this happen,

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 usually said in the context of a terrible catastrophe.

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 And that's how this poem is introduced with this word.

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 In fact, actually to show how important it is, it actually says it three times.

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 If you'll notice in the first two verses, this will be the last one of the five poems where this is worded,

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 but it's sort of highlighted how, how, how.

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 And the image of the gold and the pure gold and the holy stones or the precious stones being scattered everywhere,

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 that's just talking about the fact that human beings are very precious.

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 It's an imagery to try to communicate that human beings have a great worth.

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 And yet, even though that human beings have a great worth, they're being treated as if, you know,

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 if you just took the cheap type of pottery, maybe you're going to get your kid or your grandkid or your best friend,

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 excuse me, a bit of a frog in my throat, and you're going to maybe get them into pottery.

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 And you get the cheapest clay and you get them their pottery thing and they try their little experiment

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 and then it's, you know, it dries, but it's a complete and utter disaster,

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 and a disaster in a way that isn't even cute.

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 You know, if it's a kid and you want to keep it, and it just gets shattered and the shards.

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 And so what's being talked about here at the very, very beginning is how, how, how,

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 that human beings who are of very, very precious should be understood as if they're gold,

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 as if they're precious and holy stones are being treated the same way that you would treat the shards

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 of the cheapest pottery clay after it's been broken.

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 That's the imagery here, which launches this first section, which is the first 10 verses.

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 And it's going to culminate with this terrible image of a mom having killed her child,

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 cooking the child to eat it.

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 The first 10 verses are one literary unit in the original language.

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 Let's look at verse 3.

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 And when it says here, the daughter of my people, it's not just saying as if women have become cruel.

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 One of the things all the way through this is that God's people are always,

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 there's feminine imagery to refer to God's people, to the human race.

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 And so when it says the daughter of my people, it's not saying, oh, I like how evil women are.

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 It's not like that at all.

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 It's, in fact, the way, the, the way to picture humanity is feminine.

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 And the way to picture, in a sense, redeemed humanity is, is feminine.

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 So that's what's going on here.

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 But notice that the part of it is that the people have become cruel.

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 Verse 4, the tongue of the nursing infant sticks to the roof of its mouth for thirst.

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 The children beg for food, but no one gives to them.

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 In fact, part of the way that you see the deep cruelty of the people and the self-centeredness of the people

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 is the way they handle the most weak and the most vulnerable, the way they handle children.

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 Verse 5, those who once feasted on delicacies perish in the street.

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 Those who were brought up in purple embrace ash heaps.

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 And the significance of purple is in the ancient world when this was written,

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 only the very rich could afford things which were dyed in the color purple.

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 And so it's, that's the sign, it's just one of those little type of images that archaeologists and anthropologists,

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 et cetera, now know.

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 So that's the imagery there of those who were brought up in very, very, very poor places are now also,

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 I mean, rich places are now reduced to great poverty.

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 Verse 6, and here there's a bit of a, if you have a good Bible,

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 you'll notice a little note with two of the words, and I'll explain the significance of it for you.

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 The chest, for this chastisement of the daughter of my people has been greater than the punishment of Sodom,

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 which was overthrown in a moment and no hands were wrung for her.

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 And the word chastisement, it's one of just things in the original language,

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 the word chastisement can also mean evil or sin or iniquity.

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 And the word punishment can also mean evil or sin or iniquity.

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 And so what the thing is that the author is doing, it's a very, very clever thing.

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 Just as in English, we have ways, usually it's used with sexual things and jokes,

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 double entendres where they're making a comment on one level and others understand

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 that it's probably making a reference to another level.

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 Often in children's movies, not that they'll have these sexual entendres,

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 but there'll be some joke that kids will laugh at.

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 But there's another sense of the words that the adults will get, and they'll also laugh at that.

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 And that's what's going on here, but not in a way to make a joke,

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 is that there's this connection between both the punishment, the sin or the evil that the people have done,

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 and the punishment that the people have received.

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 And for the writers, Sodom is the example of the worst possible city.

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 Not just in sexual matters, which I'm not going to get into in this sermon.

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 You can look at some of my other sermons on that.

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 In fact, I think one of my sermons in Colossians, I dealt with it just recently.

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 But it's also in terms of how the bloodthirtiness, if you look at other texts,

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 it's also to do with the cruelty of the people, the way they treated the weak and the helpless,

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 the sheer lust for power and conquest, which was of such an evil matter that the city was destroyed by God.

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 And so we see here, look at verse 6 again.

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 By the way, this isn't an anti-Semitic text, because it's a part of our Jewish friends call this the Torah or the Tanakh,

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 and we Christians call it the Old Testament, and the poet is Jewish.

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 And so it's part of the Jewish scriptures.

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 So this isn't an anti-Semitic text, if you're sort of puzzled by it.

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 Verse 7 again.

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 Her princes were purer than snow, whiter than milk.

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 Their bodies were more ruddy than coral.

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 The beauty of their form was like sapphire.

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 Now their face is blacker than soot.

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 If you've ever been to Israel and you've been there in the sunny weather,

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 it's picturing people who have no shade.

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 And because they're reduced to living under the elements,

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 their skin has just become unbelievably darkened and blackened from the sun.

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 And of course, with the starvation and the lack of being able to wash, that's befallen them.

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 Now their face is blacker than soot.

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 They are not recognized in the streets.

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 Their skin has shriveled on their bones.

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 It has become as dry as wood.

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 Happier were the victims of the sword than the victims of hunger who wasted away,

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 pierced by lack of the fruits of the field.

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 The hands of compassionate women have boiled their own children.

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 They became their food during the destruction of the daughter of my people.

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 Now that's just a horrific image.

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 And it's a horrific image which could come from the news.

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 Although I think even news outlets, if that happens in different places of the world,

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 they probably wouldn't show it.

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 It would be too horrific for the news.

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 It might even be too horrific for YouTube and social media.

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 And you can see how reading these first 10 verses,

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 it sounds more like something that's been written to provide evidence against the Lord's existence.

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 But you have to think about this most horrific detail is also the most telling.

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 Because you have to ask yourself,

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 who or what caused that woman to kill her own child to eat it?

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 It's very clear within the text that the Lord didn't do that.

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 In fact, as we're going to see as the text goes on,

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 one of the things which actually makes it very, very hard for post-modern and modern

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 or post-truth people like us to get our minds around the Bible,

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 is the Bible is actually,

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 even when it talks about the sovereignty of God,

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 which the Book of Lamentations does,

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 there is no system of thought,

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 no spirituality,

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 no religion

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 that so maintains the importance

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 and the centrality of human freedom

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 as the scriptures.

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 And while it's clear

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 that the destruction of the nation

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 is part of God's judgment,

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 which we're going to look at in the next few verses,

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 God doesn't

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 sort of just overwhelm

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 random women

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 and while they kick and struggle

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 and resist against God

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 forces them to do something horrific and evil.

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 These women chose that.

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 And earlier,

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 the cruelty towards children

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 were chosen by the people.

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 I can tell you this right now,

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 and I'm not going to use myself as an example

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 because that would be self-righteous.

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 I can tell you this right now about my wife, Louise.

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 There is absolutely no way

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 in a gazillion, billion, hundred million years,

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 even at the threat of the greatest torture,

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 that she would do something like this.

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 Like, absolutely no way.

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 She would give every last bit of water,

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 every last bit of food

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 to care for her child

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 or her grandchild

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 or other people's children.

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 You see,

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 the judgment of God

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 also reveals.

00:18:27.639 --> 00:18:29.419
 And that becomes scary

00:18:29.419 --> 00:18:31.000
 because all of a sudden,

00:18:31.099 --> 00:18:31.339
 you see,

00:18:31.419 --> 00:18:32.819
 we've been looking at this text

00:18:32.819 --> 00:18:34.719
 as an indictment of God.

00:18:34.720 --> 00:18:36.960
 But if you understand

00:18:36.960 --> 00:18:38.380
 that this is talking about

00:18:38.380 --> 00:18:39.920
 what human beings do,

00:18:40.079 --> 00:18:40.839
 the cruelty

00:18:40.839 --> 00:18:43.380
 that we human beings can do,

00:18:43.500 --> 00:18:45.059
 you realize that all of a sudden,

00:18:45.460 --> 00:18:46.539
 it's inviting us

00:18:46.539 --> 00:18:48.160
 to have a searchlight look

00:18:48.160 --> 00:18:49.180
 at our own hearts

00:18:49.180 --> 00:18:51.079
 and the hearts of the human condition.

00:18:52.980 --> 00:18:55.100
 This woman's selfishness

00:18:55.100 --> 00:18:56.420
 and callousness

00:18:56.420 --> 00:18:57.299
 and evil,

00:18:58.660 --> 00:18:59.279
 these women,

00:18:59.799 --> 00:19:00.740
 and not just the women,

00:19:00.839 --> 00:19:01.680
 but the whole city.

00:19:02.600 --> 00:19:02.839
 Nobody,

00:19:02.980 --> 00:19:03.460
 no man,

00:19:03.460 --> 00:19:04.360
 nobody stepped in

00:19:04.360 --> 00:19:05.019
 to intervene.

00:19:08.319 --> 00:19:09.259
 And we all know

00:19:09.259 --> 00:19:10.019
 that human beings

00:19:10.019 --> 00:19:10.700
 are possible

00:19:10.700 --> 00:19:11.840
 of such great evil.

00:19:16.740 --> 00:19:17.880
 And some of us

00:19:17.880 --> 00:19:18.519
 might say,

00:19:18.600 --> 00:19:18.680
 well,

00:19:18.700 --> 00:19:19.480
 I would never do that.

00:19:19.519 --> 00:19:20.019
 And as I said,

00:19:20.039 --> 00:19:21.160
 my wife would never do that.

00:19:21.220 --> 00:19:22.019
 That's why we have to look

00:19:22.019 --> 00:19:22.700
 at this text and say,

00:19:22.779 --> 00:19:23.220
 whoa, whoa, whoa,

00:19:23.220 --> 00:19:24.059
 what's going on?

00:19:24.519 --> 00:19:24.880
 See,

00:19:25.079 --> 00:19:26.640
 the judgment of God

00:19:26.640 --> 00:19:27.440
 always reveals.

00:19:27.620 --> 00:19:28.460
 And when it reveals,

00:19:28.579 --> 00:19:29.160
 it reveals

00:19:29.160 --> 00:19:31.160
 to our great surprise

00:19:31.160 --> 00:19:33.160
 the wisdom of God.

00:19:33.460 --> 00:19:34.480
 and his mercy.

00:19:36.880 --> 00:19:37.799
 Because we're going to talk

00:19:37.799 --> 00:19:38.720
 at the end about hope

00:19:38.720 --> 00:19:40.420
 and how this text

00:19:40.420 --> 00:19:41.140
 all points

00:19:41.140 --> 00:19:42.539
 towards our need

00:19:42.539 --> 00:19:45.120
 for a very great deliverance.

00:19:48.460 --> 00:19:49.720
 But the Lord's judgment

00:19:49.720 --> 00:19:50.240
 reveals.

00:19:52.559 --> 00:19:54.480
 And if we look at our own hearts

00:19:54.480 --> 00:19:55.480
 and our own minds,

00:19:55.579 --> 00:19:57.019
 if we look at what we do

00:19:57.019 --> 00:19:57.799
 in our minds,

00:19:57.880 --> 00:19:59.740
 how we talk about

00:19:59.740 --> 00:20:00.400
 other people

00:20:00.400 --> 00:20:01.340
 at different times,

00:20:01.339 --> 00:20:02.179
 what we would do

00:20:02.179 --> 00:20:02.959
 to other people

00:20:02.959 --> 00:20:04.039
 in our own minds,

00:20:04.240 --> 00:20:04.959
 how maybe

00:20:04.959 --> 00:20:06.319
 if you're in a social group

00:20:06.319 --> 00:20:06.859
 at work

00:20:06.859 --> 00:20:08.459
 or curling club

00:20:08.459 --> 00:20:09.419
 or the golf club

00:20:09.419 --> 00:20:10.379
 or something like that

00:20:10.379 --> 00:20:11.199
 and how you deal

00:20:11.199 --> 00:20:12.579
 with the person

00:20:12.579 --> 00:20:13.199
 who's definitely

00:20:13.199 --> 00:20:13.839
 not cool,

00:20:13.959 --> 00:20:14.539
 not hip,

00:20:14.639 --> 00:20:15.539
 how you deal with that.

00:20:15.619 --> 00:20:16.099
 Maybe if you're

00:20:16.099 --> 00:20:17.159
 a whole pile of Canadians,

00:20:17.359 --> 00:20:17.799
 you find out

00:20:17.799 --> 00:20:18.339
 that somebody

00:20:18.339 --> 00:20:19.619
 would have voted

00:20:19.619 --> 00:20:20.259
 for Trump

00:20:20.259 --> 00:20:20.859
 and how you would

00:20:20.859 --> 00:20:21.399
 deal with them.

00:20:21.419 --> 00:20:22.099
 Or if you're a whole pile

00:20:22.099 --> 00:20:22.980
 of Trump supporters

00:20:22.980 --> 00:20:23.659
 and you found out

00:20:23.659 --> 00:20:24.740
 somebody who wanted

00:20:24.740 --> 00:20:25.279
 the tattoo

00:20:25.279 --> 00:20:26.519
 I love Hillary Clinton

00:20:26.519 --> 00:20:28.099
 on their bicep

00:20:28.099 --> 00:20:28.939
 and how you would

00:20:28.939 --> 00:20:30.039
 deal with them,

00:20:30.039 --> 00:20:30.680
 how we deal

00:20:30.680 --> 00:20:31.200
 with the weak

00:20:31.200 --> 00:20:31.779
 and the vulnerable,

00:20:31.960 --> 00:20:32.460
 what we do

00:20:32.460 --> 00:20:33.379
 in our own mind,

00:20:34.480 --> 00:20:36.879
 we have to acknowledge

00:20:36.879 --> 00:20:38.039
 the truth of the Bible

00:20:38.039 --> 00:20:38.960
 for all have sinned

00:20:38.960 --> 00:20:39.480
 and fall short

00:20:39.480 --> 00:20:40.220
 of the glory of God.

00:20:40.279 --> 00:20:41.099
 We have to acknowledge

00:20:41.099 --> 00:20:42.759
 that there's something

00:20:42.759 --> 00:20:44.639
 profoundly mysterious

00:20:44.639 --> 00:20:45.759
 about human beings

00:20:45.759 --> 00:20:46.500
 that at the beginning

00:20:46.500 --> 00:20:46.920
 of this,

00:20:47.000 --> 00:20:47.960
 when I say the text

00:20:47.960 --> 00:20:49.819
 compares human beings

00:20:49.819 --> 00:20:50.659
 as being like

00:20:50.659 --> 00:20:51.460
 precious gold

00:20:51.460 --> 00:20:52.039
 and precious

00:20:52.039 --> 00:20:53.139
 and holy stones

00:20:53.139 --> 00:20:54.079
 and we can all nod

00:20:54.079 --> 00:20:54.639
 and acknowledge

00:20:54.639 --> 00:20:55.420
 that there's something

00:20:55.420 --> 00:20:56.319
 true about that

00:20:56.319 --> 00:20:57.420
 but we also have

00:20:57.420 --> 00:20:58.000
 to acknowledge

00:20:58.000 --> 00:20:58.879
 that when we look

00:20:58.879 --> 00:20:59.200
 at it

00:20:59.200 --> 00:21:00.039
 that there's something

00:21:00.039 --> 00:21:01.100
 about human beings

00:21:01.100 --> 00:21:03.220
 that makes great

00:21:03.220 --> 00:21:04.680
 horrific evil

00:21:04.680 --> 00:21:06.460
 also equally possible

00:21:06.460 --> 00:21:07.900
 and how can we square

00:21:07.900 --> 00:21:09.000
 those two things?

00:21:10.620 --> 00:21:11.420
 Is a human being

00:21:11.420 --> 00:21:12.039
 like trying to,

00:21:12.100 --> 00:21:13.360
 is having a true,

00:21:13.559 --> 00:21:13.759
 good,

00:21:13.840 --> 00:21:14.860
 redeemed human being

00:21:14.860 --> 00:21:15.519
 like trying to have

00:21:15.519 --> 00:21:16.360
 a square circle?

00:21:17.440 --> 00:21:18.279
 How do we put

00:21:18.279 --> 00:21:19.259
 these two truths

00:21:19.259 --> 00:21:19.819
 together

00:21:19.819 --> 00:21:21.740
 and put these two truths

00:21:21.740 --> 00:21:22.640
 together in a way

00:21:22.640 --> 00:21:23.860
 that causes

00:21:23.860 --> 00:21:24.940
 and brings about

00:21:24.940 --> 00:21:25.799
 and is consistent

00:21:25.799 --> 00:21:26.480
 with hope

00:21:26.480 --> 00:21:28.500
 and not despair?

00:21:29.700 --> 00:21:30.220
 Well, the text

00:21:30.220 --> 00:21:30.819
 is going to go

00:21:30.819 --> 00:21:32.059
 deeper into this

00:21:32.059 --> 00:21:32.720
 whole thing.

00:21:34.440 --> 00:21:35.039
 In fact,

00:21:35.279 --> 00:21:35.819
 once again,

00:21:36.000 --> 00:21:36.460
 it's going to be

00:21:36.460 --> 00:21:37.380
 something that at first

00:21:37.380 --> 00:21:38.039
 it looks like an

00:21:38.039 --> 00:21:39.019
 indictment of the Lord

00:21:39.019 --> 00:21:39.960
 but actually reveals

00:21:39.960 --> 00:21:40.500
 something about

00:21:40.500 --> 00:21:41.279
 human beings.

00:21:42.079 --> 00:21:42.960
 Look at verse 11.

00:21:43.880 --> 00:21:44.579
 The next little

00:21:44.579 --> 00:21:45.319
 literary unit

00:21:45.319 --> 00:21:45.980
 in the text

00:21:45.980 --> 00:21:46.740
 and this is in

00:21:46.740 --> 00:21:47.599
 the original language

00:21:47.599 --> 00:21:49.059
 is verses 11 to 16

00:21:49.059 --> 00:21:50.680
 and because it's

00:21:50.680 --> 00:21:51.400
 an acrostic

00:21:51.400 --> 00:21:54.120
 the 22 verses

00:21:54.120 --> 00:21:54.759
 you realize

00:21:54.759 --> 00:21:56.320
 that this series

00:21:56.320 --> 00:21:57.660
 of examinations

00:21:57.660 --> 00:21:58.519
 of mysteries

00:21:58.519 --> 00:21:59.220
 and riddles

00:21:59.220 --> 00:22:00.519
 and paradoxes

00:22:00.519 --> 00:22:01.400
 and horrors

00:22:01.400 --> 00:22:02.120
 and glories

00:22:02.120 --> 00:22:03.180
 are all held

00:22:03.180 --> 00:22:03.940
 together at a

00:22:03.940 --> 00:22:04.640
 literary level

00:22:04.640 --> 00:22:05.580
 by being an

00:22:05.580 --> 00:22:06.380
 acrostic poem.

00:22:06.440 --> 00:22:06.800
 But look at

00:22:06.800 --> 00:22:08.040
 verses 11 to 16.

00:22:08.620 --> 00:22:09.519
 The Lord gave

00:22:09.519 --> 00:22:10.280
 full vent

00:22:10.280 --> 00:22:12.680
 to his wrath.

00:22:12.780 --> 00:22:13.320
 He poured out

00:22:13.320 --> 00:22:14.180
 his hot anger

00:22:14.180 --> 00:22:14.980
 and he kindled

00:22:14.980 --> 00:22:16.160
 the fire in Zion

00:22:16.160 --> 00:22:16.920
 that consumed

00:22:16.920 --> 00:22:17.759
 its foundations.

00:22:18.560 --> 00:22:19.880
 The kings of the earth

00:22:19.880 --> 00:22:20.820
 did not believe

00:22:20.819 --> 00:22:21.720
 nor any of the

00:22:21.720 --> 00:22:22.879
 inhabitants of the world

00:22:22.879 --> 00:22:24.019
 that foe or enemy

00:22:24.019 --> 00:22:24.939
 could enter the gates

00:22:24.939 --> 00:22:25.559
 of Jerusalem.

00:22:26.119 --> 00:22:27.439
 This was for the sins

00:22:27.439 --> 00:22:28.200
 of her prophets

00:22:28.200 --> 00:22:29.059
 and the iniquities

00:22:29.059 --> 00:22:29.879
 of her priests

00:22:29.879 --> 00:22:31.619
 who shed in the midst

00:22:31.619 --> 00:22:31.960
 of her

00:22:31.960 --> 00:22:33.399
 the blood

00:22:33.399 --> 00:22:34.859
 of the righteous.

00:22:37.159 --> 00:22:38.720
 They wandered blind.

00:22:38.839 --> 00:22:39.819
 This is now talking

00:22:39.819 --> 00:22:40.500
 about the prophets

00:22:40.500 --> 00:22:41.099
 and the priests.

00:22:41.220 --> 00:22:42.299
 They wandered blind

00:22:42.299 --> 00:22:43.960
 through the streets.

00:22:44.659 --> 00:22:45.899
 They were so defiled

00:22:45.899 --> 00:22:46.639
 with blood

00:22:46.639 --> 00:22:48.220
 that no one was able

00:22:48.220 --> 00:22:49.480
 to touch their garments.

00:22:49.679 --> 00:22:50.740
 Away, unclean,

00:22:50.819 --> 00:22:51.720
 people cried at them.

00:22:51.759 --> 00:22:52.399
 Away, away,

00:22:52.500 --> 00:22:53.279
 do not touch.

00:22:54.000 --> 00:22:54.759
 So they became

00:22:54.759 --> 00:22:56.200
 fugitives and wanderers.

00:22:56.339 --> 00:22:56.939
 People said

00:22:56.939 --> 00:22:58.000
 among the peoples

00:22:58.000 --> 00:22:59.700
 they shall no longer

00:22:59.700 --> 00:23:00.059
 with,

00:23:00.240 --> 00:23:00.939
 they shall stay

00:23:00.939 --> 00:23:01.919
 with us no longer.

00:23:02.700 --> 00:23:03.859
 The Lord himself

00:23:03.859 --> 00:23:04.720
 has scattered them.

00:23:04.879 --> 00:23:05.679
 He will regard

00:23:05.679 --> 00:23:06.379
 them no more.

00:23:06.480 --> 00:23:07.439
 No honor was shown

00:23:07.439 --> 00:23:08.039
 to the priests,

00:23:08.139 --> 00:23:08.720
 no favor

00:23:08.720 --> 00:23:10.159
 to the elders.

00:23:12.599 --> 00:23:13.079
 Now,

00:23:13.259 --> 00:23:14.559
 once again,

00:23:14.619 --> 00:23:15.599
 it's making it clear

00:23:15.599 --> 00:23:16.579
 that the judgment

00:23:16.579 --> 00:23:17.679
 upon the people

00:23:17.679 --> 00:23:19.059
 was something

00:23:19.059 --> 00:23:19.879
 that God does.

00:23:20.720 --> 00:23:21.740
 And here we have

00:23:21.740 --> 00:23:22.099
 to just,

00:23:22.179 --> 00:23:23.059
 I've mentioned this

00:23:23.059 --> 00:23:23.399
 before,

00:23:23.460 --> 00:23:23.899
 I'm just going to

00:23:23.899 --> 00:23:24.460
 mention it again

00:23:24.460 --> 00:23:25.179
 very briefly.

00:23:26.700 --> 00:23:27.440
 One of the things

00:23:27.440 --> 00:23:28.299
 that we don't realize

00:23:28.299 --> 00:23:29.579
 when we look

00:23:29.579 --> 00:23:30.539
 at the Christian God,

00:23:30.659 --> 00:23:31.480
 the triune God,

00:23:31.519 --> 00:23:31.980
 and when we look

00:23:31.980 --> 00:23:32.559
 at the scriptures,

00:23:32.740 --> 00:23:33.379
 is that often

00:23:33.379 --> 00:23:34.119
 people have

00:23:34.119 --> 00:23:35.980
 two different types

00:23:35.980 --> 00:23:36.779
 of complaints

00:23:36.779 --> 00:23:39.759
 about the triune God,

00:23:39.839 --> 00:23:40.619
 about Christianity.

00:23:41.019 --> 00:23:42.000
 And people rarely

00:23:42.000 --> 00:23:43.339
 stop to ask themselves

00:23:43.339 --> 00:23:44.480
 how they can hold

00:23:44.480 --> 00:23:45.220
 both criticisms

00:23:45.220 --> 00:23:46.200
 at the same time

00:23:46.200 --> 00:23:47.080
 because they can't.

00:23:47.140 --> 00:23:47.980
 They have to choose

00:23:47.980 --> 00:23:48.740
 and there's problems

00:23:48.740 --> 00:23:49.900
 with even choosing one.

00:23:50.660 --> 00:23:51.340
 On one hand,

00:23:51.420 --> 00:23:52.019
 one of the reasons

00:23:52.019 --> 00:23:53.779
 that the most common reason

00:23:53.779 --> 00:23:54.660
 for the last several

00:23:54.660 --> 00:23:55.240
 hundred years

00:23:55.240 --> 00:23:56.460
 why people wouldn't believe

00:23:56.460 --> 00:23:57.620
 in the God

00:23:57.620 --> 00:23:59.299
 described by Jesus,

00:23:59.559 --> 00:24:00.460
 the Trinity,

00:24:01.080 --> 00:24:02.519
 is that he doesn't,

00:24:03.039 --> 00:24:03.779
 he allows evil

00:24:03.779 --> 00:24:04.299
 to happen.

00:24:05.259 --> 00:24:06.279
 At the same time,

00:24:06.360 --> 00:24:07.380
 and I can tell you this

00:24:07.380 --> 00:24:08.259
 with very,

00:24:08.380 --> 00:24:09.640
 very great certainty

00:24:09.640 --> 00:24:11.519
 that two of the main reasons

00:24:11.519 --> 00:24:12.840
 why many people today

00:24:12.840 --> 00:24:14.720
 will also not believe

00:24:14.720 --> 00:24:15.660
 in the God of the Bible

00:24:15.660 --> 00:24:16.920
 is one that's teaching

00:24:16.920 --> 00:24:17.660
 on sexuality,

00:24:17.819 --> 00:24:18.319
 which we're not going

00:24:18.319 --> 00:24:18.880
 to look at today,

00:24:18.940 --> 00:24:19.339
 but also,

00:24:19.460 --> 00:24:19.680
 of course,

00:24:19.740 --> 00:24:21.059
 it's teaching in hell,

00:24:21.180 --> 00:24:21.680
 which is actually

00:24:21.680 --> 00:24:22.880
 the teaching of God's judgment.

00:24:23.039 --> 00:24:23.880
 So which one is it?

00:24:24.839 --> 00:24:26.039
 You don't believe in God

00:24:26.039 --> 00:24:27.200
 because he doesn't judge evil

00:24:27.200 --> 00:24:28.140
 or you don't believe in God

00:24:28.140 --> 00:24:29.380
 because he does judge evil?

00:24:29.920 --> 00:24:31.279
 You can't have both.

00:24:33.720 --> 00:24:34.940
 Like the incoherence

00:24:34.940 --> 00:24:35.740
 isn't in the Bible.

00:24:37.100 --> 00:24:38.539
 I don't mean to insult you,

00:24:38.539 --> 00:24:39.519
 but the incoherence

00:24:39.519 --> 00:24:40.259
 isn't in the Bible.

00:24:42.539 --> 00:24:43.160
 And you see,

00:24:43.240 --> 00:24:44.420
 here's this great mystery

00:24:44.420 --> 00:24:48.019
 the Bible would say

00:24:48.019 --> 00:24:49.779
 that the God that does exist

00:24:49.779 --> 00:24:50.960
 is perfectly good

00:24:50.960 --> 00:24:52.180
 and perfectly just

00:24:52.180 --> 00:24:53.420
 and perfectly merciful

00:24:53.420 --> 00:24:54.720
 and perfectly true.

00:24:56.660 --> 00:24:58.560
 And both justice

00:24:58.560 --> 00:25:01.080
 and evil hurts.

00:25:02.759 --> 00:25:04.259
 There's no way around it.

00:25:05.019 --> 00:25:06.019
 Both justice

00:25:06.019 --> 00:25:07.300
 and evil

00:25:07.300 --> 00:25:09.000
 causes hurt.

00:25:10.480 --> 00:25:11.800
 If I robbed a bank,

00:25:11.860 --> 00:25:12.980
 a series of banks,

00:25:12.980 --> 00:25:15.099
 or I was able to figure out

00:25:15.099 --> 00:25:15.980
 some way to embezzle

00:25:15.980 --> 00:25:16.720
 lots of money

00:25:16.720 --> 00:25:17.700
 or to do something else

00:25:17.700 --> 00:25:18.819
 which was quite wrong,

00:25:19.319 --> 00:25:21.180
 and the police capture me

00:25:21.180 --> 00:25:22.480
 and put me in handcuffs,

00:25:22.539 --> 00:25:23.380
 that would hurt.

00:25:23.620 --> 00:25:25.559
 They throw me in jail

00:25:25.559 --> 00:25:27.079
 and that would cause me

00:25:27.079 --> 00:25:28.640
 lots of hurt.

00:25:29.380 --> 00:25:30.140
 Do you think

00:25:30.140 --> 00:25:32.039
 I should be put in jail

00:25:32.039 --> 00:25:33.880
 because I've caused damage?

00:25:33.940 --> 00:25:35.360
 Because maybe I've beat somebody up

00:25:35.360 --> 00:25:36.339
 or killed somebody

00:25:36.339 --> 00:25:37.380
 or robbed a bank

00:25:37.380 --> 00:25:39.059
 or threatened people with guns?

00:25:39.160 --> 00:25:39.880
 Of course you would.

00:25:39.880 --> 00:25:42.920
 justice causes hurt.

00:25:45.220 --> 00:25:48.000
 Evil causes hurt.

00:25:49.520 --> 00:25:50.620
 The difference is,

00:25:50.680 --> 00:25:51.500
 and that's what we're going to see

00:25:51.500 --> 00:25:53.540
 as the poem continues,

00:25:53.880 --> 00:25:55.320
 is that in true justice,

00:25:55.900 --> 00:25:57.420
 and that's what we long for,

00:25:57.480 --> 00:25:57.840
 isn't it?

00:25:58.200 --> 00:25:59.900
 We might feel sometimes

00:25:59.900 --> 00:26:00.700
 very cynical

00:26:00.700 --> 00:26:03.620
 about the possibility of justice,

00:26:03.780 --> 00:26:04.840
 and it's actually

00:26:04.840 --> 00:26:06.080
 a very Christian idea.

00:26:06.180 --> 00:26:06.700
 If you go back,

00:26:06.700 --> 00:26:08.700
 one of the great profound works

00:26:08.700 --> 00:26:09.580
 which have shaped

00:26:09.580 --> 00:26:11.200
 how basically

00:26:11.200 --> 00:26:12.100
 the whole world,

00:26:12.200 --> 00:26:13.580
 almost the whole world thinks,

00:26:13.680 --> 00:26:15.259
 was a profound meditation

00:26:15.259 --> 00:26:16.759
 called The City of God

00:26:16.759 --> 00:26:18.080
 by St. Augustine,

00:26:18.180 --> 00:26:19.000
 Augustine,

00:26:19.500 --> 00:26:21.460
 1600 some odd years ago,

00:26:21.519 --> 00:26:22.460
 where he contrasts

00:26:22.460 --> 00:26:23.539
 the city of human beings

00:26:23.539 --> 00:26:24.539
 and the city of God,

00:26:25.019 --> 00:26:26.880
 and he makes very clear

00:26:26.880 --> 00:26:28.120
 that on this side of the grave

00:26:28.120 --> 00:26:29.440
 there's imperfect,

00:26:29.759 --> 00:26:30.380
 at best,

00:26:30.559 --> 00:26:31.660
 justice in the world,

00:26:31.799 --> 00:26:33.140
 and our deep longing

00:26:33.140 --> 00:26:33.920
 for something

00:26:33.920 --> 00:26:35.620
 where there is perfect justice

00:26:35.619 --> 00:26:36.739
 that's only going to actually

00:26:36.739 --> 00:26:38.619
 be satisfied ultimately

00:26:38.619 --> 00:26:40.159
 in the gospel,

00:26:40.279 --> 00:26:41.239
 the biblical gospel.

00:26:42.099 --> 00:26:43.459
 But what we see here

00:26:43.459 --> 00:26:44.500
 is if you understand

00:26:44.500 --> 00:26:45.719
 the profound difference

00:26:45.719 --> 00:26:47.759
 is that if there is true justice,

00:26:47.919 --> 00:26:49.959
 true justice will cause hurt

00:26:49.959 --> 00:26:52.179
 as part of punishment

00:26:52.179 --> 00:26:54.879
 for that which is truly evil.

00:26:55.319 --> 00:26:56.719
 But in true justice,

00:26:56.719 --> 00:26:58.459
 there is the mixture there

00:26:58.459 --> 00:26:59.299
 of mercy,

00:26:59.439 --> 00:27:01.359
 the hope that after the punishment

00:27:01.359 --> 00:27:02.459
 is inflicted,

00:27:02.519 --> 00:27:03.259
 that there will be

00:27:03.259 --> 00:27:04.359
 an amendment of life

00:27:04.359 --> 00:27:05.419
 and a restoration

00:27:05.419 --> 00:27:07.939
 and a mending of things,

00:27:08.199 --> 00:27:09.859
 and that the justice

00:27:09.859 --> 00:27:10.699
 and the hurt,

00:27:10.839 --> 00:27:11.639
 that there's something

00:27:11.639 --> 00:27:13.339
 ordered about it,

00:27:13.399 --> 00:27:15.059
 that it's the right amount,

00:27:15.119 --> 00:27:17.359
 not enough to dehumanize you

00:27:17.359 --> 00:27:18.479
 or to make it

00:27:18.479 --> 00:27:19.179
 that there can be

00:27:19.179 --> 00:27:20.859
 no mending or restoration,

00:27:21.279 --> 00:27:22.939
 but evil just loves to hurt.

00:27:24.759 --> 00:27:26.779
 Evil hurts until it's bored.

00:27:31.039 --> 00:27:33.019
 Evil hurts until it's bored.

00:27:33.019 --> 00:27:39.379
 And what we see here

00:27:39.379 --> 00:27:40.259
 is justice.

00:27:42.039 --> 00:27:42.900
 This is going to become

00:27:42.900 --> 00:27:43.759
 a little bit more clear

00:27:43.759 --> 00:27:44.900
 even with the next bit,

00:27:45.619 --> 00:27:46.720
 which on one hand

00:27:46.720 --> 00:27:47.639
 just seems to be,

00:27:47.759 --> 00:27:48.740
 especially if you understand

00:27:48.740 --> 00:27:49.460
 what's going on,

00:27:49.500 --> 00:27:50.359
 is something which is

00:27:50.359 --> 00:27:51.779
 profoundly anti,

00:27:52.359 --> 00:27:53.259
 seems to be very,

00:27:53.359 --> 00:27:54.680
 very anti-Canadian

00:27:54.680 --> 00:27:56.960
 with our love of,

00:27:57.379 --> 00:27:57.680
 you know,

00:27:57.700 --> 00:27:58.879
 in a sense of pluralism

00:27:58.879 --> 00:28:00.400
 and boutique spiritualities.

00:28:00.400 --> 00:28:01.000
 I'm not saying that

00:28:01.000 --> 00:28:01.580
 as a put-down.

00:28:01.740 --> 00:28:02.640
 I'm not saying that

00:28:02.640 --> 00:28:03.200
 as a put-down.

00:28:03.380 --> 00:28:05.220
 I'm just trying to point out

00:28:05.220 --> 00:28:05.920
 that once you understand

00:28:05.920 --> 00:28:06.700
 the next bit,

00:28:07.220 --> 00:28:07.740
 it might be,

00:28:07.860 --> 00:28:08.000
 George,

00:28:08.060 --> 00:28:09.040
 you've made matters worse,

00:28:09.100 --> 00:28:11.080
 but it actually makes matters

00:28:11.080 --> 00:28:12.140
 clearer and better.

00:28:14.040 --> 00:28:15.360
 The next literary unit

00:28:15.360 --> 00:28:16.820
 is verses 17 to 20.

00:28:17.820 --> 00:28:19.019
 And it goes like this.

00:28:19.019 --> 00:28:30.079
 Now just sort of pause

00:28:30.079 --> 00:28:31.460
 because it's going to be

00:28:31.460 --> 00:28:32.940
 very, very important.

00:28:33.799 --> 00:28:34.859
 Our eyes failed

00:28:34.859 --> 00:28:35.920
 ever watching

00:28:35.920 --> 00:28:37.460
 vainly for help.

00:28:37.839 --> 00:28:39.539
 They were completely

00:28:39.539 --> 00:28:40.559
 and utterly committed.

00:28:40.700 --> 00:28:41.279
 They were coming

00:28:41.279 --> 00:28:42.879
 under the judgment of God.

00:28:43.559 --> 00:28:44.379
 They had been warned.

00:28:44.680 --> 00:28:45.480
 I talked about this

00:28:45.480 --> 00:28:46.059
 in other things,

00:28:46.200 --> 00:28:47.039
 is that it's not as if

00:28:47.039 --> 00:28:48.940
 one day God just sort of,

00:28:49.000 --> 00:28:49.240
 you know,

00:28:49.299 --> 00:28:49.559
 thought,

00:28:49.700 --> 00:28:49.859
 you know,

00:28:49.879 --> 00:28:51.180
 I'm in a bad mood.

00:28:51.200 --> 00:28:51.740
 I'm going to punish

00:28:51.740 --> 00:28:52.359
 these people.

00:28:53.440 --> 00:28:53.980
 In fact,

00:28:54.039 --> 00:28:55.039
 at a literary level,

00:28:55.799 --> 00:28:56.279
 one of the things

00:28:56.279 --> 00:28:57.299
 which is very fascinating

00:28:57.299 --> 00:28:57.980
 about this book

00:28:57.980 --> 00:28:58.899
 at a literary level

00:28:58.899 --> 00:29:00.680
 is the constant allusions

00:29:00.680 --> 00:29:03.420
 to what our Jewish friends

00:29:03.420 --> 00:29:04.519
 call the Torah Torah,

00:29:04.680 --> 00:29:05.500
 the first five books

00:29:05.500 --> 00:29:06.099
 of Moses.

00:29:06.879 --> 00:29:07.759
 But Leviticus

00:29:07.759 --> 00:29:08.559
 and Deuteronomy,

00:29:08.659 --> 00:29:10.379
 the constant literary references

00:29:10.379 --> 00:29:11.039
 and allusions

00:29:11.039 --> 00:29:12.319
 to the book of Jeremiah,

00:29:12.500 --> 00:29:13.259
 the book of Isaiah,

00:29:13.379 --> 00:29:14.420
 the book of Ezekiel,

00:29:14.960 --> 00:29:15.799
 and other parts

00:29:15.799 --> 00:29:16.319
 of the scripture,

00:29:16.319 --> 00:29:17.439
 the Psalms as well.

00:29:18.139 --> 00:29:19.179
 Constant allusions

00:29:19.179 --> 00:29:19.919
 to this,

00:29:20.019 --> 00:29:21.460
 and they're all allusions

00:29:21.460 --> 00:29:22.720
 to this warning

00:29:22.720 --> 00:29:23.759
 that the Lord has made,

00:29:23.819 --> 00:29:24.500
 that there is a day

00:29:24.500 --> 00:29:24.980
 of the Lord,

00:29:25.059 --> 00:29:25.819
 a day of judgment,

00:29:25.980 --> 00:29:28.279
 a warning of what God desires

00:29:28.279 --> 00:29:30.299
 and how God desires us

00:29:30.299 --> 00:29:30.720
 to live

00:29:30.720 --> 00:29:31.980
 in his offer

00:29:31.980 --> 00:29:34.019
 of covenant and mercy

00:29:34.019 --> 00:29:35.439
 and warning the people

00:29:35.439 --> 00:29:36.519
 that if they turn away

00:29:36.519 --> 00:29:37.359
 from this offer

00:29:37.359 --> 00:29:38.099
 of a covenant,

00:29:38.259 --> 00:29:39.519
 of a love relationship,

00:29:40.279 --> 00:29:41.339
 because that's in fact

00:29:41.339 --> 00:29:43.299
 what the constant warning is.

00:29:43.299 --> 00:29:43.700
 It's,

00:29:44.119 --> 00:29:45.200
 you see,

00:29:45.259 --> 00:29:46.200
 the book of Lamentations,

00:29:46.259 --> 00:29:46.940
 we're going to look at it again

00:29:46.940 --> 00:29:47.259
 in a moment,

00:29:47.319 --> 00:29:48.339
 I hope I remember to do it,

00:29:48.359 --> 00:29:49.139
 is that it's part

00:29:49.139 --> 00:29:50.619
 of a larger story.

00:29:51.240 --> 00:29:51.899
 And in this part

00:29:51.899 --> 00:29:52.859
 of a larger story,

00:29:52.899 --> 00:29:54.000
 the only way to understand

00:29:54.000 --> 00:29:55.500
 this larger story

00:29:55.500 --> 00:29:56.759
 is that it's a love story.

00:29:57.619 --> 00:29:58.639
 It's a love story

00:29:58.639 --> 00:30:00.240
 where the desire is

00:30:00.240 --> 00:30:01.019
 that at the end

00:30:01.019 --> 00:30:02.799
 that evil and injustice

00:30:02.799 --> 00:30:03.759
 and all

00:30:03.759 --> 00:30:05.019
 has been really dealt with.

00:30:05.119 --> 00:30:06.159
 Freedom has been respected,

00:30:06.539 --> 00:30:08.019
 but justice has been dealt with.

00:30:08.079 --> 00:30:08.940
 And there's a marriage,

00:30:09.019 --> 00:30:09.759
 and there's a party,

00:30:09.839 --> 00:30:10.839
 and there's a celebration.

00:30:10.839 --> 00:30:12.519
 And the marriage is between

00:30:12.519 --> 00:30:13.519
 human beings and God.

00:30:13.599 --> 00:30:14.319
 That's the end

00:30:14.319 --> 00:30:16.059
 of this overarching story

00:30:16.059 --> 00:30:17.619
 of which Lamentations

00:30:17.619 --> 00:30:18.519
 is just part

00:30:18.519 --> 00:30:19.959
 of this overarching story.

00:30:20.079 --> 00:30:21.059
 If you think of the Bible

00:30:21.059 --> 00:30:22.259
 like the way a lot of,

00:30:22.519 --> 00:30:23.659
 think of a very,

00:30:23.779 --> 00:30:24.959
 very good novel

00:30:24.959 --> 00:30:26.119
 called World War Z,

00:30:26.240 --> 00:30:26.679
 where you have

00:30:26.679 --> 00:30:27.519
 all these different

00:30:27.519 --> 00:30:28.599
 literary genres

00:30:28.599 --> 00:30:30.159
 all knit together

00:30:30.159 --> 00:30:30.819
 in one book.

00:30:30.899 --> 00:30:31.799
 It's regular now

00:30:31.799 --> 00:30:32.720
 for me to read books

00:30:32.720 --> 00:30:33.839
 where you have

00:30:33.839 --> 00:30:34.799
 in the same novel

00:30:34.799 --> 00:30:35.619
 both the narrative

00:30:35.619 --> 00:30:36.480
 which is going on,

00:30:36.539 --> 00:30:37.379
 but you might have

00:30:37.379 --> 00:30:38.899
 newspaper reports,

00:30:39.019 --> 00:30:40.019
 you might have interviews,

00:30:40.019 --> 00:30:40.660
 you might have

00:30:40.660 --> 00:30:41.799
 email correspondence,

00:30:41.799 --> 00:30:43.119
 all woven into

00:30:43.119 --> 00:30:44.839
 one overarching story.

00:30:45.000 --> 00:30:45.819
 And if you understand

00:30:45.819 --> 00:30:46.819
 that the book of Genesis

00:30:46.819 --> 00:30:48.259
 to the book of Revelation,

00:30:48.799 --> 00:30:49.519
 that from a Christian

00:30:49.519 --> 00:30:50.279
 understanding,

00:30:50.480 --> 00:30:51.420
 which we learn

00:30:51.420 --> 00:30:52.079
 from Jesus,

00:30:52.240 --> 00:30:52.619
 by the way,

00:30:52.700 --> 00:30:53.819
 we didn't make this up,

00:30:53.879 --> 00:30:54.879
 we learned it from Jesus.

00:30:55.019 --> 00:30:55.480
 He was the one

00:30:55.480 --> 00:30:56.079
 who told us

00:30:56.079 --> 00:30:56.579
 that there's this

00:30:56.579 --> 00:30:58.200
 overarching story

00:30:58.200 --> 00:30:59.559
 that God has written,

00:30:59.700 --> 00:31:00.500
 caused to be written,

00:31:00.599 --> 00:31:01.519
 that uses myth,

00:31:01.940 --> 00:31:02.720
 uses law,

00:31:02.859 --> 00:31:03.759
 uses poetry,

00:31:03.980 --> 00:31:05.000
 uses proverbs,

00:31:05.299 --> 00:31:06.180
 uses irony,

00:31:06.440 --> 00:31:06.879
 paradox,

00:31:07.639 --> 00:31:08.220
 history,

00:31:08.220 --> 00:31:09.380
 prophecy,

00:31:10.180 --> 00:31:12.140
 historical narrative,

00:31:12.360 --> 00:31:13.559
 philosophical argument,

00:31:13.920 --> 00:31:15.200
 and he's woven this,

00:31:15.620 --> 00:31:16.559
 all these different

00:31:16.559 --> 00:31:17.960
 literary genres together

00:31:17.960 --> 00:31:19.860
 into one overarching story

00:31:19.860 --> 00:31:20.680
 and at the heart of this,

00:31:21.120 --> 00:31:22.500
 it's a love story.

00:31:23.759 --> 00:31:25.500
 Like it's a true love story.

00:31:27.259 --> 00:31:29.240
 The overarching narrative

00:31:29.240 --> 00:31:31.299
 of the world

00:31:31.299 --> 00:31:33.460
 is a love story

00:31:33.460 --> 00:31:37.340
 that desires

00:31:37.340 --> 00:31:38.720
 to have you included in it.

00:31:40.539 --> 00:31:41.539
 And so if you go back here

00:31:41.539 --> 00:31:42.380
 to verse 17,

00:31:42.500 --> 00:31:43.420
 which I have to read

00:31:43.420 --> 00:31:44.400
 the 17 to 20,

00:31:44.500 --> 00:31:45.200
 our eyes failed

00:31:45.200 --> 00:31:46.319
 ever watching vainly

00:31:46.319 --> 00:31:46.700
 for help.

00:31:46.840 --> 00:31:47.019
 Vain,

00:31:47.559 --> 00:31:48.319
 the image of vain

00:31:48.319 --> 00:31:49.299
 is a perfect image

00:31:49.299 --> 00:31:49.640
 right now

00:31:49.640 --> 00:31:50.620
 in the original language.

00:31:50.880 --> 00:31:52.400
 It's actually vapor.

00:31:52.680 --> 00:31:53.160
 So actually,

00:31:54.059 --> 00:31:55.200
 if you go outside

00:31:55.200 --> 00:31:56.400
 and you can see your breath

00:31:56.400 --> 00:31:58.200
 and you can only see your breath

00:31:58.200 --> 00:31:59.240
 for the briefest of moment,

00:31:59.340 --> 00:32:00.319
 that's in a sense

00:32:00.319 --> 00:32:01.100
 the image

00:32:01.100 --> 00:32:02.440
 which is being used here.

00:32:02.440 --> 00:32:04.100
 They're looking for help

00:32:04.100 --> 00:32:04.680
 but it's,

00:32:04.840 --> 00:32:05.420
 what they get

00:32:05.420 --> 00:32:05.980
 is just,

00:32:06.279 --> 00:32:07.920
 it has the substance,

00:32:08.200 --> 00:32:08.880
 the solidity,

00:32:09.080 --> 00:32:09.980
 the helpfulness

00:32:09.980 --> 00:32:11.200
 of the breath

00:32:11.200 --> 00:32:11.740
 that you see

00:32:11.740 --> 00:32:13.160
 on a cold winter's day

00:32:13.160 --> 00:32:15.440
 which is no help at all.

00:32:15.519 --> 00:32:15.860
 That's not,

00:32:16.000 --> 00:32:17.180
 you can't build a house on that,

00:32:17.240 --> 00:32:18.519
 you can't build your life on it.

00:32:20.120 --> 00:32:22.360
 It lasts the briefest of seconds.

00:32:24.680 --> 00:32:26.160
 And they were completely

00:32:26.160 --> 00:32:26.779
 and utterly,

00:32:26.980 --> 00:32:28.180
 notice in our watching

00:32:28.180 --> 00:32:28.900
 we watched

00:32:28.900 --> 00:32:30.160
 in the original language

00:32:30.160 --> 00:32:30.779
 it just,

00:32:30.960 --> 00:32:32.299
 it's an intensification

00:32:32.299 --> 00:32:33.819
 of this,

00:32:34.139 --> 00:32:35.019
 it's showing that

00:32:35.019 --> 00:32:35.960
 no matter what starts

00:32:35.960 --> 00:32:36.659
 to happen to them,

00:32:36.700 --> 00:32:37.940
 no matter how the warnings

00:32:37.940 --> 00:32:38.819
 that God has given

00:32:38.819 --> 00:32:40.480
 for generations and generations

00:32:40.480 --> 00:32:41.339
 through all sorts

00:32:41.339 --> 00:32:42.259
 of different means,

00:32:42.639 --> 00:32:43.240
 through law

00:32:43.240 --> 00:32:44.000
 and through prophets

00:32:44.000 --> 00:32:45.000
 and through miracles,

00:32:45.559 --> 00:32:46.759
 through story,

00:32:47.039 --> 00:32:48.779
 through all of these things

00:32:48.779 --> 00:32:49.240
 that no matter

00:32:49.240 --> 00:32:50.440
 how strong they've been,

00:32:50.500 --> 00:32:51.299
 no matter how present

00:32:51.299 --> 00:32:51.700
 they've been,

00:32:51.819 --> 00:32:53.359
 what is their response

00:32:53.359 --> 00:32:54.379
 is not to go back

00:32:54.379 --> 00:32:55.019
 to the Lord

00:32:55.019 --> 00:32:56.139
 but to in fact

00:32:56.139 --> 00:32:57.299
 to be completely

00:32:57.299 --> 00:32:58.339
 and utterly committed

00:32:58.339 --> 00:32:59.779
 to looking everywhere else.

00:32:59.779 --> 00:33:00.639
 and the thing,

00:33:00.720 --> 00:33:01.839
 and here's the anti-Canadian,

00:33:02.099 --> 00:33:03.000
 not anti-Canadian,

00:33:03.099 --> 00:33:03.940
 it's just a challenge,

00:33:04.579 --> 00:33:05.420
 is it's not just

00:33:05.420 --> 00:33:06.079
 that they're looking,

00:33:06.299 --> 00:33:06.460
 you know,

00:33:06.500 --> 00:33:07.680
 it's not like in our days

00:33:07.680 --> 00:33:08.339
 we're trying to get

00:33:08.339 --> 00:33:08.839
 the United States

00:33:08.839 --> 00:33:09.639
 to come in and save us

00:33:09.639 --> 00:33:10.319
 or maybe Britain

00:33:10.319 --> 00:33:11.160
 to come in and save us

00:33:11.160 --> 00:33:11.899
 or Australia

00:33:11.899 --> 00:33:12.740
 or Belgium

00:33:12.740 --> 00:33:13.819
 or something like that

00:33:13.819 --> 00:33:15.240
 or Nigeria.

00:33:17.139 --> 00:33:19.299
 It's the nations,

00:33:20.299 --> 00:33:22.399
 in the ancient world

00:33:22.399 --> 00:33:23.539
 there's no distinction

00:33:23.539 --> 00:33:24.700
 between the gods

00:33:24.700 --> 00:33:25.460
 and the nation.

00:33:25.460 --> 00:33:27.720
 It's not just the people,

00:33:27.860 --> 00:33:28.720
 it's their gods.

00:33:30.240 --> 00:33:31.059
 They are looking

00:33:31.059 --> 00:33:32.059
 to every other

00:33:32.059 --> 00:33:34.400
 God-created nation.

00:33:34.579 --> 00:33:35.440
 God ruled,

00:33:35.680 --> 00:33:37.279
 God suffused,

00:33:37.480 --> 00:33:38.680
 God infested,

00:33:38.920 --> 00:33:39.880
 God grounded,

00:33:40.740 --> 00:33:42.360
 God permeated,

00:33:43.360 --> 00:33:44.380
 God and goddess

00:33:44.380 --> 00:33:46.799
 permeated people group.

00:33:46.900 --> 00:33:47.860
 They've been completely

00:33:47.860 --> 00:33:49.240
 and utterly committed

00:33:49.240 --> 00:33:51.440
 to finding it there

00:33:51.440 --> 00:33:52.200
 somewhere else.

00:33:52.360 --> 00:33:52.880
 And here's where,

00:33:52.980 --> 00:33:53.680
 before I read the rest

00:33:53.680 --> 00:33:54.620
 of the other verses,

00:33:54.619 --> 00:33:55.879
 here's the big question.

00:33:57.179 --> 00:33:57.759
 You see,

00:33:57.819 --> 00:33:58.779
 if you understand

00:33:58.779 --> 00:33:59.699
 that the living God

00:33:59.699 --> 00:34:01.219
 is actually inviting you

00:34:01.219 --> 00:34:02.339
 into a love relationship

00:34:02.339 --> 00:34:03.059
 with himself

00:34:03.059 --> 00:34:03.739
 that will go into

00:34:03.739 --> 00:34:04.419
 all eternity.

00:34:08.319 --> 00:34:08.739
 Well,

00:34:08.880 --> 00:34:09.779
 here's maybe a way

00:34:09.779 --> 00:34:10.920
 to get what the significance

00:34:10.920 --> 00:34:11.659
 of it is here.

00:34:11.960 --> 00:34:13.019
 This would be a question

00:34:13.019 --> 00:34:13.779
 for George.

00:34:14.319 --> 00:34:14.940
 I'm George,

00:34:15.000 --> 00:34:16.099
 if you've forgotten my name.

00:34:17.259 --> 00:34:17.539
 George,

00:34:17.579 --> 00:34:18.299
 would you rather

00:34:18.299 --> 00:34:19.179
 have Louise

00:34:19.179 --> 00:34:20.000
 and be poor

00:34:20.000 --> 00:34:22.960
 or lose Louise

00:34:22.960 --> 00:34:23.719
 and be rich?

00:34:24.619 --> 00:34:28.880
 maybe you're

00:34:28.880 --> 00:34:30.579
 in a troubled marriage

00:34:30.579 --> 00:34:31.480
 or in no marriage

00:34:31.480 --> 00:34:32.500
 and you can't relate

00:34:32.500 --> 00:34:32.960
 to that.

00:34:33.500 --> 00:34:34.619
 You have a little baby.

00:34:37.500 --> 00:34:38.400
 Would you rather

00:34:38.400 --> 00:34:39.380
 have that baby

00:34:39.380 --> 00:34:40.119
 and be poor

00:34:40.119 --> 00:34:41.699
 or lose the baby

00:34:41.699 --> 00:34:42.420
 and be rich?

00:34:45.259 --> 00:34:45.739
 Now,

00:34:45.779 --> 00:34:46.519
 if you even think

00:34:46.519 --> 00:34:47.000
 about that,

00:34:47.079 --> 00:34:48.159
 that says something

00:34:48.159 --> 00:34:48.599
 very,

00:34:48.739 --> 00:34:48.980
 very,

00:34:49.119 --> 00:34:49.380
 very,

00:34:49.380 --> 00:34:49.420
 very,

00:34:49.500 --> 00:34:50.339
 if you even pause

00:34:50.339 --> 00:34:50.920
 for an instant

00:34:50.920 --> 00:34:51.920
 to question it

00:34:51.920 --> 00:34:52.980
 or wonder about it,

00:34:52.980 --> 00:34:54.300
 that shows

00:34:54.300 --> 00:34:54.860
 something

00:34:54.860 --> 00:34:56.039
 about your heart.

00:35:02.199 --> 00:35:03.019
 And what's going

00:35:03.019 --> 00:35:03.480
 to happen

00:35:03.480 --> 00:35:04.539
 throughout these laments?

00:35:04.659 --> 00:35:04.880
 You see,

00:35:04.960 --> 00:35:06.059
 lament is a way

00:35:06.059 --> 00:35:07.500
 of expressing pain

00:35:07.500 --> 00:35:08.980
 and incoherence

00:35:08.980 --> 00:35:10.500
 and sorrow

00:35:10.500 --> 00:35:11.880
 and questions

00:35:11.880 --> 00:35:14.199
 to the living God

00:35:14.199 --> 00:35:15.000
 in a way

00:35:15.000 --> 00:35:16.019
 that ends up

00:35:16.019 --> 00:35:17.760
 restoring relationship.

00:35:18.059 --> 00:35:18.880
 And that's what's happening

00:35:18.880 --> 00:35:19.320
 in the book

00:35:19.320 --> 00:35:20.059
 of Lamentations.

00:35:20.059 --> 00:35:20.779
 It's going to happen

00:35:20.779 --> 00:35:21.420
 at the end.

00:35:23.920 --> 00:35:24.360
 Imagine,

00:35:24.599 --> 00:35:25.179
 you know,

00:35:25.279 --> 00:35:26.199
 a couple

00:35:26.199 --> 00:35:27.679
 and you're on the couch

00:35:27.679 --> 00:35:29.699
 and one of you

00:35:29.699 --> 00:35:30.940
 gets this question

00:35:30.940 --> 00:35:31.799
 and you think yourself,

00:35:32.299 --> 00:35:32.599
 you know,

00:35:32.739 --> 00:35:34.119
 Bob is on the couch

00:35:34.119 --> 00:35:36.500
 and Sue's beside him

00:35:36.500 --> 00:35:37.500
 and Bob thinks,

00:35:37.699 --> 00:35:37.840
 well,

00:35:37.880 --> 00:35:38.099
 you know,

00:35:38.199 --> 00:35:39.099
 maybe I would choose

00:35:39.099 --> 00:35:39.460
 riches

00:35:39.460 --> 00:35:40.059
 if I had to,

00:35:40.139 --> 00:35:40.320
 you know,

00:35:40.320 --> 00:35:40.860
 if there's a choice

00:35:40.860 --> 00:35:41.679
 between Sue

00:35:41.679 --> 00:35:42.420
 and riches,

00:35:42.519 --> 00:35:44.340
 I would choose riches.

00:35:45.239 --> 00:35:46.119
 And Sue's thinking,

00:35:46.279 --> 00:35:46.559
 oh,

00:35:46.599 --> 00:35:47.980
 I would never choose riches.

00:35:48.099 --> 00:35:49.119
 I would choose Bob.

00:35:49.119 --> 00:35:49.980
 And afterwards,

00:35:50.099 --> 00:35:50.679
 you get talking

00:35:50.679 --> 00:35:51.199
 and Bob says,

00:35:51.259 --> 00:35:51.359
 well,

00:35:51.380 --> 00:35:51.559
 actually,

00:35:51.599 --> 00:35:53.039
 I think I would choose riches.

00:35:54.500 --> 00:35:55.539
 Do you think Bob

00:35:55.539 --> 00:35:56.559
 would come under judgment

00:35:56.559 --> 00:35:57.239
 from Sue?

00:36:00.039 --> 00:36:01.199
 Not just for a moment,

00:36:01.279 --> 00:36:02.319
 but for a long time?

00:36:02.739 --> 00:36:03.739
 And whose side

00:36:03.739 --> 00:36:04.519
 would you be on?

00:36:06.119 --> 00:36:07.460
 Nobody is going to be

00:36:07.460 --> 00:36:08.259
 on Bob's side.

00:36:08.339 --> 00:36:08.859
 You're all going to be

00:36:08.859 --> 00:36:09.819
 on Sue's side.

00:36:11.159 --> 00:36:12.019
 Listen to this.

00:36:12.400 --> 00:36:13.219
 Our eyes failed,

00:36:13.299 --> 00:36:14.559
 ever watching vainly

00:36:14.559 --> 00:36:15.079
 for help.

00:36:15.159 --> 00:36:15.759
 In our watching,

00:36:15.880 --> 00:36:17.239
 we watch for a nation,

00:36:17.239 --> 00:36:19.199
 and a God who could not save.

00:36:19.699 --> 00:36:20.539
 That's why it's vapor.

00:36:21.219 --> 00:36:21.519
 In fact,

00:36:21.559 --> 00:36:23.000
 the nations dogged our steps

00:36:23.000 --> 00:36:23.959
 so that we could not walk

00:36:23.959 --> 00:36:24.599
 in our streets.

00:36:24.699 --> 00:36:25.439
 Our end drew near.

00:36:25.500 --> 00:36:26.419
 Our days were numbered

00:36:26.419 --> 00:36:27.779
 for our end had come.

00:36:27.879 --> 00:36:29.159
 Our pursuers were swifter

00:36:29.159 --> 00:36:29.799
 than the eagles

00:36:29.799 --> 00:36:30.339
 in the heavens.

00:36:30.439 --> 00:36:31.019
 They chased us

00:36:31.019 --> 00:36:31.599
 on the mountains.

00:36:31.599 --> 00:36:32.779
 They laid in wait

00:36:32.779 --> 00:36:33.599
 for us in the wildernesses.

00:36:34.500 --> 00:36:35.899
 The breath of our nostrils,

00:36:36.019 --> 00:36:36.959
 the Lord's anointed,

00:36:37.299 --> 00:36:38.559
 was captured in their pits

00:36:38.559 --> 00:36:39.479
 of whom we said,

00:36:39.719 --> 00:36:40.379
 under his shadow,

00:36:40.519 --> 00:36:41.779
 we shall live among the nations.

00:36:41.879 --> 00:36:42.619
 And he was pursuing

00:36:42.619 --> 00:36:43.319
 other gods.

00:36:43.320 --> 00:36:46.800
 See,

00:36:46.880 --> 00:36:48.880
 you begin with this poem

00:36:48.880 --> 00:36:50.160
 of great horror,

00:36:50.300 --> 00:36:51.000
 and it takes us

00:36:51.000 --> 00:36:52.539
 into unexpected places,

00:36:52.640 --> 00:36:53.100
 doesn't it?

00:36:54.460 --> 00:36:55.620
 That if you don't just

00:36:55.620 --> 00:36:56.660
 read it shallowly

00:36:56.660 --> 00:36:57.519
 and dismiss it,

00:36:57.600 --> 00:36:57.860
 thinking,

00:36:57.980 --> 00:36:58.260
 yeah, yeah,

00:36:58.380 --> 00:36:59.180
 check off a box,

00:36:59.280 --> 00:37:00.600
 more reasons to dislike

00:37:00.600 --> 00:37:01.559
 the triune God,

00:37:01.640 --> 00:37:02.740
 but actually start to realize

00:37:02.740 --> 00:37:03.539
 it's saying something

00:37:03.539 --> 00:37:04.559
 very profound

00:37:04.559 --> 00:37:06.120
 about what it means

00:37:06.120 --> 00:37:06.840
 to be a human being

00:37:06.840 --> 00:37:07.860
 and the nature of reality.

00:37:08.000 --> 00:37:08.660
 And this comes out

00:37:08.660 --> 00:37:09.180
 at the end

00:37:09.180 --> 00:37:11.200
 with the final literary unit,

00:37:11.199 --> 00:37:13.259
 which is verses 21 and 22.

00:37:15.799 --> 00:37:17.139
 And the first part

00:37:17.139 --> 00:37:17.980
 of verse 21,

00:37:18.259 --> 00:37:19.460
 it's not as obvious

00:37:19.460 --> 00:37:20.179
 in English,

00:37:20.379 --> 00:37:21.480
 but it's irony.

00:37:22.179 --> 00:37:22.439
 Okay,

00:37:22.500 --> 00:37:23.219
 it's irony.

00:37:24.139 --> 00:37:24.279
 You know,

00:37:24.299 --> 00:37:25.299
 it's as if you say

00:37:25.299 --> 00:37:27.480
 to your best friend

00:37:27.480 --> 00:37:28.019
 who thinks

00:37:28.019 --> 00:37:29.359
 that it's a really smart way

00:37:29.359 --> 00:37:30.000
 of dealing with

00:37:30.000 --> 00:37:30.659
 their problems

00:37:30.659 --> 00:37:32.939
 to drink a 2-4

00:37:32.939 --> 00:37:34.019
 and go driving

00:37:34.019 --> 00:37:35.679
 or drink a 2-4

00:37:35.679 --> 00:37:37.859
 and play with a loaded gun.

00:37:38.699 --> 00:37:39.839
 And you give up on them.

00:37:39.899 --> 00:37:40.019
 Say,

00:37:40.119 --> 00:37:40.259
 yeah,

00:37:40.279 --> 00:37:40.460
 yeah,

00:37:40.500 --> 00:37:40.699
 sure,

00:37:40.799 --> 00:37:41.119
 go ahead.

00:37:41.199 --> 00:37:41.859
 That's going to work

00:37:41.859 --> 00:37:42.399
 real well.

00:37:42.559 --> 00:37:42.719
 Okay,

00:37:42.739 --> 00:37:43.559
 you have to understand

00:37:43.559 --> 00:37:44.659
 that's what's going on here

00:37:44.659 --> 00:37:45.819
 with the first little part of it.

00:37:46.659 --> 00:37:47.739
 Rejoice and be glad,

00:37:47.839 --> 00:37:48.739
 O daughter of Edom,

00:37:49.139 --> 00:37:49.819
 who dwell,

00:37:50.019 --> 00:37:51.219
 and you who dwell

00:37:51.219 --> 00:37:52.339
 in the land of Uz,

00:37:52.779 --> 00:37:53.759
 but to you also

00:37:53.759 --> 00:37:54.939
 the cup shall pass.

00:37:54.980 --> 00:37:55.679
 Now it's not irony.

00:37:55.819 --> 00:37:56.159
 And by the way,

00:37:56.239 --> 00:37:56.960
 Edom is a,

00:37:57.579 --> 00:37:58.079
 it's a,

00:37:58.460 --> 00:37:58.819
 see,

00:37:58.919 --> 00:37:59.579
 one of the things

00:37:59.579 --> 00:38:00.039
 that God,

00:38:00.299 --> 00:38:01.319
 I believe that God

00:38:01.319 --> 00:38:02.619
 designed the Bible

00:38:02.619 --> 00:38:03.039
 to,

00:38:03.219 --> 00:38:04.219
 it's God's word written,

00:38:04.299 --> 00:38:04.819
 but it's designed

00:38:04.819 --> 00:38:06.139
 to be read in company

00:38:06.139 --> 00:38:07.000
 with others,

00:38:07.639 --> 00:38:08.639
 where there are people

00:38:08.639 --> 00:38:09.659
 who are called

00:38:09.659 --> 00:38:10.679
 by the congregation,

00:38:10.679 --> 00:38:12.219
 recognized as being called

00:38:12.219 --> 00:38:13.139
 by God to study.

00:38:13.419 --> 00:38:13.859
 So one of the things

00:38:13.859 --> 00:38:14.619
 about Edom is,

00:38:14.719 --> 00:38:15.960
 Edom is in a sense,

00:38:16.019 --> 00:38:17.119
 a symbol all the way

00:38:17.119 --> 00:38:18.000
 through the Old Testament,

00:38:18.219 --> 00:38:19.199
 what our Jewish friends

00:38:19.199 --> 00:38:19.919
 call the Tanakh.

00:38:20.559 --> 00:38:21.879
 It's those who hate

00:38:21.879 --> 00:38:24.299
 those who belong to God,

00:38:24.480 --> 00:38:25.839
 who want to belong to God.

00:38:26.119 --> 00:38:27.480
 The Edom is like a symbol.

00:38:27.559 --> 00:38:28.099
 It's like one of those

00:38:28.099 --> 00:38:29.099
 50s westerns

00:38:29.099 --> 00:38:29.980
 where you have the black hats

00:38:29.980 --> 00:38:30.679
 and the white hats.

00:38:31.419 --> 00:38:31.699
 You know,

00:38:31.699 --> 00:38:32.960
 the black hats are the bad guys.

00:38:33.299 --> 00:38:34.679
 We see Edom generally

00:38:34.679 --> 00:38:35.759
 in the Old Testament.

00:38:35.760 --> 00:38:36.300
 It's a,

00:38:36.500 --> 00:38:38.040
 not just describing

00:38:38.040 --> 00:38:38.680
 a people group,

00:38:38.760 --> 00:38:40.500
 it's a symbolic word as well.

00:38:40.600 --> 00:38:41.540
 It's a black hat.

00:38:41.760 --> 00:38:41.860
 It's,

00:38:41.920 --> 00:38:42.980
 it's in a sense,

00:38:43.040 --> 00:38:44.520
 like if we say Wall Street,

00:38:45.020 --> 00:38:45.960
 and Wall Street

00:38:45.960 --> 00:38:47.220
 isn't just mean a street.

00:38:47.340 --> 00:38:48.160
 We know that it means

00:38:48.160 --> 00:38:48.760
 capitalism,

00:38:49.280 --> 00:38:50.620
 it means big business,

00:38:50.900 --> 00:38:51.780
 it means finance,

00:38:52.060 --> 00:38:53.300
 it means all these other things,

00:38:53.300 --> 00:38:54.820
 and that's the same thing here

00:38:54.820 --> 00:38:56.300
 captured by Edom.

00:38:56.400 --> 00:38:56.720
 Okay,

00:38:56.780 --> 00:38:57.440
 the nations.

00:38:57.720 --> 00:38:57.840
 Now,

00:38:57.920 --> 00:38:58.640
 this is the end.

00:38:58.760 --> 00:38:59.100
 This is,

00:38:59.220 --> 00:39:02.380
 this is where we actually see

00:39:02.380 --> 00:39:03.640
 something like hope

00:39:03.639 --> 00:39:04.739
 emerging at the end

00:39:04.739 --> 00:39:05.579
 of these reflections.

00:39:06.719 --> 00:39:08.539
 It's not the full hope

00:39:08.539 --> 00:39:09.519
 that it,

00:39:09.659 --> 00:39:09.839
 anyway,

00:39:10.000 --> 00:39:11.079
 let's read it again.

00:39:11.359 --> 00:39:12.519
 Rejoice and be glad,

00:39:12.679 --> 00:39:13.599
 O daughter of Edom,

00:39:13.879 --> 00:39:15.299
 you who dwell in the land of Uz.

00:39:15.920 --> 00:39:17.019
 Now the irony ends.

00:39:17.940 --> 00:39:18.940
 But to you also

00:39:18.940 --> 00:39:20.099
 the cup shall pass.

00:39:20.799 --> 00:39:22.379
 You shall become drunk

00:39:22.379 --> 00:39:23.900
 and strip yourself bare.

00:39:23.980 --> 00:39:25.079
 The cup is an image

00:39:25.079 --> 00:39:26.119
 of God's judgment.

00:39:27.679 --> 00:39:27.940
 You know,

00:39:27.980 --> 00:39:28.980
 I've shared this before

00:39:28.980 --> 00:39:30.139
 in other contexts.

00:39:30.359 --> 00:39:31.139
 Those of you who really

00:39:31.139 --> 00:39:32.460
 love fantasy movies,

00:39:32.460 --> 00:39:34.440
 this is,

00:39:34.679 --> 00:39:36.039
 you have the type of image.

00:39:36.179 --> 00:39:36.280
 And you,

00:39:36.380 --> 00:39:36.559
 you know,

00:39:36.599 --> 00:39:37.800
 if you watch fantasy movies,

00:39:37.800 --> 00:39:38.539
 you might see

00:39:38.539 --> 00:39:40.639
 somebody trying to capture

00:39:40.639 --> 00:39:42.659
 all of the power of demons

00:39:42.659 --> 00:39:44.579
 or all of the power of evil

00:39:44.579 --> 00:39:44.980
 in it.

00:39:45.460 --> 00:39:45.740
 And,

00:39:45.740 --> 00:39:46.159
 and the,

00:39:46.159 --> 00:39:47.340
 the magician or whatever,

00:39:47.420 --> 00:39:48.039
 the evil magician

00:39:48.039 --> 00:39:48.900
 has this power

00:39:48.900 --> 00:39:50.320
 that all of the evil,

00:39:50.460 --> 00:39:51.360
 all the demons,

00:39:51.579 --> 00:39:52.260
 it becomes usually

00:39:52.260 --> 00:39:53.220
 something black

00:39:53.220 --> 00:39:53.960
 and terrible

00:39:53.960 --> 00:39:54.960
 and they're able

00:39:54.960 --> 00:39:55.699
 to put it in,

00:39:55.760 --> 00:39:56.860
 into some cup

00:39:56.860 --> 00:39:57.840
 that can be drunk.

00:39:57.840 --> 00:40:00.400
 And that,

00:40:00.519 --> 00:40:01.579
 that's the image

00:40:01.579 --> 00:40:02.700
 which is coming here.

00:40:03.559 --> 00:40:04.120
 By the way,

00:40:04.140 --> 00:40:04.280
 it's,

00:40:04.280 --> 00:40:05.000
 it's an image

00:40:05.000 --> 00:40:06.160
 and this is going to be

00:40:06.160 --> 00:40:06.720
 really important

00:40:06.720 --> 00:40:07.140
 in a moment

00:40:07.140 --> 00:40:08.300
 because it's the image

00:40:08.300 --> 00:40:09.519
 if you go to the Gospels

00:40:09.519 --> 00:40:10.000
 and read

00:40:10.000 --> 00:40:11.059
 that one of the images

00:40:11.059 --> 00:40:13.059
 that Jesus uses

00:40:13.059 --> 00:40:15.360
 just before his death

00:40:15.360 --> 00:40:16.980
 is whether he will

00:40:16.980 --> 00:40:19.420
 drink the cup.

00:40:19.420 --> 00:40:25.460
 It's a case

00:40:25.460 --> 00:40:27.700
 where Jesus' prayer,

00:40:28.840 --> 00:40:29.920
 God says no

00:40:29.920 --> 00:40:31.059
 to Jesus' prayer.

00:40:33.579 --> 00:40:34.519
 Jesus says,

00:40:34.720 --> 00:40:34.960
 Father,

00:40:35.099 --> 00:40:36.079
 if it is possible,

00:40:36.240 --> 00:40:37.059
 take this cup

00:40:37.059 --> 00:40:38.019
 far from me.

00:40:39.599 --> 00:40:40.420
 And we know

00:40:40.420 --> 00:40:41.920
 that that does not happen.

00:40:42.159 --> 00:40:43.579
 God does not say yes

00:40:43.579 --> 00:40:44.760
 to Jesus' prayer.

00:40:44.900 --> 00:40:46.300
 God says no

00:40:46.300 --> 00:40:47.900
 to Jesus' prayer.

00:40:47.900 --> 00:40:49.960
 And how you understand

00:40:49.960 --> 00:40:51.260
 the crucifixion

00:40:51.260 --> 00:40:53.079
 is that in Jesus' death

00:40:53.079 --> 00:40:54.340
 upon the cross,

00:40:54.920 --> 00:40:57.099
 he is drinking

00:40:57.099 --> 00:40:58.840
 this cup

00:40:58.840 --> 00:41:00.639
 of the evil

00:41:00.639 --> 00:41:02.480
 of the world.

00:41:07.039 --> 00:41:10.139
 He is consuming it

00:41:10.139 --> 00:41:11.720
 and being consumed

00:41:11.720 --> 00:41:12.639
 by it,

00:41:12.740 --> 00:41:13.880
 the innocent one.

00:41:14.920 --> 00:41:16.740
 None of the substance

00:41:16.740 --> 00:41:17.700
 of that cup

00:41:17.699 --> 00:41:19.119
 comes from him.

00:41:21.919 --> 00:41:23.480
 It all comes

00:41:23.480 --> 00:41:24.500
 from you

00:41:24.500 --> 00:41:25.739
 and me.

00:41:27.599 --> 00:41:28.799
 And it is

00:41:28.799 --> 00:41:29.679
 that cup

00:41:29.679 --> 00:41:32.460
 that he drinks

00:41:32.460 --> 00:41:34.019
 because for you

00:41:34.019 --> 00:41:34.379
 and me

00:41:34.379 --> 00:41:35.579
 to drink that cup,

00:41:37.019 --> 00:41:38.159
 the punishment

00:41:38.159 --> 00:41:38.980
 that befalls

00:41:38.980 --> 00:41:40.299
 Israel

00:41:40.299 --> 00:41:42.199
 depicted in this book

00:41:42.199 --> 00:41:45.879
 would not be

00:41:45.879 --> 00:41:48.059
 it's too light.

00:41:51.059 --> 00:41:51.460
 Rejoice

00:41:51.460 --> 00:41:51.919
 and be glad.

00:41:52.000 --> 00:41:52.480
 Verse 21,

00:41:52.579 --> 00:41:53.259
 O daughter of Edom,

00:41:53.319 --> 00:41:53.899
 you who dwell

00:41:53.899 --> 00:41:54.759
 in the land of Uz,

00:41:54.839 --> 00:41:55.460
 but you also

00:41:55.460 --> 00:41:56.639
 the cup shall pass.

00:41:56.779 --> 00:41:58.239
 You shall become drunk

00:41:58.239 --> 00:41:59.359
 and strip yourself bare.

00:41:59.739 --> 00:42:00.099
 In other words,

00:42:00.159 --> 00:42:01.099
 completely ashamed,

00:42:01.319 --> 00:42:01.739
 unmade.

00:42:02.219 --> 00:42:02.960
 The punishment

00:42:02.960 --> 00:42:03.919
 of your iniquity,

00:42:04.000 --> 00:42:04.960
 O daughter of Zion,

00:42:05.039 --> 00:42:05.699
 is accomplished.

00:42:06.500 --> 00:42:07.460
 He will keep you

00:42:07.460 --> 00:42:08.539
 in exile no longer,

00:42:08.679 --> 00:42:09.460
 but your iniquity,

00:42:09.539 --> 00:42:10.379
 O daughter of Edom,

00:42:10.380 --> 00:42:11.079
 he will punish,

00:42:11.160 --> 00:42:11.760
 he will uncover

00:42:11.760 --> 00:42:12.460
 your sins.

00:42:13.019 --> 00:42:14.420
 It's the dawn of hope

00:42:14.420 --> 00:42:16.059
 to understand

00:42:16.059 --> 00:42:16.760
 they're making

00:42:16.760 --> 00:42:18.820
 this historical claim

00:42:18.820 --> 00:42:20.980
 that part of the punishment

00:42:20.980 --> 00:42:21.840
 that God is visiting

00:42:21.840 --> 00:42:22.440
 upon them,

00:42:22.740 --> 00:42:23.240
 remember I said

00:42:23.240 --> 00:42:24.039
 just punishment

00:42:24.039 --> 00:42:25.420
 has an end

00:42:25.420 --> 00:42:25.880
 with the hope

00:42:25.880 --> 00:42:26.320
 of amendment,

00:42:26.460 --> 00:42:27.059
 that that's coming

00:42:27.059 --> 00:42:27.579
 to the end,

00:42:27.660 --> 00:42:28.740
 but it's a recognition

00:42:28.740 --> 00:42:29.579
 that the people

00:42:29.579 --> 00:42:30.960
 who have destroyed

00:42:30.960 --> 00:42:31.880
 Israel,

00:42:32.140 --> 00:42:33.260
 have destroyed the people,

00:42:33.340 --> 00:42:33.960
 have caused that thing,

00:42:34.019 --> 00:42:34.619
 they did that

00:42:34.619 --> 00:42:35.700
 of their own free will.

00:42:35.800 --> 00:42:36.700
 It was both something

00:42:36.700 --> 00:42:37.260
 that God,

00:42:37.420 --> 00:42:37.900
 in a sense,

00:42:37.900 --> 00:42:38.240
 did,

00:42:38.340 --> 00:42:39.059
 but they did it

00:42:39.059 --> 00:42:40.099
 of their own free will.

00:42:40.539 --> 00:42:41.180
 We might talk about

00:42:41.180 --> 00:42:41.820
 this a little bit

00:42:41.820 --> 00:42:44.139
 in the next talk,

00:42:44.240 --> 00:42:44.920
 but it's of their own

00:42:44.920 --> 00:42:45.440
 free will,

00:42:45.500 --> 00:42:46.480
 and that punishment

00:42:46.480 --> 00:42:47.340
 will fall upon them.

00:42:47.760 --> 00:42:48.920
 But there's two or three

00:42:48.920 --> 00:42:49.559
 final things here,

00:42:49.599 --> 00:42:50.420
 I know my time,

00:42:50.480 --> 00:42:51.160
 and I need to draw

00:42:51.160 --> 00:42:51.860
 it to a close.

00:42:53.139 --> 00:42:54.579
 The first thing here

00:42:54.579 --> 00:42:55.860
 is this line,

00:42:56.559 --> 00:42:57.440
 in verse 22,

00:42:57.539 --> 00:42:58.059
 the punishment

00:42:58.059 --> 00:42:58.960
 of your iniquity,

00:42:59.059 --> 00:43:00.119
 O daughter of Zion,

00:43:00.300 --> 00:43:01.579
 is accomplished.

00:43:02.840 --> 00:43:04.340
 What does Jesus say

00:43:04.340 --> 00:43:05.639
 on the cross?

00:43:05.639 --> 00:43:07.420
 It's either the last

00:43:07.420 --> 00:43:08.339
 or the second last

00:43:08.339 --> 00:43:10.019
 very words that he speaks.

00:43:10.379 --> 00:43:11.019
 It is,

00:43:11.159 --> 00:43:12.619
 it is finished.

00:43:12.980 --> 00:43:13.920
 In Greek,

00:43:14.059 --> 00:43:14.339
 it is,

00:43:14.400 --> 00:43:15.859
 also can be translated

00:43:15.859 --> 00:43:16.279
 as,

00:43:16.440 --> 00:43:18.779
 it is accomplished.

00:43:21.480 --> 00:43:22.239
 You see,

00:43:22.319 --> 00:43:23.539
 this story

00:43:23.539 --> 00:43:25.000
 is preparing you

00:43:25.000 --> 00:43:25.699
 for this

00:43:25.699 --> 00:43:26.559
 great,

00:43:26.759 --> 00:43:28.019
 true and greater

00:43:28.019 --> 00:43:29.299
 judgment,

00:43:29.679 --> 00:43:30.279
 and true

00:43:30.279 --> 00:43:31.099
 and greater

00:43:31.099 --> 00:43:31.839
 punishment,

00:43:32.159 --> 00:43:32.679
 and true

00:43:32.679 --> 00:43:33.259
 and greater

00:43:33.259 --> 00:43:33.879
 salvation

00:43:33.880 --> 00:43:34.740
 for punishment

00:43:34.740 --> 00:43:35.720
 that is going

00:43:35.720 --> 00:43:36.059
 to come.

00:43:36.119 --> 00:43:36.300
 You see,

00:43:36.360 --> 00:43:36.660
 the book

00:43:36.660 --> 00:43:37.400
 sets before you

00:43:37.400 --> 00:43:37.740
 riddles.

00:43:38.140 --> 00:43:38.920
 It's depicted

00:43:38.920 --> 00:43:39.960
 how on earth

00:43:39.960 --> 00:43:40.340
 is it,

00:43:40.579 --> 00:43:41.740
 how deeply evil

00:43:41.740 --> 00:43:42.559
 that human beings

00:43:42.559 --> 00:43:42.980
 can be.

00:43:43.059 --> 00:43:43.920
 It's pointed an image

00:43:43.920 --> 00:43:44.900
 to how deeply evil

00:43:44.900 --> 00:43:45.480
 we can be,

00:43:45.519 --> 00:43:46.360
 yet at the same time

00:43:46.360 --> 00:43:47.480
 it points to this fact

00:43:47.480 --> 00:43:48.260
 that there's something

00:43:48.260 --> 00:43:49.539
 deeply precious

00:43:49.539 --> 00:43:50.140
 about us,

00:43:50.360 --> 00:43:51.740
 and it points to the fact

00:43:51.740 --> 00:43:52.960
 that justice means

00:43:52.960 --> 00:43:54.420
 that harm has to be done.

00:43:54.780 --> 00:43:55.440
 But how can,

00:43:55.559 --> 00:43:56.700
 how can this happen?

00:43:56.820 --> 00:43:57.599
 How can God

00:43:57.599 --> 00:43:58.460
 do justice

00:43:58.460 --> 00:43:59.519
 at the same time

00:43:59.519 --> 00:44:01.380
 rescuing people

00:44:01.380 --> 00:44:02.140
 who are precious

00:44:02.140 --> 00:44:03.140
 and yet properly

00:44:03.140 --> 00:44:04.180
 dealing with evil?

00:44:04.260 --> 00:44:05.360
 And how can he do that

00:44:05.360 --> 00:44:06.019
 when there are still

00:44:06.019 --> 00:44:07.460
 people doing this

00:44:07.460 --> 00:44:08.180
 to their children

00:44:08.180 --> 00:44:09.119
 and are still doing

00:44:09.119 --> 00:44:10.200
 things which are evil?

00:44:10.539 --> 00:44:10.960
 Because you see,

00:44:11.019 --> 00:44:11.660
 the fact of the matter

00:44:11.660 --> 00:44:11.980
 is,

00:44:12.780 --> 00:44:13.340
 it could have been,

00:44:13.579 --> 00:44:14.460
 this isn't,

00:44:14.599 --> 00:44:15.559
 Christians aren't ones,

00:44:15.680 --> 00:44:17.140
 at least not a well-instructed

00:44:17.140 --> 00:44:17.340
 Christian,

00:44:17.420 --> 00:44:18.280
 never say that we sort

00:44:18.280 --> 00:44:18.900
 of have arrived,

00:44:19.019 --> 00:44:19.680
 that we're the elite,

00:44:19.780 --> 00:44:20.579
 that we don't do those

00:44:20.579 --> 00:44:20.820
 things,

00:44:20.880 --> 00:44:21.460
 that we're better than others.

00:44:21.740 --> 00:44:22.140
 No!

00:44:23.480 --> 00:44:24.079
 Mel Gibson,

00:44:24.240 --> 00:44:24.539
 I'm sure,

00:44:24.599 --> 00:44:25.039
 is a very,

00:44:25.119 --> 00:44:25.340
 very,

00:44:25.420 --> 00:44:26.360
 very bad man,

00:44:26.420 --> 00:44:27.420
 but he did one thing

00:44:27.420 --> 00:44:28.160
 which was very,

00:44:28.260 --> 00:44:29.539
 very deeply Christian,

00:44:29.700 --> 00:44:30.700
 is that when he filmed

00:44:30.699 --> 00:44:31.239
 that movie,

00:44:31.299 --> 00:44:32.379
 The Passion of the Christ,

00:44:33.039 --> 00:44:34.319
 there's only one time

00:44:34.319 --> 00:44:35.339
 he appears in the movie

00:44:35.339 --> 00:44:36.439
 and it's not known

00:44:36.439 --> 00:44:37.239
 unless you read

00:44:37.239 --> 00:44:38.059
 some of the other notes

00:44:38.059 --> 00:44:38.460
 about it.

00:44:38.500 --> 00:44:39.199
 And the one place

00:44:39.199 --> 00:44:39.779
 he appears

00:44:39.779 --> 00:44:41.579
 is that when you see

00:44:41.579 --> 00:44:42.919
 in that movie,

00:44:43.000 --> 00:44:43.939
 The Passion of the Christ,

00:44:44.079 --> 00:44:44.980
 Jesus being nailed

00:44:44.980 --> 00:44:45.639
 to the cross,

00:44:45.759 --> 00:44:47.939
 those are Mel Gibson's hands

00:44:47.939 --> 00:44:49.419
 nailing Jesus

00:44:49.419 --> 00:44:50.099
 to the cross

00:44:50.099 --> 00:44:51.099
 and every Christian

00:44:51.099 --> 00:44:51.819
 should say,

00:44:52.179 --> 00:44:52.980
 it could have been

00:44:52.980 --> 00:44:53.639
 my hands

00:44:53.639 --> 00:44:54.399
 that nailed Jesus

00:44:54.399 --> 00:44:55.199
 to the cross.

00:44:56.119 --> 00:44:57.159
 But God does not

00:44:57.159 --> 00:44:58.059
 weigh my merits,

00:44:58.139 --> 00:44:59.439
 he pardons my offenses.

00:45:00.699 --> 00:45:03.739
 And this is pointing

00:45:03.739 --> 00:45:05.279
 to a true and greater thing

00:45:05.279 --> 00:45:06.419
 and a true and just as this

00:45:06.419 --> 00:45:08.199
 judgment happens in history,

00:45:08.799 --> 00:45:10.000
 this mighty thing

00:45:10.000 --> 00:45:10.939
 that God does

00:45:10.939 --> 00:45:12.199
 happens in history,

00:45:12.299 --> 00:45:13.659
 it happens in real life,

00:45:13.719 --> 00:45:14.939
 that's why what Jesus

00:45:14.939 --> 00:45:15.879
 does on the cross,

00:45:16.239 --> 00:45:17.379
 he who is blameless

00:45:17.379 --> 00:45:17.980
 and perfect,

00:45:18.419 --> 00:45:19.399
 he who contributes

00:45:19.399 --> 00:45:20.399
 nothing to the cup

00:45:20.399 --> 00:45:21.059
 of God's wrath,

00:45:21.199 --> 00:45:22.299
 he drinks this cup

00:45:22.299 --> 00:45:23.059
 of God's wrath

00:45:23.059 --> 00:45:24.239
 and while he's,

00:45:24.359 --> 00:45:25.619
 just as before he dies,

00:45:25.719 --> 00:45:26.919
 he says it is accomplished,

00:45:27.359 --> 00:45:28.059
 the judgment

00:45:28.059 --> 00:45:29.039
 that you deserve

00:45:29.039 --> 00:45:30.119
 falls on him,

00:45:30.199 --> 00:45:30.639
 the judgment

00:45:30.639 --> 00:45:31.619
 that I deserve

00:45:31.619 --> 00:45:32.679
 falls on him

00:45:32.679 --> 00:45:34.259
 and the relationship

00:45:34.259 --> 00:45:34.880
 with God

00:45:34.880 --> 00:45:36.519
 that I don't,

00:45:36.619 --> 00:45:37.340
 that he deserved

00:45:37.340 --> 00:45:38.159
 but I don't

00:45:38.159 --> 00:45:39.159
 is offered to me

00:45:39.159 --> 00:45:40.400
 because he dies

00:45:40.400 --> 00:45:41.259
 in my place

00:45:41.259 --> 00:45:42.099
 as my substitute,

00:45:42.219 --> 00:45:43.059
 as my sacrifice.

00:45:46.259 --> 00:45:46.940
 You see,

00:45:46.980 --> 00:45:47.420
 it's pointing

00:45:47.420 --> 00:45:48.239
 to a true

00:45:48.239 --> 00:45:49.719
 and greater sacrifice,

00:45:49.960 --> 00:45:50.420
 a true

00:45:50.420 --> 00:45:51.579
 and greater grace,

00:45:51.719 --> 00:45:52.119
 a true

00:45:52.119 --> 00:45:53.099
 and greater justice,

00:45:53.259 --> 00:45:53.639
 a true

00:45:53.639 --> 00:45:54.579
 and greater mercy,

00:45:54.579 --> 00:45:56.920
 that as you begin

00:45:56.920 --> 00:45:57.840
 to understand it,

00:45:57.880 --> 00:45:58.500
 you recognize

00:45:58.500 --> 00:45:59.679
 that it's true

00:45:59.679 --> 00:46:00.360
 as true

00:46:00.360 --> 00:46:01.420
 as the deepest beauty,

00:46:01.639 --> 00:46:03.279
 true as the truth

00:46:03.279 --> 00:46:04.219
 of the best music,

00:46:04.460 --> 00:46:06.659
 true as the best math,

00:46:06.860 --> 00:46:09.519
 true as the best history,

00:46:09.819 --> 00:46:10.880
 true as the best thing

00:46:10.880 --> 00:46:11.239
 that happened

00:46:11.239 --> 00:46:11.819
 in the real world,

00:46:12.019 --> 00:46:12.679
 true as happens

00:46:12.679 --> 00:46:13.880
 in the best emotional truth,

00:46:14.139 --> 00:46:15.179
 that it's true

00:46:15.179 --> 00:46:16.659
 in the deepest way

00:46:16.659 --> 00:46:17.440
 that satisfies

00:46:17.440 --> 00:46:18.199
 our longings

00:46:18.199 --> 00:46:18.880
 and our yearnings

00:46:18.880 --> 00:46:19.860
 and it points

00:46:19.860 --> 00:46:20.619
 to that great end.

00:46:20.619 --> 00:46:23.159
 There's one other thing

00:46:23.159 --> 00:46:24.199
 just really in closing

00:46:24.199 --> 00:46:24.900
 for those of us

00:46:24.900 --> 00:46:25.440
 who are in Christ

00:46:25.440 --> 00:46:26.299
 that I hope you get

00:46:26.299 --> 00:46:27.539
 from watching all of this,

00:46:27.839 --> 00:46:28.859
 from reading this book.

00:46:29.980 --> 00:46:30.880
 Some of you,

00:46:31.699 --> 00:46:32.539
 lovers of Jesus,

00:46:33.059 --> 00:46:33.659
 are in the midst

00:46:33.659 --> 00:46:34.159
 of ruins

00:46:34.159 --> 00:46:36.179
 and one of the things

00:46:36.179 --> 00:46:37.279
 which is so powerful

00:46:37.279 --> 00:46:38.199
 about this book

00:46:38.199 --> 00:46:39.880
 is you have this

00:46:39.880 --> 00:46:40.579
 high point

00:46:40.579 --> 00:46:41.940
 of the steadfast love

00:46:41.940 --> 00:46:42.359
 of the Lord

00:46:42.359 --> 00:46:43.179
 never faileth,

00:46:43.259 --> 00:46:43.859
 his mercies

00:46:43.859 --> 00:46:44.940
 never come to an end,

00:46:45.019 --> 00:46:45.500
 they are new

00:46:45.500 --> 00:46:46.239
 every morning.

00:46:47.359 --> 00:46:47.619
 Like,

00:46:47.920 --> 00:46:48.880
 it comes in the middle

00:46:48.880 --> 00:46:49.539
 but afterwards

00:46:49.539 --> 00:46:50.179
 you're sort of

00:46:50.179 --> 00:46:51.039
 expecting that

00:46:51.039 --> 00:46:52.519
 there won't be any pain

00:46:52.519 --> 00:46:53.099
 or anything like that

00:46:53.099 --> 00:46:53.679
 but we all know

00:46:53.679 --> 00:46:54.539
 that pain just doesn't

00:46:54.539 --> 00:46:55.559
 go away quickly

00:46:55.559 --> 00:46:57.039
 and this whole thing

00:46:57.039 --> 00:46:57.960
 of lamentations

00:46:57.960 --> 00:46:58.599
 is there's this

00:46:58.599 --> 00:47:00.179
 in the heart-filled pain

00:47:00.179 --> 00:47:01.500
 has this seed of hope

00:47:01.500 --> 00:47:02.480
 that somehow

00:47:02.480 --> 00:47:04.599
 God will accomplish

00:47:04.599 --> 00:47:05.960
 this dealing

00:47:05.960 --> 00:47:06.659
 with iniquity

00:47:06.659 --> 00:47:07.539
 and they could only

00:47:07.539 --> 00:47:08.440
 hope that it would happen.

00:47:08.579 --> 00:47:09.199
 We now know

00:47:09.199 --> 00:47:09.960
 that it happened

00:47:09.960 --> 00:47:11.480
 but we get this

00:47:11.480 --> 00:47:12.940
 profound invitation

00:47:12.940 --> 00:47:14.399
 that when you understand

00:47:14.399 --> 00:47:15.500
 that Jesus has died

00:47:15.500 --> 00:47:15.839
 for you,

00:47:15.919 --> 00:47:17.119
 that he has dealt

00:47:17.119 --> 00:47:18.519
 with all that separates

00:47:18.519 --> 00:47:18.980
 from you,

00:47:19.399 --> 00:47:19.919
 from God,

00:47:19.920 --> 00:47:20.559
 that when you put

00:47:20.559 --> 00:47:21.460
 your faith in him

00:47:21.460 --> 00:47:22.360
 you become his child

00:47:22.360 --> 00:47:23.159
 by adoption of grace

00:47:23.159 --> 00:47:24.940
 you have the freedom

00:47:24.940 --> 00:47:25.639
 and permission

00:47:25.639 --> 00:47:26.400
 when in the midst

00:47:26.400 --> 00:47:27.119
 of your ruins

00:47:27.119 --> 00:47:27.599
 in the midst

00:47:27.599 --> 00:47:28.320
 of your pain

00:47:28.320 --> 00:47:29.940
 to express your pain

00:47:29.940 --> 00:47:30.380
 to him,

00:47:30.519 --> 00:47:31.300
 to point out

00:47:31.300 --> 00:47:32.700
 the ruins of your life,

00:47:32.980 --> 00:47:33.500
 to pour out

00:47:33.500 --> 00:47:34.420
 your heart to him.

00:47:34.579 --> 00:47:35.579
 You don't have to wait

00:47:35.579 --> 00:47:36.639
 until you've accomplished

00:47:36.639 --> 00:47:37.559
 some type of

00:47:37.559 --> 00:47:38.920
 dealing with your emotions

00:47:38.920 --> 00:47:39.840
 or some type

00:47:39.840 --> 00:47:41.099
 of spiritual breakthrough

00:47:41.099 --> 00:47:42.200
 or some type

00:47:42.200 --> 00:47:43.019
 of great peace.

00:47:43.260 --> 00:47:44.240
 You can pour out

00:47:44.240 --> 00:47:44.700
 your heart,

00:47:45.019 --> 00:47:46.360
 pour out your incoherence.

00:47:46.460 --> 00:47:47.260
 He's not waiting

00:47:47.260 --> 00:47:48.340
 for you to be coherent,

00:47:48.340 --> 00:47:49.460
 he's just waiting

00:47:49.460 --> 00:47:51.019
 for you to talk

00:47:51.019 --> 00:47:51.460
 to him.

00:47:55.620 --> 00:47:57.420
 That his grace

00:47:57.420 --> 00:47:57.880
 will start

00:47:57.880 --> 00:47:58.860
 to shape your pain.

00:48:00.320 --> 00:48:00.740
 You see,

00:48:00.800 --> 00:48:01.180
 one of the things

00:48:01.180 --> 00:48:01.920
 about the text,

00:48:02.420 --> 00:48:04.000
 if the acrostic

00:48:04.000 --> 00:48:04.800
 in chapter 1

00:48:04.800 --> 00:48:05.519
 and chapter 2,

00:48:05.620 --> 00:48:06.800
 acrostic on steroids

00:48:06.800 --> 00:48:07.740
 in chapter 3,

00:48:07.840 --> 00:48:08.539
 in chapter 4

00:48:08.539 --> 00:48:09.320
 the acrostics

00:48:09.320 --> 00:48:11.019
 are one-third less

00:48:11.019 --> 00:48:12.679
 and by the end,

00:48:12.759 --> 00:48:13.840
 which is a final prayer,

00:48:13.940 --> 00:48:15.000
 the acrostic structure

00:48:15.000 --> 00:48:16.159
 is broken down.

00:48:16.820 --> 00:48:17.559
 Pain doesn't just

00:48:17.559 --> 00:48:18.460
 go away right away.

00:48:19.980 --> 00:48:20.759
 You can pour out

00:48:20.759 --> 00:48:21.259
 your heart

00:48:21.259 --> 00:48:22.960
 to Jesus.

00:48:24.780 --> 00:48:25.099
 Friends,

00:48:25.239 --> 00:48:26.519
 if we're going

00:48:26.519 --> 00:48:27.179
 to close in prayer,

00:48:27.219 --> 00:48:27.800
 I just want to put

00:48:27.800 --> 00:48:28.400
 out an invitation.

00:48:28.619 --> 00:48:29.659
 If you're curious

00:48:29.659 --> 00:48:30.099
 to know more

00:48:30.099 --> 00:48:31.119
 about the way of Jesus,

00:48:32.000 --> 00:48:32.860
 give us a call.

00:48:32.960 --> 00:48:33.780
 We'd love to connect you

00:48:33.780 --> 00:48:34.539
 with them by email.

00:48:34.639 --> 00:48:35.380
 We'd love to connect you

00:48:35.380 --> 00:48:35.780
 with somebody

00:48:35.780 --> 00:48:36.659
 who'd like to talk about it.

00:48:36.699 --> 00:48:37.699
 There's Bible study groups

00:48:37.699 --> 00:48:38.280
 where you can ask

00:48:38.280 --> 00:48:39.159
 your honest questions.

00:48:39.159 --> 00:48:39.719
 We're going to be

00:48:39.719 --> 00:48:40.619
 actually organizing

00:48:40.619 --> 00:48:41.619
 something very soon

00:48:41.619 --> 00:48:43.179
 called Christianity Explored,

00:48:43.639 --> 00:48:44.420
 hopefully within

00:48:44.420 --> 00:48:45.339
 the next couple of weeks

00:48:45.339 --> 00:48:46.000
 where once again

00:48:46.000 --> 00:48:46.539
 you can bring

00:48:46.539 --> 00:48:47.379
 your honest questions

00:48:47.379 --> 00:48:48.579
 and meet with others.

00:48:49.319 --> 00:48:50.379
 And if this has

00:48:50.379 --> 00:48:50.980
 touched your heart,

00:48:51.059 --> 00:48:52.119
 there's no better time now

00:48:52.119 --> 00:48:52.799
 than to call out

00:48:52.799 --> 00:48:53.739
 to Jesus and say,

00:48:53.819 --> 00:48:54.099
 Jesus,

00:48:54.359 --> 00:48:55.279
 I need someone

00:48:55.279 --> 00:48:56.239
 who understands

00:48:56.239 --> 00:48:56.779
 the mystery

00:48:56.779 --> 00:48:57.599
 and the paradox

00:48:57.599 --> 00:48:58.239
 of what it means

00:48:58.239 --> 00:48:58.899
 to be human

00:48:58.899 --> 00:49:01.440
 and that in the truth

00:49:01.440 --> 00:49:02.079
 of history

00:49:02.079 --> 00:49:02.619
 and the truth

00:49:02.619 --> 00:49:03.199
 of poetry

00:49:03.199 --> 00:49:04.039
 and the truth

00:49:04.039 --> 00:49:04.599
 of beauty

00:49:04.599 --> 00:49:08.039
 has actually solved

00:49:08.039 --> 00:49:08.699
 the longings

00:49:08.699 --> 00:49:09.339
 and the answers

00:49:09.339 --> 00:49:09.960
 and the puzzles

00:49:09.960 --> 00:49:12.939
 and the inescapable things

00:49:12.939 --> 00:49:13.619
 about my life

00:49:13.619 --> 00:49:14.039
 and heart

00:49:14.039 --> 00:49:14.819
 to make me right

00:49:14.819 --> 00:49:15.259
 with you.

00:49:16.039 --> 00:49:17.079
 No better time now

00:49:17.079 --> 00:49:17.839
 than just to call out

00:49:17.839 --> 00:49:18.119
 to him

00:49:18.119 --> 00:49:19.259
 and ask him

00:49:19.259 --> 00:49:19.919
 to be your Savior

00:49:19.919 --> 00:49:20.480
 and your Lord.

00:49:21.219 --> 00:49:21.739
 Tell somebody

00:49:21.739 --> 00:49:22.519
 you've done it as well.

00:49:22.919 --> 00:49:23.480
 Let's just close

00:49:23.480 --> 00:49:25.259
 this time with prayer.

00:49:25.379 --> 00:49:25.619
 Father,

00:49:25.839 --> 00:49:27.359
 we ask that the Holy Spirit

00:49:27.359 --> 00:49:28.539
 would bring this word

00:49:28.539 --> 00:49:29.000
 of yours

00:49:29.000 --> 00:49:30.099
 deep into our heart,

00:49:30.219 --> 00:49:30.819
 these truths

00:49:30.819 --> 00:49:31.939
 deep into our heart,

00:49:32.059 --> 00:49:33.359
 that you would both

00:49:33.359 --> 00:49:34.379
 humble us

00:49:34.379 --> 00:49:35.379
 but create within us

00:49:35.379 --> 00:49:36.119
 a deep longing

00:49:36.119 --> 00:49:36.639
 and yearning

00:49:36.639 --> 00:49:37.719
 to know more of Jesus,

00:49:37.980 --> 00:49:38.900
 to know more of you,

00:49:39.319 --> 00:49:40.079
 Father, Son,

00:49:40.159 --> 00:49:40.960
 and Holy Spirit,

00:49:41.079 --> 00:49:41.719
 three persons,

00:49:41.859 --> 00:49:42.339
 one God,

00:49:42.440 --> 00:49:43.039
 forever and ever.

00:49:43.519 --> 00:49:44.679
 And all God's people said,

00:49:45.400 --> 00:49:45.659
 Amen.