(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

We're up to Genesis 25 now, and we split Genesis 24 into two parts, if you remember, and we looked at the second half, obviously, last week, which continued the story of Abraham's servant finding a wife for Isaac, which continued the picture of, for me, the first church being formed, we looked at how the angel or messenger being sent first, picturing John the Baptist, the servant, the Holy Spirit, Rebecca being the church, the bride of Christ, represented by Isaac being Christ, the picture of soul winning actually was, in fact, for me, Rebecca going to her brother. We saw in verse 30, it says, And it came to pass, when he saw the earing and bracelets upon his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebecca his sister, saying, Thus spake the man unto me, referring to the servant, representing the Holy Spirit, that he came unto the man, and behold, he stood by the cameras of the world. After this, we saw the sense of urgency from the servant, like we should when we have a job to do for God, we looked at that. Rebecca chose to go straight away to a free world being constantly emphasised in the chapter. She brought 10 damsels on 10 camels, along with her representing, I think it was the 11 there, with perhaps a nurse, maybe she represented Judas, right, or Nersi, I don't know. But there was a prophecy about her seed lightly possessing the gate of those that hate the thousand million she used to be the mother of. We looked at that, a reminder there that God's enemies hate us. And finally she met Isaac and put on a veil with it, then being removed as they married a picture of the veil of the temple being removed, or at least torn rent in two, with the start of the New Testament. Verse 64 said, Rebecca lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she lighted off the camel, for she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master, therefore she took a veil and covered herself. And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done, and Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebecca, and she became his wife, and he loved her, and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death. And then we go on to Genesis 25, verse 1 says, Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. Let's pray before we continue, Father, thank you for your word, thank you for this great chapter of the Bible, the many talking points, applications we can get out of this, help me to just preach those as you want, Lord, full of your spirit, in a bold way, that everyone here would just really listen, and pay attention to what you were saying to them, and find a way of applying it to their lives, Lord, and to just always be listening, and wanting to find bits and pieces from your word that can improve them, and for all of us, to improve all of us here, Lord. In Jesus' name, for all of us. Amen. All right, Genesis 25, verse 1 says, Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. So it seems that once he had married off his son, he was ready to move on again. Now, bearing in mind that Sarah was 127 years old when she died, Abraham was over 137 at this point. Anyone ever thought about that when you read this? He was 137, and Keturah, it seems, is of a childbearing age. So, anyway, you can do the math on that, but considering that he lived for about 38 years after the death of Sarah, and was seemingly a pretty able-bodied guy, you can see why he married, right? Okay, he's got a long, obviously there's a long period of life ahead of him. He remarries at the end. But what's interesting is that here in verse 1, she's called a wife. However, verse 6 refers to her and Hagar as concubines. It says in verse 6, But unto the sons of the concubines which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived eastward unto the east country. Make a difference between them and Isaac. The genealogy, in case you think, oh, is it really referring to them? Well, the genealogy in 1 Chronicles 1, 32, you don't have to turn there, it does the same. It says, Now the sons of Keturah, Abraham's concubine. Okay, clearly referred to by the narrator as Abraham's concubine, and also by the narrator as Abraham's wife. He took a wife and her name was Keturah. Notice that? Because, look, there are different opinions, okay? The reason I say it is just because I've actually heard differing opinions from different parts as to whether or not a concubine was a wife. I've heard both. But here she's definitely referred to as both, isn't she? She's definitely referred to as a wife and as a concubine, and Webster's 1828 does give two definitions. Number one is a woman who cohabits with a man without the authority of a legal marriage, a woman kept for lewd purposes a kept mistress. And then number two, a wife of inferior condition, a lawful wife but not united to the man by the usual ceremonies and of inferior condition, such were Hagar and Keturah, the concubines of Abraham and such concubines were allowed by the Roman lords. Now just bear in mind, when you read things like the 1828 Webster's, it's not right on everything, okay? Just to bear that in mind, you know, ultimately we go to the Word of God, but here we're in the Word of God and we're just seeing both definitions here, aren't we? And we're seeing a concubine described as a wife and a concubine, okay? And for me that's because they are, at least in this case here, whether or not that's the case in all cases, it's basically a lesser wife, isn't it? That's what we're seeing. So they weren't on the same standing as Sarah, which is clear here as we read on anyway, because it then says in verse two, So definitely not of the same standing as Isaac, yet still considered legitimate sons, aren't they? Keturah bare Abraham's six sons, with one of those definitely being of note, okay? Midian is the one that you probably noticed the word stands out there, the name there, Midian, who also had five sons mentioned here in verse four. Now Midian becomes a nation, at one point quite a mighty nation, with the Midianites featuring several times before their eventual destruction. Midianite merchantmen, if you remember, are responsible for selling Joseph to Potiphar. The land of Midian was where Joseph fled to after killing the Egyptian, with his father-in-law being a priest of Midian, if you remember that as well. It was the Midianites that joined with the Moabites, trying to get Balaam, cursing Israel soon after the exodus as well, being then involved with the enticement through fornication after that, and they got destroyed and later famously by Gideon in judges, that was against the Midianites. So these guys featured quite a lot, where did they come from? Well actually they came from Abraham and his then concubine in the later years of his life, Keturah here. Now one of the sons, Ephar, had a known city named after him, mentioned you'd have to turn to Isaiah 60 with its surrounding territory. This formed part of Midian on the east shore of the Dead Sea. So not just random names, and at this point approximately 500 years we are now after the flood. Empire building was still happening, wasn't it? However, he sent them away from Isaac representing his only son. But I just find it interesting that you're seeing all these names coming up, and these MK went in to become nations and things like that. We're seeing still the founding of some of these nations and cities and things like this. Verse 7 said, and these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, and 103 score and 15 years. That's 175. Then Abraham gave up the ghost and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years, and was gathered to his people. What does it mean that he was gathered to his people? You ever looked at that and thought, what does it mean that? It's a phrase that we see used a couple of times in Genesis with Isaac and Jacob when they die as well. And considering that Abraham was buried likely pretty quickly in the cave where Sarah was, because we see that's where it is. It says in verse 9, Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah in the field of Ephron, the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre, the field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth. There was Abraham buried and Sarah his wife. This has nothing to do with going hundreds of miles to Ur, in case you're wondering. You think, oh he must have kind of, they did some big burial, or he went back, they had like a big wake at his old, you know, where he used to live. Nor is it to do with his burial place, Sarah being one person and not people. We saw that he was gathered to his people. And do you know what it is for me? It's just about where his soul was going. It's where his soul was going, to his people. Where is people in heaven? He's a Christian, he's a believer. He was gathered to his people, his people are up there. And I say that because, look, just in case you're wondering, we see the same term used, and I had a little, you know, look to see where else we've seen it. Isaac, Jacob, Aaron and Moses, all believers. And then there's one person later in the chapter we're going to look at, which for me tells me that he was saved as well. Because it is a save that are our people, aren't they? Okay, and if you're sitting there wondering, going, oh I don't know about that, well then you need to get right. Okay, because the saved are your people. Okay, they are your people. Everyone here, you know, saved people are your people, aren't they? Like, it's not about everyone else. It's not, you can shove your racial division, okay, like those idiots that seem to think they have some special allegiance because someone's skin looks similar to them. It's ridiculous, you know, that stuff is a load of junk, it's been pushed on people for generations, and it's just division causing, isn't it? It's a load of old nonsense, but people get pulled into that. And you know what, there are Christians out there that get pulled into that rubbish as well. And now it's kind of like the kind of opposite to how it used to be, because there are people in not probably that many decades ago that were probably, especially in Christianity and the West, were pulled into the whole they were somehow special and everything else because they were white, and now we're kind of seeing the opposite, aren't we, happening a lot as well. And just idiots get pulled into this stuff, and it's so carnal, isn't it? It's such a load of nonsense, because a lot of the time they have nothing else in common, nothing else in common at all. You're a Christian, someone else isn't. Or you're just, you know, you're from completely different nations but your skin colour's similar. And listen, there's a lot of cultural differences amongst, for example, white in inverted commas nations in the West, aren't there? A lot of differences. And I've got a lot less in common than some white guy somewhere in southern Europe somewhere, than I probably do, you know, with many people from right on the other side of the world. It's just a load of nonsense. And it's all just, it's all nonsense, and it's all just really carnal. And I do understand that people of a particular nation feeling like they have something in common, okay, and often they will. They have some cultural similarities, maybe have similar, maybe, I don't know, some similar experiences of life, and maybe similar sense of humour, sometimes things like that. But the racial stuff is absolute nonsense, okay. It's complete nonsense. And here's a funny thing, because I was thinking about it as well, your own family member will stab you in the back as quickly as someone from the complete opposite side of the world or anything else. Like, the reality of it is, is that, look, there are dishonest people everywhere, and when it comes to people all over the world, there's something which gives us more in common than anyone else, and that's our faith in Christ, isn't it? Yet there are, there are many Christians out there that would be more drawn towards their family than to their brother and sister in Christ, more drawn towards their old buddy than their brother and sister in Christ, yet you've got the Holy Spirit in you. That's something that no one else has if they're not saved, are they? And it makes a big difference, doesn't it? But I was thinking about it as well, is that, you know, if you've ever, and not, look, I know everyone, as we grow as a church, not everyone kind of is of that background that some of us that originally were here, where we were like going to these churches, trying to find like a proper church in this nation, and you still didn't really have much in common with everyone else in the church, did you? And it was weird, wasn't it? And you'd be walking on eggshells and, you know, you'd kind of, I better not talk about homeschooling because it seems to be offending them, and I better not talk about this, I bet, and, oh, I don't know, do we really want to bring up vaccines because they look like they're like well into like all that stuff, and I'm not saying that's like a sign of salvation, but a lot of the time, a lot of that awkwardness and unease and, because the thing is that not everyone here agrees on all that stuff, but we don't make each other feel awkward about it, do we? Someone says to me, yeah, well, I don't, I've, for example, I vaccinate, or I don't homeschool, I do this and do that, we don't start trying to make him feel like dirt, do we? We're just like, cool, it's still a brother or sister in Christ, still love you, but a lot of them places, the reality of it is, was a lot of them were saved, weren't they? You look back and you're like, yeah, that pastor wasn't actually saved, and sadly neither were really much most of the people in there as well when you look back and, but, and then once you're suddenly around a load of saved people and you're like, yeah, these are my people, my peeps, yeah, with my peeps at last, and that's, but it does feel like that, doesn't it? And it's so, and it's funny as well because so many of us are from such different walks of life, really, we, I mean, we've got like so many different nations in here, different cultures, different backgrounds, different, you know, different educational levels and everything else, but everyone gets on pretty well, don't they? I remember someone saying to me a while back how I think they'd said to each other something like, in anywhere else we would never have ever decided to even talk to each other, and in here you end up being like good friends, you know, and it is great like that, isn't it? But, but yeah, just because they're your family member, you turn to Galatians chapter 6, as Mark 6, 4 says, you'll turn to Galatians 6, but Mark 6 and verse 4 says, but Jesus said unto them, a prophet is not without honour, but in his own country and among his own kin and in his own house, so it doesn't really matter, look, you can go, oh yeah, but my family and blood sick in the water, no, no, I disagree, because look, you're not without, you're without honour amongst your own family, aren't you, sadly? They look great, if you can get your family saved and stuff as well, then even better, right? But a lot of the time that's not the case, is it? A lot of the time you don't feel as comfortable, do you? You don't feel at home, and as I've grown in Christ over, over, you know, the years now, that gap with my family just widens, and it's just harder and harder, and it's, it's, it can be a hard kind of, you know, I hope they never watch this sermon, but they get saved, okay, you don't worry about Genesis, especially 25, it was a terrible one, but, um, but the reality of it is, is, is it can sometimes be a hard few hours, because you, you just got less and less in common, and your interests and your kind of, and what's important just gets less and less, the conversation gets harder and harder, and you're trying to find like common ground and stuff, and it does just get harder, doesn't it? That's the truth, and also, and they, you know, and they don't, and it's not, you need this ultra respect, but they don't have that, you are without honour amongst them, compared with you are around your, around your people, right? Your people who just know, look, like, you know, none of that's, you know, if any, if anyone be a new creature in Christ, old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new, right? And, you know, how the fact that we were probably, everyone in here was probably a bit of an idiot to some degree when they were unsaved, yeah? It doesn't really count, and look, you know, of course, you know, you still want to get on with them, and you still try, but it's a very different thing, isn't it, when you're around your people, and, and that is what's great about church, isn't it? And, and here's the thing, though, it's, it's a good thing, but you can get that, that mentality right as well, because a lot of people don't have that mentality right, and, and a lot of Christians do come to church, and it is kind of, they're almost trying to run away and escape from church, aren't they? And they kind of still feel happier and better off next to, with the old unsaved sibling, the unsaved cousin, the old unsaved old friend, and everything else, and then there's, there's a problem there, really, isn't there? Why is it, why is it that some just, they just don't want to be around the saved, and they just want to kind of get around back to the unsaved people? I think there's, there's a heart issue there, then, isn't there, and a lot of the time there's a sin issue there, and other things like that, and that shouldn't, as you grow, you should be feeling more drawn towards your brethren, and less drawn towards the unsaved world, right? And obviously, look, we don't have to cut them off, okay, unless they're wicked, and you need to be around them to some degree, because you want to get them saved as well, but you shouldn't just be desiring that fellowship the whole time, and then trying to pretend it's because one day you might give them the gospel or something, you know? But the brethren should be up here. Galatians 6 10, where you are, says, as we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men. Look, we should do good unto everyone, shouldn't we? Especially, it's the word especially, unto them who are of the household of faith. So, look, we should do good to everyone. It's not like, oh, we should just treat them like dirt because they're unsaved. No, look, we should show love to everyone, we should do good to everyone. However, and obviously there are caveats. Whenever you read these words, you've got to remember there are caveats in the word of God. People like to take extremes, don't they, all the time. Oh, look, therefore, you should do good to the sodomite. No, because then there are other verses which tell us that we, you know, do not hate them, they hate thee, for example, and other verses that tell us that we shall not know a wicked person, etc. Okay, however, when it comes to just generally people, we should do good to them, but we should especially unto those who are of the household of faith, especially to our brothers and sisters in Christ, we should be willing to do more for them. Because, look, there are many that, let's be honest, if they got a phone call and the unsaved old friend, the unsaved sibling, the unsaved cousin or something else needed a hand with something, needed some help, they'd probably drop everything and run off, and I'm not saying that's not a bad thing, yeah, we should be willing to help people, but would they do the same for as a brother and sister in Christ, or would they be like, well, something else could do that, you know, and again, then, therefore, well, you've got a heart issue because it should be especially unto them that are the household of faith, right, but where do we do that? Where do we do, where, ultimately, where do we give that love to our brothers and sisters in Christ? We're in the house of God, it's in the house of God. Hebrews 10, you can turn there if you want to quickly, and I know that these are verses that you will hear quoted time and time again because they're such clear verses about the need for church and some of the reasons for being in church, but think about these verses for a second. Hebrews 10 and verse 24, because we should do, especially do good unto those of the household of faith, and Hebrews 10 24 says, and let us consider one another, therefore we should be more considerate, shouldn't we, to those of the household of faith. Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works. So how do we do that? How do we consider one another to provoke unto the love that they should be showing to each other as well, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. By not forsaking the assembling as a manner of summies, but exhorting one another, that's basically encouraging each other, and so much the more as you see the day approaching. So if we're going to do good unto all men, but especially unto them at the household of faith, and we do that by considering each other, and we do that by not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together and exhorting one another when we're at church. We need to be in church, don't we? We so need to be in church. It's so important to be in church to do so much of what we're told to do, especially to put our brothers and sisters in Christ up here, because if you're like, oh yeah, yeah, I'd put the brethren up here, but then you're never in church, and well, how are you encouraging them? How are you exhorting them? How are you considering? You're not even, you inconsiderate so-and-so, you're not even in church. You know, why aren't you considering your brothers and sisters that are, and need that encouragement, and need to see those other people there to encourage them in their walk, and here's the thing, how do you know each other's needs if you're not around each other? You can't, can you? You can't know each other's needs, because people do have specific needs as well, don't they? And you'll have a brother or sister in church that maybe, look, maybe you're the person they need to talk to that day, and just say, look, I've had some trouble with this, or I need some help with that, or I just need a bit of someone to say the right thing, or I just need a smile, just need a nice warm handshake from a brother or sister, and how do you know that if you're not even here? And ultimately that's a part of, because yeah, we come to church to serve God, yeah, it's between you and God to some degree when you don't, but part of it is also between you and your brothers and sisters, isn't it? Because we're here to help each other, we're here to encourage each other, and look, you better get used to it, because here's another thing, in case you're just sitting there going, well, yeah, well, I don't really care, forget it, you know, it's more important for me to be around, you know, old, you know, boozing mum or whoever else, and you know, I need to make her feel happy, and I don't care, you know, it doesn't really matter, there's more important things, my family's, what's the most important to me in my life? And look, you know, there are a lot of people like that, aren't there? Well, here's the thing, what's church? The congregation, the called out assembly, and that's who you're spending eternity with, yeah? The called out assembly, you're going to be spending, you're going to be spending eternity not only with each other here, but with the whole called out assembly that will become one church when we're all up there. Well, you kind of want to get used to it now, right? Anyway, let's keep going, because back in Genesis in 25 it says in verse 8, then Abraham gave up the ghost and died in a good old age, an old man, a full of years, and was gathered to his people. Now, I'm looking forward to that day, but in the meantime, there's a job to do, and it says in verse 11, and it came to pass off the death of Abraham that God blessed his son Isaac, and Isaac, this is in verse 11, dwelt by the well Lehiroy. Now, turn back to Genesis 16, and there's going to be a bit of a common theme here for these first few verses, because this was where, you're turning back to Genesis 16, this was where Hagar first fled after becoming pregnant, and for me it was basically a pre-incarnate Christ appeared to her. It says in verse 13 of Genesis 16, and she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, thou God see us. Now, we saw it was an angel, but we talked about this before, how often, you know, we're trying to work out, right, who is it? Who is this messenger here? Is it the Lord Jesus Christ here? Well, she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, thou God seest me, for she said, have I also here looked after him that seeth me? So she saw him as well, and that ain't God the Father, because she ain't going to see him and live, right? Wherefore the well was called Beelahayoroy, because behold it is between Kadesh and Beered, which means the well of him that liveth and seeth me, or another name for this is the well of the living God, okay? It's the well of him that liveth and seeth me, or the well of the living God, obviously God seeing you, and back in Genesis 25 and verse 11, the blessing of Isaac is linked to him dwelling by this well. So look at verse 11 of Genesis 25 again, it came to pass after the death of Abraham that God blessed his son Isaac, and Isaac dwelt by the well Lehayoroy. Now, the semi-colon links the two connected pieces of information here, and there's two options. He's either blessed by God to be dwelling by the well, it said that God blessed his son Isaac, and Isaac dwelt by the well Lehayoroy, or he's blessed by God because he dwelt by the well. And what's the answer? Well for me, both are true, okay? The well represents the living God, yeah? That was the name of the well, that God that sees me, the living God, the well represents the living God. Turn to Psalm 27 and we've just seen that God blessed his son Isaac, and Isaac dwelt by the well Lehayoroy, because it is a blessing to be able to dwell by the living God. And where's the living God today? Well, back to point number one again. 1 Timothy 3 15 says, but if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of what? The living God. The pillar and ground of the truth, it's the house of God. It's not to be taken for granted, for me, that we even have a church. It shouldn't be taken for granted. He's so blessed to dwell by the well Lehayoroy, and it is a blessing to have a church. Look, let alone those of you that do actually dwell by the church of the living God, but even just to have a church in the first place. And I'll say it, you just need to keep reminding me, because we have this in our mind, you automatically, especially if you've grown up in most nations around the world, apart from maybe, I don't know, the Islamic nations, you have a view that, well, there's just churches everywhere, maybe some other nations, right, as well. Maybe like former communist nations or currently communist nations, if there are still some currently, just about. Okay, and look, regardless, we are really blessed to have this, because a lot of people just don't have a church. And what a blessing, because, sorry, I kind of went off track a bit there, but we do just think, well, this church is everywhere. Of course you've got a church. I was just finding an alright one. Yeah, but the more you look, the more you realise it's really hard to find a legitimate church. And there aren't that many churches, really, that are just legitimate churches. And it's no, no, it's not because we're a cult, it's not because we think we're the only one. I'm sure there are some people, I hope, around the nation, there's some church somewhere that's got the Gospel, right, but I'll be honest, I find it, they're few and far between, if at all, and with the Word of God, and then that actually goes and preaches the Word of God. Because the reality of it is, if there was, and there was a church with a heart for the Gospel and preaching the Word of God, you would have thought that someone here might have actually seen some attempt to outreach by them somewhere. Maybe they might have, you know, maybe the Holy Spirit might have guided them to make some sort of Bible way to heaven or something, perhaps. Some sort of YouTube something, considering how massive that was and is still. Maybe something on some other, like, some form of, like, social media somewhere. And I'm not saying it's all about social media, maybe someone might have ever had their door knocked by someone who's got the Gospel right, or someone they know might have had their door knocked not in Southend. Doesn't seem to be going on, does it? Now, again, maybe it is, and look, and yeah, there are other churches around, it's not just NIFB churches, okay, you can go too far that way there, people that just think no one can be saved unless it was the NIFB. No, there are independent fundamental Baptist churches around that still have the Gospel, still preach the Gospel, but they are few and far between, aren't they? And what a blessing it is to have one. Blessing to have one in our nation, even. Oh, well, we should have one in every city. Says who? Says who? Yeah, he told Titus or Dane elders in every city, that was in Crete, okay, and that was at the time when they got him, they preached the Gospel, got a load of people saved there, and he wanted to get people, get pass in each other, that wasn't in every city of the world. There's never been, that's never been the case, it never will be. And in this nation, every city will never have a legitimate church, that's the reality of it. But what a blessing to have this. And like I said, let alone those of you that do actually dwell by the living God, okay? You actually live nearby, like what a blessing that is as well. Because it is a blessing, the ability to be here at every service is a blessing, isn't it? I mean, when you get people saved here, and you get them saved, you just see, you really don't know how blessed you are to have a church that you can actually call a church and go to on your doorstep. And sadly, how many even will ever go to church, right? Such a shame, isn't it? But to be here, to have that extra time saved by not traveling for hours is a blessing, isn't it? Because for some people on a Wednesday night, some of those guys on the other side of the Dartford Tunnel who aren't here tonight, because especially when the rain's coming down as well, that travel time, they're looking at like a two and a half, three hour journey to get here at this time. And it might seem it's not very far, but it is, isn't it? But to be able to be here, to be able to be here, three to thrive, to be able to be in the Word of God, to be able to be in church, and that is the goal, isn't it? You're in Psalm 27, verse 4 says, One thing have I desired of the Lord, and that will I seek after. One thing, he's saying here, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. But it's not just Isaac, it's not just that Isaac, sorry, is blessed to be dwelling by the well of the living God, okay? Isaac is blessed because he dwells by the well as well. You're still saying Psalm 27, in case you're starting to wonder, do I need to flick back out again? No, sorry, I should have said, stay in Psalm 27, because it says in verse 1, I love this Psalm, and this Psalm is all about being in the house of God. And so many, and I remember, I remember like using this Psalm for times when, you know, I knew I'd be afraid in life when I was kind of early saved as well, and this Psalm was like, yeah, this is a great one to give you courage and everything else, but really what this Psalm is about is being in the house of God. And it says in verse 1, it's the Psalm of David, the Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though when hosts should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. And of course for those without a church, okay, just before we carry on, they need to dwell as close to God as possible regardless, okay? And because there are those that just don't have that option, and they should be trying to seek, really, they should be either trying to find a way to get to church or trying to find a way of being able to have a church where they are, right? But it is, aside from that, aside from people without a church, church is key. And it says, verse 4, like we just read, one thing of our desire to the Lord and that will I seek after? That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and quiet in this temple. Four, four, in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion. In the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me. He shall set me upon a rock and now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me. Therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifice of joy. I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord. And like, what a blessing to be able to do that, right? And why is he being hidden? And how is he being protected? And how does the courage and everything come forth? It's from being in the house of God, from being in church. Some might say, the name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous runneth into it and is safe. Because you are, aren't you? And that's what that psalm's all about. And we see this, unless there's so much in the word of God, it's being close to God. And where are you closer, you're no closer to God than being in the house of God, being free to thrive, being in church, being in, just doing the things of God. And that comes from being in church. And look, we make a choice in life, okay? And I don't want to trivialise what a big decision it is to move to a church. But it is, for me, it is a no-brainer. I don't want to trivialise it, because a lot of people have a lot of issues, a lot of other things, and family issues, and baggage and other things. And look, maybe they're kind of in the process of thinking, no, I think this, we can make this place kind of, you know, good landscape for a church. You know, there's some other people, or we're soul-willing, things are working out here. You know, I'm able to get to church still. But the reality of it is, it's what it's all about. It is what it's all about. And Isaac was blessed by the Lord because he dwelt by the well. He dwelt by the well of the living God. And here, that's the house of God. That's church, isn't it? Great, let's go back to Genesis 25 with that in mind. It says in verse 11, it came to pass after the death of Abraham that God blessed his son Isaac, and Isaac dwelt by the well, the high-roy. And like I said, they go hand in hand together. It's such a key part, isn't it, of the Christian life. Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's hand, may bear unto Abraham. And these are the names, sorry, of the sons of Ishmael, by their names according to their generations, the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebuchad, and Kedar, and Adbil, and Mipsim, and Mishma, and Douma, and Massa, Hadar, and Timah, Jeter, Nafish, and Kedemah. Now these were all founders of different tribes of Arabia. You might recognise maybe Nebuchad, Kedar, and Timah being specifically referred to later in the Bible, especially Kedar, the tents of Kedar, and we see Kedar mentioned quite a few times. Now different historians have theorised as to where each of the tribes settled. And look, again, these are like, these are real beginnings of real tribes, and there's a, you know, obviously a lot of evidence of all this stuff. Anyway, not that you need to know that, but it's interesting. Anyway, verse 16 says, these are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names by their towns and by their castles, 12 princes according to their nature. We talked before how they represent basically the children of the flesh. Castles, by the way, being like cities, okay, if you're thinking, castles, what are they, something like, go to England and get on a horse? No, because they're basically just fortified cities, aren't they? That's what castles were. Verse 17 says, and these are the years of the life of Ishmael, and hundred and thirty and seven years, and he gave up the ghost and died and was gathered unto his people, which for me shows that Ishmael was saved. Like I said earlier, verse 9 showed we saw that Isaac and Ishmael buried him together, so he wasn't out of the picture completely, was he? So it wasn't like Ishmael just kind of got jogged on, and then that was the end of him, and we never see him again from a young boy or from a teenager. Well, he was there to bury Abraham with Isaac. Genesis 18 19, just turn there quickly, Genesis chapter 18 19 said this, God's talking about Abraham, he says, for I know him that he will command his children and his household after him, this is Genesis 18 19, for I know him that he will command his children, plural, and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he has spoken of him. And like I said, he's the only one that isn't, that we don't know 100 percent, is a saved man of God that's also described as being gathered unto his people. I think that's just showing us that, yeah, he was another saved guy, and I see no reason why he wouldn't be, you know, Abraham, he knew that he was commanded his children and his household after him, he was one of his children, yeah, I know they got cast out, but he's obviously still in the picture to some degree to be coming and burying him as well. And yeah, he was the son of the bomb maid, he pictured the children of the flesh, the unbelieving Jews, but he himself was saved, and often, you know, we've got to not confuse the picture with the like the reality of the person as well in the word of God, you know, there are like saved men of God that picture all sorts of things, and then they're unsaved that picture things that, you know, the pictures are different to the reality here. For me, it says he was gathered unto his people, he's the only other person other than clearly saved that we know 100, well, we know for sure are saved, and I believe therefore he is as well. It says in verse 18, and they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as Argoas toward Assyria, and he died in the presence of all his brethren. Well, this is separate now to, you know, he's just, we've just seen that he died and was gathered unto his people, and then it actually mentions the point that he died in the presence of all his brethren, and that region is between southern Canaan and Egypt. Now, you could argue, is this referring to Isaac and the sons of Keturah? It did say his brethren, didn't it? Or perhaps a hint to further sons of Hagar, as there were a people known as the Hagarites or the Hagarenes, as opposed to the Ishmaelites. You don't have to turn to 1 Chronicles 5, 10 says, in the days of Saul they made war with the Hagarites, who fell by the hand and they dwelt in their tents throughout all the east land of Gilead. Now, who would they be if we see separately Ishmaelah? I don't see any reason why maybe Hagar remarried, had other children, I don't know, maybe not. However, there are obviously some Hagarites and Hagarenes further on, where they come from, I'm not sure. Then we see in verse 19 it says, and these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son, Abraham begat Isaac, and Isaac was 40 years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian, and Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife because she was barren, and the Lord was entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. So the Lord responded to his entreating, or another word we might use is praying, was it straight away? Well, look at verse 22, and the children struggled together within her, and she said, if it be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire the Lord. The Lord said unto her, two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people should be separated from thy bowels, and the one people should be stronger than the other people, and the elders shall serve the younger. And when her days be delivered were fulfilled, behold there were twins in her womb, and the first came out all red all over, sorry, came out red all over like an hairy garment, they called his name Esau, which means hairy by the way, and after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel, and his name was called Jacob, and Isaac was three score years old when she bare them. We just saw that he married at 40. 20 years, 20 years they went without a child, and the Lord was entreated of him. The point is sometimes you just have to wait for God to answer your prayers, don't you? I mean imagine that, 20 years later without being barren, and it took until he was six years old for then God to then respond to the entreating by Jacob here. But also, another thing we see here, aside from that, aside from the fact that look, you do have to wait, sometimes you need to be patient, right, sometimes it's a good reminder that we can be a bit impatient, we want answers to prayers straight away, don't we, and sometimes take a long time, sometimes look, none of us here have been praying for 20 years for anything yet, I don't think, you know, okay. There's a lesson there, right. But also we see that they were to become two nations, okay. The Lord prophesying that in verse 23, where it says, so we saw that the children struggled together within her, and she said if it be so, while my last issue went to require the Lord, and verse 23 says, and the Lord said unto her, two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bows, and the one people shall be stronger than the other people, and the elder shall serve the younger, with the younger being served by the other. Did that happen in their lifetimes? It didn't, did it? Sure, it sure didn't. Later on, when Jacob returns from labour, and he's in fear of his brother Esau, isn't he, he's not serving him, it's the other way around, he's in fear, he's scared, he's kind of lining up all the women that he didn't like so much, and there's all this kind of, there's, you know, there's a big problem there, right, and he ends up being, he ends up actually being very subservient, and he bows to him, and he's, and all of that. The prophecy is referring to the nations. Edom ends up controlled, controlled by Israel in the end, which is what is being pictured by the taking hold of his heel in verse 26. It's a sign of strength, by the way. Verse 26 says, and after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel, and his name was called Jacob, and Isaac was three, four years old when she bare them. You don't have to turn to, Hosea 12-3 says, he took his brother by the heel in the womb, referring to this, and by his strength he had power with God. So it's a sign of strength that he took hold of his heel in the womb, and that's what the prophecy is of, of eventually Israel having strength over Edom. It says in verse 27, the boys grew and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field, and Jacob was a plain man dwelling in tents, and Isaac loved Esau because he did eat of his venison, but Rebekah loved Jacob. We're going to go back and have a look at this prophecy again in a minute, but just quickly on this, not the best advertisement here for Isaac and Rebekah, is it? Isaac loved him because of the roast meat. Wow, that's a bit of a parenting fail there, isn't it? However, there's another lesson there, okay? There's a lesson there, especially wives out there, okay? There's a lesson there, kids growing up as well, you want your dad to love you, cook him some good quality meat, okay? Get your little vegan dishes out of there, jog on all that fake meat and cook him some venison, or something else similar, right? Okay, there is definitely a lesson there. However, there is some blatant favoritism here, isn't there? I mean, and we see they didn't do Esau any favours. I mean, he's described not very nicely, and we're going to see that probably next week in the book of Hebrews as well, and it said, you know, Esau, Esau, and we see, like, just here, just looking at this story, like, what's he doing here? It says, and Jacob sawed pottage in verse 29, and Esau came from the field and he was faint. In fact, he didn't do Jacob any favours either, because he ends up being a bit of a sneaker as well, doesn't he? And Esau said to Jacob, feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage, for I am faint. Therefore was his name called Edom, so Edom means red. So Esau meaning hairy, Edom meaning red, basically because he, you know, he's got nickname red, because he ended up trading his birthright for some red pottage. I mean, this guy, I mean, there's a lot of failures. That's a, you know, it's a funny thing about the Bible, isn't it? You've just got all these dysfunctional families and just people just messing up big time, right? But they still go down in history, don't they? Well, anyway, let's keep going. And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. And Esau said, behold, I am at the point to die. What profit shall this birthright do to me? Seems like a bit of a drama queen Esau as well, wouldn't you say? He does. Now, maybe been out in the field a long time, but the fact that he's even talking about this and saying I'm at the point to die and everything else, I think he's a bit dramatic. Now, what is this birthright? In case you're wondering, what is a birthright? What is it that he's even sold here? We see a separate blessing later on and don't confuse the two. Moderna Deuteronomy 21. Basically, it's the inheritance due to the firstborn as well as not just in inheritance but the authority in the family, okay, being inheriting authority, being the leader of the family, which should happen as the firstborn. There was inherited leadership, although that can and was overruled many times in the Bible with it being given to another sibling by the father, for example, Solomon, and there are other examples as well. The inheritance, what happened with that is that the firstborn received a double portion. So, the first one was to receive a double portion of the inheritance. So, it's not that no one else got anything, but say there was 10 kids and they should get a tenth of the inheritance each, well, the firstborn would get, in fact, he'd get two tenths of the inheritance. Well, maybe they'd have to do some maths there because any other nine would be split fairly, right? I'm not going to try and do that on the spot. I saw a couple, I dare you. But Deuteronomy 21 and verse 15 says, if a man have two wives, one beloved and another hated, okay, so this is when this happens. He's not saying to do this, but when this does happen, okay, and another hated and they have born him children, both the beloved and the hated, and if the firstborn some beherds that was hated, then it shall be when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, which is indeed the firstborn. So, basically, he can't just do that, this father, in this situation, just because he hates the wife. But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn by giving him a double portion, okay, that's the point here, of all that he hath, for he is a beginning of his strength, the right of the firstborn is his, i.e. the word birthright, yeah. In 1 Chronicles 5, we see, and you could turn if you're quick, I don't know how quick flickers you are, but in 1 Chronicles 5, we see though that this was in effect forfeited by Reuben, one of the sons of Jacob, when he committed a form of incest with his father's concubine. It says in verse 1, now the sons of Reuben, this is 1 Chronicles 5, 1, now the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, for he was the firstborn, but for as much as he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, and a genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright, for Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler, but the birthright was Joseph. So it's not about, you know, who became the chief ruler and stuff, that's got nothing to do with the birthright, however, the birthright itself was given to Joseph and it went to his two sons, okay, who then split, Manasseh and Ephraim, who then split, you know, they became the two half-tribes, didn't they? So here in Genesis 25, though, if you go back to Genesis 25, just with that in mind, if you've ever been wondering what that birthright was, so there's a combination, it could be inheritance, leadership, etc. Esau sells his birthright for a bowl of lentil soup, basically, okay. I mean, this is a low moment, isn't it? Okay, and like I said, he's a bit of a drama queen, but he still, for some reason, does this. It says in verse 33, and Jacob said, swear to me this day, and he sware unto him, and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau, oh, don't forget the bread as well, bread and pottage of lentils, and he did eat and drink, and rose up and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright. Now, here's the thing. Firstly, yeah, look, and when you go, why does that mean he hate, well, he clearly had no, like, he just, well, he despised it. He didn't even care. He's just like, whatever, I'll have a bowl of lentil soup and a bit of bread, and he's just giving away his birthright. What a bizarre thing to do, yeah, and he obviously just didn't care about it at all. I, like we see, he'd probably hate it, and you know what, all the favouritism, all that other stuff was probably something to do with it. He clearly wasn't a happy person. However, as is often the case in the book of Genesis, we're seeing a picture of something else here. So turn to Romans chapter 9. Romans 9 is a chapter that the dispensationalist pretend isn't in the Bible, and the Calvinists can't seem to understand the context of either, okay, so they just get very confused, because I think they're just so intelligent that they can't actually see the context of Romans 9. Now, in Romans 9, it's not talking about salvation, okay, but Paul has just been showing his heart for his physical brethren, okay, that those remaining of the Israelites, okay, and he would like them to get saved. He's not telling you how they get saved and stuff, okay. Now, he says this in verse 6, Romans 9, 6, not as though the word of God has taken none effect, for they are not all Israel which are of Israel, neither because they're the seed of Abraham are they all children, but in Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God. That's pretty clear, isn't it? Anyone seen, I mean, how do you read that and come away with that crazy Zionist nonsense, that they're somehow the children of God is beyond me. I mean, what a clear verse. So, they which are the children of flesh, these are not the children of God, but the children of the promise accounted for the seed. For this is the word of promise, at this time will I come and Sarah shall have a son. Isaac, being the child of promise, represents the spiritual seed coming from faith in Christ. We've gone through this already a couple of weeks back, but there's one more picture of this truth in Genesis. He then says in verse 10, and not only this, okay, so, sorry, not just one, but here's another picture of it, and not only this, but when Rebekah also had conceived by one, okay, that's what we're talking about here, even by our father Isaac, for the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of him that calleth. It was said unto her, the elder shall serve the younger as it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. Now it's just talking about the individuals. Well, regardless whether or not you think it is or isn't, ultimately it's talking about the nation. Esau, Edom, being an eventual enemy of Israel, okay, and it's referencing Malachi 1, which says in verse 3, and I hated Esau, Esau, it says, and I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness, okay. That's not talking about the individual, because Jeremiah 49 is Jeremiah a thousand years after Esau, prophesying of the coming Babylonians, a thousand years on from Esau being alive, and says in verse 8, flee ye turned back, dwell deep, O inhabitants of Eden, for I'll bring the calamity of Esau upon him, the time that I will visit him. He's just, he's referring to the nation by the name, and if you think about it, what are the children of Israel often referred to as Israel, which was what Jacob's name was changed to, yet it's still a nation. So Esau just being a nation here, and although like I said, referring to the father of them, it is talking about the nation, but here's the thing with that, don't miss what the original picture is. The elder being usurped by the younger, it's another picture of the first physical nation being replaced by the second spiritual nation, okay. Again, just another picture explained in Romans 9 for us, just in case, because it would be hard to see, let's be, I'm not just saying just in case, without the lens of the New Testament, it's not always easy to see this stuff, but that's what we're seeing here. Now go back to Genesis 25, or sorry, without looking through the lens of the New Testament, I meant to say, now why were the Jews, as we call them now, replaced? Why were they replaced? And obviously the Jews just being, eventually we had, it was the Judah, the tribe of Judah, became the vast majority of what was remaining as that physical nation. It hadn't just basically just been completely either destroyed or intermingled with else, with others in the Northern Kingdom, become the Samaritans. Well look, why were they replaced? Well, verse 29, and we see not just a picture, but it gives us, you know, a bit of other info here. When Jacob saw the pottage, and Esau came from the field, and he was faint. So for me, we're seeing a picture here, they stopped doing the work. One of the reasons they were replaced, they slacked on the job. He came from the field, but he was faint. Okay, he was basically giving up, he was done, he was tired, like they stopped working for God a long time ago. And they weren't doing what they were meant to do, they were meant to preach the Gospel to all, they were meant to be this beacon, this shining light as a nation. And of course, yes, people came there and people were to come, but they were meant to go out with the Gospel. And they stopped doing that. He came from the field and he was faint. And Esau said to Jacob, feed me I pray thee with that same red pottage, for I am faint, therefore was his name called Edom. They became worldly and wanted what the other nations had as well, didn't they? So they wanted what others had, they wanted, firstly we see them wanting a king instead of judges, and then from there they just wanted basically, they wanted the world's religions, they just were constantly committing, basically adultery is how it's described often, they were playing the hall with the gods of the nations, right? They wanted what others had, they wanted what they had, he saw that, he said feed me with that same red pottage, for I am faint, therefore was his name called Edom. And Jacob said, sell me this day thy birthright, and Esau said, behold I'm at the point to die, what profit shall this birthright do to me? They started minding earthly things, not spiritual, they basically stopped trusting God, didn't they? They stopped trusting God, they stopped really having faith in God, and here he's saying, well what profit shall this birthright do to me? They stopped really caring, didn't they, about the things of God. And in verse 33 says that Jacob said, swear to me this day, and he swear unto him, and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils, and he did eat, sorry, and he did eat and drink, and rose up and went his way, thus Esau despised his birthright. And they despised what God had given to them, didn't they? They despised it in the end. They despised the things of God, they despised the word of God, they despised the prophets, they despised everything in the end, and eventually they were replaced. They were replaced. And what's the result of hating the things of God? Well, God ends up despising them. Romans 9, picturing the replacement, said, as it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. And yeah, the Calvinists love and try and, you know, we're not even going to go down what that nonsense is, but what's really the application here? Well, we're seeing it's another picture of the replacement. God loves the children of the promise, and he hates the children of the flesh now. Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. That's what they're a picture of, those two nations. But turn to Psalm 139, because people just don't get this. God hates God haters. Okay, he hates them. The blessings for the Christ rejecting Christ hating physical seed ended a long time ago, okay, for being the physical nature. To think, I just can't, I still just, it just frustrates me so much to think that converts to some blasphemous false religion that was basically spawned by them are somehow God's people that we will somehow get blessed for blessing the synagogue of Satan in various ways is, I mean, it's beyond a warped view. It's just, it's totally blasphemous. It's complete blasphemy. It's such a load of just absolute nonsense. And I know I'm using that word a bit in this sermon, but it really is. It's so ridiculous. But they're all out there, these people. I mean, right now, I don't know, I haven't been looking at much of this stuff, but every time I see anything like this, I just see all these people just going crazy for this so-called nation of Israel. I mean, it's such, it's such a sham, isn't it? An absolute sham. Psalm 139 says, Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God. And just to make it clear, you're talking about the wicked. I'm talking about people that basically blaspheme the Holy Spirit, that say that Jesus is possessed by a devil. People that hate the Lord Jesus Christ reprobates concerning the faith. So really, especially their prophets, their rabbis. I mean, that's every rabbi, isn't it? They're all false teachers. They're all false teachers. So straight away, they're who we're talking about here. Surely that will slay the wicked, O God. Depart from me thee, therefore, ye bloody men. For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain. I mean, take his name in vain is the least of it, isn't it? Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? And am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred. I count them mine enemies. That's the Spirit-filled Psalmist view. And again, of course, we're not talking about all people that call themselves Jews, because people then want to throw out anti-Semite, you know, anything but just an ad hominem attack, because they can't argue with the Word of God, right? So it's just they just start, you know, calling you names and everything else. But teachers and preachers of the Talmud, of that wicked false religion, are false prophets. They're enemies of God. I mean, what else are they? They hate the Lord Jesus Christ. They blaspheme the Lord Jesus Christ. They reject him ultimately in the beginning in terms of at least their spiritual forefathers, these people, because that's where that religion has come from. But physically, like I've said many times, that is an absolute sham. They're no more Jew than it. In fact, they're a lot less Jew than you and I, and they're no more Jew than anyone else out there in the streets. It's ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. And their followers are certainly not special people. I mean, what on earth? Where do these people get this stuff from? And they'll go hate speech, right? Wicked to say that. Well, let's look at what the Psalmist said after he said this. He said in verse 23, search me, O God, and know my heart. He seems pretty confident, right? Try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. He seems pretty confident that he's not full of at least the sort of unfair hate speech they're saying. He seems pretty confident that you could search me and see if there's any wicked way in me having just said, do not I hate them that hate me? That's the Bible, folks, isn't it? Yeah, that's God's people. That's spirit-filled men of God in the Bible saying, I hate people that hate you. Not saying, right, let's all kind of, you know, all band together and stand with people that hate you. It's crazy. Absolutely crazy. And that's what we're seeing out there right now. I don't know where all that stuff's going to go. I don't know. Some people might have more of an idea of the whole political scene. I think it's like a lot of it's smoke and mirrors. It's hard to really know, isn't it? Really, what is the truth? What's really going on? What's really going to happen? I know some people are a bit concerned. Are we going that way? Someone asked me this today actually, just said, you know, do I think that perhaps this is a way towards, you know, towards kind of like towards a final war and everything else? Well, look, you could argue maybe the, you know, the scene's set fairly well with the whole Ukraine situation as well and everything else, but here's the thing. This scene's been set probably many times over the last few centuries, isn't it? Yeah, you could go, well, the technology's there now for the mark, but the technology's still going to be there for another however many centuries to come as well, isn't it? So we don't really know, do we? And people, you know, it is, yeah, look, you find that interesting. You want to try and keep abreast of it. I think it's really hard to really know the truth of what's going on just because it's conspiracytv.com. I don't mean it's true either, okay? I think you kind of probably need to watch a lot of stuff and look at a lot of stuff and try and find something in the middle and I don't have the time for that. If anyone does, let me know what you come up with, but, and make sure you get some work after that. But aside from all of that, what's our response to all of this? Well, if it is getting close, let's go out there and preach the Gospel, right? Because we need to get more people saved because therefore we're running out of time, yeah? And look, and if some of them Jew boys down the road want to get saved, I'm all for that, man. They want to hear the Gospel, great. Yeah, I'll preach the Gospel. I don't care how long the curls are. Honestly, I don't care how big that top hat is. I will preach the Gospel to them, okay? Look, we love all, right? We love the unsaved, but I tell you what though, the reprobates though, and their rabbis, ain't getting no Gospel out of me. They're getting a short shrift, that's what they're getting. And sadly, it seems to be a lot of the religious folk seem to be that way as well, but again, it's hard to tell always. But anyway, on that, we're going to finish off in a word of prayer. Father, thank you for your word. Thank you for, well, you know, a great chapter and just more pictures there of, well, what did happen, that replacement, Lord, and we thank you that we are your nation, Lord, we're your spiritual nation. Help us to be strong and confident and bold in that, and not to, you know, have our heads turned and lose so many of those promises, so much of the word of God, which tells us, you know, your love for us and the way that you will treat us as your spiritual nation, Lord, and help us to just be strong in that, help us to, you know, this week, get out against so many if we can, at least to return on Sunday, to be able to be in your house, be able to get out, preaching the Gospel, Lord, help us get people saved, help us to get home safe and sound, just thank you for all this. Amen.