Turn with me to 2 Samuel 15. 2 Samuel 15. Now, we're continuing to look at the men that are recorded here in scripture when Absalom's rebellion broke forth, when it broke out. And what we see here in David, for example, is a humility which is wrought in him. It's expressed by him under the chastening rod of the Lord. And we see a humility in David. And it's a sorrowful time for David. It's a sorrowful and difficult, probably a dark time for those that are with him.

And in this time, we find a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ and the suffering and the sorrow which he bare for us when he came in the flesh and lay down his life for us. And we find this picture of our Lord in his crossing of the brook Kidron on the night in which he was betrayed.

And what I'm referring to here in this passage in 2 Samuel 15, you can see it down in verse 23. Let's read that. And all the country wept with a loud voice and all the people passed over. The King also himself passed over the brook Kidron, same brook that our Lord will pass over. and all the people passed over toward the way of the wilderness.

And so what I want to do, the main thing I want to do tonight is show you this relation here of David passing over the brook Kidron and what it testifies to us of the Lord Jesus Christ who passed over that brook Kidron for us when he was going to the cross to redeem his people. And we'll look at that, and then I just wanna circle back, just briefly, circle back to another person in particular that's named here, which is Ittai. Ittai is a Gentile, a Philistine from Gath. And he and his men, 600 men, along with all of Israel that were with David, he too passed over this brook Kidron with David. And it pictures the union of the people of our Lord Jesus Christ being carried by him, being taken with him in his body to the tree, to the cross, when he laid down his life and accomplished our redemption and our forgiveness for our sins.

So let's read now, beginning in verse 14 and 15. And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee, for we shall not else escape from Absalom. Make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword. And the king's servant said unto the king, Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall appoint. Now, I think I mentioned this last time when we briefly looked at verse 14, that David is surely suffering greatly regarding this thing, regarding this rebellion of Absalom who's now pursuing and on his way to Jerusalem because he knows that this is a chastening hand of the Lord, that this is because of his sin which he committed with Bathsheba and in murdering Uriah to cover and hide his sin of adultery with Bathsheba, his wife.

And now, it doesn't say anything about David seeking counsel from his court, from the wise men or his counselors in his court, but I am certain that he was communing with the Lord in his heart at this time. And in that communion, he would recognize, Lord, this is of you. This is of your hand, Lord." And he recognized that he was being chased.

And I know that we can have false feelings and we can beat ourselves up about shameful things or things we feel guilty about in the past, and we can do that. We can really work ourselves over regarding that, but I do believe that he recognized this rightly, that this was the chastening, because the Lord told him by the prophet Nathan, whom he sent to him, that the Lord would raise up evil against David out of his own house. And Absalom is his house, that is, of his children.

Now, what is comforting to see, what is important and good for us to see. One thing at least that's good for us to see in this is that in this chastening, David isn't angry. David isn't bitter. David's humble about it. He's reflecting on it and he's He's humble about it. He's not angry. He's not bitter. He's not taking this out on anyone. He's not blaming other people. He's fully aware that he has brought this on himself and the people that are with him. And so there's no rebellion breaking out in David's heart when this is occurring.

As you might have seen with Saul, when Saul found out that the Lord was displeased with him and that the Lord was taking the kingdom from Saul, He tried to stop the Lord's providence in that, right? He tried to slay David, believing that's who his neighbor was, that the Lord was referring to, that he was gonna give the kingdom to. He tried to defeat God's will and purpose, which is impossible. No man can defeat the will and purpose of God.

And so it's a blessed spirit that the Lord gives to his children who resign themselves and know it's the Lord's will. And he can do what pleases him, and we know that what he does is good and right. We know that it's good and right, because all things work together for good to them that love the Lord, to them who are called. according to his purpose. And so, instead of resisting it, instead of turning and fighting Absalom, this brave, mighty warrior does a very wise thing, and a noble thing, and a very giving thing, in that he leads his people who would have laid down their lives for David.

And I'm sure that many would have sacrificed themselves, and many would have been killed. And it probably would have created bitterness in the whole body. had he turned and fought in that hour. But instead, he protects his fellows, he protects his family, and he protects the city of Jerusalem that he loves and cared for by leaving it. Rather than having it come under siege and put to battle, he left it rather than there be bloodshed there, bloodshed there.

And so, I'm not even certain whether Jerusalem had walls to have a siege. We don't even know what kind of walls Jerusalem had at that time. And I say that because David wrote in Psalm 51, which is the Psalm he wrote in a broken and contrite spirit when the Lord rebuked him by Nathan, he wrote that Psalm 51. And so this is before Absalom's rebellion. And in verse 18, it says, he says, do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion, build thou the walls of Jerusalem. Now I realized that there is something much more spiritually deep to the walls of Jerusalem. which I believe is a reference to what Isaiah will prophesy of, speaking of when he said in Isaiah 26, I believe verse one, he said, thy walls have become salvation thy walls are salvation the walls of the of the Jerusalem of heaven the New Jerusalem is Salvation right that is our protection those are our walls, and I'm I'm certain he is certainly speaking of that But that doesn't mean that there wasn't an element of a physical reality there that it lacked us common fortification and so David realizes this there's we're not going to do battle here for whatever reason and He knew we're not going to do battle here.

I'm not going to take my men and those whom I also love that are coming with Absalom and have bloodshed here. We're going to depart. We're going to go and trust the Lord in this. And so, in that sense, we see how David is put into a very humble, frame of mind, a meek frame of mind, not weak, but a meek frame of mind, a mind that is resigned to the will of God, that is happy for the will of God and wants the will of God to be accomplished here in this, and he's trusting the Lord.

And I'd imagine he's very reflective of this, how that his sin has caused this, just as God told him it would be. And just as God told him it would be, it's now coming to pass. I mean, he's seeing a definite. proof of God's Word coming to pass right there before him. He's seeing the truth of what the Lord had told him come to pass.

And therefore, he goes in faith, wholly trusting upon his God to defend him where? In the wilderness, which is probably even more difficult to defend yourself, unless you can find a natural defense. And so he's going out into the wilderness there, and he's being driven there, and he knows his sin is worthy of death, because that is the temptation. Even when we rest in the promises of our God given to us in the Lord Jesus Christ, there's always that, there's often, I should say, that affliction and that battle where we still think, but what I, you know, my sin is worthy of death, and I deserve to die.

And I'm sure David wrestled with that even though He heard the prophet Nathan say by the word of the Lord, that the Lord also hath put away thy sin, thou shalt not die. And David, I'm sure he trusted that word. He trusted that word and the Lord didn't put him to death that night or that week. And now maybe he's thinking, well, maybe now. But no, he's trusting the Lord in this.

Whatever the Lord will do, that's what's going to be. And additionally, I have to imagine that just as his men said to David, there in verse 15, Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my Lord the King shall appoint. I would imagine David was confessing the same thing. Lord, I'm ready to do whatsoever my King, you Lord, appoint for me. Whatever your will is, whatever your purpose is, I trust you, Lord, even if that means being deposed of my kingdom, even if that means you're taking it away, You're just, and what can I say to you, Lord?

And so he trusted the Lord. Job said something similar when he said, though he slay me, yet will I trust in him. And that's the spirit which the Lord gives to his people, that spirit of trust and confidence to rest in the Lord, that though he take away all my comforts and all I know, yet will I trust him by his grace, by his spirit, by his power, yet will I trust him. And so it's a difficult time to be sure, and we know this because it says it. Let's read verse 23 once more. 2 Samuel 15, 23. And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over. The king also himself passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over toward the way of the wilderness."

And it's, I'm told that that way that they were heading towards was in the direction of Jericho, which, Jericho, it speaks of the curse, right, a curse. And it speaks of Joshua said, when Israel defeated Jericho, he said, cursed is the man that buildeth this city.

In his eldest he shall lay the foundation, and in his youngest he shall set up the gates. The final piece there will be in his his youngest. And I think it's in 1st or 2nd Kings where it says, I think the guy's name is Hiel, a Bethelite. He set it up, Jericho, he rebuilt it with his eldest being killed in the foundation, laying of the foundation, and his youngest when the gate was set up.

And so it pictures the curse. And again, as we're looking at our Lord in this, He was going, when he crossed that brook, he was going to be made a curse for us when he hung on that tree. He was going in that very direction. And so it's a difficult time. And it's in this particular verse, at this particular time, we see a picture of David.

I mean, we see a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ in David as a type, as a picture and a shadow who, when the time drew near, For our Lord to accomplish His death and His redemption in Jerusalem for the salvation of His people, we know the Scriptures tell us that He set His face like a flint, sharply.

He was looking and going toward it willingly. to accomplish that for that very purpose which was determined before the foundation of the world, that he should accomplish for his people, knowing that he would not be ashamed. He says that in Isaiah, I will not be ashamed, I know I will not be ashamed. And that speaks to the Lord not leaving him in the grave when he did that work, when he laid down his life for his people. The Scriptures also say, "...who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." And that means that And being set down, that means it's done. There's no more sacrifice for sin to be made. It's done. It's finished. Everything that needed to be done has been done.

And now we are just living through the outworking of those blessings being poured out upon the earth, upon the people of God in the time in the day of our grace, when the Lord is pleased to call us out of death, out of darkness, to give us his spirit, to give us light, to give us understanding in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Then we hear, and then we believe. And I encourage you, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Trust him. He is the only salvation of God. And that's why he sends this word out and makes his people hear it effectually in the heart. And they believe. It's God testifying. that Christ has done this for you. Now, leading up to our Lord's sacrifice, we're made to see the suffering that our Lord endured that night after he ate the Passover with his disciples.

We're told that he went out of Jerusalem and he passed over the Brook Kidron. knowing what awaited for him on the other side. And I'm not just talking about knowing that Judas was going to come there with the officers of the Jews to arrest him. Not that at all. Instead, he knew that the sins of his people would be laid upon him and how, at a minimum, he felt the weight of that. He felt the weight of what he was going to accomplish on the cross that was before him still. And so, David's passing over is typical, it typifies, it pictures the Lord Jesus Christ's crossing the brook Kidron and the imputation of the sins of his people being laid upon him, so that he sweat great drops of blood. in prayer. He was weighed heavily upon him.

He bore that load for his people. And there's a reason why men associate the imputation of our sins to Christ when he crossed that brook Kidron. You're probably wondering why. Why do you say that? How do you get this from that brook there? Well, it's because of what that brook contained. and what that brook pictured and typified.

Apparently, the Brook Kidron was a dry riverbed for much of the year. About nine months out of the year, it would dry up and there would be no running water in it whatsoever until the rains would come, and they would come in the fall and winter time, and that's when they would begin to, you know, when things are dying and dead.

And they would begin to fill up and then carry down all the unclean things that were thrown into this river, this dry riverbed. And then as the rains got more heavy and torrential and flowed down, they flowed down to the Dead Sea. And there, all that filth and vile things that were thrown there were washed out into the sea and sunk to the bottom, covered by the Dead Sea. And so the whole year, though, it would be filled up with the blood and the guts and the excrement of the animals that were sacrificed on the altar in the temple.

That's where they would throw all those things out into the brook Kidrim. They would throw all their trash and refuse out there. And this place, it served as a sewer and a dumping ground just for unclean things and filthy things and trash and whatnot. It would just be thrown down in there. And it was a place also in the scriptures tell us where idols were burned. And I'll give you an example.

There's literally scriptures that tell us that idols were burned in the Brook Kidron. One is in 2 Chronicles 15, 16. Also, it says, concerning Makah, the mother of Asa the king, he removed her from being queen because she had made an idol in a grove, and Asa cut down her idol and stamped it and burnt it at the Brook Kidron.

And then again, in 2 Chronicles 30 verse 14, And they arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for incense took they away and cast them into the brook Kidron. And there's other scriptures too that speak of this, that speak of this being It says that where there's unclean, you're to cast, if there's leprosy that strikes a house, and it's on the rocks and the beams, and you determine that it is leprosy, you're to tear that house down, and you're to throw it in an unclean place. Well, this would be the unclean place for Jerusalem, in this brook Kidron. So they would throw leprous things, diseased things, things of the plague, and idolatry would be burned there, all the parts of the beasts that were sacrificed for sin offerings were all put there in this brook, Kidron.

And so then the death of fall and winter would come, the rains would fall and rise and wash it away, wash it on down and carry it off to the Dead Sea. And it pictures the flowing blood of our Lord that washes our filth, our stain, our sin, our corruption, away, once and for all, out into the sea of God's wrath, never to be seen again.

And then in Psalm 110, which we read at the beginning of our hour here, It speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ. You read that and it's all testifying of him. Just as it begins in verse one, the Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. And then it closes with this beautiful picture.

In verse seven, he says, He shall drink of the brook in the way, therefore shall he lift up the head. And so the picture there is that our Lord bowed his head the way you would bow down to drink from a river, right? And he bowed his head and took up the pollutions of his people, the sin of his people, the stain and the guilt and the shame of his people into his own body, right? And he carried that to the cross and bear his people's infirmity and disease of sin under the wrath of God, to put that away, to satisfy the holy justice of God, to satisfy the law in making us righteous, to satisfy God in putting away our sin, in accomplishing what the Father sent him to do.

Our Lord did it perfectly, wonderfully, freely. all by His grace and His power, and He finished that work. When He passed over the brook, it was picturing that very thing. When He took up our sins upon Him, and He faithfully went to the cross and said, it is finished. He's finished the work. It's done. Everything that we needed to be done, Christ has done it.

And because he did it perfectly, the father is well pleased. And he raised him from the dead. He raised up our head. He lifted him up and set him on high, where he now sits at the right hand of the throne of his father, ruling and reigning, till his enemies be made his footstool. And so it's a picture of what our Lord has done for us. He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

2 Corinthians 5.21. He's done that for us, brethren. Isaiah says it this way, Isaiah 53, verse 4 and 5, surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. Yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But the reality is he was wounded for our transgressions. Well, we're saying he's afflicted of God. It was for my transgressions. It was for my sins. It was for my iniquities, my trespasses. And he was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him. And with his stripes that he bore, we're healed. We're healed. There's the grace of God seen in the Lord Jesus Christ.

And so in the Gospel of John, we read this in John 18 verse 1, when Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth. He went forth with his disciples over the brook Kidron. where was a garden into the which he entered and his disciples, where he prayed, where he prayed in great heaviness as our high priest unto the Lord to glorify him. and to help him and support him in this difficult time. And he went forth over the Brook Kidron knowing what lay before him, the captain of our salvation, faithfully going forward, knowing the battle that lay before him. He faithfully led the way and accomplished these things, this redemption that we so desperately, desperately need. because we cannot be saved without him. We cannot be saved by anything we do. He is all our salvation.

Well, likewise, of David, we read in verse 16, in 2 Samuel 15, 16. It says, and Christ went forth, he went forth. Well, look, it says, and the king went forth. and all his household after him. Just like our Lord went forth with his disciples over the brook Kidron. It's just a beautiful picture here of David in this heaviness. David bearing the weight of sin in his body goes over the river with all his household. And it pictures how our Lord bearing that heaviness of knowing that the sins of his people would be laid upon him and he would bear it, him who knew no sin, and did no sin, and committed no sin, and was no sin found in his mouth, in him at all, and he bore it for us, being laid upon him and him dying in our place as our substitute, in our room and our stead. And so the king went forth and all his household after him. picturing our great shepherd leading his sheep in the way, going before us, bearing us in his own body. That's why the scriptures tell us, say that we were crucified with him.

In fact, Paul even said that, Galatians 2.20, I am crucified with Christ.

Nevertheless, I live. Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life which I now live, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. That's the confession he gives to each one of you, his children, each one of you that believes he loved me. He gave himself for me, a sinner. He did that for me. That's what he puts.

And so the scriptures say that there, and they say it also in Romans chapter 6. It speaks of our being crucified with Christ, that the body of sin be destroyed. Knowing this, our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. And so that's why it speaks of us going over with him.

He's bearing us up. He's going before us as our high priest. He's going before us as our captain. He's going before us as our king. He's going before us as our Lord. He's going before us as our all. And we go with Him because He loved us and He gave Himself for us. And He's assuring us, I've done this for you.

And I had to do this for you to put away your sin and to make you pleasing and acceptable unto my Father. in my righteousness, you'll be robed. A virgin, a chaste virgin, my bride, my child, washed in my blood, covered in my righteousness, and you'll be received and accepted of the Father. And so we see that and then In Hebrews 6, verse 19 and 20, speaks of the hope that we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil, whither the forerunner for us is entered. He goes before us, and we go with him, even Jesus. made in high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. He passed over before us, brethren, and we pass over in his body as partakers of his grace and mercy, as partakers in his inheritance. Because our Lord did this, it says there at the end of verse seven, therefore shall he lift up the, sorry, Psalm 110, verse seven, therefore, right, because he drank that brook, therefore, was in the way therefore shall he lift up the head therefore he satisfied the father well pleasing in all things and so he raised him from the dead wherefore god also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name philippians 2 9 every name and so that's a beautiful picture of what our lord has accomplished for his people And the scriptures further illustrate this picture.

One more thing to show you here of the fellowship that we have with our Lord when he gives us his spirit and a new birth in him. You see, it wasn't just the Jews who went over with David, but Gentiles as well. Gentiles went with him. That was not left out. It was purposely put there in the scriptures saying, picking up there in verse 17, and the king went forth and all the people after him and tarried in a place that was far off. Far off. David's walking with his servants. He's not riding on a horse. He's not riding on a mule. He's not riding on a chariot. He walked with his people there, just like our Lord walked with his disciples. It was why Judas had to kiss him, because he looked just like everybody else. There was nothing special looking about our Lord.

Jesus Christ Solomon even wrote, I believe of this in Ecclesiastes 10.7, saying, I have seen servants upon horses. Absalom, a servant of the king. He's riding on a horse and princes walking as servants upon the earth.

David, who pictured our Lord, the King of kings and Lord of lords, walking on the earth with men. right faithfully serving them and all his servants passed on beside him all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, 600 men, which came after him from Gath, passed on before the king. So these are Philistines from Gath. Gittite is part of the city of Gath.

Probably they served with David many decades ago. They served with him, and they loved David when he was being persecuted by Saul. And so that's how they got to know him. Well, it says now that the king, Sorry, then said the king to Ittai, the Gittite, wherefore goest thou also with us? So David's asking him, why are you going with us? Return to thy place and abide with the king, meaning the new King Absalom. You can go back there and serve him.

For thou art a stranger and also an exile. A stranger in exile, that's what we are, that's what Gentiles are, strangers and ignorant of these things of God, but are now brought nigh by the blood of Christ who gave us understanding. We weren't raised in these things, but he brought us into these things. Whereas thou camest but yesterday. Should I this day make thee go up and down with us, seeing I go whither I may?

Return thou, and take back thy brethren. Those men with you, take them back. Mercy and truth be with thee. And David's saying, this is going to be very difficult. It's going to be very hard on the flesh. But these words of David are a blessing. He gives this blessing. He lays it out for him. Go back. You can serve the king, the fake rebellious king. You can go serve him. Mercy and truth be with thee. That's a blessing. And it serves. It's good. It blesses Ittai.

David's saying that you're going to endure many, many trials if you stay with me, many difficulties. And you've only been here. You just started. You just got here yesterday. It hasn't even been but a day, and immediately opposition and trial breaks out.

And now this man, he sees David and his king in a lowly state, walking. in a weeping, crossing the brook Kidron, that smelly, dirty, filthy place. And he's going out in that manner. And it could have rocked his confidence in that. He could have thought, this is too hard. This is too hard a thing. Why am I doing this? Why am I going to subject my men and myself to these difficulties?

Well, it actually pictures true conversion in a believer, that though a believer It pictures, what it shows us is that even a child of God who is truly born again by the grace of God, by the spirit of God, washed in the blood of Christ, though he lives for a day, though he lives for a moment believing, just like that thief on the cross, he's as fit for heaven, he's as fit for God's body and kingdom as the oldest saint. who's been living a long, long, long time. Even if you just first believe you are fit for heaven in that hour because of the righteous blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And another thought of this is that this is how trials come, right? Trials come upon us when we feel most like strangers and exiles to this world, right? And our hope and faith in Christ is challenged and opposed. And we think, am I making the right choice? Have I done the right thing? and believing these things are going this way, right? That this world comes at you and attacks what you believe, why you believe it, and it lays on you sorrows and difficulties and trials and trips you up when you think, this shouldn't be, because we're ignorant, we don't realize that, no, this is exactly how it should be. But these things come and play with our thoughts and our minds, and it's the trial that the Lord gives.

Just as David put it out to him, here's a trial for you, Ty. You can go back. You can go back. You can turn away. Now, will he do it? No, because that's what the Lord's showing us. Will you endure the trial by fire? All whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth. He purges us of the dead works of this flesh. He purges us of foolish, vain, fleshly confidences and notions that we have. He strips us of these vain, foolish things that we would find all our life, all our understanding, all our comfort, all our knowledge in the Lord Jesus Christ. and not because we see, but we are made to walk by faith.

Peter said it this way, wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations, that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than a gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.

If your faith is true, And you're resting in Christ. That is the gift of God. Because only those to whom the Lord loves, and for whom Christ shed his blood, is true faith found. Enduring faith that endures not only the first trial, but the last trial, as many as the Lord is pleased to bring us through. And so we see here how true faith responds to the proving trial in 2 Samuel 15, 21 and 22. And Ittai answered the king and said, as the Lord liveth, and as my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, There, even there also, will thy servant be.

Isn't that true? Wherever Christ is, you that are his, you shall be with him, because you've passed over with him in the body, carried in the body, put to death in the body on the tree, and to deliver you from sin and to give you life and an inheritance in him. And David said to Ittai, go and pass over. And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men and all the little ones that were with him, Him. He believed the Lord. He said, wherever the Lord is, the Lord God whom you worship and serve, and you, my Lord, the King. I'm going to be with you. And so that's a picture there of the fellowship between Itti, the Gittite, and David. And it pictures the fellowship of the people with our Lord who suffered for us.

Therefore, we shall suffer. We shall have a taste of those things, not to harm us in any way, but they sweetly draw us nearer to Christ. They sweetly manifest Him more wonderfully to us in a way that we would never choose in the flesh, but because He does it, and we discover how it's for our good because it draws us to the feet of our Lord like Mary at the feet of Christ, otherwise we wouldn't be there. When everything's just going well and great, we become forgetful of our need of Him. But when the trials come, the fires come, the floods come, the difficulties come, the high winds come, the hail comes, the rain comes, that's when we remember our Lord. And we cry out to Him, Lord, have mercy on me. Save me, Lord. And He hears the cry of His child. That's why He gives it.

So is that your experience, or will you also go away? Will you go away like those who heard our Lord speak and said, this is in heart saying, who can hear it? The Spirit in you, if the Spirit be in you, says, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou alone hast the words of eternal life.

And we believe and are sure that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. That's the confession. of every believer in fellowship with our Lord, who went with our Lord by his grace and power, being taken up in his body on the tree and put to death in him.

I pray the Lord bless that word to our hearts. Our gracious Lord, we do thank you for your mercy. We do thank you for your marvelous, mysterious, wonderful salvation, which you reveal to us more and more in the preaching of the gospel and every word of your scripture where we are made to see the Lord Jesus Christ wonderfully performing and doing all things necessary for our life, for our deliverance, for our salvation. Lord, take this word, bless it to our hearts, bless it to the hearts of your people. Bless and keep us, Lord, for we have no other hope, no other salvation but you, Lord. And we thank you for that knowledge. We thank you for this hope. It's in Christ's name we pray and give thanks. Amen.