 Alright, we'll get started once again. So before the break, we were looking at how God ordered the Israelites to kill the people in certain cities only. Because the people in those particular cities are the ones who have come under God's judgment. It is now time for God to judge them for their sinfulness. And so God sends the Israelites against the people, groups living in those specific cities. And in those cities, they are asked not to leave anyone alive. We see that in Deuteronomy chapter 20 verse 16, where it says, however, in the cities of the nations, the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance. Do not leave alive anything that breeds. So they have to kill the people in those cities. Why? Because he explains that in the other passage which we have looked at Deuteronomy 7, 1 to 4. And so he says in verse 5, in verse 4, he says, verse 3, sorry. He says, do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. For they will turn your children away from following me to serve other gods. And then this is what the Lord says in the last portion of verse 4, Deuteronomy 7 verse 4. He says, and the Lord's anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you. So God is not against any people group or any race. God is against sinfulness. God is against wickedness. So that is why God says very plainly over here. The reason I'm asking you to go and occupy those cities and wipe out everyone over there is so that you will not intermingle with them, form treaties with them. Get into marriage alliances with them. Because if you do that, then you will turn away from following me and my anger will burn against you in the same way that my anger is burning against these particular people groups. So the reason that God brings punishment against them is for their wickedness and sin. Not because he had any grudge against any particular people group. He is impartial and treats all the nations equally. He is fair and just in the way he deals with the nations. So if you were to look in Genesis chapter 15, when God originally makes his promise to Abraham and says, I will give you a land which belongs to all these nations. I will give that land over to you. And anyone who is good at reading out all of these names, if you could actually go there and read that for us. Genesis chapter 15 verses 18 to 20 is the reason why we are reading these verses. Look at all the aides mentioned over there. Who are the aides that the people are supposed to kill and who would be the aides that will not be touched? Genesis chapter 15 verses 18 to 20, if one person can read out. And if you all can very carefully observe the names which are mentioned over there. On the same day, the Lord made a covenant with Abraham saying to your descendants, I have given this land from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, that is the Kenites, the Kenizites, the Catmonites, the Hittites, the Terizites, the Tamorites, the Kenanites, the Gurgashites and the Jebusites. Now these are all the people groups which live in this land extending from the Vadi of Egypt up to the great river Euphrates in this large tract of land. These are all the people groups living over here. But God does not, when God sends out the people in Deutronomy, he doesn't say kill or kill them all. He is very specifically names only seven of the people groups. So here if you look at the entire list of people groups which lived in the land, there are some people groups which are not touched. So if you look at the Kenites, the Kenizites, the Catmonites, the Raphites who are there in this list, they are not to be touched except maybe during war. In case those particular people come and have a fight with the Israelites, the Israelites would wage battle and then whoever dies in the battle would die. But there is no instruction from the Lord to wipe out these people completely. So in fact from one of these people groups is where you have Caleb coming from. We consider Caleb one of the giants of the Israelite history. So we basically have Joshua and Caleb who are held up as being very ideal Israelites. But if you look at Caleb's background, Caleb was a Kenizite. He was from one of the people groups living in the land of Canaan, his ancestors from there. And at some point of time they must have started following the living God which is how they became part of the Israelite group. So God had got nothing against Caleb. In fact, God blessed Caleb for his faithfulness. So God doesn't matter to the Lord from which people group you are. You may be a Kenizite but that's alright. God does not mind. If you have chosen to come and follow the living God and place your trust in him and obey him the way Caleb did. And I know probably his forefathers also did. Then God has got nothing against that people group. So God is not against any nation. He's against sinfulness and he's against wickedness which he will punish. So if this is the case, if God is against unrighteousness and against wickedness. Does this mean that the church today can use this as an excuse and go and attack people physically? Who are not following the ways of the Lord? Does this give us permission to go and attack other people groups? Which is the allegation which people make against Christians? They say it's because of your Old Testament God that the Crusades were fought during the Middle Ages. So if at all you paid attention during your world history classes in school. You would be familiar with this term the Crusades. The Crusades were fought by a bunch of European nations. I know the Roman Catholic Church and then you had the Spanish and you had a few of the other nations of that time. European nations get together and they wanted to fight against the Muslims. So they began to attack the Muslims over and the Crusades lasted a long time. Don't remember, I mean I don't have it in my notes here. I don't remember the time span. But most of the wars which they fought in the name of God. They used the Bible as an excuse to attack the Muslims and up to this day the Muslim people hold that grudge in their hearts. The Christians did this to us using the Bible as an excuse. So which is why we know we should explain and say in the Old Testament God did not attack people groups just because they belong to a certain race. So the excuse which the Roman Catholic Church of that time used to attack the Muslim nations that was not correct. That was not biblical. Especially because Paul very clearly explains you know and by that by the time the Crusades were fought everyone had the Bible in their hands. Or at least the religious leaders had the Bible in their hands most definitely. And in Ephesians so clearly Paul says our struggle you know Ephesians chapter 6 verse 12 Paul says our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers against the authorities against the powers of this dark world. So our struggle today is not against flesh and blood humans. We are supposed to be fighting the battle now against wickedness in the spiritual realm. We don't fight it by taking it out on our neighbors by attacking them. We attack the demons which are influencing them and play playing a role in their lives. We don't attack the people. We attack the demonic forces. So it is now spiritual warfare that we do and we are not supposed to engage in physical warfare in the name of the Bible in the name of you know the church. Yeah you have a question. Ma'am but now in the times that we live in is it not wise for us that you know Muslims sometimes use jihad and wage the wars against them. So the Muslims who wage wars against others using jihad now that is their doctrine that's their philosophy. It's something that they would have to answer to the living God you know. But when it comes to us Christians we are not supposed to be waging any kind of warfare in the name of religion. Now what they do according to their religious principles and the way they interpret their scriptures that is you know something that they would have to answer to on judgment day. Because every living being will one day stand before the ancient of days before the judgment throne of God. And so they would have to give an account for their actions you know including Hitler everyone would have to give an account for their actions on that day. But we the Christians we cannot use scripture to wage war against someone else the way they did in the Middle Ages during those crusades those crusades are not backed up by scripture. In fact most of them were used and most of those wars were used for their own selfish purposes to build up their you know their own little empires. What was done was not correct and so just because the church had rotten apples at that time nobody can pass a judgment against the entire church. Just because of those rotten apples you know so it would be unfair if somebody you know stamps all of us as being racist just because one bunch of people in those Middle Ages went and fought against another people group. So okay so that would not be correct because in all religions you do have a bunch of people who are extremists who will try to exploit their religion for their own selfish motives that happens in every religion. So if anyone says oh you Christians are like this no not all Christians are like that. Even during the time of the crusades there were people in the church spiritual leaders who raised their voice and said what you people are doing in the name of religion is wrong. You know you do not have the authority to go and attack other nations saying oh we are doing what was done in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament God made it very very clear why he had asked those Israelites to attack seven specific people groups. He explained he gave a reason for it what reason did the crusaders have for going and fighting against the Muslim nations. They didn't have any you know they didn't have a proper righteous foundation for what they did. Okay so what they did was wrong and so if anyone at all brings up that particular argument with us we can plainly say yes what they did is wrong and they would have to you know give an account for their actions one day before the judgment throne of God. So the Bible does not back up what was done during the crusade wars alright. So in Colossians chapter 2 15 is where you basically have the okay maybe okay Matthew 21 5 probably let's look at Matthew 21 5 first. Yeah if someone could read out Matthew 21 verse 5. Till the daughter of Zion behold your king is coming to you lowly and sitting on a donkey a cold the full of a donkey. Probably this would be the you know the time where transition happens from physical war to spiritual war. At this point in time when the son of man comes to the earth to you know bring in a new covenant and a new phase in history. He chooses to start off this phase by coming riding on a donkey not on a war horse. So from that time on maybe let us say maybe from that moment on the emphasis is no longer on physical warfare it's now going to be spiritual warfare. So when the when the savior comes to the earth he does not actually come on a war horse to fight against the wicked nations rather he comes riding on a donkey and animal of peace. He comes riding on that because from this point on his warfare is going to be against the principalities and powers in the spiritual realm. It's not going to be against the people living on this earth. Oh yes judgment is coming for the people on the earth on that day the final day we know when everyone is going to stand before the judgment seat. But right now in this new phase of history that that Jesus Christ has initiated his war is going to be with the principalities and powers. Which is why it says in Colossians chapter 2 verse 15 and having disarmed the powers and authorities he made a public spectacle of them triumphing over them by the cross. So that time onwards after he has defeated the evil forces of darkness that time onwards all of us believers are engaged in claiming that victory. The victory was won by Jesus. I mean it's not like we're going to fight now and try to get the victory. The victory has already been won by Jesus Christ. He has finished the battle. He has won the war but we have to now occupy those you know those conquered territories which the Lord has won for us. It's already done. It's a done deed. But then if you just sit you know in our homes waiting for that inheritance to fall into our laps it's not going to happen. We have to claim it from those demonic forces. You need to tell them you are no longer you no longer have a right over me and my family. Jesus Christ has won the battle for me. He has won the victory. So in Jesus name I now claim what is mine. So in the spiritual realm we are fighting the evil forces and reclaiming everything which rightfully belongs to us. We now have the legal papers for it signed by the blood of Jesus Christ which entitles us to all the spiritual blessings which are there in the heavenlies. We have the legal paperwork in our hands to walk up to the demons and say you know get out of this portion of my inheritance because it now belongs to me. You have no right to continue holding on to it. So in the area of health we can go to the demonic forces and proclaim what Christ has done and say you have no more authority over this area of my life. You have to wicket this health is now mine. It's legally rightfully mine. So in the spiritual realm we fight our battles and claim what Christ has won for us. So to use a very simple example let us say that someone has given you a large acres of land this large property which has been given to you. Someone has left that to you legally. Now you have a whole bunch of slum dwellers sitting over there on that tract of land but you have the legal paperwork in your hand. So when you go over there and you ask the slum dwellers to wicket they will not just say okay fine we will go buy you know they will not pack up their huts and stuff and walk off. No in fact they will bring all their goondas. I mean we are all familiar with this in our Indian circles so they will bring their gangsters. So what do you have to do? You will go now with the police. You will go with the police forces to forcefully wicket that land and reclaim what is rightfully yours because you have the legal papers for it. So that is basically what the church is doing now. The war has been won by Jesus Christ and we are fighting in the heavenlies in the spiritual realm to reclaim what is rightfully ours. That is basically what we are doing. So our battle is today not against the people of some race, of some people group. We cannot use the excuse of the Bible as an excuse to go and attack any nation. Especially because now today the church is made up of people groups from all over the world. You attack any people group you are basically going to be attacking people who belong to the church from that people group. You know you cannot fight against your own family. So we have people now who are part of God's family from all the people groups. So you cannot say I am going to fight against that nation. No, people in that nation also have come to the Lord. People from that particular nation also have joined the kingdom of God. So our fight is no longer against any particular people group. Now today if anyone attacks India, then yes the Indian army will go to defend our land. It is something that we will do to defend our people. In the same way if anyone attacks the land of Israel, the people of Israel will fight to defend their land. So each of us will defend the land where God has placed us. We are citizens of one particular land. We will fight to defend our particular land. But we will not go conquering other nations saying the Bible is permitting this. No, that would not make any sense. So yes, it is true that Israel is now fighting for their land. That's because that land belongs to them. In the same way if India is attacked tomorrow, yes, the Indian army will fight for India. But we will not use the Bible as an excuse to go and fight wars against other nations saying we are defeating unrighteousness. No, the fight against unrighteousness is now being fought in the spiritual realm. And then a day will come in Revelation chapter 20 where it talks about the battle of Gog and Magog. But this basically when you will have another physical battle being fought between the forces of evil and the forces of good. And on that day, God will wipe out the evil doers and then the eternal righteous kingdom of God will begin. So yes, there is going to be a physical war which will happen in the end times when God will physically send forth his forces to fight against the evil and wicked rulers. But now in the in-between time where we are living, no, we cannot use the excuse of unrighteousness that we are attacking unrighteousness and go and fight people. We do not have the authority to do that. So even as we know we've talked about this topic in some detail, just one another aspect. God hates war, he hates violence because people who come to him need to be protected. He allowed war so that the people who are sheltering under his wings will be kept safe. Therefore he allowed war, he allowed certain people to rise up as great warriors and to fight many nations. He permitted all of that because I mean we are living in time, we are living in a violent world and so people have to defend themselves. So for the sake of that, God did permit warfare but this is not the ultimate plan of God. So which is why when we look at the story of David, you know, where would we have that? Somewhere I think in Chronicles is it? Yes, yes. First Chronicles chapter 22 verses 7 to 10, if someone could actually read out this passage because it talks about the heart of God actually over here. First Chronicles chapter 22 verses 7 to 10, this is what David is saying to his son Solomon. First Chronicles chapter 22, sorry, first Chronicles 22, 7 to 10. First Chronicles chapter 2 from verse 10. 22, 7 to 10. First Chronicles chapter 22 from verse 7, verse 7 and David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build a house to the name of the Lord my God. Verse 8. But the word of the Lord came to me saying you have shed much blood and have made great warriors. You shall not build a house for my name because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight. Verse 9. Behold a son shall be born to you who shall be a man of rest and I will give him rest from all his enemies all around. His name shall be Solomon for I will give peace and quietness to Israel in his days. Verse 10. He shall build a house for my name and he shall be my son and I will be his father and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever. David wanted to build a grand temple for the Lord to honor him. So he says I had it in my heart to build a house for the name of the Lord my God. But this word of the Lord came to me. You have shed much blood and have fought many wars. You are not to build a house for my name because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight. Now God gave him permission to fight those battles. You see God was establishing David in the land. God wanted to secure the land of Israel so that they will be alive in this land for many generations. So that one day the Messiah can come through this particular lineage. So God permitted it. He permitted the wars but it's not something that he ever liked. It is not his ultimate desire. War and bloodshed is not something that he likes. So God permitted David to fight wars but that was not what God really wanted for mankind. And so God says to David your heart is good. What you want to do for me is good but I will not have a person whose hands are covered with blood to build my temple. Because you see this temple is going to be a... How is it explained in Isaiah chapter 56 verses 6 to 7? Isaiah 56, 6 to 7. Over there this house of God which David wants to build. It's called a house of prayer for all nations. Here is a man who has killed people of many nations. And God does not want a man who has killed the people of many nations to build him a house which is going to become the house of prayer for all nations. So God says no you're not the person to do this because your hands are covered with blood. You have killed much in my sight the Lord says. Rather I will give you a son and during his time I will see to it that there are no wars. He will be a man of peace is what the Lord says in verse 9. The Lord says they will be great. What's that he says? I will grant Israel peace and quiet during his reign. He is the one who will build a house for my name. So the Lord hates war. He hates violence. He did not ask the Israelites to kill those Kenanite nations just because he's somebody who enjoys violence. Hitler enjoyed violence. The Lord does not enjoy violence. So that is why the Lord in fact does something which we need to look at. Exodus chapter 30 verses 11 to 16. This is a Bible passage which is ignored most of the time but it brings out such an important truth about the nature of God. This is something that we should really understand. So Exodus chapter 30 verses 11 to 16 if someone could read out. Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying when you take the census of the children of Israel. When you take the census of the children of Israel for their number. Then every man shall give a ransom for himself to the Lord. When you number them that there may be no plague among you when you number them. This is what everyone among those who are numbered shall give. Half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary. The half shekel shall be an offering to the Lord. Everyone included among those who are numbered from 20 years old and above shall give an offering to the Lord. The rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel. When you give an offering to the Lord to make atonement for yourselves. And you shall take the atonement money of the children of Israel and shall appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of meeting. That it may be a memorial for the children of Israel before the Lord to make atonement for yourselves. Now this is a largely ignored passage but why is this atonement amount to be paid by these people? There are some very specific people who are going to be paying this atonement money. Not everyone. The people who are 20 years and above the men. The men who are 20 years and above they are the ones who are being asked to make this particular payment. And a rich person will not pay more. A poor person will not pay less. They will all pay the same amount and this specific group of 20 years and above males. The men alone will be paying this amount. Why? Because these are the people who are going to be fighting in the land of Canaan. They are going to be shedding blood over there. People are going to be dying at their hands. And these people, God says you better pay the atonement money so that your life will be spared. Because what did God say regarding killing any human being in Genesis chapter 9? Let's look at that. Genesis chapter 9 verses 5 to 6. If someone could read out. Genesis 9, 5 to 6. Genesis chapter 9 verse 5, Surely for your life, I will demand from the hand of every beast, I will require it and from the hand of man, from the hand of every man's brother, I will require the life of man. Verse 6, Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed. For in the image of God, he made man. Verse 7, And as for you, be fruitful. Yeah, up to verse 6 should be enough for us. So we see God saying in Genesis chapter 9, For your life blood, I will surely, I will surely demand an accounting. He says in the next sentence, I will demand an accounting from every animal. If an animal kills a human being, I'll demand an accounting from that animal. It dare to kill someone made in my image. God takes the killing of people extremely seriously. So he says, even if a wild animal kills somebody, I will hold that wild animal accountable for what it has done to someone created in my image. That is the way God looks at all human beings of all races, all people groups. They matter to him. They have value in his eyes. And so regarding humans, he says, And from each human being too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being. Whoever sheds human blood by humans shall their blood be shed. For in the image of God, as God made mankind. So that atonement amount had to be paid by every single soldier. Because now they're going to go and fight against people and they're going to shed blood and kill. So this deed which they are committing of taking a human life, of taking the life of someone created in the image of God, that has to be atoned for. And of course, one day the sacrifice of Christ would cover all of that. But now, in that present moment in the time of Exodus and neutronomy and numbers, the people, the soldiers, each soldier had to pay that amount to cover for what they are doing. They're taking the life of a human. So even though God gave them the command to go and wipe out those particular people groups, he was very, very aware of what he is doing. He's asking them to take the life of people created in his image and their life has value. So these people had to actually pay an atonement amount. And it says so specifically over there in the Exodus 30 passage. The rich will not give a larger amount and the poor will not give a smaller amount. Because everyone's life has got equal value. So just because you're rich, you'll not say, oh, I'll pay more atonement money. Nobody wants your money, that money is not about your riches. The money is about the human life that you're going to be taking. And if a person is very poor and you say, oh, human life, it's so precious. I don't have enough money to pay for that. So it doesn't matter. You just have to pay the amount which is fixed. So whether you're poor or rich, you're all going to be paying one single amount for that particular atonement money. Why? Because that is the money which has been appointed for atonement. If you're going to be taking a human life. Now, of course, the value of a human life is not half a shekel. The value of each human life is literally the sacrifice of the Son of God. Because that is the value that was finally placed on all human beings. Now, of course, you know, the people of that time, they all should be able to afford the atonement amount. So a very small amount was fixed. Each soldier would only give half a shekel. It was a very small amount, but the actual value of each human life is basically equal to the sacrifice of Jesus. He literally had to shed his blood for each person. That is the value that each human being has in God's eyes. So today, if at all we wage any warfare, it is only when we are fighting as part of the army of our particular nation. Because fighting for your nation is permitted. Because that's what it says in Romans chapter 13 verses 1 to 7. The reason that I'm covering all of this, giving all the scriptures is that someday, if somebody comes and argues about these things, you will have a biblical basis. You can point to those specific verses and say, see, this is what scripture actually says about this. So Romans chapter 13 verses 1 to 7, you know, it talks about how we should honour the governing authorities that have been placed over us. It talks about how we should not rebel against them because it's after all God who appoints the governing authorities in each country. And then it goes on to say in verse 4, it says, For rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God's servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrong doer. So the reason that God allows warfare, God allows the agents of wrath to hold a sword and go into war is to bring punishment on wrong doers. So when a nation is trying to defend itself, protect itself and it sends out its soldiers to go and fight, they are basically going to protect the innocent, to protect the people of the land, to protect the rights which belong to the people of that land. So warfare is allowed to defend our nation and warfare is not permitted. Simply, we are using the excuse of bringing righteousness so we cannot go around killing people saying I'm killing the unrighteous. So even in Luke 22 chapter 36, Jesus talks about how these people who are being sent out on ministry at that particular point of time, he says, if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and go and buy one because you will have to protect yourself even as you're going from traveling from place to place. And because in those days you didn't have the police force and you didn't have the kind of modern law enforcement agencies which we have today. So it was quite risky to be traveling on foot from town to town out in the open spaces where anyone can attack you. So Jesus in fact gives an instruction to his missionaries and he tells them, if you don't have a sword, you go sell your cloak and buy one because you will have to defend yourself. So God is not saying that we should not defend ourselves, but God hates violence. He hates war and bloodshed. That is his righteous stand on this point. And so it is important for us to remember this and we have to look at all the Canaanite wars from this angle, this perspective, rather than just simply coming up with silly criticisms regarding what God did in the life of the Canaanites. So yes, I wanted to cover that point. Alright, it's 11.39 probably would not be wise for us to start the doctrine of Trinity. So yes, even as we have been talking about how God is against murder, how God is against bloodshed. Let's just have another one thought on this same topic. So in the Old Testament, it was made very, very clear that we should not commit murder because murder is bloodshed and it involves taking the life of somebody created in the image of God. So it's very, very serious. So murder, bloodshed will be punished is what we learn in the Old Testament. And this is what Jesus says about that Old Testament commandment in Matthew chapter 5 verses 21 to 24. I mean, we know we are quite happy with that Old Testament law when none of us really wants to take a knife in our hands and go around stabbing people. So, you know, we are quite happy with that Old Testament commandment. We like it. We will definitely obey it. But look at what Jesus has gone and done with that commandment in the New Testament and that what he says in the New Testament applies to us whether we like it or not. So let's read that Matthew 5, 21 to 24. Matthew chapter 5 verse 21, you have heard that it was said to those of old, you shall not murder and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment. Verse 22, but I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, Raka shall be in danger of the council, but whoever says you fool shall be in the danger of Hellfire. Verse 23, therefore if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you. Verse 24, leave your gift there before the altar and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother and then come and offer your gift. Verse 25, agree with your... Yeah, yeah, no, no. Let's leave verse 25 for now. I mean, in the Old Testament, we saw that we should not kill people because people have value in God's size. They are precious in God's size. They have been created in this image so you cannot kill them. You're not supposed to shed their blood. Jesus takes it to a whole new level in the New Testament. He says, in the Old Testament, it was said that if you murder, then you will be subject to judgment. But you know what I'm saying now, if you're angry with your brother or sister, then you will be subject to judgment. Same judgment. The same judgment which would come upon you in the Old Testament for murder. That very same judgment will come upon you now in the New Testament. If you are angry with someone, you refuse to forgive them. You hold a grudge against them. You go around backbiting and telling everyone what a rotten person they are. You don't show them compassion and kindness. You do all of that. Then you're subject to the same judgment which you would have received in the Old Testament times for stabbing that person physically with a knife. Now no knife is involved now. Now we're just using our tongue. Either to hit out at that person or to talk about that person behind their back. So that is the value that God places on each individual person. Where he says you do not have a right to even hate them or hold on to a grudge against them. You must forgive. A God like that would not just casually give a commandment to go and commit mass murder. So that is not the character of God. Imagine in New Testament times, he has taken this whole concept to a level where forget about actually going and stabbing someone. You're not even supposed to stab them with your words. You're not supposed to call that person a fool. It says anyone who says you fool will be in danger of the fire of hell. We take this verses very lightly. I've personally heard children calling each others idiot fool and all of that. Christian children in Sunday school. So these things happen. We don't take these verses seriously. But actually a person's value is that in God's eyes. Where you can't just go up to a person and say you're such an idiot. You're talking to someone created in God's image and that person is that valuable. And when God sees you doing that, it's not just seeing you say a bunch of words. In his eyes, it is equal to you taking a knife and going and stabbing that person. This is not me making it up. It actually says that in, you know, if you look at the Matthew 5 passage, it actually says that in the Old Testament, murder will be subject to judgment. But he says in verse 22, if you're angry with a brother or sister, will be subject to judgment. And then it says in the next verse, if you call someone a fool, you will be in danger of the fire of hell. So it takes this idea of how God looks at people to a whole new level. So the next time when you're in traffic and you have this really irritating person cutting in front of you and not allowing you to go, you know, you want to open your mouth and say something. You need to remember what is going to come out of your mouth. It's actually as serious as taking a knife and going, you know, getting out of your car and walking up to that person and stabbing them. It's very shocking. I mean, we consider we don't take these verses literally because they are too shocking. But that's actually what it is saying in scripture. Okay, so that is the value that God places on each person's life, even that irritating person. I mean, it's true that person is irritating, but that person is greatly loved and God doesn't, you know, each time that God looks at that person, he doesn't think in his heart, oh, irritating person. No, he looks upon that person with love. He's providing for that person daily is mercy and compassion upon that person. So just because you're in a bad mood, you can't go walk up to that person and say whatever comes out of your mouth, you know, so that is the value that the living God places on people. So when he asks the Israelites to go and kill certain people groups in certain specific cities, it was with that heart that he was speaking. And in fact, he explains himself and he says, the reason I'm doing this is because the time for their judgment has come because now their wickedness has become ripe for judgment. He explains why he is asking them to take that particular action at that particular point of time. So these are all the things that we touched upon regarding the nature of God so that we can have a clearer picture of who he is and conduct ourselves in a way which will honor him and also conduct ourselves in the right way with people, with humans so that we will not offend him by misbehaving with other humans. So hopefully this doctrine of God was a helpful session for you. And so, you know, we'll just close with a word of prayer. Next week we will be starting with the doctrine of Trinity. All right, let's pray. We thank you so much a lot for the lessons that we could learn regarding who you are. Lord, we thank you that you are gracious and merciful. It is true that you have said that we will reap what we have sown, but on so many occasions in our lives we see that your compassion are new every morning, O Lord. So even though we have gone against you and sinned and dishonored you, on so many occasions we don't really reap the consequences which we should. And so because you are so gracious and merciful, we pray that it would cause us, O Lord, to be grateful and we would treat you with greater honor. We would glorify you in our lives, O Lord. And Lord, we thank you that you are someone who places great value on each person. Each person is so valuable that you were willing to sacrifice your own son for that person, for that one specific person you were willing to do that. Thank you, O Lord, that you value us that much. And so we pray that you would help us to live in a way that will show that we respect the people whom you have created. We pray that we would be careful not just to avoid physical attacks, but even, O Lord, attacks through our words in the way we conduct ourselves when we are interacting with them. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you so much.