WEBVTT

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 Let's pray.

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 Father, we do thank you that time in your word is good for us.

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! And we want to pray that this evening would be useful.

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! We thank you.

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 We thank you that your word is intelligible to us,

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 that you've not obscured the realities of who you are and what you're like,

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 but that you have made them plain for us in your word,

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 and that we are able to read and understand

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 because of the way that you have made us

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 and because of the way that you have written your word.

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 And we pray that that's a task that we would get better and better at.

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 And maybe this evening would be a small step forward in that task,

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 we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

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 Amen.

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 So, if you remember back to last week,

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 we were thinking about how to understand the Bible.

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 And I suppose it, in a sense, is experimental

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 because it's a bit more seminary than it is a sermon, right?

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 So it's a bit more training than it is teaching.

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 And we thought particularly about a couple of things.

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 We thought first that the Bible has a divine author,

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 so the Bible has a coherent message to tell from the beginning to the end.

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 The Lord superintends the message of the Bible,

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 and so he is the author who stands behind it.

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 And yet it also has human authors,

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 those people who write the Bible,

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 who write it in a particular context at a particular time,

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 and who, while not compromising the authority or divine intent behind the book,

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 also bring their personalities to bear on the text as well.

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 So that it is understanding them and their situation

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 that also helps us understand what God is saying through them as the divine author.

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 We then said, too, that our main responsibility when we read the Bible

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 is to see then the author's purpose,

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 both the human author, but also behind that, the divine author.

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 And we're to ask the question, what is the point of this passage?

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 What is being said and why is it being said?

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 What is the intent of this piece of Scripture?

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 We said, if you might remember,

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 that the job of a responsible Bible reader or preacher or teacher

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 was to make sure, as far as they are able,

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 that the point of their talk or the point of their Bible study

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 or the point of their kids' talk

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 is the author's point in that passage in the Bible.

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 Because if we take the Bible and make it say something

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 that it is not intending to say,

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 we might say something that's true,

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 but we might also say something that is not true,

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 and we can end up in all kinds of mess.

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 As we looked at last week,

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 we found that the devil himself loves to use God's Word

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 to teach things which are not the point of the Bible.

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 Now, this evening, we're going to look a little bit further

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 and pick up another couple of additional tools

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 from that book, Dig Deeper, which I held up last week

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 and which Florence took from me.

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 So she's reading it and so I haven't got it to hold up.

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 But anyway, the first thing we're going to look at

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 is the context tool, the context tool.

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 So reading a passage in its context.

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 Now, the book's example, so Andrew Satch

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 and Nigel Byron's example of this,

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 dates the book, I think, a bit,

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 because they talk about the difference

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 between an encyclopedia and a novel.

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 Who has an encyclopedia today, right?

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 Nobody.

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 We have ChatGPT for that.

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 But I guess, Mike, you have encyclopedias,

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 do you, in your home?

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 Yeah.

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 The tailors have encyclopedias, all of them.

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 So there you go.

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 But an encyclopedia, when you turn and look up something

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 in an encyclopedia, then what it says on a given subject

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 is totally unrelated to the entry that's above it or below it, right?

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 It is just an isolated piece of information.

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 So if you look up London, it doesn't matter if before it comes lobsters

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 and after it comes lounges or something.

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 Am I alphabetically correct?

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 I think I am.

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 Right?

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 That they have nothing to do with London.

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 It's just the way that it is structured.

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 And if you approached a novel like that,

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 so if you just opened a novel and randomly read a paragraph

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 as if it was isolated from everything around it,

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 you would end up not really understanding what the book was about

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 and you'd be quickly confused and probably give up reading.

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 But that approach, the encyclopedia approach,

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 is the approach that is often taken by Bible readers

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 that we expect to sort of randomly pick out a section of the Bible

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 and presume that it is written directly to us

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 to answer the question that we had on our hearts as we opened it

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 and not written in a specific context

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 with something that goes before it and below it,

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 which dictate what it means.

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 Now, one thing that is pointed out in the book

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 is that the context of a Bible passage is rich and complex.

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 So each sentence comes in a paragraph, right?

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 And each paragraph comes in a chapter.

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 Each chapter comes in a book.

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 And the book comes in a testament.

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 And the testament come in the whole Bible.

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 And so actually, we need to kind of zoom out slowly

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 from passages of the Bible to see the context in which they're given,

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 to see how that shapes how we understand it.

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 Now, I'm going to try and show you that with 1 Kings chapter 19.

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 So if you turn to 1 Kings 19, I don't think...

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 Did I print it out on your handout?

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 No, I didn't because it was a bit long.

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 So 1 Kings chapter 19, it's page 361 in a church Bible.

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 1 Kings chapter 19.

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 Now, you may, I guess, recognize this story in 1 Kings chapter 19 when you get there.

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 It's taking me a bit of time to get there.

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 There you go.

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 1 Kings chapter 19.

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 It is Elijah after the victory over the prophets of Baal on the mountain with the sacrifices.

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 And what I want to do, I'm going to read it to you,

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 and then we're going to have a little think about it in its context.

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 I'm going to pick it up in verse 9 and read to the end of the chapter.

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 There he went into a cave and spent the night.

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 And the word of the Lord came to him,

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 What are you doing here, Elijah?

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 He replied, I've been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty.

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 The Israelites have rejected your covenant,

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 torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword.

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 I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.

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 The Lord said,

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 Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord,

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 for the Lord is about to pass by.

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 Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart

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 and shattered the rocks before the Lord,

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 but the Lord was not in the wind.

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 After the wind, there was an earthquake,

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 but the Lord was not in the earthquake.

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 After the earthquake came a fire,

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 but the Lord was not in the fire.

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 And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

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 When Elijah heard it,

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 he pulled his cloak over his face

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 and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

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 Then a voice said to him,

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 What are you doing here, Elijah?

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 He replied, I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty.

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 The Israelites have rejected your covenant,

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 torn down your altars,

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 and put your prophets to death with the sword.

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 I am the only one left,

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 and now they are trying to kill me too.

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 The Lord said to him,

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 Go back the way you came.

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 Go to the desert of Damascus.

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 When you get there,

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 anoint Hazel king over Aram.

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 Also anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel,

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 and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel-Mahola

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 to succeed you as prophet.

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 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazel,

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 and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu.

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 Yet I reserve 7,000 in Israel whose knees have not bowed down to Baal,

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 and whose mouths have not kissed him.

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 Elijah went down from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat.

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 He was plowing with 12 yoke of oxen,

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 and he himself was driving the 12 pair.

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 Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him.

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 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah.

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 Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye, he said,

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 and then I will come with you.

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 Go back, Elijah replied.

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 What have I done to you?

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 So Elijah left him and went back,

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 and he took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them,

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 he burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat,

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 and gave it to the people, and they ate.

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 And then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.

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 Now, the passage is quite famous, isn't it?

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 And so you might well have heard something about listening

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 for what is called the still small voice,

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 I think in the old translation,

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 which is here in the NIV,

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 the gentle whisper of verse 12.

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 So you read it and you think, well, okay, God speaks in a gentle whisper.

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 So we need to be listening for gentle whispers.

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 That's what Elijah's heard.

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 But when you look at it in the context,

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 you realize that actually is not what's really going on.

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 So think about the immediate context of what's happening.

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 Elijah's on the run.

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 Yeah.

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 So Elijah has had this great contest on the Mount Carmel

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 where the fire came down from heaven,

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 consumed his offering,

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 and then he slaughtered the prophets of Baal.

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 But then in the beginning of chapter 19,

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 Jezebel is out to get him.

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 And she is determined to kill Elijah

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 like he killed the prophets of Baal.

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 So Elijah is so worried about this

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 that he tries to save Jezebel the bother

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 and prays in chapter 19, verse 4,

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 that God himself would kill him.

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 Take my life.

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 I am no better than my ancestors, he says,

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 in chapter 19, verse 4.

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 Instead, though, God feeds him.

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 And still, though, Elijah is not in great shape

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 and ends up hiding in a cave on Mount Horeb

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 in the end of verse 8 and the beginning of verse 9,

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 complaining to God that he is the only one left

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 and they're trying to kill him too.

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 So much so that when you hear the voice

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 at the end of verse 13,

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 it's a direct reflection of the voice

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 that was spoken in verse 9, isn't it?

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 There's nothing new for Elijah.

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 In fact, it's the same question.

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 What are you doing here, Elijah?

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 What are you doing here, Elijah?

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 Before telling him in verse 15

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 to go back and get on with what he'd started.

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 Now, that's the immediate context, okay?

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 So you get the impression

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 that there's something going on

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 in this interaction between God and Elijah

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 as he believes himself to be the only one left.

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 He's under a great threat by Jezebel.

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 But then when you expand it

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 to think about the context of the scriptures more broadly,

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 you can see that there's even more going on here.

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 So he is on Mount Horeb, right?

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 The mountain of God.

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 This is Mount Sinai.

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 This is the mountain where the covenant

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 with Moses was given,

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 where Moses met God.

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 You find that Elijah is hiding in a cave,

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 literally the cave, right?

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 So he is here on the mountain in the cave,

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 presumably the cave where,

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 or at least a reference to the cave

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 where Moses was when God passed him by,

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 when he gave him the replacement tablets in Exodus 34,

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 when God originally meets with the people

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 on that same mountain.

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 He then meets later, doesn't he,

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 with Moses as he hides his face from God

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 as he passes by in Exodus 34.

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 But when God originally meets with the people in Exodus 19,

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 what is it like on Mount Horeb or Mount Sinai

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 when he meets with them?

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 Exodus 19, verse 16,

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 I've put this on your handouts, I think.

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 On the morning of the third day,

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 so this is as the people are gathered

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 at the foot of the mountain.

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 On the morning of the third day,

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 there was thunder and lightning

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 and a thick cloud over the mountain

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 and a very loud trumpet blast.

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 Everyone in the camp trembled.

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 Then Moses led the people out of the camp

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 to meet with God

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 and they stood at the foot of the mountain.

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 Mount Sinai was covered with smoke

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 because the Lord descended on it in fire.

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 The smoke billowed up from it,

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 like smoke from a furnace,

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 and the whole mountain trembled violently

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 as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder.

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 Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.

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 Now, that is the context for then 1 Kings chapter 19.

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 What does that mean for 1 Kings chapter 19?

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 Well, it means here that what you've got in 1 Kings 19

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 is Elijah going to Moses' place on the mountain,

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 hearing the same things that Moses heard

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 right back when the covenant was originally given,

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 but God is no longer in them.

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 Elijah is in effect saying to God,

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 listen, God,

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 this whole covenant thing is not working, right?

00:12:34.700 --> 00:12:37.720
 You need a plan B, God,

00:12:38.120 --> 00:12:39.500
 because I'm the only one left.

00:12:39.820 --> 00:12:41.720
 So I'm going to go back to where all this started

00:12:41.720 --> 00:12:43.580
 and you're going to start with me, right?

00:12:43.960 --> 00:12:47.879
 This would be like the equivalent of an English footballer

00:12:47.879 --> 00:12:50.900
 lying in the center of Wembley Stadium

00:12:50.900 --> 00:12:51.600
 and going, you know,

00:12:52.440 --> 00:12:53.700
 you're going to have to start again with me.

00:12:54.240 --> 00:12:56.300
 It's been a total disaster since 1966

00:12:56.299 --> 00:12:57.759
 and we've not won a single thing.

00:12:58.579 --> 00:13:00.259
 You know, start again with me, right?

00:13:00.479 --> 00:13:04.859
 That is Elijah there saying to God,

00:13:05.159 --> 00:13:06.459
 this covenant is not working.

00:13:06.819 --> 00:13:08.659
 And so what does God say to him then?

00:13:08.879 --> 00:13:10.219
 Well, he's not in the thunder.

00:13:10.599 --> 00:13:11.599
 He's not in the wind

00:13:11.599 --> 00:13:13.899
 because God doesn't agree with Elijah.

00:13:14.599 --> 00:13:16.299
 God doesn't think his covenant is failing.

00:13:16.559 --> 00:13:17.839
 He doesn't think his covenant's collapsed.

00:13:18.240 --> 00:13:19.099
 In fact, he says,

00:13:19.159 --> 00:13:21.299
 there are 7,000 in Israel who are still faithful.

00:13:21.740 --> 00:13:23.979
 And actually then the still small voice

00:13:23.979 --> 00:13:25.620
 is a gentle rebuke saying,

00:13:25.959 --> 00:13:26.500
 listen, Elijah,

00:13:27.019 --> 00:13:28.319
 you shouldn't really be here

00:13:28.319 --> 00:13:30.419
 and you shouldn't really be asking this question.

00:13:30.799 --> 00:13:32.000
 You should be getting on with the things

00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:33.279
 I've already given you to do

00:13:33.279 --> 00:13:35.639
 because my covenant still stands.

00:13:35.719 --> 00:13:37.959
 My word to Moses is still good.

00:13:38.719 --> 00:13:40.000
 And in that context then,

00:13:40.039 --> 00:13:42.659
 the application of 1 Kings 19

00:13:42.659 --> 00:13:46.659
 is not so much listen out for a still small voice,

00:13:47.199 --> 00:13:49.879
 not because God is not capable of speaking to us directly

00:13:49.879 --> 00:13:51.279
 in whatever way he would like to,

00:13:51.299 --> 00:13:53.879
 but rather the context says that's not the point.

00:13:54.219 --> 00:13:55.299
 Rather, the point is,

00:13:55.759 --> 00:13:57.559
 you better listen to what God has said

00:13:57.559 --> 00:14:00.159
 because what God said still stands.

00:14:01.120 --> 00:14:02.639
 His word does not fail.

00:14:03.459 --> 00:14:06.539
 Maybe perhaps especially his word does not fail

00:14:06.539 --> 00:14:08.579
 when you might fear that it has.

00:14:09.579 --> 00:14:12.079
 When you feel like you might be the only one left,

00:14:12.679 --> 00:14:14.059
 go back to God's word

00:14:14.059 --> 00:14:16.240
 because God is faithful to his promise

00:14:16.240 --> 00:14:17.959
 and will keep it.

00:14:17.960 --> 00:14:20.879
 And so that, I think,

00:14:20.960 --> 00:14:22.379
 is like just an example

00:14:22.379 --> 00:14:24.240
 of how expanding out

00:14:24.240 --> 00:14:25.480
 and seeing the context

00:14:25.480 --> 00:14:26.560
 that a passage comes in,

00:14:26.600 --> 00:14:27.480
 in the context of the Bible,

00:14:27.560 --> 00:14:28.780
 in the context of the covenants,

00:14:29.180 --> 00:14:31.519
 you get to see what a passage means.

00:14:32.580 --> 00:14:34.160
 I'm going to give you an opportunity

00:14:34.160 --> 00:14:35.060
 to do this yourself,

00:14:35.160 --> 00:14:36.940
 which I know you've been so excited for.

00:14:36.940 --> 00:14:41.100
 So Exodus chapter 20, verse 3.

00:14:41.820 --> 00:14:44.260
 What do you think Exodus 20, verse 3 means

00:14:44.260 --> 00:14:46.160
 as a standalone?

00:14:46.760 --> 00:14:49.360
 Okay, so if you were just reading Exodus 20, verse 3,

00:14:49.540 --> 00:14:50.560
 what does it mean as a standalone?

00:14:50.900 --> 00:14:53.000
 How does the context of verse 1 and 2

00:14:53.000 --> 00:14:53.940
 change that meaning?

00:14:54.480 --> 00:14:56.160
 So go for that with the person next to you

00:14:56.159 --> 00:14:56.759
 for a few moments

00:14:56.759 --> 00:14:58.539
 and then we'll feed back together.

00:15:03.059 --> 00:15:03.500
 Okay.

00:15:10.500 --> 00:15:10.860
 Okay.

00:15:12.399 --> 00:15:14.219
 What do we think the difference

00:15:14.219 --> 00:15:15.860
 the context makes

00:15:15.860 --> 00:15:18.000
 to understanding Genesis 20?

00:15:21.759 --> 00:15:22.120
 Okay.

00:15:22.120 --> 00:15:23.899
 Oh, right.

00:15:23.980 --> 00:15:24.480
 Yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:15:25.060 --> 00:15:25.360
 Yeah.

00:15:34.980 --> 00:15:35.340
 Yes.

00:15:35.860 --> 00:15:37.360
 Yep, so we know that it's God speaking

00:15:37.360 --> 00:15:39.320
 and that he's been good to them

00:15:39.320 --> 00:15:40.440
 and he's brought them out of slavery.

00:15:40.740 --> 00:15:40.919
 Yeah.

00:15:41.980 --> 00:15:42.720
 Anything else?

00:15:50.940 --> 00:15:51.299
 Okay.

00:15:52.120 --> 00:15:53.120
 Yes.

00:16:01.899 --> 00:16:02.220
 Yes.

00:16:02.419 --> 00:16:02.639
 Okay.

00:16:07.919 --> 00:16:08.360
 Yeah.

00:16:10.759 --> 00:16:11.860
 Yeah, so it's not

00:16:11.860 --> 00:16:14.419
 an angry, jealous demand,

00:16:15.320 --> 00:16:17.000
 but it's the word of a God

00:16:17.000 --> 00:16:18.960
 who has rescued and saved.

00:16:19.139 --> 00:16:19.240
 Yeah.

00:16:19.240 --> 00:16:23.440
 Does anyone want to make me really happy

00:16:23.440 --> 00:16:24.500
 and like link it

00:16:24.500 --> 00:16:25.720
 with what we were thinking about before

00:16:25.720 --> 00:16:26.940
 with grace and works?

00:16:27.279 --> 00:16:27.899
 You know, like,

00:16:29.019 --> 00:16:29.840
 you're my people.

00:16:30.840 --> 00:16:32.320
 This is what my people are like.

00:16:32.720 --> 00:16:33.960
 My people worship me.

00:16:35.000 --> 00:16:35.340
 Yeah.

00:16:35.480 --> 00:16:36.960
 They don't worship anybody else.

00:16:37.139 --> 00:16:37.680
 They worship me.

00:16:37.740 --> 00:16:38.480
 You belong to me.

00:16:38.519 --> 00:16:38.960
 You're mine.

00:16:39.019 --> 00:16:39.740
 I've rescued you.

00:16:39.779 --> 00:16:40.419
 I've saved you.

00:16:40.419 --> 00:16:42.779
 This is what we live like

00:16:42.779 --> 00:16:43.759
 in my kingdom.

00:16:44.339 --> 00:16:46.139
 We worship this one God

00:16:46.139 --> 00:16:46.879
 and this God only.

00:16:47.099 --> 00:16:47.240
 Yeah.

00:16:48.039 --> 00:16:49.259
 So I think it's easy, isn't it,

00:16:49.259 --> 00:16:53.319
 to see them as just a list of instructions,

00:16:53.319 --> 00:16:55.279
 but if you see the instructions

00:16:55.279 --> 00:16:56.539
 coming in the context

00:16:56.539 --> 00:16:58.500
 of the God who has saved them,

00:16:58.500 --> 00:17:01.019
 I have rescued you,

00:17:01.100 --> 00:17:02.840
 not because you did these things,

00:17:02.840 --> 00:17:04.420
 but I have rescued you

00:17:04.420 --> 00:17:06.359
 so you will live like this

00:17:06.359 --> 00:17:08.140
 and so you will do these things.

00:17:08.559 --> 00:17:08.920
 Great.

00:17:10.299 --> 00:17:11.720
 Any other comments

00:17:11.720 --> 00:17:13.160
 or questions on that?

00:17:17.000 --> 00:17:17.599
 Exclusivity.

00:17:17.700 --> 00:17:18.180
 Exclusivity.

00:17:18.839 --> 00:17:19.400
 Yes.

00:17:20.140 --> 00:17:20.400
 Yeah.

00:17:20.579 --> 00:17:22.740
 So he has saved and rescued them

00:17:22.740 --> 00:17:24.420
 for an exclusive relationship with him.

00:17:24.799 --> 00:17:25.140
 Absolutely.

00:17:25.140 --> 00:17:25.860
 Yeah.

00:17:27.120 --> 00:17:27.520
 Okay.

00:17:27.580 --> 00:17:29.720
 Let's go on to a structure tool

00:17:29.720 --> 00:17:33.440
 and let's really nerd out.

00:17:36.520 --> 00:17:37.500
 One of the things

00:17:37.500 --> 00:17:39.759
 that you need to do

00:17:39.759 --> 00:17:40.660
 as you're reading the Bible

00:17:40.660 --> 00:17:41.800
 is that you need to understand

00:17:41.800 --> 00:17:43.700
 the Bible is divided up

00:17:43.700 --> 00:17:46.140
 into essentially kind of like thought units.

00:17:46.400 --> 00:17:46.500
 Okay.

00:17:46.540 --> 00:17:47.180
 So that there is,

00:17:48.040 --> 00:17:51.300
 the Bible is divided up

00:17:51.300 --> 00:17:54.240
 in units which explain

00:17:54.240 --> 00:17:55.640
 a particular point, right?

00:17:55.980 --> 00:17:56.620
 Now there might be,

00:17:57.019 --> 00:17:58.059
 you might be able to argue

00:17:58.059 --> 00:17:58.940
 that there is one point

00:17:58.940 --> 00:17:59.440
 from the beginning

00:17:59.440 --> 00:18:00.000
 to the end of the Bible.

00:18:00.099 --> 00:18:00.680
 Of course you can,

00:18:00.759 --> 00:18:01.660
 so it is one unit.

00:18:02.039 --> 00:18:04.259
 But that is almost impossible

00:18:04.259 --> 00:18:05.059
 for you to read

00:18:05.059 --> 00:18:06.640
 in any one sitting

00:18:06.640 --> 00:18:08.579
 for your devotional time.

00:18:08.900 --> 00:18:09.059
 You know,

00:18:09.099 --> 00:18:09.640
 what did you read

00:18:09.640 --> 00:18:10.779
 in your quiet time this morning?

00:18:10.859 --> 00:18:12.980
 I've read the whole Bible, right?

00:18:13.000 --> 00:18:13.559
 That's going to be impossible.

00:18:14.200 --> 00:18:15.319
 So actually what we need

00:18:15.319 --> 00:18:15.880
 to be able to do

00:18:15.880 --> 00:18:17.480
 is identify how the Bible

00:18:17.480 --> 00:18:18.400
 is divided up

00:18:18.400 --> 00:18:19.700
 into thought units

00:18:19.700 --> 00:18:21.400
 so that we can wrestle with

00:18:21.400 --> 00:18:22.620
 and think over

00:18:22.620 --> 00:18:24.140
 what the Lord is saying

00:18:24.140 --> 00:18:26.000
 in different sections of the Bible.

00:18:26.140 --> 00:18:27.759
 And the way that you do that

00:18:27.759 --> 00:18:29.120
 is by recognizing

00:18:29.120 --> 00:18:31.060
 the structure of a passage

00:18:31.060 --> 00:18:32.440
 or the structure of a book

00:18:32.440 --> 00:18:34.280
 or the structure of a section.

00:18:35.060 --> 00:18:36.420
 Now you might think,

00:18:36.740 --> 00:18:37.380
 brilliant,

00:18:37.519 --> 00:18:38.480
 because someone's already done that

00:18:38.480 --> 00:18:39.380
 for me in the Bible, right?

00:18:39.400 --> 00:18:40.900
 They've written big numbers in it

00:18:40.900 --> 00:18:42.820
 and they've written bold type headings.

00:18:43.500 --> 00:18:45.500
 Now often that is really helpful

00:18:45.500 --> 00:18:46.240
 and they do,

00:18:46.460 --> 00:18:46.780
 you know,

00:18:46.780 --> 00:18:47.660
 they do help.

00:18:48.320 --> 00:18:50.580
 But sometimes they're not super brilliant,

00:18:50.579 --> 00:18:50.939
 are they?

00:18:51.019 --> 00:18:52.039
 So like you might notice

00:18:52.039 --> 00:18:54.099
 that in 1 Kings chapter 19,

00:18:54.220 --> 00:18:56.699
 verse 9 is divided into two parts

00:18:56.699 --> 00:18:58.539
 when actually I think

00:18:58.539 --> 00:19:00.559
 that's maybe slightly obscuring

00:19:00.559 --> 00:19:01.899
 the section.

00:19:02.980 --> 00:19:03.619
 They say,

00:19:03.740 --> 00:19:04.579
 I don't know whether this is true,

00:19:04.659 --> 00:19:05.480
 but someone told me this,

00:19:05.539 --> 00:19:06.599
 that the person who actually

00:19:06.599 --> 00:19:08.539
 put the verses in the Bible

00:19:08.539 --> 00:19:09.779
 did it while he was riding

00:19:09.779 --> 00:19:11.079
 on the back of a horse.

00:19:11.179 --> 00:19:12.079
 It was a long time ago

00:19:12.079 --> 00:19:13.659
 and the horse went over a bump

00:19:13.659 --> 00:19:15.519
 and sometimes he got it wrong.

00:19:15.799 --> 00:19:16.099
 There you go.

00:19:18.619 --> 00:19:19.639
 So yeah, there you go.

00:19:19.640 --> 00:19:21.340
 They do follow the Hebrew numberings

00:19:21.340 --> 00:19:22.320
 in certain places.

00:19:23.960 --> 00:19:24.360
 Yes.

00:19:24.980 --> 00:19:25.820
 Chapter divisions are different

00:19:25.820 --> 00:19:26.780
 and obviously the New Testament

00:19:26.780 --> 00:19:28.080
 is in Greek and not in Hebrew,

00:19:28.240 --> 00:19:29.740
 so it's different there as well.

00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:30.200
 Anyway,

00:19:30.580 --> 00:19:31.800
 so we need to be good

00:19:31.800 --> 00:19:32.560
 at reading the Bible

00:19:32.560 --> 00:19:33.660
 to see the structure

00:19:33.660 --> 00:19:34.840
 as it stands out.

00:19:35.040 --> 00:19:36.060
 So I've put,

00:19:36.180 --> 00:19:36.400
 I think,

00:19:36.480 --> 00:19:37.860
 Matthew 5 with the Beatitudes.

00:19:37.980 --> 00:19:39.340
 So sometimes it's quite obvious.

00:19:39.860 --> 00:19:41.040
 So sometimes there's a repetition

00:19:41.040 --> 00:19:41.980
 of a sentence

00:19:41.980 --> 00:19:43.580
 which kind of begins

00:19:43.580 --> 00:19:44.620
 and ends a section.

00:19:44.820 --> 00:19:46.340
 So you might call them bookends,

00:19:46.480 --> 00:19:47.740
 the repetition of a line.

00:19:47.740 --> 00:19:50.240
 So blessed are the poor in spirit

00:19:50.240 --> 00:19:52.599
 for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

00:19:53.059 --> 00:19:54.019
 And then you go through

00:19:54.019 --> 00:19:54.759
 all the Beatitudes

00:19:54.759 --> 00:19:55.819
 and then you get blessed

00:19:55.819 --> 00:19:57.059
 are those who are persecuted

00:19:57.059 --> 00:19:57.940
 because of righteousness

00:19:57.940 --> 00:20:00.680
 for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

00:20:00.859 --> 00:20:02.160
 And then you've got a section

00:20:02.160 --> 00:20:04.240
 that has been marked out for you

00:20:04.240 --> 00:20:05.559
 by the repetition of

00:20:05.559 --> 00:20:06.940
 theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

00:20:07.480 --> 00:20:08.960
 And so if you were just reading it

00:20:08.960 --> 00:20:09.960
 carefully and thoughtfully

00:20:09.960 --> 00:20:11.380
 and were looking out

00:20:11.380 --> 00:20:12.259
 for that repetition,

00:20:12.500 --> 00:20:13.240
 for that bookend,

00:20:13.640 --> 00:20:14.480
 you would notice it

00:20:14.480 --> 00:20:14.779
 and see,

00:20:14.880 --> 00:20:15.000
 oh,

00:20:15.180 --> 00:20:16.059
 this is a section.

00:20:16.180 --> 00:20:17.799
 There's something being said here

00:20:17.799 --> 00:20:19.019
 about what it means

00:20:19.019 --> 00:20:20.160
 to belong to the kingdom.

00:20:21.740 --> 00:20:22.660
 Perhaps other times

00:20:22.660 --> 00:20:24.299
 it might be in a story,

00:20:24.500 --> 00:20:25.860
 so connected stories.

00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:26.640
 So if you turn

00:20:26.640 --> 00:20:28.319
 to Mark chapter 8,

00:20:28.400 --> 00:20:29.339
 have I put this on your handout?

00:20:29.900 --> 00:20:30.860
 I put it on your handout

00:20:30.860 --> 00:20:31.579
 but not on my notes

00:20:31.579 --> 00:20:32.660
 so I'm going to have to turn to it

00:20:32.660 --> 00:20:33.519
 and you're not.

00:20:33.640 --> 00:20:34.740
 Mark chapter 8,

00:20:34.880 --> 00:20:36.539
 verse 22.

00:20:37.360 --> 00:20:38.799
 So in Mark 8, 22,

00:20:38.799 --> 00:20:39.900
 you get the healing

00:20:39.900 --> 00:20:40.779
 of the blind man.

00:20:40.779 --> 00:20:43.079
 They came to Bethesda

00:20:43.079 --> 00:20:44.339
 and some people

00:20:44.339 --> 00:20:45.940
 brought a blind man

00:20:45.940 --> 00:20:47.139
 and begged Jesus

00:20:47.139 --> 00:20:47.899
 to touch him.

00:20:48.480 --> 00:20:49.519
 He took the blind man

00:20:49.519 --> 00:20:50.200
 by the hand

00:20:50.200 --> 00:20:50.839
 and led him

00:20:50.839 --> 00:20:52.200
 outside the village.

00:20:52.740 --> 00:20:54.339
 When he spat on the man's eyes

00:20:54.339 --> 00:20:55.500
 and put his hands on him,

00:20:55.599 --> 00:20:56.079
 Jesus asked,

00:20:56.160 --> 00:20:56.960
 do you see anything?

00:20:57.579 --> 00:20:58.839
 He looked up and said,

00:20:58.940 --> 00:20:59.920
 I see people,

00:21:00.059 --> 00:21:01.059
 they look like trees

00:21:01.059 --> 00:21:01.879
 walking around.

00:21:02.440 --> 00:21:03.039
 Once more,

00:21:03.160 --> 00:21:04.059
 Jesus put his hands

00:21:04.059 --> 00:21:04.839
 on the man's eyes.

00:21:05.240 --> 00:21:06.379
 Then his eyes were opened,

00:21:06.559 --> 00:21:07.680
 his sight was restored

00:21:07.680 --> 00:21:09.859
 and he saw everything clearly.

00:21:10.819 --> 00:21:12.119
 Jesus sent him home

00:21:12.119 --> 00:21:12.459
 saying,

00:21:12.619 --> 00:21:14.079
 don't even go into the village.

00:21:15.099 --> 00:21:15.839
 Now if you just read that

00:21:15.839 --> 00:21:16.519
 as a little section,

00:21:16.619 --> 00:21:16.959
 you might think,

00:21:17.039 --> 00:21:18.179
 well, interesting.

00:21:19.019 --> 00:21:21.139
 Jesus maybe kind of got it wrong.

00:21:21.459 --> 00:21:23.719
 Maybe he wasn't quite up to the task.

00:21:23.779 --> 00:21:24.859
 He had to have two goes.

00:21:25.240 --> 00:21:26.159
 But then if you keep reading,

00:21:26.259 --> 00:21:27.319
 you recognize that actually

00:21:27.319 --> 00:21:28.959
 there's a section that carries on.

00:21:29.500 --> 00:21:30.659
 Jesus and his disciples

00:21:30.659 --> 00:21:32.159
 went to the villages

00:21:32.159 --> 00:21:33.379
 around Caesarea Philippi

00:21:33.379 --> 00:21:34.639
 on the way he asked them,

00:21:34.759 --> 00:21:36.059
 who do people say I am?

00:21:36.939 --> 00:21:37.559
 They replied,

00:21:37.719 --> 00:21:38.699
 some say John the Baptist,

00:21:38.700 --> 00:21:39.680
 and others say Elijah

00:21:39.680 --> 00:21:40.319
 and still others,

00:21:40.400 --> 00:21:40.960
 one of the prophets.

00:21:41.580 --> 00:21:42.420
 But what about you?

00:21:42.480 --> 00:21:42.799
 He asked,

00:21:42.880 --> 00:21:44.059
 who do you say I am?

00:21:44.640 --> 00:21:45.440
 Peter answered,

00:21:45.580 --> 00:21:46.580
 you are the Messiah.

00:21:47.500 --> 00:21:48.279
 Jesus warned them

00:21:48.279 --> 00:21:49.759
 not to tell anyone about him.

00:21:50.160 --> 00:21:51.240
 He then began to teach them

00:21:51.240 --> 00:21:51.980
 that the son of man

00:21:51.980 --> 00:21:53.100
 must suffer many things

00:21:53.100 --> 00:21:54.400
 and be rejected by the elders,

00:21:54.900 --> 00:21:55.559
 the chief priests

00:21:55.559 --> 00:21:56.539
 and the teachers of the law

00:21:56.539 --> 00:21:57.980
 and that he must be killed

00:21:57.980 --> 00:21:59.460
 and after three days rise again.

00:22:00.059 --> 00:22:01.600
 He spoke plainly about this

00:22:01.600 --> 00:22:02.900
 and Peter took him aside

00:22:02.900 --> 00:22:03.980
 and began to rebuke him.

00:22:04.580 --> 00:22:05.819
 But when Jesus turned

00:22:05.819 --> 00:22:06.960
 and looked at his disciples,

00:22:07.099 --> 00:22:07.799
 he rebuked Peter,

00:22:07.939 --> 00:22:09.200
 get behind me Satan,

00:22:09.319 --> 00:22:09.740
 he said,

00:22:10.119 --> 00:22:11.259
 you do not have in mind

00:22:11.259 --> 00:22:12.399
 the concerns of God

00:22:12.399 --> 00:22:14.480
 but merely human concerns.

00:22:15.539 --> 00:22:16.059
 Now it turns out,

00:22:16.119 --> 00:22:16.299
 doesn't it,

00:22:16.299 --> 00:22:17.179
 those stories go together

00:22:17.179 --> 00:22:17.939
 because one of them

00:22:17.939 --> 00:22:18.879
 explains the other one.

00:22:19.240 --> 00:22:22.119
 So Peter is like this man

00:22:22.119 --> 00:22:22.679
 born blind,

00:22:22.759 --> 00:22:23.939
 or blind man,

00:22:24.000 --> 00:22:24.139
 sorry,

00:22:24.200 --> 00:22:24.700
 of Bethesda,

00:22:25.279 --> 00:22:26.740
 who sees in part

00:22:26.740 --> 00:22:28.099
 but doesn't see fully.

00:22:28.480 --> 00:22:30.159
 He sees that Jesus is the Christ

00:22:30.159 --> 00:22:30.980
 but he does not see

00:22:30.980 --> 00:22:32.359
 that he has to suffer and die.

00:22:32.879 --> 00:22:34.219
 He sees Jesus as a man

00:22:34.219 --> 00:22:35.159
 walking around as a tree.

00:22:35.299 --> 00:22:36.740
 He doesn't fully recognize

00:22:36.740 --> 00:22:37.299
 who he is

00:22:37.299 --> 00:22:38.619
 because he doesn't recognize

00:22:38.619 --> 00:22:40.379
 what Jesus has come to do.

00:22:40.779 --> 00:22:42.039
 Jesus' healing miracle

00:22:42.039 --> 00:22:45.379
 is explaining Peter's situation.

00:22:45.559 --> 00:22:46.500
 So what does Peter need?

00:22:46.959 --> 00:22:49.219
 He needs a further intervention

00:22:49.219 --> 00:22:49.859
 of the Lord Jesus

00:22:49.859 --> 00:22:51.159
 to open his eyes fully

00:22:51.159 --> 00:22:53.179
 to see not only who he is

00:22:53.179 --> 00:22:54.619
 but also why he came

00:22:54.619 --> 00:22:56.079
 and what he came to do.

00:22:56.759 --> 00:22:57.579
 And so as you read it,

00:22:57.639 --> 00:22:57.879
 you see,

00:22:57.879 --> 00:22:59.240
 oh actually those things go together

00:22:59.240 --> 00:23:00.359
 and there's a structure here

00:23:00.359 --> 00:23:01.639
 that Mark intends those stories

00:23:01.640 --> 00:23:02.840
 to explain one another.

00:23:04.480 --> 00:23:05.120
 Other times,

00:23:05.259 --> 00:23:06.660
 you get other kinds of structure.

00:23:06.840 --> 00:23:08.840
 So we normally,

00:23:09.200 --> 00:23:10.960
 we write a story in English.

00:23:12.040 --> 00:23:12.640
 It's a long time

00:23:12.640 --> 00:23:13.820
 since I've written a story in English

00:23:13.820 --> 00:23:15.160
 but if you write a story in English,

00:23:15.220 --> 00:23:16.460
 you would generally kind of build

00:23:16.460 --> 00:23:17.560
 to a point that you come to

00:23:17.560 --> 00:23:18.420
 towards the end.

00:23:19.000 --> 00:23:20.240
 Whereas often in a Bible,

00:23:20.380 --> 00:23:21.520
 the point is in the middle

00:23:21.520 --> 00:23:22.980
 and not at the end.

00:23:23.060 --> 00:23:25.500
 And so the ends reflect one another

00:23:25.500 --> 00:23:26.380
 and then they build in

00:23:26.380 --> 00:23:28.500
 and the main point is in the middle.

00:23:28.980 --> 00:23:30.240
 And that's what we're going to look at

00:23:30.240 --> 00:23:31.859
 as we finish this evening.

00:23:32.299 --> 00:23:34.299
 It's called the chiastic structure

00:23:34.299 --> 00:23:35.140
 or a chiasm.

00:23:36.339 --> 00:23:37.779
 So John chapter one,

00:23:37.859 --> 00:23:38.839
 verses one and two

00:23:38.839 --> 00:23:39.940
 are a chiasm.

00:23:40.640 --> 00:23:41.940
 In the beginning was the word

00:23:41.940 --> 00:23:43.480
 and the word was with God

00:23:43.480 --> 00:23:44.700
 and the word was God.

00:23:45.140 --> 00:23:46.960
 He was with God in the beginning.

00:23:47.400 --> 00:23:47.900
 You see it?

00:23:48.120 --> 00:23:49.660
 So in the beginning was the word,

00:23:49.759 --> 00:23:51.480
 goes with in the beginning.

00:23:52.440 --> 00:23:52.620
 Right?

00:23:52.819 --> 00:23:54.359
 And the word was with God.

00:23:54.519 --> 00:23:55.700
 He was with God

00:23:55.700 --> 00:23:58.420
 and the word was God.

00:23:59.400 --> 00:24:02.100
 So John's point there is to emphasize,

00:24:02.259 --> 00:24:03.700
 the point he's building to

00:24:03.700 --> 00:24:04.799
 is the point in the middle

00:24:04.799 --> 00:24:08.519
 which is that Jesus is divine.

00:24:09.100 --> 00:24:11.380
 Jesus is God, was God.

00:24:12.220 --> 00:24:13.600
 And that's the way he's structured

00:24:13.600 --> 00:24:15.059
 at the story.

00:24:16.039 --> 00:24:17.180
 The bigger example then

00:24:17.180 --> 00:24:18.539
 about one of the ways this works

00:24:18.539 --> 00:24:21.200
 is in Genesis chapter seven.

00:24:21.440 --> 00:24:21.860
 Now this is,

00:24:21.960 --> 00:24:22.580
 I think this is,

00:24:22.579 --> 00:24:24.079
 I think this is possible.

00:24:24.199 --> 00:24:25.359
 It is possible for us to do it.

00:24:25.740 --> 00:24:27.699
 But it's slightly more difficult,

00:24:27.819 --> 00:24:28.139
 I think.

00:24:28.279 --> 00:24:29.539
 But we're going to work on it together.

00:24:29.679 --> 00:24:30.799
 Genesis chapter seven

00:24:30.799 --> 00:24:32.899
 is a chiasm.

00:24:34.179 --> 00:24:35.460
 It's the story of Noah.

00:24:36.859 --> 00:24:37.819
 And so let me,

00:24:37.960 --> 00:24:39.299
 let me read it to you.

00:24:39.939 --> 00:24:42.399
 And then you can work on it in groups

00:24:42.399 --> 00:24:44.500
 and find the chiasm.

00:24:45.500 --> 00:24:47.299
 So let me read chapter seven,

00:24:47.379 --> 00:24:48.139
 verse one.

00:24:50.220 --> 00:24:50.899
 The Lord,

00:24:51.019 --> 00:24:52.179
 so you might want to circle

00:24:52.180 --> 00:24:53.960
 the numbers as you go along.

00:24:54.180 --> 00:24:55.960
 Okay, just a little tip.

00:24:56.740 --> 00:24:58.400
 The Lord then said to Noah,

00:24:58.860 --> 00:24:59.880
 go into the ark,

00:25:00.220 --> 00:25:01.460
 you and your whole family,

00:25:01.680 --> 00:25:03.080
 because I have found you righteous

00:25:03.080 --> 00:25:04.039
 in this generation.

00:25:05.080 --> 00:25:09.100
 Take with you seven pairs

00:25:09.100 --> 00:25:11.160
 of every kind of clean animal,

00:25:11.299 --> 00:25:12.420
 a male and its mate,

00:25:12.519 --> 00:25:13.620
 and one pair of every kind

00:25:13.620 --> 00:25:14.600
 of unclean animal,

00:25:15.000 --> 00:25:15.900
 a male and its mate,

00:25:15.980 --> 00:25:17.200
 and also seven pairs

00:25:17.200 --> 00:25:19.120
 of every kind of bird,

00:25:19.420 --> 00:25:20.240
 male and female,

00:25:20.240 --> 00:25:22.140
 to keep their various kinds alive

00:25:22.140 --> 00:25:22.920
 throughout the earth.

00:25:24.380 --> 00:25:26.059
 Seven days from now,

00:25:26.240 --> 00:25:28.000
 I will send rain on the earth

00:25:28.000 --> 00:25:29.859
 for 40 days and 40 nights,

00:25:29.940 --> 00:25:31.299
 and I will wipe from the face

00:25:31.299 --> 00:25:31.700
 of the earth

00:25:31.700 --> 00:25:33.359
 every living creature I've made.

00:25:34.019 --> 00:25:35.140
 And Noah did all

00:25:35.140 --> 00:25:36.400
 that the Lord commanded him.

00:25:37.019 --> 00:25:38.900
 Noah was 600 years old

00:25:38.900 --> 00:25:39.980
 when the floodwaters came

00:25:39.980 --> 00:25:40.539
 on the earth,

00:25:40.579 --> 00:25:41.799
 and Noah and his sons

00:25:41.799 --> 00:25:42.519
 and his wife

00:25:42.519 --> 00:25:43.480
 and his son's wives

00:25:43.480 --> 00:25:44.279
 entered the ark

00:25:44.279 --> 00:25:45.259
 to escape the waters

00:25:45.259 --> 00:25:45.839
 of the flood.

00:25:45.839 --> 00:25:47.439
 Pairs of clean

00:25:47.439 --> 00:25:48.519
 and unclean animals

00:25:48.519 --> 00:25:49.079
 of birds

00:25:49.079 --> 00:25:49.899
 and all creatures

00:25:49.899 --> 00:25:50.939
 that move along the ground,

00:25:51.059 --> 00:25:51.899
 male and female,

00:25:52.059 --> 00:25:52.699
 came to Noah

00:25:52.699 --> 00:25:54.079
 and entered the ark

00:25:54.079 --> 00:25:55.359
 as God has commanded Noah.

00:25:56.159 --> 00:25:57.779
 And after seven days,

00:25:57.919 --> 00:25:59.240
 the floodwaters came

00:25:59.240 --> 00:25:59.980
 on the earth.

00:26:00.799 --> 00:26:02.299
 In the 600th year

00:26:02.299 --> 00:26:03.399
 of Noah's life,

00:26:03.799 --> 00:26:05.139
 on the 17th day

00:26:05.139 --> 00:26:06.079
 of the second month,

00:26:06.179 --> 00:26:06.899
 on that day,

00:26:07.000 --> 00:26:07.839
 all of the springs

00:26:07.839 --> 00:26:08.679
 of the great deep

00:26:08.679 --> 00:26:09.319
 burst forth

00:26:09.319 --> 00:26:10.259
 and the floodgates

00:26:10.259 --> 00:26:10.799
 of the heavens

00:26:10.799 --> 00:26:11.379
 were opened

00:26:11.380 --> 00:26:13.360
 and rain fell

00:26:13.360 --> 00:26:13.920
 on the earth

00:26:13.920 --> 00:26:14.920
 for 40 days

00:26:14.920 --> 00:26:16.060
 and 40 nights.

00:26:16.820 --> 00:26:17.940
 On that very day,

00:26:18.100 --> 00:26:19.180
 Noah and his sons,

00:26:19.440 --> 00:26:20.340
 Shem, Ham,

00:26:20.500 --> 00:26:21.120
 and Japheth,

00:26:21.260 --> 00:26:22.180
 together with his wife

00:26:22.180 --> 00:26:22.760
 and the wives

00:26:22.760 --> 00:26:23.540
 of his three sons,

00:26:23.640 --> 00:26:24.420
 entered the ark.

00:26:25.020 --> 00:26:25.700
 They had with them

00:26:25.700 --> 00:26:26.960
 every wild animal

00:26:26.960 --> 00:26:27.980
 according to its kind,

00:26:28.100 --> 00:26:28.720
 all livestock

00:26:28.720 --> 00:26:29.880
 according to their kinds,

00:26:30.000 --> 00:26:30.620
 every creature

00:26:30.620 --> 00:26:31.700
 that moves along the ground

00:26:31.700 --> 00:26:32.780
 according to its kind,

00:26:33.060 --> 00:26:33.820
 and every bird

00:26:33.820 --> 00:26:34.880
 according to its kind,

00:26:35.000 --> 00:26:36.280
 everything with wings.

00:26:37.040 --> 00:26:38.020
 Pairs of all creatures

00:26:38.020 --> 00:26:38.780
 that have breath

00:26:38.780 --> 00:26:39.780
 of life in them

00:26:39.780 --> 00:26:40.520
 came to Noah

00:26:40.519 --> 00:26:42.000
 and entered the ark.

00:26:42.519 --> 00:26:43.480
 The animals going in

00:26:43.480 --> 00:26:44.500
 were male and female

00:26:44.500 --> 00:26:45.819
 of every living thing

00:26:45.819 --> 00:26:46.980
 as God had commanded Noah.

00:26:47.440 --> 00:26:48.019
 Then the Lord

00:26:48.019 --> 00:26:48.740
 shut him in.

00:26:49.819 --> 00:26:51.019
 For 40 days,

00:26:51.920 --> 00:26:53.220
 the flood kept coming

00:26:53.220 --> 00:26:54.339
 on the earth

00:26:54.339 --> 00:26:55.700
 and as the waters increased,

00:26:55.819 --> 00:26:56.680
 they lifted the ark

00:26:56.680 --> 00:26:57.680
 high above the earth.

00:26:58.299 --> 00:26:59.240
 The waters rose

00:26:59.240 --> 00:27:00.119
 and increased greatly

00:27:00.119 --> 00:27:00.700
 on the earth

00:27:00.700 --> 00:27:01.680
 and the ark floated

00:27:01.680 --> 00:27:02.299
 on the surface

00:27:02.299 --> 00:27:02.940
 of the water.

00:27:03.740 --> 00:27:04.779
 They rose greatly

00:27:04.779 --> 00:27:05.460
 on the earth

00:27:05.460 --> 00:27:06.779
 and all the high mountains

00:27:06.779 --> 00:27:08.279
 under the entire heavens

00:27:08.279 --> 00:27:08.720
 were covered.

00:27:09.299 --> 00:27:10.240
 The waters rose

00:27:10.240 --> 00:27:11.259
 and covered the mountains

00:27:11.259 --> 00:27:12.019
 to a depth

00:27:12.019 --> 00:27:13.700
 of more than 15 cubits.

00:27:14.279 --> 00:27:15.140
 Every living thing

00:27:15.140 --> 00:27:16.140
 that moved on the land

00:27:16.140 --> 00:27:16.720
 perished.

00:27:16.940 --> 00:27:18.000
 Birds, livestock,

00:27:18.259 --> 00:27:18.839
 wild animals,

00:27:19.220 --> 00:27:19.880
 all the creatures

00:27:19.880 --> 00:27:20.960
 that swarm over the earth

00:27:20.960 --> 00:27:21.599
 and all mankind.

00:27:22.299 --> 00:27:23.460
 Everything on dry land

00:27:23.460 --> 00:27:24.519
 that had the breath of life

00:27:24.519 --> 00:27:25.559
 in its nostrils died.

00:27:26.000 --> 00:27:26.940
 Every living thing

00:27:26.940 --> 00:27:27.940
 on the face of the earth

00:27:27.940 --> 00:27:28.880
 was wiped out.

00:27:29.279 --> 00:27:30.299
 People and animals

00:27:30.299 --> 00:27:31.000
 and the creatures

00:27:31.000 --> 00:27:32.160
 that move along the ground

00:27:32.160 --> 00:27:33.059
 and the birds

00:27:33.059 --> 00:27:33.640
 that were wiped

00:27:33.640 --> 00:27:34.380
 from the earth.

00:27:34.819 --> 00:27:36.099
 Only Noah was left

00:27:36.099 --> 00:27:36.799
 and those with him

00:27:36.799 --> 00:27:37.339
 on the ark.

00:27:37.339 --> 00:27:38.599
 The waters flooded

00:27:38.599 --> 00:27:39.139
 the earth

00:27:39.139 --> 00:27:41.279
 for 150 days.

00:27:41.799 --> 00:27:44.019
 But God remembered Noah

00:27:44.019 --> 00:27:45.419
 and all the wild animals

00:27:45.419 --> 00:27:46.019
 and the livestock

00:27:46.019 --> 00:27:46.879
 that were with him

00:27:46.879 --> 00:27:47.439
 in the ark

00:27:47.439 --> 00:27:48.879
 and he sent a wind

00:27:48.879 --> 00:27:49.899
 over the earth

00:27:49.899 --> 00:27:51.480
 and the waters receded.

00:27:52.099 --> 00:27:52.720
 Now the springs

00:27:52.720 --> 00:27:53.199
 of the deep

00:27:53.199 --> 00:27:53.819
 and the floodgates

00:27:53.819 --> 00:27:54.319
 of the heavens

00:27:54.319 --> 00:27:55.079
 had been closed

00:27:55.079 --> 00:27:55.579
 and the rain

00:27:55.579 --> 00:27:56.220
 had stopped falling

00:27:56.220 --> 00:27:56.879
 from the sky.

00:27:57.299 --> 00:27:58.240
 The water receded

00:27:58.240 --> 00:27:59.379
 steadily from the earth

00:27:59.379 --> 00:27:59.939
 at the end

00:27:59.939 --> 00:28:01.299
 of the 150 days

00:28:01.299 --> 00:28:02.459
 the water had gone down

00:28:02.460 --> 00:28:04.160
 and on the seventh day

00:28:04.160 --> 00:28:05.160
 of the seventh month

00:28:05.160 --> 00:28:06.299
 the ark came to rest

00:28:06.299 --> 00:28:07.600
 on the mountains of Ararat.

00:28:08.200 --> 00:28:09.120
 The waters continued

00:28:09.120 --> 00:28:09.640
 to recede

00:28:09.640 --> 00:28:10.539
 until the ten month

00:28:10.539 --> 00:28:11.940
 and on the first day

00:28:11.940 --> 00:28:12.920
 of the tenth month

00:28:12.920 --> 00:28:14.299
 on the tops of the mountains

00:28:14.299 --> 00:28:15.019
 became visible.

00:28:15.779 --> 00:28:16.980
 After 40 days

00:28:16.980 --> 00:28:18.140
 Noah opened a window

00:28:18.140 --> 00:28:19.180
 he had made in the ark

00:28:19.180 --> 00:28:20.319
 and sent out a raven.

00:28:20.559 --> 00:28:21.720
 It kept flying back and forth

00:28:21.720 --> 00:28:22.779
 until the water

00:28:22.779 --> 00:28:23.319
 had dried up

00:28:23.319 --> 00:28:23.920
 from the earth.

00:28:24.420 --> 00:28:25.220
 He sent out a dove

00:28:25.220 --> 00:28:25.980
 to see if the water

00:28:25.980 --> 00:28:26.519
 had receded

00:28:26.519 --> 00:28:27.680
 from the surface of the ground

00:28:27.680 --> 00:28:28.460
 but the dove

00:28:28.460 --> 00:28:29.759
 could find nowhere to perch

00:28:29.759 --> 00:28:30.799
 because there was water

00:28:30.799 --> 00:28:31.660
 all over the surface

00:28:31.660 --> 00:28:32.200
 of the earth.

00:28:32.460 --> 00:28:33.539
 So it returned to Noah

00:28:33.539 --> 00:28:34.160
 in the ark.

00:28:34.799 --> 00:28:36.220
 He reached out his hand

00:28:36.220 --> 00:28:41.420
 He reached out his hand

00:28:41.420 --> 00:28:42.120
 and took the dove

00:28:42.120 --> 00:28:43.039
 and brought it back

00:28:43.039 --> 00:28:44.799
 to himself in the ark.

00:28:45.279 --> 00:28:46.880
 He waited seven more days

00:28:46.880 --> 00:28:48.259
 and again sent out

00:28:48.259 --> 00:28:49.259
 the dove from the ark.

00:28:49.740 --> 00:28:50.779
 When the dove returned

00:28:50.779 --> 00:28:51.880
 to him in the evening

00:28:51.880 --> 00:28:53.079
 there in its beak

00:28:53.079 --> 00:28:54.160
 was a freshly plucked

00:28:54.160 --> 00:28:54.720
 olive leaf.

00:28:55.240 --> 00:28:56.039
 Then Noah knew

00:28:56.039 --> 00:28:56.640
 that the water

00:28:56.640 --> 00:28:57.340
 had receded

00:28:57.340 --> 00:28:57.960
 from the earth.

00:28:58.519 --> 00:29:00.140
 He waited seven more days

00:29:00.140 --> 00:29:01.000
 and sent the dove

00:29:01.000 --> 00:29:01.640
 out again

00:29:01.640 --> 00:29:02.660
 but this time

00:29:02.660 --> 00:29:03.560
 it did not return.

00:29:04.160 --> 00:29:04.980
 By the first day

00:29:04.980 --> 00:29:05.820
 of the first month

00:29:05.820 --> 00:29:07.220
 of Noah's six hundredth

00:29:07.220 --> 00:29:08.040
 and first year

00:29:08.040 --> 00:29:09.120
 the water dried up

00:29:09.120 --> 00:29:09.640
 from the earth.

00:29:10.220 --> 00:29:11.160
 Noah then removed

00:29:11.160 --> 00:29:11.640
 the covering

00:29:11.640 --> 00:29:12.320
 from the ark

00:29:12.320 --> 00:29:13.820
 and saw that the surface

00:29:13.820 --> 00:29:14.240
 of the ground

00:29:14.240 --> 00:29:14.800
 was dry.

00:29:15.180 --> 00:29:16.720
 By the twenty-seventh day

00:29:16.720 --> 00:29:17.620
 of the second month

00:29:17.620 --> 00:29:19.080
 the earth was completely dry.

00:29:19.480 --> 00:29:20.440
 Then God said to Noah

00:29:20.440 --> 00:29:21.620
 come out of the ark

00:29:21.620 --> 00:29:22.540
 you and your wife

00:29:22.540 --> 00:29:23.200
 and your sons

00:29:23.200 --> 00:29:24.300
 and their wives.

00:29:24.299 --> 00:29:25.159
 Okay

00:29:25.159 --> 00:29:26.139
 have a look at that

00:29:26.139 --> 00:29:26.940
 with the person next to you

00:29:26.940 --> 00:29:27.879
 just for a couple of minutes

00:29:27.879 --> 00:29:30.039
 and try and work out

00:29:30.039 --> 00:29:31.079
 what is at the centre

00:29:31.079 --> 00:29:32.079
 of the story.

00:29:32.079 --> 00:29:39.699
 So

00:29:39.699 --> 00:29:42.720
 I'm sorry to interrupt

00:29:42.720 --> 00:29:43.819
 your conversation

00:29:43.819 --> 00:29:45.059
 we've run out of time.

00:29:48.659 --> 00:29:49.899
 I think if you

00:29:49.899 --> 00:29:50.759
 spot the

00:29:50.759 --> 00:29:52.179
 link between

00:29:52.179 --> 00:29:53.139
 the sevens

00:29:53.139 --> 00:29:53.759
 and the forties

00:29:53.759 --> 00:29:55.000
 and the hundred and fifties

00:29:55.000 --> 00:29:56.799
 what you end up with

00:29:56.799 --> 00:29:58.500
 is one sentence

00:29:58.500 --> 00:29:59.519
 which is in the middle

00:29:59.519 --> 00:30:00.419
 of the story

00:30:00.419 --> 00:30:01.279
 which is what?

00:30:01.279 --> 00:30:04.059
 Yeah

00:30:04.059 --> 00:30:05.480
 God remembered Noah

00:30:05.480 --> 00:30:06.240
 yeah

00:30:06.240 --> 00:30:07.279
 so the

00:30:07.279 --> 00:30:08.700
 point of the story

00:30:08.700 --> 00:30:10.079
 is in the middle

00:30:10.079 --> 00:30:10.920
 of the story

00:30:10.920 --> 00:30:12.399
 which is that God

00:30:12.399 --> 00:30:13.319
 whilst

00:30:13.319 --> 00:30:15.299
 judgment is going on

00:30:15.299 --> 00:30:16.399
 is remembering

00:30:16.399 --> 00:30:17.399
 and saving

00:30:17.399 --> 00:30:17.859
 Noah

00:30:17.859 --> 00:30:18.859
 and the wild animals

00:30:18.859 --> 00:30:19.819
 that are there

00:30:19.819 --> 00:30:21.200
 in the ark

00:30:21.200 --> 00:30:22.759
 which is

00:30:22.759 --> 00:30:23.779
 which makes the story

00:30:23.779 --> 00:30:24.279
 really beautiful

00:30:24.279 --> 00:30:24.599
 doesn't it

00:30:24.599 --> 00:30:25.539
 because it means that

00:30:25.539 --> 00:30:27.339
 in judgment

00:30:27.339 --> 00:30:29.240
 God is remembering

00:30:29.240 --> 00:30:29.899
 salvation

00:30:29.899 --> 00:30:31.259
 and is saving

00:30:31.259 --> 00:30:31.619
 Noah

00:30:31.619 --> 00:30:32.519
 in the midst

00:30:32.519 --> 00:30:33.379
 of the judgment

00:30:33.379 --> 00:30:33.940
 to come

00:30:33.940 --> 00:30:35.259
 he will remember

00:30:35.259 --> 00:30:35.859
 us

00:30:35.859 --> 00:30:37.119
 in the way

00:30:37.119 --> 00:30:37.579
 that he has

00:30:37.579 --> 00:30:38.299
 remembered Noah

00:30:38.299 --> 00:30:39.859
 sorry we've done

00:30:39.859 --> 00:30:40.460
 that quite quickly

00:30:40.460 --> 00:30:41.440
 because I think

00:30:41.440 --> 00:30:41.980
 yes

00:30:41.980 --> 00:30:44.200
 go on you can ask

00:30:44.200 --> 00:30:45.039
 whatever you like

00:30:45.039 --> 00:30:46.720
 is that

00:30:46.720 --> 00:30:46.720


00:30:46.720 --> 00:30:47.299
 is that

00:30:47.299 --> 00:30:47.720
 something

00:30:47.720 --> 00:30:48.399
 that is

00:30:48.399 --> 00:30:49.299
 instinctive

00:30:49.299 --> 00:30:49.779
 to come

00:30:49.779 --> 00:30:49.859
 to come

00:30:49.859 --> 00:30:50.099
 to come

00:30:50.099 --> 00:30:50.440
 to come

00:30:50.440 --> 00:30:50.700
 to come

00:30:50.700 --> 00:30:57.559
 so from what

00:30:57.559 --> 00:30:58.240
 I have read

00:30:58.240 --> 00:30:59.779
 and I'm sure

00:30:59.779 --> 00:31:00.580
 that Mike will

00:31:00.580 --> 00:31:01.000
 correct me

00:31:01.000 --> 00:31:01.600
 if I'm wrong

00:31:01.600 --> 00:31:02.819
 but from my

00:31:02.819 --> 00:31:03.620
 what I have read

00:31:03.620 --> 00:31:05.059
 is that it is

00:31:05.059 --> 00:31:05.840
 quite common

00:31:05.840 --> 00:31:06.740
 in Hebrew literature

00:31:06.740 --> 00:31:07.440
 to put the meaning

00:31:07.440 --> 00:31:07.880
 of a story

00:31:07.880 --> 00:31:08.240
 in the middle

00:31:08.240 --> 00:31:08.559
 of it

00:31:08.559 --> 00:31:11.879
 it is unusual

00:31:11.879 --> 00:31:15.440
 that would not

00:31:15.440 --> 00:31:16.059
 be quite so

00:31:16.059 --> 00:31:16.379
 common

00:31:16.379 --> 00:31:17.279
 no

00:31:17.279 --> 00:31:18.039
 no

00:31:18.039 --> 00:31:25.919
 yes

00:31:25.919 --> 00:31:27.399
 it's like any

00:31:27.399 --> 00:31:28.139
 cultural difference

00:31:28.139 --> 00:31:28.639
 in the way you

00:31:28.639 --> 00:31:29.159
 tell a story

00:31:29.159 --> 00:31:29.440
 yeah

00:31:29.440 --> 00:31:30.359
 yeah

00:31:30.359 --> 00:31:32.099
 good example

00:31:32.099 --> 00:31:41.099
 yes

00:31:41.099 --> 00:31:53.099
 yes

00:31:53.099 --> 00:31:54.099
 yes

00:31:54.099 --> 00:31:57.099
 yes

00:31:57.099 --> 00:31:58.099
 yes

00:31:58.099 --> 00:31:59.899
 so when it's

00:31:59.899 --> 00:32:01.599
 shared orally

00:32:01.599 --> 00:32:02.579
 and repeated

00:32:02.579 --> 00:32:04.039
 you will see

00:32:04.039 --> 00:32:04.559
 these patterns

00:32:04.559 --> 00:32:05.299
 perhaps more clearly

00:32:05.299 --> 00:32:06.099
 yeah

00:32:06.099 --> 00:32:07.259
 the repetition tool

00:32:07.259 --> 00:32:08.019
 is one that they

00:32:08.019 --> 00:32:08.719
 actually have a chapter

00:32:08.719 --> 00:32:09.480
 on in their book

00:32:09.480 --> 00:32:10.359
 which is really helpful

00:32:10.359 --> 00:32:11.139
 I mean if you look

00:32:11.139 --> 00:32:12.219
 at it Romans 6

00:32:12.219 --> 00:32:13.539
 the passage we looked

00:32:13.539 --> 00:32:13.959
 at this morning

00:32:13.959 --> 00:32:14.719
 basically almost

00:32:14.719 --> 00:32:15.379
 every sentence

00:32:15.379 --> 00:32:16.179
 says pretty much

00:32:16.179 --> 00:32:17.559
 exactly the same thing

00:32:17.559 --> 00:32:18.980
 and so it's just

00:32:18.980 --> 00:32:19.740
 a sort of repetition

00:32:19.740 --> 00:32:21.019
 with a slight addition

00:32:21.019 --> 00:32:21.579
 or a tweak

00:32:21.579 --> 00:32:22.539
 in the way that they say it

00:32:22.539 --> 00:32:22.779
 yeah

00:32:22.779 --> 00:32:24.699
 which I think is because

00:32:24.699 --> 00:32:26.059
 originally it would be

00:32:26.059 --> 00:32:26.619
 read out

00:32:26.619 --> 00:32:27.480
 and the thing that you

00:32:27.480 --> 00:32:27.959
 were supposed to go

00:32:27.959 --> 00:32:28.439
 is oh okay

00:32:28.439 --> 00:32:29.139
 I am dead

00:32:29.139 --> 00:32:30.419
 I will be alive

00:32:30.419 --> 00:32:30.959
 I'm dead

00:32:30.960 --> 00:32:31.620
 I will be alive

00:32:31.620 --> 00:32:31.920
 and you

00:32:31.920 --> 00:32:32.819
 you get that

00:32:32.819 --> 00:32:33.340
 so many times

00:32:33.340 --> 00:32:34.440
 great

00:32:34.440 --> 00:32:35.960
 anything else

00:32:35.960 --> 00:32:38.519
 brilliant

00:32:38.519 --> 00:32:40.400
 I mean really

00:32:40.400 --> 00:32:41.200
 it's just a taste

00:32:41.200 --> 00:32:41.660
 isn't it

00:32:41.660 --> 00:32:42.220
 we could

00:32:42.220 --> 00:32:43.240
 this is like

00:32:43.240 --> 00:32:44.940
 a taster

00:32:44.940 --> 00:32:45.600
 of a

00:32:45.600 --> 00:32:47.200
 I don't know

00:32:47.200 --> 00:32:48.400
 a semester's

00:32:48.400 --> 00:32:49.160
 lectures

00:32:49.160 --> 00:32:50.220
 at Bible college

00:32:50.220 --> 00:32:51.019
 so

00:32:51.019 --> 00:32:53.240
 we could maybe

00:32:53.240 --> 00:32:53.940
 keep going with it

00:32:53.940 --> 00:32:54.620
 at another time

00:32:54.620 --> 00:32:55.360
 but hopefully

00:32:55.360 --> 00:32:55.920
 it's whetted

00:32:55.920 --> 00:32:56.440
 your appetite

00:32:56.440 --> 00:32:57.420
 for thinking carefully

00:32:57.420 --> 00:32:57.860
 about how we

00:32:57.860 --> 00:32:58.579
 understand the Bible

00:32:58.579 --> 00:33:00.159
 let me pray for us

00:33:00.159 --> 00:33:01.240
 and we'll head out

00:33:01.240 --> 00:33:04.059
 Father we thank you

00:33:04.059 --> 00:33:04.579
 so much

00:33:04.579 --> 00:33:05.439
 that in your gracious

00:33:05.439 --> 00:33:06.599
 generosity to us

00:33:06.599 --> 00:33:07.919
 you don't actually

00:33:07.919 --> 00:33:09.279
 depend on us

00:33:09.279 --> 00:33:10.220
 understanding the Bible

00:33:10.220 --> 00:33:10.919
 perfectly

00:33:10.919 --> 00:33:12.199
 because that is

00:33:12.199 --> 00:33:13.099
 beyond us

00:33:13.099 --> 00:33:13.579
 Lord

00:33:13.579 --> 00:33:14.919
 and that in your

00:33:14.919 --> 00:33:15.699
 gracious kindness

00:33:15.699 --> 00:33:17.460
 you use the Bible

00:33:17.460 --> 00:33:18.139
 even in

00:33:18.139 --> 00:33:20.039
 my fumbling hands

00:33:20.039 --> 00:33:21.740
 in our fumbling hands

00:33:21.740 --> 00:33:23.579
 and speak to us

00:33:23.579 --> 00:33:24.339
 words of grace

00:33:24.339 --> 00:33:24.819
 and mercy

00:33:24.819 --> 00:33:25.559
 so we thank you

00:33:25.559 --> 00:33:26.119
 so much

00:33:26.119 --> 00:33:27.379
 that the gospel

00:33:27.379 --> 00:33:28.139
 is so clear

00:33:28.139 --> 00:33:28.679
 in the Bible

00:33:28.679 --> 00:33:29.940
 that even people

00:33:29.940 --> 00:33:30.399
 like us

00:33:30.399 --> 00:33:31.159
 can't miss it

00:33:31.159 --> 00:33:32.480
 and so we thank you

00:33:32.480 --> 00:33:33.159
 for your generosity

00:33:33.159 --> 00:33:33.679
 to us

00:33:33.679 --> 00:33:34.419
 but we want to pray

00:33:34.419 --> 00:33:35.659
 that you would make us

00:33:35.659 --> 00:33:36.339
 better and better

00:33:36.339 --> 00:33:37.139
 Bible readers

00:33:37.139 --> 00:33:39.019
 who have a rich

00:33:39.019 --> 00:33:40.079
 understanding

00:33:40.079 --> 00:33:40.720
 of your word

00:33:40.720 --> 00:33:41.679
 and through that

00:33:41.679 --> 00:33:42.319
 have a rich

00:33:42.319 --> 00:33:43.259
 relationship with you

00:33:43.259 --> 00:33:43.879
 we pray

00:33:43.879 --> 00:33:45.200
 in Jesus name

00:33:45.200 --> 00:33:45.960
 Amen

00:33:45.960 --> 00:33:46.639
 Amen

00:33:46.639 --> 00:33:47.480
 Thanks everybody