Participants:
Series Code: SSP
Program Code: SSP220021S
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00:01 If you love studying the Bible,
00:02 then, you have come to the right place 00:04 and you are watching the right Program. 00:05 This is 3ABN Sabbath School Panel. 00:08 We've been making our way through a study 00:09 of the book of Genesis 00:11 and this week, we're into Lesson Number 8 00:13 entitled: The Promise 00:15 and it's not too late to get a copy of this Lesson. 00:17 There are a couple of ways we encourage you to do that. 00:20 Obviously, we encourage you to go find the local 00:22 Seventh-day Adventist Church 00:23 and study with a church family... 00:25 study with the Brethren 00:26 and, of course, if you can't do that, 00:28 then we obviously encourage you to go to: 00:29 3abnsabbathschoolpanel. com 00:32 again, that's online at: 3abnsabbathschoolpanel. com 00:36 and you can access a copy of the Lesson for free. 00:39 So, my Friends, don't go anywhere 00:41 and get your pen... pads... your pens... your paper... 00:43 iPads or whatever it is you take notes with 00:45 because right now, 00:47 we're going to study the Word of God together. 00:49 Music... 01:18 Ryan: Hello Friends, welcome to 3ABN Sabbath School Panel. 01:22 It never gets old to say that. 01:24 I love the Sabbath School Panel, 01:26 we all receive such a powerful blessing each and every week 01:29 just opening the Word of God. 01:31 This is what this Program is all about... 01:32 getting deeper into God's Word... 01:34 coming to know God more through a study of His Word 01:37 and we're excited because we're making our way through 01:40 the book of Genesis. 01:41 Genesis means origins 01:43 and that's exactly what we're studying... 01:45 we're studying the origins 01:46 and we've been looking at Abraham... 01:48 we're going to continue through the story of Abraham today 01:50 but before we do, let me introduce the Panel. 01:52 To my left, we have Ms. Jill Morikone. 01:54 Always a blessing to have you Sister. 01:56 Thank you Pastor Ryan, I'm excited about this lesson, 01:58 I have Substitutionary Atonement. 02:00 Ryan: Hmmm... interesting. Panel: Yes... oh my! 02:02 Ryan: Pastor John Lomacang, 02:03 it's always a blessing to have you Brother. 02:05 Lomacang: Mine is a bitter-sweet focus on the death of Sarah. 02:08 Quite a few lessons for couples that experience life together. 02:11 I'm looking forward to it. 02:13 Ryan: Wow... me as well... praise the Lord 02:14 and, of course, to your left is Ms. Shelley Quinn, 02:16 how are you? 02:18 Shelley: I'm going to talk about a wife for Isaac. 02:20 Ryan: Praise the Lord 02:21 and last but not least at the far end of this big table 02:24 Pastor Kenny Shelton, 02:26 always a blessing to have you around. 02:27 Kenny: It's always good to be here... 02:28 I'm going to be looking at a wife for Abraham. 02:31 Ryan: All right... 02:33 Kenny: I guess, we can say... another wife. 02:34 We'll see right... as we get into the lesson. 02:36 Ryan: That's right... absolutely. 02:37 Ryan: Lesson Number 8 is entitled: The Promise. 02:41 and before we pray, I'm going to read the Memory Text. 02:44 This is coming from Genesis chapter 24 and verse 1, 02:47 this is from the New King James Version. 02:49 It says, "Now, Abraham was old, 02:51 well advanced in age; 02:52 and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. " 02:57 But before we go any further, 02:59 I'm going to ask Pastor John Lomacang 03:00 if you don't mind, Brother, to have a prayer for us. 03:02 Lomacang: Sure, let's bow our heads. 03:03 "Gracious Father, 03:05 we have learned again that when we start at the beginning, 03:08 You walk us through the valleys that we have missed... 03:11 the peaks that we have overlooked... 03:13 and the lessons that have now impressed us again 03:16 for the first time. 03:18 We pray that You will bless our hearts and minds today 03:20 as we step through the pages of the Holy Writ 03:23 and speak into our ears 03:24 what the Spirit would have us to say to those who are watching 03:27 and listening to this Program 03:28 and may all the glory go only to You. 03:30 In Jesus' name, amen. " 03:34 Panel: Amen... amen... praise the Lord. 03:36 Ryan: You know, Sabbath afternoon's Lesson 03:38 was power packed with all these powerful points 03:40 connecting all the dots and setting the foundation 03:43 for what we're going to be studying this week. 03:44 I just felt I just needed to read through it 03:46 because it was worded so well 03:47 and it really sets a great foundation 03:49 for what it is we're studying. 03:50 It says, "Finally as God had promised, 03:52 Sarah bore Abraham a son, 'in his old age... ' 03:55 according to Genesis 21:2 03:57 and he named the baby Isaac. 04:00 But the story of Abraham is far from over, 04:03 reaching the climactic moment 04:04 with him taking his son to Mount Moriah... " 04:08 which is what I'm going to be talking about in a few moments. 04:09 "Mount Moriah to be sacrificed. 04:12 Isaac, however, is replaced by a ram 04:14 which signified God's commitment to bless the nations 04:18 through his 'seed. ' 04:20 That Seed, of course, was Jesus. 04:22 Hence, in his astonishment... 04:25 in this astonishing... in some ways... " it says, 04:29 "in some ways troubling story," 04:31 it says, "more of the plan of salvation is revealed... 04:33 more the plan of salvation is revealed. " 04:35 It goes on to say, 04:37 "Whatever the deep spiritual lessons here, 04:38 the family of Abraham, nevertheless, 04:40 must have been shaken by it 04:43 and the future of Abraham is not clear. 04:45 Sarah dies... " as we're going to see... 04:47 "Sarah dies after the sacrifice of Moriah in Genesis 23 04:51 and Isaac remained single. 04:52 Abraham then takes the initiative to make sure 04:56 that the 'right' future will follow him. 04:58 He arranges the marriage of Rebecca in Genesis chapter 24 05:01 as we'll see... 05:02 who will give birth to two sons... 05:04 of course, and Abraham himself gets married to Keturah... " 05:08 which Pastor Kenny is going to tell us about... 05:10 "who will give him many children. 05:13 This week, we will follow Abraham 05:15 to the end of his life... " 05:17 and of course, Sunday's lesson starts out at Mount Moriah... 05:21 that great scene that takes place 05:24 at the top of Mount Moriah. 05:25 Of course, Mount Moriah is a famous Biblical landmark... 05:28 we come back to Mount Moriah many times in the Scripture. 05:31 But you know... this is... this study 05:32 this particular lesson here is dear to my heart 05:35 because I remember growing up... 05:36 I had certain family members who... 05:38 you know, we're professed Christians 05:39 but didn't believe certain aspects of the Bible 05:43 just because they felt like it was unbelievable 05:46 according to the character of God 05:48 and... and it was just a lack of understanding 05:50 and I remember certain family members saying, 05:53 "You know what? I believe in... in parts of the Bible 05:55 but there are certain parts of the Bible, 05:56 I just don't believe was inspired by God... " 05:58 and one of those stories was 05:59 the story we're going to read this morning 06:01 or study this morning about how Abraham was asked by God 06:04 to sacrifice his son at top of Mount Moriah 06:07 and so, we're going to clarify... 06:08 we're going to make this story... 06:10 we're going to set the record straight 06:11 because we know that God had no intention of... 06:13 of... of Isaac going... excuse me, 06:16 of Isaac being murdered or... 06:17 or taken by... his... his father. 06:19 In this case, we're going to see that God had a plan 06:22 and Abraham followed through with that plan very well. 06:25 So, let's start right there, 06:26 we're actually in Genesis chapter 22 06:29 and we're going to read verses 1 through 12 06:31 and we're going to make some comments along the way. 06:34 So, starting in verse 1 of Genesis chapter 22, 06:36 it says, "Now it came to pass 06:38 after these things that God tested Abraham... " 06:42 press that pause button for just a moment. 06:44 Does God test His people? 06:46 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... amen. 06:47 Ryan: Does God test His people? 06:48 Does God often test us? 06:50 We see examples of this all the way through Scripture... 06:53 we see it with Adam and Eve... 06:54 they were tested obviously with the Tree... 06:56 obviously Job... was Job tested? 06:57 Panel: Yeah. 06:59 Ryan: Okay, just a... just mentioning a few words, 07:00 was the nation of Israel tested? 07:02 Panel: Yeah. Ryan: Oooooh... 07:03 they were tested. 07:04 Hezekiah... King Hezekiah is a great example. 07:06 What about the three Hebrew children? 07:07 Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah were they... 07:09 were they put through a test during the days of Daniel 07:11 and Nebuchadnezzar? 07:12 Probably the greatest example of all 07:14 was Jesus tested? Panel: Yes... yeah. 07:17 Ryan: My goodness... my Friends, 07:18 God sometimes will allow us to be tested. 07:20 He wants us to be tested 07:22 to see where our faith really lies... 07:24 where our allegiance really lies 07:26 and in this case, He's going to put Abraham through a test. 07:28 Him and Abraham have been through a lot 07:30 and so, notice what it says: 07:31 God tested Abraham, and said to him, 07:34 "Abraham" and he said, "Here I am. " 07:37 Then He said, "Take now your son, 07:39 your only son Isaac, whom you love, 07:41 and go to the land of Moriah, 07:44 and offer him there as a burnt offering 07:47 on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you. " 07:49 Verse 3: 07:51 "So Abraham rose early in the morning 07:54 and saddled his donkey, 07:56 and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; 07:59 and he split the wood for the burnt offering, 08:02 and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. " 08:06 You know, what's amazing about this... this part right here 08:08 which I was astonished because if there was... 08:11 the Bible doesn't record 08:12 but notice how there's... 08:14 there's no argument on the part of Abraham. 08:16 Panel: That's right. 08:17 Ryan: Notice how the Bible doesn't record any... 08:18 no question... "But... but wait God... 08:20 what? oh no... no, no, no, what Lord?" 08:22 I mean... what is he now... I mean, he's... he's... 08:25 he's probably a young man... 08:27 a young teenager perhaps... 08:28 in this case, he's waited all the way 08:31 till he was a 100 years old 08:33 before God answered his prayer finally 08:34 in coming forward and giving him a son 08:36 and now it was like, "Wait a second... 08:37 You just gave me this wonderful son... 08:39 You finally came through with the promise 08:41 and now You're asking... " there's no... 08:43 there's no rebuttal... there's no record here 08:45 you can already see the faith of Abraham 08:48 because what does that part say there in verse 3? 08:50 "And Abraham rose early in the morning 08:51 and saddled is donkey. " 08:52 He just got up and went about his business. 08:54 "It's okay Lord, let's go for this. " 08:56 Notice verse 4, 08:57 "Then on the third day... " 08:59 I like that... "on the third day... " 09:00 Panel: Yeah. 09:02 Ryan: We already start to see this imagery... 09:04 the foreshadowing of the cross of Christ. 09:06 On the third day... Christ was with us... for how long? 09:09 Three and a half days... 09:10 on the third day, Christ, of course, would begin 09:12 or would be inching closer to the end of His ministry... 09:16 the end of His life as our... as our Savior. 09:18 Verse 4: "Then on the third day 09:20 Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. 09:23 And Abraham said to his young men, 09:25 'Stay here with the donkey; 09:27 the lad and I will go yonder and worship, 09:30 and we will come back to you. '" 09:32 Did you catch that? 09:33 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... Ryan: Did you catch that detail? 09:35 And who will come back? 09:36 Panel: We. Ryan: "And we will come back. " 09:39 This is further evidence of Abraham's faith... 09:41 his... his faith... he knows God... 09:43 he knows God... 09:45 he knows... you know, 09:47 he... Abraham has been through some stuff with God. 09:49 At this point, you're starting to see... 09:51 that they had a long relationship together 09:53 and now, you're starting to see Abraham's faith... 09:55 "You know what guys... stay here... 09:57 we're going to go up this mountain... " 09:58 he's got the wood... he's got the... the... 10:00 all of the equipment... they know what... 10:01 they know what's about to happen, 10:02 they know... according to what they're bringing 10:04 and where they're going... what they're... 10:06 they know what's about to happen 10:07 but yet, he... he promises them... 10:08 he says, "We're... we're going to come back together... 10:10 we will be back here... " 10:11 "So Abraham took the wood... this is verse 6: 10:14 and the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; 10:16 and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, 10:19 and the two of them went together. 10:20 But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" 10:24 And he said, "Here I am, my son. " 10:26 Then he said, "Look, the fire and the wood, 10:28 but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" 10:30 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... 10:32 Ryan: And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide for Himself 10:34 the lamb for a burnt offering. " 10:37 So the two of them went together. 10:39 Notice that God will provide... 10:41 not... you know, at this point, he said, "Well son, you know, 10:43 God's told me to take you up this mountain and... and... 10:46 and... and take your life as a sacrifice for Him. " 10:48 But he says, "You know what? 10:50 God will provide. " 10:51 Abraham knows something... 10:53 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... 10:54 Ryan: Abraham knows something... 10:56 he is in full connection with God... 10:58 he's full of the Spirit of the Lord 10:59 and he knows... 11:00 he's putting full trust into God and His Word 11:04 and the relationship that they've had. 11:05 Abraham knows something... 11:07 his trust is so strong in the Lord 11:09 that he even tells his own son, 11:10 "Look son, hey... God will provide a lamb... 11:14 He will provide His sacrifice. " 11:16 And then he goes on to say here, 11:18 "Then they came to the place which God had told him. 11:20 And Abraham built an altar there 11:22 and placed the wood in order; 11:24 he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, 11:27 upon the wood. 11:28 And Abraham stretched out his hand 11:31 and took the knife to slay his son. 11:33 But the Angel of the Lord... " 11:35 we've heard this already... 11:36 "But the Angel of the Lord... " this is God Himself speaking, 11:39 "The Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, 11:41 'Abraham, Abraham!' 11:43 So he said, 'Here I am... '" 11:44 and verse 12... 11:46 "And He said, 'Do not lay your hand on the lad, 11:49 or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, 11:54 since you have not withheld your son, 11:56 your only son, from Me. '" 12:00 This is powerful... 12:02 I love this story because this is... this is... 12:04 this is a replication or a... 12:06 this is a perfect example 12:08 of the attitude of God the Father towards us 12:11 in giving up His Son... His beloved Son. 12:14 This is the cross, my Friends, 12:15 the wood is laid on his back... okay 12:19 and as we're going to see in just a little bit... 12:20 not going to get too much in it 12:22 but of course, God provides the Ram 12:23 and where is the ram caught? 12:24 The ram's horns are caught in a thicket or in thorns perhaps... 12:28 remember a crown of thorns upon the head of Christ? 12:30 We're seeing all of this... 12:32 all of this beautiful, beautiful imagery 12:34 pointing towards the plan of salvation 12:36 how Jesus Christ will give His life for all mankind 12:39 and it's interesting here, 12:40 I'm just emphasizing the faith of Abraham... 12:42 not to lift up the man 12:44 but the spirit that is dwelling and working through this man 12:46 as he is humbling himself... 12:48 as he is putting himself in full trust under the Lord. 12:51 In Hebrews 11... I want to go to Hebrews 11 12:53 verses 17 through 19, 12:54 it really amplifies the mentality of Abraham 12:57 as he's preparing to... to again follow through 13:00 because I believe Abraham was... he knew it... 13:03 he knew that the Lord was going to come through... 13:05 but nonetheless, he was not going to waver one bit. 13:07 He's not saying, you know, "All right Lord, how about now? 13:09 are you going to show up now? 13:10 What about now? Are you going to show up now?" 13:13 He knew that even if he had brought the knife down 13:16 and taken the life of his son, 13:17 that God was still going to come through. 13:19 Notice Hebrews 11 verses 17 through 19, 13:21 it says, "By faith Abraham, when he was tested, 13:25 offered up Isaac, and he had... " 13:28 notice, "he who had received the promises 13:30 offered up his only begotten son, 13:31 of whom it was said, 13:33 'In Isaac your seed shall be called,' 13:34 concluding that... '" notice this, 13:36 "God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, 13:41 from which he also received him in a figurative sense. " 13:44 This is powerful... Abraham is walking up... 13:47 he's a man on a mission... 13:48 he's walking up this mountain... 13:49 and he knew, you know what? 13:51 Even if I do have to take the life of my only son 13:54 whom I love so dearly, 13:55 I trust in God to do what is right 13:58 to even resurrect this young man 14:00 because He's promised me 14:02 that He is going to take this seed 14:03 and make a great nation. 14:04 Do you trust God like that? Panel: There you go... hmmm... 14:06 Ryan: When God has asked you... 14:07 can you trust God and believe in God and put your trust in God 14:10 even in times when you don't fully understand? 14:12 Even when the answers may not be laid out right in front of you, 14:15 do you place your trust in God? 14:17 There's a lesson to be learned 14:18 from Father Abraham in this case. 14:20 Panel: Amen... yes. 14:22 Jill: Amen, thank you so much Pastor Ryan, 14:23 that's an amazing... it's really an amazing story, 14:26 you know, I just am getting a little teary eyed sitting here 14:29 listening to you, thinking of that sacrifice 14:32 and that willingness... 14:33 Abraham's faith is incredible, thank you, Ryan, for that. 14:37 I'm Jill Morikone and I have Monday's Lesson 14:39 which is: God Will Provide. 14:42 Panel: That's right. 14:43 Jill: So, I'm going to divide the lesson into two portions. 14:46 The theological understanding and the practical understanding. 14:49 So, let's start with the theology. 14:52 What is "Substitutionary Atonement"? 14:54 Because that's what our lesson's about... 14:56 God will provide Himself the Lamb. 14:59 What is Substitutionary Atonement? 15:01 A substitute is someone who simply takes the place 15:04 of another. Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... 15:06 Jill: Jesus took my place. 15:08 Atonement is paying the penalty for a wrong committed 15:14 and when it is paid, we see: at-one-ment. 15:19 We see reconciliation... 15:21 we see that healing taking place. 15:24 What was the penalty? 15:25 What's the wages for sin? 15:27 The wages of sin is death. 15:29 So, if the wages of sin is death, 15:32 Jesus did the atonement. 15:34 Jesus died as a substitute in our place 15:38 so that we have the opportunity 15:41 to be reconciled back to the Father. 15:45 We have the opportunity to have that: at-one-ment. 15:47 There are a couple of Scriptures I want to reference 15:50 when we talk about Christ's substitutionary sacrifice. 15:53 Let's go to 1st Peter. 15:54 1st Peter chapter 2 verse 24, 15:58 it says, "who Himself... " this is Christ... Jesus... 16:01 "bore our sins in His own body on the tree... " 16:05 this is substitutionary atonement... 16:09 Him taking my penalty... your penalty... 16:12 "that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness... 16:15 by whose stripes you are healed. " 16:18 What about Isaiah 53... this is the Suffering Servant... 16:22 Isaiah 53 verse 5, 16:25 "He... Jesus... was wounded for our transgressions, 16:29 He was bruised for our iniquities; 16:31 the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, 16:35 and by His stripes we are healed. " 16:38 What about 2nd Corinthians 5:21? 16:41 You know I had to get that one there... 16:42 this double imputation: 16:44 For God made Jesus... 16:46 He made Him... who knew no sin... 16:48 Jesus was the perfect spotless Lamb of God... 16:51 to be sin for us, 16:53 that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 16:57 So, what is happening? 16:58 My sin is imputed to Christ... 17:00 Christ's righteousness is imputed to me. 17:03 Substitutionary Atonement. Panel: Amen. 17:07 Jill: We see this on Mount Moriah. 17:08 Ryan already read verse 8... 17:10 we're in Genesis 22 verse 8, what did Abraham say? 17:14 "My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb 17:18 for a burnt offering. " 17:20 The Hebrew verbal form literally says, 17:24 "God will provide Himself as the Lamb. " 17:27 The verb "provide" can mean: provide Himself. 17:31 What is He saying? 17:33 God will provide Himself as the Lamb. 17:35 Jesus is the sacrifice. 17:37 When the test was over... 17:39 when Abraham's faith and obedience were tested 17:43 and God had cried out from heaven saying, 17:45 "Abraham, Abraham, do not slay your son. " 17:48 What happened? Verse 13, 17:49 Genesis 22 verse 13, 17:51 "Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, 17:53 and behold, there was a ram caught in a thicket 17:58 by its horns. " 17:59 I love what you said, Pastor Ryan there about the thorns, 18:02 I love that. 18:03 "So, Abraham went and took the ram, 18:05 and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. " 18:10 That substitutionary atonement... 18:12 the ram took Isaac's place, right? 18:14 Ryan: That's right. 18:15 Jill: The ram was sacrificed in the place of Isaac. 18:18 That's what Jesus did on the cross for you and for me... 18:22 took our place... 18:24 took our sins... 18:26 paid the penalty of the law... 18:28 the wages of sin is death 18:30 so that you and I have the opportunity 18:32 to receive forgiveness of sins 18:34 and to spend an eternity with Him. 18:36 Genesis 22 verse 14, 18:38 "Abraham called the name of the place: The Lord will provide; 18:42 as it is said to this day, 18:44 'In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided. '" 18:46 Ryan: That's right. 18:48 Jill: Now, let's look at the practical understanding of this. 18:50 Do you know that God will provide? 18:53 Do you know in your life that God will provide? 18:59 Have you experienced a test... maybe not like Abraham 19:01 but have you experienced a test 19:02 where it seemed there was no way out. 19:05 Has God provided for you in your life? 19:08 Do you know that God will provide? 19:10 Jochebed did. 19:12 Moses was destined to be killed 19:15 because all the baby boys born in Egypt were to be killed 19:18 and yet, God provided a basket and the daughter of Pharaoh 19:22 so that he could later save the children of Israel. 19:26 Do you know that God will provide? 19:28 The Israelites did... the Red Sea in front... 19:30 the Egyptian army behind... 19:32 no way to go forward but God provided a way 19:35 and opened the Red Sea 19:36 so that they could go forward on dry ground. 19:39 Do you know that God will provide? 19:41 The Israelites did when they had no food 19:43 and He provided manna miraculously every single day 19:47 and water to drink... God provided for them. 19:50 Esther knew that God would provide. 19:52 She and her people were bound for annihilation 19:55 and God provided and extend... 19:58 the king extended the scepter to her. 20:01 Nehemiah did... the city of Jerusalem was destroyed 20:04 and burned with fire 20:06 and he was wanting to know what to do 20:09 and God provided... when he sent up that prayer to heaven, 20:12 God provided a way for him to go back 20:14 and to help rebuild. 20:16 Rahab did... her city was surrounded by the Israelite army 20:20 and God provided through the red cord hung out the window 20:25 and God saved her and her family. 20:28 Ryan: Hmmm... that's right. 20:29 Jill: Peter knew God would provide... 20:31 he was in the prison and guarded heavily 20:32 and yet, God opened up the prison doors and set him free. 20:37 What are the ways that God provides for you? 20:40 I would say that there are seven ways that He provides for us, 20:43 we're going to do this quickly. 20:45 The first way He provides is supernaturally. 20:47 This is the ravens... that's supernatural, right? 20:49 bringing food to Elijah by the Brook Cherith. 20:52 This is the Israelites... their shoes didn't wear out, 20:54 that's supernatural. 20:56 The manna was provided... 20:57 that's supernatural. 20:59 Philippians 4:19... 21:00 "My God shall supply all your needs 21:03 according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. " 21:06 God can provide supernaturally for you. 21:09 Panel: That's right. 21:11 Jill: Number 2... second way He provides... 21:13 God provides through angels. 21:14 Did you know that? 21:16 Psalm 34 verse 7, 21:18 "The angel of the LORD encamps around them who fear Him, 21:21 and delivers them. " 21:23 Sometimes, God provides supernaturally... 21:25 sometimes He provides through angels 21:27 and sometimes, they are in the form of men 21:29 and that's number 3. 21:30 God provides through the care of others. 21:33 I'm reminded of Matthew 25 verse 40, 21:35 "And the King answers and said, 21:36 'Inasmuch as you did to one of the least of these my brethren, 21:39 you did it unto me. '" 21:42 Galatians 6... Pastor John... verse 2, 21:44 what does it say? "Bear one another's burdens. " 21:46 Lomacang: That's right. 21:47 "And so fulfill the law of Christ. " 21:49 God provides through other people 21:52 who step into our lives and minister to us 21:56 if we need food or clothing 21:58 or shelter 21:59 or spiritual prayers or help... 22:02 God provides through other people. 22:04 Number 4: God provides strength during the journey. 22:08 I love this one. 22:09 Isaiah 43... "Do not fear O Jacob, 22:14 O Israel... the God who formed you... 22:17 I have redeemed you... 22:18 I have called you by name, you belong to Me. 22:22 When you pass through the waters... " 22:23 you notice it doesn't say, 22:25 "You're not going to pass through the waters... 22:26 I'm going to prevent you from passing through the waters... 22:28 you're not going to go through a hard time... " 22:30 No... "When you pass through the waters, 22:32 I'm going to be with you. 22:33 When you go through the fire, 22:36 you will not be burned. " 22:38 God provides the strength that you and I need on the journey. 22:43 Ryan: That's right. Jill: Number 5... 22:45 God provides peace in Him. 22:47 Philippians 4:6 and 7, "Be anxious for nothing; 22:50 but in every thing by prayer and supplication 22:52 with thanksgiving 22:53 let your requests be made known to God. 22:55 And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, 22:59 will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. " 23:03 Ryan: That's right. 23:04 Jill: No matter what test you are going through, 23:07 God will provide peace in the midst of that. 23:09 Ryan: Yes, He will. Jill: Number 6... 23:12 God provides joy in His presence. 23:14 Now, who would have thought when you're going through a test 23:16 that you could walk in joy. 23:18 Psalm 16 verse 11, 23:19 "You will show me the path of life: 23:21 in Your presence is fullness of joy; 23:23 at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. " 23:26 Ryan: That's right. 23:28 Jill: Number 7... God provides healing. 23:31 Jeremiah 17 verse 14, 23:34 "Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; 23:38 save me, and I shall be saved, 23:41 for You are my praise. " 23:43 Now, this is physical healing, yes, 23:44 this is also spiritual healing... 23:46 this is also mental healing... 23:49 this is also emotional healing. 23:51 Now, I told you that there are seven ways that God provides, 23:54 but there's actually one more and I saved the best for last. 23:56 God provides salvation. 23:58 Ryan: Hmmm... praise God. 24:00 Jill: Oh... that's what this lesson's about... 24:02 substitutionary atonement. 24:04 God provides salvation when you're stuck in sin... 24:07 in the mire of sin and guilt and condemnation, 24:10 the Lord Jesus comes to you and says, 24:12 "I will take your place... 24:14 I will take your sin... 24:15 I will take that... " and you can walk free... 24:18 you can be saved in My kingdom at last. 24:21 Panel: Amen... praise the Lord. 24:23 Ryan: You're never going to go thirsty or hungry 24:24 after Jill finishes teaching... 24:27 she's always got resources... a full meal... 24:29 so, thank you so much, it's such a blessing. 24:31 We're going to take a short break... we'll be right back. 24:34 Music... 24:39 Ever wish you could watch a 3ABN Sabbath School Panel again 24:43 or share it on Facebook... 24:44 Instagram or Twitter? 24:46 Well, you can by visiting 3abnsabbathschoolpanel. com 24:51 A clean design makes it easy 24:53 to find the Program you are looking for. 24:55 There are also links to the Adult Bible Study Guide 24:59 so you can follow along. 25:00 Sharing is easy... 25:02 just click "Share" and choose your favorite Social Media. 25:05 Share a Link... Save a Life for Eternity. 25:09 Ryan: Welcome back to 3ABN Sabbath School Panel 25:11 and we're going to toss it to Pastor John Lomacang 25:13 for Tuesday's Lesson. 25:15 Lomacang: Thank you, Ryan, 25:16 we're talking about the death of Sarah... 25:18 it's an indelible amazing love story in the Bible 25:20 which, in so many ways, 25:22 reminds my wife and I of each other in our journey 25:25 because it begins with an act of amazing... 25:27 almost abundant faith. 25:29 To do something that would be so uninformed... 25:33 we go back to... when we began in Ministry in 1987 25:36 and we prayed for the Lord to open the door 25:38 and literally, we went out not knowing where we were going. 25:42 Panel: Hmmm... 25:43 Lomacang: And God provided everything that we needed 25:44 and He still... to this very day... 25:46 in the highs and lows... the good times... bad times... 25:49 the times when we were, you know, 25:51 in our valley of decision... 25:52 whether or not to continue in ministry, 25:54 God pulled us through 25:55 but what's sad about this story is... 25:57 you know, you wife every... periodically she says, 25:59 "You know... " she always says this, 26:00 "You know, if I die first, you're going to re-marry. " 26:03 I said, "Honey no, there's no way that I'm going to have... 26:06 I don't want to get to heaven and have to choose 26:08 between two women... " and I say that respectfully 26:10 for those who are married more than once, 26:12 but I said... "I've already found... " 26:14 we have on our wall... 26:15 "I found the one whom I've loved. " 26:17 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... 26:18 Lomacang: And so, this story of Sarah and Abraham reminds us of 26:21 a couple that was always there 26:24 so, it begins with a somber part of the story... 26:28 the death of Sarah and... and so in Genesis 23... 26:31 let's walk through that together 26:33 and, Jill, I have seven quick points 26:35 that I'm going to make about this story 26:37 but it's so important because 26:38 you know, the... the desire was: 26:40 God had given Abraham... 26:42 He told them, "I'm going to give you the Promised Land... " 26:44 and Sarah becomes one of the first recipients 26:48 of the blessing of the Promised Land. 26:49 We'll talk about that in a moment. 26:51 So, let's look at this toggling story as Abraham now has... 26:55 Abraham is now faced with laying his wife to rest. 26:57 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... 26:59 Lomacang: Genesis 23 verse 1, 27:00 "Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; 27:04 these were the years of the life of Sarah. 27:07 So, Sarah died in Kirjath Arba... that is Hebron 27:12 in the land of Canaan, 27:13 and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. 27:16 Then Abraham stood up from before his dead, 27:20 and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying, 27:22 'I am a foreigner and a visitor among you. 27:25 Give me property for a burial place among you, 27:28 that I may bury my dead out of my sight. ' 27:32 And the Sons of Heth answered Abraham, 27:36 saying to him, 'Hear us, my lord: 27:38 You are a mighty prince among us; 27:40 bury your dead in the choicest of our burial places. 27:44 None of us will withhold from you his burial place, 27:49 that you may bury your dead. '" 27:51 What a beautiful act this is! Panel: Hmmm... it's awesome. 27:52 Lomacang: "Take whatever you want... " 27:54 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... 27:55 Lomacang: And this story is amazing... it says... 27:56 so it goes on... Verse 7, 27:58 "Then Abraham stood up 28:00 and bowed himself to the people of the land, 28:02 the sons of Heth. 28:03 And he spoke with them, saying, 28:05 'If it is your wish that I bury my dead out of my sight, 28:10 hear me, and meet with Ephron the son of Zohar for me, 28:15 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he has, 28:20 which is at the end of his field. 28:23 Let him give it to me at the full price, 28:26 as property for a burial place among you. ' 28:28 Now Ephron dwelt among the sons of Heth; 28:31 and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham 28:33 in the presence of the sons of Heth, 28:35 all who entered at the gate of his city, saying, 28:37 'No, my lord, hear me: 28:39 I give you the field and the cave that is in it; 28:42 I give it to you in the presence of the sons of my people. 28:45 I give it to you. Bury your dead!' 28:47 Then Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land; 28:50 and he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people 28:52 of the land, saying, 28:53 'If you will give it, please hear me. 28:55 I will give you money for the field; 28:57 take it from me and I will bury my dead there. ' 29:00 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 29:03 'My lord, listen to me... '" 29:05 can you see the battle going back and forth? 29:06 "I just want to give it to you. " 29:07 "My lord, listen to me, 29:09 the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver. 29:11 What is that between you and me? 29:14 So, Abraham weighed out the silver for Ephron 29:22 which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, 29:25 four hundred shekels of silver, 29:26 currency of the merchants. 29:28 So the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, 29:33 which was before Mamre, 29:34 the field in the cave which was in it, 29:37 and all the trees that were in the field, 29:40 which were within all the surrounding borders, 29:42 were deeded to Abraham 29:45 as a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, 29:48 before all who went in at the gate of his city. 29:51 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife 29:54 in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre... 29:57 that is, Hebron... in the land of Canaan. 30:00 So the field and the cave that is in it 30:03 were deeded to Abraham by the sons of Heth 30:06 as property for a burial place. " 30:07 That's a five-minute reading there. 30:09 Panel: Laughter. 30:10 Lomacang: But what I want to go through 30:12 and I was wanting to get the five minutes here 30:13 because my seven points... I'll still be able to get it... 30:15 I've... I've... I praise the Lord for that. 30:18 What I'm showing you here is, 30:20 Abraham wanted such respect for his wife's burial. 30:24 Panel: Hmmm... that's right. 30:25 Lomacang: He didn't want to say, 30:26 "You know, they just gave me some land... " 30:28 he said, "No... I want... 30:31 if... if my wife hears this story in eternity, 30:34 I want to be able to say to her, 30:36 'I bought the choicest ground for you. '" 30:39 You know, it's easy to receive a gift 30:42 but sometimes, you want to say, "She is worth something. 30:45 I want to put her in the place where I could look back and say 30:48 to my sons and my sons and my sons... 30:51 'That's the property Mom is resting on. '" 30:54 He bought all the property... all the choicest fields... 30:57 he chose what he wanted and he paid the price for it. 30:59 I tell you, sometimes you got to put out the best 31:02 for those who mean the most to you 31:04 and that's exactly what the story said to me. 31:06 You know, people say, 31:08 "Oh, it doesn't matter how you get buried... " 31:10 but in Abraham's sense, 31:11 he gave his wife an amazing send-off 31:14 and that phrase in... when she was laid to rest, 31:17 she was laid to rest in dignity 31:19 and I'm sure that as time went on, he told the story, 31:22 "Let me show you where your mom is buried. " 31:24 What a story! 31:25 So, the question was asked by the writer of the story: 31:27 What function does the story of Sarah's death and burial 31:30 play in the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham? 31:32 One... let's go to Genesis 11 verse 29... 31:34 and Jill, if I'm like you, I can make it happen... 31:37 Panel: Laughter. 31:38 Lomacang: I begin by saying Sarai was with Abram 31:41 when God called them to leave their country. 31:45 Genesis 12 actually verse 1, 31:47 "Now the LORD said to Abram: 31:49 'Get out of your country, 31:51 from your family and from your father's house, 31:54 to a land that I will show you. '" 31:56 And that's to me... when my wife and I prayed, 31:59 and the family said, "You guys, 32:01 you're going all the way to California, 32:03 tell me how are you going to make it?" 32:05 God didn't want us to be with family. 32:08 We needed to be where we can grow 32:10 and the only one that God wanted us to lean on was Him 32:13 and I want to tell you... 32:15 so, we left... having no idea where we were going, 32:18 pulling everything we had in a little small five by eight 32:22 and God says, "I got you. " 32:24 So, I want to say to those watching today, 32:26 wherever you may be in life, 32:27 don't ever think that God somehow is short on property 32:31 or that God has a Credit Card with a limit. 32:33 Panel: Laughter. 32:34 Lomacang: No... God says, "The gold and silver are mine" 32:37 and to this very day, we look back on the... 32:41 on the... on the stone... what's the stone? 32:45 Panel: Ebenezer. 32:47 Lomacang: On the Ebenezers of our journey... thank you... 32:50 I'm so full right now... 32:51 on the Ebenezers of our journey... 32:53 in our life of 38 years of marriage, 32:56 has lines we can go back and say, 32:58 "We were there together... we were there together. " 33:00 Elder C.D. Brooks told me this and I never forgot it, 33:03 he says, "When your life... 33:04 when you and your wife are too old 33:05 where you cannot travel anymore... " 33:07 he says, "Open your photo album 33:09 and make sure you're in both... 33:11 both of you are in the pictures. " 33:12 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... that's right. 33:13 Lomacang: That's a beautiful thing today. 33:15 We've got over a 150,000 pictures 33:16 digitally speaking. Panel: Oooooh! 33:18 Lomacang: My wife is a photographer... 33:20 she loves to do that 33:21 but it tells the story of our journey 33:23 and as Ryan said... 33:24 she's getting younger and I'm getting older. 33:26 Panel: Laughter. 33:27 Lomacang: He said... she still looks young 33:29 but the second thing is, 33:30 when Sarah expressed a lack of faith in God's promises 33:33 to give her a child, 33:35 Abraham foolishly followed her example 33:38 but God brought them even through that. 33:40 Panel: Yes. Lomacang: And unfortunately, 33:42 we have two nations that are at odds to this very day 33:44 because they chose at a... at a fragile point in their life 33:48 to not trust the promises of God. 33:50 Panel: Hmmm... 33:51 Lomacang: Thirdly, both Sarah and... 33:53 Sarai and Abram had to deal with the backlash 33:55 of injustice to their maid. 33:57 When Sarah became jealous of the child that her maid had, 34:01 God said, "No, you'd better send her back... fix that... " 34:05 and to this very day, 34:07 God shows that we cannot deal with people 34:09 in an injustice just because we feel that 34:12 they are not worth our time and attention. 34:15 Panel: Hmmm... 34:16 Lomacang: Number 4... both Abraham and Sarah experienced 34:18 the fulfillment of God's promise. 34:21 When they were old, God's promise came to pass 34:24 and we have the blessing today 34:26 through the seed of Abraham... 34:27 that blessing is Christ. 34:30 Number 5: God lists both Abraham and Sarah 34:34 as recipients of His blessing. 34:36 "Look to Abraham your father, and Sarah who bore you; 34:39 for I called him alone, 34:42 and blessed him and increased him... " 34:45 and his increase became Sarah's increase. 34:48 Number 6: Abraham and Sarah are recognized 34:50 as examples of obedience to God. 34:52 1st Peter 3 verse 5, 34:54 "For in this manner, in former times, 34:56 the holy women who trusted in God 34:59 also adorned themselves, 35:00 being submissive to their own husbands, 35:02 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, 35:05 whose daughters you are if you do good 35:08 and are not afraid with any terror. " 35:10 Number 7: Abraham and Sarah had their hearts 35:14 set on the Promised Land. 35:15 They both waited for the city who had foundations 35:17 whose Builder and Maker is God. 35:19 Abraham and Sarah will go in together. 35:22 Panel: Amen... amen. 35:24 Lomacang: So will my wife and me. 35:25 Panel: Amen... amen... praise the Lord, good. 35:27 Shelley: Okay, I'm Shelley Quinn 35:30 and I have Wednesday's: A Wife for Isaac. 35:34 I didn't know how to do this 35:35 so, I'm just going to kind of tell you... 35:38 I'm going to tell you the story 35:39 because we don't have time to read the whole chapter. 35:41 Genesis 24... is the condensed story. 35:44 Remember we've got over 300 years of history 35:49 in the last 39 chapters here 35:51 but it's the condensed story of Isaac's marriage 35:55 and this takes place several years after Sarah has died. 35:59 Panel: Hmmm... 36:01 Shelley: This story is full of prayers... 36:04 I love it because it's the prayers and the fulfillment 36:07 of the prayers which is what touched you so much. 36:10 So, Abraham was a 137 when Sarah died 36:14 so, this is several years later. 36:16 Let's say... he's a 140... 36:17 that means Isaac is 40 years old 36:20 and he... Abraham is so concerned about finding 36:24 the right wife for his son of promise 36:28 because he wants to perpetuate these covenant blessings 36:32 to the further generations 36:34 and so, what he does... 36:37 he doesn't want Isaac to marry an idolatrous Canaanite. 36:42 He brings in his servant, Eliezer, 36:45 who, by the way, this is so interesting... 36:48 Eliezer at this time is the Chief of Staff... 36:50 significant authority. 36:52 He's the one who would have been Abraham's heir 36:56 if Isaac hadn't been born. 36:58 But Eliezer was so faithful to Abraham 37:03 and faithful to Isaac... he even served Isaac. 37:07 So, what he does is, he has him take this oath 37:10 putting his hand under his thigh 37:12 which we won't take time to explain 37:15 but that was a way that they did to a covenant oath 37:18 and he is sending Eliezer the servant... 37:23 Abraham is sending him 100s of miles away 37:27 to his homeland of Haran 37:30 and he wants somebody from his family to marry his son... 37:37 one of his relatives which was very common place 37:41 and it's interesting too 37:43 that Abraham's relatives knew of the true God 37:47 but they weren't free of idolatry yet. 37:50 So... so anyway, 37:52 here this loyal servant takes off several hundred miles 37:56 with ten camels loaded with the bridal dowry... 38:03 he is on his way but he needs divine guidance 38:09 and, you know what? 38:11 Abraham prophecies that the Angel of the Lord 38:14 will go with him. 38:15 We know the angel of the Lord is the God... 38:19 the pre-incarnate Christ. 38:22 So, God was concerned with Abraham's wife 38:27 and listen to this... 38:28 and this is a direct quote from the Quarterly, 38:32 "The reference to 'His angel' and to 'the LORD God of heaven' 38:36 in Genesis 24:7, points back to the Angel of the LORD 38:38 who came from heaven to rescue Isaac from being slaughtered... 38:43 that's in Genesis 22:11. 38:44 The God who controls the universe, 38:46 the Angel of the LORD who intervened to save Isaac, 38:50 is not going to lead in this question of marriage. " 38:53 So now, here he goes... he's 100s of miles... 38:56 he arrives at the well and here's what I love. 38:59 When he reaches the well, 39:02 the servant of Abraham prays in sincere child-like faith 39:11 to the God of the Covenant. 39:12 He's asking for guidance and wisdom and success 39:16 because he needs God's guidance. 39:18 That Angel... the Angel of the Lord with him 39:21 to select the wife 39:22 and he asks for a sign and he's going to get it too 39:26 and so, what's interesting is before he even finishes praying, 39:32 into the scene... at the well 39:35 walks this beautiful young woman Rebecca... 39:38 she's not only beautiful... she's virtuous... 39:41 she's a virgin... she is ready to serve others too. 39:45 We're going to see that 39:47 and she's a relative of Abraham's 39:50 so, Eliezer asks her for a drink 39:53 and that's just hospitality that you know, 39:56 you would give a thirsty stranger a drink 39:59 but Rebecca doesn't only draw water for him, 40:03 she offers to draw water for his ten camels. 40:06 Now, you know what? 40:08 A thirsty camel can drink 25 to 30 gallons of water 40:11 in 15 minutes. 40:13 Panel: Oh my! ooooh! 40:14 Shelley: Think of how much... Panel: Laughter. 40:16 Shelley: She was drawing water and pouring... 40:18 drawing water and pouring. 40:20 This was a real act of service and you know what? 40:24 Eliezer was just so stunned by her generosity... 40:28 he just stood by and watched and he was praising the Lord. 40:32 Panel: Amen. 40:33 Shelley: So, as a token of appreciation, 40:35 he gives her a ring... he gives her some bracelets... 40:37 and then she invites him home 40:40 and when she gets home... or when she invites him home, 40:43 again, I just have to point this out 40:45 because to me, this is what it's all about. 40:48 Eliezer is so overwhelmed with gratitude, 40:50 do you know what he does? 40:51 He prays again... he bows down, right, when she invites him home 40:55 and he says in Genesis 24:27, 40:58 "Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, 41:01 who has not forsaken His mercy... " 41:04 that's that word "Hesed" which means: His Covenant... 41:08 love... His covenant faithfulness 41:10 "and His truth toward my master. 41:13 As for me, being on the way, 41:15 the Lord led me to the house of my master's brethren. " 41:20 So, they get home and now you know what happens? 41:24 Laban and Bethuel... and I think this wasn't her father Bethuel, 41:29 because Laban is the brother of Rebecca 41:32 and he kind of takes control... 41:33 I don't think he would... 41:35 I think this must have been a brother by the same name. 41:37 But Laban... and you remember that... 41:41 we're going to find out Laban's kind of got a greedy nature. 41:45 He sees these rich gifts that had been given to Rebecca, 41:49 he looks up... he sees ten camels laden with gifts... 41:53 and boy! he pours out the red carpet to Eliezer. 41:56 And... so what happens is Eliezer comes in 42:02 and he explains all about how God has blessed Abraham... 42:07 the covenant... 42:08 how He's given him the son of promise, 42:10 and that Abraham has sent him to this town 42:16 to find a wife 42:18 and you know what's interesting? 42:20 I will give Laban credit for this, 42:22 when they find out that this was directed by God, 42:26 they're ready to... to... 42:28 they're not going to interfere with God's will. 42:30 So, what happens... here we've got... 42:34 they're going to release Rebecca to marry Isaac if she wants to 42:40 there's freewill involved in this 42:42 because even Abraham realized that someone may not come back 42:45 but the whole point of the story to me is right here. 42:49 As soon as they say that... Eliezer is praying again. 42:53 This is the third prayer of the day. 42:56 He is worshipping the Lord 42:58 and I think one of the main points 42:59 is that Abraham had trained his servant to know the true God 43:06 and Eliezer's faith is portrayed in the patience after his prayer 43:12 in verse 21... 43:14 in the worship to answer prayer in verse 26... 43:18 and then, here in verse 27, 43:20 he's acknowledging the divine guidance. 43:23 Oh... may we be like Eliezer. 43:26 So, again the servant gives the wedding gifts to Rebecca 43:31 and the brother and the mother 43:32 and the next morning, he's ready to leave... 43:34 he said, "No more delay... " 43:36 and the brothers go, "Hey, wait, our custom is... 43:39 let us have a few days... we're going to throw a feast, 43:41 give her a good send-off... " 43:44 but he doesn't want to wait, 43:46 so they consult Rebecca 43:48 and unselfishly she agrees to leave right away 43:51 without any kind of a send-off engagement party. 43:53 And you know what's amazing to me? 43:55 Rebecca's got no idea what Isaac looks like. 44:01 Panel: Oh boy! 44:02 Shelley: She doesn't know he's a hunk. 44:03 You know, Isaac was a hunk. 44:05 We... we know that because the Bible says, 44:08 he was well-built and handsome. 44:09 Panel: Laughter. 44:10 Shelley: I mean, that's what it says 44:12 you know this is... when you think about Potiphar's wife... 44:15 couldn't keep her eyes off of him. 44:16 But Rebecca doesn't know this... 44:19 she's going... so as a wedding gift, 44:21 one of the neat things is they give her her nurse Deborah 44:25 who had nursed her from the time that she was young 44:28 and they go off on this arduous journey... 44:31 several hundred miles back by camel... 44:35 and when they arrived, this is really neat... 44:39 God has directed Isaac out to the well at Lahai Roi. 44:44 This is where the Angel of the Lord appeared to Hagar 44:49 and I'm sure he's out there meditating 44:52 on the events of his life... 44:53 he was so sorry... sad about his mother's death 44:56 and wondering about his bride... 44:59 she sees him... Rebecca sees him... 45:01 she covers her face with a veil because that was the custom, 45:04 he couldn't see her till afterward, 45:06 and she gets down from her camel to show her humility 45:10 to meet her hunky husband-to-be 45:13 and this is a condensed story, 45:15 I'm sure Abraham had a great party for her 45:19 but then what we see in the condensed story 45:22 is following the ceremony, 45:24 Isaac takes her to the tent of his mother 45:28 and she comforts him 45:30 and he lifts the veil and goes, "Ooooh hoooo God... " 45:33 he sees the beauty he's married. 45:35 But this is something that we see that God is interested 45:40 in every detail of our lives. 45:42 Panel: Amen. 45:43 Kenny: Well done, praise the Lord, 45:45 I think I need a little more time on that. 45:46 Yeah, she was putting a lot of good detail... 45:48 praise the Lord for that. 45:49 Thursday's lesson... 45:50 if you have your book, make sure you want to turn there. 45:52 A Wife for Abraham... 45:53 it's been just... goes well along the line here... 45:56 there's very important points... 45:57 I hope you've been writing those things down. 45:59 I want to go right to our... our lesson... 46:01 I want to take a paragraph or so and just read it 46:03 because... a couple of points... if... 46:04 maybe if we don't get anything else out of this, 46:06 we'll get this part, yeah, I think it's important. 46:08 I'm just going to read from our lesson Quarterly, it says, 46:10 "The purpose of the genealogy 46:13 after Abraham's marriage to Keturah, 46:15 who gave him six sons, 46:17 versus the two other sons... Isaac and Ishmael... 46:21 is perhaps to provide immediate evidence of God's promise 46:25 that Abraham would father... " what? 46:27 "many nations... " interesting thought... 46:28 "and now the second genealogy 46:30 concerning the descendants of Ishmael, 46:33 and also composed of the 12 tribes... 46:35 and, of course, God's covenant was reserved 46:38 for the seed of Isaac... " we know that... Genesis 17, 46:41 and so, you know, here we have... 46:44 I will say, at this point in time, 46:46 when some of this takes place... 46:48 a report of Abraham's death is said, you know, 46:51 is sandwiched between these... these two genealogies. 46:55 So, you know, it's... it's right in here 46:57 but we're going to look at that a little bit closer 46:58 and dissect it a little bit and see how that took place. 47:00 After Sarah died... Thursday's lesson, 47:04 Abraham married again. 47:05 That doesn't... sometimes people say, "No, I just won't... " 47:09 you're married once... you found the love of your life, 47:12 really... you... you just... 47:14 you don't look anymore... 47:16 you just... you... you really just... you can't... 47:17 now, it doesn't mean that you didn't love the first one, 47:20 if you did... Abraham, simply here, it says, 47:22 after she died, Abraham married again... 47:24 that's where our lesson starts out. 47:27 And sometimes when disaster strikes, 47:29 most of us... and you had it in your life... 47:31 you had disaster... 47:32 and I'm going to talk about disaster for Abraham 47:34 was the death of Sarah. 47:36 It was devastating blow to him 47:38 and it made him recount his life. 47:41 He had to go back and... 47:43 and look it all over again and say, 47:45 and say, "Man, there's some changes maybe 47:46 that I need to make right now after all. " 47:48 And this happens too as we get older. 47:50 "There's changes that need to be made 47:52 and I need to make them now, 47:54 I may not have time a little bit later on 47:55 to make... make these changes. " 47:56 And you ask some people today 47:58 especially when they're young... 47:59 they always love this in here 48:01 because you ask me, I would say, 48:02 "Oh, if things are any better I couldn't stand it... " 48:04 it doesn't mean there's not things going on, right? 48:05 Panel: Laughter. 48:07 Kenny: It's not lying about it too because it could be worse. 48:09 Panel: That's right. 48:11 Kenny: It definitely could be worse. 48:12 And sometimes... one guy that worked here... 48:14 and I don't know if he's still here or not 48:15 but love you anyway... I don't know who it is... 48:17 he says... every time I say, "How you doing?" 48:18 He says, "I'm living the dream. " 48:21 Panel: Laughter. 48:22 Kenny: I love that... "I'm living the dream. " 48:24 Well, good for you, you know, 48:26 by the grace of God, we should be living that life, right, 48:29 pointed toward heaven for sure 48:30 but sometimes, living the dream could turn into a nightmare. 48:33 Panel: Hmmm... 48:34 Kenny: Because things change... live changes... 48:36 things are dealt out that you... 48:38 you didn't think would happen in your life. 48:40 You didn't think it would happen to you. 48:41 So, it happened to everybody else. 48:43 In other words, when people say, "When I die... I'm going to... 48:45 I'm going to go... I'm going to die in my sleep. " 48:47 You wished you know, that would be nice... 48:49 not everybody can do that. 48:50 So, there's things... there's changes that happen 48:52 so, we realize that death of Sarah 48:54 just turned Abraham's life upside down... 48:56 he missed Sarah... 48:57 he was lonesome 48:59 he's... "I spent a lot of good years together... " 49:01 and he just was... in his old age 49:03 and here... here... here... notice in... in Genesis 24:1, 49:07 it talks about Abraham... 49:08 it said, Abraham was old... 49:10 somebody read, I think, 49:11 Brother Ryan might have read that a while ago, 49:13 Abraham was old... notice this, 49:14 and well stricken in age. 49:16 Well, look, then I said, "Well... " can I say this nicely 49:19 "Well, that poor old man... " 49:20 you know, that... it really does... 49:23 it meant he was old in years 49:25 but he was mentally and physically sharp and strong. 49:28 Man's man... I mean there's no doubt... 49:31 there's no doubt about it. Panel: Right. 49:32 Kenny: Why? Because the Lord blessed... 49:34 that's what the Scriptures say, "The Lord blessed... " 49:36 somebody read that... Matthew... "blessed Abraham" 49:38 and so, the events of chapter 24 some of you brought this out, 49:41 took place about three years after Sarah's death. 49:45 That was recorded in Genesis 23 49:47 so keep all that down as fast as you can. 49:49 Sarah was 90 when she gave birth to who? 49:51 To Isaac... we know that. 49:52 You mentioned... Isaac was... what? Was 40 years of age 49:56 when he gave... at the time of his marriage to Rebecca, right, 50:00 in Genesis 25... 50:02 and Abraham... we're looking at, was a 140. 50:04 Well, to us that looks like, "Oh my! 50:06 A 140 years of age at that time, Genesis 17. 50:10 Now, Abraham became aware of his own age 50:13 and some of us do... 50:15 sometimes it takes a little bit of time... 50:17 when you're younger you... you don't think about it so much 50:20 you get a little older, you start thinking about, 50:21 you know, some of these things. Panel: Laughter. 50:23 Kenny: He became aware of his age... now remember 50:25 he was still good mentally and physically... 50:26 the man was good... 50:27 I don't know if he was good to look at or not 50:29 but anyway... laughter... 50:31 but anyway... 50:32 after Isaac's marriage, then all of a sudden, what? 50:35 Abraham became a little more lonesome. 50:37 Before he had a son there... things were busy 50:39 and things were going on, 50:41 but now, after Isaac's marriage, he became even more lonely. 50:44 He decided to take another wife, you know why? 50:47 To make his last years happy 50:49 and that can happen 50:52 and it did happen for him because it tells us that 50:55 six more sons came, right, into being. 50:57 Panel: Wow! 50:59 Kenny: But you know, you look here you think about... 51:01 there's no better place in a home 51:05 than a mother or... a... a wife, a good wife... 51:08 I mean, this is what it's all about. 51:10 God says, "It's a woman... " 51:11 you know, compares it to the church, 51:13 isn't that right? A comely and delicate woman 51:16 then He also... she's to be treasured far above rubies. 51:20 There's nothing like a good... 51:22 can I just say, "Christian woman... " 51:24 Somebody who loves Jesus and... and... 51:26 and I've always heard it said that if Mama's happy... 51:29 I'm going to say... we're all happy. 51:30 You know, so, you know... 51:31 the husband's job is to make, Brother John, the wife happy. 51:34 Right, and then, we... then we are happy. 51:37 So... that is a good... 51:38 so he wanted happiness in his old... last few years 51:41 and his new wife was Keturah. 51:44 Now, it's a name meaning: Incense. 51:46 But it's interesting as you look in Genesis 25, 51:51 she's also called a concubine. 51:54 Incense to me may be sweet savor 51:56 but in Genesis 25 she's called a concubine 51:59 just like Hagar was a concubine, right? 52:01 There are some similarities there... 52:03 some of you read the Lesson... 52:05 a lot of... there was a lot put into it that maybe... 52:09 you know... Hagar and Keturah were somewhat the same 52:12 and you just study it for yourself... 52:13 I'm just going to move on with that. 52:15 So, his marriage to Keturah produced six more sons. 52:18 I like that... Abraham loved all of his children... 52:21 there's no doubt about it. 52:23 He loved the... with Sarah... 52:24 he loved it with Hagar... 52:26 he loved them with Keturah... 52:27 but before his death, please notice this, 52:29 before his death... 52:30 huh... he sent them all away. 52:32 Man! that just tears me up to think about it. 52:35 He loved the women in his life... 52:38 he loved the children in his life... 52:41 but he knew there was going to be problems 52:44 because of the promise to Isaac. 52:46 And so, he had to send those loved ones away 52:49 as my Brother John kind of alluded to that... 52:52 sometimes we need to get away from some time... 52:55 I don't want to say it... I believe, family and friends 52:57 and ones... you might have a pull on us... 52:59 so that God can talk to us 53:01 and... and make some good sense to us, 53:03 so, he loved it... 53:05 you know, this Scripture in Genesis 25:6, 53:07 "But unto the sons of the concubines, 53:08 which Abraham had, 53:10 Abraham gave gifts, 53:11 and sent them away from Isaac his son, 53:14 while he yet lived... " 53:17 I want to try to make this... this... this point... 53:20 there's a couple of minutes left... 53:21 there's so much more but still here's the point. 53:23 While he yet lived, Abraham took care of God's business... 53:29 His business while he was still alive. 53:32 A lot of people don't take care of God's business 53:35 or things that they should take care of 53:36 that God has loaned you... 53:37 that God has given you in this life. 53:40 You think, "Well, when I die, I'll let the kids suffer... " 53:43 I've heard parents say that they can fight over it. 53:44 Ah... ah... that's not a good issue. 53:46 Panel: Oh yeah... 53:47 Kenny: Abraham was afraid there would be issues 53:49 to the promise... right? 53:51 And so, he separated those from the concubine 53:54 and the one from Sarah... interesting... 53:56 so that there would be no problems 53:57 and so, we find this here... 54:00 it's important. 54:01 God holds us accountable 54:04 for what He gives to us in this life 54:06 and we are to... can I be bold about this, 54:08 this is all right? 54:10 Shelley: Sure... positive. 54:11 Kenny: This may not be bold... but it... 54:13 we need to take care of what we have. 54:15 When it was all said and done, right... 54:16 he had taken care of business. 54:18 He made sure before he died 54:20 that everything was in line the way that it should be 54:23 just like... with... with money... 54:24 with property and things that God has loaned us, 54:27 we need to return it back to the cause of Christ. 54:30 Oh, be careful Kenny... 54:32 and... and... and don't... and don't be giving to unbelievers, 54:34 the devil has had it long enough. 54:37 God's treasury needs it in there now for the winning of souls. 54:41 Ryan: That's right. 54:43 Kenny: Because you can't leave and say, 54:44 "Well, let them fight... let them take care of it... " 54:45 God holds you... He holds me accountable 54:48 for what He has given. 54:50 I... I said many, many years ago and God have mercy on me, 54:53 I said many years ago, 54:54 you know, if I died and had my will... 54:57 my children... if they are not loving Jesus... 54:59 they're not in the faith, 55:00 they're not going to get anything 55:02 unless they're destitute. 55:03 You can read that in the Spirit of Prophecy. 55:05 If they're destitute, you leave them something. 55:06 If not, I'm not giving it to the worldling... 55:08 I'm not giving it to be spent in the world. 55:09 Ryan: That's right. 55:10 Kenny: I got off the lesson... is that what you said? 55:12 Panel: Laughter. 55:14 Kenny: Why? because he took care of business 55:17 while he yet lived... he took care of business 55:20 and while you are alive and I am alive, 55:21 we need to take care of business... 55:23 so, I'm going to encourage some of you to take care of business 55:25 I don't need to go farther than the lesson right now 55:26 but things that God has given you, 55:27 put them into the work to win souls for the kingdom of God. 55:31 Man! that's exciting to think about 55:33 because I know that He's going to hold you 55:35 and He's going to hold me accountable 55:37 for those things, He's loaned us, He didn't say, 55:38 "Give them to the kids, they'll take care of it. " 55:40 Nah ah... He's going to... right, 55:41 it's going to come back on you 55:42 so, God help you as you make right choices 55:45 and right decisions and what... ah ha ha... 55:47 while he let... let... 55:48 while he yet lived, he took care of business. 55:50 Ryan: Amen... praise the Lord, take care of business. 55:52 That's right, take care of your business. 55:55 Shelley, I could hear Brother J.D. 55:56 I can hear him echoing that going down there... 55:58 take care of business. Panel: Agreeing. 55:59 Ryan: Let's get some final thoughts. 56:01 Panel: Amen. 56:02 Jill: Monday's lesson... we talked about 56:04 substitutionary atonement 56:05 and what an incredible gift Jesus, the Lamb of God, 56:09 took your place... my place on the cross... 56:12 accept that gift today. 56:13 John: You know, I know that Abraham remarried 56:15 but you know the story ends in a beautiful way. 56:17 He goes back to the cave... 56:19 back to the land that he purchased from Machpelah 56:22 and the Bible says in Genesis 49:31, 56:25 "And they buried Abraham and Sarah... 56:28 there they buried Abraham and... and Sarah his wife... " 56:30 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... 56:32 Lomacang: And so, this love story ends... 56:33 right, I love what you said... 56:35 the companionship was necessary for him as he got older 56:37 but he never forgot... 56:39 the Bible says, "And the field and the cave 56:41 they purchased from the sons of Heth. " 56:42 Panel: Hmmm... amen. 56:44 Lomacang: That's what he wanted to do. 56:45 Kenny: Amen. 56:46 Shelley: You know, the thought in my mind 56:48 is that the most important decision you ever make 56:50 is accepting Christ as your Savior 56:53 but the second-most important decision you ever make 56:56 is who you marry 56:57 and I encourage you to... to accept what God did 57:03 for Isaac in choosing a mate. 57:06 Seek the Lord because God is interested in who you marry. 57:10 Panel: Amen... 57:11 Kenny: You know, we all want to hear the words 57:13 as God spoke to Abraham, it simply says this, 57:15 "he was a friend... " I want to say, "of God" 57:17 "he was a friend of Mine and I know Him. " 57:20 I'd love to hear those words. 57:21 Ryan: Amen, praise the Lord, 57:22 you know, second only to Jesus Christ Himself... 57:25 Abraham was probably the most central figure in all the Bible, 57:28 and so many life lessons as we've learned 57:31 from the story of Abraham, 57:33 so, we've kind of just scratched the surface, 57:35 you know, some of us had entire chapters 57:37 to go back and study those powerful chapters 57:39 in Genesis about the life of Abraham... you'll learn a lot. 57:42 You don't want to... 57:44 you don't want to miss out on next week 57:45 because next week here on Sabbath School Panel, 57:47 we're going to be jumping right into Lesson Number 9, 57:49 entitled: Jacob the Supplanter 57:52 so get your Bibles... get ready... 57:54 it's going to be a powerful lesson. 57:55 We'll see you next week. 57:57 Panel: Amen. |
Revised 2022-05-09