WEBVTT

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 Well friends, I'm very grateful to be with you and what a beautiful place this is.

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 I've never been here before.

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 I mean, I've been around Lake Macquarie before, but I haven't been to this particular spot.

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 It really is lovely, isn't it?

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 I'm looking forward to seeing it in the morning.

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 And congratulations on getting here.

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 It's very difficult on a Friday afternoon, Friday evening to get to places in particular.

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 Congratulations to anyone who's come with children.

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 I always admire very much parents with young kids who manage to get away to weekends like this.

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 It's really, really hard work.

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 You probably won't get any sleep tonight if you're in that category.

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 They'll sleep tomorrow night.

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 They'll be absolutely exhausted.

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 But well done for coming because it really is worthwhile and a great contribution to everyone else that you make the effort to be here.

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 I'm sure that a number of people in that category will have understandably decided to come tomorrow.

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 They're the wimps, of course.

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 But that's understandable.

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 We look forward to welcoming them.

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 Friends, this weekend I'm doing something I haven't done before and I warn you of that.

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 I'm not sure it's going to work all that well.

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 So you're the guinea pigs.

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 I want to look with you a little bit at this extraordinary, extraordinary man in the pages of the Bible by the name of Elisha.

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 We'll only be having some glimpses.

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 And particularly tonight I'm going to be just really talking around introducing the subject, looking at why we're looking at this subject, trying to set some sort of context for it.

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 And we will before we get to the end, at least that's my plan, we will actually meet Elisha briefly tonight.

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 And then we'll be dipping into just a few little points in his life.

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 The story is a big story, a really, really important story for reasons that I hope will become clear.

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 But it's a strange thing to be doing.

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 Elisha lived round about 850 years before the birth of Jesus.

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 So we're going back a long, long way.

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 He was living in Israel, that part of the world that always seems to be turbulent.

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 And it was turbulent in his days.

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 But you could be forgiven if you start wondering, come on, of all the things we could be doing this weekend, of all the things we could be thinking about in our troubled world,

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 if all the things we could be putting our minds to, you're going to take us back 2,000 plus 850 years to look at a man way back then?

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 Yes, that's what we're going to do.

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 And I hope that you will see that it really is a very, very important thing that we're doing.

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 So before we introduce him, I want to spend a few minutes thinking about why we're doing this.

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 The Bible is remarkable.

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 Now I think if you're a Christian person you know that.

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 But I wonder whether we appreciate just how remarkable.

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 I've been reminded recently of the dimensions of how remarkable the Bible is.

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 I've been reading what I think is quite an important new book by a highly respected historian by the name of Tom Holland.

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 He's not a Christian believer.

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 That's important to remember.

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 He's not a Christian believer.

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 But he demonstrates in this major book, it's a big book, and it's been very widely read and it's very widely respected.

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 And he demonstrates that it was the Bible that introduced to the world ideas like human rights, equality, freedom, tolerance,

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 and quite a number of other really important values that are recognised and valued by almost everyone in a country like Australia.

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 We have debates around them, of course.

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 But there are not that many people in Australia who want to dismiss those ideas as not valuable ideas.

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 And what he demonstrates is that apart from the influence of the Bible, societies and cultures have not developed those important concepts.

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 And he has come to understand that almost everything that he loves in today's world, although he himself is not a Christian believer,

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 has come from the influence of the Bible.

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 He has this really intriguing question.

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 He asks, this is one of many questions.

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 He asks, how did the human race ever learn, listen to this one, how did the human race ever learn that it is more noble to suffer than to inflict suffering?

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 Now, I think if you talk to almost anyone in Australia today, they'd agree with that proposition as a generalisation.

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 Okay?

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 That it's more noble to suffer than to inflict suffering.

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 Tom Holland points out that no ancient society believed that.

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 And it was the suffering of Jesus on the cross and the impact of the gospel message about the death of Jesus on the world where that message has gone

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 that taught us, that was unheard of in the world before.

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 Or in the world uninfluenced by Jesus, that is, by the Bible.

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 I found the Tom Holland story quite fascinating.

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 I still can't quite work out why he isn't a Christian, but he's not.

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 And he's quite emphatic that he's not.

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 That's another story.

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 But he's a man who, in his youth, in his childhood, did go to Sunday school and learnt the Sunday school stories.

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 And he tells the story of how, in those days, he found that he was much more interested by all the bad people in the Bible.

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 He was fascinated by the Egyptians and the Romans and the Babylonians and the Assyrians.

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 And he grew up to become a historical scholar.

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 And he's written major books, major scholarly books on those groups of people.

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 But he came to a point about something like 15, 20 years ago, when he said,

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 I'm fascinated by the Assyrians, the Babylonians and the Egyptians and the Romans, but I don't love them.

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 I love the culture that I have been brought up in, and I love lots of things about it, but I don't love any of these cultures.

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 And so he set out on a scholarly exercise, and it took about 15 years, and only last year this book was published,

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 where he came to the conclusion, and it's being widely accepted, it is being debated, but it's being widely accepted.

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 I'm quite sure he's right.

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 He's right on the money and the conclusions he's come to.

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 But he's come to the conclusion that all of those things that he loves, like respect for human rights,

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 like the equality of human beings, like it's more noble to suffer than to inflict suffering,

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 the things that he sees as quite distinctive have all come from the Bible.

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 However, it's more than that.

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 And I'm not sure that Tom Holland actually grasps this bit.

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 Because the Bible has had this powerful impact on the world, and so much of the world,

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 as a side effect of its main purpose.

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 See, the Bible's own claim is that in this book, God himself addresses the human race.

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 That's what the Bible claims.

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 It is not primarily a book about human rights, and equality, and freedom, and tolerance, and suffering, and so on.

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 It's a book about the God who created all things, and who has done so purposefully,

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 and is committed to bringing his good purposes for all things to completion.

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 The Bible tells us the story that makes sense of the world and of human life.

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 True sense.

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 As we read and learn from the Bible, we're learning from God himself, from our Creator.

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 The Bible is what God wants humans to know, as they live the lives that he has given them in the world that he has made.

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 If that's what the Bible is, and Tom Holland doesn't get this,

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 but if that's what the Bible is, it's no surprise that it's had a huge impact,

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 and that the impact has been so very, very largely for good,

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 indisputably for good,

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 on the societies and cultures into which the Bible has come,

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 and been heard, and had an impact.

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 But that is a side effect of the purpose of the Bible,

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 which is summed up in the words, I'll just take the words of 2 Timothy 3, verse 15,

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 if you're taking notes, which describes the Bible like this,

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 the sacred writings which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

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 Now friends, that's what God wants us to know.

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 That's how our lives connect to God's purpose for the whole of his creation.

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 As we listen to the Bible, any and every part of the Bible,

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 we can learn lots of things.

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 We can learn about human rights and equality and freedom and so on.

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 That's fine.

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 But God's purpose for the Bible, that he has given us,

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 is that we will be drawn to Jesus Christ,

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 and that we'll learn to trust him,

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 and so be saved.

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 Now let's remember that,

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 as we travel back in time,

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 to the 850s BC,

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 to meet the remarkable man whose story we'll be glancing at together.

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 We'll just be dipping into his story.

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 We'll start in a few moments.

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 We're going to leave an awful lot of his story untouched,

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 but that's all right.

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 That's the limited time we have.

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 The man's name, as I've mentioned,

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 is Elisha,

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 and his story starts in the passage that was read to us a few moments ago

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 at the end of 1 Kings 19.

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 His story continues into the book of 2 Kings,

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 and since my guess is that these books,

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 1 and 2 Kings,

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 are not exactly the most familiar books in the Bible,

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 I want to take a few moments now to sketch what 1 and 2 Kings are about.

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 Okay, we're doing a lot of introductory work tonight.

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 Sorry we're doing that on a Friday night when everybody's a bit weary,

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 but just see if you can bear with me.

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 Stand up and walk around if it helps,

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 whatever you want to do.

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 But I want to sketch what these books of 1 and 2 Kings are about,

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 and we're going to think,

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 well, what's the significance of the story they tell

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 before we come back and look at this particular character?

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 1 Kings,

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 and the notes might help you just to follow what I'm saying here.

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 1 Kings begins with who?

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 Tell me who's at the beginning of 1 Kings.

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 Who's the big guy at the beginning of 1 Kings?

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 Solomon, yes.

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 Solomon.

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 Solomon, the son of?

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 The great King David.

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 And at the beginning of 1 Kings,

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 Solomon becomes king.

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 King of God's Old Testament people, Israel.

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 And what a king he was.

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 I don't know whether you've read the story of Solomon's kingdom recently.

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 I have.

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 You may remember that God had made a promise to David,

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 Solomon's father,

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 that a son of David would one day reign over a kingdom

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 that would never end.

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 That promise is back in 2 Samuel chapter 7.

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 Christians know that the son of David

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 who fulfills that promise really is Jesus.

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 But long, long before Jesus,

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 there was David's son Solomon.

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 And for a short time,

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 it would have been possible to think

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 that Solomon's kingdom was the promised kingdom

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 because it was so good.

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 It was a kingdom of peace.

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 There was no war.

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 There was no conflict.

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 There were no external threats.

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 It was a kingdom of prosperity.

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 The economy went really, really well

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 in King Solomon's kingdom.

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 And Solomon himself was a good king.

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 A wise king.

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 And I reckon,

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 if you'd been there,

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 then,

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 you may well have thought,

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 this is it.

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 We've arrived.

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 This is not only what God promised David,

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 it's what God promised Abraham

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 centuries earlier again.

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 That the descendants of Abraham

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 would enjoy God's blessing

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 and they would be a blessing to the world.

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 That's what Solomon's kingdom felt like.

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 It felt like we'd arrived.

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 It was so, so good.

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 One of the things that Solomon did,

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 perhaps the most important thing he did,

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 was to build a magnificent building in Jerusalem.

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 We often call it the temple.

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 The Bible doesn't actually call it the temple.

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 Sorry, in 1 and 2 Kings,

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 it's not called the temple.

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 It's called the house for the name of the Lord.

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 We're not going into any more details of Solomon here,

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 but life in Solomon's kingdom

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 could be summed up by the words

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 of 1 Kings 4, verse 20.

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 It goes like this,

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 Judah and Israel were as many as the sand by the sea.

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 They ate and they drank and they were happy.

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 Good days.

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 No bushfires.

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 No coronavirus.

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 None of the troubles of our world.

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 It was a great, great time.

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 It was, in fact, an anticipation,

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 a kind of foretaste, if you like,

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 a kind of picture of the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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 We can now see that looking back.

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 The kingdom that Jesus will finally bring.

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 And as such, Solomon's kingdom was the high point

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 of the whole Old Testament story.

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 But, as I'm sure you know,

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 Solomon's kingdom did not last.

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 Indeed, one of the lessons of the story of Solomon's kingdom

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 is this,

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 that Solomon,

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 great and good though he was,

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 was not great or good enough.

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 And indeed, in his old age,

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 he lost the plot badly.

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 He got involved with a whole lot of foreign women

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 who, we're told in 1 Kings chapter 11,

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 turned away his heart after other gods

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 and his heart was not wholly true

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 to the Lord his God.

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 And he introduced the worship

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 of these other gods into Israel.

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 And with them,

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 the corruption that always goes

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 with having gods that are not God.

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 And to cut a long story short,

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 Solomon's great kingdom collapsed.

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 After he died,

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 it split into two inferior kingdoms.

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 That's 1 Kings chapter 12.

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 In the north,

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 was the kingdom that retained the name Israel.

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 To the south,

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 there was a smaller kingdom

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 that was known as Judah.

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 Judah had Jerusalem.

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 Judah had the house for the name of the Lord

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 that Solomon had built.

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 The throne in Judah

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 was passed on generation after generation

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 to descendants of David and Solomon.

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 But in Israel,

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 the northern bit,

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 the northern breakaway kingdom,

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 the throne kept changing hands,

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 very often by an assassination

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 or a coup of some kind.

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 The kings in the north consistently adopted

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 and maintained policies

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 to keep their people away from Jerusalem,

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 away from the house for the name of the Lord,

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 away from the son of David

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 who was reigning down there,

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 away from any possibility of them hearing

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 the promises that God had made to his people,

00:17:41.879 --> 00:17:43.700
 promises that they may well hear

00:17:43.700 --> 00:17:45.259
 if they went to Jerusalem.

00:17:45.259 --> 00:17:47.579
 Well, eventually,

00:17:48.420 --> 00:17:51.700
 a king came to power

00:17:51.700 --> 00:17:53.339
 in the north

00:17:53.339 --> 00:17:58.079
 who was the worst king Israel had ever known.

00:17:59.019 --> 00:18:00.599
 He was the seventh king

00:18:00.599 --> 00:18:02.879
 up there in the north

00:18:02.879 --> 00:18:04.799
 in the first 50 years

00:18:04.799 --> 00:18:07.559
 of the breakaway kingdom of Israel

00:18:07.559 --> 00:18:10.659
 and his name was Ahab.

00:18:12.279 --> 00:18:15.859
 He married a foreign pagan wife.

00:18:16.700 --> 00:18:18.460
 His name has become quite famous.

00:18:18.639 --> 00:18:20.899
 She was Queen Jezebel.

00:18:22.279 --> 00:18:24.879
 Jezebel was a fanatical worshipper

00:18:24.879 --> 00:18:26.839
 of the pagan god Baal.

00:18:28.119 --> 00:18:31.220
 All this is at the end of 1 Kings chapter 16.

00:18:31.220 --> 00:18:38.259
 And these were very dark days in Israel.

00:18:39.240 --> 00:18:40.279
 Jezebel, I tell you,

00:18:40.339 --> 00:18:41.740
 she was one powerful lady.

00:18:43.180 --> 00:18:44.900
 Ahab was weak, really.

00:18:46.039 --> 00:18:47.980
 And the worship of Baal,

00:18:48.460 --> 00:18:50.600
 which Jezebel was so keen on,

00:18:50.660 --> 00:18:52.680
 was pushed and promoted

00:18:52.680 --> 00:18:55.160
 while the worshippers of the Lord

00:18:55.160 --> 00:18:56.120
 were persecuted.

00:18:56.339 --> 00:18:57.740
 Many of them, in fact, were killed.

00:18:57.740 --> 00:19:00.819
 Well, it's in these days,

00:19:01.000 --> 00:19:03.160
 King Ahab, Queen Jezebel,

00:19:03.960 --> 00:19:05.120
 it's in these days

00:19:05.120 --> 00:19:07.519
 that an utterly extraordinary man

00:19:07.519 --> 00:19:09.319
 suddenly appears in the story.

00:19:09.859 --> 00:19:11.079
 You're not given much background.

00:19:11.279 --> 00:19:12.259
 He just sort of appears.

00:19:13.420 --> 00:19:15.740
 His name was Elijah.

00:19:16.519 --> 00:19:17.720
 Not Elisha yet.

00:19:18.059 --> 00:19:18.559
 Elijah.

00:19:19.620 --> 00:19:21.700
 And the meaning of Elijah's name

00:19:21.700 --> 00:19:23.700
 is my God is Yahweh.

00:19:24.480 --> 00:19:25.940
 Are you familiar with Yahweh?

00:19:25.940 --> 00:19:29.559
 Yahweh is the name of God

00:19:29.559 --> 00:19:30.980
 in the Old Testament.

00:19:31.900 --> 00:19:33.740
 It's represented in our Bibles

00:19:33.740 --> 00:19:36.120
 when they put L-O-R-D in capital letters.

00:19:36.279 --> 00:19:38.920
 Behind that is the Hebrew name Yahweh.

00:19:39.580 --> 00:19:41.400
 My name is Yahweh.

00:19:41.480 --> 00:19:42.500
 My name is the Lord.

00:19:43.559 --> 00:19:48.080
 I sort of imagine Elijah coming in.

00:19:48.120 --> 00:19:48.840
 You've got to remember that

00:19:48.840 --> 00:19:50.779
 in the Hebrew language,

00:19:50.940 --> 00:19:52.539
 the names, the meanings of names

00:19:52.539 --> 00:19:53.480
 are very obvious.

00:19:53.480 --> 00:19:56.200
 If you're a speaker of the language.

00:19:56.440 --> 00:19:58.460
 And so Elijah would have come in

00:19:58.460 --> 00:19:58.880
 and said,

00:19:58.980 --> 00:20:00.259
 Hello, Your Majesty.

00:20:01.460 --> 00:20:02.839
 My God is Yahweh.

00:20:03.180 --> 00:20:04.480
 He was sort of introducing himself,

00:20:04.620 --> 00:20:05.720
 but he was making a statement

00:20:05.720 --> 00:20:06.920
 at the same time.

00:20:07.660 --> 00:20:08.400
 And Elijah,

00:20:08.880 --> 00:20:10.360
 giant of a man that he was,

00:20:10.440 --> 00:20:12.099
 made a huge impact

00:20:12.099 --> 00:20:13.940
 on Ahab

00:20:13.940 --> 00:20:15.319
 and on the people

00:20:15.319 --> 00:20:16.380
 of the Northern Kingdom.

00:20:16.380 --> 00:20:17.480
 I'm sure you can remember

00:20:17.480 --> 00:20:18.920
 the most famous event

00:20:18.920 --> 00:20:20.340
 in which that happened.

00:20:20.420 --> 00:20:21.900
 That was on Mount Carmel

00:20:21.900 --> 00:20:23.840
 when Elijah confronted

00:20:23.840 --> 00:20:26.040
 the 450 prophets of Baal

00:20:26.040 --> 00:20:27.860
 and demonstrated

00:20:27.860 --> 00:20:30.440
 who really is God

00:20:30.440 --> 00:20:32.760
 in no uncertain terms.

00:20:32.860 --> 00:20:34.440
 That's 1 Kings chapter 18.

00:20:35.460 --> 00:20:36.920
 Well, it was not long after

00:20:36.920 --> 00:20:38.380
 that spectacular event

00:20:38.380 --> 00:20:39.760
 that Elisha

00:20:39.760 --> 00:20:41.560
 enters the story.

00:20:41.680 --> 00:20:42.420
 We're going to come back

00:20:42.420 --> 00:20:43.140
 to that moment

00:20:43.140 --> 00:20:44.520
 very shortly.

00:20:46.180 --> 00:20:48.320
 1 Kings ends, however,

00:20:49.680 --> 00:20:52.440
 with the death of Ahab

00:20:52.440 --> 00:20:57.320
 and his son Ahaziah

00:20:57.320 --> 00:21:00.320
 comes to the throne in Israel.

00:21:01.600 --> 00:21:03.080
 But Ahaziah was no better

00:21:03.080 --> 00:21:03.780
 than his dad.

00:21:03.779 --> 00:21:05.940
 And you turn the page

00:21:05.940 --> 00:21:07.480
 and you come to 2 Kings.

00:21:08.599 --> 00:21:10.099
 Ahaziah's still on the throne,

00:21:10.220 --> 00:21:11.420
 at least for the first chapter.

00:21:12.660 --> 00:21:13.859
 Elijah's still around,

00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:15.099
 but not for long.

00:21:16.099 --> 00:21:18.160
 And when Elijah departs

00:21:18.160 --> 00:21:19.200
 from this world

00:21:19.200 --> 00:21:20.779
 in a rather unusual way

00:21:20.779 --> 00:21:22.680
 in 2 Kings chapter 2,

00:21:23.019 --> 00:21:23.740
 which we'll look at

00:21:23.740 --> 00:21:24.559
 tomorrow morning,

00:21:25.279 --> 00:21:26.359
 Elisha's story

00:21:26.359 --> 00:21:27.539
 begins in earnest

00:21:27.539 --> 00:21:29.420
 and continues through

00:21:29.420 --> 00:21:31.839
 to 2 Kings chapter 13.

00:21:31.839 --> 00:21:34.259
 And then the rest

00:21:34.259 --> 00:21:35.139
 of 2 Kings,

00:21:35.299 --> 00:21:37.000
 I can sum up fairly quickly,

00:21:37.659 --> 00:21:39.379
 the rest of 2 Kings

00:21:39.379 --> 00:21:40.339
 tells the story

00:21:40.339 --> 00:21:42.359
 of the continued decline

00:21:42.359 --> 00:21:44.220
 of that northern kingdom

00:21:44.220 --> 00:21:46.019
 until eventually

00:21:46.019 --> 00:21:47.519
 it was just utterly destroyed

00:21:47.519 --> 00:21:48.199
 and wiped off

00:21:48.199 --> 00:21:49.099
 the face of the earth

00:21:49.099 --> 00:21:50.119
 by the Assyrians.

00:21:50.720 --> 00:21:52.039
 That's 2 Kings 17.

00:21:53.199 --> 00:21:55.199
 The year is about

00:21:55.199 --> 00:21:58.000
 722 BC by now.

00:21:58.879 --> 00:22:00.379
 And then we're told

00:22:00.379 --> 00:22:01.279
 for the rest of the book

00:22:01.279 --> 00:22:02.599
 how the southern kingdom

00:22:02.599 --> 00:22:03.339
 of Judah,

00:22:03.500 --> 00:22:04.879
 you don't hear all that much

00:22:04.879 --> 00:22:05.799
 about the southern kingdom

00:22:05.799 --> 00:22:07.299
 of Judah up to this point,

00:22:07.299 --> 00:22:08.839
 but now we turn our attention

00:22:08.839 --> 00:22:09.720
 to the southern kingdom

00:22:09.720 --> 00:22:10.259
 of Judah.

00:22:10.980 --> 00:22:13.220
 It followed the ways

00:22:13.220 --> 00:22:14.339
 that had been introduced

00:22:14.339 --> 00:22:16.079
 in Israel in the north.

00:22:16.339 --> 00:22:16.899
 And by the end

00:22:16.899 --> 00:22:17.839
 of 2 Kings,

00:22:18.460 --> 00:22:20.059
 the surviving inhabitants

00:22:20.059 --> 00:22:20.759
 of Judah

00:22:20.759 --> 00:22:22.019
 have been taken off

00:22:22.019 --> 00:22:23.259
 into exile

00:22:23.259 --> 00:22:25.139
 by the Babylonians

00:22:25.139 --> 00:22:26.000
 to Babylonia,

00:22:26.660 --> 00:22:28.759
 while the city

00:22:28.759 --> 00:22:29.559
 of Jerusalem

00:22:29.559 --> 00:22:31.359
 and the house

00:22:31.359 --> 00:22:31.900
 for the name

00:22:31.900 --> 00:22:32.460
 of the Lord

00:22:32.460 --> 00:22:33.680
 were flattened,

00:22:34.819 --> 00:22:35.420
 destroyed,

00:22:35.619 --> 00:22:36.359
 demolished.

00:22:37.500 --> 00:22:38.339
 The story

00:22:38.339 --> 00:22:39.279
 of 2 Kings

00:22:39.279 --> 00:22:40.700
 is not a happy one.

00:22:40.700 --> 00:22:43.960
 Now,

00:22:44.640 --> 00:22:46.799
 I hope you're still awake.

00:22:47.380 --> 00:22:48.299
 I can see some of you

00:22:48.299 --> 00:22:48.720
 still are.

00:22:48.779 --> 00:22:49.400
 I won't worry about

00:22:49.400 --> 00:22:49.779
 those of you

00:22:49.779 --> 00:22:50.420
 who dropped off.

00:22:51.220 --> 00:22:52.059
 I've sketched this

00:22:52.059 --> 00:22:53.180
 rather long story

00:22:53.180 --> 00:22:54.400
 because we need to see

00:22:54.400 --> 00:22:55.480
 Elisha's story

00:22:55.480 --> 00:22:57.140
 in its historical context.

00:22:57.140 --> 00:22:58.240
 But we do need

00:22:58.240 --> 00:22:59.000
 to ask the question,

00:22:59.100 --> 00:23:00.000
 what is this story

00:23:00.000 --> 00:23:00.500
 about?

00:23:00.500 --> 00:23:04.380
 What is this history

00:23:04.380 --> 00:23:05.099
 of this people

00:23:05.099 --> 00:23:05.700
 of Israel

00:23:05.700 --> 00:23:06.619
 really about?

00:23:06.720 --> 00:23:07.279
 What are we meant

00:23:07.279 --> 00:23:08.019
 to learn

00:23:08.019 --> 00:23:11.160
 from this sad story

00:23:11.160 --> 00:23:12.640
 of a failed state

00:23:12.640 --> 00:23:15.059
 so long ago

00:23:15.059 --> 00:23:17.160
 and so far away?

00:23:18.900 --> 00:23:19.880
 It was so wonderful

00:23:19.880 --> 00:23:20.519
 at the beginning

00:23:20.519 --> 00:23:22.140
 in Solomon's day

00:23:22.140 --> 00:23:24.279
 and gradually

00:23:24.279 --> 00:23:25.740
 it just crumpled away

00:23:25.740 --> 00:23:27.200
 and in the end

00:23:27.200 --> 00:23:29.799
 death and destruction

00:23:29.799 --> 00:23:31.039
 everywhere.

00:23:33.159 --> 00:23:34.200
 Well, it seems to me

00:23:34.200 --> 00:23:34.940
 that as we follow

00:23:34.940 --> 00:23:36.399
 the decline and fall

00:23:36.399 --> 00:23:37.319
 of this people,

00:23:38.879 --> 00:23:41.519
 as they and their kings

00:23:41.519 --> 00:23:43.500
 turned their backs

00:23:43.500 --> 00:23:44.220
 on the God

00:23:44.220 --> 00:23:44.960
 who had given them

00:23:44.960 --> 00:23:45.720
 so much,

00:23:47.399 --> 00:23:49.000
 it is frankly depressing.

00:23:51.419 --> 00:23:52.700
 I find 2 Kings

00:23:52.700 --> 00:23:54.259
 a terribly depressing book.

00:23:56.119 --> 00:23:57.099
 I'm supposed to be

00:23:57.099 --> 00:23:57.759
 doing some work

00:23:57.759 --> 00:23:58.839
 on the book of 2 Kings

00:23:58.839 --> 00:23:59.959
 and I've started it.

00:24:00.959 --> 00:24:01.679
 It's hard to write

00:24:01.679 --> 00:24:02.319
 a little commentary

00:24:02.319 --> 00:24:03.759
 on the book of 2 Kings

00:24:03.759 --> 00:24:05.019
 and I get so depressed

00:24:05.019 --> 00:24:06.059
 every time I open it.

00:24:06.299 --> 00:24:08.179
 I haven't written

00:24:08.179 --> 00:24:09.099
 anything for months.

00:24:09.559 --> 00:24:11.000
 It's a very depressing book

00:24:11.000 --> 00:24:11.639
 so some of you

00:24:11.639 --> 00:24:12.619
 can come and encourage me

00:24:12.619 --> 00:24:12.939
 and tell me

00:24:12.939 --> 00:24:13.720
 it's not all that bad.

00:24:15.980 --> 00:24:17.879
 But I think

00:24:17.879 --> 00:24:19.399
 what is particularly depressing

00:24:19.399 --> 00:24:20.919
 about the book of 2 Kings

00:24:20.920 --> 00:24:25.000
 is that Israel

00:24:25.000 --> 00:24:25.600
 and Judah

00:24:25.600 --> 00:24:28.320
 are so like

00:24:28.320 --> 00:24:28.940
 the world

00:24:28.940 --> 00:24:30.160
 in which we live.

00:24:33.279 --> 00:24:34.680
 Israel's miserable history,

00:24:34.840 --> 00:24:36.380
 Judah's miserable history

00:24:36.380 --> 00:24:38.960
 is too much like

00:24:38.960 --> 00:24:40.180
 the miserable history

00:24:40.180 --> 00:24:41.140
 of our world.

00:24:42.300 --> 00:24:42.960
 That's why

00:24:42.960 --> 00:24:43.680
 when you get into it

00:24:43.680 --> 00:24:44.860
 and start to take it seriously

00:24:44.860 --> 00:24:45.960
 I think it really is

00:24:45.960 --> 00:24:46.700
 so depressing.

00:24:47.740 --> 00:24:48.900
 The story of Israel,

00:24:48.900 --> 00:24:49.620
 and I say Israel

00:24:49.620 --> 00:24:50.640
 because originally

00:24:50.640 --> 00:24:51.519
 the whole nation

00:24:51.519 --> 00:24:52.080
 is Israel

00:24:52.080 --> 00:24:52.620
 and then you've got

00:24:52.620 --> 00:24:53.180
 the two nations

00:24:53.180 --> 00:24:53.900
 Israel and Judah

00:24:53.900 --> 00:24:54.700
 but by Israel

00:24:54.700 --> 00:24:55.700
 I mean the whole lot.

00:24:56.060 --> 00:24:57.200
 The story of Israel

00:24:57.200 --> 00:24:57.900
 is a kind of

00:24:57.900 --> 00:24:58.940
 small scale version

00:24:58.940 --> 00:24:59.660
 of the story

00:24:59.660 --> 00:25:00.800
 of our world.

00:25:02.740 --> 00:25:04.140
 If you think about it,

00:25:05.860 --> 00:25:06.920
 think of Solomon's kingdom

00:25:06.920 --> 00:25:07.300
 there

00:25:07.300 --> 00:25:08.940
 and how it all ended up.

00:25:08.940 --> 00:25:11.880
 God gave us

00:25:11.880 --> 00:25:13.559
 so much.

00:25:15.360 --> 00:25:16.799
 The beginning of the world

00:25:16.799 --> 00:25:18.440
 as the Bible presents it to us

00:25:18.440 --> 00:25:20.039
 was sort of like

00:25:20.039 --> 00:25:20.980
 Solomon's kingdom

00:25:20.980 --> 00:25:22.519
 and indeed

00:25:22.519 --> 00:25:23.340
 as you read through

00:25:23.340 --> 00:25:24.660
 1 Kings 1 to 11

00:25:24.660 --> 00:25:25.440
 and if you do that

00:25:25.440 --> 00:25:26.180
 in your own time

00:25:26.180 --> 00:25:27.100
 over the coming weeks

00:25:27.100 --> 00:25:28.320
 you might like to look out

00:25:28.320 --> 00:25:28.660
 for this.

00:25:28.740 --> 00:25:29.559
 You hear all sorts of

00:25:29.559 --> 00:25:30.620
 echoes and reminders

00:25:30.620 --> 00:25:32.420
 of Genesis 1 and 2

00:25:32.420 --> 00:25:35.080
 and as we follow

00:25:35.080 --> 00:25:35.759
 the kings

00:25:35.759 --> 00:25:37.060
 and the people

00:25:37.060 --> 00:25:39.160
 turning away from God

00:25:39.160 --> 00:25:41.120
 refusing to live lives

00:25:41.120 --> 00:25:42.640
 of thankfulness to God

00:25:42.640 --> 00:25:44.580
 refusing to trust God

00:25:44.580 --> 00:25:46.240
 refusing to obey God

00:25:46.240 --> 00:25:47.440
 it's sort of like

00:25:47.440 --> 00:25:48.220
 a rerun of the

00:25:48.220 --> 00:25:49.360
 Genesis 3 story

00:25:49.360 --> 00:25:51.740
 and so it is like

00:25:51.740 --> 00:25:52.740
 the world we now

00:25:52.740 --> 00:25:53.960
 find ourselves in

00:25:53.960 --> 00:25:55.980
 and as Israel

00:25:55.980 --> 00:25:56.660
 and Judah

00:25:56.660 --> 00:25:57.640
 collapse

00:25:57.640 --> 00:26:00.360
 we're quite right

00:26:00.360 --> 00:26:01.420
 to see a reflection

00:26:01.420 --> 00:26:03.460
 like in a mirror

00:26:03.460 --> 00:26:06.180
 of the disintegration

00:26:06.180 --> 00:26:07.039
 of our world

00:26:07.039 --> 00:26:09.180
 at so many levels

00:26:09.180 --> 00:26:10.600
 and in so many ways.

00:26:11.880 --> 00:26:13.000
 The history of Israel

00:26:13.000 --> 00:26:13.539
 in the pages

00:26:13.539 --> 00:26:14.340
 of the Old Testament

00:26:14.340 --> 00:26:15.300
 is like a kind of

00:26:15.300 --> 00:26:16.039
 representation

00:26:16.039 --> 00:26:16.860
 in miniature

00:26:16.860 --> 00:26:17.600
 of the history

00:26:17.600 --> 00:26:18.279
 of the world.

00:26:19.880 --> 00:26:20.840
 That's a cheery thought

00:26:20.840 --> 00:26:21.320
 isn't it

00:26:21.320 --> 00:26:22.800
 for this time

00:26:22.800 --> 00:26:23.600
 on a Friday night?

00:26:25.900 --> 00:26:26.400
 But

00:26:26.400 --> 00:26:30.200
 the history of Israel

00:26:30.200 --> 00:26:31.400
 in 1 and 2 Kings

00:26:31.420 --> 00:26:33.259
 raises

00:26:33.259 --> 00:26:34.720
 the question

00:26:34.720 --> 00:26:35.840
 that the history

00:26:35.840 --> 00:26:36.720
 of our world

00:26:36.720 --> 00:26:37.300
 raises

00:26:37.300 --> 00:26:37.920
 namely

00:26:37.920 --> 00:26:41.660
 what hope

00:26:41.660 --> 00:26:42.100
 is there?

00:26:46.180 --> 00:26:46.980
 I don't know

00:26:46.980 --> 00:26:47.519
 whether you think

00:26:47.519 --> 00:26:48.180
 about these sort of

00:26:48.180 --> 00:26:49.019
 things seriously

00:26:49.019 --> 00:26:51.000
 most of us do

00:26:51.000 --> 00:26:51.900
 at certain times

00:26:51.900 --> 00:26:52.360
 of life

00:26:52.360 --> 00:26:52.700
 and I think

00:26:52.700 --> 00:26:53.460
 I've got to a stage

00:26:53.460 --> 00:26:53.840
 of life

00:26:53.840 --> 00:26:54.740
 where I find myself

00:26:54.740 --> 00:26:55.320
 thinking about

00:26:55.320 --> 00:26:56.240
 these things a lot.

00:26:57.200 --> 00:26:58.340
 You could very easily

00:26:58.340 --> 00:26:58.740
 think,

00:26:58.840 --> 00:26:59.320
 couldn't you?

00:26:59.319 --> 00:27:00.919
 as you look at

00:27:00.919 --> 00:27:01.700
 the world we're in

00:27:01.700 --> 00:27:02.240
 at the moment

00:27:02.240 --> 00:27:03.519
 you could very easily

00:27:03.519 --> 00:27:04.220
 think that God

00:27:04.220 --> 00:27:04.859
 has given up

00:27:04.859 --> 00:27:06.740
 on our world

00:27:06.740 --> 00:27:10.579
 and I'll tell you

00:27:10.579 --> 00:27:10.799
 what,

00:27:11.200 --> 00:27:11.839
 you could easily

00:27:11.839 --> 00:27:12.480
 think that he was

00:27:12.480 --> 00:27:13.240
 fully justified

00:27:13.240 --> 00:27:14.160
 in doing so.

00:27:14.160 --> 00:27:18.279
 a friend of mine

00:27:18.279 --> 00:27:20.540
 a Christian leader

00:27:20.540 --> 00:27:21.040
 up in

00:27:21.040 --> 00:27:22.040
 New England

00:27:22.040 --> 00:27:24.240
 I'll leave his name

00:27:24.240 --> 00:27:24.720
 out because

00:27:24.720 --> 00:27:25.220
 when I'm telling

00:27:25.220 --> 00:27:26.040
 a story about him

00:27:26.040 --> 00:27:27.680
 it's a good story

00:27:27.680 --> 00:27:29.080
 but I was driving

00:27:29.080 --> 00:27:29.460
 with him

00:27:29.460 --> 00:27:30.220
 round Armidale

00:27:30.220 --> 00:27:30.779
 way at one

00:27:30.779 --> 00:27:31.740
 stage

00:27:31.740 --> 00:27:33.200
 and he

00:27:33.200 --> 00:27:34.440
 just turned to me

00:27:34.440 --> 00:27:34.640
 and said

00:27:34.640 --> 00:27:35.060
 you know

00:27:35.060 --> 00:27:35.680
 I wouldn't be

00:27:35.680 --> 00:27:36.480
 surprised if God

00:27:36.480 --> 00:27:37.180
 never sent rain

00:27:37.180 --> 00:27:38.060
 on this land again.

00:27:38.059 --> 00:27:41.139
 he was thinking

00:27:41.139 --> 00:27:41.759
 just of the

00:27:41.759 --> 00:27:42.220
 godlessness

00:27:42.220 --> 00:27:43.039
 of Australia

00:27:43.039 --> 00:27:45.319
 and the

00:27:45.319 --> 00:27:47.599
 well

00:27:47.599 --> 00:27:48.779
 it's not too much

00:27:48.779 --> 00:27:49.179
 to say

00:27:49.179 --> 00:27:49.419
 is it

00:27:49.419 --> 00:27:49.960
 the hatred

00:27:49.960 --> 00:27:53.099
 of Christianity

00:27:53.099 --> 00:27:55.000
 that is starting

00:27:55.000 --> 00:27:55.720
 to permeate

00:27:55.720 --> 00:27:56.519
 our public life

00:27:56.519 --> 00:27:57.139
 that's not true

00:27:57.139 --> 00:27:57.960
 of every individual

00:27:57.960 --> 00:27:58.819
 of course it's not

00:27:58.819 --> 00:28:00.859
 but of the national

00:28:00.859 --> 00:28:01.299
 life

00:28:01.299 --> 00:28:02.359
 the public life

00:28:02.359 --> 00:28:05.519
 you could easily

00:28:05.519 --> 00:28:05.819
 think

00:28:05.819 --> 00:28:06.359
 couldn't you

00:28:06.359 --> 00:28:07.500
 that if God

00:28:07.500 --> 00:28:08.079
 has given up

00:28:08.079 --> 00:28:08.500
 on us

00:28:08.500 --> 00:28:09.519
 he'd be justified

00:28:09.519 --> 00:28:10.459
 in doing so

00:28:10.459 --> 00:28:14.799
 how we humans

00:28:14.799 --> 00:28:15.779
 have messed up

00:28:15.779 --> 00:28:17.240
 God's good world

00:28:17.240 --> 00:28:21.740
 it's quite difficult

00:28:21.740 --> 00:28:22.939
 if you take seriously

00:28:22.939 --> 00:28:23.899
 the state of the world

00:28:23.899 --> 00:28:24.399
 at the moment

00:28:24.399 --> 00:28:24.939
 and the state

00:28:24.939 --> 00:28:25.879
 of how things are going

00:28:25.879 --> 00:28:27.839
 it's so difficult

00:28:27.839 --> 00:28:28.419
 to imagine

00:28:28.419 --> 00:28:29.779
 the story of our world

00:28:29.779 --> 00:28:30.599
 ending well

00:28:30.599 --> 00:28:32.199
 don't you think

00:28:32.199 --> 00:28:36.099
 in our own day

00:28:36.099 --> 00:28:36.899
 we find ourselves

00:28:36.899 --> 00:28:37.579
 in a world

00:28:37.579 --> 00:28:38.339
 that is busy

00:28:38.339 --> 00:28:39.559
 at its own destruction

00:28:39.559 --> 00:28:42.519
 it seems clear

00:28:42.519 --> 00:28:43.199
 to me

00:28:43.199 --> 00:28:45.399
 in so many ways

00:28:45.399 --> 00:28:46.240
 at so many levels

00:28:46.240 --> 00:28:47.359
 and so many issues

00:28:47.359 --> 00:28:47.959
 and you say

00:28:47.959 --> 00:28:48.740
 what hope is there

00:28:48.740 --> 00:28:50.879
 we're so determined

00:28:50.879 --> 00:28:52.259
 to destroy ourselves

00:28:52.259 --> 00:28:54.299
 we're so determined

00:28:54.299 --> 00:28:57.240
 to abandon God

00:28:57.240 --> 00:29:00.000
 what hope is there

00:29:00.000 --> 00:29:02.259
 and as you read

00:29:02.259 --> 00:29:03.119
 one and two kings

00:29:03.119 --> 00:29:03.920
 you could very easily

00:29:03.920 --> 00:29:04.279
 think

00:29:04.279 --> 00:29:05.880
 that God

00:29:05.880 --> 00:29:06.759
 had given up

00:29:06.759 --> 00:29:08.160
 on Israel

00:29:08.160 --> 00:29:10.079
 look what happened

00:29:10.079 --> 00:29:12.099
 that story

00:29:12.099 --> 00:29:13.000
 didn't end well

00:29:13.000 --> 00:29:14.220
 by the time

00:29:14.220 --> 00:29:14.839
 you get to the end

00:29:14.839 --> 00:29:15.460
 of two kings

00:29:15.460 --> 00:29:16.119
 you could sigh

00:29:16.119 --> 00:29:16.519
 and say

00:29:16.519 --> 00:29:17.900
 well what a sad

00:29:17.900 --> 00:29:19.880
 sad story

00:29:19.880 --> 00:29:21.640
 it ended

00:29:21.640 --> 00:29:22.519
 so badly

00:29:22.519 --> 00:29:26.480
 except for one thing

00:29:26.480 --> 00:29:28.960
 except for one thing

00:29:28.960 --> 00:29:30.839
 if you had been

00:29:30.839 --> 00:29:32.200
 paying careful attention

00:29:32.200 --> 00:29:32.799
 as you read

00:29:32.799 --> 00:29:33.740
 the history of Israel

00:29:33.740 --> 00:29:34.940
 through one and two kings

00:29:34.940 --> 00:29:35.759
 and I'm hoping

00:29:35.759 --> 00:29:36.559
 you'll get inspired

00:29:36.559 --> 00:29:37.480
 to read the story

00:29:37.480 --> 00:29:38.400
 of one and two kings

00:29:38.400 --> 00:29:39.400
 all the way through

00:29:39.400 --> 00:29:40.299
 over the coming weeks

00:29:40.299 --> 00:29:40.720
 and months

00:29:40.720 --> 00:29:41.480
 and when you get

00:29:41.480 --> 00:29:42.099
 to two kings

00:29:42.099 --> 00:29:43.160
 get in touch with me

00:29:43.160 --> 00:29:43.559
 and tell me

00:29:43.559 --> 00:29:44.099
 why it's not all

00:29:44.099 --> 00:29:44.579
 that depressing

00:29:44.579 --> 00:29:45.180
 after all

00:29:45.180 --> 00:29:46.420
 but if you do

00:29:46.420 --> 00:29:47.620
 read carefully through

00:29:47.620 --> 00:29:49.000
 you will notice

00:29:49.000 --> 00:29:50.039
 that there are

00:29:50.039 --> 00:29:51.259
 some very clear

00:29:51.259 --> 00:29:52.120
 indications

00:29:52.119 --> 00:29:54.939
 that God

00:29:54.939 --> 00:29:56.699
 does not

00:29:56.699 --> 00:29:58.339
 give up

00:29:58.339 --> 00:30:02.359
 that's not what

00:30:02.359 --> 00:30:02.839
 the God

00:30:02.839 --> 00:30:03.839
 who really is there

00:30:03.839 --> 00:30:04.419
 is like

00:30:04.419 --> 00:30:06.099
 he doesn't

00:30:06.099 --> 00:30:07.500
 give up

00:30:07.500 --> 00:30:08.779
 yes

00:30:08.779 --> 00:30:10.779
 the history of Israel

00:30:10.779 --> 00:30:11.659
 is terrible

00:30:11.659 --> 00:30:12.699
 and tragic

00:30:12.699 --> 00:30:14.739
 like the history

00:30:14.739 --> 00:30:15.459
 of our world

00:30:15.459 --> 00:30:17.119
 but it is not

00:30:17.119 --> 00:30:18.919
 hopeless

00:30:18.919 --> 00:30:21.539
 well friends

00:30:21.539 --> 00:30:21.980
 I think that's

00:30:21.980 --> 00:30:22.539
 a good point

00:30:22.539 --> 00:30:23.099
 at which we

00:30:23.099 --> 00:30:24.359
 introduce Elisha

00:30:24.359 --> 00:30:24.920
 can you cope

00:30:24.920 --> 00:30:26.119
 with just a few

00:30:26.119 --> 00:30:26.639
 more minutes

00:30:26.639 --> 00:30:27.799
 yeah

00:30:27.799 --> 00:30:28.799
 you're not allowed

00:30:28.799 --> 00:30:29.339
 to say no

00:30:29.339 --> 00:30:29.680
 are you

00:30:29.680 --> 00:30:29.980
 you're getting

00:30:29.980 --> 00:30:30.359
 into trouble

00:30:30.359 --> 00:30:31.639
 please turn

00:30:31.639 --> 00:30:32.339
 to one kings

00:30:32.339 --> 00:30:33.000
 19

00:30:33.000 --> 00:30:35.339
 I said we're

00:30:35.339 --> 00:30:35.740
 only going to

00:30:35.740 --> 00:30:36.139
 get a quick

00:30:36.139 --> 00:30:36.859
 glimpse of him

00:30:36.859 --> 00:30:38.220
 to start with

00:30:38.220 --> 00:30:39.399
 tonight

00:30:39.399 --> 00:30:42.220
 I'm going to

00:30:42.220 --> 00:30:42.799
 leave you

00:30:42.799 --> 00:30:43.240
 again

00:30:43.240 --> 00:30:44.259
 you might like

00:30:44.259 --> 00:30:44.639
 to do this

00:30:44.639 --> 00:30:44.980
 tonight

00:30:44.980 --> 00:30:46.019
 before you

00:30:46.019 --> 00:30:46.619
 go to sleep

00:30:46.619 --> 00:30:47.119
 if you're

00:30:47.119 --> 00:30:47.659
 able to stay

00:30:47.659 --> 00:30:48.180
 awake for long

00:30:48.180 --> 00:30:48.379
 enough

00:30:48.379 --> 00:30:48.779
 or tomorrow

00:30:48.779 --> 00:30:49.220
 morning or

00:30:49.220 --> 00:30:49.480
 something

00:30:49.480 --> 00:30:50.200
 to read the

00:30:50.200 --> 00:30:51.079
 dramatic story

00:30:51.079 --> 00:30:51.740
 of one kings

00:30:51.740 --> 00:30:52.199
 18

00:30:52.199 --> 00:30:52.980
 the Mount

00:30:52.980 --> 00:30:53.799
 Carmel story

00:30:53.799 --> 00:30:54.579
 about Elijah

00:30:54.579 --> 00:30:55.379
 and his

00:30:55.379 --> 00:30:56.119
 momentous

00:30:56.119 --> 00:30:57.019
 confrontation

00:30:57.019 --> 00:30:58.059
 with the

00:30:58.059 --> 00:30:58.559
 prophets of

00:30:58.559 --> 00:30:59.079
 Baal on

00:30:59.079 --> 00:30:59.759
 Mount Carmel

00:30:59.759 --> 00:31:01.559
 that was a

00:31:01.559 --> 00:31:02.000
 moment of

00:31:02.000 --> 00:31:02.279
 hope

00:31:02.279 --> 00:31:03.639
 that really

00:31:03.639 --> 00:31:04.059
 was a

00:31:04.059 --> 00:31:04.439
 moment of

00:31:04.439 --> 00:31:04.639
 hope

00:31:04.639 --> 00:31:05.740
 even King

00:31:05.740 --> 00:31:06.339
 Ahab

00:31:06.339 --> 00:31:07.000
 apparently

00:31:07.000 --> 00:31:08.059
 joined the

00:31:08.059 --> 00:31:08.539
 people

00:31:08.539 --> 00:31:09.579
 and at that

00:31:09.579 --> 00:31:10.159
 moment at

00:31:10.159 --> 00:31:10.500
 least

00:31:10.500 --> 00:31:11.359
 no it didn't

00:31:11.359 --> 00:31:11.740
 last

00:31:11.740 --> 00:31:12.240
 but at that

00:31:12.240 --> 00:31:12.639
 moment

00:31:12.639 --> 00:31:13.759
 they turned

00:31:13.759 --> 00:31:14.379
 back to the

00:31:14.379 --> 00:31:15.039
 Lord with

00:31:15.039 --> 00:31:15.740
 with a bit

00:31:15.740 --> 00:31:16.259
 of prompting

00:31:16.259 --> 00:31:16.919
 from Elijah

00:31:16.919 --> 00:31:17.919
 and the

00:31:17.919 --> 00:31:18.699
 climax of the

00:31:18.699 --> 00:31:19.199
 story in

00:31:19.199 --> 00:31:19.659
 one kings

00:31:19.660 --> 00:31:20.580
 18 we

00:31:20.580 --> 00:31:20.960
 see the

00:31:20.960 --> 00:31:21.320
 people

00:31:21.320 --> 00:31:22.400
 falling on

00:31:22.400 --> 00:31:22.900
 their faces

00:31:22.900 --> 00:31:23.440
 and crying

00:31:23.440 --> 00:31:23.880
 out the

00:31:23.880 --> 00:31:24.500
 Lord he

00:31:24.500 --> 00:31:25.400
 is God

00:31:25.400 --> 00:31:26.720
 the Lord

00:31:26.720 --> 00:31:27.320
 he is

00:31:27.320 --> 00:31:27.779
 God

00:31:27.779 --> 00:31:28.259
 that's

00:31:28.259 --> 00:31:28.880
 chapter 18

00:31:28.880 --> 00:31:29.600
 verse 39

00:31:29.600 --> 00:31:30.340
 but that

00:31:30.340 --> 00:31:31.140
 didn't last

00:31:31.140 --> 00:31:32.540
 and in

00:31:32.540 --> 00:31:33.000
 one kings

00:31:33.000 --> 00:31:33.560
 19

00:31:33.560 --> 00:31:35.140
 Queen Jezebel

00:31:35.140 --> 00:31:36.100
 laughed out

00:31:36.100 --> 00:31:37.060
 and threatened

00:31:37.060 --> 00:31:37.560
 to kill

00:31:37.560 --> 00:31:38.180
 Elijah

00:31:38.180 --> 00:31:39.640
 again I'll

00:31:39.640 --> 00:31:40.340
 lead you to

00:31:40.340 --> 00:31:40.700
 read the

00:31:40.700 --> 00:31:41.200
 story of

00:31:41.200 --> 00:31:41.759
 Elijah's

00:31:41.759 --> 00:31:42.320
 escape

00:31:42.320 --> 00:31:43.480
 through the

00:31:43.480 --> 00:31:44.100
 first part

00:31:44.100 --> 00:31:44.440
 of one

00:31:44.440 --> 00:31:44.720
 kings

00:31:44.720 --> 00:31:45.320
 19

00:31:45.319 --> 00:31:46.399
 suffice to

00:31:46.399 --> 00:31:46.919
 say that

00:31:46.919 --> 00:31:47.859
 Elijah fled

00:31:47.859 --> 00:31:48.799
 for his

00:31:48.799 --> 00:31:50.439
 life and

00:31:50.439 --> 00:31:50.960
 he fled a

00:31:50.960 --> 00:31:51.439
 long long

00:31:51.439 --> 00:31:51.960
 long way

00:31:51.960 --> 00:31:53.779
 south far

00:31:53.779 --> 00:31:54.759
 out beyond

00:31:54.759 --> 00:31:55.559
 Jezebel's

00:31:55.559 --> 00:31:56.960
 reach and

00:31:56.960 --> 00:31:57.659
 he came to

00:31:57.659 --> 00:31:58.299
 a mountain

00:31:58.299 --> 00:31:59.099
 a famous

00:31:59.099 --> 00:32:00.159
 mountain has

00:32:00.159 --> 00:32:00.879
 two names

00:32:00.879 --> 00:32:01.939
 Mount Horeb

00:32:01.939 --> 00:32:02.799
 or Mount

00:32:02.799 --> 00:32:03.939
 Sinai same

00:32:03.939 --> 00:32:04.599
 mountain two

00:32:04.599 --> 00:32:05.939
 names you

00:32:05.939 --> 00:32:06.519
 remember the

00:32:06.519 --> 00:32:07.000
 story of

00:32:07.000 --> 00:32:07.839
 Mount Sinai

00:32:07.839 --> 00:32:09.099
 and there at

00:32:09.099 --> 00:32:09.819
 Mount Sinai

00:32:09.819 --> 00:32:11.119
 Mount Horeb he

00:32:11.119 --> 00:32:12.179
 had a remarkable

00:32:12.179 --> 00:32:13.119
 encounter with

00:32:13.119 --> 00:32:14.220
 God in

00:32:14.220 --> 00:32:14.839
 which to cut

00:32:14.839 --> 00:32:15.519
 long story

00:32:15.519 --> 00:32:16.459
 short God

00:32:16.459 --> 00:32:17.480
 told Elijah to

00:32:17.480 --> 00:32:18.019
 get back to

00:32:18.019 --> 00:32:18.559
 work because

00:32:18.559 --> 00:32:19.159
 God had not

00:32:19.159 --> 00:32:19.679
 given up

00:32:19.679 --> 00:32:21.519
 God had not

00:32:21.519 --> 00:32:22.579
 given up on

00:32:22.579 --> 00:32:23.459
 Israel even

00:32:23.459 --> 00:32:24.199
 if Elijah

00:32:24.199 --> 00:32:24.879
 thought he

00:32:24.879 --> 00:32:26.699
 had and

00:32:26.699 --> 00:32:27.159
 this is what

00:32:27.159 --> 00:32:27.839
 God said to

00:32:27.839 --> 00:32:28.740
 Elijah I'm

00:32:28.740 --> 00:32:29.279
 picking it up

00:32:29.279 --> 00:32:29.599
 at chapter

00:32:29.599 --> 00:32:30.839
 19 verse 15

00:32:30.839 --> 00:32:31.519
 the Lord said

00:32:31.519 --> 00:32:33.019
 to him go

00:32:33.019 --> 00:32:34.379
 Elijah return

00:32:34.379 --> 00:32:36.059
 on your way

00:32:36.059 --> 00:32:36.419
 to the

00:32:36.419 --> 00:32:37.039
 wilderness of

00:32:37.039 --> 00:32:37.819
 Damascus and

00:32:37.819 --> 00:32:38.119
 when you

00:32:38.119 --> 00:32:38.799
 arrive you

00:32:38.799 --> 00:32:39.319
 shall anoint

00:32:39.319 --> 00:32:40.179
 Hazael to

00:32:40.179 --> 00:32:40.839
 be king over

00:32:40.839 --> 00:32:42.599
 Syria and

00:32:42.599 --> 00:32:43.659
 Jehu the

00:32:43.659 --> 00:32:44.199
 son of

00:32:44.199 --> 00:32:44.639
 Nimshi

00:32:44.640 --> 00:32:45.100
 you shall

00:32:45.100 --> 00:32:45.580
 appoint to

00:32:45.580 --> 00:32:45.940
 be king

00:32:45.940 --> 00:32:46.759
 over Israel

00:32:46.759 --> 00:32:47.780
 and

00:32:47.780 --> 00:32:49.020
 Elisha

00:32:49.020 --> 00:32:50.660
 the son

00:32:50.660 --> 00:32:51.620
 of Shaphat

00:32:51.620 --> 00:32:52.980
 of Abel

00:32:52.980 --> 00:32:54.020
 Mahola

00:32:54.020 --> 00:32:55.380
 you shall

00:32:55.380 --> 00:32:56.020
 anoint to

00:32:56.020 --> 00:32:56.540
 be prophet

00:32:56.540 --> 00:32:57.200
 in your

00:32:57.200 --> 00:32:57.820
 place

00:32:57.820 --> 00:32:59.460
 and the

00:32:59.460 --> 00:32:59.780
 one who

00:32:59.780 --> 00:33:00.800
 escapes from

00:33:00.800 --> 00:33:01.240
 the sword

00:33:01.240 --> 00:33:01.860
 of Hazael

00:33:01.860 --> 00:33:03.000
 shall Jehu

00:33:03.000 --> 00:33:03.400
 put to

00:33:03.400 --> 00:33:03.960
 death and

00:33:03.960 --> 00:33:04.259
 the one

00:33:04.259 --> 00:33:04.820
 who escapes

00:33:04.820 --> 00:33:05.120
 from the

00:33:05.120 --> 00:33:05.460
 sword of

00:33:05.460 --> 00:33:05.920
 Jehu

00:33:05.920 --> 00:33:06.420
 shall

00:33:06.420 --> 00:33:06.900
 Elisha

00:33:06.900 --> 00:33:07.259
 put to

00:33:07.259 --> 00:33:07.560
 death

00:33:07.560 --> 00:33:08.420
 yet I

00:33:08.420 --> 00:33:08.920
 will leave

00:33:08.920 --> 00:33:10.020
 7,000 in

00:33:10.020 --> 00:33:10.480
 Israel

00:33:10.480 --> 00:33:11.040
 all the

00:33:11.040 --> 00:33:11.520
 knees that

00:33:11.519 --> 00:33:12.059
 have not

00:33:12.059 --> 00:33:13.099
 bowed to

00:33:13.099 --> 00:33:13.539
 Baal

00:33:13.539 --> 00:33:14.519
 and every

00:33:14.519 --> 00:33:15.039
 mouth that

00:33:15.039 --> 00:33:15.379
 has not

00:33:15.379 --> 00:33:15.859
 kissed him

00:33:15.859 --> 00:33:16.119
 we're not

00:33:16.119 --> 00:33:16.400
 going to

00:33:16.400 --> 00:33:16.700
 pause on

00:33:16.700 --> 00:33:17.200
 the details

00:33:17.200 --> 00:33:17.539
 here

00:33:17.539 --> 00:33:18.420
 just notice

00:33:18.420 --> 00:33:19.299
 that Elisha

00:33:19.299 --> 00:33:20.139
 was to be

00:33:20.139 --> 00:33:21.059
 Elijah's

00:33:21.059 --> 00:33:21.759
 successor

00:33:21.759 --> 00:33:23.720
 you will have

00:33:23.720 --> 00:33:24.319
 noticed and you

00:33:24.319 --> 00:33:24.879
 probably noticed

00:33:24.879 --> 00:33:25.359
 from Sunday

00:33:25.359 --> 00:33:26.079
 school days that

00:33:26.079 --> 00:33:26.900
 the names are

00:33:26.900 --> 00:33:27.980
 strikingly similar

00:33:27.980 --> 00:33:29.619
 Elijah and

00:33:29.619 --> 00:33:30.579
 Elisha

00:33:30.579 --> 00:33:32.319
 said earlier that

00:33:32.319 --> 00:33:33.259
 in Hebrew names

00:33:33.259 --> 00:33:33.960
 very often

00:33:33.960 --> 00:33:34.799
 almost always

00:33:34.799 --> 00:33:35.400
 actually have

00:33:35.400 --> 00:33:35.920
 meanings

00:33:35.920 --> 00:33:37.660
 the Eli

00:33:37.660 --> 00:33:38.259
 bit

00:33:38.259 --> 00:33:39.019
 Eli

00:33:39.019 --> 00:33:39.620
 and you

00:33:39.620 --> 00:33:40.120
 come across

00:33:40.120 --> 00:33:41.140
 that E-L-I

00:33:41.140 --> 00:33:42.140
 in a number

00:33:42.140 --> 00:33:42.759
 of names

00:33:42.759 --> 00:33:43.980
 that means

00:33:43.980 --> 00:33:45.080
 my God

00:33:45.080 --> 00:33:46.840
 L is the

00:33:46.840 --> 00:33:47.220
 word for

00:33:47.220 --> 00:33:47.620
 God

00:33:47.620 --> 00:33:48.960
 the I

00:33:48.960 --> 00:33:49.500
 is the

00:33:49.500 --> 00:33:49.840
 word for

00:33:49.840 --> 00:33:50.039
 my

00:33:50.039 --> 00:33:51.060
 my God

00:33:51.060 --> 00:33:52.500
 the JAR

00:33:52.500 --> 00:33:53.039
 bit in

00:33:53.039 --> 00:33:53.560
 Elijah

00:33:53.560 --> 00:33:55.140
 is that

00:33:55.140 --> 00:33:55.460
 name

00:33:55.460 --> 00:33:56.080
 Yahweh

00:33:56.080 --> 00:33:57.039
 so my

00:33:57.039 --> 00:33:57.539
 God is

00:33:57.539 --> 00:33:58.039
 Yahweh

00:33:58.039 --> 00:33:58.860
 is Elijah's

00:33:58.860 --> 00:33:59.220
 name

00:33:59.220 --> 00:34:00.519
 which summed

00:34:00.519 --> 00:34:00.860
 up his

00:34:00.860 --> 00:34:01.480
 message

00:34:01.480 --> 00:34:03.259
 Ahab and

00:34:03.259 --> 00:34:03.740
 Jezebel

00:34:03.740 --> 00:34:04.340
 their God

00:34:04.340 --> 00:34:05.000
 is Baal

00:34:05.000 --> 00:34:05.819
 and they

00:34:05.819 --> 00:34:06.380
 were confronted

00:34:06.380 --> 00:34:07.220
 with a man

00:34:07.220 --> 00:34:07.880
 called my

00:34:07.880 --> 00:34:08.340
 God is

00:34:08.340 --> 00:34:08.920
 Yahweh

00:34:08.920 --> 00:34:10.059
 the SHA

00:34:10.059 --> 00:34:11.280
 in Elisha

00:34:11.280 --> 00:34:12.360
 means

00:34:12.360 --> 00:34:13.420
 saves

00:34:13.420 --> 00:34:15.380
 so my

00:34:15.380 --> 00:34:16.059
 God is

00:34:16.059 --> 00:34:16.599
 Yahweh

00:34:16.599 --> 00:34:17.199
 is going to

00:34:17.199 --> 00:34:17.460
 have a

00:34:17.460 --> 00:34:17.920
 successor

00:34:17.920 --> 00:34:18.980
 called my

00:34:18.980 --> 00:34:19.340
 God

00:34:19.340 --> 00:34:20.179
 saves

00:34:20.179 --> 00:34:22.139
 see already

00:34:22.139 --> 00:34:22.699
 just a little

00:34:22.699 --> 00:34:23.059
 bit of a

00:34:23.059 --> 00:34:23.340
 hint

00:34:23.340 --> 00:34:24.880
 God does

00:34:24.880 --> 00:34:25.320
 not give

00:34:25.320 --> 00:34:25.679
 up

00:34:25.679 --> 00:34:27.199
 my God

00:34:27.199 --> 00:34:27.840
 is Yahweh

00:34:27.840 --> 00:34:29.239
 my God

00:34:29.239 --> 00:34:29.719
 saves

00:34:29.719 --> 00:34:30.139
 let's see

00:34:30.139 --> 00:34:30.619
 what happened

00:34:30.619 --> 00:34:31.500
 when Elijah

00:34:31.500 --> 00:34:32.139
 found

00:34:32.139 --> 00:34:32.920
 Elisha

00:34:32.920 --> 00:34:33.699
 very quickly

00:34:33.699 --> 00:34:34.639
 verse 19

00:34:34.639 --> 00:34:35.519
 so 1 Kings

00:34:35.519 --> 00:34:36.039
 19

00:34:36.039 --> 00:34:36.879
 verse 19

00:34:36.879 --> 00:34:37.460
 so he

00:34:37.460 --> 00:34:37.779
 that's

00:34:37.779 --> 00:34:38.279
 Elijah

00:34:38.279 --> 00:34:39.679
 I'm reading

00:34:39.679 --> 00:34:40.719
 from the ESV

00:34:40.719 --> 00:34:41.659
 departed

00:34:41.659 --> 00:34:42.379
 from there

00:34:42.379 --> 00:34:43.859
 that was

00:34:43.859 --> 00:34:44.279
 way down

00:34:44.279 --> 00:34:44.779
 south at

00:34:44.779 --> 00:34:45.400
 Mount Sinai

00:34:45.400 --> 00:34:46.099
 Mount Horeb

00:34:46.099 --> 00:34:47.259
 way outside

00:34:47.259 --> 00:34:47.739
 the borders

00:34:47.739 --> 00:34:48.179
 of Israel

00:34:48.179 --> 00:34:48.599
 and he

00:34:48.599 --> 00:34:48.900
 found

00:34:48.900 --> 00:34:49.719
 Elisha

00:34:49.719 --> 00:34:50.460
 the son

00:34:50.460 --> 00:34:51.039
 of Shaphat

00:34:51.039 --> 00:34:51.379
 he'd gone

00:34:51.379 --> 00:34:51.859
 all the way

00:34:51.859 --> 00:34:52.559
 back to

00:34:52.559 --> 00:34:53.119
 Ahab's

00:34:53.119 --> 00:34:53.619
 territory

00:34:53.619 --> 00:34:54.579
 in a

00:34:54.579 --> 00:34:54.940
 farming

00:34:54.940 --> 00:34:55.400
 town

00:34:55.400 --> 00:34:55.759
 in the

00:34:55.759 --> 00:34:56.039
 Jordan

00:34:56.039 --> 00:34:56.539
 Valley

00:34:56.539 --> 00:34:57.980
 Elisha

00:34:57.980 --> 00:34:58.519
 who was

00:34:58.519 --> 00:34:59.739
 ploughing

00:34:59.739 --> 00:35:00.460
 with 12

00:35:00.460 --> 00:35:00.940
 yoke of

00:35:00.940 --> 00:35:01.279
 oxen

00:35:01.279 --> 00:35:01.679
 in front

00:35:01.679 --> 00:35:02.019
 of him

00:35:02.019 --> 00:35:02.920
 and he

00:35:02.920 --> 00:35:03.299
 was with

00:35:03.299 --> 00:35:04.019
 the 12th

00:35:04.019 --> 00:35:05.219
 it sounds

00:35:05.219 --> 00:35:05.539
 as though

00:35:05.539 --> 00:35:06.059
 Elisha

00:35:06.059 --> 00:35:06.440
 was from

00:35:06.440 --> 00:35:06.800
 a rather

00:35:06.800 --> 00:35:07.360
 well-to-do

00:35:07.360 --> 00:35:07.759
 farming

00:35:07.759 --> 00:35:08.320
 family

00:35:08.320 --> 00:35:09.920
 and Elijah

00:35:09.920 --> 00:35:10.980
 passed by

00:35:10.980 --> 00:35:11.440
 him and

00:35:11.440 --> 00:35:12.139
 cast his

00:35:12.139 --> 00:35:12.599
 cloak

00:35:12.599 --> 00:35:13.940
 upon him

00:35:13.940 --> 00:35:15.679
 this was

00:35:15.679 --> 00:35:17.000
 Elijah's

00:35:17.000 --> 00:35:18.259
 hairy

00:35:18.259 --> 00:35:19.000
 cloak

00:35:19.000 --> 00:35:20.480
 it was part

00:35:20.480 --> 00:35:20.739
 of his

00:35:20.739 --> 00:35:21.619
 rather well-known

00:35:21.619 --> 00:35:22.159
 distinctive

00:35:22.159 --> 00:35:22.800
 dress

00:35:22.800 --> 00:35:24.480
 we'll hear more

00:35:24.480 --> 00:35:25.039
 about that

00:35:25.039 --> 00:35:25.440
 cloak

00:35:25.440 --> 00:35:26.340
 but here

00:35:26.340 --> 00:35:27.199
 Elijah threw

00:35:27.199 --> 00:35:27.840
 his cloak

00:35:27.840 --> 00:35:28.420
 onto the

00:35:28.420 --> 00:35:29.800
 unsuspecting

00:35:29.800 --> 00:35:30.519
 farm boy

00:35:30.519 --> 00:35:31.699
 and Elijah

00:35:31.699 --> 00:35:32.440
 said nothing

00:35:32.440 --> 00:35:33.639
 but just

00:35:33.639 --> 00:35:34.340
 kept walking

00:35:34.340 --> 00:35:35.619
 verse 20

00:35:35.619 --> 00:35:36.340
 and he

00:35:36.340 --> 00:35:36.619
 this is

00:35:36.619 --> 00:35:37.199
 Elisha

00:35:37.199 --> 00:35:38.000
 left the

00:35:38.000 --> 00:35:38.519
 oxen

00:35:38.519 --> 00:35:39.039
 and ran

00:35:39.039 --> 00:35:39.960
 after Elijah

00:35:39.960 --> 00:35:40.420
 and said

00:35:40.420 --> 00:35:41.179
 let me kiss

00:35:41.179 --> 00:35:41.659
 my father

00:35:41.659 --> 00:35:42.000
 and my

00:35:42.000 --> 00:35:42.239
 mother

00:35:42.239 --> 00:35:42.539
 and then

00:35:42.539 --> 00:35:42.840
 I will

00:35:42.840 --> 00:35:43.460
 follow you

00:35:43.460 --> 00:35:44.960
 he'd got

00:35:44.960 --> 00:35:45.619
 the message

00:35:45.619 --> 00:35:47.519
 and his

00:35:47.519 --> 00:35:47.980
 eagerness

00:35:47.980 --> 00:35:49.400
 to follow

00:35:49.400 --> 00:35:49.960
 Elijah

00:35:49.960 --> 00:35:50.940
 is remarkable

00:35:50.940 --> 00:35:51.800
 his request

00:35:51.800 --> 00:35:52.759
 to kiss

00:35:52.759 --> 00:35:53.099
 his mum

00:35:53.099 --> 00:35:53.420
 and dad

00:35:53.420 --> 00:35:53.780
 goodbye

00:35:53.780 --> 00:35:54.500
 no coronavirus

00:35:54.500 --> 00:35:55.079
 in those

00:35:55.079 --> 00:35:55.280
 days

00:35:55.280 --> 00:35:55.500
 he was

00:35:55.500 --> 00:35:55.860
 allowed to

00:35:55.860 --> 00:35:56.000
 kiss

00:35:56.000 --> 00:35:56.300
 his mum

00:35:56.300 --> 00:35:56.559
 and dad

00:35:56.559 --> 00:35:57.019
 goodbye

00:35:57.019 --> 00:35:58.420
 emphasises

00:35:58.420 --> 00:35:58.880
 of course

00:35:58.880 --> 00:35:59.820
 his readiness

00:35:59.820 --> 00:36:00.400
 to leave

00:36:00.400 --> 00:36:00.800
 home

00:36:00.800 --> 00:36:01.720
 for who

00:36:01.720 --> 00:36:01.980
 knows

00:36:01.980 --> 00:36:02.340
 what

00:36:02.340 --> 00:36:03.380
 and verse

00:36:03.380 --> 00:36:03.680
 20

00:36:03.680 --> 00:36:04.180
 Elijah

00:36:04.180 --> 00:36:05.579
 said to

00:36:05.579 --> 00:36:05.780
 him

00:36:05.780 --> 00:36:06.180
 to

00:36:06.180 --> 00:36:06.740
 Elisha

00:36:06.740 --> 00:36:07.700
 go back

00:36:07.700 --> 00:36:08.059
 again

00:36:08.059 --> 00:36:08.559
 for what

00:36:08.559 --> 00:36:08.940
 have I

00:36:08.940 --> 00:36:09.220
 done

00:36:09.220 --> 00:36:09.780
 to you

00:36:09.780 --> 00:36:10.280
 it's a

00:36:10.280 --> 00:36:10.440
 rather

00:36:10.440 --> 00:36:10.880
 strange

00:36:10.880 --> 00:36:11.220
 way of

00:36:11.220 --> 00:36:11.579
 putting it

00:36:11.579 --> 00:36:11.800
 but I

00:36:11.800 --> 00:36:12.140
 think he's

00:36:12.140 --> 00:36:12.460
 saying

00:36:12.460 --> 00:36:13.320
 go and

00:36:13.320 --> 00:36:13.640
 say your

00:36:13.640 --> 00:36:14.160
 goodbyes

00:36:14.160 --> 00:36:14.599
 but don't

00:36:14.599 --> 00:36:14.900
 forget

00:36:14.900 --> 00:36:15.280
 what I've

00:36:15.280 --> 00:36:15.700
 just done

00:36:15.700 --> 00:36:16.880
 to you

00:36:16.880 --> 00:36:17.880
 which you've

00:36:17.880 --> 00:36:18.280
 understood

00:36:18.280 --> 00:36:18.900
 you've got

00:36:18.900 --> 00:36:19.480
 it's

00:36:19.480 --> 00:36:19.960
 significance

00:36:19.960 --> 00:36:20.660
 verse 21

00:36:20.660 --> 00:36:21.360
 and he

00:36:21.360 --> 00:36:21.940
 Elisha

00:36:21.940 --> 00:36:22.360
 returned

00:36:22.360 --> 00:36:23.000
 from following

00:36:23.000 --> 00:36:23.300
 him

00:36:23.300 --> 00:36:24.099
 and took

00:36:24.099 --> 00:36:24.539
 the yoke

00:36:24.539 --> 00:36:25.079
 of oxen

00:36:25.079 --> 00:36:25.920
 and sacrificed

00:36:25.920 --> 00:36:26.380
 them

00:36:26.380 --> 00:36:26.960
 and boiled

00:36:26.960 --> 00:36:27.800
 their flesh

00:36:27.800 --> 00:36:28.960
 with the

00:36:28.960 --> 00:36:29.280
 yokes

00:36:29.280 --> 00:36:29.960
 of the

00:36:29.960 --> 00:36:30.620
 oxen

00:36:30.620 --> 00:36:32.820
 and gave

00:36:32.820 --> 00:36:33.180
 it to the

00:36:33.180 --> 00:36:33.519
 people

00:36:33.519 --> 00:36:34.320
 and they

00:36:34.320 --> 00:36:34.640
 ate

00:36:34.640 --> 00:36:36.420
 and then

00:36:36.420 --> 00:36:37.019
 he arose

00:36:37.019 --> 00:36:37.480
 and went

00:36:37.480 --> 00:36:38.580
 after Elijah

00:36:38.580 --> 00:36:39.820
 and assisted

00:36:39.820 --> 00:36:40.100
 him

00:36:40.100 --> 00:36:40.740
 try and imagine

00:36:40.740 --> 00:36:41.340
 the scene

00:36:41.340 --> 00:36:43.200
 it's described

00:36:43.200 --> 00:36:43.940
 very briefly

00:36:43.940 --> 00:36:45.340
 but we mustn't

00:36:45.340 --> 00:36:45.840
 miss what was

00:36:45.840 --> 00:36:46.140
 happening

00:36:46.140 --> 00:36:46.820
 Elisha

00:36:46.820 --> 00:36:47.800
 was putting

00:36:47.800 --> 00:36:48.140
 on a

00:36:48.140 --> 00:36:48.440
 farewell

00:36:48.440 --> 00:36:49.039
 party

00:36:49.039 --> 00:36:49.500
 for the

00:36:49.500 --> 00:36:49.940
 people of

00:36:49.940 --> 00:36:50.100
 his

00:36:50.100 --> 00:36:50.580
 community

00:36:50.580 --> 00:36:52.460
 and they

00:36:52.460 --> 00:36:52.880
 ate

00:36:52.880 --> 00:36:53.300
 the

00:36:53.300 --> 00:36:53.880
 oxen

00:36:53.880 --> 00:36:55.760
 there

00:36:55.760 --> 00:36:55.960
 would

00:36:55.960 --> 00:36:56.340
 be no

00:36:56.340 --> 00:36:56.700
 going

00:36:56.700 --> 00:36:56.960
 back

00:36:56.960 --> 00:36:57.260
 to the

00:36:57.260 --> 00:36:57.700
 ploughing

00:36:57.700 --> 00:36:58.220
 you see

00:36:58.220 --> 00:37:00.360
 you could

00:37:00.360 --> 00:37:00.780
 call this

00:37:00.780 --> 00:37:01.340
 a decisive

00:37:01.340 --> 00:37:01.940
 break

00:37:01.940 --> 00:37:02.880
 with his

00:37:02.880 --> 00:37:03.220
 former

00:37:03.220 --> 00:37:03.619
 life

00:37:03.619 --> 00:37:03.980
 don't you

00:37:03.980 --> 00:37:04.180
 think

00:37:04.180 --> 00:37:04.900
 Elisha

00:37:04.900 --> 00:37:05.340
 left

00:37:05.340 --> 00:37:06.059
 everything

00:37:06.059 --> 00:37:07.180
 he had

00:37:07.180 --> 00:37:07.619
 known

00:37:07.619 --> 00:37:09.019
 to follow

00:37:09.019 --> 00:37:09.660
 Elijah

00:37:09.660 --> 00:37:10.900
 and to

00:37:10.900 --> 00:37:11.280
 be his

00:37:11.280 --> 00:37:11.860
 off-sider

00:37:11.860 --> 00:37:13.240
 and we

00:37:13.240 --> 00:37:13.559
 know

00:37:13.559 --> 00:37:13.960
 from what

00:37:13.960 --> 00:37:14.260
 we read

00:37:14.260 --> 00:37:14.519
 a few

00:37:14.519 --> 00:37:14.820
 lines

00:37:14.820 --> 00:37:15.119
 earlier

00:37:15.119 --> 00:37:15.340
 that

00:37:15.340 --> 00:37:15.840
 Elisha

00:37:15.840 --> 00:37:16.000
 will

00:37:16.000 --> 00:37:16.420
 become

00:37:16.420 --> 00:37:17.200
 Elijah's

00:37:17.200 --> 00:37:17.720
 successor

00:37:17.719 --> 00:37:19.939
 there was

00:37:19.939 --> 00:37:20.239
 something

00:37:20.239 --> 00:37:20.659
 here

00:37:20.659 --> 00:37:22.019
 more

00:37:22.019 --> 00:37:22.639
 important

00:37:22.639 --> 00:37:23.799
 than

00:37:23.799 --> 00:37:23.980
 the

00:37:23.980 --> 00:37:24.339
 farm

00:37:24.339 --> 00:37:26.500
 there

00:37:26.500 --> 00:37:26.659
 was

00:37:26.659 --> 00:37:26.939
 something

00:37:26.939 --> 00:37:27.379
 here

00:37:27.379 --> 00:37:28.099
 for

00:37:28.099 --> 00:37:28.699
 Elisha

00:37:28.699 --> 00:37:29.639
 more

00:37:29.639 --> 00:37:30.139
 important

00:37:30.139 --> 00:37:30.399
 than

00:37:30.399 --> 00:37:30.539
 the

00:37:30.539 --> 00:37:30.959
 family

00:37:30.959 --> 00:37:32.239
 there

00:37:32.239 --> 00:37:32.359
 was

00:37:32.359 --> 00:37:32.619
 something

00:37:32.619 --> 00:37:32.839
 here

00:37:32.839 --> 00:37:33.079
 more

00:37:33.079 --> 00:37:33.480
 important

00:37:33.480 --> 00:37:33.659
 than

00:37:33.659 --> 00:37:33.799
 the

00:37:33.799 --> 00:37:34.359
 community

00:37:34.359 --> 00:37:35.619
 Elisha

00:37:35.619 --> 00:37:36.339
 left

00:37:36.339 --> 00:37:37.019
 everything

00:37:37.019 --> 00:37:37.539
 he had

00:37:37.539 --> 00:37:38.099
 known

00:37:38.099 --> 00:37:39.619
 to

00:37:39.619 --> 00:37:39.919
 follow

00:37:39.919 --> 00:37:40.439
 Elijah

00:37:40.439 --> 00:37:42.559
 finish

00:37:42.559 --> 00:37:42.779
 off

00:37:42.779 --> 00:37:43.099
 with two

00:37:43.099 --> 00:37:43.500
 points

00:37:43.500 --> 00:37:45.500
 first

00:37:45.500 --> 00:37:47.400
 if

00:37:47.400 --> 00:37:47.699
 we'd

00:37:47.699 --> 00:37:47.900
 been

00:37:47.900 --> 00:37:48.280
 reading

00:37:48.280 --> 00:37:48.519
 the

00:37:48.519 --> 00:37:48.800
 whole

00:37:48.800 --> 00:37:49.239
 history

00:37:49.239 --> 00:37:49.460
 and

00:37:49.460 --> 00:37:49.679
 we'd

00:37:49.679 --> 00:37:49.840
 been

00:37:49.840 --> 00:37:50.159
 starting

00:37:50.159 --> 00:37:50.360
 to

00:37:50.360 --> 00:37:50.500
 get

00:37:50.500 --> 00:37:50.739
 a bit

00:37:50.739 --> 00:37:51.179
 depressed

00:37:51.179 --> 00:37:51.460
 about

00:37:51.460 --> 00:37:51.699
 how

00:37:51.699 --> 00:37:52.000
 things

00:37:52.000 --> 00:37:52.179
 were

00:37:52.179 --> 00:37:52.420
 going

00:37:52.420 --> 00:37:52.599
 to

00:37:52.599 --> 00:37:53.019
 end

00:37:53.019 --> 00:37:53.320
 in

00:37:53.320 --> 00:37:53.940
 Israel

00:37:53.940 --> 00:37:55.400
 as

00:37:55.400 --> 00:37:55.820
 Elijah

00:37:55.820 --> 00:37:56.099
 had

00:37:56.099 --> 00:37:56.480
 indeed

00:37:56.480 --> 00:37:56.800
 been

00:37:56.800 --> 00:37:57.159
 a little

00:37:57.159 --> 00:37:57.360
 bit

00:37:57.360 --> 00:37:57.800
 earlier

00:37:57.800 --> 00:37:58.900
 can

00:37:58.900 --> 00:37:59.099
 you

00:37:59.099 --> 00:37:59.400
 see

00:37:59.400 --> 00:37:59.659
 how

00:37:59.659 --> 00:37:59.840
 the

00:37:59.840 --> 00:38:00.340
 call

00:38:00.340 --> 00:38:00.780
 of

00:38:00.780 --> 00:38:01.719
 Elisha

00:38:01.719 --> 00:38:02.260
 is

00:38:02.260 --> 00:38:02.440
 a

00:38:02.440 --> 00:38:02.719
 pretty

00:38:02.719 --> 00:38:03.179
 sure

00:38:03.179 --> 00:38:03.719
 sign

00:38:03.719 --> 00:38:03.960
 that

00:38:03.960 --> 00:38:04.340
 God

00:38:04.340 --> 00:38:04.579
 had

00:38:04.579 --> 00:38:04.860
 not

00:38:04.860 --> 00:38:05.139
 given

00:38:05.139 --> 00:38:05.500
 up

00:38:05.500 --> 00:38:08.260
 God

00:38:08.260 --> 00:38:08.440
 was

00:38:08.440 --> 00:38:08.699
 still

00:38:08.699 --> 00:38:09.079
 dealing

00:38:09.079 --> 00:38:09.739
 with

00:38:09.739 --> 00:38:10.260
 Israel

00:38:10.260 --> 00:38:11.760
 God's

00:38:11.760 --> 00:38:12.119
 word

00:38:12.119 --> 00:38:12.400
 would

00:38:12.400 --> 00:38:12.719
 still

00:38:12.719 --> 00:38:13.139
 come

00:38:13.139 --> 00:38:13.500
 to

00:38:13.500 --> 00:38:14.119
 Israel

00:38:14.119 --> 00:38:15.139
 God

00:38:15.139 --> 00:38:15.379
 was

00:38:15.379 --> 00:38:15.719
 still

00:38:15.719 --> 00:38:16.279
 God

00:38:16.279 --> 00:38:16.659
 in

00:38:16.659 --> 00:38:17.199
 Israel

00:38:17.199 --> 00:38:18.239
 my

00:38:18.239 --> 00:38:18.739
 God

00:38:18.739 --> 00:38:19.819
 saves

00:38:19.819 --> 00:38:20.980
 will

00:38:20.980 --> 00:38:21.739
 succeed

00:38:21.739 --> 00:38:22.659
 my

00:38:22.659 --> 00:38:22.940
 God

00:38:22.940 --> 00:38:23.119
 is

00:38:23.119 --> 00:38:23.659
 Yahweh

00:38:23.659 --> 00:38:25.559
 and

00:38:25.559 --> 00:38:25.719
 with

00:38:25.719 --> 00:38:26.319
 Elisha

00:38:26.319 --> 00:38:27.000
 leaving

00:38:27.000 --> 00:38:27.920
 everything

00:38:27.920 --> 00:38:28.659
 for

00:38:28.659 --> 00:38:29.319
 who knows

00:38:29.319 --> 00:38:29.759
 what

00:38:29.759 --> 00:38:30.699
 don't

00:38:30.699 --> 00:38:30.960
 you get

00:38:30.960 --> 00:38:31.119
 the

00:38:31.119 --> 00:38:31.539
 impression

00:38:31.539 --> 00:38:31.799
 that

00:38:31.799 --> 00:38:32.119
 whatever

00:38:32.119 --> 00:38:32.420
 this

00:38:32.420 --> 00:38:32.559
 is

00:38:32.559 --> 00:38:33.000
 about

00:38:33.000 --> 00:38:33.279
 it

00:38:33.279 --> 00:38:33.440
 was

00:38:33.440 --> 00:38:33.759
 more

00:38:33.759 --> 00:38:34.259
 important

00:38:34.259 --> 00:38:34.519
 than

00:38:34.519 --> 00:38:34.980
 anything

00:38:34.980 --> 00:38:35.960
 it

00:38:35.960 --> 00:38:36.119
 sort

00:38:36.119 --> 00:38:36.239
 of

00:38:36.239 --> 00:38:36.879
 symbolically

00:38:36.879 --> 00:38:37.739
 represented

00:38:37.739 --> 00:38:38.159
 to us

00:38:38.159 --> 00:38:38.299
 in

00:38:38.299 --> 00:38:38.759
 Elisha

00:38:38.759 --> 00:38:39.179
 walking

00:38:39.179 --> 00:38:39.539
 away

00:38:39.539 --> 00:38:39.779
 from

00:38:39.779 --> 00:38:40.339
 everything

00:38:40.339 --> 00:38:40.679
 he'd

00:38:40.679 --> 00:38:40.920
 known

00:38:40.920 --> 00:38:41.119
 in

00:38:41.119 --> 00:38:41.539
 life

00:38:41.539 --> 00:38:42.079
 to

00:38:42.079 --> 00:38:42.339
 follow

00:38:42.339 --> 00:38:42.879
 Elijah

00:38:42.879 --> 00:38:43.819
 there

00:38:43.819 --> 00:38:43.980
 is

00:38:43.980 --> 00:38:44.259
 something

00:38:44.259 --> 00:38:44.639
 very

00:38:44.639 --> 00:38:45.019
 very

00:38:45.019 --> 00:38:45.880
 important

00:38:45.880 --> 00:38:46.280
 going

00:38:46.280 --> 00:38:46.719
 on

00:38:46.719 --> 00:38:47.820
 now

00:38:47.820 --> 00:38:47.980
 we

00:38:47.980 --> 00:38:48.139
 will

00:38:48.139 --> 00:38:48.420
 follow

00:38:48.420 --> 00:38:48.940
 Elisha

00:38:48.940 --> 00:38:49.079
 and

00:38:49.079 --> 00:38:49.280
 see

00:38:49.280 --> 00:38:49.519
 a little

00:38:49.519 --> 00:38:49.659
 bit

00:38:49.659 --> 00:38:49.780
 of

00:38:49.780 --> 00:38:49.940
 what

00:38:49.940 --> 00:38:50.420
 happens

00:38:50.420 --> 00:38:50.860
 but

00:38:50.860 --> 00:38:50.980
 at

00:38:50.980 --> 00:38:51.119
 this

00:38:51.119 --> 00:38:51.400
 early

00:38:51.400 --> 00:38:51.960
 stage

00:38:51.960 --> 00:38:52.400
 we

00:38:52.400 --> 00:38:52.539
 can

00:38:52.539 --> 00:38:52.739
 see

00:38:52.739 --> 00:38:52.900
 that

00:38:52.900 --> 00:38:53.019
 it

00:38:53.019 --> 00:38:53.159
 will

00:38:53.159 --> 00:38:53.300
 be

00:38:53.300 --> 00:38:53.639
 very

00:38:53.639 --> 00:38:54.480
 important

00:38:54.480 --> 00:38:54.659
 if

00:38:54.659 --> 00:38:54.739
 you

00:38:54.739 --> 00:38:54.920
 want

00:38:54.920 --> 00:38:55.019
 to

00:38:55.019 --> 00:38:55.340
 know

00:38:55.340 --> 00:38:55.739
 and

00:38:55.739 --> 00:38:55.820
 you

00:38:55.820 --> 00:38:55.980
 want

00:38:55.980 --> 00:38:56.099
 to

00:38:56.099 --> 00:38:56.460
 see

00:38:56.460 --> 00:38:57.000
 how

00:38:57.000 --> 00:38:57.460
 God

00:38:57.460 --> 00:38:57.639
 had

00:38:57.639 --> 00:38:57.900
 not

00:38:57.900 --> 00:38:58.159
 given

00:38:58.159 --> 00:38:58.380
 up

00:38:58.380 --> 00:38:58.539
 on

00:38:58.539 --> 00:38:58.880
 Israel

00:38:58.880 --> 00:38:59.280
 watch

00:38:59.280 --> 00:38:59.920
 Elisha

00:38:59.920 --> 00:39:02.599
 second

00:39:02.599 --> 00:39:05.719
 many years

00:39:05.719 --> 00:39:06.059
 later

00:39:06.059 --> 00:39:06.400
 there was

00:39:06.400 --> 00:39:06.820
 a similar

00:39:06.820 --> 00:39:07.300
 scene

00:39:07.300 --> 00:39:09.320
 listen to

00:39:09.320 --> 00:39:09.539
 this

00:39:09.539 --> 00:39:09.980
 account

00:39:09.980 --> 00:39:10.400
 of it

00:39:10.400 --> 00:39:10.860
 from

00:39:10.860 --> 00:39:11.400
 Matthew

00:39:11.400 --> 00:39:11.759
 chapter

00:39:11.759 --> 00:39:12.199
 4

00:39:12.199 --> 00:39:12.639
 I

00:39:12.639 --> 00:39:12.780
 think

00:39:12.780 --> 00:39:12.920
 the

00:39:12.920 --> 00:39:13.219
 reference

00:39:13.219 --> 00:39:13.420
 is

00:39:13.420 --> 00:39:13.579
 on

00:39:13.579 --> 00:39:13.699
 your

00:39:13.699 --> 00:39:14.119
 notes

00:39:14.119 --> 00:39:15.480
 while

00:39:15.480 --> 00:39:15.859
 walking

00:39:15.859 --> 00:39:16.219
 by the

00:39:16.219 --> 00:39:16.419
 sea

00:39:16.419 --> 00:39:16.579
 of

00:39:16.579 --> 00:39:17.000
 Galilee

00:39:17.000 --> 00:39:17.559
 Jesus

00:39:17.559 --> 00:39:19.319
 saw

00:39:19.319 --> 00:39:19.659
 two

00:39:19.659 --> 00:39:20.259
 brothers

00:39:20.259 --> 00:39:21.179
 Simon

00:39:21.179 --> 00:39:21.579
 who is

00:39:21.579 --> 00:39:21.819
 called

00:39:21.819 --> 00:39:22.199
 Peter

00:39:22.199 --> 00:39:23.019
 and

00:39:23.019 --> 00:39:23.419
 Andrew

00:39:23.419 --> 00:39:23.639
 his

00:39:23.639 --> 00:39:23.939
 brother

00:39:23.939 --> 00:39:24.480
 casting

00:39:24.480 --> 00:39:24.939
 a net

00:39:24.939 --> 00:39:25.219
 into

00:39:25.219 --> 00:39:25.439
 the

00:39:25.439 --> 00:39:25.679
 sea

00:39:25.679 --> 00:39:25.859
 for

00:39:25.859 --> 00:39:26.000
 they

00:39:26.000 --> 00:39:26.159
 were

00:39:26.159 --> 00:39:26.559
 fishermen

00:39:26.559 --> 00:39:27.639
 and

00:39:27.639 --> 00:39:27.759
 he

00:39:27.759 --> 00:39:28.019
 said

00:39:28.019 --> 00:39:28.139
 to

00:39:28.139 --> 00:39:28.259
 them

00:39:28.259 --> 00:39:28.599
 follow

00:39:28.599 --> 00:39:29.119
 me

00:39:29.119 --> 00:39:30.059
 and

00:39:30.059 --> 00:39:30.239
 I

00:39:30.239 --> 00:39:30.439
 will

00:39:30.439 --> 00:39:30.739
 make

00:39:30.739 --> 00:39:30.919
 you

00:39:30.919 --> 00:39:31.359
 fishers

00:39:31.359 --> 00:39:31.519
 of

00:39:31.519 --> 00:39:31.759
 men

00:39:31.759 --> 00:39:31.899
 and

00:39:31.899 --> 00:39:32.279
 immediately

00:39:32.279 --> 00:39:32.679
 they

00:39:32.679 --> 00:39:32.960
 left

00:39:32.960 --> 00:39:33.179
 their

00:39:33.179 --> 00:39:33.399
 nets

00:39:33.399 --> 00:39:33.579
 and

00:39:33.579 --> 00:39:33.899
 followed

00:39:33.899 --> 00:39:34.239
 him

00:39:34.239 --> 00:39:34.960
 and

00:39:34.960 --> 00:39:35.219
 going

00:39:35.219 --> 00:39:35.439
 on

00:39:35.439 --> 00:39:35.579
 from

00:39:35.579 --> 00:39:35.759
 there

00:39:35.759 --> 00:39:35.919
 he

00:39:35.919 --> 00:39:36.139
 saw

00:39:36.139 --> 00:39:36.359
 two

00:39:36.359 --> 00:39:36.599
 other

00:39:36.599 --> 00:39:36.960
 brothers

00:39:36.960 --> 00:39:37.399
 James

00:39:37.399 --> 00:39:37.639
 the

00:39:37.639 --> 00:39:37.819
 son

00:39:37.819 --> 00:39:37.960
 of

00:39:37.960 --> 00:39:38.319
 Zebedee

00:39:38.319 --> 00:39:38.500
 and

00:39:38.500 --> 00:39:38.699
 John

00:39:38.699 --> 00:39:38.899
 his

00:39:38.899 --> 00:39:39.219
 brother

00:39:39.219 --> 00:39:40.079
 in the

00:39:40.079 --> 00:39:40.319
 boat

00:39:40.319 --> 00:39:40.559
 with

00:39:40.559 --> 00:39:41.000
 Zebedee

00:39:41.000 --> 00:39:41.219
 their

00:39:41.219 --> 00:39:41.579
 father

00:39:41.579 --> 00:39:41.939
 mending

00:39:41.939 --> 00:39:42.179
 their

00:39:42.179 --> 00:39:42.399
 nets

00:39:42.399 --> 00:39:42.539
 and

00:39:42.539 --> 00:39:42.659
 he

00:39:42.659 --> 00:39:42.939
 called

00:39:42.939 --> 00:39:43.139
 them

00:39:43.139 --> 00:39:43.299
 and

00:39:43.299 --> 00:39:43.739
 immediately

00:39:43.739 --> 00:39:44.159
 they

00:39:44.159 --> 00:39:44.500
 left

00:39:44.500 --> 00:39:44.799
 their

00:39:44.799 --> 00:39:45.119
 boat

00:39:45.119 --> 00:39:46.019
 and

00:39:46.019 --> 00:39:46.219
 their

00:39:46.219 --> 00:39:46.599
 father

00:39:46.599 --> 00:39:47.419
 and

00:39:47.419 --> 00:39:47.839
 followed

00:39:47.839 --> 00:39:48.179
 him

00:39:48.179 --> 00:39:49.839
 and

00:39:49.839 --> 00:39:50.019
 this

00:39:50.019 --> 00:39:50.359
 friends

00:39:50.359 --> 00:39:50.799
 is the

00:39:50.799 --> 00:39:51.059
 first

00:39:51.059 --> 00:39:51.299
 of a

00:39:51.299 --> 00:39:51.480
 number

00:39:51.480 --> 00:39:51.659
 of

00:39:51.659 --> 00:39:51.959
 places

00:39:51.959 --> 00:39:52.199
 where

00:39:52.199 --> 00:39:52.359
 we're

00:39:52.359 --> 00:39:52.559
 going

00:39:52.559 --> 00:39:52.919
 to see

00:39:52.919 --> 00:39:53.679
 similarities

00:39:53.679 --> 00:39:54.299
 between

00:39:54.299 --> 00:39:54.539
 the

00:39:54.539 --> 00:39:54.839
 life

00:39:54.839 --> 00:39:55.000
 of

00:39:55.000 --> 00:39:55.599
 Elisha

00:39:55.599 --> 00:39:55.919
 and

00:39:55.919 --> 00:39:56.119
 the

00:39:56.119 --> 00:39:56.559
 story

00:39:56.559 --> 00:39:57.519
 of

00:39:57.519 --> 00:39:57.939
 Jesus

00:39:57.939 --> 00:39:59.259
 in

00:39:59.259 --> 00:39:59.379
 the

00:39:59.379 --> 00:39:59.539
 New

00:39:59.539 --> 00:39:59.899
 Testament

00:39:59.899 --> 00:40:00.699
 Gospels

00:40:00.699 --> 00:40:01.819
 in

00:40:01.819 --> 00:40:02.079
 this

00:40:02.079 --> 00:40:02.539
 case

00:40:02.539 --> 00:40:03.179
 Jesus

00:40:03.179 --> 00:40:03.619
 was

00:40:03.619 --> 00:40:04.079
 acting

00:40:04.079 --> 00:40:04.500
 rather

00:40:04.500 --> 00:40:04.960
 like

00:40:04.960 --> 00:40:05.679
 Elijah

00:40:05.679 --> 00:40:07.059
 he

00:40:07.059 --> 00:40:07.439
 called

00:40:07.439 --> 00:40:07.839
 Peter

00:40:07.839 --> 00:40:08.039
 and

00:40:08.039 --> 00:40:08.339
 Andrew

00:40:08.339 --> 00:40:08.519
 and

00:40:08.519 --> 00:40:08.819
 James

00:40:08.819 --> 00:40:09.019
 and

00:40:09.019 --> 00:40:09.299
 John

00:40:09.299 --> 00:40:09.779
 in

00:40:09.779 --> 00:40:10.019
 a way

00:40:10.019 --> 00:40:10.179
 that

00:40:10.179 --> 00:40:10.679
 reminds

00:40:10.679 --> 00:40:11.059
 us

00:40:11.059 --> 00:40:11.359
 of

00:40:11.359 --> 00:40:11.899
 Elijah

00:40:11.899 --> 00:40:12.619
 calling

00:40:12.619 --> 00:40:13.719
 Elisha

00:40:13.719 --> 00:40:14.939
 and

00:40:14.939 --> 00:40:15.159
 here

00:40:15.159 --> 00:40:15.319
 I

00:40:15.319 --> 00:40:15.519
 just

00:40:15.519 --> 00:40:15.679
 want

00:40:15.679 --> 00:40:15.779
 to

00:40:15.779 --> 00:40:16.099
 suggest

00:40:16.099 --> 00:40:16.279
 that

00:40:16.279 --> 00:40:16.439
 the

00:40:16.439 --> 00:40:17.619
 parallel

00:40:17.619 --> 00:40:18.079
 might

00:40:18.079 --> 00:40:18.299
 get

00:40:18.299 --> 00:40:18.460
 us

00:40:18.460 --> 00:40:18.859
 thinking

00:40:18.859 --> 00:40:20.039
 Peter

00:40:20.039 --> 00:40:20.739
 Andrew

00:40:20.739 --> 00:40:21.299
 James

00:40:21.299 --> 00:40:21.599
 and

00:40:21.599 --> 00:40:22.000
 John

00:40:22.000 --> 00:40:23.059
 left

00:40:23.059 --> 00:40:23.739
 everything

00:40:23.739 --> 00:40:24.099
 they

00:40:24.099 --> 00:40:24.319
 had

00:40:24.319 --> 00:40:24.859
 known

00:40:24.859 --> 00:40:26.419
 to

00:40:26.419 --> 00:40:26.719
 follow

00:40:26.719 --> 00:40:27.359
 Jesus

00:40:27.359 --> 00:40:28.679
 this

00:40:28.679 --> 00:40:28.980
 time

00:40:28.980 --> 00:40:29.119
 it

00:40:29.119 --> 00:40:29.259
 was

00:40:29.259 --> 00:40:29.599
 fishing

00:40:29.599 --> 00:40:30.000
 nets

00:40:30.000 --> 00:40:30.659
 instead

00:40:30.659 --> 00:40:30.820
 of

00:40:30.820 --> 00:40:31.320
 oxen

00:40:31.320 --> 00:40:31.920
 they

00:40:31.920 --> 00:40:32.079
 left

00:40:32.079 --> 00:40:32.260
 their

00:40:32.260 --> 00:40:32.659
 father

00:40:32.659 --> 00:40:33.019
 but

00:40:33.019 --> 00:40:33.719
 it's

00:40:33.719 --> 00:40:33.840
 a

00:40:33.840 --> 00:40:34.059
 picture

00:40:34.059 --> 00:40:34.360
 worth

00:40:34.360 --> 00:40:34.719
 taking

00:40:34.719 --> 00:40:35.019
 in

00:40:35.019 --> 00:40:36.139
 something

00:40:36.139 --> 00:40:37.039
 important

00:40:37.039 --> 00:40:37.340
 was

00:40:37.340 --> 00:40:37.780
 happening

00:40:37.780 --> 00:40:40.559
 and

00:40:40.559 --> 00:40:40.739
 if

00:40:40.739 --> 00:40:41.000
 you

00:40:41.000 --> 00:40:41.460
 like

00:40:41.460 --> 00:40:41.880
 me

00:40:41.880 --> 00:40:44.380
 are

00:40:44.380 --> 00:40:44.639
 getting

00:40:44.639 --> 00:40:45.199
 depressed

00:40:45.199 --> 00:40:45.619
 about

00:40:45.619 --> 00:40:45.880
 how

00:40:45.880 --> 00:40:46.199
 things

00:40:46.199 --> 00:40:46.340
 are

00:40:46.340 --> 00:40:46.619
 going

00:40:46.619 --> 00:40:46.780
 in

00:40:46.780 --> 00:40:46.900
 the

00:40:46.900 --> 00:40:47.360
 world

00:40:47.360 --> 00:40:49.699
 look

00:40:49.699 --> 00:40:49.860
 at

00:40:49.860 --> 00:40:50.380
 Jesus

00:40:50.380 --> 00:40:52.619
 and

00:40:52.619 --> 00:40:52.800
 the

00:40:52.800 --> 00:40:53.139
 call

00:40:53.139 --> 00:40:53.320
 of

00:40:53.320 --> 00:40:53.579
 these

00:40:53.579 --> 00:40:54.300
 disciples

00:40:54.300 --> 00:40:57.119
 God

00:40:57.119 --> 00:40:57.539
 has

00:40:57.539 --> 00:40:57.880
 not

00:40:57.880 --> 00:40:58.239
 given

00:40:58.239 --> 00:40:58.659
 up

00:40:58.659 --> 00:40:59.019
 on

00:40:59.019 --> 00:40:59.340
 his

00:40:59.340 --> 00:40:59.840
 world

00:40:59.840 --> 00:41:01.680
 what

00:41:01.680 --> 00:41:02.200
 these

00:41:02.200 --> 00:41:02.860
 men

00:41:02.860 --> 00:41:03.420
 left

00:41:03.420 --> 00:41:04.260
 everything

00:41:04.260 --> 00:41:04.940
 for

00:41:04.940 --> 00:41:06.720
 is

00:41:06.720 --> 00:41:07.120
 more

00:41:07.120 --> 00:41:07.680
 important

00:41:07.680 --> 00:41:07.940
 than

00:41:07.940 --> 00:41:08.460
 anything

00:41:08.460 --> 00:41:11.039
 God

00:41:11.039 --> 00:41:11.240
 has

00:41:11.240 --> 00:41:11.480
 not

00:41:11.480 --> 00:41:11.720
 given

00:41:11.720 --> 00:41:11.920
 up

00:41:11.920 --> 00:41:12.059
 on

00:41:12.059 --> 00:41:12.260
 his

00:41:12.260 --> 00:41:12.780
 world

00:41:12.780 --> 00:41:14.120
 just

00:41:14.120 --> 00:41:14.320
 as

00:41:14.320 --> 00:41:14.420
 he

00:41:14.420 --> 00:41:14.539
 had

00:41:14.539 --> 00:41:14.740
 not

00:41:14.740 --> 00:41:14.980
 given

00:41:14.980 --> 00:41:15.240
 up

00:41:15.240 --> 00:41:16.180
 on

00:41:16.180 --> 00:41:16.720
 Israel

00:41:16.720 --> 00:41:17.920
 and

00:41:17.920 --> 00:41:18.059
 if

00:41:18.059 --> 00:41:18.180
 we

00:41:18.180 --> 00:41:18.320
 want

00:41:18.320 --> 00:41:18.420
 to

00:41:18.420 --> 00:41:18.579
 see

00:41:18.579 --> 00:41:18.960
 how

00:41:18.960 --> 00:41:19.360
 God

00:41:19.360 --> 00:41:19.519
 has

00:41:19.519 --> 00:41:19.720
 not

00:41:19.720 --> 00:41:19.940
 given

00:41:19.940 --> 00:41:20.160
 up

00:41:20.160 --> 00:41:20.280
 on

00:41:20.280 --> 00:41:20.420
 the

00:41:20.420 --> 00:41:20.840
 world

00:41:20.840 --> 00:41:21.539
 we've

00:41:21.539 --> 00:41:21.660
 got

00:41:21.660 --> 00:41:21.840
 to

00:41:21.840 --> 00:41:22.280
 watch

00:41:22.280 --> 00:41:23.220
 Jesus

00:41:23.220 --> 00:41:23.880
 and

00:41:23.880 --> 00:41:24.140
 his

00:41:24.140 --> 00:41:24.720
 disciples

00:41:24.719 --> 00:41:27.759
 in

00:41:27.759 --> 00:41:27.899
 an

00:41:27.899 --> 00:41:28.199
 important

00:41:28.199 --> 00:41:28.699
 way

00:41:28.699 --> 00:41:29.939
 in

00:41:29.939 --> 00:41:30.419
 Jesus

00:41:30.419 --> 00:41:31.579
 God

00:41:31.579 --> 00:41:31.839
 was

00:41:31.839 --> 00:41:32.179
 doing

00:41:32.179 --> 00:41:32.859
 again

00:41:32.859 --> 00:41:34.399
 something

00:41:34.399 --> 00:41:34.679
 that

00:41:34.679 --> 00:41:34.859
 he'd

00:41:34.859 --> 00:41:35.039
 done

00:41:35.039 --> 00:41:35.619
 before

00:41:35.619 --> 00:41:36.939
 in

00:41:36.939 --> 00:41:37.619
 Elisha

00:41:37.619 --> 00:41:41.159
 just

00:41:41.159 --> 00:41:41.480
 go back

00:41:41.480 --> 00:41:41.619
 to

00:41:41.619 --> 00:41:42.039
 Elisha

00:41:42.039 --> 00:41:42.440
 for one

00:41:42.440 --> 00:41:43.039
 final

00:41:43.039 --> 00:41:43.539
 moment

00:41:43.539 --> 00:41:44.500
 in the

00:41:44.500 --> 00:41:44.839
 pages

00:41:44.839 --> 00:41:45.099
 that

00:41:45.099 --> 00:41:45.440
 follow

00:41:45.440 --> 00:41:45.759
 1

00:41:45.759 --> 00:41:46.059
 Kings

00:41:46.059 --> 00:41:46.659
 19

00:41:46.659 --> 00:41:47.000
 right

00:41:47.000 --> 00:41:47.199
 through

00:41:47.199 --> 00:41:47.339
 to

00:41:47.339 --> 00:41:47.480
 the

00:41:47.480 --> 00:41:47.739
 end

00:41:47.739 --> 00:41:47.960
 of

00:41:47.960 --> 00:41:48.519
 the

00:41:48.519 --> 00:41:48.679
 book

00:41:48.679 --> 00:41:48.819
 of

00:41:48.819 --> 00:41:49.079
 1

00:41:49.079 --> 00:41:49.460
 Kings

00:41:49.460 --> 00:41:50.259
 there

00:41:50.259 --> 00:41:50.380
 are

00:41:50.380 --> 00:41:50.539
 some

00:41:50.539 --> 00:41:50.859
 pretty

00:41:50.859 --> 00:41:51.359
 exciting

00:41:51.359 --> 00:41:52.079
 stories

00:41:52.079 --> 00:41:53.679
 involving

00:41:53.679 --> 00:41:54.420
 Elijah

00:41:54.420 --> 00:41:55.239
 and

00:41:55.239 --> 00:41:55.579
 King

00:41:55.579 --> 00:41:56.159
 Ahab

00:41:56.159 --> 00:41:58.059
 Elisha

00:41:58.059 --> 00:41:58.219
 is

00:41:58.219 --> 00:41:58.399
 not

00:41:58.399 --> 00:41:58.799
 mentioned

00:41:58.799 --> 00:41:59.219
 again

00:41:59.219 --> 00:41:59.879
 in

00:41:59.879 --> 00:41:59.980
 the

00:41:59.980 --> 00:42:00.219
 rest

00:42:00.219 --> 00:42:00.359
 of

00:42:00.359 --> 00:42:00.579
 1

00:42:00.579 --> 00:42:01.159
 Kings

00:42:01.159 --> 00:42:01.679
 but

00:42:01.679 --> 00:42:01.839
 we

00:42:01.839 --> 00:42:01.980
 can

00:42:01.980 --> 00:42:02.299
 assume

00:42:02.299 --> 00:42:02.480
 that

00:42:02.480 --> 00:42:02.559
 he

00:42:02.559 --> 00:42:02.739
 was

00:42:02.739 --> 00:42:03.000
 there

00:42:03.000 --> 00:42:04.719
 he

00:42:04.719 --> 00:42:05.119
 was

00:42:05.119 --> 00:42:06.199
 Elijah's

00:42:06.199 --> 00:42:06.739
 assistant

00:42:06.739 --> 00:42:08.379
 the

00:42:08.379 --> 00:42:08.639
 next

00:42:08.639 --> 00:42:08.960
 time

00:42:08.960 --> 00:42:09.139
 we

00:42:09.139 --> 00:42:09.480
 hear

00:42:09.480 --> 00:42:09.639
 of

00:42:09.639 --> 00:42:10.179
 Elisha

00:42:10.179 --> 00:42:10.440
 is

00:42:10.440 --> 00:42:10.539
 at

00:42:10.539 --> 00:42:10.639
 the

00:42:10.639 --> 00:42:10.940
 beginning

00:42:10.940 --> 00:42:11.179
 of

00:42:11.179 --> 00:42:11.440
 2

00:42:11.440 --> 00:42:11.819
 Kings

00:42:11.819 --> 00:42:12.199
 chapter

00:42:12.199 --> 00:42:12.679
 2

00:42:12.679 --> 00:42:13.719
 where

00:42:13.719 --> 00:42:14.619
 Elijah's

00:42:14.619 --> 00:42:14.940
 time

00:42:14.940 --> 00:42:15.159
 on

00:42:15.159 --> 00:42:15.480
 earth

00:42:15.480 --> 00:42:15.679
 was

00:42:15.679 --> 00:42:16.000
 coming

00:42:16.000 --> 00:42:16.440
 to

00:42:16.440 --> 00:42:16.599
 an

00:42:16.599 --> 00:42:17.019
 end

00:42:17.019 --> 00:42:18.039
 and

00:42:18.039 --> 00:42:18.159
 the

00:42:18.159 --> 00:42:18.440
 time

00:42:18.440 --> 00:42:18.619
 for

00:42:18.619 --> 00:42:19.219
 Elisha

00:42:19.219 --> 00:42:19.519
 to

00:42:19.519 --> 00:42:19.839
 fill

00:42:19.839 --> 00:42:20.739
 Elijah's

00:42:20.739 --> 00:42:21.339
 shoes

00:42:21.339 --> 00:42:21.859
 so to

00:42:21.859 --> 00:42:22.139
 speak

00:42:22.139 --> 00:42:22.239
 or

00:42:22.239 --> 00:42:22.420
 actually

00:42:22.420 --> 00:42:22.699
 to fill

00:42:22.699 --> 00:42:22.859
 his

00:42:22.859 --> 00:42:23.219
 cloak

00:42:23.219 --> 00:42:23.399
 is

00:42:23.399 --> 00:42:23.539
 what

00:42:23.539 --> 00:42:23.679
 he

00:42:23.679 --> 00:42:23.920
 did

00:42:23.920 --> 00:42:25.119
 had

00:42:25.119 --> 00:42:25.460
 come

00:42:25.460 --> 00:42:26.579
 now

00:42:26.579 --> 00:42:26.699
 we

00:42:26.699 --> 00:42:26.779
 are

00:42:26.779 --> 00:42:26.799
 going

00:42:26.799 --> 00:42:26.900
 to

00:42:26.900 --> 00:42:27.099
 take

00:42:27.099 --> 00:42:27.239
 up

00:42:27.239 --> 00:42:27.739
 Elijah's

00:42:27.739 --> 00:42:28.000
 story

00:42:28.000 --> 00:42:28.159
 at

00:42:28.159 --> 00:42:28.319
 that

00:42:28.319 --> 00:42:28.579
 point

00:42:28.579 --> 00:42:28.859
 next

00:42:28.859 --> 00:42:29.179
 time

00:42:29.179 --> 00:42:30.699
 would

00:42:30.699 --> 00:42:30.819
 you

00:42:30.819 --> 00:42:31.000
 join

00:42:31.000 --> 00:42:31.199
 me

00:42:31.199 --> 00:42:31.400
 as

00:42:31.400 --> 00:42:31.519
 we

00:42:31.519 --> 00:42:31.719
 just

00:42:31.719 --> 00:42:32.039
 pray

00:42:32.039 --> 00:42:32.319
 to

00:42:32.319 --> 00:42:32.719
 conclude

00:42:32.719 --> 00:42:36.880
 now

00:42:36.880 --> 00:42:37.039
 dear

00:42:37.039 --> 00:42:37.279
 God

00:42:37.279 --> 00:42:37.400
 and

00:42:37.400 --> 00:42:37.619
 Heavenly

00:42:37.619 --> 00:42:37.940
 Father

00:42:37.940 --> 00:42:38.139
 we

00:42:38.139 --> 00:42:38.440
 thank

00:42:38.440 --> 00:42:38.659
 you

00:42:38.659 --> 00:42:39.039
 for

00:42:39.039 --> 00:42:41.219
 these

00:42:41.219 --> 00:42:41.559
 great

00:42:41.559 --> 00:42:41.880
 figures

00:42:41.880 --> 00:42:42.039
 of

00:42:42.039 --> 00:42:42.159
 the

00:42:42.159 --> 00:42:42.539
 past

00:42:42.539 --> 00:42:42.739
 we

00:42:42.739 --> 00:42:42.980
 thank

00:42:42.980 --> 00:42:43.079
 you

00:42:43.079 --> 00:42:43.199
 for

00:42:43.199 --> 00:42:43.299
 the

00:42:43.299 --> 00:42:43.460
 way

00:42:43.460 --> 00:42:43.579
 in

00:42:43.579 --> 00:42:43.739
 which

00:42:43.739 --> 00:42:43.859
 you

00:42:43.859 --> 00:42:44.019
 have

00:42:44.019 --> 00:42:44.339
 worked

00:42:44.339 --> 00:42:44.559
 through

00:42:44.559 --> 00:42:44.759
 the

00:42:44.759 --> 00:42:45.199
 centuries

00:42:45.199 --> 00:42:47.019
 we

00:42:47.019 --> 00:42:47.259
 thank

00:42:47.259 --> 00:42:47.420
 you

00:42:47.420 --> 00:42:47.599
 for

00:42:47.599 --> 00:42:47.759
 the

00:42:47.759 --> 00:42:48.019
 Old

00:42:48.019 --> 00:42:48.440
 Testament

00:42:48.440 --> 00:42:49.059
 history

00:42:49.059 --> 00:42:49.460
 that

00:42:49.460 --> 00:42:49.980
 prepares

00:42:49.980 --> 00:42:50.319
 us

00:42:50.319 --> 00:42:50.500
 for

00:42:50.500 --> 00:42:50.639
 the

00:42:50.639 --> 00:42:50.880
 coming

00:42:50.880 --> 00:42:51.099
 of

00:42:51.099 --> 00:42:51.440
 Jesus

00:42:51.440 --> 00:42:52.839
 and

00:42:52.839 --> 00:42:53.079
 gives

00:42:53.079 --> 00:42:53.239
 us

00:42:53.239 --> 00:42:53.480
 many

00:42:53.480 --> 00:42:54.099
 insights

00:42:54.099 --> 00:42:54.599
 into

00:42:54.599 --> 00:42:57.039
 and

00:42:57.039 --> 00:42:57.599
 understand

00:42:57.599 --> 00:42:57.940
 and

00:42:57.940 --> 00:42:58.779
 ways

00:42:58.779 --> 00:42:58.980
 of

00:42:58.980 --> 00:42:59.860
 understanding

00:42:59.860 --> 00:43:00.179
 the

00:43:00.179 --> 00:43:00.880
 extraordinary

00:43:00.880 --> 00:43:02.739
 grace

00:43:02.739 --> 00:43:03.119
 that you

00:43:03.119 --> 00:43:03.299
 have

00:43:03.299 --> 00:43:03.619
 shown

00:43:03.619 --> 00:43:04.019
 us

00:43:04.019 --> 00:43:05.159
 in

00:43:05.159 --> 00:43:05.699
 Jesus

00:43:05.699 --> 00:43:07.139
 we

00:43:07.139 --> 00:43:07.500
 thank you

00:43:07.500 --> 00:43:07.819
 tonight

00:43:07.819 --> 00:43:08.159
 for this

00:43:08.159 --> 00:43:08.440
 simple

00:43:08.440 --> 00:43:08.860
 thought

00:43:08.860 --> 00:43:11.319
 this

00:43:11.319 --> 00:43:11.659
 simple

00:43:11.659 --> 00:43:12.279
 truth

00:43:12.279 --> 00:43:14.039
 but

00:43:14.039 --> 00:43:14.599
 profound

00:43:14.599 --> 00:43:15.179
 truth

00:43:15.179 --> 00:43:17.199
 that you

00:43:17.199 --> 00:43:17.719
 do not

00:43:17.719 --> 00:43:18.279
 give up

00:43:18.280 --> 00:43:20.260
 you

00:43:20.260 --> 00:43:20.600
 do not

00:43:20.600 --> 00:43:21.000
 give up

00:43:21.000 --> 00:43:21.440
 you

00:43:21.440 --> 00:43:21.740
 do not

00:43:21.740 --> 00:43:22.080
 give up

00:43:22.080 --> 00:43:22.220
 on

00:43:22.220 --> 00:43:22.720
 Israel

00:43:22.720 --> 00:43:24.220
 you

00:43:24.220 --> 00:43:24.600
 do not

00:43:24.600 --> 00:43:24.960
 give up

00:43:24.960 --> 00:43:25.080
 on

00:43:25.080 --> 00:43:25.240
 your

00:43:25.240 --> 00:43:25.820
 world

00:43:25.820 --> 00:43:27.420
 and

00:43:27.420 --> 00:43:27.680
 heavenly

00:43:27.680 --> 00:43:28.000
 father

00:43:28.000 --> 00:43:28.200
 as

00:43:28.200 --> 00:43:28.780
 individuals

00:43:28.780 --> 00:43:30.380
 it's

00:43:30.380 --> 00:43:30.760
 wonderful

00:43:30.760 --> 00:43:31.420
 for us

00:43:31.420 --> 00:43:31.600
 to

00:43:31.600 --> 00:43:32.100
 understand

00:43:32.100 --> 00:43:32.400
 that you

00:43:32.400 --> 00:43:32.720
 do not

00:43:32.720 --> 00:43:33.080
 give up

00:43:33.080 --> 00:43:33.220
 on

00:43:33.220 --> 00:43:33.560
 us

00:43:33.560 --> 00:43:35.860
 we

00:43:35.860 --> 00:43:36.100
 pray

00:43:36.100 --> 00:43:36.320
 this

00:43:36.320 --> 00:43:36.540
 night

00:43:36.540 --> 00:43:36.760
 that we

00:43:36.760 --> 00:43:36.940
 be

00:43:36.940 --> 00:43:37.120
 able

00:43:37.120 --> 00:43:37.260
 to

00:43:37.260 --> 00:43:37.620
 embrace

00:43:37.620 --> 00:43:37.820
 that

00:43:37.820 --> 00:43:38.100
 truth

00:43:38.100 --> 00:43:38.240
 and

00:43:38.240 --> 00:43:38.660
 understand

00:43:38.660 --> 00:43:39.040
 it

00:43:39.040 --> 00:43:39.960
 just

00:43:39.960 --> 00:43:40.100
 a

00:43:40.100 --> 00:43:40.240
 little

00:43:40.240 --> 00:43:40.540
 bit

00:43:40.540 --> 00:43:42.560
 so

00:43:42.560 --> 00:43:42.820
 that we

00:43:42.820 --> 00:43:43.100
 can be

00:43:43.100 --> 00:43:43.320
 filled

00:43:43.320 --> 00:43:43.540
 with

00:43:43.540 --> 00:43:43.840
 hope

00:43:43.840 --> 00:43:45.900
 hope

00:43:45.900 --> 00:43:46.060
 in

00:43:46.060 --> 00:43:46.180
 the

00:43:46.180 --> 00:43:46.400
 God

00:43:46.400 --> 00:43:46.540
 who

00:43:46.540 --> 00:43:46.680
 does

00:43:46.680 --> 00:43:46.860
 not

00:43:46.860 --> 00:43:47.060
 give

00:43:47.060 --> 00:43:47.260
 up

00:43:47.260 --> 00:43:48.520
 we

00:43:48.520 --> 00:43:48.760
 pray

00:43:48.760 --> 00:43:49.000
 this

00:43:49.000 --> 00:43:49.160
 in

00:43:49.160 --> 00:43:49.420
 Jesus

00:43:49.420 --> 00:43:49.840
 name

00:43:49.840 --> 00:43:50.560
 Amen