A number puzzle, the answer, and a question

on the screen is a table of 18 numbers find a combination that adds up to 777 hit pause and try it or here's an answer these nine numbers add up to 777 we've used nine of the eighteen numbers find another three combinations that each add up to 777 and end up using each number at least once these eight numbers add up to 777 we use two numbers that we used before and that's necessary but we used four numbers that we hadn't used before in this example there are five numbers we haven't used these six numbers add up to 777 now there are just two numbers we haven't used these five numbers add up to 777 you've got the idea for different combinations these add up to 777 these add up to 777 these add up to 777 and these add up to 777 we've used every number at least once that's interesting but we haven't finished using the same 18 numbers find four different combinations that each add up to 888 and use each number at least once hit pause and try it or here is the solution these add up to 888 these add up to 888 these add up to 888 and these add up to 888 and we've used every number at least once that's clever but we haven't finished using the same 18 numbers find three combinations that each add up to 999 and use every number at least once hit pause and try it or here is the solution these add up to 999 these add up to 999 and these add up to 999 777 888 and 999 different combinations in the same table of 18 numbers in fact there are dozens of combinations that add up to seven hundred and seventy seven or eight hundred and eighty eight or 999 weird who came up with this table answer god this is a verse from the Hebrew Bible it's a verse in the Psalms in case your Hebrew is a little rusty we'll examine the translation shortly but first where do the numbers come in every letter of the Hebrew alphabet has a numeric value it means that each of these 18 words has a numeric value and that's where the table comes from so here we have a meaningful sentence written 3,000 years ago and it produces a table of numbers a table where all these combinations can be revealed why for one reason the numbers prove that there was a genius behind the writing a mind beyond the mind of men since we are talking about God and the Bible who thinks that religion and religious practices of what God would require for a person to know him church-going in the West is in decline certain religious institutions and ministries have been rocked by scandals perhaps it's a good time to ask why religious people do what they do of course there are churches attended by good people doing their best in the only way that they know how but it's also true that going to church doesn't make you a Christian in the same way that going to a circus doesn't make you an acrobat or a clown or a lion tamer church for many is a social club social clubs may be good for society but is social club attendance what God wants what makes a person a Christian according to the Bible it's got nothing to do with rituals and it's got nothing to do with religious requirements the Bible says there is a condition for acceptance with God meet the condition and you receive a promise the Bible says God loves you you the Bible says God loves you so much he was willing to pay a price for you a price that cost him a great deal think of it like this a judge has to sentence an old friend for a crime the judge imposes a heavy fine because that's what the law requires but then the judge steps down and pays his friends penalty that's what God did Jesus paid for everything that has brought offense to God in other words it's not what you do it's what Jesus has done but of course that forgiveness only works for you if you believe it do you accept that truth that's the condition believe that Jesus died for you and that he is alive to help you if you do believe that God accepts you and he promises you will live forever so where does institutionalized religion come in it doesn't it shouldn't but it has religion wasn't there at the beginning Abraham Isaac and Jacob were the original people in the Bible who were called righteous not because they were perfect people they weren't but because they trusted God God promised them certain things and they never received what was promised because they'll only receive those promises one day in the future but they believed God and they went on trusting God even though they didn't get what was promised God likes that and Abraham Isaac and Jacob were a family one family there was no religion and there were no priests to conduct religion yet today we have a vast enterprise of Christian religion what's behind it organization it's organized by men it's organized around beautiful buildings and ceremonies and attendance people in groups suffer subtle pressure to conform and it's easy for groups to get to feel exclusive and that's why people are asking why should a self-appointed organization an institution have spiritual authority over me is that really what God wants now let's go back to our table of numbers the numbers were those combinations of 777 and 888 and 999 were hiding the numbers came from this verse in the Hebrew Bible it's from Psalm 123 verse 2 translation behold like eyes of servants to the hand of their master like eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress yes our eyes look to the Lord our God until he will be gracious to us why would this verse be so important because it says a great deal about what real faith looks like the first matter that is on view is relationship we are related directly with the Lord we aren't going through priests or ministers there are no paid professionals doing God's stuff on our behalf but it is a relationship where one is in charge because there is a God and he is not me the second matter is that there is no frenzy of human activity on view there is no political or social activism it's not by human might and it's not by human power it's a call for spiritual help whatever strength or skills of persuasion I may have or even what we as a group may have it's as nothing compared to the power of God third it's not fatalism it's not passive it's actively looking to God and patiently waiting and expecting his help forth it's not solitary our eyes look to our God it's a United appeal we are joined together we need each other and what so much organized religion has done is create rivalries and division denominations and ministries competing for a following or for funds if a day should come when religious structures collapse it will be an opportunity for people of faith to step out in a spirit of self-sacrifice and finally the one who is looked to is the Lord note he the Lord is our God the Lord is in charge the Lord has the power and the Bible declares it is Jesus who is the Lord you

Channel: thelivingword

Views: 6,738

Rating: 4.8947368 out of 5

Keywords: Number puzzle, Hebrew Bible, Bible numerics, The Psalms, Psalm 123, Churchianity

Id: lxk07rDqXcA

Length: 12min 51sec (771 seconds)

Published: Thu Feb 08 2018