Jason Hensley - The Gospel of Peace - Class 3 - Peace and Unity

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

1. 0:02

   This is the 2023 Manitoulin Family Bible Camp. Our speaker for this session is Brother Jason Hensley from the Simi Hills, California Ecclesia. His theme this week is the Gospel of Peace. This is his third class and the subject for this class is peace and unity. Brother Jason. Well, good morning, everyone. I hope that you’re feeling. Whoa, look at this.

2. 0:33

   This is a OK, there we go. I hope that. You’re feeling good. I am really excited about class #3 because this is the class that started it all. So interestingly enough, it ends up in the middle of the series. But this is the one that that really got me thinking because I started to recognize in, in going through scripture that there was this difference, this distinction between peace and unity. And that’s what really got me on this subject of peace, because I had always thought of them as the same thing. And yet looking at this, it was fascinating to see that peace is commanded and unity is the ideal. So in other words, you have to have peace, but you might not always be able to achieve unity.

3. 1:24

   So I, I found that very interesting. OK, here’s our here’s our plan. We’re going to talk about Israel and Judah and you perhaps heard considerations of Jehoshaphat and Hezekiah before. We are going to talk about that, but it’s going to be a little different than than ways that maybe you’ve heard it done before and also ways that I did it before. There’s a lot of context that I think we need to build up as we look at this story.

4. 1:46

   So we’re going to try and understand it from that perspective. We’re going to talk about then what is unity biblically and then how does unity differ from peace? The main message now let’s review ready before this one, our first core message was peace matters. That’s right. And OK, yesterday’s was harder. I recognize that.

5. 2:09

   So I made this one a little easier. So do you remember it was 6 words. All the shades of peace are interconnected. That’s oh, I see some of you guys wrote it down. That was good, good thinking. Yep, Yep. Good. OK, well, today’s is only three words. All right, So this is I think our key idea that comes out of this class, peace is universal.

6. 2:34

   Now, again, this is so important in recognizing the distinction between peace and unity, because. There are a lot. Of people that we can’t be unified with. There are a lot of world views that we can’t be unified with, but we can still act peacefully towards those people and I think that is the crucial thing, right? Peace.

7. 2:56

   And some of some of you have come up to me and asked about this and you said, look like, you know, I can’t, I can’t agree with the way that people are doing things and I have to say things about that. And I agree. That’s that’s great. Say things about it, but say.

8. 3:08

   It in a nice way. Right, you can’t. You know, you don’t have to come up and just just think about it like when. This is This is. For me at least, how this goes when you get upset with your children or with somebody else and you scream and wave your arms around, right? Not that I’ve ever done that.

9. 3:26

   But when you do that, think about where your effectiveness goes on the effectiveness scale, right? All of a sudden you’re like down at the bottom and and nobody wants to hear what you say, including your children who might like run away screaming. OK, So like, that just doesn’t work, right? We can very much disagree with somebody, but we don’t have to do it in an unhinged kind of way. And I think that that’s the key thing. We can say, I believe that what you’re doing is wrong and here’s why I think that, right?

10. 3:59

    We can say, no, these are my principles and I will not move from those principles, but we can do that peacefully. And I think that’s an important thing to recognize. That’s really the key. And so that’s why Paul can command live at peace with everyone because it’s something that is achievable. It is something that we can do is a choice that we can make. So peace is universal.

11. 4:21

    Our why question here. This is something to just kind of chew on for right now, although I’ll sort of answer it right after we look at it says why was Jehoshaphat condemned for his peace with Ahab? Just think about that for a little bit. And the answer is this is actually a trick question because Jehoshaphat never was condemned for his peace with Ahab.

12. 4:45

    He was condemned for his unity with Ahab. Now that’s where for me, this was such a big deal. Jehoshaphat was supposed to be at peace with Ahab. And I’m going to try and put that together, create that context. He was supposed to have peace with Ahab. Even though Ahab is described as one who hates Yahweh, right? He was still supposed to be at peace with him. He was not supposed to be unified with him. And in fact, I, I would suggest to you, he couldn’t be unified with him, right?

13. 5:21

    He tries really hard to be unified, but he can’t be. OK, So let’s take a look. Let’s just go through. I, I know that you know this, but we’re going to go through and we’re going to take a look at it just to make sure that we have our context built up. So let’s think a little bit about the relationship between Israel and Judah.

14. 5:40

    So you have Israel in the north and Judah in the South. And so the question that I want to have really prompt us as we go through this is what kind of relationship were these two nations supposed to have? You know, when I put together this class, that was the first time I had ever asked that we read the history. And I think we just kind of take the history for granted that this is what God was doing.

15. 6:03

    He devised the nation’s one nation is good, one nation’s bad. At least you know for the most part, one nation’s good, and well, the good one is supposed to attack the bad one, or something along those lines. But I think it’s better for us to step. Back and ask well. Actually, biblically, what did God intend? What kind of relationship did he foresee or want to see between the two nations?

16. 6:28

    Did he want to see them warring one another? We might be tempted to say, well, you know, you look at Deuteronomy 13, right? Your brother comes and says, hey, let’s go worship idols. You’re supposed to stone him. So we might be tempted to say, well, yeah, like God intends for Judah to go wipe out Israel. And yet I think we’re going to see something a little bit different.

17. 6:47

    So let’s take a look. And consider this story. It’s first Kings 11. If you want to follow along, I’ll tell you the story. You’re likely familiar with it. This is this is that. Instant in which Jeroboam? So the one who will become king of Israel, right? That’s always one of those hard things to kind of figure out which one was Jeroboam and which one was Rioboam.

18. 7:09

    Well, it’s alphabetical. It’s in alphabetical order, by the way, case that helps you. I always try and have all these funny little things to help me remember stuff. So Jeroboam was in the north, right And then Rio Boehm are in the South. So that’s alphabetical also just like Israel and Judah. So interesting.

19. 7:24

    Jeroboam is working for Solomon, right? He was some kind of head of Solomon’s building team, something along those lines. He seems to take part in helping build the temple building, Solomon’s house. He happens to be in a field. We don’t know exactly what he’s doing at this point, but he’s head of Solomon’s workforce.

20. 7:42

    He’s wearing a new coat, strangely enough, and we don’t know why exactly. He does it this way. A high edge of the prophet walks up to Jeroboam and his swanky new jacket and tears it off of his back and begins to then tear it into little pieces. You can imagine Jeroboam, right? That’s I I felt. Like that was a pretty good expression. He he looks at a high jet, thinking. What are you doing to my coat?

21. 8:11

    You know, I I like it, it was nice. So Ahaija tears it up and he says, well don’t worry, here you go, you can have these 10. Pieces of it. So he gives Jeroboam the 10 pieces of his coat and he then proceeds to give Jeroboam a prophecy. He says Yahweh has torn, right? You get it torn.

22. 8:33

    OK, so maybe that was the justification. Yahweh has torn the Kingdom from the hand of Solomon and is now giving 10 tribes to you. Right now. This is the prophecy of a Haija. You’ll see it there on the screen. Just take a look and you will notice that I have underlined a number of statements.

23. 8:55

    Look for what these statements have in common. It’s first Kings 11 verses 31 to 30. Six, it says. See, I am going to tear the Kingdom out of Solomon’s hand. This is God speaking through a haija and give you 10 tribes. But for the sake of my servant David in the city of Jerusalem, which I have chosen, out of all the tribes of Israel, he will have one tribe.

24. 9:13

    I will do this because they have forsaken me and worshipped Asteroth, the goddess of the Cydonians, Chimosh the God of the Moabites, Molech the God of the Ammonites, and have not walked in obedience to me, nor done what is right in my eyes, nor kept my decrees and laws as David, Solomon’s father, did.

25. 9:29

    But I will not take the whole Kingdom out of Solomon’s hand. I have made him ruler. I should have underlined that one too. I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of David, my servant, whom I chose. I missed another who obeyed my commands and decrees. I will take the. Kingdom from his son’s hands and give you 10 tribes. I will give one tribe to his son. OK do you notice what they all have in common. These are all of God’s I will do this statements. Now, some of them you might say, but they don’t have I. Again, this is one of those unfortunate translation pieces of the NIV.

26. 10:02

    It’s great to read like when you’re doing the readings, but study makes it a little harder. Everything that I underlined here is what we call a first person verb. I am going to do this. I’m going to do this. So this is. God saying I am the one who is causing all these things now, I think.

27. 10:17

    That, that’s fascinating. By the way. Just in terms of what we’re looking at, because remember, we’re talking about peace and unity. So does God expect there to be peace between the nations? I’m going to. Suggest to you based on what we’re going to look at, yes. Does. God expect there to be unity. No, there can’t be, right?

28. 10:38

    He’s clearly saying. I’m making disunity, which is. Very interesting, right. So he expects peace, but he doesn’t expect unity. OK, so that’s. Just an interesting thing to kind of take out of this. God. Is the one who is doing it and God is the one who is creating the disunity in this instance.

29. 10:59

    Now, as we read this next portion of the prophecy, just. Think about what this might. Remind you of? Because. I think this is based on something else that we’ve heard before. So. Haija continues. God is doing all these different things. God is the one who’s going to create the disunity, Haija then says verses 37 and 38. However, As for you, I will take you. And you will rule over.

30. 11:23

    All that your heart desires. You will. Be king over Israel. If you. Do whatever I command you and walk in obedience to me and do what is right in my eyes by obeying my decrees and commands as David, my servant did. I will be with you. I will build you a dynasty as enduring as the one I built for David and will give Israel to you.

31. 11:43

    Does this remind you of anything else? This. Sounds like a previous set of promises known as the promises to David. I mean, he, he makes it very clear, right? If. You act like David. I will be with you. This is what he had promised to David. I will be with you. But it’s also the same thing that he promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. I will be with you.

32. 12:04

    That’s the whole Echia I share Echia kind of thing, right? I will be with you. I. Will build you a dynasty as enduring as the one I built for David. Now, it’s not the promises to David, but he’s essentially saying I’m going to give those same promises to you. Like I’m offering that to you, right? At.

33. 12:22

    Least as far as having a shore dynasty, right, Having a shore house so you can see connections to the promises to David. And the reason I bring this up is, weirdly enough, right. We’re supposed to I, I think one of the keys of Bible study. Is we should. Always be looking for the Lord Jesus in everything right? He’s on every page all over the place. So.

34. 12:43

    Weirdly enough, when you start to look at this, I want to suggest to you that you can actually see Jeroboam in this stage. OK, note that very carefully in this stage, not other times, but in this stage, I think we can see Jeroboam as a type of the Lord Jesus.

35. 13:01

    He is. Chosen specifically by God to save Israel. Right, not. Just chosen by God, but chosen with the mission of saving the people. So you see. The same thing in Matthew 121. Joseph is told. He. Will save his people from their sins. Jeroboam was given the promises of a shore house, just like David.

36. 13:22

    And. We know in Luke chapter one the Lord Jesus is given those promises to David. Jeroboam then is chased by Solomon because Solomon wants to kill him. Where does? He go, huh? Egypt and. He comes back after the King’s death.

37. 13:38

    Same thing with the Lord Jesus in Matthew chapter one. He then serves as a mediator for the people. You remember the whole story where the people go to Rio Boehm and they say, hey, your father taxed us heavily, will you please lower the taxes, right, Ria Baum he asks his friends, he asks the elders. He decides to go with his friends advice and at which is to, you know, be tough and make people afraid of you. So he says.

38. 13:58

    My. Little pinky is greater than my father’s loins, which is a really funny thing to say. Don’t think I’ve ever talked about my father’s loins, but that’s, you know, that’s what he says. And. Then he says, my father chastised you with whips. I will chastise you with scorpions, right? And he’s like, oh man, I’m so tough. And the people are like.

39. 14:16

    Yeah, forget that, right? So they leave. Because who wants to be whipped with a scorpion? So. They leave. And. Then Jeroboam was the one who was. Leading the people at that. Point. He was. The one who led the delegation asking Rioboam. To lower the taxes. So he was. Serving as a mediator for the people, interestingly.

40. 14:37

    He. Then after after serving as a mediator, becomes king of Israel. So you can. See this picture of the Lord Jesus. The timing works. The details fit. It it makes sense Now you might be wondering, well why? Like why do we have this type of the Lord Jesus in probably like one of the worst people in the Bible? Right.

41. 14:56

    You remember Jeroboam’s last name? He who? Made Israel to sin, right? Like every time that Jeroboam shows up, that’s what he’s called Jeroboam, the son of Nebat who made Israel sin. And in fact, when we get to 2nd King 17, when God destroys Israel, we are told that God destroyed Israel because they could not shake the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat who made Israel sin right. So this is.

42. 15:23

    One of. The most terrible people in Scripture responsible. For thousands of people. Leaving. The truth. And. Yet he’s this type of Christ at the beginning. Why? I think the point is is that when God separates the nations, when God separates Israel and Judah, he chooses someone who has the potential. To have. Done amazing things and instead what Jeroboam does is he uses that potential. To destroy the country.

43. 15:55

    Jeroboam could have led the nation in the way that they were supposed to go. He could have been the next David, right? That’s exactly what God says. He could. Have been the next David. But he wasn’t. Now again was. God expecting unity. No. But he sets up a person like Jeroboam, somebody with potential to create a great nation because he expects.

44. 16:21

    Peace He. Wanted the nations to flourish. Now. We have this emphasized because in First Kings chapter 12, starting at verse 21, Rehoboam, when the split happens, Rehoboam says uh, uh. That’s. Not going to happen. You guys aren’t separating and Rehoboam puts together an army. He’s. About to go invade Israel and he’s going to take them back. However he is met by a prophet who says do not go up to fight against the Israelites for this is my doing. God says you will not fight them. Notice that fighting.

45. 16:54

    Is the opposite of what peace so? Rio Boehm is going to fight, he specifically told. Uh, uh, peace. So. God did not expect unity. But he did expect peace. Again. From Israel’s perspective, just play this out. You can follow along in First Kings 12. It’s very interesting. Jeroboam decides he’s he must have been sitting on his throne.

46. 17:19

    He decides to create a new system of worship. Right. He creates the golden calves, one of which he puts in Dan, the other he puts in. Bethel. So he has. These two golden calves that he creates, he makes this new system of worship. Now the big question is why did he do that? I think this is what we should always be asking. When we’re doing Bible study, why? Why did this person act this way? Why did they do what they did?

47. 17:44

    Well, what’s? Really interesting. Is in first kings 12 we’re told that he decided to. Create a feast. In the. 8th month. Just. Like the feast? That. Was in Judah in the seventh month. So he’s. Clearly thinking about the feast of the 7th month. Now what was the feast of the 7th month?

48. 18:06

    There are three, so you know. David home that. Feast of Tabernacles and Feast. Of trumpets, That’s right. Yeah, so. You. Know it’s Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, all of that and Sukkot if you want the Hebrew names. So. You have these three, these three celebrations that were supposed to take place in the seventh month.

49. 18:27

    Now, I think that gives us an insight into what was going on in Jeroboam’s mind. So just try and picture this, right? I think we always have to try and envision what’s going on in the Bible. So picture Jeroboam. He’s now king of Israel. He’s all. Excited because he can. Get as many new coats as he wants, right?

50. 18:42

    So there. He is. He’s sitting on. His throne and he hears all this noise. Going on outside. So he thinks, you know what? What is this? And he looks out the window of his palace and he sees all these people. Maybe it’s just the men, right? Only the men were commanded to do this.

51. 18:57

    He sees all these people walking by and he says, where are you all going? What are you doing? And they say ready. We’re going to. Jerusalem and Jeroboam’s like. What? Why are you going to Jerusalem? And they say, well, because it’s the 7th month. Right, it’s. The Feast of. Tabernacles. That’s what we’re supposed to do.

52. 19:19

    Everyone is supposed to go to Jerusalem. And so then he looks further out the window and he realizes, indeed, everyone is going to Jerusalem, right? The entire country. And Jeroboam sits down and he thinks. Well, how’s? This going to work. Right. How’s this supposed to happen that I’m supposed to lead this country of 10 tribes when? Three.

53. 19:39

    Times a year, every man and possibly the women and children to go to Jerusalem for these feasts, which would mean that they’re there in Jerusalem for like 2 months of the year. Right. Something along those lines. Or they’re at least gone from Israel because they have to have travel time. So they’re gone for like 2 months of the year. And then he starts thinking, oh, wait a minute, you remember we talked about this yesterday?

54. 19:58

    Our whole. System of worship revolves around what? The temple. And he? Realizes. Wait A. Minute. How? Am I supposed to lead a country when their whole system of worship? Is. Designed around the capital of the. Enemy country now I would put to you. That. There is a false assumption in that statement.

55. 20:27

    That. Assumption was enemy. And that. I think is the point God set up the countries. And you will. Notice he never said you’re going to have a different form of worship. He never said you’re going to worship somewhere other than Jerusalem. He expects. That to continue. Right. Because he expects Israel and Judah. To.

56. 20:51

    Be at peace. He did not expect them to be unified. But he. Expected them to be a peace and so. He continues a system of worship. That. Revolves around the capital of Judah. And. Jeroboam says uh, uh. Right. No way. That’s not going to happen. So Jeroboam puts together his golden calves, one in Bethel, one in Dan. He tries to find places that were significant for worship in Israel.

57. 21:19

    Right? Bethel, Genesis 28. House of God. It’s where. Jacob met with God. With the whole Jacob’s Ladder thing. And then Dan, you look at Judges Chapter 18. Dan is where Moses’s grandson had set up a Tabernacle. Right. A false Tabernacle. But you could still imagine Jeroboam being able to say, oh, well, it was good enough for Moses’s grandson. It’s good enough for me, right?

58. 21:42

    Something like that. You know, we don’t know if he said that. But. You can imagine it, right? So. Jeroboam creates these false systems of worship based on the fact that he doesn’t understand. That he’s supposed to have peace. Now just let that sink in. The. System that destroys the country comes about. Because Jeroboam.

59. 22:11

    Didn’t choose peace. Now what’s? Amazing is what God continues to do in Second Chronicles Chapter 11, verse 4. We now. Have a story in which Israel is going to, sorry, Judah is going to attack Israel. So the Ryoboam, Jeroboam stuff that has ended, now Judah is going to try and pull a Ryoboam, try to attack Israel and bring Israel back for a second time.

60. 22:41

    Now what’s? Interesting is what I’ve highlighted there on the screen. It’s the second Chronicles 11, verse four, it says. This. Is what the Lord says, do not go up to fight against your fellow Israelites. Now that underlined word there, fellow Israelites, that is in Hebrew. You’ll see it at the bottom of the screen.

61. 22:56

    It’s your word, ach. So I used to have a Hebrew student who would always remind herself that this is how you could say this is. What the word brothers meant, It’s ock because she’d always say ah, my brother. Like that was how? That was how. She remembered it. So anyway, you know, maybe maybe that’ll help you. So.

62. 23:13

    You have ock, that’s that word there. That’s akhim or brothers. In other words, this is what the Lord says. Do not go up to fight against your brothers. Go home. Everyone of you, for this is my doing. So they obeyed the words of the Lord and turned back from marching against Jeroboam. Now let’s.

63. 23:31

    Just put together this scene, right? Judah. Is about to invade Israel, A prophet comes and says no, don’t invade Israel because they’re your brothers, because God intended for you to have peace. Now do you? Notice. What’s? So amazing about the fact. That Israel is called their brothers. At. This time in history.

64. 23:58

    It’s amazing because. For a generation now. Israel had been idol worshippers. And. Yet God says even though this is a nation of idol worshippers, you will not attack them. You will. Have peace with them. And they’re your brothers. Now where? That gets even more interesting. Is. In Second Chronicles 28 verse eight. And by the way, I think sometimes we we tend to feel like the term brother, sister, all of that, that that denotes unity. Clearly it doesn’t.

65. 24:31

    Right. But it does show peace. Second Chronicles 28, verse 8. Says. The men of Israel took captive from their fellow Israelites, who were from Judah, 200,000 wives, sons and daughters. They also took a great deal of plunder, which they carried back to Samaria. This is now during the reign of Ahaz. So A has this Hezekiah’s father.

66. 24:53

    During this invasion, this is a downward invasion in which Israel invades Judah. So now it’s the other way around. Israel invades Judah. And. It is in this time that Israel actually kills Hezekiah’s brother.

67. 25:07

    So this is. An intense invasion and yet after they take captive hundreds of thousands of people. You are. Told again. Send. Those captives back. Because they’re your brothers. Now. It does get a little bit interesting when we look at the details of Second Chronicles 28, because this brother’s idea comes out twice, but I do want to note.

68. 25:33

    That. Because of Judah’s idolatry. You do. Have this blue underline there. He. Gave them into your hand. Right. So God. Intends overall for there to be peace. But yes, there are times. At which God does take away peace, I think that that’s important to notice, right? There are specific instances where God will say peace is what I want over all, but in specific cases we’re going to change that. OK, so there are caveats here, but. Nevertheless, even though he gives them into their hand, it’s fascinating, right?

69. 26:07

    God says I gave them into your hand, but. Send them back. They’re your brothers. Come on. In fact. We see this as we even work. Through the prophets. So Isaiah was a prophet to which nation? Israel or Judah? Judah. That’s right, Isaiah. Was a prophet to Judah. He primarily prophesied during the reign of who?

70. 26:30

    Hezekiah. So. Isaiah is prophesying here Isaiah 66 during the reign of Hezekiah. He’s speaking to the people of Judah and noticed his prophecy. He says. And I, because of what they have planned and done, I’m about to come and gather the people of all nations and languages. They will come and see my glory. Right.

71. 26:47

    This is. There’s. Multiple applications of this right? This is an Armageddon passage, but it had a primary application to the destruction of the Assyrians at Jerusalem during the reign of Hezekiah. So God. Says these nations will come and see my glory. I will set a sign among them. I will send some of those who survived to the nations, to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians famous as Archers, to Tubal and Greece, to the distant islands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory.

72. 27:13

    So some of the people that survive the attack on Jerusalem, they would be sent to the other nations. Now that’s interesting because those people, they’re from Jerusalem, so therefore they would be inhabitants of. Judah, right they will. Proclaim My glory among the nations, and they will bring all your people from all the nations. Now who’s that talking about?

73. 27:35

    All your people. Oh, that’s the people of Israel. And that’s what we expect, or we expect at the coming of the Lord Jesus after Armageddon, that the people in Jerusalem will be sent to gather back scattered Israel. They will. Bring all your people from all the nations to my holy mountain in Jerusalem. So it’s interesting then that even in the prophets we see that God continued to say, Israel and Judah. You are one people, you are one family. Jeremiah 715 I will thrust you from my presence, just as I did all your fellow Israelites, or again your brothers. The people of Ephraim.

74. 28:15

    Ezekiel. 23 verse four. The older was named Ahola and her sister was Aholaba. They were mine and gave birth to sons and daughters, Ahola as Samaria and Aholaba as Jerusalem, their sisters. And so. You have this family metaphor brought up not because God expects families to always be exactly the same. He doesn’t expect families to always have unity, but he expects families to have. Peace.

75. 28:40

    Unfortunately, that’s not what happens. Right first. Kings 15 verse six there was. War between Abijah and Jeroboam, Abijah’s Rioboam’s son. Throughout. Abijah’s lifetime. Now again. We. Can in fact tell, I believe. That. This war was not supposed to happen. Abijah gets up in Second Chronicles 13 verses three to four. He goes into battle with an army of 400,000 able fighting men. Jeroboam drew up a battle line against him with 800,000 so twice as many people and Abijah then gets up. And this is not what you do in war. Abijah then gets up and he gives a speech, essentially trying to convince Jeroboam that fighting is a bad idea. And he?

76. 29:24

    He stands up and he says, Jeroboam, you are so foolish, you should know that Yahweh is on our side and you’re about to lose. Now abide. You better hope that that’s true, because he he’s going against an army that’s twice as big as his. Now I would put to you. In fact that the Lord Jesus tells a parable based on this. It’s Luke chapter 14.

77. 29:41

    It’s the last few verses of the chapter Luke. 14 he says. Or what? King going into battle. Will. Not count his men. And. Know. That his. Enemy has twice as many and instead will stand up. And. Offer words of peace. Right, he. Says what King would do that? Oh, we know who. Abijah right and. This is what Abijah tries to do.

78. 30:10

    He tries to say, oh, you don’t actually want to fight Jeroboam, never mind, right? It’s not a good idea. And he tries to explain, look, Yahweh is on our side now. God does help them because I think he actually does invoke Yahweh whereas Jeroboam doesn’t. Right. Jeroboam just as using his idols. So. God does save them, but I think you can see from the Lord Jesus’s commentary on this on this story in Luke 14 that. This was not what was intended, right? This was not what was supposed to happen. Now.

79. 30:39

    Here’s our awesome chart. I love this. I don’t know about you, I I just love to like geek out over charts. They’re the best. So we can spend a lot of time, but we won’t. We’re not going to look at this chart that often. OK. We’ve just looked at Jeroboam. Right on the top there in the yellow and then Rioboam on the bottom in the yellow and then Abijah just after him.

80. 30:59

    Well, as you go through you get Baasha and ASA and. Then. There’s a bunch of civil wars in Israel, so you have Ela Zimri who reigns for seven days, Tibny and Omri and then Ahab, and then you get Jehoshaphat down there in Judah. Well, throughout all of these kings reigns there still is not peace.

81. 31:18

    So. First Kings 15 verse 16 there was war between ASA and Baasha, king of Israel, throughout their reigns. Baasha. Then invades Judah. ASA. Takes gold from the temple treasury to Syria. Syria and Judah defeat Israel, right? So there’s all this war back and forth, back and forth, over and over and over, and it doesn’t work out well.

82. 31:39

    Right, this is what ends up. Having ASA condemned, he doesn’t rely on God throughout all of it, and this war was not supposed to have been what took place. OK, we. Then get Ahab and Jehoshaphat and that’s where it gets interesting. I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed this verse, but when you get to the reign of Jehoshaphat. Look what happens. 2nd.

83. 32:00

    Chronicles 17, verse 10 the. Fear of the Lord fell. On all the kingdoms of the land surrounding Judah, so that they did not go to war against Jehoshaphat now. All the kingdoms surrounding Judah that would include. Israel. Right. So what we’re looking at? Here is a time in which there is no war. In other words, there is peace.

84. 32:23

    Finally, this is a time of peace. This is what they. Were supposed to have. God did not intend for them to have unity, He intended for them to have peace. And he? Gives it to Josaphat, however. Strangely. Enough Jehoshaphat is not happy with the peace and he tries to force unity. Now you know the.

85. 32:48

    Story. Right. That. Jehoshaphat goes. He allies with Ahab. Ahab gets a prophecy that he’s going to die that day, and he then asks Jehoshaphat, will you please put on my royal robes? And Jehoshaphat’s like, yeah, that sounds fun. So he does it and he goes out and the Archer shoot at him and Jehoshaphat runs away screaming.

86. 33:07

    OK, which? Is, you know, understandable. I would do that too. Ahab then gets hit by a random Archer who draws draws the bow and it strikes him and that’s the end of Ahab. OK. There’s a little. More to the story, though. And that shows. US. What? Jehoshaphat is doing and this idea behind the unity here with Jehoshaphat.

87. 33:27

    So in Second Chronicles chapter 18 verse one we read that Jehoshaphat allied himself by marriage. Now not all translations say that, which is why I have this stuff on the Hebrew at the bottom. The Allied himself is Hatan, which is in the hit Payal Banyani, which probably means nothing, but that’s OK. It. What this is just some of the.

88. 33:48

    Interesting detailed things in Hebrew that that you can look at Hebrew. Verbs are very complicated. Just keep that you know as a warning if you ever try and mess with Hebrew verbs. It’s probably better not to so. So what? What this means is it’s a marriage alliance. Now, the reason that that is so important for us, that it’s a marriage alliance, is what do we know about marriage? Genesis 224, Two become one.

89. 34:14

    Ah, that sounds to me not necessarily like it’s peace. But. Unity. Right. So God expects peace in a. Family, he doesn’t expect unity amongst all the children and whatnot, but he does expect unity between a husband and a wife, right? It’s not very functional if you don’t have that so. You have. Unity then that Jehoshaphat tries to create.

90. 34:36

    So he has his son Jehoram Mary Athalaya Ahab’s daughter. He is attempting to create Unity. Second Chronicles, 18 verse. Three. He then attempts to create unity again because Ahab comes to him and says, will you ally with me? Let’s go to battle against Ramoth Gilead. Jehoshaphat replies by saying I am as you are, and my people as your people.

91. 34:56

    Now, if you read that in the Hebrew, here’s how it translates. It’s Kamukhi Kamukha. Which is. Like me? Like you? Can you see that unity emphasis there? Like me, Like you. I’m exactly. The same as you. Right, that’s. What he’s saying? We’re one my. People as your people. Now that’s. Like your people are my people.

92. 35:23

    In other words, my nation is the same as yours. Now let’s just think about that. Is that true that his nation is the same as Ahab’s nation? It’s not true at all. Right. At this, Ahab is the king who starts hunting down prophets. That was. Never a thing that had happened in Israel’s history up to the point of Ahab. That’s.

93. 35:43

    What makes Ahab so terrible? This is why God condemns Ahab more than Jeroboam. Because. Ahab takes the next step of actively hunting out those who worship Yahweh. Now, that’s clearly not what Jehoshaphat was doing. So the things that he’s saying here. He says, oh look, we’re unified. But they’re not. Second Chronicles 18 four Jehoshaphat then tries to change the situation right he.

94. 36:12

    Attempts to to create unity by changing Ahab, so he says well. Let’s first seek the counsel. Of Yahweh. Now Ahab doesn’t do anything to that right? He just doesn’t listen. So Jehoshaphat says it again in verse 6. Is there no longer a prophet of the Lord here whom we can inquire of? And Ahab says Oh yes there is, but I.

95. 36:30

    Hate him right now. Again, That should indicate to you. That unity is not here, right? Unless you’re Jehoshaphat and you’re like, yeah, I hated him too or something like that. But you know he doesn’t. So there isn’t unity there. OK, so just. To make that clear, right? We know that, but I think that that should have been some red flags for Jehoshaphat.

96. 36:50

    Now, after that, Mike, AIA, the prophet, he comes, he gives the prophecy that Ahab is going to die. Israel is scattered like sheep without a shepherd, right? And then Ahab says, Oh yeah. Well, I’ll, I’ll do better than that. How? About you stay in the dungeon till I come back safely ha. Let’s see if your prophecy, you know, changes now or something like that. Well, it doesn’t.

97. 37:12

    Work, right? But the point is, imagine this from Jehoshaphat’s shoes. You’re. Standing with a guy that you just said, you and I, we’re the same, right? And he’s. Just said. We. Are you know, that’s great. I’m glad we’re the same. I hate Yahweh’s prophet. Oh, and by the way, I’m going to lock him up. And now you’re Jehoshaphat and you’re just thinking, hmm. Well.

98. 37:35

    I guess we’ll go to battle. Anyway, right, Like. What? What was that about? Oh, and. By the way, I’ll wear your. Clothes Ahab so that people can shoot at me. Like, come on, what’s happening here? So this is beyond peace. Peace. Was what God had intended. God created the disunity there. Peace. Is tranquility and harmony.

99. 37:55

    This is not peace. There. Was peace and Jehoshaphat is now going beyond the peace. So let’s talk a little bit about unity and try and understand then what that is. Well, this is interesting. This is a big shock to me. I don’t know if you’re aware, but Unity only shows up three times in the Bible.

100. 38:10

     This is. In the English, so in the KJV. You get the word unity. Showing up three times. It’s PS 133 verse one, Ephesians 4, verse 3 and Ephesians 413. So 3. Times that you have the English word unity. If you. Look at it in the ESV, you’ll notice that you get one more in first Peter 3/8. And this just shows you a little bit of the difference in translations, right?

101. 38:33

     And you can see that the liberality of the NIV, when I go to the next slide, the NIV has it in seven places. Right, it’s. Very. That’s one of the things I, I just love, you know, I love translation. Well, one of the things that’s really interesting to do. Is to just go through and look at how many times does the NIV refer to the Holy Spirit as a He. By the.

102. 38:54

     Way when it’s not that way in the Greek. So it does it a whole. Lot more than the KJV and the new living actually does it something like 18 times. Anyway, this is that’s a digression, sorry, but it’s so exciting, isn’t it? Like it’s just interesting stuff to know about. So these are the things that we should look at and we should be aware of.

103. 39:11

     OK, so the word unity, the point is, is that in English it doesn’t show up that often. And I think it’s just good to know that it’s sort of a background piece because I would suggest to you, it could be very easy to look at this and say, oh, wow, Like, you know, we’ve just seen that peace is important and that, well, you know, God was creating disunity there. So unity doesn’t actually matter. Right.

104. 39:30

     It only shows up a handful of times like no big deal. Well, that would just be totally wrong. OK. So please don’t think that don’t think that that’s. What I’m saying in my class, my point is is that the word unity doesn’t show up very often, but I think the concept. Does so if we go to some of those places where unity is talked about.

105. 39:48

     So Ephesians 4, three Ephesians 413. We’ll see in the Greek that our word is in notice. Which comes. From our word hase which is. 1. That’s what it means. It means oneness. So. Unity means oneness. It comes from the Greek word one. Now, if you’re interested about the etymology of our English word unity, which I don’t even know why I put this in because it’s not that relevant, but I, I, I think it’s, I just nerd out about these things. Sorry.

106. 40:17

     That’s really what it is. And I wanted to use my Latin somehow. So what you got going on here is here’s unity. It comes from your Latin word. There it is ready unus, which means one, right? So you can see the connection that you have in Greek. You have your word oneness and then you have the word, the English word unity comes from the, the Latin word for one.

107. 40:38

     OK, So we can see that unity is really connected to oneness. And that’s a concept that comes up a lot of times in Scripture, right? Being of one mind.

108. 40:50

     So. Unity is something then that is important scripturally, even though the English word doesn’t show up that often. So. You can just see how. That idea of oneness shows up a few times. Now. They’re not all like commands that we should be one, right? Like the Tower of Babel, the whole world had one language and a common speech. But I just want to show you how this oneness is sometimes talked about scripturally.

109. 41:13

     It. Is though, something that is supposed to be seen as the ideal? So if you. Have Jeremiah 32 verses 37 to 39. You have a prophecy of the Kingdom age in which God says down there where I underlined it, I will give them singleness of heart. That’s our same word one. I will give them oneness of heart. So this is what God.

110. 41:34

     Looks for this is what he wants. So he envisions in the Kingdom age a time in which everyone has one heart, right where there is unity amongst everyone. So that’s what he’s looking for. You see the same thing in Ezekiel Chapter 11. He says down there, I will give them that. Is Israel and Judah an undivided heart.

111. 41:53

     Again, that’s our word one, I will give them one heart. Now I do find it interesting, just by the way, you might have noticed that in those two prophecies. Who is it? That creates the unity. It’s God again, right? So you have God creating disunity when we look at Israel and Judas history and then God creating unity again. Philippians.

112. 42:20

     Chapter 2. However, now I don’t think that that’s like an excuse for us, right? We. Can’t say, well, you know, we just need divine intervention. Although you know, maybe sometimes that is how it is. But in Philippians chapter 2. Right, that is what we’re called to. We are. Called to be of 1 spirit and one mind. So we are called the Unity.

113. 42:38

     So I think. What we see is that unity is the ideal. And yet peace. Is the command. We are. Commanded to be at peace with everyone and. Once we have learned to have peace, then we can learn to have unity. So these ideas are biblically different things. Peace means harmony and tranquility. Unity means oneness.

114. 43:05

     So now let’s. Just take a look and ask ourselves well. How do we? Get these things and when do we use them right? Under what circumstances do we say I’m going to go for peace? Or I’m. Going to go for Unity well. Let’s go back to Romans 14. Right, this is what we looked at yesterday, Romans chapter 14. We have our context of Jews and Gentiles. We have a group of people who thinks that you should follow Shabbat.

115. 43:30

     Who? Thinks that you have to eat vegetables because your meat could have been offered to idols and these people are getting frustrated about it. You have another group who’s getting frustrated about the fact that. They’re. Being looked down on for not doing these things. Right. So just think. About this, if you were going to approach this to try and create peace, how would? This be solved.

116. 43:59

     How would it be solved? If you were going to try and create Unity. Would you? Approach it the same way. Peace versus unity. And I. Think the really interesting question is which of those do you think Paul chose? Peace. Or Unity.

117. 44:21

     I’m going to. Put to you that he chose peace, interestingly. He. Chooses peace because his solution is essentially just get over it. Right. Like he comes in and he says, you know what? You who? Are strong, bear with the weak.

118. 44:40

     You. Just need to decide. To be OK with this, he says. You need to work together. And. That means peace. It doesn’t necessarily mean unity, right? He didn’t come in and he didn’t say, look, here’s my treatise. To you. People who think you need to follow Shabbat, here’s my treatise on why we don’t need to follow the law anymore. Like what are you thinking?

119. 45:01

     He doesn’t write that. He doesn’t write them galatians #2. Instead, he just says, you strong people who aren’t following Shabbat, it’s time to just. Deal with it and that’s that. Right. I know that you don’t need this, right? That’s. Why? He says. I am persuaded in the Lord Jesus and convinced. That. Nothing is unclean of itself.

120. 45:24

     He said. But it is. Unclean for those who think it is. So he says. In this case, you know what? You just need peace. It’s. Just a time to just wait. And he’s not saying, by the way, wait for the rest of your life. Because he says clearly you are the strong people now. How do you think those who celebrated Shabbat felt about that right?

121. 45:43

     Would you like to get a letter from the Apostle Paul saying that you’re weak? Probably not, right? Like he, he doesn’t just sit around and say, you know, have peace now, but he says have peace now because eventually that peace will. Lead to unity.

122. 46:02

     But. Unity takes time and requires the peace first. So that’s Paul’s solution. He. Says have peace first, focus on the peace and see what happens. Right. Don’t. Let your good be evil spoken of, he says. So don’t. Just sit there and decide to be peaceful about it, you know, talk to these people and say, well, here’s why I think we shouldn’t celebrate Jabhat. But do it peacefully.

123. 46:31

     Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace, he says. And a mutual edification do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. So what Paul says is in this case, we have to choose peace and we’ll get to unity. Now.

124. 46:55

     I think that when we recognize that distinction between peace and unity, we can then understand what’s really going on here. We don’t have to see. Hebrews. 1214 as creating a contrast between peace and holiness. In fact, what we can see is that learning to live at peace with everyone is one of the ways that we are holy. Because.

125. 47:20

     That’s not how anybody in the world functions. Right. Do you? Know anybody that is at peace with everyone? And yet that’s that’s what it’s saying here. Right. Now there’s a lot of people who just let everything slide. That’s not what I’m talking about, right? Being at peace with people. Means that you decide. This is.

126. 47:40

     Not something that we’re going to fight about, but it’s something we’re going to talk about. And so. We’re commanded to be at peace with everybody, I think because. That’s what holy people do. People who are holy are the people who are learning. To put aside that desire to fight. To put. Aside that desire to attack someone else and instead. To say.

127. 48:05

     I’m going to be peaceful about this and let’s talk to not let our good be evil spoken of. But to. Do it with the right spirit. So this is. Where Jehoshaphat’s decision leads. 2nd. Chronicles 19 Two. He goes for unity when there is no unity, and so Jehu the seer comes to him.

128. 48:28

     He meets him and he says should you help? The wicked and love those who hate the Lord. Do you see what’s being brought out here? Look. Jehoshaphat, you allied yourself. You said I am as you are and so the 1st. Words of Jehu are Do you not realize who Ahab is? Right? Do you really think? That you can have unity with this guy. He.

129. 48:48

     Hates Yahweh and he told you that. So instead, what’s interesting then? Is. That when we start to look at unity, we actually do see it happen later and we see with Hezekiah. And the way that we see it with Hezekiah is that Hezekiah doesn’t just try and force unity, but instead he actually lays out here are my principles.

130. 49:15

     And he? Says, look, we can have unity if we have an agreement on principles. If. We have. An agreement on who we are. Like there’s. Peace already, but if we want unity, we have to agree on. Principles. And So what Hezekiah does is he sends. People up to Israel to celebrate Passover and yet. He.

131. 49:34

     Explains to them. This. Is the basis on which? We’re going to meet. We’re going to meet for a feast of Yahweh, right? It’s. Not going to be a battle where I’m saying, oh, I’m just like you, yeah, let’s go hate on the prophets. That’s not how it’s going to go. He says we’re going to celebrate a feast of Yahweh.

132. 49:49

     And in. Addition to that. Look at this. 2nd. Chronicles 30, verses 18 to 19. I think this is something that we often miss when we consider the way that Hezekiah brought unity. Says. Although many, although most of the many people who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not purified themselves yet, they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written.

133. 50:19

     Think about that Now. I think it’s fascinating that Hezekiah says look. These are. My principles. This is. The basis on which we’re going to meet. And then he realizes, you know what, sometimes it’s going to be a little bit messy, right? They they agree, they say, yes, we are going to meet on those principles.

134. 50:39

     And Hezekiah recognizes well, it looks like we might not have perfect. Unity here. At this time. Because. Some things are happening that weren’t supposed to happen. But. His stance towards it. Is May. Yahweh who is good. Pardon everyone who sets their heart on seeking God. The Lord, the God of their. Ancestors, even if they are not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary.

135. 51:04

     And I think that’s fascinating that in fact what you see again. Is. That there are instances here where, yes, Hezekiah has principled unity, that’s what he’s going for. But he acknowledges that there are times not on the principles, but there are times when compromise is necessary and he’s willing to do that. And he’s not saying that this is going to be forever.

136. 51:26

     He doesn’t intend for that to be forever. But he he recognizes this is where we’re at at this point. So let’s. Just wrap this up. I think this is maybe the best place to bring this all together because. We. See the Apostle Paul explaining the relationship between unity and peace, Ephesians 4, verses 3:00 to 6:00.

137. 51:53

     He says make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the. Bond of peace. There’s one body and one spirit, just as you were called to 1. Hope when you were called 1. Lord 1 Faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Do you see?

138. 52:10

     The relationship there with unity and peace, he says. This is a goal, right? You were supposed to make every effort you can to be unified and the way you do it. Through peace, he says. That’s the starting place. This is why peace is the command. We’re commanded to peace. We start with peace, and we believe then that unity. Proceeds from.

139. 52:36

     That. So unity and peace are not the. Same thing. We strive for peace with everyone. All of the time. That doesn’t mean that we agree with everyone. What it means is that we talk, we work it out.

140. 52:55

     We only. Strive for unity with some. Because. There are only some that we can’t be unified with. And we? Do that on the basis of principle. So that’s the difference. And I think when we can see that difference, then that begins to open up a lot of what God was doing with Israel. It begins to open up a lot of how we work. Together.

141. 53:14

     And it begins then to help us recognize, I think. That we. Actually can in our own lives. Achieve peace with everyone.