S1: Before she was Sarah, she was Sarai, a devoted wife.
S1: She is perhaps best known for her lack of faith.
S1: When God promised she would have a child in her
S1: old age. But have we misjudged her? Coming up, it's
S1: a visit with Sarai. We'll get to know her background
S1: and the cultural details that make her story come alive. Plus,
S1: a look at the top stories coming out of the
S1: Middle East and much more. This is the land and
S1: the book with noted Middle East expert Doctor Charlie Dyer,
S1: who has recently released an updated version of the important
S1: Moody Publishers book Who Owns the Land? I'm John Gallagher asking,
S1: what does Passover mean for us as believers in Jesus? Some,
S1: of course, will remember the story from the book of Exodus,
S1: but there's so much more to it. Did you know,
S1: for example, that the Last Supper was actually a Passover meal?
S1: And not only did Jesus and his disciples celebrate Passover,
S1: it also foreshadowed his death on the cross for our redemption.
S2: Jewish people have been keeping the feast of Passover for
S2: thousands of years. Understanding the history and importance of this
S2: holiday will help you better connect with your Jewish friends
S2: and neighbors. And what better way is there to learn
S2: about Passover than to experience a Passover Seder yourself? If
S2: you've never celebrated Passover, our friends at Life in Messiah
S2: would love to partner with you in hosting a Seder experience.
S2: Every year, their staff engages churches and small groups in
S2: an interactive Messiah in the Passover Seder, allowing participants to
S2: taste and see the redemption story. If you're interested in
S2: having someone come lead a Seder in your area, visit
S2: Life in Messiah Org and click on the radio button
S2: there to learn more. That's life in Messiah.
S1: Well, let's switch our focus now toward current events from
S1: the Middle East. Plenty to talk about, as always. Israel's
S1: current coalition has been in power now for two years.
S1: So far, it survived political opposition over judicial reform and
S1: external attacks by Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran and the Houthis. But
S1: its biggest challenges might lie just ahead, with its own
S1: internal battles over finishing the war with Hamas, drafting the
S1: ultra-Orthodox into the army and approving a budget for the
S1: next fiscal year. What makes these challenges so unique, Charlie?
S2: These challenges strike at the very heart of the coalition.
S2: They threaten to shatter the coalition, which would, of course,
S2: force new elections. The ultra-Orthodox parties in the coalition want
S2: a law passed to exempt the ultra-Orthodox from being drafted
S2: into the army. One party leader threatened to blow up
S2: the coalition if such a law isn't passed in the
S2: next two months. And that time frame he gave is significant.
S2: The other ultra-Orthodox party threatened to not vote to pass
S2: a budget without the law. Now, failure to pass a
S2: budget will automatically bring down the government and require early elections.
S2: And the deadline to pass the budget is the end
S2: of March. Bezalel Smotrich of the National Religious Party ruled
S2: out making any concessions on ultra-Orthodox conscription. His party is
S2: also religious, but they support having all Israelis, including the ultra-Orthodox, serve.
S2: He challenged the two ultra-Orthodox parties to take part in
S2: military service, or at the very least, to pass the
S2: budget before dissolving the Knesset, saying Israel needs a budget
S2: to fight a war. Following the resignation of Ben-Gvir and
S2: his party from the coalition three weeks ago, Netanyahu is
S2: left with a razor thin majority. If all the parties
S2: can't reach a compromise on the draft, the looming budget
S2: deadline at the end of March could bring about the
S2: collapse of the coalition. Netanyahu was reported to be working
S2: on a plan B should the ultra-Orthodox refuse to budge
S2: in the negotiations. Apparently, he's quietly approached opposition leaders to
S2: back his government through the hostage release in exchange for
S2: holding early elections. One year after the last captive returns,
S2: if accepted, this could allow a minority government to remain
S2: in power while ending the war with Hamas and also
S2: passing a bill to draft the ultra-Orthodox. However, it's unclear
S2: if this is a genuine offer or more of a
S2: threat to the ultra-Orthodox to get them to back down
S2: on their demands. And it's not clear if the opposition
S2: parties even see it as a legitimate offer, since they
S2: don't trust Netanyahu. We've said before that Netanyahu is a
S2: political chess master, but this could be one of the
S2: most difficult political chess matches he's ever played.
S1: Prime Minister Netanyahu met with President Trump this past week,
S1: amid the backdrop of threats from Iran and pressure from Washington.
S1: Will the U.S. give Israel permission to attack Iran's nuclear facilities?
S1: And if we do, what could we require in return?
S2: Well, some diplomats in Europe suggest Israel has already decided
S2: to attack Iran's nuclear sites. They feel the question isn't if,
S2: but when such an attack will take place. Apparently, U.S.
S2: intelligence has uncovered a covert plan in Iran to explore
S2: a faster but cruder method to develop nuclear weapons. What's
S2: certain is that Iran is concerned enough about the threat
S2: to have publicly stated that any attack on their nuclear
S2: sites will result in all out war in the region. Now,
S2: President Trump denied the US and Israel were planning an
S2: attack in that latest meeting, but he did sign an
S2: executive order renewing maximum economic pressure on Iran to try
S2: to get their oil exports down to zero. The crazy
S2: part of that meeting between Trump and Netanyahu was that
S2: Iran actually took a back seat to Trump's suggested plan
S2: to transform Gaza. His suggestion to resettle the people of
S2: Gaza and turn the area into a resort spot along
S2: the Mediterranean surprised many. It was Trump proposing new and
S2: creative solutions to the problem in Gaza, and he approached
S2: it from his background as a developer looking at prime
S2: waterfront property. Now, the plan was intriguing, but it left
S2: many questions unanswered. Would the displacement of people from Gaza
S2: be temporary or permanent? What did he mean when he
S2: said the US would take over Gaza? And was this
S2: a well developed plan, or simply intended to shock the
S2: different sides into moving off calcified positions? His idea drew
S2: immediate condemnation and rejection from Arab states and Europe, which
S2: was to be expected. But that doesn't necessarily mean the
S2: plan is a non-starter. The key now is to watch,
S2: to see what happens next. President Trump would like to
S2: implement a large scale peace plan in the region to
S2: build on the Abraham Accords and transform the Middle East.
S2: It's definitely a bold gamble, and only time will tell
S2: if he can succeed. And it put the question of
S2: attacking Iran back into a proper context.
S1: From Moody Radio. This is the land and the book.
S1: You're listening to a summary of current events unfolding in
S1: the Middle East this past week. Imagine finding legal notes
S1: from a 100 year old court case. Well, that's what
S1: scholars now believe was discovered in the Judean wilderness. What
S1: exactly was found and what is its is its significance?
S2: Yeah. And first, the background on this. The papyrus discovered
S2: the longest Greek papyrus ever found in the Judean wilderness,
S2: was unearthed by Bedouin antiquities dealers back in the 1950s.
S2: The document ended up in the archives of the Israel
S2: Antiquities Authority, where it was mislabeled as being Nabataean for
S2: all those years. Ten years ago, the papyrus was rediscovered
S2: by a professor who realized it wasn't a Nabataean document,
S2: but notes from a criminal trial in a Roman court
S2: against two Jewish defendants, likely the private notes of an
S2: attorney preparing for the trial. The scroll records an accusation
S2: of several crimes, including fiscal fraud, forgery, and sedition against
S2: two Jewish individuals. The charge was that one Jewish defendant
S2: had appeared to sell slaves to a friend in a
S2: different province, but instead of transferring them and paying the taxes,
S2: the slaves seem to have disappeared. The second defendant was
S2: accused of forging a document supporting the fictitious sale. These
S2: notes shed light on the sophistication of the Roman legal system,
S2: including the high standards of proof that were required to
S2: support criminal charges. It shows the Roman practices previously documented
S2: in Egypt were also enforced throughout the eastern part of
S2: the empire. One of the co-authors of the article about
S2: the document called it the best documented Roman court case
S2: from Judea, apart from the trial of Jesus. Sadly, since
S2: these were apparently just preparatory notes ahead of the trial,
S2: the one thing we don't know is what the final
S2: verdict was.
S1: I was about to ask. Thanks for that. Well, in
S1: the very near future, taking your car in to be
S1: serviced might include an MRI as part of the initial inspection.
S1: At least that's the vision of Israeli startup Yuvi. Tell
S1: us about this innovation coming our way from Amazing Israel.
S2: Yuvi has developed an AI driven, camera based scanner platform
S2: that can inspect a car in seconds and generate a
S2: comprehensive report on the condition of the engine, the chassis,
S2: the bodywork and the tyres. In addition to visually scanning
S2: the tyres, undercarriage and body, it also scans the interior
S2: and extracts all sensor data and alerts from the vehicle's computer.
S2: It even analyzes the engine sound. The system, originally developed
S2: for homeland security purposes to check under vehicles for explosives,
S2: has been expanded and repurposed to scan the entire car
S2: or truck. The system is already scanning a million vehicles
S2: a month, but Yuvi sees that as only the beginning.
S2: They recently signed a deal to deploy 850 of their
S2: systems at Amazon delivery stations in the US, Canada, Germany
S2: and the UK. They're also working to sign up new
S2: and used car dealerships, rental car companies and major fleet retailers.
S2: Instead of taking the word of a mechanic or service
S2: advisor or salesperson when it comes to knowing if your
S2: car or truck needs to have work done. Imagine driving
S2: through Uvi and receiving a printout showing the actual mechanical
S2: state of your vehicle. It will save the dealership time,
S2: and it will give you peace of mind in knowing
S2: exactly what needs to be done and when that happens.
S2: We need to be sure to thank Uvi from Amazing Israel.
S1: Thank you. Charlie. One last follow up question. What do
S1: you think is the significance of the fact that Netanyahu,
S1: if I'm not mistaken, is the first head of a
S1: foreign nation to visit with our president?
S2: He is the first. And they made sure to make
S2: that point abundantly clear. I think it was trying to
S2: show the close connection and camaraderie between Israel and the
S2: US right now.
S1: Well, coming up on the land and the book A
S1: visit with Sarah. You know, before she was Sarah, she
S1: was Sarah and a devoted wife. She is perhaps best
S1: known for her lack of faith. When God promised her
S1: she would have a child in her old age. But
S1: have we misjudged her? There's more to the story. Next
S1: here on the land. And the book. He promised her
S1: his heart. She promised him a son. But how long
S1: must they wait? Sarah, the last child of her aged father.
S1: Is beautiful, spoiled and used to getting her own way.
S1: Her story comes to life in a conversation we're about
S1: to have here on the land. And the book. Welcome
S1: to our second segment. I'm John Gallagher, and before we
S1: meet the Old Testament character, Sarah, let's think for a
S1: moment about creative ways that we can show the love
S1: of Jesus to our Jewish neighbors and coworkers and friends.
S1: Roy Schwartz is with Chosen People Ministries and joins us
S1: in studio now for a quick conversation about how to
S1: share our faith with Jewish friends. Roy, let me throw
S1: this at you. Your Jewish friend, my Jewish friend would
S1: be more open to a conversation about Jesus if. If
S1: we started how or avoided this or overlooked that? What's
S1: the if?
S3: If we found roots of commonality. If we found something
S3: in common with that person that you were sharing with.
S3: If if you could just touch the heart of that
S3: person and connect with some great memory that connects you
S3: with the faith of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
S3: I mean, most of us grew up with Passover, grew
S3: up with Hanukkah, grew up with, uh, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur.
S3: And if you can touch one of those things that,
S3: you know, that you were reading just the other day
S3: about Rosh Hashanah and, and what it meant to you
S3: and and what does it mean to you? You know,
S3: I was reading about Yom Kippur and or the Feast
S3: of Tabernacles, and those are kind of memories that stir
S3: up things in our heart. And so, again, I would look, John,
S3: for points of commonality, things that we have in common
S3: with the with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
S1: Seems to me that meaningful conversations are a byproduct of
S1: meaningful relationships, and we can't overlook the fact that we're
S1: not going to get to that dialogue that we want
S1: to get to so badly until we've invested time in
S1: the friendship.
S3: Yeah, I think asking questions also is a great thing.
S3: If you ask a good question, you'll get a person
S3: to start talking. And once you get them starting to talk,
S3: the door opens for many things.
S1: I hope I'll be a better question asker and I
S1: hope you will be too. That's Roy Schwartz with Chosen
S1: People Ministries. Jill Eileen Smith is the best selling and
S1: award winning author of many biblical novels, including her first series,
S1: The Wives of King David. In 20 years, she's published
S1: 24 books, fiction and nonfiction, and had one of those
S1: books optioned for film. She loves Jesus, loves His word,
S1: and all things related to learning more about the culture
S1: and times of the people of the Bible, particularly the
S1: women whom God has immortalized there. We're glad to connect
S1: with Jill today on the land and the book. Welcome
S1: to you, Jill.
S4: Thanks for having me.
S1: Well, the Old Testament character Sarah is familiar to all
S1: of us, but let me start by asking, why did
S1: you choose to title the book Sarai, her original name,
S1: as opposed to the name that she came to be
S1: known by Sarah?
S4: Um, well, most of the book she's referred to as Sarai,
S4: or as I called her, Sarai. I'm not really sure
S4: how to pronounce it, but in the Bible her name
S4: isn't changed until almost the end of her life. So
S4: since the book is mostly with the original name, I
S4: decided that that would be a good choice. And I
S4: don't honestly title my books. Ravel has to make that
S4: final decision, so they agreed with me on this one.
S4: It was easy because back then we were just titling
S4: books by the name of the woman, but now it's
S4: gotten a little more complicated and it's harder to come
S4: up with titles.
S1: Yeah, well, where do you go for research on a
S1: character as old as Sarai? Obviously there's scripture. Anything else?
S1: I mean, we're talking something 2000 years ago.
S4: Yeah. Um, well, I had started my research with the
S4: wives of King David in, like, 1900 to 1000 BC.
S4: But when I got to Abraham, I had to go
S4: back a thousand years and study ancient Mesopotamia. So it
S4: took me to a new land. It took me to
S4: a thousand years earlier. And there's not much there, but
S4: there is some. I remember finding research about a tomb
S4: in Ur, and I'm not sure it's the exact Ur
S4: where Abraham came from, but they had uncovered all kinds
S4: of things that this burial site, which gave you a
S4: lot of insight into the culture. So I do a
S4: lot of research that I can find on cultural differences.
S4: And what did they worship? And, you know, the geographical
S4: situation and change, but cultures do. So I try to
S4: search for that. Besides what's in Scripture?
S1: Jill Eileen Smith is the best selling and award winning
S1: author of the biblical fiction series The Wives of King David.
S1: Wives of the Patriarchs and Daughters of the Promised Land,
S1: along with many, many others. She joins us today on
S1: The land and the book. Okay. You mentioned this tomb.
S1: What are some other actual historical details available to us
S1: regarding the life of Sarai? For example, we know that
S1: she and Abraham were married somewhere around 2000 B.C. but
S1: beyond that, what does history tell us? Or what do
S1: the times of that era suggest?
S4: Well, history doesn't have a lot, and that's one of
S4: the benefits, I suppose, of writing books set in ancient times,
S4: because you're not going to likely run into someone who
S4: is a super expert on those times because they haven't uncovered.
S4: They are more and more uncovering things of the past.
S4: But back when I did this research, that tomb, and
S4: a few other things, I looked for books on ancient Mesopotamia,
S4: but he came from the land of ur of the
S4: Chaldees and moved up to. Um, I forgot the name
S4: of the city now, where they waited a long time
S4: until Terah died and then moved to Canaan. So you
S4: kind of had to get a feel for that area.
S4: I can't pinpoint an actual place to go in a
S4: historical book to tell you so it's too many books ago.
S4: I'm sorry.
S1: Yeah. So talk to me, though, about the fact that
S1: you have done a lot of research in Israel. Uh,
S1: how does that impact the flavor of what you write?
S1: The factual basis, the historical context?
S4: I haven't actually done research in Israel. I only got
S4: to go to Israel after my first series sold. I
S4: had done everything either through books on Israel or cultural
S4: things like I always do. I look up commentaries, I
S4: look up life and times, books and all the ancient
S4: Israel books online, whatever I could find. I had studied
S4: King David for like 20 years, a long time, and
S4: done Bible study on his life. And so I had
S4: dug deep into that era, into his life. And of course,
S4: Scripture gives so much on him that was easier. But,
S4: you know, when you're switching back a thousand years, it's
S4: just having to figure out, okay, what were the differences?
S4: Were the culture? I mean, they were living in tents,
S4: not living in palaces, but David lived in caves, so
S4: it wasn't a lot different. The clothing is still similar.
S4: You know what? They ate those kind of things. Um,
S4: but back in with Abraham, he started out not knowing God.
S4: He came from a very pagan land. Although there is
S4: a link between him coming from the the line of Shem.
S4: And it's possible that one of those descendants. When I
S4: did the math, but I'm not good at math. So anyway,
S4: I think it was could have been alive when Abraham
S4: was alive. And that, I think, is where we get
S4: the name Hebrew. And anyway, he could have known some
S4: of the history of the ark and the descendants that
S4: came from that, but they were living in a very
S4: pagan area, worshiping different gods. And Sarai could have been
S4: also a worshiper of foreign gods until the Lord called
S4: them to leave. She did go with him, but how
S4: her faith was compared to his. We really aren't told.
S4: At least at first.
S1: We're talking with Jill Eileen Smith today on the land
S1: and the book as we learn about the life of Sarai. Obviously,
S1: you're creating a work of fiction based on historical biblical facts.
S1: So what guidelines shape your editing decisions when it comes
S1: to creative license with the biblical characters? And in this case,
S1: because as we've, you know, readily conceded, there isn't all
S1: that much to go on, but you still have to,
S1: you know, have some kind of guidelines. What do you use?
S4: Well, the Bible is my main guideline. I don't change
S4: what it says. I don't change what happened. I look
S4: for what might motivate them. I look for how it
S4: might have come about. And sometimes the why questions. You know,
S4: why did they make that decision? Like, for instance, Abraham decided, well,
S4: when he was Abraham to ask Sarah to tell everyone,
S4: you're my sister so they won't kill me. And I
S4: had a friend years ago that I had met. I
S4: didn't know her well, but she always wondered how Sarah
S4: felt when foreign kings would just take her, you know?
S4: What was it like when the Egyptian king said, okay,
S4: I'll take you for my wife and Abraham? Just let him?
S4: It's like, where's the protective husband, you know? And so
S4: to a woman looking at that going, this does not compute.
S4: But she went along with it more than once because
S4: it was their habit according to Scripture. So I stick
S4: with whatever scripture says and try to figure out, well,
S4: how did she feel in that situation? How did he feel?
S4: Why was he afraid for his life and not trusting
S4: God to protect him? And, you know, just trying to
S4: understand how the human nature would have played out in
S4: the situation that we're given in Scripture. And, you know,
S4: how might all of this have taken a toll on
S4: her for waiting and waiting and waiting. That's not easy.
S1: No. You know, since you've taken us down this path,
S1: a lot of Bible readers struggle to wrap their brains
S1: around Sarah being not just beautiful, but beautiful, even in
S1: her old age. Mhm. Apparently she's still turning heads in
S1: her senior years. What's your take.
S4: Ah that was pretty amazing. That why on earth even after.
S4: I think it was after the Lord visited Abraham. Abraham
S4: at that point and told him in a year, Sarah,
S4: by that point is going to have a child. And
S4: even then, unless it's like sometimes people say it's not
S4: necessarily written chronologically the way our Bibles are laid out.
S4: But it's like he traveled to the Philistine territory and
S4: another king took her into his harem. Yes. And she
S4: was supposed to be having a baby within that year.
S4: And you're like, what? Why are they doing this? So
S4: it was really strange. I mean, I could understand why
S4: she gave Hagar to Abraham. I proposed that she hit
S4: menopause and decided I'm done. I can't have a kid. Yes.
S4: And so that could have very well been her motivation there.
S4: But what was his to keep lying about this when
S4: God made all these promises to him? It's like, well,
S4: this is weird. And I think one thing I wonder
S4: about at the very end, if you don't mind a
S4: side trail, but you can interrupt me. At the end
S4: of her life, after God tests Abraham to sacrifice Isaac
S4: and she finds out about it. We aren't shown what
S4: her opinion or what happens there in her mind. But
S4: the Bible says in the chapter before her death, near
S4: the end of it, it says that Abraham lived in Beersheba,
S4: and in the next chapter she was in Hebron, and
S4: he went there to mourn for her. It doesn't say
S4: he went there, but I mean, it makes you wonder,
S4: were they living separately? I mean, can you imagine? You
S4: took my son and did what?
S1: Right?
S4: You know, I mean, I could imagine she'd have been
S4: angry and hurt. And how could you do that? This
S4: was after all these years. And did they separate? I mean,
S4: he had a concubine, and I don't know if he
S4: got the concubine. I can't remember if it was before
S4: or after she died. I think it was after, But still.
S1: Yeah, a lot of unanswered questions there for sure.
S4: I know a lot of questions I want to ask
S4: the Lord someday.
S1: So if you're just joining us, this is the land
S1: and the book, our conversation with Jill Ileene Smith. Uh,
S1: you know, is there a historical custom or perspective most
S1: of us might be ignorant of that would really help
S1: us understand just a bit better the life of Sarah,
S1: something that you encountered in your research?
S4: I think perhaps we can look at her life as
S4: one of having. I mean, for me, she's a great
S4: example of someone that has to learn to wait on
S4: the Lord and trust him, and that waiting for 25
S4: years and being barren. You know, it happened to Zechariah
S4: and Elizabeth, too. And there's no mention of Elizabeth being,
S4: you know, here, take my servant or, you know, she
S4: was just okay. God doesn't want me to have a kid.
S4: But Sarah, she had all this angst to deal with
S4: because the promise was given to her husband, and she
S4: hadn't actually heard the promise until that visit at the
S4: tent when she left. You know, it came through Abraham.
S4: It's like Adam told Eve about the tree. God didn't
S4: tell Eve. God told Adam. And so when we look
S4: at things in Scripture and realize, well, the woman got
S4: the information second hand. And how much harder is that
S4: to trust the Lord? Because you're trusting your husband and
S4: he's trusting the Lord, and you're trying to think that
S4: he knows what he's doing, but he's asking you to
S4: lie for him at the same time. So you're kind
S4: of having this crisis of faith, perhaps. But I think
S4: in the end, she's written about in Hebrews 11, as
S4: someone with the faith that, you know, she's commended for.
S4: So she did have faith. We find it out later,
S4: you know. But in her actual story, it's harder to see.
S1: I think that is helpful. And it'll even be more
S1: helpful as we as we check out the book. Sara.
S1: It's from Jill Eileen Smith. There's a link to the book,
S1: a link to her website at our website. The land
S1: and the book. Org, the land and the book org.
S1: Sure appreciate your taking the time to let us understand
S1: this lady's life a lot better. You put a lot
S1: into it and we thank you for your careful research.
S4: Oh, thank you for asking the questions.
S1: All right, well, up next we've got more questions, not mine.
S1: Yours right here on the land and the book. Welcome
S1: back to segment three of the Land and the book.
S1: I'm John Gager hoping your day is going well. It's
S1: about to get better. Why? Because there's something very, very
S1: satisfying about looking at a puzzling issue of scripture and
S1: getting an actual answer. That's what's in store for you
S1: as we sit down and say hello to Doctor Gerald
S1: Peterman of the Moody Bible Institute faculty. Good to connect
S1: with you, sir.
S5: Likewise. Good to be connected.
S1: And you know, we've got a big stack of questions
S1: as always. So let's dig right in, starting with this
S1: one from Dan who asks, can all diseases encountered by
S1: Christians be a result of specific sins?
S5: Okay, to give a short answer, Dan, no. This is
S5: an important question, but can a sin cause a disease? Yes.
S5: But are all of them caused by sins? No. We
S5: should now go look at some passages of scripture about that.
S5: In first Corinthians 11, Paul warns the Corinthians about how
S5: they partake of the Lord's Supper. Do not partake of
S5: the Lord's Supper in an unworthy manner, because if you
S5: do so, it could be trouble. He says anyone who
S5: eats or drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord
S5: eats and drinks judgment unto himself. This is why many
S5: among you are weak and sick. In other words, yes,
S5: it's possible for a sin to lead to illness. But wait,
S5: now we must go to John chapter nine. You know
S5: what happens in happens in John chapter nine? Jesus is
S5: walking along. He encounters a man born blind, and the
S5: disciples ask, Lord, who sinned? This man should be born blind,
S5: him or his parents. And the Lord said, neither one
S5: this is for the glory of God. Yeah. So we
S5: should ask ourselves the question when we're ill, is this
S5: a sin? Because the answer might be yes, it might
S5: be no. This question is, in part, the question that
S5: job's friends are bringing to job. Exactly right. The Lord's testimony.
S5: He is righteous, but he is really suffering physically.
S1: Let's go to Sadie's question in judges 11. Why is
S1: Jephthah prohibited from an inheritance for being born to a prostitute?
S1: What was his fault if his father was the one
S1: who fornicated? I mean, this almost follows that first question.
S5: Yeah, and I appreciate that question. If we come to
S5: the passage of Scripture, what we find is that God
S5: isn't the one that prohibits it. It's the other sons
S5: who prohibit it. Did so the text reads this is
S5: 11 two. Gilead's wife also bore him sons, and when
S5: they were grown up, they drove Jethro away. You're not
S5: going to get any inheritance in our family, they said,
S5: because you are the son of another woman. This isn't
S5: the Lord's decision. This isn't the father's decision. This is
S5: the other brother's decision.
S1: Let's get to Terry's question. He wants to know, is
S1: it possible that before the flood, all the land was
S1: together and all the seas were one? The flood caused
S1: such an amazing disruption on the earth, with mountains and
S1: rising up of landmasses, amazing tsunamis, the foundations of the
S1: deep burst forth were told. My question and it's obvious speculation,
S1: says Terry. Is there anywhere in the Bible that suggests
S1: this as possible?
S5: Well, the short answer is there's no particular text that
S5: directly addresses this. There are a couple that are sometimes cited.
S5: Genesis 110 mentions that there are various seas in this
S5: earth as created, but we should keep in keep in
S5: mind that a C might be a smaller body of water,
S5: like we would say, the Sea of Galilee, rather than
S5: being an ocean. Later on in Genesis ten, when one
S5: describes an ancestor who's named Peleg, it said that because
S5: in his time the earth was divided. But almost certainly
S5: divided here means people were driven apart at Babel. They
S5: were in different tribes rather than landmasses being divided. So
S5: certainly the flood caused some disruption, but changing one landmass
S5: into many, we just can't be sure.
S1: All right. Does Prevenient Grace allow a person to reject
S1: and later accept the call of Christ by the Holy
S1: Spirit free will? Or is there one call? And that's
S1: the moment of salvation, just this irresistible grace thing.
S5: And I appreciate this question too. Likewise, we have some
S5: phrases which can be helpful, but really are not biblical phrases.
S5: Prevenient grace a kind of grace that goes ahead. A
S5: kind of kind of grace that helps you to do
S5: what you want to do, but you're actually kind of
S5: doing it yourself. Prevenient grace is a kind of grace
S5: that works with you. This is set up against irresistible grace,
S5: which is something you cannot work against. It's just going
S5: to draw you. But this is not human experience. Rather
S5: than using these kinds of categories, I'd rather say that
S5: God is continuously working with us and in us and
S5: for us. Let me give you myself as an example
S5: of this. I heard the gospel many, many times as
S5: a young man in church, on the radio from friends,
S5: and it never made any sense. I rejected it as
S5: silly and stupid until the day I heard it again.
S5: I heard nothing new. It made sense. Yes, that was
S5: the time that God enabled me to understand it. But
S5: it was not as if I felt like, oh, I'm
S5: going to be now believing against my will. Now he
S5: drew me and I came to came to Christ.
S1: Doctor Gerald Peterman is a professor of Bible at Moody
S1: Bible Institute. In the classroom every day teaching students and
S1: kind enough to share some of his wisdom with us.
S1: As you email us your questions at the Land and
S1: the book@moody.edu. Alan says it sounds like Jeremiah 4935 through
S1: 39 is really a future judgment of the Iranian regime.
S1: Am I off here? Could it apply to the current
S1: situation that's happening right now? Would it apply to that,
S1: or is that stretching things to say that Iran's judgment
S1: is coming?
S5: I personally take the judgment on Islam in Jeremiah 49
S5: as having occurred in the past, though I know some
S5: take it as a future destruction. Jeremiah dates the prophecy
S5: to early in the reign of Zedekiah, who began ruling
S5: at Judah's final king in 597 BC. In Ezekiel 3217,
S5: Ezekiel delivers a prophecy that is dated to March 5th,
S5: 85 BC. His prophecy focuses on Egypt's impending destruction by Babylon.
S5: In the prophecy, Ezekiel pictures Egypt going down to the
S5: grave and encountering other nations already there. Now here comes
S5: the key part. These include Assyria, Elam, Meshech and Tubal,
S5: and Edom and the Sidonians. The point of the prophecy
S5: is to show that the Egyptians were about to be
S5: defeated in battle by the Babylonians, and joined the ranks
S5: of the other nations, who had also been defeated by Nebuchadnezzar.
S5: So my point here is that Ezekiel seems to be
S5: saying that by 585 BC, Elam had been defeated by
S5: the Babylonians.
S1: Our Q&A segment continues here on the land and the book.
S1: With Mark's question, he says, I'm somewhat perplexed by the
S1: story of Solomon, particularly his request for discernment and wisdom
S1: in First Kings chapter two. The Lord granted that request.
S1: Plus something Solomon had not asked for, namely great wealth
S1: and riches. Solomon demonstrated great maturity for a 20 year
S1: old by asking only for wisdom. The wealth that the
S1: Lord bestowed may well have led to Solomon's downfall, though
S1: so did the Lord. Lead him into temptation by also
S1: giving that wealth.
S5: I don't see the wealth that God gave Solomon as
S5: the primary temptation that led to his downfall. I say
S5: this for two reasons. First, we know from first Timothy
S5: six verse ten, it's the love of money, and not
S5: just money itself. That's the root of all evil. And
S5: I think Solomon knew this because he said virtually the
S5: same thing in Ecclesiastes 510. Whoever loves money never has
S5: enough money. Whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.
S5: This too is meaningless. Now, the second reason I think
S5: that money isn't the primary issue here is the Bible
S5: makes it clear that the ultimate sin that brought down
S5: Solomon wasn't wealth, but the idolatry that came into his
S5: life through his multiple wives. As you know, he married
S5: wives from several other countries, and they all had their
S5: own particular gods. In First Kings 11, the writer summarizes
S5: the problem this way. King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women.
S5: As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after
S5: other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to
S5: the Lord his God. As the heart of David, his
S5: father had been. I think these two things are the
S5: primary issues.
S1: Last question from Greg, who describes the the millions of
S1: Israelites that fled Egypt heading for the Promised Land. Do
S1: we know from Scripture who died in the desert and
S1: who made it? In that 40 years there would have
S1: been a lot of children born? Did only those plus
S1: Caleb and Joshua make it? I know it's not a
S1: super critical question, but I'm curious.
S5: What we know for sure is that every male over
S5: 20 except Joshua and Caleb died during the time in
S5: the wilderness. That would be something like 603,548. And this
S5: doesn't count the priests and Levites who weren't numbered with
S5: the men of war. We can also assume that many
S5: of the women died, though they're not given a total number.
S5: In addition, some of the mixed multitude that left Egypt
S5: with the Israelites must also have died. Finally, even those
S5: under 20 who could have lived probably died during events
S5: like Coras Rebellion. Scene number 16 the incident with the
S5: fiery serpents. See number 21. And the immorality that took
S5: place with the Moabite women. As Israel neared the Promised Land.
S5: Scene number 25. In fact, that the number of fighting
S5: men was slightly less at the end of 40 years
S5: than it was at the beginning. By just a few thousand,
S5: suggests that the number of people likely remained relatively constant.
S5: So 2 to 3 million started out for the promised land,
S5: and the same number were alive some 40 years later.
S5: It seems likely that the number who died must have
S5: been about the same, something like 2 to 3 million.
S1: Well, either way, that's a lot of funerals.
S5: Indeed.
S1: Well, your question welcome as you email us at The
S1: Land and the book@moody.edu. But right now we're going to
S1: going to pause before getting ready to hear Charlie Dyer's devotional,
S1: next on the land and the book. Welcome back to
S1: segment four of the land and the book. I'm John
S1: Gager with our host, Charlie Dyer. Charlie, just yesterday I
S1: was walking from Moody to the train station, and I
S1: encountered a lady with a tiny little dog. It looked
S1: like a puppy, but it wasn't. It was a I
S1: think she called it an Aussie. And she said, it's
S1: full grown, six years old. That's all the bigger it gets.
S1: I'm just amazed at the number of kind of dogs
S1: there are, right?
S2: The number is astounding. I watched a dog show the
S2: other day, and I never even heard of half the
S2: breeds that they were showing.
S1: Well, in case you think the show has gone to
S1: the dogs, it has. But we'll let Charlie share all
S1: of that after this perspective from somebody who's been to
S1: the Holy Land and shares this now with you and me.
S6: Hi, my name is Eunice and I'm going to tell
S6: you my Holy Land experience. We won in 2001. There
S6: were six of us and we went and we just
S6: had the most wonderful guide. He knew the Bible backwards
S6: and forwards, but he did not want to be a Christian.
S6: We tried, but he took us so many wonderful places.
S6: And the place that stands out is we went to
S6: the Jordan River and they gave each of us a
S6: robe and we were baptized in the Jordan River. It
S6: was so memorable to know that that's where Jesus was
S6: baptized and we were too. We had so many wonderful
S6: experiences and do not hesitate to go. There are many
S6: wonderful people there who welcome us to come and are
S6: grateful for us to come and say thank you. We
S6: even went unto the Palestinian side of the of the
S6: market by where Jesus was crucified. They opened up a
S6: shop for us, and he could not say thank you
S6: enough that we would come over and take the risk
S6: and the time to go over there. And I praise
S6: God that we had the opportunity, and I hope we
S6: get to go back soon.
S1: I'm intrigued. Charlie, you have titled Today's devotional.
S2: What show? Dogs and hunting dogs.
S1: All right. I'll let you have at it.
S2: Okay. Thanks, John. Well, some years ago, when I was
S2: living in Texas, I was talking with a friend about
S2: an organisation's new chief financial officer. My buddy was a
S2: native Texan, and his response came right from the Lone
S2: Star State. It was direct to the point and colorful.
S2: The man's a show dog. Seeing my quizzical expression, he
S2: added an equally colorful explanation. He looks good, but he
S2: can't hunt. Well, that expression and its meaning have stuck
S2: with me ever since. We all come across show dogs
S2: in our lives. Men and women who appear confident, sophisticated, distinguished,
S2: intelligent or successful, but who can't get the job done.
S2: They look good, but they can't hunt. Jesus had little
S2: patience for the show dogs of his day, the hypocritical
S2: religious leaders who put on a facade of godliness but
S2: who didn't know God. And he was equally colorful in
S2: his description of these charlatans. Woe to you, teachers of
S2: the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed
S2: tombs which look beautiful on the outside, but on the
S2: inside are full of dead man's bones and everything unclean.
S2: From the very beginning of his public ministry, Jesus challenged
S2: the show dog mentality of his day. In the early
S2: chapters of Matthew, the author pictures Jesus as the ideal Israelite,
S2: just as the nation in its infancy went into Egypt.
S2: So Jesus was carried to Egypt as a baby. The
S2: nation had its baptismal experience in the Red sea, and
S2: Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River. Israel then went
S2: into the wilderness where it was tested. So Jesus went
S2: into the wilderness and was tempted by Satan. Finally, Israel
S2: went to Mount Sinai to receive the law. And Jesus
S2: went up on a mountainside and explained the true meaning
S2: of God's law, and how it ought to be lived
S2: out in our lives. We often call that message the
S2: sermon on the Mount, and it's found in Matthew chapter
S2: 5 to 7. The Bible doesn't tell us the exact
S2: location where Jesus delivered the sermon on the Mount, but
S2: the traditional spot overlooking the Sea of Galilee fits the
S2: few biblical details recorded. Matthew tells us Jesus was in
S2: Galilee when he went up on the mountainside to deliver
S2: his message. And when he came down from the mountainside
S2: in Matthew eight, the first town he entered was Capernaum,
S2: standing at the entrance to Capernaum. Today, the dome of
S2: the church on the traditional Mount of Beatitudes is visible
S2: on top of the hill, just a mile to the west.
S2: From the balcony of that church, there's a magnificent view
S2: of the Sea of Galilee, grassy fields interspersed with banana
S2: groves descend toward the water's edge. It's easy to visualize
S2: thousands of curiosity seekers flocking to this hillside, or one nearby,
S2: to listen to the latest message from this rabbi, and
S2: perhaps to be an eye witness to one of his miracles.
S2: But whatever brought them to the site, they weren't prepared
S2: for the penetrating message he was about to deliver. Most
S2: of us know the beginning of Jesus's message, the Beatitudes.
S2: But I want to focus on the rest of the message.
S2: Jesus made it clear he had not arrived to do
S2: away with God's standards for right and wrong. Do not
S2: think I have come to abolish the law or the prophets,
S2: he cried. I have not come to abolish them, but
S2: to fulfill them. He explained the true intent of God's law,
S2: giving several examples. You have heard that it was said
S2: he announced, followed by the standard pharisaic interpretation of God's
S2: law concerning murder, adultery, divorce, the taking of an oath,
S2: seeking revenge, and loving one's neighbor. But he followed each
S2: section explaining God's true intent for that law with a
S2: dramatic contrast. But I tell you, the difference was profound.
S2: Like the difference between a show dog and one that
S2: can actually hunt. So what was the standard for obedience
S2: that God expected? Jesus gave a summary at the end
S2: of chapter five. Be perfect therefore, as your heavenly father
S2: is perfect. God's standard is perfection. Jesus achieved that standard.
S2: But the religious leaders of his day did not. And
S2: if we're honest with ourselves, we need to admit we
S2: don't reach that standard either. Jesus then looked beyond a
S2: person's actions to focus on his or her motives. Be
S2: careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men
S2: to be seen by them. He highlighted the key ways
S2: one demonstrated devotion to God in his day, giving to
S2: the needy, praying and fasting. In each case, he said,
S2: A religious hypocrite does the right thing, but for the
S2: wrong motives to be honored by others, to be seen
S2: by others, to demonstrate to others his or her devotion
S2: to God. Those seeking to impress others forfeit the reward
S2: they could have received from God. Jesus's point is profound.
S2: If we really are seeking to please God by our actions,
S2: then it shouldn't matter whether or not others even know
S2: what we've done. Jesus ended his message with a stern
S2: series of warnings. The way leading to destruction is wide,
S2: but small is the gate and narrow the road that
S2: leads to life, and only a few find it. Not
S2: everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the
S2: kingdom of heaven. The ones listening to his words and
S2: putting them into practice are like a wise man building
S2: his house on the rock. In short, obedience to his
S2: words will provide stability and a solid foundation to help
S2: one withstand life's storms. And that brings us back to
S2: the Sea of Galilee, to Jesus and to And to us.
S2: Jesus understood the power of storms. He would soon calm
S2: a storm on the Sea of Galilee with the simple command. Peace.
S2: Be still. More importantly, he understood the sinfulness of the
S2: human heart. The religious leaders in Jesus's day sought to
S2: meet God's righteous standards by reinterpreting them to make them
S2: easier to keep. And don't get me wrong, they still
S2: wanted to have standards that were too difficult for most people,
S2: but just not for them. They weren't perfect, but if
S2: God would just grade on a curve, they would be
S2: better than everyone else. But Jesus knew that dog wouldn't
S2: hunt for I tell you. He warned that unless your
S2: righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of
S2: the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
S2: God doesn't grade on a curve. And the only passing
S2: grade is 100%. So where does that leave us? The
S2: Bible makes it clear that all have sinned and come
S2: short of the glory of God. No one, no matter
S2: how religious, has met God's standard. So can anyone get
S2: to heaven? The answer, thankfully, is yes. We can't make
S2: it there through our own good works, because none of
S2: us can achieve the standard set by God. But Jesus
S2: was perfect. He did reach that standard. He was the
S2: only person who ever lived who could make it to
S2: heaven through his own good works. But instead of going
S2: straight to heaven, he took a detour that led him
S2: from this hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee to another
S2: hill called Calvary, just outside the city of Jerusalem. When
S2: Jesus hung on the cross, he did so to pay
S2: the penalty for your sin and mine. As the prophet
S2: Isaiah predicted seven centuries before the time of Jesus, he
S2: was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities.
S2: The punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and
S2: by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep,
S2: have gone astray. Each of us has turned to his
S2: own way. And the Lord has laid on him the
S2: iniquity of us all. So how do we get to heaven?
S2: It's not through our own efforts. Rather, we can receive
S2: eternal life as a gift by placing our faith and
S2: trust in Jesus and in his death on our behalf.
S2: Sometime today, get by yourself and read Matthew 5 to 7.
S2: Note the impossibly high standards required to be righteous before God,
S2: and then thank God that Jesus met those standards and
S2: willingly went to the cross in our place to pay
S2: the penalty for our disobedience.
S1: Thank you Charlie. And if you're tired of being a
S1: show dog spiritually, if you want to be the real
S1: deal right with God, a friend will pray with you now.
S1: Answer your questions about knowing Jesus when you call 888.
S1: Need him? Talk to that volunteer now at 888. Need him.
S1: But a great program, a full broadcast. As always. We
S1: thank you for listening. We thank the station here for
S1: providing air time for the land and the book, a
S1: production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.