389: Peter King - Undesigned Bible Coincidences

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

1. 0:03

   Welcome to Good Christophian Talks. Thank you for joining us this week on this podcast. We select one talk a week to help us get the Bible in our Daily News feed. Each week we post a talk that we previewed from suggestions sent in by listeners from around the world. Then we record a short intro beforehand as a personalized recommendation to you on why we are sharing the talk. And now let’s talk more about this week’s talk. This week’s talk is by Brother Peter King. It was a midweek Bible class given in 1997 at the Los Angeles Ecclesia titled Undesigned Bible Coincidences which shares the title with a book which he describes in the beginning of the of the class.

2. 0:49

   It was in the run up to, I believe a study day that he gave later that same week that we also mentioned in episode 16. This is Brother Peter’s 5th episode. I’ve got them here, episode 16151 two 77 and 356 and it’s it’s a classic Peter King class on lots of humor, lots of kind of wit as he. I think it really makes the great point of kind of the joy and fun that you can have in Bible study and shows a lot of really interesting examples.

3. 1:19

   These undesigned coincidences of two different passages kind of joining together to add more color and background to to the story, which he does a lot. I think again, that’s very much a Peter King thing to kind of expand the story, maybe even suppose or or or have a you know, a theory about maybe some background. But but here he’s using a lot of scripture to to show that, to show that and support that very fun class Really, I think transits well to the podcast and I’m excited to share it. So here it is, undesigned Bible coincidences by brother Peter King.

4. 1:56

   Your brethren and sisters at the Birmingham West Ecclesia have asked me to bring their love to you and and this I do very gladly. There are young people present with us tonight, and with the permission of the Greybeards among us, I would like first of all to address the young people, if we may. So for those of you who know the chapter and verse which I shall have in mind ever before we reach there, I ask you to bear with us in patience.

5. 2:37

   Perhaps we shall, if time permits, dig a little deeper as the evening progresses. But first of all to the young people, if we may. Bible coincidences form the basis of the beginning of Bible study. In my opinion. They are very exciting. You know, when we talk about Bible study at home, the young people to whom we speak often think you’ve got to be at least 90 years old, have absolutely no sense of humour, never smile, don’t enjoy religion, certainly don’t enjoy religion and then you’re halfway to being a Bible student.

6. 3:24

   May may I have no knowledge of the ability of young people in North America, but may I just hit that idea on the head right away. Bible study can be very good fun and I truly mean that. You do not have to have a long face. You have to be able to enjoy your religion. Not like the the Pharisees in the day of Jesus. Do you remember them, the Pharisees in the day of Jesus? They, they painted their faces grey to give the impression of, of, of, of dolefulness.

7. 3:57

   They put ashes on their head lest anybody think they might be enjoying their rigid religion. And they said, look, we must be, we must be pleasing to God. Look how miserable we are. Well, they were about as far away from the truth as it’s possible to get one day. Let’s not let our religion affect us like that. Where there is a saying in England, I’m not sure whether it’s reached this far.

8. 4:22

   This man is they, they point out religious folk and they say this man is just sufficiently religious to make him miserable. Well, we, we want to know nothing of that. We are, we are happy folk with a keen sense of humour, a love of the Bible and undesigned Bible coincidences make a superstar to Bible study. I’m I’m indebted to a gentleman whose name is Blunt, who wrote a book called Undesigned Bible Coincidences. It went out of print.

9. 4:52

   It has subsequently been not reissued by, but republished by the Christadelphian Office. And if you’ve never had one or you haven’t got one on your ecclesial bookshelf, talk to your CYC leaders or your Sunday school leaders and say, will you please get this book for our, our cast or our group? Blunt undesigned Bible coincidences.

10. 5:13

    I recommend it to you. The English is a bit archaic when you, when you come to it, you have to read it about four times before you know what he’s talking about. But but it’s, it’s well worth doing and it will whet your appetite for Bible study. It really will. I recommend it to you highly. But a word of a word of caution.

11. 5:31

    Don’t be satisfied with what Mr. Blunt tells you. Look, look for Bible coincidences yourself because it is only when you do that, it is only when you find these what I call gems the, the, the, the Bible comes to light. And it’s good fun to look for them because you have to have a, a passing knowledge of the word. And for that reason we encourage you to read also. Well, a coincidence is when two or more things happen that have not been designed.

12. 6:05

    If, if I see someone whom I’ve not seen for 10 years in the street of a strange town, I say what a coincidence meeting you here. You see, the meeting has not been arranged. It’s it’s just happened. And that’s what we’re going to look for in the Bible this evening. Things that have happened without design by coincidence. Can I just start off with a very simple one? First of all, you won’t need your books for this. I mean, it’s, it’s so easy.

13. 6:35

    This, this one you will know all about, I’m sure. But this, this will set the pattern for what we’re going to do this evening. I can’t see that clock very easily, but I’m sure I’ve got a very lively president behind me who’ll reach over and pull my coat or kick me when we come near the time for stopping. So we won’t go on too long.

14. 6:55

    When King? Well, now I’ll just rephrase that. When David, he wasn’t king at the time. To which I bring you, When David, the king to be of Israel, God’s people, was being chased across the Judean hills by by Saul, his father-in-law, he moved his parents away from Bethlehem. Do you remember his thinking went like this?

15. 7:26

    I suppose if Saul is so keen to put his hands on my neck, if I were King Saul, what action would I take? If I couldn’t lay my hands on David? Perhaps I would put my hands on someone who was near and dear to him and say, surrender yourself, otherwise it’s too bad for these people whom you love. He loved his parents, Jesse and his mother very much. And so David trying to enter into the mind of this psychopath, this idiot king Saw trying to get into his mind, said I better protect my mother and my father lest Saw lays his hands on them and say give yourself up, otherwise it’s too bad for your parents.

16. 8:15

    And so he takes his parents away from the relative safely of Bethlehem and puts them somewhere else. Strange thing is he puts them in Moab. Now that’s absolutely crazy because Moab and Israel were at war with each other, and the Bible doesn’t tell us why David did it. It’s a bit like I’ll have to quote you an example from the United Kingdom because my knowledge of North America is poor.

17. 8:48

    But it’s rather like me being worried about relatives of mine in Birmingham, England, where we have some violence and saying to my relative, look, I’m going to take you away from the relative safely of Birmingham and put you somewhere else. Not take them to Belfast in Northern Ireland where there’s a bomb going off about every 5 minutes and people are getting shot every 10 minutes. It would be a crazy situation.

18. 9:13

    I’m taking them from somewhere which is a bit dangerous to somewhere where it’s very dangerous. And David did exactly the same it seems on the surface. He takes his parents away from Bethlehem and it takes them to Moab and he says to the King of Moab, look after my mum and dad, will you please? Why did he do it?

19. 9:31

    The Bible doesn’t tell us. But of course, the answer is that David probably had relatives there because Ruth, his great grandmother, came from there. But the Bible doesn’t say if you remember David had relatives in Moab. It just leaves us to find it out. That’s lifted straight from the pages of of Blunt, but here is another one.

20. 9:58

    Let’s let’s have a look at we must open our Bibles. This is a Bible class, isn’t it? So come to John chapter 6, the Gospel of John chapter 6. The incident to which I bring you is the feeding of the 5000 by the Master. Chapter 6 then, and verse 5. When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, When shall we buy bread, that these may eat?

21. 10:35

    And this he said to prove him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered, and gives him the answer. The question is why did the Lord ask Philip? Now I know what you’re going to say. You’re going to say well, peace. The Lord tells us himself in verse 6. This He said to prove him. But why Philip particularly?

22. 10:59

    Why did he want to prove Philip? Do you get the situation? There are 5000 people here and they’ve got nothing to eat. Now, I don’t know who’s on your catering committee at Los Angeles, but I should think you’d need more than 5 minutes notice to serve 5000 people with with something to eat, wouldn’t you? We certainly would.

23. 11:16

    In Birmingham, our catering committee want six months notice to, to, to serve a fraternal gathering. So why does the Lord turn around to Philip and say, do you happen to know where we can buy enough bread to feed 5000 people? And Philip takes him very seriously. He said you’re going to need more than 200 pennies to, to, to, to buy food for this lot, but no bakery is going to have enough bread at that time of day.

24. 11:46

    Are they leftover in the off chance that 5000 people are going to wander by and need feeding? I mean, it’s ridiculous, isn’t it? The point is, why did the Lord Jesus Christ to our young people? Why did the Lord Jesus Christ address his question to Philip? I know he wanted to test him.

25. 12:01

    I know he wanted to try Philip’s faith, but why Philip’s faith? Well, the Gospel of John doesn’t tell us. It doesn’t say in parentheses sometimes. It would be nice if he did, except we wouldn’t be Bible students. He asked Philip because we we need to turn to a couple more passages of scripture before we find the answer. And 1st we come to Luke Chapter 9 remembering what we have found in John chapter 6.

26. 12:30

    We come to Luke Chapter 9 and verse 10 and we find that this is the same account. That is to say, it’s a corresponding account in Luke that we have just read from John’s Gospel, Luke Chapter 9 and verse 10. And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done. And he took them and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city, called Beth Seder. And the people, when they knew it, followed him. And he received them, and spake unto them of the Kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing. And when the day began to wear away, then came the 12. And they said, Send away the multitude. All right, so it’s the same incident, but this time we have learned that the place where they were is called Bethsaida. Now turn to the back to the Gospel of John, but this time chapter 1 and verse 44.

27. 13:32

    Well, verse 43 for connection. The day following, Jesus would go forth into Galilee and findeth Philip and saith unto him, Follow me. Now Philip was of Bethsaida. And so by putting 3 passages of scripture together, we can see why the Lord Jesus Christ would ask Philip the question. We have learned that they were in Bethsaida.

28. 13:51

    Philip was a native of Bethsaida and he if anybody would know where the red shops were. And so the Lord addresses the question to him and that is why. But of course Philip was put on trial as John chapter 6 and verse 6 told us.

29. 14:11

    Just one more if we may, before we just go a little bit deeper. And this is in Matthew chapter 26, which describes to us the the agony of the Lord and his subsequent trial, Matthew chapter 26. I will read 3 verses commencing at 66. What think he They answered and said he is guilty of death. Then did they spit in his face and buffeted him, and others smote him with the palms of their hands, saying Prophecy unto us, thou Christ, who is he that smote thee? Now there’s something wrong there, isn’t there? Young people, do you see what is wrong with with that statement? If we only had one gospel, we would we would run into serious problems there.

30. 15:06

    I mean, the critics would have a field day. They do as it is because they don’t know the book. But do you see the problem? Just just use your imagination, if you will. The Lord Jesus Christ has been brought before these wicked men and they’ve spit on him and they’ve buffeted him. And then someone smites him with a palm of their hand across the face, and they say prophecy unto us, Thou Christ, who is it that smote thee?

31. 15:33

    Well, you wouldn’t have to be a a genius to see who it was, would you? Because you’d just be able to say it was that that person there until you open your book. Also Luke chapter 22 for the corresponding account by this gospel writer of the same incident, Luke chapter 22 and verse 63. And the men that held Jesus mocked him and smote him. And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face and asked him, saying, prophecy, Who is it that smote thee? So by putting the two accounts together, we learned that the Lord Jesus Christ was blindfolded ever before, ever before they smote him.

32. 16:25

    But Matthew isn’t isn’t concerned whether you believe it or not. Matthew is just writing down what he knows to be the truth. He happens to have omitted in his account that they blindfolded him before they struck him. Let’s just go a little bit deeper before we consider other things as well. Why was it, do you think that Amsalom was so successful in his abortive attempt to take the throne from his father David?

33. 17:01

    Why do you think it was? I suggest to you that the the key behind it all is Ahithophel. Ahithophel was the sage. Ahithophel was the wise man in David’s time. David is to say later on, and we’ll come to the verse in a moment, David is to say the the council of Ahithophel which he counselled is as if God had spoken to men.

34. 17:36

    Why? Why do you think it was that Ahithophel went so soon over to Absalom’s camp? It’s a remarkable thing. May I suggest speaking to everybody now that when we read the word of God, we do so with some imagination. Let’s let’s get our minds working. You, you know the apostle Peter is to say, look, let’s have a spring clean in our mind.

35. 18:02

    Gird up the loins of your mind. It’s a lovely expression goes right back to the time of of Elijah when Elijah ran before the chariot of the king. Gird up the loins of your mind. Do you know what he’s talking about? Do you do you know where the expression comes from and why it’s used? I mean, in in those days they had clothes that came right down to their ankles.

36. 18:24

    And you couldn’t run very quickly in clothes like that. So when Elijah ran before the chariot, he girded up his loins. That is to say, he pulled the back through to the front and tied it in a knot on his hip. He released his legs. They were free and he could run. And my word, he ran very quickly. And the apostle Peter says, come on, let’s do this with our minds.

37. 18:45

    Gird up the loins of your mind, blow the cobwebs away. Let’s have a spring clean. Read the word of God with imagination. Enough of this dullness. Just doing your readings and closing the book and putting it back on the shelf. Let’s use our imagination when we read it, shall we? And as you read it, are you not surprised at the reading which our brother did for us this evening by way of introduction to this talk, that Absalom seems to have almost free access, Brother Jim, to to to the city of Jerusalem. I’m, I’m amazed Absalom comes to the gate of the city and he sits in the gate of the city and people come for judgement. And he said, what’s your problem? And then they tell him what the problem is. And he says, would God I were king? Oh, you would.

38. 19:34

    I’m right on your side, Sir. I have every sympathy with your cause. Unfortunately, there’s no man here to judge your case. But if I were in the position of judge, I’m right on your side and I would resolve your problem for you very quickly. A little bit of poetic licence, but I think that’s the kind of thing that he was saying.

39. 19:55

    Read the word of God and then let your imagination run right. Don’t go outside the parameter of of Bible teaching, otherwise you’ll be in trouble. But stay, read the word carefully and, and, and then let your imagination go to work on it. You see all sorts of things. We’ll come to another one perhaps a little later.

40. 20:14

    But Absalom comes into the city and, and, and there, there, there he has free reign to criticize the king, to criticize the King’s judges. Where are they? May I suggest to you that David is very sick at this time? May I suggest that David perhaps has leprosy? It would certainly account for some of the Psalms which he wrote. I am a loathsome person.

41. 20:42

    He says I stink, but my acquaintances are far from me. I count all the bones. I’m like a worm. I’m a terrible man. Oh, I know that they are Messianic, these Psalms, but surely they must at one time have applied to the man who wrote them.

42. 21:02

    I won’t insist on that. I just put it to you as a thought. Certainly David wasn’t where he should have been, nor were his judges. They should have been in the gate to say to Absalom, what are you doing here? As it is, Absalom is allowed free reign to sow subversion among the people, and he’s just waiting to make his move. And then he does.

43. 21:24

    And the hinge behind it all is this man called Ahithophel. Ahithophel was, shall we say, not the Prime Minister, but he was, he was the leading seer in the days of David. If you wanted good advice, I mean, if David wanted to know whether he should attack the Philistines, he, he has to Ahithophel. Hithophel knew all the answers.

44. 21:45

    Wise man. Absalom comes on the scene and he says to Ahithophel, would you like to come and serve in my government? And Ahithophel says, yes, I will. On the surface, I’m amazed that Ahithophel, a man being so loyal to David, should go over to the camp of Absalom with no more than a nod and a wink from the young man. Why do you think he did it?

45. 22:13

    Well, the second book of Samuel doesn’t tell us. Well, he doesn’t tell us in as many words, and it’s only when we find out that we see the significance behind the move of a hithophel. Then, as David is tracing the steps which the Lord Jesus Christ himself will trace shortly, within a few years, relatively speaking, the Master himself would take the same journey that David took out, coming out of the city, weeping as he goes out of the gate, down the hill, across the stream. Kidron ascends the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went. David had taken exactly the same journey, turned out of his own city, typing the Lord Jesus Christ did King David and King David returned in triumph in great glory. And thank God the Master will too. But that’s another subject.

46. 23:11

    So we come to a hit, the film. I bring you then into the Old Testament, to the second book of Samuel. And chapter 15, please. And verse 31, second book of Samuel, chapter 15, verse 31. And one told David saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, Oh Lord, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness. 2nd book of Samuel, chapter 23.

47. 23:59

    Here we have a catalog of David’s mighty men. We’re going to read some of 37 who are listed as being mighty men of David. Verse 34.

48. 24:12

    The last part of the verse, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gylonite, Eliam the son of a Hithophel the Gylonite. Verse 39. Uriah the Hittite. 30 and seven in all. So 2 of David’s mighty men, of which 37 are listed here, are Eliam the son of a Hithophel the Gylonite, and Uriah the Hittite. Come back to Chapter 11.

49. 24:56

    And verse 3 And David sent and inquired after the woman and once said he’s not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Elian, the wife of Uriah the Hittite. Do you see what’s happened? Elian and Uriah, our brother officers 2 of David’s mighty men. Eliam is the is the son of a Hithophel. Uriah then becomes son-in-law to a Hithophel.

50. 25:30

    Bathsheba. Bathsheba is the daughter of Eliam and David Tucker. Bathsheba is the granddaughter of Ahithophel. The generation goes Ahithophel Elian Bathsheba, and because David spoiled Ahithophel’s granddaughter Bathsheba, Ahithophel the wise old man is from that moment waiting to put the knife into David. Can you not imagine it if you have grandchildren? Can can you? And if you haven’t, will you imagine it what it would be like to see this child?

51. 26:20

    You will regard her as a child spoiled by a man who had everything. And from that moment, if you are a Hissophel, you are just waiting for an opportunity to destroy him. And Absalom comes on the scene and he says, will you help me? And he says I certainly will. It isn’t to be wondered that is it, that he now goes over to the camp of of Absalom. But did you notice through the readings what it was Ahithophel advised Absalom to do?

52. 26:58

    He, he says, take the concubines of David, take them up to the roof of the house, and then lie with them in the sight of the sun. And before all Israel, the same sin in the same place that David had done to his beloved granddaughter. And of course, the Word of God doesn’t tell us that in three verses.

53. 27:25

    We need 3 or 4 passages of Scripture to put it together. And I’m thankful that he doesn’t in a way, because it makes the Word of God very much more interesting. Well, it does for me. Maybe stay just with this incident a little while, will you Remember that when David went out of Jerusalem, there was a man who threw stones and dust into the air, threw stones across at David and called him a man of blood. The man’s name was Shimiai.

54. 27:52

    Do you remember? Of course you do you. You’re well taught in in North America, do you? Do you know the town from which he came? You don’t find this in Blunt, do you? Do you know the town? Where? Do you know where he lived? I mean, you can call out if you like. I am many things, but I’m seldom embarrassed. But if if you don’t want to call out, I won’t believe it because you don’t know.

55. 28:18

    It’s because you’re reticent. I understand that as well. Yeah. Well, he came from Behurim. Did Shumiah? Well, he just remember that Shumiah came from Behurim. We need to use our imagination. For this is a little more poetic licence, Mr. Shim.

56. 28:41

    Now, when David was made king over all Israel, that is to say when Benjamin came and joined him, the first thing that he said he wanted was his wife back. His first wife, Michael, Saul’s daughter. There’s very interesting scripture around here. David married Saul. David married Saul’s daughter Michael, and they were very much in love, so much so that when Saul was chasing David, he comes to David’s house with messengers and they knock on the knock on the door and say we have to take David away. Can’t do it, says Michael.

57. 29:23

    He’s very sick. Is he where, where? Come and have a look. And there is an image in in in the bed. She will know and and David tears off. And when the messengers go back to King’s Hall, they say we couldn’t bring you because he’s sick. That’s exactly how I want him, says King’s Hall. He’ll be very sick when I finished with him. Go and fetch him.

58. 29:41

    And of course they uncover the the image and there’s nothing there. And Michael is in very serious trouble for helping David escape. Two people very much in love. I mean, you don’t do that. I shouldn’t think you do, Mr. Chairman. You wouldn’t do that for somebody of whom you’re reasonably fund, which you wouldn’t put your head on the chopping block for somebody of whom you were reasonably fund.

59. 29:59

    You’d have to love them very much to do it, I would think anyway. And so Michael is is taken from the house and she goes back to live in, in, in with King Saul. Saul is so irate with David that he gives Michael away to another man whose name is Faltiel. David wants Michael Beck when he’s made king over the whole nation.

60. 30:31

    Some years have elapsed and we have reason to assume. I suggest to you that Michael and Faltiel are living a happy life. The messengers go to the House of Faltiel, knock on the door and say we want Michael for King David. What? Why should you take my wife? She’s my legal wife. She was divorced. The King Saul divorced her and gave Michael to me. Now we must take her back for King Saul, they say, for King David.

61. 31:04

    So they begin the journey back and you’re in. It’s a it’s a desperately sad situation. Michael is being taken back to King David and foul till her husband. He’s walking behind, weeping as he goes. So shame. Poor fellow. He loved. He loved the girl very much. I don’t doubt she loved him too.

62. 31:27

    Until they reach halfway between where they lived and Jerusalem, which is where David was. And then of course, they didn’t want foul teal turning up in Jerusalem behind his wife weeping. So they said to him, this is turn around time, boy, you must go back home now, otherwise you’ll be in serious trouble. So they turn him around and he goes back and there’s a big scene at the at the place where he’s turned around to go back home.

63. 31:54

    The scene took place. They hear him, and Shumii witnessed it. And Shimiai was a man of Benjamin, as was fowl Teal, as was Michael.

64. 32:11

    And this made a deep impression upon Shimiai, and he remembered it. And so when King David left Jerusalem in something of a disgrace, with Solomon his son, usurping him on the throne, Shimiai was very pleased, because here at last was vengeance for the tribe of Benjamin against this upstart Judaite. And he calls him a man of blood. Of course he’s a man of blood.

65. 32:41

    He took, he took this man’s wife when he already had many, many more. And poor Thalteel, a man of Benjamin, was sent home without his wife.

66. 32:56

    There is a lot more surrounding that situation to which we would come. But I, I would like you please, if you will, to, to join me in a bit of, in a, in a bit of a bit of work for yourselves. I think this steward has some papers which perhaps he could give out, unless he already has done so. Could we give out some papers please? Could we dole them out a paper for everybody? We haven’t got them.

67. 33:29

    Oh, we have. Please, if we could give everybody a paper, I would be glad. And then somebody else can do some work as well as me. Thank you. Very simple exercise. At the end of which we will ask you a question which you will get absolutely right without, without hesitation.

68. 33:53

    OK, most of the most of the work on this paper, this was really prepared for young people. So those who are advanced in years and as Bible students will do it with their eyes closed and left-handed. How about that?

69. 34:13

    You’ll you’ll find it very easy whilst the papers are coming round to you. I’m not sure whether it will be enough for everybody, but we’ve used your photocopy in here to do at least half of them. You do need a pencil or a good imagination and memory whilst they’re coming round to you, these papers. Let me just say that what is what is on on the paper for you is a layout of the camp of Israel. With the why should the president escape? Keep staying quiet.

70. 35:09

    Yes, that that’s how the camp of Israel was with In the northern segment, the three tribes Dan, Ash and Neftali. In the western segment Ephraim, Manasseh, Benjamin, In the eastern quarter Judah, Isika, Zebulun, In the southern portion Reuben, Simeon and Gad. And then came to round the Tabernacle with the three sons of of Aaron, Merari, Gershon and Kohath. And before the eastern side of the Tabernacle came to Moses and Aaron.

71. 35:38

    On the right hand side of your paper you might see Gershon the the the family of Gershon, not the tribe because they were Levites. The family of Gershon were responsible for moving the curtains and hangings. Kohath was responsible for moving the sanctuary, the ark, the table and the altar, that is to say all the holy things of God. And Mirari was responsible for moving when they were in transit, the boards, the bars, the pillars and the sockets, all the heavy weights and, and, and these are the things that they had to move.

72. 36:07

    All the all the above information, it’s very easy to find is is laid out before us in Numbers chapter 2. Now we need to open our Bibles to Numbers chapter 10.

73. 36:24

    And this is a very easy sort of exercise, bearing in mind the time, very easy sort of exercise versus 14 to 16 is the first information that we need. May I just tell you this? It’s always the problem. We know by the chairman, you give people papers and they’re very much more interested in what’s on the paper than what you’re saying.

74. 36:54

    The, the, the, the, I don’t blame you either. Let me tell. I don’t blame you one bit. The, the, the trick is to dole out the papers just at the right time, and I’ve never yet learned it. If somebody knows, I’d be very glad. See, people are far more interested in the papers.

75. 37:09

    When I was at Sunday school, in the capacity of a scholar, I was convinced that God moved his people through the desert as a rebel. You know, you’ve got cows and and sheep and goats and people and carts and all sorts of just creating a huge cloud of dust as they trekked through the desert.

76. 37:27

    It was not like that at all. They moved through the desert with with great orderliness. Thank you very much indeed for doling the papers out and for copying them. Those of you who did, when God moved His people through the desert, it was done with absolute precision. God is not a God of disorder. God is a God of great orderliness, as we shall see. So what I want to do is move those segments from a from the camp and put them in order that they moved. The trumpet was blown and in verse 14 and Numbers chapter 10 in the 1st place went the standard of the camp of the children of Judah according to their armies. So under the under the the heading 14 to 16, you’re right. The tribes Judah, Issacah and Zebulun, you’ll see that there are three spaces in which to write that. And that information is found in Numbers chapter 10 verses 1415 and 16.

77. 38:30

    So in verses 14 to 16, you’re right, Judah, Issacah and Zebulun. And what has happened is these 3 tribes have packed up their tents and they’re now standing in line waiting for the the procession to be completed before they moved off. In verse 17, we we read what happened next. The Tabernacle was taken down and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari set forward bearing the Tabernacle. That’s convenient because you’ve just got 2 spaces under verse 17.

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    And in there you’re right, Gershon and Merari and they were carrying the the heavyweights and they stood behind Judah, Isika and Zebulun. In verse 18 we read of Numbers chapter 10 and the standard of the camp Reuben set forward according to their armies and also with them moved the 2 tribes that were with them, that is Simeon and Gad.

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    After Simeon and Gad, verse 21 of Numbers chapter 10. And the Kohathite set forward bearing the sanctuary. So all the holy things were carried by the Kohathites in verse 21. And you only have one space in which to write Kohath. Verse 22 of Numbers chapter 10. And the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward according to their armies.

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    And with them, of course went Manasseh and Benjamin. And in verse 25. And the standard of the camp of the children of Dan set forward. Dan, Asher and Naftali go in those three spaces there. OK, now if you have completed those six boxes at the bottom of the page, you have moved everyone from the camp. They’re now in a line.

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    The procession is complete, headed headed by the 1st tribe and completed by the last And now the track the the the procession is complete. They can journey forward through the desert. All right. Will you please open your books at Psalm 80 and I will read verses 1 to 2 and then you will perhaps write down, it might be a bit more orderly than asking you to to shout out if somebody calls out. I might just ask you to come up here and tell everybody so. So just write down why these verses are particularly relevant to Numbers chapter 10.

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    This is Psalm 80 verses one and two. Give you a shepherd of Israel, Thou that let us, Joseph like a flock, Thou that dwellest between the Caribbean, shine forth before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh. Stir up thy strength and come and save us. Turn us again. Oh God. All right. Now it’s fairly elementary, but this is simple Bible study which is designed, I think, to wet our appetite. And the question is, what has particularly verse 2 of Psalm 80 to do with that procession which you have just completed at the bottom of the paper?

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    Well, because time presses, and I’m not going to call for volunteers, let me say that the answer, of course, which you will all know is because of the placing of the psalmist of the three tribes. If you look down under verse 22, if you’ve done it properly, you should have the tribes Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin. And immediately before that, in verse 21, you should have written Kohath.

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    And if you look at what Kohath was designed to carry, it was the holy things of God. It was the Ark of the Covenant. Not that any man could gaze on it. They never saw the Ark of the Covenant, you know, nor did they see the other holy things. When the Tabernacle was dismantled, the priest walked in backwards, unhooked the veil, carried it backwards, and put it over the ark of the covenant so that no man should gaze on it. This is the holy thing of God.

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    It is precious and it is holy, and it must not be a gazing thing, even for God’s people. And so even in transit, it was totally covered. But look at the position it occupied before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh. And whoever wrote Psalm 80 knew the position of the procession through the desert. And that’s exactly where he put it before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh.

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    Stir up thy strength and come and save us. Mark this. He doesn’t say before Judah, Isika, and Naftali. Well, he wouldn’t, would he? Because Nephdali wasn’t with Judah and Isika. He didn’t say before Judah, Isika, and Zebulun. He didn’t say before Dan Ashter and Asher and Neftali. He he said before Ephraim, Manassa, and Benjamin.

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    He knew the order in the desert and he knew that’s where the holy things of God were. I’m sorry that this has been a little bit disorganized and the time has gone. I would very much like to have brought you to to the to the time of Moses where he saw the Bush that was burning and when he went to Midian, because if we use our imagination of writer, this is something for you to do. Do do you know I never believe in saying will you read Exodus chapter 3 when you get home because nobody ever does. Well, in my experience they don’t. So I won’t say it.

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    But if ever you feel like doing some some of this kind of thing yourself, which is pretty elementary stuff really, isn’t it? If ever you feel like doing it yourself, will will you read with care the account when Moses

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    leaves Midian to come back to Egypt? It it it, it, it jumps off the page. If if you read it with care, then let your imagination have a go. Just imagine what Jethro Moses, brother-in-law, not Moses, father-in-law. By the way, don’t read father-in-law for Jethro, will you? It’s his brother-in-law.

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    Moses comes to Jethro and he says I’m, I’m going to take God’s people out of Egypt to a land of of promise. And and Jethro says, you what? He said I’m going to take God’s people out of Egypt and into a land of promise. How old are you? Oh, I’m 80. Look, when you were 40, you ran away and now you’re 80.

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    You’re an old man. You’re going to do it all by yourself. So what gave you this notion? Well, you see, I saw this burning Bush Burning. We’re here on the side of the mountain. Yeah. Just continue to burn. Yes. We know all about these bushes. Which Which way? Which way was the wind blowing?

92. 45:59

    But you weren’t sort of standing downwind. And the smoke was sort of. Well, yes, as a matter of fact, now you’ve come to mention it, The. I didn’t get a whiff of the smoke. You were hallucinating. Do you know that’s where the expression grass comes from? I’m deadly serious. It is drugs are grown around there and people burn them and inhale them and you hallucinate wildly.

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    Can you not then imagine what what Jethro’s reaction would have been when Moses said and I put my hand in my coat and I took it out and it was lip for us. I’m not at all surprised, said Jethro. I suppose you put it back again and took it out and it was clean. Exactly right, said Moses.

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    It happens all the time when you when you breathe this stuff. Can you not just imagine that this is what the conversation that would have taken place? I’m going says, says Moses. I’m going anyway. And he takes Zippori with him, Jethro’s sister and the two boys. And we read of the confrontation with the Angel on on on the way to Egypt and the boys are circumcised by Zipporah.

95. 47:05

    I mean, don’t think of children, will you, Brethren and sisters? These were 30 year old men. Oh yes, it isn’t to be wondered at that she calls Moses a man of blood. It was a horrendous experience for the woman, and we hear no more about them, no more about Zipporah or the two boys until,

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    well, until Moses is well out into the desert. They have crossed the Red Sea, the plagues are a thing of the past, and Moses meets Jethro in the desert.

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    Aaron and Miriam chided Moses for the woman whom he had married. It wasn’t that he had married the Ethiopian woman or the dark woman, the Midianite woman. It is that they have only just learned about it. Because it is then that we read that after the confrontation with the Angel on the way from Midian to Egypt, Moses sent Zipporah and the boys back so that when he gets into Egypt, he doesn’t tell Aaron and Miriam that he’s married.

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    He went away a bachelor. They think he comes back a bachelor. So that when Jethro preaches up in the in the desert and brings his wife and his two sons, Moses has some very fast explaining to do. And it’s then that Miriam and Aaron chide him because of this woman whom he had married. Oh, there’s a lot more to to do with that. And if we had more time, we, we, we could explore with our imagination great things to do with God’s deliverance. But it’s time polite speakers set down. And if I want to be remembered, it’s that I’m partly polite. Thank you for listening so politely and for participating. And for the young people once more, since we started with them, may we conclude with them, please. This is just a taste of Bible study. It shouldn’t be a thing that gives us long faces. It shouldn’t be.

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    It shouldn’t be a chore. Bible study is great fun and I hope you will continue to read and study your Bibles and have great enjoyment from doing so. Thank you for listening to the Good Christadelphian Talks podcast. We hope this talk helped you in your walk and brightened your day. If you would like to hear more, please subscribe for new episodes.

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     God bless and talk to you next week.