00:00 Podcast Banter Intro

00:21 Tree of Life Question

01:07 Is It Really Magic

02:36 Revelation Tree Evidence

03:31 God Sustains Eternity

05:43 Knowledge Tree Revisited

06:07 Reading Plan Setup

06:28 Fiery Serpents and Bronze Pole

08:05 Looking Up to Be Saved

09:32 Wells and Early Battles

10:44 Balaam and Balak Setup

11:30 Donkey and Mixed Motives

12:21 Balaam’s Perverse Motives

13:15 God Uses a Pagan Prophet

14:21 The Talking Donkey Explained

16:19 Cats, Heaven, and Humor

16:47 Mark 7 Heart Over Ritual

18:36 Gentile Mercy and Faith

20:19 Feeding 4000 and Disciples

22:09 Why the Deaf Man Healing

24:36 Prayer and Sendoff

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Find out more about Compass Bible Church.

Learn more about our Bible Reading Plan.

Questions or Comments? Email us podcast@compassntx.org

Hey everybody.

2

Welcome back to yet another

edition of the Daily Bible Podcast.

3

That's it, you guys.

4

I've got two other people in the room and

neither of them are gonna say anything.

5

This is just it.

6

This is happen.

7

That's what happens when you have

Christians or gentlemen, and we're just

8

waiting for the other to go waiting.

9

Yes, and then we just waiting.

10

Definitely it's gonna happen.

11

Have lots to say.

12

So now it's my turn.

13

No, I'm just kidding.

14

I'm just kidding.

15

Well, hey, we answered the

question a couple days ago

16

about magical fruit, right?

17

They're magically delicious, lucky

charms or whatever, but instead

18

we said it's probably not magical.

19

The tree of the knowledge of good

and evil, probably not magical.

20

It was more they broke God's

law and that's what led to

21

their guilt and condemnation.

22

Well, we got a follow up question on that.

23

I said, Hey, thanks for

answering my question.

24

You're welcome.

25

But a follow up.

26

Said, don't need to address it on the

pot, but we're gonna do it anyways

27

because that's what we're here to do.

28

He says, this was the tree of life.

29

Magical or supernatural.

30

It seems like God acted as though the

latter tree has supernatural powers.

31

Is the plan that neither tree

is magical or is it that the

32

Tree of Life grants immortality?

33

That one's magical.

34

But the tree of knowledge that grants

knowledge of good and evil is a

35

regular old tree, and they're just

not directly parallel to each other.

36

So there's the question.

37

Yeah.

38

I like the CS Lewis version

of Magical, and that's how I'm

39

understanding the question.

40

'cause magic typically connotes

a different way of Right.

41

Religion, witchcraft, sorcery, we, that's

not the kind of magic we're talking about.

42

Right.

43

Deep magic, the true stuff is the

kind that CS Lewis talks about.

44

So, pastor Mark, I know you

have strong opinions about this.

45

The Tree of Life, magical or non?

46

No.

47

Okay.

48

That, that's, that's an answer.

49

I, yeah.

50

I don't, I just don't, I

don't see how the tree itself.

51

Provides any of those things we

don't see anywhere else in the Bible

52

where a tree itself or an animal

itself directly provides anything.

53

They're often used as metaphors or as

illustrations, but I'm not seeing that.

54

I think ultimately God is the

one who provides life and I don't

55

think he's doing it through a tree.

56

Can I substantiate that?

57

I'm not sure I can.

58

Yeah, I think about the,

I think about Revelation.

59

You got the tree of life again.

60

Yeah.

61

And you have the river of life.

62

So you have all sorts of things that

God uses to actually sustain life.

63

I wonder if there is something about

them, and I wouldn't call it magical,

64

we're, clearly that's not what we

intend, but that there is something

65

spiritually significant about the

tree and about the water that sustains

66

man's body for all time and eternity.

67

I'm okay with the idea and I was also,

you might remember in the last podcast

68

when we answered the question about the.

69

The tree of knowledge.

70

I'm okay with if, if that's something too.

71

I don't have a strong, definitely,

no, I'm more open to it.

72

'cause I don't think the text

tells me precisely it's this and

73

not that I'm okay with either one.

74

Yeah.

75

You mentioned revelation.

76

Revelation two seven says this, he

who has an ear to hear, let him hear

77

what the spirit says to the churches.

78

To the one who conquers, I will

grant to eat of the tree of

79

life, which is in the Paradise.

80

Paradise of God.

81

Oh.

82

So.

83

That would support what

you're saying there, right?

84

That in eternity.

85

In later on, in Revelation 22, 2 through

the middle of the street of the city,

86

also on either side of the river,

the tree of life with its 12 kinds of

87

fruit, yielding fruit in each month.

88

The leaves of the tree were

for the healing of the nations.

89

Okay.

90

Yeah, 2214.

91

Blessed for those who wash the ropes

so that they may have the right to

92

the tree of life and they may enter.

93

So it seems there's something there now.

94

The Tree of Life was not

verboten in the garden.

95

It was only the tree of the

knowledge of good and evil.

96

And yet that's the one that they went for.

97

So they could have eaten

from the Tree of life.

98

We have no reason to believe that

they did because God then removes

99

the tree to prevent them from having

access to the Tree of Life later on.

100

Mm-hmm.

101

But yeah, I'm with you.

102

I think the Tree of Life could

have an impact for us in eternity.

103

Is it?

104

Yeah.

105

I think it's helpful for you to

clarify what we mean by magical

106

here, and that in, in mass defense,

he says, magical slash supernatural.

107

Was there something from God

about this tree that would've

108

sustained and granted life forever.

109

Now, this is a almost a non-sequitur

because in the garden there was no

110

death, so there was no need to eat from

the tree of life at that point because

111

they didn't know anything but life.

112

Yeah, and I don't have necessarily

an issue with saying that there's a

113

supernatural element to it in some

sense, specifically in the sense

114

that God is gonna have to sustain

us for all of eternity in heaven.

115

We're not gonna suddenly

stop being finite creatures.

116

We're not gonna have a sanity in

heaven, and so God is gonna have to

117

continue to provide for us eternally.

118

You said as Sadie, why don't you define

that one for other people, not for me or

119

anything like that, but for other people

as Sadie is the characteristic of God that

120

helps us understand that he is in need of

nothing else that he is creating himself.

121

That's not even the right

way to put self put.

122

Self-sufficient.

123

Yeah, self-sufficient.

124

Self sustain, creating himself.

125

That is not the right way to put it.

126

Self-sustaining.

127

He's not in need of anything else.

128

We are very much in need.

129

Of outside sources of food, of

water spiritual needs as well.

130

That that's right.

131

And we will continue to have that

in a different way, but we will

132

continue to have that into eternity.

133

Yeah.

134

Which is interesting 'cause we don't often

think about that, but that's true, right?

135

Because that's one of the ways that we

will glorify God in eternity is continuing

136

to depend upon him as the source of life.

137

Yes.

138

He's the source of our present life.

139

He's the source of eternal life as well.

140

And even the healing, right?

141

Is there gonna be healing necessary

in the sense of like, oh, somebody

142

got a cut and they're crying?

143

No, because we know that there's

not gonna be pain like that.

144

There's not gonna be tears like that,

but there is gonna be a need for our

145

bodies to continually be renewed and.

146

A different sense than we would understand

it here in this life, but we're gonna

147

need to be sustained in that way.

148

Our bodies themselves are

gonna have to be supported and

149

carried by God and his power.

150

Alright.

151

They're still physical bodies.

152

Yes.

153

And so there's still gonna

be continuity in the way that

154

they require resources, right?

155

Nutrients, water.

156

Which is why we still have

those physical elements.

157

In the new Jerusalem.

158

That's right.

159

And even Jesus.

160

Even Jesus, after the resurrection.

161

That's right.

162

He ate, eats and fish tacos,

fish, which is amazing.

163

Yeah.

164

Dude, it's crazy to even think about that.

165

It's a taco.

166

It's fish.

167

Taco, PPJ.

168

Does this change your answer

at all in terms of the tree of

169

the knowledge of good and evil?

170

Are you willing to say, okay, if

this tree has some supernatural

171

powers, maybe the Tree of knowledge

had supernatural powers as well?

172

No, I, I, I'm still in the same

position of saying, Hey, I think this

173

was more about here's God's command.

174

God's command said this

tree is off limits.

175

And that's what led to the guilt and

condemnation that came from, that

176

not anything in the fruit itself.

177

Yeah.

178

Will I go to the wall on that?

179

No, but that's my take.

180

Alright, let's jump

into our DBR for today.

181

We are in numbers, chapters

21, 22, and 20 to 23.

182

Yep.

183

That's right.

184

That's what comes after 22.

185

Thanks, man.

186

I was just making sure because

I was not sure for a second.

187

Numbers 21 through 23 and then mark

chapter seven through eight 10.

188

So a little bit of a weird breakdown

here because we're not usually going

189

across chapters in this reading plan.

190

Numbers Chapter 21.

191

We have an interesting scene here,

and it's one that if you have been

192

around the church you've been familiar

with, felt board, so forth and so on.

193

The people, again, are going to

be grumbling and the people are

194

not going to listen to the Lord.

195

The Lord heated the voice of

Israel gave over the Canaanites.

196

They devoted them and their

cities to destruction.

197

So the name of the

police was called Hor Ma.

198

But then right after that, from

Mount Hore, they set out by the way

199

of Edem, and they start to speak

against God, verse five and against

200

Moses, and here comes Egypt again.

201

We wish we could go back to Egypt.

202

Well, God's wrath is going to come.

203

Sometimes God is patient with his

people and he tells Moses, Hey Moses,

204

I'm gonna, I'm gonna pour out my wrath.

205

And Moses intercedes.

206

And he says, okay, nevermind this time.

207

His wrath is pretty swift.

208

The Lord it says, sends fiery serpents.

209

By that we should understand

venomous serpents among the people,

210

and they bite the people so that

they begin to, to perish and die.

211

Then Moses intercedes.

212

When the people repent, they come

and they say, we have sinned.

213

Like Pharaoh, we have sin for,

we have spoken against the Lord.

214

This is a repentance, although we'll

see that this is not a repentance

215

that's not gonna bear fruit for long.

216

But God is going to still provide some

relief and that is through this serpent

217

that this is gonna be a bronze serpent

that Moses is gonna put on a pole.

218

And the Lord says, anyone who

looks at this serpent will be.

219

Delivered.

220

So this is an interesting scene here.

221

Pastor Mark, I know you were saying

recently that your one of your sons

222

has been going out in your backyard and

finding snake skins in the backyard.

223

So make sure they're not fiery serpents

that he's playing with back there.

224

Yeah, hopefully not.

225

No.

226

I told him you need to not

just find a snake skin.

227

You need to find the real thing.

228

That's what I told him.

229

So you can be headed.

230

No, just so you can take care of it and

feed it something and then let it go.

231

Okay?

232

Agree to disagree.

233

Man.

234

This is such a cool passage though.

235

Not cool because people are dying,

but what it represents and what

236

we get to see later in the New

Testament in John chapter three

237

and the correlation to Jesus.

238

But man, this is a test for them.

239

And if you think about it, the snakes

are on the ground and coming up at

240

them, and it takes a, it takes, I'm

gonna argue a form of true repentance

241

and a form of faith in this as the

solution to be willing to look up, right?

242

If you're, if there's snakes coming

at you maybe they've just bit

243

your sister or your mom, you're

not gonna be inclined to look up.

244

That's the last thing that you're

probably gonna be inclined to do,

245

yet, that's exactly how you're saved.

246

That's right.

247

It's the act of looking,

looking and trusting.

248

Placing your hope and trust in this

is why this is picked up by Jesus.

249

In John chapter three.

250

He says to Nicodemus, you

have to do this with me.

251

Mm-hmm.

252

You can't.

253

You can't just come to me

and talk to me at night.

254

You have to look to the son

who's going to be lifted up.

255

And so this is an interesting thing.

256

I would never have picked this

if I'm looking for gospel.

257

Analogies in the Old Testament,

I wouldn't have picked this one.

258

And yet Jesus tells us,

this is pointing to me.

259

I am the one that you have to look up at.

260

And it was quite a

dangerous analogy to make.

261

Like you can call

yourself a serpent Jesus.

262

And yet that's what Jesus uses.

263

It is beautiful, it's picturesque

and I think it's a really

264

helpful place for us to look.

265

I do think the, the

serpent represents sin.

266

And Jesus has lifted up Great point.

267

With our sin.

268

So Jesus is not a serpent.

269

That's right.

270

But yes.

271

But he's, he has lifted up with our sin.

272

That's right.

273

Yeah.

274

In chapter 21, from here we

get Israel finding more wells

275

and in God providing water, and

they're gonna respond in worship.

276

They're gonna write songs about

this spring up a well sing to it.

277

Let there be that, that the well,

that the prince has made, that

278

the nobles of the people dug with

their scepter and with their staff.

279

So God is providing first

people along the way here.

280

And then he's going to lead them into

battle this time against King Sahan.

281

So this is gonna be trans

Jordanian territory, meaning

282

this is not promised land area.

283

But this is gonna be part of the

area of the promised land that the

284

trans Jordanian tribes, which we're

gonna get to, are going to inhabit.

285

And so God is clearing them out, but

he's also preparing Israel here through

286

these battles that they're going to

fight in order to get them ready for

287

what awaits them across the Jordan.

288

He needs this generation to be tough.

289

They can't be soft when they're

going to fight these wars that

290

they're gonna have to fight against.

291

The inhabitants of Canaan.

292

So he's preparing them by giving

them these conflicts with these

293

trans Jordanian peoples here,

including the King of Sahan here.

294

But this is where God begins to

repeat the refrain I have given

295

this, these people into your hand.

296

We see that there with with

regards to King P Sahan.

297

I've given the people into your hand, and

that's gonna be something that God's going

298

to remind his people about all throughout

the conquest of the Promised Land.

299

It's not their efforts that are

sustaining this, but it's the Lord's.

300

Chapter 22.

301

Then we have Baik who is a

little bit concerned about

302

what he's finding with Israel.

303

And so Baik, who is this king here,

is going to reach out to a prophet.

304

Now, this is not a prophet the

way that we think about prophets.

305

This is not an Israelite prophet.

306

This is a foreigner, and

yet this prophet has.

307

God has his ear.

308

This prophet has access to the

Lord, and we're gonna find that out.

309

But initially, Baik calls for balam

to come and prophesy against Israel.

310

And Baalam says, I'm not gonna

do this because I can't curse

311

the people that God has blessed.

312

I can't, I can't do this.

313

In fact, God even intervenes and says

in verse 12, you shall not go with them.

314

You shall not curse the

people for they are blessed.

315

And so this.

316

Foreign prophet is gonna say no,

and he's gonna say no multiple times

317

until finally he's gonna say yes.

318

And as he goes to leave to,

to go with the people, back to

319

B him, it says, God's anger.

320

Verse 22 was kindled against him because

he went well, God had told him to go

321

and now all of a sudden God's going to

be angry and moved to try to kill him.

322

And the angel of the Lord shows up.

323

And this is where Balaam's

donkey starts talking to him.

324

And my best guess, and I think we've

talked about this before in the past,

325

but my best guess is Ba Baalam was going

with the wrong motive in his heart.

326

At this point, which is why God

moved to stop him and to remind him,

327

Hey, be careful because you don't

know who you're messing with here.

328

And so that, that's my take on this.

329

That's the only thing that to

me, makes a whole lot of sense

330

because God says, go with them.

331

And then God tries to stop

him when he does go with them.

332

Any thoughts on why it

does in God's instructions?

333

He does say if the men have come

to call you, rise and go with them.

334

Perhaps, perhaps it doesn't say

that they didn't, but perhaps they.

335

Didn't, and he goes anyways.

336

So more of like, okay, well I'm gonna

go without them even asking me to go.

337

Yeah.

338

Because God says, you need to do

exactly what I tell you to do.

339

And he's very clear that it says if

the men have come to call you, then you

340

can go and then, and in fact, right.

341

Later on after they encounter with the

donkey, he says, go with them anyways.

342

Pretty much.

343

Right.

344

So I don't think that God is

opposed to him going with them.

345

It's the way in which

he's obedient in that.

346

Right, right.

347

Yeah.

348

He says here in verse 32 and verse

35 something about his way being

349

perverse before him and speaking

only the word that I tell you.

350

So I think, I think what's happening

is that you're right, the motivation

351

behind his going is evil in God's

sight, and I think Chapter 22 tells

352

us, and Peter will say later on, that

he loved gain from wrongdoing, which

353

I think contributes to the fact that

that was what was perverse before God.

354

It wasn't that he went per se, it was

that he went with the wrong motive, and

355

that's what was so offensive to God.

356

In chapter 23 we find this again,

it's such a unique situation.

357

God is using this man who ultimately is

gonna be a thorn in Israel side in the

358

future, but God is using the sinful man

in baam to prophesy blessings over the

359

people in the presence of baic, this

king that wants to destroy his people.

360

So what makes sense?

361

'cause you're dealing

with bad guy and bad guy.

362

Lesser two evils.

363

Okay.

364

Blum fine.

365

Blum can be this voice here.

366

This is not a man that we often think of

when we think about the prophets of God.

367

When we think about God delivering

his message through human mouthpieces

368

we think of people like Jeremiah and

Isaiah, and we think of these people

369

like Daniel, these great prophets,

that we think these are Godly men.

370

And yet this is a, not only a Gentile and

a Pagan, but I think a Godless, Gentile

371

and Pagan, who right now fears the Lord.

372

But not out of faith.

373

More out of, okay, I'm afraid

that this guy's gonna kill me

374

if I don't do what he says here.

375

So it's fascinating that God uses baam

to speak prophecies of blessings over

376

Israel in the presence of a pagan king.

377

There's no one that's really a God fear

anywhere in the scene in chapter 23.

378

I don't understand why God does it this

way, but this continues to show me that

379

God operates in ways that are surprising

to me, and I should be unsurprised

380

by the fact that he surprises me.

381

Speaking of surprises we talked over

it, but I just wanna point out we do

382

believe that God spoke through the donkey.

383

Yes, we do.

384

That's incredible.

385

Yes.

386

And it's the only time in the Bible

in any narrative that an animal

387

speaks in apocalyptic literature.

388

There are occasions where

serpent in the garden.

389

Well, yeah, but Right since

the fall, well, since the fall,

390

the serpent who spoke to Eve.

391

Yeah.

392

And, and arguably the

serpent isn't a donkey.

393

Right?

394

Well, isn't it Isn't an

animal like the donkey.

395

I agree.

396

The serpent's not a donkey,

we're on the same page.

397

Right.

398

But the donkey is just a regular donkey.

399

The serpent is not a regular serpent.

400

Yes, true.

401

And so this is just a regular donkey.

402

Yeah.

403

Fair.

404

And this is the only

time in any narrative.

405

That I'm aware of that God

uses an animal to speak.

406

I akin to Chronicles and Nia and it's odd.

407

What do you do with that?

408

Because the donkey's like, haven't

I treated you rightly my whole life?

409

Donkey's got like a backstory.

410

She's been doing her thing and

God's like, all right, I'm gonna

411

loosen your tongue so you can talk.

412

So what do we do with that?

413

'cause this is one of those

things that people, when people

414

make fun of the Bible, yeah.

415

You guys got talking serpents

and donkeys and flying horses.

416

People are gonna use it to mock us.

417

Pastor PJ assuage us here, help us

to feel confidence in what we see.

418

I mean, we see the angel of the Lord

visibly show up right after this too.

419

So I think we can say we're

dealing with supernatural things.

420

We're dealing with things that

we don't see every day anyways.

421

Even the parting of the Red Sea, like

we've seen plenty of miraculous things

422

in the Bible up to this point that

would cause somebody to say really.

423

I've never seen that happen before.

424

And so I would put this in that

category of this is a God thing.

425

One where God is using the mouth of

this animal as the Lord of creation,

426

as the God over all creative beings

to say I'm gonna deliver my message

427

to you one way or the other.

428

If you're not gonna listen to me,

then you'll listen to this donkey.

429

It.

430

It may have even been a way to

humble Baal him in that point too,

431

to say, okay, God spoke to you.

432

You ignored God.

433

I'm gonna get your

attention through a donkey.

434

Through something that you would never

look at and look for wisdom or look

435

for concern or intelligence from.

436

I'm gonna, I'm gonna speak to you through

this beast of burden here instead of a

437

way that you might expect to be addressed.

438

That's a great point.

439

Humbling him by speaking through

a lowly animal like the donkey.

440

Do all dogs or donkeys go to heaven?

441

Does this show consciousness?

442

Do they have thoughts?

443

No.

444

No.

445

You would say this is

purely miraculous GT one.

446

Yes.

447

What about a cat?

448

You know, I don't know.

449

They have nine lives.

450

That's what I've heard, been told.

451

Oh.

452

I'm not, I'm not touching

this with a 10 foot pole.

453

I get in trouble with this

every time I bring it up.

454

Alright.

455

Alright.

456

We'll talk about it when

we get to Revelation.

457

The lion of Judah Lion is a cat.

458

That's true.

459

That is touche.

460

Yeah.

461

Yeah.

462

Anyways, mark chapter seven,

new Testament reading.

463

Let's start in verse 14.

464

We're gonna go all the way again

through chapter eight, verse 10.

465

And as Pastor Mark alluded to yesterday

and almost jumped the gun on Jesus

466

really does get to the heart of what

the problem is here with the Pharisees.

467

And it's not just the problem of the

external, the problem of the hand washing.

468

It's the problem of the internal.

469

And that's what Jesus talks about

here in the first, I don't know.

470

Eight, nine verses here in

chapter seven, starting verse 14.

471

And that is that the issue

of mankind is a heart issue.

472

The issue of sin is a heart issue.

473

It's not an external issue.

474

You can't wash your hands enough

to be cleansed of sin and to be

475

cleansed of the defilement of sin.

476

That doesn't work.

477

It doesn't happen that way.

478

And so instead what we have to understand

is we need the internal cleansed.

479

And that's what Jesus is gonna go after.

480

Mark 20 or Matthew 23, we read that.

481

Last time as we were in the gospels

of, of Matthew previously in the

482

podcast, just all the wo statements,

including you are like whitewashed

483

tombs outside you look great, but

inside you're full of dead man's bones.

484

So they needed something internal to

cleanse them, not just the external

485

things that they were so concerned with.

486

I think it's interesting too, the

parallel between what we've been reading

487

various places in the last couple days,

last several weeks, about the clean and

488

unclean status of the people of Israel.

489

Those were.

490

Actually external things.

491

So I'm not gonna forgive the pharisees

and the scribes for misunderstanding

492

this because they were supposed to

see what was the intent of that.

493

Yeah.

494

But you can see how they would

get this confused if they had a

495

misunderstanding of some of these things.

496

Yeah, that's a great point.

497

Yeah.

498

You would understand where it comes from.

499

But not excuse it.

500

Right?

501

It makes perfect sense, and I think

that's what is so frustrating to Jesus

502

is that he continues to point out to

them, this is, you're getting it wrong.

503

You're sacrificing the big

picture for the little one.

504

And instead you ought to see that these

little pictures are meant to point to

505

the larger one about the heart, and

that really is the heart of the issue.

506

What about from here?

507

He.

508

Shifts in, in the rest of chapter

seven into gentile territory

509

here, and he's going to interact

with the s Venetian woman in the

510

region of Tyra inside in here.

511

And she's gonna come and she's

gonna beg for him to heal her child.

512

And he's gonna say, well, I'm

here for Israel, basically.

513

And she says, yeah but can't I

even get a scrap from the table?

514

And don't even dogs get

the crumbs from the table?

515

And he turns and says to her for this

statement, you may go away your face.

516

The demon has left your daughter Matthew

commends her faith in this moment.

517

And then from here he goes on to again,

this gentile region and a deaf man comes

518

and he heals this deaf man of his ailment

as well, and again, gentile territory.

519

So I wonder if Jesus wasn't doing

something here by interacting with the

520

scribes and the Pharisees and dealing

with the fact that the problem isn't

521

ceremonial, cleanliness, the problem is

a heart issue, and then immediately going

522

into the gentile territory where he.

523

Shows mercy to Gentiles and even

commends the faith of the Gentiles,

524

which is really what's necessary for

the internal cleansing that's needed.

525

May I suggest there's a chiasm here, oh.

526

Oh, because what are we gonna see in

chapter eight is Jesus feeds the 4,000

527

we saw in chapter six the account

of Jesus feeding the 5,000, and then

528

you see him in Israelite territory.

529

And then the interaction with the

Pharisees and the scribes where he.

530

Says, you've got this all

wrong and you don't understand

531

what I'm calling you to do.

532

And then he turns to the Gentile,

the Gentiles and that's what we see

533

here at the end of chapter seven,

right before we get into chapter

534

eight with the feeding of the 4,000,

which is also Gentile territory,

535

which is also Gentile territory.

536

Right.

537

So I think there's a pivoting here,

and I think you can see that in the

538

way that Mark has structured this

section, not just this chapter,

539

but this section of the book.

540

Yeah.

541

I'm also always struck by the fact

that I think Jesus is doing so

542

much with his disciples in this.

543

We read this and he's interacting

with all these other people, and yet

544

at the same time in the background,

his disciples are watching.

545

They're listening,

they're paying attention.

546

And again, the feeding of the

4,000 he tests their faith again.

547

He says, Hey, you give them

something to eat and they've.

548

Short-term memory problem here

they're forgetting the 5,000.

549

They're going, where are we gonna

get enough food for all this?

550

And so everything Jesus is

doing has two audiences here.

551

It's got the external audience and it's

also got the audience of the disciples.

552

And this is gonna inform so much of

their understanding of Christ, of

553

his power after his resurrection.

554

This is gonna motivate so much of

their desire to go and let other people

555

know about Jesus and faith in Christ.

556

And so there's so much going on

behind the scenes that we don't get

557

to, to be privy to, to how they're

watching and hearing and listening to

558

their rabbi do all of these things.

559

Yeah.

560

I just wanna make a quick point

in chapter eight, one through 10

561

here we said it, we suggested it.

562

But let me just point out to you guys

why we think this is Gentile territory.

563

'cause there's nothing in this

little procope that tells us this.

564

These are gentiles.

565

We assume this based on the fact that

in the last verses that we just read,

566

he was in the district of the de

Capitalis, the region of the 10 cities.

567

It's a confederation of gentile cities.

568

And so we don't see a break in this.

569

It says in those days at chapter eight,

verse one which we think refers to the

570

time when he was in gentile territory.

571

And so after this, in chapter eight,

chapter eight, verse 10, he goes into the

572

district of Dalman, which we think is,

this is meant to show he's moving through,

573

but he's still in gentile territory.

574

Yeah.

575

Would you add anything to that?

576

No, I think that's great.

577

Just don't miss the Mark's

emphasis on the disciples.

578

Just to build on what you said, pastor pj,

it's fascinating how Mark specifically.

579

It shows the disciples and how they

respond to some of these things.

580

I know I'm going a little bit

back, but Right when Jesus walks on

581

water, they were utterly astounded.

582

Right.

583

And we're gonna see this

sort of again and again.

584

This is a theme in Mark.

585

Yeah.

586

Yeah.

587

How about the healing of

the deaf man is there.

588

This is just unique.

589

He takes him away privately, he sigh.

590

He puts his fingers in his ears and

he then says, this air make word EFA

591

or ffa which means be opened here.

592

It's just an interesting, okay, why?

593

Why?

594

Why this way?

595

Why didn't he just do this publicly?

596

Why the sigh?

597

Why the fingers in the ears?

598

It's kinda like we're

gonna see in a little bit.

599

I think that the two stage healing of the

blind man where he rubs mud on his eyes

600

and then he's like, well, I see people,

but like trees and then he does something

601

else and then he's able to see clearly.

602

Just an interesting interaction here.

603

I don't know that we have a firm

answer as to why he does this, but if

604

you guys have any thoughts on that?

605

That's a great point.

606

I wanted to point out that the fact

that he uses Aramaic suggests that

607

this isn't actually Jewish person.

608

Even if it's in gentile territory,

which I'm not sure explains why

609

he takes him around privately, but

the fact that he's using Aramaic

610

suggests that he's not a Gentile.

611

I think we just need to see some of

these things and recognize Jesus is

612

operating in a way that is not like us.

613

There is so many inclinations in my

heart to try to fit God, to fit Jesus

614

into the way I do my daily commute

and my lunch break, and all the things

615

that I do on a daily basis, right?

616

Jesus is fully human.

617

I'm not denying that, but

Jesus is not exactly like me.

618

I, that's a great point.

619

I think we talked about this recently,

but that's such a good reminder.

620

We, Jesus prioritizes people.

621

He's interrupted all the time.

622

I would be so put off by that.

623

Like, guys, I have my hours

between eight and five, please.

624

Who's making appointments?

625

Here's my Calendly link.

626

Can you just come at the right time?

627

Here's my soccer mom.

628

Hour time.

629

You can come during those hours.

630

And yet Jesus is, this

is what he's here for.

631

And it's such a good point because

we often just get so busy with

632

the things that are good and

important, but not ultimate.

633

Jesus gives us a great reality check.

634

People are.

635

The ministry one.

636

One thing that's probably

worth noting here, he spits

637

and touches the man's tongue.

638

You might think, why does he do that?

639

His ears are the problem.

640

Well, think about somebody who's deaf

also, probably is somebody who's mute.

641

They don't have the ability

to form words and speak.

642

And so somebody thought that this is

commented and said, this is potentially

643

speaking to the fact that this man's

gonna regain his speech as well.

644

He's gonna gain his speech perhaps.

645

And then the same commentary

said it's possible that the word.

646

FHA was easily read by

somebody who was blind lips.

647

Lips could be read there.

648

And so it's possible that he was doing

that for the benefit of this blind person

649

or this deaf person, rather, to cause him

to be able to know what he was saying and

650

participate in the act of the miracle.

651

So, interest, insight, good?

652

Yeah.

653

Yeah.

654

All right, well let's pray and then

we'll be done with this episode.

655

God, we thank you so much for the

healing we have received through faith.

656

Even as we get that indication here

through the SFO nation women, that the

657

issue which we talked about too, the

heart issue is only gonna be cleansed

658

through faith and faith in Christ and his

sacrifice force, his penal substitutionary

659

of toning death on our behalf, on the

cross, and we are so grateful for.

660

Thankful for that, and we always will be

both now and all the way into eternity.

661

So we thank you for this time.

662

We pray that we would continue to

give ourselves over to studying your

663

Word and applying it to our lives.

664

We pray this in Jesus name.

665

Amen.

666

Well, hey guys, keep reading those bibles

and tuning in again tomorrow for another

667

edition of the Daily Bible Podcast.

668

See you then.

669

Bye bye.

670

Edward: Thank you for listening to another

episode of the Daily Bible Podcast.

671

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spend time with us today.

672

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673

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674

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675

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676

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677

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