We're up to Genesis 25 now, and we split Genesis 24 into two parts, if you remember,
and we looked at the second half, obviously, last week, which continued the story of Abraham's servant finding a wife for Isaac,
which continued the picture of, for me, the first church being formed,
we looked at how the angel or messenger being sent first, picturing John the Baptist,
the servant, the Holy Spirit, Rebecca being the church, the bride of Christ, represented by Isaac being Christ,
the picture of soul winning actually was, in fact, for me, Rebecca going to her brother.
We saw in verse 30, it says,
And it came to pass, when he saw the earing and bracelets upon his sister's hands,
and when he heard the words of Rebecca his sister, saying,
Thus spake the man unto me, referring to the servant, representing the Holy Spirit,
that he came unto the man, and behold, he stood by the cameras of the world.
After this, we saw the sense of urgency from the servant, like we should when we have a job to do for God, we looked at that.
Rebecca chose to go straight away to a free world being constantly emphasised in the chapter.
She brought 10 damsels on 10 camels, along with her representing, I think it was the 11 there,
with perhaps a nurse, maybe she represented Judas, right, or Nersi, I don't know.
But there was a prophecy about her seed lightly possessing the gate of those that hate the thousand million she used to be the mother of.
We looked at that, a reminder there that God's enemies hate us.
And finally she met Isaac and put on a veil with it, then being removed as they married a picture of the veil of the temple being removed,
or at least torn rent in two, with the start of the New Testament.
Verse 64 said, Rebecca lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she lighted off the camel,
for she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us?
And the servant had said, It is my master, therefore she took a veil and covered herself.
And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done, and Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent,
and took Rebecca, and she became his wife, and he loved her, and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.
And then we go on to Genesis 25, verse 1 says, Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah.
Let's pray before we continue, Father, thank you for your word, thank you for this great chapter of the Bible,
the many talking points, applications we can get out of this, help me to just preach those as you want,
Lord, full of your spirit, in a bold way, that everyone here would just really listen,
and pay attention to what you were saying to them, and find a way of applying it to their lives, Lord,
and to just always be listening, and wanting to find bits and pieces from your word that can improve them,
and for all of us, to improve all of us here, Lord. In Jesus' name, for all of us. Amen.
All right, Genesis 25, verse 1 says, Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah.
So it seems that once he had married off his son, he was ready to move on again.
Now, bearing in mind that Sarah was 127 years old when she died, Abraham was over 137 at this point.
Anyone ever thought about that when you read this? He was 137, and Keturah, it seems, is of a childbearing age.
So, anyway, you can do the math on that, but considering that he lived for about 38 years after the death of Sarah,
and was seemingly a pretty able-bodied guy, you can see why he married, right?
Okay, he's got a long, obviously there's a long period of life ahead of him. He remarries at the end.
But what's interesting is that here in verse 1, she's called a wife.
However, verse 6 refers to her and Hagar as concubines. It says in verse 6,
But unto the sons of the concubines which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts and sent them away from Isaac his son,
while he yet lived eastward unto the east country. Make a difference between them and Isaac.
The genealogy, in case you think, oh, is it really referring to them? Well, the genealogy in 1 Chronicles 1, 32,
you don't have to turn there, it does the same. It says,
Now the sons of Keturah, Abraham's concubine. Okay, clearly referred to by the narrator as Abraham's concubine,
and also by the narrator as Abraham's wife. He took a wife and her name was Keturah. Notice that?
Because, look, there are different opinions, okay? The reason I say it is just because I've actually heard
differing opinions from different parts as to whether or not a concubine was a wife. I've heard both.
But here she's definitely referred to as both, isn't she? She's definitely referred to as a wife
and as a concubine, and Webster's 1828 does give two definitions. Number one is a woman who
cohabits with a man without the authority of a legal marriage, a woman kept for lewd purposes
a kept mistress. And then number two, a wife of inferior condition, a lawful wife but not united
to the man by the usual ceremonies and of inferior condition, such were Hagar and Keturah, the
concubines of Abraham and such concubines were allowed by the Roman lords. Now just bear in mind,
when you read things like the 1828 Webster's, it's not right on everything, okay? Just to bear that in
mind, you know, ultimately we go to the Word of God, but here we're in the Word of God and we're
just seeing both definitions here, aren't we? And we're seeing a concubine described as a wife
and a concubine, okay? And for me that's because they are, at least in this case here, whether or
not that's the case in all cases, it's basically a lesser wife, isn't it? That's what we're seeing.
So they weren't on the same standing as Sarah, which is clear here as we read on anyway,
because it then says in verse two,
So definitely not of the same standing as Isaac, yet still considered legitimate sons, aren't they?
Keturah bare Abraham's six sons, with one of those definitely being of note, okay? Midian is the one
that you probably noticed the word stands out there, the name there, Midian, who also had five
sons mentioned here in verse four. Now Midian becomes a nation, at one point quite a mighty
nation, with the Midianites featuring several times before their eventual destruction.
Midianite merchantmen, if you remember, are responsible for selling Joseph to Potiphar.
The land of Midian was where Joseph fled to after killing the Egyptian, with his father-in-law being
a priest of Midian, if you remember that as well. It was the Midianites that joined with the Moabites,
trying to get Balaam, cursing Israel soon after the exodus as well, being then involved with the
enticement through fornication after that, and they got destroyed and later famously by Gideon
in judges, that was against the Midianites. So these guys featured quite a lot, where did they
come from? Well actually they came from Abraham and his then concubine in the later years of his life,
Keturah here. Now one of the sons, Ephar, had a known city named after him, mentioned you'd have
to turn to Isaiah 60 with its surrounding territory. This formed part of Midian on the
east shore of the Dead Sea. So not just random names, and at this point approximately 500 years
we are now after the flood. Empire building was still happening, wasn't it? However, he sent them
away from Isaac representing his only son. But I just find it interesting that you're seeing
all these names coming up, and these MK went in to become nations and things like that.
We're seeing still the founding of some of these nations and cities and things like this.
Verse 7 said, and these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, and 103 score
and 15 years. That's 175. Then Abraham gave up the ghost and died in a good old age, an old man,
and full of years, and was gathered to his people. What does it mean that he was gathered to his
people? You ever looked at that and thought, what does it mean that? It's a phrase that we see used
a couple of times in Genesis with Isaac and Jacob when they die as well. And considering that Abraham
was buried likely pretty quickly in the cave where Sarah was, because we see that's where it is.
It says in verse 9, Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah in the field of Ephron,
the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre, the field which Abraham purchased of the sons of
Heth. There was Abraham buried and Sarah his wife. This has nothing to do with going hundreds of
miles to Ur, in case you're wondering. You think, oh he must have kind of, they did some big burial,
or he went back, they had like a big wake at his old, you know, where he used to live. Nor is it to
do with his burial place, Sarah being one person and not people. We saw that he was gathered to
his people. And do you know what it is for me? It's just about where his soul was going.
It's where his soul was going, to his people. Where is people in heaven? He's a Christian,
he's a believer. He was gathered to his people, his people are up there. And I say that because,
look, just in case you're wondering, we see the same term used, and I had a little, you know,
look to see where else we've seen it. Isaac, Jacob, Aaron and Moses, all believers. And then
there's one person later in the chapter we're going to look at, which for me tells me that he
was saved as well. Because it is a save that are our people, aren't they? Okay, and if you're
sitting there wondering, going, oh I don't know about that, well then you need to get right.
Okay, because the saved are your people. Okay, they are your people. Everyone here, you know,
saved people are your people, aren't they? Like, it's not about everyone else. It's not,
you can shove your racial division, okay, like those idiots that seem to think they have some
special allegiance because someone's skin looks similar to them. It's ridiculous, you know,
that stuff is a load of junk, it's been pushed on people for generations, and it's just division
causing, isn't it? It's a load of old nonsense, but people get pulled into that. And you know what,
there are Christians out there that get pulled into that rubbish as well. And now it's kind of
like the kind of opposite to how it used to be, because there are people in not probably that many
decades ago that were probably, especially in Christianity and the West, were pulled into the
whole they were somehow special and everything else because they were white, and now we're kind
of seeing the opposite, aren't we, happening a lot as well. And just idiots get pulled into this
stuff, and it's so carnal, isn't it? It's such a load of nonsense, because a lot of the time they
have nothing else in common, nothing else in common at all. You're a Christian, someone else
isn't. Or you're just, you know, you're from completely different nations but your skin colour's
similar. And listen, there's a lot of cultural differences amongst, for example, white in inverted
commas nations in the West, aren't there? A lot of differences. And I've got a lot less in common
than some white guy somewhere in southern Europe somewhere, than I probably do, you know, with many
people from right on the other side of the world. It's just a load of nonsense. And it's all just,
it's all nonsense, and it's all just really carnal. And I do understand that people of a
particular nation feeling like they have something in common, okay, and often they will. They have
some cultural similarities, maybe have similar, maybe, I don't know, some similar experiences of
life, and maybe similar sense of humour, sometimes things like that. But the racial stuff is absolute
nonsense, okay. It's complete nonsense. And here's a funny thing, because I was thinking about it as
well, your own family member will stab you in the back as quickly as someone from the complete
opposite side of the world or anything else. Like, the reality of it is, is that, look, there are
dishonest people everywhere, and when it comes to people all over the world, there's
something which gives us more in common than anyone else, and that's our faith in Christ, isn't it?
Yet there are, there are many Christians out there that would be more drawn towards their family
than to their brother and sister in Christ, more drawn towards their old buddy than their brother
and sister in Christ, yet you've got the Holy Spirit in you. That's something that no one else
has if they're not saved, are they? And it makes a big difference, doesn't it? But I was thinking about it as
well, is that, you know, if you've ever, and not, look, I know everyone, as we grow as a church, not
everyone kind of is of that background that some of us that originally were here, where we were
like going to these churches, trying to find like a proper church in this nation, and you still didn't
really have much in common with everyone else in the church, did you? And it was weird, wasn't it?
And you'd be walking on eggshells and, you know, you'd kind of, I better not talk about homeschooling
because it seems to be offending them, and I better not talk about this, I bet, and, oh, I don't know, do we
really want to bring up vaccines because they look like they're like well into like all that stuff,
and I'm not saying that's like a sign of salvation, but a lot of the time, a lot of that
awkwardness and unease and, because the thing is that not everyone here agrees on all that stuff,
but we don't make each other feel awkward about it, do we? Someone says to me, yeah, well, I don't, I've,
for example, I vaccinate, or I don't homeschool, I do this and do that, we don't start trying to make him
feel like dirt, do we? We're just like, cool, it's still a brother or sister in Christ, still love you,
but a lot of them places, the reality of it is, was a lot of them were saved, weren't they? You look
back and you're like, yeah, that pastor wasn't actually saved, and sadly neither were really much
most of the people in there as well when you look back and, but, and then once you're suddenly around
a load of saved people and you're like, yeah, these are my people, my peeps, yeah, with my peeps at last,
and that's, but it does feel like that, doesn't it? And it's so, and it's funny as well because
so many of us are from such different walks of life, really, we, I mean, we've got like so many different
nations in here, different cultures, different backgrounds, different, you know, different
educational levels and everything else, but everyone gets on pretty well, don't they? I remember someone
saying to me a while back how I think they'd said to each other something like, in anywhere else we
would never have ever decided to even talk to each other, and in here you end up being like good
friends, you know, and it is great like that, isn't it? But, but yeah, just because they're your family
member, you turn to Galatians chapter 6, as Mark 6, 4 says, you'll turn to Galatians 6, but Mark 6 and
verse 4 says, but Jesus said unto them, a prophet is not without honour, but in his own country and
among his own kin and in his own house, so it doesn't really matter, look, you can go, oh yeah, but my
family and blood sick in the water, no, no, I disagree, because look, you're not without, you're
without honour amongst your own family, aren't you, sadly? They look great, if you can get your family
saved and stuff as well, then even better, right? But a lot of the time that's not the case, is it?
A lot of the time you don't feel as comfortable, do you? You don't feel at home, and as I've grown
in Christ over, over, you know, the years now, that gap with my family just widens, and it's just harder
and harder, and it's, it's, it can be a hard kind of, you know, I hope they never watch this sermon, but
they get saved, okay, you don't worry about Genesis, especially 25, it was a terrible one, but, um, but the
reality of it is, is, is it can sometimes be a hard few hours, because you, you just got less and less
in common, and your interests and your kind of, and what's important just gets less and less, the
conversation gets harder and harder, and you're trying to find like common ground and stuff, and it
does just get harder, doesn't it? That's the truth, and also, and they, you know, and they don't, and it's
not, you need this ultra respect, but they don't have that, you are without honour amongst them,
compared with you are around your, around your people, right? Your people who just know, look, like,
you know, none of that's, you know, if any, if anyone be a new creature in Christ, old things
have passed away, behold, all things have become new, right? And, you know, how the fact that we were
probably, everyone in here was probably a bit of an idiot to some degree when they were unsaved, yeah?
It doesn't really count, and look, you know, of course, you know, you still want to get on with them,
and you still try, but it's a very different thing, isn't it, when you're around your people,
and, and that is what's great about church, isn't it? And, and here's the thing, though, it's, it's a good
thing, but you can get that, that mentality right as well, because a lot of people don't have that
mentality right, and, and a lot of Christians do come to church, and it is kind of, they're almost
trying to run away and escape from church, aren't they? And they kind of still feel happier and better
off next to, with the old unsaved sibling, the unsaved cousin, the old unsaved old friend, and
everything else, and then there's, there's a problem there, really, isn't there? Why is it, why is it that
some just, they just don't want to be around the saved, and they just want to kind of get around
back to the unsaved people? I think there's, there's a heart issue there, then, isn't there, and a lot of
the time there's a sin issue there, and other things like that, and that shouldn't, as you grow, you
should be feeling more drawn towards your brethren, and less drawn towards the unsaved world, right?
And obviously, look, we don't have to cut them off, okay, unless they're wicked, and you need to be around
them to some degree, because you want to get them saved as well, but you shouldn't just be desiring
that fellowship the whole time, and then trying to pretend it's because one day you might
give them the gospel or something, you know? But the brethren should be up here. Galatians 6 10, where
you are, says, as we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men. Look, we should do good
unto everyone, shouldn't we? Especially, it's the word especially, unto them who are of the household of faith.
So, look, we should do good to everyone. It's not like, oh, we should just treat them
like dirt because they're unsaved. No, look, we should show love to everyone, we should do good
to everyone. However, and obviously there are caveats. Whenever you read these words, you've got to remember
there are caveats in the word of God. People like to take extremes, don't they, all the time. Oh, look, therefore, you
should do good to the sodomite. No, because then there are other verses which tell us that we,
you know, do not hate them, they hate thee, for example, and other verses that tell us that we shall not
know a wicked person, etc. Okay, however, when it comes to just generally people, we should do good to
them, but we should especially unto those who are of the household of faith, especially to our brothers
and sisters in Christ, we should be willing to do more for them. Because, look, there are many that,
let's be honest, if they got a phone call and the unsaved old friend, the unsaved sibling, the unsaved
cousin or something else needed a hand with something, needed some help, they'd probably
drop everything and run off, and I'm not saying that's not a bad thing, yeah, we should be willing
to help people, but would they do the same for as a brother and sister in Christ, or would they be
like, well, something else could do that, you know, and again, then, therefore, well, you've got a heart
issue because it should be especially unto them that are the household of faith, right, but where do we do
that? Where do we do, where, ultimately, where do we give that love to our brothers and sisters
in Christ? We're in the house of God, it's in the house of God. Hebrews 10, you can turn there if you
want to quickly, and I know that these are verses that you will hear quoted time and time again
because they're such clear verses about the need for church and some of the reasons for being in church,
but think about these verses for a second. Hebrews 10 and verse 24, because we should do, especially
do good unto those of the household of faith, and Hebrews 10 24 says, and let us consider one another,
therefore we should be more considerate, shouldn't we, to those of the household of faith. Let us consider
one another to provoke unto love and to good works. So how do we do that? How do we consider
one another to provoke unto the love that they should be showing to each other as well, not
forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. By not forsaking the assembling as a manner of summies,
but exhorting one another, that's basically encouraging each other, and so much the more as you
see the day approaching. So if we're going to do good unto all men, but especially unto them at the
household of faith, and we do that by considering each other, and we do that by not forsaking the
assembling of ourselves together and exhorting one another when we're at church. We need to be
in church, don't we? We so need to be in church. It's so important to be in church to do so much of what
we're told to do, especially to put our brothers and sisters in Christ up here, because if you're like,
oh yeah, yeah, I'd put the brethren up here, but then you're never in church,
and well, how are you encouraging them? How are you exhorting them? How are you considering? You're not
even, you inconsiderate so-and-so, you're not even in church. You know, why aren't you considering your
brothers and sisters that are, and need that encouragement, and need to see those other people
there to encourage them in their walk, and here's the thing, how do you know each other's
needs if you're not around each other? You can't, can you? You can't know each other's needs, because
people do have specific needs as well, don't they? And you'll have a brother or sister in church that
maybe, look, maybe you're the person they need to talk to that day, and just say, look, I've had some
trouble with this, or I need some help with that, or I just need a bit of someone to say the right
thing, or I just need a smile, just need a nice warm handshake from a brother or sister, and how do you know
that if you're not even here? And ultimately that's a part of, because yeah, we come to church to serve
God, yeah, it's between you and God to some degree when you don't, but part of it is also between you
and your brothers and sisters, isn't it? Because we're here to help each other, we're here to encourage
each other, and look, you better get used to it, because here's another thing, in case you're just
sitting there going, well, yeah, well, I don't really care, forget it, you know, it's more important for me
to be around, you know, old, you know, boozing mum or whoever else, and you know, I need to make
her feel happy, and I don't care, you know, it doesn't really matter, there's more important
things, my family's, what's the most important to me in my life? And look, you know, there are a lot of
people like that, aren't there? Well, here's the thing, what's church? The congregation, the called out
assembly, and that's who you're spending eternity with, yeah? The called out assembly, you're going to be
spending, you're going to be spending eternity not only with each other here, but with the
whole called out assembly that will become one church when we're all up there. Well, you kind of
want to get used to it now, right? Anyway, let's keep going, because back in Genesis in 25 it says
in verse 8, then Abraham gave up the ghost and died in a good old age, an old man, a full of years, and
was gathered to his people. Now, I'm looking forward to that day, but in the meantime, there's a job
to do, and it says in verse 11, and it came to pass off the death of Abraham that God blessed his
son Isaac, and Isaac, this is in verse 11, dwelt by the well Lehiroy. Now, turn back to Genesis 16, and
there's going to be a bit of a common theme here for these first few verses, because this was where,
you're turning back to Genesis 16, this was where Hagar first fled after becoming pregnant,
and for me it was basically a pre-incarnate Christ appeared to her. It says in verse 13 of
Genesis 16, and she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, thou God see us. Now, we saw
it was an angel, but we talked about this before, how often, you know, we're trying to work out, right,
who is it? Who is this messenger here? Is it the Lord Jesus Christ here? Well, she called the name
of the Lord that spake unto her, thou God seest me, for she said, have I also here looked after him
that seeth me? So she saw him as well, and that ain't God the Father, because she ain't going to see him and
live, right? Wherefore the well was called Beelahayoroy, because behold it is between Kadesh and Beered,
which means the well of him that liveth and seeth me, or another name for this is the well of the
living God, okay? It's the well of him that liveth and seeth me, or the well of the living God, obviously
God seeing you, and back in Genesis 25 and verse 11, the blessing of Isaac is linked to him dwelling
by this well. So look at verse 11 of Genesis 25 again, it came to pass after the death of Abraham
that God blessed his son Isaac, and Isaac dwelt by the well Lehayoroy. Now, the semi-colon links
the two connected pieces of information here, and there's two options. He's either blessed by God to
be dwelling by the well, it said that God blessed his son Isaac, and Isaac dwelt by the well Lehayoroy,
or he's blessed by God because he dwelt by the well. And what's the answer? Well for me, both are true,
okay? The well represents the living God, yeah? That was the name of the well, that God that
sees me, the living God, the well represents the living God. Turn to Psalm 27 and we've just seen
that God blessed his son Isaac, and Isaac dwelt by the well Lehayoroy, because it is a blessing to
be able to dwell by the living God. And where's the living God today? Well, back to point number one
again. 1 Timothy 3 15 says, but if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave
thyself in the house of God, which is the church of what? The living God. The pillar and ground of the
truth, it's the house of God. It's not to be taken for granted, for me, that we even have a church.
It shouldn't be taken for granted. He's so blessed to dwell by the well Lehayoroy,
and it is a blessing to have a church. Look, let alone those of you that do actually dwell by the
church of the living God, but even just to have a church in the first place. And I'll say it,
you just need to keep reminding me, because we have this in our mind, you automatically,
especially if you've grown up in most nations around the world, apart from maybe, I don't know,
the Islamic nations, you have a view that, well, there's just churches everywhere, maybe some
other nations, right, as well. Maybe like former communist nations or currently communist nations,
if there are still some currently, just about. Okay, and look, regardless, we are really
blessed to have this, because a lot of people just don't have a church. And what a blessing, because,
sorry, I kind of went off track a bit there, but we do just think, well, this church is everywhere.
Of course you've got a church. I was just finding an alright one. Yeah, but the more you look, the
more you realise it's really hard to find a legitimate church. And there aren't that many
churches, really, that are just legitimate churches. And it's no, no, it's not because we're a cult,
it's not because we think we're the only one. I'm sure there are some people, I hope, around the
nation, there's some church somewhere that's got the Gospel, right, but I'll be honest, I find it,
they're few and far between, if at all, and with the Word of God, and then that actually goes and
preaches the Word of God. Because the reality of it is, if there was, and there was a church with
a heart for the Gospel and preaching the Word of God, you would have thought that someone here might
have actually seen some attempt to outreach by them somewhere. Maybe they might have,
you know, maybe the Holy Spirit might have guided them to make some sort of Bible way to heaven or
something, perhaps. Some sort of YouTube something, considering how massive that was and is still.
Maybe something on some other, like, some form of, like, social media somewhere.
And I'm not saying it's all about social media, maybe someone might have ever had their door
knocked by someone who's got the Gospel right, or someone they know might have had their door
knocked not in Southend. Doesn't seem to be going on, does it? Now, again, maybe it is, and look,
and yeah, there are other churches around, it's not just NIFB churches, okay, you can go too far
that way there, people that just think no one can be saved unless it was the NIFB. No, there are
independent fundamental Baptist churches around that still have the Gospel, still preach the
Gospel, but they are few and far between, aren't they? And what a blessing it is to have one.
Blessing to have one in our nation, even. Oh, well, we should have one in every city.
Says who? Says who? Yeah, he told Titus or Dane elders in every city, that was in Crete,
okay, and that was at the time when they got him, they preached the Gospel, got a load of people
saved there, and he wanted to get people, get pass in each other, that wasn't in every city of the world.
There's never been, that's never been the case, it never will be. And in this nation, every city will
never have a legitimate church, that's the reality of it. But what a blessing to have this. And like
I said, let alone those of you that do actually dwell by the living God, okay? You actually live
nearby, like what a blessing that is as well. Because it is a blessing, the ability to be here
at every service is a blessing, isn't it? I mean, when you get people saved here, and you get them
saved, you just see, you really don't know how blessed you are to have a church that you can
actually call a church and go to on your doorstep. And sadly, how many even will ever go to church,
right? Such a shame, isn't it? But to be here, to have that extra time saved by not traveling
for hours is a blessing, isn't it? Because for some people on a Wednesday night, some of those
guys on the other side of the Dartford Tunnel who aren't here tonight, because especially when
the rain's coming down as well, that travel time, they're looking at like a two and a half, three
hour journey to get here at this time. And it might seem it's not very far, but it is, isn't it?
But to be able to be here, to be able to be here, three to thrive, to be able to be in the Word of God,
to be able to be in church, and that is the goal, isn't it? You're in Psalm 27, verse 4 says,
One thing have I desired of the Lord, and that will I seek after. One thing, he's saying here,
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of
the Lord and to inquire in his temple. But it's not just Isaac, it's not just that Isaac, sorry,
is blessed to be dwelling by the well of the living God, okay? Isaac is blessed because he dwells by
the well as well. You're still saying Psalm 27, in case you're starting to wonder, do I
need to flick back out again? No, sorry, I should have said, stay in Psalm 27, because it says in
verse 1, I love this Psalm, and this Psalm is all about being in the house of God. And so many, and I
remember, I remember like using this Psalm for times when, you know, I knew I'd be afraid in life
when I was kind of early saved as well, and this Psalm was like, yeah, this is a great one to give
you courage and everything else, but really what this Psalm is about is being in the house of God.
And it says in verse 1, it's the Psalm of David, the Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall
I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine
enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though when hosts
should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war should rise against me, in this will I
be confident. And of course for those without a church, okay, just before we carry on, they need
to dwell as close to God as possible regardless, okay? And because there are those that just don't
have that option, and they should be trying to seek, really, they should be either trying to find a
way to get to church or trying to find a way of being able to have a church where they are, right?
But it is, aside from that, aside from people without a church, church is key. And it says, verse 4,
like we just read, one thing of our desire to the Lord and that will I seek after? That I may dwell
in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and quiet in this
temple. Four, four, in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion. In the secret of his
tabernacle shall he hide me. He shall set me upon a rock and now shall mine head be lifted up above
mine enemies round about me. Therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifice of joy. I will sing,
yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord. And like, what a blessing to be able to do that, right?
And why is he being hidden? And how is he being protected? And how does the courage and
everything come forth? It's from being in the house of God, from being in church. Some might say,
the name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous runneth into it and is safe.
Because you are, aren't you? And that's what that psalm's all about. And we see this,
unless there's so much in the word of God, it's being close to God. And where are you closer,
you're no closer to God than being in the house of God, being free to thrive, being in church,
being in, just doing the things of God. And that comes from being in church.
And look, we make a choice in life, okay? And I don't want to trivialise what a big decision
it is to move to a church. But it is, for me, it is a no-brainer. I don't want to trivialise it,
because a lot of people have a lot of issues, a lot of other things, and family issues, and baggage
and other things. And look, maybe they're kind of in the process of thinking, no, I think this,
we can make this place kind of, you know, good landscape for a church. You know,
there's some other people, or we're soul-willing, things are working out here. You know,
I'm able to get to church still. But the reality of it is, it's what it's all about.
It is what it's all about. And Isaac was blessed by the Lord because he dwelt by the well.
He dwelt by the well of the living God. And here, that's the house of God. That's church, isn't it?
Great, let's go back to Genesis 25 with that in mind.
It says in verse 11, it came to pass after the death of Abraham that God
blessed his son Isaac, and Isaac dwelt by the well, the high-roy. And like I said,
they go hand in hand together. It's such a key part, isn't it, of the Christian life.
Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian,
Sarah's hand, may bear unto Abraham. And these are the names, sorry, of the sons of Ishmael,
by their names according to their generations, the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebuchad, and Kedar,
and Adbil, and Mipsim, and Mishma, and Douma, and Massa, Hadar, and Timah, Jeter, Nafish, and
Kedemah. Now these were all founders of different tribes of Arabia. You might recognise maybe
Nebuchad, Kedar, and Timah being specifically referred to later in the Bible, especially Kedar,
the tents of Kedar, and we see Kedar mentioned quite a few times. Now different historians have
theorised as to where each of the tribes settled. And look, again, these are like, these are real
beginnings of real tribes, and there's a, you know, obviously a lot of evidence of all this stuff.
Anyway, not that you need to know that, but it's interesting. Anyway, verse 16 says,
these are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names by their towns and by their castles,
12 princes according to their nature. We talked before how they represent basically the children
of the flesh. Castles, by the way, being like cities, okay, if you're thinking, castles, what are they,
something like, go to England and get on a horse? No, because they're basically just fortified cities,
aren't they? That's what castles were. Verse 17 says, and these are the years of the life of Ishmael,
and hundred and thirty and seven years, and he gave up the ghost and died and was gathered
unto his people, which for me shows that Ishmael was saved. Like I said earlier, verse 9
showed we saw that Isaac and Ishmael buried him together, so he wasn't out of the picture
completely, was he? So it wasn't like Ishmael just kind of got jogged on, and then that was the end
of him, and we never see him again from a young boy or from a teenager. Well, he was there
to bury Abraham with Isaac. Genesis 18 19, just turn there quickly, Genesis chapter 18 19 said this,
God's talking about Abraham, he says, for I know him that he will command his children
and his household after him, this is Genesis 18 19, for I know him that he will command his children,
plural, and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and
judgment that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he has spoken of him. And like I said, he's
the only one that isn't, that we don't know 100 percent, is a saved man of God that's also described
as being gathered unto his people. I think that's just showing us that, yeah, he was another saved
guy, and I see no reason why he wouldn't be, you know, Abraham, he knew that he was commanded his
children and his household after him, he was one of his children, yeah, I know they got cast out,
but he's obviously still in the picture to some degree to be coming and burying him as well.
And yeah, he was the son of the bomb maid, he pictured the children of the flesh, the unbelieving
Jews, but he himself was saved, and often, you know, we've got to not confuse the picture with the
like the reality of the person as well in the word of God, you know, there are like saved men of God
that picture all sorts of things, and then they're unsaved that picture things that, you know,
the pictures are different to the reality here. For me, it says he was gathered unto his people,
he's the only other person other than clearly saved that we know 100, well, we know for sure
are saved, and I believe therefore he is as well. It says in verse 18, and they dwelt from Havilah
unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as Argoas toward Assyria, and he died in the presence of all his
brethren. Well, this is separate now to, you know, he's just, we've just seen that he died and was
gathered unto his people, and then it actually mentions the point that he died in the presence
of all his brethren, and that region is between southern Canaan and Egypt. Now, you could argue,
is this referring to Isaac and the sons of Keturah? It did say his brethren, didn't it?
Or perhaps a hint to further sons of Hagar, as there were a people known as the Hagarites or the
Hagarenes, as opposed to the Ishmaelites. You don't have to turn to 1 Chronicles 5, 10 says,
in the days of Saul they made war with the Hagarites, who fell by the hand and they dwelt in
their tents throughout all the east land of Gilead. Now, who would they be if we see separately
Ishmaelah? I don't see any reason why maybe Hagar remarried, had other children, I don't know,
maybe not. However, there are obviously some Hagarites and Hagarenes further on, where they come
from, I'm not sure. Then we see in verse 19 it says, and these are the generations of Isaac,
Abraham's son, Abraham begat Isaac, and Isaac was 40 years old when he took Rebekah to wife,
the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian, and Isaac entreated
the Lord for his wife because she was barren, and the Lord was entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife
conceived. So the Lord responded to his entreating, or another word we might use is praying, was it
straight away? Well, look at verse 22, and the children struggled together within her, and she
said, if it be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire the Lord. The Lord said unto her, two nations
are in thy womb, and two manner of people should be separated from thy bowels, and the one people
should be stronger than the other people, and the elders shall serve the younger. And when her days
be delivered were fulfilled, behold there were twins in her womb, and the first came out
all red all over, sorry, came out red all over like an hairy garment, they called his name Esau,
which means hairy by the way, and after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's
heel, and his name was called Jacob, and Isaac was three score years old when she bare them.
We just saw that he married at 40. 20 years, 20 years they went without a child, and the Lord was
entreated of him. The point is sometimes you just have to wait for God to answer your prayers, don't
you? I mean imagine that, 20 years later without being barren, and it took until he was six years
old for then God to then respond to the entreating by Jacob here. But also, another thing
we see here, aside from that, aside from the fact that look, you do have to wait, sometimes you need
to be patient, right, sometimes it's a good reminder that we can be a bit impatient, we want answers
to prayers straight away, don't we, and sometimes take a long time, sometimes look, none of us here
have been praying for 20 years for anything yet, I don't think, you know, okay. There's a lesson there,
right. But also we see that they were to become two nations, okay. The Lord prophesying that in verse
23, where it says, so we saw that the children struggled together within her, and she said if it
be so, while my last issue went to require the Lord, and verse 23 says, and the Lord said unto her,
two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bows,
and the one people shall be stronger than the other people, and the elder shall serve the
younger, with the younger being served by the other. Did that happen in their lifetimes?
It didn't, did it? Sure, it sure didn't. Later on, when Jacob returns from labour, and he's in fear of
his brother Esau, isn't he, he's not serving him, it's the other way around, he's in fear, he's scared,
he's kind of lining up all the women that he didn't like so much, and there's all this kind of,
there's, you know, there's a big problem there, right, and he ends up being, he ends up actually
being very subservient, and he bows to him, and he's, and all of that. The prophecy is referring to the
nations. Edom ends up controlled, controlled by Israel in the end, which is what is being pictured
by the taking hold of his heel in verse 26. It's a sign of strength, by the way. Verse 26 says, and
after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel, and his name was called Jacob,
and Isaac was three, four years old when she bare them. You don't have to turn to, Hosea 12-3 says, he took
his brother by the heel in the womb, referring to this, and by his strength he had power with God. So
it's a sign of strength that he took hold of his heel in the womb, and that's what the
prophecy is of, of eventually Israel having strength over Edom. It says in verse 27, the boys grew and
Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field, and Jacob was a plain man dwelling in tents, and Isaac
loved Esau because he did eat of his venison, but Rebekah loved Jacob. We're going to go back and
have a look at this prophecy again in a minute, but just quickly on this, not the best
advertisement here for Isaac and Rebekah, is it? Isaac loved him because of the roast meat.
Wow, that's a bit of a parenting fail there, isn't it? However, there's another lesson there, okay?
There's a lesson there, especially wives out there, okay? There's a lesson there, kids growing up as well,
you want your dad to love you, cook him some good quality meat, okay? Get your little vegan dishes
out of there, jog on all that fake meat and cook him some venison, or something else similar, right?
Okay, there is definitely a lesson there. However, there is some blatant favoritism here, isn't there?
I mean, and we see they didn't do Esau any favours. I mean, he's described not very nicely, and we're
going to see that probably next week in the book of Hebrews as well, and it said, you know, Esau,
Esau, and we see, like, just here, just looking at this story, like, what's he doing here? It says,
and Jacob sawed pottage in verse 29, and Esau came from the field and he was faint. In fact, he didn't
do Jacob any favours either, because he ends up being a bit of a sneaker as well, doesn't he?
And Esau said to Jacob, feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage, for I am faint. Therefore was
his name called Edom, so Edom means red. So Esau meaning hairy, Edom meaning red, basically because
he, you know, he's got nickname red, because he ended up trading his birthright for some red pottage.
I mean, this guy, I mean, there's a lot of failures. That's a, you know, it's a funny thing about the Bible,
isn't it? You've just got all these dysfunctional families and just people just messing up big time,
right? But they still go down in history, don't they? Well, anyway, let's keep going. And Jacob said,
Sell me this day thy birthright. And Esau said, behold, I am at the point to die. What profit shall
this birthright do to me? Seems like a bit of a drama queen Esau as well, wouldn't you say?
He does. Now, maybe been out in the field a long time, but the fact that he's even talking about this
and saying I'm at the point to die and everything else, I think he's a bit dramatic. Now, what is this
birthright? In case you're wondering, what is a birthright? What is it that he's even sold here?
We see a separate blessing later on and don't confuse the two. Moderna Deuteronomy 21. Basically,
it's the inheritance due to the firstborn as well as not just in inheritance but the authority in
the family, okay, being inheriting authority, being the leader of the family, which should happen as
the firstborn. There was inherited leadership, although that can and was overruled many times
in the Bible with it being given to another sibling by the father, for example, Solomon,
and there are other examples as well. The inheritance, what happened with that is that the
firstborn received a double portion. So, the first one was to receive a double portion of the
inheritance. So, it's not that no one else got anything, but say there was 10 kids and they should
get a tenth of the inheritance each, well, the firstborn would get, in fact, he'd get two tenths
of the inheritance. Well, maybe they'd have to do some maths there because any other nine would be
split fairly, right? I'm not going to try and do that on the spot. I saw a couple, I dare you.
But Deuteronomy 21 and verse 15 says, if a man have two wives, one beloved and another hated,
okay, so this is when this happens. He's not saying to do this, but when this does happen,
okay, and another hated and they have born him children, both the beloved and the hated,
and if the firstborn some beherds that was hated, then it shall be when he maketh his sons to
inherit that which he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son
of the hated, which is indeed the firstborn. So, basically, he can't just do that, this father,
in this situation, just because he hates the wife. But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated
for the firstborn by giving him a double portion, okay, that's the point here, of all that he hath,
for he is a beginning of his strength, the right of the firstborn is his, i.e. the word birthright,
yeah. In 1 Chronicles 5, we see, and you could turn if you're quick, I don't know how
quick flickers you are, but in 1 Chronicles 5, we see though that this was in effect
forfeited by Reuben, one of the sons of Jacob, when he committed a form of incest with his
father's concubine. It says in verse 1, now the sons of Reuben, this is 1 Chronicles 5,
1, now the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, for he was the firstborn, but for as
much as he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph,
the son of Israel, and a genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright,
for Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler, but the birthright was
Joseph. So it's not about, you know, who became the chief ruler and stuff, that's got nothing to
do with the birthright, however, the birthright itself was given to Joseph and it went to his two
sons, okay, who then split, Manasseh and Ephraim, who then split, you know, they became the two
half-tribes, didn't they? So here in Genesis 25, though, if you go back to Genesis 25, just with
that in mind, if you've ever been wondering what that birthright was, so there's a combination,
it could be inheritance, leadership, etc. Esau sells his birthright for a bowl of lentil soup,
basically, okay. I mean, this is a low moment, isn't it? Okay, and like I said, he's a bit of a drama queen,
but he still, for some reason, does this. It says in verse 33, and Jacob said,
swear to me this day, and he sware unto him, and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau,
oh, don't forget the bread as well, bread and pottage of lentils, and he did eat and drink,
and rose up and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright. Now, here's the thing. Firstly, yeah,
look, and when you go, why does that mean he hate, well, he clearly had no, like, he just, well,
he despised it. He didn't even care. He's just like, whatever, I'll have a bowl of lentil soup and a bit
of bread, and he's just giving away his birthright. What a bizarre thing to do, yeah, and he obviously just
didn't care about it at all. I, like we see, he'd probably hate it, and you know what, all the
favouritism, all that other stuff was probably something to do with it. He clearly wasn't a happy person.
However, as is often the case in the book of Genesis, we're seeing a picture of something else
here. So turn to Romans chapter 9. Romans 9 is a chapter that the dispensationalist pretend isn't
in the Bible, and the Calvinists can't seem to understand the context of either, okay, so they
just get very confused, because I think they're just so intelligent that they can't actually see the
context of Romans 9. Now, in Romans 9, it's not talking about salvation, okay, but Paul has
just been showing his heart for his physical brethren, okay, that those remaining of the
Israelites, okay, and he would like them to get saved. He's not telling you how they get saved and stuff, okay.
Now, he says this in verse 6, Romans 9, 6, not as though the word of God has taken none effect,
for they are not all Israel which are of Israel, neither because they're the seed of Abraham are
they all children, but in Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, they which are the children of the
flesh, these are not the children of God. That's pretty clear, isn't it? Anyone seen, I mean, how do
you read that and come away with that crazy Zionist nonsense, that they're somehow the children of God
is beyond me. I mean, what a clear verse. So, they which are the children of flesh, these are not the
children of God, but the children of the promise accounted for the seed. For this is the word of
promise, at this time will I come and Sarah shall have a son. Isaac, being the child of promise,
represents the spiritual seed coming from faith in Christ. We've gone through this already a couple
of weeks back, but there's one more picture of this truth in Genesis. He then says in verse 10,
and not only this, okay, so, sorry, not just one, but here's another picture of it, and not only this,
but when Rebekah also had conceived by one, okay, that's what we're talking about here,
even by our father Isaac, for the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil,
that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of him that calleth.
It was said unto her, the elder shall serve the younger as it is written, Jacob have I loved,
but Esau have I hated. Now it's just talking about the individuals. Well, regardless whether or not
you think it is or isn't, ultimately it's talking about the nation. Esau, Edom, being an eventual
enemy of Israel, okay, and it's referencing Malachi 1, which says in verse 3, and I hated Esau,
Esau, it says, and I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons
of the wilderness, okay. That's not talking about the individual, because Jeremiah 49 is Jeremiah
a thousand years after Esau, prophesying of the coming Babylonians, a thousand years on from Esau
being alive, and says in verse 8, flee ye turned back, dwell deep, O inhabitants of Eden, for I'll
bring the calamity of Esau upon him, the time that I will visit him. He's just, he's referring to the
nation by the name, and if you think about it, what are the children of Israel often referred to
as Israel, which was what Jacob's name was changed to, yet it's still a nation. So Esau just being a
nation here, and although like I said, referring to the father of them, it is talking about the nation,
but here's the thing with that, don't miss what the original picture is. The elder being usurped by
the younger, it's another picture of the first physical nation being replaced by the second
spiritual nation, okay. Again, just another picture explained in Romans 9 for us, just in case, because
it would be hard to see, let's be, I'm not just saying just in case, without the lens of the New
Testament, it's not always easy to see this stuff, but that's what we're seeing here. Now go back to
Genesis 25, or sorry, without looking through the lens of the New Testament, I meant to say,
now why were the Jews, as we call them now, replaced? Why were they replaced? And obviously the
Jews just being, eventually we had, it was the Judah, the tribe of Judah, became the vast majority
of what was remaining as that physical nation. It hadn't just basically just been completely
either destroyed or intermingled with else, with others in the Northern Kingdom,
become the Samaritans. Well look, why were they replaced? Well, verse 29, and we see not just a
picture, but it gives us, you know, a bit of other info here. When Jacob saw the pottage, and Esau came
from the field, and he was faint. So for me, we're seeing a picture here, they stopped doing the work.
One of the reasons they were replaced, they slacked on the job. He came from the field, but he was faint.
Okay, he was basically giving up, he was done, he was tired, like they stopped working for
God a long time ago. And they weren't doing what they were meant to do, they were meant
to preach the Gospel to all, they were meant to be this beacon, this shining light as a nation.
And of course, yes, people came there and people were to come, but they were meant to go out
with the Gospel. And they stopped doing that. He came from the field and he was faint. And Esau said
to Jacob, feed me I pray thee with that same red pottage, for I am faint, therefore was his name
called Edom. They became worldly and wanted what the other nations had as well, didn't they?
So they wanted what others had, they wanted, firstly we see them wanting a king instead of judges,
and then from there they just wanted basically, they wanted the world's religions, they just
were constantly committing, basically adultery is how it's described often, they were playing the
hall with the gods of the nations, right? They wanted what others had, they wanted what they had,
he saw that, he said feed me with that same red pottage, for I am faint, therefore was his name
called Edom. And Jacob said, sell me this day thy birthright, and Esau said, behold I'm at the point
to die, what profit shall this birthright do to me? They started minding earthly things, not spiritual,
they basically stopped trusting God, didn't they? They stopped trusting God, they stopped really
having faith in God, and here he's saying, well what profit shall this birthright do to me?
They stopped really caring, didn't they, about the things of God. And in verse 33 says that Jacob
said, swear to me this day, and he swear unto him, and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob
gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils, and he did eat, sorry, and he did eat and drink, and rose up
and went his way, thus Esau despised his birthright. And they despised what God had given to them, didn't
they? They despised it in the end. They despised the things of God, they despised the word of God,
they despised the prophets, they despised everything in the end, and eventually they were replaced.
They were replaced. And what's the result of hating the things of God? Well, God ends up
despising them. Romans 9, picturing the replacement, said, as it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau
have I hated. And yeah, the Calvinists love and try and, you know, we're not even going to go down
what that nonsense is, but what's really the application here? Well, we're seeing it's
another picture of the replacement. God loves the children of the promise, and he hates the children
of the flesh now. Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. That's what they're a picture of,
those two nations. But turn to Psalm 139, because people just don't get this. God hates God haters.
Okay, he hates them. The blessings for the Christ rejecting Christ hating physical seed
ended a long time ago, okay, for being the physical nature. To think, I just can't, I still just, it just
frustrates me so much to think that converts to some blasphemous false religion that was
basically spawned by them are somehow God's people that we will somehow get blessed
for blessing the synagogue of Satan in various ways is, I mean, it's beyond a
warped view. It's just, it's totally blasphemous. It's complete blasphemy. It's such a load of just
absolute nonsense. And I know I'm using that word a bit in this sermon, but it really is.
It's so ridiculous. But they're all out there, these people. I mean, right now, I don't know,
I haven't been looking at much of this stuff, but every time I see anything like this, I just see all
these people just going crazy for this so-called nation of Israel. I mean, it's such,
it's such a sham, isn't it? An absolute sham. Psalm 139 says, Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God.
And just to make it clear, you're talking about the wicked. I'm talking about people that
basically blaspheme the Holy Spirit, that say that Jesus is possessed by a devil.
People that hate the Lord Jesus Christ reprobates concerning the faith. So really,
especially their prophets, their rabbis. I mean, that's every rabbi, isn't it? They're all false teachers.
They're all false teachers. So straight away, they're who we're talking about here. Surely that
will slay the wicked, O God. Depart from me thee, therefore, ye bloody men. For they speak against
thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain. I mean, take his name in vain is the least
of it, isn't it? Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? And am not I grieved with those that
rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred. I count them mine enemies. That's the
Spirit-filled Psalmist view. And again, of course, we're not talking about all people that call
themselves Jews, because people then want to throw out anti-Semite, you know, anything but just
an ad hominem attack, because they can't argue with the Word of God, right? So it's just they just
start, you know, calling you names and everything else. But teachers and preachers of the Talmud,
of that wicked false religion, are false prophets. They're enemies of God.
I mean, what else are they? They hate the Lord Jesus Christ. They blaspheme the Lord Jesus Christ.
They reject him ultimately in the beginning in terms of at least their spiritual forefathers,
these people, because that's where that religion has come from. But physically,
like I've said many times, that is an absolute sham. They're no more Jew than it. In fact,
they're a lot less Jew than you and I, and they're no more Jew than anyone else out there in the
streets. It's ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. And their followers are certainly not special
people. I mean, what on earth? Where do these people get this stuff from? And they'll go hate
speech, right? Wicked to say that. Well, let's look at what the Psalmist said after he said this.
He said in verse 23, search me, O God, and know my heart. He seems pretty confident, right?
Try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way
everlasting. He seems pretty confident that he's not full of at least the sort of unfair hate
speech they're saying. He seems pretty confident that you could search me and see if there's any
wicked way in me having just said, do not I hate them that hate me? That's the Bible, folks,
isn't it? Yeah, that's God's people. That's spirit-filled men of God in the Bible saying,
I hate people that hate you. Not saying, right, let's all kind of, you know, all band together
and stand with people that hate you. It's crazy. Absolutely crazy. And that's what we're seeing
out there right now. I don't know where all that stuff's going to go. I don't know. Some people
might have more of an idea of the whole political scene. I think it's like a lot of it's smoke and
mirrors. It's hard to really know, isn't it? Really, what is the truth? What's really going
on? What's really going to happen? I know some people are a bit concerned. Are we going that way?
Someone asked me this today actually, just said, you know, do I think that perhaps this is a way
towards, you know, towards kind of like towards a final war and everything else? Well, look,
you could argue maybe the, you know, the scene's set fairly well with the whole Ukraine situation
as well and everything else, but here's the thing. This scene's been set probably many times over
the last few centuries, isn't it? Yeah, you could go, well, the technology's there now for the mark,
but the technology's still going to be there for another however many centuries to come as well,
isn't it? So we don't really know, do we? And people, you know, it is, yeah, look,
you find that interesting. You want to try and keep abreast of it. I think it's really hard to
really know the truth of what's going on just because it's conspiracytv.com. I don't mean it's
true either, okay? I think you kind of probably need to watch a lot of stuff and look at a lot
of stuff and try and find something in the middle and I don't have the time for that. If anyone does,
let me know what you come up with, but, and make sure you get some work after that.
But aside from all of that, what's our response to all of this? Well, if it is getting close,
let's go out there and preach the Gospel, right? Because we need to get more people saved because
therefore we're running out of time, yeah? And look, and if some of them Jew boys down the road
want to get saved, I'm all for that, man. They want to hear the Gospel, great. Yeah, I'll preach
the Gospel. I don't care how long the curls are. Honestly, I don't care how big that top hat is.
I will preach the Gospel to them, okay? Look, we love all, right? We love the unsaved, but I tell
you what though, the reprobates though, and their rabbis, ain't getting no Gospel out of me. They're
getting a short shrift, that's what they're getting. And sadly, it seems to be a lot of the religious
folk seem to be that way as well, but again, it's hard to tell always. But anyway, on that,
we're going to finish off in a word of prayer. Father, thank you for your word. Thank you for,
well, you know, a great chapter and just more pictures there of, well, what did happen,
that replacement, Lord, and we thank you that we are your nation, Lord, we're your spiritual
nation. Help us to be strong and confident and bold in that, and not to, you know, have our heads
turned and lose so many of those promises, so much of the word of God, which tells us, you know,
your love for us and the way that you will treat us as your spiritual nation, Lord, and help us to
just be strong in that, help us to, you know, this week, get out against so many if we can,
at least to return on Sunday, to be able to be in your house, be able to get out,
preaching the Gospel, Lord, help us get people saved, help us to get home safe and sound,
just thank you for all this. Amen.