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In Jesus and just to take him at
his word, a man. 

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There's nothing like taking him 
at his word, a man. 

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We're grateful today, a man. 
We are blessed people, Amen. 

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We're a blessed people. 
God is our king. 

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He's the king of all kings. 
He's the king of glory of our 

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lives, and we should count it an
honor to be his children, Amen. 

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The Bible talks about how as 
many are led by the Spirit of 

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God. 
They are, They're the sons of 

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God. 
And I'm glad today to be 

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accounted as a son or a 
daughter, Amen, of God this 

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morning. 
If you'll stand with me today, 

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we're going to turn into the 
scriptures of the book of Judges

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today, the book of judges and 
I'm trying to my iPad's giving 

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me fits up here. 
So might to go off my phone. 

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I even deleted things off this 
this thing this week and 

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everything worked fine. 
I just checked it right before I

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got up here, but it's it's being
whatever. 

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So if that's the case, I'll just
use my phone. 

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Amen. 
That's just the way things work 

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sometimes. 
Judges chapter 19. 

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And technology, I always say, is
one of our greatest discomforts,

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our greatest comforts and 
greatest discomforts. 

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Amen. 
Judges Shepherd 19 and verse #10

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And we were going to read just 
that one solitary verse that's 

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tucked here among all of this 
storyline today. 

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The Bible says these words. 
But the man would not tarry that

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night. 
But he arose up and departed and

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came over against Jebus, which 
is Jerusalem, and there were 

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with him to asses saddled his 
concubine also was with him. 

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I want to draw your attention to
the first phrase of this, of 

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this verse here this morning. 
Bible says, but the man would 

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not tarry that night for a 
little while. 

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This morning, with the help of 
the Holy Ghost, I want to 

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minister this, this morning. 
One more night in Bethlehem. 

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One more night in Bethlehem. 
Can you pray into the Lord 

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today? 
Father, we need your help. 

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God, we need your power, Lord 
Jesus here this morning. 

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God, do your Lord perfect work, 
Lord, upon us. 

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Help us, O God, today to be 
mindful, Lord of your spirit and

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mindful God of your power in 
this place. 

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We need you, Lord, to do God, 
the work that only you can do. 

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Speak and minister each and 
every heart, each and every 

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soul, each and every mind. 
Help us God to be directed by 

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the Holy Ghost Lord, as you 
would do your work this morning 

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and will not fail to thank you 
and praise you Lord for what you

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accomplish in this place. 
In the lovely name of Jesus 

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Christ that I pray, Amen, Amen. 
The church say Amen, Amen. 

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You may be seated this morning 
in Jesus name. 

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It is perhaps the normal or 
stereotypical father-in-law and 

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son-in-law type of thing here in
Judges chapter 19. 

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In the early years of my wife 
and I's marriage, whenever we 

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would make trips down to 
Tennessee to visit relatives and

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spend some time there in the 
home of my mother-in-law and 

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father-in-law. 
Whenever we plan to leave on a 

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certain day, we usually had, I 
had maybe more so than my wife, 

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a certain time that I wanted to 
leave and get back home by. 

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It's just kind of what I do, you
know, that kind of plan things 

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in my head and I tried to share 
them with her and what the plan 

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is, but it, it never failed. 
It happened so repeatedly that 

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off times whenever I did this 
that that there were times that 

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my father-in-law or somebody in 
the family would suggest, hey, 

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the morning that we're leaving. 
So hey, why don't we, you know, 

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get breakfast or why don't we 
make some eggs and bacon and 

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start, you know, contriving all 
these things for a dinner plan, 

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You know, and I'm, I'm thinking 
I need to get on the road by 

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such and such. 
And we'll go to, you know, 

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Denny's or, or one of these 
fame, the places that they would

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like to go. 
And we would sit down and you 

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know how how things go. 
You know, you're going to order 

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your food, you're going to wait 
on your food, you're going to 

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eat your food, you're going to 
talk over your food. 

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It doesn't take much time for 
time to just to get away and 

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begin to elapse. 
Or it might be they wanted to 

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have lunch together. 
You know, it's not really 

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breakfast. 
It's not like we, you have 

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whatever's in between right 
brunch. 

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And so we, we would do that. 
And so my timeline would be 

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totally pushed back, just 
totally all messed up because I 

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took them up on the offer. 
And so this happened repeatedly.

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This just wasn't a one and done 
in our times there. 

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My wife can vouch for me that 
you could almost, you could just

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almost bet on it that that is 
going to take place wanting to 

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meet for breakfast somewhere. 
And I would warn my wife before 

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we ever went on these trips, I 
said, you know what's going to 

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happen, don't you? 
The day before we leave, you 

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know what's going to happen. 
They're going to ask if we want 

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to have breakfast or if we want 
to have a meal. 

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And I meant sometimes I was 
somewhat frustrated with that, a

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little bit frustrated with that,
and it altered my whole 

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expectations. 
I guess that's the reason why I 

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was frustrated. 
And so I can identify just a 

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little bit this morning with 
this gentleman in Judges chapter

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#19 because for some unknown 
reason to us, the story, I'm 

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going to tell you the story 
today. 

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And so you don't have to read 
the whole chapter in essence. 

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But for some unknown reason to 
us, his concubine left him and 

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returned to her Father's house, 
which in Bethlehem. 

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And finally, after four months 
of being without her in her 

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absence in his home, he decided 
to travel 20 to 25 miles from 

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from where he was in Ephraim to 
Bethlehem to get her and to 

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bring her back. 
It it wasn't an odd thing that 

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he was a Levite and that he 
lived in the Hill Country of 

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Ephraim. 
The Levites were spread all 

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across Israel. 
They didn't have no land per SE 

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except for the land that various
tribes gave them. 

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And so they had land all 
throughout the country of Israel

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as a result of this. 
And they lived during a very a 

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very tenuous time in the book of
Judges, the Bible says that 

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there was no judge in Israel, no
king that is at this time, and 

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that every man did that which 
was right in his own eyes. 

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And so as Levite arrives at 
Bethlehem, he's warmly received 

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by what could easily be called 
his father-in-law. 

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He's warmly received by his 
concubines father and his His 

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father-in-law is pleased to see 
him there at Bethlehem. 

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As a matter of fact, the Bible 
says that his father-in-law 

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desired to retain this Levite 
there. 

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It says that he even asked him 
to abode with them for about 

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about 3 days and and the 
scripture says on the 4th day. 

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So they have already made this 
contractual almost agreement 

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that he's going to stay around 
for three days. 

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But on the 4th day, whenever 
this Levite decides he and his 

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concubine is going to leave and 
and return back home, the Bible 

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tells us that he rose early in 
the morning with every intention

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of going home. 
I can identify with this man and

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his father-in-law, then begin to
urge him, Hey, why, why don't we

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just sit down and share a little
meal first? 

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Why, why don't we get some 
goat's milk, you know, and, and 

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a little bit of this, Let's 
spread the table out and share a

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little meal here. 
And he would all time tell his 

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son-in-law, he said, eat this 
food and, and keep up your 

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strength and enjoy yourself, you
know, while you're here. 

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And as time would have it, the 
hours, the minutes, the seconds 

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are elapsing. 
And now it's a little later in 

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the day. 
So his father-in-law said, well,

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you know, it's later in the day 
now, you know, you're really not

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going to have much time to get 
much travel under your foot. 

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You know, you, you're not in a, 
a, a car in these days. 

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So, so why don't you just stay? 
Why don't you just stay another 

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night? 
Why why don't you just stay 

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another night? 
And tomorrow morning you can get

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a fresh start. 
And so he was very convincing 

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then to his in law to stay yet 
another night. 

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And and on the 5th day, the the,
the, the Levite, he's good 

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enough in the morning. 
He he's packing the satchel, you

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know, telling this, honey, 
let's, let's get things together

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and let's get out of the house. 
And as they make their way, his 

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father-in-law meets him and he 
says, Hey, hey, buddy, he says, 

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why don't you stay and let's 
have a meal and let's, let's 

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have breakfast and let's have 
some good food to eat and he'll 

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be good. 
It's no cost to you at all. 

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And the Bible says that this man
tarried until it was even 

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afternoon and again the 
father-in-law say and keep your 

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strength up and everything is 
well. 

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And so each time he's telling 
him come through your heart. 

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Enjoy your time here, enjoy the 
pleasure of being here. 

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Amen. 
And just be merry with it and 

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marry about it. 
But unlike the previous day, the

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Bible says in our verse that I 
read to you today that the 

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Levite would 
he said night is on the hills. 

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Night is coming, so you should 
probably just stay right here in

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Bethlehem. 
We got food, We we got a 

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pundits, we got exactly what you
need here. 

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But the Bible says the Levite 
would not tarry that night. 

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He departed and it was evening. 
To understand, though just a 

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little significance this morning
behind Bethlehem. 

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We must understand this that up 
to this point in time, Bethlehem

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is known for a few things. 
Bethlehem is known as. 

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It's the place where Rachel died
in Genesis 35. 

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It's known for also the place 
that her son Benjamin was born 

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in Genesis 35. 
It portrays these two events as 

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though they almost happened 
simultaneously. 

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The Bible says that Rachel is in
labor and she's giving birth, 

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and her midwife is telling her 
that you also shall have this 

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son. 
She's encouraging her because 

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she's going to give birth to 
this Benjamin. 

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But the the way that it actually
reads in Scripture, if you look 

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at it, is that Benjamin was 
really born and then Rachel died

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almost simultaneous. 
But Benjamin did enter the world

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and Rachel died. 
But what's so unique about this 

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story and unique about Bethlehem
in particular, is this is that 

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Rachel's name means you or a 
lamb in Hebrew, and Benjamin's 

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name means the son of the right 
hand. 

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As a matter of fact, according 
to some Jewish sources, the 

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fields around about Bethlehem 
were used many times for raising

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lambs that were used for 
sacrifice. 

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They would raise the lambs 
around Bethlehem that would be 

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used for the purpose of being 
brought to the temple for 

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sacrificial purposes or Passover
lamb purposes. 

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They didn't die at Bethlehem, 
but they were reared there for 

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the purpose to die for the 
purpose, purpose of sacrifice. 

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00:11:48,400 --> 00:11:52,520
And when we look at Benjamin 
being born the son of the right 

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00:11:52,520 --> 00:11:58,000
hand, it is also Christ Jesus 
that many times is depicted as 

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00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:01,760
God's son being at his right 
hand. 

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00:12:01,760 --> 00:12:06,520
We know in scripture this 
morning that God has not per SE 

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00:12:06,680 --> 00:12:10,320
a, a physical right hand because
God is a spirit, right? 

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00:12:10,520 --> 00:12:14,280
And so many times the Scripture 
gives God as a spirit a lot of 

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physical identity. 
So we can late with God, Amen. 

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00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:23,080
But when we look in scripture, 
this whole right hand symbolism,

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00:12:23,360 --> 00:12:26,800
Amen represent several things. 
It can represent the right of 

200
00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:29,600
the first born. 
It can represent greatness. 

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00:12:29,600 --> 00:12:32,200
It can represent power and 
authority. 

202
00:12:32,200 --> 00:12:36,720
It can even represent salvation.
The Bible says in the book of 

203
00:12:36,720 --> 00:12:42,720
Job chapter #40 and verse 14. 
These words then will I also 

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00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:47,480
confess unto thee, that thine 
own right hand save thee. 

205
00:12:47,480 --> 00:12:52,640
God is having a conversation 
with a perplexed Job, a joke 

206
00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:56,640
that was questioning many things
concerning God, and God is 

207
00:12:56,640 --> 00:13:01,360
setting Job straight. 
Job has contended with God. 

208
00:13:01,640 --> 00:13:06,560
Job has talked to God as though 
God was the one in need of 

209
00:13:06,560 --> 00:13:10,080
instruction. 
And so God sets Job in this 

210
00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:15,960
place and reminds him that there
is no other that has the same as

211
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ability as God does. 
And so God begins to challenge 

212
00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:23,240
Job with some things. 
Could could you, could you cause

213
00:13:23,240 --> 00:13:26,840
a foul to come, you know, in the
air, or could you do this or 

214
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could you do that? 
And so God begins to challenge 

215
00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:34,440
Job and gather all the prideful 
together and humble them in the 

216
00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:35,640
dust. 
Amen. 

217
00:13:35,640 --> 00:13:38,960
By his own power, He said, if 
you can humble them by your own 

218
00:13:38,960 --> 00:13:43,720
power, Job, if you can do this, 
He said, then I'll confess unto 

219
00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:49,000
you, Job, but that by your own 
right right hand you can save. 

220
00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:52,000
So the right hand was a hymn 
that saves. 

221
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And David mentions this on 
several occasions in Scripture, 

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Psalm 17 and 17, David says, Oh,
thou that save us by thy right 

223
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hand. 
Psalms 20 and verse 6 says with 

224
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the saving strength of his right
hand. 

225
00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:13,920
And so David emphasizes that God
saves in a theoretic type sense 

226
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by his right hand. 
And so it's not, no, no 

227
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surprised him when we read in 
the book of Acts that while 

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Stephen is dying, he says, I see
the Lord Jesus Christ standing 

229
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on the right hand of God. 
He is illustrating to us then 

230
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that Christ Jesus is the means 
in the way of salvation. 

231
00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:35,520
That's the reason why Matthew 
said Mary, Amen. 

232
00:14:35,520 --> 00:14:40,320
And Joseph, thou shalt call his 
name Jesus, for he shall save 

233
00:14:40,320 --> 00:14:44,800
his people from their sins, 
Amen. 

234
00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:49,680
And so right here, through even 
the names of Rachel and 

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Benjamin, Benjamin's birth, the 
son of the right hand, and 

236
00:14:53,880 --> 00:14:58,400
Rachel's death, both of these 
people here at Bethlehem, in 

237
00:14:58,400 --> 00:15:04,120
reality prefigure both the birth
and the death of Christ Jesus, 

238
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Amen. 
He was the Lamb that was born 

239
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for the slay and from the 
foundation of the world, but He 

240
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was also the right hand. 
He was salvation, He was power, 

241
00:15:15,640 --> 00:15:21,320
He was authority. 
Someone came in, and I realize 

242
00:15:22,280 --> 00:15:29,760
that this Levite doesn't know 
this, but Bethlehem's 

243
00:15:29,760 --> 00:15:34,160
significance is encapsulated 
just even in those two names 

244
00:15:34,480 --> 00:15:37,960
alone. 
But I will tell you something 

245
00:15:38,440 --> 00:15:42,320
that the Levite would have 
knowledge of. 

246
00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:48,840
I'll tell you something he would
know without any further future 

247
00:15:48,840 --> 00:15:55,080
events about Bethlehem, that 
Bethlehem, here Bethlehem and 

248
00:15:55,080 --> 00:16:01,600
what occurred in the book of 
Ruth happened during the time of

249
00:16:01,600 --> 00:16:04,840
the Judges. 
It is most likely, according to 

250
00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:10,920
scholars, that our story of 
Judges 19 comes after what 

251
00:16:10,920 --> 00:16:16,080
happened in the book of Ruth. 
So this Levite should have 

252
00:16:16,080 --> 00:16:21,440
somewhat of an awareness about 
Bethlehem in this regard, that 

253
00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:27,560
Bethlehem had been Naomi's 
hometown, that this is the place

254
00:16:27,560 --> 00:16:35,240
where Ruth, a foreigner, an 
outsider, met Boaz and got a new

255
00:16:35,240 --> 00:16:38,760
leash on life that she never had
before. 

256
00:16:39,080 --> 00:16:45,400
Bethlehem is where the outsiders
become insiders at Bethlehem. 

257
00:16:46,040 --> 00:16:51,320
Bethlehem is where a wayward 
Naomi who left her home could 

258
00:16:51,320 --> 00:16:56,680
come back broken, come back 
bitter, come back estranged, but

259
00:16:56,680 --> 00:17:03,200
she gets restored at Bethlehem. 
Bethlehem is the House of bread.

260
00:17:05,520 --> 00:17:08,680
You got to understand here for a
moment, as this Levite is 

261
00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:13,440
pondering in the visit with his 
father-in-law to depart from 

262
00:17:13,440 --> 00:17:17,720
Bethlehem, there's a Naomi 
somewhere that wishes she never 

263
00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:21,319
left Bethlehem. 
She understands that I stayed at

264
00:17:21,359 --> 00:17:24,240
Bethlehem. 
It could have saved me perhaps 3

265
00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:26,880
funerals if I'd stayed at 
Bethlehem. 

266
00:17:27,079 --> 00:17:31,600
It could have kept me from 10 
years of separation from my 

267
00:17:34,200 --> 00:17:35,600
There's something going on 
there. 

268
00:17:35,760 --> 00:17:39,160
And so while the Levite is 
wanting to leave, there was a 

269
00:17:39,160 --> 00:17:43,520
roof that willingly abandoned 
everything that was familiar to 

270
00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:49,960
her, her family, her location, 
her false gods, just to get to 

271
00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:54,840
Bethlehem. 
Someone. 

272
00:17:55,120 --> 00:18:00,640
Amen. 
And though the Levite was urged 

273
00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:14,200
to stay, he didn't, he didn't. 
The story continues They arise 

274
00:18:14,200 --> 00:18:17,480
on that fifth day. 
They're urged right. 

275
00:18:18,120 --> 00:18:22,760
They're urged to keep their 
strength again urged to enjoy 

276
00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:25,760
themself, urged That night was 
coming. 

277
00:18:27,160 --> 00:18:30,920
But the the, the, the version of
the Bible I'm reading this year 

278
00:18:30,920 --> 00:18:36,520
says that he was unwilling to 
stay at Bethlehem. 

279
00:18:37,560 --> 00:18:43,120
And so on their trip away from 
Bethlehem, nightfall is coming. 

280
00:18:43,880 --> 00:18:45,280
They're needing somewhere to 
stay. 

281
00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:50,280
They're needing a hotel. 
Hotel in biblical times meant 

282
00:18:50,560 --> 00:18:54,120
somebody hoping hopefully is 
going to be hospitable to you. 

283
00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:58,000
The place to find out if anybody
would take you in for the night 

284
00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:00,840
was going to the well or in the 
center of the community. 

285
00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:04,760
Maybe someone spying you there 
would say OK buddy, you can come

286
00:19:04,760 --> 00:19:06,880
home with me tonight. 
We'll take care of you. 

287
00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:10,520
We'll take care of your animals.
The Bible says that they had 

288
00:19:10,520 --> 00:19:13,840
thought about going to Jebus or 
over in this area, but the 

289
00:19:13,880 --> 00:19:17,440
Levite wanted to get into Gibeah
or Patch Rhema. 

290
00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:20,960
It was a city in the territory 
of some Benjamites. 

291
00:19:21,280 --> 00:19:24,720
They initially sought out a 
lodging place there in the 

292
00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:28,480
where, But again, no one's 
taking notice of them, no one's 

293
00:19:28,480 --> 00:19:32,560
being hospitable to them, no 
one's inviting them into their 

294
00:19:32,560 --> 00:19:37,520
home until a man who is also 
from the hill of Ephraim, who's 

295
00:19:37,520 --> 00:19:40,960
working in Gibeah, comes by. 
The Bible says he's a old man. 

296
00:19:41,280 --> 00:19:44,960
And he says unto them, why don't
you come along with me? 

297
00:19:45,240 --> 00:19:45,600
Why? 
Why? 

298
00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:50,640
Why don't you enter into my home
and I will take care of you this

299
00:19:50,640 --> 00:19:52,840
night. 
And so the Levite explains to 

300
00:19:52,840 --> 00:19:54,920
this man, we won't be a burden 
to you. 

301
00:19:55,360 --> 00:19:57,160
We're not going to take 
advantage of you. 

302
00:19:57,320 --> 00:19:59,560
We want you to know, listen to 
these words. 

303
00:19:59,720 --> 00:20:03,000
We want you to know you can look
at it in verse #19 that there's 

304
00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:06,560
nothing that we lack. 
There's nothing that we lack. 

305
00:20:06,760 --> 00:20:09,760
We got strong. 
We got provision for animals. 

306
00:20:10,040 --> 00:20:12,720
We, we don't have to worry about
us being a burden. 

307
00:20:12,920 --> 00:20:17,960
There's nothing that we lack. 
And so they went into this man's

308
00:20:17,960 --> 00:20:21,440
house. 
He the Levi and his concubine. 

309
00:20:21,640 --> 00:20:24,320
And the Bible says there's some 
men of the city that came around

310
00:20:24,320 --> 00:20:26,720
about the house. 
Rapping on the door and they 

311
00:20:26,720 --> 00:20:31,440
wanted the Levite to come out 
and they wanted to abuse him, 

312
00:20:31,800 --> 00:20:34,040
Amen, in a sexual type of 
manner. 

313
00:20:34,240 --> 00:20:36,760
The old man came to the door. 
He says we can't have this 

314
00:20:36,760 --> 00:20:38,960
happening with this can't take 
place. 

315
00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:42,960
And so the Bible says that he 
gave him his daughter and the 

316
00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:48,760
concubine Amen outside the door.
The Bible says that night, Amen 

317
00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:52,920
until wee hours in the morning 
that they abused that concubine 

318
00:20:52,920 --> 00:20:55,160
of the Levite. 
This is a day whenever every 

319
00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:58,200
man's doing what's right in his 
own, they abuse that, that, that

320
00:20:58,200 --> 00:21:02,400
concubine, they they sexually 
mistreated her in so much that 

321
00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:06,040
in the morning as day was 
breaking, the Bible says that 

322
00:21:06,040 --> 00:21:10,720
the hands of that concubine was 
on the threshold of the door as 

323
00:21:10,720 --> 00:21:13,800
though she was one to get in but
couldn't get in. 

324
00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:16,320
The Bible says they opened the 
door that morning. 

325
00:21:16,560 --> 00:21:19,760
And here's the Levite. 
He sees the concubine down there

326
00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:22,880
and I know this seems a little 
abrupt, but he basically tells 

327
00:21:22,880 --> 00:21:27,080
her get up and let's get going. 
But he had no movement from her.

328
00:21:27,280 --> 00:21:30,720
There was no sound from her. 
There was no voice from her. 

329
00:21:30,880 --> 00:21:34,880
He understood that she'd been 
abused to the point of death. 

330
00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:40,960
And the Bible says that he 
picked her up and put her on his

331
00:21:40,960 --> 00:21:42,560
own beast. 
Now you got to understand 

332
00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:44,920
something. 
Although this Levite told that 

333
00:21:44,920 --> 00:21:49,440
old man that they didn't need 
anything, the Bible also says 

334
00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:52,640
that that old man said I'll take
care of everything. 

335
00:21:52,920 --> 00:21:57,360
And yet this is the happening of
the story and the situation. 

336
00:21:57,600 --> 00:22:01,480
He took that concubine. 
He placed her upon his beast. 

337
00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:05,280
He went home. 
And to add insult to injury, the

338
00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:09,440
Bible says when he got home, he 
is overwhelmed by everything 

339
00:22:09,440 --> 00:22:14,480
that has happened. 
He cuts up and dismembers to 

340
00:22:14,480 --> 00:22:19,680
your Bible this concubine and 
cuts her in 12 pieces and sends 

341
00:22:19,680 --> 00:22:23,280
her body all throughout the 
tribes of Israel, where every 

342
00:22:23,280 --> 00:22:26,080
tribe of Israel would have a 
piece of this body. 

343
00:22:26,280 --> 00:22:30,000
And he's basically saying, I 
want justice for what was done 

344
00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:36,200
in this situation. 
Someone say, man, I want justice

345
00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:38,640
for this. 
And the last verse of our 

346
00:22:38,640 --> 00:22:42,680
chapter basically says this, 
that there have been nothing 

347
00:22:42,840 --> 00:22:50,920
like this ever happened in 
Israel. 

348
00:22:53,160 --> 00:22:58,960
The time there is no king, The 
time when no one's there to 

349
00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:02,280
guide them. 
At a time when people acted 

350
00:23:02,280 --> 00:23:10,000
according to their own desires. 
There's a series of events that 

351
00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:15,080
unfolded after they left 
Bethlehem. 

352
00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:19,960
They left thinking they didn't 
lack anything. 

353
00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:24,040
They left looking for 
hospitality when they had it 

354
00:23:24,040 --> 00:23:29,040
there. 
Oh God, someone say man, he left

355
00:23:29,040 --> 00:23:32,160
with the life of his concubine, 
but by the time he gets home, 

356
00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:36,120
she's no longer living. 
He left, if you will, in a 

357
00:23:36,120 --> 00:23:39,800
better place than what he was 
after he had left. 

358
00:23:39,920 --> 00:23:42,600
There's a series of events that 
take place. 

359
00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:46,880
And so the question for us 
remains for me as this, what if 

360
00:23:46,880 --> 00:23:50,760
the Levi stayed just one more 
night in Bethlehem? 

361
00:23:53,640 --> 00:23:56,360
Somebody hear me right now. 
What if he just stayed one more 

362
00:23:56,360 --> 00:23:58,280
night? 
What if his decision just to 

363
00:23:58,280 --> 00:24:02,600
stay one more night would cause 
a spin tale of different events 

364
00:24:02,880 --> 00:24:05,000
for him? 
What if he would still be 

365
00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:08,480
holding the living life of that 
concubine in his arms? 

366
00:24:08,800 --> 00:24:12,400
Can I tell you tonight he said 
he lacked nothing, but what he 

367
00:24:12,400 --> 00:24:15,400
did lack was one more night in 
Bethlehem. 

368
00:24:20,560 --> 00:24:23,560
Amen. 
And that's just the whole story.

369
00:24:24,080 --> 00:24:27,080
And these events hinge on that 
question. 

370
00:24:31,680 --> 00:24:36,760
His reluctance to stay looking 
for a place finds the old man. 

371
00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:41,520
Others come around them. 
The abuse of his wife, the abuse

372
00:24:41,520 --> 00:24:45,600
of the old man's daughter. 
If you continue reading the Book

373
00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:51,080
of Judges to chapter #20 as a 
result of this happening and 

374
00:24:51,080 --> 00:24:54,760
then being taken advantage of by
a certain tribe, the Benjamites,

375
00:24:55,320 --> 00:24:59,400
you see them that the 12, the 11
tribes get together and they 

376
00:24:59,400 --> 00:25:02,680
have conversation about this. 
And you know what almost 

377
00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:06,360
happens? 
What almost happens is the whole

378
00:25:06,360 --> 00:25:09,600
tribe of Benjamin is almost 
wiped completely off the planet 

379
00:25:13,200 --> 00:25:18,600
because somebody didn't just 
stay one more night, just one 

380
00:25:18,600 --> 00:25:23,120
more night in Bethlehem. 
Do you realize if there was no 

381
00:25:23,120 --> 00:25:28,520
Benjamites there had never been 
an Ester for the salvation of 

382
00:25:28,520 --> 00:25:32,560
the Jews in the Persian Empire? 
Do you realize if there were 

383
00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:35,320
never any Benjamites, there 
wouldn't have been an Apostle 

384
00:25:35,320 --> 00:25:40,480
Paul who was of the tribe of 
Benjamin who wrote almost 2/3 of

385
00:25:40,480 --> 00:25:44,360
the Testament epistles and 
letters of instruction aiming at

386
00:25:44,360 --> 00:25:46,600
how to live our lives for God 
after the matter. 

387
00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:49,920
All because someone wouldn't 
stay one more night. 

388
00:25:51,480 --> 00:25:54,720
One more night where the wayward
can be restored. 

389
00:25:54,960 --> 00:25:58,480
One more night where the 
outcasts in the foreigner can be

390
00:25:58,480 --> 00:26:02,000
received and get alive. 
Just one more night in 

391
00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:10,640
Bethlehem. 
Someone say thank you Jesus, 

392
00:26:17,560 --> 00:26:19,320
because see remaining in 
Bethlehem. 

393
00:26:21,160 --> 00:26:25,360
I mean, the figurative sense 
means we understand the weight 

394
00:26:25,360 --> 00:26:33,920
of our decisions, no matter how 
small they may seem or how big 

395
00:26:34,240 --> 00:26:39,320
they may seem. 
It could unfold differently, 

396
00:26:40,440 --> 00:26:46,120
hinged on a different decision. 
What if he stayed in that city 

397
00:26:46,600 --> 00:26:50,040
that was known to be the House 
of bread, where evidently there 

398
00:26:50,040 --> 00:26:54,000
was provision, where evidently 
there was restoration, where 

399
00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:55,640
evidently there was divine 
timing? 

400
00:26:55,640 --> 00:26:59,680
What, what if he stayed? 
What if he stayed where the 

401
00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:02,880
outside is welcomed in? 
What, what if he could find hope

402
00:27:02,880 --> 00:27:07,800
again at Bethlehem? 
It's even the place that we 

403
00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:10,040
already looked at, foreshadowed 
even through Rachel. 

404
00:27:10,040 --> 00:27:15,600
It's where where the Lamb slain 
in the right hand of God 

405
00:27:16,040 --> 00:27:18,480
prevails. 
It encapsulates, if you will, 

406
00:27:18,880 --> 00:27:22,640
the salvation story of Christ 
from its birth to culmination. 

407
00:27:23,760 --> 00:27:31,960
Bethlehem, you'll stand with me 
this morning, but the Levites 

408
00:27:31,960 --> 00:27:35,960
going to leave. 
He's driven by impatience. 

409
00:27:37,040 --> 00:27:44,920
He's driven by a desire to move 
on on his terms, in his terms 

410
00:27:47,360 --> 00:27:50,960
was the springboard of A cause 
of imaginable consequences. 

411
00:27:52,360 --> 00:27:56,720
I ask you this this morning as 
we come to a close and just as a

412
00:27:56,720 --> 00:27:58,360
side, now, I know I'm early 
tonight. 

413
00:27:58,360 --> 00:28:00,800
That's because I'm giving you 
time for the time I'm going to 

414
00:28:00,800 --> 00:28:05,400
take tonight. 
And I'm not joking. 

415
00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:14,720
How often do we rush the 
decisions of our lives moving 

416
00:28:14,720 --> 00:28:18,240
ahead? 
Perhaps when God's calling us to

417
00:28:18,240 --> 00:28:25,480
stay one more night, for you it 
might be one more day, one more 

418
00:28:25,480 --> 00:28:30,560
week, one more. 
What did the gentleman say in 

419
00:28:30,560 --> 00:28:33,040
the New Testament concerning the
plant that he had? 

420
00:28:33,040 --> 00:28:36,640
He said, God, give me one more 
year, I'll dung around and for 

421
00:28:36,640 --> 00:28:38,520
you know what he's saying, I'm 
not walking around, I'm not 

422
00:28:38,520 --> 00:28:41,120
walking away yet. 
I'm going to give this one more 

423
00:28:41,120 --> 00:28:46,000
year. 
I feel the Holy Ghost impressing

424
00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:48,920
my spirit this morning that you 
may have already been 

425
00:28:48,920 --> 00:28:52,400
entertaining some time time 
plans in your life. 

426
00:28:55,080 --> 00:28:58,120
You might even be concerned and 
some time plans concerning your 

427
00:28:58,120 --> 00:29:01,760
church life. 
Listen to pastor this morning. 

428
00:29:01,960 --> 00:29:04,800
You need to consider what would 
happen if I just give it one 

429
00:29:04,800 --> 00:29:21,840
more year. 
How many blessings, how many 

430
00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:25,920
restorations, how many 
protections have we missed 

431
00:29:26,520 --> 00:29:31,880
because we were unwilling to 
wait, to mean to keep where 

432
00:29:31,880 --> 00:29:36,840
God's provision was? 
In what the story reminds me of,

433
00:29:36,840 --> 00:29:42,160
It reminds me of this, that 
sometimes staying in our 

434
00:29:42,160 --> 00:29:47,320
Bethlehem a little longer and 
waiting on God's timing can mean

435
00:29:47,320 --> 00:29:53,720
the difference between life and 
death, between ruin and 

436
00:29:53,720 --> 00:30:00,200
redemption. 
That right hand symbolize 

437
00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:05,400
salvation, power, authority. 
All of that was embodied in 

438
00:30:05,440 --> 00:30:13,240
Bethlehem, but his haste caused 
him to leave that place of 

439
00:30:13,240 --> 00:30:18,840
promise. 
I leave you with this this 

440
00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:26,120
morning, that sometimes the 
greatest act of faith is staying

441
00:30:26,120 --> 00:30:38,720
right where you're at. 
You want a change, so you think 

442
00:30:38,720 --> 00:30:43,200
change will be the change. 
But maybe you need to spend one 

443
00:30:43,200 --> 00:30:46,400
more night in Bethlehem and 
change will come to you. 

444
00:30:51,440 --> 00:30:54,120
I guarantee the concubine wish 
they stayed one more night. 

445
00:30:55,760 --> 00:30:58,720
Guarantee the old man's daughter
wished those people would have 

446
00:30:58,720 --> 00:31:05,560
stayed in Bethlehem one more 
night. 

447
00:31:05,560 --> 00:31:09,200
I want to trust God, going to 
trust His timing. 

448
00:31:10,080 --> 00:31:16,320
I'm going to wait in my 
Bethlehem because what happens 

449
00:31:16,320 --> 00:31:20,880
here could not just change the 
course of history for me, it 

450
00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:23,720
could change the course of 
history for future generations. 

451
00:31:24,560 --> 00:31:29,400
I got to learn how to spend one 
more night in Bethlehem. 

452
00:31:44,080 --> 00:31:46,080
We bow our heads all across this
place. 

453
00:31:46,120 --> 00:31:50,240
I feel the sovereign presence of
the Lord in this place. 

454
00:31:50,800 --> 00:31:53,480
What's going on? 
He's just stepping into that row

455
00:31:53,480 --> 00:31:56,520
with that father-in-law. 
And he's saying, I know you want

456
00:31:56,520 --> 00:31:59,520
to leave, but why don't you stay
and enjoy yourself? 

457
00:32:00,080 --> 00:32:02,960
Why don't you stay and have one 
more meal? 

458
00:32:03,280 --> 00:32:06,760
He's saying, child, don't you 
know that night is coming? 

459
00:32:06,920 --> 00:32:10,000
Why don't you just carry one 
more night? 

460
00:32:13,240 --> 00:32:18,760
We got provision, we got supply.
You're not a burden to us here. 

461
00:32:18,960 --> 00:32:23,440
Why don't you just stay one more
night? 

462
00:32:24,040 --> 00:32:26,280
The voice of the Lord is 
speaking in this place tonight. 

463
00:32:26,280 --> 00:32:29,440
The people that's out in this 
audience that's entertaining. 

464
00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:33,280
To depart or to stay? 
Do I give it another chance? 

465
00:32:33,560 --> 00:32:35,120
Do I give it another 
opportunity? 

466
00:32:35,400 --> 00:32:37,960
Do do I stay there? 
Do I linger there? 

467
00:32:38,120 --> 00:32:40,400
Sir, Ma'am, hear the voice of 
the Lord. 

468
00:32:40,560 --> 00:32:44,040
It's urging us to stay just one 
more night, one more week, one 

469
00:32:44,040 --> 00:32:46,680
more year. 
How Hallelujah, this is 

470
00:32:46,880 --> 00:32:49,880
Bethlehem, it's known for 
restoration. 

471
00:32:50,160 --> 00:32:53,480
This is Bethlehem. 
It's known for new starts. 

472
00:32:53,800 --> 00:32:57,840
This is Bethlehem. 
It's where the lambs, Amen 

473
00:32:57,840 --> 00:33:02,080
common are are going to be slain
in the destiny and where power 

474
00:33:02,080 --> 00:33:05,520
and authority rules. 
And this is Bethlehem. 

475
00:33:08,080 --> 00:33:11,840
These altars are open. 
For whomsoever will you might be

476
00:33:11,840 --> 00:33:13,720
saying today, there's nothing I 
lack. 

477
00:33:14,440 --> 00:33:18,440
But Sir, ma'am, if you depart, 
you like one more night in 

478
00:33:18,440 --> 00:33:22,840
Bethlehem? 
You like one more night. 

479
00:33:26,640 --> 00:33:31,600
Holy Holy Night's coming. 
Just stay. 

480
00:33:32,960 --> 00:33:35,000
Night's coming. 
Just stay. 

481
00:33:36,920 --> 00:33:39,360
Just stay. 
Ruth. 

482
00:33:40,520 --> 00:33:43,360
Naomi, wish she never left. 
Tell me. 

483
00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:45,920
Wish she could regather the 10 
years when she was gone. 

484
00:33:47,480 --> 00:33:49,560
Sir. 
Ma'am, just one more night. 

485
00:33:50,360 --> 00:33:52,840
Just one more night in 
Bethlehem. 

486
00:33:53,600 --> 00:33:55,160
Let's talk to the Lord this 
morning. 

487
00:33:55,400 --> 00:33:57,240
I wish you'd entertain the 
Spirit of the Lord. 

488
00:33:57,240 --> 00:34:00,200
You could kneel at your seat, 
stand, pray at your seat, bow 

489
00:34:00,200 --> 00:34:02,920
your head, lift your hands, 
whatever you feel compelled to 

490
00:34:02,920 --> 00:34:04,960
do by the Spirit today. 
But God is here. 

491
00:34:05,320 --> 00:34:08,719
I sense his presence here. 
I feel him right now. 

492
00:34:09,480 --> 00:34:09,880
Hallelujah.