HSS_2021_Q4_EP11

♪ theme music ♪

(Derek) Welcome to Hope Sabbath School,

an in-depth, interactive study

of the Word of God.

We're in the series,

Present Truth in Deuteronomy.

Today, we're going to see

how later Bible writers

quote from Deuteronomy -

actually in our next study,

how New Testament writers

recognize the inspiration and authority

of this fifth book

of the Pentateuch, Deuteronomy.

It's been a great series.

I hope you'll learn some lessons today

that will motivate you

to hide God's Word in your heart

so that you can have that instruction

God wants for you today.

So, welcome to Hope Sabbath School,

welcome to the team,

good to see you again.

I don't know if I anticipated

such amazing blessings from Deuteronomy,

but there are so many lessons,

present truth for your life
and ours today.

You notice we've got

our Gideon's band here,

five in the studio,

but we've also got some

joining us remotely.

Some of our team members are with us.

Travis, good to have you again

from Michigan, glad to see you.

Puia, all the way from beautiful Hawaii,

Pastor Puia, good to see you,

and Jonathan from Maryland.

Now they're all well known.

Good to see you, well-known members
of our team,

but we can only put so many in here,

and we can only travel certain amounts,

so it's great to have

additional team members.

We're glad you are with us, too, though.

We get emails that say

when I ask a question,

you raise your hand; that's good.

We're part of an interactive Bible study.

We also love to hear from you.

Please write to us at [e-mail]

because when you do,

we share that with the entire team,
and we're encouraged.

And I notice we've been getting

quite a few emails from Papua New Guinea.

Here's another one, from Willie

who's an education director in a mission

there in Papua New Guinea.

And he writes and says, "I am a regular

Hope Sabbath School viewer.

The in-depth study

of the Bible with the team always inspires

my spiritual experience with Jesus!"

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) "I'm always excited

to visit your Hope Channel website

every Sabbath morning.

God bless your service."

Well, Willie, God bless you, too,

there in Papua New Guinea.

Thank you for ministry

as an education director in your mission.

We're glad we can encourage you.

Well, you know, I love

the names from South Africa

because they mean different things.

You know, I met someone,

what was his name again?

"SEE-zoo-EE-leh," and it meant
"We rejoice."

So, I mean, they get names...

Another lady, her name

meant, "Enough," enough,

because they had four girls,

and they wanted a boy.

So, they called her "Enough."

So, I don't know what this name means.

Someone will send me an email.

Sithembiso, Sithembiso, writing

from South Africa, says,

"God bless you for a great ministry,

bringing us Hope Sabbath School

into our living rooms

during this pandemic period.

I feel like I'm in church

every Sabbath wherever I am,

because of Hope Sabbath School." Amen?

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) Well, Sithembiso,

I hope I said your name right;

it's a beautiful name.

Send me an email and tell me
what that means.

Well, here's one of those donor notes.

We get those every once in a while.

And we just want to say thank you.

This one's handwritten

from a donor in Florida,

and the donor writes and says,

"I've been watching Hope Sabbath School
for a while,

and I enjoy the Bible study
and the members.

I'm praying for you all." Amen.

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) "May God continue to bless you.

Enclosed is a donation, 50 dollars,"

it says, "not much."

You don't have to say "not much."

That's beautiful; you're part

of a miracle of God, right?

And we can all do something.

I want to just challenge you

at this time of year.

As we're thinking about,

"What can we do to make a difference,"

you can be part of this impact movement

called Hope Sabbath School.

Just write to me,

and I'll share with you how -

[e-mail] -

Or you can go directly

to our website, hopetv.org/hopess.

There's a yellow button called "Donate."

Click on that and say,

"God, I want to be part of the miracle."

And I want to thank

this donor from Florida,

because little is much

when God is in it, right?

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) Here's a note

from Emmanuel in Zimbabwe,

and Emmanuel writes and says,

"Greetings in the name of our Savior

the Lord Jesus Christ," got a wave.

"I'm Emmanuel from Zimbabwe.

I live in the countryside.

I'm so happy for the Hope Sabbath School
discussions.

They are really a blessing."

Can you imagine someone sitting

out in the countryside there in Zimbabwe

watching Hope Sabbath School and realizing

they're part of the family of God. Amen?

(Team) Amen.

One last note, from Alexander in France,

and, Alexander, thanks for writing

to us from France.

Alexander says, "I learned

about Hope Sabbath School in 2014,"

a long time ago, "and now

Hope Sabbath School is part

of my spiritual life." Amen?

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) "God bless."

Well, God bless you, too, Alexander.

We're glad you're part

of our Hope Sabbath School family
there in France.

And to each one of you,

write to us at [e-mail].

We'd love to hear how God's
blessing your life

through an in-depth, interactive study

of the Word of God.

But right now, we need to hear you sing.

We're not allowed to sing in the studio,

but you can sing our theme song,

Deuteronomy 31:6, "Be strong

and of good courage,

do not fear nor be afraid of them;

for the Lord your God,

He is the One who goes with you.

He will not leave you or forsake you."

Let's sing it together.

♪ music ♪

(Derek) Let's pray together.

Father in heaven, we thank You

for that beautiful promise

that we can be strong

and of good courage.

We do not need to fear

or be afraid of anyone,

because the Lord our God,

He is the One who goes with us.

He will not leave us;

You will not leave us or forsake us.

Today, as we study

in our Hope Sabbath School,

we pray that we would learn lessons

as later Scripture writers

quote from Deuteronomy.

Impress upon our hearts that we also need

to hide that Word in our hearts,

to view the Scripture

as a precious testimony

even for our lives today.

May the Holy Spirit be our Teacher.

I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) Well, as you read in the Bible,

do you notice that later Bible writers

quote earlier Bible writers?

Now, we'll talk about that specifically
with Deuteronomy,

but I'd just like you to think

even about the gospel story.

Think of some times

when Matthew, for example,

quoted a Scripture written [no sound]

(Kim) Yes, it's in Matthew,
the first chapter.

(Derek) Okay, Matthew, chapter 1,

and what verses would you like to read?

(Kim) Twenty-two to twenty-three.

(Derek) Alright, Matthew, chapter 1.

Now, we know that Matthew,

he was a Jewish tax collector, right,

so he was probably well acquainted

with the Hebrew Scriptures.

Let's see, under the inspiration

of the Holy Spirit what he writes.

(Kim) Okay, I'll be reading

from the English Standard Version:

(Derek) Does anybody know

who the prophet was

that Matthew was quoting from?

Anybody know? Sabina?

(Sabina) From Isaiah.

(Derek) The Gospel Prophet, right?

But did you notice the words

in your translation there?

It doesn't say "what the prophet said,"

but how did it read in your Bible, Kim?

(Kim) Oh, it said, "What the Lord

had spoken by the prophet."

(Derek) "What the Lord

had spoken by the prophet,"

because no prophecy,

2 Peter 1, verse 19, right,

is of any private interpretation,

but holy men of God,

holy women of God,

spoke as they were moved

by the Holy Spirit.

Daniel, can you think
of another reference?

We're just looking right there

at the gospel story where Matthew

thinks of another prophecy
or prophet spoken.

(Daniel) Yes, I have one in Luke,

chapter 19, verse 46.

(Derek) Oh, in the Gospel

of Luke, okay, Luke, chapter...?

(Daniel) Nineteen, verse forty-six.

(Derek) Okay, give us

a moment to find that.

Luke, chapter 19 and verse 46.

(Daniel) It reads here

in the New King James Version:

(Derek) And that's actually
from two prophets.

Where is that quotation where, "My house

shall be a house of prayer," anybody know?

I'm looking to see

if any of our remote people

know where that's found.

No? Yes, Puia, where is that found?

(Puia) I believe it's also

in Isaiah and also Jeremiah.

(Derek) Yeah, Isaiah is where,

"My house will be a house of prayer,"

and Isaiah adds "for all nations," right,
for all nations.

And Jeremiah talks

about the den of thieves.

So, there are many examples.

Let's look at another one.

Jason, could you read for us

Matthew 2, verse 6?

Matthew, chapter 2 and verse 6.

Again, we're noticing

how later Bible writers quote
the Scriptures

that have been written beforehand.

(Jason) I have the New King James
Version here,

Matthew, chapter 2, verse 6:

(Derek) So, that's a quotation.

Do you have one of those chain references

in your Bible, Jason?

Does it tell you where that comes from?

(Jason) Yes, so it tells us, Micah.

(Derek) Micah, chapter 5 and verse 2.

Alright, let's look at one other example,

Stephanie, in Matthew, chapter 2.

It sounds like Matthew is just quoting

the Old Testament Scriptures

all the time, doesn't it?

Matthew, chapter 2, verses 17 and 18.

(Stephanie) Alright, and I'll be reading

from the New King James Version:

(Derek) So, I have

a question for you, Stephanie,

and then for anyone else on the team,

do you think sometimes prophets wrote down

what the Lord revealed to them

without fully understanding

what the full meaning of those words was?

Or, do you think they grasped it all,

what do you think?

(Stephanie) No, I think that they

just trusted Him, and they wrote down

what He directed them to write.

(Derek) Okay, yes, Jason.

(Jason) Well, yes, because if we think

of what we just read here,

Jeremiah knew that there would be

many calamities that would fall
on his people,

but I don't think he actually knew

that King Herod was going to engage

in infanticide, where he would go

and destroy all the babies.

So, I don't think Jeremiah

necessarily knew every single detail

of what later was prophesied.

(Derek) Yes, you want to add to that,

Stephanie, and then Daniel?

(Stephanie) I was thinking
of other prophecies

in the Bible, in Daniel.

Daniel didn't know everything
that was going to happen.

(Derek) Not with all...

(Stephanie) Exactly.

(Derek) Especially in Daniel, chapter 8,

he felt kind of sick, faint, right?

(Stephanie) So, that's just an example

of, you know, the prophets

didn't know everything,

but they wrote by the inspiration

of the Holy Spirit.

(Derek) Sure. Daniel?

(Daniel) Just to add to that,

in Daniel, chapter 2,

we see the famous statue

of Nebuchadnezzar's dream,

but obviously he didn't know

what he was talking about,

the kingdoms to come;

he only knew about Babylon at that time.

So, that's an example.

(Derek) And he didn't know

about the European Union

or all of those things, right,

or General Berthier or...

So, there were things,

but he faithfully prophesied

what had been revealed to him,
is that right?

So, I have a question, Sabina.

Why did these later religious leaders

who were also prophets, why did they hold

the Scriptures from the past

in such high regard or high esteem?

(Sabina) Well, Pastor Derek,

I think they already understood

that they were inspired by God.

So, they were already carrying that

as being something that God
had given to them,

and that's why they quote them

just as Jesus quoted it,

as being inspired by God.

(Derek) And that claim

is made in Scripture, right?

Can you think of a text

that talks about Scripture

as being inspired by God?

Jonathan, is there one

that comes to your mind?

(Jonathan) Yes, 2 Timothy 3:16-17...

(Derek) Would you read that for us
from your translation?

(Jonathan) Sure, and I'll be reading

from the English Standard Version,
and it says:

(Derek) Thank you, that's a great example.

I like that translation;

it's God-breathed, [blowing out]

Anyone have another translation?

"All Scripture is...'?

(Team) "...given by inspiration..."

(Derek) "...given by inspiration of God,"

by the work of the Holy Spirit.

And that's another text that speaks

about the Holy Spirit and inspiration.

Kim, do you remember where that's found?

(Kim) Um, 2 Peter.

(Derek) Yeah, would you read that for us?

2 Peter, chapter 1, would you read

verses 19 through 21?

I always think, maybe some of you

are saying, "Oh, Derek,

I've read that before."

But maybe someone's hearing this

for the first time,

and they're saying, "Pastor Derek,

I just thought these were

human words about God.

You're telling me that this was

actually given through the prophets,
inspired by God."

How does Peter write

in 2 Peter, chapter 1?

(Kim) 2 Peter, chapter 1, verses 19 to 21.

I'll be reading from the English
Standard Version:

(Derek) "As they were carried along."

Another translation, "as they were..."?

(Derek, Team) "...moved..."

(Derek) "...by the Holy Spirit."

Now, if were to take a lot of time looking

at how revelation and inspiration work,

there were some times

they heard actual words, right,

and they wrote them down.

There were other times

that God guided in their study,

like Dr. Luke talked

to all of the eyewitnesses.

But what they all have in common

is that they all say,

"God was at work in this."

"God was directing this."

And so, they hold the Scripture

in very high regard.

We certainly see that

in the life of Jesus.

And we're going to talk

about Deuteronomy in just a minute,

because lots of quotations will come,

or references, to Deuteronomy.

In fact, even Jesus, right?

When did Jesus quote

the book of Deuteronomy most frequently,

Puia, do you remember?

When did Jesus quote

from Deuteronomy most frequently?

(Puia) I believe when He

faced temptation in the wilderness,

He quoted from Deuteronomy.

(Derek) Yes, would you take us

to Matthew, chapter 4,

and read three verses for us.

But read them one at a time,

and after you read the first one,

someone call out where it's found.

And then go to the second one
and the third,

starting in verse 4 of Matthew 4.

(Puia) And I'll be reading

from the New King James Version:

(Derek) Does anybody know
where that's found?

Clue: It's in Deuteronomy, right?

(Stephanie) 8:3.

(Derek) Deuteronomy, chapter 8
and verse 3, okay.

The next temptation, Puia.

(Puia) Verse 7:

(Derek) And where's that found?

(Team) 6:16, Deuteronomy 6:16.

(Derek) Deuteronomy 6 and verse 16.

I think Puia's got a chain reference

in his Bible, too.

That's helpful, isn't it?

Alright, and the last one

in the temptations, verse 10, Puia.

(Puia) Yes, verse 10:

(Derek) And where is that written?

(Team) Deuteronomy 6:13.

(Derek) Deuteronomy 6, verse 13.

So, thank you, Puia.

What can we learn

from those three satanic attacks

and the three responses of Jesus?

There are several lessons

we could learn, Sabina?

(Sabina) We see that both Satan and Jesus

are quoting from Scriptures.

So, Satan, he also knows well

what's written in the Word of God,

and he attributes authority to that.

We see that Jesus,

in responding to him,

He rebukes also with the Word of God.

So, both of them agree

that the Word of God

is something special, right?

(Derek) Unfortunately, when Satan
quotes from Scripture

under the second temptation,

he kind of distorts it,

leaves something out, right?

People still do that today,

but Jesus consistently...

What can we learn from Jesus

through this experience? Yes, Travis.

(Travis) So, what I learn from here

is that the only thing that I need

to respond to Satan with is Scripture.

(Derek) Oh, don't argue with him, right?

Just bring the Word of God.

Someone told me one time, the Word of God

has authority over the enemy,

because the Word of God isn't just here;

the living Word of God

has authority over the enemy, thank you.

Puia, I think you also

had your hand raised.

(Puia) Yes, I believe it is significant

for us in the context of our study today

that Jesus had a high view

of the book of Deuteronomy.

He quoted that, and I think

that's a big lesson for us today.

If Jesus trusted the Old Testament,

if Jesus quoted from it

as a reliable source

of inspiration from God,

then I think we, too, can trust

in the book of Deuteronomy.

(Derek) And the rest

of the Scriptures, right,

because all Scripture is given

by inspiration of God. Sabina?

(Sabina) What I am thinking also

is that Satan, knowing that Jesus

attributed so high a view to Scripture,

he tried to use, exactly, Scriptures
to tempt Jesus.

(Derek) Which is why we need

to read not only the text

but the context, right?

And we also need to ask

the same Holy Spirit

who inspired the prophet to guide us.

Jesus promised, John 16, verse 13,

"When He, the Spirit of truth, is come,

He will guide you into..."?

(Derek, Team) "...all truth."

(Derek) Now, I want to go to Matthew 22,

because Jesus quotes again.

And, Daniel, if you could read

Matthew 22, verse 37,

I'm beginning to wonder if Jesus

memorized the whole book of Deuteronomy,

whether He just took that
really seriously.

Maybe other books of the Bible as well.

Daniel, what do you read

in verse 37 of Matthew 22?

(Daniel) I'll be reading

from the New King James Version:

(Derek) And where is that found?

(Stephanie) Different places.

(Derek, Puia) Deuteronomy.

(Derek) That's right, Puia,

it's found in Deuteronomy again.

You say, "Well, did Jesus quote

from any other books besides Deuteronomy?"

Jason, I think He did, didn't He?

Even in verse 39 of Matthew 22,

what did Jesus say there?

(Jason) The New King James Version

says in Matthew 22:39:

(Derek) That is not found in Deuteronomy,

though the principle is certainly there,

in fact, to even love the stranger, right?

But where is that quoted from, Jason?

(Jason) I believe that is Leviticus,
right before?

(Derek) That's right,

in part of the Pentateuch,

another book of Moses,

in [Leviticus], chapter 19.

And later, maybe while you're
still with us,

could read verse 44,

and someone can tell us

where Jesus is quoting from then.

(Jason) Alright, Matthew 22:44,

I believe, here,

and this is the New King James Version:

(Derek) And, Sabina, where is that found?

(Sabina) That's found in Psalms.

(Derek) In the book of Pslams,

which Psalm is it, do you remember?

(Sabina) That's 110.

(Derek) 110, verse 1, okay.

What do we learn from just these few texts
we've been reading?

Jonathan, what did we learn here?

And we're just looking at Jesus here,

a little snapshot, the temptations

and some interaction He's having

with the religious leaders.

(Jonathan) That Jesus had

a high value of Scripture,

and that Scripture is core to us

charting through a spiritual life

with any clarity in a world

that can be very confusing.

So, without Scripture we are sure
to go astray.

(Derek) Alright, I want to build

on the fact that Jesus

had a high view of Scripture. Stephanie?

(Stephanie) I think it was

more than just important to Him,
but He had memorized it;

He had put it in His heart, so it
came back to his mind.

(Derek) Isn't there a text that says,

"Your Word I have hidden in my heart..."?

Can someone finish that?

(Derek, Team) "...that I might not
sin against You."

(Derek) And, Stephanie, He not only then

had a theoretical high regard
for Scripture...

(Stephanie) He had an experience.

(Derek) He had an experience

of hiding that Word in His heart.

And didn't Jesus say

during His earthly ministry,

"The Helper, the Holy Spirit,

whom the Father will send in My name,

He will teach you all things, and..."?

(Derek, Team) "...bring
to your remembrance..."

(Derek) "...all the things

that I said to you," John 14:26.

So, He lived that, didn't He,
in high regard.

Well, I want to ask a question.

If Scripture is so important...

Let me get very practical,

and then I'll ask you a time

when God brought that to your remembrance.

What are some ways that you have used

to hide God's Word in your heart?

Pastor Puia, you teach the Bible,

what are some ways that you have found

to really fill your mind and heart

with the Word of God?

(Puia) Well, as we often sing

in Hope Sabbath School here,

I like to teach my youth in the church

songs, Scripture songs, that can help us

remember the words in our hearts.

(Derek) And that's so important.
Thank you, Puia.

It's not just like

kind of religious songs,

but it's the Word of God put to music,

which can help it to stay in our minds.

I was so excited; my favorite book

on the life of Jesus

is called The Desire of Ages,

maybe many of you have seen that book

(if not, it's worth reading),

that Jesus, page 73,

when He was a little boy,

walked around Nazareth,

Puia, did you know,

singing Scripture songs?

I'm like, I got so excited,

because there's a way that singing

a Scripture song fixes that

in your memory, right?

Jason, what are some ways you...?

You say, "Wow, the Bible is so important,

the example of Jesus, I want to fix

those words of God in my mind"?

(Jason) So, for me, one of the best ways

has been to actually teach the Bible,

leading out in Bible studies.

And whether it's to other young adults,

maybe it's even to kids

who are younger than me,

or even people who are older,

studying the Word for myself

because as I share it and as I teach it,

I remember the verses

that I had to study and look up.

And then that puts the Word in my heart.

(Derek) Alright. You can do

Scripture memory cards; you can listen

to the Bible on your phone;

there are lots of things
you can do, right?

But what we have is this high regard

for the Word of God

as being inspired by God,

God-breathed by the Holy Spirit,

and wanting to take

that Word of God very seriously.

Well, with that in mind,

we want to go back

and talk about Deuteronomy.

It's hard to believe this,

but the book of Deuteronomy was lost.

It was lost until the time

of, well, let's read the story, shall we?

The story of King Josiah,

and 2 Kings is going to [have] the story.

I want someone just to read verse 11.

Kim, would you read

2 Kings 22 and verse 11,

and we'll kind of pick up the story.

And then someone can give us

some historical background.

(Kim) Sure, I'll be reading

from the English Standard Version:

(Derek) Now, can someone give me

an approximate time frame for this time

in the life of young King Josiah?

Approximately. Jason?

(Jason) It's around 620, or so, B.C.

(Derek) So, that would be what?

Eighteen years before the time of Daniel?

I mean, it's pretty close

to the time of Daniel, right?

Daniel probably wasn't born yet,

because he probably wasn't

even 18 years old,

or it would have been about the time

he was born, alright?

And, at that time, they find

this Book of the Law,

which is a reference to Deuteronomy.

And why does King Josiah tear his robes?

Anybody know? Yes, Jonathan.

That sounds like not very good stewardship
of your robes.

Why did he tear his robes, Jonathan?

(Jonathan) I'm guessing, but when I

imagine Josiah reading

some specific portions of that book

that seem to be specifically talking

to his generation...

I mean, when I look at chapters 28
through 30

and just see how it talks

exactly where they were

and how they would be rejecting

prophet after prophet,

and how God would be on the borders

of kicking them out to another land

and had already handed out the Israelites,

it would have torn his heart.

Like, "Wow, why are we here?

Why haven't we repented?"

So, I think it was directly
to their situation.

(Derek) Yeah, so how many centuries

have passed since the book

of Deuteronomy was written?

You said, around 622-23 B.C.,

how many centuries have passed, Puia,

since the book of Deuteronomy was written?

(Puia) Well, I would guess

about at least seven centuries,

or close to eight centuries.

(Derek) The safe answer is,

"A lot of centuries have passed," right?

How could they possibly lose

one of the books of the Pentateuch,

one of the books of Moses the prophet?!

They lost it; how could that happen,
Sabina?

(Sabina) Well, we know from Scriptures

that they had gotten lost in apostasy.

So, unfortunately, you know, by turning

to other gods and other practices,

they definitely forgot.

Maybe Deuteronomy was already there

somewhere, hidden, the scroll.

If someone had turned to it,

they would find it.

It's not that it was absolutely incapable
to be found,

but they were just not looking at it.

(Derek) It's easy to judge them, isn't it?

But I'm wondering if there are

professed Christians today who have

a Bible, but they don't know where it is.

Is that possible?

They say, "Oh, do you read the Bible?"
"Yes."

"Do you have one?"

"Um, somewhere, I don't know where it is."

Is that any worse?

That's just as bad, isn't it,
as this situation.

Finally, they find...I mean, it's like,

"Hey, what's this?" buried

under all of the memorabilia, right?

"Oh, what's this?"

Let's keep reading, Jason, if you would,

in 2 Kings but now in chapter 23.

If you'd read the first three verses.

Let's see how this...

We're going to find out

that Josiah is a godly king.

He's seeking God with all his heart.

Let's see how he responds

when this book we're studying, right,

Present Truth in Deuteronomy,

this becomes present truth,

I think, as was just pointed out,

for his generation, right?

Verses 1 through 3.

(Jason) The New King James Version says,

in 2 Kings, chapter 23,
verses 1 through 3:

(Derek) What do you think

about this young king?

I don't know exactly

how old he is at this time.

Maybe someone can tell me.

I know he was very young

when he began his reign.

Travis, what do you think

about the way he acts

when this book is found?

(Travis) Well, I want to comment on that,

but also, I believe it was

the eighteenth year of his reign,

and he began to reign at 8 years old,

so he would have been 26,

right, at the time.

But this thing was hidden

in the house of the Lord,

and it took him 18 years to find it...

(Derek) Wow, that's

a solemn thought, isn't it?

Puia, I don't want you to tell me

on global television how old you are,

but I think you're pretty close to the age

of Josiah when he found the book.

What are your thoughts, Puia,

about the way he reacted

when he found this sacred text?

(Puia) Right, as Jonathan

pointed out earlier,

in tearing his clothes

I believe significantly portrays

that he was sad to hear about the way

that his people have been moving away

from the book of the law.

So, I believe, for a young person

such as Josiah at 26, somewhere
around there,

I believe his reaction showed

that he had a deep fear for God,
a love for God.

(Derek) So, let's not judge people

just because they don't have
the Word of God.

Maybe they're very sincere,

but it's been hidden from them.

Is that possible? Sabina?

(Sabina) It is, and I'm thinking

especially here, that it says

that he brought the priests
and the prophets

along with all the people.

So, imagine this situation, you have

this book of Deuteronomy, or scroll,

potentially maybe it's the entire Torah,

we are not very sure,

but at least the book

of Deuteronomy was there, hidden

in the house of the Lord for so much time.

And he needs to bring the priests

and the prophets to read together.

So, it's hard for me even to picture

that happening nowadays, right,

a priest and a prophet

that are not reading Scripture.

(Derek) Not reading the Word.

Lets' keep reading; Daniel,

if you could read for us

back in 2 Kings 23.

We read verses 1 to 3;

if you could read on with verses 4 to 8,

let's see how young King Josiah,

now Puia tells us, or Travis told us,

I think, about 26 years old,

so he's a young adult.

But God's going to use him

in a powerful way.

Let's see how the story

unfolds, verses 4 through 8.

(Daniel) I'll be reading

from the New King James Version:

(Derek) Stephanie, you hear that,

how do you respond to the way

that King Josiah's acting?

(Stephanie) Major reformation.

(Derek) How do you describe

his attitude in this?

It is a major reformation. Yes?

(Stephanie) He's on a mission.

He knows, "This is what happened,

and I'm going to take away anything

that has anything to do

with not worshiping the true God."

(Derek) Again, you talk about losing

the Book of the Law,

but the things that were happening

in the temple would never have happened

if they had been reading

the inspired writings, right?

They would have known

that that was an abomination to God.
Yes, Sabina?

(Sabina) Pastor Derek, I think

he is an inspiration to me.

You know, imagine this person,

he was surrounded by people

who were powerful in some way, you know?

Even though he was in that position,

in a high position,

he had to confront others

so that truth could come out.

So, I really look up to him; I think

he was truly used by God at his time.

(Derek) I hope there's a young adult

like you, someone watching you, saying,

"Could God use me that powerfully today?"

I remember, Jason, in a previous study,

you talked about your own experience

of realizing it wasn't so important

what people around you thought.

How do you see that applying
here to Josiah?

Because I doubt if everybody

of these powerful people

were going, "That's good, tearing down

the thing we've been worshiping,

burning the thing we've been
bowing down to."

(Jason) Yeah, so, if Josiah was

truly impacted by the people around him,

he probably would not have done
all these things.

He actually probably had to stand

against those around him,

people saying, "No, we like these things.

These are part of our culture.

These are part of our identity."

He had to basically say, "No,

my identity is in God,"

and so he had to stand

against the identity that was

being imposed upon him,

probably by all these other forces.

(Derek) It's a courageous...

I mean, you talked
about major reformation.

It's a courageous leadership move,
isn't it?

(Team) It is.

(Derek) Someone could have said,

"My grandpa used to worship

that thing you just burned."

"Okay, but it's wrong because this

is what the Word of God says."

One last verse in this chapter,

Kim, if you could read

verse 25 of 2 Kings 23.

Oh, that this might be said

of young men and young women

(and older men and women, too)
in our generation.

Let's see how the author

of Kings writes this.

(Kim) Sure, I'll be reading

from the English Standard Version:

(Derek) Did you notice that language?

Did that remind you

of the book of Deuteronomy,

chapter 6 and verse 5?

(Team) Yes.

(Derek) It's like we were talking

in a previous study, that's what we call

active remembering, right?

That's active remembering.

That's actually not just remembering

but acting upon it. Sabina?

(Sabina) And what makes me think then,

not only was the book making

an influence in his surroundings

but primarily his own life.

So, he first had to turn to the God

of that Scripture he was reading

with all his might, with all his heart,

and then upon the influence

of the Holy Spirit

to transform his reality.

(Derek) That's amazing.

Well, the book of Deuteronomy, Travis,

is brought to the fore again

in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah,

and I would like to ask you

to read from Nehemiah,

chapter 8, verses 1 through 8.

There's something quite startling
that happens.

You talk, Stephanie,

about major reformation.

During the time also

of Ezra and Nehemiah,

we see God moving by His Spirit

in a powerful way.

And I do not think a revival
will ever happen

apart from the Word of God.

Because the reformation

is guided by the Word, right?

It shows us where we're living

out of harmony. Stephanie?

(Stephanie) I was just thinking, too,

that Josiah was convicted,

and he was convicted by reading the Word.

And so today, the Holy Spirit convicts us

as we read the Word, and then that

brings about a change in our lives.

(Derek) And courage, and courage.

Alright, Travis, now we're

in the time of Nehemiah,

and where are we here?

Can someone help me

with the time of Nehemiah, when is that?

Jonathan, approximately,
the time of Nehemiah?

(Jonathan) Oh, so this is

right after the return

or during the return from Babylon,

so that would be 470?

I don't know, 400 or 500 B.C.

(Derek) Yeah, so in there, about 150 years

after the time of King Josiah.

Let's hope they didn't lose it

for another 150 years,

but here we find, Travis,

some serious reading of the book
of Deuteronomy.

Read for us Nehemiah 8,

verses 1 through 8.

(Travis) And I'll be reading

from the New King James Version:

(Derek) Well, I just want to thank Travis

for reading all those wonderful names.

That was quite an important list.

Why do you think it gives all those names

rather than just saying,

"And some people helped Ezra"?

What's the significance

of all of those names?

"All Scripture is given

by inspiration of God," right?

Travis, why do you think

all those names are there?

(Travis) Well, it just adds value,

that it was a real circumstance,

they were real people.

We see this all the time in Scripture

where God has added dates and times

and cities and places.

It just adds value to the story.

(Derek) So, if you

were listening carefully,

someone's who's good at math,

how many hours did they

read the Scripture that day?

They were reading from the Book

of the Law, approximately, Jason?

(Jason) It says "morning to midday,"

so, let's say four hours or so?

(Derek) Alright, so, question:

When was the last time

that you sat down and listened

to the Word of God for four hours?

What does this tell you,
this story, anybody?

Puia, what does it tell you,

that the king says,

"We're going to read Scripture,"

he reads it for four hours?

Not only that, he gets some people

who help them to understand the sense,

in other words, to explain it

so they really understand it.

What does that tell you

about what's happening here

during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah?

(Puia) As they were rebuilding

the city and the wall,

I believe they understood

that real lasting reformation

has to begin with the Word of God.

And I just want to add

that from our perspective today,

because we have the Scripture

readily accessible on our cell phones,

and we have multiple Bibles in our homes

and even in hotels, if we go to hotels

there is a Bible in every room,

and I just can't fully understand

what it must have been like.

But, to be in a place where they

have never had the opportunity

to read it for themselves for so long,

and to hear the Word of God again,

I believe it must have been an experience

of a lifetime for them too.

(Derek) We're going to keep reading.

Sabina, if you could read

now in chapter 9;

they're not done reading the Bible.

They say, "Oh, we read it, that's it," no.

Some days pass, and now

on the twenty-fourth day, is it,

of this month, verses 1 through 3.

Apparently, there is more Scripture

to be read and to be understood.

Let's read it together.

(Sabina) Okay, so I'll be reading

from the New King James Version,

and chapter 9 of Nehemiah
from 1 to 3 says:

(Derek) So, what can we learn
from that text?

Did you notice a progression there?

Anybody, what do you learn

from that passage? Yes, Sabina.

(Sabina) I see here there is

a progression in that, you know,

as they are reading the Bible,

they come in to a place

of repentance, of seeking God.

It says that they were fasting,

and they were having this position

like in sackcloth and with dust
on their heads.

And this leads them

to confession and to worship.

(Derek) Another question:

When was the last time

that you spend a fourth

of your day in worship?

So, what is the relationship

between taking the Scripture seriously

and worshiping in Spirit and in truth?

I'm not talking about religious
entertainment here, right?

This worship was motivated by the truth

of the Word they were hearing.

What's the relationship

between taking Scripture seriously -

here the book of Deuteronomy -

and worshiping in Spirit and truth?

Anybody? Yes, Puia.

(Puia) I believe it goes hand-in-hand,

because the Psalmist describes

the Word of God as truth,

"Thy Word is the truth."

So, worshiping God in Spirit and in truth

goes hand-in-hand with the Word of God.

(Derek) So, I hear the Word,

it teaches me about God,

how much He loves me,

how worthy He is of my worship,

and I can't just say, "Well, okay,

I'm going to do something else."

Worship in Spirit and truth

will flow out of that time with the Word.

Could that be one reason why the enemy

tries to keep us away

from the Word of God?

(Team) Yes.

(Derek) Travis.

(Travis) So, I'm thinking, Derek,

as you mentioned, what it means

to worship in Spirit and truth,

and I think of the book of Mark

where it says, "In vain they worship me,"

you know, "teaching the doctrines of man."

And it says that, "Their heart
is far from Me."

So, if we're to worship

in Spirit and truth,

and I see that here with this group

of people in Nehemiah

is that they didn't all

just want to know the truth

about God through the Scriptures,

but they actually wanted

to come and worship.

Their heart wasn't far from God.

They had a desire in their heart

to worship and serve God.

We see that in the last verse

that was just read that said

they assembled together.

They wanted to be there.

(Derek) Powerful. Yes, Jonathan.

(Jonathan) It just seems like it wasn't

just conceptual knowledge for them.

They were applying it to themselves

and realizing they needed to repent.

They needed to confess their sins,

and so it was a personal thing.

(Derek) So, let's talk

about our lives here.

You know, there are other allusions

to the book of Deuteronomy.

We could read some of them,

but I think we've learned

that people seeking God

take the Scripture seriously.

Are you with me?

(Team) Yes. Amen.

(Derek) People who are led

by the Spirit of God

will take the Scripture seriously

that was inspired by the Spirit of God.

So, I'd like you to share

a time in your journey

when you were spending

significant time with the Word of God,

and the impact that it had on your life.

It may be a retreat.

It may have been a time

of just quiet reflection.

Or, you might say, "I haven't.

I think I need to do that," right?

Maybe a conviction comes to us.

But, Jason, do you want to share a time

when that was signifcant for you?

Maybe not exactly like the time

of Ezra and Nehemiah,

but it was important.

(Jason) Sure, so I remember

when I was in college, I was with a group,

and we decided that for a Friday evening

we were going to read

through an entire book of the Gospels.

So, we read through the whole book

of Mark in one evening.

And that was just fascinating to me,

because, yeah, I read portions

of Scripture here and there,

but to actually spend several hours

just listening to the words of Jesus,

the life of Jesus, the acts of Jesus,

it really made me think more fully

about Christ's life and what He had done.

And it had a spiritual impact for me.

(Derek) And I would say this to you,

even though we're studying

Present Truth in Deuteronomy,

if you're going to start

anywhere in the Bible,

start with the Gospels.

Start with the story of Jesus; He loves us

with an immeasurable, unfailing love,

reveals the Father's love to us, right?

And do you know there are

many professed Christians who have

never read one of the Gospels?

Many professed Christians.

It's like the book got lost.

You say, "Derek, are you

just kind of generalizing?"

No, I taught a class

on the life of Jesus for many years

at a Christian university,

and many of my students confessed

they had never read one of the Gospels

in their whole life.

So, the book got lost.

You're saying that was

a powerful experience for you,
just one book.

(Jason) One book.

(Derek) Anybody else, a time

with significant time with the Word?
Yes, Daniel?

(Daniel) I remember when I was

first converted to being a Christian,

being Adventist, I had a lot of friends

who always wanted to debate me.

They always wanted to say, "Hey, no,

we think you're wong."

And what really helped me was I read

through the four books of the Gospels.

And what that really helped me

was understanding what I believe in,

reassuring me, and it helped me

to be more able to defend

the faith with my friends.

(Derek) You know, that's

such a powerful thing.

And by the way, you could listen to them,

you could watch the Matthew video,

which is word-for-word,

or the John video is word-for-word.

They just came out with the Luke video;

that's word-for-word.

You know, I don't think

just kind of dramatic portrayals

with putting other people's words in,

but word-for-word, listen, watch.

You could even read it, right?

That was the old way, or listen

as someone else reads it to you.

But Daniel's testimony

is just walking through those.

What's so powerful about that

is the Holy Spirit can bring that

to your remembrance,

because He's the One

who inspired the Scripture.

Travis, you had a comment.

(Travis) Studying the Bible,

especially in the last year,

has been significant to me,

because I have been writing outlines

for an online study that I do.

Well, I was thinking, the book of Nehemiah

when it said all those people

were helping them understand,

well, I've used different avenues

to write these outlines

and just dissect the Bible.

And the Bible has really come alive.

I would sit down for four or five hours

at a time and just immerse myself

in the Scripture, diving in
verse by verse.

And it just opened to me

a whole new picture of Jesus

and the Scriptures and the value

of the Scriptures for my life.

(Derek) And, Travis, which book

of the Bible did you decide to use

for that in-depth study

of one of the books of the Bible?

(Travis) We're studying the book of John.

(Derek) That's at great book to study,
one of my favorites.

Stephanie, I think you're leading
a Bible study group, too.

Which book did you choose?

(Stephanie) John.

(Derek) The book of John.

So, what a great place to start, right?

Sabina, you wanted to make a comment.

(Sabina) I was just thinking,

when I also came to Jesus,

one of my decisions was

to really pursue meaning in life,

you know, what was His purpose for me.

And I came across this verse in Romans.

It's Romans 12:2 that says...

(Derek) Would you like to read it for us?

(Sabina) Yes.

(Derek) Romans, chapter 12.

This will be our last verse for our study.

Romans 12 and verse 2?

(Sabina) It says:

So, as I was pursuing God's will,

I decided I was just going to read

the Bible as much as I could.

And I remember I would spend afternoons

after school/class just reading

and reading the Bible

and asking God, "I know Your will

is perfect, like it says in Romans 12.

I want to know it," and it really made

a lot of difference to me.

(Derek) And His Word,

inspired by the Holy Spirit,

is still a "lamp to our feet

and a light to our path."

It's present truth; it was present truth

when King Josiah found it.

Doors closed because it had been ignored

for hundreds of years.

It was present truth in the time

of Ezra and Nehemiah when they said,

"Read some more, read some more."

And they raised their hands in praise

and true worship to God.

My friends, this Word

is still present truth for us today.

From Deuteronomy, yes,

all the way on to Revelation,

and don't forget Genesis through Numbers.

The Word of God is inspired counsel.

And the same Holy Spirit

who inspired the Word

will guide your life as you read it.

Let's pray; Father in heaven,

we thank You so much.

We've learned how later prophets

and Jesus Himself held Scripture

in high regard, not only theoretically

but in their lives.

May we, as followers of Jesus,

also listen to Your Word

and follow Your Word,

because we love You.

In Jesus' name. Amen.

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) Well, thanks for joining us
for Hope Sabbath School.

You say, "Pastor Derek, I need

to get into the Word of God more."

And we have technologies today

that they didn't have back then!

You can listen; you can watch.

Fill your heart with the Word of God,

with the blessed assurance the Holy Spirit

will help you to understand

and bring it to your remembrance.

And then go out and share it

with those around you.

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