WEBVTT - A Visit with Sarai 0:00:08.200 --> 0:00:11.760 Before she was Sarah, she was Sarai, a devoted wife. 0:00:11.840 --> 0:00:14.320 She is perhaps best known for her lack of faith. 0:00:14.320 --> 0:00:17.080 When God promised she would have a child in her 0:00:17.120 --> 0:00:20.720 old age. But have we misjudged her? Coming up, it's 0:00:20.720 --> 0:00:23.240 a visit with Sarai. We'll get to know her background 0:00:23.239 --> 0:00:27.080 and the cultural details that make her story come alive. Plus, 0:00:27.080 --> 0:00:28.800 a look at the top stories coming out of the 0:00:28.800 --> 0:00:32.200 Middle East and much more. This is the land and 0:00:32.200 --> 0:00:35.519 the book with noted Middle East expert Doctor Charlie Dyer, 0:00:35.520 --> 0:00:38.440 who has recently released an updated version of the important 0:00:38.440 --> 0:00:42.720 Moody Publishers book Who Owns the Land? I'm John Gallagher asking, 0:00:42.720 --> 0:00:46.839 what does Passover mean for us as believers in Jesus? Some, 0:00:46.880 --> 0:00:49.640 of course, will remember the story from the book of Exodus, 0:00:49.640 --> 0:00:51.560 but there's so much more to it. Did you know, 0:00:51.560 --> 0:00:55.320 for example, that the Last Supper was actually a Passover meal? 0:00:55.480 --> 0:00:58.840 And not only did Jesus and his disciples celebrate Passover, 0:00:58.840 --> 0:01:02.390 it also foreshadowed his death on the cross for our redemption. 0:01:02.670 --> 0:01:05.149 Jewish people have been keeping the feast of Passover for 0:01:05.230 --> 0:01:08.630 thousands of years. Understanding the history and importance of this 0:01:08.630 --> 0:01:11.669 holiday will help you better connect with your Jewish friends 0:01:11.670 --> 0:01:14.149 and neighbors. And what better way is there to learn 0:01:14.150 --> 0:01:18.550 about Passover than to experience a Passover Seder yourself? If 0:01:18.550 --> 0:01:21.870 you've never celebrated Passover, our friends at Life in Messiah 0:01:21.870 --> 0:01:25.790 would love to partner with you in hosting a Seder experience. 0:01:25.790 --> 0:01:29.270 Every year, their staff engages churches and small groups in 0:01:29.270 --> 0:01:33.509 an interactive Messiah in the Passover Seder, allowing participants to 0:01:33.550 --> 0:01:36.950 taste and see the redemption story. If you're interested in 0:01:36.990 --> 0:01:40.550 having someone come lead a Seder in your area, visit 0:01:40.590 --> 0:01:43.990 Life in Messiah Org and click on the radio button 0:01:43.990 --> 0:01:46.869 there to learn more. That's life in Messiah. 0:01:48.670 --> 0:01:51.150 Well, let's switch our focus now toward current events from 0:01:51.150 --> 0:01:54.470 the Middle East. Plenty to talk about, as always. Israel's 0:01:54.470 --> 0:01:57.990 current coalition has been in power now for two years. 0:01:58.070 --> 0:02:02.260 So far, it survived political opposition over judicial reform and 0:02:02.260 --> 0:02:06.660 external attacks by Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran and the Houthis. But 0:02:06.660 --> 0:02:09.859 its biggest challenges might lie just ahead, with its own 0:02:09.860 --> 0:02:13.940 internal battles over finishing the war with Hamas, drafting the 0:02:13.940 --> 0:02:17.140 ultra-Orthodox into the army and approving a budget for the 0:02:17.139 --> 0:02:20.660 next fiscal year. What makes these challenges so unique, Charlie? 0:02:21.139 --> 0:02:24.180 These challenges strike at the very heart of the coalition. 0:02:24.300 --> 0:02:26.980 They threaten to shatter the coalition, which would, of course, 0:02:26.980 --> 0:02:30.780 force new elections. The ultra-Orthodox parties in the coalition want 0:02:30.780 --> 0:02:34.140 a law passed to exempt the ultra-Orthodox from being drafted 0:02:34.139 --> 0:02:37.060 into the army. One party leader threatened to blow up 0:02:37.060 --> 0:02:39.500 the coalition if such a law isn't passed in the 0:02:39.500 --> 0:02:42.980 next two months. And that time frame he gave is significant. 0:02:43.100 --> 0:02:46.419 The other ultra-Orthodox party threatened to not vote to pass 0:02:46.419 --> 0:02:48.940 a budget without the law. Now, failure to pass a 0:02:48.980 --> 0:02:53.139 budget will automatically bring down the government and require early elections. 0:02:53.260 --> 0:02:55.900 And the deadline to pass the budget is the end 0:02:55.900 --> 0:03:00.130 of March. Bezalel Smotrich of the National Religious Party ruled 0:03:00.130 --> 0:03:04.610 out making any concessions on ultra-Orthodox conscription. His party is 0:03:04.610 --> 0:03:09.970 also religious, but they support having all Israelis, including the ultra-Orthodox, serve. 0:03:10.210 --> 0:03:13.370 He challenged the two ultra-Orthodox parties to take part in 0:03:13.370 --> 0:03:16.570 military service, or at the very least, to pass the 0:03:16.610 --> 0:03:20.130 budget before dissolving the Knesset, saying Israel needs a budget 0:03:20.130 --> 0:03:23.370 to fight a war. Following the resignation of Ben-Gvir and 0:03:23.370 --> 0:03:26.850 his party from the coalition three weeks ago, Netanyahu is 0:03:26.850 --> 0:03:29.970 left with a razor thin majority. If all the parties 0:03:29.970 --> 0:03:32.850 can't reach a compromise on the draft, the looming budget 0:03:32.850 --> 0:03:35.170 deadline at the end of March could bring about the 0:03:35.170 --> 0:03:39.090 collapse of the coalition. Netanyahu was reported to be working 0:03:39.090 --> 0:03:42.330 on a plan B should the ultra-Orthodox refuse to budge 0:03:42.330 --> 0:03:46.690 in the negotiations. Apparently, he's quietly approached opposition leaders to 0:03:46.730 --> 0:03:49.890 back his government through the hostage release in exchange for 0:03:49.890 --> 0:03:54.370 holding early elections. One year after the last captive returns, 0:03:54.370 --> 0:03:57.600 if accepted, this could allow a minority government to remain 0:03:57.600 --> 0:04:00.520 in power while ending the war with Hamas and also 0:04:00.680 --> 0:04:04.680 passing a bill to draft the ultra-Orthodox. However, it's unclear 0:04:04.680 --> 0:04:07.040 if this is a genuine offer or more of a 0:04:07.040 --> 0:04:09.640 threat to the ultra-Orthodox to get them to back down 0:04:09.640 --> 0:04:12.280 on their demands. And it's not clear if the opposition 0:04:12.280 --> 0:04:15.240 parties even see it as a legitimate offer, since they 0:04:15.240 --> 0:04:18.600 don't trust Netanyahu. We've said before that Netanyahu is a 0:04:18.600 --> 0:04:21.440 political chess master, but this could be one of the 0:04:21.440 --> 0:04:24.680 most difficult political chess matches he's ever played. 0:04:25.200 --> 0:04:28.880 Prime Minister Netanyahu met with President Trump this past week, 0:04:28.880 --> 0:04:32.960 amid the backdrop of threats from Iran and pressure from Washington. 0:04:32.960 --> 0:04:37.440 Will the U.S. give Israel permission to attack Iran's nuclear facilities? 0:04:37.440 --> 0:04:40.440 And if we do, what could we require in return? 0:04:40.720 --> 0:04:44.159 Well, some diplomats in Europe suggest Israel has already decided 0:04:44.160 --> 0:04:47.840 to attack Iran's nuclear sites. They feel the question isn't if, 0:04:48.120 --> 0:04:51.279 but when such an attack will take place. Apparently, U.S. 0:04:51.279 --> 0:04:54.900 intelligence has uncovered a covert plan in Iran to explore 0:04:54.900 --> 0:04:59.060 a faster but cruder method to develop nuclear weapons. What's 0:04:59.060 --> 0:05:01.700 certain is that Iran is concerned enough about the threat 0:05:01.700 --> 0:05:04.340 to have publicly stated that any attack on their nuclear 0:05:04.380 --> 0:05:07.980 sites will result in all out war in the region. Now, 0:05:07.980 --> 0:05:11.180 President Trump denied the US and Israel were planning an 0:05:11.180 --> 0:05:14.020 attack in that latest meeting, but he did sign an 0:05:14.020 --> 0:05:18.180 executive order renewing maximum economic pressure on Iran to try 0:05:18.180 --> 0:05:21.580 to get their oil exports down to zero. The crazy 0:05:21.580 --> 0:05:24.940 part of that meeting between Trump and Netanyahu was that 0:05:24.940 --> 0:05:28.500 Iran actually took a back seat to Trump's suggested plan 0:05:28.500 --> 0:05:32.220 to transform Gaza. His suggestion to resettle the people of 0:05:32.220 --> 0:05:35.020 Gaza and turn the area into a resort spot along 0:05:35.020 --> 0:05:39.420 the Mediterranean surprised many. It was Trump proposing new and 0:05:39.420 --> 0:05:42.940 creative solutions to the problem in Gaza, and he approached 0:05:42.940 --> 0:05:45.739 it from his background as a developer looking at prime 0:05:45.740 --> 0:05:49.419 waterfront property. Now, the plan was intriguing, but it left 0:05:49.420 --> 0:05:53.650 many questions unanswered. Would the displacement of people from Gaza 0:05:53.650 --> 0:05:56.250 be temporary or permanent? What did he mean when he 0:05:56.250 --> 0:05:59.530 said the US would take over Gaza? And was this 0:05:59.529 --> 0:06:02.490 a well developed plan, or simply intended to shock the 0:06:02.490 --> 0:06:07.010 different sides into moving off calcified positions? His idea drew 0:06:07.010 --> 0:06:11.170 immediate condemnation and rejection from Arab states and Europe, which 0:06:11.170 --> 0:06:14.370 was to be expected. But that doesn't necessarily mean the 0:06:14.370 --> 0:06:16.930 plan is a non-starter. The key now is to watch, 0:06:16.930 --> 0:06:19.850 to see what happens next. President Trump would like to 0:06:19.850 --> 0:06:22.570 implement a large scale peace plan in the region to 0:06:22.610 --> 0:06:25.850 build on the Abraham Accords and transform the Middle East. 0:06:26.050 --> 0:06:28.730 It's definitely a bold gamble, and only time will tell 0:06:28.730 --> 0:06:31.130 if he can succeed. And it put the question of 0:06:31.130 --> 0:06:34.130 attacking Iran back into a proper context. 0:06:34.130 --> 0:06:36.650 From Moody Radio. This is the land and the book. 0:06:36.730 --> 0:06:39.370 You're listening to a summary of current events unfolding in 0:06:39.370 --> 0:06:42.930 the Middle East this past week. Imagine finding legal notes 0:06:42.930 --> 0:06:46.050 from a 100 year old court case. Well, that's what 0:06:46.089 --> 0:06:49.450 scholars now believe was discovered in the Judean wilderness. What 0:06:49.450 --> 0:06:52.520 exactly was found and what is its is its significance? 0:06:52.760 --> 0:06:55.800 Yeah. And first, the background on this. The papyrus discovered 0:06:55.960 --> 0:06:58.960 the longest Greek papyrus ever found in the Judean wilderness, 0:06:59.080 --> 0:07:03.000 was unearthed by Bedouin antiquities dealers back in the 1950s. 0:07:03.480 --> 0:07:05.920 The document ended up in the archives of the Israel 0:07:05.920 --> 0:07:09.880 Antiquities Authority, where it was mislabeled as being Nabataean for 0:07:09.880 --> 0:07:13.760 all those years. Ten years ago, the papyrus was rediscovered 0:07:13.760 --> 0:07:17.400 by a professor who realized it wasn't a Nabataean document, 0:07:17.400 --> 0:07:20.200 but notes from a criminal trial in a Roman court 0:07:20.400 --> 0:07:23.960 against two Jewish defendants, likely the private notes of an 0:07:23.960 --> 0:07:28.200 attorney preparing for the trial. The scroll records an accusation 0:07:28.200 --> 0:07:33.440 of several crimes, including fiscal fraud, forgery, and sedition against 0:07:33.440 --> 0:07:37.600 two Jewish individuals. The charge was that one Jewish defendant 0:07:37.600 --> 0:07:39.920 had appeared to sell slaves to a friend in a 0:07:39.920 --> 0:07:44.040 different province, but instead of transferring them and paying the taxes, 0:07:44.040 --> 0:07:47.400 the slaves seem to have disappeared. The second defendant was 0:07:47.400 --> 0:07:51.950 accused of forging a document supporting the fictitious sale. These 0:07:51.950 --> 0:07:55.350 notes shed light on the sophistication of the Roman legal system, 0:07:55.630 --> 0:07:58.830 including the high standards of proof that were required to 0:07:58.830 --> 0:08:03.710 support criminal charges. It shows the Roman practices previously documented 0:08:03.710 --> 0:08:07.150 in Egypt were also enforced throughout the eastern part of 0:08:07.150 --> 0:08:10.230 the empire. One of the co-authors of the article about 0:08:10.230 --> 0:08:13.950 the document called it the best documented Roman court case 0:08:13.950 --> 0:08:18.390 from Judea, apart from the trial of Jesus. Sadly, since 0:08:18.390 --> 0:08:21.869 these were apparently just preparatory notes ahead of the trial, 0:08:21.870 --> 0:08:24.310 the one thing we don't know is what the final 0:08:24.310 --> 0:08:25.070 verdict was. 0:08:25.870 --> 0:08:28.150 I was about to ask. Thanks for that. Well, in 0:08:28.150 --> 0:08:30.790 the very near future, taking your car in to be 0:08:30.790 --> 0:08:35.110 serviced might include an MRI as part of the initial inspection. 0:08:35.230 --> 0:08:38.630 At least that's the vision of Israeli startup Yuvi. Tell 0:08:38.630 --> 0:08:42.150 us about this innovation coming our way from Amazing Israel. 0:08:42.830 --> 0:08:47.870 Yuvi has developed an AI driven, camera based scanner platform 0:08:47.870 --> 0:08:51.060 that can inspect a car in seconds and generate a 0:08:51.059 --> 0:08:54.219 comprehensive report on the condition of the engine, the chassis, 0:08:54.460 --> 0:08:58.020 the bodywork and the tyres. In addition to visually scanning 0:08:58.020 --> 0:09:01.939 the tyres, undercarriage and body, it also scans the interior 0:09:02.100 --> 0:09:05.939 and extracts all sensor data and alerts from the vehicle's computer. 0:09:06.179 --> 0:09:10.459 It even analyzes the engine sound. The system, originally developed 0:09:10.460 --> 0:09:14.459 for homeland security purposes to check under vehicles for explosives, 0:09:14.780 --> 0:09:18.459 has been expanded and repurposed to scan the entire car 0:09:18.460 --> 0:09:22.020 or truck. The system is already scanning a million vehicles 0:09:22.020 --> 0:09:25.580 a month, but Yuvi sees that as only the beginning. 0:09:25.940 --> 0:09:29.020 They recently signed a deal to deploy 850 of their 0:09:29.020 --> 0:09:34.020 systems at Amazon delivery stations in the US, Canada, Germany 0:09:34.020 --> 0:09:37.260 and the UK. They're also working to sign up new 0:09:37.260 --> 0:09:42.020 and used car dealerships, rental car companies and major fleet retailers. 0:09:42.300 --> 0:09:44.860 Instead of taking the word of a mechanic or service 0:09:44.860 --> 0:09:48.210 advisor or salesperson when it comes to knowing if your 0:09:48.210 --> 0:09:51.370 car or truck needs to have work done. Imagine driving 0:09:51.370 --> 0:09:55.530 through Uvi and receiving a printout showing the actual mechanical 0:09:55.530 --> 0:09:58.730 state of your vehicle. It will save the dealership time, 0:09:58.850 --> 0:10:00.650 and it will give you peace of mind in knowing 0:10:00.690 --> 0:10:04.450 exactly what needs to be done and when that happens. 0:10:04.650 --> 0:10:08.729 We need to be sure to thank Uvi from Amazing Israel. 0:10:08.850 --> 0:10:10.890 Thank you. Charlie. One last follow up question. What do 0:10:10.890 --> 0:10:13.450 you think is the significance of the fact that Netanyahu, 0:10:13.490 --> 0:10:15.650 if I'm not mistaken, is the first head of a 0:10:15.650 --> 0:10:18.890 foreign nation to visit with our president? 0:10:18.929 --> 0:10:20.810 He is the first. And they made sure to make 0:10:20.809 --> 0:10:22.850 that point abundantly clear. I think it was trying to 0:10:22.890 --> 0:10:27.089 show the close connection and camaraderie between Israel and the 0:10:27.090 --> 0:10:27.930 US right now. 0:10:28.690 --> 0:10:30.650 Well, coming up on the land and the book A 0:10:30.650 --> 0:10:33.290 visit with Sarah. You know, before she was Sarah, she 0:10:33.290 --> 0:10:36.610 was Sarah and a devoted wife. She is perhaps best 0:10:36.610 --> 0:10:39.050 known for her lack of faith. When God promised her 0:10:39.050 --> 0:10:41.370 she would have a child in her old age. But 0:10:41.370 --> 0:10:44.210 have we misjudged her? There's more to the story. Next 0:10:44.210 --> 0:11:01.200 here on the land. And the book. He promised her 0:11:01.200 --> 0:11:04.240 his heart. She promised him a son. But how long 0:11:04.280 --> 0:11:08.160 must they wait? Sarah, the last child of her aged father. 0:11:08.360 --> 0:11:11.480 Is beautiful, spoiled and used to getting her own way. 0:11:11.960 --> 0:11:14.320 Her story comes to life in a conversation we're about 0:11:14.320 --> 0:11:17.040 to have here on the land. And the book. Welcome 0:11:17.040 --> 0:11:19.920 to our second segment. I'm John Gallagher, and before we 0:11:19.920 --> 0:11:22.440 meet the Old Testament character, Sarah, let's think for a 0:11:22.440 --> 0:11:24.760 moment about creative ways that we can show the love 0:11:24.760 --> 0:11:28.520 of Jesus to our Jewish neighbors and coworkers and friends. 0:11:29.440 --> 0:11:32.240 Roy Schwartz is with Chosen People Ministries and joins us 0:11:32.240 --> 0:11:35.040 in studio now for a quick conversation about how to 0:11:35.040 --> 0:11:38.000 share our faith with Jewish friends. Roy, let me throw 0:11:38.000 --> 0:11:40.800 this at you. Your Jewish friend, my Jewish friend would 0:11:40.800 --> 0:11:45.320 be more open to a conversation about Jesus if. If 0:11:45.420 --> 0:11:48.980 we started how or avoided this or overlooked that? What's 0:11:48.980 --> 0:11:49.459 the if? 0:11:50.260 --> 0:11:53.900 If we found roots of commonality. If we found something 0:11:54.140 --> 0:11:56.540 in common with that person that you were sharing with. 0:11:57.100 --> 0:12:01.460 If if you could just touch the heart of that 0:12:01.460 --> 0:12:06.460 person and connect with some great memory that connects you 0:12:06.460 --> 0:12:09.420 with the faith of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 0:12:09.700 --> 0:12:12.660 I mean, most of us grew up with Passover, grew 0:12:12.660 --> 0:12:17.180 up with Hanukkah, grew up with, uh, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur. 0:12:17.300 --> 0:12:19.500 And if you can touch one of those things that, 0:12:20.140 --> 0:12:21.820 you know, that you were reading just the other day 0:12:21.940 --> 0:12:25.940 about Rosh Hashanah and, and what it meant to you 0:12:25.980 --> 0:12:29.220 and and what does it mean to you? You know, 0:12:29.220 --> 0:12:32.580 I was reading about Yom Kippur and or the Feast 0:12:32.580 --> 0:12:35.980 of Tabernacles, and those are kind of memories that stir 0:12:35.980 --> 0:12:40.140 up things in our heart. And so, again, I would look, John, 0:12:40.380 --> 0:12:43.740 for points of commonality, things that we have in common 0:12:43.820 --> 0:12:46.370 with the with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 0:12:46.530 --> 0:12:49.650 Seems to me that meaningful conversations are a byproduct of 0:12:49.650 --> 0:12:52.689 meaningful relationships, and we can't overlook the fact that we're 0:12:52.690 --> 0:12:54.770 not going to get to that dialogue that we want 0:12:54.770 --> 0:12:57.370 to get to so badly until we've invested time in 0:12:57.370 --> 0:12:57.970 the friendship. 0:12:58.090 --> 0:13:01.250 Yeah, I think asking questions also is a great thing. 0:13:01.250 --> 0:13:04.130 If you ask a good question, you'll get a person 0:13:04.130 --> 0:13:07.530 to start talking. And once you get them starting to talk, 0:13:07.570 --> 0:13:10.050 the door opens for many things. 0:13:10.130 --> 0:13:12.330 I hope I'll be a better question asker and I 0:13:12.330 --> 0:13:14.689 hope you will be too. That's Roy Schwartz with Chosen 0:13:14.690 --> 0:13:19.250 People Ministries. Jill Eileen Smith is the best selling and 0:13:19.250 --> 0:13:23.130 award winning author of many biblical novels, including her first series, 0:13:23.130 --> 0:13:26.610 The Wives of King David. In 20 years, she's published 0:13:26.610 --> 0:13:30.410 24 books, fiction and nonfiction, and had one of those 0:13:30.410 --> 0:13:33.690 books optioned for film. She loves Jesus, loves His word, 0:13:33.690 --> 0:13:36.370 and all things related to learning more about the culture 0:13:36.370 --> 0:13:38.850 and times of the people of the Bible, particularly the 0:13:38.850 --> 0:13:42.490 women whom God has immortalized there. We're glad to connect 0:13:42.490 --> 0:13:45.000 with Jill today on the land and the book. Welcome 0:13:45.000 --> 0:13:45.600 to you, Jill. 0:13:46.440 --> 0:13:47.439 Thanks for having me. 0:13:47.960 --> 0:13:50.960 Well, the Old Testament character Sarah is familiar to all 0:13:50.960 --> 0:13:52.800 of us, but let me start by asking, why did 0:13:52.800 --> 0:13:56.439 you choose to title the book Sarai, her original name, 0:13:56.440 --> 0:13:58.280 as opposed to the name that she came to be 0:13:58.280 --> 0:13:59.400 known by Sarah? 0:14:00.400 --> 0:14:04.760 Um, well, most of the book she's referred to as Sarai, 0:14:04.800 --> 0:14:08.040 or as I called her, Sarai. I'm not really sure 0:14:08.040 --> 0:14:11.400 how to pronounce it, but in the Bible her name 0:14:11.400 --> 0:14:14.679 isn't changed until almost the end of her life. So 0:14:14.679 --> 0:14:19.560 since the book is mostly with the original name, I 0:14:19.560 --> 0:14:22.400 decided that that would be a good choice. And I 0:14:22.400 --> 0:14:25.680 don't honestly title my books. Ravel has to make that 0:14:25.680 --> 0:14:29.840 final decision, so they agreed with me on this one. 0:14:29.840 --> 0:14:32.560 It was easy because back then we were just titling 0:14:32.560 --> 0:14:36.400 books by the name of the woman, but now it's 0:14:36.400 --> 0:14:39.120 gotten a little more complicated and it's harder to come 0:14:39.120 --> 0:14:40.200 up with titles. 0:14:40.240 --> 0:14:42.950 Yeah, well, where do you go for research on a 0:14:42.950 --> 0:14:46.550 character as old as Sarai? Obviously there's scripture. Anything else? 0:14:46.590 --> 0:14:49.710 I mean, we're talking something 2000 years ago. 0:14:50.110 --> 0:14:53.870 Yeah. Um, well, I had started my research with the 0:14:53.870 --> 0:14:58.470 wives of King David in, like, 1900 to 1000 BC. 0:14:58.510 --> 0:15:00.870 But when I got to Abraham, I had to go 0:15:00.870 --> 0:15:05.270 back a thousand years and study ancient Mesopotamia. So it 0:15:05.270 --> 0:15:07.790 took me to a new land. It took me to 0:15:08.150 --> 0:15:10.790 a thousand years earlier. And there's not much there, but 0:15:10.790 --> 0:15:16.350 there is some. I remember finding research about a tomb 0:15:16.350 --> 0:15:19.150 in Ur, and I'm not sure it's the exact Ur 0:15:19.750 --> 0:15:23.430 where Abraham came from, but they had uncovered all kinds 0:15:23.430 --> 0:15:26.070 of things that this burial site, which gave you a 0:15:26.070 --> 0:15:29.030 lot of insight into the culture. So I do a 0:15:29.030 --> 0:15:33.190 lot of research that I can find on cultural differences. 0:15:33.190 --> 0:15:37.190 And what did they worship? And, you know, the geographical 0:15:37.430 --> 0:15:41.900 situation and change, but cultures do. So I try to 0:15:41.940 --> 0:15:44.220 search for that. Besides what's in Scripture? 0:15:44.900 --> 0:15:47.660 Jill Eileen Smith is the best selling and award winning 0:15:47.660 --> 0:15:50.620 author of the biblical fiction series The Wives of King David. 0:15:50.860 --> 0:15:53.740 Wives of the Patriarchs and Daughters of the Promised Land, 0:15:53.860 --> 0:15:56.660 along with many, many others. She joins us today on 0:15:56.660 --> 0:15:59.580 The land and the book. Okay. You mentioned this tomb. 0:15:59.780 --> 0:16:02.740 What are some other actual historical details available to us 0:16:02.740 --> 0:16:05.700 regarding the life of Sarai? For example, we know that 0:16:05.700 --> 0:16:09.020 she and Abraham were married somewhere around 2000 B.C. but 0:16:09.020 --> 0:16:11.780 beyond that, what does history tell us? Or what do 0:16:11.780 --> 0:16:14.380 the times of that era suggest? 0:16:15.380 --> 0:16:18.180 Well, history doesn't have a lot, and that's one of 0:16:18.180 --> 0:16:22.180 the benefits, I suppose, of writing books set in ancient times, 0:16:22.180 --> 0:16:25.780 because you're not going to likely run into someone who 0:16:25.780 --> 0:16:29.500 is a super expert on those times because they haven't uncovered. 0:16:29.540 --> 0:16:32.620 They are more and more uncovering things of the past. 0:16:32.620 --> 0:16:35.820 But back when I did this research, that tomb, and 0:16:35.820 --> 0:16:39.810 a few other things, I looked for books on ancient Mesopotamia, 0:16:39.810 --> 0:16:43.730 but he came from the land of ur of the 0:16:43.730 --> 0:16:48.210 Chaldees and moved up to. Um, I forgot the name 0:16:48.210 --> 0:16:50.450 of the city now, where they waited a long time 0:16:50.530 --> 0:16:53.570 until Terah died and then moved to Canaan. So you 0:16:53.610 --> 0:16:57.330 kind of had to get a feel for that area. 0:16:57.930 --> 0:17:01.010 I can't pinpoint an actual place to go in a 0:17:01.010 --> 0:17:05.290 historical book to tell you so it's too many books ago. 0:17:05.330 --> 0:17:06.209 I'm sorry. 0:17:07.450 --> 0:17:09.850 Yeah. So talk to me, though, about the fact that 0:17:09.850 --> 0:17:12.969 you have done a lot of research in Israel. Uh, 0:17:12.970 --> 0:17:15.810 how does that impact the flavor of what you write? 0:17:15.810 --> 0:17:18.649 The factual basis, the historical context? 0:17:19.570 --> 0:17:23.369 I haven't actually done research in Israel. I only got 0:17:23.369 --> 0:17:27.449 to go to Israel after my first series sold. I 0:17:27.450 --> 0:17:32.930 had done everything either through books on Israel or cultural 0:17:32.930 --> 0:17:36.130 things like I always do. I look up commentaries, I 0:17:36.130 --> 0:17:39.600 look up life and times, books and all the ancient 0:17:39.880 --> 0:17:43.800 Israel books online, whatever I could find. I had studied 0:17:43.800 --> 0:17:48.840 King David for like 20 years, a long time, and 0:17:48.840 --> 0:17:51.359 done Bible study on his life. And so I had 0:17:51.359 --> 0:17:54.960 dug deep into that era, into his life. And of course, 0:17:54.960 --> 0:17:59.280 Scripture gives so much on him that was easier. But, 0:17:59.320 --> 0:18:01.480 you know, when you're switching back a thousand years, it's 0:18:01.480 --> 0:18:05.440 just having to figure out, okay, what were the differences? 0:18:05.440 --> 0:18:09.119 Were the culture? I mean, they were living in tents, 0:18:09.160 --> 0:18:12.320 not living in palaces, but David lived in caves, so 0:18:12.320 --> 0:18:15.600 it wasn't a lot different. The clothing is still similar. 0:18:16.200 --> 0:18:19.359 You know what? They ate those kind of things. Um, 0:18:19.520 --> 0:18:23.360 but back in with Abraham, he started out not knowing God. 0:18:23.480 --> 0:18:27.520 He came from a very pagan land. Although there is 0:18:27.680 --> 0:18:32.920 a link between him coming from the the line of Shem. 0:18:32.920 --> 0:18:36.709 And it's possible that one of those descendants. When I 0:18:36.710 --> 0:18:39.350 did the math, but I'm not good at math. So anyway, 0:18:39.910 --> 0:18:43.230 I think it was could have been alive when Abraham 0:18:43.230 --> 0:18:46.590 was alive. And that, I think, is where we get 0:18:46.590 --> 0:18:51.150 the name Hebrew. And anyway, he could have known some 0:18:51.150 --> 0:18:54.470 of the history of the ark and the descendants that 0:18:54.470 --> 0:18:56.950 came from that, but they were living in a very 0:18:56.950 --> 0:19:03.390 pagan area, worshiping different gods. And Sarai could have been 0:19:03.390 --> 0:19:06.990 also a worshiper of foreign gods until the Lord called 0:19:06.990 --> 0:19:10.830 them to leave. She did go with him, but how 0:19:10.830 --> 0:19:14.510 her faith was compared to his. We really aren't told. 0:19:14.790 --> 0:19:16.110 At least at first. 0:19:16.150 --> 0:19:18.790 We're talking with Jill Eileen Smith today on the land 0:19:18.790 --> 0:19:21.950 and the book as we learn about the life of Sarai. Obviously, 0:19:22.150 --> 0:19:26.310 you're creating a work of fiction based on historical biblical facts. 0:19:26.310 --> 0:19:29.390 So what guidelines shape your editing decisions when it comes 0:19:29.390 --> 0:19:32.470 to creative license with the biblical characters? And in this case, 0:19:32.470 --> 0:19:34.990 because as we've, you know, readily conceded, there isn't all 0:19:34.990 --> 0:19:37.530 that much to go on, but you still have to, 0:19:37.570 --> 0:19:40.929 you know, have some kind of guidelines. What do you use? 0:19:41.250 --> 0:19:44.570 Well, the Bible is my main guideline. I don't change 0:19:44.570 --> 0:19:47.770 what it says. I don't change what happened. I look 0:19:47.770 --> 0:19:51.729 for what might motivate them. I look for how it 0:19:51.730 --> 0:19:57.209 might have come about. And sometimes the why questions. You know, 0:19:57.250 --> 0:20:01.610 why did they make that decision? Like, for instance, Abraham decided, well, 0:20:01.609 --> 0:20:05.850 when he was Abraham to ask Sarah to tell everyone, 0:20:05.850 --> 0:20:08.370 you're my sister so they won't kill me. And I 0:20:08.369 --> 0:20:11.369 had a friend years ago that I had met. I 0:20:11.369 --> 0:20:14.890 didn't know her well, but she always wondered how Sarah 0:20:14.930 --> 0:20:19.209 felt when foreign kings would just take her, you know? 0:20:19.250 --> 0:20:22.250 What was it like when the Egyptian king said, okay, 0:20:22.250 --> 0:20:25.690 I'll take you for my wife and Abraham? Just let him? 0:20:25.690 --> 0:20:29.130 It's like, where's the protective husband, you know? And so 0:20:29.130 --> 0:20:33.010 to a woman looking at that going, this does not compute. 0:20:33.010 --> 0:20:36.120 But she went along with it more than once because 0:20:36.119 --> 0:20:39.760 it was their habit according to Scripture. So I stick 0:20:39.760 --> 0:20:43.320 with whatever scripture says and try to figure out, well, 0:20:43.320 --> 0:20:46.600 how did she feel in that situation? How did he feel? 0:20:46.600 --> 0:20:49.040 Why was he afraid for his life and not trusting 0:20:49.040 --> 0:20:52.720 God to protect him? And, you know, just trying to 0:20:52.760 --> 0:20:56.960 understand how the human nature would have played out in 0:20:56.960 --> 0:21:01.479 the situation that we're given in Scripture. And, you know, 0:21:01.840 --> 0:21:04.840 how might all of this have taken a toll on 0:21:04.840 --> 0:21:08.600 her for waiting and waiting and waiting. That's not easy. 0:21:09.280 --> 0:21:11.920 No. You know, since you've taken us down this path, 0:21:12.400 --> 0:21:15.800 a lot of Bible readers struggle to wrap their brains 0:21:15.800 --> 0:21:19.199 around Sarah being not just beautiful, but beautiful, even in 0:21:19.200 --> 0:21:22.520 her old age. Mhm. Apparently she's still turning heads in 0:21:22.520 --> 0:21:24.320 her senior years. What's your take. 0:21:24.880 --> 0:21:29.399 Ah that was pretty amazing. That why on earth even after. 0:21:29.400 --> 0:21:34.470 I think it was after the Lord visited Abraham. Abraham 0:21:34.470 --> 0:21:37.550 at that point and told him in a year, Sarah, 0:21:37.550 --> 0:21:39.550 by that point is going to have a child. And 0:21:39.550 --> 0:21:44.070 even then, unless it's like sometimes people say it's not 0:21:44.070 --> 0:21:47.830 necessarily written chronologically the way our Bibles are laid out. 0:21:47.830 --> 0:21:51.869 But it's like he traveled to the Philistine territory and 0:21:51.869 --> 0:21:56.070 another king took her into his harem. Yes. And she 0:21:56.070 --> 0:21:59.950 was supposed to be having a baby within that year. 0:21:59.950 --> 0:22:04.109 And you're like, what? Why are they doing this? So 0:22:04.109 --> 0:22:07.070 it was really strange. I mean, I could understand why 0:22:07.070 --> 0:22:12.350 she gave Hagar to Abraham. I proposed that she hit 0:22:12.350 --> 0:22:15.430 menopause and decided I'm done. I can't have a kid. Yes. 0:22:15.470 --> 0:22:18.510 And so that could have very well been her motivation there. 0:22:18.510 --> 0:22:22.110 But what was his to keep lying about this when 0:22:22.150 --> 0:22:25.230 God made all these promises to him? It's like, well, 0:22:25.270 --> 0:22:28.470 this is weird. And I think one thing I wonder 0:22:28.590 --> 0:22:30.910 about at the very end, if you don't mind a 0:22:30.910 --> 0:22:34.859 side trail, but you can interrupt me. At the end 0:22:34.859 --> 0:22:40.379 of her life, after God tests Abraham to sacrifice Isaac 0:22:40.380 --> 0:22:43.899 and she finds out about it. We aren't shown what 0:22:43.940 --> 0:22:47.580 her opinion or what happens there in her mind. But 0:22:47.580 --> 0:22:52.060 the Bible says in the chapter before her death, near 0:22:52.060 --> 0:22:55.700 the end of it, it says that Abraham lived in Beersheba, 0:22:56.180 --> 0:22:59.380 and in the next chapter she was in Hebron, and 0:22:59.380 --> 0:23:01.659 he went there to mourn for her. It doesn't say 0:23:01.660 --> 0:23:04.420 he went there, but I mean, it makes you wonder, 0:23:04.420 --> 0:23:08.500 were they living separately? I mean, can you imagine? You 0:23:08.500 --> 0:23:10.500 took my son and did what? 0:23:11.020 --> 0:23:11.660 Right? 0:23:11.700 --> 0:23:14.659 You know, I mean, I could imagine she'd have been 0:23:14.700 --> 0:23:17.939 angry and hurt. And how could you do that? This 0:23:17.940 --> 0:23:21.780 was after all these years. And did they separate? I mean, 0:23:21.780 --> 0:23:25.340 he had a concubine, and I don't know if he 0:23:25.340 --> 0:23:27.540 got the concubine. I can't remember if it was before 0:23:27.540 --> 0:23:30.649 or after she died. I think it was after, But still. 0:23:30.810 --> 0:23:33.090 Yeah, a lot of unanswered questions there for sure. 0:23:33.250 --> 0:23:35.010 I know a lot of questions I want to ask 0:23:35.010 --> 0:23:35.850 the Lord someday. 0:23:35.850 --> 0:23:39.610 So if you're just joining us, this is the land 0:23:39.609 --> 0:23:43.649 and the book, our conversation with Jill Ileene Smith. Uh, 0:23:43.650 --> 0:23:47.330 you know, is there a historical custom or perspective most 0:23:47.330 --> 0:23:49.930 of us might be ignorant of that would really help 0:23:49.930 --> 0:23:53.290 us understand just a bit better the life of Sarah, 0:23:53.369 --> 0:23:55.490 something that you encountered in your research? 0:23:56.570 --> 0:24:01.330 I think perhaps we can look at her life as 0:24:01.330 --> 0:24:04.609 one of having. I mean, for me, she's a great 0:24:04.609 --> 0:24:07.609 example of someone that has to learn to wait on 0:24:07.609 --> 0:24:12.290 the Lord and trust him, and that waiting for 25 0:24:12.290 --> 0:24:15.810 years and being barren. You know, it happened to Zechariah 0:24:15.810 --> 0:24:19.570 and Elizabeth, too. And there's no mention of Elizabeth being, 0:24:19.609 --> 0:24:22.290 you know, here, take my servant or, you know, she 0:24:22.290 --> 0:24:25.810 was just okay. God doesn't want me to have a kid. 0:24:25.810 --> 0:24:30.200 But Sarah, she had all this angst to deal with 0:24:30.200 --> 0:24:32.920 because the promise was given to her husband, and she 0:24:32.920 --> 0:24:36.760 hadn't actually heard the promise until that visit at the 0:24:36.760 --> 0:24:40.160 tent when she left. You know, it came through Abraham. 0:24:40.280 --> 0:24:44.000 It's like Adam told Eve about the tree. God didn't 0:24:44.040 --> 0:24:46.880 tell Eve. God told Adam. And so when we look 0:24:46.920 --> 0:24:51.400 at things in Scripture and realize, well, the woman got 0:24:51.400 --> 0:24:54.600 the information second hand. And how much harder is that 0:24:54.600 --> 0:24:58.560 to trust the Lord? Because you're trusting your husband and 0:24:58.720 --> 0:25:01.480 he's trusting the Lord, and you're trying to think that 0:25:01.480 --> 0:25:03.360 he knows what he's doing, but he's asking you to 0:25:03.400 --> 0:25:05.359 lie for him at the same time. So you're kind 0:25:05.359 --> 0:25:09.240 of having this crisis of faith, perhaps. But I think 0:25:09.240 --> 0:25:12.879 in the end, she's written about in Hebrews 11, as 0:25:12.880 --> 0:25:16.800 someone with the faith that, you know, she's commended for. 0:25:17.000 --> 0:25:20.520 So she did have faith. We find it out later, 0:25:20.560 --> 0:25:23.960 you know. But in her actual story, it's harder to see. 0:25:24.280 --> 0:25:26.360 I think that is helpful. And it'll even be more 0:25:26.359 --> 0:25:29.110 helpful as we as we check out the book. Sara. 0:25:29.230 --> 0:25:32.390 It's from Jill Eileen Smith. There's a link to the book, 0:25:32.430 --> 0:25:34.790 a link to her website at our website. The land 0:25:34.790 --> 0:25:39.030 and the book. Org, the land and the book org. 0:25:39.230 --> 0:25:41.669 Sure appreciate your taking the time to let us understand 0:25:41.670 --> 0:25:43.790 this lady's life a lot better. You put a lot 0:25:43.830 --> 0:25:46.470 into it and we thank you for your careful research. 0:25:46.869 --> 0:25:49.830 Oh, thank you for asking the questions. 0:25:49.869 --> 0:25:52.350 All right, well, up next we've got more questions, not mine. 0:25:52.350 --> 0:26:07.310 Yours right here on the land and the book. Welcome 0:26:07.310 --> 0:26:09.910 back to segment three of the Land and the book. 0:26:09.910 --> 0:26:12.389 I'm John Gager hoping your day is going well. It's 0:26:12.390 --> 0:26:15.710 about to get better. Why? Because there's something very, very 0:26:15.710 --> 0:26:19.510 satisfying about looking at a puzzling issue of scripture and 0:26:19.510 --> 0:26:22.429 getting an actual answer. That's what's in store for you 0:26:22.430 --> 0:26:24.189 as we sit down and say hello to Doctor Gerald 0:26:24.190 --> 0:26:26.700 Peterman of the Moody Bible Institute faculty. Good to connect 0:26:26.700 --> 0:26:27.220 with you, sir. 0:26:27.340 --> 0:26:28.740 Likewise. Good to be connected. 0:26:28.900 --> 0:26:31.180 And you know, we've got a big stack of questions 0:26:31.180 --> 0:26:33.940 as always. So let's dig right in, starting with this 0:26:33.940 --> 0:26:37.979 one from Dan who asks, can all diseases encountered by 0:26:37.980 --> 0:26:40.980 Christians be a result of specific sins? 0:26:41.140 --> 0:26:44.300 Okay, to give a short answer, Dan, no. This is 0:26:44.300 --> 0:26:50.859 an important question, but can a sin cause a disease? Yes. 0:26:50.859 --> 0:26:55.060 But are all of them caused by sins? No. We 0:26:55.060 --> 0:26:57.580 should now go look at some passages of scripture about that. 0:26:57.700 --> 0:27:01.060 In first Corinthians 11, Paul warns the Corinthians about how 0:27:01.060 --> 0:27:02.820 they partake of the Lord's Supper. Do not partake of 0:27:02.820 --> 0:27:04.900 the Lord's Supper in an unworthy manner, because if you 0:27:04.900 --> 0:27:07.979 do so, it could be trouble. He says anyone who 0:27:08.020 --> 0:27:10.699 eats or drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord 0:27:10.820 --> 0:27:13.619 eats and drinks judgment unto himself. This is why many 0:27:13.619 --> 0:27:18.220 among you are weak and sick. In other words, yes, 0:27:18.220 --> 0:27:22.100 it's possible for a sin to lead to illness. But wait, 0:27:22.140 --> 0:27:24.100 now we must go to John chapter nine. You know 0:27:24.100 --> 0:27:26.610 what happens in happens in John chapter nine? Jesus is 0:27:26.609 --> 0:27:29.570 walking along. He encounters a man born blind, and the 0:27:29.570 --> 0:27:34.170 disciples ask, Lord, who sinned? This man should be born blind, 0:27:34.290 --> 0:27:37.050 him or his parents. And the Lord said, neither one 0:27:37.609 --> 0:27:40.450 this is for the glory of God. Yeah. So we 0:27:40.450 --> 0:27:43.810 should ask ourselves the question when we're ill, is this 0:27:43.810 --> 0:27:45.490 a sin? Because the answer might be yes, it might 0:27:45.490 --> 0:27:49.570 be no. This question is, in part, the question that 0:27:49.570 --> 0:27:54.210 job's friends are bringing to job. Exactly right. The Lord's testimony. 0:27:54.490 --> 0:27:58.490 He is righteous, but he is really suffering physically. 0:27:59.250 --> 0:28:02.210 Let's go to Sadie's question in judges 11. Why is 0:28:02.210 --> 0:28:06.490 Jephthah prohibited from an inheritance for being born to a prostitute? 0:28:06.650 --> 0:28:08.450 What was his fault if his father was the one 0:28:08.450 --> 0:28:11.449 who fornicated? I mean, this almost follows that first question. 0:28:11.609 --> 0:28:14.409 Yeah, and I appreciate that question. If we come to 0:28:14.410 --> 0:28:18.210 the passage of Scripture, what we find is that God 0:28:18.210 --> 0:28:21.770 isn't the one that prohibits it. It's the other sons 0:28:21.770 --> 0:28:25.389 who prohibit it. Did so the text reads this is 0:28:25.390 --> 0:28:29.270 11 two. Gilead's wife also bore him sons, and when 0:28:29.270 --> 0:28:33.590 they were grown up, they drove Jethro away. You're not 0:28:33.590 --> 0:28:36.389 going to get any inheritance in our family, they said, 0:28:36.510 --> 0:28:39.230 because you are the son of another woman. This isn't 0:28:39.230 --> 0:28:42.190 the Lord's decision. This isn't the father's decision. This is 0:28:42.190 --> 0:28:44.670 the other brother's decision. 0:28:44.670 --> 0:28:46.750 Let's get to Terry's question. He wants to know, is 0:28:46.750 --> 0:28:50.030 it possible that before the flood, all the land was 0:28:50.030 --> 0:28:52.990 together and all the seas were one? The flood caused 0:28:52.990 --> 0:28:56.230 such an amazing disruption on the earth, with mountains and 0:28:56.230 --> 0:29:00.390 rising up of landmasses, amazing tsunamis, the foundations of the 0:29:00.390 --> 0:29:04.070 deep burst forth were told. My question and it's obvious speculation, 0:29:04.070 --> 0:29:07.390 says Terry. Is there anywhere in the Bible that suggests 0:29:07.390 --> 0:29:08.470 this as possible? 0:29:09.230 --> 0:29:12.030 Well, the short answer is there's no particular text that 0:29:12.070 --> 0:29:16.390 directly addresses this. There are a couple that are sometimes cited. 0:29:16.390 --> 0:29:20.670 Genesis 110 mentions that there are various seas in this 0:29:20.670 --> 0:29:22.340 earth as created, but we should keep in keep in 0:29:22.340 --> 0:29:25.380 mind that a C might be a smaller body of water, 0:29:25.380 --> 0:29:27.500 like we would say, the Sea of Galilee, rather than 0:29:27.540 --> 0:29:31.020 being an ocean. Later on in Genesis ten, when one 0:29:31.020 --> 0:29:34.980 describes an ancestor who's named Peleg, it said that because 0:29:34.980 --> 0:29:38.420 in his time the earth was divided. But almost certainly 0:29:38.420 --> 0:29:42.660 divided here means people were driven apart at Babel. They 0:29:42.660 --> 0:29:47.540 were in different tribes rather than landmasses being divided. So 0:29:47.740 --> 0:29:52.780 certainly the flood caused some disruption, but changing one landmass 0:29:52.780 --> 0:29:55.140 into many, we just can't be sure. 0:29:55.180 --> 0:29:58.820 All right. Does Prevenient Grace allow a person to reject 0:29:58.820 --> 0:30:01.300 and later accept the call of Christ by the Holy 0:30:01.300 --> 0:30:04.580 Spirit free will? Or is there one call? And that's 0:30:04.580 --> 0:30:07.500 the moment of salvation, just this irresistible grace thing. 0:30:07.900 --> 0:30:11.620 And I appreciate this question too. Likewise, we have some 0:30:11.620 --> 0:30:16.460 phrases which can be helpful, but really are not biblical phrases. 0:30:16.500 --> 0:30:20.620 Prevenient grace a kind of grace that goes ahead. A 0:30:20.620 --> 0:30:22.770 kind of kind of grace that helps you to do 0:30:22.770 --> 0:30:25.810 what you want to do, but you're actually kind of 0:30:25.850 --> 0:30:28.370 doing it yourself. Prevenient grace is a kind of grace 0:30:28.370 --> 0:30:33.170 that works with you. This is set up against irresistible grace, 0:30:33.610 --> 0:30:36.210 which is something you cannot work against. It's just going 0:30:36.210 --> 0:30:40.410 to draw you. But this is not human experience. Rather 0:30:40.410 --> 0:30:43.730 than using these kinds of categories, I'd rather say that 0:30:43.730 --> 0:30:47.690 God is continuously working with us and in us and 0:30:47.690 --> 0:30:50.090 for us. Let me give you myself as an example 0:30:50.090 --> 0:30:54.250 of this. I heard the gospel many, many times as 0:30:54.250 --> 0:30:58.250 a young man in church, on the radio from friends, 0:30:58.250 --> 0:31:01.330 and it never made any sense. I rejected it as 0:31:01.330 --> 0:31:04.370 silly and stupid until the day I heard it again. 0:31:04.370 --> 0:31:08.810 I heard nothing new. It made sense. Yes, that was 0:31:08.810 --> 0:31:12.050 the time that God enabled me to understand it. But 0:31:12.050 --> 0:31:14.130 it was not as if I felt like, oh, I'm 0:31:14.130 --> 0:31:17.410 going to be now believing against my will. Now he 0:31:17.410 --> 0:31:20.320 drew me and I came to came to Christ. 0:31:20.720 --> 0:31:23.320 Doctor Gerald Peterman is a professor of Bible at Moody 0:31:23.320 --> 0:31:26.840 Bible Institute. In the classroom every day teaching students and 0:31:27.000 --> 0:31:28.960 kind enough to share some of his wisdom with us. 0:31:28.960 --> 0:31:31.560 As you email us your questions at the Land and 0:31:31.560 --> 0:31:37.840 the book@moody.edu. Alan says it sounds like Jeremiah 4935 through 0:31:37.880 --> 0:31:42.000 39 is really a future judgment of the Iranian regime. 0:31:42.520 --> 0:31:44.840 Am I off here? Could it apply to the current 0:31:44.840 --> 0:31:47.840 situation that's happening right now? Would it apply to that, 0:31:47.840 --> 0:31:50.400 or is that stretching things to say that Iran's judgment 0:31:50.400 --> 0:31:51.080 is coming? 0:31:52.080 --> 0:31:55.320 I personally take the judgment on Islam in Jeremiah 49 0:31:55.320 --> 0:31:58.760 as having occurred in the past, though I know some 0:31:58.800 --> 0:32:02.600 take it as a future destruction. Jeremiah dates the prophecy 0:32:02.600 --> 0:32:05.560 to early in the reign of Zedekiah, who began ruling 0:32:05.560 --> 0:32:11.640 at Judah's final king in 597 BC. In Ezekiel 3217, 0:32:11.760 --> 0:32:15.240 Ezekiel delivers a prophecy that is dated to March 5th, 0:32:15.240 --> 0:32:20.950 85 BC. His prophecy focuses on Egypt's impending destruction by Babylon. 0:32:21.790 --> 0:32:24.790 In the prophecy, Ezekiel pictures Egypt going down to the 0:32:24.790 --> 0:32:28.630 grave and encountering other nations already there. Now here comes 0:32:28.630 --> 0:32:33.830 the key part. These include Assyria, Elam, Meshech and Tubal, 0:32:34.110 --> 0:32:37.390 and Edom and the Sidonians. The point of the prophecy 0:32:37.390 --> 0:32:39.870 is to show that the Egyptians were about to be 0:32:39.870 --> 0:32:42.870 defeated in battle by the Babylonians, and joined the ranks 0:32:42.870 --> 0:32:46.670 of the other nations, who had also been defeated by Nebuchadnezzar. 0:32:46.710 --> 0:32:48.790 So my point here is that Ezekiel seems to be 0:32:48.790 --> 0:32:52.790 saying that by 585 BC, Elam had been defeated by 0:32:52.790 --> 0:32:53.910 the Babylonians. 0:32:54.470 --> 0:32:57.150 Our Q&A segment continues here on the land and the book. 0:32:57.150 --> 0:33:00.150 With Mark's question, he says, I'm somewhat perplexed by the 0:33:00.150 --> 0:33:04.230 story of Solomon, particularly his request for discernment and wisdom 0:33:04.230 --> 0:33:07.470 in First Kings chapter two. The Lord granted that request. 0:33:07.510 --> 0:33:11.110 Plus something Solomon had not asked for, namely great wealth 0:33:11.110 --> 0:33:14.870 and riches. Solomon demonstrated great maturity for a 20 year 0:33:14.870 --> 0:33:18.300 old by asking only for wisdom. The wealth that the 0:33:18.300 --> 0:33:21.420 Lord bestowed may well have led to Solomon's downfall, though 0:33:21.900 --> 0:33:24.540 so did the Lord. Lead him into temptation by also 0:33:24.540 --> 0:33:25.660 giving that wealth. 0:33:26.540 --> 0:33:29.580 I don't see the wealth that God gave Solomon as 0:33:29.580 --> 0:33:32.620 the primary temptation that led to his downfall. I say 0:33:32.620 --> 0:33:35.940 this for two reasons. First, we know from first Timothy 0:33:35.940 --> 0:33:39.540 six verse ten, it's the love of money, and not 0:33:39.540 --> 0:33:42.180 just money itself. That's the root of all evil. And 0:33:42.180 --> 0:33:46.100 I think Solomon knew this because he said virtually the 0:33:46.100 --> 0:33:51.140 same thing in Ecclesiastes 510. Whoever loves money never has 0:33:51.140 --> 0:33:55.180 enough money. Whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. 0:33:55.300 --> 0:33:59.700 This too is meaningless. Now, the second reason I think 0:33:59.700 --> 0:34:02.380 that money isn't the primary issue here is the Bible 0:34:02.380 --> 0:34:05.340 makes it clear that the ultimate sin that brought down 0:34:05.340 --> 0:34:09.060 Solomon wasn't wealth, but the idolatry that came into his 0:34:09.060 --> 0:34:11.820 life through his multiple wives. As you know, he married 0:34:11.980 --> 0:34:14.779 wives from several other countries, and they all had their 0:34:14.780 --> 0:34:18.690 own particular gods. In First Kings 11, the writer summarizes 0:34:18.690 --> 0:34:22.530 the problem this way. King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women. 0:34:22.810 --> 0:34:27.130 As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after 0:34:27.130 --> 0:34:30.049 other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to 0:34:30.050 --> 0:34:32.850 the Lord his God. As the heart of David, his 0:34:32.850 --> 0:34:35.529 father had been. I think these two things are the 0:34:35.530 --> 0:34:36.570 primary issues. 0:34:37.210 --> 0:34:40.489 Last question from Greg, who describes the the millions of 0:34:40.489 --> 0:34:43.810 Israelites that fled Egypt heading for the Promised Land. Do 0:34:43.810 --> 0:34:45.850 we know from Scripture who died in the desert and 0:34:45.850 --> 0:34:47.969 who made it? In that 40 years there would have 0:34:47.969 --> 0:34:50.649 been a lot of children born? Did only those plus 0:34:50.650 --> 0:34:53.250 Caleb and Joshua make it? I know it's not a 0:34:53.250 --> 0:34:55.009 super critical question, but I'm curious. 0:34:55.690 --> 0:34:58.810 What we know for sure is that every male over 0:34:58.810 --> 0:35:02.009 20 except Joshua and Caleb died during the time in 0:35:02.010 --> 0:35:09.009 the wilderness. That would be something like 603,548. And this 0:35:09.010 --> 0:35:12.450 doesn't count the priests and Levites who weren't numbered with 0:35:12.450 --> 0:35:15.390 the men of war. We can also assume that many 0:35:15.390 --> 0:35:17.990 of the women died, though they're not given a total number. 0:35:18.030 --> 0:35:21.230 In addition, some of the mixed multitude that left Egypt 0:35:21.230 --> 0:35:25.550 with the Israelites must also have died. Finally, even those 0:35:25.550 --> 0:35:29.230 under 20 who could have lived probably died during events 0:35:29.350 --> 0:35:33.230 like Coras Rebellion. Scene number 16 the incident with the 0:35:33.230 --> 0:35:36.830 fiery serpents. See number 21. And the immorality that took 0:35:36.830 --> 0:35:40.109 place with the Moabite women. As Israel neared the Promised Land. 0:35:40.150 --> 0:35:44.070 Scene number 25. In fact, that the number of fighting 0:35:44.070 --> 0:35:46.230 men was slightly less at the end of 40 years 0:35:46.230 --> 0:35:48.910 than it was at the beginning. By just a few thousand, 0:35:48.910 --> 0:35:52.390 suggests that the number of people likely remained relatively constant. 0:35:52.390 --> 0:35:55.670 So 2 to 3 million started out for the promised land, 0:35:55.670 --> 0:35:58.470 and the same number were alive some 40 years later. 0:35:58.750 --> 0:36:01.150 It seems likely that the number who died must have 0:36:01.150 --> 0:36:03.710 been about the same, something like 2 to 3 million. 0:36:03.950 --> 0:36:05.589 Well, either way, that's a lot of funerals. 0:36:05.750 --> 0:36:06.310 Indeed. 0:36:06.790 --> 0:36:09.069 Well, your question welcome as you email us at The 0:36:09.070 --> 0:36:13.029 Land and the book@moody.edu. But right now we're going to 0:36:13.030 --> 0:36:15.500 going to pause before getting ready to hear Charlie Dyer's devotional, 0:36:15.500 --> 0:36:31.339 next on the land and the book. Welcome back to 0:36:31.380 --> 0:36:33.860 segment four of the land and the book. I'm John 0:36:33.860 --> 0:36:36.500 Gager with our host, Charlie Dyer. Charlie, just yesterday I 0:36:36.500 --> 0:36:39.020 was walking from Moody to the train station, and I 0:36:39.060 --> 0:36:41.660 encountered a lady with a tiny little dog. It looked 0:36:41.660 --> 0:36:43.940 like a puppy, but it wasn't. It was a I 0:36:43.940 --> 0:36:46.060 think she called it an Aussie. And she said, it's 0:36:46.060 --> 0:36:48.739 full grown, six years old. That's all the bigger it gets. 0:36:48.739 --> 0:36:50.900 I'm just amazed at the number of kind of dogs 0:36:50.900 --> 0:36:52.180 there are, right? 0:36:52.180 --> 0:36:55.379 The number is astounding. I watched a dog show the 0:36:55.380 --> 0:36:57.259 other day, and I never even heard of half the 0:36:57.260 --> 0:36:58.380 breeds that they were showing. 0:36:58.700 --> 0:37:00.739 Well, in case you think the show has gone to 0:37:00.739 --> 0:37:03.460 the dogs, it has. But we'll let Charlie share all 0:37:03.460 --> 0:37:05.900 of that after this perspective from somebody who's been to 0:37:05.900 --> 0:37:08.580 the Holy Land and shares this now with you and me. 0:37:12.969 --> 0:37:15.649 Hi, my name is Eunice and I'm going to tell 0:37:15.650 --> 0:37:20.529 you my Holy Land experience. We won in 2001. There 0:37:20.530 --> 0:37:23.129 were six of us and we went and we just 0:37:23.610 --> 0:37:26.370 had the most wonderful guide. He knew the Bible backwards 0:37:26.370 --> 0:37:29.489 and forwards, but he did not want to be a Christian. 0:37:29.489 --> 0:37:33.810 We tried, but he took us so many wonderful places. 0:37:34.330 --> 0:37:36.850 And the place that stands out is we went to 0:37:36.850 --> 0:37:41.049 the Jordan River and they gave each of us a 0:37:41.050 --> 0:37:46.049 robe and we were baptized in the Jordan River. It 0:37:46.050 --> 0:37:49.810 was so memorable to know that that's where Jesus was 0:37:49.810 --> 0:37:53.930 baptized and we were too. We had so many wonderful 0:37:53.930 --> 0:37:58.810 experiences and do not hesitate to go. There are many 0:37:58.810 --> 0:38:03.130 wonderful people there who welcome us to come and are 0:38:03.170 --> 0:38:06.569 grateful for us to come and say thank you. We 0:38:06.570 --> 0:38:10.279 even went unto the Palestinian side of the of the 0:38:10.280 --> 0:38:13.960 market by where Jesus was crucified. They opened up a 0:38:13.960 --> 0:38:16.600 shop for us, and he could not say thank you 0:38:16.600 --> 0:38:20.600 enough that we would come over and take the risk 0:38:20.600 --> 0:38:23.560 and the time to go over there. And I praise 0:38:23.560 --> 0:38:25.960 God that we had the opportunity, and I hope we 0:38:25.960 --> 0:38:27.280 get to go back soon. 0:38:29.680 --> 0:38:32.600 I'm intrigued. Charlie, you have titled Today's devotional. 0:38:32.719 --> 0:38:35.080 What show? Dogs and hunting dogs. 0:38:35.680 --> 0:38:37.080 All right. I'll let you have at it. 0:38:37.200 --> 0:38:39.600 Okay. Thanks, John. Well, some years ago, when I was 0:38:39.600 --> 0:38:41.759 living in Texas, I was talking with a friend about 0:38:41.760 --> 0:38:45.759 an organisation's new chief financial officer. My buddy was a 0:38:45.760 --> 0:38:48.719 native Texan, and his response came right from the Lone 0:38:48.760 --> 0:38:52.440 Star State. It was direct to the point and colorful. 0:38:52.920 --> 0:38:57.080 The man's a show dog. Seeing my quizzical expression, he 0:38:57.080 --> 0:39:00.799 added an equally colorful explanation. He looks good, but he 0:39:00.800 --> 0:39:04.400 can't hunt. Well, that expression and its meaning have stuck 0:39:04.400 --> 0:39:07.560 with me ever since. We all come across show dogs 0:39:07.560 --> 0:39:12.230 in our lives. Men and women who appear confident, sophisticated, distinguished, 0:39:12.230 --> 0:39:15.990 intelligent or successful, but who can't get the job done. 0:39:16.230 --> 0:39:20.069 They look good, but they can't hunt. Jesus had little 0:39:20.070 --> 0:39:23.310 patience for the show dogs of his day, the hypocritical 0:39:23.310 --> 0:39:27.030 religious leaders who put on a facade of godliness but 0:39:27.070 --> 0:39:30.149 who didn't know God. And he was equally colorful in 0:39:30.150 --> 0:39:33.629 his description of these charlatans. Woe to you, teachers of 0:39:33.630 --> 0:39:37.230 the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed 0:39:37.270 --> 0:39:40.589 tombs which look beautiful on the outside, but on the 0:39:40.590 --> 0:39:44.110 inside are full of dead man's bones and everything unclean. 0:39:44.870 --> 0:39:48.310 From the very beginning of his public ministry, Jesus challenged 0:39:48.310 --> 0:39:51.350 the show dog mentality of his day. In the early 0:39:51.350 --> 0:39:55.629 chapters of Matthew, the author pictures Jesus as the ideal Israelite, 0:39:56.070 --> 0:39:58.990 just as the nation in its infancy went into Egypt. 0:39:58.989 --> 0:40:01.950 So Jesus was carried to Egypt as a baby. The 0:40:01.950 --> 0:40:05.110 nation had its baptismal experience in the Red sea, and 0:40:05.110 --> 0:40:08.540 Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River. Israel then went 0:40:08.540 --> 0:40:11.620 into the wilderness where it was tested. So Jesus went 0:40:11.620 --> 0:40:15.259 into the wilderness and was tempted by Satan. Finally, Israel 0:40:15.260 --> 0:40:18.420 went to Mount Sinai to receive the law. And Jesus 0:40:18.420 --> 0:40:21.220 went up on a mountainside and explained the true meaning 0:40:21.219 --> 0:40:23.459 of God's law, and how it ought to be lived 0:40:23.460 --> 0:40:26.980 out in our lives. We often call that message the 0:40:26.980 --> 0:40:29.820 sermon on the Mount, and it's found in Matthew chapter 0:40:29.820 --> 0:40:32.700 5 to 7. The Bible doesn't tell us the exact 0:40:32.700 --> 0:40:35.940 location where Jesus delivered the sermon on the Mount, but 0:40:35.940 --> 0:40:39.100 the traditional spot overlooking the Sea of Galilee fits the 0:40:39.100 --> 0:40:43.060 few biblical details recorded. Matthew tells us Jesus was in 0:40:43.060 --> 0:40:45.420 Galilee when he went up on the mountainside to deliver 0:40:45.420 --> 0:40:48.500 his message. And when he came down from the mountainside 0:40:48.500 --> 0:40:51.540 in Matthew eight, the first town he entered was Capernaum, 0:40:52.140 --> 0:40:55.060 standing at the entrance to Capernaum. Today, the dome of 0:40:55.060 --> 0:40:58.100 the church on the traditional Mount of Beatitudes is visible 0:40:58.219 --> 0:41:01.299 on top of the hill, just a mile to the west. 0:41:01.620 --> 0:41:04.700 From the balcony of that church, there's a magnificent view 0:41:04.700 --> 0:41:08.170 of the Sea of Galilee, grassy fields interspersed with banana 0:41:08.210 --> 0:41:12.170 groves descend toward the water's edge. It's easy to visualize 0:41:12.210 --> 0:41:16.730 thousands of curiosity seekers flocking to this hillside, or one nearby, 0:41:16.969 --> 0:41:19.610 to listen to the latest message from this rabbi, and 0:41:19.610 --> 0:41:21.970 perhaps to be an eye witness to one of his miracles. 0:41:22.250 --> 0:41:24.930 But whatever brought them to the site, they weren't prepared 0:41:24.930 --> 0:41:28.410 for the penetrating message he was about to deliver. Most 0:41:28.410 --> 0:41:31.570 of us know the beginning of Jesus's message, the Beatitudes. 0:41:31.850 --> 0:41:33.770 But I want to focus on the rest of the message. 0:41:34.410 --> 0:41:36.930 Jesus made it clear he had not arrived to do 0:41:36.930 --> 0:41:40.170 away with God's standards for right and wrong. Do not 0:41:40.170 --> 0:41:42.450 think I have come to abolish the law or the prophets, 0:41:42.450 --> 0:41:44.890 he cried. I have not come to abolish them, but 0:41:44.890 --> 0:41:49.050 to fulfill them. He explained the true intent of God's law, 0:41:49.570 --> 0:41:53.130 giving several examples. You have heard that it was said 0:41:53.130 --> 0:41:57.730 he announced, followed by the standard pharisaic interpretation of God's 0:41:57.730 --> 0:42:01.810 law concerning murder, adultery, divorce, the taking of an oath, 0:42:01.969 --> 0:42:06.080 seeking revenge, and loving one's neighbor. But he followed each 0:42:06.080 --> 0:42:09.440 section explaining God's true intent for that law with a 0:42:09.440 --> 0:42:14.200 dramatic contrast. But I tell you, the difference was profound. 0:42:14.360 --> 0:42:16.839 Like the difference between a show dog and one that 0:42:16.840 --> 0:42:20.360 can actually hunt. So what was the standard for obedience 0:42:20.360 --> 0:42:23.879 that God expected? Jesus gave a summary at the end 0:42:23.880 --> 0:42:28.040 of chapter five. Be perfect therefore, as your heavenly father 0:42:28.040 --> 0:42:34.120 is perfect. God's standard is perfection. Jesus achieved that standard. 0:42:34.480 --> 0:42:37.279 But the religious leaders of his day did not. And 0:42:37.280 --> 0:42:40.040 if we're honest with ourselves, we need to admit we 0:42:40.040 --> 0:42:43.880 don't reach that standard either. Jesus then looked beyond a 0:42:43.880 --> 0:42:47.719 person's actions to focus on his or her motives. Be 0:42:47.719 --> 0:42:50.479 careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men 0:42:50.480 --> 0:42:54.120 to be seen by them. He highlighted the key ways 0:42:54.239 --> 0:42:58.000 one demonstrated devotion to God in his day, giving to 0:42:58.000 --> 0:43:01.759 the needy, praying and fasting. In each case, he said, 0:43:01.760 --> 0:43:04.819 A religious hypocrite does the right thing, but for the 0:43:04.820 --> 0:43:07.739 wrong motives to be honored by others, to be seen 0:43:07.739 --> 0:43:11.140 by others, to demonstrate to others his or her devotion 0:43:11.140 --> 0:43:15.100 to God. Those seeking to impress others forfeit the reward 0:43:15.100 --> 0:43:19.380 they could have received from God. Jesus's point is profound. 0:43:19.660 --> 0:43:22.980 If we really are seeking to please God by our actions, 0:43:22.980 --> 0:43:25.860 then it shouldn't matter whether or not others even know 0:43:25.860 --> 0:43:29.500 what we've done. Jesus ended his message with a stern 0:43:29.500 --> 0:43:33.580 series of warnings. The way leading to destruction is wide, 0:43:33.580 --> 0:43:36.060 but small is the gate and narrow the road that 0:43:36.100 --> 0:43:38.819 leads to life, and only a few find it. Not 0:43:38.820 --> 0:43:42.259 everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the 0:43:42.260 --> 0:43:45.460 kingdom of heaven. The ones listening to his words and 0:43:45.460 --> 0:43:48.660 putting them into practice are like a wise man building 0:43:48.660 --> 0:43:52.140 his house on the rock. In short, obedience to his 0:43:52.140 --> 0:43:56.180 words will provide stability and a solid foundation to help 0:43:56.180 --> 0:43:59.739 one withstand life's storms. And that brings us back to 0:43:59.739 --> 0:44:03.050 the Sea of Galilee, to Jesus and to And to us. 0:44:03.530 --> 0:44:07.450 Jesus understood the power of storms. He would soon calm 0:44:07.450 --> 0:44:10.930 a storm on the Sea of Galilee with the simple command. Peace. 0:44:11.210 --> 0:44:15.370 Be still. More importantly, he understood the sinfulness of the 0:44:15.370 --> 0:44:19.170 human heart. The religious leaders in Jesus's day sought to 0:44:19.210 --> 0:44:22.770 meet God's righteous standards by reinterpreting them to make them 0:44:22.770 --> 0:44:25.290 easier to keep. And don't get me wrong, they still 0:44:25.290 --> 0:44:28.890 wanted to have standards that were too difficult for most people, 0:44:28.890 --> 0:44:31.770 but just not for them. They weren't perfect, but if 0:44:31.770 --> 0:44:34.569 God would just grade on a curve, they would be 0:44:34.570 --> 0:44:37.850 better than everyone else. But Jesus knew that dog wouldn't 0:44:37.890 --> 0:44:40.850 hunt for I tell you. He warned that unless your 0:44:40.850 --> 0:44:44.370 righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of 0:44:44.370 --> 0:44:47.730 the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. 0:44:48.330 --> 0:44:51.090 God doesn't grade on a curve. And the only passing 0:44:51.090 --> 0:44:55.529 grade is 100%. So where does that leave us? The 0:44:55.530 --> 0:44:57.690 Bible makes it clear that all have sinned and come 0:44:57.730 --> 0:45:00.330 short of the glory of God. No one, no matter 0:45:00.330 --> 0:45:04.480 how religious, has met God's standard. So can anyone get 0:45:04.480 --> 0:45:08.000 to heaven? The answer, thankfully, is yes. We can't make 0:45:08.000 --> 0:45:10.520 it there through our own good works, because none of 0:45:10.520 --> 0:45:14.120 us can achieve the standard set by God. But Jesus 0:45:14.120 --> 0:45:17.239 was perfect. He did reach that standard. He was the 0:45:17.239 --> 0:45:19.880 only person who ever lived who could make it to 0:45:19.920 --> 0:45:22.959 heaven through his own good works. But instead of going 0:45:22.960 --> 0:45:25.919 straight to heaven, he took a detour that led him 0:45:25.920 --> 0:45:29.240 from this hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee to another 0:45:29.239 --> 0:45:33.279 hill called Calvary, just outside the city of Jerusalem. When 0:45:33.280 --> 0:45:35.359 Jesus hung on the cross, he did so to pay 0:45:35.360 --> 0:45:38.640 the penalty for your sin and mine. As the prophet 0:45:38.640 --> 0:45:42.440 Isaiah predicted seven centuries before the time of Jesus, he 0:45:42.440 --> 0:45:46.160 was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities. 0:45:46.440 --> 0:45:49.200 The punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and 0:45:49.200 --> 0:45:52.040 by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, 0:45:52.040 --> 0:45:54.640 have gone astray. Each of us has turned to his 0:45:54.640 --> 0:45:56.960 own way. And the Lord has laid on him the 0:45:56.960 --> 0:46:00.000 iniquity of us all. So how do we get to heaven? 0:46:00.550 --> 0:46:03.270 It's not through our own efforts. Rather, we can receive 0:46:03.270 --> 0:46:06.230 eternal life as a gift by placing our faith and 0:46:06.230 --> 0:46:09.310 trust in Jesus and in his death on our behalf. 0:46:09.790 --> 0:46:12.790 Sometime today, get by yourself and read Matthew 5 to 7. 0:46:13.110 --> 0:46:17.190 Note the impossibly high standards required to be righteous before God, 0:46:17.550 --> 0:46:20.549 and then thank God that Jesus met those standards and 0:46:20.550 --> 0:46:23.190 willingly went to the cross in our place to pay 0:46:23.190 --> 0:46:25.469 the penalty for our disobedience. 0:46:25.830 --> 0:46:28.310 Thank you Charlie. And if you're tired of being a 0:46:28.310 --> 0:46:30.790 show dog spiritually, if you want to be the real 0:46:30.790 --> 0:46:33.910 deal right with God, a friend will pray with you now. 0:46:34.110 --> 0:46:37.989 Answer your questions about knowing Jesus when you call 888. 0:46:38.030 --> 0:46:42.510 Need him? Talk to that volunteer now at 888. Need him. 0:46:43.030 --> 0:46:45.629 But a great program, a full broadcast. As always. We 0:46:45.630 --> 0:46:48.310 thank you for listening. We thank the station here for 0:46:48.310 --> 0:46:51.270 providing air time for the land and the book, a 0:46:51.270 --> 0:46:54.950 production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.