Ben Brinkerhoff – Overcoming Resentment – Class 5 – The Power of Empathy

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All right, well, this is day
five of the Rocky Mountain Bible

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School.
This is Class 1, and our brother

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Ben Brinkerhoff is going to
deliver the address.

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And the title of the address.
Is Judas Iscariot Destroyed by

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resentment or overcoming
resentment?

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Neither.
Neither.

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It’s neither of those he will
tell you.

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Yeah, we’re going to talk about
Judah and the power of empathy.

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Judah and the power of empathy.
But what I’ll do is I’ll just

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pause while Nate Badger settles
himself in.

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You ready?
You ready now?

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All right, All right.
Good morning.

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Rocky Mountain Bible School.
It’s a little bit sad.

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That’s the last time I’m going
to be saying that this week.

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It’s been a real.
Pleasure to be with you and I do

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have the wonderful memories.
Was that the year?

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That my friend Josh Barrett
threw up in someone’s suitcase.

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Yeah, yeah.
Who was that?

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It was that English brother.
And he was trying my friend

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Josh, right?
He got sick and it was the first

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night and we’d just come from
Idyllwild.

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And so he got out of the bunk
bed thinking he was going to go

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to the door where the Idyllwild
bunk was.

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And he couldn’t find the door
because the door wasn’t there

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and he had to throw up.
So what he did is he, is he

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unzipped someone’s suitcase.
It might have been Joe Palmer,

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right?
And and then you can, I just

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want you to imagine a dealt
Welsh accent.

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Why did you unzip the suitcase,
right?

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You could have thrown up on top
of the suitcase.

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I don’t think Josh had an answer
right in his.

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Delirium.
He thought that was wise.

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Yeah, that was fun that week.
I remember seeing the the ants

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go marching for like 2 straight
hours.

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That was Joe Palmer.
That was him.

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OK now back to this week.
So I have asked myself the

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question many times and I hope
you’re starting to ask yourself

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the question.
What turns Judah around?

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How does this man go from
selling his brother into

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slavery, leaving the ecclesia,
marrying out of the.

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Truth seeing prostitutes.
Because he resents his brother,

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he resents his father, he
resents his life to a point

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where we see later where he’s in
a position of leadership and

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courage and self sacrifice.
And the question I’m really

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asking is, can I change like
that too?

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What’s required to make that
type of change?

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And if the problem begins with
self importance, the answer at

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heart must be to deconstruct
that attitude of self

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importance, of blame and
judgement, and move somehow some

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way towards humility and
acceptance.

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And this began the moment that
Judah was humbled by Tamar’s

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grace in light of his cruelty,
Tamar’s unmerited kindness and

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loyalty.
It smashed through Judah’s whole

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tit for tat, self justified get
even paradigm that he was living

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in and swimming in and allowed
him to see a certain inner

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truth.
And inner truth was that she is

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more righteous than I, That I am
wrong.

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I’m Jude, I’m wrong, and I have
been wrong.

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And living in wrong for a long
time.

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And if the truth was obvious
enough and powerful enough to

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leave Judah without any excuse
or blame, then maybe we’re ready

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to change.
You know, I remember how my

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parents hated excuses, right?
And I thought the excuses were

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the perfect justifier for all my
behavior.

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Remember, Dad, It was Tabby’s
fault, right?

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And somehow you didn’t really
see the wisdom of that, did you,

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Dad?
No, right?

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And And because as long as I had
an excuse, now I know this is

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apparent.
I didn’t know this growing up,

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right?
But as a parent, you, you know

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when, when you’re disciplining a
child and they say it’s their

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siblings fault, Do you know one
thing for certain?

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They’re not learning nothing.
They’re not learning anything.

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You know that whatever mistake
they just made, they will for

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sure make it again.
It’s not done.

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Am I alone in that parental
experience?

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That was true of me growing up.
As long as I could blame Tabitha

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or blame someone else, I was not
going to learn.

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Blame was the shield in which I
was immune to learning.

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I could have been disciplined.
I could have been spanked or

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grounded or whatever it was.
I could have faced the

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consequence but didn’t learn
anything because really, I

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wasn’t wrong.
The other person was wrong.

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Judah was not going to make any
progress until he could see

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clearly and absolutely that he
was wrong.

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And once he gave up false
justifications and once that

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began, then restoration could
begin to happen.

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And Tamar’s grace was God’s
instrument to get this message

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through to Judah.
And one can only wonder if Judah

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started finally started to see
some truths about himself, that

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maybe then he was able to start
to see some truths about others.

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And the 1st and most important
of these truths is that he was

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not different or better than the
people he resented.

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Let’s take Jacob for an example.
Judah may have had a pretty

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terrible resentment against
Jacob.

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We can understand why.
See, Jacob married a wife he

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never intended to marry, and
favor the children of the wife

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he loved more than the children
of the wives that he did not

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love.
But now Judah could also see

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that he had married a woman he
didn’t intend to.

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And he had favored his son
Sheila over Tamar, even when he

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knew in himself that doing that
was wrong.

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He wasn’t ignorant that it was
wrong.

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He was just afraid to do what
was right.

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So was Judah really any better?
Judah may have further

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recognized that he wasn’t
exactly.

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The world’s greatest son.
His resentful attitude had

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caused him to disrespect his
father to fail and his

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responsibility to look after the
flocks and to and to lie.

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See, without the shield of
blame, Judah might have been

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able to see some truths about
himself.

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Let’s take another example.
Judah probably had a pretty

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terrible resentment against
Rachel, and we can understand

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why we’re told that Rachel
envied and hater to Sister Leah.

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Well, if, if Judah considered
for a moment, he could relate.

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He had envied his brother Joseph
and hated him as well, even

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though Joseph really hadn’t done
anything to deserve it.

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Was was Judah really better than
Rachel?

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Again, without the shield of
blame, Judah might be able to

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see the truth about.
Himself.

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If Judah’s mind was open now to
see the truth about himself, he

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might be open to seeing the
truth about other people.

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And the truth was this.
Jacob and Rachel and others,

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they weren’t really trying to
hurt Judah.

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They were spiritually sick.
And being sick, they did what

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sick people do.
What do sick people do?

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Well, they try to make
themselves feel better.

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And to do that, yes, they might
be selfishly inconsiderate, they

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might step on some toes, but so
did Judah.

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He was the same in favoritism
and envy and in hate.

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Was Judah any better?
Listen, if you want to stay

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unwell spiritually and well,
then please conclude that you’re

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better.
If you conclude that you’re

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better, you’re better, you’re a
better Christadelphian, you’re a

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better human being, then you
will stay.

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Sick and you will stay.
Angry.

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But if you actually want to get
well, you must see that other

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people are made of the same
stuff you are.

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And if you were in their shoes,
with their fears, with their

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background, with the threats
they’re facing, you couldn’t do

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that.
You couldn’t act the way they

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acted, you couldn’t or you
couldn’t even understand how it

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could be that they’d act the way
they did.

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If you conclude that you will
stay sick and they will stay the

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blame and no healing will go
forward.

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If he’s truly.
Changing Judah’s going to be

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able to do something pretty
important and the pretty

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important.
Thing is, he would be able to

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understand what empathy.
Is empathy is created out of two

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words M which means with and
pathos which means pain.

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So if you’re empathetic it means
you’re able to understand the

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pain of others and Judah will be
able to understand that the ones

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that hurt him are human and
frail too.

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And when you understand that the
people that hurt you are like

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you, then this this cold,
isolating, debilitating, self

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important judgement.
It starts to melt.

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Now there’s verses that suggest
to us that empathy when combined

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with God’s will and
righteousness is a very

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scriptural idea.
One of those verses is Matthew

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Chapter 7 verse 12 where we read
therefore all things whatsoever

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ye would that men should do to
you, do ye Even so to them, for

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this is the law and the
prophets.

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Now behind this verse is a
simple idea that will see Judah

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embrace.
It is enlightenment to

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understand how our actions make
someone else feel.

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You can understand their
feelings because people are not

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really that different from you,
and knowing this is the key to

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loving them as you would love
yourself.

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A point according to Paul.
Empathy is a quality we’re in to

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develop after we’ve been shown
grace.

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And Paul’s word for this is
tender hearted.

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What’s this first we’ve looked
at earlier?

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Be kind to one another.
Tender hearted, forgiving one

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another, even as God for
Christ’s sake has forgiven you.

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Now we’re told about Jesus and
empathy in Hebrews chapter 4,

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verses 15 and 16.
We’re told that we have a high

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priest which we did not, a high
priest which cannot be touched

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with the feeling of our
infirmities, but was in all

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points tempted like us, yet
without sin.

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Let us therefore come boldly
unto the throne of grace, that

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we may obtain mercy and find
help in time of need.

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Now we can.
Understand, brethren, so can’t

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we that Jesus is touched with
our infirmities.

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We can all, everyone understand
that is that is that clear?

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Jesus is touched with our
infirmities, whatever that

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infirmity is, that you may
struggle with health or

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emotional distress, but can you
understand that others are also

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touched with Jesus infirmities?
Can we see that that that it’s

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not just me and Jesus, It’s me
and you and Jesus.

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We all have the same infirmities
in common.

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Or will you continue to isolate
yourself with the myth?

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Do you know what the myth is?
I’m different.

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No one understands me.
As long as you can continue to

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say I’m different, no one
understands me, then those are

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the lies at the at the heart of
self importance.

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And you know what you get to do,
right?

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If you’re saying I’m different,
no one understands me right?

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You get to fold your arms and
judge and be better.

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And be angry and be discontent.
And be broken inside.

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You get to be self important
because of your suffering.

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You are so important because of
your suffering.

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It’s clear that empathy is at
the heart of Judas change of

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heart.
We see this empathy, right?

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It’s it’s got to be the empathy
is the way forward here.

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And this is not just me making
this thing up.

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It’s got to be the empathy is at
the heart of Judas change

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because the moment the crescendo
of this whole story is one that

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is full of empathy.
So to jump straight to the end,

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but we’ll fill in the details
before.

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Joseph not knowing it’s Joseph
and and with the consequence of

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Benjamin being locked away in
Egyptian prison and going back

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to his father empty handed,
Judah’s going to stand in front

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of Joseph.
He’s going to say for how shall

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I go up to my father and the lad
be not with me, lest per venture

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I see the evil that shall come
upon my father.

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That’s empathy.
That’s what’s happening here.

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You see it?
Do you see it?

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He can feel his father’s pain.
He couldn’t do that before.

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That’s the change.
How did you change?

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00:15:10,920 –> 00:15:12,440
Right there.
Underline it.

221
00:15:12,800 –> 00:15:16,960
That’s the change.
He could feel someone else’s

222
00:15:16,960 –> 00:15:19,360
pain.
He can understand how they would

223
00:15:19,360 –> 00:15:22,160
feel now.
Had had Jacob repented.

224
00:15:23,320 –> 00:15:26,040
Had he?
How do you repented?

225
00:15:26,040 –> 00:15:28,120
A favoritism.
He had not.

226
00:15:33,840 –> 00:15:38,920
That’s the change.
He was able to feel his father’s

227
00:15:38,920 –> 00:15:42,240
pain.
But you think to yourself, I’m

228
00:15:42,280 –> 00:15:46,200
happy to do that.
But they got to repent first.

229
00:15:47,920 –> 00:15:49,640
Ever thought that?
Yeah.

230
00:15:50,000 –> 00:15:53,800
I’ll show a bit of empathy when
they come groveling on their

231
00:15:53,800 –> 00:16:00,920
knees, Right?
What if that doesn’t happen?

232
00:16:03,200 –> 00:16:10,240
How long will you stay angry?
How long will you stay hurt?

233
00:16:14,320 –> 00:16:28,250
How long will you stay bitter?
Of course, by feeling and acting

234
00:16:28,250 –> 00:16:32,050
on the pain of others, another
blow is inevitably dealt to the

235
00:16:32,050 –> 00:16:35,370
foundation of self importance,
and this had been the foundation

236
00:16:35,370 –> 00:16:37,690
upon which Judah had formally
built his life.

237
00:16:39,120 –> 00:16:42,040
So consider for a moment that
Judah can now empathize with his

238
00:16:42,040 –> 00:16:45,920
father’s pain at losing a son.
Judah could understand how fear

239
00:16:45,920 –> 00:16:48,440
had driven Jacob to show
favoritism and concerning

240
00:16:48,440 –> 00:16:49,360
Benjamin.
Why?

241
00:16:49,360 –> 00:16:52,080
Because he had done those
things, not those exact things.

242
00:16:52,240 –> 00:16:56,280
But things close enough where he
could understand it.

243
00:16:56,800 –> 00:16:59,880
Judah had withheld Sheila from
Tamar.

244
00:17:00,240 –> 00:17:02,400
Why?
Because he was scared.

245
00:17:03,920 –> 00:17:11,520
Oh, maybe my father was scared.
In a sense, Judah can say, I get

246
00:17:11,520 –> 00:17:18,520
you, I’m like you, and surely
this would have been a key by

247
00:17:18,520 –> 00:17:23,000
which Judah got over himself and
reconciled with Jacob.

248
00:17:26,240 –> 00:17:29,800
Now, what else besides Tamar’s
grace brings Judah to the point

249
00:17:29,800 –> 00:17:31,680
of acceptance and empathy and
forgiveness?

250
00:17:32,960 –> 00:17:38,320
I believe trial played a key
role to expand these feelings

251
00:17:38,320 –> 00:17:41,640
and thoughts within Judah.
And when Judah comes home, he

252
00:17:41,640 –> 00:17:47,760
jumps straight into a trial.
And Judah finds upon his return

253
00:17:47,760 –> 00:17:50,440
to the Jacob’s tents that
they’re in disarray, see food as

254
00:17:50,440 –> 00:17:53,040
scarce.
There’s a vacuum in leadership.

255
00:17:53,240 –> 00:17:58,200
And that is evident by the
fierceness of Jacob’s rebuke at

256
00:17:58,200 –> 00:18:01,680
the start of Genesis chapter 42.
Turn with me to Genesis chapter

257
00:18:01,680 –> 00:18:07,280
42, and we’re going to look at
verses 1 and 2 now.

258
00:18:13,520 –> 00:18:17,520
Now, when Jacob saw that there
was corn in Egypt, Jacob said to

259
00:18:17,520 –> 00:18:21,040
his sons, why do you look upon
one another?

260
00:18:23,720 –> 00:18:26,240
Now?
Outside of a lack of leadership,

261
00:18:26,280 –> 00:18:30,360
Judah would have found upon his
return some 22 years later after

262
00:18:30,360 –> 00:18:34,760
his left that not much had
changed in regards to Jacob’s

263
00:18:34,760 –> 00:18:38,800
favoritism.
This is why Judah and his

264
00:18:38,800 –> 00:18:42,080
brothers were not allowed
initially to take Benjamin down

265
00:18:42,080 –> 00:18:46,400
into Egypt because verse 4 says
there in Genesis chapter 42 it

266
00:18:46,400 –> 00:18:49,960
says lest peradventure mischief
befall him.

267
00:18:49,960 –> 00:18:55,320
So not much a change.
Jacob is still acting with fear

268
00:18:55,840 –> 00:18:59,320
right and not sending Benjamin.
This is why Jacob’s great act of

269
00:18:59,320 –> 00:19:06,840
faith, by the way, was blessing
Ephraim over Manasseh, because

270
00:19:06,840 –> 00:19:09,360
who didn’t want him to do that?
By the way, who did not want him

271
00:19:09,360 –> 00:19:13,240
to bless Ephraim over Manasseh?
Joseph, who is the one person in

272
00:19:13,240 –> 00:19:15,760
his life, Jacob definitely
didn’t want to disappoint

273
00:19:16,760 –> 00:19:20,280
Joseph.
So finally, by the end of his

274
00:19:20,280 –> 00:19:24,040
life, Jacob recognized Joseph.
It doesn’t matter what you.

275
00:19:24,040 –> 00:19:27,720
Want.
It’s God’s will.

276
00:19:29,040 –> 00:19:33,160
And I will be obedient to it.
And the writer of the Hebrew he

277
00:19:33,160 –> 00:19:36,840
goes.
Faith, faith.

278
00:19:38,000 –> 00:19:40,920
But Jacob hadn’t yet learned
that lesson at this point in

279
00:19:40,920 –> 00:19:49,840
time.
So when they reach Egypt, they

280
00:19:49,840 –> 00:19:54,120
see Joseph.
Benjamin’s not there.

281
00:19:54,680 –> 00:19:58,320
So turn now to verse 15.
And there Joseph is going to

282
00:19:58,320 –> 00:20:00,160
test his brothers.
We read there.

283
00:20:00,960 –> 00:20:06,280
Hereby ye shall be proved.
By the life of Pharaoh you shall

284
00:20:06,280 –> 00:20:09,160
not go forth hence except your
youngest brother.

285
00:20:09,160 –> 00:20:13,520
Come, hit her, send one to you
and let him fetch your brother,

286
00:20:13,800 –> 00:20:16,320
and you shall be kept in prison,
that your words may be proved,

287
00:20:16,440 –> 00:20:18,360
whether there be any truth in
you or else.

288
00:20:18,360 –> 00:20:20,720
By the life of Pharaoh, surely
ye are spas.

289
00:20:21,320 –> 00:20:23,560
And he put them all together in
ward three days.

290
00:20:24,040 –> 00:20:26,400
Now the brothers were in jail
for three days, and they have

291
00:20:26,400 –> 00:20:27,920
nowhere to run.
They have nowhere to go.

292
00:20:28,160 –> 00:20:31,080
All they can do really is talk
to one another.

293
00:20:31,280 –> 00:20:33,160
And So what do you think they do
right?

294
00:20:33,720 –> 00:20:37,040
They all seem to reflect on
Joseph.

295
00:20:37,440 –> 00:20:43,760
And in verse 21 in prison they
say to one another, we are

296
00:20:43,840 –> 00:20:46,640
barely guilty concerning our
brother in that we saw the

297
00:20:46,720 –> 00:20:49,720
anguish of his soul when he
besought us, and we would not

298
00:20:49,720 –> 00:20:52,320
hear.
Therefore is this distress come

299
00:20:52,320 –> 00:20:56,080
upon us.
So why do you think they would

300
00:20:56,080 –> 00:21:00,760
think of Joseph?
Well, it must be the similarity

301
00:21:01,080 –> 00:21:04,280
of their current circumstance.
To.

302
00:21:04,800 –> 00:21:10,800
Josephs, See, they had been
unjustly bound in Egypt.

303
00:21:11,080 –> 00:21:13,520
Well, guess who else was
unjustly bound in Egypt?

304
00:21:14,600 –> 00:21:18,720
Oh, and no one was willing to
listen to their cries of

305
00:21:18,720 –> 00:21:20,720
innocence.
Well, guess what?

306
00:21:20,880 –> 00:21:23,760
Guess name someone else who
cried?

307
00:21:23,760 –> 00:21:26,560
They’re innocent but yet wasn’t
listened to.

308
00:21:27,040 –> 00:21:30,560
Right?
And So what we see is now they

309
00:21:30,560 –> 00:21:33,560
can do what?
What can they do?

310
00:21:33,560 –> 00:21:38,320
Now they can empathize with
Joseph.

311
00:21:40,200 –> 00:21:49,440
Oh, this is how it feels to be
innocent and in jail and no one

312
00:21:49,440 –> 00:21:51,480
listening to how innocent you
are.

313
00:21:53,640 –> 00:21:59,560
Oh, that does not feel good so.
Here’s my point.

314
00:22:01,160 –> 00:22:09,360
Trial develops empathy.
However, by the way that Judah

315
00:22:09,360 –> 00:22:14,280
and by contrast Reuben respond
to this trial is very telling.

316
00:22:16,320 –> 00:22:21,200
Before we contrast Reuben and
Judah, because sometimes I see

317
00:22:21,200 –> 00:22:26,320
the progress in one person, it’s
helpful to see them relative to

318
00:22:26,360 –> 00:22:30,280
a straw man who didn’t change.
And that straw man who didn’t

319
00:22:30,280 –> 00:22:32,760
change was Reuben, right?
And.

320
00:22:34,160 –> 00:22:35,680
And I just want you to observe
for a moment.

321
00:22:35,880 –> 00:22:39,480
You know when Jake at the end of
Jacob’s life, he blesses his

322
00:22:39,480 –> 00:22:45,160
sons and, and this is what he
has to say about Reuben in

323
00:22:45,160 –> 00:22:48,880
Genesis chapter 49 verse four,
he says Reuben is unstable as

324
00:22:48,880 –> 00:22:52,080
water.
Thou shalt not excel because

325
00:22:52,080 –> 00:22:54,800
thou wentest up into thy
father’s bed.

326
00:22:56,960 –> 00:23:00,600
Now Reuben’s not alone, by the
way, in receiving a rebuke

327
00:23:01,480 –> 00:23:04,360
rather than a blessing really at
the end of Jacob’s life in

328
00:23:04,360 –> 00:23:07,240
Genesis chapter 49, because
there for a moment Simeon and

329
00:23:07,240 –> 00:23:12,840
Levi says about them their
instruments of cruelty in are

330
00:23:12,840 –> 00:23:19,240
their habitations.
So now now considering.

331
00:23:19,480 –> 00:23:24,520
Reuben and his major sin and
wife, which was, you know, to

332
00:23:24,520 –> 00:23:28,920
sleep with his father’s wife.
And we know that Simeon and Levi

333
00:23:28,920 –> 00:23:33,480
and, and for them, it’s it’s the
the murder and massacre at

334
00:23:33,480 –> 00:23:37,560
Shechem.
But but consider Judah.

335
00:23:37,560 –> 00:23:41,840
For a moment he had a checkered.
Past he had sold Joseph, he had

336
00:23:41,840 –> 00:23:44,680
left the Collegia, he had
married a Canaanite, he had

337
00:23:44,680 –> 00:23:50,840
slept with his daughter-in-law.
But you know, a funny thing?

338
00:23:51,600 –> 00:23:59,360
Funny thing, Jacob doesn’t
mention any of it in Genesis 49.

339
00:24:01,280 –> 00:24:04,280
That seems a bit unfair.
What?

340
00:24:04,400 –> 00:24:08,680
Why is it that he mentions
Reuben right in his bad big bad

341
00:24:08,680 –> 00:24:12,160
sin and they mentions Levi and
Simeon their big bad sin and and

342
00:24:12,160 –> 00:24:17,280
Judah nothing.
Why do you suppose that is?

343
00:24:19,080 –> 00:24:26,440
My guess is because Judah
repented and changed, but Reuben

344
00:24:26,440 –> 00:24:30,800
remained unstable as water his
whole life.

345
00:24:34,120 –> 00:24:37,880
So in regard to the benefits of
trial which bring remorse,

346
00:24:37,880 –> 00:24:41,520
develop empathy, encourage
change, contrasting Reuben and

347
00:24:41,520 –> 00:24:43,440
Judy Judah is pretty
instructive.

348
00:24:43,960 –> 00:24:48,320
See, they were both under
similar trials in Egypt, but the

349
00:24:48,320 –> 00:24:52,040
trials were kind of the making
of Judah and they’re the undoing

350
00:24:52,040 –> 00:24:53,360
of Reuben.
Why?

351
00:24:54,320 –> 00:24:58,160
Well, let’s listen to Reuben
explain to himself why change

352
00:24:58,160 –> 00:25:00,680
was not happening for Reuben and
Reuben’s going to give us some

353
00:25:00,680 –> 00:25:04,920
insight about this in Genesis
chapter 42 and verse 22.

354
00:25:05,520 –> 00:25:07,600
And there we read together.
You can follow along your

355
00:25:07,600 –> 00:25:10,160
Bibles.
And Reuben answered them,

356
00:25:10,160 –> 00:25:12,920
saying, this is to the brothers
in prison.

357
00:25:13,120 –> 00:25:17,120
Spake I not unto you saying, do
not sin against a child, and ye

358
00:25:17,120 –> 00:25:21,280
would not here behold, therefore
behold also his blood is

359
00:25:21,280 –> 00:25:23,480
required.
OK, there are a couple things

360
00:25:23,480 –> 00:25:25,480
notable about Reuben’s response
there.

361
00:25:26,960 –> 00:25:31,320
Now the first thing is that you
notice that Reuben makes the

362
00:25:31,320 –> 00:25:34,720
incident of selling Joseph
someone else’s fault.

363
00:25:36,040 –> 00:25:38,600
He blames.
Now maybe legitimately because I

364
00:25:38,600 –> 00:25:43,280
don’t think it was his idea, but
one thing is is certain about

365
00:25:43,280 –> 00:25:46,000
blaming.
As long as you have blame, you

366
00:25:46,000 –> 00:25:48,960
have a free pass not to change
anything about yourself.

367
00:25:50,040 –> 00:25:52,840
It’s like my earlier example
regarding excuses.

368
00:25:53,320 –> 00:25:56,840
My parents knew as long as I had
an excuse, I would justify my

369
00:25:56,840 –> 00:26:00,040
wrongdoing and change was
impossible.

370
00:26:00,040 –> 00:26:03,120
It’s a sign that I’m back on
this balance of childlike

371
00:26:03,120 –> 00:26:06,920
reasoning, looking for false
atonement, using blame, covering

372
00:26:06,920 –> 00:26:08,880
my sin with the sin of another
person.

373
00:26:10,680 –> 00:26:14,040
Blame prohibits acceptance, it
prohibits self reflection, or it

374
00:26:14,160 –> 00:26:17,840
prohibits identification and
prohibits restoration.

375
00:26:18,520 –> 00:26:22,440
You cannot be restored.
From the sin you put on someone.

376
00:26:22,440 –> 00:26:27,280
Else.
Further, by blaming one other

377
00:26:27,280 –> 00:26:29,720
thing that you do is you
completely abdicate leadership.

378
00:26:31,520 –> 00:26:36,800
Leaders don’t blame.
Leaders accept responsibility,

379
00:26:36,920 –> 00:26:39,520
which takes backbone.
Right.

380
00:26:39,600 –> 00:26:40,640
What’s the thing if you’re
unstable?

381
00:26:40,640 –> 00:26:42,960
As water, right?
Water’s going to take the shape

382
00:26:42,960 –> 00:26:46,480
of anything it’s in, right?
I put water in a cup.

383
00:26:46,800 –> 00:26:48,080
It’s going to take the shape of
the cup.

384
00:26:49,000 –> 00:26:50,800
I put water in a bowl.
It’s going to take the shape.

385
00:26:50,800 –> 00:26:54,120
Of a bowl, right?
There’s no integrity, there’s no

386
00:26:54,120 –> 00:26:57,520
backbone.
There’s no backbone with blame.

387
00:26:58,120 –> 00:27:00,600
If you’re on the AB and there’s
a problem in Ecclesia and you

388
00:27:00,600 –> 00:27:03,040
blame, then you’re not the
person to fix the problem.

389
00:27:03,200 –> 00:27:06,800
Period.
Tell someone else to do it.

390
00:27:09,120 –> 00:27:11,480
I can see some AB brothers.
Like they’re nodding right now,

391
00:27:11,480 –> 00:27:12,560
right?
Yeah.

392
00:27:12,560 –> 00:27:15,400
You know that’s true.
If you have, if there’s someone

393
00:27:15,400 –> 00:27:18,920
on your AB and they’re blaming
the ecclesia and there’s a

394
00:27:18,920 –> 00:27:23,160
problem, do not put the not do
not have that brother lead the

395
00:27:23,160 –> 00:27:30,200
change for the problem.
I mean, contrast this with with

396
00:27:30,280 –> 00:27:33,400
Moses.
Moses used we we have sinned.

397
00:27:33,400 –> 00:27:37,160
Moses says that had Moses sinned
in Exodus 32?

398
00:27:37,200 –> 00:27:41,440
No, he hadn’t.
Or how about Daniel and Daniel

399
00:27:41,440 –> 00:27:44,600
Chapter 9 We have sinned.
Had Daniel sinned?

400
00:27:44,600 –> 00:27:51,120
No, he hadn’t.
They identify.

401
00:27:51,120 –> 00:27:55,600
They are authentic leaders.
They stand up there accountable.

402
00:27:55,960 –> 00:27:58,080
Daniel and Moses were not
unstable as.

403
00:27:58,080 –> 00:28:04,200
Water, but Reuben was The second
thing this verse tells us is

404
00:28:04,200 –> 00:28:07,160
that Reuben thought that
Joseph’s blood was required.

405
00:28:07,760 –> 00:28:10,080
Now Reuben and all the other
brothers believe that God was

406
00:28:10,080 –> 00:28:14,600
probably out to get them.
Joseph was likely dead, and so

407
00:28:14,600 –> 00:28:18,600
God required Joseph’s blood.
Now this is an idea going back

408
00:28:18,600 –> 00:28:22,400
to the time of Noah where it
says in Genesis 9 verse six that

409
00:28:23,120 –> 00:28:26,760
whoso shed man’s blood by man
shall his blood be shed.

410
00:28:27,920 –> 00:28:30,120
And on this basis, the brothers
probably believe they’re all

411
00:28:30,120 –> 00:28:33,080
guilty and they’re all facing
inescapable punishment.

412
00:28:34,840 –> 00:28:37,960
So if if that’s your belief,
right, if you kind of think that

413
00:28:38,040 –> 00:28:41,960
that that God is this God of
requirement and not that God is

414
00:28:41,960 –> 00:28:45,720
in just, but if that’s your
framework for understanding God,

415
00:28:46,880 –> 00:28:49,000
then then you’re going to blame,
right?

416
00:28:49,200 –> 00:28:51,640
Because think about the
implications of it being your

417
00:28:51,640 –> 00:28:53,920
fault.
Because of course, you know,

418
00:28:54,200 –> 00:28:56,560
God’s a God requirement.
So he’s going to punish me.

419
00:28:56,720 –> 00:28:58,360
I’m afraid of punishment, so I’m
going.

420
00:28:58,360 –> 00:29:02,160
To blame, right?
I’m going to try to shift that.

421
00:29:02,160 –> 00:29:05,520
Responsibility to someone.
Else so that I don’t I don’t

422
00:29:05,680 –> 00:29:09,320
bear the consequence of this
because I’m afraid.

423
00:29:10,040 –> 00:29:13,320
Now it’s not that that God does
doesn’t care about justice.

424
00:29:13,320 –> 00:29:17,200
It’s not that if man if man sins
or, or that there’s no

425
00:29:17,440 –> 00:29:19,280
culpability or responsibility
for that.

426
00:29:19,480 –> 00:29:21,680
It’s just that in that
framework, where’s the room for

427
00:29:21,680 –> 00:29:23,560
mercy?
Where’s the room for love?

428
00:29:23,680 –> 00:29:26,600
Where’s the room for grace?
Where’s the room for patience,

429
00:29:26,600 –> 00:29:29,480
the long-suffering?
Where’s the room for all the

430
00:29:29,480 –> 00:29:31,920
manifold aspects of God’s
character?

431
00:29:32,120 –> 00:29:34,200
Like I’m just focusing on one
aspect.

432
00:29:34,360 –> 00:29:37,280
I’m doing that in absence of the
others.

433
00:29:39,680 –> 00:29:42,000
But an alternative way of
viewing trial is one of

434
00:29:42,000 –> 00:29:45,320
restoration.
In this view, hardship is

435
00:29:45,320 –> 00:29:46,720
restorative.
It’s corrective.

436
00:29:46,880 –> 00:29:50,280
It teaches you something useful
and puts you in a position to

437
00:29:50,280 –> 00:29:53,800
help others in this world.
You trust God even though it’s

438
00:29:53,800 –> 00:29:56,240
painful, and you accept the
trial.

439
00:29:58,000 –> 00:30:01,160
Now, if your view of trial is
requirement rather than

440
00:30:01,160 –> 00:30:05,760
restoration, if it’s rather than
God shaping and molding and

441
00:30:05,760 –> 00:30:08,200
making perfect, then you’re
going to defend yourself.

442
00:30:10,440 –> 00:30:13,120
It’s going to be very difficult
to reflect except identify or

443
00:30:13,120 –> 00:30:15,640
learn anything, right.
But here’s what I want you to

444
00:30:15,640 –> 00:30:19,840
see about about Judah.
Judah had learned from the last

445
00:30:19,840 –> 00:30:21,800
big trial he’s in.
What did he learn from that

446
00:30:21,800 –> 00:30:27,920
trial?
He’d learned so much, benefit

447
00:30:27,920 –> 00:30:31,120
from it.
Yes, it was a trial and.

448
00:30:31,120 –> 00:30:32,280
Yes, it was.
Difficult.

449
00:30:33,560 –> 00:30:36,440
But now he had two more young
sons.

450
00:30:37,080 –> 00:30:39,760
Now his his sons had been
redeemed.

451
00:30:39,920 –> 00:30:42,320
Now he could see that Tamar
wasn’t the Sinner he was paying

452
00:30:42,320 –> 00:30:45,760
her out to be right now.
He could see that Tamar accepted

453
00:30:46,000 –> 00:30:50,360
his God as her God and was
teaching her sons about his God.

454
00:30:55,560 –> 00:31:00,400
So he had learned that trial
helps by experience.

455
00:31:00,400 –> 00:31:06,040
He’d learned that trial.
Helps so as we go through the

456
00:31:06,040 –> 00:31:07,640
rest of the.
Story I want you to see if you

457
00:31:07,640 –> 00:31:13,160
can identify how Judah is is
he’s insistent on avoiding

458
00:31:13,160 –> 00:31:19,320
blame, avoiding blame, accepting
trial and taking responsibility

459
00:31:19,520 –> 00:31:22,200
and using empathy.
Avoiding blame, accepting trial,

460
00:31:22,360 –> 00:31:24,480
taking responsibility and using
empathy.

461
00:31:24,480 –> 00:31:27,600
I want you to see if you can I
see these things in the way that

462
00:31:27,600 –> 00:31:30,080
Judah is now going to act and
behave.

463
00:31:30,080 –> 00:31:33,360
He’s not going to repeat the old
mistakes again.

464
00:31:35,280 –> 00:31:38,200
So as the food ran out in
Jacob’s tents, the brothers need

465
00:31:38,200 –> 00:31:41,840
to go back to Egypt.
Of course, to do so, they would

466
00:31:41,840 –> 00:31:45,200
need to take Benjamin and Jacob
was unwilling to send him.

467
00:31:45,360 –> 00:31:49,200
So continue on our story.
Look on your on your Bibles,

468
00:31:49,200 –> 00:31:53,960
open on your laps to Genesis
chapter 42 and verse 37 where

469
00:31:53,960 –> 00:31:55,960
Reuben gets his last chance to
speak.

470
00:31:58,720 –> 00:32:01,520
It says there, Reuben, this is
Reuben’s words, he says.

471
00:32:01,720 –> 00:32:05,680
Slay MY2.
Sons, if I bring Benjamin not

472
00:32:05,680 –> 00:32:10,440
back to thee and deliver him
into my hand, and I will bring

473
00:32:10,440 –> 00:32:14,520
him to you again.
Now, now look at the fierceness

474
00:32:14,560 –> 00:32:19,520
of Jacob’s reply to Reuben at
this time.

475
00:32:20,280 –> 00:32:23,600
That’s found in verse 38 of
chapter 42 in Genesis.

476
00:32:23,600 –> 00:32:28,920
This is Jacob’s reply to Reuben.
He said, my son shall not go

477
00:32:28,920 –> 00:32:33,680
down with you for his brother is
dead and he is left alone.

478
00:32:33,800 –> 00:32:37,240
By the way, if you ever thought
that Jacob had some suspicion

479
00:32:37,480 –> 00:32:40,120
that maybe the brothers were
behind Joseph’s death, this is

480
00:32:40,120 –> 00:32:43,280
where you, this is the evidence
you’d go to, to, to conclude

481
00:32:43,280 –> 00:32:45,400
that.
Now we don’t know for sure, but

482
00:32:45,400 –> 00:32:48,680
he, he seems to think his
brother’s dead, right?

483
00:32:48,680 –> 00:32:52,840
With your lack of responsibility
rather than maybe an evil beast,

484
00:32:52,960 –> 00:32:54,000
right?
But who knows?

485
00:32:54,000 –> 00:32:55,720
I’m speculating a little, a
little bit there.

486
00:32:56,960 –> 00:32:59,280
For his brother is dead, and he
is left alone.

487
00:32:59,480 –> 00:33:04,160
If mischief befall him by the
way in which ye go, then ye

488
00:33:04,400 –> 00:33:09,160
bring down my Gray hairs with
sorrow to the grave.

489
00:33:10,080 –> 00:33:12,200
So why did Jacob respond so
strongly?

490
00:33:13,040 –> 00:33:17,280
I suggest it’s this simple
reason, like Reuben promised

491
00:33:18,080 –> 00:33:24,080
that if he failed, someone else
would pay the truly absurd price

492
00:33:24,920 –> 00:33:27,160
and take the blame.
He didn’t take personal

493
00:33:27,160 –> 00:33:29,640
responsibility.
And frankly, it’s as evident

494
00:33:29,640 –> 00:33:33,640
from his blessing in Genesis 49.
Jacob didn’t trust him.

495
00:33:35,000 –> 00:33:39,000
So now look at Judah now.
Now imagine Judah sitting there

496
00:33:39,120 –> 00:33:44,080
and Judah’s hearing Reuben say,
slay my two sons.

497
00:33:45,280 –> 00:33:49,280
Now what’s Judah thinking?
God’s already slaying my two

498
00:33:49,280 –> 00:33:52,320
sons.
That’s not a good solution.

499
00:33:55,040 –> 00:33:58,360
So Judah now steps up into the
leadership role here.

500
00:33:59,160 –> 00:34:02,320
And we read in Genesis chapter
43 and verse 3.

501
00:34:03,600 –> 00:34:08,199
And Judah spake unto Jacob,
saying, the man did solemnly

502
00:34:08,199 –> 00:34:12,360
protest unto us, saying, Ye
shall not see my face, except

503
00:34:12,360 –> 00:34:16,440
your brother be with you.
If you will send our brother

504
00:34:16,440 –> 00:34:18,040
with us, we will go down and buy
the.

505
00:34:18,080 –> 00:34:21,159
Food.
But if thou wilt not send him,

506
00:34:21,239 –> 00:34:24,320
we will not go down for the mad
man.

507
00:34:24,320 –> 00:34:27,280
Send to us.
You shall not see my face,

508
00:34:27,320 –> 00:34:31,760
except your brother be with you.
So Judy did something that I

509
00:34:31,760 –> 00:34:33,560
think would have been pretty
unique in his family.

510
00:34:33,800 –> 00:34:36,040
He dealt with the issues head
on.

511
00:34:37,199 –> 00:34:43,080
There’s no attempt to dodge the
problem, no attempt to shirk

512
00:34:43,080 –> 00:34:47,840
responsibility, no attempt to
deceive, no attempt to find an

513
00:34:47,840 –> 00:34:51,760
easier, softer way even when the
situation was scary.

514
00:34:52,920 –> 00:34:58,360
He put it simply and clearly.
So Jacob didn’t like the reality

515
00:34:58,360 –> 00:35:02,600
of the situation though, right?
And Jacob protests and says,

516
00:35:03,560 –> 00:35:07,000
wherefore tell ye so I’ll with
me as you tell the man whether

517
00:35:07,000 –> 00:35:08,920
ye had a brother.
That’s verse 6.

518
00:35:10,080 –> 00:35:12,880
Now notice the brother’s reply.
Now you can be sure this isn’t

519
00:35:12,880 –> 00:35:16,640
Judas reply, because Judas reply
will come next, right?

520
00:35:16,800 –> 00:35:19,200
So this is the brothers.
Who knows which of the brothers

521
00:35:19,200 –> 00:35:22,240
it was right, but this was their
reply.

522
00:35:22,400 –> 00:35:25,720
And notice what’s wrong about
their reply as I read it to you.

523
00:35:26,200 –> 00:35:29,520
And they said the man asked us
straightly of our state and of

524
00:35:29,520 –> 00:35:32,040
our kindred saying, is your
father yet alive?

525
00:35:32,160 –> 00:35:34,720
Have you another brother?
And we told him, according to

526
00:35:34,720 –> 00:35:38,720
the tenor of these words, could
we certainly know that he would

527
00:35:38,720 –> 00:35:44,960
say, bring your brother down.
South So what do you know about

528
00:35:44,960 –> 00:35:48,840
what do you what do you observe
about that that statement right

529
00:35:49,000 –> 00:35:54,840
here’s what I hear I hear an
excuse it’s another failure to

530
00:35:54,840 –> 00:35:57,600
accept responsibility now the
issue is not whether.

531
00:35:57,600 –> 00:36:01,600
The brothers were right or wrong
in terms of what they were

532
00:36:01,600 –> 00:36:05,880
saying and and the facts of it
that in saying that they had

533
00:36:05,880 –> 00:36:09,720
another brother and saying that
to Joseph, although that’s the

534
00:36:09,720 –> 00:36:13,280
question that Jacob asked.
The real issue is what?

535
00:36:14,400 –> 00:36:22,400
What’s the real issue?
Jacob is scared, and he’s scared

536
00:36:22,400 –> 00:36:28,160
to some Benjamin with them.
But by defending themselves, the

537
00:36:28,160 –> 00:36:31,680
brothers reinforced within Jacob
the same thought.

538
00:36:32,240 –> 00:36:36,800
I can’t trust you.
When the chips are down, you

539
00:36:37,200 –> 00:36:44,560
defend yourself.
So Judah now is going to have

540
00:36:44,560 –> 00:36:50,880
another chance to speak.
Judah has the empathy to see

541
00:36:50,880 –> 00:36:57,680
that Jacob’s real concern is
about Benjamin’s safety, and he

542
00:36:57,680 –> 00:36:59,720
dealt with the heart of his
father’s fear.

543
00:36:59,920 –> 00:37:07,120
Verses 8 to 10 of Genesis 43.
And Judah said unto Israel, his

544
00:37:07,120 –> 00:37:11,800
father, Send the lad with me,
and we will arise and go, that

545
00:37:11,800 –> 00:37:15,280
we may live and not die, both we
and thou, and also our little

546
00:37:15,280 –> 00:37:19,160
ones.
I will be surety for him of my

547
00:37:19,160 –> 00:37:20,640
hand.
Thou shalt require him if I

548
00:37:20,640 –> 00:37:24,000
bring him not into thee, and set
him before thee, and let me bear

549
00:37:24,000 –> 00:37:26,960
the blame forever.
For except we had lingered,

550
00:37:26,960 –> 00:37:28,960
surely we had returned this
second time.

551
00:37:30,160 –> 00:37:33,440
Now, I think Jacob now heard
something that he hadn’t really

552
00:37:33,440 –> 00:37:35,360
heard in about 22 years.
Enjoy what?

553
00:37:35,360 –> 00:37:39,320
That was one of his.
Boys taking responsibility.

554
00:37:43,200 –> 00:37:47,960
In doing so, Judah was very
wise, because Judah quoted

555
00:37:47,960 –> 00:37:51,080
someone in this passage.
You know who he quotes?

556
00:37:54,320 –> 00:38:02,360
Yeah, he quotes Jacob, because
Jacob had said, I’ve heard

557
00:38:02,360 –> 00:38:07,400
there’s corn, Egypt get you down
thither and buy for us that from

558
00:38:07,400 –> 00:38:10,160
thence.
That we may live and not die.

559
00:38:11,040 –> 00:38:14,240
So what does?
What does Judah do?

560
00:38:14,800 –> 00:38:17,960
Showing that Judah was now
listening rather than defending.

561
00:38:19,040 –> 00:38:22,800
Judah says, Send the lad with
me, and we will rise and go.

562
00:38:23,000 –> 00:38:27,640
That we may live and not die,
both we and thou.

563
00:38:27,640 –> 00:38:39,960
And also our little ones.
So Jacob listened.

564
00:38:42,480 –> 00:38:47,000
Why?
Well, Judah spoke of keeping the

565
00:38:47,000 –> 00:38:50,360
little ones alive.
Reuben spoke of killing his

566
00:38:50,360 –> 00:38:54,080
sons.
Jacob said he would be

567
00:38:54,080 –> 00:38:56,960
responsible.
Judah made someone else

568
00:38:56,960 –> 00:38:59,320
responsible.
See, leaders take

569
00:38:59,320 –> 00:39:01,520
responsibility.
That’s my point.

570
00:39:02,680 –> 00:39:05,400
And by doing that, they bring
groups together.

571
00:39:06,320 –> 00:39:10,480
They do that to preserve life.
And no matter what happens,

572
00:39:11,520 –> 00:39:20,280
leaders don’t run away.
I’ve no time to develop chapter

573
00:39:20,280 –> 00:39:23,000
43 further, primarily because
Judah has no more speaking

574
00:39:23,000 –> 00:39:25,760
parts.
Although I’ll point this out in

575
00:39:25,760 –> 00:39:30,360
verse 29 of chapter 43, Joseph
greets Benjamin in a particular

576
00:39:30,360 –> 00:39:35,480
way.
He says, God be gracious unto

577
00:39:35,480 –> 00:39:40,760
thee, my son.
And I think in that sentence we

578
00:39:40,760 –> 00:39:42,800
have the question and the answer
the next chapter, and the

579
00:39:42,800 –> 00:39:44,520
question, the answer to the next
chapter is what?

580
00:39:46,000 –> 00:39:49,800
Who would God work with to show
grace to Benjamin?

581
00:39:50,080 –> 00:39:53,280
Because you and Joseph knew he
said this.

582
00:39:53,280 –> 00:39:57,520
Trial will not.
End until Benjamin sees grace.

583
00:40:01,680 –> 00:40:05,920
So how does he greet Benjamin?
God be gracious unto thee.

584
00:40:09,880 –> 00:40:13,040
So we’re going to.
Have to see Judah having

585
00:40:13,040 –> 00:40:19,480
received grace, show grace, so
Joseph’s going to employ another

586
00:40:19,480 –> 00:40:22,560
test.
He orders his special cup to be

587
00:40:22,560 –> 00:40:25,120
put in Benjamin’s sack and since
his official to find it and

588
00:40:25,120 –> 00:40:29,080
accuse Benjamin of theft.
After the cup is found, the

589
00:40:29,080 –> 00:40:32,720
brothers appear again before
Joseph, and Joseph gives all the

590
00:40:32,720 –> 00:40:35,680
brothers an easy way out.
All right, He gives him an easy

591
00:40:35,680 –> 00:40:36,960
way out.
Here’s here’s Joseph’s

592
00:40:36,960 –> 00:40:39,840
proposition.
Abandoned Benjamin into slavery,

593
00:40:40,160 –> 00:40:42,080
like you abandoned me into
slavery.

594
00:40:44,040 –> 00:40:45,600
And you can go in peace to your
father.

595
00:40:45,600 –> 00:40:50,760
All right, that’s the test.
Do to Benjamin what you did to

596
00:40:50,760 –> 00:40:52,240
me.
I’m going to create the

597
00:40:52,240 –> 00:40:55,680
conditions where you can do to
him what you did to me.

598
00:40:58,600 –> 00:41:10,120
So turnover Genesis 45 Now when
we read this in verse 17, this

599
00:41:10,120 –> 00:41:15,400
is now Joseph talking and he
said, God forbid that I should

600
00:41:15,400 –> 00:41:19,440
do so.
The man in whose hand the cop is

601
00:41:19,440 –> 00:41:22,000
found.
In other words, Benjamin shall

602
00:41:22,000 –> 00:41:25,560
be my servant.
As for you, get you up in peace

603
00:41:25,560 –> 00:41:28,800
to your father.
So how would the brothers

604
00:41:28,800 –> 00:41:34,360
respond?
The proposition now is they have

605
00:41:34,360 –> 00:41:39,920
every reason, every excuse,
every opportunity to show the

606
00:41:39,920 –> 00:41:44,720
new favorite son the same
treatment they showed Joseph.

607
00:41:48,560 –> 00:41:51,720
And at this point, Judah is
going to come near.

608
00:41:52,640 –> 00:41:57,080
Come near to the throne.
Come near boldly to the throne.

609
00:41:57,520 –> 00:42:00,920
We’re told that we can come
boldly before the throne because

610
00:42:00,920 –> 00:42:03,520
we understand that Jesus is
touched with the feelings of our

611
00:42:03,520 –> 00:42:08,560
infirmity.
And now Judah, on the basis that

612
00:42:09,360 –> 00:42:13,000
that Joseph might be understand
the infirmity of his Father.

613
00:42:14,320 –> 00:42:17,360
And have some.
Sympathy for that comes boldly

614
00:42:17,600 –> 00:42:22,320
before the throne.
Judah will make no defense.

615
00:42:25,120 –> 00:42:29,880
He will proffer no blame.
He will offer no justification.

616
00:42:33,720 –> 00:42:37,120
Now, by that what I mean is, do
you know what Judah could have

617
00:42:37,120 –> 00:42:39,960
done?
He could have said Benjamin

618
00:42:40,120 –> 00:42:42,720
didn’t steal the cup.
And do you know what’s

619
00:42:42,720 –> 00:42:46,360
interesting about that?
It would have been true.

620
00:42:49,520 –> 00:42:52,440
Why didn’t he make?
That defense, it’s true.

621
00:42:53,240 –> 00:42:55,280
Ever wanted to defend yourself
with the truth?

622
00:42:59,080 –> 00:43:03,600
But he doesn’t.
He doesn’t defend himself with

623
00:43:03,600 –> 00:43:09,400
the truth.
All he has is love for his

624
00:43:09,400 –> 00:43:16,560
father and a tender heart.
In verse 433 of chapter 45, we

625
00:43:16,560 –> 00:43:21,000
get to the climax, which we’ve
already considered sacrificial

626
00:43:21,000 –> 00:43:27,880
love.
Genesis chapter 44, no 45 I

627
00:43:27,880 –> 00:43:34,520
think. 44 verses 44.
Verses 33 and 34 Now therefore,

628
00:43:34,520 –> 00:43:38,920
I pray thee, let thy servant
abide, instead of the lad a bond

629
00:43:38,920 –> 00:43:44,920
man to my Lord, and let the lad
go up with his brethren, For how

630
00:43:44,920 –> 00:43:50,840
shall I go up to my father, and
the lad be not with me, lest

631
00:43:50,840 –> 00:43:51,760
per.
Venture, I see the.

632
00:43:51,760 –> 00:43:53,440
Evils I shall come upon my
father.

633
00:43:58,520 –> 00:44:01,280
This is now evidence that Judah
is totally transformed.

634
00:44:03,240 –> 00:44:07,120
He’s gone from self-centered to
self sacrifice.

635
00:44:08,200 –> 00:44:09,800
He’s gone from resentment to
love.

636
00:44:10,280 –> 00:44:13,840
He’s gone from lies to truth,
from running away to taking

637
00:44:13,840 –> 00:44:19,680
responsibility and leadership.
We can see what has changed.

638
00:44:21,720 –> 00:44:26,800
Judah is now able to feel the
pain of his father.

639
00:44:28,720 –> 00:44:32,800
He has lost sons.
He understands.

640
00:44:33,640 –> 00:44:38,240
He understands His father’s not
trying to hurt him, not trying

641
00:44:38,240 –> 00:44:43,480
to take away something from him
that his father shared his

642
00:44:43,480 –> 00:44:48,800
infirmities.
Judah had hurt his father once.

643
00:44:50,400 –> 00:44:53,480
He had taken his position of
influence to sell his brother.

644
00:44:53,640 –> 00:44:56,040
He had lied about it.
He had seen the terror and

645
00:44:56,040 –> 00:45:00,600
sorrow on his father’s face.
He could not see that again.

646
00:45:00,640 –> 00:45:03,640
He’s learned from his past.
He has taken his responsibility

647
00:45:03,640 –> 00:45:05,840
as a leader.
He is a loud trial to change

648
00:45:05,840 –> 00:45:07,560
him.
He is transformed.

649
00:45:15,620 –> 00:45:21,980
So I’ll now try to summarize
this set of Bible classes.

650
00:45:24,840 –> 00:45:29,320
How did Judah?
Overcome resentment How did he

651
00:45:29,320 –> 00:45:35,160
change from a life based on self
importance to 1 based on

652
00:45:35,160 –> 00:45:38,440
sacrificial love for others how
do we.

653
00:45:42,880 –> 00:45:46,200
Judas changed when Tamar showed
him grace.

654
00:45:46,200 –> 00:45:54,680
And kindness he did not deserve.
Judah changed by overcoming his

655
00:45:54,680 –> 00:45:58,200
pride and openly acknowledging
his sin.

656
00:45:59,320 –> 00:46:03,080
Can you imagine how that went?
Imagine how Judah how it went

657
00:46:03,080 –> 00:46:05,240
when Judah introduced his father
to Tamar.

658
00:46:06,920 –> 00:46:09,160
Hi, Jacob.
This is Tamar.

659
00:46:09,920 –> 00:46:20,200
She’s my.
It’s a long story, but he would

660
00:46:20,200 –> 00:46:26,840
have had to do it, wouldn’t he?
Judah changed.

661
00:46:28,120 –> 00:46:32,960
We took responsibility for his
actions and started to right his

662
00:46:32,960 –> 00:46:34,640
wrongs.
First he righted his wrongs to

663
00:46:34,640 –> 00:46:39,760
Tamar, and then he rejoined his
family and the ecclesia.

664
00:46:42,800 –> 00:46:45,680
Judah changed when he
empathetically started to see

665
00:46:45,680 –> 00:46:48,480
the truth about others, that
they weren’t demons.

666
00:46:49,400 –> 00:46:52,280
They were, perhaps.
Just spiritually sick.

667
00:46:54,440 –> 00:46:58,920
Jacob wasn’t evil, he was just
spiritually sick.

668
00:47:00,200 –> 00:47:03,960
Rachel wasn’t evil, she was just
spiritually sick.

669
00:47:05,680 –> 00:47:08,880
Joseph wasn’t evil, he was just
a kid that had dreams.

670
00:47:13,520 –> 00:47:21,560
Judah changed when he stopped
blaming everyone else for his

671
00:47:21,560 –> 00:47:25,400
wrongs without blame.
The cycle of self important self

672
00:47:25,400 –> 00:47:28,160
justification, self
righteousness, self loathing

673
00:47:30,320 –> 00:47:37,600
cease to have any fuel.
Judah responded to hard issues

674
00:47:38,040 –> 00:47:41,200
with truth and honesty.
He no longer look for the easy

675
00:47:41,200 –> 00:47:45,080
way when others blamed.
Judah took responsibility for

676
00:47:45,080 –> 00:47:47,040
his family, even at his own
cost.

677
00:47:49,520 –> 00:47:53,640
Judah changed by showing grace
to his father and brother,

678
00:47:53,840 –> 00:47:56,960
learning from his past, and
paying forward the grace that

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00:47:56,960 –> 00:48:03,280
had been shown to him by Tamar.
But what about you?

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00:48:06,000 –> 00:48:10,920
What do you do?
How do you change if you have a

681
00:48:10,920 –> 00:48:16,280
heart full of resentment when
Head knowledge and certainly

682
00:48:16,280 –> 00:48:19,440
five classes at the 2023 Rocky
Mountain Bible School is never

683
00:48:19,440 –> 00:48:28,800
going to be enough, is it?
Here’s what was suggested to me.

684
00:48:29,920 –> 00:48:37,920
I recommend it to you at night
before you go to sleep, get on

685
00:48:37,920 –> 00:48:41,320
your knees.
I don’t know if you pray on your

686
00:48:41,320 –> 00:48:45,160
knees at night.
I’ve been taught to do that

687
00:48:46,040 –> 00:48:49,520
because even if I’m not feeling
humble, something about being on

688
00:48:49,520 –> 00:48:53,280
your knees puts you in a
physical position to really

689
00:48:53,280 –> 00:49:01,360
acknowledge God’s greatness.
And you pray for the person that

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00:49:01,360 –> 00:49:06,480
you resent.
You pray for what?

691
00:49:08,080 –> 00:49:12,400
Maybe you pray for their health,
for their prosperity.

692
00:49:14,840 –> 00:49:20,200
You pray for their happiness.
Even when you don’t really want

693
00:49:20,200 –> 00:49:22,280
it, you know, are you going to
want those things for them?

694
00:49:22,280 –> 00:49:24,400
Of course not.
Of course you don’t want it for

695
00:49:24,400 –> 00:49:27,400
them.
And, and and you pray.

696
00:49:27,400 –> 00:49:30,760
Even though your prayer feels
like it’s just words, you say,

697
00:49:30,760 –> 00:49:32,880
no, I can’t do that.
My heart’s not in it.

698
00:49:33,040 –> 00:49:36,160
Who cares about your heart?
Your heart’s been getting you in

699
00:49:36,160 –> 00:49:40,280
trouble.
You wouldn’t be in this

700
00:49:40,280 –> 00:49:42,960
situation if you said stop
listening to your heart a long

701
00:49:42,960 –> 00:49:47,720
time ago.
You do it anyway.

702
00:49:48,680 –> 00:49:52,720
You do it for a month and what
will happen after a month is

703
00:49:52,720 –> 00:49:55,360
something that is very hard to
understand.

704
00:49:58,360 –> 00:50:05,000
After a while, when you pray
those words, you’ll actually.

705
00:50:05,000 –> 00:50:08,080
Want those things?
For that person.

706
00:50:12,080 –> 00:50:20,960
You realize that they are just
scared, just like you, and

707
00:50:20,960 –> 00:50:26,880
they’re hurting too, probably,
and where you used to feel some

708
00:50:26,880 –> 00:50:30,280
bitterness and some resentment
and some hatred.

709
00:50:31,160 –> 00:50:34,360
You will begin.
To feel compassion and

710
00:50:34,360 –> 00:50:40,880
understanding and love.
So you don’t wait to start

711
00:50:40,960 –> 00:50:46,160
feeling love, to show love.
And prayer is simply an active,

712
00:50:46,160 –> 00:50:50,240
intentional outworking of the
command to love your neighbor as

713
00:50:50,240 –> 00:50:53,560
yourself.
And prayer really is just that.

714
00:50:54,240 –> 00:50:56,040
Prayer is an expression.
Of love.

715
00:50:59,480 –> 00:51:03,520
Now do I know if if?
Judah prayed for Jacob, Joseph.

716
00:51:04,680 –> 00:51:10,080
No, I’m not sure he did.
But I know this, that whatever

717
00:51:10,080 –> 00:51:14,840
mistakes Judah had made before,
he proceeded to do the opposite.

718
00:51:16,320 –> 00:51:19,120
He didn’t lie.
He told the truth.

719
00:51:19,120 –> 00:51:24,440
He didn’t run away.
He faced his problems.

720
00:51:25,560 –> 00:51:29,480
He didn’t sleep around.
He refrained himself.

721
00:51:30,520 –> 00:51:34,760
He didn’t leave the family.
He led the family.

722
00:51:35,880 –> 00:51:39,680
So what I suggest to you?
Is if to?

723
00:51:39,680 –> 00:51:42,600
Overcome his resentment.
Judah had to do the opposite.

724
00:51:44,760 –> 00:51:50,760
Maybe to overcome yours, you
have to do the opposite.

725
00:52:03,250 –> 00:52:05,850
And maybe if you haven’t been
praying for someone because you

726
00:52:05,850 –> 00:52:11,010
don’t really feel like you love
them, maybe you need to pray for

727
00:52:11,010 –> 00:52:18,210
them and love them.
You see, we started this study.

728
00:52:18,520 –> 00:52:23,360
By looking at this verse, you
shall not hate your brother in

729
00:52:23,360 –> 00:52:25,640
your heart, but you shall reason
with your neighbour, lest you

730
00:52:25,640 –> 00:52:28,920
bear sin because of him.
You shall not take vengeance or

731
00:52:28,920 –> 00:52:31,280
bear any grudge.
Against the sons of your own.

732
00:52:31,280 –> 00:52:34,840
People, but you shall love your
neighbour as yourself.

733
00:52:34,880 –> 00:52:38,120
I am the Lord.
See, to overcome resentment, you

734
00:52:38,120 –> 00:52:44,000
got to do the opposite.
It’s not that you simply stop

735
00:52:44,920 –> 00:52:47,640
bearing a grudge.
You need to love.

736
00:52:52,680 –> 00:52:55,720
You know what?
You can’t wait till you feel

737
00:52:55,720 –> 00:53:03,400
like it, because to the extent
you have resentment, you don’t

738
00:53:03,400 –> 00:53:08,080
have love.
And seems to be that the extent

739
00:53:08,080 –> 00:53:11,400
you have love, you don’t have
resentment.

740
00:53:13,400 –> 00:53:15,200
Was there ever going to be any
other way?

741
00:53:16,640 –> 00:53:19,320
Was there ever going to be any
other way than to love?

742
00:53:21,600 –> 00:53:29,240
There’s no other way.
So in the end, to overcome

743
00:53:29,240 –> 00:53:34,280
resentment, we love.
And you start with the simplest

744
00:53:34,280 –> 00:53:37,000
form of love there is.
You start with prayer.

745
00:53:37,680 –> 00:53:40,040
It’s not confrontational.
I like that.

746
00:53:41,080 –> 00:53:43,440
It’s not expensive.
I really like that.

747
00:53:45,400 –> 00:53:47,840
It does take a lot of time like
that again, right?

748
00:53:47,840 –> 00:53:50,040
This is working for me this
right, right.

749
00:53:52,080 –> 00:53:54,480
It’s not complicated.
Again, that’s a tick.

750
00:53:54,640 –> 00:53:57,760
You know, I can do this If you
if you said to me, Ben, I got a

751
00:53:57,760 –> 00:54:01,160
solution to your problem, right?
You’re saying, oh really?

752
00:54:01,160 –> 00:54:03,200
I like solutions.
You say you’re going to love it.

753
00:54:03,680 –> 00:54:07,360
There’s no confrontation.
There’s it’s not expensive, it

754
00:54:07,360 –> 00:54:09,960
doesn’t take a lot of time and
it’s not complicated.

755
00:54:09,960 –> 00:54:15,720
You’re like, lay it on me.
Yes, I’d like you to pray for

756
00:54:15,720 –> 00:54:17,360
that person you’re really bitter
against.

757
00:54:25,240 –> 00:54:32,480
Yeah, it’s an expression of
love, and love shoves out

758
00:54:32,480 –> 00:54:38,400
resentment.
And as we close, just reflect

759
00:54:38,760 –> 00:54:40,880
one final time on what God has
done.

760
00:54:43,320 –> 00:54:49,880
God gave Judah the one thing he
thought he’d never have.

761
00:54:49,880 –> 00:54:55,040
Do you want?
God gave him Joseph’s

762
00:54:55,040 –> 00:54:59,120
forgiveness and affectionate
embrace.

763
00:55:01,520 –> 00:55:06,400
So Judah wept.
He realized that one more time

764
00:55:07,640 –> 00:55:12,600
he’d been saved by grace through
grace.

765
00:55:15,240 –> 00:55:20,640
May the God of grace restore you
to the affectionate embrace of

766
00:55:20,640 –> 00:55:23,600
the brother or sister that God
has enabled you to forgive.