Participants:
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW022250S
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00:16 ♪[music ends]♪♪
00:19 >>John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written. 00:21 I'm John Bradshaw. Thanks for joining me. 00:24 Mel Fisher was a chicken farmer in Indiana before he moved 00:28 to California and opened one of the country's first dive shops. 00:33 He went on to become one of the greatest treasure hunters 00:36 of all time. 00:37 The website bearing his name calls him "a legend" 00:40 and "the world's greatest treasure hunter." 00:43 And that's because in the mid-1980s 00:45 after 16 years of searching, he and his team discovered 00:48 the wreck of the Nuestra Señora de Atocha, 00:52 a Spanish treasure ship that sank off the Florida Keys 00:55 in 1622. 00:58 Fisher recovered 40 tons of gold and silver-- 01:01 114,000 Spanish silver coins-- 01:05 and a laundry list of other valuables, 01:08 valued at nearly half a billion dollars! 01:14 What a find! 01:16 And the Bible compares hidden treasure to wisdom: 01:21 "My son, if you receive my words, and...incline your ear 01:25 "to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; ... 01:28 "if you seek her as silver, and search for her 01:32 "as for hidden treasures; then you will understand 01:35 the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God." 01:39 That's in Proverbs, chapter 2. 01:41 And the person who wrote those words 01:43 knew a thing or two about wisdom. 01:47 His name was Solomon, and he went on to quote 01:51 the famous words that his father David had written 01:53 in Psalm 111, verse 10: 01:56 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." 01:59 And then he continues this thought throughout Proverbs: 02:03 "For wisdom is better than rubies, and all the things 02:06 one may desire cannot be compared with her." 02:09 We're continuing our ongoing series 02:11 "Great Characters of the Bible" 02:13 looking at the wisest man who ever lived. 02:17 But Solomon's great wisdom didn't prevent him 02:20 from utterly squandering the opportunities God had given him. 02:24 From great wisdom to marrying 700 women 02:27 and keeping 300 mistresses is quite the leap. 02:32 We want to explore how Solomon made that leap. 02:36 Now, he was royalty, royal born. 02:39 His destiny was to be king, but not just any king. 02:43 He'd be the king of God's own people. 02:45 He'd be Israel's third king. 02:48 The first king was Saul, whose reign as Israel's monarch 02:50 ended catastrophically. 02:52 Second king was David, whose reign began in triumph, 02:56 but was impacted by poor decisions. 02:58 Late in life, David abdicated, 03:01 and his son Solomon ascended the throne. 03:05 The testimony of Scripture is that "Solomon the son of David 03:08 "was strengthened in his kingdom, and the Lord his God 03:11 was with him and exalted him exceedingly." 03:14 Israel flourished under Solomon. 03:18 The Bible says, "Judah and Israel were many, as the sand 03:22 "which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking, 03:26 "and making merry. And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, 03:30 "every man under [the] vine and under his fig tree, 03:32 from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon." 03:37 In his dying charge to Solomon, David said, 03:40 "I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, 03:43 "and prove yourself a man. And keep the charge 03:46 "of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, 03:48 "to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, 03:51 "and His testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, 03:54 "that you may prosper in all that you do 03:57 and [where] you turn." 03:59 And Solomon followed his father's counsel--for a time. 04:05 He was a man with both wealth and wisdom. 04:08 He had 40,000 stalls of horses for his chariots 04:11 and 12,000 horsemen. 04:13 He had 10,000 people working for him at his palace. 04:16 His drinking vessels were made of pure gold. 04:20 He had silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. 04:23 The Bible says he made silver to be as abundant as stones 04:27 in Jerusalem, and cedar trees were as plentiful 04:30 as sycamore trees. 04:32 He wrote 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 psalms. 04:36 He excelled as a judge and as a philosopher. 04:40 His understanding of the deep mysteries of life 04:43 and natural history were unmatched by any before him. 04:48 Young Solomon needed all the wisdom he could get. 04:52 His own brother Adonijah tried to take the throne, 04:57 and eventually Solomon had no choice but to... 05:00 deal with that situation. 05:02 It was his responsibility to build a magnificent temple 05:06 while ruling a thriving nation. 05:08 It would have been a daunting job for anyone. 05:12 The young king asked God for help. 05:16 He went to Gibeon, the home of the tabernacle that had been 05:18 built in the wilderness, and sacrificed to God. 05:22 "At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; 05:25 and God said, 'Ask! What shall I give you?'" 05:29 How incredible would it be 05:32 to be able to choose anything you want, 05:35 to have God say, "You name it"? What would you ask for? 05:38 Wealth? Long life? Good health? 05:42 Solomon wasn't thinking about any of that. 05:44 He answered, "O Lord my God, You have made your servant king 05:48 "instead of my father David, but I am a little child; 05:52 I do not know how to go out or come in." 05:56 Solomon was never so rich or so wise or so truly great 06:02 as when he confessed, "I'm but a little child; 06:05 I know not how to go out or come in." 06:07 He realized his complete dependence upon God. 06:11 And then he said, "Therefore give to Your servant 06:15 "an understanding heart to judge Your people, 06:18 "that I may discern between good and evil. 06:21 For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?" 06:25 Solomon demonstrated humility and a desire to honor God. 06:31 And God answered his prayer in a miraculous way. 06:34 He said, "Behold, I've done according to your words; 06:37 "see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, 06:41 "so that there has not been anyone like you before you, 06:45 nor shall any like you arise after you." 06:48 And then God promised everything he didn't ask for: 06:51 riches, honor, fame, and protection from his enemies. 06:56 You see, God wanted to bless this young king so that 06:59 the world could see the results of following God faithfully. 07:03 He concluded his conversation with King Solomon by saying, 07:06 "And if thou wilt walk in my ways, 07:08 "[and] keep my statutes and my commandments, 07:10 as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days." 07:15 Solomon had been set up for success. 07:18 God couldn't have given him anymore. 07:21 He couldn't fail, could he? 07:24 But there was that word, "if." 07:27 That one little word made all the difference. 07:29 "If you keep my statutes and my commandments." 07:35 So would he? Would Solomon do that? 07:38 We'll find out in just a moment. 07:41 ♪[music swells and ends]♪♪ 07:50 >>Announcer: The subject of the temple 07:52 is given a great deal of importance in Scripture. 07:55 When will the temple be rebuilt, 07:56 and what can the ancient temple teach us today? 07:59 Find out in today's free offer, "Rebuilding the Temple." 08:02 To receive this free resource, 08:03 call 800-253-3000 08:06 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com. 08:10 Understand what the Bible teaches about the temple 08:12 and its role in salvation. 08:14 Call 800-253-3000 08:17 or visit iiwoffer.com. 08:21 >>John Bradshaw: Thanks for joining me on It Is Written. 08:24 God appeared to Solomon in a dream and promised to give him 08:27 anything he wanted. 08:29 Solomon asked for wisdom, 08:31 and God answered his prayer in a big way. 08:34 Gracious words poured out of his mouth 08:36 like rivers of pure water. 08:38 His judgments were incredibly wise. 08:41 Two women disputing about which of them 08:43 was the mother of a certain infant child were shocked 08:47 when Solomon gave the command to divide the child 08:49 with a sword and give both women half the child each. 08:53 He knew that the real mother would rather give up the child 08:56 than allow the child to die. 08:57 And Solomon's belief proved to be absolutely correct. 09:01 Even the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon 09:04 and traveled a far distance to see him. 09:06 The Bible says, "Solomon answered all her questions; 09:10 "there was nothing so difficult for the king 09:12 that he could not explain it to her." 09:14 She was so impressed that "there was no more spirit in her." 09:18 As the queen was leaving, she said, 09:20 "Blessed be the Lord your God, who delighted in you!... 09:23 He made you king, to do justice and righteousness." 09:28 This kind of witness was exactly what God had in mind. 09:31 He wanted the world to see the evils of idol worship 09:34 and the beauty of God worship. 09:36 He wanted Israel to be a lighthouse in a sea of darkness. 09:40 Solomon was being used by God to reveal the goodness 09:43 and power of God to the world. 09:47 As wealthy as he was, 09:49 Solomon realized riches weren't the answer 09:53 to all of life's problems. 09:55 He wrote, "Do not overwork to be rich.... 09:58 "For riches certainly make themselves wings; 10:01 they fly away like an eagle toward heaven." 10:04 That's in Proverbs 23. 10:06 Reminds me of a recent news story that said, 10:09 "Research shows money stress can make people up to 20 times 10:14 more likely to make a suicide attempt." 10:17 Getting life out of balance causes long-term harm, 10:21 and Solomon knew that. 10:22 He wrote, "A soft answer turns away wrath, 10:25 but a harsh word stirs up anger." 10:28 Proverbs 15, verse 1. 10:29 "Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, 10:33 but a good word makes it glad." 10:35 Proverbs 12:25. 10:37 "He who guards his mouth preserves his life, 10:40 but he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction." 10:45 Proverbs 13:3. 10:46 Wisdom. If you haven't read Proverbs in a while, 10:50 you want to read it. Powerful book. 10:53 There are 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs. 10:55 Read one chapter a day for a month, 10:58 and you'll have taken on board a lot of wisdom. 11:03 As well as the book of Proverbs, 11:04 Solomon also wrote Ecclesiastes, 11:06 which speaks to the purpose of life. 11:09 At times it appears to be a little melancholy, 11:12 but that's the point, really. 11:15 It's the story of Solomon's search for meaning, 11:19 a search that was long and difficult. In Ecclesiastes, 11:24 Solomon wrote of the futility that consumes so much of life. 11:29 "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity," he said. 11:33 "What profit has a man from all his labor in which he toils 11:36 "under the sun? One generation passes away, 11:39 and another generation comes." 11:41 You find that in Ecclesiastes, chapter 1. 11:44 And there's that question: purpose. 11:47 What's the true purpose of life? 11:50 And how can we find meaning in our existence? 11:53 A lot of people have wrestled with that. 11:56 Maybe you have. Solomon knew life is short, 12:01 that when he died, the planet would go right on turning. 12:06 He wrote, "I communed with my heart, saying, 12:08 "'Look, I have attained greatness, and have gained 12:11 "more wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem.' ... 12:14 I perceived that this... is grasping for the wind." 12:17 Just like you can't hold the wind, you can't make time stop 12:22 or hold on to the things of the world. 12:25 So, maybe Solomon should have all the fun he wanted. 12:28 He dedicated himself to pleasure, 12:31 only to realize that an all-consuming pursuit 12:33 of a good time actually diminishes a person. 12:38 So he decided to see if doing great things 12:41 would bring him satisfaction. 12:42 He planted vineyards and fruit orchards and built water pools. 12:46 He built parks and acquired more servants. 12:48 He wrote, "Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep 12:52 "from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure.... 12:57 "Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done...; 13:00 "and indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. 13:04 There was no profit under the sun." 13:08 So Solomon contemplates death. He wrote, 13:10 "So I said in my heart, 'As it happens to the fool, 13:13 "it also happens to me.' ... 13:15 And how does a wise man die? As the fool!" 13:19 Notice the shift in emphasis. 13:21 In Proverbs, Solomon couldn't say enough about God. 13:24 In Ecclesiastes, it's different. 13:27 He's gradually taken his eyes off God. 13:30 Inspiration allows us to go on this intriguing journey 13:33 with him. The same man who wrote that 13:36 "pride goes before...a fall" in Proverbs 16 13:40 shifted his focus and plunged into sin. 13:45 Solomon knew what God had said about marriage: 13:49 "Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, 13:51 "that his heart turn not away: neither shall he 13:54 greatly multiply to himself silver and gold." 13:58 That's in Deuteronomy 17. 14:00 But that didn't stop him. 14:03 Initially, Solomon married Pharaoh's daughter. 14:05 Looking on, you might think it wasn't a bad decision. 14:09 There'd be peace between Israel and Egypt. 14:11 Solomon's heathen wife was converted and united with him 14:15 in worship of the true God. 14:17 But Solomon's problem was that once he started, 14:20 he didn't know when to stop. 14:21 He became a serial marrier, maybe thinking he could convert 14:25 his wives to faith in the true God. 14:28 But what actually happened was that he trusted less and less 14:31 in divine guidance and more and more in himself. 14:37 Here's something we can learn from Solomon. 14:40 When you're fabulously wealthy or extremely wise, 14:43 when you're a brilliant person, there's a real danger 14:47 of trusting in yourself more than you trust in God. 14:50 Of course, that's backward. 14:52 If it was God who gave you what you have, 14:54 it would make sense to continue to rely on God. 14:57 Happens all the time, though, 14:59 success leading a person away from a humble reliance upon God. 15:04 It doesn't have to be that way, 15:06 but wealth can and does lead some people away from God. 15:10 You'll find people with a high IQ whose intellectual acuity 15:13 leads them to feel that they know more than God. 15:16 It can be a trap. And Solomon got caught in it. 15:21 So how bad did it get? 15:23 "For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, 15:26 "that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: 15:30 "and his heart was not perfect for the Lord his God, 15:33 "as was the heart of David his father. 15:36 "For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess 15:40 "of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination 15:43 "of the Ammonites. 15:45 "And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, 15:48 and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father." 15:54 That pagan worship was darkly immoral. 15:59 Solomon sank a long way into sin. His terrible treatment 16:03 of his subjects was directly responsible for Israel dividing 16:07 into two kingdoms. You'll remember the people complained 16:10 to Rehoboam that, "Your father made our yoke heavy; 16:13 "now therefore, lighten the burdensome service 16:16 "of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, 16:19 and we will serve you." 16:22 The complaints Rehoboam didn't take seriously were complaints 16:25 about his father Solomon, 16:29 the man who'd been granted immense wisdom, 16:32 who'd seen the glory of God fill the new temple, 16:34 one of the most beautiful structures ever built, 16:38 who saw fire come down from heaven, 16:40 whose fame filled the earth. 16:44 That man ended up mixing with the heathen until he became 16:48 like them. He gave himself to idolatry and debauchery. 16:53 It's like he got to the high point of greatness, got dizzy, 16:58 and lost his balance. 17:00 So how could he possibly find his way back? 17:04 The good news is that he did. 17:07 And we'll see that in just a moment. 17:10 ♪[music swells and ends]♪♪ 17:19 >>Announcer: The subject of the temple is given a great deal 17:22 of importance in Scripture. 17:24 When will the temple be rebuilt, 17:25 and what can the ancient temple teach us today? 17:28 Find out in today's free offer, "Rebuilding the Temple." 17:31 To receive this free resource, 17:32 call 800-253-3000 17:35 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com. 17:39 Understand what the Bible teaches about the temple 17:41 and its role in salvation. 17:43 Call 800-253-3000 17:46 or visit iiwoffer.com. 17:50 >>John Bradshaw: It's one of the most challenging books 17:52 in the Bible. Why do hard challenges come? 17:55 Why does God allow difficulty and distress? 17:58 And what's going on behind the scenes 18:00 in a world filled with suffering and sorrow? 18:03 Our ongoing series "Great Characters of the Bible" 18:06 continues with a look at the life of Job, 18:09 a man described by God as "perfect and upright," 18:12 yet afflicted by a devastating illness. 18:15 Some of the most difficult questions people have 18:17 deal with the God who permits suffering. 18:20 Yet the Bible presents logical, accessible answers 18:23 that make sense and grow your faith in the God of heaven. 18:27 Struggling to find answers, 18:29 his integrity attacked by his friends 18:31 and questioned by his wife, Job's journey 18:34 into the depths of anguish provides answers for everyone 18:38 and presents a clear picture of the character of God. 18:41 Don't miss "Great Characters of the Bible: Job," 18:45 brought to you by It Is Written TV. 18:50 >>John Bradshaw: If ever there was someone who lost his way, 18:54 it was King Solomon. 18:55 Set on the throne of his father David, 18:58 Solomon was blessed by God in ways never again seen. 19:03 But he lost sight of God's purpose for him. 19:06 He lost sight of God. 19:09 "King Solomon loved many foreign women...from the nations 19:13 "of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, 19:16 "'You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. 19:20 "Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.' 19:24 "...And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, 19:27 "and three hundred concubines; 19:30 and his wives turned away his heart." 19:34 You wonder how that could happen. 19:36 God spoke to Solomon, twice-- 19:39 once in a dream at the beginning of his reign as king 19:42 and then after the temple dedication when He urged him 19:45 to be faithful. 19:46 Solomon turned from God after God blessed him 19:50 with anything a person could possibly want. 19:54 It's hard to imagine. 19:57 Or is it? 19:58 You might not be Solomon, but God has blessed you 20:01 in huge ways, and in spite of that, we often choose 20:05 not to look to God, but to trust in ourselves, 20:08 to choose sin instead of righteousness. 20:12 When you do that, God honors your choice. 20:15 He knows things will get tough for you. 20:17 But He hopes you'll learn from your mistakes 20:20 and turn back to Him. 20:23 Solomon found his way back to faith in God. 20:27 And that's good news for anyone disconnected from God, 20:31 anyone who's living without reference to God. 20:34 There's a way back. Solomon found that way. 20:38 And if you need to find the way back, you can, too. 20:42 Solomon wrote a book of the Bible 20:44 that doesn't get talked about too terribly much: 20:47 the Song of Solomon. 20:49 It's a book that serves two purposes. 20:52 On the one hand it's a full-on love story, 20:55 the story of Solomon and one of his wives, 20:57 more than likely written early in his reign 20:59 when Israel was flourishing. 21:02 The woman in question was a Shulamite woman, a country girl. 21:05 So this wasn't a marriage that was entered into 21:08 for political expediency. 21:11 And it's been said, and I think very accurately, 21:13 that Song of Solomon also illustrates 21:15 the love between Christ and the church, His people. 21:19 "Who is this coming up from the wilderness, 21:21 leaning upon her beloved?" Chapter 8, verse 5. 21:24 "Who is she who looks forth as the morning, fair as the moon, 21:27 clear as the sun, awesome as an army with banners?" 21:31 Song of Solomon 6:10. 21:33 The book makes clear that Solomon knew something 21:36 about love, and had experienced the love of God. 21:41 Ecclesiastes is sort of the record of Solomon's life 21:44 without being surrendered to God. 21:47 And it's unique among books of the Bible in that it resolves. 21:53 It comes to a summary statement right at the very end. 21:57 After 12 chapters of "vanity, vanity, all is vanity," 22:00 Solomon figures it out. 22:03 And he tells us the sum total of what he learned; that is, 22:07 that is what he learned the hard way. 22:09 Hundreds of wives, massive building projects, 22:12 foreign diplomacy, international trade, 22:15 great wealth, great resentment from his people, 22:19 and that desperate feeling you experience in your heart 22:22 when you realize you have squandered the opportunities 22:25 God has given you. 22:27 I sense that right now there's someone feeling that way. 22:30 "I was raised to know better." "I had every opportunity." 22:33 "I knew right from wrong, 22:35 yet here I am about as far from God as a person can get." 22:40 Well, if that's you, that was Solomon. 22:44 And yet God reached Solomon and helped him find his way back 22:48 to spiritual security and safety. 22:51 And you can find that place, too. 22:53 Here's what Solomon finally realized. 22:57 The last chapter of Ecclesiastes starts like this: 23:00 "Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, 23:04 "before the difficult days come, and the years draw near 23:07 when you say, 'I have no pleasure in them.'" 23:09 Interesting, isn't it? That's a message to young people. 23:12 Remember your Creator when you're young, 23:14 before life's challenges really hit you, 23:17 before you get older and less enthusiastic 23:19 about even life itself. 23:22 He contemplates death again: 23:24 "Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, 23:26 and the spirit will return to God who gave it." 23:29 He says, "Vanity of vanities, ...all is vanity." 23:32 And then he brings it all to a crescendo. 23:35 Here it is. This is Solomon, after realizing there is 23:38 only one thing in the world that can give any person 23:42 real, lasting peace. 23:46 Solomon said, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: 23:51 "Fear God, and keep His commandments: 23:54 "for this is the whole duty of man. 23:57 "For God shall bring every work into judgment, 24:00 "with every secret thing, whether it be good, 24:03 or whether it be evil." 24:05 There it is, the last two verses of Ecclesiastes, 24:10 chapter 12, verses 13 and 14. 24:14 This from a man who'd lived life on his own terms, 24:19 who'd become so enamored with the world, 24:21 so enchanted by what his wealth and wisdom could acquire, 24:25 that he forgot God. 24:28 And when God's Spirit was able to break through 24:29 his hard and jaded heart, he saw it clearly. 24:36 The whole point of being on this earth is to serve God. 24:39 One day soon God will weigh every human being 24:43 in the balances. 24:44 The sinner's hope is in trusting in Jesus, 24:48 in claiming His righteousness. 24:50 And then as Jesus lives His life in you, you "fear God"-- 24:53 that's serve God--and you "keep His commandments." 24:57 The rebellious Solomons of the world can be transformed 25:00 and live a completely new life. 25:02 Solomon's long up-and-down journey ultimately brought him 25:05 to a place of repentance. 25:08 Solomon couldn't have made it any clearer. 25:10 Houses, land, a prestigious job, your possessions, 25:15 they're not bad, but none of it can give you lasting happiness. 25:20 Faith in God can and will. A surrender to God will. 25:27 So let me ask you: What is it you want, really? 25:32 ♪[soft music]♪ 25:33 You want more than what this life offers on earth. 25:35 We are here today and gone tomorrow. 25:38 James said that life is like "a vapor that appears 25:41 for a [moment] and then vanishes away." 25:44 But life in God stretches on forever. 25:49 How fulfilled are you, really? 25:52 If you don't have Christ, I can tell you 25:54 that you're not as fulfilled as God wants you to be. 25:58 If you can only see as far into the future 26:00 as your last day on earth, that's not very far. 26:04 God wants you to look forward to an eternal future. 26:09 And if God can gift that to Solomon after his highs 26:13 and his, and his desperate lows, 26:16 God can give eternal life to you. He wants to. 26:20 The only thing preventing eternal life from being yours 26:24 is your own unwillingness to receive it. 26:28 Would you receive it today? 26:30 If you would, it's yours. Eternal life, yours, right now. 26:38 >>John: Thank you for remembering that It Is Written 26:40 exists because of the kindness of people just like you. 26:43 To support this international life-changing ministry, 26:46 please call us now at 800-253-3000. 26:51 You can send your tax-deductible gift 26:52 to the address on your screen, 26:54 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 26:57 Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support. 27:00 Our number again is 800-253-3000, 27:05 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 27:08 >>John: Let's pray together. 27:10 In fact, you might want to pray after me. Let's pray. 27:12 ♪[soft music]♪ 27:14 Father in heaven, I thank You for being willing to save me. 27:18 What You did for Solomon, You can do for me. 27:22 I believe Jesus Christ died on the cross for me. 27:27 I believe there's a place in heaven for me. 27:30 I choose to surrender my life to You. 27:33 Are you praying with me? 27:34 Take my heart. Make it Yours. 27:38 Keep me in Your arms. 27:40 And on that great day, take me to be with You forever. 27:45 In Jesus' name, amen. 27:49 Thanks so much for joining me. 27:52 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time. 27:54 Until then, remember: 27:56 "Man shall not live by bread alone, 27:59 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." 28:03 ♪[dramatic theme music]♪ 28:25 ♪[music ends]♪♪ |
Revised 2022-08-03