247: Harry Tennant - Exhortation: Hills and Valleys

Automatically transcribed. Accuracy is good but not perfect, and words are sometimes wrong. Trust the audio over the text.

1. 0:00

   Welcome to good for selfie and talks. I’m Levi and I’m Chris and I’m Brian, thank you for joining us this week. On this podcast, we select one taco week to help us get the Bible in our daily news feed. We post a new episode of the start of each week with a short intro before. Hand to kind of set the stage for the talk. You’re about to listen to and now let’s talk more about this week’s talk.

2. 0:49

   This week’s last is an exhortation given by Brother. Harry tenant, we don’t have a year on this, so this class was sent to us as a suggestion. But I do think it was probably given in Sydney. He mentions two things which will here, which I think is evidence and it just feels like a class is giving to a I guess for an audience to him.

3. 1:10

   It’s a fantastic excitation. It’s a kind of a study on the concept of Hills and Valleys and how God is our God when we are high and when we are low, he is still with us kind of and he kind of goes into the Temptations that we have. When life is going good for us or when life is going, you know, not not our way. And yeah, it’s really beautiful.

4. 1:38

   And I was what I was listening to it. I was trying to think of, you know why, what is it about brother Harry? That is so good. I mean, we many of many, many people who are listening to this podcast, might have memories of hearing him in person or, you know, or have heard him before on the show.

5. 1:56

   This is his third or fourth time on the podcast. And I think it I think it is because we do you know in organizing and working on this we do a lot of we listen to a lot of talks and I think it’s that his content like his his study and his command of scripture is is definitely in the a level like he is. And he does it in this in this class. He, he weaves together a couple of verses that are really cool, I mean, a couple different concepts that, you know, that would be worth noting in your Bible, but I think What’s really striking about him is his use of words. So kind of his his writing or his poetry, his kind of poetic style and, and that with his use of volume and presentation. Like, that is, what is I think, top shelf, top level in what I could learn or many could learn from his example, but then also he’s so relatable.

6. 2:57

   And he says, a couple of things in this excitation. you notice just two or three, very personal stories that make him on the level with the audience and he’s and he’s doing that and I think he was like that as a person, I had one interaction with him as a child, he was in it was at Simi Hills and I think it was the late 90s or very early 2000s and I was maybe 10 11, 12 range and was introduced to him and and just in that minute, you know, you just you get the These first impressions with certain people were, this is a person who, you know, who genuinely cares about you. I’ve said that I’ve said this a lot of times in my life since I think you can really tell the quality of people for how they treat children.

7. 3:44

   I think there’s a special Warmness to people who, you know, who are willing to reach down and get on the level with a, with a child, and I think so maybe that’s a bias because I had this one experience and then I listened for that in his classes. But, but I think that is true from everything I’ve heard about, who he was as a person.

8. 4:06

   And I think that holds in this class, this was just an absolutely beautiful exhortation, definitely eggs are Tate of, you know, a very uplifting and also lots to think about but also I think just a treat to spend 20 minutes, listening to this person who was a big servant to to the core self and community and into our Lord Jesus and his father.

9. 4:32

   So very excited to share this one. I think it’s a classic and I’m excited. I hope it’s hope. It’s useful to anyone who gets it. We thankful to the sister who sent this one in and here is Hills and Valleys by Harry tenant in the first book of kings and a chapter 20, if you would like to look, they’re not what you imagined to be a likely place for a word of exhortation. It’s one of those.

10. 5:00

    Sections of the Old Testament where war between Israel and her neighbors. Causes us to imagine that the record is well somewhat unsatisfying. But of course this is the word of God and it’s never like that. And in verse 20 of this chapter, we go right in First Kings, 20 8:20 and a Slough. Everyone his man and the syrians fled and Israel pursued them. And then, hey, Dad the king of Syria escaped, On a horse with the Horseman and the king of Israel went out and smoke the horses and chariots and through the syrians with a great small town, and the prophet came to the king of Israel and said unto him, go strengthen thy self and Mark and see what thou doest for at the return of the year.

11. 5:46

    The king of Syria will come up against the and the Servants of the king of Syria, said unto him, their gods are gods of the Hill. Therefore they were stronger than we. Let us fight against them in the plane and sure. My wish would be stronger than they verse 28. And they came a man of God and spake unto the king of Israel and said, thus, saith the Lord.

12. 6:08

    Because the syrians have said the Lord is God of the hills that he’s not God Of The Valleys. Therefore, will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand and you shall know that I am the Lord, very primitive mind. Those syrians had resonance is just a very primitive mind to imagine that the Lord God of Israel could beat them on the Hills, but he couldn’t beat them in the Dallas and we smile in our two and a half Millennia later that people could have had such a primitive mind.

13. 6:42

    As to imagine that God is powerful in the Hills, but he’s not powerful in the valleys. And yet this was not. So primitive a mind as you might imagine what only has to bring this small incidents to today. And to remember that, At times, when Brethren and sisters, say that when all goes well, God is wisdom when something which smites them brings them down.

14. 7:09

    Then they ask is the Lord amongst us or not. So the Lord, his god of the hills, but is he got of the valley? There’s not a brother alive, anywhere in all our world, who doesn’t have Hills and Valleys did use our Human Experience, indeed. This is one of the great trials and Joy’s about living, Before God. Oh, come on, Let Us Praise the Lord together. Enter into his gates, with Thanksgiving and with praise. And we danced with joy, with the psalmist and understand exactly what he means.

15. 7:41

    All people that on Earth, dude. Well, sing to the Lord, with cheerful voice. We know the in the Psalms well enough, and we fear our own Hearts climbing to the top of the hill and looking out in joy, and in delight and prays before God indeed, this is how it should be. God intends us to have Who they are part of our spiritual experience before. God a baptism, a marriage, a sudden relief from disease, and our hearts crime to the top and look out and all our sorrows fall away.

16. 8:14

    And we stand before God in thankfulness is not for nothing that the Great Men of God in the Old Testament and the new resorted to Mountains from time to time. It’s not for nothing that God chose Mountains from which to make his revelation. They represent in some way the elevation of spirit but of course elevation brings it trials. It’s Temptation, it’s danger.

17. 8:37

    The brother who gets a new job called into the manager’s office. I’ve decided to promote you Williams are, that’s the moment, a Temptation, not to take the job, what he does with it when he gets it. The student who graduates of University, the girl who finds she thinks by her own, finding an excellent start, Partner and has perhaps somewhat on which to congratulate her.

18. 9:01

    So all these are blessings. How do we use them? Come to the 40th. The second chapter of Isaiah and see how the prophet. Now gives us here, A word of warning and a word of helped the second coming of the Lord. Jesus Christ is designed to produce a change a change. So vast in human Affairs, that is described here in a whole variety of pictures. In the second chapter of Isaiah.

19. 9:27

    We begin Example at first 10 enter into the Rock and hide the in the dust for fear of the Lord. And for the glory of his majesty, the lofty looks of man shall be humbled and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.

20. 9:45

    For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one. That is proud and lost their and when everyone that is lifted up and he shall be brought low and upon all the Cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up and upon all the oak. Observation and upon all the high mountains and upon all the hills that are lifted up and upon every high tower and every pencil war and upon all the ships of tarshish and upon all present pictures, and the loftiness of man shall be bowed down and the haughtiness of men shall be made low and the Lord alone to be exalted in that day and the idols.

21. 10:21

    Shall he utterly abolished? The can be no doubt about what the property is trying to get over to us here. And if we Take the message today. We should be amongst those who at this time will be desolate before the Lord. The second chapter of eyes are, you know, very well begins. But in the last days, the mountain of the house of the Lord should be established in the top of the mountains and All Nations shall flow unto it.

22. 10:44

    This is the north exalted. And all these other things that have exalted themselves against God, will be brought down. And every man has to look when he comes to the breaking of bread, to his own heart, to see, what elevations he has against. God, which are idolatry. I remember my wife and I lived in Scotland runs and we had a house that overlooked the Estuary to the river Tay and I used to read this second chapter of Isaiah where it says that the Lord of hosts shall be against all present pictures. The window was so delightful to look out from lot that we idolize their house.

23. 11:21

    The time came and we had to leave it. We left it with tears. You know how it is. How attack you get and the chat. Came back to my mind. Again, there are things which we become attached to in this life, which have to fall away in our service to God in our moving from place to place. And if we’ve got things elevated, if you elevate, your wife to the detriment of the Lord, Jesus Christ, your home, your job, your career yourself.

24. 11:49

    And that’s the greatest danger. If you’re just an idle on a Mountaintop then come down before, it’s too late, the Mountaintop Fox spiritually. Speaking, the exhilaration is to broaden the view. You don’t go into The Valleys to get a broader view. We’re intended in the mountains to get a wider view of life. Let’s take advantage of this morning so to do in our gathering together as a family, a large family, a small family part of the larger family of God. But finally they will be revealed in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ and so it is with our experiences from time to time.

25. 12:25

    Some this morning’s this morning are on the hill. Some summer down, deep in The Valleys the balance. Where there is no life where the fission seems to be restricted on the show. Cramp, and we wonder we wonder sometimes whether God has left a specialized, whether the valets are a punishment, whether we are Forsaken and I would like, especially in the feelings of one or two, this morning, who are experiencing that, which comes to every family.

26. 12:58

    Sometimes sooner than later, a feeling of intense sorrow of loss, is got nearer? Or is he further away? What our answer to be? Come to the 95th song.

27. 13:16

    In Psalm, 95 bow, just one of the nature Psalms, you know, in the Old Testament. So some people would have us believe that the psalmist was merely looking at nature. The psalmist never looked at nature without looking at God, never in all his sitting force of nature. He’s not just describing the Crimson Sunset, the green of trees, the rush of rivers, the breath of wind, the glory of the sun Lautner’s everywhere. You will find him on every occasion, taking To bring forth his God.

28. 13:48

    So verse 10 come let us sing unto the lon it is. Make a Joyful Noise to the rock of our Salvation. Let us come before his presence with Thanksgiving, and Make, a Joyful Noise unto him with Psalms. For the Lord is a great God. When the Great king above all gods in his hand, to the place, the are the Deep places of the earth, strength of the hills is his also to see, is he made it his Transformed the dry land. And so we go on and the kind of monotonous repetition of nature but Brethren and sisters, the psalm is alive with meaning. He’s not talking only about nature and I think some of us sometimes read our Bibles with our eyes closed and our heart cut fast.

29. 14:34

    Designation here powerful. See it verse 4 in his hands of the deep places of the earth when we’re in the His hands are underneath, you can’t fall through. It’s the cup of his hand and none consistent. From my father’s hands. Says, Jesus taking up the door, and sometimes we imagine that our safety is the hilltop.

30. 15:01

    And our desolation, the valley. It’s only. We can remember that beneath the God’s hands. We shall never fall through. You’re in perfect safety. Underneath are the Everlasting Arms. Resting God. In The Valleys, The Valleys of the place of growth that the price of chastisement, the places of decision, they are in ordinary life.

31. 15:25

    You fly over land, something like this land and have a look at it. A land that is smitten with drought. You see the ribbons of green amidst, the brown Earth. And where are they on the Mountaintop? Of course, not in The Valleys. Where do people cross over from one place to another from Mountaintop to Mountaintop? No in The Valleys.

32. 15:45

    These are the places of Vision. Affording the fussing over a man who enters into that into The Valleys in his life will find that. These are the places of opportunity go to the 84th Sam. You see it here says for a little more clearly, at least little more clearly after a moment or two, not all that. Clear to begin with.

33. 16:06

    Marvelous song, we could spend all morning all day in this Psalm and not exhaust. Its meaning, I know some of us have come here this morning. Just as little cameras outside people, we feel that we’re only only little in the truth. Well, that’s how all of us should feel but I know sometimes many of us feel inadequate. Of course, the meeting couldn’t get on without those who are on the platform.

34. 16:30

    We think the worship Springs from all of us and God has designed his word. Had to take care for all of us, every one of us. And if you look at the opening of this Psalm, you may not have look carefully before you see something where God is trying to teach us. You know, there are so many Brethren and sisters who imagine that the depth of the word of God has to be in a kind of way, got out of a mine that there must be some special equipment by which Treasures from the word of God should be extracted.

35. 17:03

    Now, this is quite true, there are pressures in the word. Not in this way to be hunted out. It is the glory of God to conceal a matter on the honor of Kings to find it out. It is quite true, but God didn’t write his word. In that way, you didn’t write the gospels in that way. He’s written his word in a way where even the simplest mind can glean something if only we will keep our eyes open. So you may not have seen this this very simple lesson here brother and sister.

36. 17:30

    Once you’ve seen it, you say that’s it. I don’t mind which I am of those two, I’m safe. Look in verse two. Then my so long as ye even fainted for the courts of the Lord, my heart and my flesh, try it out for the Living God. Well, that’s the cry and if it doesn’t do that, they were not among the children of God.

37. 17:49

    Yay! The sparrow of found in house and the swallow, a nest for herself where she may lay her young even thine altars, O Lord of hosts my king and my God, which are you Espero or swallow? It doesn’t matter. Some of us have got to be sparrows. That’s how we are made and some will be swallows, but both of them find a place before God. Some of us are going to be large vessels and some of us are going to be small, you can’t put drops in your eye from a bucket. There are times when the small vessel must be used on. There are times when the large vessel must be used, and God uses both the sparrow and the swallow, are you go through the word of God?

38. 18:33

    And you’ll find him constantly telling you this. Looking, but he might think of a sparrow and think of the swallow provided, we are in God’s caught by his Tabernacles at his altar, we should be safe. So brother. If you’re only a sparrow God called you and brother, if your swallow be careful that you don’t fly away, hear the word of God, become a little further in this Psalm because there is a beauty here about The Valleys that have to come out, has to come out for us, is in verse 4 onwards.

39. 19:00

    It’s not very clear in the authorized version. I’m sure you will agree blessed. Are they that? Dwell in thy house. So that’s clear enough, they will still be praising thee. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee in, whose heart are the ways of them are very clear, is it that hunt that for a little while to find out its meaning, just listen to the touch of the revised version, brings it out marvelously. Blessed is the man whose strength is in the in whose heart are the highways messiaen, what a transformation property, highways design.

40. 19:35

    In your heart, for the highways of Sydney, which are they you know your weight is dire better than your way about your own City or not. Do you do I know my way to Zion better than I know my London. This is the question is your heart filled with the highways of Zion?

41. 19:53

    Is it directed? There are we turning it fast every day or are we groveling in the great cities of the world with that interminable squalor of immorality. Their utter Christmas. They have. No hope that without God in the world. If they haven’t got something to the highways desire. How about verse 6 who passing through the Valley of Baca they make it a well, the rain also Phyllis the pool again, not very clear. No, but listen again to the revised version and you find it just nicked, something out for us who passing through the valley of weeping they make it a place of Springs. Yeah.

42. 20:34

    The early rain Covers it with blessings and haven’t you noticed this? But you can get to Brethren two sisters hit by identical trouble. And the reaction is so different. You get the brother who becomes bitter in his soul, everything is now, turned sour for him. And the sister who hit by the same trouble, suddenly produces a sympathetic, sweetness of understanding. That when others have trouble, they go to her. This is Island on which side do you go when your Trials, Come bitter complaining or are you malleable in God’s fingers? Can he change your shape pattern? You know you a new draw you out before him. Well here’s the lesson.

43. 21:22

    There are some of us who just catch out tears in great buckets, underneath our eyes and there are some of us who take out two years and make them Water of Life for other people who have to the bitterness of our experience produce. Refreshing for others. You will never get companionship from a man who lives all the time.

44. 21:41

    On the top of the mountains. It’s the man whose walk through the valet walk through the valley. That’s Thomas scripture, isn’t it? Yes. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want yay, though. I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. I will fear. No evil for thou art with me. And here it is.

45. 22:02

    The Lord is with us in our valleys, all weepy Through his ballet Brethren and sisters. We now come to the breaking of bread and our minds passed from our own Hills and Valleys, we come to those of the Lord and Master Jesus Christ, the son of God, who himself, had his valid and his mountains, the Mount of Olives, the Mount of transfiguration, you remember them, these moments. He spent with God, didn’t Mountaintop and he had his balance deep dark, Dreadful of all died, Dreadful ax O Lord. We sang it this morning, and this is the most Dreadful that we.

46. 22:39

    Now remember the death of the Son of God. He wasn’t president sisters crucified in a valley. They couldn’t do that. And I, if I be lifted up will draw all men unto me. He’s Valley was a mountain. He transformed it it’s only an inversion that’s all man in his magnificence of spirit, the deepest possible declare ever see in his life. Came the highest elevation that man has ever known. Witness this very moment with his, he calls us to himself. Had started to give Jerusalem down here in its Southwestern corner where the river key drawn road closed. The Mount of Olives.

47. 23:21

    Stand on this side round, here is the other Valley Valley, which is gehenna, you’ve got to make your choice. I’ve got to make my choice. Where am I going to end in that Valley of Destruction when everything is thrown out of the city? Or do I go into this with him and share his sorrows and become acquainted with his grief?

48. 23:41

    Do I have fellowship with his sufferings with like that? I might know the power of his resurrection. If so then I shall understand when that last day we stand before him and he looks upon us with eyes that Brook. No Veil upon our heart. What do we say before him? My beloved is the rose of Sharon.

49. 24:05

    And I am the lily of the valley. Thank you for listening to the good christadelphians talks podcast. We hope this talk helped you in your walk. If you would like to hear more, please subscribe for new episodes and leave a review and apple podcast or whatever service you are using to help more people find the show when they search for it. If you enjoyed this particular talk, please share it with someone who you think might enjoy it as well for show notes on the talk.

50. 24:43

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51. 25:06

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