1 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:03,159 Well, you have your bible with you, I 2 00:00:03,159 --> 00:00:05,000 encourage you to go ahead and open up 3 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:05,900 to Genesis 4 00:00:06,519 --> 00:00:07,019 chapter 5 00:00:07,799 --> 00:00:08,119 15. 6 00:00:08,853 --> 00:00:11,395 Then if you don't have a bible, feel 7 00:00:11,395 --> 00:00:12,824 free to grab 1 out of the pew 8 00:00:12,824 --> 00:00:15,446 or even open up an app on your 9 00:00:15,446 --> 00:00:15,843 phone. 10 00:00:17,289 --> 00:00:20,264 But this morning, we're gonna continue our journey 11 00:00:20,323 --> 00:00:21,461 through Genesis, 12 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:23,835 and I'm not gonna go back and recap 13 00:00:23,835 --> 00:00:26,230 everything we've talked about, but I'm gonna start 14 00:00:26,230 --> 00:00:26,684 with 15 00:00:27,043 --> 00:00:29,588 our our main character today, ab bra. 16 00:00:30,623 --> 00:00:33,089 And how just a couple of chapters ago, 17 00:00:33,328 --> 00:00:34,919 we meet Ab bra for the very first 18 00:00:34,919 --> 00:00:35,770 time is 19 00:00:36,286 --> 00:00:38,513 a member of a family from Her of 20 00:00:38,513 --> 00:00:42,488 the Cal. And God calls this family while 21 00:00:42,488 --> 00:00:46,274 specifically bra to, start heading west to 22 00:00:46,734 --> 00:00:48,994 obey this call to him 23 00:00:49,615 --> 00:00:54,108 and come toward Y way. To head west 24 00:00:54,108 --> 00:00:57,065 toward your way to to trust God enough 25 00:00:57,065 --> 00:00:58,204 to just do 26 00:00:59,063 --> 00:00:59,563 without 27 00:01:00,421 --> 00:01:01,780 anything else given. 28 00:01:02,512 --> 00:01:05,876 He just took god for his word and 29 00:01:06,172 --> 00:01:07,683 began to go out. 30 00:01:08,956 --> 00:01:11,287 But we then kind of learned well, maybe 31 00:01:11,287 --> 00:01:15,361 he didn't completely trust God. Because in chapter 32 00:01:15,361 --> 00:01:18,508 12, we learned that God had promised this 33 00:01:18,964 --> 00:01:22,390 entire land this possession, and it would be 34 00:01:22,390 --> 00:01:23,448 possessed by 35 00:01:24,078 --> 00:01:27,679 ab bro seed by his children, but his 36 00:01:27,736 --> 00:01:30,996 wife was bearing a wife that he chose 37 00:01:30,996 --> 00:01:32,291 in humility 38 00:01:34,034 --> 00:01:36,534 so that his brother could benefit, 39 00:01:38,354 --> 00:01:41,394 but he had the Barren wife where he 40 00:01:41,394 --> 00:01:44,602 would never have offspring where his legacy in 41 00:01:44,602 --> 00:01:47,634 his lineage would die with his family where 42 00:01:47,634 --> 00:01:49,150 he would have no air. 43 00:01:49,804 --> 00:01:51,642 To give an inheritance to. 44 00:01:52,441 --> 00:01:54,679 And so what purpose would it be to 45 00:01:54,679 --> 00:01:55,898 obtain a land 46 00:01:56,437 --> 00:01:58,615 to whom he could give to nobody 47 00:02:00,045 --> 00:02:03,393 but he took his nephew lot along with 48 00:02:03,393 --> 00:02:03,552 him. 49 00:02:04,668 --> 00:02:07,632 In lot was gonna be his, hope of 50 00:02:07,632 --> 00:02:11,002 an air, this air that God had promised 51 00:02:11,060 --> 00:02:11,560 because 52 00:02:12,734 --> 00:02:14,887 Brown wasn't really sure how this was all 53 00:02:14,887 --> 00:02:17,460 gonna happen. How is gonna come together and 54 00:02:17,460 --> 00:02:19,699 so he started scheming in his own mind, 55 00:02:20,979 --> 00:02:22,740 how it was possible he would have a 56 00:02:22,740 --> 00:02:23,939 land for his own possession. 57 00:02:26,503 --> 00:02:28,591 But then we learn is 58 00:02:28,965 --> 00:02:31,745 ab bra and eye end up in Egypt 59 00:02:31,745 --> 00:02:31,983 and... 60 00:02:33,588 --> 00:02:35,579 Ab bra, again, 1... Is trying to take 61 00:02:35,579 --> 00:02:37,831 things into his own hand. He's trying to 62 00:02:38,526 --> 00:02:40,677 control his own outcomes. I think a lot 63 00:02:40,677 --> 00:02:42,685 of us struggle with that. Right? We... We 64 00:02:42,685 --> 00:02:44,864 have this desire in our hearts to 65 00:02:45,564 --> 00:02:47,724 to have our own outcomes to be in 66 00:02:47,724 --> 00:02:49,975 control of our own life, and ab bra, 67 00:02:50,134 --> 00:02:51,904 not really sure of 68 00:02:52,595 --> 00:02:54,341 what God was gonna do was just trying 69 00:02:54,341 --> 00:02:55,611 to do what he could do. 70 00:02:57,214 --> 00:02:59,769 And so trying to escape a famine and 71 00:02:59,769 --> 00:03:01,546 ending up in Egypt and 72 00:03:02,483 --> 00:03:04,958 lying about who his wife was, just simply 73 00:03:04,958 --> 00:03:06,849 a sister and Ph taking his 74 00:03:07,605 --> 00:03:09,913 wife to be his own into his house 75 00:03:09,913 --> 00:03:10,413 and 76 00:03:11,186 --> 00:03:13,596 a bra certainly benefited. I mean, he got 77 00:03:13,812 --> 00:03:16,954 all kinds of servants and wealth and cattle 78 00:03:17,014 --> 00:03:18,952 and all of this accumulated 79 00:03:20,849 --> 00:03:22,208 stuff in his life, 80 00:03:22,767 --> 00:03:24,306 made him a very wealthy, 81 00:03:25,098 --> 00:03:25,733 rich man. 82 00:03:27,163 --> 00:03:29,171 And then Y plagues 83 00:03:31,212 --> 00:03:31,689 ph, 84 00:03:34,242 --> 00:03:36,303 for taking ab bra wife. 85 00:03:37,729 --> 00:03:39,552 And I was like, what have you done 86 00:03:39,552 --> 00:03:39,949 to me? 87 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:42,699 And we talked about how this echoed the 88 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:43,340 sentiment 89 00:03:43,879 --> 00:03:45,479 found in the fall. 90 00:03:45,879 --> 00:03:47,639 Then Genesis chomp or 3. 91 00:03:49,495 --> 00:03:51,974 What's going on? Why have you done these 92 00:03:51,974 --> 00:03:52,375 things? 93 00:03:54,935 --> 00:03:55,814 In this case, 94 00:03:56,549 --> 00:03:58,867 Ph was the 1 that was deceived. 95 00:04:01,584 --> 00:04:02,324 And so 96 00:04:02,703 --> 00:04:04,801 Ab bra and sur I ended up leaving 97 00:04:05,180 --> 00:04:06,034 Egypt with 98 00:04:06,710 --> 00:04:07,528 all these 99 00:04:07,903 --> 00:04:09,913 new amounts of wealth and 100 00:04:10,367 --> 00:04:13,149 head back to the place where Ab bra 101 00:04:13,149 --> 00:04:13,649 built 102 00:04:14,024 --> 00:04:15,216 altar to the Lord. 103 00:04:16,505 --> 00:04:18,895 And we talked about this necessity of God's 104 00:04:18,895 --> 00:04:20,988 people to always be on the move to 105 00:04:21,045 --> 00:04:23,674 not settle even when we are settled. 106 00:04:24,804 --> 00:04:27,111 We might be called to be in certain 107 00:04:27,111 --> 00:04:29,577 places. We might be called to live in 108 00:04:29,736 --> 00:04:30,213 Griffin, 109 00:04:30,611 --> 00:04:33,671 but we shouldn't settle in our own little 110 00:04:33,967 --> 00:04:37,149 places of worship, our own structures that we've 111 00:04:37,149 --> 00:04:39,456 designed for God as he calls us out 112 00:04:39,456 --> 00:04:41,934 into the world because just as such God, 113 00:04:42,172 --> 00:04:44,951 Abraham was blessed to be a blessing. 114 00:04:47,412 --> 00:04:49,420 That promised to God was that 115 00:04:49,889 --> 00:04:52,783 he would go out. It's the complete opposite 116 00:04:53,001 --> 00:04:55,075 of the people of Ba who wouldn't wanted 117 00:04:55,075 --> 00:04:56,911 to make a name for themselves. 118 00:04:57,643 --> 00:04:59,471 But ab bra is being called not to 119 00:04:59,471 --> 00:05:01,459 make a name for himself, but a name 120 00:05:01,459 --> 00:05:02,175 for Y. 121 00:05:03,765 --> 00:05:05,935 In this world that so desperately 122 00:05:06,548 --> 00:05:07,048 needs 123 00:05:07,839 --> 00:05:08,398 y way. 124 00:05:10,236 --> 00:05:12,494 But we saw just last week that 125 00:05:13,192 --> 00:05:14,231 my bra not perfect. 126 00:05:16,083 --> 00:05:18,548 God might have called a certain kind of 127 00:05:18,548 --> 00:05:19,525 man to 128 00:05:21,570 --> 00:05:24,830 be the father of God's chosen people. 129 00:05:26,594 --> 00:05:28,446 But he was not a perfect man 130 00:05:30,173 --> 00:05:31,468 as nobody 131 00:05:31,843 --> 00:05:34,569 is. And so we can still find ourselves 132 00:05:34,944 --> 00:05:35,444 maybe 133 00:05:36,073 --> 00:05:38,624 a little bit a part of this story. 134 00:05:40,855 --> 00:05:43,246 And so as we turned to chapter 15, 135 00:05:43,978 --> 00:05:46,205 what's happened up to this point that we 136 00:05:46,205 --> 00:05:47,262 kinda skipped is 137 00:05:48,194 --> 00:05:50,103 a Bra lot separate. 138 00:05:50,500 --> 00:05:52,091 They go there separate ways. 139 00:05:52,983 --> 00:05:54,280 Ab bra trusts 140 00:05:55,056 --> 00:05:56,731 enough in Y way to say, well, maybe 141 00:05:56,731 --> 00:05:59,284 he has a plan and law isn't it, 142 00:05:59,443 --> 00:06:00,023 and it's 143 00:06:00,719 --> 00:06:01,996 okay to let him go. 144 00:06:03,448 --> 00:06:04,108 But then 145 00:06:04,727 --> 00:06:06,724 a whole bunch of kings start making war 146 00:06:06,724 --> 00:06:08,183 with 1 another and 147 00:06:08,801 --> 00:06:12,402 lot is taken by these kings and enslaved 148 00:06:12,402 --> 00:06:14,629 by them and that problem is like, I'll 149 00:06:14,629 --> 00:06:16,458 have no part of this and like, I'm 150 00:06:16,458 --> 00:06:17,435 gonna go rescue 151 00:06:17,810 --> 00:06:21,028 lot, and So with his very meager 152 00:06:21,482 --> 00:06:23,253 assembly of fighters, 153 00:06:23,787 --> 00:06:25,694 which you really can't say as much of 154 00:06:25,694 --> 00:06:27,602 an army because it's his household of... 155 00:06:28,254 --> 00:06:29,473 Servants and 156 00:06:30,012 --> 00:06:33,367 their children and all... It's like not people 157 00:06:33,367 --> 00:06:34,645 that know how to fight well, 158 00:06:35,220 --> 00:06:36,979 And they're the ones that are going to 159 00:06:36,979 --> 00:06:38,759 take on these armies of armies 160 00:06:40,259 --> 00:06:41,860 and ab bra overcomes them. 161 00:06:42,593 --> 00:06:43,332 And rescues 162 00:06:44,026 --> 00:06:44,902 his nephew. 163 00:06:46,096 --> 00:06:48,165 But instead of taking his nephew back into 164 00:06:48,165 --> 00:06:50,075 his household, which would be the safe thing 165 00:06:50,075 --> 00:06:50,734 to do 166 00:06:52,399 --> 00:06:54,077 A problem lets him go once again. 167 00:06:55,914 --> 00:06:57,293 And they separate 168 00:06:59,444 --> 00:07:02,392 And as we turn to our story today, 169 00:07:02,552 --> 00:07:05,602 we see that Ab bra is still 170 00:07:06,058 --> 00:07:06,558 struggling. 171 00:07:07,350 --> 00:07:08,410 To trust 172 00:07:08,790 --> 00:07:09,290 y. 173 00:07:10,389 --> 00:07:12,310 And so let us read from the text 174 00:07:12,310 --> 00:07:14,730 this morning starting in verse 1 175 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:18,787 After these things, the word of Y came 176 00:07:18,787 --> 00:07:20,618 to Ab in a vision saying, 177 00:07:21,175 --> 00:07:23,086 do not fear ab bra. 178 00:07:23,740 --> 00:07:26,480 I am a shield to you and your 179 00:07:26,939 --> 00:07:28,939 reward shall be very great. 180 00:07:29,819 --> 00:07:30,939 And a bra said, 181 00:07:31,433 --> 00:07:34,051 Oh, lord Y, what will you give me? 182 00:07:35,003 --> 00:07:37,011 As I go on being childless 183 00:07:37,383 --> 00:07:39,939 in the air of my house house, is 184 00:07:40,019 --> 00:07:41,720 Eli of Damascus, 185 00:07:43,699 --> 00:07:44,580 and problem said, 186 00:07:45,379 --> 00:07:47,620 since you have given no seed to me, 187 00:07:48,992 --> 00:07:51,459 behold, 1 born in my house is my 188 00:07:51,459 --> 00:07:51,698 heir. 189 00:07:53,290 --> 00:07:55,519 Then behold the word of Y came to 190 00:07:55,519 --> 00:07:56,076 him saying, 191 00:07:56,729 --> 00:07:59,286 This 1 will not be your heir, but 192 00:07:59,286 --> 00:08:01,603 1 who will come forth from your own 193 00:08:01,603 --> 00:08:03,361 body, he shall be your heir. 194 00:08:04,493 --> 00:08:06,644 And he brought him outside and said now 195 00:08:06,644 --> 00:08:08,636 look toward the Heavens and number the stars, 196 00:08:09,114 --> 00:08:10,946 if you are able to number them. 197 00:08:11,757 --> 00:08:14,064 And he said to him so shall your 198 00:08:14,064 --> 00:08:14,620 seed be. 199 00:08:15,893 --> 00:08:17,961 That he believed in Y way and counted 200 00:08:17,961 --> 00:08:19,336 it to him is righteousness, 201 00:08:20,442 --> 00:08:22,668 And he said to him, I am Y 202 00:08:22,668 --> 00:08:24,521 who brought you out of 203 00:08:24,896 --> 00:08:25,793 of the Cal 204 00:08:26,168 --> 00:08:28,316 to give you this land to possess it. 205 00:08:28,886 --> 00:08:31,266 And he said, oh, Lord Y, how may 206 00:08:31,425 --> 00:08:33,408 I know that I will possess it. 207 00:08:34,043 --> 00:08:35,233 And so he said to him. 208 00:08:35,803 --> 00:08:37,316 Bring me a 3 year old he and 209 00:08:37,316 --> 00:08:38,908 a 3 year old female goat and a 210 00:08:38,908 --> 00:08:40,580 3 year old ram and a turtle dove 211 00:08:40,580 --> 00:08:41,376 and a young pigeon. 212 00:08:42,172 --> 00:08:44,574 Then he brought all these humans split them 213 00:08:44,574 --> 00:08:46,958 into parts down the middle and laid each 214 00:08:46,958 --> 00:08:49,261 part opposite the other, but he did not 215 00:08:49,261 --> 00:08:50,453 split apart the birds. 216 00:08:51,264 --> 00:08:53,736 Then the birds of prey came down upon 217 00:08:53,736 --> 00:08:54,475 the car, 218 00:08:55,012 --> 00:08:56,767 then Ab drove them away. 219 00:08:57,964 --> 00:08:59,798 Now it happened that when the sun was 220 00:08:59,798 --> 00:09:00,516 going down, 221 00:09:01,089 --> 00:09:03,643 a deep sleep fell upon ab bra and 222 00:09:03,643 --> 00:09:06,356 behold terror and great darkness fell upon him. 223 00:09:06,994 --> 00:09:09,163 Then God said to Ab bra no. For 224 00:09:09,163 --> 00:09:11,571 certain that your seed will be so earners 225 00:09:11,787 --> 00:09:13,457 in a land that is not theirs. 226 00:09:14,014 --> 00:09:17,035 And they will be enslaved and mistreated for 227 00:09:17,035 --> 00:09:18,012 400 228 00:09:18,228 --> 00:09:18,728 years 229 00:09:19,518 --> 00:09:22,312 but I will also judge the nation to 230 00:09:22,312 --> 00:09:25,425 whom they are enslaved. And afterward, they will 231 00:09:25,425 --> 00:09:26,723 come out with many 232 00:09:27,340 --> 00:09:27,580 possessions, 233 00:09:28,390 --> 00:09:30,536 As for you, you shall go to your 234 00:09:30,536 --> 00:09:33,318 father's in peace, you will be buried at 235 00:09:33,318 --> 00:09:34,987 a good old age. 236 00:09:35,717 --> 00:09:38,342 Then in the fourth generation, they will return 237 00:09:38,342 --> 00:09:40,967 here for the ini of the Am is 238 00:09:40,967 --> 00:09:42,081 not yet complete. 239 00:09:42,812 --> 00:09:44,643 And now it happened that the sun hit 240 00:09:44,643 --> 00:09:45,939 set and it was very 241 00:09:46,315 --> 00:09:50,158 dark and behold there appeared a smoking oven 242 00:09:50,548 --> 00:09:53,587 and a flaming torch which passed between these 243 00:09:53,642 --> 00:09:54,118 pieces. 244 00:09:54,753 --> 00:09:57,450 And on that day, Y cut a covenant 245 00:09:57,450 --> 00:09:58,402 with a bra saying, 246 00:09:58,974 --> 00:10:01,609 to your seed I have given this land. 247 00:10:02,167 --> 00:10:04,243 From the river of Egypt as far as 248 00:10:04,243 --> 00:10:06,180 the great river, the river Eu, 249 00:10:06,718 --> 00:10:08,176 the can in the Ken 250 00:10:08,568 --> 00:10:09,386 in the cat, 251 00:10:09,759 --> 00:10:11,507 and the hit tie in the parasite and 252 00:10:11,507 --> 00:10:13,730 the rough fame, and the Am and the 253 00:10:13,730 --> 00:10:16,034 can and the gig ga site in the 254 00:10:16,113 --> 00:10:16,748 J site. 255 00:10:18,913 --> 00:10:19,233 Amen. 256 00:10:20,911 --> 00:10:24,027 And so we open up this passage. 257 00:10:24,826 --> 00:10:25,785 And remember, 258 00:10:26,518 --> 00:10:28,823 those that are hearing this in context are 259 00:10:28,823 --> 00:10:31,208 the Israelites as they wonder in the wilderness 260 00:10:31,208 --> 00:10:33,616 that they had just been freed from 261 00:10:34,229 --> 00:10:34,388 Egypt. 262 00:10:36,072 --> 00:10:38,217 And the whole part of what I want 263 00:10:38,217 --> 00:10:39,965 us to kinda take away from today, and 264 00:10:39,965 --> 00:10:42,030 we're gonna circle back to it is this 265 00:10:42,030 --> 00:10:42,530 single 266 00:10:43,142 --> 00:10:44,039 idea that 267 00:10:44,429 --> 00:10:45,725 God can take 268 00:10:46,818 --> 00:10:49,607 somebody out of Egypt, but it's gonna be 269 00:10:49,607 --> 00:10:51,439 it's a little bit more difficult to get 270 00:10:51,757 --> 00:10:52,554 Egypt out of them. 271 00:10:54,883 --> 00:10:56,821 God can move somebody 272 00:10:57,359 --> 00:10:58,179 to any 273 00:10:58,637 --> 00:10:59,537 location, but 274 00:11:00,969 --> 00:11:03,361 what they acquired in that location might not 275 00:11:03,361 --> 00:11:05,754 be so easy to uproot from their life. 276 00:11:08,227 --> 00:11:09,583 Let me say that a different way. 277 00:11:11,434 --> 00:11:14,630 God might remove you from a sin that 278 00:11:14,630 --> 00:11:15,270 you have, 279 00:11:17,747 --> 00:11:20,225 but you still might hunger to go back 280 00:11:20,225 --> 00:11:22,637 to it. Because it was easier. It was 281 00:11:22,637 --> 00:11:23,377 more comfortable. 282 00:11:24,795 --> 00:11:27,672 Maybe gave you a moment of pleasure and 283 00:11:27,672 --> 00:11:28,651 joy and 284 00:11:29,924 --> 00:11:32,078 Maybe it accomplished something. Maybe it made you 285 00:11:32,078 --> 00:11:32,557 wealthy. 286 00:11:32,956 --> 00:11:35,350 Maybe it was some deception that you like 287 00:11:35,350 --> 00:11:35,988 to live in. 288 00:11:39,035 --> 00:11:41,268 And God might be taking you out of 289 00:11:41,268 --> 00:11:42,566 that place, but 290 00:11:43,581 --> 00:11:44,560 it still 291 00:11:45,176 --> 00:11:47,901 resides within you to wanna return to it. 292 00:11:49,807 --> 00:11:53,143 And so as we open our passage today, 293 00:11:54,255 --> 00:11:58,088 I'm confronted by a phrase to that we've 294 00:11:58,088 --> 00:11:59,148 probably heard 295 00:12:00,086 --> 00:12:02,663 a hundred thousand times in 296 00:12:03,122 --> 00:12:04,160 our church going, 297 00:12:05,454 --> 00:12:06,753 We've heard that it's 298 00:12:07,372 --> 00:12:09,710 recounted 365 299 00:12:09,769 --> 00:12:13,286 times in scripture 1 for at each day 300 00:12:13,286 --> 00:12:13,925 of the year. 301 00:12:15,374 --> 00:12:17,222 And it is this phrase 302 00:12:18,546 --> 00:12:19,046 do 303 00:12:19,815 --> 00:12:20,315 not 304 00:12:21,243 --> 00:12:21,639 fear. 305 00:12:23,560 --> 00:12:23,799 Problem. 306 00:12:24,595 --> 00:12:25,095 Do 307 00:12:25,470 --> 00:12:29,846 not fear all ti in the hebrew, then 308 00:12:29,846 --> 00:12:31,688 this is the very first time that it 309 00:12:31,688 --> 00:12:34,729 actually appears in the scripture, and I'm always 310 00:12:34,784 --> 00:12:37,087 curious when something appears for the first time, 311 00:12:38,436 --> 00:12:39,365 why? The 312 00:12:40,281 --> 00:12:43,470 especially a phrase this is often repeated as 313 00:12:43,470 --> 00:12:44,028 this 1. 314 00:12:44,984 --> 00:12:45,484 Do 315 00:12:46,100 --> 00:12:46,499 not, 316 00:12:48,028 --> 00:12:48,347 fear. 317 00:12:50,022 --> 00:12:52,255 And so as I hear these words. My 318 00:12:52,255 --> 00:12:52,755 question 319 00:12:53,451 --> 00:12:53,951 is 320 00:12:54,727 --> 00:12:56,662 what is god telling 321 00:12:57,054 --> 00:12:58,355 a ab bra, not 322 00:12:58,735 --> 00:12:59,695 to fear. 323 00:13:01,695 --> 00:13:04,174 I think oftentimes my head goes to this 324 00:13:04,174 --> 00:13:06,817 moment with a whole bunch of shepherd in 325 00:13:06,817 --> 00:13:07,373 a field. 326 00:13:08,643 --> 00:13:11,026 And an angel of the Lord appears to 327 00:13:11,026 --> 00:13:11,979 them and says, 328 00:13:12,852 --> 00:13:13,726 do not fear. 329 00:13:15,253 --> 00:13:16,231 I bring 330 00:13:16,848 --> 00:13:17,348 ti 331 00:13:17,805 --> 00:13:18,761 of great joy. 332 00:13:20,436 --> 00:13:22,908 So that's where my head initially goes is 333 00:13:22,908 --> 00:13:26,357 this sphere must be 1 of terror because 334 00:13:26,357 --> 00:13:28,835 an angel probably is a very frightening thing 335 00:13:28,835 --> 00:13:29,314 to see. 336 00:13:30,193 --> 00:13:32,591 Not as you might think of an angel 337 00:13:32,591 --> 00:13:35,238 is something that looks like a human with 338 00:13:35,238 --> 00:13:35,637 wings. 339 00:13:36,274 --> 00:13:38,824 But as the bible describes an angel as 340 00:13:38,824 --> 00:13:41,397 a creature with eyes all around it and 341 00:13:41,628 --> 00:13:44,491 eyes on all sides and like 6 wings 342 00:13:44,491 --> 00:13:47,831 and floating with horns and crowns and you're 343 00:13:47,831 --> 00:13:49,978 kind of, like, if you saw that, you 344 00:13:49,978 --> 00:13:50,955 might be terrified. 345 00:13:52,140 --> 00:13:54,208 If you saw something that looked more like 346 00:13:54,208 --> 00:13:55,004 you with wings, 347 00:13:56,277 --> 00:13:57,390 maybe not so fear some. 348 00:14:00,582 --> 00:14:02,669 And so I first think well God's telling 349 00:14:02,725 --> 00:14:04,494 will do not be afraid because 350 00:14:05,105 --> 00:14:06,058 God has appeared. 351 00:14:07,184 --> 00:14:08,245 But that's not 352 00:14:08,945 --> 00:14:09,825 what the text says. 353 00:14:12,625 --> 00:14:15,264 It says after these things, the word of 354 00:14:15,345 --> 00:14:15,845 Y, 355 00:14:17,359 --> 00:14:19,916 came to Ab bra vision, saying. 356 00:14:21,594 --> 00:14:23,431 So I don't know what he saw in 357 00:14:23,431 --> 00:14:24,411 his vision 358 00:14:25,363 --> 00:14:26,660 but it was a word 359 00:14:28,790 --> 00:14:29,985 that Y was giving. 360 00:14:33,589 --> 00:14:36,166 And he says to ab bra do not 361 00:14:36,305 --> 00:14:36,625 fear. 362 00:14:37,983 --> 00:14:39,123 And in order to 363 00:14:39,741 --> 00:14:41,595 understand what it is that he is calling 364 00:14:41,595 --> 00:14:43,355 him to not fear we have to continue. 365 00:14:43,754 --> 00:14:46,154 For I am a shield to you to 366 00:14:46,154 --> 00:14:46,394 you, 367 00:14:47,035 --> 00:14:48,335 your reward 368 00:14:48,728 --> 00:14:50,790 shall be very great. 369 00:14:52,931 --> 00:14:55,072 And then we hear the words ab bra 370 00:14:55,072 --> 00:14:56,023 in verse 2. 371 00:14:56,673 --> 00:14:57,889 0 Lord Y, 372 00:14:58,503 --> 00:14:59,003 what 373 00:14:59,776 --> 00:15:01,844 will you give me? 374 00:15:04,249 --> 00:15:06,747 And so when we hear the word do 375 00:15:06,806 --> 00:15:09,064 not fear, the context 376 00:15:09,923 --> 00:15:11,302 is 1 of 377 00:15:12,080 --> 00:15:12,320 provision. 378 00:15:13,372 --> 00:15:16,814 Ab bra is afraid that Y will not 379 00:15:17,188 --> 00:15:17,665 provide? 380 00:15:19,573 --> 00:15:22,649 How am I going to receive that which 381 00:15:22,769 --> 00:15:23,883 you promised me? 382 00:15:25,873 --> 00:15:27,942 How am I gonna get that thing that 383 00:15:27,942 --> 00:15:31,705 you said back in chapter 12 verse 7 384 00:15:31,762 --> 00:15:32,215 that 385 00:15:32,572 --> 00:15:35,515 my seed would inherit this land. I don't 386 00:15:35,515 --> 00:15:36,151 have kids. 387 00:15:38,219 --> 00:15:40,580 In fact, right now, I'm so childless that 388 00:15:40,779 --> 00:15:42,617 it's gonna be a servant in my household 389 00:15:42,617 --> 00:15:43,655 that gets all my stuff. 390 00:15:48,382 --> 00:15:51,079 Oh, Lord Y. What will you give me 391 00:15:51,079 --> 00:15:53,324 as I go on being childless. 392 00:15:55,620 --> 00:15:57,399 And the air of my houses 393 00:15:58,019 --> 00:15:59,799 Eli of Damascus. 394 00:16:03,713 --> 00:16:06,445 Not even 1 of my own culture, 395 00:16:07,460 --> 00:16:09,613 but 1 that I acquired when I was 396 00:16:09,613 --> 00:16:10,330 in Iran, 397 00:16:15,997 --> 00:16:18,463 It is a is a do not fear. 398 00:16:19,593 --> 00:16:22,463 Lebron because, I am going to provide for 399 00:16:22,463 --> 00:16:22,702 you. 400 00:16:23,978 --> 00:16:25,413 I'm gonna protect you. 401 00:16:26,051 --> 00:16:27,860 You don't have to be afraid of how 402 00:16:27,979 --> 00:16:30,207 you're gonna get through every situation that you 403 00:16:30,207 --> 00:16:30,685 might face, 404 00:16:31,401 --> 00:16:34,108 especially coming right out of Egypt and what 405 00:16:34,108 --> 00:16:36,120 did Ab bro do is all about his 406 00:16:36,257 --> 00:16:36,495 protection? 407 00:16:37,530 --> 00:16:39,876 How are but protection for what purpose 408 00:16:40,649 --> 00:16:42,320 that he might be provided for, 409 00:16:43,275 --> 00:16:44,332 that he might 410 00:16:44,708 --> 00:16:47,586 receive great amount of wealth because he used 411 00:16:47,586 --> 00:16:48,484 his wife 412 00:16:50,449 --> 00:16:52,517 as he went down into Egypt. 413 00:16:55,477 --> 00:16:57,469 A bra has a sin problem as much 414 00:16:57,469 --> 00:16:58,505 as you and me. 415 00:17:01,629 --> 00:17:04,266 And God is trying to let Ab problem 416 00:17:04,266 --> 00:17:06,124 know. You don't have to fear 417 00:17:07,941 --> 00:17:08,760 about how 418 00:17:09,313 --> 00:17:11,057 you're going to be provided for. 419 00:17:12,563 --> 00:17:14,173 I am going 420 00:17:14,941 --> 00:17:15,734 to provide. 421 00:17:17,416 --> 00:17:18,530 But here's the thing. 422 00:17:20,440 --> 00:17:21,076 Verse 2, 423 00:17:21,634 --> 00:17:23,305 0 lord Y, what will you give me 424 00:17:23,305 --> 00:17:25,055 as I go on being childless in the 425 00:17:25,055 --> 00:17:25,771 air of my house? 426 00:17:26,264 --> 00:17:27,702 Is Eli of damascus. 427 00:17:28,261 --> 00:17:29,560 How does god respond 428 00:17:30,738 --> 00:17:31,936 to ab bra in that moment. 429 00:17:33,627 --> 00:17:34,739 As you look at your text, 430 00:17:35,296 --> 00:17:36,488 what's the very next thing? 431 00:17:37,521 --> 00:17:38,475 What does god say? 432 00:17:41,178 --> 00:17:41,495 Nothing. 433 00:17:44,705 --> 00:17:45,105 Silence. 434 00:17:47,025 --> 00:17:48,865 Have you ever prayed a prayer that you 435 00:17:48,865 --> 00:17:51,756 just like God, I need to know. I 436 00:17:51,756 --> 00:17:53,582 have to have the answer to this. I 437 00:17:53,582 --> 00:17:55,489 need you to show me what's next. I 438 00:17:55,489 --> 00:17:56,998 need you to show me the way. Out 439 00:17:56,998 --> 00:17:59,301 I I wanna trust you, but in order 440 00:17:59,301 --> 00:18:00,754 for me to trust you 441 00:18:01,064 --> 00:18:03,059 you have to tell me what's next. I've 442 00:18:03,059 --> 00:18:05,534 gotta I've gotta see what's going on in 443 00:18:05,534 --> 00:18:08,429 the future. I gotta know exactly how this 444 00:18:08,647 --> 00:18:09,147 childless... 445 00:18:10,099 --> 00:18:12,420 Father and this child, this mother are gonna 446 00:18:12,420 --> 00:18:15,299 have a seed that's gonna inherit the entire 447 00:18:15,299 --> 00:18:17,619 land, tell me because I'm not seeing it. 448 00:18:17,859 --> 00:18:19,471 I don't I don't see the big picture 449 00:18:19,471 --> 00:18:21,625 here. What's what is going on? 450 00:18:23,461 --> 00:18:24,498 How are you gonna do it? 451 00:18:27,630 --> 00:18:28,109 Silence. 452 00:18:29,710 --> 00:18:30,429 No answer. 453 00:18:32,269 --> 00:18:32,670 Nothing. 454 00:18:36,828 --> 00:18:38,420 And then verse 3 shows up. 455 00:18:40,250 --> 00:18:40,750 And 456 00:18:41,539 --> 00:18:43,059 we kinda talked about this a little bit 457 00:18:43,059 --> 00:18:44,980 before in valve, but if there's a break 458 00:18:44,980 --> 00:18:45,619 in the text, 459 00:18:46,500 --> 00:18:48,179 and then it says that the same person 460 00:18:48,179 --> 00:18:49,299 that was just speaking, 461 00:18:49,794 --> 00:18:51,465 and it says and they spoke again. 462 00:18:52,341 --> 00:18:54,672 It means that time has passes a new 463 00:18:54,888 --> 00:18:55,047 conversation. 464 00:18:55,763 --> 00:18:59,027 This isn't something that's happening immediately. It's something 465 00:18:59,027 --> 00:19:01,672 that that there's been some separation a little 466 00:19:01,672 --> 00:19:03,106 bit of time, a little bit of lingering. 467 00:19:03,266 --> 00:19:05,976 And so, Ab bra allowed himself to sit 468 00:19:05,976 --> 00:19:07,592 in the silence for a moment 469 00:19:08,224 --> 00:19:09,904 We don't know how much time it took. 470 00:19:10,065 --> 00:19:11,744 Maybe it was an hour. 471 00:19:12,705 --> 00:19:14,705 Maybe it was a week. Maybe it was 472 00:19:14,705 --> 00:19:16,945 a year. Maybe it was 2 years, but 473 00:19:16,945 --> 00:19:20,062 it some point, a bra has had enough 474 00:19:20,062 --> 00:19:22,210 of the waiting. Enough of the silence from 475 00:19:22,369 --> 00:19:25,153 God, and he's like, okay. I'm coming back. 476 00:19:25,884 --> 00:19:28,281 Verse 3 and Abraham said, and I love 477 00:19:28,281 --> 00:19:30,118 this. It's a little bit more frustrated. The 478 00:19:30,118 --> 00:19:31,796 first time he was kind of respectful to 479 00:19:31,956 --> 00:19:32,355 Y. 480 00:19:33,247 --> 00:19:34,761 But how will you give me? 481 00:19:35,478 --> 00:19:37,969 I have... I'm going on being childless 482 00:19:38,584 --> 00:19:40,836 right now, my only heirs is el? 483 00:19:42,184 --> 00:19:44,984 But now he's like, since you have given 484 00:19:44,984 --> 00:19:46,025 me no seed, 485 00:19:46,664 --> 00:19:47,065 hello, 486 00:19:47,785 --> 00:19:49,085 behold, and born 487 00:19:49,480 --> 00:19:51,960 and 1 born in my house is gonna 488 00:19:51,960 --> 00:19:52,460 be 489 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:54,039 the air? Like, 490 00:19:55,720 --> 00:19:58,531 no longer is it just a named servant. 491 00:19:58,690 --> 00:20:00,765 It's just somebody born in my house that's 492 00:20:00,765 --> 00:20:04,377 not mine, is going to inherit everything, 493 00:20:05,009 --> 00:20:07,877 you have given me no seed. There is 494 00:20:07,877 --> 00:20:09,550 no answer to the promise. 495 00:20:10,426 --> 00:20:13,454 I have waited, and I have not seen. 496 00:20:15,381 --> 00:20:16,656 Does that sound familiar? 497 00:20:17,692 --> 00:20:19,366 Because it resonates in my heart? 498 00:20:20,084 --> 00:20:21,997 Like, there are so many times. Where I'm 499 00:20:21,997 --> 00:20:24,804 just like, God I am waiting. I know 500 00:20:24,804 --> 00:20:26,640 that you've given a promise, but I don't 501 00:20:26,640 --> 00:20:27,140 see 502 00:20:27,757 --> 00:20:29,832 the answer. I don't see the outcome. 503 00:20:31,362 --> 00:20:32,873 And you are being silent. 504 00:20:35,099 --> 00:20:35,599 You 505 00:20:36,372 --> 00:20:37,565 aren't speaking. 506 00:20:41,873 --> 00:20:44,258 But this is exactly how it's supposed to 507 00:20:44,258 --> 00:20:44,416 be. 508 00:20:46,483 --> 00:20:47,619 This is exactly 509 00:20:47,993 --> 00:20:49,209 how god 510 00:20:50,393 --> 00:20:50,711 works. 511 00:20:52,381 --> 00:20:54,529 Reminds me of David a lot. 512 00:20:55,404 --> 00:20:57,813 Psalm 13 is 1 of my favorites 513 00:20:59,397 --> 00:21:01,231 because I've prayed it a lot. 514 00:21:02,347 --> 00:21:04,500 How long oh y way, 515 00:21:05,217 --> 00:21:07,073 will you forget me forever? 516 00:21:08,258 --> 00:21:10,478 How long will you hide your face from 517 00:21:10,478 --> 00:21:12,699 me? How long shall I take counsel in 518 00:21:12,699 --> 00:21:14,919 my soul having sorrow in my heart all 519 00:21:14,919 --> 00:21:17,403 the day? How long will my enemy be 520 00:21:17,403 --> 00:21:18,200 exalted over me? 521 00:21:18,918 --> 00:21:21,549 Look and answer me, oh, y my God, 522 00:21:21,788 --> 00:21:24,441 give light to my eyes unless I sleep 523 00:21:24,673 --> 00:21:27,315 of death, unless my enemy says I have 524 00:21:27,371 --> 00:21:30,386 overcome him in my adversaries rejoice that I 525 00:21:30,386 --> 00:21:30,941 am shaken. 526 00:21:37,098 --> 00:21:38,535 You ever feel like you're just in that 527 00:21:38,535 --> 00:21:41,664 moment of darkness. You ever feel that Y 528 00:21:41,664 --> 00:21:44,144 has just completely forgotten that you exist. Have 529 00:21:44,144 --> 00:21:45,825 you ever felt that he's just not answering 530 00:21:45,825 --> 00:21:47,664 any of your prayers that and that nothing 531 00:21:47,664 --> 00:21:50,077 is going as you thought. That God would 532 00:21:50,077 --> 00:21:51,672 do it. And and as you have heard, 533 00:21:51,912 --> 00:21:54,145 he promised he would in his word. 534 00:21:56,458 --> 00:21:57,814 And he's just silent. 535 00:22:02,221 --> 00:22:05,178 And fear sets in, and you're wondering where 536 00:22:05,178 --> 00:22:07,176 is my provision going to come from? 537 00:22:11,493 --> 00:22:12,528 But here's the thing, 538 00:22:13,085 --> 00:22:14,437 God lets us sit in our silence. 539 00:22:16,523 --> 00:22:17,980 For the purpose of 540 00:22:20,431 --> 00:22:20,931 building 541 00:22:21,468 --> 00:22:23,143 our faith and trust in him. 542 00:22:26,029 --> 00:22:28,670 David finishes that song by saying, but. 543 00:22:30,269 --> 00:22:32,750 Even in the midst of the darkness, even 544 00:22:32,750 --> 00:22:33,710 in the midst of 545 00:22:34,283 --> 00:22:36,457 Wondering where you are, but 546 00:22:37,391 --> 00:22:40,660 I have trusted in your loving kindness. Even 547 00:22:40,660 --> 00:22:41,616 when I don't feel it, 548 00:22:42,349 --> 00:22:44,429 Even when I don't see it, I have 549 00:22:44,429 --> 00:22:44,929 trusted 550 00:22:45,470 --> 00:22:46,849 in your loving kindness. 551 00:22:47,230 --> 00:22:50,303 In my heart shall rejoice in your 552 00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:53,711 salvation, I will sing to Y because he 553 00:22:53,711 --> 00:22:54,529 is dealt 554 00:22:54,986 --> 00:22:56,045 bo flee 555 00:22:56,422 --> 00:22:56,900 with me. 556 00:23:01,369 --> 00:23:01,845 Remember he's... 557 00:23:02,639 --> 00:23:04,012 These stories are being 558 00:23:04,624 --> 00:23:06,235 listened to in the wilderness. 559 00:23:06,783 --> 00:23:08,457 To a people that thought it would be 560 00:23:08,457 --> 00:23:11,668 easier to go back into Egypt and slavery 561 00:23:12,204 --> 00:23:14,298 than to push forward in the wilderness 562 00:23:15,088 --> 00:23:16,359 toward the promised land. 563 00:23:17,075 --> 00:23:19,936 Toward obtaining that that vary the land that 564 00:23:19,936 --> 00:23:22,971 it was promised to ab bra the the 565 00:23:22,971 --> 00:23:26,256 people of Israel wanna go back to slavery 566 00:23:28,302 --> 00:23:29,598 because they're wandering 567 00:23:29,973 --> 00:23:32,378 around in a place that they think is 568 00:23:32,378 --> 00:23:33,756 filled with darkness, 569 00:23:34,772 --> 00:23:37,087 they can't see 5 feet in front of 570 00:23:37,087 --> 00:23:39,742 them, even when Y is appearing 571 00:23:40,613 --> 00:23:43,866 by a cloud of smoke in the day 572 00:23:43,866 --> 00:23:45,374 and fire by night. 573 00:23:48,009 --> 00:23:50,406 They wonder where they're gonna get their next 574 00:23:50,406 --> 00:23:53,922 meal even as mana is just coming up 575 00:23:53,922 --> 00:23:54,902 from the ground. 576 00:23:56,971 --> 00:23:58,962 In exodus is 16, it talks about how 577 00:23:59,042 --> 00:24:02,148 God's gonna provide food for them, but don't 578 00:24:02,148 --> 00:24:03,900 take more than a day's worth. 579 00:24:05,830 --> 00:24:06,630 And what do they do? 580 00:24:07,910 --> 00:24:09,029 Take more than a day's worth, 581 00:24:09,670 --> 00:24:11,349 because they're afraid that it's not gonna be 582 00:24:11,349 --> 00:24:12,549 provided for the next day, 583 00:24:13,444 --> 00:24:16,078 as if God is just gonna stop being 584 00:24:16,078 --> 00:24:16,956 their provider. 585 00:24:18,952 --> 00:24:21,426 And then he's like, but take a double 586 00:24:21,426 --> 00:24:21,905 portion, 587 00:24:22,559 --> 00:24:24,711 the day before the sabbath because on Sabbath, 588 00:24:24,870 --> 00:24:25,826 you should not work. 589 00:24:27,660 --> 00:24:29,094 And then what do they do? They don't 590 00:24:29,094 --> 00:24:31,582 take enough and so on. This sabbath that 591 00:24:31,582 --> 00:24:32,939 go out into the field so look for 592 00:24:32,939 --> 00:24:34,296 this man and it's not there. 593 00:24:36,690 --> 00:24:37,967 And they're blaming god. 594 00:24:39,416 --> 00:24:41,320 When God told them that it wasn't gonna 595 00:24:41,320 --> 00:24:41,796 be there. 596 00:24:45,604 --> 00:24:46,500 Or so 597 00:24:47,444 --> 00:24:47,944 easy 598 00:24:49,676 --> 00:24:50,416 to just 599 00:24:50,793 --> 00:24:52,945 go faith list for a moment because we 600 00:24:52,945 --> 00:24:55,837 don't see the way that God's providing 601 00:24:56,548 --> 00:24:59,408 in the midst of our waiting for provision. 602 00:25:03,222 --> 00:25:05,776 We've got not Egypt, but Egypt hasn't gotten 603 00:25:05,776 --> 00:25:06,410 out of us. 604 00:25:12,457 --> 00:25:13,756 And so this increased 605 00:25:14,133 --> 00:25:14,633 frustration 606 00:25:15,330 --> 00:25:16,847 of Ab bra is like, 607 00:25:17,485 --> 00:25:19,640 you haven't fulfilled your promises to me. 608 00:25:20,290 --> 00:25:22,670 And I have been waiting. And God's like, 609 00:25:22,749 --> 00:25:23,463 fine. I'll tell you. 610 00:25:24,415 --> 00:25:26,477 I'll just tell you. Look, alright. You wanna 611 00:25:26,477 --> 00:25:27,429 know behold, 612 00:25:28,238 --> 00:25:29,987 He's not gonna be... That one's not gonna 613 00:25:29,987 --> 00:25:32,396 be your air. The air is going to 614 00:25:32,452 --> 00:25:36,428 come from your own body, and he shall 615 00:25:36,428 --> 00:25:37,065 be your air. 616 00:25:38,989 --> 00:25:40,820 I'm not gonna get into the graphic of 617 00:25:40,820 --> 00:25:42,970 that, but I'll let you assume what that 618 00:25:42,970 --> 00:25:43,686 text means. 619 00:25:44,960 --> 00:25:46,097 If it's coming from 620 00:25:46,410 --> 00:25:47,869 Abraham own body, 621 00:25:49,529 --> 00:25:51,690 then we know that it's his seed and 622 00:25:51,690 --> 00:25:52,589 his child. 623 00:25:56,422 --> 00:25:58,017 But if we looked a little bit of 624 00:25:58,017 --> 00:25:58,815 ahead in the text, 625 00:25:59,932 --> 00:26:01,368 who gets ahead of themselves again. 626 00:26:03,134 --> 00:26:05,274 Sometimes God will tell us how it's gonna 627 00:26:05,274 --> 00:26:05,670 happen, 628 00:26:06,145 --> 00:26:08,443 and we still get start con contracting in 629 00:26:08,443 --> 00:26:08,918 our brain, 630 00:26:09,552 --> 00:26:11,951 what our role in making it happen is 631 00:26:11,951 --> 00:26:13,461 going to be instead of just god letting 632 00:26:13,461 --> 00:26:14,018 it happen. 633 00:26:15,131 --> 00:26:16,880 This is probably why God wants you to 634 00:26:16,880 --> 00:26:18,788 sit in your silence because if he told 635 00:26:18,788 --> 00:26:20,550 you, you would get ahead of him. 636 00:26:21,820 --> 00:26:23,090 I can't tell you how many times I've 637 00:26:23,090 --> 00:26:23,804 gotten ahead of God. 638 00:26:25,947 --> 00:26:28,193 I think about it all the time about 639 00:26:28,344 --> 00:26:30,577 like, these things that I'm, like, so excited 640 00:26:30,577 --> 00:26:32,731 about, like, in church ministry, like, I'm like, 641 00:26:32,891 --> 00:26:34,406 oh, my goodness, God's gonna do some really 642 00:26:34,406 --> 00:26:36,001 great things. I'm really excited about it. 643 00:26:36,719 --> 00:26:37,437 What am I gonna do? 644 00:26:38,886 --> 00:26:40,319 Oh, we're gonna create this program and in 645 00:26:40,319 --> 00:26:41,832 this program in this program, and I'm I'm 646 00:26:41,832 --> 00:26:43,106 gonna be in charge of that 1 and 647 00:26:43,106 --> 00:26:44,380 that 1 and that 1 and before I 648 00:26:44,380 --> 00:26:46,371 know it, I'm pulled in 16 different directions. 649 00:26:47,022 --> 00:26:49,086 And I'm exhausted and I'm like, why isn't 650 00:26:49,086 --> 00:26:50,595 anything happening the way that you said it 651 00:26:50,595 --> 00:26:51,786 would God? I'm doing it. 652 00:26:53,136 --> 00:26:53,851 And God's like, 653 00:26:55,693 --> 00:26:56,091 No. 654 00:26:57,204 --> 00:26:58,873 I told you I was going to do 655 00:26:58,873 --> 00:26:59,032 it? 656 00:27:00,860 --> 00:27:03,422 What makes you think that that's the many 657 00:27:03,422 --> 00:27:05,575 different directions that you just went were the 658 00:27:05,575 --> 00:27:07,011 way that I was gonna do it, that's 659 00:27:07,011 --> 00:27:08,207 not how I was gonna do it. 660 00:27:09,164 --> 00:27:10,839 But you got ahead of yourself because you 661 00:27:10,839 --> 00:27:12,608 heard 1 thing and thought I meant different 662 00:27:12,608 --> 00:27:12,767 thing. 663 00:27:15,628 --> 00:27:18,012 Because I was so afraid that once I 664 00:27:18,012 --> 00:27:19,974 knew where God wanted to take us different 665 00:27:20,174 --> 00:27:22,255 I was like, well, I've gotta be the 666 00:27:22,255 --> 00:27:22,654 provider. 667 00:27:23,855 --> 00:27:25,694 I'm the pastor. It's my job. 668 00:27:28,743 --> 00:27:30,337 And God's like, no. I'm the provider. 669 00:27:31,214 --> 00:27:32,011 It's my job. 670 00:27:32,968 --> 00:27:33,526 Not yours. 671 00:27:35,694 --> 00:27:37,612 And so what ends up happening is a 672 00:27:37,612 --> 00:27:39,370 ab bra and Sur get ahead of themselves, 673 00:27:39,529 --> 00:27:41,927 and they're like, well, I'm Barren. So I 674 00:27:41,927 --> 00:27:43,525 can't have a child, but guess what? I 675 00:27:43,525 --> 00:27:45,218 have this Egyptian slave that we got when 676 00:27:45,218 --> 00:27:46,177 we came out of Egypt, 677 00:27:48,095 --> 00:27:48,415 you know, 678 00:27:50,013 --> 00:27:51,452 maybe she can have your child. 679 00:27:52,571 --> 00:27:53,610 That might be a great idea. 680 00:27:54,657 --> 00:27:55,157 So 681 00:27:55,925 --> 00:27:56,559 here's H. 682 00:27:57,668 --> 00:27:58,168 And 683 00:27:59,095 --> 00:27:59,729 what happens? 684 00:28:02,366 --> 00:28:03,265 Ishmael is born 685 00:28:04,280 --> 00:28:04,780 and 686 00:28:07,629 --> 00:28:08,448 time passes 687 00:28:08,825 --> 00:28:09,463 13 years. 688 00:28:10,992 --> 00:28:13,697 And it rob's like, I've solved the problem. 689 00:28:14,174 --> 00:28:15,606 And then y way shows up and it 690 00:28:15,606 --> 00:28:16,799 says no. You haven't. 691 00:28:18,009 --> 00:28:19,847 I'm not giving any of this to Ishmael. 692 00:28:20,086 --> 00:28:21,445 I'll provide for him now, 693 00:28:23,123 --> 00:28:25,281 but you weren't listening to me. 694 00:28:27,842 --> 00:28:29,667 Sa Was always part of the plan. 695 00:28:33,887 --> 00:28:35,180 But your vision 696 00:28:35,710 --> 00:28:36,448 is so 697 00:28:37,058 --> 00:28:37,454 small, 698 00:28:38,406 --> 00:28:40,150 and my vision is so big. 699 00:28:42,634 --> 00:28:45,835 God has plans that go far beyond what 700 00:28:45,835 --> 00:28:48,174 we can even ask or imagine 701 00:28:49,448 --> 00:28:52,397 Ephesians chapter 3. And so God is still 702 00:28:52,397 --> 00:28:54,867 at work at providing even in the silence, 703 00:28:55,027 --> 00:28:57,515 and maybe just allow yourself to sit in 704 00:28:57,515 --> 00:28:59,674 that silence because the moment you might hear 705 00:28:59,674 --> 00:29:01,914 from him might be the moment that you 706 00:29:01,914 --> 00:29:03,434 take control back from God. 707 00:29:06,490 --> 00:29:08,750 Let him take Egypt out of you by 708 00:29:09,289 --> 00:29:09,690 waiting. 709 00:29:13,384 --> 00:29:15,704 These had to wait 40 years in the 710 00:29:15,704 --> 00:29:17,304 wilderness to get Egypt brought out of them. 711 00:29:17,625 --> 00:29:19,384 I hope it doesn't take 40 years for 712 00:29:19,384 --> 00:29:19,544 us. 713 00:29:23,160 --> 00:29:24,119 I really do. 714 00:29:26,119 --> 00:29:28,680 And so what ends up happening in versus 715 00:29:28,680 --> 00:29:29,799 5 and 6? 716 00:29:30,774 --> 00:29:31,813 As we continue on, 717 00:29:34,291 --> 00:29:36,129 he always says, he brought him outside and 718 00:29:36,129 --> 00:29:37,668 said now look toward the heavens 719 00:29:38,367 --> 00:29:39,565 and number the stars. 720 00:29:41,017 --> 00:29:42,929 If you are able to number them. 721 00:29:44,204 --> 00:29:45,638 So shall be your seed. 722 00:29:47,151 --> 00:29:50,750 And Ab believed in Y and it and 723 00:29:50,909 --> 00:29:53,874 Y counted it to him as righteousness. 724 00:29:57,111 --> 00:29:59,122 I love this passage, but 725 00:30:00,306 --> 00:30:01,654 What I want to point out is that 726 00:30:01,654 --> 00:30:03,557 the stars are not a sign. 727 00:30:05,301 --> 00:30:07,229 Jesus was clear that 728 00:30:08,092 --> 00:30:11,111 only the wicked seeks signs in wonders. 729 00:30:13,731 --> 00:30:16,114 The stars are a visible word. 730 00:30:18,918 --> 00:30:19,737 A metaphor 731 00:30:20,356 --> 00:30:22,193 for what God is going to do for 732 00:30:22,273 --> 00:30:22,673 Ab bra. 733 00:30:25,960 --> 00:30:27,174 God wants to put 734 00:30:27,785 --> 00:30:29,395 the word in front of you 735 00:30:30,720 --> 00:30:31,672 in front of us, 736 00:30:32,798 --> 00:30:35,505 that we would read it as it is 737 00:30:35,505 --> 00:30:37,278 and believe in those promises 738 00:30:37,733 --> 00:30:38,927 that he has put in front of us, 739 00:30:39,086 --> 00:30:41,173 and I can guarantee you there's a lot 740 00:30:41,173 --> 00:30:41,912 of promises 741 00:30:42,369 --> 00:30:43,406 in his word. 742 00:30:44,682 --> 00:30:47,314 He's given it to us. These are our 743 00:30:47,314 --> 00:30:47,814 stars 744 00:30:48,351 --> 00:30:49,388 can you count them? 745 00:30:51,553 --> 00:30:53,622 Do you see them? Are you reading them? 746 00:30:53,860 --> 00:30:56,167 Are they in front of you as the 747 00:30:56,167 --> 00:30:58,652 stars were in front of Ab bra in 748 00:30:58,652 --> 00:31:00,428 that moment where God 749 00:31:01,045 --> 00:31:02,423 counted it to him 750 00:31:02,960 --> 00:31:03,779 as righteousness. 751 00:31:09,171 --> 00:31:11,335 Paul talks about it extensively. 752 00:31:12,673 --> 00:31:14,764 The writer of the letter to the Hebrews 753 00:31:14,821 --> 00:31:16,991 talks about it extensively about how 754 00:31:17,446 --> 00:31:20,469 ab bra faith was counted to him, 755 00:31:21,518 --> 00:31:22,018 as 756 00:31:22,630 --> 00:31:23,130 righteousness. 757 00:31:25,092 --> 00:31:27,340 Romans 03:22, even the righteousness 758 00:31:27,952 --> 00:31:30,494 of god through faith in Jesus Christ for 759 00:31:30,494 --> 00:31:31,724 all those who leave 760 00:31:32,183 --> 00:31:34,980 for there is no distinction. Let us not 761 00:31:34,980 --> 00:31:37,378 forget that ab bra faith was counted to 762 00:31:37,378 --> 00:31:38,278 him is righteousness, 763 00:31:38,896 --> 00:31:40,195 and our faith 764 00:31:40,909 --> 00:31:43,167 becomes counted us to as righteousness 765 00:31:43,546 --> 00:31:44,745 because it is in Jesus. 766 00:31:46,263 --> 00:31:48,441 Jesus is our righteousness. 767 00:31:49,871 --> 00:31:52,092 We aren't trying to obtain any sort of 768 00:31:52,092 --> 00:31:53,916 level of h on our own. We aren't 769 00:31:53,916 --> 00:31:56,453 trying to create art... Create our own provision 770 00:31:56,453 --> 00:31:57,350 in our lives 771 00:31:57,659 --> 00:31:58,558 we are simply 772 00:31:59,016 --> 00:32:02,129 seeking looking at and relying on the person 773 00:32:02,129 --> 00:32:03,087 of Jesus Christ. 774 00:32:08,759 --> 00:32:10,268 And then we go forward in 7 and 775 00:32:10,268 --> 00:32:10,426 8. 776 00:32:12,412 --> 00:32:13,206 And what happens? 777 00:32:15,526 --> 00:32:16,639 And mask again. 778 00:32:17,594 --> 00:32:19,423 Well, how you gonna do it? How are 779 00:32:19,423 --> 00:32:20,378 you gonna give it to me? 780 00:32:21,253 --> 00:32:23,255 It was just my faith was just counted 781 00:32:23,255 --> 00:32:25,957 to me as righteousness, but god, I I 782 00:32:25,957 --> 00:32:26,672 need some more. 783 00:32:27,705 --> 00:32:28,817 I'm not really sure. 784 00:32:29,945 --> 00:32:31,774 What's going on here. And so I wanna 785 00:32:31,774 --> 00:32:33,285 just give you a little bit of encouragement. 786 00:32:33,682 --> 00:32:35,272 If you've ever had a little bit of 787 00:32:35,272 --> 00:32:36,863 disbelief in your belief, 788 00:32:37,594 --> 00:32:39,269 So did Bra, and his faith was counted 789 00:32:39,269 --> 00:32:41,023 to him his righteousness. And it's okay. And 790 00:32:41,023 --> 00:32:42,539 it reminds me and I think I've said 791 00:32:42,539 --> 00:32:43,996 this many times recently 792 00:32:44,374 --> 00:32:46,230 of the story in 793 00:32:47,006 --> 00:32:49,323 Mark right in this centurion and he's like, 794 00:32:50,195 --> 00:32:53,051 Jesus, I believe, help my un belief. 795 00:32:55,366 --> 00:32:57,426 I do I believe Jesus. I believe you 796 00:32:57,426 --> 00:32:59,195 you can do anything, but 797 00:32:59,566 --> 00:33:00,042 help me. 798 00:33:01,310 --> 00:33:02,678 And I think this is a help me 799 00:33:02,678 --> 00:33:04,355 moment for ab bra in the text. He's 800 00:33:04,355 --> 00:33:04,514 like, 801 00:33:05,313 --> 00:33:07,808 I do believe I really do 802 00:33:09,065 --> 00:33:11,515 god help me help me believe more. This 803 00:33:11,954 --> 00:33:13,653 God give me more faith 804 00:33:14,272 --> 00:33:16,829 for this. Show show me what is it... 805 00:33:17,069 --> 00:33:18,208 What is gonna happen 806 00:33:19,227 --> 00:33:20,585 so that I can believe you. 807 00:33:22,440 --> 00:33:23,579 What's the guarantee? 808 00:33:25,720 --> 00:33:27,579 And Y in his goodness 809 00:33:28,279 --> 00:33:29,079 guarantees it? 810 00:33:30,128 --> 00:33:32,136 But in a very maybe 811 00:33:32,509 --> 00:33:33,382 unexpected way. 812 00:33:34,097 --> 00:33:35,287 And so this is where I wanna leave 813 00:33:35,287 --> 00:33:37,272 us as we finish the text today. 814 00:33:38,715 --> 00:33:39,215 Is 815 00:33:39,826 --> 00:33:42,364 this covenant. This cutting of the covenant, and 816 00:33:42,364 --> 00:33:45,164 we've talked a lot about covenants here 817 00:33:45,473 --> 00:33:45,949 we had 818 00:33:46,584 --> 00:33:49,680 entire disciples series where we talked about the 819 00:33:49,680 --> 00:33:50,180 covenant 820 00:33:50,791 --> 00:33:52,537 in the epic of Eden and the importance 821 00:33:52,537 --> 00:33:55,894 of covenant cutting, and how covenants are often 822 00:33:55,894 --> 00:33:56,293 between, a, 823 00:33:57,330 --> 00:33:57,830 higher 824 00:33:58,207 --> 00:34:00,839 power and a, weaker power, a stronger power 825 00:34:00,839 --> 00:34:03,493 and a weaker power, and they can be 826 00:34:03,631 --> 00:34:04,131 between 827 00:34:04,844 --> 00:34:07,560 nations and little city states and they can 828 00:34:07,560 --> 00:34:08,780 be between 829 00:34:09,398 --> 00:34:12,115 kings and lords and they can be between, 830 00:34:13,008 --> 00:34:14,764 They can be between equals, but they're not 831 00:34:14,764 --> 00:34:17,797 as common, but there's always something involved and 832 00:34:17,797 --> 00:34:19,473 we talked a lot about the covenant when 833 00:34:19,473 --> 00:34:20,510 we talked about Noah. 834 00:34:21,244 --> 00:34:23,718 And the rainbow being set in the sky 835 00:34:23,718 --> 00:34:25,713 as a sign of this covenant and how 836 00:34:25,873 --> 00:34:28,028 I had mentioned that the ones that are 837 00:34:28,028 --> 00:34:29,879 normally supposed to keep the receipts of the 838 00:34:29,879 --> 00:34:31,953 covenant is the weaker power, but god's like, 839 00:34:32,032 --> 00:34:34,186 no. I'm I'm God. I'm I'm holding on 840 00:34:34,186 --> 00:34:36,180 to this receipt for you. So not only 841 00:34:36,180 --> 00:34:38,732 will you remember, but I will always remember. 842 00:34:39,530 --> 00:34:41,856 I will never forget the covenant that I 843 00:34:41,856 --> 00:34:42,574 made with you. 844 00:34:43,928 --> 00:34:45,841 Because at the end of the day, in 845 00:34:45,841 --> 00:34:49,140 covenant cutting back then, I you know, the 846 00:34:49,275 --> 00:34:51,180 higher power didn't really care whether or not 847 00:34:51,180 --> 00:34:51,973 they kept covenant. 848 00:34:52,688 --> 00:34:54,989 They were stronger. It didn't matter to them. 849 00:34:56,353 --> 00:34:58,501 So you as the weaker party had to 850 00:34:58,501 --> 00:34:59,693 come and be like, no. I've got the 851 00:34:59,693 --> 00:35:00,886 proof. Here it is. 852 00:35:01,840 --> 00:35:03,510 Like, we agreed to this. 853 00:35:04,797 --> 00:35:05,115 Keep it. 854 00:35:06,068 --> 00:35:06,386 Right? 855 00:35:07,260 --> 00:35:09,427 And then we started talking about how in 856 00:35:09,483 --> 00:35:10,436 making covenants, 857 00:35:11,231 --> 00:35:14,113 you cut an animal in half and 858 00:35:14,583 --> 00:35:16,016 Essentially, what you're declaring is, 859 00:35:16,654 --> 00:35:18,805 let this be to me if I fail 860 00:35:18,805 --> 00:35:20,398 to keep my end of the bargain. 861 00:35:21,766 --> 00:35:23,277 So that's just a quick rundown of what 862 00:35:23,277 --> 00:35:25,105 it means to cut a covenant. 863 00:35:26,536 --> 00:35:28,364 But as we read this text, this passage, 864 00:35:28,523 --> 00:35:28,682 it's... 865 00:35:29,573 --> 00:35:30,369 It's interesting. 866 00:35:30,848 --> 00:35:32,760 And I say it's interesting because as we 867 00:35:32,760 --> 00:35:34,592 read, we reread this past and says, 868 00:35:35,230 --> 00:35:37,461 and so God further said to Abraham now 869 00:35:37,461 --> 00:35:39,030 asked for you, you shall keep 870 00:35:39,707 --> 00:35:40,345 My covenant, 871 00:35:41,222 --> 00:35:43,534 you... Oh, whoops. That's the wrong passage. 872 00:35:44,651 --> 00:35:45,050 Here we go. 873 00:35:46,325 --> 00:35:47,442 Verse 9, 874 00:35:48,254 --> 00:35:50,250 So he said to him, bring me, so 875 00:35:50,250 --> 00:35:52,565 this is Y speaking Bra. Bring me a 876 00:35:52,565 --> 00:35:54,161 3 year old he, a 3 year old 877 00:35:54,161 --> 00:35:55,678 female goat and a 3 year old ram, 878 00:35:55,918 --> 00:35:57,275 a turtle dove a young pigeon. 879 00:35:58,247 --> 00:35:59,764 And so what does Bra do? He goes 880 00:35:59,764 --> 00:36:01,599 out and he finds those things, and he 881 00:36:01,599 --> 00:36:02,578 brings them 882 00:36:03,036 --> 00:36:03,855 to him 883 00:36:04,233 --> 00:36:05,291 and he immediately 884 00:36:05,764 --> 00:36:08,548 splits them into parts down the middle and 885 00:36:08,548 --> 00:36:10,458 laid each part opposite the other, but he 886 00:36:10,458 --> 00:36:11,731 did not split apart the birds. 887 00:36:13,338 --> 00:36:14,929 Ab bra knew what was about to happen. 888 00:36:16,123 --> 00:36:18,032 God said, go get these things, but he 889 00:36:18,032 --> 00:36:20,021 didn't say cut them, but ab bra knew 890 00:36:20,021 --> 00:36:21,331 that he was 891 00:36:21,784 --> 00:36:25,519 initiating a covenant, a contract with Y, Y 892 00:36:25,519 --> 00:36:27,131 had given him the 893 00:36:27,585 --> 00:36:30,386 necessary ingredients for that covenant pack to be 894 00:36:30,386 --> 00:36:32,858 made. And so a bra went and got 895 00:36:32,858 --> 00:36:34,852 them and went ahead and split them. 896 00:36:36,048 --> 00:36:38,442 And what's interesting is actually as you look 897 00:36:38,442 --> 00:36:41,504 at it, into, like, the history of this 898 00:36:41,561 --> 00:36:43,630 specific covenant, it's a patrol covenant. 899 00:36:45,778 --> 00:36:48,507 A patrol a patrol covenant that's supposed to 900 00:36:48,507 --> 00:36:49,806 be made between 901 00:36:50,345 --> 00:36:51,804 the father of the bride 902 00:36:52,662 --> 00:36:53,301 and the groom. 903 00:36:55,630 --> 00:36:59,137 And what's happening is the weaker party, the 904 00:36:59,137 --> 00:36:59,637 groom 905 00:37:00,651 --> 00:37:01,948 will walk first 906 00:37:02,819 --> 00:37:03,480 And then 907 00:37:03,859 --> 00:37:07,299 the stronger party, right, the father of the 908 00:37:07,299 --> 00:37:08,980 bride will walk through second. 909 00:37:10,433 --> 00:37:10,933 And 910 00:37:11,710 --> 00:37:13,783 essentially, what's happening is this the groom walks 911 00:37:13,783 --> 00:37:15,719 through, it's to say, I will do 912 00:37:16,096 --> 00:37:18,489 all things in my power to protect to 913 00:37:18,489 --> 00:37:19,946 love to care for 914 00:37:20,257 --> 00:37:21,472 and to provide 915 00:37:22,244 --> 00:37:23,356 for your daughter. 916 00:37:24,547 --> 00:37:26,215 I will do those things. I will keep 917 00:37:26,215 --> 00:37:27,168 it as such. 918 00:37:27,883 --> 00:37:28,837 I will keep it so. 919 00:37:30,202 --> 00:37:31,657 And then the father's promises, 920 00:37:32,112 --> 00:37:35,396 and I am providing for you a virtuous 921 00:37:35,771 --> 00:37:36,271 woman 922 00:37:36,646 --> 00:37:39,720 who has, you know, by all rights is 923 00:37:39,940 --> 00:37:42,440 pure and will provide children 924 00:37:42,900 --> 00:37:45,780 and will allow you to flourish in your 925 00:37:45,780 --> 00:37:46,180 household, 926 00:37:46,579 --> 00:37:49,617 who And if either of us shall fail 927 00:37:49,617 --> 00:37:51,684 in this covenant, let us be as all 928 00:37:51,684 --> 00:37:53,434 of these animals, 1 of us is dead. 929 00:37:55,914 --> 00:37:57,901 And what happens in this covenant is as 930 00:37:57,901 --> 00:38:01,001 the animals are cut, all their blood essentially 931 00:38:01,001 --> 00:38:02,591 is poured into the center. 932 00:38:03,083 --> 00:38:05,230 And there is essentially a path of blood, 933 00:38:05,469 --> 00:38:07,854 and that's what's happening. That's what they're saying 934 00:38:07,854 --> 00:38:09,364 is not only am I being cut, but 935 00:38:09,364 --> 00:38:10,796 as I walk through it in the blood 936 00:38:10,796 --> 00:38:11,750 splashes upon me. 937 00:38:12,878 --> 00:38:14,946 May my blood splash upon you if I 938 00:38:14,946 --> 00:38:16,298 fail to keep the covenant. 939 00:38:18,446 --> 00:38:19,162 So all that, 940 00:38:20,531 --> 00:38:22,523 in graphic detail. You're welcome. 941 00:38:23,877 --> 00:38:24,435 To say, 942 00:38:25,550 --> 00:38:27,463 as we read this text, it gets really 943 00:38:27,463 --> 00:38:29,476 interesting. So we brought them, he split them 944 00:38:29,947 --> 00:38:32,095 And then verse 11, and then the birds 945 00:38:32,095 --> 00:38:34,402 of prey came down upon the car and 946 00:38:34,402 --> 00:38:35,515 ab bra drove them away. 947 00:38:36,804 --> 00:38:38,342 Do you know how long 948 00:38:39,518 --> 00:38:41,854 like a car kinda has to sit there 949 00:38:42,552 --> 00:38:45,106 before all the birds of prey start swoop 950 00:38:45,106 --> 00:38:47,440 down, trying to peck peck at it and 951 00:38:47,440 --> 00:38:48,960 eat it. Like, it's not immediate. 952 00:38:49,760 --> 00:38:51,059 Like time has 953 00:38:51,519 --> 00:38:52,740 passed, like, they're 954 00:38:53,280 --> 00:38:53,760 decaying. 955 00:38:54,160 --> 00:38:55,599 It's probably hot, 956 00:38:56,332 --> 00:38:56,570 like, 957 00:38:57,763 --> 00:38:59,672 it's gross. It's sticky, 958 00:39:00,706 --> 00:39:03,091 and all these birds of prey are starting 959 00:39:03,091 --> 00:39:04,148 to come down 960 00:39:04,761 --> 00:39:05,261 and 961 00:39:06,609 --> 00:39:08,607 Ab lebron is just trying to drive them 962 00:39:08,607 --> 00:39:10,765 away. Trying to get all these birds of 963 00:39:10,765 --> 00:39:13,402 prey away and maybe we can read something 964 00:39:13,402 --> 00:39:16,453 really spiritual into that. Like, Man, isn't the 965 00:39:16,453 --> 00:39:18,530 enemy just gonna come against you when, like, 966 00:39:19,010 --> 00:39:21,086 god is in the middle of making his 967 00:39:21,086 --> 00:39:22,858 promises to you and he's just gonna... Try 968 00:39:22,858 --> 00:39:23,177 to just, 969 00:39:24,211 --> 00:39:25,961 drive it home and steal your joy. I 970 00:39:25,961 --> 00:39:27,553 mean, he's such a thief that came to 971 00:39:27,553 --> 00:39:29,622 steel killing and destroy and that is true. 972 00:39:30,433 --> 00:39:33,145 Like that is a hundred percent true, but 973 00:39:33,145 --> 00:39:35,618 what I find interesting is here's the thing. 974 00:39:36,016 --> 00:39:38,329 Remember, this is a covenant between a weaker 975 00:39:38,329 --> 00:39:41,053 party and a stronger party, and Ab problem 976 00:39:41,053 --> 00:39:43,198 was so excited that this covenant was about 977 00:39:43,198 --> 00:39:45,344 to be made between him and Y, he 978 00:39:45,344 --> 00:39:47,012 went and got all the pieces he need 979 00:39:47,012 --> 00:39:48,854 and he. Caught them in half and laid 980 00:39:48,854 --> 00:39:50,442 them in the blood pouring out. And he's 981 00:39:50,442 --> 00:39:52,110 like, yeah. And then he looked at and 982 00:39:52,110 --> 00:39:52,507 he's like, 983 00:39:53,380 --> 00:39:54,254 oh, no. 984 00:39:55,859 --> 00:39:56,978 I have to walk first. 985 00:39:59,375 --> 00:40:01,213 And I know what it means if I 986 00:40:01,213 --> 00:40:02,811 have to keep my end of the covenant. 987 00:40:02,971 --> 00:40:03,690 And so he's like, 988 00:40:04,659 --> 00:40:07,671 I'm not walking. And so time is passing 989 00:40:07,671 --> 00:40:10,287 and the bird start coming and Y hasn't 990 00:40:10,287 --> 00:40:11,659 showed up yet because 991 00:40:11,969 --> 00:40:13,883 Bra hasn't fulfilled his part of the covenant 992 00:40:13,883 --> 00:40:15,659 of walking through 993 00:40:16,116 --> 00:40:17,653 all the blood and 994 00:40:18,429 --> 00:40:20,583 saying, yes, I'm the weaker party and you're 995 00:40:20,583 --> 00:40:21,460 the stronger party. 996 00:40:22,273 --> 00:40:23,550 And Bra is realizing, 997 00:40:24,668 --> 00:40:26,344 I can't keep covenant with Y. 998 00:40:27,142 --> 00:40:29,616 There's no way I could keep all the 999 00:40:29,616 --> 00:40:31,784 things that are that I am supposed to 1000 00:40:31,784 --> 00:40:34,196 keep if I walk through 1001 00:40:35,768 --> 00:40:36,644 this blood path. 1002 00:40:39,682 --> 00:40:40,715 And so he waits. 1003 00:40:42,303 --> 00:40:43,098 And he waits, 1004 00:40:44,130 --> 00:40:45,107 and he waits 1005 00:40:45,798 --> 00:40:46,752 and god is silent. 1006 00:40:50,117 --> 00:40:52,675 Already talked about it. God is silent, not 1007 00:40:52,675 --> 00:40:53,474 showing up yet. 1008 00:40:54,193 --> 00:40:55,172 Just kinda seeing 1009 00:40:56,271 --> 00:40:56,990 what's he gonna do? 1010 00:40:57,723 --> 00:41:00,185 I don't know. Maybe maybe eventually he decides 1011 00:41:00,185 --> 00:41:01,218 to walk through. I don't know. 1012 00:41:02,409 --> 00:41:03,125 Any waits. 1013 00:41:03,919 --> 00:41:05,610 And this might be the best 1014 00:41:06,158 --> 00:41:06,658 moment 1015 00:41:07,112 --> 00:41:07,987 of a bra life. 1016 00:41:09,578 --> 00:41:12,997 As he finally allows himself to wait before 1017 00:41:12,997 --> 00:41:13,895 being hasty 1018 00:41:14,524 --> 00:41:16,358 and just saying, well, I'm gonna do it 1019 00:41:16,358 --> 00:41:16,598 myself. 1020 00:41:18,592 --> 00:41:20,107 I'm gonna go ahead and I'm just gonna 1021 00:41:20,107 --> 00:41:23,377 walk through and make it happen for myself. 1022 00:41:24,910 --> 00:41:26,590 Little bit later in scripture, we know somebody 1023 00:41:26,590 --> 00:41:26,989 that did it. 1024 00:41:27,949 --> 00:41:30,989 Saul, what happened to him, King saul, not 1025 00:41:31,150 --> 00:41:31,630 Paul saul. 1026 00:41:33,724 --> 00:41:35,880 That was his fall from Grace, and he 1027 00:41:35,880 --> 00:41:38,298 had to be cha eyes before David was 1028 00:41:38,437 --> 00:41:38,996 put over him. 1029 00:41:40,449 --> 00:41:42,549 Said the spirit of the Lord left him 1030 00:41:42,929 --> 00:41:44,069 because he was dis. 1031 00:41:47,822 --> 00:41:49,732 And so here in this passage, 1032 00:41:50,369 --> 00:41:52,278 Abraham is waiting and all of a sudden, 1033 00:41:53,870 --> 00:41:54,746 as he's been waiting, 1034 00:41:55,159 --> 00:41:57,224 Verse 12, and it happened when the sun 1035 00:41:57,224 --> 00:41:59,686 was going down a deep sleep fell upon 1036 00:41:59,686 --> 00:42:01,910 ab bra and the whole terror and great 1037 00:42:01,910 --> 00:42:04,386 darkness fell upon him, and then God said 1038 00:42:04,465 --> 00:42:06,290 Ab bra no for certain. 1039 00:42:06,687 --> 00:42:08,909 I love that because what was Ab bra 1040 00:42:08,909 --> 00:42:11,388 question, How am I gonna know? And God's 1041 00:42:11,388 --> 00:42:13,782 like, oh, you're gonna know. And you're now 1042 00:42:13,782 --> 00:42:14,820 gonna know for certain, 1043 00:42:15,618 --> 00:42:17,374 we're putting an end to these questions. No 1044 00:42:17,374 --> 00:42:18,752 more questions. Sometimes, 1045 00:42:19,783 --> 00:42:21,612 You do have to stop asking the question. 1046 00:42:22,885 --> 00:42:24,556 Like, I have learned that there are some 1047 00:42:24,556 --> 00:42:25,431 things. It's just like, 1048 00:42:26,719 --> 00:42:28,900 I have to stop asking God the question 1049 00:42:28,960 --> 00:42:30,500 because it's not helping me 1050 00:42:31,119 --> 00:42:31,840 grow in faith. 1051 00:42:33,360 --> 00:42:35,771 If you just stop asking the... Question, see 1052 00:42:35,771 --> 00:42:37,764 what God can do. But if you're always 1053 00:42:37,764 --> 00:42:40,155 allowing that question to reside on your heart, 1054 00:42:40,394 --> 00:42:41,908 you're never growing from it. 1055 00:42:44,951 --> 00:42:46,942 It reminds me of when Paul said, when 1056 00:42:46,942 --> 00:42:49,491 are you gonna let this thorn pass from 1057 00:42:49,491 --> 00:42:51,482 me 3 times I have asked? 1058 00:42:52,454 --> 00:42:55,806 And God said, my grace is sufficient, 1059 00:42:56,764 --> 00:42:57,503 stop asking. 1060 00:42:59,637 --> 00:43:00,036 Grow. 1061 00:43:03,952 --> 00:43:05,566 So what happens is 1062 00:43:05,941 --> 00:43:07,532 you will know for certain now. 1063 00:43:08,104 --> 00:43:09,616 That your seat will be so earners in 1064 00:43:09,616 --> 00:43:11,287 the land that is not yours, and they 1065 00:43:11,287 --> 00:43:13,674 will be enslaved then and mistreated for 400 1066 00:43:13,674 --> 00:43:13,833 years. 1067 00:43:14,629 --> 00:43:15,186 Egypt. Right? 1068 00:43:15,838 --> 00:43:18,072 Okay? And I will also be the judge 1069 00:43:18,072 --> 00:43:19,746 of that nation to whom they are enslaved. 1070 00:43:19,906 --> 00:43:22,400 And afterward, they will come out with many 1071 00:43:22,538 --> 00:43:25,011 possessions, they're gonna be enslaved, but I'm gonna 1072 00:43:25,011 --> 00:43:25,170 provide. 1073 00:43:26,382 --> 00:43:29,014 Trust, and I'm the judge not them. I'm 1074 00:43:29,014 --> 00:43:30,689 gonna do the work, not them. 1075 00:43:31,407 --> 00:43:34,597 Ab bra, listen to the story, trust who 1076 00:43:34,757 --> 00:43:37,234 I am. I am Y, You're gone. 1077 00:43:37,948 --> 00:43:39,614 And as for you're gonna go out to 1078 00:43:39,614 --> 00:43:41,121 your father's and peace and you will be 1079 00:43:41,121 --> 00:43:43,039 buried at a good old age. And in 1080 00:43:43,039 --> 00:43:46,289 the fourth generation, they will return here for 1081 00:43:46,289 --> 00:43:48,429 the ini of the am is not yet 1082 00:43:48,429 --> 00:43:48,588 complete. 1083 00:43:49,301 --> 00:43:51,788 And then it... Happened that the sun headset 1084 00:43:51,788 --> 00:43:52,927 and it was very 1085 00:43:53,386 --> 00:43:56,284 dark and behold there appeared a smoking oven 1086 00:43:56,423 --> 00:43:59,675 and a flaming torch which passed between these 1087 00:43:59,874 --> 00:44:02,184 pieces. Remember, a covenant is between 2 parties, 1088 00:44:03,618 --> 00:44:04,494 And what do we have? 1089 00:44:05,212 --> 00:44:07,464 2 parties, a smoking oven 1090 00:44:07,920 --> 00:44:09,217 and a fiery torch 1091 00:44:10,327 --> 00:44:11,603 Doesn't that sound familiar. 1092 00:44:12,322 --> 00:44:15,274 Who led the people in Egypt as a 1093 00:44:15,274 --> 00:44:16,764 pillar of smoke and a pillar of fire 1094 00:44:17,204 --> 00:44:18,343 a smoking oven 1095 00:44:18,802 --> 00:44:20,740 and a fiery torch passes 1096 00:44:21,279 --> 00:44:23,857 through the cut pieces takes the blood path 1097 00:44:23,916 --> 00:44:24,715 of the covenant. 1098 00:44:25,927 --> 00:44:28,708 Saying once again, I'm guaranteeing it on me. 1099 00:44:29,185 --> 00:44:31,013 Bra you have no responsibility here. 1100 00:44:32,364 --> 00:44:32,921 I've got you. 1101 00:44:34,052 --> 00:44:36,923 I'm the provider. You have to trust in 1102 00:44:36,923 --> 00:44:39,475 my provision. You have to trust that I'm 1103 00:44:39,475 --> 00:44:42,028 at work that I will do what I 1104 00:44:42,028 --> 00:44:44,588 said I will do and it's gonna take 1105 00:44:44,588 --> 00:44:44,906 time, 1106 00:44:45,859 --> 00:44:47,844 and you're gonna have to trust the process. 1107 00:44:48,162 --> 00:44:50,465 I'm gonna be silent at moments, and you're 1108 00:44:50,465 --> 00:44:52,132 gonna have to trust the process, 1109 00:44:52,704 --> 00:44:54,615 I'm not gonna tell you how I'm doing 1110 00:44:54,615 --> 00:44:57,005 all things, but you have to trust that 1111 00:44:57,005 --> 00:44:58,359 we're gonna get there and we're gonna get 1112 00:44:58,359 --> 00:45:00,590 there together, and I'm gonna hold you up 1113 00:45:00,590 --> 00:45:01,546 along the entire. 1114 00:45:02,197 --> 00:45:02,436 Way, 1115 00:45:03,309 --> 00:45:05,929 you let Egypt come out with you. 1116 00:45:07,994 --> 00:45:08,947 You've gotta let it go. 1117 00:45:11,353 --> 00:45:12,711 You've gotta let Egypt go. 1118 00:45:13,910 --> 00:45:15,588 You've gotta let the pass go. You've gotta 1119 00:45:15,588 --> 00:45:17,026 let the things that you're holding on to 1120 00:45:17,026 --> 00:45:18,954 go. You gotta let all the things that 1121 00:45:18,954 --> 00:45:21,659 are keeping you from God go. All the 1122 00:45:21,659 --> 00:45:24,045 idol that you take with you, all the 1123 00:45:24,045 --> 00:45:25,967 sin that you carry, your heart, all the 1124 00:45:25,967 --> 00:45:28,192 things that you wanna return to because it's 1125 00:45:28,192 --> 00:45:30,360 comfortable and good and easy. 1126 00:45:31,131 --> 00:45:32,799 You gotta let it go for god to 1127 00:45:32,799 --> 00:45:33,990 do the work that he wants to do. 1128 00:45:34,150 --> 00:45:35,700 You gotta let Egypt 1129 00:45:36,400 --> 00:45:36,640 out. 1130 00:45:38,320 --> 00:45:41,300 Let Y in in trust that he's gonna 1131 00:45:41,360 --> 00:45:43,519 provide when you don't see the path of 1132 00:45:43,519 --> 00:45:43,760 provision. 1133 00:45:46,247 --> 00:45:48,557 As much as this is a covenant of 1134 00:45:48,557 --> 00:45:49,035 promise, 1135 00:45:49,592 --> 00:45:50,729 it is a covenant 1136 00:45:51,106 --> 00:45:51,606 of 1137 00:45:52,221 --> 00:45:52,539 provision. 1138 00:45:53,829 --> 00:45:54,387 For Ab brown, 1139 00:45:55,822 --> 00:45:57,119 and for his people 1140 00:45:57,576 --> 00:45:58,554 and for us 1141 00:46:00,128 --> 00:46:01,585 God hasn't stopped 1142 00:46:02,201 --> 00:46:02,574 providing 1143 00:46:03,411 --> 00:46:05,264 And what I love about this 1144 00:46:06,914 --> 00:46:08,188 is I want us to notice. 1145 00:46:09,621 --> 00:46:10,599 This is a 1146 00:46:11,467 --> 00:46:13,555 covenant cut in darkness. 1147 00:46:17,106 --> 00:46:19,410 What happened when Jesus gave up his last 1148 00:46:19,410 --> 00:46:19,728 breath? 1149 00:46:22,934 --> 00:46:23,414 Darkness, 1150 00:46:24,215 --> 00:46:25,335 and the whole of shook, 1151 00:46:27,094 --> 00:46:28,295 and the veil was torn, 1152 00:46:30,306 --> 00:46:30,806 another 1153 00:46:31,421 --> 00:46:32,797 covenant of ultimate 1154 00:46:33,254 --> 00:46:35,565 provision was provided in darkness that we might 1155 00:46:35,565 --> 00:46:35,963 have light. 1156 00:46:37,888 --> 00:46:40,056 Jesus is the only way 1157 00:46:40,509 --> 00:46:42,597 in which we get to this place 1158 00:46:43,367 --> 00:46:45,138 of knowing and guaranteeing 1159 00:46:45,670 --> 00:46:46,955 all at the father their has. 1160 00:46:48,701 --> 00:46:49,971 But we got it turn to him. 1161 00:46:51,558 --> 00:46:53,463 We gotta turn to him and trust him 1162 00:46:53,463 --> 00:46:54,256 and believe in him. 1163 00:46:55,541 --> 00:46:56,175 Let's pray. 1164 00:46:57,047 --> 00:46:59,426 Good and gracious God as we hear about 1165 00:46:59,426 --> 00:47:00,719 the covenant that 1166 00:47:01,250 --> 00:47:01,750 Ab 1167 00:47:03,486 --> 00:47:03,724 cut, 1168 00:47:04,360 --> 00:47:05,551 but you walked through. 1169 00:47:06,584 --> 00:47:09,387 God, let us remember that you are 1170 00:47:09,840 --> 00:47:10,340 provider 1171 00:47:12,562 --> 00:47:15,276 God that you will let us sit in 1172 00:47:15,276 --> 00:47:15,776 silence 1173 00:47:16,713 --> 00:47:19,347 for our good lest we get ahead of 1174 00:47:19,347 --> 00:47:20,958 ourselves and try to take it back into 1175 00:47:20,958 --> 00:47:21,676 our own hands. 1176 00:47:23,351 --> 00:47:26,383 Because sometimes we get a piece of the 1177 00:47:26,383 --> 00:47:26,883 vision 1178 00:47:27,914 --> 00:47:31,130 and we run hard after it, but forget 1179 00:47:31,429 --> 00:47:32,787 who provided the vision, 1180 00:47:34,799 --> 00:47:37,293 and who is the provision to the vision 1181 00:47:38,548 --> 00:47:39,026 is you. 1182 00:47:40,462 --> 00:47:41,121 Let us 1183 00:47:41,499 --> 00:47:44,073 follow you and trust you wherever 1184 00:47:45,184 --> 00:47:45,663 you go. 1185 00:47:46,941 --> 00:47:48,299 It's in christ's name we pray. 1186 00:47:49,737 --> 00:47:49,897 Amen.