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♪ theme music ♪
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(Derek) Welcome to Hope Sabbath School,
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an in-depth, interactive study
0:00:24.071,0:00:25.410
of the Word of God.
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I'm excited because we are beginning
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a brand new series of studies
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on Ezra and Nehemiah.
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You say, "Derek, what would the writings
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of a priest 2,400 years ago
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and a contemporary government official[br]in Persia
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have to do with our lives today?"
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Well, that's what's exciting
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about studying the Word of God
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because the Bible says
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all Scripture is given
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by inspiration of God and is profitable,
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so we're going to pray
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that God would bless in amazing ways.
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Today, Making Sense of History:
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(as we look at) Zerubbabel and Ezra.
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And I'm glad you joined us
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for Hope Sabbath School.
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And, team, this is going to be
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an amazing journey.
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(Team) Yes.
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(Derek) And we're going to be excited
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to see how ancient Scripture[br]comes alive for us today.
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We're glad that you're part
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of our Hope Sabbath School team.
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We're always delighted to hear from you.
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Oh, I needed to tell you one other thing.
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We have an awesome app.
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Here's my phone; I'm going
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to go to Hope Sabbath School
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on the new Hope Channel app here.
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It's an awesome app,
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and it's loading right now.
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People around the world are using
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this app; it's free: Hope Channel.
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You can go to your App Store
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or Google Play, download the app.
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Whether you're 10 years old
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or 100 years old, you can download[br]the app and use it.
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If you need some help,
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talk to your grandchildren, right?
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They'll figure it out.
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But the Hope Channel app is awesome,
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and it's being used
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in many, many countries around the world
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including Madagascar, which is where
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our first email comes from, from Loubien.
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Loubien is 22 years old.
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In fact, he sent a picture for us.
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He's a university student,
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and he says, "Two years ago we started
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an English-speaking church in our town,
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and now I'm part of that church.
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It's the only Adventist church
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where English is the primary language
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in the South of Madagascar,
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and I often teach the Sabbath School,"
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and guess what he uses as a resource?
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(Team) Hope Sabbath School.
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(Derek) He uses the Hope Sabbath School[br]resource.
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"I'm very happy to follow this program.
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May God bless us all."
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Well, Loubien, thanks for writing
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to us from Madagascar.
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We're excited that you're part of our...
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not only a participant in the study,
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but a leader in teaching
0:02:36.377,0:02:37.993
an in-depth, interactive study
0:02:37.993,0:02:39.268
of the Word of God.
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Owen and Merline write from Florida
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in the United States.
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Anybody from Florida here?
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Anybody been to Florida?
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Stephanie, you've been...Oh, quite a few
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have been to Florida.
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"Dear Hope Sabbath School,
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we absolutely love the program.
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We look forward to watching it
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every Friday Evening.
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The deep, interactive, inspiring way
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the lessons are presented is just amazing.
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Another thing," listen carefully,
0:03:03.871,0:03:07.017
"we're sure the listening world
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appreciates, as we do,
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the openness and honesty
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of the class members' testimonies.
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The testimonies make known that God
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loves us with an everlasting love."
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) That's awesome, isn't it?
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"And we can trust Him no matter what.
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We thank God for Hope Sabbath School
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and pray that God will bless[br]the entire team."
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Owen and Merline, thanks for writing.
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And, you know, that's our prayer.
0:03:34.348,0:03:35.923
None of that is scripted, is it?
0:03:35.923,0:03:38.207
The Holy Spirit may impress
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Travis, Joshua, Liza to share a testimony,
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and if we did it a second time,
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it might be different.
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But the Spirit of God is leading us.
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Thank you for affirming that,
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and we also love to hear from you
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about your testimony of what God is doing.
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Write to us at sshope@hopetv.org.
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Here's one from Guadeloupe
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in the French West Indies.
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Did I say that right?[br]Thank you, Gladys.
0:04:04.468,0:04:08.377
"Bonjour," bonjour, "a few weeks ago
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I discovered Hope Sabbath School."
0:04:10.783,0:04:13.148
You notice people are[br]always finding it, right,
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new viewers all the time.
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"Since then, I've been watching it.
0:04:17.884,0:04:19.190
I'm French; I'm sorry
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that my English isn't that good.
0:04:21.516,0:04:22.788
I live in Guadeloupe
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in the French West Indies.
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I am a Seventh-day Adventist[br]church member.
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Since I have been watching
0:04:28.902,0:04:30.132
Hope Sabbath School,
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I appreciate the subtitles,"
0:04:33.288,0:04:35.396
closed captioning, "in English
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because it helps me to understand more;
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I can understand better[br]than just speaking.
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Well, thank you for what you're doing
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with Hope Sabbath School,
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and God bless you all, Paul,"[br]writes to us.
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Paul, thanks for writing from Guadeloupe,
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and may God use you
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to be a powerful teacher
0:04:53.595,0:04:55.246
of the Word of God.
0:04:55.246,0:04:56.856
Here's a note from a donor
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in Minnesota in the United States.
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Oh, wait! Laurel, are you from Minnesota?
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(Laurel) I am.
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(Derek) I'm not going to give the name,
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but would you like to wave
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to the entire state of Minnesota.
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"I have access only to Sabbath School."
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I think this person is unable
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to get out to go to church,
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"but what a blessing it is!
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May God continue to bless each one
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and Hope Sabbath School
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in the finishing of His work."
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And this donor sends 100 dollars
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to help Hope Sabbath School.
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(Team) Amen!
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(Derek) We just want to say thank you.
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This is a donor-supported ministry,[br]but it's more than that.
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It's a partnership in mission, isn't it?
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And so, thank you, Minnesota,
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for being part of that.
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Well, from the beautiful island
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of Saint Vincent in the Caribbean,
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someone born in Jamaica, living...
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Joshua, you weren't born
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in Jamaica, were you?
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(Joshua) No.
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(Derek) But don't you have[br]some Jamaican heritage?
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(Joshua) No, Antiguan.
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(Derek) Oh, you're Antiguan; that's also[br]the Caribbean area.
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(Joshua) Yes, the Caribbean.
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(Derek) Same part of the world, okay.
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This is Saint Vincent,
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not too far away, right?
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"Greetings, saints of God."
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(Team) Greetings!
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(Derek) This is Denise, by the way,
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"Writing from Saint Vincent,[br]born in Jamaica,
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I really enjoy the study every week,
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and I especially look forward
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to singing the songs."
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Well, we're going to sing
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a song in just a moment.
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"It's a blessing to look
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forward to and see Brother Jason
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singing the Scripture songs."
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Well, Jason, would you like
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to wave to Denise in Saint Vincent?
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"He's so passionate about the Word of God.
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Let's all be faithful and continue
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to share God's Word through the world.
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God bless you all." Amen?
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) Denise, thanks
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for writing to us from Saint Vincent.
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And I'm excited today because we've got
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a new Scripture song we're going to sing.
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And I've asked my wife Bodil,
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who is not only executive producer
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but likes to help compose[br]the Scripture songs,
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to help sing, so come over, Bodil.
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Let's sing together, "To You, O Lord,
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I lift up my soul.
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O My God, I trust in You."
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Let's sing it together.
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♪ music ♪
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(Derek) Amen?
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(Team) Amen!
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(Derek) Thank you, Bodil.
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I think we'll have you come
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and sing all the time.
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It's great to hide God's Word
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in our hearts, isn't it?
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And some of you know that my wife
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started composing Scripture songs...
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The words are straight
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out of the Bible, right?
0:08:33.529,0:08:35.022
But she started...That was
0:08:35.022,0:08:37.574
from Psalm 25, by the way.
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The words are straight out of the Bible,
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but she said, "I want to hide God's Word
0:08:41.435,0:08:43.497
in my heart and the hearts[br]of our children."
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She had no idea that it
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would not only transform[br]her husband's life,
0:08:47.846,0:08:49.482
but our Hope Sabbath School family
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around the world. Amen?
0:08:50.711,0:08:51.441
(Team) Amen.
0:08:51.441,0:08:53.349
(Derek) That's what we're going to learn
0:08:53.349,0:08:54.461
from Ezra and Nehemiah.
0:08:54.461,0:08:57.803
When we say, "God, I'm available, to You,"
0:08:57.803,0:08:59.539
He's going to do something amazing.
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(Team) Amen.
0:09:00.373,0:09:02.071
(Derek) And we want to pray for you
0:09:02.071,0:09:03.516
and each one of us as we study
0:09:03.516,0:09:07.235
because the miracle that happened[br]2400 years ago
0:09:07.235,0:09:09.366
can happen in our lives today.
0:09:09.366,0:09:11.865
Let's pray; Father in Heaven,
0:09:11.865,0:09:13.740
just like the psalmist would say,
0:09:13.740,0:09:15.619
"To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
0:09:15.619,0:09:17.776
Let not my enemies triumph over me,"
0:09:17.776,0:09:21.032
we thank You that in the sacred books
0:09:21.032,0:09:22.605
of Ezra and Nehemiah,
0:09:22.605,0:09:25.276
we will learn of a great and awesome God
0:09:25.276,0:09:26.755
and of men and women
0:09:26.755,0:09:29.482
who have the courage to listen
0:09:29.482,0:09:31.234
to God and follow Him.
0:09:31.234,0:09:33.571
And I pray that You would bless[br]as we study,
0:09:33.571,0:09:35.804
Hope Sabbath School members[br]around the world,
0:09:35.804,0:09:38.793
may each life and each family[br]be blessed today.
0:09:38.793,0:09:41.280
In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
0:09:41.280,0:09:42.518
(Team) Amen.
0:09:42.518,0:09:44.580
(Derek) Well, let's make sense of history.
0:09:44.580,0:09:45.990
This is lesson number one.
0:09:45.990,0:09:47.413
Some people have heard
0:09:47.413,0:09:50.551
about the Jewish people being in exile.
0:09:50.551,0:09:52.144
They speak about the exiles
0:09:52.144,0:09:55.762
and then coming back from the exile.
0:09:55.762,0:09:57.486
Brittany, what's the exile
0:09:57.486,0:09:59.568
they're talking about?
0:09:59.568,0:10:00.825
(Brittany) They're talking
0:10:00.825,0:10:02.004
about when God's people
0:10:02.004,0:10:04.810
were taken from Jerusalem to Babylon,
0:10:04.810,0:10:07.298
and they were in captivity for 70 years.
0:10:07.298,0:10:08.677
(Derek) Okay, so this is when
0:10:08.677,0:10:10.336
Babylonian armies came in,
0:10:10.336,0:10:12.028
not only the city of Jerusalem,
0:10:12.028,0:10:15.656
but all of the territory of Israel, right?
0:10:15.656,0:10:17.640
Now, some people were left, a few people,
0:10:17.640,0:10:18.888
like the prophet Jeremiah,
0:10:18.888,0:10:20.139
for example, right?
0:10:20.139,0:10:21.177
But a lot of people,
0:10:21.177,0:10:23.144
including the young and the gifted,
0:10:23.144,0:10:24.821
you know, the university students,
0:10:24.821,0:10:28.313
because we think of people like[br]Daniel, Shadrach,...
0:10:28.313,0:10:30.152
(Team) Meshach, and Abednego.
0:10:30.152,0:10:32.919
(Derek) Those were their Babylon names,[br]actually, right...
0:10:32.919,0:10:35.028
(Derek, Team) Hananiah,[br]Mishael, and Azariah.
0:10:35.028,0:10:37.282
(Derek) They kind of took[br]the cream of the crop,
0:10:37.282,0:10:38.643
and they reprogrammed them,
0:10:38.643,0:10:39.700
except it didn't work
0:10:39.700,0:10:42.558
with Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael,[br]and Azariah, right?
0:10:42.558,0:10:45.012
They determined in their hearts[br]to honor God.
0:10:45.012,0:10:45.926
By the way, that's
0:10:45.926,0:10:47.896
a whole other book of the Bible, Daniel.
0:10:47.896,0:10:48.917
That will be awesome;
0:10:48.917,0:10:50.977
we're going to study that[br]in another series.
0:10:50.977,0:10:55.228
But God is teaching His people
0:10:55.228,0:10:58.122
consequences of disobeying Him.
0:10:58.122,0:11:00.619
He doesn't stop loving us, right,
0:11:00.619,0:11:03.080
but He says, "If you go after pagan gods,
0:11:03.080,0:11:05.209
and you abandon your faith in Me,
0:11:05.209,0:11:07.076
there will be negative consequences."
0:11:07.076,0:11:08.440
And Brittany's right;
0:11:08.440,0:11:09.895
they're taken into exile,
0:11:09.895,0:11:11.862
but it's not forever.
0:11:11.862,0:11:14.261
What many people don't know
0:11:14.261,0:11:16.243
is that the return from exile
0:11:16.243,0:11:17.561
happened in different -
0:11:17.561,0:11:18.967
what would we call it?
0:11:18.967,0:11:21.034
Waves, yes, and in fact,
0:11:21.034,0:11:24.619
some of the exiles never returned,
0:11:24.619,0:11:29.670
either because they died in exile[br]or because...?
0:11:29.670,0:11:31.404
(Team) They chose...
0:11:31.404,0:11:33.535
(Derek) They chose not to come back.
0:11:33.535,0:11:34.690
That's a whole topic
0:11:34.690,0:11:35.862
we'll discuss here, too.
0:11:35.862,0:11:37.154
How could that be,
0:11:37.154,0:11:38.967
when they're told they can go back
0:11:38.967,0:11:40.847
to the land that God had promised them?
0:11:40.847,0:11:42.275
Some of them say, "We're fine
0:11:42.275,0:11:45.266
living in this pagan country," all right?
0:11:45.266,0:11:47.202
So we're going to make sense of history,
0:11:47.202,0:11:48.414
and we're going to start
0:11:48.414,0:11:49.875
with the prophet Jeremiah.
0:11:49.875,0:11:51.383
And, Harold, if you could begin
0:11:51.383,0:11:53.425
our study in Jeremiah, 25.
0:11:53.425,0:11:54.995
Remember we mentioned
0:11:54.995,0:11:56.930
that when the children of Israel
0:11:56.930,0:11:58.987
were taken captive into Babylon,
0:11:58.987,0:12:00.541
some were left behind,
0:12:00.541,0:12:01.451
and one of the them
0:12:01.451,0:12:03.798
was a prophet named Jeremiah,
0:12:03.798,0:12:06.850
a contemporary of the prophet Daniel
0:12:06.850,0:12:08.544
and the prophet Ezekiel,
0:12:08.544,0:12:11.864
who had been taken into captivity, okay?
0:12:11.864,0:12:14.593
Let's see what Jeremiah tells us
0:12:14.593,0:12:18.394
in Jeremiah 25, verses 11 and 12.
0:12:18.394,0:12:20.002
(Harold) Yes, and I'll be reading
0:12:20.002,0:12:22.155
from the New King James Version:
0:12:51.678,0:12:53.680
(Derek) So the prophet Jeremiah's writing,
0:12:53.680,0:12:55.887
and he's giving a...?
0:12:55.887,0:12:57.134
(Team Member) A prophecy.
0:12:57.134,0:12:58.893
(Derek) ...a prophecy, a prediction
0:12:58.893,0:13:00.456
about something that will happen
0:13:00.456,0:13:01.695
how far in the future?
0:13:01.695,0:13:02.735
(Team) Seventy years.
0:13:02.735,0:13:04.363
(Derek) Now, there are, of course,
0:13:04.363,0:13:06.104
people that say, "That's ridiculous;
0:13:06.104,0:13:07.549
you can't tell what's going...
0:13:07.549,0:13:09.583
You could say, 'Sometime[br]this might happen,
0:13:09.583,0:13:11.213
but to speak authoritatively
0:13:11.213,0:13:14.257
about the future, that's impossible,'"
0:13:14.257,0:13:16.281
unless, of course, what, Stephanie?
0:13:16.281,0:13:17.868
(Stephanie) Unless God tells you.
0:13:17.868,0:13:19.253
(Derek) Unless God tells you,
0:13:19.253,0:13:21.046
and God, speaking to another prophet,
0:13:21.046,0:13:22.492
says, "I am God who knows
0:13:22.492,0:13:24.508
the end from the beginning," right?
0:13:24.508,0:13:25.988
So He has authority
0:13:25.988,0:13:28.365
even over history, right?
0:13:28.365,0:13:29.548
So there's a prediction.
0:13:29.548,0:13:33.259
Look in Jeremiah 29 and verse 10.
0:13:33.259,0:13:34.668
Gladys, if you have that.
0:13:34.668,0:13:36.792
Again, this is the prophet Jeremiah
0:13:36.792,0:13:38.471
who's still in Jerusalem
0:13:38.471,0:13:41.696
while most of his countrymen
0:13:41.696,0:13:43.538
or what we would call
0:13:43.538,0:13:45.723
prisoners of war, right,
0:13:45.723,0:13:48.312
or exiles, are in Babylon.
0:13:48.312,0:13:49.505
(Gladys) I'll be reading
0:13:49.505,0:13:51.238
from the New International Version,
0:13:51.238,0:13:54.004
Jeremiah, chapter 29, verse 10:
0:14:05.451,0:14:08.195
(Derek) So, there is someone in Babylon
0:14:08.195,0:14:11.003
who believes the Word of God.
0:14:11.003,0:14:13.271
Well, actually there's more[br]than one, right,
0:14:13.271,0:14:14.991
but let's look at how one
0:14:14.991,0:14:17.358
of those people responds
0:14:17.358,0:14:21.469
in Daniel, chapter 9, verses 1 to 3.
0:14:21.469,0:14:23.510
Pedro, if you could read that for us.
0:14:23.510,0:14:28.424
He's been a prisoner of war for how long?
0:14:28.424,0:14:29.871
(Pedro) About 70 years.
0:14:29.871,0:14:32.846
(Derek) Yeah, right, for the whole time,
0:14:32.846,0:14:38.410
taken captive as a teenager in 605.
0:14:38.410,0:14:40.108
Here he's now saying, "Wait,
0:14:40.108,0:14:42.681
I think the time's up."
0:14:42.681,0:14:44.483
Let's see what Daniel records
0:14:44.483,0:14:46.912
in Daniel 9, verses 1 to 3.
0:14:46.912,0:14:48.052
(Pedro) I'll be reading
0:14:48.052,0:14:50.283
from the New King James Version,[br]and it says:
0:15:26.574,0:15:27.823
(Derek) So, what does this
0:15:27.823,0:15:29.641
tell us about Daniel
0:15:29.641,0:15:31.116
from what you've heard? Jason?
0:15:31.116,0:15:33.169
(Jason) He's clearly in connection[br]with God,
0:15:33.169,0:15:34.396
and he's paying attention
0:15:34.396,0:15:36.358
to what has been written down previously.
0:15:36.358,0:15:38.345
(Derek) All right, he's paying attention;
0:15:38.345,0:15:39.978
he's connected to God. Gladys?
0:15:39.987,0:15:41.250
(Gladys) He's longing.
0:15:41.250,0:15:42.599
(Derek) He's longing for...
0:15:42.599,0:15:43.790
(Gladys) For his home.
0:15:43.790,0:15:46.101
(Derek) By the way, does Daniel[br]ever return home?
0:15:46.101,0:15:48.209
(Gladys) No. The fulfillment[br]of the promise.
0:15:48.209,0:15:49.577
(Derek) All right, but he's
0:15:49.577,0:15:50.958
longing for that fulfillment,
0:15:50.958,0:15:52.380
which raises the question,
0:15:52.380,0:15:54.514
is it possible that some stay,
0:15:54.514,0:15:56.369
not because they don't want to go home
0:15:56.369,0:15:59.424
but because God tells them to stay?[br]Is that possible?
0:15:59.424,0:16:00.219
(Team) Yes.
0:16:00.219,0:16:01.861
(Derek) Sometimes we judge people,
0:16:01.861,0:16:03.174
"Well, you didn't go home."
0:16:03.174,0:16:05.783
What if God told you to stay, right?
0:16:05.783,0:16:07.350
"You're still living in a city.
0:16:07.350,0:16:09.277
You should be living in the country."
0:16:09.277,0:16:11.962
What if God told you to go to that city
0:16:11.962,0:16:15.268
to tell people about God, right?
0:16:15.268,0:16:18.456
But he believes the prophecy.
0:16:18.456,0:16:24.284
He believes that what God said[br]to Jeremiah,
0:16:24.284,0:16:25.872
it's going to be fulfilled.
0:16:25.872,0:16:27.606
So I want to ask a broad question
0:16:27.606,0:16:29.258
because there may be some people
0:16:29.258,0:16:30.927
watching Hope Sabbath School today,
0:16:30.927,0:16:32.374
maybe even for the first time
0:16:32.374,0:16:34.056
(remember Loubien from Madagascar
0:16:34.056,0:16:35.522
just started watching),
0:16:35.522,0:16:38.055
who say, "But I've always been told
0:16:38.055,0:16:40.585
that the Bible is just like
0:16:40.585,0:16:42.357
human words about God.
0:16:42.357,0:16:43.710
You're telling me that God
0:16:43.710,0:16:46.337
can actually reveal things,
0:16:46.337,0:16:50.747
even about the future?"
0:16:50.747,0:16:53.751
Why is it important to believe that?
0:16:53.751,0:16:55.791
What does that do for us
0:16:55.791,0:16:57.849
if we believe that God
0:16:57.849,0:17:00.298
is able to show us? Puia?
0:17:00.298,0:17:02.168
(Puia) I believe, by studying
0:17:02.168,0:17:03.927
the prophecies that God has given
0:17:03.927,0:17:05.311
to us through His Word,
0:17:05.311,0:17:07.713
it teaches us how to live our lives today
0:17:07.713,0:17:09.832
in preparation for what is to come.
0:17:09.832,0:17:11.623
In the context of this book,
0:17:11.623,0:17:14.024
because Daniel was studying [br]the prophecies,
0:17:14.024,0:17:16.274
he knew something was about to happen,
0:17:16.274,0:17:18.240
or at least it was supposed to happen,
0:17:18.240,0:17:19.987
and it gave him a sense of direction
0:17:19.987,0:17:21.822
on how to live his life
0:17:21.822,0:17:23.415
according to God's Word.
0:17:23.415,0:17:24.637
(Derek) I'm thinking,
0:17:24.637,0:17:25.830
in Daniel, chapter 4,
0:17:25.830,0:17:27.101
and, like I said, we'll do
0:17:27.101,0:17:28.565
a whole series on Daniel,
0:17:28.565,0:17:30.960
but where it says that you may know
0:17:30.960,0:17:34.750
that the Most High God rules
0:17:34.750,0:17:37.055
over the affairs of men
0:17:37.055,0:17:38.787
or over history. Travis.
0:17:38.787,0:17:40.098
(Travis) I think it's John;
0:17:40.098,0:17:41.430
I could be wrong, but John,
0:17:41.430,0:17:43.185
chapter 14, verse 29, I think, says,
0:17:43.185,0:17:44.956
"I told you these things beforehand,
0:17:44.956,0:17:46.197
so that when they happen,
0:17:46.197,0:17:48.167
you'll know that I'm the Lord your God."
0:17:48.170,0:17:49.848
(Derek) Okay, and He says that also
0:17:49.848,0:17:51.252
in John, chapter 16, verse 4,
0:17:51.252,0:17:52.457
"I'm telling you now,
0:17:52.457,0:17:53.834
so that when it happens,
0:17:53.837,0:17:55.755
you'll remember what I told you,
0:17:55.755,0:17:57.972
and you'll believe," right?
0:17:57.972,0:17:59.204
By the way, that happened
0:17:59.204,0:18:00.820
with the cleansing of the temple -
0:18:00.820,0:18:03.131
only afterwards they looked back, right?
0:18:03.131,0:18:05.470
So there are all of these prophecies.[br]Yes, Harold.
0:18:05.470,0:18:06.974
(Harold) I just wanted to add
0:18:06.974,0:18:08.583
that Solomon said in the Proverbs
0:18:08.583,0:18:10.612
that without prophecy, or vision,
0:18:10.612,0:18:12.466
people cast off restraint,
0:18:12.466,0:18:14.417
so the fact that we have prophecy,
0:18:14.417,0:18:15.599
we have that guidance
0:18:15.599,0:18:16.976
that we can look forward to.
0:18:16.976,0:18:19.015
And when it happens, as Travis mentioned,
0:18:19.015,0:18:20.331
it's like, "Oh, we believe.
0:18:20.331,0:18:21.494
Yes, this is true; look,
0:18:21.494,0:18:23.391
God has kept His promise.
0:18:23.391,0:18:24.979
So He is the true God."
0:18:24.979,0:18:26.003
(Derek) So, are there
0:18:26.003,0:18:28.566
any promises in the Scripture,
0:18:28.566,0:18:30.340
either from Jesus or given
0:18:30.340,0:18:31.915
through the prophets,
0:18:31.915,0:18:34.542
that encourage you when you say,
0:18:34.542,0:18:36.086
"Well, I think it's about time.
0:18:36.086,0:18:37.911
How come it's not yet been fulfilled?"
0:18:37.911,0:18:40.777
I mean, what's the greatest prophecy[br]in the Bible,
0:18:40.777,0:18:43.093
more times than any other prophecy[br]in the Bible?
0:18:43.093,0:18:44.395
Do you know what it is?
0:18:44.395,0:18:46.534
The Second Coming of Jesus,
0:18:46.534,0:18:47.868
the return of Jesus.
0:18:47.868,0:18:50.098
And people will go, "Well,
0:18:50.098,0:18:51.390
it's not happened yet.
0:18:51.390,0:18:52.961
Maybe it won't ever happen."
0:18:52.961,0:18:54.900
What promises encourage us
0:18:54.900,0:18:58.176
to hold on and believe, like Daniel did,
0:18:58.176,0:19:01.908
that God said it - it's going to happen?
0:19:01.908,0:19:03.196
Stephanie, do you have one?
0:19:03.196,0:19:04.733
(Stephanie) The one that I like
0:19:04.733,0:19:08.195
is Psalm 27, and it's 13 and 14.
0:19:08.195,0:19:09.649
(Derek) All right, give us
0:19:09.649,0:19:13.130
a moment to find that, Psalm 27.
0:19:13.130,0:19:14.916
I immediately recognize the reference
0:19:14.916,0:19:16.086
because it's a song
0:19:16.086,0:19:17.891
that my wife likes to sing.
0:19:17.891,0:19:21.534
Psalm 27, verses 13 and 14,
0:19:21.534,0:19:23.459
now, you're reading from the King James?
0:19:23.459,0:19:24.308
(Stephanie) I am.
0:19:24.308,0:19:26.118
(Derek) All right, verses 13 and 14.
0:19:41.090,0:19:43.111
(Derek) Beautiful. "I would have fainted,"
0:19:43.111,0:19:46.271
my Bible, the New King James, says,[br]"I would have lost heart."
0:19:46.271,0:19:48.697
I don't know if anyone else[br]has another translation,
0:19:48.697,0:19:51.971
like, "I would have given up,
0:19:51.971,0:19:54.494
unless I had believed," right?
0:19:54.494,0:19:56.549
"Wait on the Lord; be of good courage,
0:19:56.549,0:19:57.775
and He will," do what?
0:19:57.775,0:19:59.187
(Team) Strengthen your heart.
0:19:59.187,0:20:00.839
(Derek) That's right. Yes, Harold.
0:20:00.839,0:20:02.112
(Harold) I'd like to read
0:20:02.112,0:20:05.886
Habakkuk, chapter 2 and verse 3,[br]on waiting.
0:20:05.886,0:20:08.921
(Derek) Habakkuk, that's a little book;
0:20:08.921,0:20:11.081
it may be hard for some of us to find,
0:20:11.081,0:20:13.090
right before the end of the Old Testament.
0:20:13.090,0:20:14.809
Habakkuk, chapter 2?
0:20:14.809,0:20:16.506
(Harold) And verse 3.
0:20:16.506,0:20:18.399
(Derek) All right, just give us
0:20:18.399,0:20:20.041
a moment to find that.
0:20:20.041,0:20:23.904
(Harold) It is a small book.
0:20:23.904,0:20:25.537
(Derek) I'm still looking for it;
0:20:25.537,0:20:26.798
anybody else find it yet?
0:20:26.798,0:20:28.207
(Team Members) Yes. We did.
0:20:28.207,0:20:30.446
(Derek) You got it, all right;[br]I'm almost there.
0:20:30.446,0:20:34.524
Habakkuk, chapter 2 and verse 3.
0:20:34.524,0:20:36.316
How does that read in your Bible?
0:20:36.316,0:20:38.021
(Harold) Okay, so I'll be reading
0:20:38.021,0:20:39.771
from the New King James Version:
0:20:53.286,0:20:55.303
(Derek) Powerful. There's one other verse
0:20:55.303,0:20:56.667
I'd like someone to read.
0:20:56.667,0:20:58.048
Maybe Liza, you could read
0:20:58.048,0:21:01.536
from 2 Peter, chapter 3,
0:21:01.536,0:21:05.286
because that's a beautiful description
0:21:05.286,0:21:09.344
by the Apostle Peter about sure prophecy,
0:21:09.344,0:21:10.962
that it will come to pass
0:21:10.962,0:21:12.332
at the appointed time.
0:21:12.332,0:21:14.377
Second Peter, chapter 3,
0:21:14.377,0:21:15.655
if you could read for us
0:21:15.655,0:21:17.957
verses 9 through 13.
0:21:17.957,0:21:19.172
(Liza) I'll be reading
0:21:19.172,0:21:20.714
from the New King James Version:
0:22:23.897,0:22:26.270
(Derek) So, question: What's the promise
0:22:26.270,0:22:28.272
that God is going to keep,
0:22:28.272,0:22:30.115
that people are saying, "I don't think
0:22:30.115,0:22:31.716
He's going to keep that promise"?
0:22:31.716,0:22:32.924
(Team Member) His return.
0:22:32.924,0:22:34.588
(Derek) The return of Jesus, right?
0:22:34.588,0:22:38.756
And Peter's saying, "No,[br]He's patient," right?
0:22:38.756,0:22:40.858
But we might change the intonation
0:22:40.858,0:22:43.419
in verse 10, "But the day of the Lord
0:22:43.419,0:22:47.222
will come," will come.
0:22:47.222,0:22:49.005
It's going to happen,
0:22:49.005,0:22:50.903
and things are going to happen with it.
0:22:50.903,0:22:53.211
I love, "looking for new heavens[br]and a new Earth
0:22:53.211,0:22:55.655
where righteousness dwells,"[br]that's beautiful.
0:22:55.655,0:22:57.185
"But the day of the Lord..."
0:22:57.185,0:22:58.386
(Team) Will come.
0:22:58.386,0:22:59.476
(Derek) It will come.
0:22:59.476,0:23:01.853
So that confidence is really important.
0:23:01.853,0:23:03.321
Well, with that idea,
0:23:03.321,0:23:05.365
we're looking now at prophecy
0:23:05.365,0:23:07.097
about to be fulfilled,
0:23:07.097,0:23:09.881
that the exile will end,
0:23:09.881,0:23:11.898
and that the Jewish exiles
0:23:11.898,0:23:13.875
have the opportunity to go back.
0:23:13.875,0:23:16.892
Let's go to the book of Ezra to chapter 4,
0:23:16.892,0:23:18.520
and let's look at some history.
0:23:18.520,0:23:20.301
We're making sense of history
0:23:20.301,0:23:21.686
in our first study here
0:23:21.686,0:23:26.922
in Ezra, chapter 4, and, Puia,
0:23:26.922,0:23:28.973
I'm going to ask if you would be willing
0:23:28.973,0:23:33.642
to read for us verses 1 through 7
0:23:33.642,0:23:36.380
of Ezra, chapter 4.
0:23:36.380,0:23:37.448
(Puia) I'll be reading
0:23:37.448,0:23:39.005
from the New King James Version,
0:23:39.005,0:23:41.705
Ezra, chapter 4, verses 1 through 7:
0:25:09.838,0:25:11.171
(Derek) Some of you are glad
0:25:11.171,0:25:13.804
I asked Puia to read that.
0:25:13.804,0:25:16.723
There were a lot of difficult names there,
0:25:16.723,0:25:18.646
actually a listing of kings
0:25:18.646,0:25:22.252
between about 538 and all the way down
0:25:22.252,0:25:26.152
to the mid 400s, about 440,
0:25:26.152,0:25:28.770
the time of Nehemiah,
0:25:28.770,0:25:30.182
and some of the names
0:25:30.182,0:25:31.316
you recognize, right?
0:25:31.316,0:25:32.211
(Team) Yes.
0:25:32.211,0:25:33.668
(Derek) There are a few,
0:25:33.668,0:25:36.813
Cyrus II or Cyrus "the Great";
0:25:36.813,0:25:38.813
that's the one who gives the first decree.
0:25:38.813,0:25:41.108
And, by the way, who was Zerubbabel?
0:25:41.108,0:25:43.860
Who was that who led the first return
0:25:43.860,0:25:47.360
with a priest named Jeshua, or Joshua,
0:25:47.360,0:25:49.839
but not Joshua who "fit[br]the battle of Jericho."
0:25:49.839,0:25:52.577
Who was Zerubbabel, anybody know? Travis?
0:25:52.577,0:25:54.581
(Travis) He was the grandson[br]of Jehoiachin.
0:25:54.581,0:25:56.459
(Derek) That's right; he was a grandson
0:25:56.459,0:26:00.181
of one of the last kings of Judah.
0:26:00.181,0:26:01.747
So, why do you think
0:26:01.747,0:26:05.882
he led the group back?
0:26:05.882,0:26:06.833
What do you think?
0:26:06.833,0:26:07.976
(Harold) He was part
0:26:07.976,0:26:09.385
of the royal family of Judah,
0:26:09.385,0:26:11.282
so most likely he will be the leader
0:26:11.282,0:26:13.829
and appointed governor to take back...
0:26:13.829,0:26:15.321
(Derek) So you think he sensed
0:26:15.321,0:26:17.338
that it was his responsibility to do that?
0:26:17.338,0:26:19.125
There are lots of people, Liza,
0:26:19.125,0:26:20.327
who have responsibility
0:26:20.327,0:26:21.813
but don't do it, right?
0:26:21.813,0:26:22.732
So why do you think
0:26:22.732,0:26:25.338
he took the exiles back?
0:26:25.338,0:26:27.508
(Liza) I think he was following[br]God's leading.
0:26:27.508,0:26:29.096
I mean, after seeing the examples
0:26:29.096,0:26:31.032
of previous kings and their failure
0:26:31.032,0:26:33.072
to get Israel on the right track,
0:26:33.072,0:26:34.652
I think he felt this conviction
0:26:34.652,0:26:36.400
in his spirit to follow the way
0:26:36.400,0:26:38.801
God was leading the children of Israel.
0:26:38.801,0:26:40.323
(Derek) So, he's going back;
0:26:40.323,0:26:41.946
he's got a priest with him.
0:26:41.946,0:26:42.875
We're going to talk
0:26:42.875,0:26:44.262
about some more details,
0:26:44.262,0:26:45.518
but that's during the time
0:26:45.518,0:26:46.738
of Cyrus the Great.
0:26:46.738,0:26:47.913
Then you've got someone
0:26:47.913,0:26:51.353
who's not mentioned in the text,[br]Cambyses II.
0:26:51.353,0:26:52.287
That's just in case
0:26:52.287,0:26:53.687
you'd like to know that.
0:26:53.687,0:26:56.880
Then Darius I, mentioned in verse 5,
0:26:56.880,0:27:00.065
then Xerxes, mentioned in verse 6,
0:27:00.065,0:27:02.333
who's also called Ahasuerus
0:27:02.333,0:27:03.747
in the book of Esther.
0:27:03.747,0:27:06.065
Remember that, Ahasuerus and Vashti,
0:27:06.065,0:27:08.149
and then Esther becomes queen.
0:27:08.149,0:27:09.892
And then you've got Artaxerxes
0:27:09.892,0:27:12.461
who's very important because he's the one
0:27:12.461,0:27:13.660
that gives the decree
0:27:13.660,0:27:15.701
during the time of Ezra.
0:27:15.701,0:27:16.906
Now, I'm glad we're not
0:27:16.906,0:27:17.987
having a spelling test
0:27:17.987,0:27:19.272
or I'm not asking you
0:27:19.272,0:27:21.216
to write that whole list down,
0:27:21.216,0:27:23.778
but I do have this question for you;
0:27:23.780,0:27:25.311
it's an important question:
0:27:25.311,0:27:28.469
Why do you think Ezra includes all
0:27:28.469,0:27:32.540
of that historical data in the book?
0:27:32.540,0:27:34.150
Why does he do that?
0:27:34.150,0:27:35.587
What's the significance?
0:27:35.587,0:27:37.302
Don't we believe that all Scripture
0:27:37.302,0:27:41.115
is given by inspiration of God? Alex?
0:27:41.115,0:27:42.845
(Alex) I think a lot of it, I mean,
0:27:42.845,0:27:44.556
we see in later books in the Bible,
0:27:44.556,0:27:46.230
it was used for us
0:27:46.230,0:27:47.447
referring back to history
0:27:47.447,0:27:48.658
to check dates and times
0:27:48.658,0:27:50.015
for future prophecies.
0:27:50.015,0:27:52.072
(Derek) Okay. That's especially true
0:27:52.072,0:27:56.298
when we get to the time of Artaxerxes
0:27:56.298,0:27:58.768
and the 457 decree,
0:27:58.768,0:28:00.188
which is pretty significant
0:28:00.188,0:28:01.181
when you're studying
0:28:01.181,0:28:02.652
the book of Daniel, right?
0:28:02.652,0:28:05.398
So you're saying that later generations
0:28:05.398,0:28:06.761
will need to be aware
0:28:06.761,0:28:08.420
of that historical sequence.
0:28:08.420,0:28:09.732
Okay, anybody else?
0:28:09.732,0:28:11.514
It's a lot of history. Liza?
0:28:11.514,0:28:13.568
(Liza) I think also being displaced people
0:28:13.568,0:28:15.542
who had lost their heritage and customs,
0:28:15.542,0:28:17.268
they've lost a lot in this process,
0:28:17.268,0:28:18.488
it was important for them
0:28:18.488,0:28:20.952
to document them as they were
0:28:20.952,0:28:22.601
moving through this transition
0:28:22.601,0:28:24.563
so that, as you said, later generations
0:28:24.563,0:28:25.991
who were wanting to know more
0:28:25.991,0:28:28.438
about their heritage and the journey[br]that they took,
0:28:28.438,0:28:29.764
they could go back to that
0:28:29.764,0:28:31.623
and feel a sense of security.
0:28:31.623,0:28:33.593
(Derek) We'll find later in the books,
0:28:33.593,0:28:35.426
both of Ezra and Nehemiah,
0:28:35.426,0:28:37.850
huge or long lists of names.
0:28:37.850,0:28:40.426
And I'm not going to ask you[br]to read them all
0:28:40.426,0:28:43.195
because you might say, "Well,
0:28:43.195,0:28:44.689
do I really need to know them?
0:28:44.689,0:28:46.935
I mean, I like to memorize the Bible,
0:28:46.935,0:28:48.124
but I don't think I want
0:28:48.124,0:28:50.081
to memorize all of those names."
0:28:50.081,0:28:53.366
But they may have significance[br]for your family
0:28:53.366,0:28:55.236
if you say, "This is my heritage."
0:28:55.236,0:28:56.674
But let's look at one verse
0:28:56.674,0:29:00.948
in 2 Peter, chapter 1 and verse 16,
0:29:00.948,0:29:02.528
that may shed some light.
0:29:02.528,0:29:03.723
Do you have that, Jason,
0:29:03.723,0:29:06.876
2 Peter 1 and verse 16?
0:29:06.876,0:29:08.015
(Jason) I'll be reading
0:29:08.015,0:29:09.574
from the New King James Version,
0:29:09.574,0:29:13.215
2 Peter, chapter 1, verse 16:
0:29:26.245,0:29:27.343
(Derek) So it's like...
0:29:27.343,0:29:31.467
This isn't just, like, a fairytale, right?
0:29:31.467,0:29:34.852
"This is history, and we're naming[br]the people,
0:29:34.852,0:29:37.241
and we're going to tell you[br]what happened."
0:29:37.241,0:29:39.177
And that gives us confidence,
0:29:39.177,0:29:40.952
but I think Alex has got a point,
0:29:40.952,0:29:42.906
not just to know that it happened,
0:29:42.906,0:29:44.275
but there may be some things
0:29:44.275,0:29:45.301
that we need to know
0:29:45.301,0:29:46.841
that will help us understand
0:29:46.841,0:29:48.608
other prophecies of the Bible.
0:29:48.616,0:29:50.514
Well, let's go on to Ezra,
0:29:50.514,0:29:53.314
in chapter 7 of Ezra's book,
0:29:53.314,0:29:55.322
verses 1 through 10,
0:29:55.322,0:29:57.082
and we'll learn something about Ezra
0:29:57.082,0:30:00.993
who leads what some might call[br]the second wave,
0:30:00.993,0:30:03.647
Zerubbabel, about 538,
0:30:03.647,0:30:07.290
now we're about 458, 457.
0:30:07.290,0:30:08.853
And, Brittany, if you could read
0:30:08.853,0:30:12.846
the first ten verses of Ezra, chapter 7,
0:30:12.846,0:30:16.698
I'd like you to listen carefully
0:30:16.698,0:30:18.525
and say, "What do we learn
0:30:18.525,0:30:21.592
about this priest named Ezra
0:30:21.592,0:30:23.450
from the account in chapter 7?"
0:30:23.450,0:30:24.886
(Brittany) And I'll be reading
0:30:24.886,0:30:26.440
from the New King James Version,
0:30:26.440,0:30:29.045
Ezra, chapter 7, verses 1 through 10:
0:32:09.518,0:32:10.519
(Derek) Wow, verse 10
0:32:10.519,0:32:12.184
is just a powerful verse, isn't it?
0:32:12.184,0:32:13.461
But again, back, Liza,
0:32:13.461,0:32:15.375
to what you were saying earlier,
0:32:15.375,0:32:16.603
what's the function...
0:32:16.603,0:32:19.840
By the way, well read, all those names.
0:32:19.840,0:32:21.315
What's the purpose
0:32:21.315,0:32:24.518
of the first five verses,
0:32:24.518,0:32:28.245
and then verse 6 says, "this Ezra"?
0:32:28.245,0:32:30.114
(Liza) It's very clear that Ezra
0:32:30.114,0:32:32.396
came from a very distinguished family.
0:32:32.396,0:32:33.936
He was a descendant of Aaron
0:32:33.936,0:32:36.703
who was in some ways Moses' right hand
0:32:36.703,0:32:38.801
when delivering the children of Israel.
0:32:38.801,0:32:41.260
And so he comes from this[br]priestly lineage,
0:32:41.260,0:32:42.738
and he probably grew up
0:32:42.738,0:32:44.773
with a lot of knowledge of the law of God.
0:32:44.773,0:32:45.838
He was probably taught
0:32:45.838,0:32:48.262
by his father, his father's father.
0:32:48.262,0:32:50.071
And so, he had a lot of knowledge
0:32:50.071,0:32:52.024
and understanding of God's law.
0:32:52.026,0:32:53.677
(Derek) So, it could be, you know,
0:32:53.677,0:32:55.320
there are a lot of Lizas or Jasons
0:32:55.320,0:32:58.177
or Joshuas in the world, but, "I'm the one
0:32:58.177,0:33:00.123
who is a direct descendant
0:33:00.123,0:33:02.352
of the high priest, Aaron,
0:33:02.352,0:33:03.727
which means that, of course,
0:33:03.727,0:33:05.825
he's also in the priestly line, right?
0:33:05.825,0:33:08.786
So, that's his heritage,
0:33:08.786,0:33:11.022
but what about him as a person?
0:33:11.022,0:33:13.252
What did you hear as a person, Liza?
0:33:13.252,0:33:14.404
(Liza) I think one thing
0:33:14.404,0:33:15.654
that this verse teaches us
0:33:15.654,0:33:17.285
is you can't choose your heritage.
0:33:17.285,0:33:18.489
I mean, you are born
0:33:18.489,0:33:20.230
in whatever family you are born in,
0:33:20.230,0:33:22.203
but he made a conscious decision
0:33:22.203,0:33:24.248
to prepare his heart to seek after God.
0:33:24.248,0:33:26.162
And that's the part that you can change.
0:33:26.162,0:33:29.376
He was convicted to do something different
0:33:29.376,0:33:31.678
and to follow God with his own heart,
0:33:31.678,0:33:33.913
and that's what qualified him,
0:33:33.913,0:33:35.561
later on we'll find that he was
0:33:35.561,0:33:37.986
the fit person to lead the children[br]of Israel.
0:33:37.986,0:33:39.278
(Derek) Because not all
0:33:39.278,0:33:41.198
of the descendants of Aaron
0:33:41.198,0:33:44.252
followed God, did they, right?
0:33:44.252,0:33:46.478
So, that's nice; I like
0:33:46.478,0:33:48.668
the way that you said that:
0:33:48.668,0:33:51.415
We cannot choose our ancestry,
0:33:51.415,0:33:53.626
but we can choose who we are
0:33:53.626,0:33:54.871
by the grace of God.
0:33:54.871,0:33:56.563
All right, what else did you notice
0:33:56.563,0:33:58.934
about Ezra as a person? Yes, Puia.
0:33:58.934,0:34:00.419
(Puia) That he was skilled.
0:34:00.419,0:34:02.380
(Derek) Okay.
0:34:02.380,0:34:03.718
(Puia) Verse 6 mentioned
0:34:03.718,0:34:05.151
that he was a skilled scribe
0:34:05.151,0:34:06.441
in the Law of Moses.
0:34:06.441,0:34:09.488
(Derek) So, what does that tell you?
0:34:09.488,0:34:11.160
(Puia) Probably he was smart...
0:34:11.160,0:34:15.212
(Derek) How do you get[br]skilled at something?
0:34:15.212,0:34:18.599
Education and practice, right?
0:34:18.599,0:34:20.961
Attitude is one thing, that's good,
0:34:20.961,0:34:23.695
but skilled is another thing, right?
0:34:23.695,0:34:24.595
(Puia) Training.
0:34:24.595,0:34:26.096
(Derek) That involves training,
0:34:26.096,0:34:28.392
education, practice. Harold?
0:34:28.392,0:34:29.755
(Harold) The other thing is,
0:34:29.755,0:34:30.885
at the end of verse 10,
0:34:30.885,0:34:33.869
it says that he tried to teach
0:34:33.869,0:34:36.176
the statutes and ordinances in Israel,
0:34:36.176,0:34:37.777
so he was not just trying to keep
0:34:37.777,0:34:39.856
this knowledge from the Scriptures,
0:34:39.856,0:34:40.929
but he was working
0:34:40.929,0:34:42.805
to spread it and share it,
0:34:42.805,0:34:45.087
because, again, this is about restoration,
0:34:45.087,0:34:46.855
trying to lead these people back
0:34:46.855,0:34:49.884
to the Word of God and to God Himself.
0:34:49.884,0:34:53.816
(Derek) So, he seeks it, the law of God,[br]and he...?
0:34:53.816,0:34:55.333
(Team Member) Teaches it.
0:34:55.333,0:34:57.326
(Derek) No, there's something in between.
0:34:57.326,0:34:58.229
He seeks it, he...?
0:34:58.229,0:34:59.599
(Derek, Team) He does it.
0:34:59.599,0:35:00.735
(Derek) And he...?
0:35:00.735,0:35:02.260
(Derek, Team) He shares it.
0:35:02.260,0:35:03.849
(Derek) You know, to just seek it
0:35:03.849,0:35:05.266
and share it without doing it
0:35:05.266,0:35:06.497
is not going to work.
0:35:06.497,0:35:08.184
It's not credible, is it?
0:35:08.184,0:35:09.117
(Team) No.
0:35:09.117,0:35:10.478
(Derek) But here's this man,
0:35:10.478,0:35:11.946
just emerges out of nowhere,
0:35:11.946,0:35:13.700
but from a distinguished family,
0:35:13.700,0:35:16.284
and he purposes in his heart.
0:35:16.284,0:35:18.070
Does that remind you of someone else?
0:35:18.070,0:35:19.065
(Team) Daniel.
0:35:19.065,0:35:21.187
(Derek) Daniel and his[br]three friends, right,
0:35:21.187,0:35:22.484
Purposing in their hearts,
0:35:22.484,0:35:23.769
they made a decision.
0:35:23.769,0:35:25.897
They wanted to not only know about God
0:35:25.900,0:35:27.559
but obey God and...?
0:35:27.559,0:35:31.269
And share that with other people.[br]Yes, Travis?
0:35:31.269,0:35:32.885
(Travis) I was just going to say,
0:35:32.885,0:35:34.796
the first part of verse 10, it says,
0:35:34.796,0:35:36.859
"Ezra prepared his heart[br]to seek the Lord."
0:35:36.859,0:35:39.230
So this wasn't something[br]that just happened.
0:35:39.230,0:35:43.010
This is something that...He sought God
0:35:43.010,0:35:46.447
and was preparing his heart[br]to be the leader.
0:35:46.447,0:35:48.557
He didn't know the future,
0:35:48.557,0:35:49.737
what he was going to do,
0:35:49.737,0:35:51.256
but he was preparing his heart,
0:35:51.256,0:35:53.006
and then God called him.
0:35:53.006,0:35:55.334
(Derek) Jason, I want you to read...
0:35:55.334,0:35:57.328
We didn't read - there's a long list
0:35:57.328,0:35:59.170
of names coming up here in chapter 8,
0:35:59.170,0:36:01.031
which I'm not going to ask you to read.
0:36:01.031,0:36:04.114
But I do want you to read in chapter 7
0:36:04.114,0:36:08.628
the entire decree, verses 11 to 26,
0:36:08.628,0:36:11.224
of King Artaxerxes to restore
0:36:11.224,0:36:12.658
and rebuild Jerusalem.
0:36:12.658,0:36:14.297
And then I want to ask
0:36:14.297,0:36:16.627
the question of the group and of those
0:36:16.627,0:36:18.373
who are watching around the world,
0:36:18.373,0:36:20.488
why do you think the Holy Spirit
0:36:20.488,0:36:24.595
inspires him to write the entire decree
0:36:24.595,0:36:25.913
of this ancient king?
0:36:25.913,0:36:27.464
I think there's an answer,
0:36:27.464,0:36:29.513
and, Alex, you kind of alluded to it
0:36:29.513,0:36:30.998
earlier in our study.
0:36:30.998,0:36:32.775
But let's listen to the decree,
0:36:32.775,0:36:37.939
starting in verse 11 of Ezra, chapter 7.
0:36:37.939,0:36:39.281
(Jason) I'll be reading here
0:36:39.281,0:36:41.155
from the New King James Version,
0:36:41.155,0:36:46.099
Ezra, chapter 7, verses 11 through 26:
0:40:42.754,0:40:44.683
(Derek) Now, while Jason's reading this,
0:40:44.683,0:40:48.574
I'm thinking, "This is astonishing."
0:40:48.574,0:40:54.755
Why would a pagan king make such a...
0:40:54.755,0:40:58.826
How would you describe this decree?
0:40:58.826,0:41:05.611
Gracious, generous, God-honoring decree?
0:41:05.611,0:41:08.024
What's the answer? Liza?
0:41:08.024,0:41:09.907
(Liza) I think he was God-fearing, too,
0:41:09.907,0:41:12.325
because in verse 23 it says,
0:41:12.325,0:41:13.842
"For why should there be wrath
0:41:13.842,0:41:16.015
against the realm of the king[br]and his sons?"
0:41:16.015,0:41:17.284
meaning he felt that,
0:41:17.284,0:41:18.356
if he didn't do this,
0:41:18.356,0:41:19.643
there would be consequences
0:41:19.643,0:41:21.087
of his disobedience.
0:41:21.092,0:41:23.840
(Derek) Okay, so you think
0:41:23.840,0:41:26.215
that he's not just a generous person,
0:41:26.215,0:41:28.875
but he was under conviction
0:41:28.875,0:41:31.657
of the Spirit of God, too? Pedro?
0:41:31.657,0:41:33.044
(Pedro) We see that Ezra
0:41:33.044,0:41:34.152
knew the law of God,
0:41:34.152,0:41:36.191
and he could see the blessings
0:41:36.191,0:41:38.217
that God has put upon the people of Israel
0:41:38.217,0:41:42.766
and also those that are over them.
0:41:42.766,0:41:44.337
He saw that calamity
0:41:44.337,0:41:46.059
could come upon himself
0:41:46.059,0:41:47.495
if he would not obey God,
0:41:47.495,0:41:50.101
and he had plenty of evidence
0:41:50.101,0:41:52.298
from the history of the people of Israel
0:41:52.298,0:41:54.719
inside the captivity there,
0:41:54.719,0:41:56.313
of what happened to those
0:41:56.313,0:41:58.656
who have gone against God's people.
0:41:58.656,0:42:00.481
So he was trying to protect, probably,
0:42:00.481,0:42:02.113
his kingdom during this time.
0:42:02.130,0:42:03.682
(Derek) He certainly knew also
0:42:03.682,0:42:05.485
about Daniel and Shadrach,
0:42:05.485,0:42:06.555
Meshach, and Abednego.
0:42:06.555,0:42:08.125
We could take a lot of time here,
0:42:08.125,0:42:09.319
but we've got to move on.
0:42:09.319,0:42:10.224
But would you agree
0:42:10.224,0:42:12.401
that something supernatural[br]is happening here?
0:42:12.401,0:42:13.095
(Team) Yes.
0:42:13.095,0:42:14.457
(Derek) It's not just, "He's
0:42:14.457,0:42:16.142
a very nice pagan king who's saying
0:42:16.142,0:42:18.153
wonderful things about the God of Heaven,"
0:42:18.153,0:42:20.389
and giving all of the resources[br]that are needed.
0:42:20.389,0:42:23.644
Let's look in verses 27 and 28,
0:42:23.644,0:42:25.616
Alex, if you could read for us,
0:42:25.616,0:42:29.764
how Ezra responded to this, can I call it,
0:42:29.764,0:42:33.903
a startling decree of a pagan king.
0:42:33.903,0:42:34.989
(Alex) I'll be reading
0:42:34.989,0:42:36.887
from the King James Version:
0:43:01.550,0:43:05.990
(Derek) What did Ezra recognize?
0:43:05.990,0:43:07.974
God is at work here, right?
0:43:07.974,0:43:09.403
"God is at work here;
0:43:09.403,0:43:10.917
God is at work with me;
0:43:10.917,0:43:13.012
God is at work with the king," right?
0:43:13.012,0:43:14.833
Something amazing is happening,
0:43:14.833,0:43:17.154
and so he prepares.
0:43:17.154,0:43:18.457
Now, we could read
0:43:18.457,0:43:22.237
verses 1 through 14 of chapter 8;
0:43:22.237,0:43:23.539
I'm not going to.
0:43:23.539,0:43:24.779
But does anybody know
0:43:24.779,0:43:28.323
approximately how many of the exiles
0:43:28.323,0:43:31.813
decided to go with Ezra?
0:43:31.813,0:43:33.688
(Team) About 1500 men.
0:43:33.688,0:43:35.195
(Derek) Someone's done the math
0:43:35.195,0:43:36.535
and said about 1500.
0:43:36.535,0:43:38.044
Now, I don't know if that means
0:43:38.044,0:43:40.176
there were children, too,[br]and family members,
0:43:40.192,0:43:42.429
but you say, "Derek, that's, like,
0:43:42.429,0:43:45.199
a tiny group of people,"
0:43:45.199,0:43:46.869
after they've seen what?
0:43:46.869,0:43:48.731
What have we just read?
0:43:48.731,0:43:49.896
(Team) A miracle.
0:43:49.896,0:43:53.031
(Derek) A miraculous intervention of God
0:43:53.031,0:43:56.718
touching the heart of a pagan king.
0:43:56.718,0:43:59.887
So here's the difficult question:
0:43:59.887,0:44:01.990
Why do you think so few
0:44:01.990,0:44:09.082
chose to return back to Judah with Ezra?
0:44:09.082,0:44:10.848
There may be many reasons,
0:44:10.848,0:44:12.881
but let's look at a few of them, shall we?
0:44:12.881,0:44:13.998
Let's start here, Alex?
0:44:13.998,0:44:15.365
(Alex) I think a lot of them
0:44:15.365,0:44:16.615
had just become complacent
0:44:16.615,0:44:17.677
with where they're at
0:44:17.677,0:44:19.483
and comfortable with where they're at.
0:44:19.483,0:44:20.551
That actually makes me
0:44:20.551,0:44:23.213
think about me in situations.
0:44:23.213,0:44:24.874
It's easy to judge them with that,
0:44:24.874,0:44:26.490
but it's like we get comfortable
0:44:26.490,0:44:28.699
with where we're at so often,[br]and it's like...
0:44:28.699,0:44:30.014
(Derek) "You really want me
0:44:30.014,0:44:31.113
to go on a mission trip
0:44:31.113,0:44:32.871
where I'm going to sleep on the floor
0:44:32.871,0:44:34.301
and have bugs crawling around
0:44:34.301,0:44:37.491
when I can stay in my condo," right?
0:44:37.491,0:44:39.890
I mean, so you're saying one reason,
0:44:39.890,0:44:42.587
they just felt really comfortable[br]where they were,
0:44:42.587,0:44:44.717
and do you think they were right
0:44:44.717,0:44:46.718
to recognize there would be some hardships
0:44:46.718,0:44:47.807
if they went home?
0:44:47.807,0:44:49.038
(Team Member) Absolutely.
0:44:49.038,0:44:50.130
(Derek) Anybody else,
0:44:50.130,0:44:51.398
another reason. Pedro?
0:44:51.398,0:44:53.266
(Pedro) I believe not many had
0:44:53.266,0:44:54.465
an encounter with God.
0:44:54.465,0:44:56.198
We see that they were in captivity
0:44:56.198,0:44:57.664
because they were disobedient,
0:44:57.664,0:44:59.803
and there were not many changes of heart.
0:44:59.803,0:45:04.519
We see the king, who had[br]a change of heart,
0:45:04.519,0:45:05.688
to give that blessing,
0:45:05.688,0:45:07.568
We see that God does the same thing
0:45:07.568,0:45:08.682
with most of the kings
0:45:08.682,0:45:10.145
in the Old Testament.
0:45:10.145,0:45:11.988
And we see the Pharaoh.
0:45:11.988,0:45:14.017
God came in an encounter with the Pharaoh,
0:45:14.017,0:45:16.078
but he chose not to encounter
0:45:16.078,0:45:17.932
a relationship with God.
0:45:17.932,0:45:20.658
(Derek) But Nebuchadnezzar did,[br]right, eventually.
0:45:20.658,0:45:24.488
So you're seeing these changes.
0:45:24.488,0:45:27.397
Is it possible that God wanted some
0:45:27.397,0:45:29.546
to stay by in exile?
0:45:29.546,0:45:31.421
(Team) That's possible.
0:45:31.421,0:45:33.442
(Derek) I like what Pedro said,
0:45:33.442,0:45:35.390
that maybe for many, it was just
0:45:35.390,0:45:36.875
they lacked that relationship.
0:45:36.875,0:45:38.936
When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
0:45:38.936,0:45:40.265
refused to bow down
0:45:40.265,0:45:41.616
to the golden idol,
0:45:41.616,0:45:43.199
how many other of the captive
0:45:43.199,0:45:47.823
children of Israel stood?
0:45:47.823,0:45:50.496
They bowed down; some say even the king,
0:45:50.496,0:45:52.295
a descendant, maybe a relative
0:45:52.295,0:45:56.696
of Zerubbabel was there and bowed down.
0:45:56.696,0:45:58.909
So, I think there's something to this,
0:45:58.909,0:46:02.739
comfortable and disconnected from God.
0:46:02.739,0:46:05.250
Now there may be a few exceptions, right,
0:46:05.250,0:46:07.654
like Daniel, that God says...
0:46:07.654,0:46:09.211
Of course, Daniel's gone now,
0:46:09.211,0:46:10.939
but with the first group
0:46:10.939,0:46:12.252
with Zerubbabel leaving,
0:46:12.252,0:46:14.142
God may say, "Stay by, Daniel,
0:46:14.142,0:46:15.163
I've got some work
0:46:15.163,0:46:17.029
I want you to do." Travis.
0:46:17.029,0:46:18.884
(Travis) I think, too, they had houses,
0:46:18.884,0:46:20.071
land and possessions.
0:46:20.071,0:46:22.132
So if you can imagine you had a nice house
0:46:22.132,0:46:23.389
and all these possessions,
0:46:23.389,0:46:25.013
when you leave, that's gone.
0:46:25.013,0:46:26.557
It's not like you sell the house
0:46:26.557,0:46:28.176
and buy something somewhere else.
0:46:28.176,0:46:31.677
You have to go build a new house,[br]plant new crops.
0:46:31.677,0:46:34.551
I mean, this is a life-changing thing.
0:46:34.551,0:46:35.826
(Derek) Starting again.
0:46:35.826,0:46:36.692
(Travis) Yes.
0:46:36.692,0:46:40.752
(Derek) But I like what Alex was saying,
0:46:40.752,0:46:42.218
I think this has something
0:46:42.218,0:46:44.075
to do with us today.
0:46:44.075,0:46:47.638
You know, if we are not connected to God,
0:46:47.638,0:46:50.505
and we're too comfortable and complacent,
0:46:50.505,0:46:53.012
God might ask us to do something,
0:46:53.012,0:46:56.541
and we'll just say, "No." Liza?
0:46:56.541,0:46:58.617
(Liza) I think also they struggled
0:46:58.617,0:47:01.090
to believe in God's goodness.
0:47:01.090,0:47:03.370
I mean, they were there, as Pedro said,
0:47:03.370,0:47:05.178
as a result of their disobedience,
0:47:05.178,0:47:06.388
so it is a punishment.
0:47:06.388,0:47:08.073
And so I think it was hard for them
0:47:08.073,0:47:09.711
to change their perspective of God
0:47:09.711,0:47:11.441
and say, "Well, God has forgiven us.
0:47:11.441,0:47:12.865
God is ready to work with us.
0:47:12.865,0:47:14.223
God is willing to bless us."
0:47:14.223,0:47:16.149
I think that was hard for them to accept
0:47:16.149,0:47:18.067
because they knew what they did wrong.
0:47:18.067,0:47:20.482
(Derek) So let's, in our last part[br]of the study,
0:47:20.482,0:47:22.589
go back to Ezra and look
0:47:22.589,0:47:24.495
at some of the preparations he made
0:47:24.495,0:47:26.051
because if he made them,
0:47:26.051,0:47:27.970
and God said, "Go," and he went,
0:47:27.970,0:47:29.632
maybe those are preparations
0:47:29.632,0:47:31.521
that would be helpful for us
0:47:31.521,0:47:34.105
in the Last Days, yes or no?
0:47:34.105,0:47:36.460
Absolutely, right?
0:47:36.460,0:47:39.756
So let's look again in Ezra, chapter 7.
0:47:39.756,0:47:41.459
Laurel, if you could read
0:47:41.459,0:47:43.827
verse 6 and verse 10 again.
0:47:43.827,0:47:45.992
I think you have another translation,
0:47:45.992,0:47:47.772
so let's see how the translators
0:47:47.772,0:47:51.438
capture verse 6 and verse 10 of Ezra 7.
0:47:51.438,0:47:52.584
And the question is,
0:47:52.584,0:47:56.186
what important preparation had Ezra made
0:47:56.186,0:47:58.423
that enabled the Lord to use him,
0:47:58.423,0:48:01.251
and we might also say enabled him to hear
0:48:01.251,0:48:02.915
when God asked him to act?
0:48:02.915,0:48:04.698
(Laurel) Okay, I'll be reading
0:48:04.698,0:48:09.008
from the New American Standard Bible,[br]Ezra 7:6:
0:48:30.032,0:48:31.302
(Derek) And then verse 10.
0:48:31.302,0:48:32.417
(Laurel) Verse 10:
0:48:42.619,0:48:46.299
(Derek) So, help me, Harold,[br]what's some preparation
0:48:46.299,0:48:49.079
men and women might make today,
0:48:49.079,0:48:51.072
just like Ezra made back then,
0:48:51.072,0:48:52.412
so when God says, "I've got
0:48:52.412,0:48:54.049
a work for you to do,"
0:48:54.049,0:48:59.337
that we'll say, "Here I am,[br]Lord, send me"?
0:48:59.337,0:49:01.416
(Harold) We need that alone time with God,
0:49:01.416,0:49:03.534
that solitude, so that we can pray
0:49:03.534,0:49:04.812
and meditate on His Word,
0:49:04.812,0:49:07.133
not just read, but meditate.
0:49:07.133,0:49:10.498
And, like, really find deeper things[br]and re-read it
0:49:10.498,0:49:11.648
because he was skilled,
0:49:11.648,0:49:13.498
and you become skilled when you repeat
0:49:13.498,0:49:15.548
and do the same things[br]over and over again.
0:49:15.563,0:49:18.271
(Derek) It was not just a casual reading[br]of the Word.
0:49:18.271,0:49:19.445
All right. Stephanie?
0:49:19.445,0:49:21.234
(Stephanie) There's something to say
0:49:21.234,0:49:22.917
about having that daily commitment
0:49:22.917,0:49:24.667
because then you're staying in tune
0:49:24.667,0:49:26.049
with the voice of God,
0:49:26.049,0:49:27.764
and also you know the Word of God.
0:49:27.764,0:49:30.325
So, if a call comes to you,
0:49:30.325,0:49:32.004
you can determine whether or not
0:49:32.004,0:49:34.768
it is God's voice.
0:49:34.768,0:49:36.785
(Derek) Now, it's interesting in verse 6
0:49:36.785,0:49:38.748
it said the king granted his request
0:49:38.748,0:49:40.719
because he saw the hand of God.
0:49:40.719,0:49:41.977
How do people see
0:49:41.977,0:49:44.528
that the hand of God is upon you?
0:49:44.528,0:49:46.445
How do they see that?
0:49:46.445,0:49:48.196
(Gladys) Through your actions.
0:49:48.196,0:49:50.510
(Derek) Through your actions?
0:49:50.510,0:49:54.895
Is that supernatural, too? Pedro?
0:49:54.895,0:49:58.608
(Pedro) I see here a very important word;[br]it says "skilled."
0:49:58.608,0:49:59.696
(Derek) Skilled.
0:49:59.696,0:50:01.996
(Pedro) I know when you have a craft,
0:50:01.996,0:50:04.828
and you know how to work with some craft,
0:50:04.828,0:50:07.052
like I like to work with cars,
0:50:07.052,0:50:08.245
for me, not to just watch
0:50:08.245,0:50:10.663
a video on YouTube or learn a lesson
0:50:10.663,0:50:12.646
from "How to Change Oil"
0:50:12.646,0:50:15.401
or to change a head gasket on a car,
0:50:15.401,0:50:17.476
will give me the ability to do it.
0:50:17.476,0:50:19.558
But he sought to learn
0:50:19.558,0:50:20.932
from the law of God,
0:50:20.932,0:50:24.122
He'd do it, he does, and then
0:50:24.122,0:50:27.611
he spread to others, he'd teach others.
0:50:27.611,0:50:29.381
And I think that's very important.
0:50:29.381,0:50:32.982
He was skilled, not because he[br]knew about His Word,
0:50:32.982,0:50:34.231
he practiced on his life,
0:50:34.231,0:50:36.818
and he told others, and that made him
0:50:36.818,0:50:38.366
very knowledgeable about it.
0:50:38.366,0:50:40.207
(Derek) I see Stephanie looking at you
0:50:40.207,0:50:41.237
saying, "I never knew
0:50:41.237,0:50:43.489
you were a skilled mechanic."
0:50:43.489,0:50:45.428
"What is a head gasket?" right?
0:50:45.428,0:50:47.576
(Stephanie) No, I know what[br]that is, actually.
0:50:47.576,0:50:49.756
(Derek) Yeah, you know what[br]a head gasket is.
0:50:49.756,0:50:51.625
It's part of the engine, but, you know,
0:50:51.625,0:50:53.751
you don't just get that[br]automatically, right?
0:50:53.751,0:50:56.324
There's preparation; there's discipline.
0:50:56.324,0:50:59.560
So these are some important[br]preparations he made.
0:50:59.560,0:51:01.158
I'm going to take a couple more,
0:51:01.158,0:51:02.495
and then I want you to think
0:51:02.495,0:51:04.266
of some other people besides Ezra
0:51:04.269,0:51:06.150
that you could say, "Well, they made
0:51:06.150,0:51:07.979
important preparation, too,
0:51:07.979,0:51:09.034
so that when God
0:51:09.034,0:51:10.394
gave them an assignment,
0:51:10.394,0:51:11.704
they were ready. Puia?
0:51:11.704,0:51:13.214
(Puia) I think the other aspect
0:51:13.214,0:51:14.580
we can learn from this story
0:51:14.580,0:51:16.775
is the importance of education.
0:51:16.775,0:51:17.810
In context of today,
0:51:17.810,0:51:20.926
I think God can use you more
0:51:20.926,0:51:22.945
as you learn more about the history
0:51:22.945,0:51:25.193
and the context of the Scripture[br]and all of this
0:51:25.193,0:51:27.888
even in today's context when serving God.
0:51:27.888,0:51:29.261
(Derek) There's a saying;
0:51:29.261,0:51:31.416
I believe it's in the book of Ecclesiastes
0:51:31.416,0:51:35.852
where Solomon said, "When the ax is dull,
0:51:35.852,0:51:39.797
more effort is required,
0:51:39.797,0:51:43.854
but wisdom will bring success."
0:51:43.854,0:51:47.715
What's the wisdom? To sharpen the ax.
0:51:47.715,0:51:49.969
And that's what education does,
0:51:49.969,0:51:52.391
and practice - skilled.
0:51:52.391,0:51:53.987
Thank you for pointing that out.
0:51:53.987,0:51:56.224
So, "God, if You want me
0:51:56.224,0:51:57.660
to be powerful in the Word
0:51:57.660,0:52:00.172
before a council someday,
0:52:00.172,0:52:01.355
I want to take time
0:52:01.355,0:52:03.385
with the Word now," right?
0:52:03.385,0:52:05.257
I want to be skilled.
0:52:05.257,0:52:06.456
"If You want me to speak
0:52:06.456,0:52:08.353
in the power of the Holy Spirit
0:52:08.353,0:52:11.098
before the nations some day,
0:52:11.098,0:52:13.642
I want to speak for You now to my neighbor
0:52:13.642,0:52:15.194
in the Holy Spirit." Joshua?
0:52:15.194,0:52:17.052
(Joshua) I think it's really important
0:52:17.052,0:52:18.606
for us to embrace the principles
0:52:18.606,0:52:20.447
of the Bible in our lives
0:52:20.447,0:52:22.387
and to truly practice them.
0:52:22.387,0:52:24.878
And what I find to be amazing is that
0:52:24.878,0:52:27.706
I listen to these great motivational
0:52:27.706,0:52:30.472
and inspirational speakers of the world,
0:52:30.472,0:52:32.643
and they'll say things that people will
0:52:32.643,0:52:35.063
listen to and hold onto and practice,
0:52:35.063,0:52:39.227
not realizing that that same principle[br]is in the Bible.
0:52:39.227,0:52:40.774
And, so, many people
0:52:40.774,0:52:43.985
have profited off of God's principles
0:52:43.985,0:52:45.797
that He has given to us for free,
0:52:45.797,0:52:47.505
but they'll pay hundreds of dollars
0:52:47.505,0:52:49.116
to go to a seminar and hear
0:52:49.116,0:52:51.130
the same thing from someone else's mouth.
0:52:51.132,0:52:52.927
(Derek) A great revelation,
0:52:52.927,0:52:55.219
but it's still true, right?
0:52:55.219,0:52:56.599
It's a principle of truth
0:52:56.599,0:52:58.779
that is also spelled out
0:52:58.779,0:53:00.061
in the Word of God.
0:53:00.061,0:53:01.757
Let's talk about some other people.
0:53:01.757,0:53:03.289
Ezra was not alone.
0:53:03.289,0:53:04.719
We might say, well, Nehemiah,
0:53:04.728,0:53:05.840
and we're going to talk
0:53:05.840,0:53:07.460
about both of them in this series.
0:53:07.460,0:53:09.376
But let's scan broader in the Scripture
0:53:09.376,0:53:11.091
and say, "There's a young woman,"
0:53:11.091,0:53:12.612
or, "There's an older man,"
0:53:12.612,0:53:15.303
older woman, young, whatever age group,
0:53:15.303,0:53:18.441
"that their preparation was crucial
0:53:18.441,0:53:20.203
for the work God called them to do."
0:53:20.203,0:53:22.095
Anybody have a - just share
0:53:22.095,0:53:23.584
a story with me that comes
0:53:23.584,0:53:26.188
to your mind. Anybody?
0:53:26.188,0:53:27.414
(Alex) I think of Daniel.
0:53:27.414,0:53:28.920
We talked about it already,
0:53:28.920,0:53:30.229
but, I mean, look at how he
0:53:30.229,0:53:32.803
prepared himself with his friends,
0:53:32.803,0:53:35.282
with eating well, with his diet.
0:53:35.282,0:53:37.224
(Derek) That's right, Daniel, chapter 1,
0:53:37.224,0:53:39.758
even taking care of his body
0:53:39.758,0:53:43.114
was part of his training, right?
0:53:43.114,0:53:44.343
Good point. Yes?
0:53:44.343,0:53:46.047
(Puia) I remember Paul
0:53:46.047,0:53:48.289
who was previously Saul.
0:53:48.289,0:53:50.675
He was a learned man as well,[br]educated man,
0:53:50.675,0:53:52.571
and when God transformed his heart
0:53:52.571,0:53:55.088
when he met Jesus, he was very useful.
0:53:55.088,0:53:57.962
And, in fact, most of the New Testament
0:53:57.962,0:53:59.335
is written by Paul.
0:53:59.335,0:54:00.961
So I think we see an importance
0:54:00.961,0:54:02.546
of training as well here.
0:54:02.557,0:54:03.890
(Derek) And another person,
0:54:03.890,0:54:05.561
which you may not have thought of,
0:54:05.561,0:54:06.767
who wrote a major portion
0:54:06.767,0:54:08.079
of the New Testament
0:54:08.079,0:54:10.605
if you add the book of the Gospel
0:54:10.605,0:54:12.596
and the book of Acts together,
0:54:12.596,0:54:14.858
you've got a major contributor
0:54:14.858,0:54:17.728
who happened, by profession, to be...?
0:54:17.728,0:54:20.495
A physician, Dr. Luke,
0:54:20.495,0:54:23.203
writing to his friend Theophilus, right?
0:54:23.203,0:54:25.496
So there's another one, preparation.
0:54:25.496,0:54:27.123
Someone else. Pedro?
0:54:27.123,0:54:29.618
(Pedro) I think Esther.
0:54:29.618,0:54:31.533
I was thinking about, she was
0:54:31.533,0:54:32.736
prepared for that moment
0:54:32.736,0:54:34.301
to liberate God's people.
0:54:34.301,0:54:36.267
We don't know, it might not be education;
0:54:36.267,0:54:37.489
it might not be something
0:54:37.489,0:54:39.800
that we can go to school for,
0:54:39.800,0:54:42.355
but I think through her
0:54:42.355,0:54:44.939
process of learning from her uncle,
0:54:44.939,0:54:47.918
she would be able to be prepared
0:54:47.918,0:54:52.440
to confront even the king[br]in a time of need.
0:54:52.440,0:54:53.825
(Derek) What about us today?
0:54:53.825,0:54:55.500
We've got a couple of minutes left.
0:54:55.500,0:54:56.438
What can we do?
0:54:56.438,0:54:58.484
I think we've talked about some principles
0:54:58.484,0:54:59.672
from Ezra and from some
0:54:59.672,0:55:01.726
of these other great women and men of God.
0:55:01.726,0:55:03.128
What are some things, Joshua,
0:55:03.128,0:55:04.468
we can do today, we can do?
0:55:04.468,0:55:05.835
(Joshua) I think that we can
0:55:05.835,0:55:07.038
be as effective as Jesus
0:55:07.038,0:55:09.164
if we do the things that He did
0:55:09.164,0:55:10.495
in the way that He did it,
0:55:10.495,0:55:12.339
meaning, every interaction,
0:55:12.339,0:55:16.075
every experience that He had with someone,[br]was life-changing.
0:55:16.075,0:55:17.586
(Derek) And He did it and said,
0:55:17.586,0:55:19.352
"The Spirit of the Lord is..."?
0:55:19.352,0:55:20.403
(Team) Upon Me.
0:55:20.403,0:55:21.615
(Derek) So it's happening
0:55:21.615,0:55:24.016
by the power of the Holy Spirit.[br]Okay, Liza?
0:55:24.016,0:55:25.116
(Liza) I think we need
0:55:25.116,0:55:26.198
to prepare our hearts,
0:55:26.198,0:55:27.816
and that means going on a journey
0:55:27.816,0:55:30.413
of soul-seeking, reflecting, praying
0:55:30.413,0:55:32.566
to God to show what's in our hearts,
0:55:32.566,0:55:33.955
to bring that to the surface,
0:55:33.955,0:55:35.489
so that we can resolve
0:55:35.489,0:55:37.412
whatever things that we're dealing with.
0:55:37.412,0:55:38.486
I mean, clearly, Ezra
0:55:38.486,0:55:39.721
was not a perfect person,
0:55:39.721,0:55:41.271
but he went through that process
0:55:41.271,0:55:42.424
of being pure-hearted...
0:55:42.427,0:55:43.790
(Derek) Could I pray, "God,
0:55:43.790,0:55:45.459
if there's anything holding me back
0:55:45.459,0:55:46.763
from being the woman of God
0:55:46.763,0:55:47.846
You want me to be,
0:55:47.846,0:55:49.064
from being the man of God
0:55:49.064,0:55:50.187
You want me to be..."?
0:55:50.187,0:55:51.625
There's that wonderful prayer
0:55:51.625,0:55:53.671
in Psalm 139, "Search me, O God,
0:55:53.671,0:55:55.841
and know my heart." Brittany?
0:55:55.841,0:55:58.876
(Brittany) I was just repeating[br]the verse with you.
0:55:58.876,0:56:01.130
(Derek) "Try me, and know[br]my anxious thoughts."
0:56:01.130,0:56:02.345
Travis, one last thought.
0:56:02.345,0:56:04.136
(Travis) I'm just thinking,
0:56:04.136,0:56:06.960
the Bible says, "Be not only hearers
0:56:06.960,0:56:08.125
of the Word, but doers."
0:56:08.125,0:56:09.835
So, if we study the Word of God
0:56:09.835,0:56:11.335
and say, "God, show me
0:56:11.335,0:56:13.434
how you want me to live my life,"
0:56:13.434,0:56:14.880
and put the words that we read
0:56:14.880,0:56:16.255
from the Bible into action,
0:56:16.255,0:56:18.917
then we can be a light to the world.
0:56:18.917,0:56:23.471
(Derek) Two thousand four hundred plus[br]years ago,
0:56:23.471,0:56:25.843
the Spirit of God impresses someone
0:56:25.843,0:56:28.599
from a noble family, really, right,
0:56:28.599,0:56:30.386
distinguished family, Ezra,
0:56:30.386,0:56:33.242
to say, "It's not just about where you[br]came from,
0:56:33.242,0:56:36.201
it's about who I want you to be today."
0:56:36.201,0:56:38.353
And he purposed in his heart,
0:56:38.353,0:56:41.865
and he did the hard work of education.
0:56:41.865,0:56:45.098
He became skilled, to not only hear
0:56:45.098,0:56:47.858
but to do and then to share.
0:56:47.858,0:56:51.736
And God used him to impact his generation.
0:56:51.736,0:56:52.937
And there's a lesson
0:56:52.937,0:56:54.550
for each one of us today
0:56:54.550,0:56:56.638
by the power of the Holy Spirit,
0:56:56.638,0:56:58.647
as Joshua said, that God[br]has a work for us.
0:56:58.647,0:57:00.238
And God has a work for you, too.
0:57:00.238,0:57:02.911
I don't know what it is, but I'm excited
0:57:02.911,0:57:04.964
because God has plans for us
0:57:04.977,0:57:07.688
way beyond what we could ever imagine.
0:57:07.688,0:57:09.143
And it's not just a matter
0:57:09.143,0:57:10.714
of saying "God, I'm available."
0:57:10.714,0:57:12.165
It's saying, "God, what do You
0:57:12.165,0:57:14.565
want me to do now to prepare,
0:57:14.565,0:57:16.305
not to earn Your love or favor,
0:57:16.305,0:57:20.008
but to be a sharp ax in Your hand,
0:57:20.008,0:57:22.097
a useful tool, a faithful servant?"
0:57:22.097,0:57:23.364
Let's pray we can be that
0:57:23.364,0:57:26.046
as we continue this wonderful journey,
0:57:26.046,0:57:27.893
studying Ezra and Nehemiah.
0:57:27.893,0:57:30.864
Father in Heaven, thank You[br]for the inspiration
0:57:30.864,0:57:33.291
of this man's life, Ezra.
0:57:33.291,0:57:35.605
Thank You for the inspired testimony.
0:57:35.605,0:57:37.382
And God, for us today, may we
0:57:37.382,0:57:39.135
be the women of God, the men of God,
0:57:39.135,0:57:41.561
who not only hear, but do and share
0:57:41.561,0:57:43.401
for the honor of Your name.
0:57:43.401,0:57:45.036
In Jesus' name. Amen.
0:57:45.036,0:57:45.902
(Team) Amen.
0:57:45.902,0:57:47.974
(Derek) It's going to be[br]an exciting journey
0:57:47.974,0:57:49.671
as we study two ancient books,
0:57:49.671,0:57:52.802
once clustered together as one single book
0:57:52.802,0:57:54.184
in the Hebrew Scriptures,
0:57:54.184,0:57:55.893
Ezra and Nehemiah, lessons
0:57:55.893,0:57:57.397
for our lives today.
0:57:57.397,0:57:59.194
Right now I know: Hear it,
0:57:59.194,0:58:00.685
do it, and share it.
0:58:00.685,0:58:02.630
Be a blessing to those around you.
0:58:02.630,0:58:29.183
♪ theme music ♪