Panel Questions on David – Part 1 – John B, Bill D, Tom R, David S.

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Short Summary

The meeting addressed several scriptural questions, including why Saul, from the tribe of Benjamin, was Israel’s first king despite Genesis 49:10’s reference to Judah’s kingship, concluding that Saul’s reign did not violate Judah’s kingly authority which continued through David’s line. Discussions also explored the prophetic meaning of David’s three anointings as symbolic of stages in Christ’s ministry and kingdom, and the distinction between collective anointing and individual spirit begotten. Additionally, the brethren examined David’s sin in numbering Israel, attributing God’s anger to pride and disobedience, and drew lessons on repentance, wholehearted service to God, and the danger of losing heart, emphasizing renewal, sincere devotion, and reliance on God’s guidance.

Long Summary

Detailed Summary of the Question Meeting Discussion

Meeting Format and Logistics 
– About 15 questions were submitted, mostly the night before, allowing brethren some preparation. 
– Two one-hour sessions were planned with a break in between. 
– Questions could be asked voluntarily by brethren present or submitted via Zoom chat. 
– No specific assignments were given; participation was voluntary.

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### 1. Why was Saul, from the tribe of Benjamin, chosen as Israel’s first king despite Genesis 49:10 stating kings would come from Judah? Is Deuteronomy 23:2 relevant?

Scriptures Read: 
– *Genesis 49:10*: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet until Shiloh come, and unto him shall the obedience of the people be.” 
– *Deuteronomy 23:2*: “A bastard shall not enter into the assembly of Jehovah. Even to the tenth generation shall none of his enter into the assembly of Jehovah.”

Discussion Highlights: 
– Brother John explained the possible connection with Tamar and Judah’s lineage (Genesis 38), focusing on the 10-generation rule and the legitimacy of the line of David. 
– The “scepter” indicates the right to rule, which remained with Judah’s line, but Saul’s kingship from Benjamin was permitted by God as a practical lesson on God’s selection of rulers versus popular choice. 
– Brother Bill noted Saul represents the Jewish Age, David the Gospel Age, and Solomon the Messianic Kingdom; kingship truly continued through Judah’s line despite Saul’s reign. 
– Brother Tom emphasized Benjamin was a small tribe often included with Judah; the scepter’s departure was linked to the coming of Christ (Revelation 5:5 refers to Jesus as the “Lion of the tribe of Judah”). 
– Reference made to *Harvest Gleanings* (4:28) and *Studies in the Scriptures* Vol. 2 (pp. 85-86), supporting the idea that the right to rule remained with Judah until Christ. 
– Tamar’s act was considered righteous by Judah (Genesis 38:26), and the application of Deuteronomy 23:2 was seen as unrelated to Saul’s tribe.

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### 2. Is there a prophetic lesson in the three anointings of David? How does this relate to the church?

Three Anointings of David: 
1. Anointed as shepherd boy (*1 Samuel 16:13*) — preparation stage. 
2. Anointed over Judah and Benjamin (*2 Samuel 2:4*) — partial kingship. 
3. Anointed over all Israel (*2 Samuel 5:3*) — full kingship.

Prophetic Application: 
– Brother Tom and others suggested symbolic, not explicit scriptural, applications based on understanding the divine plan. 
– The first anointing corresponds to Jesus’ anointing by the Holy Spirit at baptism, pre-kingship. 
– The second anointing relates to Jesus’ return with kingly authority (Second Advent), initially acknowledged by a few (like Judah and Benjamin tribes). 
– The third anointing represents the mediatorial reign when Jesus’ kingdom is fully recognized worldwide. 
– Reference to David’s slaying of Goliath with five stones symbolizing the complete destruction of evil over time, linking to Messianic work. 
– The church’s anointing is collective, sharing in Christ’s anointing and reigning with Him. 
– Differences highlighted between the collective anointing of the church and individual spirit begetting, with the former coming from Christ as head to body.

Scripture Quoted: 
– *2 Corinthians 1:21-22*: “Now he that established us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.” 
– *1 John 2:27* about the anointing abiding in believers. 
– *Psalm 133* about the anointing oil flowing down from the head (priest/king) to the body.

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### 3. Why was God angry with David for numbering the people? Lessons for Christians?

Scriptural Background: 
– *2 Samuel 24* and *1 Chronicles 21* describe David’s census. Samuel says God was angry; Chronicles says Satan incited David. 
– Census was normal in Scripture (e.g., *Exodus 30:11-16*), with a required atonement tax. 
– David did not follow God’s instructions or seek His guidance; his heart smote him afterward.

Reasons for God’s Anger: 
– Pride and self-reliance rather than trust in God’s power. 
– Ignoring proper procedures and failing to consult God. 
– Influence of Satan tempting David through external voices and internal pride. 
– The sin led to a plague killing 70,000 people, showing consequences of leadership failures. 
– David’s repentance and recognition of the sin showed his shepherd heart.

Lessons for Christians: 
– Importance of consulting God before major decisions. 
– Recognizing temptation and influences from the flesh, world, and devil. 
– Avoiding pride and the sin of comparison (*2 Corinthians 10:12*). 
– God’s discipline can teach lessons, even on a national scale. 
– The plague ended after David built an altar at the threshing floor of Araunah (Mount Moriah), a place of atonement and sacrifice, symbolizing repentance and acceptance by God (Psalm 51:17).

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### 4. Does 2 Chronicles 25:2 (“he did what was right in the eyes of Jehovah, but not wholeheartedly”) represent the Great Company attitude? How to recognize half-heartedness in our walk?

Background: 
– Refers to King Amaziah who started well but later fell into idolatry. 
– The gradual slide from partial obedience to outright sin serves as a warning.

Great Company Application: 
– The scripture typifies those who are “half-baked” or “half-hearted,” like the Great Company, who do some good but lack full devotion. 
– Elijah’s challenge at Mount Carmel (*1 Kings 18*) about being “of two minds” applies here. 
– Ephraim is called a “cake not turned” or half-baked (Hosea 7:8), symbolizing incompleteness in faith.

Recognizing Half-heartedness: 
– Reflect on one’s motives and the consistency of service to God. 
– Prayers for a “whole heart” and undivided devotion (Psalm 86:11). 
– Awareness that Christianity requires active, outward effort, not comfort zone complacency. 
– Continuous self-examination and willingness to adjust and improve. 
– The difference between the Little Flock and Great Company lies in ongoing growth and fidelity.

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### 5. Did God forgive David without his repentance? Lessons on repentance and forgiveness for dealing with brethren?

Key Points: 
– God’s forgiveness requires acknowledgment and repentance; Psalm 34:18 highlights God’s nearness to the brokenhearted and saving the contrite. 
– David openly confessed his sins (2 Samuel 12:13), and Nathan declared God had put away his sin. 
– Forgiveness is not automatic; recognition and repentance are crucial. 
– Only God can judge the heart fully; humans should exercise mercy and humility. 
– The consequences of sin can affect others (David’s child died as a consequence, foreshadowing Christ’s sacrifice). 
– The lesson for brethren is to correct offenses privately (Matthew 5:23–24) and be merciful, recognizing our own shortcomings.

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### 6. What causes us to lose heart for God and how can we prevent it?

Causes of Losing Heart: 
– Weariness, discouragement, spiritual burnout. 
– Feeling alone or isolated in the faith journey. 
– The influence of the world, flesh, and devil working to discourage believers.

Prevention and Renewal: 
– Renew strength by waiting on the Lord (*Isaiah 40:31*). 
– Foster close fellowship and kindred spirits in the community for encouragement. 
– Maintain a personal, heartfelt relationship with God beyond formalities. 
– Recognize that “losing heart” means becoming weary in well-doing (New Testament exhortations). 
– Continuous renewal of faith and zeal is necessary in a challenging world.

Practical Advice: 
– Encourage a warm, familial atmosphere among brethren, reducing formality. 
– Engage in mutual support and genuine friendship. 
– Remember the spiritual battle involves constant vigilance against discouragement.

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Additional Scriptural References Cited:

– *Revelation 5:5* — Jesus as Lion of Judah, root of David. 
– *Genesis 38:26* — Judah’s declaration Tamar was more righteous. 
– *Exodus 30:11-16* — Census regulations and atonement tax. 
– *2 Corinthians 10:12* — Warning against pride from comparing selves. 
– *Psalm 51:17* — Sacrifices of God are a broken spirit and contrite heart. 
– *1 Kings 18* — Elijah’s challenge about being “of two minds.” 
– *Hosea 7:8* — Ephraim as a half-baked cake. 
– *2 Samuel 12:13* — Nathan’s message to David on forgiven sin. 
– *Matthew 5:23-24* — Importance of reconciliation before worship. 
– *Psalm 86:11* — Prayer for a whole, undivided heart. 
– *Isaiah 40:31* — Renewal of strength by waiting on the Lord.

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Summary Conclusion:

The meeting offered rich biblical insights addressing complex questions about Scripture interpretation, spiritual lessons in leadership, anointing, repentance, and maintaining zeal in the Christian walk. The brethren emphasized the importance of humility, continual self-examination, reliance on God’s guidance, and maintaining heartfelt devotion to avoid half-heartedness or losing heart. They also highlighted the interplay between divine sovereignty and human responsibility, illustrating how God’s providence works through imperfect human actions for ultimate good and instruction.

Transcript

We have about 15 questions that have been submitted. Most of them were submitted last night. So the brethren have had a little bit of time to prepare and we appreciate that. If there is time, we will entertain questions from the audience and also from on Zoom, and again, that’s if there is time.

And for the brethren on Zoom, if you have questions, please put them in the chat and they will be communicated to us. So we have two one hour sessions. Brother Rolando will give us a break here in about another hour and then we’ll continue from there. A lot of good questions as well. Brethren, these are not directed to any of you, so there’s no assignments and whatnot, but purely voluntary.

So I’m going to put out the first question here. Genesis 49:10 says that the kings of Israel would come through the line of Judah. Why then was the first King Saul from the tribe of Benjamin? Is Deuteronomy 23:2 involved here? All right, two scriptures and let me read them.

Genesis 49:10. The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet until Shiloh come, and unto him shall the obedience of the people be. The other text that was referenced, Deuteronomy 23:2, reads, A bastard shall not enter into the assembly of Jehovah. Even to the tenth generation shall none of his enter into the assembly of Jehovah. So the question once again, Genesis 49:10 says that the kings of Israel would come through the line of Judah.

Why then was the first King Saul of the tribe of Benjamin? Take that first part of the question first. Brethren, what do you think?

Go ahead, Brother John. Thank you for sharing the text, Brother David. I was not familiar with this, and I looked up this in Deuteronomy 23:2 about the 10th generation. I know there was a sister that actually was a Jewish distraction, but she didn’t find out about it until years later. But she was the 10th generation and the rabbis could not speak to her because of some sin going back 10 generations.

So I looked up, if you look at Matthew 1, 3:6, David is the 10th generation from Judah, and the brethren probably know the account in Genesis 38 of Judah and Tamar where Judah’s son did not give to Tamar son, and neither did his brother, because under the law the brother was to take on the it’s like under the law, women had a right to children, is how I would put it, and she, because Judah was reluctant to give her another son, she pretended to be a harlot and basically seduced Judah and she had children by Judah. So that’s in David’s line. But that goes back 10 generations.

So I think that’s where the question comes from. On Genesis 49, 10, I take the scepter shall not depart from Judah as the right to rule, and I don’t think that prohibited someone like Saul from the tribe of Benjamin to be the ruler. Or later, under the Maccabees, there were kings who were not of the Davidic line. I think they’re just ignored.

And for me, Saul is really. The Lord often uses individuals kind of as a pantomime lesson for us, and Saul, you know, it was what the people would choose. To me, that’s what’s really critical, that we have to look for those that the Lord raises up, which David was, but Saul really was not. But he always gives practical demonstrations that we went the Lord’s way, not our own way.

So that would be. I think it was of the Lord’s permission. I don’t really think it has to do with Deuteronomy 23:2, but maybe it does because there is 10 generations. Interesting. Thank you.

Brother John, Brother Bill, Brother Tom, want to add anything? Well, I was just thinking that, you know, Saul, King Saul represents the Jewish age, and that didn’t continue, and David represents the Gospel age. That’s where the church is taken from, and that’s the picture there.

And then we have Solomon representing the Messianic age, the kingdom. So we know the Jews were cast off. So really the kingship went through David and his line. So that would be okay. Brother Tom, anything to add?

Well, the simple answer is that Benjamin was a very small tribe, and the Scriptures often include him when it talks about Judah, and so that’s the simple answer, that it wasn’t a violation. But this does not say that all kingships would come. It says, the scepter will not depart from Judah, and if you look back at the Beginning of Genesis 49, Jacob gathers all his sons.

He tells them what their posterity is going to be, and it’s not so pleasant for most of them. But when he gets to Judah, it’s very specific. He said that Judah would be like a young lion, and the kingly authority would remain with Judah until Shiloh come, and the connection, of course, is in Revelation 5, verse 5, it’s talking about Christ at the beginning, right after his death, at the beginning of the Gospel age.

It says, weep not. Behold the lion of the tribe of Judah. The root of David hath prevailed to open the book and, and to loose the Seven seals thereof. Jesus had been faithful.

This is after his resurrection. He’s earned the scepter, and so the lineage of Judah continued until Christ. Brother Russell has an interesting thing, a point in Harvest Gleanings. He says, although kingly power was taken away from Judah in the days of King Zedekiah, nevertheless the scepter of authority remained with the tribe of Judah.

I think that’s the point. That authority continued through the lineage until it came to Christ, the real heir, the real lion of the tribe of Judah. Yeah, very, very nice. What was the reference? Harvest Cleanings 4 28.

Harvest Cleanings 428. Very good. Brother Russell also discusses this in the second volume, pages 85 to 86, and I think the point that you made, Tom, is very important, that while Saul was king, the scepter hadn’t departed from Judah. The right to rule hadn’t deported.

Somebody else was on the throne, but the rule hadn’t. It hadn’t deported. The comment about Deuteronomy 23:2, it took me a while to kind of make the connection here, and I didn’t get it right away. But what brother John said is right to the 10th generation, and when you scout the generations, that’s what you come up.

But that particular prohibition in the law was due to really immoral behavior, uncivil behavior. Now, while the event or narrative between Judah and Tamar is a little testy, you know, you have to think about that. What John said is very important. The right to have children under the law, back in patriarchal times, before the law was sacrosanct, and so you cannot call that an illicit or immoral union for at least, well, several reasons.

Number one, Judah did not intend to give Tamar her right to have children by. By the last son. Remember, he had three sons. The two were evil and they died. So Judah, probably a little superstitious, says, well, I don’t want to give Tamar to my younger son.

So he denied her something, which was her right, and her deception of Judah was carried out for a righteous reason. Yeah, it was deceptive, but she was clamoring for something that was her right. When Judah realizes what has happened, what does he say? She is more righteous than I am.

He declares it a righteous act because her right was involved. So the inclusion of that child that was born of that Perez in the line of Messiah, and when you read about it in the Gospels, if it’s included in the Gospels, in the line of Messiah, it has to have divided. Well, that’s interesting. I hadn’t seen Any connection with the Deuteronomy text, with this. But your explanation, I think, is that he had done something immoral and that should have disqualified him.

Yeah, I think that was the thought of the question, which it didn’t, but I see the point. Very good, Brother John, and just that reference is Genesis 38:26, where he says that. That Tamar was more righteous than he. Yeah, I mean, that’s the declaration right there.

He didn’t consider it an immoral act. He considered it a righteous act because of her. Right. All right, very good. Let’s go on to question two.

Is there a prophetic lesson for the three anointings of David? Also, how does the anointing apply to the church? And the scripture quoted here, 2nd Corinthians 1, 21 and 22 reads, now he that established us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. So is there a prophetic lesson in the three anointings? Maybe we should say it.

Let’s enumerate the three anointings. First Brother Tom, would you do that for us? Yes. First Samuel 16:13. We talked about this yesterday.

David was anointed as a shepherd boy. Second Samuel two, four. He’s anointed over the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and Second Samuel five, three, he’s anointed finally over all of Israel. Okay, so is there any prophetic lesson in these?

How would we apply these for the time? We listened to two discourses last night that addressed this. Two discourses last night? Well, Cheryl listened to the other ones. Tony.

Oh, teamwork. I love it. I would recommend the three that are available on Christian Resources. I listened to Brother George Tabax, which I thought was outstanding. So there does appear to be a prophetic application.

But let’s have a disclaimer here. There are some things in the scriptures that we apply symbolically because we understand the divine plan, and it fits very well. Joseph is a perfect example of it. There’s no New Testament scripture that says Joseph represents such and such, and yet it fits so well when we understand the divine plan that we like the application.

I think that’s the same issue here with the three anointings. There’s really no scripture that says David’s three anointings represent such and such. But because we understand the divine plan and where Jesus fits into all that, it fits very well, and the concept of anointing is very scriptural. So I would say, yes, there is a symbolic application to that.

The first One with David anointed as a shepherd. This was way before he was to become king. So he continued as a shepherd, he continued serving somewhat, and that would correspond probably to Jesus anointing of the Holy Spirit at Jordan, way before he was going to become king, but in preparation for his kingship, and that fits very well.

And then Brother George has some interesting applications with their interaction with Goliath. He said that when David slew Goliath, he picked five stones, right? The first stone slew Goliath. He felt, and I thought this was pretty interesting, that that represented the future destruction of all evil. But it was at the first advent, so it didn’t really happen yet.

Because Goliath also had four sons who were also giants, and that’s why he picked five stones and he later went and he slew those other ones, and when he kills all five of them, then that’s finally the whole complete destruction, destruction of satisfaction, Satan and evil now associated. So that happens really way at the end of the millennium. So you’ve got a broad picture of the destruction of evil by Jesus.

And then the second anointing, he applies to the second advent when Jesus returns, Remember, it says he went to receive the kingdom, and when he returns, he returns with kingly authority, and so that would be the second anointing, when Jesus returned with authority to now establish his kingdom, and only a few saw that anointing, only the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and that would correspond to only a few brethren, understand that Christ has returned. He’s got kingly authorities in the process of eliminating Satan’s empire.

And then finally, the third anointing over all of Israel represents the mediatorial reign when his return is manifested to all the world and they all recognize him. But there’s a lot of little details in there. One of them was Goliath taunted Israel for 40 days, and he applies that to the 40 days wilderness experience of Jesus when Jesus was tempted, and the slaying then, I guess I’m doing this out of order.

The slaying then was the prospective work of destroying Satan and his empire. That’s just a brief analysis of what brother George applied, and like I said, we have no scriptural definition of all of these, but we do have for what the anointing represents of the Holy Spirit and the question about the church being involved. I think at the second advent in the church, when she’s raised, she comes under the anointing as well, and she reigns with him and then is exposed to the world as part of the Mediator Wow. Very nice, comprehensive answer.

And I like you, started out by saying, you know, that we don’t have any particular scripture to apply it that way. But once you know the divine plan, a lot of things kind of fault. A lot of things kind of fall together. Thank you, Brother Tom. For example, the apostle Paul, he applies covenants to to Sarah and the I just lost the Egyptian Hagar, Sarah and Hagar.

He doesn’t apply anything to couture, but we make the application and we’re starting with something that Paul does and then moving forward to it. So as long as we understand that we are making an extrapolation here based upon truth, it generally falls together pretty well. Interesting your comment about the second and third anointings. In our presentation yesterday, we were talking about David ruling over Judah and then over all of Israel, and that corresponds to the anointings.

And we think about Jesus returning that right now he he’s our king, he’s our returned Lord, but it’s not recognized by the world, and then you go to the rulership of all mankind. So that fits as well. Brother Bill, Brother John, anything to add on these anointings? Not for me, no.

I would just add. I think part of the question was how does this apply to the church? And for myself, I think sometimes in types we’re challenged by the details. How far do you take the type? And what was striking to me is that, well, First John 2:27 says the anointing which you have received of him, received of him abides in you.

And of course, David’s Psalm 133 points out that the anointing of the priest is like the oil that comes down from the head to the skirt. Now I say that because I believe that in one sense David’s time of persecution under Saul fits the whole church, head and body. So I think we can also make that application. But we know that David’s whole life represents the gospel, age experiences. So it’s just another aspect of the type.

But we have to keep those separate, I think. Very, very good. Let me go back to just one more basic idea. What is the difference between our anointing and our spirit begetto? Because in both cases the Holy Spirit is depicted in similar ways.

Again, this is a basic thought, but I just want to bring it up. What’s the distinction between the two?

This was not a prepared question. You can see this, Brother John.

Okay, well, the question had to do with the anointing and spirit bogetal to explain. Basically the difference is how I took that well, the anointing is collective because the Scriptures make that very plain. The anointing came upon Jesus, and then through him, it comes to the body members. But spirit bogetal is individual. So we each come to the Lord, we’re drawn of our Father, we come to him, we offer our consecration.

And, you know, as the Lord looks at that consecration and we’ve been justified, that can be sacrificed and spirit begetto comes. Of course, the Lord evaluates each one. I think it’s important individually. Can they make their calling election? Sure.

Do they have what it takes? So that’s an important aspect too. But one is collective, the other is individual. All right, very good, Very good, Brother Bill. You know, when I think of anointing, I think of the age, and then spirit begetto is individual.

So the two ages of redemption. Okay, very good, Tom. Well, the common thing is that Christ is essential for both of them. We can’t receive the Holy Spirit without the merit of Christ first. We are unworthy, but our worthiness comes because of him.

And of course, the anointing is the same thing. It goes to the head first. If the head’s not there, the body gets no oil. So he’s the essential ingredient in both. Very good, very good.

Let’s go on to question three. Why was God so angry with David for numbering the people? Is there a lesson or parallel for our Christian walk? This is in reference to the sin of taking the census of the people. Pretty Bill.

So in numbering the people, you know, the whole idea was it was earthly thinking that we need to have certain numbers to go against another, you know, army or another group where with God he can do the miracle, where it doesn’t. You don’t need a lot, you know, just like Gideon and his 300 or whatever. So I think that’s why Jehovah was so mad about the numbering of the people at that point. That’s the practical application, and then I think for us, you know, we really don’t know who is spirit begotten and who isn’t.

So I think in the broader sense, we just take everybody’s word for where they are and treat everybody as brethren, and that doesn’t just include our fellowship. It includes, I think, a broader picture. Picture also. Okay, very good.

Any other thoughts, Brother John? Well, I think there’s a lot of background to this question. This is in reference to 2nd Samuel 24, and it starts out saying the Lord is angry with his people, and then the first verse is kind of obscure, which I think we’ll get into verse 12.

Because it almost sounds like God made David sin, and that isn’t correct, of course. But what really struck me is, okay, the whole book of numbers is about numbering the people. I mean, you read. I mean, there’s census taking in the Scriptures that there’s precedent for.

And Exodus 30, verses 11 to 16. That’s the first record I could find of the census, and there was a purpose there. The tabernacle tax. There was support, you know, given for the tabernacle from the people.

And also in 2 Samuel 18, there’s another occasion where David numbers his followers and the Lord doesn’t correct him, and what struck me about that is it’s during Absalom’s rebellion and he’s numbering who is with him and he divides the people. Then they have different tasks. It seems like there’s a purpose. When you look at 2 Samuel 24, it sort of comes out of the blue.

But it’s near the end of David’s reign, and it seems like, and this is, I think, a real challenge for us, was David complacent? Had he allowed pride to come in to look at his kingdom and the successes they had in battle? And it’s clear he did not ask the Lord.

He’s so good of inquiring of the Lord at other times, but this time he doesn’t, and what I find fascinating is in verse 17 that. Well, I guess I should say, first David recognizes his sin, and then the Lord sends this correction that others may mention. But in verse 17, David has seen the Lord smite the people with a plague, and he says, lo, I have sinned.

I have done wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me and against my Father’s house. Well, here’s the heart of a shepherd. He knew it was because of his sin and failing that this occurred.

And I think this shows the importance of faithful leadership, because sometimes our mistakes will affect others. This, I think, is a real example here of that, and it’s after David says this that then the Lord gives him how to bring the plague to an end, which I’ll leave for the moment. Okay, very good addition, Brother Tom. It doesn’t say why the Lord was displeased, but if you read the Chronicles account, and this is a reason why we need multiple accounts, because we get more information from other accounts.

1st Chronicles 21:1 puts it clear, says Satan was against the Israelites. He encouraged David to come. The Israelites. So the suggestion came from Satan, and what’s interesting is that in 2nd Samuel 24:10 it says David’s heart smote him after he had numbered the people.

His conscience said, wait a minute, I did this wrong. So somehow he understood that this was incorrect. His motivation. I think there’s other possibilities that we can guess at, but it doesn’t really say. But the fact that Satan made this suggestion automatically makes it wrong.

You know he’s going to try to take, take you off in the wrong direction. Some of the suggestions were it suggested that he distrusted God, that he had to figure it out for himself. That’s one suggestion that is a very good possibility. It could be that his pride caused him to do this and David realized that, and again, what’s good about David is that he had a conscience and he had a conscience that was geared towards pleasing God.

This is a case where, where he didn’t do what you had suggested. He didn’t go to God and say, lord, should I number the people? He just decided to do this for whatever negative reason it was, but his own conscience finally realized it. But the consequences were awful for Israel. 70,000 people died because of this decision.

And I can imagine how that must have made David feel. So it was really a heart wrenching experience all along. He asked about the spirit. Spiritual lessons. Right.

I think Satan makes suggestions to us all the time on doing something wrong, and I’m sorry, I keep going back to your point about consulting God before you make decisions, especially major decisions is crucial, and I think after we become more accustomed to doing that, it becomes more natural. What would God want me to do in this case? He doesn’t always answer us.

He doesn’t always make it very clear, and sometimes we have to make a decision along a certain line. But we keep watching. We let our conscience keep saying, is this still correct? Am I still seeing signals?

Am I seeing any indications from God that this was the right decision or a wrong decision? Because if you make a wrong decision, that’s not the end of the world because you can correct it, and David in his conscience corrected it. So there’s a lot of really good lessons here in David’s failures as much as his victories. Yes.

Isn’t it fascinating that in his failures that they are so rich with lessons that we can apply, lessons that we can learn. Bill, you have anything else to add? No. That’s good. Well, let me summarize this.

Listening to the brethren, probably several reasons why this happened and why God was angry. We mentioned pride and self reliance, though the scriptures don’t tell us what was going on in David’s heart. Nevertheless, the fact that his conscience mowed him says he did something wrong, and we think pride and self reliance is probably the reason for that. Secondly, and I really like brother John brought up in Exodus, chapter 30, there are rules for taking a census.

In fact, if you read it, it says when you take a census, do this. It was applicable especially to that time, but it seemed like a general procedure. This is how you do it, and it includes included a head tax on everybody. So he ignored the rules for taking a census, did it on his own.

And lastly, that satanic influence, we might wonder, you know, how did Satan influence David? Did he speak directly to his mind? I think not. I think maybe he probably brought other people in his sphere and influence and said, boy, what a wonderful army you have. Look at all these people.

You know, you’re the greatest military in history. How many people are there? What’s the size of your armies? And you can see that these outside influences start to feed pride. By the way, just as a maybe a little footnote, pride only exists when there are comparisons.

You can’t have pride when there’s no comparisons. You’re by yourself on an island, how prideful can you be there? But pride always involves comparisons, and I like Paul’s words here in Second Corinthians, chapter 10, verse 12, and I want to notice you notice a word that Paul uses here that I think applies to this.

2nd Corinthians 10:12. For we are not bold to number or compare ourselves with certain of them that commend themselves, but they themselves, measuring themselves by themselves, comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding. There’s the sin of comparison which leads directly to, well, to the sin of pride. So all of these things kind of came up, and of course the lesson for us is always go before the Lord, especially for major decisions in our life.

But it should be habitual. Brother Bill, was it really for pride or was it strength? Was he really doing it for strength?

Well, he says at the beginning, so I can know how many people I have. It’s pretty simple, but I think there was more to it than that. But your point about where suggestions come from, he kind of had a warning at the beginning from Joab. Of course Joab is an inferior. He’s the general, he’s not the king.

And just reading from the easy read version, I like that one. King. Let’s see, where’s Ken? I don’t know verse three. But Joab said to the king, may the Lord your God give you 100 times as many people, no matter how many there are.

And may your eyes see this thing happen. But why do you want to do this? So he questioned him and David said no. So there were voices ahead of time to warn him, but he pressed ahead. You know, maybe that.

Maybe that’s one of the applications we can make where we hear the voice of Satan coming through various influences that are about us. There’s also the voices of God. We have to give them more weight than the voices of Satan. Brother John. Yeah, I wanted to.

I love the comparison between 1st Chronicles 21:1 and 2 Samuel 24:1. Because the second Samuel starts with God was angry at Israel. So it seems like it was a bigger sin than that. The Lord was correcting something larger, I think, and David was going to be, you know, the instrument of that correction.

And for me, I would put it this way. I appreciate the point about Joab, that David was determined on a course. That’s clear when you read what happened to Joab, and sometimes we may get an idea of something we need to do and we haven’t taken it to the Lord and we run ahead, and the Lord will permit a practical demonstration of our mistake, our benefit.

And to me, that’s why you have. He’s angry. Then Satan tempts and David errs. I think that’s important because the Lord will permit those temptations. If there’s something too heavy we can’t bear, he won’t permit it.

So to me, that’s just really that whole point about practical demonstration. The Lord is always teaching us here. He was teaching on a national scale. I believe that’s a very good observation. I didn’t really pick that up.

He was angry with Israel, so something more was going on here. Very, very good, Tom. Well, you know, there seems to be a contradiction between the Samuel account and the Chronicles account. Because the Samuel account says God told him to go to number the people and the Chronicles account says, well, it was Satan, and how do you harmonize those?

Is what Brother John said. Satan may make a suggestion, and God says, well, go ahead then. See how it turns out. So God said yes, in a reserved sense, knowing that it would be a great humiliating lesson for David.

Yeah, maybe in the permissive sense. Permissive sense, yeah. One last thing on this. The plague ends when David builds an altar. I think there’s a beautiful lesson there also.

I’m going to ask you what the lesson is also. It ends at the threshing floor of a race. May not be getting any significance in the place where the plague ends. Brother John. Well, brother David, I think the brethren would do well to Compare that.

Exodus 30, 11, 16. Because first off, the Lord says, lest a plague come upon you, do this sentence, this census, and here you have the plague is the very first that happens when David and the nation sin there. Well, it’s interesting too because in Exodus 30 it talks about atonement, that this poll tax is for atonement. It’s support for the tabernacle.

Well, the threshing floor of Araunah is Mount Moriah, which is where Abraham sacrificed Isaac, which is where the temple was built, and so there’s a pointing again to atonement, I think, and what happens that the plague comes to an end when he buys that threshing floor and has the sacrificing? Isn’t that powerful? That’s where the temple was built later on, right at that point for the time you asked about why the sacrifice, it was a burnt offering and a peace offering.

Those were always voluntary. They were not required. So this was something voluntary from David’s heart to show his repentance and remission wasn’t required by God. This was David’s idea. But anything voluntary like that shows the dimension of his heart was very good.

Yeah, very nice. You know, Brother Tom, in past fellowship with me pointed out that when you have voluntary offerings like that, they are designated a sweet savor to God, and I think in every case except one, that’s true. Our Heavenly Father derives great pleasure out of what we do because we want to, not because we’re commanded to. The sweet savor is not applied to sin offerings and whatnot, but peace offerings.

Brother John, one last thing. Psalm 51:17 says the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit and a broken and contrite heart. O God, thou wilt not despise, and I think the fact that it’s a burnt offering for me, burnt offerings generally show the acceptance of the offering prior, and I think it’s a reference to David’s heart offering of contrition, that it’s showing that acceptance from the Father.

Very nice, Very nice connection. All right, any other comments before we move on to number four? All right, number four, considering second chronicles 25:2, he. He did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not wholeheartedly. Does this scripture represent the great company attitude?

How do we recognize half hearted condition in our walk? And once again that verse 2 Chronicles 25:2 and he did, which was right in the eyes of Jehovah and not with a perfect heart. I guess we might ask A question. Who is it talking about here as we make application? Who’d like to start us?

Tom? It certainly could represent the attitude of the great company. It could represent the attitude of the church when she’s not doing so good, because there’s ups and downs. But if you read the whole chapter, you see there’s a lot more to it than this. If you look down in verses 14 and 15, Amaziah was a king, King of Judah, I believe.

Amaziah came home after he defeated the Edomites. He brought the idols that the people of Seir worshiped. He started to worship those idols. He bowed down in front of them and burned incense to them, and the Lord was very angry with Amaziah, so he sent the prophet to tell him, amaziah, you’re going to die for this.

So I think the lesson is sometimes things start out small, and if they’re not unchecked, they can become progressively worse, and I think that’s what happened with Amaziah. He started okay, and we see that over and over again with the kings of Israel. They start out okay, but maybe the position of power maybe went to their head or something. But in the end, he went to idolatry.

How does that happen if you’re really worshiping the Lord? And I think the lesson for us is to be careful not to let little things become bigger, but to deal with them when they’re little, because when they’re little, they’re easier to deal with, and how we deal with them is a whole other question. I think that would be profitable, but I’ll stop there. Yeah.

Your recommendation to read the whole chapter is good. Verse 27, kind of the concluding part of it. Now, from the time that Amaziah did turn away from following Jehovah, they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem. He fled to Lachish, but they sent after him and slew him there. So he had a bitter end.

But he started out well, as you say, and we can think of so many examples where there is this middle road that people follow. For example, on Mount Carmel in 1 Kings, chapter 18, the battle of the gods, Baal versus Jehovah. One of the things that Elijah says, he says, how long are you going to be walking around in two opinions? Is BAAL God or is Settle down, make a decision.

And that was his criticism of the whole nation. We’re talking about great company here. One of the many pictures of the great company is the tribe of Ephraim, and I like this. This scripture here In Hosea, chapter 7, verse 8 Ephraim, he mixed himself among the peoples.

Ephraim is a cake not turned. I think another translation says half baked. They don’t come to completion, and Amaziah, he did start out well. I mean, it says there he did that, which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, but he didn’t keep it up.

Any other thoughts on this question, Brother Bill? Well, I think, you know, when we talked yesterday about the Great Company, I think it’s always good to keep in mind, you know, what’s the practical application? Like you said, half baked or whatever. So how is one half baked and full baked? You know, I mean, how does that actually work?

What’s the application? How can I watch for myself that I’m not, you know, in that, you know, what’s the difference between me and, and the overcomers? You know, both are virgins in Matthew 25, and I think the difference is those that are the wise virgins are out there getting their experiences and thinking about it and making adjustments.

And I think those that may be are the great company, you know, they really have held back. How have they held back? You know, I mean, everybody’s got to make those decisions for themselves on what their abilities are, but I think that’s the difference. So, you know, Christianity is, you know, we would all like to feel comfortable in our rut, wouldn’t we? But that’s not what Christmas Christianity is all about.

Christianity is an outward religion. It’s something that you do, you know, you read and you go, maybe I need to apply that, and how do I do that? And you have to be out of your comfort zone. We all like to be in our comfort zones, don’t we?

And we feel very comfortable in our comfort zones, and I think, you know, Christianity is an outward religion. I guess that’s how I would just put it, and we need to be out there, and we had some about witnessing yesterday, and that’s part of it, but that’s not all of it.

How do we deal with our experiences that we have, our outward experiences? And some are very good at it, some are very good at approaching others and talking to them and forming a bond for an hour or a half an hour or whatever? I’ll just say one thing, a little bit of a testimony here. We were up in Edinburgh. That was part of our trip, just a side point.

And we usually do talk to the Jehovah Witnesses. They’re all over the place, everywhere you go, especially in big cities on the corner, and we go up and talk with them. But this Particular group, there was two gentlemen there a little younger than myself maybe one was the same age and another one a little younger, and they were talking about how they were JWs and then they left and then they came back. So we really.

Shana and I didn’t really feel the opportunity to tell them something different. It didn’t really, you know, it wasn’t there to say, you know, we usually talk about Adam and Jesus, you know, the ransom and, and things like that. But it really, we were just kind of, it looked good that they were happy that they were back, meeting with the JWs and that was good enough for us, you know, so you gotta, you know all of our experiences. So anyway, yeah, you mentioned making adjustments in our Christian walk. I think that might be one of the distinctions between the Little Flock and the Great Cock Company.

Little Flock is always looking for improving their serve, always improving their making those adjustments. Now Bill, you’re an engineer, so you know the development of a product, right? You, you design a product and you put it out there and you get feedback. You know, this works great. This doesn’t work.

So you make adjustments, you modify, you make it better, and in that connection I’m going to come to John to as well here. But going back to the question he did with right, which was he did that, which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, not with a perfect heart. After brother John’s comment, I’d like to pursue this idea. What does it mean to have a perfect heart?

Jesus said you must be perfect as my Father in heaven is perfect. What does that mean? What doesn’t it mean, Brother John? Well, I was headed in that direction, Brother David. You know there’s a refrain in David’s Psalms, another one, that is, I will praise thee with my whole heart.

And I think the perfect heart also has the thought of a whole hearted devotion to the Lord, and I wanted to the last part. How do we recognize half hearted conditions in our walk? I think it’s important to hold onto the point that it’s God that works in us. To will, to will and to do his good pleasure.

And David helps us. I believe Psalm 86:11 is one that’s been very helpful to me. It says, teach me thy way, O Lord, I will walk in thy truth. Unite my heart to fear thy name. So David writes about the whole heart, but he also prayed to the Lord.

Some translations give it as give me an undivided heart. You know, we have mixed motives. How do we deal with. We see something as the Lord’s will. But the flesh, flesh likes it.

It wants to do it too. I don’t want that motivation to have any part of serving the Lord. I want it to be that wholehearted devotion, and I think the question really is, how do we recognize the half hearted condition? Psalm 19 helps us with that.

Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret faults, Keep back thy servant, also from presumptuous sins, and so we need the Lord’s help. Do we ask the Lord’s Lord to see the things that we’re missing? Do we ask him to help us?

So we do have the purest of motives. You know, I think when I have a really hard experience, it’s like the Lord is looking at my heart. How are you going to respond? So is it the best motives above all that lead me to whatever action I see the Lord directing? So to me, that’s all part of this pure heart, true heart, you know, whole heart.

Yeah, and I like the use of your scripture that we can go to God both to will and to do of his good pleasure. I don’t know if we think about the will all that often, but we can go to God and say, heavenly Father, help me to want to do these things. That’s a legitimate prayer, and to be able to ask that and have that from the Heavenly Father, that’s how it fills our heart.

I remember many years ago, I was witnessing to a draftsman at work that had some interest, and he said to me, he said, you know, David, he says, I, I’d really like to believe what you’re saying. He says, I just don’t have the faith, and I said, well, you’ve already done step one. You, you want to believe, you’d like it, let’s go to step two and make it part of it.

And that was, it was very effective that way as well. Any other thoughts on serving God with a perfect heart?

Maybe I’ll make a little disclaimer about that. That doesn’t mean that every minute of our life has to be spent in sacrificial service. It’s not talking about that. It’s talking about 100% loyalty to God, and so we don’t want to mix those two.

I think we want to be in full time service as much as we can. But this is talking about heart devotion, that we’re not mixing it with everything, with other things, and I think we are in a battle to do that, to be more in tune with what God wants us to be. We have one foot in both worlds. Right, because we’re in the flesh.

The flesh wants one thing, the new creature wants another, and it’s suppressing the desires of the flesh as much as we can and increasing the desires of the new creation. Yeah, I like that. Brother Bill, I think yesterday we talked about, I forgot what king it was now, you know, he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, except not. Not with a pure heart.

You know, so there is doing something right but not being part of you, and I think that’s, you know, if we continue to do it, then you think this becomes part of me. So I think your prayer is a good prayer. You know, how do you know? There has to be reflection.

It can’t just be, you know, Christianity is not a paint by numbers. It’s not, you know, it’s not the paint all the number ones blue and, you know, number two’s get the red or whatever. You know, it doesn’t work like that. So, you know, your walk is different than my walk. I mean, we’re headed in the same direction.

We help out each other, but we have a different set of circumstances, and I think we, you know, going along with Brother Thomas, we like to be 100% in the Lord’s service, and we do think about that. You know, how can I, you know, I have this, you know, I’m involved with this and I’m involved with that, and so how can I help out the brother?

And what else can I do? But we do do other things. So. All right, let’s move on. Question 5.

Did God ever forgive David? Without David, acknowledging and repenting of his transgressions goes on. What is the lesson for us concerning repentance? Forgiveness. When dealing with our brethren who at times will offend one another.

They make reference here to Galatians 6:1 2 in Matthew 5:23 and 24. So what about God’s forgiveness of David, Brother John? My answer would be no, that he was ready to forgive. But it is important that we recognize our failing. It’s interesting.

There’s a scripture, I think it’s Psalm 34:18, that says, the Lord is near to those who are brokenhearted, but he saves the contrite, and contrition goes beyond a broken heart, and it implies a recognition of sin and a desire to correct that, and that’s why I think that is so important. Important.

You know, we can’t override someone else’s will. If they need to recognize the failing and to deal with that, we might draw something to their attention. I think that’s what this question is. Getting at. Because we do have responsibility to the brethren.

And I believe it’s talking about a public sin. But even there, and even for elders, it’s possible to make yourself too responsible. You know, some of us really like to fix things. You want to dive in and fix it. There’s a story about a brother that Brother Russell sent to Germany that he asked several brethren about.

You know, there’s some difficulties there for the brethren. How would you handle that? And one brother responded, well, I wouldn’t. I’d let the Lord handle that, and we have to always recognize, as much as we want to help, we need the Lord’s wisdom to know when even to start.

Very, very interesting, and you’re right about we always try to fix things, and sometimes it’s a little too much of us trying to do something and not enough of the Lord. Very nice, Brother Tom. Well, I couldn’t come up with any examples, but I’m sure it happened.

I think just like us, David was a sinful man. I think he had sinful thoughts from time to time that would creep in, and I think God, because he knew his heart was pure, he let them go. I don’t think he held him accountable for every sin he could possibly have thought. So I would say yes, but I don’t know that we have any accounts of those.

Okay, all right. Very good. Considering what Brother John just said about God’s permissive will, that he permits us at times to go in a wrong direction because there are invaluable lessons for us. He has the wisdom to be able to do that. It’s harder for us to say, do I intervene here or do I step back?

I don’t know that there’s a general answer for that because we don’t have the wisdom of God. But I think there’s reasons in both cases to do both of those things. Brother John and Brother Bill. Well, just Brother Bill brought up yesterday about the power of example. I think that’s really critical.

And wouldn’t you all love to be. Be like our dear master, who could look at Peter and Peter got the lesson, or who could wash their feet and he had them all speechless. That’s the power of a good example in our master. Oh, for that, and I’ve made huge mistakes along this line.

Brother David, I have to share that. Yeah. Who of us doesn’t? Brother John. But yeah, I really like that.

You know, there’s sometimes. Sometimes words are not necessary. Just take an action, a loving action, a kind action, a servant action, and that speaks volumes. Brother Bill?

Well, you know, only God can read the heart and really knows what’s going on. So, you know, we read the scripture yesterday, 2nd Samuel 12:13. It says, David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. Then Nathan’s reply, Nathan’s reply to David was, now the Lord has put away your sin. You shall not die.

So it seems to me Psalm 51 must have been written after that, must have been when there was much more reflection going on. So I think in this point here, we can’t read the heart.

Did the weight of everything fall on him at that minute? He knew everything. You know, I’m sure there was reflection after that. Oh my goodness, what shall I do? And then, you know, he talks about the four lambs he needs to repay him with four lambs.

Well, four of David’s sons died, right? I mean, that was the other application of that. So David did reap eventually what his reply to the person that did the sin was, which was him. So it is an interesting question, but only God can read the heart. So we have to keep pure hearts.

Another comment I made. I think sin is going to, I think our shortcomings, especially if they are big ones, if we are hiding them from the brethren or hiding them from our spouse and or whoever we are hiding them from. I do believe on this side of the veil they will be made manifest. I don’t think there is going to be any big surprises on the other side. Oh, look at this brother or this sister had this big thing that they did and they hid it from everybody.

I think things will be made manifest. I think that is the way things are. I think you have to fess up to them, and I think that is part of the learning lesson. If you are part of the church, that is going to be part of the lesson.

Learning lesson as David’s was, and then what else was the, the other, the other thing with David, they’ll tell, Wow, I wish I could find the scripture. Exactly. They’ll take, they’ll take your wives or something and do it out in the open. You did this in secret.

They will do it out in the open right in front of you as part of, you know, what was his punishment. So anyway, yeah, just to add that, that scripture there, there in 2nd Samuel 12, verse 13, when David confesses, I have sinned. Nathan said to David, jehovah also hath put away thy sin. Thou shalt not die. Howbeit?

Because by this deed thou has given great occasion to the enemies of Jehovah to blaspheme the Child also that is born unto thee shall surely die. You know, we talked a little bit ago about the 70,000 that died because of David’s sin. A lot of people died because he made poor choices, and here this innocent child looks like it’s bearing the brunt of David’s sin of adultery. What does it make you think of?

Of an innocent person bearing the sin of those that are guilty? Jesus, and in a little way, in a little picture, this little child took the penalty for David’s adultery. Brother Bill, I think there’s another picture in that, too. Since it was brought up, you know, the child never did get a name, did it?

And then what day did the child die on the seventh day? If it would have died on the eighth day, it would have been circumcised. I think the point there is the child never was spirit begotten. As a bigger picture. That’s interesting.

Got to think about that. That’s interesting. Thank you, Brother John. Well, I think we’re talking about loving mercy, Brother David, and you know, to really love mercy, you wouldn’t be treasuring up any thoughts of wrong toward the brethren.

You know, the adversary will really test out. You know, as we learn righteousness, we see how far we fall short. We also see our brethren falling short, and I always find it fascinating that in the Beatitudes, loving mercy comes after hungering and thirsting for righteousness. Because we grow in understanding the high principles of truth, we have to grow in mercy also.

And a question I ask myself, because I found myself sometimes being besieged with humility criticisms, is what am I not attending to in myself when the adversary is trying to distract me with things that appear to be wrong, that may not be wrong in others? Because I think he really attacks us in that way to get the focus off what we need to do to correct ourselves, and I think that’s the point behind the Matthew 5, 23, 24, don’t go to the Lord, to the altar in prayer when you’ve wronged your brother or you have a bad feeling about your brother. Get that corrected. Because the Lord doesn’t hear those prayers and we’re in the wrong heart attitude.

Very good, very wise. Let’s go on to question six. What causes us, in quotation marks to lose our heart for God, and what can we do to prevent it? Well, there’s a practical question. We’ve been talking quite a lot about those that did lose heart, that did fall.

So what can we do to be sure that that doesn’t happen to us, Brother John. Well, I look to try to see where does the phrase lose heart come from, and one place in David’s experience. The one place I could find is 2 Samuel 17:10. Now, this is in the account where Absalom is rebelling and David has, you might say, a spy giving advice to Absalom.

And this is his advice to Absalom. It says, even the one who is valiant, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will completely lose heart. For all Israel knows that your Father is a mighty man. Those who are with him are valiant men. So he’s trying to say, you know, David, who is such an example of courage and so forth, he will eventually lose heart and Absalom will get the victory.

And then he gives him other advice that really gives David time to prepare against what Absalom has done. I think losing heart is to become weary or discouraged. In the New Testament, you have be not weary and well doing. If you look at some translations, they’ll say, don’t lose heart in well doing, and there’s other places in the New Testament that translates it that way.

And what can we do to prevent it? Well, brethren, this text. Brethren, we’re to love this text. They that wait upon The Lord, Isaiah 40:31, shall renew their strength, shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary.

They shall walk and not faint. For me, I think renewal is critical for us. Our world is just full of burnout. The problems are so large today, and we’re tried deeply because this is such a wonderful way that we have. But we’ve got to have renewal.

And that’s why this course is like on Consecration. It was so refreshing to hear the reminders yesterday. We need that renewal.

Well, it made me think of the expression of falling out of love. You know, a couple may be deeply in love when they get married, and then things creep in that causes them to separate a little bit in the world. I think 50% of all marriages end up in divorce. Why does that happen? If you’re deeply in love and there are things that interfere as you get to know each other better, you see how different you are, and things that you do that I don’t like kind of pushes us away.

And with God, maybe there’s things that we learn that he’s asking us to do that we don’t like, it’s hard to understand what would draw you away from God. But one thing may be like feeling alone. If you feel that, you don’t feel the sense of God in your life that, well, Maybe he’s not really dealing with me, and maybe the solution to that is to. I love the phrase kindred spirits.

You know, that’s been used, and I think it’s valuable that we learn to have fine kindred spirits who think like the Lord wants us to think and can be like big brothers and big sisters who can kind of encourage us along the way. Sometimes I think our fellowship is too formal. You know, when I see one of the brethren on the street, they go, hi, Brother Tom. Well, you know, just call me Tom.

You know, let’s be friends, and I think when you see your brethren as your friends and your family and not too formal, then it becomes very encouraging that we’re on the same walk here. We’re trying to do the same thing. It’s that feeling alone that can really draw us away from God, and I think very personally, that is an important aspect of just one thing.

Very, very nice. Well, I hear Brother Rose, Orlando behind me. So I want to just say one more thing. The three enemies of the church are the world, the flesh, and the devil. The desire of these three things is to cause us to lose heart and pull away from God.

So we have to do battle with all three. Bill, real quick comment. Keep the water out of the boat.

Very good.

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