S1: My good friend went to be with the Lord a
S1: couple of weeks ago. I'm really sad, but I am
S1: not grieving as one who has no hope. Stay with me.
S1: We'll talk about that in just a moment. Hello, friends.
S1: Welcome to Open Line, Moody Radio's Bible study across America.
S1: My name is Michael Melnick. I'm the academic dean and
S1: a professor of Jewish studies and Bible at Moody Bible Institute.
S1: I'm so grateful that you're joining me around the radio
S1: kitchen table today. And we're talking about your questions about
S1: the Bible, God, and the spiritual life. If you have
S1: a question and you'd like to call, the phone number
S1: here is (877) 548-3675. Let me tell you, the secret of
S1: getting your call in is calling at the beginning of
S1: the program or the beginning of the hour, because otherwise
S1: it fills up. And then people send me notes and
S1: they say, I couldn't get through, I couldn't get through. Well,
S1: now's the time to call (877) 548-3675. Let me, uh, let
S1: you know who's here to hear Heinz's producing today. Omar
S1: Mendoza is is handling all things technical. And the phone
S1: number here once again. (877) 548-3675. Time to get yourself a
S1: cup of coffee. Open your Bible. We're going to study
S1: the scriptures together. So I made this friend my first
S1: year as a student at Moody Bible Institute. He introduced
S1: himself as lip, and of course, that wasn't his real name.
S1: I said, how did you get the name lip? He said,
S1: it's short for Lappalainen. And I thought, no. Well, later
S1: on I found out that he was stung by a
S1: bee as a kid, right on the lip. And he
S1: had a big swollen lip, and everyone called him lip.
S1: And that's where he got the name. His real name
S1: was Randy. And my dear friend Randy. We stayed friends
S1: since we were freshmen in college. What do I think about?
S1: I think about this guy that was the funniest student
S1: at Moody Bible Institute. Was a riot. Always had us laughing.
S1: Great storyteller. Uh, joking. Uh. He would dress up as
S1: characters in different events. One night we had a, a
S1: 50s night in the old gym in North Hall, and
S1: he dressed up as a rock n roll singer and
S1: lip synched to music and so much fun that I
S1: had with him. But also he was a serious Bible student.
S1: We took New Testament courses together and would study on
S1: a regular basis. He was determined to learn the scriptures.
S1: I think that's so crucial. Such. It was such a
S1: crucial part of his life. Uh, and, uh, through the
S1: years we stayed friends. And when he was diagnosed with, uh,
S1: a deadly illness about a year ago, throughout his treatment,
S1: he exhibited tremendous faith and trust in the Lord. And
S1: on the night of the Super Bowl, he called me
S1: up and said, you know, I'd like to plan my
S1: funeral with you. Would you be willing to record something
S1: to be at my funeral? And, uh, I said, this
S1: is really hard to talk about. And he said, I know,
S1: but we're going to have a time together where we
S1: can talk about it later on and we'll be together
S1: and laugh again. So don't sweat it. Let's talk about it.
S1: And we did. And I was really, really sad but
S1: grateful That we had this friendship and then he passed away,
S1: went to be with the Lord the following morning. And
S1: I was thinking about this, that in first Thessalonians chapter four,
S1: it says that we don't grieve as those who have
S1: no hope. And let me read you the passage. It says,
S1: we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, concerning
S1: those who are asleep. Asleep being a euphemism in this
S1: passage for those who have died, so that you will
S1: not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. That
S1: doesn't mean we don't grieve, but we don't grieve without hope,
S1: since we believe that Jesus died and rose again in
S1: the same way, God will bring with him those who
S1: have fallen asleep through Jesus. For we say this to
S1: you by a revelation from the Lord, we who are
S1: still alive at the Lord's coming will certainly have no
S1: advantage over those who have fallen asleep, for the Lord
S1: himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the
S1: archangel's voice, with the trumpet of God and the dead
S1: in the Messiah Jesus will rise first. Then we who
S1: are still alive will be caught up together with them
S1: in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
S1: And so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore
S1: encourage one another with these words. As I was thinking
S1: about these passages, what is the basis of having hope
S1: in the midst of our sorrow and sadness? Well, the
S1: first is we have hope and a redeemer. It starts
S1: off by saying, if we believe that Jesus died and
S1: rose again, that's the gospel. If we believe the gospel.
S1: We have confidence that our sins are forgiven and that
S1: we will be with him. It says that God will
S1: bring with him those who have fallen asleep. Through Jesus
S1: there is a certainty. My friend didn't just die. None
S1: of us, if we know the Lord, just dies. We
S1: go to be with the Lord. And that's what he did.
S1: He is with the Lord. He is out of pain,
S1: out of suffering. He is comforted. And I have that
S1: hope as well, that one day. And either I'll be
S1: raptured or die. And either way, I have that hope
S1: because I've put my trust in the Redeemer. So first
S1: we have hope and a Redeemer, and secondly, we have
S1: hope in a resurrection. It says the dead in the
S1: Messiah will rise first. That's what first Thessalonians 416 says,
S1: that there will one day we go to be with
S1: the Lord immediately in our immaterial state. But there's going
S1: to be a resurrection. We will be raised up to
S1: a glorified immortal body when the Lord returns at the rapture.
S1: And so? So that is great hope, not the suffering
S1: sick bodies that we have now. But one day, a
S1: glorified immortal body. We have hope in a resurrection. Uh,
S1: and then we also have hope in a reunion. Uh,
S1: it says then we who are still alive will be
S1: caught up together. Together with them. Uh, there's going to
S1: be a great reunion when the Lord returns. Will all
S1: be together again. It'll be the same as that old
S1: cohort of friends that I had in college. Will be
S1: hanging out together, uh, at the time when the Lord
S1: returns at the great resurrection. And that's a real encouraging
S1: thought to me. Uh, as a couple of my friends
S1: now from that college cohort have gone to be with
S1: the Lord. Well, here's the point of the whole passage.
S1: It says, therefore, encourage one another with these words. If
S1: you've lost someone you love and they knew the Lord,
S1: and you know the Lord, you, you have the same hope.
S1: We don't have to grieve as those who have no hope.
S1: We have hope in Jesus the Redeemer. We have hope
S1: in a great resurrection one day and also a hope
S1: in that reunion together. I hope this gives you encouragement.
S1: If you're suffering the sorrow of losing someone you love.
S1: And that's the great message here, the encouragement of first
S1: Thessalonians 413 through 18. Well, we're going to go right
S1: to the phones here, but I wanted it before I do.
S1: I wanted to introduce you to our current resource, and
S1: it's a new one. It's March 1st. We have a
S1: new resource. So many times I get questions about, uh,
S1: you know, how did we get the Bible? How do
S1: we know that the Bible is different than other alleged
S1: sacred texts like the Quran, for example. What makes the
S1: Bible so special? People who love and read the Bible
S1: will sometimes wonder, how did we get the scriptures? Well,
S1: a friend of mine, Doctor Jay Carlini, has written a
S1: book called The Story of the Bible. And this book
S1: takes you on a journey from the scriptures beginnings. It's
S1: being written, inspired text all the way to transmission and
S1: then ultimately to the English translations that we have today.
S1: The story of the Bible reveals how God worked through
S1: human authors, scribes, translators to give us his written word.
S1: This book will give you great confidence in the Bible's
S1: reliability while answering questions that you've always had about where
S1: did the scriptures come from? And if you'd like a
S1: copy of the story of the Bible, it's yours. All
S1: you have to do is give a gift of any
S1: size to open line. And if you'd like to do that,
S1: just go to our website, Open Line radio.org or call (888) 644-7122.
S1: That's (888) 644-7122. We just want to say thanks by sending
S1: you a copy of the story of the Bible. So
S1: make sure when you give ask for the story of
S1: the Bible. We're going to go to the phones right
S1: now and we're going to speak with, uh, Silvana. I
S1: think that's who is next on the. Wait a second.
S1: My screen isn't exactly right. I got to check it out.
S1: There we go. Kirk in Lake Worth, Florida, listening on Wrnb.
S1: Welcome to Open Line. Kirk, how can I help you today?
S2: Shalom, pastor. I just absolutely love listening to you and
S2: Doctor Melnick, number one, Miss Eva.
S1: Oh, I do love listening to her, I'll tell you that.
S2: So my question is, is that I've been reading about
S2: a book called I'm. I believe it's a Hebrew word.
S2: T a n a k h. And the way it's
S2: described is it's the Old Testament Torah with messianic prophecies
S2: in red letters, which would make it easy for me
S2: to find the messianic prophecies and share them with people. Because,
S2: you know, when you talk to people, even unbelievers, Gentiles,
S2: when you start talking New Testament, they say, well, that's
S2: what Jesus said about himself. That's what his followers said.
S2: But I think these prophecies, which are great for our
S2: Jewish friends, would be great for them, too. And it'd
S2: make it easy to find and sort of have a quick.
S2: And I could study each and every one of the prophecies.
S2: What do you think?
S1: Well, I don't know which one you're talking about. The
S1: word Tanakh is the Hebrew word for the Old Testament. Uh, okay.
S1: It's a acronym. Takes the first letter of each section
S1: of the Old Testament Torah, the law Torah. That's the
S1: te nevi'im. The prophets. Yes. And that's the end. And
S1: then Ketuvim, uh, which is the writings Tanakh. And because.
S1: Of the the curse sounds at the end, it gets softened,
S1: if you can believe it's calling it. Softened uh, to
S1: so Tanakh. Uh. And so that's what it is. I
S1: don't know of one that has the messianic prophecies in red.
S1: I'm not aware of that, but that sounds like a
S1: great idea. But the Tanakh is merely the Old Testament,
S1: and if there's one with messianic prophecies in red, that's great. Uh,
S1: and I think a great way of studying the messianic prophecies.
S1: And obviously this is important to me because that's how
S1: I came to the Lord, is I, I was the
S1: editor of a book called The Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy. And, uh,
S1: you know what? It's it's, uh, it's a resource book.
S1: It's a deep dive into each of the messianic prophecies
S1: about 50 different people contributed. I did about ten articles
S1: in it. And if you'd like a copy, you know what?
S1: You just hang on. I'm going to send you one
S1: for free since you're interested in it. Uh, and anyone
S1: else listening, if you're interested in that, all you have
S1: to do is go to your local Christian bookstore, or
S1: maybe your favorite online bookstore, and get a copy of
S1: The Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy. I think it's a
S1: great tool. And so you hang on, Kirk, don't hang up. Uh,
S1: we're going to have to here, take your name and
S1: your number and your address and all that, and we'll
S1: send you a copy of the Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy. Uh,
S1: and we're going to we're going to go to break
S1: right now. When we come back, we have a lot
S1: of questions that I'll try and answer. I'll do the
S1: best I can. So glad you're listening to Open Line
S1: with me. This is our Bible study across America, and
S1: people are calling from all across America. So I'm glad
S1: for that. We'll talk. We'll talk with you in just
S1: a moment. Stay with us. We're. You're listening to Open
S1: Line with Michael Melnick on Moody Radio. We'll be right back.
S1: Welcome back to Open Line with Michael Radonich. I'm so
S1: happy to be here on this Saturday morning with you.
S1: Studying the scriptures. It's it's so fun. I walked in,
S1: saw the people from the previous program. They were all there.
S1: And also, uh, Omar and Tara and Merle, we're all here.
S1: It's a it's a fun team. Uh, and I so
S1: appreciate seeing everyone on the team. And it's a lot
S1: of people think these programs just happen, but no, they don't.
S1: There's a lot of people that put in a lot
S1: of work? Even Tricia is working. She's not here with
S1: us today, but she put a lot of stuff into
S1: today's program. Couldn't do it without the team. And there's
S1: some people on the team that maybe you hadn't thought about.
S1: Those are people who give to Open Line on a
S1: regular basis. Our kitchen table partners, they are really part
S1: of the team. They give monthly so I can be
S1: on the air weekly. I so appreciate them. And one
S1: of the things I do to show my appreciation is
S1: Tricia and I produce a Bible study moment every other week.
S1: It's an audio Bible study designed exclusively for our kitchen
S1: table partners. And we're trying actually, it would be a
S1: big help. So, you know, we're a little bit over
S1: 800 kitchen table partners right now. The goal for this year,
S1: I was really hoping to see if we can get
S1: a thousand kitchen table partners. That would be a tremendous benefit.
S1: And we I hope you're considering becoming part of the team.
S1: And if you are, all you have to do is
S1: go to open line radio.org. That's open line radio.org. Or
S1: you can uh, you can call (888) 644-7122 and become part
S1: of the team as well. Well let's talk to Dennis
S1: in Cleveland, Ohio listening on Wtxf. Welcome to Open Line Dennis.
S1: How can I help you?
S3: Good morning. Good morning doctor. There's something I don't understand
S3: about the Bible is, uh. Jesus lineages. Lineage. If Ruth, uh,
S3: was an Israelite, how does that work? He's not a
S3: true Israelite because she became from somewhere else. But Naomi was.
S1: Naomi was an Israelite. Uh, yep. But, uh, now, I
S1: think this is this is, uh, important to remember. If
S1: you read Matthew one, you'll see that Judah fathered. Verse three.
S1: Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar. Tamar was not
S1: an Israelite, and Solomon fathered Boaz by Rahab. Okay. Uh, okay.
S3: Yes, ma'am.
S1: And Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth. And then, uh, so
S1: you have three women in the lineage of Jesus that
S1: were not, uh, what we would say Israelite, you know. So.
S3: Yes, sir.
S1: But their fathers were, you know, Judah was an as well. Yeah.
S1: He was an Israelite. He was a descendant of Jacob. Uh, Solomon, uh,
S1: who fathered Boaz by Rahab. Solomon was an Israelite. Uh,
S1: Boaz who fathered Obed by Ruth was an Israelite. And
S1: so obviously, uh, the descendancy the genealogical descendancy from from
S1: Jacob of of making an Israelite could go through either parent,
S1: and in this case it's through the fathers. So that's
S1: all it is.
S4: Okay. Okay.
S3: My heart goes out to the Israelites. It bothers me
S3: to see the world treat them the way they do.
S3: It bothers me. And you have a good day, doctor.
S4: Thank you, I appreciate that.
S1: Appreciate your concern about anti-Semitism. I'm concerned about that, too. Uh,
S1: I think that if ever believers need to speak up
S1: and stand up is in opposing the growing anti-Semitism in
S1: the world, well, we're going to talk to Elaine, listening
S1: on 90.1 FM, Moody Radio Chicago Wmbi. Welcome to Open Line. Elaine,
S1: this is our flagship station. Glad you're with us. How
S1: can I help you?
S5: Thank you. I just want to know which Bible you
S5: would recommend for a newcomer. Something simple. But. But, uh,
S5: I'd like it to emphasize the importance of the Jewish nation.
S1: Well, you don't need to have a special translation to
S1: important to emphasize the importance of the Jewish nation. Every
S1: Bible translation does good. So, uh, because that's it's intrinsic
S1: to the Bible. Uh, good. Now, do you mean which
S1: is the best Bible translation for a new follower of Jesus? Okay.
S1: You know, there's just a whole bunch of different ways
S1: of thinking about it. Uh, I would encourage, you know,
S1: I like the CSB. The CSB is an easy to
S1: read translation, easy to understand and accurate. And so some
S1: people will find that helpful. Uh, sometimes that's considered a
S1: little tough for people to understand. Uh, even there, even
S1: though I think it's an easy to read English translation.
S1: So you might want to consider for a brand new
S1: follower of Jesus, the New Living Translation. It's a little interpretive,
S1: but it's easier to understand than that. But, you know,
S1: you just, uh, there there are other kinds of translations.
S1: Some people like the NIV and some people like the
S1: New American Standard. There are different kinds and formats, but
S1: I think I would I would think that the most accurate,
S1: easy to read translation is the Holman CSB. And then
S1: the other alternative is to go something even simpler, which
S1: is a thought for thought translation called the New Living Translation.
S1: That's what I think. Okay.
S5: Thank you, thank you. Yeah.
S1: You're welcome. And by the way, I'll just remind everyone
S1: that the best Bible translation, according to my wife Eva,
S1: is the one you will actually read. That's the best
S1: one for you. So. Okay, thanks for your call, Elaine.
S1: We're going to talk to Stephen in Cleveland, listening on
S1: Wtxf Moody Radio Cleveland. Uh, welcome to Open Line. Stephen,
S1: how can I help you?
S6: Hi, doctor. Ray, can I have a question? It's been
S6: bothering me for a while. I've talked to a disgusting
S6: something about the dead who are going to heaven. And
S6: because of Christ being alive, they intercede for us to God.
S6: Because he quoted Matthew 27, they came out of the graves.
S6: And then one on the bottom was what struck me
S6: as revelations five, eight and eight, 3 to 4. He
S6: says that the even the Bible shows people in heaven
S6: taking our prayers before God. I thought, when you die,
S6: you're not conscious. Well, how would you know who you're
S6: praying for? I thought we'd just go to Jesus Christ
S6: to get to the father. I'm just confused with that
S6: because he says when they came out of the graves,
S6: that shows they're alive and they guess they're conscious, they
S6: could pray for us. I don't understand all this.
S1: Well, whether they're conscious or not, Uh, and, uh, I
S1: think it's interesting. Let's just go to revelation five eight. Yeah.
S1: When he when he took the scroll, the four living
S1: creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the lamb.
S1: Each one had a harp and gold bowls filled with incense,
S1: which are the prayers of the saints. Now, I just
S1: want to be really clear here. This is symbolic language.
S1: And the incense, uh, is the prayers of the saints
S1: is symbolically pictured as incense. But their actual prayers. But
S1: they're not prayers of dead saints. The word saint refers
S1: to followers of Jesus. And so these are the prayers
S1: of people on earth ascending to God. They are not
S1: people who are dead and in heaven praying. So that
S1: verse is not teaching at all anything about the dead
S1: interceding for us. Now the other one, yes, people are resurrected.
S1: There were a few people who had a resurrection at
S1: the resurrection of Jesus according to Matthew 27, but they
S1: would have to die again, sort of like Lazarus. There
S1: was a, I like to call the theological technical term
S1: a super duper burst of resurrection power that happened when
S1: the the Lord Jesus was resurrected and some people came
S1: out of the graves as confirmation of that resurrection of Jesus,
S1: but they were not resurrected to glory. They were resurrected
S1: temporarily and they would have to die again. So what
S1: happens when we die? First of all, we go to
S1: be with the Lord, our immaterial portion, the spirits of us.
S1: Paul talks about in Philippians one that he. He knows
S1: that to live is Christ, to die is gain, and
S1: that he would go to be with the Lord. When
S1: he died. Second Corinthians five says. Absent from the body.
S1: When our spirit leaves the body. It it is present
S1: with the Lord. So we go to be with the
S1: Lord in our immaterial state. And then we descend in
S1: our immaterial state at the resurrection, at the rapture, and
S1: we are resurrected. We meet up with our bodies and
S1: they're given a glorified immortal body. But, uh, the most
S1: important thing to remember is that there's only one mediator,
S1: one person who prays. There's one person who is our advocate.
S1: There's only one high priest who intercedes for us, and
S1: that is the Lord Jesus. So when we pray, the
S1: way to pray is not to any person who died.
S1: The way to pray according to the scriptures is we
S1: pray to the father in the name of the son.
S1: That's because he is our advocate. He is our high priest.
S1: He is the one that leads us before the father. And, uh,
S1: he is the one that intercedes for us. And we
S1: pray as we seek God's will. We seek God's purposes.
S1: When we pray, we pray according to the power of
S1: the Holy Spirit. So when we pray, we don't pray
S1: to people who have died. We pray to the father
S1: in the name of the son by the power of
S1: the Holy Spirit. There's no verse in Scripture that ever,
S1: ever teaches that we should pray to people who have died. Okay. Uh.
S6: That is what they believe.
S1: Yeah, I know they believe that, but does that clarify
S1: it for you?
S6: Yes it does. I thank you so much. I really
S6: appreciate that.
S1: Yeah, well, thank you for your call, Stephen. Uh, you know,
S1: I think that's one of the great privileges that we
S1: have as as a child of God that we can
S1: go to the father directly through our great High Priest,
S1: the Lord Jesus, our intercessor, our our great Redeemer. That's
S1: that's a great reminder to why should we pray? Because
S1: God calls us to and we can enter the holy
S1: presence of God through the Lord Jesus. Well, we're going
S1: to come right back with the mailbag, the Febc mailbag,
S1: to hear us coming in. So don't go away. You're
S1: listening to Open Line with Michael Ray Dolnick right here
S1: on Moody Radio. And we're back. It's time for the
S1: Febc mailbag. I'm so grateful that Far Eastern Broadcasting Company
S1: partners with Moody Radio to bring you Open Line, and they, uh,
S1: bring you the Febc mailbag. And joining me now. My name,
S1: by the way, I didn't mention again was Mike is
S1: Michael Ray Dolnick. And joining me is to hear a Haynes.
S1: She is the person who is going to ask the
S1: questions today about the from the mailbag. But I do
S1: want you to check out because they are bringing the
S1: gospel to people all over the world through media and
S1: then also through personal engagement. And they have a wonderful
S1: podcast with Ed Cannon called Until All Have Heard. You
S1: can find it on whatever podcast distributor you have, or
S1: you can go to their website, because that's where I
S1: recommend you go and check out their podcast until all
S1: have heard and to hear how you how you doing?
S7: I am doing well. How are you today?
S1: Great. I'm thinking, uh, you're here a couple of weeks
S1: in a row now. Uh, we're. I think Tricia needs
S1: to read about Wally Pipp. Oh. Do you know who
S1: Wally Pip is?
S7: I don't tell me who Wally Pip is.
S1: Wally Pipp was a first baseman that got injured and
S1: with the Yankees, and he was replaced by a guy
S1: named Lou Gehrig, who played for the next 2130 games
S1: and set a then record for how many games played
S1: in a row. And Wally Pipp lost his job. So, uh,
S1: you know Tricia. She better. This is two weeks in
S1: a row now. Tricia. Better watch out.
S7: So it's okay. No, Tricia is fine. Tricia has been
S7: at NBI, working really hard in Dallas, and she will
S7: definitely be back next week.
S1: Yeah, just tell her about Wally Pipp, okay. And then
S1: she'll be back. That'll be it. Okay. Thank you. Matthew. Okay. Uh,
S1: let's let's go to the questions.
S7: Great, great. Our first question is from Stanley in Alabama,
S7: listening on Wmw. Do Christians in our century need to
S7: keep the Sabbath and teach others to keep it also?
S1: Okay. There are a lot of people who become very
S1: strong about. It's the Sabbath. It's one of the Ten Commandments. Uh, now,
S1: it's really important that we remember that, you know, people
S1: ask me all the time about the Law of Moses,
S1: are we under it or are we not under it?
S1: And my answer is a really resounding yes and no.
S1: And the no part is that as a direct commandment,
S1: we are no longer under the law of Moses, but where,
S1: according to the New Testament, under the law of Christ,
S1: the Messianic Torah, the messianic law, and as a result
S1: of that, uh, the one what is the New covenant
S1: or the Messianic Torah? That's all these commandments in the
S1: New Testament. And it's interesting. Nine of the Ten Commandments
S1: are not are indeed repeated in the New Testament, but
S1: one isn't. And guess which one isn't the Sabbath command?
S1: That's the only one. Uh, and I think it's important
S1: that you realize that everyone realized that the the reason
S1: for that is that the seventh day Sabbath. I mean,
S1: we still have a Sabbath. It's the seventh day of
S1: the week, but the seventh day Sabbath was considered the
S1: sign of the Law of Moses. Uh, it says in
S1: Exodus 31, you must observe my Sabbaths, for it is
S1: a sign between me and you throughout your generations, so
S1: that you will know that I am the Lord who
S1: sets you apart. Observe the Sabbath, for it's holy to you.
S1: It's the sign. Verse 1731 17 says, for ever between
S1: me and the Israelites. So it's a Sabbath is the
S1: Sabbath is a sign of the mosaic covenant. Thank you.
S1: And then we're under the New covenant. And so that's
S1: the one. That's the one of the Ten Commandments that
S1: is not repeated because it's not the sign of the
S1: New Covenant. It's the sign of the mosaic covenant. Okay.
S1: So that's that's what I would say. So no, we're
S1: not bound like Israel. You know, you couldn't cook or
S1: pick up things or do stuff like that on Sabbath.
S1: That's not our life. However, remember I said, we're not
S1: under the law of Moses. And yes, we are in
S1: the sense that every principle taught in the law of Moses,
S1: every principle, the wisdom principle that governs every command in
S1: the law of Moses is applicable to us. And so
S1: the idea of taking a day off one day a
S1: week for physical rest and spiritual renewal, that's great idea.
S1: That's a wisdom principle. It's something we ought to do.
S1: For example, in Romans 14 it says, one man honors
S1: one day above another. Another views them all alike. Let
S1: each man be convinced in his own mind. So it
S1: doesn't have to be on Saturday, but it has to be.
S1: We have to take a day for physical rest and
S1: spiritual renewal. We have to have our own Sabbath. And
S1: you know, if someone wants to do it on Saturday, fine.
S1: You know, uh, a lot of messianic congregations that I
S1: was part of, uh, met on Saturdays for worship and, uh,
S1: and took that day for rest and renewal. Uh, I
S1: was at a church as an interim pastor that had
S1: Saturday night services. And so they took Saturday as well,
S1: you know, and so they met for worship on Saturdays.
S1: The point is, we need a day for rest and renewal,
S1: physical rest, spiritual renewal. It could be Sunday. You know,
S1: for most pastors, it's not Sunday because they're, you know,
S1: especially if there's multiple services. So true. It's not that, uh,
S1: a person could take their day of rest another day.
S1: So those are those are some of the the reasons
S1: I would say. Are we under the Law of Moses? No,
S1: you don't have to keep the Sabbath the way the
S1: Israelites did. It's the sign of the law of Moses,
S1: not the sign of the law of Messiah. But should
S1: we keep the Sabbath? Yes. We need to have our
S1: own Sabbath. A day for physical rest and renewal.
S7: Thank you, Michael, for that response. And thank you, Stanley,
S7: for that question. We have a question from Heidi in
S7: Ohio listening through Wtxf. I have always had a heart
S7: for Israel, but since October 7th, I weep for them,
S7: the hostages, the anti-Semitism, and so many other things going
S7: on now. Struggling. She's now struggling with so many hostages
S7: being murdered in the captivity. And she wants to know,
S7: she said. God did not answer the prayers of those
S7: who were praying the Christians, the Jews for everyone to
S7: be released. And she had really hoped that that would
S7: have happened. So her question is why didn't God respond
S7: or answer that? And also, what more can Christians do
S7: to bless Israel in these heartbreaking times?
S1: Well, first of all, for me to answer the mystery
S1: of prayer is beyond my pay grade. Just so you know,
S1: I none of us can explain the mysterious nature of
S1: prayer and how and why. Why and how God answers.
S1: Why does he say yes? There were. There have been
S1: a number of hostages that were rescued, a number of
S1: hostages that have been released. And then there are others
S1: that that were murdered by Hamas. Uh, and it's not
S1: just those who are hostages. On the very day of 27,
S1: over 1200 were killed, murdered in that assault. Clearly, people
S1: were praying for the peace of Jerusalem when that happened.
S1: So I don't know the answer to that. I do
S1: know that God tells us to pray and not lose heart.
S1: That's what Jesus said in Luke 17. We are to
S1: pray and not lose heart. We are to trust God
S1: for the answers. And you know the mystery of how
S1: God decides what he's going to do. I don't know, uh, but,
S1: you know, God is still calling us to pray, and
S1: we need to do that. I'm amazed, you know, when
S1: I had a prayer for this beloved person to me
S1: and I. I was not worthy. And I cried out
S1: to God. And I said, God, I am not worthy,
S1: but Jesus is. And deliver this person. And that one
S1: time he answered that prayer exactly as I had asked.
S1: Other times he said no to me about things like that.
S1: I don't know. I don't know. Uh, but I just
S1: keep praying because he's the one I rely on. So, uh,
S1: so I'm sorry to say that there's this is a
S1: great mystery, and it's it's not one who can know
S1: the mind of the Lord. None of us. That's it. Yeah. So, uh,
S1: let's let's take this, uh, last this other question here
S1: by Lori. Okay.
S7: Sure. Thank you so much, Lori. Florida. And she's listening
S7: to Wcqs in the Old Testament sacrificial system, were all
S7: animals required to be male?
S1: Yeah. The reason I thought we'd take this is because
S1: it's a quick answer. No, there were female sacrifices, female
S1: animals for sacrifice as well. Leviticus chapter four, verse uh 28.
S1: It says if someone informs him about the sin he
S1: has committed, he's about. Then he's he's to bring an
S1: unblemished female goat as his offering for the sin that
S1: he committed. So that's Leviticus 428, then verse 32, uh,
S1: he's to bring a female lamb. Uh, uh, Leviticus 432
S1: and then Leviticus five six, he must bring his restitution
S1: for the sin he has committed to the Lord. A
S1: female lamb or goat from the flock. So the answer
S1: is no. They didn't all have to be male. Certain
S1: sacrifices required a female sacrifice. And, uh, thank you so
S1: much for bringing those questions into here, Michael. Yeah. You're
S1: listening to Open Line with Michael Radonich. That was to
S1: hear Haines. Uh, you can send your question in by
S1: going to Open Line radio.org and clicking on Ask Michael
S1: a question. That's a great place to post your question.
S1: And Tricia will put it in the mailbag for upcoming week.
S1: We're going to be right back with more of your calls,
S1: with your questions in just a moment. Keep listening to
S1: Open Line. Welcome back to Open Line. Uh, I am
S1: so glad to be with you today, and I'm so
S1: grateful for the the great privilege to talk with you
S1: about so many important things. And I'm grateful that people
S1: ask me questions about Jewish people. But here's a question
S1: that I think Chosen People Ministries gets over and over.
S1: It's how important is it to reach Jewish people with
S1: the Good News and Chosen People ministries keeps getting asked
S1: that question. And so that's why they're offering a booklet
S1: called To the Jew First in the first in the
S1: 21st century. It was written by Doctor Al Mohler, who's
S1: the president of Southern Baptist Seminary. This booklet affirms, reaffirms
S1: God's love for the Jewish people. It shows why believers
S1: must continue to present the Messiah, Jesus, to the Jewish people,
S1: why Jewish people need to believe in their very own Messiah,
S1: the Lord Jesus. Doctor Mohler says Jewish evangelism is the
S1: clearest test case for the faithfulness to the gospel of
S1: the Lord Jesus, the Messiah in this generation. That's the
S1: test for your free copy of To the Jew. First
S1: in the 20 in the 21st century. Just go to
S1: the Open Line website. That's open Line radio.org. Scroll down
S1: till you see the link that says A free gift
S1: from Chosen People Ministries. And when you click on that,
S1: you'll be taken to a page where you can sign
S1: up for your own copy of To the Jew First
S1: in the 21st century. And we're going to talk with
S1: Mary Lynn in Seville, Ohio, listening on the Moody Radio app. Hey,
S1: Mary Lynn, how can I help you today?
S8: Good morning. Thank you for taking my call.
S1: Hey, wait a second. How did you hear about the
S1: Moody Radio app? That's what I want to know from you.
S9: Uh.
S8: Um, I was in South Carolina at my daughter's, and
S8: I tried to listen to Moody Radio, so that's how
S8: I got it.
S1: Well, you know, that's a cool thing. We live in
S1: a kind of a weird neighborhood in Chicago. And even
S1: though we're really close to the WNBA, my wife listens
S1: on the app because we have terrible reception right in
S1: our little pocket of Chicago. And and we get much
S1: better reception, obviously, on the Moody Radio app. And so
S1: if you're listening out there and you think, I'm leaving
S1: my hometown, I won't have my radio station, uh, or
S1: I just want to get better reception. And I think
S1: I'll do it with, with my iPhone. If I do
S1: that or my smartphone, I should say, uh, best thing
S1: to do get the Moody Radio app, be smart like
S1: Mary Lynn and get the Moody, Moody Radio app.
S8: I can't get w Ciara home. I can get it
S8: in the car, but I can't get it in my home.
S8: So that's why I listen.
S1: Same thing as my wife, right? That's it. Right? That's it. Okay.
S1: How can I help you?
S8: Yeah. Okay. I have a question about the timing of
S8: the Israelites crossing the Red sea. Did God hold the
S8: Egyptians back the whole time they were crossing? And how
S8: long would that take for the 2 million plus Israelites
S8: to cross the Red sea?
S1: Well, it doesn't say in the Bible. Uh, I don't
S1: know how long it took. Uh, you know, just to
S1: be honest, that if Moses thought that was important, he
S1: would have told us. Apparently, he didn't think it was crucial.
S1: You know, in terms of, uh, there's a selectivity. This
S1: is this is really important for us to understand. It's
S1: the principle of selection. And a lot of people just
S1: want to know the details. Uh, like Fanny Brice, you know.
S1: Do you remember Fanny Brice, the old comedian on radio? Uh,
S1: I used to listen to a lot of old radio tapes.
S1: She y y she asked a million questions. And the
S1: the the funny thing about, by the way, the movie
S1: Funny Girl is about Fanny Brice, but, uh, Baby Snooks
S1: was the character that she played. But, uh, the funny
S1: part to me here is that people don't know that
S1: when biblical narrative, it's not to answer our curiosity, it's
S1: to tell us what's most important. And so it doesn't say.
S1: I think that obviously the 600 chariots were were really
S1: making some some dust in the distance. And the Israelites
S1: saw it and they cried out. And Moses says in
S1: Exodus 14, don't be afraid. Stand firm and see the
S1: Lord's salvation. He will provide for you today for the Egyptians.
S1: You see today you will never see again. The Lord
S1: will fight for you, and you must be quiet. And
S1: so then he's you know, one of my favorite verses
S1: in the Bible is Exodus 1415. The Lord said to Moses,
S1: why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites
S1: to break camp. In other words, stop talking and start
S1: walking is what what he says. Uh, and, uh, and
S1: that's that's what he does. And the angel of God,
S1: who was going in front of the Israelite forces, moved
S1: and went behind them. The pillar of cloud of cloud
S1: moved from in front of them and stood behind them.
S1: It came between the Egyptian and Israelite forces. The cloud
S1: was there in the darkness, yet it lit up the night.
S1: So neither group came near the other all night long.
S1: So how long did it take? It took all night long.
S1: How long is that? I don't know, but, uh, what
S1: kept the Israelites from being attacked by the Egyptians was
S1: the darkness of the pillar of cloud. So there was
S1: a blockade there, so to speak. Okay.
S8: Okay. I knew this was not a Necessary question, but
S8: I was just always curious.
S1: Yeah, well, you're curious, right? But, you know, we have
S1: a little hint there. It told us all night long. Right? Right.
S1: And and yes, God did hold the Egyptians back because
S1: of the pillar of cloud. I'd be afraid to walk
S1: into a pillar of cloud too, wouldn't you?
S8: Of course. Yes.
S1: Yeah. Yeah. Hey, thanks for your call. Uh, Mary Lynn,
S1: thank you. Appreciate it. Uh, we're going to talk to
S1: Daniel in Tennessee, listening on NRB. Welcome to Open Line, Daniel.
S1: How can I help you?
S10: Thank you. Doctor. Uh, thank you for taking my call.
S10: God bless you. Um, I have a simple question. Well,
S10: it's not a simple question. I have a new friend who, um,
S10: recently told me. Hey, you know, I don't agree with
S10: what you're teaching in the Bible study because I follow
S10: what preterist view, and I didn't know what that was.
S10: Started studying. And I don't necessarily agree with it, but
S10: I want before I ask for your perspective, I just
S10: want to say that I approach matters like this with
S10: humility and ask for God's wisdom. And I don't believe
S10: things like this about end time views or perspectives should
S10: be divisive in the church. So if I could kindly
S10: ask for your perspective, please.
S1: Yeah, I don't think it should be divisive in the church,
S1: but it's disappointing to me, to people who that people
S1: do take the predatorist view, for example, predatorist for people
S1: who are sitting on what in the world is that
S1: a new part for my car? No. Predatorism is the
S1: belief that the events, for example, in Matthew 24, were
S1: fulfilled in the past, or that the book of revelation,
S1: the interpretation of revelation four through 22 is our our
S1: predicted and fulfilled in the past. So, for example, in
S1: Matthew 24, When it talks about the Lord's return, they
S1: would say the Lord did return in A.D. 70. He
S1: returned in judgment. And so the return of the Lord
S1: was the destruction of Jerusalem, and not the deliverance of Israel,
S1: as predicted in in the Hebrew Bible and predicted in
S1: Zechariah 12 and places like that. Rather, he returned in
S1: judgment on Israel. Revelation four through uh 19 is frequently
S1: taken as partial predatorism that all those events of the
S1: tribulation period were fulfilled in A.D. 70, when Jerusalem was destroyed. And, uh,
S1: and it just happened. It just such a problem because
S1: there were full preterists about the book of revelation. But
S1: it's so clearly about the coming of the Lord Jesus
S1: that they had to say, well, okay, in chapter 20
S1: it starts being about the return of the Lord Jesus, uh,
S1: yet future. But yeah, it just seemed to me that
S1: it's clear that this is about the future and we
S1: don't have to, uh, we don't have to worry about that. Well, uh,
S1: shouldn't divide us, but I do think it should guide
S1: us that we're we're we're able to see the return
S1: of the Lord Jesus. Hey, thanks for your question, Daniel.
S1: I hope that helps. Thanks for listening, everyone. That's the
S1: first hour, but we'll be back with more questions in
S1: the second hour of Open Line, so don't miss out
S1: if your station doesn't carry it. You can listen on
S1: the Moody Radio app or listen online. Check out our
S1: web page during the break. Open Line radio.org. You're going
S1: to find that all has all the links you're looking for.
S1: The Bible study across America will continue in the second hour,
S1: so stay with us. Open line with Michael Radonich is
S1: a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.
S1: Stay with us. We'll be right back.