WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:03.680 You're listening to The Bible Guys, a podcast where a 2 00:00:03.720 --> 00:00:06.440 couple of friends talk about the Bible in fun, in 3 00:00:06.559 --> 00:00:16.519 practical ways. Hello. Hello, well, it's so proper. We are 4 00:00:16.559 --> 00:00:19.000 welcoming you to the Bible Guys. I'm Chris, this is Jeff, 5 00:00:19.160 --> 00:00:20.280 and we are glad to be here. 6 00:00:20.280 --> 00:00:22.160 I wish we had like a tea set here and 7 00:00:22.199 --> 00:00:25.600 we were speaking tea and eating scones, little scones. Hello. 8 00:00:26.120 --> 00:00:30.000 I ordered. There's a one of the oldest and most 9 00:00:30.039 --> 00:00:35.079 prestigious tea companies in London is Fortenham and Mason, and 10 00:00:35.159 --> 00:00:40.240 they had this incredible store near Piccadilly Square, And so 11 00:00:40.320 --> 00:00:42.320 when I was there, I had a friend with me. 12 00:00:42.399 --> 00:00:44.039 He goes, dude, you gotta have some of these cookies. 13 00:00:44.320 --> 00:00:47.200 They have these cookies. They're like they're the inside is 14 00:00:47.200 --> 00:00:50.560 like scones, but they completely cover them in thick chocolate, 15 00:00:50.600 --> 00:00:53.159 which you know I love chocolate so much. Right. They 16 00:00:53.159 --> 00:00:57.039 were so incredible and I bought two different kinds. They 17 00:00:57.079 --> 00:00:59.359 were so incredible, And this store is huge, it's like 18 00:00:59.479 --> 00:01:02.759 five stores, worries, it's all snacks and tea. It's incredible, right, 19 00:01:03.119 --> 00:01:09.040 and very expensive. I loved them so much. I called 20 00:01:09.079 --> 00:01:10.439 my wife I was going to try to bring them 21 00:01:10.439 --> 00:01:12.239 home and I couldn't help myself ate them all right, 22 00:01:12.319 --> 00:01:14.799 So on this trip I was on, so I told 23 00:01:14.840 --> 00:01:16.840 my wife. I was like, oh, Bonnie, these are incredible. 24 00:01:16.879 --> 00:01:19.400 They're just they're amazing. I've never had a cookie better 25 00:01:19.439 --> 00:01:21.760 than this cookie. And you know, the tea was good 26 00:01:21.799 --> 00:01:25.319 everything else. And so I got home and I ordered 27 00:01:25.680 --> 00:01:28.879 two boxes of cookies. They have ten cookies in each one, 28 00:01:29.400 --> 00:01:31.439 and I didn't even look at the price. And then 29 00:01:31.480 --> 00:01:33.879 my wife was like, hey, how come we had a 30 00:01:33.920 --> 00:01:38.480 fifty six dollars order from from a tea company in 31 00:01:38.560 --> 00:01:41.920 London on the thing. So I paid fifty six dollars 32 00:01:41.959 --> 00:01:44.239 for twenty cookies cookies. 33 00:01:44.519 --> 00:01:46.959 That's great, it's pretty expensive. 34 00:01:46.959 --> 00:01:49.680 They were so good though, so good, and I'm not 35 00:01:49.680 --> 00:01:52.959 gonna lie they're gone, yeah of course, yeah, yeah, Well, 36 00:01:52.959 --> 00:01:55.280 I mean that's what you do. So your your little 37 00:01:55.359 --> 00:01:59.079 royal uh introduction there. I was just thinking. I was 38 00:01:59.159 --> 00:02:02.079 just thinking if we had your little pinkies were up 39 00:02:02.079 --> 00:02:03.799 and we were eating a little chocolate cookie. 40 00:02:03.640 --> 00:02:05.120 You immediately started tasting cookies. 41 00:02:05.280 --> 00:02:07.040 Absolutely absolutely, that's right. 42 00:02:07.480 --> 00:02:10.960 Just from my greeting. Hey, we're gonna do a segment 43 00:02:11.080 --> 00:02:13.919 that Desiree has put together. This is something I've never 44 00:02:14.000 --> 00:02:16.879 seen before, and I got to be honest, I just 45 00:02:17.039 --> 00:02:20.080 glanced they had a few seconds ago. I questions, and 46 00:02:20.199 --> 00:02:22.840 I'm not certain we're going to repeat this. 47 00:02:23.199 --> 00:02:25.120 I tried. I tried not to think too hard about 48 00:02:25.159 --> 00:02:25.439 this one. 49 00:02:25.520 --> 00:02:29.199 So okay, okay, ready, I'll let you go first. Okay, 50 00:02:29.439 --> 00:02:31.840 take turn sharing what you would do in these scenarios. 51 00:02:32.039 --> 00:02:32.759 I'll read the first one. 52 00:02:32.759 --> 00:02:34.680 You're ready, Okay, What would you do? 53 00:02:34.879 --> 00:02:36.560 This is what the segment is called, what would you do? 54 00:02:37.280 --> 00:02:39.159 What would you do if you found out that you'd 55 00:02:39.199 --> 00:02:42.479 been living in a reality TV show for years and 56 00:02:42.680 --> 00:02:47.240 we're only now told what What would I do? Yeah? 57 00:02:47.240 --> 00:02:47.719 What would you do? 58 00:02:50.479 --> 00:02:55.280 Uh? Hire a lawyer and get royalties if that was 59 00:02:55.360 --> 00:02:57.439 the star of a TV show. I just found out 60 00:02:57.439 --> 00:02:59.879 about it because I haven't been getting paid. 61 00:03:00.560 --> 00:03:03.520 That's actually a decent answer. Okay, that's interesting enough. 62 00:03:03.560 --> 00:03:05.439 Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, that's what I would do? 63 00:03:05.560 --> 00:03:05.879 All right? 64 00:03:05.960 --> 00:03:07.919 What would you do? Well? 65 00:03:08.039 --> 00:03:11.360 My first instinct was to say, because the Truman Show, 66 00:03:11.479 --> 00:03:12.719 this is the plot of the Truman Show. 67 00:03:12.800 --> 00:03:16.000 Oh, that's right, who was it? Jim Carry? Yeah, he 68 00:03:16.080 --> 00:03:17.159 found out he was living in it. 69 00:03:17.240 --> 00:03:18.919 He found out he was living in a reality show, 70 00:03:19.159 --> 00:03:20.919 and he did his best to get out of that 71 00:03:21.039 --> 00:03:22.759 reality show to live his life. 72 00:03:22.960 --> 00:03:24.960 Look at you equating everything to a movie. 73 00:03:25.319 --> 00:03:27.000 Well, you went to cookies. 74 00:03:27.240 --> 00:03:33.400 Yeah, that's true priorities. Yeah, you think about movies all 75 00:03:33.439 --> 00:03:35.240 the time. I think about chocolate cookies all the time. 76 00:03:35.479 --> 00:03:39.680 That makes sense that. Yeah, so super sophisticated people here 77 00:03:39.719 --> 00:03:42.759 on this show. That's only the most sophisticated. 78 00:03:44.080 --> 00:03:46.120 Yeah, I just I don't have a great answer for that, 79 00:03:46.199 --> 00:03:47.599 other than you get out of the situation. 80 00:03:47.599 --> 00:03:49.280 All right, Well, then let me try number two. Number 81 00:03:49.319 --> 00:03:52.439 two says what would you do if you were suddenly 82 00:03:52.599 --> 00:03:56.439 followed everywhere by a troop of professional mimes who copied 83 00:03:56.520 --> 00:04:00.879 your every move, professional mimes, your every movie. 84 00:04:01.000 --> 00:04:03.240 This is why I can't figure out this segment. Okay, ready, 85 00:04:03.240 --> 00:04:06.080 here's what I would do. I would do my best 86 00:04:06.159 --> 00:04:08.400 to get away from such said mimes. 87 00:04:08.960 --> 00:04:11.520 Yeah, I would have sworn. You're gonna say you jump 88 00:04:11.560 --> 00:04:12.199 off a bridge? 89 00:04:13.240 --> 00:04:13.439 Yeah? 90 00:04:13.680 --> 00:04:17.199 No, So everything. If you don't know Chris, well, Chris 91 00:04:17.360 --> 00:04:21.800 lives his life in hyperbole. Everything is the best, the biggest, 92 00:04:22.160 --> 00:04:25.839 the most amazing, or it's the single worst thing I've 93 00:04:25.839 --> 00:04:27.759 ever seen in my life, and it makes me want 94 00:04:27.759 --> 00:04:30.120 to jump off a bridge. I mean I've heard that 95 00:04:30.279 --> 00:04:31.920 phrase ten times. 96 00:04:32.079 --> 00:04:34.360 Oh wait, more than ten times. I was gonna say 97 00:04:34.360 --> 00:04:35.839 I've used that phrase one hundred times. 98 00:04:36.319 --> 00:04:38.319 I'm telling you it's the single worst thing I've ever 99 00:04:38.399 --> 00:04:40.040 seen in my life. It just makes me want to 100 00:04:40.040 --> 00:04:42.639 go jump off a bridge. So I would think then, 101 00:04:42.759 --> 00:04:45.720 having ten or having a bunch of mimes following you around, 102 00:04:46.199 --> 00:04:47.639 that you would just jump off a bridge. Yeah, but 103 00:04:47.720 --> 00:04:49.160 the game is called beause that would make them all 104 00:04:49.240 --> 00:04:49.839 jump off the bridge. 105 00:04:49.879 --> 00:04:51.120 Game is called what would you do? And I'm a 106 00:04:51.160 --> 00:04:54.839 real follower on games, so I'm literally trying to answer 107 00:04:55.079 --> 00:04:58.279 because I would not jump off a bridge, right, I 108 00:04:58.360 --> 00:05:00.639 would like I would do my best to figure out 109 00:05:00.720 --> 00:05:01.800 why the mimes are there and. 110 00:05:01.800 --> 00:05:03.720 How cool they would have to jump off the bridge too? 111 00:05:04.680 --> 00:05:06.319 Oh look at you see? 112 00:05:06.399 --> 00:05:08.120 So if you had a parachute and they didn't. 113 00:05:08.519 --> 00:05:10.000 But then they would all get parachutes. 114 00:05:10.079 --> 00:05:11.720 Yeah, okay, Well if you could swim and they couldn't, 115 00:05:12.839 --> 00:05:14.720 how would I know that? I don't know, but you 116 00:05:14.800 --> 00:05:17.800 might get rid of some of us them. Yeah yeah, 117 00:05:17.839 --> 00:05:20.040 you'd be like, you know, signing for that movie, like 118 00:05:20.319 --> 00:05:20.920 can you swim? 119 00:05:21.079 --> 00:05:21.120 No? 120 00:05:22.160 --> 00:05:22.560 I don't know. 121 00:05:23.759 --> 00:05:26.600 All right, that's a crazy one. Okay, okay in the 122 00:05:26.639 --> 00:05:30.199 last one, Thank goodness. What would you do if every 123 00:05:30.279 --> 00:05:32.680 time you entered a room you had to perform a 124 00:05:32.800 --> 00:05:36.000 thirty second dance routine before you can start your day? 125 00:05:37.040 --> 00:05:39.120 Well, I think probably what I would do is. 126 00:05:39.680 --> 00:05:42.040 Perform the thirty second dance routine because it says you had. 127 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:44.000 To you have to. Yeah, but I mean, you want 128 00:05:44.040 --> 00:05:47.439 to be creative and super impressive, and so I'd probably 129 00:05:47.519 --> 00:05:50.800 go back and review the footage from the break dancing 130 00:05:50.920 --> 00:05:54.759 lady from Australia oh wow, from the Olympics Wow, and 131 00:05:55.160 --> 00:05:56.920 maybe work work on some cool. 132 00:05:56.720 --> 00:05:58.439 Movies that the Olympics are done. I got to tell 133 00:05:58.439 --> 00:06:00.920 you this, The only two people I'm gonna remember is 134 00:06:01.079 --> 00:06:03.920 number one, that lady and then the second best shooter 135 00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:05.639 from Turkey that's. 136 00:06:05.839 --> 00:06:08.000 The silver medal guy hand in his podcast. 137 00:06:08.199 --> 00:06:11.319 Yes, those are the only two people remember, you know what? 138 00:06:11.639 --> 00:06:13.079 And Simon that's it. 139 00:06:13.399 --> 00:06:16.040 I think three. I think this is the first time 140 00:06:16.199 --> 00:06:19.519 I didn't watch a single event, not a single event. 141 00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:22.920 So I saw the you know, my kids were watching 142 00:06:22.959 --> 00:06:25.199 a video of that funny that lady dancing. Yeah, and 143 00:06:25.240 --> 00:06:26.800 then I saw the picture of the guy that shooting. 144 00:06:26.920 --> 00:06:28.439 I don't know, I just didn't get into it this year. 145 00:06:28.600 --> 00:06:29.480 Oh yeah, it's weird. 146 00:06:29.759 --> 00:06:29.959 Wow. 147 00:06:30.399 --> 00:06:32.399 I've been really busy though too, so that was part 148 00:06:32.439 --> 00:06:32.600 of it. 149 00:06:32.800 --> 00:06:32.839 Is. 150 00:06:33.480 --> 00:06:35.759 Yeah, you know, I'm driving down the road listening to 151 00:06:35.839 --> 00:06:38.079 sports radio and they're telling you who won medals, and 152 00:06:38.160 --> 00:06:39.600 so at that point I need to go watch the 153 00:06:39.680 --> 00:06:40.560 replay of the metals. 154 00:06:40.839 --> 00:06:42.519 Right. We live in a world of highlights. Yeah, so 155 00:06:42.600 --> 00:06:43.720 you get the highlights. 156 00:06:43.360 --> 00:06:44.519 Already, So that's pretty much it. 157 00:06:45.000 --> 00:06:47.079 It's like the old Cliffs Notes, what would you do? 158 00:06:47.319 --> 00:06:49.079 What would you do if you had to do a 159 00:06:49.160 --> 00:06:51.480 thirty second dance before you walked into the room every 160 00:06:51.519 --> 00:06:52.279 night before you start? 161 00:06:52.480 --> 00:06:56.319 It says had to So, uh, what would I do? 162 00:06:56.560 --> 00:06:59.720 I'd I guess I'd have to do the thirty second. 163 00:06:59.560 --> 00:06:59.839 Dance for. 164 00:07:01.360 --> 00:07:01.680 The end? 165 00:07:01.800 --> 00:07:02.600 Are you a good dancer? 166 00:07:03.519 --> 00:07:05.560 This is why I don't like this segment, Like, I 167 00:07:05.560 --> 00:07:08.160 don't understand the questions what would I do? I guess 168 00:07:08.199 --> 00:07:09.079 I'd do the dance. 169 00:07:09.240 --> 00:07:12.399 Chris isn't feeling very fun today, In case you're wondering. 170 00:07:12.800 --> 00:07:15.560 No, I actually I'm just trying to figure out how 171 00:07:15.600 --> 00:07:16.720 to make this game work. 172 00:07:16.800 --> 00:07:19.040 Okay, this segment, well, we took seven minutes to get 173 00:07:19.040 --> 00:07:20.680 to that point, so we should probably move on. 174 00:07:20.839 --> 00:07:23.879 Okay, Okay, well that's that is our time for games. 175 00:07:24.399 --> 00:07:26.720 For need to move on. Okay, how about the Bible? 176 00:07:26.839 --> 00:07:30.879 There you go. So we are in First Samuel. So 177 00:07:31.000 --> 00:07:33.399 this is the second day of First Samuel. We're going 178 00:07:33.439 --> 00:07:34.639 to jump to chapter three. 179 00:07:34.879 --> 00:07:36.040 Did you say the second day? 180 00:07:36.319 --> 00:07:37.879 Second day in First Samuel? 181 00:07:37.920 --> 00:07:39.120 Oh, the second podcast day? 182 00:07:39.279 --> 00:07:39.480 Yes. 183 00:07:39.680 --> 00:07:41.639 I was like, there's been more than two days. Saman 184 00:07:41.800 --> 00:07:44.240 was born already, he's a young lad. 185 00:07:44.600 --> 00:07:46.759 So he is born. His mom takes him to the 186 00:07:46.800 --> 00:07:51.240 tabernacle when he's five years old. Yeah, and then and 187 00:07:51.720 --> 00:07:54.000 he begins to work for Eli, the high priest. 188 00:07:54.199 --> 00:07:54.360 Yes. 189 00:07:54.600 --> 00:07:56.680 And so in chapter three it says, meanwhile, the boy 190 00:07:56.759 --> 00:07:59.959 Samuel served the Lord by assisting Eli. Now, in those day, 191 00:08:00.360 --> 00:08:03.000 messages from the Lord were very rare, and visions were 192 00:08:03.079 --> 00:08:06.720 quite uncommon. One night, Eli, who was almost blind by now, 193 00:08:06.839 --> 00:08:09.079 had gone to bed. The lamp of God had not 194 00:08:09.240 --> 00:08:11.639 yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the tabernacle 195 00:08:11.680 --> 00:08:16.319 near the ark of God. Suddenly the Lord called out Samuel. Yes, 196 00:08:16.480 --> 00:08:18.360 Samuel replied, what is it? He got up and ran 197 00:08:18.439 --> 00:08:20.759 to Eli. Here, I am, did you call me? I 198 00:08:20.839 --> 00:08:23.199 didn't call you, Eli replied, go back to bed. So 199 00:08:23.319 --> 00:08:26.000 he did. Then the Lord called it out again Samuel. 200 00:08:26.680 --> 00:08:29.480 Then Samuel got up again and went to Eli. Here, 201 00:08:29.519 --> 00:08:31.319 I am, did you call me? I didn't call you, 202 00:08:31.439 --> 00:08:34.600 my son, Eli said, go back to bed. Samuel did 203 00:08:34.639 --> 00:08:36.799 not yet know the Lord because he had never had 204 00:08:36.840 --> 00:08:39.720 a message from the Lord before. So the Lord called 205 00:08:39.720 --> 00:08:41.679 a third time, and once more Samuel got up and 206 00:08:41.720 --> 00:08:43.639 went to Eli, here, I am, did you call me? 207 00:08:44.279 --> 00:08:47.000 Then Eli realized it was the Lord who was calling 208 00:08:47.080 --> 00:08:49.120 the boy, so he said to Samuel, go and lie 209 00:08:49.200 --> 00:08:52.279 down again, and if someone calls again, say speak Lord, 210 00:08:52.480 --> 00:08:55.240 your servant is listening. So Samuel went back to bed, 211 00:08:56.039 --> 00:08:58.879 and the Lord came and called us before Samuel Samuel 212 00:08:59.320 --> 00:09:02.519 and Samuel replied, speak, your servant is listening. Then the 213 00:09:02.559 --> 00:09:04.679 Lord said to Samuel, I'm about to do a shocking 214 00:09:04.759 --> 00:09:06.840 thing in Israel. I'm going to carry out all my 215 00:09:06.919 --> 00:09:09.279 threats against Eli and his family from beginning to end. 216 00:09:09.320 --> 00:09:11.840 And I have warned him that judgment is coming upon 217 00:09:11.919 --> 00:09:14.960 his family forever because his sons are blaspheming God and 218 00:09:15.039 --> 00:09:17.879 he hasn't disciplined them. So I vowed that the sins 219 00:09:17.919 --> 00:09:20.120 of Eli and his sons will never be forgiven by 220 00:09:20.159 --> 00:09:24.080 his sacrifices or offerings. So Samuel stayed in bed until morning, 221 00:09:24.120 --> 00:09:25.799 then got up and opened the doors of the tabernacle 222 00:09:25.799 --> 00:09:28.159 as usual. He was afraid to tell Eli what the 223 00:09:28.240 --> 00:09:30.879 Lord had said to him, but Eli called out to him, Samuel, 224 00:09:30.960 --> 00:09:33.480 my son, here I am. Samuel replied, what did the 225 00:09:33.480 --> 00:09:35.399 Lord say to you? Tell me everything? And may God 226 00:09:35.480 --> 00:09:37.960 strike you and even kill you if you hide anything 227 00:09:38.000 --> 00:09:42.720 from me. So Samuel told Eli everything everything. He didn't 228 00:09:42.759 --> 00:09:46.240 hold back anything. It is the Lord's will. Eli replied, 229 00:09:46.360 --> 00:09:51.399 Let him do what he thinks best. Yeah, wow, Eli, 230 00:09:52.679 --> 00:09:53.960 Samuel had a rough go there. 231 00:09:54.399 --> 00:09:57.080 Yeah, he did. A young man who's put in a 232 00:09:57.159 --> 00:10:01.639 really precarious situation here. Yes, right, so he's we're talking 233 00:10:01.639 --> 00:10:04.240 about the high priest here, I'm talking about the the 234 00:10:04.799 --> 00:10:08.879 soule authority in the temple, and and Samuel's like, what 235 00:10:09.080 --> 00:10:11.200 like a look an intern, right. 236 00:10:11.759 --> 00:10:17.840 And yeah, well probably more like a like a butler, right. 237 00:10:18.120 --> 00:10:20.639 Yeah. Well, it just goes to show you that God's 238 00:10:21.519 --> 00:10:27.159 God's favored doesn't go by title or authority. It goes 239 00:10:27.200 --> 00:10:30.399 by your faith and your heart, doesn't it. It goes 240 00:10:30.480 --> 00:10:33.960 by you know, Samuel loved the Lord. He had a 241 00:10:34.039 --> 00:10:37.559 pure heart. Eli had been warned by God. And by 242 00:10:37.559 --> 00:10:39.279 the way, those are the chapters that we skipped over, 243 00:10:40.320 --> 00:10:43.200 chapter number two. If you go back there and you 244 00:10:43.320 --> 00:10:46.720 go back and read all of chapter two, you'll find 245 00:10:46.720 --> 00:10:48.399 out that his son's how do you say it? I 246 00:10:48.480 --> 00:10:50.360 say Hoffney in Phineas? Is it Hafnai or. 247 00:10:50.360 --> 00:10:51.600 Hafney either way? 248 00:10:51.679 --> 00:10:54.000 Either way? So I used to say Hoftney in Phineas. 249 00:10:54.879 --> 00:10:57.399 But but you know, it actually listed and told us 250 00:10:57.440 --> 00:10:59.919 what they were doing. They were blaspheming God. They were 251 00:11:00.120 --> 00:11:03.480 eating the meat that was being sacrificed at the temple. 252 00:11:03.879 --> 00:11:05.679 So people would come, just so you'll know, and they 253 00:11:05.720 --> 00:11:09.000 bring their sacrifices to God to be you know, given 254 00:11:09.120 --> 00:11:11.960 to God as a sacrifice, and you know, these would 255 00:11:11.960 --> 00:11:15.600 be animals and instead of you know, preparing the bull 256 00:11:15.919 --> 00:11:18.480 or the sacrifice and burning it and giving it to God, 257 00:11:19.320 --> 00:11:21.320 they would eat it. Can you imagine that's like stealing 258 00:11:21.360 --> 00:11:23.399 out of the offering right right? I mean it's like 259 00:11:23.519 --> 00:11:25.519 it's like we don't have another we don't have anything 260 00:11:25.559 --> 00:11:28.919 equivalent today to compare it to as pastors. But that's 261 00:11:29.039 --> 00:11:32.000 really what they're doing. And this was something given to 262 00:11:32.200 --> 00:11:35.320 God right there, and they're eating it. And then it 263 00:11:35.360 --> 00:11:38.000 says that they were having sex with women at the 264 00:11:38.039 --> 00:11:42.120 temple gates. So they were using their influence or their 265 00:11:42.200 --> 00:11:47.799 position and using it for that reason. And so God 266 00:11:47.919 --> 00:11:50.399 warned Eli. He warned Eli, hey, take care of your family. 267 00:11:50.679 --> 00:11:53.240 Eli didn't do it. So we get a sense, don't 268 00:11:53.240 --> 00:11:56.320 we that Eli looks over at Samuel and says, don't 269 00:11:56.320 --> 00:11:58.399 hold anything back. May God kill you if you're holding 270 00:11:58.440 --> 00:12:00.720 the back for me, because Eland knows what it's He 271 00:12:00.879 --> 00:12:04.039 knows that Samuel is going to be afraid to tell 272 00:12:04.159 --> 00:12:07.840 him what the deal is, right, Like, he's thinking, I 273 00:12:07.879 --> 00:12:10.000 know it's coming. Don't you dare hold anything back from me? 274 00:12:10.960 --> 00:12:14.320 Because because Eli knows that God warned him already, and 275 00:12:14.440 --> 00:12:16.759 so Samuel doesn't hold anything back, and he goes, well, 276 00:12:16.919 --> 00:12:19.320 it is what Liz. He knows is coming, and he 277 00:12:19.399 --> 00:12:21.919 knows he deserves it because he didn't obey anything that 278 00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:22.919 God had asked him to do. 279 00:12:23.720 --> 00:12:25.919 Yeah, but poor Samuel, first time he hears from God, 280 00:12:26.720 --> 00:12:29.519 he's like, hey, I need to tell you something about 281 00:12:29.519 --> 00:12:34.120 your boss. Right, that's a rough one. But you know, 282 00:12:34.600 --> 00:12:38.080 God knows what you can handle. And God also knows 283 00:12:38.120 --> 00:12:40.399 what he's developing and planning you, you know, planning for 284 00:12:40.519 --> 00:12:46.279 you in the future. And so you have the promise 285 00:12:46.360 --> 00:12:49.519 from God to Samuel is that God was going to 286 00:12:49.600 --> 00:12:52.559 remove Eli and would make then Samuel be a leader 287 00:12:52.679 --> 00:12:55.879 to the kings. There were no kings yet, right, and 288 00:12:56.000 --> 00:12:58.159 so God was bringing Samuel into this place where he 289 00:12:58.279 --> 00:12:59.879 was going to have to do a lot of hard things. 290 00:13:00.759 --> 00:13:04.879 So you know, God was stretching him. God was challenging him. 291 00:13:05.000 --> 00:13:06.879 God was giving him an opportunity to do a really 292 00:13:06.919 --> 00:13:09.799 hard thing today because he has a whole series of 293 00:13:09.879 --> 00:13:14.600 difficult things he's going to do standing against other blasphemers, 294 00:13:14.919 --> 00:13:19.320 confronting kings, right, really really hard things that he winds 295 00:13:19.399 --> 00:13:22.879 up doing. And so God's prepping him even as a 296 00:13:22.960 --> 00:13:25.759 young man here. So I would say one big lesson 297 00:13:25.840 --> 00:13:27.720 to learn here is don't shy away from hard things. 298 00:13:27.799 --> 00:13:30.000 Do hard things. Yeah, I read a book one time 299 00:13:30.120 --> 00:13:33.320 when I was I I did one time. One time. 300 00:13:33.360 --> 00:13:37.240 I read about when I was in college, I had 301 00:13:37.279 --> 00:13:41.320 a professor that I really looked up to, and I 302 00:13:41.399 --> 00:13:44.759 had gone you know, in high school, in middle school, 303 00:13:44.840 --> 00:13:46.639 high school, I read all the time. We didn't have 304 00:13:46.639 --> 00:13:48.720 a television. Then I went to college and I didn't 305 00:13:48.720 --> 00:13:51.720 read for pleasure at all. I just worked, right, So 306 00:13:51.840 --> 00:13:54.600 I was working a lot of hours. I was tired 307 00:13:54.639 --> 00:13:56.240 all the time. I was sleeping about four and a 308 00:13:56.279 --> 00:14:00.159 half or five hours a night max. And so I 309 00:14:00.279 --> 00:14:02.120 was tired. And so if I'd open a book, I 310 00:14:02.200 --> 00:14:04.559 just fall asleep, right, So what would happen? So other 311 00:14:04.679 --> 00:14:06.799 than studying, I wasn't reading. And then I had this 312 00:14:06.879 --> 00:14:11.879 professor who talked about the wisest people he knew the 313 00:14:11.960 --> 00:14:14.559 most some of the most successful people he knew didn't 314 00:14:14.720 --> 00:14:18.320 just read for you know, to pass a test, but 315 00:14:18.480 --> 00:14:21.559 would read for personal improvement. And I thought, I haven't 316 00:14:21.600 --> 00:14:25.240 read any book for personal improvement forever, right, you know? Now, 317 00:14:25.440 --> 00:14:28.559 in reality, I think when you're in college, you are improving, 318 00:14:28.639 --> 00:14:31.360 you're trying to. I just didn't equate the two. So 319 00:14:31.440 --> 00:14:33.440 I went to him and I asked him this. I said, hey, 320 00:14:33.639 --> 00:14:35.320 what would you read? And he gave me this little book. 321 00:14:35.360 --> 00:14:37.360 It wasn't very big, It's maybe like one hundred pages, 322 00:14:37.480 --> 00:14:39.240 and I think it's out of print now. But it 323 00:14:39.360 --> 00:14:41.879 just it said do hard Things. That was the title, 324 00:14:42.240 --> 00:14:44.440 Do Hard Things. The whole premise was it was this 325 00:14:44.600 --> 00:14:48.000 guy from he seems to be like a World War 326 00:14:48.080 --> 00:14:52.360 two generation guy, you know, and they were just tough, sure, 327 00:14:52.799 --> 00:14:55.320 and he might have been older than the World War 328 00:14:55.399 --> 00:14:57.360 two generation, but it seemed like it was a book 329 00:14:57.360 --> 00:15:00.399 that was written four young men during that time, his 330 00:15:00.519 --> 00:15:04.720 successful business guy. And the whole thing was, whatever hard 331 00:15:04.759 --> 00:15:07.120 thing you haven't done yet, if you're physically capable, go 332 00:15:07.200 --> 00:15:09.919 do it. Go do the hard things. Do the hard things. 333 00:15:10.000 --> 00:15:12.639 The hard things make you harder, they make you stronger. 334 00:15:12.919 --> 00:15:16.200 And it's hard men who sees the world, not soft men. Right, 335 00:15:16.399 --> 00:15:18.919 And so that was the idea, and there is something 336 00:15:19.000 --> 00:15:22.840 to that that God made us a part of even 337 00:15:22.919 --> 00:15:25.519 before the curse. God made us to work. Work is 338 00:15:25.600 --> 00:15:28.279 not a curse. Work was a gift from God. It 339 00:15:28.320 --> 00:15:31.440 gives purpose, and so he put them in a garden. 340 00:15:31.519 --> 00:15:34.120 It's going to be physical work. It's the sweat of 341 00:15:34.159 --> 00:15:37.720 your brow. It's the struggle of work. It's the I 342 00:15:37.799 --> 00:15:39.799 put in all this work and hardly get any harvest 343 00:15:39.879 --> 00:15:44.000 from it. Kind of thing is the curse, but the 344 00:15:44.080 --> 00:15:48.080 work itself. God wanted humanity to be strong, to work hard, 345 00:15:49.039 --> 00:15:53.159 to produce things. And then we tend to the more 346 00:15:53.200 --> 00:15:55.360 successful we get, the less work we try to do. 347 00:15:55.720 --> 00:15:58.320 We try to do softer work, softer and softer and softer, 348 00:15:58.759 --> 00:16:01.679 and so you know, we as a culture, we try 349 00:16:01.720 --> 00:16:03.600 to make things easier, and we try not to have 350 00:16:03.759 --> 00:16:06.399 to say the hard thing. We try to learn not 351 00:16:06.679 --> 00:16:09.600 how not even to we try not even to learn 352 00:16:09.639 --> 00:16:11.639 how to say the hard thing. We try to avoid 353 00:16:12.080 --> 00:16:16.799 the hard things, and instead I think that maybe, you know, 354 00:16:16.960 --> 00:16:19.480 in this situation with Samuel, Samuel says, or God says 355 00:16:19.519 --> 00:16:22.759 to Samuel, I'm going to tell you something that's going 356 00:16:22.799 --> 00:16:25.480 to be hard. But God trusted him with it, and 357 00:16:25.519 --> 00:16:27.320 then all he had to do is be faithful to 358 00:16:27.480 --> 00:16:30.120 do that hard thing, and then God set him up 359 00:16:30.200 --> 00:16:34.320 for an incredibly successful ministry for a very long period 360 00:16:34.320 --> 00:16:35.000 of time in his life. 361 00:16:35.759 --> 00:16:39.000 You know. One of the things I love about this story, 362 00:16:39.120 --> 00:16:41.320 it's one of my favorites in the Old Testament actually, 363 00:16:42.039 --> 00:16:45.080 because there's a lot of application to this. So you 364 00:16:45.120 --> 00:16:47.960 think about Samuel, or think about Eli. Eli is a 365 00:16:48.039 --> 00:16:51.200 person who should have known better. Here's Samuel. He's just 366 00:16:51.399 --> 00:16:55.159 he's literally just one. You know, I want to say, 367 00:16:55.200 --> 00:16:58.159 it's really a wall. It's a wall of some kind. 368 00:16:58.240 --> 00:17:00.799 It's probably not a it's a it's a curtain, but 369 00:17:00.840 --> 00:17:04.599 it's a very thick curtain, right, Yeah, But he's one 370 00:17:04.799 --> 00:17:07.240 curtain away from the Holy of Holies. So the Ark 371 00:17:07.319 --> 00:17:09.680 of the Covenant is right there, you know, Here's here's 372 00:17:10.119 --> 00:17:13.359 you know, Samuel sleeping in a chamber. That's that's just 373 00:17:13.480 --> 00:17:15.640 outside of there. And all of a sudden he hears 374 00:17:15.680 --> 00:17:19.759 Samuel Samuel and Eli now did say that God hadn't 375 00:17:19.799 --> 00:17:22.799 spoken in a long time, visions were rare. But at 376 00:17:22.799 --> 00:17:24.759 the same time, Eli is an old man. He's so 377 00:17:24.839 --> 00:17:27.680 old that his eyes could barely work. He's almost blind 378 00:17:27.720 --> 00:17:31.000 by now. So Eli was old, he was wise, He 379 00:17:31.079 --> 00:17:33.200 had all the wisdom and experience that a high preesch 380 00:17:33.200 --> 00:17:37.640 should have. Eli should have known better. So if somebody 381 00:17:37.759 --> 00:17:40.559 calls the first instinct that Eli should have had is well, 382 00:17:40.599 --> 00:17:42.839 that must be God because it wasn't me, right, But 383 00:17:43.160 --> 00:17:45.960 he doesn't. He says, no, we're the only two in here. 384 00:17:46.240 --> 00:17:49.039 It wasn't me. You're hearing things go lay back down, 385 00:17:49.200 --> 00:17:50.920 And then he doesn't even recognize it the second time. 386 00:17:50.960 --> 00:17:53.160 You know what that means to me. It means that 387 00:17:53.359 --> 00:17:56.599 Eli is so far removed from the ways and the 388 00:17:56.680 --> 00:17:59.680 works of God he hasn't even recognized God's works anymore. Right, 389 00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:02.119 we already know he's callous. We already know he's you know, 390 00:18:02.279 --> 00:18:06.720 ignored God's warnings about disciplining his sons. He's allowing his 391 00:18:06.839 --> 00:18:09.880 sons to run all over them to develop a bad reputation, 392 00:18:09.920 --> 00:18:13.319 which reflects bad on him. So here's Eli. He's not 393 00:18:13.519 --> 00:18:17.319 heard God's call in a very, very long time. And 394 00:18:17.440 --> 00:18:20.640 so maybe that's you. Maybe you're listening to the podcast 395 00:18:21.160 --> 00:18:23.640 and you're at home and you're like, man, it's been 396 00:18:23.680 --> 00:18:27.319 a long time since I've really heard from God. I'm 397 00:18:27.400 --> 00:18:30.480 around the things of God, I go to church, but 398 00:18:30.799 --> 00:18:33.559 my personal relationship with God is not very strong. I 399 00:18:33.599 --> 00:18:37.200 would just say, you know, you know, just be like Hannah, right, 400 00:18:37.640 --> 00:18:40.680 fall to your knees, pray, pray earnestly. And then then 401 00:18:40.720 --> 00:18:43.599