HSS2401011

♪ theme music ♪

(Derek) Welcome to Hope Sabbath School,

an in-depth, interactive study

of the Word of God.

We're making our way through The Psalms,

a collection of inspired Scripture songs,

today, Longing for God in Zion.

What does that mean?

I know I long to be closer to God,

for my heart to be steadfast in Him.

We'll talk about Longing for God in Zion

today on Hope Sabbath School,

and we're glad you joined us.

Good to see you again, team.

Can you wave to everybody?

People all around the world, 200 countries

joining us for Hope Sabbath School.

Let's see who's joining us remotely.

Sabina, great to have you with us again.

And, Gleny, good to have you with us,

Gleny; we're glad you're here.

And, Tricia Lee, good to see you.

I love Tricia Lee's double-handed wave.

It's like we're really excited

to study the Word of God together.

And we're glad that you're with us, too.

And I know you can't wave back

to us right now, but you can write to us

at [e-mail].

You can tell us how you're blessed

through a study of the Word of God.

Well, I want to just thank those

who have written to us recently,

sharing with us how God's blessed you.

And here are a couple of notes.

Ruth writes to us

from the beautiful country of Kenya,

and she says, "I appreciate

the committed Hope Sabbath School class

where the Word of God is studied

and analyzed in a way we can understand.

You make it clear

that God loves us all..."

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) "...and is calling us,

regardless of who we are,

where we come from, to believe,

repent in Jesus' name."

Yes, that's it, Ruth.

Thanks for writing to us from Kenya,

and God loves all

of His children, doesn't He?

Here's a note from Joe in California

in the United States of America.

I like this note; Joe says,

"Great program, decent people,

learning about the Bible

and Christian religion

in a calm, fun way

instead of those television preachers

who scream and demand money or else.

One of the best religious shows

on television, Hope Sabbath School."

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) "Keep up the great work."

Well, Joe, we'd like to meet you.

You tell it like it is; I can tell that.

We're glad you're part

of our Hope Sabbath School family.

And by the way, we want

to always be pointing people

to Jesus, right, and we don't

have to scream to do that.

Here's a hand-written note

from a donor in Pennsylvania

in the United States, and the donor

writes and says, "I don't know

what I'd do without Hope Channel,

and Hope Sabbath School is my favorite.

But some of the other programs

are great, too, like "Wake Up

with Hope" in the morning

and "Story Encounters," and that's great.

And I'm 85 years old,

so I'm pretty much confined

to my place of living,

but God has kept my body

in fairly good working order;

I'm blessed that way.

Take care, love you all,"

and a donation of 120 dollars to bless

the global evangelistic media ministry

of Hope Sabbath School.

Thank you, donor from Pennsylvania.

You know who you are,

and that's a very cute picture

at the bottom of your note

of a puppy dog (probably doesn't
belong to you),

but thank you for being part

of our Hope Sabbath School family.

One last note, from Helen

in the Philippines; we have a lot

of Hope Sabbath School members

in the Philippines.

And Helen writes and says, "I love to see

the host and everyone willing and eager

to share their understanding

of the Word of God."

Sometimes, I have to tell you, Helen,

there are like 10 hands raised

at the same time; it can be challenging,

but we want it to be - what's the word?

(Derek, Team) Interactive.

(Derek) That's how it should be.

"I hope to listen to messages

from the Bible every week

and to be forever connected

to God's Holy Word."

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) "I know I have my shortcomings,

but I know, like everyone else,

we will be renewed by His Word

and steadfast in the faith.

I pray that this ministry

will continue to grow

and inspire others to seek the Lord

and trust His Word. Amen."

(Team) Amen!

(Derek) Well, Amen, Helen.

We agree with you, and we thank you

for writing to us.

You know we have a special gift,

I want to just remind you,

a collection of Scripture songs

that my wife has put to music,

Trilogy Scripture Songs from the Psalms.

It's a unique collection just for you

during this series on The Psalms

including our theme song.

And you can go to our website,

hopetv.org/hopess and click

on the Free Gift tab

and download that collection,

and you can share it with other people.

Bless them by sharing

the Scripture songs with them, too.

Now, one of them

is the theme song from Psalm 105.

We're not going to sing it just yet,

so just hold on; I heard

some of you starting to sing.

But Psalm 105 begins with the words,

"Oh, give thanks to the Lord,"

and I'm going to share something

very interesting with you today.

One our team today, well, that's her name,

"Oh, Give Thanks to the Lord."

And she's from a country and speaks

a mother tongue that many

of you have never heard.

So, please, camera, scan the team here.

Can you do that?

And try to guess who it is.

Let's see, and the name is,

"Oh, Give Thanks to the Lord,"

and the answer is, well, wave if it's you.

It's Tendi; alright,

let's zero in the camera on Tendi,

because Tendi, well, tell us

how you got your name.

And then I want you to read for us

that Psalm 105, the first three verses

in your mother tongue,

which I understand is Kalanga.

How did you get the name

"Oh, Give Thanks to the Lord,"

Tendani in your mother tongue?

(Tendi) Thank you, Pastor Derek.

My parents gave me my name

because I came two months early.

I was a premature baby, and my mom

was on bedrest for the remainder

of her pregnancy.

And I weighed 1.6 kilograms,

and I was 30 centimeters long.

So, they were just giving thanks to God

because I survived.

You see, a year before, my mom

had lost a baby, and now I came,

and she was scared whether or not

I would survive, but I did,

even though I came two months early.

(Derek) And for those who don't know,

30 centimeters, Tendi,

that's not very long, right?

But here you were,

a little precious bundle, and so they

gave you the name Tendani, which means?

(Tendi) "Oh, Give Thanks."

(Derek) And could you read

in your mother tongue

those three verses, maybe,

the first three verses of the Psalm

that begins with your name?

(Tendi) And I'll be reading

from the [Kalanga Bible, Psalm 105:1-3:]:

(Derek) I understood some of that!

"Yahweh," I heard the name of the Lord.

You know, as Tendi was reading that,

I just thought, isn't it amazing,

God is going to call people

from every nation, kindred, tongue,
and people.

Tendi, we're glad you're part

of our Hope Sabbath School team.

And I don't want to ask

the rest of the group to sing in Kalanga

because that would be complicated.

We're going to sing in English

a song which bears your name,

"Oh, Give Thanks to the Lord."

Let's sing it together.

♪ music ♪

(Derek) Let's call upon His name just now.

Father in Heaven, as we

are studying Your Word today,

Longing for God in Zion, I pray

that there would grow within our hearts

a deeper and yet deeper longing

for intimacy with You.

You've loved us with an everlasting love,

and You invite us to spend eternity

in a growing love relationship with You.

I pray by the Holy Spirit that You

would guide our study today.

And we thank You

in the name of Jesus. Amen.

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) Well, I love that theme song.

I know my wife has composed

about 200 Scripture songs,

but I just like that one.

Do you know I'm waking up

singing that song now, which means

I've been singing it through the night,

hopefully not too loud,

but it's a wonderful thing to give thanks

to the Lord, isn't it?

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) One of the things

I want to give thanks to the Lord for,

as we begin our study, is that God
wants us

to be in relationship with Him.

So let's look at some testimonies

of various psalmists who speak

about a longing for a devoted heart.

And I'm going to ask Gleny

if you would begin our study today,

one of our remote team members,

in Psalm 84, and, Gleny, if you could read

the first four verses of this psalm

of the sons of Korah.

(Gleny) And I'll be reading

from the New King James Version,
and it says:

(Derek) So, I want to ask you,

I'm thinking when Gleny was reading,

did any of you sing that, part of that,

in a choir when you were growing up?

That's kind of a famous psalm, isn't it?

It's been put to a choral piece.

Well, let's keep reading because this is

the sons of Korah composing.

And, Tricia Lee, if you could continue

reading for us in this Scripture song

of the sons of Korah, verses 5

through 9 of Psalm 84.

(Tricia Lee) Reading from the New
King James Version:

(Derek) And if it stopped there,

we'd say it's an amazing Scripture song,

but, Sabina, I'm going to ask you

to read the last three verses,

verses 10 through 12.

This is actually one

of my favorite psalms, and how do

the sons of Korah end this Scripture song

in Psalm 84, verses 10 to 12?

(Sabina) So, I'll be reading

from the New King James Version,
and it says:

(Derek) "O Lord of hosts, blessed

is the man," blessed is the woman,

blessed is the boy or girl,

"who trusts in You."

As you heard the sons of Korah -

and by the way, remember

that their ancestor died in a rebellion,

but we don't have to stay

like our ancestors, right?

We can be made new by the power of God.

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) They're composing Scripture songs.

What resonates with your heart

in this Scripture song? Puia?

(Puia) I see a longing

to be in the sanctuary

or in the temple of God

just praising God.

I think that's the theme that I see here.

(Derek) Alright, anybody else.

Anything that connects with your heart?
Yes, Pedro.

(Pedro) "I'd rather be a doorkeeper
in God's house

than to be with the wicked."

(Derek) Yeah, just like, "Give me

basic operation," you know,

I'll be a doorkeeper "than dwell

in the tents of wickedness," right?
Tricia Lee.

(Tricia Lee) I love in verse 6 it mentions

the Valley of Baca, which can

also be translated the "Valley

of Weeping," but it says that God

turns it into a spring.

And so, I like to think of that

as a spring of joy or even a spring

of blessing, that God can take our pain,

our sorrow, our dark periods,

and take us from weeping

to a spring of blessings.

He can turn our situations around.

(Derek) Beautiful, let's go to Psalm 63.

There are several of the psalmists

who express a longing for God,

and in Psalm 63, we find

another testimony, and I believe

this is a psalm of David, right?

And it's interesting, Gladys,

if you could take us and look

at the first four verses,

that he's writing this in the wilderness

of Judah, which means he's

probably running from King Saul, right?

But in the midst of that, let's see

the commitment he makes in Psalm 63:1-4.

(Gladys) And I'm reading

from the New International Version,
and it says:

(Derek) Do you see the earnestness

there in the psalmist?

Kylynda, if you could keep reading

verses 6 through 8, still in Psalm 63,

a psalm of David.

(Kylynda) I'll read

from the New King James Version, verse 6:

(Derek) "Come close to me," I mean,

if God's right hand, and, Pedro,

you often talk about the imagery

of the Psalms, right, so you say

maybe this isn't literal, but speaking

about that kind of proximity,

what does it tell us?

The intimacy of God, right?

He's an immanent God; He's not far away

if His right hand is supporting us.

But probably one of the best known psalms

that speaks about a longing for God,

Geoffrey, if you could go...

This is probably one

that many people could sing,

different musical arrangements,

Psalm 42, verses 1 and 2.

Let's see, again the sons of Korah,

how they describe a longing for God.

And Gladys has already started singing,

but if you could read it for us.

(Geoffrey) 142?

(Derek) Psalm 42, verses 1 and 2.

(Geoffrey) Oh, Psalm 42.

(Derek) 42, verses 1 and 2.

And this is another psalm

of the sons of Korah, yearning for God

in the midst of distresses.

Psalm 42, verses 1 and 2.

(Geoffrey) Okay, I'll be reading

from the English Standard Version:

(Derek) And one last, and then I'm going

to give you the chance to share,

one last reference, Psalm 143,

verses 6 through 8, and, Samantha,

if you'd read that

for us, please, Psalm 143:6-8.

We're getting a common theme,

not just one of the psalmists

but different authors of the Psalms.

How does your Bible read

in Psalm 143, verses 6 to 8?

(Samantha) I'll read

from the New King James Version:

(Derek) So, I want to ask a question:

what are your thoughts

about such an earnest longing for God?

What are your thoughts, anybody?
Yes, Gleny.

(Gleny) I'm sure many of you

have experienced this, but when you

care for someone or you generally enjoy

someone's companionship or company,

it doesn't matter where you are

or what you are doing.

It can be the most menial task

or even the strangest mission,

but just having them around

is such a pleasure.

So, in all of this you can see David

and the sons of Korah and everyone

explaining that same amount

of appreciation they have

for the company of God.

(Derek) So, I appreciate you sharing that.

I have a confession to make.

While Gleny was saying that,

I was thinking about when I'm separated

from my wife and coming back

to be with her, even if we're

washing dishes or doing something,

I forget what word Gleny used,

but something kind of menial, you know,

but just being together.

Yes, I love that image:

I stretch out my hands to you. Samantha.

(Samantha) For me, it's

like an S.O.S. call, just to depict

our dire dependence on God.

It's like when Peter, when he was sinking,

all he had time to say

was, "Lord, save me."

So that's how I get that...

(Derek) Okay, it's an S.O.S., but it's

actually something that he wanted

to do every day, right, "cause me

to hear Your lovingkindness."

We have 17 hands raised right now,

but this is an important topic.

I'm trying to get to everyone.

Short responses, yeah, how do you relate

to that deep longing?

(Gladys) I like that verse in Psalm 42

about the deer, so I went online,

and I researched what does it mean

when a deer pants for the water.

And it means when a mother,

the mother deer, when she has a baby,

she cannot move because she has

the baby close to her.

So she makes this sound

when she longs for the water

that she cannot reach.

And that's exactly how, that desperation

that God wants us to have for Him...

(Derek) That's a new insight to me.

(Gladys) Yeah, that it's

just like a need, that He wants us

to be like the part that moves

the whole body towards Him.

(Derek) Kylynda.

(Kylynda) Earnest longing is intentional.

It's not dictated by the circumstance

or even the feeling.

You know, David is running away;

it's not a great circumstance.

Psalm 42, the psalmist is depressed,

in Psalm 143, the psalmist is anxious,

so it's intentional.

(Derek) It's intentional and it's

not dependent on the circumstance,
as you're saying.

So, I want to give someone else

who's raised their hand,

but answer another question

because we've got to move on.

So, I see Sabina waving to me,

and I see another hand raised,

but, Sabina, help me with this.

And I don't know the answer

that you will give, but who has

modeled for you, someone who has

an earnest longing for God?

Many of us may not have grown up

with someone like that very close to us.

Where did you find someone

that really modeled that for you,

and you said, "I'm catching a glimpse

of what that looks like," what we've

been reading about in the Psalms?

(Sabina) Derek, I'm thinking

of some experiences I had in my church

back in Brazil, I know,

from my teenage years

up until I was 26, 27.

I was very involved in a ministry

that involved worship and creative arts.

And I had lots of children

that were part of it.

And for me, it was always very inspiring

to see the way that they

were experiencing God, in that they

would also be able to express

in their praise, in their art,

in their poetry, the ways

in which they saw God work in their lives.

So, for me, even though they were

younger than I, in some ways that was

modeling to me some sort

of pure longing to God

that marked my life.

(Derek) Isn't that beautiful?

Little boys and girls become mentors.

Jesus said we have

to become like the little children,

but just that earnest longing for God.

Someone else, who really modeled

that for you? Yes, Puia.

(Puia) Pastor Derek, I would say one

of the people who have modeled

a good example for me is you, actually,

having worked with you

inside and outside of the studio.

I really appreciate

the life that you live.

(Derek) Well, I'm desperate for God,

and we all know where

we would be without Him, right?

So, "As the deer pants," new insight,

"Hhuh, hhuh," for the water,

so pants my soul for you, O God."

So, I have a question for you:

Is this deep longing for God

something that can be developed?

You used the word intentional, Kylynda.

Or, is it a gift from God?

You say, wait, that kind of intimacy...

What's the answer?

What do you think, Pedro?

(Pedro) Looking toward society today,

humanity searches for God,

and unfortunately many of them

seek God in things

instead of His presence.

So I think God has put in our hearts

the desire for Him.

(Derek) So, that would be

a gift, then, wouldn't it?

But, Kylynda, let me come back

to the word intentional, because I think

Pedro makes a really good point,

that we're, like, dead

in trespasses and sin,

so God calls us as a gift?

Where does our intentionality come in?

(Kylynda) It's both.

As Pedro mentioned, it's a gift

from God in that initial spark,

and we read in Psalm 84, they said

the person is blessed "whose heart

is set on pilgrimage."

So, there has to be...you know,

God is desiring towards us,

and then we have to accept that

and seek His face as well.

(Derek) I wish we could stay here longer,

but I'm going to have to ask us

to move to Psalm 122,

because part of longing for God

back in the time of the children of Israel

was going up to the house of the Lord.

And we want to look at that,

but then we want to ask ourselves

what does that mean for us today?

So, Tendi, if you could take us there

in Psalm 122 and read

the first nine verses,

I want you to notice what emotions

the worshipers experience as they're

going up to the house of the Lord.

(Tendi) And I'll be reading

from the English Standard Version,

Psalm 122, verses 1 to 9,

"A Song of Ascents. Of David," verse 1:

(Derek) So, they're going up, by the way,

literally because Jerusalem's

at about 2,500-feet elevation,

so Mount Zion is mount, right,

so going up and they're rejoicing.

What is it about the house of the Lord

that is so precious

to the believers, anybody?

Yes, it's not just a nice building, right,

like, go on a tour and see

the nice construction.

It was very impressive

until it was destroyed, but what was it,

Puia, about the house of the Lord

that made it so special?

(Puia) I believe the presence of God

was the main thing that attracted them.

And everything that the Israelites did

around the sanctuary, or their lives

in the bigger picture, revolves

around the sanctuary service.

So I believe David is glad, as he said,

"I was glad when they said, 'Let us go

to the house of God,'" because there you

can experience the presence of God.

(Derek) Before they even built a temple,

where did the presence

of the Lord dwell, do you remember?

(Gladys) In the sanctuary.

(Derek) In the tabernacle, right?

And how did the Lord reveal His presence?

Sabina, do you remember?

How did the Lord reveal His presence

even when it was a tent or a tabernacle

in the wilderness?

(Sabina) Yes, there was special furniture

and rituals that had been

around the sanctuary, so definitely one

of the places where the Bible says

that He was revealing or expressing

His presence was in the Ark

of the Covenant where, for instance,

the Law of God was kept.

But I think for them, the rejoicing also

of going to Zion or going to the temple

when it was built, I believe,

was also involved with the opportunity

they had to partake

in the sacrificial system that God

had implemented as a reminder

of His forgiveness.

So, for us it is now pointing to Jesus,

but I imagine back in their day also

it was a memorial of the availability

of pardon from God, that God was willing

to forgive and renew

their relationship with Him.

(Derek) So, I just want to focus

here first, you mentioned the furniture,

but between the cherubim

in the most holy place of the tabernacle,

what was it called, John, do you remember?

The visible presence of God, the glory
of God was called the...?

(John) Shekinah Glory.

(Derek) The Shekinah Glory.

And by the way, the glory of God,

while no one could look upon that,

there was a curtain there, right,

but it was undoubtedly visible,

though covered, the glory of God.

When they built the temple, how was

the glory of God revealed in the temple,

Solomon's temple, do you remember?

(Gladys) Glory of the Lord filled
the temple with smoke.

(Derek) At the dedication, the glory
of the Lord

filled the temple.

Interestingly, the temple was destroyed,

rebuilt, and then refurbished by Herod,

but never is there an account of the glory

of the Lord filling that temple.

When did the glory of the Lord

fill the temple that we call the temple

in the time of Herod?

(Derek, Team) When Jesus came in.

(Derek) The glory of the Lord

filled the temple.

Now, we don't have the temple today.

We don't have a tabernacle

in the wilderness,

so we don't have a place where you

can say, "Why are you

looking so happy, Tendi?"

"Well, I'm going to the house
of the Lord."

Well, I'd be happy; I'd see

the very visible presence

of the glory of God.

So, help me, Tricia Lee, if you would,

where is the house

of the Lord for us today?

Is it a geographic location?

Is it an experience?

What do you think, so that you can

say to me, "Derek, I'm glad when they

tell me, 'Let's go to the house
of the Lord.'"?

What would you say?

(Tricia Lee) I'd say it's both,

because we know that the Father,

whom we have not met as yet,

dwells in the throne room in Heaven,

but through the power of the Holy Spirit,

God can dwell in our hearts.

And so, we're also told in Scripture

that, "Know ye not that ye are

the temple of God," and so the Holy Spirit

can live in us as we accept Jesus,

and we get that "down payment,"
if you would,

through the Holy Spirit.

And we can be living temples

for His glory, so I say it's both.

(Derek) Tricia Lee, you made my head spin,

because I've never thought of that,

but if God dwells in my heart,

Christ makes His home with me -

He says, "We will come to you

by the Holy Spirit" - that means

when I spend time with the One

who dwells with me,

I am in the house of the Lord.

Whew, that made my head spin. Pedro.

(Pedro) We've been looking here

to the house of God as not only telling us

that we long for Him, but He also longs

for us, to be with us.

And we see here, through the symbol

of the tabernacle, God longed

to be with us, and through the Holy Spirit

He longs for us to be with Him

and also be together

as we preach the gospel.

That's why the Holy Spirit

is being given to us,

so we can finish the work through Him,

and we can be with Him forever.

(Derek) Okay, I see Gleny, I see

your hand raised, and Sabina, too.

Let me just ask a question,

can a church where we go to worship

each week be the house of the Lord for us?

(Team) Yes.

(Derek) But not automatically, right?

But it could be,

if we're meeting God there.

I see many hands raised.

I'm going to go to Gleny and Sabina first

and then come back to the studio.

Gleny, talk to me about where the house

of the Lord is for us today.

(Gleny) I was just about to give

a comment on that, too, where God

is seen in our midst whenever there is

a congregation of believers,

like in Matthew 18, verse 20, it says:

Not just gathering for no reason,

but when we are like-minded,

and you see that in the book of Acts, too,

when people laid their differences aside,

and came together and had

the Holy Spirit work with them,

you can see God was in their midst.

(Derek) That's a powerful thought.

It suggests that the house of the Lord

doesn't have to be a physical building.

It can be when the Lord is in our midst.

Sabina, you want to add to that?

Where's the house

of the Lord for us today?

(Sabina) Yes, what I want to add is that I

just think it's so beautiful that God

makes sure not to attach that

necessarily to a geographic place

or a time or a country,

so that it's accessible

to any person in any time.

Even our church buildings

that we treasure, and they are

important also, the places for gathering

where we can invite people together,

they unfortunately can become,

just like Jesus mentioned back in the day

about their temple, "a den of robbers,"

right, like a place where there is

no glory or presence of God,

if we are not personally seeking God

in the true temple that is ourselves.

So, even those places where we gather,

it's important that we primarily develop

that personal relationship with Jesus,

then we come to share about it,

because just being in a building

in the name of God

doesn't really grant that He is

willing to be there - well, He is willing,

but that He will be there

if we don't allow it.

(Derek) So, there's so much more

we could share about this,

but certainly we would agree

that when we come into God's presence,

whether it's personal worship

with the Spirit dwelling in our hearts

or in a group of two or three,

that we can experience joy when we come

to the house of the Lord, right?

Absolutely we can.

But there is also in the Psalms

a reference to the significance

of a specific geographic location.

And I want to just take a moment to look

at Mount Zion and what the significance

of Mount Zion is in salvation history.

So, Geoffrey, if you could take us

to Psalm 87 and read

the first three verses,

we're going to look

at four psalms together that speak

about the significance

of Jerusalem and Mount Zion.

(Geoffrey) Okay, I'll be reading

from the English Standard Version:

(Derek) And if, John, you could read

following that in Psalm 48, verses 1 to 3.

Hear the theme, "Glorious things of you

are spoken, Zion, city of our God."

What is it about that location?

(John) I'm reading

from the English Standard Version,
it reads:

(Derek) Alright, what about Psalm 46,

Kylynda, if you could read

the first seven verses of Psalm 46.

Now, there are lots of thoughts here,

but we're listening for the significance

of this location, Mount Zion.

(Kylynda) From the New King James Version:

(Derek) And one last passage,

Pedro, if you could read

Psalm 125, verses 1 and 2.

(Pedro) I'll be reading

from the New King James Version.

Psalm 125, verse 1, says:

(Derek) So, we're up there

in the mountains, and there is Mount Zion.

There's more significance

than just that it's

the capital city, right?

I mean, it is the capital up there;

Jerusalem is there, right?

But there's something more significant

about that geographic location.

Somebody do a scan

of the Book of Beginnings;

it's called Genesis.

We don't have to read the whole story,

but a patriarch, what was his name...?

(Team) Abraham.

(Derek) ...Abraham, first called Abram,

but after having a son is called Abraham,

is told to go to a specific location.

Somebody tell me the story.

Alright, Gladys, tell us the story.

By the way, if people would like

to read it, it's there in Genesis 22.

But Abraham is told to go

to a specific location,

and what is he told to do?

(Gladys) Well, God promised to give him

a son, and after the son is born,

God tells him, "Go to Mount Moriah

and sacrifice him there for Me."

And Abraham believed in God,

even though this was

this child of the promise,

and he went to Mount Moriah

to follow what God said.

And God delivered him.

God tested him, and he proved faithful,

and God provided for Himself a sacrifice.

(Derek) And if you've read the story,

and I want to encourage you if you're

hearing this story for the first time

to read in Genesis 22,

what evidences were there, anyone,

that he was trusting God,

because this sounds like something

God would not ask him to do, right?

But that was something the pagans did;

they sacrificed their sons and daughters.

He asked him to be willing

to lay everything down.

But can you remember the story,

any evidences of faith, John?

(John) In verse 5, Abraham talks

to his servants and he says:

(Derek) I like my Bible,

it says, "We will return," we will return.

There was another place,

they're walking along;

Puia, do you remember, and Isaac says,

"Wait a minute, father,"

that's a paraphrase, right?

"Wait a minute, father, we've got
the wood and the fire..."

(Team) "Where is the sacrifice, the lamb?"

(Derek) "Where's the sacrifice, father?"

And, Puia, do you remember,

just from memory, the story?

How does Abraham respond to his son?

(Puia) I believe he said,

"The Lord will provide."

(Derek) "The Lord will

provide a sacrifice,"

so here's this word of faith.

Now, by the way, in the book of Hebrews,

it says he believed that if necessary

God would raise his son

from the dead, right?

So they get to the mountain,

and it's the mountain "that you

will be shown," but it is Mount Moriah.

Now, some scholars argue, is Mount Moriah

and Mount Zion the same,

or they're right in the same vicinity;

it's right in the same cluster

right there; it's that location.

Somebody tell me what happens

when he raises the knife - he's willing.

(Samantha) The Angel called out...

(Derek) Samantha, tell me what happens.

He raises the knife

to sacrifice his son Isaac...?

(Samantha) Verses 11 [and 12]:

(Derek) I imagine him using

my favorite Hebrew word...

I don't know if they were

speaking Hebrew back then,

I think they were, "Hallelujah,

praise the name of Yahweh."

He was willing to lay everything down

because the Lord asked him to, right?

That mountain is where, as Samantha

just read, it was told,
"The Lord will..."?

(Derek, Team) "...provide."

(Derek) Do you know what that is,

anybody, in Hebrew?

(Team) Jehovah Jireh.

(Derek) Yeah, Yahweh Yireh

or Jehovah Jireh, "The Lord Will Provide."

That was pointing forward to what event

that would happen on the same mountain?!

(Team) Crucifixion of Jesus.

(Derek) The crucifixion of Jesus.

Let's go to the story, and, John, if you

could begin reading.

We'll have several of you read.

And we could take Matthew, Mark,

Luke or John, but we're going

to the Gospel of Mark, chapter 15,

and I want you to think with me.

We're talking here about Longing

for God in Zion, and I'm thinking,

as we read this, of the admonition,

"It would be good for us to spend

a thoughtful hour each day

contemplating the life of Christ,

especially the closing scenes."

So, we're going to read some

of the closing scenes.

We ought to then say, "Oh, I'm

looking to Mount Zion.

I'm looking to the place where God will,

now God has, provided," right?

Let's start in Mark, chapter 15,

verses 16 through 20, John.

(John) Mark 15, verses 16 to 20,

in the English Standard Version reads:

(Derek) Tricia Lee, if you could

follow on for us in verses 21 to 26.

My heart is already saying, "Oh, God,

what Jesus suffered for us."

Let's read on in the story, if you'd read

for us verses 21 to 26 of Mark 15.

(Tricia Lee) Reading from the New
King James Version:

(Derek) So, here is an amazing part

of the story, a man named Simon comes.

And by the way, did you notice

it tells us his two sons' names?

Why would it tell us

the names of his two sons?

Why does it even tell us his name?

Except, on that mountain his life

was transformed, and he became

a follower of Jesus.

Something amazing happening

on the mountain.

I'm going to ask Sabina if you'd continue

reading - this is sacred space for us -

verses 27 to 32.

This is the mountain where it

was prophesied 2,000 years earlier,

"The Lord will provide."

This is the mountain where the temple

once stood, and they looked to Mount Zion.

Now, we're on Mount Zion,

and what do we hear in verses 27 to 32?

(Sabina) I'll be reading

from the New King James Version,
and it says:

(Derek) We talked about that one thief

who said, "Lord, remember me,"

but at first it says even the thieves,

both of them, reviled Him.

Tendi, could you read the last portion

of our reading from Mark 15,

verses 33 to 39?

(Tendi) And I'll be reading

from the English Standard Version,
Mark 15:33-39:

(Derek) It happened on the mountain,

the mountain where, 2,000 years earlier,

the promise had been given,

"The Lord will provide."

But what else happened

on the mountain, Puia,

besides the sacrifice to take away

the sins of the world, that all

who believe in Him might not perish

but have everlasting life?

What else happened on the mountain?

(Puia) That was also the place

where He was resurrected.

He was resurrected on the third day.

He came back to life.

(Derek) Let's go to Luke 23, if you

could read the last verses

of chapter 23 for us.

And then I'm going to ask Gladys if you'd

read the first verses of chapter 24.

We could read from many

of the Gospel writers,

but Luke 23, verses 50 to 56.

(Puia) And I'll be reading

from the New King James Version:

(Derek) But the story is not over, Gladys.

If you could pick up

in chapter 24, verses 1

through, let's see, maybe 1 through 8?

And just remember, this is also happening

on the mountain where it was prophesied,

"The Lord will provide."

(Gladys) I am reading

from the New International Version,
and it says:

(Derek) So, on the mountain,

God provided through the death

and resurrection of Jesus.

So, let me ask you, as Christians, and I'm

going to ask Gleny a question here,

as a follower of Jesus, we don't look

to a temple on a mountain.

What does it mean to us as Christians

to look to Mount Zion?

(Gleny) I would assume that it means

to see how God has provided in the past

and provided for redemption

and to see that He is able to do

the same for us even today.

(Derek) Okay, anybody else?

Kylynda, to look to Mount Zion?

(Kylynda) The psalmists found joy

going to Mount Zion.

These people went from perplexion

to joy as they gathered.

As we look to Heaven, you know, the future

where we will one day be next to God,

and there will be

absolutely no separation,

we will also have joy.

(Derek) And that's kind of
looking forward,

and that's good;

we want to look to the New Zion,

or New Jerusalem, but, Sabina,

by faith, looking, keeping my eyes

fixed on Mount Zion,

what do you think that means?

(Sabina) For me, it means looking

to victory, you know, as we journey

through this life, as we walk

into the eternal Zion,

like in the heavenly dwelling

of God for eternity.

I, in the meantime, just look

to the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus

that took place on this Mount Zion,

and I'm reminded that Jesus wins,

you know, like He won it.

I just need to stay by Him,

and that's all good.

(Derek) Isn't there a Bible text

that says, "Fixing our eyes..."?

(Derek, Team) "...on Jesus, the author...

(Team) "...and finisher..."

(Derek) "...and perfecter," or finisher
"of our faith."

To keep our eyes fixed on Mount Zion

is to say God provided all that we need

through Jesus, and I'm going

to keep my attention focused there.

But Kylynda is right, there is

also a New Jerusalem.

There is, if you will, a New Zion,

the mountain of God,

and that is portrayed...and, Kylynda,

maybe as we close our study,

you can read from Revelation,

chapter 21, verses 1 to 4,

and let's talk about that.

Because of what happened

on Mount Zion 2,000 years ago,

we have assurance of a blessed hope.

Read to us Revelation 21:1-4.

(Kylynda) From the New King James Version:

(Derek) Praise God.

I want to speak to our Hope Sabbath School
family,

and I just want to say, that blessed hope

happens because of what happened

through Jesus on Mount Zion.

It happens because of what was

promised through Abraham,

that the Lord will provide.

And I want to encourage you to look

to what God has done

through Jesus, for you, so that you

can have the blessed hope

of being in that New Jerusalem

and spending eternity

with a God who loves you

with an immeasurable and unfailing love.

Let's pray together.

Father in Heaven, thank You

for what Jesus accomplished on Mount Zion.

Thank You for the blessed hope

we have in Him even today.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) I want to encourage you,

dear friend, if you've never accepted

what Jesus accomplished for you,

the Lord has provided, trust Him today.

Say, "Lord, will You save me,

so that I can have that blessed hope

of eternity with You."

And then don't keep it to yourself.

Go out and share that good news

with those around you.

♪ theme music ♪