Major Bible Themes
Craig Kaes · Oct 2, 2011
Major Bible Themes (2011), No. 40
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://www.hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/492624924323

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

OK. So who read the chapter or two teachers? That's excellent. I did, too. That makes three of us. I also listened to the way that Roger taught it back in 2002, because I was struggling somewhat with the slides that were given from that time period, and ultimately I decided to go and do my own. I'll tell a little story with some vagary. Back when I was probably 17 years old, I got to be the person who delivers mail inside of US West. This was a big day for me because up until that point I had been manning the phones and I was now mobile. I was getting the tour around and I got to one lady who explained how the system worked. She said, this is my inbox and you put the things that are for me in the inbox and then this is my outbox. I'll put things there, and you take those. Inbox are the things that you want to give to me. You wouldn't put those in the outbox.

This kind of went on for about five minutes. I was getting more and more insulted as it went on. The woman who was showing me around was just nodding and smiling patiently while this woman explained again. Outbox, that's not where you put things. I'll put things for you, and then inbox over and over. And as we walked away, this woman who was showing me around said, are you feeling pretty insulted by that?

I can't. She said, look at it this way. People explain things the way that they had to learn them themselves. that time, light bulb went on. I'm like, oh, I totally get it. So today you guys are going to be subjected to how I had to learn about prayer myself, and hopefully it's not quite as insulting as in-box, out-box, in-box, in-box, out-box. But it may be, and if it is, just bear with me. So there we go. All right, so what are we going to cover today?

We're going to talk about what prayer was like in the Old Testament. We're going to talk about what prayer looks like in the New Testament, and we're going to look at, you know, are there some differences between there? And hopefully we'll all agree, yes, there are, in fact, some differences. But what are those differences? Where are we with respect to prayer these days?

And next question, why should we bother praying? the rationalist, and my background is a whole lot of philosophy, so the rationalist comes along and says, you know, God already knows everything, so why in the world would I tell him what I want, because he already knows, so prayer is, you know, pointless. Turns out it's not.

So we'll talk about that some. And then the last one is, okay, well what if I mess up prayer? So we're asked to pray you know, in the Spirit, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the Father. And when we're in this arrangement, we're basically asking for things that, you know, the Lord would have us ask for anyway, and not things of our, to, you know, meet up with our selfish nature. And so, how do I know what the will of God is, and what if I mess all that up? Well, we'll talk about that some.

Because you don't really have to stress, because God wants you to talk to Him. That's how the whole program's set up. And so, just don't even worry about that. a case study of Moses. It's a fun one. Let us start out with Old Testament prayer. Old Testament prayer has a certain form. There are a few exceptions.

But for the most part, it sort of follows this form. We'll go through this part with Solomon. And I'll ask you guys, you know, what sort of patterns did you notice in it? And then we'll see if those patterns apply to Moses, and lo and behold, we're going to find out. Yes, they do apply. All right, so let's start with King Solomon. And I'm looking for people with computers, because they can go fast. Russ, you are on for Psalms 132, 11 and 12. And Mike? You're on for 1 Kings 2, 1 through 4. Well, I just gave them the head start so you don't get, you know, panicky. It's coming for you. Don't worry. All right.

The Lord swore an oath to David, the promise he will never break. He said, I will place One of your descendants might have a promise. If your descendants will then leave, the terms of my covenant and the laws I teach them, then your royal line will continue forever and ever. Okay, so the Lord made a promise to David. If you keep my covenant, then your line is going to be on the throne for a good long while.

Alright, so Mike, you're up. Now the days of David drew near that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying, I go the way of all the earth. Be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. And keep the charge of the Lord your God to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, his commandments, his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn. that the Lord may fulfill his word, which he spoke concerning me, saying, If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, he said, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel." Okay, so it turns out Solomon knew about this promise that the Lord made. All right, so now we'll go into Solomon's prayer, which is 1 Kings 8, 22. I'm going to read that. All right. Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven.

He said, O Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth beneath. keeping covenant, and showing loving kindness to your servants who walk before you with all their heart, who have kept with your servant my father David that which you have promised him. Indeed, you have spoken with your mouth and have fulfilled it with your hand, and it is this day. Now therefore, O Lord, the God of Israel, keep with your servant David, my father, that which you have promised him, saying, You shall not lack a man to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your sons take heed to their way.

So, observations about that prayer that he made. On what basis was he able to make a request of God? God already made a promise. And so, what's Solomon asking? He's saying, God, please keep your promise. Right? He's not saying, look, here are these needs that I've got, here are the things that I really want in this world. He's saying, you made a promise, keep your promise. Please. Right?

So it's a different sort of prayer. And you see this a lot throughout the Old Testament prayers where priests Typically, go to the Lord and say, OK, because of the promises that you've made, please act in accordance to your promises, not in a way that's not in accordance to your promises. It's a very specific sort of, you said you'd do this, please, please, please do this. So let's look at the one in Moses. Let's look at the one about Moses as well. So we'll start in Genesis 22, 15 through 18, and that's you, Tristan.

Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son. Indeed, I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is on the seashore, and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed, all nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.

Okay. So, again, we've got God making a promise. The promise is, you know, the seed of Abraham is just going to go on indefinitely. Right? Okay. Well, we get to Exodus chapter 32, and it turns out these people mess up. And they mess up pretty bad. Right?

So, Moses is up on the Mount. And lo and behold, they decide they want an idol. They go to Aaron. Aaron doesn't even say, you know, that I don't think that's a good idea. He's just like, oh, OK, you want an idol? I'll make you an idol. He makes an idol.

Moses comes down, sees this. And both Moses and the Lord are pretty upset. So, let me do some setup and then Kaylee, if you can just read the prayer that we end up with, which is Exodus 32, 11 through 14. So, Lord spoke to Moses. This is when Moses is still on the mountain.

Go down at once for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They've quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They've made for themselves a molten calf, and they've worshipped it and have sacrificed to it. The Lord said to Moses, I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people. Now then, let me alone, that my anger may burn against them, that I may destroy them, and I will make of you a great nation. All right? God is angry. And I love the, your people have been doing this. That's, that's great. Okay. So, um, Kaylee, the prayer. great power, and with a mighty hand.

Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, With evil intent he brought them out to kill them in the mountains, and to destroy them from the face of the earth? Turn from your burning anger, and change your mind about doing harm to your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by yourself, and said to them, I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your descendants, that they shall inherit it forever. So the Lord changed his mind about the harm which he had which he said he would do to my people. Okay, so again, on what basis did Moses pray to the Lord? You said...

You said this, and what you're saying you're going to do now is inconsistent, and I know who you are. And you can't be inconsistent, so let me just point this out to you. Okay? Alright. Do we think that without that prayer, God was just going to go ahead and wipe them out? Probably not, because it turns out God is consistent. But this is the prayer of Moses. It's not, Lord, these people are deserving. It's not, Lord, I don't want this to happen. It is, you promised this. It's inconsistent with what's going on. Therefore, change your mind. Go about it a different way.

And this is remarkably consistent through the Old Testament. That said, the final case study we're going to do at the end about what if I mess up, it's Moses who's messing up and he actually is asking for something that he wants. There are exceptions, but this is the general rule. That always intrigues me though, in 14, so the Lord changed his mind. The Lower Hill changed his mind. On what basis was the plea made?

On the promises, but he still said he was going to make a great nation. He could have gone a different way. He could have kept the lineage. He could have kept one person alive that would keep the lineage going. I think he wanted most of this laid out. It's kind of like Noah. I'm going to wipe out everybody, keep a few people here, and we're going to start again. So what's your take on that? Well, it sounds like he was going to try. To me, that's fascinating. His plan was to do it this way. Moses says, how about you keep it going this way? And the Lord changed his mind. Is that the only place in the scripture where it says, Lord or God changed his mind?

I don't know. I don't know. That would be an interesting study. It's the only one that I recall. And that's what it just, to me, is when is the Lord? And so everything we see is God is consistent. God is hand to foot. And this is where he changed his mind. You know, and Schaeffer made a similar point, I think it was in the second section out of those four sections that he broke it up into, that the believer today is in a unique position where the Lord conditions some of what he does upon the prayer of believers. And if you want to go chase that one, then Schaeffer's a great place to look. He gives some references, I'm not covering that this morning. Yeah, no, no, I just, it's in there and then it just always Yeah, no idea. Yeah, okay All right.

So let's let's look at now where we Stand in the New Testament because it's a it's a different sort of relationship in this prayer and we'll look at how Jesus goes about praying Contrast it with what we saw in the in the Old Testament and then we'll look at how Paul goes about praying and because it gives us an idea of what a believer might look like in prayer. So we'll start with John 17. And I just really had a hard time figuring out how much of John 17 to read. I wanted it to be a little briefer, but it's just such a gorgeous, heartfelt prayer that I just kept including more and more, so I'll put myself on the hook for reading this one. Alright, so I'm starting in verse 13, but I understand this prayer's been going on for a while, and somehow I clicked the wrong buttons. were bearing with me while I clicked the right buttons. So here's Jesus speaking with the Father.

But now I come to you, and these things I speak in the world, so that they may have my joy made full in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I did not ask you to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth. Your word is truth.

As you sent me into the world, I have also sent them into the world. For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but those also who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, and they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you sent me. The glory which you have given me, I have given them, that they may be one, just as we are one, I in them, you in me, and that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that you sent me, and love them, even as you have loved me." And it goes on and on.

So what's different about the tone of this prayer? There's not a lot about peer-to-peer district that I haven't seen. It's not a bunch of conditional statements. If A, then B. Right? Right. Sure. Completely agree. What else? It's more relationship-based. It's more relationship-based. I mean, it's clear. Jesus knows the Father, which is, you know, obvious. But it comes across in the prayer. It's not, okay, you promised this and therefore do it. It is, Father, this is what's on my heart. This is what I truly desire. And I want for you to make it happen. None of that what you said business either. None of the you said business. Yeah, I agree.

It stems from just what is on Jesus's heart. Yeah, that's what he's praying. And we'll find out down the road in this lesson that Jesus was praying like this all the time. Just gobs. Which puts a different perspective when you hear that He's interceding on your behalf in the heavenlies right now. This is the sort of thing He's telling the Father.

Right? I in them, you in me. You know, that they may be one like we are one. I mean, it's cool stuff. Alright, so let's look at Paul, who learned from Jesus. Philippians 1, 3, and 4. And it's brief. But I think it still gives a pretty good picture. I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all.

So what's different about the way that Paul prays from the Old Testament? He's thanking God. We did not see examples of this in the Old Testament, but in the Old Testament they also thank God. Do you see a lot of joy in prayer? in the Old Testament examples that we gave? Because I didn't see a lot of joy in prayer in the Old Testament examples that we gave.

But here Paul is saying, always offering prayer with joy. Yes? So why do you think the distinction is there Joy distinction is not there in the Old Testament. It is there in the New Testament because of the complete work of dispositional recognitions. I think it's because of the fruit of the Spirit.

So as a believer, we have a different relationship with God the Father. And that relationship is one in which joyfulness is absolutely possible. And we'll see that just in a little bit as we go over what's different is we have a completely different relationship with the Father. We have a completely different relationship in Christ than the folks in the Old Testament had.

And so, yeah, we're now capable of joy and it should be joyful to be able to pray to the Father. Okay. So the prayers are vastly different. What's different for the believer in terms of prayer? How are things different now from the way that they used to be? We'll start with that relationship to God because it is absolutely astounding and amazing. So let's go to Hebrews 9, 2-7 Ruth. You're going to be on the hook for 9, 11 through 12.

A tabernacle was set up in its place in its first room where the lamp stand and the temple with its sacred bread. This was called the holy place. Behind the second curtain was a room called the most holy place, which had the golden altar of incense and a golden gold ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron's staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. Above the ark were the cherubim of glory, overshadowing the atonement cover.

But we cannot discuss these things in detail now. When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins of the people, had committed in ignorance. Okay, so that inner chamber, the Holy of Holies, this is where God hung out.

Right? And so what's the situation for those who were in the Old Testament times with respect to being able to hang out in there? Only with blood. One person with blood once a year for a very specific purpose. Period. Right? He was one of a certain tribe too. It just wasn't one guy picked. Yeah, right. They didn't have a lottery once a year to pick the lucky guy. Yeah, exactly. Exactly.

OK, but things are changing a little bit. So please. But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, he entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands. Okay, so Christ enters this tabernacle completely differently, right? And we're in Him. So what in the world would that mean for us?

I'll read Hebrews 10, 19 through 22. By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices which can never take away... Am I... I'm in totally the wrong place. 19 through 22. And here goes the correct set of verses.

Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he inaugurated for us through the veil that is his flesh. And since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. So it says, have confidence to enter the holy place. So we can confidently walk right in to where God is. And once we're in there, are we nervous? Are we scared about what's going on? Well, that's not confident, for one. But for two, we're told, let us draw near.

So we get to go in, and I know that this is hard to fathom, But because of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, because of our belief in that simple fact now we're placed into him, we get to go running confidently into the Holy of Holies, hop up on God the Father's lap, and cuddle, and hang out. That's the relationship that we have now. So would the way that we speak with the Father look different from the people who are scared to enter there, and have been strictly forbidden to enter there? The relationship's totally different. So of course the prayer is going to be totally different. Here's another thing that's changed. Our relationship to Christ, obviously since they didn't have one.

Can you read John 15.7 please?

If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you. OK, notice the conditional there. It would certainly be interesting if we only had the back half of that, ask whatever you desire and it will be done for you. Oh Lord, let me have a Mercedes-Benz. Okay, but it's different than that.

There's an abiding, and it's just like we learned last week. We can't walk in the good works that the Father has prepared for us if we're not abiding in Christ. Same thing here. If we're not abiding in Christ, then what we are going to ask for is going to be purely selfish. It's going to be purely Craig-focused. And those things which are purely Craig-focused, there is no assurance here that the Father is going to fulfill them. He may, it may be glorifying to him for some other reason, but there's an abiding that has to take place.

Were folks in the Old Testament able to abide in Christ? Obviously no. The relationship to Christ has changed. We're in a much better situation now to be able to pray to the Father freely. Christ's name. So we're going to look at John 14 and John 16 and you're going to see a transition happen between these two. They're both going to be about praying in his name, but you're going to see a shift between the two. So let's start, April, with John 14, 13 and 14.

I will do so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. Okay, who are we asking in his name? We're asking Christ in his name, okay? This is going to be the key shift when we get to 16. So, what's this business about in my name?

I mean, Vern's covered this a few times up above. Up above, you know, we're in the basement. Oh, the people who've never been to Holly Hills, hearing that. Okay, I think Schaeffer actually did a pretty good description of putting this, so let me read from Schaeffer's chapter.

Praying in the name of Christ means recognition of oneself as a living part of Christ in the new creation, and therefore limits the subjects of prayer to those projects which are in direct line with the purposes and glory of Christ. I'm going to skip the next sentence, which could sound somewhat legal, and I don't want to address it right now. Since prayer in the name of Christ is like signing his name to our petition, it is reasonable that prayer in his name should be thus limited. So praying in Christ's name is the recognition that we're coming to the Father as the Son would, and in the Son.

But in 14 it's a little different. He's saying, ask me in my name and I'll take care of that for you. So let's see how that shifts after his death, burial, and resurrection. So we'll see that in John 16. I think we may have to start a little before 23. Let's start at 22, I think. So he's speaking to the disciples. Therefore, you two have grief now, but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. In that day, you will not question me about anything.

Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in my name, he will give it to you. And this next verse, he points out, all right, from this point on, you're praying in a way that's never been prayed before. Until now, you have asked for nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive so that your joy may be made full.

These things I have spoken to you in figurative language. An hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father. And I'm going to shift to King James for this next verse, because I think it states it a little better. At that day, ye shall ask in my name, and I say not unto you that I will pray to the Father for you. I'm going to read that part again. At that day, ye shall ask in my name, and I say not unto you that I will pray to the Father for you. That's a little different, right? So we're no longer praying to Christ and Christ is turning around and praying to the Father. That channel's been removed.

Okay, on what basis? For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me and have believed that I come out from God. Okay? So the whole equation has changed. The shift from asking in Christ's name of Christ after his death, burial, and resurrection becomes praying to the Father in Christ's name. Okay? Different relationship.

Alright, Holy Spirit, let's look at a few verses. This is something else that's changed. So Romans 8, 26. In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weakness. For we do not know how to pray as we should. but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groaning's two deeper words. Okay, so the Spirit knows how to pray. And I think that the passage in 1 Corinthians explains this in a lot more detail, so I want to spend more time there. So, 1 Corinthians 2, 10-13. For to us, God revealed them through the spirit. For the spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.

For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so, the thoughts of God, no one knows except the spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak. not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

So it's the Holy Spirit who seeks out the mind of God, who understands God, and prayer ends up becoming a spirit-to-spirit communication. So it's not, we pray gibberish and the Holy Spirit is the Babelfish translator that turns it into what God understands. It's a matter of because we have been given the Holy Spirit, we can know the very mind of God. And so knowing that mind, we can then pray accordingly.

Is that different than the Old Testament? Yes. Not a lot of people running around indwelt by the Holy Spirit. So a huge shift. Okay, so we learned from in Christ's name portion, we are to pray to the Father. We're praying in the name of the Son. Should we pray to the Holy Spirit? That would be pretty weird, right? So the Holy Spirit, we would be praying to him either in our flesh, and flesh doesn't understand spirit, or we would be praying Holy Spirit to Holy Spirit, that's kind of weird mechanically as well, but we actually don't have to try to figure all this out.

We get pretty clear instructions, so Jude 1.20.

Jude 1.20. But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying, does it say, to the Holy Spirit? No. Praying in the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 6.18. With all prayer and petition, pray at all times to the Spirit, no, in the Spirit, and with this in view.

Okay? So the relationship is very clear. We pray to the Father, in the name of the Son, in the Holy Spirit. Okay? So that's the arrangement. There's a normal order of things. If your kids are praying to Jesus, should you slap their wrists with a ruler? No, but Scripture does lay out. There is a form to prayer, there is an order to prayer, and it's pretty clear about it.

So, there you go. All right, so let's address a couple of special topics. I think we're going to hit the first one super fast so we can get on to the second one. Special topic number one, why should we bother praying? Doesn't God already know everything? Okay, number one, because we can. How cool is that, that we can go running into the Holy of Holies and sit on the Father's lap?

He wants this communication. Clearly, Christ, more than anybody, would have a good understanding of what the Father does know and doesn't know, what He does want and doesn't want, and we see that Christ is continually in prayer. I'll read one of these. I'll just read to you, you don't have to go running there. Unless you want to. In which case, go for it.

It was at this time that he went off, he being Jesus, to the mountain to pray. And he spent the whole night in prayer to God. So it wasn't a big conundrum to Jesus Christ. He clearly wanted to take advantage of being able to talk to God. Secondly, because God says we should pray to Him, He wants us to pray to Him. I'll point out a couple of examples. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication. With thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Doesn't God already know him? Sure, but he says right here, let your requests be made known to God.

Okay? So God says so. That's a pretty good reason. So three very good reasons there. Number one, because you can. Number two, Christ sure did. Didn't seem to bother him at all. Number three, because God says so. So no problem. Just go about praying, whether you're a philosopher or not. Okay. So next one, what if we don't pray right? And this is also a good example of a fallacy that's pretty often taught within Christianity. What we're often told is God answers every prayer.

He answers yes or no. Sometimes you have to wait. But it's always yes or no. This passage in Numbers, we're going to see that it actually is somewhat different than that. When you ask for something stupid, and believe me, Moses asks for something really stupid here. It's not God saying, yes, I'm going to give you that stupid thing, or no, I'm not going to give you that stupid thing.

It turns out that God actually hears the real need and will address that real need. And I find this so comforting that we don't have to get prayer right. God understands what we mean. And so we'll run through this. So let's start out with the problem statement. What is the issue that Moses is going to the father with? And clearly I am in the wrong place again. Oh.

Okay, so God has given the people of Israel manna, and they're not hungry ever. And you'd think they'd be happy in that, but the rebel who were among them had greedy desires, and also the sons of Israel wept again and said, who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers and melons and leeks and onions and garlic. Now our appetite's gone, there's nothing at all to look at except this manna!

Now Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, each man at the doorway of his tent, and the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly, and Moses was displeased. So what's the problem? What's the problem that Moses is going to be praying about? His Jews are making him angry. The Jews are making him angry, and it's multifaceted. I mean, there are so many ways you can look at it. Number one, there are a bunch of whiners, and there's only one of him. And that's way too many whiners for only one of him.

Number two, they're sinning continually against the Lord who says, do not grumble and complain. So his people are not following what the Lord would have. And in this sense, this anger that Moses has is a really righteous anger. So here's how this is affecting Moses. So Moses said to the Lord, why have you been so hard on your servant?

And why have I not found favor in your sight that you have laid the burden of all this people on me? Was it I who conceived all of these people? Was it I who brought them forth that you should say to me, carry them in your bosom as a nurse carries a nursing infant to the land which you swore to their fathers? Where am I to get meat to give all these people? For they weep before me saying, give us meat that we may eat. I alone am not able to carry all these people because it is too burdensome for me.

He's got a legitimate concern. It's overwhelming. Right? So Moses has a very clear solution to the problem. Right? And so he's going to make a very specific request to God. And here's his request. So, if you are going to deal thus with me, please kill me at once. If I have found favor in your sight, and do not let me see my wretchedness. I've got this solution, God. Just kill me. Pretty dumb request, right? Okay, but it's a very specific request.

Now the question is, does God answer that yes or no? He killed Moses? So the answer must have been no? Let's look at what he does, because the answer is clearly not no. Alright, so here's God's solution. The Lord therefore said to Moses, Gather for me seventy men from the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people, and their officers, and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. Then I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take up the Spirit who is upon you, and I will put him upon them. And they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you will not bear it all alone." So did he answer yes or no?

He heard the heart issue. He heard that this burden was too heavy for Moses to bear. He addressed the situation. He gave Moses seventy more people to help him bear the burden. And the thing that's interesting is, he doesn't stop there. Okay, so the next step, we still have all of these sons of Israel running around whining, complaining, and sinning against their God. God even addresses that one. So here's what he did.

Say to the people, consecrate yourselves for tomorrow and you shall eat meat. For you have wept in the ears of the Lord saying, oh that someone would give us meat to eat. for we were well off in Egypt. Therefore, the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat. You shall eat not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days, but a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have rejected the Lord who is among you and have wept before him, saying, Why did we ever leave Egypt?

He addressed the sin issue. And in so addressing the sin issue, he sets it up so that the sons of Israel can once again become close to God to exit their sinning. Did he answer Moses' prayer, yes or no? Did Moses have to get the prayer right? God hears the heart issue, don't sweat it. That's the bottom line of that one. All right, let's pray. Lord, again, thank you for this day and for your love and for this opportunity to look in your word and see what you have to say about talking to you and what just a glorious position we're in now because of the death, burial, and resurrection of your son, Jesus Christ. And it's in his name I pray. Amen.