Welcome to NECF sermons. Each message here is
designed to uplift and strengthen you in your
walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until
the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive
right in. Hallelujah. Amen. Deuteronomy 22. Deuteronomy
22. Now we began a series that for a long time,
and I promised you that we will continue from
there. Hallelujah. And we've been discussing
about issues about women's liberty, issues about
women's liberty. We looked at a number of things.
We looked at, is it scriptural for a woman to
speak in church? I mean, we look at some controversial
issues because our sisters have been tormented
over the years. So we wanted to see the counsel
of God. Is it forbidden for a woman to speak
in church? Some scripture seems to suggest that.
I say seems, they don't, but it seems. He said
that a woman should keep quiet in the church.
If she has anything, she should ask her husband.
And then we saw that that's not what that place
is talking about. We're going to return to it.
But then we looked at also, is it permitted for
a woman to lead a church? That's another place
where they are forbidden. Looks at, they cannot
teach men. Or that's the basis. And then we saw
from what we call the Old Testament to the New
Testament. There was nowhere that suggests that,
that the woman cannot lead a church or the woman
cannot be in the ministry gifts. After we started
discussing the ministry gifts here and there,
and there was nowhere that it mentioned either
male or female. You understand? The Bible just
says that when he ascended, you understand, he
gave gifts to who? Are we together? So there
was no name mentioned. Amen. And then we also
moved on to look at, that's where we stayed a
little longer. What is God's original plan or
intention for creating a woman? And after that
long journey, we came to an understanding that
God's intention and original plan for creating
a woman is not different. from his intention
of creating a man. Amen. And we saw that God's
intention of creating mankind is the same. It's
one, male and female. Are we together? He created
them. He created them in his image. Hallelujah.
And this part is going to be the, for now, the
concluding part. I don't know how long it will
take us, but this part is the part of A woman's
dressing. And we're going to look at two parts,
particularly the ones that is much hot or hotter.
Should a woman cover her head in church? And
should women wear trousers? So these are the
parts we're going to deal with. So before I go
into it, because I want us to have a very solid
foundation. So what I will do now. is to establish
some foundation that will help us to answer those
questions. Are we together? And I don't want
you to sleep because whether you like it or not,
it will come to you. You understand? We don't
just want you to say, Pastor said. No. We want
you to explain it. That's what it means by growth.
Amen? Hallelujah. So I'm going to look at that,
the issue of the woman's dressing. Now the issue
of... A woman's dressing in scripture requires
careful handling and proper interpretation. And
that's why we're going to take some time. And
a popular text that many believers turn to when
discussing women's dressing is Deuteronomy 22
verse 5. Let's look at Deuteronomy 22 verse 5.
So we'll start from there. It says that a woman
should not wear anything that pertains to a man,
nor shall a man put on a woman's garments. For
all who do so are an abomination to the Lord
your God. Now, one of the injustice we have done
to this text is to plug it out of the context.
And then because we have done that, we can make
it say what it's not saying. Now, everybody interpret
it based according to their own culture. Are
we together? Hallelujah. I remember I started
having problem when I was growing up in my mother
church. the church I was born into. So, you know,
I agree. I never had problem with that. Like
women, because the interpretation here is that
back home is that what pertains to a woman is
kids and rappers and what pertains to a man is
trouser. Are we together? That's how they interpret
it to us. And we grew in that system. You dare
not wear a trouser to the church. They will send
you out. Let me repeat again. You dare not wear
a trouser to the church. They will send you out.
In fact, I remember one of the, my cousin, she
went to the campus and then, you know, how, so
she was somehow, you know, influenced. Of course,
when you go to the campus, So you are influenced
somehow. But the influence is not that much,
so to say. You know, she wore a gown. You know,
these wrappers. So she saw a long wrapper, a
gown, but just by the side, there was a little
bit gap. And then she wore, she now saw the trouser
inside, in the sand. So if she... If she's standing,
you can't see that she's wearing a trouser. But
as she walks, of course, because of the... So
you can see that the inside garment is a trouser.
It's a man's garment. Did you understand what
I'm trying to say? So I remember as she walked,
she reached the gate. I was in front of her.
We were about to enter the gate of the church.
They stopped her. There were women. They didn't
even allow her to reach the church. right at
the gate. You understand? Because the church
was fenced. They stopped her. They said she can't
enter. Why? That she is wearing a trouser. She
said, but this one, the gown is long down. He
said, how can you see that I'm wearing anything?
That because she's wearing a trouser, she cannot
enter the church. Now, religion is terrible,
I'm telling you. Yet, there are other ladies,
because they wore skirts, Their skirt is ungodly
because it was tight, yet they allowed them to
enter because they are wearing a what? A skirt.
But her own, the dress is baggy. You cannot see
any of her contour. You understand? But yet she
was sent back home. So they didn't have a choice.
She has to just branch and enter one of the pentacles.
I didn't even know the name. You understand?
She just saw a church and just entered. And they
welcomed her. And she had her service there before
she now returned back home. And when I came back,
I just started loving. Now, we have had all kinds
of experiences like that. Are we together? Now,
it will do you well to pay attention. I beg you
in the name of God to pay attention. Hallelujah.
So, now, how do we understand this text? Now,
the first thing to understand, we have taught
in this church, to understand a text is to read.
You understand? If you are lazy in reading, you'll
be gullible. If you are not diligent in the study
of God's word, you'll be a candidate of deception.
I don't believe any lazy man will ever receive
revelation because it requires a lot of careful
reading. The intentions of the Holy Spirit is
already there. Are we together? This is his words.
You understand? All scriptures is given by the
inspirations of God. Are we together? Amen. This
is already. So the intention is not outside.
The intention is already there. You just need
to pay attention. to the intention of the author.
Now, what are we going to do to be able to understand
these things? There are basically three things
we're going to do to be able to help us understand
this. And all of it, we can summarize it as reading
the context. So what I'm going to do now and
probably Wednesday and probably beyond is to
actually study the context. If you don't know
context, just follow me. Whatever you saw me
doing, I mean, see me doing, that's we are trying
to read the context. Three things, as I said,
to help us study the context. Now, the first
one is that who spoke those words? Deuteronomy
22, 5. Who spoke those words? That's the first
thing. The second thing, to whom was the author
addressing them? That's the second thing. To
whom was the author addressing those words? Number
three, why? Number three, why? Are we together?
Who wrote those words? To whom was the author
addressing them? And the third thing is why?
If we're able to answer this, we will know the
meaning. of this text. Amen. Let's go back a
little bit to Deuteronomy chapter 1. Let's see
from the beginning of Deuteronomy where I will
begin to answer the first question. Amen. Excuse
me. Deuteronomy chapter 1 verse 1. I'll read
1 to 3. These are the words. With who? Oh, talk
to me. Moses spoke to all who? To all Israel.
On this side of the Jordan, in the wilderness.
In the plain opposite to Sue, between Parham,
Tophel, Laman, Hezrod. And there's a help. Verse
2. It is 11 days journey from Horeb. Now, not
Horeb, because we're going to, we will do a lot
of things at Horeb. By the way of Mount Seir
to Kadesh Bener. Now it came to pass. In the
40th year, in the 40th year, in the 11th month,
on the first day of the month, that Moses spoke
to the children of Israel according to all that
the Lord had given him as commandment to them.
So did we see something there? Now, the book
of Deuteronomy. Who was speaking? Moses to who?
Who? To all of Israel, the children of Israel.
Please don't forget this. I beg you. The children
of Israel. Moses, children of Israel. Now, let's
go closer to the end of Deuteronomy. Am I slow?
The end of Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy 31. Deuteronomy
31. Because he said he spoke to them according
to what? According to the commandment. So we're
going to see there's something I want to do there
before we move on. Go to Deuteronomy 31. Then
Moses went and spoke. This word to all Israel,
yet again, we are confirming the word is to all
Israel. And he said to them, I am 120 years old
today. I can no longer go out and come in. Also,
the Lord has said to me, you shall not cross
over this Jordan. Now go to verse nine, John
to verse nine. So Moses wrote this law and delivered
it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who bore
the ark of the covenant of the Lord and to all
the elders of Israel. Move to 24, verse 24. So
it was when Moses had completed writing the words
of this law, In a where? In a book. Are we together?
When they were finished, verse 25, that Moses
commanded the Levites who bore the Ark of the
Covenant of the Lord, saying, take this book
of the law and put it beside the Ark of the Covenant.
of the Lord your God, that it may be witness,
it may be dear as a witness against you. Let's
stop for that for now. Amen? Are we together?
So if you look at also this one, show to us that
Moses was the one that was speaking, and he was
speaking to the children of Israel. So we answer
the... At least we're answering the first and
the second. Are we together? Now, when you look
at verse 26, he said he commanded that the book,
so he wrote the law and put it, he wrote it in
a book and said that they should put it besides
the Ark of the Covenant, which contain, and I
want you to see, now that Ark of Covenant, please
just follow me gently. Now go to Hebrews. Hebrews
chapter 9. Just hold. We are coming back to this
Deuteronomy. So just hold and go to Hebrews chapter
9. What is that ark? What does the ark contain?
The ark of the covenant. Hebrews chapter 9. Verse
4. Let me read from verse 3. And behind the second
veil, the part of the tabernacle, which is called
the holiest of old, which had the golden censer
and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides
with gold, in which were, one, the golden pots
that had the manna, two, the arrow's rod that
budded, and three, The tablets of the covenant.
Now, did you see the three things that are in
the ark of covenant? The golden pots, right?
Are we together? The golden pots that had the
manna, the Aaron's rod that bought it, and then
the stone tablets of the covenant. Note that
one. So, listen now. Let me come back again.
So, we have Moses. who wrote the law and wrote
it in a book. And he asked them to put it beside
the Ark of the Covenant. And this Ark of the
Covenant contains three things. The golden pot,
the Aaron's rod, and the stone tablet of the
covenant. Now, go to... Go back to Deuteronomy.
But this time around, Deuteronomy chapter 10.
Deuteronomy chapter 10. So, leave the Aaron's
rod and leave the pot, you understand, that had
what? Manna, right? There are two things now
that contains law. I want us to look at. One
is a book. So, you have to distinguish them.
One is a book. that Moses wrote, which is called
the book of Moses or the law of Moses. So, and
the second is the stone tablet that contains
also commandments. Are we together? Are we together?
Good. They are not the same. That's just one
thing I wanted to know. So I wanted to go back
to that Deuteronomy. Look at chapter 10. Just
to expand shade, expand shade about or more,
give light. with that issue of the stones or
the tablets, the stone's tablet or the tablet
of stone. In Deuteronomy 10, look at verse 1.
At that time, the Lord said to me, Heal for yourself
two words. Oh, talk, please, I want you to walk
with me. Amen. Two words. Two tablets of stone
like the first. And come up to me. Remember,
Moses scattered the other one. The first one.
Amen. So the Lord asked him to sit like the first.
And come up to me on the mount. And make yourself
an ark of what? An ark of what? Wood. And I will
write on the tablets. The words that were on
the first tablet, which you broke. And you shall
put them in the ark. So I made an ark of acacia
wood. Hew two tablets of stones like the first
and went up the mountain. Having the two tablets
in my hand. Verse 4. And he wrote. On the tablet,
according to the first writing, what did he write?
Oh, talk to me. The 10 commandments which the
Lord had spoken to you in the mountains from
the mist of the fire in the day of the assembly,
the Lord gave them to me. He gave them to me.
Look at verse five. Then I turned and came down.
from the mountain and put the tablets, where?
In the ark, which I had made. And there they
are, just as the Lord commanded. Amen. So we
have the two stone tablets, which contains the
10 commandments. Are we together? Then we have
the book of the law of Moses. which God instructed,
Moses instructed that it should be put beside.
Beside. So we have two things. Amen. Go back
to that Deuteronomy 30, that one, right? Yes,
that one. Verse 26. He said, take this book of
the law and put it beside the ark of the covenant
of the Lord your God, that it may be there as
a witness against you. So what we are trying
to say is that, that the law of Moses or the
book of the law of Moses is different from the
law of Moses. Now follow me, because when I use
different, you have to just understand what I
mean. So just follow me gradually. Amen. Now,
let me do something now. Just look at what is
the difference between the law of Moses and the
Ten Commandments. The law of Moses and Ten Commandments.
You know, most times people confuse them. Immediately
you say the law of Moses. People think about
the Ten Commandments. Or when you said the Ten
Commandments, people think about the law of Moses.
But actually, we're trying to see that they're
not exactly the same. But follow me to know what
I mean by they are not the same. Amen. Now, look
at it. Now, the first thing we have already,
let me read again maybe another one. The first
one is that the Ten Commandments were written
and given. Are we together? Were written and
given by God. This for now. Amen. They were given
by the Lord. Are we together? We read it in chapter
10. Right? So write that text in chapter 10 where
we read. Deuteronomy chapter 10, verse 1 to 4.
And let me read chapter 5 also. So add this scripture
there. Deuteronomy 5, verse 22. Deuteronomy 5,
verse 22. This word the Lord spoke. Now, if you
read from verse 1, you will see that it's a 10th
commandment. Are we together? Deuteronomy chapter
5 up to 21 is the 10th commandment. So he now
said these words, meaning that he's referring
to the 10th commandment. He has already listed
them. The Lord spoke to your assembly in the
mountain from the midst of the fire and the cloud
and the thick darkness with the loud voice and
he... added no more. And he wrote them on the
two tablets of stone and gave them to me. Are
we together? We read that in chapter 10, verse
4. Amen? Now, while the law of Moses, the law
of Moses, when we saw, was written directly by
Moses. You see the difference? Was written what?
Directly by who? By Moses. We read it in Deuteronomy
1 .24. We say after Moses had finished writing.
Deuteronomy 1 .24. Of course, John 1 .17 also
tells us that the law came through who? Are we
together? Through who? Moses. Amen. The second
thing is that the 10 commandments, as we saw
already, that were written on where? On the tablet
of stone. Tablet of stone. We saw it. Again,
you can write that text. Deuteronomy 10, of course,
verse 1 to 4. And Deuteronomy 5, verse 22. Also,
it clearly shows us that. But then when you go
back, when you go to Deuteronomy 31 verse 26,
where we read already, he said that actually,
verse 24 particularly, he said it was written
in a book. So we have book, the law of Moses,
and the what? Tablet of stones, the 10th commandment.
Amen? Now, the ark was kept inside the ark, where
we read again. Deuteronomy 1, that's the number
3. Please follow me, this is very important.
Deuteronomy 1, I mean 10 verse 1. Are we together?
And verse 5. And of course, where we read Hebrews
chapter 9 verse 4, it says that the tablet of
tone we are kept where? Inside the ark. However,
where we read also in Deuteronomy 31 verse 26,
it says that that the book or the law of Moses
was kept beside. It was not inside the ark. The
fourth point is that the 10th commandment was
given or were given on the top of Mount Sinai.
We saw it also in Deuteronomy 10. Verse 1 to
5. We are given on the top of Mount Sinai. But
the law, Moses wrote it. Are we together? Probably
Moses began writing the events from Horeb. After
Horeb, that was why they said no. They now chose
Moses as the mediator after God made an offer
and then they were not rejected. He said, no,
we don't want to hear God. Moses, you go and
hear whatever you hear, then tell us. So, somehow,
somehow, it appears that after that event, Moses
may have begun writing the law. Are we together?
Because when we, where we read at Deuteronomy
31, you understand, all those texts. 31, verse
1 to 2, and as well, verse 9, verse 24 to 6,
shows to us that Moses was finishing writing.
So it was not at that time he was writing the
law. Are we together? The Bible says when he
has finished. That means he has begun sometimes
ago. Amen. Good. The fifth point is that these,
what do you call it? The Ten Commandments. was
actually written after the event at Horeb. Of
course, Deuteronomy 5, where we read 22, Deuteronomy
10, verse 4, showed to us that there was God
presented it. You know what I'm saying? There
is a presentation of that, of the 10 commandments
to these people. And they say, no, we don't want
it. We want Moses to be, whatever you say, say
it through Moses. Are we together? So it was
then documented, you understand, on the tablets.
And of course, that definitely will be before
the law. Are we together? And then when you look
at the law, you will see that when it was written,
we'll definitely, of course, the New Testament
told us, that it was 430 years after the promise.
Right? Galatians chapter 3. Look at it. Galatians
chapter 3. Galatians 3 .16. Now to Abraham and
his seeds where the promise made. He does not
say unto the seeds, as of many, but as one unto
your seeds, who is Christ. Verse 17. And this
I say, that the law, which was 400 and what?
Are we together? 430 years what? Later. Note
that word. 430 years later. cannot annul the
covenant that was confirmed before by God in
Christ that he should make the promise of no
effect. So he's talking about the promise. And
we know about that promise. He's talking about
the promise of Abraham, the covenant he made.
Are we together? In fact, that coincide, look
at Exodus, because Exodus 12, 12 verse 40 and
41. Exodus 12. Now, the sojourner of the children
of Israel who live in Egypt was what? Was what?
Oh, talk to me. 430 years. And it was, and it
came to pass at the end of 130 years, on that
very same day, it came to pass that all the armies
of the Lord went out of the land of Egypt. Now
look at Exodus 19. Look at Exodus 19. I want
to connect something here. Exodus 19. He said,
in the third month, after the children of Israel
had gone out of the land of Egypt, on the same
day, they came to the wilderness of Sinai. In
the wilderness of Sinai. Give me NLT. Give me
NLT. NLT put it. Quite simple. In the third month,
meaning that the second month, this one is doing
disco like, I don't know what to do. Amen. We
love you. Hallelujah. You will see that NLT,
yes, read NLT for us. Exactly two months, what?
After the Israelites left Egypt, they arrived
at the what? And what they set up their camp
at the base of what? Mount Sinai. Now, I've already
mentioned that at Mount Sinai, that was where
Moses... Wait, are you hearing me? Listen, I
want to connect the dates. That's what I'm trying
to do. Paul said that the law came 430 years
later. That is after the covenant. Now God told
Abraham, are we together? That his seed will
go to captivity 400 years. But we saw that he
added 30 years. That's for another day. How did
they add 30 years? Because God, you know, this
is another thing for you to see. The fact that
God said something and there's a prophecy over
your life does not mean that it's automatically
going to work. You can delay it. Are we together?
In Babylon, if not because of Daniel, they would
have spent more than 70 years. Jeremiah has already
prophesied that they will spend 70 years in Babylon.
It took a man that is studious, a man that is
diligent. You understand? While reading, he now
saw it and started raising a cry. Else, they
would have also stayed in Babylon, although there
is a prophecy that they will have to leave. We
saw here, they spent 430 years. Amen. Okay, that's
what it is. Now, the point I'm trying to say
is that So after 430 years, after the God talked
to Abraham, you understand? Now, exactly 430
years, they left Egypt. But how we know that
what our brother Paul said is that that same
year, in just about two months time, they traveled
out of Egypt. to the Mount Sinai area at the
base of the mountain. And that event that we
have read, when the Lord talked to them and said,
this is what I want to do. I want you to make
you as priests and kings. Are we together? And
then spoke to them the gospel. They said, no,
we don't want to hear you. Moses, go. Whatever
you heard, come and tell us. So they rejected
God there. Are we together? That's why I said
the giving of the law, the writing, started after
that event of rejection. So it is from that moment,
these people, since they have rejected the offer
of God, Moses began to write and say, these rebellious
people need something to keep them in check.
So Moses started writing the law. Amen. Are we
together? Amen. So, if you look at other things,
of course, like there is no divorce in the Ten
Commandments. Is there any law to divorce? No.
Are we together? If you look at Matthew, what
Jesus talked about, in the law, there is what?
There is divorce. They asked Jesus, of course,
they were quoting Deuteronomy 24, where Moses
wrote about divorce. Deuteronomy 24, verse 1
to 4. They were asking Jesus, why then did Moses
tell us that we should give a certificate of
divorce? Did you understand what I'm trying to
say? So that means there was divorce written
in the law. Amen? There's no revenge in the Ten
Commandments. There's nowhere written revenge
or hatred. But in the law, if you read Matthew
chapter 5, Matthew chapter 5, verse 38 to 48,
you will see verse 38 spoke, he was quoting from
the law, talking about revenge. You understand?
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Of course,
if you go to verse 43, it talks about hatred.
Verse 43, it talks about that. It says, you have
heard that you should love your neighbor and
do what? And hate your what? Your enemy. We don't
have that in the 10th commandment. Amen? Again,
there are no causes in the 10th commandment.
There are no causes. sicknesses will come, death
will come, affliction will come. If you read
Deuteronomy 27, verse 16 to 24, particularly
even Deuteronomy 28 from verse 1, you see all
kinds of causes, death, affliction. If you don't
do this, you will not give birth. You are barren.
You are this. You are that. This is where you
find causes. We don't see cause in the Ten Commandments.
Of course, Jesus, In John chapter 5, verse 45,
mentioned that in the law, Moses accused them.
Are we together? So in the law, there is accusation.
Moses just said, he said, he was talking about
that Moses has already accused you. You know
that word accused? It's the same word. is the
same name given to the devil, accuser of the
brethren. Are we together? In Revelation chapter
12, accuser of the what? Of the brethren. It
means to find fault. That is what that means,
accuse. To accuse means to find fault, to charge
with an offense. So in the law, Moses has been
pointing them to their fault. You find fault,
you judge them. We don't see that in the Ten
Commandments. Now, it's very important what I
just did now. You understand as I keep moving.
Go back to Romans chapter 7. Let me just put
up some things. Romans chapter 7. Look up at
7. It's amazing how time moves. What? What shall
we say then? Is the law sin? You say what? Certainly
not. Is it on the contrary? I would have known
sin. I would not have known sin except through
the law. For I will not have known covetousness
unless the law had said, you shall not covet.
Now, I want you to think something. This one,
you shall not covet, where is it located? Using
what? Using the Ten Commandments. Right? Take
note of that. I'm coming to do something here.
But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment,
producing in me all manners of evil desires.
For apart from the law, sin, the law, sin was
dead. Look at verse 9. I was alive once without
the law. But when the commandment came, sin revived
and I died. And the commandment, which was to
bring life, I found to bring what? Death. For
sin, taken occasion by the commandment, deceived
me. and by it kill me. Therefore the law is holy,
and the commandment holy and just and good. Has
then what is good become dead to me? Certainly
not. But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing
death in me. through what is good so that sin
through the commandment might become exceedingly
sinful. Now, that's why I said you have to know
what I mean by the difference between the law
and the 10 commandments. Now, let me just say
some few things before I go. Now, I want you
to get something. Here, that when he said that
you shall not covet, we know it's in the 10th
commandment. The question is that, is it in the
law of Moses? Again, let me note something. When
Paul said, but sin, where is it? Okay, I would
not have known sin except through the law. And
then he move us nine. He said, I was alive once
without the law, but when the commandment came,
sin revived and I died. Which means the way he
said, when the commandment came, that means there
was a time when that commandment, which Paul
quoted, thou shalt not covet, came. That means
it was not there all the while. Are we together
what I'm going to say? Are we together? So that
proved to us what we are trying to say. that
there was a presentation to them, they rejected
it, and then there was a documentation. Are we
together? Now, but I wanted to note, when we
read, let me just point out something. When we
read the 10 commandments from Deuteronomy chapter
5, and from, of course, we didn't read that one,
the other one, from Exodus chapter 20, the question
is that, what do we call them? Which books are
they from? Did you understand what I'm trying
to say? Are you together with me? I'm saying,
when we read those things, do we call the Deuteronomy
and Exodus the book of the law of Moses? Are
they part of the writings that Moses asked them
to keep beside the ark? Are we together? Amen.
Are you with me? Now, listen, because you know,
most times they move the ark. So the ark is,
they are not opening the ark always. They always
carry the ark and move it anywhere they are.
You understand? Listen, all Moses' teachings,
what we call the law, that he wrote the law,
they are a product of the 10th commandment. Let
me repeat again. Moses was not writing from above.
Remember the 10 commandments was what was presented
to them and they rejected. Are we together? So
Moses took from the 10 commandments and that
was what he was writing. That was why you will
find the 10 commandments written again and again
inside the book. So we now have the 10 commandments
stone tablets, which is inside the ark. We also
have the Ten Commandments, which is written in
the book. Are you together with me? Are you together
with me? So, that is what most times when you
read the epistles or the New Testament, and you
hear the law, don't always conclude that it's
talking about the Ten Commandments. In fact,
Because you will see that. That's why you see
neither Jesus nor any of the apostles ever faulted
Moses. Are we together? Moses wrote from the
10th commandment. And that was his teaching material.
And then the other prophet that came after him
taught from his what? From his material. Are
we together? So what are we saying here? The
question I want to ask before we... we meet next,
is that when Paul said in verse 9, I was alive
once without the law. What does that mean? Was
Paul saying he was physically alive before Moses
gave Israel the law? Are we together? Remember
we read in chapter 1, That Moses completed writing
the law. That Paul was not alive then. If you
look at the time Paul was born, the space is
about more than 1 ,500 years. So this implies
that Paul was not talking about being physically
alive. Or dead. So in verse 9, was alive. It's
one word. That word was alive. It's one word.
And what's translated in Greek towards the word
ZOA? O. No, it's ZAO. Z -A -O. ZAO. Z -A -O.
And actually... If you look at it, it is from
the Greek word from which what we normally sing
zoe came from. Zoe is a noun. Zoa is the verb.
So zoe came from zoa. Zoe, Z -O -E, that was
where it was derived. So zoa means to live, breathe.
To be among the living. To be active. To be active.
So the word once, you remember he said, I was
alive once without the law. That word once is
from the word in Greek, pote. P -O -T -E. P -O
-T -E, which means aforetime or at some time
or in time past. At some time or in time past.
Look again. I want you to look at verse 9 again.
He used a word later. He said that I was alive
once without the law, but when the commandment
came, sin revive and I die. So that word revive
was translated from the word Anazua. Now we already
mentioned Zua. Zau, sorry. Zau is from the word,
just add Ana. Ana, Zau. So it's from the word
Zau. That is Ana Zau. So you have A -N -A. Z
-A -O. A -N -A -Z -A -O. Which means to revive.
It implies to live again. To recover life. To
be raised to life. To be raised to life. Now,
let me mention that one. To be raised to life.
What does that mean? Remember, already we have
a clue. That means those terms are not physical.
They are talking about spiritual realities. Are
we together? Look at that same word, Anazao,
was used in Luke 15. It was used by Jesus, Luke
15, 24. Luke 15, 24. Look at that place. Luke
15, 24. For this my son was what? Dead and is
alive. He's talking about the prodigal son. He
was dead and is alive again. That word alive
again is anazahu. Which means that here, of course,
he's not talking about he was dead physically.
Are we together? That means life and death in
this context means the father is trying to say
we were separated for a while. Are we together?
Now, connected together means I am alive. Which
means that he was talking about his son. That
is, the son was brought back. How did the son
appear back again? The person that ran from the
home. The Bible says he came to his awareness.
Are we together? So it means that what alive
is talking about, I came to the awareness or
to the knowledge of it. So when Paul was talking
about that I was once alive without the law,
you understand? Of course, he was not talking
about physical things. You understand? But when
he said I was revived, You understand? He was
still talking about spiritual realities. And
when we come on Wednesday, I will explain how
Paul is talking about his awareness of the law.
That though he sinned, but now he is coming to
the awareness of the law. You understand? Are
we together? Amen. So what am I trying to show
as this section? Is first and foremost, I want
you to note that remember Deuteronomy 22. Now,
why are we going this far? We want to answer
why. Remember, we've already answered the two.
Amen. We have already answered the two. Moses
was the one writing and we distinguish. What
Moses wrote. And we show that Moses, after writing,
he wrote it to the children of Israel. But now
we are asking, why did he write the law? Why
was there a need to write the law? That's the
question we want to ask. Remember, Deuteronomy
22 was part of the what? The law of Moses. A
man should not. So why did he have to write?
That way, that's what we're trying to answer.
And I want you to just follow gradually. By the
time we arrive, you'll be able to understand,
you'll be able to understand why that scripture
was written. And we will understand what it means.
And that will help us with the foundation about
the woman's dressing. Amen. Can you just pray
and say, thank you, Lord. Thank you for all you've
been doing. I thank you for your light. Appreciate
you Lord.