WEBVTT

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 someone tell you all about the ocean waves. There you are, sitting in the comfort of your home,

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 sipping a nice cup of Earl Grey or what have you. And they're telling you all about it,

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 how high they get, how the waves are caused by the wind and the tides and how they break and

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 spray and foam. You can learn a lot about the waves that way. But that's a different thing,

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 isn't it, from actually stepping into the water yourself and feeling the tug of the undertow

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 around your legs and seeing that wall of water rise before you and feeling it and its power as

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 it knocks you down and you kind of tumble underwater, losing your bearings for just a moment, not quite

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 sure which way is up. Now you don't just know about the waves anymore, do you? You really know them.

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 J.I. Packer in his classic book, Knowing God, says that it's the same thing that's true about God.

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 There's a big difference between knowing about God and really knowing God.

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 And the sobering thing about that is that it's very possible that you and I are here today at church

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 and maybe we know a lot about God, but we don't really know God.

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 It's possible you even call yourself a Christian and you know a lot about God,

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 but you don't really know God.

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 Now imagine knowing all about the nutritional facts of food

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 and yet never eating and enjoying a meal.

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 That would be a pretty dull existence.

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 But eventually you would starve.

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 And spiritually the same thing is true of us as humans.

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 And corporately that is true of us as a church.

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 We need to not just know about God,

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 we need to know God.

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 So what does that really look like?

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 Well, with that in mind, let's look at Exodus chapter 3 together.

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 That's page 46 in the Pew Bible.

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 In Exodus chapter 3,

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 Moses meets God.

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 And this encounter is one of the pivotal moments of Scripture

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 that shows us what it means to really know God.

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 Exodus chapter 3.

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 We'll look at verses 1 through 15.

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 Let me read this for us.

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 Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro,

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 the priest of Midian.

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 And he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness

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 and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

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 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him

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 in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush.

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 He looked and behold, the bush was burning,

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 yet it was not consumed.

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 And Moses said,

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 I will turn aside to see this great sight,

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 why the bush is not burned.

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 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see,

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 God called to him out of the bush,

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 Moses, Moses.

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 And he said,

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 here I am.

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 Then he said,

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 do not come near.

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 Take your sandals off your feet,

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 for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.

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 And he said,

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 I am the God of your father,

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 the God of Abraham,

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 the God of Isaac,

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 and the God of Jacob.

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 And Moses hid his face,

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 for he was afraid to look at God.

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 Then the Lord said,

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 I have surely seen the affliction of my people,

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 who are in Egypt,

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 and have heard their cry,

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 because of their taskmasters.

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 I know their sufferings,

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 and I have come down to deliver them,

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 out of the hand of the Egyptians,

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 and to bring them up,

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 out of that land,

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 to a good and broad land,

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 a land flowing with milk and honey,

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 to the place of the Canaanites,

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 the Hittites,

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 the Amorites,

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 the Perizzites,

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 the Hivites,

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 and the Jebusites.

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 And now behold,

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 the cry of the people of Israel,

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 has come to me,

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 and I have also seen the oppression,

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 with which the Egyptians oppressed them.

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 Come,

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 I will send you to Pharaoh,

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 that you may bring my people,

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 the children of Israel,

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 out of Egypt.

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 But Moses said to God,

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 who am I,

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 that I should go to Pharaoh,

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 and bring the children of Israel,

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 out of Egypt?

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 He said,

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 but I will be with you,

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 and this shall be the sign for you,

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 that I have sent you.

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 When you have brought the people,

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 out of Egypt,

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 you shall serve God,

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 on this mountain.

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 Then Moses said to God,

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 if I come to the people of Israel,

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 and say to them,

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 the God of your fathers,

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 has sent me to you,

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 and they ask me,

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 what is his name,

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 what shall I say to them?

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 God said to Moses,

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 I am who I am.

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 And he said,

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 say this to the people of Israel,

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 I am has sent me to you.

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 God also said to Moses,

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 say this to the people of Israel,

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 the Lord,

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 the God of your fathers,

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 the God of Abraham,

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 the God of Isaac,

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 the God of Jacob,

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 has sent me to you.

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 This is my name forever,

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 and thus I am to be remembered,

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 throughout all generations.

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 So Exodus chapters three and four,

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 tell the story,

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 of the call of Moses.

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 And there are really two interlocking parts,

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 of this story.

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 In the first part,

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 the part we just read,

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 God reveals himself,

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 and his call to Moses.

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 And in the second part,

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 God wrestles with that call,

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 or Moses wrestles with that call.

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 Next week,

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 we're going to consider Moses' wrestling,

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 his doubts,

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 his fears.

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 But today,

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 we want to just sit,

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 on this first part,

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 this first part of God's revealing.

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 And the beauty of this text,

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 is that God doesn't just tell us,

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 what he's like,

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 he actually shows us.

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 And he shows us,

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 verse two,

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 through a flame of fire,

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 out of the midst,

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 of a bush.

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 Now the burning bush,

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 brings together,

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 two of the most important,

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 realities,

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 of what it means,

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 to really know God.

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 Two realities,

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 that we think,

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 are so far apart,

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 in our mind,

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 and yet God gives this,

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 divine picture,

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 of what he's like,

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 and brings them both together.

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 And the first thing,

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 is God's radical holiness.

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 Fire.

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 Fire is an image,

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 God uses again,

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 and again in Exodus,

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 to convey the reality,

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 of his presence.

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 The burning bush,

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 here in chapter three,

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 the pillar of fire,

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 that leads the people,

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 out of Egypt,

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 in chapter 13.

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 The fire on Mount Sinai,

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 in chapter 20.

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 The fire in the tabernacle,

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 in chapter 40.

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 From beginning to end,

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 when God shows up,

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 in Exodus,

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 he shows up in fire.

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 Now I think it's hard,

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 for us in the 21st century,

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 to really appreciate,

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 fire.

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 With the flick of a switch,

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 we can light up a room.

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 Right?

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 Our lives are inundated,

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 by glowing screens,

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 on our phones,

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 and tablets,

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 and laptops.

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 But imagine for a second,

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 a world without screens,

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 and a world without light bulbs,

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 and without switches,

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 with no electricity at all.

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 Imagine a world,

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 lit only by fire.

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 And then you start to appreciate,

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 the power of the image.

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 What else is like,

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 this thing,

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 that we call fire?

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 Fire has no form.

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 It's a material,

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 you cannot grasp.

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 And yet you can feel it,

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 and you can see it,

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 and it gives off light and heat.

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 Fire has power,

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 to mesmerize us with its beauty,

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 or to destroy us,

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 with its flames,

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 and yet it has no perceivable weight,

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 no substance.

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 This is a very strange thing.

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 Of course,

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 Moses had seen plenty of fire,

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 in his lifetime.

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 Right?

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 But what caught his attention here,

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 was the fact that the fire,

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 was self-sustaining.

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 The bush,

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 wasn't really contributing,

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 to the fire.

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 Was it?

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 Otherwise,

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 that bush,

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 would have been burned up.

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 Unlike any other fire,

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 Moses had ever seen,

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 this one was there,

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 of its own accord,

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 and it needed,

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 nothing.

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 to keep going.

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 And right there,

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 we start to see,

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 the real,

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 radical depth,

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 of God's holiness.

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 You see,

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 holiness,

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 technically means separation.

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 Something holy,

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 is set apart.

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 In the case of God,

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 holiness,

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 means that he is set apart,

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 from everything,

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 that he has made.

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 In other words,

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 there is an,

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 infinite distinction,

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 between the creator,

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 and the creature.

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 Think about it,

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 every,

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 created thing,

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 everything,

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 that we interact with,

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 is dependent,

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 on something else.

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 The book,

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 is held up,

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 by the tabletop.

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 The tabletop,

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 is held up,

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 by the legs.

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 The legs are held up,

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 by the floor.

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 The floor,

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 is held up,

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 by the beams,

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 and the foundation,

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 and on,

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 and on,

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 and on,

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 and on,

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 and on,

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 everything,

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 contingent,

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 on everything else,

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 dependent,

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 and finite.

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 But not God.

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 The fire burns,

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 and burns,

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 and burns,

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 and needs no help,

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 from the bush.

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 No help at all.

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 And what God,

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 is showing Moses,

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 through the bush,

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 about his,

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 absolute,

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 infinite,

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 holiness,

00:10:01.099 --> 00:10:02.479
 he then tells him,

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 again,

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 through his revelation,

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 of his name,

00:10:05.879 --> 00:10:06.839
 in verse 14.

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 I am,

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 who I am.

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 That's a very,

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 mysterious name,

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 isn't it?

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 I bet no one's,

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 introduced themselves,

00:10:16.259 --> 00:10:17.099
 to you that way,

00:10:17.139 --> 00:10:17.439
 have they?

00:10:17.439 --> 00:10:17.500
 Okay.

00:10:20.799 --> 00:10:22.459
 You see,

00:10:22.579 --> 00:10:23.819
 names in the ancient world,

00:10:23.899 --> 00:10:24.740
 were thought to convey,

00:10:24.819 --> 00:10:25.879
 a person's nature.

00:10:27.279 --> 00:10:28.379
 Names in the ancient Near East,

00:10:28.459 --> 00:10:29.359
 were sort of a handle,

00:10:29.919 --> 00:10:30.740
 on the essence,

00:10:30.839 --> 00:10:31.339
 of a person.

00:10:32.959 --> 00:10:33.559
 So here,

00:10:33.859 --> 00:10:34.639
 in this moment,

00:10:35.240 --> 00:10:36.659
 when Moses is moving,

00:10:36.819 --> 00:10:38.059
 from knowing about God,

00:10:38.259 --> 00:10:39.679
 to really knowing God,

00:10:39.959 --> 00:10:41.099
 what name,

00:10:41.359 --> 00:10:42.379
 would Moses,

00:10:42.639 --> 00:10:43.599
 know God by?

00:10:43.719 --> 00:10:44.599
 What handle,

00:10:44.599 --> 00:10:45.759
 would there be,

00:10:46.019 --> 00:10:47.199
 to grasp him?

00:10:47.200 --> 00:10:51.200
 In Genesis,

00:10:51.340 --> 00:10:52.140
 there are a lot of names,

00:10:52.300 --> 00:10:53.000
 that God gives,

00:10:53.080 --> 00:10:53.600
 for himself.

00:10:55.879 --> 00:10:56.580
 What would God,

00:10:56.640 --> 00:10:57.340
 give to Moses here?

00:10:57.400 --> 00:10:57.879
 Would it be,

00:10:58.440 --> 00:10:59.100
 God Almighty,

00:10:59.640 --> 00:11:00.960
 like he showed to Abraham?

00:11:01.660 --> 00:11:03.220
 Or God Most High,

00:11:03.360 --> 00:11:04.680
 like he showed to Melchizedek?

00:11:04.780 --> 00:11:04.920
 Or,

00:11:05.480 --> 00:11:06.640
 the God who sees me,

00:11:06.700 --> 00:11:07.200
 like Hagar,

00:11:07.280 --> 00:11:08.280
 or the God of Bethel,

00:11:08.360 --> 00:11:08.900
 like Jacob?

00:11:10.180 --> 00:11:10.560
 No.

00:11:11.420 --> 00:11:12.280
 In this,

00:11:12.280 --> 00:11:13.340
 pivotal,

00:11:13.920 --> 00:11:14.420
 moment,

00:11:14.800 --> 00:11:15.500
 when God,

00:11:15.700 --> 00:11:16.240
 is revealing,

00:11:16.240 --> 00:11:17.419
 to Moses,

00:11:17.720 --> 00:11:19.180
 who he really is,

00:11:20.240 --> 00:11:20.919
 he says,

00:11:21.860 --> 00:11:22.560
 I am,

00:11:22.840 --> 00:11:23.779
 who I am.

00:11:24.980 --> 00:11:25.980
 Or simply,

00:11:26.460 --> 00:11:26.899
 I,

00:11:27.560 --> 00:11:27.980
 am.

00:11:29.539 --> 00:11:30.840
 Or in verse 15,

00:11:30.919 --> 00:11:31.879
 which is sort of a version,

00:11:32.000 --> 00:11:32.580
 of the same,

00:11:33.500 --> 00:11:34.080
 the Lord.

00:11:36.779 --> 00:11:37.840
 All of which,

00:11:37.960 --> 00:11:39.200
 communicates the fact,

00:11:39.200 --> 00:11:40.580
 that God,

00:11:41.259 --> 00:11:42.419
 is eternally,

00:11:43.080 --> 00:11:44.320
 unchangingly,

00:11:44.879 --> 00:11:45.680
 self-sufficient,

00:11:46.240 --> 00:11:47.019
 and sovereign,

00:11:47.480 --> 00:11:49.100
 above and beyond all else,

00:11:49.600 --> 00:11:50.320
 without peer,

00:11:50.840 --> 00:11:51.840
 and without compare,

00:11:52.779 --> 00:11:53.740
 completely,

00:11:54.340 --> 00:11:55.539
 self-determining.

00:11:57.259 --> 00:11:58.159
 Can you imagine,

00:11:58.299 --> 00:11:59.279
 what that is like?

00:12:00.580 --> 00:12:01.980
 You and I are determined,

00:12:02.200 --> 00:12:02.940
 from the moment,

00:12:03.100 --> 00:12:03.960
 we are conceived,

00:12:04.820 --> 00:12:06.500
 our language,

00:12:06.720 --> 00:12:07.620
 our nationality,

00:12:07.620 --> 00:12:10.720
 all of it,

00:12:10.960 --> 00:12:12.240
 thrust upon us,

00:12:12.240 --> 00:12:13.279
 as we come into the world,

00:12:14.399 --> 00:12:15.299
 and yet for God,

00:12:17.220 --> 00:12:18.060
 utter freedom.

00:12:22.060 --> 00:12:22.720
 You'll notice,

00:12:22.799 --> 00:12:23.419
 in verse 15,

00:12:23.519 --> 00:12:25.060
 that the Lord,

00:12:26.060 --> 00:12:26.620
 is spelled,

00:12:26.720 --> 00:12:27.860
 with all capital letters,

00:12:28.560 --> 00:12:30.759
 that's not a weird,

00:12:30.759 --> 00:12:31.539
 typing glitch,

00:12:31.720 --> 00:12:32.279
 in your Bible.

00:12:33.480 --> 00:12:34.100
 It's important,

00:12:34.159 --> 00:12:34.879
 to know what that means,

00:12:34.940 --> 00:12:35.279
 when you're reading,

00:12:35.279 --> 00:12:35.839
 the Old Testament,

00:12:35.959 --> 00:12:36.980
 because it's an important thing.

00:12:37.699 --> 00:12:38.399
 When Lord,

00:12:38.500 --> 00:12:38.879
 is spelled,

00:12:38.959 --> 00:12:40.199
 with all capital letters,

00:12:40.639 --> 00:12:42.100
 it's sort of a stand-in,

00:12:42.459 --> 00:12:43.319
 for what we sometimes,

00:12:43.319 --> 00:12:44.519
 call the divine name,

00:12:45.159 --> 00:12:46.059
 which in Hebrew,

00:12:46.259 --> 00:12:47.120
 which in the Hebrew text,

00:12:47.179 --> 00:12:48.740
 is actually just four consonants.

00:12:49.399 --> 00:12:49.740
 Yud,

00:12:50.279 --> 00:12:50.600
 He,

00:12:51.079 --> 00:12:51.600
 Vav,

00:12:51.980 --> 00:12:52.220
 He.

00:12:54.120 --> 00:12:54.939
 Sometimes you'll see,

00:12:55.019 --> 00:12:55.699
 the divine name,

00:12:55.699 --> 00:12:56.559
 referred to as the,

00:12:56.559 --> 00:12:57.639
 Tetragrammaton,

00:12:57.959 --> 00:12:59.120
 which sounds really,

00:12:59.120 --> 00:12:59.600
 mysterious,

00:12:59.799 --> 00:13:00.259
 and spooky,

00:13:00.379 --> 00:13:00.759
 doesn't it?

00:13:00.759 --> 00:13:01.220
 But it actually,

00:13:01.360 --> 00:13:01.720
 just means,

00:13:01.839 --> 00:13:03.019
 four letters,

00:13:03.259 --> 00:13:04.459
 Tetragrammaton.

00:13:05.379 --> 00:13:06.300
 It's a bit redundant.

00:13:08.080 --> 00:13:09.040
 In the King James,

00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:09.740
 these four letters,

00:13:09.820 --> 00:13:10.340
 were sometimes,

00:13:10.340 --> 00:13:11.280
 translated,

00:13:11.759 --> 00:13:12.240
 Jehovah,

00:13:13.220 --> 00:13:14.139
 which you can sort of see,

00:13:14.300 --> 00:13:14.740
 from Yud,

00:13:14.840 --> 00:13:15.100
 He,

00:13:15.240 --> 00:13:15.500
 Vav,

00:13:15.560 --> 00:13:15.700
 He,

00:13:15.800 --> 00:13:15.980
 Ye,

00:13:16.120 --> 00:13:16.500
 Ho,

00:13:16.840 --> 00:13:17.160
 Vah.

00:13:19.120 --> 00:13:20.000
 That translation,

00:13:20.160 --> 00:13:20.519
 unfortunately,

00:13:20.740 --> 00:13:21.600
 is actually based,

00:13:21.660 --> 00:13:22.379
 on a misunderstanding,

00:13:22.379 --> 00:13:24.000
 of how the Hebrew vowels work,

00:13:24.460 --> 00:13:25.320
 in that name.

00:13:27.080 --> 00:13:27.660
 You see,

00:13:27.720 --> 00:13:29.100
 the ancient Hebrew manuscripts,

00:13:29.540 --> 00:13:31.240
 they only contain consonants.

00:13:32.159 --> 00:13:33.200
 That's how you write Hebrew,

00:13:33.419 --> 00:13:34.560
 just with the consonants.

00:13:35.379 --> 00:13:36.360
 And then later,

00:13:36.560 --> 00:13:37.299
 scribes went back,

00:13:37.360 --> 00:13:38.340
 and they sort of pointed in,

00:13:38.399 --> 00:13:39.159
 all the little vowels,

00:13:39.259 --> 00:13:40.200
 that you were supposed to say.

00:13:41.779 --> 00:13:42.960
 But that happened a lot later,

00:13:43.080 --> 00:13:45.519
 sometime around the 9th century A.D.

00:13:46.399 --> 00:13:47.500
 Scribes eventually went in,

00:13:47.560 --> 00:13:48.700
 and put in all the vowel points,

00:13:48.899 --> 00:13:50.720
 in this just consonant text.

00:13:51.779 --> 00:13:52.440
 But meanwhile,

00:13:52.680 --> 00:13:53.860
 down through the generations,

00:13:54.940 --> 00:13:56.019
 the divine name,

00:13:56.019 --> 00:13:57.940
 was considered so holy,

00:13:57.940 --> 00:13:59.480
 by the people of God,

00:13:59.520 --> 00:14:00.000
 by the Jews,

00:14:00.060 --> 00:14:01.760
 that they wouldn't even pronounce it,

00:14:02.300 --> 00:14:03.500
 when they were reading the Bible.

00:14:04.300 --> 00:14:05.700
 Instead of trying to pronounce,

00:14:05.900 --> 00:14:06.840
 the divine name,

00:14:06.900 --> 00:14:07.600
 when reading scripture,

00:14:07.740 --> 00:14:08.720
 they would just substitute,

00:14:08.860 --> 00:14:10.080
 the word Adonai,

00:14:11.140 --> 00:14:11.960
 which means Lord.

00:14:13.740 --> 00:14:14.140
 Today,

00:14:14.280 --> 00:14:15.360
 if you have some Jewish friends,

00:14:15.460 --> 00:14:15.800
 they might,

00:14:16.220 --> 00:14:17.360
 if you're reading the Bible with them,

00:14:17.420 --> 00:14:18.200
 say Hashem,

00:14:18.840 --> 00:14:19.960
 which just means the name,

00:14:20.920 --> 00:14:21.960
 as an act of reference.

00:14:23.400 --> 00:14:24.680
 So the reality is,

00:14:24.679 --> 00:14:26.839
 we're actually not sure,

00:14:27.279 --> 00:14:28.539
 how these four consonants,

00:14:28.639 --> 00:14:30.000
 would have originally been produced.

00:14:30.859 --> 00:14:32.000
 Because in all the Hebrew manuscripts,

00:14:32.199 --> 00:14:33.079
 what the scribes did,

00:14:33.139 --> 00:14:33.959
 was they took the vowels,

00:14:34.039 --> 00:14:34.659
 for Adonai,

00:14:34.819 --> 00:14:36.299
 and they just wrote it right in there,

00:14:36.579 --> 00:14:37.859
 over those four consonants.

00:14:38.019 --> 00:14:38.899
 So whenever you hit it,

00:14:38.939 --> 00:14:39.419
 reading the Hebrew,

00:14:39.539 --> 00:14:40.099
 you just say,

00:14:40.599 --> 00:14:41.059
 Adonai.

00:14:42.639 --> 00:14:44.099
 At least my Jewish Hebrew teacher,

00:14:44.139 --> 00:14:45.099
 told me to do it that way.

00:14:49.199 --> 00:14:50.179
 Most scholars think,

00:14:50.639 --> 00:14:51.979
 Yahweh is close,

00:14:52.620 --> 00:14:53.500
 but we can't be sure.

00:14:54.679 --> 00:14:56.000
 So if you ever hear Yahweh,

00:14:56.739 --> 00:14:58.139
 that's sort of an attempt,

00:14:58.299 --> 00:14:59.279
 at the divine name.

00:15:00.739 --> 00:15:01.419
 And when the Old Testament,

00:15:01.539 --> 00:15:02.699
 was translated into Greek,

00:15:02.819 --> 00:15:03.419
 the Septuagint,

00:15:03.500 --> 00:15:04.039
 the divine name,

00:15:04.120 --> 00:15:04.959
 was simply translated,

00:15:05.079 --> 00:15:05.579
 you guessed it,

00:15:05.599 --> 00:15:06.259
 with the Greek word,

00:15:06.359 --> 00:15:06.779
 kurios,

00:15:06.859 --> 00:15:07.559
 which means Lord.

00:15:08.379 --> 00:15:09.539
 So our English translations,

00:15:09.739 --> 00:15:11.239
 just sort of follow the same practice,

00:15:11.639 --> 00:15:12.399
 and use Lord.

00:15:12.879 --> 00:15:14.019
 But they put it in all caps,

00:15:14.059 --> 00:15:15.099
 as a signal to us,

00:15:15.539 --> 00:15:16.339
 that there it is.

00:15:16.859 --> 00:15:17.859
 There's that special,

00:15:18.219 --> 00:15:19.039
 divine name,

00:15:19.620 --> 00:15:20.479
 that God revealed,

00:15:20.479 --> 00:15:21.819
 in this very special moment,

00:15:21.919 --> 00:15:22.359
 to Moses.

00:15:24.679 --> 00:15:26.539
 But I think the important thing,

00:15:26.639 --> 00:15:27.239
 to notice,

00:15:27.239 --> 00:15:28.639
 about the name,

00:15:29.199 --> 00:15:31.239
 is that it's connected,

00:15:31.239 --> 00:15:32.899
 to the I am,

00:15:33.319 --> 00:15:34.259
 of verse 14.

00:15:35.379 --> 00:15:36.919
 It's a way of expressing,

00:15:36.919 --> 00:15:39.939
 that almost unspeakable truth.

00:15:40.959 --> 00:15:42.319
 The name Lord,

00:15:42.879 --> 00:15:44.099
 is an expression,

00:15:44.339 --> 00:15:44.899
 on the one hand,

00:15:44.939 --> 00:15:46.000
 of God's radical,

00:15:46.559 --> 00:15:46.979
 holiness,

00:15:47.759 --> 00:15:48.759
 and sovereignty,

00:15:49.240 --> 00:15:50.419
 and self-sufficiency,

00:15:50.419 --> 00:15:51.919
 that he's totally unique.

00:15:51.919 --> 00:15:54.539
 The very ground,

00:15:54.639 --> 00:15:56.039
 of all existence himself.

00:15:59.479 --> 00:16:00.579
 And what that means,

00:16:00.759 --> 00:16:01.319
 if you're here,

00:16:01.379 --> 00:16:01.799
 and you're kind of,

00:16:01.819 --> 00:16:02.740
 exploring Christianity,

00:16:02.899 --> 00:16:03.240
 you might think,

00:16:03.319 --> 00:16:03.740
 oh my goodness,

00:16:03.779 --> 00:16:04.539
 what are we talking about,

00:16:04.579 --> 00:16:04.860
 right now?

00:16:05.099 --> 00:16:05.620
 Here's sort of,

00:16:05.659 --> 00:16:06.039
 where the rubber,

00:16:06.120 --> 00:16:06.959
 starts to hit the road.

00:16:08.599 --> 00:16:09.379
 What this means,

00:16:09.419 --> 00:16:10.279
 is that when Christians,

00:16:10.479 --> 00:16:11.759
 or when people,

00:16:11.799 --> 00:16:12.479
 are reading the Bible,

00:16:12.740 --> 00:16:14.279
 when we say God,

00:16:15.879 --> 00:16:17.000
 we actually mean,

00:16:17.000 --> 00:16:17.959
 something very,

00:16:17.959 --> 00:16:19.559
 infinitely different,

00:16:19.559 --> 00:16:21.019
 than God's.

00:16:21.919 --> 00:16:24.399
 You see,

00:16:24.479 --> 00:16:25.240
 the gods,

00:16:25.399 --> 00:16:26.759
 of Moses' day,

00:16:27.519 --> 00:16:28.099
 like the gods,

00:16:28.139 --> 00:16:28.500
 of the Greeks,

00:16:28.599 --> 00:16:28.959
 and Romans,

00:16:29.039 --> 00:16:29.699
 later in history,

00:16:30.360 --> 00:16:30.659
 yes,

00:16:30.719 --> 00:16:31.139
 were believed,

00:16:31.240 --> 00:16:31.959
 to be powerful.

00:16:32.620 --> 00:16:33.000
 Some of them,

00:16:33.079 --> 00:16:33.519
 even believed,

00:16:33.559 --> 00:16:34.139
 to be immortal.

00:16:34.620 --> 00:16:35.759
 But at the end of the day,

00:16:36.240 --> 00:16:36.939
 the gods,

00:16:37.319 --> 00:16:38.459
 were very much,

00:16:38.579 --> 00:16:40.000
 part of the whole package,

00:16:40.360 --> 00:16:41.099
 of the universe,

00:16:41.199 --> 00:16:41.740
 we would say.

00:16:42.439 --> 00:16:43.000
 The gods,

00:16:43.099 --> 00:16:44.379
 contended with themselves,

00:16:44.579 --> 00:16:45.319
 and they contended,

00:16:45.319 --> 00:16:46.000
 with humanity,

00:16:46.000 --> 00:16:48.199
 but they were inside,

00:16:48.799 --> 00:16:49.740
 that cause,

00:16:49.799 --> 00:16:50.759
 and effect world,

00:16:50.759 --> 00:16:51.419
 of space,

00:16:51.600 --> 00:16:52.059
 and time,

00:16:52.159 --> 00:16:52.740
 and energy.

00:16:55.139 --> 00:16:56.720
 But as opposed,

00:16:57.340 --> 00:16:58.379
 to those very,

00:16:58.460 --> 00:16:59.960
 inside the system,

00:17:00.080 --> 00:17:00.939
 sort of gods,

00:17:02.059 --> 00:17:03.759
 the God that Moses met,

00:17:04.440 --> 00:17:05.559
 at the burning bush,

00:17:06.400 --> 00:17:07.480
 was the Lord.

00:17:08.180 --> 00:17:09.819
 I am who I am.

00:17:10.379 --> 00:17:11.359
 The holy,

00:17:11.740 --> 00:17:12.619
 and completely,

00:17:12.619 --> 00:17:13.879
 transcendent one,

00:17:14.240 --> 00:17:15.619
 who rather than being,

00:17:15.619 --> 00:17:16.980
 a part of the system,

00:17:17.140 --> 00:17:18.119
 of the universe,

00:17:18.119 --> 00:17:19.119
 rather than being,

00:17:19.319 --> 00:17:19.839
 one of those many,

00:17:19.939 --> 00:17:21.599
 supposed little G gods,

00:17:21.699 --> 00:17:23.119
 those little tribal deities,

00:17:23.819 --> 00:17:24.279
 is something,

00:17:24.379 --> 00:17:25.339
 totally different.

00:17:27.119 --> 00:17:27.939
 He is the infinite,

00:17:28.259 --> 00:17:29.639
 ground of all that is,

00:17:30.159 --> 00:17:30.899
 the creator,

00:17:31.119 --> 00:17:31.819
 and sustainer,

00:17:31.959 --> 00:17:32.679
 of everything,

00:17:33.299 --> 00:17:34.159
 and everyone.

00:17:34.160 --> 00:17:34.400
 one.

00:17:40.860 --> 00:17:41.980
 And that's why God,

00:17:42.640 --> 00:17:43.680
 in this encounter,

00:17:43.860 --> 00:17:44.440
 gives Moses,

00:17:44.540 --> 00:17:45.519
 a solemn warning,

00:17:45.640 --> 00:17:46.380
 in verse 15.

00:17:48.400 --> 00:17:49.279
 Don't come near.

00:17:50.900 --> 00:17:51.660
 I'm here,

00:17:52.279 --> 00:17:53.660
 but don't come any closer.

00:17:55.100 --> 00:17:55.720
 Take your sandals,

00:17:55.759 --> 00:17:56.259
 off your feet,

00:17:56.340 --> 00:17:56.860
 for the place,

00:17:56.940 --> 00:17:57.840
 on which you are standing,

00:17:57.920 --> 00:17:58.820
 is holy ground.

00:18:00.240 --> 00:18:00.860
 Now of course,

00:18:00.900 --> 00:18:01.340
 there was nothing,

00:18:01.340 --> 00:18:02.460
 inherently holy,

00:18:02.460 --> 00:18:03.880
 about Mount Horeb,

00:18:03.880 --> 00:18:07.580
 or Mount Sinai,

00:18:07.680 --> 00:18:08.640
 as it will be called,

00:18:08.680 --> 00:18:09.660
 later in chapter 19.

00:18:11.720 --> 00:18:12.120
 Rather,

00:18:12.200 --> 00:18:12.840
 what we have here,

00:18:12.900 --> 00:18:13.660
 is that this spot,

00:18:13.760 --> 00:18:14.740
 is being made holy,

00:18:15.740 --> 00:18:17.180
 because the holy one,

00:18:17.260 --> 00:18:17.780
 the Lord,

00:18:18.540 --> 00:18:19.420
 had made his presence,

00:18:19.540 --> 00:18:20.080
 known there.

00:18:21.340 --> 00:18:22.200
 And God tells Moses,

00:18:22.300 --> 00:18:23.320
 to take off his sandals,

00:18:23.400 --> 00:18:23.920
 which was a sign,

00:18:23.940 --> 00:18:24.460
 of reverence,

00:18:24.480 --> 00:18:25.080
 and respect,

00:18:25.400 --> 00:18:26.500
 in the ancient world,

00:18:26.900 --> 00:18:27.620
 and to not come,

00:18:27.700 --> 00:18:28.180
 any closer.

00:18:28.860 --> 00:18:29.840
 And then God says,

00:18:30.320 --> 00:18:31.640
 I am the God,

00:18:31.640 --> 00:18:32.340
 of your father,

00:18:32.440 --> 00:18:33.180
 the God of Abraham,

00:18:33.180 --> 00:18:33.900
 and Isaac,

00:18:34.039 --> 00:18:34.539
 and Jacob.

00:18:34.880 --> 00:18:36.019
 And when Moses hears,

00:18:36.100 --> 00:18:36.720
 that this,

00:18:36.880 --> 00:18:37.759
 is the one,

00:18:38.440 --> 00:18:40.200
 the one he had heard about,

00:18:40.340 --> 00:18:40.720
 but now,

00:18:40.820 --> 00:18:41.660
 was right here,

00:18:41.720 --> 00:18:42.700
 in front of his face,

00:18:42.920 --> 00:18:44.000
 he falls down,

00:18:44.180 --> 00:18:45.360
 and hides his face,

00:18:45.560 --> 00:18:46.360
 because he's afraid,

00:18:46.460 --> 00:18:47.180
 to look at God.

00:18:51.980 --> 00:18:52.420
 Friends,

00:18:52.779 --> 00:18:53.320
 knowing,

00:18:53.380 --> 00:18:55.019
 God,

00:18:55.160 --> 00:18:55.759
 first of all,

00:18:55.820 --> 00:18:56.820
 means knowing God,

00:18:56.819 --> 00:18:58.379
 in his radical holiness.

00:19:01.779 --> 00:19:03.399
 And we have to ask ourselves,

00:19:03.519 --> 00:19:05.480
 do we have that sort of reverence,

00:19:05.799 --> 00:19:07.059
 before the majesty,

00:19:07.480 --> 00:19:08.939
 and holiness of God,

00:19:09.599 --> 00:19:11.359
 that Moses shows here.

00:19:13.679 --> 00:19:14.779
 And we have to admit,

00:19:14.899 --> 00:19:16.279
 that we don't really know God,

00:19:17.000 --> 00:19:17.859
 unless we do.

00:19:20.480 --> 00:19:20.919
 Of course,

00:19:21.000 --> 00:19:21.720
 biblical reverence,

00:19:21.779 --> 00:19:22.659
 is not the sort of fear,

00:19:22.740 --> 00:19:23.419
 that you have,

00:19:23.420 --> 00:19:24.500
 before an erratic,

00:19:24.840 --> 00:19:26.259
 or harsh tyrant,

00:19:26.900 --> 00:19:27.880
 some sort of,

00:19:27.880 --> 00:19:28.880
 untrustworthy,

00:19:29.100 --> 00:19:29.539
 human,

00:19:29.860 --> 00:19:31.519
 ruler.

00:19:32.560 --> 00:19:32.980
 Rather,

00:19:33.060 --> 00:19:33.860
 this is the sort of fear,

00:19:33.960 --> 00:19:34.460
 that you have,

00:19:34.500 --> 00:19:35.080
 when you're standing,

00:19:35.200 --> 00:19:36.320
 on the observation deck,

00:19:36.640 --> 00:19:37.640
 of Niagara Falls,

00:19:37.840 --> 00:19:39.140
 and the immensity of it,

00:19:39.259 --> 00:19:40.100
 and the power,

00:19:40.340 --> 00:19:41.140
 and the beauty,

00:19:41.400 --> 00:19:42.340
 makes you tremble,

00:19:43.200 --> 00:19:44.160
 as six million,

00:19:44.279 --> 00:19:45.539
 cubic feet of water,

00:19:45.640 --> 00:19:46.400
 roar over the crest,

00:19:46.400 --> 00:19:46.840
 of the falls,

00:19:46.900 --> 00:19:47.640
 every single minute.

00:19:47.640 --> 00:19:52.580
 Too often,

00:19:52.680 --> 00:19:53.140
 I think we have,

00:19:53.240 --> 00:19:54.460
 a very domesticated,

00:19:54.660 --> 00:19:55.280
 and sort of,

00:19:55.460 --> 00:19:55.860
 chummy,

00:19:56.360 --> 00:19:57.360
 view of God.

00:19:59.460 --> 00:20:00.700
 There's no tremble,

00:20:01.000 --> 00:20:02.180
 and there's no awe.

00:20:04.220 --> 00:20:05.120
 Rather than God,

00:20:05.160 --> 00:20:06.259
 being a lightning bolt,

00:20:06.420 --> 00:20:07.840
 splitting the night sky,

00:20:07.960 --> 00:20:08.880
 in ferocious,

00:20:09.640 --> 00:20:10.900
 incomparable beauty,

00:20:11.020 --> 00:20:11.480
 for us,

00:20:11.920 --> 00:20:13.160
 God is a lightning bug,

00:20:13.720 --> 00:20:14.920
 that we try to catch,

00:20:15.340 --> 00:20:16.140
 and keep in our little,

00:20:16.140 --> 00:20:17.060
 coffee cans,

00:20:17.839 --> 00:20:18.440
 thinking we better,

00:20:18.519 --> 00:20:19.720
 poke some holes in the top,

00:20:19.940 --> 00:20:20.919
 or else he might not,

00:20:21.039 --> 00:20:21.559
 get enough air,

00:20:22.559 --> 00:20:23.720
 and then what would he do?

00:20:26.919 --> 00:20:27.779
 This is what you do,

00:20:27.819 --> 00:20:28.440
 when you grow up,

00:20:28.819 --> 00:20:29.359
 in rural,

00:20:29.460 --> 00:20:30.179
 upstate New York.

00:20:35.700 --> 00:20:36.240
 And friends,

00:20:36.299 --> 00:20:36.759
 the reality is,

00:20:36.819 --> 00:20:37.919
 our lives suffer for it.

00:20:39.399 --> 00:20:40.480
 Our lives suffer,

00:20:40.480 --> 00:20:41.819
 for having such a chummy,

00:20:42.720 --> 00:20:44.240
 domesticated view of God,

00:20:44.240 --> 00:20:47.380
 because our lightning bug God,

00:20:47.460 --> 00:20:48.660
 can't liberate us,

00:20:48.880 --> 00:20:49.779
 from our fears,

00:20:49.880 --> 00:20:50.740
 and our anxieties.

00:20:52.920 --> 00:20:54.380
 And our lightning bug God,

00:20:54.440 --> 00:20:55.400
 can't rattle us,

00:20:55.420 --> 00:20:56.120
 out of the cages,

00:20:56.120 --> 00:20:57.279
 of our selfishness,

00:20:57.579 --> 00:20:58.960
 and self-centeredness.

00:21:00.599 --> 00:21:01.859
 Absent of God's holiness,

00:21:02.019 --> 00:21:02.960
 we put ourselves,

00:21:03.180 --> 00:21:04.380
 in the center of our universe,

00:21:04.380 --> 00:21:05.519
 and then we wonder why,

00:21:05.599 --> 00:21:06.759
 the planets start to spin,

00:21:06.819 --> 00:21:07.460
 out of control.

00:21:07.460 --> 00:21:10.180
 You know,

00:21:10.220 --> 00:21:11.100
 sometimes I think about,

00:21:11.180 --> 00:21:11.740
 the beginning of,

00:21:11.740 --> 00:21:13.940
 Exodus chapter 3,

00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:14.380
 and I think about,

00:21:14.460 --> 00:21:14.980
 the beginning of,

00:21:15.039 --> 00:21:15.960
 Dante's Inferno.

00:21:17.960 --> 00:21:19.940
 In the middle of life's way,

00:21:20.279 --> 00:21:21.539
 I came to myself,

00:21:21.860 --> 00:21:23.299
 and where did I find myself?

00:21:23.380 --> 00:21:24.140
 In a dark wood,

00:21:24.519 --> 00:21:25.380
 and the straight way,

00:21:25.460 --> 00:21:26.140
 had been lost.

00:21:26.620 --> 00:21:27.640
 And there's Moses,

00:21:28.180 --> 00:21:29.720
 in the back water,

00:21:29.900 --> 00:21:30.860
 of nowhere,

00:21:30.859 --> 00:21:35.099
 shepherding his father-in-law's sheep,

00:21:36.319 --> 00:21:36.679
 wondering,

00:21:36.959 --> 00:21:38.619
 what has become of my life?

00:21:40.059 --> 00:21:40.539
 Translation,

00:21:41.439 --> 00:21:42.339
 he's in Idaho,

00:21:42.339 --> 00:21:44.399
 working for his dad's,

00:21:44.399 --> 00:21:46.639
 used car shop.

00:21:47.159 --> 00:21:48.419
 Nothing wrong with used cars,

00:21:48.539 --> 00:21:49.000
 or shops,

00:21:49.059 --> 00:21:49.559
 or Idaho.

00:21:50.039 --> 00:21:51.479
 But it's not where Moses thought,

00:21:51.519 --> 00:21:52.500
 he was going to end up.

00:21:54.139 --> 00:21:55.639
 And he comes to himself,

00:21:55.719 --> 00:21:56.240
 and he thinks,

00:21:56.779 --> 00:21:58.039
 what on earth,

00:21:58.579 --> 00:21:59.839
 am I doing here?

00:21:59.839 --> 00:22:02.679
 What's my life all about?

00:22:03.759 --> 00:22:04.740
 What purpose,

00:22:04.839 --> 00:22:06.179
 what direction do I have?

00:22:09.059 --> 00:22:10.199
 Probably feeling like,

00:22:10.259 --> 00:22:11.099
 he blew it too.

00:22:12.319 --> 00:22:14.339
 And how does God show up to him?

00:22:16.720 --> 00:22:18.679
 Differently than we would expect at first.

00:22:19.759 --> 00:22:20.459
 At first,

00:22:20.579 --> 00:22:21.980
 God doesn't come in comfort,

00:22:22.939 --> 00:22:24.119
 he comes in holiness.

00:22:26.179 --> 00:22:28.699
 He comes in such blazing ferocity,

00:22:28.700 --> 00:22:29.960
 that Moses for a second,

00:22:30.039 --> 00:22:31.819
 has to stop thinking about himself,

00:22:32.420 --> 00:22:35.500
 and start to put God,

00:22:36.240 --> 00:22:37.360
 in God's place.

00:22:41.500 --> 00:22:43.019
 We don't need the lightning bug,

00:22:43.340 --> 00:22:44.240
 we need the lightning.

00:22:46.240 --> 00:22:47.660
 We need the burning bush,

00:22:47.799 --> 00:22:49.240
 we need the consuming fire.

00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:50.299
 Friends,

00:22:50.340 --> 00:22:51.120
 we need the Lord.

00:22:51.119 --> 00:22:57.079
 But the radical holiness of God,

00:22:57.119 --> 00:22:58.359
 isn't the only thing God shows us,

00:22:58.379 --> 00:22:59.079
 in the burning bush.

00:23:00.599 --> 00:23:02.899
 We also see God's radical love.

00:23:06.000 --> 00:23:06.979
 Do you remember the scene,

00:23:07.059 --> 00:23:07.779
 that famous scene,

00:23:07.839 --> 00:23:08.799
 in C.S. Lewis's line,

00:23:08.879 --> 00:23:09.699
 The Witch and the Wardrobe,

00:23:09.759 --> 00:23:10.819
 when Lucy is in the house,

00:23:10.859 --> 00:23:11.559
 of Mr. Beaver,

00:23:11.679 --> 00:23:14.319
 and she asks if Aslan is safe,

00:23:14.419 --> 00:23:16.799
 and Mr. Beaver replies,

00:23:17.399 --> 00:23:17.879
 safe?

00:23:17.879 --> 00:23:19.399
 Who said anything about safe?

00:23:19.400 --> 00:23:21.540
 Of course he isn't safe.

00:23:23.300 --> 00:23:24.560
 And then what does he say?

00:23:25.019 --> 00:23:25.880
 But he's good.

00:23:29.040 --> 00:23:30.160
 The burning bush shows us,

00:23:30.500 --> 00:23:32.740
 not just the radical holiness of God,

00:23:32.820 --> 00:23:34.600
 but his radical love.

00:23:35.540 --> 00:23:35.880
 How?

00:23:38.100 --> 00:23:38.759
 Read again.

00:23:38.860 --> 00:23:40.019
 The bush was burning,

00:23:40.540 --> 00:23:42.640
 yet it was not consumed.

00:23:42.640 --> 00:23:46.480
 The blazing holiness of God,

00:23:46.540 --> 00:23:48.680
 was present in power,

00:23:49.160 --> 00:23:50.000
 and in glory,

00:23:50.340 --> 00:23:51.380
 and in purity.

00:23:53.000 --> 00:23:55.080
 But that bush wasn't destroyed.

00:23:56.860 --> 00:23:58.759
 And the bigger surprise of all,

00:23:59.720 --> 00:24:01.440
 Moses wasn't destroyed either.

00:24:04.440 --> 00:24:05.940
 You see, that's just it.

00:24:07.420 --> 00:24:10.240
 That bush should have been turned to dust,

00:24:10.240 --> 00:24:12.140
 but it wasn't.

00:24:14.140 --> 00:24:16.920
 The miracle isn't just that the fire keeps going,

00:24:17.019 --> 00:24:17.960
 that's God's holiness,

00:24:18.160 --> 00:24:20.400
 but also that the bush keeps standing,

00:24:20.819 --> 00:24:22.000
 and that's God's love.

00:24:23.440 --> 00:24:24.900
 You see, the same thing in verse 15,

00:24:24.960 --> 00:24:25.880
 with the divine name.

00:24:26.220 --> 00:24:26.900
 He's the Lord,

00:24:27.339 --> 00:24:28.859
 the self-existent creator,

00:24:28.940 --> 00:24:30.559
 and sustainer of everything,

00:24:30.660 --> 00:24:31.480
 of all that was,

00:24:31.539 --> 00:24:31.839
 and is,

00:24:31.880 --> 00:24:32.579
 and ever will be.

00:24:32.660 --> 00:24:34.519
 He's not some tribal deity,

00:24:34.519 --> 00:24:35.839
 some lowercase g God.

00:24:35.920 --> 00:24:37.319
 He's the Lord of creation,

00:24:37.319 --> 00:24:40.779
 for whom all nations,

00:24:41.220 --> 00:24:42.419
 and all molecules,

00:24:42.740 --> 00:24:43.740
 and all planets,

00:24:43.839 --> 00:24:45.960
 will eventually bow in submission.

00:24:47.019 --> 00:24:48.579
 But at the same time,

00:24:49.119 --> 00:24:50.299
 in the same breath,

00:24:51.200 --> 00:24:51.700
 God says,

00:24:51.779 --> 00:24:52.679
 I'm also the Lord,

00:24:53.119 --> 00:24:54.259
 not just of creation,

00:24:54.419 --> 00:24:55.119
 but of a covenant.

00:24:56.960 --> 00:24:59.299
 He's bound himself to the God of Abraham,

00:24:59.859 --> 00:25:00.299
 Isaac,

00:25:00.599 --> 00:25:01.339
 and Jacob.

00:25:01.339 --> 00:25:05.099
 A tiny little family,

00:25:06.099 --> 00:25:07.699
 in a tiny little city,

00:25:08.399 --> 00:25:09.839
 a tiny little group,

00:25:10.359 --> 00:25:11.919
 of exiles and immigrants.

00:25:14.579 --> 00:25:17.059
 God stoops to be known,

00:25:17.279 --> 00:25:18.139
 to the world,

00:25:18.439 --> 00:25:20.819
 to carry out his purposes for the world,

00:25:21.119 --> 00:25:24.159
 through a particular human family.

00:25:24.899 --> 00:25:26.519
 How stunning.

00:25:26.519 --> 00:25:32.359
 In verses 7 through 9,

00:25:32.440 --> 00:25:33.660
 God tells Moses then,

00:25:34.740 --> 00:25:36.259
 that he sees,

00:25:37.139 --> 00:25:38.700
 he sees the affliction,

00:25:38.940 --> 00:25:40.059
 and oppression of his people,

00:25:40.500 --> 00:25:41.559
 and he hears,

00:25:41.819 --> 00:25:43.119
 he hears their cry,

00:25:43.460 --> 00:25:44.559
 and he knows,

00:25:45.039 --> 00:25:46.500
 he knows their suffering,

00:25:46.900 --> 00:25:48.879
 and he has come down,

00:25:49.099 --> 00:25:50.160
 to deliver them.

00:25:53.019 --> 00:25:54.099
 Look again,

00:25:54.720 --> 00:25:56.119
 at the end of verse 7,

00:25:56.519 --> 00:25:58.579
 I know,

00:25:59.299 --> 00:26:00.700
 their sufferings.

00:26:02.660 --> 00:26:03.619
 Funny that word,

00:26:03.740 --> 00:26:03.960
 know.

00:26:06.180 --> 00:26:07.019
 Not merely,

00:26:07.220 --> 00:26:08.599
 I know about their sufferings,

00:26:09.000 --> 00:26:11.480
 but I know their sufferings.

00:26:12.940 --> 00:26:14.379
 Isn't that a curious thing?

00:26:16.700 --> 00:26:17.900
 How could the Lord,

00:26:18.900 --> 00:26:19.900
 the eternal,

00:26:20.299 --> 00:26:21.660
 self-sufficient God,

00:26:21.779 --> 00:26:22.180
 radical,

00:26:22.379 --> 00:26:23.579
 and transcendent holiness,

00:26:24.619 --> 00:26:25.119
 know,

00:26:25.119 --> 00:26:26.759
 their suffering?

00:26:27.959 --> 00:26:29.179
 How could a fire,

00:26:29.179 --> 00:26:30.059
 that burns,

00:26:30.059 --> 00:26:32.419
 of its own accord,

00:26:33.759 --> 00:26:35.799
 know what it's like,

00:26:35.919 --> 00:26:36.559
 to flicker,

00:26:36.959 --> 00:26:38.339
 and go out?

00:26:38.339 --> 00:26:43.199
 For Moses,

00:26:43.199 --> 00:26:44.439
 that will remain a mystery,

00:26:44.559 --> 00:26:45.319
 his whole life.

00:26:46.879 --> 00:26:47.659
 But friends,

00:26:47.759 --> 00:26:48.859
 here's the shocking thing,

00:26:48.899 --> 00:26:49.500
 of the gospel,

00:26:50.139 --> 00:26:51.879
 that what was a mystery,

00:26:51.879 --> 00:26:52.659
 for Moses,

00:26:52.659 --> 00:26:53.819
 has now,

00:26:53.959 --> 00:26:55.059
 been made clear,

00:26:55.559 --> 00:26:56.359
 in Jesus.

00:26:58.019 --> 00:26:58.519
 Because,

00:26:58.599 --> 00:27:00.240
 1500 years later,

00:27:00.299 --> 00:27:01.459
 after the burning bush,

00:27:01.460 --> 00:27:03.019
 Jesus came.

00:27:04.460 --> 00:27:05.720
 And on one occasion,

00:27:05.860 --> 00:27:07.059
 he tried to convince,

00:27:07.400 --> 00:27:08.299
 the religious leaders,

00:27:08.299 --> 00:27:09.640
 that he was the Christ,

00:27:09.720 --> 00:27:10.779
 and finally he says,

00:27:10.900 --> 00:27:11.200
 truly,

00:27:11.380 --> 00:27:11.579
 truly,

00:27:11.680 --> 00:27:12.259
 I say to you,

00:27:12.319 --> 00:27:13.500
 before Abraham was,

00:27:13.880 --> 00:27:15.019
 I am.

00:27:16.360 --> 00:27:17.340
 And that claim,

00:27:17.420 --> 00:27:18.620
 was so bold,

00:27:18.940 --> 00:27:20.279
 and so forthright,

00:27:20.519 --> 00:27:21.680
 that the religious leaders,

00:27:21.799 --> 00:27:22.920
 the only thing they could do,

00:27:22.980 --> 00:27:23.440
 was immediately,

00:27:23.640 --> 00:27:24.559
 pick up stones,

00:27:24.819 --> 00:27:26.000
 and try to stone him,

00:27:26.059 --> 00:27:27.000
 for blasphemy.

00:27:27.000 --> 00:27:28.579
 Because they knew,

00:27:28.700 --> 00:27:29.740
 that Jesus was claiming,

00:27:29.900 --> 00:27:31.400
 to be the Lord God of Moses,

00:27:31.920 --> 00:27:33.460
 the great I am,

00:27:33.960 --> 00:27:34.599
 the eternal,

00:27:35.019 --> 00:27:36.579
 and self-existent God,

00:27:37.200 --> 00:27:37.980
 in the flesh.

00:27:40.140 --> 00:27:41.180
 As an aside,

00:27:42.319 --> 00:27:43.119
 don't let anyone,

00:27:43.259 --> 00:27:43.819
 try to tell you,

00:27:43.940 --> 00:27:45.019
 that Jesus never claimed,

00:27:45.119 --> 00:27:45.740
 he was God.

00:27:51.480 --> 00:27:52.200
 But earlier,

00:27:52.299 --> 00:27:53.119
 in that same chapter,

00:27:53.200 --> 00:27:54.059
 of the gospel of John,

00:27:54.140 --> 00:27:55.000
 Jesus says this,

00:27:55.000 --> 00:27:57.839
 when you have lifted up,

00:27:57.940 --> 00:27:58.619
 the son of man,

00:27:59.559 --> 00:28:01.019
 then you will know,

00:28:01.859 --> 00:28:02.579
 that I am he.

00:28:04.339 --> 00:28:05.339
 Or more literally,

00:28:06.140 --> 00:28:07.200
 then you will know,

00:28:07.900 --> 00:28:08.819
 that I am.

00:28:11.619 --> 00:28:12.380
 For Jesus,

00:28:12.519 --> 00:28:14.019
 the cross was the place,

00:28:14.660 --> 00:28:15.779
 where we would see,

00:28:15.920 --> 00:28:16.759
 most clearly,

00:28:16.960 --> 00:28:18.259
 that he was,

00:28:18.880 --> 00:28:19.720
 the Lord.

00:28:23.000 --> 00:28:24.160
 Because it was there,

00:28:24.160 --> 00:28:25.680
 that he could display,

00:28:25.680 --> 00:28:26.360
 his holiness,

00:28:27.320 --> 00:28:28.519
 and at the same time,

00:28:28.640 --> 00:28:29.680
 truly know,

00:28:30.680 --> 00:28:31.779
 our sufferings,

00:28:31.880 --> 00:28:32.540
 in love.

00:28:36.259 --> 00:28:38.100
 Moses saw the bush,

00:28:38.600 --> 00:28:38.940
 burning,

00:28:39.620 --> 00:28:41.220
 yet it was not consumed.

00:28:41.980 --> 00:28:43.120
 But here is the mystery,

00:28:43.180 --> 00:28:44.120
 of mysteries friends.

00:28:44.940 --> 00:28:45.820
 At the cross,

00:28:46.519 --> 00:28:47.580
 on another tree,

00:28:48.380 --> 00:28:50.580
 the Lord was consumed.

00:28:54.160 --> 00:28:56.440
 when our sin,

00:28:56.440 --> 00:28:58.220
 had made the holiness of God,

00:28:58.420 --> 00:28:59.720
 our greatest threat,

00:29:00.519 --> 00:29:01.540
 in love,

00:29:02.000 --> 00:29:03.360
 God in Christ,

00:29:03.580 --> 00:29:04.759
 absorbed our sin.

00:29:05.800 --> 00:29:07.019
 He was consumed,

00:29:07.620 --> 00:29:09.240
 so that we never have to be.

00:29:09.240 --> 00:29:13.859
 And that is why,

00:29:13.920 --> 00:29:14.880
 the eternal God,

00:29:15.519 --> 00:29:16.200
 can say,

00:29:16.380 --> 00:29:17.559
 1500 years,

00:29:17.620 --> 00:29:18.480
 before the fact,

00:29:19.200 --> 00:29:21.099
 I know their sufferings.

00:29:22.259 --> 00:29:23.519
 Because the lion,

00:29:24.519 --> 00:29:25.740
 is also the lamb.

00:29:25.740 --> 00:29:31.120
 And here is the thing,

00:29:31.700 --> 00:29:33.940
 when you know God,

00:29:34.519 --> 00:29:36.000
 in his holiness,

00:29:36.559 --> 00:29:38.059
 and his love,

00:29:38.579 --> 00:29:41.120
 something happens.

00:29:43.480 --> 00:29:44.620
 If you know God,

00:29:44.680 --> 00:29:45.759
 in his radical holiness,

00:29:45.940 --> 00:29:46.940
 you will bow before him,

00:29:47.019 --> 00:29:48.059
 in rightful fear and awe.

00:29:48.519 --> 00:29:49.579
 But when you see,

00:29:49.680 --> 00:29:50.680
 not just that,

00:29:50.980 --> 00:29:52.700
 but also his suffering love,

00:29:52.779 --> 00:29:53.259
 for you,

00:29:53.259 --> 00:29:56.240
 then you'll have a mission.

00:29:58.359 --> 00:29:58.859
 Then,

00:29:59.640 --> 00:30:00.480
 you're called.

00:30:02.879 --> 00:30:03.960
 The burning bush,

00:30:03.960 --> 00:30:04.819
 was the site,

00:30:05.140 --> 00:30:06.779
 of Moses' call.

00:30:08.039 --> 00:30:08.960
 Of the reorientation,

00:30:09.879 --> 00:30:10.859
 and repurposing,

00:30:11.059 --> 00:30:11.960
 of his entire life.

00:30:14.200 --> 00:30:15.619
 When God showed him,

00:30:15.779 --> 00:30:16.279
 his holiness,

00:30:16.680 --> 00:30:17.160
 and love,

00:30:17.279 --> 00:30:17.920
 then Moses went,

00:30:18.039 --> 00:30:18.920
 from knowing about God,

00:30:19.059 --> 00:30:19.980
 to knowing God.

00:30:20.519 --> 00:30:21.700
 And knowing God,

00:30:21.740 --> 00:30:22.599
 meant that he couldn't,

00:30:22.599 --> 00:30:23.359
 stay the same.

00:30:26.819 --> 00:30:28.059
 And when you and I,

00:30:28.179 --> 00:30:28.819
 see them both,

00:30:29.919 --> 00:30:33.179
 you won't stay the same either.

00:30:34.919 --> 00:30:35.919
 And to you,

00:30:36.559 --> 00:30:38.119
 just like God said to Moses,

00:30:38.799 --> 00:30:39.240
 he says,

00:30:39.480 --> 00:30:39.859
 come,

00:30:40.719 --> 00:30:41.619
 I will send you.

00:30:43.719 --> 00:30:44.559
 Very interesting.

00:30:44.879 --> 00:30:45.579
 God at first says,

00:30:45.719 --> 00:30:46.439
 don't come near.

00:30:47.079 --> 00:30:47.859
 And then he says,

00:30:47.939 --> 00:30:48.219
 come,

00:30:48.879 --> 00:30:49.779
 and I'll send you.

00:30:49.779 --> 00:30:49.879
 Come.

00:30:52.980 --> 00:30:54.099
 Three final things,

00:30:54.139 --> 00:30:55.099
 and then we go to the table.

00:30:55.399 --> 00:30:55.740
 First,

00:30:56.539 --> 00:30:58.559
 if you're starting to see the radical holiness,

00:30:58.559 --> 00:30:59.980
 and love of God displayed,

00:31:00.039 --> 00:31:00.879
 in Jesus Christ,

00:31:00.959 --> 00:31:02.559
 maybe for the first time this morning,

00:31:03.359 --> 00:31:05.459
 then here comes the call of God,

00:31:05.759 --> 00:31:06.379
 to you,

00:31:06.859 --> 00:31:08.819
 to place your trust in Christ,

00:31:09.579 --> 00:31:11.500
 to receive him as Savior and Lord,

00:31:11.639 --> 00:31:12.859
 and to become a Christian.

00:31:13.959 --> 00:31:14.240
 You see,

00:31:14.299 --> 00:31:14.439
 friends,

00:31:14.519 --> 00:31:14.959
 ordinarily,

00:31:15.119 --> 00:31:16.339
 God doesn't usually meet us,

00:31:16.339 --> 00:31:17.000
 at burning bushes,

00:31:17.000 --> 00:31:18.599
 or speak to us in audible voices,

00:31:18.599 --> 00:31:20.199
 but he speaks to us,

00:31:20.240 --> 00:31:21.539
 through the preaching of his word.

00:31:23.539 --> 00:31:27.139
 God still exposes our need for salvation,

00:31:27.139 --> 00:31:29.480
 and compels us personally,

00:31:29.759 --> 00:31:30.559
 and individually,

00:31:30.559 --> 00:31:32.259
 to trust him,

00:31:33.259 --> 00:31:35.740
 through the proclamation of the gospel.

00:31:37.019 --> 00:31:39.500
 And he still calls our names,

00:31:39.859 --> 00:31:41.699
 and he still wants to enter into,

00:31:41.919 --> 00:31:44.240
 personal relationship with us.

00:31:44.240 --> 00:31:44.839
 Come,

00:31:45.380 --> 00:31:47.019
 God says to Moses in verse 10.

00:31:47.539 --> 00:31:49.859
 And he's saying the same thing to you this morning,

00:31:50.099 --> 00:31:50.599
 by name,

00:31:50.720 --> 00:31:51.140
 come.

00:31:54.819 --> 00:31:55.299
 Second,

00:31:56.640 --> 00:31:57.539
 knowing God,

00:31:57.599 --> 00:31:58.799
 in both his holiness and love,

00:31:58.920 --> 00:31:59.859
 compels us,

00:32:00.000 --> 00:32:02.039
 to become servants of the people of God.

00:32:02.680 --> 00:32:03.859
 God sends Moses,

00:32:04.019 --> 00:32:04.259
 where?

00:32:04.700 --> 00:32:05.799
 Back to Egypt,

00:32:06.059 --> 00:32:07.700
 to be the means that he will use,

00:32:07.759 --> 00:32:08.779
 to liberate his people.

00:32:10.000 --> 00:32:10.460
 Now,

00:32:10.519 --> 00:32:10.759
 of course,

00:32:10.819 --> 00:32:11.319
 we have to admit,

00:32:11.559 --> 00:32:12.579
 Moses had a unique role,

00:32:12.579 --> 00:32:13.319
 in redemptive history,

00:32:13.319 --> 00:32:14.359
 but still today,

00:32:14.539 --> 00:32:15.799
 God sends us,

00:32:16.079 --> 00:32:17.679
 to build up his church.

00:32:19.139 --> 00:32:20.039
 We're called,

00:32:20.159 --> 00:32:21.000
 to be sent,

00:32:21.279 --> 00:32:22.339
 into our lives,

00:32:22.379 --> 00:32:23.339
 with renewed purpose,

00:32:23.599 --> 00:32:24.439
 and courage,

00:32:24.639 --> 00:32:25.559
 and love,

00:32:25.700 --> 00:32:27.019
 for the sake of God's people.

00:32:27.259 --> 00:32:28.619
 And to share Christ,

00:32:28.720 --> 00:32:29.059
 with those,

00:32:29.119 --> 00:32:30.259
 who aren't yet God's people.

00:32:33.240 --> 00:32:33.879
 You see,

00:32:33.899 --> 00:32:35.000
 you can't truly know,

00:32:35.099 --> 00:32:36.379
 God's holiness and love,

00:32:36.539 --> 00:32:37.720
 and remain indifferent,

00:32:37.899 --> 00:32:38.679
 to the well-being,

00:32:38.779 --> 00:32:39.740
 of God's church.

00:32:40.159 --> 00:32:41.179
 And that pattern,

00:32:41.179 --> 00:32:42.379
 runs throughout scripture.

00:32:43.319 --> 00:32:44.619
 Do you remember Isaiah?

00:32:46.559 --> 00:32:47.480
 Isaiah has a vision,

00:32:47.599 --> 00:32:48.200
 of God's holiness,

00:32:48.200 --> 00:32:48.819
 in the temple.

00:32:49.740 --> 00:32:50.659
 And like Moses,

00:32:50.759 --> 00:32:51.460
 he is undone.

00:32:51.960 --> 00:32:52.740
 And then God,

00:32:52.740 --> 00:32:53.299
 comes to him,

00:32:53.339 --> 00:32:54.619
 with the coal of his love,

00:32:54.679 --> 00:32:55.539
 and touches his lips,

00:32:55.700 --> 00:32:56.740
 and then he responds,

00:32:56.819 --> 00:32:58.019
 to God's call to be sent.

00:32:59.019 --> 00:32:59.599
 And Peter,

00:32:59.599 --> 00:33:00.460
 goes out on a boat,

00:33:00.519 --> 00:33:01.039
 with Jesus.

00:33:01.519 --> 00:33:02.000
 And Peter,

00:33:02.039 --> 00:33:02.679
 catches a glimpse,

00:33:02.720 --> 00:33:03.659
 of Jesus's holiness,

00:33:03.799 --> 00:33:04.619
 in this miraculous,

00:33:04.759 --> 00:33:05.359
 catch of fish.

00:33:05.599 --> 00:33:06.000
 And Peter,

00:33:06.099 --> 00:33:07.019
 falls down at his feet,

00:33:07.179 --> 00:33:07.799
 undone.

00:33:07.799 --> 00:33:09.419
 And then Jesus,

00:33:09.419 --> 00:33:10.399
 speaks a word of mercy,

00:33:10.919 --> 00:33:11.720
 and sends him out,

00:33:12.079 --> 00:33:13.259
 on a mission.

00:33:16.259 --> 00:33:16.940
 Knowing God,

00:33:17.019 --> 00:33:18.319
 will change our vantage point,

00:33:18.379 --> 00:33:19.919
 on everything that we do,

00:33:20.220 --> 00:33:21.099
 and particularly,

00:33:21.440 --> 00:33:22.500
 how we view the people,

00:33:22.680 --> 00:33:23.339
 that he loves.

00:33:23.799 --> 00:33:24.779
 And we will want,

00:33:24.819 --> 00:33:25.759
 to love them too.

00:33:28.259 --> 00:33:29.319
 Third and last,

00:33:30.299 --> 00:33:31.159
 this calling,

00:33:31.539 --> 00:33:32.500
 is for everyone.

00:33:32.500 --> 00:33:33.700
 Yes,

00:33:35.960 --> 00:33:36.759
 Moses was unique,

00:33:36.859 --> 00:33:37.359
 in a sense,

00:33:37.500 --> 00:33:38.200
 but in the light,

00:33:38.259 --> 00:33:39.039
 of the New Testament,

00:33:39.259 --> 00:33:39.740
 we know,

00:33:39.900 --> 00:33:41.500
 that every member,

00:33:41.799 --> 00:33:42.759
 of the family,

00:33:42.960 --> 00:33:43.839
 of Christ,

00:33:43.900 --> 00:33:44.880
 has a role to play.

00:33:46.279 --> 00:33:47.319
 Aren't we often,

00:33:47.319 --> 00:33:48.700
 tempted to ask,

00:33:48.799 --> 00:33:50.000
 with Moses in verse 11,

00:33:50.160 --> 00:33:51.539
 but who am I?

00:33:54.480 --> 00:33:55.839
 And what's God's reply?

00:33:58.480 --> 00:33:59.500
 I'll be with you.

00:33:59.500 --> 00:34:03.079
 I'll send you,

00:34:03.700 --> 00:34:04.819
 and I'll be with you.

00:34:05.859 --> 00:34:06.920
 That sounds familiar,

00:34:07.019 --> 00:34:07.460
 doesn't it?

00:34:08.460 --> 00:34:09.400
 In Matthew 28,

00:34:09.480 --> 00:34:11.159
 when the risen Lord,

00:34:11.639 --> 00:34:11.940
 Jesus,

00:34:12.400 --> 00:34:13.800
 stands before his disciples,

00:34:13.980 --> 00:34:14.400
 he says,

00:34:14.559 --> 00:34:14.840
 go,

00:34:15.639 --> 00:34:16.599
 and I'll be with you.

00:34:18.960 --> 00:34:19.639
 So friends,

00:34:19.679 --> 00:34:20.760
 there's a role for you to play.

00:34:21.579 --> 00:34:22.480
 Find your place,

00:34:22.480 --> 00:34:23.099
 in the family.

00:34:23.320 --> 00:34:24.199
 Find your place,

00:34:24.480 --> 00:34:25.099
 in the mission.

00:34:26.460 --> 00:34:27.639
 And here's the beauty of it.

00:34:27.639 --> 00:34:29.839
 God's holy.

00:34:30.799 --> 00:34:31.719
 He doesn't need you.

00:34:32.920 --> 00:34:34.059
 God didn't need Moses.

00:34:35.239 --> 00:34:36.460
 But God wants you,

00:34:37.119 --> 00:34:39.259
 just like he wanted Moses.

00:34:40.559 --> 00:34:41.480
 And he wants you,

00:34:41.639 --> 00:34:42.759
 not just to know about him,

00:34:42.980 --> 00:34:44.119
 but to know him,

00:34:44.579 --> 00:34:45.839
 and to heed his call,

00:34:46.379 --> 00:34:47.500
 and to be a part,

00:34:47.500 --> 00:34:48.879
 of his mission,

00:34:49.099 --> 00:34:49.619
 in the world.

00:34:51.699 --> 00:34:52.400
 Let's pray.

00:34:57.639 --> 00:35:00.980
 Father,

00:35:01.079 --> 00:35:02.139
 as we come to the table,

00:35:02.920 --> 00:35:05.599
 would you come,

00:35:05.679 --> 00:35:06.559
 by your Holy Spirit,

00:35:07.059 --> 00:35:09.139
 to make these things real,

00:35:09.239 --> 00:35:09.879
 to our hearts?

00:35:12.079 --> 00:35:12.519
 God,

00:35:12.579 --> 00:35:13.039
 we confess,

00:35:13.119 --> 00:35:14.019
 we are so comfortable,

00:35:14.179 --> 00:35:15.000
 knowing about you.

00:35:17.519 --> 00:35:18.400
 Would you come,

00:35:18.460 --> 00:35:20.059
 and would you break up,

00:35:20.279 --> 00:35:21.259
 the hard ground,

00:35:21.259 --> 00:35:22.480
 of our hearts,

00:35:23.039 --> 00:35:24.500
 with your holiness,

00:35:24.699 --> 00:35:25.460
 and with your love,

00:35:25.460 --> 00:35:28.420
 so that we might know you.

00:35:29.599 --> 00:35:30.960
 We pray this in Jesus name.

00:35:31.380 --> 00:35:31.639
 Amen.