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Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. If you would, go ahead and grab a hymnal. We'll get started this morning with hymn number 30, nothing but the blood. Hymn number 30, nothing but the blood. Hymn number 33-0, nothing but the blood. Let's sing starting there on the first. What can wash away my sin? What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh, precious is the flow that makes me white as snow. No other fount I know. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. For my pardon, this I see. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. For my cleansing, this my plea. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh, precious is the flow that makes me white as snow. No other fount I know. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. That's hymn number 30 starting on the third. Hymn number 30, nothing but the blood. Let's start there on the third. Nothing can force an atone. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Not of good that I have done. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh, precious is the flow that makes me white as snow. No other fount I know. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. This is all my hope and peace. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. This is all my righteousness. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh, precious is the flow that makes me white as snow. No other fount I know. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Lord, I also pray that you'd be with brother Ben and just fill him with your spirit, Lord. And we just thank you for him and his family that they've taken this time out of their schedule to come preach for us, Lord. We're very blessed to have them. I just pray that you would continue to bless them and their family. Lord, if you would just incline your ear to us as we sing praises unto you. Be with those that aren't able to be here or that are sick under the weather or anyone that's needing prayers, Lord. Whether they be spoken or unspoken, I just pray that you'd be with them. Lord, we love you very much. These things we pray in Jesus' name, Amen. Alright, for our next hymn this morning, if you would, turn to hymn number 110. Hymn number 110, All the Way My Savior Leads Me. Hymn number 110, All the Way My Savior Leads Me. Let's sing. All the way my Savior leads me, What have I to ask beside? Can I doubt His tender mercy, Who through life has been my guide? Heavenly peace, divinest comfort, Here by faith in Him to dwell, For I know what Heir before me, Jesus doeth all things well. For I know what Heir before me, Jesus doeth all things well. All the way my Savior leads me, Cheers each winding path I tread, Gives me peace for every trial, Feeds me with the living bread, Though my weary steps may falter, And my soul a thirst may be, Gushing from the rock before me, Lo, a spring of joy I see. Gushing from the rock before me, Lo, a spring of joy I see. All the way my Savior leads me, O the fullness of His love, Perfect rest to me is promised In my Father's house above, When my Spirit clothed immortal, We fly to realms of day. List my song through endless ages, Jesus led me all the way. List my song through endless ages, Jesus led me all the way. Amen. Alright, good morning. It's good to see everybody this morning. We'll go ahead and go over the announcements for the morning. So go ahead and pull out your bulletins. If you don't have a bulletin, just go ahead and raise your hand. Brother Brandon will bring them around to you. On the top left, we do have our service times. Sunday morning at 10 30 a.m. we have the evening service at 5 30 p.m. And our midweek Bible study is on Thursday at 7 p.m. And we have our soul winning times listed underneath here with the respective leaders for the regional soul winning times. And our stats are listed underneath. And we have broken the 300 mark for salvations. So good job soul winning. And do we have any salvations to report from Friday or Saturday? You have three? Amen. Brother Mo? No? Okay. So just three. Good deal. We had three on Thursday. You had three on Thursday? So three more? Okay. Good deal. Six. Alright, so good job soul winning. For our Bible memory passage, we are still in Romans chapter number eight. Cruising right along, one verse per week. We are in verse number 14. And we have a very short verse this week, alright kids? So there's no reason why you shouldn't get this one. Get some ice cream on that next midweek service. So definitely work on that. And again, it's not too late. It is a longer chapter. So you could definitely easily catch up if you kind of just start a little bit late. So definitely work on that. If you can't quote it word perfect, you will receive a special prize. And there is also an extra challenge this month, alright? It's Romans chapter number one. So I think most people have pretty much most of this chapter memorized. Especially the latter part of it. Alright, so just kind of just fine tune that. If you could quote that word perfect, you will also receive a special prize as well. So definitely keep working on those. Be in prayer for our expectant mothers. We have Miss Carrie Shelley and Miss Sara Gomez. So be in prayer for the new babies and the mothers. That everyone stays healthy there. Definitely exciting to have some new babies come on board. So just some upcoming events that we're looking forward to. Right around the corner at the end of this month, June 26th, we have the Baytown Bash Soul Winning Marathon. It's going to be a Soul Winning Marathon in Baytown. That's again June 26th. And we are meeting up at Roseland Park. The address is listed right here. 100 Roseland Drive, Baytown, Texas, 77520. So we're going to be meeting there at 9 a.m. Breakfast will be provided. We'll have some breakfast burritos from Taco Cabana. So definitely bring your appetite for the breakfast. We're going to be heading out for a round of Soul Winning from 10 a.m. to 12. And then we're going to be meeting back at that same park at 1230 for lunch. Okay, lunch will be provided. So we're going to have lunch until 130. Then we're going to go back out for another round of Soul Winning from 2 to 4. So that'll be the schedule. Again, that's June 26th. So coming up here pretty quick, just write that down on your calendars. And then later on at the end of this year, we have the Fire Breathing Baptist Fellowship at Steadfast Baptist Church up in Hearst, Texas. Alright, so again, I don't think they have all the details out right now, but I guarantee there's going to be a great lineup of preachers. Okay, a lot of good fellowship events. So definitely, you know, I'd highly recommend you attend that if you can. It'd be very good to attend that. And then just lastly, if you have any prayer requests, always email those into the church at purewordsbaptist.gmail.com. And Pastor Shelley does go over those during that midweek service so we can help each other out with the prayers with anything that you need. But that is the announcement for the morning. Go ahead and pull your hymnals back out. Brother Cameron can lead us in our third song. Alright, for our third hymn this morning, turn if you would to 183, hymn number 183, Oh How I Love Jesus. There is a name I love to hear, hymn number 183, Oh How I Love Jesus. Let's sing there starting on the first. There is a name I love to hear, I love to sing it's worth. It sounds like music in my ear, the sweetest name on earth. Oh how I love Jesus, oh how I love Jesus, oh how I love Jesus, because he first loved me. It tells me of a Savior's love who died to set me free. It tells me of his precious blood, the sinner's perfect plea. Oh how I love Jesus, oh how I love Jesus, oh how I love Jesus, because he first loved me. It tells me what my Father hath in store for every day, and though I tread a darksome path, yield sunshine all the way. Oh how I love Jesus, oh how I love Jesus, oh how I love Jesus, because he first loved me. It tells of one whose loving heart can feel my deepest woe, oh who in each sorrow bears a part that none can bear below. Oh how I love Jesus, oh how I love Jesus, oh how I love Jesus, because he first loved me. Amen. At this time the offering plates are going to go around. While those are being passed around, turn if you would to Galatians chapter number four. Galatians chapter number four, we'll read that chapter as is our custom. Right, Galatians chapter number four, the Bible reads, Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, differth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all, but as under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because he are sons, God hath sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father. Wherefore, thou art no more a servant, but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them, which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak? And beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage. Ye observe days and months and times and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain. Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am, for I am as ye are. Ye have not injured me at all. Ye know how, through infirmity of the flesh, I preached the gospel unto you at the first. And my temptation, which was in my flesh, ye despised not, nor rejected, but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? For I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes and have given them to me. Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? They zealously affect you, but not well, yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them. But it is good to be zealously affected, always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you. My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you. I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice, for I stand in doubt of you. Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bond made, and the other by a free woman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh, but he of the free woman was by promise. Which things are an allegory? For these are the two covenants, the one from the Mount Sinai, which gentereth the bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem, which now is, and is, the bondage with her children. But Jerusalem, which is above, which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren, that bearest not, break forth and cry, thou that travailest not. For the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless, what sayeth the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free. Let's say a quick word of prayer. Lord, Heavenly Father, we come to you this morning to thank you for everything that you provide. We thank you for this church. And, Lord, I just ask that you just go, brother, be with your spirit, help them to preach bold, and just help us incline our ears to Him and just receive your message. And, Lord, we love you. Tell us in your name, Jesus Christ. Amen. Amen. Amen. Look down at your Bible at Galatians chapter number 4. The Bible reads in verse 22. For it is written that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a free woman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh, but he of the free woman was by promise. So the Bible is telling us here that Isaac would bring forth the chosen nation of the Old Testament. And really what this is is it's analogous to the fact that spiritual Israel in the New Testament is God's chosen people, not physical Israel. That's what we see in play here. Ishmael, although he was a descendant of Abraham, was not actually responsible for the chosen seed, just as the physical descendants of Israel today are not God's chosen people, but rather it's the spiritual nation. And, in fact, this is why the Bible tells us to avoid genealogies because we don't even really know who truly is a physical descendant of Israel anyway. Our genes are ubiquitous throughout the entire planet now because of intermarrying and things like that. So it would be a fool's errand to try and figure out what your genealogy consists of and where it goes back to, etc. But the point is this, that those who have rejected the Messiah, those who have rejected the Lord Jesus Christ, who call themselves Jews, are absolutely not God's chosen people. And we see this theme throughout the New Testament. Look at verse 24. It says, So what Brother Nick read for you in this chapter, in the few verses that preceded verse 24, are actually allegorical for what? It says, So these two sons that the Bible is talking about here, Ishmael and Isaac, are allegorical for not just, I believe, the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, but also physical and spiritual Jews. What you have to understand is that the Ishmaelites represent from a spiritual standpoint the Jews who have rejected the Messiah, the unbelieving sect of Israel. It also represents, you could say, the difference between a physical birth and a spiritual birth. We know, of course, that a spiritual birth is necessary for salvation. I do think also the Mosaic Covenant and the New Covenant is in view as well. But look at verse 25. The Bible reads there, So we know that Sarah didn't bear children for a period. Just as Shiraz, the Gentiles, for a period in history, weren't bringing forth fruit from a spiritual standpoint, but of course that ended up changing big time. Look at verse 28. This is in reference to Genesis 21, by the way. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bond woman, but of the free. So what's Paul saying to a Galatian audience here in Galatians chapter 4? He says, we are the children of promise. The Abrahamic Covenant applies to us and it also says, Christ rejecting Israel will not be heir with those who have accepted the Gospel and gotten saved. It's clear as day. It also says, he that was born after the flesh, persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. We have further proof that the Ishmaelites are picturing the Jews, the Christ rejecting Jews here, because of course we know that the Jews have persecuted Christians all throughout history and they've done it all throughout the Scriptures as well. They hate Jesus and they hate those who believe in Jesus. But again, the bond woman, the Bible says, shall not be heir with the free woman. There are certain people out there who will acknowledge that the Gentiles have gotten in on the promises that were made to Abraham, but they seem to think that, well, God is still going to, you know, he's not done with the Jews. God's not done with Israel. Our old IFB friends will preach at the top of their lungs. But we see that it says that the bond woman shall not be heir. And here's what you have to understand. Ishmael and Isaac in this chapter, these two lines, I believe are a poignant allegory of what? Replacement theology, which is what this church believes and other like-minded churches as well. There are three more examples of this I'd like to cover. Go to Romans chapter 9 if you would. The title of my sermon this morning is Old Testament Pictures of Replacement Theology. Old Testament Pictures of Replacement Theology. What I want to give you is an overview of some allegories of replacement theology that we see in the Old Testament. And the purpose of this is simple. Obviously we don't build doctrine off of types or allegories or pictures. That's not how we build doctrine. However, this is what I've said in the past. I'll say it again. When you have a particular doctrine that's backed by a clear scripture. You look at Galatians 3, Galatians 4, Romans 9, Romans 2, etc. Often times the pictures you see throughout scripture act as sort of icing on the cake if you will. You know I point to the post-Trib pre-wrath rapture. You have Matthew 24, 29. You have 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. You have clear scriptures that you can look to to prove that doctrine is true. And then you also have the feast days in Leviticus chapter 23. You have these cool pictures of the post-Trib pre-wrath rapture that act as icing on an already very tasty cake. And that's what we're going to do with this sermon. Let's add some icing to replacement theology by looking at the Old Testament and seeing some pictures that would point to a pattern that I believe is present throughout the entire Bible. Which is that this nation that rejected the Messiah and turned their back on God have actually been replaced. Let's turn to Romans chapter 9. I want to quote to you what Jesus Christ himself said in Matthew 21 when he said, Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures the stone which the builders rejected? The same has become the head of the corner. This is the Lord's doing and it is marvelous in our eyes. Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And I mean this with respect because there are a lot of old IFB churches where the pastor is saved. But I'm going to ask the question anyway. What part of that are they not understanding? Jesus Christ said, Clear as day the kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. Guess what that nation consists of? Jew or Gentile. It doesn't matter what your ethnicity is. That nation consists of those who believed the gospel. And Jesus made it plain there. Jesus preached replacement theology himself in Matthew chapter 21. The Jews have been replaced. Get over it. Romans chapter 9, it says in verse 6, Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. I had you turn to Romans and I look at verse 6. Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel which are of Israel. Verse 7, Neither because they are 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, but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. So the physical descendants of Israel who reject Jesus Christ are not the children of promise. It's that easy. That's what this is saying. They are not all Israel which are of Israel. All Israel, you have to understand, it's a spiritual nation consisting of people who believe in Christ. Again, it doesn't matter what their ethnicity is. They could be Jew, Gentile, black, white, green, yellow, I don't care. Red, indigo, doesn't matter what your skin color is. If you believe in Christ, you're part of the spiritual nation. And this is why the Bible, people talk about, oh, you know, we need to fight racism, the discrimination in America. And so they're turned to Marxist trash like critical race theory. If you really want to cure racism, you could do it with the word of God. Because the Bible says that there's neither Jew nor Greek, male nor female, in Christ Jesus. The Bible emphasizes the spiritual over the carnal. And we see that exact same pattern regarding replacement theology which is that it doesn't matter what your ancestry is. It doesn't matter where you came from from a physical standpoint. What matters is your spiritual ancestry. What truly matters is whether or not you've become a member of the spiritual nation of Israel. So with that foundation laid, I just wanted to lay that foundation first. Let's go to Genesis chapter 25 and let's look at some symbolism of this doctrine here this morning. So the Jews, remember what I said, they've persecuted believers throughout the scriptures. They are enemies of the gospel, the Bible says in Romans chapter 11. Why? Because those who hate Christ hate the gospel. Guess what? That Pentecostal church a few doors down, they hate Jesus because they hate the gospel. Because they preach a work's salvation. Everybody who rejects the gospel in that way by preaching another gospel, Galatians 1 says, let them be accursed. In my book, they hate Jesus because what they say is that the death, burial, and resurrection wasn't enough. Well the Jews take it a step further than that. Not only do they reject the fact that salvation is by faith, but they hate the Messiah himself. Go to Israel and you'll see that. Which I'm not actually advocating for you to go to Israel, but if you search, if you go do your research online, you're spitting on the ground, whenever his name is mentioned, the things that are said about Christ in the Talmud, and so that's why it's sickening. It is sickening today to see Baptist churches celebrating them. You know, these bunch of Israeli flag-waving, Jew-worshipping Zionists are totally ignorant. They're totally ignorant of what the scriptures actually say, and they have fallen victim to a political agenda. That's all it is. It's not found in scripture, it's a political agenda that emanates not from the word of God, but from the Republican Party. Here's the second spiritual picture we're going to talk about. Esau was supplanted. Esau was supplanted. Now I had you turn to Genesis chapter 25. Look at verse 23 when you get there. Genesis 25 and verse 23, where the Bible read, And the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb. He's speaking to Rebekah. And two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels, and the one people shall be stronger than the other people, and the elder shall serve the younger. So Jacob and Esau in Rebekah's womb, they're representative of what? They're representative of two nations. And it's saying that Jacob as a nation will be stronger, Edom will be his servant. The Edomites, of course, we know are eventually judged harshly by God, which I'll get to a little bit later on. I don't want to get ahead of myself here. But we see that these two babies are representative of two nations. Jacob that would represent spiritual Israel, and it's Esau or Edom that would represent the Jews. Now turn, if you would, to Genesis 27, just a few chapters over. Genesis chapter number 27. What you have to understand about this doctrine is that the Gentiles, those who don't have a physical lineage that traces back to Israel and Abraham, they could be, or I should say they are now, God's chosen people. They're part of that nation, which is God's chosen people, if they believed on Christ. Whereas in the Old Testament, in order to be a part of that chosen nation, they had to actually physically immigrate to that nation, physically get circumcised and be a citizen of Israel from a physical standpoint. Well now you can spiritually immigrate. It doesn't matter where you've been born, you can spiritually immigrate to all Israel, to the Israel of God, which is what the Bible calls it in the New Testament. Now Genesis 27, it says in verse 1, And it came to pass that when Isaac was old and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his oldest son, and said unto him, My son, and he said unto him, Behold, here am I. Let's stop and think about this verse specifically. It says that Isaac chose Esau. What does that word mean? The word choose. It uses that word choose or chose in the past tense. Elect. That's what comes to my mind. Elect. Well in the Old Testament, who were the elect? It was Israel. In the Old Testament, the elect were Israel. And so Esau, representing that physical lineage, was elect. Just as sure as the Old Testament nation of Israel was elect, it was chosen to be a light to the Gentiles. They failed though. That's the thing that the old IFB just ignores. They totally failed and so they're not chosen anymore. But we see that Isaac wants Esau to get him venison so that he may eat and incur a blessing. Now the intention was that Isaac would bless Esau. That was the intention here. Just as sure as God, he intended to bless Israel. Right? Rebecca overhears this conversation that takes place between Isaac and Esau. And she requests that Jacob actually be the one to give his father the venison because she wants him to be blessed. The plan in her mind was that Isaac would perceive that Jacob was actually Esau because of his dim vision and the idea was, hey, let's see if we can make him perceive that Jacob is really Esau so that Jacob could get the blessing that was originally intended for Esau. Now look at verse 15. The Bible reads there. And Rebecca took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob, her younger son. So what she does first is she puts Esau's raiment on Jacob, which I find to be interesting. Look at verse 16. And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands and upon the smooth of his neck, and she gave the savory meat and the bread which she had prepared into the hand of her son Jacob. So what we see next is that she takes these goats' skins and she places them on his hands and neck. Why? Because Esau was a hairy man, which I can relate to that. And so what she does is she puts these goats' skins on his hand and neck so that when Isaac feels Jacob, in his mind, that is going to make him perceive that it's actually Esau because of the level of hairiness. That's basically what's going on here. So Rebecca essentially is replicating what Esau feels like courtesy of what? The goats' skin. She gives them savory meat which she had prepared. Notice what it says in Genesis 27. Which she had prepared is what the verse says in verse 17. I should have had you look there. Verse 17, it says, and she gave the savory meat and the bread which she had prepared. Notice it was Esau who had to go prepare his own venison, but with respect to Jacob, Rebecca prepared it for him. Here's what you have to understand about that. For us, we're not preparing our own venison. It was all done by the Lord Jesus Christ. Rebecca would picture Jesus here in the sense that she prepared the venison on his behalf, just as sure as the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried and rose again on our behalf as spiritual Israel to purchase our salvation. Meanwhile, these Christ-rejecting Jews, what did they do? They tried to prepare their own venison. They rejected the finished work of the cross and instead attempted to prepare their own venison. They wanted to be justified by their own works. The Bible says so in Romans 9 which says they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone and there are many multitudes of people today who are stumbling at that exact same stumbling stone. All you have to do is go out sowing once and you'll see what I'm talking about. Unsaved Israel trusted the works of the law. They wanted to prepare their own venison rather than relying on the Lord Jesus Christ to do that for them. And so as a result, they're not saved. Esau, or I should say Rebecca prepared the venison on behalf of Jacob just as sure as, you know what, we don't rely on our own righteousness to go to heaven but rather the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Check out Genesis 27 verse 21. Look at verse 21. Skip down to verse 21. The Bible reads there, And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not. And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father, and he felt him and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau. And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, notice, as his brother Esau's hands, so he blessed him. Now the skins, the goats skin that Jacob had in order for his father to perceive that he was really Esau is actually a picture of the imputed righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ that we receive at salvation. What you have to understand is this. Isaac perceived that Jacob was actually Esau because of a sacrifice. Just as sure as, you know, we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, we get the imputed righteousness of Christ as a result of the sacrifice of Christ. But I want to focus on replacement theology, not just salvation, alright. Let's look at replacement theology here. Obviously Jacob was blessed and that's an allegory of the fact that, you know, it's spiritualism who's really saved, etc. But I want to focus on replacement theology for the purpose of this sermon. Think about this. Just as Jacob was viewed from an intellectual standpoint as Esau in the presence of Isaac, right. Think about this. Jacob viewed as Esau in the presence of Isaac. The Gentiles who believed on Christ in the eyes of God are viewed as Israel. The Gentiles are viewed as Israel. They're perceived to be Israel in the sight of God because they've actually accepted the gospel. The Gentiles who were not God's chosen people in the Old Testament now become God's chosen people in the New Testament by believing the gospel. It's as simple as that. When Isaac heard Jacob, he perceived him to be Esau because he felt him. Why? Because of a sacrifice of goatskins. Well how is it that the Gentiles are God's chosen people in the New Testament? How is it possible that they're perceived to be God's chosen people? It's because of another sacrifice. The sacrifice of Christ. Because of the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. Believing Gentiles are the Israel of God because of the sacrifice of Christ. Now there's a caveat I have to add here. Obviously no picture is 100% perfect. Isaac was deceived in the story and obviously God the Father is not deceived so that does not necessarily line up. But my point still stands. My point still stands. Look at Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2. So what would Jacob represent? Well Jacob in this specific portion of the story would represent those believing Gentiles who have become the Israel of God. Who are the Israel of God. And I heard you turn to Ephesians chapter 2. Meanwhile I'm going to read from Hosea 2. As you're turning to Ephesians chapter 2, Hosea 2 says, And I will sow her unto me in the earth, and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy. And I will say to them which were not my people, thou art my people, and they shall say, thou art my God. The Gentiles were not God's chosen people at one point. But this division between Jew and Gentile was reconciled at the beginning of the New Covenant. That veil has been rent. And so now it doesn't matter what your genealogy is. Believers, whether they're Jew and Gentile, are the Israel of God. It doesn't matter what their ethnicity is. You say, I don't believe you. I think you're wrong. I'm going to prove you wrong. Look at Ephesians 2. It says in verse 11, Ephesians 2 verse 11, Wherefore remember that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who were called uncircumcision, by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands, that at that time ye were without Christ being aliens. You want to talk about illegal aliens? Well, the Gentiles were aliens at one point, okay? Being aliens from the common wealth of Israel and the strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world, but now in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were afar off are made nigh how? By the blood of Christ. So the same Gentiles who are designated as Israel are designated as Israel because of what Jesus Christ accomplished for them at Calvary. Just as sure as Jacob was perceived to be Esau because of the sacrifice of the goatskins that was prepared for him by Rebekah. It's a picture that I think fits perfectly with the doctrine of replacement theology. And let's add a little bit to it. Head over, if you would, to Obadiah verse 17. To get to Obadiah, you go to Daniel, Joel, Amos, and then Obadiah. Daniel, Joel, Amos, Obadiah. Go to Obadiah verse 17. Meanwhile, I'm going to read from Genesis 27 as you're turning to Obadiah. Daniel, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, and you're going to look at verse 17. Bible says, meanwhile, in Genesis 27, and he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob, for he hath supplanted me? This is Esau talking. For he hath supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright, and behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not preserved a blessing for me? Jacob, the Bible says, supplanted Esau. Esau, of course, despised his birthright. I didn't have time to go over that particular portion of the story in this sermon, but that could be analogous to the fact that the Jews rejected the Messiah. And what's interesting is that Esau actually sold his birthright for carnal gain. It was for carnal gain. Meanwhile, the Jews, one of the reasons that they rejected the Messiah is because they were concerned with their carnal kingdom. So what's the picture? Isaac identified Jacob as Esau because of the sacrifice of goatskins that he had placed on his hand and neck, just to assure his God views, believing Gentiles as Israel because of the sacrifice of Christ. Obadiah, I had you turn there. Look at verse 17. But upon Mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness, and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions, and the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them and devour them, and there shall not be any remaining in the house of Esau, for the Lord hath spoken it. Remember what Esau said. Jacob supplanted me. Jacob supplanted Esau. And what happened to the nation of Edom? They incurred the wrath of God, just to assure the Jews eventually incurred the wrath of God. Some people point to 70 AD for that. We know that the Romans stomped them out of that land in 70 AD. But I think you can also look at this from an eschatological standpoint. That's just a fancy term for end times. From an end times standpoint, we know that these people are going to be wiped out prior to the millennium. Jesus Christ said, but those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither and slay them before me. That to me is what pops into my mind when I read Obadiah verse 18, which talks about how there shall not be any remaining in the house of Esau, for the Lord hath spoken it. There's wrath coming on the Jerusalem, which now is in the end times. If you want, you can read when you have time. I don't have time to go over it in this sermon, but you look at Luke chapter number 21 when Jerusalem is trodden down underfoot, courtesy of the armies of the Antichrist. When he comes in and he invades that land and he sets up the abomination of desolation, that's one component of God's wrath which is being kindled on these people. These people who have rejected the Messiah, who hate the Lord Jesus Christ, these people have incurred the wrath of God, not just in the past, but make no mistake about it, it's coming in the future as well. People say, oh, God's not done with Israel. They're all going to magically get saved at the battle of Armageddon and they're going to realize they crucified the wrong guy and just Calvinistically just believe on Christ for no apparent reason, taking Romans 11 out of context. You know what? They're right about one thing. God isn't done with Israel, but not in the way that they're saying it. There's a lot that he still has planned for that bully nation in the Middle East, but it's not exactly what they're thinking. So anyway, let's move on to the next one. Go to Numbers chapter 14. I think that Esau Jacob's story is certainly reminiscent of replacement theology, but there's more in the Bible. And here's the third spiritual picture I want to look at. The first one, of course, I started with as the intro was Ishmael and Isaac. The next one we looked at is Jacob and Esau. But now let's look at this one in Numbers chapter 14. The Israelites who died in the wilderness, the Israelites who died, the men of war who died in the wilderness because they didn't have the faith that God would bring them into that land that he had separated for them. That was at that time occupied by heathens. What's the context of Numbers chapter 14? Of course, the spies were sent into Canaan to search out the land and essentially scout it out. And the congregation had no faith. Like I said, they didn't have the faith that God would deliver them from their enemies. That God would actually orchestrate their occupying force. That they would come in and that God would orchestrate a massive victory on their behalf to take the land that he promised for them. They didn't have the faith that he would do that. And you're going to see this illustrated. Look at Numbers chapter 14 in verse 1. And all the congregation lifted up their voice and cried and the people wept that night and all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron and the whole congregation said unto them, would God that we had died in the land of Egypt or would God we had died in this wilderness? So what they're saying is this. We would have rather perished in the wilderness than actually relied on the Lord to orchestrate a massive victory for us. That's what they're saying. It's a lack of faith. They fell because of their unbelief. It kind of reminds me of a group of people. Let's look at verse 3 and I don't want to get ahead of myself. It says, And wherefore hath the Lord brought us into this land to fall by the sword that our wives and our children should be a prey? Were it not better for us to return into Egypt? And they said one to another, let us make a captain and let us return into Egypt. So think about this. They want someone else. They want a new leader to take them back to Egypt. This generation in the wilderness represent the Christ hating Jews. And what did Jesus say about them in John chapter 5? That they didn't receive Christ. They didn't receive him but they're going to receive someone else. You know who that's going to be? The Antichrist. And so these men here, they're saying, hey, make us a captain so we can go back to Egypt. Well, guess what? The Jews, they're saying the same thing today. They want a captain. They want someone else. They don't want who God gave them. You see, God gave them Moses here in the wilderness. Well, you know what? That's a picture of the fact that, hey, God gave these people Jesus Christ. They don't want him. They want a different captain and that's going to be the Antichrist in the end times. We also see here that they're murmuring against leadership. They're murmuring against leadership to take them back to Egypt. There are a lot of different ways you can apply this. There isn't just one way. Obviously, people have taken this story and they've applied it to Christians in our day in the sense that there are certain Christians out there who want to go back into the world, which Egypt would represent the world. So they want to go back into the world. They don't want to serve God anymore. People have applied this to preach against whiners and whining. All of that is valid. But I also think that there is replacement theology here as well. The enemies in their mind were too strong for them and they refused to rely on God for victory. Now, think about this. When people refuse to rely on the Lord, when people instead rely on themselves, most often we see that regarding salvation. I said it earlier. I'll say it again. You go out summoning just one time and you'll encounter person after person, door after door, individual after individual who is refusing to rely on God for their salvation but instead rely on themselves. Israel did not rely on God for their physical salvation for this victory that he wanted to give them. This land that he had prepared for them. They didn't want to rely on God for it. They felt that he was incapable of taking them into that land. Just as sure as Christ hating Jews don't believe that the Messiah is who he says he is and that he's actually incapable of saving them. Look at verse six in this chapter. And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes. And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel saying, the land which we passed through to search it is an exceeding good land. If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land and give it us a land which floweth with milk and honey. So Joshua and Caleb act as what? A remnant. They stand up and say, hey, God can give us this victory. Let's rely on the Lord. These enemies are going to be cut down by the Lord. All we have to do is have some faith. Let's believe in him and let's go take this land that God prepared for us. But everyone else, they're not on board with that. Joshua, Caleb, of this congregation that lacked faith, that fell into unbelief, purposefully, they represent a remnant. They represent a remnant. Just as sure as Romans chapter 11 says about the physical line of Israel, that there is in fact a remnant according to the election of grace. Am I saying that every single individual physical Israelite did not get saved? No, of course not. The apostle Paul got saved, right? He's the most famous example. Others as well have gotten saved, but they are a remnant. Just as Elijah was reminded that there are 7,000 men who haven't bowed the knee to build, what we have to understand as Christians is that the remnant oftentimes, or I should say the righteous oftentimes are the remnant. In this world, we are massively outnumbered. And the pattern you'll see throughout scripture is that the righteous are often the remnant. The righteous are often the remnant. And we see here that the righteous, Caleb and Joshua, are a very small remnant of the men who lacked faith that God would bring them this massive victory and give them the land that he promised for them. Look at verse 29. Skip down to verse 29. The Bible read there in Numbers 14, 29, your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness. So God's upset with these men, and so now they're going to incur his judgment. It says, your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number from 20 years old and upward, which have murmured against me. Doubtless, you shall not come into the land concerning which I swear to make you dwell therein, save Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua, the son of Nun. So here's God's judgment that this generation of men of war, they would fall in the wilderness. They would perish in the wilderness and not inherit the promised land. They would not come into the promised land. Why? Unbelief. Unbelief. Caleb and Joshua, a remnant of those men, would obtain the inheritance because they did have faith. Go to Joshua chapter 5, if you would. Joshua chapter 5. You're in Numbers. Skip past Deuteronomy and go to the book of Joshua in chapter 5. We're going to look at verse number 2. So this generation of men who perished in the wilderness because of unbelief represent the Jews. Joshua and Caleb, they represent a remnant of those Jews who actually believed and got saved. But now we're going to see who actually represents the Gentiles or who is analogous to or symbolizes the Gentiles in this story. Joshua chapter 5, and I know this is sort of a Bible study here this morning, but look, I'll rip on the Sodomites another time, okay? Let's study the Bible this morning because there are multiple subjects that are covered in Scripture. Joshua chapter 5, it says in verse 2, at that time the Lord said unto Joshua, make these sharp knives and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time. So what's this talking about? At that time. This is in reference to when Israel passed over Jordan on dry land, and it's basically here there's a commandment to Joshua to circumcise. That's what's going on. God commanded Joshua to circumcise. Look at verse 3. And Joshua made him sharp knives and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the four skins, and this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise. All the people that came out of Egypt that were males, even all the men of war died in the wilderness, by the way, after they came out of Egypt. So these are the men we just read about in Numbers chapter 14 who, because of unbelief, didn't think that they would inherit the promised land. They felt that their enemies were too powerful, too strong for them to defeat, and so they fell in the wilderness. It was this first generation of men, 20 years old and up, who are, like I said, symbolic of the Jews. They died in the wilderness, but now we're going to see that the second generation that rises up, they are symbolic of the Gentiles. And remember, they were actually, from a physical standpoint, uncircumcised by this point. Look at verse 6. For the children of Israel walked 40 years in the wilderness till all the people that were men of war which came out of Egypt were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the Lord, unto whom the Lord sware that he would not show them the land which the Lord sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that flowed with milk and honey. Now pay attention to this verse. And their children, whom he raised up in their stead, them Joshua circumcised, notice, for they were uncircumcised because they had not circumcised them by the way. So the second generation that was raised up, it says that they were raised up in the prior generation's stead. You know what word comes to my mind when I read those words? Replacement. That's what comes to my mind when I see that verse, replacement. It was that second generation that replaced the first one, that replaced these men of war who didn't have the faith necessary for them to inherit the promised land. And the Bible says they were circumcised, because of course from a physical standpoint they were uncircumcised. But we're not thinking physical, we're thinking spiritual this morning, so let's look at that. Remember they had not been circumcised yet and it was Joshua who circumcised them. I don't envy him for that by the way, but different topic for a different time. Joshua, he's operating as a type of Christ here. He's operating as a type of Christ here. He circumcises the second generation of Israel in the wilderness, just to assure as the Gentiles, they received what? A spiritual circumcision courtesy of Christ. Go if you would to Colossians chapter 2, Colossians chapter 2. And they received that circumcision spiritually through what? Faith. Colossians 2 is where I had you turn, meanwhile I'm going to read from Romans 2 which says, For he is not a Jew, which is one inwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh, but he is a Jew which is one outwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God. If you are saved today, if you believe on Christ today, you are a Jew. We're all Jews, but we're Jews from a spiritual standpoint, not a physical one. We're Jews from a spiritual standpoint and the circumcision that we've received is an inward circumcision. You have received a spiritual circumcision of the heart which you received at salvation. You have received a spiritual circumcision and you are also a spiritual Jew. So keep that in mind. Colossians 2 verse 11 where I had you turn, it says, In whom also ye are circumcised, with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision, notice, of Christ. The circumcision of Christ. So remember, that second generation of the wilderness, they were circumcised by Joshua. Well believers, no matter your ethnicity, I know I've repeated that over and over again, but it's an important point to hammer throughout this sermon. No matter your ethnicity, if you are a believer, no matter where you come from, you have received the circumcision of Christ. It was that second generation of men who replaced the first. They rose up in their stead and then Joshua circumcised them just as sure as Gentiles who believed on Christ have replaced the Christ hating Jews and then they received a circumcision which was spiritual. So I hope you were able to follow along with that. If not, ask me about it after the sermon. I'll be glad to answer any questions you have. Let's go to 1 Samuel chapter 2. So in essence, spiritual Israel replaced physical Israel and then they were, I should say they were circumcised spiritually. That's what's going on here and I think that that's pictured by the fact that the second generation of men in the wilderness replaced the first. And of course they were physically circumcised. So we're going to go to 1 Samuel chapter 2 and look at the final spiritual picture that I want to look at this morning concerning replacement theology which is the house of Eli. The house of Eli in 1 Samuel chapter 2. Look at verse 12 when you get there. 1 Samuel chapter 2 and verse 12. Notice what the Bible says in 1 Samuel chapter 2 verse 12. It says, Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial who knew not the Lord. These are reprobates. The sons of Belial are reprobates and the Bible is saying that the sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas are reprobates. What's a reprobate? Somebody who rejects, who hates and rejects the Lord to the point that God rejects them. This is covered in Romans chapter 1. Let's go to Romans 1 real quickly. Romans chapter 1. Hophni and Phinehas were reprobates. They made themselves vile. They laid with women in the tabernacle. They also unlawfully ate the sacrifice. These were wicked men and Eli, his problem, the reason why God was mad at him is because he did not restrain them. And so the application you'll see most often regarding this story is that parents ought to restrain their children and bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord so that they don't become reprobate children just like Hophni and Phinehas were. Now in Romans chapter 1 the Bible speaks about these people and it says in verse number 27, I should say in verse number 28, I should say verse 26, sorry guys, verse 26. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature. And likewise also the men leaving the natural use of the woman burned in their lust one toward another. Men with men working that which is unseemly and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. This explains why faggots exist because they hated and rejected God. Look at verse 28. It says they did not like to retain God in their knowledge. God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient. The reason why reprobates are capable of committing sins that fall outside of normal sin nature is because they chose to hate and reject the Lord just like Hophni and Phinehas here. They chose to hate and reject God and so they became sons of Belial which are described in Romans chapter number 1. This is why you have the Sodomites today. This is why you have faggots because they chose to hate and reject the Lord first and so God gave them up to be sons of the devil, sons of Belial who are capable of committing certain sins like I said that fall outside of regular sin nature. Let's go back to 1 Samuel chapter number 2. That explains that phrase sons of Belial. So Hophni and Phinehas were reprobates. You know who else were reprobates? The nation, the physical nation of Israel who hated the Messiah. Now again that doesn't mean every single individual was. Like I covered earlier, there were certain individuals, a remnant who did get saved. But Jesus speaking to the Jews in Matthew chapter 23 said, Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Jesus Christ preached the reprobate doctrine in Matthew chapter 23. That's coming from the mouth of Jesus himself to the scribes and Pharisees saying how can ye escape the damnation of hell? These false prophets, these Jews who hate him will not, the implication is they will not escape the damnation of hell. They will not escape the fires and the torments of hell is what Jesus is saying. Now again not every Jew was reprobate but a large portion of them were. A large portion of them were. When you talk about these religious Jewish leaders, these quote unquote rabbis, they call themselves rabbis. These people are reprobates. These people hate the Lord Jesus Christ. They hate the gospel. They hate the Bible and make no mistake about it, they hate you. They hate each and every single one of you. And yet the old IFB practically bows down to them. Makes me sick. 1 Samuel chapter 2, with that in mind what you have to understand is Hophi and Phinehas sons of Belial representing the Jews. Look at 1 Samuel 2 verse 22. 1 Samuel 2 verse 22. Now Eli was very old and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. He said unto them, Why do ye such things? For I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. Nay, my sons, for it is no good report that I hear. Ye make the Lord's people to transgress. So Hophni and Phinehas were laying with the women who were assembled at the door of the tabernacle and Eli gives them this really weak rebuke. When you're children of guilty of these wicked as hell sins, let me just give you a little hint. Nay, my sons, is pretty weak. Pretty weak. That's weak. That's not how you rebuke children. That's not how you rebuke men who had been guilty of these kind of sins and that's what Eli did. He failed to restrain Hophni and Phinehas. Look down at verse 30. Look down at verse 30. The Bible read there, Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house and the house of thy father should walk before me forever. But now the Lord saith, Be it far from me, for them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. So when God says that he told the house of Eli, the house of his father, that they would walk before him forever, here's what he's referencing there. What he's talking about is the fact that the house of Eli, they met the physical criteria to serve God in the priesthood. Remember that it was the Levites who were given that responsibility and Eli, the house of Eli, they met that criteria. They were of that lineage and so since they were part of the priestly lineage, they could serve God in the tabernacle. And God's saying, yeah, I did say that you could serve God in the tabernacle because of the genealogy that they had, because of the priestly line that they were born into. But God's saying, despite that, you're not going to be serving me there anymore because they've proven themselves to be unworthy of that. Go to Exodus chapter 19, Exodus chapter 19. This denunciation in essence, I think, it basically declared the house of Eli not worthy of ministering in the tabernacle, not worthy of ministering in that capacity. Well, that reminds me of the Jews. The house of Eli, not just Hophni and Phinehas, but their entire genealogy, starting with Eli and going down, represent the Jews. Exodus 19 says in verse 5, they represent those unbelieving, the unbelieving sect of Israel. Exodus 19 says in verse 5, now, therefore, if you will obey my voice indeed and keep my covenant, then you shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people, for all the earth is mine. God had an expectation for the nation of Israel. And what was that expectation? That they would be holy, that they would be separate, that they would be obedient. That was his expectation. And if they didn't meet that expectation, the Bible says in Leviticus chapter 20, if they fell into these horrifying sins that are described in that chapter, that the land itself would vomit them out. God would kick them out of that land if they didn't meet certain expectations. Head over to Leviticus chapter 21. What we understand about the nation of Israel is they didn't live up to their end of the deal. They didn't live up to their end of the deal. Which reminds me of what happened with the house of Eli in the sense that Hophni and Phinehas and Eli by extension, because he didn't restrain his offspring, they didn't live up to their end of the deal concerning the priesthood, just as sure as the Israelites didn't live up to their end of the deal concerning the Mosaic Covenant or the law. And I had you turn to Leviticus 21. Look at what it says in verse 6. Talking about the priesthood, it says, So God expected his priests to be what? Holy, separate. To be obedient. That's why they wore linen breeches, to represent that they had to have righteousness. Those linen breeches that they wore represented the righteousness that God expected his priesthood to have. They had to be righteous. They had to be holy. They had to be separate. And like I said moments ago, Hophni and Phinehas and Eli by extension, because he didn't restrain his children, they didn't live up to their end of the deal. And so what happened? Well, they were replaced, just like physical Israel didn't live up to its end of the deal, and so they were replaced by a spiritual nation. Go to 1 Kings chapter 2, and we'll see this. 1 Kings chapter 2. As you're turning to 1 Kings chapter 2, I'm going to quote to you from 1 Samuel 2. Go to 1 Kings 2. Meanwhile, I'll quote from 1 Samuel 2, which said, And this shall be a sign unto thee that shall come upon thy two sons. This is God speaking, laying down some judgment here on the house of Eli. And it says on Hophni and Phinehas, in one day they shall die, both of them. Hophni and Phinehas, like we've already established, were vile, reprobate, filthy, and the Bible says both will die. And we see that fulfilled in 1 Samuel chapter number 4. In 1 Samuel chapter 4, Hophni and Phinehas are both slain. They both die. They get the wrath of God. They would face the wrath of God. It's the house of Israel that would face the wrath of God because they turned their back on him. Just like Israel, and we've already established this earlier in the sermon, they have incurred in the past, and also will in the future, the wrath of God for turning their back on him, for turning their back on the Lord, for spitting in his face. And we also see, and we're going to cover it now in 1 Kings chapter 2, that the house of Eli were actually thrust out from serving the Lord. And remember what we read in Galatians chapter 4, all the way at the beginning of this sermon. Cast out the bondwoman and her son. Those Jews are not going to get in on the promises. No, they've been cast out. And what do we see? We see God, he raises up Samuel in response, and he ends up serving the Lord in the tabernacle. He ends up fulfilling some of those responsibilities, but the ultimate fulfillment of the prophecy that God uttered in 1 Samuel chapter 2, talking about how the house of Eli would no longer serve the Lord, they would no longer be part of the ministry anymore, I believe is found here in 1 Kings chapter 2, so pay close attention to this. 1 Kings chapter 2, it says in verse 27, so Solomon, notice these two words, thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the Lord. Now that statement in and of itself, you might be wondering, what does that have to do with what we've been talking about concerning the house of Eli? Well, let's finish the verse. It says in the rest of verse 27, notice, that he might fulfill the word of the Lord which he spake concerning what? The house of Eli in Shiloh. So what we can deduce from this verse, the conclusion we can draw, is that Abiathar, the priest at the time here in 1 Kings chapter 2, was actually of the house of Eli, and we see that yeah, it took some time. We're talking about the time of Solomon here, and Eli, that story took place all the way back in 1 Samuel chapter 2. Yeah, it did take some time, but you know what? God's wrath, even though it might not necessarily happen imminently, that doesn't mean it isn't going to happen at all. The United States of America may be living large today, there may be these wicked devils who are running around all over the world in their private jets and hurting good people, hurting innocent people, and amassing as much wealth and prosperity as possible now, but that doesn't mean they're not going to face the wrath of God tomorrow. This just assures the house of Eli, God said that he would make sure that they no longer served in the ministry, and yeah, Hophli and Phinehas died, and he rose up Samuel, but it didn't, I think, be totally fulfilled. That prophecy wasn't completely fulfilled until you get to 1 Kings chapter 2, and Abiathar, the priest, who I believe we can ascertain was of that lineage, the priestly lineage of Eli, is thrust out. Why? So that God could fulfill the word that he spake concerning the house of Eli. Solomon thrust out Abiathar, the priest, and you know what? Like I said, that's reminiscent of the fact that, hey, cast out the bondwoman and her son. These people have been replaced. These people are no longer, this physical nation of Israel is no longer being used by God to be a light to the Gentiles. They're no longer being used by God at all. It's over. It's done. They've been replaced. Guess what? The Old Testament was replaced by the New Testament. Physical Israel was replaced by spiritual Israel. The physical circumcision was replaced by a spiritual circumcision. Do you see a pattern? And we see, I think, that analogy here in 1 Samuel chapter number 2. Zadok would serve, the Bible says, in the room of Abiathar, just as sure as the spiritual Israelites are being used of God to serve him instead of a physical nation. Let's go back to Hebrews 8, and I'm going to conclude the sermon there. Hebrews chapter 8. The house of Eli was replaced. But it wasn't because God broke the promise that he made with that Levitical, when it comes to that Levitical priesthood. God didn't break his promise. It was the house of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, Eli by extension, like I said, that didn't live up to their end of the bargain. And when you think about the old covenant, you have to understand this. It wasn't God who broke it, it was actually the Jews. They couldn't hold their end of the deal. They couldn't hold up to their responsibilities, their end of the deal. It says in Hebrews 8 verse 7, They broke the covenant. They couldn't fulfill it. The reality is, God found fault with them. There was nothing wrong with the old covenant. The law of the Lord is perfect. But it was Israel who God found fault with, and so as a result, they were replaced. They were replaced. God made a covenant with Eli's fathers that they would serve in the ministry, that priestly lineage. But just as sure as God made a covenant with Israel, and it was Israel who couldn't hold up their end of the bargain, we see the exact same thing with Eli. The Bible says in Hebrews chapter 8 for finding fault with them. You know, people would say this, Well, how could you say that the physical Israelites have been replaced? God would never break His promise. Well, here's the thing. They broke their promise to Him. They're the ones who were expected to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. They're the ones who were expected to serve God and be separate and sanctified, and yet they didn't do it. Instead, they turned to idolatry and satanic worship of Baal and other false gods as well. But here's the good news, and I want to leave you with this application to take with you before you leave. Thank God for the new covenant. You see, we can eat whatever we want now. You don't have to worry about getting physically circumcised. You don't have to worry about immigrating to a nation in the Middle East so that you can serve the Lord Jesus Christ. You can do it right here at your local New Testament church, and praise God that there are churches like this all over the country. Yes, it's a rarity. I'm not saying that there are a large plethora of great churches out there, but you still have some options scattered throughout the United States of America. Despite America getting more and more abominable every single day, at the very least you don't have to travel halfway across the world to go serve God. You can do it right here at your local New Testament church, and specifically you can do it right here at Pure Words Baptist Church. So here's what I want you guys to take from this sermon. Yeah, we see several different pictures of replacement theology going all the way back from Genesis through to 1 Samuel chapter 2, and there are many others I didn't even have time to get to. How about Esther and Vashti? That's one I didn't have time to get to. Of course, Esther replacing Vashti, and there are others as well. But here's my point. This doctrine is so clear in Scripture. But here's the response we should have. It shouldn't be, oh man, I would never make those mistakes. No. You see, God has chosen a spiritual nation of which, hey, we make up that spiritual nation. We're all part of it. And He's never going to un-choose this nation. But here's what can happen. You as an individual, just like physical Israel, you as an individual, don't twist what I'm saying, as an individual, it's possible for God to stop using you. If you choose to make the same mistake that the Israelites did in the Old Testament, and you choose to go back into the world, and you choose to bow down to the altar of television, and you choose to bow down to the altar of all of the different distractions in this world, of the worldly music, and the worldly entertainment, and Hollywood, and all the rest of it, if you choose worldliness, if you choose to stop serving God, if you choose to stop bringing forth fruit, then you know what? God can stop using you as an individual, just as He stopped using the nation of Israel. And in fact, you might be replaced by someone else. God might decide to start using someone else instead of you, if you choose to be a vessel unto dishonor. So when we study out replacement theology, the application we should take for ourselves in our own lives as New Testament Christians is, hey, I need to make sure that I continue steadfastly to serve the Lord with everything of God, because I want Him to use me. I don't want Him to replace me. I want to make sure that I am a vessel unto honor and not make the same mistakes that the nation of Israel did in the Old Testament. You know, 1 Corinthians chapter 10 tells us what? That what was written during that time was for our admonition, for our example. And it's in reference to the children of Israel who fell in the wilderness. Well, guess what? There's an application we made for us as well. So let's not get a haughty, prideful attitude just because we're chosen in the New Testament, but rather let's make sure that we use these stories of replacement as an admonition for us to keep serving the Lord, like I said, with everything that we've got, lest God decide to cloud up and rain on your life as well. So just to recap, what did I say? First spiritual picture, started out with the intro, was that Ishmael cast out the bond woman and her son. Ishmael was not the chosen lineage. It was actually Isaac. The second spiritual picture I talked about, Esau was supplanted. The third spiritual picture I talked about, the Israelites, the men of war in the wilderness who fell as a result of their unbelief and did not obtain the inheritance that God prepared for them. But the second generation inherited it instead of them was also a picture of replacement theology. And finally, the house of Eli replaced in the sense that they were no longer going to be used to minister onto the Lord. And we saw that ultimately fulfilled in First Kings chapter number two. So that's all I've got for you guys. Thanks for listening. And let's go ahead and bow our heads for a word of prayer. Father God, we thank you so much for this church, Lord, and for all the wonderful truths that are articulated in scripture. And Father, I pray that you would just help us to serve you, Lord, and to minister unto you and to use these stories as an example for us, Father God, so that we don't make similar mistakes. Not that we would ever embrace a false gospel or anything like that or go into some false religion. But, Lord, we know that it's possible for us to want to go back into a picture of Egypt, which is the world, and it's possible for us to want to draw back into the world and draw back into Egypt. And, Lord, we just pray that you help us to not do those things and that you would help us to be vessels unto honor so that you can use us to get great multitudes saved. We thank you for your word and we thank you for all the amazing spiritual pictures that are contained in it. In Jesus' name I pray, amen. Psalm 67 in your white handout. Here's a really cool thing. If you can't find a white handout, I'm pretty sure Psalm 67 should be in your Bible. Maybe not with the notes, but take it till you make it, right? Psalm 67, Psalm 67. Let's sing Psalm 67. Let the people praise thee, O God. Let all the people praise thee. O let the nations be glad and sing for joy. For thou shalt judge the people righteously and govern the nations upon earth, the nations upon earth. Let the people praise thee, O God. Let all the people praise thee. O let the nations be glad and sing for joy. Then shall the earth yield her increase and God, even our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us and all the ends of the earth shall fear him. Let the people praise thee, O God. Let all the people praise thee. O let the nations be glad and sing for joy. Amen. With that you are dismissed. Thank you.