This transcript explores the concept of discerning God's will, contrasting the Old Covenant's mysterious Urim and Thummim with the New Covenant's call for believers to know God's voice directly. The speaker recounts a personal anecdote: after a challenging sermon interrupted by an angry congregant, he and a friend whimsically used chocolate lollipops as "Urim and Thummim" to decide whether to go to a diner. This seemingly random act led to an unexpected encounter with the same congregant, creating a divinely orchestrated opportunity to minister to her and share the gospel, highlighting God's ability to work through unconventional means and affirm the New Covenant believer's direct access to divine guidance.
Discerning God's Will: From Ancient Practices to Personal Encounters
0:00 Deeper Knowledge in the New Covenant: The New Covenant emphasizes knowing God's voice and will more intimately than in the Old Covenant.
0:09 The Mystery of Urim and Thummim: In the Old Covenant, priests used "Urim" (lights) and "Thummim" (perfections) β mysterious objects believed to be used for discerning God's will, possibly functioning like casting lots or dice.
0:28 Personal Anecdote and Interrupted Sermon: The speaker shares a story about discussing Urim and Thummim on the radio, which led to an incident during a sermon. An unbelieving Jewish woman interrupted the service, mistakenly thinking the speaker was disrespecting Moses.
0:51 Purim Connection: The interruption occurred during the Feast of Purim, which means "Feast of Lots" or "Dice," coincidentally aligning with the discussion about Urim and Thummim, which some scholars believe were indeed used like lots.
1:29 "Lollipop Urim and Thummim": Feeling down after the challenging service, the speaker and his partner, Gary, jokingly decided to use chocolate lollipops (shaped like the Star of David) as their own "Urim and Thummim" to decide if they should go out to eat.
2:08 Divine Appointment at the Diner: The lollipops landed on the "yes" side, prompting them to go to a diner where they unexpectedly encountered the very woman who had interrupted the sermon, allowing for a personal and reconciliatory ministry opportunity.
2:27 Gospel Shared and Received: This chance meeting enabled them to minister to the woman, share the gospel, and she was open to receiving it.
2:39 Scholarly Confirmation and New Covenant Priesthood: Later, the speaker found scholarly confirmation that Urim and Thummim were likely used like lots. He concludes by emphasizing that in the New Covenant, born-again believers are considered "priests of God," having the high honor of directly discerning God's will and hearing His voice.
3:08 Resources for Teachings: The video ends with contact information for "Hope of the World" for access to Jonathan's teachings, free gifts, and information on supporting their global outreach and compassion projects.